First Ultrasound 4/20/12

   Yesterday (Friday, April 20th) I went in to get my first ultrasound.  I was so excited that I counted down the days leading up, and since my appointment was not until 2:30pm, the day moved quite slow.   It was my first day of vacation to study for my final exams and I met my Grandma Vatter for Gray Brother's (YUM).  Kenny and my Mom met me at the doctor's office to see the ultrasound.  I took a bit longer to decide on a physician, so they had to schedule my first ultrasound and doctor's visit separately.  I will not see Doctor Mazdai until Monday.

    I felt slightly nervous.  For one, although I Googled what to expect during my first ultrasound, spoke with a close friend and I read about it in my What To Expect When Expecting book...I did not truly know what to expect.  Second, although I know I had multiple positive pregnancy tests and I am still having some symptoms I felt I needed to hear the heart beat and see it for myself to believe it.   Knowing a person is growing inside of you is a bit difficult to wrap your head around.  I was ready for some additional confirmation.  I am going to go into detail for those who want it... I know that a couple of years ago I followed a blog of a mom-to-be and I really appreciated hearing about the small things so I would know what to expect.  So for those who don't want to hear all of the details, I understand.  Some do want all of them though, so this is for you. 

     With my notebook with questions in hand, we walked into the office for the first time.  I signed in and they gave me about 10 pieces of paper to fill out and sign.  This packet of papers included an area to fill in my medical history, Kenny's medical history and our family's medical history.  It took me about 7 minutes to fill everything in and I sat on the edge of the waiting room seat as I waited for them to call my name.  I had a lot going through my head... "What will we be able to see? How big is the baby now?  How far along am I?  Can we hear a heart beat?  Will there be a heart beat at all?"  My mind was racing a bit.

    After waiting a few more minutes, we were called back to a room for my ultrasound.  Brandy, the ultrasound tech, greeted us and told Kenny and my mom they could sit down.  I saw a patient chair with stir-ups, a large computer and a big television on the wall.  Brandy said, "Okay Amanda, you are going to have a vaginal ultrasound.  Step into that bathroom right there and take everything off below the belt.  Wrap this around yourself before you come out,"  She handed me what looked like a napkin the size of a beach towel.  I actually ripped it a little bit just trying to wrap it around myself because it was so thin.  

      You would think that the moments to follow would have been very awkward, but honestly everything happened so quickly (and for future mothers... it was painless).  Within seconds she had a visual of our baby up on that large television screen.  I could not believe it.  I was speechless.  That was MY baby before my eyes!  That little thing on the screen with a head, arms and legs is mine!  Brandy said that everything looks great and that the baby's heart rate is 180.  She then pointed out that you can see where the umbilical cord is, the eyes, nose and ears. For something as small as a kidney bean, I could not believe the detail already.  Truly amazing.  

All of the photos :)

Side view... you can see all the detail!

      Brandy printed off some photos for us to take home with us and informed me that I was between 8 weeks and 3 days, or 8 weeks and 6 days...due date is between November 24th and 27th.  She said that Dr. Mazdai would decide which date they would use.  It is so nice to have a better idea now!  And I cannot wait until my appointment on Monday so that I can find out the exact date that will be used.  

Kenny looking up close at Baby G

      We were sent into a different room where I met with a nurse who asked me various questions.  She asked everything from is this your first pregnancy, to all sorts of questions about medical history.  The last thing that I had to do was get my blood drawn and urinate in a cup for them.  Pretty simple appointment, and we were all on a high from seeing the baby.  I took photos of the photos and text messaged them to my Dad.  He loved seeing them.  I also forwarded the pics on to Brent and Ashley. 

