Belly Progression & Nursery Paint (need opinions again)

Funny facts:

The other day I couldn't remember my personal email address (is it plural or singular?). Today I couldn't remember my work phone number (is 2072 really my extension?).

So I'm 31 weeks today. If you're reading this on Friday, pretend it's Thursday. I haven't been the absolute best at remembering to take belly pictures, but I think I have a pretty fair collection so far. I made up a little progression page to see how far I've come. I realize I didn't make a lot of progress between 29 and 31 weeks. Or maybe I did - I've gotten a lot of comments from people in the last few days about how pregnant I look. "Uh, thanks. I think."


I love how my rump is seemingly pushing the text out of the picture in the "31 weeks" slot. Nice. That picture was just taken this evening.

Moooo-ving on (Yes, I feel THAT big).

D & I went to Lowe's and bought some paint samples. 5, to be exact.

This is just "Berry Taffy"...I know it's hard to see.


This is "Spring Glow", "Berry Taffy" and "Spring Meadow".


This is "Berry Taffy" with "Spring Glow" and "Spring Meadow" stripes


This is my nightmare. Not the "Fragrant Lilac" - I love that color, actually. But, the "Peach Tea"...trust me when I say I sincerely believed it would be much, much lighter than that. I had to go with a more orangy yellow to match the bedding but I didn't realize it would be so dark! So, that's an automatic "no, thank you".

All of these paints are Valspar...we loooove Valspar.

So, imagine a white chair rail in the room and tell me what you think. Like? Hate? Any combinations you prefer? Do you like a single color by itself? Do you think I need a different shade of any of them? Am I WAY off?

Also, our walls aren't as heavily textured as I thought. Stripes would be fine. D just doesn't want to do them and is resisting with every ounce of effort he has...and that says something because usually his response to my every whim is "Whatever you want" (I say that with only the slightest exaggeration - he spoils me). He's a perfectionist and he's afraid the stripes will come out crooked and that the painters tape won't prevent bleeds so it will look terrible. If you have any stripe advice (if you think stripes are a good way to go), then please let me know!

Can you tell I have little confidence in my decorating ability? I heavily rely on the opinions of others in these matters because, while I know what I DON'T like, I always am afraid that I'm not thinking of everything and even if I find something I like I wonder if someone else could think of something I'd like better. So, offer away!

Have a wonderful weekend!

No Green Thumb Here

Thanks for all the suggestions on paint colors! We didn't get a chance to go get paint samples last night because D is still fighting a cold and I was getting some major Braxton Hicks contractions and just needed to rest. We plan to go tonight and I'll post pictures hopefully tomorrow of the samples we chose.You'd think it'd be easy enough to keep plants alive if they're sitting in a garden window. I guess this proves that I definitely don't have a green thumb. I tried to keep these plans alive and even now I'm hoping for a miraculous rebirth but I don't think it's going to happen. Although, last year I put the plant in the middle out in the garage for D to dispose of because it was completely dead. He forgot about it and when he remembered it was there and went to get rid of it the thing was completely green again! So he trimmed off some of the bad parts and brought it back into the house. Nothing has bloomed on it since then, but it was green anyway. I guess I just need to dead-head the roses and remove the dead parts from the middle plant and see if I can rejuvenate these babies.

I should say that it was raining - my window isn't that dirty. Although, it is pretty dirty...cleaning windows is on our "to do" list before or even after the baby comes.

See the pretty tree in the background of the photo with the white blossoms? That's our Japanese pear tree. We have yet to taste the fruits of this tree - I'm not sure if it's just not mature enough to produce good fruit or if we just harvest at the wrong time. Hopefully we get it right this year! Same with the kiwi.

That's all I've got today. Have a wonderful Thursday!

Opinions Needed!

This is the Amelia's bedding (I think you can click on it to make it larger):

I'm desperate for ideas on what color to paint the walls. We're putting up a chair rail but have decided against beadboard for the simple reason that it's an added expense that we don't feel is necessary. Our carpet is beige, if that matters.

