Christmas

I can't believe the holidays have arrived and gone already. It seems like you spend so much time shopping, wrapping, baking, and planning get together's and then before you know it everything is done and over with. We had a really good Christmas this year with lots of family. Lots more that we could have spent time with but when your parents are divorced and then divorced again that leaves you with lots of stops but not enough time to get them in.

I'm still getting over a nasty stomach virus that I picked up on Christmas so this post is going to be mainly pictures but I thought I would share Addison's first Christmas with everyone so here we go.

Opening up her very first gift on Christmas Eve. It's a V-Tech phone that she adores thanks to the one that is at my Dad's.

She has no clue which toy to play with on Christmas morning.

Here she is with her Disney Princess tent with tunnel.

Going for her twin baby dolls which have become her favorite but also have warned Mommy and Daddy to never leave her alone with her baby sister...lol!

Taking a break, opening presents is hard work for such a little girl!

She started walking a good month or so ago but after a tumble down a flight of stairs...don't ask...she back pedaled a little and went back to crawling full time. It seems like a day or two before Christmas it was full speed ahead for walking and we are really enjoying ourselves as we sit back and watch her waddle around carrying all of her new toys. Where she finds some of her strength is beyond me but it's funny none the less. She's loving all of her new toys but we are seriously going to have to invest in some bigger toy boxes and I have given up trying to keep the area picked up during the day. Mommy picks everything up and then she pulls it right back out again.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, I know that we did and next year should be even better with our second addition to the family!

Chow mein clusters & Merry Christmas

Am I the only one who is in complete shock over the fact that Christmas is in two days?

Seriously where has the month of December gone to. I am really excited to get to celebrate Addison's first Christmas but at the same time I am not looking forward to afterwords. The month of January for me is going to be absolutely crazy. Not only do I have to prepare for the newest addition to our little family of three but I also have to plan somebody's first birthday party. My goal is to have the party planned, invitations ready to be sent out, and the menu planned all by the middle of January. Apparently we didn't think through the having two children almost exactly a year apart very well or I would have at least put a month or so between birthdays. I have planned Addison's party for the last weekend of February so worse case scenario is that we'll have a week old newborn along for the ride. Thank God my OB won't let me go over my due date because we don't want to discuss how upset I would be if I was stuck in the hospital during the big party.

Anyway, I have been busy creating goodies these past few days with a few more yet to go. I shared a few of them with you last year but a couple are brand spanking new for me this year. One of the recipes will be posted without a picture since my Mom and husband devoured it before a picture could be taken. Sweets DO NOT last long in this house!

First up is one that I stumbled upon last year. I saw it on allrecipes.com and shortly after saving the recipe for future use Daniel mentioned that one of the ladies at work had made them and he loved them. I never got the chance to whip them up last year but I fixed that this year and I must admit...they are pretty darn good and were really easy to make.

Chow Mein Clusters~

Ingredients:
10 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels
10 oz. bag butterscotch morsels
2 1/2 cups chow mein noodles
2 cups salted peanuts

Directions:
1.) In a double boil over medium heat melt together chocolate and butterscotch morsels until smooth.
2.) Add peanuts and noodles to melted chocolate/butterscotch and mix, coating peanuts and noodles evenly.
3.) Drop by rounded tablespoon on lined baking sheet and transfer to fridge to harden.

*If you don't have parchment paper to line your baking sheet just lightly spray your baking sheet with the butter spray you use to keep cakes and such from sticking to baking dishes.

And what's a post about sweets without a picture of this sweet? This time last year I was counting down the weeks until she would be making her appearance and now here I am having to strap her in her high chair just so I can bake without tripping over her. While she isn't exactly elbow deep in cookie dough this year, she's taking more of a supervisor approach to Mom's baking, I have loved having her around...it makes me feel more of a Mommy at Christmas with a little one under foot.

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Saturday we spent our afternoon among all of the crazy mall shoppers to do one very important thing...meet the big guy in red. Addison got to meet Santa for the very first time and other than a short stare down she did awesome. I am so proud of my big girl.

In line ready for the big moment...

Still patiently waiting...

At last, meeting the big guy for the very first time!

To conclude our Saturday adventure we came home and prepared for the winter storm heading our way. As Addison has gotten older she has gotten more and more interested in playing with things that aren't hers, aren't toys, and probably shouldn't be played with. Example being our cell phones, the remote control, and now this...Daddy's wallet and his debit card. She's not even ten months old yet and she's already hijacking his wallet. Does this mean we are in some serious trouble in about fifteen years?