      With a date pretty well nailed down, I could not wait to get home to take my 8 week photo.  The first of many more!  I put on my new shirt that I ordered on Etsy and had Kenny snap some photos.  I also took some photos with my DSLR of the ultrasound photos.  My Grandma Vatter was so excited that she drove over that evening to see the photos.  And I must share, that Kenny decided that the baby looks like a Sour Patch Kid right now.  He is such a goof.  And there is a little irony there... because remember we told our parents that I am pregnant with small Easter baskets that included Sour Patch Kids?  Oh and we didn't think about it until later, but there is only one in there for anyone that may have been wondering.  I wouldn't mind twins...would love them actually...but Kenny, he would prefer to start with one haha!  SO glad to know that our baby is healthy and growing just as he/she should be.  Thank you, Lord! :-)

The little Sour Patch Kid next to Sour Patch Kids :)

8 Week Photo

8 Week Photo...like the new shirt???

Click here to buy your own Progress Shirt

6-ish Weeks

      I don't like not knowing for sure how far along I am.  I mean,  I know I should be around 6 weeks...but the last phone call I received from the doctor about my blood test said that they were not sure how far along, but that it is not as far along as they originally thought.  My mom and I went to visit Hendricks Regional Health and IU West so I could decide on my physician.  I have heard good things about the physicians at both hospitals, but I did feel partial to Dr. Mazdai at Hendricks because she is a female doctor.  Other than going to an immediate care clinic and seeing a male there, I have always seen a female doctor, so it is what I am comfortable with.  

     We visited Hendricks first and their Labor and Delivery area feels a bit smaller and cozy.  Jody, the nurse that provided our tour, was very nice and answered our questions well.  She mentioned that she heard some negative things about the doctor that I was referred to at IU West, but she was professional in the manner that she said it.  I did not feel as if she was bashing them in any way.  She even said, "If you do choose IU West, I would consider a different physician."  

       IU West is a newer hospital and the rooms look more like hotel rooms.  Their rooms are larger and seem to be more comfortable.  We did receive a bad first impression because when we arrived they kept sending us to different levels of Labor and Delivery.  First, when we went to the desk of the 1st floor...no one was there.  We went to the 2nd floor and they sent us to the 3rd floor.  The 3rd floor sent us back to the 1st floor.  Our tour was supposed to begin at 6:30pm and finally at 6:45pm I went back to the 2nd floor to let them know what was going on.  Finally, they got the tour started.  There were 2 different couples that were also on our tour, which made me more hesitant to ask certain questions.  I liked how we received individual attention on our Hendricks tour.  

       I was feeling super confused though, because I heard great things about both hospitals.  And with the rooms being so comfy at IU West, I went back and forth on my decision.  As we were leaving IU West, a group of nurses shared who their obgyn is and they all use the physician that my doctor suggested there.  I had to do a pros/cons list in my head....

IU West Pros: Newer facility, highly recognized physicians, closer to my work for afternoon appointments, comfy rooms.

Hendricks Pros: Great experience when calling in and on tour, Smaller facility (in a good way), Female physician, closer to where we are going to build our next home, they will watch your baby if you need to take a shower or have a moment to yourself, offers a great list of classes for pre and post delivery, my mom delivered me there so it is already special to us.

IU West Cons: The nurse at Hendricks explained that she has heard multiple bad reviews, the hospital is further away from our future home, we did not have a good experience when we called in to obtain info about the tour and then had a bad experience when we went in for the tour, they explained that they do not have a nursery and you want to make sure that you have someone present to watch the baby when you shower or use the bathroom because a nurse won't always be available to do so.  

Hendricks Cons: More dated facility, smaller rooms, further from my work for afternoon appointments.

      You can see that my list of pros for Hendricks is longer, and my list of cons for IU West is longer.  Now, I am no expert.... my goal is not to discourage anyone from going with IU West.  I have no issue with IU West.  They have a beautiful facility and a lot of highly recommended physicians.  This is just my personal opinion and I feel that Hendricks has a little bit of an edge, at least for us.  So, I am excited to say that I finally have my first official ultrasound scheduled for Friday, April 20th.  Since my appointment was made so late, I will return on Monday the 23rd to meet with Dr. Mazdai. 

