tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31661007414318200912024-03-18T03:48:02.886-04:00Much Ado About SomethinMuch Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-9804715512361425352015-04-27T20:30:00.000-04:002015-04-27T20:30:06.747-04:00Crazy Life Updates - we're moving...and buying a house!!!The last few weeks have been a whirlwind!<div>
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Here's the short version...</div>
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WE'RE MOVING BACK TO NORTH CAROLINA!!!</div>
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Yep...you read that right. We are so SO excited to move back to NC, but also <i>really</i> sad to leave Boston. This is where we've spent our entire married life! It's where Owen was born. We have amazing friends who are really more like family. I didn't really understand bittersweet until now.</div>
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Here are a few more details...</div>
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- My job has agreed to let me work remotely - I'll still work for SERMO even when we move! I'll just be doing it from home and traveling to Charlotte and Boston periodically. </div>
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- Travis doesn't have a job yet, but will be looking. In the meantime, he'll be composing, watching Owen, and teaching lessons. While we're at it...if you live in the Raleigh/Johnston County area, spread the word that there's an awesome trumpet and composition teacher! We'll be forever in your debt if you can help him build a studio.</div>
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If that wasn't enough, WE PUT AN OFFER IN ON A HOUSE!</div>
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My brain is swimming. We finally (after <i>three</i> days of negotiating) came to an agreement with a seller and are signing the paperwork tonight! Now for the inspections and loans and closings...wow. If everything goes smoothly, closing will be June 30. WHAT??? Wow...</div>
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So that's our news. </div>
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Say a prayer everything goes smoothly, and another for our nerves as we do this from afar.</div>
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Here goes nothin!!!</div>
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Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-15209194597994796382015-04-22T08:00:00.000-04:002015-04-24T18:23:24.584-04:00Sweet stuffed peppers recipeI'm a big fan of the standard stuffed pepper recipe - stuffed with meat, cheese, onion, tomato and the like. I'm an even bigger fan of a sweeter side dish variety. These mini sweet peppers are stuffed to the brim with goat cheese, corn, dried apricots and basil, and are a fun and delicious finger food!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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1/2 cup dried apricots, diced<br />
3/4 cup sweet corn<br />
2 Tablespoons basil, chopped<br />
8 ounces soft goat cheese<br />
12-18 mini sweet peppers<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
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Wash and bake peppers on lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.<br />
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Place peppers on plate and allow to cool to room temperature.<br />
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While cooking, heat corn in frying pan until gently charred.<br />
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Combine diced apricots, corn, basil and goat cheese and season with salt and pepper.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17nSP4k4GMY/VShc3Pa-mTI/AAAAAAAAKvo/u-gO5iReMmI/s1600/DSCN0241%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17nSP4k4GMY/VShc3Pa-mTI/AAAAAAAAKvo/u-gO5iReMmI/s1600/DSCN0241%2B%282%29.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a>Cut a slit in the side of each pepper and use a spoon to scrape out seeds with a spoon.<br />
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Fill each pepper with goat cheese mixture.<br />
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Return stuffed peppers to oven and bake until goat cheese is warm and soft.<br />
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They're quick and easy, and a great twist on your normal stuffed pepper! <br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-34117805100842869202015-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:002015-04-13T08:00:10.074-04:00Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingA carrot cake is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's sweet, crunchy, warm topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting - what's not to love?<br />
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Every year for the last 5 years or so, a family friend has brought us a carrot cake for Christmas. I look forward to it every year, as she makes the best one I've <i>ever </i>had. This year, husband's mom asked if there was anything I wanted them to bring from home when they came for Christmas (assuming I'd request BBQ...again). I (half-jokingly) said "Please tell Debbie to make me a carrot cake! The clan decided to not disappoint the brand new mamma, so Debbie baked a cake and the Alfords drove it to Boston! What love.<br />
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This Easter, I was asked to bring a carrot cake to dinner. I knew just who to call for a recipe. Debbie was kind enough to share her recipe with me - <i>and agreed to let me share it with all of you!</i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCdaz299POw/VSB12pN4YzI/AAAAAAAAKtk/E8adh1RlKr0/s1600/Slide6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCdaz299POw/VSB12pN4YzI/AAAAAAAAKtk/E8adh1RlKr0/s1600/Slide6.JPG" height="420" width="640" /></a><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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<i>Cake</i><br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
2 cups self-rising flour<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 Tbsp vanilla<br />
1.5 cups vegetable oil<br />
3 eggs<br />
3 cups grated carrots<br />
1 cup roughly chopped pecans (toasted optional)<br />
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<i>Icing</i><br />
1 stick butter, softened to room temperature<br />
8 oz cream cheese, softened<br />
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
2-3 Tbsp milk (add a little at a time to get the right consistency)<br />
Optional: 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans (or more if desired)<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
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<i>Cake</i><br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
Cut wax paper to fit bottom of 2 round cake pans. Grease pan & place wax paper in bottom.<br />
Mix sugar, baking soda, flour & cinnamon in large bowl or mixer.<br />
Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add oil. Add eggs 1 at a time.<br />
Add vanilla, nuts and carrots and mix well.<br />
Pour batter evenly into pans.<br />
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, testing for doneness with toothpick.<br />
Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Flip layers onto cooling rack.<br />
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<i>Cream Cheese Icing</i><br />
Mix wet ingredients (except milk) together until smooth.<br />
Add powdered sugar.<br />
Add milk a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.<br />
Optional: Stir in pecans, or sprinkle on top<br />
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Once cake has cooled, ice between the layers, top and sides of cake.<br />
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Optional: sprinkle top or around the rim with chopped pecans or grated carrots.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-79933302117745603312015-04-10T08:00:00.000-04:002015-04-10T08:00:03.743-04:00Quick and delicious cornbread recipe - half homemade!<div>
Last week, I made our last stock pot full of chili (check out my recipe here!) of the season. Husband has been craving it lately, and I decided that since i snowed the day before, it would still be acceptable. I split the pot between us and my friend Robyn, who had a baby a few weeks after us!</div>
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In our house, cornbread is basically a requirement when enjoying chili. With a newborn, I'm looking for faster ways to do things, so I decided to "soup up" some boxed mix. It turned out SO well, you won't make yours from scratch anymore. Gotta love half-homemade! I added canned corn, cheese and sour cream - the best of the best. </div>
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It sweet, soft, and tastes homemade! </div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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Box of cornbread mix (for 8x8 or 9x9 pan)<br />
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Ingredients to prepare boxed cornbread as directed<div>
1 cup canned corn, drained and chopped</div>
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1/4 cup sour cream</div>
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1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese</div>
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<b>Directions</b></div>
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Prepare boxed cornbread as directed.</div>
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Add corn (drained and chopped), sour cream, and shredded cheese, and mix.</div>
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Grease 8x8 or 9x9 pan, and pour mix in. Bake as directed on box, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.</div>
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While cooking, play with baby.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-65236070266317642692015-04-08T08:00:00.000-04:002015-04-08T08:00:10.276-04:00How to make a diaper cakeAfter having our own baby showers for little Owen, I realized how coveted diaper gifts were for parents-to-be. Diaper gifts were going to be especially important for our friends Barb and Dave, since they're having TWINS (any day now!). Instead of giving them a box of diapers, I decided to make a diaper cake!<br />
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Diaper cakes are incredibly easy to make and really cute. They look great on your food table and are an easy way to add height to the table <i>and</i> tie in your theme! If you can roll diapers and use rubber bands, you can make a diaper cake. I have confidence in you!<br />
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<b>You'll need:</b><br />
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60-75 diapers (mostly white)<br />
Rubber bands (~100)<br />
Paper towel roll<br />
Ribbon<br />
Straight pins (6)<br />
Cake Stand<br />
A section of a plastic tablecloth (or fabric) approx 3-4 foot square (depending on how large your cake stand is<br />
Assorted decorations<br />
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First, roll up your diapers. Roll them so any graphics across the front stay on the inside (you want a white outside) from bottom to top. They should be snug, but not super tight. Wrap each with a rubber band around the middle to keep in place. You don't want the rubber band so tight it indents the diaper, so loosen if you need.<br />
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Once you've rolled 60 or so diapers, it's time to start assembling the bottom tier of your cake. Start by surrounding the bottom of the paper towel roll with your rolled diapers. Once you've formed the first layer, put another rubber band around the group to secure. <br />
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Then surround that layer with another, and secure the group with another rubber band. Continue with a third layer to finish the bottom tier. (Tip: As you get to the second and third layer of rolled diapers, it gets easier to put the rubber band on first and slide the rolled diapers in as you go.)<br />
