Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great Thanksgiving!  Scott ran a turkey trot 5k this a.m. with one of our friends from Atlanta.  Unfortunately, it was a touch too cold for Logan and me to join, but I was able to get a mid-day run in myself with the dogs.  We hosted a couple of young guys over here who work in Scott's department, and live far from home.  It was nice to have some friends join us to make the holiday feel a touch more festive (plus we needed a few more mouths to eat all the goods!) 

 

Here's what I made:

Menu:
Appetizer:  Brie en croute with crackers
Main Event:  Turkey & Gravy
Stuffing (Barefoot Contessa)
Mashed Potatoes (Pioneer Woman)
Macaroni and cheese (Family recipe, made from scratch)
Mashed Maple Sweet Potatoes
Steamed Green Beans
Mom's Cranberry Sauce
Crescent Rolls
Dessert:  Amazing Apple Pie a la mode (Family recipe, made from scratch - including the crust for the first time!  It was so worth it!)

Fortunately 95% of the food was really good, and I surprised even myself by having it ready at just about the same time.  That's no small feat!  I will have to work on making gravy for next year....mine was a touch lumpy.

Logan had a big first today -- he woke up from his morning nap, and I walked in to find him standing! I couldn't believe it!  We quickly said adios to the mobile, and we have to lower the crib to the lowest setting this weekend.

All in all, it was a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving, and we are oh-so-thankful for all of our blessings!

Thankful 30 of 2011

Many of you have been compiling lists of the things for which you're really thankful this Thanksgiving season.  For me, I feel like having a baby has made me look at my life, and my family's life in a whole new way, and I'm so very grateful for so very much.  I think this little exercise has also helped me focus on the Thanksgiving holiday, instead of looking forward to Christmas and making gift lists, and concentrating on all the "wrong" things.  And so, in no particular order, I bring you my Thankful 30 of 2011:

