Mall Mania Photo Shoot Part Three

I figured I should post the final fashion shoot installment before I am no longer actually pregnant.  And so we return to the blurry soft focus pics my mom snapped in the Forever 21 dressing room.

The story:  A stretchy skirt provides the comfort and expansion room needed to enjoy a coffee date with friends.  Clasping your hands firmly under your belly will prevent others from noticing that your shirt is straining to cover the miracle of life housed within your person.

The story:  Show some leg in a dress inspired by Charlie Brown's t-shirt.  If I could change one thing about this outfit in retrospect, it would be to add 3/4 length gloves.  They would've hidden the super attractive veins enhanced by all that prenatal pumping iron.

The story:  Another stretchy skirt/roomy top combo.  Thanks to the long top though, you won't have to keep your hands clasped around the bell, making this the perfect outfit to wear to a cocktail party where you can double fist sparkling apple juice.

The story:  Some might say that horizontal stripes are a risky venture during pregnancy.  Not so in this buttery yellow number, perfect for a final movie date before house arrest begins.  After all, any butter stains from the popcorn will be cleverly hidden.

 The story:  A boldly printed tunic will leave you feeling sassy enough to stay up past 10 PM for a night out with the girls.  Just try not to get too wild and drip gelato on your belly.  This is a poly/viscose blend!

I'm not kidding when I talk about house arrest, though.  I'm reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, MD, as recommended by my sister-in-law and sister.  This guy is telling me that up until 12 months old, my baby will likely need to sleep after 2 hours or less of wakefulness, and that after about 3 months old, all of this sleeping should take place at home and not in a stroller, car, or baby carrier in order to be truly restful.  If I mess that part up, says he, I can kiss any hopes of consolidated night time sleep goodbye.  Sleep begets more sleep, he claims.  I guess I can be okay with never leaving the house, ever.  I am already a house marm, and I really don't function well on little sleep.  If it's night time sleep he promises, I'm willing to try his crazy methods.  But he needs a better editor.  Just saying!

Shelby

Seasonal Affective Disorder

It is April 27th today, in case you lack a calendar.  Even if you are in possession of a calendar, you may still be confused because it is SNOWING here in Edmonton. Not only that, but this bébé is still very comfortable in utero.  I don't know why this surprises me, what with the snow and the due date being a week away, but it does! This waiting is killing me.  And so are the many phone calls and texts of well meaning family and friends "checking in".  The nesting has come to an abrupt halt, and yesterday I spent all morning napping and all afternoon feeling bad about napping all morning.
I know what you're going to say: "Enjoy it, soon you'll be run ragged!"
Somehow that doesn't help!  So for now, it's just me and my anxieties waiting and waiting.  Latest anxiety?  My weight gain has slowed from a steady two or three pounds a week down to one pound two weeks ago, and a pound lost last week. Also, my fundal height has stalled out at a 37 week measurement for the past three weeks.  My doctor says it's not a cause for concern, and I guess I can be glad that the baby won't be a nine pounder.  Still though, the snow, waiting, and anxiety do not a happy combination make!  I'm just going to bundle up in a blanket and watch this commercial on repeat.  And on mute.  One of my friends pointed out that while easy on the eyes, his voice is actually quite annoying.  And she's right!  Also, my mom doesn't like his hair.  Quit ruining my simple pleasures, people!   

Shelby

Uh Oh!

I really made Blogger mad with my not so kind comments yesterday.  Now it won't show me my Reader of all the other blogs I religiously follow, nor will it allow me to obsessively pore over my stats page.  I can't believe it's still letting me write a post. I'm off to buy it some flowers to try and make amends . . .

While we routinely wake up to weather like this (just last Saturday was the latest storm), I know that spring will come eventually.  It may be time for summer when it arrives, but still, I know it will come at some point.  You only have to look to this past September when summer arrived for about a week to know that I'm right.  So while the weather here may not follow conventional time lines, you can create a spring like feeling by baking up a batch of these award winning bites of sunshine that I found on Pinterest.  They turned out crinkly just like the picture showed, and are perfectly tart and chewy-crisp.  I LOVED them.  No surprise they took the top prize at LDS Living Magazine's website, a site I have to admit I would never have been exposed to if not for Pinterest.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Award Winning recipe by Lauren Brennan 

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray cookie sheets with non stick spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again.

3. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. 

4. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

5. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melty or shiny). Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Jimmy turned his cookies into what he calls a "chip-wich", even though there are no chips in these cookies.  I would have made mine a chip-wich too, if he could've found Pinochio's Royal Vanilla ice cream for me to sandwich in between.  Alas he could not, and came home instead with cocnut ice cream.  Blech.  He said it was good, so if you go for coconut, you might like to try it.  I'll wait until I can get my vanilla. 
Meanwhile, Ellen has issued a pregnancy dance dare to all expectant mothers who should really be dancing for two.  She wants them sent in for mothers' day.  Should I do it?  I don't know if I can compete with this guy.

Until next time,
Shelby

Mall Mania Photo Shoot Part Two

Before getting to the photos, let me say that these photos are four weeks old, so the baby bell no longer looks quite so diminutive.  I really fooled my aunt, a faithful reader.  When she saw me IRL at Easter dinner, she pointed out that the bump looked much smaller on the interweb.  I had to admit that my pics aren't always au courant. 
On to the photo shoot!  This time the fashions come to you hot off the racks at Old Navy.  And while Old Navy does have a maternity section, I've voiced my complaints about the cramped and disorganized quarters it occupies, not to mention the rather limited selection.  Happily, though, we found many items in the "regular" section that worked well.  And while we did not receive a warm welcome at Forever 21 and had to hide our photo shoot in the dressing room, the fine folks at Old Navy didn't bat an eye, and even offered to get me a chair when I got a foot cramp during the arduous work that is a photo shoot.  I kid you not!

The story: Walking shorts and a cotton shirt, buttons straining, is the perfect look for a labour inducing waddle around the block.  Just don't forget your straw hat with coordinating band for that pesky melasma.

The story: Brights are hot this spring, and layered over black, the bump virtually disappears.  Wear this while riding in your drop top and cranking Black and Yellow.

The story: A casual look you could wear while strolling the boardwalk and channeling a pregnant mermaid.  As an added bonus, the stretchy waist band will allow you to indulge in a churro or two.

The story: Another hot spring trend, this floral dress might be just the frock to enhance your glow at your baby shower.  Or to highlight just how pale your legs are.  Either way . . . 

The story: Another feminine floral paired with pearls.  And while sandals and flip flops may seem like a pregnant woman's best friend, squeezing your toes together to fit through the straps may lead to intense foot cramps.  I know first hand.

The story: Stretchy skirt and elastic waisted shirt.  Enough said.  Really, this should be your uniform.

The story: A roomy denim skirt with such interesting details at the neckline requires very little accessorizing.  Aside from a jaunty hat of course.  Wear this while strolling the beach on your babymoon.  Or just on your imaginary babymoon.

And while these outfits might fool you into thinking spring is here, it isn't.  At least not in Edmonton.  Snow, rain, grey skies and wind have been our spring time companions.  Luckily, I can see light at the end of the tunnel.  I've bought a plane ticket and will be escaping to Arizona about a month after the baby is due with my mom and sisters.  Should be interesting, to say the least!  Now I just need to find the baby a temperature controlled bubble so that I can enjoy the hot, hot, hot temps by the pool uninterrupted.  

Until next time,

Shelby

Women

My friend Paul, who is not a woman, shared this video, and as he said, it's funny, but not funny.  

An easy trap for women to fall in to - being sure to take care of others and leaving themselves last.  I think we all know someone (man or woman) who doesn't look like the type of person to have a heart attack. Someone who is young and at a healthy weight, but unimaginably, does have a heart attack.  If we know the signs and catch an attack early, hopefully tragedy can be prevented.
Paul maintains not one but two blogs!  One related to all things lacrosse and the program he and Jimmy run here in Edmonton and the other about his family and their experience with two sons far, far away at prep school.  I of course, read both blogs religiously.  Ok, so I don't always read the lacrosse blog, and I may skip over the posts on the family blog that deal strictly with sports, but I love the videos he makes of his boys (and not because Jimmy makes occasional appearances either), especially the soundtracks he picks to go with them.  Paul was Jimmy's coach once upon a time, and he taught Jimmy the same thing he teaches his own sons now - the value of hard work.  
I can't wait to annoy and perhaps embarrass our kids when I post videos and pictures of them online.  Ah the joys and privileges of parenthood! 
Shelby

