The Traveling German's Wife

Cooking with Coca-Cola

2011-10-17T19:39:00.000-04:00

Trader Joe's had tri-tip on special this week, so I decided to give it a try. I thought that tri-tip in the slow cooker might be the way to go but had no idea how to cook it. Here's my made-up recipe that ended up being fabulous!

Take a 2.5 lb. tri-tip roast and rub it with some meat rub seasoning. I found this all natural rub in our local grocery store and it ended up being really tasty. Be careful not to rub too much on the meat, as the seasoning can overpower everything. Put the meat fat-side-up in the crock pot and add 12 oz. of chilled Coca-Cola Classic. Pour most of the Coke around the meat, but do pour a little over the top. Cook on low for 8 hours.

After the 8 hours is up, remove the meat from the slow cooker. It should look something like this and fall apart really easily. :9

To make the BBQ sauce, remove drippings from the slow cooker and put into a fat separator. Let the fat rise to the top. While that process is going on, pour 6-8 oz. of chilled Coca-Cola Classic into a sauce pan. Add 4-5 good squirts of ketchup (I used Simply Heinz). Add 1/4 tsp. of ground mustard. Then pour in 1/4 cup of the drippings. I also added a few shakes of cracked black pepper to balance the sweetness of the sauce. (We love pepper around here.) Bring the mixture to a boil and boil uncovered for 8 minutes or until the mixture thickens into a sauce.

When you're done, the sauce should look something like this. (Please excuse the skillet with leftover egg bits from breakfast. What? I have a small child and dishes don't always get done.) ;) Shred the meat and place meat onto a bun. Add sauce to your heart's content.

For a side dish, I made tiny potatoes. Preheat oven to 375. Take 1 lb. of tiny potatoes (from Trader Joe's - fingerling potatoes would work, too), place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. of ground pepper on the potatoes. Toss well to coat. (I added a little smoked paprika to the potatoes.) Bake for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

And, of course, to continue the Coca-Cola theme, pour yourself a nice glass of Coke to go with your awesome BBQ sandwich and potatoes!

11 months!

2011-08-28T21:05:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness. One more month and Vivian will be the big O-N-E! I'd like to report that taking the monthly photos has gotten easier, that she sits well and does not wiggle, and is generally cooperative so that mommy can get ~~a million cute pics~~ one nice picture. Alas, that is not the case. I'm going to throw in a few pics we took earlier in the week so you can see how much she's changed. She really is turning into a big girl! She can walk behind her hippo, say "dada," "daddy," "doggie," "key (Qui)," "da (Dack)," "Hiiiiiii," and "HEY" like a champ. I'm still waiting for "mama." It's clear who is most loved in our house - Daddy and the doggies. (No hard feelings there, Missy.) She loves her little elf with a rattle in his hat, as well as her stuffed dogs. And she gets the biggest smiles when we see doggies at the Farmer's Market. She loooooves getting kisses, whether on her face or hands. She is now giving us kisses and hugs, which is awesome. (Except when she bites Daniel in the midst of a kiss. Oops.) We also play constant games of "Where's Vivian?" or "Where's Mama?" And we have a little dancing queen on our hands - she loves to groove to her LeapFrog table, phone ringtones or whatever is playing on the radio. She's changed so much in eleven months! I can't wait to see what the future holds for our Miss Missy.

All dressed up for Emerson's birthday party

Hair bow from Grammy

Cheeks for weeks

Playing with my frog, pre-party

I love to crawl with my elf in my mouth (and try to touch mommy's camera lens)

Checking out her toy bin with the elf in her mouth

Mmmmm...elf hats taste like m&m's...

You can see some of the teeth she cut in the past few weeks

1-1? What does that mean?

Smiling at dada, as usual. ;)

Still chewing on the elf

Hi Mama! I love putting my little fingers all over your lens!

Falling over laughing. And waving "hi."

Granddad says I'm #1. I agree heartily!

I see you!

Love her smiles

Lots of giggles when Dada is around

Oh, hey mama! I just noticed you there! :)

Swimming

2011-08-28T20:46:00.000-04:00

So, we had about a month of actual pool weather here. Not that I am complaining. No siree. But we had to introduce Vivian to the baby pool pretty quickly. I decided to dump somewhat warm water from the faucet into the fun, inflatable whale pool from Aunt Jenni (note to self: use a hose and wait for the dang water to warm up), wait a bit, and then see if Vivian liked the wading pool as much as the big pool. As you can see from the evidence below, I think we'll be sticking with the floaty and the big pool...

She looks pretty happy at the start...

Actually, guys, I don't think I like this

OK. It's not as warm as my bath water. I REALLY don't like this.

No Grammy! I don't want to go in there!

Made it out. Now where can I go to escape?

If I go out the back of the pool, maybe they can't catch me.

Funny escape artist

Mad balancing skills (and awesome face) so she doesn't have to go back in

Mom, I am not happy you made me go in that thing.

All that escaping is tiring!

10 months!

2011-07-31T11:42:00.000-04:00

We've had another attack of the teething monster in our house, along with a MOPS retreat and a Grammy departure (temporarily), so that is why I have been slacking. Oh, and the fact that if I don't watch my child like a HAWK, she will be climbing the stairs, opening the fireplace doors and trying to smash her fingers or play in the ashes, trying to scale the gate keeping her and the dogs separated (Qui does not like this mobile baby-thing), toppling our floor lamps, sticking fingers into the Wii, trying to open doors by reaching for doorknobs and generally getting into anything she can. Is it a wonder I'm exhausted by the end of the day? But she's still a good baby. And her awesome baby laughs and smiles make my heart melt. I do have to mention that recent accomplishments include saying "ight" and pointing at the light on the ceiling fan and figuring out how to feed Cheerios to the dogs (you would think Qui would want to be her BFF for that alone!). Here's our big girl this month:

The best 10-month b-day present EVER. A big container of Cheerios!

Self-p (hence the "not quite on my game" face) - she'll understand the self-p someday.

See? Floor lamps don't stand a chance around here.

Still puzzled by the sticker on the blanket. What IS that?!

Dada doing the Mr. Miyagi move to make her laugh.

Dada is clearly hilarious.

She is a little daredevil. Seriously? One hand holding on while on a chair?

Smiling at Dada again.

She is a happy baby.

About to jump off the chair into Dada's arms!

The point. It's so cute it kills me.

Happiest baby on the block. I will have to capture her laugh on video.

She stands!

2011-07-15T09:19:00.000-04:00

It's been an exciting week in our house. Little Miss Busy has decided she's going to pull up on EVERYTHING. And the child has no fear. We went to my Grandma's house and Vivian decided to pull up on one of her barstools. Then she decided to rock it a little and hold on tight as it toppled sideways. I freaked out and thought she would be screaming crying. Nope! She had the biggest smile on her face as if to say, "That was fun! Let's do it again!" She has, obviously, taken some spills as she's learning to get up and down and has a tiny bruise on her right cheek from one of the falls. It doesn't phase her in the least, though. I managed to capture a few in-the-process-of-standing moments for the blog.

I like to pull up on my Leapfrog table, even though it's toppled once with me on it. Oops!

Taking a standing break to chew on the raspberry paci. Did I mention she's getting 4 teeth right now?

One leg up

The other leg up

And she's up!

Ooh! I think I'll pull up on the coffee table!

OK, it's a little taller than my Leapfrog table... (and messier - sorry!)

I'll still go for it.

Wait a minute! I see the boogie sucker! I'm staying down on the floor.

The End of the Hippo

2011-07-02T21:56:00.000-04:00

Vivian is getting her two top teeth, which is supposed to happen but it makes me sad that her little two-bottom-teeth grin will be no more soon. I decided to snap some pics tonight to commemorate the little hippo smile before it's gone. I love this little munchkin. :)

Hippo teeth

Seriously, the kid has inherited my talent for making faces

Silly girl

Smiling with a little hippo peeking out

Showing off her cute teeth

Just a cute smile for the camera

Another

Smiling again for Mama (who is making funny noises behind the camera)

Making motorboat noises

She loves making this noise. I wish we actually had a boat she could motor around! ;)

Another silly face

Baby giggles

I love her sweet, sweet smile

Hi mom!

