As I previously mentioned, Kyle and I were in Nor Cal (Elk Grove) for a family reunion this past weekend. It was for Kyle’s mom’s side of the family…and over 50 people (!!!) made the trek. Part of the reason I had been waiting to share my pregnancy on the blog was because we wanted to tell people in person at this reunion…and you know how once things leak online they make their way to facebook two seconds later and then the whole world knows (not that that’s a bad thing, we just wanted to have the pleasure of sharing such fun and exciting news face to face). So that’s what we did! As you can imagine, the love we felt was incredible.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to the start of the weekend.
Kyle’s parents rented a van so we could all carpool up on Friday…they had been babysitting the girls for a week (helping my brother and sister in law out after the arrival of their new one). I think they had planned on leaving San Clemente early-ish in the morning…but things don’t quite work out as you plan them when a 3 and 4 year old are involved.
I had time to eat a relaxed breakfast.
Uid’s GF hamburger buns were on sale last week, so I have been enjoying them instead of toast in the am. They were way cheaper than the bagels and basically taste the same. Plus they don’t have holes in the middle. More carbs for me! I added Earth Balance and fried eggs to the breakfast plate.
I choked down my prenatals with a greek yogurt an hour later (I didn’t want to have to deal with the hassle of taking them on the road).
I had a big bag of snacks for the road (never know what I’m gonna be in the mood for). I had ordered a shipment of goodies from Swanson Vitamins the week before and they arrived just in time to make the snack bag.
The company reached out to me recently, and after checking their products and prices online I was so excited to order some items right away. Because I was a first time customer I got 10% off (everyone does), so this entire order cost me $25.
- Glutino GF pretzels (I love these but they are always so PRICEY in stores)
- kaia foods sea salt & vinegar kale chips (impossible to find in stores)
- Swanson organic sunbutter (so cheap for organic!!!)
- Arrowhead Mills organic peanut butter
- MaraNatha no stir creamy almond butter
It was a treat to buy nut butters since I really only make my own nowadays, but the sunflower seed butter was too cheap to pass up…and it’s hard to find organic no stir (healthy pure nut) nut butters in the store for a reasonable price. All the quality natural store bought kinds separate and cost a ton (except for at Costco – but we cancelled our membership).
So I made a AB&J for the road with the Maranatha almond butter and my mom’s apricot jam (on Udi’s GF buns).
So delicious. I love Maranatha almond butter. I can’t wait to bust into the sunbutter next.
The road trip was exactly how you’d expect it to be with 2 toddlers.
I don’t think Braelynn has ever met a food she doesn’t like. She’s also photo friendly. Ferrah, on the other hand, is beyond camera shy and about as picky of an eater as they come.
She’s also in the “why” phase…which makes for some interesting (and often repetitive) car conversation. They were good sports though, and aside from a short term melt down (caused by a million flies entering the car at a gas station/rest stop), they did really well while being cooped up in the car for 8 hours.
Sleepy time. 🙂
For dinner we went to Nugget Market in Elk Grove. I got vegetarian sushi rolls and a seaweed salad. The avocado looked so good.
Balloons for the girls.
Kyle and I spent the night at Kyle’s grandmother’s house but Kyle’s parents took the girl to a hotel.
The next morning was the reunion. We hit up Starbucks for breakfast on the way to the hotel. I got a (way watered down and therefore not very tasty) iced tea. The sugar in the raw didn’t dissolve so it was basically unsweetened water with soy milk and chunks of sugar. Not so great. I got the oatmeal and ate it slowly over the course of the morning (they ran out of oatmeal bowls so it was in a tall cup).
Now that I tihnk of it, I should have used the extra brown sugar from this in my iced tea…maybe that would have melted better?
Anyway, after Kyle finished eating, we met up with his parents at their hotel.
We played with ponies and watched creepy children’s programs on TV while waiting for the rest of our posse to arrive.
And then we got to meet Scarlett!! Can you believe she is only two weeks old?? She’s gained over 2 pounds since birth already!
