Merry Christmas!!! (And hello old friends, it's been awhile!)

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your holiday is bright, warm, and sweet. We're in the midst of baking cookies and magic bars and prepping dinner for tonight. Then, once the little one is in bed tonight, we'll get to work assembling some presents. This is our first year to tackle toy assembly, so we'll see how it goes. I'm so excited to see Hadley's face tomorrow morning. It's great that she now knows what is going on and can enjoy the holiday!

I know I've been MIA for a few weeks, but rest assured that I do have posts planned. These last few weeks have just been busy with holiday planning and shopping, travel, and a work project that I finished in mid-December. This month was also made more hectic by the fact that I had to squeeze in numerous continuing legal education hours that I delayed (i.e., procrastinated) in taking until now. The deadline is December 31 and I finished on the 20th-- go me! Hey, at least they are done.

I've also managed to check several things off of my to-do list in the last month: cleaning out the closets in the soon-to-be new baby's room, shopping for cute (or as cute as they get) maternity clothes, packing up infant items to send to my sister for her new baby, setting up a business for my contract work, and assorted other odds and ends. It feels so good to start the new year with a slightly less onerous list of obligations.

And, lest you feel deprived of Hadley info-- my baby is doing beautifully! She was given rave reviews and praise by our pediatrician (and friend) at her 15-month appointment. Our pediatrician said Hadley is definitely precocious. She asked how many words Hadley knows and when I told her probably 15-20, she was super impressed. Apparently, she only needed 3 words to be on track. And, Hadley has added several more words to her repertoire in the last few days, including "towel," "oatmeal," "I don't know," and "bottle." She loves multiple syllable words. When Sean asks her what she knows, she says, "I don't know," except it sounds like "a da loo." It's so cute.

Our new little one is doing well, too. I'm about 26 weeks along now and the little bean is soooo active. I've been able to feel her kicking since about 15 weeks (early, I know!), and now, I can see my stomach move when she gets really active. It's amazing and a little weird at the same time. I have my glucose tolerance test at my next appointment. Other than that, this pregnancy is just moving along. It is really flying by and I have to make myself stop sometimes and just enjoy these moments. Before long, we'll be a family of four and I'm not sure I'll ever have time to slow down again!

And, since I have utterly failed to post a bump pic thus far, here is a pic of my belly at about 24 weeks. I think my belly has about doubled in size since this picture was taken.

We're planning a trip to visit family the day after Christmas and luckily, there is an IKEA within a quick drive of their house. That means we can stock up on baby furniture and other goodies while we're there. I'm anxious to get the new nursery decorated and ready.

That's it for now, folks. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Dear Hadley: Month 14

My Sweet Pea! This letter is a bit late, but only because we have been spent every free minute at fun play dates and playing in your new playroom. That's right-- you now have a room that is solely devoted to your TOYS. We used to keep most of your toys in the living room, but we really felt that you were outgrowing that space. So, Daddy spent a few weekends cleaning out his "man playroom" upstairs for you. And, you love your new space. I really love it, too. We can reclaim our living room now and you have this wonderful space to pull out all of your toys and play.

Right now, your favorite toys are your baby doll, your stuffed animals, your books, and oddly enough, my headbands. You love to put one of my headbands on your head, usually backwards or across your forehead Rambo-style. You then continue playing with your toys as if wearing a giant headband backwards is the most natural thing ever. One day, you even wore a headband backwards to Costco because you refused to let me take it off of you. I'm sure we got some funny looks that day, but I don't care. I hope you can always be so confident in your fashion choices.

You have really astounded us this month with your understanding of EVERYTHING that we say to you. I can ask you to put something away and you actually do it. And, one day, I asked you to find your water cup and you went and searched through your piles of toys until you found it. Then, you brought it back to me and triumphantly held it up as if to say, "Here it is, Mama! I knew where it was all along!!" You have also developed a love and fascination for the phone this month. You love your play phones but you also really like our cell phones and home phones. You push buttons and hold the phone, usually upside down, to the side of your head and babble away. It is so fun to watch.

