This weekend was another great weekend spent doing things we can easily do now before baby’s arrival, that might not be so easy post baby’s arrival.  It was pretty packed with events but didn’t feel overwhelming or chaotic at all.  It was essentially a perfect summer weekend, albeit a little toasty.

Friday night was the first night in a while that we had nothing on the agenda.  We enjoyed one of our Marley Spoon dinners (this night was grilled Korean pork burgers with slaw) on the deck watching movies on the big screen.

Saturday morning we had plans to meet up with Luis and Carina for dim sum at Harbor City for Carina’s birthday.  There was a good wait but once we were seated and the food came it was all delicious and demolished.  After brunch we continued Carina’s birthday celebration at Agua Verde, where we met up with Philipp and Sara for double kayaking on busy Lake Union.  It was a hot day so the water felt wonderful.  After an hour of kayaking on the water we said our goodbyes and headed home.  Saturday night we did a few things around the house, Bryan made another Marley Spoon dinner (this time chimichurri steak with a snap pea couscous salad) and we watched more movies on the deck outside.

Sunday morning, we had an early start to get to Renton for Seahawk’s Training Camp.  We got a large and delicious iced coffee at Bryan’s barista stand before checking into the camp at the Landing and riding the school buses to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for practice.  We were greeted by a band, Seagals, and then quickly found some spots to watch the practice.  I love coming to this because it really gets me familiar with the players, numbers, names, etc.  Particularly this year when the team has changed so much.  There are quite a few Michigan (D. Hill, F. Clark, A. Darboh, K. Hill) and Texas (T. Swoopes, E. Thomas, M. Johnson, P. Ford, M. Dickson) players on the team this year.  We also spotted some strong offensive prospects for starting positions with my favorite from last year J.D. McKissic, but also Lockett, Johnson, Penny and Brown all looked pretty good.  Baldwin and Luke Wilson didn’t practice and Chancellor is still injured.  Thomas was no where in sight.  The defense is sure going to be interesting this year.

Scout #1

The team warming up.

Delano Hill

Scout #2

After practice we sought out AC and brunch at the Hawaiian spot, Super Six, in Columbia City.  I got the Portuguese sausage hash and Bryan the pork katsu sandwich and fries while we watched the Mariner’s.  After brunch, and fully stuffed, we headed to Lake Washington to do a little floating.  It was so hot and my body was starting to shut down.  As soon as we got in the refreshing water though I felt a million times better.  We roped our tubes up to each other and Bryan paddled us around while I mostly just laid there.  It was a pleasant two hours spent on the bustling Lake Washington near Seward Park.  We went home for a snack, shower, quick rest, change of clothes and then set out to Comedy Underground in Pioneer Square for a night of laughs.  The Underground was also insanely hot and I was dying but the comics and jokes were funny and it was an enjoyable night as adults again.

Portuguese sausage hash

Katsu sandwich

Floating on Lake Washington

Comedy Underground

We are supposed to have another 90 degree day and then I am looking forward to the temps dropping a bit.  We have another eventful week and then next weekend’s focus is solely on SeaFair.  We have slowly been knocking out some of the remaining To-Do’s on the baby preparedness list.  I’ll catch up on that later.

Chelsea

After nine months of pregnancy I cannot say that I would be a happy person being pregnant all the time but pregnancy has really taught me a lot about the miracle of birth and the female body.  When reading about the physical and emotional changes that are happening within the body, it is almost surreal.  The changes that take place are so logical and yet so crazy that they are hard to believe.  I’m literally in awe of how my body has changed in the last 9 months.  And I have to say I love my body for it.

There was a time in which I worried that I had caused major irrecoverable trauma to my body.  I feared, like I think many women do, that I would not be able to have children of my own for one reason or another.  The toll I took on my body somehow has not jeopardized my future motherhood and my future physical health.  I am so appreciative of that.  I have also rolled with the punches through the physical changes of pregnancy in awe instead of in fear.  I’m grateful that my pregnancy has been as smooth sailing as it has been and I can’t deny that it helps that my belly has consistently been relatively small for each stage, but that’s not for not eating enough.  That hasn’t been an issue at any point during my pregnancy.

