Letters to Eli #3

Hello, my sweet baby boy!

As we have reached your four month birthday mark, I cannot help but be in awe and shock that your first year of life is already almost 1/3 of the way through and be amazed at how much you are growing and changing every day. I feel like with every passing moment you are learning to do something new. You have rolled over a few times, and you are on the brink of realizing that you are capable of doing so at will. You are starting to pull yourself up to a sitting position when Prince Charming and I prop you on our knees at an incline. You love to grab your toys on your playmat gym and stick them into your mouth. You also watch us so closely as we move around now that you are starting to roll from back to front trying to keep up with us. And your new favorite thing at bathtime is having your own rag to suck on while mommy bathes you. You are still a wonderful sleeper and an even better eater. You switch from bottle to mommy with no issues, and I am so grateful for the answered prayer of a good (although it wasn't always easy) nursing relationship with you. You "coo" and babble a lot, and I love hearing your sweet voice. Oh, and your laugh...it brings light and joy to a moment like rays of sunshine on a cloudy, gray day. Your daddy LOVES to make you laugh, and it is definitely a contagious sound.

Photograph by TJMohr Photography

Last night, when you were taking your evening bath in your blue tub in the kitchen sink, you started to really pay attention to your little feet. It is such a joy and blessing to be able to watch you figure things out and experience all of the little things I take for granted each day with such inquisitivenss and wonder. This past Sunday, you stood in the Jumperoo in the church nursery by yourself, and I almost cried because you looked like such a big boy. I try really hard to stay in the moment with you and not be too sad that these moments will be gone. It is a dangerous temptation to grieve the passage of time before it has even come and gone...then you miss the moments while they are happening. Your three month pictures your Uncle Boat took of you turned out PRECIOUS! We are so lucky to have such talented friends and family to love on you by sharing their gifts.

Although I wish my family was closer to you to get to experience all of this with you and with me, I am grateful for the family that you do have here. Your Bella, Bubby, and SugarPie love to keep you during the week, and you light up when you see them. I still can't get enough of you, and I can't wait to run home to you at the end of every work day. I still remind myself daily that I am a working mom to provide FOR you, and that helps get me through the tough days. Over Mardi Gras break, you and I had lots of fun adventures together while Daddy was on a mission trip to Haiti. We went to Mississippi to see your Aunt Cookie and Memaw and Aunt Dolly and Uncle John. She snuggled you to pieces! I also realized how very grateful I am that you sleep in your own crib at home. When you slept with me while we were in Mississippi (I didn't bring your pack and play since I had to pack and load up on my own), you were a kicker!

Photograph by TJMohr Photography

One thing we are hoping to work on as a family is taking the time to sit down around the table for dinner instead of grabbing it in the den. I know you are too little right now to really notice, but it is a habit that will be good for us to go ahead and establish as a family. I want you to know that we are always ready and willing to slow down and listen to you anytime you need us.

Photograph by TJMohr Photography

At your four month check up you weighed 17 lbs and 6 oz, were 26 3/4 inches long, and your head circumference was (once again) off the charts! (Don't worry, my love, it is genetic.) You had to get two shots, but you really only cried for maybe 30 seconds before you nursed yourself back to calm. We will start giving you some rice cereal before long, and that will be a grand new adventure for us. That is all for now, my dear. I will continue to pray for you every time I think of you, and the prayers will be the same: that you will be healthy and safe, that you will one day believe in and pursue God with your whole heart and life, and that those around you will all promote a healthy spiritual life for you.

Photograph by TJMohr Photography

I love you more today than yesterday and less than I will tomorrow,
Mommy.

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Artichoke and Bacon Pasta

Hey, Blogging Friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with lots of love and gratitude. I certainly enjoyed mine with little Eli and my Prince Charming. I know some people come down hard on Valentine's Day for being a "greeting card invented" holiday, but I lean towards the school of thought that since life can get so busy, it is nice to have a day set aside to remember to express your love to the people you care about. It is also a day that provides many reminders of all the blessings God has given out of His love for us, mainly the gift of His only Son, Jesus, to bring us back to Him. Greater love hath no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. 

