39 Weeks

I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by - but I am five days away from my due date now for baby boy #2! I am feeling great, sleeping well (relishing that part since things will be different soon) and can't wait to meet the little guy and see what he's like. So exciting!!!

Andres & Emily's Wedding Weekend Pics

At the dinner table:


Andres & Emily's first dance:

With Keith - it had been 8 years since we had seen him, but felt like no time had passed:


Dylan poses for the camera after a few rum & tonics:


Serious times with Travis & Kevin (at the after-party):

Stanford group pic - Scott, Juan, Larissa, Dylan, Travis, Kevin, Dan (after-party):


Travis & Dan at our dinner table:


More after-party fun:

Juan & Kevin:



Emily & Andres the morning after the wedding, post-breakfast, before leaving for their honeymoon:


Group pic:

5 Year Anniversary

Yesterday we celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary. After a fun Saturday with Connor doing errands and things around the house, we hired a sitter and enjoyed a dinner date out at George's Ocean Terrace. It was a beautiful afternoon - low 70's and sunny with a picture-perfect sunset view from our table. Here we are with Connor and Kiki before leaving the house (pic taken by sitter Debbie):


At our table enjoying cocktails and the honey-gold sunset view:


About to dig into skirt steak with spinach, roasted garlic & onion rings (Dylan) and mahi mahi with artichokes, pancetta, arugula and shitake mushrooms (Dana):


We told our server we weren't in a hurry and between pre-dinner drinks, shrimp cocktail, salads, the beautiful entrees pictures above and then lattes and a complimentary dessert with a candle (George's anniversary gift to us!), we managed to spend more than two and half hours at the restaurant relaxing, chatting and enjoying ourselves. Next it was off to the wedding site for a moonlit stroll through the tiny park that we marvel at every year for being "perfect for us". It was dark, so I couldn't see very well, but I could feel so much. The salty sea breeze was fragrant, the waves were crashing, rosemary and lavender were in full bloom, and our love for each other was just as vibrant.

Manners

I tried to see if Connor would talk on camera about how much he liked the Easter ham (a whole lot!), but he wasn't in the mood. He did see something he wanted on the table, and showed just how polite he can be when he wants to:

Artichoke Harvest

This is the first artichoke of the year from our plant in the front yard. Last year both plants flourished while we were away in Japan, when there was a lot of rain. This year things are happening later and we aren't getting as many. The plant that gets most of the sun has several more small 'chokes still growing, while the more shaded plant has just one tiny fruit this year. We will eat this jumbo specimen tomorrow night:

Easter Dinner

We tried a new recipe from Smitten Kitchen, Crispy Potato Roast. We added sharp cheddar cheese for the last 35 min. of cooking time. This was in addition to our roasted brussels sprouts and spiral-cut ham from Trader Joes:






Delicious meal, with toddler and parent plates shown above. Dylan and I loved everything, but Connor went totally nuts for the ham. We had never tried a ham on him before, and he thought it was the best thing ever. This one had a great maple glaze, and we heated it in a bed of pineapple and pineapple juice. While I put the leftover ham away, Connor wandered in from the bath with no clothes on asking to "have just one last taste!"

Counting En Espanol

Connor is now counting to ten in Spanish: