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Plan To Eat

2012-02-03T16:05:00.001-05:00

I struggle with finding time for everyday tasks like vacuuming, dishes, laundry, and grocery shopping. I would love to outsource these tasks, but I can't justify spending the money on a maid or laundry service. I actually researched grocery shopping assistants in the area, but I didn't find much and they all charge exorbitantly anyway.

Enter Plan To Eat (plantoeat.com). This handy website takes all the planning and calculation out of grocery shopping and streamlines the meal planning process. To start, PTE lets you put in your own recipes or choose from theirs. I started off with about 18 recipes. Once you have a set of recipes that you like, you can drag and drop the recipes onto a calendar to create a menu for each day. You can specify breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and even snacks. So far, I've only used it to plan dinners, but then my free trial only started a few days ago.

Once you've got a calendar full of recipes (I worked a week in advance) PTE creates a grocery list of all the things you need for your recipes. You can drag and drop ingredients into the pantry section if you already have the ingredients on hand. Pantry items are set to delete after 2 or 7 days (or never). Because I plan to use PTE once a week or so, I set the items to delete after 2 days. After you've finished your shopping list for items on your menu, you can then add grocery items that aren't related to your recipes. I added breakfast cereal, bananas, coffee creamer and toothpaste. PTE even breaks down your list into manageable categories like dairy, meat, produce and dry goods. And it provides a recipe key to let you know which ingredients go to which recipe. PTE has thought of everything.

Matt and I investigated PTE together. Occasionally he'd say something like, "I wonder how long the pantry items stay in there. Because we won't have egg noodles on hand all the time." A couple of clicks around the site and I had set the items to auto delete after two days. Then he said, "It's weird that minced garlic is considered produce. I'd put that in the spices section." A couple of clicks and voila, minced garlic is lumped in with all the other spices. PTE is completely customizable.

PTE will save me hours every month and will virtually eliminate the, "Any ideas about dinner?" conversation we have every evening. It's so easy anyone can do it. It will also save money. At $39 per year, PTE is completely affordable. If it saves me just one dinner out per year it has paid for itself. Who knew meal planning was so much fun!

b is for baby

2011-09-12T19:31:00.001-04:00

Welcoming our newest little miracle...

kitchen mini-makeover

2011-08-24T14:03:00.000-04:00

Our prior house had a chair rail in the kitchen. The kitchen was very small, and it didn't have a dishwasher. Or even a double sink. But I really liked the chair rail. To highlight it, we painted the top and bottom each a different shade of green. I have no idea now what the top color was called, but the bottom color was something like avocado.

When we moved, our new kitchen did not have a chair rail. While I've toyed with the idea of painting a white stripe on the wall to mimic a chair rail, I don't think it would look all that great in our kitchen. For one thing, the cabinets are very dark. They'll be one of the first things to go when we're in a position to update the kitchen. I hate them. I need something brighter... maybe something more in the honey-colored range.

Anyway, the point is that I had to pick one color for the kitchen, so we picked the avocado color from the last kitchen. (It matched our towels better.) But once it was on the wall, it looked so ... muddy. I've lived with it for over 3 years now, and I think it's finally time for a change. I like the idea of green, but I'm terrible at picking out colors. My intention was to shamelessly copy Karen's color choice and see how I like Gentle Pasture by Valspar.

But when I looked at this color in the store, it looked SO much different than the color in my inspiration kitchen. Like... really really different.

my current kitchen

Karen's kitchen

Gentle Pasture

Asparagus

So now I think I've settled on Asparagus by Behr. One quick Google search confirms that it's a very popular color indeed, but I'm not sure how it will look with our dark cabinets. I'm going to paint it anyway, and if it doesn't look fab with the cabinets, I'll paint those too. That'll show 'em.

a bunny ache

2011-08-17T18:39:00.008-04:00

Last Christmas, I bought myself a gift from Natalie. It was a book called My Quotable Kid in which I could record all of the wonderful, amazing, funny things she would say once she started talking in earnest. Yesterday I finally made my first entry.

We were reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Natalie is now able to fill in the words of some books as we go. So, for instance, we read:

Mommy: In the light of the moon a little...
Natalie: egg
Mommy: lay on a...
Natalie: leaf. (She's very big on nouns.)
Mommy: One Sunday morning, the warm sun came up and ...
Natalie: POP! (the rare onomatopoeia)
Mommy: out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry...
Natalie: caterpillar.

It's adorable.

So when we got to Saturday in the book, we alternated reading the list of food the caterpillar had eaten that day. Natalie was able to help with most of the words -- pickle, cheese, ice cream, melon -- you get the idea. At the end of the list, there waits a very sick looking caterpillar.

We continued reading.
Mommy: That night, he had a...
Natalie: bunny ache.

I laughed of course. And I squeezed her and kissed her. A lot.

real progress

2011-08-06T12:16:00.005-04:00

I took a half-day off of work yesterday to work in solitude on New Baby's nursery. When we first found out I was pregnant, I fully intended to use all of the same bedding and decor from Natalie's room. That was part of the reason we went gender neutral in the first place. Natalie's room turned out great. I loved it. I still love it.

But my mommy guilt got the best of me. I want my kids to know they are both special to me. New Baby will have lots of hand-me-down toys and maybe clothes. So why not give New Baby his or her own space to grow?

Since we, like most parents, find ourselves shorter on cash now than we did before kids, the challenge was to put together a cute room for less money. Especially considering none of it was going to be "showered" on us.

We bought new furniture and painted, and that was a good start. But we had nothing on the walls. Everything I found online was either not to my taste or expensive or out of stock or gender-specific. I splurged on a wall decal (below) that was too cute to pass up and a baby's first year collage frame that matches Natalie's. Those two things came to about $55. I bought a couple of other small things new ($8.50 on clearance). Then I pieced the rest of the decor together using stuff I had on hand or purchased from a thrift store ($5.71).Decor: $69.21
Curtains: $15.50
Bedding: $45
Giving New Baby his/her own space: priceless (or $129.71)

It's got a totally different vibe from Natalie's room, but I really like it. I plan to showcase the projects here once I've got them on the walls. Check back!

auditions

2011-08-01T16:48:00.002-04:00

If you've never interviewed someone before, you might not realize how nerve-wracking it can be. Being the interviewee is definitely a tougher job, but you don't get off scot free if you're the one asking the questions and making the decisions. There's a lot riding on your decision after all, and it's entirely possible that one wrong decision could haunt your every waking hour.

Perhaps that's a bit dramatic when it comes to the workplace, but it's pretty much spot on if you're interviewing day care centers for your children. When Matt and I first started looking at day care options (before Natalie was born) we were in a completely different place than we are now. We were unaware of all of the expenses that we'd be faced with and what kind of child care we wanted for Natalie. We hadn't research Flex Spending Accounts, the Child & Dependent Care tax credit, child care standards mandated by our state, and on and on and on. I guess we were just looking for a warm fuzzy feeling.

Some places we drove right by, not even bothering to go inside. Some places gave us the heebie jeebies during our tour. Some places enchanted us and gave us just the warm fuzzy feeling we were looking for... until it was time to discuss tuition. Some places came recommended. Others we knew only because they were close to our house and we'd driven by them a hundred times before.

For all our searching, we never did manage to find child care we were 100% satisfied with. Even our current situation has its share of negatives. (A 50-minute commute... with two kids to get ready in the morning? No thanks!) So we're looking again, and this time we're a little more prepared. We have some experience, we have a little bit better of an idea what we're looking for, what constitutes a good day care and what we're willing to sacrifice.

So I'm happy to report that after hours spent researching online, many solicited recommendations, and three tours of three different centers, I think we've found the place for us.

Partly, it's a relief to have made a decision at all, let alone one that we're happy with. But partly, it's also really scary. Because if you're not a seasoned interviewer, how do you know if the candidate is just putting on a show?

The answer is... you don't. And that's the part that's still nerve-wracking.

35 weeks

2011-07-27T22:25:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe I'm so close! This coming Monday my doctor will be able to tell me if I should expect an earlier delivery date. That is very exciting! I've already arranged to take vacation the last week of my pregnancy, because ... well, it's hot and I'm huge and I just can't be on my feet all day and be cheerful about it!

And then there's the fact that new baby's room is not at all finished. The crib is up and the bassinet is ready. Baby's clothes are hanging in the closet. But there is nothing, not a single thing, on the walls. I have lots of half-formed jungle-themed ideas, but nothing very cohesive. I'm trying to find the time to try out a project or two, but it's proving difficult, considering we still have to find a daycare we like. Plus, I have only a few short weeks with Natalie all to myself, and I want to make the most of them.

But today I'm not going to worry about anything. Instead, I will rejoice in the fact that I have less than 4 weeks of work left before I become a new mommy for the second time.

the beatles, the 1970s and veggie tales

2011-06-30T12:09:00.000-04:00

At first glance, these three might not have much in common. I Want to Hold Your Hand, Proud Mary and God Is Greater Than the Boogeyman must have a certain je ne sais quoi, though, because Natalie rocks out to all of them.

The six spots on my car's CD changer are occupied by the following:
- Veggie Tales Silly Singalong v. 1
- Veggie Tales Silly Singalong v. 2
- Bob & Larry Sing the 70s
- Kidz Bop Sings The Beatles
- Playhouse Disney Music Playdate
- Sesame Street Platinum All-Time Favorites/Elmopalooza mix CD

Naturally, I welcome the kid-friendly remixes of actual songs ... like, that you'd hear on the radio. Because, well, one can only listen to the Bubble Guppies theme song so often before one starts humming it in one's sleep.

I've occasionally been able to listen to the radio, too, but there's too much crap mixed in between the good stuff to hold her interest. (And too many songs now have iffy lyrics... I find myself listening to the oldies stations more and more!) So until I get an iPod hookup installed in my car, we'll stick to whatever CDs cross my path at the library.

Luckily, Natalie's taste is pretty good ... so far. The song she requests most, though? The "hot dog" song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. *sigh*

31 weeks

2011-06-27T22:53:00.004-04:00

I completely forgot to post my 30 week picture! But here I am at 31 weeks!

I can't believe that in 9 weeks (and by "nine" I mean "please-God-make-it-less-than-nine") we'll be a family of four, and Natalie will be a big sister. I'm still trying to picture her in that role. Sometimes she seems so grown up, and sometimes she's still my little baby.

There are times I wish I could have her all to myself for a little while longer. With a face and personality like hers, who wouldn't? But I'm committed to finding ways to make her feel special, even while (especially while) the new baby needs constant attention.

The room is coming along slowly. The furniture is in, the paint is up. All I need is artwork. And, uh, a crib mattress :) Details, details.

garage salesmanship

2011-06-16T11:46:00.003-04:00

I am preparing to host my first ever garage sale this Saturday. Having taken part in a few garage sales (and having been to even more), I thought I was pretty prepared for all the work involved. Man, it is a lot of work. Especially while trying make sure your toddler doesn't run full speed down the driveway into traffic.

Matt is against garage-saleing as a rule, but I think he is curious to see how it's going to go. He doesn't like to haggle with people, but since we're in "everything must go" mentality, there won't be much haggling going on. After all, we're adding a whole other person to our family in August, and babies have lots of stuff.

