Photographing My Life

8 Months

2012-02-08T16:40:00.000-06:00

This cutie is 8 months old today.

She was born on a Wednesday (just like today).

8 months ago, at almost this exact time, Nick was introducing Millie to our family for the first time.

She can now feed herself.

She can crawl from one end of the house to the other.

She likes to show off by holding on to things with one hand.

She is just precious to us.

This time with her has gone by so fast.

And I am thankful for every minute!

Cheap Baby Food

2012-02-07T13:39:00.001-06:00

I know this is not a new concept, but I wanted to share my way of preparing baby food.

Once we got the OK to start baby food, I went out and bought the little jars of baby food. I liked the fact that she was eating food, but I never seemed to buy enough jars. I kept going back to the store just for baby food. It was also getting expensive.

For Christmas I asked for a food processor.
And I got one!

Since then, I have been making and freezing Millie's food.

This is what I do.

Buy a big bag of veggies. Fresh or frozen.
I have trouble finding frozen carrots, so I found this 5lb bag at Costco.

Boil veggie until tender.

Put in food processor and process until desired consistency.

Then put the food in ice trays.

This was about 7 cups of carrots.

Not the whole 5lb bag.

Cover with plastic wrap and then foil.
I read somewhere that shards of foil could get in the food. That is why I do the plastic wrap first.

Then freeze!

Once frozen take out (you may need assistance with a butter knife) and put in Ziploc bag.

Now food is ready when you need it.

When you do need it, just put it in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 30 seconds. Make sure it is not too hot for baby. You could also add a splash of water for better consistency.

I do this for peas, carrots, and green beans.

Sweet potatoes are even easier.

Poke holes in sweet potato, and microwave for 5 minutes.

If potato is soft enough then take it out. If not, then microwave a few more minutes.

Let it sit out and cool off for a little while.

Then just scoop out the insides in a bowl and mash up with a fork.

Then do the ice cube tray thing again.

For fruit, I give her apple sauce and bananas. She will eat about half a banana in one sitting.

Leave the other half in the peel and put it in a Ziploc. The peel will look gross and turn black, but the banana inside is still good. So we normally eat this half the next day.

I have found it a lot easier and cheaper to give her food from the freezer than to continue buying countless jars.

We do still buy a few jars of fruit that may be difficult to make ourselves. I also have a few jars for when we travel or just go somewhere at a meal time.

As for the price, making my own is definitely cheaper!

One sweet potato is less than a dollar, and it makes 6 or 7 servings.

A 2 lb bag of frozen peas cost about $2.99, and it makes over 2 dozen servings.

These jars cost over a $1.50.

And she would probably eat about 6 jars a day.

I also recently bought a bag of black eyed peas.

Cooked them last night.

Millie loves them!

Making my own food might look time consuming, but the longest part is waiting on the water to boil. It pays off in the end. It also helps Millie get used to textured food.

Here a website that can give you more info or answer questions. http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/FreezePage.htm

Costco

2012-02-03T15:53:00.000-06:00

We joined Costco last weekend.

I love it!

I could spend hours in there.

They even give you snacks.

Today I had some smoked salmon, cheese bread, and Dr. Pepper.

I could have eaten a roast beef sandwich and some wings, but I passed.

I had already eaten lunch.

I bought all this for about $80 dollars.

I think it's a great deal.

I tried to calculate what this would cost at my other grocery store.

Using estimates only, it would have been over $100.

I got 5 lbs of carrots, 24 green teas, 4 boxes of Ziploc bags, 4 cans of starch, 4 boxes of crackers, 2 bags of Cheerios, 3 half gallons of organic milk, 2 dozen eggs, bananas, chips, and a BIG jar of pickles.

Now I think that's a bargain!

Nick will probably eat all the pickles this weekend.

And the carrots.

Then I'll just have to go back Monday!

Have a good weekend!

FITNESS: Exercising

2012-01-31T16:14:00.000-06:00

***I'm no expert. Just a mamma's ideas on exercising

Have you been drinking your water?

Have you been exercising?

Do you like to exercise?

I think exercising is important if you want to lose weight and/or stay healthy. I don't think it matters what kind of exercise you do, just as long as you do something.

In my younger, pre-marriage, pre-baby stage of life, I loved to exercise! LOVED IT!

As a kid, I would beg my parents to buy me workout tapes (VHS-the kind on infomercials) and exercise equipment.

It just looked like fun.

I still have these tapes, and I still use them too.

One Christmas I received a gazelle.

The gazelle exercise machine.

It was on my list.

The machine that was in the infomercial with this guy.

We even look alike.
We have the same hair.

I used this thing all the time.
We eventually moved it to my cousin's house because it was taking up a lot of room.
But I really did use it a lot

I also really wanted a treadmill. I never got one.
But as soon as I got married and moved out, my parents got a treadmill.

Guess where they put it.

My room.

Anyways, back to exercise.
I do not have the same motivation for exercise that I once did.

My problem is that I am busier and tired.

Cold weather is also a hard time to get motivated.

So here are my tips for exercising:

1. Make it a habit.

If you currently don't exercise, try setting aside 10 minutes everyday to exercise. It could be any time of day, and it doesn't matter what you do. 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes.

Once you start, you might find out you can go longer than 10 minutes.

You can also do two or three 10 minute intervals throughout the day. Sometimes a certain child may interrupt me in the middle of exercising, and I'll have to stop. A few hours may go by before I finish my workout. If you don't get all your exercise in one sitting, you can always finish later.

I don't think you HAVE to exercise everyday to get fit or lose weight. Three to four times a week is good for you. However, in order for exercise to become a habit, you may want to start with every day or every other day until you get into a groove.

It is easy to get out of the habit of exercising. Just skipping two or three days can turn into two or three weeks. You must make yourself do something until you get to the point where it is in your daily/weekly routine.

2. Be creative.

Sometimes my time to exercise is when Millie is playing on the floor. My workout can sometimes turn into her entertainment. She thinks jumping jacks or any kind of kick is hilarious. Sometimes exercise moves can make her stop crying.

I'll also lie on the floor next to her and exercise. Leg lifts, push ups, sit ups. This is also a good time to do the plank pose (shown below).

This works your core, and there are modifications to this too.

So entertain your child when you workout.

If you don't have babies, then exercise while watching TV, listening to the radio, or any other 'lounging around time.'

Another time I exercise is when I'm cooking. Waiting on water to boil or something to finish heating in the microwave or the oven is a perfect time to jump rope in place, jumping jacks, push ups on the counter, or even squats.

Yes this sounds silly to use my imaginary jump rope in the kitchen, but it is better than snacking on grated cheese while waiting on my water to boil.

You get my point. You can exercise anywhere or any time. Just use some imagination.

3. Take advantage of nice weather.

Walk outside, swim, walk around the park. Anytime it is nice, go outside and exercise.

Sometimes it is easier to go on a walk than do a video. However, in the winter months this can be challenging, especially if you have to take a child with you. So if it is pretty weather, like it has been around here, call a friend and go walk.

4. Use you IPhone, IPad, and Internet.

If you have a device that can download apps you can get some free exercise videos and information.

I have downloaded some free pilates apps that give me multiple videos. They are only a few minutes long, and they work! Just search for 'free exercise' or 'free pilates.'

I have also found free videos for light weight lifting or other aerobic exercise.

Just search around for what works best for you.

5. Videos (not on the internet)

I go through stages with videos, and I know some people who hate doing exercise videos.

If you hate them, then just stop reading.

I still use some old exercise video tapes to help change up my routine. I already showed you these videos.

But I also have MTV's The Grind. Anyone else do this one? It is really fun.

