i heart recipes

Most lovely days as I make dinner at 5:00 pm, I watch Ina Garten on the Barefoot Contessa. I love to write down her recipes in a little note book I keep in the kitchen. I'm always on the hunt for new recipes. I LOVE FOOD, I just can't help it!

So, I was glad to stumble on this little gem Honest Fare by Gabi [who I gather is Cole's sister from Pacing the Panic Room] I have not made any of her recipes yet, but the pictures alone get my mouth watering!

She has some great baby food recipes that I am eager to try...guess I have to have a baby first? I'm working on that.

Buon Appetite!

The Last of the Confessions Series

1. My midwife says, 'ok, could be tomorrow, or 3 more weeks!' Sweet Lord, Have Mercy.
Was that meant to be encouraging or torturous? Because it was lots of the latter. Realistic, YES. Hard to hear, YES.

2. I was brave, and went to church on Sunday. On the drive there I braced myself for the questions & comments: 'When are you DUE? You haven't POPPED YET!?!? Are you excited? You don't LOOK as miserable as you're probably feeling! You have totally dropped, it's going to be soon! Oh, you haven't dropped yet...It's going to be at LEAST three weeks.... ETC.
[for the record, I was asked nearly all those...and more]

3. As I type this, '18 Kids and Counting' is on tv. I should watch it more...it's pure birth control.

4. While I am hoping The Prince arrives soon, I really hope that I can get over this funky cold first! I sound a little drag queen-ish, I'm stuffed up, and I cough all night. Wahhh.

5. My pelivs bones feel like they are going to shatter....that's a sign he's coming soon, Right?

6. This Sunday, the 31st, is the offical due date. And, there is a full moon. I've heard that more babies are born around the full moon.....Fingers Crossed!

7. His nursery is done. It makes me happy. I'll post pictures...

8. Baby and I are both healthy.

9. Can this belly get any bigger?

10. D-day. Come soon. I want to meet you offspring!!!

[insert the Jeopardy Theme song here]

Oh the waiting.
I read this a few days ago and was so deeply encouraged.

Romans 8, the Message Translation

24.That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. 25 But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. 26 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. 27 He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. 28 That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

a new family member

We have a new family member!

He's sweet, adorable, soft, and...orange?

Ardi the Ardvark is here!! I can't believe how excited I am over my kids stuffed animals.

oh, what? was that cruel? ;)

living in a dream world

It's 2:26 am.

I can't sleep.

It's not that I ain't tired.

I just can't stop thinking about him.

When i'm awake I dream of him.

I feel like I'm cliff hanging.

It's the midnight hour.

He WILL be here soon.

I don't want to sleep, my heart is too full of excitement, and anticipation.

I feel like i will burst.



I had some tea, toast, a juicy pear, and some search time for cloth diapers.

At 2:26 am, I am exhausted and thrilled for these next few days/weeks of waiting.



I'm living in a dream world.

36 weeks

It's great to have talented friends.
My {lovely, creative, super} friend Claire took some belly shots for me.
Baby and I have really grown a lot recently, but {cross my fingers} only 3 weeks to go.

let's do this! (and I'm scared out of my mind)

my friend asked me 'So, how are you feeling? Are you sad, anxious, nervous, excited, avoiding people cuz you can't bear to hear anyone else say "Still hanging in there?" Not going to church? I get it!'



That couldn't describe my feelings more! Wednesday I was a shining, smiling, giddy ball of joy and energy- so ready to meet him. The crib had arrived, the birth pool arrived (hooray!) I took some belly pictures with a friend, and even got my hair cut and colored. I WAS PUMPED. 'Ok baby, you can come now!' I said. Thursday? Thursday I cried into the simmering pot of rice and beans. I thought 'I am going to be so needed by another human being...but I still need to be taken care of. I still need my mom. The idea of that is so overwhelming'
But Wow, my SON! My first born son. I can't wait to meet this little life and grow to know who he is! What an honor.

I get the question 'Are You Excited?!' daily. Answering yes is the understatement of the year.
I am. I sooo am. Ready and scared shitless. But that's normal. Right? right. riiight?

Baby ticker says 19 days, but I'm feeling some deep movement, pelvis pressure, and contractions, so we'll see. Maybe sooner? (yippeee!)

xo, Y

Best of 2009

My Favorite Moments of 2009:

Buying our first house!

Moving in. Hah.

Meeting baby Naomi & becoming Auntie Yaya

Celebrating my Mom & Mom-in-law at my house on Mother's Day. Little did I know, we concieved that day. So technically I was a mom too, and didn't even know it!

The shocking second pink line.

[this would also fall under the category of most scary moment of 2009]



One year Mawwied! Weekend trip to DC







Secretly filming his parents as we reveal our big surprise











My 25th birthday bash. Pregs. So much fun!

