23 Week Bumpdate

Size of the baby: Papaya – 11.5 inches long and weighs 1.1 pounds....finally over 1 pound!

 

Biggest baby development: Lungs begin developing
 

Total weight gain: I didn't weigh myself this week. Until the last few weeks, I felt that my arms, boobs, and thighs were the only places gaining weight and you couldn't tell I was even pregnant.
 

Gender: ???
 

Maternity clothes: The good old hair tie around the button trick wasn't cutting it anymore, so I broke down and bought actual maternity jeans. I only have one pair of jeans, which is okay because I will probably have to buy shorts soon. I have a couple maternity tops, but for the most part have bought long, flowy tops from TJ Maxx – perfect for post-pregnancy too!
 

Movement: Baby has been kicking more each day – usually first thing in the morning and right before bed. It's such an awesome, but strange feeling and sometimes catches me off guard. I have been able to see the baby kick for a couple weeks now, but every time Khanh looked, the baby would stop kicking. Though he hasn't seen any kicks, he was able to feel the baby move the other night!
 

Sleep: I haven’t been sleeping very well – mainly due to not being comfortable.
 

Nursery: My Grammie and aunts bought us a crib and is now sitting in the box in the nursery. I've also bought a couple canvases for the walls.
 

Cravings: Can't get enough green olives and salt & vinegar chips.
 

Symptoms: I woke up one morning last week with sharp pain in my lower abdomen. I didn't think much of it, but around 10:00am, I finally called my OB/GYN because the pain just wasn't going away. They sent me straight to the hospital to get checked out. After doing a bunch of tests, they think I just strained a muscle and baby is fine. I was so scared when the nurse told me I had to go straight to the hospital that I started crying and made my co-worker call Khanh to let him know because he was in Cincinnati this week.
 

Khanh is: Excited and loves to talk to the baby and rub my belly.
 

Looking forward to: Our gender reveal party at the end of the month! Girl or Boy??
 

Best moments: Seeing the baby and finding out the gender during our last scheduled ultrasound. We also visited my grandpa in the hospital and the first thing he did when I walked into his recovery room was rub my belly with a huge smile on his face. That was such a special moment for me because my grandpa is one of the most important men in my life and I'm so glad he gets to see me pregnant (after all, we all know I am his favorite grandchild!)

Lately, I've Been...

I've never completed a survey for my blog, but I love reading other blogger's survey answers. Survey's are a quick and easy way to get to know more about the author. After reading Julie's blog yesterday with the "Lately, I've Been..." survey, I thought I'd play along and complete my first survey. Prepare yo'self! (Before ya wreck yo'self). Sorry, not sorry.  

Lately, I've Been...

Making: our house a home. Painting is mostly done. Hooray! Yard work and organizing seem to be never-ending tasks. Oh, how organization makes me happy.

Cooking: Chicken Alfredo Pasta with Peas. Yummy! I'll post the recipe soon.

Reading: I haven't cracked open many books since graduating last April. When will this change? I hope the answer is soon!

Wanting: a long weekend getaway before Baby Dang comes. Maybe Mackinac Island or Niagara Falls.

Looking: forward to a 3 day weekend, seeing family, and crafting with my friend. *Hi Hannah!*

Playing: with Cooper every night after work.

 

Wishing: I could sleep better at night and wake up feeling refreshed.

Enjoying: the last few (quiet) months spent with the hubby before baby comes.

Waiting: for our little one to arrive...only 4 more months!

Liking: Mini Twix bars. I bought family pack from Meijer and have been taking a couple to work every day. *No shame*

Needing: ice cream...it's what's for dessert lately.

Wondering: What will Baby Dang look like? Will we be good parents? Just so many things going through my head right now.

Loving: my hubby. He's truly the best husband and I can't thank him enough for all he does. He will do anything from doing the dishes, to mowing, to laundry, to keeping Cooper occupied, to supporting our family with a smile on his face. A day doesn't go by that I don't feel like the luckiest wife in the world. *That's because I am*

Hoping: to get a lot of house work done this weekend. You know, with a housewarming/gender reveal party at the end of the month and all.

Wearing: maternity jeans, maternity shirt, and Toms. This is my usual pregnant mama uniform lately, but I can't wait until it's warm enough here in Michigan to wear dresses and flip flops!

