Did I forget to mention.......

I'm pregnant. I'm due in Feb. Its a girl and we can't wait. We decided that if it was a girl, Patrick would pick the name and if it was a boy, I would pick the name. Well, Patrick has not picked anything yet; he just likes to come up with silly things to torture me. I do have veto power so I hope he comes up with something good soon. Quite sometime ago, he dubbed her "Marmalade Strawberry" and we (and everyone else) have been calling her "The Strawberry" ever since. At this point, I don't think it matters what we name her because she's stuck with that nickname forever. Here is a picture of us, at the hospital a long time ago, after the ultrasound. My mom came with us because she had never seen one before and it was truly a trip! Patrick was speechless and I was just happy.

Thanksgiving

Patrick wisked me off to Wisconsin for Turkey Day this year. He was so excited to surprise his mother with my giant belly. She was definitely speechless when we arrived. The week flew past. We had dinner with Patrick's family and college and high school buddies, his sister had planned a surprise baby shower for us and we went to a hockey game in Madison. We visited this crazy movie theater with big couch-like seats, where you can get cocktails or even dinner served at your seat. There were many lazy mornings (Patrick loves to sleep in after harvest) and big breakfasts cooked by Dale. It was like a non-stop eating fest; I never got hungry once because someone was always feeding us. I'm sure I put on several pounds, but at this point in my pregnancy, I refuse to look. Oh, and did I mention the snow. Yes, thats right, it was so cold it snowed. Brrr.

Owen - sooo cute

Can anyone stand how adorable he is?!!??! My baby is a genius; he says a million words and even sings at 18 months. Don't you want to eat him!

Parent Visit

My parents have been coming out to help us get organized one weekend per month. My dad does yard work and other labor and my mom cooks, cleans and does other helpful household stuff. In November, we checked out a restaurant called Bistro 29. My halibut was undercooked and Patrick's chicken was bland. However, they served some really interesting chickpea fries and a delicious onion soup finished off with cider. 3 stars (out of 5); the decor was great and we would go there again.

Carly Comes to Shop

Carly and mom came to visit in November. We shopped and went to a chocolate cooking class at Ramekin in Sonoma. The best thing we learned was how to make these edible chocolate pretzel baskets. Mmmmm. Carly told all kinds of wild stories including a particularly juicy one about my mother in college. We ate lunch at this yummy Spanish restaurant and saw a sad movie. Gotta love a Gals weekend. Patrick had to do errands around the house, but he also got to eat my chococlate goodies so don't feel too bad for him.

Halloween

This year was our first year in a house and I couldn't wait to get trick or treaters. I bought mounds of Candy, but only got about twenty kids. It was otherwise a quiet evening that involved Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin and nibbling on chocolate. I made Patrick dress up at home, but he didn't wear his costume to work. I was in Devon's class and he thought I was a flower; another little boy said that I was the color white. In case it is unclear, I am an egg. This is in commemoration of one of the three foods I could eat during the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy.