renewing of the vows

...to my blog. I, for the ever-loving life of me have found it dang near impossible to sit down and blog in the month of December. I very much overbooked our family, in between several Christmas celebrations and jam packed weeks---my little ol' blog has suffered greatly.

Thus, following December 31st I will renew my vows and committment to you, my one sole reader, and to this blog. Until then, expect a totally random end blog-style to 2010. See, I haven't even recapped Thanksgiving and it's almost Christmas. bah. So, to slam you with a recap of your year, via picture overload, I leave you today with our 2010 Christmas card.

Merry December 16th.

I enchilada, you enchilada

We've just come home from our Thanksgiving week in Miami, but before I dive into that post let me first enlighten your day with the news that I've got THE very best enchilada recipe to share with you.

It's so good in fact, that JR took leftovers to work the next day. Leftovers getting eaten at our house is monumental. A rare occurance. I'm not a good cook, but I can follow a recipe and after following this one, I couldn't help but think of your dinner tables and think that you needed this dish served at your house too. I'm thoughtful like that.

That's what bff's do, right? They share recipes. Lately, I've been rummaging thru my recipe box trying to find some I've never made before and this one caught my eye, and the ingredients I've had stored at the house. You're welcome.

Cottage Cheese Chicken Enchiladas {seriously, even if you don't like cottage cheese (Lauren Neaves) you really don't even taste it, it just gives it the flavor it needs to make these dang delicious}

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - boiled and shredded
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups cottage cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce

1. To Make Meat Mixture: Heat oil in medium skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, onion and green chile peppers and saute until browned, then add taco seasoning and prepare meat mixture according to package directions.
2. To Make Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl mix sour cream with cottage cheese and season with salt and pepper; stir until well blended.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. To Assemble Enchiladas: Heat tortillas until soft. In each tortilla place a spoonful of meat mixture, a spoonful of cheese mixture and a bit of shredded cheese. Roll tortillas and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with any remaining meat and cheese mixture, enchilada sauce and remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Upon the completion and success of my recipe, I finally got our Christmas cards designed and ordered. Sheesh. That was after my attempt at getting a picture of my tots together. Fail. Here's the evidence:

In between the pulling of hair bows and a tantrum or two, I did manage to snap them alone. My Bear and Belle Monroe.

giving thanks

It's so easy to pass the days and not once stop to be thankful--although, Thanksgiving is the 'assigned' day to appreciate and be grateful for that which we have been given, when I shut my big mouth full of gripes, complaints, and naughty words long enough and get a smile from my babies or a hug from family and friends...I am thankful.

Thankful for those around me that make this life so worth living. Thankful, just really really really thankful that I'm surrounded by some of the very best people. Some new, some old, some states away, some only weeks old--but all such a huge part of our life.

so many more thanks to come.

the lion, the brunette, and the baby

I fully believe now that what 'everyone' says about the holidays being more fun when you have babies is the truth. They speak no lies.

This year, our babies had a full entourage of grandparents, strollers, and a very excited set of parents to share in this candy filled day.

We may have had too many with us, when a few of the houses we stopped at commented on our large numbers. They were then briefed on the fact that this was Bear's first Halloween to actually 'trick or treat'. If you'll recall, this was our Bear on this day last year--the cute is overwhelming.

This year, Bear was a lion. Our lion Bear.

He didn't fully understand the concept of course, but at just shy of 15 months, he made it down four streets before we called it a night and headed back to our camp.

We bjorn'd our Belle and she was pre-partied so hard, that she slept the whole trick or treat'ing way.

In all honesty, Hudson had way more fun greeting fellow costumed children at our house than he did getting the goods at theirs...he's social like that. Really, he is.

Worry not about what we handed candy out of, nor that Hudson's custom was a whole size too small, or that I disguised myself as a brunette :) --we all had so much fun celebrating our first Halloween with Belle Monroe and our second with Bear.

a quick look back

In the midst of diapers, tantrums, sippy cups, and leaky teets I love to go and look back at times when it was just the two of us. That's where it all started, right?

