Crafty

Anna is constantly coming up with ideas for things to make. She really challenges me and encourages my creativity, which is a very good thing. Yesterday, she insisted that she needed a blue baby bird, I guess to add to her collection of birds of various origin. The day before it was a caterpillar to go with her butterfly.

Lately, if there is something she wants, and I don't have an idea for how to make it, we'll search Etsy or Pinterest to look for inspiration. We nearly always find something (even if we don't always have the supplies). Yesterday we had exactly what we needed to make this adorable stuffed bird, inspired by a hair clip of the same design we found on Etsy.

My first attempt at a blanket stitch (found a tutorial on Pinterest, of course). Not perfect, but I definitely learned what to do next time.

I think this bird may need some friends and family soon.

Ready

This was Anna at the swimming pool this week:

I guess she just decided she was ready. I don't know what switch flipped near the end of our time at the pool on Monday. With fifteen minutes left during family swim time, Anna decided she wanted to practice putting her whole face in (she's been going up to her eyes for ages, but usually stops before submerging her eyes and ears) and she wanted to try swimming without her water wings. In these final minutes, she was all the way under the water, kicking and scooping between the ledge and the submerged platform. She couldn't wait to go back, so we did on Wednesday. Mo D came, too, and snapped some pictures of Anna swimming, really swimming!, under water.

Needless to say, I couldn't get her out of the pool. She just wanted to keep practicing her new skills - going all the way under, finding submerged rings while peering through her goggles, and swimming back and forth between me and the ledge. She was so proud. I was beaming, too, so happy to see her enjoying the water, overcoming her fears, mastering it on her own time and in her own way. It's going to be a fun summer at the pool!

Cliché

I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from Spinning tonight. I justified my visit with the fact that we needed some fruit. I'd made dinner before I left, so I knew I had salmon salad sandwiches and sweet potato fries waiting for me at home, but...I picked up a few other things that sounded good on my way through the store. It wasn't until I stood at the check out line that I realized what I'd done:

Pickles and ice cream, of course (both of which I've eaten quite a bit of, just not purchased together).

Three Things

This Girl...

...needs a dog! She has been the proud mama to a number of dogs for a while, but they've been getting non-stop attention lately. We have Ocho and Bowie (named after our friend, Kara's dogs), Rufus (recently named after the dog at playschool), and a few Riley dogs (named after Mo D's Riley). This week, after resurrecting the first ever Riley from a toy bin, she decided Ocho needed a collar, leash, and a way to pull him along. This is what we came up with:

 Riley is the white dog. Ocho is riding on the newly designed-for-carrying-dogs lego platform, with a new paper collar and kitchen twine leash.

It took us a while to come up with a way to roll Ocho. When we finally made a working design with Legos, Anna wouldn't stop walking her dogs.

...loves music, singing, and dancing. My favorite part of bedtime these days are the few moments when I lay down next to her to sing a song. It used to be that we'd snuggle in the rocking chair while I sang "Sleepytime Girl" or "Bushel and a Peck," but now Anna sings to me. Most often, she sings her own made-up songs. The melody is simple and the words are few, usually including something about various animals, St. Nick, maybe something about our day, but they always ends the same. "And that's the end of the song."

...is growing up. I know. It's obvious. It just feels so real after last week when we were putting up some new paper lanterns on her ceiling and doing a little reorganization in her room. Since she was a baby, we've rocked and snuggled in my old rocking chair before bedtime. Rocking has become more and more infrequent though, especially after naps stopped. At Christmas, Anna received a bean bag that she decided to keep in her room. It's where she likes to read, and once it arrived, it's where she's preferred to read her bedtime story and eat her bedtime snack. The rocker wasn't getting much action. When I asked if she would like to move it out and put her bean back and little rocker in its place to free up room and create a little "reading corner," she was all for it. It's a fine change, I know. But, I am kinda sad that our rocking days are few (I'm not going to say over - I'm hopeful we'll steal moments occasionally in its new nursery location).

