Love those Thanksgiving Craft Projects...

Flavor of the Month

We have a friend who while in college only ate pizza rolls. He would eat a carton of Totino's pizza rolls almost every day. We made relentless fun of him for the monotony of his food choice. However, I've noticed that I have the same tendency. Once I find a culinary delight, I indulge in it until I can take no more. I will eat the same thing day after day with no complaints. This month it has been quinoa. Jessica introduced me to it and ever since I have eaten a little quinoa every day for what has to be weeks on end. If you haven't ever tried it, please take my recommendation. I promise its much better than Totino's pizza rolls.

It's actually a seed. And it's considered a super food due to it's high protein content, iron, and fiber content. I eat it 2 different ways. Sometimes I make it with water and then I eat it like oatmeal in the morning, adding in cinnamon, agave, frozen fruit and almond milk. The rest of the time I prepare it in chicken stock and eat it with soup, vegetables, or as a side.

One of my favorite things to eat with it is black bean sweet potato mash. I know it's Thanksgiving and you might be tired of sweet potatoes, but this recipe is fabulous so I wanted to share it:

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 c chicken stock
1 med sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 Tb lime juice (optional)
1/4 c cilantro (optional)

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and oregano and cook 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and sweet potatoes. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and corn. Return to a simmer and cook, uncovered until potatoes are tender and liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove from heat. Mash about 1/4 of the mixture with a potato masher. Stir it all together and add lime juice and cilantro if you like.

Such a yummy treat. You can use this filling to eat in burritos, on top of a baked potato, or as I like, on top of quinoa. Enjoy!

what labor taught me

Lucy is 8 weeks old today and I have been thinking of her birth...

It’s true that words fail sometimes. There simply is no way to describe the very primal sensation that occurs the moment your body gives up what it has been carrying and you deliver a new life. It’s this intense euphoric release. Just as you are nearing a physical precipice of pain, this child pushes out and leaves a rushing wake of emptiness behind. There is an immediate gasp as you reorient and breathe in what emptiness feels like again. Mentally you call yourself back from the haze of labor and are able to rest in the blissful reality that your labor has ceased – you have crossed the finish line and survived.

When Lucy was born, Christy, our midwife, had to work fast because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck 3 times; but thankfully she was fine and within moments she was handed to me. I remember looking down at this squalling creature resting on my chest and as I looked at my daughter for the first time, I was flooded with gratitude and my heart suddenly expanded with a new love, forever unique to this child.

As I have thought back on my experience, I am thankful that I was able to experience a drug-free delivery. We anesthetize ourselves to so much in our society. We try to minimize pain as much as possible – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But going through labor, experiencing pain and living in that space for the time that it lasted, made me realize that I can survive. I can live in it and I can survive and it’s okay. Not only so, but sometimes all of that pain is necessary for new life and beauty to emerge.

These past 8 weeks have held so many different things for us as a family. The joy of a newborn; the sheer exhaustion and sometimes loneliness that come from caring for a newborn; the worry, sadness, doubt and resolution that go along with making big decisions; the demands of parenting a now very needy almost-4 year old; the fun of now being a family of 4; and the list goes on and on. During this season I am learning to rely on grace and I’m ever so thankful that its supplier has a limitless reserve. I am also learning that it’s okay to live in the space of each emotion. I can soak in the joy and the happiness, and I don’t have to immediately run from the unpleasant times. I can embrace all that this season has to offer, for better or worse. And if I live in this space with an ear to the whisperings of the Spirit, I am confident God will use this time, all of this time, to adorn my faith with new life and depth and dimension.

Snapshots

{snapshots from 6 weeks of life}

My brother looks a little uncertain about holding me, someone help before he lets go.

My first Baylor parade. I'm getting indoctrinated early for the freshman class of 2028.

I sound like a small wounded cat when I cry. I like making that sound a lot.

What's the big deal about pumpkins anyways?

My first golfing outing gave me a chance to break in my new tennis shoes.

Fishing trip at the ranch. Sunshine makes me happy and sleepy!

5 weeks. Enjoying a nice fall day without a care in the world.

My 6 week birthday. Notice my new double-chin. Life has been good to me.

october was busy!

Golfing with Dad and trying to be just like him!

Catching lots of fish with Uncle Blake

I now tell stories that feature me, Grant, as Superman and I always save the day...

Riding the cow train at the West corn farm.

Loving Waco Montessori

I might be a zoo keeper one day because I love animals.

I always wondered what a deer tongue felt like.

I only got to play with this for a minute because I started poking people in the eye with it.

My dream came true - Brusier ran straight to me and picked me up for a hug!

