Christmas on the Beach

I got a great surprise for Christmas... my brother!! We stayed up late Christmas Eve because my aunt and uncle were coming in from the airport and as soon as the door opened I saw my brother! I was so happy! He poked at my baby bump and then we sat around to chat for a little while before heading to bed.

Breakfast on Christmas morning was melon, eggs with roasted tomatillo salsa and toast. 

We went out to the beach after breakfast to take in some sun and check out any tide pools. We didn't find any but it was nice to watch the dogs run around and take pictures. I was the only one who was HOT! Everyone else was wearing scarves and jackets. I had my "official Christmas sweater" on but had to take it off after a little bit. I'm still used to Alaska weather...

My dad, brother, uncle, aunt and grandfather.

My dad and my brother were discussing scientific things on the beach and showed me this rock that plants had bored holes into to grow out of. They also found cephalopods, different rock formations and skulls of bony fish. That's what happens when you get a geologist and an entomologist together.

 When we got home it was snack time! I found that a couple of the cheeses were pasteurized so I could have them. Cheese, crackers, bread and olives, the perfect snack!

My dad was the head chef and made all kinds of goodies: a roast, brussels sprouts, baby broccoli, sweet potatoes and fingerling potatoes.

Santa Cruz

I grew up coming to Santa Cruz to visit my grandparents for as long as I can remember. I really wish I had decided to come here for University, since it is probably the best town in California! It was the best feeling ever to be walking along the beach in December. 

Joe was super excited about seeing the sea lions. We got a hilarious video of one that decided to lift its face up towards us, wiggle it's butt, and show off his handsomeness right before he sneezed on a seagull. Then we went over to a spot on the side of the pier where about two dozen sea lions were swimming together in a big bunch! It was pretty crazy looking.

After that we watched the surfers in the sunset and then went to dinner at a seafood restaurant on the wharf.

Last Day in SF

Wow! I had a great time in San Francisco. I got to visit with old friends that I haven't seen in years. I move around so much that my friends are all over the place and I frequently lose touch. I'm so grateful that even after so many years we can still meet up and have great conversations. My only regret is not having enough time to see any of my sorority sisters. I actually forgot to take any pictures, which is terrible, but I suppose it doesn't matter too much.

Seeing people and seeing them doing so well was really great. One of my friends has a new baby girl and another is busy being her old awesome self. Some are just as hilarious and funny as always. However, not every memory I have there is happy and because of that, being there was also difficult. It seemed like walking into a graveyard of my old life in certian ways. I could see things in my friends house that once belonged to me, even my old kitty cat, Brody, that belonged to my ex and I, was still living in my friends house. She was outside and I never got the chance to see her, but I could see her toys and scratcher and it made me so sad!

I snuggled up close to Joe that night after reliving all those memories. I'm really glad that I have him and I don't have to feel like I used to. I've got a job, a plan for life and pretty much have things together. I know Joe will always be there for me and I will be there for him. I feel safe in that we can not only take care of kitty but also little Ellie-bear on the way.
I better stop before I get too sappy!

Goodbye SF! Hopefully I can return again one day. 

Baby Bump - 25 Weeks

Weight Gain: Joe insists that the scale we used was off by at least 5 lbs. So maybe 10?

Name: Ellie, Ellie-Bear and "Ellie Belly." Still no decision on the middle name! That's me, indecisive about this type of thing.

Maternity Clothes: I went shopping for some new clothes and I stocked up on some shorts, a maxi skirt and a couple dresses. The after-Christmas sales were really helpful.

Feeling: I still feel a pain where the skin is being pulled but other than that I'm feeling great.

Food I'm Missing: Nothing really right now. I discovered that there were some soft cheeses that are pasteurized so I had a little with my family for the holidays.

Movement: Both my dad and my brother could feel her moving! She liked to kick a lot and then as soon as I called my dad over to feel her she would go still. Little stinker! Finally the day my dad was going back to New York he felt her moving.

Dreams: I had a nightmare one night that she wasn't alive anymore. I woke up so scared and relieved that it was just a dream. Another night had a dream that I took her out of my belly like a kangaroo and looked at her, but had to put her back. Weird!

Listening to: Tame Impala and Sigur Ros.

Looking Forward to: Setting up the nursery and revamping the bedroom set I will be using for her.

Sunset on California Route 1! We have just left Santa Cruz and we are making our way down the coast. I'll still be posting up my San Francisco photos this week. I've been having so much fun on this road trip!

I Heart San Francisco

I lived in San Francisco for about five years and I miss it so much! I don't miss the ridiculous rent prices or the amount of street harassment you get on a daily basis, but I love everything else about this city. I can't even describe how awesome it is to walk out of our hotel in the morning into the sun and the sweet smell of the bay. It's the perfect temperature, not too hot and not too cold.

Joe got to meet some of my old friends and I took him to some of my favorite spots. The first day I got a little excited and we went all over the city. First we hit the Embarcadero because there were some famous skating spot that used to be there, but I was anxious to leave because it' so touristy. We had a nice walk out on Pier 7 and took photos of Coit Tower and that pointy shaped building... you know the one. 

We went to the Castro for lunch, where you can you get a great slice of pizza. This was a relief for the both of as after dealing with terrible Anchorage pizza for so long. Next we took a little walk to watch the doggies run around in Dolores Park. I have great memories from Dolores Park! Picnics, beer, watching hula hoopers and tight rope walkers, starting off the Gay Pride Parade and going to festivals. On the way to the park we stopped into my favorite yarn shop, ImaginKint. I resisted buying any pretty yarn since I really haven't been knitting lately. 

This photo pretty much describes our marriage... I'm being way too enthusiastic and Joe is looking aloof. I got him to smile in the next picture though! Silly bear.

After the sun started going down we hit Haight-Ashbury for a little shopping. I didn't intend to buy anything but since I was cold I got a vintage sweater that looks like it's from the wardrobe of The Breakfast Club. Joe checked out a skateshop and then we took a very long bus ride back to the train station. We accidentally took the bus in the wrong direction so we got a little tour of the 71 bus route. Whew! 

The Redwoods and the Drive Through Tree

The Redwoods State Park is my favorite! I used to go when I was a kid and I remember climbing inside the huge trees and looking at banana slugs. I was really happy Joe liked it as much as I do. We got to go through the Drive Through Tree, which is 5,000 years old! How crazy is that? I've seen the pyramids in Giza and these trees are older than that. WAY older! 

All the roadside attractions are pretty cool along that road. There was Confusion Hill, The Bigfoot Museum, the One Log House and other silly things. I hope we can drive past the Worlds Largest Artichoke!

California!

Mrs. Peacock wasn't the only one who was happy to be in California!

This was our very first day in California on our road trip. We stayed in Eureka for the night and headed down to San Francisco the next morning. We stopped to a skatepark where I let kitty hang out in the car and check out the nice warm weather. As you can tell she loved it! She was a little fluffy sun-cat, cleaning herself and snoozing.

Joe got his first look at the Pacific Ocean as we drove down through the Redwoods.