Week 3: days 15-21

I am so proud of myself for being able to say I am week 3. I am a little behind in posting because I don't have a whole bunch of free time to edit pics but I am snapping and saving.

My fave is day 19. I am not sure why he was making this face. I think he was laugh crying. I don't know but every time I see it I giggle. Day 15 is with my Dad. My Dad watches him for me once per week while I go to dance class- this is their time together because it's just the two of them. When I got back that day they were chatting it up. Despite the pics of him sleeping day16 and 17 were not one of those 11th hour photos. I just love sleeping babies- they look so peaceful and precious. Day 21 was his first time really out in the snow. He seemed like he didn't know how to take so he just looked around trying to figure out what he should be doing.

So, what do you think?

Craving: Cheescake

I get cravings for sweets every now and then. Actually I don't think the day is complete without dessert. Any dessert will do... cakes, pies, cookies, ice cream...whatever. This is what started my love of baking. One day I needed to have some dessert and I've been trying my hand at DIY dessert ever since. But I digress...

Cheesecake is a one of a kind experience. Some people like it dense, some people like it creamy. Some people like toppings others like it plain. Personally, I like creamy, moist (as if cheesecake could be dry?), not too much crust with just the right right amount of fruit topping and lots of whipped cream cheesecake (whew!).

I had a craving for cheesecake. We know what happens when I have a craving. So I made a cheesecake. Actually I made 12 cheesecakes... hear me out.

I love to bake but I'm not that stellar at it. I mean I've never anything inedible but that doesn't mean everything I make it going to be fantastic. So when I try a new recipe I make a little bit. Just in case it's nasty there won't be a lot of it going to waste. Enter 12 cheesecakes. Okay, okay they weren't 12 WHOLE cheesecakes (a mere technicality) but rather mini cheesecakes. I got the recipe from a cupcake book my mom gave me.

I started out pretty good but nervous because this was my first time baking a cheesecake.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb. cream cheese room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 sour cream
2 large eggs room temp
3 tbsp all-purpose flour




I don't want to post the directions because I'm sure it would be copyright infringement, but I followed them to a 'T'. I was careful to do so because I needed to get the recipe right before I could make my own variations. But somehow...

They caved. That's right it sank in the middle. After consulting Betty Google Crocker I learned that sometimes {whole} cheesecakes can crack and split. Which I guess is what kind of happened. But still there was a big void in the middle of my mini cheesecakes. Take a closer look:

Yea. Big hole. In the grand scheme of things it's not really that big of a deal because I could cover it up with decoration. I have some suspicions though. One of which may be the actual ingredients. I used frozen cream cheese. That has to do with my couponing obsession.

See... pretty. Clearly I'll have to work on cheesecake baking. But more importantly how did it taste?

Heavenly, divine, delightfully delish... okay I'm out of adjectives but you get my point. It was really good. At first I was a little skeptical because I prefer my cheesecake creamy. Don't get me wrong, it was by no means dry, but the not so creaminess didn't really hold a lot of weight because it was THAT good. The only other person to taste test this was my husband. He said it was good too. I believe him even though he says anything I bake is good. I made cheesecake poppers with the left over batter from the 12 mini cakes... he's already eaten all but 5. I am going to get in a little more practice then I plan to take this to a whole new level. There are a few events coming up in which I want to unveil my new found dessert. I already have a TON of ideas brewing in my head but you may just have to wait and see for that.

Week 2: days 8-14

So, I'm progressing along. Although at times I'm finding myself without my camera so a lot of pictures are coming via iPhone. I also get so caught up in the day I find myself running to him at 11:49 pm and catching a picture of him sleeping. Eh, I'll get the hang of it.

I like how day 8 really captures the essence of his HUGE cheeks. Sometimes pictures just don't do it justice. At times I feel bad about the picture from day 9. I only let him cry for a second. It just so happened that the camera was right there. I remember seeing this quote on Jen's love letters and I just had to snap the picture. He looks so hurt :( I think he was mad because I put him down (momma's boy). Day 10 is so cute! We were playing at the doctor's office... I love that smile- doesn't he look like he's flirting? Day 11 is how we start out sleeping most nights. You can bet this was an 11:49 pm picture and there just so happens to be another one in week 3. Day 13 is how I left them when I went to work that day- needless to say- I was super jealous. And I can't believe I finally got a picture like day 14. I have been trying to get a picture of him sticking his tongue out since he started doing it which was way before I began the challenge. I think I can get a better one though.

