Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
12 Days of Christmas... Day Five
The Christmas pickle...
Whether this tradition really came from Germany or not, I also like this idea. I have read different ways to do it, but my favorite is to put the pickle ornament on the plate of cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. When Santa comes and puts out the presents, he will also hide the pickle ornament somewhere on the Christmas tree. The first child to find the pickle on Christmas morning wins a special extra present or treat from Santa. To prevent fights or tears among siblings, it's probably wise to let everyone get a treat and to let the official winner have a nicer prize.
Whether this tradition really came from Germany or not, I also like this idea. I have read different ways to do it, but my favorite is to put the pickle ornament on the plate of cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. When Santa comes and puts out the presents, he will also hide the pickle ornament somewhere on the Christmas tree. The first child to find the pickle on Christmas morning wins a special extra present or treat from Santa. To prevent fights or tears among siblings, it's probably wise to let everyone get a treat and to let the official winner have a nicer prize.
12 Days of Christmas... Day Four
One Christmas tradition I'm looking forward to starting when G's a little older is "Elf on a Shelf." The idea is that the elf "watches over" your children throughout the day and reports back to Santa at night to let him know how they are behaving.
My nieces have one that they have named Bristy and are really into it. My sister and brother-in-law move Bristy to a new spot in the house each night when the kids go down. They are so excited when they wake up to try to find him. It is funny to hear them when they are playing with each other say things like, "Bristy is watching you!"
Such a simple yet genius idea!
My nieces have one that they have named Bristy and are really into it. My sister and brother-in-law move Bristy to a new spot in the house each night when the kids go down. They are so excited when they wake up to try to find him. It is funny to hear them when they are playing with each other say things like, "Bristy is watching you!"
Such a simple yet genius idea!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
12 Days of Christmas... Day Three
Another batch of sweets I made the other night during my baking kick. I got this recipe off another blog but modified it slightly. If you are a fan of a coffee, chocolate and minty combination, these are for you.
Mint Cappuccino Crinkles
1/3 c. butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1 T. instant coffee crystals
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 c. vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 bag Andes mint baking chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In bowl, beat butter.
3. Add brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, baking soda and cinnamon. Beat until combined.
4. Beat in egg whites and yogurt until combined.
5. Beat in the flour.
6. Add mint baking chips and mix well.
7. Put the 1/4 c. granulated sugar in a separate bowl.
8. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar to coat well.
9. Place cookie balls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Mint Cappuccino Crinkles
1/3 c. butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1 T. instant coffee crystals
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 c. vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 bag Andes mint baking chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In bowl, beat butter.
3. Add brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, baking soda and cinnamon. Beat until combined.
4. Beat in egg whites and yogurt until combined.
5. Beat in the flour.
6. Add mint baking chips and mix well.
7. Put the 1/4 c. granulated sugar in a separate bowl.
8. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar to coat well.
9. Place cookie balls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Monday, December 20, 2010
12 Days of Christmas... Day Two
I was bit by the baking bug last night and made three different kinds of goodies.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter mini muffin pans.
2. Knead cookie dough and pb just until swirled. Press about 1 rounded teaspoon of dough into each cup of mini muffin pans. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown. Cool slightly in pan.
3. Remove from pans to cooling rack. Place a chocolate kiss in the center.
**I got this recipe from "Good Morning America." Lesson learned: Do NOT fill the muffin tins more than 3/4 full - otherwise they cook over the top and it's really hard to get them out of the tins without messing them up.
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
1 package (18 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury sugar cookie dough @ room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 package (8.5 oz) Hershey's Kisses
3 12-cup mini muffin pans
1 package (18 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury sugar cookie dough @ room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 package (8.5 oz) Hershey's Kisses
3 12-cup mini muffin pans
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter mini muffin pans.
2. Knead cookie dough and pb just until swirled. Press about 1 rounded teaspoon of dough into each cup of mini muffin pans. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown. Cool slightly in pan.
3. Remove from pans to cooling rack. Place a chocolate kiss in the center.
**I got this recipe from "Good Morning America." Lesson learned: Do NOT fill the muffin tins more than 3/4 full - otherwise they cook over the top and it's really hard to get them out of the tins without messing them up.
Four Months!
Time just keeps flying by and I realized today that I will go back to work in two weeks. TWO WEEKS, people! How is that even possible that it's already time? It makes my heart sink a bit just to THINK about not being with my sweet little man during the day. I love the luxuries of being a pseudo stay-at-home mom: taking naps when he naps, staying in my pjs for as long as I please, watching TV if I so choose, etc. It has been nice. Sniff, sniff.