Drinking: Raspberry Lemonade. Lots and lots of water. And the occasional Coke.

 

Noticing: that bending over is getting harder and harder. Keep growing big and strong in there, baby!

Knowing: my grandpa loves me and is very proud of me. He's been there for me during soccer games, choir concerts, cross country meets, a good laugh, serious talks, cries together, graduations, and lots more. It hurts my heart to see him in the hospital, but it also makes me smile from ear to ear when he tears up and tells me he is proud of who I've become. *Favorite grandchild award*

Thinking:  I'll be pale the rest of my life. There's no denying it.

Feeling: tired. Will this ever go away? Ha!

Bookmarking: all things baby and home on Pinterest.

Opening: box after box.

  Pheww! We made it! Now it's your turn. Pick one topic from above and let me know what's been happening in your life lately.

And Then There Were 4...

World, meet Cooper. The newest addition to our household.  

  He's a 9-week old Miniature Goldendoodle that captured our hearts as soon as we laid eyes on him. Cooper loves to pounce on leaves, follow the hubby and I around, play tug-of-war, and cuddle. Cooper will also be a big brother soon!  

 

Khanh and I couldn't be more excited to be welcoming our first baby into the world in September. We weren't planning on having kids for a couple more years, but God doesn't listen to our plans. He makes plans that are way better than you or I could ever imagine. We already love our little baby so much and can't wait to meet him/her in September.

Our First Home!

There's been a lot going on for the Dang family the past few months, which is why I disappeared. I'm back today to let you know that we bought a house!

 

The hubby and I recently closed on our very first house! The roller coaster of emotions we have been on the past couple months has definitely been a wild ride, but we wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. This will be the first home that either of us truly feel like we have our own space and can do whatever we want to it, which makes this house that much more special. We have started painting, but I haven't bought many decorations yet. If you need me next week, I'll be at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods.

  This is the house we will eventually bring our babies home to. This is the house we will laugh, cry, fight, and love in. This is the house we will entertain our guests in. This is the house we will start traditions with our little family in.   Here's a peak inside the house we get to make our home - beginning this weekend! These pictures are from the listing, so imagine a very empty house right now.

 The front door leads you into the living room, with vaulted ceilings. My favorite part of the entire house.

The living room opens into the dining room and kitchen.

 

It's a cozy 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom house.

 

The basement is finished. This is where you will find the dry bar and laundry room.

 

This house will forever be a very special place to us. Stay tuned for updates and DIY projects!

 

*Disclaimer: There are no pictures of the outside of the house for safety reasons. Please do not ask to see the outside of the house. You'll have to come visit us to see this.*

Honeymoon Road Trip (Part 1)

I want to start off by saying that these honeymoon posts will be the longest I'll ever write, but I want to remember everywhere we went and all the fun things we did.

Khanh and I finally escaped the cold Michigan winter to go on our honeymoon. We loaded up my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Limited and headed out on the open road for 15 days. We stayed in 7 cities in 5 states. Though it wasn't the honeymoon we were dreaming of, it was absolutely perfect and I wouldn't trade it for any other trip. OK, maybe Hawaii!

Our first overnight stop was Nashville, Tennessee. But, first, we made a quick pit stop just outside of Bowling Green, Ohio at the National Corvette Museum. This stop was special to me because my grandpa was a member of the museum's founding board and his name is on a brick located near the front entrance. We also got to see the huge sink hole from February 12, 2014 and all the cars that were salvaged.

We arrived at the Residence Inn Nashville Airport in Nashville, Tennessee just before dinner. My grandparents friend, Dr. Bob, who is a vocal surgeon for all the country stars, made reservations for us at the best table at Sperry’s Restaurant, a steakhouse in the cutest little neighborhood. This was the only meal we splurged on during our entire trip because it was also my birthday!

We woke up the next morning and had the continental breakfast provided by the hotel. After filling up on waffles, we headed out to explore Nashville. Our first stop was the Grand Ole’ Opry. Unfortunately, we arrived too early and the only thing open was the gift shop.

Next on our agenda was exploring downtown Nashville. We got gypped paid for parking and started looking for the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. It’s a big, beautiful bridge in the heart of downtown Nashville that connects the city on both sides of the Cumberland River. After exploring the bridge, we wanted to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame, but decided against it after seeing the admission prices. Here’s the thing, Khanh isn't a country music fan and didn't want to spend money to look at something he could care less about. I know, I know, what horror! I’m working on him still. After all that excitement for the morning, we found ourselves back at the hotel for a quick nap before being locked in a room with four strangers for an hour.

