Weekending it

Wow, what a way to start the week. You know how I mentioned my trainxiety? Well, things were going well for too long so that obviously had to change. This morning I got on a train right away, got a seat and was casually reading my book. It wasn't too crowded but it was moving extra slow so I put my music on to help drown-out wayward thoughts. Then the train stopped in a station and just sat there for 15 minutes. Never a good sign.

Apparently a train had stalled on the bridge and therefore all other express trains were being rerouted over the local line. That meant, the train I was on (local R) was somewhere in a long line of trains waiting for the local line to clear so we could get through. I stayed on that train for one more stop and then got off since it was moving extra slow, stopping for several minutes, and then stalling at each and every station. I waddled 12 blocks to the nearest hub station where I could catch another train that wasn't messed-up by the delay. It was my least favorite train but it was moving and I was already 10 minutes late to work and still in Brooklyn. I eventually got to work, 30 minutes late.

Later in the day my boss told me my dress looked like a firetruck, but she "meant it in a good way." Huh? And I just realized there is a stain on the front of my dress. So, happy Monday!

In more positive news reporting, this weekend was a blast. Dan's parents were visiting and we had a great time with them.

Terri Mom came bearing gifts for the baby boy and OH MY GOODNESS she brought the cutest outfits ever!!!

This tiger adorableness is from Aunt Kandi and it is so so sweet.

This airplane get-up was the outfit that Dan wore home from the hospital as a newborn, nearly 32 years ago!! Isn't that neat! So special.

When I got home from work on Friday there were my favorite flowers on the table! In-laws spoil me rotten!!!

On Saturday we went into the city to see a matinee show on Broadway. I was excited because it was our first show for 2017. Dan and I bought tickets to The Great Comet last month based on a recommendation. Unfortunately, it was extremely disappointing and I was so sad that we missed the opportunity to take Terri Mom and Allen Dad to see something awesome.

The stage was cool and the lighting was neat but the plot was lame, the story made no sense, the lead actress was not good, the music was not memorable, and Josh Groban only sang two songs. Don't waste your time on that show.

Afterwards we met Dan's cousins Kaleigh and Kourtney at Olive Garden in Times Square and enjoyed a nice dinner with them and Kaleigh's fiance. I regret that I didn't think to get a photo.

Sunday we went to church and then to Buy Buy Baby to blow a 20% off coupon. The glider chair we wanted was eligible for the coupon and the salesman told us there was one left in stock! Turned out it was already sold so he tried to do a custom order which didn't work. Then he called the store in Manhattan and they were also sold out. One long phone call later and we got one out in New Jersey reserved for us to pick-up next weekend. It felt a little like the Amazing Race trying to get our hands on that chair before it too was marked "sold." Here is a picture of the floor model.

The photo makes it look a little blue but it's dark gray and is perfect for the room. It has a narrow frame and a high back is which perfect for resting your head. AND it reclines!! I'm super excited about it and so grateful for Terri Mom and Allen Dad's generosity. I'll think of them every time I snuggle-up with the baby in it.

It's a four-day work week for me as Mandy arrives on Friday for an epic short trip aimed exclusively at finding her an apartment. But yay! I get to see her and I get a day off and it will be fun despite the apartment hunt.

Classic Pot Pie

I've been meaning to post more recipes on the blog and I took pictures for Classic Pot Pie way back in January and then never got around to posting it. Oops.

Now that spring is here, warm comfort food like pot pie is sort of out of season but it's just so easy that we usually eat this year round. I bet if you made your own crust it would be even better!

This recipe makes 2 regular pies (so 4 crusts needed) or one deep dish pie (just 2 crusts needed). You can also make it with just a top crust and no bottom. 

