Oh how time flies...

I never intended to abandon the blog, it just sort of happened.  I've been very busy with these little people... :) They are growing very fast, not babies any more.  Here's a photo recap.

May 2012 Addy 2 1/2

May 2012 Quinn 8 months

July 2012 Quinn (10 months) and Addy

September 2012, Quinn (12 months!) Addy (almost 3)

Birthday Boy, 1 year old!

More to come!

Catching Up

Hi there my one or two blog readers!
It's certainly been awhile since I've posted anything.  I've been a little busy as you will see...I hardly even know where to start.  A hundred times I've started a post in my head about my big girl.  She's not much of a baby anymore!  Addy is walking and talking and getting into all kinds of things.  She copies everything I do, which is hilarious but also a lot of pressure for me!

Adeline - almost 18 months

She is so fun and so sweet and being her Mama is my favorite job ever.  My favorite job is about to get even more fun come September since we are expecting baby #2!  We don't know the sex yet, but should be able to find out at my next appointment - yay!

Baby #2 at 14 weeks 5 days

In other news, we recently bought a new house which we are very excited about.  We are still in the process of getting some unexpected problems sorted out and not moved in yet, but hopefully we'll be moved in soon.  My favorite part?  The kitchen!!  Once upon a time this was a food blog and now I have the inspiration to resurrect that part of my blog.  Who wouldn't with such a great place to cook?

Soon you should be seeing some new food posts!

Mother's Day, Turning 30 and Miscellaneous Cuteness

I had a wonderful weekend.  On Saturday I turned 30.  I think it was my best birthday so far.  My Mom came to visit for the weekend, and my Grandma stopped by for a little while too.  On my birthday Mama cooked a delicious lunch for us and had a beautiful and very tasty chocolate cake for me.  My wonderful husband took me out to dinner on Saturday night, just the two of us, for the first time in a long time.  On Sunday, we spent time together as a family, and Mama and I did a little shopping together.  I am very blessed to have such a wonderful family and this precious little girl for my first Mother's Day.  My husband bought me flowers for Mother's Day, from him and Addy of course.  He says it was her idea.  For my birthday he got me a new laptop to replace my 5-year old one that was on its last leg.  I am a lucky woman!

Three years ago today...

It's a Girl!

Introducing Adeline Rose

Born October 21, 2009

9:39 pm

7 lbs. 10 oz.

21 inches long

Our sweet Adeline is almost 1 month old now. I still can't believe she's here! She is so precious and wonderful and we are having so much fun with her. I started writing this post when she was a week old, but as you can see I have been on baby time and everything takes longer! We are so lucky to have a healthy baby (and Mama too). My recovery has been surprisingly easy and Addy has been a good baby from day one. Hopefully I can find the time and inspiration to do a little more blogging than I was doing before...but we'll see ;)

Addy - 1 week old

What I've Been Doing Lately

     So I'm sure that those of you who haven't yet completely lost interest in my blog are wondering what I've been up to lately.  Well, here it is!  Baby Cookie's first picture.  We found out for sure a week after Valentine's Day.  Since then I've been doing all kinds of things...not much cooking going on though.  Fortunately I only suffered a little nausea in my first trimester but I was not in the mood to do much cooking or baking because making a baby can sure make you tired and I had some food aversions there for a while.  I did manage to squeeze in a ski trip to Jackson Hole, WY at the end of February and a trip to Hawaii in April.  My husband and I enjoyed both very much and we're trying to make the most of the time we have left with just the two of us.

     I'm so excited about the baby though, its hard to think about anything else sometimes.  I'll be 19 weeks tomorrow and next week is the big ultrasound where we can find out the sex of the baby if we want to...only we aren't going to!  We want it to be a surprise, but I'm still excited about seeing the baby again.  I'm feeling much better these days so I'm going to start posting more regularly.  The focus will probably change a little bit towards nutrition during pregnancy and there will be no coffee and fewer cookies, but you can still expect some great healthy recipes and the occasional baby related post.  

     I'm going to take a break from Daring Bakers for a while, although I'll miss it, I'm trying to focus on good nutrition for baby and something like a whole cheesecake sitting around is just too tempting!  So I apologize for those of you who have come by looking for the Daring Baker's challenge posts.  The last one I completed was February and I will post that at some point so you can check it out.

Sunset on Maui

I've been tagged!

A little while back I was tagged for a meme by Claire of Cooking is Medicine.  I promise I didn't forget!  I am supposed to come up with seven random or odd things about myself.  So here is what I have.

