from Sunshine to Fog

How has living in San Francisco changed me?

2011-11-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

1- I don't leave home without a sweater

Layers! Even in the summer. Oh, I am I have learned how to accessorize an outfit with a scarf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LYAEz777AU&feature=player_embedded

2- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Two years ago, I don’t even think I knew whatcomposting was. Now 45% of our wasteis recycled, 45% is composted and 10% goes in the trash. Our apartment building has 8 "garbage" bins for recycling, 2 for trash and 4 for compost.

3- I support local economy when I can (and feel guilty when I don’t)

One of my favorite baby supply store closed because theycould not compete with online companies. We bought a stroller from Citikids (a local store) instead ofAmazon. On another occasion, when shopping for asplashmat to go under the high chair, I did not choose the organic locallymade spashmat (I still feel guilty despite liking the one I chose best).

4- We eat fresh seasonal organic food.

We subscribe to a veggie box from a local farm everyother Tuesday. It was challenging at first tomeal plan around the seasonal fruits and veggies. I used to meal plan around the meat. I love our CSA box (community supported agriculture)! On the "off weeks" we shop at Trader Joes, our local farmers market and corner produce stand. We are considering joining a CSA for ourmeat too. I don't buy everything organic, mostly just what is on the "dirty dozen" list:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-to-buy-or-not-to-buy-organic

5- I exercise by climbing hills.

Parking is hard! Sometimes it takes just as long to find street parking as it tookfor me to drive to the location. Most of the time, I prefer to walk or take publictransportation. Especially onstreet cleaning days. For example,I’ve given up on driving to Haight Asbury on Tuesday mornings for a toddlermusic class because one side of all the streets are blocked off for streetcleaning.

Thankful for Answered Prayers . . .

2010-06-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

1. God answered our prayers and enabled me to have a vaginal delivery despite having two major complications during labor.

2. So grateful that Debbie’s mom was in town while we were in the hospital to take care of Buddy and communicate with family. She brought meals to the hospital for Jay and helped take care of Debbie at times so Jay could rest. She was there for emotional support during one scary part of labor.

3. An amazing friend, who took mom to the airport, took care of Buddy and decorated our apartment for our arrival home from the hospital.

4. Talented and amazing nurses/doctors that coached us through labor, delivery and caring for our newborn. One of our favorite nurses grew up in Clearwater, Florida and went to University of Florida at the same time Jay and I were in college – coincidence? I don’t think so!

5. The nurses prepared us for a tough night after baby Isaac’s circumcision. Jay and I learned what it is like to hurt when your child hurts while he was gone for the procedure. Big surprise, though, my milk came in that night (on DAY TWO!!!) So, Isaac had a full, happy belly and slept very well despite the circumcision discomforts.

6. Since baby Isaac was born early in the morning, the doctors had us stay for 3 whole days in the hospital – which means more time for healing and education.

7. The lactation consultant was able to help Jay and I learn about breastfeeding and engorgement (which started DAY THREE) – most women deal with this at home with less access to professional help.

8. Jay’s parents arrived the day after we returned home. Jay’s dad took care of Buddy and Jay’s mom was in charge of meals and laundry. This was so helpful as we adjusted to the demands of being new parents.

9. So thankful for the meals ministry at church – we are blessed!

10. Most of all, I am thankful for a supportive husband. I had no idea how much more I could fall in love with Jay as I watched him evolve into a selfless, tender father.

The Story of Isaac's Birth

2010-06-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

My mom flew into town on May 15th (the Saturday after our due date) planning to stay for one week. My dad arrived Thursday and unfortunately had to return home & back to work without meeting his grandson. During this week, we tried all sorts of techniques to induce labor (lots of walking, eating spicy food, eating Toto's pizza, acupuncture, etc). On Friday, May 21st, my OB said I was only dilated a "fingertip" and scheduled for me to be admitted to the hospital and be induced. We arrived to California Pacific Medical Center on Saturday evening, May 22nd at 6pm. Here I am just after being admitted. By the way, it feels very weird as a healthcare worker - to be a patient . . .