      I am praying that everything is developing okay in my belly.  I am trying my best to eat healthy, continue my workout routine (but a bit lighter) and get enough rest.  Unfortunately, my work situation is preventing me from staying stress-free, but I promise I am trying to take it easy.  It is difficult right now, because no one at work knows.  I have to pretend as if I feel fine and as if I can do things as usual.  Just a couple of weeks ago, we were doing a merchandising changeout and I had to get on top of a chair to work on something.  I probably shouldn't have, but I could not tell my rep that I couldn't.  

     And for the most part, I feel the same.  Extremely fatigued and sore breasts.  As of yesterday (4/6) I started feeling little signs of nausea.  I keep telling myself that it is not happening... I take a deep breath and hope it goes away.  Just this morning I was having breakfast with my friend from work, and she noticed me taking deep breaths.  She said, "Is the food spicy?  I notice you breathing in and out."  Honestly, I was just taking the deep breaths in hopes that the nausea would go away.  I am hoping that it stays away... no time for nausea, not at all.  6-ish weeks down, 34-ish to go.  

Special Easter Baskets

      As much as we wanted to call our closest family and friends as soon as we had confirmation from my blood test, we really wanted to tell everyone in person.  It was important to us to see their reactions, and I wanted to tell everyone in a unique way.  Also, telling them in person allowed me to capture their reactions with my camera.  I cannot wait to put a video together once we have the reactions from more people captured.  

      My Dad has been working out of town and then going to the cabin on the weekends, so I thought that we would not be able to tell them until Sunday night (March 25th).  I really did not want to wait that long.  I even considered driving out to the cabin late Saturday night to make sure that they could hear together.  But thankfully, my Dad reached out to me on Tuesday afternoon to say that he would be coming back into town.  He invited us to go to dinner and we decided to meet at El Meson.  It was perfect timing!  Just hours prior we found out that I am pregnant for sure, and we could not wait to share that joy with someone.  When I ended my shift I ran over to Target to find some baby themed candy to stick with the Easter basket surprises.  I found Sugar Babies, Sour Patch Kids, Baby Ruths, candy bottles and candy rattles.  I filled each basket with candy and plastic eggs.  

        When we arrived at El Meson I stretched the truth and told my parents that the basket is for our waiter to take home to his daughter (we have the same waiter each time).  We conversed about how our week was going, and ordered our food.  After placing our order I secretly turned my camera on under the table and pulled out the basket.  I said, "Just kidding, this is a little early Easter present for you guys."  After looking at the candy it did not take them long to figure it out.  Mom did not seem as surprised, but I know she was super excited.  Dad's reaction is my absolute favorite.  You seriously would have thought that we just said, "You are the winner of 50 million dollars."  I am pretty sure that he would have reacted the same way.  I will never forget the look on his face... I will never forget the large smiles on both of their faces, stretching from cheek to cheek.  They are absolutely ecstatic, and I know that they will make the best Grandparents.

The happy Grandparents-to-be

         Telling Kenny's mom Marilyn was a lot of fun too.  We told her that we were going to stop by her house.  When we got there I handed her the basket and she did not get it at first.  I said,  "I heard that you had a rough day so we brought you a surprise."  She said, "Aw, that was nice of you guys" as she smiled. Then we asked if she likes that kind of candy.  She started saying, "Mmm Sour Patch Kids, Sugar Babies... wait... are you trying to tell me something?" as she had the candy rattle in hand.  When we shook our heads yes she leaped out of her living room recliner and started hugging us.  After having knee surgery in the past we could not believe how much she jumped.  It was awesome.  

Kenny's Mom Marilyn smiling from ear-to-ear

Marilyn insisted she take a photo of us :)

      
    I don't know who acted more excited... my Dad or Marilyn.  Oh and, Kenny told his Dad over the phone because he could not wait to tell him in person.  His Dad was at work at the time and yelled across the shop, "I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDPA!" haha!  I posted links below so you can see the reactions that we captured.  I am very glad that we captured these!

