Dear Little Buttercup...

G-man is Here!!

2010-12-16T18:23:00.005-06:00

Gabriel is here! Well.. he's been here for almost 3 weeks but this is the first I'm able to blog about it after a long recovery from being awake almost a week straight :)

After a long 76 hour labor starting on Thanksgiving, he made his appearance at 4:30 AM on Sunday, November 28 missing his Grandma Steffen's birthday by a mere 4 1/2 hours!

I've written before about using hypnobabies for the past few months and I am SO glad that I did. Although the labor and delivery was not even near pain free, having the coping skills learned and the tracks playing constantly helped me to have a natural birth despite several days of no sleep and intense back labor. Not gonna lie.. on a scale of 1 to 10 it was a 10 the ENTIRE time, so it really is a testament to hypnobabies that I wasn't admitted into the hospital earlier. (Actually, I tried on Friday night, but the midwife sent me home with an Ambien to sleep it off.. didn't help AT ALL) If so, I would have definitely been a prime candidate for interventions leading to a C-section. Most everyone who attended my birth said that was the case since his head was posterior and sideways up until the very last few hours. And after it droning on for days I totally would have taken them up on every intervention offered.

The drama didn't stop with the labor and delivery. Right after Gabriel was born, we spent about an hour in the labor and delivery room bonding as a family of three before Lee headed to the nursery with him for an exam. The three of us left the L & D room and the nurse wheeled me to a recovery room while Lee headed on. About 3o minutes later, Lee returned to the room and told me that they had to keep Gabriel in the nursery for observation because of rapid breathing and fluid in his lungs. We were both running on NO sleep for four days and had no idea what was going on. We headed to the nursery to be with our little man and try to figure out the next course of action.

The staff notified us that the pediatrician we chose was contacted and wasn't going to come to the hospital. She was going to leave all treatment up to the residents at Vandy. I was IRATE that she would ditch us like that and tried really hard not to kick her in the shins when she finally did show up for a "courtesy visit" and to tell us she was going to recommend admitting Gabriel into the NICU for antibiotic treatment and further observation. Luckily, she turned over all treatment to the doctors and residents at Vandy who ended up being FABULOUS! They overrode the pediatricians decision and instead monitored him in the nursery and did all kinds of testing and antibiotic treatments there. After one full day apart from him in the little warmer hooked up to monitors, they decided his vitals had steadied enough for him to room in with us! They still had him under close observation with nurses coming in our room to monitor his respiratory rate, etc every 2 hours around the clock and they took him quite a few times to keep running antibiotics through his IV.

Poor guy, in his first few hours of life he had gone through more testing and IV antibiotic treatments than I've had in the past 10 years. They drew five vials of blood (using a razor on his heel) each vial the size of my pinky. And his vein even burst during one of the treatments and he had to have another IV inserted to finish up. It was definitely one of the most stressful times I can remember and all I wanted to do was have my baby with me.. not in some incubator down the hall. But everything turned out fine, and after 3 days in the hospital, he was released and we could FINALLY go home!

I definitely learned that no matter how much you prepare, plan and visualize everything going perfectly that things happen and stuff hits the fan. Honestly, I was traumatized by the whole birth and hospital experience, but am really blessed that we had such great staff taking care of all of us.

All that matters now is that Gabriel is here, he is healthy and as sweet as pie :)

Four Years Ago...

2010-11-22T14:17:00.005-06:00

Four years ago today, my baby-daddy proposed on a perfect autumn afternoon :) It was actually a day a lot like today.. unseasonably warm and sunny with a perfect breeze in the air.

Lee had been traveling the world for the better part of a year (we had already been apart for almost a year and a half) and we hadn't seen each other in person since the previous April. I was back in the states missing him like crazy and looking forward to my trip to London over Christmas to visit him. Little did I know that he had something else up his sleeve!

We had talked late the night before on Skype and I woke up super excited because he told me to be expecting a special surprise arriving in the morning! Sure enough, there was a box on the front porch that had a DVD, postcard and special note claiming November 22 as "Happy Traci Day!"

I watched the DVD of Lee in Tokyo giving me the first of many clues on a scavenger hunt! He always planned the BEST surprises, so I was super excited!

Later, he called to make sure that the box had arrived (all the while pretending to still be in South Africa where I thought he was at the time). And then I was on my way to the first clue. Each clue led to a place where Lee and I had either had a special date, or related to a special memory together and included a small gift from some place around the world.

The final clue was the best of all, as it led to my favorite little chapel on William Jewell College campus. When I walked in the aisle was lined with candles and filled with rose petals and one of our songs began playing on a sound system. One dozen perfect red roses and a small note sat on a podium illuminated by spotlights. As I walked down the aisle to the flowers and note, I assumed that the surprise was over.

But there was a knock at the side door, and I approached, expecting another friend with a gift. I never thought it would be Lee! After all, he just called from South Africa this morning! I opened the door, and there he was dressed in a suit with a huge smile! I dropped everything and screamed! He got down on one knee and said he couldn't stay away one second longer. He was home to stay and asked me if I'd marry him!

The story he told me about his journey home was unbelievable. He traveled across the globe in a week sleeping in airports in Tokyo, Helsinki, Russia (who deported him BACK to Helsinki!), Paris, London, Chicago and on to Champaign, Illinois. Staying up ALL night the night before, he prepared each clue and gift for the scavenger hunt. The next morning, he and his mom drove seven hours to Missouri. He went to each business, met with managers and planted clues. The next day, after calling "from Africa", he went to the chapel. Setting the song on repeat for over an hour, he hid in the small side room until I arrived! As if perfectly scripted, the song that was on repeat instantly started as soon as I walked in the chapel! And the fairy tale continued as we were married five weeks later on New Years Eve :)

Still Baking a Baby!

2010-11-20T13:03:00.000-06:00

39 weeks!

Sorry folks.. no action yet! Although my doula said that she and the rest of her doula friends are gearing up for this weekend to be crazy because of the full moon tomorrow. I've heard it said before that labor and delivery units at hospitals are hopping the few days around a full moon and some even staff up for it every month. So, we'll see!

The closest thing to anything that's happened is Wednesday I woke up in the middle of the night feeling awful with stomach cramps. I stayed in bed for a while wondering if I should do anything about it and opted to take a benadryl to try and sleep some more. I figured if it was the real thing that I'd know it soon enough and wouldn't be able to sleep through it anyway. I snoozed another 4 hours, woke up and was ok. In he morning, I asked Lee how he felt and he had a stomachache too. So turns out it was probably just something I ate.

Even though Gabriel didn't arrive on his "due date" yesterday. His stash of GroVia cloth diapers did! I'm doing all the initial washes on them today so they'll be ready to go whenever we decide to start using them. I'm guessing he'll be in disposables for a few weeks while we begin adjusting to all things baby, then switch over and add in the new laundry routine :)

It's Christmas at the Steffen House!

2010-11-16T15:18:00.006-06:00

38 weeks!

Gabriel is now stuck in one position. I think he ran out of room to do anything besides occasionally stretch his arms and legs out. Lucky for us, the position he settled in is optimal.. head down and back to the left! I kept telling him the past 4 weeks or so that's where he needs to be and look how well he already listens. :) According to my last appointment he's also right on track weight-wise as far as they could guess which was about 6 1/2 pounds! That means if he's putting on 1/2 pound a week like the websites say he is, he should weigh in around 7 pounds now. That would explain why I feel like there's a bowling ball attached around my stomach.

We decorated for Christmas this past weekend! With all the excitement that's about to happen any day now, we decided to get out the tree and a few other decorations. We ended up scaling back this year and left about 4 boxes of decorations in the attic. This year we're going for the minimalistic and low maintenance clean-up vibe :)

This is our "practice lighting". The full out, everyday lighting of the Steffen tree won't happen until after Thanksgiving.

Gabriel even has his own little stocking hung already :)

37 Weeks!

2010-11-07T12:29:00.004-06:00

37 weeks!

The two most often asked questions lately..

1) How do you feel?

2) How much longer?

Answers are.... (drum roll please)

1) I feel great! Honestly.. I do! I'm sleeping fine, getting around just fine, feeling very comfortable, not sick, not tired, etc. Sometimes I even forget I'm pregnant until I try to shave my legs, bend over to pick something up, or roll over in bed.

2) I honestly have no idea. I don't cling closely to "due dates" because only about 5% of births actually happen on the "due date". I always just say sometime in November. There is no planned induction date and no talk of induction. The midwives rule of thumb is 2 weeks after the estimated due date. If Gabriel waits that long, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.. but I'm positive that he'll make his appearance when he's ready whether it's sooner or later.

Other than that.. just enjoying life AND I'm SUPER excited that Candy Cane Joe Joe's are BACK at Trader Joe's!!!!!!! We had a box in the freezer that Lee and I finished a few days ago so the timing is PERFECT!! We also bought a box of chewy eggnog cookies to try.. can't wait to nosh on a few with a big mug of hot chocolate!

Gabriel's New Room!

2010-11-04T13:50:00.008-05:00

We're so excited to have the final touches done on Gabriel's nursery!

One thing that was really important to us was to stay within a reasonable budget. We shopped around to find great deals and also found many things around the house to repurpose (dresser, cabinet, shelving, magazine/book rack, frames). We were also blessed with great gifts from family and friends!

The deal I'm most excited about is scoring a BRAND NEW $500 Dutailier glider for $99 at Essex Retail Outlet!

Lee did a fabulous job refinishing a dresser that we had which saved us a ton of money. I think the grand total with new knobs and paint was $25. I also love the star on the wall that he found a few weeks ago in Seattle.

My parents gave us the vintage toys and mobile to use in the nursery from when my sister and I were little bitty. It's really fun to have some things passed down to decorate with.

Lee surprised me by having the wall of family photos AND the whole room finished when I came home from appointments with the chiropractor and midwives yesterday!

Baby Shower Pictures!

2010-11-02T15:03:00.004-05:00

My friend, Erin, at Sweet Euphoria Desserts posted a blog with FABULOUS pictures of the sweet treats she made for Gabriel's baby shower which has given me the inspiration I needed to post a couple of other pics from the prayer brunch that the ladies in our couples small group hosted a few Saturday's ago! (Follow the link to see more of the cakes and cookies!)

These ladies really know how to throw a party! The food, drinks and treats were DELISH!

I love the sweet sign that they painted for Gabriel. We took it home to use later either in his nursery or at birthday parties, etc.

This will be what Gabriel wears when he assists Lee on his first photo shoot :)

All the ladies minus those who had to leave early on! A great time was had by all. BTW.. don't I have such beautiful friends?

Niam also joined us to celebrate, then sacked out from all the excitement!

36 Weeks!

2010-11-01T13:45:00.001-05:00

36 weeks!

I just realized I never posted pics last week from the baby shower. Oops. Sorry. I've been busy growing a baby. :)

35 Weeks!

2010-10-24T19:49:00.003-05:00

35 weeks!

This past weekend, my fabulous small group ladies hosted a super-fun baby shower to celebrate Gabriel! I have pictures, but haven't uploaded them yet.. will do in the next couple of days and then you'll see the amazing food and decorations they put together for a special morning. I am super blessed to have such great friends to shower us with prayers & love :) I'll brag on them more when I post pictures :)

Lee and I also made time this weekend to take some maternity pics together. We found a field near our house that had a backdrop of all the pretty fall leaves and set a tripod up. So pretty! Again.. I don't have them to upload yet. But I will soon.. I promise!

Other than that, my belly is getting REALLY big and my wedding ring is now on a necklace. HA.. I feel like kind of like I'm in high school wearing my boyfriends class ring around my neck. It still kind of fits, but I think it makes my finger look like a sausage and it isn't the most comfortable feeling. But, I'm happy I made it to 9 months with it! If it were earlier on in the pregnancy, I would have gone and bought a cheapie.. but for just a few weeks I think it's fine as a necklace :)

For anyone keeping track.. 25 days till estimated guess/due date! That's like starting the countdown to Christmas on December 1! CRAZY!

34 Weeks!

2010-10-19T13:28:00.003-05:00

34 weeks!

We're in the REAL homestretch and have been busy getting things ready by organizing, cooking, decorating AND taking time to relax :)

The nursery is almost finished.. we still need to print/hang a few pictures and re-paint the changing table/dresser but are working on it and should have it all together soon!

Lee and I are both really really excited and can hardly believe it's almost November already!

33 Weeks!

2010-10-11T16:44:00.002-05:00

33 weeks!

