My future daughter-in-law

Okay, I lied about the no-blogging thing, but I just couldn’t wait to post about meeting little miss Karis Haven, Shawn and Vanessa’s baby.

She was due 1/14/15 (Cool potential birthday, huh?), but Saturday night she decided that 2014 was a better year in which to be born.  12/28/14 is a nice-looking birth date, too.

Karis is just a wee thing at 6 lbs 2 oz and 18.75” long, but she is eating well so I’m sure she’ll be growing like a weed in no time.  Looks like she’s already able to soothe herself by sucking on her fingers, which should save Shawn and Vanessa a lot of trouble in the middle of the night once she isn’t requiring 3 a.m. feedings.

Karis is beautiful and oh-so-sweet, and I just know she and Connor are going to get along famously…in a couple years or so.

Congratulations, Shawn and Vanessa!  We are so happy for you guys and can’t wait to watch Karis grow up.

PS  Happy early birthday to the McDad, who will celebrate his birthday tomorrow.  Hope it’s a good one!

Stay-cation

Christmas 2014: We visited, we celebrated, we survived.  Now it’s time for a few days at home, literally.  I am off work until I go back on Friday.  Since that’s a new year, I don’t want to take the day off and use a vacation day for the first working day in 2015.

Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and hopefully I’m not the only one with some time off this week.  I am going to do my best to be equal parts productive and lazy so we’ll see how successful I am.

I am opting to not blog this week unless it’s to work on some posts for next week.  I just want to hang out in the evenings and during my Connor-free downtime.  However, I’m sure I’ll still be posting to Instagram so feel free to check in and see what’s going on.

“See” you in 2015!

Connor: Ten Months

Well, ten months and about one week, but that’s par for my course.

We have all just gotten over Connor’s second cold.  I guess I can’t say, “I never get sick” any more.  Or I can but only if I qualify that declaration with “except when Connor’s germs beat my natural defenses to a pulp.”  Luckily we’re all on the mend, but let’s hope not just in time to catch something from a sick cousin over the holidays.

A few sniffles didn’t do much to dampen Connor’s spirits.  Nose-wiping, on the other hand, that could quickly turn my happy little boy into a sad pitiful one who looks kinda like this.

So other than germs, what’s been new this past month…  Connor is still doing his army crawl, but he doesn’t get stuck in his “sexy pose” where he’s on his side and can’t get himself up to a sitting position.  He’s so good at sitting, in fact, that I think he wakes up in the mornings and sits right up, thus pretty much guaranteeing that he’s not going back to sleep.  That’s fine at 6:15 but not too cool at 4:15.

Connor is also pulling himself up both to his knees and to his feet.  There’ve been a few tentative ventures into the world of cruising furniture, but he’s still pretty wobbly.  I have a feeling, though, that it’s not going to be long before he’s moving all over at that upper level.

Connor still loves food, ALL food, and we’re probably done with the purees, which makes me kinda sad.  I truly enjoyed making those foods for him and they were so easy to stockpile.  His most recent fave are turkey meatballs that he shoves into his mouth by the fistful.  It is nice that he can just feed himself.  He still has just the two bottom teeth, but I think the top two aren’t going to be shy much longer.

Connor still loves his bouncy seat.  He loves bathtime and Cheerios, and opening and closing doors is a new favorite activity.

He babbles up a storm, and he understands the sign for “eat,” grunting with gusto to signal his agreement.

Oh, another development is that Connor’s getting pretty good at negotiating the stairs.  He’ll be leading the way up them in no time.

Because Connor’s all over the place and thanks to those oh-so-cool doors that go back and forth, Connor will often make a beeline for the pantry.  I left him in there to play the other night and he explored, finding cat food and the motherload of Cheerios. 

He also thought about climbing up on the trash can, but a couple stern no’s had him backing away and leaving it alone.  I know he’s going to test  limits so I’m glad to see he has an understanding of what it means when we don’t want him doing something.

Connor is a sweet, funny, happy baby.  It’s exhausting being a mom, but he makes me glad that I am one, that I’m HIS mom. 

