24 Weeks

Getting bigger everyday! I feel baby moving almost all the time. Most active when I'm finally calm and not moving around a lot. Jason has been able to feel baby move too. Actually got nudged in the face quite forcefully one time. :)

18 wks 2 days

We had another visit to the doctor on Monday.  We got to do a sonogram this time for them to measure length of different bones to estimate size/age of baby.  I was supposed to be almost 19 weeks when they did it, but measurements put us back where I knew us to be, 18 weeks 2 days.  (Which means I was right, our "weeks" change on Saturdays, not Tuesdays like they originally said.)

I feel lots more wiggles and kicks now. It's so nice. I really enjoyed all of that so much when pregnant with Evalyn.  Not strong enough movements for Jason to feel yet, maybe in a couple more weeks.  My weight is going up as it should and my finger prick test for iron was still really good.  (Must be all those hamburgers I crave when pregnant, LOL!)

Here's the 2 pictures we got to take home with us.

First is the "freaky" picture.  Baby is facing straight up, so no cute profile picture.  :-) During the sonogram on the screen you could even really see the eyeballs...very neat and weird at the same time. Of course Jason's comment was, "Can you tell what color eyes they are?"  Silly guy!  If you look closely you can see some of them in the picture I scanned.  This picture really shows the ribs well!

This 2nd photo is why we still are definitely not finding out what baby is!  (We are still discussing it though, we do have a little over 4 months to decide still.)  ;-)   Baby was not going to show us this time anyway.  Those are the knees on the right on and the head to the left.  Gorgeous little arm/hands  in the middle.

 

Due date is still towards end of first week of April.

Any votes on boy or girl?  Leave a comment.  Thanks

Celebrating 2 years!!

Last time for bed...

I put my baby girl to bed tonight as a one year old, in the morning she will be 2 years old!!

(Although technically I can say that tomorrow night because she was born at 10:56 pm.) :-)

And I admit it...I got a little teary...thanks to all these extra hormones!

A Rockin' MAM Rock-a-Bye Baby Party!

+         =   A Rockin' Good Time!!


I was honored to host another party for Child's Play Party...this time for our little ones at home. MAM Baby Products made this such a fun and exciting way to learn about new products. Thank you MAM!

It all started a couple weeks ago when I received this HUGE box. We're talking almost 5 feet long and 2.5 feet tall! There were so many goodies in there. I was spoiled by them supplying pretty much everything I needed to host a rockin' party! The thought of everything, even the cookie cutters shaped like a baby bottle, teddy bear, and rocking horse and the door prizes for the games!

I invited 10 moms over to learn more about their products. I enjoyed having friends and all their little ones over to play for a couple of hours. We enjoyed snacks, chatting, and learning some interesting facts about the MAM products. I'm surprised how different their new MAM Anti-colic bottles are from bottles just a couple years ago for Evalyn. I even heard one mom remark that she really liked the bottle and it looked like she would be buying a new set to try!

Some hadn't heard about MAM products before and were very happy to receive so many products to try out. The Trivia Game was a lot of fun and we learned a lot. (Did you know 25% of babies suffer from colic?  I didn't!) One mom remarked that she'd like a copy since she's a 1st time mom and it was so informative.

My $75 Package Included:

• MAM Baby Triple pack Anti-Colic Bottle 8 ounce
• MAM Baby Triple pack Anti-Colic Bottle 5 ounce
• MAM Baby Night pacifier
• MAM Baby Air pacifier
• MAM Baby Clip & Cover (for pacifiers)
• MAM Baby Oral Care Rabbit
• MAM Baby Cooler Teether
• MAM Baby Bite & Brush

The guests $30 Packages included:

• MAM Baby Single Anti-Colic Bottle 5oz
• MAM Baby Single Anti-Colic Bottle 8oz
• MAM Baby Night Pacifier
• MAM Baby Oral Care Rabbit
• MAM Baby Cooler Teether
• MAM Baby Learn to Brush Set

Snacks for the party.

Getting ready for the fun to begin.

  

Our wall of fame! So many cuties!

 

All the goodies ready to go.

!

Lots of happy moms and babies!

Again...thank you MAM and Child's Play Party!  

Looking forward to the next fun party!

Sausage Balls

These are a family tradition for Christmas morning at our house. They are so yummy and quick that sometimes I like to do them at other times during the year.

This is my personal preference on the recipe. Feel free to find a way to make it your own for your family.


Sausage Balls

3 cups Bisquick
1 lb breakfast sausage (turkey)
8-10 ox sharp cheddar cheese
1-2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce (opt)

Heat oven to 400°F degrees.
Using your hands mix until 1 large ball is formed and then roll into balls, no bigger than ping pong size. Place on baking sheet (with sides) and bake for approximately 15 min. Remove from oven and enjoy! These refreeze well once baked and taste best reheated in the oven.

