Cincinnati Girls

As I mentioned a few days ago, last weekend Sof and I took a little roadtrip to Cincinnati to visit Auntie Heidi. I'm always a little bit wary of driving so far with a squirmy little person, but we weathered the trip relatively well and it was definitely worth it to spend some time catching up with Heidi and to feel like we had a little mini-vacation out of town! Saturday afternoon we took a trip to this really neat arboretum where we got to take our coats off and roam amongst the fauna pretending we were out of doors...fantastic! I'm not exactly sure what happened to these pictures, but I'm going to publish them anyway and hope that they'll magically turn into clear, regular-sized pictures?!


We spent the rest of the weekend chatting like only two old friends can, jointly admiring Sofie's cuteness (even when she was breaking things...sorry Heidi!), inhaling plenty of sugary yum (girl scout cookies!!), and just having a fun time in general!

Here's a picture of Sofie completely fascinated by Heidi's "Mow!" Isabelle. After an initial period of uncertainty as to exactly how you interact with such a creature, Sofie pretty much followed the cat around all weekend pointing and declaring, "Mow!"

This picture just cracks me up. Sofie's icing covered mug is contorted into some sort of pirate-y expression. I'm pretty sure she was buzzing off of all the cookies and chocolate covered donuts by this point! We had a great weekend and are hoping to return again sometime soon before little critter #2 arrives!

The Soup Scoop

So, it's been awhile since I've posted any recipes. Today when I sat down and thought, "Hm. What have we eaten lately that was tasty?" I immediately thought of this taco soup recipe that we've recently replaced the chili I used to like making with. It is yummy, and it is especially yummy if you've got some spare cheddar cheese, sour cream, hot sauce (if you're anything like me you always ask for condiments, like hot sauce at Taco Bell, and then save them all like a cheapo!) and saltine crackers laying around. This soup freezes really well and like many other soups it is even more delicious on day two.

Then, as I was trying to figure out what to cook for dinner tonight on a somewhat limited pantry (we are nearing the end of the month here people!) I came across this recipe for split pea soup. We are big fans of split pea around here and I usually make it with ham, but again it is the end of the month and while there is no ham in the fridge, remarkably we did have all the other ingredients needed for this one. So it is simmering away on the stove as I type. I'm a little bit wary of the recipe, it seems like it might be a little on the bland side, I guess we'll find out tonight! I'm making some delicious French rolls (water, salt, flour and yeast...how easy is that!) to go along with the soup with the breadmaker I got for Christmas. I LOVE that thing.

In other news...Sofie and I had a really great weekend trip to Cincinnati to visit Auntie Heidi, but because I am a stupid head I forgot to bring my camera. So I think I will wait on that post until I'm able to borrow the pictures from Heidi!

Cookie Monster

Take a look at these pictures...perhaps they look somewhat familiar?! Yesterday it was time to put all Sofie's Play-doh practice to work and bake Daddy some Valentine's Day cookies! She worked quite diligently and with a little bit (or maybe a lot!) of help she turned out a pretty good batch...but not without a hiccup or two along the way!

No cookie baking experience is complete without a little taste test...

...and here's the finished product. Notice there are several Valentine's Day cards laying on the table, for Sofie of course! We have a well loved child :)

Right now our well loved child is spending the night with her Nana while her Daddy and I enjoy some much appreciated alone time. We've had some delicious meals, good conversation, and now we are headed out to see a movie. A movie! I can't remember the last time I got to enjoy one of those...

Motion

Just a little note to document that today, without a shadow of doubt, I was aware of a little being squirming around in my (ever enlargening) belly...what fun!

Morphing Nickname

Sofie is no longer referring to herself as Ishie. Oh no, now she is most decidedly Fifi. So classy!

Play Doh-ing

The weather here has been ridiculous lately and we have spent way too much time indoors. I have been a less than stellar mom and I hate to confess that there has been an awful lot of TV and Internet time and not much interesting going on around here. Yesterday morning we woke up to a fresh foot of snow, cancelled plans, and faced another day indoors. We decided to pull out the Play-Doh Santa brought Sofie in her stocking this year and the baking set Sofie's boyfriend gave her and practice making cookies. I thought this would be a good idea since we have plans to make some Valentine's Day cookies next week. Sofie was game...

Check out the tongue! It always finds its way out of her mouth when she's concentrating. I think this is something she inherited from me because I can remember being told to put my tongue in my mouth during ballet classes when I was little!

What do you think? Don't these look delicious?!

Sofie decided to do a taste test...

...success!

Sponge's Spot 15 Weeks

I have been so neglectful of the documentation of this pregnancy and it has been one of the things I was most concerned about when thinking about getting pregnant again...the dreaded second child syndrome!! Perhaps you've noticed that I stopped writing Sofie's monthly updates when she turned one-year old and it was with this exact thought in mind. I didn't want to set a precedent that I couldn't continue for baby number two (and who knows, maybe three or four...) I didn't realize that I would have such a hard time even mirroring what I wrote for Sofie!

This pregnancy has been so different for me. It is not constantly present in the forefront of my mind. I am not obsessively reading about which little part might be developing at this very moment. I did all that the first time around and I know what to expect. This time my thoughts are more consumed with practical things like finding the most convenient double stroller, teaching Sofie to change her own diaper ;) and trying to figure out exactly how parents with two young children handle things like grocery shopping. And if you are the parent of two young children you're probably very aware of my mind frame right now, because chances are I've stopped you on the street to pick your brain a little bit!

