Birthday fun!

I had an amazing birthday this year!  I had to work on Friday (which was my actual birthday) and arrived to find that Kyle had left me a boquet of flowers and a balloon- he started my day off so nicely!  I usualy take my birthday off but I had a manager meeting that I had to go to so I had to this year.  It was actually fun working- my assistant manager, Elisabet hung up a fun banner so everyone knew what was going on that day and I got a lot of "Happy Birthdays" thrown my way and the tips were improved too...sweet!!  When I got home, Kyle had me open my gifts.  I can't remember the last time I actually asked for something specific for a gift and this year I have been a bit obsessed with this designer.  Her patterns are so fun, colorful and just pretty!  So I asked for a sewing machine (and Kyle got me one!)and now I can shop at this adorable shop and make way to may cute things for all my friends and family (I can dream, right?) ...just after I get over the intimidation factor that this thing has.  "Parker" got me a stinkin' adorable pair of these UGGS!  by the way, Kyle has said before that he hates Uggs so I know that I am loved :)  After gifts on Friday we went to dinner at Swingin' doors and, another surprise, my sister Monika and her husband Dan were there to eat with us.

 Saturday Kyle and I got up early and grabbed coffee and doughnuts and took Parker to Greenbluff.  This has become my birthday tradition and I intend on kepping it especially now that we have our own little family.  We got some adorable pictures of Parker, picked pumpkins and shopped in all the little craft booths. 

That night we took Parker to his first hockey game with us and Dan and Monika.  Parker had fun waving "Hi" to everyone and he really did watch all the hockey players fly around on the ice- we had fun chattting watching Parker and watching the game too.  Sunday we got to go to church together then run our usual day off errands followed by a bit of football.  My gift to myself was to take Monday off of work so after our crazy busy wekend we spent the day trying to clean the house and relax. 

I had such a great weekend and I am so appreciative to all our friends and family for the well wishes, cards and love.

So long September....On to October!

I LOVE Fall!  This has been a beautiful one and I am very hopefull that it will stay around as long as possible before the "W" word or the "S" word come around.  (Winter and Snow)  September is such a great month- It starts like summer and ends in fall- how can you loose!?  We enjoy the fall and all that comes with it.  The cool, crisp breeze, turning on the heaters for the first time in the house, cozy sweaters (I steal Kyles), the beautiful colors that the trees turn, and eating home made soups for dinner on a regular basis.  I am anticipating October and all that goes with it as well.  We get to celebrate birthdays and go to greenbluff and Halloween is right around the corner too.  Speaking of yummy soups, we had Taco Soup for dinner tonight and it was so good- you have to try this recipe!  It's incredibly easy and makes a ton of soup so it's great for leftovers, large dinners or to freeze for later.  Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

2lbs hamburger (I like to use turkey burger to cut a few calories- still yummy)
1 large onion
28oz diced can tomatoes
16 oz can pinto beans
16 oz can black beans
16 oz can of kidney beans
14 oz can of corn
1envelope of ranch dressing mix
2 envelopes of taco seasoning
10 oz can of tomato & chiles

Brown burger and chopped onions together.  Add all other ingredients (don't drain any of the canned items)
Add water to desired thickness
Simmer 30-45 minutes
Serve with shredded cheese, totilla strips and sour cream- YUM!

 
~Now for a little brag session....

Parker is now 10 months old and had his 10 month well-check with our new pediatrician on Friday.  His appointment went great.  He is now 22 pounds and 30 inches long which puts him in the 75th percentile for both his height and weight.  He is more and more fun every day!  He is now pulling himself up on everything and crawling around like a pro.  Free standing and walking are soon to come I just know it and honestly, we arent doing much to encourage it yet- he's fast enough on the ground!!  He is eating "big people food" and wants nothing to do with babyfood anymore, drinks (chugs) out of his sippy cup all by himself, says "mama" and is working on "dada", waves hello to everyone, including strangers, "helps" with the dishes, has 4 1/2 teeth, fake laughs to get you to laugh, tries to give you raspberries (they may be kisses but it's hard to tell yet), claps his hands, loves balloons and all animals and has developed quite the little personality!  I can't believe my little baby is growing up so fast! 