Curious about everything. Maybe she'll be a scientist like her Dad?

9 months!

2011-07-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

I say this every month, but where is the time going? My tiny baby is growing up right before my eyes! In this last week, she's pulled up on her own, started crawling instead of inchworming, started really drinking out of a sippy cup, decided she loves pizza and risotto (yeah - good eater!), tried to take a few steps while holding Mama or Grammy's hands, and grown way too much for my liking. She was 29 1/4 inches at her 9-month appointment yesterday, which puts her in the 97% for height. No wonder none of her clothes were fitting well... And for your viewing enjoyment, the 9-month photo session!

I love standing up and trying to take steps now

Honking Grammy's nose

9 months old!

Wiggling and making a funny face

Smiling at Grammy

I love to laugh

Raspberries are pretty fun, too

Taking after Mama and making funny faces

Funny face numero dos

Future career in Cirque du Soleil - backbend to take off the sticker

Poking the Glowworm in the eye

I still like holding my toes

Somewhat smiling

Pulling up to my knees

Let me out, Mama! There's a big world to explore!

Mega post!

2011-06-11T22:10:00.000-04:00

Yes, I've been slacking in the blogging department. But I think I have an excuse - we now have a super-mobile kiddo who is trying to pull up on everything in sight. Oh, there's a wall? I think I'll try to climb it. My pack n play? It should be no problem to scale. The kitchen chairs? Been there, chewed on those seats (once I pulled up, of course). And the doggies? Their once-safe haven on the couch is no more. She loves to try and peek at them. Without further ado, here are the goings-on for the past couple of weeks:

Yep. The Vivster barfed right into Daniel's mouth. And he was so kind to not freak out while I snapped a couple of pics. What a guy!

Helloooooo Dack! I see you!

I bought this outfit for her last summer and am so stinkin' excited that it finally fits!

Sitting up in her cute outfit

Story time with Mama. Notice the difference between this and with Aunt Jenni (below).

Now she's kind of tilted over...

Now she's semi-reclining and not looking at the book...

OK, she's looking at the book. (And hi to Qui in the background!)

Now we've got toe-grabbing while reading...

Cute shot of Vivian in her new dress before cousin Madison's graduation party

With some boogies in her nose - I think she's teething again.

Dada and Vivian looking at the camera and smiling

Mama and Vivian smiling (seriously, this one took about 25 takes)

Aunt Jenni

2011-06-11T21:29:00.000-04:00

Vivian loves her Aunt Jenni. I mean, I can't even get her to sit still and listen to books like Aunt Jenni can. Maybe she should start calling herself "The Baby Whisperer." Oh wait...I think one of those already exists. (But I bet Aunt Jenni could give her a run for her money.) The evidence:

Fascinated by the "Shapes" book

The page with heart shapes. Just like I heart Aunt Jenni.

Still fascinated (and sitting still!)

Checking out the starfish. It's my favorite picture in the book. I kiss it every time I see it.

Now on to colors (and still sitting nicely!)

More colors

Oh! Hi Grammy! I was so enthralled with Aunt Jenni's stories that I didn't notice you were there!

OK, I will look at Dada for a picture

Hiiiiiiiii Dada!

Still smiling (and still sitting nicely!)

Eight Months!

2011-05-27T20:12:00.000-04:00

This cannot be possible. How is she 2/3 of a year old already? I keep telling Vivian that I am going to find a potion that will keep her small for just a little bit longer. (Where is that stuff from "Alice in Wonderland" when you need it?) This was definitely the most interesting of the photo shoots thus far. Wiggles + camera = not a good mix. Just keep that in mind when viewing these. I finally had to call in Granddad and Aunt Jenni to get some decent pictures. The pictures in the little whale romper were taken two days before her 8-month b-day...they were too cute not to include.

You can see her new hair coming in (finally!)

No one can get the smiles from her like dada can

Grabbing my toes and smiling for the camera

What do you mean I'm eight months old?

Why, yes, I would like to put my little fingers all over your lens after I've been sucking on them.

Grabbing my toes is my new form of entertainment

Nope, no smiles for you

OK, I'll smile...but only if I can eat my romper at the same time...

RAWR! I'm a T Rex!

Oh Granddad, you are pretty funny!

I love my Aunt Jenni

Waving is also a new skill I've acquired

This was right before biting it on the camera lens

The best shot of the evening. Sitting, kind of looking toward the camera and kind of smiling :)

Indy Children's Museum

2011-05-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

Vivian and I got invited to go with some new friends to the Children's Museum a couple of weeks ago. While the Vivster is still a little young to enjoy most of the museum, we did visit the Dora and Diego exhibit where she was able to crawl around in a little enclosure and play with some stuffed flowers (there were some bigger kids in there so I had to refrain from taking pictures to make sure she didn't get kicked in the head or stepped on). I wanted to take a picture with the Dora or Diego statues, too, but every time I tried there was another kid running up yelling "Doooooooooooora!" or "Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeego!" and ~~making out with~~ climbing all over the statues, so no go on those pics. We ended up going to the preschool play room, which was just the right speed for Miss V. They had a toy pit with all sorts of balls, rolling tubes, blocks, and other irresistable-to-infants toys. Here are a few pictures from our day:

Mom? Astronaut Dora told me that aliens will suck my brains. Is that true?

The ball pit. (And a little diaper crack thrown in for your enjoyment.)

This ball with the eleventy billion germs on it that other kids have left while chewing is AWESOME!

Seriously, Mom? Stop taking pictures and find me some toys like this for at-home fun.

Aaaaand - this is not from the museum but a gratuitous shot of V in her new sun hat taken two days later after a playdate in the park. I love how big it makes her cheeks look!

A Fabulous Pre-Mother's Day Present

2011-05-07T15:24:00.000-04:00

The Vivster has now been napping for almost two hours. I just went in to poke her and make sure she was still breathing. (She is.) I am lucky if I get an hour nap a couple times a day out of this kid. Hellooooooo time to kick back and catch up on the interwebz!

7 months!

2011-05-03T09:33:00.000-04:00

If you noticed, I didn't post 6 month pictures on the blog. That's because we decided to have this talented friend take pictures of the momentous occasion. (It's not every day one turns half a year old!) But never fear, I have pictures for this month! Let's see...little miss is now trying to crawl (she does the up on all fours, rocking back and forth), trying very hard not to sit up (why sit when you can scoot and roll around all over the floor?), loving food of all sorts (broccoli, parsnips, pumpkin, blueberries, sweet potatoes, beans, hummus, pasta, bananas, mangoes), feeding herself Puffs (5 for 5 yesterday!), trying her darndest to pet the doggies whenever they are nearby, sleeping like a champ (12 hours - and if she wakes in the middle of the night, we know something is wrong), and all-around being a joy of a baby. It has taken a lot of work to get to this stage but I am so enjoying her and being a mommy now. Without further ado, here are the pictures of Miss Personality.

I am 7 months old!

Doing supermodel poses is hard work

Whoa! What is that thing on the blanket and why isn't it coming off?

My other supermodel pose

I would like your camera, please!

Hi Dada! I still think you are funny.

Presenting...me at 7 months! (Vanna, you'd better watch your back - Miss V is coming for your job!)

As I said, wiggling on the tummy is much preferred to sitting

I love books, so I'll pretend to read this one before I chew on it

I about died at this yesterday. She was putting her head down to see her little face in the mirror. Cute overload! (Dear Photo Uploader - Why must you always jack with the formatting of pics in this blog? I loathe you.)

