So, You Want To Meet Our Daughter

I write this in hopes of encouraging other mommies and daddies facing similar circumstances, as well as for helping all those in our lives understand why we are making certain choices.

Ben and I have been blessed with large families, many wonderful friends, and a loving and supportive church family. While we are so, incredibly, grateful for this fact, challenges tend to arise.

In all reality, if you do not share my address, I should not have to care how my decisions affect your life. Yes, this means that I have taken our dogs feelings into consideration over yours. It's the truth. Deal with it.

There comes a point in time when you realize just how technically challenging it will be to have your second child. Depending on your personal circumstances, simply becoming pregnant with your second may be included in that challenge. While my Ben and I had no issues this time around, and other mommies would probably want to shoot me if I told them how easy and beautiful of a pregnancy this has been, the most important, most difficult, part of this process is still on it's way - DELIVERY.

Looking back, the dynamics of having our son were easy. The only "person" we had to worry about was our sweet boxer girl (the cats don't really count in this situation). We could spend a day, a week, a month, in the hospital and as long as we had someone to take care of our girl, we would manage.

*For the record, we only spent three days in the hospital with our son.

Some things that would be helpful to know:

1. Our son was born via unplanned/non-emergency c-section at 10lbs 1oz and 22" - we do not know how he fit in my tummy
2. Our daughter has potential to be larger than our son
3. She is currently breech

Being able to plan our baby girls birth was not something we had wanted originally. My hospital will allow a v-bac (vaginal birth after c-section) as long as I go into labor on my own. Because birthing our children naturally has always been so important to me (we tried with our Bear) this was the planned route up until about two months ago.

Other helpful things to know:

1. Our son will only fall asleep in his bed or in the car seat, with the car moving. We are OK with this, as he has always been a fabulous sleeper and goes to bed, typically, drama free
2. Our son is very routine. Every morning he asks for a banana and sits either on the couch or at his little table in the kitchen to eat said banana while I make my morning coffee. After his banana he wants to snuggle on the couch and help you eat your: eggs/bagel/yogurt/muffin, etc. etc. and drink his milk sippy.
3. Our son naps from 12pm -2pm He might be ready at 11:30am if he was up early, but 99% of the time, this is a sure thing.

We are unwilling to mess this up. We have a smart, happy, loving, all good things, little boy. We love him more than anything.We love our daughter more than anything. Their meeting should be as stress and drama free as we can make it.

Once we started to think of how our suddenly and surely stressed leaving would affect our Bear, pushing for a natural delivery started to feel selfish (to us, you do what feels right for you and your family!). After spending many evenings discussing the process we decided that opting for a scheduled c-section was the healthiest choice. Of course, she could still decide to come at any time. Should I go into labor we will still do a c-section (potentially large, breech, baby - she is not to be messed with!) and just leave a little more hurriedly than we would have on her scheduled date.

We also started to think of the dynamic of how to introduce Bear to his sister for the first time, how we want visitors to greet him, when we want visitors, etc.

This is what we decided would be best for our family:

There will be a sign on the door asking that all visitors please greet Barrett first and hand him a toy from the bin that we will have by the door (it's currently full of little toy "cas" aka cars). This way he doesn't feel overshadowed or unloved and he knows everyone is there to love and support him just as much as Paxton (his sister). He will be very aware of who is coming in and out and how they acknowledge him. Paxton will not.

We do not want people to just come in and out at their leisure. We will be focusing on getting to know our daughter, learning how to function as a family of four, and recovering. Also, we do not know what size room we will be given and don't want too many people at one time (nobody really gets to visit in this case anyways). To avoid this, we ask that a text, phone call, Facebook message, etc. be sent asking when a good time to pop in would be. This is for our sake, as well as your own. And please, don't be offended if we tell you it's not a good time.

We only want visitors during certain hours. Ben will be staying at the house with Bear and coming to see Paxton and me once their morning banana and snuggle time has been complete. Once they arrive we want time for me to spend with Bear and Ben to take Paxton. Quite frankly, we want some alone time. Ben will take Bear home to nap then come back after he wakes, stay until close to bed time then go home again.

We are doing everything we can to focus on our little, growing, family during this time. We want this experience to be as stress free and positive as possible, especially as we are currently planning on this being our last pregnancy.

There seems to be confusion during the most important times of our lives, as to where priorities lie. I hope this has helped to shed light on why we've made the decisions we've made and that if you are currently/planning to be expecting that I have encouraged you to do what is best for your (share the same address) family.

We are so insanely excited for this next chapter in our lives and are blessed to have so many who want to share in all of our special moments. Just please remember, they are our special moments to share.

Bacon Cheddar Broccoli Soup

I love winter. Beautiful ice and snow covered trees, everything looking clean and sparkling, snuggling under layers and layers of blankets, fuzzy socks, seeing your breath while walking through the pure white snow as it crunches under your feet... and soup.

The thing about soup, especially home made, is that you have to be in the right mood for it, or at least I do. The day was clear and crisp, just the right amount of chilly, so we loaded up and headed out to grab the few things missing from my refrigerator and pantry. 

Our local "weather guessers", as my husband so accurately refers to meteorologist, had been pushing the "major winter storm" that was supposed to hit us later that evening. The result? My favorite grocery store was a complete mad house. The only thing that sweetened the trip was the attention my Bear got while wearing his shades, even after we had entered the store I had people coming up to me asking "is this the little boy who was wearing sunglasses? He is so cute!" What should have been an 15 minute shopping trip took us almost 45 minutes, what resulted, however, was well worth the hassle.