Predictions

We've applied sunscreen and donned hats every day this week - this third week of March. With temperatures in the mid-eighties, Anna and I picnicked, lounged at "the beach" (quotes are necessary given the nature of the sand and water at the Brighton watering hole), played at the park, searched for bugs and flowers, and explored a lot. I've adjusted quite quickly to the hot weather, happily slipping on my flip flops and shorts every morning. I happen to have more warm-weather maternity clothes, so I'm hoping the cooler temps to come don't stick around too long.

Cooking together - a nightly occurrence. Anna is really into helping out in the kitchen right now. 

 Picnic faces...

 At "the beach" with a very red, hot face! When you grow up (at least part of the time) near Lake Michigan, the dirt/gravel sand just doesn't quite live up to your expectations. But, Anna LOVED it anyway.

 This water was ice cold. It hurt my legs when I walked in it. She did not care.

It's been such a blessing to have the sunlight this week, the green grass and yellow daffodils popping up everywhere. The cards, e-mails, text messages, and phone calls from friends and family sending prayers and positive thoughts have also lifted my spirits every day. These things, as well as conversations with my high risk OB and my midwife, have me feeling more hopeful than I did a few days ago. I expected as much. My process is predictable. And, while there are still many risks for this baby and so much that is NOT predictable, I'm trying to stay present and focus on the fact that right now, at this moment, the baby is doing just fine.

I'm also keeping myself busy, taking full advantage of the second trimester energy shift. Beyond the usual daily activities of living, I've been sewing skirts for Betsy's daughters, meeting with "deck guys" about fixing our deck, designing our family photo wall for the upstairs hallway, Pinning nursery ideas, pondering paint colors, selecting and then throwing out boy names, and planning. 

Anna has been in on the name game as well. She's into silly names like Bath or crazy words I cannot even pronounce. Along with the silly comes a very tender side of Anna when discussing her little brother. Every day, Anna wants to snuggle and talk to the baby. She'll tell him good morning or good night, whisper some things I cannot hear, and then she adds, "We'll see you in August!" (I may, at some point, have suggested saying that, hoping that the affirmation itself has some power). No matter where the words come from, it's precious, and the love she has for this little guy fills my heart. I hope her prediction is right...while I can't wait to meet our little guy, I hope we don't see him until August. 

Thank You

I'm feeling very grateful right now, and I wanted to say thank you to everyone for their kind words, prayers, and positive thoughts. The support of friends and family has been so uplifting.

While I haven't heard back from our doctor yet or obtained any additional answers, I'm feeling a little bit better. I'm also diving deeply into nesting, which is a good distraction. The amazing, eighty-degree weather we're having doesn't hurt either.

Anna and I are taking a little trip to a local sandy beach today. While the water will be too cold for swimming, the sun and sand will be therapeutic and fun, and that's just what we need.

Stormy Weather

The week dawned warm and sunny and full of fun. It was one of those weeks where the planned and spontaneous activities, along with the weather, energized and exhausted us in such a good way. It's mid March and somehow we managed hours outside almost daily doing things like bike riding, picnicking on a blanket in the yard, and just playing. Anna helped me cook (A LOT) this week, windows wide open with the breeze blowing in. We danced, ate sorbet downtown, stretched along with our yoga videos, and painted, all before Thursday, when we drove with our friends Emily, Harper, and Crosby to see Clifford (live) in Detroit. A few short hours later, we were in the midst of a tornado.

Thursday brought storms - the worst kind of storms - too close to home. Our community was devastated, so many homes destroyed. The tornado, somehow, danced around our house, demolishing homes, businesses, and trees just one mile away. Anna and I were huddled in the basement, unsure of just how bad it really was. It wasn't until later when I heard of the tornado at Hudson Mills Metro Park that I new I had seen the dust and debris from the tornado billowing up over the hill when I peered out the basement window in the midst of the storm. Fortunately, nobody was injured in Dexter. Fortunately, we were only out of power and water for a few days, a minor inconvenience compared to others in the community.

Despite our good fortune, or maybe because of it, driving through the carnage on Friday morning left me feeling so many overwhelming emotions...gratitude, deep sadness, fear, and the recognition that we have so little control and that this one life we are given is so precious.

