Father's Day Weekend 2017 & 25-Week Update

Since Ralph took me to a Ducks game on Mother's Day, I found it perfectly fitting to take him to Selanne Steak Tavern in Laguna Beach this past weekend. Shout out to my mom and dad for letting us have a rare night out without the stinky little guy, though we talked about Owen almost the entire time.

My handsome date!

Ralph and I are simpletons and rarely go to fancy restaurants, so coming here was quite the experience...and I mean that in the best possible way - the service was great, and the food was SO good.

Complimentary bread with butter and a tomato/caper sauce.

Prior to coming here, we reviewed the menu carefully and looked up the restaurant's Yelp reviews - we wanted to order the right things (and we definitely didn't want to over-order), especially since we wanted to try their desserts. After much debate, we decided to skip the first course (since there was complimentary bread) and share an entrée and a side dish.

For our main course, we ordered the Lord Stanley Cut, which is a 38oz wagyu steak. It was cooked to perfection and possibly the best steak I have ever had. 

Our side dish was equally amazing - Selanne's Mac and Cheese (topped with parmesan foam). I could not stop eating it, but I had to resist...we had to get dessert(s).

Ralph was shocked when I only ate two small pieces of steak and a few spoonfuls of mac and cheese before I said, "I'm getting full." I'm 25 weeks pregnant...I can't eat too much in one sitting - I don't have the room anymore! And we HAD to get dessert because our family friend Denise is a pastry chef at the restaurant. Our server convinced us to get two, so we did!

Ralph's choice - Honey Peanut Butter Bar (chocolate brownie with peanut butter and bananas with cocoa nib ice cream).

My choice - Coffee & Donuts (beignets and coffee pot de créme).

It's a good thing we ordered two desserts because we ate everything. And Ralph, who is not a coffee drinker and dislikes the taste of coffee, LOVED the pot de créme. HUGE thank you to Denise for treating us to these two desserts and for making sure we were taken care of! You're the best!

Yesterday, the good eating continued as we met up with my dad, mom, and brother at Two Left Forks, which is a new restaurant that opened up near us (thanks to Yelp for the recommendation).

Totally twinning here!

The service and food here did not disappoint either. I had a BLT and a side of truffle mac and cheese. (Can't you tell that I just love mac and cheese? ...I definitely have a problem.)

My dad, bro, and mama.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

After lunch, we went to Target (Sunday ritual), and then Owen and I went down for a nap as soon as we got home (food coma). Ralph enjoyed some quiet time - pretty sure all he did was play Zelda and read comic books...gotta love that nerd.

For dinner, we feasted on our delicious leftovers; and then Owen and I whipped up some chocolate chip cookies, which is the only thing Ralph requested for Father's Day.

Later on, we let Wendy have a treat too. We gave her the tomahawk bone from our steak at Selanne's (our server wrapped it up and packed it with our leftovers...he said other guests always ask for it, lol!), but we only let her have it for a few minutes, and we were watching her VERY carefully.

"YAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSS!!!"

It was a great weekend, and I'm so sad it's over; however, I do know that Father's Day can be difficult for some - I just hope that, whatever the case may be, everyone was able to spend it with the people they love.

I was feeling verrry sentimental yesterday (damn pregnancy hormones), so I asked my brother to send me photos of the other important men in my life - my grandfathers, uncles, and godfathers. All of them live in the Philippines except for my Uncle Ian, who lives in Vegas; and two of them, my Lolo Jun and Godfather Rene, have gone up to heaven.

Lolo Jun - my dad's father, my Angel up in heaven.

Lolo Tong - my mom's father, the kindest man I'll ever know.

My uncle and godfather, Uncle Bot.

My Uncle Ian (left) and Uncle Lee (right).

From left to right: Uncle Andrew (mom's brother), Uncle Homer (mom's brother), Lolo Tong, Uncle Mark (mom's brother), Lola Emma (my mom's mother), and my mom (holding me). Yes, I have a ton of uncles (only one aunt, by blood)!

And last, but not least, my other angel up in heaven - my godfather and dad's best friend, Uncle Rene (on the right).

Happy Father's Day to all of you. I love you so much.

