Oh baby!

In February, my phone rang and it lit up with a picture of my brother- I looked over at Greg and smiled.  I quickly said, "You think they're pregnant?" He kind of rolled his eyes and laughed at me.  He thought I was just being the crazy baby lady.  Our conversation went something like this:

Guy: Hey kiddo, what's up?
Me:  Not much, we are just out running some errands.  I'm about to be dragged through Dick's Sporting Goods.
Guy: Ah, cool.  Well........  um...... how would you feel about.... uhh.... being an Aunt?
Me: I KNEW IT!  (look over at Greg) See!  I'm not crazy!!  (focus back to the phone) Oh, Guy.  I'm so happy for you guys!!

Thus began the preparation for "Little Fish".  I eagerly awaited every ultrasound picture.  The excitement building each time.  VERY early on they spotted something on the ultrasound... why, it was a little (or not so little if you ask my brother) penis!  It's a boy.  I am so excited for Guy and Andrea!

I knew I had to make a visit to Knoxville before the baby arrives.  So, when I discovered I would have a month off, I called and planned a trip.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on Andrea's belly to feel him moving around!

It was so nice spending some time with them.  I am already planning a trip once the baby arrives.  Greg and I are trying to figure out when we can make the trip over to see him, but we are thinking it will be late October/ early November.  The baby is due September 25, but if you ask Andrea he isn't welcome in her uterus past September 19- ha!

My favorite part of my visit to Knoxville was every night around 9pm, the baby would start moving and Andrea would sit down next to me.  I probably sat with my hands on her belly for over an hour each night I was there.  It's the most unreal thing every to feel a baby moving!  I. loved. every. second.

I made Andrea a couple of wreath's for once the baby makes his arrival.  I made one for them to hang on their front door, and I made them one to take to the hospital.  Here are some pictures, and I'd be more than willing to write a blog post about them if you guys would like me to tell you how I did them.  Just let me know!

Here is the wreath for the hospital door-  the name that they decided on (obviously) is Justin Gabriel.  He will have the same initials as my brother, dad, grandfather, and great grandfather, which I think is a cool way to carry on a tradition without have a JGF the fifth!  

Here is another shot of the hospital wreath.  Andrea seems to really like it!  She says she may hang it over the crib once they all get home.  

This is the wreath that I made for their front door.  Andrea laughed and tried to squeeze Justin through the middle of the wreath.  I think he might be too big.  ha.  She said she really liked this one too, and actually, I really liked making this one.

There's my trip to Knoxville in a very small nutshell.  I am so glad that I got to spend so much time with Andrea.  I am so looking forward to Justin being born, and I can't wait to see Guy and Andrea become parents.  

"The Bit's" Baby Shower

I made a trip to Bay Minette, AL for a special baby shower almost two weeks ago.  Greg has a close relationship with his Barrow cousins.  He really looks up to them.  So, when I heard that there was going to be a baby shower for "the bit", I knew I had to be there! 

Bill and Michelle are fantastic, and we absolutely adore them.  We try to make visits to see them in New Orleans as often as we can.  I think Bill is kind of the brother that Greg never had.  When we all get together, we always have a good time.  I was sad that Greg couldn't make the trip down with me because he had to work, but I was super excited that I was able to make the trip down.

'The Bit" is what they are calling the baby.  They have chosen not to find out the sex of the baby, which is exciting if you can enjoy it.  I think not knowing would drive me crazy, but they seem to be looking forward to the surprise!

I didn't take very many pictures while I was there- shame on me.  I made sure to pack the camera, and then when I got it out I thought the battery had been left in the charger at home.  Turns out Greg stuck it in the camera case, but I didn't look there- I mean who wouldn't just stick the battery in the camera?  Oh, Greg wouldn't.  All the pictures I have are from the iPhone, and they aren't the best quality.  Don't judge me, okay? 

They got some very beautiful and special gifts from Bill's mother.  This Christening gown has been in her family for a really long time, and 'the bit' will be the first grandchild to wear it.

Bill's mom also made 'the bit' this blanket.  It is so pretty!

Here I am with Michelle, she's going to be a fabulous mom.