I am a stay at home for Valentine's kind of girl. I would rather picnic in the den than go to a crowded restaurant. Prince Charming knows this. He surprised me with a homemade dinner when I came home from work. He had made me the same meal he made for me on our honeymoon when we got snowed into our cabin in Lake Tahoe. We dined on French onion soup, grilled steaks, and sweet potato oven fries. He served this delicious dinner on our wedding china. He still amazes me with his thoughtfulness and romance, and it was a perfect evening.

Eli has had a couple of late nights because of tummy aches, so we have spent much of our weekend time resting. This equaled no time to go to the grocery store. I decided to try to pull dinner together with what we had on hand, and I was pretty pumped with how it turned out. I had in mind making spinach and artichoke pasta, but we didn't have the ingredients on hand for that. Instead, I came up with this artichoke and bacon pasta dish, and it is pretty phenomenal. It was quick and easy with little clean up. The sauce is creamy and cheesy, and the artichokes were perfectly balanced with the salty bacon bits. Although there was no substantial meat in the pasta, the bite of the artichoke gave a meaty texture. You could easily adapt this recipe to be vegetarian by leaving out the bacon and maybe adding in some spinach. It would still be a very satisfying, tasty meal. Next time I make it, I will try a squeeze of lemon juice with a bit of zest, and I think it would be really good with a short pasta, like penne or bow tie. Give this recipe a try this week and let me know what you think!

 

Artichoke and Bacon Pasta in Cheesy Sauce

2 T butter

2 T olive oil

1 box frozen artichokes, thawed

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (or to your heat tolerance)

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

2 T all purpose flour

3/4 C half and half

3/4 C low-sodium chicken stock

2 T cream cheese

2 T sour cream

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese 

1/2 C grated Gouda cheese

1/2 t Cajun seasoning 

1/2 C real bacon bits

1 box pasta of choice (I had spaghetti on hand)

1) Bring a pot of salted water to a boil on the stovetop. This is for cooking the spaghetti (or whatever pasta you have). Add the pasta to cook while you bring the sauce together.

2) In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the thawed artichokes and saute them with the crushed red pepper flakes for several minutes. The chokes probably won't take on much color since they were frozen and thawed, but you will be able to tell when they are taking on flavor when they start to color slightly.

3) Sprinkle the artichokes with the garlic powder and onion powder and cook another minute. Sprinkle on the flour and saute until the flour is completely dissolved into the cooking fat and artichokes. This should take one-two minutes.

4) Pour in the half and half and chicken stock. Stir to combine well and let it come up to a low boil. Simmer it until it thickens slightly. Then add the cream cheese and sour cream and let it continue to simmer until it thickens slightly again.

5) When the saucy mixture coats the back of your spoon thinly, add in the shredded cheeses and cajun seasoning. Stir until cheese melts. The cheese should thicken the sauce further so that it looks like an alfredo sauce consistency. If it seems too thick, add a bit more stock. If it is too thin, let it simmer gently until it reduces further. You want it to coat the pasta but not be glue! (Glue is only appetizing to kindergarteners...not that I know from experience because I don't...really...I have only seen it in movies...but I digress!)

6) When the sauce is the right consistency, add in the real bacon bits. (This is the point where next time I will add in the juice of a lemon and its zest.) Put your cooked pasta into the sauce and toss it all together. I like to cook my pasta until just before it is perfectly al dente and then I let it finish cooking in the sauce. It is a trick I picked up from watching Lydia's Italy in America on Create TV. Grazie, Lydia!

 

Serve the pasta in a bowl topped with more parmesean cheese and maybe some fresh chopped parsley, a caesar salad, and a side of crusty French bread, and I would say this is one delectable dinner! Enjoy, my beautiful friends, and come back soon, ya hear?

 

In Christ Alone,

Brittney

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My Holiday Cooking: Shrimp Soup & Broccoli Salad

Hey, Blogging friends!

I know that my blog has been focused lately on the arrival of our sweet, awesome, wonderful, fantastic, adorable, precious baby boy, so I wanted to be sure to add a new post that focuses back on another love of my life: cooking! While my holiday cooking this year was not as intense as last (due to previously mentioned baby), I was able to whip up a couple of my favorite dishes for some family get togethers, and I wanted to be sure to share them with you! If you follow the links, you will be taken to my step by step Snapguides of how to make these delicious dishes.

