32 Weeks

Monday was our 32 week appointment as well as our third childbirth class. The doctor said our little guy is still measuring perfectly and she was able to determine with some degree of certainty that he is positioned head-down. We just need him to stay that way for the next 8 weeks. I am having a lot of pain and discomfort in my right rib cage and right-middle back but blood tests reveal that it has nothing to do with my liver, rather Baby Valone just enjoys kicking me in that spot. This child is sooo going straight to his room as soon as he gets here. I finally look really pregnant in the picture above. That's what 4 layers of clothes will do! At least it's obvious now and I don't get that, "I wonder but I don't want to say anything" look from customers.

I actually did have a craving this week. My first one since the first trimester when I couldn't get enough canned pineapple and Mandarin oranges. ALL I've wanted this week was strawberry ice cream and red ropes. Tage obliged and we ate ice cream in bed the other night (without heat) wearing jackets and hats and scarves and gloves. I couldn't find red ropes (can you only get them at the Snack Shack's where little league baseball games are held?) The red vines were sufficient. The chocolatey-goodness in the bowl is Tage's... he has sympathy cravings. :)
Astro and Dad had a lot of time to play over the weekend (being he was indoors most of the time due to a lack of a chain). I'm pretty sure Astro was tired out long before Tage was. Here they are wrestling on the carpet...

Reality

This post began as a "You know you're from (my home town) when..." list that I ran across on Facebook and found amusing. (How I ended up on Facebook when I logged onto the computer originally to upload photos to Walgreens.com I'm not certain.) Either way Tage walked in and asked what I was writing. I explained that I wasn't writing, rather editing the post I had copied and pasted. He asked why I wasn't writing something and my response was that I had nothing to say. Tage, who is never at a loss for a response, quickly reminded me that I had plenty of things to write about: the snow melting, the accident I had with the Malibu this week, the dog chewing through his chain and wandering the neighborhood while we were gone, things in our house breaking... and the list goes on. Literally 30 seconds after making that comment we walked into the living room only to discover that the heat had gone out. I figured I would take the hint and, before the inside temperature drops to uncomfortable levels and I am forced to don mittens, write about the "reality" of our life here in Spokane.

As I mentioned above, the snow is melting. The outside temperature has maintained above freezing (36 degrees) for about 3 days now and water is running everywhere. This is fantastic except for one thing, streets that still had snow on them and haven't been plowed within the last 3 days are now ice skating rinks. The snow melts slightly and refreezes, causing the whole area to become an ice slick. We watched, amused, this morning as a car attempted to drive up our street unsuccessfully. It just slid backward down the hill time after time. We have chains on the Passat so we didn't have any difficulty getting back to the house after a trip to Petco for a new chain and stake for Astro to play in the back yard. Why are we driving the Passat, you ask? Well...

Two weeks ago we discovered the 4-wheel drive in the 4Runner was not working properly. Not a big deal since we had the Malibu with studded tires that drives great in the snow as long as it isn't too deep. We took the 4Runner into a shop to repair the 4WD the week of Christmas. Evidently the shop broke a lug nut in such a way that they will have to use a torch to remove the pieces, which will then cause the bearings to need to be replaced, and they would have to order parts. I can't be sure that I have all of the details accurate, all I know is it's going to be quite some time (with the holidays and all) until we have the 4Runner back. Being without the 4Runner isn't a big deal except for...

At 6am the morning of Christmas Eve I was driving back home after dropping Tage off at the bus stop for work. Just before our exit from the freeway the Malibu hit a patch of black ice and the rear end began to fishtail. Thinking I knew what to do, I removed my foot from the gas, avoided stepping on the brakes, and held the steering wheel steady. To my surprise this did not fix the problem, in fact the fishtailing grew more exaggerated and the back end finally spun around, planting the front left corner of the car into the snow bank on the side of the freeway. After sitting there for a second and turning on my hazard lights I was able to start the car again, straighten myself out, and gingerly work the car back onto the freeway. I could tell I still had both headlights so I figured the crash couldn't have been TOO bad... and then the warning lights began to flash and the message indicated that I had "low coolant." I made it up the hill to the house and into the garage, dared a brief look at the front end and hiked upstairs to get ready for work. I didn't spend a lot of time checking out the damage but from what I could tell, the front fender was barely hanging on and whatever vital organs lay beneath that section of the vehicle were pretty much crushed. Gathering from the warning lights that it may have had something to do with the radiator, I assumed it wasn't going to be an inexpensive fix and filed a claim with our insurance. They are coming to pick up the sad looking, disabled vehicle on Monday and towing it to the repair shop. That leaves us with the Passat...