The plan was to administer medication to ripen my cervix. The medicine was scheduled to be administered every 4 hours. My first dose was 8 pm. After monitoring my contractions for awhile, they allowed me to walk around the hospital. I had to check in with the nurse every so often so they could monitor the baby's heart rate. Unfortunately, my contractions were coming every 1-2 minutes (not painful at this point) so they began giving me a bolus of IV fluids. I needed help at this point to go to the bathroom as I was connected to external monitors (one for baby's heartrate, one to monitor the contractions) and the IV fluids were connected on the other side of the hospital bed. Although Jay was able to snooze on a cot between my bathroom trips, I didn't get much sleep. They allowed me to walk around again from 3:00-4:00 am, but the nurses did not administer another dose of medicine until my OB came to visit on Sunday morning, May 23rd. Dr. Meister tried to "stretch" me to 2 cm of dilation and was able to break my water. They administered a 2nd dose of medicine to ripen the cervix and said that they could not start Pitocin until I was 3cm dilated. At this point, I walked around the hospital for a few hours. My mom brought Jay lunch and walked with me as the contractions began to get stronger and stronger. Jay helped me with the breathing techniques and changing positions like we learned at our birthing class. The nurse said she would check me again at 3pm. At 3:45 pm, I was pretty exhausted, falling asleep while sitting up between contractions and really struggling to make it through the contractions. Jay was awesome - he would breathe with me and tell me I was doing a great job. I told Jay that if I wasn't at least 5 cm dilated, I thought I might need some pain medicine. I was ONLY 3 cm dilated!!! They wanted to start Pitocin. I asked for an epidural. Within a few minutes, my new (incredible) nurse and an anesthesiologist arrived to my room. The epidural insertion was not as scary as I had imagined it to be. It really helped!

When my nurse checked me an hour or two later, I had progressed from 3 cm to 6 cm. My nurse noted that the baby's head was positioned at a weird angle and was developing a cone shape on the side of his head. She wanted to reposition me on the other side. As I was rolling over, however, the baby's heart rate dropped significantly and suddenly ~ 10 doctors and nurses were in my room. They positioned me on my elbows and knees with my forehead on the pillow, stopped the Pitocin and gave me a shot to stop the contractions. They attached a fetal heart rate monitor to Isaac's scalp. I was scared we might lose the baby and prayed that God would protect little Isaac. The heart rate soon returned to a safe range. This was a scary moment. I think my mom and Jay were a little traumatized too. The nurse thought that the umbilical cord might have wrapped around the baby's neck as she tried to reposition me. Supposedly, the contractions looked completely different on the monitor after this incident.

At this point, we started over with medication to induce contractions. My nurse communicated with my OB with every decision and communicated with me about their concerns and plans. Unfortunately, the medication they gave me to stop the contractions caused severe body tremors. I shook violently for a couple of hours. This caused a headache and nausea. I didn't want to take more medication. I took a tylenol suppository and refused nausea medication until an hour later and after vomiting a few times. Jay and my mom helped by rubbing my head, neck and shoulders. When mom was helping, Jay was able to rest a bit on the cot. Mom left to go back to our apartment when it began to get dark outside. The nurse checked me around 10:30 pm and discovered that I was fully dilated - 10 cm - and ready to push.

As she prepared the bed and stirrups, she positioned me in such a way to help the epidural to ease the pressure I felt on my right side. She said the baby was still positioned very high. The nurse explained that I would be pushing for 1-3 hours. She experimented with various positions and discovered that I could push best propped onto my left side. My OB arrived and was very concerned that the baby's head was positioned transverse. She tried turning the baby's head but his heart rate spiked. She said, "I'm not going to try that again." Since the baby was so high and positioned poorly, she said I could try pushing but that she wouldn't make me push for the alloted 3 hours. After an hour or so she planned on taking me to the operating room for a cesarian section. I did not like her talking about a c-section. I did not labor for 30 hours and go through all of this to end up in the operating room. I was more determined than ever to push this baby out. The nurses changed shifts and the new nurse began the paperwork and details to take me to the operating room. In the meantime, I was pushing as hard as I could. My OB returned an hour later and was surprised at the progress we had made. The baby was descending in position AND turning into a better face down position. She noted that I had good energy and was making progress so she allowed me to continue pushing. (I was very determined!) I was encouraged when the nurse checked me again and began to prepare the room for a vaginal birth. After pushing for 2 hours and 59 minutes, baby Isaac was born at 1:59 am on our 7th anniversary (May 24th 2010). He was 7 pounds 6 ounces. Head circumference was 14 inches. He was 20 3/4 inches long. Happy Birthday Isaac!

