Poinsettia Bowl!

I married into a Utes family. Not just any Utes family, but the biggest University of Utah fans I've ever met. They know how to throw parties and cheer on their team. It is quite a blast. For Christmas this year, Doug wanted to go to San Diego and watch the Utes play in the Pointsettia Bowl. We took off Saturday and drove via St. George to San Diego. We spent a few days enjoying the warm weather in December (if I hadn't been pregnant, we would've splurged and paid to go ice skating next to the ocean! Maybe next time.) The game was spectacular. We got lucky and got seats on the front row in the corner of the stadium (Charger's stadium) next to the marching band and on the 7 yard line. Doug was in heaven! We were nearly eye level with the players, cheerleaders, and coaches. It felt like we were really a part of the game. Here are some highlights...

Halftime show with some great fireworks behind us.

View from our seats--pretty sweet. We were on ESPN, KSL, and the jumbo-tron cameras quite a few times...

Thanks to the little champ to my right in this photo--Zachary. I had an empty seat next to me and he quickly asked if he could join us. He was quite the demanding spectator asking for autographs and cameraman time. I also had the opportunity of answering many questions during the game such as "is the game over yet?" and "did we just score?". Conveniently, he came with his grandparents to the game and they happily let him sit with us. They checked on him a few times and would ask us if we were 'okay' with him sitting with us. What do you say to that--when the boy is right next to you having the time of his life? He got a signature from every cheerleader and the mascot...a few random band members and players. He helped make the game more interesting.

Swoop came by and paused for a photo with us. One of the perks of being on the front row. The best news of the night...we didn't drive 722 miles in vain! The Utes beat the Cal bears and we were able to celebrate with the team. That's always nice to win! Go Utes!

Is it just paranoia?

It has been 6 days of being nervous. I was pretty sure I was only feeling one of the two babies kicking. Last night I realized how upset I was about it--I was having a hard time falling asleep with pictures in my mind of one baby alive and the other, not. Doug tried to comfort me and tell me that everything was okay. I've never been pregnant before so I don't know what things "should" feel like. What I did know is that the babies had moved, my belly had dropped lower, and I wasn't feeling the strong jabs from the baby boy.

I called my doctor this morning and the nurse said to come in for an "emergency appointment" and have a brief ultrasound. My mom was kind enough to come with me...so grateful. Doug had a final exam during my appointment time. It's amazing--I hadn't realized how emotional I had become about the idea of something being wrong. Even though I knew we'd bring home one baby in a few months--the idea of losing one of them was such an awful feeling. It reminded me of all the emotion I had during in-vitro...wondering if it would "work".

The doctor came in and was only there for 2-3 minutes and said, "yup--I see two good heart beats, breathing, and movement." They were both still there! I think I sighed about 12 times on the way home to my house...over and over again. What a relief! Thank goodness for ultrasound technology.

Here is the latest belly photo--taken today. I am 25 weeks and feeling good!

You can tell what I was watching on TV in the background. One of my favorite shows--Family Feud. Doug LOVES that there are like 3 shows on in a row everyday after work. It's his favorite! I have it on in the background while I make some dinner for myself.

Thanksgiving

I rely on other people to take photos and then I request that they send them to me. My sister-in-law, Chelsea, posted these photos on her blog and I basically stole them to use on mine. Thanks Chelsea!

Isn't he adorable? Doug is a baker--he bakes things. He is really good at it as well. At Thanksgiving dinner, my dad said, "Doug, your rolls are becoming a tradition." I think this was my dad's way of ensuring that Doug makes them more often. This is Tonya's (Doug's sister) recipe and it is a favorite.

Not the most appetizing photo, but I contributed to Thanksgiving dinner for the first time in my life in a real way--not just the relish tray (sorry Sarah). I made stuffing. Doug's family makes homemade stuffing. I didn't think that was possible until last year. So, I decided to take a stab at it. I was a little nervous because I like to make things 'healthier' by using better oils or eliminating sugar...so needless to say, they don't always turn out as planned. After a few phone calls to Doug's mom and sister, I made delicious stuffing! My mom even asked for the recipe (maybe just to make me feel good) and I was quick to accept her offer. Woo hoo for homemade stuffing!

One highlight of the holiday was being with not one, but two other pregnant ladies. Chelsea is about 7 weeks ahead of me and Sarah is 2 weeks ahead of me--we all looked nearly the same size. My friend Kayla (who is also pregnant) even stopped by for a visit! I was nearly 24 weeks in this photo and tomorrow I will be 25 weeks. My belly is rounding out with one baby boy on top by my ribs and one baby girl below. In the last few weeks I feel some weird sensations like that cute little boy is jabbing at my gallbladder or something--I can only imagine how this will feel in a few months.

It felt funny to eat a regular-portioned meal for Thanksgiving, but I can't fit much food in at once! So, I grazed a little and had the first caffeine rush of my life. I made a chocolate pie with only a few ingredients:

Crust:

¾ c cocoa powder

¾ c almond flour (or very finely chopped almonds)

½ c maple syrup powder (frontier)

¼ c coconut butter (also called coconut cream--I buy Tropical Traditions brand. It's a little pricey, so I buy it from the lady in Alpine.)

pinch of sea salt

Combine in food processor and press into pie tin. It is best if it is a larger tin.

Filling:

2 ¼ cup cocoa powder

1 c maple syrup

1 c coconut butter (coconut cream)

Combine in food processor until as smooth as possible. Pour over crust. Refrigerate overnight. I serve it with nut cream.

Cream topping:

2 cups soaked cashews, drained and rinsed

½ cup honey

1 ¼ cups water

1 T vanilla

Combine in blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Spread over chilled pie.

As you can tell, a large portion of the pie is cocoa. I don't drink coffee, soda, or eat chocolate very often...so that much caffeine sent me over the edge. I felt jittery and restless. I didn't think I could get a caffeine rush from a dessert--but I did. I ate one medium-sized piece and then a sliver a few hours later...that was enough for my system. It was pretty crazy. Those babies must have been running in circles in my belly. Everyone loved it--although it was the richest dessert at the table. It was like dark chocolate fudge in a crust...delicious!

It was great to see Sarah and Chris and Chelsea and Dave from out of town. So fun to be with family. Can't wait until next time!