Graco, BoBs, and Giveaways

We had a lovely lunch date with my friend and her 6mth old babes yesterday. She is a total model child and a real cutie to boot! But seriously, who am I kidding, I'm sure she wasn't always this perfect, barely crying baby.

Strolling around the Bucktown neighborhood, we ended up at Feast for brunch. I tried getting into the Bongo Room, but like always, it was fully booked and a table wouldn't be ready for us for over an hour!! W.T. Funk! You may have won this round Bongo, but I'll be back!! Feast is extremely kid friendly (kids and parents everywhere I looked) and has delicious food options but the only downside I found was that it is super loud every time I've dined there. 

T and I split this ginormous turkey burger and delish sweet potato fries.

I also had a few bites of this trio of benedicts- salmon, crab, and ham.

After brunch, I still managed to convince my friend to make a stop at Forever Yogurt- a self service, full array of toppings yogurt bar. I had cake batter, angel food cake, and cookies n creme fro yo with a bunch of chocolatey toppings plus strawberries. Yuuuuum!!

http://www.foreveryogurt.com/

We also got our nursery furniture delivery yesterday from Buy Buy Baby and I was so excited to finally put together some of what we bought earlier. How cute is that mobile!!

This is the hutch for our changing table that will be delivered later today (or so they said yesterday but still no word)

the baby's sturdy dresser

We didn't realize everything was so big! Unfortunately, that's the only place the crib will fit so I think we'll have to figure out something with that window... maybe get some blinds installed so that the sun doesn't harm the baby.

playtime for Sonoma!

Dinner was delicious last night- T prepared homemade chicken parm with whole wheat spaghetti and mushroom tomato sauce.

with a side of garlic bread

My mom came up to see us this afternoon and drop of the rest of our baby stuff we had left at her place in Rockford. I T was eager to put together the BOB stroller and accessories.

Once it was all assembled, it seemed pretty easy to maneuver and use!

I don't know what I'm excited about more, the arrival of the baby or using the stroller!! :-)

 

the Graco compatible BOB car seat adapter was also very easy to install once viewing an online video. T found that most of the manuals were pretty shit to understand, and that's saying a lot since he's extra good at deciphering manuals! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35QwJhH7Z18. The reason we needed the adapter is because an infant can't be placed directly into the stroller, at least not until he's 8 weeks old. We figured we will probably want to make use of our stroller before then so we bought the car seat adapter which fit with our Graco Infant Snug Ride 35 we purchased. Best purchases ever!!

I want this super cute diaper bag! I can't believe I left the UK only to find out these originated there. Oh well.. maybe I can win one in this giveaway:

 http://blog.babygizmo.com/2012/02/baby-gizmo-giant-weekly-giveaway-pink-lining-changing-bags/

Yo quiero bailar

My first evening salsa class on Thursday went pretty well! I was a bit nervous because it was a beginners/intermediate class and I was afraid of running into two problems
1.) the beginner's class was going to be too easy
2.) I didn't want people to think I wanted to join the beginner's class to show off or anything

Side note- I would go to the advance class to challenge myself but I think it would be unfair to those that would be uncomfortable with me being pregnant and I really wouldn't want to stand in their way. Also, I will get bigger and I'm sure my balance will get thrown off so the vision of me trying to learn advance moves in that state is a bit scary!

Thankfully, the B/I class seemed like a good fit for now. I think I'll stick with this class for now and then after baby switch to advanced.

After salsa, T and I had some Chinese delivery- I had a lot little bit of everything plus I'm still on my quest to find the biggest, yet crispy eggroll! This was a yummy plate of food, and definitely better than what we ate in Rockford- yippee! We're still planning on trying out different Chinese deliveries since we have others to choose from.

 

Yesterday, we ran some errands and ate at Babylon for lunch, our local Middle Eastern joint. I thought it was delicious and while T agreed, he felt it was missing that certain authentic taste, something I think only he would know about because it was news to me!

I started with this thick and delicious lentil soup that came with my kabob combination platter.

The rice was really flavorful and delicious, kinda reminding me of Persian rice but the meat was a bit tough and I ended up getting rice all over myself and the floor while trying to cut into the meat. I swear one of the waitresses gave the floor a stink eye when she saw my mess- oops!! :-). I would definitely go back to Babylon for lunch! (if they let me back in, ha!)

