Daddy's Girl

What's for dinner?

My plan to post our weekly menu certainly didn't last too long! I'm still really loving the whole menu-planning thing. Not only has it saved us money, but my husband claims it's brought a whole lot more variety to our meals. Yay!

Here's what we ate for dinner the last few weeks:

Mondays: Out; Pineapple pork loin & rice; Cheddar cauliflower quiche

Tuesdays: Grilled chicken, green beans; Fettuccine Alfredo w/ zucchini; Fried chicken, spinach

Wednesdays: Stuffed green peppers, salad; Grilled chicken w/ grilled tomatoes; Vegan enchiladas

Thursdays: Taco salad; BBQ pork loin; Pasta, glazed carrots

Fridays: Chicken broccoli casserole; Buffalo chicken dip w/celery, carrots and tortilla chips; Out

Saturdays and Sundays we rotate with either eating out, having breakfast for dinner, or eating leftovers.

Any good recipes you've tried lately and care to share?

Fenced In

Join the warm weather of summer with the nesting instincts of a pregnant lady and you get: lots of home improvement projects! :-) Our most recent has been to fence in our small backyard. While we initially pursued this project so that my parent's dog would have a place "to do his business" during their visits, we've since discovered we LOVE having the privacy and security. Every evening has found us out back blowing bubbles, doing landscaping, daydreaming - you name it. Here are a few shots of the work:

Getting started. Notice all the utility marks on our lawn?
Red, yellow, and orange... it looked like a parade route or something!

My dad was kind enough to employ his talents for us.
Father and son-in-law workin' together...

Even this pregnant "nesting" momma picked up a hammer.
Tasks done as a family are much more fun!

Break time!
Here we all are: Uncle Buddy, Morenna, Baby Roo and I.

And the finished product!

Who Can Find a Woman of Strength?

One of my closest friends is getting married. Wedding preparations are in full swing and recently I had the joy of joining with several other friends in throwing the bride a Proverbs 31 shower. A heavy theme? Yes. But oh, so, valuable.

One of the wiser women in our group provided an excellent and encouraging devotion on this passage, and I came away encouraged to dig further still. Though the chapter can be overwhelming, what part of our walk/growth in the Lord isn't, apart from His grace?

For the past two weeks I've been unable to move past verses 10-12. There is so much within them, that I'm sure I could focus on them for months and still find the Lord revealing areas of improvement for me to better align myself with the godly character reflected! At any rate, I thought I'd share:

Proverbs 31: 10-12
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her and
lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm
all the days of her life.

Here are a few thoughts I've been mulling around about this woman:

Vs 10: She is rare. In my past study of this verse I've always focused on the fact that this woman is valuable. But I've realized that it's more than that: she is rare. The law of supply and demand rings true: scarcity drives up value.

• Do I know many others like me? Even among Christian circles, am I different? How so? How not?

Vs 11: She is trustworthy, industrious and profitable. This verse packs a lot of challenge for me; most specifically the latter section. According to the commentary here (a great resource BTW), the basic translation reads: "so that he [her husband] shall have no need of spoil [goods gained from war]."

• In what ways am I profitable to my family? Is my husband "richer" because of me? What ways can I improve in spending my time wisely?
  

Vs 12: She rewards her husband with good. I love the basic translation "deals bountifully" here. No matter what her husband's actions, she continuously heaps good upon him. And they are blessed. I really can stand improvement here. My attitude tends to often be a tit-for-tat one. When it's convenient I'm kind. When I'm trying to make a point, I'm not. Yet the old addage "kindness makes a man attractive" is equally, even moreso, valuable for wives. It not only blesses her husband, but touches her whole family. And she is blessed.

• How can I actively reward my husband each day? Basics? Abstracts? Can I prevent any harm from befalling him? Do I value him above myself?

As you can see, I have lots of thoughts! Thanks for joining me as I'm thinking through the wisdom in these verses... and should you have any thoughts to add, I'd love to hear them. Much wisdom is gained from much council... and I have much to gain.

Momma's Little Helper

Morenna has developed a fascination for the kitchen. Her previous fancy of examining the drawers and cabinets has matured to a desire to help in any way she can: open the fridge, carry items, stir ingredients, play in the dishwater - you name it! Recently she stood by my side as I cleaned and snapped green beans. She took each bean as I was finished with it, chomped off an end, chewed and then slowly dragged "Mmmmm." She'd then place the chewed bean in the pot.

Last week she enjoyed standing on her little helper stool to assist me in cutting up a cantaloupe. I think the sweet smell and her love for melon got in the way with her "helping". :-) What do you think?

Melon euphoria


Must be clean-up time!

Sonogram says...

