Anyways, the first prompt is “Daydreams” and I’m going to try and do a blog once a week having to do with the theme.

I can’t lie. My daydreams definitely have to do with our future baby. I really have gone “baby crazy” the last few months. I notice pregnant mamas and little ones everywhere. They all just seem SOOOOOO CUTE! I’m still really scared of having my own but I definitely love kids!

I daydream about what our kid will be and look like. Will it look more like me or boyrobot? Will it be shy and a homebody like me…or funny and outgoing like boyrobot? Will it like sports? Reading books? I’m so excited to find out!!!

I also daydream about all of the things we would do. I hope she (yes, we found out it’s a she last week!) does like sports so boyrobot can teach her how to catch a ball and be a cute little tomboy.

But at the same time I hope she will love cooking and crafting with me!

I imagine all of the family traditions we will have. And I hope that she has a childhood that was much like mine. Filled with lots of imagination, fun, and friends. I remember building forts with blankets in our living room and playing house with my siblings.

If I am ambitious enough, I would love to build her a teepee like this:

I remember playing night tag, catching fireflies, and spending countless hours outside with neighborhood friends.

I can’t wait to take her places, go on roadtrips, or even travel overseas. I would like to instill in her the love of travel and adventures that boyrobot and I have.

I imagine changing my first real diaper, cuddling with our new baby, and yes all of those sleepless nights we will have and what it will be like. Will we get lucky and our baby will be a good sleeper? Or will it keep us up at all hours of the night? I can only imagine what it will feel like when the baby comes….to be responsible for this littler person who solely depends on us. The thought is just so weird!!!

BTW, I can only hope that our girl is half as cute as the babies in these pictures!!

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So my new year’s resolution is to stop complaining so much about being pregnant. So with that, I am done. I’m honestly really happy and excited to be pregnant. I just hate being pregnant. So I am really looking forward to 2012 when I get to meet this little babybot and hopefully I can feel comfortable in my body again! I used to dread the thought of labor but now I can’t wait…if it means all of these symptoms go away with it! I can deal with 24 hrs of pain….at least it’s over with. These 9 months of misery are feeling like forever.

Ok really, now I’m done. :P

My other new year’s resolution is to take more pictures. I should have started at our new year’s party. So I already failed at that. But I’m going to try really hard to change that!

There’s so much for us to look forward to and be excited about in 2012. I really can’t wait!! I’m anxious to see how we’ll deal with parenthood and what kind of little person boyrobot and I have created heheheh. I’m looking forward to becoming a real family and starting our own family traditions. I’m excited that a lot of our friends have kids already or are pregnant. It makes the whole process seem less daunting than what it once was. All of my friends with kids have been so wonderful and helpful. And I’m so happy our kid will have tons of friends to play with!!

Lastly, I just wanted to wrap up this post with a thanks to all of my friends, family, and especially boyrobot for making my life extra special. 2011 is the last year that it will just be me and boyrobot. I know it will be bittersweet…because I have absolutely enjoyed these past few years with the amazing adventures we have gone on. I will miss all of the things that we did that probably won’t be as easy to do or plausible to do once we have a kid. I used to feel like I would never be ready to give those things up, but I’m finally in a place where I am looking forward to this. We will still have adventures…they’ll just be different kinds of adventures. And honestly, boyrobot and I are kids at heart so I know we are going to have tons of fun with this little one. And we’re lucky to have a great support system around us so we can sneak in some date nights if need be.

So with that… here’s to 2012…it will truly be a year for big changes!

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yup….there’s a baby bot growing inside me! it still freaks me out to think about it. This ultrasound was only at about 12 weeks. I am 16 weeks now. We will soon find out if it’s a boy or a girl. I can’t wait!!! A lot of people ask me if I want a boy or girl….I honestly don’t care. I think it would be fun to have a girl (someone to craft and cook with!), but I’m also scared of having to deal with a teenage girl in the future. Boys seem to be easier but I wonder how I would “connect” with a boy. Either way, I think it will be fun and challenging.