We stopped by Binny's on our way back home and I spotted this awesome Sauvignon Blanc! Okay, I'm not sure if it's really awesome but it has an awesome name! I'll be back for you my friend..

 

Bertolli's chicken linguine for dinner with a side salad and unpictured garlic bread. The Bertolli's was good but it was a bit underseasoned according to T who had to put in some additional seasonings, and the portion size was a bit small. Other than that, it was pretty good!

Yes, I took this impromptu picture on our stairs!!

This morning, I did a bit of home cleaning in preparation for my friend and her baby coming over and I had my first fruit smoothie in my Vitamix. I found out my Vitamix works so much better in the U.S. which I'm extremely happy about. I think it had something to do with the transformer we were running the wire through which wasn't giving enough power to blend properly.

My favorite colored flowers courtesy of T, sprucing up our dining room table.  

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."- Maya Angelou

Week 26

After feeling like such crap over the past few months, I think it's finally starting to sink in that I've been feeling pretty darn amazing these past few weeks, dare I say entire month! Minus the few naps here and there, I've generally had the energy to join the real world. I'm starting the third trimester next week so we'll see how long this energy lasts!

Random musings of Week 26: Well hello there baby bump!

 -cravings for pop tarts, soda
-I've felt really strong movements by the babes, even if I haven't felt him all that frequently. He tends to move when I'm sitting or lying down and I cradle my stomach. As soon as I do this, he gives me a hard punch or kick to signal his presence.
-lots of afternoon naps- I feel pretty good in the morning but my mid afternoon, my energy starts to dwindle and I need an hour nap
-2 workouts (zumba both times if you count today)
-I think the baby is sitting right above my pelvic area because I feel this dull, and sometimes annoying pressure on my lower belly. Pretty annoying!!

On to other things besides baby....

I found a new salsa dance studio in Chicago that I'm going to call home. After researching multiple places, I found this place to be the most affordable and closest to home. The classes are held everyday in the afternoon and evening, depending on what class you sign up for. I signed up for a $150 VIP card which gives me access to any class; it's $7 for any afternoon class with Miguel and $12 for evening and weekend classes with him and other instructors. I doubt I'll be able to continue dancing for much longer, maybe 1 more month max, but I'm just grateful I haven't lost my center of gravity!
http://www.danceacademyofsalsa.com/Chicagosalsaclasses.html

This past Tuesday, we went to our Restaurant Week dinner reservation at Boka. Even though the menu looked delicious on paper, I wasn't particularly wowed by any of the flavor combinations used. I would still probably rate the restaurant a B+ for its solidly good food and service. 

Beef cheek ravioli, crayfish and celery root hash, lobster jus

Herb crusted whitefish, black truffle, brussel and prawn slaw, sweet potato, chestnut jus

Chocolate praline terrine with Hazelnut ice cream, coffee foam, candied hazelnuts.

We also tried out our local, 5 minute walk sushi joint called Sublime Sushi.

I went with their really reasonable shrimp tempera udon lunch special ($7!). The veggies and shrimp were a bit overfried and undercooked (the veggies, not the shrimp)= sad.

at least the broth and noodles were delicious!

 

T thought the sushi rice had a bit too much vinegar on it so that combined with my hard veggies was a big no no. We definitely wouldn't rule out going there again but it probably won't become a regular rotation. 

my sleeping beauty :-). She's been extra sweet on me lately and I wonder if its because she can sense there's someone more important in the room.. one can only dream!!

Our dinner yesterday was a delicious roast chicken that T made for us with a side of chicken cheddar noodles and collard greens. We've been on such a poultry kick lately... dare I say I'm getting tired of eating CHICKEN!?!

Back to the gym

This morning, I did something I haven't done in 5 months.... I went to the gym!!! Craziness! :-) I did my first love, Zumba, and it felt so good to be back in the gym!! The instructor actually approached me during the class, asked me if I was okay, and said if I needed any modifications to ask her. Thankfully, I have enough experience with Zumba and my body that I was able to take it down a notch on my own. Watching all the ladies go at it hardcore really made me miss how my body used to be able to do things higher impact, but I have to remember the reason why I'm doing this in the first place. After the class, I spoke with the instructor and she said she taught Zumba until she was 8 months preggos! Hopefully, I don't get too uncomfortable these last 3 months that I can go to the gym regularly. I think my goal is to go in at least 3-4 times a week. Oh yea, and the gym we joined is XSport Fitness. There are several pros and cons to the gym I'm already spotting.