The ones E and I made we mixed in a gallon zip bag so she could help mix. I then took it out and finished it off by hand. I did use a scoop to make the balls this time to keep my hands clean, but the hand rolled ones look better.



Other variations used by my extended family include:

half mild and half spicy pork breakfast sausage
adding a few dashes of Tabasco

Phineas and Ferb Movie Screening Party

WOW!! From the beginning we were so excited to be chosen as a host for the First Ever Phineas and Ferb Movie Screening Party by Child's Play Party. I actually went to the "Bullseye" store and found a few items in the $1 section. Sadly they were sold out of most. I picked up some magnetic notepads and post it notes for the moms coming since I knew Disney Channel was providing the swag for the kids. (Masks, temporary tattoos, sling backpack with buttons and stickers!) I wanted something that could hang on the fridge at home and remind the whole family of what a fun time was had.

I actually used a Phineas, Ferb, and Perry mask to hang outside from the trees to alert people where we lived so the house was easy to find. (Sorry no picture...a couple of them disappeared during the movie time....off to the 2nd Dimension I guess.) Guests were greeted with a locker wipe off board inviting the come in and join Agent P's gang.

Once inside we had a mom stationed at a bowl of water with scissors for tattoo application. HUGE hit! Each child had at least 1-3 put on and they still were able to take home some in their bags also.

I tried to theme my snacks around some of the episodes I remember and loved. Here's the snack table run down:

The Lemonade Stand


Mr. Slushy Dawg's Mini-Dawgs


Apple Pie - "Anyone want pie?" (Quote from end of some episodes. Snacks already there with pretzels.)
(Notice the Platypus egg?) :-)


My husband even came up with his own Dr. Doofensmirtz invention - The Bubblinator! The kids LOVED it!And you'll notice that Perry is "attacking" Dr. Doof in this picture.

Now on to the show!

Trivia questions prior to show starting...thankfully they weren't too upset I mute the episode that was on just prior to the movie. ;-) Bribes of lollipops will do that I guess.


Kids and parents enjoying the movie.



Final poses after the movie of kids with their masks.




We all had so much fun and many of the mom's later posted on Facebook that they REALLY enjoyed it, not just their kids, but them too. Thanks Child's Play Party! I hope to host another party in the future!


Even my daughter, who's only 21 months old loves Phineas and Ferb! When she hears the theme song play she comes running in, "Ferb! Ferb!" And she also now says, "Where's Perry?" and signs it too! (We're teaching ASL as a 2nd language.)

Videos to follow in 2nd post.

Excited!

I know it's been awhile, summer with a crazy work schedule for hubby and laptop that crashes yet another motherboard (where all photos from Jan-June are stored) makes for lengthy time away from blogland.

This is the preview post for tomorrow's Phineas and Ferb Movie Screening Party that we are hosting. (Thanks to Child's Play Party where I applied and was chosen to host.) Disney Channel has sent some awesome swag for the kiddos coming and I picked up a few "mom" type goodies to handout also. The big debate right now is to mix up some sidewalk chalkpaint to "roll out" the teal carpet or not...what's your vote?

Friday night we'll be tuning in at 7 pm CST to watch Phineas and Ferb The Movie Across the 2nd Deminsion


Check back here for a follow up post with pictures and video of all the fun and goodies!


Oh and for the g-parents - Evie LOVES this show and when she hears the music for the intro start she'll start counting because of the numbers on the calendar flying off counting down summer vacation! And she walks around saying, "Ferb....Ferb...Ferb" Hmmm since she pronounces it so well maybe it should go on the list in case a brother ever comes along...LOL!

https://www.facebook.com/PhineasandFerb

Wednesday Lunch

Since my lunch today is getting such rave reviews on FB. I thought I'd post it over here too.

E and I went to Sam's to check on which Women of Faith Bible Studies they had available for my ladies group and saw these gorgeous portabello mushrooms. Since Jason isn't a fan of them as the main dish and E LOVES mushrooms, I figured it would be yummy for today.

I grilled Portabello mushroom with balsamic vinegar in a skillet and then topped it with sauteed spinach and garlic. Then I sprinkled some panko bread crumbs on top and sliced the basil pesto goat cheese on top, sprinkled a few more panko crumbs on top and into the toaster oven to broil for about 3 minutes or so. I served it with some artisan multigrain bread I picked up also. It was excellent!

Taming Our Household

So I decided that I'm going to participate in Joyful Mothering's 31 Days to Clean Challenge. I heard about it a few weeks ago, but didn't think anything of it. Now it's come across my radar again so I decided maybe this is just what I need to give me the support I need to get my house clean and make it a HOME! After signing up Jason said he'd like to participate with me too! I'm very excited that this will be a joint effort. I'll be thankful even if the effort he puts forth is to take E out of the house while I work on different rooms. :-) Although I'm pretty sure he'll be doing some cleaning too. So be on the look out for posts not just from me, but from him also on how our 31 Days to Clean is going each week.