Ants

2011-05-02T17:39:00.000-04:00

We have ants. And not hordes of ants, just one or two little "scout" ants who try to find any goodies and report back to their buddies where the stash of ~~crumbs under the toaster~~ fabulous ant nibbles are. I convinced the Hubs that we needed ant traps after a full day of spraying orange Fantastik on any ant that dared make its way onto our countertop. (It works and I didn't have Raid. Bonus - the kitchen smelled nice and the counters got cleaned.) Anyway, Daniel came home with Amdro ant traps. Awesome - Amdro is what we used on fire ants in Texas and it was a miracle-worker. Those little suckers loved the stuff. Evidently, Indiana ants are smarter than Texas ants. They will not go near the stupid traps. I've even tried to nonchalantly move the traps into their walking path so they'll take a nibble. No dice. The scout ants run away like they somehow KNOW it's a little box of poison waiting to end their tiny ant lives. Dangit. Maybe I'll just have to resort back to my Fantastik...

A Week and a Half of Sunshine

2011-04-12T19:12:00.000-04:00

So...what do you do when you've had it with the freezing cold, miserable winter? Why, you go visit Grammy, Granddad and Aunt Jenni in sunny AZ! Daniel only got a weekend trip but Vivian and I got to stay a whole ten days. It was great. First of all, there were six other willing arms to hold Baby Girl at all times. Second of all, there were pedicures. Third of all, there was sunshine galore. Fourth of all, there were friends, baseball, margaritas, hotdogs, Coronas and a million other things that made it a great trip. Here are some pictures of the highlights: (OK, this may be more of a documentary than just highlights)

I got a fun sun hat and loved not wearing long pants or socks for a week and a half!

I figured out that dipping my toes in the water was more fun if I held my head sideways

I liked these Grammy and Granddad peeps, but the water was waaaaay fun, too.

I sat up like a big girl on my own for the first time!

We visited this crew and learned that pants are optional ;)

I believe this is where Carrie was repeating the mantra, "I love my life, it is peaceful, it is perfect." :)

Good to catch up with old friends! (And good to learn that you have to act fast, otherwise you will not get a picture of the babies together. Boooo.)

I love my Aunt Jenni

We got to meet Noah and catch up with Jamie! (We ate at The Herb Box. If you go, get their Market Sunflower Salad. Trust me - it is amazing.)

I got to celebrate my 6 month birthday!

I learned how to do a stink eye. (I didn't appreciate bubbles being blown in my face.)

The obligatory picture with the mountains in the background. Granddad got me to smile, though!

Family pic for Grammy's birthday

I got professional 6 month pictures done by this talented lady. Mom thought I needed a tutu for some of the shots.

Behind the scenes shot taken by Aunt Jenni

What I really wanted to do was pull mommy's necklace off

What they never show you: this is what you have to do to get good shots of an infant

AZ sunset

I discovered that toes are delicious!

I also discovered that I can multitask while chewing my toes

Taken the day we left Grammy and Granddad's. Thanks for all the fun!

The Week from H-E-Double...well, you know...

2011-03-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

Almost one week ago today, I noticed some new visitors in Miss V's mouth. Two of them in the center of her bottom gum line. (Because, hey, why do one when we can have two?) That's right - teeth! Of course, I'd heard all the stories about fever, drool, not wanting to eat as much, and diarrhea accompanying teething, which is why I didn't start to get concerned until late Friday when a junky cough started developing. And then said cough turned into a runny nose and vomiting lots of mucus. As much as I have tried, "Spit it out!" just doesn't work with a 5-month old. No, good old fashioned puking it up is how one so little gets rid of all the excess boogies in her system. And, of course, you know one of those episodes had to occur in the swing while I was in the kitchen so it meant she was covered (and choking), the swing was covered, because of said choking I had to pick her up so I was covered and the rug got a lovely new spot added to the corner. Sunday was also the beginning of the blowouts. Y'all, I have never seen poop like this. Poor Bibsy had to be thrown into the bath a couple of times because it was everywhere. I have also decided that we would be using disposables until this part of the fun cleared up because dealing with a sick child was enough - I didn't need to be cleaning out a cloth diaper every time I turned around.

We went to the doctor early Monday morning and the diagnosis was...are you ready?...this is exciting!...a really bad COLD. :o| Um, what? I mean, I was thrilled that her ears were clear, that it wasn't the flu or RSV, but a cold can cause this kind of misery?! And there is pretty much nothing we can do for her. It just has to run its course. We can sit with her in a steamy room to help loosen the congestion and we can put a pillow under one end of her crib mattress to help with the drainage but other than that, nada. No decongestants. No baby neti pots. (ha! I would try it!) No cough medicine. I did finally pick up some Vicks Baby Vapo Rub to see if it would help a little.

I can tell Baby Bibs is on the mend, though. She's been a milk fiend today. If she could talk, she'd be saying, "Mommy, gimme all that milk NOW!" in her best growly voice. She's also rolling onto her tummy, which she hadn't been doing at all earlier in this illness. I guess lying on your tummy while sick isn't so comfortable. I know she's still sick because she took an almost-two-hour nap this afternoon which she NEVER does. And she still has that cough that makes me wish I could take it away and do all that coughing for her. It breaks my heart to hear that ugly cough come out of her tiny little mouth.

Of course, I thought I'd share some pictures from today since V is feeling a little better. :)

The best things ever. They have helped me tremendously this week.

Yep. This face has pretty much been par for the course.

She has started sucking her bottom lip - maybe because of her teeth?

Tummy time today, complete with extra drool

5 months!

2011-03-09T14:56:00.000-05:00

My apologies. I took these pictures on V's 5-month birthday but have been slow in putting them up. Possibly because my birthday (the big 3-5 aka "advanced maternal age") was two days later and then we've been dealing with a sickie (post about that next). Without further ado, the 5 month pictures!

Chillin' at my home spa because, you know, 5 months old is hard work

Mid-sentence, I think

Mom? Being your ~~guinea pig~~ model is kinda boring

Posing for the camera

I have these chill poses down pat, y'all

Close-ups of the ice and snow

2011-02-06T21:49:00.000-05:00

Click on these pictures to enlarge. The crazy detail of this storm is amazing! Thankfully, we're kind of digging out. Church was canceled today because of a burst pipe, which flooded the parking lot.

Welcome to Indy in the Winter!

What to do during an Ice Storm...

2011-02-01T19:02:00.000-05:00

Make brownies! :) I ate so well today that I can have TWO tonight (per my WW points). Hooray! Here is the recipe:
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbsp. water
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa (such as Nestle or Trader Joe's)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan.
Combine sugar, butter and water in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts (if desired). Spread into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan. Enjoy!

4 Months!

2011-01-28T11:15:00.000-05:00

How can this be? She's 1/3 of a year old already?! I was looking at hospital pictures yesterday and I can't believe how much Vivian has grown. She is now proficient at rolling from back to stomach (mostly trying to get a look at herself in her light-up snail) and, boy, is she a talker! She's also discovered squealing which I'm sure she loves because it gets a response from us. :) Poor girl is going to be devastated when she ends up not being the center of attention one of these days. For now, we'll spoil her. ;) Without further ado, the pictures!

Mmm...fingers... (usually accompanied by lots of drool)

Smiling at Daddy (she looks so grown up here!)

Turns into laughing at Daddy

Turns into laughing uncontrollably at Daddy (he is one funny guy!)

Turns into "I think I'm done now"

The light-up snail is my favorite

Just chillin' in my Bumbo like a big girl!

Sorry for the wonky formatting. Blogger is not playing nicely today.

