Malapropism

Malapropism: (noun) the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase

The toddler has been going through the funniest phase right now. I'm going to recount a couple of stories so this momma can remember them. :)

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A couple weeks ago, I was in the kitchen making breakfast when the toddler ran in crying and holding his head.

"What's wrong, baby!?" I asked, bending down to comfort him.

"MOMMA!" he wailed, "I hurt my head!! I hurt my head!! I PROBABLY HURT MY HEAD!!!"

I'm pretty sure he definitely hurt his head, and I was most definitely laughing (on the inside, of course) at his adorable little sentence.

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This morning, the toddler was driving me bonkers. He'd gone to time-out already five or so times when he came into the laundry room where I was folding laundry. He was devastated because (stick with me here) his helicopter, which has a tow line on it, was attached to Lightning McQueen's spoiler in the wrong place.

"MOMMY! MOMMY! It's not at the right place! You have'ta fix it!!!!!"

I finished folding laundry, and turned around (praying, "Jesus, keep me calm, please, please, pretty please"). "Hey, hey, this is not a big deal, son. You need to calm down."

Well, that didn't work. "NO, MOMMY! It's not in the right place! You have'ta put him here! He has to be here! It's INTERESTING!!!"

He was screaming, red-faced, at this point. And, once again (don't judge), the word choice had me biting my lip to not burst out laughing. :)

Is there anything more draining/exhausting/demanding and hysterical than parenting a two-year-old!? ;)

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

Whoa are these cookies delish! I got this recipe from Pinterest, and it will most definitely be one that I hang on to!

For the cookies:

• 1 box of red velvet cake mix
• 2 tbsp. of all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of canola oil
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

For the cheesecake filling:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

For the white chocolate drizzle:

• 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips, melted

For the cookies:

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and flour. Whisk until clumps disappear. In a mixer, add the cake mix with flour, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. The dough will be oily. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the cheesecake filling:

In a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of cheesecake filling and place on a plate. Place plate in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

To assemble the cookies, wrap the dough around the cheesecake filling balls. Place on a greased baking sheet. Only bake 3 cookies at a time, because the cookies are enormous!

Bake cookies for 13-18 minutes, depending on how large you make them. Once they are crackling and you can see the filling peeking through, pull them out. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Melt the white chocolate chips and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Enjoy!

Cheesy BBQ Chicken Crescent Rolls

Why do I love these? Because they're easy and yummy. My favorite combo.

I "got" this recipe from the Pillsbury commercial that you've probably seen and probably salivated over (unless there's something wrong with you).

You will need:

• Pillsbury crescent rolls
• 1 chicken breast
• BBQ sauce
• Shredded cheddar cheese

I cooked the chicken in the slow cooker, because in my opinion, if you need shredded chicken, there's no way to make it more tender. So, here's what you do. . .

1. Shred chicken.

2. Cover in BBQ sauce.

3. Mix in BBQ sauce.

4. Put shredded chicken and cheese on crescent dough triangle.

5. Roll up!

6. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

7. Enjoy with your favorite people! :)

Seven Weeks

On more than one occasion, I have told an expectant mother: "For the first seven weeks, you think you're losing your mind. And then, suddenly, it gets worlds better." Which is just exactly how it was for me with my first child.

And just totally not at all how it was with my second.

These first seven weeks have been sweet, laid back, enjoyable--really, really enjoyable.

He's an easy baby. I don't know how else to say it. As much as I have wanted to throttle mothers who said that--well, it's the truth. He is. And, to be honest, the second time around is just easier. You know what you're doing. You can't completely dive head first into Crazy Newborn Land because you've got another little person who is counting on you for things like dinner, clean clothes, and a calm explanation (for the ten bajillionth time) of why we do not go tee-tee and poo-poo anywhere other than the toilet. 