Spring Cleaning

Hello internet.  Jut writing to tell you that today, the sun came out, and it stayed out. All.  Day.  Long.  I can't tell you how happy that has made this achey backed, sleep deprived, whale of a woman!  I've been trying and trying to tell Jimmy that it doesn't take much, but somehow from the crouched position he assumes while putting on and taking off my socks he just can't hear me.
Since the sun made a rare appearance today, my motivation decided to respond in kind.  So I vacuumed the lawn.  That's right, vacuumed.  We had a very warmish winter (for Edmonton) which meant lots of ice, and in my condition I was forever fearful of a fall.  So I went a little crazy with the gravel, which wasn't a problem on our front walks, but it sure was on the cobble stone path out back.  Jimmy did ask how I thought we might clean it up when he came home one cold December day to see his backyard turned into a sand pit.  I told him that I would take care of it come spring.  And did I ever!

Before

After

This project also involved the cleaning out of the sunroom and required three different vacuums, not to mention the prettiest outfit you've ever seen on a woman who was vacuuming the lawn.  The first vacuum was the central vac snaked out the back door from its plug in situated in the kitchen.  This model was used to clean the tile in the sunroom.

Hooded zip up: Jimmy's closet  Tank top: Gap Maternity
Leggings and Boots: The trash bin behind What Not to Wear's Studio

The second model was the Bissel upright to suck up all the grit on the durable astro turf like substance both inside and outside the sunroom.

And while I did try to get the Bissell to do the job on the paving stones and grass surrounding said paving stones, it wasn't up to the job.  So, the shop vac was summoned from its throne atop my all season tires in the garage.  I think you'll agree that the grass looks much happier after a good vacuuming.

After. Again.

I believe that completion of this particular chore means that I am exempt from washing the windows this year.  Not that I ever washed them before.
Shelby

Read Me . . .

. . . elsewhere!  I have another article published here.  It's always a thrill when someone else thinks you write well enough to be published on a real, live website you haven't posted yourself!  I'll be busy this week researching for my next article. It's going to be tough, but someone has to report on the pregnancy spa experience! I promise, while I'm having my massage I will be thinking totally subjective and journalistic thoughts.

It was a very busy weekend with lots to tell you about, but for now I'm off to the doctor to find out if I've busted my own record of gaining four pounds in two weeks. And I have big plans to see The Hunger Games tonight.

I'll leave you with this and this.  Just a little spring fashion inspiration in case spring has actually arrived wherever you are, because it certainly hasn't made much of an appearance in Edmonton.  Even just a little sun would do!
Sigh,
Shelby

Look What I Found!

Isn't this sweet?

What made it even sweeter was the $1.94 price tag and the fact that it was the last one on the Joe Fresh clearance rack.  I'm starting to shop more for little bits and pieces for the peanut, and am in a state of utter shock and disbelief at the very limited number of gender neutral items available.  Does everyone find out the gender of the tenant in their womb nowadays, thereby eliminating the high demand for sleepers in cream and yellow?  It sure seems like it.  My mother (if you'll recall she's art director and fashion editor here at Chez Quinlan) is incredibly frustrated.  

The other day she was thwarted in her efforts to find a suitable homecoming outfit for bébé Q and literally threw her hands up in exasperation.  She has resigned herself to rushing out of the hospital minutes after the announcement of Q's gender (she says newborns aren't much to look at so soon after their birth anyway) to return with a fashion forward and gender appropriate outfit just in time for the little one to have pinked up.  

In other, totally unrelated news, Jimmy and I enjoyed a lovely weekend as he had time off from his other job.  We went to a newish restaurant called Soda Jerks. Jimmy had a giant, build your own burger which included root beer barbecue sauce, chipotle aioli, and roasted red peppers.

I chose a sourdough grilled cheese, and seeing as I can't partake in any alcoholic beverages, I was very excited about all the fancy pop choices.  In a nod to my youth, I chose a Pop Shoppe lime rickey.  Mmmm, it tasted just like 1988.  It was so retro, it actually made the picture blurry, almost like a time warp.  All of a sudden I was hearing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song in my head . . . Anyways, the food was very good, as was the service.  I'll definitely be going back to sample more exotic soda flavours.