Letter to Baby Isaac

2010-05-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

Baby Isaac,

Your due date has arrived. Your mom and dad can't wait to see you and hold you in our arms. Right now you like to stretch out your long legs and push your heels around to mom's kidney on the right side. You seem so content inside your mom's belly so the doctor has scheduled your mom to be induced on Sunday, May 23rd. We are praying that you come sooner than that - especially since your parent's anniversary is May 24th. And besides, GeeGee is coming on Saturday and has planned a flight back to Florida on May 23rd. So please come soon!

But no matter what happens, we trust that God's timing is perfect. After almost 2 years, God answered our prayers for a baby. God wanted us to move across the country and knew we didn't have enough faith to leave our stable home, family and friends in Florida if we were already pregnant. So, God has us wait until we moved to California. I know how long I've lived in San Francisco because I know how many weeks/months I've been pregnant.

Our story reminds us of Abram's story in Genesis 12. He was called to "go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." Abram was faithful and followed God's commands. God renamed Abram as Abraham "for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful..." and God promised to give Abraham a child - Isaac. Although we were never promised a child as Abraham was, we believe that God has blessed us for our faithfulness to move to San Francisco. We feel very strongly that God wanted to use your dad's pastoral and counseling gifts in this spiritually dark city. And we believe your name "Laughing One" is appropriate for your story of conception.

So, Isaac Aiden Wilson, we love you and can't wait to meet you.

You Know You're 9 Months Pregnant When You...

2010-04-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

1. feel 300 pounds heavier than you are, compliments of your swollen feet.

2. can fit only one person in your queen-size bed because of the mounds of pillows that cover it.

3. wonder if every little pain might be a contraction.

4. drop something in the kitchen floor and stare at it, thinking, "do I really need that?"

5. call your husband, and he picks up on the first ring.

6. have to find the bathroom in a store before you start shopping.

(these came from a baby magazine that I read yesterday - had to laugh out loud - I totally relate!)

Friends from Florida

2010-04-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sharyn, Laura and Debbie

A bird's eye view of Golden Gate Bridge

Spent some time with the Zinck's (with two preggo bellies)

It was a BEAUTIFUL day!!!

Driving down Lombard Street - Sharyn's first!

Week by Week

2010-04-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

Every Monday I get an email from the American Pregnancy Association letting me know what is happening this week with the baby's development and what changes/symptoms to expect with my body. It ends with a section giving advice for dads to be.

The past week, we learned that by now the baby weighs between 5.0 to 5.5 pounds. After reading this email, Jay strapped a 5# hand weight to his belly. I just don't think its the same...

Gotta love that dramatic flair. ha!

We are counting down the final 6 weeks. Trying to appreciate the little things, like sleeping in and going out to eat and emailing with two hands.

Sleeping in! By the way, Buddy doesn't sleep in the bed with us ... however he is utilized as a weekend alarm clock when one's spouse feels you've slept in long enough. ;-)

City Church Baby Shower

2010-03-13T20:20:00.001-08:00

Today, our family was blessed by a church baby shower hosted by Sara DeGroat and Cathe Hayes with help from Catherine Sherman and Maggie Rockers.

A fun mix of city church staff, staff wives and friends from the Newbigin fellowship.

Catherine created a really amazing punch. Sara DeGroat made a savory spinach dip and we enjoyed a healthy fruit salad too. The cake was from Whole Foods. The chocolate cake matched the baby shower plates. So cute and yummy too.