I won't let myself (or this post, for that matter) get too wrapped up in my woes of returning to work because I have more important things to blog about. Such as my not so little baby turning four months old! Seriously, how did this happen? He is a bundle of sweetness and I am always so flattered when our pediatrician remarks (at each and every visit, nonetheless!) that G is such an easygoing baby. Thank you, Grilled Cheesus for giving me a chill little babe! Glee anyone?
This past month has had its own share of "firsts."
-First plane ride
-First walk to the park to ride in the "big baby" swing. He LOVED it! He laughed and smiled the whole time. :)
-First time in the walker (that he can actually walk in, albeit very slowly!)
-First encounter with Santa
Most of my attempts in taking pictures of my little stud result in photos with his hands in his mouth, with him looking away, or with him trying to sit up or move.
Every once in a while, I will get a good one of him when he is too busy to care.
This month has been my favorite so far because his personality is starting to emerge. He "talks" now, which is so hilarious. Normally he wakes up crying and grumpy for the first minute or two, but yesterday after one of his naps, I found him in his crib with his head up "talking" to his sleep sheep and bunny lovey. Soooo cute! He also belly laughs from time to time and smiles constantly. He is becoming much more active but is still cuddly. He continues to not be a fan of riding in the car and I feel like it's only getting worse. The other day he started wailing before I had even backed out of the driveway, so I try not to run any errands that are more than 20-25 minutes away from the house. Let's face it - a mama can only take so much screaming.
He is at the stage where he has started to play with things. He reaches for things and can grasp them - we rotate among his tummy time mat, bouncer, walker and various other toys (I'll do a post on these later this week) throughout the day. He prefers to be standing, so I am anxious to see how he likes the jumperoo once we move back to our house.
He is becoming easier to put down most nights, but his night awakenings are inconsistent. Some nights he will go 4 hour stretches and other nights it will be every 2 hours. I keep reminding myself that "this too shall pass." G is an awesome napper, so I can't complain too much as I get to catch up on any lost sleep during this time ... until I go back to work, that is. Argh!
We had his check-up this morning and here are the little dude's
4 month stats:
weight - 15 lbs 14 oz = 75th%
height - 26 1/4 inches = 90th%
head - 95th%
Compared with his last doctor's visit, G had a HUGE growth spurt the last couple of months. He has always been a chunky monkey, but he grew 3 inches! Maybe there is hope after all that he will be taller than both of us. The doctor joked and asked us if we had been stretching him because it was quite a gain to make in such a short amount of time. He still has his huge noggin' ... no surprise there! :)
Dear G Man,
You are growing so fast I can hardly believe it! I LOVE the little person you are becoming. It makes my heart so happy to know that you are mine and that there are still so many things to discover about you in the years to come. I can't wait to see what surprises are in store for me in the next month! I love you to the moon and back.
Love,
Mama
I won't let myself (or this post, for that matter) get too wrapped up in my woes of returning to work because I have more important things to blog about. Such as my not so little baby turning four months old! Seriously, how did this happen? He is a bundle of sweetness and I am always so flattered when our pediatrician remarks (at each and every visit, nonetheless!) that G is such an easygoing baby. Thank you, Grilled Cheesus for giving me a chill little babe! Glee anyone?
This past month has had its own share of "firsts."
-First plane ride
-First walk to the park to ride in the "big baby" swing. He LOVED it! He laughed and smiled the whole time. :)
-First time in the walker (that he can actually walk in, albeit very slowly!)
-First encounter with Santa
Most of my attempts in taking pictures of my little stud result in photos with his hands in his mouth, with him looking away, or with him trying to sit up or move.
Every once in a while, I will get a good one of him when he is too busy to care.
This month has been my favorite so far because his personality is starting to emerge. He "talks" now, which is so hilarious. Normally he wakes up crying and grumpy for the first minute or two, but yesterday after one of his naps, I found him in his crib with his head up "talking" to his sleep sheep and bunny lovey. Soooo cute! He also belly laughs from time to time and smiles constantly. He is becoming much more active but is still cuddly. He continues to not be a fan of riding in the car and I feel like it's only getting worse. The other day he started wailing before I had even backed out of the driveway, so I try not to run any errands that are more than 20-25 minutes away from the house. Let's face it - a mama can only take so much screaming.
He is at the stage where he has started to play with things. He reaches for things and can grasp them - we rotate among his tummy time mat, bouncer, walker and various other toys (I'll do a post on these later this week) throughout the day. He prefers to be standing, so I am anxious to see how he likes the jumperoo once we move back to our house.