Videos

• Click here for my parent's reaction
• Click here for Marilyn's reaction
• Click here for our closest friend's Brent and Ashley's reaction

    Stay tuned to read about how I was feeling at 6 weeks and the details of my Mom and I visiting IU West and Hendricks.  For those future Moms, you may appreciate my honest comparison. 

Spring Surprise

        Kenny and I decided many months ago that 2012 is the year for us to focus on a future little Gaddis. We initially began trying at the end of December 2011 and received multiple negative tests over the next couple of months.  Knowing that most couples take an average of  8-12 months before they are able to conceive, and also the fact that I am under a lot of stress between work and school; we decided to stop "trying" and to just put it into God's hands.  It is funny how when we let go, He works things out.
       The week of March 11th I began having these random dizzy spells.  Dizziness had never been an issue before, and after it happened 3 different times I told Kenny I was a bit worried.  He said I probably stood up too quickly, but it would happen when I was already standing or when I was sitting.  The next symptom that came on (but I still was not aware) was that I felt very tired and fatigued.  As a person that is constantly on the go, I usually have a ton of energy and while I may become tired this feeling was overwhelming as if I did not go to sleep.  I noticed it strongest on Saturday, March 18th after we had just gone to dinner with some close friends at Harry and Izzy's the night before where I had an adult beverage with dinner.  I assumed that the alcohol made me feel  more tired on Saturday.  We had actually planned to go out with friends for St. Patricks Day too, and we decided to stay in.
      When the tiredness did not go away over the next couple of days, I began wondering.  I started Google-ing pregnancy symptoms and analyzing everything that I was feeling.  I was not nauseous, I had not become sick and my breasts were not even sore.  What I did know is that my "Aunt" usually visits on the 18th, and she did not show up.  Since there were less days in February and I did not want to waste a pregnancy test, Kenny and I decided that I would not take a test until Wednesday the 21st if my "Aunt" did not pay me a visit.
     On Tuesday the 20th I came home from work to focus on homework while Kenny was at his Aunt Bonnie's house with family.  As I tried working on my assignment, I could not focus because I kept wondering.  I put my lap top down and decided to take a test.  After waiting the 2 minutes I looked and for the first time ever, there was a plus sign there but the second line was extremely faint.  I began wondering if I did something wrong because I expected a distinct line.  I re-read the instructions and it mentioned that you may receive a faint line, but a plus sign at all means positive.  Then I started Google-ing "pregnancy test faint line" and multiple others expressed receiving the same result...I even found a website where women post pictures of their test and others vote whether or not they think it is pregnant (silly).  Multiple other posts discussed that it could also be an "evaporation line" and they said not to get too excited until you know for sure.
     I decided to take a second test, and that time the results were identical.  I felt about 90% sure that I was... but I could not stop wondering if it was an evaporation line.  I even opened the third test in the box to see if there is already a faint line or if it was white.  It is white as snow, and I knew I had never had any indication of a plus sign in the past.  I was excited enough that I ran down the road to Kroger to purchase some more prenatal vitamins (my doctor has had me on them for months in preparation).  While I was there I purchased a little Easter basket with plastic eggs and Baby Ruths candy bars.   I placed everything in the basket, and placed the two faint positive tests at the bottom underneath everything.

Kenny's special Easter basket... after I ate the Baby Ruths lol

     Kenny came home from his Aunt's house around 8:30pm.  He was tired after a long day at work.  He kicked his shoes off and went to sit down on the couch.  He looked over and said, "What's with the basket?"  I said, "It's for you.  Come over here so you can see what is in there."   I shuffled to get my video camera ready and he looked suspicious.  He looked in the basket and said, "Baby Ruths?"  in a confused tone because he is not a big fan of those.  I said, "What else is in there?"  Then he saw the tests at the bottom, he pulled them out and said, "Amanda, these are negative.  I don't understand."  Click here to see the YouTube video of his reaction...I became a bit frustrated with him because he could not see the second line. I explained to him that I was 90% sure... that a faint positive, is a positive.  He was excited, but also curious about the evaporation line that I read about.  We both decided that I should take another test in the morning since that is when you receive the most accurate results.