Such generous friends! Check out some of these gifts. Homemade baby socks, a little dress up outfit that looks like something Jay would wear, and a "little gator" bib.

Most of all, I enjoyed the excellent advice and time of prayer!

Pacific Ocean

2010-03-13T11:40:00.000-08:00

When we moved to California, I had hoped that while we lived here I could learn some things. Like learn to ski. Or sail on a sailboat. I guess now I'll wait and learn with the kids.

Today, we've had a cold, sunny, crisp morning. No clouds, no fog. Jay and I walked down to a restaurant for brunch. It was so much fun! The Pacific Ocean is soooo blue today. I just had to take some pictures and share with you. This will be me someday! Just wait...

Such Sympathy . . .

2010-03-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

They say that husbands tend to gain weight along with their pregnant wives...I just never expected this! =)

Mom & Auntie's visit to San Francisco

2010-02-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

My mom has an identical twin. They both decided to come visit us this past weekend, boy did we have fun! The weather was rainy in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. We took advantage of the sunshine while it lasted!

Mom & Aunt Linda

Land's End Trail - with view of the Golden Gate Bridge in background

At Pier 39, Auntie is being cute!

The sea lions are slowly coming back. They disappeared for a few months - nobody knows why!

It is cold & windy when the sun is not out. But the rain held off most of the time while we were out and about having fun. We are about to eat at Boudin's (soup in a sourdough bread bowl).

At night, we played Rock Band - check out that amazing drummer! Auntie got into her rock band personality quite well! Mom's got the vocals and just so you know, the lead guitarist is taken (sorry ladies).

Good News!!!

2010-02-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

We had our followup ultrasound today. Good news! God has answered our prayers! The placenta has moved. That means that Baby Wilson is safe to attempt a vaginal delivery. Can you believe he is coming in less than 3 months?!?!?

Doesn't he look like Jay? We decided he has his Grandpa Ferguson's nose and Papa Wilson's lips. :-)

Face (eyes, nose, lips)

Nose & Lips

Sunday Nights - Baby Naming Date Night

2010-02-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

For the past month or so, Jay and I have spent Sunday nights praying, searching online and brainstorming possible names for our son. We pour some sparkling grape juice, set out some fruit and cheese, and play around with possible names. Tonight, its brownies and milk, with some Valentine's Day tulips.

We've decided to invite our closest family and friends to join us in this process. Debbie is always looking for unique names and Jay is interested in meaningful names. Here's our top two ideas so far - what do you think?

Isaac Aiden Wilson

Micah Benjamin Wilson

The Goldfish Has Evolved...Into a Mole?

2010-02-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Something is burrowing around in my belly! He doesn't feel like a goldfish anymore. I think he's evolved into a mole. =) I don't think he can see very well, 'cause he bumps into things. Sometimes it feels like he's going full speed and then he runs head first into a brick wall (i.e. some important internal organ). Other times there's a firmness inside that slowly moves around. I think he's ticklish because he wiggles if I lightly scratch my stomach.

This week begins the 2nd week of my 3rd trimester. I've noticed quite a change in my energy level. Instead of getting tired in the early evening, I get tired early afternoon. Often I pray for the necessary strength and energy to get through the day.

On another note, for those searching for belly pics - I've continued to update the original post (look under 2009 posts) with ongoing belly shots. The most recent from today.

Advice for Husbands: Top 5 Ways to Spoil your Wife

2010-01-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

And here it is . . . my top five countdown to show you how spoiled I am!

Number Five: Jay came home on my birthday with TWO dozen roses!!!

Number Four: He threw a surprise birthday party for me!

Number Three: Cold Stone Ice Cream Cake!!!

Number Two: My pregnancy pillow - its called the Comfort U (an upside down U-shaped pillow) to enable me to sleep comfortably on my side. I am NOT typically a side sleeper. This pillow is like two body pillows connected together so you can roll on either side and have something to snuggle. It is AWESOME

Number One: He ALWAYS takes really good care of me. Cooking, cleaning, dishes, back massages, foot massages, laundry, taking care of Buddy, etc. You name it - Jay's done it!