1. My husband -- he is my rock, my best friend, the best daddy to our son, and he cares for me with such a tender, loving heart.
2. Logan -- what a gift he is!  We are thankful for him every day -- for his health, for the little smiles he gives us, for the pure joy we feel when he laughs, and the warm hugs that he loves to give.
3. Our health.  Delivering a baby and all of the prenatal checkups that accompany said baby gave me my first real glimpse at the health care system.  I am thankful for health insurance, but whoa nelly - it sure is a confusing system we have, and you have to be very diligent to catch mistakes that are easily made on the doctor's office side of things, the hospital billing side of things, the laboratory side of things, and the insurance side of things.  I seriously pray for the people who have to endure serious medical hardships.  What a mess.
4. A roof over our heads -- I often look at our house with the eyes of a wannabe decorator -- "ohh, that would look nice there, that spot is so empty - I need to fill it," but I should focus on the many blessings that we have.  We are warm and dry.  We have enough space (even if I think we should finish the basement).  Compared to many, we have more than enough space.  I am thankful for what we have.
5. Our dogs -- they fill my heart with happiness.  Daisy and Lilly hugs are the best kind around.  Yes, there are plenty of moments when they drive me up the wall, when they won't come when asked, or track mud into the house, but I love them dearly, and I know they will be amazing companions and friends to our children.  We benefit from their presence daily.
6. Our Parents -- they live far away, but I am thankful that we are able to call them, visit with them, and share special moments with them (most recently like our wedding and the birth of our son)
7.  Our Siblings -- they, too, live far away - but they add a lot of joy to our lives.  I'm especially thankful for their advice (it's a great benefit to have older siblings with kids when you're a new parent!), and their sense of humor.
8. Friends -- our old, dear friends, and the new friends we are meeting here as well.  I am thankful for the relationships we have with all of them.  I am thankful for fun, long phone conversations with besties, and exciting news of new babies and engagements! 
9. Technology that allows us to communicate easily with family and friends -- particularly text messages and skype/facetime which allow us to share little snippets easily, and feel more connected.
10. Our jobs - especially mine which gives me the unbelievable opportunity to work from home while staying with my son.  I just can't tell you how thankful I am for the time I have with him every single day, while also staying fulfilled intellectually with my work. 
11. The families in our neighborhood -- I am thankful that we live in a young, vibrant community with some really great neighbors.  We hang out together on nice evenings while the kids play in the middle of our cul-de-sac, we grab dinner together on Fridays, and we host each other when husbands are traveling.  I also have met so many neat women through the Bunco group -- it is such a blessing to have so many nice, young moms around when we are so far from our families.
12. Washing Machine -- Logan caught an awful stomach bug for the first time earlier this week, and it really put our washing machine to the test.  It opened my eyes to how dependent we are on it working well, because I nearly broke the thing on Friday when I accidentally ran a load of laundry with a sock stuck in the door.  I'm fairly convinced I was able to fix it -- but the jury is still out....(at least it worked Monday night though!!)
13. Dr. G and her staff -- I am so incredibly thankful for Logan's pediatrician, her nurse who answers questions over the phone, and the entire support staff at the pediatrician's office.  We have relied on them so much as sources of information on how to treat reflux, how to battle a stomach bug, how to heal an ear infection, among many other things.  We are always treated with such good care, and such reliably good information that I am unbelievably grateful that we found Dr. G.  If you live in the St. Louis area, and you need a pediatrician - let me know.  She is beyond amazing.
14. Dr. P and his staff -- Just like our pediatrician, I am so thankful for my obstetrician.  They were both trained at Washington University, which is a very reputable med school -- and it's for good reason.  Dr. P never rushed us through our appointments, he answered all of our questions carefully, thoughtfully and accurately.  He was a wonderful source of information, advice, and care throughout my pregnancy and delivery - and for that I am eternally thankful. 
15. Healthy Running Legs -- I am thankful that my legs are feeling good, and have been able to carry me (and Logan) over many miles in the last 7.5 months.  It feels great to get out there and sweat up a storm, and it's even more fun now that I can share some of the beautiful, scenic runs with little Logan.  I do have to come up with some sort of winter workout plan (gym?  videos?  buy a treadmill?), because I don't think he'd enjoy the sub-freezing runs nearly as much!  I'll also add to this that I'm very thankful for the moments when Scott and I get to run together.  His schedule, and some nagging injuries have prevented that recently, but I really love when we're able to get out together and chat about the little things while enjoying a run (bonus points for bringing dogs and baby along too!).
16. Advice from my Mom -- It is amazing how having a baby has made me feel so much more reliant on my mom.  My dad may be a doctor, but my mom raised 3 of us, and often knows more about how to handle different parenting scenarios.  She ever so delicately guided me through the first weeks of Logan's life with her morning "sleep report" calls to see how Logan did the night before (and to make sure I was still hanging in there, albeit totally exhausted and at times overwhelmed). 
17. Nice, long baby naps -- a 2 or 3 hour nap is really an amazing thing.  It allows me a chance to get some things done around the house, do a load of laundry, finish a few work projects, take a shower, dry my hair, and maybe even catch a few zzz's myself, depending on the day.  It is rejuvenating for both Logan and me.   
18. Tennis -- I am presently on the IR list with a very, very sore shoulder, but I love tennis.  It gives me such joy to be out on the court, interacting with other people who love the sport.  I am thankful that I've found a great team, that we had some fun success stories in 2011 (winning districts, and competing in regionals).  I hope I'll be able to see a doc in 2012 to fix my pain, and get me back out on the court again!
19. Target -- Sometimes it's the little things - and somehow Target seems to have lots of little things that add up to a fun trip out of the house at the precise minute that the walls are closing in around us and we need a change of scenery!  
20. Funny Sibling Emails -- I am 9 and 11 years younger than my sister and brother, and they live in Wisconsin and NYC respectively.  They both have 3 awesome kids, and very busy lives with very demanding jobs.  There are plenty of times that I feel very far removed from them and their life situations.  However, there are times when we get the funniest email chains going, and I'm actually laughing out loud behind my computer.  I am thankful that while we may be separated geographically, we are still able to connect....I just wish that would happen more often :)
21. Kind gestures -- opening doors, holding elevators, wishing someone a good morning.  Positive interactions with strangers make the world a nicer place. (although totally aware of stranger danger -- but you get where I'm going here)
22. DQ Blizzards -- specifically surprise DQ blizzards brought home by the husby after he's been away at work all day, and I've had a particularly trying day.  Yes, the way to my heart is with ice cream, cake, pie, cookie cake....you see a trend here?  (please refer to #14 and 17 to see why I don't weigh 400 lbs!)  I guess the point here is less about DQ Blizzards, and more about being thankful that my husband likes to surprise me with thoughtful, little gestures that make me smile :)
23. A working furnace & air conditioner -- this cannot be highlighted enough here in Missouri, where we frequently have 100+ summer days, and sub-freezing winter nights!
24. Clean Air
25. Vacations -- they revive the spirit, and create fun memories!  We need to get working on planning 2012 vacations.  It looks like we have 3 weddings we'll be traveling for already!
26. Nights out with my husband -- I am thankful we have a sweet and wonderful friend who loves to care for Logan.  We haven't been able to get away much (3 times total in the last 7.5 months), but I'm thankful that we have someone we trust to watch Logan when we can get away.  We'll need to work on date nights a bit more in 2012!
27. Fresh Water -- and the fact that it pours from our faucet without having to travel miles to retrieve it and carry it back.  Our lives are so easy sometimes -- but the little things make such a big difference.
28. Food on our table
29. Electricity -- Thankfully, this hasn't been tested lately -- but anybody who has lived through a blackout of more than a day or so, will never take electricity for granted!!
30. The Holiday Season -- and especially Thanksgiving, which reminds me of the many great blessings (big and small, serious and silly) in our life for which I am VERY THANKFUL!

