Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
We're Home
We made it back home to Knoxville just a few hours ago. We are all pretty tired and are very excited to be able to sleep in our own beds. I have lots of videos to post of Nora and quite a few pictures from our Thanksgiving festivities. Until then, enjoy some pics of our precious little girl!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Just Checking In
We are spending our last full day in New Orleans today! Jonathan, Nora & I head up to Jackson, MS, first thing in the morning to spend Thanksgiving with his folks. We have had a wonderful time so far with my family and I know we will all be sad to leave. Good thing we'll be right back for Christmas.
As usual, we have been going non-stop since we arrived. We've visited with several friends, I attended a close friend's wedding on Saturday, we drove up to Baton Rouge to visit my grandmother and have lunch with the family, and we have eaten like kings since we've arrived. There is nothing like New Orleans' food and my momma's home cooking.
When Jonathan arrived on Saturday night, he was welcomed by my dad's famous seafood gumbo and my mommma's fried shrimp and homemade french fries! Now that speaks to my boy's heart! He knows he is loved by my parents!
That's just a small snapshot of our New Orleans getaway. I pray everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I will hopefully be able to update once we arrive in Jackson.
As usual, we have been going non-stop since we arrived. We've visited with several friends, I attended a close friend's wedding on Saturday, we drove up to Baton Rouge to visit my grandmother and have lunch with the family, and we have eaten like kings since we've arrived. There is nothing like New Orleans' food and my momma's home cooking.
When Jonathan arrived on Saturday night, he was welcomed by my dad's famous seafood gumbo and my mommma's fried shrimp and homemade french fries! Now that speaks to my boy's heart! He knows he is loved by my parents!
That's just a small snapshot of our New Orleans getaway. I pray everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I will hopefully be able to update once we arrive in Jackson.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
What's New With Nora--- 15 Month Edition
Nora and I headed to the pediatrician this morning for her 15 month check-up. As usual, there was lots of drama involved due to the shots and the fact that Nora HATES (loathes, despises) when the doctor touches her with a stethoscope. However, she is doing great now and Momma treated her to some Chick-fil-a to make it all better.
Here are Nora's new stats: She weighed in at 20 lbs., 7 oz. (25th percentile). She is 30.5 inches long (just over 50th percentile) and her head is also just over the 50th percentile. She's a long and skinny Minnie, but the doc said she looks great! She is in the 12-15 month age range for all of her motor skills and is in the 18 month range in verbal skills (surprise, surprise!).
I did ask him if he was concerned that she is still not walking, and he reassured me that all was fine developmentally and to not be worried. He said that she apparently doesn't feel a need to walk since she gets around so well by scooting. That will change soon, I'm sure. She's pulling up all the time now on everything, so hopefully cruising won't be far away.
Here are some of Nora's new words: "ten tu" (thank you), "mau" (mail, milk, more...she uses that sound interchangeably for those things), "nau" (no), "cwa cuh" (cracker), "baby," "Momma," "Dadda," "Mamy" (Amy). There are tons more that I am just not thinking of at the moment. She is a great mimicker these days and repeats almost anything you ask her to. She loves to tickle and be tickled. She makes the cutest noise when she comes up to tickle you. Also, she likes to point out all of her body parts (eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, ears, hair, fingers, feet, etc.) and shes into her belly button, too! She is so much fun and always keeps us on our toes!
We are heading to New Orleans this Friday. Nora and I fly out Friday morning, and Jonathan will drive down on Saturday. I am so excited for my folks to see her because they haven't seen us since Nora's birthday in August and she has just changed so much! We will head to Jackson, MS, on Tuesday of next week to celebrate Thanksgiving with Jonathan's family. It should be lots of fun!
Here are Nora's new stats: She weighed in at 20 lbs., 7 oz. (25th percentile). She is 30.5 inches long (just over 50th percentile) and her head is also just over the 50th percentile. She's a long and skinny Minnie, but the doc said she looks great! She is in the 12-15 month age range for all of her motor skills and is in the 18 month range in verbal skills (surprise, surprise!).
I did ask him if he was concerned that she is still not walking, and he reassured me that all was fine developmentally and to not be worried. He said that she apparently doesn't feel a need to walk since she gets around so well by scooting. That will change soon, I'm sure. She's pulling up all the time now on everything, so hopefully cruising won't be far away.
