the bean

Our most recent picture of the bean is hanging out on our refrigerator, held up by sea glass magnets.

I am incredibly important and have two obstetricians looking out for me. Actually, it's because of what happened with Claire - I am at an elevated risk for preeclampsia recurrence compared to the average woman having her second pregnancy. My general OB is pretty optimistic that history won't repeat itself, though. So we are hopeful that this time around, things won't be so scary. We meet with the high risk OB in a couple weeks. He specializes in preeclampsia specifically, so if he shares my general OB's optimism, I will definitely relax a little.

We had to wait a week after Claire was born to hold her for the first time. Fingers crossed this little one is born big and healthy and full term so the snuggles can start immediately. 

pink skies

In the middle of cooking our St. Patrick's Day dinner, we had to drop everything and run outside to show Claire the beautiful pink sunset.

How was your St. Patrick's Day? Did you eat corned beef and cabbage? Claire liked the beef and potatoes, but not the veggies. Usually she looooves her vegetables (like her mama), but I guess boiled ones aren't her style. 

recipe: basil lemonade

My parents have a Meyer lemon tree. I am a very lucky lady, I know. They always give me bags of lemons whenever I see them (which is frequently, due to me possessing their only grandchild), since I love to start the day with hot water and lemon juice. However, this recent hot weather has turned me off to hot drinks, so I decided to try something new with my recent batch of lemons. My basil lemonade experiment was a resounding success - the basil makes it extra refreshing. Here's the recipe. The basil lemon syrup recipe can be found after the jump.

Basil Lemonade

Makes 6 cups

2 cups basil-lemon syrup (recipe after the jump)

2 cups squeezed lemon juice (retain lemon rinds for syrup recipe)

2 cups cold water

Sugar to taste (if using lemons other than Meyer)

Combine ingredients except sugar in pitcher with ice. Adjust proportions to taste. If using regular lemons, stir in additional sugar to taste if desired. 

Basil Lemon Syrup

2 cups water*

1 cup white sugar

1.5 cups firmly packed basil sprigs

3+ lemons rinds, after juice squeezed out for lemonade

Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until water is simmering and sugar is fully dissolved. Turn off heat and let contents sit for at least one hour. Strain solids, squeezing liquid through mesh strainer. Chill throughly. 

*for thicker, traditional simple syrup, use 1 cup water.

oh hey there.

My goodness, it's been a while since I even thought about this blog. Since my last update, Claire went back to the hospital, I went on a severely restricted diet to help her, she got better, we traveled to the great state of Ohio and survived to tell the tale, we celebrated Claire's first holiday season out of the hospital, I turned 29, and oh yeah we found out we are having another baby. nbd.

I have conquered this most recent bout of morning sickness and feel like I can do anything! Including resurrecting this blog. We shall see how things go. Stay tuned for some family photos, a little bit about Claire's first weeks of life, and more. 

just a typical afternoon

The three of us, watching the ceiling fan.

claire loves the ceiling fan

We did this for almost an hour today. I probably should have cleaned or folded laundry while she was occupied, but she was being so cute that all I could do was lay down next to her on the floor and watch her dance. Then she got overwhelmed and screamed until she fell asleep on me. Oh the glamorous life of a mother. I love every second of it.

PS. The Husband gave me some major grief for filming this in portrait. Rookie mistake, apparently.

my lap isn't big enough for the two of them

Don't worry, I moved Fiona away from Claire right after taking this photo.

evening (almost) giggles

Claire is about to start laughing. I am so excited! Words cannot describe how much joy this little girl brings to my life. It is so fun to watch her personality emerge. So far she's mellow, sensitive, joyful, and perceptive. 

drunk

Claire, after a very large meal. 

Me: She looks like she's drunk. 

The Husband: She looks like she's drunk and ate a giant burrito. 

So glad this girl is finally nursing!

posing like claire

It's cuter when she does it, but I couldn't help myself. Note my attempt to look like I'm sucking on a pacifier - I am truly dedicated to my craft.