This is Paige, Michelle, and me.  Paige is married to the other Barrow cousin, John.  John is one of the main reasons (I think) that Greg is such a huge Duke and Auburn fan.  Of course, Bill also played a major part in the whole Auburn thing.  I guess I can forgive them for that.  ;-)

Greg and I are watching flight prices to New Orleans- we hope to make a trip down to meet 'the bit' after he/she makes his/her big arrival!  

Running through CLT and ATL

Have you ever been THAT person at the airport running to try and catch your connection?  I can now add that to the list of crazy and embarrassing things that I've done in my life. 

If you have been following the blog then you know that last weekend I flew down to Mobile, AL for a Barrow family baby-shower for Greg's cousin and his wife.  Then my sweet mother-in-law was going to drop me off at the airport in Birmingham the next day to meet my mom to fly home to Durham.  I don't know why I had to make such complicated travel plans, but eh... what the heck.

It all started really early on Saturday morning (4:45 am to be exact).  Greg had me at the airport with plenty of time to check in and get through security. My flight from Raleigh to Charlotte was delayed and hour and a half because of lightening.  We were sitting on the tarmac waiting for the word to go for forever.  I kept checking my watch knowing that my layover time was dwindling as we sat on the runway.  When we finally landed and got off the plane, I had 35 minutes until the flight to Mobile was leaving.  Now, I'm pretty sure that a flight from Charlotte to Mobile is about a once a day flight, so I went from a speed walk to an almost jog trying to get to the right concourse and gate.  The whole time I'm on the phone with my mother-in-law who was going to pick me up at the airport in Mobile trying to explain what's going on.  I finally arrive at the gate, and alas flight delayed an hour and a half.  ......... ugh..........

I did make it to Mobile in time for the shower- thank goodness.  It was so much fun, and I will be doing a post on it later. 

Linda (my mother-in-law) and I left the shower to head home to Childersburg.  We had a really nice chat in the car on the way.  I'm really glad that we had that time together.  We got home late, and I was exhausted.  I stayed up for a while and chatted with her and Ralph (father-in-law).  Although the visit was brief, I'm so glad that I got to see them. 

Sunday morning began leg two of this purely insane trip.  Linda dropped me off at the airport 2 hours early because my Mom insisted that we get there early.  We arrive, Mom had already printed off our tickets online, and so all we had to do was go through security which did not take long at all.  I look up to see what gate we depart from and I see that we are delayed (shocker, I know... it seems like it's been that kind of trip).  Now, we are only delayed 10 minutes, but when you only have 55 minutes in Atlanta before your next flight... this could be problematic. 

We finally board, and then we sit on the tarmac for 20 minutes (wtf?).  By the time we land in Atlanta we have 25 minutes to get to our next flight, and of course we are sitting in the very back of the plane having to wait on everyone and their brother to get out of our way.  Have you ever been to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport? It is set up like this:

We landed in Terminal A, and I was praying that our flight to Raleigh took off from terminal A because if we had to go more than to terminal B... I knew we wouldn't make it.  We arrive and I find the nearest TV to find out where we have to be in less than 20 minutes to make our flight.  Terminal B, Gate 4.  I start speed walking because I know if I run then I will lose Mom and she has no idea where we are going.  We go down the escalator to get to the next terminal and baby Jesus must have been watching out for us because the train came right then (which saved us some major time).  To save you all the drama, once we got on Terminal B... I ran.  I got to the gate right as they were about to close the cabin door!  I'm like wait!!  I'm here... we're here.  She's coming, just not as fast as me! 

we. made. it....... barely. 

Needless to say, we sat down and ordered a cocktail.  ha!  We really enjoyed that flight. 

Big Fat Spicy Sate Noodles (with Chicken)

Okay, so I was hesitant to blog this because one of my vegetarian friends just went on a rant about people adding meat to dishes that don't call for it... BUT it was delicious and I wanted to share! I added chicken to this because I wanted it to be the main meal instead of a side dish.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  :-)


Now, if you have been following the blog then you already know that I am lucky enough to have the entire month of August off!  The family that I was nannying for moved to Philadelphia last week, and I don't start with my new family until the end of the month.  So, what's a girl to do?  Well, I decided to pull out a bunch of old Rachael Ray cookbooks that I have stored away.  You want to know what I realized?  Greg eats such a bigger variety of food now than he did when we first lived together and got married!  These cookbooks have so much in them now that I know he will eat.