     Kenny's alarm went off pretty early, and I tried to sleep a bit longer.  The thought of taking the third test overwhelmed my thoughts and I followed him down the stairs.  I grabbed the test from under the downstairs bathroom sink and quickly walked back upstairs to our second bathroom.  I took the test, and went to lay out my clothes while I waited the two minutes.  Those two minutes feel like forever when you want to know.  I anxiously watched the time on my phone to decide when to go back to check.  I slowly walk in, feeling a bit nervous to look due to the chance of it being negative.  The plus sign was very distinct and bright blue!  I grabbed it and quickly ran down the stairs to show Kenny.  He hugged me in excitement, and we were both trying to take it all in.

First distinct + sign!

The 3 tests together (see you can barely see the second line on the 2 on top)

     I called the doctor's office right away to see if I could get in for a blood test.  Unfortunately on that Wednesday it was my doctor's (Monica) day off.  I had to arrange my work schedule so they could squeeze me in on Thursday.  It was so hard not to call my Mom and Dad right away... but I wanted confirmation from the doctor first.  Wednesday and Thursday went by so slow waiting to go to my appointment, and even the time in the waiting room felt as if it was in slow motion.  The nurse informed me that since I already had 3 at home tests they were not going to have me take another, they were going to take my blood.  She informed me that I would know in a few minutes, and that they would also be sending the test off to determine how far along I am if it is positive.  The nurse placed a bandaid on my arm and told me to wait for the doctor as she walked out of the room.
     That 5 minutes felt like for-ev-er.  I kept playing with my phone...looking at Facebook, refreshing, texting Kenny, refreshing Facebook again and trying not to think about it for a moment.  Kenny jokingly texted me, "Tell them to hurry up!"  Monica walked into the door excitedly saying, "Congratulations!!!" and she hugged me.  I was very happy and excited to call Kenny to let him know.  But, I had to wait a few more minutes while she did a quick check-up on me and as she checked my throat, nose, ears and had me take a couple of deep breaths for her; she answered some of my questions. She told me that I could not take any medication, unless it is one Tylenol...and that is if I absolutely must.  She also told me that I can pretty much eat anything, but to stay away from items that are raw and to cut back to one caffienated drink per a day.  Of course she said the usual such as no drinking or smoking, and she assured me that the drink that I had on the 17th did not hurt the baby.

Blood test from the Doctor's office

All of the tests together

     She pulled out her miniature handheld calendar and said that based on my last cycle I am most likely 4 weeks along, that I should tell others outside of my inner circle sometime in May, that we will probably learn the sex around July 4th and my due date is around November 24th.  It is a very exciting, but also an overwhelming feeling.  You know that your life is going to change so much for the better.  It is so weird for me to know that I have a human being growing in my stomach.  How is that possible?  It is amazing. I wanted to call everyone I know and update my Facebook status right away to tell the world, but I knew that I have to wait for a couple of months to make sure everything is okay.
    God is so good.  I know that he already had this planned out.  Even though I feel so exhausted on top of my 55+ hour work weeks and taking my Graduate courses right now, I know that He is creating a very special person inside of me.  I am trying my best to go to bed early, stay in bed as late as possible and eat very healthy.  My retail hours that have sent me running for fast food, drinking venti Starbucks drinks and a glass of wine to relax are gone for awhile.  But I am perfectly okay with that. 8 months seems like forever away... but I am sure it will fly by.  Thank you for this gift Lord!  Keep following to hear about the reactions from our closest family and friends.

