{fairytale...sort of}

Today we've been married four years.

When I first met Hubby the first thing I noticed was his smile -- a wide, confident grin with dimples.  Oh, and that amazing superhero chin.
The second thing I noticed was his shirt, which boasted the words:  "I'm Easy"

My brain told me: "Run away!"  My heart said:  "Hmmm...there is something about this guy. I don't want to like it...but I like it!"

We fell in love pretty quickly.

I can honestly say I never loved anyone else.  Never pictured marrying anyone else.  Never met anyone else that I wanted to have a family with.

He was, as they say, the one.

But sometimes, even when you meet the one, it takes longer than expected to end up married. I never thought it would take six years. We went through various breakups, several years living in different states, and lots of things we had to work through.  Our "fairytale" was not, despite the shirt, easy.
But it was worth it.

Dear Hubby - Thank you for these four years of marriage...and the six before that we spent journeying towards it.  May we continue to laugh together, pray together, adventure together, and grow our family together.  Love,  your Wifey

+++++++++++++

Some of my favorite photos of us together:

One of our first dates. 

{taste of minnesota} 

Already doing the annoying kissing poses!  Yes!

{I love that we are both totally okay with p.d.a)

Even at age 20, it was love!  

Even early in our relationship, I learned many important skills from you...like doing a beer bong:

Wait - that didn't work out so well.

 {my first and last attempt at the beer bong}

We have had so many fun nights out that I can remember...

...and others that are a leeeeetle fuzzy:

...and some that I'll never forget - ever!

I love that this pic is mostly chin...

...but I guess we have quite a bit of "chin" between the two of us, wouldn't you say?

I have never met anyone I could feel so comfortable with -- truly my best friend:

I know we'll always laugh together...

and accidentally coordinate our outfits:

I'm glad to have started a family with you...which began with our dog...

 ...now being blessed with this little man:

 And lets not forget, four years ago today,

the best day ever...

Here's to many more chapters in the fairytale -- 

L * O * V * E

g

{bibs are for babies}

There are certain fashions that should never be revived.

While perusing Target the other day, I had to stop dead in my tracks.  

On a rack in the junior section {don't judge me for still sometimes shopping the junior section} was a display of...overalls!

Bibs, if you will.

Ah, bibs. 

 I remember you well from my high school days.  It was 1996.  I was a sophomore.  I had several pair.  Long bibs.  Even worse: Bib overall shorts.  Like these...which, no surprise, are on clearance...

We all did it.  Wore little baby tees underneath.  Kind of like this girl below.  This outfit is so sad I had to  "black out" her eyes.  Hopefully this makes her unrecognizable.  Hey -- in my her defense this was a Sadie Hawkins dance with a "country" theme.  Wow...not flattering at all.

Sadly, I have no excuse for wearing them in the picture below.  None.  

{I also have no excuse for that hair color or those bangs.  Eek!}

Why would this style come back?  

Haven't we all learned?
I know I did!

  I guess the high school girls now will have to learn for themselves... and blog 15 years later about how hideous they were.

:)

My apologies to anyone who still wears overalls.

Unless you work on a farm.

Or are a painter.

Then it's okay.

g

{chunky chicken tortilla soup}

I don't like wimpy soups.

Super brothy? No thanks.

I don't slurp my soup. 

 I chew it.

Anyway, for my first time making tortilla soup, I decided to adjust the recipe to make it chunkier.

I halved the amount of chicken broth.

I increased the amount of actual chicken.

and was liberal with the other 

chunky ingredients.

{so if you prefer more liquidy...don't do these things!!!}

I snagged, and then adjusted, this recipe, which serves 4, from a Kroger mailer! 

First, take 2 zucchini, slice and cube them:

 Make sure you have limes on hand...they add a great zip of flavor at the end:

Use an overflowing cupful of frozen corn:

Cook up a few {or five!} boneless, skinless chicken breasts and then shred them with two forks:

 Saute the zucchini a few minutes in a pot with a tablespoon of EVOO:

Add the zucchini, corn, and chicken with 2 cans of crushed tomatoes (28 oz), 2 cans of chicken broth (2 cups), 1 teaspoon cayenne red pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin (you can adjust the spice to your liking) to the pot.

Bring the soup to a boil, then put on low heat until you are ready to serve.

