Logan's Schedule

I am completely Type A. I live by my watch and my calendar. My life is ruled by To Do lists and a schedule. I thrive on routine. My stepdaughters are very routine now as well. They know their after-school routine (snack, chores, homework; no cell phone/computer/TV/video games until done) and nighttime routine (each one has their own). They set their own alarm clocks and are responsible for packing their own lunches the night before. They write a chore list and know what to do.
Now, on to Logan.Little Man is making me crazy. I know that at three weeks old, having a schedule is not something I can count on. So far, this has been our schedule with him (roughly):

5 AM: C feeds him before work, diaper change, Logan goes back to bed.
8 AM: I usually get up and shower; start coffee and maybe eat breakfast before Logan gets up.
9 AM: Diaper/clothing change, bottle (3 oz up until today), up for about an hour, back to bed.
10 AM-Noon/1 PM: Nap
1 PM: Feeding
Alert time between feedings
5 PM: Feeding
Sometimes Logan naps, sometimes he is alert between feedings.
8 PM: Bath, book, roc
9 PM: Bottle
9 PM-1 AM: Crapshoot. Sometimes he will sleep, sometimes he won't. Most of the time this is Logan's MOST FREAKING ALERT TIME. It is making me crazy.
Sleep from about 2-5 AM.

I am working on adjusting the schedule in order to work with me going back to work in three weeks, and attempt to get us more sleep. Tomorrow, I will post what is hopefully a new schedule for the little man.

ADVICE REQUEST: Moms, how did you get your little one on a schedule? We are formula feeding, if that makes a difference. Just looking for advice, especially since Logan hates sleeping in his crib.

Menu Planning Monday

Well, Christmas is over. I am pretty sad that it has come and gone so quickly this year. But I am already excited for NEXT year when Logan is one! This week, I will be using up lots of what I have in the freezer so that starting next week (conveniently, the new year), I can go back to Weight Watchers and get on the wagon again.

Sunday: Leftovers from Christmas
Monday: Chicken enchiladas
Tuesday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Wednesday: Baked ziti, salad, focaccia bread
Thursday: Meatball subs, Caesar salad
Friday: New Year's Eve at our house: Chinese food for dinner and the party menu will be coming!
Saturday: New Year's Day feast of pork tenderloin, roasted root vegetables, lentils, and sesame cookies to ring in the new year!

What is on YOUR menu this week? Visit OrgJunkie's site for tons of ideas!

Merry Christmas!

Life with Logan

Life sure can change in an instant.We arrived home from the hospital last Thursday, December 9. C was home on Friday and we had to take Logan to an early doctor's appointment with his pediatrician so they could check his bili number for jaundice and his weight. His number was up a bit so we had to go again on Tuesday.Our weekend was filled with visitors which really did not allow much time to think about anything besides keeping the house relatively straightened up and making sure my teeth were brushed. Logan has his days and nights mixed up and likes to be WIDE awake around 2 AM after his feeding. It is a killer, but we are working on TRYING to keep him up more during the day so he sleeps better at night.Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, my mom came and was with Logan and me during the day. Cleveland was SLAMMED with a snowstorm and bitter cold temperatures, so J and A had a snow day on Monday and Tuesday. Having Mom here allowed me to nap when I needed it and just gave me a break because, well, she really enjoys snuggling her new grandson.Yesterday was my first day on my own with the little guy and we fell into our routine naturally. C takes his 5 AM feeding and Logan is usually out like a light. This allows me to get a few extra hours because I take the 9 PM and 1 AM feedings, and it usually takes some effort to get the little one down for the night. We are attempting to get him into more of an evening routine, with a sponge bath/wipe down (until his cord falls off) and then jammies and bottle and try to put him right down. I will let you know in a few weeks if we have any success.
I have had some baby blues, I am not going to lie. The evening seems to be the hardest for me. It is like darkness descends and I need to cry. LOTS. About nothing in particular. I have a "disaster complex" where the smallest thing becomes a HUGE deal in my mind and I go immediately to the worst possible outcome. I think it is the fact that I am an anxious person to begin with, coupled with being a new mom and WHAM, tears. Plus, C has been working insane hours and we hardly see one another. My parents are coming over tomorrow to watch Logan so we can go to dinner and finish up Christmas shopping which will be great.
Overall, I love being home with my little man. He is a fantastic snuggler and is too adorable for words. I am feeling a little stir-crazy, but I guess that is what I get for having a December baby!