We are having so much fun teaching you new things, too. You have learned the coolest things this month, like that a sheep says, "baaaa," and a lion says, "rrrrrrooar," and monkey says, "ah ah ah." You pound on your chest with your fists when you make the monkey sound. I just love that-- even if it isn't technically what a monkey does. And, you learned to sign "love" this month by crossing your arms over your chest. The first time I told you I loved you and you signed back, my heart just melted. I still can't get enough of your sweet love signs. And you are loving blowing kisses this month. You say "mmm--ahhhh" when you do so, and you blow kisses at everyone, even our cat. Your vocabulary is really expanding rapidly right now, too. Just in the last few days, you have started saying, "tiger," "apple," and "diaper." I just love hearing you talk, Sweet Pea.

This was an amazing month and I can't wait to see all of the new things you learn next month!

Love,
Your Mommy

It's Official....

We're having another little girl!!! And, she's healthy, measuring perfectly, and is spunky already! During the course of our ultrasound on Friday, the little one managed to maneuver herself from a head-down position to a sideways position to a head-up position. All in the span of about 30 minutes. Over and over again, we watched her kick her perfect, tiny feet out, push off, and roll to a new spot. Then, she would curl up and kick or punch like crazy. It was so fun to watch. She kept her little hands by her face most of the time, too, just like Hadley did in utero. I love that my two little girls are already alike!

Since our ultrasound, we've been going non-stop, so I haven't had much time to concentrate on our big news. But, today, it really hit me. I'm going to have two girls-- and they'll be about 18-19 months apart in age! I can just imagine the matching outfits, shared baby dolls, and fighting over toys now:-). We're going to have so much fun and I can't wait!!

Trick-or-Treat

This was Hadley's first Halloween to go trick-or-treating and amazingly, she loved it! I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Who doesn't love going door to door to get treats from complete strangers??? Unfortunately, Tinkerbell has not yet eaten candy and I'm not quite ready for her to start. So, that means that someone other than little Tink will need to consume her loot from last night. Judging by the Reese's peanut butter cups I devoured for breakfast this morning, I'd say that I have that job covered.

18 Weeks

Okay, so I guess it's about time I come out with the reason I have been so freaking lazy with posting new updates on this blog. Weeks ago, it was because I could barely keep my eyes open for more than two hours at a time. I was so incredibly bone-weary tired. It was a chore to simply load our breakfast dishes in the dishwasher each morning. And then, that went away and I was hit with an all-consuming, overwhelming feeling that I could hurl at any minute. Love that feeling. And then that went away, too. Weird, huh? Now, I actually feel like myself. Almost. Except for that bump that has manifested itself on my midsection:-). Sometimes I forget it's there and catch a glimpse of my profile in the mirror. I usually gasp-- and then smile.

If you haven't guessed, I'm pregnant! Yes, we'll have our second child in early April and we're so excited. And a little freaked out. It will definitely be an interesting experience having two children so close in age, but it's an experience I can't wait to start. We're having so much fun with Hadley that I'm sure the new little one will only double the fun.

Oh, and we find out whether the new little one is a boy or a girl next Friday. I'm so excited and so anxious to find out that I almost ran out this morning in the pouring rain to buy this (which is for sale at Walgreen's stores):

Then I decided that it will be much more fun if we wait until our ultrasound. I'm not good at waiting!! I predict that I will be taking plenty of online baby prediction tests over the next week.

Someone is ready for Halloween

Dear Hadley: Month 13

Dear Hadley:

You are 13 months old now, and we are having so much fun with you! You learn something new every day and amaze us with your wit and charm. Right now, everything is funny to you. You giggle constantly-- while you are eating, while you are petting Bella, and especially while you are running around the house. And man, are you running. Daddy asked me a few days ago when you started running and honestly, I can't remember, either. It just happened. You were walking with this wobbly gait one day and the next, you were running as if you had been doing it forever. You have so much fun pushing your little ride-on car around, chasing Bella and Allie, and just exploring your house.

