204 More Days!

I'm 11 weeks today! Mostly excited because that means I'm almost through the first trimester. I'm looking forward to getting some energy back and feeling like myself again. The best thing ever is the arrival of THIS:

My Snoogle!

Getting comfortable at night is already an impossibility and I know as my tummy grows, it's only going to get harder.

(Tiny insight into the night of a pregnant lady: stayed up "late" and fell asleep by 10:30ish. Woke up at 3am to pee; also had an excruciating headache - so bad I took Tylenol, which I refrain from if at all possible. Then tossed & turned, trying not to wake my husband, for over an hour. Fell back to sleep after 4am. Only one pee break was a gift, I guess. I'm lucky to have such a sweet, understanding bedmate!)
This week we discovered I can't stand the smell of garlic. I still don't have the dreaded morning sickness so I sorta feel like I shouldn't complain about the symptoms I do have, but man! I basically feel like I was hit by a truck, all the time. Daily headaches on top of sheer exhaustion and a general 'blah' feeling. Sleeping is my best friend and difficult to get. Adam can testify to some SLIGHT;) moodiness as well.
But it truly is the best reason to feel like crap :)

We've started some baby steps (see what I did there?) towards getting ready for baby. I got some maternity clothes (!) (more on that later) and we opened a bank account for Lil Trout. My mom is trying to plan my baby shower already! Five more weeks until we find out boots or bows and we can't wait!

Bursting with Excitement!

2.15.15

I know I won't be publishing this for a few weeks but I am just so freaking excited!

LIL TROUT IS ON HER (or his) WAY!!!

It's been a long road - a story I may tell later. But we're finally here, with our little bun in the oven!

I painted my mom a wine glass that read "Grandma's Sippy Cup, est. Oct. 2015" and her reaction when she realized what we were telling her was epic. Priceless. The best thing ever! 

On my husband's mother's birthday, one of her presents will be a binky with a note attached asking her to save it for visits with her newest grandbaby. THEN we can tell the world! It will be sooner than the advised 12 weeks but after all we've been through, I can't wait that long!

I'm just over four weeks right now and the only symptom is insomnia! But that might be partly due to rambunctious kitties and sheer excitement. We'll be watching my hCG levels this week and scheduling an ultrasound soon - I can't wait till my baby's little heart starts beating. 

2.16.15

I had my second quant this morning an am anxiously awaiting the results! Working in obstetrics means I am all too familiar with the uncertainty in early pregnancy. I am trying my best to keep positive! Every night, my sweet husband talks to the baby and prays for his or her safe arrival into the world. 

Update: 727! That means my hCG has been doubling every two days which is exactly what's supposed to happen. I get checked again Wednesday and then we decide when my first ultrasound is - I'm pulling for next week. Once I see my lil Trout I'll feel so much better!

2.18.15

It's 4:30am and my darling kitties woke me up. So far I have very few pregnancy symptoms, the worst being sheer exhaustion and difficulty sleeping. But! Today marks five weeks, and Lil Trout will have a beating heart any day now! I am so excited for Adam to see and hear this. It's incredible to me every time I see it with a patient, and I still can't even believe *I* have a teeny tiny life inside me at this moment. I check all 9 of my pregnancy apps before email, Facebook, anything. Going to try to get some sleep before I head to the doctor for my final quant. This is all so exciting!

Wee Mail is one of the cutest apps, although less clinical than the others. 

My latest quant is perfect :) which means next week, ultrasound! It's a little early, 5w6d, but hopefully we'll be able to see Lil Trout's little heartbeat. We are so excited and overjoyed! It hasn't quite sunk in just yet…

2.19.15

It may not have sunk in, but my body knows. I feel like crap! I'm exhausted and have some sort of cold I can't kick. Add in the headaches and dizzy spells. Hoping I'm one of the lucky ones to bypass morning sickness. 