Introducing...

Logan Charles
Born on a cold, wintry day during Cleveland's first snowstorm. Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 3:37 PM. He is a peanut, weighing in at 6 lbs, 9 ounces and 18 and a half inches long.
It was a long and difficult two days. We went in at 6:30 AM on Monday to be induced. My pitocin drip started at 7 AM and my OBGYN gave the in-house doctor orders to break my water. Logan had other plans, and remained at a -2 position all. damn. day.

Twelve hours of pitocin and HORRIBLE BACK LABOR, and the day ended without a baby and Cervadil, along with an overnight stay at the hospital. I was emotionally and physically drained. We had taken the girls out of school for the day, both of our sets of parents were there and NADA. It was so frustrating and upsetting, but because of my pre-eclampsia, my doctor told me that Tuesday I was having this kid either way.

The next morning, I showered, ate, they started my pitocin again and BY GOLLY, Logan had dropped far enough that we were able to break my water.

Which meant my contractions began IMMEDIATELY. And were so horrible that I decided to get my epidural.

God bless the man who invented such a wonderful drug. I was able to nap all day and my contractions were increasing without my knowledge, lol. Around noon, the nurse checked me and I had gone to 7 CM. The pressure started increasing and when I was checked an hour later, we were ready to roll., Two hours of pushing and I was exhausted and he was not budging, With a little assistance from the vacuum, out he popped, crying immediately.

I was surprised at how teeny he is. C and I are by no means little people, and I was expecting a bigger baby. But as soon as he was given to me, I was immediately in love. And I can not say enough about my amazing husband. He was the perfect partner throughout the entire process, and was amazing at keeping me going when I just didn't think I could do it all.

Here are some pictures of the little man:

After his first bath, when our awesome nurse put him in this stocking:

HIs first feeding (holy mother of pearl, I look terrible. And FAT):
With big sister, Alexys:
With biggest sister, Jamie:
Taken the day after he was born:
In his fuzzy polar bear jammies:


We head home on Thursday. And I am not ashamed to admit that we had him taken to the nursery both nights we were in the hospital. We are formula feeding (more on that later) and I honestly just needed some sleep so that I could function. And so did C.

This holiday season has brought us our miracle and I feel truly beyond blessed. I was definitely not the world's happiest pregnant lady, but every bit of suffering was worth it in the end. Logan is a gift from God, and I will be sure to count my blessings daily.

Tomorrow, I meet my son

On Thursday, I called my doctor at lunch to see if they had the results of my 24-hour pee collection. At that point, nothing yet.

When I called after school and they put me on hold and then Dr. P. picked up, I knew it probably wasn't good.

The results? My numbers were 387 and they want you below 300. Over 2,000 is BAD NEWS. So it was a mild case of pre-eclampsia. Because of my rising BP and increased swelling, Dr. P. said she wanted to induce me at 39 weeks because pre-e can go from bad to worse in .003 seconds, pretty much.

"Um, that is this Sunday."

Her response? "Okay, we will see you at labor and delivery at 6:30 AM on Monday then!"

I called C and told him and then my mom. And then I panicked.

I would be meeting my son in just a few days!!!

I spent Friday at school putting together my last-minute touches on my lesson plans and then met with my sub at the end of the day. it was really odd walking out knowing I wouldn't be back until January!

So Monday, December 6 will be our little guy's birthday. Details to come, I am sure :)

Weekend Planning: Cookie Party Weekend!

