1/4th of a Year, Limbo, and the upcomming holidays.

Xave has been three months old for a while now, and with his increased expression of joy, he (logically) is able to convey his displeasures in life as well. This is not to say that he is unbearable, or even bad in the slightest - he is just more vocal about being unhappy, and more prone to want to us to touch or hold him.

For example, where Xave was once perfectly content to sit in his swing and look at us, about a week ago he started fussing a lot instead. Initially, we thought we were in for big trouble and that he wanted to be held constantly - this was only partly true. In actuality, he just wanted to sit beside us on the couch.

I read to Xave the other night - his attention was right on the book as I read! (Also, note that my hair is all chopped off! I went and got it cut last Friday...so refreshing!)

I feel, at the moment, that our family is in a bit of limbo right now. We're not sure where The Husband's job is going to take us, or what we'll be doing a year from now. This is the first time I've ever had to deal with the uncertainty of the future - not that I am scared, but rather, simply anxious.

So what do we do to allieviate the stress? Why, go out to eat of course...even dressed Xave up for the occasion!


Thanksgiving is only a few days away now. This will be the third year I have hosted the holiday at my house (the same number of years I've owned it actually). I am so excited to start cooking! I only have a few more things to buy before I've got all my ingredients ready...maybe, I'll take some pictures of the food prep...I haven't done that in ages!

Ho hum and hum drum.

So, not many updates lately - mostly because I've been too busy with things that are downright mundane (work, cleaning house, homework, etc...).

I am pretty excited about a new job prospect however. Last Wednesday, Kain and I went to Julio's to eat. I've been trying to think of how to bring up to Pam that I want to work on their website forever, and I finally mustered up the courage to say "Oh, I saw that you guys had a website, but you should really add more information!" She responded that a friend of theirs did it for them, and wasn't aware that a lot of things they wanted up (like reviews from Food & Wine, and the NYT) weren't there at all. Then she asked "You don't happen to know anyone who could get in touch with us, do you?" I was in HEAVEN. I'm supposed to call this upcoming Tuesday morning (8:30am - ouch.) to work out a time when I can go sit down with them with things they'd like up, as well as I mentioned I'd do some photography for them as well.

Also, The Husband and I have decided to try to go vegetarian, with the addition of fish and seafood. We had talked a few weeks ago, about how Americans (and Europeans, after all, that's who we get it from) tend to make meat the center and focus of our meals, when really it should be vegetables and whole grains. Additionally, a few of our friends are vegetarian (for various reasons), and one said that if we make it through the first 40 days, then we'll be fine. I'm pretty excited, and we're already 4 days in...so far no meat cravings - we'll see what I think in a few weeks from now - but I feel like if I can have lobster, then I can give up my lamb.

Speaking of photography, I need to charge my camera battery...

Shopping, and the insatiable hunger for that which is Julio's.

Well, like I said before, some things never change.

Shopping, while the boys were away, went well. I managed to find three long sleeved tops (one of which was admittedly maternity) that were going to work for my purposes. However, it is still not quite long sleeved weather... Thus, when The Husband swang by to pick me up, he proposed we all go to the mall and find some more suitable duds for the still not chill weather.

So, we went home, The Husband changed the baby, I put away the groceries said Husband and baby gathered, and away we went again.

I managed to get some pretty good deals, after all, this time of year most summer things are on sale. However, the mall we were at was the same one that is close to Julio's...but we were wearing rather causal clothes...

So, rather than be smart, head home, and save money, I bought a dress (that will also work for my purposes) and The Husband bought a shirt...and off we went to Julio's.

It should be noted, that going out to eat with Xave takes longer as well. When we arrived in the parking lot, he needed changed(1), then, he ate, then he needed changed again(2), then he ate some more, then one last change(3). After he was done eating and pooping, we packed him back up into his car seat and went to have a nice dinner. Pam (the owner/waitress/I've talked about her before) was very excited to see us. Interestingly enough, other regulars, who are starting to recognize us as well, were also quite excited to see Xave.

Dinner was very good as always. I had my first whole glass of wine in almost a year (but don't worry, I bought these nifty test strips to make sure I don't make Xavier drunk...) and it was...alright. It wasn't that the wine was foul tasting, but more so that I think it'll just take a while to get used to, as well as not have some kind of crazy guilty conscience attached as well. Nine months of thinking "If I drink, I might give my baby terrible brain damage, and that's like being a horrific abusive mother!" has an affect on a person you know...

Xave slept through dinner, and by the time we finished, he started stirring a little bit. The Husband changed him, I fed him once again, he got changed again, and away we went. Dinner with Xavier really wasn't all that different...just a little bit more work tacked on to the beginning and the end.

Tomorrow, I have work to do, and a house to straighten up...hopefully I don't get as sidetracked tomorrow as I did today.

Still waiting...

I wish I hadn't had any signs of having the baby yet, because it's only making this process long and drawn out and painfully, achingly, SLOW.

I never thought I would be bored waiting on his arrival, but that's consistently the expression that keeps coming up into my head.

In effort to occupy ourselves (my husband has taken the next few days off until I have the baby...and then will have some more time off...ah, flexibility is nice) I did a load of laundry, and then we bolted to go eat dinner out.

After several recommendations, we finally made ourselves go to 4th Street, a restaurant in the same town as Julio's.

Our meal was okay - we had a Roasted Red Pepper Soup as an appetizer that had a nice flavor, but felt as if it were missing something - perhaps some shellfish or even au gratin croutons to break up the slightly monotonous flavor. Our salads were arranged very nicely, but the croutons that accompanied them were so soaked in vegetable/canola oil that they were nauseating to eat. I had Chicken Parmesan for my entree, while the husband opted for Shrimp with Cheese Ravioli in a tomato sauce. My Chicken Parmesan was not flattened and the breading was, like the croutons, far too oily. Additionally, the capellini was far too overcooked and watery. The husband's entree had two colossal (that's an industry term that means 10 shrimp or less per pound) shrimp that were slightly overcooked in too strong of a chicken stock, and the ravioli were the frozen type that are overcooked easily (and were overcooked).

*Deep Breath* Okay, so it sounds like we hated the place - we did not. However, it was going up against some STIFF competition - it really can't compare to Julio's at all. Simultaneously, our check was about half the cost of what we generally spend at Julio's, and I might say that I felt I got about half the quality.

After finishing dinner, we did go to Julio's though and grab dessert. I just can't be in that area of town and not eat there.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I think we might go to Julio's for lunch (since while talking to the owner she informed us that they serve at that time - we didn't know).

We are...completely...addicted.