Holiday Cheer

In the rush that is Christmas preparations I took some time to bake. Yes many would not call this a break, but I do, especially when my life has been hectic and busy while knitting for gifts, making mistakes on knitted gifts, reknitting gifts, making ornaments, making deliveries and keeping the house clean for guests of all kinds. Add in to this equation some nice driveway shoveling and salting and basically freezing to the bone and you've got about the stress level I've been experiencing lately.

A bright spot in my last few weeks was when I stepped on the scale at my weekly WW meeting and I had lost 2 lbs! That was nice and completely due to the 5 points per day that I dropped because of how much solid food Little is eating, therefor decreasing my nursing calorie expenditure. I am only 3 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight and that is just the best feeling.

I am now getting ready for the final rush to wrap all the gifts that I have purchased and finish all the lofty projects I have started. And I just got the best present of all - My sister who lives upstairs just got a snowblower! No more shoveling for me! It has been a good workout, but my back muscles will thank me later.

And after this holiday rush I will take the time to put together a yearly greeting and send it out, whether it be via email or the snail variety. I say yearly greeting because I hesitate to say holiday because it may not be around the holidays that it arrives. But I look forward to making this card and adding some nice photos to my collection of family pictures.

12 Days of Christmas Baby Mama Style

The Husband and I decided to {splurge} and provide the 12 days of christmas for a family in our area. The prospect of doorbell ditching someone (the same someone) for 12 days in a row did not seem so daunting, that was until we realized there were young boys in the house that sprint faster than we do {especially in the SNOW}.

So far the goods delivered to our 12 Days house have been pretty easily pulled together but as the number escalates so does the difficulty of finding a coordinating {insert anything here}. And we have run into the problem of me wanting to make double of everthing so I can have one for myself. The process of deciding who we were going to bestow our deliveries upon was quite a trial, we love to give and we couldn't decide until {the night before} who it was going to be. We finally decided and made our first terrifyingly exciting jaunt into the cold night air.

I wrapped Little up tight and we waited in the car while the Husband {ran} through the snow after depositing the gift on the stoop and doorbell ditching. We didn't expect to feel like such teenagers with the rush that we felt after committing such a {crime}. And we almost got caught! We should have ordered up floor plans for the intended house or something because those kids made it to the door faster than Husband could reach the end of their walkway. Luckily Husband had on his nifty disguise of {a grey hoodie and his winter hat} to keep them from knowing who it really was.

The gifts for these 12 days have been very fun to come up with. We decided that for our first day we would give a {special ornament} featuring a swaddled baby Jesus. The second day was a 2 liter of Pomegranate 7up (delicious and fresh tasting). The third day we delivered 3 special ornaments featuring a clay polymer ornament I made, a cross-stitched pillow ornament I made, and a gold bell.

On the fourth day we delivered {Chocolate covered candy canes}. On day number five we delivered my childhood favorite Chocolate Waffle Cookies now affectionately deemed {Wookies} by the Husband. On Day number 6 we delivered a box of Swiss Miss with a cute little elf/gnome made by my sister-in-law. Our house guests (the Husbands cousin and adorable wife and little boy) were so kind as to help us in our deliveries and it made it all the more fun for day six and seven.

On day number seven we delivered 7 pairs of knit gloves, the ones I used to wear as a child and accidentally leave in the {snow}. On day number 8 we left my favorite fruit (competeing with pomegranates), mini {clementine oranges}. On Day number nine we delivered 9 glass ornaments perfect for embellishing a tree just right. And seeing as today is day number 10 I will have to fill you in later on what we are leaving tonight.

Our chosen family left us a note that brought me to tears. It was simple and humble and grateful and brought to my heart the true {spirit of Christ} and giving. I hope that we can do this every year to show our children how wonderful it is to give to others. We have a very awesome day 12 planned so you will have to {come back} and check it out.

I will post the waffle cookie recipe later if someone leaves a comment that they want it. I also have a stuffed pasta shell recipe that is low point and will be appearing here later. It was {DELISH}!

Weight Watchin' and it feeels so good!

I will never forget the first day I walked into Weight Watchers and discovered all the ways I could make myself a healthier, happier person. And even through all the ups and downs (literally) I have stuck with it and for the first time I reached my lifetime weight! That momentous day was back in October and I have since maintained and even lowered my wieght a little more by following the flex plan that has worked so well for me all these years. Whisperings in our weekly meetings have been that there were changes on the horizon and today when I stepped to the scale (I still weigh every week so I can stay right on top of that!) My cute leader handed me new materials for the Weight Watchers Momentum Program 2009. So it felt kind of funny being back at square one refiguring my points (which they have changed for nursing mothers in a very positive and helpful way) and learning how to incorporate some techniques from core plan (which I had been so hesitant to try) into my flex life, which I guess is now my life full of momentum!

