laboring

the last few weeks always feel like one long labor for me. i am one of those women who get to the day they are being started and the nurse exclaims, oh my, you are a five and 90 percent effaced. yes, i know, i have been for a few months now. i don't know why it happens to some and not to others. i envy the girl that says she is so desperate for a contraction she will often mistake gas for a contraction.


my sweet red head has taken away the labor including activities around the house for the health of my back and for the health of our child. but, yesterday the floors were so dirty. it had been a week since their last scrubbing. i had to do it. i filled up my rainbow vacuum with water, pulled out the floor attachment and went to work. 4 hours later the floors to this abode were picked up and steamed sparkly clean. unfortunately, it caused me to be on all fours with some intense back labor and contractions. while on all fours rocking back and forth, i was telling scott that i really didn't want to go into labor so soon, what was i thinking. the poor kids all looked wide eyed as they all took a chance to sneak upstairs and peek in on the 3 month labor that takes place in my body. ella was quite curious at the whole situation. she was immediately sympathetic and started rubbing my back. she didn't know it hurt to have a baby. she then proceeded to rub the upper part of my body, or the parts in which she lovingly refers to as the nursies. she has been astonished and quite curious with these body parts the past 8 months. she is quite sure there is another baby in one of those she often states publicly. anyone who knows me knows that i am the epitome of private and modest. to demonstrate this point i will call upon grayce's comment last month.



she out loud wondered when she would ever see a pregnant man. of course i laughed a chain smoker laugh that caused a scene of dry heaving laughter. then i felt guilty that the only biology talk i have ever given her includes guarding her private body parts to the tune of kicking and screaming. the talk has to come soon, i know. fourth grade will all too soon be over and i am sure many questions will be asked. pretty soon, i think the county comes along and makes an afternoon date of it at the school. why, i have always explained to the little babes at my house that the doctor simply untwists my belly button and viola! a baby comes out. the kids most willingly believe this because well, my belly button becomes quite the outtie when i am in this swollen state.



a few more weeks. if i go to the first of october, i will be thrilled. my ultra super duper fertilizer amniotic fluid has kicked in and the baby is suddenly measuring 2 weeks ahead. i had a dream last night that a cute dark haired, chubby cheeked baby slid right out of a water slide into my arms in a hospital room. it was the best labor i ever had. maybe that is how i will take on explaining the biology works of babies to my little ones. one big water slide from heaven. what a great idea, certainly my cheeks would be a much lighter shade of crimson.......

and these are just for you maryann! i ran into a good friend at the store last week and she said she read my blog and it was in need of pictures. i agreed and then remembered there is a reason, we are horrid picture takers at this house! this is me 6 months along at the beach seeking shade under the hatch.

and here at the last mac brothers wedding, four months pregnant with number 4 and further testament that pictures are a failure here. i can't get the picture to turn, boo.

day five: the vampire port

upon the recommendation of some friends who have a family home in port angeles, they convinced us we must head up. i did a lot of WWW research and all of the pictures confirmed that indeed we needed to visit this place. it is on the olympic peninsula right at the foot of the olympic national forrest. that morning, we took a fairy from seattle to bainbridge island and then crossed the bridge to our destination.

this was our departing picture. i would like to take a moment to plug the ferries here. think NYC subway system on a boat. you drive your little car on for $15.00 and get across the water, but you also get phenomenal views.
this is the face of 2 people wanting their own beds and missing their babies. can you tell? also the face of two cold people on the passenger open air deck. i think it was maybe 55 degrees that day, heaven!

bainbridge island. we didn't get much time to explore as we had so much driving ahead of us.

once the ferry landed, we headed first to sequim (skwim). it is the lavender capital of something or other. lots and lots of lavender. it became apparent to us that we crave beautiful architecture that creates small towns. there were some breathtaking views all around us, but the reality is, stephanie meyers based her novels in run down indian reservation towns full of double wides. there is not a lot of charm in port angeles, forks or any surrounding towns. that shock took me a full day to digest. here is a lavender field in sequim just outside of port angeles.
once we got into town we were hungry. thankfully, i did loads of research on food. there were great reviews on everything around. we chose the asian bistro for lunch/dinner that had a great wall street journal review. i thought for sure this would be the place to indulge in seafood and pad thai, seemed the place. no, not the best idea unfortunately. give me some authentic pad thai please with tofu, eggs, bean sprouts and peanuts. this was sub par. scott's was alright. he got a honey walnut prawn dish. once we checked into our bed and breakfast, bob, the owner, pointed us to the mountains. he told us we had to do hurricane ridge before the sunset. this was the drive up.
it was a full panoramic view of the olympic peninsula, i think we went from sea level to 5500 feet elev. in about 20 minutes. it was impressive and i finally felt like i could put a smile on my face.

sarah agnes prine take two

you know who sarah agnes prine is right? no? click here and buy "these is my words" today. and then, when you are done, reread it like i did. my lovely friend brooke thought real hard about what i would want for my 31st birthday and concluded that a good book and a treat were just the thing. she even stretched herself and got a treat without chocolate so i could fully enjoy and indulge.(chocolate has been poison to me this pregnancy:() so indulge i did and love i do sarah agnes prine.
i think about her (fictional i know)life and feel strength. so as the snake situation was unfolding, with my pregnant belly, i just felt a little sarah in me. i kept joking that while i was getting ready for my evening of cooking for a gathering of women, i was going to put on my green rubber boots and strap a shovel to my waist to keep my assets all safe and protected from the visitor.

this morning i sat around with wet hair in jammies after my shower. i needed to not be needed today, so all i did was answer the phone. first a salesman, and then kaylene.

my dear sweet, i want to be like her when i grow up, neighbor, kaylene called. usually she flows on the phone when we talk, she just kind of paused this time. she finally got out that she had a visitor about an hour after my visit with the slithering fellow. she was innocently gardening in her lot kitty corner adjoining mine that is separated by a fence. pulling weeds, admiring the handy work of the harvest when she nonchalantly looked over to see the biggest reptile she could imagine. overcome with disbelief about the size of the middle of this snake, her screams brought out neighbors inside their homes. her own flesh and blood thought she had discovered a body in the garden. something atrocious for sure.