A little Thanksgiving enjoyment...

I have been meaning to post some pictures from Addison's first Thanksgiving and I have finally got a second to do so. Did you know teething babies are the most irritable things alive. I have never seen someone so unhappy as what I have witnessed from Addison these past few days...I am grateful that we have both made it through alive.

Anyway, here are the pictures. To say she enjoyed her meals would be an understatement

Here she is with my cousin Heather who also happens to be her Godmother. The smile on that child's face is priceless!

This is her new grin...her face all scrunched up with her eyes shut...adorable.

There's something about those straps that she just loves.

A close up for the camera...she may or may not have been covered in food!

Thankful beyond words...

Today I am thankful for this little girl. She is the light of my life and is helping me to walk through a very difficult dark period in my life. Without her I am nothing and I will cherish her for the rest of my life. I am enjoying all of her milestones and can't wait for the rest. This week we finally have a tooth coming in (seriously thought dentures might be in her future) and she is starting to walk. Yay for my little big girl.


Not to forget my other little miracle...Cadence, Mommy can't wait until this time next year when I have two little turkey's to love and adore. My heart is going to end up exploding from my chest because of the love I will have for the both of you little girls.

Thank you to my husband for giving me these two little miracles but we will be waiting for the third one right sweetie?

Happy turkey day everybody. May your day be filled with good food, wonderful family and friends, and a few memories to last you a lifetime.

Breakfast Braid

Here is another recipe I tried out this week and I am happy to share it with everyone because it was yummy. The original recipe calls for ham as you will see below but I substituted the ham for a half pound of bacon. Daniel isn't a big ham fan...go figure, and we both adore bacon so I thought why not. This dish would be great for a nicer breakfast or brunch where you are trying to impress someone.

Ham Breakfast Braid~
Source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 8 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 4 ounces cooked ham, thinly sliced*
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Beat milk and cream cheese together until smooth. Mix in eggs, and season with salt and pepper. Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium high heat and cook egg mixture until eggs are almost set.
3. Arrange the crescent rolls from one package into a rectangle shape on top of a lightly greased cookie sheet. Place rolls from remaining package along the edges of the two long sides of the rectangle, with the broad half of the rolls on top of the first layer of rolls, and the pointed ends extending over the sides of the pan.
4. Arrange the ham in a layer down the center of the dough*. Spoon the cooked egg mixture on top of the ham and then sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top of the eggs. Bring the corners of the rolls together over the cheese to form a 'braid' shape.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and rolls are golden brown.

*Instead of using the ham in this dish I fried up a half pound of bacon diced up. I then added the cooked bacon to the egg mixture and then proceeded to cook the eggs.


This made enough to serve four people and for us we had enough for breakfast tomorrow.

Now...can you believe this is my second post in a week?? Neither can I and guess what I have a fantastic recipe to share with you in the coming days so stick around. It's a really good recipe and another one that is going to go into my recipe box for future use.

Baked Pork Chops

I'm trying really hard to get out of my cooking rut so I am hoping (praying more like it) that this week will be different. I have gathered a few new recipes that I hope to try out so we'll see how I do.

Tonight I made these baked pork chops even though I was very cautious since I cannot stand cream of mushroom soup. I took the advice of a fellow recipe reviewer who suggested the golden mushroom soup and I am glad I listened. These babies were awesome and I think my hatred of cream of mushroom soup may have lessened a little bit. This recipe is definitely a keeper for us. I served ours with mashed potatoes, corn, and chicken stuffing since my husband doesn't like mashed potatoes. If you want to have enough of the gravy to go over your taters I would suggest doubling the cream of mushroom soup and the milk.


Baked Pork Chops~
Source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 6 pork chops
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 2 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used golden mushroom soup for a heartier flavor)
  
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup white wine (I used additional milk instead)

* I also used a bit of salt and pepper in my bread crumbs and skipped using the flour all together.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Dredge the pork chops lightly in flour, dip in the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.
3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned. Transfer the chops to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and cover with foil.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While baking, combine the cream of mushroom soup, milk and white wine in a medium bowl. After the pork chops have baked for an hour, cover them with the soup mixture. Replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Here piggy, piggy...

A little late but too cute not to share with everyone! Addison went as a little piggy this year for Halloween. We felt she was still to young to actually go from door to door but she did enjoy helping her Daddy pass out candy at Grandma's house and she loved hanging out in her walker and watching everyone as they strolled by on the sidewalk. I can't wait for next year when she will actually be able to go trick or treating.

