Daddy's Girl!

Lily, for a very long time, was very much a Mama's girl.  Almost always choosing Mommy over Daddy for comfort, play or whatever else she needed.  Over the last couple of months she's made the change from a Mama's girl to a Daddy's girl.  She runs screaming and laughing to the door when she hears his keys every afternoon.  Every morning, she climbs into bed with me only to ask, "Where's Daddy?"  She uses whatever she can find to tie around her waist as a belt "just like Daddy", and steals his hats (off his head, or from where ever she can find them), plops them on her head and grins big, sometimes even proclaiming that she going to work--this is usually accompanied by the finding of one of Daddy's work hats!

This morning just proved my theory that my Lily is now more Daddy's Lily :) than mine.  I'm not upset or offended.  I think it's great!  I never had much of a relationship with my dad so it makes my heart all warm and fuzzy to see my little one getting her needs met by her daddy!  This morning Lily woke up to a bad dream (daddy was up getting ready for work so he "rescued" her), and also had had a pee pee accident (that was my fault...I let her have too much to drink at Grandma's birthday party), then after being comforted by Daddy and cleaned up by Mommy she went running into the kitchen--which was still dark--only to run full force into my wooden step stool which hadn't gotten put back last night and was sitting in the middle of the floor.  She was having a BAD morning!  After hugs and kisses from Daddy she crawled back into bed with me to get warmed up and while we were snuggling she turned over and said, "Mommy, I like you, but I still miss my daddy." 

Yep, I picked a good one!

Lily's Crooked Thumb

I noticed a while ago that Lily's left thumb wouldn't straighten out all the way.  I figured it was maybe just a faze or a "special" way that she was holding her thumb to make it look neat.  One day, while she was sleeping, about 6 months ago, I tried to make it go straight and discovered that it indeed was stuck at about a 30 degree angle at the second knuckle.  To my memory, she hadn't had an injury and it definitely wasn't hurting her at all so I didn't really worry about it, waiting for her to grow out of it. 

Recently, Jeremy and I have begun to notice that the angle has gotten worse.  And Lily has started to notice it as well, starting to be a little self conscious about it.  We told her it was her special thumb and asked the Dr. about it at the next appointment we had.  We were referred to the sports medicine Dr. at Salem Pediatric who looked at it for about 30 seconds and said she has a ganglion cyst and referred us to Shriner's Children's Hospital.  She will have to have a surgery to remove the cyst and lengthen the tendon.  The Dr. says it's a pretty simple surgery the she probably won't even have to stay overnight for.  I'll keep you all posted about what the doctors at Shriner's say and when the surgery is and how it goes.  It'll be a while as it's a process to get referred and schedule an available appointment.

Merry Christmas To All!

I think postage and the cost of printing stinks!  I would rather save that money and spend it on more Christmas presents for my sweet family and awesome friends!  So, here's our Christmas card for this year.  Merry Christmas everyone!  Pictures courtesy of Picture People.

Baby Grace Update

I had my 35 week check up today.  Dr. says she's finally head down!  Yay!  I was little concerned because I hadn't noticed a lot of difference in the movements.  But when the dr. felt my tummy and wiggled Grace's head around she definitely let us know that she didn't like the disturbance.  She was moving around so much that the dr. had a hard time finding and keeping her heart beat. 

My weight gain is right on target!  At one pound a week, I'm still reaching numbers I had hoped to avoid for my entire life but at least my total number of pounds for this pregnancy is still well within the healthy range.  Dr. Renard says that if I make it to my due date Grace should be in the high 6 to low 7 lbs. range.  I just have to put in a little recommendation for my dr.  When I asked her about when I would need to start having "the exams" (you know the one) her reply was, "Well, if you don't want them you don't ever have to get one.  It's your choice.  If you get to your due date and haven't had the baby yet we would do one at that point but until then you don't ever have to have one."  Love her!!  I seem to remember having to be examined almost every time I went to the dr. after I was in my 3rd trimester when I was pregnant with Lily (not that that is completely accurate I tend to exaggerate memories sometimes :)).  So, it's nice to know that I don't have to be examined if I don't want to.