This past weekend, I should have made t-shirts for Lee and I that say, "Steffen Nest-Fest 2010". Lee put up shelving in the closets, hung pictures, moved things around, began a renovation on a dresser/changing table and so much more. I did baby laundry, started a donation pile, decorated and told Lee where things looked right :) Aaaaaaand.. might have baked another batch of pumpkin butterscotch cookies :)

I understand now why it's recommended that you 'interview' more than one health care provider or pediatrician before deciding on one. Today, I was driving home from the grocery store and passed a ped's office that had caught my attention a few weeks ago and decided to stop in and make an appointment for a meet and greet. The receptionist was super-sweet and told me if I wanted to wait a few minutes, she could see if the doctor could meet with me after finishing up a conference call.

That was a BIG difference from the previous one where the appointment had to be made a week and a half in advance. Not only that, but Lee and I waited an HOUR to meet with the pediatrician (however, her booby and penis quotes made it worth the wait).

Today's wait was no more than 5 minutes. And it was a drop-in at that. Being a solo practice, it didn't feel all germy and chaotic. She had just as much experience as the other one and a TOTALLY opposite laid back personality. We had more of a relaxed dialogue and I was in and out of there in 20 minutes.

So, now we are weighing clinic vs. solo practice. There are obvious and not so obvious pros and cons to each. I have one more recommendation from a friend and will probably give them a call tomorrow and throw a nurse practitioner in the mix. :)

32 Weeks!

2010-10-05T16:08:00.004-05:00

32 weeks!

I'm not sure if it's my own form of nesting or just the great sales, but today at Publix, I stocked UP on some random things..

1) Taco shells.

2) Salsa.

3) Toilet Paper.

4) Paper Towels.

5) Hand Soap.

6) Clorox Wipes.

7) Granola Bars.

8) Chocolate Chips.

9) Olive Oil.

In other news.. I'm baking pumpkin butterscotch cookies right now for a friend who had a baby a few weeks ago. Oh yeah.. and a chicken pot pie. But I am MOST excited about the cookies that won't be able to fit in the tupperware container and will be left behind :)

Batch just came out of the oven.. time for a taste test. Oh WOW.. you have GOT to try these...

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

(Joy the Baker)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup butterscotch chips

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool cimpletely.

Pediatric Quotes of the Day

2010-10-01T12:14:00.006-05:00

Lee and I met with a local pediatrician this morning which went very well. She was spirited, positive and fun with 22 years of experience at the same practice.

Our two favorite quotes of the morning...

(for full effect.. picture cute little dark haired woman in a blue pin strip skirt suit with very high heels and a middle eastern accent.)

"Breastfeeding? No problem. I help many mothers and answer many questions. I could get milk from that wall. And little boys.. they like the boobies from birth. Boys always like the boobies."

"I do many circumcisions. Don't worry.. All my penises are very pretty! I'm known all over for my pretty penises!"

31 Weeks!

2010-09-27T21:08:00.002-05:00

31 weeks!

Fall FINALLY came to Nashville! Now it really feels like November is right around the corner. Somehow I couldn't convince myself that it was close while still sweating in 90 degree weather. A drop to the 70's makes it seem so much closer than it did a few days ago :)

Thank you, Asheville! See you next time!

2010-09-22T14:04:00.004-05:00

On Friday, Lee and I took a much needed extended weekend away from home to relax and ignore anything pressing that lingered in Nashville. After a month straight of hosting, project deadlines and one or the other of us being ill, it was so great to get away on a little retreat. We found a great little cottage on the outskirts of Asheville, NC that fit my requirement of having a king size bed to sleep both of us AND my mountain of pillows as well as Lee's requirement of having a hot tub to soak in. The place we stayed exceeded our expectations and the city of Asheville is one that we will definitely be visiting again. We loved the local vibe and laid back culture. I don't think we've ever tasted better coffee or food all in one place!

Here are a few pictures we captured along the way.

One afternoon we took a leisurely drive on the Blueridge Parkway. We missed peak season for fall leaves changing color by a few weeks, but it was still amazingly beautiful!

We took a short hiking trail up to the top of a peak with a 360 degree overlook. I told Lee, next time we go on a hike, he gets to carry Gabriel :)

(You may not notice on first glance, but I look different in this picture because I just summitted a MOUNTAIN! Haha!)

After our hike, we refueled with lunch and afterwards a little visit to what quickly became one of our favorite stops.. the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. This photo shows the remains of Lee's flourless chocolate cake with local berries and cream and vanilla latte.

My first experience with Indian cuisine at Chai Pani was AMAZING! I'm glad I was able to experience it here. Lee's been all over the globe, including India, and said this is one of the best and authentic Indian restaurants he's ever been to.

A pots de creme and latte at the chocolate lounge. There's also a mint chocolate brownie that didn't make it in the shot. Sorry mint chocolate brownie.. you were tasty though!

On our way out of town on Tuesday, we stopped at a local roaster called BeanWerks for one last treat. OH. MY. WORD. It was easily the best pumpkin spice latte I've ever had and Lee said the same about his drink. This was the first time I've ever seen coffee beans being roasted, so it was really cool to watch as the barista was creating our delectable treat.

30 Weeks!

2010-09-18T17:07:00.004-05:00

30 weeks!

Most random experience of the week so far (besides the jar-headed possum of course): Lee and I were backing out of a parking spot at a gas station when an older woman literally ran to his window and almost started knocking on it while rubbing her belly looking at me. Lee rolled down his window and she loudly exclaimed, "YOU'RE HAVING A BABY!!!!!" Which we both responded, "why, yes.. yes we are" and had a short conversation about how she was headed to her niece's wedding and how excited she is about them having a baby someday. This was after a random man looked at me while I was walking out the gas station and asked, "do you have two cigarettes?" I was listening to a voicemail on my way out, otherwise I would have responded with, "do I LOOK like I would have any cigarettes?!?!" But it took me a few seconds to register what he said so he just got a blank stare as I walked by.

Oh Tennessee.. you have such interesting people.

Props to the grandparents!

2010-09-16T11:30:00.006-05:00

In the past month, my parents and Lee's parents have come to visit for a few days each. We always have a great time together and are sad to see them go back home.

They each came with many fun gifts for Gabriel and I thought I'd share a pic of all the great stuff they brought!

Thanks to the grandparents for their generosity and kind hearts!

"More Exciting Post"

2010-09-14T09:54:00.007-05:00

This wasn't going to be the "more exciting post" that I mentioned the other day.. but has quickly earned the title!

Last night, I started stirring around 12:45 AM and was having a mental debate about going to the bathroom or seeing how much longer my bladder would last. That's when I heard a slight knocking noise outside near the master bathroom. Being half asleep, I thought maybe it was part of the dream I was waking up from. I stayed there a few more minutes and heard it again.

After that, I stealthily slipped out of bed (um... rolled, shimmied, flopped) to try and not wake up my hubster dead asleep next to the mountain of pillows. SUCCESS! I snuck into the bathroom, still hearing an occasional knock outside and figured it'd be a good idea to step into the bathtub in order to get a better look out the window. There was a week old dryer rack full of clothes in the tub too.. dang it.. should have put those away.. made things more difficult. I couldn't see anything out the window, but could still hear it.

I decided it'd be best to wake Lee up and see if he could figure it out. I know it's always better to be woken up quietly than with a loud scream and adrenaline so was going to tiptoe back into the bedroom and tell Lee I heard something outside. So, again, my stealth 7 1/2 month pregnant self stepped (tripped) out of the tub backwards STRAIGHT onto the corner of the scale, making a HORRENDOUS crash which subsequently sent Lee flailing in the next room.. oops!!!

Not only did it startle Lee and me.. it startled whatever was lurking outside! There was much thrashing outside as well as inside, and I started to panic and whine. Both Lee and I ran to the back door and threw on the light.. we could hear glass thuds hitting pavement, wood and grass.

What in the world was it?!?!?

A POSSUM WITH IT'S HEAD STUCK IN A JAR! Rolling and flailing on the ground!

Scene of the crime.

Backstory: A few months ago, we had a couple of extremely loud crickets under our bedroom windows that were keeping us awake all night through a sound machine, ear plugs AND pillow over the head. Lee tried hunting them down, spraying for them, and everything else imaginable including setting out a jar with molasses at the bottom as a trap. (side note: nothing worked.. but they eventually left anyway)

We deliberated what to do.

My mind went immediately back to high school where a group of guys would get together in their big pick up trucks wearing flannel, Wrangler jeans and steel toed boots with a mouth full of Skoal and spotlight in hand, "hey.. you wanna go possum kickin"? UMMMM.. no thanks. Those suckers are apparently MEAN! The guys would find random possums in the country, startle them, freeze them by shining a spotlight in their eyes, and then kick the living daylights out of them (if the possum didn't get them first.. hence the steel-toed boots).

Knowing they were possibly vicious, I thought we should trap it in a trash-can and throw it over the fence to wander the neighborhood with the jar and see how far it got.

Lee's mind went immediately to hitting it repeatedly with a shovel.

Being a guy (and not pregnant) Lee won. He ran and got a shovel and a head lamp. By the time he made it outside again, all that remained was an empty jar.

I'm still wondering where the possum went. Hopefully far far far far away.

29 Weeks!

2010-09-11T17:39:00.002-05:00

29 weeks!

The only thing new this week is the fact that I'm wearing new yoga pants. Awwww ye-ah.. now I can go out in public again without fearing they'll fall down! The pre-pregger ones were still comfy.. just not proportioned correctly anymore.. and I stick by the rule it's best to just say 'no' to crack.

Other than that, I spent most of this past week in bed and the rest of it cleaning. Oh joy!

Next post should be more exciting :)

28 Weeks!

2010-09-06T11:34:00.004-05:00

28 weeks!

I'm currently laying in bed writing this during a self-imposed bedrest day. Lee's busy in the guest room taking apart the bed and cleaning. I think he's going to set up the crib today.. how fun is that?! I wish I could help him out.. but I'm siiiiiiiick and am making myself rest. It's so hard to just lay around when there's so much to do!

Last Tuesday I started feeling some sinus junk coming on but didn't really think much of it. Any other time, it wouldn't be a big problem, but I have learned my pregnant self a lesson. REST! Wednesday through Friday still felt bad but not completely horrible. I had a few appointments, hospital tour at Vanderbilt, and a friend who was staying with us the past few weeks moved into her apartment downtown. Then my parents came Friday night for a weekend visit. That's when it all went downhill FAST! I have been coughing NON-stop, lost my voice and lost all ability to sleep due to congestion and coughing. Anyway.. luckily I've had no fever.. only annoyances that have kept Lee and I from sleeping more than 1 hour at a time. He's been a trooper over there past the mountain of pillows and has resorted to sleeping with earplugs the past few nights.

I REALLY dislike taking meds while preggo.. but for the love of all things sleep related have taken Robitussin the past two nights. During the day have stuck with vitamin C, sipping hot water with honey & lemon, gargling salt water, netipot, baby vapo-rub and occasional Ricola cough drops.

If by tomorrow things haven't gotten better, I'll call the Vandy midwives and see if they suggest anything different or want me to come back in.

Other than that.. everything's going well! My last appointment with Lauren went well.. Gabriel's heartrate is still around 150-ish and he seems to favor being head down to the left with his feet up to the right, my blood pressure and weight is normal, and I passed the diabetes screening!

I'm such a rebel ;)

2010-09-01T09:07:00.005-05:00

At yesterday's appointment, I declined the glucose tolerance test they give everyone between 24-28 weeks. You have to drink this stuff called glucola that's essentially a syrupy drink with FIFTY grams of glucose in it! That's more than a can of soda! It must be chugged in five minutes then they take a blood sugar reading an hour after drinking it. I was all.. first of all.. I don't eat OR drink synthetic junk! I'm NOT putting that in my body OR Gabriel's. Second of all.. for the most part I eat a balance diet with low to moderate sugar intake anyway. I was afraid it would give me a sugar overload and a false positive reading because my body would FREAK out and not know what to do with all of it! Usually, the most sugar I get at one time is the occasional half a bottle of natural root beer with dinner which equals 21 grams of sugar as opposed to FIFTY grams of glucose!!!

They didn't have a problem with me declining it (one of the HUGE benefits I've found from receiving prenatal care with Vanderbilt midwives) and offered an alternate screening called the HbA1C that is an overall reading of the glycated hemoglobin in your blood. It takes a look at blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months rather than a mega-dose over one hour time span. That's more like it! Why didn't they offer that in the first place?