I’m looking forward to having my body back, yes, of course, but I am even looking forward to earning my body back post pregnancy.  For each change that has occurred during pregnancy I am excited to see the recovery progress post-pregnancy.  I’m looking forward to being active again.  I’m looking forward to going hiking, running and skiing with Bryan again.  I’ve seen a lot of women go overboard post-pregnancy but I don’t want that to be me.  Slow progress is best progress and when you do it right it is so rewarding to see the effects of hard work.

Pregnancy is a wild ride for everyone involved.  It is certainly not something that I think anyone can really truly grasp until experiencing it first hand.  I certainly entered pregnancy completely unknowing about really everything about pregnancy and now at least feel competent.  Now that we are so close and are essentially in “GO” time the feelings of excitement, nervousness, anxiety, and eagerness cycle on a regular basis, sometimes by the minute.  I feel ready but can’t say I’m ready.  All I know is that when it does happen I think both Bryan and I will be as prepared and relaxed as we can be.

And finally, the predictions…

Bryan:

Delivered on August 18th

Length of 20″

Weight of 7.9 lbs

Gender Girl

Chelsea:

Delivered on August 20th

Length of 20.75″

Weight of 7.3 lbs

Gender Boy

We will see whose predictions get the closest.

Chelsea

This past weekend was a busy one but one that also accomplished a lot.  Bryan and I got to enjoy some relaxation as well as some fun events out still as just a couple, not with a baby in tow, and we also got a lot organized around the house.  We both were exhausted last week; catching up on sleep or just needing more, I’m not sure which, and had a hard time getting much done during the week.  So this weekend helped rest and recuperate us for the remaining weeks ahead.

Our fun moments spent in coupledom included:

• Going to the new ping pong bar, Spin, in downtown as a mystery shopper.  With $200 to spend we had way too much to eat, played ping pong for an hour, and Bryan enjoyed the beverages.  It is a cool facility, a bit of a novelty, but one I think will make it in Seattle…especially during the long stretches of winter.  They also had a DJ and we had a good time dancing while we played.

  

• Joining in on Luis’ birthday festivities Saturday night.  Bryan attended for the both of us; meeting the crew for a Mexican dinner and then later for some drinks downtown.  Chelsea was not feeling the bars on this particular night.
• Going to the Mariners vs. White Sox game on Sunday afternoon with babyless Billy and Valerie.  The game was at 1 pm and was a hot one but fortunately there was at least a breeze!  Bryan and I picked up Halal Guys platters to take in for lunch and needed it after a morning spent wrangling up the toddlers in the Toddlers Room at church.  That was an adventure but also fun to spend with the kids.
  

  Mariners game on a hot and sunny day

  

  Halal Guys for some delicious food
• After the game, we used our tickets to get free access up to the top of the Smith Tower.  We enjoyed the stunning 360 degree views outside before sitting in their Prohibition Era-styled bar for a snack.  
  

  Bryan at the top

  

  Views of the Sound

  

  The Belly and the Sound

  

  Rainier showing up

  

  Old school elevators
• Post weekend we even spent Monday night at our friend Anita’s latest house-sitting gig on Lake Washington with views of Rainier.  We enjoyed seeing a few of her friends, whom we had met before, and enjoyed appetizers and drinks on the deck.  We left pretty late, picked up sandwiches to eat at home, and got to bed pretty late.

  

Our productive moments spent in coupledom included:

• Bryan attended his Conscious Fathering class Saturday morning for three hours and learned a ton.
• I washed all of the clothes and bedding for baby.
• Picked our first “harvest” from our gardening pots.

  

• I organized all the little items for baby in the room and made labels with my coworker’s label maker for us and visitors to find stuff easier.
  