I'm excited for the changes and improvements and I always love conquering a challenge. When I talk to people at meetings and they look at my 5'6" frame at my happy lifetime weight they tend to immediately judge me and decide I must not have had that much to lose. I can attest to the fact that getting healthy after weighing 265 lbs. is a struggle! It took me 2.5 years to get down to within 10 lbs. of my lifetime weight and within my healthy BMI range. After 2 miscarriages and a successful pregnancy and birth in which I managed my food intake pretty darn well I have finally battled a great number of my food demons and they only rarely rear their ugly heads! We'll see where this new program takes me over the next few months and all the while I'll be trying to discover all the new little details of how I can become even more healthy.

If you are interested in joining me and lots of my family that I have recruited into the WW way of life click here and learn how you can journey to a healthier place in your life!

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway at Design Mom

One of my oh-so-favorite blogs is hosting a 12 days of Christmas giveaway. She has the most splendid giveaways(and posts) EVER! Click the link below to check out Design Mom's giveaway coming up this weekend!

The graphic above will take you to her site when you click on it!

Just click away and find out why all the rest of us are so addicted to Design Mom's blog!

Knitty Gritty

This is what I started with... a skein (ball) of yarn and a circular needle. What I ended up with is something that I find pretty darn stinkin' cute! (see below)



I made Little a hat with earflaps and it was my first time switching yarns in the middle of a project. I grew to love knitting while I was pregnant when I made Little some really tiny booties for his newborn days. I am finding new things to make and improve my skills and really makes me feel neat! (isn't that what it's all about? feeling neat and cool?)

So here is the finished hat after it was pressed so it was totally finished! I impress myself sometimes...sshhhhhh! Don't tell anyone!

Are there any projects you want to try that might make you feel neat and cool?

Turkey Day Recap

I remember in the not so distant past, telling you about my history making skills with spicy stuffing on Thanksgiving. This year my beautiful and talented mother stole the honors when she was lovingly spicing the stuffing and accidentally launched the entire bottle of pepper into the bowl! We then proceeded to sift the stuffing to get all the pepper out of it and only leave what remained stuck to the bread. It was an experience full of roaring laughter and lots of sneezes!

We hosted our Turkey Day event at a hotel that over half of our family has worked for in the past. We rented a conference room adjoining a suite and had a grand time playing games and being overly boisterous and excited on the whole. I love my loud, crazy, fun family!

After we helped clean up, it was on to some later-evening festivities at the Husbands family home. Every year that we are present they have thier own version of a Turkey Bowl. Since the Husband and family are not the most athletically inclined their Turkey Bowl involves setting up different plays on this electric football game that the Husband and I purchased for my Father-in-Law as a Christmas gift a few years ago. It is HILARIOUS to watch them get so excited!

After some pumpkin pie and not too many of my flex points (15 is not bad for such a gluttonous holiday) we headed home and got some rest before protesting Black Friday by not shopping AT ALL! Instead we spent the time with family decorating for the holidays and enjoying each others company.

Penguin Suit

Building Blocks

I decided I wanted to provide Little with his own set of building and learning blocks with a lot of love from mom thrown into the mix. I got wood posts and cut the blocks myself (I got a higher grade wood, not the kind from the craft store that chips) with the help of my sister and her saw.

I used my mad mod podge skills and put these together with scrapbook paper. Right now Little has a set of 12 blocks and he isn't allowed to touch them yet. I have not gotten over the "mod podge in a babies mouth is not a good thing" worry, and I kind of like how nice and crisp they look.

If you are interested in any kind of custom block set for your children I am happy to provide the goods and will discuss price if you message me on my blog. I'm thinking of putting these in my etsy shop that isn't yet up and running...what think y'all?

Turning the Table

This is my current table setting. I try and keep the table set to avoid the inevitable piles o' junk that start to form if it is left empty. I found the green and red placemats at TJMaxx and the cool bird/turkey(?) napkin rings/holders shown below at Pier 1 for 88 cents! The tag said they were $3 each so I picked up 8. When I got to the register and they were only 88 cents I had to go back and pillage the selection to get all 16 that I wanted, to which the Husband replied, "are we ever going to have that many people over for dinner?" My thought process was this...We might host a holiday party, you know since we are such social creatures... or I might have that many children (hahaha) but since that hilarious possibility is so far from right now, I just thought I'd get them so I have some neat birds to hold my napkins.