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Once the bottom tier has three layers of diapers, you can start on the second tier. Construct in the same way, only this time just do two layers of diapers. Then move on to the top tier and do one layer of diapers. <br />
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Isn't it nice that a paper towel roll is the same height of three rolled newborn diapers stacked on top of each other? Works out perfectly!<br />
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I stuck rolled up diapers inside the paper towel roll at the end too, so the top wouldn't be empty - you don't want to see a hollow tube at the top of your cute cake!<br />
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Next up - the ribbon! You'll want to select a ribbon that is about 1/3 the height of the diapers you're using. You'll be wrapping it around the middle of each tier, covering the rubber bands.<br />
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Secure the ribbon in the back with pins. One pin in the top corner where it starts, and a pin in the top and bottom corners where it ends to hold in place. If you have pins with tops the same color as your ribbon, awesome! If not, just make sure they end up in the back.<br />
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Then I made a simple bow to put on top of the cake and secured it with another pin through the back.<br />
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Next I covered my cake stand. The glass cake stand is nice for some things, but didn't fit the "feel" of my diaper cake, so I decided to cover it. I used the end of the tablecloth I didn't need (you'll need a 3-4 foot square depending on the size of your base) so it would tie in nicely with the rest of the table. <br />
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Lay the cake stand upside down in the center of your fabric.<br />
Gather the ends around the entire stand.<br />
Tie a ribbon around the top of the pedestal, close to the plate. You could also use a rubber band.<br />
Cut away the excess fabric, but leave enough so it will hang to cover the entire pedestal. <br />
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Now put it all together!<br />
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I wanted to keep the other decorations on my diaper cake simple, so I went with a monkey, giraffe and passie. "Monkey" and "giraffe" are the nicknames given to each of the baby girls we were celebrating that day.<br />
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Turned out pretty nicely!<br />
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All the parents-to-be have to do is unroll the diapers as they need them! Talk about a functional decoration. <br />
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Have you made a diaper cake before?<br />
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Check out other baby shower posts:<br />
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<a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/baby-shower-activity-make-wish-tree.html">Baby shower activity - make a wish tree!</a><br />
<a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/shower-favors-marshmallow-baby-rattles.html">Marshmallow Baby Rattle Shower Favors</a><br />
<a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/chocolate-covered-pretzel-giraffes.html">Chocolate covered pretzel giraffes</a><br />
<a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-twin-baby-shower.html">Baby shower overview</a> - complete with a "cravings corner"<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-2749754019794873572015-04-06T08:00:00.000-04:002015-04-06T08:00:00.720-04:00What to pack in your hospital bag for mom, dad and babyBefore I had Owen, I read a lot of posts about what I should pack in my hospital bag when having a baby. There are a bazillion things people say you NEED. Some you do...others you don't.<br />
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I'm going to give you two lists - things we used and what you should leave at home. Why not bring everything just in case, you might ask? You'll be moving hospital rooms at <i>least</i> three times (not counting any possible "false alarms" where you're sent home to continue laboring), so you really don't want to be lugging around lots of heavy bags. My biggest piece of advice - PACK LIGHT.<br />
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<b><i>Must-haves:</i></b><br />
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<b>The paperwork - </b>Insurance card, ID, hospital forms, birth plan, ID etc...<br />
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<b>Bedroom slippers - </b>with grip on the bottom (that you don't mind getting messed up) - you'll want to have something besides hospital socks to wear...and don't you dare put your bare feet on the floor!<br />
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</b> <b>Socks </b>(several pairs) - hospitals can be cold!<br />
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<b>Lip gloss/ chapstick<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mucadoabosom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0054LHI5A" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b> - all those breathing exercises you learned <i>will</i> dry your lips out!<br />
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<b>Ponytail holders and/or headband</b> - bring extras...this is <i>work!</i><br />
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<b>Cell phone & charger(s)</b><br />
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</b> <b>Overnight bag - </b>with all the fixin's, including your own (travel size) shampoo...it's worth it!<br />
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<b>Shower shoes </b>- because ewww....<br />
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<b>Camera - </b>a good one! You'll want better-than-cell-phone pictures. Make sure your battery is fully charged and memory card is blank. It'll surprise you how many pictures you take of your brand new baby. We brought an extra battery and memory card, but didn't need it.<br />
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<b>Nursing gear - </b>nursing bras, pads, creams, etc<br />
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</b> <b>Comfortable clothes to go home in</b> - or more if you hope to wear them after the birth. Think mid-maternity clothes<br />
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<b>Sweets for the nurses</b> - yeah...I know I said pack light, but this should be on your must-bring list. Bring some caramels, cookies, peanuts...something yummy for the nurses' station. They're going to be your best friends, and they work their butts off for you. They'll appreciate it and <i>probably</i> show that appreciation by loading you up with free stuff as you go home.<br />
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<b>An extra bag (or three) - </b>for all those freebies! We went home with FOUR BAGS of free stuff...our nurses stocked us up! Formula, diapers, several blankets, "Soothie" passies, breast pump extras...and that's just the start!<br />
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<b><i>Optional:</i></b><br />
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</i></b> <b>Bathrobe and/or comfortable clothes - </b>for after labor, if you don't want to wear the hospital gowns<br />
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<b>iPad/Kindle & chargers(s) - </b>I doubt you'll be bored...but who knows?<br />
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</b> <b>A few snacks - </b>We brought lots of snacks, but only ate one of them. I think a lot of this will depend on the food situation at the facility where you'll deliver. Our hospital had GREAT food that could be delivered any time you wanted (and options on the floor itself) so we just had food brought up. If you hear the food there is bad (or don't know)...bring some of your own.<br />
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<b>Bathtowel - </b>hospital towels are rough and tiny. <br />
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<b>Music - </b>and whatever device you plan to play it on if you want it for labor.<br />
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<b>Something special</b> - my mother-in-law had Husband's baby blanket repaired for Owen to use, so we brought that to the hospital for Owen to go home in.<br />
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<b><i>For husband:</i></b><br />
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</i></b> <b>Comfortable shoes - </b>he'll be standing up a LOT...<br />
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</b> <b>Instant coffee</b> - if he's a coffee drinker, bring some instant coffee packets. Our nurse made husband a pot because she felt bad for him. Buying coffee for that period of time will really add up...<br />
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<b>The "long weekend" usuals - </b>pack for a few days (2-4...you never know if it'll end in a c-section, so bring a few extra shirts just in case!)...just make sure to pack light.<br />
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<b>Cash</b> - for the vending machines<br />
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<b><i>For baby:</i></b><br />
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</i></b> <b>Car seat - </b>leave the carrier in the car until you need it,. Just make sure you bring it inside a few hours before you leave...especially if it's winter!<br />
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<b>Going home outfit</b> - or two, if your baby is estimated large (don't want to bring something too big or too small!)<br />
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<b>Blanket - </b>for going home if it's cold!<br />
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<b><i>Things to leave at home:</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b> <b>Your breast pump - </b>use the hospital's...they'll have a better one than you do! (Confirm they'll have one for you to use during your tour)<br />
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<b>A pillow</b> - just ask for extras if you're not comfortable. And again...you won't want to lug it around.<br />
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<b>Diapers, wipes, creams, baby shampoo, etc - </b>The hospital has all of that for you. Save yours for later!<br />
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<b>Anything you can't live without </b>- things get lost and messed up. You're in a hospital...birthing a baby...feeding a baby...changing a baby...in a hospital...<br />
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What "must haves" would you add to the list?<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-47587242325068951962015-04-03T08:00:00.000-04:002015-04-03T08:00:00.682-04:00Easy Cranberry-Raspberry MargaritaI'm not a drinker. I don't like wine, beer, or any of the "regulars" most people would go for, so I maybe have 3 drinks a year.<br />
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My therapist (who I've been <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/my-battle-with-postpartum-depression.html">seeing for postpartum depression</a>) told me that I should find some kind of alcoholic drink that I like from time to time to help calm me down when I'm anxious. I didn't even know where to start, since I have almost zero experience, so she sent me to the store to buy a bottle of Skinnygirl Margarita. <br />
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I tried it straight (since it has everything you'd need in one bottle), but it was way too strong for me. Travis and I have been making sparkling berry drinks (using juice and tonic water), so we had some Raspberry Cranberry juice in the refrigerator. I decided to add a little of the juice to the margarita, and bam! I'm in love.<br />
