5 days & counting

Well we have an induction scheduled for Monday morning at 6:30 AM for medical reasons, if she doesn't come before then. That is only 5 days away!! I've been getting some mild contractions the past few days but nothing severe enough to call the doctor. Some in my back and pelvis area, but they always tend to subside after a short while. They are intense though..I can see now that this could get pretty uncomfortable. I am still sleeping pretty well...which will only last for 5 more days max before I'm awake at all hours of the night feeding, burping, changing, soothing...all well worth it but I am not a fun person to be around when I don't get my sleep! My mom is going to be staying with us and helping out for a little bit so that should make things a little easier, but there are just some things she can't help with....like breastfeeding!

I am getting pretty nervous about this whole delivery thing and it all going smoothly. I really don't want to end up having a c-section. Thad may be more nervous than I am about all of this...he thinks he is going to be scarred for life after seeing it all go down. I prefer just to not even think about it really. I figure it's a very short time period in the whole realm of things and it's inevitable that it's happening so I mine as well just not think about it, do it and be done with it...for now!

Thad started his new job a couple of weeks ago and it's going really well. For a minute we thought he was going to have to go to a training conf in Oakland while I was still in the hospital, the day after the birth! But then we found out he can do it the following week instead, and that he also gets 1 week of paid paternity leave to boot! That was EXCELLENT news! Being a former tennis pro, he is not very familiar with vacation time or paid leave of any kind, so he is really starting to like this whole "benefits" thing and I am too!

So, what to do for our last weekend alone assuming I don't go into labor before then is the big question. Any suggestions? I can't do much but we really want to enjoy the peace & quiet and anticipation as much as possible this weekend. Cali will be staying at my parents house while we're at the hospital so we will be dropping her off Sunday night and will actually have one night of just me & Thad for pretty much the last time ever!

Okay well probably the next time I write I will be a mommy and we will have pics of lily to share too! So crazy!!! I can't wait to meet my little girl! :)

What will happen to my ultrasound addiction? Should I just still go get ultrasounds of an empty uterus? That would be a bit unhealthy...but I will miss my millions of ultrasounds dearly!

Come on Lily!

Life is going great!! We have finally gotten everything in order up here in our new home of Danville. Thad starts his new job a week from tomorrow, we leased the house in DP last month, I've started doing a good amount of business up here, and we're about to be parents! 3 1/2 weeks left!! We cannot wait. Sadly I think all of our little roadtrips have come to an end...Lily has already "dropped" and could be coming early so staying local is suggested at this point. We got in quite a few in the past month so it's okay. Yesterday we were up in Sacramento for my friend Emily's wedding and to see some other friends of ours too. It was a beautiful day & evening! I danced the Hora at nearly 37 weeks pregnant and everything! I was quite the trooper! :)

I feel really good aside from having a baby's head prodding at my pelvis while her feet kick me in the ribs. She is going to be TALL! I don't have many complaints though and honestly, I really thought I would be feeling a lot worse by this point. The nursery is pretty much finished aside from a few pieces of art work that I am waiting for...and it looks AWESOME!!! I am so happy with it. I will post pics as soon as it's all done. Of course it won't be complete until our little cutie is here and in it! I am really hoping she comes early but at the same time, I'm not too anxious since this is really the end of me & Thad time and we're trying to savor every last moment. Today I slept until 10 - a first for me by a long shot. We've had a great run though and while our time alone will be limited now, it will be so much more special when we do get it! Having my parents nearby to help babysit should help..we are really loving that we made the decision to move here. It is awesome getting to be near family and having the support system. I am loving my little lunch dates with mama and I'm sure Thad is loving his tennis dates with my dad! It's so strange being able to just hop on over to my parents house whenever I want and see my brother almost every weekend. Most importantly, I am thrilled that Lily will get to see her grandparents and great grandparents and uncles so much and vice versa.