Out with my little stud muffin

I hope you and your family enjoy this classic as much as my boys and I did. From the heart of my kitchen to yours.

Bacon Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Makes 8-10 servings

1 Stick unsalted butter

1 Yellow onion, diced/sliced 

(I diced mine so my toddler could better handle the pieces)

4 cloves of garlic, Mashed, not diced

(the cloves should be very loose so that they fall apart during the saute process)

4 Cups half and half

6 Cups chicken stock

1/2 Cup corn starch

1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg

4 Bay leaves

3 Large carrots, diced/sliced
(again, I diced for my toddler)

2 Heads broccoli (about 8 cups), chopped 

16 Ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

1/2 Pound bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

In large soup pot, place butter, onion, and garlic, on low-medium heat. Stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. 

Place bacon on cooking sheet, sprinkle with pepper (if desired), and place in cool oven.
Set oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook until bacon is firm and crispy.
Once desired crispness is achieved, remove from tray onto paper towel to cool. 

Once onion is translucent, slowly stir in chicken stock and half and half, making sure not to allow a boil as this will cause your broth to break. 

Combine corn starch with just enough cool water until mixture is smooth. Add to broth. 

Add bay leaves and nutmeg

Allow broth to simmer gently for 10-15 minutes

Add broccoli and carrots, simmer until vegetables are tender

Break/crush bacon to desired size, add bacon and cheddar to soup, mix well.  

Remove bay leaves

Season to taste

Enjoy! 

I served this soup in an home made crispy bread bowl.

Cool man in his shades 

  

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Crispy Bread Bowls

I have a confession, I have never been a huge fan of bread bowls. Do I love bread? Yes. Do I enjoy soggy bread? No.

My husband, however, would eat pretty much anything from the center of a loaf of bread. So, as a special treat for him, I decided to serve our bacon cheddar broccoli soup from, you guessed it, a bread bowl.

This recipe is insanely easy, and just as tasty.

Crispy Bread Bowls

1 1/2 C warm water 

2 Tbs vegetable oil

3 C all purpose flour

1 C bread flour

1 1/2 Tsp salt

2 1/2 Tsp active dry yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine in the order listed, unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer of your machine. 

Select dough only setting

Let your machine work it's magic

*If you do not have a bread machine

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, mixing until well blended. 

Let rest for 15 minutes, covered, in warm dry place. 

Kneed for 10-15 minutes on lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 30 minutes in warm dry place. Punch dough down and kneed again until dough is smooth and elastic. 

Cover and let rest again for 30 minutes. 

Follow remaining instructions.

Once machine has completed its cycle, punch dough down and remove to lightly floured surface. 

Cut dough in half, working one half into a single loaf and the other half into two round loaves (or four round loaves, however many bowls you need. I only needed two).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Place loaves on pizza stone or on lightly greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until loaves are double in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake until loaves are golden and sound hollow when gently tapped (30-45 minutes)

Remove and let cool on wire rack.

Once completely cool, gently cut, using serrated knife angled towards center of loaf, around the top of your bowl. 

Remove top and hollow out loaf by gently pulling bread from the center. 

Once bowl has been created, place bowls back into oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp the inside.

Remove to plate, fill with soup, replace top (if desired).

Enjoy! 

*You can also season your bread by adding some Italian seasoning and/or Parmesan cheese (or any other dry ingredient) to dough before working into loaves. 

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

There comes a point, for me anyways, after the holiday season where my love of pumpkin dwindles... yes, even to the extent that the amazingness of a PSL cannot bring it back to life. So, when I was hit by the baking bug a couple of days ago, and pumpkin actually sounded appealing again, I went straight for an all around crowd-pleaser, the muffin. Not only did this new concoction not disappoint, I have been asked for the recipe by several people (one of the best things about a muffin is how easily they are shared). Even at three days old, the last muffin was as good as the first, not always an accomplished feat for something containing pumpkin and whole wheat.

 From my kitchen to yours, the recipe:

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 allspice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In large mixing bowl, combine first eleven ingredients and set aside.

Combine egg, vanilla, pumpkin, milk, and oil, add to dry ingredients until just moist.

*Never over mix a muffin!

Fold in oats and raisins
Spoon into greased/lined muffin tins until 3/4 full
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in tin, on wire rack, for 5 minutes then continue cooling, removed from pan, upside down on wire rack.
Enjoy!

These muffins really do taste as good as they smell! 

Of course, if you really want to duplicate my recipe, you'll be blasting Frank Sinatra and dancing around the kitchen with your son.

Cucumber Sammies

I first learned this recipe while working at  The White Oak Inn. These lovely little sandwiches, aka "sammies", would be served for teas and special events, along with an assortment of other wonderful goodies, and I was always excited to help dispose of leftovers.

While I cannot claim that the following recipe is an exact copy of what I used to help make years ago, the most important aspects remain: simple, fresh, quick, and healthy, not to mention super yummy. Oh, and my kiddo loves them too!