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It's sweet, sour, <i>and </i>diluted enough that I can both "complete my homework" AND enjoy it.<br />
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<i>Here's what you need...</i><br />
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3 oz Skinnygirl Margarita<br />
3 oz juice (I used Raspberry Cranberry juice)<br />
Ice<br />
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Just pour the two over ice, swirl, and enjoy!<br />
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It'll be perfect for a warm summer day...if we ever get one of those here in Boston!<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-6648961862750608552015-04-01T08:00:00.001-04:002015-04-01T08:00:00.894-04:00Owen is 15 weeks old - lots of "firsts" and a visit from grandparentsIt's been a big few weeks since my last "Owen update". Our little guy is now 15.5 weeks old - I can't believe it!<br />
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Travis's parents came up for a long visit a few weeks ago. It was so much fun to see them - Owen <i>especially</i> enjoyed it! We spent a lot of time playing with the little one, and Travis and I even got to <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/date-night-at-superlux.html">go on a date</a>! Thaaaaaank you, Grandparents, for the night off!<br />
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Owen is becoming a very active little guy! A few weeks ago, he <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/owen-rolls-over.html">rolled over from his belly to his back</a>. Well...now he's able to flip from his back to his belly too! He'll just roll and roll if we let him - he's so proud of himself! <br />
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He's enjoying sitting up in our laps, and he "found" his feet this weekend. He's spending a lot of time curled up tugging at his toes. Owen's also getting pretty good at grabbing toys with both hands. He moves slowly and carefully until he's close to the toy, and then BAM...he's got it!<br />
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We've also had a fun few weeks of "firsts":<br />
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First time in his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FBEO588/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FBEO588&linkCode=as2&tag=mucadoabosom-20&linkId=3KT36IURQSGAZ5IQ">Bumbo Chair</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mucadoabosom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00FBEO588" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />! He did great! We're just doing short stints for now, but he loves it.<br />
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First time sitting in an exersaucer - we made another <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-discovered-childrens-orchard.html">trip to Children's Orchard</a> on Friday and decided to see what Owen would think about one of these fun contraptions. I think the picture says it all -<i><b> it blew. his. mind. </b></i> He loved it. I'm so excited for him to be sturdy enough to play in one! <br />
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Owen also had his first visit to our church here in Boston, Park Street Church. He loved meeting all our friends, and he did SO well during the service. We sat on a pew against the back wall in case things got loud, but thankfully he didn't need to be whisked away! He loved the music, and the choir's anthem put him to sleep. Since he was snoozing, I laid a blanked on the floor and he slept at my feet for most of the sermon (hahaha...). Eventually he woke up and played with his friend Hannah (10 months old) and his lion toy. I'm so relieved things went smoothly!<br />
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While Trav's parents were in town, we let Owen have his first "splash bath". Until now, we'd been using the little hammock that came with his bath tub. He has officially graduated to a tub of water...and thought it was SO much fun! This little baby loves the water. He splashed, and splashed, and laughed, and splashed...and sent water all over our dining room. It was awesome. He especially liked watching water drip on his belly from a washcloth above.<br />
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I just can't get enough of this baby!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-46750106403796840732015-03-30T08:00:00.000-04:002015-03-30T08:00:01.370-04:00Easy Crock-Pot Beef RoastA tender beef roast is one of my favorite comfort foods. I remember being SO excited when my mom would bring out a roast with carrots and potatoes! My brother and I ate as many of the carrots as we could - my poor parents probably never got any. I guess that's the plight of the parent...if your kids are excited about eating carrots...you let them eat all the carrots. <br />
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This past weekend, we made a roast while Travis' parents were in town. Now that I'm involved in the cookin', it's important for the preparation to be quick (since we have Owen). That's why the Crock-Pot is your best friend.<br />
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This roast takes about 10 minutes to prep (it's all "open and dump") and 5 hours to cook. Can't get much easier than that!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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Beef roast<br />
1 pound baby carrots<br />
18 ounces sliced mushrooms<br />
Large onion, chopped<br />
Large red pepper, chopped<br />
2 pouches Lipton dry onion soup mix<br />
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (10.5 ounces)<br />
1 can Cream of Onion soup (10.5 ounces)<br />
1-2 cans water (use empty soup cans), depending on how much you need<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
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Place beef roast in bottom of Crock-Pot.<br />
Add carrots, sliced mushrooms, chopped onion, and chopped red pepper.<br />
Add Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Onion Soups.<br />
Sprinkle in 2 pouches of dry onion soup mix, salt and pepper.<br />
Pour in 1-2 cans of water, depending on how much liquid you need. (Start with one and see if more is needed later.)<br />
Cook on high for 5 hours or until beef is cooked through.<br />
If serving directly from Crock-Pot, cut beef into slices and return to pot.<br />
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We served ours with half a baked potato (it's yummy to spoon over the potato!) and broccoli!<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-71479354155391188932015-03-28T12:00:00.000-04:002015-03-30T15:56:21.852-04:00Bald Eagle Nest in West Newton - in our backyard!Our little street here in West Newton has had a lot of excitement over the last few weeks. A bald eagle couple has taken up residence and regularly hangs out in the trees behind our house! Our street list-serve has been sending sighting announcements back and forth so others can try to catch a glimpse, and we've finally figured out they're building a nest at the end of our street. This is very exciting - if all goes well they'll be here all year!<br />
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Friday, I stood outside and watched one of them fly back and forth with sticks for about 30 minutes. Another neighbor watched <i>both</i> work on their nest earlier that day.<br />
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It's pretty amazing!<br />
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Here are a few shots of our new friend(s).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He accidentally dropped that giant stick, and it fell to the ground. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eagle butt!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by my neighbor, Paul Shoemaker, before they'd found their home</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another shot on a cloudy day</td></tr>
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Last week, Travis' parents came up for a visit. Travis' mom LOVES bird-watching and was ready to take our eagle's picture. We were certain we'd see them at least <i>once</i> while they were here, even though sightings had become less frequent...<br />
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We took walks several times a day to their favorite spots, and even drove around to other sites where they'd been spotted, hoping Jenny would be able to see one of them. Owen especially enjoys looking for eagles...<br />
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Finally, the next-to-last day they were here, we found a bird. Even though it wasn't the eagle, it was fun to see this beautiful hawk who must have kicked the eagle off his regular tree.<br />
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After 5 days of looking, it was time for Terry and Jenny to go home. We did one more sweep around the neighborhood and took them to the airport. On the way, we joked that we'd see them again now that they were leaving.<br />
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Well...Travis, Owen and I returned home, pulled into the parking spot behind our house, and BAM! Before we could even turn off the car, the eagle landed right in front of us, on the baseball field in our backyard! We couldn't believe it. <br />
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We jumped out of the car as he flew away. Travis watched both of them swoop around the field and I managed to get one picture of him through the trees. Poor Jenny.<br />
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If you live in the area and would like to know where the nest is, comment below with your email address and I'll share. (Don't want to post someone's address on the internet!)<br />
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<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Update:</u> After posting, someone from Mass Audubon contacted me to hear more about our neighborhood eagles. Here's what she had to say about them...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><i>"This is really exciting to say the least. A bit more on this pair. The location is really intriguing. Eagles typically chose a site near the water, and if they were going to nest in that area I would have expected a site along the Charles River, not half a mile away, and certainly not in a suburban back yard. The pair consists of a full adult male and a 4th year female. The only difference between the male and female is size - as with all raptors, the female is larger. You can tell she's a 4th year because although she has a white head and tail, there are still traces of darker plumage on the face and tail as evidenced on your photo "another shot on a cloudy day." This is extremely late in the year for breeding since most breeding eagles now have young. So, I think this pair is just getting ready for next year - strengthening their pair bond by cooperatively starting a nest. Eagles will use the same nest year after year, so the efforts won't be wasted. If by any chance they do breed this year I wouldn't be surprised if the nest failed."</i></span><br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-1812325589275512652015-03-27T08:00:00.000-04:002015-03-27T08:00:00.266-04:00Date Night at the SuperLux!Last week, Travis and I had the privilege of going on a date. Yep...a real date that didn't include Owen! Travis' parents were up for a long weekend and were gracious enough to keep Owen so we could get away for a few hours. <br />
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We have been hearing really great things about the <a href="http://www.showcasesuperlux.com/">SuperLux theater in Chestnut Hill</a> (outside of Boston) and wanted to see a movie there. It did NOT disappoint! What an awesome experience!<br />
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The Showcase Superlux isn't your typical movie theater. Dark wood, modern furniture, full bar...who knew movie-going could be such a swanky experience! We seriously felt under-dressed.<br />