Boy, the past 4 months have just been so dreadful to me. I honestly hate being pregnant. I don’t feel like myself at all…I no longer do the things I enjoy. I just have no motivation or energy to do much and just feel nauseous most of the day. The only thing that has gotten me through this is boyrobot who has been kind, patient, and super understanding. I can’t wait to see how he does as a father. He sometimes worries about what kind of Dad he will be but I know he is going to be an amazing dad because I know what kind of person he is. It’s comforting to have someone like that to go through such a big ordeal with.

Anyways, I just wanted to check back in here and let you all know that I’m still alive (if anyone is still reading this). I will try to blog more often….and I will probably be blogging more personal stuff since I don’t really surf the web much anymore. One of my new year’s resolutions will be to take more pictures…so hopefully I have more interesting stuff to share too!

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30 Days of Creativity

I’m inspired. But I don’t think I’m creative enough to make something every day for a whole month! I do have some craft projects that I would like to attempt, some recipes I want to try, and a list of “to dos” (many that involve cleaning something for some reason! hehe) that I would like to finally get around to doing. I think this is a good way to force me to do/make stuff. I haven’t completely narrowed down my list yet so I will just share it as I do them. Most days I’m content with just vegging out and relaxing. In reality, I could definitely get something done in the evenings. For a whole month, I’m going to stop being lazy….starting tomorrow! Can’t wait to see what I come up with :)

For those of you who are actually interested in the 30 Days Of Creativity Movement, here is their inspiration calendar to inspire you to make stuff. Warning….it’s VERY random hehe.

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Dear Sugar….

Wow never have I related more to an advice column question! I guess for some ppl we’ll never get that “feeling”…

2. Kind of find it funny that people are still talking about Obama not being a citizen when there is much more compelling evidence that this might be true:

Sarah Palin Being Pregnant With Trig Was Probably A Hoax

I already knew Sarah was a nutcase but this is like something out of Desperate Housewives (which is a totally ridiculous show!). And to imagine, she was an actual candidate for VP of the United States…scary isn’t it?

3. Doesn’t it feel like everything is dangerous nowadays? Now milk is even bad for you:

The Thing About Dairy

I’ve decided that it’s good to be aware of stuff like this but I’m not going to cut everything out of my life. Moderation is key!

4. I was going to have more things on my mind but I’m on an impromptu trip to Oklahoma and I decided to not bring my laptop and just carry my new iPad (which is AMAZING btw) and ive quickly realized that the wordpress app sucks on here and while surfing the web is much more fun on the iPad, typing is not!

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B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore you hate: Vacuuming

D. Dogs: None right now but maybe one day I can convince boyrobot :)

E. Essential start to your day: Reading my emails on my iPhone. Sad how “connected” i am!

F. Favorite color: Green

G. Gold or silver: Silver

H. Height: 5 feet

I. Instruments: Flute when I was growing up. Wonder if I still know how to play?

J. Job title: Software Engineer I guess?

K. Kids: None but hopefully one day!

L. Live: Huntington Beach, CA

M. Mom’s name: Hoa

N. Nicknames: Emma Boo (boyrobot’s nephew’s nickname for me :))

O. Overnight hospital stays: Once when I was a kid and once when I was an adult and had kidney stones in Peru. yuck.

P. Pet peeve: People who steal my parking spot, LA traffic, and spam comments

Q. Quote from a movie: “Every man dies, not every man really lives.” boyrobot made me watch braveheart again.

R. Right or left handed: Right-handed

S. Siblings: 2 older sisters and 1 younger brother! Wish they lived closer.

T. Time you wake up: anywhere between 9 and 9:30am. i love me some sleep!

U. Underwear: ummm…my favorite pairs are my CK ones but I also own a lot of AE undies. weird question!

V. Vegetables you dislike: Maybe lotus root? or carrots that are cooked.

W. What makes you run late: BOYROBOT! if I didn’t carpool with him I think I’d be at least 15 mins or half an hour into work earlier.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: I have a bad memory but the last one I had was probably for my bad knees.

