17 days

17 days 'til due date, seems like the longest 17 days of my life! Not only am I so excited to meet our 'lil boy and finally see his face, I'm physically exhausted. Knowing that I've got a fully cooked baby in my belly makes the anticipation more difficult to handle. When I began to show signs that I would be carrying a pretty big belly- bigger than what I expected based on my small frame I instantly thought there is no way I would make it all the way to the due date. For some reason I felt the baby would come sooner because I just would not be able to handle it. Well as April 17 draws nearer I'm slowly realizing I might be wrong. Carmen our doula assures me time and time again- the baby will come when he is ready. I have great faith in nature and that calms me down. The only thing that I worry about is being induced by my doc, getting on Pitocin making it impossible to bear labor and then all the medical interventions that seem to come along with all that. I know these thoughts are not helping me at the moment- yes I'm well aware therefore I'm unto my next distraction...

What would it be today?

Check out the two photos above. It totally shows how priorities instantly change when a baby is involved. I had a beauty room most women dream of, with all my lovely shoes presented in its glory along with my purse collection. This photo was taken after I had my hair & make-up done the day of our wedding.

Truthfully it was not hard to give up. I knew I wanted a nice and cozy room for our 'lil one and so out with the beauty room and in comes Leon's nursery. For now I've been demoted to a 'lil corner where I have a small mirror and shabby lighting.

As I'm sitting here at home waiting for our new grill to be delivered I came across these super adorable baby boy shoes. Where else but my favorite site www.etsy.com

Check out JL Perillo's Etsy shop online here. I think Leon would be sporting a pair of these at some point.

On a completely unrelated note, my friend Elaina sent me a link to this site where I found this pee-your-pants funny video. I had to re-post it hoping to share the laughter I've been enjoying.

Distraction

Last night was real rough... between my huge baby belly, about five bathroom trips and cramp-like sensations there was no way for me to get good sleep.

I refuse to stay still and wallow in discomfort so today is all about cleaning our home, laundry and baking some cookies. I definitely need some good distraction.

I have just enough stuff in the pantry to bake a yummy batch of "Hazelnut Choc-Chip Cookies." Chris loves these chewy and delicious treats!

I made a big batch of these as Christmas gifts to family and they were a hit. Thanks to Giada De Laurentis for the recipe!

Your grocery list:

• 1/2c old fashioned oats
• 2 1/4c all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1c unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1c light brown sugar
• 1c sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 oz english toffee candy, finely chopped
• 1c hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 12oz bag semisweet chocolate chips (or white chocolate if you prefer)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the sugars with the butter 'til fluffy. Beat eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in the toffee, chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 tablespoonful of dough 1" apart on the cookie sheet. Bake 'til golden - which takes about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven.

The cookies can be prepared one day ahead.

I normally store it in an airtight container so it could be enjoyed even a few days later. It's chewy on the inside and crisp around the edges- yum.

Schezuan Beef w/ Green Beans

An extremely simple dish perfect over steamed quinoa grain. Healthy and packed with protein.

I love this dish besides it packing in flavor and nutrients, it's totally affordable to make.

Your grocery list:

• 1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey, even ground chicken would work well)
• 1/2 lb fresh green beans, trim ends and cut into bite-size pieces
• extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 3 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
• 3 tbsp sweet chili garlic sauce (add more if you prefer spicy)
• couple splashes of plum vinegar
• 3 tbsp of hoisin sauce

While chopping the onion and the mincing the garlic, have a pot of water to boil and blanche the green beans only for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or large pan. Saute onion 'til transparent and add the ground beef as soon as garlic becomes fragrant (which will be quick, don't let garlic brown).

Brown the beef, season with little salt 'n pepper to taste (note that sauces will add salt as well). Drop the blanched green beans into same pan, start adding all the sauces and turn flame to low.

Let all flavors combine and allow green beans to cook a bit more while making sure it stays crisp. Serve over quinoa grain or steamed rice.

Remember a good cook always tastes the dish before serving!

Enjoy!

Thoughts

Perhaps because I did not expect that pregnancy could at times be lonely, I was caught by surprise to have to deal with some personal junk I've unknowingly carried around. Pre-pregnancy I had a notion that pregnant women are most times celebrated and that support is received from every direction. This has not been true in my case. Sure I get support from a few friends that I'm very close to but on the other hand, there's been a good amount of people who sort of disappeared. At times, I think to myself "Is this what happens when you become a parent? Were my single friends only hanging around me when I could hang out at the bar and have a drink? Did I stop being fun?" I guess this is the transition I hear people talk about. That when you embark on such a big life changing moment, everything changes including the scenery and the people you're surrounded with.

If not for Chris, I would be a mess trying to figure out why. I have to say that he truly has been my most solid source of support and love. We've gotten through a lot in the past but time and time again he reminds me that there's nothing we can't get through together.

In the beginning I used to feel so left out but now I have to admit that it's refreshing to know that the friends and family I have around at the moment are those that are sure to stay no matter what. Those are the people that matter the most to me anyhow.

Yum

I've been all about frozen yogurt lately. Today it was mango and original swirl topped with fresh blueberries- for some mighty antioxidants, chewy mochi, yogurt chips, mini cheesecake bites and light caramel.

While I was savoring every spoonful of my yummy treat, a random kind man noticed me and commented that I look great for someone who looks ready to have a baby any time now. Then he went on saying he's a chiropractor and he has many pregnant clients. Of course, I politely said thanks accepting his compliment and then went back to focusing on my yummy cup of goodness.

Belly Bandit

I love going to my local Pump Station store here in L.A. They have all the great finds that moms use.

My recent purchase is the Belly Bandit which promises to tighten and shrink the tummy post pregnancy. Of course it has to be worn properly and tummy must be wrapped day and night for 6-8 weeks after delivery. We shall see how it works for me and I'll make sure to write a follow-up post about the results.

I found it funny that on the box it says "Jessica Alba's #2 secret for a fast post pregnancy slim down!" Now I wonder what her #1 secret is... maybe a personal trainer?