I won't embarrass myself any more by showing you the rest.

The best up-to-date DVDs I have are The Biggest Loser Videos. Most of them have 3 different levels. There are 3 different workouts in one DVD. It takes longer to get tired of the same old video.

6. Change up your routine

Doing the same thing everyday will eventually become less effective. So change it up every now and then.

It is now 72 degrees on January 31st. I'm taking my own advice and going on a walk.

Our Tooth Fairy Better Start Saving Up

2012-01-28T08:16:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday!

Enjoy the sunshine!

The Baptism

2012-01-23T10:24:00.000-06:00

We had our sweet Millie's baptism yesterday.

We were so glad our families could be here with us.

We love our church, and we are thankful for all it has to offer.

The last baptism picture of this group was for Laurie's baptism.

I was 8.5 months pregnant.

We celebrated the baptism with a delicious lunch.

And a good strawberry cake.

We were happy our church family could join us too.

Even this part of the cake was eaten by the time the last guest left.

The clean up wasn't too bad.

Nick had it done by 3:30.

He's the better cleaner of the two of us.

I wanted to rest on the couch.

He wanted to do the dishes.

So we did the dishes.

Our sweet baby after all her people left.

She was happy and worn out.

This is the summary of What Christian Parents Should Know About Infant Baptism by John P. Sartelle, "The Bible teaches that the sign of salvation is to be applied to the children of believing parents. In the Old Testament, circumcision was the sign. In the New Testament, baptism is the sign. The baptism of our children symbolizes the reality that they are set apart in the sight of God. In this baptism, parents covenant to raise their children by the directions of their Lord. Such a baptism calls a child from his earliest days to confess Christ as his Savior.

It is God who initiated, drew the terms of, and seals His covenant with His people. He graciously binds Himself to the promises of His Word. And He calls His children and His children's children to keep His covenant and know His blessing from generation to generation."

We do not believe that baptism saves Millie.

Colossians 2:11-12 is where we find a reference to baptism fulfilling circumcision as the outward sign of a person's entrance into the community of believers.

We pray everyday that she will know that Jesus is her Savior, and that she will love Him and worship Him the rest of her life.

My prayer for Millie is from Hebrews 13: 20-21, "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

FITNESS; Drinking Water

2012-01-16T14:06:00.000-06:00

This is one of many posts on fitness.

January is usually a time of getting fit and loosing weight. I am no expert, and my body proves it, but I do have a few tips (my ideas) on fitness.

These are ideas that have worked for me. They are also ideas that make me feel good.

The first installment of FITNESS is the easiest of all my 'tips.'
Tip number one: drink water.

I have read in several places that 8 cups of water is the recommended amount to drink every day. This always sounded like a lot of water. However, after some research, 8 cups of water literally means drinking 8 ounces of water 8 times throughout the day. Not 8 huge glasses of water.

In some other articles, I found that your lifestyle determines how much water you should drink. The more you exercise (sweat), the more you need to drink. The healthier you are, the less you need to drink. Those were some points made arguing against the idea of drinking a lot water.

I got to a point where I was hardly drinking any water. I'm not saying you have to drink 8 cups to survive, but I think striving towards a goal might help drinking water become a habit.

This is my usual drinking cup.

This is 16 oz or 2 cups of water.

I keep one glass throughout the entire day. I don't refill it until I finish the water that's already in my cup.

On my first day of trying to drink the right amount of water, I drank all 8 cups by 4 pm. Therefore by the end of the day I drank 10 to 12 glasses before I hit the sack.

I also recommend to stop drinking about an hour or two before going to bed-because you know why.

Drinking water is good for your hair and skin.

Water removes toxins from your body (that's what the internet says).

It keeps dehydration away which is good for your entire body.

Drinking water before a meal can also help you feel full sooner. Therefore you won't over eat.
This is a common problem for me. I eat til I'm miserable.

Sometimes in the afternoon I feel hungry, but I'm not sure what I want. So I start to eat chips.

Nope that's not it.

Then I eat chocolate.

That's not what I wanted either.

I continue to eat until I'm finally full of junk that I don't feel very good.

If I would only drink a cup of water I might have been more satisfied. Hunger can sometimes masquerade itself with thirst . So when you are achin' for a snack, drink some water and re-asses your hunger.

I am by no means suggesting to starve yourself. When you are hungry, EAT. Just make sure what you are eating will fill you up and won't leave you wanting more.

The point is to DRINK WATER. Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are full. Drink some more water.

Click here, here, and here to read more on why water is beneficial for your health and how much you should drink.

More FITNESS to come soon.

Pictures From This Week

2012-01-13T12:51:00.003-06:00

We have had a slow January.

A sick January.

With little housework getting done.

And a lot of lounging around.

Outside of Publix and Target employees, this guy and his household have been the only outsiders we've seen in while.

This girl is overcoming a cold with crawling and pulling up on everything.

These skills have helped her find the fun kitchen cabinet.

We will hopefully reemerge into civilization next week, illness free.

Hope you have a good weekend!

7 Months

2012-01-08T15:34:00.000-06:00

This girl is 7 months old today.

We spent yesterday afternoon outside.

We watched Nick build another fence.

The hat was for protection from the sun.

Her dad said it looked goofy.

And it kind of did.

But I didn't want her head sunburned.

It was a beautiful 70 degrees in January.

I wish all winter would feel like this.

But we just got a truck load of fire wood, and we need to use it.

Spread the Word Montgomery Friends

2012-01-03T17:08:00.000-06:00

Montgomery friends, please spread the word to anyone that may need some help with their math skills.

QUALIFIED MATH TUTOR

Lucy Freeman

Certified Math Teacher for grades 6-12

Middle School Math

Pre-Algebra

Algebra I and II

Geometry

ACT (math portion only)

Help with Homework

Study for Test

Improve Math Skills

$30 an hour

Individual and Group Sessions Available

Contact

lucygfreeman@gmail.com

2011

2011-12-31T20:33:00.001-06:00

Last picture of 2011!

On to 2012!

A year of praying, wife-ing, mothering, cooking, hosting, tutoring, reading, exercising, visiting, and thanking God for all my blessings.

Fruitcakes in the Kitchen Part 2

2011-12-29T09:46:00.000-06:00

Another Jimmy Buffet Christmas has come and gone.

Doc and George cooked our cheeseburgers in paradise and french fried potatoes to perfection.

I was in charge of the margaritas.

Pink Grapefruit Margaritas this year

Christmas would not be complete without the train dance to Jimmy Buffet's Fruitcakes.

We are a talented bunch.

I eventually stopped recording to join the fun.

This fruitcake train ended with a dance in the kitchen.

We started a new tradition of singing this. It sounded pretty good.There is also a video of this, but I won't force you to watch it.

It's not Christmas without the crowns.

Laurie baby

Millie baby

These babies had a grand first Christmas.

The actual fruit cake for the night.

These guys were the last to part with their crowns.

And the last ones to go to bed.
On to the New Year!

Fruit Cakes in the Kitchen Part 1

2011-12-26T10:43:00.000-06:00

December

2011-12-21T17:45:00.000-06:00

WARNING: This is a long post with a lot of pictures. I am also having blogger trouble. Some things may not be the right size or centered. And pictures are not spaced right either.That is not my fault. I blame the computer.

December has gone by way too fast. Too fast to blog.

Millie turned 6 months old on December 8th.

I didn't forget this milestone in my baby's life. I just wasn't able to blog about it at the time.
I did take a picture of Millie at the Dr.'s enjoying the paper on the table.
I did not take of picture of her not enjoying her shots a few minutes later.

I've made a lot of cookies.

We've played with cousins.

There was a little static on the slide.

