Birders

My husband likes to call us "old retired people." Sometimes, our hobbies match that description perfectly. Like, yesterday. When we spent at least two hours of our day off watching and taking pictures of the birds in our backyard.

We have multiple feeders (and even got a new one yesterday). We have feeders for hummingbirds and oriels, a feeder for finches, and a feeder for all other birds. And the birds have definitely begun to visit. They are so, so beautiful. And so, so interesting.
I can hear my college roommate cringing as she reads this. She is not a fan of birds.

Please enjoy our birdie backyard.

(please excuse the not-so-awesome quality of the pictures - I was shooting through windows that aren't exactly spotless)

A Beautiful Friday

Oh, sweet joy, was today a good day.

I'm kind of surprised I just typed that, because Kid was a pill and a half.

Both hubs and I had the day off from work today. We had big plans to organize the garage and do all of the laundry before the weekend, because Kid would be at daycare. Unfortunately, daycare was closed (and is closed on Monday, too). Instead, we did some light cleaning, and hung out with the baby (one year old). The main event was our first family bike ride.

Last year, we purchased a Chariot to fulfill our need for adventure. Okay, we're not super adventurous, but we like being outside and being active. And today was the perfect day to venture out with the kid and the dog.

So, we decided to see what the pup would do if we did some "bike-jouring" instead of skijouring. Of course, the hubs did quite a bit of work, as we didn't want to overwork Finn. He's a small dog. Pulling hubs, the Chariot, and the baby would be tough! That's a lot of weight to haul around. So, the hubby pedaled and biked the whole way. But Finn, oh my sweet Finn, loved it so much.

We felt like middle school kiddos as we biked to our local general store to buy a candy bar.

That we shared down by the lake.

Our stop at the general store was a necessary one. The pup was hot. He's funny. He doesn't get tired. He only needs a break when he gets hot. After a quick drink of water, he's back at it.

My little mister was not feeling the greatest (which is why he was a pill today). We were guessing ear infection, but his ears looked good at the doctor's office this evening. He also went to bed rather early this evening - we'll see how tomorrow goes.

Once we got to the lake, we let Kid explore to his little heart's desire. After a half hour, we had to be on our way, and Kid was not pleased. He could have stayed out there for hours and hours.

We then took the long way home, which was so much fun! Our neighborhood, and those surrounding, have a wonderful system of trails. While some may not be in the best condition, there are miles and miles of interconnected trails. In all ten miles of biking, we had to cross one road. We went under a few, but didn't even have to spend time riding next to the roads.

Today's day off was a wonderful one. It makes me excited for summer and more time to explore our neighborhood and enjoy the outdoors with our Nature Boy!

Just Real Quick

I'm checking in from the phone today, with hopes to sit down and actually write a little later.

Kid was up early today, and has just recently become mobile. He's still rockin' the army crawl, but this mama realizes that it is time to baby proof.

Maybe we were supposed to do that when he was born, but you could put him down, turn around, and he'd still be where you put him.

Now, you out him down and he's made it across the room in give seconds.

We've had a gate at the top of our stairs for a couple of years (put it in when we got the pup). But now it's time to plug the unused outlets. Make it near impossible to open drawers and cabinets, anchor some furniture to the walls, and turn down the ol' water heater. 

But here's my question: at what age can you un-baby proof? Cuz some of the baby proofing stuff makes it hard for adults to gain access.

Ooh. Maybe I should baby proof my chocolate so the hubs can't get at it!

Unexpected

Look what showed up at work today!

Today, I was reminded of how meaningful random acts of kindness can be.

Lately, I've been tired. I've been exhausted. I've been up night after night with a teething boy. I've been moving through the motions of the day, with eyes glazed over. This new mommy stuff is tiring! Well. All mommy stuff is tiring.

It was such a wonderful reminder to know that the hubs is appreciative. Of course, I know he appreciates how much I do day in and day out. He tells me all the time. But sometimes, all times, actions speak louder than words. The fact that he took the time to send me flowers? And pick out a vase in my favorite color? AND INCLUDE CHOCOLATE!?!?

That says a lot.

The smile still hasn't left my face.

Sleepover!

My husband's last day of school was yesterday. Being that we live so close to his school, the year end party was at our house. The hubs and his fellow teachers were enjoying the start of there summer by 2pm.

I was carrying/wearing a sleepy baby and packing up.

The year end parties tend to get a little wild, and I knew that it would be in my best interest to spend the night at my parents' house. If the little man didn't have a nightly crab-fest from 8pm to 10pm, I would have happily stayed at the party. But, since he's quite the fussy boy for 2 straight hours, I made the short trip (10 minutes) to the place I was raised.