If by some chance, the HbA1C screening comes back with high numbers, I'll still decline the glucola test and go straight to modified diet and exercise for the next few months.

It feels really good to know I'm in control of my health/healthcare and if I'm uncomfortable with anything, my healthcare providers will listen and make adjustments instead of making me feel like a bad person for declining 'routine screenings'.

27 weeks!

2010-08-29T19:30:00.003-05:00

27 weeks!

Week 28 started a few days ago and it's crazy to think it's already the last trimester! Everything is still going really well. I recently read the book, "Happiest Baby on the Block" then checked out the video from the library to watch with Lee. We're excited to implement the 5 S's once Gabriel gets here and see how they work for us :)

The dryer keeps shrinking my shirts!

2010-08-24T07:37:00.004-05:00

26 weeks!

This is last weeks post a few days late. We had a wonderful visit with family over the weekend and didn't have time to take a pic or post a blog.

I don't know if you can notice.. but the DRYER keeps shrinking my tank tops! Oh wait.. I didn't wash them. Aye. If there was no white tank under the pink, there would definitely be some belly skin showing. At least I can feel good about the fact those are the same pair of yoga pants I've been wearing for the past 6 years.

* Update on the quest for sleep: After a week of usage, my Boppy is too flat and floppy so it was returned and a normal (ie. WAY less expensive) body pillow from Bed Bath and Beyond has been my new sleep buddy. I didn't go for the cheapy back to school $9.99 body pillow, I saw an upgraded and oh so comfy Laura Ashley one for $19.99 and splurged. So far, it's worked beautifully! So now it's body pillow on one side, two pillows on the other side, a boppy wedge under the belly and one under the back. Good thing we have a king size bed or Lee would have to sleep on the floor :)

Quest for Sleep

2010-08-16T13:46:00.000-05:00

Here's a little sleep plan I figured out after many days of online research and asking random pregnant ladies around town :)

Chiropractic adjustments and spot massage. Isn't this table FUNNY??? It's not the one that my chiropractor uses.. but it was the only picture of a prenatal table I could find and thought the boob cutouts were hilarious :) Dr. Walkerwicz does use a special drop table, but just the stomach section drops down. The hip part is spring-loaded so that it drops and comes back up with the hip adjustments. It was WONDERFUL! And there was a massage therapist on site who rubbed my lower back and left hip. I've never been so excited and thankful to drop my drawers and have a stranger rub my butt cheek :)

I have to constantly remind myself to be more disciplined with yoga. When I stretch during the day, I sleep better at night. Last week, I kept forgetting but hopefully this week will be better :) I picked up Shiva Rea's prenatal yoga DVD from Target during my first trimester. It seemed way too easy then, but is FABULOUS now that my belly is bigger!

Boppy belly wedge. SOOOO wonderful! I think Gabriel likes it too. He used to kick, kick, kick, kick in my side at about 3-4 AM, but since I've been using the support wedge, he seems to sleep more soundly with only a few bumps and summersaults through the night.. no more relentless pounding. Regular pillows shoved under my belly kept sliding out all night and weren't working for me, so when I saw this at a consignment sale I figured why not try it out? In fact, I loved it so much I went to Babies'r'us the next day and bought another one for back/hip support. :)
Boppy Total Body Pillow. I TRIED not to buy this thing! I mean $55 for a pillow is just outrageous when I can use all our guest pillows shoved under, above, around for a few months. After asking several random preggers at a consignment sale, the general consensus is that a pregnancy pillow is a must have for a decent and pain-free night sleep. They were actually all pretty passionate about the subject, so I figured there might be something to it. After making my myself ignore years of tightwad tendencies and a day of buyers remorse, I bought it and slept with it. HOLY MOLY! All those ladies were right!!!

If someone would figure out a way to make a preggo bladder last all night, I'd be set :)

25 Weeks!

2010-08-15T18:05:00.003-05:00

25 weeks!

24 Weeks..

2010-08-08T18:48:00.004-05:00

24 weeks!

Just wrapped up 24 weeks a few days ago and all is well!

I've been eating a lot of protein, fresh fruits, veggies, grains, and obviously from my post last week.. pies :) The goal for each day is to get in 80 grams of protein which has been challenging but doable.. especially since Publix chocolate soy milk has 7 grams of protein in one serving :) :) :) That makes me very happy! I just make sure to eat something high in protein with each snack or meal. For example.. almond butter with apple. Or cheese with whole wheat crackers. Or PIE with greek yogurt :) My snacks come in pairs with always a protein involved with either whole grain something or fruit.

I usually begin the day with a green smoothie, an egg and 'soysage' patty for a start of 20 grams and if I fall short by the end of the day, I just make up a 1/2 cup of edamame that comes out to a whopping 13 grams of protein. Yes.. I'm a little protein obsessed and I could tell you the amount in almost anything by this point in the game. Why all the protein? Well.. it contains the building blocks for most of the things that have been expanding in my belly so might as well help it all out as much as possible :)

The only downer still going on is leg/hip pain on the left side mostly during and after sleep. I'm going to see a chiropractor certified in prenatal therapy tomorrow to see if she can help. Also, just to make sure that my pelvis is all lined up and ready to go over the next few months. I've been reading that having hips that are in alignment can take up to six hours off of labor time! Yes, please AND thank you! From previous chiropractic visits over the years, I already know my hips tend to spaz and be uneven, so it definitely will be a benefit to get it checked out.

Cute itty bitty things!

2010-08-07T15:10:00.003-05:00

I found great deals from clearance sales at baby Gap, Target and a consignment sale for the beginning of Gabriel's little 'wardrobe'. The beanie hats and bib are a gift from our small group leaders, Matt & Holly.. how cute! And the jeans and sweatshirt on the right are for next fall/winter.. but figured it doesn't hurt to start early! I couldn't resist the little paperboy hat (top middle) from baby Gap.. it looks just like the one's that Lee always wears! Awww.. little mini-Lee hat! And we couldn't pass up the giraffe blanket (top right) from a cute little boutique in Edgehill Village (near where we used to live) called Tweed.

It's just a start.. I'm sure there'll be MUCH more to come over the next few months :)

Just for fun..

2010-08-06T11:13:00.002-05:00

Just for fun..

Teeny tiny mutant feet!!!!!

BTW.. how in the heck is there a flip-flop 'tanline' on my right foot? I haven't been outside more than walking too and from the mailbox all summer.

Too Many Pies

2010-07-31T20:25:00.004-05:00

23 weeks!

As I was baking a blueberry pie tonight I realized something.. I've baked seven.. yes.. SEVEN pies in my second trimester.. four strawberry and three blueberry. Only one of the pies was made with the intention of sharing with group of people. The other six were for me and whoever else wanted to eat it with me. Which happens to be Lee (I have heard NO complaints by the way), and my mom was in town for one of the blueberry pies. I try to make it a little healthier by cutting the sugar down and eating it with a blob of greek yogurt instead of whipped cream. Does that make it better? We'll just say, 'yes' :)

A few things have become more difficult in the past week or so. One of these things is shaving my legs. If you see furry patches.. cut me some slack.. I can't bend over very well anymore and can't really see much anyway. Oh well. Along the same lines. I can't clean my hair out of the drain in the shower very easily anymore. Maybe that's why God makes it so that pregnant ladies hair doesn't shed as much. He knew we wouldn't be able to clean the shower drain. Either that or Lee's been doing it. He's pretty good like that.

Also getting more difficult.. sleeping on my side. I'm a non-pregnant stomach/side sleeper so the transition to strictly side wasn't difficult.. however.. my left hip has been really sore lately! I googled ways to make it easier to sleep with sore hip muscles and came up with stack another pillow under my leg to keep it parallel with the mattress and kick my yoga up a notch. I also borrowed a hypnobabies CD from Nine Months and Beyond (where we're taking our class) called, 'Peaceful Sleep Now for Expectant Mothers'. The past few nights sleep have been AMAZING and I even slept until 9:15 this morning! That hasn't happened in a while. I've been so uncomfortable lately I get up every few hours and for good by 7:00 just to give my hip muscles a break.

A few silly complaints aside, everything has still been going really well. I'm healthy.. Gabriel's healthy.. Lee's healthy. We're all happy and even had an impromptu dance break during lunch today with Bob Marley 'Three Little Birds' on the radio. Which leads me to today's quote, "Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright" well yes it is, Bob, yes it is :)

22 Weeks!

2010-07-26T19:48:00.010-05:00

22 Weeks!

I guess technically we missed the 22 week mark, so it's really like early 23 week.. we were busy and didn't have time to take a photo this weekend! Last week, I started seeing pokes coming out my belly. It was REALLY strange. I was working on my laptop and little Gabriel was practicing his drumming skills when I saw my belly bounce up and down. Actually, I saw it again just now as I'm typing this. I'm sure he was saying "hi!" to all his faithful blog followers :) He seems to be a mover and a shaker and I'm starting to sense patterns of movement like after I eat, before falling asleep, and around my 4:00 AM tee tee break. Thankfully, he usually doesn't wake up before I do in the morning. He politely waits until after breakfast :)

We've slowly been accumulating some fun stuff for the nursery. Here are some pics of a few things we've bought so far. My parents also gave us some vintage wooden toys that my sister and I used to play with. I'm excited to set it all up within the next couple of months! Just for fun I added a few outakes from our Ikea shopping trip :)

Poster Print by Invisible Creature.

Framed Poster from Ikea.

White cube shelving unit from Ikea.

White crib from Ikea.

AAAAAND... Just for fun...

Lee loading up the crib and mattress!

In the checkout line with all our fun stuff!!!

And just to brag one more time on how well Lee can fit anything neatly into any space you give him. This is ALL our photo gear (including 9 foot backdrop), Ikea purchases, and luggage!

Today's Favorites

2010-07-20T11:34:00.005-05:00

Fruit.. specifically cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and local nectarines from Hendersonville Produce (I'm tempted to go buy the rest of their stash).

Eggs.

Anything salty.

Chocolate Soy Milk.

Hypnobabies.

Stretchy pants.

It's a...

2010-07-18T20:11:00.004-05:00

BOY!!!!

21 Weeks!

2010-07-15T20:31:00.002-05:00

21 weeks!

I was just looking at the belly pic from last week which was only six days ago comparing it to this week. And HOLY MOLY. I think my belly grew an inch. At least now I have an explanation as to why I've been SUPER hungry the past few days. Must've been a growth spurt in there!

Oooo... baby baby!!!!

2010-07-12T17:06:00.005-05:00

Introducing Baby Steffen!

Today was our big ultrasound! Most importantly, baby Steffen is healthy and growing right on schedule. Baby is VERY active and kept moving around each time the ultrasound tech would try to to capture a shot. We thought it was pretty darned cute to see all the wiggling and flipping around :) However, one thing that baby DID keep still for was the money shot everyone has been eagerly awaiting if you know what I mean ;) IT'S A... nana nana boo boo.. you'll all have to wait.. we've decided to share the news in person this weekend at our family reunion first. :) After that EVERYONE will know!

To make this week of waiting a little more exciting, I've included a poll at the bottom of this post where you can vote whether baby Steffen has 'peanuts' or a 'china'. Take your best guess.. you have a 50/50 chance of being right and the winners will get the satisfaction of knowing they are infact the baby whisperer or just have pretty good luck. Polls close Saturday at noon, so place your bets early!

I didn't fare as well as our little person did. I almost passed out on the table not once, but TWICE! The first time, I told the tech I was getting a little light headed, so she inclined the table. Didn't help.. it kept getting worse so I told her.. I think I'm going to PASS OUT! I sat up straight, started sweating like a man and don't really remember the next however many minutes that passed. Next thing I knew, I was standing up next to the table with a cup of water in my hand (I still have no idea how or why I got off the table.. hhhmm). Everything went back to normal, so I laid back down, 10-15 minutes later I started feeling queasy again so told her before getting light-headed.. too late! Sweat, nausea, stars, stuffy ears. I'm not sure Lee knew how to help.. but he did get some pictures. :) After laying back down, she had me prop up one of my hips so I was partially on my side to keep the blood flowing back up to my vital and oh so important organs like heart, lungs and brain. Everything was fine from then on.. shew! Now I know why all the books tell you not to lay on your back after the first trimester. The whole ordeal complete with two almost faintings lasted an hour. The ultrasound tech was super sweet, 7 1/2 months pregnant herself, and definitely earned her money today. ;)

Trying my best not to pass out.