Pro:

1.) parking lot

2.) huge cardio section with lots of machines

3.) all you want and need stationary weight machines

4.) variety of group classes

5.) super affordable children's area- you can drop off your kid from 6mths-12 years for $1 per hour or $10 per month!

6.) spa and tanning area, rock climbing wall, basketball court, swimming pool w. whirlpool and sauna

7.) 24 hours- although I don't see myself really taking advantage of this!

8.) affordable monthly rate

Con:

1.) no stretch area- you can use the studio exercise rooms though whenever a class isn't in session)

2.) really crowded- maybe I'll just have to find the right time to go when it isn't extra crowded

3.) limited smaller free weights section (for gals like me who don't lift to get big or go home!)

Yesterday, we went to Kohls to get another bath rug and spend our free  $100 Kohl's cash we received when we bought all our home furnishings last week. I was planning on getting lots of candles to spruce up our place but something else caught my eye.. Easter decorations!!

I got this cute little candy dish, along with some things to put up on our mantle.

My goal is to put up something different on the mantle for every season (I'll reuse my decorations of course!). Here's Easter.

We still have to find something sticky to hang this up on our front door. Cute eh?!

 

Even though we were only supposed to spend the "free" cash we got back, T bought me this super cute and ON sale Vera Wang purse. Me=purses as shoes=most women. :-) 

Lunch yesterday was at Panera after running most of our errands. I got my usual, frontega chicken with a side of broccoli cheddar soup- yum!

T made us dinner last night: bbq chicken with a side salad and rice and peas. We bought a plastic container of washed organic greens that has been a lifesaver for our simple dinners lately. Now no one has an excuse to get your veggies in!

After dinner, we took Sonoma for a walk and ended up at a deserted dog park. Thankfully since Sonoma isn't a fan of other dogs!

She jumped up and kept walking along the ledge behind me- too cute!

Our lunch today totally hit the spot for comfort food central. We had cheesy mac hamburger helper with leaner* ground turkey meat instead of ground beef. It was delicious!!

 

Plans for today consists of relaxing and going out to dinner for restaurant week to Boka! 

Crisp and Cleanin

We, I mean Tarek and my mom spent the weekend tackling the living room, basement, and upstairs rooms, which consisted of organizing all the cords, knick knacks, and papers lying around the house. I put away most of my stuff the first two days we moved in and now I'm just waiting for some storage containers to arrive so I can put away the rest of the stuff I don't need right this minute such as study materials and books. We're still pluggin along though!

 

No matter how many things get put away, this table never seems to get clean!

Our kitchen looks pretty organized now thanks to my momma!

the baby's room is almost cleared away! Our nursery furniture is coming next weekend- can't wait!

I decorated the baby's bathroom even though he's probably not going to appreciate it until he gets older :-)

Call me a bit obsessed with monkeys

Friday night's dinner was some broiled, baked, and grilled chicken with some rice and beans, potato salad, and salad. We had a bit of trouble with our fire alarm while T made dinner and I swear it went off 3 times before we finally decided to stop using the oven and just finish off the chicken on the stove. Yet again we have a really sensitive fire alarm!! Blergh.

On Saturday, we stopped by my favorite chicken spot in Chicago (favorite being I've eaten there only 3 times, hehe) called Crisp and then ran a couple errands.

Crisp has the most delicious *Korean* fried chicken I've ever tasted, along with some tasty sides such as these fried mushrooms.

kkaktugi- spicy radishes

The Big Boy Buddha Bowl loaded with a TON of veggies and generous portions of beef.

The main event- Seoul Sassy and Crisp Bbq whole chicken platter. It's finger lickin good!!

We also stopped by Dirk's Fish and Gourmet shop on our way home, picking up some things for dinner. T's been on a roll, doing most, if not all the cooking this past week!

two kinds of shrimp

http://www.dirksfish.com/

shrimp #1 slightly bigger than the second

shrimp #2 the smalller, more flavorful one

pre-made crab cakes with grainy mustard

I crumbled my crab cake and ate it with more salad, which helped balance out the saltiness of the cakes.

 

cooked scallop roll with spicy mayo

I tried Thomas bagel thins  for the first time and it was the perfect size for me, not too big that I get overly full, typical these days since my stomach can't handle an overload of food, and not too small that I'm still hungry. 

Errand time!! Target, Kohl's, and possibly gym membership search.