 Dice up a couple of avocados. 

 To serve, put a generous handful of tortilla chips at the bottom of your bowl, ladle hot soup over the chips, and top with avocado, cilantro, shredded cheddar-jack cheese, and/or sour cream.  Finish off with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice.

I promise you there is some broth in there...

There are LOTS of yummy ways to do tortilla soup.

I would love to hear how you make yours! 

g

mama confessions: {twenty-four hours}

For the past six weeks I've been a 

stay-at-home-mama.

For those of you that think it is all bon-bons and watching soap operas...

 I have learned this is actually a myth.

As a SAHM I barely have time to eat a meal and the one daytime show I do DVR {love me some Ellen} I usually only get to watch in 15 minute spurts throughout the day.
Which is okay with me, because...

Every day is different.  Every day there is something new to learn about motherhood and Baby Mac.  Every day in every way I am molding this little person I have been entrusted with.
  Overwhelming...yet so amazing!
{and tiring!}

Here is a glimpse of a recent day spend with Baby...

12am-6:15am -- Cormac is very noisy in the bassinet next to me. I am a light sleeper and even more so now.   I must have slept, but don't remember anything but reaching my hand over, putting my hand on his tiny chest, and shhhh, shhhh shhhing him back to sleep every time he got too noisy.  Several times I get up, carry him like a zombie over to the nursery and breastfeed him.  I am excited, yet nervous, about the inevitable transition to the crib!

6:15am -- Mac wakes up!  I change him and rock him a little while, and miraculously he appears still sleepy.  I put him down in his crib when he is officially sleeping and tiptoe away.

6:45am -- With monitor near, I shower, get dressed and put on a little makeup...just enough to feel presentable enough to run errands later and not frighten people!  My wardrobe these days, when at home, is sweatpants and a t-shirt.  Not glamorous but very comfy! :)  Here is me today:

7:10am -- I make a pot of coffee, have a cup and a banana, and flip through my Food and Wine magazine, all the while distracted by the monitor that is strangely silent.

7:20am -- I sit shocked that Baby is still sleeping!  I creep into the nursery to check on him, and though the creaky door gives him a little start, he remains asleep.  I tiptoe away. I do a lot of tiptoeing these days.

7:30am -- Check monitor for defects. "Is this thing on?" Seems to be functioning properly.  Definitely not typical for Baby to sleep this late, which I hope means he likes the crib.  Flip through new West Elm catalog for home decor ideas {for when I have free time to do house projects. *har,har*}

7:40am -- Loud grunting and heavy breathing come through the monitor.  I give him a chance to quiet.  He does.

7:50am -- Major breathing and rustling noises ensue on the other side of the monitor as Cormac tries to break free of his swaddle.  I give up trying to relax and head up to the nursery.  He's wide awake...but my swaddle has foiled his attempts!

7:55am -- Wakey time!  I change his diaper and sing him several songs while he smiles, coos and stares at me.  Babies make you feel like you should be on Broadway.

8:15am -- We go say "good morning" to Daddy and then I feed, snuggle, play with and sing to Baby in our bed for a while.

8:45am -- I take Baby outside for our daily "nature walk" -- which is where I walk him around and point out every flower and tree in our backyard and talk to him about the outdoor adventures we will have someday!  Mostly he just stares at the sky a lot...

8:55am -- Daddy comes outside to kiss us goodbye!

9:00am -- I fold some of the neverending pile of laundry while Cormac watches quietly and sucks on his pacifier.  {p.s. don't let anyone scare you away from pacifiers!!!  They will not cause nipple confusion in full-term babies.  They are awesome to have when you need them!!!}

9:20am - Cormac looks tired.  Falls asleep.  Pacifier falls out of mouth. 

I put him down for a nap in the swing.  While he naps I reheat the cup of coffee I meant to drink hours ago and toast a bagel.  I get to eat half the bagel and then...

9:40am - Mac wakes up! I change him, put on his first onesie of the day, feed him and then it is tummy time!  He scoots around and turns his head a few times.  My strong boy!

9:50am - Spits up all over his onesie I had just changed him into.  This happens at least ten times per day.  I decide this is a perfect time for "Baby Massage"!  It is not as traumatic as he makes it look here:

I mean, who doesn't love a massage?