Breakfast for Dinner

2011-01-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

I love to cook but, unfortunately, having a baby doesn't leave a lot of time for me to flex my gourmet chef muscles. I've taken up making this dish probably once or twice a month and we love it! I use about half of an asparagus bunch and break the stalks into one-inch pieces. Place the pieces into an 8x8 Pyrex dish and pour water into the dish until you have about 1 cm of water in the bottom of the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Slice button or baby portabella mushrooms. Heat 1 tsp. of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add mushrooms and saute until lightly browned. Add steamed asparagus pieces and saute until warmed. Scramble 5-6 eggs in a separate bowl and pour into skillet. Dot with 1 oz. goat cheese, if desired. Sprinkle dried thyme, rosemary, pepper and salt onto egg mixture. Now, let's be honest, this would be a lot prettier if I could make it look like an omelet. However, I'm not that fancy, so it basically turns into scrambled eggs with veggies. :) But it still tastes good!

The skillet after sprinkling the spices

The scrambled egg mixture

The finished product with a little bacon on the side. YUM. :9

Off the Charts

2011-01-04T15:46:00.000-05:00

At V's last pediatrician appointment, we were told her height was in the 99th percentile and then the doctor corrected herself and said, actually, she's off the chart for height. Which would explain why my just-turned-3-month old is wearing 6-month pj's and they are the perfect length. Le sigh. I apologize in advance, little girl, because those pants with long inseams don't kick in until you hit J.Crew size. :)

Meeting the Great-Grandmother

2010-12-31T21:40:00.000-05:00

Little Vivs was named for her great-grandmothers. Today she got to meet the original Vivian for the first time. It was love at first sight. Lots of smiles on both sides, which was sweet to see. Now we just need my dad here to take some 4 generation pictures! :)

Three generations! (And, yes, I have started WW to get the baby weight off. Ugh...)

The Vivians

Love this shot

Holding great-grandma's hand. She didn't want to let go.

I also love this generational shot taken by Daniel

Simple Pleasures

2010-12-30T09:16:00.001-05:00

I am sitting by the light of the Christmas tree enjoying a cup of Christmas tea while Hubs is asleep upstairs with the dogs, little girl is asleep in her swing with the cricket white noise playing. Peaceful.

3 months!

2010-12-25T22:46:00.000-05:00

V decided that for Christmas she would give us the gift of not sleeping or napping pretty much the entire day. So this evening we decided to make the best of it and take her 3-month-old pictures, complete with Christmas BabyLegs. (You can bet I was SUPER excited that the 3 month mark fell on Christmas day!) :)

So, like, this morning, I came downstairs and there were all these presents under the tree...

So happy that today is my three month birthday! (Notice my lumpy cloth diaper bootie, too.)

What? How was I supposed to know that napping was important?

This one may be my favorite of all time. It looks like she's giving us the "up yours" gesture. ;)

Merry Christmas!

Homemade Christmas ornaments

2010-12-20T15:13:00.000-05:00

Mom and Dad got us a fun little Christmas project for Vivian. We decided we would wait until she was 12 weeks old (exactly 1 week before Christmas) to make it. Here's how it turned out:

With the doughy stuff for the ornament

The pressing of the hand

How the heck do I press her hand in and get it out without her grabbing onto the mold?

Noooooooo! I don't want to press my hand in that gunk again!

All is well with a Christmas book. (Pardon my posture, I wasn't feeling great.)

Chickenhawk

2010-12-08T22:42:00.000-05:00

Remember this guy?

V has a little spiky patch of hair on the back of her head that reminds me of him. I sometimes say "I'm a chickenhawk!" to her when I see it. I was finally able to capture it for comparison.

Our Little Elf

2010-12-04T09:32:00.000-05:00

While she doesn't live on the shelf, we do think she is a festive addition to our family this season. :)

Nakey baby

2010-12-03T23:03:00.000-05:00

Things are much improved since the first bath. And I just had to post this cutie pic. ;)

Giving thanks

2010-12-03T23:01:00.000-05:00

So much to be thankful for this time of year!

Family visiting from out of town

Baby giggles and smiles

Watching football with Daddy

Our little family's first Christmas (and baby's first Christmas ornament)

Hoodie time with Aunt Jenni

A festive house (This makes me SO happy)

Presents under the tree from Grammy and Granddad

(she totally has my genes - reaching for the presents and staring in awe at the tree)

22 days until Christmas! Be thankful and merry! :)

What my life has been reduced to

2010-11-15T18:48:00.000-05:00

I was finally able to take a shower today at 5:30 p.m. After Daniel got home from work. Oh, and I got to brush my teeth, too. Seriously - it was all I could do to keep the baby entertained today and get in a half-hour nap. The things no one tells you about having a newborn...

One month

2010-10-27T10:12:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, we've managed to keep the baby alive (and somewhat well) for a whole month. It's unreal. In that month, we've fed her at least 5 million times (or maybe it just seems that way at 2 a.m.), changed countless diapers (I leave the really bad ones for Daniel...ha...), played a lot on the play mat, shushed, burped, bounced, jiggled and kissed at least a million times as well. It's been hard but she is worth it! Here are her official one month photos. I should also mention that she LOVES the changing table on the pack n play, hence the first picture.

First bath

2010-10-09T20:56:00.001-04:00

We were excited when V's umbilical cord fell off this week because it meant she could have a bath in her cute whale tub. Maybe it was not quite the hit that we hoped it was going to be...

Guys, I am really not enjoying this

Mom washing my hair while Dad looks on

Things are a little better if I can look in the mirror

Being dried off by Dad. I also found my clean fingers to suck on, which helped a lot.

Clean, warm and snuggly.

I am zero!

2010-10-04T20:43:00.001-04:00

With my official zero Picky Sticky. And, of course, my stylin' BabyLegs and Mary Jane socks.

Milk coma

My daily attire - pjs and a cute hat

With Grammy and Grandpa. I am officially loved and spoiled. :)

Funniest Face!

2010-09-29T18:00:00.000-04:00

Seriously, she cracks me up.

Mah Belly(button)

2010-09-17T15:10:00.000-04:00

For posterity's sake I have to post that, as of 39 weeks and 6 days, my belly button has not popped out. Although it is a little deformed from the baby in my belly... :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2010-09-17T15:07:00.000-04:00

Since we are all in the Fall spirit around here (Hubs perhaps begrudgingly), I decided to use our leftover pumpkin from our pancakes to make some cookies. This recipe came up on The Pioneer Woman's site and it sounded the best of all the recipes I found, so we decided this would be our foray into the pumpkin cookie world. Hubs does not like the combo of sweet/salty and I'll admit that I wasn't much for putting salt on top of my cookies, so I decided to add Fall sprinkles to the top instead. Here are the results:

I'd like to send a shout out to HomeGoods for their fabulous selection of Fall sprinkles. As you can see, we have the colorful leaves, pumpkins with chocolate sprinkles and the fall color sprinkle medley. They are delicious! I will definitely be making these cookies again.

Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

2010-09-16T11:50:00.000-04:00

The Cloth Diaper blog is giving away over $1000 in cloth diapers! To enter, go to http://www.clothdiaperblog.com/cloth-diaper-blog-super-stash-giveaway and check out the multiple ways to win. (And, yes, I'm also trying to win some cd's for our new little one. We're trying to be as green as possible when it comes to diapering!)

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Barley Soup (aka Our Winter Staple because it's easy and delicious!)

2010-09-09T13:02:00.000-04:00

This makes quite a bit of soup - enough for dinner, leftovers another night and a couple of meals in the freezer, too.

