Project Baby: 18 Weeks

Slowly but surely my belly is getting bigger! I can still wear (BARELY!) my normal slacks for work, but I think after this week I won't be able to any more. I'm REALLY not looking forward to wearing maternity pants. Let is be known. I'm considering wearing leggings daily or only skirts and dresses for the next 22 weeks. But, I know I will want to wear pants someday, so I better get shopping this weekend! A few updates this week:

• I have been eating a LOT of peanut butter. I eat it on my whole wheat English muffins in the morning instead of butter. I eat it in the middle of the night when I get hungry and need some protein. I eat it as a snack pretty much all the time. So grateful I can eat peanut butter again! We get it at WINCO and it's literally only peanuts that you grind at the store. It's awesome and SUPER healthy!
• I feel the baby move more and more. The other night, I woke up to go to the bathroom. When I got back in bed, I felt the baby moving for probably about 45 minutes or so! This baby was doing all sorts of acrobatics it felt like. I'm sure she/he will be strong just like dad and mom! Just preparing for rock climbing.
• I already feel like I have to pee all of the time. I cannot imagine how bad it's going to get week by week!
• This week, I really noticed that I can NOT sleep on my back any longer. Not only does it feel like there is a weight in my stomach pressing down, but it just doesn't feel uncomfortable. I need to invest in a nice body pillow or two to stay comfortable in the night as I know it's only going to get worse!
• Something I'm looking forward to this coming week... I get to have my 20-week ultrasound on Saturday! Honestly, the part I'm most excited about is seeing the baby again and seeing that the baby is healthy and strong! Of course, I'm also excited to find out the baby's gender so we can name this baby instead of calling him/her "Sargie" or "Adelaide" all the time. :)

Saturday Adventures: Seattle Sight-seeing

I'm not sure why, but I had the idea that today we should go sightseeing in Seattle. I REALLY wanted to take the train up to start our adventure, but I could only find a schedule online for Monday-Friday & Sundays. I'm pretty sure it meant that it didn't run on Saturdays! I searched online for some fun things to do that Evan or I had never done before in Seattle. Here are a few pictures and tips in case you want to go! We really enjoyed everywhere we went. I think the restaurant is my new favorite- Honestly, it's the best meal I've eaten since being in Germany last summer


Hat n' Boots in Oxbow Park (Georgetown Neighborhood): Apparently these hat n' boots were from a Western-themed gas station that went out of business. They were in the Georgetown part of Seattle (near Boeing Field and The Museum of Flight). We couldn't help but laugh as we drove up! The park wasn't super huge, but the boots and hat sure are! The park had a neighborhood p-patch, which was awesome. I wish we had one.

Klondike Gold Rush National Park (Pioneer Square): First of all, this museum is a National "Park." I mean, you walk in and the park ranger says to you, "Welcome to the park!" Now, I've been to many National and State Parks in my life, but never one that is housed only in a building! The museum was interesting and fun. We spent probably 90 minutes or more there. I learned a lot about the Gold Rush and how it affected the Seattle area. Free and fun... I'm not complaining!




Waterfall Garden Park (Pioneer Square): Evan and I were walking around Pioneer Square after we went to the museum and stumbled upon this park. I had actually read about it but didn't pay attention to where it was. It this beautiful little corner park in the middle of the city. I loved it. There is a beautiful gate surrounding the whole park blocking the city from your view. Trees and and beautiful reading benches created wonderful ambiance... and did I mention the 22-foot waterfall that also wider than it was tall? Awesome.

We saw this while walking to the park. Anyone notice anything wrong with this picture? Hint: It's not me.

Pike Place Market: I'd been to the Pike Place Market a MILLION times in my life, but I still love going and seeing all of the hand made handicrafts, the fresh seafood, and the local produce. I found out today, however, that Evan had NEVER actually walked through Pike Place Market. He'd been in the area before, but had never gone through! I was shocked! It was fun experiencing it with him for the first time.

I guess a little kid walked by one day and his dad asked him if he wanted those. He yelled, "NO! Those are little green ball o' death!" and ran off. The workers never saw him again, but named the brussel sprouts that ever after.