2.21.15

So far no morning sickness! Maybe it will never come. Headaches under control too. Lack of symptoms is actually worse though. I'm so scared because I'm well aware of what can go wrong and how often it happens. Two and a half days until our first ultrasound and I might die waiting! Tomorrow Adam and I are heading back to the city for a Flyers game so hopefully the distraction works! 

Prayers for Lil Trout.

2.22.15

Two more sleeps until our first ultrasound! I don't know how I'm going to keep this quiet - we're planning on telling his family at his mother's birthday dinner in two weeks and actually announcing on St. Patrick's Day (I got the cutest reveal shirt!) I just can't wait!!!

2.23.15

Our ultrasound is in less than 12 hours and to put it mildly - I am freaking out! It could be too early to see anything and all the clinical logic in the world won't stop me from being devastated. Or we could see twins and I might faint! I'm so exhausted all the time, I sure do wish I could sleep easily right now…

2.24.15

WE SAW HER! Our lil trout is in my belly and her little heart is beating at 108 bpm. She's measuring perfect at 5w6d and we go back in two weeks for another scan. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I'm finally pregnant!

2.25.15

Can I just fast forward a few weeks? I'm so paranoid of every symptom, lack of symptom, belly cramp, everything! Stick, lol trout! We love you so much already. 

2.27.15

Every day that passes without the dreaded morning sickness is a very worrisome little blessing! I'm sneaking in a scan at work next week to make sure everything is ok before we tell Adam's family. Then we have our second official ultrasound and begin regular prenatal care! I'm still in shock. 

3.1.15

It's March! That means it's BABY ANNOUNCEMENT MONTH! St. Patrick's Day is going to be so special this year :) Next weekend is when we're telling Adam's mother; I'm sneaking in an "unofficial" ultrasound this week just to make sure things still look good. I'm SO excited :)))

3.4.15

Peeked at lil Trout again today :) looking good! It's amazing how much changed in a week! See for yourself…

3.6.15

Peeked at lil trout again today because I'm neurotic. All is well! Tomorrow we're telling Adam's family and soon, everyone!

3.9.25

So we told Adam's family this weekend. Pretty darn cute if I may say so myself!

Tomorrow we have another scan and then I'm officially an OB patient. Can't wait to actually see AND hear lil trout's heartbeat. Still feeling good, too - no morning sickness for this girl!

3.10.15

Today went great! Lil Trout is perfect. Heart rate at 175 :) I'm still feeling pretty good, except EXHAUSTED. Like, sit-down-to-dry-my-hair exhausted. Today I came home from work to the sweetest surprise from my hubby - who, by the way, is the most amazing man in the world. 

Lil Trout is already so loved. We feel blessed beyond belief. 

3.14.25

We can't wait any longer. Our family & close friends know; tomorrow it's going viral!

We can't contain our excitement any longer! HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY ALL!!!

3.15.15

The cat's out of the bag, time to hit publish! CHEERS!

Ciao, bella!

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our final day in Florence was spent doing my absolute favorite things: shopping and relaxing! Trafalgar organized a demonstration at a leather shop - maybe you've heard of Peruzzi? After a fancy new belt for Adam, we wandered the streets checking out local and tourist shops. The early afternoon was spent in the possibly my favorite city square, Piazza San Croce. I bartered with street vendors for scarves, jewelry & trinkets. I people-watched with a glass of rosé while a local handmade me a namesake bracelet.

(Turns out, every time I took a step, my sweet hubby was muttering "stop buying stuff, stop buying stuff!" under his breath. Oh well!) Adam did get me a fun new charm for my Pandora bracelet - the fleur-de-lis, the symbol of Firenze, purchased at an outrageously priced jewelry store at the corner of the piazza.

My heart was heavy when it came time to hop on our bus and head back to Rome. It was the most magical week. But, the long bus rides were their own kind of fun!

When we arrived back in Rome, we checked in to the Executive Style Hotel Rome. This hotel has been completely remodeled since it's days of housing  Catholic priests. Super modern and fun! It was late September and about 85 degrees - no complaints here.

