Day 25: Unwrapped



Day 24: Christmas Eve

David as baby Jesus

 

 

Molley (and the chocolate milk drinking sheep)

 

 

Day 23: Sparkle

Day 22: Cookies

The treats I made for David's class this year.



Day 21: Bells

5 Months

Age: Molley is 5 months old
Weight: 18lbs ish...again, she moves a lot on the scale.
Length:  26.5 inches
Sizes: She is in size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes.
Eyes: Dark blue
Hair: Dark brown...it's getting longer!
Sleeping: What's that again? Molley is getting up twice a night again. Girl likes to eat more at night than during the day. We'll be doing some sleep training over break.
Eating: She takes 4ish oz every 3hrs.
Milestones: She loves to roll! She can go from front to back and back to front. She can spin on her back to move around and get to any toy on her playmat she wants. She tries so hard to sit up and to hold her bottle. She loves to smile! Solids are just around the corner!
Memorable outings: Molley went with David to see Santa. Too bad she fell asleep before we actually got to Santa. She also went to Christmas at the Zoo, and fell asleep. Sensing a pattern here...
Favorite toys/activities:  The jumparoo! She was terrified of it the first time, but now she loves to jump and spin. It plays music and she loves to show off her jumping skills!
Words/sounds: Molley loves to sing! She wants you to talk to her, and she'll talk right back at you.
Nicknames: Sweet Pea, Molley-Molls (that's what they call her at school)
Funny moments: Molley startles very easily. At lunch with her cousin, Lyla, Molley fell asleep. I don't think Lyla like that, or she was excited about something else. She squealed and Molley's pupils didn't return to normal for a long time.
Looking forward to: Molley is trying really hard to hold her own bottle. We bought some with handles so she can take control. Looking forward to her figuring it out.

Day 20: Memories

This is my favorite time of the year.  Mom always made Christmas something special. She went all out with decorations and we never had a Christmas without everything that we had wanted. I have so many wonderful memories associated with Christmas.

For years (decades?) we went to the 11:00 service at church on Christmas Eve. We rang in the joyous day singing Silent Night holding candles with the same church family year after year. Afterwards, we would head home and watch a movie before going to bed.

Mom used to have her Christmas party on Christmas Eve. It started out with mostly choir members who would sing at the 8:00 service and again at the 11:00 service. She had food - tons of food, and we would all just eat and be merry. I remember the 1 year that we couldn't make it back for the 11:00 service because of a snow storm that dumped a foot of snow between the services. I was so upset to not be at the service, but people stayed and we still held candles and sang Silent Night.

The Huntoun's used to always perform on Christmas Eve. He would play the trombone, and she would sing. Every year it was Oh, Holy Night. I love that song. It is my favorite Christmas song, hands down.

Mom used to think she was so sneaky in wrapping our gifts. If we wanted earrings, she would fill a box with pennies to throw us off. I became very skilled in unwrapping gifts so I always knew what I was getting. I still acted surprised when I opened the gifts. I know that mom knew I did that every year, but she let me. Someone warned Nate that I would do that, so for our 1st Christmas, he wrapped better. :) He bought me 3 paintings to put in our bedroom, but wrapped each with another object, making the unwrapping impossible without him knowing. He wrapped one with a bowling ball, one with  a fire poker, and one with  a golf club. The bowling ball was hilarious, since it had Mike's name on it. :)

Decorating the tree each year was so much fun, even though I always complained about it. We had so many lights on that thing - it had to be a fire hazard. It would take me hours to get all of the lights on - like 30 strands. Then we would each put up "our" ornaments. We would "fight" all day about getting all of the stuff out.

Fudge - oh the fudge! Mom would make pounds of that stuff each year. A couple of the kids at the Christmas party called it pudge. Little did they know that slight mispronunciation was oh so true.

My china dolls. Every year mom would get us a new doll to add to our collection. Mine is sitting in my attic, ready to come out for Molley as soon as she is ready.

