Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girl

Today Adelaide Magnolia turns 1. It's actually in this, the 8 am hour that I write, that I gave birth to her. I can't remember exactly what time she was born, I think it was close to 8:45am, but it was after almost 8 hours of labor and just about 20 minutes of pushing that she made her entrance into this world. For her first 4 hours of life she made sounds similar to that of a pterodactyl (or at least, what we think one would sound like). She was quite entertaining. It's funny now, because anytime she sees a dinosaur she roars. That's the only animal sound she makes.



I can't believe our little girl is a year old. It really doesn't seem like it's been that long. A year of her smiles and giggles and not sleeping through the night. A year of her beautiful face greeting us each morning. God has so richly blessed our lives with Adelaide, she is such a joy. It is an honor to be her mother, to watch her grow and learn. One of the moments I cherish most is having her fall asleep in my arms and just holding her, watching her sleep, so peaceful and content. I could do that for hours. It is times like that in which I am forced to slow down and relax. I sit back and marvel at the little girl she is becoming. She is changing so much. She is walking and playing and interacting. She adores her brother and her care bear. She gives big open mouth kisses. She is so funny when she plays peek-a-boo. Sometimes she covers her eyes, sometimes she just ends up smacking herself on the head. She is learning to blow kisses. She can't help but shake her groove thing when there is music playing. She gets the biggest kick out of talking into microphones. She absolutely loves people and will stare them down until they pay attention to her. She is a fairly quiet baby, always has been. She does not upset easily. She has a newly discovered fascination with bubbles and is addicted to pop tarts.

All in all, she is more than we could have ever hoped for in a daughter. She is a most precious gift from God. She is her Dada's weak spot and her Mama's sweet baby girl.

It's over

I have never been so relieved for anything to be over more than I am that this past weekend is behind me. Saturday night is done. My desserts were baked, assembled, eaten and digested. I got so many rave reviews that night it was a little overwhelming. My mind is still a little numb from my 3 day preparation extravaganza.

But it's over now. I am breathing easier. The looming stress of what to make, how it's going to turn out, will I have enough time? is no longer resting on my shoulders. That is a nice feeling.

I regrettably only took pictures of some of my prep work. I didn't take any pictures of the finished products (like my fantastical Lemon Cheesecake with Strawberries and Port Syrup). I need to make another one, though, to see how it tastes.. So I'll take a picture of it at that point.

One of the great things that came out of this event is my website. After many years of dreaming it is finally up and running, not at full steam, but running none the less. www.foodlady.net. It is a total rough draft at this point, but I just needed something as a point of contact for now. Gabe was the mastermind in the website (along with some help from Tommy Base). Gabe also made me some business cards to hand out Saturday night. And I'll tell you, I actually had a couple people come up to me afterwards and ask if I do private parties, to which I replied "Yes indeed!". How cool is that. Whether or not anything comes of those inquiries, just the fact that people would have considered me based on those desserts that night.. That is enough for me! If anything does come up, you will be among the first to know! It's a strange feeling knowing that this dream of mine, working in the food industry - catering, baking professionally, opening up my own bakery - it could really come true some day. That would be something!

The final countdown

So it's here. The final two days before THE BIG DAY. My first official catering gig. It couldn't have come at a worse time. Or maybe this pregnancy couldn't have come at a worse time. Being just at the end of my first trimester I am still left feeling yucky and more tired than a caterpillar trying to make its way through hot gum on the sidewalk of despair.

Today is it. There are no more days to put anything off. My preparations must begin today. I sit here exhausted out of my mind, almost in tears because all I want to do is lay down and sleep. But with two kids to care for and a butt load of baking to be done there will be no rest for me. Tuesday was a very bad sick day for me. The contents of my undigested lunch (macaroni and cheese and hot dog) were projected from my body at a force so great that the human body should never ever have to experience. I am still reeling from that experience. It has left me almost completely unable to eat. And since food = energy (which I am so low on anyway) you can see my dilemma.

I can not procrastinate any longer. I have cookie doughs, white chocolate candies and a cheesecake to make today. Tomorrow it's lime tarts, mini crumb cakes, chocolate mousse and baking the cookie doughs. Then Saturday I have over 200 strawberries to dip in chocolate.

On a totally different subject, I got another ultrasound done yesterday. I am 12 weeks, so the baby actually looks like a little tiny baby. Cute little Beany McBeanster. It totally jumped and wiggled during the ultrasound. Great, that's what I need, another active one. How about one, just one, calm mellow baby? One who doesn't start sprouting teeth at 3 months, walking at 10 months and the other one whos favorite activity is to spin in circles. Is that too much to ask for?

Reunited and it feels so good

I have rediscovered a love of my youth. TANG. My dear, long lost friend. I am sorry we have been apart for so many years.

I was at Costco perusing the drink section. I got me some Countrytime Lemonade mix (a staple in our house each time the weather warms), some Raspberry Iced Tea mix (new discovery.. so good!!) and there it was.. In all its orange glory. Calling out to me. TANG!!! Oh man. I broke it open yesterday and had some, for the first time in too many years. Oh man. It is even better than I remember it. It is now my new addiction. This baby is going to come out orange and addicted to Tang. And that is okay with me.

Do yourselves a favor. Rediscover something from your own youth. You won't be sorry.

The problems are starting

Naming a child is a big responsibility. One not to be taken lightly. One not to be squandered. After all, the name you bestow will be with the child FOREVER. It will make or break the kid. This is the pressure I felt before our first was born. Naming my child seemed a bigger responsibility than actually caring for him.

We named our child London. I'm not sure if we've scarred him or given him the ultra coolest name ever (in my heart I know it's the latter). But the problems set in pretty quick. The first time we took him to his now pediatrician he was 6 months old. The first thing we heard was "I see London, I see France" from the RECEPTIONIST (not even a snotty nosed little punk). Like I didn't expect THAT to happen to him throughout his entire life. But the doctor's office? He's not safe anywhere.

And now, the real confusion for my poor son sets in. A while back I was singing to the kids during dinner (it seems to help Adelaide eat better and London is to the age now that he actually will sing along, it's dang cute) and I started singing "London Bridge is falling down". London looked at me and said "Mama, my bridge fall down?". He was seriously concerned (not the fact that he owned a bridge and owning bridges can get very expensive, but that it was falling down). As I continued with the song he continued with "Mama, my bridge no fall down". On rare occasions when the city of London is mentioned on TV you can see he gets a little confused as to why the strangers on the bright shiny box are talking about him. (I guess it doesn't help that in those instances we tell him "London, they know your name! They know who you are!"). I know. We're not helping.

I know we have doomed our kid to hearing the famed "I see London, I see France" taunt for years to come. But we'll teach him before those snotty nosed little punks can finish that sentence to pull down their pants and finish it for them.