I love this little chunky monkey!

{Recipe Recap} Barely-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie with a Pretzel Crust

I didn’t want to lead you astray thinking you wouldn’t have to turn your oven on for this dessert.  But don’t be nervous, there’s no baking of the cheesecake, no cracks to worry about or water baths to try not to spill.  It’s just this delicious pretzel crust that has to go into the oven for a few minutes.

I made this Thursday night for a dinner on Friday.  I mean, for a dessert for AFTER a dinner on Friday.

We all thought this was delicious.  I added the Cool Whip layer to the top because, well, the McHusband and I just love Cool Whip, plus I thought it would add a little sweetness to the cheesecake filling.

I’m a fan of salty and sweet together so I loved the pretzel crust in this dessert.  I will definitely be using it in the future.  The McHusband is ready for me to make the pie again and said I have to keep it at the top of the list of go-to treats.

This pie was easy to make and even easier to eat.  If you’re still looking for something sweet to make for the holidays, give this pie a try.

Can you believe we’re just a few days away from Christmas?  We spend so much time preparing for it that by now, I’m just ready for it to be here.  One, I’m excited to visit with people and of course I’m looking forward to it being Connor’s first Christmas.  Two, I’m done having my dining room taken over by wrapping paper.  Three, after Christmas is when I get the stay-cation that I’ve been anticipating for so long.

Come back tomorrow for a post about something even sweeter than this dessert!

{Recipe adapted from here}

Some Christmas spirit for you

I’m beat.  This week has kicked my butt.  I’ve been busy at work, I’ve been running errands during my lunches, I’ve gotten in three workouts, I’ve held down the fort while the McHusband traveled for work, and I’ve wrapped all the gifts.

Can it just be Christmas already?

Speaking of the holiday, here’re a couple pictures to boost your Christmas spirit.

That one up there is the background picture on my computer.  Makes me smile every time I open my laptop.

The McHusband and I took Connor to Bass Pro to see Santa last weekend.  I highly recommend the Cary store to anyone in the area. The Santa was awesome!  He looked the part and was really sweet with all the kids.  Also, they give you a free 4 x 6 print and then they have different packages for you to choose from.  We opted for the digital download for $10.  Yes, expensive for one picture, but not that much for the whole experience.

Connor wasn’t fazed by Santa.  He was pretty neutral about the big guy as you can see.

Once again, we have plans tonight then the rest of the weekend is wide open.  From a social standpoint anyway.  I will still have the Y, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and a dinner  to cook.  I have Monday off because Connor’s daycare is closed.  Luckily, my mom will be visiting to I should still be able to be productive even with my little helper hanging out with me.

TGIF!  Hope you guys have a great weekend and don’t find yourself fighting any mall crowds.

{Recipe Recap} Heath Bar Cheesecake Bars

Our Women’s Night on Friday was seasonal: we did a treat exchange and played Dirty Santa.  Now don’t let your mind wander to the gutter, there were no sexy elves or half-dressed old men.  Just me and a few other neighbor ladies enjoying some mulled wine, snacks, and $10-and-under gifts.  I ended up with two infinity scarves, and I was glad no one stole them from me.

But back to the food. I mean, it is Monday after all, and I know you guys could use a little something to take the bitter taste of the work week out of your mouth.  Not me though; I have today off because I have some vacation time left and my company has a use-it-or-lose-it policy.  I plan to be equal parts productive and (couch) potato.

Okay, the food for real.  I am not always a huge fan of cheesecake because while rich, it’s often not sweet enough for me.  These bars weren’t quite as sweet as I’d prefer, but with the sweetened condensed milk in the filling, they worked for me.

It’d be hard for me not to like something that has toffee and chocolate in AND on it.

The crust is one that I hate to make.  Flour, powdered sugar, cocoa and then that cold butter that has to be cut in to make the other stuff stick together.  I had to use at least another half-stick of butter to have enough for my dough so if you make these, keep in mind that you might need more butter.