she was so startled to look over and see this visitor's middle, that she didn't even get a look at it's head or tail. her son went out and confirmed that the tail was indeed a pattern of stripes and not rattles. it didn't matter to kaylene. she declared that the garden was closed. weed patch it was the rest of the year and no one was allowed out ever never ever.

she confided to me that she has come across rattlers without such a reaction, but the sheer monstrous size of that snake took her hours to calm down from. that and i am sure the proximity to her were her undoing. she was still shaky recalling the incident to me this morning.

right after her call this morning alaska called me. he laughed at the incident because he is after all mountain man. he recollected about 25 run ins with rattlers thru the years. some have lurched at him after he provoked them, never bitten him. he attested to their non aggressive ways stating that they have to be provoked incredibly to get a bite. i am sure that is what that bear fella said before he was eaten alive too. beware alaska brother, beware!

his story of the week involved his camping trip last week where he had a black bear running thru the campground and how his biggest concern was all the good gourmet food they had brought up was going to get eaten. he was packing that stuff up faster than he was looking to see where the bear was headed or mace for that matter. he has priorities you know.

so there you have it, my sarah agnes prine tale. kaylene confirmed that it was large, maybe 4 feet with a middle the size of my calf, and that is no tall tale.

the day i got to channel my inner sarah agnes prine

thursday my church commitments required me to be at the church and staffed with a babysitter by 9:50am. i also had a large relief society gathering that night at my house. so, my day was laid out on paper, scheduled, and offered no time for dilly dally. no time at all. i even thought about scheduling bathroom breaks for myself because i get into these zones, it can prove dangerous.

as my mom was pulling out of my house at 9:47am after dropping uncle kyle off to babysit, she quickly returned begging me out the front door privately. she just kept pointing and saying, "what are we going to do?" she was in a panic zone. she related to me that as she was pulling out she saw a visitor coming up the lane. i mean a visitor. and as the story gets relayed over and over let's put the SNAKE at 4 feet long, okay?

as if the slithering creature had turned on its blinker from the main busy road, it was headed right up to my house with purpose. right up to my house. headed up to say hello. in the snippets of story from my mother and what i could process because i was on a schedule, i got bits of diamond back pattern and look at the end of the tail, it looks like rattles. she told me that as she was in her fancy and heavy car pulling out, upon the discovery of this slithering creature, she threw a water bottle out the window at the large snake. her intent was to see if it would coil so she could decipher if our lives were hanging in the balance or not. it didn't coil and her heavy car pulled right back up my driveway and not over the unwelcome visitor. she later confieded that she didn't want to have to clean up the guts.....

there were also other viewers from our bay window keeping an eye on the situation. of course today we are laughing, but yesterday my mother froze. she was asking me, do i run over it with my car? what do i do? yes, yes mom, run over that bad boy with your big heavy car, i kept insisting. but she couldn't. you would have been scared too at the sight of this monstrosity.

with my basketball belly, i bolted next door to the current house being built. there were manly, jacked up trucks parked in front and i thought that surely our answer would be found with all of the testosterone in the construction. surely. the first man i saw acted like he understood english until i said snake. that was met with backing away and saying no, no, no in his accented english. i kept begging if he would come dehead this bad boy with a sharp tool or shovel. he kept at his no, no, no.
upon my return to my house, i was informed that the snake did indeed make it to my house and burrowed into a hole in the front yard.

at this point i am thinking that a rattler lives in my weed infested yard and has underground paths and homes of eggs and mates all over. my poor mother is still frozen repeating, should i run over it with my car? all i knew was that my schedule did not allow for such diversions and i was needed down the street to give rides to girls for our adventure. i should have thought it thru more, contemplated that instead of a resident at my home, this snake was the traveling kind. why, he might be headed to my neighbors.

instead, i called the redhead after an hours contemplation and also upon hearing that my friend in the car, who lives up the street, had to evacuate a rattler living on her front porch last year. so i put the redhead in charge of the removal of the snake. since he and animal control are in each other's cell phones now, he got his friend on the line. mr animal control reported that it is indeed illegal to kill a rattler, but please kill it and don't call me. catch it and call me. he also reassured me that it was more than likely a blow snake. they imitate a rattler with patterns on their back and also markings on the tail looking to be rattles.

by afternoon the tale was spreading about our run in. i kept retelling the tale and had people show up in the front yard with hoes and shovels swiping along my sidewalk. also, advice that wasp spray aimed at the snakes face will kill it deader than heck. i wanted it deader that heck too i said. by the end of the day, i felt like i was crying wolf. really. a 4 foot snake with a middle the size of my thigh, okay, maybe my calf? well, that's how i felt until my back yard neighbor called me this morning.....
(to be continued)

job

it's been almost a year now with a new job for scotty. we are at the reflective stage as we comprehend how great life is.

sometimes i don't think scott divulges the full extent of how great his job is. his surgeon said is best last week when he commented that a PA and a surgeon partnership is really like a marriage, you never know what you are going to get.

this being the third "marriage" in scott's career, we are very incredibly happy. his doc is incredibly human and realistic. like last night for instance. i had the entire relief society coming over while we had 30 minute meal demos. i was a crazy mess for 2 weeks readying the house, getting a meal ready to demo and such. scott found out that their typical home for dinner schedule was not going to happen. blake was so kind and accommodating, letting him off early so he could come home and grab the kiddos for me. scott of course felt guilty and blake was the one making him feel justified in leaving.

we have decided that a job comes down to lifestyle. scott has been offered multiple jobs this past year (he must be great!). in fact, 2 last month. it comes down to more than a paycheck, really.
if you have full confidence in your surgeon as a PA, your life is good. one of the best parts about this current dig is that scott works for 1 doc. not 60, not a corporation, but one. we have noticed the most difference in that fact alone. with the other jobs there was always something on the table the "big wigs" were taking away, or fighting on. it just wore on scott day after day to go into battle mode.

with this job, he gets to go in, and, gasp, practice medicine. the only stress comes from what normally should in this line of work. super important. we feel incredibly lucky.

here is a cool write up about blake. this story was actually featured in our local paper and picked up by multiple national news sources. i think "the doctors" in LA have actually contacted him too.
because scott doesn't take call, he wasn't in on the initial surgery. but he was assisting when they put the skull back together and did the follow up visit to remove the staples. this was a miraculous story and sure makes anyone feel like god is real. (to get the full story click each picture and a the story unfolds)

i think it odd that scott didn't even mention this surgery day to me. 4 days a week of spine and brain and i guess this is just part of his day. i had to hear about it when my mom asked if i knew about it after it ran on the front page of the paper.