True Talent

This is what Little does when you give him a baseball. Ok, maybe not everytime. But he was showing me his skills the other day tossing this to me after I would gently roll it into his lap. Then after throwing the ball something else happens - he turns into a baseball eating fiend! Hopefully this is not a habit that carries into adulthood.

One Laptop Per Child

Want one of these? One Laptop per Child is pretty darn cool - I'm going to get involved with this cause. How wonderful to be able to help others! If you want to know more check this out.

Dancing is amazing!

I love the results of this season! I could not stop watching every week, and I could't agree more with the top three. I didn't used to be a BB fan(mostly due to fake body parts and a perfect post baby body) but through the season I've come to like her quite a bit and appreciate her talent and hard work.

Bravo!

High style for Baby Mama

I love this outfit! The red shoes are just the perfect statement, not over the top "look at me". I wish I owned the funnel neck coat from UO and the cable knit tights are a close resemblence of the pair I wore to church today. I love this combination. Now if only I had every piece in my closet!

My latest design endeavor

This is my latest "job". I was hired freelance and, with the help of the Husband's editorial prowess, pumped this baby out in one evening... It was harder than you think. That knife and spoon were a labor of love made from mere lines that I crafted myself in my lovely Adobe Illustrator program, and all without my tablet and pen tool! I impress myself sometimes ;)

I am completing some knitting projects right now that I will post soon... they are awesomely adorable!

Baby Mama...Inspired

Baked Banana Oatmeal

Recipe Courtesy of www.katheats.com

I found this recipe on KathEats.com a new blog I found that has awesome whole foods recipes that are so fun and easy to make. I made this today and it turned out great! I'm going to reheat the left overs tomorrow for breakfast. Try and Enjoy!

1) Bananas
Slice 2 bananas. You can add these however you like - in with the wet ingredients or arranged in a pattern on the top (and/or bottom!) of the dish. (You’ll need an additional mashed banana for the wet ingredients below)

2) Combine the dry ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3) Combine the wet ingredients:
1 egg, beat
1 mashed banana
1.5 cups skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
4) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix well.

5) Line an 8″ pan (square or round) with parchment paper (for easy removal and cutting!).

6) Layer some banana slices on the bottom. Pour batter into pan. Top with remaining banana slices.

OR just use cooking spray - or a pie dish (which is harder to get out in one piece but saves having to use parchment)

7) Pop into a 375* oven for about 26 minutes.

After 26 minutes, increase heat to broil, sprinkle oatmeal with 1 heaping tbsp brown sugar and broil for 3-4 minutes.

Teva for me, Teva for you?

I found these via A Little Sussy. I think they are just grand! Not over the top in adornment but cute and super functional, they look like they would stay put on Little's feet!

Tag you're it!

I've been tagged! Kayla, the most lovely cousin-in-law you could ask for, tagged me. I'm supposed to answer, in one word, the following questions:

1. Where is your cell phone? Pocket
2. Where is your significant other? School
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? Nana
5. Your father? Papa
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? unremembered
8. Your dream/goal? Love
9. The room you're in? Big
10. Your hobby? Scrapping
11. Your fear? loneliness
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Career
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? concentrated
15. Something on your wish list? Maintenance
16. Where you grew up? Utah
17. The last thing you did? Cook
18. What are you wearing? Momiform
19. Your TV? Muted
20. Your pet? Pepper
21. Your computer? Used
22. Your mood? Charged
23. Missing someone? Friends
24. Your car? Pilot
25. Something you're not wearing? Makeup
26. Favorite store? H&M
27. Your summer? Short
28. Love someone? Enormously
29. Your favorite color? Brown
30. When is the last time you laughed? Morning
31. Last time you cried? recently

And I'm tagging: Alexandra, Shelli, Laurel and Britt

Creating - Digitally

I helped the husband last night. He is a musician among other things and has been starting a blog to review various music related gear and products. He had a vision in his head of what he wanted his blog to look like and I helped him bring that to life! It made me feel pretty darn awesome when we were finished and it looked oh soooooooo good! Maybe I give myself too much credit, but both of us absolutely love the finished product! If you are a cash-strapped musician or know one, check it out. (Click picture below to access blog)

As I travel the road of education I learn that I love to create! I want to design and create lots of things and this along with digital scrapbooking is a start! (Yeah, a start after designing and scrapping for over 4 years!)