Our final dinner was a DELICIOUS meal at The Cabiria. 

Wine flowed and after several lazy courses, new friendships were cemented. Knowing we had to get up early to catch our flights to Heathrow and then Philly, we did the responsible thing…haha no we didn't we stayed up most of the night! Didn't make a difference, anyway…free drinks on the plane made sleeping through the flight a breeze even for my airplane-anxious husband. 

The crash after week of running on adrenaline didn't hurt. 

I could cry just reminiscing - it was the most amazing week. Every experience was that much more special because I got to share them all with my best friend, my partner, my favorite person in the world. We dream of going back, but know it's not necessarily likely. This truly was the trip of a lifetime. There is definitely more adventure to come in our life together - it's just  taking place on American soil for now ;)

Ciao, bella - fino alla prossima volta.

Lights, Camera, Action

For some moments in life, there are no words. - David Seltzer

I will openly admit I'm a social media junkie. I check in, post photos, accept friend requests from people I've met once. I #mcm my husband every single week and share #tbt pics from childhood through last week. I'm not delusional and don't consider 55 likes on my profile photo significant of anything useful in the real world, but it's fun. I'm nosy and voyeuristic. I have a blog, for Pete's sake! I play on Facebook and Instagram, both of which are private accounts. I had to delete a Twitter because it was too un-private. 

But I digress. I've been called "the most married woman on social media" by some friends/acquaintances. Hey, whatevs. I'm living a beautiful life & thrilled to share it. 

One thing I've heard is that if someone were truly happy, they wouldn't broadcast it on social media. That makes no sense to me; why would I hide that? Pretty sure those words come from bitter, jealous skeptics.

However. For every date night check-in, for every kissy-face photo, for every public declaration of love - there are hundreds of other moments. Private moments between a husband and wife, secrets shared in the dark. These are the glue in our marriage. Sure, y'all can peek in the window, but at the end of the day, the curtains are drawn and we exist in our own world. Don't ever think you are seeing all of someone's life via Instagram selfies and Buzzfeed shares. Social media is just the highlights reel - the real magic happens behind the scenes.

You don't know the half of it…

Breakfast at Tiffany's

There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless. - Simone Beauvoir

I am absolutely NOT a city girl.* Ok, I lived in a teeny city for almost 8 years. But I hardly count that, it was necessity. I know a tiny bit about Philly, because what DelCo girl doesn't, but it's not a place I want to frequent. The first time I stepped out of Grand Central Station - I thought I might faint! It was my 21st birthday and to say the city overwhelmed me is putting it mildly.

Regardless, there's a certain something about the Big Apple. And at Christmastime! (Ok, I've ONLY been there at Christmastime. Lol.) So when the opportunity for a day trip in December came up, hubby & I jumped on it.
We hit Eataly, easily my favorite place in the city (take me back!) and wandered the streets hand in hand.

We hit the big spots - we kissed under the tree at Rockefeller Center, we shopped at the NHL store (ugh, bring that to Chester County!), and snacked at Hard Rock Cafe. 

Making memories with my husband is my favorite. And I came away with the PERFECT souvenir! 

He does, too. He wants me, he chose me, and he has me. Forever. 

*Foreign cities are a different story. Take me back to Venice, Madrid, Florence, Barcelona, and beyond!

Marriage > Dating

I vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness and to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share the silence when they are not […] I vow to fiercely love you in all your forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget that this is a once in a lifetime love. And to always know in the deepest part of my soul that no matter what challenges might carry us apart, we will always find our way back to each other. 

- The Vow

Adam and I decided to get married soon after we started dating. We made plans before he even proposed. I'd always intended to elope - call me selfish but the thought of having a wedding without my father there depressed me. I honored him in my own way - we were married on my parents' anniversary. We spent Tuesday, August 27, 2013 parasailing, lounging by the pool, and talking about the life we would have together. I wore a dress off the David's Bridal rack and my groom wore shorts & a button-down. I had my something old (dad's lucky coin, sewn into my flowers), new (dress), borrowed (grandmother's ring), and blue (Swarovski crystal toe ring). My longtime friend, who is a minister, walked me onto the beach and I promised Adam I would love, honor, and cherish him until death do us part.