four days in, four to go

pikes market place is one of my favorites. it is an absolute must if you are anywhere near the seattle vicinity. it is a permanent mass farmers market with some of the most unique products and delectable food. there is every kind of everything you can imagine. give yourself a couple of hours for this. it is downtown so parking can be tricky, and it is crowded. we opted to go on a monday when it would be less crowded. as you can see, it was still busy.

our first stop was piroshky piroshky. it is a fantastic russian bakery with breaded delicacies that cater to the belly's content. the dough they use is similar to a croissant, very buttery and flaky. scott opted for the bavarian cream and i dove into the cheddar cheese roll. we washed it down with a puot,plum, peach, and strawberry smoothie from another street vendor. it was quite heavenly. my cheddar roll won the prize and could account for 3 of the 9 pound gain.

i think it is very comical to look back at pictures scott took of me. one of my biggest discomforts is having my picture taken on vacation. i feel so vain. i don't know why, but it is like a root canal for me. so this is me, pretending to be happy on vacation, which i am, but having to appease my redhead because i love him so. the fruit behind me is the stuff they used in the smoothie, i can almost taste it now.

this picture doesn't do justice to the flowers that line the vendors shops. they were fabulous.

here is a sampling of some of the fresh seafood available for purchase. oh to be a local here......

the flowers. there are masses and masses of these flowers that the sweet oriental ladies are going crazy making nonstop. these bunches? they sell for $5-$20. the ones pictured are the $10 bunches. oh, to be a local. the smell they infuse the market with makes for a great memory.

for lunch we settled on pike's place chowder. they offer a 4 sampler and have won every chowder competition they enter. it was 75 degrees that day and so we were pushing it with hot soup, but it was worth every bite. we did include a cold tomato gazpacho with shrimp that helped cool us down. it was worth it. there was also a cheese shop that boasted the best mac and cheese around, i believe them. the line was half a block. if we were to go back, we probably would have ventured into the line.

there are tons of homeless in seattle. my take on it is the abundance of artistic and ridiculously talented folks who gather up there. i have never seen such homelessness abound in any big town before. this picture is of me watching a teen aged boy lay down on a cement block with his pillow and sleep like there are not 40 million people around him. he was dirty and had pajama pants on but could probably get into julliard with violin skills or something. it is a different crowd up there....i do love my people watching.

we headed down to the aquarium after a couple of hours soaking and strolling pikes. we found an awesome map shop just above the market. we spent quite a bit of time in there and finally settled on a 1500's map of the world to frame for the house. it is really cool. the aquarium is mr zoology's thing. as is the zoo and other living creature exhibits. those places just make me sad looking at all those caged things. i liken it to dogs or cats coming to see people at the jailhouse. it seems odd to look at creatures out of their environment in a glass cage people bonk on all day. oh well. scott said it was nice.

we went to ivar's for fish and chips. someone told us they would walk on glass for ivars. the reviews all over were phenomenal. they have a fine dining place as well. i am hoping the reviews were talking about that place. the fish and chips stand was nothing to holler about. we shared a little boat of them. they did have malt vinegar though, and the englishman red head said that is an authenticity marker. he longs for the days of fish and chips in leeds, england wrapped in newspaper with malt vinegar. sigh.

anyway. after a stroll along the waterfront we decided to attack molly moon's ice cream shop across town. we liked the girl scout thin mint and decided the line would be worth it.

i am still out on molly moon's ice cream. it is run by a bunch of tree hugging organic save the earth nuts. now, i am on board with conservation, really i am. this felt really trendy to me and so i don't know if it has lasting merit. the line was outrageous, around the block long. and, the other thing that has me hung up is that it is not a sweet ice cream. i got the salted caramel and scott had the theo chocolate. i just don't know how i feel about wasting calories on ice cream if it won't suffice my sweet tooth. this place also had a roasted garlic flavor and often boasts a bacon ice cream served atop hot oatmeal with dried fruit. the salted caramel tasted just like it sounded with the salt overpowering any sweetness. even the chocolate was not sweet. it was densely flavored with cocoa but not sweet. hmm. i just don't know what to tell you. i guess it is worth a try to experience a non sweet treat. the service stinks there too. the employees acted like they were put out that they were busy. hello, kids. when you work at a crazy popular ice cream place, you won't get many breaks. if it isn't worth $10 an hour, go somewhere else. they horn rimmed glasses employee was ordering customers to stand here, move here and just jumped in whenever he wanted to serve someone. he was probably the owner. oh well. i am out on this one. i liked the girl scout thin mint. the cookie rendered a sweet element but it was served with vanilla. it needed to be paired with a rich chocolate. anyway. that was the ending to the day. it was right nice.....

ruff ruff

it seems like the hot topic around our house the last of june and all of july has been the red heads dog bite. you can see from the picture below that it wasn't something people ignored. it was right there on his face. right in the middle. this picture can't do the swelling justice. his nose was spliced across the rim and the puncture on his head got to the size of a quarter with infection.

it happened one summer night when he decided to go out jogging. i told him that's what he gets for exercising. he should have stayed home with his incubating wife and eaten ice cream;)

he had just helped the neighbor locate some horses that were thought to be missing. he hadn't been gone for more than 10 minutes. i already told you about the call that made me embarrassed because i laughed so hard. a call telling me my husband was bit on the nose by a dog. i could only picture him dragging his nose along the road to get such punishment. i didn't end up seeing him until the next evening because he spent the night in the ER and got up early for a full day of surgery.

my husband was innocently running along the road. some people were coming off a mountain hike and their trail just happened to intersect with the road scott was running on. these people happen to live a few houses down from the trail and let their 2 large boxers off their leash. scott heard some yelling thru his ipod and took out his speakers. a jogger for these dogs was like a moving target. he decided to stop running as they were right on his heels. they both came up to his waist. he went to pet the one that was acting up and bent his head about 2 inches when the other one lunged at his face. no bark, no growl, nothing. you can see where the jaw was open and got him. he said before he realized what was happening he had this reaction to jerk back. he didn't know why he did this but it coincided with when the boxer clamped his jaw down. just as scott's head came up he saw a jaw clamp down in front of his face. he is incredibly lucky to have his nose still in tact although he now boasts a good scar.

