Baby Lola's Nursery

The full view of our sweet baby girl's room... Her beautiful dresser...
Thanks Papa & Grandma Sue! Mommy & Daddy love the glider!
We can't wait to rock-a-bye baby in it...

Daddy is looking forward to lots of

dirty diaper duty on the changing table!

Lola's stash of necessities is off to a great

start thanks to Grandma & all her

Florida family & friends!

Color me beautiful!

Today was a very exciting day in the "getting ready for baby" world we're living in right about now. We had Lola's nursery painted!!! It's a beautiful soft, but vibrant pink. With the white trim and latte colored carpet, Mommy thinks it looks just like Neapolitan ice cream (why is Mommy always thinking about food Baby Lola wonders from the womb....)!

The furniture is coming later this week and I'll be sure to post more pictures of the beautiful set once it arrives. I must say, in everything we've done so far to get ready for our little girl, nothing makes us realize more that a baby is on it's way like a bright pink room! Well, that and Mommy's swollen feet (new symptom).

Happy 30th Birthday Ronnie II

We had a big surprise 30th birthday party for Ron last night. All his family and friends gathered to celebrate this one-of-a-kind guy. It was a great night to celebrate the best brother out there! Here's a few pics...wish I had more but I was being a good girl and sitting the entire night. :)

Mommy's excited...she's dressed up & actually has some place to go! Some of the party decorations:

A collection of Ron's artwork from when he was a kid
His Radio Flyer filled to the brim with some of his favorite toys

A picture collage to chronicle his beautiful mug over the years

His General Lee cake. He was the biggest Dukes of Hazard fan!

SURPRISE!

Time for Bozo Buckets!

Sympathy Bump

Marigolds

27 years ago today, I decided it was time to make my grand entrance into the world. Mom & Nana were busy planting Marigolds around the house when Mom's water broke. She turned to Nana to inform her of the latest development. Nana's response: "That's nice honey, but keep planting, you're not going anywhere until these flowers are done." So she finished her planting. :)

I can't believe I'm 27! I guess as you get older, the presents and parties aren't as big a deal as they were when you were younger. For the first birthday in my life, I'm reflecting rather on just what a birthday really means: being thankful for another year on Earth with the life you've been given.

And what a life I have. I have my health, something you can't put a price tag on. I have an incredibly loving and supportive family who care so much about me everyday. I have the best kind of friends, who are there for me no matter what. I have a healthy, beautiful bouncing baby in my tummy who in about 2 months is going to change my life as I know it. And I have the kind of husband that you dream about when you're a little girl--who makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world everyday of my life by every little thing he does.

So if you're reading this...thank you for being a part of my life. It wouldn't be my birthday without you! :)

At 30 weeks...

...Lola enjoys rearranging Mommy's internal organs. Or, at least that's what it feels like she's doing in there! Feet, elbows and fists are starting to poke out of my sides as well. And I love it!

My desktop is a mess!

These should have been posted over a year ago! But, because I have a million and one folders, documents, etc. on our laptop's desktop, I just found them. Oopps. Better late than never.

Over the first weekend in May 2007, we made the trip to Mecca...I mean NYC, to visit Yankee Stadium. Mike and Renee met us there and we had a blast!

On the 6
Of the three, who do you think is MOST excited?

About to pay our respects

Mr. Class

Saw this lighting and finally knew what I wanted for our dinning room...

It's the architect's daughter in me.

Game 1 seats in the upper deck

You can tell who is up to bat by that stance...El Capitan

Little Italy

You have no idea how excited we are for this pizza

best. ever.

I love the East Coast and their cafes

Died and gone to heaven

My kind of store

Me & Ren with NYC's finest

Somewhere between 29 & 30 weeks...

(Photos courtesy of JohnnyH Photography)

My new favorite blog...

There are some pretty in-depth, amazing blogs out there on the Internets. In comparision, "The Hernandez Family" blog is a Mickey Mouse operation. With all the time on my hands, I've stumbled across quite a few cool ones. Well, I found this one today and it's pretty tops.

Stuff White People Like

This one is so good, the guy got a book deal out of it. I'd buy it for my dad for Father's Day, but I don't think he'd get it. :)

She's ready for her close-up!

These are two of our favorite pics of Lola so far. You can see her sweet face so clearly, it's really amazing and such a treat!

An ounce shy of...

THREE POUNDS!!!

That's right...I weigh 2 lbs. 15 oz. At my 25 week ultrasound, Mommy's doctor told her I was a little small. So I decided to work extra hard (with the help of some chocolate milkshakes) and at my ultrasound today, Mommy's doctor told her she was happy with my size.

Mommy was so proud of me, she had Grandma stop for another chocolate milkshake for me on the way home! It's amazing how happy me and chocolate milkshakes make Mommy. Daddy's hugs and kisses make her smile too. I can't wait to meet this guy because she keeps telling me he is the best out there. Goodness, I'm one lucky girl.

See you all in about 2 more months...
Love,
Lola

*Lola wishes you...*

A Happy Mother's Day!!!!

xoxo

Turkey & Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf

As I blog, this is in the oven... (really, what else do I have to do?!)

1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
1 7 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
3/4 tablespoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, mustard, parsley, red peppers, salt, pepper in a large bowl.

3. In a glass baking dish, shape the meat into a loaf. Bake for 45 minutes (until no trace of pink remains or internal temp reads 165 degrees). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Update: Wow, this was full of flavor! We really enjoyed it--so much so there were no left-overs! ;)

Black Bean & Corn Salad--Awesome Summer Salad!

We tried this Rachel Ray recipe tonight and we ate the whole thing! We didn't feel guilty though b/c it was all veggies. ;)

1 can, 14 ounces, black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Tabasco hot sauce Tabasco)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve. The corn will also place a quick-chill on this easy side-salad as it defrosts -- no need to refrigerate!

We served it along side Bake BBQ Salmon (2 filets baked @ 375 degrees for 20 minutes, basted with some BBQ sauce right before it went in the oven.)

Mexican Rice & Beef

Yesterday we tried out a new recipe for dinner and it came out pretty good. When that happens, you know me, I like to share! :) I got this out of Parents magazine and it was major YUM-O! I imagine we'll be making it again sometime next week. It's a keeper. And the best part...it's a one-pot meal! (Easy on the clean up...)

1 lb lean ground beef
1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
1.5 cups water
1 cup chunky, think salsa
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cups uncooked instant rice

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the chunks. Drain off any fat. Add taco seasoning mix, water, salsa, and corn; cook, uncovered, stirring until mixture boils.

2. Stir in rice; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Fluff rice-and-beef mixture with a fork. Serve in individual bowls and sprinkle with cheddar or Mexican cheese blend.

ENJOY!