While the Passat runs great, it isn't well equipped for snow or ice. Even though the main roads in Spokane are clear and free of the elements we need to keep chains on the front tires of the Passat in order to make it up and down our street as well as the connecting street that will take us to the main street. Once on the main streets we become that car with California plates driving with chains unnecessarily and only going 30 mph. Needless to say, we're sticking to the roads less travelled these days. Not to mention leaving the house only when necessary...

We did take the back roads to Petco this morning. Astro chewed through the coating on his 15ft. chain that keeps him in the back yard but gives him enough freedom to run around and be a puppy. His incessant chewing along with the freezing cold weather we've had caused the metal to be weakened and break, so when we pulled into the driveway on Christmas Eve, there was our dog in the front yard playing in the snow with half a chain dragging behind him. Thankfully we've been home enough to play with him the last couple of days but needed to resolve the issue so he could be outside during the day when we're at work this week and not cooped up in his crate in the house. No joke, we got the most heavy duty stake and chain they sold and it had better work. Speaking of things working...

There are joys of home ownership, there really are. I love our house in Spokane and someday, when we have money to update it, it is going to be an amazing place. As it stands, there are unique challenges facing Spokane homeowners that homeowners south of us in the country do not experience. One of these challenges is having the pipes freeze. One day we turned on the kitchen sink only to have it drizzle a pathetic stream of water and then drip. Tage did his research, borrowed the neighbor's space heater, and even used my blow dryer on the pipes to try and get them running again but no luck. We have to leave the sink dripping constantly so that they don't freeze completely and burst, which hampers my effort to live more "green". I am constantly finding ways to use the water dripping... like filling up the water filter we keep in the refrigerator, keeping the dog's water full, even watering the plants (when I think of it.) Add to that our upstairs shower leaks into the downstairs bathroom, one bathroom sink is forever getting backed up, another doesn't have consistent water pressure, and the third sprays water in every direction, one would just as well not use water (which really isn't an option.) It's not that things just don't work though...

It's that they are extremely costly to maintain. Our heat didn't "go out" as much as it "ran out." The homes in Spokane are heated by oil. There is a large tank underground and you have to have a company come and fill your tank upon request. This winter (our first winter in this home) we discovered that we have no idea, nor is there any way to tell without filling it up completely, how many gallons our tank holds. Today marks the second time we have run out of oil. It appears that we are using about 150 gallons per month to heat this wonderful home of ours. I'll let you do the math to calculate just how much that costs to maintain. For those of us on a tight budget as it is, having to factor in that extremely costly necessity during the winter months is not easy. Add to THAT, the fact that one of two providers in the household is going to have to take at least 6 weeks off work in about 2 months, and the stress level tends to be pretty high. I can now understand why they say finances are the biggest source of marital strife in this country, it's the sheer stress of having to figure it all out.

So there you have it. The long and the short of our Spokane reality. That's just the G-rated stuff. Don't get me started on the rest of it...

The Giving Tree

New Favorite Recipe

Taken from none other than Real Simple, this recipe is barely more than a few potatoes, a jar of red sauce, a package of spinach, bacon, and a little bit of cheese and yet it was delish! Even Tage enjoyed it, and he is a little picky when it comes to food. We made this Potato "Lasagna" last night, sans onions and with double the bacon. (In Tage's words, "If that's all the meat you're going to give me..." after reading the recipe and requesting that I cook the entire package and add it to the dish.) It was surprisingly yummy and is pretty healthy (if you don't add as much bacon as we did.) The dish did need to bake for nearly an hour, so it was a bit time consuming, but perfect for a Sunday night dinner providing lots of leftovers. Enjoy! :)

Childbirth Class

Last Monday was our second of four childbirth classes. While it's helpful to be prepared and know (or at least have an idea of) what to anticipate, there are some things I would rather not know. One of those things is the visual image of what 10 centimeters actually looks like. Unless you are a medical student there is no reason for anyone to see that, let alone an expectant mother (or father!)

One thing I did find interesting is that there are many positions in which a woman can give birth. The movies would have you believe the only option is to lie on your back with your feet in stirrups. Has anyone delivered a child in a different position? I'm curious to hear your experiences so please share.

The adorable bear in the photograph? Baby Valone's daddy brought that home this week for me to "smell up" (in his words) for the baby. He shares a place in my arms when I fall asleep at night, at least for the next two months.

Merry Christmas!

We woke up Christmas morning to a package from Santa by the bed with two pairs of Old Navy pj's. How convenient! :) Thanks to Grandma Pete, my mom and Dad, and Santa, there were lots of presents under the tree. Not only did Tage and I get spoiled but so did Baby Valone.

