Sunday, December 23, 2012

wanna see something adorable?





Owen sat on Santa's lap for the very first time and it was so precious! 
i figured he wouldn't cry because he's really too young to understand that he's on a stranger's lap, but i didn't think we'd get any smiles. boy was i wrong.
as soon as the camera flashed he was laughing and squealing at the flash. it was the cutest thing! 
and check out that Santa... isn't he perfect. i don't think i've ever seen a more perfect Santa. 
all in all O's first Santa pictures were quite a success! 

tonight and tomorrow are going to be crazy busy! i have to make some last minute gift orders, wrap all the presents, do some preparatory baking for christmas breakfast and dessert, etc. needless to say, i wont have much time for blogging so...


Saturday, December 22, 2012

sleep sound in Jesus, my baby, my dear

it's 9pm and Owen has been fast asleep for 21/2 hrs now. 

is it normal that i miss him? that there's this physical longing to hold him, cradle him in my arms right now. 

sometimes i want our bedtime routine to last forever. i want to giggle and splash with him in the bath and then snuggle him close in his little shark towel, with the hood pulled over his damp head. i want to nurse him in the glider while whispering lullabies and watching his eyes slowly close. i want to pace his room, rocking him in my arms watching as he dreams, beautiful dreams the make him smile slightly and breath rhythmically.

some nights i seriously fight the urge to sneak into his room and stand over the crib watching his peaceful sleep, that's because i know if i spent any amount of time gazing at him there is no way i would be able to resist the urge to scoop his tiny body out of the crib and kiss that sweet neck, those glorious cheeks, those tiny fingers and toes. 


reindeer bark

i just love the christmas season! don't you? 
so much baking and shopping and gift wrapping and family visiting. these are all some of my favortie things to do! but my absolute favorite is baking with family.

i can't describe the warm feeling i get when the kitchen is full of noise and laughter (and some bossing). to me, nothing says christmas is coming more than that. 



with so many treats going into the oven sometimes i like to make something that doesn't need the oven between batches. on of my favorite holiday treats has always been peppermint bark, but this year, with little O as a new part of our lives, i decided to make a more kid-friendly version:



REINDEER BARK

1pkg vanilla almond bark
1/2 pkg cool mint oreos
1 bag christmas m&m's
christmas sprinkles


crush the oreos onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. add m&m's and make sure they are spread evenly.


melt the almond bark in the microwave according to the directions on the package. 


once completely melted and smooth, pour over the oreos and m&m's making sure to cover all of the candy. 


at this point you are supposed to add the sprinkles. i forgot this time, but it still tastes great without them. they're more for looks.

then you place the cookie sheet in the fridge for about 30 min. or until the almond bark has hardened completely.


then break the bark into pieces using your hands. it's okay if the pieces are different shapes and sizes. once broken into the desired sizes you can serve the bark immediately, save in a sealed container for a week, or package for gift giving. 



this is a super easy christmas treat and it's fun for kids to help make! it's also so delicious. this batch has already been devoured so i'm going to have to make more and hide it for christmas day.


{this post is a part of Krista's 25 letters of christmas link-up}


Friday, December 21, 2012

photo friday

sorry about the poor quality cell phone pics





happy friday/last day of the world! ;)

Thursday, December 20, 2012

baby food making

when i first got pregnant i had all these big ideas about how i would have a "natural" home birth and only use cloth diapers and breastfeed for at least a year and make my own baby food. and well, the reality is i'm just not cut out for all that. i thank God for giving my the sense to go to birth in the hospital and demand an epidural and i changed my mind on the cloth diaper thing about 20wks into my pregnancy. just a week ago we started supplementing a couple feedings a day with formula (i'll post more about this). 
but the one thing that i've stuck to is the baby food making.

Owen just turned 4 months old, two weeks ago and i just had to see if he was ready for pureed food! he is such a big eater that i just knew he'd love "real" food. so i gave him some pureed carrots and he loved it! he slurped it down without pushing much back out at all. 

seeing how much he enjoyed carrots i couldn't wait to make all kinds of other purees for him to try and i remembered the big purchase we made while i was pregnant. 

so i pulled out the recipe book and decided on butternut squash, brown rice cereal, and sweet potatoes.
i was so surprised how easy everything was to make, and although it took some time, since i made 3 different foods, the freezer containers held it all and it will last for 3 months!






some more of his favorites are apple sauce, pear, and bananas mixed with plain yogurt.



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

continuing to pray and q+a

yesterday i took a break from blogging and observed a day of silence in honor of the lives lost in Newtown, CT. my heart still aches for the families that will grieve for the rest of their lives. for the other students from Sand Hill Elm. how will they ever feel safe at school again? how does a 6 year old understand that his best friend was murdered?

my hope for myself is that i wont just forget this in a few days. of course life has to go back to normal and other things will have to take the forefront, but i hope to always remember how blessed i am to have my son. to never forget that i am blessed to have a baby waking me up at 4am, i am blessed to have dirty bibs to wash and dirty bottles to clean, i am blessed to be able to sooth my crying child. i hope to never take these things for granted, because in their own small way, they are beautiful. i plan to continue to keep the Newtown community in my prayers and continue to do whatever i can to help.



another thing i am so thankful for and so blessed to have is my marriage to Beau.
i'm linking up again this week with Bethany at love the grows for his+hers q+a.


His&Her Q&A

Describe how your other half dresses.
His:  sexy. i don't know how else to say it... you dress... you dress... you dress... are you typing all this? you dress... idk what to say you dress sexyyy. you dress like um girl whatcha say.
Her: jeans and t-shirt

What is one quality your other half has that you hope your children inherit?
His:  your kind heart.
Her: your hardworkingness and desire to do things well.

What are some amazing talents your other half has?
His: being an amazing mother.
Her: he can fix ANYTHING. like literally! and he makes a mean cheeseburger.

What team/school are you an anti-fan of/is your biggest rival?
His: florida gators
Her: i don't have one. i'm really bad about cheering for everyone.

Who was your very first crush?
His: sara french. some girl i married in 3rd grade
Her: rick. he was my best friend's older brother/my brother's best friend. we have a home video of us "getting married"

What gets you inspired?
His: you and Owen. ya'll inspire me to do the right thing.
Her: pinterest. and Fr. Juan's homilies and Fr. Eric's wisdom.

What's a TV show that has ended that you wish would come back?
His: perfect couples
Her: perfect couples. we started watching it on hulu and were so upset when it was over.

What is one of the first conversations you remember having together?
His: i can't remember exactly what we said, but i remember me sitting on the ground and you tanning in a chair and i said something about relationships and you agreed with me, and i remember my best move was to give you a high five.
Her: i remember the night we met, it was a saturday, and i was planning to be home long before midnight but then we met and sparks flew and so i didn't want to leave Leslie's house. it was like 3am and i was telling him that i had to be up in 4hrs to teach sunday school and i remember him laughing and thinking i was joking at first. he was a bad influence ;)

What is a hobby you would like to get into at some point?
His: should i start a list... i'd like to spend more time outdoors.
Her: sewing. i would love to be able to make clothes or stuffed toys for O.

About when did you know you were in love with your other half?
His: when you showed me that you'd do anything for me
Her: i knew i was more attracted to you than i had ever been to anyone after the first time we hung out. then i think the love grew gradually. i can't really think of a specific time that it hit me, but i do remember when i went to Panama City for spring break, every time we hung up the phone after talking i'd say i love you. and my friends hated me cause all i talked about the whole time was how i loved you.

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