this has been an eye opening experience for us. in our county, a dog can bite three times before it has to be put down. pathetic. why do people buy big dogs? i wonder if these dog owners realize the history of a boxer. boxers were bread to kill cows and take them down at the face, suffocating it. that is why this one went for the face, it's what boxers do. scott was in line with two other dog bites at the er that night. his was the best outcome as the other unfortunate victims were getting their faces put back on in the operating room all night.

every ER staff member told him that boxers, pit bulls and rottweilers are their only offenders in the ER. They are fighting dogs.

of course when this first happened the dog owners were beside themselves, reassuring us they were going to put the dog down. they have small children and didn't want to take any chances. after a day had passed we got a loaf of bread and a promise that they will use a chain to keep the dog restrained along with some training.

this was probably one of the hardest things scott has had to go thru. he really struggled with being upset with these people. he kept saying, why would they waste their free warning on a nice guy like me that won't sue them? his anger came from thoughts of the dog doing this again and the fault being with him because he didn't put up a stink about the dog being put down.

he had me take the above picture in his angry phase, just in case it needed to be documented.

the dog owners kept calling and scott had to leave their calls unreturned. i told him not to call until his anger was gone, that was an okay thing to do. so after a month he ran into them. his anger has dissolved but he didn't side step with them. he told them he is scared to run past thier house now and he hopes they are using a chain......

some people.

day three

day three was a down day. day two put me into contraction fest. i let scotty go to sleep that night without mentioning i was timing those bad boys. they also started to hurt, really bad. i was one constant prayer that night. i did not want to spend the rest of the vacation in the hospital. i was pumping fluids like they were going out of style and laying on my left side. i know the drill.

that morning we went to a great worship service in seattle and had a really low key morning. we decided after to hit Voula's offshore cafe.

this place is other planet. not only the food, but this place is a religion. people are sold on voula's. so is guy feiri. HERE is the clip of their appearance on triple D (diners, drive ins and dives).
we got there around 11am. when we pulled up, the crowds were outrageous. you actually signed a check in sheet outside the restaurant and waited for the gal to come out and call your name. you waited and you waited. i thought for sure that once you got in, food would be eminent to rescue a starving woman and her fetus. our waitress said it right when she said Voula's is like torture, entertainment and pure indulgence. the wait outside is only half the battle, because once you get in, the show begins.

i was mesmerized by the show. really, 3 guys, cooking every order one at a time. it was a precise science that was fascinating. we didn't even talk to one another we were so entertained. it took a good 45 minutes for us to get our food. i went with the smoked salmon scramble and scotty partook in the chili verde, smoked pork, benedict. they were both ridiculous. it was one crazy experience. and that guy in the above photo to the far right? the guy. voula's son. i felt kind of famous.


by this time, it was well after 1 o'clock and i was due for a nap. the religious experience had put me over the edge, old voula's. so my patient husband sat in the stinky hotel, while i slept in the stinky hotel. boo.

we roused that evening and headed over to the ballard section of seattle to see the ballard locks and the salmon run. it was a good way to spend an afternoon. we browsed the botanical gardens, watched the boats fill the lock system, and then meandered to the salmon run. it was a beautiful stroll.


then. for dinner. we worshipped triple D again. we went to bizarro italian. when guy said that the clam fettuccine made his top 5, i knew we couldn't miss out. it was other planet amazing. they didn't even complain when we asked to split. we had a wonderful appetizer that were these cheese balls. they were centered with fresh mozzarella, surrounded in risotto and then breaded and topped with a roasted red pepper reduction. the whole meal was fantabulous and could just be my favorite meal. the pasta is made on site so it is fresh, add to taht the salted pork and succulent clams. oh honey. it was fantastic.


one of my favorite parts was discovering that molly moon ice cream was served there. i had read amazing incredible things about molly moons. i had also read about the line, so to be able to avoid that peaked my interest. we shared the girl scout thin mint ice cream and were pretty pleased. ( i will give my full review on molly moons on tuesday when we go there and wait in line officially)

on my way

i have issues with food. i love it, love it, i love it.

i do. but i also have discretion about it too. i have the desire to weigh myself everyday which proves daunting when you are on a mission to gain weight to accommodate a growing fetus. i have always weighed the same with each delivery. always. the only part i like about being pregnant in the summer, which i have done 4 times now, is that your summer eating is pretty healthy. with number 2 being born in december, i could definitely see how much harder it was to loose the weight after. it just stuck more. there was not a fest of summer fruits and vegetables during the most pound retaining part. no sir. it was full of turkey and christmas desires.

i feel nearly like a martyr with all the posts of indulgence on our vacation regarding food. but today when i went into the doctor's office. well, he had to "talk" to me about the large amount of weight i had gained the past month. i had gained almost as much this past month as i had the entire pregnancy. when i asked how much i had gained, he chuckled and told me 9 pounds.

9 fraggin pounds in one month. now, to my credit. 2 visits ago the scale boasted 6 pounds and he told me to watch it. last month 1 pound and they figured that their scales had been off. so this go around i promised him there was a vacation involved and i would eat watermelon the whole rest of the pregnancy and to check his scales. he reassured me that i was just fine and on track to gain my regular 30. but still. 9 pounds. i called scott up and told him to write me a note for a handi sticker, his wife was on her way to morbid obesity. my blood pressure was 120. 120. me. i am lucky to pull a 100. sometimes i would go in and it would be in the 90's. so 120 for me was as good as a stroke. let's pick out the casket already.

now these thoughts may seem incredibly irrational to any one's eyes reading this. but my phobia has been discovered. i have an intense fear of gaining weight. i have been there. i dieted all thru high school and beyond. there is no worse way to live that knowing you need to loose weight. really. for me the worry of what health problems i will have from gaining weight are enough to put my husband in the loony bin. like all afternoon, i have told him that i am sure i am one ice cream scoop away from diabetes, one dessert away from a stroke, one night away from severe sleep apnea. he is glad he is working late tonight, that can be sure.