There are a few things you really love this month: Bananas!!!, dancing, and your Baby Doll. Those bananas!! You have always loved them, and this month, that love has seriously intensified. You decided that bananas are THE food to eat for breakfast and you do every morning. As soon as I put you in your chair in the mornings, you start chanting, "nana, nana, nana." And, as soon as I get your banana to slice into your oatmeal, your chants become all-out impatient wails that turn into outright tears when you realize that I have to, of all things, heat up your oatmeal for 20 seconds before you can eat it. You would think with all of that drama that I was starving you, but no, you just can't wait 20 more seconds for that banana. Horrors. Your love for bananas runs deep, child.

And the dancing! You LOVE to dance. You have been dancing for a couple of months, but this month was completely different. You seek out music, pushing buttons on your activity table or push car to start a new song, and as soon as the music starts, you start moving. You shake those hips, bop your head, and swing your arms to the beat. Daddy and I have the best time just watching you bop along to your music.

You also recently developed a deep love for a doll you received as a gift for your birthday. It is a cute, little pink and purple thing that you carry around all day, hugging, squeezing, and kissing. You talk to her, prop her up on the couch and fireplace hearth, and at times, try to get her to sit on your ride-on car seat. You work so hard at trying to balance her on that seat and then you slowly back away to see if she will stay. She usually doesn't, but you are stubborn enough that you keep trying and trying and trying. And, at nap time, when I tell you it is time to go "night night," you look everywhere for that doll and once we find her, you clutch her to you and carry her to your bed. I absolutely love that you have a favorite doll now.

You made huge strides developmentally this month, too. Of utmost importance, we transitioned you to whole milk. And at the same time, we made the transition from bottles to a sippy cup. Amazingly, no one was injured in this transition! I have to admit, I was a little worried. You did great, though. We completed the transition in a little over a week, and you never complained. You are also now almost completely feeding yourself finger foods. You like to hold your food and take bites as opposed to having me cut you little bite-sized pieces. You still let me spoon feed you your oatmeal and yogurt, but other than that, you want to do it yourself. You are such a big girl.

All of a sudden, you also seem to understand just about everything we tell you. This both fascinates and terrifies me. We can tell you to give Bella kisses and you will whirl around, find Bella, and run to her to give her a big, slobbery kiss on the head. One night, you were trying to cuddle with Bella and she was being too wiggly for you to kiss. You fixed that by taking your little hands, putting them on either side of her face and holding her still so you could lean in and kiss her on the top of the head. It was too cute!

I can ask you to hand me something or to share with me and you immediately hand it to me. We constantly tell you to "sit down" in the bathtub and you do-- albeit slowly sometimes. Speaking of the bath, you LOVE your bath. You jump with glee next to the bathtub while we prepare your bath water and giggle and splash once we put you in. You have the best time "swimming" in the bathtub.

You have become quite the little chatterbug lately, too. You are saying "nana" for banana, "apple," "Daddy," "Mama," "no, no, no," "yeah," "bye," and "all done." My favorite is when Daddy gets home at night and you squeal, "Dad--eeee," when he walks in the door. I love to watch you two together.

I love you, Sweet Pea, and can't wait to see what this next month brings!

Love,

Your Mommy

Fall Overhaul

I love this time of year probably more than any other. When the weather starts to turn a little crisper and the days get shorter, I start nesting like crazy. I want my home to feel warm and cozy and to smell like hearty stews, chilis, apple crisp, and pumpkin pie. Just maybe not all at the same time.

On Sunday afternoon, I spent a little time "autumnizing" the house. I packed away our summery throw pillows, pulled out my cable-knit throws, unearthed my box of fall decor, and bought the same soy candle I buy at this time every year. To me, it smells like Fall and I just can't start Fall without it. This candle, called Harvest Pumpkin, is at Target for $7.99 and it smells divine-- and lasts forever.

To warm up our living room, I arranged a few warmer-toned throw pillows on the couch. I'm in love with the sparkle on the little, brown pillow. I'm a sucker for sparkly.

Every year at this time, I cook a couple of things for the first time in months: chili and pumpkin bread. Both smell and taste amazing, and there is just something about these rituals that make me feel content. I also headed to the grocery store on Monday to pick up a few knobby gourds. I just love the look of gourds on my kitchen table in October.

