Thanksgiving has come and gone

I've been too tired/lazy to put together a Thanksgiving post, but alas, it's finally here. Aside from my feet feeling like they were going to fall off after 20 hours in the kitchen on Wednesday/Thursday, it was an awesome, successful day. In fact, it was a little emotional for me (granted, everything is emotional for me right now) because it was the first time we have hosted my extended family at our house. There were about 22 people who came and to say we had too much food would be an understatement. We even forgot to serve several dishes because they got lost in the mess on one of my counters and we still had sooo many leftovers. As in, 20 pounds of leftovers. In my refrigerator. Not including dessert. Thankfully, my parents are awesome and didn't leave that night until we had sufficiently cleaned the kitchen and the boys put away all of the tables.


On Friday, I started pulling out my Christmas decorations, but I'm only about halfway done because we just had a lazy, lay-on-your-butt sort of weekend. Not to mention my obsession with the book I'm reading right now, Pillars of the Earth. In the last 48 hours, I've blown through about 400 pages and I still have maybe 200 or so pages left. I cannot wait to finish!


Anyway, here are some of my fave pictures plus some of the crafty things my sister and I worked on leading up to the big day!

For some reason my dad wanted to channel my brother in all of his military pictures. Stay classy, dad.

How cute are my parents??

For some reason it was a belly touching day...maybe because I'm HUGE now.

How was your guys' Thanksgiving??

Mama needs some sleep

My firstborn is seriously infringing on my quality of sleep, among other things. *ahem*

I'm convinced that this is the universe's way of paying me back for all of those times I smugly replied to anyone who told me their child was wreaking sleep-havoc with, "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Yes, Gabriel always sleeps in his bed and uh-huh, he's slept through the night since he was 6 months." Basically - sucks to be you, my child rocks it out at night.

Well, I TAKE IT ALL BACK. Gabriel is a little beast-child who has been refusing to sleep in his own bed since we moved. Sometimes he we cry it out for an hour at night and then I cave. Sometimes he'll do it because I've promised to give him all the things I swore I wouldn't give him in the morning i.e. soda, candy, chips, my soon-to-be-second-born if he'll pleasefortheloveofgodsleepinhisownbed. Occasionally he'll fall asleep in our bed and then Adrian will transplant him into his own, though that works less often now.

Our recent solution? Kid, if you're going to sleep in our room, you're sleeping on the floor. He has since set up shop on my side of the room with his blanket and pillow, now calling that his bed. When we ask him if he's planning to sleep in his own bed, he looks at us stupidly like, "Uh, duh, it's right here..." while pointing to his makeshift sleep station.

We have GOT to get this under control before baby Ayala makes the grand exit...

Lord help us!

Best. Lasagna. EVER.

Adrian is surprisingly picky when it comes to food. I'm used to it, so it doesn't shock me when at the end of a meal he says to me, "Next time you should leave out this," or "maybe you should use a different recipe all together...(basically, never make this again)."

He's pretty hesitant about anything unfamiliar and was raised on his mama's beans and rice, so he's a little ignorant when it comes to, um, American food. Or ethnic food. Or most foods that are not considered Mexican.

I made him chicken and dumplings the other night and upon seeing it he said, "Uh, is this some kind of Jewish food? Because I can just make myself some quesadillas..." No offense, my lovely Jewish friends...he wouldn't recognize anything remotely Jewish if it smacked him in the face.

But I love that man so I cry and sulk grin and bear it when he says mean things about cooking. He's really just trying to help...really. Anyway, I digress...I finally made a recipe that he sat back after he was finished and said, "Don't ever change that recipe. And save it immediately."

My friends, I have found the Holy Grail of lasagna recipes. It's pretty basic and perfect and delicious and heavenly. I stuffed myself so thoroughly at dinner that I'm having a hard time waddling around (as if I need more reason to waddle!). And breathing. I only made two changes to the process and that was to omit the goat cheese and use no-boil noodles. We are talking perfection here, people!

Go HERE. Make the recipe. Thank me later.

It's me versus Kaiser and I'm coming out on top

I have had many gripes with my medical insurance, Kaiser, over the last 10 years or so - really, ever since I've been aware about my medical care. When I was in college and saw them for tension headaches and sleep problems, I asked about using acupuncture as a solution which I knew was technically covered; they not so kindly offered me a low dosage of anti-depression medication and told me that I had no other options. When I questioned them, I was essentially told that I didn't know anything about anything and that if I didn't take the medication, I was refusing treatment. Whatever. I took the medication, tried it a couple of times and then said eff-this, I'm not unnecessarily medicating myself, but thanks anyway K-K!

