SO Excited!

I have my monthly appointment with my OB this afternoon and cannot wait to hear our little one's heartbeat again! Seriously, I get SO excited before my appointments now because I just love hearing our little baby's heart go pitter-patter. I am secretly hoping Dr.P will do a sonogram too, but pretty much know that's a far-fetched request since she made it sound like she wouldn't be doing any sono's for me until later in the pregnancy since I would be having my big one in 2 weeks with the perinaologist. Oh well, I am just SO anxious to see my little one again, but if I have to wait two more weeks then I guess that's just what I will have to do, boo-hoo-hoo. I will definitely post an update either this evening or tomorrow as to how my appointment goes as well. Wish me / us luck for a good appointment!

16 Weeks

I am officially 16 weeks along in my pregnancy starting today and actually just finished my pre-registration online with the hospital. WOW! Only a little over 5 months away from my due date and we will meet our little babykins! I am definitely beginning to pop as well, so I should be looking very pregnant in no time! Which is good so that I won't feel like I just look fat. No other big updates or news right now, just waiting to feel him/her move soon as that is one of my most favorite parts of pregnancy and of course, it also helps give me that added bit of reassurance to feel them dancing around in there, ya know!

Here is what is going on with both me and baby this week according to BabyCenter.com

How your life's changing:

The top of your uterus is about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel, and the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. You're probably feeling a whole lot better as you settle into pregnancy, too. Less nausea, fewer mood swings, and "glowing" skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being.

Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy —feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, many don't feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. (And if this is your first baby, don't be too impatient — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so.) The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll grow stronger and you'll be able to feel them much more frequently.

How your baby's growing:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, hishead is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

15 Weeks 5 Days

A day of great importance, both in my mind and my heart as this is the exact day within my last pregnancy that we said goodbye to our little Baby B. It's kind of ironic that I lost the baby on a Thursday at 15 wks 5 days and today it is Thursday and I am exactly 15 wks 5 days along. Probably just a coincidence of sorts, but I am not sure if I should look at it as a touching one or a unsettling one as it definitely just brings up emotions and pain that are still so very new even though I have tried my best to tuck them away in the depths of myself. On a related note, my heart weighs heavy as well as my due date for our baby we lost is this upcoming Sunday, June 28th. A milestone that I have wished I could avoid ever hitting for many months now. With the due date for our angel baby nearing, I feel a returning sense of sadness and anxiety that I just can't seem to shake even knowing that I am beyond blessed to be pregnant again and as of now, have experienced a healthy pregnancy and all indicators show a healthy baby as well. I guess it's still difficult to know that had we not lost the baby that I would have become a mother again and welcomed my second born into the world this week. Instead, I am reminded once again that we now have an angel baby in Heaven instead of a healthy baby boy in our arms. With all of this being said, I have to admit that I am more at peace now than ever with losing our little one and knowing that this was all in God's plan, but it's still difficult to swallow and fully accept even now. I know I will get there one day, a day of full-acceptance and peace, but it's just going to take some time. For now, I will just continue to pray for a returned presence of peace to get through the upcoming days and these last difficult milestones and to redirect my focus to the blessing of my current pregnancy and meeting our little baby boy or girl this December.

She's Here.......

Our new niece aka Hudson's new cousin aka Harper Madelyn and OMGoodness is she absolutely precious! She just couldn't wait any longer to meet her mama and daddy and was born almost 3 weeks early this past Saturday morning. She weighed a itty-bitty 5 lbs. 3 oz. and is seriously such a teenie-tiny pretty little girl! We did get to meet her Saturday afternoon at the hospital and congratulated the newest parents, Jess and Marc. Jessica looked great, had that new mama glow and had a really quick labor and delivery without complication which we are all very thankful for. Marc was an absolutely typical proud new daddy and you could tell that he just could not get enough of his new little girl! Here are a few pics of Miss Harper herself and her proud mama and dada doting all over her......congrats again, Jessica and Marc, she is absolutely beautiful!