Talk Around the House

We are nearing the end of Lucy's first month and things are beginning to fall into a bit of routine. For me, the hardest part of going from one to two children has been having to split my time. I miss being able to devote all my attention to Grant, but in the past couple of days, I've been able to juggle things better and spend more time with him. I want to remember some bits of pieces of his world right now:

1. He asked me the other day, "Why are you covered in polka dots?" It took me a second to realize he was referring to all my freckles. Good question - one I often wondered when growing up!

2. He keeps coming up with new names for Lucy. On the way to school yesterday he said, "I want to give our baby a new name. Let's call her Tinkerbell."

3. He is very passionate about making art. He likes to color, paint, cut, and glue things. While tucking him in last night I discovered he had 2 of his creations in bed with him. I asked him why and he replied indignantly, "Because I want to look at my art in the middle of the night!"

4. While playing outside he thought it would be fun to aim his bike at me and run into me. Needless to say, my heel did not think this was a fun game and I scolded him harshly. I knew the day was coming when words like this would come out of his mouth, but I won't lie - it was hard to hear. After he ran off crying, he came back and told me, "we aren't best friends anymore mommy." Ouch.

5. He insisted on showing me something "really awesome" the other day. Before I knew it, he climbed on his bike and did this number. Because I was actually a bit impressed with his acrobatics, I took a picture with my iphone before counseling him on the dangers of such a pose.

6. People keep asking how Grant is adjusting to being a big brother. Overall he has been so sweet and kind to Lucy. He likes to hold her, he gives her lots of hugs and kisses, he likes to comment on her clothes. He wanted to buy her a flower at Walgreens a couple of weeks ago and I constantly find her with the flower next to her. This is how I found her the other morning - with some of his art and the flower placed beside her:

(and yes, that's where Lucy ends up every morning around 5am - right between Brad and I. The little miss has a penchant for waking up then and nothing satisfies her except snuggling up right next to me...)

The sweet side of having 2 is getting to enjoy both phases - I get to cuddle a small little newborn girl and experience the often times funny and fascinating world through the eyes and words of a 3-year old boy.

Perfect Timing

I realized on Friday that I timed Grant's first visit to the dentist perfectly (its scheduled for a few weeks from now) because October is a month full of candy (Bosqueville and Baylor homecoming parades, Fall Festival at church, and trick or treating)!!

The Bosqueville homecoming parade was on Friday and all children who like candy should attend because each child ends up collecting a MASSIVE amount. This year the Bowlin's were staying with us for the weekend so they got to participate in the festivities as well. I don't even think the kids saw the floats because they were too busy filling their bags.

I love this parade - it's the true feeling of a small community. I love that we just have to walk out of our house and into our front yard to have a spot to see it. Each grade, Pre-K through 12 has a float and I love that we know so many of the kids on each one from our years at church here.

The band was a little loud - it even woke up Lucy, which is a feat!

Lucy's first parade and first real outing!

Half the fun is going through your loot afterwards. Little did they know that Stephanie and I plan on recycling this candy by donating it to the church's festival...

What to do with all your post-parade energy? Play in the water. I have no idea what this game entailed, but Grant looked like he was trying to swim in the mud.

Really??

Lucy received her first piece of mail - her hospital bill :) The hospital sent the "pre-bill". It shows the itemized amount for all of your expenses before insurance is applied. Lucy's room and board? $369.00 Mind you we were released precisely 24.5 hours after Lucy was born. Mind you I was Lucy's board. Mind you we shared a room the entire time. So, if you are wondering how much it takes to rent a basic, run-of-the-mill rolling cart at the hospital, it's basically $369 a day. Thanks but I'd rather stay in a suite at the Westin or the Hyatt and pocket the change!

Bathing Beauty

The fall weather is so nice that I've had to get outside. Lucy loves being in the sun - she just immediately looks so calm and relaxed. I promise I'm keeping clothes on her, but this afternoon she was all clean and the sun was so warm - it was delightful. Being outside always makes me consider God and my prayer for her is that God's love would always cover her with it's warmth and nourish her soul.

Our Cup Overflows

{ Lucy Elizabeth Herridge }
September 22, 2010 at 1:12pm
6 lbs, 9 oz; 18 1/2 inches

They say a mother's intuition is always best and I knew our baby girl was going to be early. I had my hospital bag all packed (even down to the snacks!), I had started stocking our freezer, and I had all her newborn clothes washed and put away, but still...I didn't know she was going to be born 19 days early! And yet, she's here - already 4 days old and my heart is running over.

