Christmas Goodies

I usually try new recipes out on people when they come over. That can either go great or ruin a whole night. I had my parents over for my Dad's birthday and decided to BBQ for the first time. Scott was at work and wouldn't be home in time. I got the BBQ started and put on a Tri-tip. The seasonings smelt soooo good. There was a thick layer of brown sugar. As we all know sugar burns! Boy did it. I had the heat up way too high, for way too long. Low and slow Summer...low and slow!!! About part way through the cooking process I remembered that and checked on it. Yea it was burnt. Luckily I did not trust myself so I had some chicken baking in the oven. So we had boring baked chicken legs. I didn't even have one they looked so gross. I chiseled through some tri-tip and ate that. It was actually pretty good despite the candied crust. Everyone ended up trying it and liking it. Sorry Dad! I need to try recipes out before I decide to make them for a crowd. Below is my Peanut Brittle recipe. I made this for the first time for our Christmas Party. I have to say it was fun to make and Scott thinks I should sell it! Peanut Brittle is one of those things that I have to make every Holiday season. Enjoy.

Peanut Brittle

1 c Sugar
1/2 c Light Corn Syrup
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 c Water
1 c Peanuts
2 TBS Butter, softened
1 tsp Baking Soda

Grease large cookie sheet and set aside.

Measure out all ingredients ahead of time. You will need to move quickly and you don't want to get stalled by measuring out everything as you go along.

In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat, bring sugar, corn syrup salt and water to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Put your candy thermometer in place in the saucepan and continue to cook. Stir frequently until the temp reaches 300 degrees.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in the butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks gently pull the mixture into a rectangle about 14x12". Cool and then snap into pieces.

Inspiration

I just finished watching Julie&Julia for the first time tonight. What a great movie! If you have a passion for food or anything for that matter this movie will speak to you. It was especially a great movie since I understand both points of view. Julie struggled with never finishing anything and so she decided to cook her way through Julia Child's "Master the Art of French Cooking". Oh all of this in 365 days...that is 524 recipes!!!! Julia Child really knew nothing about food and definitely had to work hard to keep up at Le Cordon Bleu. It was great to watch them both persevere and complete their goals. Although I have to admit Julia Child always annoyed me..she is a classic. French cooking is complicated and a bit too fussy for me, but I do appreciate it. Most of what is taught stems from the French way. I decided to post some recipes of mine. Being Christmas time I thought it was appropriate to share some Christmas goodies with you. Just like Julie in the movie stated..I am not sure if anyone actually reads any of my blogs..I feel like I am writing to a black void sometimes. It does get a lot off my mind and I will be able to sleep better if I share this. So as Julia would say Bon Appetit!

***Please excuse my photography skills...or lack of*****

Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 c Flour
2 tsp Ground Ginger

1 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Gound Cloves

1/4 tsp Salt

3/4 c Margarine, softened

1 c Sugar

1 Egg

1 TBS Water

1/4 c Molasses

2 TBS Sugar

Preheat 350

Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl. cream margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Then stir in the water and molasses. Add in the dry ingredients gradually. I like to refrigerate my dough for about 30 mins. If you don'r have time it is not necessary. Then shape into balls, about the size of walnuts, and roll them in the remaining sugar. Place on cookie sheet and flatten down slightly with the bottom of a glass.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and they are ready to eat!

More to come later..I am off to bed!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

This year Shane was way too young to enjoy Halloween. Mommy is glad because it is my least favorite holiday. I picked up a Mickey Mouse costume from Wal-Mart, which just again made it clear why I don't shop there. Wasn't the best costume...oh well, he still looked cute and it was comfortable. We went to a car show at Del Taco. They had a trunk or treat car show. Then we went over to our friends house for their annual Halloween party. Next year should be much more eventful:)Katie was a SUPER GIRL and Siena a 50's girl..Oh and Scott a Hic..his costume every year:)

Friends

It is so fun seeing Shane experience new things. He is already learning how to make new friends. We have had quite a few people around us who have had boys. Below is Shane'S friend Micah and his cousin Benjamin. I can tell he is going to be a people person. He loves new things and is so interested in people. He is getting over being afraid of loud noises and new faces. Everytime he sees someone his size he immediately leans forward to squeeze their cheeks. Can't blame him!