I'd rather not do pink, but I'm not dead set against it. Just worried that pink on the walls might be a little too much pink in the room.

Feel free to suggest more than one color - we're going to buy samples tonight to slap on the wall so nothing I decide today will be set in stone. Tell me what you think.

Headband for Anna

This is the last post about Anna for a while, I promise. I'm just so infatuated with her. I miss her so much and seriously considered buying the $28 one-way Amtrak ticket to Portland so I could see her again this weekend. I refrained.

Carrie & Chris brought Anna over to my parents' house on Saturday and I was so excited to see that she was wearing the headband I knitted for her a couple of months ago. I thought for sure it would be too tiny for her head but it fits her really well! Maybe now that I know they work I'll make a few more. Lindsay's baby girl is due in a few weeks and might need a couple! I'll have to figure out how to make the petals of the flower lay more flat, though.

I've been neglecting this blog a bit. Truth is, D & I have been running around non-stop so when I get a chance to relax that's what I do - I literally put my feet up on the couch and lay as still as possible. It's wonderful. The last couple of days Amelia has felt like she's trying to bust out of my belly...feeling a foot or a knee in my ribs or an elbow nudging me is very common. She especially likes to start a dance party around 11pm when I'm trying to sleep. Last weekend I would hold Anna and Amelia would kick against Anna, nudging her gently. Anna twitched a few times but was relatively unbothered by it. I'm just going to tell myself that they were bonding, not fighting already.

So, here are a few of Anna wearing the headband I knitted for her. I hope you have a good Tuesday and I promise to be better about updating!

Me & the wee one

Meeting Anna

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We got to meet sweet Anna today. From the pictures we were sent, she looked really huge but in actuality she's tiny. And perfect. Absolutely beautiful. Surprisingly, D held her the most and it warmed my heart to hear him talking to her softly while everyone in the room was chattering away in their own conversations. He was even humming to her. Really I'm getting misty-eyed just thinking about how great of a dad he's going to be.

Enough talk, here are the photos. It's almost midnight and I'm beat so I'm sure I'll have more to post next week.


Anna and me


D & Anna


Sweet baby

We got the big brother a Star Wars toy. He was thrilled.

Anna, Baby Blake, and Oregon

Baby Anna arrived at 4:09pm this afternoon. She weighed 8lbs, 13 oz and 20" long. I have pictures that my dad took with his Blackberry, but I'm not allowed to post pictures before Anna's parents. They plan to do that tomorrow morning of pictures taken with their digital camera. I'll see them at the same time everyone else does, but I'll save and post them here on Thursday at some point.

I'm very excited for the arrival of my niece, I'm just a little on the exhausted side so my adjectives are escaping me (I actually had to sit here and think "What is that 'a' word for describing things?"). I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to be at Anna's birth. I feel selfish for wanting clearer pictures of her because I know my family is busy tonight and I'll get to see her tomorrow. I don't like being the family member that is absent from things...I'm fortunate to live only 3 hours away by car instead of 3 hours away by plane, but when things like this happen and I can't be there it's really hard.

Really - enough of my pity party...it's not about me. It was a happy day because my niece was born. She's cute, fat, and apparently nursing well. My sister will probably be released tomorrow at some point.

Today was bittersweet in a way because while my sister was in labor, my friends' 3 month old baby passed away. He was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 at birth and was only given a week to live. The little fighter battled for 3 more months before going home to see Jesus. I ache for his parents and family, but pray and know that the Lord will comfort them. The Master gives and He takes away. Pray for the Dickey family.

On a less emotional note (seriously, today was an emotional day), my sweet husband volunteered to paint my toenails. My feet are so pitifully swollen that it hurts to wear regular shoes. But I can't comfortably reach my toes to paint them so I would have been embarassed to wear flip flops or sandals that show off my miserably chipped-polish toes. So, D painted them. I think he did a pretty good job.

Sorry if you're one of those people who hate feet. I should have warned you.

Here are a couple of pictures from our Oregon weekend last weekend. I really liked this one of D and my nephew (the new big brother!), Caleb.