I'm so thankful for second chances. Her birth was such a different experience. It was surreal in so many ways that I can't even express how I feel about it. I am thankful that those closest to me and to her were involved. Starting from my mother-in-law walking with me to get my contractions going to Brad and my mom laboring with me until the moment she had her first cry - they were a great team.

I have forgotten how tired you can be - where when you shut your eyes everything just spins. So, for now, I will post a few pictures that are my favorites so far:

Meeting her big brother for the first time.
He has been so excited. I overheard him singing a song he made up about her last night after we put him to bed. "...I'm a big brother and Lucy is my sister..."
Enjoying some time on the porch with the cooler fall weather.
This one is for you, Amy. Having a girl makes you do things you never would have done with your boy!

if i were in sales

My doctor has encouraged me to stop all activities and just stay in bed or on the couch. This has been one of the hardest things I've ever tried to do. First, its boring. Second, it's almost more uncomfortable than the tiredness I get from moving around all day. Nonetheless, I am trying to be a good patient. I have nothing deep to pass along, no startling insight I'm ready to share. But, I wanted to blog. Instead, here are some products I've happened across via tv and email the past couple of days that I think I could be a salesperson for because they are so great.

1. I've always been a laundry detergent skeptic. It says it will last you 60 loads, but is that if you pour to the number 2 line or the number 3 line. And who can ever really see the number 2 or the number 3 line? They are impossibly placed and not easy to read. I imagine 80 year olds just dump a whole cup in instead of trying to decipher that ridiculousness. Enter Method's new theory. Viola. No measuring. I tried it last night and loved it. I just gave it 4 pumps and I was done. No spills, no mess, and confident that I now have 49 loads left. Why don't people think of this sooner? It's because moms are at home and not in the idea room!!
2. Amy sent me a link for this line of purses. Another fabulous invention that can go on my wish list. It's what a stylish diaper bag becomes for a mom's purse. I am the person in their testimonials - I am the person who has wrapped up my big camera in towels or an extra t-shirt and then squashed it in my purse next to the sippy cup because I didn't want to have to lug around a camera bag and a purse. And we all know about my luck with decisions like that...So this just seems a brilliant solution. Build a safe place for cameras inside a stylish purse. Again, mom's could have come up with this idea years ago but we are too busy to have any mental energy left to come up with such life-changing solutions :)


3. Lastly, this description, if you can read it, comes from a website that preys on women in their last days of pregnancy. If you can read through it, tell me - would you take the bait? And then don't judge if you happen to see an Amazon delivery box on my door in a few days. I'm telling you - my midwife said bed rest means no errands and shopping. But surely she wasn't talking about shopping in bed, right?

The Bright Side

Life in the home stretch has been harder than I thought. I think I need to practice what I preach to Grant when I tell him he needs a new attitude. After slipping and falling on one of the thousands of link-n-logs in the hallway (don't worry - landed on my back, not belly) and then crying just for the indulgence of it, I am putting my feet up and making a commitment to spend a few minutes looking on the bright side - remembering all that I have to be grateful for. And I am recording it in case I need it again tomorrow! Here goes:

1. A husband who has overlooked countless short comments this past month and pulled more than double duty taking care of Grant so I can rest more, all the while dealing with a sprained ankle that won't seem to heal.

2. Having a church family that loves us in big and small ways. Like showing up at the door unexpectedly a few days ago with homemade lasagna, just because.

3. Friends who share recipes. Christine told me about this concoction and it is the best thing ever. Blend up coconut milk (I think its extra good because I buy vanilla coconut milk), a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa powder, a frozen banana, ice, and either stevia or agave nectar. Literally hits the spot better than Baskin Robbins does when you are needing a sweet fix.

4. The thought of all the shows premiering next week :) Now that I don't feel like doing anything but sitting on the couch at night, this is quite a big thing to look forward to - esp. Parenthood and Modern Family.

5. Grant being excited about the baby. He has picked her flowers almost every day this past week and he insists on giving my belly a hug and a kiss every night. I know this excitement will likely change, but for now, its something to be grateful for and to treasure.

Okay, perspective regained.

Good Gifts

I was blessed with 2 baby showers this weekend. The first was hosted by some of my closest friends and I loved every detail. It was held outside at this rambling estate that had a backyard reminiscent of a secret garden. Tealights and strings of flags in vintage cloth lined the path that lead back to our small dinner party.

The food was so delicious - bruschetta and dips and cheeses - the perfect small plate dinner.

I loved all the girly-girl details - the vintage china and the floral table cloths.

Since the house backed up into a wooded area, we had a persistent visitor that made the night that much more entertaining. Seeing Adrianna run after him throwing sticks was quite the scene. He just didn't want to give up and kept sneaking back!