I'm not any less married than someone who spent tens of thousands of dollars and months of their life stressing over colors, seating charts, music, and what to feed the gluten-free guests. I never particularly cared about being engaged - being married to my soul mate was all I wanted. My rings, while gorgeous, are just a symbol. Marriage is more than jewelry and a party.

I see a lot of girls demanding extravagant rings and luxurious weddings. I just don't see the point. I'd have married my husband anywhere, with any ring. Your wedding day should not be the best or most important day of your life. Today is the most important day of my life. Every day spent married to this man is the best day I've ever had. August 27, 2013 was just the beginning. 

There's a reason we never got to this point with anyone else. We are meant to be.

We are soul mates.

Kickin It Old School

The family is one of nature's masterpieces. - George Santayana

Despite all the insanity in my early (ok, and mid) twenties, I've always been old-fashioned. My jokes about wishing I was "barefoot pregnant and in the kitchen" weren't actually jokes. I'm so enamored with motherhood I literally chose it for a career.
That being said, I NEVER wanted to have a child with someone I wasn't married to. Sad that at 26, people seemed surprised that I didn't have any children, despite my unmarried status. An employer (a hypocritical Christian attorney with 7 kids and a penchant for kissing his associate after too many drinks but I digress) once asked me why I didn't have any kids and my answer was, "I want a father and husband, not a baby daddy." I somehow impressed him with that answer.

It's an unpopular opinion these days. Suddenly I'm 'judging single moms' and 'pissed off I don't have kids.' Calm your britches, ladies. What's so wrong with believing in the traditional family structure? What's wrong with believing people should be adult enough to make a commitment to each other before they commit to bringing a life into this world and raising him or her together?

If we hear a 20 year old girl is having a baby, we might agree she's irresponsible but then we congratulate her, throw her a baby shower and don't think twice. Babies are blessings!
If a 20 year old girl is getting married…stop the presses. We tell her she's making a mistake. She's throwing her life away, there's no way she's ready for that kind of commitment.
Am I the only one who sees the problem here?!
No shame in believing that people should commit to each other, before committing to another person together. None here, anyway. If and when we DECIDE to have kids - it will be a purposeful decision two prospective parents come to, together.

*zero hate on, well, anyone, but definitely not single moms. Sometimes shitty shit happens, I know that.

Remember When

One of the ways we keep the "honeymoon period" alive is...keep the honeymoon alive! That goes beyond date nights and making out in corners and lunchbox love notes. It means constant recognition of the fact that this is a once in a lifetime love. 

I found this idea on Pinterest, I think.. After the new year in 2014, Adam and I started a ritual. On Tuesdays, we did our "Tuesday thing." We'd write down favorite memory, special moment, anything important to us (individually) from the last week. And we put them in a box. 

It was an ugly box. A shoebox. I taped it shut, because I wanted to peek SO badly. Our kitties stomped all over our poor box and made it even uglier.

 

Someone used it as a launching pad &… Oh well. It's what's inside that counts! Tomorrow we'll open the box and remember 2014, one moment at a time.

We decided that for next year, we'd make a keepsake box with a bit more longevity. Off to my favorite place, the craft store! Adam painted the plain wooden box, and I got stencils & paint markers to personalize it. It's a little rough, but it's ours. Next year, on New Year's Day, we'll open this box & read the notes together again. What a beautiful way to start the year :) 

Happy New Year! SO much to look forward to in 2015! 

EDIT: We actually opened the box after midnight on NYE. It was amazing! We laughed and cried and relived so much of the last year. Marrieds, do this! You won't regret it. 

Love You Long Time

“I only wish that I had met you sooner, so that I could love you longer.” 

Beautiful sentiment. In theory, 100% true. In practice…maybe not so much.

