"Listen, Santa. I've been a veeeeerrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy good boy this year."
12.23.2010
12.21.2010
Baby Bump - 15 weeks
Here's the first baby bump photo from this time around - at 15 weeks.
I'm thinking this could get scary by the end! I started showing around 10 weeks, but this is the first photo I've gotten. I had hoped to be more diligent, but I just haven't gotten around to it until now. Hoping to get more from here on out.
And just for grins, here's 15 weeks with Alex. I was still wearing a non-maternity skirt with a belly band, but let me just tell you that there's not a chance I would be able to do that today - ha!
And just for grins, here's 15 weeks with Alex. I was still wearing a non-maternity skirt with a belly band, but let me just tell you that there's not a chance I would be able to do that today - ha!
12.17.2010
Mini Cherry Pies
I had my little elfin helper with me in the kitchen today.
We whipped up a batch of Mini Cherry Pies.
If you're looking for an easy-peasy, festive-looking, individual-size dessert, may I recommend this one to you.
4 ingredients:
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Let both crusts soften by setting them on the counter for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425ยบ. Remove softened crusts from pouches; unroll on work surface.
With 3 1/2- or 4-inch round cutter, cut 6 rounds from each crust. (You can see I only got five with my cutter. I used a smaller cutter to get the 6th round (not shown here).)
Save scraps. Alex thought they were delicious to eat. (Yes, he is his mother's child.)
I had to convince him that we wanted to use the scraps to cut small stars to place in the center of the pies. He wasn't ever fully convinced. (A cookie cutter about 1-inch in size is perfect.)
Lightly dust each side of the round-shaped crust with flour and place into 12 ungreased muffin cups, pressing in gently. (You can see the two smaller rounds I had to cut. They were the perfect size if you wanted to make "tarts." Or, in my case, they were perfect for taste-testing.)
Spoon about 2 tablespoons pie filling into each crust-lined cup. (Use less if your rounds are the smaller size like the two above.)
Place one star in the center of each pie.
Bake for 14-18 minutes or until edges are golden brown and filling is bubbly.
While pies are cooling, mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk for icing drizzle. (If I had this to do over again, I'd probably use 2 or 3 teaspoons of milk and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I think the flavoring would have been better. Hind sight of an amateur...)
Spoon icing into small ziploc baggie. Snip a small corner of baggie so that you can drizzle icing onto pies.
Enjoy!
We whipped up a batch of Mini Cherry Pies.
If you're looking for an easy-peasy, festive-looking, individual-size dessert, may I recommend this one to you.
4 ingredients:
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Preheat oven to 425ยบ. Remove softened crusts from pouches; unroll on work surface.
With 3 1/2- or 4-inch round cutter, cut 6 rounds from each crust. (You can see I only got five with my cutter. I used a smaller cutter to get the 6th round (not shown here).)
Save scraps. Alex thought they were delicious to eat. (Yes, he is his mother's child.)
I had to convince him that we wanted to use the scraps to cut small stars to place in the center of the pies. He wasn't ever fully convinced. (A cookie cutter about 1-inch in size is perfect.)
Lightly dust each side of the round-shaped crust with flour and place into 12 ungreased muffin cups, pressing in gently. (You can see the two smaller rounds I had to cut. They were the perfect size if you wanted to make "tarts." Or, in my case, they were perfect for taste-testing.)
Spoon about 2 tablespoons pie filling into each crust-lined cup. (Use less if your rounds are the smaller size like the two above.)
Place one star in the center of each pie.
Bake for 14-18 minutes or until edges are golden brown and filling is bubbly.
While pies are cooling, mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk for icing drizzle. (If I had this to do over again, I'd probably use 2 or 3 teaspoons of milk and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I think the flavoring would have been better. Hind sight of an amateur...)
Spoon icing into small ziploc baggie. Snip a small corner of baggie so that you can drizzle icing onto pies.
Enjoy!
12.15.2010
Fantasyland with Santa
The History Museum of Western Virginia puts on an extraordinary event for children each year.
Fantasyland with Santa was absolutely magical, joyous and educational. I had the chance to take Alex today, and we so enjoyed it.
Santa played the guitar and sang Christmas carols. All of the kids joined in. Alex raised his arms and danced while the other kids and adults sang along.