Well, the weekend is here! And tomorrow is my second annual cookie exchange! We have LOTS going on this weekend (some of which deserves its own post) so I figured I would put it all out there so I can stay on track!

Friday:

• After work errands (bank, Kohl's, Target, farmer's market)
• Take J to friend's house
• Make dinner (frozen pizza counts, right?)
• Bake cookies for cookie exchange (Italian Lemon Knots)
• Soak my feet/take a bath

Saturday:

• Recruit the family for cleaning!
• Clean both bathrooms
• Dust/vacuum living room/dining room
• Dust/vacuum family room
• Sweep stairs
• Sweep and mop kitchen
• Get apps and drinks ready for cookie exchange
• Relax and enjoy!

Sunday:

• Finish grading
• Submit progress reports
• Pack girls lunches/snacks for Tuesday and Wednesday
• Complete nursery set-up/hang art work
• Make sure hospital bags are packed!
• Wash sheets on all beds

What is on your weekend agenda? Hosting or attending any fun holiday gatherings this weekend??

Count me in!

One of my bloggy friends, Karen from Karen at Home and Shannon from Webbisodes, are hosting an ornament exchange. I thought, why the heck not??

Menu Planning Monday

After yesterday's trip to labor and delivery, my MIL saved the day by bringing us lasagna for dinner. Yum! This allowed me to make some adjustments in our menu for the week.

Sunday: Lasagna
Monday: Minestrone soup and crusty bread
Tuesday: Beef stroganoff
Wednesday: Unstuffed pepper soup
Thursday: Pasta Con Broccoli
Friday: Taco night
Saturday: Cookie exchange!! Probably pizza since I will be prepping, cleaning and cooking.

What is on your menu this week? Visit OrgJunkie's website for TONS of menu ideas!

Trip to L&D #2

So. I am apparently THAT first-time mom.

Last night, I started having REALLY bad menstrual-type cramping from about 10:30 on. They were timeable and coming between 4 and 8 minutes Around 4:30 AM, right when C left to go tailgating and to the Browns game, I called him because they were take-my-breath-away painful and then he turned around to come home. I called the on-call OBGYN and he told me to come in. So they strapped me up to the fetal monitor and the contraction monitor and as soon as they did, it was obvious that I was NOT having contractions. Baby boy was seriously all over the place and they again had a hard time keeping the monitor belt thingy on his heartbeat. But the nurses and in-house doctor both said this is a very good thing, which is always reassuring. The in-house doctor checked my cervix and I have made NO new progress (still 1 cm and 50% effaced with baby at -2 position). They checked to make sure I do not have a UTI (which I do not) because they can apparently be really common around this time in pregnancy. So after three hours and no sleep for this mama, they sent us home around 9 AM.

The in-house doctor seemed surprised that the on-call OBGYN had be come in. She said normally they would have told me to drink lots of water and lay on my side and see what happened. Hmph.

I came home and went to sleep for a bit and C went to the Browns' game (die-hard fan that he is) and that is that. I guess I know that whatever contractions feel like, they need to be more intense than what I was feeling. Fingers crossed that my water breaks so there won't be any question, lol.

Thankful

I feel very blessed this Thanksgiving, and I wanted to take a moment to share some of the most important things in my life that I am thankful for.

• My amazing husband. My rock, my calming factor. The man who rubs my feet every night. I love you more than words can express.
• My stepdaughters. As frustrating as it can be to raise two teenage girls, they bring a light and laughter into my life that I never thought could exist.
• The baby boy in my belly. We have wanted you for so long and can't wait to meet you. Just be sure you wait until AFTER Thanksgiving. Mama wants her turkey dinner.
• Ozzie. Because you are the absolute best dog ever. And you are a great snuggle partner even though you take up most of the bed.
• My family and friends. They are truly amazing.
  
