Make room for baby!

I didn't really "nest" when I was pregnant with Abby. This time however, I've been going a little crazy. Not crazy, as in I'm always cleaning and such, but crazy in that I have been totally freaking out about how I'm going to fit a baby and all his stuff into an already crowded house.

For a number of reasons, we've been renting in Raleigh and don't have plans to buy anything soon. The house has been a decent size for 3 people and a dog, but there's really only 2 bedrooms and a third floor (that's technically a bedroom because of the closet and the door). The third floor is the only spot we have for Austin, and it's been used as storage and was full of boxes. Needless to say, I couldn't really picture where anything was going to go, especially a crib and a BABY! Hence, the craziness.

Then, there was this weekend and my sister. Kelsey came down for the weekend and helped Dan and I FINALLY unpack/store away all the boxes. We also rearranged some furniture and now we actually have room for a crib and changing table. I have a spot to put my baby! A spot to change him! A spot for nursing! I can really picture how this whole thing is going to work now!

Today, I am spending nap time not in a panic, but in a calmer state. (Note that I said "calmer." There is still much to be done, but we are well on our way.)

A giant thank you to my sister! Love you Beth xoxo

My new skill

Computers and I don't really get along. Well, technology in general really. My mechanical reasoning skills are great, and I can put almost anything together with only a glance at the directions. However, computers tend to break when I get near them. I went through 7 hard drives/computers in my 6 years of working. That is not an exaggeration, just ask my old partner, who was constantly amazed at my ineptitude. Right, Scott?

As a result, I've never been allowed to download pictures from the camera to the computer out of fear I would delete all of our pictures and somehow kill the computer in the process. But, tonight I was BRAVE! I attempted to download a few things while Dan was on his run and I DID IT! There are new pictures on the computer and they are still on the camera. They did not disappear into oblivion and the computer is still working.

YAY ME!

Abby and Daddy time

Abby and Dan have been playing soccer on Saturday mornings for the last few weeks. Originally, I'd signed them up to give myself a little break once a week but Dan was excited about it because he hoped the soccer would balance the ballet and gymnastics. Abby's been very clingy with me recently, so I was unsure how it would go. However, they have had a blast! Abby starts asking about soccer with Daddy by Thursday each week, and wakes up each Saturday morning ready to put her jersey and tennis shoes on.

Obviously, they're too young to play any sort of game. Mostly, they play a lot of red light/green light, dribble the ball up and down the field, shoot goals in a game called "bulls-eye," and just have fun. Abby listens very well to Coach Justin, and has a bit of a crush on Coach Chad (he's tall and dark, like her Daddy. She's always running up to him during drills and gives him a shy smile when he talks to her. It's quite cute.) She's learning a lot (another dad even called her "a natural") and she's having fun with her Daddy. I also get a nice break once a week and it's giving her some much needed time away from mommy.

Sorry for the picture quality, the lighting was bad in the gym and I had some camera issues. Enjoy the pictures!

I was reading, not writing.

I haven't really had much to write about this week. Abby's been great, the weather has been in the low 90s (which is a vast improvement over the 100+ from last week), and there's nothing particularly interesting going on. I usually think/write during nap time, but I've been busy trying to force myself to read my latest book: The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman. Said book came from the library, of course, and it was a new release so I only had a week to read it.

Since one of the things I miss about living in Richmond is the book club I was a part of, I'll just share my thoughts here!

This book had gotten pretty good reviews in Entertainment Weekly, Amazon and some other magazine I can't remember. And, according to the title, it appeared to have something to do with cooking or cookbooks, which is right up my alley. However, the "cookbook" part was a small plot-line that only became important halfway through. It also tried to tackle the dotcom boom of the 90s and religion by telling the story of around 10 different characters.

Basically? Don't bother reading it.

I'm headed to the library this afternoon....I have 3 more books on hold! And I promise I'll be back with something a little more interesting soon :)

My baby's a Big Girl!