What kind of baby bits is baby Steffen sporting?

Twenty Weeks - half way there!

2010-07-09T16:07:00.004-05:00

20 weeks!

Wash hair today - check. YES!

It's been a really exciting week and even more baby excitement coming up! We had a photo shoot in Atlanta earlier this week and decided while we were there, IKEA sounded like a great idea. Luckily it was only a few blocks away from where the photo rental place was so we stopped by for an hour or so on our way home. Drum roll please.. we bought a crib. TA-DA! It's just our style.. no frills.. simple.. linear.. easy. We also bought some book cases, pictures, home decor, and new drinking glasses since ours have slowly disappeared (A.K.A. broken) over the past few years. I have to stop and brag on Lee for a few minutes. I have NEVER met anyone as spatially special as he is. I mean.. he can take ANYTHING.. I mean ANYTHING and make it fit nice and neat in any space you give him. Everytime we go to IKEA it means buying more than intended.. and more than I think we have space for in our vehicle. Not a problem for my man. He'll make it work no matter what.. and looks good doing it. Not only does HE look good, but whatever he's making fit looks all nice and neat. I have NO idea how he does it ladies and gentlemen. No idea.

Sunday is our first of six hypnobabies classes and I'm super excited to learn how to self-hypnotize-anesthesize myself. All I know is to wear comfy clothes and bring a few pillows and a blanket. Speaking of comfy clothes. I stopped at Northpoint Mall in Atlanta because they have a Gap Maternity store there. I bought a new pair of below the belly normal looking stretchy jeans on clearance for $25.. woohoo! It's the first time I have zipped a pair of pants in about a month!

The fun doesn't stop there! Monday is our ultrasound and another appointment scheduled with Vanderbilt Midwives so will hopefully find out (upon baby Steffen's cooperation) if we'll decorate with pink or blue!

Nineteen Weeks and Lee's home!!!

2010-07-01T16:18:00.007-05:00

19 weeks!

Wow.. about half way through and I have a baby the size of a 6-inch sub sandwich in there. Crazy. Hmm.. that kind of makes me hungry.

By process of wardrobe elimination this past week, I've picked some favorite maternity shirts. Most happen to be Lee's t-shirts.. looks like he'll be sharing his summer wardrobe this year ;)

BTW.. Lee's home!!!! I picked him up yesterday from the airport and he brought some eastern European happies with him:) A box of chocolates (he knows me SO well), a beautiful necklace, a fun little magnet, and a little stuffed animal for baby Steffen! He's so thoughtful :)

We've been having fun celebrating his b-day a week late and catching up with what's been going on the past 10 days. I bought a tiny ice cream b-day cake and we dominated half of it already. I've convinced myself that the photo this week looks rough because I have an ice cream hangover. And for some reason.. I always pick photo day as the day to skip washing my hair. That needs to change or all 5 of my readers will think I have perpetually bad hair.

Goal for next week.. wash hair on baby belly photo day.

Just give me the chicken and no one gets hurt.

2010-06-29T16:14:00.014-05:00

I had my first real "get out of my way or I'm going to kick you in the face" craving today. I was out running a bunch of errands and the last one was buying laundry stain remover at Kroger. I knew I was getting snacky because it was 3 hours after eating lunch and I usually stick to 2-3 hours between snacks or meals. It's how I roll. I walked out into the parking lot intending to go home and the glorious scent of crispy chik-fil-a chicken wafted over. DANG IT!!!! I can't remember the last time I ate fast food. I think it was actually chick-fil-a about a year ago. I tried to bargain with myself that I'd be home in less than FIVE minutes and could have chips and salsa, or cheese and pretzels, or peanut butter and apple.. whatever I wanted. Less than FIVE minutes. The smell wasn't in the parking lot anymore.. but I was too far gone to forget it. I drove across the street STILL trying to talk myself out of it and into a healthy alternative. No go. Pulled up to the menu and wanted to get a huge sandwich, fries, shake, everything. Then I noticed that the kids meal has a one strip option.. PERFECT SIZE! Get rid of craving.. without guilt. I ordered and switched out the toy for ice dream at the window :) It was all I could do to not stick my head in the bag during the 3 minute drive home. I did however dominate the top of the ice dream as you can see in the picture. That was just about the strangest out of body food experience I've ever had! That'll teach me to leave home without sunflower seeds again. But then again.. what fun is being pregnant if you don't give into a craving or twenty along the way?

While driving around, I found an amazing little store up north called Hendersonville Produce. They carry all local produce, meat, eggs, milk and other products. I've lived up here for a year and a half and had NO idea it existed! All this time I've been lamenting about the fact that there's no local, organic produce up here and have been missing my old Nashville food shopping places and routine. Problem solved!

In other news.. I bought bigger underwear today. The end.

New Photo!

2010-06-25T10:15:00.002-05:00

18 weeks!

Parking for Men

2010-06-22T13:30:00.002-05:00

HA! My sister and I discovered the OTHER side of the sign I posted a few weeks ago from the Old Navy parking lot. *Sigh* Rivergate.. you are such a strange place.

Travel, puppies, gnats and other ramblings.

2010-06-20T18:55:00.003-05:00

17 weeks!

I seem like a boring pregnant woman.. nothing to report again this week! Everything's still going really well :)

Right now, I'm sitting here watching Lee pack 10 days worth of toiletries into a quart size ziploc baggie. I've always wondered since the airlines made that rule, what's the purpose of it? I mean come on.. NO one can fit all their toiletries in there.. I don't care who you are. As he just stated from the bathroom, "They're such losers! Why not a gallon size bag?"

Lee's leaving in the morning on a work/mission trip to Hungary, Montenegro & Prague. Usually I'm really really really really sad when he leaves and try to adopt a puppy or a little kitty cat. Actually.. I did once. After the first time he left town for 3 days, we adopted a rescue golden retriever. That lasted 4 days and she went back to the rescue place. I momentarily forgot that I don't like dogs.. I love puppies.. but dogs gross me out. Unless they're small enough to fit in a purse and don't drool, shed or smell. And for some reason, I've become allergic to cats in the past few years. I sneeze like a madwoman and have sandpaper eyes. That makes me sad.. I'd love a kitty. But I'm glad we're having a baby instead. That's so much more fun. ANYWAY.. off topic. This is the first time that we've been apart for more than 3-4 days since we been engaged and married. Luckily, I was able to have my sister and mom to come to Nashville to keep me company for the next 10 days :) That's keeping me from being TOO sad and keeping my anxiety down to a manageable level. Thank goodness for that and for them! We are going to have a GREAT time!!!

OK.. I'm off to help Lee finish up his packing and then make the bed for visitors!!! YIPPEE!!

PS.. does anyone know how to get rid of gnats in a houseplant? We've had a gnat problem lately and I FINALLY found the source today.. our new-ish houseplant (I think they're in the soil). Ugh. The other day, I even inhaled one while talking. That was NOT fun. I thought I was going to cough up a lung. Actually, as I type there's another one flying around my head. Stupid gnat. You will only get eaten, inhaled or smashed. Go away.

Wrapping up 16 weeks!

2010-06-12T11:08:00.003-05:00

16 weeks!

Not much to update on. I feel good and everything's going really well!

Here's a fun little story for you. My friend, Amanda, and I met up at Chick-fil-A with her ADORABLE kids a few days ago. She is quite the writer and recapped it in a way that will make you laugh for hours! Click HERE to read her blog post from our little outing on Thursday. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Few Firsts

2010-06-09T13:44:00.000-05:00

This was my first time parking in the "new mothers or mother-to-be" spot! I've looked for them ALL over the place, but since being preggers haven't found any until today. This was at Old Navy in Rivergate (hence the tagging and rust on the sign). But hey.. at least I was finally able to park in one. I puffed out my belly so that people wouldn't just think I parked there 'illegally'. Night and day difference from buying beer the other day. Suck in, puff out. Depends on where I am I guess. This would have made my day if they actually would have had preggo clothes inside. BUT this is Rivergate.. I realize I need to keep my expectations to a minimum and my hand on the pepper spray. I searched the store and they didn't have ONE maternity item. Either that.. or my full bladder kept me from looking very hard. Could have been either. I was actually looking for clearance items for fall since I've heard from friends that Old Navy has cute cheap maternity clothes. No luck. I'll have to try again in Cool Springs.

I ordered my first set of cloth diapers! They are GroBaby's and I bought a set of 3 for 50% off. Apparently, they just renamed their diapers GroVia and made a few improvements so that's why the older ones were on clearance. My plan is to buy a few different brands/styles and try them out this winter on baby Steffen before buying a whole system. But that could change. I seem to change my mind a lot these days.

Week 16 will be wrapping up in a few days! Hopefully I'll be able to post a new belly pic by the weekend!

15 weeks

2010-06-07T11:34:00.009-05:00

15 weeks!

Maternity pants are a girls best friend. Why do we have to wait until we're preggo to wear stretchy waist pants? I kid I kid. Kind of. They are really comfy though and I don't mind having one less step when having to use the bathroom 50 times a day. No more buttoning and zipping. Just pull down, pull up. Easy as pie. Now if I could only sleep in an adult diaper instead of getting up 3 times a night, my life would be complete. I've gotten to the point where I hate getting up so much that I will make myself fall back asleep over and over again until it's painful (I know.. not good on the bladder.. but I REALLY don't want to get up). I have mildly seriously contemplated overnight Depends so I can get a full-night sleep. But I think I'll let that one be until I'm 80.. then reconsider.

Strangest craving so far. Beer. WHAT?!?! I don't even LIKE beer! And don't worry.. I'm not going to crack a frosty one and guzzle away. The other night, we went to see Imogen Heap at the Ryman (FABULOUS show by the way! One of my faves!) They serve nice frosty, frothy beer right from the tap in a convenient plastic cup. For some reason, I couldn't keep my eyes from wandering over. Then the next day (yesterday) I went to the store to stock up on some brew for some friends coming over to watch an NBA game and to soak some brats we're grilling for community group tomorrow. That just exasperated the problem. I don't have a big belly yet, and mostly just look like I need to go on a diet.. but still felt taboo buying a 12-pack. Especially when I was dying to have one. I just tried to suck in as best I could and hope no one tsk tsk tsk'd me in their head for buying a case of beer while 4 mos. preggers. I'm going to head over to World Market later today and get one of those exotic root beers, throw it in the fridge then drink it from a frosty freezer mug later on. Hopefully that will be cold and frothy enough to cure the strange phenomenon that's been happening the past few days.

Progress on nursery.. Lee put up a ceiling fan yesterday! That wasn't just for the nursery.. we had plans to get it done in the guest room for a long time and now it happens to be just in time for baby!

I started feeling some movement in the past couple of days every once in a while when I'm sitting still. At first I thought it was gas.. but it's different. I thought it seemed early to feel anything. But trust me.. if there's one thing I know from the past few months.. it's what gas feels like.. and that wasn't it.

In the last post, I said I was feeling pretty good! But I didn't realize until I REALLY was feeling good how crappy I felt the past few months! I was expecting to feel like I had the flu all the time, and when it was just an all around bad feeling and never actually got sick I figured I was doing just fine. The past few weeks have been like night and day compared to weeks 1-13. I haven't felt bad at all and haven't used the accupressure wrist band for a few weeks. I still keep them near by though just in case.

Baby Steffen's Heartbeat

2010-05-25T15:00:00.006-05:00

14 weeks!

Preggers!

2010-05-25T13:44:00.003-05:00

If you've seen me lately.. you might be wondering if I ate an extra large burrito for lunch.. but I have a better explanation.. it's a baby!!! Lee and I are expecting baby Steffen around November 19! I'll do the addition for you.. 14.5 weeks :) And if you want to keep track.. we graduate a week every Friday!

I'll be keeping track of things on my blog for friends and family. Obviously I'll be posting more often than I have been in the past. :)

Things I like to eat/drink: Strawberries & yogurt or cottage cheese; gayla apples & babybel cheese; 365 Hot Chocolate; sandwich sliced dill pickles; any kind of nut/seed; Trader Joe's natural salted peanut butter; anything from Cafe Rakka; food in general.. I'm always hungry.

Things I HAVE to eat/drink: prunes; plum juice; bran flax muffins.

Things I can't stand eating: raisins; dried cherries; anything sour or tart.