Lately I have been wanting to pack in as much friend time as possible, knowing that the next few months will be spent more confined to home. A long dinner with friends in such a dreamy setting was a perfect night and I am so thankful that God gives us friends to share the different seasons of life with. I loved all the gifts for the baby but I also loved the gift of getting to spend time with people that I hold so high.

5 weeks and counting

My mom says I may be setting myself up to be disappointed, but I just have this feeling that the baby is going to be early, so even though my due date is October 12, I keep thinking I only have till the first week of October...

This experience has been so different than the first. At this point in it all:

1. I am feeling huge. A 4 year old at church kept asking me the other night "why are you so fat?" which produced some fleeting thoughts of which I quickly repented.

2. I can no longer reach my toes, which gave me a great excuse to enjoy a deluxe spa pedicure this week.

3. I am officially in training for the sleepless nights that lie ahead because I am too uncomfortable to sleep anyways.

4. I have had ice cream 5 out of the past 6 days. I gave up weighing myself 7 days ago.

5. I finished decorating the nursery and I wander into her room at least several times a day to just pause and wonder what she will be like and to imagine what it will be like to hold her.

Here are some pictures of her room:

My mom made the crib skirt and I love it when things turn out just the way you pictured them in your head.

The walls are a pale blue and I made a curtain to match the crib skirt. The cross-stitch pictures were made by my great-grandmother and the pink chair is from Brad's grandmother. So, 3 generations of mothers contributed to her room!

Empty Nest

There is an obscure verse in the book of Proverbs that I've been reminded of this week:

"Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest (Proverbs 14:4)"

We have had 3 days without Grant this week - our manger has been empty. The house has been so quiet. I cleaned and it has stayed clean. I've accomplished things that I've been wanting to get done. I've run mindless errands with a friend with no time constraint. And yet, I miss him terribly. While I have relished some of the benefits of his absence, he leaves a void that is always felt.

The benefits:
1. We moved everything out of the spare bedroom and the nursery is now painted a perfect sky blue. I kind of laugh when I think about how I painted my little girls room blue, but it is so calming.

2. I made a yummy dinner for our Steven and Jessica. It's so nice to cook slowly. We had meatloaf, potatoes, grilled cream corn, and homemade ice cream. Then, Steven and Brad put the crib back together. When I walk past the room I am surprised by it's presence - its a very real reminder of whats approaching.

3. I bought stuff for several decorating projects that will soon be underway for the nursery. Something to spell her name, ribbon for the canvas I made for her, etc. The colors of the room are red, pink and blue. More pictures coming soon, but here is the canvas:



4. I slept in, napped, watched tv, and generally enjoyed my alone time.

The cons:
1. I've missed my morning ritual "mommy - i have a morning hug for you". morning hugs are the best way to start the day.

2. I've missed hearing a little person's perspective on things. It brings color to your world in a way nothing else can.

3. I've missed my nighttime ritual - going into his room after he's asleep to see what creation he has built in the dark. See below for an example:

I will go and pick him up tomorrow and I can't wait!

Cousin Camp 2010

The summer has flown by and I haven't been too inspired to blog lately, but Cousin Camp just ended and I had to chronicle our adventures. This was Amy and I's second year to spend a few days at the ranch with the kids. I have to admit I delayed setting the date this year. Not because I didn't have fun last year, but its August, I'm almost 8 months pregnant, and I'm beginning to be lazy. Nonetheless, we made it happen and not only that, we survived to tell about it. This year the age roll call was 7, 4, 3, and almost 2. Definitely easier than last year, but still full of challenges. On the itinerary? We spent lots of time outside: at the lake, at the park, picnicking, roasting marshmallows, doing art projects, and swimming. We even managed a pizza night at Peter Piper Pizza, which is always a hit. All in all - another year of great memories. Next year the roll call will be 5 cousins! I'm thankful for a sister who is a supermom and champions these types of events - Grant is lucky to have her as an aunt.

When running low on ways to pass the time in the country, simply fill up spray bottles with water and let the kids torment spiders and bugs - it makes for lots of excitement!

This was one of my favorite parts of cousin camp - each kid had their own poster board to paint and there was also a sheet they could all paint. We had spray bottles filled with different colors and lots of different brushes to use.

Grant may be an artist. He loves to paint and would do so everyday if I let him. Every time he finishes a painting he says to me, "Isn't it so beautiful?"

Making 'birthday cakes' in the sand at the lake. Grant and Sophia could be occupied for hours by concocting various things in the sand using bits of grass, sticks and rocks.