No, I haven't cheated. Although you see the gender poll to the right, this in no way indicates an answer will soon follow. You'll know when we know. That is more specifically when baby Juelfs makes his or her appearance.
The drumroll, however, is to let you know what baby Juelfs will be called upon arrival. When you find out if you are having a boy or a girl, it is definitely more exciting to announce the results. In fact, people usually know you are about to have an ultrasound and even call or ask you about it. The name thing is kind of wierd though. Since we don't know what we are having, we had to decide on two names. For some an easy task; for others, meaning David and me, a bit of a challenge! Then once decided it's not like I am going to make phone calls to tell people what we will name our child. So, it is just kind of wierd. I know our family would love to know, but it still seems like a strange thing to call them and announce.
So, I am testing the faithfulness of my blog readers. You read...you get to know! Here they are. If we have a boy, we will name him Elijah David. Elijah means "The Lord is my God" and for obvious reasons we will use David meaning "beloved" as his middle name. We would hold to God's covenant promises that someday Elijah would proclaim "The Lord is my God." If we have a girl, we will name her Lila Elaine. Lila means "darkness or night" and Elaine, David's mom's middle name, means "bright light". We liked the names and certainly the idea of God pulling us out darkness and into the light. We would hope her life points to Christ's redeeming power.
And there ya have it! Don't forget to vote on the gender poll!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Look Closely!
It seems one day after being changed in the nursery at church, our little Addie had her diaper on backwards!!! I thought all you moms would get a kick out of the diapering efforts of some friends who recently married. I can't confirm, but I am pretty sure it was the husband!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Crying Solo...
Oh, did I say that! I meant to say flying solo. David is on a trip to California so I've been parenting solo for what seem to be the coldest days of winter yet. Perfect timing, right? And what else would make for great timing, colds, of coarse! Apparently this seems to be the prerequesite for having daddy out of town...crankiest conditions posssible.
I must say things aren't exactly how I would have planned them. Oh wait, I did plan them and nothing seems to be working out according to my plans. I had hopes of going to the YMCA several days to work out (free child care!). But our runny noses prevented pretty much my only means to five minutes of freedom over the last few days. Today, I finally decided we would go to Target just to get some fresh air. Addie decided to boycott her morning nap ( why do I have the child that sleeps less when sick?) so it was a bit of a risk but we took it anyway. I decided to stop by the bank to deposit a much needed check and wouldn't you know...the bank is closed. I apparently wasn't the only reject who didn't connect Martin Luther King Day with the bank closing because there were several cars turning around just like me! So away we went to finish our errands which in fact turned out to be just fine.
One more day and counting until daddy's return. We are all excited. I scheduled my Christmas Gift Prenatal Massage for Thursday, yippee. David is going to take Wyatt to see the Veggie Tales Pirate movie Wednesday or Thursday and Addie will probably just express her excitement with endless hugs. She is so affectionate! And in case you were wondering, I look exactly like this cartoon! Just kidding. You might have to take some from the top and add it to my baby belly.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
In Honor of You, Hilary!
I was making meals for three families with new babies today and decided on a couple great recipes from my dear friend, Hilary. I made her Baked Penne with Sausage and Brocoli! It is one of my favorites that she adapted from Williams and Sonoma. I also made her Orange Yogurt Pound Cake that she once again adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten. Both are delicious and easy to make! (I've included her reicpes below.) I must say they are making me miss you, Hilary, and our family dinner gatherings outside...bbbrrr, it's cold outside. We too are feeling very bottled up and tired of the indoors. It was good to just get out and deliver food to people!
Thanks for your inspirations Hilary.
Baked penne with sausage and broccoli (by Hilary)
Here is one of my fail-safe pasta recipes. I actually found it in a Williams-Sonoma catalog and have adapted to my liking so much that it looks very little like the original...so in some ways I consider it my own...something rare in my book. Its great because you can make it ahead and bake it before serving and it is all freezable so it is perfect for a new mommy. I am going to (hopefully--if my kids all go to sleep for their naps) go make it in just a minute for our church community group tomorrow night.
2 lbs pre-cooked turkey sausage, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 heads of broccoli, cut into pieces
1/2 c white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4-1/3 c olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 T dried thyme (more or less to taste)
24 garlic cloves, minced (or 12 t minced garlic)
1/2 pound whole-grain penne, cooked according to package directions
1 c part-skim ricotta
pinch red chili fakes
2 oz Parmesan, grated
Preheat oven to 400. Saute sausage 3 minutes over medium heat. Remove to a large bowl. Cook broccoli in same pan 6 minutes, until tender. Add wine after 3 minutes. Season with salt. Add broccoli and wine to bowl. Warm oil. Add onions and thyme. Cook 8 minutes or until onions are tender. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add mixture to bowl, reserving oil. Add pasta, salt and pepper to the bowl. Add ricotta to bowl and gently toss to coat. Spoon mixture into 9x11 baking dish. Drizzle with reserved oil. Sprinkle with red chili flakes. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake 10 more minutes.
Orange yogurt pound cake (by Hilary)
Ina has inspired me again. And essentially this is her Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe, but I made my own adaptations with what I had. And this is the moistest (is that a word?) pound cake I've ever had. And I think this recipe, with the yogurt, is better than the one with butter. Odd enough?
