7 QTs

- 1 -
Stealth Mama

Sometimes I try to sneak into our bedroom when the baby is sleeping. Usually it's so that I can grab dirty laundry for the wash but every now and then it's so that I can be sure Leo is still breathing. Yes, I am a First Time Mom. I have never been very good at being quiet. This is not entirely my fault. The never-ending blabbing? Yeah, sure, that's on me. But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the symphony of creaks, crackles, and popping that accompanies my every move. I really ought to be a Foley artist in Hollywood with the range of noises I can create just by bending down to pick up a toy. Wasted talent, I guess. Anyways, you can imagine how detrimental this gift of mine is when I'm trying to go all Ninja Mommy in the company of a sleeping baby. I really ought to stop trying. That or become a Ninjutsuka... 

- 2 -

The Laptop Back Up

My laptop is the worst. The USB ports stopped working ages ago and then the built-in web camera died and now it sounds like an obese cat trying to climb a mountain every time I give it a simple task (e.g. open Mozilla Firefox). I refuse to give up on it, however. Not because I'm a good steward of my resources or a frugal sort of person. No, mostly because I'm just super stubborn. So instead I've decided to uninstall and reinstall Windows. It turns out that to do so you need to have a back up of your computer. Why? Because otherwise you'd lose everything. I'm glad I thought to Google this before I went for it! Anyways, I never did actually back up the silly thing before (oops) so now this afternoon is being spent inserting blank DVDs in the hopes that I'm doing this correctly and the re-installation of Windows works. If it doesn't work I plan to do this....

- 3 -
The Moving Process

Mmmmm Claustrophobia

This picture is just a glimpse of what our apartment currently looks like. I cannot wait until we can get those boxes loaded up and finally make our way down to Front Royal! The best part is that my amazing in-laws are coming down with us and helping us unpack! Thank God!

- 4 -
Leo's Hunger Strike

"Sure I'll be happy! Unless you get near me with food...."

Leo is going through a delightful new phase in which he hates to eat. It could be teething, the desire to play, a decrease in appetite, or a host of other things but all I know is that the only times I can get him to eat well is in the middle of the night when he's too groggy and tired to fight me. During the day it's, well, it's special. He will be sucking on my shoulder, eating his blanket (seriously), shoving my fingers into his mouth, crying and fussing, etc. but the moment I try to nurse him or give him the bottle he gets angry! Now, unless his hunger cues have all changed in the past few weeks I am not misreading him and he is actually hungry. So why won't he eat? My doctor isn't sure and neither am I. All I know is that when this phase is over I will be one happy mama! 

- 5 -
Leo Hates Bathtime

"How. Could. You?!"

"I am never letting go of this towel."

Leo hates bathtime. HATES it! I have tried everything I can think of to make it more pleasant, searched out videos on YouTube, read articles, etc. but I cannot help this poor baby enjoy tolerate his baths. The end result is that we give him as few baths as possible and try to make them go as quickly as possible! 

- 6 -
Leo Enjoys the Pool

Sadly all of the pictures of Leo in the pool are on my parents' phones and not available to me otherwise I would have some up here. In the pictures you would see a happy Leo swinging his chubby legs and arms in the water, fascinated by the way the sunlight looks as it reflects in the pool. Given how Leo reacts to baths I was not very optimistic about how he would take to the pool. I figured his toes would hit the water and his rage would take over. Interestingly enough he really enjoyed being in the water and was quite content in my arms and with his Nana. Due to the oily residue of the baby sunscreen I had to give him a bath afterwards but I carried him inside with the hope that his pleasant experience with the pool might transfer to the tub. IT DID NOT!

- 7 -
Seinfeld 

Poor Duncan

I never really had the inclination to watch Seinfeld. To me it was just that show with the weird bass that aired on FOX during dinnertime. Then my brother and sister-in-law watched all of the seasons and seemed to really enjoy it. Still, it wasn't until Ben and I seemed to hit an entertainment wall that we thought to pull up an episode. After watching several episodes I can safely say that I really enjoy it. Not every episode is a total win but it makes me laugh and when you're living in a cramped, box-ridden apartment and hanging out with an angry baby who won't eat, a laugh can be exactly what the doctor ordered!