The stuff
- 2 store bought pie crusts (for one deep dish pie)
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 14 oz. can of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup milk 
- 2 1/2 cup shredded or cubed turkey or chicken (cooked), about 1 pound
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Get Cookin'
- Preheat the oven to 425 F
- Cook your chicken or turkey (or use leftovers or use a rotisserie chicken)
- Cube or shred the chicken or turkey

- In a pan, melt the butter and cook the onions for 2-3 minutes or until translucent (I just used the same pan that I had cooked the chicken in, for added flavor, so that's why its a little brown from the chicken)

- Slowly add the flour and mix together the butter and flour until it forms a thick paste. This happens really quickly so watch it!

- Gradually add the milk and broth, stirring constantly to break-up the flour paste and form the roux. You don't want it to be too thick or too thin so add the liquid a bit at a time while stirring

- Add the salt and pepper and continue to cook until thick and bubbly

- Add the cooked poultry and veggies. I usually don't thaw the veggies and just toss them in frozen. It still works.

- Let the mixture return to a bubble
- Put one crust in the bottom of a pie plate (deep dish) and pour the mixture on top
- Add the top crust and flute the edges
- Poke the top crust with a fork in several places to allow the steam to vent

- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown

YUM!

- Let the pie sit for 10 minutes so the mixture sets. Or cut into it right away and your filling will pour out from the crust, it still tastes great just looks really messy.

I usually serve this with a fruit salad. Enjoy!

Original recipe source: My Momma

Trainxiety

I think my worst, or least favorite, symptom of this pregnancy so far is what I'm calling trainxiety. Really, it's just heightened claustrophobia that is triggered by the subway train.

I've always been mildly claustrophobic ever since I was a little kid. I have no idea what triggered it to begin with but I do recall moments of fear as a kid when other kids would intentionally clog the tube slide. Ugh, I'm getting hot and nervous just thinking about that. But, for the most part it's been well managed and only flared up with things like MRIs and super confined spaces. Rare and could go years without issue.

But things have changed. Since the beginning of this pregnancy I started getting really anxious riding on the subway and getting worked-up in my brain about "what would happen if the train stopped" or "what if I'm stuck down here." If I let my mind wander even just a little I would start to get panicky. It goes from a hypothetical fear to near panic if the thoughts combine with the density of the train.

25% of my brain is very rational about this fear. It says, don't worry, stay calm. There is plenty of air. There is plenty of space. Don't be ridiculous!!! But the other 75% of my brain is screaming LIESSSSSSSS. Get off the train now! The 75% usually wins.

I'm calling this a pregnancy symptom because that's what it is. It started escalating right after we got pregnant and it has progressed on track with the pregnancy. I felt like it must be related and so I Googled it. Apparently it's extremely common for normal anxieties to become significantly heightened during pregnancy. Why? Who knows, added stress, added hormones, added emotions, the fact that your brain is working on other things. I don't know. But claustrophobia and the NYC transit system do NOT make a good combination. I'm just hoping that this symptom will also end with the pregnancy. Fingers crossed.

Since riding the train is unavoidable, I end-up exposing myself to the fear multiple times a day. So it's a day by day, train by train immersive experience. Sometimes God blesses me with a weeks worth of easy commutes and sometimes I have nightmare rides twice daily. I suppose it's a small price to pay for this little growing baby, so, somehow I'll manage. Fortunately, I have come up with some helpful coping mechanisms that do the trick if I stayed focused.

1) Get on the train at the middle instead of the front. I typically like sitting in the first car because it is right by my exit. Everyone else does this as well, so despite a bit more of a walk, the train is less crowded in the middle, and therefore more peaceful.
2) Take off your coat to avoid feeling "restricted" and trapped
3) If you must sit, get a seat that is not boxed in by another seat. Window seats are bad. If it's crowed, stay standing, preferably near the door
4) DO NOT watch people get on the train. Keep you head down or close your eyes. If you don't see how many people are crowding onto the train, your brain has no idea
5) Blast your eardrums with music. Brain cannot imagine ridiculous death scenarios if its being overwhelmed with show tunes
6) Have a water bottle and a small battery-operated fan in your backpack. Even if you don't use them, they're there if you need it.
7) If it gets really bad, just get off the train and wait for the next one. It's better to be late to work than risk total panic.