Exhibit A: Big Fat Spicy Sate Noodles (with chicken)

Here's the recipe- if you can read it then I guess you don't have to read my long post... But if you want to see how it goes instead of trying to read that tiny print then be my guest!  

Here's the line up- I forgot cilantro, but if you are one of those people that have a very strong aversion to cilantro then please just use flat leaf parsley.  I have two things to say about the line-up: I just dry roasted peanuts because that's what we have in our house, and I wish I had peeled the ginger and put it in the freezer for a few hours because it grates up SO much easier when it's frozen (so do that if you have time, okay?).

Chicken- not called for in the recipe.  If you are a vegetarian or you want to make it as a side dish, or if you want a meatless dinner then GO FOR IT!  It's totally amazing, and I'm sure it would be without the chicken too.   But I used the chicken and thinly sliced it.  A trick that makes that easier would be to throw the chicken in the freezer for about 15 min- so so so much easier to cut it thinly!

Umm, wine?  Check.  Need I say more?  

Cook the chicken with some salt and pepper, but don't over do it!  Remember, sliced thinly?  It only takes 4-5 minutes.  

Put the chicken in a bowl, or a plate.  Whatever makes you happy.  

Mince your garlic (far right), grate the ginger (middle, grating works way better than chopping because frankly, fresh ginger is a pain in the ass to chop up), chop up the cilantro (or parsley), and halve two limes.  I would like to note that my juicer (the yellow thing in the back) is BY FAR my favorite kitchen gadget.  If you don't have one then I think you should go by one... asap.  

Did I mention that you should boil some water and cook the noodles to al dente?  Well, do that.  While the noodles are cooking make sure to reserve a cup of starchy cooking water.  It kind of marries everyone together at the end.  (go Bulls!)

Now put the oil in your skillet and add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.  Cook those for a few minutes.  It will smell delicious!

Next you are going to add tamari, chicken stock (vegetable stock if you want it to be meat free), and some of that starchy cooking water that you put in your favorite mug. Cook this out!  I think the recipe says to cook it on high 3-4 minutes.  I might take it a little further than that.  

Add the peanut butter- yuuuuuum!  Mix it in with a whisk.  I didn't use my whisk because it was rusted (YUCK- and I can't believe I just admitted that to you guys)- we will be buying a new one very soon.  By the way, you should reduce the heat to low at this point.

Once the peanut butter is incorporated then throw in the chicken (or not).

Squeeze in the juices of your two lemons.  Did I mention how much I love my juicer?  Seriously, you need to go to the store and buy one.  It will change your life.  

Add the noodles!  Mix them in, if it's too thick then add some more of that starchy cooking water from the noodles.  

Add the peanuts and the cilantro (or parsley) and mix that all together.  

 EAT!

I hope that you guys enjoy this!  Give me some feedback! 

Okay, so maybe I am a crazy dachshund momma

One of my favorite things about going home is seeing the dogs reunite with my Mom's three dachshunds.  Mom and Dad have a HUGE backyard, and it is really one of the only times (besides the dog park) when Penni and Hershee get to run around and do whatever their little heart's desire.  Greg and I love playing with all five of the dachshunds in the backyard when we are at my parent's house.  Last month when we went home, we had some fun with the water hose.  Here are some pictures:

Hershee absolutely loves playing in the water!  She is the only one who figured out to attack the source of the water rather than the end of the stream.  

Action shot!  Look at Hershee jump!  Penni and Cissi are attacking the water.

Here's the gang:

This is Barney- Mom's favorite, he is 9 years old!  He is a grumpy old man, and growls at most everyone besides Mom.

This is sweet Cissi- she is fun loving and playful.  She happens to be Dad's favorite and she is 8 years old.

This is Lucy- the newest member of Mom's dachshund clan.  She is almost 2 years old.  They affectionately call her the crackhead.  She is crazy, but loves to snuggle up with Mom.  She and Penni are great friends and they love love love playing with each other.  

This (of course) is my sweet Hershee girl.  She is 7 years old.  She is a snuggle puppy!

This is sweet baby Penni!  Mine and Greg's baby girl, she is almost 2 years old.  

Here are the puppies playing together, they are too funny!  

I am pretty sure that I took a video of everyone playing in the yard that day.  I will have to look for our camera cord and see if I can get it downloaded and then uploaded to the blog later on.  I hope you guys enjoyed a small glimpse into our love for our sweet dachshunds.  