The Escape Game – Nashville, was hands-down most fun we had in Nashville. We decided to give the Classified Room a try this time around. Our group was acting as anti-terrorists trying to find clues that would lead us to terrorists (or in this case just unlocking the door to escape in the allotted 60 minutes.) We escaped with seconds to spare!

After such an intense game, our stomachs were begging to be fed and Edley’s Bar-B-Que hit the spot. I always gravitate towards pulled pork at any BBQ place, and this time it definitely did not disappoint.

Back at the hotel, we packed our things up before our heads hit the pillow. Stay tuned for our next stop in Hot Springs, Arkansas!

New Year Goals

I used to make new year resolutions, but - like most people - I found that after a few weeks I even forgot what I was resolving to do that year. If you are one of the few people on the planet that can actually stick to their new year resolutions, good for you! Pat yourself on the back for me. We had a breakthrough moment on our road trip (more on that in another post!) over Christmas break. My husband asked what my goals are for this year. Insert my mind being blown here. Goals? I've never thought about new year resolutions in the form of yearly goals. I'm not sure if the word resolution intimidates me or if the word itself implies that I'm being forced to give something up. Whatever it may be, I'm not a fan. But, goals? I like that word a heck of a lot more! Goals are achievable. Goals are not intimidating. Goals push you to be a better you.   After the initial shock that making new year goals make 10000% more sense than trying to keep new year resolutions, Khanh and I came up with four goals that we each want to accomplish during 2015. Below you can find my personal goals.  

  Goal 1: Publish at least one blog post per week. If you're a blogger, you know how hard this can actually be. This goal includes finding new organizational tools and sticking to a schedule.   Goal 2: Finish designing my blog. Blog design is very time consuming when you don't know any HTML code. I have to watch YouTube videos for almost everything I want to change. I could pay someone to work with me on designing my blog, but I feel like that's the easy way out - unless you have absolutely no free time. There is a sense of accomplishment and pride just knowing that I created my blog from scratch, even if it takes hours days!   Goal 3: Move to a different department at work. I'm lucky enough to work for a company that wants to see their employees succeed. Moving to another department will allow me to gain important skills to further my career, learn more about the company, and ultimately end up doing what I'm passionate about.   Goal 4: Find a local church. This is a goal my husband and I both share. Since Khanh and I moved across the state, we haven't found a church we can call home. Even more important to us, is finding a community within that church of young married couples. Learning about marriage, life, and God is so much easier when you have like-minded people to encourage you along the way.   What are some of your 2015 goals?

Bloglovin' Page

I have a short and sweet post for all the bloggers out there. 

I now have a bloglovin' page. 

You can click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

My love for Mexican food has resurfaced! Subtract the flour tortillas, add some quinoa and you're left with this delicious (and healthy!) Quinoa Enchilada Casserole.

To be quite frank with you, I was nervous to try this recipe because I have never had quinoa before. After one bite, I knew this recipe needed to be added to our rotating list of weekly dinners. Healthy and delicious? Score!

We were able to get 6 servings from this recipe, so plan accordingly.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa - I used red, unbleached quinoa

1 (10-oz) can enchilada sauce

1 green pepper

1/2 cup corn - frozen or canned

1/2 cup canned black beans - drained and rinsed

1 tomato

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 avocado

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook quinoa in 2 cups water. Cook according to package directions.

2. While quinoa is cooking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 8x8 or 2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, enchilada sauce, green pepper, corn, black beans, tomato, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

4. Spread quinoa mixture into coated baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses.

5. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and cheese melts, about 20 minutes.

6. Serve immediately, garnished with avocado and more tomato, if desired.

Do you like quinoa and eat it on a regular basis?

If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it!

You're Engaged! 5 Easy Steps To Start Wedding Planning

First, I want to say congratulations! Being engaged is such a special moment in your relationship but it can also become stressful very quickly. You may be thinking that hiring a wedding planner is necessary, but I'm here to tell you that you can do this on your own. Planning your wedding will undoubtedly be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, things you will accomplish to date. Just follow these 5 Easy Steps To Start Wedding Planning and planning your dream wedding will be a little less stressful.