The scary man on the TV was Scrooge-the animated version.

And our house has been decked out for weeks. My decorating advice is to use oranges and greenery from your yard and tree.

This idea came from HERE.

And Santa came to Nick's office last night and gave Millie a doll.

She didn't seem overjoyed with Santa, but at least she didn't cry.

Nick's drink, not hers.

I hope your December has been fabulous. I cannot promise to blog again before the new year, but I'll try.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Remote

2011-12-11T18:37:00.001-06:00

A girl after my own heart.

The remote control.

Professor

2011-12-08T19:08:00.005-06:00

Nick started grad school the fall after graduating from undergrad at Auburn. He will have his Masters Degree in civil/environmental engineering also from Auburn.

He's a genius.

This semester his assignment was to teach a senior undergrad engineering class. He has traveled to Auburn every Tuesday night this semester to be the professor. And I think he has thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nick will graduate this May.
We are planning a party!
I may have to start calling him Master like on I Dream of Jeannie.

I took this picture of him as he was getting ready to leave to listen to his students' final exam presentations. I know today is Thursday, not Tuesday, but exam schedules are always weird.

PROFESSOR NICK

While he is gone, I'm cleaning out my purse. As you can see, it's a mess.

I also want to show you Millie's stocking made by Lovie, monogrammed by my cousin, and finished off by my sister. I think it's great!

I would have a picture of Mil if she wasn't already asleep for the night at 6:40.

She was tired.

I also want to note that all of the above photos came from my Christmas present mentioned in my last post.

My new iPhone.
It only cost me 1 cent.
Yes, you read that right, $0.01.
Plus the service charge.
It was my free upgrade time.
I don't know what the one cent was for.
I love it!

Now I'm thinking about making sister's killer cocoa and getting ready to watch Grey's Anatomy.

Decorations Are Up

2011-12-05T12:45:00.007-06:00

Now onto present shopping.

A gift for myself should be here tomorrow or the next day.

I'll show you what it is when I get it.

I'm pretty pumped about it.

Thanksgiving Week Through Pictures

2011-11-28T15:58:00.002-06:00

10 days in Mississippi

Things I did not photograph:

more pictures with Millie and her grandparents

my plate on T-Day

other family members besides Nick, myself, and my baby

strolling around the block a couple times a day

Nick's deer he shot on Wednesday

Nick's brother coming to visit in G'ville

my mom's Christmas decorations

dinner at Doe's Eat Place

daddy's steak that was as good as Doe's

Millie sleeping from 7 pm to 7:10 am one night

Looking forward to Christmas already!

GEORGE

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE!

He was a sweet fat baby.

He is 23 today!
He is still this cute.
And silly.

LOVIE

2011-11-19T06:35:00.001-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVIE!Picture of me and mamma in either '85 or '86
probably '86

DOC

2011-11-15T08:17:00.000-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOC!Picture taken day of my birth, October 1985.

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

I am very thankful for all of our veterans and the soldiers that are currently serving.

Nick and I just finished watching the HBO mini-series The Pacific. It was created by the same people as Band of Brothers. Like the title implies, it is the story of marines fighting the Japanese in the Pacific during WWII. It was hard to watch what some soldiers had to go through. It was a good show, but it was also very sad. One of the main characters was based on Eugene Sledge from Mobile, AL. He eventually went on to Auburn University, and his journals were used to tell part of the story for Pacific. I think his journals are also in the Auburn library.

I'm very thankful for all veterans' bravery.

I'm also very thankful for our freedom here in America.

At our missions conference this past year, the guest preacher said this about freedom, "We did not choose to live in America. God chose it for us. Even though our country is not perfect, I am thankful for the freedoms we have. I am especially thankful for the freedom of religion."

I thank God that we can openly praise Him without fear of persecution.

Five Months

2011-11-08T09:00:00.002-06:00

This sitting up,

rice cereal eating,

tiger riding baby is 5 months old today!

We are so thankful for her precious life!

Two New Foods

2011-11-05T15:05:00.004-05:00

Two dishes.

Two foods new to my kitchen.

Two tasty meals that I recommend trying.

Both of these recipes come from REAL SIMPLE.

The first meal is CHICKEN WITH CABBAGE AND POTATOES.

Start by chopping the cabbage in half and slicing it into strips.

I did this early in the afternoon while Millie was asleep and kept it in the fridge until cooking time.

I bought 2 potatoes.

One tater per person.

Slice them all about the same size so they cook evenly.

Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook in a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes, and toss them half way through.

I used some chicken cutlets instead of breast. Coat them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and tad bit of Tony Chachere's. Then put them in the oven with the potatoes.

They cooked about the same length of time.

Just keep your eye on them.

I cooked more chicken than the recipe called for. I actually cooked a whole bag of cutlets found in the freezer section of the grocery store. We are eating the left over chicken for lunch this week. We got tired of turkey sandwiches. We eat the chicken in salads, on sandwiches, or just by itself.

While the potatoes and chicken were cooking, cook a few pieces of bacon on the stove. Using the bacon grease, saute one shallot, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and three tablespoons of cider vinegar. The actual recipe calls for whole grain mustard, but I didn't have any.

Add some salt too.

I cooked the cabbage until it started to wilt, but it was still a little crunchy. Nick was not the biggest fan of the cabbage. He's not a mustard kind of guy. But I thought it was really good. Cooking it a little longer would have been better.

Put all your food together and sprinkle bacon on top. Eat the chicken, cabbage, and bacon in one bite, and it's really good.

My plate

Magazine's plate

The next day I sauteed the already cooked left over cabbage in a pan with some butter and salt. I ate it with the left over chicken, and it was a tasty lunch. I also felt really healthy.

The next dish was TORTELLINI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH, MUSHROOMS, AND FONTINA.

Butternut squash was an ingredient I have never cooked or eaten.

And it was awesome.

One of the tastiest roasted veggies I've had.

First you have to peel and dice the butternut squash.

If you don't have a good peeler (like me) just cut all the sides off with a sharp knife. There is a lot of squash so don't worry about wasting a little with the peel.
Next toss the squash, mushrooms (any kind would be good), and sage(1/4 cup) with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Next time I'm not using sage. Rosemary or thyme would work, or you could skip the herbs all together.

Roast on baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.

While these are roasting, boil your tortellini.

This cheese tortellini is so good.

I have eaten it all by itself on several occasions.

Drain pasta, take veggies out of oven, and mix all together with cheese. The recipe calls for fontina, but I used an Italian mix.

The squash was a little squishy, but it was still very delicious.

Next time I don't think I'll mix everything in a big bowl, but I'll just top my pasta with the veggies and cheese.

My plate (I had green and white tortellini)

Magazine's plate

I'm still working on my food photography, but trust me, these dishes are delicious.

A Farmer and Ballerina

2011-11-01T09:14:00.001-05:00

Happy late Halloween!

I'm not the biggest Halloween fan. I guess I'm not really a costume fan. I'm definitely not a fan of being scared. I get scared watching Desperate Housewives because of a murder recently committed on the show.

Anyways, I'm glad it's over.

However, I did run into a cute farmer and ballerina last night.

When we got home from a little Halloween party, we turned off all the lights and got in bed by 8. I don't even like giving candy to trick-or-treaters. You can judge me if you want, but I really don't care.

And tonight, because I don't have to hide from trick-or-treaters, I'm cooking with butternut squash for the first time. I'm making this dish out of last month's REAL SIMPLE. It is tortellini with butternut squash, mushrooms, and fontina.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Now it's November. So you don't think I'm a snob about all holidays, Thanksgiving is one of my favorites, and I embrace turkey and dressing with open arms and an empty stomach.