I cannot wait to start traditions with David and Molley so that one day they can have just as many found memories of Christmas as I do.

Day 19: Reindeer

So it's not an actual reindeer. Nate's mom bought this sleeper for David for his 1st Christmas. It was so cute on him, I just had to keep it.



Day 18: Giving

A couple of weekends ago, Nate and I helped the youth group, who were participating in The Sussy Project. I had so much fun listening to the ideas the kids had on how to spend the money, and what random acts of kindness they wanted to do.  We paid for movie tickets, bought Starbucks gift cards, took flowers to the maternity ward, gave water to the valets, took cookies to firefighters, and gave away a ton of candy canes.

I don't have any good pictures to post, but check out the link to find out more about the project!

Day 16: Ornaments



The ornament for my angels.

 

 

A reminder to always hang on to hope.

 

Shoes. I love this one because I have a shoe on my moms tree just like this.

 

What I want David and Molley to always know.

Day 15: Warmth

Nothing says warmth like hot cocoa on a cold winter day!

Day 14: Glitter

Glitter on the INSIDE of the ornament! More pretty, less mess. :)

Day 13: Festive

Downtown Indy is pretty darn festive this time of year. What other city turns their monument into a Christmas tree every year?

 

 

Day 12: Vintage

This angel is...I don't even know how old she is. She used to be on top of the tree at my mom's house, but was passed on to me about 10 years ago. Even though she's not perfect, I love her. Hopefully she'll continue to work year after year. I can't imagine anything else on top of my tree.



Day 11: Carols

Oh how I love Christmas music! I'm the person who starts playing it mid November, and keeps playing it until January 1st. I love hearing it in all of the stores, and singing it with David. There are no pictures/videos of that though, God said make a joyful noise, nothing about a pretty one.
Since I don't have my own picture or video, I thought I would link a couple of Youtube videos of my favorite Christmas songs.

I love Transiberian Orchestra's Christmas Cannon Rock.

I also am a fan of Rascal Flatt's version of Mary Did you Know.



You'll haver to wait a few days for my favorite one.  :)

Day 17: Wreath

Day 10: Joy

Joy in our household right now is silence. The sound of two peacefully sleeping children, preferably sleeping through the night.



Joy is also David and Molley in general. Each and everyday they bring joy into my life, even with the 2am feedings, or the 5am bathroom trips.



Day 9: Treats

This is not my picture. I am lame and forgot to take a picture of the treats I made for fmaily movie night at church. Mine looked just the same, except I didn't add the crushed candy cane on the bottom. Most of the kids didn't even care for the candy cane. The picture came from here.



Day 8: Tree

Day 7: Snow

We haven't had any snow yet this year. Heck, we didn't even have much snow last year, so this is form 2 years ago. Sadie loves the snow, so hopefully we get some this year. No snow days though. I don't want to be making those up in mid June. :)

Day 6: Stockings

Day 5: Santa

Boiler up!

Day 4: Tradition

This is Burry, our very own elf from the North Pole. We started this tradition with David last year, and I have to say that this year he is even more into it. We started December 1st with a breakfast straight from the North Pole, and Burry will return with Santa on Christmas Eve. David has had fun finding him each morning, though he has been upset that Burry has not been on the shelf each morning. "Mommy - he's the elf on the shelf! He needs to land on the shelf!"

Day 3: Gifts

If I was good, I would have a picture of my beautifully wrapped presents under the tree. Alas, I'm not that good. I am done shopping, but far from wrapping.

I bought David some kitchen utensils of his own and was searching for his own (boyish) apron. I was not having much luck. Then I found Time & Again Pillow Case Dresses and Aprons. (Also on Facebook here.) I loved the selection of gifts, and the quality is amazing! Since I was getting something for David, I had to get a dress for Molley too. I even picked up an iSpy bag that David will love! I'm glad I was able to support a local business, and find the perfect gifts! Check her out - she ships too!

