little s

First Father’s Day

celebrations, family

This weekend was B’s first Father’s Day!  He has been such a wonderful partner and is so wonderful with little S  She is the world to him and I know that the feeling is mutual.  While I went out to run some errands, B stayed home with little S.  When I came home, I found them napping together.  So sweet I had to snap a picture!

On Sunday, little S revealed her first art project:  a poster with picture of her with her daddy and her footprints at 10 weeks old.  I think daddy liked it.  It’s hanging on the best wall real estate in our house-above the kitchen fireplace mantle:)

What did daddy want to do on Father’s Day?  Shop?!  So we went shopping!  S did very well being out all afternoon.  She even let us dress her up for a family photo when we got home.DSC_0333

Celebrating Baby with Strawberry Dream and Lemon Curd Cupcakes!

2013, celebrations, cooking, entertaining, family, friends

Last week, my sister threw my a very BIG baby shower!  There were about 45 people at our house, and our little girsl got some many cute gifts!  I think that she acquired enough clothes and bath accessories to last for an entire year!  A great idea my sister had was for the guests to gift a children’s book.  The perfect way to start her library.

Strawberry Dream Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
6 oz Greek strawberry yogurt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely diced fresh strawberries

In a bowl, whisk together cake mix and vanilla pudding.  Add yogurt, water, oil, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl.  You may also add a few drops of red food coloring to the wet indredients if you are looking for that bubbegum pink color.  Whisk to combine.  Add wet ingredients with dry ingredients until well combined.  Fold in strawberries.  Scoop into cupcake tins.  Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and slightly browned (about 35 minutes). Make sure that it is well baked, otherwise, the cake will collapse once out of the oven.

For the Frosting, in a mixer, combine

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 block of cream cheese softened

2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

powdered sugar to taste (about 1 1/2-2 cups)

1/4 cup fresh strawberry puree

Yields 2 dozen cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
lemon zest of 2 lemons
1 T lemon juice
1 T baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
4 egg whites

Jar lemon curd
Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine sugar and lemon zest,rubbing the mixture through your fingers to release oils from the lemon zest
Inn another bowl, sift dry ingreients
Combine milk and egg whites in another bowl
In the mixer, beat sugar and butter for about 3 minutes on medium speed
Add a third of the flour mixture, then add half of the milk mixture, beat until incorporated.
Add the second third of the dry ingredients, followed by the remaining milk mixture, followed by the last of the flour mixtre.
Beat for another 2 minutes to combine well and aerate

Place in muffin tins (2 dozen) and bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes (they will not brown) until springy and clean in the center when pierced by a toothpick.

Allow to cool completely, then sift powdered sugar over the cupcakes.
Using a pastry tip, fill the middle of the cupcakes and the center of the top of the cupcake with lemon curd

The Countdown Continues

celebrations, entertaining, family, travel

Four months from today marks the expected arrival of our little sweet pea (we’ve been calling her that for quite some time).  I have to say that the pregnancy was going very smoothly in the beginning.  No nausea or weird food cravings.  I had a few weeks of increased appetite that forced me to eat lunch at 10:30 every morning, but that has subsided.

The 8 week ultrasound revealed her little fingers and legs and a pretty clear side profile that mom and dad were excited to see.  She was situated with her head on my right side.

We revealed that we were pregnant to many of my friends on week 13 by hosting make-your-own grilled pizza and sundae party.  Some of our closer friends found out very early, including our friends who we saw at M&P’s wedding in August

By the 18th week ultrasound, sweet pea had done a 180 with her head on my left side.  It was at that ultrasound that we found out that we were going to be having a little girl (although it wasn’t that apparent to us based on the images).  B was right in that we were going to have a little girl.  He told me that day that he didn’t know anything about little girls since he had never lived with one.  I reassured him by saying that daddies have it easy with little girls.  They love their daddies and save the arguing for moms!

Towards the end of the first trimester, I wasn’t feeling tired, but I slept whenever I would lie down.  Regardless, I tried to stay active as much as I could, although I was easily winded.  I was very proud that I was able to conquer Angel’s Landing again, but this time 15 weeks pregnant.  Trekking upstream through The Narrows was also quite a feat with the extra weight.

Zion NP 10-17-12 031 Zion NP 10-17-12 042 Zion NP 10-17-12 047 Zion NP 10-17-12 083 15 weeks pregnantZion NP 10-17-12 162

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving week at week 20, I first felt sweet pea kick.  I was sitting at work when I suddenly felt 3 pokes on the left side of my belly.  I was certain that it was sweet pea!

Thanksgiving weekend was very special for B since it was the first time he felt her kick.  You could also see her poke out of my belly.  That was when B really started to talk to her, play music and even read her Paddington Bear, a book that her auntie bought her.

DSC_016520 weeks pregnant

The following weekend at week 22, I was awoken by sweet pea in the morning.  I was lying on my right side, and she was kicking my right side.  I rolled onto my back, and over the course of a few minutes, she kicked in the middle of my belly, then on he left side.  Later that morning, B could feel her making circles, and I could see her swirl around my belly button.

Later that same week, I started suffering from sciatica which limited my mobility.  I have started walking more gingerly since it hurt to step onto my right foot.  I’m hoping that as sweet pea moves, it will alleviate the pain.

I have enjoyed being pregnant and I feel like I’m already bonding with my little sweet pea.  I love curling in bed to spend quiet time with her when I can.  B and I are spending a lot of time together at home which I appreciate.  And as much as I am enjoying our time together as a couple, I am trying to patiently wait for the day I finally get to meet sweet pea face to face.

Summer Recap

celebrations, family, friends

The end of this summer was quite relaxing, mostly spent in sunny SD.  We had weeks of what seemed like record-breaking heat in August.  Now that it is officially fall, the weather has turned a bit to the cooler side.

August and September have been filled with time spent with family and friends.  We have tried to visit with our now 6 month old niece.  She is starting to recognize faces, so we are making sure that she doesn’t scream and cry in terror the next time we babysit her like she did the first time we watched her on her own.  Grandma and grandpa have also come down to see their little one grow like a weed.

My parents have also driven down for a long weekend, bringing garden fresh tomatoes and peaches!

We had a reunion of sorts when our friend from grad school got married.  Congratulations to M and P!  Old classmates as far as Ohio were in town, most of them toting a little one with them.

The most exciting part of the summer has been the anticipation of our very own bundle of joy due in April 2013!  We are enjoying our time together as a couple, realizing that this was our last summer of real freedom.  We spent this summer trying to get to know our town a little better.  We finally made it to our neighborhood Farmers Market, finally drove all the way to the end of the peninsula until we couldn’t drive anymore, found a new path along the beach we will likely frequent in the future, revisited Torrey Pines and Balboa Park and tried a few more neighborhood restaurants we never go around to going.  We have spent a good part of this year traveling near and far and visiting our families, and because of that we are finally ready to settle down and grow up a bit.  And even though we didn’t travel to an exotic land or experience a huge milestone this summer, I wouldn’t have traded our evening walks to the grocery store, dinners cooked at home or TV movie nights for anything!