Give Away

For anyone interested this is such a cute blog. Awesome vintage ideas! Here is a great giveaway:

http://cynthiascottagedesign.blogspot.com/

It has been too long

As Shane gets older (6 months on Friday) I seem to be getting busier and busier. I thought things would get easier. In ways I am in the hang of the whole nursing, changing diapers and bath routine. Now, we have nursing, cereal, solids starting tomorrow (I think if I can make it to the store and make my own baby food), mommy and me time and a new sleeping schedule. The past two weeks Shane has decided he only needs a few hours of sleep now. That doesn't work for mommy. Mommy needs her beauty sleep. I think I just might turn into a dreadful looking monster by Halloween time. Which may not be such a bad thing; I won't need to think up a costume. My bags under my eyes are sure to scare all the kids away. I think that may be why my husband seems to be keeping his distance. I have mutated into monster. No sleep or showers will do it to ya!
I got some mommy advice today about feeding the Lil one solids and that should cure his strange new sleeping pattern. I am hoping to make my own baby food. I think it is the frugal thing to do...but I am not standing by that. I will give it my best shot. I believe I am going to start on carrots and potatoes. I will steam them and then place them in ice cube trays to freeze. In attempts to become Super mom...hmmm another Halloween option...I am trying to get my life in order. I am coming up with a Master Scheduler. One that has sections for all the areas of my life. Such as, finances, medical, house cleaning and many others. I found a blog that a stay at home mom put together on scheduling. It is really the only way for me to function. I love order. Organization gives me such joy!
Being a parent has been so much fun. Shane is the most handsome baby I have ever seen! Everyone tells me that so I feel fine making that statement:). He is so alert now and it is getting so much more fun now as he interacts with us. Scott is determined to get him to say dada first. Little does he know I am with Shane way more and we have "say mama" sessions regularly:) I try not to get too frazzled. I am new to the parent game and I try to enjoy each stage. Scott is working hard so I can eventually stay home and not have to work. I am very blessed that I get to stay home, but my work is suffering and I want to give whatever I am doing 100%. Being a parent comes first. We are trusting in the Lord. He always takes care of us and I know he will guide us in the right direction. Hang in there all you mommies! Don't completely neglect your hygiene, but know it is ok if you are still in your PJ's and your making dinner. I think I may need a "ME" day. I never really understood those until now. I felt like it was selfish..but it is more of a refueling....so necessary!

Oh the Joys...

Tomorrow my lil man will be 4 months old! As you can tell from the time in between this post and the last I have been enjoying every minute of it. He brings so much joy to my life. I just got his 3 month old pics done...hey he was still 3 months old technically..I will have to wait a few more weeks for his 4 month old pics to be taken. Here are a few that I thought were pretty cute. The first two are his 2 month old pics. I thought the pic with our wedding rings was a strange idea at first, but once I saw it I loved it!

Shane loves to laugh and is happiest in the morning. He is learning how to hold onto things like his rattle, our fingers and mommy's hair:). He hates loud noises, but I hear that is normal. If he is going to be a Gieser he better get used to it. I love watching him grow and discover new things each day.

This one is too bland..this one is too sweet..this one is just right

I feel like Goldilocks in my attempt to find the perfect vanilla cupcake and butter cream frosting recipe. So far I have found a few bland vanilla cupcakes and a few too sweet butter cream frosting recipes. I have tried vanilla cupcakes with every flour imaginable. When baking a cake, most cooks aim to create a light, fluffy cake with a tender crumb. Cake flour usually is the flour to use since it is low in protein...but for some reason it produced a dense cake??? So I tried AP and then self-rising flour. Next round I need to try a mixture of both. I found the flavor to be bland as well. I am thinking of adding a package of vanilla instant pudding. That should give it some extra flavor and moisture.