Addison with Daddy the big scary monster. Halloween is his favorite holiday.

Hanging out in her walker.

Mommy's Little Helper

Eight months old is just right to start your very first chores!

I like to help Mommy unload groceries...

I like to help her fold laundry...

I like to help load the dishwasher...

I also like to help her fix dinner every now and then...

I'm such a good little helper and Mommy appreciates a hand around here every once in awhile!

Pumpkin Patch 2010

We finally made it to the pumpkin patch today. Better late than never I suppose. I can't wait until next year when Addison is up and walking and can really enjoy herself. This year it was more for Mom and Dad than it was for her but she was a good sport about it and posed for a few pictures. I would have loved to have taken more but about the time we got done visiting the animals and moving towards the pumpkins three, count em...three, greyhound buses pulled in jammed packed full of kids. That my friends was our cue to get the hell out of dodge. Tomorrow we'll be carving up our pumpkins and I can't wait to see how Addison reacts helping pull all of the gunk out. We'll have the freshest carved pumpkins in the neighborhood.

Which pumpkin shall I choose?

I think this is the perfect one!

Her very first try down the slide.

Addison with PJ the horse...slightly smaller than our Clydesdale's.

The goat that tried snatching her bottle...lol.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

Hold onto your britches...break out your snow gear, Katie's finally posting a new recipe so the snows about to get deep here!

I cannot believe I haven't posted anything since August 12th. I have an Uncle who is mighty disappointed in me. I would like to give you some really great excuse such as I am so busy it's not even funny but honestly it has nothing to do with that although having an eight month old crawling around and being five months pregnant does slow things down a bit. I just haven't been cooking much and plus the cable to my camera allowing me to download pictures straight to the computer broke so I knew it was no use until I got a new one. I finally did so tonight's the night I blog.

My Mom celebrated her birthday on the 20th so I did a family dinner tonight. I asked her what kind of cake she would like and this is what she requested. I have never heard of a fruit cocktail cake before so I was a tad bit nervous but I must say it's pretty good, especially when it is still warm. Very easy to make and very few ingredients.


Fruit Cocktail Cake~
Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can fruit cocktail with juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (7 ounce) package flaked coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, Beat eggs and 1 1/2 cups white sugar together until smooth. Beat in flour mixture and fruit cocktail with juice. Spread into prepared pan. Mix together the brown sugar and chopped nuts; sprinkle on top of cake.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately poke holes in cake with fork. Pour topping over cake.
4. To make the topping: In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, and stir in coconut.

On another note...can you believe my baby is eight months old? Where does the time fly. In just four months she is going to be big sister and we will be welcoming our second daughter. Cadence Leah should be here around February 19th...two days after Addison's first birthday. Come February when I am back to not blogging my excuse really will be that I am so busy I can't see straight...lol.

Firsts

These next few months for us are going to be very busy and I can't wait. One of the cool things about being a first time Mom is that not only is Addison going to be experiencing a bunch of firsts, but I will be experiencing them for the first time as a Mom. Our first trip to the pumpkin patch, our first time carving pumpkins, our first Halloween, our first Thanksgiving, meeting Santa for the very first time, and most important of all our very first Christmas together. I don't think the holidays are truly enjoyed until you get to experience them through the eyes of your children. I actually had a mini breakdown just the other week thinking about how much fun the holidays are going to be now that we have children. Both Daniel and myself are so excited for Christmas this year that we can hardly stand it. Mommy and Daddy are anxiously awaiting Christmas shopping, present wrapping, and present unwrapping this year...Addison has no idea what she has coming her way. And to think next year is going to be double the fun of this year!

I have finally replaced my cable so I should be able to start downloading pictures to the computer straight from my camera now. No more heading to Wal-Mart to download them to disc thank the lord!! Anyway, this means that we have many, many pictures of the above mentioned events coming your way. We're making our way to the pumpkin patch sometime this week so the pictures will start then...lol. In the meantime here are a few pictures from the past few weeks.

Seriously??

Taking a spin on her new ride.

Hanging out in Grandma's bed.

Her very first wagon ride on the farm.

So cute...

Who needs expensive toys when you can just take a ride in your huggies diaper box?

One word...ADORABLE!!!

Is my baby not the cutest little girl you have ever seen? There are no words to describe the love I have for this child. She is a comedian and makes me laugh multiples times a day! I am so blessed to be her Mommy...or shall I say "mum mum". This time next year there will be three babies in the pictures!