Here are some of Nora's new words: "ten tu" (thank you), "mau" (mail, milk, more...she uses that sound interchangeably for those things), "nau" (no), "cwa cuh" (cracker), "baby," "Momma," "Dadda," "Mamy" (Amy). There are tons more that I am just not thinking of at the moment. She is a great mimicker these days and repeats almost anything you ask her to. She loves to tickle and be tickled. She makes the cutest noise when she comes up to tickle you. Also, she likes to point out all of her body parts (eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, ears, hair, fingers, feet, etc.) and shes into her belly button, too! She is so much fun and always keeps us on our toes!
We are heading to New Orleans this Friday. Nora and I fly out Friday morning, and Jonathan will drive down on Saturday. I am so excited for my folks to see her because they haven't seen us since Nora's birthday in August and she has just changed so much! We will head to Jackson, MS, on Tuesday of next week to celebrate Thanksgiving with Jonathan's family. It should be lots of fun!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
16 Weeks
I had my 16 week check-up this afternoon...although I am not technically 16 weeks until tomorrow. Anyway, everything went really well! Not really too much to report. I heard the heartbeat which was around 150 bpm. I looked back at my pregnancy stats for Nora at this point, and the heartbeat was about the same I think. My next appointment is in 4 weeks where will we have an ultrasound to hopefully determine the sex of the baby! That will be the week before Christmas, so we will have an exciting announcement to make just in time for the holidays. How fun! I hope this little baby cooperates during the ultrasound!
Nora goes for her 15 month check-up and shots tomorrow. I will post her stats when we get home!
Nora goes for her 15 month check-up and shots tomorrow. I will post her stats when we get home!
Harvest Creamy Corn Soup
I came across this wonderful, wintery recipe last year while watching Rachael Ray or the Food Network. This soup is so simple and so delicious! I made it last night and it was so perfect with all of this cold weather we are having! Please give it a try and let me know what you think.
Harvest Creamy Corn Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 to 5 large ears corn, scraped from cob or 1 box frozen corn (I use frozen...so much easier)
1 medium or 2 small zucchini, chopped
1 pound small potatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bay leaf (if you have one...I rarely do)
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme (I've never had this on hand)
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of generous handfuls,
A few dashes hot sauce, to taste (if desired)
Directions
1. Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil.
2. Add bacon to hot oil and cook until crisp at edges.
3. Add onions and corn, zucchini and potatoes and bell pepper as you get them chopped. Also add to the soup pot the bay leaf, thyme sprigs, paprika, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes to begin to soften the vegetables.
4. Sprinkle flour into the pot, stir and cook 1 minute.
5. Stir in the stock and let it come up to a bubble and thicken up a bit.
6. Then stir in cream, parsley and hot sauce, to taste, and simmer 5 minutes.
7. Season the soup with salt and pepper and serve! I served warm French bread toasted with butter.
I love the parsley in this soup that is added at the end! It just makes it so fresh. Please don't leave that part out. Also, because this recipe makes a ton, you will have plenty of leftovers and it's even better the second day.
Harvest Creamy Corn Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 to 5 large ears corn, scraped from cob or 1 box frozen corn (I use frozen...so much easier)
1 medium or 2 small zucchini, chopped
1 pound small potatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bay leaf (if you have one...I rarely do)
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme (I've never had this on hand)
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of generous handfuls,
A few dashes hot sauce, to taste (if desired)
Directions
1. Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil.
2. Add bacon to hot oil and cook until crisp at edges.
3. Add onions and corn, zucchini and potatoes and bell pepper as you get them chopped. Also add to the soup pot the bay leaf, thyme sprigs, paprika, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes to begin to soften the vegetables.
4. Sprinkle flour into the pot, stir and cook 1 minute.
5. Stir in the stock and let it come up to a bubble and thicken up a bit.
6. Then stir in cream, parsley and hot sauce, to taste, and simmer 5 minutes.
7. Season the soup with salt and pepper and serve! I served warm French bread toasted with butter.
I love the parsley in this soup that is added at the end! It just makes it so fresh. Please don't leave that part out. Also, because this recipe makes a ton, you will have plenty of leftovers and it's even better the second day.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Last week at Care Group, my friend Johanna baked some delicious Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies that were a recipe of Cindy McCain's. (I'm really tired at the moment---does that sentence even make sense?) Let me try again...Johanna found a recipe from Cindy McCain (as in the Senator's wife) for Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies. Whew...this pregnancy is getting to me apparently.
My point is that I found the recipe for these delicious babies online and I made them tonight! Yummy! Try them out next time you get the itch to bake...which is so rare for me. They were easy, scrumptous, and just what I was craving!
Ingredients:
* 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1-2/3 cups butterscotch chips
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl beat the butter or margarine, granulated sugar and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.
3. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
A few hours after I baked and we had devoured about half of these beauties, I realized that I added 2 WHOLE STICKS of butter instead of the required 1 1/2. Whoops! I set out two sticks of butter to soften and was on the phone with my mom when I started combining the ingredients. I wasn't paying close attention, but my cookies were good! So, don't be afraid of the butter!
Enjoy.
My point is that I found the recipe for these delicious babies online and I made them tonight! Yummy! Try them out next time you get the itch to bake...which is so rare for me. They were easy, scrumptous, and just what I was craving!
Ingredients:
* 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1-2/3 cups butterscotch chips
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl beat the butter or margarine, granulated sugar and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.
3. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
A few hours after I baked and we had devoured about half of these beauties, I realized that I added 2 WHOLE STICKS of butter instead of the required 1 1/2. Whoops! I set out two sticks of butter to soften and was on the phone with my mom when I started combining the ingredients. I wasn't paying close attention, but my cookies were good! So, don't be afraid of the butter!
Enjoy.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
My Grandmother is Hysterical
So, I know I'm really bad about blogging only every once in a while, and when I DO blog, I blog like a maniac. However, I had a funny conversation with my grandmother about the blog recently, and I thought I would share. This grandmother, Gloria, is my mom's mom and she is hysterical! Seriously, she should be a character on a sitcom. The things that come out of her mouth are true comedy and she doesn't even mean to be funny. I love her so much and wish I could see her more than I do!
So, my mom was visiting my grandmother Gloria last weekend in Baton Rouge because my grandmother recently broke her foot and is bedridden for quite some time. While visiting, my mom decided to show my grandmother the blog with some updated pictures and videos of Nora. I talked to them later that day after they had gotten completely caught up on all that's happening with our little family. When I got on the phone with my Grandmother, she was just ranting and raving about Nora. When we got to talking about this new baby, she got so excited and said, "Casey, I saw the ultrasound pictures of the baby on your blog! I can't believe the baby is so big and that you can see it so clearly!" For those of you who haven't noticed the baby/pregnancy ticker to the right of my blog, there is a pregnancy countdown ticker that tells me how many days left of the pregnancy I have and gives a picture of the baby in utero. My grandmother thought that was the actual baby in my belly! I tried so hard not to laugh and I didn't want to burst her bubble, so I just let it go! However, I thought it was so sweet and so funny.
I love you grandma! We go down to New Orleans next weekend to visit for a few days and we'll get to see you then! YEAH!
So, my mom was visiting my grandmother Gloria last weekend in Baton Rouge because my grandmother recently broke her foot and is bedridden for quite some time. While visiting, my mom decided to show my grandmother the blog with some updated pictures and videos of Nora. I talked to them later that day after they had gotten completely caught up on all that's happening with our little family. When I got on the phone with my Grandmother, she was just ranting and raving about Nora. When we got to talking about this new baby, she got so excited and said, "Casey, I saw the ultrasound pictures of the baby on your blog! I can't believe the baby is so big and that you can see it so clearly!" For those of you who haven't noticed the baby/pregnancy ticker to the right of my blog, there is a pregnancy countdown ticker that tells me how many days left of the pregnancy I have and gives a picture of the baby in utero. My grandmother thought that was the actual baby in my belly! I tried so hard not to laugh and I didn't want to burst her bubble, so I just let it go! However, I thought it was so sweet and so funny.
I love you grandma! We go down to New Orleans next weekend to visit for a few days and we'll get to see you then! YEAH!
Nora the Dinosaur
Nora is such a reader these days! Her favorite thing to do is go through all the books, turn the pages, and look at the pictures. It is rare that she'll sit still long enough to let you read her an entire story, but she will sit on the floor for a good twenty minutes "reading" and entertaining herself. I think she honestly prefers her books to all of the other toys in her room.
When I was pregnant with Nora, several of my college girlfriends made a trip to Knoxville to visit and they gave me a few baby gifts, including children's books for Nora. One of the books they gave her is a dinosaur book. Nora loves to stick her face through the hole! I don't think she has a clue what the book is about or what she is actually doing by putting her face in the hole, but it sure does make her happy.
When I was pregnant with Nora, several of my college girlfriends made a trip to Knoxville to visit and they gave me a few baby gifts, including children's books for Nora. One of the books they gave her is a dinosaur book. Nora loves to stick her face through the hole! I don't think she has a clue what the book is about or what she is actually doing by putting her face in the hole, but it sure does make her happy.
Triceratops Nora
Compsognathus Nora
Nora's Initial Response about the Presidential Election Results
Although the presidential election didn't turn out quite like we had hoped, we are committed to praying for President-Elect Barack Obama and his future term as president of the United States. This is a funny video of Nora the morning after election day as she was "reading" the paper.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)