How to react when someone tells you they're pregnant:

Scream, squeal, yell or anything that resembles stated reaction.

YAY! I'm so happy for you!

You're going to be great parents!

You look great! I couldn't even tell!

What not to say when someone tells you they're pregnant:

I could tell last time I saw you.

Who's pregnant?

How I feel:

Not as bad as I expected! I've been wearing my motion sickness bands so often that they rubbed red callous looking marks on my wrists. So.. apparently they work for me! I put them on when I feel like I could be getting barfy soon. They work on a plane AND for pregnancy! Lee even used them last year when he had food poisoning. He said it's the only thing that kept him from hugging the toilet. There's only one day they didn't work so well. I was in Target and was sure I was going to lose it in the toilet paper isle (how appropriate). I started pushing my VERY full cart as fast as I could toward the bathroom. Not thinking I would make it, I grabbed a bright pink flamingo beach towel as a backup. Instead, I just left the cart near the front of the store and took off to my car. I made it home.. ate some crackers and took a nap. Problem solved.

Haven't been very tired yet. But I sleep about 9 hours a night anyway.. so that probably helps. No cravings except salt and occasionally broccoli. I always crave chocolate.. so that's nothing out of the ordinary. All food sounds good to me. No aversions except tart fruits and dried fruits. But I never really liked them anyway.

I already retired my fat pants and am wearing maternity jeans. But I can't tell if it's a baby bump or just a bunch of bloat.. either or both is very likely.

In parting.. I will leave you with a recipe that is sure to make everything right if you know what I mean. ;)

Bran Flax Muffins

1 1/4 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup ground flax seed

3/4 cup oat bran

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice

3/4 cup rice milk (or any milk)

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 TBSP vegetable oil

2 cups carrots, shredded or finely chopped

2 apples, shredded or finely chopped

1/2 cup raisins, or other dried fruit

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins.

In large bowl, mix together flour, flax seed, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Add the milk, eggs, vanilla & oil; mix until just blended.

Stir in carrots, apples, raisins, nuts.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes our clean.

10 weeks!

Project Life

2010-01-07T13:20:00.004-06:00

I have always been a collector of memories, but not a scrapbooker. I prefer to keep cards, ticket stubs, notes and other knick-knacks in boxes in the closet. I go through them on occasion and love to think about the fun memory that prompted me to file it away.

This year, after seeing the Project Life scrapbook that my friend Jessica put together for 2009, I was inspired. I may be married to a photographer, but for some reason we have very few photos of ourselves and everyday life. Starting on January 1, we committed to taking at least one photo a day of whatever might be happening. At first, I questioned if we would have enough to take pictures of.. we work from home and have no kids or pets.. no one wants to see 365 pictures of us sitting at our computers! But, I've been surprised at the amount of things to document for this first week of January! And Lee is in on it too! I've uploaded pictures twice this week from our point and shoot and found his perspective on the day as well.

Here's an example of something simple that is special to us..

One of our favorite wintertime lunches is roasted red pepper and tomato soup with grilled cheese. Publix bakery thin sliced Chicago Italian loaf is the BEST for these sandwiches! Here's the sandwich maker we always use. This shot is from after lunch.. I clean off all the gooey little cheese bits before storing :) Lee and I love working at home, and taking our lunch breaks together everyday is a special memory.

First Annual Cookie Recipe Exchange!!

2009-12-10T17:20:00.004-06:00

My favorite cookie at Christmas time is soooo super easy and delish. To me, it wouldn't be Christmas without them! Our family has enjoyed them every year (along with many other cookie varieties) for as long as I can remember and I'm looking forward to making them again with my mom in a few weeks :) They are cravable enough to eat all year long.. but I always save them for a special Christmas treat!
Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies
1 Box of Ritz crackers1 jar smooth peanut butterchocolate - can use chocolate chips, chocolate bark, Hershey's bar.. we've used it all and it all works. It just needs to be 'meltable'.
Step 1 - Spread a good amount of peanut butter between 2 Ritz crackers (salty side out).
Step 2 - Melt chocolate in double boiler (or heatproof mixing bowl over saucepan of simmering water) on stovetop.
Step 3 - Dip Ritz PB 'sandwich' in melted chocolate using a slotted spoon or fork.. or whatever you have that will get it out of the chocolate. Cover it completely. I usually drop in a couple, flip them around, then fish them out.
Step 4 - Place on wax paper till chocolate hardens. If you like them fancy, while the chocolate is still gooey, add some festive sprinkles.
Step 5 - Enjoy!!!

... CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!

2009-08-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

Cocoa Jambo Hot Chocolate. I crave it and drink it almost every day. Seriously. I've tried other brands when my Cocoa Jambo runs out and NOTHING comes even close to the 100% pure Ghana cocoa goodness.

I'm a pretty thrifty shopper. I actually thrive on seeing how I can cut costs wherever possible. I love the challenge and thrill of finding a deal. But this is one area I refuse to skimp on. It's worth every bit of $10 a pound. Not only because it tastes FABULOUS.. but it also supports a great cause (963 Missions) and the farmers in Ghana are paid a fair wage for the cocoa beans used.

I recently read this quote on the 963 Coffee website that backs my decision to buy their product. "Americans consume chocolate every day not knowing that almost half of the world's cocoa supply is contaminated with slavery. Almost 70% of consumer cocoa comes from West Africa where cocoa farmers do not receive a fair wage for their beloved beans. Purchasing Cocoa Jambo is a small but significant way to make a difference."

About two years ago, Lee was contacted to redesign some coffee labels for a non-profit called 963 Missions that seeks to connect people with mission opportunities locally and globally. They sell coffee. AND COCOA. They empower people to spread the good news of Jesus. They help communities all across the globe. AND THEY SELL COCOA JAMBO.

I love Cocoa Jambo hot chocolate.

Order here www.963coffee.com

.. busy busy weekend!

2009-06-13T19:54:00.003-05:00

It's been quite an eventful weekend! Lee and I built some trellises for the box gardens..

I made some delish vegan bagels from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's 'Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up for - from Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes'. This is the third recipe that I've tried from her cookbook (all have been FABULOUS) and my second go at bagels. The first round turned out as bagel blobs.. turns out I had no idea how to knead dough. Apparently, playing with it like play-dough in the bowl just doesn't work out well. Soon after, I found a kneading video tutorial online and TA-DA.. BAGELS!!!

THEN.. Lee fell through the ceiling while moving stuff around to find more things for the yard sale we had today.. not to worry.. not all of him fell through.. only one leg. That one leg survived with a ginormous bruise that is doing better with lots of cold packs and love :)

Incase you'd like a better look at our new ventilation system..

There hasn't been a dull moment around here this weekend!

... garden update!

2009-06-09T14:44:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of what's been growing around the Steffen yard. The little seedlings that were started inside this spring took quite a beating from two weeks straight of heavy rain we had last month just days after they were transplanted. Most didn't survive, so I supplemented with plants from a local organic farm & nursery. However, the cucumber, squash, zucchini and second planting of melons, onions, spinach and carrots are looking great! The mint, basil and strawberries are holding their own on the porch as well :)

Tomatoes on the porch.

Newly added yellow bell pepper plant.

This little cucumber is the size of my pinky nail and so adorable! There are about five or six others teeny tiny ones too!

...Beans Beans the Magical Fruit

2009-05-12T15:27:00.007-05:00

This is an old favorite I drug out for lunch today..

Black and White Bean Salad

1/2 cup bottled roasted red pepper, wiped dry and sliced (or chopped)

1/4 cup celery, chopped

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

15 ounce can butter beans or white cannellini, drained and rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss to coat. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

You can eat it plain with a fork or on tortilla chips. It's good either way :)

... Square foot gardening has begun!

2009-04-28T21:15:00.014-05:00

One of the things I've been most excited about with having a home is planting a garden. Last year, I planted tomatoes and basil on the patio of our apartment and they did pretty well! Actually.. the basil did pretty well. The tomatoes tasted like poop and had really tough skin. I chalked it up to the fact the seeds came from the dollar spot at Target and not my plant growing abilities :)

During a short trip home this past February, my sister, mom and I stocked up on organic seeds from a local greenhouse/nursery in Liberty, MO. A few weeks later, I started some seedlings indoors in hopes they would be the beginning of a new garden this year! They had a rough, slow start since we kept the house really cold and there's no window that gets consistent direct light throughout the day. After researching online, I found someone who made their own "grow-box" with Christmas lights and a plastic storage box. Christmas lights.. check. Plastic box? Nope. Every plastic box in our house is full.. or has a plan of being full soon. Shoe box to the rescue. Cost? Nada. Results? Seedlings! Yay!

Seedlings first home.

Makeshift grow box to help them out in our chilly house :)

Transplanted in bigger containers and ready to go! The basil found a home in the clay pot and the mint in the buttercuppy flower tin. The melons, peppers and tomatoes went into reused plastic strawberry containers until planting.

Fast forward about 6-8 weeks and the seedlings are ready to go. I transplanted the basil, mint and alpine strawberries into containers on the front porch and Lee built two garden boxes! Thanks to Christine (who has a FABULOUS blog.. and garden!) for the recommendation of the book 'Square Foot Gardening' by Mel Bartholemew, I now have two 4'x4' boxes in the backyard!

The boxes were built and filled by my wonderful hubby who hauled several hundred pounds of soil, vermiculite, manure and compost across the yard after we figured out the wheelbarrow the previous owners left was full of rocks and has a flat tire. Thanks for all the heavy lifting that let me have a sneak peak to the guuuuun shoooow! Woo woo! Smokin!

Oh.. and.. I got cow poop on my shirt.. and shorts.. and down my leg. There was one bag that was wet and leaky. It got me good.

Here's the roll call so far with a few empty squares to add to later:

Galia Melon

Honeydew Melon

Sweet Cherry Tomatoes

Peppers

Zucchini

Summer Squash

Spinach

Baby Carrots

Bush Cucumbers

Onion

Basil

Enjoy the pics below.. I'll update as things get growing :)

Finding the perfect spot in our yard was more difficult that I thought.. kept changing my mind over and over and over. Here.. no there.. yada yada yada.

One down, one to go!

This pile didn't quite do it.. had to go back for more! You like the Freedom Tree Farms organic planting soil labels? A Lee creation/collaboration via Vine Collective.. fabulous!

Just need to add the seeds and seedlings!

Finished for today!

.. Green Smoothie Goodness

2009-03-02T18:23:00.009-06:00

A little over a year ago, I wrote a post about my b-day present.. a Blendtec blender. STILL my favorite piece of kitchen equipment. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to pulverize anything into bits and pieces. I've made peanut butter, soups, salsas, hummus, ice cream, our daily green smoothie and much much more.

One of the best features on the blender is that it's completely digital and when it completes whatever cycle its on, it shuts itself off. When making smoothies, I always use the fruit juice button because it's the most powerful one for getting the spinach really blended with everything else. The cycle lasts about 1 1/2 minutes.. starts slow and gradually speeds up then stops. I'm not going to lie.. it is LOUD so I normally walk out of the room or stand there covering my ears. A few mornings ago, I wanted to go check on my new plant in the front room so I just pushed the button and walked away. I must have been TIRED because what I didn't notice is that I never put the lid on.

The blender is whizzing away and all of a sudden I hear, "BAAAAABE!!!!!!" and see Lee whiz past me from the bedroom into the kitchen. Blender shuts off. Ugh. Green mess. Everywhere.

Sweet hubby of mine moved the refrigerator and helped me sop up the mess.. off the floor, fridge, cabinets, microwave, stove, countertop, blender.. everywhere but in the cups where it was supposed to be. Oops.

Anyway.. here's what usually makes it into our cups every morning and why:

2 cups of pineapple juice: Manganese; Vitamins C, B1 & B6

3/4 cup strawberries: Vitamin C, B2, B5, B6 & K; Manganese; Fiber; Potassium; Folate; Magnesium

3/4 cup peaches: Vitamins A & C; Fiber; Potassium; Folate; Phosphorus

1 banana: Potassium; Magnesium; Phosphorus; Calcium; Selenium; Iron; Vitamins A, C, B6 & E; Folate

1 cup spinach: (check out this powerhouse!): Vitamins K, A, C, B1, B2, B6 and E; Manganese; Magnesium; Folate; Iron; Calcium; Potassium; Tryptophan; Copper; Fiber; Protein; Phosphorus; Zinc; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; Selenium

1 Tablespoon flaxseed oil: Omega-3 Fatty Acid

1 Tablespoon honey: antioxidants and tastes sooooo good

This makes about two 16-ounce servings and fills us up until lunch. Sometimes we mix up the type of fruit a bit with blueberries, melon, or whatever. Mmmm.. tastes so good and so good for you!

