Dear Button: Guess How Much Your Daddy Loves You

Dear Button,

I've written a lot in this blog about your daddy, about how he cares for me, about when we got engaged, about our wedding day, about how he's supported me through the last few years in particular. But I haven't told you all the ways in which he loves you already, and I think you should know.

In Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, Little Nutbrown Hare learns from his father, Big Nutbrown Hare, just how vast a father's love can be. Every time Little Nutbrown Hare tries to come up with a new way to express his love, Big Nutbrown Hare's love extends even further--just like your daddy's love for you does.

So, without further ado...

Baby Button, Your Daddy Loves You So Much That...

He's already practicing swaddling. 

(With Ozzy, who's a very patient victim.)

He's already learning to adjust the Baby Bjorn. 

(With Rosie, who seems far too enamored with the new method of carrying.)

He's regularly reading you bedtime stories.

(And you settle right down when you hear his soothing voice, little girl.)

He thinks about you whenever he leaves me an encouraging note for the day.

(He's very worried about your nutrition--hence the reference to my breastfeeding class.)

He's happily immersed in projects for your bathroom and bedroom.

(And he's really handy, little Button--he's even working on making you homemade wooden blocks!)

He spent his day off packing your tiny clothes (and our larger ones) in hospital-ready bags.

(And he even hand made name tags for each one!)

He tells you how much he loves you every single day,

how much he can't wait to meet you in just five little weeks,

how ready he is for you to turn his world upside down,

and, in doing so,

infuse it with more meaning and sense than he could have ever imagined.

Love,

Your Mama

Comfort Food at Its Finest: A Roast Chicken Dinner

What a perfect night for a roast chicken dinner! When I woke up this morning, the back deck looked like this:

To be fair, I had already planned the dinner menu a few days ago. Since I'm still off from school, I figured it might be one of the last days for a while that I could just relax and relish cooking for the better part of the afternoon and evening. Jeff and I haven't made a roast chicken in over two years, so the first task was finding a recipe; I finally settled on Pioneer Woman's (in part because the tone of her blog always makes me giggle). Next, I checked out our fridge to see what was left over that I could use up for a side dish, and I quickly spied the challah bread that we had used for our Christmas morning French toast. After a Google search and some recipe browsing, I settled on this Challah Slow Cooker Stuffing--after all, I'd actually be home to start the slow cooker at 3PM! I initially thought the final component would be roasted root vegetables, but then I decided that would be too starchy with the stuffing, so I settled on simple Steamed Green Beans with Lemon. And then, at some point in the afternoon as the stuffing started smelling delicious, I decided to add one more final component: homemade gravy. With all the recipes lined up in my browser, I set off to work!

(Since I pretty much followed these recipes as written, I'm not going to write them out here--if you're interested in trying them out, you can just follow the links above. However, I did note anywhere that I made modifications, additions, or subtractions.)

Stuffing components ready to go!

First up was the stuffing, since it would take 4 1/2 hours in the slow cooker. Assembling all the ingredients took a bit longer than expected, but I had the time. I made a few changes; I added half of a Granny Smith apple (because it was sitting in the fridge), eliminated the marjoram and celery (because I didn't have any), and used all dried herbs (what I had on hand). I started off thinking I would half the recipe (since I had about a half loaf of challah), but it still filled my entire Crock Pot. As the recipe says, I checked it every hour to stir and add chicken stock as necessary--do be careful of adding too much liquid (mine ended up a bit wet).

Since Jeff was home by the time the chicken needed to be prepped, I enlisted his help--and it was well worth it for the entertainment alone! A few modifications here: I decreased the (definitely-needs-to-be-softened) butter to 1/2 cup (unsalted), used 2 1/2 lemons in the "cavity," and roasted it in a baking dish (rather than on a baking pan). Since I had a 5-pound bird, I roasted it for 90 minutes at 425 degrees, then took it out and let it rest for 20 minutes with an aluminum foil cover over it.

Once the chicken had come out and was resting, I started the green beans while Jeff worked on the gravy. I actually decided to use haricots verts (which are a bit thinner and more delicate). Since I wanted them to be a bit al dente, I steamed them for just four minutes. When they were done, I squeezed the juice of a lemon over the cooked haricots verts, added a little salt, and topped them with toasted slivered almonds (that I'd toasted for about two minutes in our toaster oven).

Meanwhile, Jeff was busy using the chicken drippings to make homemade gravy. He added a cup of chicken stock to the roasting dish, scraped up the drippings, and then transferred that liquid to a saucepan. Seperately, I mixed together 1/4 cup of flour with just enough water to make it thick, which Jeff then whisked into the drippings/stock mixture over low heat until it thickened. By then, the chicken was ready for carving.

