California Part I

I can't even come up with a cute title for this post, I'm too tired... but I wanted to check in and update you on our trip so far.

Aside from an insane security episode (which made me cry at the time, but now makes me laugh, and which I'll blog about later) the trip went smoothly. Sophia was a big help, carrying the girls' carryon luggage herself

And even on the planes, the girls did great - watching movies on the iPod, coloring, reading, napping, watching the clouds...

I don't usually clothe my children in identical outfits, but I discovered when traveling it really convenient to travel Duggar-style.

Once we got to sunny California,

we went to someplace so yummy that I dream about it all year long, just barely holding out until my next visit.

And this time, I didn't take a trip alone with my brother, as is tradition. This time, I brought the girls along for their very first taste of In N Out - they loved it!

We're having a great time with most of my Austrian relatives (some have yet to arrive) - we had 21 people at dinner tonight! But the girls are especially attached to my grandfather

and "attached" is a huge understatement

We are staying in a little cabin in the woods of Big Sur, just up the hill from my mom's house. When I wake up in the morning, this is the first thing I see

and in the afternoon, the fog rolls in

and puts my children under some crazy weird spell, where they lay quietly and willingly share a coloring book on the cabin floor.

They love it here in the woods.

Sophia and I went to the beach Monday afternoon while Amelia napped, and we got drenched

and COLD. So we got some yummy hot chocolate in Carmel to warm up.

Then Sophia wanted to see where all I went to school, which was a surprisingly large number of places on the Monterey Peninsula, but this was the only one worthy of a picture - my middle school was always SO CHEESY

it's nice to know some things don't change.

more to come...it's so pitch black and quiet in the cabin, and my family is sleeping all around me... can't... stay... awake...

On Our Way

We are headed to California tomorrow. My mom lives in Big Sur, and we'll be staying with her - in a little cabin in the woods, which I love, because it has a deck that is perfect for stargazing and watching the sun set over the ocean. But I'm extra excited because my brother is getting married and a lot of my family is coming from Austrian (some of whom haven't met the girls at all, the others haven't seen them since Amelia was just a few months old). And of course I'm excited about the wedding, which will be at Pebble Beach - and the girls will be flower girls.

I might actually have more time to blog while I'm out there, we'll see... it's been a rough (but happy!) couple of weeks, because when I come home from work, I'm so tired I can barely get through our evening routine before going to bed. This will be our longest family vacation, mostly because I've always had to use most of my vacation time for traveling for Sophia's surgeries and doctors' appointments... so we're all really excited!

Can I say excited one more time? Why yes, I can...

Thursday evening we told the girls about the baby, because I knew people would be talking about it in California. Sophia started jumping around saying "I just can't believe it! I'm so excited!" She looked at the ultrasound picture and said "this is definitely a brother." She also told me that she would need to start coming to all of my doctor appointments so she could check on "our baby." But she also said "maybe we can call him 'Crier' because he'll probably cry a lot" ha!

Okay, it's afternoon on Saturday, and I have not begun to pack, and I also have lots of cleaning to do before we leave, so I better get moving... I'll check in once we're settled in at my mom's!

God Is So Very Good!

This morning I had my first real OB appointment, and I got to see THIS!

Yeah, I know... when I first saw it, I was all like this...

but then, my sweet, patient OB pointed and explained and pointed some more until I finally got it!

and when I did, it really was the most precious wormy little baby I had ever seen. My doctor was very happy with everything, especially the baby's fast little heart beat.

For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.

1 Samuel 1:27

I Have Never

ever ever ever in my whole entire life felt this tired.

I LOVE that I feel so very pregnant, but I'm sorry that I'm not blogging much, or reading blogs much, or bathing my kids every day, or even changing out of my work clothes before crashing on the bed... I'm sure I'll start feeling human again soon.

Tomorrow is my first OB appointment (other than all the blood draws I've had so far), and I'm really excited - once they see a baby heartbeat, my chance of miscarriage goes down significantly.

I miss you my bloggy friends!

It's Days Like Today

That make me never want to move... it's sunny and in the 70's with a nice breeze (in July? In Arkansas?!) and I'm not saying "I can't stay here one more summer!" like I usually do this time of year.

And then there's this neighborhood. I've said it before, our house is small. Our house is old. Our wood floors desperately need to be refinished, we have no closet space, we have no playroom or really any other "extra" rooms like most new houses, we have more petty crime than out in the new suburbs. But days like today remind me why I love this neighborhood, and why I just can't see us as suburbaners...

The girls and I took a two hour walk around the neighborhood today. We met lots of people out working in their yards or taking a walk. And we found lots of treasures

like a bird's nest

and pine cones

and spiderwebs filled with dew drops, and earthworms, and mushrooms, and patches of fuzzy soft moss.

And at the end of our walk, when we were almost back at our house, we stopped at a new corner (literally) grocery store and deli. This place has been open for a few months, and I'm sorry I haven't been there until now - it is awesome!

All of the baked goods and dairy and produce are local, and many of the other products are too (like their fabulous bulk granola).