"It's a girl!" :-)

Ok, so we actually discovered this fact a week ago, but I'm just now finding a few moments of computer time to post the pictures. Sorry for the delay! We are very much looking forward to meeting our new daughter... and perhaps a few days earlier than expected as my due date has been moved back two days. Enjoy the photos... I'm in love with the little hand shot at the top:

~

CVS Love

It's been a long while since I last shared some CVS love. That's primarily due to the fact that CVS hasn't graced its customers with many new and exciting deals to employ the mind. Ad after ad has been a bit of a bore... I think all I've really snagged there in the last few months have been diapers.

But then there was today. And I am once again a CVS believer... you should join in, too. :-)

Today we scored $63.19 worth of household goods for only $3.27! (A total that even could've been lower, if I had been paying attention instead of ogling a candy bar.) You can do it, too!

Transaction One
1 - CVS Pantiliners $0.89
2 - Febreeze Noticables Starter Kits $6.50 each
1- CVS Tape $1.49

Used: 2 - $4 off Febreeze; $6.99 in ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs)

Total: $0.81
Got back $5ecb for Febreeze, $0.89ecb for liners and $1.49ecb for the tape


Transaction Two
3 - Post Cereal $3/10
2 - CVS Tape $1.49 each
1 - Glucose Moniter $19.99

Used: 3-$2 off Post Trail Mix; $19.99 off monitor; $5ecb

Total: $2.32 (Could've had it lower by using one of my other ecbs... oh well.)
Got back $5ecb for cereal, $5ecb for monitor and $2.98ecb for the tape

Transaction Three
5 - Theater Candies $1 each
4 - CVS Paper towels $1.29 each
3 - CVS Tissues $1.99 each

Used: 2-$1 CVS paper products; $13.99ecbs


Total: $0.14 (Was back to paying attention :-))


So that was that. And I left with $11 ecbs in my pocket. Yay! If you want to try your hand at CVS-ing, this post has some great scenarios at the bottom for this week's specials.

So Blue

The last weekend in June was a beautiful one. The weather just demanded you to be outside, so our little family trekked to a local farmer's market and then off to a blueberry farm deep in the VA hills.

We really enjoyed the organic grass-fed New York strip steak we selected at the farmer's market (totally sold on buying local beef now). But we really enjoyed the rolling hills of blueberries. In just over an hour we had picked 7.5lbs. Morenna, who is a big fan of blueberries anyway, appeared to be in complete awe that she could go 'round and 'round the bushes and pluck handfuls of the juicy little fruits.

And I forgot my camera.

We were able to get some video footage on Matt's phone, though. It's a bit blurry and the volume is, well, obnoxious, but if you listen closely you can hear her going "Mmm, MMMmmm!!!" after every bite. Enjoy!

Guess What Arrived?

You may recall me talking about this possible purchase last summer. Well, it's true. Matt and I are now the proud owners of this:



And Morenna is now the proud (and persistent) audience of the rear entertainment system.

Matt is too.

Guess who drives?

Who's Minding the... House?

It has been and continues to be a humbling experience to possess all the joys (who am I fooling?) of pregnancy while chasing down a toddler. My family and my home have all suffered. But it's also been a time of blessing to watch those around me chip in to help, especially my husband. I owe the current state of our home (yes, it's fairly clean!) to him... and also the current state of my emotional life (that's in good shape, too).

Now that I'm slowly regaining my pre-morning sickness ground, I've had to start doing things a wee bit different than normal. Here's how I'm minding my house at the moment:

-- My previous cleaning schedule has been shelved in lieu of an end-of-the-day tidying. There is dust in my house. Lots of it... but I'm only able to tackle a room when my energy meter decides to climb.

Did I ever mention that we purchased a Roomba?! I had hoped to write a full review of the newest member of our house -- affectionately termed Mosie (a combination of the Jetsen's Rosie and Wall-e's Mo) -- but something got in the way, I guess. So here's my review: Buy one. Now.

-- I'm managing my time using my personalized daily docket (at right). "MIT" stands for "most important things". Many thanks to SimpleMom for the inspiration.

-- And as you can see, I'm now menu planning. I've never been big into menu planning. Besides the pre-thought hassle (in my previously uninformed opinion), my tastes always changed from day to day, so I wouldn't follow it anyway. But now that food and I are not the best of friends, I've found a weekly planning session to be a winner of an idea. I only have to really think about food once a week, and my family has a rounded meal each evening. They are happy. Very happy.

Even better, I've started having Matt grill out a larger than normal amount of meat on Sundays, so then I can use it in quick dishes during the week. Doubling dinner portions also leaves us handy options for lunches.