A visit from my best friend Kate. I'm rocking my 20 week bump, and she was rocking her new Rock, from freshly proposed fee-yawn-cay, Mr. Petrick.

Going to see my friends Mute Math in concert.

My Baby Shower. The gifts were great, the female chatter was roaring, and the food was bangin'. My mom rocks.

Our trip to San Francisco!

Our 'Last-vacation-with-out-a-baby-for-a-few-years-trip' to San Fran.

2nd mawwied x-mas. First in our home, and first ever pregs.

Giving my sweet man his guitar

There are many many more beautiful memories that only my heart holds.

ok, 2010. What'chu got? Bring it!

new years ressies

I am not much of a new years resolution person, mainly because I don't like not doing what I say I want/plan/hope to accomplish.

BUT. If I did have a list, it would look something like this:

Learn how to be a mom.

Forgive myself as I make mistakes as I learn how to be a mom.

Not have so much disdain for Nicholas Cage, his hairline and his movies.

Learn to love my husband more/better through his love languages.

Love doing the dishes. [cringe]

Enjoy every moment with my baby. [even the poopy, crying, late sleepless nights]

Not have so much disdain for football.

I have many more real resolutions and even more sarcastic and fake ones, but I'll keep this list short and sweet.

What resolutions did you make that you'll actually keep?

xo, Yana

'it's the final countdown'

This is it. DAY ONE of 2010.
This is the year that my first baby will be born!
I will become a mom, for the rest of my life!
Seems so surreal. He has a short few days of growth inside, and a lifetime on the outside. What a journey...what an adventure!!

When I woke up this morning the first thought on my mind [besides 'oh my back! my baaaccckkk....ugh!!!] was "it's the final countdown!" -I joke that this is the song what I want playing when I transition into the pushing stage of the delivery. May I present, a magian named GOB.

Holiday Highlights

our home was christened this year by the first christmas.
some of my favorite moments are:


trivial pursit smack downs

watching christmas movies

not leaving the house for 4 days

making and decorating sugar cookies

eating said sugar cookies

christmas eve dinner

baking apple pie

staring at the tree with my dog neice Bella on my lap

giving presents to my favorite people

the endless ribbing of my sister and brother in law to produce a cousin for our baby
[amy, if you're reading this, know that it won't stop until you call and tell me you're pregnant]

being 8 months preggs kept the fawning at a maximum and the chores to a minimum [SCORE]

giving my husband the best gift ever- a beautiful guitar



it was a sweet sweet christmas indeed!!!

one month and counting...

I am SO excited to share that we have ordered our La Bassine birthing pool. Leigh from Marvelous Kiddo used the same one, and I consider her an inspirational mama and birthing guru, so naturally it was the first pool I looked at.

I'm busy collecting the remaining items we need for our home birth, and I feel like I need more time. Yet...it seems like it can't come soon enough. I can't wait to meet you Baby Brink.

le sigh!

Confessions

The 'Confessions of a Pregnant Woman' series has been really fun for me. I've enjoyed sharing the ins and outs of my pregnancy with you all. But you know what's crazy? There's only time for one or two more of them! So without further ado....

1. Every day (and sometimes hourly) I voice the same phrase as though I have never said it before: 'He is coming soon. He is going to be here soooooo sooooooonnnnn.

2. We are calling the birth 'D-Day'. Um, What? Doesn't the WWII storming of the Beach of Normandy, France conjure up thoughts of a serene home birth to you?? Ok, so not exactly. But it works for me...

3. I have been carrying my sister's dog around in my sling, to practice babywearing.

4. Baby is growing big and the room in there just doesn't seem as adequate as before!
Now I have little toes jamming into my ribs. However, his head is down which is great because it's likely he won't be breech. I will take inflamed ribs any day!

5. He has hiccups every day. So funny. I tell him not to be scared. Don't you think hiccups might be scary to a baby?

6. I am starting to get uncomfortable. Like oh god I can't breath uncomfortable. Thankfully he dropped a little yesterday so I can breathe a little better, but my bladder is not impressed!
Maybe the twice nightly peeing is the way the body prepares for nighttime feedings? It's saying get used to this sister...you have a few more months to go.

7. Honestly, I do feel beautiful. My husband tells me so every day, which helps.

8. I really miss my skinny jeans.

9. D-day is 36 days away according to the ticker, but earlier would work just fine for me.

10. I love to hate Braxton Hicks. I have them daily, and I'm glad my body is warming up. I think I might be dilating a little bit, so maybe he will come a little early? Fingers crossed!!

best. christmas. ever. (a.k.a. how do you spell 'recession'?)