He's gonna be a GREAT dad. :)

I Think I Swallowed a Goldfish

2010-01-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

I've been wondering what it would feel like to feel the baby move inside my belly. I expected it to tickle...like a butterfly, right?

Last week, I was 21 weeks pregnant and started feeling a little twinge in my lower abdomen, almost painful, but brief. The week prior, I'd been to the OB and told her how I'd been feeling my own heartbeat in my belly while reclining or watching t.v. She said, "I'm not surprised, you've got a lot going on in there." One evening while watching t.v. I wondered why my belly pulse was beating so fast...however, when I checked my pulse in my neck, though, it was beating at a normal rate. Is it possible to feel your baby's heartbeat? That's strange, right?

So earlier this week (22 wks pregnant), I googled, "What does it feel like when the baby moves?" and found other women asking the same question. I related to one posting where a lady compared the baby movement to an eye twitch. See, its not too comfortable and it definitely does not tickle. So, day by day, this feeling is getting stronger and more noticeable. I feel it most consistently when sitting up and leaning forward with good posture. Like while eating or documenting at work.

This weekend, I could finally put words to it. It's like a swallowed a goldfish and he's stuck in my belly, just above my bladder. Whenever I lean forward, he gets smushed, so he tries to swim somewhere else and I can feel the fins flipping and flopping away. :)

Protestors in San Francisco - a Taste From Today's Headlines

2010-01-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

It didn't take long for us to find people protesting in San Francisco. My first taste was during our visit to San Francisco prior to moving out here. During the day I interviewed for a job, many staff were out front of the hospital protesting the budget cutbacks. We listened to their chanting as we grabbed a quick lunch at the cafe across the street.

This stuff continues to surprise me. For example, check out a couple of the headlines from today's paper:

MAN SPENDS YEAR WITHOUT GETTING IN A CAR (this is front page news, folks!)

CLASSIC CARS DRIVE ON HWY 1 TOWARD STINSON BEACH DURING THE ANNUAL "ANTI-FOOTBALL DRIVE"

These headlines make me smile, but there are others that upset me, for example:

The Freedom From Religion Foundation unveiled 75 “king” exterior bus signs on San Francisco buses in September. The two messages: “Imagine No Religion” and Mark Twain’s “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so,” are depicted against a colorful stained-glass backdrop.

An additional 200 interior bus signs went up, thanks to the wonderful generosity of a major West Coast benefactor, as well as individual contributions. The charming interior signs feature portraits and six irreverent quotes, including Clarence Darrow’s adage, “I don’t believe in God, because I don’t believe in Mother Goose,” actress Butterfly McQueen’s statement, “As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion,” and Richard Dawkin’s line, “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction.”

and the quote that riled me up the most was this one:

“We love taking our freethought message to the public, and also think supporting passengers and mass transit is ‘patriotic,’ ” said Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.

I take comfort in reading Psalm 73: 1-28

The Name Game

2010-01-01T19:37:00.001-08:00

Choosing a name for our son is TOUGH! I think I'm too hormonal to settle on a name. One day I fall in love with a name, the next day I can't stand it. Ah! At the church office, Jay's co-workers wrote potential names on a white board. "Rumple Wilson" is my favorite. Ha!

The meaning of a name is very important to Jay. He also likes names of authors that have influenced his thinking. I hope to settle on a more unique name to offset the Wilson last name. Jay's name is so common, we can't sign in online for airline flights since his legal name is on a watch list. Also, since I've become a Wilson, I've worked in hospitals that have 3-4 people with the same name (which gets confusing when it comes to email, etc). So, what do you think, any suggestions?

It's a . . .

2010-01-01T19:18:00.001-08:00

Somehow we just knew...it's a BOY!!! I've been calling him a "he" for awhile. Even during the ultrasound, the tech noticed that I was saying, "Look he's moving his legs!" etc. This was before we found out the gender. :) Jay really wanted to find out whether we were having a boy or girl. It didn't matter as much to me. I thought it'd be more practical to have gender neutral clothes, toys and decor. That way these things could be hand-me-downs! One day, while brainstorming baby names, we spent 90% of the time with boy names. It would have been really weird if we found out otherwise.