Our Little Family is CRAZY!

Inspiring Thanksgiving

I decided to put together an idea board of inspiration for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Yes, there are lots of food items, but isn't that what Turkey Day is about? All of these things make me feel like autumn and the beginning of the holiday season. What do you think? Also, to all those who were sad when Victoria Magazine ended a few years ago - They're back! See the links below.

Credits: Votives: Pottery Barn, Cinnamon Decor: Hostess w/the mostess , Poached Pear: Victoria Magazine, Pear Gallette: Victoria Magazine, Eggnog Cheesecake: Victoria Magazine, Pumpkin Centerpiece: TheKnot.com, Fritatta: DominoMag, Fruit Centerpiece: TheKnot.com, Bark Rim Salad Bowls: Pottery Barn, Burlap Favor Bags: TheKnot.com, Buffet Setting: TheKnot.com.

Rockabye Baby, sleep tight

This is the newest item I'd like to aquire for Little. Last year my Sister-in-Law gave Little (he was still in utero) the Rockabye Baby Led Zeppelin Album. The Husband and I fell asleep to this many a time, even before Little was born. Now Little loves music and sings along whenever the opportunity presents itself. Today in church and most days in the car he will sing along to the music playing. I love this concept and I look forward to expanding Little's musical repertoire with the likes of the Beatles, Smashing Pumpkins, and possible Nirvana (we'll have to see).

Little finally started sleeping unswaddled. While the Husband was away for work we started the somewhat torturous process of getting him to sleep without being wrapped like an 8 month old burrito. We have endured some night terror type waking but we are making progress and last night he slept 8 hours unswaddled in his crib!

What are other good baby toys or gifts? I'm starting Christmas shopping for Little and I have no idea what a 10 month old (that's what he'll be) would enjoy. Right now he enjoys anything crinkly that can fit even the slightest bit in his mouth. I don't think the toy guitar we were looking at would work well drenched in baby drool.

Rockabye
-Baby Mama

Halloween Exhibit 1.A

Scrapblog of Halloween so far...

*Updated 11/1/08

Pucker up Butter Cup...

I have been yearning (yes, yearning) to try canning something and my sister has been doing so and making me completely jealous of her perfect jams and nectars that she has produced. So I tried my hand at making Pumpkin Butter with a recipe I found online. It turned out well, but the spices need adjustment. I have come to the realization that I do not like ginger very much. I had true gingerale the other day and did not like it one bit and that helped me to realize that it was an overpowering taste in my pumpkin butter. I am going to toy with it this week while the husband is gone for work. I am making it from fresh pumpkins, mother hen style, baking, peeling, seasoning, pureeing and eating!

Oh my goodness...

Little has started putting his hand on his head like this whenever he is exasperated. It is quite funny to see such an adult expression from such a little boy. Don't we all feel this way sometimes?

Steve and Barry's in SLC is OPEN!

There have been rumors that Steve and Barry's (i.e. my favorite store EVER!) was closed after the had some bankruptcy issues. I was deeply saddened by this news and feared that I would no longer be able to buy my favorite and inexpensive jeans. I love the Bitten and Dear lines that are sold there and would be pretty much depressed and maudlin if I could not get my shopping groove on there. Who doesn't like buying 10 or more items for under 75$. So last night me and the husband made the treck to Steve and Barry's to confirm it's fate, and.... It is OPEN! WAHOOO! And they are having an AMAZING sale! They are in fact closing 100 stores nationwide, but those of us in Utah will still be able to get our shop on and right now there are select T-Shirts and other items for under 5$.

Last night I scored a pair of slouchy black boots and they were exactly what I've been searching for - and for only $12.98, WOW! For the man in your house you can find select Polos for 5$.

I wanted to spread the word that this store is still open, it would be a tradgedy for any of you to miss out!

Go and get Bitten and buy what is Dear to you. And spread the word to fellow Utahns that the store is still in fact open! Check out SteveandBarrys.com for more information and a location near you. Happy Shopping!

Baby Mama

Live for Today

"I begin by mentioning one of the most inevitable aspects of our lives here upon the earth, and that is change. At one time or another we’ve all heard some form of the familiar adage: “Nothing is as constant as change.”

Throughout our lives, we must deal with change. Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure. But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly.

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."

