Whoa snow



my snow removal hero!






This weekend we actually had a blizzard warning... yes, blizzard.  We did venture out for Mass but decided that the rest of our Sunday would be spent inside with our 4 month old and lots of kitchen time :)



Homemade Take5 candies and lots of pretzels



Joe and I experimented with our candy making abilities and made some Take5s- pretzel topped with peanut butter mix, soft caramel and dipped in chocolate.  We didn't have any peanuts so I guess it's more of our Take4s.  We like them better than the candy- they're soft and rich!  Definitely a make again recipe.



Benjamin watched us and read his book :)



Benjamin is getting stronger and has been enjoying his high chair and walker.







Advent 2010

I've found that in the last 5 years of parish ministry and teaching I've done many different activities to celebrate and teach about the season of Advent.  This has, unfortunately, meant my celebration at home has been somewhat diminshed due to my enthusiasm to use any ideas at work rather than thinking of them for home.  It was never a conscious thing, it's just that time moves quickly in December and by the time I would think about celebrating Advent at home it was time to travel or host people...

So here's where the blessing of being a "SAHM" comes in. (Stay-At-Home-Mom)  This year (though a little later than I'd like) I got our Advent wreath and am starting to brainstorm on making a Jesse tree.  I'd love to do something connected with stained glass or fabric.  Many websites and blogs encourage families,especially kids to get involved making the ornaments.  Well, Benjamin can't hold a crayon yet and I don't want to wait until I have a brood old enough.  Perhaps in the future my kids will make a Jesse tree and all the ornaments, but I want to make something that will help us celebrate now until that can happen.  I also would like one that I feel is both very useable but nice looking to fit in with the rest of the decor of the living room.  In case you are unfamiliar with what the Jesse tree tradition is like here's a website, and feel free to search for more on the internet, there's lots out there!  http://www.catholicstyle.net/2009/10/the-jesse-tree-an-advent-tradition.html

I will update with pics/info of what I decide to do...

In other news, Benjamin has been enjoying the walker although stationary.  He gets a good workout with his legs pushing against the floor and practicing balancing standing up.  :)

Reflecting on my year and Giving Thanks...

Thanksgiving was, as always, a wonderful time for us.  I remember last thanksgiving being anxious wondering if I may be pregnant.  Wow, how time flies!  It makes me think of everything that's happened to me (and to this family) in the last year...  We found out we were pregnant, I taught middle school religion while I watched my waistline expand beyond all expectation, dealt with morning sickness, ate lots of potatoes and chocolate shakes, went to numerous appointments, unsucessfully tried to keep my ankles from becoming beach balls, walked around the neighborhood listening to "faster, stronger" by kanye in anticipation of being in better shape for labor, going through labor and delivery (life-changing), days in the hospital full of challenges with jaundice, breastfeeding, possible infection prompting monitors, IVs and a lumbar pucture for a 2 day old son; then came going to the pediatric urologist and waking up for night feedings. 

I'm most thankful this year for the life that God has shared with me.  Me of all people has been given the gift of this little person, this little soul that needs cared for and taught- a little one that needs love and has love to give.  I am ever saying those words that came to me in a prayerful way at 4am Aug 6th when the nurses brought Benjamin to me to snuggle because his temp wasn't going back up...  I rested in the hospital bed with Joe's sleepy breathing coming from the corner and the dawn light softly illuminating the twin spires of the Cathedral outside my window, and most of all the feeling of the warm little body moving ever so softly and steadily on my chest with tiny breaths... I couldn't help but just keep repeating.. "Who am I that God should give you to me?"

Home again, home again, jiggety jig...

Phew, it's been awhile since I've posted!  Benjamin and I took quite the vacation to my parents' house this past weekend.  Being that I "stay at home" now I can travel on Thurs and Mon. when the roads are free and the sun is out.  It gets me max time with my family.  I'm there when they come home from work, stay for the weekend and then leave after they leave for work.  I'm blessed to be able to make the trip so often! 