The infamous gum wall. So disgusting! Honestly, I was trying not to puke because of the layers upon layers of gum. How did this sucker start? All I know is that it's only gotten worse over the years!

The Pink Door (Post Alley at Pike Place Market): Okay, so this place is seriously my new favorite Italian restaurant.It was AMAZING. Really. Not only was the food to die for, but the atmosphere and ambiance was also charming. Being pregnant, it has been hard the past 18+ weeks to suit my pallet. Every single bite of food I had there was delicious! That is saying something. Evan also LOVED his sandwich and said the meatballs were the best he's ever eaten in his life. Here is what we got. I'm still dreaming about it and want to make the salad for myself! It was so fresh-tasting!

• Salad- Celery, white mushroom, thinly sliced fennel and sliced Parmesan with an olive oil and lemon drizzle. WOW. Words cannot describe how fresh this salad tasted. I've never had fennel, but I will again after trying this!
• Lasagna Pink Door- Let's just say it involved pesto and layers of thin, hand-made spinach lasagna noodles. And melted cheese. The whole thing was divine.
• Meatball Panini- They hollowed out their fresh fresh Italian bread and stuff it with mozzarella, herb-filled meatballs, and tomatoes. They give you a fresh tomato sauce to dip it in. Delish!
• Lemon crème brûlée and kumquat compote drizzled with blood orange sauce- Blood orange sauce? WHAT?! This was very tart, but also so tasty. I've never heard of blood orange sauce in my life, but I love blood oranges. It was definitely the right choice for dessert. Baby Stout approves!

Kubota Gardens: We ended our day going to the Kubota Gardens. We looked up other places to see, but settled with this because it was on our way back home. Loved these Japanese Gardens! They are a precious gem in the middle of an interesting neighborhood. There were fun paths and small foot bridges over ponds to walk on. I told Evan that if I were a single guy, I'd totally lots of girls here on dates. It was very picturesque! I want to come back in the summer when all the flowers are blooming. (We didn't take any pictures because it was slightly raining. Picture via HERE.)

New Header & Picture Outtakes

I decided since I hadn't made a new header pretty much since we got married over 2.5 years ago, it was TIME to create something new! I went through all the pictures we took in 2011 (1,945 in total... and that doesn't include any of the ones I took in Europe last summer!). I LOVE the picture of Evan on top of Mt. Baker air guitarring with his ice axe. Awesome. This is the blog header I started with.

This is the blog header I ended up with:

Which do you like better?

Here are a few picture outtakes I LOVED but did not make the final cut. Any you think I should have included instead?

Rock climbing in Idaho-

Yellowstone-

Yellow NP

On a walk-

Practicing pictures on my birthday-

Climbing down Rainier-

On a rollercoaster in Idaho-

In Yellowstone NP

Provo Canyon hike-

Backpacking in the enchantments-

Closed Doors, Open Windows

I was reading Hue and Hum's blog this week about how she did not get into the MFA program to which she applied. As I did so, I contemplated my own recent disappointment. 


In order for you to understand the disappointment, we have to go back a little ways. You see, Evan started school within about 6 weeks of us getting married. He then worked hard for 5 quarters straight to get all of his nursing pre-requisites done and well so he could get into a good RN program! December 2010, he applied to the RN program at the college where he had done his pre-reqs. It was a lottery, which meant that every qualified applicant's name was put into a proverbial hat and 24 names were randomly drawn for the program. Although he was more than qualified, he did not get in.



Last year, he took a CNA (now called NAC) course so he could be eligible to apply to other nursing programs. He continued taking classes that would help him finish his bachelor's degree once he was done with a 2-year RN program. He applied twice more  to the program with the lottery and did not get in. He applied to another school in a 5-month application process that started in May only to find out in October that he didn't get in. So frustrating! He has good grades, good recommendations, and has a CNA (nursing schools like that). In short, he has all of those things required to get in to a good program and wasn't getting in.