• Our health
• Steady jobs in a time of unsteadiness
• A roof over our heads and food in our belly

There is so much more that I can list, but this is the bulk of it.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Freezer Cooking Planning for Round Two

So, my first weekend of freezer cooking resulted in a few dishes. Currently in our freezer:

• Baked Ziti
• Chicken Enchiladas (with and without beans)
• Meatloaf muffins
• Meatballs for subs
• Vegetable and beef soup
• Orange cranberry walnut bread
• Cinnamon rolls (not going to lie; I have baked almost every pan. Looks like I will have to make more, lol)
• Chili

Not bad, but not enough. With four mouths to feed and a newborn to take care of, I want to make sure we have several weeks worth of meals, even though I am positive my mom is going to be bringing us some food as well. So this week, while I am on Thanksgiving break and home with no stepdaughters (they are at their mom's), I plan on being a busy bee in the kitchen. Here is what is on the docket:

• More cinnamon rolls (since we ate them)
• Breakfast casserole (recipe to come)
• Macaroni and Cheese
• BBQ pulled pork
• Unstuffed Pepper Soup

I am also going to stock up on our go-to, quick and easy meals which we often can just toss in the oven/on the stove when we have places to go. These include:

• Grilled cheese and tomato soup
  
• Chicken nuggets/patties
• French Fries
• Taco kits (and I mean the Ortega way)
• Pierogies from the little old ladies at a local church.

Also on the agenda is to stock up on lunch supplies for Chuck and the girls, as well as soups and such for me. Yikes!

Menu Planning Monday: Thanksgiving Week!

Seriously, how is it already Thanksgiving? Honestly. And how the HELL is it almost time for the little guy to make his big arrival??

Anyway, I only work two days this week and the girls leave to spend Thanksgiving at their mom's on Tuesday night. It is one of those weeks where I will be making due with whatever is in my cabinet and pantry. I spent a little bit at the grocery store last night to get us through the next few days, but I am keeping my fingers crossed we can squeak by without any more stops at the store!

Sunday: Homemade vegetable beef soup
Monday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Tuesday: Leftover soup or something on the go; girls to to their mom's
Wednesday: 1st birthday party for my friend's daughter. Cassidy's birthday isn't until December 11, but they will be in town for Thanksgiving.
Thursday: TURKEY DAY!!! will be hosted by my brother and SIL
Friday: Black Friday shopping with my mom and cousin then breakfast out! I am sure the day will hold many naps for this mama.
Saturday: Unsure!

What is on your menu for this week??

Cookie Exchange 2010: The Menu

Well, our invitations have been sent, so now it is time for my favorite part of party-planning!

Planning the menu!

Since I will be 39 weeks pregnant at my party (or lets face it, a new mom because it COULD HAPPEN), I am keeping it simple this year.

Or, that is the plan right now. But who am I kidding? That never happens. Last year's menu ended up being completely different than what I planned originally, which was just fine. I changed things up as I came across recipes I wanted to try or things I didn't have the ingredients for.

Since the party starts at 7, I focus on appetizers and drinks instead of a meal. Here is what I plan on making this year:

• White bean dip served with crudite
• Sausage cups
• Caprese skewers...red, green and white!
• Fruit salsa with cinnamon baked pita chips
• Tortilla spirals
• Hot chocolate and coffee bar
• Assorted sodas and beverages
• Plenty of cookies!

For right now, that is what I have planned. I am sure I will be making some changes and I will update as the next two weeks go along. I am going to spend some time perusing my cookbooks to see if anything strikes my fancy.

Next step? The decor! Stay tuned until next week's update!

Menu Planning Monday

I successfully cooked every day last week (aside from Friday when we took the girls to Panera and a movie and on Saturday because we went out to eat for my 30th birthday). Hopefully I can keep it up this week!