This is one of my favorite talks from general conference. I find that I am always trying to live for times in the future. Before I had Little it was "when I'm pregnant I will..." then it was "when I'm off bedrest I will..." and I find alot now that it is "when Little is bigger or we have our next baby I will..." This was a very important lesson for me and I relearn it everytime I look at my precious Little and my husband! I want to revel in all the small things in my life so that when I look back I will remember them. I want to remember how Little got his first two teeth the same day, how he throws his head to one side when he wants my attention, how he looks like me when I hold him and like my husband when he is holding him. My favorite memory of him right now is how everytime he sees my laptop he launches himself at it and when we sit him up to it he acts like he is typing as he pounds on the keys. He watches in wonder as the screen changes and knows that he has done it.

I hope to enjoy the journey, I just have to remind myself every once in a while.

Goodness

Fall in my family always bestows upon us many blessings in the way of memories. For years we have had the tradition of different meal items on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I have become the master chef when it comes to our family specialty Abelskievers. Not that I know how to make the batter, but I'm sure I could figure that part out, I am just obsessive enough to be really good at keeping them from burning as they cook and getting them to be the perfect golden brown and completely cooked in the middle. My family has not been a filling in the middle type family, instead we have an assortment of Jams and Syrups and powdered sugar that go atop these decadent and delightful breakfast treats. When I moved away to Texas I got the parting gift of my own Abelskiever pan so that in times of loneliness and those holidays when we could not travel home, because inevitably there would be some, I could bring a little bit of comfort by knowing that I was cooking and enjoying the same things as my family. I love that I get to pass on the tradition to my family and seeing as Little is already eating pancakes (please don't judge ;) ) he gets to enjoy them for the first time in just over a month.

Photo Courtesy of Williams & Sonoma (Awesome Recipe Here)

It always brings back a flood of memories when we cook our traditional holiday food. We make mom's pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, coconut cream pie, apple pie, berry pie (can you tell we like pie?) and Abelskievers along with mom's famous rolls which my husband likes made as "gobblers" with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce on them. Holidays would not be the same without the smells that accompany our preparations and it has been a joy as our family has grown to see what new things have been added to the family arsenal. We now enjoy things like carrot casserole, chicken and rice, yams with marshmallows (grandma's specialty), cranberry slush, corn bread stuffing, pecan pie and more.

My favorite memory of the holiday cooking season was years ago. My older sister Mindy and I were put in charge of making mom's stuffing. This would have been a fine idea had we not been the people in the house who happen to both have an intense love of spicy things. Not just lots of spices but spicy HOT spicy, where your eyes are watering, nose is running, mouth is burning off spicy. We took to our task of making the stuffing and had all 3 pans set and ready to be spiced. I flavored them and asked Mindy to test, she felt they needed a little more spice, so she added more. She asked me to test and I too felt they needed just a tad more spice so I added more and so it went until we were satisfied with the taste of our first attempt at mom's stuffing. We covered our dishes and baked them in preparation for Thanksgiving. Dad was the Official Tast Tester, and as the OTT he breezed past the open oven and lovingly dipped his gleaming silver OTT spoon in to test the goods that we had produced. He thought they tasted great and breezed on past to take care of one of the kids. About 45 seconds later he bolted back in the room and leapt toward the glass cupboard. His face was flushed and he was motioning desperately for a drink of water. A few moments later when he had finally put out the fire blazing in his digestive tract, he said "that sure does sneak up on you!" In the end we had to make yet another pan of stuffing and Mom was in charge of spicing it so it was safe for public consumption, and now every year when we are asked to help neither one of us are allowed near the pepper!

As we near the holiday season I hope we can all recall the memories that are attached to our favorite smells and tastes. They abound at my house now as a Lifetime Weight Watchers member I will strive this holiday season not to eat my memories or my feelings! :) I've succeeded at this many years in the past and I intend to keep it that way, I'll just the flood of memories immerse my soul in the feeling of goodness!

Baby Mama

I 100% borrowed this photo idea from Lizzy and thought I would give it a try. Little is now 7 months old and he just got his two first teeth yesterday. Fun nursing times are ahead, we've already had a few today! Little is very interested in his gospel study, he stole his dad's scriptures and was just reading away...yes that was before he started trying to tear the pages from the book.

Dear Gym, I love you.

I joined a gym this past week. Yes I admit it. After producing offspring and joining the group of people who no longer pride themselves on showing off as much of their body in public as possible (I was never a huge fan) I rejoined a gym.