Well that's about all for now. Starting in a few days when Lily is considered full term, I will be eating at Skipolini's pizza in Walnut Creek. They have a special pizza called "Prego Pizza" that is supposed to start labor! It has actually worked for tons of people and I am going to go several times to test it until it works for me. Wish me luck!

I'm almost a mommy!!!

WOW, writing that title just now really put me into "scared shitless" mode. I can't believe I am going to be someone's mom. I mean, I have a mom...my mom has a mom...I know other moms...but I am NOT a mom! AHH! What does this mean exactly? Do I have to trade in my Snoop Dog CDs for Joni Mitchell? Cut my hair to my chin and start shopping at Chicos? Say things like "gosh darnit" and "what the heck" ?? I just don't know if I'm ready for this role but there is no turning back now. Lily, you are stuck with one crazy mama! But I promise we will have lots of fun :)

Well, we are really closing in on D day here...I'm about 8 months along and we have exactly 45 days until my due date! It looks like I may be induced on 11/6 - if that is the case, only 37 days left! I cannot wait for Lily to be here with us. And of course, I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore! Thad said the other day "It feels like you've been pregnant forever!"..I said, "If you feel that way, imagine how I FEEL!" I am really starting to get to that uncomfortable stage. Even sleeping on my side makes my lower back hurt. It is all worth it and then some...but I am thinking of adopting baby #2!

We have been preparing our other "daughter" Cali for her new sister. I have found her in the nursery sleeping next to the crib a few times and I think she is catching on that a big change is a brewing. She has been our #1 for almost 9 years now so I really want to make sure she is not ignored at all. It is starting to worry me. Yesterday we all went to the beach at Half Moon Bay for the day. Cali had a blast running in the waves and chasing seaweed. Thad and I had fun too but it made us miss our old home a little bit. There is no replacing the beach...but at least it's only 45 minutes away.

The nursery is not as finished as I would like. Everything is pretty much ordered and on it's way but due to some delays, the only piece of furniture in her room remains the crib! That will all change in the next week or two when everything else arrives but I wish it were all finished!

Lily's shower was a couple of weeks ago. It was such a perfect way to help welcome her to the world. My friend of forever & Lily's godmother, Kristy, threw it all by herself and it was amazing. Most of my closest friends and family members were there making it extra special....some people flew in for the occasion which was so nice of them. We got so many great gifts too!

We did some maternity pics a couple weeks ago. They turned out so cute! I am blowing up two for the nursery. I put some below for your enjoyment along with a couple 3D pics of Lily from 31 weeks! She is a cutie pie and I think she is the perfect combo of us both :)

Well that's all for now I guess! There was something else I wanted to write but now I can't remember....my mind is like jello these days. Hope that comes back after the pregnancy ends, otherwise I am in trouble!

11 1/2 weeks left to go!

It's been awhile since I've written on this thing...mainly due to the craziness that my life has been for the past month+. We moved to Danville and moved into our new house on 7/31. Since then it's been pretty crazy getting all moved in and acquainted with our new surroundings, not to mention meeting my new doctor and interviewing for jobs (Thad). We're finally feeling settled and "at home" here in the good old Bay Area.

I am just over 28 weeks pregnant and have 11 1/2 weeks to go assuming I go to my due date. I've been hearing a lot of stories lately about girls delivering 2-3 weeks early...so I am getting nervous that I need to have everything ready to go way ahead of time just in case. I made a big trip to Babies R Us this week and bought a bunch of necessities that I know I won't get as gifts. I have never spent that much money at one store and arrived home with nothing for myself ;) It was fun though! My mom and I went stroller shopping this week and agreed on the Orbit. It's an awesome stroller and will make life as easy as possible in the first 6 months. Thad doesn't really care what stroller we get as long as it has wheels and can get from point A to point B. If only my stroller expectations were that simple. The nursery is coming along nicely and I'm so excited to finish it. The only things we're still waiting for are the changing table/dresser combo, and the gilder which should all be arriving in the next 3-4 weeks. The room is all painted, the crib is all put together bedding and and all, and the drapes are hung. Her closet is filling up quickly with all of the gifts from family and friends and my obsession with buying her cute outfits. I tell you, having a boy would have made me a lot richer...the clothes for girls are just too cute and I cannot resist!

