16 weeks 4 days

Baby Hilton sucking his thumb! I'm officially in love... cutest thing I've ever seen.

I had my 16 week appointment today. Everything looked good. Baby Hilton's heartbeat was 154 beats per minute.

So, here is how we found out so early that Baby Hilton is a boy:

Jake and I planned an extended weekend trip to San Diego to celebrate our one year anniversary. We left on Friday night and made a stop in LA because we couldn't do the whole thing that night - we were too exhausted! Thanks Allie for the couch! The next morning we woke up and hurried down to San Diego. On the drive down, Jake said he wanted to let me know about his anniversary present for me a little early so that I could prepare. He told me he scheduled an ultrasound for that afternoon! (Printed photos from the ultrasound would be the "paper" for our one year anniversary, get it?) I was so excited, but also became very nervous! I just wanted to see that everything (baby, arms, legs, etc) was okay. I was scared that nothing would be growing inside of me and I was just gaining weight for no reason. Yes, that was my main concern... I'm so vain. Ha.

We showed up at a small office that only does ultrasounds. They had a large room for family viewing with huge screen for showing the baby. It was amazing seeing how big Baby Hilton got since we last saw it at 8 weeks! When it first popped up on the screen it hiccuped. You could immediately see the spine and head.

Then we got down to business. Baby Hilton was quite shy at first. The little legs stayed crossed for a few minutes. I said it was being "lady like" and that must have been the sign... two seconds later - there it was. Baby Hilton was officially a boy.

I can't tell what I'm looking at, but the ultrasound technician said she was 100% positive it was a boy. Well, I guess that's pretty certain. So, blue stuff it is!

Pregnancy update: Holy Headaches. I just got over a 48 hour headache... started in San Diego and lasted the whole drive home. I was sad I couldn't spend more (quality) time with mom and dad the last day I was home, but I think they understood. That was one of the worst pregnancy headaches I've experienced, but for the past few weeks I've been having almost daily headaches. They are small and dull - nothing too extreme for a migraine sufferer like me, but still annoying.

Left: 5 Weeks Pregnant
Right: 16 Weeks Pregnant *
* I did not wear this dress in public - just wanted to show the difference

Surprise!

Baby Hilton is... a BOY! We're leaving San Diego this morning and will post pictures and explain how we found out the sex once we get back to The Josey. Uh, seven hour drive with some serious pregnancy headaches...

San Diego & Temecula

I had a great time visiting family and friends over the past weekend. I flew to San Diego on Friday morning so I could make it out to Temecula for Jessica's Bachelorette Weekend. We rented a house for Friday and Saturday night.

The first night included everyone getting there (LA traffic was not nice to some of the girls), playing silly bachelorette games, opening presents, and yummy food and drinks!

A sangria toast for the bride-to-be, Jessica (third from left)

Saturday included laying by the pool, chatting, reading magazines, having lunch and more tasty drinks. I had a virgin mojito which was very yummy. I couldn't do too much laying in the sun. My head has still been off lately, so I had to go in early for a "cat nap." (Joke for the Temecula girls... lame I know)

Then, eight girls needed to shower and get ready for a night on the town! This included wine tasting, dinner at a winery, and a dance club.

In the limo

In the limo. Notice the fan above Devon's head. This made it impossible for us to close the partition to our creepy driver up front. Slightly awkward...

At the winery. Oh, how I wanted to taste the wines. I did smell each one... No one purchased any bottles so they must not have been that good.

The bride-to-be in her boa and tiara with veil. It looks like the club is empty in this picture, but it actually got pretty crowded. There were a few other bachelorette parties at the same club... but Jessica was the cutest :)

Isn't this interesting...

Can mothers predict the sex of their unborn baby? Well, according to one study women who had an intuition were correct 70% of the time.

Check out the article here: http://web.arizona.edu/~vas/intuit.htm

Any moms out there who correctly predicted the gender of their babies?

12 Week Appointment

Jake and I went to our 12 week doctor appointment today. I'm officially 12 weeks 4 days. Everything was normal and we listened to the baby's heartbeat. I was a little disappointed because we didn't get to see an ultrasound of the baby like we had done the previous two visits. Of course I asked when we'd get to see another picture of the baby and doc said not until our scheduled ultrasound to find out the sex (at 18 weeks). That is August 9th and yes, I'm already counting down the days! I'm so eager to find out what were having, but also just see that everything is okay.

The doctor also said that the headaches I've been experiencing were due to the pregnancy. I thought it might be due to all of the traveling and weather changes we experienced. She quickly dismissed this idea and said it was all because of the pregnancy. I really like my doctor - she is so no-nonsense which is exactly what I need. She said the headaches would get better soon when my body adapts to increase in blood volume and other stuff...