I am still trying to do some catching up on my blog so here are a few more pictures from September..

                                                 

Have a FUN fall!!!                

Someday I will blog again.....

I have been trying to get back to blogging for a while now- I am sorry that I have not kept up on this thing. I think that when I get super busy and fall behind on writing a blog about even one event that we have going on I seem to have them pile up and then all of a sudden it's been months and no blog- so again, sorry.
I believe I have not blogged since the end of JUNE! So I will give just a small run-down of what has been keeping us so busy
July-
*Kyle and I celebrated 5 years of marriage and I love that man so much more every day!
*I threw my sister, Monika a super fun bachelorette party
August-
*Monika married Dan after 12 years! They got married out a place called Boyer Park- it was beautiful and so much fun! We went fishing and swimming and hung out at the campfire (I even took the whole week off of work- crazy!)

And now we have come to September- not just September, the middle of September!

I cannot believe that summer is well, let's face it, come and gone already. In the last couple months Parker has also begun crawling and has some new teeth too! He is so much fun and has made life wonderful!
My goal is to keep this thing a little more up to date even if I just toss a little note on every now and then. I like having a bit of a "journal" to keep track of all the fun stuff in our lives and to those of you with a blog too- thanks for sharing!

Our new favorite sound....

Father's Day Festivities

What a great Father's Day weekend!!! We definitely kept the Lewis Family busy over the last few days. To kick off the weekend, we had a great BBQ with my family on Friday. Kyle got to show off his "skills" and made some amazing ribs and his homemade barbecue sauce for everyone. The weather cooperated and we didn't see rain. It did get a little chilly so we broke out some sweaters and still got to hang out and enjoy the patio together. It was the perfect kickoff!

Saturday, Kyle had to work in the beginning of the day so I got to hang out with some of my favorite people- Traci, Chandra and her little girl, Micray and Chandra's mom, Sue. We met up for coffee and got to do some catching up. While Kyle was at work, he ran into a coworker who had 4 tickets to the Spokane Indians season opener game he wasn't able to use so he offered them to us and poof!- plans for Saturday night! We loaded up Parker, called my sister Monika and her fiance' Dan and met up with them at the game. We had a blast!! The seats ended up being box seats on the third base line and because it was opening night, they had a fireworks show after the game. Parker seemed to enjoy himself, he only cried once at the beginning of the fireworks then once he noticed all the pretty stuff in the air he was fine. We also ran into my Dad and his girlfriend at the game. They got to kidnap Parker for a bit and got him his first baseball cap while they were out showing him off. Parker got to stay up way past bedtime and finally passed out on the walk to the car. We are for sure going to catch a few more games this summer!

Sunday was a bit of a catch up morning for me while Kyle was at work. I got some housework done then headed out to Kyles Parents for the day. Kyle met up with us out there and we all got to hang out and have dinner together with the whole Lewis gang.

Monday ended up being a nice "family day" for just us. Both Kyle and I had the day off together- We got to sleep in (Parker slept in until 9:30 Sunday and Monday morning!) then we went to the rockwood bakery to get a coffee, then we took a walk around Manito. Parker got to ride in the front carrier and had a great time discovering all the different things at the park- it was so fun to see! After that, we ran a few errands and ended up having a nice relaxing evening at home.

Kyle is such an amazing Dad. I love seeing him enjoy every day with Parker- it was great to celebrate and I can't wait for more!

"Is he really only 6 months old?!"

Oh our little man is now 6 months old!

He is growing and learning and making us smile every day! We had his well baby check up last week and he impressed the Doctor with his sitting up abilities ( he had to check Parker's file to make sure he was really only 6 months old) as well as his how well he can reach and grab- Parker demonstrated these new tricks a couple times for the office. A few times trying to "eat" the doctors papers and another when he grabbed the nurses hand and pulled it (mind you, it was holding a loaded NEEDLE in it) down and right into his leg! It scared him, of course, and the nurse as well who exclaimed. "Oh my! Most babies his age can't do that!" Poor thing- he had to not only endure that jab but 3 more. But we did end up with a clean bill of health and a good nap (for Parker). His 6 month stats: 26 inches long, 18 pounds. We were told to watch out for yet another growth spurt soon to come! Not too surprising since eating seems to be another thing that he has perfected... and we are waiting for those teeth to come at any time!

