Bread update

Rule of thumb -- it is probably best to take baby steps....


Sunday I worked on the Pioneer Woman's homemade cinnamon bread and although the cinnamon/sugar deliciousness was just as great as she said, the bread was ... well, a little bit more like soda bread. Next time I am going to work harder at creating a "warm hospitable environment" so the bread can rise a bit more than it did this go round.



R said it was a bit like tofu ... "tastes great, but a bit weird"

wah wah.

Busy weekend

Wew, it was a busy weekend!

Friday: long day writing reports for work followed by a pot-luck for R's company (which was subsequently followed by ditching such pot-luck a little early to hang out with work friends)

Saturday: relaxing morning and then R participated in a fencing tournament. I took some neat videos on his phone, but forgot the camera. Pretty much, all bouts look something like this (but in a large, well lit gymnasium with about 10 other bouts going on at the same time). It is actually pretty exciting to watch. The tournament ran long, so we'll be heading back there (date TBD) to finish the brackets!

Saturday cont.: We had hoped to see some good friends after the tournament, but since it ran so long, we missed them. We did get to see some other friends though, which was nice and a great shopping experience. Yes, you read that correctly ... I went shopping at my friend's house. She just had her second baby and gave me a ton of maternity casual shirts and a winter coat! yahoo!! R especially appreciates this since the last time I went shopping he texted me to let me know that "we have spent over $400 at Gap the past two months and by we I mean you." Oh, R. :) So, here's a picture of my loot ... some stuff for now, some stuff for later!

R has been diligently working on the baby's dresser the past couple of weeks. Shaina found it at a garage sale for us and now R is sanding it and will eventually refinish it. My job is to buy the knobs (being pregnant is great!)

I meanwhile, am making the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon bread and will let you know how it turns out!

Tomorrow starts the fall semester -- wish me luck (because I haven't started my reading for Monday yet)!

Purses and Diaper Bags

A friend of mine has a stupendously creative sister in law who designs her own purses. She has started a neat design blog and in the top right corner, features her 'Meg James Design' purses and bags. Long story short, she's going to make me a diaper bag and I am super duper excited (thanks Laura for thinking of the idea!!)! I've actually fallen in love with her designs, so she's going to make me a purse and pouch too. Today she sent me a photo of the three fabrics she's thinking of using in the purse and I am overwhelmed with excitement! I mean, how cool is it that a professional designer emails you and asks what you want?! Here is a sneak peak at the potential fabric for "my" purse.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yesterday was HOT, I mean hot hot hot (and not in a good way). 95 degrees + high humidity = heat index of 115 degrees. To say the least, my pregnancy moodiness may have hit an all time high. So, what did I do to combat this? Well, I made cookies!

I have a secret though - I am known to not be a good cookie maker. I can cook and I can bake most things, but cookies, well, I love to eat them, but just can't seem to bake them. For the past two years though, I have been on a mission to improve my cookie making abilities. I sought advice from a family friend who is an amazing baker (she gave me baking lessons and I learned how to make some terrific pies and cakes ... cookies were next, then we moved). This past year, I practiced. I was definitely improving, but my cookies still weren't top notch. Then I found this chocolate chip cookie recipe and let me tell you, it is amazing.

Through my lessons, I realized that in order to bake well, you have to be very careful with your measurements and keep fresh ingredients. Two things I probably was not doing very well. So yesterday I put on some good baking music (Allman Brothers, Counting Crows, Van Morrison) and my most focused baking face. To my surprise, they were fantastic! I apologize for the photo - it was taken with my phone in a moment of utter glee!

Dear Baby

Please listen to me ....

Dear baby,

We're nearly half way (18 weeks)! I think it is pretty cool that you are growing so big and people are now fairly certain I am pregnant, not just gaining some summer pounds; HOWEVER, can we keep this growing to an average amount? The midwife is cool with your size so far, but let's not scare her (really I mean me) by growing at 1000% over the next 20 weeks. It's cool if you want to be tall like your pops, but let's not be broad shouldered like your uncle (he broke his collar bone being delivered ... that doesn't sound fun for anyone). Remember, the goal here is a natural delivery ...

Also, I'm down with all the swimming (you were doing a lot of that at our last doc appointment), but let's keep the "pushing off the walls" to a minimum. I think I am starting to feel that and I'm pretty sure that's not going to feel so great once you weigh over 2 lbs.

Ok, glad we're on the same page.

Keep it real in there.

Have fun.

Lots of love and thanks for your consideration,

Mama