Kid and I had such a great time.

His Mootzie (my mom) loves him to pieces, rocked him, and smothered him in kisses.

His Pa (my dad) made silly faces and got a few genuine smiles from the peanut.

And me? I took up space on the couch, had a home cooked meal that I didn't cook, and snoozed when I could. It has been heavenly.

My mom has already planned quite the day for us:

I have strict orders to stay on the couch until they return home from breakfast with a meal for me.

Pa has orders to babysit Kid, while

Mootz and I run to Target (this used to be our go-to stress relief, when I still lived at home).

Upon our return, we will take Kid for a walk. Then, my sister and I will occupy the couch again. 

And while today won't be productive, I look forward to the relaxation. I've allowed myself to get way too tired over the course of these last two months, and I think it has started to catch up to me.

So here's to a fabulous support system in my husband, my parents, and my siblings. My life is amazing, and it has a lot to do with the people in it.

Old Timer

It's amazing how, after just one week, I feel like a seasoned veteran in the Special Care (Level 2) Nursery.

Before, I'd walk in and head back to the little peanut not really knowing if I was allowed to touch or hold him. He's been in the incubator for all but one day. I wanted to be sure he was getting all the warmth he needed.

Now, I know that he's my boy and I can do whatever I damn well please. Except take him home. And, it has to be within reason of course. I mean, really, he was six weeks early. But now I walk in with confidence. I change the little man's diaper while the nurses take his vitals. I know the right questions to ask.

Before, I'd walk in with my syringe of colostrum, then bottle, then bottles of expressed breastmilk and wonder what I was supposed to do. Give it to the nurse? Leave it on the counter?

Now, I know to check the fridge supply. If it is lacking, stick the bottles in his fridge bin. If it is full, stick the bottles in the freezer bin. That's right. I already have a decent supply of frozen breastmilk to take home. Yay for that because Daddy gets to help with the overnight feedings!

There are now 4 babies in the Level 2 Nursery, two arriving yesterday. I see the worried eyes of the new Special Care parents and am reminded of myself from just a week ago. In a matter of days, those new parents will know the ropes and will become seasoned veterans just as the hubs and I did.

Updates & A Meal Plan

Truthfully, I don't have much in the form of updates. Except for the fact that I'll be 30 weeks on Wednesday and my toes are rapidly disappearing from view!

In the past week, I had 3 (yep, three) coworkers comment on my size and how I am bound to have a big baby. Luckily, I'm not one that is overly concerned with this. I am the size I am right now for a reason. Maybe I'll have a huge baby...his dad was 10.5 pounds...it wouldn't be that surprising.

I think what shocked me most was that people actually said something. Way back in the day (ok, less than 30 weeks ago) I had read an article titled "10 Worst Things to Say to a Pregnant Woman." One of those ten worst things was any sort of comment on her size. I recall thinking to myself, "who on earth would comment on a pregnant woman's size!?"

Oh, it happens.

One woman even said, "Weren't you due a couple of days ago?"  Haha, nope. Not 'til May! Like I said, the comments didn't really bug me. I've become a home for this little guy and if he needs me to be the size I am, then so be it! It's the fact that these women (all women that have children of their own) made a comment about it.

Anywho...on to the more important stuff. I planned to show off the super cool bookshelf my husband and I painted.  Except it didn't turn out that cool. And, the hubs did all of the painting. Apparently, I picked up the wrong kind of primer and it stunk. The hubs even got a headache. A full 48 hours later, the primer is dry and the bookshelf still stinks. I'm a little hesitant about putting it in the babe's room. Needless to say, I don't plan on sharing that project epic fail with you all.

And, the meal plan. Quite frankly, this week is a cheapo meal plan because we will only be home for dinner a handful of times:

Monday: Southwest Meatloaf, Scalloped Potatoes, Mixed Greens
Tuesday: Girls' Night (I'm bringing bread)
Wednesday: Birthday Dinner @ my parents' house
Thursday: Mushroom Gravy Slow Cooked Rump Roast
Friday: Super-Secret-Hubs-Is-Cooking-For-My-Birthday
Saturday: Venison Fajitas, Mexican Rice
Sunday: Chicken Pad Thai

Easy-peasy meal plan, but I'm pretty excited about it. Especially Friday's plans. I have absolutely NO idea what they include. I asked the hubs if I could pick up any ingredients for him. He said he'll take care of it (he's pretty awesome, FYI).