Our sale is a few days away, but we have almost everything set up. As we go, I am schooling Matt in basic garage salesmanship.

Rule #1 : Everything has to be clean. You can easily spend days on this if your stuff has been in storage for awhile. Fun times.

Rule #2 : Display display display. There was a library study done several years ago in which a librarian chose books of which the library owned two copies. One, she left on the shelf. The other, she displayed. Guess which one checked out more? My own personal library-gleaned rule is that books on the bottom shelves don't check out much, so put your boxes on tables to encourage more browsing. Also, signs make a huge difference for people who come looking for one thing. They want to get in and get out. They do not want to check out all your crap to find that one-in-a-million deal.

Rule #3 : Bargain hunters start early 'round these parts. We'll be setting up at 7 for an 8 a.m. sale time. I already posted our sale on Craigslist and (surprise surprise!) received a few emails asking about specific items. One person even asked if we'd be willing to open our garage to him for a "preview sale".

I told you they start early.

uh... what??

2011-06-15T08:07:00.005-04:00

"We're going to assume it's MRSA."

How would you like to hear that coming from your child's pediatrician? What's that? No, I didn't think so. I didn't react too well to it either. I think much clutching and hugging of Natalie was involved. And a few tears.

That said, after some research, I discovered that MRSA is not quite the death sentence I imagined. After hearing about cases in the news, it's easy to assume the worst. Sure, it's more common now than it was, say, 10 years ago. And it is becoming increasingly resistant to more antibiotics. But for now, for my little girl, it's completely treatable.

We won't know if she actually has MRSA until this afternoon or tomorrow at the latest. For now, she's on treatment as if she does have it, and we're keeping a close eye on her temperature, temperament and infection site. For now, she seems to be responding well.

Thank God.

Natalie on the day of her 18 month pictures. She had just gotten three shots, and she already had what would turn out to be a staph infection. And she's still this darn cute.

18 months

2011-06-05T12:29:00.000-04:00

Dear Natalie,

When you were born, I couldn't wait for your firsts. Your first smile, your first word, your first step. I remember thinking how nice it would be when you could hold your own bottle/cup, eat real food, walk on your own. Now we're there. Now you learn something every single day. Now time is moving too quickly. You're growing up too fast. I love the little girl you're growing into, but I am already nostalgic for the baby you've grown out of. I love you, angelface.

Love, Mommy

I guess that I can hold you one more time before you grow.

And tell you that I love you, so that you'll always know.

Please let me tie your shoe again. One day you'll tie your own.

And when you think back to this time. I hope it's love I've shown.

Tonight could I please wash your hair? And put toys in the bath?

Can I help you count your small ten toes before I teach you math?

Please let me help you up the hill. while you're still too small to climb.

And let me read you stories while you're young and have the time.

I know the day will come when you will do these things alone.

Will you recall the shoulder rides and all the balls we've thrown?

So will you let me carry you? One day you'll walk alone.

I cannot bear to miss one day from now until you've grown.

Original poem by Brad Anderson. Full text here.

cinderella ate my daughter

2011-05-30T07:20:00.001-04:00

Growing up, I always heard how important it was to create your own values and to not let society dictate who you become. Peer pressure was a four letter word, and in social situations it was to be treated similarly to drugs and alcohol. Just say no to peer pressure.

I realize now that there's a not-so-subtle line between what I want for my own satisfaction and what society tells me I should want. And I'm coming to appreciate that if I strive for the former, I will be a happier person.

It took me almost 30 years to realize that. Is it impossible to hope that Natalie could grow up with that knowledge? Is it impossible to believe that she could grow into a 12-year-old girl who puts more emphasis on doing her best in school and being a good friend than the clothes she wears or fitting in with the right crowd?

Do you worry about these things for your daughter (or your son's future prom date)? Or were you were perturbed at seeing a 6-year-old dressed as a Pussycat Doll last Halloween? If so, you might want to pick up Cinderella Ate My Daughter the next time you are at the library.

Among the quotes that resonated with me (enough to write them down) were these:

What I want for my daughter seems so simple: for her to grow up healthy, happy and confident, with a clear sense of her own potential and the opportunity to fulfill it. p.9

Where was the point that exploration of femininity turned to exploitation of it, the line between frivolous fun and JonBenet? p.72

I don't want my daughter to be twenty-one when she is twelve. p.84

Rather than raising a generation of Cinderellas, we may actually be cultivating a legion of step-sisters -- spoiled, self-centered, materialists, superficially charming but without the depth or means for authentic transformation. p.104

If you have read or decide to read Cinderella Ate My Daughter, I would love to discuss it with you!

i will miss this house

2011-05-25T07:19:00.002-04:00

No we aren't moving.

But when Matt and I talk about home improvements and budgets and styles, one of us always brings up the point that this is not going to be our forever house. We won't still be living here when our children leave for college or get married. We won't be grandparents in this house. We might not even be girl scout leaders in this house. Our original plan was 10-15 years then we'd move on.

When I look around though, I will miss what we've experienced here. I remember decorating the house: peeling wallpaper, painting, and larger renovations. I remember when we found out we were pregnant (twice!), and when we brought Natalie home. We learned how to be parents here.

When Natalie's older, and we look back at pictures of her childhood, I hope she remembers our first home. Playing in the pool and sprinkler and laughing in her baby swing. The slide she wanted so badly. The deck she "helped" to build. The bathtub she drew all over and played in with her sibling/s. That we couldn't keep her from climbing onto the bay window seat. And so many other everyday memories we haven't made yet.

Maybe the pregnancy hormones are making me overly sentimental. But I can't help it. I will miss this house.

our connecticut wedding weekend

2011-05-20T07:34:00.001-04:00

Recently, we embarked a short visit to Connecticut for a wedding. Flying with a toddler, we were prepared for the worst, but Natalie was fantastic. During our first flight (1 hour, 15 minutes), she was slightly fidgety but fell asleep for the last half hour. She was jumpy but good-natured during the second flight (45 minutes).

Not everyone fared so well. Both flights were extremely turbulent. The second flight was my worst experience to date. Several people got sick, including Matt. And he never gets motion sick.

We checked into our hotel, fed Natalie, let her watch an Elmo DVD while we recovered, and prepared for the rehearsal dinner. Dinner lasted a long time past Natalie’s bedtime, but we were back at the hotel and fast asleep by 10:30 pm.

The next day brought a trip to the pool. Natalie totally dominated that pool. We showed her how to go under water then dunked her carefully. She wasn't crazy about it, but she wasn't afraid. Most of all she loved sitting on the side of the pool kicking her legs and splashing everyone in a 3 foot radius. She was in the water for two hours, followed by a two-hour nap.

The wedding ceremony was lovely. The cocktail hour was spent chasing after Natalie who at one point grabbed two handfuls of dirt from the potted plants and threw them all over herself and the floor.

The reception was fantastic. The first hour was dancing instead of dinner, and I’m so glad. Matt and I got to dance with Natalie, and she even busted out her frog dance move. This consists of a lot of up-and-down motion, stomping one foot, and saying "ribbip". We danced the entire hour. Then I rocked her to sleep, and left her slumbering peacefully in the care of a babysitter.

The next day was more family time, and the next night was a different hotel. Though she was coming down with something and had a fever, Natalie slept pretty well.

The flights home were better than the flights there. The first flight (1 hour), she got her own seat. The second flight (1 hour, 30 minutes) she slept the entire time.

We landed safely in Dayton and now look back fondly on our first vacation-with-a-toddler experience.

third trimester

2011-05-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

Before falling asleep last night, I decided to dig out one of my pregnancy books to see what was supposed to be going on with new baby. Much to my surprise, said book informed me that I am now 25 weeks along and in my third trimester! When did that happen? Here is my 25 week belly shot.

My pregnancy with Natalie seemed to take so much longer. I don't think I was bored per se, but I do think I'm much busier now.

When your days are filled with moments like this, time goes too quickly.

another project down!

2011-05-09T22:08:00.008-04:00

Our new deck is my favorite part of the whole house. Especially on days like today... a temperature around 75 degrees and the sunniest skies we've seen 'round these parts in quite a while. And now on to pictures.

Remember what it looked like before?

Well this is what it looks like now...

The view from the yard. A pergola adds shade because our house gets full-on midday sun. Built in benches on either side of the deck add functional seating, serve in place of railings, and take up only a fraction of the space of furniture.

A close-up of the pergola and bench seating

The view out the back door... much more open to the yard, and about 3 feet bigger thanks to the large terraced step.

Natalie is really excited about the new deck!

for what it's worth

2011-05-04T18:04:00.004-04:00

There's probably nothing that can prepare a person for parenthood. So so so many things are not as you expected, and there are so many large and small things that weren't even on your radar to begin with.

Despite the fact that I have a large extended family and family of in-laws, and despite the fact that they were not sparing with their advice and wisdom, nothing took root. I didn't heed the warning to, "Sleep. Sleep. For the love of God, sleep whenever you can." I brushed off the people who said, "If you can't or decide not to, breastfeeding is not the be all end all." And only after I was home alone with my newborn baby for two days without help did I recognize the wisdom of, "Accept any and all help you are offered."

For these reasons, I don't expect my advice to go very far. I don't really even offer it, unless asked, because new parents are so over the moon in love with the thought of parenthood. Like me, they don't pause to consider that it might be harder than they expect. Way harder. But here it is anyway. For what it's worth.

Take way too many pictures.
Try out generic brands. Target's diapers are a lot better than name brand!
Take it easy on yourself. There is almost nothing you can do that will scar your baby for life. If you have to bottle feed, take her to daycare, or let her cry for 10 minutes while you shower, that's okay.
If something doesn't feel right, trust your judgment. Try different formulas (with or without your doctor's advice), and don't let her cry it out if it makes you uncomfortable.
Do what you feel is best. You can't go back later and love your baby differently.
Sleep every chance you get. I heard this a lot but didn't take heed. Seriously, sleep.
Start a bedtime routine and stick with it.
Try lots of calming techniques to see which ones you and baby like best. What worked for us: patting her bottom, while lightly bouncing her and making loud "shhh" sounds.
Blackout blinds and a white noise machine can work wonders.
Find a soothie that she likes. Natalie had no interest in pacifiers, but she likes falling asleep with a blankie. I wouldn't put her down without one now.
Professional pictures are fun! And they don't have to cost a lot. We usually pay arond $20 at JC Penney with a coupon.
Wide neck bottles are the way to go. They make middle-of-the-night feedings much easier. We like the ones from Gerber.
Accept help when offered. And don't be afraid to ask for what you need.
Say out loud, "I love you, I love you, I love you." When I found myself sleep-deprived, stressed and frustrated, holding a tired baby who wouldn't stop crying, this trick saved me.
Nothing can prepare you for the first two months of motherhood. It isn't the same for everyone, but it was the hardest thing I've ever done.
It gets so much better. Whether your baby is fussy or calm or colicky or sleeps all the time, the same is true. Every month is better than the last. She'll start smiling at you, sleeping regularly (or at least for longer periods), laughing, talking, moving on her own... there are so many things that get so much better.
Sleep every chance you get. In case I didn't mention it before.
Nothing can prepare you for how much you are going to love your little girl. But you might not feel that bond right away. Give it a month or so until you really get to know her. You'll fall head over heels.
Get lots of advice, but go with your gut. I fed Natalie when she was hungry and let her sleep when she's tired. My friend had her infant on a strict schedule. Both of them continue to thrive, and they'll both turn out great.
There really is no tried and true. Every baby is different.
Get one of those temperature monitor thingies for her room. We don't have one, and we are constantly wondering if she is too hot or too cold.
Video monitors are not overrated. I thought they were, so we didn't register for one. We have one now, and trust me. It's $150 well spent.