I missed my workouts and group classes and promptly upon returning to the gym fell right back in love! Let me just tell you that an hour long pilates class will literally kick your butt! I cannot walk today - but as my sister said: "It hurts so good!"

The best (haha) experience so far at the gym was when I locked my belongings in the locker room for class. Exciting right? No, the exciting part came when, after class was over, I entered the locker room to find my lock missing and a very girlishly cute note written and taped to the front. It read something like this:

Dear Locker User:

My clone and I were to impatient to wait for the belongings we so forgetfully left behind so we forced gym management to cut the lock on your locker after informing them that we are more important than a person's right to privacy. After retrieving our belongings from your locker we proceeded to leave a note on the door advertising to the entire gym that you were the moron who did not hear us paging you(you know you ARE supposed to hear over that speaker system that is blaring music in the group room to keep you from passing out as you torque your body in wierd ways at amazing intervals) and therefore we left your locker open and let everyone know about it. Hope all your money is still here when you get back!

Insincerely,

Self Absorbed Girls

So really the gym manager made things right and gave me a new lock to take home. But the dismay that I felt when I found my things left open to the public - OVERWHELMING. I'll get over it, and I still love the gym. Maybe from now on I'll check to make sure the top shelf is free of hair barrettes before I lock it next time.

Now I've got to work on the guilt I feel when I leave Little for an hour to attend the gym.

Baby Mama....Worked Out!

Shot!

Little and I got shot! By a camera! We took a beautiful hike up South Fork (Provo Canyon) and my sister took our pictures, and I in turn took some of her - my handiwork was not up to her standard, alas I'm not a photographer. But I must say that the photos she took of me and Little are wonderful!

Cleaning House

I have been cleaning my house and got the itch to rearrange furniture. My house frequently gets away from me in the cleaning department. So Husband and I cleaned this weekend and I rearranged some furniture, this was some of my inspiration:


Courtesy of DominoMag Website

I rearranged my living room to be a little more livable for me instead of so formulaic. Just add a TV stand against the wall opposite the banquette and you've got more of what my house looks like. We'll see how it agrees with our lifestyle....

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle?

We have been running into a problem here with Little. He sleeps like a champ when he is swaddled (think: baby that looks like a burrito with a head), but he is now over 6 months old and we are still swaddling him which he artfully removes himself from by thrashing his body back and forth until his arms are free! We tried last night for over 30 minutes to get him to fall asleep in his crib without being swaddled and it was a fiasco, so we swaddled him better and then he went to sleep.

I'm afraid we're going to end up trying to swaddle him 'til he's 2 or 3 years old!

What do you think, to swaddle or not to swaddle?

Obsessed... maybe a Little

A few days ago I was taking some pictures of Little and this one just made me and the Husband laugh. Everytime we look at it a giggle or chuckle escapes our lips! Little is just the most adorable boy ever. When I start to take pictures of him I cannot stop myself. Alas, we now have over 2500 pictures on our computer of Little and no one else! I don't think there is a picture of me on there since he was 2 months old. I should probably remedy that so he remembers I raised him! ;)

With Halloween coming up I am hoping to throw myself a party. Funny how after you get married and move away there are not that many people to invite to a party, so it is for me! I'm thinking color themes of autumn and a fun donut bar(what is better than an orchestrated mess making), my nieces and nephews will hopefully attend and partake in the festivities that were

pretty much non-existent last year! What was I supposed to dress up as.. a pregnant lady? This year I'm thinking Wonderwoman, what do you think?

BabyMama Out!

I thought the world was broken!

But I was sooooooooo wrong! It's just different than I thought. I have spent the last few weeks keeping track of a Utah original that was in a plane crash in Arizona with her husband. I have never been in tears so many times, so frequently and not just because I am sad for their situation but because I am happy that people are supporting them. I cannot imagine going through such a terrible ordeal and not being able to hold Little or kiss him all over and tell him how much I cherish him. Of course when he is older he will push me away and say things like "Mom don't kiss me! That's gross!!!" but for now I am absorbing all the joy a 6 month old can bestow upon a family.

I pray for Nie everyday that her family will heal, that her and her husband who she loves so much will heal and that their faith will get them through. When I read about them and their love for eachother, their family and their beliefs (my beliefs) I am touched so deeply I cannot push back the tears. I have read that through her blog Nie has made people want to be better parents and that she spreads hope and love. I never knew her before, but I hope that in me somewhere is something that resembles her goodness, happiness and love for everyone! In her absence (the reason I found her blog) I have been shown how a person can live and be truly happy.