Anyway, time to play one of my favorite games:

Have you ever played Mastermind!? It is amazing!!

Little Things

Today was a long day. A twelve hour work day, to be exact. Ah, parent/teacher conferences.

Truthfully, I enjoy conferences. It's a great time to talk with parents without the little buddies around. And seriously? Kindergarteners are amazing!

Okay, let's switch gears for a second. My husband and I recently returned home from a super fabulous trip to Arizona. Ah, the sun! The warmth! We got home on President's Day. We didn't do a great job of cleaning before we left, so we came home to a mess (I'm starting to hate that).

Then, hubby's grandpa died the next day. We had a week of family time. Although it was under sad circumstances, it was wonderful to have some family time.

But, it didn't leave us much time for cleaning up the house.

And then? And then I came home after a 12 hour work day with conferences.

And it was beautiful.

Laundry? Done.
Kitchen? Cleaned.
Dining room? Cleaned.
Living room? Cleaned.

Seriously, made my day. Made my week, truth be told.

2013! Already!?

I cannot believe that 2013 is already here! I've decided to do a recap of the year so that I may see it in 10 years and remember...

In January, I realized that I had to get my butt in gear to student teach in the fall. I was moving through my licensure and master's program at quite the leisurely pace. While the program claims to take just 18 months (not true), I was finishing up year four. Most of my classmates were finishing year three...quite a bit more time than 18 months!

In February, my husband and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day as a married pair.  Truth be told, we don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. Instead, we started some plans for our first "real" vegetable garden. And we had great plans...that produced about a million delicious tomatoes. We also made a major change to our home by tearing down an entire wall. And what a change it has been! Our upstairs is so much more inviting and wonderful.

In March, I turned 28. We also locked ourselves out of our house one morning, calling for a new front door. The new front door is delightful, even if it makes our entryway a little darker than it was before. My husband did a fabulous job replacing the door (and it wouldn't be the last time).

In April, we found ourselves parents to Fletch and Floyd, two bearded dragons. While I frantically wanted to rid our house of them, my husband took a liking and we kept them both for quite some time. Floyd stuck around for a few months, until he got aggressive and chomped on the foot of Fletcher. He was donated to a local reptilian society. They work to find homes for surrendered pets. Fletch was around for even longer; his "stump" healing beautifully. Eventually, we realized that a reptile during pregnancy was not the best idea. Although I was not yet pregnant, I knew I wanted to be soon. Fletch was given to a former student of mine, and I still get updates about him.

In May, we became parents to Finn. Our beloved little Brittany is such a wonderful guy. He loves to hunt in our backyard...birds, squirrels, mice. You name it, he will find it! We have started to bring baby stuff into the house so that Finn can get used to having a human brother.

In June we hung out around the house and found ourselves in a wonderful summer routine. With both my husband and I workin as teachers, June is a favorite month around our house!

In July, we traveled. And my beautiful niece turned two. What a joy that little girl has been. So lively, so creative, so amazing. When she was born, I found myself shocked at how much I could love that little thing. I cannot even imagine what it will feel like to love my own.

In August, I ran my first 5K. It's one of those things that was horrible while running, but such a wonderful feeling after the finish line. I cannot wait to train for and run another one. My husband and I are going to choose one in September or October of next year to run. I am quite excited.

In September, we heard the best news we could have heard. Afte taking three pregnancy tests, I finally believed what the little lines were telling me. My husband and had created a life that would be joining us in May. Now that is an amazing feeling.

In October, we saw our little peanut for the first time. There wasn't much to see...just a sac. But in reality, a life. We also went to the annual Halloween party with my husband's relatives. It was my first year without making our costumes. We didn't even dress up! I had great plans, but the exhaustion of early pregnancy got the best of me.

In November, we announced to family and friends that we were expecting a baby in May. My sister announced the same thing a week later. That's right. Two babies. Due about a week apart.

December was a whirlwind. A month that always seems to fly by so quickly. In our second Christmas season as a married couple, we found a routine that we think may work for us as far as Christmas gatherings go (there are quite a few when both families live within 20 minutes!). We also announced that our little babe is indeed a boy. And much like November, my sister announced the same thing a mere week later. Two baby boys.

In all, the year was fabulous. There was plenty newness and plenty change. Of course, this is only the beginning!

Baby!

I recently brought my beloved husband into our local baby store. All baby stuff.

These types of stores aren't really my cup of tea, as prices are usually marked up. I think they're going for the convenience factor of being able to get everything for baby in one place. There are pet stores that are the same. I don't spend much time in these stores for a couple of reasons.