I also have made many different butter creams that are all too sweet! I am actually not a huge sweet person to begin with..surprising I know..I wanted to be a pastry chef and love baking but am more of a savory person. Good thing though or I might be twice the size I am. So, back to the butter cream. I tried just butter, then butter and shortening and finally shortening and margarine. I have to say out of all of these options I liked just the butter the best, but still the amount of powdered sugar used was too much. I felt like giving up on baking all together. After all what good is a baker who can't make a decent vanilla cupcake and butter cream frosting. But I decided that I can't let my perfectionism get in the way and that eventually after I try and try I will find a great recipe in the end. So, until then I am still on the search for that flavorful and moist vanilla cupcake and not so sweet butter cream frosting!

Made with Love

I am of the belief that pies should be "just like grandma made". No fuss just true homemade goodness. I think making a pie crust seems really hard to many and so they never try. It so shouldn't be. Try it a few times and you'll be a pro in no time. My great-grandma is such an amazing baker..actually an amazing woman! She is in her mid 90's and still lives on her own. She has acres among acres. Her and my great grandfather had planted a huge vegetable garden and many fruit trees. My great grandfather has since passed(at the age of 99 might I add) but my great grandma still keeps the homestead goin'! My best memories are of her whipping together a pie when we stopped by after she made us a huge dinner. My favorite are her blackberry pies..mmmmm. I love that she has made everything for so long that she never once looks at a recipe. She never stops moving. Even in her 90's she still wants to make breakfast. lunch and dinner for you. And I am not talking some cereal or a Bologna sandwich...no way...I am talking homemade waffles and fresh boysenberry sauce and then a few hours later what I would consider a dinner she makes a huge roast or something along those lines. And you can't tell her your not hungry. I always plan on wearing my comfy pants when I am there:) So the point of this blog is to emphasize the importance of plain and simple rustic homemade pies. Keep the tradition alive. Below is my Award Winning Apple Pie Recipe. So simple but so good.

Apple Pie
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6 medium green apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 TBS. butter
Dash of salt

Directions:
1. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and apples together. Place pie crust in pie plate(see crust recipe). Add mixture of apples to the pie crust. Dot with butter and then add top pie crust.
2. Slit top and cover sides with foil.
3. Bake @ 425 for 40-50 minutes.

9" Pie Pastry Crust
2/3 c. shortening, plus 2 TBS.
2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
5 TBS cold water

Directions:
1. Cut shortening into flour.
2. Add salt and water.
3. Shape into a ball and chill.
4. Once chilled roll out to fit 9" pie pan. Enough for top and bottom crust.

Adventures in Baking

After completing Culinary School I found myself burnt out on baking and cooking in general. I lost my interest in it, mainly because of the hours and also the lack of training I received in the pastry field while at school. The focus at school was more on cooking than baking. It was a wonderful experience. I loved it, but I really wished I had learned more about cake decorating. I can make a nepolian, but have no idea how to decorate a cake.

I recently have been very amused and intriged with cupcakes. These little cake were once just a kids birthday staple, but are now served at weddings in place of a wedding cake...who would have ever thought. Below are some beautiful cupcakes that another blogger made. Absolutely stunning.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you what recipes have worked and failed. So far I can not get anything right. My butterbream frosting is too sweet and my vanilla cupcakes are too bland. As a culinary school graduate I hate to admit that I really love me some Betty Crocker. She is amazing! I love the taste, texture...everything! So, my next step is too try try and try again on the basics and then eventually practice my decorating skills. Hopefully one day I will produce cupcakes as beautiful as the ones above. Sweet trails to you!

Picture time

I thought I would share Shanes' first professional pictures!

Old Mommy Tales

The one thing I have come to notice most as a new parent, is that every child is different. What works for one mom may not work for the next. Just as I am different, even from my own sister, my child is different from my own friends' child. Some advice has come in handy, while others just did not work.

I am surprised as to how much of my day is devoted to Shane. I truly thought he would sleep more. As I am writing this I hear that he is waking up. He has been sleeping for two hours though, so mommy is happy about that. I was able to update his baby book. I swore that I was an organized person and that I would keep up on each and every move he made...wrong! I am an organized person..but that went out the window when I became a mommy. I find myself taking a nap over cleaning these days. The first few weeks it was opposite. Everyone told me to sleep when he sleeps, but I couldn't imagine letting the dishes pile up for one more day. Now that he sleeps for about six hours each night I do not need as much sleep during the day anymore. My house is slowing getting back to normal. I still haven't managed to remember to eat every meal or to take a shower daily, but I have been able to spoil Shane with my love and time.



