Praise and Prayer Request from Jaden's grandmother

This was posted on my church's online prayer list:

"I want to thank everyone for their prayers and response to my need for a dog sitter. I found someone and now I am going to California to help my family. I need prayer for travel, strength,and comfort. God bless you and I will miss everyone here and CBC. Cheryl Kramer"

Please keep Jaden, Cheryl, and the rest of Jaden's family in your prayers.

Thanks!

bread machine fun and tips

I just love the taste of homemade bread! I don't use my bread machine that often, but yesterday I got the urge to make some whole wheat bread to go along with some chicken salad I prepared. I went online to find a recipe, and I was so excited! To my surprise, it didn't rise much at all, and I ended up throwing the majority of it away. I was disappointed. Being the stubborn one that I am, I was determined to make some good bread today. This time I used a box (mix), and as I was reading the box, I came across some information that would have been helpful yesterday. It said to use room temperature water because warm or hot water would prevent it from rising. Well, that explains my goof yesterday. In the winter, I tend to use only warm water at the sink, so I must have used warm water for the bread. At least now I'm aware of what happened and will be careful not to let it happen again. In case you're wondering, today's bread is divine- Hawaiian (sweet bread).

One more bread machine tip- I recommend the light crust setting if you think you will toast or heat of some of the bread later.

Oh, and the great thing about the bread machine is that I'm not nervous to leave the house with it on. I took Samuel for a walk while it was baking. I would never have done that with the regular oven.

I've posted several more times this week, so keep reading!

Sweet potato casserole for toddlers (or any hungry adult)

So, Samuel is no longer a baby, but he still loves sweet potatoes. I have bought the microwavable ones (wrapped in plastic and sold individually). They work great, and I added butter and brown sugar to them! Samuel has also had an Outback sweet potato with butter and brown sugar and was delighted. Last week I decided to make a sweet potato dish that my mom has been making forever. Samuel had eaten it at her house, so I knew he already liked it before I went to the trouble to make this. It's a recipe from the Williamsburg Cookbook. My mom was over last week, and we made them together. Enjoy! The recipe below is my toddler friendly version of the Williamsburg recipe.

King's Arms Tavern Sweet Potatoes
(8-10 adult servings)

5 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
3. Cook sweet potatoes in boiling salted water until done. (We put the potatoes in cold water. Once the water was boiling, we turned the heat down to 3 and kept the lid on. Once the water was boiling, it took about 30 minutes. Just check your potatoes with a fork and make sure that you can poke it all the way in easily before you take them out.)
4. Peel and mash potatoes well.
5. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients and use electric mixer to get ride of lumps. (I did this on a high speed, but watch for flying sweet potatoes.)
5. Put mixture into prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. (I didn't cook it right away, so I refrigerated it and when I was ready to cook it, I cooked it longer- like 35-40 minutes.)

Since I don't love sweet potatoes, I decided to freeze this in ice cube trays (just like baby food). Once they froze, I put the cubes in ziplocs like Amy suggested. When I want to give them to Samuel, I take 3 cubes out of the freezer, defrost them in the microwave until warm, and voila! It's a great way to give your little one a vegetable! Since Samuel is a picky vegetable eater (like his mommy), I will be making this recipe often!

Alphabet Fun

At Thanksgiving, Jeremy and I bought Samuel Leap Frog Fridge Phonics. We mainly bought it for Jeremy's parents' house and my parents' house since we had been warned that it would scratch our stainless steel appliances. He has enjoyed using it at my parents' since we got home from Jeremy's parents' house after Thanksgiving. He can even repeat the letters after it plays. For a week or two he has been trying to repeat the alphabet song. Now we're using it at home just on the furniture or on the floor. - Whatever works, right? Today I got him on video saying a couple of letters. Of course, he didn't say all of the ones that he has said in the past, but that's ok. You will hear me on beginning of the video. I was trying to get him to sing along. Then, I let him take over. I think it's cute even if it's only 4 or 5 letters. He's not even 2 yet, so I can't expect him to get it all... It has been encouraging though since I am going to be his teacher from now until the end of high school. He seems to enjoy learning. He's like a sponge. He also loves music. One of us sings to him before bed, and he is learning to sing "Jesus Loves Me", "Jesus Loves the Little Children", and "Amazing Grace". We let him fill in the blanks for a couple of the words. It is so sweet when he tries to sing the songs with me. If I could just teach him everything through music...

big prayer request from now until Sunday, Feb. 2

I wanted to give you an update on the attempt to sell our house:

On Saturday, we had a good showing. We are in this couple's top 3. They are moving because of a job transfer, so they definitely will be buying a house. They told their realtor that they will be making a decision by the end of next week. From now until Sunday, Feb. 2, we are going to be praying. We know that the Lord is going to bring a buyer for our home. Maybe this is the one.