I have posted some pics below for your enjoyment. There is a "before & after" pic of my belly for you. The before is from 13 weeks and the after is from today in the same outfit at just over 28 weeks! Gosh 15 weeks can make a big difference :) The quality of today's pic is not as good because I had to use my cellphone camera - can't find the cord to connect our other camera to the computer. I also posted a pic of Lily's last 3D ultrasound which was almost a month ago at 25 weeks. You can see her cute little profile pretty clearly though...still not sure who's nose she is getting. I will go back at 31 weeks for the last one and we should be able to really see what she looks like by then. Can't wait!!!! We are also doing our maternity photo shoot next Friday at 30 weeks. I am not really looking forward to that since I feel like a huge unattractive whale right now but I'm sure I will be happy that I did it.

We're BBQing some steaks on our new grill tonight. Thad is obsessed with it! Gotta take advantage of this great summer weather before it gets chilly!!

Lily's moving now & so are we!

Well surprise surprise, as soon as we paint her room & assemble the crib and gain a small sense of readiness, BAM we're moving. Granted this was our decision, but the timing could not be crazier. We've decided to move to Danville! Yep, I said it, DANVILLE. Thad says he never thought that he would ever live in a town that ended in "ville" but I also never thought I would have ankles the size of oranges and boobs the size of watermelons....Anyway, when we do things, we do them, so we're moving in less than 2 weeks!

We spent all of last week up in Danville securing our new home while Thad interviewed for new jobs in the city. It was a very productive but exhausting week. I am getting more excited about moving there but at the same time I am very sad about friends I will leave behind here and being completely out of my comfort zone at nearly 6 months pregnant. The positives outweigh the negatives though and being near my family will be both helpful & comforting for us and wonderful for Lily. I am so happy that she will get to spend so much time with the family! I just hope her mama doesn't go insane before her arrival. Can the beach really be replaced with cows, deer & wild turkeys? I don't know...but I do know that life isn't really all about me anymore. Something I also NEVER thought would happen :)

Lily is growing and growing, and kicking and kicking!! She is a very active baby in there. They say she should now be settling into a sleeping schedule of about 12-14 hours per day...please tell me when these hours occur because 30 minutes doesn't pass without a few kicks or jabs to let me know she is there! According to her size at the anomoly scan and the fact that she now grows 1/2 inch per week, she should be about 13.5 inches tall right now! We had a doctors appt yesterday and everything checked out great....except my weight....I won't bore you with those details however, if you find me floating in the bay next to the golden gate bridge, now you know why. Actually, forget floating, at this point I will most definitely SINK.

I am going to get Thad to take some pics of my belly later today and post them for all of you to see....mainly ERIN since she won't stop bugging me to post pics of my belly :)

BIG 20 Week Ultrasound

Just a little Lily update for you all. We had our BIG 20 week ultrasound today and it went as perfectly as possible. For those who don't know, this is the ultrasound (also referred to as Anatomy Scan) where they review the entire anatomy of the baby in detail to check for growth progress and any abnormalities. She (yes she is still a she, we were afraid she may have grown a twig & berries) is growing at a perfect rate measuring 10.5 inches, and 9 ounces which puts her in the 53 percentile for her "age". All of her organs look great and the technician & doctor saw nothing of concern whatsoever. A big relief! Both Thad and I were a little anxious about the whole thing as we've heard some horror stories about this....so we're happy that it's over and done with and that she is looking great! Of course her mouth was moving oh so frequently during the entire hour long ultrasound and in all of the ultrasounds we've done so far, she is always using her hands all of the time. They're either over her head, clapping, being stuck in her mouth, etc..Also we've noticed that she is never sleeping. Many people we know have trouble during at least some of their ultrasounds because the baby is sleeping, but it seems like she is always wide awake and being all crazy. I think Thad and I should start getting plenty of rest now :)

I can't believe we're just about 1/2 way there. It's going by quickly and I hope the rest will go by just as quickly so that we can have little Lily here to play with & cuddle! I think she is going to look like Thad because her face is long and narrow - may just be because she has no body fat yet, but I think it's because she will look just like him....except with my blue eyes of course :)

Here are some pics from today's ultrasound for your viewing pleasure. Just click on each one to see them larger. Enjoy!

