#9: Macarons (not to be confused with macaroons)

Cakes: Sweet Bloom Cakes

What can I say, these macarons look absolutely delicious..and I know that I'll only have these cravings for a few more days after which I hope to return to my normal, paranoid, calorie counting..not pregnant 'self' who does not have an appreciation for sweets at all. I would love to have these delivered to the hospital for the nurses (and myself of course) as a token of my appreciation assuming all goes well...or as a bribe depending on the situation. We had to practically bribe the nurses at Phelps with tons of coffee grounds and doughnuts when Arie was born because we were so tired that we wanted her to stay in the nursery for the night but they wanted her in the room with us, we could hardly change her diaper, swaddle her, she would not stop crying..it was a tough learning curve but I love every moment when I look at her now..

Excerpt from http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/10/introduction-to-french-macarons.html:

The macaron's origin isn't clear, but it may have been brought to France from Italy as early as 1533 by Catherine di Medici and her pastry chefs. Macarons gained fame in 1792 when two Carmelite nuns seeking asylum in Nancy during the French Revolution baked and sold macarons in order to support themselves, thus becoming known as "the macaron sisters." The macarons they made were a simple combination of ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar. No special flavors. No filling. Just 100% cookie.

It wasn't until the 1900s that Pierre Desfontaines of Parisian pastry shop and café Ladurée decided to take two cookies and fill them with ganache. Today Ladurée continues to be one of the first stops for macaron-crazed fans in Paris. No longer a humble almond cookie, the macaron turned into a versatilely flavored treat with a thin, light crust briefly giving way to a layer of moist almond meringue following by a center of silky smooth filling.

The basic equation for a macaron reads like so:

1 part cookie [ground almonds + egg white + sugar] +

1 part filling [buttercream, ganache, jam] +

1 part cookie [ground almonds + egg white + sugar] =

1 complete macaron [happiness]

#10: Who is Braxton Hicks anyway?

John Braxton Hicks
(23 February 1823 – 28 August 1897)
was a 19th century English doctor who
specialised in obstetrics.

Last night at about 11:00pm I got a contraction, I didn't think much of it because I get these 'false contractions' quite a bit and they don't really mean much. After about 20 minutes, I got another but I thought it was just a coincidence, maybe my body was tired from the day, I had been outside in 98 degree weather all day but once I got another one 20 miuntes later, it got my attention. Since I was up watching a show I liked I thought I would casually watch the clock and time them until the show ended. I did continue to get a few more at about 15-20 minute intervals then they stopped!..WHAT..what happened? well turns out, the only explanation for this comes from this sly man below..Braxton Hicks!

Braxton P. Hartnabrig

In honor of my current state, I decided to find out more about the quaint fellow who coined the term "Braxton Hicks" contractions. It no surprise that his name is John "Braxton Hicks" but funny because the only other Braxton I know is from the Jamie Fox show.."break yourself fool"..! I digress. Anyway, apparently this guy Hicks was the first physician to describe the bipolar and other methods of the versions of a fetus. In 1872, he described the uterine contractions not resulting in childbirth now known as Braxton Hicks contractions. 

Why would he name this after himself? They are basically the most frustrating things ever, they can feel like real contraction but they do nothing except get a woman's hopes up and then fade. Some suggest that they actual prepare your body for whats to come but I don't think so. luckily, I am not one of those women who is on the edge of the cliff (at least not yet)..ready to end this process. I still feel relatively good, I feel like I look horrible but thats another topic. My doctors also do not seem to subscribe to style of obstetrics which encourage constantly checking a woman to see her "progress" weeks before her due date, so I haven't been checked at all, that combined with my knowledge of my previous experience (she was an entire week late) I'm pretty sure I'm in for a long ride. 

#11: Summer Solistice

Source: http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/21/6909897-tranquility-in-the-city-times-square-yoga-fest-honors-solstice?lite

Today is the first day of summer..and in NYC its almost 100 degrees...this was the scene in Times Square! Only in NY right..thousands of Yoga enthusiasts practice...pretty awesome, if I hadn't been in week 39 I would have joined them..ok maybe not but my alter ego feel like she would have.

#12: Lilies

I knew I was getting to be a bit unsettled last week, I felt the immediate tension in my body when anyone asked me anything. I got angry at a guy in Target, I got frustrated with people driving in front of me, I got aggravated with my little girl and of course my husband as well. Its no excuse but the last few weeks of being with child present a strange challenge with ones self control and it was a bit unexpected. I especially didn't feel like I was being irrational but I was a bit down I guess and I don't know why. Anyway, yesterday when we got home, he was already home getting dinner together, after giving the little one a bath, we came down and I entered our living room to find a nice bouquet of lillies. I thought to myself, if I were to go into labor tonight it would be really great. They really have lifted my spirits, its nice to get flowers just because..