Beverly Hills and Hollywood and Cut...

I just got back from an amazing trip to California. It was the first time I have been away from Sebastian for more than a night. It was fantastic though. I went down there with my half brother and half sister. It was so much fun getting to know them a bit better and of course, being in California wasn't half bad either!! So, I'll talk about the first day, and leave it at that for now...

On the first day I got there, Ryan and Kim picked me up from the airport and we went straight to Beverly Hills. We stopped at a neat shopping centre that was like an outdoor mall above a parkade. I have not seen anything like this, but it was very neat. I needed to eat, so grabbed a burger from Fuddruckers. It was sooooo tasty!! After that we wandered around checking out the shops. I found an Elmo computer game for Sebastian and some clothes for Jeremy. Next up we drove around Beverly Hills. Kim bought a map to the stars homes, so we plugged different addresses into the tomtom (thanks Chris), and found our way to the homes of Tom Cruise, Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston etc. It was lots of fun!! After that, we headed to Rodeo Drive. Kim and Ryan grabbed some lunch at a little Mexican eatery and then we had Sprinkles cupcakes for dessert (for those of you in Calgary, think Crave, only it has been around much longer, perhaps the inspiration for Crave). I had a pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese icing. Yum, yum, yum. We wandered down Rodeo Drive and then back up the street we could actually afford. It was neat. 

We still had some time before dinner so we headed for Hollywood. We went to the Kodak theatre, saw the Hollywood sign, Grauman's theatre with all the handprints of the stars, the walk of fame with the stars of the stars, the place where they film the Jimmy Kimmel show, and finally stopped for sodas and floats at the Disney Soda Pop shop. They were delicious. It was a weird store though, half Disney merchandise, and half this soda shop. Disney also has a movie theatre right beside as well.

Finally, it was time to head out for our fancy dinner. We were eating at Cut, which is a fancy steakhouse by the famous chef Wolfgang Puck. Previously, I've eaten at his Spago restaurant, as well as his cafe's in the airports. Always good food, and of course, expected nothing less this evening. The restaurant was inside the Wilshire hotel (same hotel from Pretty Woman). We valet parked our ford mustang and headed in. Chris and Jeff had gone there in July and raved about it, so we were quite excited. We got the menu and knew it wasn't going to be a cheap dinner (we knew that ahead of time, but this confirmed it, haha). We got various recommendations from the server and then went about our decisions. 

Okay, so this is a pretty high end steak house. They bring out the meat for you to look at, so you can see the difference in the various cuts etc. They serve Kobe beef from Japan, as well as a hybrid US version of Kobe as well as just plain old aged steak. I decided on the hybrid Kobe US version filet. But to start I had an asparagus salad with warm bacon dressing and poached egg. It was amazing. Kim had a salad of sorts and Ryan had a tomato salad. To go with the steaks, we chose pureed potatoes, sweet corn and onion rings. All the sides were fabulous and the steak itself was absolutely amazing. Probably one of the best steaks I have ever had in my life. We also got sauces for the sides. Bernaise sauce, wasabi butter, some mustards and a red wine sauce. They all went fantastic with the steaks. 

And then there was dessert. Ryan ordered an angel food cake with berries and ice cream. Kim ordered a banana creme brulee pie, and I had a chocolate soufflee that came with creme fraiche, chocolate sauce and ice cream on the side. They were all fantastic. 

It was about this time that Kim had gone to the bathroom, and on the way back came across Jerry Springer. We had all been excited about possibly spotting a celebrity of some sort and who it might be. Well, Jerry Springer wasn't really anyone's first choice, but it was still pretty neat. He was hanging out in the lobby waiting for his dinner guests to join him. 

Well, not too long after that, we were almost ready to leave, still entranced by the meal and everything, when I notice a chef come in. I said, "hey, I think that's Wolfgang Puck". We have about 3 or 4 Wolfgang Puck cookbooks and have made many of his recipes. I have also eaten at his other restaurant, Spago, in both Beverly Hills and Las Vegas along with the faster food version of his food at the airports. I have been a big fan of his for many years, and was so very excited to see him. Moments later, he was at our table asking how dinner was. It was so neat!! I was beside myself with excitement. Not only did we see Jerry Springer, but now we had actually met the owner of the restaurant himself, Wolfgang!! A few minutes later, we were almost ready to leave and asked the waiter to take a photo of the three of us. He agreed and suggested perhaps we'd want to have the chef in the picture, so, not only did we meet Wolfgang Puck, he also came back for a photo with us. I was beyond happy!!

So, how much does eating in a place like this cost, you might be wondering? Well, for 3 of us, the bill itself came to $482!! That's in US dollars. So, it was definitely one of the more expensive meals I have ever had in my life, but like the commercials say, dinner $482, enjoying an evening with family and meeting the chef that started the place, priceless!!