So, I was hoping to have another little ultrasound picture to post, but I don't. Instead how about a poll?!? What do you think we're having? I'd love to hear everyone's guess... c'mon you have a 50/50 chance of being right.

We're Back

What a trip! As I joked with Jake, this is not my top choice of vacations. I much prefer a tropical beach locale... but I must say the trip was great!

We started by flying to Norfolk, Virginia. After landing at 11:30 pm we checked into a close hotel and went to sleep. The next day we rented a car and got to see some of the state. The end goal was Charlottesville, Virginia where Monticallo is located and where we would be staying the night. We weren't in too much of a rush so we got to enjoy the sights. We even stopped in Williamsburg and peeked around.

driving through Virginia
at Monticello

D.C. was next. We had a great time seeing the monuments and museums, but the heat made it difficult for me. I was tired due to the pregnancy and the walking in heat and humidity did not help this. I took an afternoon nap almost daily. Regardless of heat or energy levels, we loved our time in D.C.

Lincoln and Washington Monuments
Jake and Abe
our patriotic Popsicles to beat the heat

We didn't really take pictures in New York. We have both been there before and used this as our "relaxing" part of the trip.

Then came Boston! A first for both of us. It was a really neat city and we both enjoyed it. I think I would have appreciated it even more if it was the beginning of our trip when I had more energy (or I wasn't pregnant). Again, there were a couple of naps during the afternoons...

Paul Revere's house
Boston Common
(we saw a lot in Boston, but I think we were over taking pictures)

Pregnancy Update: Afternoon naps; no real bump yet, but it looks like I've had too much to eat; 12 week appointment on Wednesday.

School's out for Summer!

Hooray! I'm done... well, I actually have four more report cards to finish today. Then I'm done! I'm putting them off because, well, I hate doing them. I think I'll go shopping with Jake and get a massage first. Then, I'll get around to them. I dread report cards. My least favorite part of teaching.

On a more exciting note: we leave for our vacation soon! We are really looking forward to our sightseeing trip back East. We'll be going to some spots in Virginia, DC, New York City, and finally Boston. Not sure which city we are most excited to see, but I know we are both excited to just relax and enjoy some time together. We both have been working late in the past few weeks and I feel like even though we live together it's hard to spend quality time together.

Update on pregnancy: I'll be ten weeks tomorrow. I spoke to soon about the energy level on the last post. I must have been feeling cocky. I'll have a few nights that I make it to ten, but other nights I'm out by seven. Still not fully "showing" yet and I'm still wearing my normal clothes. I think it will be a while before there is any noticeable bump, but we'll see. After our trip back East I have my 12 week appointment. I can't wait to see how much the lil' peanut has grown!

What a Weekend!

My parents came to visit us in San Jose this past weekend. They got in on Thursday night and I actually dropped them off at the airport this morning.

It was an unofficial "Bring Your Parents to Work Day" on Friday and my students got to listen to Dr. Fairchild discuss his work on Maui and the telescope there. They only spent the morning in my classroom and then they got the heck out of there and enjoyed some sights and shopping. Friday evening we had dinner and laughed about what a drama queen I was as a child. I think my mom is hoping I have a little girl just like I was as a sort of payback.

Saturday we took a drive up the coast. We showed my parents the town of Tiburon (which is just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge) and had lunch on the water. It was a beautiful day. Then, we drove up to a state park that looks over the Pacific Ocean. You can see San Fran and the Golden Gate on a clear day.

Then, Sunday came. Oh dear. Sunday we had to take Roxy to the vet. She's been having some tummy trouble. Turns out the poor pup has pancreatitis! She needs to be on a strict diet and they gave her some meds. She'll be fine, but my poor parents had to see Roxy's "mess" and deal with all of the doggie drama. They said it was no big deal.

Update on pregnancy: I have more energy... and more belly. Not much, but it looks like I ate a big meal. I'm still wearing my normal clothes, but I should admit that I unbuttoned the top of my pants when I came home from work today. That's a new occurrence.

It's Official! We're having a baby!

I can't contain myself any longer! Jake and I are expecting our first baby! I am officially 8 weeks and 4 days. This has been the hardest secret for me to keep because I found out very early on in the pregnancy and I can't keep secrets! I guess you can say I'm one of those freaky people who knew right away. I didn't have any specific symptoms, but I just knew something was up. As my girlfriends from the Austin trip know, I was thinking something was up even on the trip. (In Austin I was only 1 week pregnant.) I told the girls in Austin I thought there was a chance, but we all agreed it was too early to tell anything. So, yes, I had a margarita or two while in Austin. Oops!

