King James

I wanted to do something nice for Jay before the baby arrives, so I decided to get tickets to see The Warriors play The Cavs featuring Lebron James. I found a great contact through craigslist and we got amazing seats. Now that I have sat this close to the game, we have become spoiled. Lebron was on fire and sadly he sunk the game winning shot at the buzzer. We had such a good time and can't wait to bring the little guy next year. I'm sure he will grow up to be quite the Warriors fan like his Daddy.

Obama Inauguration

What an amazing day for our country. President Barack Obama took the oath of office to become our 44th President. The spirit and excitement of our country was contagious and you couldn't help but have a smile on your face knowing what good hands our country is now in. I am truly proud to be an American and proud of the man that we have elected.

President Obama's speech was uplifting, encouraging and right on.

Here are some of my favorite highlights and what I took away from his words:

"I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors."
Humbled, Grateful and Mindful (A reminder of a few of the most important virtues in life)

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."
A summary of the serious issues that our country faces in the year 2009.


"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."
No matter your race, culture or religion we are all God's people and should live in peace.

"To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours."
During this difficult time in our country, it is time for each and every one of us to step up and help make this country and world a better place. Lend your support and heart to those in need during these challenges. Each and every day we should be working towards helping others.

My Weekend

My best friend this weekend was a box of Kleenex. I've been lucky since this is my 1st cold of the winter, but it has knocked me out. I don't think I've slept for more than a few hours a night, but the good thing is that it has made me relax and take it easy which I haven't been doing lately.


I'm looking forward to tonight to getting out for a nice dinner. One of my work vendors has invited Jason and I to dinner at The Waterbar, a new restaurant in the city that is supposed to have the most amazing view of the Bay. Hope I can stop blowing my nose for a few minutes, so I don't interupt the gourmet meal.

An Eventful Day of Appointments

I took this past Thursday off work to complete a day's worth of Doctor's appointments at UCSF. Jason was with me for my 1st appointment which was an ultrasound to check for growth. We were so excited to see how much our little guy had been growing and sure enough he measured right on at 30 weeks.

When I first got to my appointment, the tech put me in the room and told me to lay down. She left the room for a few minutes and as I was laying there I started to feel like I couldn't breathe. I sat up and told Jason that I was going to pass out. He took one look at me and realized from the color on my face that I may be telling the truth. After a minute or so, some water and a banana, I started to feel better. I figured maybe it was my new medicine or that it was really early in the morning. When the tech came back she had me lay down again and within 2 minutes the fainting spell came back. It took a few minutes to start feeling better again. The tech then casually mentioned that because I was in my 3rd trimester, I probably shouldn't be lying flat on my back. She explained it is common for women to feel faint in their 3rd trimester if they lie flat on their backs (something to do with your uterus cutting off a large vein that is responsible for blood flow). GOOD TO KNOW since she was the one who told me to lie on my back! I moved to my side (which is how I currently sleep) and I then felt fine.

After that I had my Glucose Screening where you have to drink a sugary substance and then have your blood drawn an hour later. I found out the next day that I didn't pass the screening. So now on Monday, I have to do the 3 hour Glucose Tolerance Test. I've heard it is not fun as you have to fast for 10 hours and then drink double the sugary substance on an empty stomach and then have your blood drawn each hour for 3 hours (all while not eating). I guess a lot of pregnant woman have a false positive in the screening but pass the 2nd test, so I'm hopeful for that. This weekend I'm trying very hard not to eat any sweets, which is very hard to resist. Good-bye sweet tooth!

Lastly, I went to the cardiologist for my 3rd trimester echo and appointment. The great news was that my echo came back good, so that was something to celebrate. During pregnancy your blood volume increases significantly and peaks at 30 weeks. I have had an echo done each trimester to track how my heart is tolerating all the extra blood flow. I was very relieved to hear that everything looked normal. I started taking beta blockers about a week ago due to my blood pressure getting a little high and they also seem to be working good. I NEVER take medicine (unless I'm forced), so for me to take this was a big step. The good news is they actually have a calming affect. I joked with my cardiologist that I could see people becoming addicted to these little pills since they make you feel so good.