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-25T15:14:00.000-04:00

Sure, 30 is a milestone, but we celebrate our entrance to middle age by enjoying a quiet evening on our new deck. Going out involves too much precious time spent away from our wonderful, adorable baby girl. So we gathered friends and family around a crackling campfire and toasted marshmallows. Perfect.

freakin' fabulous

2011-04-21T14:58:00.000-04:00

Last year I started an ambitious campaign to be more ladylike. If you know me, you know what I mean by "ambitious." I went through Emily Post's book of etiquette searching for things that are applicable to my life. (Calling cards? Notsomuch.) As it happens, there wasn't a whole lot that was applicable to my life.

I did learn that when offering felicitations to a bride, you should never say "congratulations." That implies that she "won" something when really it was the groom who "won" over the bride. You should say "best wishes" instead. How I remember that and not a million other more important things is beyond me. I also managed to learn how to eat using the continental method, which is enormously impressive to me (and only me, I'm pretty sure).

But the truth of the matter is that there just isn't much Emily Post can tell me about life in the 21st century. So I was delighted to find Freakin' Fabulous by style guru Clinton Kelly. It's full of fascinating and useful tidbits such as when to salt and pepper your food, what not to bring to a dinner party, and how to write a good thank you note. And it's funny!

bumper stickers

2011-04-19T08:48:00.000-04:00

I can't decide if bumper stickers are a cool, fun little adornment or are completely trashy. Normally, I don't like things on the back of my car. My Syracuse Alumni license plate frame is about as personal as it gets right now.

But recently I have been wanting something a little more me. And those stick-family stickers are not my style, so that's out. I really want to give into what I call (for lack of a better term) ovals. I've been resisting because of their trendiness. I'm not really a trendy person, for better or for worse. But maybe if I just stick with country ovals (as opposed to city ovals, sports team ovals, marathon ovals, etc etc etc) I won't seem as... sheepish.

Does that back of my Jeep need this much bling?
I don't know. I'm still trying to decide.

a cup a day...

2011-04-15T13:25:00.001-04:00

Being the mother of a toddler requires a lot of early mornings, as well as a certain amount of cheerful flexibility. Natalie decided she didn't need more than a 30 minute nap today? Hey, that's okay. Natalie decided she doesn't want to eat anything but peanut butter and jelly? Well, you have to pick your battles.

Sometimes I am this cheerfully flexible. Sometimes I get very very frustrated. When frustrated Fran comes out, we go for coffee. I usually start my work days with coffee, and sometimes I even start my "Natalie days" with coffee too. Because, while Natalie days are much more fun than actual work, they are still tiring.

But when I found myself pregnant again (yay!) I tried to cut the coffee entirely. The risks of caffeine intake on pregnant women and their babies haven't been proven, but I thought I should play it safe. Turns out tired mommy is not a fun mommy. I'm back to my one caffeinated drink a day routine. I won't say I need it, but it helps. A lot.

So does this recent news item about the possible benefits of coffee. Score!

half way!

2011-04-12T09:01:00.007-04:00

Here I am at 20 weeks and 2 days pregnant with baby 2. As of yesterday, I am officially in the second half of this pregnancy! With absolutely nothing done to prepare for the newest addition, I'm sure this last 20 weeks will go quickly.

I know it's only natural with a second baby, but I feel (and I look) a lot bigger now than I did when I was pregnant with Natalie. Seriously, I already look like I did in my third trimester pic last time! Although technically that's only 5 weeks away. So maybe that's not so bad after all :)

Oh, and I almost forgot! I've been feeling the baby kick for awhile now. I'm finding out that a lot of the excitement of pregnancy gets lost when you've done it before. Decorating the nursery, the hospital tour, and even the days ticking by (wait... I'm 20 weeks already?) But feeling the baby move is special and amazing. Even if it isn't exactly new.

Apple Gruyere Pie Recipe

2011-04-08T15:14:00.003-04:00

If you were a fan of the series Pushing Daisies, this might be right up your alley! This has been modified slightly from the blogger at Rice and Spice. For instance, I used Crisco instead of leaf lard. And a pastry cutter instead of a food processor. The result is still pretty great, and I get asked for this recipe a lot. Enjoy!

Pie Crust
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. sugar
13 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1 in pieces
7 tbsp. butter flavored Crisco
2 oz. Gruyère, finely grated
ice water

Pie filling
3 lbs (about 7 apples; I like to use a mix of red and green)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
5 tsp. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, salt, sugar and Gruyere in large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the Crisco. Cut in the butter until the largest pieces of butter are the size of large peas.

Sprinkle ice water over flour mixture one tablespoon at a time; toss after each addition. (Try not to add too much extra water.) Dough is ready when it clumps together when squeezed in your palm. Gather dough into two parts, one slightly larger than the other.

Roll out the larger piece of dough, and ease dough into pie plate. Peel, core and slice apples into quarters. Slice each quarter thinly. Mix in other filling ingredients. Pile apples into pie plate, pouring any juice on top.

Roll out smaller piece of dough, and place on top of apples. Seal two crusts together, and make slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Place pie in oven, and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 50 minutes to an hour, until you can see the filling bubbling between the slits in the crust.

Cool on a wire rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

The deck

2011-04-06T16:26:00.001-04:00

For some reason, I feel it necessary to insist that my wonderful husband embark on large home improvement projects while I’m pregnant. With Natalie, we decided we needed a new master bathroom. It turned out great, but the experience was frustrating. This year, when we found out Uncle Sam was going to be rewarding us with a juicy tax return, we decided we needed another project. This year, it was the deck.

Our deck is roughly 20 years old and is showing its age. Or was showing its age. Before it was demolished. Maybe starting in March wasn’t the best plan, but now three weeks later, it’s almost done. It will be larger, more open to our yard, and feature built in seating and a pergola. When it’s finished. To the credit of my husband and all the great help we’ve had, this project has gone really quickly!

Right now we have loose deck boards on the deck and a makeshift ramp down to the yard. It’s liveable, but I can’t wait for the finished product. Check back closer to Easter for finished pictures. I’m sure it will be great!

I have decided

2011-04-04T16:25:00.000-04:00

I’m giving this one last shot. The posts will be infrequent, and I’m not going to beat myself up if I go weeks (or more likely months) without posting. The thing is that as I have been reading over some of my previous posts, it’s a great record of my thoughts and where I have been at any given point in my life. I’ll save all of these wonderful memories to share with my children as they get older. So here goes…

words words words

2011-03-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

Natalie's first word was Dadda, though I'm not 100% convinced she knew what she was saying. Matt and I marvel every time she says a new word. Sometimes she repeats what we say, but sometimes she says a word out of the blue that we haven't spoken to her in days.

I thought it was great how much she was able to communicate at 15 months old. But when our doctor told us that she should know about 10 words by that age, I was floored. She was already close to 50. After that I stopped keeping track. I couldn't anymore. She was and still is learning words so quickly that I can't keep up. When people ask, I end up saying, "Uh let's see. She said water, and uh... gator. Um... swing... slide. She knows all the kids' names at daycare..." But I know there's more.

I attribute this language explosion to the fact that we read and talk to her every day, and have been since she was born. Since before actually. And during those long commutes to Oxford, I listed to an awful lot of audio books. (So if she grows up with a penchant for Jeremy Irons' voice, audio books are to blame.)

Also, she has extremely good genes ;)

Soon I'll post a picture of Natalie's "word wall". Matt brought home bath crayons that Natalie absolutely loves. But in an effort to keep my mom updated on all the new words Natalie was saying, I used the crayons to keep track. These are her first 50 words.

Journaling versus blogging

2011-03-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

I have always been a fan of journaling. More so now that I have a child (and another on the way). I started Natalie’s journal when I was just 5 weeks pregnant. And now, at 14 weeks pregnant the second time, I have started a new journal for the new baby.

With a full time job, a precocious and adorable toddler, a home that demands renovation, and a husband that insists we have food in the house at all times, the question becomes… are two journals enough, or should I continue attempting to blog?

ho ho!

2010-12-20T14:13:00.000-05:00

We took Natalie to the mall to see Santa the other day. The whole experience was great! The mall we chose has a train that runs behind Santa with a little winter wonderland setting. Natalie was too young to ride it, but she loved watching it go around while waving at the passengers. When her turn came, she spotted Santa and shouted, "Ho ho!" That's her name for Santa, and it's adorable the way she says it with such familiarity. "I know him! That's Ho ho!"

She sat happily on Santa's lap, and kept looking up at him with glee. "I can't believe I finally get to meet you!" her expression seemed to say. She also clutched her small stuffed Santa, which was beyond adorable. Enjoy!

walking!

2010-12-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

Natalie walked tonight! When she realized what she was doing, she immediately stopped, but it was so amazing! Bring on toddler-hood!

first reds game!

2010-10-04T14:38:00.000-04:00

Taking Natalie to a Reds game involved a lot of planning! We wanted to avoid night games, work around my weekend work schedule, and pick a day that wouldn't be too hot for her to be out for several hours. Hot days make us both cranky :)

We ended up buying tickets for the last Reds game of the season. Although we were joined by lots of other friends, Natalie was the only baby. She was awesome through most of the game. When she started getting fidgety, Matt and I took her for a walk around the park. She took home a Mr. Redlegs doll, and even got her picture taken with Gapper.

And we even won.

OAMC Italian Style

2010-06-12T16:21:00.001-04:00

I’m really busy. At least I think so. Tomorrow is my 15th straight day of work, and last night Matt and I were busy preparing the guest room for our impending house guests. I find myself running improbable errands on my lunch break (grocery shopping in 20 minutes: not recommended), and taking care of phone business on my commute. Most of my reading is now done by audiobook. All of this so that the end of the day brings uninterrupted family time.

I freely admit that if we hadn’t had the foresight to cook dinner ahead of time and freeze it, we’d have been eating out (or grilling out) almost every night this week. Instead, we got to choose from a variety of meals we’d already prepared. Last night, we chose Chicken Tucson. I’ve already shared that recipe, so today I’ve posted a different one. Another favorite cook and freeze meal… Italian style!