Cucumber Sammies 

1 Medium cucumber

1/3 Block cream cheese (about 2.5 ounces)

2 Tbs Dill paste 

(Fresh is preferred if you can find it. Add to taste. Flavor will increase once combination has been chilled)

Sea Salt, to taste

Whole wheat bread

Whip cream cheese and salt together until light and fluffy

Wash, peel if desired, and finely dice cucumber

 Fold cucumber and dill into cream cheese until blended

Cover, directly on top of mixture to prevent drying, and chill for 30+ minutes

Spread onto whole wheat bread

Enjoy! 

Yes, it really is that simple! 

*Replace cream cheese with low fat cream cheese for an even healthier version

I Am Not Just

Among all the wonderful gifts I received over the Christmas season was a delightful bag of Losantiville Blend coffee and a handsome new mug. I must say this blend has quickly become one of my favorites.

Note the cat scratches on my beautiful table. No more cats. 

If you had told me ten years ago that I would be sitting here as a stay at home mom I would have told you that you were out of your mind. The plan was never to stay home, the plan was to be practicing dietetics and nutrition in a well known hospital, as an clinical dietitian, while a loving daycare provider looks after my children. I love to work. I love being busy. I love knowing that I know what I'm doing and that I am doing it well, maybe even better than my colleagues - because I'm one of those extreme competitive types who loves winning and tries her best to lose with dignity and grace... something I am not always successful with, you know, when I lose (please note sarcasm).

Never in a million years would I change my mind about staying home to raise my children. By no means am I coming down or judging working parents either. We parents need to stick together! God opened doors for me to be able to stay home and I walked through them terrified and rejoicing. I have the utmost respect for working parents. Once my family is ready, I will return to what most refer to as the "working world" and join them.

Recently I have noticed a trend in how I am refereed to by those in my life, who do not understand the complexities of full time mommahood, as "just staying home" or "just a stay at home mom" or "not working".

EXCUSE ME?

Fueled by my frustration of this misconception, I took to the mommy support groups I take part in via social media, asking for feedback from other stay at home mommas, and boy did I get it! Turns out I am not the only stay at home parent who feels the attitude towards us change. So, for the sake of all stay at home parents, allow me to set the record straight on what we "just" do all day.

A stay at home parent is never off the clock, there are no 8-15 hour days, only 24 hour days. There are no lunch breaks, no potty breaks, no vacation days, sick days, or paid holidays, and no alone time in the car as we travel back and forth. Meals are rarely consumed at anything other than room temperature, showers are strategically planned, and we are almost always wearing something our child was eating. There are no promotions, no raises, little to no adult interaction ... no, we aren't complaining, we love what we do and whom we do it all for, just stating the facts.

Are there days when we just stay in our pajamas? You bet there are. Why? Because we don't just throw a load of laundry in from time to time. We sort, wash, dry, fold, hang, iron, and put away the clothes on our families backs. Maybe we decided against getting dressed today because we've been up all night with a sick/teething/growing/who knows/who cares it's 2am kiddo, who needs to be snuggled on the couch while watching the same Veggie Tales movie over and over. Maybe we're not as done up as you feel is appropriate because sleep was replaced by the following days 'To Do' list running over and over again in our heads: "drop off dry cleaning, don't forget to pick up more toilet paper, start dinner by 2:00 so it's ready by 6:00 and you can leave at 6:30... bread, we have no bread. Shoot. Do I really want to make bread? Yes, yes, I do. Do I have time to make bread? No. Pick up bread and toilet paper... Kiddo needs a bath, do I bathe him in the morning or before bed? In the morning, we will be out too late for a nighty night bath..."

Do you have electric, water, gas, TV and internet, a working phone, food in the house, etc.? You're welcome. Due to the fact we are just home all day, we'll make sure the bills get paid, the shopping is done, the errands ran, the kids dropped off/picked up... we handle all of these tasks, not because we seek acknowledgement but, because we value the time we get to spend together as a family, time that we prefer not be hindered by daily chores.

When you come into our home and are greeted with a clean and orderly place to gather, that's because we also keep up with the housework. We were even nice enough to take out the trash containing dirty diapers. You know, just because we had the time.

Our family is clean and fed. Our pets aren't starving or smelly. Our grass is cut, the garden weeded, snow is shoveled... we just had an extra few minutes, no big deal.

We are their teacher, tutor, counselor, lunch lady (or gent), janitor, maintenance, coach, doctor, nurse, chauffeur. We don't just help with homework and sign papers, we transport to and from football practice, dance recital, youth group, the mall so that they can "hang". We attend their games, their performances, their debates, and somehow muster up enough energy and enthusiasm to cheer them on, every step of the way. We don't just kiss the "boo-boos" and wipe away tears, we are up every two hours checking temperatures and administering medicine when our children are sick. We evaluate what and how much has exited their tummies so as to better understand what they're fighting. We are keeping track of what food may have caused that rash or how many fruits starting with the letter 'P' are required before we see the desired potty results. We keep our family organized and running like a well oiled machine, making, traveling to, and attending all Dr. appointments, specialist appointments, and events, just because we're so darn good at what we do.

We deal with an immense amount of stress and pressure. You think your boss acts like a child from time to time... our boss IS a child. No, we do not let our children run our lives, but when kiddo decides not to nap there is very little you can do about that. So whatever you were planning on accomplishing during those few precious minutes, will just have to wait. Or when you find out that practice was moved from Monday night at 7:00 to Wednesday night at 6:30, that family dinner you had planned for Wednesday will just have to be rescheduled.