Addison with her cousin Dylan. The little mister turned a whole year old last week. It's pretty safe to say that we are all in a little bit of denial regarding how quickly these two are growing up and how quickly this year is flying by.



And on another note...when did it become acceptable for a complete stranger to come up to your child in the grocery and compare them with a butterball turkey? Just asking?

It's official...

We're having another little girl. Cadence Leah Blankenship is on her way and we are thrilled to death even though I would have loved to have had my little boy.

I apologize that I am not blogging much...the cable to my camera to download pictures straight to the computer has stopped working which means I have to load up my memory card and then go to the store to download them to disc. This is part of the reason why I haven't blogged on my food site for ages. Hopefully I will be getting another one soon.

So many new things to talk about!

I really thought that after I was done working I would have so much more time to blog. Man was I wrong...now that I have a child who is all over the place I have less time, that and I am being lazy and enjoying these few weeks because come February there will be no down time for me.

Addison has started a few new things these past few weeks and along the way we have taught her a trick or two. I have said it a million times and I promise I will say it another million times but seriously, I am in awe of this child. She is AMAZING! Her gummy grin and big blue eyes melt my heart every single day. I am fulfilled with this child yet I can't wait until our new little addition arrives.


A few weeks ago Addison started crawling and she hasn't stopped since. This child is all over the place and getting into everything...mainly the things she shouldn't be getting into such as pulling the night light out of the outlet, getting under the end tables, playing with Grandma's newspaper, chewing on dirty shoes, the list could go on and on and now that she's discovered where we keep the pots and pans and the canned goods I imagine the list will go on very quickly.


Now that I am home with her full time I am spending more time with her just playing and teaching her new things. We are practicing where our nose, ears, eyes, and mouth are. I gently touch hers and then I point to mine. I sing to her all of the time and she sings right along with me...it's so cute. This past weekend I taught her how to blow her nose. For the past week we had all been fighting a cold so she watched us all blow our noses time and time again. Just playing around one morning I blew mine and then got a tissue and told her to blow hers. Imagine my surprise when she actually blew into it as if she was trying to blow her nose. Let's just say I laughed so hard I peed my pants which isn't hard to do anymore since having had her and now being over four months pregnant with the new baby it's become an everyday occurrence. Now wherever we go we have to show everyone how she blows her nose. No one believes us that she actually blows into the tissue until they see and hear it themselves. All of her grandparents think it's hilarious and my Mom has to show everyone.We are learning very quickly that she is a fast learner and she loves to mimic everything that we do. If you hand her a cup she knows to take it straight to her mouth...she has been doing this for months and why we started her on a sippy cup about two months ago. My Mom has worked hard to teach her how to give a high five, and put her arms above her head when we say "big girl". Of course whenever she does these things we just laugh and applaud her so now she thinks she's hot stuff. When she first started crawling we would clap and praise her and let me tell you...my daughter is a ham and loves the praise.

Shortly after she started crawling full time she started sitting up all by herself, something that I have been anxious for her to do for awhile now. Her sitting up makes bath time so much easier on me. In the past week or so she has started pulling herself up into a kneeling/standing position on us and on things low to the ground such as her toys. She is slowly becoming brave enough to attempt the couch and chairs but she hasn't mastered them quite yet. I watch her everyday and can't believe just how big she is getting and how quickly she is becoming a big girl. Before long she is going to be walking across the stage getting her high school diploma.

Another milestone for her which has benefited me greatly is she is more anxious to eat her solids. Before I would struggle to get them in her because she was so involved with everything else around her. She is finally this week paying more attention to me and opening her mouth wide enough that more good gets in her belly than on her belly. We attempted fingers food about a week ago but she's not quite ready. I am hoping that in the next few weeks she will finally be ready. Just this afternoon when Daniel was eating a caramel apple she went straight for it and grabbed it out of his hands. The kid is strong and she was not about to let go of it. Daddy was kind enough to let her gnaw on it for a little while. I wish her teeth would start to come in...she is gnawing on everything right now. She loves to drink her juice. We get her apple juice, a yogurt drink that is mixed with apple juice, and just the other day we started her on carrot/apple juice which she loves. My kid loves carrots and butternut squash and she is getting to the point that if we grab a jar of food and a spoon she takes off for her chair...she knows what she's in store for. I told Daniel just this morning that we have another foodie on our hands.