Ok ok ok…since I haven’t posted any of ME yet…here I am with my big baby bump.
Not really. I’m still waiting for a true bump to arrive. This photo is from the day I announced we were expecting, so I’m 16+ weeks. Yes, I’m in bigger clothes, but they are still non-maternity clothes. I can tell the difference in my body and how it’s changing, but others may not be able to notice. Naturally this leads to plenty of (well intentioned but slightly annoying) questions about if I’m getting enough protein, nutrients, etc. (I am).
Here’s a side shot.
I promise there’s a baby in there!
Then it was off to the reunion!
B sizing the other kiddos up. Then rocking the water wings.
Sipping some Juicy Juice.
If you’re wondering about the haircut, it’s her own doing.
I got an arm workout holding all the babies. I seriously think I’m going to have to start pumping some iron because holy moly my arms were about to break off after just a few minutes with each kiddo!
As for the food… In addition to the fruit and veggie platters, there were four different layered bean dips (great minds?). I avoided the sour cream and cheddar cheese portions and dipped some Trader Joe’s veggie flax chips into the refried bean and guacamole layers. I’m finally able to do Mexican food again now (after our vacation in Cabo – which was at the height of my morning sickness – the very idea of it made me pretty nauseated).
Lunch! Aside from the obvious (hummus and veg), someone brought a delicious vegan quinoa salad. Hooray! I almost finished this whole plate. An hour later I went back for more fruit. I also consumed 6 water bottles over the ~4 hours we were there. It was HOT and I was getting a headache so I was trying to keep myself plenty hydrated. Too bad it meant I was making trips to the bathroom every 15 minutes.
On the way home my headache went from bad to worse and I knew the heat had triggered me. Unfortunately I’m all too familiar with the resulting symptoms…usually a banana helps, but the hotel didn’t have any. Kyle rested with me in the air conditioned lobby so I could get myself together and then we went to the shopping center across the street in search of something.
Jamba to the rescue. After a few sips I felt a million times better. I only had half of it because I get reflux when I have too much fruit or smoothie. Kyle helped finish the rest.
Once back at his grandmother’s house we had an impromptu second reunion (this time with Kyle’s dad’s side of the family).
Everyone wanted to meet Scarlett (and see my baby “bump”).
Kyle’s dad BBQ-ed for dinner. I had snacked on bread and roasted edamame leading up to dinner, so I wasn’t starving. As a result, I only had a little bit of salmon (and gave half of mine to Kyle). The salad was superb thanks to the fabulous lemon goddess dressing. I MUST find this Drew’s brand in Santa Monica.
After such a crazy day, I could hardly keep my eyes open past 8:30, so I showered and hit the sack.
On Sunday morning we went to Sprouts for breakfast. Having never been to a Sprouts before, I was really excited to see what they were like. I’d heard them compared to Whole Foods before, but I have to be honest, this store is no Whole Foods.
Kyle unsuccessfully avoided the pic. 🙂
There weren’t any ready-made vegan options. I got a box of almond milk and decided to get the oatmeal from Starbucks again instead.
Yes, I actually bought a carton of almond milk just for my oats and Chai tea. What can I say, I like Almond Breeze?!
The road trip home was WAY different since we didn’t have the girls. We made such great timing that Kyle and I got home with enough time to go for a walk before dinner.
I watched football while enjoying vegan pizza and salad from the co-op. Best Sunday night activity.
After dinner we had our first fantasy draft and it went SO well. Our team is gonna dominate.
Sounds like a fun trip! You look like you’re in that “in between” stage – people who know you might figure out that you’re pregnant, but others who don’t would never guess! You’re going to be incredibly adorable with a little bump soon!!
lots ‘o side shots over the next 9 months – whad.up.
Looks like a great trip, and a ton of family time!!! I love going home to see family!
Sounds like such a fun filled weekend with your family. I absolutely love those sort of trips. You are too cute girl.. and your right, you have no bump in those pictures haha.
