just because.

we've all been a little under the weather in this house for the last little while, thus the dearth of postings.

i feel like we're rounding the bend though, and hope to be back in fighting form soon!

in the meantime, while we nap/ chill/ drink our 25th cup of tea today, enjoy a little snippet of life.

it is so good.

at least one of them is sleeping...

good to know

while i was pregnant, {and especially now that i'm nursing} we began to look most closely at what we eat.  to sum up the research i did: the drive these days to increase efficiencies on all fronts has led to some pretty serious side effects for our food.  we certainly can't afford to eat all organic, but we do make sure to select those items for which we get the most delicious bang for our buck. 

the environmental working group published this great chart to help determine which fruits/ veggies are best to buy organic, and which are ok to eat when grown conventionally.  i have found this to be super helpful and i hope you do as well. 

this list covers the infamous "dirty dozen" with a few extras...as explained on the site: "For the second year, we have expanded the Dirty Dozen™ with a Plus category to highlight two crops – domestically-grown summer squash and leafy greens, specifically kale and collards. These crops did not meet traditional Dirty Dozen™ criteria but were commonly contaminated with pesticides exceptionally toxic to the nervous system."  Source: Environmental Working Group


do you eat organic?  why/ why not? 

one month.

our sweet girl is a month old today.

when and how that happened, i have no idea!

all i know is that every day, i am more glad that she is ours.

a few highlights from the past four weeks:

juliet is a champ at tummy time - she holds her head up like a cute little turtle and almost looks like she wants to roll over...i am not sure i'm ready for that just yet.

she sleeps 5 hours at a time just about every night.  we can't believe it ourselves.  during the day she can be quite the cat-napper, but pretty much regardless of how the day goes, she can be counted on for a good long stretch of sleep {and so can we!}

the girl can eat.  and eat.  and she took a bottle for the first time yesterday!  i'm so excited that jordan can share that time with her now too - she is so funny when she's eating...sometimes she takes a little break and gives you the sweetest smile before getting right back to business.  it's the best.

she likes loves her moby wrap.  my sister-in-law gave us a wrap, and i will tell you: if our house were burning, i would grab my family, any important papers i could find, and this wrap.  it's pure magic.

not a juliet highlight, but i am enjoying breastfeeding for the sheer pleasure of eating everything in sight...seriously, i am always hungry!  it's pretty awesome (:  to that end, i'm trying out this recipe tomorrow.

i hope you've enjoyed the start of 2014...we over here will continue to hunker down and get to know this little lady a little bit more.

ps: recipe post coming soon!  have a great sunday!

a little 2-week reality check.

hello!

i cannot believe our little girl is two weeks old {plus a day!} already...seriously, it seems like we were just taking her home from the hospital yesterday.

i am surprised to see how much has already changed in these short 15 days.  for instance, i now realize that i can survive on a broken-up sleep schedule {knock on wood, but juliet has fallen into a great sleeping pattern: 3 hours down, 1 up to eat, then back down with little to no fussing...i am counting my blessings}.  i also have had to revise some of my expectations for myself.  i am a doer: i feel most complete and accomplished when i get things done, and i will usually push myself to do so...but nowadays, there is someone way more important than that extra load of laundry, or the floor which desperately needs to be swept, etc.  and so?  i give myself a break.  as long as my baby is fed and safe, my day is complete.  dinner will figure itself out {especially when my parents stop by to feed us (:...thank you again!}.

also, you know all of those "i will never..." statements that you think up when you think of what you will/ won't do with your child?  some are worth sticking by definitely, but others may need to be revised.  i swore up, down, right and left that i would never give my kids a pacifier. {when i was a kid, i used one for too long and it made me have speech problems later which had to be corrected in therapy...read: "hi! i'm thephanie."...}  but you know what?  pacifiers work, people, and if it soothes my baby and helps her sleep i am all in.  

i am also very thankful for the little things in my day...the cup of coffee i enjoy during her morning nap, the books i read to her as she's falling asleep {this morning it was are you my mother?}...my sister coming over whenever i need an extra set of hands and literally doing anything i need in return for a few minutes of baby-holding.  heidi: you are a gem!

so this is life nowadays!  and i couldn't be happier (:

hope you all enjoy your weekend!

juliet, 8 days...and cookies!

a cute baby and cookies?  my kind of post.

my sister brought these cookies to the hospital the day juliet was born and i seriously devoured them.  it's ok though, because regardless of my giving myself all sorts of dietary liberties these days, these are not your average cookies: they're actually good for you!

try them out and let me know what you think...and if you don't care for them, call me - i will take them off your hands, no problem.