~ Happy Friday ~

Five Favorites (Vol. 5)

Hey all! Today I am attempting a brief return to the world of blogging in the midst of the chaos that is our life at the moment. I apologize in advance for how nonsensical this post is. It doesn't take a lot for me to feel overwhelmed (I'm awesome that way) but these days I think there may be actual legitimacy to it. Anyways, all the more reason to join Hallie for today's Five Favorites!

- 1 -
Family Vacation

Yes, it looks exactly like a foot

 My incredible husband graciously allowed me to hijack our son and trek down to Hilton Head Island, SC for a few days so that I could join my family and maternal relatives on their yearly vacation. Not only did he have to sacrifice having us around for a few days (this sounds like I'm being sarcastic but for once, no) but he also had to drive to and from Chicago twice! The traffic was as pleasant as one could expect from Chicago but we all survived. After approximately 3 hrs of driving Leo and I hopped on a tiny plane that took us to Savannah and from there we drove another hour to our final destination. All in all it was a LONG day but Leo did admirably and I was impressed by how helpful the folks in ORD were. Despite not actually making it to the beach our time down there was awesome!

- 2 -
Biking

While I was down in South Carolina I had the opportunity to bike. I am a big fan of biking on flat terrain (cannot emphasize FLAT TERRAIN enough) and an even bigger fan of biking in Hilton Head. I have to admit that I like the design of the bikes we rent down there. Translation : wide seats only, please! Seriously I don't know how anyone bikes on those skinny seats. I should probably stop writing about this....

- 3 -
The Crazy Crab

Luckily the crab looks different when it's served

I tend to like seafood. I am not that adventurous but I enjoy scallops, shrimp, crab, etc. Living in the Midwest tends to limit access to good seafood so whenever I end up on the coast I do my best to get some. My favorite place in Hilton Head for seafood is The Crazy Crab and thanks to the flexibility of my family I was able to go. I have to admit that I am not just a fan of their seafood - their hush puppies are to die for!!!

- 4 -
Polyvore

As much as I love Pinterest (yeah, it's ridiculous but truly I do use it for good and not for evil!) I can only repin so much while I am nursing before I need a change of pace. Not wanting to break the trend of putting my time to bad use, I now spend obscene amounts of time scanning the Polyvore app and drooling over outfits and looks I cannot afford. It's like chicken soup for the soul, man....

- 5 -
Chocolate Milk

Because I am 4 years old at heart

Ladies and gentlemen, I can have dairy again!!!!!!! Do you know what this means?! Yes, it means I have to return to my limited grain diet but now I can have glorious things like cheese with my eggs and cottage cheese with fruit for breakfast and chocolate milk. Or as I like to call it, The Crowning Jewel of Dairy. Life is good!

~ Happy Wednesday ~

Barefoot in the Kitchen (Vol 5)

Welcome to fifth post of Barefoot in the Kitchen!

The recipe I am posting about this week is sheer genius. For starters, you can  make it with just two ingredients (unless you include a glaze, which I did). What's that you say? Impossible? Wrong! Another fantastic part of this recipe is that you can make it with virtually any pie filling! But I'm getting ahead of myself.....

Apple Angel Cake with Caramel Glaze

Prep Time : 5 - 10 minutes

Cook Time : 35 - 40 minutes

Servings : 12 - 16

Ingredients :

•  Pie filling (I used apple but you can use any filling you like!)
• Angel food cake mix (just the mix - no egg, oil, etc. needed)
  

Step 1. Turn your oven to 350. Mix the pie filling of your choice with the angel food cake mix in a bowl. 

Step 2. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan

Step 3. Cook for 30 - 45 minutes (cook time can vary a great deal depending on oven)

Step 4. (Optional) Wait until the cake has cooled and add glaze of your choice. I was torn between a cinnamon and caramel glaze but ended up going with the latter. I am sure the cake would taste great even without the glaze but I loved what it added. The next time I make this recipe I plan on using a blueberry pie filling and either a vanilla or lemon glaze. Can't wait!!!

Step 5. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream

Caramel Glaze

Ingredients :

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
  

Verdict : Success! The only thing I might change in the future is instead of using a can of pie filling I would probably make it from scratch. The can of apple pie filling we used was tasty but could have used a bit more apple and maybe a dash of lemon for a sharper flavor. Enjoy!

~ Happy Monday ~