By Feb. 2nd, I pray that I will have a post with a big SOLD sign.

Will you pray with us? We would appreciate it!!!

A lot to be thankful for...

We had a good weekend! Four events made it even more special:

1. Jeremy came home on Thursday night, which was a nice surprise and put a huge smile on my face!

2. Jeremy and I went on a date night on Friday night. This isn't something we do regularly, but we hope to start making it a habit. We had a nice Japanese dinner, some Rita's custard and ice, and a little shopping. 2 1/2 hours alone was so nice. My parents were so thoughtful to feed Samuel and put him to bed for us, so that we could have this night out. (Of course, they didn't leave until we got home...)

2. On Saturday morning we had a showing on our house that went really well. Please be praying for the Lord to place our house on their minds. They took a CD Rom, so we're praying that they will look at the pictures and want to buy our house. We will update if we have any more news on that front.

3. Jeremy felt the baby move for the first time on Saturday night. This was a surprise to us since I'm only 18 weeks pregnant and with Samuel it took until 23 weeks for Jeremy to feel him move... This is a very active baby. It also seems like he or she moves a lot when I'm in bed. Last night I had a hard time falling asleep because of it. A great reason not to be able to sleep...
(Only 2 more weeks until we can start calling the baby by name. YAY!!!)

Have a good week!

If you've been praying for Baby Jaden...

I wanted to give you an update on precious Jaden. Jaden's parents flew to get more Aimspro for him, which means that Jaden is now doing better. They have a 3 months supply of Aimspro, so please pray for FDA approval between now and the middle of April. Also, pray for Jaden to qualify for the bone marrow transplant and for the Del Taylors to raise the necessary funds quickly. The Duke hospital will require them to pay for the transplant upfront, which is $850,000. That is a lot of money to raise, but we know that all things are possible with God! They have already done several fundraisers for the Del Taylors, and I'm sure more will follow. You can also donate on their website.

Thanks for praying!

Little to spend on clothes? No problem.

Ever since I quit my job to stay home with Samuel, Jeremy and I have had to watch our spending. This was hard to get used to at first because I am a typical woman; although, the Lord quickly showed me that the happiness that comes from being a helpmeet to Jeremy and a Mom to Samuel is way better than material possessions I could have if I worked outside the home. Not to mention that I feel so blessed that the Lord led me to a husband that wanted (and still wants) me to stay home. The plan was always for me to stay home with children, but before I was pregnant with Samuel, it became more than just a desire. It became a conviction for me and Jeremy.

So, what's daily life like with that wonderful husband? Jeremy is really good about not spending money (unless you take him to a restaurant). I admire how selfless he is. Jeremy had an easy work wardrobe for the past 4 1/2 years as a trim carpenter, but now he is transitioning into a job with less manual labor. (Starting a new business is another reason that we don't have much to spend...) A few weeks ago Jeremy told me that he needed to get some work shirts that look a little more professional. I knew he was serious since he never mentions buying clothes. He looked at some shirts at Steinmart on Friday night, and they were at least $20 each. That might sound cheap, but it's not when you buy more than a couple. He walked away empty handed because he's thrifty like me.

The good news is that today I was able to add 5 shirts to Jeremy's wardrobe for less than the price of one shirt at Steinmart. I was never a Goodwill fan until I decided to spend a little time looking there. I thrive on a good bargain, but Goodwill was a place I had never considered. I started out just buying books, and then I realized that Target sends a lot of new stuff to our Goodwill. Even better... Target is one of my favorite stores. Then, I got the gumption to look at the clothes. (Some of those being new Target clothes.) I have to admit that it was a process, and it was humbling. I have always loved clothes and shoes,but Goodwill was never a stop on my shopping trips. Hopefully I don't offend any of you. I'm just being honest... So, I'm still not abandoning other stores, but I definitely love finding cute clothes for $3.79 each.