1 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat
1 cup 1-inch pieces green beans (frozen)
2/3 cup uncooked barley
3/4 cup whole kernel corn (frozen)
1 cup mixed veggies (frozen)
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans diced tomato w/garlic, undrained
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups beef broth (I use low sodium)

To prepare: Mix all ingredients together in a 3 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours (or high heat setting for 4 to 5 hours) or until vegetables and barley are tender. NOTE: Fresh vegetables may be substituted for frozen. I usually add additional frozen mixed veggies and corn to the soup. Serve with warm, crusty bread. :)

Why I love Chick-Fil-A

2010-09-09T10:19:00.001-04:00

(Or perhaps I should say "why I love small children.") I was at Chick-Fil-A yesterday eating my yummy sandwich with extra pickles and drinking my lemonade with no ice when a little boy and his family came in. Clearly, he was very excited about being at CFA because he bursts in with a, "And they have a PLAY area here where little kids can run around and PLAY!" He proceeds with additional commentary on the play area while his dad orders their food. (I should mention that I am sitting at a table on the side of the restaurant by the windows with my back to the door, so I have a pretty good view of most of the restaurant and the play area. Seated near me in a booth are two guys and a girl who look to be in their early twenties and mostly bored with life.) Next thing I know, this head pops up over the booth near the guys and girl. "Hiiiiiiiiiiii! Can I come sit with you?" I am trying not to crack up at this kiddo who is SUPER excited to be here. One of the guys actually says, "Sure Dude, come on over." The dad then tells the little boy to sit down, eat his lunch and stop bothering people. As the little boy is "eating," I continue to hear commentary about the chicken tenders, french fries and the play area. Man, I wish I had such enthusiasm for life! I love kids.

The Nursery!

2010-08-27T15:56:00.000-04:00

You may or may not know that I am pretty anti-all-pink when it comes to baby girls. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine color, but I have never really cared for pink. (I know this will come back to haunt me when all our daughter wants is a super pink Disney Princess room...) So for now, our little girl gets turtles with light yellow and blue-green walls. I loved the bedding and tried to make the room girly and comfy without being frilly. Here are the results:

The crib

Close up of the sheet and bumper

The glider with very soft blanket (OK, I know it's not a turtle but it was a shower gift and it is SO cute!)

Dresser with changing pad

Looking into the room

With the lamp that we (finally) found that we liked

Fall is coming! (OK, possibly wishful thinking...)

2010-08-20T12:32:00.000-04:00

We got a lovely butternut squash at the Farmer's Market last week, so I decided to find a good recipe that would incorporate this yummy fall staple! I made this dish last night and it was delicious. I will say, cutting a butternut squash is quite a challenge. I microwaved the squash for three minutes, after poking it with a fork a few times. Once the squash cooled, I was able to peel the skin and cube it much more easily. Also, the store did not have pork shoulder so we used pork tenderloin instead. I would actually recommend using the tenderloin, as it cut the cooking time by 1/2 hour. The recipe calls for an additional 1/2 hour of cooking once the squash is added but I added the squash during last 1/2 hour of the 1 1/2 hour cooking time. It was delicious! We served with cornbread, as suggested. And it really does taste better the next day after the flavors have had more time to settle.

Side note - I may add a little cinnamon next time I cook this. Yum!!

Chubby Cheeks

2010-08-17T16:52:00.000-04:00

So, we had a scare a couple of weeks ago. I went to the doctor and the baby was measuring small, which could mean nothing or could mean she's not developing correctly or that there was low amniotic fluid. All this meant that I had to go get another anatomical ultrasound last week. My fabulous sister flew in to go to the appointment with me and, thankfully, all was well! (Not to say there weren't lots of tears and prayers in the interim...) I thought I would leave you with a picture of our little girl. She's head down and was a squirmy worm throughout the ultrasound (she did NOT like being pressed on!) and she was moving her head for this picture, hence the weird nose, but check out her chubby little cheeks! :)

Cloth Diaper Giveaway from Mom's Milk Boutique!

2010-08-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

I have ordered a cloth diaper sampler pack, detergent sampler pack, nursing bras, nursing tank and baby legs (in a CHRISTMAS pattern, people!) from Mom's Milk Boutique. Their service and shipping is phenomenal (standard shipping is free and my orders consistently ship the next business day) and now they're doing a cloth diaper giveaway. Hurry and enter here - the contest ends tomorrow!

New light fixtures!

2010-08-09T20:13:00.000-04:00

I am so thankful that Daniel is able to do handyman stuff - it will save us a lot of money in the long run! Here are all the light fixtures he spent his Saturday replacing. The house looks so much better. Bye, bye brass ugliness, hello brushed nickel loveliness! :)

And gratuitous dog shot. ;)

What happens when you find out you're having a girl...

2010-05-16T17:38:00.001-04:00

Your family goes crazy buying you cute baby outfits!

My favorite - cupcakes with sprinkles!

And what's a cute headband without a big flower to accessorize?

Heartbeat

2010-03-18T18:50:00.000-04:00

We heard the baby's heartbeat today! It was 144, so the nurse guessed boy. I think she may be right. I was getting a little nervous because the baby hid for a little bit, but we finally picked up the heartbeat.

P.S. My 100th blog post. I think it's a pretty good one!

Now that it's public

2010-03-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

I'm going to start posting all the freaking funny stuff about being pregnant. Because there sure are some doozies so far. Like driving the wrong way for no reason at all and then getting really weepy about it. Or NEEDING chocolate chip granola bars rightnow. (Even though I haven't had one in years.) I need to send a big shout out to Kellogg's for making Froot Loops and for bacon and eggs. Those are the only things that have consistently not made me sick or gag. Hooray!

Pay it Forward

2010-02-16T14:31:00.000-05:00

This blog post is so fabulous, it made me cry. I need to do more stuff like this. Actually, think how much better everyone's day would be if we all did more things like this!

You Know You Wish You Were at Our House Last Night

2010-01-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

We had a dance party with the dogs - don't be jealous.

This is such a good reminder

2009-12-09T10:59:00.001-05:00

(click on picture to enlarge)

Fall decorations

2009-11-15T22:01:00.001-05:00

OK, so here is how the Pottery Barn-inspired decorations turned out.

Modge Podge pumpkins on a pedestal with a fall berry candle ring I got on sale a few years ago

Cute pumpkin from Wimberley

More Modge Podge pumpkins, squash bowl that I got from my registry, and an apothecary jar filled with acorns

More Sleep-talking

2009-11-15T21:58:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday night, I asked Daniel if he was asleep. He answered, "I'm farming and air bubbles and it's not enough to collect a needle." Um...yeah...he was asleep. ;)

Late Night Hugs

2009-11-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

Funny story from a few nights ago. In the middle of the night, I am awakened by a poke in the eye. Of course, I roll over and yell, "Ow! What the he**, Daniel?!" My husband responds, "I just wanted to give you a hug," while still trying to hug me. At this point I realize he must be sleep-talking, so I tell him to go to sleep. The next morning he has no recollection of the incident. I have decided some night I'm going to sleep-poke him in the eyeball and see how he likes it. ;)

Fabulous Fall Festival!

2009-10-10T21:52:00.001-04:00

Well, it's not really a festival, but I figured we needed a Fall celebration at home since it's finally cold for a change and feeling like it's not summer anymore. This evening while Daniel watched college football (Baylor v. OU, Texas v. Colorado and Florida v. LSU), I did this:

Yes, that is ModgePodge, an Arthur paper plate and tiny pumpkins. They are going to be part of my lovely Fall decorations. :)

I also made these pumpkin cookies. I changed the recipe up a little (of course). I added 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon in place of the 2 tsp. of cinnamon. I only used 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips and used 1/2 cup of pecans instead of walnuts. I also increased the oven temp. to 365 and cooking time to 12 minutes. They were scrumptious!

The pumpkin mixture

Mixing the wet and dry ingredients

Waiting to be put in the oven

The oh-so-yummy finished product

Christmas decorations?

2009-10-08T10:47:00.000-04:00

I swear, retailers are tempting me earlier and earlier each year. And Pier 1 has been especially good at sending me previews of their Christmas decorations. I think this candle will have to be added to the collection:

I mean, how cute is that?

Thanks Easter Bunny...bock, bock...