What a beautiful, lovely, perfect, sweet, and delicious Christmas it was!
Chris and I hosted the family Christmas for the first time in our little house.
His parents, sister and brother in-love, and Bella, their Chihuahua came to spend the holidays.
(Technically Bella is the first grand baby, or grand dog as we call her. We love her, and she is quite cute and lovable for a small yappy dog. We like to play with her and awww at her cute tricks. But we have started to warn her that soon she will not be the center of attention anymore...there will be a new Little Sheriff in town. Baby Brink will come soon, and he will certainly steal the limelight. As he should! :)

We all seemed to forget how to spell 'recession', which was evident by the ungodly amounts of presents that poured out from the under the tree. When your love language is gifts and you have a family who is the same, it's easy to go overboard. I understand how quickly it can be all about the gifts and have that be the focus, but really when you do it out of a good place of love, then it's not the focus. It's just...the joy of it. I was so happy to see everyone's face light up when they opened something that they truly needed, enjoyed and wanted.

My favorite gift this year was the one I gave Chris. I secretly saved up (and by saved I mean scrimped. Every penny. It's hard when you don't work!) and bought him a beautiful Taylor acoustic guitar. I was crying when I gave it, and he cried when he saw it. It was the best gift I've ever given. And not because it was worth a lot of money, but because it was so heart felt. My husband deserves the world for taking care of me and our house, for selflessly going to work every to provide for our family. He needed to be thanked, and sometimes my words just can't do justice what is in my heart. I wanted to do something for him that he would never do for himself. He is just too selfless. In this season of our lives as we prepare for our baby to come, the needs are ever increasing. So spending so extravagantly wasn't maybe the smartest idea, but it needed to be done. He is worth that much to me.

So as I gave it to him all I could do was cry....I could hardly spit out the speech I had created. I just watched him in awe as he was overwhelmed, and he was speechless too. I can tell you, this 'love' thing....is really SO much better, and deeper and amazing than I expected.

My favorite gift I got? An hour long prenatal massage (thank you chris!!) Other favs included a Jelly Cat alligator for my son. He and Ardi the Arvark will be great friends. What else... Oh!! A harddrive from my dad. So now I can finally free up some space on my overly full computer, restore some order, and begin blogging again. (I would've gone to the library like I said I would, but we had quite the snow storm, and I've already slipped once on the ice. So I don't want to take any more chances.)

There is so much more to write about, but I have to end it here. Coffee and Saturday is calling. I must comply. Future posts: new belly pics & 'Confessions'

LOVE & LOVE, Cheers, Bliss, xo,
Yana

i'm baaaaaack!!!

Holy. Majoley.

My long blogging break was not intentional! In the spirit of the holidays, let's hold hands and thank my overloaded and extremely slow and old computer, that has totally ruined java script and cookies. BAHHH.

So much has happened since my last post!

Firstly, let me say......holly jolly merry holidays to everyone!!!

Secondly, I am becoming somewhat of a spectacle, belly wise. Loves, there is just 7 weeks till my due date!

Once the holidays are over, the leftovers are gone and the in-laws have returned home, there will be just 5 weeks remaining. Which means =Operation Major Nesting will commence. I CANT WAIT!

I really want to post the pics from our recent "babymoon" to San Francisco, but I'm not sure my computer can handle the pressure. It was an amazing and restful vacation.

Augh! I'm bursting with holiday excitement, thankfulness, burgeoning belly, happiness, and many many blog topics. I will be back, I promise. Even if I have to go to a library and type on a dirty keyboard, I WILL blog again. and soon.

love and miss all you readers and friends!!!

xx, Yana

Hallloooowweeeen

Chris and I don't have any plans for Halloween this year. But if I did, my costume options would be limited to the following fatties:

Do you have fun halloween/costume plans??

I WANT!

I want this Ardvark for my son!

We shall call him Ardi, and he will be part of our family.

How stinkin adorable is he!? He's orange...and an ardvark. Can it be any cooler than that?

[from Oompa Jelly Cat]

Barefoot Contessa

my favorite tv chef, Ina Garten has impressed me once again! I made her Company Pot Roast this weekend, and OH MY HOLY STARS it was to die for.

It was my first attempt at making pot roast and if I do say so myself, it was impressive with a capital I.

I highly recommend it. For the record, I omitted the cognac and added potatoes. Delish!

I'm moving!

Friends, family, & loves...pack your bags. We're Moving Tomorrow!!
[not to the barbie dream house] but to:

http://www.myheartgoboom.blogspot.com/


so goodbye, yanabanova.blogspot....you've served me well!

cheers and see you other side!

xo, Y


[Edit: welcome to my new domain! You'll find the same fun, wit and charm, just a different name!]

he's destined to be an artist.

when I paint [be it a canvas or room] I can't help myself- I *always* get paint everywhere.
My hair. my ear. my butt. my toe. my elbow. my fingernails...

I can now add 'belly' to that list.

pretty funny.