That's right, we're on the final stretch of this game. Week 30 is just around the corner for us. The doctor says Baby's doing fine; growing just like she should, healthy heart beat, kicking like a beast. My belly has finally "popped." It's nice to know strangers realize I'm pregnant rather than over weight, so so very nice. Were it not for Annette, Sharon, Camille, and Grandma Johnson I wouldn't have anything to wear but men's t-shirts. Thanks to their generosity, though, I have a lovely little wardrobe of belly-appropriate clothing. Never before has my wardrobe been so fashionable/girly/feminine/all of the above.
Alan's been able to bond with Baby now that she's getting stronger. Usually their bonding moments can be described as a "swift kick to dad's head." How tender.
My on going project of the times is getting the nursery set up. Alan helped me move the computers downstairs and put the crib together. However, this is still a work in progress. My house is currently less than suitable to live in and driving me crazy. More motivation to finish I suppose.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Catching up, yet again
Well, so much for doing well with keeping up on any record of my life. Here's a quick recap of this last month's happenings:
-Moab trip with the Johnsons! We went to cheer Annette on at the Canyonlands Half Marathon. It was so fun to be back as a spectator for the race, and camping with Sharon, Ryan, and Annette's fam was a grand-ol' time.
-Riverton's 3rd annual half marathon! I L-O-V-E the atmosphere at races. The energy is always so high with excitement and joy. Being a volunteer at a race is even better! As a volunteer I get the quite satisfaction of knowing somebody's day has been made or life goal may have been met because I was willing to get out of bed at 5 o' something in the morning to help with this event. Mom had such a good turn out this year! I'm so glad everything went well.
-Last month o' teh semester. Alan's been working hard in all of his classes and hopefully his hard work will pay off with finals next week.
-I'm loving my new job. I've been in the USU Bookstore with the IT staff since the end of January and loving every moment of it.
-The weather can't decide if it wants to warm up or not, but the temperatures are slowly getting warmer. At least it's not snowing anymore!
And.....yep. That's about it.
-Moab trip with the Johnsons! We went to cheer Annette on at the Canyonlands Half Marathon. It was so fun to be back as a spectator for the race, and camping with Sharon, Ryan, and Annette's fam was a grand-ol' time.
I was impressed with Annette for being silly and not falling at the same time.
-Riverton's 3rd annual half marathon! I L-O-V-E the atmosphere at races. The energy is always so high with excitement and joy. Being a volunteer at a race is even better! As a volunteer I get the quite satisfaction of knowing somebody's day has been made or life goal may have been met because I was willing to get out of bed at 5 o' something in the morning to help with this event. Mom had such a good turn out this year! I'm so glad everything went well.
-Last month o' teh semester. Alan's been working hard in all of his classes and hopefully his hard work will pay off with finals next week.
-I'm loving my new job. I've been in the USU Bookstore with the IT staff since the end of January and loving every moment of it.
-The weather can't decide if it wants to warm up or not, but the temperatures are slowly getting warmer. At least it's not snowing anymore!
And.....yep. That's about it.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Pi Day!
After weeks of anticipation, Pi Day has finally arrived! Truly this is my favorite day of the year. Traditionally we celebrate by having a pi buffet with friends and/or family, taking trivia quizes to test our knowledge of π, and singing "Happy Birthday" to Einstein. This year production is set back quite a bit due to fiscal reasons, but I am excited none the less.
I challenged myself a few years ago to try a new pie recipe every year. This year's recipe was suggested by Miss Abby (thanks, Abby!), and although I am not able to make it today, I want to try it by the end of the month!
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½-¾ cup caramel
1 cup chopped pecans
For the apple filling:
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
For the cheesecake:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the topping:
¾ cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
¼-½ cup caramel
Chopped pecans
Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell. Set aside.
Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F. To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat.) Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired. Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.
Source: http://annies-eats.com/2009/10/26/caramel-apple-cheescake-pie/
I challenged myself a few years ago to try a new pie recipe every year. This year's recipe was suggested by Miss Abby (thanks, Abby!), and although I am not able to make it today, I want to try it by the end of the month!