TGIF

2011-10-28T07:35:00.001-05:00

HAPPY FRIDAY!

May your weekend be as fun as a baby in an exersaucer!

My First Apple Pie and a Cockatiel

2011-10-25T10:00:00.005-05:00

Nick does not enjoy sweets. He doesn't even like chocolate. In spite of this flaw, I still love him. He sometimes enjoys strawberry cake or strawberry ice cream. The only other dessert he likes is apple pie.

I like to make desserts,especially chocolate ones. And I'll admit that I can eat a whole pan of dessert all by myself.

Anyways, during all my dessert making, Nick asked me several times to make an apple pie. I avoided it for a while because I thought it would be difficult. However, I found a Paula Deen recipe that was easy and delicious.

For recipe click HERE. I did not make my own crust. I bought a frozen packet of 2 crust.

I used four Golden Delicious apples, but three would have been enough. I peeled them with a vegetable peeler and sliced the apple around the core. Then I tried to slice the apple into even pieces.

Next, I poured the lemon juice over the apples and added the apple sauce. Then I combined the apples with the flour and sugar mixture. (click on link above to get exact measurements)
While chopping and mixing apples, I pre-baked one crust for about 8 minutes. Just follow the directions on crust packaging.
I piled the apple mixture in the crust. Like I already said, I used four apples and the pie was overflowing, but it all worked out in the end. Don't forget to dot with butter. I forgot and had to do it after the lattice was on the pie.
This pie called for a lattice top. Since Paula made her dough, she had plenty left over to create the lattice. To make my lattice, I let the other pie crust thaw. Then I cut it into strips.
It wasn't perfect. But it looked fine once cooked, and it tasted great!
Follow directions for crunch topping and sprinkle on top of pie.
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 45 minutes. I put mine on a baking sheet because I knew there would be any overflow of goodness.
Let sit for about 15 minutes, if you can stand it, before cutting.
After I made it, I was worried Nick wouldn't even eat any. But don't worry, this pie was gone within 48 hours of taking it out of the oven. And no, I did not eat it all this time.

Now on to my cockatiel.

I've mentioned Millie's mohawk, but she has also been referred to as looking like a cockatiel. I think Captain Steve was the first one to mention this. Well this morning, I got some good shots of the cockatiel in bed with me this morning.
And no, I did not style this. It is her natural bed-hair.
What animal does your child look like?

Happy 1st Anniversary of My 25th Birthday!

2011-10-18T16:55:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to myself!

Because it's my birthday, I made these.inspiration from pintrest

Click here for ingredients and instructions.

I made these before and did not really like them. I think I over cooked them, and they were dried out.

So this time I added in an extra layer of Nutella.

Scoop a little dough into the cupcake papers. I like to use this melon baller. I use it more for baking than for melons. Then I put a few table spoons of Nutella into a zip-lock bag and cut off the corner of the bag.
This made it easier to get the sticky stuff onto the cupcakes.
Cover it with more batter.
Then added more Nutella. I swirled the Nutella with a bamboo skewer. Don't swirl too much or it will become more like a Nutella clump on top of the cupcake. Bake for 20 minutes. Do not over bake. When edges start turning brown take them out.
They were much tastier this time around. And because it is my birthday, I had one at the start of my lunch.

Today, my sweet husband got me these beautiful flowers.
And because I've been complaining about clothes not fitting post-pregnancy, he also gave me this perfect gift. And this precious has been good all day until I took her to the doctor for her 4 month appointment. She is one healthy child (thank God) weighing in at 15 pounds. She got really upset after those 3 shots in her thighs. But she has now been asleep for almost 2 hours. This must be her gift to me.

And just because it's my birthday, I went to SONIC on the way home from the pediatrician's office. I know you're jealous.
My birthday has been great so far! Thanks for all the calls, text, facebook posts, and gifts!
I hope you have a good birthday, whenever it is.
A SONIC drink and sleeping baby always makes it better.

Mondays and Soup

2011-10-17T13:36:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday! I enjoy Monday mornings. It means getting back to routine. Back to regularly scheduled TV, dishes, and laundry. Mondays are a day to recover from a busy weekend.

This busy weekend started with Millie's first trip to Auburn.

We tailgated and got home in time to watch the game on TV.
We enjoyed the victory along with a bowl of Mexican soup. Mexican soup is not to be confused with taco soup. They are two different soups.
For the first time I cooked with frozen veggies. This saved time, effort, and dishes. I love using fresh ingredients, but it can be trouble sometimes (especially when a lot of chopping is involved).
Recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup click HERE. You don't have to cook chicken breast to get shredded chicken. I used some strips that were in my freezer. Cook with what you've got!
I also like this recipe because it uses tortilla strips to thicken the soup. Once it's cooked, they look like noodles.
I topped my soup with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips. I think some fresh jalapeno would be good too.

This weekend I also added a little color to one white wall in Millie's room.

white wall
white picture frames

white bed

All the white has been bothering me for a while.

So I painted the frames pink.
It brightens up the wall a little bit.And just because it's Monday, and I think she's precious, here are some photos of Millie. Hope you have a good Monday, even if you're not a Monday type of person!

Nothing But Donuts and Tina Treats

2011-10-10T13:00:00.002-05:00

We spent a quiet weekend at home.

I churned cream into butter.

OK, I didn't churn it. I whipped it with my mixer.

I started by pouring 1 cup of room temperature cream into a cold mixing bowl.
Whip until the cream deflates and you see liquid starting to form in the bottom of the bowl (past the whip cream stage). When you see the liquid, you have made butter in buttermilk.

Strain to get rid of the buttermilk. Rinse with a little cold water to help drain all the buttermilk. This may take a few minutes. Then you have butter!

At this point you could mix it with roasted garlic or honey for flavored butter.

No, I'm not going to make my own butter from now on. But I often find myself with left over cream from other recipes or from serving it with coffee. Now I can actually use the cream instead of letting it go bad in the fridge.

I also made a darn good Bloody Mary in a jar.

Fill a large mason jar with ice.

Add 2 shots of vodka.

Fill the rest with Zing-Zang Bloody Mary Mix.
Now the reason for the jar.
Put the lid on and shake.

Add a squeeze of lime.

And later when all the bloody mary stuff settles on the bottom, put the lid back on and shake again.

I think this is a good way to serve them at a party. Fix the bloody mary minus the ice. Your guest can fill their jar with ice and shake it themselves. This saves you from making drinks during the entire party. I plan to use this idea sometime but with margaritas.

This giggling girl just turned 4 months old.

She has also mastered the art of rolling over.

Nick accomplished many chores. Along with cleaning out the garage, he officially closed the pool for the year.

And it was my turn to take breakfast to Sunday School. I planned to take tina treats. Mid baking I realized I didn't have enough time. We left the treats on the kitchen counter, and stopped by Publix on the way to church to pick up donuts.

We can have as many as 18 or as little as 4 in our class. Yesterday we had 6. In other words, when I got home, I had over a dozen donuts and a dozen tina treats.

The only things I ate yesterday (breakfast,lunch, dinner) were donuts and tina treats.

I know you're jealous of all the food and drinks I indulged in this weekend.

My stomach hurt a little when I got in the bed last night.

I'm now going to run around the ~~block~~ neighborhood.

Busy Travels

2011-10-07T08:40:00.003-05:00

It's OCTOBER!

What a great month.

We started it out with a trip to Mississippi.

Millie and I went to Greenville, and Nick went to Biloxi.

We were sad to be away from Nick on his BIRTHDAY! It was Tuesday.

I wanted to blog on Tuesday, but I was too busy relaxing on the porch trying to finish this,
taking good naps,
and baking and eating these.