You are so early! Plenty of time for your bump to come! Just enjoy being a Le to tie your shoes and shave your legs. 😉
I agree that Sprouts definitely is not Whole Foods, but the prices are definitely not Whole Foods either. And my grad-student budget loves that.
You and this weekend look all kinds of wonderful! I hope this isn’t a weird question, but I absolutely love your top and shorts. Where did you get that black flowy top and the orange shorts?! Adorable.
Is your family questioning you about your pregnancy nutrition? I’m asking because my husband and I are going to starting trying soon, and my Dad is already telling me that I “really need” to eat meat while pregnant…not sure how to handle that one!
P.S. Congratulations!!!
aw that sounds like so much fun! thank goodness for starbucks oatmeal! and jamba:) You’re glowingggg:) hehe and oh my gosh Scarlett is just so precious!
First of all, that quinoa salad looks amazing!
Secondly, Congratulations!
I’m sorry you have to deal with it, but people are going to be jerks and have no self-control around pregnant women. It happens to all of us. When I was pregnant I had members of my own family rudely interject what they thought were “do’s and don’ts” (from the 60’s), a friend take a virgin drink out of my hand at a birthday party, and total strangers try to save my soul in the middle of Barnes & Noble. I don’t get why pregnant womens bodies are seen as public property, but having a few responses on the back burner (including for people that felt it ok to touch your stomach!) helped me take some control of the situation back.
I hope everything goes swimmingly for you and the bean! My cravings were straight up crisp veggies and spicy stuff, Huge salads (half cold carrots and celery it seemed), with chik’n tossed in buffalo sauce were an almost every other day meal. Crazy, because I never liked those cutlet things or hot sauces (and yes, my kiddo is a huge spice fan ;-).
You may already know this but with nut butters that separate. If you place them up side down in the fridge the oils mix with the butter and you have no stir nut butter, it really works.
Congrates on your pregnancy, you look great!
haha.. dangit, you were right. not a big bump yet! but there will be, and i am excited for that. glad you had a fun filled fam time. great idea on using the buns for things other than, well, bunny things.. like toast. more carbs? yes. love you!!
I am glad you had a great family vacation. I had trouble with taking my prenatals too. I ended eating a snack and taking the prenatals just before bed. That way I slept through the nastiness they caused and didn’t have any more problems.
Oh man, how annoying are those “why aren’t you showing yet” questions? I didn’t pop until about 20 weeks. You are looking good!
Oh, and I threw up my prenatals allll the time. Glad you had a good trip with he family!
I’m not pregnant yet, but I’ve been taking prenatals since January. I guess I’m just lucky because they don’t give me any trouble at all. It’s funny, too, because I have a pretty sensitive stomach. I buy them at Rainbow Acres in Culver City. They’re the proprietary brand.
You look great! I definitely don’t see a bump yet, but all my friends who are little like you always had such an adorable one when it decided to show up.
Fun trip! Definitely can’t tell your pregnant yet! I’m excited for your progress though! Its so surprising to see you eating savoury foods for breakfast ha ha. Oh man, when I was a nanny I always got so tired after carrying the kids around! That’s why some mom’s have great guns!
I have to know who makes and where you got the handbag you’re holding in the Jamba Juice pic 🙂
I live in Phoenix and Sprout’s is my go-to store, especially for produce. I agree it probably has nowhere near the ready-made food that Whole Foods does, but as someone mentioned, it’s much more cost-efficient that WF and has a good produce section and a decent bulk section as well. It’s where I found nutritional yeast when I was resigned that I’d have to drive into Scottsdale for a trip to WF.
Aw, what a fun weekend!
I’m sure your baby bump will show up soon! I can’t even imagine what that will be like. You definitely have the pregnancy “glow” though- gorgeous!
And using buns instead of bagels is brilliant. Totally doing that.
