Introducing

Hunter Cole Dunbar

February 22, 2011,

9:52pm

8 Pounds, 21 Inches

Details soon.

We’re in love.

~mrs. dunbar

A Belated Valentine Dinner

Let me start at the beginning.

This was the 8th Valentine Dinner that we have spent together.

The 8th time our friends, the Jansen’s, have opened up their home, turned it into a 5-star restaurant and made us all feel like a million bucks.

The 8th year that Mr. Dunbar and I have celebrated Valentines Day as a married couple.

The very first dinner actually fell on Valentine’s Day, February 14th. Mrs. Jansen didn’t even know if we would attend since it was our first Love Day as newlyweds, we’d been married a whoppin’ 3 months at the time. But we did go and now we wouldn’t miss it, ever. (Unless of course, I had been in the hospital this year, but I wasn’t. That was all God, I’m convinced.)

Mrs. Jansen and Mrs. C

I don’t even have words to describe the amount of dedication that is poured into this dinner. There is an extraordinary amount of love that you can feel each and every year around that dinner table. It is always a different menu, a new theme, a fresh vision. No detail is overlooked. This year she called it KISS.

 

Heart rocks collected over the years.

Mrs. Jansen even bought me some red Italian soda, so I could feel like a grown-up. I had my very own bottle while everyone else was diving into the wine.

Homemade foccacia and wine.

 

Salad Course: I didn’t get a picture of the yummy salad; fresh greens, artichokes, pomegranate and orange.

Soup Course: Toscana Sausage   

Main Course:

Girls were saucy: stuffed pasta with I don’t even know what. It was delicious.

The boys were meaty: they had chicken with sauce and polenta.

Trying to get a picture with my husband. His friends still haven’t grown up.

And Dessert: Oh my.

Chocolate dripping cupcake, torte, and heart shaped creamy goodness.

But it gets better…

Inside the cupcake… it was filled with pop-rocks.

Have you ever had a pop-rock filled cupcake?

Divine!

It was such a fun evening. We haven’t gotten together in a while since we’re no longer in Small Group all together. But we do share a very special friendship with these couples.

Mr. Dunbar and I joined this Small Group the month before we got married. And every Wednesday night for almost 4 years we were mentored and loved on by these friends. (Older) Wives who taught me how to respect my husband and let him lead. (Older) husbands who taught Mr. Dunbar how to lead and love a wife and family. They truly helped build a solid God-Focused foundation for a good marriage for Mr. Dunbar and I.

And for that we are forever thankful!

~mrs. dunbar

PS No baby yet.

Nothings Happening

So yesterday in an effort to try and start labor my sisters-in-law and all of their kids hiked a mountain with us.

Seven kids, three moms, one stroller.

 

So what’s happening today?

Nothing.

Literally nothing.

Still dilated to a one, not effaced a bit.

C-section is scheduled for the 23rd if this baby doesn’t come on his own before that date.

I told the doctor, “He’s a Dunbar, takes his sweet ol’ time for anything. That’s exactly what Monkey did and he’s just like his Dad.” Actually I used some other choice words, made the doctor turn red in the face but this is our third baby together, so he already knows me. He just shook his head and said, “Poor Scott.”

Poor me!

I’ll be spending the weekend trying to jump start labor.

Any suggestions?

~mrs. dunbar

Keeping it healthy

Two things I’ve been doing lately to try and add some more nutrients and naturalness to our diet: flax seed and oranges. No, not together.
First up, flax seed. According to WebMD.com “Some call it one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. That’s quite a tall order for a tiny seed that’s been around for centuries: flaxseed.”
Because it contains: 

• Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
• Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75- 800 times more lignans than other plant foods
• Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

So my primary way of getting it into our diets is through pancakes. You can’t taste it at all and it blends right into the batter. I’ve also used it in cookies and tomorrow I’m going to throw it in my granola.
A seriously easy way of adding just more good things to the boy’s food.
Part 2: Oranges.
Living in sunny Southern California we never have a shortage of these beauties and when you have a Grandma who loves to garden, there’s quite a good supply.