He is becoming easier to put down most nights, but his night awakenings are inconsistent. Some nights he will go 4 hour stretches and other nights it will be every 2 hours. I keep reminding myself that "this too shall pass." G is an awesome napper, so I can't complain too much as I get to catch up on any lost sleep during this time ... until I go back to work, that is. Argh!
We had his check-up this morning and here are the little dude's
4 month stats:
weight - 15 lbs 14 oz = 75th%
height - 26 1/4 inches = 90th%
head - 95th%
Compared with his last doctor's visit, G had a HUGE growth spurt the last couple of months. He has always been a chunky monkey, but he grew 3 inches! Maybe there is hope after all that he will be taller than both of us. The doctor joked and asked us if we had been stretching him because it was quite a gain to make in such a short amount of time. He still has his huge noggin' ... no surprise there! :)
Dear G Man,
You are growing so fast I can hardly believe it! I LOVE the little person you are becoming. It makes my heart so happy to know that you are mine and that there are still so many things to discover about you in the years to come. I can't wait to see what surprises are in store for me in the next month! I love you to the moon and back.
Love,
Mama
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
12 Days of Christmas... Day One
I've decided to post 12 recipes, craft ideas, etc leading up to Christmas, hence the title. My inspiration?? I've been hit with the baking spirit, I'm trying to cook dinner more often (isn't that what I always say ;) ), and I keep seeing really cute Christmas crafty ideas on other blogs.
My older sister made these yummy pork chops right after she had Baby Z. It was one of those super mom kind of days - she had a newborn less than 2 weeks old, had been home all day with all 3 kids (all ages 5 and under), AND managed to make a delicious home cooked meal that she happily let my prego self indulge in. I was not only impressed with her mommy skills but also with the grub!
Last week I asked for the recipe and was just as happy with them the second time around, especially since they are so easy to make! Enjoy!
Mama Z's Delicious Pork Chops:
8 center cut pork chops (I usually have 4 large pork chops, not 8, but you can do whatever)
butter
1 can button mushrooms (2or 3 oz)
1 env. dry onion soup mix
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon garlic
1 cup sour cream
brown pork in butter in skillet- remove
brown mushrooms, add soup mix/wine/broth/garlic- stir till well blended
add pork chops, cover and simmer 45 min or until tender
stir in sour cream and cook until heated through
My older sister made these yummy pork chops right after she had Baby Z. It was one of those super mom kind of days - she had a newborn less than 2 weeks old, had been home all day with all 3 kids (all ages 5 and under), AND managed to make a delicious home cooked meal that she happily let my prego self indulge in. I was not only impressed with her mommy skills but also with the grub!
Last week I asked for the recipe and was just as happy with them the second time around, especially since they are so easy to make! Enjoy!
Mama Z's Delicious Pork Chops:
8 center cut pork chops (I usually have 4 large pork chops, not 8, but you can do whatever)
butter
1 can button mushrooms (2or 3 oz)
1 env. dry onion soup mix
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon garlic
1 cup sour cream
brown pork in butter in skillet- remove
brown mushrooms, add soup mix/wine/broth/garlic- stir till well blended
add pork chops, cover and simmer 45 min or until tender
stir in sour cream and cook until heated through
Friday, December 10, 2010
Sleep is for suckers
Arggggg....
This was my night:
8:45 - Baby finally asleep and in his crib
11:45 - Baby wakes up; fed 2 ounces; goes back down
1:45 - Baby wakes up; comforted; goes back down
3:00 - Baby wakes up; comforted; goes back down
4:00 - Baby wakes up; diaper changed; fed 3 ounces; goes back down
6:30 - Baby wakes up; brought into bed with mama; goes back down
7:45 - Baby wakes up; the day begins after mama realizes that baby has peed through all the sheets on the bed; diaper changed; baby poops in fresh diaper with big smile on his face
Is it too early to have a drink?
grumble, grumble, grumble :)
This was my night:
8:45 - Baby finally asleep and in his crib
11:45 - Baby wakes up; fed 2 ounces; goes back down
1:45 - Baby wakes up; comforted; goes back down
3:00 - Baby wakes up; comforted; goes back down
4:00 - Baby wakes up; diaper changed; fed 3 ounces; goes back down
6:30 - Baby wakes up; brought into bed with mama; goes back down
7:45 - Baby wakes up; the day begins after mama realizes that baby has peed through all the sheets on the bed; diaper changed; baby poops in fresh diaper with big smile on his face
Is it too early to have a drink?
grumble, grumble, grumble :)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Thankful Thursday
Soooooo very thankful for this little man and all of the faces he makes...