Mess...Mess...Mess

As Hudson would call it....yep, I would definitely call it a MESS too, but that might just still be the understatement of the century. Apparently, while I was at work on Friday and Hudson was home with David, Hudson somehow found some ink jet printer cartridge refill bottles from oh, I don't know, forever ago tucked away in some drawer in David's chest and proceeded to do this (see below pics) unbeknownst to David. WARNING - Photos should not be viewed by the faint of heart. ;)

David actually called me at work to let me know that Marc had called to confirm that they were going to be admitting Jessica to the hospital that afternoon, but then he proceeded to tell me that he had a "little bit of a situation" on his hands, well, I would say so, huh?!?!?! He told me it was bad and that the entire carpet in our bedroom was covered, the sheets, pillows, in fact all of the bedding had been stained, the curtains in our bedroom, walls, doors, etc. And of course, Hudson was covered from head to toe in basically permanent ink!!! I pictured it in my mind and knew it was going to be a sight to see, but the reality didn't quite hit me until I walked into our bedroom after work that evening, YIKES! It was truly a disaster area.....fortunately, Hudson didn't get any in his eyes or ingest it or anything, but rather was just playing in it like he thought it was crayons or markers or something. So, thankfully it's just a huge mess that will cost a pretty penny and that's it. To say the least, we will be having to buy all new bedding and pillows and get a moving on getting our carpet replaced a little bit quicker than it probably would have happened. Next weekend we are going to start going back through every single drawer, closet, pantry, etc. and start the process of cleaning house and re-baby-proofing everything since obviously since things have been missed or slipped. Funny thing is, neither myself or David even knew that the ink was there. We had bought it several years ago and it didn't work, so we both thought it got thrown away, but apparently someone (who shall remain unknown, although I think it must have been David, ha!) tucked it away in the back of some drawer. In any case, it is no longer in existence with the exception of it being splattered all over the entire contents our of master bedroom. Hopefully, once it is gone I never lay eyes on such a thing again! ;)

Belly Pic - 15 wks 2 days

Eh', an end of the day pic after I've been at work all day and out in the hella-hot weather, so to say the least, I look SO tired, my makeup is virtually melted away and my hair looks a bit tragic. Oh well, you get the idea! ;) Oh, and yes, I am my own worst critic, ha!

Busy, busy, busy weekend --- wow, and the action started Friday!

I will post details and lots of pics later, but yeah, this was a doozy of a busy weekend.

• Friday we got word that Jessica was in fact being admitted to the hospital that afternoon and that Miss Harper would be making her grand entrance this weekend nearly 3 weeks early.
  