New Running Mix

I just created a new running playlist.  It's no secret that my own personal key to feeling motivated, and pushing up hills with gusto (now pushing a stroller to boot!) is a really high energy, exciting playlist.  If you're in the market for new songs, and like a big mix of genres, here are a few good ones:

1. Super Bass -- Nicki Minaj
2. Give Me Everything -- Pitbull
3. Love the Way You Lie -- Eminem
4. Firework -- Katy Perry
5. Moves Like Jagger -- Maroon 5
6. Barefoot Blue Jean Night -- Jake Owen
7. Dynamite -- Taio Cruz
8. Country Girl (Shake it for me) -- Luke Bryan
9. I Know You Want Me -- Pitbull
10. Lighters (feat. Bruno Mars) -- Bad Meets Evil
11. Pumped Up Kicks -- Foster the People
12. Dirt Road Anthem -- Jason Aldean
13. Just a Kiss -- Lady Antebellum
14. Take a Back Road -- Rodney Atkins
15. One More Drinkin' Song -- Jerrod Niemann
16. Remind Me -- Brad Paisley (w/ Carrie Underwood)
17. Rolling in the Deep -- Adele
18. We Owned the Night -- Lady Antebellum
19. Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not -- Thompson Square
20. You Make Me Feel -- Cobra Starship
21. Old Alabama -- Brad Paisley
22. I Like It -- Enrique Iglesias
23. Teenage Dream -- Katy Perry
24. Not Afraid -- Eminem
25. I Wanna Go -- Britney Spears
26. Ours -- Taylor Swift
27. Stereo Hearts -- Gym Class Heroes
28. Party Rock Anthem -- LMFAO
29. Mr. Know It All -- Kelly Clarkson
30. Run -- Sugarland
31. Sparks Fly -- Taylor Swift
32. Tattoos on This Town -- Jason Aldean

Christmas Amaryllis

A couple of days ago I planted our Christmas amaryllis.  I know.  Contain your excitement.  But seriously, I planted one last year, and it was so exciting to watch it grow and blossom into like the most beautiful flower ever.  And please note that this is coming from someone with a majorly black thumb.  I try hard, and have great planting plans - but I'm just not Martha Stewart when it comes to gardening or house plants.  For the amaryllis, though, you simply stick an amaryllis bulb into good soil, and cover all but like 2 inches, water it every so often, and then it blooms in 6-8 weeks.  Seriously - give it a whirl and you won't be disappointed!  They also make terrific gift ideas (ie: for a mother-in-law who is really hard to shop for!)

Back to the drawing board...

Uggggghhhhhhh.

