Sweet Hayden

This Sunday I was able to go to my home town to visit with some family who flew in from out of town - my cousin Lesley and her two kids, Harrison (4) and Hayden (2). They haven't been up to visit since Christmas, so it has been a while since we've had the opportunity to catch up and see how big the kids have grown.

Hayden is my goddaughter, and I often send her things - usually just a book and a little treat for whatever holiday is coming up - but she is at the age where she can start to associate those things with me, so Lesley has been showing her pictures of me and whenever I send something she tells her "Those are from Meagan" and Hayden walks around saying "From my Meagan" for a couple days, so I was definitely excited to see her.

She, on the other hand, was not so excited to see me. She is just not used to having such a large group around her so she was pretty leery at my grandmother's, even though she had done fine a few days earlier with just my grandmother there. Oh well. I brought presents to win her love - hey! Don't make that face at me. She is two and I only see her twice a year, I've got to do something...

I brought her a pretty dress and a Cinderella crown and wand and best of all, some bright pink nail polish for her toes. So after dinner she let me paint her toes and then she, Lesley and I went for a walk to the park around the corner. When we were there, we were telling her about the baby growing in my tummy and how next time she visited, the baby would be out and she could help me take care of it. She really liked that because she likes to help with the real babies at day care and lines up all her babies at home to feed them and rock them.

Best of all, she touched my tummy and sang the baby a song - "You are my sunshine." SO sweet! All in all, it was such a nice visit and I am looking forward to their visit at Christmastime with little no-name in my belly.

Enjoy it!

Oh no... not that!

The time has come... I have been dreading it and putting it off and making excuses, but despite my valiant efforts, this weekend I finally have to give in and just do it. I have to clean the closet in our spare bedroom.

Hopefully all goes well with the house situation and we will be able to move, but in the event that we stay here another year, we will need a place to store baby things. And if we move, we will need to have things packed. So this weekend, despite the blazing heat and stifling lack of air in our apartment, I am going to give it my best shot, the old college try, and start to get rid of my junk.

Kevin moved into this apartment a few months before I did, so most of my things were packed into storage bins and tucked away in closets, almost never to be revisited. A lot of it is my craft things, which I am reluctant to throw away because I have a tendancy to revisit projects and phases, but there is also things I have been hanging onto since high school (or longer) and it is just time. Time to get rid of the excess and start clean.

Wish me luck!!

Yay for ultrasounds!

Some of these pictures are a bit creepy, but gosh I love the little foot <3

Looking right at the face

Profile of the little wiggle worm - all it did the whole time was move and move.

Here it is, arching its neck back

Zombie baby!

This one is tougher to see - that little white triangle is

the nose (see the nostrils?) and upper lip

Wee little legs

Hurry Up and Wait

It seems like that is all I am doing these days - hurry up and wait. We had to hustle to find a house so we would be able to close by the time our lease is up. Well, we found the house and now we just have to wait until all the pieces are in place. I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row for the baby, but so much of it is up in the air depending on this thing or that.

So here I am, waiting to pack, to paint and nest, to prepare for the baby by getting a crib or picking out a daycare.

Lord, give me patience...

Half-way there

Today marks the day that we are half-way to the finish line – 20 weeks pregnant, 20 weeks to go! We’ve still got a LOT of preparing to do – pick out furniture, find a day care, move to a new place… But we also have a lot of things to look forward to – I am starting to feel the baby move more, soon Kevin will be able to feel it, we have an ultrasound next Wednesday and this time the baby will look like a baby rather than a kidney bean (at 6w1d). I am hoping that I will soon look pregnant, rather than like I’ve been hitting the donuts. The few maternity clothes I’ve got help the appearance of the bump for sure. I’m debating whether I should buy another BellyBand or finally cave and get a pair of maternity pants.

Here’s to another 20 weeks of a growing belly and new experiences!

Enjoy it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Since I've been pregnant, I really have been slacking on the baking front, especially because the heat in our second floor apartment is stifling. I used to bake a lot - if I got a taste for something, I would make it for myself, save one or two pieces and then send the rest with Kevin to work. So this baking break I've been taking has been affecting more than just me, myself and I.

Kevin's been working the guys on his crew really hard to keep up the past couple weeks - demand is up and his shift is short people, so it's been a struggle, not to mention all the equipment that keeps breaking down and slowing things up. So today I offered to make something for him to bring as a 'thank you' to the people he works with, for working so hard and being supportive, since he is a newly appointed manager. I browsed through my starred recipes and found something perfect - chocolate-y, peanut butter-y, and individually portioned (since there is a guy on the crew with questionable personal hygiene aka "Hands in the Pants Guy"). I haven't been hanging on to this for very long, but boy I'm glad I didn't wait to make it any more!

Peanut Butter Cake

(recipe from Cooking With Joey)

**Made just under 3 doz cupcakes**

1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Heat oven to 325°.
Original recipe calls for a bundt pan, but I wanted to make cupcakes for the aforementioned reason.