I'm going to have to go dig up some oldies :)

You know - 1

I'm starting a new 'column' of my blog. Column sounds rather presumptuous, but I can think of no better word.

I started tanning the other day, and am now an official spray tanner. You radiate an odor of stank all day long- but gosh dang, I'm not transparent anymore. I could see my veins. Gross. I'm also a brunette now, so to avoid the vampire look, spraying myself was a must.

My 'column' will be named, You Know You Don't Get Out Much, When...

My first tanning experience at the salon went all wrong, their computers crashed upon my arrival. The ladies working went into a spiraled tizzy over this, as more and more college girls and myself tallied up in line for the next bed/spray. I turned old and uncool right before my very own eyes, as the girl in front of me was sporting her sorority T, while working on a Rubix cube, while on her cell phone texting with the other hand. I'm unsure as to why that is cool, but the fact that I was desperate in line knowing I had a small window of time before I started milking everywhere because I'm 27 years old, a mother of two, and I nurse. Therefore, causing me to milk, made me very uncool. If a dang plane goes by, I milk. My body obviously has not yet gotten that baby cry thing down. ohmystars.

Though the wait for my precious spray was long, I realized how little I get out these days because I had FUN waiting and talking to these girls. In what normally would have made my impatient self into a piss-pot, turned into a 'girls night out' for me. How lame. A girls night out with complete strangers, a good amount of years younger than me--as I schooled them on being a mama. Something they clearly could care less about in their days of date parties and Pita Pit.

I was even tempted to discuss my newest love of espresso, rather my need for it. I doubted they were espresso drinkers just yet.

That being said, You Know You Don't Get Out Much...when a trip to the tanning salon turns into your 'girls night out' with complete strangers, college girls, and a Rubix cube.

One day they will be at home with their naked babies, covered in paint, driving their Spiderman cars around so for now I sit blogging thankful for the journey I've been on, having recently been in their shoes after late nights at O'Connells and such...knowing what they have to look forward to. Every chapter of life, really is beautiful.

Mama's, now it's your turn. Do you have moments where you realize you don't get out much? Email me and I'll post your submissions. Let's unite. Me and you.

model monroe

Belle Monroe is now in her fifth week of life, so three weeks later I'm finally posting her two week shots. My model had to be soothed to sleep to snap the few we managed to get of our doll--and what the pictures don't show are the baby yells I got in the face in between pictures.

Life with her is much, much different. She is as girl as they come. My babies are very different from one another. She, more laid back no where near as alert as her counterpart. She can sleep throught the thundering chaos that is her Bear, and is glad to be attached to her mama at ALL times.

She is petite and lean, with the skinniest of feet. Her brother on the other hand, has to get special shoes for his extra wide grubs. Everyone told me how opposite boys and girls are to parent, and only five weeks in...I can agree.

Many have asked us the inevitable question of when we will be adding to our family. The chances of me getting pregnant in the next ten years is as promising as...well, just think of the most unlikely occurance. That's me. Not pregnant. If you do happen to see me pregnant again, you can just slap my face. I'll let you.

one month of four

I'm behind. It's likely you're not in the very least, surprised.

JR turned 30, Belle Monroe turned 1 month old, I smell of maple syrup and spray tan {can you guess why--ohmystars}, and Hudson is the sweetest, naughtiest, most precious 14 month old Bear that ever was.

Oh, and a dog that's eating every new plant in our yard.

Our dryer almost caught on fire but we're fully stocked with a new set now. Goodbye, clothes lines. Yes really, we had clothes lines. You can't have two babies, and no dryer.

There will always be broken dryers, stinky dogs, and dirty diapers--but I would have never believed you if you would have told me years ago that I'd be this kind of happy at 27 years old.

...more to come.

int'l delight

I just had a rather invigorating breakfast--banana dipped in Nutella with an espresso, spruced up with some Caramel Macchiato creamer by International Delight. It is that, a delight.

That tiny espresso is what will later get me out of my robe, hopefully by noon. Although, the transition from one to two babies has in all honesty not been as difficult as I had thought--the midnight feed I give my Belle Monroe, is still at war with my post-pregnancy self and my mornings last well until noon.