Santa told stories of two lesser-known reindeer, Holly and Buck. Holly was the sweet reindeer who was really good at seeing what people needed in their lives and helping give that - because, after all, sometimes the best gifts we can give are the practical gifts that people need. There was a cute little story to illustrate this.
Buck, on the other hand, was not so on his game. Sometimes he wasn't a hard worker. But Santa gave him jobs to do that he believed Buck was capable of doing. Santa shared that it is important to believe in people - especially when you give them jobs to do. Because we all need people who believe in us.
Santa also talked about the importance of love. Here he is showing his love sprinkles. He said that love was something we all had within us but that we didn't necessarily see until we gave it away to others.
I tell you, Santa was a wise old soul. I just ate up all of his messages about the things that matter most in life. Here's Alex listening to Santa talk about how each of us is different in our own special way but how we are all a part of the same family - mankind.
At the end, Santa spent time with each child for photographs. He got out of his chair to come sit with Alex on the floor because, while Alex was perfectly content to watch Santa at a distance, he was not too sure about sitting in Santa's lap by himself. But Santa was prepared for times such as these. He brought out his bag of animal crackers and shared them with Alex. Amazingly, it stopped the flow of tears, and we actually got to get a few pictures (even if I had to be in them)!
You'll have to look past the fact that Alex couldn't put on a smile at this very moment. He still wasn't too sure of things. But I was so proud that he took the animal cracker directly from Santa and ate it without tears - signs of progress.
I can say that this is definitely one of my favorite memories from this holiday season so far. Yea for Fantasyland with Santa!
Fantasyland with Santa was absolutely magical, joyous and educational. I had the chance to take Alex today, and we so enjoyed it.
Santa played the guitar and sang Christmas carols. All of the kids joined in. Alex raised his arms and danced while the other kids and adults sang along.
Santa told stories of two lesser-known reindeer, Holly and Buck. Holly was the sweet reindeer who was really good at seeing what people needed in their lives and helping give that - because, after all, sometimes the best gifts we can give are the practical gifts that people need. There was a cute little story to illustrate this.
Buck, on the other hand, was not so on his game. Sometimes he wasn't a hard worker. But Santa gave him jobs to do that he believed Buck was capable of doing. Santa shared that it is important to believe in people - especially when you give them jobs to do. Because we all need people who believe in us.
Santa also talked about the importance of love. Here he is showing his love sprinkles. He said that love was something we all had within us but that we didn't necessarily see until we gave it away to others.
I tell you, Santa was a wise old soul. I just ate up all of his messages about the things that matter most in life. Here's Alex listening to Santa talk about how each of us is different in our own special way but how we are all a part of the same family - mankind.
At the end, Santa spent time with each child for photographs. He got out of his chair to come sit with Alex on the floor because, while Alex was perfectly content to watch Santa at a distance, he was not too sure about sitting in Santa's lap by himself. But Santa was prepared for times such as these. He brought out his bag of animal crackers and shared them with Alex. Amazingly, it stopped the flow of tears, and we actually got to get a few pictures (even if I had to be in them)!
You'll have to look past the fact that Alex couldn't put on a smile at this very moment. He still wasn't too sure of things. But I was so proud that he took the animal cracker directly from Santa and ate it without tears - signs of progress.
I can say that this is definitely one of my favorite memories from this holiday season so far. Yea for Fantasyland with Santa!
12.09.2010
Momma's Little Elf
Momma's little elf has been very busy. Here's a little of what he's been up to these days.
Train rides around the Winter Wonderland at the mall with his Noni (and Pop Pop, even though he's not pictured here).
Posing for Christmas card photos. And looking quite dashing in his outfit that his Noni and his Great Granny made for his Uncle Zack nearly 27 years ago.
And an elf's gotta have a goldfish snack after all that posing. Or should I say, all that running around? This little elf doesn't really believe in poses.
Meet Mickey Mouse, or as Alex calls him, "Baba." (I think that's his version of Clubhouse - as in, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.) Looking at this face, I imagine him thinking, "What? You mean there's a whole Kingdom of Baba and friends? When can we go? WHEN CAN WE GO?!"