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After hanging out in the lobby for a little while, we were ushered to our theater and seats. None of that checking-the-ticket-and-sending-you-on-your-way nonsense...you're <i>ushered to your theater</i> here! They explained what was included in our ticket and how to order dinner, and left us to look over the menu.<br />
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We thought we might be the only ones at the movie. Who else would be going to see Imitation Game (a movie that has been out for a month) on a Thursday at 5pm? We had the theater to ourselves for a while, but finally 4 or 5 others wandered in.<br />
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With the SuperLux ticket, you get your own, reserved leather recliner. Every two recliners are separated from another set, so you're not right next to a stranger - pretty nice! The seats were soft, the feet reclined all the way out and there was enough room in in front of the seats for people to walk in front of you. It's a bummer to have to put your feet up and down at other theaters with reclining chairs when there isn't enough room for those in the middle to get through (#FirstWorldProblems). Every seat also has a call button for your waiter, if you need a refill or want to order some food during the movie.<br />
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Back to the food: the menu was great - lots of options and creative apps! We ordered Steak & Cheese Springrolls with spicy ketchup, the SuperLux Burger with guacamole (to split), and drinks (Travis got a S'mores martini and I got a mango strawberry mixed drink). Everything was delicious. <br />
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Buttered popcorn and drink refills are included in the price of the ticket (along with a $5 food credit per ticket), so we asked for those immediately (of course!). I rarely order popcorn at theaters, so I'd forgotten how good it is! Maybe that's a good thing...<br />
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The movie was fantastic - now I see what all the fuss was about! It was so nice to go to the movies without neon signs, loud music, or long lines. It was a quiet evening, which is what I really needed since <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/my-battle-with-postpartum-depression.html">I haven't been feeling like myself lately</a>.<br />
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After the movie, we decided to walk around the Chestnut Hill Mall for a while. I haven't been to that mall without a purpose before, so I didn't realize how small it was! So much for walking around a lot. We spent most of our time in Brooks Brothers marveling at how CRAZY EXPENSIVE everything was. I'm used to Brooks Brothers outlets...holy cow, prices are different at the real thing! <br />
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Guess how much the shoe below cost. No really...guess...<br />
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SIX HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS. <br />
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I don't get it. <br />
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Before heading home, we swung past Cheesecake Factory and picked up a few slices to split with Trav's parents back at the house. <br />
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It was a fun night out with my sweetest husband!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-10387266100357438952015-03-25T08:00:00.000-04:002015-03-25T08:00:01.191-04:00Monte Cristo RecipeBrunch is one of my favorite meals of the day. Sausage and Cheese Casserole, cinnamon and nutmeg pancakes, or a yummy Monte Cristo sandwich. Today I'm going to share our recipe for the delicious Monte Cristo!<br />
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It's really the epitome of "brunch" - it's a ham and cheese sandwich, dipped in egg and cooked like french toast. Perfect. We especially love to make these when using up leftover ham. Use honey mustard to kick the dish up a notch!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Oatmeal bread<br />
Ham<br />
Swiss cheese<br />
Honey mustard<br />
Eggs<br />
Milk<br />
Maple syrup<br />
Powdered sugar (optional)<br />
Jam (optional)<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Directions</b><br />
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Make your sandwich: ham, Swiss cheese and honey mustard. (You could even add a little mayo if you wanted!)<br />
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Whisk together eggs and milk (1 egg per sandwich + generous splash of milk).<br />
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Spray frying pan with Pam cooking spray and turn burner on low/medium.<br />
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Dip each side of sandwich in egg/milk mixture and place in frying pan. <br />
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Cook for 4-6 minutes (or until side is browned) on each side.<br />
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Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar and fruit or jam. <br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-85255811252149238982015-03-23T08:00:00.001-04:002015-03-23T08:00:00.627-04:00My battle with postpartum depressionI wrote this post a few weeks ago, and since then, have thought a lot about whether I should hit "publish" and share it with the world. I'm still not sure it's a good idea - probably too much too soon - but I want to be real.<br />
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It hasn't been all smiles and giggles over here the last 3 months. My baby is amazing. My husband is amazing. Our family and friends have been so loving and helpful. But it's been hard. Here's a quick view of what's happened in the last 3 months.<br />
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- <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/owens-birth-story.html">After 36 hours of labor, I had a c-section</a><br />
- I got mastitis<br />
- Everyone in my house (except Owen and me) got <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/home-from-hospital-worst-christmas-ever.html">norovirus on Christmas day</a><br />
- Migraines overcame my life<br />
- Nursing was so impossible I had to stop<br />
- My incision popped open and husband had to clean and pack it until it finally closed<br />
- <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/owen-visits-north-carolina.html">I got food poisoning and had to be in the hospital for 2 days</a><br />
- We got more than 108 inches of snow and were stuck in our house<br />
<br />
If that wasn't enough (trust me...it was more than enough), I also have postpartum depression. There...I said it. I have postpartum depression.<br />
<br />
This is one of those "pregnancy things" no one talks about, which I think actually think makes it scarier. Everyone talks about stretch marks, how hard it is to lose baby weight, and not sleeping...but when it comes to a lot of the <i>big </i>and <i>scary </i>things after the baby is born...crickets. <br />
<br />
I've always been someone who thrives and REQUIRES a lot of social interaction. I'm at my best when there are 100 things going on and love the fast pace of my job. I love being busy and caring for others. Postpartum depression turned all of that upside down in just a few weeks.<br />
<br />
Stimulation was (and is) my nightmare. If the TV was on, someone was talking to me, and another was on the phone, I felt like I would jump out of my skin. Public places or large groups of people were completely out of the question. I needed breaks from my baby, who I just wanted to hold. Anything stressful gave me nightmares. For no reason at all I'll become completely overwhelmed and anxious. It's nothing like I've ever experienced before, and it sucks. I was (am) a wreck. <br />
<br />
Thankfully I have a support system (family, friends, coworkers, physicians) who have helped care for Travis, Owen and me. I've also gotten help from amazing doctors who, in addition to helping me work through this, fought for me to get an extension on my short term disability. Now I have a few more weeks before resuming normal life. My medicine is helping, and I'm learning techniques to help me keep calm in situations that I know will trigger anxiety. I've realized that this is not about circumstances or weakness...it's about hormones.<br />
<br />
I hope you don't feel lied to from my posts. I AM happy. I have the most amazing little family and know how blessed I am for that. This has been one of the best and worst times of my life, which is why it's been so hard.<br />
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I'm certainly not well, but am so much better than I was...and eventually I'll be back to normal.<br />
<br />
If you're experiencing postpartum depression, I encourage you to reach out to a friend, family member, your OB, or a stranger...whoever you can talk to...because it WILL get better. <br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-73069782769474459972015-03-21T19:00:00.000-04:002015-03-21T19:10:08.625-04:00I discovered Children's OrchardThis afternoon I made an amazing discovery...<a href="http://www.childrensorchard.com/">Children's Orchard</a>! I was in Burlington at the mall, walking around, and remembered a friend had mentioned a really great children's second-hand store in Billerica. After a little googling, I decided she must have been talking about Children's Orchard, and I was on my way.<br />
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The store wasn't huge, but was packed to the brim with clothes, toys, strollers, and baby accessories. Thankfully the sections were nicely marked, so I knew exactly where to go to start my search. <br />
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I must admit, second-hand stores (and even places like an untidy Marshall's or sales racks that are just thrown together) often times drive me crazy. If things are a big mess, I can't deal. I love a good bargain, but can't stand sifting thru a mess for an hour to maybe end up with one piece. Thankfully, Children's Orchard wasn't like this. In my opinion, if the racks are more organized, you're going to sell more (at least you will to me!) because someone will look longer! ...that's exactly what happened here.<br />
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<br />
I (and Owen) racked up! <br />
<br />
He got 2 summer hats and 8 outfits for $40...all in <i>great</i> shape (no stretched necks or spots), and some with the original tags still on them! I actually picked out about twice as much as I went home with, but put most back so I could still face husband when I got home. Hehe...<br />
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Now a look at the loot!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ii5qZ5UmAGg/VQ3kwph06GI/AAAAAAAAKiE/7QE2EUFir70/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ii5qZ5UmAGg/VQ3kwph06GI/AAAAAAAAKiE/7QE2EUFir70/s1600/photo%2B3%2B%283%29.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left - Genuine Major League Merchandise Red Sox romper ($4.99)<br />
Middle - Adidas Red Sox onesie ($2.99)<br />
Right - Carter's shirt and puppy overalls ($4.99)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SMecMFPNW4E/VQ3kxCmjeaI/AAAAAAAAKiM/yx42Ip6EdnU/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SMecMFPNW4E/VQ3kxCmjeaI/AAAAAAAAKiM/yx42Ip6EdnU/s1600/photo%2B4%2B%282%29.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left - Ralph Lauren Polo Romper *with the tag still on* ($5.99)<br />
Middle Top - Plaid The Children's Place hat (normally $10-12, purchased for $2.99)<br />
Lower Top - Faded Glory collared onesie ($2.99)<br />
Right - Carter's romper ($3.99)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top - Gymboree hat ($2.99)<br />
Two Carter's sleveless rompers ($3.99 each)</td></tr>
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<br />
I passed on a Bumbo chair that I'm now regretting - it was $18! Maybe I'll convince myself to go back later and see if it's still there.<br />