The ultrasound was a bittersweet experience for us. We also found out that I have partial placenta previa. A doctor at the ultrasound center put me on a bunch of restrictions (no travel, no strenuous exercise, no lifting, etc). We came home and googled placenta previa and got a little freaked out. Sometimes the placenta will move as the uterus grows, otherwise I will not be able to deliver the baby naturally. We are praying that it moves upward, but won't find out until a followup ultrasound at 30 weeks (2 more months).

How we told our parents...

2009-11-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

Debbie's parents were coming to visit when we were ~11 weeks pregnant. In preparation for the visit, we bought two picture frames. Jay shipped one photo frame with these temporary "photos" to his parents in Texas and I wrapped the 2nd one for my parent's visit. We wrote "call before opening" on the box. Well, Jay's parents called the morning before we left on our bus tour. Jay set up Skype and we were able to video chat with Jay's parents while they opened the box. In the meantime, I handed my mom their gift. They got to open them at the same time. My mom tackled us with a hug when she realized I was pregnant. My dad came over and called me a "rotten child" with a grin since I kept the secret for 7 weeks and a additional 48 hours while they were in town to visit. Jay's parents said I had the pregnancy glow...
It was a fun way to tell both our parents at the same time. I was mean and swore them to secrecy for 4 more days until we went to the first OB doctor appointment to confirm the baby was alive and well. So far so good. Praise the Lord!

Belly Shots

2009-11-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

12 weeks

15 weeks

18 weeks

21 weeks

24 weeks

27 weeks

30 weeks

33 weeks

36 weeks

40 weeks

42 weeks

A Funny Story

2009-11-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

On Labor Day weekend, I took a pregnancy test before going to Napa Valley with Jay and Sharyn. To my surprise, it was positive!!! I told Jay that I had a gift for him to open before we left and asked Sharyn to take photos...

Jay is holding the pregnancy test that says "PREGNANT" and a bib that says, "If You Think I'm Cute, You Should See My Dad!"

Jay is so excited!!!

Debbie is thinking, "Is this for real?!?"

HUGS!!!

Chinatown

2009-10-26T20:26:00.001-07:00

Jay is displaying our hop on, hop off bus that toured us to all the major tourist sites in San Francisco:

On Saturday, we went to Chinatown - the most congested and busiest district in the City. A place you can buy live chicken and whole fresh fish.

We had lunch at the Y Ben House, a restaurant my parents had seen on the Food Network on the show Chef vs. City. We ate Dim Sum, Cashew Chicken, Ginger Beef and Scallions and Seafood Clay Pots. We were also offered some interesting dishes but couldn't understand what they were offering us. :)

Jay is enjoying a bite of Dim Sum!

Golden Gate Bridge and Park

2009-10-23T21:44:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful, clear, sunny day in San Francisco. Most of the time, its too foggy to see the Golden Gate Bridge, but today, it was clear blue skies!!!

And Alcatraz doesn't look so scary in the sunshine. I love seeing sailboats in the Bay.

We went to the Japanese Tea Gardens. What a peaceful, tranquil place!

~ Bonsai ~

It is hard to see, but Jay is standing on top of this bridge.

A picture from the top of the bridge, an artistic photo idea inspired from a good friend!

Mom's having green tea & dad tried a Japanese non-carbonated, strawberry flavored soft drink.

Fisherman's Wharf

2009-10-23T21:27:00.001-07:00

After Pier 39, we walked over to Boudin Bakery in the Fisherman's Wharf for lunch.

Mmm, SOURDOUGH!!!

She's making little dough turtles. To the right of her, you might see a big alligator made of dough. Amazing! (go gators!)
My mom had a chicken salad sandwich. My dad and Jay had clam chowder. I had beef chili. I ate the WHOLE thing, even the entire bowl! It was so yummy.
And dessert? We headed to Ghirardelli Square. An attendant hands you a milk chocolate square with carmel in the middle EVERY time you walk into a chocolate shop. We were tempted to walk out and back in again.
And dinner? We headed over to the Castro district for one of the best sandwiches I've EVER had. In the photo below, that's us sitting at the table outside. Today was such a sunny, warm day. A perfect day to enjoy the outdoors. Check out this website to learn more about their amazing sandwiches: http://www.ilikeikesplace.com

Pier 39

2009-10-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

My parents came to visit this weekend. We decided to book a 2 day hop on, hop off bus tour in order to see the tourist spots in San Francisco. Pier 39 was our first stop.

