Getting there

 Sometimes traveling goes smoothly and sometimes it does not.  Last year when we went to Paris, it did not.  They did not put enough fuel in our plane so we missed our connection in Houston and had to be rerouted to London then Frankfurt and finally Paris.  We were hoping not to repeat this process this year.

We should have known better.  You would think booking the same route we took last year would throw up some red flags but it did not.

Everything started off well.  We got to Houston without issues, which was not the case last year.  We had plenty of time in between flights so we went to the Pappadeauxs at the airport.  Daniel had a bloody mary and I had water.  I was already beginning to realize that being pregnant was going to make traveling a little different.

The silver lining about flying to three different cities to get to Barcelona is that we have to fly to London, which means we get to fly on the 777.  Lay flat seats are life-changing and the only way to go.

Daniel getting excited about another flight

Hello, lover

The menu

And again

Salad

Appetizers

Fish, which turned out to be a bad idea

More food!

The sundae cart makes me so happy

Our flight to London was uneventful minus one super exciting event.  I got my first pregnancy-induced nosebleed right as they were serving breakfast.  The look of horror on the stewardess's face was pretty amazing and made me feel a little like a leper.  

The London airport is where the trip took a turn for the worse.  As much as I love a 777, I hate Heathrow.  They have a main terminal and only release a certain number of gates at a time.  That means you have to sit in the waiting area until about 30 minutes before your flight and then hustle to the gate.  I feel as though there is a better way to do this.

As our flight time got closer, our gate information was never released and good luck finding anyone to answer questions.  When the flight was finally released, we were already late and it looked like we would barely make our connection from Frankfurt to Barcelona.  Then our flight got delayed.  I did not handle this well.  We had tour booked for that evening and if we didn't make our flight, we would miss the tour.

We were finally able to board our flight but it looked like we would probably miss our connection but I tried to remain optimistic.

Lufthansa's first class on short flights. It's fancy.

We finally got to Frankfurt only to find out that we had missed our flight.  Oh and the tour company was not willing to reschedule us or give us a refund on the money we had paid.  I was not a happy camper.  Long story short, we finally made it to Barcelona and were able to check into our hotel.

We stayed at Hotel 1898 which is located right on La Rambla.  It is close to pretty much everything and there was a metro station about 200 yards away to get to anything that wasn't so close.

The room

Desk and bar area

The bathroom

The teeny, tiny shower

Our view

Needless to say, our travel experiences to Barcelona were less than ideal.  Thankfully, our time spent in Barcelona made up for the horrible events of getting there.

Cooking class for two

We all know that I love a cooking class and I try to attend one every time I come home. This time I planned a trip around around a cooking class. I needed a break from the Panhandle and since I am not technically working, I have nothing but time on my hands.  As much as I love cooking classes, I might love fried chicken even more. It is my favorite food and the only meal I ask my mother-in-law to cook for me on my birthday so a class featuring this intimidating dish was like a match made in heaven.

A lot of the cooking classes at Hubbell and Hudson sell out quickly and the class we took, which was southern recipes inspired by the movie "The Help", was no exception.  My mom and I patiently waited for a new class to be listed and then we jumped on it and I planned my escape.

Fried chicken is a dish that has always been super intimidating.  There is the fact that you can easily ruin the dish by overheating or underheating the oil.  Then the actual act of frying is full of danger.  Finally, you have to make sure the chicken is actually cooked through.  That's a lot, so I was happy to have a chef walk me through the process.


The line-up

The final verdict is that fried chicken doesn't have to be impossible to make at home.  I decided that a thermometer for the oil is essential.  This easily tells you if you are getting too hot or too cold.  A gas range doesn't hurt either.  I also learned that if you place the chicken in the oil moving away from your body, you are less likely to get popped.



The finished product



Minny's chocolate pie minus any crazy ingredients

My next goal is to recreate this meal at home (minus the macaroni and cheese because our family recipe is way better).  Everything was delicious and seemed easy enough, but that may be because all the ingredients were pre-prepared.  I'll let you know how it goes.

15 weeks

I am in Houston for the week, so I have no picture to post yet.  However, I do have an observation about being pregnant.  People want to scare the shit out of you.  If I hear one more story about an epidural that didn't work or how painful labor is, I am going to explode.  Being pregnant is scary.  Thinking about actually having a baby is even scarier.  I personally don't need every other person telling me that I should be even more scared than I already am.  It's like when you get married and people ask why would ever want to do that.  I have to have this baby one way or another and I would like to keep up the illusion that it will be a cake walk for as long as possible.

How far along: 15 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain/loss:  I am probably still gaining, but who likes to weigh themselves?  Ignorance is bliss.
Maternity clothes:  Still mostly in non-maternity clothes.  I am rocking the belly band with my jeans though.
Stretch marks: I thought I saw one but it was a hallucination.
Sleep: My pre-pregnancy sleep routine is back on track.
Best moment this week: Getting to come to Houston and relax.  We went to a baby store I picked out a stroller and a car seat.  I feel pretty good about having made two big decisions.
Movement: None but I really don't think I know what I am going to feel so I could be oblivious.
Food cravings: Ice cream, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese.
Gender: We thought we were going to find out on Saturday, but it was too early to tell.
Labor signs: None.
Belly in or out: In.
What I miss: Being able to shop for cute, regular-sized clothes.  Not that I would be rocking a crop top but I miss seeing small size numbers.
What I am looking forward to: Our next doctor's appointment and making it to the half-way point.
Weekly wisdom: Just like when you get married, people want tell you scary pregnancy stories.  Tell them to pipe down.
Milestones: The baby gave us the finger during our ultrasound which means it already as my personality.  And by that, I mean it is absolutely charming and full of spunk.

fill in the blank friday

I feel like I haven't done one of these in forever!  I am currently being stalked by a 100 pound Weimaraner because it is thundering and actually raining in the Texas Panhandle.  I am not joking when I say that this will be front page news.  I leave for Houston on Sunday and I could not be more excited!