Just when I got super excited about our Christmas cards, I went to pick them up from the printer, and there was some kind of strange line across one of the pictures.  Of course the printer blames the jpg file, and the designer (who I trust more than the printer, to be honest) says no way it's in the file.  Soooo then the printer said they could try a few things, they told me they totally fixed it and I go back and they adjusted the coloring so much on the pictures that my skin tone and any white parts of the black and white pic are totally indecipherable -- as in it's either BLACK or WHITE - no shades of grey.  Doesn't really make for a good pic.  So then they say they can try again, but I think it's one of those moments where I just need to go back to the drawing board.  No need to drive 10 miles every time (with a baby, I might add!) to test out their experimentation.

My mom used to chalk these types of 'experiments' up to "research and development."  I thought an etsy Christmas card was a great idea.  I thought I could save some $$.  I learned that neither was really the case.  So I jumped on tinyprints.com via Costco, and saved 20% - - and the cards and envelopes will be here in 9 days.  Done and done.  (and $12 down the drain, I mean in the "research and development" budget.  Hmph.)

Logan is 7 months old! (11/2/11)

Logan turned 7 months old last Wednesday, 11/2/11.   We have been having a great fall -- beautiful weather, and lots of fun activities! 

Stats:
Weight:  ~20 lbs
Height:   ~27.5"

Milestones:
Sleeping: You are still sleeping really well.  You go to bed around 7:15pm, and wake up around 7am.
Eating:  This month you started eating lots of vegetables with your morning and evening meals.  So far you've tried carrots, sweet potato, peas, green beans, spinach, avocado, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and bananas.  You've tried a few fruits, and we'll start introducing some more soon. 
Clothing Size:  Depending on the brand, you wear a few 6-12 months (Gap), but mostly 12 or 12-18 month!
Diapers:  Size 3
Etc:  You are getting increasingly mobile.  Daddy keeps reminding me that we need to get a corral to help keep you in one place when I'm working at home.  You've made a few attempts at crawling on your knees, but mostly you still like to do the inch worm maneuver.  You are always interested in what we're holding, or eating, or drinking.  You like to try to drink water out of our glasses, and we've introduced you to drinking out of a beginner sippy cup.  You absolutely love our dogs, and they are very interested in whatever you're up to.  You don't have any teeth yet, but it seems like you've started teething.  Everything goes straight into your mouth, and you are drooling a good bit these days.  Nana and Papa came to visit mid-month, and they enabled me to run a Halloween 10k while they looked after you.  This is a fun time of year, and we are getting excited to celebrate your first Thanksgiving and Christmas in the coming weeks! 

 

And in other news, look at this guy pulling up to standing!  I caught him in action.  He loves to do this at the fireplace in the living room.

Obsess much??

So I have a bit of a habit of starting a project, and then getting totally and completely obsessed with it that I can't think of anything else until the project is done and finished.  That happened with my fall ribbon wreath.   I saw it on a blog, went out and bought the materials and then was up till 11pm tying ribbon knots.  (and I loved every second of it....except the next morning when I was totally exhausted because my new mommy bedtime is waaaay before 11).  Most recently, this happened with our 2011 Christmas Cards.  Yes, we're like one minute into November, but I already have our Christmas Cards done and printed.  I just have to pick them up, get envelopes, and label them.  I ordered through etsy this year, and printed them on really nice cardstock at Kinko's.  I won't show you which one we chose just yet, but here are a bunch of examples from the cute store:

 

Logan's First Halloween

My little tiger was a big Halloween hit!  It was as if Logan knew his costume was so cute -- he just had this funny little smirk on his face.  We ordered pizza for our cul de sac, and ate outside with all of our neighbors before they headed out trick-or-treating.  We manned our door to pass out candy to all the kids who came by.  I think I have a renewed love for this holiday now :)

 Of course Lilly needed to check out what was going on.  She didn't know what to think about Logan's litltle tiger ears!

 My boys :)  (with my cute fall ribbon wreath in the background -- that was such a fun craft!  May make one for Christmas too!)

 Look out!  Tiger coming through!

 

And guess who slept in till 7:40am this morning!!!  Longest sleep ever! (of course I was up at 6am for work, but still!)  PS -- note to self:  1 Costco bag of candy would be sufficient....no need to beg for kids to take handfuls to try to get rid of it at the end of the night!!