1. My husband thinks it's gross that I put ketchup on my grits.  I never used to do that until a few years ago when I was doing Weight Watchers and needed something to flavor them besides butter or cheese.  Yummy!  I also like ketchup on french fries, hash browns and veggie burgers.
2. Speaking of veggie burgers, I was raised a vegetarian and never tasted meat until I was 19.  My mom never learned how to cook meat or fish because my grandma is vegetarian too so we never ate it.  My first taste of meat was barbecue chicken from KFC. Yuck!  I ate fish and chicken occasionally for a while but now I prefer to stick to the veggie stuff.
3. I am a Registered Nurse.  I haven't worked since I got married almost two years ago, but before that I worked as a critical care nurse for almost four years after college.  My last job was in a combined Neuro and Trauma ICU.  It was exciting, sometimes too exciting and I was pretty burned out when I left.  Eventually I'll go back to work and when I do I would like to work in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  
4. I'm not the only nurse in my family.  Besides me there are at least a dozen other RNs including my brother, both my parents and a bunch of aunts, uncles and cousins.
   
5. I consider myself to be one of the luckiest women on the planet because my husband doesn't watch sports!  And I mean never!  I don't have to care about the Super Bowl or the World Series or any other sporting event.  I will never be a football widow.  I will never have to listen to those annoying Nascar races blaring in the background.  It is so awesome!  (Obviously I'm not a sports fan either.)
6. I met my husband on the Internet, on a Christian dating website.  I realize it's not that uncommon these days, but I can't say I know any one else personally who met their spouse that way.  At the time we met, we lived 550 miles apart.
7. Bright light, particularly sunlight, makes me sneeze.  Some people may think I am crazy, but I looked it up and it has an official name - Photic Sneeze Reflex.  It occurs in 17-25% of humans, is more common among Caucasians and is an autosomal dominant trait.  I inherited it from my Dad.  Apparently it can prevent you from becoming a fighter pilot.  Bummer.

I'm supposed to tag seven more people, but I'm terrible at figuring out who to tag, so I will add them as I figure it out!  If anyone has already done this recently, don't feel bad about not doing it again.

Here are the rules:
1. Link the person that tagged you and post the rules.
2. Share 7 random or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end and link to their sites.
4. Let each person know about the tag in the comment section of their site.

1. Jess from Chubb

2. Renee from Cafe Nay Nay

3.  Ashley from Introducing Ashley

4. Cristine from Cooking with Cristine

5. RightKlik

6. ?

7. ?

Book Review: The Secrets of Skinny Chicks

     This book actually came out in 2006, but I just noticed it at the book store last week.  I was immediately drawn to it because the author, Karen Bridson, profiles real women who work hard to look good and be healthy.  I began my own weight loss journey more than three years ago, on my 25th birthday.  I have since lost 50 pounds to reach my goal.  I have often heard people say things (about other women) like "Oh, she's so lucky to be so thin."  Even worse is "She must be able to eat whatever she wants."  Luck has absolutely nothing to do with it!  Losing that weight and keeping it off has been one of the most challenging things I've ever done, and one of the most rewarding.  It didn't get much easier when I got to the goal either, but I am learning to adjust my expectations.  I used to think there were people out there who could eat almost anything and not gain an ounce, but now I'm pretty sure if they do exist, there might be two people on the whole planet like that.  Everyone who sets a high standard for nutrition and exercise has to work at it, and if they tell you they don't, then they're probably lying.  I think when people say they can eat whatever they want it means that their appetites are probably in line with their needs.  They have perfectly reasonable expectations for the amount and type of food they need to eat, and how much exercise they need to do to look a certain way.

     What I really like about this book is the realistic view of what you have to do to look like the women (models, actresses, athletes) you've always envied.  Even if you don't want to take it to that extreme, this book is full of tips everyone can use to inspire them along their fitness journey.  Almost everything in this book is stuff I already knew, but we all need reminding of what we can do to be successful.  One of my favorite quotes from the book is "This is not about dieting, this is about changing the way you look at food and your perception of how much you need."(page 137)  This was one of the hardest things for me; changing my perception and expectations of how much food I could eat, particularly once I reached my goal.  It's really important to make the kinds of changes you can live with for the rest of your life, rather than going on a diet so extreme you'll never be able to stick with it.

     The author of The Secrets of Skinny Chicks is realistic and encouraging about what women need to do to reach their goals.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is just starting a diet and exercise program, and anyone who's been at it for a while and needs inspiration.  It is easy to read and something I will definitely refer to again for inspiration and when I need reminding of what I should be doing!  The book covers all the good habits of women who stay thin and healthy all the time.  Don't sell yourself short!  If you are willing to do the work, you can look and feel fabulous!

Welcome to my blog...

I've asked myself why anyone would want to know about my life. Well, I've been inspired by some other bloggers I read regularly and I think I have thoughts and ideas to share that people will appreciate. I am a stay at home wife with no kids. I am a vegetarian. Baking cookies and sitting down with a good cup of coffee are two of my favorite things. I love to feed people. I enjoy making my home a pleasant place to be for my family. I love to read and travel with my husband. Here you will find all kinds of things that I'm interested in, passionate about, and hope will provide enjoyment and helpful information.