In a large mixing bowl, cream peanut butter, butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla.

In a smaller bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. I sifted them, but I don't think you need to. I also forgot the baking powder (did you know forgetfulness is a symptom of pregnancy?), and if I were to make it again, I would include it, but they don't seem any worse for the wear (excuse me while I like ganache off my fingers...).

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients along with about 1/2 the buttermilk and slowly beat until well blended. Add another 1/3 and the rest of the buttermilk and repeat. Add the final installation of dry ingredients and beat until smooth.

Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake. Since I did cupcakes, I started at about 15 minutes and checked them, then put them in for a little longer. I ended up at about 22 mins but make sure you are watching them.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes then carefully remove from the pan and invert on a baking rack.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache.

3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup corn syrup
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (or more) creamy peanut butter

In a saucepan, combine the cream and corn syrup. Bring to a simmer, add chocolate and salt, and remove from heat. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in the peanut butter until well blended.

I made mine in my smallest saucepan and it was plenty big enough. It also meant that the ganache was a little deeper, so I just dipped the cupcakes right in - it made the frosting quick and painless. I packed up the extra ganache in a little Tupperware and sent it to work with Kevin, so they could warm it up and have a little extra if they wanted. The original recipe says to save it and use it as a topping for ice cream or pound cake, if you are looking for more uses.

Please ignore the wonky photography.

I never claimed to have any skills in that department.

Having a GREAT Day!

You know, sometimes things just line up so nice and all these little things make an ordinary day...just excellent.

As I mentioned in a previous post, we are house hunting. On Tuesday we put an offer in on a house and on Wednesday we found out it was accepted, which means we are officially on the road to becoming homeowners. Barring any major complications or problems with the home inspection, we should be in by August 20 or SOONER! Yahoo!

Yesterday, my husband met his mother near our home so they could go shopping. She was looking for some help to pick out a computer for her husband for Fathers Day and also something for me because today is my birthday. I have asked for about a million things for my birthday, including but not limited to, a puppy, a magically machine that inhales all cat hair, and a camcorder. But the one thing I really wanted is what my mother in law got me - a waffle iron!

I am not even kidding. That is what I have wanted for months and months but I just never got it for myself. So this morning, I made myself waffles for breakfast. Yum! And tonight, we are going out for hibachi for dinner. It is not Kevin's favorite, so this is the one time a year I get to pick a hibachi restaurant and it is ok. My parents just called my work phone and sang "Happy Birthday," I am going home this weekend and my mom is going to help me register at BRU and some of my friends will be home too so we can hopefully get together.

I puffy pink heart today <3

Enjoy it!

Worry Wart

Way back a couple months ago, before I was pregnant, I used to worry that we would never have kids or that I would never be able to get pregnant, because of problems I was having with regulating my period. Drama queen, much?

I guess I have always been a worrier, but I am just starting to get a taste of worrying about a child. We've visited Babies R Us on several occasions, mostly because I just like to get some ideas and it sort of makes it seem more real. But, inevitably I end up leaving feeling overwhelmed and vastly unprepared. There are so many choices of everything, from carseats and cribs to breast pumps, bottles and pacifiers.

On top of that, we plan to wait until the baby is born to find out if it is a boy or a girl, which is getting me really frustrated with my decorating choices. I've already decided that I don't want to get a whole bedding set because a lot of the stuff in there (bumper, comforter) is considered a SIDS risk and shouldn't be used until they are older anyway. But I am desperately seeking solid colors and every time I find something I like, it has a little design on it. You can't choose anything girly, because it is SO girly, and everything that could be neutral has frogs or giraffes all over it because those are animals that come in green and yellow.

So here I am, up in the air about where we will be living, unable to decide about ANYTHING we need to register for, and worrying about how on earth I will be able to take care of this tiny little person when I can't even pick out a pacifier...

And I know - this is just the beginning!

For real, this time.

Ok, so I know that every post lately has been a catch-up post, but for serious, I am getting back into the darn blogging, I swear.

1. Remember last post, where I mentioned the possibility of a new job within my company, full time, regular hours, no weekends? Well, wonder of wonders, miracles of miracles, one of the jobs came through. And I am loving it. I was able to get right back into the habit of early to bed and early to rise, no problem. I love wearing real clothes instead of my uniform shirt, and working at a "big kid" job. I really missed this!

2. Kevin got a promotion at work! I am seriously SO proud of him. He is a great worker and I am glad that he was recognized for his abilities and all the potential he has to grow.

3. We are moving!! I don't know where yet, and I don't know when, but we will NOT be staying in this apartment for much longer. Currently we are house hunting (we've already put an offer in but unfortunately it was not accepted), but we are also looking for apartments, since we have to be out by August 31 (unless we try to extend it for 3 months, potentially...). We are in need of a little more room because...

