Three Days

I've been on my own during the day with three children for three days now. My Mom was here with us for two weeks, which was such a blessing to me. I am so thankful that she is so willing to spend her time here (and that my Dad is so willing to share her!) I got lots of extra morning sleep when she would get up with the older munchkins...and keep them quiet...I seriously never even knew they were awake! She tried to get us out of the house almost every day so that it wouldn't be as overwhelming when I was on my own (the onslaught of doctor visits made that easier...seriously, we have been to the doctor at least 7 times in the past 5 weeks.) We have a freezer full of meals to make my first few weeks a bit easier because she has such a giving and helpful spirit. She gave Brent and I an evening out by watching Hadleigh and Nathanael...so nice to just be together! She truly has the heart of a servant.

And I just love the way she is loved by her grandchildren...I'm sure Madeleine will adore her Mimi just like her big sister and brother do! We are so thankful for you Mom!

It was so fun to spend time together...so fun to have Dad in town for a few days at the end...so special to be able to have family come to share these early moments together. (We're looking forward to Brent's parents visiting in a few weeks!) Thank you, Mom and Dad for your time with us...we really treasure every moment!

So, three days on my own. Thankfully, Brent has been able to be home early each day. The mornings are the toughest part...but on the whole, it has been easier than I anticipated. Except that it's a little tough venturing out of the house on my own with three in tow...but we're figuring it out. I'm sure there will be moments where it's all very overwhelming, but for now, we are taking things slowly, staying home as much as possible, enjoying some new and some forgotten toys to play with while Mommy feeds "Baby Madeleine", treasuring the fleeting moments of Madeleine's newborn stage, and trying to keep the house as clean as possible for the realtors who tend to only like to call 30 minutes before wanting to show our house. (Sorry for that last bit, just had to vent.)

The time does pass quickly...maybe that's due to needing to feed Madeleine every three hours...but I can hardly believe that she will be four weeks old on Friday. Speaking of feeding Madeleine, it's that time again!

Nathanael is Two!!!

Today was an exciting birthday for Nathanael! He started out with a pancake breakfast...got to go see all the big airplanes at the Air Show on base...had a yummy chocolate cake with strawberries (his request!)...and was delighted to open his presents and find a little bicycle just his size!

Here he is:

Turning two:

Turning one:

At birth!

Nathanael...you are such a blessing to our family! I sure do love my little buddy!

Madeleine Elizabeth

Madeleine arrived October 12 at 7:52 am.

Here is her very first picture (can you tell that she demonstrated her healthy lungs quite a bit?):

She surprised us by weighing 9 pounds and 15 ounces...but was down to 9 pounds when we left the hospital. She is 21 inches long, has blue eyes and a bit of dark hair!We came home on Sunday and are doing well. Hadleigh and Nathanael love their new little sister, though they are still having to keep their distance a little longer to try to make sure Madeleine doesn't catch any lingering RSV germs...so far so good!

More to come...but I think I need to take advantage of this little girl's naptime right now!

My baby boy

I'm treasuring my moments with this little guy today...feeling his chubby toddler hands holding mine...listening to his precious little voice say things I didn't know he knew yet (like this morning, while patting his head he said "bumped noggin' "...I have absolutely no idea where he picked up noggin' from!)...watching him love on his big sister (and then try to wrestle her)...watching the sweet way he sucks his thumb while holding his blanket "just right"...so aware that the next time I see him after tomorrow morning, he will definitely seem like such a big boy and not my littlest baby anymore.

I know, because it happened last time.

They warned me last time...Hadleigh will grow up overnight, and she did. Complete with her first set of pigtails, she was so grown up when she came to the hospital after Nathanael was born.

I know she will seem even more grown up now and that Nathanael will all of a sudden no longer be our baby. Will suddenly be a just-about-two-year old big brother. It makes me feel a little bit sentimental...with some pregnancy hormones thrown in too, I'm sure!