Bien sûr, with all of this bonding time there were many gems from James to be mined.  My doting husband asked, "Do you ever wish you could just have a glass of wine?"

Me: "Yes, yes, I really do."

He: "Me too, because I can't really open a bottle by myself."

I'm always amazed that his empathy for my current condition knows no bounds. That's all I can share for now.  I don't want to be blamed for making your life partner look bad in comparison to mine.

Ciao,

Shelby

Toilet Talk

Have you seen this new contraption in public bathrooms near you?  

I'm seeing them more and more.  I made comment to a some friends about these things, and they either hadn't noticed them, or assumed they were hand sanitizer. Thankfully, no one had used them for sanitizing their mitts, as that is NOT their intended purpose.  So what is it, you ask?  Toilet seat cleaner, conveniently provided just for you to swipe the seat before you sit.

I'm all for cleanliness and am something of a germophobe, but really?  I'm sorry, cleaning a public toilet is almost more horrifying than having to use one at all.  I'll just hover, thank you!  It's interesting that here in Canada public bathrooms have never been big on supplying the disposable toilet seat cover, unlike our American friends down south. But somehow we've arrived at a place where we are providing Toilet Duck and a brush upon entrance into the stall?  I find this too weird.  Maybe if they also provided rubber gloves it would be more palatable?  No, forget it - I would need a full latex suit.  I don't even like cleaning my own toilet for Pete's sake!
Always happy to provide meaningful food for thought!
Shelby

Happy Hearts

Jimmy surprised me today with an extra special bouquet of flowers.  They're special because he made the arrangement himself at a charity event with all proceeds being donated to the Lois Hole Hospital for Women.  

He even upgraded to the fancier vase, because as he said to me upon presentation of the bouquet: "You're worth it!"  The funniest cutest part of the gift was the mugshot card that came along with it.  

It's a nice idea, but this card is a little strange.  It reminds me a little of a kindergarten student showing off their work. 

Jimmy has been so busy lately with his own lacrosse season starting up, coaching basketball at school, and coaching lacrosse in Leduc, that he was only home for a quick 15 minute dinner this evening between coaching responsibilities.  In honour of Valentine's Day I made his favourite dinner which was inhaled on his way out the door.  It's an Asian chicken salad from The Best of Bridge, and it's delicious and easy.  Just make the dressing, stir-fry some chicken, peppers, pea pods, and asparagus, and serve over rice noodles.  I forgot to take a picture before dinner, but here are the left overs.  

We're such healthy people, there are hardly any vegetables left.

Dressing for Asian Chicken Salad

from The Best of Bridge

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 tablespoon honey

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon salt

ground pepper to taste

1. Place all ingredients in a jar and shake to mix.  If you're lazy like me, you can skip mincing the ginger and garlic and throw it all in the blender. 


When he returns later this eve, I plan to serve him this sweet treat that I found on Pinterest.  I'll let you know how mine turns out, but it looks delicious and is reminiscent of our first date.  

Hope you're enjoying something sweet today.

XO

Shelby

Teachers' Convention

I love, love, love teachers' convention.  My co workers used to tease me, saying I lived for teachers' convention weekend.  But really, can you blame me?  It's a bright spot at a dreary time of year, you get two days out of the classroom, freebies at the sales exhibit, and a chance to meet up with former colleagues you haven't seen in awhile.  
All of these things make teachers' convention great, but it really turned into one of my favourite yearly events when one of my friends and colleagues decided to turn this into a true "out of town" convention experience for us.  Since we live in the capital, the convention is always held here in our city, but we decided to make it a real outing a few years ago, staying in a hotel downtown, wining and dining in the evenings after days full of professional development.
There are always lots of laughs and memorable moments at our convention weekends, and there is always a theme song.  Last year was "We R who We R" by Key-Dollar-Sign-Ha.  The year before was "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas, and before that it was "She Wolf" by Shakira.  After some discussion, we decided on "We Found Love in a Hopeless Place" for this year's theme.
But even with an appropriate butt thumping beat for an anthem, this year was definitely different.  Of course, being temporarily retired from the craft, I did not attend the day time PD sessions, and while I did join the gang for dinner last night, the fetus who tagged along prevented me from enjoying certain aspects of the dinner I might have previously partaken of (responsibly, of course).  Not only that, but we were missing some core members.  Our girl Amy recently moved out of the city and was sorely missed, and Lynne and Lesley were both kept away by family obligations and a mistaken belief that as senior members of our esteemed guild they should call it a day early.  

