What Says I love You More Than Chocolate.

I've been thinking lately that I never bake anything anymore, or cook, or read anything, or do any fun projects. Then I remember I'm doing this pretty intense project:

...and then I feel better.

However, I decided I should cook for Valentine's Day, as we decided to stay in this year. Charlie not even being two months, and besides, it's always nuts when you go out, we just decided it would be better. When I'm planning some event or whatever, I just surf then internet for my inspiration - I have a few sites for reciepes and desserts that are my mainstays...and I ran across these Individual Dark-Chocolate Pudding Cakes, from Martha, of course. I decided they looked delish, and they were pretty different for me, and very 'loveish'. :)

For me, they were interesting because you start with a cake like mixture (minus an egg actually) which you spoon into the ramekins, and then you make a topping which is like sugars and cocoa and sprinkle it on the chocolate cake mixture. That seemed normal to me, well maybe except the lack of an egg in the cake mixture. But I'd never done the next step before in anything I've made, you pour 1/4 cup boiling water over top of each filled ramekin and then put in the oven. I was a little skeptical actually, but I did it:

Twenty five minutes later my obedience was rewarded with the cakes looking just like they showed in the picture:

A note from me: The recipe says to serve immediately, topped with vanilla ice cream. This I will tell you is a complete must. A) They are meant to be devoured hot -so awesome. B) They are SO very rich, they must be eaten with something creamy and light, and ice cream is also perfect to cool the heat. So if you make them, don't decide the ice cream is optional!

And another 'PS' - the link is for 6 ramekins - it is very easily halved to be three, which is what I did.

Dang.

Babies are expensive!!! Watching the bills scatter in kinda takes your breath away... If he weren't so dang cute... I might have to return him. ;) Not wanting to start any arguments here, but I don't even want to KNOW what the uninsured, self employed, most private insurance(which doesn't cover maternity), but making just slightly too much to receive assistance are doing when they have babies... selling their organs? You'd have to be making a H#$% off a lot of money for these bills to not require a loan. A loan to have a baby... that's probably what you have to do. Crazyyyy. I'll just be glad I only have a deductible and 20%, even if that 20% takes my breath away.

(This is what the fog did to our bush out front a couple weeks ago... so cool.)

I typically do not mind winter. I don't moan about how it's gray, or cold, or whatever. I don't start wishing it was spring in January... I don't know, I'm usually just happy to go with the flow with the weather... and if it's cold, I make hot cocoa and stay inside. In fact, you're A LOT more likely to hear me moan about heat - I get mega headaches when it's too hot. However, having a little baby makes me anxious for winter to be over... One, to get out of the dangerous and scary cold and flu season, and two, just so I could get out more with the baby and not be exposing him to the really cold temps.


That is all. :)

A Big Day.

For our small family today carries a lot of significance. Exactly one (ridiculously short) month ago today Charlie was born. We walked into the hospital, nervous and excited and happy. The moment he was born was one of pure joy and relief and total disbelief. I'm not sure if we still totally believe that he's ours, and that he's here to stay. We're having a lot of fun with him, and he gives us anxiety and stress, and we love him so much.



Exactly two years ago today Leland was born. That day we had been in the hospital a full day since my water broke. John and I and our parents and my sister Emily waited full of fear and anticipation of such a lot of unknowns. Would he live to see us? It was with relief that we heard him cry out, and with joy we spent several precious hours with him, and with pain we let him go. Leland taught us that we are not in control of everything, that this life is a journey for which we're only partially responsible. He taught us to love through pain and sadness and to enjoy what you're given and to make the most of life.




So today is a very big day. A flurry of emotions. Fortunately, mostly joy. I love you all my boys - John, Leland and Charlie. You guys are the best.

The Genetic Lottery

I've been meaning to do this for a very long time, but you know what happens in babyland. One minute it's Monday, the next it's Friday.

Inevitably when people see Charlie or see pictures they say, 'oh he looks just like...' (Mostly this is John.) It's natural, I do it with other kids. John and I of course pulled out the old photo albums to compare and contrast what we looked like at the same age. Seeing if that made it more obvious what traits he might have gotten or not from each of us. So I thought I'd post the pictures all together so you can all see what we saw. Here you go:

Charlie - 2 Weeks Old

Christie

John

Coming Soon...

Have I mentioned I think my baby is super cute?

I tried to get some nice 'profesh' pics of Charlie... the downside of doing it myself is that I needed a lot more hands. I'd try to place him and he'd squirm and move before I could get the shot. So basically Charlie was in quite the mood before I got anything done and we didn't have much time before he was just plain screaming and completely done with this shoot thing. Then he peed all over everything to just ENSURE that he didn't have to do any more pictures. Maybe I'll pay and go to someone else the next time!!! :) I'll post a few more after I get time to look through and edit but this one stood out as pretty darn cute.

Messing Around This Afternoon

Day six and we're obsessed with Charlie and also rolling with the punches. :) Charlie got jaundice he can't shake and gets to spend lots of time on a billi-bed, which he HATES. And in all the cruel irony in the world (adding up to the jaundice issue I'm sure), my child doesn't poop. Now I was just JOKING when I told people my kid wouldn't poop... I always wanted you to poop Charlie, you're stressing me out kiddo! Poop, kid, POOP!

This afternoon Charlie fell asleep on the bed with the sun coming through the window, to me, that spelled photo-op. This poor, poor child. :)

For the Grandmas on Missions

Ignore the baby voice in this video. I don't know why, but it's like impossible to talk normally when you're talking to a cute little baby! :) Grandma in Hungary wants the pics and videos to keep coming, so we're happily obliging. She gets to see Charlie on Skype, but she says the video quality is simply not acceptable. :) So maybe this will help Grandma.

And also, just cuz I'm now one of THOSE moms who think everything their kid does is adorable: