MommyCoddle

shop update and some ideas, please

I finally put together a major shop update as of this morning. I have the old favorites for sale-- buttons and pendants--and some new items, I'm really excited about. You can find it here

And now for a little brainstorming help. I have recently been hired to do a blog for my local farmers market. It is a strong market supported by many local farms, bakers, artists. They are going to use a blog as their presence on the web and as a way to provide information about the market to the public. So, I'm the new farmers market blogger, photographer, story-writer, recipe gatherer, etc. I'm so excited about the project and full of ideas....BUT, I'm anxious to hear what kinds of things you all would like to see if you visited your local "farmers market blog"....recipes, what's in season, how to pick the perfect eggplant, etc. etc.  So go for it. Brainstorm away. I'd love to hear you ideas!

case and point

now do you see why it disappears so quickly....I was in the other room and heard the familiar scratching of a chair being dragged across the kitchen floor. then this child appeared around the corner..."can I have the big one, mommy?" for the record, she only ate from it long enough for me to snap these pictures. while emma whined, "mommy, would you at least get a knife and cut it in half so that I can have some, too?!!"
oh. my.

sign of the times

You know the seasons are starting to change when this family-favorite recipe is brought out of the recipe box once again. Emma cracked eggs (and picked out shells. a. lot. of. shells.) while I worked on dry ingredients and managed my radio station. (thank you, Jo) I can't stop playing with this thing.

Thankfully, the recipe makes two loaves. A more responsible family might eat one loaf and freeze the second for another time. Not this family. Usually, it's eat half of the first one after dinner, pound the rest at breakfast. Break into the second loaf by midafternoon the next day.
Thank goodness there was enough left to accompany a morning cup of tea to soothe my stuffy head and scratchy throat.

PUMPKIN BREAD
3c sugar                          1t each:
1c oil                               ground cloves
4 eggs                             cinnamon
1 can of pumpkin              nutmeg
2/3c water                        allspice
2 1/2c flour
1/2t. baking powder
1t salt
2t baking soda

Mix together sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and water. Sift together and add dry ingredients and spices. Pour into two (regular sized) loaf pans lined with parchment paper. (cooking spray works, too). Cook at 350degrees for one hour. (less for glass loaf pans). Freezes well, if it lasts that long.

Daddy-O

Today marks Dan's 32nd birthday. In his family, birthdays were never really a big deal--but not in mine. Birthdays were big events, and I haven't let that little tradition fade in my family either.
I remember when I was little birthdays meant getting to ride in the front seat of the VW bus all day, choosing your dinner fare and activities for the day (my standby was always the aquarium with Ben and Jerry's afterwards), being excused from the dinner dishes, and staying up as late as you wanted.
But since riding in the front seat is a given, work is required, and staying up late would be far from a gift, we'll shower Dan with a few carefully crafted and purchased presents, a good meal, and party hats.

This afternoon the girls and I worked on another sets of these tees for Dan. This will be his second set, the first was for last year's father's day. He has worn them so much they are starting to fade and when I washed one of them the other day, I couldn't believe how teeny-tiny their handprints had been. Mary was an infant and her handprint was really no more than a smear.  I remember there being more paint on her onesie and chin than on the tshirt. So this year a new set was definitely due.
Just a few weeks ago, I asked Emma what her favorite thing was about living in Wisconsin. She told me, "painting tshirts for Daddy." (Huh?!) I figured we could paint tshirts in Maryland, too. Funny what kids remember.

So, tonight we'll eat grilled steak and the official Maryland state crustacean, then nibble on a few pink-frosted cupcakes with sprinkles (whose birthday is this!!? Funny how  the birthday becomes as much about the kids having fun as it does celebrating Dan's birth. ) And we'll open one or two other gifts.
Happy Birthday, babe. xo.
(and hope you're not reading this from work...)

good things 9.16

a break in the rain to get outside:

being four and dressing yourself:

(runaway) noodle soup on a rainy afternoon:

nursery rhymes before bed (which quickly deteriorates):

finding the beginning of the rainbow in your own backyard:

allow me to gush a bit

there are two things that continue to inspire and astonish me in this blogging community: the encouragement and giving spirit of so many of you.

Your comments and emails lately have been so warm and helpful when I needed it most and was suffering from quite a little funk.

I'm happy to report that I think I'm emerging a bit from the first trimester blues. The nausea is definitely still there. Even today at lunch, I just sipped a little iced tea because nothing really seemed appealing. But the last few days, I've felt some energy returning and that feels good! I have been feeling trapped in a fog (like those goofy claritin commercials) that is now slowly rising and clearing away. But ahhh, normalcy feels so good!

Meanwhile, this week I received two wonderfully unexpected packages from Sally and Alina.