I also put out some ceramic pumpkins. I love these, but because I don't like a lot of clutter or superfluous stuff sitting about, I always have a hard time deciding where to put them.

And, I love how this time of year, some of my decor looks a little spookier. This candlestick holder is one of my faves and this time of year, it looks a little like spooky fingers to me. Ahhh haa haa. Now all I need are big, round pumpkins to sit on our front porch... and to carve on the night before Halloween.

Please ignore my wrinkly table runner... the iron is on strike

Do you decorate your house for the changing seasons? Or, just for holidays?

Teething Strikes Again

There have been days over the past week when I honestly have felt like I live with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I can leave the house with a sweet, content child and at some point within the hour, she transforms into a fire-breathing, red-eyed monster who could eat me for breakfast. Seriously.

We were at the grocery store yesterday morning and about halfway through our shopping trip, about the time that my cart was filling up and we just had to pick up a few more items and check out, Hadley completely melted down. She threw the miniature pumpkin she had been holding to the floor, almost maiming an innocent bystander, and started wailing, screaming, and thrashing like a banshee. It was brutal. People were staring, I was trying to console her to no avail, and at the same time, I had to decide what to do with all of the groceries in my cart. Do I check out with a screaming baby? Do I put them all back while she loses it in the cart? WHAT DO I DO???? Long story short, I was that woman in the check-out line with the screaming child that everyone stares at and no one will make eye contact with. It was fabulous. Then we got in the car and she was fine. She stopped crying, smiled at me, and sang the whole way home. What the ----?????

I'm blaming my sweet baby's violent mood swings of the past week on teething. Hadley has about a gazillion teeth coming in all at the same time, and I think the pain is messing with her coping mechanisms. She's just never like this. She's always happy and content, but lately, she can be okay one minute and crazy the next. It's a learning experience for sure. For instance, I now know not to let her hold produce at the grocery store as she can be extremely dangerous when angered. And, when the meltdown occurs, RUN! Hopefully, those pesky teeth will break through soon and we can all return to our normal lives. I'll keep you updated.

On happier notes, I have almost taught Hadley to say "BOO" for Halloween. When you ask her what a ghost says, she replies with, "bahhhh." She's so close. And despite her teething pain, Hadley entertains us every night after dinner with music and dancing. She plays the same song on her activity table over and over again while dancing madly to it. You should see her shake her little booty and flap her arms. She really gets down. It's the cutest thing ever!

Baked Southwestern Corn Dip-- Yum!

Sean digging in

The last time we made the trek to visit family a few hours away, we brought home a bag full of their fresh-grown sweet corn, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers. I was in heaven. Until I realized we could only eat so many ears of corn on the cob. That's when I remembered this delicious recipe for Baked Southwestern Corn Dip. My mom found this recipe in our local newspaper years ago and we have since adapted it to our tastes. Our family almost always has this dip at holiday parties, but I figured, why not in the middle of the summer? And, for kicks, why not have this dip for dinner instead of an appetizer? It's full of yummy veggies so it can't be completely unhealthy, right? Yeah, just read the list of decadent ingredients.... it's definitely not health food. But it is seriously good!!

Baked Southwestern Corn Dip

About 2 cups fresh corn or 1 Can Yellow Corn Kernels

1 Can Sliced Black Olives (2-1/4 oz)
1 Can Ro-Tel (10 oz)
1 Can Black Beans (15 oz)
1 Medium Fresh Jalapeno Pepper (2 Tablespoons Chopped)
2 Jarred Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
1 Cup Shredded Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or Pepper Jack Cheese
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup Mayonnaise

Cooking Oil Spray
Tortilla Chips for Dipping

Preheat Oven to 350
Drain black beans and Ro-tel tomatoes (and corn if you used canned). Mix drained vegetables and corn in a medium size mixing bowl. Add jalapeno, roasted red peppers, both cheeses, and mayonnaise. Stir well.

Spray a 2 quart baking dish lightly with cooking oil spray. Pour the dip into the dish and smooth the top. Bake until the top is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips. Spicy bulk sausage also tastes great in this.