The first recipe is for a New Orleans classic: Shrimp and Corn Soup. This is one of my FAVORITE soup recipes ever. I could literally eat the entire pot given the chance. The first time I had it, I am pretty sure I went back for fourths or fifths, and it was only the appetizer for the meal! Everyone in the city has their own spin on it. Some people make a roux to thicken the soup, some use this while others use that...but it is always delicious. You can even customize the soup to include your favorite shellfish: crawfish, crab meat...maybe even lobster! This particluar recipe I have is divine! It is slightly sweet, devilishly spicy, and full of cajun flavor. I have NEVER made this for anyone who didn't go back for at least seconds, and at one party, the host packed up the leftovers and stuck them in her fridge before I even got a chance to offer. With the cold snaps going on all over our country right now, this is a must make item! You can thank me later.

Shrimp and Corn Soup

Ingredients:

3 lbs of fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large yellow onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 stick of butter

1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained

1 quart of half and half

1 quart of heavy cream

2 cans of cream style corn

2 cans of whole kernel corn, drained (or an equivalent of fresh or frozen corn)

1 pound of Velveeta, cubed

2 T light brown sugar

2 t dried thyme

3 T cajun seasoning (I like Slap Ya Mama's or Tony's)

1 T liquid crab boil (I prefer Zatarain's)

 

Melt butter in a large pot on the stove top over medium heat. Dice your onion and finely mince your garlic. Add to melted butter and saute until onions begin to soften and garlic is fragrant. (Be careful not to burn your garlic.) Add your Rotel and shrimp. Stir until shrimp begin to turn pink. Add a capful (about 1 T) of liquid crab boil and the cream and half and half. Stir to combine and bring mixture to a boil. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to keep the soup at a simmer. Once simmering, add in both types of corn. Toss in the cubed Velveeta and spices. Stir at a simmer just until the cheese has melted. Done!

The second recipe is for a simple Mississippi tradition: Broccoli Salad. You cannot go to a dinner-on-the-grounds at church or a family get together without having this light, crunchy, sweet and tangy salad somewhere on the table. It is a perfect compliment to really rich dishes. I love serving it with my chicken spaghetti. We had it over the holidays with a large family dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cabbage casserole. (There are so many things right with that sentence!)

Broccoli Salad

2 heads of broccoli

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 C of mayonnaise

1/2 C of white sugar

1/4-1/2 C of white vinegar

golden raisins

sunflower seeds

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

real bacon bits

chopped pecans (optional)

 

To prepare the salad, chop the broccoli off of the heads into bit size pieces. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the broccoli for about 60 seconds (until bright green). Pull broccoli from boiling water and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. (You aren't trying to soften the broccoli, just brighten it up.) Drain broccoli through a strainer and allow to sit and dry a bit while you make the dressing. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, white sugar, and white vinegar. Taste the dressing and adjust amounts as you see fit. (Although this dressing has mayo, it is more of a vinaigrette consistency than a creamy dressing.) In a serving dish, combine the broccoli, red onion, raisins, sunflower seeds, cheese, bacon bits, and pecans. Pour dressing over the salad and toss together to combine. Serve right away or (preferably) let it sit a couple of hours or overnight for flavors to develop.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do. They will make a great addition to any recipe box. They are easy to make and perfect for any occasion. Now, go forth and cook, my friends!

In Christ Alone,
Brittney

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Letters to Eli #2

My dear little baby boy,

Today is your two month birthday, and my how you are growing. We took your two month picture tonight and put it next to your one month picture on the computer. It is amazing how much you have changed in just one month! I will add more after your two month check up in a couple of weeks.

I guess today you are technically two and a half months old. We went for your two  month check up, and you are thriving. You weigh 4 lbs 7 oz now, and you are absolutely beautiful! You had two shots that nearly broke mommy's heart, but you were very brave. You stopped crying pretty quick, and mommy did her best to try to comfort you.