I'm a Goodwill snob though. I search for name brands, and I stay away from knits since they normally look worn. Today at the Goodwill I hit the jackpot. I got Jeremy shirts from J Crew, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Target. The Target shirt was new with tags marked $21.99. The others looked like new. Only one tiny bleach stain on the J Crew shirt. Just to prove how nice they were, I will tell you that Jeremy was excited, and clothes don't really excite him. He feels like he has a whole new wardrobe and he told me that now he won't have to worry if he snags a shirt or stains one. I even asked him if it was ok for me to post about his "new " shirts, and he said he's proud of them.

I forgot to mention that I also added a pair of new Target Liz Lange pants to my maternity wardrobe. I was thrilled to spend $3.97 on $19.99 pants.

Lastly, I got a nice new Target drying rack, books for Samuel, and a video for Samuel. I was pleased!

The next time you have some free time, you might want to consider checking out the Goodwill. If you don't have a Goodwill, other thrift stores are great too. Happy shopping!!!

I sure wish I had...

some Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies because this pie looks sooooo good!

Last week I recommended that you check out Cookie Madness. Well, tonight I came across this recipe on her blog:

Triple Layer Thin Mint Pie

1 box Thin Mint cookies (32 cookies)
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups cold milk
2 packages (4-serving size each) Jell-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 tub (12 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided use

Remove 10 cookies and set aside.

Crush or process remaining cookies, then mix them with the butter. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add both boxes of pudding mix and beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.)

Spoon out 1 1/4 cup of pudding into another bowl and stir in peppermint extract. Pour peppermint pudding mixture over crust. To remaining pudding mix, add in 1 cup of whipped topping. Spread the pudding/whipped topping layer of the mint layer.

Chop remaining cookies and combine them with about 2 ½ cups (doesn’t have to be precise) whipped topping. Spread this mixture over the top. The pie might look kind of messy at this point, so clean up the edges.

Chill for 4 hours or until set

To garnish, place remaining whipped topping in a plastic zipper bag. Snip off a corner of the bag (about ½ inch up from corner) and squeeze whipped topping around sides decoratively.

To make thin zig-zags, pour COLD chocolate syrup into a small zipper bag. Snip a very, very tiny cut off the bottom corner and drizzle away!

Makes 8 servings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

She recommends cutting it partially frozen because it's easier.

I will be making this as soon as the cookies come out!

Baby Jaden update and plea for prayers

Awhile back, I posted about a baby dying of Krabbes disease. His name is Jaden Del Taylor, and he's only 6 months old. Please pray for a miracle. This Del Taylors need the FDA to give them emergency approval for the drug Aimspro. The Del Taylors went to London for Jaden to receive the Aimspro injections, which worked wonders, but they only came home with 4 more injections. Jaden needs one injection per day. Since they only came home with 4 injections, they gave him one injection a week, but now those have run out. There are 60 vials of this drug waiting to be shipped to them from Australia, but without FDA approval, that won't happen. This family needs this drug because their son will die without it. The only cure for Krabbes is a bone marrow transplant, but Jaden doesn't qualify for the transplant because he is in the last stages of this disease. He will qualify for this transplant if they get Aimspro because Aimspro puts him back into the early stages of the disease. To read more, keep up with their blog, and know how to pray specifically, go Saving Jaden.

One more thing that is super important to this family is newborn screening. Only New York screens for Krabbes Disease at birth. If Jaden had, had this screening at birth, he could have have the bone marrow transplant soon after. The Del Taylors talked to a local tv station about this: http://www.10news.com/video/15079882/index.html They are trying to get the word out that more states need to be screening for this in order to help save lives.

Thanks for praying!

Another Favorite- Paula Deen

I wanted to share another recipe from a favorite of mine, Paula Deen. I made this today. I haven't tasted it yet because it has to refrigerate for 24 hours before you can eat it, but I know this is going to taste great! (I have tasted a version of this that my mom made, and it was yummy!) Oh, I made it lower fat by using low-fat graham crackers and Cool Whip. Now I just have to wait until tomorrow to eat it...

