Addiction...

...is buying a pound of olives from Jimmy's and Central Market. The first half pound was a Christmas mix from Jimmy's. They were preserved in their own brine, so they don't actually taste like anything Christmas-ish, they just happen to be red and green. The second half pound were arbequina olives. They're delicious and have a distinctive nutty quality to them. They're also not as bitter as normal olives. I remember eating them as tapas in Granada, when I was there to see La Alhambra.

They're also...uh...gone. I ate the whole pound. In 3 days.

I think I might have a problem.

Temptation

I'll be honest. I really hate being pregnant. The morning sickness lasted 2 months and was debilitating (and it still rears it's ugly head with occasional nausea), but it was nothing compared to the fatigue. The morning sickness was expected. It had a relatively short duration. I knew when to anticipate it (at 6 weeks) and I knew when to expect its gradual exit (at 14 weeks). Yes, it's hard, but it's like being pinched for saying a bad word when you're younger. It stings, but that's part of being pregnant. If you don't want to be pinched or throw up for two months don't curse and don't get pregnant.

The fatigue on the other hand is like being in a bar fight with the invisible man. I didn't expect it. I underestimated it. And now it's breaking a chair over my head and kicking my ass. Then it's leaning down and whispering in my ear with a light Irish lilt, "Why don't you just lie down? Why don't you just forget about doing what you need to do and go to sleep?" It's maddening. When is it going to end? My doctor just shrugs and says, sometimes pregnant women are fatigued. Some are more fatigued than others. Deal with it.

The problem lies in "dealing with it". What would I do if I weren't pregnant? Why chug caffeine of course! I would press my black coffee powder into my stove top espresso maker and wait excitedly as the thick black liquid would bubble upward with small bursts of steam. Then I would slowly pour it into a small cup and it would swirl delicately with cream until it was a delicious golden brown concoction ready to provide me with soulful warmth and a burst of mental energy. Is that an option anymore? Of course not. Because all pregnant women must live in a dietary bubble to avoid the fearful LISTERIA or fatal caffeine overdoses or fetal alcohol syndrome. So you tell me that a cold cut and brie sandwich will KILL MY BABY if it's not cooked? Great. Oh, this hygienically prepared sushi might give my baby mercury poisoning? Wonderful. Don't even get me started about not being able to eat chocolate chip cookie dough. The perpetual reminders of what you can't eat, and what you should be eating and the horrifying potential side effects of violating these rules is wild. So I won't succumb to my cravings. I will take my naps and drink my water and go on my walks in the mornings. Decaf? No, my tongue can taste the difference...it's like listening to a joke and not being able to hear the punchline.

Damn you, Starbucks. You really ARE everywhere. A perpetual temptation to stray to the dark side. The dark rich delicious caffeinated side....

Paquito

When my sister and I left for the air force and college respectively, my parents found themselves with an empty nest situation. The result? This little 17 lb Havanese which my parents affectionately call Paquito. I wanted them to call him Winston or Watson...something English and austere sounding to match his ridiculous little mustache. But they insisted on naming him something Spanish to match his Cuban heritage (did you know that all of the Havanese in the U.S. are descended from the same 11 dogs?). As it turns out, it fits him and his bravado perfectly. I have never met a dog so confident. Even though they outweigh him by 20-40 pounds, he never backs down from a confrontation with either of my dogs. Instead he attempts to win their hearts by performing tricks for them and barking insistently when they refuse to acknowledge the pillar of masculinity that he is.

These are Leah's pets Max and Tobi exploring Oklahoma's big blizzard of 2009. Last night my friends and I gathered for our weekly dinner. We started this tradition about a year and a half ago, and it has been a wonderful way to stay connected as we all branch out into our lives with our jobs, engagements, and school. It's something I really look forward to, as each week one of us cooks a giant meal and everyone else supplies wine, salad, and dessert. Our conversations are normally pretty colorful and range from politics to international travels to raunchy personal stories.

Leah cooked last night and we had roasted chicken, green bean casserole, salad, cornbread, and no bake cookies. It was very very tasty. Then we all settled in to watch Jim and Pam from the Office have their baby. It was nice to know that the baby was conceived in a porta-potty at Running Man. I loved that Angela and Dwight decided to have a baby. Angela is one of my favorite characters; she's so uptight, religious and quirky. Of course they wrote a parenting contract. Of course it had a clause that that baby would be male.

It was a great episode and I loved every minute of it, mostly because I imagine Russell will be a lot like Jim was when I go into labor: excited, worried, frazzled, etc. He's normally very cool under pressure relating to everything else, but I can easily see him entering OMG territory while trying to keep me calm. Although, I don't really see him diapering any cats to prepare for the baby. Maybe the dogs. I think I'd enjoy watching Sophie waddle around in a diaper.

Trouble

She's eyeballin' you, son.

MMM olives...

Ahh what a convenient little olive tray. I can just put one end in my mouth and tilt, haha. Delicious.

For the Nursery

How cute are these adorable animal prints? I'm thinking 4 or 6 of them in a pattern over the baby's crib. I've been struggling with ideas for decorating the nursery for some time. I want a gender neutral theme. I mainly feel this way because 1. babies don't seem to mind too much what you decorate the nursery with and 2. I want it to be a soothing and peaceful environment. When Bubbles gets a little older he/she can express themselves more independently and choose what they want or what they don't want in their bedroom. They can Tonka Truck trick their room out to their heart's content. Until then, I'm thinking clean lines, neutral colors, and little rustic touches.
Here is an inspiring room.