Amy and Aoife last year with some of the best red wine I've ever had.

We still had a great dinner though, with memorable moments galore.  We ate at Hundred Bar & Kitchen, which unbeknownst to me hosts ladies' night every Thursday with everything on the menu at half price!  Even drinks, not that I could partake thanks to the tenant in utero.  We paid for that 50% off when it came to the service, however.  Our waitress served one person's dinner at the same time as the appetizers, took away our side plates before we had finished our appetizer platter, cleared one person's wine glass before the bottle at the table was done, threw out two people's doggie bags, and took away the pregnant woman's brownie while she was in the bathroom.  The earlier transgressions could have been forgiven, but that last one?  You do not part me from my chocolate until I'm rolling on the floor, sick with indigestion, heartburn, or both.  

Thank you wine glass, for hiding my bloat!

Making up for our errant server was the entertainment in the form of a regular customer who created her own dance floor in a dance floorless establishment.  She was busting a move for well over two hours in the middle of this resto-lounge, clapping and high kicking to the tunes spun by the in-house DJ who did not stop bobbing his head once throughout our three hour dinner.  I know that is a run-on sentence, but that's how intense and breathless the experience of watching this two really was!
While my evening ended with dinner this year, looking back, I think last year's convention held some omens for what this year would hold.  First, and definitely most telling was one of the freebies I got last year.  It was a tiny, pink, rubbery fetus from the pro-life booth that I planned to share with my health classes.  The fetus became a kind of mascot last year, bobbing its little head to Ke$ha, posing for photo-ops at dinner, and climbing into bed with my friend Aoife at the end of the night, much to Aoife's fright.  Little did I know that a real live fetus would be on board for this year's festivities!  Next year, who knows what will happen!  I just hope to be able to enjoy a glass of red again.
Shelby

Last night's group shot.  Sorry, red eye could not be reduced.

Progress Report

Well, I'm a few days in to my "knitting" project.  I've used quotation marks because I'm using a loom rather than needles which makes it pretty fool proof.  But skeptic that I am, I'm still surprised it's turned out well so far.  I tried following the directions that came with the loom, but had to undo the hot mess that was produced.  Thanks to an instructional vid or two on YouTube, it's been smooth sailing since.  I'm maybe a quarter to a third of the way through my scarf (numbers aren't my thing, which could make learning to knit for real a challenge) and I know my ball of yarn isn't going to last.  So my next challenge will be finding a video that will tell me how to attach a new ball of yarn.  I'm sure there's some fancy term for that, like casting on or purl knit, but I know not what to call it other than attaching a new ball of yarn.

For your viewing pleasure.

I've been contemplating actual lessons at River City Yarns here in Edmonton so that I can learn how to knit and crochet properly and make cute things like this:

I first saw these adorable little toys on The Busy Budgeting Mama's site, and she says they're easy.  If you take a look at her site, you'll see she's a whiz with all things crafty and technology related, so her version of easy may not match up with mine, but I'm willing to try.  Not only that, but the pattern was free!  You can find lots of other free patterns on the Lion Brand Yarn website.
What says James of my new interest?  I asked him if he thought taking up knitting was hip or nerdy.  His reply?  "Hip if you need to have your food pureéd!"
Have a fabulous weekend!
Shelby