Little dude has slept through the night for a total of four nights! This morning, though, I heard his little cry at 2:30, and so I got up to nurse him. He goes back to sleep so quickly that it isn't a burden to have to get up to feed him. I feed him for about fifteen minutes--while I watch fifteen minutes of some substantive television program, like The Bachelor--and then I put him down, and go back to bed. 

I can't believe how big my little dumpling is getting! I mean, my first son never rocked the double chin quite like this one does! :)

The boys never nap at the same time, so I've always got one of them who's demanding my attention. But now that I'm back at work and the toddler is back at school, I am soaking up these days at home full of my sweet, sweet boys.

The toddler is a constant reminder of just how quickly this stage passes. Mr. Chunk no longer looks like a newborn! And before I know it, I will be on my knees in the kitchen holding his face in my hands and explaining that we do not go tee-tee and poo-poo in our underwear, please sir! :)

In just a couple weeks, he'll have his two month check-up, and I can't wait to see how much he has grown! Happy seven weeks, little mister! :)

Sayonara, Interviews!

After two-and-a-half months of interviews, my hubby is home for good! Yay!

The boys and I are thrilled that Daddy is home to play, relax, and just be around! The toddler misses him so, so much whenever he's not home. "Daddy's in Georgia? Daddy's in Tennessee?" he asks. Those two states are the ones that the toddler can remember. :)

You see, sometimes Daddy is just more fun than Mommy. For instance, one of the toddler's favorite things to do is play in the woods and stream behind our back fence. And he always wants to do this when it's freezing outside. Let me assure you that is not a Mommy activity; however, it is the perfect Daddy adventure! I'm also glad I don't have to be woken up anymore to the toddler crawling up in our bed and then confusedly asking, "Where's Daddy?" into the dark silence of our bedroom. "He's in ___________," I'd respond. Then the inevitable, "Awwwww, no." These two are best friends, really. 

I am so proud of my husband. He interviewed at lots of great places. It is exciting that we're at this stage in the journey. We get to find out in two months where we'll be living for the next five years! I'm thrilled that interviews are over, that medical school is nearly over, and we soon get to begin the adventure of residency! :)

With my husband sporadically in and out while I was at the very end of my pregnancy and for the first six weeks of the baby's life, I grew a lot as a mom and as a wife. I do believe few things are quite as daunting as waving goodbye to your husband as he pulls out of the driveway and you're holding a ten-day-old baby in your arms. Or having to handle everything when you're 39 weeks pregnant (yes, my husband got back in town one day before we had our baby). I learned that I really can handle things, and I learned how much I appreciate my husband and all he does--at home, but also professionally. I am so proud of him, and I am so glad he is home now!

I can't wait to see what God has in store for us! Now that interviews are over, we get to wait and see where we'll be for residency. . . and no matter what, that's exciting!! :)

The 'Brella

This morning, the toddler was insistent that if he was going to wear his fireman raincoat to school, that he must, must, must carry a 'brella as well. Of course, how could I argue with the boy? He was making perfect sense. A raincoat alone wouldn't suffice.

However, the only umbrella in sight was my Coach umbrella--hardly the umbrella that I was going to let my two year old take to school with him. But as we were in a hurry, I told him he could carry that one. I was secretly hoping he would forget about it by the time we got to school.

Nope, of course not. 

I couldn't help myself from bursting out laughing in the rain outside of the school. It was too much. Picture this: a tiny, dawdling fireman carrying an enormous Coach umbrella into school. He looked like a bobbing, designer mushroom. It totally made my day. :)

Breakfast Fruit Smoothie

I love a good smoothie for breakfast! I made this one this morning, and it was so yummy I had to pass along my recipe! I used frozen fruit since it's January, and this makes one serving.

You will need:

• 7 frozen strawberries
• 1/2 of a banana
• 4 peach slices
• 3/4 cup of orange juice
• 1 spoonful of low fat vanilla yogurt
• 2 tbsp. of granulated sugar

Blend and enjoy! Yay for fruit smoothies in the dead of winter! :)

Week Five!

My little dumpling is five weeks old today!