Day 2: Decorations

My nativity is by far my favorite decoration. If I had the space, I would leave it out all year long.  My mom has one that I have always loved. When I finally had a home of my own, a nativity scene was the first thing on my Christmas decoration list.

Day 1: Lights

25 Days of Christmas

This year I've decided to do a 25 Days of Christmas photo challenge.  I got it from a pin I saw. This was the list from last year. I haven't found a new one for this year, but last years list will work for me. I will be starting on December 1st, and will post a new picture each day.

In case you want to join, here's the list I'll be using:

Day 1: Lights

Day 2: Decorations

Day 3: Gifts

Day 4: Tradition

Day 5: Santa

Day 6: Stockings

Day 7: Snow

Day 8: Tree

Day 9: Treats

Day 10: Joy

Day 11: Carols

Day 12: Vintage

Day 13: Festive

Day 14: Glitter

Day 15: Warmth

Day 16: Ornaments

Day 17: Wreath

Day 18: Giving

Day 19: Reindeer

Day 20: Memories

Day 21: Bells

Day 22: Cookies

Day 23: Sparkle

Day 24: Christmas Eve

Day 25: Unwrapped

Happy picture taking!

4 Months

Age: Molley is 4 months old
Weight: 15lbs 13oz
Length:  25 inches
Sizes: She is in size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes.
Eyes: Dark blue
Hair: Dark brown peach fuzz hair
Sleeping: She sleeps best when she is in her woombie. She's regressed some in her sleeping and is back to getting up twice a night.
Eating: She takes 4oz every 3hrs.
Milestones: The giggling! I love that so much. Her sweet smiles. Molley was also baptized earlier this month. She can roll from front to back, when she wants to.
Memorable outings: Molley went to ZooBoo and did the haunted house at the Children's Museum. She went to Trunk-or-Treat at church and Trick-or-Treating with David.
Favorite toys/activities:  She loves her playmat and bouncer. The Jump-a-roo comes out soon!
Words/sounds: Lots of cooing and "talking"
Nicknames: Sweet Pea, Molley-Molls (that's what they call her at school)
Funny moments: While getting baptized, David was terrified that someone would be taking Molley away. When I gave her to the Pastor, he said "No, I need Molley back!" He loves his litte sister.
Looking forward to: More sleep :) Starting solids.

Cranberry-Pumpkin Bars

I love fall and all of the foods that come with it. I love pumpkin and I love cranberry. What could be better than those food separately? Those foods combined!

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it originated here. These bars were easy to make, although next time I think I will make them into cookies or muffins. My bars did not look like the did on website. They come out more like a brownie than a bar. They would be great with real cranberrys or even white chocolate chips - yum! They were pretty darn good!



Cranberry-Pumpkin Bars

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 Tbsp butter at room temperature

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 large egg and 1 large egg white

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp table salt

2/3 cup dried cranberries

(I actually used pumpkin pie filling because it was what I had on hand.)

Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter; beat in egg, egg white, pumpkin  and buttermilk.
In medium bowl, combine flour, oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture just until moistened, then add cranberries and mix gently.

Spread batter in pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center springs back when gently pressed. Cool and cut into bars.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chilli

I love my crockpot. It makes dinner so easy and quick. Just dump and go. Super easy, and you come home to dinner done!

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chilli
(Found originally here)

2 chicken breasts, still frozen
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can corn kernels, do not drain
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 T cumin
1 t chilli powder
1 t onion powder
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese
_________
Put the chicken in the crock pot.
Top with the tomatoes, corn, the drained and rinsed beans, ranch dressing, cumin, onion and chili powders, stir to combine then top with the cream cheese.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring one or twice to blend in the cheese.
Shred the chicken into large pieces and serve over rice.

This was so good, not spicy, and full of flavor. We topped with some cheese and sour cream.

David Says...

Preschoolers can say the darnedest things. David is no exception.