Stuffed Manicotti

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1/8 tsp pepper
8 manicotti shells (I always have more stuffing than shells, so buy extra)
1 14-oz. jar pasta sauce
1 cup Mozarella, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

Brown ground beef with onion in large skillet. Drain well, then add mushrooms. Cook and stir 4-5 minutes longer, until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and add breadcrumbs, milk, egg, first quantity of Parmesan cheese, and pepper. Mix well.
Boil manicotti shells as directed on package. (Mine are never al dente enough, and they always break. If yours break while you’re stuffing them, don’t fret. They turn out just fine.) Drain, and rinse with cold water. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Stuff each shell with beef mixture.
Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9×9 baking dish. (I don’t have any 9×9 dishes, so I use whatever I have that’s remotely close.) Top with stuffed manicotti noodles. Cover with remaining sauce. Chill in refrigerator, then wrap. Attach baggie of mixed Mozarella and second quantity of Parmesan. Label all. Freeze.
To bake immediately, sprinkle with mozzarella and second quantity of Parmesan. Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
To cook from frozen , thaw overnight in refrigerator. (Mine always takes longer than “overnight”, so start early!) Cover and bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes or until hot. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese mixture, and 10 to 15 minutes longer, until casserole bubbles and cheese is melted.

Obviously classy

2010-05-27T16:21:00.000-04:00

If you’re anything like most people, you’ve gone through a period where you hated your name. Maybe you’ve sworn, as I did, that if you ever got the chance to name your own child, you’d do much better than your parents did.

I decided on my daughter’s first name a long time ago, so I’m lucky that the husband has similar taste. But what does our choice of names say about our taste exactly?

According to the book Beyond Ava & Aiden (the updated version of Beyond Jennifer & Jason), the name Natalie is glamorous, vintage chic, and feminine. It is also serious and grown-up, a name “your daughter may thank you for as she gets older.” And it reveals that Matt and I have a touch of Yuppy in us.

Natalie’s middle name — Claire — is all of those things, as well as “obviously classy.” Nice to know!

None of this guarantees that Natalie will like her name. The name Frances is a hipster name that is both serious and vintage. And although it has been “over looked by the masses,” it “has class to spare.” None of which changes my opinion, of course.

If you want to know what your child’s name reveals about you (or what your name reveals about your parents!) find Beyond Ava & Aiden at your local library or bookstore. Or ask me to look it up. I totally will.

New ride!

2010-05-12T16:19:00.000-04:00

The lateness of this post is embarrassing, but here it is… finally.

In 2004, I bought a gently used Ford Focus out of sheer necessity. I had totaled my beat-up ’92 Escort and needed a ride fast. Without help from a father or husband (but with some help from a best friend), I found the perfect car for me. It was blue, had low mileage, and I could afford it on my meager salary. Plus, with four doors, it was kind of an upgrade.

Six years later, having gotten married, moved three or four times, and had a baby, I found myself needing more from my car. It didn’t fit the car seat, and barely fit the stroller… forget about groceries.

I researched for months to find a car I liked that was in our budget. I wanted something in the crossover family: not a behemoth, but bigger than my sedan. Something with good gas mileage and better safety ratings. I missed the sunroof from my old Escort, so I definitely wanted one of those. Also, I had never had a car with cruise control, power windows or power locks, and I wanted all three. And of course, it had to fit the car seat. That I found a new car with a kickin’ sound package was a huge bonus. That it was priced to sell was an even bigger bonus.

We bought it the same day we test drove it. Natalie came along, and gave it her seal of approval — she didn’t cry the entire test drive! Matt came with me, but the only opinion he gave was that it was going to be my car, so it was going to be my choice.

(I also made sure the back seat could fit three car seats across. You never know! ;)

Things I have learned from being a mommy

2010-05-10T16:16:00.000-04:00

3. Your time suddenly becomes a lot more valuable.

Pop Quiz: You get home from work around 6:15 pm. You have one hour and 15 minutes before your baby goes to sleep. You choose to:
A. wash the dishes.
B. cook dinner.
C. cuddle with, play with, or take a walk with your baby.
D. update your social networking sites.

Maybe you are thinking, “That’s a cinch! I could put him in his swing in the kitchen while I make dinner. We could sing silly songs while he watches mommy be silly dancing around.”

That is a great idea, and I’ve tried it a couple of times. But when your baby is in his swing while you’re cooking — no matter how much of an effort you make to interact with or entertain him, there are going to be times you’re more focused on the cookbook, the sink, the stove, the oven, the cutting board than on your baby.

Once I became a mother, my free time completely disappeared. Not because I had no free time, but because the free time that I did have I wanted to spend with my daughter. (Or, after she goes to bed, with my husband.) Even running errands during my time with Natalie feels like I’m cheating both of us, because I can’t see her or really interact with her at all.

Although maybe at least grocery shopping will be more fun now!

Natalie's first shopping cart ride (5-9-10)

Cheating in the Kitchen

2010-04-20T16:15:00.000-04:00

On a local message board for working mommies, a fellow poster mentioned Once A Month Cooking (OAMC). The theory is that you clear a day (probably a Saturday), have your ingredients ready, and cook up a storm. In one day, you should be able to get 30 dinners made — enough for the whole month. That’s the story anyway.

Turns out, I’m not that hard core. Matt and I have been trying OAMC in a less strict form. We don’t cook 30 dinners in one day. We cook, maybe 3 or 6 dinners at a time several times a month. Either way, the result is the same: dinner that is ready when you are. Here is one recipe we have tried and loved.

Chicken Tucson

1 (20 oz) jar salsa
2 (16 oz) cans black beans
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
6 corn (we used flour) tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar (I ran out and subbed in pepper jack)
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Spread 1/2 cup salsa in 9×9 inch baking dish and set aside. (I don’t have any 9×9 baking dishes, so I use whatever’s closest.) Drain black beans and rinse well; drain again. In large bowl, combine beans, bell pepper, chicken and remaining salsa. Mix well.

2. Place 3 tortillas on salsa in bottom of baking dish. Top with half of chicken mixture and sprinkle with half of cheese. Top with 3 more tortillas, then remaining chicken mixture. Either cook now or freeze for later. See instructions below.

To cook and serve immediately: dollop with sour cream, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes until bubbly and cheese begins to brown.

Instructions for freezing, thawing and cooking later: Cover and label. Reserve sour cream in refrigerator. Place remaining cheese in zip-loc bag, attach to baking dish, and freeze.Thaw overnight in refrigerator. (Ours needed thawing over TWO nights.) Place small dollops of sour cream on casserole and top with cheese from zip-loc bag. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and cheese begins to brown.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T15:43:00.003-04:00

I don’t think I’ve ever sent out an Easter card until now. But sending out cards for random holidays is more enjoyable now that Natalie is here. In fact, I have come to appreciate that Natalie makes everything – yes everything – a lot more fun. Even though having a baby means getting up at 2:30 in the morning on a regular basis. Or having to stand in the back of a packed church because (1) there is no room to sit and (2) if the baby cries, I need a quick escape route. Or going to family functions where Natalie will be fussed over and played with until she becomes overstimulated, starts to cry, and needs her mommy to cradle and sing softly to her.

Even though it’s a lot more work, it’s also so much more fun.

Things I have learned from being a mommy

2010-03-17T15:42:00.001-04:00

2. Settled down is actually kind of nice.

When Matt and I were dating, I told him point blank that I did not want children. I furthermore did not want to be tied down to a life of boring domesticity. I wanted to travel (I had just gotten back from a four-week tour of the British Isles). I wanted excitement and adventure ’round every turn. I did not — NOT — want to settle down.

Luckily, he wore me down. I’m not saying it’s not the right path for some people, but getting out of the Army was the best decision for us. Watching Matt in the morning with Natalie, I am so grateful that he is here. I am so grateful that he will never miss a birthday. Or Christmas. Or dance recital. He will be available to chaperone field trips and ferry her to soccer practice. He can teach her the intricacies of baseball and long division. And — when she’s older — boys. Because she will probably go to an all-girl’s high school, he will be available for those Daddy-Daughter dances that my cousins are so fond of now. He will be the one to teach her to make snow angels in Winter and how to execute a perfect cannonball dive in the Summer.

And although it’s so so important to both of us that she knows who he is, I am also grateful that he knows who she is. I don’t want her to be stranger to him either. My mom hasn’t seen her granddaughter since she was about 3 weeks old. Of course, she remembers Natalie. Of course she has watched her grow in pictures and, soon, will watch her on a webcam. But if you ask her, she’ll say it’s just not the same.

Army life is rewarding in other ways. I’m grateful for Matt’s involvement in Natalie’s life, that’s all. I feel blessed to have my family together and safe. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

920 -- Things I'm loving these days

2010-03-13T22:07:00.006-05:00

The rain. It is nature's car wash. Plus it smells good.
The PSI monitor on my car. I'll leave you to your inferences.
These to do list note pads from prettybitter.com. I appreciate their honesty. (PS My birthday is coming up!)
Moms Like Me. After searching high and low for a full time working mom online support group, I finally stumbled on this (all local!) site. They have already helped me through one low point.
My darling daughter. Despite sickness, exhaustion, and general icky feelings, she manages to be amazing every day. We should all be so lucky.
My new fabric softener scent. Hey, it's all about the little things, right?
My husband. He works really hard, and never (hardly ever) complains. I have a lot to learn from him.
Custom return address stamps like these. Because labels are so last decade. Did I mention my birthday is coming up?
Bath time. Natalie's bath routine is the time we are guaranteed every day. We pick out her clothes, get some tub time in, and she talks up a storm. Afterwords, I feed her and sing to her. Sometimes she sings along.
Friends who call more than a month ahead of my birthday to ask what my plans are and if I want to get together to celebrate. They don't need no stinkin Facebook reminder! Thanks friend :)

Anything you're loving these days?

808.882 -- Nerdy Librarian Quote

2010-03-11T08:34:00.003-05:00

"When you handle books all day long,
every new one is a friend and a temptation."
-- from The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

649.1 -- Things I've learned from being a mommy

2010-03-08T18:27:00.008-05:00

1. A very very clean house is not necessarily a home

Of course it's necessary that Natalie has a clean place to grow and thrive. Clean clothes to wear. Clean bottles from which to drink. And a clean place to sleep. Does that mean it's important to vacuum the house every day? To scrub her bathtub after every bath? To sanitize her bottles after every feeding? Not to me. Will she mind if the dishes pile up or if her laundry never does get folded? She won't. And if she does, I hope she won't care.

What I hope she remembers are the trio of lullabies I sing to her at every bedtime. That I would rather cuddle and play with her than anything else. Even if she doesn't remember specific things, she will hopefully remember that she was always more important to me than chores.

I try to get Matt to understand this, but maybe one of us has to keep an eye on the dust bunnies.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby for babies don't keep.

by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

394.2618 -- Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

747 -- Another New Addition

2010-01-02T17:14:00.009-05:00

You might recall that we decided to overhaul our master bathroom weeks before our precious daughter was born. We thought we'd have plenty of time. I wasn't much help, other than painting and design decisions, so Matt had a lot of work on his hands.

The master bath before... desperate for an update.

After hearing from my OB that Natalie was likely to be a week late, I was confident Matt could finish on time. Then she came early. When we left for the hospital at 4 a.m. on a Saturday morning, our new quartz countertop and Corian undermount sink were on saw horses in the kitchen. Which is exactly where we found them when we got back from the hospital 2 days later.

