ice

Quinn and I wanted to do something Christmasy in Dallas before we left for Virginia on Saturday. So tonight we headed out to ICE! at the Gaylord Texan.
It was a virtual winter/christmas wonderland. We loved it. They have this huge tent that they keep at 9 degrees. They hand out parkas to everyone so they can withstand the cold. I was pretty warm except for my nose and at the very end when I was trying to take pictures my hands got really cold. Next time I'll remember to bring gloves. Here are some pics from the exhibit.











Our little family with Santa




This picture does not do the Nativity justice...it was so beautiful.





The lobby of the Gaylord Texan


The life size gingerbread house

i love this time of year

I love when oranges, grapefruit and other citrus delights come into season. I went to the store on Monday and picked up some delicious Texas grapefruit and some yummy navel oranges. I've been enjoying them all week. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I've loved everything citrus even more since I've been pregnant. But seriously, I just love this time of year!!

did i mention

It was 76 degrees in Dallas yesterday. I was sweltering. Had to have windows and doors open all day and I was still hot. And now, today, at 1 pm, it is a balmy 28 degrees, with wind chill it is 16 degrees. Brrr. I hope I can find a coat that I can still button up.

i hate cats

I really do. I don't even feel bad about it. They make my life miserable. We went to Quinn's Christmas party last night. It was at the owners house. He had a cat. I wanted to die. Even the next morning, I still can't breathe, have itchy eyes, and a massive headache.

The party was very interesting. Highlights include having some of the best Mexican I've had since I've moved to Texas. I have been less then impressed with the Mexican food scene here. Its all this Tex-Mex stuff that I just don't care for. That pretty much sums up the highlights. By the time dinner was over, I was really starting to get sick due to the cats.

There was a gift exchange. You were suppose to stick with a $50 budget. We did. We gave the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. 50 bucks on the dot. Let's just say some people were big spenders. I think there were about 3 or 4 iPod Nano's and a digital camera in the mix. Who are these people?

The company gave out gifts too. Poor Quinn, his number was the absolutely last one drawn so we ended up with $300 worth of video games. Just what we need. Yeah, right. Luckily, they told us we can have the receipt and take them back to Best Buy. This makes me happy. I'm hoping we can pick up a camcorder so we can record the little rugrat when he arrives.

We got home around 1 am. I was miserable and did not sleep well. I'm still miserable but hopefully the cat attack will start wearing off soon.

fatherly

During Monday Night Football last night, Quinn decided to break open the stroller/car seat box and work his magic.



I had to snap a pic because he looked so Dad-ish doing it. I can't wait to see him for the first time with the baby. I'm getting very excited!

baby update

Just got back from my OBGYN appointment. I had to do the gestational diabetes test. That was DISGUSTING! So gross. I am not good at swallowing things that I don't like the taste off, hence no matter how sick I get I never take cough medicine because I can never get it down.

But besides all that everything was good with baby. The doctor said he is a big boy as I'm measuring at 27 weeks and the heartbeat was good. He gave me a good swift kick as the doctor was listening to the heartbeat and I think he even startled the doctor a bit.

Now I'm home and eating cheese as fast as I can to counter act the disgusting glucose drink I had to ingest. I really have to pray hard and long that this test is fine so I don't have to go and do the other one which sounds even more horrific.

retail therapy

Quinn and I have not had the best day today. Bad news keeps pouring in about our car. It looks now like they are going to call it a total loss. So now we are all kinds of stressed about what to do. So after freaking out all day I told Quinn I wanted to go to Babies R Us and go shopping.

My Grandma Mortensen has made a tradition out of giving glider/rockers to her grand-daughters when they have babies. So whilst in Utah she gave me an extremely generous amount of money with which to do that. So off we went. With her money and a gift card we were able to walk away with these items.





Quinn and I had a little debate regarding the travel system. We had choices of red, sahara, and green. The green trimmed system also has a metallic hexagon trim. Quinn insisted that hexagons are the shape of the future. So the green trim it is.

Now we are home and I'm making hot cocoa and about to watch The Office. I'm feeling much better now.

recap of our thanks

We got back late last night from Utah. We had a really nice time visiting with family and friends. Here is a little recap:

Baby Shower

My dearest friend/cousin Lindsay was so kind as to throw me a baby shower while I was in town. I had so much fun seeing family and friends and everyone was so generous to the little man. Here are a few pics of all the attendees (btw, I'm posting these against my own better judgement since I look ginormous in these pics.)