A Mauldin stocking must consist of the following: a new toothbrush, a loofah, floss, and assorted other treats. When I was a kid my stocking would always have a can of oysters (which may as well have been caviar) and my brothers would get beef jerkey. It's the simple things in life. :) I'm excited for another generation of "Mauldin stockings". Tage got a taste this year with gum, ear plugs (helpful toward the end of February), and Twix bars.

After having chocolate doughnuts and French Toast for breakfast Tage set out to shovel the driveway before the next big storm expected to arrive late today or tomorrow. Last year Spokane saw 44 inches of snow for the entire winter and in the last two weeks we've received a record breaking 42 inches. Another 5-9 inches is expected this weekend. Wish us luck!

30 Weeks

No doctor's appointment today but not for lack of trying. Our streets are so packed with snow just about the entire neighborhood is out shovelling. There just wasn't enough of a path cleared to make it out. I did attempt it though, and ended up getting stuck down the street. Thankfully Tage (who also couldn't make it into work today) and the neighbors were able to dig the Malibu out. I'm hoping things will be cleared shortly and I can head into work.

Why did I choose Spokane over Phoenix again?

Snow day!

It's official. We are snowed in. Schools are closed, streets are closed, and yet the bank is open. Praise God for my wonderful assistant manager, Suzy, who has a new Expedition and lives near the branch. She has volunteered to pick up a couple of other recruits and head in to work, not that anyone in Spokane will need to go to the bank today, but you never know.

In the mean time, we'll be shoveling, keeping the dog from getting lost in the snow drifts, and building the world's largest snow man. Don't they look happy to be playing in the snow?

Astro the Snow Dog

Yep, 7 months pregnant and shovelling snow. Every girl's dream.

Snow penguins! Their first appearance of the season... looking a bit haggard if you ask me.

Finally, Tage taking advantage of our sloping street.

Squash and White Bean Soup

Have I mentioned how fond I am of Real Simple's recipes? Nothing beats warm soup on a cold, snowy weeknight so last night I tried out their Squash and White Bean Soup recipe. It was great! The perfect balance of hearty ingredients, a fresh taste, and super healthy. We had garlic bread rather than the Parmesan biscuits, used all organic and fresh vegetables, and rather than using canned white beans I had prepared a large pot from dried beans the week before. There are a bunch of white beans left over so those will be used later on in the week in Bean and Sausage Stew. One of the best things about last night's recipe? It was incredibly inexpensive. I do want to note that Tage wasn't a huge fan of all the squash, he thought the soup needed a lot more white beans and a lot less butternut squash. And, as always, LOTS more salt.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Saturday night was our WaMu-Northwest Boulevard Christmas party (an ugly sweater theme). Everyone brought a dessert and a gift for our white elephant gift exchange. Jose and Amanda even brought their dog Chico, a Jack Russel Terrier, who did his best to coax Astro out of his crate and out to play. Eventually Astro made it as far as beneath the kitchen table, which was still a big step for him.

I made Ginger Chocolate-Chip Bars, Blueberry Pinwheels, and Glazed Lemon Cookies. The Ginger Chocolate-Chip bars were the easiest to make and the recipe made a bunch of them. The Blueberry Pinwheels proved to be the most time consuming, but they were yummy. My favorites were the Glazed Lemon Cookies which were basically a shortbread cookie with a lemony glaze on top which I could have poured over ice cream (or toast for that matter) and enjoyed. The best part is there are plenty left over to hand out to the neighbors!

Thanks to Tage, our house was festivly decorated for the holiday season. He surprised me the day after Thanksgiving by picking up AND decorating this adorable Christmas tree and having it set up when I got home from work. Thanks to my mom and Grandma Pete, there are already gifts under the tree just waiting for Christmas morning.

This was my view of the Christmas tree as I pulled into the driveway after a very long day at work. :)

From the National Weather Service

We received this notice last night:

...HEAVY SNOW FOLLOWED BY WIND AND BITTER COLD THIS WEEKEND FOR EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO...

A STRONG WINTER STORM IS SET TO DROP INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THE SNOWIEST AND COLDEST WEATHER OF THE WINTER THUS FAR.