But how exciting to see them so excited about their new little sister! Hadleigh is almost beside herself...showing me all of the little clothes and blankets that are ready. I am so anxious to see how the three of them will all interact...my three October blessings!

Next time, expect to see pictures of our newest blessing! Off to the hospital in the morning!

Four years old

Today my sweet Hadleigh is four years old.

After a heart-sharped pancake breakfast, she opened her gifts, and we soon found her outside in her pajamas, butterfly wings on (a gift from her cousins) in her ladybug helmet and new bicycle! And here are pictures from each of her past birthdays...including her party last weekend

Turning four...

Turning three...

Turning two...

Turning one...

My sweet baby girl on the day she was born...so hard to believe she was once so small.

Pies sound good right now

Even though the temperature doesn't welcome autumn yet, it is October (my favorite month!) and all sorts of pies (and soups) sound yummy to me. I made cinnamon apples last night to go with our dinner (ahem...sadly, I cooked them a tad bit too long) and when I came home from visiting with friends last night, the house smelled like apple pie. Which made me wish for this apple pie I shared last fall! I'm craving all the warm cozy comfort that pies offer--both sweet and savory.

So I thought I'd share this savory (and easy) pie recipe today. My children are not picky eaters, but it is rare when both of them can finish their meal more quickly than Brent and I--especially Brent! So this is a hit with my little ones...hopefully yours too!

Shepherd's Pie

1 22-oz. package frozen mashed potatoes (I've used from-scratch mashed potatoes too)
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen sliced carrot, thawed
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 cup beef broth
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1. Cook potatoes according to package and set aside.
2. Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, until beef is browned. Drain and return to skillet; add carrot. Stir in flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Add broth and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Spoon into greased 11x7 inch baking dish. (I have also used a deep dish pie plate.)
3. Stir together potatoes, egg, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper. Spoon over beef.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, bake 5 more minutes.

Yields 6 servings.

3 weeks from today

In three weeks, we will become a family of five. That's pretty unbelievable! (Unless of course, Madeleine decides to arrive before her scheduled c-section...not too likely but I suppose it's possible.)

Needless to say, life is pretty hectic. Aside from getting things ready for her arrival (including the lovely weekly appointments), we have been getting our house ready to sell (we show it for the first time on Saturday), househunting 3.5 hours away twice in the last week, starting Bible Study Fellowship again, and getting ready for Hadleigh and Nathanael's birthday party next Saturday.


We also have moved Nathanael into his "big boy toddler bed" that Brent made him. For days, he walked around saying "Daddy make bed." He loves it and has done an amazing job at staying in bed, falling right asleep, etc. (all the things that his big sister didn't do!) But I suppose it makes sense...Hadleigh likes to talk to herself about her day before going to bed...and it always takes the night-owl in me awhile to fall asleep. Whereas, Brent falls asleep almost the second he turns out his bedside lamp (you know the scene in You've Got Mail with Parker Posey and Tom Hanks going to bed? That's Brent) and Nathanael just follows suit. Often, he hasn't moved in two hours when we go to check on him.

That's what I've been up to...how about you?

Only 24 hours

Sometimes I really wish I had a few extra hours in my day. Like today.
Bible Study Fellowship started back up and it felt really good to be there. Good to get back into a Bible study that really helps me to be accountable to studying God's Word. Good to see Hadleigh so excited about her class (one of her teachers from last year moved up with her which we were thrilled to discover this morning!)

We love going...but it uses our entire morning, and I failed to realize how much we/I can actually get done in a morning. So naptime has not lasted as long as I would like...and I have stuff to do, so this is just a quick post with a really yummy recipe.

One thing that helps me with the 24 hours in my day is my crockpot. I've been using it a lot more recently and right now, there is a delicious smell of chicken curry in our house. I'd share that recipe, but it's new and I'm picky about my chicken curry so I have to try it first. But if it's good, I promise you'll see it soon!