...VOTE FOR MOM!!!

2009-01-19T21:15:00.004-06:00

Delta Society is an organization that is dedicated to improving human health through therapy and service animals. They work to increase awareness of the positive effects of animals and use animals and their handlers/owners to expand the therapeutic/service role of animals in health, service and education.

I recently found out that my mom is one of five final nominees for a national volunteer award with Delta Society for the service she and her dog, Hero, provide in the Kansas City area. They routinely visit nursing homes, schools, domestic violence shelters and emergency sites to provide community members with therapy through various ways. Kids read to him, elderly pet and love on him, and all ages in between benefit from the calming presence and smiles they provide as a team.

Please go to Delta Society's site at this link, watch their video and vote for Heddie Leger and Hero to be Pet Partners Team of the Year! (They are the fourth video from the top). Voting lasts until February 8 and the winner will be posted on their website February 14.

Thanks.. I know she'll appreciate it (and I think she totally deserves it!) She and Hero work very hard and have a passion for the therapy they provide people everyday.

...Boomama's Christmas tour of homes!

2008-12-16T14:11:00.018-06:00

Hello and welcome to BooMama's Christmas tour of homes! I'm a day behind.. but if you read my last post.. that's nothing new for me lately :) Actually.. today is going to be more like a tour of trees. Lee and I just moved a few weeks ago from a one bedroom apartment in the city to a house in the burbs and have very little in terms of Christmas decorations. That'll change next year.. can you say "after Christmas sale" next week??? Oh lordy.. I'm going to need to pack light for traveling to the in-laws so we can fit all my fun Christmas purchases to deck the halls with next year :)

Here's a picture of our tree.

I bought this tree six years ago on clearance after Christmas an "I am single woman hear me roar and buy myself a Christmas tree" shopping trip. It's been good to me (and now for the first year.. my husband too. FYI.. last year it didn't make it in the 10x10 living room we had.. but you'll see a pic of the first year married tree later). Amidst the moving I lost the tree topper and the tree skirt. I got the star for $5 at World Market and the skirt is bunched up curtains that were in our apartment living room.. had to get creative until after Christmas clearance!

One fun fact.. my long time family friend Diana started buying me the set of Nostalgic Houses ornaments and I proudly display each one since 1984 on these branches. Now I have to say.. as a little kid I did NOT like getting ornaments for Christmas.. I'd much rather have toys and didn't pay much attention to the gift every year. But lucky for me Diana knew what was best! I LOVE my ornaments! Here's a pic of the very first one she gave me.

No town is complete without churches..

And a movie theater..

Definitely a school..
And a firetruck..

How about a gas station?

Oooo.. fishing tackle store.. that's a necessity too..

When I decided to do the theme of houses, churches, other "small town" ornaments it was a no-brainer that Santa needed to grace the presence of my small little tree town. Not only did ONE Santa come to town.. but MANY gathered from all over the world! Here are a few of my favorite Santa's From Around the World Hallmark collection (with a couple others sprinkled in). I love the Santa's from around the world because they all have their own intricate hand done details. Most are details are either hand painted, hand knitted or hand-carved.

And this year.. a few VERY special ornaments joined the tree town. These two ornaments were handmade by Lee's uncle Van who passed away a few year ago. These will ALWAYS have a premier spot.

Here's a shot of a very special Christmas tree. This was my first ever gift from Lee! When he worked at CCM and I was working at Lifeway he had this couriered over to my desk one day. I was walking on clouds for at least 2 weeks. It was September and I was beginning to plan our department Christmas party.. Lee thought I needed a little inspiration :) The tree stayed on my desk until I packed up my pencils and moved to Kansas City a few years later. This tiny tree holds a special place in my heart :)

The next two trees have a little bit of a funny story too. Last year we had a TINY place at Christmas and I knew my tree wouldn't fit in it (sad). So I bought what I thought was a pre-lit 2 foot tree. Turns out the box actually said two one-foot trees. A teeny tiny tree for a teeny tiny living room. The decorated one is the tree we had set up for our first as a married couple. The other one is the second one in the box. This is it's first year out and I don't really buy Christmas decorations until they're on super clearance after Christmas.. so it'll be decorated in all it's glory for next year. This year.. Frosty found a home under it.

Here's our mantel. It has some Christmas cards we've gotten this year as well as my favorite nativity set (also Hallmark) that was a gift from my parents one year. And the stockings are held up by none other than Gaff tape. HA! Well.. we didn't have a fireplace last year so what's a girl to do for last minute stocking holders?

Thanks for stopping by the Tour of my trees!!! Next year will be more exciting now that we have a house I can go crazy with :)

...hi again!

2008-12-11T14:00:00.003-06:00

Wow.. it's been a long time! Too much to wrap into a blog today. Here's some highlights from the past month..

*We bought a house and moved!

*Lee's parents came for a visit

*Went to KC for Thanksgiving week

*I've been a cleaning machine

*Made a small dent in unpacking

*Started furniture shopping

*Getting ready for CHRISTMAS!!!!!

*Just buttercuppin' around

It seems like life has been in bullet points instead of paragraphs lately so I apologize about any missed calls, texts, emails, messages and especially if you get left off the Christmas card list. I actually can't find my addresses right now. They're in a random box somewhere... this has given me incentive to finally digitize them whenever I find them. I mean.. my recipe book is on my laptop now.. why aren't all my addresses? Behind. That's why.. I'm beeeehiiiind. Will catch up soon.. goal #24 for 2009.

...I went trick-or-treating at Target

2008-11-04T15:37:00.003-06:00

I was mega-bargain shopper today.. at Target I hit up the after Halloween sale and got 3 bags of candy for 50 cents each.. kit-kats, reece's cups & peanut M&M's. Help me, Lord, for I feel my butt growing. I tied a knot in the Target bag and put it on the other side of the office to keep me out. It's not helping. I already had 2 kit kats and 2 reese's peanut butter cups and am trying HARD to stay at my desk and not untie the knot for more.

I also got two tubes of mascara for negative one dollar at Walgreens. How's that for a bargain? After giving up splurgey makeup last year to buy GAS for the car.. I've been experimenting with drugstore products. I have sensitive eyes and for some reason everything except Almay makes them an itchy watery mess by 7:00 PM. Anyway.. Walgreen's is having buy one get one free for Almay products this week. AND I had a dollar coupon. I was feeling pretty good about my savings status.. but it got even better. The same mascara was ALSO part of their rebate thingy this month.. SO.. I got PAID a dollar and got $14 worth of mascara for free. Yeah. Bring it.

...back to the day we met :)

2008-10-04T21:43:00.004-05:00

Five years ago today, I met my husband :) I remember almost the entire day as clear as anything. A month before, I had moved from Memphis to Nashville and was nannying at the time. It was a Saturday, and I had been chasing two little boys around all day. I smelled like play-doh and peanut butter and was TIRED!

As the day ended, I remembered there was a birthday party for a friend that I promised I'd go to. After the day I had.. I just wanted to go home and watch a movie. I called my friend Haylee from the parking lot of Elmington Park and talked to her for about 30 minutes about how I didn't want to go to the party (... I was having an insecure girl night where I didn't feel all that pretty, I was by myself and still smelled like a nanny). I remember Haylee telling me,"girl.. just go for 30 minutes. You never know.. you might meet the man of your dreams."

I sucked it up and drove the next few minutes to the party, parked on a side street and started walking to the driveway. My heart was pounding and I felt nervous to go in by myself. As I walked into the light of the streetlamp, I was relieved to see my friend Steve, since he was probably the only person I'd know at the party. Steve was in a conversation with someone and I didn't want to interrupt. I looked to his left and saw this really HOT guy standing there. I said, "Hi! I'm Traci!" and we started chatting a little bit. I never made a habit of starting conversations with random guys.. BUT not only was he gorgeous, but he was friends with Steve.. so he had to be nice.. right? We chatted for a little while longer then I was pulled away by another person I happened to know there. Still being tired, I sat on the sofa and made a pact with myself that I wasn't budging until the hottie came over to talk to me.

I watched him in his slightly torn Diesels and black jacket making the rounds around the room slyly glancing my direction from time to time. He finally sat down next to me and we spent the next few hours talking about anything and everything. Being new to the city, I hadn't found a church yet and neither had Lee. Ironically, the church he was going to the next morning was the one I was going to! I gave him my number (I hardly EVER gave random guys my number) and we met up for church the next day! And that was the beginning of our journey together :)

UPDATE ::: Lee and I just took a little drive a few minutes ago to the exact place we met.. The corner of Marlborough and Lancaster near Elmington Park. I love that corner and I love my husband :)

...i heart chocolate cake!

2008-09-18T15:35:00.005-05:00

I don't have a picture for this cake because it was gone just as fast as it was here. Actually.. Lee and I ate three in a row. NOT on the same day but over a 3-4 week time period. We were laying off sugar, dairy, and meat altogether for about a month and I couldn't handle not having chocolate. So, I found a recipe for "crazy cake" and made it free of processed sugar.

You MUST try this cake!

It's not completely my own recipe.. but since some essential tweaks were made and ingredients added - I call it Buttercup's Vegan Chocolate Cake:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached white flour

1/2 cup dark maple syrup, plus one Tablespoon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

3/4 cup cold water, plus one Tablespoon

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray 9x9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.

Sift flours, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined. (make sure to use sifter to break up any clumps in cocoa powder especially).

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Then add maple syrup, vanilla, oil, vinegar and water. Stir with a fork until mixed well. Pour into 9x9 inch baking pan and bake for 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely then frost, glaze and/or serve with fruit.

I tried all three.. made a glaze from maple syrup and cocoa powder - that was gooooood. Experimented with tofu frosting which came out more like a pudding consistency (1 pound silken tofu blended with cocoa powder, maple syrup and a little canola oil) - also very good. And my favorite stand-by was sliced strawberries on top - Ohhhhh my!

You could also double the recipe to make a bundt cake, or to put in 2 round cake pans for a layered cake.. OR you could even make them into cupcakes! So many possibilities!

...cast your vote!

2008-08-27T17:23:00.003-05:00

Southwest Airlines is currently hosting a contest for people to be their next blog-o-spondent, which is a video correspondent for the SWA blog. The winner gets to go to four Southwest cities over the next year and do video blogs for their blog. The contest ends Sunday. The people with the ten highest votes are interviewed by SWA, and then they pick three people to fly out to Vegas for the final audition round.

Why am I telling you this? My friend Jessica with the ridiculously cute baby (his name's Elias.. see post from about 6 weeks ago) is super excited about the possibility of being a blog-o-spondent, and I know she'd do a great job.

All you need to do is CLICK HERE to watch her video and vote that you "Luv It" by clicking on the green arrow next to the video. It's that simple. Last time I checked, she was in the number ONE spot. Let's keep her there!

...take off your cap!

2008-08-21T19:58:00.005-05:00

More than 60% of plastic bottles headed for a local recycling facility are actually thrown into landfills because the caps and labels are left on. They aren't made from the same grade plastic as the actual bottle and can't be recycled in the same way. The caps AND the bottles are then discarded in the normal way any trash would be. This isn't just for water bottles, but also milk, soda, shampoo, lotions, and anything else that has a cap on it! So.. if you're trying to do your part with recycling and don't remove caps to discard, they end up in the place you're trying to avoid.

What do you do with all the bottle caps then???

Today, I came across an article about a program through Aveda stores. You can take your bottle caps to any Aveda store and they take care of the recycling. The caps are then kept out of landfills and the environment! They are using the recycled plastic caps for their own packaging in the near future.

...I never knew eggplant could taste so good.

2008-08-13T17:04:00.007-05:00

Here's a yummy recipe I got from a new favorite food blog, Smitten Kitchen. It's the first recipe I've tried off of her site and it didn't disappoint. The pictures on her entire blog are enough to make me want to spend 12-16 hours in the kitchen everyday and share the treasures with all my friends.

She also credits Dorie Greenspan in Bon Appetit, August 2008 issue for the recipe listed below. So I'm a twice over recipe snatcher. It made enough caponata salsa for Lee and I to eat on chips today for lunch. Ohhhh what a treat! Next time I think I might forget the eggplant, chop everything super small and eat the whole thing that way. Not that I'm an eggplant hater.. just not a lover.