We were amused to see lots and lots of sea lions who have decided to take over the docks. Supposedly, we've had so many extra sea lions this year that they had to bring in extra docks.

Buddy

2009-10-07T19:55:00.001-07:00

Many friends and family have asked how Buddy is adjusting to San Francisco. He's doing quite well. Buddy loves the weather (and from the photo below - he has learned to enjoy the sunsets too)! He enjoys making new doggie friends, in fact, we are surprised at how friendly dog owners have been. He is getting accustomed to the elevator and city streets, however, I think he misses his doggie door and fenced-in backyard.

Across the street from our apartment complex, there is a empty field that has become one of Buddy's favorite places to go. Unfortunately, the pumpkin patch took over last weekend. Here is a photo of Buddy posing next to the "Sorry, NO DOGS!" sign. Supposedly, after the pumpkins leave, the Christmas trees take over. It sounds like poor little Buddy will need to find a new favorite place to go until 2010.

Trader Joe's

2009-09-24T20:10:00.001-07:00

Trader Joe's is a healthy neighborhood grocery store that offers organic produce, whole grain breads/pastas, and other foods at very reasonable prices. After finding a few items to buy, I was very excited to try out the grocery cart escalator. Yup, that's me on the left with my grocery cart in the middle. It sure is fun to go to Trader Joe's however Safeway has been the grocery store that has everything on my list. Since moving to California, I've become a "Coupon Queen". After clipping the coupons from the Sunday paper and using my Safeway discount card, I have saved $40-70/week on groceries!

Union Square

2009-09-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

This week, I am working Tues - Sat since I work one weekend day/month. So, on Monday, I decided to go shopping downtown. I got to Union Square before 10:00am, the stores were not open yet, so I found a bench by the coffee shop near the middle of the square. I didn't get a picture of the cute little cafe, but you can see the photo on this website: http://www.unionsquareshop.com/ According to this website, "After the great earthquake of 1906, Union Square became San Francisco's premier shopping district, and, by the 1930's the site of the world's first underground parking structure."

I visited all 8 floors of Macy's just to see the view. There is a Cheesecake Factory on the top floor.

Later in the morning, Sara DeGroat met me for an early lunch. We found a variety of restaurants in the Nordstrom mall and enjoyed some Thai cuisine. Mmmm. We shopped at Crate and Barrel, Gap and Ross. I was so proud of my $16.99 purchase at Ross. Do you like my new corduroy jacket?

Public Transportation

2009-09-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

I am fascinated by the public transportation options in San Francisco! Parking is so expensive and impossible to find, so often Jay and I decide to take "the Muni" (the bus system) instead. Jay takes the train and bus every day when he goes to work, but I had my first experience on the "N" Judah train yesterday. When it goes through the tunnels, it goes FAST!

Next, we went to the bus stop and took the Muni bus up the hill toward downtown. I've always wondered what it felt like to ride in one of the electric buses (the zero emission vehicles) that travel along the power line tracks instead of using gas/diesel for fuel. The power line tracks seem like spider webs in some of our major intersections. Sometimes there are two buses attached together by what I call an accordion. It is pretty neat to see from the inside b/c the floor rotates when the bus turns! Anyway, I really enjoy walking to places and taking public transportation. We don't even break a sweat since the weather is cool and comfortable. I hope I don't forget how to drive! :)

Lake Tahoe

2009-09-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Wilberforce Fellowship group at church had our first retreat this past weekend at Lake Tahoe. Here is a picture of our group:

Tremper Longman (an Old Testament scholar) was our speaker:

A beautiful sunset!