Matt dragged himself away from our little one long enough to install the sink, fit the plumbing, hang the vanity mirror, and install the glass shower enclosure. We now have a luxurious master bathroom to relax us after a long day, or revive us in preparation for a long night.

Viola!

Note the stone corner seat (Matt's idea) and the custom inserts on the wall (my idea). I'm especially proud of the vanity that Matt put together. He had to order a wall cabinet and customize it himself for our very small bathroom. The medicine cabinet/mirror was another project. Recessing it into the wall added "visual square footage."

I love our new bathroom. There isn't one thing I would change!

649.122 -- Welcome!

2009-12-15T09:39:00.002-05:00

As you can see, I have one very good reason for being away from the blog. My beautiful daughter was born three days early, and we have been enjoying her ever since. You'll see more posts about Natalie in the coming months. For now, just consider this your introduction!

128.4 -- Waiting

2009-11-24T17:06:00.001-05:00

The changing table and diaper bag are stocked.

Our hospital bags wait by the door.

The car seat is ready.

Now that we have entered the two-week warning period, our little one might come any time. Nothing left to do but wait ... anxiously!

641.568 -- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

2009-11-19T11:57:00.005-05:00

Last year, my side of the family gathered at our little house for a huge Thanksgiving dinner. We shoved two large and two smaller tables together, draped several table clothes over the whole thing, and broke out the chaffing dishes for the biggest dinner party our house has ever seen. To accompany the traditional pumpkin and apple pies, I made a pumpkin cheesecake that brought oohs and aahs from the entire table.

When I first stumbled across this recipe, I thought baking a cheesecake would be much too involved a process for me. In the end, I love cheesecake and pumpkin, so I gave it a try. Although the original recipe says that you can make it without the use of a springform pan, I recommend buying a cheap one anyway. (I say a cheap one, because really how many times are you going to make cheesecake?)

This year, I'll be making this recipe again, but for Matt's side of the family. Hopefully it will become a Thanksgiving tradition!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients

18 gingersnaps, crushed (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 pkg. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Combine gingersnap crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
2. Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1 cup batter and set aside. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into large bowl of batter. (At the end of this process, you should have a large bowl of pumpkin batter and a smaller bowl of plain cheesecake batter.)
3. Spoon half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Spoon in the remaining pumpkin batter, followed again by spoonfuls of the plain batter. Swirl with knife for a marbled effect.
4. Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. (If you cook it even a little too long, the top will crack as it's cooling, but it won't affect the taste as far as I can tell.) Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

306.8743 -- Working Mothers' Guilt

2009-11-16T17:13:00.043-05:00

In several months, after the baby is born and FMLA leave is exhausted, I will have to return to work. I will have to leave my baby in the arms of a stranger. I know this won't be easy. In fact, I expect to be seized with guilt. So I'm trying to prepare early, and I'm starting with day cares.

I had hoped that finding the right day care would ease my anxiety, but after looking at a couple of places, neither one felt right. A coworker has since recommended her child care provider, so maybe my biggest problem is already solved.

Still, leaving a baby with even a trusted person is not the same as being home. How do people do this?

747.77 -- Baby Space

2009-11-13T12:17:00.001-05:00

The nursery is finally finished! Would you like a tour?!

These three prints are from my mom. She found them at a "charity shop" in England. (Also -- new ceiling fan! :)

This view is my favorite. I love the furniture and bedding we picked out, and the curtain sheers are my favorite part of the whole room (though I know you can't see the cuteness in this picture). The baseball mobile may not match the room, but it is totally personal. The wall above the crib says, "Everyday holds a possibility of a miracle."

My dad bought this rocking chair for my mom when they found out she was pregnant with me. Matt had it repaired and refinished when we found out we were pregnant. I had to weed the baby books we had. They didn't all fit on our bookshelf!

This is the wall above the changing table. I was able to rip apart some old classic Pooh books to make these framed prints. And of course a Willow Tree... I love those!

Most of the toys won't see use for several months of course, but the baby will have lots of plush options to choose from. The basket is full of gifted blankets for our winter baby -- most of them were handmade!

See the plush green rug in front of the crib? Charlie has taken to laying on it as his go-to spot. When he is scared or bored or tired or when we are working in the nursery, he goes to that rug and curls up. It's so cute!

618.2 -- The Final Countdown

2009-11-10T22:20:00.002-05:00

After so long, the very last month of pregnancy has begun. Technically, that was on November 8th, but I was celebrating the bathroom over the weekend, so I'm celebrating the one-month mark today!

So... today marks four short weeks to my due date. To say I am looking forward to that glorious day is an understatement. Aches and pains have increased, as have day-to-day stresses and frustrations. The good news is that the nursery is one shelf away from being completely finished! (Where did I put those screws??) Look for pictures of the completed space on Friday if not before. I promise!

A sneak peak at the nursery and the final belly pic... unless I go past my due date!

004 -- The Serendipity Machine...

2009-11-10T12:47:00.006-05:00

... also known as The Internet.

As I have mentioned to people who recommend tv shows to me, I do not have time in my life (or room on my DVR) for another series. That's not to say that new shows don't pique my interest. I was, for instance, intrigued by previews for FOX's series Glee. This is possibly because I am a music nerd from way back.

However, I was trolling the internet recently and read something that made my eyes bug out. Glee is set in Lima, Ohio?! Could this be? My own hometown? Who knew about this? Why was I not told?

I missed the premier of Glee, probably for one the other series I watch religiously. I do know that it was reasonably well received. According to Lima natives, the locale does not feature prominently, and it would be hard to guess where the show actually takes place other than a small Midwestern town. Despite this, I plan to Netflix this series during maternity leave -- because what else will there be to do? (hah!)

And that was my serendipitous discovery of the day.

747 -- Visible Progress

2009-11-08T09:45:00.012-05:00

For the last two weeks, Matt has been working really hard on the bathroom. However, there hasn't been much visual progress until now. While I know all the work he's put in, any other person might look at the room now and think, "What've you been doing?" Well, here's what he's been doing:

When he tore up the ... well ... entire bathroom, he found some water damage to the plywood floor, so he put down all new plywood. The stack for the toilet stuck out of the wall at a funny angle, which prevented us from enlarging the shower the way we wanted to. He rerouted the stack so it wouldn't interfere. Our new sink will be higher than our old one, so he rerouted the plumbing for that. The shower plumbing needed to be moved back about 8 inches, so he almost completely rebuilt that. The mirror we had in the bathroom was not recessed, and our new one will be, so Matt framed out a cabinet in the wall. He also framed out two wall inserts in what will be the shower. Then it was time to install the new can lights and exhaust fan, requiring some time in the attic (never fun).

After all this was done, Matt used a combination of drywall and moisture-resistant cement board to make the walls, ceiling, and floor. He then installed the shower pan, and built a curb between the shower and the rest of the bathroom. We painted a water-impermeable concoction called Mapegum onto the shower floor and part way up the shower walls. (Mapegum takes 12-24 hours to dry completely, so it's a huge time suck!)

Somewhere in between all of this madness we made several trips to various hardware and home design stores. We picked out tile for the bathroom floor, the shower floor, and the shower walls, as well as the new vanity, counter top, sink bowl, and sink and shower fixtures.

Yesterday, we painted on another layer of Mapegum, filled in all the drywall holes and seams with drywall mud, and set the tile for the bathroom floor. (And managed to get the new ceiling fan installed in the nursery.)

Today we'll paint on a third and final layer of Mapegum, and sand and re-mud the drywall seams. Monday night, we'll tile the shower floor and curb. If there is time, Matt might also sand and mud again.

With only 1-2 hours each night to work on this project, of course it has been slow going. And it's hard for me to accept that so much prep work has to go into the project before the visible progress begins. I have no doubt we'll have a functioning bathroom by December, but getting there will include a lot more late nights for both of us!

747 -- Bathroom Remodel

2009-10-15T19:36:00.006-04:00

Matt and I (but mostly Matt) have decided to undertake one final pre-baby home renovation project: The master bathroom. It's really needed an update ever since we moved in. Now that Matt is out of the National Guard, his evenings and weekends are a lot freer. And since he got a new job involving bathroom and kitchen remodeling, it seemed like the perfect time.

For the last few days we've been pricing vanities, counter tops, ceramic tile, and faucets. Matt is on a golf outing this weekend, so the project is on a temporary hiatus, but we expect it will be done before the baby comes. Below, see the "before" and "during" pictures... already a huge improvement!

Before ................................... During

618.2 -- Two months and counting!

2009-10-08T19:27:00.005-04:00

Today we celebrate exactly two months until Baby M's due date. Sleep is getting tougher as my bathroom breaks and discomfort increase, but all in all I can't complain. I think I've had it pretty easy this pregnancy! Hopefully the little one will be as cooperative after he or she is born too!

823.914 -- The Book of Lost Things

2009-10-07T17:11:00.004-04:00

by John Connolly

David is just a boy when his content life in London is quickly upended. With World War II picking up around him, David must deal with the death of his mother, a new romance in his father's life, the birth of his stepbrother, and a daunting move from his childhood home. And the fact that books have begun to whisper to him.

For awhile, David successfully avoids his step family, quietly resenting their existence in his life. But when a fight with his stepmother leads David into a world of fractured fairy tales and tangled nightmares, David comes to terms with his new family and his place within it. This is a darkly disturbing coming-of-age tale with a few moments of levity and lots of adventure. Highly recommended!

793.2 -- Raining and Pouring

2009-09-29T15:47:00.010-04:00

Matt and I have a lot of organizing to do! Both his family and mine threw baby showers for the little bundle, and our house is overflowing. Luckily, all of our furniture has also come in, so there is no shortage of drawers, shelves, and baskets for storage. Thanks to the generosity of family and friends (and family friends!) we are set for diapers, receiving blankets, onesies, bibs, wipes, diaper cream, travel gear, and bedding. The few items left to buy will be a joy... I have been waiting for the pending shopping spree for weeks!

The first event held in Baby M's honor was in Lima in August. I felt like the shower was so early, but I wanted my mom to be there, so there was no getting around the early scheduling. I hardly felt pregnant at that point! Guests were split between family -- near and extended -- and family friends -- some of whom I haven't seen since our wedding! The games were fun, the gifts were much appreciated, and the food was amazing. The most fun of it was being surrounded by a wonderful, loving, supportive group.

Baby M's second party was in Ross this past Sunday. I've wanted a book shower since I found out we were pregnant, and my sister-in-law was kind enough to think of it! Baby M got about 20 books -- some of which we never would have known about. There were also a couple of new moms at this shower, which meant I got a lot of great tips on things like toys, books, travel accessories, and clothes. Another fun part was the number of preggers ladies -- 25% of those in attendance! (I'm told at least two of them were taking notes on things to register for for their own showers!)

Thanks to all who attended or sent well wishes for our family! I'm grateful that Baby M will be born into such a large, loving family.

641.5884 -- Beef Stroganoff

2009-09-18T08:48:00.002-04:00

Since starting my "new" job, we've tried 4 new slow cooker recipes. It's been so nice to come home to a kitchen that smells like home cooking and a dinner that just needs serving. This is easily one of the tastiest we've tried.