Sunday: Potato and leek soup
Monday: Turkey cutlets with cranberry pear chutney, cous cous, corn (this has been on my menu for like three weeks, lol. I froze the cutlets)
Tuesday:Leftover potato soup
Wednesday: Chili
Thursday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Friday: Not sure; C has to take the girls and I have plans with my mom
Saturday: Out to dinner and shopping with a friend

What's on your menu this week? Visit I am an Organizing Junkie for boatloads of menu ideas!

Baby Prep: Freezer Cooking, Day One

I definitely did not get as much accomplished as I would have liked today. I had to pick A up from a sleepover then take her to a birthday party. I then ran to the grocery store for a few things and then had to come home to wait for J to come home from an overnight birthday party at an indoor water park. But in-between it all, including going to pick up A, I was able to get a few things done.

So far, we have

• Baked Ziti (one pan in freezer, one for dinner this week)
• Chili in crock pot to make tomorrow(double-batch, one for dinner this week and one to freeze)
• Meatballs for meatball subs
  
• Cinnamon rolls (note to self: read directions, G. The dough was supposed to be split in half. So now the cinnamon rolls are GINORMOUS. I know this since I just HAD to bake a pan. Even though I have made these before, lol).
  

And I have Potato and Leek soup simmering on the stove as well for dinner for tonight and tomorrow.

I have to do my major weekly grocery shopping tomorrow even though we have enough for dinners for the week (menu to be posted tomorrow!) and then I will be able to pick up the missing components for my other freezer meals:

• Chicken Enchiladas (I am cheating and using a rotisserie chicken!)
  
• Beef and vegetable soup
• Macaroni and cheese
• Orange cranberry bread

So that is where we stand on freezer foods. I will be sure to post an update next weekend when I finish up!

Menu Planning Monday

Ugh, I seriously suck at all things related to the kitchen lately. Cooking, grocery shopping, menu planning. EPIC FAIL on all parts. We eat easy meals as often as possible and I basically do whatever I can to get out of cooking. Without further ado, here is this week's menu (which I hope to stick to):

Sunday: Chicken puffs, buttered noodles, corn
Monday: Spaghetti (I will be out with friends!)
Tuesday: Breakfast sammies and hashbrowns
Wednesday: Crock pot pot roast with potatoes and carrots
Thursday: Turkey cutlets with cranberry-pear chutney, cous cous, green beans
Friday: Beef stroganoff served with egg noodles
Saturday: Out to dinner for my 30th birthday!

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com!

Cookie Exchange 2010: The Invites

It is that time again! Time to start preparing for my annual Cookie Exchange! Yes, I will be about 38 weeks pregnant for my exchange, but you know what? It will be something to take my mind off of the baby coming and being uncomfortable at the end of my pregnancy. Plus, with all the nesting and cleaning, my house will probably be spotless! I will be doing my best to keep things simple and will be doing TONS in advance!

When planning your party, be sure to allow PLENTY of time for guests to mark it down on their calendars and schedule the party in. Weekends around the holidays book up super-fast, as we all know, so I like to allow 3-4 weeks for my guests. I wanted my invitations to go out at the LAST minute this year, just to be sure that I was not having any pregnancy complications. It is looking like Little Dude is nestled in for the time being, so I will be addressing and sending out invitations this week!

One month in advance, send out your invitations!

Last year, I handmade my invitations for my first Cookie Exchange. This year, since I am pretty far along in my pregnancy, I decided to use VistaPrint's always awesome deals and order them. I got 100 invites for free, plus the envelopes and return address labels. All for around $15! Here is the front of the invitation:



And the back with the rules for the Exchange. Sorry for the terrible picture quality. And I am just too sick right now to fiddle with it and my limited Photoshop skills.

Stay tuned as next week I plan our menu for the cookie exchange!

