Noted on a (Halloween) Friday

{ghostly pumpkins}

Happy Halloween! After being gone last weekend and a hectic work week, I'm excited to spend this evening dressing up, passing out candy, eating homemade soup, and doing a little trick-or-drinking (beer for Flav, gingerale for me) at home. We'll be watching movies and enjoying all the costumed kiddos on our doorstep. I hear rain is in the weekend forecast, so I'm looking forward to making room for the nursery, celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday, and spending time with our San Diego parents, Jan and Gary. It's my favorite time of year and this Halloween feels more special than ever before. Enjoy. xo

Some scenes from Halloweens past...

{Halloween 2013}

{Pirate Guiri}

{Halloween 2006}

Noted on a Friday

{pumpkin spice muffins, fresh from the oven}

This week went by in a flash and I can't believe we're almost into November. It feels like October through December always go by so fast, whereas January, for example, feels like it's moving backward. But, I'm embracing all the fun that's coming with open arms, including this weekend when we're heading to LA to hang with my cousin and her two babies. It will be good to soak up some parenting advice and practice being with little ones -- a pretty foreign concept for Flavio and me. I hope you have a great weekend. xo

Watching the world go by.

Love this stuff.

A mid-week sushi date with friends.

Bump Update: 22 weeks

While there are the occasional discomforts, I love being pregnant. It's basically a 9-month detox and I feel so healthy and alive. All the pokes and movement make me feel so close to this little person, and I am pretty much obsessed with being near Flavio at all times. The love and happy hormones are flying. It's just a wonderful time.

22 weeks

The baby is the size of:
A papaya

I'm feeling:
Elated. There's something really wonderful about being pregnant during my favorite time of year. It's been great to start nesting and even do a little fall-inspired baking, even though my sweet tooth isn't fully back.

Food love:
I love and eat everything now, but mainly crave spicy, salty, sour foods.

What I miss:
1. Coffee. I gave it up last January and I still crave the taste and smell. Per my midwife, decaf and most teas are also off limits, so I'm suffering. I'm planning to breastfeed, so there is no coffee in my foreseeable future. Sigh.
2. I miss sleeping on my back and stomach.

The best things about this week:
1. No anxiety. I feel so relaxed and optimistic.
2. Full-on kicks and punches, often at the same time. We can even see my stomach move on the outside...big changes are happening!
3. Seeing our little one at the 20-week ultrasound. He/she is measuring more than a week ahead and was happily bouncing, stretching, and hiccuping on screen. So cool.

{definitely my nose}

The worst things about this week:
1. The constant need to pee.
2. Crazy dreams.

Interesting turn of events:
1. When Flav talks to my belly, the baby kicks harder. We think it's his/her way of saying hello. :)
2. Also, people are really nice to pregnant women. Now that I look preggo, strangers ask me questions and let me go ahead in line, hold the door open for me, guess whether it's a boy or a girl, etc. It's fun!

Wearing:
Tops and bottoms that stretch. A mix of maternity and non-maternity.

Really looking forward to:
Settling on names. I think we have our girl name nailed down but boy names are sooo hard. We want something that works in English and Spanish and we are open to suggestions - if you have any. :)

Daydreaming about:

An upcoming prenatal massage, my first! 

Noted on a Friday

{signs of fall in the neighborhood}

Welp, this week was a weird one complete with an emergency trip to the vet and for a broken pawnail, and an Ebola scare and evacuation during my Thursday morning classes. TGIF. Despite these obstacles, things feel abuzz on the homefront. Halloween decorations are mostly up, costume ideas are in progress, and I can't help but feel giddy about all my favorite holidays on the horizon. We've got an action-packed weekend ahead complete with a friend's birthday brunch, some baby shopping and registering, and a fall-themed potluck on Sunday. I'm hoping to squeeze in some baking, Netflixing, and general relaxation in this lovely cooler weather. Here are some memorable moments from this week.

{her bandage melts me}

{my favorite kinda lunch: homemade pumpkin soup with cheese/crackers}

{delighted by the recent baby gifts that have arrived on our porch}

{'tis the season}

How Parenting Kills Marriage

Have you read this article? Its timing is impeccable as Flavio and I have spent much of this pregnancy strategizing how we will keep our marriage first priority after the inevitable stress of children comes along. Children will grow up and move on, but the marriage endures and must be nurtured in the meantime. A fantastic reminder.

{Delighted that after all these years, Flav still brings me flowers. It's the little things.}