the poor doctor. i told him he gave me a hot flash with the news and at first he laughed until he saw the tears in my eyes and my beet red face. he thought i was joking. he spent the rest of the time reassuring me that i am just fine, not to worry. 20 pounds of weight gain by 29 weeks is normal and regular, just don't do it again kind of thing. i told him i was fine with 20 pounds, but 9 of it in one month. oh lawsy. my blood pressure is spiking retelling the tale......

day two

day two was jam packed. we were like two desert travelers soaking up our seattle time. we started out right at sweet iron waffles. they claim the best leige waffle in the country. guess what? they're right. i had heard review after review of nothing but bravo from this little place. each reviewer swore they were in europe. the concept of these waffles is a batter that is raised and in the waffle maker there are sugar crystals that form the most beautiful crust of sweetness around these babies. they are worth the trip alone. right down town, a few blocks up from pikes market.
scotty had the brie with fresh basil. he was in heaven and would talk about it everyday. i opted for the bacon and pure maple syrup. it was absolutely divine. i can't say enough about these waffles. we also felt really lucky because there were only two people there. we heard these kids comment that this was the first time the line wasn't out the door. 3 tables and a maximum occupancy of 12 made me very glad we beat the crowd.
snoqualmie falls was next. i loved the drive thru the mercer island tunnel, thru issaquah and into this scenic falls area. it was so stupendous. really, really lovely. it was a balmy 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

after our hike around the falls we drove around mercer island. i don't know what draws me to this place. it is busy and crowded, but offers some charm that has me captivated. just off downtown and before the eastern side. we spotted this little teeny sign that touted a public beach. scott missed the road because it was so small. we found the parking lot with another downward hike. i geared up for this steep trail and was rewarded with this.
the coolest beach. they have sectioned off for public use with these cool docks and even have lifeguards. it was so famous as ella would say. anything wonderful to her gets claimed as famous, except she can't say f so she says samous. melt me. we sat for a while, taking in the amazing weather and the beautiful water view.

after the falls and the beach, our waffles were long gone and left our bellies begging for more, more, more. this little cafe was the hook to get me on this trip. we loved this place on our honeymoon 10 years ago. we kept speculating about the quality and if ten years ago our tastes might have changed. we were a little off on the distance and were ravenous hungry by the time we got there. it was up the I5 north and at the bottom of chuckanut drive. i had forgotten the funky vibe but not the chocolate ice cream. we were thrilled again to have the place to ourselves. i guess vacation appetites made for no crowds for us, eating at odd times.

we got so lucky as to be at the Rhodie cafe during their celebration of the islands. scott went with pan fried oysters while i ventured out for the shrimp, crab island cakes. they were full of coconut, mango and tender sections of sweet shrimp and buttery crab. it was pure indulgence. and then....

it was time for dessert. we chose the cooked butter and sugar bananas with their chocolate ice cream. normally this lovely dessert is served with vanilla, but i twisted their arm. and oh, was it worth the twist. the cocoa flavor is so intense, i can't even say the ice cream is cold. it essentially captivates what semi cold fudge would be like. it was 10 minutes of pure, sweet indulgence and a memory to make me happy to be alive, seriously.

the rhodie cafe is at the bottom of chuckanut drive which overlooks the san juan islands. it is the most healing drive. it will wipe away any hurt from your past. no joke. for half of it you are surrounded by mass trees, hugging you like a blanket.
the other part of the drive gives you glimpses of the water dotted with small islands.

and then, there are small pull offs with campgrounds and fishing spots. it was why we applied for a job in the town. really, the rhodie and chuckanut. we did it all for them.......pathetic? i just know what i love.
we ended the evening by taking a stroll along the bellingham bay boardwalk.

it was a fantastic day. it was as much fun retelling it too!!! i forget that relishing the vacation is as much fun as being there, well maybe......

day numero uno in seattle

it came and went. the big trip. 8 days. what can i say. we hadn't been on a real vacation since our honey moon to seattle 10 years ago. we are so lame. we talked the whole time about our practicality. sigh. and how i am a homebody. i don't love being hot, so beach excursions are out. seeing how i am married to a red head, he whole heartidly agrees that beaches won't be our venue. but we haven't ever been so we can't knock it. i guess i am trying to say that seattle at 60-75 degrees was perfect for us.


day one was filled. i mean filled. driving. eating. eating.

the first sign of our vacation that indicated it was going to be good was being greeted by mt. rainier. i went on many business trips to seattle in my single days. the weather is a hot topic, also a hot topic, if you can or cannot see the ghostly volcano. guess what we saw everyday? not a cloud in sight for the first 5 days.

the above picture was taken from a little pull out in magnolia park. we weren't sure what to expect when we pulled up in this upscale neighborhood. we saw the park and didn't realize it was for parking and enjoying the view from your car. when we arrived there was only one other car there and the occupants of that car emerged from a staircase. we naturally thought that at the bottom of this staircase, there would be a dramatic view. on we plunged. 140 steps later, it was nothing but a private residential road. i was steadily contracting by the time we reached the bottom of the stairs. on the way up, i was doing the breathing of intense labor. it set the precedent for the trip. steps everywhere and contractions to match. i was up to 40-50 contractions a day, trying to keep a smile on my face and out of the hospital.

so, i turned to food for this trip as my happy place since getting anywhere seemed to be a challenge.

i did my research on the food, the scale doesn't lie either. it was a sad state of affairs after i weighed in this morning. sigh, sigh, scream. i have never gained that much weight on a trip. oh well. scotty even ran every morning along the shore and still gained almost as much as my vegetative self. so there.


the first day we sought out salumi. mario batali opened this one up. actually, we heard all kinds of locals contradict this. many say it is his parents that run it. regardless, his name is tied to this place.


the concept it meat. pig meat. on a sandwich, by the slice or by the pound. fresh mozzarella and other exotic cheeses. pasta, soup. it came highly recommended by every food critic i stumbled across. it didn't disappoint..


this was my dish of pasta with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes with a little balsamic and olive oil. it was so incredibly fresh and light. i loved it. below is scotty fully taken and smitten with his lomo sandwich. i mean smitten. it was all he could talk about the rest of the time.

the place is crazy wild. it is this hallway with a smashed in sandwich bar. after the register there is one table, family style. sit down, eat with locals and visitors alike. they have glasses for water and silverware in vintage anchovy crates. super cool. we opted to visit at 3 and 3:30 ( we went twice) and still had to wait in line 20 minutes. it is a hot spot, and i feel lucky to have eaten there. the hours are tuesday to friday 11-4. must go in seattle.