2 weeks down, 52 more to go. Do you have any tips/pointers, or favorites from this week?



another random post

I have a whole bunch of things I want to blog about but have little to no time to do so. Here's a shortened version of what's going on in my head right now:

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I'm particularly saddened that I didn't get to blog about a recent significant holiday:

I want my son to know how important the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is- it's not just an extra day off. I can't wait to take him to the King Center in Atlanta and I myself would LOVE to visit the King Memorial in D.C.- despite all of the controversy surrounding it.
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Today the Internet went black. Well sort of- and this is the thing: I kind of have no idea what's going on. I'd like to blame in on the fact that I'm a mom, but it's really more of the fact that I just don't have everything quite down pact yet. I'm still figuring out how to get everything done (or at least the essentials) and still spend time with my son and husband. I'm back to work now (more on this another day) and finding the balance between home and work has been elusive. I'm sure I'll get it- Noah didn't build the ark in one day. Needless to say- I have a DVR full of unwatched television shows (I'm sure it's at about 80% full or my husband has been sneaking and deleting my shows). So, I'm embarrassed to say type acknowledge that I have no idea what SOPA and PIPA is- I'm glad there is someone in this world concerned about our #firstworldproblems and protesting. And in case you've been living under baby poop, milk, and teething rings go to wikipedia (the English version) and google right now (January 18 is the only day they are doing it as far as I know). Yea- crazy. Even craigslist and Pinterest have joined in. I would sit here and think of random websites to go to but who has time for that?

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I'm a Beyonce fan... not quite a Stan. Well maybe. I used to think I was Beyonce on weekends. Okay, I know that sounds weird but whatever. I know there are a great deal of people who don't necessarily care for her, or her music, or celebrity- but I find most of her songs to be very catchy, I think she's quite fashionable and she gorgeous and gracious. I admire her drive. I remember in an interview she stated she wanted to be the first person to win a Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony- that's ambition. She's found a goal and is working toward it. I definitely think she can do it. We all know of her insane amount of Grammy's and she came so close to that Oscar- she will find another role that will take her to the top (although Dreamgirls may be the only movie I truly liked her as an actress. We won't bring up Obsessed). I also believe that like many other successful singers (Sheryl Lee Ralph) when she's done with the main stream spotlight- she can make it on Broadway.

So my point...

I'm kind of getting sick of the recent news of her giving birth. I mean I will read or watch legitimate news, good news. Every since she announced her pregnancy there has been so much gossip surrounding the ordeal that I actually at this point feel bad for her. She has been accused of wearing a fake baby bump and using a surrogate to avoid 'ruining her body', She's been ridiculed for continuing to wear heels throughout the pregnancy, there have been reports of giving birth in December to a 'Tiana May Carter' (although I think this was just a twitter rumor). It has been reported that her security caused some inconveniences to the parents of newborn babies in NICU. I have no idea what's true and what's not because I haven't been there to witness any of it. But I draw the line at going after newborn babies.

photo credit

Really?? Really?? Seriously???

If I new someone had said something so malicious about my little boy when he was born not only would I be extremely hurt and disgusted- but I might just flip my lid. I get that celebrities are targets of all sorts of craziness but this was just plain unnecessary. Especially because we are all born into sin (Psalm 51:5) singling out a child who has no idea of the life she was born into is just plain wrong. And an inappropriate jab at her parents nonetheless.

I really just want it all to stop. I really feel bad for baby Carter's family and if she ever googles her name in the distant future- how is her parents going to explain that, although I'm sure in her lifetime they will be explaining a lot due to their high profile lives. I wish them lots of love (which has already been expressed in Jay-Z's "Glory") and I hope they do decide to do an interview- in their own time- just to let their fans know how blessed they are ( I know they don't owe it to us) and let those who care share in their joy.

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I am obsessed with Pinterest right now. I could waste hours everyday pinning away.

Source

BEST. PIN.EVER.

I swear my son makes that face sometime.

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And if I can ever get my life together stay tuned for upcoming posts:

A day in the life of a working mom
Craving: Cheesecake
365 366 love letters: week 2
A day in the life: Weekend Edition
My New Year's resolutions (Yea I know)

4 months!

My oh my!

No longer a newborn :( You have accomplished so much in these few short months and we are looking forward to so many more milestones! Let's start with the basics.

You are now a whooping 16 pounds! I can't really tell how big you've gotten while I'm carrying you around, but once you are in your car seat- whoa! You are in the 90th percentile for weight and head circumference which is 17.25 inches. This is actually a little less than your last appointment- I guess your brain is giving your body a chance to catch up :). You are 25 inches long now which is in the 75th percentile. My baby boy is two feet tall now!

You are doing so well growing and developing - it amazes me. You are begining to show small signs of independence like trying to hold your own bottle when you eat. Pretty soon I know you'll get angry if someone tries to hold it for you.

Since you are holding your head so well (as you have been for a while now) we introduced a new toy for you to play with- your jumperoo! You love it so much. It lights up and plays music whenever you jump and you get such a kick out of it. You love excersizing those little legs but your feet don't quite touch the ground when you are in it yet. We just put a pillow under your feet and you get going!

We are also begining to introduce solids this month. Your first time eating cereal was so cute. You have to learn how to eat from a spoon but I'm sure you'll get it relatively quickly. You were very happy with your new meal option and we can't wait for you to try it again.

onsie by baby gap

I am looking forward to the many moments that we will share this month. It is especially sentimental because I also returned to work. I miss our 'mornings with mommy', our trips out to wherever, whenever. I miss you period. Sometimes I think you get mad that I leave you for so long- you don't always smile when I pick you up. I know we will both need time to get used to the change though. I always count down the days until the weekend- or until I get an extra day off.