To keep up to date on Stephanie and Christian's progress read here.

Back to School for Baby Mama

I am amazed at the panic and stress that is taking up residence in my heart. For some reason back to school time does that to me EVERY TIME! As an adult you would think I was way past that, both emotionally and the fact that I should have been done with my degree by now and not having to return to school. But noooooo, I am now returning to school finish my Associates by the time the husband finishes his Ph.D. and we head off for yet another destination. This is my goal because I need to be able to transfer my Associates degree to another school so that I don't have to take even more ridiculous general education credits before I can specialize.

Alas, I will once again be a student and grace the halls of this institution.

I have braved the bookstore lines and spent unmetionable amounts of money on books that are "special edition" so that I can not buy them anywhere else. I have gotten my university ID card so that I can be admitted to the testing center, I am prepared and now all thats left to do is feel prepared as I step into a whirlwind of madness that I had hoped never to have to witness let alone be a part of ever again. But I do enjoy the challenge!

Wish me luck as I embark on the journey of studenthood as a mother!

Smiles, (maybe grimaces)

Baby Mama

Hungry for Hungry Girl?

UPDATE:

I have yet to get my hands on this cookbook, it is not at my local walmart and my wallet cannot handle anything but walmart... so the quest is still in progress...more later!There is a website I came across today that I have absolutely fallen in love with. It is Hungry-Girl.com a website with food tips and tricks and lots of low point recommendations.

I am headed off to the store to buy her cookbook today and will sit down and write a review of it as soon as I have tried it out. Lisa - The Hungry Girl - is a fun-loving food loving woman who is just trying to keep off that excess flab that accumulates when you enjoy food as much as most of us do.

I would love to work with someone like her, doing what she does. I subscribed to her emails and can't wait to read her witty and fun writings.

I'll update this with a review of the cookbook soon!

Smiles...

Baby Mama

Peter, Peter, Low Point Pumpkin Bread Eater

My family will attest to the fact that our mothers Pumpkin Bread is undoubtedly the best out there! The problem with it is that it has two cups of oil in it... this equals TO MANY POINTS. So in an effort to improve (or change) the recipe to be Weight Watchers friendly I experimented with the oh so loved food - Tofu. Now many people crinkle their nose at this food, or their stomachs churn when they think of it, but I found that what people don't know can't hurt them.

I still have some experimentation to do to get the right texture and lower points by replacing the flour with something... I'm thinking oatmeal as flour.

The points value for this is 2 if you cut 10 pieces out of each loaf. If you cut 12 pieces it is a points value of 1.5.

Pumpkin Bread by Baby Mama

1 large can solid pack pumpkin

3 1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 C. White Flour

1 1/2 tsp. soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

4 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ground ginger

2 1/2 C. Splenda

1 C. Sugar

3 eggs

1/2 C. egg substitute

18 oz. Tofu (soft)

1 pkg. Chocolate Chips (10 or 12 oz.)

Beat sugar, eggs, tofu and pumpkin together. Add dry ingredients, fold in chips. Spoon batter into 5 medium sprayed loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Freezes well if wrapped in plastic wrap and put into a zipped plastic baggie.

Cheers! Baby Mama :)

New York, New York

Well, I went to New York on the spur of the moment. I packed up Little and left Husband home to work and play on his own and had a "Girls + Dad" weekend in the Big Apple. It was fun and yet I still have not wrapped my head around all the activities that we jammed into a two day whirlwind trip! We took a tour of Central Park, had dinner at Serendipity III, took the circle line out to Ellis Island and viewed the Statue of Liberty. We also went to Sephora and H&M (where we had the worst shopping experience ever!) and purchased much needed ;) makeup and clothing.

I fell in love with Whole Foods while I was there and wish they would bring one nearer to the Utah Valley. But then again, I wish they had a Sephora and H&M too!

Little was an angel! He was bounced around the city in a sling I made and acted heavenly (and got me quite a few seats on the crowded Subway...polite New York men) and was purely exhausted and heatstroked, as we all were by Friday night. It was 95 degrees in the city and in the Subway you could easily add 10 degrees...ICK!

I did decide, in the end, that maybe I am not cut out to be a jetsetter... I need some calm in my life. So in an effort to establish calm (haha) I started some new projects :). I will post pictures and details on Tie-dying t-shirts for Little and other various endeavors soon.