Hippies

Well, we've done it.  We've hired a boula doula as support for the big day in May. According to my dad, this officially makes us hippies (he's also the guy who thinks it's pronounced boula).  Bring on the granola and patchouli, I guess, because I feel better already!  I've always been just slightly afraid of doctors, needles and any medical procedure.  Par example, when I had to have my wisdom teeth removed, my mom literally had to sit on my chest so the anaesthesiologist could start the IV. This was after I tried to get out of the procedure altogether, citing my bad head cold, chapped lips, and even a nose bleed as major obstacles to the success of the surgery.  Jimmy?  He had his wisdom teeth taken out one at a time on FOUR SEPARATE DAYS under local anaesthetic.
So as you can see, I need all the help I can get. 
And I know it was only a couple of short days ago that I claimed to hate technology, but we've done some counselling and been on a Kabbalah retreat as last ditch efforts to save our strained relationship.  Suffice it to say we're on speaking terms again.  Mostly because technology connected me to Sara over at Your Baby Booty. Her site is great for the product reviews alone, but the blog on her site is so informative when it comes to preparing for all things baby, including labor and delivery.  And what I love most is that she highlights the options that are available rather than saying any one way is best.  After leaving a comment on one of the posts, she thought I was intelligent enough to interview for an article on her site!  So hippie or not, someone thinks I've got something to say!  Worry not, I'll let you know when she posts the interview.  
Thanks, technology.  Coffee date tomorrow?
And in totally unrelated news, my husband is in a Valentine's Day poll titled "Which NLL player on Twitter would you choose for your Valentine?"  I think the answer should be obvious.  It's a tight race at the moment, but I know the loyal readers of Chez Quinlan will soon change that.  Besides, his closest competition, while easy on the eyes, can be temperamental, just between you and me.

The captain.

The competition.

Former roommates and teammates, and still fighting!

What are you doing still here?!  Go and vote!  When Jimmy wins, I promise I'll share the Valentines gift he gives me.  Trust me, it'll cost next to nothing to ship it to you ;)
Shelby

Arbitrary-ness

I just wanted you to know that I totally kicked butt at pre-natal fitness this morning.  I think it may have been the extra long soak I enjoyed in the tub last night, not to mention an excellent sleep on a certain memory foam mattress.  Back pain, be gone!
I then promptly proceeded to sabotage all of that hard work by inhaling some banana loaf and two cookies for lunch, winning myself a nomination for worst pre-natal nutrition ever.  Fret not, I'm rectifying the situation by eating some nutrient rich cucumber right now.  
In other news, buying maternity clothes in Edmonton has just become even more nightmarish than (I presume) it was before.  How can this be, you ask?  Well, it turns out Mexx will no longer be carrying their maternity line.  That means the only chains that carry maternity are Old Navy, Thyme Maternity, and Motherhood Maternity.  I went into all three of these establishments today hoping to find something to swath over the girth that has become my middle and had to leave, horrified.  

I could not, would not go for the stripes.

Nor was I feeling the cropped housecoat. 

And apparently, this is the type of shirt I can look forward to wearing as I nurse my new bundle of joy.

People are always saying that maternity clothes are so cute these days, but I'd like to respectfully disagree.  Sure, there are the boutique maternity stores in and around the city, but I haven't ventured in yet because I'm afraid the prices will send me running right back out the door, not to mention how it will affect Jimmy's blood pressure.  
I did find one okay pair of jeans, but I just couldn't stomach spending $50 on them. Maybe I'll get desperate as time goes on, and I bet by then the one pair I liked will be gone.  I did end up buying two non-maternity tops at Old Navy and two maternity tanks to keep the tum decent underneath.  One is a cardigan, so it will easily go the distance for the 97 odd days of gestation that remain.

The other, I'm not so sure.  The pintucks at the bottom may start to balloon out at odd angles as I continue to expand.  Time will tell.  

Maybe tomorrow I'll set up a de-luxe fashion shoot to show you how I've professionally styled these items, if you can wait that long.
Have a super fun Saturday night!
Shelby