In another week my little girl will be seven months old. I never imagined how quickly this first year would go for us. I am already planning her first birthday and I can't wait to start buying everything for it. I figured I would start stocking up now and getting everything ready since come January/February I more than likely won't be thrilled with having to start from the ground up. I still don't know how we are going to handle the party since the new baby could come whenever he or she wants. I pray everyday that this baby doesn't come on Addison's first birthday. I feel bad enough as it is that their birthdays will be so close together that they will never get their own individual parties. I just hope that they will at least get separate days so that we can celebrate them on separate occasions since my goal is to give each child their own birthday dinner just the four of us, or five depending on whether or not we have a third child. Mommy is not cooking two different dinners on one night...lol.

And not to be side tracked from the first birthday party but in the next few months we will be celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I have always loved the holidays, the weather, the decorations, the family togetherness, the food, but now that I am a mother the holidays have taken on a whole new meaning for me. Just the other day I broke down crying much to Daniel's surprise. I am looking forward to this years holidays like you wouldn't believe just for the simple fact we will have Addison to share them with. Christmas this year is going to be crazy and next year it will be even better as we will have two little rug rats to share it with. I realize everyday just how blessed I am and I couldn't be more thankful.

Six Months Old

* This was supposed to post yesterday so please excuse the mix up!

Addison Grace, today you are six months old and I can barely believe it. I can't remember what life was like prior to you entering our world but yet it seems like only yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. You make us laugh daily and you never cease to amaze me with your newly learned abilities.

You are by far one of the happiest babies ever. There are only a few moments during the day when there isn't a smile on your face and those moments are normally followed by bedtime. No matter what time of day it is whenever you awake from sleep you are always smiling...ALWAYS! I walk quietly into the bedroom in case you aren't ready to be up and there you are rocking back and forth in your pac n play peering over the edge with a grin on your face because Mommy has come to rescue you. I call out "Baby" and you just wiggle and squirm and just can't hold still. I kiss your round cheeks and run my fingers through your hair to fix it and I take in your sweet baby scent. It's mind boggling just how much I love you little one.


Mommy has been such a bad blogger and I haven't posted any updates or pictures for your four or five month birthdays so I am going to give your updates and then I will post pictures later. *Our computer hasn't been moved to our new residence so bear with me.


The last you were weighed you were so close to being sixteen pounds. My guess is since that was about three weeks ago you have hit the sixteen pound mark. You have such a good appetite when you pay attention but feeding you solids is such a struggle because you are such a nosey little girl, you pay attention to everything else but Mommy and the spoon heading towards your mouth. You are twenty five inches long and we can already tell you will be a long little girl. You are in six to nine month clothing because the six month clothing just isn't long enough for you.


These past few weeks have been a major milestone for you as you have started crawling. You're not a professional yet since you do more rocking back and forth than anything but you have crawled, especially when you want something that is just out of reach.


We are still working on your ability to sit up all by yourself but you are so close I can taste it. I think I am more ready for you to be sitting than you are but you'll get there before long.


Bath time has become quite the adventure as you no longer hold still. You flop around from back to belly to back to side to crawling all because you must have the cup in your hands at all time. This cup is bigger than you (plastic milkshake cup from Steak N Shake) and you are constantly trying to hold it just right so you can attempt to drink out of it. You have already experienced that that is a bad idea once but you still keep on trying it.


Diaper changes and getting you dressed is also no longer an easy task. As soon as you spot something you start rolling over and trying to take off after it. My life would be a little easier if I could just let you crawl around without a diaper or clothing.


As I mentioned above you are eating solids, of course this is only when you can pay attention long enough. You eat all of the fruits and veggies and just this week we have started you on Gerber Yogurt Drinks which you seem to really enjoy. You are capable of holding your bottle all by yourself but more often than not I still hold the bottle for you because like I said you won't pay attention. You see something you want...the bottles drops to the floor and leaks everywhere. You see Mommy or Daddy or anybody for that matter and you just have to grin which means your mouth full of milk spills out everywhere. I was not kidding when I said you smile all of the time!


You would much rather play with a cup or your bag of diapers than you would an actual toy. I don't know why we even spend the money buying you toys when just the other night Daddy gave you an empty Pringles can and you just couldn't get enough of it. Of course maybe it was because you knew what had once been in that can and memories of sour cream and onion Pringles flashed through your mind since Mommy ate them all of the time while you were growing in my belly.


