Tuesday

Tuesday brings...

Brown-Butter Tortellini

(It tastes better than it sounds!)  I've done the brown butter sauce before, but never with this particular combination.  It was very tasty... particularly the mushrooms!  I wanted the little mini-mushrooms (which probably have a name, but I don't know it).  I settled for large chopped mushrooms instead, because they were much less expensive. 

1 stick butter

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

8 oz cheese tortellini
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
2 c. chopped mushrooms
1 tspn crushed red pepper
1/2 tspn Italian seasoning
1/2 c. shredded parmesean cheese

1.  Cook tortellini to al dente (about 5 min).  In wok or large pan, heat butter over medium until it bubbles and burns, becoming slightly brown.  Remove from heat and add balsamic vinegar.
2.  Add pasta and vegetables to sauce.  Toss well to coat and cover. 

3. Allow pasta and sit over low heat approximately 10 minutes or until zucchini is soft.  Stir occasionally.  Add desired parmesean cheese while hot.

Served with: caesar salad and garlic bread.  Cut the mushrooms, and Casey had 3 servings!

A Week of Meals

First, I was pregnant, and handling food wasn't my favorite pass time.

Then, I was a brand new mother with a brand new baby and practically no sleep.

Whatever the cause, the bottom line is that I haven't exactly been much for cooking in recent... er... months. 

It's true: I've been in a rut.  Which is sad, seeing as I usually really like to cook.  As I've come back into preparing meals since Leah was born, I've been stuck in a Groundhog's Day of recipes that just get used again and again. 

So, I've decided to venture out of my cooking comfort zone and try a few things. 

Every night this week, I'm going to try a new (or newish) recipe.  YUM!

MONDAY
Out of character for me, I found this recipe on the Better Homes and Gardens website.  Typically, I tend to invent my own recipes and work them over until they're perfect - for my tastes, anyway.  But I made this tonight without modifying (much) and it turned out quite well!

2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
8 oz rotini pasta, cooked and drained
1 1/4 C. milk
2 eggs
6 oz can artichoke hearts
2 C. frozen spinach
2 C. cheese (I used Mexican blend because that's what I had on hand, even though the recipe calls for Monterey Jack)
1 TBSP melted butter
1 1/2 C. panko breadcrumbs
1/2 C. parmesean cheese
Garlic salt, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta and add spinach; cook chicken using desired spices.
2. In large bowl, whisk together milk and eggs.  Drain pasta and add.  Add chicken, artichoke hearts and cheese.  Season as desired.  Pour into greased 13x9 baking dish.  Cover, bake 20 minutes.
3. In small bowl, combine melted butter, breadcrumbs, paprika and parmesean cheese.  Top chicken mix with breadcrumbs and bake uncovered additional 10 minutes.

Served with: broccoli and garlic bread.
Not bad for a Monday evening.  Enjoy!

Don't be judgin'

I am not a "teen" literature fan.

Okay, so I may have dabbled in it from time to time, but I read Michael Crichton when I was in 5th grade.  I read The Tempest at 12 and The Illiad at 15 (or I tried, anyway.  That counts). 

Yes, I may have read the Twilight series like 10 times
. 
Sure, I've read Harry Potter so often that I can recite much of books 1-4, as we discovered when Casey began reading them outloud to our daughter.

Oh, and yes, I chose Harry Potter to read to my unborn/newborn child. 

That doesn't prove anything.  I still don't like teen fiction. 

But I love the latest book I'm reading:

It's awesome!  Where was this book when I was nursing and up all night?  Where was this book when I couldn't sleep the first three, four, five months of Leah's life?!  I had all those hours in the middle of the night, and I wasted them worrying, when I could have been reading! 

Now, Leah is FINALLY sleeping through the night, and I can't go to bed because I'm too enthralled by what is happening in this stupid book!!!

Oh, and of course, it's teen fiction.  I mentioned that I love teen fiction, right?

Ain't no stoppin' her now

Guess who can CRAWL?!

Yes, I recognize that this is not a photo of a baby crawling. 

But it was one of those things... she was up, took a few wobbly, tentative "steps" on her hands and knees and was down again before Daddy and I could get the camera. 

Mostly, what she can do is get on her knees with her butt up in the air.  She realized a few weeks ago that she can also push herself up onto her arms, but so far, she has just looked perplexed about how she wound up in such an odd position.