Disney January 2012: Day #6

    On Day #6 we return to MK (Magic Kingdom) to do our favorites for the second time, and enjoy some more restaurants.  We rolled out of bed early and headed to Main Street to use some Snack Credits at the bakery.  Kenny and I decided to share a cinnamon roll, a cheese danish and a bottle of water.  Whatever you do, if you are on the Dining Plan...do not waste your snack credits on drinks and chips your entire trip.  Pack some breakfast bars and maybe even some bottled water, and use your snack credits for breakfast items and fun stuff like ice cream bars and dessert items at Epcot.  
   We headed over to Peter Pan's Flight for a Fastpass since we weren't willing to wait the 40 minutes for it.  The coolest thing happened... when Kenny went to get our Fastpasses, we got a surprise Fastpass for Mickey's Philharmagic!  Isn't that awesome??? I did not even know it was possible to receive a surprise Fastpass!  Love it!

Surprise Fastpass!

       With Fastpasses in hand, we chose to eat at Cosmic Ray's for lunch for the second time during our trip.  I enjoyed a Pork Barbecue sandwich and Kenny had a cheeseburger.  And when we finished lunch we walked over to Space Mountain, the Tommorowland Transit Authority (TTA) Peoplemover and the Buzz Lightyear attraction.  When it was time to use our Fastpass we headed over to do Peter Pan's Flight and Mickey's Philarmagic.  Feeling tired from lunch, we headed back to the resort for a break.  Since we had not made it out to try out the beautiful resort pool we changed into our suits and enjoyed the water.  Disney pools are heated and aren't lacking at all.  And thanks to the low crowds we were able to float and really enjoy it.   

Space Mountain 

Splash Mountain

The Haunted Mansion

      I was on a mission to take some good photos of the construction happening in (the former) Toon Town where the Be Our Guest restaurant and Beasts Castle are going.  I climbed back up onto a park bench and took out my camera.  I tried to hurry because I did not want a park Cast Member to ask me to get down.  It looks like everything is really coming along.  And I cannot wait to see it all complete.  I am still trying to figure out if you can go inside the smaller Castle, or if it is just part of the landscape.  I guess we will have to wait and see!  Check it out (I made these extra large for you)!

Check out that Castle back there! 

Another look

View of the other side

    Dinner took place at a restaurant we have been to before: Liberty Tree Tavern at MK.  The last time we ate here it was a Character dining experience, and because they took the characters away we have passed up this place on out last couple of trips.  But, we enjoyed the food when we went so we decided to return.  This place it like Cracker Barrel...but the food is even better, and it is all-you-can-eat.  It needs to be placed into our favorites list, because the food is so good that the characters are not missed at all.  We would argue that it has the best food at MK...make sure you try it!

Bread and Salad at Liberty Tree Tavern

"Thanksgiving Spread" at Liberty Tree Tavern

Birthday Dessert 

Apple Cake

      I always hate saying "goodbye" to my Castle.  Cinderella's Castle is Disney to me.  It made it easier that we still had another full day at Epcot.  Enjoy some photos that I took just playing with my camera on Main Street.  Back to Epcot for Day #7. 

Disney January 2012: Day #5

      So you think that Animal Kingdom (AK) is just a Zoo with a couple of attractions?  We disagree.  Aside from showcasing a long list of animals, AK features our favorite attraction of all of Walt Disney World: Expedition Everest.  It also features other must-do attractions such as Kilimanjaro Safari and Dinosaur.  For first time visitors we also suggest that you check out the famous Lion King and Finding Nemo musical shows.  Due to the small crowds and short wait times we were able to tackle this park within a few short hours.  
  

The Tree of Life at AK

     Like we do while visiting all parks, we headed straight towards Expedition Everest and snagged a Fastpass.  We were excited to see a short wait of only 15 minutes, so we decided to go ahead and wait and save our Fastpass for later.  15 minutes meant walking straight through all of the waiting areas and right up to the ride attendant who told us which row to go to.  With hardly any wait, we requested to wait for the front of the ride.  The ride was better than ever...it always makes me laugh in excitement as if it were my first time.  And it never fails, I always scream like a little girl when...well, I don't want to give it away if you have not been on it. 