Trip to Labor and Delivery

I just got back from a brief visit to L&D. I called off today because I hadn't slept and have had a continuous headache and nausea for a few days. Then I started to get some floaters in my vision so Chuck and I decided it would be best to call. Because my BP was elevated at my last few visits, she wanted me to go right to the hospital. They strapped me on to the monitors for an NST. Little Dude had been moving away all day so I wasn't really too concerned. He was moving lots and his heart rate was right on; the in-house OB said he sounded "textbook perfect." My BP was still elevated slightly, so she had me turn on my left side and we got a normal reading. No contractions either. She called my OB and they sent me home. I have an appointment with my regular OB tomorrow anyway, so I am sure she will discuss things with me then.

Needless to say, I started to panic. This weekend I am getting my bag and baby's bag packed JUST IN CASE. I was trying to throw some stuff in a bag on the off-chance they wanted to keep me overnight. It really kind of made things REAL. I honestly feel like we have so much to do and I need to get it into gear.

I think I need to get some of my freezer meals done ASAP as well as getting our bags packed!

Apple Cake

A staple at most of our holiday parties and family gatherings, my mom's apple cake is always a hit. For Halloween, I decided to make this to serve with hot cider upon our trick or treaters' return. Delicious and moist and relatively easy, it is definitely worth serving at any fall gathering.

Mom's Apple Cake
Ingredients
3 Eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C oil
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)
4-6 apples, peeled and chopped (I used 5)

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking pan
-Beat eggs, sugar and oil until well blended. Add rest of dry ingredients and combine.
-Fold in apples
-Spread in pan and bake for one hour, until golden brown on top.

Slow-Cooker Chili

What better to eat before heading out to trick or treat than a hot, steaming bowl of homemade chili? I will admit that most of the time I just dump a bunch of stuff in my crock pot and hope for the best; this time, I paid attention to what I was doing and you know what? This was the best damn pot of chili I have ever made. It seemed to have the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, which is exactly what I was going for! My favorite thing about chili is that you can completely tailor it to your own needs and heat level!


Slow-Cooker Chili
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef, browned (I used 90/10)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
Can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with chili (the small can...10 oz?)
14 oz can dark red kidney beans with juice
14 oz can light red kidney beans with juice
1/3 C brown sugar
A few splashes of worchestershire (maybe around 1 tbsp?)
A few splashes of hot sauce (depending on how much heat you want)
1 tsp paprika
Dash of crushed red pepper

Directions
Toss it into a crock pot and let it cook on low for as long as possible. The longer it simmers, the better!

Happy Halloween!

and happy 34 weeks to baby!

Baby Shower

On Sunday, October 24 (33 weeks!), my amazing mom hosted a baby shower for me. It was held at a local Italian restaurant and the food was a-mazing. The menu was served buffet style and we had chicken parmigiana, rigatoni with marinara sauce, and green beans almondine. For dessert, we had spumoni along with this beautiful cake, made by a woman who make fantastic cakes out of her home. It was created to match my invitations:
Centerpieces were provided by the restaurant and for favors, my mom just had chocolate suckers with blue baby feet made:

We are so blessed to have such generous family and friends shower Baby Boy with plenty of gifts:
We received all of the big items off of our registry and enough gift cards to purchase what was left:
During the shower, the Cleveland Browns were playing the NO Saints. And unbelievably, we won. Here is C watching the score on my phone and his:
My mom wanted a "guest book" so she purchased this Winnie the Pooh book and my dad created this sign. All the guests signed the inside cover:
The diaper cake my friend made:
Alexys, me, C, and Jamie. The girls were a huge help and looked beautiful:
My mother-in-law, me and my mama:
When we got home, we unpacked and sorted through the clothing. Here I am in the nursery with my mom, aunt, cousin and the girls. It was chaos!

I was so overwhelmed at the end of the day, and definitely had an "OH SHIT" moment. I think afterwards it finally dawned on me that this baby is almost here. Holy crap. The next day, I did three loads of laundry and put the clothes away. I am still searching for the perfect organizational strategy for the room and clothing. I need to make better use of the closet, but until our Christmas bins are out of there, it is a little difficult.