How are you guys doing?   

Our Lake Vacation

In March, we started talking about taking a summer vacation with a couple of friends.  We thought about going to the beach, going camping, and then we had the idea to go to a lake.  We decided that the beach would be too difficult because there isn't exactly somewhere 'in the middle' that we could meet at with our friends.  After a lot of research, we decided to try and find a rental on Lake Hartwell.  There are parts of the lake in Georgia and South Carolina and it's half way between Durham and Birmingham.  PERFECT!

We called our friends Scott and Kathleen to see if the would be interested in going on a vacation with us, and they said yes.  Thus began the search for the perfect vacation home.  By the way, here's a picture of the four of us at Scott and Kathleen's wedding:

We stayed in a cute house that was on a little cove.  The water around the dock wasn't very deep, but there was this 'sandy beachy' area that we could walk down to get to deeper water.  We had a blast.  We floated in the lake all day, we cooked yummy dinners at night, and we had lots of wine.  After we got done laying in the lake, we came in and had dinner, and then we would start up the games.  We played Taboo, Catch Phrase, and Apple to Apples.

Now, being the crazy dachshund momma that I am...  I bought the babies life jackets.  I am SO glad I did because they loved the water!!  Penni would just swim on out to us when she wanted to hang out, and then she would swim back tot he shore when she was ready to roll in the mud (and dig in the 'sand').  Hershee like hanging out at the shore more than actual swimming.  She laid in the sun, and would go in the water just far enough to cool off then lay back down on the shore.  They both went out on the kayaks, although that wasn't a huge hit.  They tended to try and swim back and forth between whoever was in the two kayaks.

I was terribly lazy and took ONE picture the whole time we were gone.  Sorry!  Here it is:

Here is a picture of the babies in the life-jackets the day that we got them (note: Hershee and Penni were not amused, and Hersh was convinced that she couldn't walk while wearing it- she got over that and realized not only could she walk and run, but she could swim!):

A Quick Update

Hello all!  I have been a terrible blogger over the past month, and for that I apologize.  The last post promised you guys a lot, and I have not come through on those promises.  Don't get too excited because I am not going to give you a great post today either.

Yesterday I got feisty, and called out all my dear friends who also have blogs that they have not been updating.  Then I didn't update my own blog.  HA!

Things have been super busy since I last updated.  We went home for a long weekend that ended up not being that long at all.  It's so hard to enjoy a trip when there is a constant reminder that you have to go so soon.  We did two days in Tuscaloosa with my parents, and then we spent two days with Greg's parents in Childersburg.  I'm going to do a long post with some pictures that I took.  But, I think we experienced everything that I said that we were looking forward to on the last post.

Greg's parents took a BIG road trip in July.  They drove up to spend the 4th of July with us.  We were suppose to go to a baseball game, but alas it got rained out.  Then they drove up to Philadelphia, New York City, and the whole point of the trip was to visit Greg's uncle in Boston.  They had a great trip, and it has been fun hearing about their adventures.

We also went on vacation with some very good friends in July.  We rented a house on Lake Hartwell, GA.  It was a great trip.  It was SO good to spend time with Scott and Kathleen, and it was great to relax and not have anything to do!  AND for those of you that don't follow me on Facebook or Twitter, the dogs absolutely loved the water!  They loved swimming and playing in the dirt/mud.

We have a really busy month coming up.  I am actually fortunate enough to have the month of August off.  I will be in transition between the family I am currently with (they are moving to Philadelphia- I'm super sad about them leaving) and a new family that I am so excited to work with.  Of course I couldn't have a month off and just sit around a do nothing!  Here is what August is shaping up to look like:
- maybe spend a few days in Philadelphia with Kate, Mark, and the baby
- fly to Mobile, AL for Greg's cousin's wife's baby shower (can you say that 10 times fast?)
- fly from Birmingham to Raleigh with Mom- she is visiting for a week
- Dad is driving over from Asheville to spend some time with us
- spend a few half days with the new family
- go to Knoxville to visit my sister-in-law and brother
- plan a special birthday celebration for my sweet husband

My 'plan' is to update you all on the things that we have already done, and then to stay on top of the blog and blog about all the things going on in August as they happen!

How are you all doing?  I've missed you!