I will say, experiencing this claustrophobia with more and more frequency has given me a lot more compassion for people (friends and family) who deal with panic anxiety. It's a whole new level of understanding. 

Weekending it

We had a lovely Easter weekend.

On Saturday we did a lot of chores and hauling our purge pile to the local thrift store. Lunch out courtesy of a gift card. More bubble tea. Dan fixed my computer AND did all the laundry! I did meal planning and we went grocery shopping too. We played Easter Bunny and each got to pick out a bag of candy at the drugstore in place of actual Easter baskets. Reese's eggs for me and Jolly Rancher jelly beans for him.

Sunday was Easter! I got up a bit early and made us a "hot" breakfast and Dan read the Resurrection story from John. Then we headed to church.

This year was the first year in our married lives that we've been able to attend Easter service together. We both still had small serving commitments but we were able to worship and listen to the sermon side-by-side and it was a wonderful blessing. After service our church had its launch block party which we got to be a part of and help with.

The weather was AMAZING!!! Hot sun and in the 80s. It was heaven and we got to be outside for many hours, catching sunnies, helping with the games and visiting with new friends. Dan won knockout which really boosted his bball ego and overall we had a great time.

We got home around 5 pm and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Man, I wish the Monday after Easter was a formal holiday. But! Terri Mom and Allen Dad will be here in a few days and Mandy is coming to visit next week, so lots to look forward to and I'm hoping the Spring/Summer weather is here to stay.

Peeks from the Week

Despite the busy week I still have more energy thanks to the return of the sun and the appearance of spring!!!

On Tuesday night we had new friends over for dinner so we treated them to our favorite Indian food in the neighborhood and then they treated us to Thai rolled ice cream. There is a Thai rolled ice cream place in our area now and we had never tried it. I really liked it and will convince Dan to take me back this weekend.

Wednesday night we went back to the Upper East Side for our second and last birthing class. I try not to think about how much money we spent on these two classes but what are you gonna do? We flushed the toilet and the money is gone so just deal. It's wasn't completely useless but it wasn't worth what we paid. I wonder sometimes if people who aren't living in the NYC area know what prices are really like out here. So, full disclosure, we paid $350 for two classes. It was in the waiting room of a doctor's office. There were about 15-20 other couples and we watched a birthing video circa 1992 which I could probably find on YouTube. Then the instructor taught us how to breathe and push, also something you could find on YouTube. And then she demonstrated how to swaddle and bathe a baby using a super dirty looking cloth doll, also something you could find on YouTube. First-time parents suckered.

Thursday morning we had my monthly OB visit. We got there super early again so we grabbed breakfast together beforehand. The frequency of these visits is sort of annoying but if we get a special breakfast date before work, I'm happy about that. Everything is going well, as far as we can tell. We get very very little information from my doctor and every time we leave I'm more disappointed. I'll be finding another OB as soon as this pregnancy is over. It's just not worth it to feel so insecure when you are asking valid questions.

Thursday night we hosted our Table again for our church group. We had less people this time which made for a more relaxed feel. I mainly entertained the kids so the adults could play Catch Phrase.

Today is FRIDAY! Dan and I were both hoping we'd get to leave work a bit early for the Easter holiday. No such luck. But tomorrow is Saturday and the weather this weekend is miraculous so I can't complain! Look at my cute napkin note from Dan.

Show and Tell Tuesday: Prom Night

It's Show and Tell Tuesday with Andrea!

Today's prompt is Prom Night, show and tell us about your prom experience(s).

Well, prom. A few things to note, I was painfully awkward in high school. Read more here. I did well academically and I had friends but I did not leave high school feeling like it was the greatest time in my life and I'd go back in a heartbeat. No sir. I'm glad I never have to experience high school again.