I just want to eat him up!
***Picture quality not so great since taken on my iPhone.
I just want to eat him up!
***Picture quality not so great since taken on my iPhone.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Deck the Halls
Oh Christmas, how I love thee!
I love seeing the lights on houses start to pop up around the neighborhood and light up the streets when I go running at night. I love trying to find the perfect gifts. I love the craft bazaars, cookie and ornament exchanges, and copious amounts of sweets that I always endeavor to bake. I love watching the same movies this time of year (Miracle on 34th Street (the old one) and White Christmas) and drinking hot chocolate by a warm fire.
This year I am even more excited for all things wrapped in red and green. Having children changes everything - including the holidays. I honestly felt giddy when I saw Santa's "workshop" set up in the mall last month knowing that we would soon be taking G to have his first photo taken. Normally I would walk by and smile at the children waiting in line or maybe not even give it a passing glance. But now? I have begun to appreciate things with a childlike fascination again ever since I was inducted into parenthood.
That being said, I can't wait to start our own Christmas traditions with G. I would have to say my personal favorite tradition is the annual ornament. My mom always gets us each an ornament that is specifically chosen to symbolize us over the years... a soccer ball, a Longhorn, etc. Each of us has a box with all of our ornaments inside - the ones we have received and the ones we made in school. This year she got us our first "family" ornament with all of our names. I know that with all of the ornaments to come in the years ahead, this one will always have special significance to me.
Another important tradition I grew up with was the Christmas stocking. This was always a HUGE part of Christmas morning because the stocking always held the best loot from Santa. We had the usual orange, candy, and mixed nuts, but there were also good finds and part of the fun was seeing what everyone else received. Originally I thought it would be good to wait until the after Christmas sales to get G's stocking, but I decided to check out ebay just to see what they had. Not only did I find a stocking, but it's already monogrammed with his name on it! And I "won" it for $10! I was surprised to see so many stockings on ebay that already have names on them ... not really sure why that is, but I'm happy with my purchase. :)
Reading everyone's blogs about their own holiday decorations has helped put me in the mood to bust out my own décor. Sadly, this year I won't be pulling out all of my tubs from storage because we won't be moving back into our house until mid to late December. I REALLY wanted to go to a tree farm to pick out a tree, but that will have to wait until next year. The bright side... G is too young to care about any of it anyway. Instead I get to watch my mom decorate their house for the holidays - something she is really good at! They are putting up three trees: one fancy, one Longhorn tree, and one with all of the "homey" ornaments. I don't think I'll have three trees anytime soon, but I do love the idea of having different themed trees throughout the house.
P.S. This year's Santa visit was a success! I coached G to tell Santa he wants to be able to sleep through the night. Oh wait, that's my Christmas wish... ;)
I love seeing the lights on houses start to pop up around the neighborhood and light up the streets when I go running at night. I love trying to find the perfect gifts. I love the craft bazaars, cookie and ornament exchanges, and copious amounts of sweets that I always endeavor to bake. I love watching the same movies this time of year (Miracle on 34th Street (the old one) and White Christmas) and drinking hot chocolate by a warm fire.
This year I am even more excited for all things wrapped in red and green. Having children changes everything - including the holidays. I honestly felt giddy when I saw Santa's "workshop" set up in the mall last month knowing that we would soon be taking G to have his first photo taken. Normally I would walk by and smile at the children waiting in line or maybe not even give it a passing glance. But now? I have begun to appreciate things with a childlike fascination again ever since I was inducted into parenthood.
That being said, I can't wait to start our own Christmas traditions with G. I would have to say my personal favorite tradition is the annual ornament. My mom always gets us each an ornament that is specifically chosen to symbolize us over the years... a soccer ball, a Longhorn, etc. Each of us has a box with all of our ornaments inside - the ones we have received and the ones we made in school. This year she got us our first "family" ornament with all of our names. I know that with all of the ornaments to come in the years ahead, this one will always have special significance to me.