Oh, and here's the fortune I got at my favorite restaurant, Happy Panda. Hmmmmm....
And here is a picture of my younger sister, Lindsay, and her husband Craig after her baby shower on Saturday. They're standing by his truck that's been loaded up with all of the neat baby items she got. There's also a picture of Caleb helping carry out some of the items. In this picture he's carrying the Baby Bjorn that my sweet grandparents bought for Lindsay & Craig.


That's all for tonight. Thanks for stopping by. I'm sure I'll have a lot more photos after this weekend. My sweet friend, Sarah, took more belly pictures of my sisters and me on Sunday since Carrie was about to pop so as soon as I get those I will post them here.

Happy Thursday!

Baby Anna

So I had every intention of posting last night. I really did. But, I got to working on cleaning out the closet in the nursery and then doing laundry. I think I sat down to eat dinner and that was it. Speaking of dinner, real quick I want to give you this recipe. First, I should say many reviewers chose to double the sauce but I didn't and I thought it turned out fine. There was something missing in it and I think I just didn't add enough salt. Otherwise, it was very tasty! The leftovers were fantastic! I sprinkled freshly grated Tillamook cheddar cheese on top of my husband's slice and laid a slice of Swiss American on top of my slice.

Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery (I omitted these because I didn't have them)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion (I used dried minced onion)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (I used 1 3/4 water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes)
2/3 cup milk
I added garlic powder

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside. (I boiled my frozen chicken breasts and just threw the carrots & frozen peas in with the chicken for about 10 minutes at the end. Then I pulled out the chicken, shredded it, and stuck it back in with the veggies)
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Ok, now I can move on to more important things. My sister was induced at 5am this morning! She's currently laboring away. Sadly, we found out about the induction late-afternoon yesterday and there was no way we could leave on that short of notice...we both had things at work that needed to be done. So, we'll go down on Thursday evening and get plenty of snuggle time in with Anna over the weekend. I can't wait to meet her!

Happy Administrative Professionals Day! Tell your Admin that she rocks.

Have a great Wednesday!

Baby Steals!

I found BabySteals.com when a friend mentioned it on her blog. It's been about a month and I've purchased 3 things off their site - maybe 4. This site is dangerous! If you've heard of Woot.com, BabySteals.com is similar in concept. They have one new deal every day and it's always baby/kid related and at least 50% off the retail price. I've purchased a sling, a car seat cover (Sprout Shell) and a sleep sack. I tried to purchase a really cute pair of Robeez but they were Sold Out by the time I made my purchase. Many items go within the first hour!

Because both of my sisters are pregnant (yes, Carrie is STILL pregnant!) I've been checking BabySteals.com every morning to see if there are any steals too great to pass up for any of the 3 baby girls. On another site I'm in a Pregnancy group and if the "steal" is something I think most of the moms would be interested in (which, usually it is), I post a link and picture of the steal for the moms to click on and get one for themselves!

We got back from Oregon late last night and will be heading there again on Thursday night, but hopefully this time Carrie has already had the baby and we can get in some major snuggling time before having to head back home.

Pictures of the shower tomorrow (hopefully)! Tonight we have our 2nd childbirth class.

In Oregon - Waiting on a Baby

I got a call at 11am this morning from Carrie telling me that she was on her way to the hospital to get checked out. She'd been having a constant pain in her right side and it got so bad that she called the advice nurse and was told she should go in and get it checked out. I thought for sure that they would admit her. So, while we were waiting to hear back, I called D and asked him if he could take off work early so we could head down there. If they decided to induce her then I wanted to be on our way just in case. So I picked D up from work around 11:30 and we headed home to finish packing. During that time my dad called and let us know that they were sending Carrie home. No matter - it was good that we were on our way just in case something happened. We were on the road by 1:30.

My ankles weren't happy - they haven't been happy all week with how much running around we've been doing. So I leaned my seat back as far as it would go and stuck my feet in the front window.
Traffic was beautiful until we got into Portland so we took back roads to my parents' house. We got there around 4:45 and no one was there which is what we expected. So, I took the opportunity to take a 29 week belly picture. My head isn't in the picture for the sake of my own vanity.