We ate lunch there - we were hungry after all that walking!

The girls split the best grilled cheese sandwich, made with local cheese and local, crusty, multigrain bread, and fruit salad that tasted just like my mom's - yum!

Aside from the convenience of being able to literally run down the street to grab a gallon of milk - or even the girls' bath wash, which they carry! - I love that we have another yummy place to eat within walking distance.

We can walk to the grocery store (it's a bit of a haul, but I've done it plenty of times even with the girls in tow) and a bunch of great restaurants. If we had to get in our car and drive, we might miss out on all the birds' nests and mossy patches along the way!

P.S.

I meant to say... if you're in Little Rock, please check out the Station Grocery and Deli on the corner of Markham and Kavanaugh (where the old Wallpaper store used to be... obviously). They even have BABY FOOD on their menu, a changing table in the bathroom, and the very cool Ikea high chairs that I've been eyeing. I can't wait to return NEXT summer to test out all of their baby accommodations :)

Popeye Says

"I'm strong to the finish when I eats me spinach!"

When I'm pregnant, I almost always crave two things - red meat and spinach (iron anyone?) So in honor of that beautiful, dark green miracle food - I give you SPINACH, your Veggie of the Week.

Did you know Alma, Arkansas is the spinach capital of the world?!? I didn't either. I'll have to go up there sometime and check it out. Spinach is a great source of iron, calcium, folate, and vitamin A.

So, how do I like my spinach? One of my favorite breakfasts, which I ate almost every day during my pregnancy with Sophia, is to cook some fresh spinach until just wilted in a little butter. Then add some whisked eggs and cream cheese and scramble. Add a whole wheat bagel, and you've got one scrumptious protein packed start to your day! I discovered that eating a protein-rich snack before bed and first thing in the morning kept my morning sickness at bay.

As a side dish, I usually make spinach salad (Pioneer Woman has a great one!) or cook some chopped onion in butter until soft, then add spinach and cook until just wilted. Remember that spinach cooks to about 1/3 of its raw size, so use lots!

And then there's this bacon and spinach lasagna, adapted from my friend Marcela's recipe:

1 onion, chopped

about 8 cremini mushrooms, chopped

1/2 lb bacon

olive oil

about 10 ounces fresh spinach

1 box lasagna noodles

3 Tbs butter

flour

about 2 cups of milk

Nutmeg

Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Cook the bacon in a large skillet, remove from pan and crumble, set aside. Drain bacon fat. Add some (1-2 Tbs?) olive oil to the same skillet, then add onion and mushrooms. Cook until onion is soft, then add spinach and cook until all the spinach is wilted. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, then add enough flour to make a paste. Cook until golden, then add milk. Cook over medium high heat, whisking to dissolve flour paste. Add a dash of nutmeg. Then reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently until thickened. Add cheese (I used gruyere) to sauce.

In a casserole dish, layer noodles, spinach sauce, noodles, bechamel sauce, noodles, spinach, noodles, bechamel. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Good thing the spinach negates any unhealthiness in the bacon :) My whole family loved this recipe, even my spinach hating husband!

My Girl

I just love her so much. Every time Sophia gets a little older, I think this is my favorite age! Though I remember fondly, and a little wistfully, rocking her on my shoulder as a newborn, it has been so incredibly fun to watch her growing and changing.

Today was on of those days when I've been overcome with love for this girl. I feel so blessed to be her mommy.

Tonight after bath time, she said "Mommy, take a picture of my face."

Look at those eyes - I could spend years looking into them!

Sophia lives to please us. She takes pride in being my "biggest helper." I was feeling a little under the weather today (very happily queasy and exhausted!) and so Sophia spent the day fetching me water, fixing her sister sippy cups of milk, helping Amelia go potty, and playing beautifully by herself. The girls actually spent close to an hour playing blocks, peacefully and cooperatively. At one point she was teaching Amelia letters, and I overheard her say "good try! you're so smart!"

We haven't told her yet about the new baby; but just like she has almost every day for over a year, she prayed today for a new baby brother or sister. And I just knew, she's going to be the best big sister in the world - again!

This was her trying to change Amelia's diaper... Sophia was 20 months old, Amelia was 1 month old

I Just Realized I Forgot to Title This Post

I feel so bad that I haven't been posting much... mostly, it's just the fatigue - I went to bed at 8:45 last night! and most of my normal internet time is late at night. But also, life has been lovely in its boringness - after a fun-filled trip to Texas, we're just relaxing at home and doing a whole lot of nothing.

And there's the fact that I left my camera cord at Kristy's house. And then, the other night I made the most wonderful steak salad, and I was going to share pictures of it... but then I took one picture and realized I forgot the croutons, went to put the croutons on, and when I came back my camera was out of batteries and we had no more in the house... THAT never happens to Pioneer Woman!

So, please bear with me while I sleep and take pictures that are stuck on my camera. I'll be back soon! I even have a Veggie of the Week post in draft - I only need to find two or three more brain cells to finish it.

The great news is that I feel very pregnant at only a little over five weeks... heartburn, extreme fatigue, queasiness, mood swings - I've never been happier to feel these things!