I'm still hoping for a baby for Christmas but as of yet my uterus is as calm as a summer day.  We'll see.

SSSHHHH...I'm Hunting Waskily Chwistmas Twees...

I remember from when I was young "hunting" for our Christmas tree in the forest.  We didn't do it every year, but the ones we did were the only years that I actually remember getting our Christmas tree.  We would get all bundled up and driving out to the forest (usually wasn't very far!) armed only with our saw, thermos full of fresh hot cocoa and the knowledge that a pot of my mom's fantastic soup was warm and waiting for us at home we would tromp out in the snow in search of the "perfect" tree.  Or at least as perfect a tree as you can get that has only been groomed by God.  So, this year Jeremy and I decided to go hunting a waskily Chwistmas twee with our family.  We went up to Detroit and got a cutting permit last Saturday.  It was a gorgeous, bright, sunny, freezing cold day.  For the first time in my memory it's the dead of winter in the Willamette Valley and it hasn't rained in almost 2 weeks now!  The air is so dry everything I touch shocks me and Lily's downey hair is in a constant state of "flitting away" with static.

We, too, went armed with a hatchet,--cause we don't have a saw (my poor sweetie)--a thermos of hot cocoa, bundled up and with the knowledge that there was a full crock pot of beef barley stew smelling up our house and a "map" from the forest service.  We went out and drove up several forest service/logging roads, got out until we were too frozen to stand it anymore and then moved on to the next one.  One road up the mountain--way up the mountain--sported a thousand foot drop off on one side and a rock slide on the other and our Christmas tree waiting for us to cut it and take it home.  When we stopped next to it I looked up and said, "Honey, I think it might be a little big."  "No," my husband assured me, "I work with lengths all the time and I can tell; that's not over about 10 ft."  So, up the hill he went with the hatchet and went to work chopping down the tree.  Lily and I busied ourselves taking pictures and Lily sweeping the road with a small branch and throwing rocks off the embankment.

"TIIIMMMBBBEEERRR!" Down our tree came.  As Jeremy climbed down the hill and stood looking over our tree laying on the ground, he said, "I think maybe it's a bit bigger than 10 ft."  So, he chopped off another bit chunk and we tied it to the top of our car finally answering Lily's question on the way up to get the tree...who's gonna carry it?

When we got home and Jeremy lugged the tree up the stairs and set it up in our living room with the 9 ft. vaulted ceiling, the top bowed against the ceiling so we, again, chopped off a sizable chunk off the top this time.  Now we have a huge tree awaiting lights and ornaments.  My evenings have been spent the last 3 days stringing popcorn into a garland.  One more to go and we will be ready.  Lily and I made cinnamon tree ornaments this morning.  They are still baking and our house smells like Christmas.  Now if only it would snow to match the crazy cold weather, it would really feel like Christmas!

Mmmmmm...Coooookkkies! Lily's favorite!

My Lily, I think, was doomed from the get go on the chocolate front.  I have always had a major sweet tooth.  I love chocolate candy, baked things or just straight chocolate chips from the bag.  A few of my favorite candies--the number one is totally dependent on my mood--are Skittles and brownies!  Jeremy also has a sweet tooth and will pretty much eat whatever is offered as long as it's sweet, but his absolute favorite is chocolate.  He loves chocolate the way a woman loves chocolate.  So, for Lily, I'm afraid it's been love from first bite.  When she was a baby just learning how to talk  she could identify a sweet yummy (that she had never seen before) as something yummy and to be wanted!

A couple of years ago my friend Heidi came up with this altered chocolate chip cookie recipe that is pretty much the only kind of cookie I make.  I always offer them first before telling people how good for you they are.  These are Lily's absolute favorite and she will generally choose to have these even over brownies!  She calls them "warm cookies" and jumps up and down excited when I ask her if she wants to help me make them.  They're so yummy and low in fat and sugar that I've even been known, in a pinch, to give her 2 or 3 for breakfast as we rush out the door.