1.  The best surprise ever would be,   a surprise trip.  I always plan our trips so it would be nice to have one planned for me so I could really enjoy it.  I have a feeling that my type A, control freak self would never actually allow this to happen.  I would also love to be surprised by a Celine Mini Luggage in Red for my birthday.  Just saying.

2.      Finding out that we were finally, actually going to have a baby   is my most favorite memory .

3.  The hardest, but most worthwhile thing I've ever done was   moving to the Panhandle to start a new life with my husband.  There are still days where I cry and wish we lived closer to my family, but all in all small town living is not so bad (unless my husband decides that city living is the life for him and wants to move which I am in favor of).

4.  The best part of my day is   the evening.  I get a little lonely some days being home alone and the dogs are not the best conversationalists.  I get to talk to another adult and sometimes we go on walks, which make me very happy.

5. Something I like that most people don't is      brown sugar on my corn.

6. Something I am willing to fight for is     my marriage.

7.  Something you might not know about me is   I have almost fallen off/out of two different amusement park rides.  One was Space Mountain at Disneyland and the other was a viking ship ride that swung upside down at Busch Gardens.  True stories.

14 weeks

I am still cruising along.  I still feel like I am in limbo until we find out the baby's sex.  I did finally decide on a crib.  I have realized that people have lots of advice about everything baby-related.  We decided on a traditional, gender-neutral white iron crib.  I fell in love with a wood Jenny Lind crib but after being told by multiple people that children like to chew on their cribs, I decided that wood was out.  I don't want to spend money on something that will be ruined and you can't really chew on iron (if you would like to keep all of your teeth).

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How far along: 14 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain/loss:  Gain all the way!  I haven't weighed myself but I had to purchase belly bands to help my pants situation.
Maternity clothes:  I have worn a few maternity items but more for comfort than necessity.  I am still wearing all my old clothes for the most part.
Stretch marks: None but I am taking precautions.
Sleep: I am sleeping but I have had some pretty crazy nightmares.
Best moment this week: Getting to spend some time with our family and friends.
Movement: I thought I felt something this morning, but I now think that I may be crazy,
Food cravings: The usual although a lobster roll sounds amazing.
Gender: We are still patiently waiting.
Labor signs: None.
Belly in or out: In.
What I miss: I miss being able to eat what I want.  I mean, I pretty much eat what I am hungry for but sometimes all a girl wants is a turkey sandwich or some goat cheese and people scare you about eating these things.
What I am looking forward to: Going to Houston and shopping for baby stuff.
Weekly wisdom: People who tell you that you get all this energy in your second trimester and feel better than you ever have are, quite frankly, full of shit.  I am still tired and desperately seeking this illusive energy.
Milestones: I am officially well into my second trimester.

happy memorial day

happy memorial day!

I am so proud to be from a family full of veterans.  My grandfathers served in World War II and the Korean War.  My grandmother was a WAVE during World War II.  Both of my parents are veterans and I have aunt, uncles, and cousins who have served our country.  People do not realize how much not only they sacrifice but their families as well.  I am so thankful for all our men and women serving and hope everyone takes time to say thank you.

13 weeks

We are cruising right along in this pregnancy.  I have started to have acid reflux and headaches.  I usually get about two to three headaches a day, which has not been the most fun experience.  I really must say that I applaud women who work full-time while pregnant.  I have been spoiled by napping whenever I chose and the days I work have been tough.  I feel dehydrated all day and my legs hurt.  I am so thankful that I am getting to experience this pregnancy from the comfort of home.

How far along: 13 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain/loss:  I finally bit the bullet and I have gained about 4 pounds.  Taking into consideration all of the junk I have been eating, this is not so bad.
Maternity clothes: I am still in my regular clothes.  I did wear a pair of maternity shorts this week because I needed a red pair to go with my outfit.  They were ridiculously comfortable and I am not ashamed.
Stretch marks: Nothing new to report.
Sleep:  We are really good friends.  I do wake up throughout the night to go to the bathroom or because of my crazy dreams.
Best moment this week: Meeting our new OB.  He was so nice and I feel much more comfortable with him.  I'm glad I decided to make the switch.  We also got to see the baby and he said everything looked great.
Movement: Nothing.
Food cravings: Waffles or pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream and milk duds.  
Gender: We should know by the end of next month.
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out: In, thank the Lord.
What I miss: I haven't missed anything really this week.  I do feel like I have been pregnant forever.
What I am looking forward to: Going to Houston.
Weekly Wisdom: Trust your gut.  If you don't like your doctor or agree with their treatment plan, make a change.  It's about what is best for you not them.
Milestones: Our first OB appointment.