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If you're in the Boston area, it's worth it to make a trip to Children's Orchard! <br />
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Even better, they have franchise locations (can't speak about the other stores, but I assume they're good, too!) in Alaska, California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin! <br />
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Get to shoppin', mamas!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-11444984184661889452015-03-20T08:00:00.000-04:002015-03-20T08:00:07.131-04:00Baby Shower Activity: Make a "Wish Tree"I'm not into most baby shower games. What pregnant lady wants her friends to guess how big her waist is (Lord help the person who goes way over...) or taste candy bars in diapers? I'd much rather do something that will last forever!<br />
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I was tossing around a few ideas for shower activities - it was between three things:<br />
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- writing messages on diapers to make the new parents smile during those late-night changes<br />
- decorating onesies<br />
- a wish tree<br />
<br />
I decided to go for the wish tree because it's seriously one of the sweetest things ever. We made one for my friend Laci at her baby shower last year and everyone loved it. These two special little girls needed one too. Here's how it works!<br />
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Everyone writes down wishes or things they are excited for the girls to experience as they grow up on a leaf. They can range from kisses from their puppy, their first school dance, to cuddles with mommy...anything goes! This is nice because people can do it at their own pace while you're eating or chatting, and do as many (or few) as they'd like. Later, everyone reads their wishes for the mom-to-be and puts them on the tree to be hung in the nursery.<br />
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You can either reach out to family members and other good friends who aren't able to attend before the shower to include their wishes, or leave some space on the tree for others to add to later. We decided to do a mixture - Barb's sisters and nieces sent in some wishes ahead of time that we were able to share at the shower, and her husband and other friends will fill out their own later!<br />
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To make this, you'll need:<br />
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A large frame<br />
White paper<br />
Tape<br />
Acrylic paint (1 color for the background, 1 color for the tree)<br />
Assorted paint samples (from Lowe's or Home Depot)<br />
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First, you'll need to cut out the leaves. Barb sent a picture of their nursery a few weeks ago, so thankfully I knew what colors to pick out when standing in front of the paint sample section. You could do all one color, different shades of a color, or a mix like I did.<br />
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(Funny story...I was really uncomfortable getting all the paint samples at Lowes. I know they're free, but I felt like I was stealing! 3 people asked me if needed help and I told them I was just browsing...as I discretely stuffed paint samples into my purse. I even held them up and pretended to compare them. I'm a dork.)<br />
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Then, plan out your tree. There will need to be enough branches to hold lots of leaves, but few enough so there's room for the leaves to live. Take the back of the frame out of the glass and tape white paper together so it covers the entire surface. Sketch out your tree with a marker on the paper.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen photo-bomb'd the picture!</td></tr>
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Lay our your leaves to make sure there's enough room for them to live without feeling "scrunched" so you know if you need to adjust the limbs.<br />
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Now it's time to start painting!<br />
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Pick out your background color and apply 2 coats on the board of the frame. Once it's completely dry, cut around the tree you drew on the paper and place on the board. Cut away piece by piece, drawing what you see under that place (this helps keep the proportions you just double checked with leaves!).<br />
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Then fill out your outline and let dry!<br />
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Here's a look at the (almost) finished product (they still have to add more leaves from additional family and friends) in their nursery! Looks pretty great, doesn't it?<br />
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What are some of your favorite baby shower activities?<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-17553945805013151012015-03-18T08:00:00.001-04:002015-03-18T18:28:42.616-04:00Roasted Cabbage and CarrotsLast month, while we were in North Carolina visiting our families, Travis' mom made us one of the most yummy side dishes...cabbage and carrots with a splash of lemon and garlic. You need to try it. Seriously.<br />
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This is on our regular rotation of meals now - it's healthy, cheep and delicious - perfect!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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1/2 head of cabbage<br />
6 oz shredded carrots<br />
1.5-2 Tablespoons olive oil<br />
Lemon juice (1 Tablespoon + extra)<br />
Garlic powder<br />
Salt<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
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Chop cabbage, separate leaves and discard hard white pieces.<br />
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Place into a Pyrex dish with carrots.<br />
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Toss in olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, garlic powder and salt.<br />
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Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.<br />
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Add another splash of lemon juice and serve!<br />
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You won't be disappointed!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-46191605283322551642015-03-16T09:00:00.000-04:002015-03-16T09:00:03.337-04:00Owen is 3 months old - likes, dislikes, and my thoughtsWell, we officially have a 3 month old baby!<br />
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I can't believe it's been 3 months since we welcomed this little guy into our lives. It's been the most exciting, exhausting, wonderful, trying, fulfilling, and frustrating time that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. <br />
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People have asked me several times if it's true that you don't know what love is until you have a baby. I think it is true, but not for the reasons you'd think. I love this baby to the moon and back, and having a baby has made my heart double in size...but not just for him. It's made me love my husband more as I watch him care for our little one, our families as we see their excitement about their first grandchild/niece/nephew, and our friends as they help care for us as we learned to care for Owen. Sure, my love for Owen is different...but part of the reason it's different is because it's something special I share with my husband, who I love so much. <br />
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Owen's growing and changing like crazy! He's now over 15 pounds and is still in the 98th percentile for length AND head circumference! He's a long little guy!<br />
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He's becoming a champ at holding his head up and loves to be upright now. He either wants to be walked around, sit up in your lap, or stand (more like river dance) on your legs. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen and his friend Luke doing tummy time on their boppies...supervised by Toby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 month babies...just chillin...</td></tr>
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He's definitely a mover and a shaker. I can honestly recognize some of his favorite "moves" from his days in my belly. I'll see him throw his arm in the air and kick like crazy and think, "that sure does look familiar...". So cool. Yesterday, he rolled over for the first time! SO exciting! <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/owen-rolls-over.html">See a video here.</a><br />
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Owen loves his puppy. We've joked since before he was born that Toby was the "baby sitter", when he would try to sit on my belly. That tradition has continued, and Toby loves sitting, cuddling, licking, and playing with his new friend. Thankfully Owen is a big fan of his puppy too. When Toby curls up next to him, Owen reaches out and pets him! Best friends already!<br />
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Owen loves baths (especially getting his hair washed) and playing with his toys (rings, giraffe, blue puppy, play mat, or the foot keyboard in his crib). He's happiest being cuddled or sitting in his vibrating chair, but also likes to just hang out on the couch beside us. <br />
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Here's a video of Owen and his keyboard...composing just like his dad!<br />
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Thankfully he's still sleeping like a champ. He has slept through the night since 3 weeks (please don't hate me...), and is now going to bed at 10 and sleeping until 7:30-8am!<br />
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Owen also enjoys making NOISE! This baby loves to jabber. Here's a video of Owen "chatting" with me when he was 3 weeks old.<br />
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Recently, jabbering is turning into squeals and laughs! His first "real" laugh was a few weeks ago...and super adorable. He also loves sputtering and blowing bubbles, and has started drooling all the time, so we've always got a burp cloth ready to wipe his little mouth.<br />
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The "don't likes" are a shorter list!<br />
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When Owen's hungry, he's HUNGRY! There's no warm-up phase...he goes from 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, so we've got to be ready with a bottle. He hates burping (or gas in general) and isn't a fan of baby mittens - he wants to use those fingers!<br />
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He's also a tummy-time-hater, so we spend most of the time strengthening his neck on his boppy or in our laps (like you saw above).<br />
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And that's about it. He's generally a happy-go-lucky baby.<br />
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We love this little bug!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-44142957670107425882015-03-15T18:22:00.001-04:002015-03-15T18:24:17.801-04:00Owen rolls over!Today was a big milestone for little Owen...he rolled over for the first time!<br />
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The last few days, I've been rolling him back and forth (tummy to back) and helping him prop up on his arms, hoping he'd get the picture in a few weeks. Apparently it "took" faster than I expected, because when I put him on his tummy today, he flipped right over!<br />
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Poor Travis missed it, as he was at the Boston Saint Patrick's Day Parade with his Italian marching band (yep...that's a thing). Thankfully Owen put on quite a show for him when he got home. I was happy to be able to share the excitement with my parents, who happened to facetime 15 seconds before our little bug flipped over! <br />