I was 28 when I met my husband, and he was 31. We both had all-too-typical 20s: too much partying, lots of mistakes, and that one long crazy relationship that makes your friends and family want to shake you like a rag doll and scream “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING” in your face. 

There’s a reason God never had us cross paths sooner. We were meant to meet each other as adults. At 22, I would have had zero interest in him before last call, and at 25, he would’ve probably chased my tail and called it a day when I didn’t return his phone calls. (Ok, I was kind of a bitch.) At 28, I was ready to settle down. At 31, so was he.

I’d never say we don’t fight – of course we do. However, our relationship has basically been smooth sailing from Day 1. No cheating, no break-ups, no constant turmoil and chaos like we experienced in our 20s. We went on dates as opposed to starting out just “hooking up.” We took our time (well, relatively speaking. We did get married after just 9 months but I digress.) There was never any question as to whether we wanted to be together, and we were ready to make that commitment. A relationship that thrives on drama is not a healthy relationship. You want to be with someone who brings out the best in you, not someone who turns you into a crazy, insecure hot mess. I’ve never questioned Adam’s feelings, or wondered if this is where I’m supposed to be. There’s none of that nagging insecurity present in so many relationships. When I see couples drowning in a relationship born out of chaos, or going through the break up-make up cycle, I cringe. Stop! Just walk away. Soulmates don’t lie, steal, cheat, break up multiple times. They don’t fight every time she has too much to drink or he falls asleep without texting. They certainly don’t begin when one is in another relationship. Know your worth, walk away, stop settling for less than amazing.

You may wait longer than you ever expected, but it's so worth it. In the end, we still have forever, from this life to the next.

It's A Secret!

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

- Mignon McLaughlin

"You guys are so cute!"

We hear it all the time. I mean, literally, all the time. It's more than the foot-plus height difference or goofy grin I get when you mention my husband. It's the genuine joy we get from each other. Marriage is work, and we work to make it work.

Pure and simple, it's love. I love him more every day. I loved him when I said those words the first time, I loved him when I promised to love him forever, I loved him this morning when I sleepily kissed him as he left for work, and I love him now. We say this a hundred times a day with words and also with actions, with notes in a packed lunch or scrawled into the fog of the bathroom mirror, with extra-long hugs after a crappy day and random Tuesday date nights just because. Not one minute goes by with someone feeling anything other than loved, cherished and adored. 

It's respect. We honor each other with words and actions, whether we're together or apart. We brag about each other. Everyone knows I completely adore my husband, and everyone knows my husband is absolutely enthralled by me. We do not speak badly about each other to family or friends.

It's caring. Being angry isn't an excuse to hurt one another, it's an opportunity to learn and grow. We fight, of course. Then we get over it, move on. It irks me when he leaves his dirty dishes in the sink right next to the dishwasher, and it makes him crazy when I leave my hairbrush on the vanity right next to the...hair accessory thingy.  

It's commitment. It happened really fast for us; in less than a year we made the ultimate commitment to each other. It's something we take seriously. I've never felt like we rushed into something or that we weren't/aren't ready. 

We're the lucky ones. I wake up every day with my absolute favorite person in the world. He makes me laugh and he holds me when I cry. He supports me, encourages me, guides me. We are best friends, partners in crime, teammates: Husband And Wife.

Our secret is there is no secret. There's no tricks to being happily married. Marry the right person, and it will come naturally. 

Ciao, bella! (Part 4)

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Where did I leave off…ah, right where I left my heart - Venezia! Tuesday morning, we woke up bright & early again. Another gorgeous water taxi ride into town and, at my request, our director took us past the Bridge of Sighs.

Turns out the romantic lore about lovers kissing beneath the bridge at sunset is garbage made up by Americans, lol. Bummer! In reality the bridge transported prisoners to their death and, as a condemned man looked out over beautiful Venezia he would inevitably sigh his final goodbye. Trafalgar set up a tour & demonstration at THE Murano glass factory. It was incredible! In just a few minutes, a master glassblower turned a piping hot blob of glass into a beautiful pitcher. The leftover piece became a small cat figurine in less than 90 seconds!