• Hudson created a "minor" (understatement of the CENTURY) disaster in our house which will cost us $$$$$. At least no one was hurt and everything can be replaced, but yeah, NO BUENO.
• Miss Harper was born Saturday morning shortly after 10 am - she was ready to meet her mama and daddy I guess! 
• I attended a fabulous bridal luncheon for my lovely friend Renee on Saturday.
• David, Hudson and I hurried to the hospital after I got home from the bridal shower and we met our new niece / Hudson's new cousin. She is SO tiny at 5 lbs. 3 oz., but is totally precious and perfect! Jessica and Marc both looked great and looked very proud and relieved to finally have their baby girl in their arms safe and sound.
• After the hospital visit, we scurried all the way back down south to Midlothian to a surprise 18th birthday party for my niece, Lindsay. Unfortunately, with everything else going on we were about an hour and a half late, so we missed the surprise portion of the evening, but it was still a great party and we got to visit with a lot of family and finally relax a little. David didn't get to relax too much though since it was a pool party and Hudson was ALL about swimming and oh, going up and down the HUGE inflatable slide thing like a thousand times, ha! It was definitely an eventful evening as well and Hudson was all tuckered out by the time we got home.
• Today was Father's Day which consisted of me making David breakfast, Hudson giving him his gifts and then he relaxed on the couch while I went and did a little shopping for a few more maternity items since my belly wants to grow so darn fast this time around. After I finished my shopping, David finished his video-game playing and Hudson got up from his nap, we decided to go to Mi Cocina in Lake Highlands for a late lunch / early, early dinner. We were going to go out for dinner at dinner time, but were both starving and decided that we would go this route instead. Plus, I hadn't seen my dad and him and my mother had gone out for the day, so we thought maybe they would be back once we got back from dinner. So, we went to Mi Cocina and then decided to head over to the Firewheel Town Center (which we had never been and it's very nice!) so that we could go check out Carter's big $3.99 and up sale. Of course, we picked up some (okay, quite a bit) of goodies for Hudson and then headed home. In the meantime, my mom called and they were finally home, but my dad was tired and had gone to take a nap, ha! So, we decided we would let him have a relaxing evening and that I would just give him his gifts later this week when I see him since they had a long day too! Once we got home, we relaxed on the couch and watched Gran Torino. All I can say is W.O.W! that movie was truly amazing....so very good and this is coming from a person that a) had never heard of the movie until David said he wanted to watch it b) didn't think the preview looked all that great when I watched it on YouTube today and c) isn't usually a Clint Eastwood fan by any means. With all of this in mind, I decided to give it a shot anyways and I am SO glad I did because the movie really was very, very good and even made me cry a bit. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it, but just a little warning, it does get sad so be prepared for the waterworks to come on eventually. 
• And that's about it....I am sure I am leaving something out, but it was ALOT to take in in just a few days. It's late and I am absolutely, completely and entirely pooped, so I am headed to bed for some well-deserved and much-needed sleep. Hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed a fabulous Father's Day as well. 
• Happy Father's day to all of the daddies out their including my own, my hubby and the newest daddy in our family, Mr. Marc! 

15 Weeks

I am officially 15 weeks along in my pregnancy and so glad to be in the second trimester and feeling really good. Although, this week does bring some mixed emotions for me since I did lose our last baby during my 15th week of pregnancy. However, this time around we seem to have been blessed with a healthy baby and pregnancy, at least thus far. I am continuing to pray every single day that things continue to be beyond perfect for us during the remainder of my pregnancy. God willing, we will have a healthy, beautiful baby in our arms in less than 6 short months.

Here is what is going on with me and baby this week according to BabyCenter.com.

How your life's changing:

You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now (a little more or less is fine, too) and are well into the swing of your pregnancy, but you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. If your nose is stuffed up, for instance, you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose.

If you're having amniocentesis, it'll most likely happen between now and 18 weeks. This test can identify hundreds of genetic and chromosomal disorders. If you're getting very anxious while waiting for the results, it may help to know that most women who undergo amniocentesis get good news about their babies — bringing welcome relief from their worries.

Don't be surprised if you and your partner are feeling a little stressed out these days. Many pregnant couples worry about their baby's health and how they'll handle the changes ahead. But with physical discomforts on the wane and energy on the rise, this is also a wonderful trimester for most women.

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently

 — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Daddy's Little Helper

Weekend Wrap-Up

Worst part of the weekend: Not enough time (none really) to nap or sleep in late.

Best part of the weekend: We had a GREAT weekend all around. Dinner and movie at home Friday night, shopping all day on Saturday (I even got a couple of maternity items as well), David and I went to a friend's house sans Hudson Saturday night for a party and then Sunday, we went grocery shopping and then David cleaned the garage while I worked. (those were good things since they were productive things, ha!)

Most random part of the weekend: Unexpectedly seeing and hanging out with one of our friends that we have not seen in well over 10 years! 

People I saw this weekend: LOTS! Besides the obvious, I saw Marcia, Chana, Dayson, Josh, Jason, and a ton of other party-goers at the luau. 

Something I wished I did this weekend that I didn't get around to doing: the usual which is sleeping (Oh, and going to church since we haven't been in forever...it didn't last long since we don't have someone to watch Hudson every Sunday and aren't quite ready to put him in the church daycare during service)

Things that I am looking forward to this week: Lots going on this weekend....including Father's day, likely celebrating some family birthdays and going to Renee's bridal luncheon on Saturday!