1 1/2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c plain yogurt (I used fat-free)
1 1/3 c sugar, divided
3 eggs
2 t orange zest
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 c canola oil
1/3 c orange juice
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a loaf pan and line the bottom with wax paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In separate bowl, stir together yogurt, 1 c sugar, eggs, zest, and vanilla. Gradually stir in dry ingredients. Fold oil gently into mixture. Pour into pan. Bake 50 minutes.
Cook juice and remaining 1/3 c sugar in small saucepan until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Cool cake 10 minutes then remove to baking rack. While the cake is warm, pour the juice/sugar mixture over the cake. Cool cake completely.
Now here is where I have differed from Ina as well.
She recommends combining 1 c of powdered sugar and 2 T juice to create a glaze to pour over the cooled cake. But I didn't make the glaze. Instead, I combined 1 c of yogurt and 2 T sugar. I spooned the yogurt on top of each slice when serving and then topped with orange slices, for a dramatic effect--just think if I had added mint sprigs as well!
Thanks for your inspirations Hilary.
Baked penne with sausage and broccoli (by Hilary)
Here is one of my fail-safe pasta recipes. I actually found it in a Williams-Sonoma catalog and have adapted to my liking so much that it looks very little like the original...so in some ways I consider it my own...something rare in my book. Its great because you can make it ahead and bake it before serving and it is all freezable so it is perfect for a new mommy. I am going to (hopefully--if my kids all go to sleep for their naps) go make it in just a minute for our church community group tomorrow night.
2 lbs pre-cooked turkey sausage, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 heads of broccoli, cut into pieces
1/2 c white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4-1/3 c olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 T dried thyme (more or less to taste)
24 garlic cloves, minced (or 12 t minced garlic)
1/2 pound whole-grain penne, cooked according to package directions
1 c part-skim ricotta
pinch red chili fakes
2 oz Parmesan, grated
Preheat oven to 400. Saute sausage 3 minutes over medium heat. Remove to a large bowl. Cook broccoli in same pan 6 minutes, until tender. Add wine after 3 minutes. Season with salt. Add broccoli and wine to bowl. Warm oil. Add onions and thyme. Cook 8 minutes or until onions are tender. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add mixture to bowl, reserving oil. Add pasta, salt and pepper to the bowl. Add ricotta to bowl and gently toss to coat. Spoon mixture into 9x11 baking dish. Drizzle with reserved oil. Sprinkle with red chili flakes. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake 10 more minutes.
Orange yogurt pound cake (by Hilary)
Ina has inspired me again. And essentially this is her Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe, but I made my own adaptations with what I had. And this is the moistest (is that a word?) pound cake I've ever had. And I think this recipe, with the yogurt, is better than the one with butter. Odd enough?
1 1/2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c plain yogurt (I used fat-free)
1 1/3 c sugar, divided
3 eggs
2 t orange zest
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 c canola oil
1/3 c orange juice
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a loaf pan and line the bottom with wax paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In separate bowl, stir together yogurt, 1 c sugar, eggs, zest, and vanilla. Gradually stir in dry ingredients. Fold oil gently into mixture. Pour into pan. Bake 50 minutes.
Cook juice and remaining 1/3 c sugar in small saucepan until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Cool cake 10 minutes then remove to baking rack. While the cake is warm, pour the juice/sugar mixture over the cake. Cool cake completely.
Now here is where I have differed from Ina as well.
She recommends combining 1 c of powdered sugar and 2 T juice to create a glaze to pour over the cooled cake. But I didn't make the glaze. Instead, I combined 1 c of yogurt and 2 T sugar. I spooned the yogurt on top of each slice when serving and then topped with orange slices, for a dramatic effect--just think if I had added mint sprigs as well!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Notes from the Underground
As some of you know, David and I live in the basement. That is, our bedroom is in the basement of the two bedroom apartment as we now have two kids and soon to be three. If you have never seen the apartments I know it sounds wierd, and to some of my neighbors (those who don't share in basement dwelling) you too may think it is strange, but it really isn't all that bad. In fact, there are some good things about it. So, in honor of gulf drive and concrete flooring, I've compiled a list of my top three favorite things about basement living as well as my three least favorite things...
Why I like the basement...
1. It's always warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer!
2. The middle of the night "no reason cries" are much quieter:)
3. I enjoy the rustic feel...who knew overhead wooden beams could make you feel so cozy!
Why I hate the basement...
1. The move was prompted by babies, so naturally whenever one of them needs mommy, I make the trek upstairs in the middle of the night. In the last eighteen months of basement dwelling, I've been nursing or pregnant for well...eighteen of them! I haven't had a night without stairclimbing! Last night alone, I climbed them five times to pee, no exaggeration!
2. I would love a window in my bedroom.
3. No more last minute laundry loads right before bedtime since I share a room with the washer and dryer!
Why I like the basement...
1. It's always warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer!
2. The middle of the night "no reason cries" are much quieter:)
3. I enjoy the rustic feel...who knew overhead wooden beams could make you feel so cozy!
Why I hate the basement...
1. The move was prompted by babies, so naturally whenever one of them needs mommy, I make the trek upstairs in the middle of the night. In the last eighteen months of basement dwelling, I've been nursing or pregnant for well...eighteen of them! I haven't had a night without stairclimbing! Last night alone, I climbed them five times to pee, no exaggeration!
2. I would love a window in my bedroom.
3. No more last minute laundry loads right before bedtime since I share a room with the washer and dryer!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