We perused the shop, passing on the €500 punch bowl sets (thankfully we'll inherit one someday; my grandmother traveled to Venice in the 70s solely to purchase a red Murano glass punch set with gold accents - red glass & 14k gold paint being the most expensive choice of course). We picked up some little gifts like a frog for my MIL & some original Pandora beads for me :) 
After Murano, we had a few hours free time. We strolled around Piazza San Marco before settling in at one of the outside cafes for some afternoon cocktails. Perfection. 

Obviously being on vacation is relaxing, but AHH…there's something else to it. A calmer, more peaceful way about everything. The time we wasted doing nothing, people watching, laughing, stealing kisses - those are the memories I cherish. 
Alas, time to move again! We were on our way to Lake Garda, a resort town typically frequented by Italians themselves more so than foreigners. The liquid lunch put us right to sleep and when we woke up in at our villa in Garda…holy cow. It was BEAUTIFUL. The villas were built into the hillside overlooking the lake. Our room was the biggest we had anywhere in Italy, complete with a private patio above the rolling hills and water. The extravagance & beauty, and privacy, did not go to waste I assure you! ;)

A resort shuttle took us into town - freaking adorable. A stroll by the lake led us to a tiny restaurant with outdoor seating. This dining experience was one of the best of the trip! Our waiter asked us steak or fish. Steak, so he led us to a glass case where we picked out the cut of meat we wanted. It was cut & prepared in the outdoor grill while we watched sipping complimentary wine. Salad & veggies were served family-style and while we passed on dessert, complimentary digestifs were impossible to refuse. (Note: grappa is completely disgusting. Undrinkable.)

After exploring the town trying to walk off that dinner, we hit the hotel bar (of course) and retired to our private patio with a fresh bottle of prosecco. It was definitely the most relaxing night of the trip!

I'm His Mrs.

I'd literally monogram ANYTHING. I instantly correct people when they use my maiden name. I'm so completely proud to be a Troutman - MRS. Troutman. I'm proud my husband chose me. He picked me to share his life with! What an awesome gift. He gave me his last name - yes I'm rocking it like a Kennedy. He never did that for anyone else.

Unpopular opinion, especially with girlfriends. But it's true. The things you share as husband & wife are so much more than any boyfriend & girlfriend share. Know how I know Adam is serious, that he means forever? 

Because he said so, in his vows.

We promised each other, and God, that we're in this together forever. The life we're building is beautiful. Memories, traditions, family - it's everything. I'm lucky to have him and I make sure he knows I'm devoted to him. So today when he comes home, he'll see this. Cheap and easy, but I'm always looking for ways to make our house a home and let him know I'm proud to be his. 

Just call me Mrs. Troutman :)

Love Is A Verb

A good husband makes a good wife. - John Florio

Today, my husband put toothpaste on my toothbrush for me while I showered, and I fell in love with him.

It's a silly thing. It literally saves the other person 2 seconds. It requires no real effort.

It has a huge impact on my day. That simple act of kindness, a little something to save me 2 precious seconds. 

Life is in the details. Making your partner's life easier in even the smallest way sends a big message. Having their favorite drink ready when they get home from a stressful day, turning up the radio when their favorite song comes on, slipping love notes in their wallet. Adam does the chores I loathe to do. I make sure the car seat is moved way back when we switch cars. 

It's more than just a feeling; love is a verb. Yes, my heart and soul are bursting with passionate love for this man. But the action - that is where marital success lies. We choose to love and be loving. It's not always easy, with two hot-tempered firecrackers like ourselves. Love is being caring, even when you're angry.

Think of your spouse. What would you want, in their shoes? We learned it in kindergarten; treat others the way you want to be treated. Quite simple.

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.

- George Sand

Ciao, bella! (Part 3)

Monday morning we woke up in Rome again. After basically no sleep, we somehow got our wine-soaked butts up and out to Vatican City at 7am.