(While noticing that David looked upset)
Me: David, what is making you upset?
David: My face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(My parents took their deck out, and are waiting for the new patio to be poured.)
Me: David, where did the deck go?
David (looking very concerned): Oh no! God took it. He went that way!

(Upon completion of the patio.)
David: Mommy, look. God brought Nene and Papa a new deck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Heard when a gust of wind came through, knocking a bunch of leaves down)
David: Fall is here! It's fall! It's fall! Mommy...did you know if was fall?!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(We told David that God and Jesus are up in the sky, and we see them in the sun, feel them in the wind, etc. This was heard on a cloudy day in the middle of a busy restaurant.)
David: MOMMY!!! I can't find Jesus!! We have to find him!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David: Mommy. It's a spider.
Me: Yes it is. Mommy doesn't like spiders.
David: I don't either. Spiders are mean. They eat other bugs. I only like crickets. They eat grass.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Said while David was wearing his Superman shirt and cape.)
Man: It's Superman! Can you fly too?
David: Superman can't fly. Only God can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David: Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy!!!!!
Me: What do you need David?
David: Nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David: Mommy, can we ride the train today?
Me: No, not today.
David: Don't make me cry!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David has been in speech for a couple of years, at first just to get him to talk, and now working on pronunciation.
David: I'm done with my 'nack.
Me: S-N-ACK
David: I'm done with my 'nack.
Nate: SN-ACK
(Pause while David thinks)
David: I'm done with my food.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David: Daddy, where did you computer come from?
Nate: Apple made it.
David: You mean God?
Nate: No, Apple.
David: God made everything, so he made your computer too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mommy, will you color with me?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Me: I love you, David.
David: I love you, mommy.
Me: I love you to the moon and back.
David: I love you to God and back.

Chicken Enchiladas

I'm loving my adventurous side in trying new foods out. Now, I still use "normal" ingredients, but, I like having new recipes in my rotation. I am not adventurous in what I will cook with, or eat. This did not disappoint! It was easy to make, yummy, and was even better for lunch the next day. My secretary even asked for the recipe based on the smell of my lunch.
I found this on Pinterest and made some tweaks

Chicken Enchiladas

10 soft taco shells
3 cups shredded chicken (I did not measure. I just used some shredded chicken I had leftover from another recipe.
3 cups shredded cheese - we used Colby Jack. Monterrey Jack would be good too. Again, did not measure.

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken stock - broth could be used too

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 1/2 cups cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Don't let the chilies fool you - they are not spicy at all. Trust me I don't do spicy. I would not lead you astray!

A Trip North

Nate and I recently made our first road trip as a family of four. We traveled to St. Cloud, MN for a wedding. Nate's brother, Jon, tied the knot with Lynette. We are so excited to have a new member in the Mott family!

Prior to our trip, I decided that I wanted to make them something for a wedding gift. Something personal. I searched the net, aka Pinterest, for a project that sparked my interest. It turned out pretty well. In case the happy couple hated it, I also threw in a gift card so they could get something they needed. :)

What I started with

What I finished with

On trip day, we got up and were on the road by 6am. We could not have asked for two better kids to travel with. Made being in the car a dream, until the last 90 min. Molley reached her car seat limit at 12hrs. Still not a bad day of travel.

Wedding day we got up and putzed around in the morning before leaving for the church. The only wish I had for the day (besides a beautiful day for the bride and groom) was for 1 good family picture. Here is what I got.

Asking David if we can take his picture

Trying to get David to stand with Molley and I. In typical David form, he ignored me and I got irritated.

The best I got

At least Molley was happy

And for the family shot. This is the only one with out David moving. Nice.

Saturday was an exciting day for me! My friend from college, Kelly, and her family drove up to see us for a while. I was so glad they could come. We hadn't seen each other since right after David was born. Our oldest are around 2 months apart, and our youngest 6wks. It was so good to see her!!

Holding each others kiddo

And our own

We tried to get one with all of us. David was not having it.