Eclair Cake

God is working in the lives of Tricia and Gwyneth

This is a photo of Nate touching his daughter's hand for the first time. He wasn't allowed to do this until Friday, Jan. 11. (She was born on Tuesday, Jan. 8.)

If you haven't been keeping up with the family in Nags Head, NC, I thought I would post part of Nate's update on his precious girls. God is so good! He has those 2 in the palm of his hand, and they continue to progress. They aren't out of the woods yet, so please keep praying! Nate included prayer requests.


Tricia is becoming more responsive every day, which means she's doing better on the vent and needing less sedatives. I am able to have short conversations with her by asking her yes and no questions. She's opening her eyes more, and even communicating when she wants/needs something. She is definitely aware of Gwyneth...this morning, as I was telling her that I was going to go see the baby again, and that I wanted her to wake soon so I could show her pictures and video, she suddenly frowned and looked about to cry, knowing that she was not going to be able to see the baby for a while...I have to tell you that almost broke my heart. I lost it right there...our nurse saw it as well and was tearing up a little. I can't wait until she wakes up!

Gwyneth was taken off the UV light (which was fighting off Jaundice). The only times I've seen her under normal lighting is when the nurses are working on her. No more "goggles" either. I sat for a long time, just watching her sleep...she moves her face all around, wiggling her ears, and scrunching her forehead. It's beautiful. She may be off of the vent in just a few days, which means I'll be one step closer to holding her. That will be a beautiful moment.

Here are some specific prayer requests for the next few days:

Tricia
> To continue responding well while being weaned off the vent and sedatives.
> NO Infections!
> Patience as I think she's consciously ready to wake up and learn what the rest of the world has been doing.

Gwyneth
> That she will poop soon...I know, I said "poop". It's not uncommon for preemies to go a while without pooping, but it needs to happen before they can give her a feeding tube, which she needs to really begin growing.
> That her blood work for the CF screening will come back negative.
> That her PDA will close soon.--It closed this morning, so Praise the Lord!
> That she will be free from any difficulties.

Yummy dinner recipes

I made dinner last night for Jeremy, Samuel, and my parents. Now that I have my energy back I wanted to make a special dinner. After searching some cooking blogs and friends' blogs, I decided to make lasagna and yeast rolls. My mom brought the salad, so I didn't have to think about that. The lasagna recipe I used was great! It isn't something you do when you only have an hour to cook, but I enjoyed making it. The Pioneer Woman Cooks has become one of my favorite blogs, and I found The Best Lasagna. Ever. Recipe. All of us enjoyed it. My dad said it tasted like gourmet lasagna, and that you couldn't get better lasagna at a restaurant. The best part of this recipe is the simple ingredients that end up tasting like gourmet even though they are far from it. Once again she didn't have a printer friendly recipe, so I made my own by cutting and pasting. If you send me an e-mail, I will send you this printer friendly recipe.

The Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls were a treat! I've never made rolls before. I wish I had started them after lunch because they take awhile to refrigerate and then rise. Thanks to Monica for a great recipe! I can't find her post, so I will copy what I cut and pasted from her blog:

Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls:

1 c. warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
4-4 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about five minutes.

Stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat in flour, 1 c. at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix (I did not need all 4 1/2 cups). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to four days.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough into 24 equal portions. Shape into a ball and place into greased 9x13 baking pan.

Cover and let rolls rise until doubled, about one hour. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Break rolls apart and serve. Rolls will be fluffier in height if baked closer together

Blogs to read if you like to cook or bake

Here are some of my favorite cooking/baking blogs:

Cookie Madness

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Coconut and Lime

Leah's Recipe Exchange

Southern Girls Home Cookin

Freezer Chicks (Thanks for this one, Monica!)

The Canadian Baker

Cookie recipe that I love

My mom used to make a great cookie when I was growing up. She called them cowboy cookies. They had oatmeal, chocolate chips, and rice cereal (Rice Krispies). I was on the Pioneer Woman Cooks and found a recipe for Oatmeal Crispies that made me think of those cowboy cookies. I just added Rice Krispies to the dough to give them a crunch. I wasn't interested in adding chocolate because I don't need... Plus, I don't give Samuel chocolate. This cookie is a hit! All 3 of us like them (4 if you include the baby).