The final plates looked and smelled absolutely delicious--we couldn't wait to dig in!

Which is exactly what Jeff did!

And the best part? Plenty of leftovers for the weekend! The next project is for me to learn how to use my Crock Pot to make homemade chicken stock with the carcass...

A Hodge-Podge of Anticipatory Joy

This will be a brief(er) post--just a few fun pictures to share! With just 3 days before I return to school (for just 6 more weeks with my students!), we've been busy. Nesting seems to be the name of the game for both Jeff and me--he's busily at work on Button's bathroom (to be revealed in a post to come), and I spent last night and today washing tiny clothes and adorable towels and sheets. At this morning's 34 week appointment, my wonderful OB discovered that Button has finally gotten the memo and flipped herself to a head-down position, and, in just two weeks, I'll start weekly appointments. Eek!

So, in honor of our vigorous nesting and 34 weeks, here are a few pictures to celebrate our work!

A tiny hat with ears that is a serious contender for her to come home from the hospital wearing!

The approximate current location of her constantly kicking feet
(demonstrated, of course, by her adorable mini Uggs)

One of my dresses from childhood that my mum saved--
I can't wait to put Button in it this summer!

And lest you think that Jeff's only been busy in the bathroom, he also took time tonight to hang our hand-crafted mobile that was designed to match the wall murals. (I found Merle on Etsy and she was a delight to work with from start to finish--you can check out her shop here!)

It's a pretty joyful time around here!

Christmas Day 2013

A disclaimer: I'm a bit belated in getting this post up, but with good reason: first thing on December 26, we headed north for 5 days in Connecticut with friends and family. It was a wonderful but exhausting whirlwind; we're ready to get our feet back on the ground and our heads back in preparations for our little girl's arrival in just over 6 weeks (if she's kind enough to wait that long!).

Our first "home" Christmas was indulgent, lazy, joyful, and perfect--we couldn't have asked for more! Remember that grocery list from my Christmas Eve post? Well, that means the morning started with Jeff flipping eggnog-soaked challah French toast while I prepared bowls of fresh fruit and berries and sipped some delicious chocolate-hazelnut coffee.

After we'd stuffed ourselves while watching Elf, it was time to open some stockings. First up, of course, were the 4-legged children, who never seem to tire of finding Party Mix (affectionately known as "kitty crack" in our family) in their stockings. 

However, Jeff found an extra-special treat for this year, though they had to take turns wearing their festive Christmas finest.

Guillie seemed most persecuted by the whole ordeal, while Rosie happily curled up in front of the fire and completely forgot she was wearing it (though her jingling amused us all day!).

With the 4-legged children satiated with treats and new toys, we turned our attention to Button--who has a very special stocking indeed.

Here are two things you might not know: 1) in spite of the embellishments, this stocking was hand-sewn for me 5 years ago, not for Button, and 2) it was hand-crafted by Jeff.

That's right: Jeff made this stocking. He found the fabric in a bag in my closet, not knowing that it was the fabric from a chair and sofa in my childhood living room--the one where all my Christmas memories were born. He used another stocking to create a template, then hand-sewed the fabric together (having never sewed before), adding the buttons at the end. I love this stocking so much, but we decided this year that it clearly has been Button's all along, so we put a few of her presents in it this year.

Truly, I think opening the presents for the kittens and Button was the best part of the morning, but we enjoyed the ones we'd created for each other, too!

After stockings were opened, we spent a bit of time finishing up a Christmas puzzle my mum had given us before bundling up for a chilly but wonderful midday walk in a nearby park.

Once we returned from the frosty outdoors, our tummies were grumbling, which clearly meant it was time to eat again! As Jeff got the fire going, I put out a spread of cheese, pate, toasted baguettes, stuffed mushrooms, and other goodies.

To finish off the delightful day, we headed to our beloved neighbors for a nightcap and a chat--not surprisingly, I only made it until 10pm before Button and I were ready to snuggle in for a long winter's nap!

Christmas Eve Traditions

Merry Christmas Eve 2013!

This year was the first time Jeff and I have intentionally been just us two--or three! We spent two wonderful Christmases with my parents in Florida, a few in New Jersey with friends, and one in Connecticut with Jeff's family, but this year we decided was the time to establish our own traditions. Our hope is that, next year, when Button wakes up on Christmas Eve morning, we have pieces of both of our families--as well as traditions of our own--to share with her (though we know she won't remember them quite yet!).