You can see I was really busy.

So HAPPY (late) BIRTHDAY NICK!

The Mohawk

2011-09-30T09:40:00.001-05:00

When people see Millie, the first thing they say is, "I can't believe that hair!"

You see, Millie's hair sticks straight up.
She has a mohawk.

She has had it since birth.

I don't style the hair to stick up.

I actually try to style it to stick down.

Her hair just has a mind of its own. I wonder where she gets it from.

And That Makes 3

2011-09-27T13:15:00.001-05:00

Millie is not even 4 months old, and she has already attended 3 weddings.

One of my college roommates, Mary Catherine, got married this weekend in Athens, AL. It was a beautiful southern wedding! I'll give the details along with the pictures.

Warning, there are a lot of pictures and some may be a bit blurry.

The festivities began Friday with a bridesmaids luncheon at Mary Catherine's aunt's house.

The tables were lovely. Below were our bridesmaids gift, a pashmina and a brooch (or broach, the Internet spells it both ways) that was individually picked out for each of us.

We enjoyed lunch and this delicious strawberry cake. This was also my first experience with a charm cake. We each pulled out a silver charm and special message.

Goody bags for the hotel. Among other things, this bag included the always loved bottled cokes.

In the back of the house MC's grandmother's, mother's, and aunt's wedding dresses were hanging for us to see.

Auburn girls reuniting.

After checking in the hotel we went to the rehearsal and dinner. Nick was on Millie duty again during the rehearsal, and I don't think she was on her best behavior.

She eventually calmed down. It was a wonderful dinner in a beautiful setting!
Me and the Bride!

Everybody had different plates. Mine was very pretty. As you can also see, I enjoyed my meal.

After cheesecake, toast were made, and we were off to bed.

Wedding Day started at the hair salon with a mimosa.

Millie was admiring her fancy hairdo (this picture was taken in the mirror).

Later we headed to MC's grandmother's house to get ready. This was also the location for the reception.

I did not get my hair done at the salon, but the hairdresser (also MC's friend) was at Grandmother's. While I was asking people's opinion about my hair, she told me to bring her some bobby pins and sit down. She fixed my hair in a way I never had. I loved it! So I had to photograph it. I even had a braid in there. Can you see it?

Grandmother had everything we would possibly need. She even bought us our own toothbrush and toothpaste. Grandmother was so sweet.

I wanted this baby bed. It rocks! Literally.

The wedding dress was put on and many other photo's were taken. The dress was beautiful, and we were all fascinated by her shoes. Yes they are the real thing, Louis Vuitton!

Along with my hair I had my make up done too. I loved being pampered. I had on a lot of eye shadow, but I liked it. I wish I could have my own stylist more often.

On her way to take "First Look" pictures. This is where the bride and groom see each other for the first time today, before the ceremony.

Cheering because Alabama was loosing.

We all know they won.
Moving on.

I didn't take any more pictures until the reception, but I have to tell you that we (wedding party) rode in a fire truck from church to reception (a two block journey). It was really cute and fun! The bride and groom hung on the back. I don't have any pictures of it because I was on the truck.

This is what greeted me at the reception. She was better behaved today.

Lilies. Gorgeous!
We wanted to take some home.

Bride and Groom First Dance

This was one fancy spread. It included raw oysters, sweet potato fries, fried okra, beef, pork, shrimp and grits. That is just all I can remember. We did not go hungry.

More Auburn girls. It was fun catching up!

Yes, this is a sting ray groom's cake with grey icing and red velvet insides, just like 'Steel Magnolias.' Except in the movie it was an armidillo.
I'm glad this one wasn't an armidillo.

There was also a kids table with Capri Suns, animal cracker, and colors with coloring books.

Even though my hair was falling down, I had to photograph it again so I can try to recreate it. Some of you may be thinking it doesn't look that different or that great, but my hair has been difficult lately. I need all the help I can get.

She fell asleep during 'The Love Shack,' and Nick and I boogied the rest of the night.

Throwing the bouquet off the balcony. A shot of the house.

I tried looking up a synonym for beautiful, but I just couldn't find one. Beautiful sums up everything about this wedding. Every detail was taken care of. I also enjoyed the homeade pecan pies given as favors as we left.

Mary Catherine and Tyler, I hope you have fun in Italy, and thanks for making me a part of your wedding.

We are now catching up on sleep and laundry.

More Cousin Love

2011-09-20T19:40:00.000-05:00

I can tell these girls are going to be good friends.

And I just had to put this one on here.

Growing Cousins

2011-09-18T13:28:00.007-05:00

June 27, 2011

September 9,2011

They're growing like weeds!

French Fries

2011-09-13T12:08:00.004-05:00

I don't really like Rachael Ray's cooking show on the Food Network, but I sometimes watch her talk show on ABC in the mornings.

Not every morning.

Just like once a week or so.

She taught me a new (and I think better) way to cook fries.

First cut up fries and toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Place one of those cooling racks used to cool cookies and cupcakes on a baking sheet. Place the fries on the rack. This allows the fries to bake more evenly, and it makes the fries crispier. In other words, the fries are so soggy. This was a problem I've been having. You may not have this problem.

Place fries in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Take the fries out, and turn the oven up to 425 degrees. Don't put fries back in until oven has reached desired temp.

Before you put fries back in oven you could toss them with garlic or herbs for more flavor. Leave fries in 425 oven for 15-20 minutes until your desired crispiness.

Mine look a little burnt, but they weren't. They were crispy on the outside and a little soft on the inside. Just the way I like them.

*cook longer for crispier fries

Her official recipe can be found HERE. She has a few more helpful tips about cutting up fries and such.

Game Day

2011-09-12T07:42:00.001-05:00

We're a spirited bunch over here!

Even after the game these cousins remained civil.

And because I've been giving you a lot of baby pictures lately, I'll throw in a recipe.

Smoked Chicken Legs

Click HERE for recipe.
It's the Neely's again.

The recipe uses one whole chicken, but we like to use chicken legs.
We smoked them for about 2 hours.

They are divine!

I hope you had a good game day experience.
Unless you're a STATE fan.

3 MONTHS (yesterday)

2011-09-09T07:56:00.003-05:00

Tropical Storm Lee

2011-09-07T07:28:00.008-05:00

Tropical Storm Lee can't ruin our good time!

This past weekend we went to Carillon Beach in Florida. It rained most of the time we were there.

One of my best friends was getting married on the beach. This would be my first beach wedding. I was really excited! However, because of Tropical Storm Lee, plans were changed, and the ceremony was in the chapel. We did have a beach rehearsal, and it was a tad bit windy.

These waves are nothing compared to how big they were on Saturday.

Nick was on baby duty. I owe him a big thank you! He was in charge of Millie for the weekend. I feel like I only changed one diaper the entire time. I think they both enjoyed their weekend of bonding.

All the bridesmaids with the bride at the rehearsal dinner.

This bucket of goodies was in our room when we arrived. I have thoroughly enjoyed it!

Wedding day!

Even though it rained, I think everything was wonderful!

Me and Lauren getting ready with the bride!

The Beautiful Bride!

Coming to the floor for their first dance!

Mr. and Mrs. Matt Newman

Millie arrived looking good in her orange stroller. She is not even 3 months old, and she has already been to 2 weddings.

Nick still on duty.

me and my baby

Even though the wedding did not go according to plan, the pictures and ceremony were beautiful! Everyone got teared up watching both dads cry through the whole thing. Being inside meant we didn't have to fight the wind, sound of the waves, and possible rain. I also really enjoyed myself at the reception despite the fact that the groom's cake was Alabama's stadium. I didn't even let out a War Eagle all day in honor of the bride and all the surrounding BAMA fans!