(Photo credit: Morghan of Arowyn Photography)

Step 1: Do absolutely no wedding-related tasks for the first week
Seriously. The next few months will be chaotic, so take this week to let it sink in that you are getting married. Go on a date with your new fiancé. People will notice that new shiny addition on your finger and the glowing smile of the bride-to-be.

Step 2: Decide on a season
Have you envisioned a beach wedding? A Winter Wonderland wedding? A wedding in the woods? Now is the time to settle on the season and a range of dates. 

Step 3: Choose a color palette
There are no rules behind picking a color scheme. You can choose your favorite colors or go with seasonal colors. I wold recommend using either 2 or 3 colors. Having too many colors can be distracting and overwhelming for your guests.

Step 4: Book a ceremony and reception venue
You have a few options when it comes to venues. You can either have the ceremony and reception at the same location or you can opt to have them at separate locations. Some people say that you will save money if both the ceremony and reception are held at the same venue. I didn't find this to be true when planning my wedding. Take time to research different venues in your area. Read all the contracts before signing and putting money down. Note: if you are holding your event at two locations, be sure to get available dates from both venues before booking.

Step 5: Research vendors 

This is the time to think about photographers, videographers and florists. Most everyone knows someone, whether it be a family member or a friend, that provides one of these services. So, you're probably thinking that it could either be cheaper to hire them or that it's nice to help their business out. Bad idea! I learned this hard way. Learn from my mistakes so you don't experience the same struggles I did. Your family and friends want to enjoy your wedding day along with you, not behind a camera. Do your research, you can (and will!) find inexpensive options for these services.

Enjoy this time in your life. Someone once told me that I would be the only one to know if something doesn't get done. That's so true. Don't worry if the sparklers for your grand departure didn't arrive in time or the font on the programs is blue instead of black. Trust me, no one will notice. 

Babies and Pumpkins

A couple weeks after I asked my cousin, Dawn, to be my matron of honor for our wedding she found out that she was pregnant and her due date was two days after our wedding date in July. She ended up scheduling a c-section for the Tuesday before our wedding but her water ended up breaking on Monday afternoon, a day early. Baby Colton was welcomed into the world on Monday, July 21st. Here, Colton is just over two months old.

Khanh and I spent a weekend with Dawn and Kyle helping to take care of their two boys, Nathan and Colton, and helping with chores around the house. Nathan is two and a half years old so we tried keeping him entertained. We decided to take Nathan to Gull Meadow Farms so Dawn could rest and spend quality time with Colton while Kyle worked 3rd shift and slept during the day.

There are so many activities to keep kids busy for hours. We let Nathan pick out two pumpkins, one for him and one for his brother. After the pumpkin patch, we headed to the activity area where Nathan and Khanh slid down the slide numerous times and completed an obstacle course. There were a couple of boards for the kids to put their face in to take pictures (is there a word for these?) and Nathan wanted to do every last one of these. Our final stop at Gull Meadow Farms was the fresh doughnut shop. We bought a gallon of apple cider and a dozen of both the pumpkin glazed and the apple cinnamon doughnuts.

Once we paid for our doughnuts and apple cider, it was time to load up and head back home. On our drive home we saw hot air balloons that intrigued Nathan to no end. As we kept driving, all of the hot air balloons started to descend into a field and we got an up-close look at a few of them. 

Taking Nathan to Gull Meadow Farms is a memory I will never forget. He is such a sweet and funny little guy and I just love him to pieces.

Easy Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe

Our town has the cutest farmer's market that we like strolling around on Saturday mornings. The hustle and bustle of all the farmer's and customers, the smells from fresh baked breads and desserts, and wandering without lists or concern for time makes for the perfect Saturday morning date. This past weekend we ended up buying four green bell peppers, which I turned into this Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe for dinner last night.  

  Ingredient List   4 Bell Peppers - any color 1 lb ground beef 1 onion 1 clove garlic 1 can tomato sauce 1 cup cooked rice Mozzarella cheese   Recipe   1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Brown ground beef and then add onion and garlic. Cook until onions are clear or see-through. 3. While the meat is browning, cut the tops off of your bell peppers and get all the seeds out. Set bell peppers aside. 4. Once meat is browned, add the cooked rice and 1 cup of the tomato sauce to the mixture. Stir. 5. Fill bell peppers with equal amount of beef and rice mixture. 6. Place filled bell peppers in an ungreased glass baking dish. 7. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. 8. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. 9. Bake for 10 minutes. 10. Remove from oven and take off aluminum foil. Continue baking for 20 minutes, or until bell peppers are soft. 11. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella cheese. 12. Enjoy!  