A jumble of things...

So, yesterday we had our routine ultrasound for our new little munchkin. Of course, nothing seems to be routine with me, and first thing, we get taken into an office with the door closed. They wanted to know my history and about our first child. They discussed the first pregnancy, then asked if we had a child at home. I swear, Sebastian really is a miracle, because this is the third time that we've been asked about whether or not the child made it (and sort of most of the doctors seem to figure he probably didn't). So that was interesting. We did the ultrasound, and then of course, had to meet with the doctor afterwards. Surprise surprise, things are not going along as simple as we'd like. Grrrrrr...very frustrating, because really, I just want this baby to be healthy. Needless to say, the heartbeat is irregular, to the point that we have to go back in two weeks to get it checked on again, and likely about that often from here on in. Now, don't get me wrong. I truly am grateful that we are being watched closely, and obviously getting the care we need, I just wish there wasn't any issues to worry about. This is the second doctor to now mention the possibility of meds, so we'll see what happens in two weeks. Aside from the heartbeat issues though, the baby looks great. The heart itself looks great, we just have to figure out why it keeps misfiring (she used plenty more elaborate words, but that about sums it up). So, as long as that can sort itself out (which it very well could without any intervention), then things are looking good (oh, and did I mention this doctor also went over the first child and asked about his wellness and complications??). I think Sebastian really did the medical community proud and surprised a lot of people, and for that I am so grateful!!

Now, tomorrow, I leave for California. I am so excited. It will be so strange being away from Sebastian, but I think I will have fun. And I know I can call and check on him. Sometimes he will even chat on the phone a bit. I'm going with my half brother and half sister, and we're going to do the Disneyland Half Marathon together. It sounds like they might even stick with me, even though I will just be plugging along at a slow pace. So, we should have a fantastic time (how can you not eating at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, playing at Disneyland and shopping on Rodeo Drive!!).

Oh, and Prison Break starts again next week. I couldn't be more excited for a tv show to resume. This is of course, the show that stars Wentworth Miller. He's so beautiful to look at. And, his romantic love interest will be back. Seriously, if you have never seen the show, it's great. I highly recommend it!! Oh, and speaking of good tv, there's a new Canadian show called Flashpoint, that basically follows a SWAT team type of thing. It's incredibly well done, and if you didn't know any better, you'd guess it was from one of the big US networks (and that says a lot!!). So it's another one to check out, and if you are from Canada, you can check out the episodes on www.ctv.ca . It's worth a look.

And finally, only 535 days until the Winter Olympics start. I love the winter olympics so much more than the summer ones. So, I can hardly wait. Added bonus they are in Canada, but still.... now if only I can figure out a way to be a part of the torch relay...

The Disney half marathon is approaching...

I leave for Disneyland on Wednesday, and I am so excited. I am heading there with my half brother and half sister. I didn't really grow up with them, so this is a neat opportunity for us to get to know each other and have fun at the happiest place on earth. On the Sunday, we'll be running the Disneyland Half Marathon. I am especially excited for this race. It should be fun. I only hope I can run/walk fast enough to finish in the allotted time.

Today, I ran 7km, and it went well. If I keep a similar pace to today, then I will easily make it. I can't go too fast though, because I don't want my heart rate climbing too high and I don't want to get overheated.

I tried buying some maternity exercise clothes today, but the store I went to only had pants and long sleeve yoga type stuff. I wanted shorts and a tank top of sorts. I did find a cool Bella Belt thing though. It's basically a piece of spandex that goes around your belly. It offers a bit of support and keeps your belly from being exposed, so in the end, it might work perfectly with the clothes I already have.

Now if only I could find the time for a haircut!!

Wentworth Miller is hot...

I think Wentworth Miller is incredibly hot. He has these absolutely mesmerizing eyes and I just love him. If ever there was a day pass, I think it would be him. I love watching Prison Break, just so I can see him. It's great. Now, I know, people have been saying his preference might not be for the female half of the species, but hey, it still doesn't change how hot he is. And it doesn't change the fact that I enjoy the simple pleasure of looking at him. He is my eye candy. And, he's beautiful eye candy. And the show starts again on September 1st. If you haven't watched it, I'd highly recommend it. It's great. The storyline is fantastic, and the love interest might actually be back again this year (and it's a great subplot).

Occupation identity crisis...