I came back from the Austin trip and without telling Jake I purchased some home pregnancy tests. What the heck. Well, the first test came back and there was a very faint pink line. I had a huge smile on my face, but I didn't know what to think. Was I seeing things? I told Jake when he got home. He was shocked I had even taken a test and wanted to see the line. Well, FYI, Jake is colorblind and pink is nearly impossible for him to see. This being a very faint line he wasn't sure what to say. So, we sat there is disbelief. The next morning I took another one. Again, a faint line, but slightly darker. This process continued for the next three days. I peed on quite a few sticks. I even went out to the store to buy digital ones. I eventually called my doctor and had a blood test, which confirmed it!

Now, weeks later, I'm still in shock. We heard/saw the baby's heartbeat yesterday at our doctor's visit. It is surreal. Here is a fuzzy picture of the ultrasound. You can make out tiny little arm buds. So crazy, huh?

It is about an inch long and the size of a green olive. I have been feeling great. No morning sickness! But, I am always tired (make that exhausted) and I fall asleep at 8 o'clock every night. Also, I'm always hungry. So, I might turn into a blimp soon. So far I've only gained a pound. We'll see how long that lasts.

Can't wait to keep updating this with pictures!

Back from Austin

It has been a week since my "Girl's Trip" to Austin, Texas. It was a lot of fun to see my old friends, go to fun dinners, and lay out in the sun! We even got a little sight-seeing in...

Wish I had more pictures, but of course I didn't have a camera. These are all taken from friends... (except for the very first picture of the Capitol building - that's from my iPhone)

Now that I'm back, it has been back to normal. Work. Cooking. Taking Roxy for walks. We really love the big grass area at our apartment complex. Around five o'clock a bunch of dogs (with owners) come out to play off-leash. Of course when we snap this picture the other dogs scampered away. You can't really tell, but there is a volleyball and soccer game going on in the distance. It was a beautiful Sunday!

Just for Fun!

San Diego and LA were a lot of fun! I got to spend time with my family and friends, eat at some of my favorite places, and enjoy the sun. My three favorite things! Here is a pic I snapped while eating at Roberto's. Such nice weather that day!

In LA I got to see some friends from college and celebrate Devon's birthday. We went to a fun rooftop bar and dinner at the Top Chef's restaurant. I don't watch that show, but it was yummy food. We also went late night bowling. The picture below is from the rooftop bar in Venice. You could see from Redondo Beach to Malibu.

To put a cherry-on-top when I came home my husband surprised me with a detailed car and spotless apartment! Seriously, my car looks brand new (except for the month supply of Diet Coke in the back). It was really hard to go back to work, but now the countdown is on to AUSTIN!

Spring Break

What I wish my Spring Break looked like:




Yeah right. My Spring Break is far from that. Instead it has been cold and rainy since Friday; I have gone into work to grade papers; I will have been to the dentist twice; and now I'm sick! Sick! Uh. Well, sadly, it is easier to be sick on a break than make substitute plans and call in sick for work. Trying to look on the bright side.

I fly to San Diego tomorrow and the weather should be warm and sunny! Hopefully, I'll be over this cold and enjoy my time with friends and family.

things on my mind lately...

I'm getting very excited for the upcoming weeks/months.

I'll be reuniting with some friends from high school in Austin later this month. I'm looking forward to catching up, soaking in the sun, and enjoy the local flavor.

Jake and I have made the final arrangements on our trip back east! Virginia, DC, NYC, and Boston! Tons to see and do. Can't wait.

Well, I can't say too much... But, I love this movie.

It wasn't me!

Our coasters from Stone Brewery were left on the coffee table one day... This is what I came home from work to.

Jake is Famous!

The reason we are in San Jose might finally be paying off! Jake's job was on 60 Minutes last week and Jake was even featured for approximately three seconds. Yes, he was wearing a lab coat with the name "Jorge," but it was him!

Click this link to see the 60 Minutes video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6228923n&tag=related;photovideo

Cruisin'

The month of February has meant a lot of driving.

First, Jake and I drove to L.A. to stay with my sister. We had a fun lunch, saw a movie with my friend, Emily, went on a great hike, and celebrated Valentine's Day with dinner party at her place. There was dinner prepared by a professional chef, good wine and desserts, and an impromptu "Newlywed Game."

After L.A. we drove to San Diego. I spent quality time with mom, dad, and Mike. Jake and I also got to see my friends Jessica and Mike from USC. They got engaged in December and I hadn't seen them since the big news. I wish I could have seen them longer than just a couple of hours.

Jake flew back on Tuesday, which meant that I had to drive the seven hours back to San Jose by myself... well... Roxy was with me. She has been doing great in the car, but that particular trip there was only one place she wanted to be.

She slept most of the drive and I was able to move her to the passenger seat.

Now that we're back in San Jose it has meant lots of walks and trips to the dog park. That's our life. If it weren't for Roxy it would be pretty boring around here.

Here's Roxy with her head out the window. Her pointy ears go back and she squints her eyes, but she loves it.