I feel absolutely ginormous. My ankles (or, cankles as I've referred to them lately) are the size of tree trunks and my hands and arms and even my neck seem to be carrying extra water weight. Or maybe it's not water weight (YIKES!).

Mom made tacos tonight (YUM) and Carrie tried to load up on jalepenos hoping the spice will prompt Anna to make her appearance. Mom, Lindsay, Carrie and I also went for a walk and Carrie took Lindsay's suggestion to "walk the curb" supposedly to promote labor. We'll see if it worked!

Amelia is a moving machine. She squirms and stretches and hiccups and punches and kicks. It's neat to be able to feel something that could be a foot or rump or something.

I'm not thinking clearly. I should go to bed. Lately I feel like my writing has been choppy and just plain bad, so I apologize for that. Can I blame the baby?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Specialness of 4/15

I know that today is Tax Day, but D has already sent our taxes in and we've received (and spent) our refund so we always breathe easy on April 15th. Besides, we have another reason to celebrate this mostly hated day in America. Today is D's and my 3rd engagement anniversary. He proposed on April 15, 2006 and we were married 6 months later. I have pictures on my home computer of us right after we got engaged so I'll have to share those another time and tell the story of how it happened.

This morning after I had hit the snooze button a time or two, D comes in and lays on the bed next to me. I opened my eyes just enough to see that there was a gift on my pillow. "Happy engagement anniversary!" he said, and I think I mustered up the words to say "You got me a gift!" as I rolled over and tried to open the gift while still laying down. Didn't work so well. I sat up in bed and opened the box. Inside were a beautiful pair of princess cut diamond earrings. I've been wanting diamond studs for the second hole in my ears for a while and he knew that so he got them for me! I really have the sweetest husband - I'm so glad he chose me 3 years ago!

Now, I will debrief you on the Mariners game. I have to warn you that I have a lot of pictures...most of which, if you're not a baseball fan, will bore you to tears. But stay tuned through the end for pictures of my Shiskaberry which turned out to be another reason why I'm not a photographer (and neither is my super sweet husband).

This is Kenji Johjima (running). He's one of my favorites and I wish I could tell you why.


This is right after Griffey, Jr. ran out. He's on the far right of the shorter Mariners line. He's wiping his hands on the back of his pants. Maybe he sweats when he gets nervous. The ovation for him lasted a while. They waited to introduce the next player in the starting lineup until the cheers had subsided a bit. It gave me goosebumps.


As the players of the starting line up ran out, a banner was unfurled with their name on it. I thought that was a nice touch. Of course the banners came down once it was game time so the batter wasn't distracted.


Right before they did the national anthem. Mariners & Angels. Mariners won in the 10th inning by a score of 3-2 with a sacrifice bunt that brought our runner home. It was really awesome - the crowd went crazy! The Mariners are currently leading their division - they're 6-2. My sentences are really choppy lately.

And now - because I'm sure you care - the retractable roof! They play the themesong from Star Wars as the roof opens.

It opens all the way but at that point my camera had started flashing that it was almost out of batteries and I know D wanted to get pictures of Griffey up to bat.

And here is the man of the hour. Stepping up to the plate then taking a swing. He hit a ground ball to right field for a base hit his first time up to bat. The crowd went completely wild.


We were able to squeeze enough battery juice out of our camera for one final picture. Can you guess what it was? The Shishkaberry!! My sweet husband took this picture. I doubt our daughter will have a promising future in photography, bless her heart.

I had already taken a bite out of the top berry on the way back to our seats...I couldn't help it.

I have to admit that I was disappointed at the quality of the berries. They tasted decent on the outside, but the inside wasn't ripe so I ended up just eating the outsides and throwing away the centers. Either way, it was covered in dark chocolate and that's all I needed.

The weather was sunny and clear but pretty chilly! We were just thrilled that it didn't rain at all! We had a great time with David's parents, his sister, and his sister's friend. I sat on the outside (nearest to the aisle therefore closest to the restroom) so I didn't hear much of the conversations between the family but it was fun to be at the game with everyone!