So tonight I came into work for overtime. I started out answering calls for Fire/EMS, but it became apparent that the Police side was short, so I was moved over there. The first few times I tried to answer the phone, I couldn't do it properly. I didn't know what to say. I screwed it up royally. Kind of sad that I have done this job for 7 years, yet I haven't answered a police call in two months, and I couldn't even answer it correctly. Well, eventually I settled into it and got it figured out. It was not as fun as I thought though, and completely nonstop. There was no downtime at all. I was exhausted after only 4 hours of that. Thank goodness I got to dispatch for the second half of the shift. Instantly, I was much more comfortable than I was on the phones. It was a real eye opener to see how quickly things become foreign after only being gone for two months. And, balancing a different computer set up was another challenge (and the fact that the computer didn't even accept me as a person anymore). Oh well. I will figure it out, and reclaim my ability to do both jobs, but it's sad that so quickly things were almost a challenge!!

The very cool husband...

So, two really good things happened today. The first was that my very cool husband took my vision and turned it into a reality. I was thinking that I no longer want to store cleaning products under our sink, so that I don't have to worry about my son getting himself into trouble, and thought we could build a shelf on the landing of the stairs. Well, he took my idea and ran with it. And built a set of 3 shelves. It's amazing!! And it's out of the way so nobody will bang their head, and high enough up that Sebastian won't be able to reach it until he's about 10 or so. And it looks so good!! I was very impressed!! He's a genius really.

The other thing that happened was I read about "unwaiting". Now I mentioned before that my pregnancy is having a bit of a tough time. Unfortunately it is something completely out of my control and that I can't do anything to fix. All I can do is wait, and hope that everything resolves itself. This, of course, is easier said than done. Well, I was reading about people who adopt and how they get through the waiting periods, and one family worked very hard to control their impatience and frustration. Rather than concentrate on the negatives, they did their best to simply enjoy what time they had before their life changed forever. I think that is a great attitude.I know I have know control over what's going on with my pregnancy, so rather than dwell on what could happen, I should just enjoy the time I have with Sebastian and Jeremy before the newest member of our family decides to join us. I can't make time go by any faster and I can't change what's happening, so really, I will just enjoy what I have and try my best to not dwell on the scary side of things. It might be easier said than done, but it's certainly worth the effort to try!!

And here's what happened at dinner last night (I posted on the family blog too, but it was just too cute not to pass on).

Mom: Sebastian, how old are you?
Sebastian: Two.
Mom: How old is dad?
Sebastian: Too old.
Mom: No, he's thirty-one.
Dad: How old is mom?
Sebastian: Too old.

What a funny guy he is!!

Trying to get out of the doomsday scenario...

I'm in a bit of a weird place right now. I was at the doctor yesterday for a checkup, to see how our little flutterbug is doing, and low and behold, things are not exactly perfect. I know, it's not a surprise given what happened with Sebastian, yet I still had to hope and believe that maybe things would go smoother this time. Apparently, that is not the case. Apparently, kids start teaching you at a very early age, that you are at their every whim and you might as well worry right from the start. I know it's life, to worry about your kids, but I really hate the added stress of the unknown. 

Oh, and the other thing that drives me insane is how the medical community always finds it necessary to bring up the worst case scenario. I know that most of the time, the worst case doesn't happen, yet there is always such a huge focus on the worst case. I remember this vividly from Sebastian's birth. One number on the labs would be out of whack, and they are already trying to figure out, what the cause is and how to treat it. I remember when they gave us the option of having Sebastian that day, it was not a very pretty picture that they painted. If we chose to continue the pregnancy, our child would die, but if we chose to have the child, the chances of him surviving were slim, and if he did survive, the chances of him having major issues in life were huge. To date, he's two. And, aside from his sucky immune system, which will slowly improve, he is not really showing any signs of significant problems. This is much different than what they told us. Now, I know they have to prepare you for the worst, but why is it, when you are being told of the worst, it's almost all you can think about? 

I will try to be positive and not worry, but it's virtually impossible to do. I find it so tough that there is nothing I can do to change what's happening and that all I can do, is sit, wait and hope for the best. It's tough when things are out of your control.

Books paint this beautiful picture of what it is like to be pregnant. Reality, however, is not as simple as these books make it out to be. It's like you aren't allowed to talk about the tough parts of pregnancy. You should just gloss it over and act like everything is fine. After all, we don't want to scare the ones coming along after us. But everything is not always fine. Why is it though, that nobody really shares the scary parts. I certainly can't forget them and if someone else is going through a similar situation, would gladly offer a shoulder to lean on (or let's face it, cry on), since it's something that nobody tells you about ahead of time!!

Oh well, I will stop now. I don't want to be all doom and gloom. There is still a great possibility that no real issue will present itself, but in the meantime, I will work to be positive and concentrate on that likelihood, rather than focussing on what might happen. It just makes it hard to enjoy being pregnant!! I guess I'll just put on a cute pregnancy top and make like everything is fine. Grrrr!!