Several stay at home parents also run a business out of their home. I started selling my baked goods when Bear was young but as he became more and more mobile my ability to spend hours in the kitchen disappeared, as did my little baking business. I am now a Scentsy consultant, throwing and hosting parties, taking and placing orders, keeping everything organized and on track, answering questions, etc. all while my little man keeps me company. Because, apparently, I just wasn't busy enough.

There also seems to be some misconception as to why we are home. Yes, of course it is because we love and value our children and desire a relationship with them. That being said, we may also be home because of health related issues, because we will actually save money by not spending money on childcare, etc. The list goes on and on.

So the next time you find yourself wondering what we stay at home parents do all day, answer yourself with just a little bit of everything.

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Social Media Part 2 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

In my first post regarding social media, I tell you about the weekend we un-installed ourselves from all social media. For the full story check out Social Media Part 1 - Our Weekend Without.

The Good

Social media, Facebook specifically, is an amazing tool for staying connected with friends and family. Ben and I don't have huge families, but we are spread all over the world. We have close friends and family in Oregon, Tennessee, Georgia, California, New York, Arizona, England, Latvia... the list goes on. Without Facebook we would not be able to stay nearly as connected to these loved ones as we do. Testament to the power social media holds is when Bens cousin, whom I had not met yet, stopped by our house on her way to NY from OR. "I feel like I know you so well already because of Facebook" she said.

Memory sharing has been made incredibly simple. Have a picture with several friends? No problem, tag them and they automatically have access to the photo as well. Celebrate a significant event with family and friends? Tag them in your status and you can all share together.

Because of networks such as Facebook, Instaram, and Twitter small, perhaps unknown, businesses have the means necessary to promote and spread awareness of their existence, for little to no charge. What an amazing tool! These businesses can then connect and learn from others in their arena and continue to grow and become known. The degree of separation has dropped and continues to drop, significantly!

Through the powers of social media there is not one single person who should ever feel alone. Despite your interests, genetics, etc. you have the ability to connect with others similar to you. Seriously. Several years ago my husband decided to create the group 'Ben Potters of the World Unite' and if there is a Ben Potter on Facebook, and they know the group exists, they're in it. Why? Because they are the Ben Potters of the world, and they've united. I don't know, I am not a Ben Potter. There are several of the other BP's that he has made more personal connections with over the years, whether through common interests or the simple fact that most of us are now at an age where we are becoming parents and are blowing up news feeds with pictures, video, and statuses all about our little monsters.

Pinterest is a fabulous way to sort, organize, and share all your creative thoughts, recipes, DIY projects, etc., without having to mess with paper clippings and filling your house with peg boards. My goodness, can you imagine if you had to pin everything in real life that you have virtually? Not only would it take significantly more time but what a mess!

What we have available to us is an amazingly diverse way in which to stay connected and be a positive influence in the lives of others.

The Bad

Obviously, social media takes time out of our day, significantly more time than we should be dedicating to something that, in all reality, we have, can, and at times should, live without. We spend so much time catching up on what is happening in other peoples lives that we miss what is happening in our own. Take time to unplug. Get home from work and put your phone away, you'll hear it should you actually get a phone call. Shock everyone when you're fully present at family events in place of playing on your phone.

Like most everyone else I know, I have the Bible app on my phone, and it truly is fantastic. How is this bad? I can remember seeing my parents reading their Bibles as a child, there was no question in what they were doing. Seeing them reading made me want to read mine too, so I would. What example am I setting to my children if they never see me reading the actual Book? There is no way for them to know if I'm reading the Bible, playing Words With Friends, or going pin crazy on Pinterest, and that's not OK with me. I want them to grow up seeing me with my nose buried deep in scripture, hopefully inspiring them to do the same.

The Ugly

Social media tends to get a bad rap, especially from those who, perhaps, don't truly understand its purpose. Of course, just like everything else, this reputation stems from those who misuse/abuse the system. You know the type of person I'm talking about. There is a time and place for social media; places such as work, church, driving, family meals, dates, weddings, funerals, etc. are not it.

Along with there being a time and place, there are also appropriate topics of discussion and inappropriate topics. Freedom of speech is an amazingly important and beautiful thing, there are those that take this freedom way too far though. Angry with your husband? Take it up with him and leave us out of it. Having family drama? The world doesn't need to know, focus on how to resolve the issues and love on your family. 

One of the worst things I have seen social media provide is the ability for people to put their noses where they have no business being. You are entitled to your opinion, however, when you start stating your personal opinions as if they are factual... then we have problems, potentially, big problems. 

Whatever happened to "if you can't say something nice, say nothing at all"? Speaking the truth in love doesn't mean you can say whatever you want with a smile on your face or by the addition of a heart emoji. We are instructed to restore that person gently not advertise what we feel they have done wrong to all our social media buddies. How much less drama there would be if people would realize that not everything needs to be said! Not everyone needs to stay in your life either, we are given clear direction as to how to handle those who have sinned/sinned against us, and it does not involve lengthy status updates. 

Let's all make the decision to be more present in our own lives, in our own present. We only get one here and now, let's not spend all of it browsing social media. 

Get your Scentsy on!

What I've Learned From My 1 Year Old

A dear friend messaged me a few weeks back saying she had a bag of coffee for me, "the coffee fairy stopped by and there is more than I can drink". I have the best friends. Today I'm drinking Dunkin' Doughnuts Original Blend. After weeks of being sick and coffee tasting horrible, I warmly welcome this glorious substance back into my life.