1. The prices are high.
2. They sell quite a few unnecessary items.

The only child I have right now is a mere 16 weeks along, so I am no expert when it comes to babies. At all. Who really is an expert, anyway? I did; however, work in a daycare that had babies as little as 6 weeks old. Even as a 22 year old, I was saddened by how quickly parents were called back to work at babies were sent off to some form of daycare.

That said, I know a little bit about babies. I know a bit about the stuff that goes along with a baby. And, holy cow, it is a LOT of stuff.

My husband, on the other hand, wasn't as aware.

And it freaked him out.

Of course, he has now realized how awesome of a shopper I am. Upon leaving the store he said, "Thank God you found a dresser slash changing table for $35."

I smiled. Planted a kiss on him, too.

Oh, and. Craigslist has become my new best friend.

Another One of Those Posts

I know, I know, I know. In the last couple of months my posts have all mentioned how tired I've been. How when I get home from work, all I want to do is chill on the couch and veg out. How I haven't felt that great. How I've been a little bit stressed out. All of which is no fun to read.

And because of that, I've been rather distant. I have just "stayed away."

But there's a reason. A pretty good reason. A reason that takes 9 months to "cook." A reason that is a third of the way there.

You've guessed by now, I'm sure. And you are right:

I'm pregnant!

The hubs and I are expecting little nugget #1 in May, and we couldn't be more excited!  And now, I apologize for being so distant. Every post that I have started has ended up with a pregnancy note, and we just weren't ready to share the news until now. Of course, we're not sharing with everyone quite yet. Our families know. Our closest of close friends know. Now, my sort-of-anonymous blog knows. My personal Facebook? The husband's personal Facebook? Still in the dark. And that's how we want it for now...

There are so many things that can go awry. So, so many things. And for us, it is best to keep it a little bit on the quiet side.

Quite frankly, though, I was missin' my blog and itchin' to write!

Weddings

Today, as I get ready to attend two weddings, I am constantly reminded about how wonderful my husband is. He really is a gem.

He puts up with my tears (there have been quite a few of those, lately). He puts up with my exhaustion. He puts up with my love/hate relationship with our house.

I dislike the hole in the floor and the unfinished wall from our Wall Demolition. I love the fact that the wall is gone, creating an open floor plan on our main level.

I don't really enjoy the fact that we live in a cookie-cutter neighborhood. It just isn't my style. I love and adore the fact that we're on the outside of said neighborhood, with a large lot and privacy. With room enough for 4 raised garden beds, maple trees to tap and an Earth-friendly compost bin tucked away from the house.

I despised the color of our house, for it reminded me of old parmesan cheese that had gone bad. But the wonderful husband and I tackled that project this summer.

I get irritated with our lack of kitchen storage, but am so thankful that my husband just laughs and shakes his head after I reorganize and he can't find anything. Funny story. He was just out of town with our brother-in-law. He made a comment along the lines of upon his return home, he'll have to learn a new organizational system, because it most likely has been changed (it was).

Do I hate my house? No, not at all. Do I get irritated with it? Of course! But am I so thankful for having these four walls and a roof? I sure am.

And really, I don't love my husband and think he is a gem just because I puts up with me and my thoughts of the house. But, this post would never end if I gave you all of the reasons I love my husband.

{recetas} Cucumber Dip

The garden is producing cucumbers like mad.

And I love it.

The husband and I had a party to head to tonight and were in charge of an appetizer. I figured my mother-in-law's cucumber dip would do the trick, especially since I needed to use up those cucumbers. Por supuesto, I changed a thing or two. In reality, I didn't have a recipe, only a recalled conversation on how to make cucumber dip.

Yes. It is that easy.

Honestly, though, summer would not be summer without it.

What you need:

• Cucumbers (4 large, but you kind of have to judge by taste/consistency)
• 2 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
• quarter cup water

What you do:

• Wash, peel and chop your cucumbers. I used cucumbers from the garden, and sent my husband (he's such a gem) to the store halfway through making the dip because the dip needed a few more.

• Put all of the chopped cucumbers in your stand mixer or in a bowl. Toss in the two packages of room-temperature cream cheese and mix. My dip was stiff. Maybe too chunky? So I added a quarter cup of water and turned the mixer on again (doesn't that thing make life easy?).

• Add the teaspoon of salt, garlic powder and pepper. I also added a few twists from the garlic pepper grinder because it's fun. This part, of course, is all to taste. My mother-in-law doesn't like pepper, so she doesn't add that. I think it tastes better that way. I also add more garlic that she does. Everyone has different taste buds, right?

