Yesterday, Allie and Harper had their very first real food, if you can call very milky oatmeal real food. Here is the video, although it is 7 minutes long, so don't feel bad if you get bored. Only their mother can watch this multiple times and be entertained.
In the end, Harper had more food on her bib than in her stomach, but I would say that Allie ate a half a belly full. They are growing up so fast!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Celebrating Lovey's 50th!
This past weekend, my mom turned the big 5-0! She wanted nothing more than her family to gather together in Cashiers to celebrate. The weekend gave me a chance to reflect on what an amazing mother I have. Becoming a mom myself has brought back memories of the fun and creative things momma did with Tyler, Bobby, and me. Every time the Book Mobile came to Lookout Mountain, we were there, waiting to check out the maximum number of books. Because she is an artist, we would often go with her to a pottery store to get her creations fired and she would let us pick out a piece of pottery to paint. One weekend we thought we were driving to Atlanta and Mom and Dad put on Mickey Mouse hats in the car and surprised us with a trip to Disney World. We acted like we had won the lottery! I have vivid memories of many trips to the nature center to look at animals and read books and have a picnic in the bamboo forest. The holidays are filled with fun traditions she initiated. Christmas brought nightly readings around a lighted advent wreath, matching PJs, and hide the pickle. Easter was not Easter without dying eggs and having a hunt. The food was taken very seriously at Thanksgiving. Mom was always on the lookout for an educational game. We had no lack of GeoSafari's, Carmen San Diego games, and flash cards. We also own any board game that has "family fun" printed on the box.
Some of my best family memories are in our silver bullet Airstream trailer. She hounded dad to purchase a travel trailer (if you know Natalie Huffaker, this is hilarious) so we could take trips up the east coast to Maine and all the way out to Wyoming one summer. Sometimes we would even set up the trailer at a campground just outside of Chattanooga so mom could create quality family time. She always hung the fish and shotgun shell Christmas lights on the awning, built a fire (or rather, had dad build one), and created campground ambiance, even if it was just for a one night stay passing through town on the way to our final destination.
Ambiance is momma's specialty. Only in adulthood have I come to appreciate mom's good taste and hard work to make a home feel like home, a meal a time to linger and talk, and even morning coffee a nostalgic time by the fire. We were thrilled to gather in mountain home she designed and decorated almost single handedly to celebrate our fabulous mom! Here are some pics from the celebration:
Some of my best family memories are in our silver bullet Airstream trailer. She hounded dad to purchase a travel trailer (if you know Natalie Huffaker, this is hilarious) so we could take trips up the east coast to Maine and all the way out to Wyoming one summer. Sometimes we would even set up the trailer at a campground just outside of Chattanooga so mom could create quality family time. She always hung the fish and shotgun shell Christmas lights on the awning, built a fire (or rather, had dad build one), and created campground ambiance, even if it was just for a one night stay passing through town on the way to our final destination.
Ambiance is momma's specialty. Only in adulthood have I come to appreciate mom's good taste and hard work to make a home feel like home, a meal a time to linger and talk, and even morning coffee a nostalgic time by the fire. We were thrilled to gather in mountain home she designed and decorated almost single handedly to celebrate our fabulous mom! Here are some pics from the celebration:
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| Carrot Cake! |
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| Crowning of the Birthday Queen. |
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| Toasts to Mom! |
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| Sisters cookin' dinner! |
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| Harper loves Lovey. |
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| Allie and "D" cheering on the Heels during March Madness. |
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| Saturday afternoon golf for the men, the women went shopping in Highlands. |
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Brussels Sprouts and Foster's Market Chicken
Michael and I really enjoy having friends to dinner and regret that growing blueberries has limited our time to do this. Sunday afternoon Michael entertained the blueberries while I prepped to cook a proper meal and have friends over to enjoy it. (I should have secretly recorded his dances for them and the glee he evoked. Those girls love their daddy.) Friends wanted the recipes, so I'll post two of them here.