the rest of the day was spent enjoying the beautiful coast line. we were able to see incredible mountain ranges all around us. i didn't even know they existed because every time i had been there previous, they were hidden in the cloudy ocean mist.

we also partook in a greek place that isn't worthy of a review even though it came highly recommended. the roasted lamb sandwich was good, but nothing compared to salumi. also, the day of arrival, we checked into our hotel. i am a realist. truth be told. it stunk. literally and figuratively. it was right next to the housing authority of seattle. it was one with a kitchenette which is a great concept until the asian family showed up with 3 coolers full of food. every night the smell put me into tears. the bed was so hard after just a few minutes our behinds or sides would be numb. it was awful. really. my poor husband took full blame even though it was a joint decision about the hotel, we had no idea. we wanted to be close to the city without paying the price. boo. it was a good thing we had a bed and breakfast to look forward to in a couple of days.

ninety two

last week in my 3 hour mormon block of worship, a question was posed to the class as to a creation that testified of a god. you see, we were studying psalms, and so poetic and beautiful were the words, that the question was given to us as to what stirs our hearts and testifies. you can imagine the varied answers as many members of the class have grown up in different parts of the country. we heard beauty described in fireflies and swamps, mountains and red rock. one man made the comment that a newborn baby and the miraculous components of creation testify to him that certainly, for those few precious moments that heaven touches earth to bring this baby here, can reassure any human being that there is a god.





his sweet perspective stirred my thoughts to this lovely woman. as sweet as any baby coming to this earth, surely the latter years of a life well lived bring about the same emotions.

i was overcome with her beauty. the beauty of a life that leaves a wrinkle or two. the beauty of an evening spent with her, chatting in her backyard on a lawn chair, her wisdom overflowing. or perhaps a meal shared with her and her appreciation of the effort and taste as only one who has prepared her share of meals in 92 years can do. the wisdom of a life accumulated with trial and heartache and also the beauty of resilience and persistence to carry on. her face represents to me an unwavering belief that jesus is the christ, that god surrounds us, and that life is beautiful.

so, i declared that sabbath day that helen c. was my favorite creation. every day of her 92 year accumulation here on earth offers to me the beauty of a sunrise in the face of bounteous blessings and also the calm a sunset offers thru life's struggles. to her on this, her day of birth, i offer my heartfelt praise of 92 years well lived. my grateful heart for citizenship in a country that i love that wouldn't be possible if she hadn't had the strength to leave her country as a young woman to discover a new chapter and a new life. a life that proves that everything is as it should be.

i have immense hope in the face of life's ever abounding twists and turns that everything will be okay with the stalwart anchors she passes to each of us, her posterity, thru every trial prayerfully complete. how blessed i am to be able to claim her, my favorite creation. happy birthday grandma helen. to you i owe thanks to yet another precept and line added to my deep conviction of a loving father's creations.

his jobs are done

at the first trimester the house had to go on a little vacation. my attention to it became only the observation of the collecting dust and dishes. the sickness of that first few months overtook function a housewife performs. take out became a staple as touching food made me ill. scotty tried to fill in the blanks of my misery but we were falling apart. i tend to get blue and down when routine is abandoned and i can assure you that there was some blue around here. as soon as 18, 19 weeks ensued the light started to shine down. i could eat without hours of misery and the migraines were haulting. my signs that the ugh was over and the honeymooning phase was beginning. the not too big and feeling good part.

the second trimester has been met with other issues this time around. mostly, my body is worn out. the equipment is used and needs some tune ups apparently. a herniated disc, the S something or other joints (hips) are so bothered during pregnancy, and the split abdomen that was so apparent with the pumpkin belly shot.




that pumpkin apparently spilt my abs right down the middle, leaving a fist size gap. that apparently makes your back and hips hurt everyday when a new pumpkin is growing. scotty fixed me up with a brace to hold the pumpkin up, that helps but it leaves much to be desired in the fashion department. it is not something i can wear to the store, i just can't do it.

also on the list of no no's are bending and twisting, lifting of anything or even pulling. now, try to be a mother and house wife with that on your plate. i was determined i needed a housekeeper. alice sounds good to me, it worked for the brady's. but then the money phobia is brought into play. so, my nice husband stepped up and for the first time in his life took to scrubbing toilets. (insert gasp). it does help my cause that he helps repair herniated discs 4 days a week. he is well aware of the damage done from being a housewife with a pumpkin in tow. the laundry gets done and my floors get cleaned and steamed once a week. it has been incredibly hard. period. he already has a full time job.

the other day a friend called, wanting to see if we could accompany them to a local fireworks show. did we have anything going, were we busy? why no, in fact scott got all his jobs done last night and we are ready for a party. the receiving end of this conversation (a male) was quite giggly. i had to explain.

so, that is the situation at our house. my dear, sweet husband has realized the role his cleaning hands will play in the next few months until the egg has hatched and yes, i love him everyday for it....

10 years

yesterday we celebrated a 10 year milestone in the marriage department. it was very exciting. the milestone you know. big things for the ten year, right? no. not in my current state. i could've stayed home all day and enjoyed this phase of being a homebody, really. i am so laid back right now which is so unlike me. i usually dream of some culinary pleasure to go partake of on an occasion like this but with my blossoming middle my dreams usually come true on my own stomping grounds with all things familiar.

my kind husband has caught on to this and knew to take the day off and get a babysitter for the evening, not even daring to book a restaurant knowing my predicament. we ended up at our favorite japanese place and a movie. that seemed right. although my knee was bouncing thru the movie. something about vampires. i would've have much more enjoyed reading a good book for 2 hours, but it was in the name of celebration.

with all of the homebody{ness} in mind, my gift was quite crazy. number one, we are not gifters. we don't gift each other or really enjoy being gifted. it's crazy i know. now, i do love a thoughtful gift from a dear friend or family member. my last birthday was perfect and every gift given was spot on. this may make me sound ungrateful, i just have a money spending disorder. i hate spending money or money spent on me unless it is food. there, my darkest secrets revealed.