Fact-Finding

If you are reading from some place else that isn't Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, prepare to be made incredibly jeal by this post.  Oh, what's that?  You were already jealous when you read about the minus 42 temperatures of the week past?  Well, this week it's spring again, so let your green eyed monster get some much needed rest.  
My research expedition has turned up some real pearls right here in Edmonton. There are several blogs that showcase the goings on in Edmonton.  The really interesting, stuff you don't hear about all the time, goings on.  City and Dale is a blog dedicated to sharing the hidden gems in Edmonton, from fashion and events, to great eats and entertainment.  They've just posted their weekend guide today, with at least two events that will get you out to enjoy the balmy temperatures.  First, Sunday Swing 'n' Skate, where live jazz and swing bands will charm you as you skate at City Hall, and the Mill Creek Adventure Walk, another free event for the whole family. 
A sister blog, City and Baby highlights the same facets of Edmonton life, but with a focus on places and events for parents with kids under six.  One of my friends has me living in constant paranoia that now that my uterus has been taken over by a new tenant I will become a mom whose whole life will be ruled by everything baby. And so I hesitated in putting this site up, because it very clearly relates to everything baby.  But then I reconsidered.  This site is great because it focuses on how you can get out and still do adult things with your cute (and very needy) little roommate. 
For example, the post today focused on a new local eatery called Café Tiramisu. This place sounds incredible!  Not only is it a coffee shop, they serve light Italian fare and are licensed.  You could go out on a Friday evening for a family dinner, then listen to live music and have a glass of wine while your kids play in the gorgeous play area, complete with four iPads!  Besides that, they have a community room where very reasonably priced fitness classes for the whole family are offered.  Run by two moms who missed getting out, this sounds like an incredible concept.
After filling you in on the greatness happening in my hometown, I've realized I do miss talking about myself just a little bit.  So a quick update that will lead into a gem from James before I sign off.  I have become unbelievably forgetful and clumsy as a professional child incubator.  The other night I was 45 minutes late for our pre-natal class because I couldn't remember what time it started (even though it was the third week of the class), nor could I find my phone in order to take Jimmy's call notifying me that I was late.  Jimmy was in a state of total shock because I am the planner and organizer in our house, and I am never that late to any event.  
Then, yesterday I somehow lost my Costco card inside the Costco and was almost unable to buy my 10 quarts of chocolate ice cream, which would have spelled disaster for everyone involved.  Not only that, but I am a criminal and use my mom's card because I don't have one, so when they offered to look up my card, I had to make up some lame excuse about why they couldn't find me in the system.  Luckily they took pity on my bloated self and let me pay for my ice cream and scuttle out the door.  
Thankfully, Jimmy's very understanding about these bizarre symptoms I've been experiencing.  Why just the other night as I was telling him a really interesting story, in a show of sympathy and solidarity for my condition he asked, "So is repeating yourself constantly a symptom of pregnancy?"  Who cares if I'd already told him that story?  It was really interesting.  I just can't remember what it was.
Adieu,
Shelby

Belly Bloat

You don't think that this:

Or this:

Has anything to do with this:

25 week old gas bubble.

Or this:

Do you?
If you know where I could get my hands on maternity snow pants, let me know.  I could have really used them in the minus 42 degree weather we had this week.
In other news, baby Q has been kicking more and more lately.  The other night I was feeling all kinds of movement, so I decided to do as my prenatal teacher instructed and poke back to "play" with the baby.  I was beyond surprised when the baby poked back!  I had to get Jimmy in on this as I've tried to get him to feel the baby moving a couple of times before, and he just looked at me doubtfully and said "Are you sure that's not gas?"  But this time, success!  Jimmy felt the baby move, and since it was in response to his poking and prodding, I think he's finally convinced that I am incubating a human and not just a large gas bubble.


Around here we're getting ready for the big home opening game where James will make his debut as captain.  He's been busy on the phone for radio interviews, and running around to the local television stations, not to mention the late night and early morning practices, so he's tired, but excited.  I am very proud, as I've said before, and yesterday I came across an article that was so well written and so complimentary, that I just have to share it here.  It can be easy to forget all those years of hard work that he (I like to think I helped - the teary phone calls from your long distance girl friend can only make you a better player, right?) has put in to get where he is.  Good luck tonight, captain, my captain!

Ice-Blue

It's blue Monday.  But here in Edmonton, I'll refer to it as ice-blue Monday because with the windchill the temperature is -36 degrees.  The news caster keeps telling me your skin can freeze in 10 minutes or less.  Comforting, seeing as Jimmy insisted on riding his bike to work, as per usual.  Don't worry your pretty little head - I made sure he was properly dressed.  Please note the lacrosse sick strapped to his back and bright orange bella clava.  I bet those morning commuters were thinking it'd be just another boring drive to work.  WRONG!  Not with my James astride his two wheeler.

I don't know that I've ever been happier to be staying home and cleaning the house.