Ingredients
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 cup chopped onion (we used red)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of onion soup
8 ounces canned sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces cream cheese (cubed)
8 ounces sour cream
6 cups egg noodles (about half a large bag worked for us)

Directions
1. Mix the first six ingredients into slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or until beef is very tender.
3. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream.
4. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles.

355.00973 -- Congratulations Matt!

2009-09-15T12:45:00.012-04:00

Saturday, we celebrated the official end to Matt's Army career. It was an emotional day in many ways. Sad because we both closed a huge chapter in our lives, full of friends and experiences we'll never forget. But mostly it was a happy occasion. Especially because we will soon be a family, we are looking forward to less time away from home and more stability.

Matt gave a great speech. He teared up a little talking about his experiences over the past 6 years, and I don't think I was the only one in the audience who did the same just listening.

The actual Change of Command was really quick. Matt's replacement is standing opposite him, with the Troop's First Sergeant on the left and the Lieutenant Colonel on the right.

Matt receiving his Army Commendation Medal.
This is the first and only time I have been able to pin Matt. His promotions have all taken place overseas, either in Korea or Afghanistan, and the awards he got following his deployment to Afghanistan were awarded in a group by senior officers.
Please ignore the fact that I look so huge as to be (as Karen put it about her own pregnant self) "houselike."

Of course Matt got some great "parting gifts" in appreciation of his time spent as Troop Commander. The first frame contains the Squadron colors. The second picture is the Troop's Guidon, accompanied by Matt's name tape and rank on the lower left and a troop photo taken that day on the lower right.

The Troop photo. About two-thirds of the troop are deployed right now. Matt is in the Cavalry branch of the Army, and the horses and stetson hats (and spurs, though you can't see those) are part of the Cavalry tradition. Cool right?

Seven of Matt's closest friends came for the day, as well as his parents and myself. (His fan club was easily the largest!) During the open house that followed the ceremony, friends and family got to climb into and around the humvees and check out the mounted guns and long range site equipment.

395.22 -- Happy Anniversary!

2009-09-10T07:39:00.001-04:00

a post-wedding candid photo

618.2 -- Counting Down

2009-09-08T12:20:00.004-04:00

I am no stranger to countdowns. In the past few years, I've been doing a lot of that. Sometimes I do this in my head, like when Matt was getting ready to leave, and I didn't want to stress either of us out more than necessary by posting a daily reminder of how many days we had left. Usually, the countdowns are happier, like counting down to our wedding day, counting down to Matt coming home, counting down to my graduation from grad school, or counting down to Matt's last day in the service (4 days to go!). When countdowns are happier, I don't mind sharing them... I even have a "count-up" tallying days since our wedding. (We're working up to 1,500!)

So when December 8th -- my due date! -- starting seeming like forever away, it seemed only natural to create a physical countdown to the happy occasion. The clipped-together sheaf of papers now hangs on the refrigerator, and though we don't always remember to change it every day, it's fun to see just how far we've come and how few days we have left. In fact, today we celebrate 91 days left -- exactly three months!

394.2644 -- Worst Oktoberfest

2009-09-06T14:03:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, Matt and I traveled minutes from our house to Germania's Oktoberfest celebration. We always enjoy Germania's Oktoberfest, and we have a tacit agreement that we'll go every year. But now that Germania's has ended, we decided to try some other area celebrations.

Hamilton, just north of us, is known neither for its culture nor its class. But since Matt and I are fans of Oktoberfests wherever they may be, we had to try Hamilton's annual celebration at least once. And having tried it once, we will never go back. The highlight of our trip was the authentic biergarten look of the area. It was cool and dark, save for the bare bulbs strung between the trees. The festival seating, the crowds, the German beer (Spaten even!) was all very authentic.

Then there were the lowlights. Despite the fact that the band was dressed in leiderhosen (denim leiderhosen) and playing brass instruments, the music they played was awful. YMCA? Love Train? Do they know any German songs? We didn't even hear Ein Prosit, which is inexcusable. The whole song lasts only about 30 seconds. They couldn't learn it for Oktoberfest?

And the food. It might have been good, but there were 200 people in line for the "real food" so we settled for German desserts. We decided to try their Black Forest cake and a cream puff. They brought out these (and other) desserts still in their Costco packaging. Could you not try to make it seem authentic? The huge pretzels we got to tide us over (while the men drank their Spaten) were cold and a little wet. Ew.

So, instead of waiting an hour in line for bratts, sauerkraut, and schnitzel, a lot of people chose the much shorter line for that other old German tradition. Southern pulled pork BBQ? Seriously? I shouldn't have been surprised when I saw someone walking by with a "German eggroll" sitting on his plate, nestled between potato pancakes and sauerkraut balls. But I was. I was surprised and disappointed. Not wanting to wait in line or spend any more time there than we needed to, we opted to forgo the German food... at least until MainStrasse's Oktoberfest next weekend!

641.5884 -- Slow Cooking

2009-08-31T15:48:00.002-04:00

The library where I currently work is in the middle of a major budget crisis. Many people have recently lost their jobs at the library. I was one of the lucky ones -- I still have my job. While that's enough to make me thankful, there will be challenges. Most of what I am struggling with right now is my schedule. I'll be getting home at either 6:45 or 7:45 four nights a week. And for the next few weeks at least, I'll be working a lot -- like 6 days a week. Add to that the fact that Matt will be home late most nights as well, and you have a recipe for a 9 p.m. dinner (or lots of take-out). Not fun!

So now I need some help from you! I envision becoming queen of the crock pot, and I will be needing some recipes. My stockpile of tried and true crock pot recipes is not large, and it will quickly get repetitive. What recipes do you use/have you used time and again as an easy-to-prepare go-to crock pot meal?

Here's what we're having tonight:

Basic crock pot roast

1-2 pound beef roast
handfuls of carrots, potatoes (cubed into bite size pieces) and pearl onions
packet of brown gravy mix
packet of italian dressing mix
1/2 packet of ranch dressing mix

Put roast and veggies into crock pot. Sprinkle mixes on top. Add 3/4 cup of water. Cook on low 7-9 hours or until veggies are cooked through and meat is done.

Seriously, how easy is that? I love crock pots!

618.2 -- Third Trimester

2009-08-26T07:16:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, August 25th marked the beginning of my 25th week of pregnancy - more commonly known as the third trimester. Changes? Lots more kicking. I don't think by the 20th week I had felt any definite kicks, but now I can regularly feel and see movement. Also, although I have yet to waddle, the baby is making some things - like tying my shoes - a lot more difficult.

My books say I am supposed to be experiencing a host of uncomfortable symptoms at this point in the pregnancy: stuffy nose, sciatic nerve pain, decreased energy, trouble sleeping, headaches, and the list goes on. Luckily, any aches or pains that I have experienced have been minor and fleeting. Hopefully the rest of the pregnancy will be this laid back!

372.4 -- Bedtime is Booktime!

2009-08-09T18:05:00.005-04:00

In anticipation that our bedtime routine will soon be changing forever, Matt and I have begun reading two stories a night to our little one. We quickly exhausted our supply of children's books, so we turned to the library for a cheap fix.

Even though I worked for two years as a children's library assistant, I had forgotten a lot of really great titles. Luckily, lists abound online and in books about the "best" books to read to your child. While I may not agree with all of the lists, they do help to jog my memory.

I don't know how effective reading in utero is to the brain development of Baby M. I do know that it's helped us bond with him before he's even arrived. Do you recognize these books? Are there any favorites that I've forgotten?

618.2 -- Milestones

2009-08-03T19:35:00.001-04:00

Baby M is already changing the lives of her* parents. About a week ago, Matt and I had our 20 week ultrasound where we got to see the little one all curled around herself. She kicked a few times and twisted and turned, and we even got to see her tiny mouth open into a yawn!

Since then, Baby M has gotten bath towels, bath decorations, crib bedding, clothes, a bib, and books. This Friday, we'll pick up her crib.

The most exciting milestones for me, however, have been developmental. She's been kicking me several times a day, and yesterday -- for the first time -- I saw my belly move. Since Baby M can now hear her parents' voices, we've also been reading to her every night for the past week or more. My belly is getting bigger, and it won't be long until I'm out of my pre-pregnancy clothes for good. Luckily, I have a journal to jot down all of these lovely firsts. I don't want to forget a thing!

*Note that we do not know the sex of Baby M, so I will be referring to Baby M as him and her alternately. Starting today with "her".

618.2 -- Half Way Point

2009-07-21T23:38:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, July 21st marked the half-way point in this pregnancy. We are 20 weeks along with 20 weeks to go. Our big exciting ultrasound is this Friday. If we are going to find out the sex of the baby, it will be then. We're still hoping to be surprised at the birth, but as friends and relatives keep pointing out, sometimes it's just obvious.

I'm looking at this picture thinking, "Good heavens! Am I really that big?" Most days I don't feel like it. I do enjoy prodding my belly to marvel at how hard it's gotten. It annoys me when people touch the belly without asking, but I can absolutely see myself being that first-time mom who is like, "Here, feel this! Isn't it cool?!"

Because, you know... it is pretty cool.

771 -- Photos!

2009-07-19T23:00:00.002-04:00

More pictures from our trip to Camp Atterbury!

Click each picture to make it a little bigger. Matt's parents got to go on this family day, too, so there are some great shots of them below. It was such a fun day! I think active duty companies should do this too... it's a great family building exercise. And the range was nothing like I envisioned it would be. My only regret was that it came so near the end of our military life!

Getting ready for the range meant suiting up in kevlar vest and helmet and wearing foam earplugs. Protective eyewear was also provided, but Matt conveniently forgot about that so we didn't have to wear it!

I got to shoot first. The targets seemed really far away, but using the laser sight was SO easy!

Terrie went next... she made it through her clip in about half the time it took me! (I would never make it in close combat. Maybe I was a sniper in another life :)

Dan was last to shoot. Everyone did really well hitting the targets, which I attribute to Matt's excellent zeroing prowess. (And our killer instincts ;)

Matt arranged for several humvees to be available. We got to see the tracking system they use (like a glorified GPS) and the supercool Long Range Scout Surveillance System. This is me waiting in line to check out the LRAS. (This is also the first picture of the bump!)

Terrie was amazed at the view through the LRAS!

We ended the day with a mini-tour of the .50 cal range. A group of soldiers was qualifying on a machine gun, and we got to watch. The coolest part was watching the red tracers disappear into the distance. Man you would not believe the range on those guns!

We also got to check out the simulation trainer, which is just like an arcade game where you shoot at bad guys. But instead of simulating people enemies, they used turkeys. (I think this was because we had a lot of kids there, and they didn't want the kids to shoot at people, even if they were simulated.) I didn't get many good pics of the simulation part, because it was inside and dark. Very cool to see what the guys do when they are away. I have learned more about the workings of the Army during Matt's two years in the Guard than I did during his 4+ years on active duty!

355.370973 -- Camp Atterbury Family Day

2009-07-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

Matt's National Guard Troop meets once a month to train for upcoming deployments or just to keep their skills sharp. This past weekend they spent at Camp Atterbury, a training facility for National Guard soldiers from across the country. The only difference was that this time, their families got to go with them!