Laura, I loved being part of your wedding! I wish you and Matt a lifetime of happiness. And remember, according to some, rain on your wedding day means you will have good luck and one day become rich!

The weather was not any better when we left FL. I hate driving or riding in the rain. I get real nervous. Just ask Nick. So halfway home I got in the backseat with Millie and the car DVD player. I enjoyed a few Friends episodes. I don't think this was the purpose for purchasing the DVD player, but until Millie is aware of watching DVD's, I will get plenty of use out of it.

At least TSL brought us some cooler weather. Yesterday I actually got cold walking outside!

Sept. 1st

2011-09-01T12:07:00.006-05:00

This month always makes me want to sing this song.
Have a good month!

Real Simple Pasta

2011-08-30T12:15:00.003-05:00

Have I mentioned that REAL SIMPLE is my favorite magazine?

I read it from cover to cover

I always have mixed feeling about their recipes.

For example, in a special 'party dip' article, the red pepper, walnut, and tahini dip doesn't sound as appealing as the pimiento cheese dip. However, I did try the spinach and white bean dip, and it was not good. Some recipes are good, and others are a disappointment.

I did find a good pasta dish in July's magazine. Click HERE to see the original recipe. I added chicken and garlic, and I used angel hair pasta because it was in my pantry.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Basil Oil

You will need:
pasta
3 cups of fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
1 garlic clove, minced (more if you like more garlic)
salt and pepper

Directions:
Cook chicken. We cooked ours on the stove. You could grill the chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken from the store. Cook pasta and drain.Combine 2 cups of fresh basil leaves with 1/2 cup of olive oil and minced garlic in a blender.
Blend until smooth and pour through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard solids.
Toss the basil oil and pasta together. Add chicken, goat cheese, and fresh basil.Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
This would also make a good side dish if you don't add the chicken.

Next I would like to try their flaky tomato and mozzarella tart using puff pastry. Recipe found HERE. Let's hope this is a good one to try.

Photographing My Life

2011-08-25T11:42:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to come up with a new name for the blog for a while. I didn't really like the original name 'The Freeman Club.' To come up with a new name, I tried to think about my reasons for having a blog. My main reason for blogging is to remember the big and little things in life. I do not have a good memory, and I am not a good scrap-booker. I'm not going to forget Millie's birth, but it is fun to have the photos of meeting her for the first time.

The blog is also a good way of sharing our lives with friends and family who live out of town. Having the blog allows me to save all my memories and photos in one place, and I hope to print it all out into a book some day.

As for the name, when I was younger my mom would say, "you can live your life or photograph your life." My mom, who never takes pictures, chose to live her life. I chose to photograph mine. Therefore, since I chose this lifestyle, and my blog is my virtual scrapbook of those photos, I decided to name the blog "Photographing My Life." I'm not promising to never change the name again, but I think it suits for now.

As for today's photo:

All the pictures from baby showers, Millie's birth, and her first month of life

I said I took a lot of pictures. I didn't say I was speedy at organizing them.

Silly Millie

2011-08-23T15:20:00.001-05:00

Millie is almost 11 weeks old!

She weighs 12 lbs 7oz and is 23 1/2 inches long.
Millie is in the 85th percentile for weight and height.
Go girl!

She has started smiling back at us.And making some silly faces.

We think she's sweet!

She is also sleeping at least 7 to 8 hours at night.
Last night she slept 10 hours!
Whoo hoo!
I feel like a new woman.

Dinner Menu

2011-08-22T10:30:00.002-05:00

Last week I used sister's food blog as inspiration for our dinner menu.

I cooked the beef and broccoli stir fry one night.

Chicken delight was dinner the next night, and it was wonderful. I don't know why I haven't made this before. I over ate.

Meatball subs were also on the menu.

I also made these brownies for Bible study last Monday, but one of the pans did not get eaten. So that means I got to eat this batch. I do not remember where I got this recipe, so if I copied it from you, I'm sorry.

BROWNIES

Ingredients:

8 oz semi sweet chocolate

1 stick of butter

3/4 cup of sugar

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

3/4 to 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350, grease and flour pan.

Melt chocolate with butter in double boiler until smooth.

With electric mixer, beat sugar with eggs and salt until thick.

Stir in vanilla and flour.

Stir in chocolate and butter mixture.

Stir in chips.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

This is the damage I did in just 2 days. They are good brownies.

I am guilty of reading blogs or magazines and liking a recipe that I never end up cooking.

So if you are in a dinner rut like I was, write down the recipes you like as you see them. Then actually cook them. It never hurts to experiment in the kitchen.

Now I'm off to make this week's menu. What should I have?

Sip and See

2011-08-12T12:46:00.001-05:00

During my week in Greenville we had a 'Sip and See' for my mom's friends to come see my Millie baby.

Millie had to take a pre-party nap.

We enjoyed these beautiful flowers.

Tiny Bubbles

Delicious strawberry cake from Sugaree was our something pink to eat!

Catfish Dip

Millie cried through most of her party, but I think everyone still liked her.

We did a lot of sipping.

And eating.

The party lasted into PJ time.

I'm glad everyone got to meet my sweet baby. She had a good time!

We're Back!

2011-08-08T11:54:00.008-05:00

Happy Monday!

We are back from our week long vacation in Mississippi.

Mississippi is the land of wine, food, free childcare, and medicine.

Our vacation started at Nick's parents' house, and we had to leave early because of my 104 temperature. We headed North to see the Doc.

A few days and a many tests later we found out I had a kidney infection. I don't think I've ever felt so bad. Giving birth was easier than having a high fever.

I'm better now, but it was bad for a little while. Needless to say, my week in Greenville did not go as I had planned. I'm thankful I was in MS because it would have been worse without Doc and Lovie.

I'm planning another vacation to MS where I can drink wine, eat good food, and enjoy my life!

While we were there, Nick dressed up like my dad and attacked the jungle in the backyard. The fence in the background has not been seen by any of us in 19 years.
We also had a 'Sip and See' for Millie, but that will get its own post.

I recovered just in time for my cousin's wedding in Greenwood, MS.

Greenwood is a lovely little town. The Alluvian Hotel is fabulous! It has good coffee and margaritas and really soft beds.

Millie enjoying the beds

Goodie bag in the room Enjoying the hospitality room

My new blue rehearsal dinner shows Rehearsal Dinner My uncle Ronnie was the rehearsal dinner entertainment Bridal Brunch at the Viking Cooking School Wedding Time! Mr. and Mrs. John George Archer These babies were even there enjoying their first wedding. More cousins! Siblings and dance partnersThe husbands were sweet to take the babies back to the hotel so we could boogie.

Auburn and Mississippi State shakers to send them off!

Congrats to the bride and groom!

I'm now home the Monday morning after our vacation, and I feel much better than last week! Don't you hate to mess up a good vacation with an illness?

Oh well, at least I'm better. Which reminds me I need to go take my medicine.

Thanks for all the helpers with myself and Millie throughout the week.

And on a side note, Millie is 2 months old today. I keep telling her she is a 'pretty lady.' And she keeps getting prettier with each night she sleeps through!

Hope you and me have an illness free week!

Crazy Kids

2011-07-25T17:12:00.003-05:00

Stephen Small likes to swim.

Even in the rain.

He also likes to run around the yard.

Even in the rain.

Good thing Uncle Nick likes the rain too.

Stephen loves to get on the diving board.

He doesn't like to jump off of it, but he does like to count, "1..2..3..Jump."
But then he doesn't jump.
Maybe by the end of the summer he will be diving in!

These crazy girls are becoming fast friends.