anyway, i woke early, and found the redhead showered and dressed with a note telling me to go to the computer downstairs. as i did, all kinds of thoughts cluttered my head. mostly, i was scolding him, reminding him of the gifting issue. he just smiled. i read a real fancy note from him and then read the part about going back to seattle for a week where we spent our honeymoon. the hook, line and sinker for me was how he asked me to join him at the Rhodie cafe on chuckanut drive. see, the food thing got me. this little cafe is other planet good. i can't even touch the beauty of being on the coast and eating at this place. it is heaven. and then the fact that i was trying to recall vacations we had taken in the past since our honeymoon. and i thought, yes. that one cruise, er well no. that one time we...... ugh. we did go to the wedding in milwaukee for 3 whole days and 2 nights, that was a first for us. so. the deal was sealed. i was in and i think scotty was as shocked as i was that i agreed, in my condition and all.

please don't be fooled into thinking we don't date each other or go on a yearly overnighter. we do, we do. we are great daters and are faithful to the once a year made possible by my parents christmas generosity. it is just the multiple day situation that gets me frenzied.

so in a few weeks, we will be northwest coast bound with kind grandmas picking up the slack at home. i am not taking any guilt into it either, it's pretty pathetic we haven't had a getaway since the honeymoon. i am fully aware that my growing middle will soon be a baby that will need me for a good 2 years. the no break, consume every ounce of you, two years. and, believe me, i am happy to oblige ;)

an unfortunate side effect

in the beginning of my pregnancy i was incredibly emotional which is highly unlike me. i am not a cry at the drop of a hat gal. there were two times i cried this pregnancy because my husband hurt my feelings, my husband. anyone who knows him is rolling their eyes right now because webster defined kind after they met him. i was constantly feeling the need to cry the first 4 months. i hated it. it felt incredibly out of control, and me. well, i like being in control.

the emotions of crying have left and this odd phenomenon has taken over. just to make me feel better, i have read that it happens to pregnant women, often times in labor. but whenever something happens that would normally cause someone real sensitive to cry, a laugh comes out of me that could give a 30 year chain smoker something to be jealous about. i mean, can't stop, dry heaving it hurts so much to laugh. it happens when a deep emotion is meant to be evoked in a bad situation and instead of my normal, not pregnant, panic and concern routine, i turn into a dry heaving laugher. the laugh is contagious, for i am a sight to behold. i've noticed that whenever it's happened, the one with me is also laughing, probably at my laugh. the circumstances are usually unfavorable and, oh dang, involve my husband.

chain smoker laughing fit number uno

i was piddling for the 1,257,344 time one day when a large crash was heard throughout the house. i came out sure that someone was dead at the bottom of the hardwood staircase to find my husband holding his arm and grabbing his bottom left cheek. he had fallen. from the top to the bottom and couldn't stop. in one second i was so glad someone wasn't dead, and then to see he was walking, that's when it started. i wanted to cry or lament, do something with the burst of emotion trapped inside but instead only the chain smoker laugh abounded. i knew it was inappropriate because he was rubbing his hind haunches and giving himself an ER evaluation. i could only hear snippets of an ulnar or was it radar something or other and the possible need for a cast, then he threw in hairline in reference to his arm, all the while rubbing his lower extremity. i was following him with my hand on his back, holding the giggles in, biting my lip.

after five minutes, it got to the unbearable point. all this emotion pent up, wanting to come out in a 20 minute chain smoker laugh. and that it did. spit was flying everywhere from holding it in so long and the tears. oh the tears, streaming down my face. streaming and then the dry heaving. it was painful the laughing was so intense. of course, this was such a site, my husband joined in laughing. pretty soon i was back in the bathroom, dry heaving thru the tears and laughter, all the while thinking stop, stop, stop. it hurts.

situation number 2

last night only a few short moments after scott (this is setting a bad precedent for who this happens to) set out on a nightly run, i got a call from someone we know telling me he was with scott and a dog bit his nose.

what the .....

okay. this man then asked if i could come and get scott.

well, okay.

he told me where they were and just as i was ready to load up and go retrieve the nose, i got another call from the same fellow. never mind, would you call scott's dad and have him pick scott up. he needs to go to a doctor. my sensitive pregnant self felt rejected by the demotion but the normal person knew he was trying to shield me from any hassle at 10:00 at night with three kids, 2 sleeping and one with a belly ache still up and biting at my ankles. all this emotion taken into consideration, the chain smoker came alive. i called his dad, trying to tell him in between the giggles and laughing what had happened. trying to apologize for the laughing and blaming it on the pregnancy, i was a mess. i couldn't stop the chain smoker in me. i had emotion, it had to get out. he should've disowned me right then.

a few minutes later it was determined the hospital's ER was needed as a few more assessed the situation. i then called my parents house to see if someone could come sit at my house while i accompanied the injury and my husband for support to the hospital. the problem was, my little sister answered the phone and the laughing was in full swing. i couldn't get it out, it took bouts and bouts of laughing, pinching and dry heaving to get it out. she was laughing so hard at my laughing that by the time she realized what had happened, she couldn't understand why i was laughing. the end of this fit was coming, i could tell, the dry heaving was about to begin. i told her i would call her right back.

meanwhile my husband came home to get insurance info and comfy clothes to sit the night out at the er waiting for his nose and forehead to be stitched back to normal. the fit was over and now only occasional dry heaving i was able to conceal. i was able to see that he still had a nose but that some dog had it out for him. he was going to be okay. i also still don't have the full story. i called his surgeon last night to let him know scott might not be at work due to this strange incident, he graciously excused scott from all surgical duties to heal from the whatever it was i didn't know about. i passed this along to my red head only to find him not in bed this morning. i was with the ankle biter belly ache last night late when he got home and didn't get any info in the passing. i tried telling this to the 3 concerned callers who dialed our digits before 9:00 am this morning, wanting status updates on the incident and injury. all i could offer was that i think there was a multi-level fusion on the docket today which could mean 6 hours or 9 hours of OR. maybe by dinner i will know how his nose got involved with a dog on his nightly run.

furniture and decor

so so glad i have taken part in patience waiting to furnish my house. this building stuff is so over rated, you need a year off afterwards. as we are coming upon our year mark of home steading here i have decided to get serious about decor. as in i am thinking about it and have loads of favorites marked. i want classic. i really don't want any part of any earth tone scheme. sorry, i am just so over the rocky mountain palette of browns, beige, and brown. i really think we need a color splash to take these rockies by their boots, every house looks the same. ramblers with earth tones inside and out. we can still be friends if you partake in this tho :).