In November, he considered going with the option of a 1-year LPN (nurse degree before RN) program. He applied to the program and got accepted. This program costs more money per quarter. It also means taking a SMALL, indirect step towards his end goal and that he'll still have to find and apply to more RN programs after he is done. However, he got into a nursing program. We decided to go forward with it. We paid the tuition and he went about the process of getting all of the immunizations, background checks, fees, books, supplies, malpractice insurance, etc. taken care of.


YET... in the back of our minds, we were both hoping that he would get into an RN program and that he wouldn't need to go the indirect route of getting his LPN first. In December, he re-applied to the RN program with the lottery.


Well, this week the lottery was done. Evan did not get accepted into the RN program. It was a HUGE letdown for both of us, especially for him. Right now, I am the main breadwinner. I am pregnant with our first child. I will continue to work after having said child because we cannot afford otherwise. We had hoped that he could get into a more direct program and I could potentially work part-time and be at home raising our child sooner. Apparently, that plan is not meant to be. No matter how much you do and how much you plan, it is in times like this that we have to self-reflect and be aware of our blessings.

Thankfully, three years ago, I learned a valuable lesson. My teaching position got cut and I was out of a job! I was devastated. Evan and I were going to be getting married in a few months and I was going to be the breadwinner while he went to school. How was it going to work out? At first, I was bitter. I didn't want a new job. I wanted MY JOB teaching German! I prayed and felt comforted that it would work out. And, you know what? It totally worked out BETTER than I imagined. Within a month, I was notified that I had a job teaching at another school. I wasn't super excited about moving schools or teaching a new subject, but was definitely grateful to still have a job.


The job ended up being a HUGE blessing. Even though I was transferred schools, my job switched from a part-time position to a full-time position. This meant I was making WAY MORE money per year. This money came at just right the right time we needed it: Evan quit his job and was starting school. If I would have stayed in my former position, we would have been making $10,000/year less. Paying for Evan's school and living off of one salary, that amount of money was significant.


Heavenly Father knew what He was doing when he closed that door. He knew that the opportunity He was providing me was worth more than the heartache I felt in losing the best teaching position I had ever had. I have since been moved schools again back to teaching German. I back am in a better position now teaching what I love and I still get to teach full-time. All of these blessings couldn't come have come about if an opportunity didn't end first to provide another, better opportunity for learning and growth.


I guess why I bring all of this up is that Heavenly Father has a plan for you. He has one for me too. I'm not sure what His plan is for me. Sometimes it's hard wanting something and waiting for God's time table to make it happen. What I've learned, though, is that in reality, those closed doors seem tiny when compared with the wonderful blessings that come because of them. Opportunities are there that we can't see yet because we are so focused on the path that we THINK is best for us. Having heartbreak humbles us enough to see that we have had so many blessings and opportunities available all along. We just have to open our eyes and shift our focus to see those OPEN doors in front of us waiting for us to take hold and move on. To myself, Evan, and each one of you... I wish you good luck in finding your next open door!

Oversized Food

Thankfully, I am married to someone who is self-reliant and cooks for himself (and for me!) fairly often. I love seeing the concoctions he comes up with! This past week has been the week of "Go big or go home." It all started when Evan saw some GIGANTIC spinach tortillas at the store last week, which led to this breakfast burrito. Well, folks, it did not end there! The burger picture doesn't do his insane burger justice. It has 4 different types of condiments on it (at last count), spinach, avocados, butter-sauteed mushrooms, red onions, bacon, tomatoes, pepper jack cheese, sliced mini bell peppers, and a toasted, buttered, whole wheat bun. The bite I took was delicious! I wish my stomach allowed me to eat one of those! Maybe Evan is going to school for the wrong thing. He should go to culinary school instead of being a nurse. :)

Then, Saturday before our Museum of Glass adventure, I had to eat and I had to eat right then. This prompted us to make a couple Idahoan instant mashed potato packets. Evan didn't stop there! He made his mashed potatoes into a burrito filled with shredded chicken, bacon, avocado, red onions, tomatoes, green onions, all wrapped up in a spinach tortilla. As for me- I had bacon and avocado courtesy of Evan in my bowl of mashed potatoes. Definitely not as big or as cool, but still delicious!