2009-09-27T19:23:00.001-04:00

I tried my hand at making chicken noodle soup today. I used 2 quarts of low-sodium chicken broth, 1 quart of vegetable broth, 1 rotisserie chicken (original flavor, all of the breast meat, 1 thigh and 1 leg), 1 big carrot (sliced), 1 cup of chopped celery and 1/2 package Reames egg noodles. I brought the broth to a boil and added the noodles and boiled for 20 minutes. While the noodles cooked, I sauteed the carrot and celery and a bit of garlic in 1 tsp. of olive oil until almost tender. I shredded the chicken while the noodles cooked, too. Once the noodles were done, I added the carrot-celery mixture and the chicken. I added a pinch of rosemary, pinch of thyme, pinch of sage and some freshly ground pepper and I simmered the ingredients for 10 more minutes. Homemade goodness!

Pumpkin pancakes!

2009-09-27T19:17:00.000-04:00

Oh hooray! We made this deliciousness for dinner. (Non-fat Bisquick, added a little extra pumpkin and left out the oil. Of course I used soy milk, too.) We also had some preservative and nitrite-free bacon with the pancakes. It's the perfect way to celebrate Fall being here! If only the weather would cooperate...

Fall Decor

2009-09-22T21:36:00.000-04:00

Oh, Pottery Barn...I could spend all my hard-earned money on your fabulous wares...

Homemade Pho

2009-08-30T20:42:00.000-04:00

Alton Brown has a fabulous recipe for ramen shrimp pouches, which end up tasting like homemade pho. I found some GINORMOUS shrimp at Whole Foods (note to self: use smaller shrimp next time) and I added extra veggies (because we all need more veggies!) and used a triple-foil layer. The results were amazingly delicious.

Before:

Pouches ready to go into the oven:

Pouches out of the oven:

Yum!

No-boil goat cheese lasagna

2009-08-11T21:52:00.000-04:00

I made lasagna for the first time ever! Here is the recipe. I subbed goat cheese for ricotta and pecorino-romano for the mozzarella and parmesan. It was delicious and cow-milk free. :) I forgot to take a picture on the day it was cooked, so here is a pic of the leftovers. Fancy!

How to keep a German husband happy

2009-08-11T21:47:00.001-04:00

'Nuff said.

Hatch Chile Season

2009-08-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

Yessss. I love this time of year. Hatch Chiles are in the grocery store, which means I can make this yummy corn chowder. Of course, I sub soy milk for milk and leave out the cheese and devil weed (aka cilantro).

My pre-dinner snack: (Lots of chopping - it's hard work!)

The roasted chiles:

Got to use my soup mixer for the first time:

Finished product!

It was delicious. :9

Next month - heirloom tomatoes! I can't wait for all the fun recipes!

Colorful

2009-08-06T13:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Daniel told me I looked "colorful (in a good way)" because of the blush I had on. I'll take the compliments any way I get them! :)

New Blog Name

2009-08-05T15:53:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you've noticed but I have a new blog name and a new picture for the header. Since many of my posts are going to revolve around the hubs and me, I figured I would revamp a bit and spice things up. Well...maybe not super spice but at least a dash of nutmeg. I'm also going to try to be better at posting some of my culinary adventures. I love to cook but have to modify a lot of recipes due to my dairy allergy. I'll let you know what turns out well and what ends up being a disaster. :)

While You Were Sleeping

2009-07-27T17:09:00.000-04:00

In the midst of cooking this lovely Greek recipe on Friday (with the addition of some cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Salt and pepper as the only seasoning in a Greek dish? PUH-LEESE.), my stomach decided that it was going to cramp up. HARD. Like, doubled-over-in-pain hard. My uber-kind husband decided that he would stay home from the much-anticipated Greek dinner with his semi-incapacitated wife instead of going to the festivities alone. So we tried to make the best of things. We ended up watching "While You Were Sleeping" (love Sandra Bullock!) and the hubs actually liked it! Of course, seeing it made me wish it was Christmas and that I could decorate the house...but that's for another post. Anyway, moral of the story is - I've got to keep encouraging the chick flick/rom-com watching since D's been OK with the ones we've watched so far. :)

Paris...

2009-07-13T17:51:00.000-04:00

I'm missing a few things about Paris:
1. Being able to walk downstairs and buy a fresh baguette every morning
2. This amazing pineapple sorbet
3. Being thisclose to amazing historical and cultural sites
4. The Metro (why don't we have one of these?!)
5. Giant meringues that I could also buy in the bakery
6. Great photo ops around every corner
7. French chocolate

Things I'm thankful for in the U.S.:
1. Air conditioning
2. Spacious bathrooms (and showers)
3. Reasonably-priced restaurants and items at the grocery store
4. My house with a yard and lots of green all around
5. That a good number of people actually pick up after their dogs (seriously, dog poop all over the sidewalks there)
6. And, of course, my doggies

Ooh!

2009-07-06T17:25:00.000-04:00

Must stop finding cute things like EVERYTHING in this store on Etsy.

The Limited is online!

2009-06-17T15:59:00.000-04:00

Which is awesome. And this cute dress that was featured in either O or Real Simple (read both on the plane last weekend and I can't remember which it was) is on sale! AND the nice gray color will be perfect for a couple of weddings I'm attending this fall. :) Man, I love online shopping.

Why I heart Anthropologie

2009-05-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

How cute is this tea set?!

Meet our newest family member

2009-05-17T17:28:00.000-04:00

The Hubs and I decided that Quincy, our doxie, needed a friend. So we applied with All Texas Dachshund Rescue to adopt another dachshund. We would like to introduce our newest family member, Dack! (Pronounced "Doc.") Short for Dackel, which means "dachshund" in German. We got super creative in the naming department. Anywho, he seems to be fitting in quite well around here! Here is a picture of the car ride home from Brenham:

And here is how we've spent most of Sunday afternoon. Dack, with his scar of unknown origin, asleep on the small quilt (best find ever at Marshall's) and Quincy hoping to catch a glimpse of a bird from the couch.

Here's hoping they'll be best buds!

Sisters

2009-05-13T18:34:00.000-04:00

I was able to get some lengthy, much-needed sister time yesterday, even if it was just on the phone. Sisters do the heart good. G, wish you were closer.

Grieving

2009-05-07T16:33:00.000-04:00

My heart is heavy right now for a close friend and some close family friends. Life brings hurts we don't understand and outcomes that aren't what we would have hoped for. I know we must trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding, but that's so very hard when I can only imagine the pain they are all in right now. My prayers are lifted up. My arms are outstretched to hug. My words can perhaps bring momentary comfort. Until the hurt and anguish subside, I will share their tears.

Why I Need My Sleep

2009-04-24T19:23:00.000-04:00

I was extremely tired the other night. Loopy-tired. And this is what happens when I am not caught up on my sleep:

Yes, that would be my eye moisturizer that I placed on the charger for my toothbrush instead of in the basket which holds my cosmetics and face products. DH told me I had to take a picture to make sure everyone knows this is why he makes sure I get to sleep in on Saturdays.

Slowly getting sucked in...

2009-04-08T17:37:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that my husband and dog have had to adjust to living in the same house together. My ferocious, little (but not in his mind!) dog has had to learn that he is not my protector and my sweet, caring husband has had to learn that adding another "pack leader" after 9 years is not always easy.

Yesterday Daniel came home and Quincy was lying on the couch in pain with very sad ears and eyes. I think DK finally understands why I love this little dog. Or at least how I can be SO worried about his well-being.

Could you resist a face like this?

I need a do-over

2009-03-04T18:51:00.000-05:00

Let's see...today started out with a visitor, an aunt. All the ladies know which aunt I'm talking about. Let's just say that I almost had to go home because of the visit. I am completely frustrated because all these domain transfers that I was doing at work didn't go through. They said they had the wrong code. So I had to go back in and enter THE EXACT SAME CODE AS BEFORE for each one. But first I had to verify it was the right code. I had a fight with my husband and I've yelled at my dog. And the day is not over yet. However, I think I am done with today. I would like to crawl under the blankets and just check out until tomorrow. Unless I can have a re-do for a guaranteed happier today...