“No-Guilt” Chocolate Chip Cookie

3 Lrg. Eggs                      1 cup Flax Meal

½ cup brown sugar           ½ cup white sugar
6 Tbs. butter (melted)         2 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups Whl. Wheat Flour    1 tsp. Baking  Soda
½ tsp. salt                       ¾ cup oatmeal (of any variety)
1-1   ¼ cups Mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat the eggs well. Add the sugars and vanilla and mix until sugar dissolves in eggs.  Add the melted butter (be sure it’s not too hot so it won’t cook your eggs), mix well.  Add flax meal and baking soda, mix well.  Mix in all other dry ingredients except Chocolate chips.  When well combined add chocolate.  Combine.  This is a more crumbly dough.  Spoon it in 2-3 Tbs. drops onto your cookie sheet.  This dough doesn’t melt like most so you can place them closer than usual.  Bake for 10 min. NOTE: if you don’t use a baking stone reduce cooking time to 6 min.

Homemade Yogurt and Aprons

I'm always looking for ways to cut corners off our grocery budget by making as much as I can from scratch.  I found a recipe for homemade yogurt and decided to try it a while ago.  I haven't made it frequently because my results weren't very consistent.  But I decided to try it again last night with a new way to incubate it and it turned out the best batch yet!  The problem this far has been that I really like thick yogurt and I couldn't get it thick enough for my liking.  Last night, I used this recipe:

1 1/2 qrts Milk (I used 1% but anything works even reconstituted powdered)
1/4 cup plus half again plain store bought plain yogurt (be sure that it's the kind with the active cultures)

In a microwave safe dish or pan on the stove, heat the milk to 180 degrees F.  In my microwave it took about 7 minutes.  Then put aside (I'm impatient so I used the freezer) and let cool to between 100 and 115 degrees F.  Then add the yogurt start.  Stir thoroughly and let sit for 3-4 min. then stir again.  Pour the milk yogurt mix into a clean, dry, preheated thermos (just put hot tap water in the thermos while you're heating up and cooling down the milk).  Seal tightly with the thermos lid and set on the counter for 6-8 hours (I do it overnight so I'm not tempted to check it constantly!).  When the time has passed pour the whey off the top (that's the slightly foggy water that collects on top of the yogurt) and then pour yogurt out (this may take some pounding) into whatever kind of container you're going to use, chill and eat as desired.  I really like vanilla, cinnamon and a bit of sugar and dip apple slices in it!  This is no different than the plain yogurt you buy in the store and can be cooked with and used in any recipe that calls for plain yogurt (or sweeten, add vanilla extract and use in anything that calls for vanilla yogurt).

I decided to make aprons for Lily and Lina and Ciara (my sister's daughters) for Christmas.  They're matching in that they're all the same pattern and have ribbon ties but each one is made with 'girl specific' fabric.  Ciara's is bright circles, and flowers with orange ribbon ties, Lily's is cherries and red polka dots with green ribbon ties, and Lina's is green and brown with wild horses (she's 5 so she's obsessed with horses) with cream ribbon ties.  I made the first one last night with my new sewing machine and it turned out so good!!  It only took about 2 1/2 hrs. and only cost $6.25 for all the materials with a little left over.  I may decide that I like them so much that everyone will get one!  We'll see :)...Oh, and I made the pattern myself too just with butcher paper and Lily measurements!