2.5 pounds of the good stuff

I cannot begin to describe to you the joy our son has added to our lives. While not every moment has been pleasant, every single instance has been sweetened by his being ours to love. To say that I am blessed to be his momma is a severe understatement. I am honored. I am thrilled. I am overwhelmingly, completely, and unashamedly in love with and grateful for this incredible little blond by who is currently standing beside me watching his movie.

There are so many things my precious little boy has taught me over these past, now, almost fourteen months. Here are some of my favorites.

* Cloth diapers aren't scary.
Look up cloth diapers and you will find a plethora of options. Everything from the originals that are held together by pins, to the more modern versions that include velcro/snaps/buttons... After asking several other cloth diapering mommies we finally settled on a brand and dove in. Of course, after you've decided to go the cloth route, and have determined what sort and brand is right for you, comes learning how to care for the diapers. Depending on which route you choose, they're quite the upfront investment, though the overall savings are absolutely worth it. My methods may not work for everyone but here is what I have learned being a cloth diaper toting momma:
1. You don't have to purchase specific detergent manufactured and marketed for cloth diapers. What you do need is a fragrance free, color free, and bleach free detergent. Yep, that's it. Diapers come out perfectly clean, my son has never had a diaper rash, and we aren't breaking the bank on laundry detergent. Another perk, we don't have to buy multiple kinds of detergent, one bottle for everyone.
2. Dirty diapers do not need to be soaked. I've found it much easier if you don't soak them! When baby is exclusively breastfed there is no need to soak even the dirty diapers, just throw them in and be amazed when everything comes out looking and smelling clean. Once your precious little stinker starts into solids the game changes. I tried the soaking method for months and found it, disgusting. The last thing I want to deal with is more poo! For goodness sake. So, one day I decided enough was enough, and I didn't soak the dirty diapers. What did I do? I let them sit for a few hours so the poo would dry enough to be scraped off with toilet paper and then thrown into the toilet. Did this work? YES. Is this a gazillion times nicer than soaking and scrubbing poo diapers? YES, YES. My life changed for the better after this discovery.

*Veggie Tales are a gift straight from the hand of God.
Now, before you go judging me for allowing my young son TV time, let me assure you, he is an insanely active little boy and thirty minutes of TV time here and there will not hurt him. There are so many reasons why I love Veggie Tales, besides the fact his attention is held so well:  they are colorful, educational, always positive, and teach important life lessons along with scripture. I love watching him clap along to Silly Songs with Larry, or dancing to the theme song. Several months ago my poor little guy was struggling with teething. Every day he would wake between one and two in the morning with a low grade fever, and cry until we sat together on the couch to watch Jonah - over, and over, and over again. This was our routine for a solid week. SO much better than Barney!

*No amount of love can shield my hate of snot and drool.
Years ago we were visiting with a very dear friend who owns a St. Bernard. As I'm sure you're aware, this particular breed is known for the immense amount of slobber they produce. As we all sit, quietly watching our movie, the very loving, very drooling dog came and rested his chin on my lap. For a moment I didn't realize what exactly had happened, then he lifted his head... as strings of thick slobbery drool ran between my lap and his mouth. Of course I handled the situation as any sane, dog loving, adult would and began gagging, wriggling, and making ultrasonic high pitched sounds indicating my disapproval. My reaction when my drooling, runny nosed, perfect child comes and slimes me... pretty much the same.

*"Sleep when baby sleeps" - Lies! All lies!
For the first few weeks this may ring true, but we soon find out just how deceptive this phrase is. Nappy time is my time. For the last several months I have been given one, two hour period in which to be productive. Yes, I can accomplish things while he is awake. At this very moment he is standing on my foot while hanging from my arm. I know, I'm impressed too. There are tasks much more efficiently conquered while he is napping, things like baking, anything regarding bleach (I will not use any heavy cleaning product around him due to fumes), yoga...  Could I nap while he naps? Of course! I'm sleepy! But, I am so much happier having used those most valuable minutes being productive. Bills are easier to pay when I'm not constantly instructing my son not to slam a cupboard door or to stop trying to tickle the cat (who is, as far as we can tell, not a fan of tickling). Even if he were being a complete angel, odds are he is talking my ear off or wanting to have a tickle fight. These are things I never want him to feel are unacceptable or unappreciated. So while baby sleeps, momma gets busy.

*Green beans. He loves them! He hates them! Sydney will eat them!
When the time came to introduce "real food" we veered away from the norm and started with green beans. I'm sure there is someone out there with a green bean allergy, but I've never heard of them so, I figured this was a safe starting food. Not only was he not allergic (surprise!) but he really loved them. He would gobble them down, no problem. Now that he is big enough to handle the real deal we've had a very different outcome. Our faithful pup, Sydney, is extremely helpful when it comes to cleaning up. Barrett has figured out that food doesn't even have to hit the floor for her to "clean up" after him. Every time we have green beans, unless they are hidden in another food, he will grab one, lean as far over in his chair as possible, and wiggle his hand to a anxiously awaiting Sydney. This is, of course, equal amounts of adorable and frustrating. What's the lesson here? Kids will be kids. This seems like some sort of right of passage that he has a food he sneaks to the dog. For now I will let it slide... but only for now.