Too much fun!

Last week I got to take Parker to the Farm Chicks show at the fairgrounds. We went with my sister, Monika and her fiance, Dan. We had a great time just walking around looking at all the great booths set up there-my favorite were the Barn Boys. I got to carry Parker around in my little front carrier/backpack thingy (love it) so he could look at everything, he was a good boy and I was able to find a few things too! I picked up a cute little half-pink glass milk bottle, that I plan on using as a flower vase, a small glass urn with a lid and a pair of old cowboy boots. Not sure if the boots will get much use but I thought that everyone there looked so cute in theirs that when I found a pair for $10- i had to get them. The best thing I went away with was just decorating inspiration! I really want to fix up our back patio and make it a really cozy place to hang out this summer (pictures of my "project" to follow-once I get time to start it!) I have all kinds of ideas now but I am figuring out that I will need to get a plan going or I may never get to working on stuff- those farm chick people are amazing!! I can't wait to go again next year!!

This is a picture of my little "shopper" with his "Auntie Jo" pooped out on the way to the car

May Pictures

"What's this stuff? NEAT!"

All "the kids" hanging out together

I never knew I could love so much

"Hi sister!"

Month of May

Wow, Apparently my blog is now a once a month thing instead of once a day- sorry!
Life hasn't slowed down at the Lewis house this month. I had a great first Mother's Day- We had family over for dinner and I was given some great gifts from my boys: from Parker, 3 pots full of flowers and from Kyle, a gift certificate to the Brick House massage and Coffee house- yay! My toes and back are in severe need of some attention! Kyle has been barbecuing up a storm already and I have a feeling we better start eating more chicken and less steak or people are going to start asking me if I am pregnant again. Unfortunately, Kyle is a rediculously good cook and I might just have to accept my muffin top-eh, could be worse! Speaking of chubby people...Parker has become quite the little much mouth- he is getting kinda rolley and I love his little "rubber band wrists" that he has gotten. He has been rolling over, and sitting up all by himself. He still hates tummy time and I have a feeling that he will be a "scooter" instead of a crawler. I cannot get over how amazing he is! I feel like he is learning and developing so much, so fast- can you believe that he is almost 6 months old already?! I can't! My sister, Monika has been asking us when she could have Parker over for the night since he was born and finally got the chance last weekend. It was so nice to go out on a date with the hubby. We went downtown and walked around Riverfront Park then we went to "Rain" and had drinks and appetizers and just talked. After that, we did a little shopping and Kyle spoiled me with some very needed new Puma tennies. Then we headed to Downriver grill for dinner and some wine and ended the night with a late night walk with the dogs. I love hanging out with my best friend and I feel so blessed to have family that loves to hang out with Parker- and that he is really such an easygoing baby! Monika and Dan took great care of him and we picked him up after going out to breakfast the next day. We really need to do that more often- it was a great break!
I really will try to get blogging more often again- I think it will be easier on me in the long run because these long updates are kinda much- sorry! Hope everyone is enjoying all this amazing weather!

PS-If any of you have some tips for me on how I might be able to get out and work in the yard more with a 6 month old bring it on- I need all the advice I can get- my yard is out of control!!!

5 Month Update

WOW- April is already gone! It has been way too long since a post- needless to say, I am a bit busy now that I am back to work. I contemplated just giving up this whole blog thing since it has become so hard to keep up on and to be honest, I really don't think anyone reads this but it is kinda a nice way for me to reminisce about what has happened in our lives.

April was crazy busy- it started with the flu. I think I caught it first and man did it hit our family hard!! I had it for about a week and a half, Parker got it, Kyle got it and literally the whole Lewis clan got it! Then it made its way into my side of the family too- this was a really gnarly bug! Towards the end of me being sick, we took Parker's first road trip. We took him to Auburn, Wa for Kyle's brother, Jared's wedding. He was so great- he slept the whole drive there! He was so good the whole weekend, we were pretty proud of him. The wedding was great and we had a nice weekend away with the family. On our way home, we got to swing through Yakima to visit some of our favorite friends, the McCoys; Andrea, Aaron and Jackson. We had lunch, chatted for a while and Parker and Jackson got to meet for the first time....I'm pretty sure they are instant friends :) They were so cute together! We had such a great visit and it was so nice to catch up with some of our favorite people!