Carmel Apple Cheesecake Pie
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½-¾ cup caramel
1 cup chopped pecans
For the apple filling:
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
For the cheesecake:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the topping:
¾ cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
¼-½ cup caramel
Chopped pecans
Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell. Set aside.
Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F. To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat.) Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired. Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.
Source: http://annies-eats.com/2009/10/26/caramel-apple-cheescake-pie/
Thursday, March 3, 2011
March 3rd
On March 3rd:
-The first amphibious landing of the US Marine Corps began the Battle of Nassau in the Revolutionary War. (1776)
-Florida is admitted as the 27th state. (1845)
-The first ever organized game of indoor hockey is played in Montreal, Cnanada. (1875)
-NACA, the predecesor of NASA, is founded. (1915)
-Time Magazine is published for the first time. (1923)
-The USA officially adopts the Star Spangled Banner as its national anthem. (1931)
-NASA launches Apollo 9 to test the lunar module. (1969)
For us, though, March third marks the anniversary of Dino's passing. We miss him and we love him, but as my brother said, "At least he went out in style!"
Love you, Dad.
-The first amphibious landing of the US Marine Corps began the Battle of Nassau in the Revolutionary War. (1776)
-Florida is admitted as the 27th state. (1845)
-The first ever organized game of indoor hockey is played in Montreal, Cnanada. (1875)
-NACA, the predecesor of NASA, is founded. (1915)
-Time Magazine is published for the first time. (1923)
-The USA officially adopts the Star Spangled Banner as its national anthem. (1931)
-NASA launches Apollo 9 to test the lunar module. (1969)
For us, though, March third marks the anniversary of Dino's passing. We miss him and we love him, but as my brother said, "At least he went out in style!"
Love you, Dad.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Sugar and Spice
Well, 20 weeks means we are halfway on our journey. Doctors typically ask for an ultrasound during this point of the second trimester to see how the baby is developing. I have been dreaming about this for weeks. Dreams where we can't afford the ultrasound, the baby doesn't cooperate, and even that our baby had died.
Luckily none of this happened. We made a party of this trip and invited my mom and Alan's mom to join us. They offered some great insight to the changes in technology since they were pregnant. Baby is doing just fine and is perfectly healthy. Our little one is camera shy, still, and was apparently sleepy, too. The baby's femur bone is longer than average, which I was excited for (you know, natural runner). Baby has long toes, too!
Well, on with the growing game! I can't wait so see the little one in person.
Oh, did I mention we're having a girl?
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Dear World
I feel the need to publicly express my gratitude for Alan. He has been so good to take care of me while I haven't been feeling well these last few months.
Allow me to list for you a few of the things he does:
I love this guy. Thanks, Al!
Allow me to list for you a few of the things he does:
- He does the dishes for me.
- He makes me food when I am feeling too sick to move.
- He rubs my back while I'm throwing up.
- He brushes his teeth when I can't stand his breath.
- He does everything that grosses me out.
- He fetches whatever I am craving.
- He fills up many many many water bottles.
- He let me change jobs even though money will be tight.
- He is happy to entertain himself while I lay on the floor.
- He bends over to pick things up so I don't have to.
- He does all this and more!
I love this guy. Thanks, Al!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
It's Alive!
For most of my pregnancy my mindset has been "oh, I'm pregnant," Similar to thinking "Oh, I have a cold." The exceptions to this rule are when we're at the doctor and get to hear or see the baby. At that point my mindset changes to "there's something living inside of me."
As luck would have it, I may get to have the latter mindset on a more regular basis. During sacrament meeting on Sunday I felt something flick me from the inside. I gave Alan a confused look paired with, "I think I've just been kicked!" Feeling the baby move for the first time was and is so exciting! I find myself sitting quietly when possible, just hoping to feel the baby again.
As luck would have it, I may get to have the latter mindset on a more regular basis. During sacrament meeting on Sunday I felt something flick me from the inside. I gave Alan a confused look paired with, "I think I've just been kicked!" Feeling the baby move for the first time was and is so exciting! I find myself sitting quietly when possible, just hoping to feel the baby again.
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