Y. Yummy food you make: I rarely make anything twice so I don’t really have anything worth putting here although boyrobot loves my ramen….hahha

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: Definitely elephants. they are the most amazing animals! Honey badger is a close second though (hehe jk)

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So I think my life right now has just been consumed with food. Eating it, making it, buying it. I’m just so obsessed with it right now. Mind you, I am a HORRIBLE cook unlike my sisters and mother but I am trying really hard to learn. I am still in the beginning stages so for now I just like following recipes and try cooking new techniques. I am definitely not at the level yet where I make up my own recipes or tweak other recipes to make it better. Maybe one day.

I have also started baking more. I feel like every time I bake I learn so much and it’s so fun! I have a bad feeling that I am going to want one of those kitchenaid mixers soon. You know those huge ones that cost several hundred dollars. For now, I am content with the hand mixer my sister gifted me. But my arm sure gets tired especially when you try to get “egg whites to stiffen”. I have mostly been experimenting with cookies and cupcakes. But the other day I bought my first cake pan so I can make my first cake FROM SCRATCH! I think I am going to try this recipe for grown up bday cake (grownup because it has wine). I also want to try making a cheesecake. Not the normal american kind but the kinds that are more fluffy and airy. I think the Japanese make them like that? I seriously can’t wait!

Anyways, I could talk about cooking and the food I’m going to make all day but I won’t bore you guys anymore with that. If you want, you can check out my other blog (yes, another one ha ha) that is all about my obsession with food: eat snap love

My other interests right now include gardening (in theory) and photography. Gosh….I think I am turning into my older sister Quynh ha ha ha.

Boyrobot and I are still doing well and have been filling up our time with our usual hobbies: poker, shopping, movies. We’ve actually cut back on boardgames sadly but are always down for a game if anyone wants to play. We’ve replaced our show from Lost to Jersey Shore. I know…big step down ha ha. Doesn’t seem like there is much on tv nowadays though. Boyrobot spends a lot of time reading up on stocks and investing. While I spend a lot of time doing crossword puzzles and playing Hearts. Yes, crossword puzzles are pretty much my favorite thing right now and I do one every night before I go to bed.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot I also signed up for swimming lessons. They start next week. Maybe I will finally learn how to swim!

Upcoming trips include Vegas in April (canNOT wait!) and I really hope to visit Seattle this summer. But for once, no big trips. After barely being home last year I kind of welcome it though.

And that pretty much concludes what I am up to nowadays. Mental note: I should start taking more pictures of things I do and not just of food. I will try to share them on here when I remember!

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My top resolutions this year are to:

1. prioritize my life better so I have the time to do the things I want to do and start knocking off things on my extremely long list of things to do
2. fix up the things around the house that we have been putting off
3. physically and mentally prepare myself for having kids. I have a lot of physical issues I still need to get fixed before I even think of having kids. And to be honest I am petrified at the thought of having kids so this is a hump I need to get over.
4. eat out once a week at a place on my “to eat” list with boyrobot and/or friends!

I have also had this article bookmarked for awhile called 30 habits that will change your life. I have some of these habits already but I am sorely lacking in the health habits department. If you need any ideas for some new year’s resolutions, this is a great list to get some ideas from. I am going to outline the ones that I want to try with ideas on how I can see them through. Hopefully it will motivate me!

1. Exercise 30 minutes every day – I have such a hard time with this but I know if I make this a top priority I can totally do this. It could be as easy as taking a short walk every day (even if it’s a break during work), playing with my wii, continuing my 30 day shred workout program, or taking a bike ride.
2. Eat breakfast every day. – I always complain about not having enough time in the morning to prepare breakfast but just eating a few slices of toast, drinking a glass of oj, or eating a quick bowl of oatmeal doesn’t take much time.
3. Eat five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. – Another tough one for me but perhaps I can incorporate this with #2 like eating a banana in the morning, always including a dessert of some fresh fruit, or keeping a steady supply of cuties around which are my favorite no hassle fruit to eat. For the veggies, I would like to go back to eating more salads for lunch which are one of the easiest lunches to prepare and when i am ordering sides when eating out I’ll try to forgo the french fries for some steamed vegetables instead.
4. Eat fish. – Since boyrobot doesn’t eat fish, I sometimes neglect to do this but I can easily add tuna or sardines to my lunches and every once in awhile I will drag boyrobot to go eat sushi.
5. Drink one glass of water when you wake up. – I will make sure to always have a bottle of water by my bed or fill up our bedside water carafe.