The other super exciting thing that happened in April was that my sister, Erika, moved from Florida to Seattle! This was a true answer to many prayers!! She is a regional manager for M.A.C. cosmetics (amazing!) and had moved to Florida almost 2 years ago with her boyfriend, Nate. Long story short, she planned on moving home whether she had a job or not when, BAM, the same position opened up in Seattle! She interviewed, they loved her, and 3 weeks later she's driving across the country to move home! (sorta home, but definitely closer than Florida!) We have had so much fun seeing her play with Parker finally and getting to catch up- like I have said, God is good!

Parker is growing like a weed still! In fact, he is officially 5 months old today!! At his 4 month check-up he weighed 14lbs, 10 oz and was 24 inches long- He is in the 50th percentile for height, weight and head size. He is amazing me every day with all of his new accomplishments. He has been eating baby food daily along with formula and nursing. He is taking after Kyle and has developed a palate for certain foods. He loves bananas and sweet potatoes and absolutely hates peas. He is sitting up really well by himself and rolled over 3 times today while we visited my Dad today! He is also becoming very vocal too- I love hearing him "talk" to himself or things around him. He has also discovered the dogs and tries to pet them or grab them when they walk by- so cute!

I really will try to keep this thing up to date a bit better- these long posts kill me! Plus, my memory is horrible so trying to squeeze a months worth of info into one post doesn't work so well. Take care!

Giving credit where credit is due

Boy is it hard to keep this thing up to date now! Sorry for my lack of postings but this back to work/mommy stuff is such an adjustment! I think that my friend and one of my favorite bloggers, Andrea describes it best as just having BALANCE in this life. I really do have an absolutely amazing husband who has shared this load with me- he takes care of Parker while I am off of work and gives him the best snuggles all day. Then he gives me the run-down of all Parker's activities (including poop session info) when I get home before it's my turn for snuggles. We have great family members that help out when Kyle and I have schedule overlaps on Fridays and still get a lot of phone calls from friends and family just "checking in" to see how all this new parent stuff is treating us. We really are so blessed!

Speaking of blessings, I am definitely leaving out the one who I have to give all the credit to for the strength, patients and guidance that you have to have as a parent, God. He has always been there for us whenever we need it, we can always turn to prayer when we feel lost and know that we will be heard. He listened to our prayers while we were trying to get pregnant and answered them with our little "miracle man". Going back to work has truly been about balance and I think that God has helped us out in more ways than we know and I just cannot express enough gratitude towards Him. Now that I have a child, I know what that deep love is that you can only know as a parent and now I have a better understanding for the love that he can show us when we ask Him for it, and even when we don't.

God snuggles us every day........He is a great parent!

Not enough time in the day...

I just got home a little while ago and Parker is now napping so I will try to bust out a quick blog since I seem to have run out of time for this thing lately. Here's the rundown....
-I am back at work now and it is effing busy there!
-going back has been the hardest thing I have ever done
-I am so appreciative for my staff! They did great while I was gone!
-I am so tired that last night I almost put Parker's jammies on w/ no diaper
-I never see Kyle anymore, wait, is that my husbands name? Wait, I have one of those?!
-I miss my morning snuggles with my little man so I smother him on Sat and Sun mornings
-I am so happy to see the SUN!!
-Poor Parker still has a snotty nose and nasty boogs
-I can't wait for the new Harry Potter movie to come out this summer!! Babysitter?
-I swear that Parker has grown a foot in the last couple weeks- he is so tall all of a sudden!
-I miss my friends (but I get to see some of them soon- yay)
-my dogs are shedding which fortunately means spring is here, unfortunately, you can't tell by the weather
-my cousin is going to have her little girl soon and I love talking babies with her
-Parker is smiling and sitting up and I know he will laugh any day
-my sister-in-law, Andrea is pregnant again!!

Sorry if a lot of this is whiny, but at the end of the day I still thank God for all He has blessed us with. We have a lot to be thankful for and I know it is because of cause of Him. And at the end of my crazy busy days I have this to come home to....