More observations from married life

2009-02-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

1. Chemists and paralegals (or possibly Germans and Americans) don't always communicate on the same level. Evidently "ground meat" and "hamburger" don't mean the same thing to two different people. An "are you kidding me?" conversation ensues.

2. Men need their wives to remind them that it is OK to purchase basic staples like new undershirts. :) (Throw in an offer to wash them and it's even better!)

3. Communicating about when each person will be home is essential. Otherwise, the dog may be left in the dark, crossing his legs.

4. Allergies are not fun. They make me snore, which wakes up Daniel. However, when I felt AWFUL on Sunday (think head wanting to explode), my husband made me breakfast. Eggs, toast and waffles. Eating definitely made things better. Not having to cook what I was eating made it a hundred times more so!

5. I have another funny story, but I believe I have mixed company reading this blog. So if you want to know what it is, you have to email me. :)

6. Week 4 and I am still cranky in the mornings. I don't foresee that changing anytime soon.

Observations from married life - week 1

2009-01-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

So, being a newlywed, I thought I would enlighten all of you who are single (or who are so married you've forgotten what it's like to be a newlywed) on what married life is really like. Hope you enjoy!

1. Opening wedding presents is fun! Woohoo! Our Rabbit corkscrew! A place setting of china!

2. Trying to determine what to do with 10 million pounds of boxes, bubble wrap and tissue paper and how to dispose of said items in an environmentally-conscious fashion is not fun.

3. Reheating french bread on top of the toaster = not such a good idea.

4. Weenie dogs are very adaptable and will gladly choose a pile of pillows and soft blankets on the floor over sleeping in the "big bed" with their people. Whew!

5. I don't like to talk in the morning. Daniel does. Hilarity ensues. (Mostly me grunting and saying things like, "Tiiiiiiired.")

6. Guys take approximately 2.5 minutes to get ready in the morning, which makes me feel guilty for the 45 minutes to an hour that I spend.

7. Builders should take this into account and have separate cubby bathrooms for women and men. Please - make our lives a little easier!

8. Daniel got to experience life with a PMSing wife this week. And he was a champ. Really - he hugged me and rubbed my back as I cried, oh, about 27 times.

9. Dryers like to malfunction just as you are getting back from your honeymoon and have LOADS of laundry to wash.

10. Learning to live with someone is stressful but fun! :)

That's all for this week! Stay tuned as I'm sure I will be posting more of my newlywed adventures.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T14:20:00.000-05:00

This is what we've been watching all day. I love it. OK - not exactly that version... ;)

Engagement Pictures

2008-12-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

Check out the link to my wedding photographer's blog (on the left). Courtney and her husband, Mike, took our engagement pictures and we are so pleased with how they turned out. They're some talented folks! :)

Veteran's Day

2008-11-10T23:26:00.000-05:00

I'm stopping to take a moment and thank all the men and women who are serving and who have served our country. My cousin, Michael, is in the Army and I know what a sacrifice it is. He has been overseas with little ability to contact his family (thank goodness for email) and with us only hearing snippets of what is going on during the evening news. When serving in Iraq, I would pray daily that the attacks did not hit him or the camps where he was staying. I prayed that when he was jumping out of helicopters or planes that he would land safely. I prayed that he would come back to us. And he has. He is so proud of this country.

I think back to my grandfather's funeral last year. He served in the Coast Guard and they had current and previous members of the Coast Guard there to fold the flag and do the gun salute. It was very touching. As he got older, my grandfather talked about his service a little more, but didn't say a whole lot. I almost feel like that time is incomprehensible to outsiders - those of us who haven't served.

Michael, I am proud of you and your continued willingness to serve. I am also thankful for my cousin Kristin's husband who is a Marine. Trevor, I will pray for your safety as you are away from your family. Again, thank you to everyone who serves in this way. We owe you more than we can ever express. God bless you all.

Sigh

2008-11-05T14:51:00.001-05:00

So...the election happened...and did not turn out the way I'd hoped. Though I think I secretly knew what the outcome was going to be. Here's to the next four years!

Stupid Sinuses kick

2008-10-30T10:52:00.000-04:00

Along with Sunday's cold front came a sinus infection. Awesome. However, I know what these things feel like now and got to the doctor as soon as I could on Tuesday. Y'all should have been there. I tensed up during my flu shot and nearly passed out afterward. You want to see fun times? Get me around needles - it's like magic. ;) Daniel made me fresh-squeezed OJ and we are going to watch "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" this evening (DVRed from Tuesday). I could get used to this sick thing, if just for the pampering. :)

Sick

2008-10-20T14:21:00.000-04:00

I am at home today after being up half the night with some weird acid-reflux thing (thanks ever so much to my Thompson genes) which turned into a splitting headache this morning. Does wedding stress cause this? Or is it our lovely weather which is 40-50 at night and a scorching 84 in the afternoon? Either way, I think I need to find me some Pepcid AC...

The storm's coming and it's a BIG one!

2008-09-12T15:41:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know, Hurricane Ike is about to hit the Texas coast. Of course, this caused great panic in Austin earlier this week when we were told we would have 100 mph winds, thunderstorms and possible tornadoes spawned. Great times. I cannot tell you how excited Krista and I were to possibly squeeze ourselves and our dogs into my tiny downstairs closet in the event of a tornado. It turns out that we may now only get some rain and 35-40 mph winds. My lawn needs the rain and you won't find me complaining about that! I just have to laugh at the panic that is still over Austin. Schools had half days today, everyone seems to have left work early, HEB sold out of its water and my florist canceled my appointment for tomorrow. But my eyebrow wax is still on for the morning. That's right - beauty trumps mother nature every time! ;)

Exhausting

2008-08-25T13:28:00.000-04:00

Saturday was perhaps the biggest wedding planning day yet. After getting my eyebrows done (what? I have priorities), I rushed off to meet with a florist. After that appointment, I had a nourishing 1/4 white chicken lunch at Boston Market and delivered a savory chicken pot pie to my fabulous fiance. Once Daniel was done with work we met at his house, went to look at rings (we found one for him!) then went to drop off our contract and deposit at the reception site. Next we looked at three venues for the rehearsal dinner. Whew! After that, we tucked into some delicious crack bread and pasta at Macaroni Grill.

I tell you what, I'm all for planning, but another Saturday like that and I may head off for my honeymoon early... ;)

Mmmm...

2008-08-15T14:17:00.000-04:00

I am sitting enjoying some Silk vanilla soy yogurt with banana circles and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Heavenly! It would be a tiny bit better if they were mini chips, but I can't complain because it's chocolate.

I also have two dogs begging for a bite because there are bananas in my bowl. (They already got banana ends.)

Oh yeah, Krista - I corrupted your dog. He is now a fan of bananas. :)

Click here to help the rainforests!

2008-07-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

For my adoring fans

2008-07-22T13:42:00.000-04:00

You can check out some pictures of Daniel & me taken over the weekend by my roomie, Krista McCaleb, right here. :) (Kidding about the adoring fans part!)

Stole this from Kelly

2008-07-18T16:40:00.000-04:00

But I thought it was so fun! Here goes!

i am: so happy right now
i dream: of living in a foreign country
i think: there is no purpose for scorpions
i know: that God is faithful
i want: to make a difference in people's lives
i have: a very sparkly ring on!
i wish: for happily ever after
i hate: hearing about all the injustice in the world
i miss: my sister
i fear: sleeping with my closet door open (seriously)
i feel: deeply
i hear: the A/C running
i smell: my dog and he smells like Fritos
i crave: Uncle Eddie's vegan cookies
i search: all over the Internet on a daily basis
i wonder: what it would be like to speak 5-6 languages fluently
i regret: not learning to ski
i love: Daniel
i ache: when my friends hurt
i care: about the environment
i always: put moisturizer around my eyes in the morning and night
i am not: a pushover
i believe: in true love
i dance: whenever I can!
i sing: in the car
i cry: a LOT
i don’t always: floss every night
i fight: hurtful words from the past
i write: when I am inspired
i lose: my iPod earbuds a lot
i never: thought I would like fried pickles
i listen: to wise counsel
i can usually be found: out with Daniel
i need: more sleep
i am happy about: planning my life with Daniel
i desire: to know God more fully
i hope: for things unseen

Elizabeth Bennett

2008-07-17T12:23:00.001-04:00

Thanks, Krista, for this quiz. I'm sure we're all surprised at this result! ;)

Take the Quiz here!