I froze a roll of them and will make them some other time. I do recommend cooking them longer if the dough is refrigerated. They definitely weren't done in 10 minutes. More like 12 or 13. Just keep your eyes on them.

Oh, if you e-mail me, I will send the recipe that I typed using her pictures and directions since she didn't have a printer friendly version.

Happy Baking!

If you like sweets but don't have the time to bake...

Do you like cookies and candy? The Pioneer Woman Cooks has a great idea for enjoying sweets without the work. Take a look here.

Pioneer Woman’s Weird Version of Chex Party Mix

Ok, so now that I'm in my 2nd Trimester I have more energy to post. I've posted a lot this week; check them out below.

This recipe was a hit in my house. Samuel, Jeremy, and I all loved it. If you scroll to the bottom, you will see a printer friendly recipe. For my version of her recipe, I left out the Tabasco, only used 1 stick of butter, and replaced Corn Chex with Cheerios. I overcooked the 1st batch when I followed her time of 1 hour and 15 minutes. I should have followed my intuition because I remembered only cooking Chex Mix 1 hour in the past. So, go with one hour. Trust me. Oh, and she has garlic cloves listed twice, so skip one of them. Enjoy!

Gwyneth

Nate is updating his blog regularly, so stop on by. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read yesterday's post asking for prayer for a mother and daughter.

Target Web Coupon for Luvs Diapers

This coupon expires on Feb. 8.

Best Savings from my house to yours. (Paula Deen says Best Dishes, so why not?)

Money-saving tips on baby products

When Samuel was born, I was unrealistic about how much money I would have to spend on baby products. I started out using all Aveeno baby wash, diaper rash cream, and lotion. Pampers were the only diapers to touch his bottom. Dreft was the only detergent I used to wash his clothes. I soon found out how expensive these products were and how I could easily save money by shopping around.

So, I just love Aveeno baby products, but they are so stinkin' expensive. After Samuel was born, I found Aveeno coupons on eBay and used those for awhile. When I ran out of coupons, I found that Target sold a generic Aveeno. I was so excited!!! That enthusiam died by the time Samuel was a year old because Target stopped making them. Never fear though... Publix saved the day. I found out that they have a generic version at a good price. Just check the baby aisle. They are right beside the Aveeno products. Oh, and Publix sometimes puts their Pampers diapers on sale for $5 or $6 less than you would pay elsewhere. Check the online ads or your local Publix if you shop there. I rarely shop at Publix, so I tend to search the ads. Also, since I'm a member of the Publix Baby Club, they send me notice of sales and coupons too.

By the time Samuel was 8 months old, I started using the Target brand of Desitin diaper rash cream (blue and white box), which I love even more than the Aveeno brand. I use it every time I change Samuel's diaper, which has prevented him from getting a diaper rash. I highly recommend doing that! Recently, with Samuel teething so much, I noticed some redness (not rash but redness), so I use Boudreaux's Butt Paste most of the time. It works like a charm. It is messy though, and I will warn you that it can stain clothing. It stained my changing pad cover. :( I will quit using it when I feel like he's over the teething. By then, I hope he'll be potty trained.

When Samuel was born, I used Pampers Swaddlers. So many people gave me diapers, that I didn't buy Pampers Swaddlers for 4 months. Even though I had a ton of Pampers Swaddlers, I felt like I was throwing away money if he only wore them a few minutes, so when Samuel was about 2 or 3 months old, I started using Luvs diapers when I knew he wouldn't have the diaper on for very long (i.e. right before I nursed him). I used my stockpile of Pampers the rest of the time. Because I wasn't too thrilled with the fit of Luvs (no stretch at all), I stopped using Luvs once Samuel went to a Size 3 diaper. Pampers Cruisers are so expensive though, so a month ago I went back to Luvs during the day and a Cruisers diaper at night. I was pleased to see that Luvs got their act together and added stretchy tabs. I haven't been disappointed. And Luvs are much cheaper!!!