If you're interested in this challenge also click on the button on the right and it will take you there.

Or click here: 31 Days to Clean Challenge
You can also find it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/31DaysToClean

Gently Being Lead

I was on Facebook tonight, no big surprise there, but I saw a post from Cravings. I linked over and read through Amy's post about peace. I was so thankful for her sharing her story as she touched upon a verse I don't think I have ever paid much attention to.

I, like her, feel as though sometimes I do not give the needed attention to either the ministries I am working in or to Jason and Evalyn. I feel as though there are times when I don't have time for God, but I know that isn't true. Even now in my weekly Bible Study with 6 other ladies I am working on making sure that I schedule some time in each day to read God's Word and work on my homework for the study. (More on this during another post.)

The verse that surprised me the most was Isaiah 40:11.

Isaiah 40:11 (New International Version, ©2011)

¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

I've always known that God is compared to a shepherd in the way he cares for us. As have I known that I'm usually the one straying away from Him. The part that surprised me was the last line of "...he gently leads those that have young." Wait..what.."he gently leads those that have young." (Emphasis mine.) Wait, that's me! I have young now! I have a rambunctious, darling daughter! This verse is saying that there is provision for mothers! Not only will he tend to all of us, he will lead me gently and keep my child close to his heart.

Wow! What tranquility that brings to my mind. God knows exactly what I need as a mother. I need someone that understands that sometimes I only have 10 minutes to myself and I need to just breathe and close my eyes for that time. He will gently guide me as I guide Evalyn too. I'm so very thankful He carries Evalyn "close to his heart" because I know there are times she is on my last nerve and she's not very close to my heart at that instance. But God will guide me back to Him and her also. Love covers all, if only we let it.

Here's another version of that verse:

"... He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young." Isaiah 40:11, New Living Translation

Thank you God for gently leading me with my little lamb. I'm so grateful that there is someone else leading .... now just help me stay on that path right behind you and not stray....

What about you? Are you being gently lead?

Verses looked up on www.biblegateway.com

Cravings

I want to tell you a bit about a new product that will launch in August 2011. It's called Cravings. They are daily devotional cards to help moms "in the midst of motherhood." Carey Bailey knows how hard it is as a mom to carve out that special one on one time with God. She wanted a way to help it be easier, but not any less meaningful.



You can find more info about them here at the website: Cravings

She's currently hosting a giveaway also for a book by Sarah Mae, 31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way - all you have to do is "like" the Cravings facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/CravingsOnline

For more information go HERE.

I hope you'll join me in putting a reminder on your calendar to be on the lookout for Cravings in August. You can also subscribe to her blog. Right now she has a great post about Easter and being intentional with planning traditions with your kids.

And the best news of all...Carey has told me she will send me a set when they release to raffle off at one of our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Meetings when we start in the fall!! Thanks Carey!

If you have a moment, check out her personal blog too, it's fun of tutorials and other neat stuff.
With Joy

Bun in the Oven

Nooo...not that kind of bun in the oven! :-D


I have really been enjoying making homemade bread. (Even if it's in the bread machine. But that is a different post.)

But what we really like is our No Wait to Rise Bread. I found the recipe here at Crafty Kin's blog and have really loved the simplicity and it turns out wonderful each time!

I make the recipe in full usually and split it into smaller buns and also 1 LARGE round loaf or 2 smaller ones. Next time, I'm going to try with some whole wheat flour, instead of just regular unbleached, all-purpose flour.

Here's a few pictures to tempt you.....wish you could smell the house when these are baking....mmmm!



Round 1 - March 6th
Only 2 of the probably 8-10 buns I made first time around. The rest were yummy! Ask Jason....

2 smaller round loaves Close up of one of the loaves.

Round 2 - April 6th



This is the my large round stone that is 15" across.
It's probably almost 3" tall.

And this is how they came to be.


That's E working on her heart shaped bun you see in the above picture.

Air Fiesta

A few pictures from Air Fiesta 2011 -

Jason had Saturday setup/work for the NWS Booth and I had a shift at the MOPS Changing Station on Sunday morning while he worked the NWS Booth. We had a lot of fun. My dad came out to on Sunday to enjoy the show and helped watch Evalyn. Oh and Saturday we went and watched from the NWS office on the other side of the airport/runways the B2 Stealth Bomber fly over.

Jason ready to work!

What happens when you choose to not nap until in the Ergo....

What Evie does during a Stealth Bomber flyover!

She liked her ear "muffs" but only for the loud planes of course.

Hanging with Poppy at the fence line watching the planes!

The A-10 after his very entertaining show!



And for fun.....

Charro Days

At Sombrero Fest 2011





Eating a lemon