You love dogs, especially when they are quiet since you still aren't fond of loud noises. We aren't even allowed to sneeze or cough in the same room as you since as soon as we do the waterworks start spilling down on the cheeks and that bottom lip of yours comes out full force. Grandma has a miniature schnauzer who is thirteen years old, Sassy has quickly become the center of your world and you stop whatever you're doing just to watch her. If you're in your excersaucer and she walks by you you make the funniest face, like you have to go to the bathroom but can't, and you form your little hands into fists.


I am so glad that this is my last week of work for a quite awhile...fingers crossed. Leaving you each morning is becoming harder and harder and it took everything inside of me to leave you yesterday morning. No matter what time it is you always wake up right as I am heading out the door and yesterday was no exception. I hand you a bottle, change your diaper, and throw you into bed with Daddy. Monday morning though you were not interested in going back to sleep. You just laid there under the comforter surrounded by pillows and all I saw was this cute little face peaking up from the covers watching my every move. I stood in the doorway with the door cracked waving to you and you just smiled. And then when I shut the door to go ahead and leave you started crying...Lord how that hurt my heart. I wanted so badly to walk right back in there and snatch you up but rest assured little girl...we only have a few more days!


Your new favorite word and pretty much the only one you will say is "hey". We all say "hi" to you and if we're lucky we'll get a "hey" right back. We were laying in bed Sunday morning when Grandma came in and she said "hi" to you, you said "hey" right back, talk about cracking us up! We can also get you to say "num, num" when we're feeding you. I'll say "yummy, yummy" and then you follow up with your "num, num". You still can't laugh yet. It's more like a giggle here and there and mainly it sounds like you have asthma and are wheezing to catch your breath. It drives your Aunt Megan crazy! You also remind me of a squawking bird. You do these short little squeal/screams back to back and I am not kidding...it sounds like a squawking baby bird.


Overall you are just amazing. I tell you time and time again how much I love you but there are no words to describe my feelings for you. A few weeks ago a baby just a tad bit older than you was killed by the hands of his Father. I cried for this child and his memory and I cried for the lack of love and emotion that his parents felt for him. The mere thought of someone hurting you makes me ill and I can't imagine my life without you in it. I honestly don't know that I could go on living without you in my life...that is how much I love you. How someone could not love you or any other child to the point of obsession is beyond me. I am so blessed that you are my child and that God chose me as your Mother. Please know that your Daddy and I will protect you until the ends of the earth and that our love for you is so strong we would die for you. We will always be your number one fans and we will support you through all of your journeys. We love sitting back and watching you go yet are sad at the thought. You are getting so big so quickly that we can't help but miss what we are losing. Happy six months baby girl...six more and you will be a year old and celebrating with a new little brother or sister. February is about to become a very busy month for our little family!

Allow me to introduce you...

Since I have been better for awhile now and since you're probably really tired of seeing that I have been better for awhile I thought I would take a moment to introduce you to someone pretty special.

World...meet Blankenship baby #2

Baby #2...meet the world.

We can't wait to actually meet you in seven more months!

Bad Blogger...

I'm well aware of the fact I haven't been very good with this whole blogging thing lately but I didn't realize that I hadn't posted a single thing about food since June. I swear if there was a jail for bad bloggers I would have a cell all to myself. The good news is next week is my last week of work and I fully intend to spend more time in the kitchen once I say good-bye to my 7:30 to 4:30 or wait is it 8:00 to 5:00, oh who am I kidding, since being told I was being let go it's become my "I'll get there when I get there and leave once my team lead has had enough time to get out of the parking lot" job! The things I plan on whipping up once I have more free time.

Anyway, no recipes just yet just thought I would stop by really quick and let you know there will be one this weekend. I have no clue just yet what it will be but since I haven't posted anything since June it's about time don't you think?

I'm all better!

Just thought you would like to know, I have fully recovered from my emotional breakdown earlier in the week. I have not felt that kind of despair in a long time. It should have been one of those stay at home in bed kind of days! I have moved on to my happy place now and I pray that it's here to stay...I sure don't want to have another melt down.

Since I haven't posted any pictures of my peanut lately here are a few for your viewing pleasure. Is she not the most adorable thing you have ever seen? My heart just melts whenever I look at her. Lord help me if this new baby is just as awesome as Addison...my heart will be beating out of my chest with all of the emotion I will have for them. Oh wait, how can this baby not be just as awesome...I will love them both the same no matter what their personalities are.

She has the most beautiful blue eyes ever! She's giving her Mommy a run for her money!

Daddy getting her to smile!

So big...And only because I can only imagine what she must be thinking...

You're having a bad day if that expression doesn't make you laugh out loud.