(We clean up nice!)

And it did not disappoint. It was, in a word, amazing. The sheer size of everything is beyond impressive. We toured and oohed and ahhed over the tapestries, the flooring, the glass windows, everything.

Pope Francis chooses to live in a tiny two bedroom apartment instead of the grand papal residence occupied by popes before him (I love this guy). To see these incredible sights you only read about is such an awesome, humbling experience. There's no photos allowed inside the Sistine Chapel, and I bet no photo could do it justice anyway. (Snapped this photo just before going in the chapel; sharing because I love it!)

It was HUGE! So incredibly impressive. It's impossible not to say some prayers when you're there. 

Rome wasn't built in a day, but we had only had a day to see it! (Ok, two.) It was for to move on - VENICE!

Ok actually, the bus ride was kind of nice. Five hours of cuddling with my hubby, watching the hills of Tuscany roll by? Yes please! 

When we arrived…ahhhh. I've been waiting for Venezia all my life. Ok so the canals kinda smell funny…but whatevs. We took a water taxi into town - not all of Venice is on water, which surprised me.

Once you're in town, there's tons of regular streets in addition to canals of all sizes. We obviously went for a gondola ride…complete with a musician serenading us.

It's completely as romantic as it sounds and <3 <3 <3 Afterwards we went for a Spritz, a classic cocktail of prosecco and a bitter Campari-like liquor garnished with an orange slice & green olive. Weird but refreshing! We had time to visit Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) to see her at night and let me tell you, it was beautiful.

We had dinner at the hotel and despite that crazy day…hours of wine overlooking the hotel's fountain with our new friends. 

NH Laguna Palace Hotel

If I tell you I fell in love with Venice…that doesn't even come close. I adore that city and cannot wait to return. I hear it's sinking so I'm in a bit of a hurry!

Ciao for now…

Eat Pray Love

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." -Harriet van Horne

I LOVE cooking. I love trying new things (Pinterest junkie) and love feeding people especially my hubby (it's the Italian in me). Adam is a great test subject especially since he loves everything! On our third date I invited him to my place & served him handmade crab cakes with fresh lemon aoli and, well, here we are! 

One of his favorites, that he requests often, is Chicken Parmesan. I made it tonight and thought I'd share my recipe.

It's ridiculously easy to make. I don't coat my chicken in anything before breading it, but I juice up my breadcrumbs with spices like basil, oregano, salt & pepper, and garlic. Once it's breaded, the number one most important part:

Whole, FRESH basil leaves.

We popped into an Italian market last weekend in NYC where I picked some up, but you can usually find it at your local grocery store. Don't skimp! Basil is amazingly delicious. Next comes the mozzarella and lots of it - Adam loves cheese! 

Cover it all in sauce (if you're using canned sauce, doctor that too!) and pop it in the oven. When I have about five minutes to go, I cover the mess in fresh parmigiano reggiano (you can use store bought shake parm if you want). Serve with any kind of pasta. Household fav around here! 10 minutes of prep and 20-40 minutes in the oven depending on the chicken. The smile on my hubby's face when he smells this cooking is worth it!.

Blessings!

I'm SO EXCITED!

Adam just got a promotion at work. A little extra money is nice, but what's nicer is WEEKENDS OFF! I'm super excited to spend more time with my best buddy! Saturday morning cuddles, Sunday brunches, I can't wait!!! 

Congrats to the hottest thing at CCP since this girl left! xoxoxo 

Caio, bella! (Part 2)

What do you do when you wake up Sunday morning in Rome?

Vatican City, of course!

There is no photo that can convey the atmosphere in Vatican City. It's just breathtaking. To be somewhere so beautiful, so historical, so full of love. Now, I am not Catholic and may have even referred to modern Catholicism as a money-hungry cult once or twice. But you can't deny the beauty and awesome presence of God. More on this later, though. We weren't actually able to tour the Vatican that day - something historical was happening! Inside, Pope Francis was performing the first wedding by a pope in 20 years. And, he was marrying TWENTY couples - some who already had children! Obviously a big deal. I'm no papal expert, but this guy is absolutely my fav. Again, more on that later. After watching the ceremonies for a bit on huge screens set up in St. Peter's Square and generally milling about, we headed to what was probably top on my husband's lists of sights to see - the Colosseum. 