He has texted me to say that he made it to school and is just defrosting his toes in a lukewarm bath while the kiddies figure out the circumference of their pencil top erasers.  Ahh, mind at ease, and moving on to other, more important things.  
Being that it is so cold, today is the perfect day to stay in and make a savoury and delicious pasta dish that "is simplicity itself" (can you tell that I've been reading this? It's about a blogger.  Shocking, I know).
Be warned that simple doesn't necessarily translate to easy, but it does translate to delicious, and besides, it's minus a bajillion degrees outside, remember?  What else are you going to do?  I found this recipe on one of my favourite foodie blogs, and it did not disappoint.  Time consuming?  Yes, but worth it!  As Jimmy pointed out: "This is one of the recipes you've made that actually looks like the picture!"  While that sounds suspiciously like a back handed compliment, he's right, it looked so . . . restauranty.

 And the taste - ah-may-zing - likely due to the generous pads of butter added just before serving.  While the original recipe is linked above, here is my, slightly altered, version:

Appropriately Modest Tomato Sauce

Inspired by Smitten Kitchen's Naked Tomato Sauce

Makes enough sauce for four pasta portions, but if you're going to the trouble, double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for the next time you need comfort on an icy-blue day.

3 pounds (about 10) Roma tomatoes

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 large clove garlic, crushed

Pinch red pepper flakes

3-5 whole basil leaves, plus 2-3 slivered for garnish

3 tablespoons olive oil

500 gram/1 pound box of spaghetti

1 tablespoon butter, more if you're pregnant

Smitten Kitchen recommends blanching, peeling, and seeding your tomatoes.  This is what makes the sauce time consuming.  But it may also be what makes it so delicious.  Apparently the skins and seeds can make the sauce more acidic.  I did as I was told, and like I said, the sauce was de-lish.  That being said, I make another sauce that uses Roma tomatoes, skin and seeds intact, and I don't find it acidic, so I think you could skip the blanching, peeling, and seeding, instead coarsely chopping your tomatoes, throwing them into the sauce pan to simmer, and moving on.

If you want to blanch, it's actually easy.  

1.  Cut a small "X" at the bottom of each tomato.  Blanch tomatoes in a large pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, rinsing under cold water when done.  Peel your tomatoes using the easy peel tabs created by your "X".  Discard skins.

2.  Cut each tomato in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds using a spoon and a small strainer set over a bowl to collect the extra juices.  Discard the seeds, and keep the juices.  My tomatoes didn't yield much extra juice, but maybe they just weren't very juicy.  You may have better luck than I.

If you don't want to blanch, pick it up here:

3.  Add tomatoes and salt to a medium saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat.  As the tomatoes simmer, break them up with a wooden spoon, or as Smitten Kitchen suggests, a potato masher.

4.  Once the sauce has begun to boil, turn heat down to medium-low, and continue to simmer gently for 35-45 minutes, breaking tomatoes up more, depending on how chunky you like your sauce.  If the sauce begins to look dry, add your reserved juices.

5.  While the sauce cooks, combine garlic, your whole basil leaves, red pepper flakes, and olive oil to a small frying pan.  Heat slowly, on the lowest heat so it takes a long time to come to a simmer.  Once it's simmering, remove from heat and strain the oil into a small bowl.  This flavour infused oil is another reason the sauce is sooo simple (no onion? no carrots? no nothing?) but sooo delicious.

6.  When your sauce has been simmering for about 25 minutes, cook your spaghetti according to the directions on the box, minus about 1 minute cooking time so pasta is a little more al dente than usual.

7.  Just before pasta is finished cooking, add the reserved olive oil to your sauce, stirring.  When pasta is done, drain, reserving about a 1/2 cup of pasta water.  Put pasta back into the pot, adding the tomato sauce and about a 1/4 cup of your reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce (I was nervous about the water, but it did not make it watery like I feared), adding more to achieve desired consistency.  Cook spaghetti mixture, stirring, for another minute or two, adding your butter and sprinkling with slivered basil just before serving.

Smitten Kitchen says the sauce is rich enough to serve without cheese, but I added cheese anyways.  Nothing is too rich for me these days.  Blisssss!

Stay warm,

Shelby