That was Friday morning. Friday afternoon, Blake and I left Aunt Kaity and Anna with plenty of bottled water and a working refrigerator (thanks to Blake's coworker who loaned us his generator) on a summer-like almost-Spring day to have our "big" middle-of-the-pregnancy, or in our case, 18-week ultrasound. To most, it was a big day, because we would be finding out if we are having a boy or a girl. For me, I can honestly say that I have had no preference for one or the other. I've been able to see the wonder of both, and with the way this pregnancy has been going, I was just hoping, and for some reason expecting, to come away with good feelings after being told everything is just as it should be.

A little over twenty-four hours later, and I feel like I'm in the middle of a tornado again, albeit a metaphorical or emotional one. We were given mostly good news at the ultrasound, and in a week or so, I'm sure (well, I'm hoping) that I will once again get to a place of peace with the news that was not so good. Right now, though, I'm struggling to take in the fact that our little baby is at risk once more. It turns out that I am in the one percent of the population who has a condition called velamentous cord insertion, where the umbilical cord does not attach to the placenta where it should. Rather, it is attached to the membranes, and in my case, it is a rather long distance from the placenta. One of the challenges to feeling any sense of peace right now is that I need more information. The risks of low birth weight and prematurity (because the baby must sometimes be taken very early due to the flow of blood and nutrients being compromised by the condition) seem to be the most common complications. There are other risks, too, which I cannot wrap my mind around right now, some ending in the worst case scenario.

I'm going through my process - the one that I'm so familiar with now. It seems to mirror the seven stages of grief very closely. I'm passed through shock and denial pretty quickly, and I'm stuck in the pain, anger, and bargaining stages. I catch myself asking why. Why again? Why this? Each time we are presented with more scary news, I go through it. Monday I'll make a phone call to our favorite high-risk OB, and I hope I'll feel a little relief with some questions answered. The difference now is that I AM in that 1% of people with this condition already, whereas I'm still in the 97% of people whose baby doesn't have heart block despite my antibodies. So, while I can let go of the worry about our baby's heart for the time being, it's difficult for me to let go of my worry about, what seem to be, some inevitable side effects of this condition. In this moment, I'm not a shining example of staying positive and believing everything will turn out for the best. And, in this moment, I have to let myself go through this process to get to the other side. I'll get there eventually...I have to.

In the mean time, I'm writing. I'm heading downstairs to sew and talk to a friend. I'm trying to nurture my body and this baby as best I can in the midst of these crazy, life-altering storms that have me feeling so utterly helpless, so confused, so desperate for some certainty or guarantees. It may be a rough week ahead. Fortunately, there's sunny, warm weather in the forecast.

And, in case you are wondering, we are having a little baby boy! Anna is so happy. She seemed to know, and now insists that a boy is what she wanted all along. It's pretty darn cute.

On the Farm

Yesterday we enjoyed an afternoon at the farm with our friends. We started at Tantre Farm, where we're CSA members, then ventured to a sheep farm that our friend graciously introduced us to. The weather, the company, and the surroundings made for an ideal spring day (with many photo opportunities). 

Before we could get in the car to go to the farm, Anna realized there were many worms on the hot, dry driveway that needed to be rescued. We had a mission to accomplish before we could leave.

Anna was enamored with chickens (and a couple of loud roosters) at Tantre. We arrived too late to gather eggs here, but we did help gather eggs at the second farm. 

Anna and Jessica hitching a ride in the wagon on the way to pick some spinach at the greenhouse.

I just loved this old bike, the seat in particular, in the middle of the field.  

 There are all sorts of treasures to be found around the farm. Skulls (from what?) included.

Allise, thankfully, pulling the kids. Alicia and Allise were nice enough to take turns. I was out of breath just from walking up hill on my own.

LOVE this rooster!!

At the sheep farm, the girls saw brand new, day old, lambs. They were able to pet and help hold one as well. 

They fed a lot of hungry goats and a few sheep as well. 

I was mesmerized by this eye. 

At the end of the bucket. The goat in the background is waiting not so patiently.