Last week's menu:

Sunday - Matt grilled chicken; leftover green bean casserole
Monday - Blackbean vegetable soup; cornbread; peach crisp
Tuesday - Parmesan Tilapia; green beans; cantelope
Wednesday - Chicken tacos; corn-on-the-cob
Thursday - Dinner out
Friday - Beef stir-fry w/ carrots & zucchini

And that's the latest on who's minding our house... if you wanted to know. :-)

All About Roo

"Roo" is our nickname for the newest addition to our family. With that introduction, I figured it was time for a little pregnancy update. :-)

I'll be 18 weeks on Thursday. Roo has been a very active little one for the past couple of weeks, kicking around much earlier (or at least so I've noticed) than Morenna. Matt and I are anxiously counting down the days until our ultrasound when we hopefully discover the gender. He's hoping for a boy. I'm not quite sure what I'm hoping for... other than a healthy baby. Perhaps another girl?

My reasoning for a girl is really twofold: 1) to prove that my morning sickness severity with Morenna was simply that of a first-timer; 2) Morenna will have a close-in-age sister... something I always wished I had.

At any rate, this pregnancy has been so different from my first, with all the quirky pains and growth coming in a much earlier time-frame. I heard you "pop" sooner with subsequent children... but I was in maternity clothes by week 9. A bit of a surprise to me.

Food and I aren't the best of friends, though I'm definitely past the queasy stage. My cravings (if you could call them that) have mainly consisted of fruit (peaches, especially), water, Greek salad (strange!) and the occasional pickle. My aversions have been quite the opposite of my pregnancy with Morenna and include beef and sugar... especially ice cream. :-( So sad. On a positive note, though, I'm back up to my pre-pregnancy weight as of last week.

I'm using a local midwifery practice this time around, and so far I love them. I do not love the insurance headache caused by my choice... or that we decided on an HMO policy when Matt switched jobs. That was a dumb idea.

Last visit, Roo chimed in with a strong little heart rate of 150. Ah, I could never grow tired of listening to that chugga-chugga-chugga sound.

Momma at 17 weeks

Water Baby

Morenna has been changing so much the last few weeks. All of the sudden it seems that we've started fast-forwarding her development; a fact that is both joyful and sad. Here are some of her latest achievements:

-- She goes up and down stairs by herself,
-- Sometimes informs me of a needed diaper change,
-- Has a larger assortment of acquired food tastes,
-- Can "chat" on the phone with her grandparents,
-- Walks/climbs/runs on her own,
-- Chatters all day long with favorite words inserted, including: "baby", "momma", "daddy", "buddy", "ba" (bath), "ball", "bye bye", "pees" (please), "boolah" (balloon), "milk-a", "juice", "ca-ca" (cracker), "more", "duck" and "hi" to anyone she sees.
-- Will point on command to nose, toes, ears, and belly button.
-- Loves to share the noises made by cows, sheep, cats, and polar bears (random, I know).
-- Giving kisses.

Spending time outside has been a favorite activity. So far we've played in the rocks behind our air conditioner, swam in the neighborhood baby pool, and ran around in the sprinkler.

Sweet baby kisses for Daddy.

Diggin' in the rocks.

Playin' in the pool with Daddy


Lovin' life!


Playing at Grandpa and Grandma's!


Baby pools and watering cans are nice, too.


Naked baby time with the sprinkler :-)


And when it rains... there is always Mommy and Daddy's jacuzzi!

Morenna's First Year Photos!

It's hard to believe a month has passed since my last post! I'm still wading through the glories of morning sickness, but I see light at the end of the tunnel. Yeah!

Last week I turned 26... and today my husband turned 28. It's hard to believe we're on the downward slope towards 30. Wow. Ok, enough of that.

I've finally gotten around to uploading some of Morenna's First Year professional photos onto Facebook. You should be able to view them here, hopefully.

In the next couple of weeks things should be back to normal around here... I'm so looking forward to resuming my posts... in the meantime, thanks for sticking by. :-)

Being Mommy

Have you wondered where I've been? I've missed posting the happenings around here... but time at my computer has been largely limited lately.

My friend Kelly opened a blogging door for me today, hence my reason for breaking the silence. While it isn't a lack of items to blog about that's been prohibiting my writing, it has been a lack of creativity - a difficulty in eloquent wording - that's also to blame. Her timing in tagging me for this "mommy" post couldn't be better... I needed it.

What I Love About Being Mommy:

1. Fresh views - I love watching Morenna develop in a new way each and every day. She reminds me of a flower, a slow opening bud, that discovers something new about the world each day and is absolutely elated about what she learns. I feel like a kid again myself... and she's only a year old! There is just so much to discover!

2. Innocence, trust, desire. I love witnessing true innocence in Morenna. She fears little and trusts her daddy and I wholeheartedly. What a great example of how we should feel as children of God! It warms my heart to observe her following me so absolutely; scary - yes, but beautiful at the same time. There is also nothing like the feeling that comes when you find how desirable you are to your little one. When Morenna reaches for me, snuggles with me, clings to me... it's me she wants. No one else treats me quite that way. I tear up when I think about that.