Lily's modeling Ciara's apron that I finished last night

The Things That Make Me Happy

I'm feeling very thankful the last couple of days so I thought I'd share all the things that make me smile the most. 
-Making things from scratch
-A job done well
-Lily's silly giggle
-the first kiss from my husband when he comes home from work
-Lily's daddy scream when she hears his keys in the door
-the full-face-smile-puffed-up-chest look Jeremy gets when Lily kisses his cheek and calls him her hero or says he's a genius (generally for something very simple! Like a slice of cheese or a fetched ball)
-Baking with Lily and watching her lick every spoon and measuring cup after each ingredient--even the one with a little dry yeast left after making bread.
-Listening to Jeremy and Lily play in her bedroom.  Generally the "rough, rough game" which is why Mommy listens from the other room!
-Really good food!
-A clean kitchen
-Hot soup on a cold day

I hope you can find something to smile about today!  There are so many blessings all around us, you just have to change your perspective sometimes.

8 months and counting!

I have recently been bombarded with the ever popular question "Now, when is your due date?" --which is to be followed sometime in the next couple weeks by the also popular one, "no baby yet?"  This question only serves to remind me that I'm close, but not close enough.  I know that everyone is well meaning and not trying to rub it in, but just for the record my official due date is January 15th. 

Today, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by being pregnant.  I'm at the awkward, ungainly stage where everything aches most of the time, I'm hungrier than I have any right to be, when I'm grumpy (or tired or to celebrate the end of a day :)) I want chocolate and sleep is not my friend--no matter how many pillows or blankets I use--that marks the end few weeks of every pregnancy.  The surreality of being pregnant again has worn off, I have all the things I need for the new baby and now I'm ready for her to be here. 

I have six weeks left and could really have her anytime after three weeks from now.  I'm hoping for sometime in December but Daddy sure would enjoy a little bundle of joy for his birthday (Jan. 10th).  Maybe I'll spend the day cleaning and setting up more stuff for the baby.  Maybe a little "nesting" therapy will help me feel better.  

Surviving "Black Friday"

This year we have a little money for Christmas a little early (thank you Dave Ramsey!).  All the other years we've had practically nothing and it wasn't until just before Christmas that we were able to have anything to spend on presents.  So, yesterday, armed with my budget and the Black Friday ads I was prepared to shop my heart out; until, of course, my husband found out that his very pregnant wife was planning on facing the elbow and aggressive cart wielding crowds.  "Not a chance!" was the response when I shared my ambitious plan to attack both Target and Walmart bright and early Friday morning by myself.  "But...but...I...the sales..."  I know, I'm just a little crazy.  But I mean, really, $3 PJ sets, $14 for flannel sheets, a $39 Singer sewing machine! 

My sweet husband--who hates regular shopping--offered to take my list and go shopping for me!  So, up he got at 3:45 Friday morning armed with my list and budget and headed out to stand in line and brave the elbow and aggressive cart wielding crowds.  He came home at 7 with everything on my list except the $3 jammies.  I love my husband!!

Thanksgiving Bake-a-thon!

Today is the perfect day for Thanksgiving.  The weather is cold, foggy and drizzly.  Absolutely the perfect day for staying inside and playing games and cooking and EATING warm turkey, stuffing (my mom's is the best!) and my sister's homemade cranberry sauce.  As a food lover, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays!

Last night my sweetie and I--joined occasionally by Lily--spent the evening in the kitchen baking for Thanksgiving.  It was so fun!  Jeremy makes fantastic pumpkin pies with gingersnap crust.  And I make rolls.  My kitchen was practically turned upside down for about 4 hours while Jeremy and I scurried around making our yummies to take with us and give to some of our friends.  The result?  Three dozen homemade whole wheat rolls (well actually a little shy of 3 dozen thanks to my bread loving monkey), 3 gingersnap pumpkin pies and 3 dozen deviled eggs.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Even in the worst of times there is always something to be thankful for even if it's as simple as Grandpa True's usual response to the how's it going question...Well, I woke up breathing.  Me?  I'm thankful for so many things: my wonderful husband, my beautiful daughter, my health, I have somewhere warm and dry to sleep, warm showers (wish I could pass that on to my friend, Amber!), good food, amazing friends and my God!   

A Wedding and a Birthday!