Procrastination station

I have always been a bit of a procrastinator and today is no exception. I really should take advantage of the fact that Parker is napping and get some much needed sweeping and mopping done but the thought just makes me want to bury my head in the computer (doing it now) or reading a few chapters of "eclipse". Yeah, I go sucked into the twilight series and no, I don't go and read at the high school so I feel less nerdy for being into it. I am going to be going back to work in a couple weeks and I am starting to literally lose sleep worrying about how this is going to work out. How am I supposed to be a great and dedicated boss, mom and wife all at the same time?! This could take some finagling but I am determined to do it! Okay, onto something not so stressful...
We had a real date last night! We had my sister-in-law, Andrea babysit and got to go to a nice dinner at a new restaurant, Ambrosia, out in the valley. It was delicious! We had a glass of wine and talked then headed to Twiggs for dessert and a cocktail. We had planned on seeing a movie after that but decided that we would rather rent one, cozy on the couch and eat microwave popcorn. So, we picked up Parker and did just that. We had a great night- Kyle had also surprised me with some gorgeous diamond earrings after, of course, we said that we weren't doing gifts. Apparently, Kyle had already bought them so it didn't count, at least in his eyes :)
If you are on my Myspace or Facebook, you will see that we had some great pictures taken of Parker. I have been wanting to do this for a while and finally had my brother-in-law, Tim's fiance, Katie over to take them. She is a teacher and does this on the side and for never taking baby portraits, she did a fantastic job! It was a bit of a learning experience for all of us but was fun too. Parker only lasted about an hour before a meltdown happened but we did get some great shots. I would like to get more family portraits done soon. Ya know, one more thing! Okay, enough of the procrastinating, it's lunchtime now.

Another growth spurt?!

Stylin' in Auntie Monika's shades

The little one has been napping a lot again lately. He has also been unusually picky too. It's not too bad, I can figure out what he needs pretty easily. The not-so-easy part is trying to hold him in his preferred position (at that moment) while helping him keep in his binky, grabbing his burp rag, reaching for laundry, loading the dishwasher and fiercely staring down dust bunnies all simultaneously. I think that God has trained me well though. All the years in very muti-tasking jobs is paying off and I have always loved a good challenge!

We have had a great week of visits. I am really trying to see all our friends and family before I go back to work in a couple weeks. We met up for coffee with my friend Cate and baby Claire in the afternoon on Wednesday, My sister-in-law Andrea and nephew Ethan Wednesday night, my friend Mica and her mom Janie on Thursday and Parkers Aunt Monika, Aunt Becky and Grandpa Anderson on Friday, and had the Parkerts over for dinner at some point, but I really don't know what day that was. Maybe Parker is just trying to tell me to keep still for a day while he rests up from hugs and kisses galore but I just don't want anyone to miss out on seeing that precious face! I know I am trying to do a bit much when I can't even remember what day of the week it is (seriously!) So I am sitting here, blogging, sipping on coffee (that has chilled since I started this) still in my jamms while Parker naps in his swing and I try to ignore the housework that I should get to that has piled up during this busy week and the fact that I should get into the shower. Call me crazy, but I LOVE this life!!

Morning snuggles with Mom. My favorite time!

Hangin' with Grandapa

Grandpa on diaper duty!

The great escape

Last night we had a babysitter for the first time! My sister, Monika has been really wanting to watch Parker one on one pretty much since the day he was born. She finally got that chance yesterday when we went to Kyle's work Christmas party-yes, I do realise that it is February. We got to get dressed in clothes not covered in spit-up, I tried to fix my hair, and of course we were running a bit late so I had to do my make-up in the car (hence the not so cute picture of me, but it was the only one we had time to take). Parker did pretty well! He really loves Monika and her fiance, Dan and they did a great job with him. We left just after 6pm, Parker was pretty pooped out so he fell asleep by 8:30 but started to stir an hour later. They were so cute and didn't want him to be upset so they got him out of bed and cuddled with him until we got home at just after 10pm. He ate a little and zonked out and didn't wake up until 6:45 this morning!!

We had a nice time and it is great to know that he is in good and loving hands if we ever want another night out together.