Because this kiddo has taken to Mickey like nothing I've ever seen him take to anything before. I mean, he's sharing his milk with him for crying out loud. Mickey must join us at meal times, nap times, bed times, car rides - he goes everywhere that Alex goes. Today we even used our circle shapes to make a Mickey Mouse head. Oh, and Alex wants to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse all. the. time.
Speaking of, here he is watching Clubhouse with his daddy. And he's rather styling, don't you think? Ha!
Another new friend - Santa. Such a good little elf, Alex is on the lookout for Santa everywhere these days.
And here's my little elf with his new apron from his Aunt Mel, Uncle Russell, Lindsey and Whitney. We got this in the mail today. Just in time because we have fudge and rice krispy treats to make next week. Thank you guys for such a fun gift - personalized with his name and everything! I hope to get some pics of him helping in the kitchen, too!
Sweetest little elf I know. When he's not busy with the things above, he's certainly busy checking out the tree below. So far, only one ornament broken. Here's hoping that's the only one before it's all said and done.
Train rides around the Winter Wonderland at the mall with his Noni (and Pop Pop, even though he's not pictured here).
Posing for Christmas card photos. And looking quite dashing in his outfit that his Noni and his Great Granny made for his Uncle Zack nearly 27 years ago.
Meet Mickey Mouse, or as Alex calls him, "Baba." (I think that's his version of Clubhouse - as in, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.) Looking at this face, I imagine him thinking, "What? You mean there's a whole Kingdom of Baba and friends? When can we go? WHEN CAN WE GO?!"
Another new friend - Santa. Such a good little elf, Alex is on the lookout for Santa everywhere these days.
And here's my little elf with his new apron from his Aunt Mel, Uncle Russell, Lindsey and Whitney. We got this in the mail today. Just in time because we have fudge and rice krispy treats to make next week. Thank you guys for such a fun gift - personalized with his name and everything! I hope to get some pics of him helping in the kitchen, too!
Sweetest little elf I know. When he's not busy with the things above, he's certainly busy checking out the tree below. So far, only one ornament broken. Here's hoping that's the only one before it's all said and done.
12.04.2010
Gearing up for Christmas
One thing I love about Christmas is a live tree to smell up the house. And I do love getting those trees at the tree farm. Usually. But this year, I was more about the convenience, so we got our tree from Lowe's. Not quite the tradition I hope we establish moving forward, but it was quick and we had a gift card there, so Lowe's it was.
Here's Alex scouring the aisles in search of the perfect tree.
Did we find one? Looks like a winner to me.
Before we decorated the tree, we put Alex to work doing a little house cleaning. Looks like our prayers for him to be a hard worker are starting to pay off.
We also used him as a human mop - his latest and favorite pastime with Daddy.
To help us really get into the holiday spirit, the weather brought us a few snow flurries today.
Shouldn't last, but it sure was pretty to look out the windows while we were decorating the tree. Yea for snow says Alex!
Settling in tonight with a movie and a little hot cocoa. Good night, all.
Here's Alex scouring the aisles in search of the perfect tree.
11.30.2010
Where's that darn Staples "Easy Button" when you need it?
Life is so hard sometimes, isn't it? I have some friends who are going through some tough days.
I have one friend who is a sleep-deprived mom to a nine-week old baby girl. This is her first child. She is trying to "learn the ropes" as they say, all while her husband, a PA, works long hours at the hospital. I wish this were all she was juggling. Unfortunately, her father has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and doctors told him last week that chemotherapy is no longer a viable option for him. They are looking into Hospice care options. He lives two hours away, and she is trying to spend as much time as possible with him to soak up every minute she can. All while learning the ropes of parenthood. I simply cannot imagine. The hormones. The lack of sleep. The effort of finding your way as a new mother. All while watching someone you love deeply suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally. Coming to the realization that - short of a miracle that they are praying desperately for - the time left with that someone is likely less than more.
I have another friend who is a stay-at-home mom to a nearly four-month old who seems to like the late night hours and a very - and I do mean very - busy two and a half year old. With a night-owl for a baby, momma's not getting as much sleep as she'd like. Which makes for long days trying to juggle all that comes her way with a baby and a toddler - especially when running on fumes. Sometimes I try not to imagine how hard these days are for her because I know that my time is coming, and I'd like to live in denial as long as possible. But the truth is, I know that she's got days where she's struggling to keep her head above water.