I don't have all the pictures back yet, so I will have to post more later, but the day was a blast! We got to fire M4s, crawl around on some Hum-vees decked out with lots of cool toys, visit a simulation trainer, and watch as a couple of soldiers fired rounds from a 50-cal mounted machine gun! The coolest part was definitely getting to fire the M4, but I enjoyed the whole day.

This is one pic of me firing the M4 on the actual range that the guys use when they have to qualify on their weapons. I hit all the targets! Instead of the targets popping up and down randomly, the control tower just kept them all up. So it was a lot easier than the guys usually have it, but for my first time ever firing a weapon, I think I did pretty well! There will be more pictures and another post later! So exciting!

917.5 -- Myrtle Beach recap (finally!)

2009-07-12T07:32:00.000-04:00

Matt and I returned over a week ago from our week of sun, sand, and surf in Myrtle Beach. Everything was wonderful, and the weather cooperated nicely. We spent one day in Charleston, getting our history fix at Ft. Sumter and several WW2-era navy vessels. The rest of the time we spent in our room, around the pool or on the beach. In fact, except for our Charleston day, we spent over 4 hours on the beach every day!

The view from our hotel room was great! We spent lots of time on our balcony reading or just relaxing.

This is a picture of Ft. Sumter from the ferry. It was really cool, but we didn't feel like we had enough time. Since you come and go by ferry, there is a limited amount of time for wandering.

Where the Ft. Sumter ferry docks there are also some historic naval vessels that you can go aboard and explore. We saw the carrier and the submarine. Matt's grandfather was on a carrier just like this in WWII, which made it all the more interesting to see what naval life was like at that time.

On the way home, we stopped in nearby Wilmington, NC to visit with Karen and Clay -- two friends from our Fort Drum days. And of course, at the end of the exhausting car trip, we enjoyed seeing Cincinnati from one of our favorite views.

917.69 -- Mini Trip to Kentucky, day 2

2009-06-16T09:37:00.002-04:00

After a restful evening on Saturday night, we got up semi-early to go to Mass on Sunday. (Because it was Ft. Knox, and because it was a Mass for soldiers in basic training, it was slightly amusing :)

We had a hearty breakfast back at Joe and Jenny's house before we headed to Heaven Hill, a bourbon distillery on Kentucky's "bourbon trail." Although they don't distill the bourbon at the Bardstown facilities anymore, the museum, tour, and bourbon tasting (none for me!) were fun and enlightening!

Bourbon has to age for several years. In that time, it's stored in oak barrels. The barrels are stored in "ricks" and the ricks are located in ... rickhouses! Original, huh? This is an inside view of one of Heaven Hill's rickhouses.

We only had time for one stop on the bourbon trail this time, but Matt and I will be back. We've visited three so far, and it's a pleasant drive from our house. It's only a matter of time until we get to them all!

After bidding farewell to Joe and Jenny, we had a pleasant drive back to Ohio. What a fun weekend!

917.69 -- Mini Trip to Kentucky, day 1

2009-06-15T09:35:00.001-04:00

Matt and I spent part of Memorial Day weekend with his parents visiting his sister and brother-in-law in Kentucky. To make the most of our two-day trip, we headed from their house straight to Louisville for a much-anticipated trip to the Louisville Slugger Museum. It was more educational than I expected. Not only did we learn about bat-making, but we got information overload in the newly-renovated museum area. And we scored mini-Louisville Sluggers!

After the museum we made our way to the Louisville Slugger Baseball Field to catch some great minor league baseball action. The Louisville Bats (as in flying mammals, not wooden clubs) are one of the "farm teams" for the Cincinnati Reds. The game was not as intense as a major league game, but the experience was really fun. The stadium was amazing, and all the seats were SO close to the field! Plus, it was much cheaper than the cheapest seats at Great American Ballpark.

I don't know if you can see the golden retrieve (circled) next to home plate. He was the "bat boy" for the Louisville Bats. He came out after most at-bats and retrieved the bat! He and his handler also played catch on the field with a frisbee between innings and before the game. At the seventh inning stretch, the dog actually took a basket with towels and water bottles out to 3rd base for the umpires! How fun!

The ball park was really fun. You could walk the entire way around it, and there were fun things for kids to do when they get antsy during games. My favorite -- although I didn't ride it -- was this carousel!

At the end of the day, it was back to base camp for a relaxing night of summer picnic food and watching the Reds lose to the Cleveland Indians :)

618.2 -- First Big Purchase!

2009-06-13T22:37:00.005-04:00

Thursday, Matt and I drove out to a gorgeous Hamilton subdivision to take a look at a brand new Pack N Play I saw advertised on CraigsList. Long story short, we loved it. It doesn't match the stroller we registered for, but the Pack N Play (and matching Swing N Bounce, both by Graco) will mostly be in our living room (or other people's living rooms). I'm guessing they won't come into much contact with the stroller :)

The future nursery is still a guest room until at least the end of August. Until then, we can't set up much baby stuff. Here are stock images of both our big scores. I love that they were so cheap, and that the black pattern will go nicely in our living room. I super love that these both come with the vibrate feature, and that the Pack N Play comes with all that extra storage!

636.7 -- Mirror Image

2009-06-08T09:50:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago, our neighbors bought a new puppy for their live-in grandchild. The first time I saw the little guy through the office window, I did a double take. I thought it was Charlie!

011.73 -- Hooray!

2009-05-31T23:44:00.004-04:00

I have officially exorcised my book-slump demon. Yesterday I brought home two books from work. Today, I started and finished one of those, as well as finished (finally!) a book that I started months ago. (The library will finally be getting it back!)

Today, I also realized that this slump wasn't really a slump at all. I have been reading after all. Pictured here, the pile of books that have been occupying my time.

My theory is that the 12-week point marked a period of less worry and anxiety. It's not that I'm not interested in which piece of fruit the baby most resembles at this stage of development. I'm just glad to finally be interested in everything else again. Plus, let's face it -- I read the pregnancy books start-to-finish weeks ago!

618.2 -- Surprise!

2009-05-28T18:44:00.001-04:00

I'll save you the time counting back from the due date ... As of today, I am 12 weeks and 2 days pregnant! :) While we've known for awhile, I've been waiting to hear the little one's 12-week-old heartbeat before making an official announcement. This is it! We're pregnant!

917.5 -- Vacation

2009-05-28T08:48:00.001-04:00

I need a vacation. Everyday life is starting to get to me, and I no longer look forward to going to work, working out, or even just vegging around the house. Watching movies or tv, reading, home improvement projects ... I can't get into anything. Definitely time for a vacation.

Our plans are finally set. If you're curious where we're going, look no further than the Dewey Decimal number that tops this entry :-)

394.262 -- Better Late Than Never

2009-05-27T12:29:00.001-04:00

Yes we did celebrate Memorial Day. Mostly just by celebrating the ability to do nothing :) We did of course set the flag to half staff at the appropriate times. Researching the exact whens of flying the flag on Memorial Day, we came across the following trivia.

Did you know that on Memorial Day, flags are meant to be flown at half staff only until noon? We did, but we saw a lot of business and individuals that didn't. I don't think this is something widely known. I'm sure our flag got some funny looks when it was at full staff for most of Memorial Day.

Did you also know that there is much support for celebrating Memorial Day on May 30 every year instead of celebrating the observed Memorial Day on the last Monday in May? While three-day weekend plans will suffer, proponents argue that the day will mean much more if a mini-vacation is not attached to it. What do you think?

011.625 -- Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Books

2009-05-26T15:46:00.001-04:00

Lately I haven't been able to finish any of the books I've started. I'm definitely in a slump. This isn't because I'm reading bad books. I don't blame the books. Well, not this time.

I do have a short list of most hated titles. These are the books that have wasted my time, sucked out my enthusiasm for reading, or put me to sleep. Among them:

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Lolita Effect by Gigi M. Durham
Dirty Martini by J. A. Konrath
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie McDonald

I've recently discovered that most people are more likely to remember their favorite books than the ones they despised. What about you? Any books that you'd never recommend in a million years?

616 -- Sick and Tired

2009-04-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

It started Thursday with a general feeling of not-wellness. Friday I had a terrible and terribly persistent cough. I made the best of Saturday, trying to enjoy our birthday and be a good hostess. Sunday and today have been hands-down awful.

Church is always awkward when you're sick. Spend all of Mass hacking and coughing and blowing your nose and guess how many people want to shake hands with you at the sign of peace -- no matter how carefully you cough into your hankie. My chest, throat, abs, and nose were so sore by Sunday evening that I knew there was no way I'd make it through work on Monday.

While honey, cough drops, and a vaporizer have made some improvements on my well-being, the crud persists. I struggle with taking sick leave now when I am desperately trying to hoard it for later. *sigh* What I wouldn't give for a good strong OTC medication!

016.394 -- Birthday Festivities

2009-04-26T14:54:00.000-04:00

Saturday, to celebrate both our birthdays, Matt and I spent the afternoon at a Cincinnati Reds game. It was a scorcher of a day, so we avoided our seats in full sun and settled in some shady upper deck seats. The game was pretty awful, but the food was good, and the tickets were cheap. To make it even more fun, it was free fleece blanket day!

When the day was over, we crashed back at our house to enjoy good food, great company, a warm campfire, and a breezy starry night. What a great day!

747 -- Trial and Error

2009-04-23T08:22:00.000-04:00

Decorating is a whole lot easier when you can visualize what your finished product will look like. I lack the ability to visualize things like this. So instead of putting 46 nail holes in the wall trying to decide where I want pictures and shelving hung, I put it all on the computer. It's a lot easier to change your mind 17 times when all that is involved is clicking and dragging. Here is the computer mock-up of our living room. Notice the shelves on the floor... waiting to be hung.

And when we decided to put a flag pole and Japanese maple in our front yard, I wanted to know exactly what it might look like when the tree grows in. I moved it three times before I really liked it. Can you imagine having to dig up a fully grown tree because you changed your mind?

My house is no showroom, but it would look a whole lot worse without my Paint Shop Pro image editing software to back me up :)

747 -- The To-Do List

2009-04-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

It is growing.

694.6 -- Necessity and invention

2009-04-19T08:39:00.001-04:00

Our back yard is a good spot for entertaining small groups. And this spring/summer, our birthday/bbq/misc celebration/mini-reunion parties will be made more festive by the really unique tiki torch holders my handy husband devised last year! I was so impressed and overjoyed at what he came up with that I wanted to post a picture here. (Last summer got away from me, so they've been waiting a whole year!)

These got rave reviews at last year's parties, and are perfect (I would think) for raised decking like a balcony where tiki torches would otherwise be impossible (or really dangerous). Cool huh?!

097 -- Ex Libris

2009-04-14T06:39:00.000-04:00

Having cataloged our library, I have been considering how to mark our books. Write our names inside? Use one of the million return address labels we get for donating to charities? A rubber stamp? Then mine eye fell upon the bookplates inside donated library books. I did a little research and found some truly dazzling bookplate designs. I itch to design one of my own... something that incorporates things that are important to my family. Thing is, I'm a little hesitant to glue these into our books. What do you think? Would a bookplate defile the purity of the book? Seriously! This has been eating at me for months!