As many of my friends know, I've been planning a weekend away surprise for me and my sweetie and it finally happened this weekend.  We had a wedding to attend in Astoria (which was our excuse to be going up there) and Jeremy's birthday is the 10th of Jan. with Grace being due on the 15th (which was the reason for the getaway--I didn't figure we'll probably be able to make Daddy's day special too).  My wonderfully observant husband is usually impossible to surprise.  Either he figures it out or I'm so excited about it I spill the beans early!  But this time I was able to keep it quiet and picked him up from work on Friday (after having whisked Lily off to Grammy & Papa's for the weekend) and honestly surprise him.  I was already packed and had even cleaned the house and set out clothes for him to change into.  He was so surprised that he actually teared up a little!

I was able to get a room at a little bed and breakfast in Astoria for really cheap.  The food was fantastic and the inn keeper, Judith, was super nice.  We stayed at the Clementine's Inn Bed and Breakfast.  I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice place to stay.  Our weekend was full of early morning snuggles (stinkin' internal clocks wouldn't let us sleep much past Lily's usual 7 a.m. wake up), laughing, good food, awesome north Oregon coast storms, a power outage and lots of relaxing!  We even got to have dinner before we left town with the bride and groom, Sabrina and Presley Padilla.

The Kiss

Now presenting "Mr. & Mrs. Padilla"!!

Presley dancing with his "new" daughter Lindsey 

   

Baby Grace (and Lily too!) Update

I had my second "every 2 weeks" appointment today with my baby Dr.  I'm 32 weeks and a couple days so we did the last ultrasound before the baby gets here to judge how big she is and is likely to be.  Grace currently weighs 4 lbs.12 oz.!  That puts her in the 42nd percentile for other babies her "age".  So, according to her dr. if she's born on her due date, Jan. 15th, she should be upper 6 lb. to mid 7 lb. range.  Her head is measuring a little small but I'm ok with that!  Lily had a really little head too and it obviously hasn't effected her intelligence AT ALL so Mommy says, "Bring on the small headed babies!!"  I wish that my scanner was working so I could an ultrasound picture but alas...it's not.

Me, 32wks, it's hard to take a picture of yourself!

I do have one prayer request.  I'm currently at a little over 32 weeks now and (it's not really anything to be worried about BUT...) Grace is technically in the breech position.  She's laying side to side head to the right and up a bit and bottom to the left and down a bit--kind of kitty corner--with her body in a kind of V shape (legs extended and feet up above her head).  My dr. says in about 15% of the 32 week ultrasounds that the baby is still not head down and it's nothing to really be worried about at this point; just something to keep an eye on.  So, please pray that everything will continue to go smoothly and she will move to her right position when the time is right. 

I'm right on target with my weight gain so far!  My dr. actually complimented me on how well I've done at keeping it in control.  17 lbs. so far from the beginning of my pregnancy to now.  I should gain about 1 lb. per week from here on out (with about 1/2 of that being solely baby).  Considering that I had gained almost 40 lbs. by this time with Lily, and nearly 75 by the time I delivered, I'm feeling VERY good about my current 17 lb. gain :).

Lily of course had to be "measured" too.  So when Mommy got off the scale she jumped on and we've finally hit the 30 lbs. mark!!!  Most of the kiddos her age have long gone hit that mark but we've been trying for almost a year to gain that last 5 lbs. onto our little Jumping Bean and she's finally there!

Lily with her "Uno" train

I'm really getting so excited to meet Grace!  The dr. couldn't get a good picture of her face because of arms and legs being in the way but we got a couple of flashes and it looks to me like she's gonna be so pretty!  I think she has my chubby cheeks and really round face and Jeremy's really large eyes!

The Haircut

Let me just start by saying that I didn't intend, when I started this blog, to write everyday. I guess I've just had more on my mind than I thought I did and it's such a release to get it on "paper".