  Labels on the organized dresser

  

  Labels on toys and other cubbies.
• I nearly finished my first cross stitch project (it was nearly done already but I haven’t had much time recently to work on it).
• I figured out where to hang all three cross stitch frames.
• Bryan fixed the window blinds in baby’s room.
• I located (but have yet to hang the white shelves I got)…decor is yet to come but some is ordered.
• I made the mobile for above the crib.
• Bryan broke down all the boxes for recycling.
• We assembled the high chair and rock n play, still need to assemble to pack n play for baby to sleep on.
  

  Rock n Play

  

  Baby high chair…that won’t be needed for months.
• We have installed the car seat once before but will probably officially install it this weekend for go time.
• Bryan cleaned out the drain in our bathroom.
• I hung the “Baby Miller” ribbons.

  

• We each got in one work out over the weekend and one this week for self care.
• We have written our birth plan and we have contacted a pediatrician for little one.
• I ordered our glider/rocker to arrive on Friday.
• Bryan installed our new license plates.

There is still some work to do around the house but I am at least feeling organized with what we currently have and certainly find the rest manageable for before baby comes…in like 22 days.

Chelsea

The countdown is on now that we are merely a few weeks away from meeting Baby Miller.  And the time does not seem to slow down for anything.  This week was especially busy but quite enjoyable.  For days we continued to have nothing but sunny skies but fortunately our upper 80 degree days came to an end Tuesday night and we are back down into mid 70s.  It’s a nice reprieve for a while.

So Monday night was our one night off and I wanted to get a few things organized.  With the heat, I really only managed breaking down all of the boxes from the baby shower and getting most of the gifts up to baby’s room.  Next steps are:

• Putting everything in its appropriate places
• Washing all the bedding and clothes for little one
• Installing the car seat in the next few weeks
• Packing hospital bag
• Writing thank you notes

We enjoyed a lazy and late dinner on the deck and didn’t really get to bed all that early.

Tuesday night we had our Novelty Hill wine release party with a few friends.  Even though I can’t do the wine tastings the food is always very delicious and was especially so this time with summer picnic foods getting a Moroccan spin on them.  Plus the summer party always promises live music and fresh air.  Bryan got to double fist my glass and his so he was quite lucky.  We noticed that there were a few very young babies that were attending the party so it is good to know that for the next party in November we will be able to bring baby along with us.  On our way home we got a stroller to snap our infant carrier into for half off that we can use for traveling and the first 6 months most likely.

Wednesday night was our second to last child birth class and we enjoyed our dinner of poke bowls next to the fountain at the hospital again (we’ve enjoyed eating our dinners here before class each week).  We thankfully got filled in on breastfeeding this week and it was nice to have a different topic.  One class left.

Thursday was a busy FareStart night with two great chefs in Seattle partnering together.  We had a nice meal even though I got stuck bartending the private dining room for a bridal shower that wasn’t the most fun.  We also had our check-in appointment at the doctors office before FareStart and things are still going smoothly.  My blood pressure is still low, baby’s heart rate and size is still where it should be, and they did a quick ultrasound to check the baby’s position and it is head down and looking right.

The weekend is supposed to heat back up and stay that way all next week.  We have some fun planned for this weekend so hopefully we can stay cool.

Chelsea

This weekend was happening.  What more could you ask for with beautiful weather, time spent with family and friends, and presents!  It was seriously such a great weekend that went by so, so fast!

It more or less started on Wednesday night when after childbirth class we went to pick up Amy at the Mt. Baker Station who had just landed from a 5.5 hour flight from JFK.  We headed home with her (and Wendy’s for her dinner) and caught up with her for some time before finally getting to bed close to midnight.

Thursday was pretty normal with work and FareStart while Amy worked from our house during the day and got dinner with a friend Thursday night.  Another late night catching up with one another after both of our days.