Valentine's Day

I should have thought through this whole Valentine's Day gift thing. I have given Jake some really cool gifts in the past. They are always "homemade" in one way or another, but always very creative. Well, now I'm stumped... out of ideas. We'll see what I come up with.

Roxy Update

Not sure if the video from the last post was/is working, but Roxy loves using her ramp and doggy door! Since we trained her to use it there have been NO accidents in the house. We leave a little patch of grass on the patio and she lets herself in and out. Sometimes, she'll go out and sit on the ramp just to oversee the apartment complex.

Today we went to the dog park for the very first time. Roxy seemed nervous at first, but she warmed up to some of the other small dogs. I had a great time and can't wait to go back with her - I just wish it was closer to our apartment.

Roxy!

Meet __________________ !

Meet our newest addition! We got her from a local shelter after checking her out a few days ago. Today, we had a formal meeting and interview and then we got to take her home! The shelter got her only a few days ago (from another crowded shelter) and they gave her the name Chatita. She hasn't learned that name (thank God - we hate it) because it was only a few days ago.

But, now we can't make a decision on a new name that fits her. I know, shocking, neither of us can make a decision. So, some info about her: She has the cutest little white paws and big ears. The shelter said she was part Chihuahua and part Corgi. Not sure how accurate the Corgi is, but I can see the Chihuahua in her. She is a little over ten pounds and much smaller than she looks in the pictures. Vote on a name and if you don't like any of the choices than leave a suggestion :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve! Miss you all!

Nor Cal Peeps

Well, Jake and I were driving over the weekend and we were reminded of the crazy time we drove up to "tour" the area before Jake's big job interview. We joked about how we thought, "I'm sure this city could be fun..."

It is approaching two years since Jake moved up here. February 15, 2008 is when he made the fateful trip. I followed him a few months later (in June) and our lives have never been the same.

What can I say about this place? Well, I have been approached by a middle-aged Indian man in the supermarket asking me if I like to "boogie down" on the weekends; I have heard people talking about living in trees; I have been almost run off the road by numerous Priuses? (Whatever the plural of Prius is); I park next to a car with a ridiculous license plate (see below), Jake and I were asked if we were "gamers" and if we were interested in the newest video games...

But, I think the most telling thing that happened was when an old Israeli lady approached me at Costco. Apparently, I look very approachable sitting and eating my pizza while waiting for Jake to bring some napkins. The lady plops down next to me and begins a conversation. When I explained that I was new to the ares she asked if I liked living here. I explained that it was quite different (ie more boring) than LA and she agreed saying: "The only things to do here are food and sex... food and sex..." Jake and I were very creeped out and left and vowed never to return again.

The Most Amazing Scones Ever!

I try to bake on Sundays so that Jake and I have some tasty breakfasts for the week. These scones are delicious and I highly recommend them to anyone. I made a few changes to a recipe I found in a Williams-Sonoma cookbook I had.

Cranberry-Orange Scones

2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
grated orange zest of one orange
8 tbsp chilled butter, cut in pieces
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 dried cranberries

Basically add first six ingredients and then cut in the butter. Add buttermilk. You'll have a sticky dough. Stir in cranberries and then put on floured board. Gently knead with floured hands until you have a soft dough. Pat out dough into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle like a letter overlapping the dough so you've made three layers. Then pat down again. I cut in half and then make each half a circle. Each circle can be cut in six wedges. Bake about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet @ 425 for about 15 minutes.

So darn good every time I make them...

"Tasty," says Jake.

Here's what we've been doing

UNPACKING! It has been a busy few weeks. It started with packing up our old place. We put it off for a while and then had to scramble on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday while also moving. Here is Jake and one of the days. We only moved across the building, but it was a very tiring weekend. Luckily, we had both places for the weekend so could take our time. I'm so glad that is over.
During the craziness of packing and unpacking I've also had an extremely busy few weeks at school. I had report cards to write (due the Monday after the move) and then parent teacher conferences this past week. While all of that was going on our classroom adopted six crayfish! It is for a science unit we are studying. Last time I saw one of these it was on someone's plate in New Orleans! Notice how this one is missing a pincer. They are crazy lil' things. They freak out and swim backwards (I've screamed multiple times in front the class) and will stand in attack mode with their claws out. Yes, I've picked one up.

As we get the apartment looking spiffy I will post more pictures! We are currently setting up our new bed and there may be a new couch in our future.

What I've been doing....

I have been so busy getting back to work! I know those boards don't look like much, but man they take a long time to put up. These are basically what I stare at when I'm sitting at my desk (those few moments a day I get to sit). Although this job can be extremely stressful, I am still enjoying it...

I have also been LOVING all the wedding photos people send me. We got three different cd's full of photos, not too mention the proof book from our photographer. So far Jake and I love this photo the best:

Thanks everyone for the photos!