4. We are having a baby!! We are so very excited about this new addition to our family. Currently, the arrival date is on or around Nov 10, which makes me 18w5d today, in my second trimester and also the beginning of my 5th month. No significant news so far, everything sounds good from what the doctors can here and we have our ultrasound set for June 30. Don't get too excited, we are not finding out the sex - it is going to be a surprise! I am really excited to see the baby, as it will actually look like a baby and not a kidney bean (we had an ultrasound at 6w1d to date the pregnancy... not much to see there, but there was a strong heartbeat).

Well, I guess that means we are all caught up and from now on, hopefully I can keep on this blogging train. I have missed it!

Enjoy it! :)

Let's catch up!

There really just hasn't been a whole lot of exciting stuff going on with me lately, at least nothing I am ready to blog about, but I thought I could play a little catch up here:

-I have applied for two new jobs, and had interviews for both. Both are within my current company, but moving from a store to a corporate level, which would be nice and mean more regular hours and the possibility of having my weekends back (please sweet tiny baby Jesus, please). So if you have some to spare, send the good vibes my way, as I would love love love to get one of these jobs.

-I have been working like a madman to finish my best friend Kara's wedding invitations and was FINALLY able to drop them off to her last Wednesday. They wouldn't have taken so long, but the company I ordered supplies from (someone I've used before and been very happy with) was having a little issue. Thankfully we got the problem corrected and they overnighted them to me (no charge). I am really happy with the way they turned out and I hope she is too!

-We had a birthday party for Kevin a couple weekends ago - he turned the big 2-5! A quarter century! I keep razzing him about it, but when my turn comes around in June, I don't think I will be so happy. We had a lovely time and I was able to try out a bunch of new recipes on his friends. So glad everyone could come!

Enjoy it!

Ice Wine Festival 2010

Ok, we actually went and participated in this waaaaay back in the last weekend of January but since I have been an awful blogger, I will finally fill you in now. If you are not familiar with the wonder that is ice wine, you are missing out. I've linked to how it is made, but basically it's grapes left on the vine until they are very very sweet and harvested (usually in the middle of the night at the end of january) while still frozen. The resulting wine is super sweet, very concentrated and almost a little syrup-y. And my husband will tell you - like nectar from the gods. I love wine in all manifestations, but this stuff is truly heavenly. And a little goes a long way, which is good, because a half-bottle can cost up to $100, if not more.

The festival itself is a great day trip. Wineries were open from 11-5pm and most participated in a Discovery Pass - you purchase a pass and get 6 tickets to participate in events and tastings. The pass was $30, most events were $10/each so we saved half by doing the passes. We got to go to 6 different wineries, try their wines and also their interesting pairings. Many places had biscotti, fondue, and fruit. One even had a pork slider (complete with a whole pig, roasted on a spit - see pic below!) and icewine infused applesauce. This is the official website, in case you are interested in checking it out.

We also ended up staying overnight at a B&B in Niagara Falls. I love B&Bs so much! This was our early anniversary celebration. It was so lovely. Let me give you the tour:

This was our bed. It was the loudest bed known to man. If you looked at it funny, it creaked. The other people staying there probably thought we were animals, but what can you do?

Here is the cozy fireplace, which believe you me, we needed. Although it looks all warm and cozy, this place was no different from any old house - drafty! Add in that it was about 9 degrees Fahrenheit and that makes for one chilly room.

There's Kevin, enjoying the sitting area.... aka waiting for me to be done taking pictures of the place!

Ahh, there it is! The most glorious tub is all of creation. I love to soak in a tub! It almost didn't happen - when we got home from dinner, I went to turn on the water and it was ice cold and wouldn't warm up. Fortunately, I tried it a little later and all was well. I don't think you can tell, but in that little shelf in the middle, there are some floating flowers and a rubber ducky, which was super cute.

This is the view from the tub, beautiful bay windows. Of course, there really wasn't much to see outside, but it was still lovely.

And this was the high ceiling in the bathroom, which I completely loved. Kevin pointed out that I like things to be big because it makes me feel small, and I think he is right.

These were the windows in the middle of the sitting area, they opened into a 3 seasons room. In general, I think the whole stay would have been more enjoyable if it was a warmer season. But we thought it was beautiful just the same, even if a bit cold.

Here's Kevin, enjoying a cupcake at the Festival

He is tres sophisicated, with his pinky up

And below is the pig on a spit. I thought it wasn't real, and then the guy started cutting some off. Yipes!

Fun Things You Learn

by being a cat mom...

When you notice the cat chewing on some string early in the morning and yell at him to get away, you may spend your evening chasing the cat around in oven mitts, yelling and then pulling said string out of him so he doesn't drag poop around your house. Thank you, Oscar, for that very exciting lesson.

Letter

Dear Uterus,

No one is amused with your antics. Quite frankly, I've had all I can take with this nonsense. Get your head in the game, play like a champion and all that jazz. Periods come once a month, that is how it is, and you are slacking on your end of the deal here. Let's get it together here.

Forever yours,

Someone who wants a baby and is growing increasingly jealous that she can't even get a period with all the baby announcements going on around her