Things that I am not looking forward to this week: David working one night.....I never like these nights. 

Belly Pic - 14 weeks 1 day

Okay, so I decided I would get a little brave and start taking and posting belly pics. Here is a not-so-great pic that David took of me today. (guess I should have rethought the empire waisted shirt, ha!) 

Not too, too bad for 14 weeks 1 days, especially seeing that I was already up a bit on the scale before I got pregnant again this time around. Hopefully, it will even out eventually.

14 Weeks

I am officially 14 weeks along in my pregnancy today and I couldn't be happier to have been blessed with such an amazingly wonderful pregnancy thus far and a beautiful, healthy baby to top it off! We were SO excited to get all of the wonderful news about our little boy(?) this week and to see him waving during his sonogram almost as if he was saying "Look at me! I'm here, I'm healthy and I cannot wait to meet you mommy and daddy! Oh, and big brother too!" ***It was SO cool seeing you little one and we definitely cannot wait until we see you again next month and even better, when we finally get to meet you and hold you in a short 6 months or so!*** 

I am still feeling good physically and actually have a lot more energy too, so that has been awesome! I am starting to get fairly uncomfortable in my pre-pregnancy clothes even more though, so that is actually on our long list of to-do's today as I hope to find a few smaller maternity clothes I can wear in the interim before I "pop" per se and also pick up one of those nifty Bella Bands which will allow me to wear my pre-pregnancy jeans a bit longer as well. So, overall, feeling great physically and feeling even more wonderful emotionally since we received nothing but good news about our babykins this week. Just 2 more weeks until my OB appointment and then 4 weeks from Monday until we go for the BIG ultrasound, yay!

Here is what is going on this week with both baby and me. 

How your life's changing:

Welcome to your second trimester! Your energy is likely returning, your breasts may be feeling less tender, and your queasiness may have completely abated by now. If not, hang on — chances are good it will soon be behind you (although an unlucky few will still feel nauseated months from now).

The top of your uterus is a bit above your pubic bone, which may be enough to push your tummy out a tad. Starting to show can be quite a thrill, giving you and your partner visible evidence of the baby you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby, and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.

How your baby's growing:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Our Pretty, Pretty Hudson

LOL!!! Doesn't Hudson make one pretty little girl??? ;)

Yes, I guess I was being a pretty mean mommy, but to my defense, David helped me wrestled Hudson to put the bow on his head AND he even took the picture so he was definitely an accomplice in this evil plot, ha! I think he looks pretty cute myself, although Hudson was NOT having it one bit and was fighting us the whole time as we tried to put the headband on his head. He said "NO!" and ripped it off furiously, lol! It was fun for a minute though!

Reassurance We've Prayed For......

This morning I was driving into work when I got the phone call I have been waiting for all week long. It was Dr. W's office calling to let me know that they had received the results from my blood work and that the results came back wonderful! She said that my numbers were great and that there were no areas for concern or indications of anything but a healthy baby! Thank God. This means SO much to me and reassures me that our baby is growing healthy, strong and thriving as he should be. We have been praying for these test results to come back showing that our little one is healthy and not at risk for any chromosomal abnormalities and our prayers were definitely answered today. I now feel like we have that bit of reassurance that we have so desperately needed to make us both feel more confident that this pregnancy will continue to go well and end happily with a healthy baby in our arms. I have prayed and prayed and prayed for this.

I do realize, however, that this is still just the beginning, but a huge relief to say the least and we are hoping and praying that everything still looks just as perfect when we see our babykins again in 5 weeks for the big ultrasound and another round of blood work. Such an incredible blessing and huge weight has been lifted now that we've gotten this far. Thank you all for the continued prayers and good thoughts, they are appreciated and needed more than you could ever know.