I've gained about nine pounds so far, which is not so far from the twelve I had gained with Sofie by 16 weeks (especially since there were about three still hanging around as a souvenir from her debut). Physically I'm in that awful in-between stage where my fat pants are getting tight but maternity clothes are sort of ridiculous and require me to pull my pants up repeatedly throughout the day. I've been wearing the same pair of jeans and rotating three or four comfy long sleeved t-shirts for awhile now, although who am I kidding, that's not that different from the norm!

My stomach has been nice and settled for a couple of weeks and I'm starting to regain some energy. It's too bad because we've spent a lot of time cooped up and snowed in recently. I haven't been sleeping too well at night which is a new experience for me. I fall asleep alright, but then typically I'll wake up in the wee hours (between 2 and 4) and toss and turn until morning. I can't wait for Valentine's Day to come and go because I have been craving Starburst jelly beans since Christmas time. I foresee the consumption of several bags over the next few weeks!

There have been a few occasions when I thought I might be feeling some movement, but I've been pretty cautious about declaring them since I had that odd non-pregnant feeling of movement this summer. I guess I'm chalking up most of the feelings to tummy gurgles and muscle spasms until they are undeniable!

Overall, I am feeling very low-key about this pregnancy. For every time I think, "Oh my goodness how am I ever going to get out of the house with two babies!" I have several daydreams of how neat it will be to see my children playing together and all of the fun adventures we have in store for us. I also have the knowledge and experience this time around to know that no matter how much I do or do not worry about things the chips all seem to fall right into place when the time comes. And that is priceless!

Hodge Podge

1. This is what we had for dinner tonight: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Salisbury-Steak/Detail.aspx with cheddar mashed potatoes left over from making these: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pierogi-Polish-Dumplings/Detail.aspx and green beans. It was a tasty dinner. I have come across quite a few tasty recipes lately...I think I'll start posting one or two each week. I'd love to hear some good recipe suggestions from the lot of you as well. We get tired of eating the same old things every week.

2. This is the kid outside on Wednesday. We were doing our best to enjoy this ridiculous snow. Nana told us that if you blow bubbles outside when it's cold enough they will freeze and therefore last extra long before they shatter. Not so much. Maybe it wasn't cold enough?!

The only other thing I have to say about this crazy weather is thank goodness for kind neighbors with shovels and snowplow drivers with exquisite timing for getting our van from the two feet of snow it was firmly planted in. I wasn't getting anywhere fast with my makeshift mop bucket!

3. Here is the kid enjoying her favorite song from The Music Class.



We joined a few weeks back and it is one of the best classes that we have come across and participated in. Sofie really enjoys all the singing, dancing, and instrument playing. She is especially fond of the scarves that we use during our free dance each week. I wrote a memo to the Easter bunny asking if he might fill her Easter basket with scarves instead of Easter grass. We'll see if he comes through! Anyway, Sofie makes this song request about fifty times a day and over and over and over again in the van where we listen to the CD from class. Warning: Don't watch the video too many times or you will find yourself with this tune stuck in your head at the most inopportune times!

4. I swear there's a Sponge post and a belly shot on its way. And I also swear that Sponge's ultrasound pictures are not sitting precariously on top of the refrigerator completely unprotected. Only a terrible mom could have failed to put them in a safe and special place for so long!

5. ...and I just came across the name Evany. What do you all think of Evany Grace?

Feeding the Chickadees

We took a family outing this weekend to a local nature center to "feed the chickadees." Apparently I am delayed in the nature arena because, as we planned and prepared for the trip, I was picturing a big pen of baby chicks in the nature center low to the ground so the kids could stand and throw seed at them. Lo and behold, there are actual birds called chickadees that live in actual trees outside in the woods. At this particular nature center they have been hand fed by visitors for many years and are quite happy to come and take a bit of birdseed straight from your hand...how cool is that! Unfortunately, the experience required a short hike through the snow to the nature center, standing out under a tree in the cold, and remaining very still and quiet. Sofie didn't last too long, but all in all it was a pretty interesting way to spend a morning.

Here's Sofie checking out a display of birds inside the nature center. Personally I thought the stuffed birds were sort of creepy, but Sofie seemed to like them!

Here we are all bundled up and waiting, sort of patiently, for a birdy to come sample our seed. Sofie was happy to sample the seed herself...just to make sure it was suitable for the birdies of course!

And there's a chickadee! I actually had them land in my hand several times, but we weren't fortunate enough to get a picture of that.

Here's Sofie in the car on the way home showing us how she really felt about that cold and miserable experience...

...and five minutes later, out like a light!

New Table

We were fortunate to recently get rid of our old clunky television and entertainment center and purchase a new flat screen television and TV stand which (with a bit of rearranging) cleared up some space in our home for a full sized table and chairs. The table from my childhood has been waiting patiently in an attic for years and years and years and now FINALLY it has a new, hopefully a little less dusty, home! With the advent of the new (old!) table Sofie has graduated from a high chair into a booster seat as evidenced here...

She's not quite sure about the new seating arrangement, though she does like to climb up on the chair next to hers and look for scraps of leftover snacks. For awhile she was even sneakily climbing up on top of the table and using it as a stage (we've nixed that habit thank goodness!) In this next series of pictures she was having a good old time scavenging and playing, "Boo!"

What a booger!