And now, time for the "bumpdate"...

How far along?: 25 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: +11 lbs (Thought I'd be +200 with all the food I ate this past weekend!)

Sleep: Pretty good, even though "Rerun" is most active when I go to bed.
Best moment this week: I can't choose just one! The whole weekend was amazing, but if I HAD to choose...sharing chocolate chip cookies with my boys.
Movement: After breakfast and before I go to bed.
Symptoms: Low back pain and...constipation (sorry, TMI, I know).
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nocturia and nausea.
Food cravings: Cheese. Frappucinos (It's getting hot...)

Food aversions: Nothing at the moment.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out?: Flat.
What I miss: Lying on my belly! 
What I am looking forward to: Seeing "Rerun" at my next doctor's appointment next week.


Have a great week, everyone! Until next time!

24-Week Update & Weekend Shenanigans

How far along?: 24 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: +10 lbs (when I weighed myself at 24 weeks, 0 days)

Sleep: Not too bad this past week; trying to sneak in some naps too. :)
Best moment this week: Every now and then, we let Owen sleep in our bed. On Saturday morning, I woke up to him gently touching my cheek and kissing my nose. He had THE biggest smile on his face (the kind where his eyes look closed), and I swear I didn't think I could love that kid any more at that moment.
Movement: Always!
Symptoms: Low back pain.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nocturia and nausea.
Food cravings: Cheese pizza and cinnamon anything (cinnamon rolls, churros...I even put a pinch of cinnamon in my coffee).

Food aversions: Nothing at the moment.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out?: Flat.
What I miss: Staaarting to miss sushi. 
What I am looking forward to: Date night on Saturday!

Yesterday, we celebrated my cousin Samiya's 6th birthday! As usual, Owen spent a majority of the time in the bounce house. We had to drag him out every so often to make sure he was hydrated.

Missing Keyan! I think he was inside watching TV.

He didn't like me watching him, since I was telling him to be careful and to watch out for the bigger kids...so whenever he saw me creeping up, he'd quickly go up to me and say, "Mama, go there!", as in, "Mama, go away!" Okay, bye...

Waiting for the piñata with cousin-twin Elijah.

One day, I will get a good photo of both of them looking at the camera with smiles on their faces...one day.

With my goddaughter Kaela (I swear she loves me).

Happy Birthday, Princess Miya! Thanks for having us!

And today, we woke up bright and early to go to Disneyland. First thing we did was have breakfast at Carnation Cafe.

Mickey waffles are always a hit with this guy. He ate almost everything on his plate and even stole my strawberries.

As soon as we finished, it started to RAIN. We weren't expecting it at all, so we quickly ran next door and waited in one of the stores. Owen didn't mind. He got a little chummy with Mickey, Pooh, and Baymax.

Once it cleared up, we went on as many rides as we could. The rain was actually a blessing because we did not wait more than 10-15 minutes for any ride.

The Mad Tea Party rmaaay be Owen's new favorite ride (behind the Pooh Bear ride, of course).

Around noon, we noticed that Owen was getting tired; so we figured we'd grab lunch and head home.

Dessert before lunch - Grey Stuff Twist at Maurice's Treats. It was okay...I'd rather get the Cheddar Garlic Twist.

I was craving cheese (surprise, surprise...), so we ate at Pizza Port.

Owen ate an entire slice (minus the crust). The kid has a big appetite.

Before we left, we bought Owen a Mickey Mouse - can you believe it has taken us almost 2.5 years to get him his own Mickey?! Well, to be honest, his Mickey obsession only started this year.

Make way, Pooh Bear!

Ralph didn't want to leave just yet, so we walked around Downtown Disney. We thought Owen would fall asleep during the walk, but he stayed awake the whole time.

We almost forgot that there was a Sprinkles at DTD. So, of course...

...we got some to-go. Hey, I waited like an hour after we got home to eat it, okay? Don't judge me.

Now, Owen's passed out in his room (with both Pooh and Mickey), and Ralph and I are downstairs waiting for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals to start. And yes...we're still salty about the Preds eliminating the Ducks, so we're hoping the Pens end it tonight, lol.

Until next time!