Baby B 16 week update

So last night Shawn & I had another appointment for a Baby B check up. Things are progressing wonderfully. Once again the doc was not able to find the heartbeat with the Doppler but we were a little more prepared for that this time around, so in came the big ultrasound machine. This is always exciting because we not only get to see our little one but I also get new pictures for the scrapbook! Unfortunately, those who are dying to know if Baby B will be a girl or boy will have to stay in suspense with us for a while longer. We were able to see Baby B kick and punch at me so vigorously but yet I couldn't feel anything. Very strange. I asked the doctor what the percentage was that I would be bringing my own baby home with me. Click here for my reason of concern...it is where I am delivering! While he chuckled, he reassured me of the procedures that are in place. Here are a few Baby B pictures. Enjoy!

Dinner with the Maio's

Guest Blogger: Matt Maio

Review of the Bansemar Dinner

It was a cold and wet Sunday night, but the welcome was warm when we showed up at the Bansemar household. We came with a semi-fresh loaf of bread, but the Bansemar's pretended to be happy with our selection. Always the sign of a good host.

To start the evening we listened to stories of yester-year from Shawn and Melissa. They also went into the latest baby details, which warmed our hearts with delight. The evening took a sour turn when the Brewers game ended with a loss. But fortunately dinner was right around the corner, and the empty void in our souls would be filled with comfort food prepared by Shawn and Melissa.

Service was a little slow to start off, we had to cut our own bread and make our own dipping oil. The timing of the service was a little off as well, Shawn had completely forgot he made beans and was shocked when it came time to serve all the food. The kitchen really seemed overwhelmed to try and serve all the dishes at once. But it was eventually it was served and we were ready to dig in.

The complex flavors of the pork in the lime cream sauce more than made up for the near disaster in the timing of service. In each bite you could taste the tender pork, and the acidity of the tomatoes complimented with the flavor of the lime juice, it was a party in my mouth. There was also a perfect amount of heat from the jalapeno peppers, most likely picked out fresh that morning by the chef at the local market. The perfect starch of rice pilaf complimented the whole dish. Slightly overcooked, but still it made the entire dish come together.

The bagged salad was a little bit underwhelming. Nothing to write home about, but then again what do you expect from a salad in a bag. Both kitchen chefs were arguing about forgetting the tomatoes for the ceasar salad. Although ceasar salad is not supposed to have tomatoes, one of the chefs said it was "too damn bad, that's the way I make it," and the chef that did the shopping should not have forgot them.

Dessert was a wonderfully light bite of angel food cakes, whipped cream and strawberries. I thought I would miss the traditional sugar on the strawberries, but to my delight the fresh strawberries provided just the right sweetness to the dish. A lovely cup of smooth roast folger's crystals with french vanilla cream topped off the experience. Several comments went around the table about how good the coffee was.

Overall the experience was great, the complex flavors of the pork dish really made my weekend. The dinner conversation was top notch as well. Shawn and Melissa know how to keep the conversation lively. I would recommend dining here anytime.