Thank you, Anna, for holding off on coming into this world so we could attend the Mariners home opener. It meant a lot to your uncle David to be able to be there to watch Ken Griffey, Jr.

My sister is literally a ticking time bomb. Any day now!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Berries & Birthing

It's been one of those days already. Struggling to keep my eyes open even though the sun is actually shining.

I'm looking forward to 2:45 when I can leave work and head over to Safeco Field where the Mariners play their Home Opener today against the Angels. I know D is anxious to welcome Ken Griffey Jr. back to Seattle and see him play with the Mariners jersey on once again. Several people we know are going to the game - I have a feeling it might be a bit of a madhouse. The Mariners are 5-2 so far this season and we as fans are really hoping that the early record is a foreshadowing of things to come! I know that lately my interests have been a bit skewed if food is involved in any way. Last night D and I went to the store and bought candy and sunflower seeds for the game but I think I still might need a Shiskaberry at the game. Don't know what a Shishkaberry is? Don't worry - I'll show you tomorrow.

Speaking of berries, D & I picked up the most beautiful, most tasty strawberries at the store the other day. A 4 pound box was only $5 and I'm determined to eat each and every strawberry so their perfection doesn't go to waste. You know I have pictures for you.



We had a prenatal appointment yesterday and, as with every appointment, we came out of my doctor's office and I said "I love my doctor" to which D agreed, adding that it's nice that she's so open and friendly. She felt my belly and gave me her best guess as to which position the baby is in even though she warned me that Amelia is still too small to know for sure. But I think she's right based on what I've been feeling. Seems as though she is head down (which is apparent to me when she gets the hiccups) with her back and buttocks curved around the right side of my tummy and her legs stretch to the left side of me. She still has plenty of time to do the mamba in there and get all flipped and such, but I'm not too concerned. Her heartbeat was 152bpm and my blood pressure was no longer in the 130s but back down to normal levels. Pretty sure last time it was so high because I had been fasting for the GD test.

We rushed home to eat dinner before heading to our first childbirth class. We had time to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that we had TiVo'd from Sunday. I usually cry these days at anything (really, anything), but this episode had me almost sobbing. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it. If you haven't seen it and it's still sitting in your queue on the DVR I won't ruin it for you, but for the sake of whoever is watching it with you, please have a box of tissues nearby and don't try to pretend you can hide the tears and snot that will surely ensue.

Our childbirth class was pretty good. There were a lot more people there than I thought there would be. I started to count everyone but got distracted and forgot to finish. Yes, my attention span is that bad. I would guess we have 24 people in our class. Our instructor's name is Melissa and she is a registered nurse and also has a Masters in education with which she teaches 4th and 5th graders. She has a warm and friendly, slightly spunky demeanor which puts us at ease. D won't even speak up in Bible class but he spoke up a few times in our childbirth class which made me happy. Another thing that made me happy was when I got to stradle a chair and D massaged my back. Realizing that he could do that during labor was even more appealing - we both agreed that he needs to practice that a lot more before I go into labor!

Tomorrow I will hopefully have pictures from the game to post. Who knows if I'll forget though, so don't get your hopes up. My memory isn't what it used to be (even though my Dad will tell you it's never been good!).

Gift from a sweet friend

When I got home today there was a package sandwiched between our storm door and front door. I thought it was one of the 2 or 3 things I had ordered online, but when I opened the Tiny Sprouts box it I saw a card from my sweet friend, Liz, who lives in St. Louis. Inside the box was an outfit that made me cry when I saw it. Super soft pink pants plus a long-sleeved shirt with Amelia's name on it above a sweet little flower. The matching pink hat also had the sweet flower and Amelia's first name. It's the cutest outfit - I think she may wear it home from the hospital! I absolutely love it!