Tiny Dancer

On most nights, we have a little dance party after dinner. While I was teaching Spinning on Monday night, Anna informed Blake that, rather than dancing together, she wanted to dance by herself. And, she was going to be on stage. He was instructed to watch. This is what he saw:

Shell Classification

I just had to post these photos from last week for Uncle Loren and Aunt Kathy. After we returned from Marco Island, Anna wanted to DO something with all the sea shells we collected. With the informative pamphlet that Loren and Kathy gave us about shells found on Florida's gulf coast, we had all we needed for a classification project. I couldn't help but think how Uncle Loren would be so proud that we made a little science project out of the gift!

The Lettered Olive (top, center) is not a shell we found, however it was Anna's favorite, simply because of its name. This girl loves her olives.

These two beautiful shells were given to us by Loren and Kathy and are not easy finds. 

Crispy Black Bean Cakes

I crave these black bean cakes, even when I'm not pregnant. They're another regular in our house, as they are deliciously dairy-free, and when paired with our favorite kale salad, with salt, lime, and olive oil, it's a pretty healthy meal (minus the fried aspect, of course). For us, they're a weekend meal, though - I wouldn't say they are quick to whip up.

The original recipe was taken from Food and Wine, and we follow it exactly (minus topping with sour cream). No need to change it at all!

Crispy Black Bean Cakes


2 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for frying (we usually use canola)
1 small onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 15-oz cans of black beans, drained, or approximately 3 cups of cooked, dried beans
1 1/4 cups plain dry bread crumbs (we use whole wheat)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
Avocado and lime wedges for serving

In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape the onion mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups of the beans and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but not smooth. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Mix in the remaining whole beans and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 12 1/4-cup patties (we use a measuring cup to do this, which produces perfectly shaped cakes), about 1/2 inch thick.

Put the flour, beaten eggs, and the remaining 3/4 cup of bread crumbs into 3 shallow bowls. Dust each black bean cake with the flour, tapping off the excess. Dip the cakes in the egg and then in the bread crumbs, pressing so that the bread crumbs adhere.

In a very large skillet, heat 1/8 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the cakes and fry over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve the black bean cakes with avocado and lime wedges (we squeeze quite a bit of lime on ours). You can add sour cream and scallions as well if you like.

Spring Means...

Warming our faces in the sun, playing at the park, flying a kite, making water balloons, walking slowly to and from lunch downtown after a bowling match that Anna's been planning all week, running into neighbors outside before dinner, talking while the kids play, the sun still warming the breeze despite the fact that it's dinnertime.

She's pretty happy to be making water balloons again.

And flying kites. I have so many kite-flying pictures, but...I can't help myself.

She was so proud to be doing it all by herself.

When you're pregnant, Spring also means NESTING and CLEANING. I'm almost 18 weeks along now, and while the physical fatigue still seems to be hanging on a bit, my mind is not stopping. I'm suddenly in full blown list-making, planning, dreaming mode (mostly dreaming). While we played outside just before dinner, Blake and I discussed plans for our garden and dreamt about fixing our weathered deck. I'm dreaming about a swing set for Anna for her fourth birthday. Also on my mind is the exterior trim that desperately needs painting, the landscaping that needs clean up, flowers that want to be planted, the garage that needs organizing, and the basement that needs some work, too.

I'm thinking this needs some major work before a little one crawls around on it next spring.

I'm thinking about the nursery, too, of course, but we've been holding back on any major decisions until we find out (hopefully) if we are having a boy or a girl on Friday. Although, as I say that, I think the color scheme will be the same regardless. When I know that, I'm going to finally get a shower curtain that's the right size for the Jack and Jill bathroom and maybe some pictures, too. I'm itching to go through the baby clothes to see what will be kept. I've also started a list of things we'll need to purchase, which I hope won't be lengthy for the second child.

Jessica and my dad visited this weekend, and they generously donated their old flat screen TV (note: an old TV for my dad is 3 or 4 years of age, so we're actually inheriting a relatively new model). Blake and Papa Mox spent Saturday morning hanging the Heaviest TV In The World in our "study." Up until now, we've been watching our television as it rested on a dining room chair. It's so wonderful to have the television finally mounted on the wall! Now we just have to figure out how to hide the cords. I've added it to the other long nesting list that's constantly evolving. Then there's the decorating wish list, the items that will mostly have to wait: new light fixtures, seating for our TV room, dining room furniture, which I've been informed will likely be ten years from now, a dresser for our bedroom, decor in general.