My heart aches.

Last night we received a phone call from our school administrators telling us that we were having an emergency faculty meeting this morning at 7:30 AM. This meant one of two things:
1. A threat had been made on the building
2. Something had happened to a staff member or student..

We walked into our little theater prepared for the worst.

It was even worse than that.

One of our tenth graders took his own life last night. His mom found him after he hung himself.

I had this student last year in my honors class. And know his sister, since she was a member of the drama club when I was director. And know his parents.

He was extremely bright, had an amazing sense of humor, and was an amazingly talented young musician. The kid lived and breathed music. He struggled with severe depression for years, and last year we were on alert for strange behaviors because he was cutting/self-injuring and would often do it in class with a broken pen, etc. His grades gradually improved as did his general attitude. He opened up and formed relationships with his teachers and peers and by the end of the year was doing so much better. And apparently this year he was doing even BETTER.

But, apparently his pain was too great and he felt he was unable to continue.

It was an extremely difficult day for me, especially knowing the family. My heart aches for his parents and sister and the rest of the people that loved him. I saw many,MANY students crying in the halls, as well as in my classroom, because he will be missed.

And to this student, I hope he has found his peace finally.

My heart breaks for any parent that outlives their child.

Menu Planning Monday

How is it possible that it is the start to another week??

Monday: Macaroni and peas (a comfort food of mine)
Tuesday: Hair appointments for Lex and me, so sausage and peppers in the crock pot with roasted redskins
Wednesday: Brinner! Breakfast sammies and hashbrowns
Thursday: Turkey cutlets with cranberry-pear chutney and cous cous
Friday: Birthday party
Saturday: Potato and leek soup
Sunday: Baby shower!!

What is on YOUR menu this week? Visit Org Junkie's website for meal planning ideas!

MIA

I am alive, I promise. It has just been one of those weeks where I have not had a moment so sit and breathe. We had parent/teacher conferences and I had to grade my ass off in order to get things in order. Jamie was in Washington DC for three days and then we had baby class (I will do a post on that this week). It has just been nuts.

Hopefully I will be back to blogging this week. Stay tuned for some updates on my annual cookie exchange (here are a few posts from last here: invitations and menu), as well as a nursery update and a few new recipes!

Weekend Planning (a day late)

I didn't get this up yesterday, but wanted to post it today anyway! I have lots to get done this weekend and we have a fun family day planned with the girls, so here it is!

Friday:

• Grocery shopping
• Figure out what we are doing for dinner, lol (C is working late) (ended up taking the girls for Mexican. Yum!)

Saturday:

• Laundry
• Find some maternity jeans that actually fit
• Pumpkin patch!
• Decorate for Halloween
• Rake leaves and pull weeds from the "wasteland" in between our front windows and bushes.
  

Sunday:

• Dinner at Mom and Dad's
• Grade papers
• Clean bathrooms
• Mop kitchen floors
  

How is it this time again?

To start planning for my annual cookie exchange?

Which just happens to fall one week before my due date?

Am I a lunatic? Yes, I think so.

Menu Planning Monday

This upcoming week is one where I feel will be nonstop. Actually, October in its entirety feels like that. But the quicker these months go by, the sooner Little Dude will be here! Without further ado, here is this week's menu!

Sunday: On my own for dinner; girls came home late from their mom's and C was at a Browns game.
Monday: Spaghetti and salad (hair appointment for Jamie and I will hopefully be visiting my friend and her new bambino in the hospital! She is in labor as we speak!)
Tuesday: Pork tenderloin with roasted potatoes and carrots
Wednesday: Crock Pot Wednesday: Chili and corn bread
Thursday: Shepherd's Pie
Friday: Chicken enchilladas
Saturday: Not sure; we are going to the pumpkin patch in the morning/afternoon and I am going to have to do some grocery shopping after!

What is on your menu this week? Stop by I am an Organizing Junkie and link up with your weekly menu!