Incredible! The history was impressive - standing on marble that has been in place for thousands of years, where emperors entered to watch the bloodshed. You can't go down to the fighting level of the Colosseum much to Adam's dismay; that's reserved for archeologists alone. Traveling with a tour group like Trafalgar has a lot of positives. We didn't wait in lines to enter any tourist attractions and had our own personal guide explaining every detail. The only real downside is, you don't get a whole lot of time at these attractions. Hubby was bummed we didn't spend more time in the Colosseum; I was satisfied seeing it, snapping some photos and picking something up in the gift shop ;) We popped in a restaurant across the street for seafood risotto (me) and real Italian lasagna (Adam - and he prefers mine!) and a glass of wine, of course.
We stopped near the Trevi Fountain and snagged our first authentic, DELICIOUS gelato.

Unfortunately the fountain  has been under restoration since July 2014 - two months prior to our trip. But, beside the scaffolding there is a small pool where you can toss a coin (backwards, over your left shoulder) to ensure good fortune and a return to Rome. We shall see!
Next up, the Pantheon. 

The Pantheon is a crazy impressive building last rebuilt in 126 A.D. It's this giant circular structure and apparently one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings. Again, my husband was in his element - I had no idea he was such a history lover! All the more sad that he never got to meet my dad.
We ended the day with a fabulous dinner in Piazza Navona (a city square).

Guess what accompanied dinner - I hope you guessed tons of wine! After a quick spin by to see the Vatican at night - which is so beautiful I'm near tears just thinking about it - and a few more hours at the hotel bar and a lot of prosecco later we crashed for a few short hours...who needs sleep, anyway?

To be continued...

Family

This was my second Thanksgiving with Adam's family. (We've been together for three, actually, but had been dating about 5 minutes the first year and as such, I politely declined 😳.)  We also spend Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday with his family, plus summer barbecue-worthy holidays at his brother's pool. They have welcomed me with open arms from day one. His mom and brothers were telling him to "hurry up and marry that girl" from the beginning. They interact extremely different than my family and are entirely different type of people, but I love them and they love me. Tonight when I left my brother-in-law's house, there was zero sense of awkwardness or obligation with the goodbye hugs (despite Adam's "go hug your ________" to which my MIL said - Stop saying that, she's not rude and we like hugging her, she's not like that other one. Lol). My niece, who like my nephew is a bit shy, came right up for a hug and without thinking, I gave her a kiss.

That's when I realized - this is my family.  I married into a wonderful group of people and by now, the "married into" part is a non-issue. It's Mom & Dad, brothers & sister, niece & nephew. They are my family.

And for this, I am thankful. 

Tis The Season

Thanksgiving: the expression of gratitude.

I'm one of the lucky ones. I have much to be thankful for. Born to an amazingly hardworking mother, I had everything material a kid could want. I was given the intelligence to understand people and the world at an age most kids don't. I learned the concepts of grace, humility, and friendship - or so I like to think! As an adult, a very tumultuous few years in my 20s managed to teach me incredibly valuable lessons while leaving me and my loved ones relatively unscathed. And then, after the most devastating blow, I met Adam. Adam persistently pursued me and was patient with me - I was what one might call emotionally unavailable. The ultimate cynic.
Now here I am, married! I was born to be married, to be someone's wife. I adore my husband and am thankful every day that HE picked ME. We are building a wonderful life together. He showers me with affection and puts up with my crabby moods and curious quirks. I'm appreciate for our past, I'm grateful our present, and I'm so looking forward to our future.

As an aside, I had a bit of trouble getting to this post and finishing it. Why? Well…

Stay tuned!