4 Years!

Well today marks 4 years from the best day ever...the day Thad and I both lost our virginity...our wedding day!! It feels like a lot less than that. It's hard to believe that it was really 4 years ago already. I have such joyous & special memories from that day that could never be forgotten. I just wish we could do it all over again!! Vow renewal at Montage?? Haha, I won't push my luck. :) Celebrating our anniversary this year feels so much more special knowing that it's our last one to celebrate alone with Baby Lily on the way. What an exciting time in our lives.

Time is really flying by these days - feels like just yesterday that we met at LMU and were doing keg stands and hitting up the Sunset Strip like crazy animals...but really that was 9 1/2 years ago! Gosh I am getting old. To celebrate the big #4 we're going to Ruth's Chris for dinner tonight and today, I am going to Burke Williams Spa for a pregnancy massage that my mom & dad got me for Mother's Day. A marvelous day planned if I don't say so myself! We opened a beautiful card from grandma & grandpa this morning. They are just the best & most caring grandparents that exist! In fact we already received a call from my grandma at 8 AM on the dot singing to us this morning. She is a riot :) My mom forgot to mail our card/gift so she mailed it yesterday overnight to make sure we get it today! I really do have the best family in the world. They make Thad & I feel so important & loved.

Speaking of family, we went up to Norcal this past weekend for a short family visit and to attend my friend Cara's wedding. It was a great trip but sailed by - way too short! Cara's wedding was so beautiful and she looked so gorgeous like always! It was such an intimate wedding, only 50 guests, so we felt really special to even be there. Cara & Danny are such a sweet couple and are just perfect for one another. We are so happy for them! Thad was pretty sad that "wedding Jen" could not come out to play. Usually I am the life of the party but this time all I could think about was going home and crawling into my bed to sleep for 12 hours. Quite a difference. :) My aunt Anne was visiting from Philly with her boyfriend Tony and just after we left, he proposed to her in Carmel! We are so happy for them too. It was my grandpas 86th birthday on Sunday and we celebrated my brother's HS graduation on Saturday. Such a busy weekend! It was truly a weekend filled with love, family & friends - three of my favorite things! I was very sad to leave.

I will post some shots of my belly soon. It's growing pretty rapidly these days! I can't even imagine what it will look like next month. This past month has been a growth spurt if I've ever seen one!

O'Grady Out.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

I was just watching the unveiling of the new wimbledon center court and eating an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie from the batch I had just made, and BAM, I started to feel Lily moving like crazy in there! It was the first time I've really felt her moving! Amazing!! I'm not 100% sure that it was the cookies she liked. She also could have been signaling a strong interest in playing wimbledon one day. Either way it was crazy to feel her moving in there for 10 whole minutes! I'm glad that I have 24 cookies left....maybe I will eat them all at once and then see what she does...no, no I am trying to stay on the wagon here not fall off on my hiney which already has some generous padding these days.

I'm making another recipe tonight from my favorite foodie blog that my mom & I found. If I haven't already told you about it, it's www.fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com. This housewife created the blog and she has some really yummy recipes that both my mom & I make on a weekly basis. I am making her asian chicken tonight which we absolutely love. A few of our other faves are her Kung Pao Chicken, Carne Asada Marinade (for steak tacos), and Slow Roasted Basil, Garlic & Lemon Chicken. She has TONS of great recipes with great pics and easy to follow instructions. Check it out!