7 Days of Pumpkin: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Another score from Annie's Eats. This girl loves pumpkin as much as I do and her blog is chock full of yummy pumpkin recipes to try. If you are a fan of the Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins, these are very close to that, with the added bonus of a crunchy streusel topping.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Makes 24 muffins ( I found this to be exact!)
as seen on Annie's Eats, adapted from BakeSpace

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

3 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree

For the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:

½ cup sugar

¼ cup and 1 tsp. flour

4 tbsp. butter, cubed

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

7 Days of Pumpkin: Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Apparently I not only love pancakes, but syrup as well.

Hello, lover.


These were wonderfully delicious. No one else in my household is a huge pumpkin fan, but C did try one. They were a fairly dense pancake and I think are the perfect autumn breakfast.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
courtesy of Annie's Eats

Ingredients
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions:
-In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir with a fork to combine. Mix together the milk, pumpkin puree, egg and oil or butter in a liquid measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combine. The batter will be lumpy which is a-okay. I think I over-mixed a tad which is why mine were so dense.
-Preheat the oven to 200° F. Have a dish ready for the pancakes as they come off the griddle/skillet to go into the oven to keep toasty.
- Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add a 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan. Let cool until bubbles begin to form on the top surface. Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown, a couple minutes more.
-Transfer the cooked pancake to the oven safe dish, and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed. Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.

Weekend Planning

Molly over at My Happy House has once again started blogging her Weekend Planning, so I decided to follow along with her! She is about 10 weeks behind me in pregnancy, and since she seems to have her 2nd tri burst as I enter my 3rd tri downward spiral, maybe she can keep me motivated!

Here is what is on the agenda this weekend!

Friday:

• Doctor's appointment
• Fall party with my fellow teachers

Saturday:

• Clean! This includes:
• Both bathrooms
• Dust and vacuum family room and living room
• Sweep and mop kitchen
• Tackle the master bedroom. I swear a hurricane has gone through there.
• Pack up hardware and paint supplies from nursery and move downstairs.
• Over to a friend's for a birthday gathering

Sunday:

• Grocery shop
• Put out Halloween decorations
• Relax and bake something yummy

What is on your agenda this weekend?

7 Days of Pumpkin: Pumpkin Crunch

In honor of my favorite baking season, FALL!, I decided to dedicate the entire first week of October to all things pumpkin! My first recipe came from my mother-in-law, who knows I adore pumpkin. I have no clue where she originally got the recipe, but it was certainly yummy. The texture of the middle layer is very much like pumpkin pie! How can you go wrong??




Pumpkin Crunch

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix (I would like to try with spice cake mix)
1 can pumpkin puree
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 C chopped pecans or walnuts
1 C butter, melted

Directions:
-Grease bottom of 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl with a mixer until well-blended.
-Mix well, pour into pan, and sprinkle dry cake mix on top. Top with nuts and drizzle melted butter on top.
-Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and would be delish with a whipped topping or vanilla ice cream!

Favorite Blogger Friday: Bake at 350

I have decided to feature one of my favorite blogs each Friday.

This week I am loving Bridget at Bake at 350.

I chose Bridget this week because of this picture (courtesy of her blog):
Bridget made these for a teacher-appreciation dinner, and as a teacher, I would definitely appreciate them! She does an AWESOME job of showing her readers step-by-step how to decorate the cookies on her blog. This includes outlining, flooding, and doing the detail work on sugar cookies. I attempt sugar cookies several times a year, and this upcoming baking season, I plan on using her tips as well. She offers not only cookie recipes, but recipes for other yummy treats as well!

One other thing that is awesome about Bridget is that she shares with her readers all of the supplies she uses in an Amazon store. Check it out. I can't wait to get some of these gel colorings!

So stop by Bake at 350 and check out all of Bridget's fabulous cookies! But be sure you have some time, because you could spend hours perusing all of her yummy cookie pictures!