This past visit also included time with my grandmother which is always wonderful.  She is such an example to me.  She's always told me that I'm special... that's something that many people may say, but one look at grandma when she's saying that to you eye-to-eye and you know she truly means it.  Her faith and prayers has been and continues to be a source of inspiration and support.  If I'm half the grandma that she is when I'm a grandma I'll be happy.

You know what, as I typed the above paragraph I started to realize that I could say the same thing about my Nana too.  Her faith is also deep and integral to her life as well as something that makes me admire her.  My gosh I am blessed with amazing women in my life!!! 

Halloween 2010

Trick or Treat!

Don't you wish you could have this happy little Tiger on your doorstep? This one comes with a pacifier :)
Obviously Joe is a Zookeeper and I am the Tiger Trainer.  Dressing up in cute and clever costumes and seeing all the neighbor kids in one night are my 2 favorite things about Halloween.  The dark and scary stuff need not be a part of our day.  We got to spend ours with Joe's family socializing and eating great food.  Then we handed out candy when we got home and I watched part of the Addams family marathon as usual.  (and by usual I mean, that's what happened last year)




Three months old!

We've come a long way from this:



8-6-10

To this:

11-4-10

What have I learned in 3 months?  This vocation of motherhood is going to be an exhilarating ride, albeit difficult at times.  I'm doing my best to enjoy having one baby right now seeing as how I feel like if God graces us with more children the difficulty rating will go up with each one.  Right now my difficulties are, "he's awake already," "this shirt's got spit up on it too," and "Joe, it's 4am will you please help me with the poopy mess our son has become." 
Sometimes I feel like my time spent teacher jr. high was extremely beneficial in preparing me for this job- the need for endless patience, the knowledge that I'm not in total control, the need for a loving and compassionate heart even when I'm tired, flexibility, and I could probably go on... any teacher-moms concur???

It's a me... Benjamin!

Custom made onesies anyone?  See my crafty sister-in-law!  This is just one of many tees that Benjamin received and wears all the time.  Do not fear, Halloween pics coming very soon!

Need I say more?

Adventures in Ba.. king! (Pumpkin Edition)

Get it?  Adventures in Baking instead of the hit '80s movie: Adventures in Babysitting?... yeah, I thought you would.  Anyway, I made a pumpkin pie for Joe's bday since he likes them and it's October.  I think the more I eat it the more I like it!  Well this year as I was making it I thought about what else I could make with pumpkin.  Well, i got online and found a recipe for pumpkin cupcakes- with cream cheese frosting!  They're great! 



I LOVE baking!  I've never done cake mix from scratch before.  It's not that bad!  I do see the need to make it smooth.  The great thing was that I could just set my stand mixer to on and then keep adding ingredients so that nothing could clump up. 

Now I gotta send any leftovers to work with Joe on Monday so that they don't stick around too long :)  Bit by bit the scale numbers seem to be going down (overall, but the fluctuation is agonizing) so I don't need anything to throw it off.  If you were here I would make you eat one! 

So far so good...

We went to see the Pediatric Urologist on Friday last week and got some good news.  Since it appears that the connection between Benjamin's navel and bladder has healed up from the outside (navel) then we'll continue to wait and let it close up.  He'll be on a low dose antibiotic til January when we have an ultrasound to be sure that it has healed up at both ends and there's nothing stuck in between.  I have a feeling that at that point all will be fine, but should it not be healed like the doctor wants then we'll proceed with surgery at that time. :(  Keep those prayers up if you can, they NEVER hurt!

Got to spend some time at my parents' house this weekend- what a joy!  I missed my brothers, but as usual the house was crazy with people anyway.  My cousins' car wouldn't start so we had her, her husband and 13 month old M. on Friday night.  Then another cousin came with my uncle showing up the next day along with open house guests all Saturday afternoon.  My parents are such an inspiration in the "more the merrier," "let us know what you need" kind of ministry.  Their example of patience is why I have any that I do now and the fact that I desire to have more.



so peaceful





On a different note- Ben slept through the night on Friday night- from 8pm to 6:30am!!!  Too bad I was downstairs highlighting my hair with my mom til 2am... so I got a good 4 hours instead of the 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep that Ben got.  I hope he'll do that again sometime soon, I hope it's not just an "at Grandma's house" sort of thing.