The boys and I have been heading over to her house once a week to pick them. Its been a fun experience for all of us and such a good way to talk about God’s creation, healthy foods for our bodies, and growing plants and food. (Of which I am notorious for KILLING.)
Can we say “organic”?  Look at that dirt, it doesn’t get any more natural than that.

Mr. Dunbar put it this way, “There are no better oranges than the ones that have been grown with lots of water and love.”  That Vitamin C has been fighting off all kinds of little colds around here.

~mrs. dunbar

Super Sweet Day

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Today is such a sweet day don’t you think? Mr. Dunbar told me he hadn’t gotten me anything, I told him “Don’t worry, I already took care of that for you.” Hey, a girl knows when her husband hasn’t gone shopping yet… and I’m a gifts girl, so sometimes I just help him out a bit.

As we were dropping off Monkey at school this morning we hadn’t even gotten two car spaces away from our car and he was already passing out Valentines to his friends. Such a dear sweet soul he is.

Bogie is just into the chocolate.

Today is even happier day for us since yesterday Mr. Dunbar and I spent a few hours over in L&D- and I didn’t even think I was in labor. The little guy in the belly decided to take an extended nap and wouldn’t budge even with all of my prodding and sugar eating. After two hours we headed into L&D for a little monitoring. All is well. He’s just got to be here by Friday or a c-section will be scheduled.

And since this will be the last time I post this…

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 39 Weeks
Size of baby: At least 6 pounds and 18 inches.
Total Weight Gain: Gained 27lbs pounds, unbelievable!
Maternity Clothes: Every single day

Gender: BOY.
Movement: He’s pretty active any time I sit down. Like back and forth, back and forth across the tummy and under the ribs.

Sleep: Sometimes, I am drained by the end of the day but getting up is a constant at night. My bladder is now the size of a pea (no pun intended), so I am constantly getting up to go.
What I miss: Margaritas and being the size of a normal person.   
Cravings: Cookies and lots and lots of water.
Symptoms: Contractions all the time but nothing consistent.
Best Moment this week: Hearing his little heart beat over and over and seeing his movements on a sonogram.

And just because I know you love the visual.

 

So not a pretty sight.

Monday is laundry, groceries, bathroom cleaning day. So the outfit is just representing “work.”

 

Hoping you are feeling loved today. I sure do. I’ve got three (almost 4 )great guys to love on today. Mr. Dunbar is my number one though, and I love him with all my heart. Especially since he fixed the clog in the bathtub- that I may or may not have caused. I going with “not."

Cheers and hugs.

~mrs. dunbar

The Divine Birthday Cake

One of my best and favorite friends had a birthday last week. Miss Erin. Here she is looking up safety laws for kids in cars. Because she’s a “safety kind of girl” she does stuff like this at her birthday party.

 

Jenn, who is now a Pampered Chef Consultant made Molten Lava Cake.

Have you ever had this? Um, HELLO! Yummy.

That glass of wine was in my way, but since I was coveting it, I didn’t ask anyone to move it.  You get the idea.

Then  she added more goodness, by putting toffee bits on top. Oh my.    

Now, Jenn used the Pampered Chef Rice Cooker, of which I don’t own, so somebody who does, will have to make this cake for me very soon. I even looked up the recipe.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
-One box of chocolate cake mix
-Ingredients to make the chocolate cake (from the back of the box)
-One can of chocolate frosting

Empty cake mix and cake mix ingredients into Rice Cooker Plus and mix together.
Add ½ the can of frosting with Small Scoop.
Microwave for about 8-10 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Microwave time may vary.(I've done it with the lid and without. Both work but I think with the lid you get a more even surface so it sits straighter when you invert it onto a plate.)

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I just thought this was a funny picture. And then E and I took our favorite picture that we do every year.

~mrs. dunbar