First of all, my dear friend Sally sure knows how to put together a parcel. Of course, I have no pictures to prove it because the package didn't even make it inside before being opened. The girls and I sat on a bench outside and tore into it....but from the cute address labels, to the orange tissue paper, drawstring paper bags and labelled gifts...just the packaging alone took so much care and time.

my part of the parcel included her amazing gift tags, the sweetest card, these fantastic erasers(that I've searched everywhere for to no avail) and this fantastic japanese craft magazine/book:

as they all are, it is full of inspiration...a few inside shots here....

Sally even included two golden books for the girls. Don't you love the old golden books? Lots of memories from growing up....Mary got a little Richard Scary word book, currently tucked in a tangle of blankets inside her crib for naps, and Emma got this book which has prompted the purchase of a nurse's kit, little "red and green pills (smarties)", and lots of pressure for me to stitch up a nurses cap. (who knew you needed so much heavy duty starch for one of these babies?).

Between visiting me in the hospital, the purple doctor's gloves, and holding my hand and rubbing my forehead during shots, these girls can't get emergency medical play off the brain. So this book just added more fuel to the fire.

As if that wasn't enough for one girl, the next day, I got a surprise package from Alina. Alina bought some buttons from me, which led me to her blog where she shows some of her beautiful jewelry. I love the colors she chooses and all the wooden beads that are in her work. I've really been digging wooden beaded jewelry lately....I even think she's opening an etsy shop soon, right alina??
I was the first person to comment on her blog and after my rough go of things last week, she decided to send me a little care package. It contained one of my favorite necklaces of hers, and a few vintage buttons...

Thank you so much ladies for your sweet gifts. You are too good to me.

And thanks again to all of you for sweet comments and emails. You are good to me, too.

More crafting coming soon, I can feel it....

getting easier...

I think today will be better...
All seem to be in better spirits. I have had a rough two days with the girls. Everyone seemed a little out of whack, especially Emma. I was getting to the point with her to threaten the "Daddy will deal with you when he comes home" type of punishment. But this morning, she woke up, made her bed, put her pajamas away, and just now brought me a cup of ice for my bottle of water. (odd-sounding I'm sure, but a gesture of peace, since the favor brought a complete meltdown when asked just yesterday)...

We're headed out for a long list of short errands starting with a walk around the track at the community college and some time in the library.
I'm excited at the prospect of making dinner for my family tonight. My grandmother has graciously been inviting us for dinner several times this week. It was a wonderful blessing when the thought of walking across the room felt like a marathon. But today, it will feel good to "get back in there"....

This guy has been loved very hard, and I think I'll give his little eye some attention today. Maybe even make him a friend.

Oh, and I told you these were entertaining, but here's a little proof. They just don't stop giving, I tell ya.

And The Shots are still going in strong and stingy. My husband is getting very good at the pinch and stick part. If they didn't burn, it wouldn't be bad at all. And my stomach looks like I was in a bad karate fight. As if the old stretchmarks weren't ugly enough.
If you're brave enough to see....

And thanks again for all your wonderfully encouraging and thoughtful comments about all this. It really helped--you have no idea how much. It was especially encouraging to hear I'm not the only one to have a 'complicated' pregnancy. I was starting to foolishly feel like everyone in the world had happy, healthy normal pregnancies but me. But I'm reminded by another blogging friend that I need to be absolutely thankful for my pregnancy no matter what the little costs along the way.

caught in a whirlwind

I just wrote out a long version of my trials and tribulations this weekend, but rereading it, I was already tired of the story. Tired of living it out one more time. So, instead I'll give you the short version.

I had a few small complications with my pregnancy.
My midwife asked me to get an ultrasound for peace of mind.
The baby is healthy and fine.
The ultrasound found a bloodclot in my groin.
I was admitted to the hospital for three days to treat the bloodclot.
Now, I have to give myself(actually Dan is giving me)  two shots twice a day in my abdomen for the remainder of my pregnancy.

It has been a whirlwind. It all started so innocently, with just a prenatal checkup. I have driven back and forth to Baltimore more times than I remember.
I'm feeling completely overwhelmed by the whole experience. I'm having a hard time grasping what I just went through, because it happened so quickly. I'm struggling with feeling "normal" again. The shots really burn and sting and my stomach is a little bruised and sore from them. But this whole experience could potentially have been life-saving and a little pain should be worth it all in the end. I'm just having a hard time finding the relief and joy in all this....at least for the moment.

But, I do know that God is faithful and wise and caring.

I'm thankful that I was able to walk out of the hospital-- leaving behind me rooms and rooms of people who may never have the privilege and joy of walking out of there into the fresh open air, and into the arms of family who loves them.
I am so unbelievable thankful for a wonderfully strong and gentle husband who takes good care of me and my children.
I am thankful for a sister and mother who dropped everything to meet me in the emergency room and always found a little humor in the midst of the yuck.
And I'm thankful that those little purple latex gloves I swiped from my hospital room are providing my children with so much entertainment that I'm able to get this quick post in.

If you've made it this far, thanks for listening to my personal stuff. Bear with me as I emerge from my little cloud back into the sun.