I also go to meet two amazing May moms! We have been chatting through BabyCenter daily for over a year in a private group, and for a while prior in a public group. It so happens that one mom lives in St. Cloud (for now) and one in St. Paul. With 3 of us in one place, we had to meet. We chatted for 3 hours and could have gone longer. It was so good to finally meet the women who know me so well, even if we had never actually seen each other. We took a group shot, in which I got foreheads. I have short arms.  A girl at the coffee shop took some, and had us do "the time of our life" expressions.

Abby has longer arms that I do.



Sunday we got up early and traveled to Chicago. We decided to take David to Shedd on Monday. He had so much fun, though wanted nothing to do with us taking pictures of him.

  

After our visit inside, we walked on the boardwalk around Shedd and Adler Planetarium. Would you know that on the other side, there was a beach! Happy boy. He was wanted to go to the beach all summer.

It was a great trip! We will take David back to Shedd, and soon. I am not a fan of the hustle and bustle of Chicago, but for David is has all a boy needs - water, sand, fish, and trains. No boy could ask for more.

It was a great long weekend. We had 2 great travelers. We have 2 amazing kids!



Spaghetti Casserole

Thanks to Stephanie at Plain Chicken, I have found so many new recipes to try. My last attempt at a new recipe was a huge hit, so I decided to try another. This did not disappoint! I did make a few tweaks based on what I had, but nothing major. Nate and I loved this, and it's even better for lunch the next day! I doubled the recipe and froze half of it. It was super easy to make, budget friendly, and *gasp* semi healthy.

1 box spaghetti of your choice
1/2 stick of butter (1 egg could be used instead of butter)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup non-fat cottage cheese
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1/2 lb ground turkey
2 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 Tbsp dried garlic
1 (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

*You could easily use all turkey or all sausage. I like the flavor of the sausage, but the health of the turkey, so I mixed.
Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a pan with cooking spray.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain.  Toss spaghetti with butter and parmesan cheese.  Place in pan.  Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti mixture.

Cook sausage and turkey, onion and garlic.  Drain.  Add sausage back to skillet and stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning.  Cook until thoroughly heated.  Spread over cottage cheese mixture.  Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

3 Months

Age: Molley is 3 months old
Weight: 14ish pounds
Length: 23.5 inches
Sizes: She is in size 1 diapers, but moving to size 2 soon. She is in 0-3 month clothes, but will be moving to 3-6 soon because that is where all of her cold weather clothes are. :)
Eyes: Dark blue
Hair: Dark brown peach fuzz hair
Sleeping: She sleeps best when she is in her woombie. We love that thing. She sleeps 8+hours at a time, eats, and then goes back to bed.
Eating: She takes 4oz every 3-4hrs. Before bed, she takes anywhere from 5-8oz, and her night feeding is 6-8oz.
Milestones: Smiles!! Lots of "talking", giggles
Memorable outings: Road trip to MN for Uncle Jon and Aunt Lynette's wedding. Also had a stop in Chicago, IL. She was a trooper!
Favorite toys/activities:  Her bouncer seat, swing, bumbo
Words/sounds: Lots and lots of cooing. We're starting to get giggling!!
Nicknames: Sweet Pea, Bright Eyes
Funny moments: None this month.
Looking forward to: Sleeping through the night consistently.

A video of her cute laughter.

History museum

Last year, we went to the free day at Connor Prairie with my mom, sisters, and their boys. We had so much fun, a repeat was in order. We had beautiful weather, and my brother-in-law even joined for the fun. Best part was I got my Christmas present early - a membership from my mom so we can go whenever we want! The boys did more of the history parts this year. They all joined the army and helped protect IN in the Civil War Days. :) Check out the fun we had!

Jackson ready to go!

 

Justin. Not sure what he was doing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ready to shoot a gun

 

 

 

 

 

Lyla got tired.

 

 

Stilts!

 

 

 

 

 

It's Fall!!