Love you much!

Week 1: days 1-7

I am so pleased with my first installment of my 365 366 day photo challenge. I must admit day 3's picture was taken at approximately 11:42 pm. I was in the bed and hubby was feeding little bit and suddenly I remembered that I hadn't did a photo that day. The majority of these pictures are iPhone photos as well. I am getting the hang of always having my camera with me though. I mean, I always have my camera with me but it's not always in my hand.

In this one short week of photo sessions, I've learned that

-I need more background space if I intend to write a message on each picture. I love to zoom in on his face and that leaves little space for messages.

-It's not easy to photograph a wiggling baby. I knew this before I started this project but it's become even clearer now.

- I may need to invest in a good photo editing program, although I'm sure I wouldn't have the time to learn how to use it or actually edit pictures using it considering I did all of these on the fly in various locations.

- It doesn't have to be perfect. I think he's going to look back on this and smile.

All in all, I also think it came out pretty good considering I used free photo editing websites to edit all the pictures. I still think this is a huge undertaking for me considering I photograph him often in various situations anyway. I just received his birth story photo book I made for him and currently I'm finishing up his 0-3 months book. Needless to say, I think he's beginning to recognize the camera. He still ignores me sometimes but I think he's starting to get it. So without further ado...

Outfit by: BuyBuybaby

My favorites photo wise are days 4 & 6. I love seeing him play. The newborn meaning of playtime is so adorable. My favorites editing wise are days 5 & 6. Simply adding frames does wonders to pictures especially when you are trying to hide messy bed clutter as in day 6. I'm linking up this post with Baby Making Machine's love letter's linky :)

 

TV hopping

Yes, this is our current TV situation. Yes, you should feel bad for us. You can see what our previous TV situation used to look like here. I'm not exactly sure what happened. It just went...kaput!

So my husband moved the TV in the kitchen to one of the end tables in the living room and plopped it in front of our old TV. But that's not it. When he goes back into the kitchen to cook or eat- he takes it with him! Sometimes I catch glimpses of him walking down the hallway, TV in hand and it is absolutely hilarious!

The good news is we get to upgrade our TV! :) The broken one is a floor model from quite a few years ago. I'm hoping to upgrade to something like this:

We can't have a real fireplace so an electric fireplace will suffice... for now. Plus it's a forced air heater so I can crack it up 'to knock the chill off' a time or two. And for the actual TV- this is my top choice. If you have time-check out the specs. Apparently 3D TVs are the next big thing crazy thing is this TV doesn't require dorky glasses to get the 3D effect! But that's not happening in this lifetime. And if you are bored one day and want to torture yourself please get to a Best Buy and sit in the home theater set ups (in front of that TV) and prepare to waste an entire afternoon (or morning or evening) staring in awe. We are going to wait for a major holiday sale and hope to score some major savings on a more reasonably priced one. But until then- we'll keep TV hopping.

3 months young

Hey Sweet Potato!

Yea, I've taken to calling you that nowadays- but don't worry I'll stop before it embarrasses you. And I promise to come up with some equally if not more mortifying :)

So I better get this done before you turn 4 months old. I know this is super (by super I mean a month) late, but what can I say, we've been super busy!

Time is going by so fast! You are almost no longer a newborn :(. You have grown so much since you were first born - God's miracles are amazing.

I'll start with your stats. At your 3 month well visit you weighed in at 15 pounds 2 ounces. Whew! That's the 90th percentile! You're getting pretty heavy- but it's okay that means you are healthy and growing. You measured 23.4 inches long and it's pretty much confirmed- you've got your daddy's head: 17.5 inches.
Although you are obviously growing like a champ you haven't quite doubled your birth weight so the doctor says we will see what's happening at your four month visit and maybe you can start cereal! I'm very excited for your next milestone but I'm also worried that you will eat me out of house and home.

Yep, you saw that correctly, you're getting some thumb action. I actually think it's quite cute- but I won't let you make it a habit. You also got some more immunization shots but I'll spare you the gory details :).

You've done so much this past month it's amazing. This is your second trip to the grocery store (sometime Mommy forgets to take pictures of some things- but you will appreciate a picture from your second grocery store experience right?!) The first time we went you were sleeping when we arrived so I left you in the car seat. This time I strapped you in the Moby and let you look about. I think you appreciated all the colors around you. I had to take this picture because your G-Ma thinks I don't dress you warm enough sometimes (even though you sweat like a cup of ice water left in the sun while you are in the car seat) so I had to verify your warmness (she worries about you a lot) and show off the cutest hat in the world!

We've celebrated 3 (I think) holidays!

Thanksgiving... although you would think it's Christmas with all the gifts you received.

Christmas... (really Christmas!)

and New Year's Eve.

You've visited your 92 year old Uncle...

Had a playdate...

 And still continue to enjoy bathtime...

Mommy and Daddy keep you very busy. Well, that's it for now. I'll be writing you again real soon!