Now, in order to save money on baby detergent, I shopped around and found that for $19.99 I could buy a HUGE container of liquid Dreft at Target. It's 200 or 300 oz. I would check, but I quit using it when Samuel was 18 months old. That container lasted months, so it was in no way a waste of money. For dryer sheets, I shopped at Babies-r-us and found a baby friendly one that I still use some. Ok, so at the 18 month mark, I decided to quit using baby detergent. I found Tide Free, and now I use Tide Free for all of our family's laundry. I think I will stick with that with the new baby. It's basically Dreft without the baby scent, right?

I almost forgot to mention that my FAVORITE stain remover for babies is Baby Oxyclean. The cheapest place to buy it is Babies-r-us because they sell a container 3 times the size of the container at Target. I wouldn't waste your time with any other stain removers. You can use this to make a paste on a stain or soak clothes in it when you have a little one around. (Once they're bigger, I just use Shout for stains.) Some people don't realize that you can use Oxyclean in every load of laundry to get your clothes cleaner. I've been using the regular Oxyclean in every load for years. Once Samuel was born, I was concerned about the chemicals until I saw the baby version. At 18 months, I also quit using the Baby Oxyclean and use the regular one.

If you have any questions, let me know. I would love to help any new moms out there!

A 2.7 year old memorizes and recites scripture

I frequent Monica's blog; she goes to my church and has so much encouragement to offer me on her blog. Her sister also has an inspiring blog. Today on Monica's sister's blog, I was amazed by the scripture memorization of her niece. Here's a link to the You Tube video. If you're like me, you will be in awe. You will also be encouraged to memorize more scripture yourself and continually read scripture to your children. It would be great to have the Word on your child's heart at such a young age. They might not understand it when they memorize it at such a young age, but I believe it's the beginning of understanding. Be encouraged!

I love my hubby!

I was just sitting here reading about the Nags Head family (post below) while Samuel naps. I was thinking about how blessed I am to be married to Jeremy and how much I miss having him around.

Here are some of the reasons that I love Jeremy so much:

-He loves me unconditionally.
-He has such beautiful blue eyes (superficial, I know).
-He makes me feel special.
-He tells me how pretty I am when I feel the furthest thing from pretty.
-He works hard to take care of our family even when that means sacrifice.
-He is a great father.
-He calls me a lot when we're apart.
-He makes it a habit to tell me how much he loves me.
-He is patient with me.
-He forgives me when I goof.
-He doesn't hold a grudge.
-He is so easy to please. (Ex. He would eat Spaghetti O's out of a can for dinner.)
-He is spontaneous.
-When I was pregnant with Samuel, he went to every OB appt. with me because he wanted to, and he would go to every appt. this time if he were in town.
-He loves to pamper me.
-He appreciates my upbringing.
-He keeps no secrets from me.
-He is respectful.
-He only has eyes for me.
-He tells me how glad he is that he married me.

I could go on, but Samuel just woke up.

Prayer for a Mother and Daughter

I was reading the Pioneer Woman Cooks. In the comments of a cookie recipe I found a link to a random woman's blog. When I arrived at her blog, I found a big prayer request. Here are the details: There is a family living in Nags Head, NC. The wife's name is Tricia (or Pattysue to her husband), and she's only 25 years old. She has cystic fibrosis and was awaiting a double lung transplant when she found out that she was pregnant. Yesterday at 24 weeks pregnant, they did a c-section due to some complications Tricia was having. They named the baby Gwyneth, and she weighed 1lb. 6 oz.. Tricia's husband is Nate, and he is a worship leader at their church (where his dad is the pastor). Nate has a blog called Confessions of a CF Husband, which has updates on Tricia and Gwyneth's progress. Visit his blog and please keep this mother and daughter in your prayers! Tricia also has a blog; there is a link on Nate's blog. I have read enough to be inspired by this couple's faith. I have a lot to learn from them! You WILL be encouraged! Thanks for praying for them!

Our growing boy and growing baby in the womb

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2007

When I look at pictures from last Christmas, I can't believe how much Samuel has grown. It's sad but exciting at the same time. I miss my little baby, but I love what he is becoming. Today I took him to the doctor with me, so he heard the baby's heartbeat. When I mentioned it to him later, he started imitating the noise he heard through the doppler. It is so cool how he listened carefully and now can make a similar noise. He has done it several times since then.

