Chocolate & flowers

Someone knows what I like.

For my birthday (today), my friend Becky came over for a visit. We were concerned about the possibility of a washout. Lucky for us, the sun made an appearance through the clouds, fending off the predicted showers.

Now I know April showers bring May flowers, but does it have to be on my birthday?

Thank goodness Mother Nature made an exception, allowing us to spend the day walking the boardwalk, browsing the shops and topping it all off with a lovely meal from a fairly new restaurant in the area (the food was fresh, "green," and definitely worth another trip).

When we got back to the house, my hubby was waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers. He knows me so well, selecting yellow Gerber daisies and tulips. Beautiful!

I just had to take a shot of one of them (yes, Jacob left some room on the camera this time) alongside the decorative chocolates Becky helped make for me at her work (they make chocolates, if you didn't figure that out already). I know they're not raw, but I thought you'd enjoy the visual. Thanks, Becky :-)

The Good News

He is risen, and she is kicking.

That pretty much sums up the church service on Easter Sunday. Now, you probably assumed the first part of that statement, while the latter has taken some by surprise.

"He," of course, refers to Jesus, who rose from the dead in the sermon, while "she" is the tiny girl dancing around inside me. She was especially active when the choir and congregation were singing (no wonder I assumed she was dancing in there).

Yes, that's right; the little baby I'm carrying is a girl, as long as we really saw what we thought we saw (or didn't see) in the latest sonogram. It's like another Easter miracle.

You see, many of my family members thought it impossible for me to conceive a girl, mainly since my husband comes from a long line of all males (even though I told them there would still be a 50/50 chance). I guess it was time for a change.

I was so excited to share the news last weekend, as we attended holiday gatherings with both sides of the family. Reactions were of shock and amazement. Something tells me this tiny dancer is going to be spoiled.

I'm also proud to report that the dish I brought along was actually raw, although I can't take the credit for this recipe. I made a citrus and fennel salad (which I served over a bed of mixed greens) that Giada De Laurentiis made on her show, "Giada at Home" (She has a little girl, too; I hope I look that good after giving birth to mine).

The dish was a hit. Even my cousin's wife, who isn't a fennel fan, enjoyed this recipe. If I knew it was going to go over so well, I'd taken the time to snap a photo before it was all gone. Instead, you'll just have to view another sonogram pic of our little lady. Her name is Hayden :-)

Pretty sketchy

As you all know, Jacob has been monopolizing the camera lately, so I thought I'd share this family sketch in place of the usual illustrative pic.

Now, I can't take the credit for this one (unlike the characature I posted quite a well back). I hate to admit it, but this one was printed out of a machine at Chuck E. Cheese this past weekend.

Jacob was invited to a birthday party there, and Matthew and I went along for the fun. We played games and saved a couple tokens for a quick family photo session.

Unfortunately, Dumpling is not visible in this pic, although he or she was moving and grooving in my belly at the time. If the camera had panned down a bit farther, you'd be able to see the little one's growing home.

Here's what Dumpling looked like a month and a half ago when I had that emergency sonogram. I was amazed at how developed he or she was at that early stage. It was too soon to identify the sex at the time, but I should be able to report that news soon.

I am happy to say that neither I nor my newest addition ate any of the pizza offered at the party. I planned in advance, packing a snack for the ride there and a dinner for the trip home.

To my surprise, I selected mostly raw food, including a nearly raw version of no-bake cookie batter, some fruit and a cherry nut bar. I guess my taste buds are changing again :-)