I went back to work last week. I am so blessed to be able to work from home. It has been a little adjustment trying to figure out how to get my work done and also take care of Shane. I couldn't imagine having to leave him right now. Love, love...love my job!

Shane is finally pretty much over his cold. That was really hard to deal with. He had it for about 3 weeks. He was really congested and I took him to the doctor right away. He seemed to think it was just allergies and told me to give him nose drops..little noses. That stuff works great..at least for my little ones little nose. But, he was still coughing and choking and sneezing!!! So a few days later I took him back to the doctor. This time the cold was a little more advanced and the doctor could hear the congestion in his lungs. So, he ordered me a nebulizer. It was the cutest and saddest thing I had ever seen. It came with a little baby mask that covered his mouth and nose (see pic). He did really well with it. Shane would just stare into my eyes. I find that he does that with me and Scott when he may be scared or unsure of things. It is so awesome he looks to us for comfort. Well I better get going I am on a mission to start another blog about my baking adventures! Stay tuned:)

8 weeks!

Can you believe it???? Shane is already 8 weeks old! I sure can't. Everyone says to enjoy every moment because before you know it you turn around and they are graduating. That became so clear to me last night when I went to my brother's graduation from high school!
Today I took Shane to the doctor to check him out. He has been congrested and coughing. He also was sneezing so I am sure he has a cold. Doctor doesn't seem to think he does. He listened to his lungs, looked at his ears, throat and nose and did not find anything? Oh well...I am going to keep an eye on him.
I have to return to work on Monday:( I shouldn't complain. I still get to stay home with him. I couldn't imagine having to leave him all day.
Being a mommy is so fun..tiring..but fun. I LOVE him so much. Well I gotta go the little one is up from his 20 minute nap. Was hoping for a longer one. Will hopefuly get a chance to update this soon!

Day 1

You hear all the stories of late nights with baby. No sleep for either the mom or dad. So, I decided that, hey, I don't have to work, my job now is to be mommy. That even though he has woken up every hour that I had no where to be nothing to do..it is all good! I thought something was wrong with him when he wanted to eat after only 45 minutes of just feeding him. My Pediatrician reassured me that it was normal, especially for babies with Jaundice. Babies use almost everything in breast milk and so they eat more frequently. He is starting to eat more at one time and sleeping longer.
My mom has been such a great help during this time. It really makes me appreciate her some much more. As a mom you have to become selfless. Your child depends so much on you, especially the first few years of life. It puts my heart at ease when she is here with me. Thanks MOM!!!
Scott has been such a great help too. He loves his little boy. He has to take on a little more than most since it is still hard for me to move around. Luckily, he is able to stay home with me. He wont be starting his new job for a little while. God is good..to provide a job and still allow him to be with me and Shane.
Shane will already be a week tomorrow!! I treasure every last second I have with him. I love when he lays chest to chest with me. I sometimes still feel him there even when he is not. I love when he smiles at me or the sound of his daddy's voice. I love when he looks around. His eyes are so precious. I love when he is feeding and he raises his eyebrows and his forehead gets all scrunchy:) I just plain LOVE everything about him...my eyes are all watery now. He has beautiful dark blue eyes for now and black hair. I am curious to see what he will look like in a few months. I can see both Scott and I in him..also my brother:). Well, it is about time to wake the little one up. I can't believe I have time to post this.

