Letter to Lincoln

Dear Lincoln,

Today is December 30th. You are 2 and a half months old and getting more and more fun by the day! You are just becoming so alert and smiley all the time! When you wake up in the morning, you don't cry, you just sort of gurgle and grunt around until I wake up and I can tell you are ready for the day. As soon as I look at you, you get the biggest smile on your face! You just love to be awake!

I've never met anyone who fights sleep like you! It is the biggest struggle to get you to sleep. As soon as you start falling asleep, you pop your eyes open as if you are refusing to let in. Then, if we do actually get you to sleep, you usually sleep for about a half hour and then wake up. Then, if we try to get you back to sleep, you just give us a huge grin. It's the cutest thing in the world! The good news is, you usually aren't too grumpy, but sometimes you just get soooo tired from fighting your sleep that you just need a good cry. Those times are pretty few and far between though. We are quite blessed that you are such a good baby!

Here are some of my favorite things about this stage:
-One of my favorite things is watching you learn. Your eyes are so intelligent and you just take in the world as if you don't want to miss a thing. Two of your favorite things to stare at are the letters on the wall in your nursery that dad painted, and the wall-hang with the Celtic knots on it that Grandpa Lewis brought home from Wales.
-You are still my little cuddle bug. You just want to be held the whole day long. It's frustrating sometimes, but at the same time it's my favorite part of the day when I can just hold you. You love to be in your little baby sling, cuddled against my chest. When I need to walk Mayzie, I put you in that sling and put a hoodie around both of us and you love it. I could take you anywhere, as long as you are in the sling, you are happy! Sometimes when you are fighting sleep, I put you in the sling and just stand and read. It calms you down and you go right to sleep.
-Your chin is ticklish. Every time I kiss you or wipe spit-up off your chin, you think it's so funny! I would love to just tickle your chin the whole day to get smiles from you!
-You are just so happy! Sometimes when we are smiling and playing, you get so happy that you double over! It's the cutest thing!
-You have discovered your hands. You love to play with your fingers- especially while you are eating. Also, while you are being held, you usually will hold onto the neckline of the shirt of whoever is holding you.

I love you the most, my baby boy! I am so blessed that you're mine!
Love,
Your mom

Christmas 2010

My little Stud Puffin

John and Tracie gave Lincoln this bib for Christmas. Isn't it awesome?

Pumpkin Cheesecake

For a work pot luck, I made an oh-so-delicious pumpkin cheesecake! It turned out beautiful! Here is the delicious recipe:

1 cup crushed ginger snaps

2 Tbl melted butter

3 8 oz pkgs cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground allspice

2 cups sour cream

3 Tbl sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350* F. Mix ginger snap crumbs with melted butter. Press evenly into springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Reduce oven to 300* F. Beat cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and the salt. Add 3 of the eggs and the 2 tsp of vanilla and mix until well incorporated. Pour half the mix into the pan.

Stir in pumpkin, spices, and remaining egg into the rest of the batter. Spread over the regular cheesecake batter. Bake for 60 minutes or until set in the center.

During the last couple minutes of baking, beat together sour cream, remaining sugar and remaining vanilla. Once you remove the cheesecake from the over, spread this mixture over the baked cheesecake. Bake for 10 more minutes.

2 Months?!?!

As of yesterday, my little man is 2 months old! I can't believe how fast time flies!!!!!

Here are some of my favorite things he does:

He smiles and coos, especially while we are changing his diaper

He loves staring at the letters on his nursery wall

He loves his bath, especially getting his head scrubbed

He can rollover from his stomach to his back

He loves it when we wiggle our tongues- it makes him laugh

He clicks his tongue

He does what Tom calls the "tadpole" move- He moves his head from side to side like a tadpole swimming trying to find either food or his binkie

I sure do love this little guy!!!

Lunch

Today for lunch I'm having homemade roasted vegetable soup, homemade whole wheat sunflower seed bread, and a diet pepsi. Ok, so a little unbalanced. But here are the delicious, delicious recipes!

Whole Wheat Sunflower Seed Bread:

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 tsp yeast

2 cups white flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp sea salt

2 Tbl Powdered milk

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, finely chopped

4 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

4 Tbl honey

Dissolve yeast in water and let sit for 5 minutes

In large bowl stir together white flour, whole wheat flour, salt, powdered milk, and sunflower seeds until completely incorporated. Add olive oil, honey and yeast water until dough forms. If it is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. If too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time.

Turn onto floured surface or use a kitchen aid mixer to knead for 2-3 minutes until dough springs back when touched. Shape dough into a loaf and place into a greased bread pan. Let bread rise for an hour in warm place until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375* F. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until bread sounds hollow when tapped and is golden brown. Cover the top with butter.

Roasted Vegetable Soup:

Serves 10

3 sweet potatoes

4 potatoes

1 lb carrots

3 red peppers

1 yellow pepper

1 stalk celery

6-8 cups beef broth (or any other broth or stock)

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Cut all vegetables into bite size pieces. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in 350* oven for about 45 minutes.

Puree 3/4 of the vegetables and thin out with the broth until a good consistency. Flavor with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the other vegetables and bring back up to a simmer.

Giving Thanks

This time of year is the greatest, isn't it? It begins with Thanksgiving where we get the opportunity to look at our lives and really acknowledge how lucky we are, and then spend the next month or so full of parties, family, food and, of course gifts!

I think too often that we take for granted all the great things in our lives. It's so great to be able to slow down for a minute and appreciate it. Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed with just how lucky I am (Since about October 14th to be exact...) I have sooo much to be thankful for this holiday season!

I have to begin my list with my baby and my husband. I feel so lucky to be a mother to the most amazing kid ever! I could never really picture myself as a mom, or that it was something I really ever wanted. But now that he is in my life, I can't imagine how I could have ever lived without him! It seems so natural to take care of him and absolutely love every second of it! I hate when I have to leave him, even if it is just to go to the store for a couple minutes. He is in perfect health and is gaining weight like a mad man! We couldn't ask for a better baby and I am so grateful that he is in my life!

My husband is the greatest man in the world. It's been almost 5 years and I still am ridiculously in love! At times he frustrates me so much that I just want to scream, but I couldn't imagine my life without him. He still makes me laugh every single day and I couldn't ask for a more patient man. He puts up with my faults and loves me anyway. There is no way I could have gotten through the pregnancy and delivery without him.

He was by my side the entire time and such a great support to me. I am so glad I had him there to hold my hand every step of the way. My favorite part of every day is when we are both home, getting ready for bed, watching TV and cuddling with Mayzie and Lincoln! To me, that is Heaven!

One of the things I love most about him is that he is such a great dad! Nothing makes me happier than seeing my husband adore our son. He just loves that little Link so much! Sometimes I can hear him talking to Link while he is changing his diaper

or giving him a bath in his little cutesy voice and it makes me smile every time. Since I have gone back to work, Tom and Link get to spend that whole time with each other and I know that Link is in the most capable, caring hands that he could possibly be in.

Our little family wouldn't be complete without my little Mayzie Day! She lights up my life! Such a happy girl! Always so excited to see us! She doesn't really get the attention she used to get anymore, but I am still so grateful to her and the happiness she brings to us!

I could go on and on about all the things and people I am grateful for, but this post would be about 80 pages long. I sure am a lucky girl!!!!