Today, we had actual crawling.  Daddy and I both yelled and cheered and encouraged her to do it again, but evidently once was enough... at least for now! 

I've been both longing for and dreading the day that she begins crawling.  The germaphobe in me dreads it, as does that protective mommy side I'm so in touch with. 

At the same time... crawling.  WOW!!!  What a wonderful, big girl we have!  Watch out, world!

The noise a lion makes

Recently, my lovely husband pulled a muscle in his back.  He was reaching over the crib to get Leah from a nap, and he couldn't straighten himself out of that position.

Which is why, on that particular night, I was changing Leah's diaper.

She is usually extremely chipper on the changing table.  At 3 am, I was mostly just hoping I wouldn't wake her up too much to prevent her from going back to sleep.

I was thinking about this when I heard a rather terrifying noise issuing from my baby. 

Leah was growling at me.  Not just growling... the noise that was coming from her was something from a horror movie.  At 3 am, I had a Rosemary's baby on the changing table!

In the days since then, Casey and I have had a ton of laughs about our growling baby.  We keep telling her that she is very smart... that IS the noise a lion makes!  (Lion sounds much better than "possessed baby," so we just go with it!)  I have no idea where she picked this up, or perhaps this is just the natural progression of vocal noises every baby must go through - considering she's the only baby I've ever had, I have no idea which way it goes. 

Here is a bit of video Casey took on his phone of our sweet daughter... growling. 

Frankly, I would have been happy with just some cooing or gurgling.

At 6 months

Leah Madeline - 6 months old
September 10, 2010

Half a year has officially passed, and we are still in awe!  Where has the time gone?!

At six months, Leah...

...sits unsupported, although for some reason has a weakness on her left side.  If she wobbles to the left, it's a good bet she's going over.

...Still loves tummy time.  She can play for the longest time like this!

...Has been working on crawling.  Although I think we're safe for at least another month or (hopefully, maybe) two, that girl is going after it!

...Has tried 4 foods: watermelon (her favorite!), carrots, apples and whatever frosting happened to get in her mouth on Friday.  Her parents absolutely adore meal time!  We have more high chair pictures than any two people should have!

...Would also desperately like to stand.  She can't stand unsupported, but she can pull herself up from a laying to a standing position if you give her two fingers.  She can also "walk" from one person to another with assistance.  She loves it!

...still loves her paci.  I don't foresee us giving this thing up any time soon.  My little girl who, at 12 weeks in utero was already sucking her thumb... not much has changed!

...has a range of vocal noises from low, throaty growling to high-pitched squealing.  Her favorite noise is more of a gargle of spit in the back of her throat while she says "geeeee."  We think it's hillarious!

...her eyes are beginning to change color.  Who knows whether it will stick, but randomly she'll wake up with green eyes (like mine), and the next time we look, they're back to blue (which they were at birth).  Casey's eyes are also blue, so the jury is still out on which she'll end up with. 

...Enjoys getting her toes, which also means she makes short work of any socks we put on her.

...is very ticklish under her chin, arms, and along her back.  Especially in the morning!

...has the sweetest little baby smiles each time she wakes up.  It's too adorable!

...I'm convinced she knows the following words: "let go" (useful for those times that Mommy's hair is the most interesting thing to play with), "gimme five," "hungry," and "kiss."  We've especially been working on gimme five, and she will put her hand up and "slap" when asked.

...is happier, smilier and more content than ever.  It is such a joy to be her mommy!!!!

It is amazing how the time seems to have at once flown by, and at the same time, it is difficult to imagine life before Leah.  We love that sweet little pumpkin, and continue to feel blessed by each and every day.

A Very Merry Un-Birthday

How did we get...

here?

Well, it all started as a small idea.  A little something to celebrate Leah's half birthday.  How could I resist that chance to celebrate? 

As so many of my ideas do, it grew...

And grew...

And grew...

We had a wonderful time watching that baby explore her presents.  She loved her books, enjoyed [chewing] the bows, and played with the cool little musical snail I've been eyeing for two months. 

And Mommy learned a very important lesson: if you don't want it to go in Leah's mouth, don't put it in front of her.  Even for the length of time it takes to take a picture.  I hadn't really intended on her eating the cupcakes - fortunately, she had more fun squishing them between her fingers than eating them!

Happy 6 month birthday to our sweet baby girl!  We love you pumpkin!