Psalm 65:5-8

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of he earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who tills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

Wine Country

2009-09-14T19:24:00.001-07:00

One of my best friends from Orlando, Sharyn, booked a plane ticket to San Francisco as soon as she heard I was moving. I did not have to say "goodbye" to Sharyn when we moved as I knew she would be coming to see me on Labor Day weekend. Since she'd been to SF before, we spent Saturday exploring Napa Valley. Here are some photos:They were having a barbeque at the V. Sattui winery. It was PERFECT weather for a picnic! We found a bench and enjoyed people watching while munching on our Tri Tip Beef Sandwiches & fresh fruit. Here we are after our lunch (see photo below)

We enjoyed the landscaping and lush green grounds. It felt like a vacation, so relaxing!
Next we drove to the Domain Chandon for the 3:00pm tour. We learned how they make sparkling wine. This was a french winery - so they store wine in oak barrels from France. We learned how they make sparkling wine, how they get the yeast out of the wine barrels and were able to smell the difference of how the oak affects the wine.

Pictures on the Wall

2009-09-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Its finally beginning to feel more like home. I'm not sure why, but since we put the pictures on the walls of our apartment, I have begun to feel more settled in San Francisco.

Here are some photos to show how we have decorated our new place:

BEDROOM: My scrapbook table has been set up by the window on my side of the bed. Yes, I still have my little creative zone in our little 800 square foot apartment.
BATHROOM: Our bathroom has a walk in shower and a separate tub. Jay and I debated about having a shower curtain (there isn't even a shower in the tub area) but we decided to put one up for decor. We redecorated our bathroom for <$100 thanks to a cute store called Anna's Linens.

LIVING ROOM: Here is the view from the big window in the living room (above). Doesn't that double chair look inviting? Below is the view as you enter the apartment, looking out the living room to the beautiful view outside (we can see the Golden Gate bridge and the Pacific Ocean on a clear day)

SPARE BEDROOM: The 2nd bedroom has become our office/guest bedroom. Somehow Jay managed to fit all his bookcases in one room! Amazing. The movers thought Jay was a lawyers since there were so many boxes of books. haha. BTW, this futon is available to all friends and family who would like to come visit.

AMAZING sunset photos taken from my apartment

2009-09-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

God is an INCREDIBLE artist. Check these out!

Foggy Day 8/17/09

2009-09-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

My teeth were chattering on the way home from work today. It was a very cold and foggy day. I had worn a jacket over my sweater over my short-sleeved shirt to work. When I got home from work, I donned my winter coat and mittens on top of everything else to take Buddy outside.

I could not see any sunset tonight. In fact, I could barely see the other side of the street. The camera decided to flash on the first attempt to take a photo of the fog. The flash makes it look like its raining outside!

It was fun to bundle up and make some hot chocolate after dinner. I decided to wear my new UCSF Medical Center sweatshirt that was given to me at hospital orientation. They gave two sweatshirts away – to the two new employees that came from the farthest away. I guess they thought a Florida girl might need some warmth!

My New Neighborhood 8/15/09

2009-09-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

Jay and I decided to explore our new neighborhood today. In Florida, my definition of “neighborhood” meant my subdivision. Now “neighborhood” means the network of city blocks that are within walking distance of my home. We live walking distance from Golden Gate Park, ~30-50 restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, bookstores, shops, etc. We stopped by an ATM to get some cash, ate lunch at a healthy looking sandwich shop and went to a hardware store to purchase a little cart. We are excited to have something to tote groceries upstairs to our apartment or load up with laundry to take to the basement.

Laundry

2009-09-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Did you know that items like dishwashers, laundry facilities and parking spaces are luxury items in San Francisco? Yup, we are lucky to have 6 commercial washers and dryers in the basement of our apartment building. It’s a $1.00 to wash and $1.25 to dry. Instead of coins, I purchased a special laundry card that you can add money to with your credit card. There are pros and cons to this way of doing laundry. Having 4 loads of laundry done in 2 hours is a big plus. Having 4 loads of laundry done at the SAME TIME, well, that is a little bit of a challenge. Maybe if I had 6 hands….