Here are some bookplates found in a quick Google image search:

394.2667 -- Have a groovy Easter!

2009-04-12T08:26:00.000-04:00

621.815 -- Fantastic Contraption

2009-04-09T08:22:00.000-04:00

I have always liked puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles, word puzzles, logic puzzles... I like the satisfaction of having figured out the solution to a problem.

For the last month, I have been obsessed with a unique new puzzle game called Fantastic Contraption. I don't even remember who or what turned me on to this addicting game (if it was you, THANK YOU!), but there is no doubt that I am hooked.

There are 20 free levels in Fantastic Contraptions, and the premise is always the same. Get the pink item (ball, square, or rectangle) into the pink Goal area. Sounds easy enough, but I guarantee you'll be stumped at least once.

The contraption I'm proudest of? The puzzle level was called Back and Forth, and let me tell you, it's a toughie! Here is a still of my solution, but click here to see the thing in action.

395.22 -- Wedding Memories

2009-04-07T06:54:00.000-04:00

The tiara that I wore for my wedding in 2005 has been missing since approximately 10 days after our wedding. When we returned from our honeymoon and made it back to NY, we packed up a lot of stuff and just put it wherever we had room. Our house was pretty tiny up in NY, so there was stuff scattered everywhere.

I thought all was lost when I twice rummaged through everything looking for the tiara -- with no luck. Recently, while digging through the same stuff, it turned up! YAY!

Then and now: The picture on the wall
behind me is from our wedding.

780.78 -- Piano Men

2009-04-05T06:35:00.000-04:00

We got our tickets in the mail awhile ago, but it has just hit me... We are going to see Billy Joel and Elton John in concert!

I have been a huge fan of Billy Joel since I was a kid, and I've wanted to see him in concert for at least the past 5 years. Problem was, I never remembered to check for tickets until it was too late. They sell out fast! Luckily for me, there were three concerts within easy driving distance from me this year. Unluckily for me, Cincinnati was sold out, and Indianapolis only had seats available behind the stage. No good. Although it's on a Tuesday night, the concert we booked in Columbus will be a memorable night I'm sure.

Now to brush up on my Elton standards :)

629.277 -- (mini) Road Trip!

2009-04-03T05:59:00.000-04:00

Thanks to a certain handy someone, I now have the perfect accessory for a beautiful spring day -- a new car radio of course! A few weekends ago, while I was busy catching up with the girls, Matt installed a new radio in Little Blue, complete with CD player (goodbye cassettes!) and iPod connection!

I've loved driving to and from work listening to my playlists and 18 presets, but 20 minutes just does not allow for maximum music enjoyment. Luckily, I am heading to Columbus for an FRG Conference this weekend. While I'm a little nervous about sitting through all those seminars, I cannot wait to be out on the road with my new toy. And since Matt's meeting me in Columbus (he's coming from his two-week-long Annual Training on the eastern part of Ohio), I get to listen to whatever I want! And sing as loud as I want!

Just be glad you're not going with me :)

394.2622 -- April Foolishness

2009-04-01T06:43:00.000-04:00

I'm not big into college sports. Let's be honest. I'm not really into sports much at all. So until I met my friend Karen, I wasn't even aware of a school called Clemson. Karen's crazy about her alma mater, though, so I now know the logo, the mascot... I think I've even heard the fight song!

Now that I know of Clemson, of course, it pops up everywhere. I notice sports scores, news headlines, and while going through old newspapers for work, I found this clipping from the local Hamilton, Ohio newspaper. (Click to view a larger image. It's readable I promise!)

Of course I forgot to write down the year, but this snippet ran on April 4. Judging from the Clemson Wiki, it may have actually happened in March of 1982. Evidently, they never found out who did it!

629.2872 -- Roll Over

2009-03-29T09:03:00.000-04:00

My little blue Focus (affectionately named "Little Blue") has hit a milestone. Yep, the big 100,000. We're going to be able to buy me a new (or at least new-to-me) car in a few months, but part of me is a little bit sad about the prospect. I heart Little Blue! I bought her all by myself just after college. I even haggled the guy down, and did a test drive on my own. I'd never done that before, and I'll never do that again. Not that I'd want to of course... but I was really proud of myself!

Plus, I still have my DOD sticker on Little Blue. It's a fun little souvenir that will never be replaced. Then again, maybe I'll warm up to the prospect of a newer car... here are two I'm looking at.

641.692 -- Miso Glazed Cod

2009-03-27T05:51:00.000-04:00

Being that it's Lent, and being that we're Catholic, fish has been introduced into our dinner rotation. Although I am generally not a fish or seafood lover, Matt came home with cod fillets last week, forcing me to come up with a tasty (un-fish-like) recipe. What I found was Food Network's recipe for Miso Cod. Finding no miri at the local Kroger, I substituted Chablis. Finding no white or blond miso, I settled on something called "Minute Miso."
The result was über delicious. In fact, I might try the same glaze on chicken sometime. It's a decidedly Asian flavor, but if you like teriyaki, give it a try. And let me know what you think!

Ingredients

6 6-ounce black cod fillets or regular cod fillets
1/3 cup low sodium blond or white miso
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
toasted sesame seeds and scallions for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat broiler.

Rinse fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Combine miso, brown sugar, sesame oil and mirin and stir well until brown sugar is fully dissolved.

Brush about 2 tablespoons miso glaze on each fish fillet. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour. Place fish under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes, or until top is slightly charred and glaze has caramelized. Remove fish from oven and brush with remaining glaze. Lower oven to 375 degrees F. Cook an additional 5 to 6 minutes, until fish is flaky but not overcooked.

If desired, serve with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. *NOTE* We had this with brown rice and steamed veggies. Delicious!

508.2 -- It's official!

2009-03-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

Spring is here!

Our spring perennials are in full bloom!

The brand new flag pole in our front yard
(installed yesterday!) looked picture
perfect in the beautiful weather.

I want more days like this!!

636.7 -- The Furry Monster

2009-03-25T07:54:00.000-04:00

A little slow on the updates, but for those of you I haven't told, Charlie is having some old man problems. First, his teeth and gums were an absolute mess. One surgery later, he is almost completely toothless (he retained his molars) but much happier.

He is also, however, suffering from lateral patellar luxation (Grade III). Basically his kneecaps pop on and off every time he bends his hind legs. It seems to bother him less in warm weather, so we're going to leave it for now, and decide later if he'd be better off with or without surgery. It doesn't seem to cause him pain so much as discomfort.

It's also likely that he has arthritis in his hind knees, and his hearing is rapidly deteriorating. I know he's old -- 14! -- but he still acts so much like a puppy. It's hard to believe. Poor little smoosh :(

155.925 -- Friends

2009-03-23T08:16:00.001-04:00

While Matt and I were at Ft. Drum, I made some of the best friends I could imagine having. Earlier this month, they converged on Fairfield for our first reunion in almost 2 years. Of course we have been keeping up to date on each other, but no amount of blog postings or emails could replace actually being together.

Jackie, Erin, Briana, Karen, and me
Jackie and Karen posted more pics on their blogs. Check them out!

641.8654 -- Unconventional Cookies

2009-03-20T13:58:00.000-04:00

A staple of my childhood was quick and easy graham-cracker-and-icing cookies that my mom would throw together with leftover icing. Ours usually consisted of chocolate or white icing, but the cookies I made recently for Matt were created with leftover lemon icing. YUM!

Ingredients:
Graham crackers
Icing

Directions:
Break graham crackers into square pieces. Ice one side of each cracker. Start munching! (You can also "sandwich" the cookies by putting a second graham square on top of the icing, but I like it better with just one.)

P.S. I'm curious to know if anyone else is familiar with this method of "cookie baking." Anyone? Anyone?

621.391 -- Computer repair

2009-02-11T16:26:00.001-05:00

So our 1 year and 10 days old computer has been temporarily out of commission for the last three days. Help is on the way, but for now my only reliable Internet connection is at work. Urg... what a mess!

006.7 -- Change!

2009-02-05T13:20:00.001-05:00

It was time for my very vanilla blog to undergo a renovation. Look how pretty! What do you think?

170.83 -- I believe

2009-01-26T19:04:00.000-05:00

So inspired was I by one of my friends' recent blog posts, that I am lifting the idea from her.

*ahem*

I believe...

That the first spoonful of a new jar of peanut butter is always the best.
That music can make almost any experience at least a little bit better.
That good friends can do the same.
That the fact that someone famous said something does not make it true.
That water is better, yes... but caffeine is not the devil.
That having a degree does not make you smarter.
That reading does.
That staying close to far flung friends isn't impossible, that it does take some effort, and that it's worth it.

This was fun! What do you believe?

643.52 -- Never Ending Story

2009-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Months ago, when I was sharing the good news of our new house with family, friends, and pretty much everyone else, one of my former coworkers said, "Congratulations! You'll never be bored again!" I laughed with her at the time, but I'm beginning to understand that she wasn't joking. Even on the day after Christmas, Matt preferred to spend his time in the basement working on our soon-to-be new half bath. For clarification, I had nothing to do with this project, except to fetch beer and make dinner. Matt got help from his friend (and several unwieldy power tools).

I didn't take a "before" picture, but this is pretty much what it looked like... minus the gaping hole in the floor.

Then came connecting the new pipe. The far end near the wall is where the commode will be.

Then they backfilled the hole with some of the original gravel and cement chunks. Pictured is Matt using all weight to tamp down the debris.

Finally it was time to mix and pour the cement. Next up, the walls :)

796.426 -- Running

2009-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

I like running. I was liking it less about a month ago when I re-started after about 5 years of minimal physical activity. Nevertheless, I'm liking it again, more than I did 5 years ago, though I'm still not up to the level I was. Oh to be able to run two miles in 18 minutes! It seems like I'll never get there, but I'm trying to stay positive.

Helping me stay on the wagon (or running behind it?) are a few accouterments. They might help you, too. The first was the iPod. I fought the popularity of the iPod for a long time, but iTunes has it all over other media players in my opinion.

The second was the treadmill. I cannot run outside. The cool air sets my lungs on fire in minutes. Plus I don't look cute when I'm working out, I look sweaty. Thanks to craigslist, I got a great deal on a barely used treadmill. Someone else's failed New Year's resolution was my good fortune.

Third, my new arm band for my iPod allows me to pound "pavement" to some great tunes. Due to 12 years in band, however, I needed music that plays at the same bpm that I run. (Curse my impeccable rhythm.) This is when I discovered jogtunes, which has been the savior of my workouts. After finding that Shake It by Metro Station was exactly the speed I needed, I looked it up on jogtunes to find more just like it. As luck would have it, I now have enough music to keep me going for a solid two miles (if I can make it that long on any given day).

P.S. If you have an iPod and want some great free music for your running (or any other) workout, try the PodRunner and PodRunner Intervals podcasts. They are free of charge, and a new one is published every week. Today I used PodRunner Intervals Gateway to 8K, but I only got through 2/3 of it before I had to stop. *sigh* I'll get there.