Me, Quinn's Grma Fry, Aunt Michelle and Casey


Mortensen Clan


My old roomie Kaelyn with her little girl Rachel


Kim and Cami, friends from high school


Sisters

Stomach Flu
After the shower I got ridiculously sick with the stomach flu. Not fun and it knocked me out for quite a few days and took all the fun out of eating, even on Thanksgiving.

Halo Fun
About 5 minutes after Quinn arrived, his friends swooped in and picked him up for a Halo reunion. He and about 11 of his closest friends got together for a reunion of sorts and played until the wee hours of the morning. He said it was so good to see people he hasn't seen in forever.

Thanksgiving
My mom made a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. I was able to eat some of it. Later that evening mass quantities of Arnett's came over for dessert and much Wii playing.

Friends On top of everyone I was able to visit with at the shower, I was also able to meet Kristen for dinner, Kim and Cami for lunch, Quinn and I had dinner with Chris and Mandy and were able to catch Kurt and Ashley for a visit as well. It is always nice to see friends after it has been a while.

i survived

Twilight...but just barely. I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I told my sisters to go ahead and get me a ticket to the midnight showing. I'm getting way to old for this type of stuff.

We had planned on going and getting in line at 10 pm. Two hours early. That is my limit, I just don't care that much about any movie for more. But around 7ish we heard reports that there were already lines and long ones at that. Apparently some peeps started to line up at 11 am. Hello? 13 hours before the show. Who are these people? My cousin Lexi and friend went down early and luckily they were able to find out that they were going to seat the theater at 9:30 pm. That's right, an entire 2 and a half hours before the show time. So we decided we better go down there. Luckily we didn't have too wait too long in line outside as it was cold. Here are the Arnett's waiting outside in the cold (Stacey and Mallory joined us a bit later).


Photo courtesy of Lindsay

So then we sat and waited for 2 and a half hours. What was I thinking? I wasn't even excited to see the movie because in my opinion (and I know most people feel very differently) the last book was not good and totally ruined the series for me. The many showings were probably 95% women. But lets just say some of them were super annoying. The amount of screaming and yelling and cheering and screaching in delight each time a new character came on screen was absurd. Seriously, I was almost embarrassed to be participating in the event with them by just being in the theater. To each their own.

I actually enjoyed the movie but I think that is because I had such low expectations for it. However, it did end up being one of the most uncomfortable movie watching experiences of my life. My back hurt so bad by the end of the movie. I was almost praying for someone to come along and snap it in half so I wouldn't feel the pain anymore. But I survived. I was in bed by 3 am and ended up having some of the most restful sleep I've had in a while. So maybe it was worth it after all.

preparations

I'm spending today making preparations for my trip to Utah for Thanksgiving. I'm finishing up laundry so Quinn can have clean clothes (and me too). I went to the supermarket to buy some skillet meals and cereal for Quinn so I know he won't starve while I'm gone. And P.S. while I was checking out, the checker, a young kid, asked me if I was feeling OK. OK, I have a cold but I didn't think I looked that bad.

And the rest of the day I am spending trying to get the mess that is our car straightened out. For those of you who don't know the clutch went out on the car. We took it in to get fixed. They fixed it but took it out for a test drive and bam! they got hit with all sorts of damage to the front part of the car. Let's just say that the repair shops insurance company moves at the speed of molasses. They accident was about 9 days ago and we just got the claim adjustment on Friday which means I was finally able to start the body shop process today. They are ordering parts which they say might take until Thursday and then once parts are in to count on another 5 days for repairs. Obviously, this will take us right into Thanksgiving with both of us out of town. I'm worried about having to fight the insurance company over having a rental car for that long. But really, they are the ones that have moved so slow. So we will just have to stand our ground on that one!

nursery

Here are my hopes and dreams for the babe's nursery.

I looked at ton of crib bedding that was either entirely too cheezy for my taste or just too expensive. So I then went the next route and convinced my mom to make it for me. Here is a sampling of the fabrics I picked out.


Main fabric


Coordinating fabric for accents


Plush fabric for underside of quilt

And I really like this crib and changing table/dresser from babies r us.




Walmart has a similar version but the changing table doesn't have drawers which makes me more inclined to like this one better.