Yesterday, Abby finally got her big girl bed! She's been in a toddler bed since we moved here, but obviously, we need the crib mattress for our other little one. Abby's been anxiously waiting and asking about her new bed since we got the new bedding a month ago. (And her best friend down the street also got one around that time.) Although bedtime took a little longer than usual (3 books, 2 sets of songs, and 3 "last" hugs and kisses), she did great! I woke up to some noises a few times in the night, but when I went to check on her she was just talking in her sleep. ("Just one more book!")
For me, it was a mix of relief and sadness: I'd crossed off one of the many things on my must-do-before-Austin-gets-here list and my baby is growing up. I only teared up once, much to my husband's surprise. I know it's just because I'm more aware of things lately, but it seems as if my baby girl has gone and I now have a little person in her place. She's potty-trained, she's in a big girl bed, she speaks original thoughts in sentences and paragraphs, she's developed a great sense of humor, and she's fiercely independent. She's a real person, flaws and all (that fierce independence I mentioned)!

I thought I'd be a little more nostalgic, but instead, I'm really enjoying all these new things. Well, most of them.

Cookies!

As promised...here's cookie post #1!

Sorry for the delay, but it's been really, really hot and I'm pregnant. Enough said?

After much thought, I think the best way to do these posts is to walk you through my methods. Take whichever tips you like, or just ignore them- it doesn't bother me :) Now, I realize that most people don't keep all the equipment and ingredients on hand like I do, so let's just start there. Shall we?

Tools:
1) Cookie Scoop - probably my favorite tool in my kitchen! Not only do the cookies come out pretty, but it's easy to use and all your cookies are the same size and bake equally.
2) Cookie Sheets - I prefer the medium colored sheets. The dark ones make your cookies dark, and the light ones have problems with evenness and sticking. Also, the cookie "sheet" works best. Sheets have only one or two curved edges. The ones that have an edge all around are called "baking pans" or "jelly roll pans" and tend to make the cookies on the edge cook a little faster. Personally, I have Calphalon cookie sheets, which are like $50 a pan, but don't judge. That's what wedding registries are for :) One last note on the sheets, please, please, please don't store your sheets in the oven. They warp, darken and you end up totally wasting money on your pans. You can get away with using cheap pans from Walmart, as long as you take care of them. (Okay. I am now off my soap box. Think I'm a little passionate about my cookware and cookies?)
3) Measuring cups and spoons - Baking is a science, it doesn't work if the measurements are off. Pyrex cups measure wet ingredients, dry cups measure dry.
4) Mixer - I use a KitchenAid (I got it as a college graduation gift, how nerdy am I?) but you don't have you. Hand mixers work fine, but you really need something to make sure the butter and sugar are creamed (more on that later :) )

Ingredients:
(Obviously, follow the recipe here. Just a few notes on some of my preferences.)
1) Unsalted butter, in sticks - I have tried it all and this works the best for my cookies. The butter makes for a lighter, flatter cookie. Crisco makes the cookies a little more dense. It needs to be unsalted and in measurable stick form because of that whole science thing again. In order to best cream the butter with the sugar, butter should be room temp so set it on the counter for a few hours before you start. In a pinch, you can microwave it for 5-8 seconds per side.
2) Vanilla - buy the good stuff, and by "good stuff" I don't mean McCormick.
3) Baking Soda/powder - check your recipe for which you need, and if you don't bake often, buy it new every time. It makes a big difference in the texture and amount of rise you get.
4) Brown sugar - I like the light brown sugar if it doesn't specify. Dark has more molasses and will make the cookies chewy.
5) Eggs - fresh and room temp.

I think that's all for now...questions?

Next up, mixing and scooping!

OBX with the JMU Crew

We are back from the beach! (Or as Abby put it, "my new home.") I must say, this was one of the first vacations where I actually was relaxed and didn't come home feeling like I needed a vacation from my vacation. I credit this to the company, of course, but also the fact that I am now used to spending all day, every day with my child. Normally, a week with Abby with exhaust me. This was yet another wonderful benefit of this stay-at-home mom thing!

It was a week full of the pool, (because Abby took one dip in the ocean and ran away yelling "This is not fun! I want to go to the pool!" Such a Momma's girl!) friends, and a whole lot of food. I can't wait for next year!