Thad played in the club doubles championship this weekend and he made it to the finals. I watched the final match today and unfortunately they lost 6-4 in the third. He played well but his partner was not very good (hopefully he never reads this blog...). I think next year he will crush the competition with a solid partner like me :) He is so tired and at the jacuzzi soaking his tired muscles. I wish I could have gone with him but I didn't want to cook little lily. She doesn't deserve that.

We're headed up North on Saturday for a quick family visit and to attend my good friend Cara's wedding! I'm really looking forward to it. To-do list for this week - find a dress that doesn't accentuate my growing waste line, preferably in a dark color in case I pee my pants again.. Wish me luck!!

LILY MAY is on her WAY!

SO EXCITED!!! We had our gender determination 2D/3D/4D ultrasound today at Picture an Angel in Lake Forest and found out we are having a GIRL!! While it's not truly 100%, the ultrasound showed a very definite "three lines" down there, which means a baby girl! They also call it the "hamburger" method because the three lines resemble a hamburger with the middle line being a little longer than the other two. If it were a boy, especially considering that Thad is hung like a horse, we would have seen a "hot dog" if you will, even this early in the game! There is no hiding that monster.

We've decided on Lily May O'Grady (middle name is also the month we were married in!). The last name was a tough decision. I was pushing for Nadal but we thought that may confuse little Lily down the line..."No, mommy was not sleeping with Rafa, sweetie..." and so on...so anyway, we settled with O'Grady. I'm okay with it I guess :)

The 3D/4D is amazing. She still looks a little skeleton-like with the lack of body fat and oversized head, but we were amazed at how much she has already developed. She was sucking her thumb a lot of the time and it looked like she was talking up a storm in there - moving her mouth constantly. At one point she gave us a tenacious Nadal fist pump..it was awesome! We will be doing at least 2 more 3D/4D ultrasounds down the line. Probably one in 10 weeks when I'm about 25 weeks, and another one towards the very end too. By then we should be able to see full facial features and everything! Yay!!

Here are some pics for you! I think if you click on the pics you can view them larger. One is 2D of the "girl parts", look for the three lines in between the two sets of arrows. The other is a 3D pic showing you our baby Lily! Enjoy!!

The Crazy Bambino!

We had another doctor's appointment today - 11 weeks along! We had another ultrasound and got to see so much more of the little crazy bambino! Yipee! Thad now thinks the baby will take after me since they were moving around like a little spaz - waving his/her hands around like crazy, doing really fast somersaults, and at one point we think doing "jazz hands". lol It was really funny. The heartbeat is 152 bpm, strong & healthy! Getting to hear it again was so special. All of my bloodwork testing came back great and things are looking perfect. YAY!! Oh and my blood pressure is an ideal 120/80 which is literally "optimal" on the BP chart. I knew I measured optimal status in something.. :)

It was so neat to see how far the baby has come since our last visit 4 1/2 weeks ago...went from a little dot to a real baby! We got to see the baby's profile and everything, so sureal that it's grown so much & resembles a real human being now! The machine was acting up so we didn't get any pics to take home this time :( We did however decide to find out the gender after all which can be done now by 3D ultrasound at just 15 weeks! So when we go home in 4 weeks to Danville we have an appointment already set to find out at my good friend Erin's cousin's 3D place. So excited!! Besides finding out the gender, we will get some super detailed 3D pics at that appointment too which I will definitely be posting afterwards for you all to oodle over ;)

There is an old wives tale that if the hearbeat is over 140 at anytime during the pregnancy it's a girl but there isn't much truth to that I guess :) According to the Chinese Gender Chart, which is said to be over 90% accurate, we are also having a girl! Signs are all pointing in that direction hehehe. Look out Thad, a mini Jenny could be coming your way..and when I say "look out", I mean "BRACE YOURSELF FOR A CRAZY NEXT 18 YEARS!" Well maybe more than 18, I am 27 and still driving my parents crazy! Uh oh..

The baby is a Plum now and is so cute!!!

Yummy Yummy Dave's Tacos in my tummy!