These girls are really sweet.
Just don't get one started on the crying thing.

When one stops crying, the other will start.

We are thankful for the rain and these crazy kids!
We sure do love 'em!

Pregnant, Barefoot, and In The Kitchen

2011-07-21T10:00:00.006-05:00

Minus the pregnant part.

I've been cooking some. I've missed it! I love to cook!

I loved when people were bringing us dinner. It was great not to worry about what to cook when adjusting to life with our new tiny baby. If we didn't have those meals we would have resorted to frozen pizzas and take out every night. You can only eat Publix brand frozen pizza for so many nights.

I'll start with what we had last night. CHICKEN TACO SALAD. I copied it from the Neelys on the Food Network.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 pound ground chicken
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup plain low fat yogurt
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1 heart of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup hand-crushed baked tortilla chips
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack-Cheddar cheese blend
1 small handful cilantro leaves (about 1/4 cup)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it was easy to assemble.

Start with the chopping.

Saute until tender. About 3-4 minutes.
Add ground chicken and saute.
Stir in the chili powder and cumin.
Then add the kidney beans until warm.In a large bowl mix together chopped lettuce,tomatoes (I used diced instead of cherry because I already had this little package in my fridge),

crushed chips,

(I like these best)

cheese,

and cilantro.

I didn't really measure anything.

Toss in the cooked chicken mixture.

Instead of the yogurt dressing, I mixed ranch and salsa for my dressing. It was delish!

You can also find the recipe HERE on the Food Network website.

Top it off with a Corona and you are set for the night. Corona Light if you are trying to lose the pregnancy weight.

Forget the pregnancy weight and enjoy a Brown Cow too.

Road Trip

2011-07-19T12:55:00.001-05:00

We have been sleepy over here.

Millie has been sleeping good at night. Sometimes 5 or 6 hours. The problem is that those six hours are from 10 to 4, and sometimes it is hard for me to go back to sleep at 4. I also did not take any naps over the past 3 days because we were traveling to Mississippi!

This was Millie's first road trip! And her first trip to Grandma's house. Both grandmas. She did great in the car. She slept the entire trip (I didn't), and she only woke up to eat.

We spent some quality grandparent time.

Nick and I went on our first date since Millie was born. We went to the noon showing of this.

And it was awesome! Sad the story is over, but the movie was good.
I'm thinking about re-reading all the books.

And we got Millie her first non-family babysitter.

We left Millie for the evening to attend a wedding party for a good friend.

We swung through Madison on our way home to see Nick's parents, and Millie slept all the way home.

Monday was a lazy day. Millie and I are still recovering from our trip.

I hope you have a restful rest of the week!

One Month Old

2011-07-08T12:49:00.003-05:00

Millie is one month old today!

She has grown so much!

She seems huge compared to when we brought her home from the hospital.

A few days home from the hospital
She also did great on her first trip to Target today!

We love you Millie! Happy One Month!

Long Weekend Means Short Work Week

2011-07-05T13:15:00.002-05:00

We had a fabulous weekend!

It started with a baby shower for this mamma to be.

I went to the grocery store for the first time in over a month! Thanks to my sweet friends for bringing us dinner the past couple of weeks.

I treated myself to Starbucks on the the way home.
This is a caramel frappuccino. It is delicious.
Fattening but delicious.

We played with cousins.

We took good long naps.

Played with this precious one. Can you believe she is almost one month old? Time is already flying by too fast!

Enjoyed good friends and food by the pool on the 4th!

I hope your 4 day weekend was just as fabulous! Enjoy the 4 day work week!

Introductions

2011-06-27T14:26:00.002-05:00

Nick's family came to visit us on their way to the beach. We were invited but politely declined due to the fact that I would probably have spent the vacation in a hotel room feeding my baby every 2 hours. I'm also still in recovery mode from the C-section. But we were glad they came to see us!

Millie, meet Millie (Tu-Tu is her grandmother name)

Cousins

Carsten is Nick's sister's baby boy, born 5 weeks before Millie.

We decided to dress them up to take some pictures.

Millie's little necklace was given to her by Tu-Tu. It's a beautiful pearl necklace with a diamond in the middle and her name engraved on the back. It is a special gift that I know she will be able to wear for a long time.
And don't worry, we took the necklace off after the pictures. The warning label said do not wear until 3 years of age due to the choking hazard. So for now we will save it for pictures and special occasions.

What's in a Name?

2011-06-22T17:00:00.001-05:00

The main question I get when telling people my child's name is, 'is that a family name?'

The answer is yes! Millie's name comes from both sides of our family.

Millie is Nick's grandmother's name. She is also my Millie's only living great-grandparent.

Lynn was my middle name (dropped it when I got married).

On a side note, my mom's grandmother was Mildred. Nick's mom's middle name was also Lynn, and I have an aunt Lynn. So you see, Millie Lynn Freeman is definitely a family name.

The next question is, 'is it a double name?' That answer is no. We just call her Millie.

This was the name we loved before I was even pregnant. We did discuss a few other options, but Millie was the winner. It is hard to pick a name. It's an important part of your life.

Millie, 2 weeks old

One Week Old (yesterday)

2011-06-16T18:35:00.002-05:00

I can't believe Millie is already one week old! It is already going by so fast! Tomorrow will be a week since we brought her home. She has been a good baby!

Our days and nights are filled with eating, sleeping, and watching a lot of TV. We even watched Thoroughly Modern Millie in honor of her birth. This is a funny romantic musical starring Julie Andrews (Millie) and Mary Tyler Moore. It was a childhood favorite of mine, and I ordered it a few months ago when we decided her name would be Millie.

The rest of this post is filled with many pictures of the past week we spent with our sweet baby girl. A big thanks goes out to Lovie for staying with us this past week. She was our cook, laundry washer, errand runner, bedside helper, and middle of the night baby monitor. We also want to thank Aunt Babby , the Captain, and cousins for hanging out with us and taking care of me when I needed help. It is nice to have a sister as a postpartum nurse!

She's Here!

2011-06-11T13:31:00.011-05:00

Millie Lynn Freeman

8 lb 7 oz

21 inches

June 8, 2011 at 4:16 p.m.

'Praise God from whom all blessings flow'

Ham Sandwich

2011-06-03T16:00:00.023-05:00

No baby yet! Just trying to survive the hottest week of the year!

In the mean time I want to share a good ham sandwich recipe. I copied it from Ina Garten's Soppressata and Cheese in Puff Pastry recipe from one of her cookbooks.

Later I found this recipe online. Check out the site for exact details.

Brush puff pastry with mustard. I used spicy brown mustard, but you can use whatever mustard you are craving. Leave a one inch boarder to brush on the egg wash. Layer on the ham and cheese.

The recipe called for Gruyere cheese.

I used a cheaper cheese. A few ounces of Gruyere cheese was almost $100. Well maybe it wasn't $100, but it was too much for just a small amount of cheese.There wasn't even enough in the package for my sandwich.

So I chose a Publix brand mix that was fabulous! It was a mixture of mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano cheese. I think using Swiss cheese would be good too. Put on the other puff pastry layer, and make some slits for the steam to get out. Brush with egg wash and trim edges off a little.
Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy and pray that a baby comes soon!

The Weekend is Over

2011-05-30T20:42:00.020-05:00

We had a fabulous holiday weekend enjoying the hot outside weather with friends and family! We had some much needed pool time, enjoyed a fun day at the lake, slept late, and ate too much food. Who knows, this could be our last weekend childless!

Take a look at a few snapshots of the weekend! I recently got a new camera. The picture quality on the blog should be better now.