I'm happy to report that Bear has taken quite well and fallen as in love with his sister, as a now 14 month old can.

The first few days he 'noticed' her, but I think two weeks later, he has managed to gather that she is in fact human and he loves to come pat her on the head--which yesterday progressed into a slap on the forehead. That made her cry, and inevitably him. I had two babies crying at the same time, and all I could do was laugh.

As I progressively get less tired, I'm able to nap Belle Monroe and spend some one on one time with my Bear. We even got some Momma/Bear time at the duck pond last week. He loves his grandparents and of course his Daddy, but there are moments in the day when only Momma will cut it, and I'll take that. I will always take that.

With the weather cooling off, I can only wake up thankful everyday that I have two beautiful, healthy babies whom I adore and will get to share in these upcoming holiday filled months. Yummy candles, pumpkin pie, and our fire going all the day long----this is what dreams are made of. Mine, atleast.

week one of parenthood x 2

I really have to use the term 'parenthood' lightly because we've had an army of help--it's more like parent/grandparent-hood. I wouldn't have emerged from my cage of nursing yet if it weren't for the help we've had since arriving home from the hospital, a family of four.

We only stayed one night in the hospital, due to a complication free delivery {minus one snafu, I will later tell a delivery story} and outside of coming home to the most precious Big Brother I've ever known--I too, came home to this...Aunt Lu.

My best. She drove all the way from Dallas--for the day--JR had known the whole time, only to surprise me and of course to meet her newest niece. We got to chat/hug/cry for all of 30 mins before she had to get back on the road, but to share that moment with my friend is a never-forget kind of thing in life. Thank you, Lu for somehow always managing to find a way to share in literally, all, of the huge moments in our life. We love you, big.

I only know one way to be, blunt. My blog is my blunt-ness outlet--therefore, I must keep it real and say that JR and I had many a'conversation about how on earth we could love this new baby as much as we love our Hudson Bear. With your first, it is as if your heart will burst if you could even fathom loving them anymore than you do...I sincerely worried that I wouldn't have enough to go around for both of my babies. I felt shamed to even think the thoughts of such, but it was a true concern of mine. How very wrong I was. How very wrong, we both were.

You, Belle Monroe are perfect. You were Made for us. You were meant to be ours--Daddy's, Momma's, and Hudson's. From the minute I heard you cry, and Daddy put you in my arms it was as if my heart quadrupled in size within an instant and my Mommy heart instantly fell in love, like, obsession and adoration with both of my babies. Your Daddy gazes at you, and is already wrapped around that itty bitty skinny pinky of yours. I'm not sure I've seen him gaze much, maybe at your Momma some :) but sweet baby, he is yours. All yours.

You've got a Brother Bear, whom has yet to fully understand who you are/what you are--but we've caught him a few times sneaking you a kiss and peeking over your bassinet when he hears you cry. Little do you both know, you've now met the best friend of your life. My two babies, you will both love each other more than your tiny minds can even understand right now--and that is a thought that brings me to tears.

Momma. I'm your Momma. A momma to a baby girl. Growing up, I always imagined myself a mommy to three boys. Why? No clue. Never, never saw nor could see myself a mommy to a girl. After growing you, and now knowing you I cannot bear to think back to a life without you. My daughter, you are a gift to me and to our family--but have opened up a whole new side of my understanding of being a mother and an even greater appreciation of my own.

You are beautiful beyond words, and my second Sooner baby. This time, a Sooner babydoll--one I can put bows on for gameday :) a small dream of mine.

I'm able to nurse you, and that in and of itself has been a miraculous time spent with you. I know now how quickly my baby will grow and I look forward to those moments I spent attached to you. Even the 3am moments, believe it or not...I love knowing that it is me, that nourishes you.

A week, documented of your first week of life Miss Monroe. What a week, and what a joy it's been introducing you to the world. On to week two of loving you, baby girl.

{and a last funny, of how I found you in the car after your first dr's appt}