Recently, Michael and I had awesome brussels sprouts at Holeman and Finch and Miller + Union. They were very simply prepared with only salt, pepper, and shallots (and bacon at H&F), but they were my favorite dish at both places. My in-laws gave us Wild Abundance for Valentines day and this recipe challenged me to possibly recreate such deliciousness myself. Apparently, brussels sprouts are vilified because they are so often overcooked and take on a bitter taste, so don't overdo it! I'll type it out in Alice Waters' recipe format and add my notes:
"Salad" of Brussels Sprouts, Bacon & Sherry
Bring one gallon of water seasoned generously with salt to a boil. Blanch until tender but not mushy, (about 2 minutes)
40 Brussels Sprouts, cut in half lengthwise
Remove immediately and place in a large bowl of ice water to shock. Pat dry sprouts and set aside.
Whisk together in a small bowl and set aside
2 Tbls sherry vinegar (I subbed 1 tbls. sherry and 2 tbls white wine vinegar)
1/3 cup olive oil
Render in a large saute pan over medium heat
8 thick cut bacon slices, cut into short strips
When bacon begins to brown and crisp, add sprouts. Once sprouts start to take on some color, add
2 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
When shallots become translucent, coat the salad (still in pan) with sherry vinaigrette to taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!
Fosters Market in Chapel Hill was my favorite place to meet friends to study and eat. This recipe from The Foster's Market Cookbook is easy and when finished, I liked the rustic look of putting the skillet right on a trivet to serve it family style at the table.
Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Artichokes, Lemons, and Capers
Pound and flatten until 1/3 inch thick
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Season with
Salt and Pepper
2 tbls fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
And dust lightly with
1/3 cup flour
Heat in a large skiller over medium-high heat
3 tbls butter
1 tbls olive oil
Add the chicken, top with
0ne 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
1/4 cup drained capers
1 lemon, sliced into paper-thin rounds (yes, include the peel)
Cook the breasts 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once, until light brown and crispy.
Add
6 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
Reduce heat to a simmer, as you scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Simmer about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened.
Season with additional salt and pepper if desired and and serve immediately.
Recently, Michael and I had awesome brussels sprouts at Holeman and Finch and Miller + Union. They were very simply prepared with only salt, pepper, and shallots (and bacon at H&F), but they were my favorite dish at both places. My in-laws gave us Wild Abundance for Valentines day and this recipe challenged me to possibly recreate such deliciousness myself. Apparently, brussels sprouts are vilified because they are so often overcooked and take on a bitter taste, so don't overdo it! I'll type it out in Alice Waters' recipe format and add my notes:
"Salad" of Brussels Sprouts, Bacon & Sherry
Bring one gallon of water seasoned generously with salt to a boil. Blanch until tender but not mushy, (about 2 minutes)
40 Brussels Sprouts, cut in half lengthwise
Remove immediately and place in a large bowl of ice water to shock. Pat dry sprouts and set aside.
Whisk together in a small bowl and set aside
2 Tbls sherry vinegar (I subbed 1 tbls. sherry and 2 tbls white wine vinegar)
1/3 cup olive oil
Render in a large saute pan over medium heat
8 thick cut bacon slices, cut into short strips
When bacon begins to brown and crisp, add sprouts. Once sprouts start to take on some color, add
2 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
When shallots become translucent, coat the salad (still in pan) with sherry vinaigrette to taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!
Fosters Market in Chapel Hill was my favorite place to meet friends to study and eat. This recipe from The Foster's Market Cookbook is easy and when finished, I liked the rustic look of putting the skillet right on a trivet to serve it family style at the table.
Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Artichokes, Lemons, and Capers
Pound and flatten until 1/3 inch thick
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Season with
Salt and Pepper
2 tbls fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
And dust lightly with
1/3 cup flour
Heat in a large skiller over medium-high heat
3 tbls butter
1 tbls olive oil
Add the chicken, top with
0ne 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
1/4 cup drained capers
1 lemon, sliced into paper-thin rounds (yes, include the peel)
Cook the breasts 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once, until light brown and crispy.
Add
6 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
Reduce heat to a simmer, as you scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Simmer about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened.
Season with additional salt and pepper if desired and and serve immediately.