It's a beautiful day today, almost 90 at the beach with a little ocean breeze - Sunday perfection at Casa OG! Earlier this week we went to Dave & Tasha's house in San Clemente for some Tacos, well, so we thought! It ended up being a super yummy mexican feast! Dave cooks the best mexican food I've ever had and this was no exception. He made carne asada tacos, homemade tortilla soup, two different types of fresh homemade salsa, yummy mexican rice and horchata! It was so yummy. We had a great time with them as always, watching the sunset over the ocean & chatting/laughing up a storm until the lame pregnant chick (a.k.a me) had to retire to her bed, at a measly 9:20 PM. :) I actually couldn't believe I made it that late! It was a great night and we love those two little lovebirds. They are engaged & getting married next October in Tasha's homeland, Hawaii!

Dave's food was so good that it inspired me to cook my own mexican meal for tonights dinner. It won't even compare to his but I just had to try & was dying to have it again. I found a great recipe for carne asada marinade and started the process early this morning. I'm making some homemade fresh guacamole, tomatillo salsa, carne asada tacos with all the fixins and beans and rice. Our kitchen has smelled like garlic & lime all day and it's driving me insane! The meat needs to marinade until at least 4:30 so we will be eating shortly after that. Can't wait! Thad was at the gym when I decided to make this scrumptuous meal that we just had, and I thought he may not be too excited since he ate 5 tacos the other night, but when he called me on his way home from the gym some of the first words out of his mouth were "god I just want more mexican food!". I told him he was in luck :) I told my mom about Dave's meal and it inspired her too! She is making a full carne asada feast for sunday family dinner. She is really going the extra mile and making homemade roasted tomato salsa too, I bought mine in a jar. :)

Well I guess that's about all to report for now. We shall call this the food post. We rented "The Reader" and will be watching that later too. Looks good!

The baby is a lime this week - how exciting! Next week - a plum. Geez they grow fast, to think only 7 weeks ago he/she was a poppy seed. I will be posting on Thursday after my doc appointment & ultrasound! Yay!

Adios!

Knocked UP!

Well I think all of you who read my blog already know this news but we found out in early March that we're PREGNANT!! I'm currently in week 9 of my pregnancy and my due date is November 14th. The excitement set in instantly but hearing the baby's heartbeat a couple of weeks ago made it REALLY REAL. This pic above is the first ultrasound pic of Baby OG - from when I was 6 weeks 3 days along. Kinda blurry but you can see the little bambino! The heartbeat was 126 bpm already at just over 6 weeks - very strong the doc said! There is a person inside my belly. Crazy! I have had a pretty easy pregnancy so far until this week, when a lot of morning sickness set in. I had an episode at Baja Fish Tacos on Wednesday that I won't mention details about on here...just know that it was disgusting and extremely embarrassing. :) Only other major symptom (aside from my gargantuous boobs & relocating to the bathroom since I need to pee about every 2 seconds) is that I have been extremely tired since prior to even knowing I was pregnant..oh yeah, back to that, we found out the amazing news in Hawaii at my favorite hotel that I have many childhood memories from. It was so exciting and just perfect timing! We think the baby was conceived on Valentine's Day but we could be a day or two off...we will tell it that anyway...our little love child :) Coincidentally, my due date is the same as my mom's due date was with me however I was exactly 2 weeks late making my birthday 11/28. How crazy is that? So I am actually hoping my baby will be born late, at least 11/23 or later so that it's a Sagitarrius like me, my mom and my grandma. Sags are the best! Sags are awfully crazy though..I was jumping out of my crib at 7 months...so maybe I am setting myself up here for payback.. :) Yes, I am willing to carry around a watermelon for an additional 9 days just to make the baby a Sag!!