The day really started with some pre-planning on December 23, when I spent 2 hours in Wegman's, getting all the necessary supplies for a yummy holiday. Here's the menu planning I did on our white board, so I wouldn't forget any of the deliciousness!

Christmas Eve morning started off with a delicious "spuds" breakfast (my brother's invention that's a combination of potatoes, peppers, onions, and scrambled eggs). While Jeff cooked, I spruced up the tree a bit.

I also had to turn my attention to my favorite Christmas "decoration": the skating scene hand-crafted by Uncle Pat (my dad's younger brother). Each piece is hand-painted, and it's always prominently displayed throughout December and January in our house.

After breakfast and a shower, it was time to head out for a tradition started by my brother and sister-in-law: stocking shopping. We take $80 out of our account ($40 each) and go to a fun neighborhood to find stocking stuffers for each other. This year, we chose Old Town Alexandria, and we added a new stocking to the list: each of us took $20 for Button. Once all the shopping was complete, we met at a cozy pub to warm up and get some sustenance.

By the time we got home, we only had long enough to take a few quick pictures in front of the tree before it was time to head out back out again.

This year, for the first time in the three and a half years we've called Reston Community Church our home, we were able to be with our church family on Christmas Eve, and it was perfect! And to be there with our little girl kicking in my belly (she really liked the rousing choruses in the Christmas carols!) was nothing short of miraculous. There was even the cutest Christmas pageant, and Jeff and I couldn't help but get a little teary at the thought of Button being a tiny angel in a few years.

After church, it was time to head home for our special Christmas Eve tradition--the one we established the very first Christmas Eve we spent together. That year, we were supposed to head to California to be with my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas, but a storm delayed us. As we waited in long lines at the airport, we watched several disappointed men and women in uniform on the seats around us, also waiting for a way to reach their families. Without hesitating, we told the woman at the desk to just put us on a post-Christmas flight--clearly others needed the seats more than we did. Though we were sure our decision was the right one, we headed back to our little apartment, disappointed. Back on the sofa, after dark, Jeff sniffling miserably with a horrible cold that was swiftly moving into his chest, we looked at each other sadly--this just didn't feel like any Christmas Eve we'd imagined. With no food in the house, I ran out to Whole Foods with just $40, hoping something would still be left. Forty-five minutes later, I returned with gruyere cheese, an apple, a baguette, and a very small, red, ceramic fondue pot. Through my tears, I told Jeff it was time for us to have our own traditions, and I voted for fondue on Christmas Eve. That year, I explained, all we could afford was cheese and bread, but, as our bank accounts and family grew, we could keep adding items and courses. Jeff mustered all his energy to get off that sofa and give me a giant hug, and a tradition was born.

Though we still haven't added courses, the recipe has gotten more complex, and we've added some new items. This year, we followed Tyler Florence's recipe (delicious!) and blanched some cauliflower and broccoli.

After stuffing ourselves with cheesy goodness, we set up "blind" wrapping stations--we couldn't see what was going in our respective stockings, after all! Once everything was wrapped, we set up the mantle for Christmas morning.

Daddy gets the biggest stocking, Button had a bag for this year (more on that in a Christmas Day post),
and Mommy clearly needs a real stocking (rather than the furry Russian bag)!

And then it was on to the final tradition of the night, one that's been established in my family for years. My dad has always read us 'Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, so Jeff had big shoes to fill this year, but Baby Button listened attentively and went to sleep soon after, thus giving her mommy a lovely and rare Christmas present of a good night's sleep!

Time is flying!

Clearly, Christmas is in the air around here! For so long, I'd thought of my Winter Break as The Time. You know, The Time when I'd pack the hospital bag, when we'd finish up the nursery, when we'd make all the purchases we'd need for Button's first few weeks, when we'd enjoy those quiet final date nights as "just us two."

(All the moms reading this are laughing, right? It's okay, you have a right to.)

So, here it is, Winter Break, and about all I want to do is sleep and consume vast quantities of the homemade Christmas cookies so many of my sweet students gave me on the last day of school. And, while I'm sure that my ever-present to do list will drive me to accomplish all that needs to be done, there is a part of me that just wants to enjoy a couple of weeks of calm, weeks when I get to feel little Button wiggling away daily, weeks when no one judges how much Peppermint Bark I just ate in a single sitting, weeks when Jeff and I can watch a Christmas movie, giggling at how my stomach ripples in waves under his hand.

A year ago now, I didn't honestly believe I'd ever be pregnant; we'd just lost our sweet Beanster days before, and I had no hope of a future family. This year is very, very different, so I am reminded to enjoy being pregnant, because I don't know if I'll ever have this opportunity again.

And, with that, I'm off in search of more homemade cookies...