 

 

 

Prairie beauty

 

 

 

 

I love this place, and so does David. Lots of space to run outside, and play areas inside. I love that Indy has so many places we can go for fun and learning!

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance

"When a child looses his or her parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse looses his or her partner, they are called a widow. When are parent looses a child, there isn't a word to describe them."

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. It  was declared in 1988 by President Reagan.

This month is dedicated throughout the world to raising awareness of infant and pregnancy loss and to honouring and remembering babies and infants who died due to miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, SIDS and all infant deaths. It's a month when we talk. Too many times a loss is pushed under the rug, forgotten by others.

October 15th is a day of remembrance. A day when women and couples across the nation, the world remember what was lost. A day when no one has to suffer in silence or alone. We honor our angels. We remember that they are always with us, watching from above.

Prior to my losses, I had no idea that a day like this existed. No idea that there was a month dedicated to educating people and raising awareness. I never imagined that anything could go wrong. I didn't know of anyone who had been through a loss, until I had mine. Then it became okay for others to talk to me and share. It's not something that anyone wants to go through. It's not something that you just forget.

If you know someone who has experienced a loss, hug them. Tell them know you remember. Cry with them, talk with them.

I am blessed. I am blessed to now have 2 healthy children. I am blessed to have been there for other friends who experienced a loss after I did. I may not know why God needed my babies back, but I am blessed to know that I have two special angels up in heaven watching over me and my family.

Traveling Birthday

Two - the number of drivers
Four - the number of passengers
Twelve - the number of hours MapQuest says it will take us
Fifteen - the number of hours we hope to make it in
Thirty-three - the number of years I am old...young

We are traveling to MN for my brother-in-law's wedding. Today there will be tears, and not only from my children. I am sure at some point I will cry and whine, and ask are we there yet. Nate may wish he'd left us all at home and gone solo.

Today I turn 33. 33 years ago I was blessed to come into this world to two amazing parents, who still take care of me and who I know I can never thank enough.

Maybe it's working with teenagers on a daily basis, but I don't feel 33. Sure, I don't move as fast as I did 10 years ago, I have more wrinkles and more grey hair, and I need more sleep, but I still feel young at heart.

This is the time of year when Nate tells everyone that he married an older woman. For a whopping 33 days, I am older than him. This is also the time of year when I tend to ignore him more. :)

This last year was a good one. We celebrated 4 years of marriage and watched David turn 3. We had many family outings to go on adventures, and many cozy family nights in. We got a new niece. We went from a family of three to a family of four. I thank God daily for blessing us over and over again.

Here is to another great year full of fun times with family and friends!

BBQ Chicken Corn Casserole and Loaded Hashbrown Casserole

I've been in an adventurous mood when it comes to what's for dinner. I've tried a lot of recipes recently, but last nights was one of my, and Nate's, favorites.  You can't go wrong with with as much sour cream and cheese as was in these dishes! It was super quick, easy, and eaten. Did I take pictures of my process, nope. But I promise, it only took me about 10 minutes to throw these together.

I got the recipes from Plain Chicken. I've been following her blog and trying a lot of her recipes. My waistline shows it. :)

BBQ Chicken Cornbread Bake

• 1 can of corn
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 box cornbread mix
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 3 cups cooked chopped chicken*
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

* I used 1/2 of a whole chicken that I had cooked and frozen a few weeks ago. A rotisserie chicken would be great too!

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Mix together corn, creamed corn, sour cream, cornbread mix and butter.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake 30-40 minutes minutes, until casserole is almost done.

Toss chicken with BBQ sauce

Remove cornbread casserole from oven.  Top with chicken mixture and top with cheese. 

Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted

Hashbrown Casserole

• 2 (16oz) containers sour cream
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 (3oz) bags real bacon bits
• 1 large (28 - 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes - shredded kind

Combine first 4 ingredients, mix in hash browns.  Spread into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes.

I divided this into 2 8x8 pans and froze one to enjoy later.