Prayers Answered

I finally had the long-awaited NT scan this morning and am so relieved to say that all went very well at the appointment and from what could be seen in the scan, the baby looks completely healthy. Dr. W said that the measurements were what they should be based on where I am at in my pregnancy and that he did not see anything of concern to him. The scan itself was fairly quick, but it was really cool seeing the baby now that it has gotten bigger and was actually very active too! I had blood drawn after the scan and should hear back the test results by the end of the week. I would like to ask for continued prayers during this time and the coming months that all turns out as it should with this testing and the additional tests and that we will have a healthy baby in our arms come December. I feel much more confident in this becoming a reality now, but we are not in the clear and of course, even if all is well with the baby's development, anything could happen during a pregnancy, so I continue to pray for a very healthy and uneventful one.

After Dr. W. was done doing all of the measurements, he asked if we wanted him to give us his guess at the gender and of course we said yes! Only after pausing for a minute, looking at each other, taking a deep breath and giggling.....we finally blurted out - yes, ha! So, he said...."Don't go out and paint the nursery just yet, but I think you are going to be having a little baby B-O-Y!!

Yep, that's right, another boy! We were both a little (more like a lot) shocked when he told us, but although we both were kind of loving the idea of a sweet little girl, we are just as escactic about the thought of having another sweet little boy of our own too! I get to have two mama's boys?!?! What more could I ask for?!?! In all honesty, I (we) just want a healthy baby above all else, so that's the most important thing to us! Oddly enough, I think I knew all along that was going to be the prediction, but thought that possibly my mother's intuition was wrong and that we would be surprised in a new way this time around. Now, Dr. W. did say he would confirm for sure at my next appointment in 5 weeks, but he also sounded VERY confident and even said that he did not expect his prediction to change which I took as a sign that he must have seen something pretty convincing to support his guess! Although, David and I didn't see nada except an adorable little baby virtually waving at us and the cutest little profile ever! We did both think in our heads that Dr. W. might just tell us boy when we saw and heard the heartbeat and it was now at 154 instead of the 164 that it had been just a week ago. Although, the concept of girls having a faster heartbeat is supposedly an Old Wives tale, it still seems to hold true for many and we instantly thought that since the heartbeat had dropped so much that it might just be a sign of a boy and it seems that we were probably right!

We are already contemplating names and playing out all of the scenarios which involve having two sons and it's been quite comical already to be honest! I just hope that they love each other and are the best brothers they can be to one another. I know Hudson will LOVE having a little brother to play with (and get into trouble with, lol!), but I just hope that we have enough room for all of the Hot Wheels two little boys can acquire!! Yikes! More than anything....I just cannot wait to meet our little boy, coddle him in my arms and pepper him with sweet little kisses!

Here is the one and only picture that we got today from the appointment, but it's a great profile shot of our little boy.

Fireplace Wall - Before and After

So, we got the bright idea (no pun intended) to paint the center wall behind our fireplace red a couple of years ago and unfortunately, from the time it was finished, we were not happy with the final result. The so-called "red" paint had turned out more orangey-red and was totally NOT the red David nor myself had envisioned for this area. However, we got caught up in the day-to-day rat race and never got around to redoing it, that is, until David got a wild hair and decided that he was going to completely redo it last Sunday. We had already decided a while back that when we got around to it, we meaning David, that he would paint the wall the same neutral khaki type tone that we used under the chair railing in our dining room. Well, he still needs to do some touching up and I have to buy some new decor items for the mantle now, but it is finished for the most part and looks a million times better! We both seriously LOVE it and cannot wait to finish the touch-ups and the mantle decor along with probably purchasing a new fireplace screen among other things. Here is a before and after pic for reference.....I could only find a pic from Christmas for the before pic and excuse the mess (and dead flowers) in the after pic. I just got antsy and decided to go ahead and take a quick snapshot even though we haven't cleaned or straightened up yet this weekend. David is in the middle of another big project, so we were waiting on that to be finished before doing the "weekly clean".

Before - ugly orangey-red gone wrong.....this look was BAD and even worse with the holiday decor all out in full-swing.
Red wall = BIG FAT FAIL!