So that was my day at the doctor's. Within 2 weeks, I start going in weekly for fetal non-stress tests and every other week to my cardiologist, so UCSF is going to be like a 2nd home. It is amazing how much precaution they follow when you are considered high-risk and a heart patient, but I feel so comforted to know that I am getting the very best care. I continue to feel really good and am hoping for another 2 months of keeping active and healthy.

30th Birthday Disco Celebration

Last night Melissa and I had our 30th Birthday Party at my parents house and had a 70's disco theme in honor of 1979 (the year we were born). Everyone dressed up in amazing costumes and I was so impressed with the creativity and spirit for the 70's decade. I had so much fun and thank everyone for making it such a memorable birthday celebration. Jason made sure to have the music blaring all night long and the dancing was (as always) impressive. I did attempt to do a few dance moves myself, but found that my belly was already sore from all the laughing throughout the night. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the evening.

Tied for Best Costume:

BOB (yes, this is Jason's Dad in case you didn't recognize him)


Knute
The red curls, velvet tight pants and heels that held dice in them were amazing. Hope your calves didn't hurt too much after spending your first night in heels.

Some of the Best Disco Dancers

Chris
Need I say more? I think this dance move sums it up pretty well.


Tracy
Always a strong competitor in any dance competition.


Danny
The teeth, wig and outfit made the dancing even more amazing.

Here are more great pics from the night...


The 70's fashion was all about bright colors and bold patterns. Everyone really did look amazing.


Loved the dresses! I got mine on Ebay from a vintage store in Alaska.


The dance floor was never empty.


70's Mamas!


Heidi rocked the silver metallic leggings and Betty whipped out her authentic pin collection.


Brian and the ladies.


The Birthday Cupcakes.


Making a birthday wish with Melissa. Last year we celebrated our birthday with a scavenger hunt and this year the 70's. Can't wait to see what next year brings.


Angie, aka "Sharon Stone from Casino" looking hot as always.


Some more of the great fashion.


Jason grew out the stache all week long.


The disco ball was spinning all night. It only fell once and luckily no one was injured.


Yes, Scott. The bass was so loud that a vase was knocked over.


The last dance ended around midnight.


THANK YOU Mom and Dad for hosting such an amazing party. I couldn't have asked for a better celebration and everything was just perfect. Here we are at 1:00am finally relaxing after the music ended. Hopefully the 30th was a little calmer than the 21st, but just as good of a party.


A few people asked how does it feel to turn 30? For me, last night proved it all. As long as you continue living life to the fullest, age is nothing but a number. I look forward to the 30's being amazing years filled with love, parenthood, friendship and fun times.

3rd Trimester Begins

This past week had a lot of milestones...
I turned 30, entered the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy, 2009 began and my belly must have doubled in size! What a week.

The most amazing gift of 2008 was becoming pregnant and I can't believe that this little guy is going to bless our lives in just a few months. I can't wait to meet him and feel like the countdown has truly begun. I am really trying to cherish each little kick and feeling and even some of the discomforts. Within the past few weeks, I have started to feel incredibly full after eating, felt kicks and jabs throughout the entire day (which I love), am starting to get tired again and my sweet tooth is in FULL FORCE! I brought home my leftover birthday cake from dinner the other night and it takes so much will power to only allow one piece per day. I had a large piece of cake after lunch the other day, so the following day the cake had to find a new home.


We have started decorating the room and are going with an animal theme (I know, not a total shocker for us since we are such animal lovers!). I have had good restraint without buying too many things. Here is a picture of some of my favorite recent gifts/buys.

Betty and Bob found an amazing Animal Ark and Mini-Marley, Jason bought some cute stuffed animals to match our bedding, Ellie got our little guy some stylish socks and those are my favorite pair of pants that I bought.

As of right now, the plan is to be induced about 2 weeks prior to my due date, so that would be around March 11th. I'm going to be delivering at UCSF since they specialize in high-risk pregnancies for coarctation patients and my cardiologist will be able to be present during the delivery. I feel so lucky to be in such good hands and have really not worried about the birth since I know that most of the decisions will be in the doctor's hands.

Cheers to the last trimester!