SNOW WILL DEVELOP FROM THE CANADIAN BORDER SOUTHWARD DURING THE MORNING HOURS FRIDAY. A BAND OF HEAVY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WITH THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS WINTER STORM. UNDER THE HEAVY HEAVY BAND OF SNOW... THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FOOT OF SNOW IN THE VALLEYS. SNOWFALL RATES COULD APPROACH 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR UNDER THE BAND... AND TRAVEL IS LIKELY TO BECOME DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

THE SECOND PHASE OF THIS STORM WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. THE ARRIVAL OF A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW... ESPECIALLY IN THE VALLEYS OF NORTHERN IDAHO AND NORTHEAST WASHINGTON. TRAVEL ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY COULD BECOME DANGEROUS... AND WIND CHILL VALUES COULD BE 10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.

THE THIRD PHASE OF THIS STORM WILL BE THE ARRIVAL OF A VERY COLD ARCTIC AIRMASS. COMPUTER MODELS SUGGEST THAT TEMPERATURES EARLY NEXT WEEK COULD BE THE COLDEST THE INLAND NORTHWEST HAS EXPERIENCED SINCE JANUARY 2004.

We'll let you know how we make out! Here's to our second winter in Spokane...

1 Year Anniversary

This week marked one year of living in Spokane. I can still vividly recall driving up during a snow storm last year, installing my own chains on the Malibu, and getting lost somewhere around Madras, Oregon on the way. Looking back on that trek I just have to say thank God I have Verizon, I got service nearly the entire way. Reflecting on my year here, I thought I would share a few things I've learned...

1. I can now tell you what that is and what it does. If you don't know, count your blessings. I wish to never again live in a place where an ice-scraper is just as necessary for your vehicle as a spare tire is. Mine never leaves my car and has a neat brush on one end for snow removal. My Aunt Suzie actually got me a heated one for Christmas last year. Unbelievably handy!

2. I love my hometown... actually, California in general. Don't get me wrong, I think Seattle is a fabulous place to spend the weekend shopping and taking in a Mariners game, but Spokane is quite different. I miss the Rivercats, being close enough to see Giants games in San Francisco, McKinley Park, Jack's Urban Eats, Beach Hut Deli, and Chipotle.

3. People from Spokane REALLY like Spokane. They are proud of the fact that they have lived in the same home for 57 years and they are so irritated by the countless "transplants" from California who have invaded their small city, forcing them to drive the maximum speed limit of 60 mph in the middle lane of the freeway instead of the inside lane, because the Californian is behind them trying to get somewhere and 60 isn't going to cut it. They don't mind that the restaurant prices here are outrageous and (scoff) they actually think they know what good ethnic food tastes like. You have to have people from ethnic cultures live in your city in order to provide you with quality ethnic food, which leads me to my next lesson...

4. I value diversity. I really do, and not just for the food. I want my children to grow up in a place where they will interact with a variety of cultures on a daily basis, not just occassionally. We Californians sometimes take for granted just how much other cultures have impacted our state. Just look at the great things we have to show for our diversity: amazing produce (think of who works all of those fields), incredible food and culture fairs (the Greek festival, for one), arts, entertainment, literature, and (of course) amazing sushi, authentic Mexican, and fresh Thai restaurants.

5. I needed to live outside of my comfort zone. I appreciate how close in proximity our families live to us but after 26 years in the same 7 mile radius of the home I grew up in, I needed to branch out. After experiencing the bitter cold of Spokane and the record snow-fall winter of last year I know I will not be living somewhere cold again for a very, very long time. Like if my kids grow up and someday move to Boston with my grandkids, THEN I might consider it. Might. Why is it we always have to experience something else in order to appreciate what we have? At least this was one lesson I didn't have to learn the hard way. The cold way, yes, the hard way, no.

28 Weeks

Now that we are in the third trimester, the doctors appointments are every two weeks. It really sank in today when Dr. Church informed us of that. We've only got 12 weeks to go! And yet I feel like I still barely look pregnant (Tage took that picture tonight...)

The doctor measured my uterus and sure enough, it may as well be up to my esophagus right now. You know it's bad when Grape Nuts cereal and milk gives you heartburn. She said my weight gain "looked good" (although she has said that every time) and the baby measured exactly the size he is supposed to be. His heart beat was strong and he was thrilled about the amount of sugar I had to ingest for the glucose testing for gestational diabetes. We will find out the results tomorrow. I do find it a bit silly that they wait to do the testing until now, when I only have three months of gestating left, but they know more about it than I do. Overall I'm feeling good and have more energy, there's just the heartburn that seems to come out of nowhere. We miss everyone and are counting down the days until we visit in January!

I'll leave you with this endearing comment from Tage's niece Mikyla (mother of two little ones herself) about Tage becoming a father...

"Lol its funny to imagine my Uncle Tage as a dad lol I still remember as kid when he had his z z top beard and would be biking all over town. In my head im imaging him with that same beard holding a lil baby."