  This Easy Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe is so easy to make on busy school nights when all you want to eat is ice cream. You don't do that? Neither do I. #exceptireallydo

First Detroit Tigers Game!

Khanh's birthday was September 7th (he's a quarter of a century old!) and we celebrated by going to our very first Tigers baseball game with my mom and her boyfriend. Oh my goodness! Why didn't anyone tell me how much fun professional baseball is? The fans, sounds, smells, and sights all won me over before we even stepped foot into Comerica Park. When attending a Tigers game, it's an unspoken rule that you have to take a picture with the 15-foot tall tiger sculpture in front of the main stadium entrance. There are actually nine over-sized tigers throughout the ballpark, including two at the top of the scoreboard.

Once we were inside the stadium, we walked all the way around to look at the various attractions offered. Some things for kids were a ferris wheel shaped like baseballs, a merry-go-round with nothing but tigers on it and simulated fast-pitch. When we got back to our seats, the Tigers were on the field warming up. This was happening right in front of us...

Are they stretching? 

 We were lucky enough to see Miguel Cabrera hit a home run and watch the Tigers beat the San Francisco Giants 6-1!

When we left I told Khanh that we definitely have attend a game again. We'll see you next year, Comerica.

Have you ever been to a professional sporting event and instantly fell in love with the sport?

Mini Meatloaf Recipe

Dinners around here tend to be redundant and pretty boring, if I'm being honest. We usually end up making either some sort of Ramen noodles (not to be confused with Top Ramen!), cereal, or spaghetti. One of my goals for this blog is to post at least two recipes per month. This will motivate and hold me accountable for accomplishing this goal - while learning how to cook!

Last month, Khanh found a mini meatloaf recipe online. Click here for the recipe!

This recipe was so easy and we had all of the ingredients on hand. That's my kind of dinner! (Not pictured is the ground beef or shredded cheese.)

This recipe makes eight mini meatloaves, which lasted us for two meals.

 I usually don't like eating leftovers, but these mini meatloaves reheated so well and made a perfect lunch the next day. We both agreed that this recipe should become a regular in the Dang household.

Give this mini meatloaf recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Catholic Ceremony with a Traditional Vietnamese Dress (Ao Dai)

I'm so excited to finally start blogging and share all the details with you about the best day of our lives! This is the first of many upcoming wedding posts. I'm going to start with the very last event during the week of our wedding - the Catholic ceremony. Don't mind the clarity of the photos. Neither of us had cameras so I am using photos from family members.

Since Khanh is from Vietnam and was raised in the Catholic church, we opted to have a Priest perform a Catholic ceremony the Monday after our traditional Christian ceremony (more on that later). We chose to have this ceremony while his parents were still in the U.S. because it was such a meaningful event to my mother-in-law. I wore a traditional Vietnamese dress, called an Ao Dai, that my mother-in-law actually made and brought with her from Vietnam. That was so special!

We opted not to have the traditional Catholic wedding since we got married two days prior. Instead, the Priest blessed our marriage in the Catholic church. He sprinkled Holy Water on our rings.

The Priest is Vietnamese as well, so he translated parts of the ceremony for my in-laws. That was extra special for them and the smile on my mother-in-laws face was absolutely priceless. We exchanged our vows and our first kiss as husband and wife (in the Catholic church.)

Ice cream was next up on our agenda that night! My in-laws each ordered a medium twist and were shocked at the size. That didn't stop them from eating it - cone and all! But first, we had to take a picture of us leaving the ceremony, which is a Vietnamese tradition.

Thank you to all of our family and friends that came to our very special Catholic wedding ceremony. Also a very special thank you to Khanh's dad and host-mom for being our witnesses.

I’m glad that we agreed to have two ceremonies and, if I could, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat! 

Here's a bonus picture for you! This is the entire Ao Dai. The hat is a little too tight on my head and hurts which is why I wasn't wearing it for all the pictures. We were in such a rush that we didn't get any good pictures with the entire outfit.