Welcome Shane Joseph Gieser

Well my little man is finally here! He arrived on April 16th at 8:55pm. Weighing in at 8lbs 2oz and 20.5 inches long. I went to Dr. Marcus on Wednesday, had high blood pressure yet again and so off to the hospital I went. Dr. Marcus had talked about inducing on the 20th since I still had high blood pressure, but then the ultrasound showed that the baby would be 8 lbs and 15oz!!! Dr. thought that with the combo of my high blood pressure and the risk of him having a shoulder get caught that it would be best to have a C-Section. So, we decided that we did not want to risk the chance of any complications and I was scheduled for a C-section around 8:15 on Thursday the 16th. I wasn't really scared to be honest. I just wanted to have a healthy baby and God really put my heart at ease.
So, at 8:55pm Shane was welcomed into the world and our hearts. Man, I am already crying just thinking about it again. This whole experience has made me so emotional. The love I have for him from the time we conceived until the day I met him was so intense. Because I had a C-Section I could not bond with him like a normal delivery. I had to wait almost two hours to get sewed up and stay in recovery before I could see him. Scott was able to stay with him the whole time so I was glad for that. The whole family came and Ryan and Heather. Everyone got to kiss him..Scott opened the door of the nursery.
I can't even describe everything that goes on when you see your baby for the first time. I would do anything for Shane. I hate to see him in any pain. He had to do a variety of tests that were normal, but the blood test was the worse. Some young girl comes in takes my baby lays him in a hard, cold hospital bassinet and pricks the bottom of his feet to get blood. He doesn't bleed very well and is crying uncontrollably. If I didn't just have surgery I would have jumped up and punched her in the face! I know she was just doing her job, but I felt so helpless. I just wanted to hold him and tell him everything was going to be alright...ohhh here come the tears again. Once she left I held him tight and cried my eyes out.
I shared a room with another lady who had a C-Section as well. It was not the best. When her baby was crying mine was sleeping and visa versa. The nursery did come and take Shane for a few hours so I could get rest, but I really did not want him to leave my site. I had a really hard time letting him go. Scott and others said that I really need to get the sleep and once I am gone from the hospital there is no more nurses so I better take advantage of it!
I was able to leave the hospital on Sunday morning. The doctor said I could leave on Saturday but I really felt that I needed to stay one more night to heal more. We had many visitors. It was so great to share this experience with all of them. Shane was healthy, a little Jaundice, but other than that God had his hand over him and his mama through the whole nine months and after!

Countdown

According to my ultrasounds..the 21st is the most common due date they have all stated. I no longer need to do a C-Section. The baby wasn't as big as they thought..in fact the last time I was in the hospital they said he was 1# smaller than the ultrasound done prior. It is so hard to tell who knows what is going on! Every week there is different news. I go tomorrow to Dr.Brar-he is a specialist who checks my blood pressure and monitors my contractions, if any, and also the babies heart beat. Finally, they do a quick ultrasound. Last week was my first one. It was really weird. They have about five recliners in a room and you go in there recline back and a nurse comes and hooks you up to the monitors and you lay back for about 10-15 minutes. Everything looked well and so I just have to continue to go now twice a week until the baby gets here.

Dr.M still was talking about inducing me on the 20th, instead of the C-Section. Since he isn't as big and no longer breached..there really is no reason for the C-Section, but I think he still wants me to be induced because of my high blood pressure. I think Dr. M is finally realizing that I have White Coat Syndrome. It is fine when I am at home but as soon as I walk into the Dr. office I can feel it going up. I hate the doctor's office and hospital! I can't wait to be in the hospital because I am delivering my son and not because of my high blood pressure...I have been there three times now because of it.

The nursery is all put together. I have a crib, changing table, dresser and glider in there. All the decor is up and all we need to do is install a ceiling light that a friend just gave us. I washed all the clothes and blankets. I think I am all ready! Physically more than mentally:) We still have not decided on a name and want to wait until we see him. So, we could have a little Wyatt, Shane or Jack. Or we could choose a different name entirely!

I have had a few small contractions. Easter morning at about 2am I felt my first ones. They were dull and only went on every 7 minutes for about an hour. Scott asked me if I was ok and I said that I was just having some contractions. He said, "Excuse Me"!!! It really made him realize that he was coming soon and that we need to be ready.