This post is kind of sad and pathetic. 

I never had a boyfriend in high school, in fact I never really talked to boys in high school. However, my sister and I felt like if we didn't go to prom we would regret that we missed that experience. So we convinced one of our friends to come with us and just go for fun. I believe that's what they call "going stag." We bought our dresses at JCPenny, Mandy made our corsages, and our older sister Jessy (who is beautiful and popular and went to prom like 4 times in high school and always with a date) did our hair and make-up.

Mandy and I worked that day so we didn't have all day to prepare. We didn't get our nails done or anything like that. We ordered pizza and ate it at home. Our dad drove us to the venue.

The theme (or non-theme) was "Red Velvet Lounge." The decorations were red. I remember the venue was like a club and it had two levels so you could watch the people dancing from a balcony above. We did not have fun. We didn't dance, we didn't mingle, we just stood around looking awkward. My favorite part was the chocolate fountain. I've learned a lot of things since then about how to blend in and not look lame.

After the "dance" we went back to our house and changed and then drove ourselves to After Prom which was at one of those arcade type places. It was a huge disappointment because you had to pay for all the games and the food was no good. The place had a very after-hours deserted feel to it and not many people showed-up. Overall the entire night was an epic waste of money. But hey, we went and rather than regretting that we didn't go to our prom, we regretted that we did!

Dan didn't go to his prom, because Dan was smart.

Weekending it

I'm always grateful for weekends without commitments. On Friday night we had a friend over and we bought Star Wars Rouge One on Amazon. Neither Dan or I had seen it and our friend was happy to see it again. Both she and Dan are sort of Star Wars nerdy. I thought it was good but I didn't think it contributed much to the overall series plot...sorry?

Saturday we did lots of catch-up on chores. We deep cleaned the bathroom and I dusted the bedroom and changed the sheets. I have a bit of a "schedule" for cleaning chores so we only have to do one or two things every week. But the past few weeks we've slacked off and everything needed to be done at once. Dan also finished assembling the dresser for the baby's room and while it's still a mess in there, things are slowly coming together!

We went out to lunch to celebrate Dan's small bonus at work and then we did a little bit of splurge shopping. I forgot to take pictures because I was too busy inhaling chips and guac which the baby lovesssss. We got bubble tea as an extra treat since the nice weather is finally returning!!! We got spring haircuts too.

Sunday was a long day. I was serving on the brunch team at church so I was busy from 9 am until 2 pm and then we hung out with a new friend and got bubble tea again! Double win weekend. We sat outside for over two hours just enjoying the return of the sun. Ordinarily I would have been so exhausted after church that we would have gone home and napped but since the sun was out I had energy. I was glad to know that the weather did give me a boost and it wasn't going to be permanent exhaustion because of the baby.

The week ahead is pretty packed. We have our second birthing class, two nights with dinner guests, and I have another OB appointment on Thursday where I hope my Dr. can give me some condescending advice on why it feels like someone hit my pelvis with a sledgehammer. Fun times.

Peeks from the Week

Busy, busy week. Grateful that it's Friday and the weather is supposed to get warm next week. We've had a lot of cold rain here. Hopefully that means April showers bring May flowers???

This week we tried to make progress on putting together the dresser and bookshelf we got from IKEA a few weekends ago. And by we, I mean Dan. My job is to purge and find new places for the things we are keeping. I'm shocked at how big our purge pile is getting. We got rid of so much stuff before we moved last summer and then more still after we moved in and now even more. I feel like we get rid of so much stuff and there is still more stuff!!

On Wednesday night we had our first birthing class (it's a two class course). It was the only birthing instructor recommended by my doctor's office and I was honestly too overwhelmed to look into alternatives. It was really informative for Dan and somewhat informative for me. It's sufficient, we'll just say that. Definitely not worth what we paid but that's how it always goes. Interestingly, out of the 20 or so couples in the class, Dan and I appear to be the youngest which is incredibly odd since we seem to be the oldest in most other cases. Also, I was the least far along out of all the women. I'm 22 weeks today and most women in the class are due in 4-6 weeks. I guess I signed-up too soon? I don't know I just wanted to get it out of the way. The class was from 7-9 on the Upper East Side and didn't end until 9:30 so it was 9:45 by the time we got on the subway.