We ended the weekend watching the I Love Lucy episode 'Lucy Goes to the Hospital.' It is hilarious! You should watch it. I was hoping it would inspire us to go on to the hospital!

Hope you had a good weekend too!

The Finishing Touches

2011-05-27T10:00:00.010-05:00

TGIF!!

Happy Weekend! The baby room is now complete (minus the baby).

My crafty cousin made these curtains that match the quilt she crafted earlier.

Along with the matching pillow sham.

I love it all!

Here are the pillows sister sewed and shared on her blog here.

I also found a baby book that goes along with the theme of pretty colors and birds.

You can see the rest of the room by clicking here.

Have a good Memorial Day Weekend!

38 Weeks and Waiting

2011-05-25T09:35:00.003-05:00

Hi friends! Yes, I'm still pregnant. I only have 2 weeks to go, and hopefully no more.

I'm actually feeling pretty good. My hands still bother me, and it is hard to pick up things. But overall, I'm feeling good. Maybe I'm feeling better because I'm done with work! That's always a good feeling. It's a great accomplishment to retire twice before I'm 30. I've been enjoying my days by trying to walk and swim this baby out! My summer weather is here, and I love it!

Hope you have a good 2 weeks! As for me, I'll be here, just waiting for the time to come!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-05-17T14:05:00.023-05:00

Today, May 17th, Nick and I are celebrating our 3rd anniversary!

Nick and I met at the Auburn/Mississippi State football game when we were freshman at Auburn in the fall of 2004. We started dating that following January, and we have been together ever since! We have enjoyed many things together. Take a look at some pictures throughout the years.

2005

2006

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Nick, thank you for being a wonderful husband! I'm looking forward to sharing many more years with you! I'm excited that in three short weeks we will become parents. I know you will be an excellent father too!

4 Weeks Baby, 4 Weeks!

2011-05-10T20:01:00.001-05:00

Here we are with 4 weeks left! I'm down to weekly visits at the doctor, and I'm getting to that uncomfortable stage. Nick and I can feel the baby so well when she moves. We keep playing 'name that body part,' but we aren't very good at telling if we can feel an elbow or a knee. We can't wait to meet her!

36 weeks

My biggest craving lately has been Coke. Diet will do, but I prefer a real Coke-Cola. Yellow mustard is another. I normally like mustard, but these days I can't get enough on my turkey sandwich. I've also been wanting sweets.

I made this strawberry milkshake with left over strawberries from my pavlova and vanilla ice cream.

I made a Hershey's chocolate cake. The recipe is on the back of the cocoa package. Nick doesn't like chocolate, so yes I am the only one eating this. I'll probably finish it by the weekend.

I've also made coke floats. Yum!

So if I start puffing up more you know I can't blame it all on pregnancy.

I have also been trying to walk and swim a lot. It has been hot these past couple of days, and the pool feels wonderful! I even bought a new float today. It's pink in honor of baby girl!

I hope you are keeping cool! Summer is just about here!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2011-05-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

Happy May! After the devastating storms, I am happy to see some hot sunny weather. I hope the bad weather is gone for good.

A dozen roses from our backyard!

I have recently changed the header on my blog. All of these pictures remind me of May and summer time (except the Auburn Champ picture; I just couldn't leave that one out of the bunch). It might also be the last header without our baby girl in the picture!

Reasons I'm happy it is the month of May:

#1: I only have about 5 weeks of pregnancy left. It is wearing me out!

#2: Our anniversary is in a few weeks! The beginning of May always reminds me of the fun week we had celebrating our wedding.

#3: School is out this month. I only have 3 weeks left in the school year!

#4: May is one month closer to summer. I love summer!

#5: It is time to pull out the flip flops and summer dresses!

#6: Magnolias are blooming. This also reminds me of our wedding because magnolias were used as decoration at our rehearsal dinner. Nick and I recently took some magnolias from a vacant house in our neighborhood. It has been vacant for over a year, so I don't think anyone will miss them.

I hope you have a good month filled with joy and beautiful flowers!

Up From the Grave He Arose

2011-04-24T17:52:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a good Easter! Ours was filled with church, food, family, friends, and for me, a nap and the Sound of Music on TV. For Nick, he cruised in the boat on the river.

The past two years the Spooners have come over here to eat Easter lunch, and both years we had salmon. This year I decided to change it up by picking up some fried chicken from our friend The Colonel. I also made pavlova for dessert. I used to request pavlova for my birthday instead of cake. You may be wondering, what is pavlova? And no, it isn't a country. Pavlova is meringue topped with whip cream and any kind of fruit you like. I almost couldn't fit all the fruit I wanted! There are many recipes to make meringue. You can also make any shape you want. I like the big circle display.

Here Smalls was eating the leftover fruit. He really liked the mandarin oranges and blueberries. Later he even ate his own serving of pavolva!

Don't you like my Easter flower arrangement! It came from my yard.

We also took our annual Easter picture by the pool. Next year there will be three of us!

Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Alleluia!

Bump and Nursery

2011-04-17T13:17:00.007-05:00

Hello all! I have taken a blog break for a while. Lately I have not been in the 'blog' mood. I have also been sitting by the pool on some of these warm sunny days. I swam last weekend! Don't worry, I have a nice maternity bathing suit that is very covering. I'm not trying to squeeze into old ones.

On the pregnancy front, I have about 7 weeks to go! Maybe less, if baby girl decides to appear a few days early. I'm still not feeling great, but I'm making it OK. Here is my latest bump picture. I'm still supposed to gain about a pound a week! How can I get any bigger?

She has been moving a lot! She especially likes to stay on the right side of my body and play with my rib cage. Because her movements are so strong (and visible) it makes me more anxious to meet her! When baby girl does decide to come out and meet us, her room is just about ready. She also has an assortment of outfits to choose from. I have washed everything and now her stuff is waiting on her.

My favorite part of the nursery is the fabric I found for a quilt. I found the fabric over Christmas, and my talented cousin Bibba sewed it all together for me. Now she is even working on some curtains and a pillow for the twin bed. My sister is also sewing some smaller pillows for the crib and rocking chair. I'm so glad to be related to such talented people because I certainly missed out on that gene. Maybe this baby will get it! The crib and some other goodies were given to me by my other cousin. The crib was pink, but now it looks white. All these things are great! And thanks for letting me use them Ellen! Thank God for cousins! Here are a few pictures of the nursery and some of baby girl's things.

Here is the quilt!

It was also my cousin's idea to cut out some scenes from the quilt to frame. I wanted something above the crib, but it could not be anything too big (in case it fell). So these little pictures are perfect!

This was the blanket used to bring Nick home from the hospital when he was born.

This baby has plenty of artwork in her room. These are my feet from kindergarten. I vividly remember making it in class. This is 'The Grand Catch' by Father Canonici. He is a priest, artist, and cook that lives in Madison, MS. I love his artwork. This pictures captures the story of 'the grand catch' in John 21.

For now, I'm counting down. School/work is over in 5 weeks, baby in 7. Hopefully it will fly by!

The Dress of Many Showers

2011-03-31T15:34:00.003-05:00

I am so thankful for all my friends! I have been blessed to have 3 showers for my baby girl. I talked about the first one on my last post. Another one was at work. Then last week my sweet friends from Montgomery threw me a fabulous shower! I'm now 30 weeks and 2 days pregnant. By the pictures below you can tell how much progress my belly, face, and the rest of the body is making! My hands are still numb and my sinuses are getting to me. But I am so thankful for our baby girl that I can feel growing everyday. She is a mover and a shaker! I cannot wait to meet her! Baby girl has everything she needs. Now all we can do is wait! Me with some of my hostesses. Thank you all for the wonderful shower and the awesome stroller! Y'all are great!