Sorry - no belly picture tonight. I planned on it, but it just won't happen tonight. Possibly tomorrow, though! Then I'll post it next week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Boston Cream Pie, readdressed & Sandwich Cookies

I realized yesterday after I posted that it's no longer March and I am no longer held to the promise I made to post every day (except weekends). However, I think I'll keep up the promise because it's fun for me. Writing is a good release - I always feel better after posting no matter how trivial the content. Thanks for being an audience to my random musings!

I learned a lesson last weekend. That lesson was from my own unorganized mistake in recording a recipe. You may recall the boston cream pie post about the cake I made for my mother-in-law on her birthday. My brother-in-law, Jake, enjoyed the cake so much (no matter the appearance) that he requested it for his birthday last weekend. I was excited to make the cake again and be able to present it to the family fully intact this time, the way in which it was meant to be presented. I rarely make a dessert recipe more than once (chocolate chip cookes excluded) so I was excited to improve upon the first attempt.

Here's where the lesson comes in. If powdered sugar is involved in a frosting recipe of any kind, Sift it first. Without exception, please sift it first. I'm saying this more to myself than to any of you because I'm sure you know better. When I was making the ganache for the cake, I thought "I don't need to sift the powdered sugar because the ganache starts out warm and the sugar will surely dissolve as I mix". WRONG! I poured the ganache over the beautifully baked and filled cake only to discover that there were ugly, unappetizing white chunks of powdered sugar all throughout the chocolatey topping. I probably could have just left it alone, but I didn't. I managed to move the cake to a different plate (all the while spilling not-quite-cool, melty chocolate sauce all over the kitchen counter) and scrape off the top layer of ganache. The sides were still quite ugly but they'd have to do. I made another batch of ganache (this one thicker than the first which coated the cake better, anyway) and poured it on the cake.

This time, I refrigerated the entire cake for a couple of hours prior to transport. It didn't budge an inch. Perfect! It was good cold, too, even if it didn't look very pretty. The ganache recipe is my favorite of any ganache I've ever made. It tastes exactly like the frosting on a good chocolate donut, and if you know me, you know I'm no stranger to the chocolate donut. So, it still didn't get the masterful presentation that I'd hoped for, but it didn't disappoint in taste.

Easy Boston Cream Pie

INGREDIENTS
Cake & Filling
1 18.25 oz Butter Recipe Yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1 5.1 oz JELLO Vanilla Pudding mix

Ganache
3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup light cream (I used milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, SIFTED

DIRECTIONS
Prepare cake mix according to package instructions in two 9" rounds. Cool completely.
Prepare JELLO vanilla pudding mix according to package instructions and chill for at least a couple of hours.
Do not prepare this next step until you are ready to assemble the cake...the ganache needs to go on the cake immediately after prepared. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, stir the chocolate pieces and 2 tablespoons butter until they are completely melted. Remove from the heat and, stirring constantly, add the 1/4 cup light cream in a thin steady stream. When mixture is smooth, stir in the confectioners' sugar and beat vigorously. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

TO ASSEMBLE
Turn one 9" round cake upsidedown on serving plate. Spread the chilled filling on the flat surface of that bottom layer and place the second cake on top. Pour the chocolate frosting evenly over the top allowing it to spill down the sides.
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Now for another recipe. I made these cookies for the Homeowners Association Meeting that was held at our home on Tuesday night. D tried them and, I kid you not, he laughed because they were so good. D doesn't laugh at the goodness of recipes, especially baked goods. He is generally satisfied to get the Golden Grahams S'more recipe made for him on his birthday - he's a no-fuss dessert kind of guy. He prefers his meat and potatoes.

The HOA board members sang the praises of these cookies, too, even the "I'm not a sweets kind of guy" guy. Believe me when I tell you that I'm not tooting my own horn - it's not my recipe. I'm just going to quit jabbering now and give you the recipe.

First I have to say that I used 2 yellow cake mixes instead of chocolate ones because my chocolate cake mixes were all the way downstairs in our garage pantry and I didn't feel like making the walk. You can pretty much use any cake mix you want for this recipe. I also did not roll the mix into balls - I simply used my cookie dough scoop making sure to level out the top of each scoop and they came out great. The batter, when you mix it, will be very tough. Make sure to mix it well and even use your hands if you need to.