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| Hopefully these little blueberries will love brussels sprouts and be confused when cartoon characters gag on them. |
Monday, March 7, 2011
Milestone: Rolling Over
Two weeks ago, Allie rolled over for the first time. Yesterday, Michael incidentally captured Harper's first roll while he was filming Allie. If you have 3 minutes (sorry, I just couldn't trim out any of her blowing bubbles and dancing), you can see Harper wants to be on camera and rolls into the picture towards the end:
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
4 Month Update
It happened! Allie outweighs Harper! I couldn't believe it because she does still look bigger than Allie, but Allie's got her by 3 ounces. The big sister is finally bigger!
Harper Brooks
Harper becomes more expressive and excited each day. When she laughs, she opens her mouth wide and shows her toothless gums and lets out a short screech. She gets especially tickled when we play patty cake and she "rolls it." She loves to smile at people and scrunches her chin down in almost a shy manner when she smiles. Most of the time she lays around peacefully, taking the world in. And this girl can sleep! I put her down at 7pm, sometimes with no protest and sometimes she will cry for 3 or 4 minutes and then she is out for the night until around 7:30am! She is usually the first one up from naps, so she does get extra time in the Ergo baby carrier (thanks Mark and Carolyn!) while we get stuff done and wait for Allie to wake up.
Yesterday, at her 4 month check-up, she weighed 12 pounds 9 ounces (26th %ile), had a head circumference of 40 cm (37th %ile), and was 24.2 inches long(50th %ile). Dr. Chugani congratulated her on the use of her arms to pick up that neck and chin when she is on her tummy and said she was growing beautifully. It is hilarious when I put her down on her stomach and she arches that back and lifts her head to look around at the world.
Alloway Dayton
Allie is the energizer bunny, kicking those legs, ninja chopping, and lighting up the room with her smiles. She smiles so big that she has to scrunch up her eyes and often gurgles with those big smiles. Her favorite songs are the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory." She is on the move and I have to put her at the far end of the crib because she makes her way all the way to the top all by kicking those legs. For an hour each day, she dons a colorful eye patch to strengthen up her right eye muscles. It doesn't seem to bother her at all and it absolutely enthralls Harper. She takes wonderfully long naps during the day and is still figuring out nighttime sleep. Most nights it takes her a little longer than Harper to get settled into her crib, but she is usually out by 7:20 and wakes up one or two times to eat before 7am. Last night she did sleep the entire night, but I'm not letting myself get too excited because it was probably from the two shots.
Yesterday, she weighed 12 pounds 12 ounces (30th %ile), had a head circumference of 41 cm (52nd %ile), and was 24 inches long (40th%ile). Dr. Chugani was impressed with her movement using those legs and hopes she will start using her arms to help her scoot along.
I am such a blessed mother to have such easy and delightful daughters. Both girls take luxuriously long morning naps, which afford me time to cook, make grocery lists, and create some order around the house. They go 4 hours between the first and second feedings, and then three hours between feedings for the rest of the day. Every day we get closer to a four-hour schedule. When they get fussy, an easy solution is to pop them into the stroller and hit the park. They usually fall right asleep as soon as we are down the elevator, and when they are awake in the stroller they hardly ever make a peep. We are still figuring out afternoon naps (with help from this book), but we follow the general pattern of "Eat, Wake, Sleep" (from Baby Wise) It is easier on me to get out with them on a walk or grocery shopping for one of the nap cycles, and I'm so thankful that I can walk to Trader Joe's and Publix because loading and unloading two babies from the car can be an ordeal. There are trying moments of crying most days and bedtime sometimes raises my blood pressure, but overall, life is great with these ladies. We thank the Lord for Allie and Harper daily.
Harper Brooks
Harper becomes more expressive and excited each day. When she laughs, she opens her mouth wide and shows her toothless gums and lets out a short screech. She gets especially tickled when we play patty cake and she "rolls it." She loves to smile at people and scrunches her chin down in almost a shy manner when she smiles. Most of the time she lays around peacefully, taking the world in. And this girl can sleep! I put her down at 7pm, sometimes with no protest and sometimes she will cry for 3 or 4 minutes and then she is out for the night until around 7:30am! She is usually the first one up from naps, so she does get extra time in the Ergo baby carrier (thanks Mark and Carolyn!) while we get stuff done and wait for Allie to wake up.