I Don't Have a Baby Belly

I have a fried rice belly. I ate so much dinner tonight, I think I'm in danger of exploding.

I made this recipe, for the first time in quite some time (aaw, look how tiny Porter is in that post!). Whenever I make this, I wonder why I don't make it more often... it's usually because I can't get fresh looking bean sprouts that often. But it's super delish, and my whole family loves it.

As with most stir fry recipes, there's lots of prep, and not much cooking time. So, here's how I do it... I cook the rice, and while it's cooking, I chop the carrots up into tiny matchsticks. This takes forever, and I'm pretty sure there's an expensive kitchen gadget that would solve all my carrot slicing troubles. And while I'm doing that, I have Sophia pulling the stringy ends off the bean sprouts. When the rice is finished cooking, I spread it out on a large platter and let it cool a little at room temperature, then I put it in the refrigerator while I finish prepping. When stir-frying, it's important to have all of your ingredients ready to go and sitting right there - so go ahead and pretend you're on a cooking show and have everything lined up in little bowls.

The end result is so worth it, and I still got it on the table in about 45 minutes (I'm almost positive prior to having kids this recipe only took me about 25 minutes to make).

Not Not Me Monday

That's my confession for today... I didn't write a Not Me Monday post. Sorry.

We got home around 8 p.m. last night, after a long and whiny drive. I couldn't sleep, but I also couldn't function because I was so tired, so I was useless and awake until around 1am last night. Then this morning I took Sophia and her best friend to Vacation Bible School (where apparently Sophia learned that "Jesus rode to Earth on a donkey to get healthy") and now, at 6:30 I'm still stuck at work trying to catch up. And that, my friends, is my excuse.

I feel insanely pregnant - which is a great feeling, and very reassuring, especially since my ultrasound isn't until July 23rd. But it's also kind of strange to feel this pregnant this early on. I'll spare you the gory details, but I am having some of the symptoms that I didn't have until my third trimester during my first pregnancy. My multi-childed friends tell me that's normal.

I don't have any new pictures, so I'll share another two from our Texas trip - aren't these girls adorable?

And what happens when you have two two year olds and one mommy is at the grocery store and the other mommy is cooking?

TROUBLE. Nothing but trouble!

And a random Sophia quote... while watching Dora:

Sophia: I don't like foxes. Foxes like to take things away from people. And foxes like to blow down houses.
Me: I think it's wolves that blow down houses.
Sophia: Well, actually, foxes and wolves like to do the same things.

And there you have it. Hope y'all are having a good Monday! I for one am already looking longingly ahead at this weekend!

Happy Independence Day!!

This post is going to be mostly pictures... because I'm really tired. You'll see from the pictures why I'm tired - it was a fun day!! We decorated cupcakes at my friend Kristy's house then went to a party with swimming and fireworks. This was the first time my kids saw fireworks and they loved it. On the way back to Kristy's, Sophia called Daddy and said "you should have seen them, they were so beautiful, they were so beautiful, they were so, so beautiful!"

A well-sprinkled cupcake is a good cupcake

Telltale icing mustache

Party time!

It was SO hot!!

Look who's swimming all by herself with her floaties on!

These two are precious together... after four days of being around each other pretty much every waking hour, they're still getting along perfectly!

Mmmm melon!

And... proof that I exist, although I'm going to hate every picture of me right now

Hope everyone had a fabulous Fourth!!

Tomorrow after church we drive back home. I'm looking forward to sleeping (maybe not for two weeks, but for a long time!) and the girls really miss their daddy. But it's been a wonderful little mini vacation here in Texas!!

Oh! I almost forgot... I made a montage of SOME of the dancing we were treated to these past few days - I knew you wouldn't want to miss out on it ;)

Texas at Its Best

You know... hot and full of friends ;)

Here are some pictures of the last couple of days here at my friend Kristy's house. Today has been awesome - my other friend Julie and her two kids and her sister and her son came over and we all hung out in the pool (which feels more like a giant bathtub, temperature wise).

Here's what trying to take a picture of four kids looks like

Taking a picture of one kid looking cute is much easier!

Last night, Kristy read them all bedtime stories... and made having four kids look easy

Sophia didn't know how to play checkers, so this is her friend Camryn just shaking her head at her

The girls have been treating us to several spectacular dance performances

Do you want to see the cutest little girl?? This is my friend Julie's little girl, Liesl

Here are Sophia and Liesl and Julie

And here are most of the kids (the two year olds were napping)

It was really, really fun... but to be completely honest, I was totally on kid-overload by the end of this afternoon and ready to run far far away. So, we turned on the TV

Which meant that we got some mommy time ;)

please excuse my beached whale look...this progesterone has me so bloated that when I got in the pool, my whole body would just float across the water.

Hope y'all are having a good non-holiday holiday today! Tomorrow we're going to a big 4th of July party, then Sunday we're going to church with Kristy and then driving home...then I'm going to bed and sleeping for two weeks. I just haven't figured out how to tell my boss.