Friday was the parent’s arrival.  Lon and Trish arrived in Seattle a little before 1 pm and Bryan picked them up with Sue and Phil arriving a little over an hour later.  Bryan and I had to detour for about an hour to attend a memorial service for a close FareStart friend who passed away while our parents caught up with each other at our house.  We checked into their Airbnb near the Arboretum before walking to dinner at Aglio e Olio down the street for a family style Italian feast.  It was a feast with tons of food.  Platters of bruschetta, charcuterie, antipasto, peach and burrata salad, caesar salad, short rib ragu, gorgonzola risotto and finally lamb chops to completely send us over the edge.  We walked back to the Airbnb to talk some more before heading home for the night.

Saturday was the day of the shower.  The start time of the shower was at 2 pm which meant that everyone got to ease into the day at their own pace.  Mom and I went to the Market to get some flowers and small gifts for the party hosts and I showed her the new office digs.  After changing into our party wear the girls headed over to Tina’s house for the shower and the boys made their way to get lunch at Eastlake Bar and Grill, go to the Chihuly Glass Museum and then visit Oola Distillery for some liquor tastings.

The shower was adorable and so well done by my girlfriends.  They really did a great job with the food and decor.  It honestly resembled the styling of our wedding; vintage garden party in a way.  There were finger sandwiches, wraps, fruit, antipasto, orzo salad, caprese skewers, and chocolate dipped strawberries.  There were mimosas of different varieties and a ton of pregnancy wine.  I had a diaper cake and a slew of gifts with cards coming in the form of books with messages written in them by my friends.  We started with the game to guess how wide around I am.  The parents didn’t come anywhere close.  Then we moved onto the always fun “Guess Who is That Baby” game which I only got 7 of 17 right.  And then we opened gifts with the girls playing a gift bingo that helped me because I don’t like just opening up gifts in front of people.  Polly had an adorable polaroid camera to take pictures of everyone for them to write on to put in the guest book.  It all was just so well done and fun.

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After the shower we all headed back to our house to meet up.  We spent Saturday night taking it easy, talking, ordering Pagliacci’s pizza and then watching I, Tonya on our new projection screen outside.  Highly enjoyable!

Our last day with the parents was an excellent day, albeit a hot one.  We started the day going to church with the whole family.  After service we went to Ivar’s to order from the snack bar and eat on the deck while watching all of the boats on the water.  We then went for a long walk in the Arboretum, soaked our feet in Lake Washington, and then sweated back home to rest for a bit.  Sunday night we picked up barbecue from Woodshop BBQ and ate on the back deck.  Bryan opened his birthday gifts and we had ice cream and root beer floats before everyone headed to bed before the early departure.

We both said goodbye to the parents this morning and Bryan made sure that they got dropped off at the airport with all of their bags in time.  I dropped off Amy at the light rail station before heading to work myself.  I certainly have zero interest in work today and am looking forward to a night of rest tonight but so glad we got to spend some quality time with our family before it becomes one member bigger.

Chelsea

I love summers so much for being able to spend time outdoors comfortably.  If I could take everything outdoors with me I could, and I try, for instance with dining, watching movies/Game of Thrones/Seahawks games, etc.  Summer officially seems to start here around the 4th of July (i.e. late) and we have tried to take advantage of the early summer weather this past week.

After our early doctor’s appointment on Tuesday afternoon, we spent happy hour on the Eastlake Bar and Grill patio soaking up the sun, the views of the boats on the water and enjoying burgers, fish and chips, and salad and all other things American.  We were ready for the midweek break that happens once in a blue moon.  We walked some of it off in Discovery Park, climbing to the top of the water tower for the first time ever (only in an effort to see if we would be able to watch the fireworks from up there but 8 months pregnant and with a full stomach I could have picked another day to climb to the top).

Wednesday was the 4th of July and we fully enjoyed our Wednesday off of work.  We woke up late, we worked out, we had our usual Saturday morning breakfast while watching my latest obsession (that would be banana pancakes and bacon and the documentary series The Staircase), and then we prepped a dish to bring over to David and Tina’s 4th of July/Housewarming Party.  They had delicious burgers and brats and there was a ton of other dishes, both sweet and savory, that were contributed by others.  The company was really enjoyable and we ended up not leaving until nearly 9 pm. It was a little too late to try to find somewhere to park and get in view of the fireworks and with work the next day we just went home and listened to the fireworks until the wee hours of the morning.