In front of Expedition Everest

In front of Expedition Everest

Waiting area for Kilimanjaro Safari

Yes, you get this close to the animals

Baby elephant :)

    We stepped off of Everest and walked over to ride Dinosaur.  This is not a ride to miss.  It is a ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make your heart pump a little faster.  What am I saying...it makes your heart pump a lot faster, but in a good way.  We usually ride it multiple times, and our picture is always hilarious.  I wish I would have snapped a picture of the first time we rode it, because that was possibly the funniest photo I have ever seen.  After walking straight onto Dinosaur and walking off, we went back to use our Fastpass for Expedition Everest and enjoyed it as much as we did the first time.

Kenny in line for Dinosaur

    Lunch took place at Flame Tree Barbecue.  This Quick Service restaurant features various barbecue options such as pork sandwiches and barbecue chicken.  Kenny and I shared the half chicken since they give you a large portion and to save another table service credit.  Animal Kingdom does not offer a ton of food options and Flame Tree is convenient; so we usually choose it.  We also really like the Yak and Yeti restaurant when we are going to a Table Service at AK, but we chose to skip it this trip to allow us to try some new restaurants.
    After lunch we rode Everest and Dinosaur again and decided to head out to hit the water park.  Kenny had never been to any of the Disney water parks so I was excited to take him there.  Typhoon Lagoon was closed for refurbishment so we headed to Blizzard Beach.  We were only there for a couple of hours, but this is because hardly anyone was there and we were able to walk right onto everything.  After enjoying the lazy river for a bit, we walked up a million flights of stairs to do the family slide called Runoff Rapids.  Although the water was chilly when we first got in, it was so nice.  And Kenny is still giggling like a girl because while we were relaxing as we floated around the lazy river he push me under the cold waterfall and I screamed.  That was not nice.  It felt like someone poured a bucket of ice water all over me.  Three words: boys are mean!
    Walking up all of those stairs at Blizzard Beach gave us the appetite we needed to eat when we returned to Coronado Springs.  We decided to use another Quick Service and eat at our resort.  I read online that the Pepper Market at Coronado is tasty so we rode the bus over.  Kenny ordered a burrito and I had a chicken philly cheesesteak.  Everything was pretty good, but nothing to ooohhh and ahhh  over. 

Kenny's burrito at The Pepper Market

My Chicken Philly at the Pepper Market

     We decided that this our favorite resort that we have stayed in, when you consider everything.  Sure, if money was falling out of our pockets we would stay at the Grand Floridian or the Polynesian during each trip, but for the price Coronado Springs is really nice.  Our only complaint...the pillows suck!  Note to self: bring Tempurpedic pillow from home for next trip.  We are spoiled with our Tempurpedic items at home.  But who can complain when you are at Disney?  And don't you worry... I will get Kenny back for placing me under freezing cold water at Blizzard Beach.  How quickly he forgets that we live in Indiana and it is freezing now! More details of our fun coming soon!

Disney January 2012: Day #4

      One word... EPCOT!  We love Epcot because of the attractions, but also because of the long list of delicious food options.  A vacation to Disney is as much about the dining experiences as it is about the attractions.  After making it through the sea of Brazilians (there are at least 4 huge tour groups of them, probably thousands), we made our way to Soarin' for a Fastpass.  
   The line for Soarin' was so short that we decided to go on right away, and we practically walked on (yesss).  Then we walked downstairs to ride Living With the Land.  Some people overlook The Land attraction, but it is honestly one of my favorite attractions.  It may not rank among my top 10 but it is a must-do for us each trip.  I love that there is so much so see, it is educational, relaxing and the things that scientists are coming up with is really neat.  Where else can you see how aquaculture works, water lillies you can eat and pumpkins shaped like Mickey heads?