10:00am - Dress Baby in a clean onesie and put him in the stroller for a walk around the neighborhood.  I don't usually take the camera on our walks, so I snag a few pretty flower shots while we get "our" exercise.

Mac takes in the beautiful summer morning!

10:40am -- We arrive home to a surprise visit from Nana!  She and I chat, I feed Mac who afterward takes another short nap, and then I am able to leave for a little "Mama Time" away from baby while Nana watches him.  So nice!  Definitely not part of my normal day, so I take advantage!

12pm-1:30pm -- I head to the nearby coffee shop for a latte and some lunch.  I bring my book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child with me and read a few chapters.  {New parents - Get this book!} I chat with one of my girlfriends on the phone.  I actually eat a full and uninterrupted meal!

2:30pm -- I feed Baby and work on soothing him to sleep.  Have some problems but finally he drifts off to dreamland.

3:00pm -- Put him in swing for a his long afternoon nap.  He starts making noises after ten minutes and I decide to let him go back to sleep on his own.  He fusses for about 10 minutes but it works!  While he sleeps I blog and fold some more laundry.

4:45pm -- I hear him let out a yowl, check him, but he has already fallen back asleep.  Phew!  Time for Mama to take a nap, too!  So I sleep on the couch for a while as he continues his nap.

6:00pm -- He wakes up.  We snuggle on the couch a little, then I feed him again.  For the next couple hours he is really alert and so fun to interact with...thank God for good naps!

6:30pm -- Daddy comes home!  We hang out, talk, and play with Cormac for a while.

7:00pm -- I start making dinner while Hubby takes care of Baby. Some nights I am so tired that I tell Hubby he needs to make a sandwich...or we have Hamburger Helper!!!  Tonight is another simple dinner: I grill some chicken breasts and make some rice.  Oh, and Mama has a glass of wine!

7:30pm-- Daddy feeds Baby Mac the "relief bottle," which is a small bottle of formula.  This gives me a break from my job as Milk Factory and also allows me to pump.  p.s. I highly recommend the relief bottle to breastfeeding mamas once you feel confident

7:45pm -- Dinner time!  Usually we take turns eating while the other holds Baby.  Tonight, however, Mac gives us a special treat -- he hangs out quietly in the swing while we eat.  Thank you Sweet Boy!

8:15pm -- Baby is asleep after a little soothing.   I finally can breathe a long sigh of exhaustion and relief.  I also feel a sense of pride...like I've accomplished a mission or something!  :D Mama and Dada get some time together to watch TV.  I pump, blog, get ready for bed and then read for a while.

10:00pm -- Bedtime for Mama!

11:00pm -- Cormac wakes up...thankfully Hubby takes the first shift and feeds him the rest of the "relief bottle, if necessary!  Mama sleeps on...

12:00am -- It starts all over again!!!

It took six weeks but I am finally feeling like I have some idea what I am doing - and I love it!   It truly does get easier and more and more fun to spend time with the little one.

Still waiting for the free time and bonbons to magically appear...

;)
g

wine wednesday: sassy chard!

I can drink wine again!

The fact excites and delights me, as I l.o.v.e wine.

Before I got pregnant I had purchased several bottles of wine that I wanted to taste and blog about...

so now I am finally getting around to that.

The first is...

 Winnefred (Cali, 2009)

A sassy Chardonnay with a kick!  {my description}

"Buttery approach with a bitter aftertaste." {Hubby's description}

I, of course, was attracted to the label - a pinup-like drawing of "Winnefred," wearing a polkadot skirt & sporting retro specs. Apparently she is the champion of a pizza-eating contest, for "wolfing down unprecedented amounts of pizza."
My kinda gal!

The label and description get an A+ in my book.

The taste?  Probably a B.  Good, solid chard.  I personally prefer drier wines - but if you like sweet and fruity, choose Winnefred!  

We drank this wine with a pear and gorgonzola salad and pasta.

However, the label, of course, highly recommended drinking Winnefred with pizza.  Any pizza.

So perhaps that was key.

So I drank it the next night as well.

With pizza.

Source: tenjuneblog.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

Much better! 

The spice of the pizza evened out the citrusy kick of the wine.

Added bonus:  It had cork!

I always feel a slight tinge of disappointment 

when my bottle of wine has a twist-off cap. 

 Call me a snob traditionalist.

Am I alone?

love and vino,

g