Every parent has something that they know almost every child does but somewhere in the back of their mind they hope against hope (and are slightly proud when it seems as though THEIR child has passed that stage without having participated in said naughtiness) that their little angel will skip that particular behavior. For me, that 'naughtiness' was self haircuts. As a friend of mine recently said in her blog "Either blog or cry...". So, here I am again today, ready to blog about what I cried about earlier (sorry Gretchen I couldn't help but shed a few tears!).

I woke up this morning and after fixing breakfast for Lily and myself was hit with a load of tiredness. The kind that makes you do the "open-mouth-jello-necked head bob (compliments of Jeff Foxworthy)". Lily was happily playing in her room and my bedroom door was closed--or so I thought--as I sat dozing on the couch trying to finish my cup of coffee. Which, by the way, I nearly spilled several times! I was awakened (darn it! I thought I was staying awake) by a phone call and then realized about 5 minutes into my conversation that I couldn't hear anything coming from Lily's room. Now this doesn't always signal trouble but most times an awake AND QUIET Lily means she's gotten into something.

I went into her bedroom to find her in the corner with the tiny manicure scissors I keep in my bathroom drawer (which is in my bedroom and I was wrong, the door wasn't closed) for those pesky hang nails. And, yes, a pile of beautiful blonde angel hair on the floor and her shoulders. She looked up with a 'look, Mom, I'm a big girl' smile and said, "I did a princess haircut!"

 

Immediately tears came to my eyes, and because I was so upset I didn't want to give a spanking (which is what I've always heard is the thing to do in this kind of situation). So, instead as I picked up her hair and the scissors I explained that because she had used scissors on her hair--and not on paper only--that the "hair cutting girl" was going to have to chop off all her pretty hair. She lost it! Real tears and begging and pleading, "I don't want her to chop off all my pretty hair!" She cried for about 15 minutes about it and then would randomly start crying again for the next hour every time she would think about it. So, I guess that's punishment enough.

Fortunately, after emailing a couple pictures to a friend of mine that works at a salon she said it should be a pretty easy fix and isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg!
 

A Letter

To my Grace,

I've frequently wondered during this pregnancy who you will be. I can imagine, if everything continues as it has thus far in my pregnancy with you, that no matter how much I try to figure it out and conjecture what you will be like and what having two little pitter-patters of feets will be like I will not even be able to come close! Everything about you seems to be different from your sister. My tummy is different, where you are laying inside me is different, how I feel and my mood and emotions are different. In some ways my pregnancy with you is easier and some ways more difficult than with Lily. It's easier because I seem to have more energy and motivation than I did at this point with Lily, but in others more difficult because every milestone with you is not as I expect (not as I experienced it with Lily).

By your movements, I wonder, will you be a dancer? Full of grace, elegance and beauty. Intelligent and charming? Each movement seems to have a purpose! Slow and stretching with strength but so different from the Karate kicks of your big sister. Lily just seemed to move for the purpose of being in motion. You're current favorite movement is to put your feet against my left hip bone and push with all your might. It's an interesting feeling being tickled from the inside!

I seem to wonder about you more than I did Lily. I wondered if she would be healthy and what she would be like, but I think about you more frequently than I did Lily. Maybe because I'm so much more experienced now. I've seen how one combination of me and Daddy looks like and I'm anxious to see the next and then the next! Will you be strawberry haired like your sister or will you turn brunette or possibly firey red like Dad? With a perfect combination of Daddy and I's best parts. My nose, his pure, blue eyes and cute elfin ears, his athletic stature (so much stronger than you look like you should be!), my legs and flair for the dramatic? Will you charge ahead at any challenge like your Daddy or lay back and "assess" the situation like me? Will you laugh easily and be excited by all the little things like Mama or will you be reserved and "mysterious" like your daddy?

When your daddy and I were still considering whether or not to have another baby, I once asked a good friend--who has four of her own--if she ever feared that she wouldn't be able to love her others as much as she did her first. Her response was, "Of course! You are so consumed with love and adoration for your first child that you think you can't possibly have room to love another as much. But you do!" I've found that statement to be oh so true! I believe that especially in our capacity to love we are most like God. No matter how much we already have, He gives us the room to love even more than we thought possible! I love you so much already sometimes I wonder if my heart has as many stretch marks as my tummy!