I bought a cast iron grill pan from Williams-Sonoma last week and it was the first time using that too. It was a success. One of my favorite impulse purchases in a long time :)

Drum roll please...

Grilled Eggplant with Caponata Salsa

1 12-ounce container grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1/2 cup chopped Vidalia or Maui onion

5 large green olives, pitted, thinly sliced (about 2 Tablespoons)

2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano plus sprigs for garnish

1 Tablespoon drained capers, rinsed

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing

1 large eggplant (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds, trimmed

Mix tomatoes, celery, onion, olives, capers, oregano, garlic, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl. Whisk red wine vinegar and 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in small bowl; pour over tomato mixture and toss to coat. Season caponata to taste with salt and pepper. (Caponata can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Peel eggplant lengthwise to create alternating two inch wide intervals of peeled and un-peeled skin. Cut eggplant crosswise into 6 slices, each about 1-inch thick. Brush eggplant with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant slices until slightly charred and very tender when pierced with knife, about 8 minutes per side.

Place 1 grilled eggplant slice on each of 6 plates. Spoon Caponata over, garnish with oregano sprigs, and serve warm or at room temperature.

My variations.. white wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, no oregano (didn't have any fresh). We ate 3 pieces each as a main dish, so it made 2 servings instead of 6 appetizers.

(photograph from www.smittenkitchen.com)

...a sweet tooth fix that's better for you than Oreos.

2008-08-10T14:38:00.011-05:00

I've been trying to cut down on sugar lately.. ok.. really go cold-turkey. BUT my sweet tooth got the best of me once again. I researched a couple of healthy alternative recipes online and found a couple that sounded fantastic. I made this one from wholefoods.com yesterday and it did the job.

Maple Carob Granola Bars

4 cups old-fashioned oats (or quick-cooking)

1/3 cup organic canola oil

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup vegan carob chips

1/2 cup organic walnuts, chopped (or pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spread oats into an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add warm oats. Spread mixture into a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed or oiled, pressing down hard to compact it.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Half batch in an 8x8 pan takes about 20 minutes to bake.

...we're happy to be home.

2008-08-01T11:33:00.003-05:00

"The unspoken rule of summer travel is that the moment you leave the house, you've agreed to be hungry, tired, lost, dirty and disappointed," says psychologist LeslieBeth Wish. "Negativity stems from not being prepared and not being willing to face that travel just ain't the way it used to be," she says.

I had to laugh when I read this quote in an article from cnn.com called "Seven Essential Coping Skills for Summer Travel". I'm not sure that I've ever had a really disappointing travel experience.. after all.. your attitude determines how much fun you'll have anyway. But this year, the cards seemed stacked against us. Despite many adverse situations last week, Lee and I made it a GREAT one :) We decided a few weeks ago to take the plunge on a last minute deal to Mexico. For a great price, we booked a flight and seven days at an all-inclusive resort on the beach. We now KNOW it was good deal because it was $800 cheaper than another couple on the shuttle to the resort from the airport. They booked through a travel agent who probably booked the trip from the same website we did. So, with that in mind, I don't feel the least bit jipped :)

We weathered last minute airport changes, tropical storm Dolly, obnoxious drunk people, hot hot sun, bad food, long lines, roaches and ants, rude bus drivers and digestive...um...issues.

BUT...we did get to see some pretty sunrises and sunsets. :) And we now have a travel story to look back on and laugh. Needless to say, we are VERY happy to be back home.

...a letter of apology.

2008-07-17T12:26:00.004-05:00

Dear new neighbors who like Jesus and Wii,

I made a plate of cookies yesterday to welcome you to Nashville and back from your honeymoon. However, I ate them before you came home last night. So sorry.

Sincerely,

Buttercup

...Happy Birthday Elias Jude Turner!

2008-07-12T12:59:00.003-05:00

Our friends Matthew and Jessica Turner just had their first baby this morning at 5:03 AM weighing in at 8.36 pounds. They had a long delivery, being admitted to the hospital Thursday night and laboring all of Friday into early this morning. But I think you'll agree with me when I say he was all worth it...all eight pounds of sugar he brought to their hearts.

Congratulations Matt & Jess! He's perfection :)

PS...they blogged throughout the whole hospital stay if you're interested in following the past few days. Updates are located at Matthew, Jessica, and their friend Angie's sites. Click on the links to read/watch the video blogs.

...I might NEED this PB

2008-07-11T10:05:00.005-05:00

One of my daily blog reads is Rare Bird Finds. There's usually always something unique and fun everyday. Today P.B. Loco caught my eye and made my stomach growl in anticipation of ordering my very own jar soon. I can't even decide which one to try first!!! With flavors like Peanut Butter with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, PB with CoCoBanana, PB with Raspberry Dark Chocolate, and PB with European Cafe Mocha I'm sure I'll be busy tasting for a while... but maybe not till after swimsuit season :)

...meet Boojiboo!!!

2008-06-27T09:56:00.005-05:00

I'm a big fan of handmade stuff on Etsy.com. And I'm also big fan of all the cute stuff that Boojiboo offers! I recently visited her site to check out what she's been up to. And oh my...LOTS! There are new bags, bibs, and of course aprons. I bought one of her vintage style aprons back in April and LOVE it! She uses her own pattern and the craftsmanship is AMAZING! Not only is it good for cooking...but it looks all cute and buttercuppy hung up in the corner of the kitchen :)

...Lee turned 30!

2008-06-23T22:46:00.004-05:00

Incase you didn't know...I'm married to the best guy in the whole universe. I know lots of ladies say that...but they're wrong. I got him. There's only one...and his name is Lee Steffen. Today, he turned 30 and we had SO MUCH FUN! Thanks for being born today, baby. And thanks for turning me into the luckiest girl in the world by making me your wife. Happy Birthday and I love you always :)

...grain salad recipe

2008-06-18T11:27:00.004-05:00

I feel like all the recipes posted on my blog are naughty and go straight to the hips. Here's one of our favorites that's much more figure friendly.

Grain Salad

1 1/2 cups organic Jasmine long grain white rice, cooked

1/2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced

1/2 medium yellow squash, halved and sliced

1 cup sweet white corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1 Tablespoons sweet onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

1 Tablespoons dried dill, or 2 Tablespoons fresh (packed)

1/6 cup fat-free Italian dressing

Combine the grains with the vegetables and mix well. Pour dressing over ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes then serve. Makes 2-3 servings.

I'm a BIG fan of locally grown organic produce so I LOVE making this dish in the summer when there's tons of it around!

...this is off the buttercuppy scale!

2008-06-13T09:49:00.004-05:00

As I was going through my daily blog reads I found this INCREDIBLY cute vase that is so far off the buttercuppy scale it doesn't even register! I've had a thing for whales lately. I think they're uber-cute on anything... t-shirts... clutches... pendants... totes... cards... and now a vase! The website says they're looking for a way to produce and sell this whale of a gem. I hope they figure one out soon!

apartmenttherapy.com

behance.net

...summer is officially here!

2008-06-12T14:59:00.010-05:00

Even though it's been insanely hot the past few weeks, something was missing to make it feel like summer. Not anymore!

To celebrate summer and booking a beach vacation next month, I ordered a new floppy sunhat from Urban Outfitters today! I'd say it rates a solid nine on the buttercuppy scale. It lost one point because I found a buttercuppier one at Anthropologie... but it got the boot after seeing the pricetag.

...homemade cheesecake? YES!

2008-06-09T21:45:00.006-05:00

Tonight my husband and I polished off a small cheesecake dessert... the third consecutive (and last) night of goodness. Just incase you need a little blueberry delight, here's the recipe (from Cooking for Two magazine). Words I heard from Lee between bites, "wow... this is redonk... mmmmmm... redonkulous... amazing"

Blueberry Cheesecake Dessert:

Crust:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

3 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Filling:

2 Packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon lemon juice, fresh

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Sauce:

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam (I used seedless blackberry jam)

2 cups fresh blueberries

In a food processor, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and nuts; cover and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter; cover and pulse just until mixture is crumbly. Press into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, for filling, in a food processor, combine the filling ingredients; cover and process until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat jam on high for 15-20 seconds or until warmed; gently toss with blueberries. Cut dessert into squares; top with blueberry sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.

...we're back from a great vacation :)

2008-06-01T19:36:00.010-05:00

This past week, Lee & I took a much needed and very fun vacation :) We started out in Mahomet, Illinois for Robbie's high school graduation/birthday weekend. It was great to see family and hang out for a few days while celebrating! We brought our Wii and it was a hit with everyone, including grandma. I think the highlight was watching Ben play tennis...or maybe dad with bowling. I'm not sure which was funnier...Michael dodging Ben's backhand swing, or dad's 4-inch from the TV four step lane approach. Anyhow, they both kept a roomful laughing. During the weekend we were able to go up to Chicago to spend some time in the city and shop (after a couple rounds to the airport) and saw Indiana Jones with the fam. We stayed until Wednesday then took off for "middle of nowhere" Indiana...literally.

The Leavenworth Inn is located in Leavenworth, Indiana...population 353 (according to the 2000 census). I found this little gem while on a roadtrip with my mom about 6 years ago. We were supposed to stay at a B&B in Louisville, KY and after seeing the outside of the said B&B, I REFUSED to go in...scaaaaary. We kept on driving, stopped at a rest stop that had brochures for lodging, we picked one called the Leavenworth Inn and they had one cute little room left just for us. Six years and four visits later, I was very excited to share my cozy retreat with Lee :)

There's a restaurant within walking distance (across the street) that overlooks the Ohio River, fittingly called "The Overlook". The Inn has 4 different buildings, some rooms overlooking the river, some horse stables, some just trees. They have fresh baked cookies at all times, shuffle board, tennis court, bikes, walking trail, and a general store just a block away. Lots of rocking chairs on porches and a gazebo because there's really nothing else to do but relax! It was FABULOUS.

The day we left, we drove to another town about 20 minutes away called Corydon to get ice cream at a place I found a little flier for. Mostly just because of the name...you ready for this? Butt Drugs. No lie. It's a third generation family owned pharmacy and soda fountain. The ice cream was DELISH and worth the stop :) It was quite possible the largest ice cream cone I've ever had and it was only a dollar. ONE DOLLAR! If that would have been anywhere around here it would've been at least six bucks...no lie.

We're back in Nashville and some new neighbors move in today. They seem really nice. I think we all might be friends...they like Wii and Jesus.

...this commercial makes me smile

2008-05-16T17:24:00.005-05:00

Great marketing by Sears.

Here's to all the new chapters in life :)

...I heart S'mores!

2008-04-29T17:18:00.007-05:00

Who wouldn't like THIS chocolatey marshmallowey graham-crackerey goodness??? A few years back I was on a S'more's kick at work and ate at least one a day for over a month. Last week, I saw a new Hershey's commercial that had people making (and eating) S'mores. The craving came back. Let's just say I might have made these brownies twice already since Thursday. Heh. (recipe from cookiemadness)

S'mores Brownies

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 Tablespoons melted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup all-purpose white flour
2 cups marshmallows

**UPDATE** My friend Sarah said she made this with Ghirardelli chocolate brownie mix that called for an 8x8 pan and it worked FABULOUSLY! Yay for recipe shortcuts!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 inch square metal pan with Release foil or parchment paper.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and melted butter. Press into bottom of lined pan and bake for 8 minutes.

Prepare browies. Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave, a double boiler or heavy saucepan. Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar until light. Whisk in the vanilla, then whisk in the salt and baking powder. Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and stir until mixed. Add flour and stir until mixed. Do not overbeat, just stir until it’s absorbed. Pour the brownie mixture over the graham crust. Return to oven and bake for 22-26 minutes or until set.

Remove from oven and sprinkle marshmallows over top in one generous layer. Set oven’s broiler heat to high and return pan to oven. Broil for 1 minute or until golden. Keep a close eye, because marshmallows brown quickly!

Let cool on a rack. When cool, lift from pan and cut into 9 big squares. Spraying non-stick cooking spray on the knife helps keep the marshmallow goo from sticking to it.

Makes 9 large brownies (or 16 small ones).

...Audrey's story

2008-04-28T19:41:00.005-05:00

It's hard to describe what the Smith family has gone through the past year with the loss of their precious Audrey. Her 2.5 hour life on earth has impacted thousands and will continue to minister Light to so many families going through their darkest hour. Thanks, sweet little Audrey, for showing us Jesus' love and faithfulness through your life, as well as your family and friends.