good-for-you-but-don't-taste-like-cardboard cookies

2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup almond butter, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter {i use almond...no salt added}
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup apple butter {*check the labels when you buy this: many of the brands out there add a lot of extra sugar - we found that whole foods carries a variety relatively low in sugar, fyi}
1 large banana, mashed {about 1/2 cup...you can adjust this depending on how banana-y you like things}
1 cup dried fruit {cranberries, cherries, raisins, chopped apricots, blueberries...all work well}

1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)

{you can also add about 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips if you want a little sweetness}

preheat oven to 325 degrees. line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

 

combine all ingredients {except flax seed} into a large bowl or stand mixer.  mix until all of the ingredients are combined - using either the stand mixer, a hand mixer or a good 'ol wooden spoon. the dough will be stiff.  when everything is incorporated, add the flax seed and mix...if you add the flax at the beginning, it tends to just stick to the sides of the bowl and not get worked into the dough.

 

 

using a cookie scoop, tablespoons, or your hands, drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet {you can make these cookies however large/small you'd like}  slightly flatten the tops into the desired thickness...the cookies will not spread in the oven.

 

 

 

bake for 15-17 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown.  allow to cool on the cookie sheet completely.  

cookies will stay fresh at room temp for 1 week; they keep well in the fridge, and can be frozen for up to 3 months.  {they're especially good frozen, dunked in your coffee!}

 

 

these people make me the happiest:

 

daddy's little girl

 

she's here!

juliet alexis moger

december 12, 2013

7lb 4 oz, 20 inches

perfection.

 {this is currently my favorite picture taken of anyone at any time}

a little holiday cheer.

to be honest, i totally expected to be lacking all energy this holiday season and not want to do any sort of decorating...but somehow despite a pretty consistent 3-4 a.m. bout of insomnia, i seem to rally during the days.

i'm not saying martha is going to be knocking at my door asking for decor tips, but i am saying i'm happy with the little holiday touches i've been able to add to our house.

take a peek!

 ^^bringing our christmas tree home on our beloved station wagon, bubu^^

^^some of little girl's first books, camped out in the livingroom waiting for their audience^^

^^moravian molasses cookies^^

 ^^i love working with fresh greenery^^

 ^^nothing fancy, but i love little touches^^

 ^^ o christmas tree!^^

^^and a belly pic...b/c we are officially 40 weeks tomorrow!!^^

i hope you're all enjoying your monday!

3 days.

3 days.

we are three days from our due date.  i almost can't believe we're actually here.

for the past few weeks i've been having a strange feeling {i'm sure a lot of first time moms get this...maybe?}...anyway, my feeling is that i'm just going to keep on being pregnant.  mainly b/c i don't know what life is like after this stage, and this is all i've known for the majority of 2013...but i just feel like "ok - my life is now a little rounder, and i get kicked a few times a day, and this is alright!"

don't worry: logically i know what comes next.  i've read the books.  i've heard the stories.  it's just all so magical thinking about everything that's going to change, and how life is going to be, and how i am going to be and how my husband and i are going to be.

i've never been one to eschew change - i actually like mixing things up a bit...routine depresses me big time...so i'm not worried about the changes, i'm just so curious: what will they be?!

on a very bright note, i am officially off of work for 3 months.  YES.   and while i have a few days {we think (:} before our little miss makes her debut, i'm really taking the time to let myself experience these big feelings.   the doubt, the worry, the excitement...i am feeling it all, and i want to feel it all.  i want to let this in, and let this experience be so real.

so here we are: 3 days out and as ready as we'll ever be.

 

sweet bibs my mom & grandma made...and baby's first bear

a lovely little shower.

a few weekends ago, the grandmothers-to-be threw us a little shower at my mama's house.

in all actuality, there was nothing little about it: there was lots of good food, plenty of sweet friends and sooo much love.  we had a ball.
 
let's begin with the food, shall we?

 something i wish for daily is that our little girl is lucky enough to

have as good of friends as we do.  these ladies are the deal.

tip: when visiting my mom's house, always, always save room for dessert.

the hostesses!  {and one very tired-looking mama to be}

 

the fam - what a good crew.

i swear we did not plan this.

 preggo back at the food?  you know it.

the belly dance - i should probably be embarrassed?

 dana put together these super cute favors - and my sister in law made some 

delicious caramels to go with: what could be better on a crisp fall day, i ask you.

i am still feeling the love from this day - baby girl, you are one lucky little lady.  i cannot wait for you to be here and meet all of these wonderful people.  i love that you are already so loved!

well-said.

i stumbled upon this article today and i'm really happy i did.

have a read, have a laugh, and then come back here and tell me what you think.

me?  well it certainly made me feel a lot better about things.  because i'm nervous!  excited, definitely - but nervous, absolutely.  and after reading this little gem, i feel a lot better about the next chapter ahead.

10 True Things About the First Year of Parenthood