 Serve with tortilla or pita chips and enjoy!

Big...No, Huge Project

The husband and I have started a new project and I'm afraid that we may have bitten off more than we can chew.

Why you ask?

We're painting our house. The outside. All of it. By ourselves. Yikes!

Not surprisingly, we have come across a few bumps in the road. Well, mostly husband has because I have been nannying while he has done most of the prep work and painting. The girls and I stopped by the other day to make some super yummy Caprese Kabobs (recipe to come shortly!) and the husband was installing a new deadbolt on the side door to the garage. Wait...he was installing a new deadbolt on the *new* side door to the garage.

A new door?

In doing prep work, he took notes on all of the rotten wood that would need to be replaced before painting. There were a few boards along the back of the house, a piece of the frame on our deck door, and a piece of the frame on said garage door. But that piece of frame gave away a bit too easily and the husband realized that the entire door frame was rotten. Falling apart rotten. Luckily, he has become skilled at door replacements. He had that door up in an hour and a half.

He has been working for two weeks on the paint job now, and it is starting to look finished (must be because I was able to help all day yesterday?). Just kidding! It's mostly because he is driven and determined to finish soon.

Owning a home really is the never-ending project.

In Love.

I have the greatest husband in the world. We've been married for just over a year and I am more in love now than I was then. It's amazing and soooo wonderful!

An example of his awesomeness:

I sent him to the store last night for some taco toppings and tortillas. I know, I made crock pot taco meat without making sure we had tortillas. To the store he happily went (if he gets to ride our moped, he'll go anywhere happily) to pick up sour cream, tortillas and black olives.

He came back and informed me that he got me a present.  Ooh! A present from Target, what could it be!?

my favorite food!

And this was placed on the counter and I couldn't have been happier. Pickles? You're getting all giddy over pickles? I sure am! Pickles, you see, are my favorite food and we haven't had them in the house in a long time. Just the other night, when I made super yummy hamburgers, I was bummed to be without a pickle. The hubs picked up on that and surprised me with a jar of my own!

Learn Something New

The old saying is true. You really do learn something new every day.

I nanny two little girls, ages five and seven. The five-year-old ("Five and a half, Miss Lizzy!...I can hear The Deuce say in her ever-excited voice) does not like chocolate. Yup. That's what I wrote. She does not like chocolate:

Me: "Why don't you like chocolate, dude?"
The Deuce: "I think it tastes like mud and dirt."

Well, okay then. But, that isn't the something new that I learned today. Keep reading...

After making homemade playdough this morning, we decided to continue with a cooking theme. Well, we switched to baking and decided upon the chocolate-free Snickerdoodle cookie. A yummy cookie, for sure, but not one of my favorites (because there is no chocolate, duh).

We planned on having a lunch date with my husband at a super local, super yummy pizza place. The cookies were coming with as dessert (because store-bought cookies are not nearly as good as homemade!). The older girl packed four cookies into a baggy and away we went.

The hubs was so happy to see Snickerdoodle cookies. You know what he said?

"That's my favorite kind of cookie."

And that, my friends, was news to me.

I promise I'm not a horrible wife...we just don't have cookies that often. Because if we're going to have dessert it will for certainly be a nice big bowl of homemade ice cream.

You really do learn something new every day. Today I learned that the hubs loves Snickerdoodle cookies. I'll be posting a recipe soon...and baking more of the hubby's favorite cookies!

Date Night

I was given a $40 gift card to Houlihan's by a few coworkers a few months ago, so that my husband and I could enjoy a night out (thanks coworkers!).

I got home last night from my summer job and realized that the hubs did not take the chicken out of the freezer that morning. This was totally fine by me, I didn't want to cook anyway.

To Houlihan's we went. We got a Pepsi and strawberry lemonade (delish!). The towels they served us at the end of the meal were warmer than our food. And the food itself was mediocre at best. But I'm not writing this post because I am upset about the less-than-perfect service we had at the restaurant. Or the cold and bland fajitas.

I'm writing this post because of this post over at "The Good." It helped me to realize how lovely our date night was.

We talked the night away. We talked about Finn, about my summer job, his summer job. We talked about the dreams for our house, about having kids. We looked into each other's eyes (corny, I know). We enjoyed each other's company.

And when we got home? We took Finn for a nice long walk around the park. It was a wonderful end to a beautiful evening. Thanks to Sara from The Good for helping me to realize it!