Speaking of the baby in the womb, all is well. Once again I forgot to get the heart rate, but we did hear a healthy one. The 16 week appt. is so easy since they only weigh me and listen with the doppler. I have my 20 week appt. and ultrasound scheduled for Feb. 5th. My doctor's office has a ultrasound machine and technician, so you have the ultrasound first and then meet with the doctor. I'm excited that it will be my turn to meet with the doctor who delivered Samuel. Jeremy will be here, and we will probably take Samuel with us. I want him to have a chance to see the baby. I know he probably won't understand, but I still want him to be there. One day we can tell him that he was there when we found out if we were having a girl or another boy.

Have a great day!!!

Top 100 Recipes of 2007

If you like to cook, you might want to take a look at this. Food Network has put together the Top 100 Recipes of 2007. Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Cake by Martha Stewart

On Friday, Jeremy and I watched Martha Stewart's show. Jeremy isn't a dessert person, but after seeing her make a chocolate cake, he was sending me off to the store to buy the ingredients. Would you believe that Wal-mart didn't have a single box of cake flour? We ended up going to Bi-lo later that day, and I made the cake on Saturday. That is the first cake I've made from scratch. Now I know why... It's very time consuming, and then the homemade icing was even more time consuming. I'm not complaining because it made Jeremy happy. I just won't be making another one next week.

I definitely recommend this cake and icing recipe. Just keep in mind that it is very rich... The cake is actually called Devil's food cake. I don't know the difference and couldn't taste the difference. Maybe someone could enlighten me. To me, it was chocolate cake.

I think the cake turned out well. Jeremy and my parents agree. (My Kitchen Aid mixer was a huge help. The paddle attachment worked wonderfully.) Tonight I took a piece to 4 neighbors, and I will be curious to see what they thought. I warned them that it's my first cake from scratch. I'm sure the next one will be better.

One suggestion- Despite what the recipe says, set your timer for 25 minutes and check the cakes with a knife or toothpick. ( I set my timer for 30 minutes but wish I had set it for 25.)

Moist Devil's Food Cake with Mrs. Milman's Chocolate Icing

Franklin update

I wanted to give you an update on the fundraiser for Franklin. Jeremy and I have been excited to see the money coming in for Franklin to continue living and studying in Tegucigalpa. You still have time to give if you are interested. We still need $1000 for monthly expenses and then money for medical expenses since Franklin doesn't have health insurance.

Oh, we received money for the sewing machine. :) I can't wait to call Franklin's foster parents with that news since I know it will be a huge surprise for Franklin. I never mentioned to his foster parents that we were trying to raise the money for one!

If you would like to help, please e-mail me ASAP. Jeremy will be taking the money to Atlanta in a week.

Thanks!!!

Lots to blog about...

We had a nice Christmas and are happy to be in 2008. I took a long break from blogging to spend time with Jeremy and Samuel. Jeremy has been home for 2 weeks, which has been so nice. All good things come to an end though. Jeremy will go back to Atlanta in the morning. I'm sure I'll shed a few tears since my pregnancy hormones seem to be in overdrive these days. I might cry, but I do know that the Lord has a plan for Jeremy, our family, and for our house.

Speaking of the house, we lowered the price again on Dec. 18. We had 2 showings on New Years Eve. We pray for more showings and an offer soon.

I will have baby news on Tuesday after I go for my 16 week check-up. I feel great. I'm definitely enjoying my 2nd trimester burst of energy. The new burst of energy made me start thinking... I am thinking that I don't like Kylie as much as I thought I did. I guess it's a good thing that I thought about this before the baby was born (if we're having a girl). So, Jeremy and I are discussing more names and probably won't decide on a girl's name until after the ultrasound since it might not be necessary anyway. I have 2 names that I like. We'll see if I convince Jeremy...

Samuel is doing well. He enjoyed Christmas and is getting over a cold/cough that he came down with after Christmas. I am the one to blame for this because I was sick for over a week with a cold/cough. It was hard to watch him suffer and not be able to give him any medication. Thank the Lord that he weathered the illness without losing any sleep. I prayed that his cough wouldn't keep him awake at night, and it didn't. It's strange to think that in 4 months he can have the cough syrup that he can't have now. I wonder what's so magical about 2?

I will post pictures from Christmas soon.

Happy New Year!!!