Although we didn’t have our usual Wednesday night childbirth class at Northwest Hospital this week because of the holiday we still headed up there for our hospital tour on Thursday (no FareStart this week because of the holiday).  We toured with two other couples and I swear we were the only two asking any questions.  It was good to see the rooms and know exactly what will be going down in a few weeks.  Even just sitting in the hospital room for 20 minutes though I could feel my blood pressure and anxiety rise.  Hopefully, I can utilize the hypnobirthing to calm my fears on the day.  After the tour, we tried to go to a taco place in Crown Hill but they were closed so we drove all the way south to Rainier Beach to King Philly Cheesesteaks, picked up two cheesesteaks and fries to take to Lake Washington Boulevard to have lakeside in the nice weather.  Gut bombs and amazingly messy and delicious, these cheesesteaks were the first good ones I have had in Seattle.  And they were good!

The weekend was restful and eventful and still largely spent outside.  Bryan went to hit golf balls at the driving range on Friday night with the boys so I had the night off and spent most of it on the deck.  On Saturday, we enjoyed brunch on the deck, after Bryan’s mens group at church, before slowly working in getting a lot of things fixed around the house.  We then lounged on the back deck for a while before grilling dinner and enjoying that on the deck as well.  We went for a walk post dinner to further enjoy the nice weather before finally heading inside.  And our Sunday Funday was mostly spent outside too.  Bryan had plans to go to Snoqualmie Golf Course for 18 holes of golf with some guys and I had a girls event for yoga and brunch on the rooftop.  Bryan enjoyed his golf outing and I enjoyed the views, sun and girl time at yoga and brunch.  We enjoyed a full hour of yoga flow before diving into homemade crepes, tortilla espanola, smoothies and cookies.  I got some bags of mulch and Lowe’s and spread those around the front and back beds before both of us met at home, relaxed on the back deck before showering enjoying a little dinner and TV time before another work week.

Yoga views

Our talented instructor

The weather forecast continues to be beautiful and I’m looking forward to this coming weekend with our parents coming into town.  I’m sure we will continue to spend as much time as we can outside.

Chelsea

What?  That means that we have one month left?!?  Yeah, I guess so, just a tad more than a month.  I mean, my body sure feels like it is time to stop growing.  We are now 34 weeks, as of today, growing quickly and still feeling good.  We have had two check-ins with our doctor this month, now that we are at bi-monthly appointments.  A summary of the past month include:

• Baby’s heartbeat is still sounding strong at around 120 bpm.
• My blood pressure still low, the gestational diabetes test came back negative.
• My energy has been up and steady but I am now getting winded on uphill climbs and sometimes surprisingly short distances (it’s variable day by day).  But I am still trying to walk as much as I can while I still can.  I know there will be some point where I don’t want to do any of it.
• Have been doing more gentler exercises; mostly walking, prenatal yoga I found offered on ClassPass on Sunday afternoons, barre rarely, and some muscle toning and strengthening of my own at home (I have two 15 minute weight exercises that I rotate between; one arms and one legs).
• Plenty of, what are now, stronger punches, kicks and jabs from baby.  They feel like more sustained pressures now and even Bryan has felt the firm baby itself (not the padding) a few times.  That always throws me for a curve ball for some reason.
• Appetite slowing and feelings of constantly being full, requiring more frequent smaller meals, which I’m not the very best at.
• Returning back pain after long bouts of sitting but still walking at lunch time and the giant pregnancy pillow my coworker passed on to me has helped quite a bit.  Also, some of the exercises I have learned in yoga are really helpful for back aches and pains.
• Belly is a legit bump now.  No hiding this basketball.  And it feels the largest for some reason after work, mainly when sitting on the couch or if we are out or at FareStart.
• Really finding our childbirth classes helpful.  What I like best from class is having this time set aside just for connecting with the baby and reaffirming that the labor and delivery of the baby is something of joy and not fear.  I have felt a much stronger feeling of positivity surrounding labor and motherhood and generally more excitement around bringing this baby into the world.
• We have our tour of the Birthing Center at Northwest Hospital later today so we will be familiar with what the rooms look like, where they are located, and what to expect on the day of delivery.  Having our classes up there too means that we should know exactly how to get to the hospital when that day comes.
• I am running hotter all day long.  I’m pretty warm at work and Bryan has noticed that I am usually hotter than he is while hanging out at home.  And if it is hot outside my body just wants to physically shut down, so fortunately we have cooler temperatures than normal this early summer.
• Still no real cravings or aversions.  I would say my appetite and tastes are pretty much the same as ever.  There have been a few times that nothing sounds appetizing but as soon as I start eating I’m fine with it.
• I had about 2-3 days of swollen feet, during the very hot weather spell, but that has pretty much disappeared since, thankfully, I don’t know why appearance of ankles make me so self-conscious.
• I personally think that I have been pretty un-moody for a pregnant woman.  Bryan might disagree but I think for the most part my mood and spirit have been up and I haven’t really been short on temper or patience.
• Based off of our last doctor’s appointment, our midwife believes that baby is already positioned head down.

