Baby blog

I have a feeling that before I know it, this blog is going to turn into a baby blog. I am a little worried that I have not learned the art of bargain shopping for diapers yet. I know what a good price is on ground hamburger and boneless, skinless chicken breast, but diapers is not something that I have mastered yet. I am also worried that my baby won't breastfeed, and I will have to spend a fortune on formula. I am worried that even after all of the preparation I did stocking the freezers and cupboards, my husband is still going to resort to ordering take out.

I really want to be frugal about this mommy thing. My eventual goal is to stay home, and that is not going to happen if I can't keep the spending under control. I love my job, but I don't ever want it to interfere with my family.

I think the best advice I can give myself is to stay laid back. That is my mantra in life. The more laid back you are, the less worried you are and the more things seem to work out. Fingers are crossed and prayers are being said!

Cook Ahead

I love to cook, but I never seem to have time during the week. In an attempt to stock up the freezer with some casseroles, etc., I spent Saturday morning in the kitchen. It's really therapeutic for me. Messing up a lot of dishes and cleaning out my cupboards to make something edible makes me feel accomplished.

Nate thinks I am nesting. I think I am just being me and loving to cook and create. My hope is to employ this strategy when I am out of baby mode and back into normal Nicki mode. I'll cook on the weekends and the dishes will be ready to pop into the oven at a moment's notice. I froze my meals (Bottom left going clockwise Lasagna, Mexi Shells and Macaroni and Cheese), but they would probably last in the refrigerator for a few days. I completed the recipe up to the point where it says to cook it. I wrote the directions on a little card and taped them to the top of the foil wrapped casseroles and stacked them in the freezer. Hopefully they will taste yummy when it is time to eat them!

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I am on an organizing binge, trying to rid my house of everything that hasn't been used in quite some time. That organizing spilled into my kitchen this weekend. I was given an abundance of craisins. The little orbs aren't easy to eat alone. So, when I came across a recipe in a magazine for Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies, I immediately ripped it out. First of all, because I love cranberries and white chocolate chips (the Panera Pink ribbon bagel was my favorite.) Second, because I wanted to rid myself of the craisins. And it must have been meant to be. My food scale measured 6 ounces left in the container, which is exactly what the recipe called for. I also was able to finish off my old-fashioned oats and brown sugar. All I had to buy was white chocolate chips.

I made a few substitutions applesauce instead of butter and whole wheat flour instead of regular bleached flour. But, here is the recipe. Mine came out more like round balls, but by the last batch, I tried to flatten them out, since they were flattening on their own. They don't look as good as I thought they were, but they are still mighty tasty.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 ounces of craisins (dried cranberries)

2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several small additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes approximately 2.5 dozen.

Trading in challenges

I got the e-mail notice the other day for the YWCA Sprint triathlon. The same triathlon that I have trained 12 weeks for every spring for the last three years. It's a part of me. Last year, I completed it while a few weeks pregnant and beat my time from the previous year. I can't tell you how accomplished I feel after finishing that race. I got butterflies when I opened that e-mail, thinking about the commitment I make each spring to be able to complete six workouts a week all of which are usually anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours each, some that start with the alarm chirping at 5 a.m. And then reality set in. I am not competing in the triathlon this year. It almost brings tears to my eyes, like I am losing a best friend. I am trading my spandex, padded shorts for nursing bras. I am trading running shoes for slippers. I am trading my swim suit for burp cloths. I am trading the challenge of completing a three-event race for the challenge of giving birth to a beautiful little miracle. I have talked a lot to my mom and sister about child labor and delivery. It's a scary process, but they both have all of the confidence in the world in me because they know that when I face a challenge (like the triathlon), it's my mental more than my physical shape that carries me through. I don't like to quit. So, even though a part of me is torn and wants a find a way to do it all (raise a newborn and train for a triathlon,) the less crazy side of me says that my baby is more important than a race any day. And, of course, I am not saying goodbye to an exhausting challenge, just trading it for a new one!

Nate calls it nesting....

I call it doing all of the creative crafty projects I can before baby bottles and dirty diapers replace my crafting scissors and sewing machine. Starting at Christmas break, I had a pretty long list of craft projects I wanted to start and/or finish. Surprisingly, I was able to get nearly all of them finished. The final entry to cross off my list was to make an abundance of cards to carry me through birthdays and other occasions that require a card. So, Saturday night, I set up a long, rectangular table in my living room and went to town. I spread out papers, ribbons, hole punches, stamps, brads and other baubles, and inks and markers. I can honestly say that my inspiration for cards comes from scraps. I like to use every last piece of scrap I have created. The photo represents some of my favorites. Between Saturday and Sunday nights when my living room was turned into a crafting room, I cranked out nearly 30 cards. Nate came home late on Saturday night from work and gave me the concerned husband look. "Are you nesting?" In birthing class they say nesting can be a sign you are soon to go into labor. I guess he is worried that my love of homemade items will set me into pre-term labor. He should fear not. I just really enjoy immersing myself into something creative. The more cards I made, the more ideas I came up with. I have a ton of materials and supplies, so it doesn't cost me any money. I told Nate that I would miss these long hours of immersing myself in a project. Then the sweet man said, "All you have to say is, 'honey, I need some alone time.'" What a man!

Nursery, continued

Here is the view of my cozy corner with the awesome canvas paintings Amy made me for Christmas and the prints I also received. The chair was a steal for $75 at Pottery Barn...one of my first baby purchases. I draped the quilt and the other cover is from my mother-in-law.

Nursery, check!

Well, thanks to my mom, the nursery is pretty much done. We have one more project to hang, but that is Nate's job because it's a big, heavy window and I am not attempting that. The first picture is of the crib with the lovely tree decal from Stampin' Up. It took two, but with my mom's expertise, we easily got the tree up on the wall.

More to come...