Living With the Land

Living With the Land

Living With the Land

  
   We were very excited to try a restaurant that we had never been to before for lunch....Via Napoli, which features various pastas and pizzas baked in a wood fire oven.  I am happy to report that we had such a great experience that it is going in the "favorites" list.  Possibly straight up to #1 above Le Cellier.  The thing about Le Cellier, is that they just recently made it a Signature dining experience.  That sounds as if it would be a good thing, but it means that it would take 2 of your table service credits (each) to eat there.  Considering that, Via Napoli has now won the #1 spot on our list.  Money aside, we would say Le Cellier.
   Why is Via Napoli so amazing and #1 on our list?  If having an Italian waiter is not enough, Disney flies the flour, tomatoes and even the water in from Italy to make the taste as authentic as possible.  Yes, even the water.  And boy, are we glad that they did!  That is one of the best meals that I have had in my life. Mmm!  The crust is what really makes this pie so perfect, and you can tell that the mozzarella and tomatoes are fresh.  I had the margherita pizza and Kenny had the pepperoni. I seriously cannot wait to plan our next trip and place that delicious little restaurant on our itinerary.  Don't miss it on your next trip.

Outside of Via Napoli

Inside of Via Napoli

Margherita Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza

Cherry Dessert at Via Napoli

Tiramisu at Via Napoli

Kenny enjoying his tiramisu

Enjoying my birthday dessert

Wood fire ovens at Via Napoli

Putting the next pie in

Love those ovens

        
     It's a good thing that when you visit Epcot - you probably walk miles!  I would love to wear a pedometer around Disney and see how many miles a person averages during their Disney vacation.  After stuffing ourselves with delicious pizza we walked all the way around the world to Test Track.  We rode all of our favorites that day including Soarin', Ellen's Universe of Energy, The Seas with Nemo and Friends and more.  
      Since we knew we would be back later in the trip we saved some attractions for later.  We did try something new: the Captain EO attraction.  It is a good thing that we practically walked onto that attraction because honestly, it was a waste of our time.  This short 3D movie created by George Lucas features Michael Jackson.  It was created in 1986...and we both think that they should have left it in 1986.  Sure, we appreciate the work of MJ...but that was just awful.  And it replaced an attraction that we liked: Honey I Shrunk the Audience. You know when you see something and you look over to the person you are with; no words need to be said, both of your eyes are saying, "Really???".
      After walking what felt like a mini marathon around Epcot and taking in the various attractions we made our way back to the World Showcase for dinner.  We usually always eat at Sommerfest, the Quick Service restaurant with delicious German bratwursts, pretzels and beer if you choose.  Since we received good feedback about the Table Service restaurant in Germany we decided to give it a try during this trip.  We checked in at the hostess station at The Biergarten and we were informed that we would be seated with another family (we weren't sure what to think about that at first).  As we walked to our table I looked over at the buffet and it looked like it featured a good amount of options.
       There were a lot of different options.  It did not take long to fill up my plate.  I had some sausages, chicken schnitzel, various types of beef and pork, potato salad, sauerkraut, green beans, and various other sides as well.  And as you eat you get to enjoy music by a German band on stage.  The family that we were seated with was very nice.  We were a little concerned when they seated us with a couple with 4 little girls (including a baby), but it was nice to meet some new people and to hear their story.  
      We stuffed ourselves with buffet food and then dessert.  Kenny mentioned that he really liked the options on the buffet and that he would like to go back.  I thought that the food was good, but it honestly left me wishing that I had my usual brat and pretzel.  I am sure we will go back on one of our future trips and we suggest that you try it, but it won't be going onto our favorites list.  The good thing is, we tried something that we had not before and we enjoyed a new experience.         

Various items from The Biergarten buffet

Dessert items from The Biergarten

Entertainment at The Biergarten

Inside look of The Biergarten

Kenny and a random family :)

         
      We were so stuffed and tired after finishing dinner that we decided to give our Soarin' Fastpasses to the couple we sat with and we called it a night. You may have noticed that I have been using my new camera to take lots of photos for my posts.  I love my new camera -  but I am still learning!  Epcot is a great place to capture some nice shots.  Below are just a few photos from our day that I thought you may enjoy.  More to come, my friends.

Increase of crowds (thanks Brazil)