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This wasn't a fluke either. He thinks it's a lot of fun! <br />
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I'm sure it'll be next to impossible to do tummy time now (which he hates) since he can get out of it. <br />
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I've never been more proud!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-19453022286293874902015-03-13T12:00:00.000-04:002015-03-13T12:00:09.700-04:00Shower Favors: Marshmallow Baby Rattles Earlier, I told you about the chocolate dipped pretzel giraffes I made for my friend Barb's baby shower. Since I was already dipping things in chocolate, I decided to make some favors too. If you're doing favors at a baby shower, it should either be <i>really</i> awesome or edible. Don't waste your money on a trinket no one will want to keep. <br />
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These white chocolate marshmallow baby rattles are easy to make and super cute! All you need is...<br />
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Short lolly pop sticks<br />
Large marshmallows<br />
Small marshmallows<br />
White chocolate<br />
Sprinkles (I used pink and clear ones mixed together)<br />
Wax paper<br />
Ribbon<br />
Clear bags & Ties (optional)<br />
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First, pour some sprinkles into a shallow bowl or plate. After you melt the chocolate, dip the tip of the lolly pop stick in the chocolate and stick it halfway into the large marshmallow. <br />
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Coat the outside of the marshmallow in white chocolate (all sides), wipe off the excess, and roll it in the sprinkles to coat. Once it's completely coated, gently lay the pop on your wax paper and let sit until hard.<br />
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Once hardened, do the same on the other end with a small marshmallow. Dip the tip in chocolate, add marshmallow, coat with chocolate, roll in sprinkles, and set.<br />
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Once they're completely firm, tie a bow around the stick toward the large marshmallow. If you're using as party favors, you'll need to bag them individually!<br />
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Super cute and SUPER sweet! You could also skip the sugar and sprinkles and use colored chocolates - the possibilities are endless. Just have fun with it!<br />
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What was your favorite baby shower favor?<br />
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Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-16616690271468898142015-03-11T08:00:00.000-04:002015-03-11T09:30:55.970-04:00Chocolate Covered Pretzel GiraffesLast weekend, I threw a baby shower for my friend Barb who is having twin girls (read more about it here)! Barb and her husband, Dave, are two of the nicest and most hilarious people we know, so we were excited to help celebrate their little ones with their Boston friends!<br />
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In true pregnant lady fashion, these babies have nick-names already. "Baby A" and "Baby B", how the doctors refer to the babies, wasn't cutting it, so they opted with giraffe and monkey (characteristics mirrored by the girls' actions already). I decided to make some chocolate covered pretzels look like giraffes, and mini cupcakes with monkeys on them to reflect these names. I found a pin with lots of chocolate covered pretzels <a href="http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2013/04/white-chocolate-pretzels-jungle-animal-desserts.html">decorated like animals</a> while browsing one day, and knew these needed to be at the shower. <br />
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To make them, you'll need:<br />
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Log pretzels<br />
Yellow candy coat morsels (or yellow melting chocolate)<br />
Fondant (or brown and yellow colored candies)<br />
Brown and yellow icing dye (if you're using fondant)<br />
Paintbrushs<br />
Water<br />
Food-safe markers (brown and black) - optional<br />
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First, dip your pretzels and lay them on wax paper to dry.<br />
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I found the candy coating dots coated thinly, so I did two coats on the pretzels. The more the better...mmmmmmm.<br />
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Next for the faces!</div>
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You'll need one large yellow circle, two small yellow circles, and one brown circle to begin the face. Lightly pinch one section of each small yellow circle to form the ears (see below). Wet a paintbrush and put a dab of water where the brown circle and two ears should go. This will help the fondant stick to each other.</div>
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Now for the details - the eyes, horns and markings!<br />
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Roll two small brown pieces for the horns and two white balls for the eyes. Use the food-safe markers to finish the eyes, nose markings, and dots on the face!<br />
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Leave these to dry before attaching to the pretzel.<br />
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Paint on giraffe spots using slightly watered-down brown icing gel. Let dry.<br />
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Then attach the faces with a little melted chocolate!<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XxZepP88VYk/VPt9zuVdSlI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/u6iQpK6rLpo/s1600/DSC_0343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-21323734815382299782015-03-09T17:30:00.000-04:002015-03-09T17:30:00.373-04:00A twin baby showerThis weekend, I hosted a baby shower for my friend Barb, who is having twin girls in 6 weeks (or sooner!). I love cooking and making things, so I was excited to spend my last bit of maternity leave working on a special day for a good friend!<br />
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The shower was at 10:30, so I decided to serve brunch. I made sausage and cheese breakfast casseroles, banana bread, yogurt parfaits, fruit salad, mini chocolate cupcakes and chocolate dipped pretzels. (Check back for future blogs about how I made the diaper cake and chocolate covered giraffe pretzels!)<br />
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I also had a "Cravings Corner" full of all the foods Barb has been craving. Some of her cravings over the last 7 months have been...<br />
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Honey Bunches of Oats with raisins and 2% milk<br />
Strawberries<br />
Diet Caffeine Free Coke<br />
Cheeseburgers<br />
Donuts<br />
Chips with Ranch Dip<br />
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It was a huge hit with Barb <i>and</i> the rest of the guests. Who knew burgers went so well with brunch?<br />
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Since the party consisted of groups of people from lots of different "friend circles", I decided to make name tags. Sticky-backed "My Name Is..." name tags wouldn't do, so I decided to make some tiny onesie tags for everyone to wear. <br />
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I drew a onesie on a piece of paper, cut it out, and traced the template onto three shades of pink paper. Then I traced a slightly smaller version of the onesie on white paper and taped them on each other. All that was left was writing names on them and hanging them on the clothesline!<br />
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I hung a line beside the cravings corner table with two newborn onesies and the name tags (held by clothespins) so everyone could find their tag as they came in. They attached them to their tops using the clothespin! Super cute.<br />
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We had a great time chatting, eating, opening presents, and making the soon-to-be family of four a "wish tree". We made one of these at my friend Laci's baby shower, and I loved the idea. Everyone writes things they're excited for the girls to experience as they grow up and/or wishes for them on leaves. After they share with the group, we put them on a tree to go in their nursery! We left a lot of room for other family members and friends to add experiences and wishes as well.<br />
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Check back for a later blog on how to make this!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barb and Dave already hung it in their nursery! Doesn't it look great?</td></tr>
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The girls and their mamma were thoroughly celebrated and Barb even got to practice holding two babies, Owen and Alice (my friend Robyn's little girl, who was born 3 weeks after Owen).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave's mom made two beautiful blankets for the girls!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew the belly would be a great baby holder?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practicing a baby in each arm! We just couldn't figure out how she'd put one of them down...</td></tr>
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Everyone went home with a chocolate-dipped marshmallow rattle at the end of the shower! (Again...check back for the how-to.)<br />
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I can't wait to meet these little girls!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-2903046903387252892015-03-08T20:00:00.000-04:002015-03-08T20:02:21.895-04:00Owen Visits North CarolinaI can't believe it's been 12 weeks since little Owen was born. A lot has happened - it feels like just yesterday, but also like it's been a year!<br />
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This marks the end of my maternity leave (WAH!!) and I begin work on Monday. At least I'm lucky enough to work for a company that cares about their employees and is allowing me to work from home to ease back into things. </div>
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I'm finally to the point where I feel like I can blog again (it just wasn't going to happen after Owen was born), so I'm catching up on some of the highlights. Here are a few things you might have missed:</div>
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- <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/owens-birth-story.html">Owen's birth story</a></div>
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- <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/home-from-hospital-worst-christmas-ever.html">The worst Christmas ever</a></div>
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- <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/owens-room.html">Decorating Owen's room</a></div>
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Today we'll do a brief recap of our trip to NC! Since Travis took this semester off to care for Owen and I was on maternity leave, we decided it was the perfect time to take a nice long trip to NC so everyone could meet Owen! We decided to drive so we could stop by my grandma's house in Maryland (and because a baby and dog on an airplane sounded too stressful). </div>
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800 miles and a hotel stay - two big firsts for a 1-month old! We were nervous. Thankfully, Owen was an angel. We split the trip into two days and stopped every 2-2.5 hours. We had zero traffic, Owen cried <i>maybe</i> 5 minutes the entire trip, and he slept all night in the hotel. He gets a gold star. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying stretching after a looooong day in the car seat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family selfie in the hotel room!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen's first ride on a luggage cart!</td></tr>