And in other news, a couple weeks ago I was at Marshalls and found the following and couldn't resist...had to buy it...won't he look adorable in it.

because I wanted to

We had cheese fondue for dinner tonight. No, we weren't celebrating anything, I simply wanted it. I started to think about it last night and scoured the internet for recipes and for non-alcoholic renditions. Here is the recipe I ended up using. It was really good. Not too strong (which I sometimes think fondue can be).

Cloves of garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese
1 1/2 cups Fontina cheese
1 cup white grape juice (substituted for the white wine)
1 T of lemon juice
2 T of cornstarch (or flour)
Pinch of Nutmeg

Grate cheese. Coat with cornstarch. Rub fondue pot with smashed garlic. Add grape and lemon juice and heat up. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add nutmeg.

I cut up french bread and steamed some mushrooms, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. Voilà, dinner is served.

things i'm excited to do

Okay, it probably should be called "Places I'm excited to eat at" when I go back to Utah. I'm getting excited for my trip back to Utah in a week or so. Of course I'm excited to see family and have a sleep over with my niece Sadie and all that jazz but I'm also excited to hit up a few spots that I have desperately been missing since moving to Texas on a permanent basis.

Kneaders. Throughout my whole pregnancy I have been craving their Turkey Bacon Avocado sandwich on foccacia of course. I have been on a constant lookout for a similar sandwich here in Texas but alas everyone uses deli meat and the bread is no where close.

Del Taco. Don't even get me started on how much I miss this place. I went into a serious mourning phase when I came to the realization that they didn't have Del Taco's in Texas. I've tried to embrace the other taco chains here, and Taco Bueno does in a pinch, but I can't wait to eat me a small red bean burrito. Yum.

Pizzeria 712. Quinn has never been here. I'm excited to introduce him to it. It opened after we moved to Texas but I got to know it during my stays last fall. It changed my life.

no sticker

Quinn and I went early this morning to vote. We only had to wait about 30 minutes. This actually seemed like a long time to me because I can't remember a time that I ever had to wait in a line to vote. Everything went smoothly but apparently my precinct is lame, because they were not handing out the "I Voted" stickers. What is up with that? That is one of my favorite things about voting. I was very disappointed and seriously considered driving precinct to precinct until I secured a sticker for myself (ok, not really but you get the point).

a halloween post

I was driving home from Plano today where I was up getting my hair done (finally after four long months!) and getting onto the highway I look in my rear view mirror and who do I see driving the Dodge pickup behind me but...



It was a little bit creepy being followed by the Joker.

His costume and makeup were spot on. Much like Creed's from last night's The Office episode.

wrapping paper

I'm extremely picky about my Christmas wrapping paper. I can't use just anything you might find in say the grocery store. Lots of stores already have wrapping paper out so I've been surveying but have yet to find anything I like, until now.

The Container Store and their Gift Wrap Wonderland

Check out all the delights.

I'm on my way there this afternoon to pick up a few rolls.

definitely a....

Baby Boy!



The bottom picture is a face shot. Isn't he beautiful?

Click on the picture to enlarge for the full glory.

hey sister

Just because...I seriously couldn't help myself...had to post this pic of my little sis...



Check the ij blog soon (hopefully tomorrow) for other highlights of my niece Sadie's Princess Party Extravaganza.

edamame

I've had a bag of edamame in my freezer for months now. I don't know why I have been avoiding it. Today I was surveying the contents of my freezer/fridge for lunch options. It came down to either making a quesadilla or edamame. I opted for edamame out of sheer laziness. I didn't want to have to sit by the stove and grill the quesadilla. Edamame you just pop in the micro and voila.

I am mad at myself for letting the bag sit there for so long. It was such a delicious, easy and most important NUTRITIOUS lunch. The best part is I only used half the bag so I have another tasty lunch in my near future.

one week

One week from today Quinn and I get to go for THE ultrasound to find out what we are having. So what say you? Boy or girl?

observations on quinn

Quinn is like an emotionless robot when he watches the New York Giants play. He just sits there and concentrates on the game and shows no emotion whatsoever. The only give away are the clammy hands he gets during the games because he is so nervous. A couple games ago I did catch him pumping his fist (but no sound came out) when the Giants scored.

On the other hand, Quinn takes absolute sheer delight in watching the Dallas Cowboys lose. Nothing makes him happier then seeing Tony Romo (he goes by another name in our house but it might offend some of you) throw one of his interceptions or T.O. drop another ball. Let's just say yesterdays game when Romo fumbled the ball 5 times probably made his week! He loves the Cowboys losing so much that after their suckage he makes sure to DVR all the Cowboy postgame shows here in Dallas so he doesn't miss out on one moment of ripping on the Cowboys.