3. Family. It amazes me at times the new depth that motherhood has brought to my marriage. Not only am I mom, but the love-of-my-life is dad! Weird! Together we have been blessed with one huge responsibility... and we have to be a team. I also see my husband in a whole new light as the leader of not just our marriage, but our family. My respect for him has definitely grown. He is now more selfless than ever, more gentle than ever, more humble than ever.

4. Similarity. How fascinating to witness various aspects of your character or personality in your little one. I love watching Morenna to see traits of her dad or I pop through. It can be a bit scary at times, but I love it. She is so much like us... but yet so distinctly different, too.

5. Dependability. Perhaps the most sobering aspect of motherhood to me is how much my children depend on me. I love this and fear it at the same time. It matters not if you have days of not wanting to be "mommy". You are mommy... day in and day out. Human lives grow and (by God's grace to us mothers!) thrive because of us. I'm seeing this all too clearly right now as I care for my two children. Yes. Two. Surprised? As I eluted to above, I haven't been in front of my computer much these days... mostly because I've spent it before the porcelain goddess most of us mothers are familiar with. As I've struggled lately with how to care for Morenna, care for my household, and manage sickness at the same time (scraping by with the first, failing at the second, succeeding at the third :-)) I'm very much aware of why I love the dependability in motherhood so much: it draws me to the Lord.

Nowhere in my life do I feel more inadequate that I do in motherhood. As consequence, nowhere in my life do I turn to God more as I do in motherhood. And that's a good thing.

So thanks, Kelly, for allowing me the opportunity to share the good news of our blossoming family. You unknowingly helped me with the words (and helped me find the joy in the current season I'm in). :-)

Our new little one, who we're temporarily naming "Roo", will hopefully arrive the end of November, beginning of December. A new adventure awaits! I'd particularly appreciate your prayers as I attempt to make it through this first-trimester morning sickness. It wasn't so pleasant with Morenna... and it appears no different this time around. But God has lessons for me in it all, I just need to listen.

Shakin' and Bakin'

In preparation for Morenna's 1st birthday party, the visitation of some dear friends and family, and life's general business, I decided to have another baking day a couple weeks ago (and I'm just now posting!). I'm finding these happen about every three weeks or so... and I'm loving the times in between with all the freshly baked and stored food. Matt definitely enjoys having easy breakfasts available, too. Here's a peek at what the fruits of my labor were this time around:


*2 dozen breakfast hot pockets (we adore these!)
*2 dozen whole-wheat waffles (I think I may be searching for a new healthy recipe soon... any suggestions?)
*2 dozen apricot muffins and a small loaf of apricot bread (LOVE this new recipe! Note: the recipe calls for 4 t. of baking powder - Totally a misprint! I used about 1 t. and it was fine.)
*And a 10x17 healthy carrot cake (no, I'm not vegan)

Yum, yum!

For She's a Jolly Good Fellow-ette?

As promised, here is the much-anticipated post on Morenna's little party. It was so fun to celebrate a year of God's grace in her life, but I'll let the pictures tell the story:

Great-Grandparent's McCann sent over two babies for Morenna. She adores babies (anything between the ages of newborn - 10 years she considers a baby!). She is so cute carrying these around.

Mommy got some creative juices flowing and made a fuzzy carrot cake.
The "M" just kinda evolved from the leftovers.

Here we go!

Curiosity at first...

...and the tasting...

SCORE!

Yay for smearing!

Flirting with guests.

Opening gifts... this one was from Great-Grandparent's Brobst.
New DVD's! I also need to get pictures of Nana's terrific gift of a fluffy bunny puppet and her first Bible,
and Grandpa's swell taste in clothes!

And, of course, what birthday would be complete without a family picture? :-) Should you care to weed through the masses of unedited pictures, you can do so here:

Morenna's Birthday Party

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Grandpa's Visit!

Have you wondered where I disappeared to? Our lives have been so crazy lately! We celebrated a 1st birthday with some good friends and family (more on that soon!), had some professional pics taken (a separate post to come as well, whew) and generally scurried around like rabbits the last few weeks. One particular Wednesday evening we had the pleasure of meeting up with Matt's dad for some good food and a much-needed visit.


It had been a couple of months since Morenna had seen Grandpa John, but in no time flat she warmed up and gave him her snooty face (a face she gives to all individuals over 40, it seems. Not to worry, though, John, we know you're only 39 ;-)).


We even had a trial run in preparation for the birthday celebration with some butter... or sour cream... I honestly don't remember what it was. So fun!

Happy Birthday Morenna!

As I last mentioned, my baby girl will be turning one this Monday. Here are some snapshots from the past 12 months of her life. Enjoy!

April 2008

May 2008

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009