Thad (a.k.a "Daddy" as he has started to refer to himself in the third person as) has been super cute about everything. He even has his little daddy book already that he is reading (or supposed to be reading..) and he has been very inquisitive about everything I am going through. For example, at our first ultrasound visit I had to pee in a cup in the bathroom while he waited in the ultrasound room...when I returned, he had this serious look on his face and was like "so what did you do exactly? You pee'd in a cup and then what?" like he was being left out or something. Next time he can come in with me if he wants. haha he cracks me up and has actually gotten so much funnier since we starting dating 8 1/2 years ago...not that he wasn't funny then..but he is just SO funny now. :)

We have already started thinking about names and have narrowed it down to a few for each gender. Oh yeah, we are NOT finding out the gender ahead of time. I know this has been shocking to everyone but we just think that there are not enough suprises in life and for some reason I have always had this picture in my head of Thad running out to the waiting room in his scrubs announcing to the whole group of family & friends what the gender is...oh yes, and a tear streams down his face too...hahah This is definitely my imagination but since I won't actually be out there to witness this I will just continue to imagine that is how it happened afterwards..:)

Well I guess that is all I to report right now...I have pee'd twice since beginning this blog. It is really annoying! I am off to get a bagel for breakfast and Thad is playing old man doubles at 8:30 at the tennis club. He loves those old guys...I think they make him feel like he's still a young buck...if that were the case he wouldn't be loading up on Advil right now to prepare haha :)

I will keep you posted on the bambino (currently the size of an olive, soon to be the size of a plum!)...next doctor's appointment is 4/23. YAY!!!

Flipping it at the G-dub!

Well, I promised I would blog about our uber fun vacation but it took me a bit longer than expected...so sorry for the delay! We had an amazing time in Hawaii. It was super relaxing and memorable, and the wedding was a huge success! I know you're dying to know, did she flip it on the rope swing or not? Do you even need to ask? OF COURSE I flipped that s&%t!! It was the highlight of the trip. Thad went on the rope swing twice and sorry to say, he is not as graceful as me...I do have many years of practice though. He belly flopped it and it hurt so bad he refused to try again...He spent the rest of our pool time going down the waterslide like a freakin tornado. I swear he got air at the end almost every time. It was insane!!

The sushi was not quite as good as we imagined so needless to say we were stoked to come home and we went to Gen Kai our first night back. :) The Hawaiians just don't roll that sush like the Gen Kai boys. It didn't even compare!

We went on a great hike that we hadn't done before and we also did the road to hana this time which we had never done on any previous trips. We enjoyed ourselves but will not be doing that again...a very long day and very tiring. 15 mph speed limit - took us 3 hours to go 59 miles! So on the way back I drove, and boy did I drive. We made it back in an hour and a half going 40. I was like a nascar racer - it was awesome. Thad almsot peed himself. haha. That happens quite often - he should have known this before marrying me - life with me is "exciting" and sometimes VERY SCARY :)

Our flight back was SO short, not even 4 1/2 hours. Love the flight back! We have had enough Hawaii for awhile though, don't think I'll be booking many more wedding there in the next couple of years. But we had a great time and have wonderful memories from our trip and lots of pics which I will be adding soon!!

Aloha!

Night out on the town in Newps!

Well last night was lots of fun!!! We met some friends, Mike & Lisa, in Newport at a wine bar for a "couple" drinks and ended up staying 4 hours...and I thought it was going to be a mellow night! Before meeting up with them, we tried a new sushi joint over there called BlueFin in Crystal Cove. It is very well known for being one of the best sushi spots in OC and the owner (Takashi Abe) is the head sushi chef and worked with the famous Nobu for awhile before starting BlueFin. We read online that it's almost impossible to get him as your sushi chef and we didn't care enough to try. When we got there, they only had 2 seats left at the sushi bar at the very end so we took them. Before we knew it, Abe himself was explaining the menu to us and became our sushi chef! We didn't even realize it was him for 10 minutes and then we noticed he was only rolling for us and no one else! It was definitely an experience but the sushi still didn't even come close to our hole in the wall Gen Kai here in Dana Point. That place is just incomparable. Wait, I just realized this is not Yelp. You are all probably thinking "enough details about your freaking dinner already!". I will stop.