The 20-minute interview/video shown at our church this past weekend and Angie's blog (Audrey Caroline Smith link on the left) follows the path she and her family have travelled the past few months. It's one of heartbreak, courage, faith, hope, trust, letting go and sharing a legacy.

Smith Family Story from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

...MacGourmet is awesome!

2008-04-26T13:13:00.000-05:00

One of my birthday gifts earlier this month was a new computer program called MacGourmet. It's like iTunes for your recipes. You can categorize and re-categorize as much as you want and any time you want simply by dragging and dropping added recipes into whatever folder you see fit. They also have a couple additions that make planning meals simpler. One fittingly called "meal plan" which you can plan meals for weeks in advance by dragging and dropping recipes into whatever day you want. Then at the end of it all...it automatically makes a shopping list for you at the click of a button. Another is a nutritional analysis on whatever recipes you choose.

I've LOVED jumping into digitizing all my recipes. And it's so easy to cut and paste recipes from online into my "to try from web" folder rather than writing it out or wasting paper by printing. And if I end up liking it, it gets dragged right over into the "Steffen Favorites" folder! It's a well spent $25 (meal plan and nutrition analysis are an extra cost) for anyone who wants to save time and space in the kitchen.

Check it out at www.macgourmet.com.

PS...You have to have a Mac to use MacGourmet. No PC's allowed.

...my tomatoes sprouted!

2008-04-23T18:30:00.000-05:00

I promise that I have better things to do than watch tomatoes grow. But I didn't expect them to sprout so fast! The only sad thing is that I didn't follow the directions of only putting a couple seeds per pot and have to decide which little sprouts get to be replanted in a couple weeks and which get thrown out. Oops.

...congratulations!!!!

2008-04-23T11:48:00.000-05:00

The past year or so, Lee has spent time working with our friend Jessica Turner (of Lovell Communications) on several different PR project concepts and design. In February of this year, Jessica entered a number of projects in a local competition where she was responsible of FIVE of the six that received honors from her firm! I'm so proud of her! ALSO, she and Lee worked on brand management for Alive Hospice which won BEST IN SHOW!!!!! Jessica has worked so hard with and for Alive Hospice since shortly after beginning with Lovell several years ago. And I've seen Lee pour hours of creative energy this past year into the brand she and Alive Hospice envisioned. It's been an honor for Lee & I to partner with Jessica and such a great organization in making their brand one that's been recognized as award winning. We hope that this encourages and blesses them in the work they do for people in need every day.

Congratulations Jessica, Lee, Alive Hospice and Lovell!

Here's a link to an article written in The Tennessean about the local PRSA Parthenon Awards.

...I planted tomatoes!

2008-04-18T17:08:00.000-05:00

The other day while in Target, I let myself wander to the 'dollar spot'. That's bad news for me and good news for Target. I'm a marketers dream in the fact that I can't stay away from anything little and cute and that sells for less than a package of strawberries. I'm convinced that's the sole reason for the dollar spot at Target, and it's placement RIGHT when you walk in the door. And not only is it cheap...it's seasonally appropriate and they don't carry the items all the time. JEESH. If I don't get these one dollar pink tin buckets with yellow chicks on them NOW they won't HAVE them next time I'm here! That's how they getchya.

Now that spring has sprung, so has gardening fun at the dollar spot. They're selling these CUTE little pots INCLUDING the soil and seeds needed to grow anything from garden flowers to herbs. I was about to walk past until *gasp* I saw the red teensy tiny tomato plant pots among the boring terra cotta orange. This made me smile and grab for a few reasons:

1. We can't have a dog, cat or any other pet in our apartment so I fill the caregiver void with a go at a plant here and there (ignore the fact my thumb is NOT green. My mom can revive a twig to life but it didn't pass down to me). I had decided just last week I wanted to grow tomatoes this summer.

2. They are RED...and CUTE...and LITTLE. Perfect window-sill size and perfect color for our kitchen which has many splashes of bright reds, blues and yellows.

I bought three. Three dollars for a whole lot of tomato goodness.

...we love smoothies!

2008-04-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

So far so good with the green smoothies! Yeeeees. Every morning this week, we've whipped up a nice green concoction and are enjoying it immensely. The typical smoothie this week has consisted of about a cup and a half of pineapple juice, bowlful of strawberries (leaves on), one banana, a few pieces of frozen mango, a bunch of spinach leaves and a squirt of honey. It makes two large glasses of green goodness. One for me and one for my hot husband. Tomorrow we're gonna mix it up...getting crazy...look out...instead of strawberries and mango...pears and kiwi.

...I'm determined to eat more greens

2008-04-11T10:32:00.000-05:00

After yesterdays lunch of cinnamon raisin bagels with cream cheese and cinnamon sugar followed with a healthy dose of corn chips and ending in chocolate it's apparent I've fallen off the wagon. The healthy eating wagon left me at the corner, and being the one who prepares most meals in our house, my husband was let off on the next street. Fortunately, he bought me a BlendTec blender for my birthday! This baby has 3 horsepower and can smoothify almost anything! We've already used it quite a bit...although not to blend up glow sticks or iPods like the crazy old man in the videos. The challenge for the next couple of weeks is to have a green smoothie every morning for breakfast. Apparently you can't taste the greens because of all the tasty fruit in the smoothie. We shall see.

...we made some tasty brats

2008-04-09T14:14:00.001-05:00

1. Cut one small onion into slices and roughly mince two cloves of garlic.
2. Place brats, onions, garlic in saucepan (deep enough to pour liquid in covering them).
3. Add 2-3 pale ale beers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. NEXT DAY...gently boil brats, onions, garlic on stove-top, medium-high heat for 25-30 minutes. (rapid boil might burst casing)
5. Bat eyes and ask husband to fire up grill.
6. Husband grills brats over medium flame for 5-10 minutes to get some tasty char marks.
7. Husband toasts hoagie rolls over low flame to crisp up perfect.
8. Cover with whatever you like on brats and eat 'em while they're hot.

PS...use raw brats from the meat section at the store NOT pre-cooked from the weenie isle.

...I had an amazing birthday

2008-04-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

*Sleeping in
*Spring Flowers
*Post-it happies covering the walls
*Home-cooked breakfast complete with heart-shaped toast
*Lunch at Provence
*Picking out my very own Framboise cake from Provence
*Dinner at Sole Mio
*Eating Framboise cake from Provence
*More hugs, kisses, gifts & words of adoration than one girl deserves

I have the best husband ever :)

...try this taco seasoning

2008-03-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

Seeing as my last post almost SIX months ago was about tacos, I'll stick with the topic. I was on www.wholefoods.com and found a recipe for taco seasoning. Since Lee & I eat tacos once a week, I'm always looking for a good seasoning packet and/or recipe. I think I've decided to forever forgo the packet after finding this seasoning recipe. It makes quite a bit. So if you eat tacos only occasionally, you could decrease the recipe accordingly.

4 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons onion powder
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon arrowroot, (optional as a thickener)
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
4 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1-3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Stir all ingredients together and store in airtight container until ready to use.
Brown one pound of ground beef, drain & add 1/2 cup water and 2-3 Tablespoons of taco seasoning mix.

I used 3 Tablespoons of the mix and thought it was a bit strong so will probably use 2 1/2 Tablespoons next time. Also, instead of the arrowroot, I mixed about 1/2 teaspoon of flour into the 1/2 cup of water to make a slurry before adding it to the browned beef. This made the texture a little more like it came from a packet. You don't need to use a thickener at all, but I kind of like it.

Yariba!

...all about taco night and deadlines

2007-10-15T21:55:00.000-05:00

Tonight was taco night again...even though it wasn't Tuesday. Lee & I have both decided that we could eat taco's every night of the week and be sooooo happy. We even incorporated in praying while creating our mountain of meat, cheese & veggies. I suggested this because the shells always got soggy and I wasn't focused on thanking God for the food anyway...I just wanted it in my mouth! Lee agreed...so now we pray while we build. He's on deadline right now, so we headed back to the office...he's working and I'm just surfing around online, reading other peoples blogs and re-checking the weather to make sure the powers that be didn't change their minds on our fabulous fall weather.

We went to KC a few weeks ago to visit the fam and had so much fun. We initially made the trip at the same time that the L.A. Galaxy was playing the Wizards so we could check out David Beckham. Unfortunately...I guess he got hurt after the second game he played and is out for a long time so he wasn't there. It was still fun. We ate lots of good food, watched lots of good movies and the Fall Festival was even happening while we were there, so we went to get kettle corn and a snow cone! Then we came back to Nashville & started right back into work again. As I type this...I'm watching over Lee's shoulder at the magazine spread he's designing and am in awe at his creativity and talent! For real! Absolutely amazes me!

I'm still a knitting fool and have decided to make my own ornaments this year for Christmas since all mine are still in KC. I have a plan in mind that should be pretty. I'll post some pics if it turns out. If not...I'll delete this paragraph later :P

Bye!

...I bought some knitting needles

2007-09-25T18:45:00.000-05:00

The wait is over...I have REAL knitting needles now. And REAL yarn. And am well on my way to finishing my first REAL scarf. Sweet.

...have you tried knitting with chopsticks?

2007-09-21T17:57:00.000-05:00

The other day I decided I wanted to hone in on the craft of knitting regardless of the fact I don't own any knitting needles. My friend, Annie, taught me how to a couple of weeks ago while our husbands were talking business and I just haven't been to the store yet to buy any. I was about to forget how to knit and purl until I remembered the chopsticks hidden in the pantry I bought on a whim at Targets dollar spot last year. I also had some old leftover yarn from crocheting a baby blanket earlier this summer. So, I grabbed the sticks & yarn and knitted away. It was a little lopsided, but made a great practice run.

Other uses for chopsticks:
1) Eating...duh.
2) Pulling hair back.
3) Impromptu drumsticks.
4) Back-scratcher.
5) Removing stuck toast from toaster.

OK...I'm off to Hobby Lobby for the real deal. Later Gater.

...try this espinaca dip recipe

2007-09-19T13:18:00.000-05:00

My friend Mandy sent me this amazing cheese dip recipe last week. I made it for Lee and I to munch on last Sunday while watching football after church...

Ingredients:
8 ounce block Cream Cheese
8 ounce block Velveeta Cheese
1 can Rotel, drained
1/4 pint heavy whipping cream
2 chicken boullion cubes
1/2 box frozen chopped spinach (thaw and squeeze dry)

Directions:
Cut cheeses into cubes and add all other ingredients to crock pot and melt. Serve with tortilla chips.

I didn't have the right size crock pot, so I put it in a microwave safe bowl and heated at 1 minute increments at half power, stirring between each minute until thoroughly heated and the boullion cubes were melted. I think it took a total of 10 minutes.

This particular recipe...not so healthy and definitely not for the lactose intolerant. Pop some Lactaid pills and have at it. It's sooooo good!

...here I am!

2007-09-18T16:37:00.000-05:00

Here's my first blog. The end. Kidding...that's not all I'm writing, silly! I'm not sure what I'm writing yet...but I know I just want to have a blog. Lot's of my friends have one...so now it's my turn to let the world (or whoever's interested) read what I think is interesting. Maybe it'll morph in to something else as my own interests grow and change. I'm pretty ADHD when it comes to hobbies...so I don't have one thing that I've been attached to long enough to be an expert on it. Here are some things I like that could possibly take over:

1) Cooking. I love getting creative in the kitchen and figuring out ways to cook fabulous meals with one pan, one pot and one cookie sheet (yay for newlywed kitchen!) So far, so good!

2) Health. OK...so I lied earlier...this is the one topic that I retain random tidbits and trivia about and has stayed constant since I was a wee little tot. Don't ask me why...but I am mesmorized anytime Dr. Oz is on Oprah or with any Discovery Health program.

3) Knitting and crocheting. I think I'll pick up more on knitting just because the word crochet isn't very appealing to type or look at.

4) Travel. Despite all my attempts...I've never been out of the United States (although I've been to all but about five states). I always find this humorous seeing as I married a guy who's traveled the world. Oh well...until I get my name changed on my passport...I'll stick to trying to cover the rest of the states I've never been to.

Oh yeah...Lee launched his new Penguin Creative website today! You should go to it...it really is amazing. I'm such a proud wifey :)

Much love and eat your veggies!