I cannot believe how the time is just flying by.  It is amazing to me that we are now six weeks from our due date but only about four weeks away from when it is more than okay to go.  From 40 to 4.  I continue to feel so lucky with what my experience has been up to this point.  With speaking to other women, not all pregnancies go as smoothly as ours has.  I can only hope and imagine that the rest of the pregnancy continues this way.  I can’t say that I’m ready to pop though, even with my belly’s current size, I’m still glad that I have some weeks to go.

Chelsea

My 18 for 2018 is now half over so it is time to see the progress that I have made, or not made.  This quarter has been a pretty good quarter, aside from taken into account progress made, but just thinking about the energy and health I have had and the freedom of no longer studying and being able to get away for a few vacations.  So here is where I stand.

1. De-clutter the house and organize the garage.
   • In the past three months we have made more great progress around the house.  We have all the large furniture set up and ready in the guest room/nursery and have made a few more trips to Goodwill to get rid of things hanging around the house.  We had made a ton of progress during the first quarter that has allowed us to worry less about this of late.  We got the yard all prepped for us to enjoy this summer which was another big project, mostly accomplish by Bryan.  We still have some clutter in the workout room and will of course have to find places for the baby goods that will be coming in the next month or so.  In addition, this past weekend Bryan installed the window AC unit for our bedroom to keep us (really me) cool this summer.  It works really well.  And my garden pots are continuing to grow, albeit not that quickly.
     

     The new AC unit

     

     Basil and squash

     

     Peas and zucchini
2. Cook 20 meals at home every month.
   • Our average for April – June was 19 meals/month and that is even with the very low number of 13 meals in May while we were gone for a full two weeks to Europe.  We still have FareStart a night every week and still do take out from time to time, especially now with the childcare classes early on Wednesdays.
3. Revamp my wardrobe, making it easier to pick out outfits by getting rid of what I don’t like and storing away seasonal stuff. Focus on buying quality pieces in the store versus cheap items online.
   • Wardrobe has expanded at the same time it has diminished.  I have essentials that I can wear now that I am at 33 weeks pregnant, so what I fit into and is comfortable is rather limited.  However, this has required purchasing a bit more clothes as of late to add to what I can wear right now.
4. Visit my grandaddy.
   • This trip is planned for November with baby.
5. Buy a family car.
   • Bought a car!  My first car ever.  And bought a brand new and nice one too.  After much research (by Bryan) and two weekends of test driving, we made our pick…and I’m happy to not have to do that again for some time.  It’s smooth, comfortable, has great technology settings and features, and now Bryan has decked it out with new floor mats and cargo protector mat for the trunk and well as we have bedazzled it.
     