I'm a fiancee!

2008-07-16T12:59:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, it happened! Daniel proposed on Sunday when we were in Santa Cruz. The proposal went something like this:

Daniel: Talking about our relationship, how great it's been, traveling together, making dinner for people, how much we have to talk about, etc.

Me: Interjecting fun stories and thinking he's being really sweet.

Daniel: Thinking back on all this, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

Me: I want to spend the rest of my life with you,too.

Daniel: No, I mean, I want to marry you.

Me: I want to marry you, too. (CLEARLY I am a little dense!)

Daniel: OK, I guess I should get down on one knee. (Gets down on knee) Amy, will you marry me? (At this point I have my hand over my mouth and, evidently, a completely shocked look on my face.)

Me: Are you serious?

Daniel: Of course I'm serious!

Me: (Shake head "yes" and start bawling.)

Classic story, right? ;) How could you expect anything less from me?

I can't get the pictures to post right. Oh well! I'll try to include some soon!

California dreamin'

2008-07-11T16:05:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Davis! I'm sitting at a little cafe having just enjoyed a panini (more like a glorified turkey sandwich, but still good) and listening to a little Peter Gabriel over the speakers. I have a cushy chair, a bottle of water and my work. I think this is the life - at least if I have to earn my keep! I think I now have my sights on a raspberry linzer cookie... Yum! :)

Does the punishment fit the crime?

2008-07-10T15:09:00.000-04:00

Read this first.

I know people in the US and the UK are outraged over this story. My personal take? If you are going to be stupid enough to 1) blow off a warning from a police officer, no matter the country and 2) have sex in public, then you need to face the consequences for your actions! I'm sorry that these people were too intoxicated to heed the warning, but if they removed themselves to a hotel room after receiving the warning, I doubt they would have been arrested. And, really, no one wants to have their nice beach experienced ruined by the indecent exposure of some other people nearby. We expect people traveling in our country will obey our laws, so why shouldn't they expect the same of us? I think the man and lady involved in this incident deserve some form of punishment.

She's Everything

2008-07-09T13:28:00.001-04:00

I heard this song on my iPod this morning and I love the lyrics. It makes me smile every time I hear it - Brad Paisley is a great story-singer. :)

She's Everything
Songwriters: Brad Paisley, Wil Nance
She's a yellow pair of running shoes
A holey pair of jeans
She looks great in cheap sunglasses
She looks great in anything

She's 'I want a piece of chocolate'
'Take me to a movie'
She's 'I can't find a thing to wear'
Now and then she's moody

She's a Saturn with a sunroof
With her brown hair a-blowing
She's a soft place to land
And a good feeling knowing

She's a warm conversation
That I wouldn't miss for nothing
She's a fighter when she's mad
And she's a lover when she's loving

And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I talk about her, I go on and on and on
'Cause she's everything to me

She's a Saturday out on the town
And a church girl on Sunday
She's a cross around her neck
And a cuss word 'cause it's Monday

She's a bubble bath and candles
Baby, come and kiss me
She's a one glass of wine
And she's feeling kinda tipsy

She's the giver I wish I could be
And the stealer of the covers
She's a picture in my wallet
And my unborn children's mother

She's the hand that I'm holding
When I'm on my knees and praying
She's the answer to my prayer
And she's the song that I'm playing

And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I talk about her, I go on and on and on
'Cause she's everything to me

She's the voice I love to hear
And someday when I'm ninety
She's that wooden rocking chair
I want rocking right beside me

Everyday that passes
I only love her more
Yeah, she's the one
That I'd lay down my own life for

And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
She's everything to me
Yeah, she's everything to me

Everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
And she's everything to me

C'mon - you gotta love 'em

2008-07-03T15:31:00.000-04:00

Even the staunchest weenie-hater has to love this cute face.

see more dog pictures

For real, yo.

2008-06-25T05:45:00.000-04:00

It is now 4:46 a.m. in Texas (3:46 a.m. where I am) and I am still up. I have been up since 7 a.m. Can we all say AWESOME?! Man, I love litigation...

Lucky Guessing!

2008-06-20T14:59:00.000-04:00

Daniel, Tim and I are tied for first on Facebook for our Euro2008 picks. Considering I hadn't watched any of these teams before this tournament, I think I am a darn LUCKY guesser! But I will enjoy my first place status nonetheless. :)

Lest you think I exaggerate...

2008-06-15T22:56:00.000-04:00

I had to take this picture after I found Quincy neatly squatting over a little plant in my backyard. I kid you not, folks, he pooped right on the plant. You can't teach this kind of talent.

Arizona and Deutschland

2008-06-10T00:14:00.000-04:00

Daniel and I went to AZ this weekend for my friend's wedding and to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. Oh, and to watch the Euro Cup. (That was really at the top of DK's list.) ;) We had a great time seeing everyone and Daniel got to meet Christian for the first time. They hit it off instantly, being German and all. Seriously, I think I am going to have to put a rule in place that they can do whatever they want together (jumping off cliffs, chasing coyotes) I just don't want to know about it until after they're done. I'm a terrible friend and forgot my camera at the wedding - but I did remember my wedding-themed Sniffs, so at least I had the important stuff down. Here are some pics from the weekend. I got my dad Bobby Flay's grilling book, so that's what he's holding. Also, in case you missed it, Germany won on Sunday! We had an awesome time cheering them on at a local pub. And, yes, we were there at 9:00 a.m. to watch the first game. I tell you, we take our soccer seriously around here.

The Traveling German's Wife

Cooking with Coca-Cola

11 months!

Swimming

10 months!

She stands!

The End of the Hippo

9 months!

Mega post!

Aunt Jenni

Eight Months!

Indy Children's Museum

A Fabulous Pre-Mother's Day Present

7 months!

Ants

A Week and a Half of Sunshine

The Week from H-E-Double...well, you know...

5 months!

Close-ups of the ice and snow

What to do during an Ice Storm...

4 Months!

Breakfast for Dinner

Off the Charts

Meeting the Great-Grandmother

Simple Pleasures

3 months!

Homemade Christmas ornaments

Chickenhawk

Our Little Elf

Nakey baby

Giving thanks

What my life has been reduced to

One month

First bath

I am zero!

Funniest Face!

Mah Belly(button)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Barley Soup (aka Our Winter Staple because it's easy and delicious!)

Why I love Chick-Fil-A

The Nursery!

Fall is coming! (OK, possibly wishful thinking...)

Chubby Cheeks

Cloth Diaper Giveaway from Mom's Milk Boutique!

New light fixtures!

What happens when you find out you're having a girl...

Heartbeat

Now that it's public

Pay it Forward

You Know You Wish You Were at Our House Last Night

This is such a good reminder

Fall decorations

More Sleep-talking

Late Night Hugs

Fabulous Fall Festival!

Christmas decorations?

Thanks Easter Bunny...bock, bock...

Pumpkin pancakes!

Fall Decor

Homemade Pho

No-boil goat cheese lasagna

How to keep a German husband happy

Hatch Chile Season

Colorful

New Blog Name

While You Were Sleeping

Paris...

Ooh!

The Limited is online!

Why I *heart* Anthropologie

Meet our newest family member

Sisters

Grieving

Why I Need My Sleep

Slowly getting sucked in...

I need a do-over

More observations from married life

Observations from married life - week 1

Merry Christmas!

Why I heart Anthropologie

Stupid Sinuses kick