Cole and his backwards cape...!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday Shenanigans
Cole finished his first week at his new daycare dressed in his Michigan duds!
(just for Uncle Aaron & Aunt Jess!)
Cole says, "Don't mind my crazy hair and my messy bib - check me out! I'm sitting up in my Bumbo seat!"
He's still a little bit topsy-turvy in the seat, but doing a good job trying to sit up!
Because nothing says "it's Friday" like a big box of pizza and breadsticks! Mmm...carbs...
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Visit with Grandma & Granddad Mercer
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| Check me out! |
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| Tummy time on the tiny boppy! |
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| Playing with Granddad Jeff & checking out his "Lifesaver" shirt! |
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| Reading with Grandma Debbie |
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| Cole loves having his diaper changed...even moreso when Harold the Helicopter swoops in for a visit! |
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| Naptime! |
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| "I love being held!" |
New books
The Three Cabritos & Mickey McGuffin's Ear
We're very lucky to have a talented illustrator in our family - Stephen Gilpin!
Cole loves being read to and especially likes all of the big, colorful pictures in these books!
Rice cereal
Not sure what I think about this...
Mmm! Cereal!
Cole is now a big fan of eating rice cereal! He squeals when we take the spoon away; we just can't get it in fast enough!
We also have some awesome video of his first rice cereal feeding, so stay tuned for that!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Decorating for Valentine's Day
Happy (early) Hearts Day!
Cole is looking forward to his first visit from cupid!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
An amusing list of humorous things I have learned since becoming a mom...
1. My favorite thing about my house right now is that the laundry room is on the 2nd floor with all of the bedrooms.
2. It IS possible to do at least 2 loads of laundry. Every day. For months.
3. It is also possible to get spit up on, peed on, and pooed on essentially simultaneously.
4. I'm secretly happy when #3 happens simultaneously because it means fewer clothes changes (and less laundry!) compared to when those 3 things happen individually.
5. Speaking of clothing changes, it is possible to go through 5 outfits before noon.
6. I can't watch any news stories about kids (happy or sad) without getting emotional.
7. I thought I was hungry when I was pregnant...!
8. My alcohol tolerance has reverted back to where it was when I was 18. I mean 21. (Sorry Mom!)
9. Because of #9, I'm twice as fun at half the price!
10. I felt oddly accomplished when I got clothes on over Cole's head without making him cry.
11. Because of my aversion to over-the-head clothes, 99% of what Cole wears either snaps or zips up the front.
12. I never thought I'd be so happy to be able to take an ibuprofen again. It's the little things.
13. Dryers eat baby-sized socks at twice the rate of adult-sized socks.
14. There are very strange things on t.v. at 2am.
15. Similarly, there are very strange things on t.v. at 2pm.
16. It's not wise to watch "The Men Who Stare at Goats" during a 3am feeding. It made about as much sense as watching "Fight Club" while intoxicated.
17. I've learned to watch out for over-the-back burps (see #5).
18. I feel like I've performed a black ops maneuver when I'm able to get Cole and me out of the house on time (or even early!).
19. It's Murphy's Law that everyone wants to "facetime" while I'm feeding Cole. Really? Really.
20. Dad > Mom at coming Cole's hair. When Shaun does it, Cole looks fantastic. When I do it, Cole looks like Lloyd Christmas from Dumb & Dumber...
21. I can't imagine my life any other way!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Chive Mascarpone Dip
Ingredients:
1 carton (8 oz.) mascarpone cheese*
1/4 cup minced fresh chives**
1/4 cup sour cream
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients. Chill until serving. Serve with pita chips, crackers, and/or fresh veggies for dipping. Make the dip 2-3 days in advance for the best flavor.
* I couldn't find mascarpone cheese anywhere, despite the extensive cheese selection at our local King Soopers, so I used this "mascarpone substitution" recipe in its place:
1 brick (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. sour cream
** I used green onions instead of chives, which worked out great. So maybe the recipe title should be "Fake Mascarpone Scallion Dip!"
From: Taste of Home February/March 2012 issue
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Shepherd's Pie
Prep: 35 min
Bake: 30 min
Yield: 2 casseroles, 4 servings each
Ingredients:
5 large potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage
1/2 lb. medium fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. rice vinegar
Directions:
1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender; drain.
3. Stir in the orange juice, orange peel, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook unit liquid is evaporated. Transfer to 2 greased 8-in square baking dishes.
4. Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, and remaining salt and pepper; mash until smooth. Spread over meat mixture.
5. Bake one casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Cover and freeze the remaining casserole for up to 3 months.
To use frozen casserole: thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 fro 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until heated through
From: Taste of Home February/March 2012 issue
**A pretty labor-intensive shepherd's pie, but very tasty and makes great left-overs!
Bake: 30 min
Yield: 2 casseroles, 4 servings each
Ingredients:
5 large potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage
1/2 lb. medium fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. rice vinegar
Directions:
1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender; drain.
3. Stir in the orange juice, orange peel, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook unit liquid is evaporated. Transfer to 2 greased 8-in square baking dishes.
4. Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, and remaining salt and pepper; mash until smooth. Spread over meat mixture.
5. Bake one casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Cover and freeze the remaining casserole for up to 3 months.
To use frozen casserole: thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 fro 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until heated through
From: Taste of Home February/March 2012 issue
**A pretty labor-intensive shepherd's pie, but very tasty and makes great left-overs!
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