I like cheesecake bars for how many servings you get plus the cheesecake isn’t so thick that each bar is super rich.  Plus there’s no water bath or leaving the oven door open at the end of the baking time and you don’t have to worry about a crack down the middle.

My little Hallmark snowpeople give these bars two mitts up!

Okay, you guys don’t work too hard today!  Wish I could say that I won’t be, but I will be busy around the house and then I get to go to a class at the Y tonight.

{Recipe here}

Just like the old days

So last night I went from work straight to the Y.  I didn’t take the Thursday-night muscle class that I used to; instead, I gathered my magazine and my iPod and I headed upstairs for some “alone” time on a couple machines.

It.was.perfect.

I’m a little under the weather with a cold (Thanks, Connor!), but I mustered the energy to ride the elliptical machine and do some running and hill intervals on the treadmill.  I felt great when I was done.  I was still tired, but I had more energy and felt like I could actually DO something with my evening.  Good thing because I had to bake some cheesecake bars for Women’s Night when I got home.

See, just like how things used to be: the Y, home for a quick dinner, some baking, a shower, then TV and blogging.  I know I can’t do that every night like I used to, but once a week for now is a good balance.

Speaking of balance, did you guys see me riding a bike in my den?  We borrowed a bike trainer from the McHusband’s coworker and I finally pulled it out Wednesday night.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to just suffer through my workout or if I was going to like it but guess what?  I enjoyed it! 

My plan is to use the bike a couple of times a week and get to the Y at least two, but preferably three, times a week: once right after work, once after I pick Connor up and get him started on his bedtime routine, and then Saturday morning.

There’s hope that by Connor’s first birthday, I could be in decent shape!  And more importantly, I would just feel like I had figured out this working, exercising, socializing, to-do-list-completing mom thing.

I have Women’s Night tonight and the McHusband has dinner with a friend.  No social plans tomorrow so maybe I’ll get started on my wrapping.  My tree would be much happier with some presents under it.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

PS  Happy, happy birthday to my mom today!  Hope it’s a great one, Mom!

PPS  This post had two pictures, but it wouldn’t publish with them in there.  Not sure why, but I was too tired to try to fix it.  Sorry for all the words.

Just like the McHusband

The McHusband is always trying to get a bite of my baked goods before they’re officially ready.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a quick bread that hasn’t cooled yet, a cake without its frosting, or some muffins minus their glaze, the McHusband isn’t exactly a model of patience.

But I love him anyway.

Busy like the elves

So I got my tree done last week, and I decided to keep the momentum going on Friday by finishing the mantle and decorating the front porch.  Then on Saturday, after the Y and dropping some stuff off at Kim’s, I wound garland through the stair railing and hung big ol’ ornaments on our (dead, to-be-replaced-in-the-spring) tree out front.  After a very productive afternoon, we took the night off to go out to eat with Ryan and Sandra.

We were back at it on Sunday.  We hit the ground running trying to take some family pictures on the front porch.  (BTW, it’s difficult to get a 10-month-old to smile at all much less in the direction of a camera without anyone behind it.)  Then, on top of the usual laundry, general cleaning, and grocery shopping, we also got our outside lights hung.

Of course, we had a little helper.  Connor directed from the sidewalk and then, as any good supervisor would, he had to get involved when things weren’t going the way he wanted.

He wrapped things up by doing his A Christmas Story impression.  Luckily, it wasn’t QUITE cold enough for his tongue to stick.

I got really brave and decided to tackle the big tree by the driveway.  Since I got my new prelit tree, I had many strands of white Christmas lights begging to be displayed.  I’m a Christmas-light snob and hate when people just throw a strand of lights on some tree branches or they start off with good intentions but run out of lights and consider the job done.  WRONG!

We want to add a couple more strands of lights up from that one line at the top so that what people see is a triangle of lights.  Otherwise, I’m happy with how everything looks.

Now who wants to come over after Christmas and unwind all those lights from the tree?  Maybe I can keep them up and turn it into a new landscaping look…

Getting my Christmas on

I was productive last night.  I got my new tree decorated, put out a few Christmas things, and put my mantle mostly together.  Here’s how it looks from my vantage point on the couch, looking over the laptop with the TV on in the background.