Individual Peach Crisp

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Even though I can hardly handle eating anything with sugar in it, I had the strong urge to make peach crisp tonight. (It must have been the cans of peaches staring at me from the top shelf.) When Evan gets home from work (usually around 11pm), I am already asleep. I know that he likes to make himself some type of snack or even a dessert. I decided since I don't have school tomorrow, I would stay up and surprise him with a delicious snack to come home to.

I pretty much just made up the recipe myself based on what looked good. The ingredients were inspired by this recipe from cooks.com. The individual peach crisps are actually still baking in the oven, so I'm not sure how they will turn out in the end. But, honestly... how can you go wrong with something that involves butter, sugar, and cinnamon? I'm pretty sure you can't!

Here is my recipe for 2 ramekins full of peach crisp:

• 1 can sliced peaches in juice
• 1/3 cup oatmeal
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• cinnamon (I just dumped some in until it looked right)
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons room temperature butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oatmeal, sugar, salt, cinnamon together until well-mixed. Add in the butter. Using a fork, press the butter into the mixture until the butter is spread through the mixture. Pour half a can of peaches and juice into each ramekin. Sprinkle half the oatmeal mixture on top of the peaches until well-coated. Place ramekins in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until oatmeal mixture looks crisped enough to your taste and peaches are heated through. If you're feeling cheeky, had a dollop of ice cream on top and enjoy with your special someone.

Indoor Saturday Adventure: Tacoma Museum of Glass Review

Do you ever feel like you have the DESIRE to get out and do something, but when push comes to shove it's easier to stay in? I've been feeling like that a lot lately. It could be because of this pregnancy and the fact that I have had some SERIOUS gastro-intestinal issues specifically the last few weeks. Planning outings means bringing several snacks/meals that I'm not sure if I'll even be able to eat or will have the desire to eat when the time comes. Also, when I'm out, my choices are much more limited on what I can eat as opposed to if I stay in and have the option of cooking something.

Well, in spite of my GI pains, Evan and I decided to go to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma last Saturday. This was definitely not our typical Saturday adventure full of hiking, rock climbing, or snow! Evan had the idea that we could get out and go to a museum that one of us had never been to before. Hindsight showed we should have prepared ahead of time, because we could have gotten passes from our local library for free. (We tried getting them, but they weren't available.) Nice to know we can go again for free if we want!

I actually love downtown Tacoma. I love the museum district: the architecture of the buildings in the area, the quaint cafes, the fun vintage thrift shops. If it weren't raining so hard, we would have actually taken some really cool pictures. But alas, we ran laughing the 1/2 mile or so downhill from our car down to the museum. We were still soaked by the time we got there and weren't brave enough to want to ruin our fancy camera trying to get sweet pictures. Maybe that will be our next Saturday adventure! :)

I had been to the Museum of Glass (MOG) only one time previously. Honestly, the collections they had when I was there 2 years ago were much better than the collections they currently have right now. The museum realistically is not large. There are two large rooms that house roughly one MAIN collection in each room. The collection in the first room was of large goblets in various colors and "styles." I use the term style loosely because to the untrained eye (Evan and me), the goblets looked almost identical in shape and form, although the color or themes were different. 

In the main room was the favorite work of art I saw there. It was a glass forest. Photography in the collections' rooms was not allowed, so this photo is from the MOG website. It does not do the artwork justice, but gives you an rough idea of the piece:

I did like the small area dedicated to GIGANTIC glass punctuation. The English teacher in me couldn't help but enjoy this part. :)

The next collection room housed a wide of array of what I'd call paperweights. The detail in them was amazing. The glass bees actually looked so much like real bees that I had to make sure that the real things had not been added into the glass work. They were lovely and well-done, but got kind of old after a while. Looking at hundreds of almost identical pieces of artwork didn't keep our interest for very long!

The two areas of the museum Evan and I liked best were the kids' drawings turned into works of glass and the HOT SHOP where the glass blowing magic happens. Evan and I watched in the hot shop for probably 1.5 hours so enthralled by what they were doing. This part of the museum made the entrance fee worth it! Here are some of our own pictures:

The melted glass