Would you be so kind?

Every now and again Top Baby Blogs resets their numbers to give other blogs a shot at moving up in the ranks and being seen by more readers, therefore extending the big community of mommy bloggers.  They have just reset, and I would truly, truly appreciate it if you'd take a moment to give our blog a vote! On the sidebar you can find the top baby blog button and click to vote. Just click again on the owl on the left when that screen pops up and voila! You can vote once per day and we are so thankful for every vote, but I will only ask once when they do this. More importantly, just thank you for spending time reading our words on this blog.  I love sharing with every one of you!

Stepping it up

To-do lists are always a mile long over here--I'm sure we're all in the same boat on that one, yes? But at the end of the day, when it's dark and the thermometer outside rarely reads anything as high as zero degrees, motivation tends to be lacking.  Checking things off of that list doesn't happen as frequently or as quickly as I crave.  I don't have anything ridiculous on my lists these days.  Pick up the house, meal plan, exercise, do a project I enjoy, try new recipes etc... There is absolutely no reason why these things can't be accomplished, and it's time to start checking things off around here!  I'm already looking towards the weekend right now, and there are a few small things I'm determined to make happen.  I've already started a new exercise program and I'm feeling great about that.  I need physical activity to feel good, and unfortunately it has been so cold here recently (-20) that I can't even get outside for a walk with Henry.  So I've committed to some indoor programs and already I'm loving the sore muscles letting me know I've made them work.  Needless to say, Henry and I, while enjoying this winter, are very much looking forward to spring so we can stroll outside and explore and stretch our winter legs.
But back to this weekend, I'm really hoping to accomplish a few things that will be good for our family, and maybe make the flow of our weeks go a bit smoother.  On the list:
I'm making a quiche for breakfast.  A ridiculous item to put on a to-do list you think? Perhaps.  But the past two weekends have been go go go and we have missed those mornings when we wake up and get to relax as a family with breakfast, coffee, and sunshine coming through the windows.  During the week Eric is gone before Henry and I are up, and H and I rush around the house trying to get out the door before the sun comes up.  So I plan to make a breakfast for us all to enjoy while we slow down for a morning.  My brother in law gave me this wonderful, decadent recipe (I'm not sure where he got it, but I think it might be Paula Dean so it's sure to be good... I didn't say it was healthy) and it will be a treat to have it again.
Then the slowing down will end and time to get to work, starting with the ridiculous amounts of laundry.  I feel like I'm being smothered by it, so that is something that must be tackled to maintain sanity.
We also are hoping to make some breakfasts for the weeks ahead, to help the mornings be less rushed and free up more minutes for reading stories with Henry before heading to work.
We'll be making pancakes with wheat germ and flax to freeze so we can just pop them in the toaster before eating, hard boiled eggs that are easy to grab on the go, and I'd like to make some individual oatmeal breakfasts as well (Like these)
I need to clean out my messy car and finally, get outside in the mountains for some fresh air and a hike.  It's supposed to warm up quite a bit so if that happens, we will be running for the door.  Anything exciting on your to-do lists this week??

Our friend Josh has been doing bike races and we like to go even though we have to sit in the car for most of it due to the temperatures.  But here we hopped out to watch him win. Brrr!

Bacon, Spinach and Swiss Quiche Recipe: (A few changes added in)

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled (We're subbing turkey bacon)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate
• (We made our own pie crust with olive oil rather than butter or any other heavy ingredient. It's healthier, and I love the flavor and texture.)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Layer the spinach, bacon, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. (Mine took a bit longer last time, and since I was new to quiche cooking I thought I had surely ruined it when I went to get it out of the oven after 40 minutes and it was crispy-edged liquid... an extra 15 minutes did the trick and it was so. dang. good.)

Cut into 8 wedges. ( I would have preferred to just split it in halfsies. But oh well. Portion control is key, I suppose, when dealing with bacon and cheese.) 