Notice something wrong up there?  Yep, I still need to get Connor a stocking.  I hope to find one that looks like the McHusband’s and mine but if I can’t, then I’ll just get something that goes with them.

Does everyone already have some holiday party or get-together this weekend?  My first Christmas event is Monday when we girls get together, but the McHusband and I are going to dinner with some friends this Saturday and we’re looking forward to catching up with them.

Otherwise, I will just be happy to be at home after all our traveling last week.

TGIF!

Thanksgiving 2014

We took Connor on his second road trip (his first one being to SC via Charlotte) and this one was a doozy – all the way to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving.

We left Wednesday around 4:00, stopped after a couple hours for dinner/a bottle, then one of us snoozed almost the whole rest of the way to Summersville, WV where we had reserved a room in the Hampton Inn.  Connor was awake and in a great mood for a bit in the hotel then I gave him a nightcap to help him relax and get in the mood for sleeping through the night, which he did – and then some!  He slept til 8:00.

After our complimentary and satisfactory breakfast at the hotel, we hit the road for the second half of our trek.  Connor fell asleep shortly after we took off and dozed for an hour and a half.  He was in a great mood most of the way until we stopped for lunch, which was a nice break for all of us.  Then back on the road and Connor napped again shortly after we got back in the car.  All in all, the drive north was very enjoyable.

We had a small Thanksgiving meal with my aunt and uncle, cousins, and Shannon, Owen, and Olivia.  Connor got a bath and then we headed to my grandma’s house, which is where we were staying.  My grandma kept Connor company while we unloaded the car and got the pack’n’play set up.  Another great night’s sleep (for Connor) followed.

Bri, Nate, and the girls got to my aunt’s house on Thursday shortly after we left.  Since we missed them there and they needed to visit with my grandma, we three sisters and our families met for lunch then went back to my grandma’s house, where we took all but two of the pictures from the trip.  I know, you’re like, “Finally, some pictures!”

The kids were hyped up on pizza, and Connor was happy to no longer be confined to a highchair.

Lyla decided to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to all of us.

Uh oh, I think I have been spotted.

He’s getting closer…

Too close!

In the meantime, Lyla has picked up a new audience.  How sweet are those kids?

While they are reading, Connor is tackling me.

And telling me to floss more.

And hugging me.

Hey, that’s a lot of bunny ears!

At this point, Connor was about ready for a nap so I got him his blankie, but he rallied just long enough for some crawling on, and cuddles with, Nate.

A quick visit with Aunt Bri then it was time for that nap.

The next morning, my sisters and their families met my dad and uncles at the local breakfast joint where my one uncle holds court every morning.  We didn’t go because a certain sleepyhead stayed in bed til almost 8:00.  No complaints from us, especially when my grandma got out her electric skillets and cooked us some pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  We got to eat a fabulous breakfast wearing our pajamas.

The last two camera pictures of the weekend were taken when everyone congregated back at my grandma’s house after the aforementioned breakfasts.

Once we changed out of our pajamas, the McHusband and Connor had on their coordinating shirts: plaid flannel.  Perfect for Pennsylvania in November.

We split our drive home between Saturday night and Sunday morning, afternoon, and late afternoon.  We left the hotel just before 10:00 Sunday morning and finally got home at 4:00 that afternoon.  Traffic was lighter than expected, but we took our time and stopped as much as we needed to.  Connor didn’t do quite as well Saturday night as he did the Wednesday before, but Sunday went really smoothly.

All in all, our road trip was a success and we had a wonderful time visiting with everyone.  Some huge thank-you’s to my grandma for letting us stay with her; to my Aunt Becky for hosting everyone three nights in a row and for all the food prep; and to my Aunt Lynn for all her help with the food and with getting my grandma to and from Aunt Becky’s.

And I can’t leave my mom out.  She stayed at our house and held down the fort, being the pet-sitter extraordinaire that we needed.  Thanks, Mom!

Hope everyone else had wonderful Thanksgivings!