It all seems like a lot but if i can turn them into habits, it will become second nature right?? :)

Anyways, Happy New Year everyone!!!

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First off, just so you know….the Harry Potter Amusement park isn’t it’s own park. It’s actually a “land” inside of Universal’s Islands of Adventures. Much like how Disney has fantasyland, frontierland, etc. So Islands of Adventures has a land called the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It consists of 3 rides: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Dragon Challenge, and Flight of the Hippogriff. Here are my brief thoughts on each of the rides.

The Forbidden Journey – was AMAZING. it’s unlike any ride i’ve ever been on. it is most similar to Soarin’ from California Adventures mixed in with the Spiderman 3D ride at Universal (not sure if this exists in LA but it does in FL). It’s not a roller coaster type ride but it is definitely fun with awesome effects, props, and scenery. Also, the line for the ride wraps around inside of Hogwarts which was done beautifully. It really feels like you are inside of the books/movies! They even have the talking paintings which are pretty cool. This is definitely the highlight.

The Dragon Challenge is a typical roller coaster but there are two coasters that are in a “duel”. I only rode on one of them but I’m sure they are both the same. It was fun but nothing out of the ordinary.

Flight of the Hippogriff is more of a kiddie rollercoaster. It literally lasts like 30 seconds! Still worth going on so you can see the Hippogriff in the nest (much better view from the roller coaster!) and Hagrid’s House :)

Besides rides, there are also all of the little shops to visit. The shops were SO CUTE and realistic! My only complaint about them are that they were way too small and cramped. We went during the off season and it was still almost too full to really shop. I can’t imagine having gone there when it first opened and school was out.

Zonko’s – the joke shop with all of the gags you read about in the book come to life!

Honeydukes – the candy shop. sorry for any crappy pics btw…the park was so crowded it’s hard to get a decent shot of anything!

The owl post – where you can also buy harry potter postcards, stamps, and get it Hogsmeade postmarked!!

There is also Dervish and Banges where they had the monster book of monsters displayed in a cage and it was snapping away! :)

I did not make it to Ollivander’s Wand Shop because there was a line and we had heard it’s not really worth it. They do a little show for each group that enters the shop where someone gets a wand chosen for them. Next time though!

Food and drink wise we were covered with the Three Broomsticks and Hog’s Head. I loved the atmosphere at both places.

I couldn’t resist getting the turkey leg, but just so you know disney’s is way better! Much more juicy.

Everyone recommends the fish and chips which were quite tasty.

There are a few other items on the menu including chicken and shepherd’s pie (which I had heard bad things about).

And of course we had to try the BUTTERBEER! I got the souvenir cup which allows you to have 95 cent refills of soda throughout the park and a reduced price refill of the butterbeer. I really loved the butterbeer. It was like a combo of creme soda and root beer. It almost tasted like an ice cream float but without any ice cream!

Lastly, we wandered over to Hog’s Head

i decided to try the frozen butterbeer which is just a butterbeer slush. It was too sweet for me though.

I had a really fun time and can’t wait to go back with some of my harry potter friends from back home including boyrobot!!! My only complaint about this place is it’s not really built well for heavy crowds so definitely try to go when school is in session. Navigating the lockers at some of the rides was horrendous because it was so crowded! The rest of the park was so empty though. All of the rides in the rest of the park were 5 min waits pretty much so that was nice! I heard during peak season, they actually had a couple hour wait just to get into Harry Potter land. CRAZY. So glad we went when we did. This is a definite must go for any major Harry Potter fans. Aside from the size, it won’t disappoint!

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2. rice pudding

3. the jersey shore

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