Yesterday, at her 4 month check-up, she weighed 12 pounds 9 ounces (26th %ile), had a head circumference of 40 cm (37th %ile), and was 24.2 inches long(50th %ile). Dr. Chugani congratulated her on the use of her arms to pick up that neck and chin when she is on her tummy and said she was growing beautifully. It is hilarious when I put her down on her stomach and she arches that back and lifts her head to look around at the world.
Alloway Dayton
Allie is the energizer bunny, kicking those legs, ninja chopping, and lighting up the room with her smiles. She smiles so big that she has to scrunch up her eyes and often gurgles with those big smiles. Her favorite songs are the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory." She is on the move and I have to put her at the far end of the crib because she makes her way all the way to the top all by kicking those legs. For an hour each day, she dons a colorful eye patch to strengthen up her right eye muscles. It doesn't seem to bother her at all and it absolutely enthralls Harper. She takes wonderfully long naps during the day and is still figuring out nighttime sleep. Most nights it takes her a little longer than Harper to get settled into her crib, but she is usually out by 7:20 and wakes up one or two times to eat before 7am. Last night she did sleep the entire night, but I'm not letting myself get too excited because it was probably from the two shots.
Yesterday, she weighed 12 pounds 12 ounces (30th %ile), had a head circumference of 41 cm (52nd %ile), and was 24 inches long (40th%ile). Dr. Chugani was impressed with her movement using those legs and hopes she will start using her arms to help her scoot along.
I am such a blessed mother to have such easy and delightful daughters. Both girls take luxuriously long morning naps, which afford me time to cook, make grocery lists, and create some order around the house. They go 4 hours between the first and second feedings, and then three hours between feedings for the rest of the day. Every day we get closer to a four-hour schedule. When they get fussy, an easy solution is to pop them into the stroller and hit the park. They usually fall right asleep as soon as we are down the elevator, and when they are awake in the stroller they hardly ever make a peep. We are still figuring out afternoon naps (with help from this book), but we follow the general pattern of "Eat, Wake, Sleep" (from Baby Wise) It is easier on me to get out with them on a walk or grocery shopping for one of the nap cycles, and I'm so thankful that I can walk to Trader Joe's and Publix because loading and unloading two babies from the car can be an ordeal. There are trying moments of crying most days and bedtime sometimes raises my blood pressure, but overall, life is great with these ladies. We thank the Lord for Allie and Harper daily.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Restaurants on my Birthday
On Tuesday, I celebrated my first birthday as a mama. Michael stole the monitor from beside my head when he woke up and I was awoken by freshly diapered babies and warm "Meat-Mo." "Meat-Mo" is what I screamed over and over as a toddler each morning until my mom shoved a spoonful of oatmeal into my mouth. Michael and I have recently discovered steel-cut oats and love them, so this was a great treat. Michael also split from work to meet me for lunch at Pasta Da Pulcinella. It was fun to discover this little yellow house that serves delicious Italian not far from our house. I highly recommend the buckwheat pasta with sauteed rapini and I'm no champagne connoisseur, but really liked the Cavit Lunetta Prosecco. I'll look for a bottle next time I need some cheap bubbly.
After Italian for lunch, we hired a babysitter and had French for dinner at Atmosphere. It was very French and delicious if you like French food (lots of butter and sauce). I was disappointed that there was no birthday perk, like a free dessert. Come on! We reminisced about our travels to France and elsewhere pre-blueberries and threw around ideas for our five year anniversary trip in June. Our trips from here on will be a bit abbreviated because of our blueberries and no long transitions between jobs. Here is a blueberry with a French onesie from her Aunt Lauren who is teaching in Aix en Provence:
After Italian for lunch, we hired a babysitter and had French for dinner at Atmosphere. It was very French and delicious if you like French food (lots of butter and sauce). I was disappointed that there was no birthday perk, like a free dessert. Come on! We reminisced about our travels to France and elsewhere pre-blueberries and threw around ideas for our five year anniversary trip in June. Our trips from here on will be a bit abbreviated because of our blueberries and no long transitions between jobs. Here is a blueberry with a French onesie from her Aunt Lauren who is teaching in Aix en Provence:
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