One step at a time

I am so proud of Parker! Yesterday, I decided that it was time to get him out of the cradle and into his crib. I figured that now is the time to do it so that if any problems arose I wouldn't have to deal with getting ready for work at 4:30 am yet. So we had him take his first nap in the crib yesterday afternoon. It was a short one, only about 20 minutes long, but he did fall asleep in that time. I thought, "why stop there?" and made the decision to try to get him to sleep in it overnight. I have to admit, I think this was harder for me to do then him! I did in fact shed a few tears which could have been hormonally induced or I was just having a bit of separation anxiety. Either way, it really was harder for me. Parker seemed extra pooped out last night and so I started his nighttime routine a bit early and he was asleep by 8:45 and into the crib without a hitch. I expected to be up shortly after putting him down, just figuring that once he noticed that he wasn't in our room he would freak out. But when I woke up to a few not-so-freaked out cries at 5:23 this morning needless to say I was so proud that he slept for that long! I went ahead and fed him and pumped a bottle too- and now he is in his swing sleeping yet again. This may actually work!

His first nap in his crib

On another note, Parker is going to have a babysitter for the first time tomorrow night! We are going to Kyle's work Christmas party (yes, I know it's late) and my sister, Monika and her fiance, Dan are going to take care of the little one for the night. They are really excited and I think it will be nice to have a night out with the hubby. Wish us luck on this next step!

Our shiny new tax return

This is our 2008 tax return. Kyle did a great job putting money aside so that we now have all our doctor bills paid off and we were hoping that our tax return would be spent on something fun but our appliances had other plans for that money.

We had a feeling that our dryer was having some issues just shortly after we got home with Parker. It decided that it didn't want to dry clothes anymore. This happened to be just a temporary thing (which was nice because our fridge went out that same day and we HAD to get that fixed- not fun and super spendy - ugh!) so we just thought that maybe a wire was loose since it is a bit older and it started to work again on its own a day or so later. Well, a couple weeks ago it did it again only this time the heat didn't come back. Kyle figured that it had a bad element and since it was going to cost us about half of what we bought it for, and that we bought it used when we moved into our house, we decided it was time for a new unit. We set a price we wanted to stay around and ended up having to spend twice that (those things are so spendy!) and after we shopped our butts off (not literally, to my disappointment) we decided on a nice LG front load set from Best Buy. If you know my husband, you know that when we have to buy any large items, he sure does his research! He usually takes about a year- yes, a year-to make any final decisions but we were under a bit of pressure with spit-up rags and poopie outfits piling up. Needless to say, I am so proud of him for lining up our finances to do this and all the trouble he went to installing our new set. This set is great though- it holds a ton and cleans everything so well- it even takes out those mustard-poop stains from Parkers clothes! I have actually been looking for things to wash around the house.

It may not have been how we would have liked to spend our tax return but it's no biggie, we really needed it. We always have next year! now.....what else can I do a load of tonight?

Another adorable outfit...

Just wanted to post this picture of Parker real quick in this stinkin' cute outfit! The hat and onesie are from his Aunt Andrea (she got the hat at Childrens Place) and the courdroy overalls are from his Aunt Erika which she picked up at a store in Florida called Janie and Jack. I looked at their website and they have some of the cutest stuff I have seen for kids! She also got him a onesie to go with them but it's still a bit too big- in fact, the overalls are kinda big still but I was getting a bit impatient about seeing him in them. Their sale stuff is actually priced pretty reasonably priced too! Check them out! http://janieandjack.com/

Our little Snugglesaurus...

Even though I have finally broken down and bought a couple pairs of "transition" jeans, I have come to realize that it is SO MUCH more fun to shop for clothes for Parker! I also discovered that Costco has some great deals on adorable outfits like this one that I picked up recently ($6.99!!). Due to the lack of hard core bawl-fests and more grunting, groaning and overall Dinasour-like impersonations, we have decided that our son wants to grow up to be an actual Dinasour. He is also a little snuggler so when I saw this outfit, I had to buy it-it's perfect!
Sorry I don't have a picture of him awake in his new clothes but I think he is getting ready for a big 'ol growth spurt because the kid has been sleeping a ton the past couple days- in fact, this may be the only opportunity that I have for this to fit him.
(if you can't see the bib, it says "Snuglesaurus: ferociously cute")

He is smiling now! Melts my heart every time..