And of course, we had train trouble. We got halted at Times Square and after waiting 10 minutes eventually were told that trains were not running past Canal. And then they said no trains were running on that line at all. So we got off and waited for a different train that never came. So we took the shuttle to Grand Central and got on a different train which took a century to get into Brooklyn before we could catch our train to Bay Ridge. We didn't get home until after 11:30. Ugh, sometimes I hate NYC. This is our midnight selfie.

This week we've been really into watching this show "Life Below Zero" on Netflix which is a series about various people who live in the Alaska tundra. Very shocking and entertaining.

And since Easter is next week, I did a little decorating.

Happy weekend!!!

Big News #2

Obviously, the big news around here is baby boy Johnson arriving this August. But we actually have some other big news to share as well which I have totally neglected to mention here.

Mandy, my identical twin sister, is MOVING EAST this summer! Sqeeeeeeee!!! The magnetic force of our hearts is finally being reconnected in just a few short months!!

Mandy made this decision back in January and initially I thought she was joking because she is such a creature of comfort and I never expected her to move to us. But we've talked a lot about it and it feels right, for all of us. She is planning on finding a place in the suburbs of New Jersey so she can keep her suburban lifestyle and car. We can each keep our own independent routines and preferences but she'll just be short drive away as opposed to an expensive flight! We'll get to see each other much more frequently and she will get to bond with the baby. 

It will be a huge transition for her since she has lived in the Chicago area for the last 10 years but this was a decision she felt was perfect timing. She's been wanting to make a change and what better reason than to be closer to the new baby!! I'm so proud of her for making this decision and so excited to have her close-by soon. She and Dan get along swell as well.

Prayers for her finding a nice apartment, good job, and easy transition are much appreciated.

Weekending it

Spring is here!!! Well, temporarily, but I'm happy.

Friday we had an all-day monsoon and Saturday was frigid and windy. But Sunday was sunny and wonderful. Today appears equally as lovely but I'm at my desk all day so I can't say I've enjoyed it but I'm still happy.

It's truly a wonder what a little sunshine can do for my soul. So much more energy and a positive attitude. People have told me that being pregnant in the summertime will be miserable. But, I think I'd rather be miserably pregnant during the best season ever as opposed to miserably pregnant during the worst season ever. And also, maternity dresses are so cute! Bulky coats and sweaters? Not my favorite.

Anyways, we had a packed weekend. Saturday we got up early and were in the city all day for a leadership program. Afterwards we headed to Times Square to get some tickets for a show later this month when Dan's parents are visiting. Dan's cousin, Kaleigh, recommended it so maybe we're in the last row but hopefully it's great.

We had a ton of time to kill but not enough time to get home before our next commitment so we hung out at a crazy crowded Barnes and Noble for a couple of hours. We both looked at two different baby name books hoping to get some boy name inspiration. We both only found one name each that we kind of liked and they were both vetoed by the other person so, no, not successful. Then we went to meet my cousin for dinner!

So, I have a billion cousins. Truly, I don't even know how many. My dad was the youngest of 12 and so most of my first cousins are much other than me and I never really had those cousin bonding experiences playing together as kids. The closest cousin we have in age is 12 years older but I do have very fond memories of being a pest to him as a kid. That's me in the yellow.

He was in the city for business so we met-up with him for barbecue and had great fun. Bummed, I didn't think to get a picture. Afterwards, Dan went out with friends to watch one of the final four basketball games and I headed home, exhausted.

On Sunday we had church and brunch followed by grocery shopping, a subway nap, and an afternoon ice cream treat - our first of the season!

YAY spring!