*Document!
I did not keep a pregnancy journal and, while there are several things I wish to erase from my memory regarding those first 14 weeks, I wish I had. What I have been doing is keeping a journal of precious memories and events. While this is mostly for my benefit there is part of me that hopes he and his wife will want to sit down one day and read through all my little memories of his life. One of my latest entries: "you were talking to your daddy on speaker phone tonight. When I asked you to tell daddy you love him you leaned forward and kissed the phone. You are the most precious thing in this world". I'm also writing of how Ben interacts with him, memories that Barrett may be too young to create but will know happened because of my scribbles. Someday when I'm 80 years old and my children are writing their own memories I will be able to go through my journal and re-live that moment. I'm sure by the time all is said and done, I will have several journals full of memories I want to keep alive forever.

*Boy's got reach
The routine when cleaning his room and putting clothes away is that Bear plays with his blocks while mommy works. I think he actually gets excited to see me grab his laundry basket because he knows what we are about to do. A few weeks ago I had turned my back for a few seconds to hang his pajamas in the closet. When I turned around he was holding the dish of his Scentsy warmer, wax dripped all down his arm. The warmer had been on the second highest shelf in his room, high enough that I didn't think he could reach it. Thank God for how these warmers are designed! Scentsy wax does not warm to more than 2 degrees higher than our body temp, it never gets warm enough to burn you, and is food grade so if he were to have ingested any of it he would be completely safe. I cleaned him up, looked for any signs of skin irritation (he wasn't even red) and moved his warmer to the highest shelf. I'm still amazed that he was able to reach the warmer at all. Never again will I underestimate the reach of my insanely curious, fearless, little boy.

*Cuddle, all the time
Everyone is always saying how quickly kids grown up, and they aren't joking. My once perfectly snugly little boy now wants to be put down to play, as he should, which means that our cuddle time has been severely cut back. Once upon a time I could cuddle and snuggle him all day if I chose to, and I did. Time really does fly, especially as a parent. Not only has snuggle time been reduced but it's been replaced with stair climbing, ball throwing, couch conquering, and literally running around the house. I love watching him grow up. I love his energy, his giggles, the way he loves to have tickle fights. Part of me wishes he would have stayed that tiny baby a lot longer tho. Snuggle your baby, mush all over them. When choosing between snuggle time and dishes always, always, always, choose snuggle time. They really do grow up too quickly.

*I can totally do this... with a little help from my friends.
I will not be perfect. I will not remember everything I have read or everything I have been told. I will grow impatient, weary. There will be days when I want a vacation from my child, knowing that the moment I step foot out of the house I will miss him terribly. I will beat myself up over things that are irrelevant in the end. I will feel confident in my ability only to have that confidence slapped across my face when I realize I could have handled a situation better. Support groups, whether via social media, family, friends, etc. are vital to my confidence and sanity. Google is a great tool, but, GASP! there are things you simply cannot find easily, if at all. Nurse lines may have hours but, as all you mommies I'm sure will agree, we do not. When I have a question at four in the morning or am feeling overwhelmed at nine in the evening I have someone to go to. I have surrounded myself with other mommies, those who have bravely gone before me and are full of useful advice and council. Never be afraid to ask a fellow mommy for support. Don't be afraid to make or admit to a mistake. Every mommy is different because every child is different. Learn from each other. Support each other. You'll be a better mommy for it. I know I have been.

What have you learned from your little one?

Barrett just hours old

Our little pirate is 1 year old!

Eating his pears, yesterday morning

Best Ever Vegetable Soup

I love the fall. The changing leaves, bon fires, snugly blankets, fuzzy socks, and soup. While my garden didn't produce the massive tomato crop I was hoping for, I was able to can several jars of the red stuff. So, when my husband looked at me the other night and asked "what's for dinner, babe?" my taste buds went straight for tomato soup, which quickly evolved into the best ever vegetable soup I have ever made.

This soup is hardy, flavorful, quick, and easy to make, as well as meat free and inexpensive.

Can you say, WINNING!

Back before Ben and I started dating, we were exchanging e-mails (yes, we are that old), during which he dedicated an entire message to trying to impress me with his cooking skills. To the best of my memory (oh, how I wish I would have saved those messages!), his email went something like this:

"After my run I decided to make dinner. Soup sounded good so I threw some together and I must say, it was quite tasty"

OK, I'm sure there was more to his message than that, but this is the part that has stuck with me these thirteen years. His cooking skills impressed me then, and impress me still.

One of the most important things when making soup is allowing enough time for all the flavors to meld together. If you don't have at least an hour, don't make soup from scratch. Ever wonder why soups taste so much better after they've sat in the cooler overnight and have been reheated? It's because all of those wonderful ingredients spent the night together and got to know each other better. This soup is no exception to the rule, though straight from the fresh pot was "quite tasty" too.

This recipe fed my family of three for several meals so feel free to cut it in half or freeze the remainder :-)

Ingredients:

2 quarts canned tomato 

(diced, halved, whatever your preference)

2 quarts water

(I like to fill the empty tomato jar to make sure I have all the flavor)

1 can three bean blend - drained 

(black, pinto, kidney)

1 can black beans - drained 

3 cups green beans*

2 cups kale*

1Tbs basil

1Tbs parsley

1Tbs black pepper

1Tbs onion powder

1Tbs garlic salt

1Tbs sea salt

1/2 medium yellow squash**

1 head broccoli**

4 carrots**
4 stalks celery**

12oz Tricolor rotini  

*Frozen

**Fresh (seeded/diced)

In a large soup pot, combine all ingredients except the pasta. Bring to medium simmer until carrots are just tender. Add rotini, lower heat and allow to slow simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. 

Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan and Romano cheese. 

Enjoy! 

See, I told ya it was easy ;-) 

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

With the holidays coming up, if you're anything like me, you're starting to compile your special recipes.

I stumbled upon this recipe several years ago while looking for something to make for Thanksgiving. My mom had stacks of recipe books, catalogs, etc. and I sat on the dining room floor and sorted through all of them. Finally, I found a recipe I felt worth trying in an old Taste of Home catalog (click on link for original recipe).

Thanksgiving is, by far, my favorite holiday so I wanted my contribution to be meaningful, full of love, tasty, healthy-ish (it is a holiday after all).

I wanted to serve a little piece of me.

Not only are these rolls fun to make, they are delicious. There was not one roll left after our Thanksgiving dinner, a chef/bakers true sign of success. These rolls have been a Thanksgiving tradition ever since.

Through the years I have altered the recipe slightly from the original to better suite my personal preferences.

So, here it is, a little piece of my heart for you to serve to your family.

From my kitchen to yours.

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

2C water

1C Quick Oats

3 Tbs Butter

2 1/2 Tsp Active Dry Yeast

1/3C Warm Water

1/3C Packed Brown Sugar

1Tbs Sugar

1 1/2 Tsp Salt

4 3/4 - 5 1/4C All Purpose Flour

In saucepan, bring water to a boil; add oats and butter, cooking for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Add sugars and salt. Let oat mixture rest until lukewarm (about 20 minutes).

In a large mixing bowl combine warm water and yeast, stirring gently until all yeast is dissolved.

*Don't use hot water as it will kill the yeast

Add oat mixture to yeast and stir gently, then add 4C flour and combine until smooth. 

*Too much flour will result in a very dense roll. You can go up to 5C if you wish, but tread carefully

Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn dough onto floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

*Give your hands a quick douse in non stick spray to prevent the dough from sticking

Place dough in greased bowl, turning once to grease both sides. Cover and let rest in a warm, draft free, place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into balls ( bigger gets you more, smaller gets you less... you get the idea) and place in greased baking pan (round, square... you want them to just be touching). Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until desired level of golden has been achieved.

Remove and let cool on wire rack.

** Try adding some cinnamon to your dough or sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over them just before baking

ENJOY! :-)

Social Media Part 1 - Our Weekend Without

I remember my very first day on The Facebook (as it was originally called) back in 2004. I was greeted by a very two dimensional blue and white page with designated areas for your profile picture, about me section, and the ability to connect with students from your university as well as select others. You were not permitted access without a .edu email address. Everything you could possibly imagine doing on The Facebook could be accomplished in under five minutes - and that was if you were really bored and needed to stretch your time. Soon I was connected with over 500 students, all of whom I knew personally through a shared class or exchange of an originally overpriced, underused, text book. There were no hours spent scrolling through the news feed, no games to play, etc. just a clean and simple way to connect with other students.

The Facebook 2004

Ahhh... back when life was less complicated. 

Today I not only maintain my Facebook account (they dropped the "The" back in 2005, probably because nobody ever said it) but also spend time on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Snapchat. I am almost always involved in one or more of these forms of social media. Now, I will say, that it is not always for personal reasons but because I am a Scentsy consultant and rely heavily on the involvement of others.

Family time is precious in this household. Rarely do we have an entire weekend with no commitments. When we realized how little Ben would be home for the month of September, and how hectic all of October was destined to be, we decided to set an entire weekend aside to just be "us".

As Friday approached I started thinking of how nice it would be to have as little distraction as possible for our family weekend. After checking to see what Ben thought, we agreed that we were going to un-plug from all social media starting Friday afternoon. We let our friends and family know that all communication would need to be via phone and then completely un-installed social media from our lives. 

Friday night was football night! Ben played TE/DE throughout his high school years so deciding to attend the homecoming game of his alma mater was a give in. While at the game we were completely focused on being together, letting our little man be as involved as possible in all that was going on.

Barrett on the field with daddy 

We walked a few laps, reminiscing about our high school days and how much we've missed the field. I attended every game I could, sitting in the same general spot on the bleachers and at half time enjoying a sour apple blow pop. 

Sharing momma's sucker 

Not only was this our sons first football game, but his first taste of halftime tradition.

Saturday we left Bear with grandma and headed off to one of my most favoritest places, Cedar Point.

The Gatekeeper

Without the distraction of social media, we talked the entire drive, both ways. In place of browsing through news feeds and pictures while standing in line we talked, we stood in silence observing everyone else being "together alone" or "alone together" or however you want to phrase it when nobody is paying attention to anyone else because they're staring at their phones. For an entire 15 hours we only looked at our phones to check up on our boy or for directions to Starbucks. 

The Mantis

Sunday after church we ran home to grab our sweet boxer girl, Sydney, then off we went to our favorite orchard for apple picking, Branstool Orchards. Barrett was able to pick his own apples, with some help from daddy, and we all enjoyed the perfectly sunny day.

My little family 

Bear and the first apple he picked

After an entire 48 hours (plus a few on Friday) without any of the distractions we have come to welcome into our lives, I can honestly tell you that we did not miss social media at all, and I don't think it missed us either. 