Wouldn't it be nice if there was a so-called "easy button" that we could all just push when the going gets tough?
Well, we may not have easy buttons, but we do have a Lord who loves us and whose word tells us:
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3)
Fortunately, my two friends have a deep love and knowledge of the Lord, and I know that He will lift them up during their difficult days. They are an inspiration to me. They will rise above their circumstances stronger than ever. And this word is a reminder to me that no matter what we go through in life, God - in His divine power - has given us everything we need. For the good days. For the rotten days. All of it. Easy button? Nah. I'll take promises and encouragement from my God instead.
I have one friend who is a sleep-deprived mom to a nine-week old baby girl. This is her first child. She is trying to "learn the ropes" as they say, all while her husband, a PA, works long hours at the hospital. I wish this were all she was juggling. Unfortunately, her father has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and doctors told him last week that chemotherapy is no longer a viable option for him. They are looking into Hospice care options. He lives two hours away, and she is trying to spend as much time as possible with him to soak up every minute she can. All while learning the ropes of parenthood. I simply cannot imagine. The hormones. The lack of sleep. The effort of finding your way as a new mother. All while watching someone you love deeply suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally. Coming to the realization that - short of a miracle that they are praying desperately for - the time left with that someone is likely less than more.
I have another friend who is a stay-at-home mom to a nearly four-month old who seems to like the late night hours and a very - and I do mean very - busy two and a half year old. With a night-owl for a baby, momma's not getting as much sleep as she'd like. Which makes for long days trying to juggle all that comes her way with a baby and a toddler - especially when running on fumes. Sometimes I try not to imagine how hard these days are for her because I know that my time is coming, and I'd like to live in denial as long as possible. But the truth is, I know that she's got days where she's struggling to keep her head above water.
Wouldn't it be nice if there was a so-called "easy button" that we could all just push when the going gets tough?
Well, we may not have easy buttons, but we do have a Lord who loves us and whose word tells us:
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3)
Fortunately, my two friends have a deep love and knowledge of the Lord, and I know that He will lift them up during their difficult days. They are an inspiration to me. They will rise above their circumstances stronger than ever. And this word is a reminder to me that no matter what we go through in life, God - in His divine power - has given us everything we need. For the good days. For the rotten days. All of it. Easy button? Nah. I'll take promises and encouragement from my God instead.
11.22.2010
Counting our Blessings
This Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for this little bit of news:
We are grateful for our newest little blessing that we will be welcoming into this world June 11, 2011 (or thereabouts).
Amen, sweet baby. Amen.
We are grateful for our newest little blessing that we will be welcoming into this world June 11, 2011 (or thereabouts).
"The Lord is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
– Zephaniah 3:17
Amen, sweet baby. Amen.
11.20.2010
Some days you've got it, some days you don't
Yesterday, my friend Lauren and I loaded up our cars with all kinds of props to take Christmas pictures of her daughter Charlotte Ann. At the beginning of our little photo session, Charlotte Ann was not really all that interested in having her picture made. She wasn't interested in the props or sitting still for the camera. So I decided to let her do what all children her age do best - just play around and hope that I could capture some of the sweet moments of her play. By the end, we had some great shots of Charlotte Ann and her sweet smile. And a few with her mommy, too.
This morning I decided I wanted to try to get some pictures of our family for our Christmas card. Let me just say that our session did not go nearly as well as Charlotte Ann's. Of the almost 200 pictures I took, the only one I liked was this one of Alex and his daddy.
What can I say? Some days you've got it, some days you don't. Here's hoping that I am more successful with round 2...
11.19.2010
Happy Friday
11.14.2010
Weekend Visitors
We had very special company this weekend. Our friends Lauren and Greg drove down with their precious little guy Griffin.
Alex and Griffin were born a mere 10 days apart, and they were great play companions. They had an absolute blast together. Alex is going to really be sad now that Griffin has returned to his home.
While Lauren, Greg and Griff were here, we attempted a couple of photoshoots. Here are a few of my favorite pics.
Alex joined us for some of the shoots, and Jerry kept him entertained on the side. So occasionally, I snapped a pic or two of them, too.
What a wonderful weekend. Great weather, great friends, great times. Couldn't ask for anything better than that. =)
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