Christmas parties

Notes from the second trimester

So my fatigue hasn't gone away completely but the nausea/feeling reaaaaaly gross after eating is kaput- *sigh of relief!!* Also on the plus side, even though I find myself needing to lay down sometimes, I don't nap everyday like I used to. I'm still waiting for that burst of energy people often say they have during the 2nd tri.

Apart from the fatigue and nausea wearing off, some other problems have arisen during the second trimester such as

• lack in concentration- I find myself often not being able to concentrate or being able to follow a long conversation without my mind wandering. I hate this because I have enough trouble as it is keeping focused when I wasn't pregnant, and now it's 10x worse! I guess this is what they meant by "pregnancy brain"
• itchy skin- *TMI*My skin is sort of breaking out in random patches and becoming pretty itchy. I've heard this is due to the skin stretching out and making room for the baby. I guess if it's for the baby's sake, I can handle it.
• my mood- Instead of being incredibly emotional and sappy as I assumed I would be, I'm more angry and hostile than happy. Not that I go around with a scowl on my face, but it has been harder to to be positive. This might also be due to the lack of sun, lack of socializing, and the cold, dark winter days.
• headaches- I've been getting daily headaches and I've been trying not to take anything for them. It's usually towards the end of my day so I tend to tough it out til I can get a full nights rest. I thought headaches came in the first trimester, but as they say, all women are different. 

That's pretty much it. Nothing else too exciting to report. I often find myself wondering if there's still anything in there- aside from my slowly growing belly, I don't feel any flutters or movement so its easy to doubt what's actually happening inside me!

Some weekend eats:

the usual from Pret a Manger- tuna salad and a side soup of chili w. beans. Unlike most people who think chili should be made without beans, I'm totally the opposite- I think it tastes better with beans AND it fills you up for longer. Beans=fiber=gas (only downside!)

Takeout for dinner on Friday night from Ceena restaurant and Chop Chop noodle bar.
http://www.ceena.co/ceena/index.asp

Jap-chae

beef bi bim bap- I didn't really eat this because it tasted highly of alcohol, which I have no idea how it got there!

thai seafood laksa- our favorite soup from Chop Chop

I started coming down with a cold on Friday so this soup definitely hit the spot!

I had a Friday night mini baking session and made spicy oatmeal raisin cookies from this recipe: They turned out really moist and delicious. If you like oatmeal raisin and spices such as cinnamon and clove, I would highly recommend making this recipe. Always let the cookies cool before eating to get the true flavor of the cookie! :-)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/beths-spicy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/detail.aspx

Saturday morning omelet with mushrooms, spinach, and American cheese.

I love omelets on the weekends because we can't be fussed to do anything too snazzy during the weekdays. It's also nice to switch things up a bit by adding some vegetables.

I swear I helped put up the ornaments before laying down!

After breakfast, we finally decided to decorate our tree that was delivered last week. We ordered our tree through a deal on living social and were shocked when our tree arrived thin and scraggly instead of luscious green like most trees. I think we definitely learned our lesson for next year-never order a tree ONLINE!

The tree looks slightly better hidden with ornaments and lights :). Saturday night, we went to T's firm Christmas party at the Four Seasons hotel. The hotel was very swanky and beautiful but the food they served was just okay. We started with a parmigiana eggplant starter that arrived cold and with a side of bitter rocket. I finished it but it definitely should have been served warm. Our main was the best part of the dinner; veal with a peppercorn topping served on a bed of warm creamy spinach. Dessert was a chocolate cup with passion fruit sorbet and coconut. After dinner, we left early right as the dancing started. Sigh.. I can't remember the last time I left a party early!!

Sunday morning omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese.

I love my dog way too much :) Note: No dog or human was hurt during the making of this photo montage.

I had this clever idea Saturday morning to have T tie his bowtie on Sonoma. I swear she actually seemed calm during the whole process.

bored yet?

sheesh- be done already!!

almost there...

ahh HA!

there we go...

time to pose for momma!

I better get a treat for this (and yes she did!)

Okay.. finally moving on!

We spent Sunday morning at a friend's tree decorating party. She had a lovely appetizer spread and lunch prepared for us.

We brought her a handmade ornament that we found at a small Christmas market in Angel.

It was definitely nice spending part of our Sunday with some new people and recently made friends. We're slowly starting to venture out more now that I'm feeling better. Baby. Steps.

our ornament to the left.

Not quite sure why Santa has balloons for his reindeer!

T made us another lovely breakfast this morning of scrambled eggs with dill, toast, and a half of an avocado each.

I guess now I'm on an avocado kick. It's such a delicious and healthy addition to our breakfast routine!

Time to pound the pavement and study for my last week of school before break and then I have a midwife appointment this afternoon!