Monday came and with it the re-installment of social media to our lives. We aren't on nearly as much as before our sabbatical, and I intend to keep it that way. Now when Ben gets home from work our phones are placed on a shelf, where we will check them from time to time. Instead of being so concerned and giving so much attention to what's going on everywhere else I want to be fully present here, in my home, with my perfect little family. Don't worry, I'll still be bombarding your news feeds with pictures and video of my son and random facts about our day, just not as often. 

In the weeks since our little experiment we have made great sides in removing ourselves from being as dependent upon social media and even television (we don't have cable, just Netflix and Hulu and are still parked on the couch way too often!). The difference has been so refreshing!

Ben and I have decided to replace our TV time (normally about an hour after the kiddo is asleep) with craft time. I am trying my hand at wine bottle art and he has taken to stippling. We make tea, sit at the kitchen table, put on some music and let the creative sides of our brains take over. Conversation is fluid as we bounce ideas off of the other and will pause randomly to sing along to one of our favorite songs.

Even if you're not into arts and crafts, even if Football and amusement parks aren't your thing, I encourage you to "un-plug" for a day, or three. Be fully present in your here and now.

Who knows, you may just like it.

Messy fun is the best 

9 Things I Wish Were True of Myself

Today's mug choice was an easy one. Ben always brings back a surprise when he travels, this round produced a coffee mug, my new favorite.

Siren by Starbucks 

Our routine when Ben flies out is simple: arrive at least an hour early, grab coffee, hang out and wait for flight to take off. Nothing special but having this time is essential to my sanity while he is away.

I am always picking up and oogling over coffee mugs and accessories while we are in the shop. I had picked up this gem and gave it an approving nod while we waited for my Cinnamon Dolce Late and his Double Barrel Late and didn't think he'd noticed. We hadn't even pulled away from passenger pick up when he handed me a bag containing my new mug and a 75% dark chocolate bar. He remembered, after being gone for a week, and gave me chocolate.

Whether your husband travels for military, recreation, or business, if you're like me, having our guys away is never a fun time.

Here are the nine things I tell myself every time we're preparing for him to leave, that I wish were true. 

1. The house will be in perfect order when we leave for the airport

Rarely is this the case, and in all honesty, is almost always quite the opposite. The last thing I want to do in the day(s) before he leaves is spend our family time cleaning/doing yard work. All those things can be taken care of while he is away and I am by myself while our boy is asleep. 

That pile of laundry - it can wait

Those dirty dishes - they will be there tomorrow

2. I won't be grouchy

Maybe it's just me but preparing for my husband to be away for more than a day is far from my favorite thing. Will we survive, yes. Will I be happy about it, no. 

3. I'll conduct myself as the "perfect military wife" 

You know, gracefully floating through the air with my hair perfectly done, in a classy dress, arm in arm with my SeaBee, while our son showers him in hugs and kisses; no evil look will phase me, disrespect at TSA will be brushed off my shoulders, and everyone will read my demeanor as "she's got her act together".

How things really went down: I wore a tee shirt and jeans, my hair up in one of my worst attempts at a cute messy bun, because our son is a grouchy, teething, mommy-clinging mess and I had to rush to get ready. I did walk arm in arm with my man, while our son showered both of us in drool or cried because he was in his stroller (how dare we not let him run amuck through the airport, putting his mouth on everything and everyone... I HATE teething!). 

The judgmental glances of onlookers bothers me, to the point where I would love to go over and smack it right off their faces. Babies cry, they make messes - get over it! The TSA agent who waved my husband through the gate then watched, disapprovingly, as I struggled to take my shoes off (I shouldn't have had to), and place the stroller, diaper bag, shoes, and baby toys that fell from my bag, into buckets and onto the conveyor. During which time the other TSA agent repeatedly told me to remove all liquids from my bag (not my first go around buddy, I didn't bring any liquids!) and did all but step directly in front of me while repeating that sentence over and over. They deserved a good smack too. 

Nobody was thinking I had my act together, because I most certainly did not. 

4. I won't choke up when he kisses me and our son goodbye

I do. Every time.

5. I won't wait until the plane takes off to leave the terminal

I stand there, or in this case walk in circles pushing my fussy boy in his stroller praying he doesn't start screaming because I just may join him, and wait to see the plane move away from the gate. There is no way I want to be on our way home should his flight become delayed after boarding. This has already happened once and we lost over two extra hours. Never again. 

6. Things around the world are not as bad as the media makes them out to be and he will be perfectly safe

They are, if not worse, and I am not a fan. 

7. I will confidently enter my house and go on as if he were simply in another room

What really happens: I slowly pull up to our house, watching carefully for any sign that we have been tampered with. I park and lock the doors, watching in the windows for flashlights, movement, anything that is not as it should be.

*I just wrote, and quickly erased my system but, trust me, there is one and it is extensive. Let's leave it at when I say we are locked down, I mean it. 

8. I will not check to make sure we are locked and secure 3+ times before being able to fall asleep

I will. I just will. 

9. I will not fall asleep running my emergency plan through my brain

There are alternate versions of this plan but it always ends the same: Do not let them reach the baby


I'm so grateful to have been brought up memorizing scripture. Here are some of my absolute favorites, especially when home alone.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind."

~ 2 Timothy 1:7

"A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you."

~ Psalm 91:7 

 Scentsy, we make perfect scents!