A trip to New York

I am presented this week with the option to live the life of a jetsetter. I could drop my SAHM status for a few days and jet to New York on a whim and spend 3 days touring the city and having exciting metropolitan experiences. That's what I could do... what WILL I do? I don't know yet.

The thought of spontaneously hopping a plane to NYC brings so much joy and excitement to me I can hardly contain it all. But then reality hits - I have a husband and baby to think about. I can take Little with me but the husband is a little harder to tote around. He has plans already, and he is the planning type. I wouldn't want to spoil his time for the weekend, but think of the memories that could be had by jetting to a fun destination on the spur of the moment. The flights with a 4 month old might not be that fun, and yes I do enjoy shopping in NYC probably more than anything else - but we could enjoy meandering the streets (albeit quickly, because of course that is how New Yorkers do it), going to the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, and introducing Little to a world outside of the Midwest. And maybe just toss in a few small stops at the likes of Bloomingdales and H&M. We are in talks this evening of whether I should go alone, with Husband or not at all. We shall what the final verdict on my temporary jetsetting lifestyle will be. I even have the perfect sling I created that would make said lifestyle with a baby even easier, and it happens to be tres chic!

In other news, the unfinished apron is still sitting by my sewing machine because I jumped feet first into making a baby sling. Little has been under the weather the last few days and we had an infamous "blowout" in the car seat - thanks to Little's Nana we had a carseat cover blanket that is easily washable.

Oh! The drama of motherhood! Nothing compares to it.

Low Point Cake

I have rejoined Weight Watchers and after my first time signing up it is no less exciting. The first time around I lost a whopping 120 lbs. and this is just recon after pregnancy to lose the 15 lbs I cannot get rid of. In the process of finding low point foods to eat that are appealing to the whole family I found that I can make a Duncan Hines Devils Food cake with applesauce replacing all oil and egg beaters replacing two of the eggs and using one regular egg and the recommended amount of water and I can have 1/12 of the cake for 4 points! I know it probably seems funny to get excited about the point value of cake, but when you are a treataholic like me - a 4 point cake is worth the excitement. I plan to make some this week and use Cool Whip Free to top it off.

The apron pictures are still forthcoming... July 4th slowed us down a bit.

-Baby Mama

An apron in the making

A few weeks ago my sister participated in an apron swap and it inspired me to hop on the perverbial bandwagon and make an apron for myself. I brought home all the materials, after a laborious trip to the fabric store where I had to go through a process of elimination with all the fabrics I absolutely LOVED. This is what I ended up with:

I made an apron for my other sister's birthday and mine is still under construction - the results are FABULOUS! I will unveil it later this week.

The Disney Store Hit a Home Run

In every baby outfit there seems to be something left to be desired. It could be that the arms are always too long. The neck is too wide and slides down your child’s shoulders or the feet at the bottom of sleepers never seem to stay on your wee-one's feet. Having a small 3 month old I notice these things whenever I put an outfit on Little. When I go to get him from his crib in the morning his sleep sacks seem to have sneeked down his shoulders. In my experience a 3 month old boy is not trying to be alluring in any way making the whole shoulder baring thing more of a concern about keeping him warm than keeping him modest.

Well during pregnancy, during a shopping trip to the mall, I could not resist buying a sleeper at the Disney store. It was little and cute and I did think ahead and buy it for when he was 3-6 months (Nesting, I tell you!). Well just last night at 3.5 months old we broke out the Disney Sleeper complete with Mickey and Pluto and a cute dog bone pattern. Well these days my glee is derived from simple things. When we (Hubby and I) proceeded to dress Little in his new sleeper I found that the feet of his sleeper had elastic around the back of the ankle - GENIUS!

I had been complaining just a few days ago about Little always looking like he had broken legs when we put him in sleepers, but now with the wonderfully fitted, snug footed sleeper from the Disney store we would not have to endure any more broken-leg-looking pajamas.

I told you I derive glee from very simple things!

-Baby Mama

Introducing Baby Mama

I am a Baby Mama. More accurately, I am a stay at home mom. I have one child, his name is “Little”. We spend our days eating, sleeping and crying… well he does. I spend my days caring for Little and finding crafty things to entertain myself and new skills to learn. I have recently taken up bread making and I am trying to improve my sewing skills. I love fashion and I am a designer at heart, now my life’s calling is to figure out how to express myself and find an outlet for my creativity.

My goal is to share with you my journey through motherhood, the new things I find that help make that journey more enjoyable and splendor filled, and fun exciting things I learn that help me express myself and develop my talents.