In a non-football observation, I discovered yesterday that Quinn rolls his r's when he sings. During stake conference yesterday he just couldn't help himself. It was adorable!

I love you Quinn!

state fair

Quinn was able to leave work a little bit early today so we could hit up the Texas State Fair.
We had a good time enjoying the the food like my fried cheese on a stick (tame, I know but it sounded good to me) and Quinn's fried peanut butter and jelly and banana sandwich.




Then we hit up the Texas Star (other wise known as the ferris wheel).



Sometimes I don't know why I do things like this since I'm not all that fond of heights.


A view from up high.

Next we took out some paddle boats on the pond. We lucked out and were on the lake right when they launched off the fireworks.



Next, Quinn really wanted to get a smoked turkey leg. Here it is in all its glory.



I have to admit that I had a really hard time watching him eat that...and the smell...it made me a little sick. I had to walk a few steps in front of him while he ate it. But he managed to put it to bed.

our weekend

LDS General Conference weekend is always so relaxing and refreshing. We started our Saturday off by watching the 1st session. During the break we did some cleaning and then I made a trip to Destination Maternity to buy some maternity jeans. Yes, the time has come. I can still wear my pants but not that comfortably. So I caved. And I think it was worth it. Maternity jeans are very very comfy.

I made it back in time for the 2nd session and watched it with Quinn. Then I was off for a girls night with my good friends and old roommates from my Utah days Candice and Lindsey. It was so fun to go out. We went and grabbed some dinner with another one of their friends, Nicole and then went and watched Flash of Genius.


Lindsey, Nicole, Me, Candice

I'm still not sure how I felt about the movie. I did like it. I thought it was a bit slow in places and it left me sort of questioning how long and at what cost does one fight for what one feels is right. If anyone else sees this movie I would be interested in their thoughts.

We woke up leisurely this morning and I made Quinn some blueberry muffins. Then I got my crockpot dinner going and now I''m settled down to watch more General Conference.

not so subtle

Yesterday I had another doctor's appointment. Let's just say it wasn't good for the self esteem. I guess I had gained a few (ok, 4 lbs) since my last appointment. So my doctor in a not so subtle way basically said I needed to stop gaining weight...basically she called me fat. She gave me such advice like drink skim instead of whole milk...hello? I don't remember the last time I drank whole milk. Oh, and she told me to lay of the sweets. Um, what is the point of being pregnant then? Don't get me wrong, I'm not using this as an excuse to shove anything and everything in my mouth, but I also don't feel like I should have to deprive myself.

But all in all it was a good appointment. I got to hear the heartbeat again which was good since I haven't really felt the baby move yet, so I was starting to get mildly paranoid about that. So, my mind was put at ease.

16 weeks

Giving in to popular demand, here is a pic of me in all my pregnant glory. I think I feel fatter than I look now that I see myself on camera.



I've had a bit of a relapse. The last few days or so I've been feeling quite queasy again and have even had to pay a few visits to the toilet. Hopefully this won't last long.

I'm obsessed with lemonade and limeade. I can't get enough of applesauce and last night I had an entire dream based around me trying to get my hands on some salami and cheese. I keep threatening Quinn with a trip to Whole Foods to buy out their cheese counter and eat nothing but gourmet cheese and crackers. But right now my Monterrey Jack courtesy of Walmart is having to suffice.

a package

My mom sent me a much needed package today of some maternity clothes. Check out how stylish I will be in these...



In fact, I liked the one above so much that I bought it for myself last week when I was at Target. So tomorrow, I get to take the one I bought back. Yes!

She also picked me up this little delight.



She also sent me another cute shirt, but I couldn't find a picture of it online. Just take my word for it, it is cute.

Thanks Mom (and Stacey too who I'm told picked them out)!!

They are just in time as I'm slowly but surely running out of clothes that still fit me.

vinyl wall art

I've been busy heavily perusing etsy trying to find the perfect vinyl wall art decal to put above my couch. I think I might have found it. I think it is a perfect and inexpensive solution for the bare wall above my couch. Also the easily removable wall decals are perfect for us apartment dwellers/renters.

What do you think??



I also have my eye on these...



and these for above our bed...