2 months

 

Age: Molley is 2 months old
Weight: 12 pounds 8oz 
Length: 23  inches
Sizes: She is in size 1 diapers and finally filling out 0-3 month clothes.
Eyes: Dark blue
Hair: Dark brown peach fuzz hair
Sleeping: She sleeps best when she is swaddled. She is sleeping more at night now. We usually get a 6 hr stretch, followed by a 4hr one, and then a 3hr one.
Eating: She is getting more consistent with feeds, usually 4oz every 3-4 hours. She is on generic Similac Advanced now. Seems to work best for her.
Milestones: Smiles!! And lots of "talking"
Memorable outings: We've been so many places the last month. She met her great grandma Knight, Connor Prairie, the zoo, museum, Maybe her fav was shopping at the mall?
Favorite toys/activities:  She is starting to love her playmat more and more, and her bouncer. She also likes talking to the wall and watching David play.
Words/sounds: Lots and lots of cooing.
Nicknames: Sweet Pea, Bright Eyes
Funny moments: We love watching David grow in his big brother role. When she is fussy, he runs to help. At the dentist, the receptionist held Molley while David watched me get my teeth cleaned. When she cried, he lept into action, first taking her paci to her, then her blanket, then insisting that the hygienist stop so I could make a bottle. He loves her so much!
Looking forward to: Still waiting for no night time bottle, but I also like those early morning smiles.

Center of It

Keeping faith can be hard, at least for me. There are days when I wonder what God is thinking handing me the things he does that day. Like, really God, you think I can get through this standing on the other side? There are days when I think God has forgotten about me, like I'm a lost cause and he's moved on to greener pastures. Then there are days when I know he is standing right beside me holding my hand. Those are the days that I need to hold on to and know that he is always there, I just sometimes take that for granted.

 

Yesterday was a day that I forgot God was there. Molley had a rough first day at daycare. I wasn't ready to come back to work, and when I picked her up and she hadn't eaten much all day, hadn't slept, I thought that's it, I'm quitting and staying home. I know I can't do that, and I do love my job and the people I work with. I would miss that, and Molley would miss out on all of the fun David has had being in school there. It just seemed that God was giving me more than I could handle at once. He wasn't, and I know that she will be fine and it's just an adjustment period.

 

I heard this song on my way to work this morning, and I think it's just what I needed to hear. I've heard it before, and never paid attention to it. This morning, something told me to turn it up and listen. No matter what - good, bad, ugly, God is right there in the center of it all.

 

"Center Of It" by Chris August

 

Somedays I'm feelin' like I
Can't win, can't get it right and it
Don't matter how hard I try
Today is not my day
When it feels like I'm going crazy
And it looks like nothings changing
Come sun come rainy day
You are still the same

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall
You'll be there through it all
At the start, at the end In the center of the center of it

Some nights I lay awake and I
Can't push these thoughts away
I'm worried where I'm gonna go
Where I'm gonna be are You gonna be there for me
When it feels like the doors are closing
Gotta trust that You're doing something
Come sun come rainy day
You are all I need

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall You'll be there through it all
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it

There will be days I will forget
Everything You've done for me
But when I go back there again
I'm reminded

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and the night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall You'll be there through it all
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it
The center of it all, the center of it
In the loss, in the win
In the beauty and the sin
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it

 

Back to Work

Well, the day came. Maternity leave is over, and back to work I go. 8 weeks does not seem like enough time.

I had mixed feelings about this day. I am so excited to see all of my friends at the River and to get back into the swing of things. I know my to-do list will be long, and it will be a few days (weeks) before I'm fully into the groove.

I am not so excited to leave Molley and David full time. I have grown to love our schedule at home and all of the things I was able to do with them both. It wasn't always easy, and they both got on my nerves at times, but they're mine and I love them. I know that we will still have our late afternoon and evenings together and that we will get into a new routine at home. As many of my mom friends have told me, the build up to the first day is worse than the day itself. I think they are right.

Getting ready to leave

In the car ready to go