I'm tiring myself out just re-reading what I've written so far, but I do have a feeling that Spring will be a beautiful blend of play and productivity. After all, when I'm 8 1/2, 9, 10 months pregnant and it's 83 degrees outside, there will be little productivity. Anna and I will be spending most of our days staying cool at the pool.

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Homemade Stock

Somehow I snapped this photo without the avocado garnish, which is one of the other things that makes this soup so yummy!

I have a backlog of recipes to post that are regulars in our house. Ages ago I embedded a link in a post to a chicken tortilla soup recipe - it was the first time we'd tried it. We've made our (simpler) version of this soup more times than I can count now. The thing that makes it, though? Blake's homemade chicken stock. Really, it's worth it to make your own if you have the chicken carcasses on hand.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped (Emeril suggests a other, spicier peppers as well, but Anna doesn't like hers too spicy)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp tomato paste
6 cups homemade chicken stock (recipe below)
1 pound chicken breast meat, shredded or cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 avocado, sliced, for garnish
tortilla chips

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, pepper(s), salt, cumin, and coriander, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and saute until fragrant. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice and stir well.

Serve with sliced avocado on top and tortilla chips on the side.

Blake's Homemade Chicken Stock

This is just a place to start...if you need more or less, it's easy to adjust amounts. We always make a lot, though, as it freezes well.

3-4 lbs. chicken carcasses
1 large onion, split in half
2 large carrots, halved
2 celery stalks, halved
3-4 garlic cloves, left whole
6-8 black peppercorns
3 sprigs flat leaf parsley
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

Place peppercorns, parsley, bay leaves, and thyme in a small square of cheesecloth. Tie with kitchen twine. Put this along with all other ingredients into a large (12 qt.) stockpot. If you're short on time, just throw the herbs/spices straight into the pot - they'll be strained out later. Cover with water (about 8 qts.). Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down and simmer stock on low for 4-5 hours. Strain stock first through a colander (to get bones and big chunks out), then through a fine mesh strainer. Let cool (preferably overnight) and skim fat off of top before using. Makes approximately 3 1/2 to 4 quarts.

Thanks to Vacation

Vacation brought with it a wonderful change of scenery, and it also brought a little change in our morning routine.

I'm not remembering how many days into vacation the change happened, but shortly after our arrival, Anna began getting out of bed in the morning and coming into our room to wake us up. This may not seem out of the ordinary; however, at home Anna has NEVER done this. She reliably, every morning, has called out to us to let us know she is awake, asking if it's time to get up. 

In her vacation room, the morning sun shone through the blinds (at home she has blackout drapes). So, in the condo, she'd wake up, and regardless of the time, declare that the light meant that it was time to wake up. I wondered if this new pattern would change upon our return home. It hasn't (I guess those blackout drapes don't black it out enough). Yesterday, and the day before for that matter, I heard her stirring and heard the gentle padding of feet down the hall, and then a soft little hand touched mine. I opened my eyes, and there she stood. "It's light out, now, Mommy!" 

The good thing, for now, is that she's still staying in her room when she wakes in the night - when it's dark. I wonder how long that will last?!

Marco Island

Naturally, I took a few photos on our vacation. Naturally, my pregnancy brain left me with a dirty lens, which I kept meaning to clean, but kept forgetting, AND a very bad ISO setting for every picture. Basically, I decided to pop on my kit lens, set the camera on auto for most of the shots on our trip, because I learned on the last vacation that I needed to be able to zoom in and move quickly while we were on the beach and not all close together. Putting the camera on auto, I just wasn't thinking about resetting the ISO to auto as well. So, the photos are all a bit grainy...but I love them nonetheless.

 The first night

Horribly blurry, but the happy face over chocolate ice cream at breakfast had to be included. 

 The first of so many drip castles.

 Buried by Daddy in the sand.

 Love her hand on her cheek here.

 Staring contests.

 Every Single Sunset was gorgeous!

Morning cartoon session. 

We had to get a new hat to cover Anna's face, and of course she picked the MOST colorful one she could find!