You never cease to amaze me. You are starting to really see and play with your hands. We lay you on your playmat, and you love to swat at the toys that hang around you. You are particularly fond of the zebra. I think it is the high contrast stripes. You hold up your head more and more now. You love to look around at everything around you, and you love for mommy to rock you to bed at night.

I have been back at work for two weeks now, and I think we are doing well with it. You stay home almost everyday with someone from the family, and when you do go to daycare, you are at daddy's work. I know you are safe, well taken care of, and being loved. It helps, but it doesn't completely take away the ache of not getting to be with you. It also helps me to remember that I am not going to work and leaving you everyday because I value my job over you or care more about my career than you, but I go to work every day to provide for you. I work FOR you and your well-being. I work so you can have the things you need, and maybe someday have some of the things you want.

I still pray for you often, and my heart prays for you constantly. The prayer remains the same. I pray for God to call you to him, for him to watch over you and bless you, for him to be preparing a path for you that is rich with people who love Him and love you. You are such a bright spot of light in my life, and I cannot imagine a day without you in it! I love you more with each passing day, and I cannot wait to continue this journey of parenting with you, my son.

Love you,
Mommy

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Newborn-3 Months Old Diaper Bag Essentials

Hello, Blogging Friends!

I hope this post finds you well and that you have thoroughly enjoyed your holiday season thus far. :) I am soaking in every moment of being a mommy, and I cannot wait to share my experiences with you. Eli keeps me quite on my toes, so it has been hard to blog as frequently as normal. I will do my best to continue making posts that are helpful and informative in addition to my own personal posts loaded with baby pictures.

One of the last things I researched before Eli arrived was what to pack in a diaper bag. I found several helpful posts and prepacked his diaper bags using the information I discovered. As the weeks with him have progressed, I have found a diaper bag packing formula that works for us...at least during these early months when having things like toys and teething items are unnecessary. Below is my list of diaper bag necessities with links to the products I love for each. I hope you find this useful!

I have found that I use mainly two diaper bags. I keep one large diaper bag by Skip Hop packed for long outings, and I also have a small Vera Bradley tote that I pack for quick trips to the grocery store or pharmacy. In addition, I keep a Thirty-One Organizing Utility Tote in my car with diaper bag essentials in it in case I ever get stuck out without something I need. Just make sure that as your baby moves up in diaper sizes you change out the diapers in your car stash accordingly! :)

1) Diapers and Wipes- A good rule of thumb is to pack one diaper for every hour you plan to be out plus one.

2) Extra Outfit(s)- at least one, depending on how long you will be out. (At our family Thanksgiving lunch, Eli went through three changes thanks to blowouts.)

3) Burp Cloth- I am partial to the size 2 cloth diapers by OsoCozy for this function. They are nice and big and super absorbent.

4) Nursing Cover- If you are breast feeding, this is essential. I included one in each diaper bag, and they are the ones I made in my Nursing Cover tutorial. I also highly recommend packing an Aden and Anais muslin blanket to pull double duty as a nursing cover or a baby blanket.

5) Nursing Pads and Lanolin- I keep a tube of Lanolin and about 4 pads in my bag at any given time. I prefer the Avent nursing pads. I found that the Lanolin nursing pads made my skin itch.

6) Pacifier- I waited til Eli was two weeks old to introduce a paci, but now I keep one on hand for tired in the car crying, hungry and unable to feed crying, or gas pain crying. You really have to figure out what style of pacifier your baby likes, and those likes may change as he or she grows. Eli takes the flatter Avent pacis most of the time, but he has also liked his Wubbanub pacis, too.

7) Small Flannel Receiving Blankets- These are easy to pack and have come in handy for a quick lay and play palette, a soft place for a head on a changing pad, and a make-shift burp cloth.

8) Changing Pad- Most diaper bags come with a small, thin changing pad. I also was gifted a couple that I keep in my diaper bags. In my big bag, I keep this one from Skip Hop. What is great about these is that if you are out and about all day running errands and bring your large diaper bag, you can only bring this changing station into stores with you as needed to avoid having to tote the whole bag around.

That is my list of newborn to infant diaper bag necessities. These are the things that I have found are good to keep on hand. Feel free to leave a comment about what you love to have in your baby's diaper bag!

In Christ Alone,
Brittney

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