I didn't have Kaiser when I was pregnant with Gabriel, though still had some complications. When Adrian started working for his current company, we switched back because of cost and familiarity. I knew when I got pregnant with this little nugget that I wanted to try for a VBAC, which is why I chose to have a midwife through them, hoping she would be a little more supportive of my choice to have an intervention-free labor. When we met, she was extremely encouraging about my decisions, so much so that I pictured us skipping hand-in-hand under rainbows and sunshine down the path towards delivery...

Let's just say the rose-colored glasses have come off. I was so disappointed and discouraged as I walked out of my most recent appointment last week. Everything started out okay, but then she mentioned that we should consider scheduling a date for a c-section at 41 weeks on the off chance that I hold in this little boo past my due date. Uh, hello? Have you been listening to me for the last 30 weeks? She mumbled something about the baby being too big and that the chance of rupture goes up the farther past my due date I go. She mentioned something else about my body possibly not being able to go into labor on its own, another reason to just schedule an appointment. All I wanted to say was, "You don't know me (my cervix)!" I went into labor on my own, no pitocin or other crap going into my body. I have faith in its ability - clearly, she doesn't. When I reminded her of this (which she was already told at our very first appointment, but whatevs), she said oooh, great, let's hope that big little body of yours cooperates. Cooperate this, lady!

There were a couple of other things she told me about the actual experience that ruffled my feathers, but at this point, it doesn't help to dwell on them. Instead, I am thinking positively about my labor every day. I've started working on a set of "birth wishes" to go over with my midwife at the next appointment. I have a friend from high school who recently became a doula and we've reconnected because of my pregnancy. It's been nice to have someone to chat with someone who is familiar with the birthing process and politics, as well as to vent about stuff like this that most of you could probably care less about...

The best part is that she has offered her services free of charge (if you don't count the copious amounts of cookies and flowers I'm going to give her). Adrian really doesn't care either way, but I am still weighing things. Although all modesty is lost in the delivery room, I'm still not sure how I feel about someone other than Adrian being there. I also know there might be a couple of people who feel that if anyone is going to be in the room with us, it should be them, but here's my response to that:


The use of a doula...

• Reduced the overall cesarean rate by 50%
• Reduced the length of labor by 25%
• Reduced oxytocin use by 40%
• Reduced the use of pain medication by 30%
• Reduced forceps deliveries by 40%
• Reduced requests for epidural pain medication by 60%
• Reduced incidences of maternal fever
• Reduced the number of days newborns spent in NICU (neo-natal infant care unit)
• Reduced the amount of septic workups performed on newborns
• Resulted in higher rates of breastfeeding
• Resulted in more positive maternal assessments of maternal confidence
• Resulted in more positive maternal assessments of maternal and newborn health
• Resulted in decreased rates of postpartum depression 

In the long run, I care most about having a healthy baby and secondly, to having a baby without having a huge hole cut into my stomach (on that note, has anyone ever watching a video of a c-section. All I have to say is HELL TO THE NO. And, how in the world did Adrian watch it go down?)

I'm going to win this battle, Kaiser! I'm coming prepared!

Some things I'm trying not to forget

Gabriel is growing so fast, morphing from my little sweet baby into a big boy, with his own preferences and distinct personality. I really don't want to forget these days...


The fact that the only likes the blue Go-Gurts, the pinks just don't match up.


How he out of the blue recently started telling me, "Mommy, you look really beautiful." (Melt. my. heart.)


When he tries to tell me he's thirsty, it comes out, "stirsty."


He must sleep with Buzz, two books, a flashlight and a truck. Every night.


How much he loves to talk about farts. And fart. And burp. Just like someone else I know...

The fact that it we cannot leave the house without his blanky. EVER.


He refuses to allow us to drive anywhere without him buckling himself. Because he's a big boy.


Before he goes to bed, he only wants to read three books and in a certain order - first, Paul and Judy, second is Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? and finally, Goodnight Moon.


And especially the fact that before he is able to go to his bed at night he must give each of us a hug and a kiss and say "GoodnightmmommyIloveyouseeyouinthemorning!" as he's rushing into his room to say his prayers.

Thank god Halloween is over

Halloween is such a throwaway holiday for me. Don't get me wrong, Gabriel looks adorable in basically anything he wears and I like watching my husband carve pumpkins - yes, I dislike carving pumpkins, call me the Halloween grinch - but it's really just the kickoff for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I am COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS until Thanksgiving!!

This year it's being hosted at yours truly's, which means I'm working on a menu that so far will include pumpkin gnocchi, butternut squash soup, possibly a root vegetable puree and a turkey of some sort. I'm going to need to do some hands-on research in the kitchen, so check back for some potentially delish recipes!

I don't really have anything else to say today, we're being lazy. But here are some pictures from Halloween and the pumpkin patch...