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Grandmommy and Alan loved seeing Owen, and it was fantastic to get to see them again! </div>
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Owen also met Tim and Kim, and had lunch at Cracker Barrel...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alford family picture (with Sarah, Charlie (the cat), and Toby photoshopped in)</td></tr>
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...my Virginia family, who drove down to meet him...</div>
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...Faye, Pope and Thad...</div>
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...Anna Marie, Aaron, Rob, Megan, Howard, Cindy and Alvin at Anna Marie's baby shower (she's due in 2 weeks!!! Owen will have <i>another</i> cousin!).</div>
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...Uncle Robert and Aunt Jewel...</div>
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...and many more friends!</div>
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We had an awesome time relaxing with our families.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone making our "Owen's not impressed" face</td></tr>
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While we were home, we had a "Christmas in January" dinner at my family's house, since everyone was finally together. After dinner, we had two pies for dessert - one frozen Mrs. Smith's pumpkin pie, one chocolate pie. My brother, mom and I had the pumpkin pie, and 30 minutes later, my brother and I started to feel sick. I'll spare you the gory details, but we all got food poisoning. Thanks a lot Mrs. Smith's. My mom had a sliver of pie, so her's wasn't as bad, but both my brother and I ended up in the Emergency Room and had to be admitted into the hospital. We were SICK. <i> That pie was ROTTEN. </i></div>
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If I'm looking for a moral of the story, or on the bright side, I'd say:</div>
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1) If you're going to eat pie, make it yourself.</div>
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2) If you're not going to make it yourself, don't buy Mrs. Smith's.</div>
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3) Thankfully this didn't happen sooner - my incision was mostly healed by this point.<br />
4) Thankfully Travis had the chocolate pie, so he could take care of Owen.</div>
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5) I certainly "ripped off the Band-Aid" when it came to spending the night away from our baby.</div>
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6) My brother and I got rooms next to each other, so my dad didn't have to run from one end of the hospital to another.</div>
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The nurse said there was a large number of people in the ER with terrible food poisoning around Thanksgiving and Christmas who had all eaten frozen pumpkin pies. Apparently no one reported it. If you have one in your freezer, throw it out. It's not worth it! <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2012/09/mini-pumpkin-pies.html">I have a really great recipe for mini pumpkin pies. Make this one instead...it's super easy!</a></div>
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Also...we're celebrating Hanukkah or something next year.</div>
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Thankfully, we were all (mostly) well enough to make the trip to Greenville for Travis' performance at East Carolina University later that week. Chris Grymes, a clarinetist, commissioned Travis to write him a piece which he was performing at the North Carolina New Music Initiative. It was nice to see all of our old professors (and several friends) at the concert! Afterwards, Owen experienced his first post-concert-Krispy-Kreme-run! He has no idea how amazing it's going to be once he can eat donuts. </div>
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We also got to celebrate family "Christmas" with both sides of Travis' family - Jenny's in Virginia and Terry's at their house in Spring Hope. Each family gathering had <i>two</i> new babies at them! Virginia Christmas had Owen and Grace (Grace was born about a month before Owen), and Spring Hope Christmas had Owen and Henry (Henry was born 5 days after Owen). <br />
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The Virginia family also had a joint baby shower for the two newest members of the family, which was so sweet. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen's "Russell bear" - a bear made from his late Uncle Russell's shirt to remember him by. I'll share more about this later!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenny's happy place</td></tr>
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We were sad to come back to Boston...especially with all the snow happening while we were gone. Little did we know the next few weeks would bring over 100 inches! More on that later.<br />
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Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-10912945675268331372015-03-06T08:00:00.000-05:002015-03-06T12:41:31.127-05:00Owen's RoomI had a lot of fun getting Owen's room ready for his arrival! I love painting and making things anyway, so "nesting" went into overdrive. We needed to turn our guest room into Owen's room...but it still had to function for visitors. That meant we had to move everything except for the bed out of the room. DVD towers went in the basement and the other furniture landed in our office (bookshelf, antique desk, and lamp).<br />
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First the finished product...then the how!<br />
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The first thing I picked out was the bedding (from Pottery Barn). It was more than I'd ever want to spend on bedding (but I love it soooo much), so Travis and I decided to make it our anniversary present to ourselves. The quilt has elephants, giraffes, rhinos and pandas on it - too cute. I decided Owen needed funky giraffes for his wall, so I found a really fun picture on pinterest to paint! We went to Michaels to get a canvas, I printed out my guide, and got to work. I drew the giraffes using patterns that were found elsewhere in the room - stripes from the baskets and bed, chevron on the rug, circles on the fitted sheet. Turned out pretty cute, huh?<br />
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Next up - the bookshelf! We bought an 8-cubby "Expidit" from IKEA and 4 accompanying baskets. I like the white, but thought it needed a little something else, so we spiced it up with blue and green stripes. Since these baskets have a nice weave, it's really easy to do - just paint along the weaves as you go and you're golden. Even better...you only have to paint the stripes on the front since the sides are hidden. Much better!<br />
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Poor Travis had to put together all of the furniture by himself, since I was completely immobilized with a broken leg. The Expidit was a piece of cake to assemble. The crib was a little more difficult, and the dresser/changing table took foreverrrrrrr. Before the dresser was assembled, we had our neighbor help us cut a few inches from the legs so it would be the appropriate height for changing a baby.<br />
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It was fun bargain hunting for everything in the room, and I'm proud to say that almost everything in that room was found at a discount (either from a store like TJ Maxx/IKEA or on sale). <br />
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Only thing sweeter is the baby in the room!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-4913435661355090542015-03-04T20:00:00.000-05:002015-03-04T20:06:47.057-05:00Home from the hospital & the worst Christmas ever<div>
Our story left off at the hospital - 36 hours of labor, a close call, c section and TV appearance. <a href="http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2015/03/owens-birth-story.html">Read more (and see pictures) here.</a></div>
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After 4 days in the hospital, we were SO ready to go home. We packed up our baby and bags (including several bags of free gear the nurses gave us!), and made our way home. We were greeted by my parents and one excited puppy!</div>
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When we got home, we were all excited to hear how Mark's trip to Atlanta went to buy an engagement ring for his now-fiance Megan. The ring was burning a hole in his pocket - once he had it, there was no waiting to pop the question! He proposed the next day on one of their walks through Umstead Park. A baby and proposal in 5 days - the Colbert family had a good week!!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Didn't Mark do a great job? (With his lady AND the ring!)</td></tr>
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The first few days home were how I'd expect all first days home are - exhausting but amazing. Owen wasn't such a good sleeper the first few weeks - his nights and days were completely backward, and he hardly slept! Owen is one alert little baby - that makes for a lot of fun play time, but many sleepless nights. I spent most of my time in our rocker/recliner due to the c section, as I wasn't able to lay down in the bed. Mom and dad were an enormous help, and we were so sad to see them leave. The good news was that Travis' family would be coming up in a few days, and my parents would be back that next week!</div>
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Here are a few pictures from the first weeks home!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hangin with his friend, Vivienne</td></tr>
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The next week, Travis' family came back up to celebrate Christmas here in Boston. This was also the first time Sarah and Michael (Travis' sister and her boyfriend) would meet Owen, so we couldn't wait to see them! </div>
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On Christmas Eve, Travis, Terry and Michael went to Park Street for the Christmas Eve service, where Travis was playing trumpet. Sarah and Jenny stayed home with Owen and me (I was in no shape to leave the house, and Owen was barely more than a week old at this point!). When they got home, we all had dinner together...and that's when things turned sour. </div>
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Terry went to bed shortly after dinner (before opening any presents), which was strange to us. We brushed it off as leftover exhaustion from the long drive the day before, until I awoke to the sound of someone throwing up. Things got worse throughout the night, and we finally ended up calling an ambulance Christmas morning to take him to the hospital. He was admitted with NOROVIRUS, but was thankfully released after a day of fluids.</div>
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Travis' mom and dad decided to check into a hotel, since it wouldn't be wise to bring someone with norovirus back into the house with a 1 week old baby. As they were checking into the hotel, Sarah started to feel bad...and then the throw-ups hit her. On the way to pick Sarah up (she was to be banished to the hotel, too), Jenny got sick. We were dropping like flies! Owen and I sat in my rocker/ germ-free bubble zone in the living room while Michael and Travis tried to clean things up, and then all the NC Alfords went to their hotel. </div>
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Travis and I sat quietly in our house, sad his family was sick...sad we all missed Christmas...and terrified we were next. </div>
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Then, 3 hours later, it happened. Travis got the bug. Then Michael threw up. </div>
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Owen and I were the last ones standing, and I freaked out. Throwing up 1 week after having major abdominal surgery sounded like it would kill me. And worse would be a 1 week old baby getting norovirus. I. Freaked. Out.</div>