My Growing Boy..

I am probably due for an update post about Parker- He is getting so big, so fast! I love that he is starting to turn into this adorable little person- it's been so fun to watch. Sleeping has gotten so much better. Actually, we got the sleeping stuff going well about 2 weeks ago. We have gotten a nightly routine down pretty well and are starting to work out the daytime nap schedule which I'm pretty sure shouldn't be too hard to figure out. We get him in the bath at 8pm which he really likes- we really like giving him his bath too- he is just too cute in there! After his bath, he eats a good dinner then gets a clean diaper and a tight swaddle and its off to bed by 9. He has been sleeping for about 5 hours then wants to eat and get another clean diaper, and goes back down until around 6, then sleeps another few hours. He has had some rough nights with the good but I have a feeling that he is still just adjusting to his routine. Last night though, he slept from 9 until 4:30!! I wont count my chickens, but I am hoping that by the time I go back to work this will be consistant. I still feel like he's doing really well for 6 weeks old- we are so proud! He is starting to smile more, trying to hold on to his binky, is awake during the day more, holds his head up really well and looks around on his own and loves to snuggle. We just can't wait for what's to come!

Soup-er Food!

Since I have been home a lot more lately, we have been making some great dinners. Something about having a home-cooked meal while you habe a new baby just fits. We haven't become home-bodies by any means but a nice family meal is so great. I have been thinking about doing a blog with some of the recipes for the soups that we have been enjoying this winter but I wasn' t sure that anyone would be interested until I read my friend Andreas blog in which she asked for some recipes. That and when you are up at 2am nursing, you watch a lot of the food channel so for anyone who wants some good eats..here ya go! Let me know if there are any questions on any of these!

TACO SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

2lbs hamburger

1large onion

28 oz diced tomatoes(not drained)

16oz pinto beans (not drained)

16oz black beans (not drained)

1 envelope ranch dresing mix

10oz tomatoe and chilies

16oz kidney beans (not drained)

14oz shoepeg corn (not drained)- can use reg corn too

2 envelopes taco seasoning

shredded cheese

totilla chips (I like the strips)

sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

Brown meat and onions, add all ingredients except cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. If to thick add 1 cup water. simmer together (about 30-45 min) serve. Add cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips to taste.- YUM!

STEAK SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup margerine or butter

2/3 cups diced celery

1 cup chopped onion

1cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup flour

2 quarts water

2 1/2 cups beef stock

12 oz can chopped tomatoes

1 bag frozen mixed veggies

1/2 pound cooked steak or hamburger

DIRECTIONS:

On med. heat, melt butter, add carrots onions and celery and cook about 15 min. Add flour and make a roux. Add 1/2 the water and beef base, cook for 20 min then add rest of water and tomatoes. Cook for 20 min add meat and frozen veggies. cook until thickened up a bit then serve.

CHICKEN AND WILD RICE CHOWDER (One of my favorites!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sliced carrots (2 stalks)

1 cup sliced cellery (2 stalks)

1 cip quartered mushrooms

3 Tbsp butter

3Tbsp flour

2 14oz cans chicken broth

Chicken - we use either 1/2 a costco roasted chicken (then save the rest for sandwiches) or a fried chicken breast and thigh - more if you like it extra.

3/4 cups COOKED wild rice

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 half and half (I like to use the fat free half and half- less guilty)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pan, cook all the veggies in the butter over medium heat until tender then add in flour and stir until mixed well and veggies start to get soft. then add broth, chicken wild rice and pepper. Cook and stir until it starts to get slightly thicker. Stir in half and half, heat through and serve.

SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
8 slices bacon (about 1/4 pound)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 lb dried split peas
2 1/2 quarts water (plus additional if necessary)
1 smoked ham hock
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS:

In a large heavy pot cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but about 1/4 cup bacon fat from kettle and cook onions and carrots, stirring, until softened.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding 1 to 2 cups more water if soup becomes too thick, 2 hours.
Remove kettle from heat and transfer ham hock with a slotted spoon to a cutting board.
Discard fat and bones and chop meat.
Return meat to kettle and simmer soup, stirring, until heated through.
Discard bay leaf.
Just before serving, crumble bacon and sprinkle over soup.