You are adorable! Sounds like a fun weekend 🙂
Also, I wanted to let you know that I made your hummus lasagna last weekend and it was seriously life changing. I am new to vegan eating, so this helped me a lot this week. I’m obsessed- it’s amazing!
i saw that!! i think your vegan challenge is going so great!!
always looking for ways to get more carbs in my life 🙂
hmmm…maybe i just didnt pick the right stuff…i have to say even my almond milk was more expensive at sprouts. same for the GF pretzels i got. i think it was over-hyped when i first went in, so i was disappointed, but had i had no expectations at all, i probably would have been pleased by the daiya and amy’s aplenty.
i did like the looks of the bulk aisles, but i didnt check the prices. in any event, i think its great that more veg friendly mainstream stores exist outside major cities.
youre not gonna like the answer…i got it in madrid. some random store i dont even know the name of.
i know!!! so unlike me!!!
the brand i use is rainbow light petites. at first i didnt mind them but since ive been taking them foreeeeever now i just cant even deal. i was taking WF brand before but same thing happened…i got so sick of them and had to swap. blech!!
phew! i skipped a day and then had a nightmare that something happened as a result. of course.
i did NOT know that! i keep my in the pantry. ill have to reassess this entirely.
🙂
thanks christy!
youre so right. any responses that you recall??
thanks for the q nikki – ill think about it.
old navy 🙂
you look awesome. you’re gonna be such a milf.
xoxo
I didn’t get a bump until 25 weeks…. it was quite annoying, as I had no idea I would take that long to show.
Oh that little bundle is too gorgeous…. argh clucky! And YES, babies are a great arm work out- not to mention toddlers (lugging around 14kgs of Misty is great exercise!)
You look beautiful!
ELISE! This is the best blog ever for 2 reasons. 1. lots of people action – and heaps of photos!! and 2. you got new sunglasses!!! (maybe you got them a long time ago, but this is the first time I’ve noticed that you are no longer wearing the lost-and-found sunglasses from 2004! I’m so proud of you and love the new pair!)
I do think the almond milk is a bit expensive there — I generally buy mine at Sam’s Club because I can get 3 in a pack! The Daiya is also a bit expensive — I have found it cheaper at Fresh & Easy (not sure if you are familiar with that store), but Sprout’s has a better selection of it. Really, I just go there for fresh produce and bulk granola, nuts, and occasionally legumes. The other week they had raw, whole, almonds for $2.99/lb which I thought was a great price! Oh, and at the “deli” counter, they do have a make-a-sandwich option that is a good price where you can choose a vegetarian or vegan option BUT I am not sure it would be gluten free b/c I think they use regular bread.
I just finished a 30-day vegan pledge, so I don’t know all the ins and outs of vegan eating yet. I bought the vegan sour cream from Sprout’s and thought that was very similar to real sour cream. And I like the nutritional yeast as well!
I KNEW you’d like this one. Ha! Glad you approve of the new sunnies too.
Yeah, it was a real life changer for me. Upside down in the fridge, it would probably work in the pantry too, when I buy my nut butter before I open it, I store it in the pantry as well upside down, once I open it, it goes in the fridge.
I can attest that it does work in the pantry, too! I store mine upside down in the cabinet, though I do tend to place them in a plastic bag to prevent leaking.
Holy Moly, girl–you are one tiny pregnant woman, lol. I am sure you will pop soon 🙂
Courtney
this is fantastic news 🙂
I should have come back to your blog months ago! (I barely have time to keep up with my own blog though). ;.( I just got back from Elk Grove and because we didn’t get a car (business/training) I hoofed it to BJ’s for a few meals and also over across the street (apparently the Hilton was the place to be – it was right next door to my training facility) to the unhealthy place located past JJ for one “meal” (the ice cream place). I did get a chance to hit up Sprouts though, when a Singaporean classmate let me hit a ride. I was so happy to have apples and avocados to balance out those BJ’s meals! Congratulations again!
awww…at least you made the effort to seek out some produce. apples and avo make a world of a difference after BJ’s!