Brazos Bend State Park

Cuaca mulai sejuk di Texas. Akhir pekan jadi waktu yang tepat untuk mematikan televisi, keluar rumah, dan menikmati matahari serta angin sejuk. Maka akhir pekan lalu pergilah kami ke Brazos Bend State Park. Tiket masuk per orang $7. Anjing harus selalu diikat karena tempat ini terkenal dengan buaya-buayanya. 

French Apple Tart

This post is a bragging post. Purely and solely intended to show that despite my past failures in making baked goods, this time I have actually succeeded. With flying colors, I might add. OK, so maybe Ina Garten deserves all the praises, but I made this with my own two hands with minimal clean up to the kitchen. I'm freaking proud of myself if you haven't detected that yet.

So here it is. French Apple Tart. Recipe by the Barefoot Contessa: Ina Garten's French Apple Tart

Cold Beer

www.2beerguys.com
 

I haven't drunk beer in a long time. I mean even before I got pregnant. I had decided that I did not like its taste. Alcohol wise, I think the last thing I drank was margarita and it was a month before I got pregnant. I had wine here and there before pregnancy, but I mostly drank non-alcoholic drinks.

But now, now that I am 8 months pregnant, I really really want to drink beer. Super cold beer. Maybe a Shiner Bock or Blue Moon. Oh dear God, how I want beer. I'm not going to go all crazy with alcohol once the baby arrives since (hopefully) I'll be breastfeeding, but I will surely have that beer. Be it in the winter time, I am going to have that super cold beer. Maybe while having salmon sushi. That is definitely something to look forward to.

Big Belly Yoga

When everything else fails, this works. 

Pregnancy comes with backache, stabbing pain on the soles of the feet, and an all around tightness on the body. Oh, and the anxiety! Also the scattered thoughts and the need to just lie down. All. The. Time. 

Yoga -and I really am not trying to be a smart ass zen master here- has helped me through this pregnancy by just giving me the outlet to move slowly and mindfully. To just stretch and be OK with whatever I have running in my thoughts. I haven't gotten the meditation part quite right yet. And I'm not concerned about that because the more one fights the thoughts, the eager they are to invade the rest of the sane part of the brain. So I'm letting go. Let those thoughts come. I'm OK with not taking any action.

My most favorite poses during pregnancy are the downward dog, cat-cow, and pigeon. My camera battery ran out when I did the first two so I'll upload it tomorrow or when I feel like it. The baby seems to enjoy the movements so I guess I'll keep doing them until the moment I have to pop her out. 

Pregnancy Rant - Because at One Point I Just Need to Accept That I'm Just Human

I am now in my 26th week. It's now obvious that I am indeed pregnant. Weight gained: 12 lbs. Some might say that is not a lot. I beg to differ. I'm 4'11" and used to weight 104 lbs. So it is actually quite a weight for me. 

I'm at the end of my second trimester. The trimester where it is mostly about sunshine and rainbows and unicorns. You're showing, but not too much and your energy is just off the roof. My mood used to be almost always terrific. Right now, though, I think I'm going downhill. I get irritated very easily, especially while driving (which is not good!). I've always been easily irritated by ignorance and impoliteness on the road, but now my tolerance level is just pretty damn low. And people are getting more stupid by the minute! I curse all the time. Sorry my unborn baby, but your momma has a foul mouth. We need to deal with this.

And other things irritate me too. I really don't want to dwell on this, making everything out of proportion, creating dramas that need not exist. But some people just really get on my nerve. And I worry about this because old wives' tale says that you cannot dislike someone so badly when you're pregnant lest your child turning to be exactly like them. And these people that get on my nerve were not my most favorite people before I got pregnant. But I used to be able to just brush off the things they do and put my mind elsewhere. It is not that easy now. I feel like just avoiding them and not interact with them at all. Unfortunately that is not possible. So I really really need to manage this emotion.

This rant is getting long and useless. And I feel big. I look big. Not that I care, but my back and feet do. I am not ready to have this baby yet (obviously!), but now I understand what other pregnant women are saying about pregnancy being tough. I think it's mostly the emotion. And how your feet hurt. And your back. And how there is no comfortable sleeping position. And have I mentioned the feet?

I hope better days are upon me. I don't want to feel like this for the rest of my pregnancy. I really do still want to enjoy it. I want to look big, round, and glowing.

Just like:

https://tribktla.files.wordpress.com

What I need..

is to come back to me. And be here. Here and now.

Green Olive

Something magical happened yesterday. There was a heartbeat. Inside my tummy. The doctor said it came from something as big as a green olive. I love olives. All kinds of olives, especially the green ones. If that was not a miracle, I don't know what is. 

Jet Lag!

I am currently in Indonesia. It has been 4 days since I arrived and I am thankful for my jet lag. For once, it helps me to stay awake during the most crucial time: meeting deadlines, both from work and school. Oh, those god-forsaken deadlines! I am going to meet them though. I have my Kapal Api coffee, my Indonesian music playlist and my mom's dog for much-needed playtime break. Until the sun comes up I shall not blink! I think the coffee is working.

Pineapple Pie vs Whales and Dolphins in Captivity

I find it extremely interesting and mind-boggling that my Facebook post about Pineapple Pie gets more likes than my post about how disturbing marine animal shows are and how wrong it is to keep whales and dolphins in captivity.

I guess some people still choose to turn their backs on uncomfortable truths. I guess ignorance is still bliss.

How sad.