so here mark a few of my favorites so far. give me 6 months and maybe you will see the finished product! ( i am counting on some serious nesting to kick in)

my red headed husband told me this rug was the last thing he would ever expect me to choose. but we have his grandpa's old green leather 1960 something chiropractic chair waiting for a small repair that would be killer with this rug. also, a great orange chair i love sits in my corner waiting for overstock to restock this baby.
maps are so fascinating to me, i loved this vinyl wall sticker. i am also excited to bring out my retro globes and hoping to accumulate a few cool maps to plaster on the wall. i found this one on etsy.com

brown leather, boo. i want this couch in green velvet. if you know where to find one, this is the most sought after piece i want. i have googled, catalogued and searched every store within a 30 minute range. no luck. the husband loves brown leather, he would buy this. maybe he will win. yellow, wouldn't yellow leather rock this with black stained wood finish? that last sentence just horrified my mother.

oh restoration hardware, you break my heart with your prices. i want this kensington model like i want nachos everyday. because nachos with medium temp cheese and slightly not crispy chips enter my mouth once a week, and when they don't, i dream of them. i blame it all on the baby, but really. i want this sofa in baby blue.

anthropologie. you steal my heart. your cranesbill wallpaper needs to be in my dining room. we need to partake in your beauty while we consume food. you will be coming to momma soon, don't worry.

ever since mrs. limestone introduced the two of us, i haven't been able to get you out of my mind. i love you allister sofa from z gallerie. and i love you mrs limestone. your blog teases my every designing dream. allister, you may be coming home with me. you have nearly booted the green velvet sofa that has permeated my dreams for 2 years now. oh how i wish you were green......

again z gallerie, the baby blue has wormed its way into my heart. you would be so perfect with the above mentioned rug, green retro chair, and orange chair.

by now you are thinking less of my because i want so many couches. truth is i have 3 sitting rooms and it's ridiculous. this house is too big for my taste. it was hard to guage quaint when we were building. utah doesn't know quaint, we just know big. boo. i want to tell you i hate the house payment and it's killing me. no. we guaged our payment just fine, at the end of the day i just have too much house. maybe once it is full of this pretty furniture, the house and i can be friends again. because i do love my kitchen. it makes me smile with every turn of the gas range and beep of the oven. anyway, there is the spread that bounces around in my crazy head everyday and night.

happy birthday!

ok, so, this is paige... a.k.a. heidi's favorite and only sister. what do you know, but that i just went to go sign into my blogger account and found that heidi is already signed in? and suddenly, the thought occured to me that i could let the whole blogging world know that it is heidi's birthday today!

heidi is the best sister anyone could ever have! there is a 16 year gap between us, and so we have a unique relationship. we don't fight over clothes {i am a few sizes bigger, anyway ;)} and we get along really well. i can go to her for advice, and she tells me what she would have done when she was my age. it is great.

heidi is an amazing mother, and her kids are terribly lucky to have her! this new little addition is anxiously awaited, and i think we are all excited, but heidi could not be any happier! she takes after our sweet grandma norma, and was meant to be a mother.

while i could say much much more about my amazing sister, i will end with this.... i love you heid, and i am so lucky to have you as a sister! i am so grateful that you are apart of our family... i wouldn't have it any other way!

love you sista!

love,
Paige

my birthday bliss

yesterday we sat in a dark ultrasound room as a family of 6 (one appearing on the screen). i have not been oblivious to the fact that we are now 6, but having the kids ooh and aah, well, that's golden.
we had an amazing tech who was incredibly thorough in her work and it helped the kids to see what we were looking at. what we were not looking at were the "privates" as they're known around these parts. number 4 has swept over me, the impatient mother, with the patience of job. patience is all i have with this pregnancy. instead of worrying and lamenting over possibilities, i have felt really peaceful. i have let myself at times get worked up about the delivery. yesterday my doc reassured me that the births get easier with more deliveries. i gave him "that look" and reminded him about the large cranium and the 25 pounds of amniotic fluid i birthed in numbers 2 and 3. i told him i would do the first birth over and over and over. 10 children over in fact. i would take the broken tail bone and the stitches from number 1 compared to the trauma and pain of numbers 2 and 3. he looked at me and said, we take it visit at a time here and in the delivery room, let's enjoy this.

well, i'll tell you what. once the measurements on the baby came in exactly as they should be, cranium included, i relaxed. this is my first baby to come in exactly on target with measurements, down to the day. #2's head was 3 weeks ahead of due date and a belly measurement to match. same story with the others. i have hope i might go full term and deliver something under ten pounds. it's incredibly calming to me.

so i sat in that dark room waiting for the consult from the dr to confirm things were fine. i thought about how i have been able to relish this #4 with patience and this incredibly absent feeling of panic. i have been able to feel this little spirit since we had our big ultra sound with ella. feel this patient person and know who this baby is. i relished this gift on the eve of my thirty first birthday in that dark ultra sound room. i had a birthday moment. that calm, reassurance that all is well and here and now is where i belong. this road i am on is mine to travel and that there are good things all around.

i would be lacking if i didn't mention the kindness extended to me this day by loved ones. the calls, texts and many well wishes all thrown at me. makes thirty one years seem pretty lovely and i can't wait for 32.

i would also be deficient if i didn't mention a husband who planned a night in the big city complete with events to make your head spin. the man, who once i told him all i wanted was green salsa and a banana split with mass amounts of pineapple reduction from sonora grill, cancelled all plans and accompanied me. our waiter was awesome, we sat in my favorite spot and they brought me 2 dishes of green salsa all for myself. the banana split was the prettiest i had ever seen there and i assure you i have seen a lot of them. perfect ratio of pineapple, banana and chocolate. the cream topping was the thickest i have ever had. i grabbed the night manager and told him it was the prettiest split i had ever seen. he assured me that i had the best maker that night. it was really simple things that all went incredibly well. even thou i was bored with the juliet letters movie, i loved smelling the nachos and thinking about the peach rings at the concessions all night. ( i was far too full of baby and food to indulge)

the notes from kids, flowers from redhead, and the kindnesses from lovely friends made for a fantastic day. i didn't even mention the brunch on the river that included a chili cream cheese egg burrito, see a perfect day.....thank you!