Tahoe Trip

We just got back from Tahoe and it was a Winter Wonderland. I rented a house in Tahoma, which is a cute little town close to Tahoe City and the lake. The snow has been dumping up there for over a week and we arrived just in time to take advantage of all the fresh snow with the added bonus of good weather. Jason, his parents and my Dad went skiing both days at Sqauw, while my mom and I relaxed, got lunch, and walked around Truckee and Squaw.

We went out to dinner at Pisanos (great quaint pizza place), Sunnyside (couldn't resist the Hula pie) and then cooked in the last night.


After dinner, we got everyone excited for a game of Mexican Train Dominos. (Please ignore our wild beast attacking Jason's nose)


This was Marley's 1st trip to the snow and she liked it. She was a little skeptical of the snow since it was so fresh she sunk about 4 feet.


Can't wait to go back again next year!

Christmas 2008

With everything that happened early Christmas morning, we still managed to have an amazing and fun Christmas celebration this year.


We love giving Marley her gifts since she gets so excited. This year she got some peanut butter stuffin for her Kong, a furry rabbit and lots and lots of bones and treats.


Jason was excited to get his scarves and new clothes. This man is more into fashion than most women I know.


I was excited to get a new robe and 3 pairs of shoes. Now I just need a bigger closet. Do you like Jason's wrapping job? Quite impressive.


We then headed to my parents house for dinner and more present opening. Nothing beats an "almost" 3 year old celebrating Christmas. Scott was hilarious and kept us entertained all night. The excitement in his eyes and voice were magical and it is so fun to have young kids to spend the holidays with. All the magic of Christmas comes back.


Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!


AND...Happy Birthday Dad! You are such an amazing father and pop and always put everyone else first. We thank you for all that you do all year round.

An Angel is Born

This Christmas Eve, Heidi was induced after finding out that her baby boy had passed away. I headed over to the hospital and got to spend the day with Heidi and Danny as we waited for her labor to begin. Despite the circumstances, we had a special evening together talking and it is a day that I will always remember.

Heidi and Danny showed courage and grace throughout the entire experience. As they have had so many challenges through the past few years, they have never turned their back on their faith but rather embraced it even more. I can't explain how proud I am to have them in my family. I was talking to one of the nurses at the hospital and she said to me, "You can tell what an amazing family you have. You are all so lucky to have each other. It is so clear how much love you have." It touched me since I knew how right she was. It is times like this that you realize that the most important people in your life is your family.

Carl Lavar McMillan was born early Christmas morning. He was named in honor of my Dad (Walter Carl) and Danny's Dad (Glen Lavar). Christmas now holds an even more special place in our hearts as we remember Carl, celebrate my Dad's birthday and the birth of our savior. An angel was born on Christmas Day and he has now returned home to heaven.

Marley and Me

I just finished reading Marley and Me and LOVED IT! If you have ever owned a less than perfect dog or are even an animal lover, this is the book for you. I laughed (almost every page), I cried (for over an hour) and can't wait to see the movie coming out this month.



A lot of people ask if we named Marley after the book, but we actually hadn't heard of the book when we got her. It is simply a coincidence, but we can't help but think this book was written about her. My little Marley is not quite as out of control as the one in the book, but she definitely is no angel.

Without giving away too much, the book starts out with a couple that is newly married that decides to get a lab. It chronicles there life together as a family and shares stories about how their beloved pet Marley always seems to be getting into mischevious mishaps. The book made me realize how my Marley will be such a big part in my own kid's lives. I grew up with dogs that were my best friends and I can't wait to see how my kids will grow up to love Marley as much as I do now.

Cooking Club Holiday Edition

Our Cooking Club hosted our annual Holiday Party this past week. Thanks to Tracy and Jolynn for hosting. Luckily they spoiled us and had all the food cooked ahead of time, so we simply got to just enjoy. We had a great time eating, drinking, talking and laughing. I love this group of girlfriends and look forward to our monthly events. It has become such a comfortable group of friends and such an amazing network of support. Cheers to another fun year ahead.





We had a gift exchange (Cooking Related) and I got Holiday Cookie Cutters. I can't wait to try them out this Christmas.