Things have been blissfully easy so far with this guy. (It's not easy, though, when the hubbs is out of town.) Little man is becoming more and more alert and awake with each passing day. This means fun awake time with Mommy and big brother; however, it's also starting to mean that Mommy is getting a lot less accomplished. He's been a bit of a cranky pants this week.

The toddler is so in love with little brother! This morning, when the toddler crawled into bed with me as I was holding little man, he said, "He's so cute! Look at his beautiful eyes!"

Um, melt my heart, why dontcha!? (I still find myself saying, "Leave your little brother alone!" "Do not touch your little brother!" and "STOP!" about twenty or so times a day. Ha!)

Little man is finally on a sleep schedule at night. He falls asleep around 10:30 and then wakes up around 2:00 and 5:00. Not bad, not bad! (Okay, it was bad this morning when I got the baby back down at 5:30 just as big brother came barging into our bedroom demanding cereal, juice, and The Lion King. Lord, help.) So, getting up twice in the night to feed him isn't bad at all. He feeds for about thirty minutes and then he's ready to go back to sleep. I have always stuck to watching my Bravo housewives, NBC comedy Thursday, and Modern Family, but I have recently added Once Upon A Time to my list. So, it's perfect for the middle-of-the-night feeding! I sit on the couch, feed little man, and watch episodes. And I'm kind of hooked on this admittedly dorky/corny show. :)

I've been such a homebody these past five weeks, that I can't believe I go back to work in one week! Although I'm dreading figuring out how freaking early I'm going to have to get up (it was 5:00 AM when I just had one child) and how on earth I'm going to juggle meetings, work, and--er--pumping (TMI?), I am very, very much looking forward to my clean, organized office, my work, and my awesome co-workers. I'm so lucky to have a job that I'm passionate about, that supports my family, and lets me have a mostly stay-at-home-momma lifestyle. 

I think with my return to work, although it's just two days a week, I will begin to feel like a human being again. You know--one of those people who sets an alarm, takes a shower, gets dressed, runs errands? I'm still not sure about how often I'll be attending things like my Bible study that I'm in. I'm so not crazy about having a teeny tiny little one in the middle of cold/flu season. I'm trying to minimize leaving the house with my little man for that reason. I'm so ready for him to get those wonderful (momma-tear-inducing) shots in three weeks that will protect him even more!

This week, I took photos for his birth announcement. They are so cute! I love this little guy! I mean, I know I'm his momma, but he really, truly IS the cutest baby in the world!! :) 

Christmas Catch Up

Well, considering we didn't have power for 6 days, my laundry pile looks like Mt. Doom, and--oh yeah--I have a newborn, you'll be forgiving that my Christmas post is coming to you on January 2nd! Right?

We spent Christmas Eve doing all of our traditions: attending the Christmas Eve service at church (sans the baby), Daddy reading the Christmas story, Mommy reading The Night Before Christmas, baking and decorating cookies for Santa, and reading our family Christmas letters!

On Christmas morning, I snuggled with the boys in bed while Daddy went into the living room to see if Santa came. And he did! :) The toddler was so excited about his cars. When I asked him, "What do you want for Christmas?" He kept his answer the same all of December, "I just want a lot of cars!" I did not think that Lightning McQueen could be even more present in my life, but alas, I was wrong! Santa brought lots and lots of cars for the toddler!

When we loaded up and headed over to my parents' house to open presents with my family, I had no idea that we would be spending six snow-filled days there! Thank goodness that my parents' power never went out! The boys got lots and lots of spoiling from their grandparents! The toddler loved opening all of his little brother's presents (and playing with all of his toys, too).

The snow was very beautiful, and it was restful and relaxing to be surrounded by so much family. Of course everything is a bit more challenging with a newborn, but the hubbs and I figured out a temporary nighttime schedule for handling the baby. My mom was cooking up a storm, and I don't even want to think how many calories we consumed for those six days! ;)

I hope you had a merry Christmas! :)