For dessert....

RUSSIAN TEA COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mixed nuts (chopped)
powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Add almond and vanilla extracts. Slowly add flour and salt to butter mixture, and mix until incorporated. Mix in nuts.

scoop small amounts of dough (use a small spoon so the balls aren't too big- they should be able to be eaten in 2 bites) and then roll into balls (or use your hands to form 1" balls).

Bake for 10-12 minutes. (These cookies barely brown, so if they don't look done, it's okay!).

Roll in powdered sugar while still warm, and roll again in powdered sugar when cool.

I have recipes for Noodles Riviera and Stroganoff that I will give out by request only- Kyle is a bit possesive about those ones :)

ENJOY!!! Let me know if you try any of these and tell me what you think!

2008

I stole this post from my friend, Andrea. I thought that this was a great post for reflection on 2008 and I haven't done a post about that yet so here it goes...





1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

-Became an aunt, a mom and baked russian tea cookies (one of my favorites)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

-I usually don't make resolutions; I don't want to set myself up for failure. This year I think I will try to get in shape (I know, so original) and get the basement in order.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

-Oh yeah! My sister-in-law, Andrea had a boy: Ethan (my first nephew) and my friend Andrea had another boy: Jackson and my friend Cate had the only girl, Claire. There must be something in the water- I also knew a ton of women at work that became pregnant this year too.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

-No, and I hope the same goes this year.

5. What countries did you visit?

-None. Just stayed local.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
-More motivation to work out.



7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
-December 2. The day Parker came into the world. Litterally the best day of my life! I don't remember any other dates but I will always remember finding out we were pregnant and telling Kyle.



8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
-Becoming a mother/birth.



9. What was your biggest failure?
-Not getting my yard work done this summer.



10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
-not really, just a lot of back pain from the pregnancy



11. What was the best thing you bought?
-my maternity jeans from the GAP. I have gotten my moneys worth from those things!



12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
-Kyle for sure! He was so supportive during the pregnancy- he took really great care of me and was an amazing coach during the delivery.



13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
-the election this year was pretty frusterating. that and we had some typical family drama that is always pretty upsetting to have go on.



14. Where did most of your money go?
-Baby stuff! I can't believe how much stuff you need for someone so little!



15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- Kyle and I becoming parents, telling all of our friends and family that all the prayers were finally answered, and seeing them all meet Parker for the first time.



16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
-my sister made an amazing slide show of Parker to "Please forgive me" by David Gray



17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder?b) thinner or fatter?c) richer or poorer?
-Happier (the happiest ever, in fact) Fatter for sure and both richer and poorer



18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
-Yard work and spending time with friends



19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
-complaining about my back pain... It was pretty awful though.



20. How did you spend Christmas?
-With our families. Christmas Eve at my dad's and Christmas day at Kyle's families. It was a great Christmas!



21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
-For sure! With my new little man and I have absolutely fallen in love with Kyle as a father and motherhood



22. What was your favorite TV program?
-I watch way too much TV right now to have one favorite but I really like The Office, The Biggest Loser, Paranormal State, America's Most Wanted and Survior



23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
-Nope



24. What was the best book you read?
-Your pregnancy week by week and the Baby Bargain Book. I have also started to read the Twilight series now

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
-Eric Hutchinson ( I also met him this year!)

26. What did you want and get?
-A healthy baby boy and uncomplicated delivery

27. What did you want and not get?
-a winning lottery ticket :)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
-I really liked the new Batman movie

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
-I turned 28 (oh man!) and spent it with Kyle- we went to greenbluff, a hockey game and ate at a new restaurant

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
-Not much this was such an eventfull year and it ended amazingly!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
-Comfortable maternity

32. What kept you sane?
-Kyle, pregnancy massages and Hagan Dazs' dark chocolate pomegranate ice cream bars

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
-President Obama

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
-The debates and election

35. Who did you miss?
-I did and still do miss my friends- I wish it was easier to stay in better contact!

36. Who was the best new person you met?
- My son!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
-Miracles happen!

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
-Hold your own, know your name and go your own way.... (Jason Mraz)