We can't wait to meet you Grace Elizabeth!
~Love Mommy, Daddy, and Lily

P.S. I tried to post Grace's most recent ultrasound picture on here but my scanner isn't working! GGRRR!

A Little Mommy Frustration

Today, my wonderful friend, Joni, came and took me and Lily to run some errands.  We didn't get back 'til about 3:15 and still hadn't had lunch or naptime.  And I forgot AGAIN to take the meat out for dinner!  After having lunch I put Lily down for nap around 3:45.  After screaming and crying in all ranges from whining to enraged screams for over an hour, I decided to get her up.  I know it's not the end of the world if she doesn't get a nap but it makes my day go some much easier.  I currently have to defrost the meat, put away the rest of the groceries, do the dishes and make dinner.  I'm not meaning to complain (I just realized that's what it sounded like) I just thought I would share my thoughts.  Currently I'm very thankful that she's happy with a baggy of Cheerios watching "Electric Company" on OPB.  Hopefully, I will be able to keep her entertained with something (outside of the kitchen) while I do the dishes and make dinner.  Fortunately...I'm really looking forward to dinner!  Thia meatloaf!  YUM!  In case you're interested in the recipe (courtesy of the a fore mentioned Joni) here it is...

6 green onions chopped
2/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
Zest of 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves minced
2 lbs ground meat
1 c instant brown rice
2 cans coconut milk
1 ½ c thai peanut sauce
4 tsp. seasame oil
2 T raw sugar (optional)

Makes 24 muffin size baby loafs. First 6 ingredients mix together in a bowl. Add 1c coconut milk and 1c peanut sauce to loaf and sesame oil. Mix well. Put in muffin cups 400 degrees for 30-35 min. Mix remaining coconut milk and peanut sauce and serve with loafs.

An End and A Beginning

I've decided to switch from a facebook page to a blog for mostly 2 reasons.  But before I really get into it let me give a little preface.  First I want to give a warning...I'm not an excellent writer!  I try to make things interesting but generally won't have the time to spend hours doing rough drafts.  So, if there are grammatical or spelling errors or something could have been worded better, please forgive me because I have a crazy jumping bean monkey to keep an eye on and soon (only 8 1/2 wks. left!!) will also have an infant to try to protect from her adoring--yet slightly over zealous and frequently too rough--big sister.

My other bit of preface is to say that I have the sweetest, most considerate, forgiving and patient husband that I'm pretty sure there has ever been.  He's the kind of husband who reminds me that I'm pregnant AND chasing a monkey when I'm feeling low because the house is still a mess and I forgot AGAIN to take the frozen meat out for dinner.  He always calls before leaving from work to find out if I need or want him to pick up anything on his way home.  And asks if it's ok if he even uses a dollar from our account to buy a soda.  Anyway, so to sum it up, when he does say that something is bothering him I know that it's definitely bothering him and needs my full attention until it's remedied. 

Having said all that, I get to the reasons for switching from a social networking site to a blog.  The first being that for some reason when I get on my facebook I'm completely distracted and not being a good supervisor.  I also have found (I cringe to call it an addiction...) that I'm nearly completely obsessed with reading everyone's status'.  And I do mean pretty much everyone!  I also spend way more time than I think playing the games.  I can loose literally hours playing Bejeweled.  And it's in one minute increments!!  And whenever I post something I spend large portions of my time thinking about it and what people comment on it.  Totally dumb, I KNOW! 

The second reason being that my sweet and ever patient husband has expressed exasperation frequently about the amount of time I spend on the computer (i.e. Facebook).  So, to remove the temptation from myself and to show my husband I love him more, I'm canceling my Facebook profile and starting this blog.  Hopefully I will be able to be "connected" to my friends and family and satisfy at least some of my social needs here.  Thanks for reading!  And I always welcome comments!