A quick hello

I had grand plans of posting a delicious pizza recipe with you all here a few days ago, but a stomach bug found it's way into our house and so all three of us have been under the weather.  We are doing much better now, thank goodness! I'm hoping we all get some good sleep tonight and are back to normal by morning.  Here's to hoping.
Every time we don't feel well, I find myself so amazed by the resilience of babies.  Henry smiles despite feeling sick, and tries so hard to keep his normal energy.  He still crawls and climbs about while I whine flattened on the floor.  Amazing. Here's a little video of him this evening doing his new thing! Standing! He's been working on this for a few days, and it's so fun to see how it progresses. Last week he started to stand alone for a few seconds but didn't realize he was doing it, but now you can tell he does it on purpose.  He gets the proudest look on his face, and he expects there to be clapping when he's done.  We are always happy to oblige with lots of clapping and "yay!"s.  I'm also pretty sure he's trying to say dog.  It sounds like da, but he's doing it at the right times so hooray for growth and exciting things in the little love!
Stay healthy, everyone! I have never been so excited to get up in the morning and get ready for work and just carry on with a normal day. I hope that we're all healthy enough to do so!

Giggles

Daddy, baby, and dreams of a truck.

Eric has been pining after a truck for some time now.  It is definitely not the right time in our lives to get one, but until that day comes he will continue day dreaming about them.  Every time we pass the right kind of truck it's "there's my truck!!" And then there are the scenarios that play out in his mind that he tells me about that I think look much like this commercial.  Trips to the farm together in the truck, trips to haul wood for camping trips together, trips to help family shovel their driveways, all with his little boy by his side on the seats of their truck. I think this commercial secretly turns him to a lovey ball of daddy mush and he directs my attention to it every time.  I make fun of him for wanting a truck so badly because it's something I don't understand but the commercial--It gets me too.  Goodness I love having a little guy.  I can't wait until he uses his imagination like this during play time, and Eric can't wait until he's the daddy getting out of the truck with a little Henry running to his arms. 

These Chevy advertising people know what they're doing. 

9 month update

Happy end-of-weekend, friends.  I wish I didn't have these expectations of myself to write often, because I feel so disappointed when days go by and I have no chance to write.  More than that, I am disappointed because I genuinely love to write here on this blog.  It's my outlet, it's my memory bank, and it's a place to reach out and chat with other people, all things that I adore about this space.  When I  miss multiple days, I miss that many ideas as well.  Even when I have something I want to write, by the time I get to it it often seems irrelevant and I'm finding it frustrating.  Anyway, I am enjoying the time now, so I suppose I should focus on that.

 I am late in Henry's 9 month update, but wow do the changes just keep coming at an alarming pace! He turned 9 months on New Years Eve, and the poor boy was stuck with an ear infection at the time.  After the infection passed though, our little ball of energy was back and growing so fast.  You hear it all the time as new parents, to enjoy every bit because they grow up so quickly, but it's hard to grasp how fast it truly happens until it's right there in front of you (or past!) He now has four teeth which is taking some getting used to.  I giggle every time he flashes a big smile and I see the half-in teeth on his top gums. I love it so much!  He has learned to clap, wave hi and bye, walk while pushing his walker or holding onto furniture, and he's starting to dabble in standing alone.  He is as vibrant and outgoing as ever.  He is eating pretty much everything, but I think chicken and avocado are his favorites.  And cheese, who doesn't love cheese?  The one thing we have trouble with are noodles, because he either has trouble eating them, or doesn't like them ( I don't know how that's possible) but I can't tell which.  I think he wants to eat them but they slip right out of his mouth.  He babbles a lot, says dadadada and mamamama but never really at us so we aren't counting them as a first word yet.  I'm pretty sure he knows who goes with each name but must not feel like humoring us.  He does, however, crack up every time we say "mama" or "dada".  Oh well, in his own time!  The boy is busy. And so loving and affectionate. As Eric and I watched Henry play during bath time tonight, snuggling under my chin when he got out of the water, he told me that it's just sort of painful, the extremely intense love we feel for our baby boy.  Painful sounds like the wrong word, but it really is such a big love it nearly hurts.  You know what I mean? He is the greatest joy to us.

Sock throwing

Long Time Traveller

Ok I just realized that maybe talking about the butt of a chicken and intestines of an elephant isn't the most lovely way to start off the week. So here's a song I've been enjoying a lot this week! I like really mellow music and this song is just that. I think these women have beautiful voices, which makes it easy to listen to this really simple melody!  Happy Monday, everyone!