Rollercoaster

It seems that the last month or so of a pregnancy there are so many ups and downs. On Wednesday I went to the doctor and he received the results of the ultrasound he had ordered from the hospital. They stated that the baby was breeched. Which of course means that I would have to have a C-Section. Dr. M decided to schedule one for April 20th. Now, I can't say that I am totally thrilled about having a C-Section. I have never had surgery before and I can't watch one being performed on tv. The recovery isn't so great either. But....the idea of knowing when I could possibly have my baby and not having to go through labor and pushing my already large baby out...makes a C-section not so bad of a thing! Of course he could move into the right position and I could go into labor earlier than the 20th...which is in one month...oh my goodness how time flies. So, there is still a lot of unknowns. Due to his size...it is looking like he could come earlier. So, if he hasn't moved and is large, a C-section is inevitable. If he moves and I still haven't had him by the 20th, they will induce and I will probably give birth naturally to hopefully a normal size baby:)

I received an email that my crib was in on Wednesday. Scott and I were able to have some time to pick it up on Thursday. So, I got ready to go after work and waited for Scott to finish up a phone call. He mentioned to the person right before he hung up that we were headed to WalMart to pick up the crib. She said, "Oh no do not go to WalMart". Scott said it was cheaper and no delivery fees and that we didn't want to go to WalMart, but it was a better deal. She said that she didn't mean not to shop there but that she received a text that there was going to be a gang initiation at Walmart and that they would kill three women!!!! Now, normally those texts are totally false and just a rumor, but I really found it odd that Scott just happened to mention to someone he rarely talks to that we were going to pick up the crib at WALMART and that she knew about this initiation. Maybe it was true maybe not but I was not going to take any chances. I think God was watching over me:) I could have sent Scott but that didn't seem wise either. CRAZY!!! So, no crib yet. Hopefully today I can get it and not get shot at..that would be nice. The days are getting shorter and shorter as we await on the arrival of our new one. It is scary and exciting at the same time. It could be a month, a few weeks...or even days before he is home with us. It is such a wonderful blessing that amazes me all the time.

Baby Shower #2

Saturday was my second baby shower at the church. The women's board did a great job decorating the room and we had some awesome cupcakes..mmmm! I believe there were about 20 women there. It was such a blessing. Shanna gave a devotional on raising Godly children. We played a nursery rhyme game and the game where you could not say the word BABY or you lost your pacifier. It was a great day and am so thankful for all the women who showed up.

The nursery is all painted and a few items are hung up(thanks to Mom and Leah). I should be getting my crib soon, as well as a glider. I have all the clothes hung. I still have soooo much to do. I am hoping I have til the 25th of April now. But he will get here when he gets here and everything will be just fine:). I bought him the cutest stuffed pony today. I couldn't resist. I haven't had to buy much thankfully. Babies are expensive. I have been so blessed to have my Mom give me a shower and then my church. I don't know how people do it with out so many people. My mother in law is giving me another shower as well after the baby is born! Too blessed:)

Early Hospital Visit

Tuesday I had a doctor's appointment which I had changed from Wednesday(11th) to Tuesday(10th). I changed this to make things easier on Scott and I. I figured we would have our doctor's appointment then grab a quick bite to eat and finally head over to the hospital for our Infant Care class. Well, I went to the doctor, who then sent me to the hospital...not for the class but to be emitted for SIX HOURS! I had high blood pressure 140/90 or something like that and Dr. Marcus was concerned. So, I ended up getting to the hospital around 5:45 then waiting for a room until about 8:00. They set me up in labor and delivery..so at least I got to see the accommodations that I will have when I deliver! I was set up on the baby monitor and an automatic blood pressure monitor, that took my BP every half hour. I had my blood taken, urine tested and finally an ultrasound. Everything came back great. My blood pressure was perfect every time. So, I must have just been nervous when they took my BP at the Doctor's office. What an ordeal. I have never been to the hospital, so that was a little crazy, but I was relieved that everything turned out to be ok. We finally got out of the hospital around midnight and heading back home. The ultrasound tech determined that the little one..isn't so little 6#14oz already! He also gave me an estimated due date of March 30th! Two days later I went for a follow up with my doctor who said my BP was good again and I lost a pound, so he was much happier with me. He also said, as for the weight and new due date, to pay no attention to that. We are sticking with April 25th. It has been such a roller coaster ride. Thankfully, I have had a really normal pregnancy. If I hadn't been so nervous on Tuesday it probably would have been drama free. God is definitely watching over us. Oh and we totally missed out Infant Care class so I am ordering a few movies to watch...just to put my mind at ease...because I have no idea what I am getting into:) Sorry little guy..I'll try not to mess up too much:)