After - chic and pretty neutral tan color that totally complements our decor far better and brings out some fantastic highlights in the slate fireplace surround. LOVE!

13 Weeks

Today I officially begin my 13th week of pregnancy and I am virtually through the first trimester, whoohoo!! I am feeling great so far and actually have had a bit more energy a lot of the time over the past couple of weeks. I can totally feel how huge my uterus is and it is already making it difficult to go long without going to the bathroom and also, I feel like when I eat I am getting full much quicker. I presume that maybe my little stomach is getting squished and thus, I am getting fuller quicker, but I could be entirely wrong on this one, ha! In any case, I welcome a lack of appetite to a certain extent so that I don't blimp out more than necessary! I was considering starting belly shots today, but never got around to it so I might try to have David snap a shot sometime over the next couple of days or so, otherwise it might be next week before I post one. I do have my NT scan appointment on Monday, so I am still very much looking forward to seeing our little one as is David. Hopefully, he/she will be perfect and perfectfully healthy as well! I cannot wait to see our babykins again!

Here is what is going on with the baby and myself this week according to BabyCenter.com

How your life's changing:

This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside. More good news: Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift around this time. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow.

How your baby's growing:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. There is no place like home.

2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been the fabulous new chicken enchiladas David made a couple of weeks ago, but we've tried several really good recipes lately.

3. Sometimes Hudson acts like he is a dog and along with Bailey, they bark! bark! bark!

4. A nice long walk when it is hotter than heck in Texas can be less than "nice".

5. I am praying that very soon I will be sharing some good news.

6. When all is said and done, it comes down to family, friends and faith being the core of the life we chose to lead.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing and sleeping a full 8 hours + to make up for the lack of sleep I've had during the week, tomorrow my plans include some design and print projects, but mostly projects around the house that we have planned or at least one in general that we intend on doing this weekend (yay!) and Sunday, I want to go to see my nephew, Chris, graduate and then go out for dinner with the family to celebrate.

Another Grilling Success

This is a recipe I picked out over the weekend from one of Bobby Flay's cookbooks, Grilling for Life. It is called the Smoky and Fiery Skirt Steak With Avocado-Oregano Relish and once again, I was beyond impressed with how delicious this meal turned out! David said that it was fairly easy to make, but that it did take a little time since you had to make a sauce and the relish besides prepping and grilling the steak, not to mention the sides we had with the skirt steak as well. This time around we had corn and homemade garlic mashed potatoes and everything turned out SO yummy! I wanted to share the recipe here, however it appears not to be published online anywhere so you'll have to pick up a copy of the cookbook for the "real deal", but below is a photo and adapted recipe that I did find online. It looks fairly similar to the recipe from the cookbook from a glance. 

Total time: 35 minutes

Skirt steak, a chewy cut that's full of beefy flavor, is the perfect vehicle for the big flavors of this dressing. This cut is similar to flank steak but thinner, so it cooks faster. The smokiness comes from chipotle chiles, canned smoked jalapeños, found in the international aisle of your supermarket. If you are an avocado lover, throw another one into the relish.

For the Smoky and Fiery Dressing:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 chipotle chiles in adobo, drained

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

For the Avocado-Oregano Relish:

2 ripe Hass avocados, pitted, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

Juice of 2 limes or to taste

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the steak

1 (2-pound) skirt steak

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

To make the dressing: In a blender, combine vinegar, garlic, chiles, honey, salt and pepper and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and blend until emulsified. Add the cilantro, and pulse 2 times just to incorporate.

To make the relish: In a bowl, combine avocados, onion, lime juice, oil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat grill to high. Brush the meat with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, for 6 to 8 minutes or until slightly charred and cooked to medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the meat against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Drizzle each serving with dressing and top with 2 tablespoons of the avocado relish. Serve the remaining relish on the side.

— Adapted from "Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life" by Bobby Flay (Scribner, $22)

Per serving: 616 calories (percent of calories from fat, 73), 31 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 51 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 77 milligrams cholesterol, 616 milligrams sodium.