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First I called my parents. Then I called every doctor I've ever seen. The advice was "don't use the bathroom everyone threw up in" (we only have one bathroom...we were doomed), "wash your hands" (my hands were bleeding, I'd washed them so many times), and "call us if either of you get sick". </div>
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My parents got in the car to drive up earlier than planned, since I was still barely able to stand up with Owen and was officially on my own. While they were on their way, the Boston reinforcements came in: my nextdoor neighbor Ali, and the most fantastic cleaning lady ever, Maria. Thankfully, I'd called Maria the night before, when 3 of the 7 were sick, to see if she could come bleach our entire apartment. As she was coming in, Ali came back over, realized I was about to lose it, helped me with Owen, washed everything porous in our apartment, and helped me stay sane. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ali, the angel</td></tr>
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That evening, my parents pulled in and relieved Ali. The next day, Travis was feeling some better and was released from his prison (bedroom), and we started to put everything back together again.</div>
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Three days after Christmas, we opened presents.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Travis was allowed out of the bedroom if (and only if) he wore gloves, a mask, and sat on a blanket. NO GERMS!!!</td></tr>
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Here is our attempt to look like we'd had a normal Christmas. Still a happy family, even through the giant mess of Christmas 2014. Thankfully, Owen was none the wiser. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Years Eve</td></tr>
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Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166100741431820091.post-45335441522344852042015-03-03T17:30:00.000-05:002015-03-03T17:30:00.990-05:00Owen's Birth Story<b><i>Owen's birth story</i></b><br />
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Owen William Alford was born on December 13, 2014 at 4:50 in the morning. His birth story, however, began more than a week before he made his arrival!<br />
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My first REAL contraction (none of that braxton hicks mess) hit me like a ton of bricks while we were at Margarita's in Waltham with our friend Emily. One second I'm ordering a chicken chimichanga, the next I'm having excruciating pain in my back! After hobbling to the bathroom a few times (to avoid a scene) and suffering through 45 minutes at the table, we apologized to Emily for being such terrible dinner partners and headed home to call my OB. That's when I learned back labor can come in waves, or can just be constant.<br />
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After 4 hours of contractions that started in my back and wrapped around to my belly, I got the most wonderful text from my brother. He had just made plans to go to Atlanta to buy an engagement ring for his AMAZING girlfriend, Megan! This was literally the only thing I would have wanted to talk about (mostly listen to) while having contractions. 30 minutes after getting off the phone with my brother, the contractions completely stopped. <br />
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These 4-6 hour contraction sessions happened 3 more times throughout the next week, getting stronger each time, until Thursday December 11, when they finally "stuck".<br />
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I was working from home that week (since the last place I would want to go into labor was at work) and had just finished up a meeting, when the back labor hit me again.<br />
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**Side note - my office-mates were all hoping I would go into labor at work. There was a "Lauren Extraction Plan", and every time I'd stand up to go to the bathroom (every 45 minutes), someone would ask "OMG...are you having the baby?" I was (not) sorry to disappoint. This story would have been a lot more exciting had the "Lauren Extraction Plan" actually happened.**<br />
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I didn't want to get my hopes up again, since I'd been here 4 times before, so we settled in to breathe through it and see if it would go somewhere! By 5pm, things were getting stronger, so my OB requested we come in. They hooked me up to a monitor and said "yep...you're having contractions", but sent me home to rest. The nurse said "you'll be back here soon! Go to a restaurant and enjoy a nice last meal". How in the world was I supposed to sit in a restaurant while I'm having contractions?? Crazy lady. Instead we went through the drive thru at Wendy's and headed home to snuggle with the puppy. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toby cuddled with Owen even before he was born</td></tr>
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By 11pm, we were finally at 5-1-1, so we loaded the car and headed to the hospital! We got checked in and hooked up to a monitor in antenatal, and were told we'd likely be there for good. After walking the halls for an hour I was finally at 4cm and could be admitted, so we called our families and gave them the green light to head to Boston! <br />
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We were rolled down the hall to Labor & Delivery and met our new nurse. Since walking helped me progress before, we decided to do another dozen laps around the floor, stopping each time at the nursery windows to see the babies. It helped to remind myself of the "prize" at the end of all that pain! <br />
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A few more hours passed and I'd only gotten to 4.5cm, so they decided it was time to break my water. I was thankful the physician on call happen to be MY doctor - she knew me...I knew her...I felt certain she'd be delivering Owen! When they broke my water, we found out Owen had passed meconium, so a special care team would need to be present to work on him as soon as he was born. This meant no skin to skin immediately.<br />
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My doctor gave me 3 more hours to see what kind of progress could be made. When she came back, we were to 6cm! Fantastic! She came back in another 3 hours. Still 6cm. CRAP. It was at this point we had the "pitocin and epidural" talk. She gave us another hour to think about it and I eventually agreed it was best. I don't know what came over me this whole time (my birth plan was "get an epidural, do what has to be done, please please please don't have to have a c section"), but I did NOT want the epidural when the time came. I think it was a mixture of "please don't make anything else hurt" and a worry that if I was stuck in the bed the contractions would stop again. In the end, I'm so glad I did it.<br />
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It took 3 tries for the anesthesiologist to get the epidural placed correctly, and by the time he was finished I couldn't move my left leg. I was good and numb. Once the epidural was in, they turned on the pitocin and Travis and I got a few hours of sleep. Things continued for the next twelve hours or so the way they'd gone before. A little progress, then nothing. A little progress, then nothing. Then nothing...nothing...nothing. <br />
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It was at that time they started talking c section. It had been about 30 hours at this point, and I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of surgery. Since Owen was just as happy as can be, they agreed to let us wait a little longer. By now, the epidural wasn't as effective, which wasn't as much fun. After finally making it to 9cm, it was time for my OB to rotate off call. I was so bummed. <br />
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More time passed, and the nurse finally said I was fully dilated, so it was time to push! HOORAY! We called the parents and told them Owen would likely be here in the next few hours, so they should be ready for a call! We had been pushing for about 30 minutes, when my new doctor, Dr Ngo (pronounced Dr. No...Travis was pretty excited about her name) came in to check on me. When she saw us pushing, she wanted to confirm the nurse's assumption that I was fully dilated. Thank God she happened into my room, because I actually WASN'T fully dilated, and apparently pushing before you're ready can cause you to hemorrhage. Woah...<br />
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It had now been about 35 hours, and I was done. The last scare convinced me the c section was necessary - we'd tried <i>everything</i> else - so they started prepping for surgery.<br />
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While I was being rolled down the hall, we passed one of our favorite nurses, Nora, who was back on her next shift. She couldn't believe we hadn't had Owen yet, so she decided to crash my c section. This turned out to be the biggest blessing. I was freaked out...Travis was freaked out...we were both exhausted beyond measure. Nora waited with Travis in the hallway while I was prepped for surgery, then came in with him. She grabbed our camera and said she'd hang out with us and take pictures so Travis could just "enjoy" himself. <br />
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The c section was really fast (10 minutes to get Owen out, 45 to close me up). I was numb up to my neck and covered in hot blankets because I couldn't stop shaking (brrrrr...). I couldn't really hear what the operating physicians were saying, but was calmly kept in the loop by the most amazing anesthesiologist and our friend, nurse Nora. <br />
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Owen was born at 4:50am and rushed to the other side of the room by the special care team, who suctioned the meconium from his lungs and belly. Travis went over to see Owen while they worked on stitching me up, and after about 5 minutes we heard the sweetest cry ever! Then they wrapped Owen up and brought him over for me to see. It was love at first sight!<br />
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After spending some time in recovery (where Travis' parents got to meet Owen!) we were taken to our "home" for the next 4 days. A nurse came in and asked if we would be ok with CBS coming to talk to us about Owen being born on 12-13-14. In my "just had a baby stupor" I said "uh, yeah, sure", and an hour later we were being interviewed by a cameraman for the evening news! They made several different spots with our interview - one can be <a href="http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/12/13/baby-born-on-historic-121314-date-at-newton-wellesley-hospital/">found on their website here</a>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenny (Trav's mom) meeting Owen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Travis, Terry, Jenny and I with Owen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breaking my leg this summer got me this nifty fall risk sign on my door. </td></tr>
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Shortly after the cameraman left, my family came to meet the newest Alford!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark and Owen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan, Dad and Owen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and Dad entertaining the baby</td></tr>
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Sorry this was so long...it was a crazy long 3 days. If you made it this far, you get a gold star!<br />
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Next up, coming home, enjoying our sweet baby, and the worst Christmas day ever!<br />
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<br />Much Ado About Somethinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912049962616836648noreply@blogger.com1