Back to drinks, it was really nice to get out and socialize. We've been doing more of that lately as opposed to cooking dinner and renting a movie or watching one of our favorite TV shows...We thought those times would never get old. Well, after almost 4 years of marriage, they did. :) Socializing is definitely more expensive than being loner lovebirds at home but everything is okay in moderation, right?? :) Mike & Lisa are really nice and fun people. And the wine bar was a great find. Decent priced wine and a great location on PCH near Corona del Mar. Food looked good too but we didn't have any. We will be going back soon for sure!!

This morning I was feeling the aftermath of last night's 4 hour wine session. I was dead set on foregoing the gym to sulk in my bed like a lazy girl but Thad got me motivated to "sweat that shit out" as he put it...so I did and I am very happy that I did!! I feel much better now. I did some Cardio followed by a very intense yoga class. At one point, the 50 something people in the class were balancing on one hand with nothing else touching the ground...I pretended to try so as not to seem like a weakling - but didn't come close. Baby steps, baby steps. I can finally touch my toes so that's a start!

I am currently trying to convince Thad that it would be SO MUCH FUN to go see Confessions of a Shopaholic later today... I reminded him of all the bending over backwards I've been doing for him lately (regarding movies people - such dirty minds!) but I still don't think it's going to happen. Wish me luck!! Thad , if you're reading this, I hope you will remember how awesome I am and how many "Thad movies" I've seen lately...and that a happy wife is a happy you!

Thad has left the office!

Well I guess all of this recent together time has just been too much for Thad to handle. He has now moved his entire mini desk & it's accessories (i.e. chair, lamp, laptop, etc..) out of our shared office and into the guest room to study. He says my singing & constant phone conversations are a distraction...me, a DISTRACTION? Can you believe that? Anyway, I am now here in the office all alone and I have to say, my singing is quite beautiful. I should be more productive right now but I desperately wanted to write my first blog and thought this topic deserved an honorable mention. I am just waiting for him to cut our mattress in half and move his half down the hall because my snoring is distracting him from sleeping..:) OH married life.

Today has been a great day. Went to the gym in the AM and did a ridiculously long spin class (80 minutes) taught be two freak shows. I pretty much died for a few minutes and came back to life. It was insane but I love insane. Tomorrow is a Yoga day so I am looking forward to that! I am editing Cindy & Kenny's wedding from last week today. Such a cute couple, together 10 years, both are doctors doing their residencies. The wedding was at the Marina del Rey Marriott with views of the place Thad and I first met, LMU. :) A fun edit!!

We're going on a trip next week to our home away from home, MAUI!! This is our 4th trip to Maui together in the past 8 years - and I snuck in another 2 without him during that time too with my mom & Kristy. Not a lot of imagining to do like with most travels but we are staying at my favorite hotel ever that Thad has never been to, with tons of water slides and a Tarzan rope to boot! Rope swing back flips are my speciality- watch out 5 year old's & prepare to be amazed! I am the most stressful traveler ever, especially when I am shooting a wedding and bringing all of my equipment, so this time I packed way in advance and I'm pretty much ready to go for Tuesday! The wedding should be amazing, I'm really looking forward to it. Not sure if Thad (a.k.a my destination wedding assistant) is looking forward to it but he will enjoy the perks at least! The wedding is at this beauitful private oceanfront estate in Makena, about 5 minutes south of Wailea. We will be doing some filming around the island as well, hopefully getting some beautiful shots on the road to Hana too! I have always wanted to visit the Seven Sacred Pools and we are going to get a chance this time. Very exciting! Of course I will be blogging about it when we return & posting pics too!

Lastly, we have recently become addicts of a substance known as Sushi..we are OBSESSED. In fact we ate Sushi last night and are going to eat it again tonight. I think Thad is secretly most excited about going to Maui for the sush! I am most excited for flipping on the rope swing myself but the sushi should be amazing there too.

Okay back to work. Hope you all enjoyed my rambling!!