     The front

     

     The new bling
6. Prepare with organization and structure for the SE exam. Prioritize this for the first three and a half months of the year.
   • I am still debating whether or not I will be taking the test this fall.  I’m really uncertain how much time I will have to study for it, yet, at the same time, thinking that having something to put my mind towards while being at home with baby could be a good thing.  Rather than looking at Instagram all day…
7. Have fun learning guitar.
   • Need to do.
8. Make at least six girls nights happen.
   • We’ve had a measly one.  I’ve tried organizing a few others but none have worked out for various reasons.  We have our second planned for this upcoming weekend though and my baby shower will more or less be another one…I’m counting it as one.  Total (after two more weeks) = 3.
9. Maintain a healthy skin routine.
   • Have been doing an okay job with this.  Still a work in progress.  Pretty regimented about using face wash and toner and now have incorporated Clarins Double Serum to the mix.  I think my skin has been looking pretty good, few breakouts on the chin which I blame on increased pregnancy hormones.
10. Re-learn our lindy hop choreographed dance from the wedding.
    • Need to work on that.
11. Pack five picnics somewhere.
    • We’ve only done the one in Discovery Park back early in the year.  Now that the weather is nice and I’m starting to look for more low key ways to spend time outside, I imagine we might have a few more in the next few months.
12. Work through my devotional book and pray nightly with Bryan.
    • Definitely slipped on this.  It is something that I would like to get back but I have had books to read for our childbirthing classes and have been spending much of my free time at home doing my cross stitch project.
13. Read ten books for fun or learning.
    • I’ve successfully read two books for fun while we were traveling or on vacation.  I imagine in the next few weeks I will be finished reading the three on babies to total five.  That isn’t too shabby.
14. Swap reading/music/puzzles for TV one night a week.
    • Not too good with this still but I am at least working on my cross stitch project while watching TV.  Plus we have been busy on many nights.  And we are trying to listen to our relaxation music when going to bed instead of falling asleep to the TV on a nightly basis.
15. Cross stitch something.
    • Yes!  I have started it.  There are three pieces that all go together that I plan on finishing before baby and so far I love it!  I forgot how much I enjoy cross stitching.  It is so therapeutic and for some reason just so much fun to me.  Similar to my enjoyment with coloring.

      

16. Make at least two recipes from three different cookbooks.
    • I really haven’t opened a cookbook in a while.  But we have cooked.  Some kit meals from various delivery companies but I think that I am already transitioning to cooking more time-friendly meals (i.e. spaghetti, tacos, etc.).  I have branched out a bit for a few potlucks but definitely want to break open my cookbooks at some point.  Although I am proud of myself getting several freezer meals prepared during the dreary weather this past weekend.
      

      Three sheets of lasagna and one of spaghetti sauce

      

      Two sheet pans of chicken enchiladas and another of just enchilada sauce.
17. Travel to visit a friend.
    • We will be visiting Grandaddy in November and then Amy in April.  Don’t know if those count, probably not, but maybe something else will come up.  We could always go to Italy for Marika’s wedding (which I would love to do)…
18. Dine at five new-to-me restaurants.
    • Marine Hardware, Rumba, and Outlier were all new restaurants to us that we dined at during the first quarter.  I’ve tried a ton of new restaurants using my MealPal lunch subscription including Mamnoon Street, Mr. D’s Greek Delicacies, Chip and Drew’s Filling Station, Athena’s Street Food, Sprout Salads and PokeAlice.  Bryan and I also tried a Middleeastern place in Capitol Hill for take out late one night after class and I also made it to Bent Burger for the first time (Bryan had already been).  And we took the intern to lunch at Lowell’s Seafood in the market which I had actually never been to before.

So far there has been progress for the first half of the year.  The second half will sure be interesting as we finalize our preparations before baby and then begin our lives as parents.  One of our goals as parents is to still be ourselves and still do the things we love to do, just now introducing those things to baby.  We don’t want to go cold turkey on things we currently love…at least, not in the long term.

Chelsea