If you like a lot of filling, double the filling recipe. I have dreams of doubling the filling in each sandwich cookie and rolling them in mini M&Ms or chocolate chips. Mmm....

Chocolate (or whatever) Sandwich Cookies II

1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix
1 (18.25 ounce) package low calorie chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, stir together the dark and light chocolate cake mix. Add the eggs and oil, mix until well blended. Roll dough into 2 inch balls, and place them onto the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten the balls slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (mine took almost a full 12 and I have a convection oven) in the preheated oven, until firm. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.
To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and confectioner' sugar together until smooth. Spread between two cooled cookies
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Tomorrow we go pick up the nursery furniture. I'm really excited even though we don't have a place to put it at the moment.

I'm very tired so I'll say goodnight.

The Ring and The Baby Clothes

Today is a big day. I actually have more photos stored than what I plan to post today. Which means I already have material to post for tomorrow, too! I love being an overachiever every once in a while. I didn't get our bags packed last night even though D brought up the suitcase. There's a lot of things I didn't get done last night. However, I cooked us some pork chops with gravy, rice and corn, watched the Mariners win their Season Opener against the Twins, went on a walk with my husband, and made some really yummy cookies for tonight's HOA meeting at our house.

I'm not a photographer - I never claimed to be a photographer. So, the photographs you see on my blog are taken by someone who really tries to take good photos but has no knowledge of how to work the "manual" feature on her camera. Keep that in mind and you won't be disappointed.

Here's that fake ring we got at Kohl's on Sunday. It's a band of "diamonds" all the way around. I actually like it. More than anything, I like that it doesn't cut off the circulation to my ring finger - I need that finger.

And, as promised, the clothes I got for $6 each at Kohl's. I don't really know why I bother posting photos of them strewn out on the guest bed - I'm sure you'll get plenty of pictures of Amelia wearing them and that will be much cuter. But, here you go anyway.

This is the layette set I was so excited about. I got 3 of them - one for me and one for each of my sister's babies. It comes with a hat, a bib, a pair of footie pants, a pair of footie pajamas, and two onesies. Footie pants and pajamas are my weakness.

This is where the "I'm not a photographer" comes in. The second picture is blurry, but I can't take credit for it being flipped the wrong way. Blogger simply won't let me flip it right side up. So, tilt your head and squint your eyes - maybe you'll be able to get the gist.

Now, this outfit is really cute...

...but it's the back of it that won me over. I can't wait to get a big diapered bum in those ruffled pants!


D liked this outfit. I'm usually drawn to dresses but he wanted to make sure our daughter wasn't only in dresses. The detail on the pants is really cute - they're actually pink & khaki pinstriped.
When D & I were purchasing these items, I told him that one of the outfits would be a shower gift. Quite honestly I don't know how I'm going to part with any of them. Now, just to be clear I don't buy much at all for Amelia. I'm trying to save the fun baby girl clothes shopping for friends and family since I know that people love to buy clothes for baby girls. The only things I've bought for her since finding out she's a girl has been a little dress at Costco and the outfits you see here. Now, I know you'll probably refer back to the Millie's Closet post and argue that I've overdone the shopping for my daughter, but those are all clothes I bought for her prior to finding out she was a girl. So, they don't count. Really. Okay, they count but in my defense they're mostly sizes 6-9 months.

In honor of the Mariners winning their Season Opener against the Twins last night, I am posting the absolutely adorable Nike Mariners outfit that David's sweet Aunt Patty sent to us. Isn't it the cutest thing ever? We already bought Amelia a UW Huskies 18 month cheerleader outfit off Craigslist so now all we need to get her is some Seahawks gear and we're all set!

So, there you have it.

Tomorrow I'll have a couple of recipes for you.

I've decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and wear the pashmina my parents got me in D.C. when I take my belly picture on Thursday. So, stay tuned.

Another gorgeous day today. Hope your Tuesday is great!