This one is really a good summer dish...but yummy any time of year!

Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella Pasta Shells

coarse salt and pepper
3-5 chicken breasts
8 oz. medium pasta shells
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut in 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh parsley OR basil, chopped*
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. butter

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil for pasta.
2. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients (except pasta water)and toss to combine.
3. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a light sauce. Serve with more Parmesan cheese.

* I have used both parsley and basil, and both recipes are delicious. Parsley, obviously is a little less expensive if you don't have your own basil plant; the flavor with the parsley is stronger than with the basil.

Sweet Friends

That's what my Hadleigh and Nathanael are.

Sure, they have their moments like all siblings do, but...

• Hadleigh likes to be the first one to open Nathanael's door in the morning and after naptime.
• She brings him a spoon at breakfast for his yogurt and prefers to carry his bowl of bananas to him personally.
• She loves to give him a goldfish pretzel "snack" while they wait on their lunch being made.
• She shares her toys so sweetly with him. (His favorite is the garage and car of her little dollhouse...or her kitchen full of food. I have two little sous-chefs!)
• She brings him his blanket whenever he cries because he has gotten hurt.

• Nathanael follows her around and wants to do whatever she is doing.
• He loves to bring her juice to her if she has abandoned it somewhere.
• He shares his toys so sweetly with her. (Except maybe his "supercar"...that takes persuasion and an exchange of many toys!)
• He loves to talk about what "Ha-leigh" (just missing the d in his pronounciation) is doing, where "Ha-leigh" is, what belongs to "Ha-leigh".
• When (on the rare occasion) she sleeps later during naptime, the glee in his voice saying "Ha-leigh" when he sees her just melts my heart.
• I have yet to see him refuse to give her a kiss when prompted by us. And when he gives her a hug too...so precious.

Yesterday following Nathanael's nap (because Hadleigh just played), Hadleigh told me, "It's so fun to play toys with Naniel." My heart overflows during moments like these. I'm so glad they are such friends...they remind me of Michael (my younger brother) and I when we were little.

I look forward to seeing how Madeleine fits into their lives...I'm sure she'll fit in seamlessly, as Hadleigh whispers to her in my tummy sometime each day "Come out soon." or "Come see us soon." Accompanied, of course, by a kiss. Another one of those moments.

September...

is upon us...and we've had slightly cooler weather since Monday! Yay!

Some other fun things about September that I just love:

--Pink Lady apples are again at the store! So delicious!

--I bought some of this today...Mom shared some with me last Christmas and it's just wonderful...but seasonal, so I'll be stocking up on it!!!

--My autumn wreath is hanging on the door and there is a lovely centerpiece on the table full of fall color!

--Today while driving, there were leaves blowing along the road. Of course, the leaves on the trees are still green and full...but these few leaves give me hope!

--Today, Hadleigh and I made a paper-chain with 38 links to count down the days until Madeleine arrives! (That's her name by the way! And we have a scheduled c-section, due to my previous two.) Hadleigh loved making it and it's hanging over her door, since the two girls will be sharing a room!

This past Sunday, in honor of September, I made a wonderful baked French Toast recipe that I'll share today! I really hope you enjoy it...it is simply delicious.

French Toast with Apple Syrup (It's from the Lone Star to Five Star Cookbook, by the Junior League of Plano, TX...a great cookbook!)

French Toast ingredients:

1/2 cup (i stick) butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. corn syrup

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1 loaf french bread, sliced 3/4-inch thick

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. nutmeg

Apple Syrup ingredients:

1 cup applesauce

1 (10-oz.) jar apple jelly

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

salt to taste

1. To prepare toast, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Cook over low hear until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange apple slices in the dish and layer the bread over the apples.

2. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over the bread. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, for 8-12 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

3. To prepare the syrup, combine all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is heated through, stirring constantly until smooth. Serve over French toast.

Serves 8. (reheats well in microwave for leftovers :)