Another important tradition I grew up with was the Christmas stocking. This was always a HUGE part of Christmas morning because the stocking always held the best loot from Santa. We had the usual orange, candy, and mixed nuts, but there were also good finds and part of the fun was seeing what everyone else received. Originally I thought it would be good to wait until the after Christmas sales to get G's stocking, but I decided to check out ebay just to see what they had. Not only did I find a stocking, but it's already monogrammed with his name on it! And I "won" it for $10! I was surprised to see so many stockings on ebay that already have names on them ... not really sure why that is, but I'm happy with my purchase. :)
Reading everyone's blogs about their own holiday decorations has helped put me in the mood to bust out my own décor. Sadly, this year I won't be pulling out all of my tubs from storage because we won't be moving back into our house until mid to late December. I REALLY wanted to go to a tree farm to pick out a tree, but that will have to wait until next year. The bright side... G is too young to care about any of it anyway. Instead I get to watch my mom decorate their house for the holidays - something she is really good at! They are putting up three trees: one fancy, one Longhorn tree, and one with all of the "homey" ornaments. I don't think I'll have three trees anytime soon, but I do love the idea of having different themed trees throughout the house.
P.S. This year's Santa visit was a success! I coached G to tell Santa he wants to be able to sleep through the night. Oh wait, that's my Christmas wish... ;)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thankful
Early last week we packed our bags (side note: I may have packed way too much... some things never change. Sigh.) and headed to upstate New York and Connecticut to visit R's side of the family over Thanksgiving. It was really just a good excuse to do the "baby tour" and show off our handsome little man to those who hadn't met him yet. "You've gotta see the baby!" Seinfeld anyone?
I realize that once you become a parent, it's inevitable that you will take the back burner and your child will always be in the spotlight. Not being one who covets the center of attention anyway, I am more than happy to oblige.
So now for my obligatory post-Thanksgiving, but still very thankful, "thankful" post. Redundant much? :)
I am thankful for:
-My sweet baby boy who was such an AWESOME traveler. Not a peep from him on the plane - he was mostly sleeping and when he was awake, he was smiling and happy. I crossed my fingers for no poops and no crying on the plane and had both of my wishes granted. I was so glad we weren't one of "those" families - the ones you see with the screaming baby that is being walked down the aisle of the plane. I am sure that people who saw us at the gate were hoping they wouldn't have to sit near us, but I can assure you that those who did had zero complaints.
-R being extremely helpful during the trip. He was always willing to help out whether it was getting G to sleep, taking G in the mornings so I could sleep in and recover from the sleepless nights, or holding up a blanket on the plane so that I could nurse in privacy. I am so glad he is actively involved in the parenting department.
-Our lovely family members for housing and feeding us. Let's be honest - I don't cook much as it is, but it's still wonderful to have all of your meals taken care of. R's stepfather went all out and cooked four course meals with beautiful table setting. It was pretty incredible. I am salivating just thinking about his cooking...
-Home. While sometimes our routine can become monotonous, it has its comforts too. I was happy to come back to the crib, swing, bouncy, infant bath tub, etc.
-Not having to go to work on Monday. The worst thing about the holidays are when they come to an end and it's back to the grind. I am so fortunate to still have one more month at home with my favorite little man.
While there is nothing quite like home, it was really nice getting to see everyone and having them meet G for the first time. We survived four airplane trips and a two hour car ride from NY to CT.
Given that it was a trip of "firsts" in many ways, I also learned some things along the way:
1. I don't need to pack quite as many outfits for G. I anticipated numerous outfit changes because of diaper leaks, the occasional spit up, etc., but I failed to think about the washer and dryer that would be available to us. Doh!
2. Nursing in public is still not my favorite. Having to do it in public on an airplane ranks close to the bottom. It is so awkward in the tight, confining seat with a stranger practically in your lap. On the way to New York I had a window seat with R next to me. On the way back, totally different story. The first leg we both had opposing aisle seats. Luckily it was only an hour flight and G slept the whole time. The second leg we were scheduled to be in different rows, BOTH center seats, for a FOUR hour flight. That was not going to fly (yes, pun intended) with me, so R was kind enough to get our seats changed at the gate.
3. United is not family friendly. They do not allow families with small children to pre-board. Ummm seriously? The flight attendants were very nice though, with the exception of one crabby lady.
4. Considering that G is still not the best night sleeper at home, he is far much worse when we travel. He slept in the bed with us (pack-n-play way too heavy and not worth carting around) and wanted to nurse every hour to hour and a half ALL through the night. Traveling G = grumpy mama in the morning.
All in all, I would have to say that it was a wonderful trip. Neither one of us had to go through the full body scanner at the airports or have our "junk" touched via pat down. I missed spending Turkey Day with my family, but holidays will forever be divided now that we have G. Both of R's grandmothers do not travel so they got so much joy out of seeing the baby. It was well worth it. And we came back to my parents' house where they still had leftovers in the fridge... yum!
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