New Due Date

I forgot to mention that after my last ultrasound they moved my due date to April 13th!!! I go to the doctor today so I will see what he has to say. I have another baby shower on Saturday at church from 2-3:30. I am so excited! Scott put together the stroller last night and car seat. It was so surreal. Only a few more weeks and I will be pushing the little guy around in it. Friday my mom and Leah are coming to paint the nursery! Then I will receive my crib that Jan ordered for me the following week. I am planning on washing some newborn items and then getting the nursery as close to being finished as possible. Lots to do! Time has flown by so fast, as I knew it would. We had our Yard Sale on Saturday finally and got rid of a lot of stuff. Making room for baby:). Oh and tonight after the doctor appointment we have a 3 hour class given by Riverside Community Hospital on Infant Care. That should be interesting!

It IS a BOY!

I had my second ultrasound on Friday Feb 27th. The little guy was turned away from the camera and was sleeping. Go figure. Scott and I were a little nervous about the gender. We have heard sooo many stories that the gender was thought to be one and ended up the other. Now, I have to say we both wanted a boy first, but as long as it is a healthy baby that is all that matters in the end. So, after a long visit to the ultrasound center we left still feeling a little apprehensive about getting the nursery started and taking tags off all the cute little boy clothes I have hanging in the closet. The ultrasound tech said the girl who did my first ultrasound was an expect in OB and was certain if she said it was a boy then she was pretty confident in saying that it was. But...we needed more concrete proof. We decided to go to Fetal Focus in the Galleria at Tyler. They guarantee gender determination and if they can't you get your money back. So after lunch at Ruby's. Scott and I, along with my Mom, Jan, Gary Marthe, AJ and the girls got to see him. And YES it is for sure a boy! We received a picture confirming the fact and a profile view..so precious. It was great to have Scott, my Mom, Jan, Marthe and even Katie there to see the little one. We only had 10 minutes of viewing so it was quick but we got what we came for. So, now it is on to decorating the nursery.....and cleaning the baby clothes!

A Few of my Favorite Things...

I love design. I spend many hours searching EBAY and online boutiques for cute vintage cowboy ideas that I can recreate. Here are a few things I love.

I am going to attempt to make a pillow out of this material. I am going to add chenielle to the sides. This project will be a lot simpler than the crib bumper below. If I fail at this then I know I will have to recruit someone to help with the bumper:)

Here is the fabric I ordered to make a crib bumper. It is called Retro Cowboy. I haven't sewed since I was like 12...so we will see how that goes.

1st Baby Shower

My mom and sister threw me my first baby shower on February 15th. I could hardly wait to get there. My Grandma from Oregon was going to be out for her sisters birthday and so I decided that it would be awesome to schedule it while she was out. The shower started at 3pm. We had an array of food. From turkey roll-ups to cupcakes and a cute cake. Hopefully I can figure out how to put up pictures on here and I can share those with you.(ooh I just figured it out..lol..I will put some up as soon as I get them developed) As I mentioned my Grandma was there along with my Dad's sister from Oregon, friends from way back when, my best friend..along with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and my niece! It was so nice to see all of my mom's friends there to celebrate with my family and I. There were a total of 23 girls there. We played a few games and then I got to open all of the cute gifts. I was spoiled. My mom bought me my stroller and car seat!!!! I can't wait to put it together and then put my little guy in it! I received the ever so popular Diaper Genie. My sister-in-law knitted me the cutest horse. I love handmade gifts they are so thoughtful and very few people do that anymore. I received sooo many cute outfits. I am so glad boys have cute clothes too now. My Aunt shared a devotional about raising children from Deuteronomy. It was great! Overall, it was a relaxing and fun time spent with a lot of people who have been there throughout my life. My mom and sister did an awesome job!!!

What's Its Name

The next logical step after finding out the gender of your baby is to choose a name. Now, if it was a girl we had that one down..Amanda Jean Gieser. We only had the one name and both loved it. Since it is a boy we had to start to come up with some other names. We had always loved the name Jack and still do..but unfortunately that name is not nickname proof. These are things you have to think of. Even though Scott says he is gonna be a tough kid..I still want to save him from any extra humiliation..kids are cruel. We also love the name Wyatt. I have decided to do the nursery in a western theme so this would be perfect. Leave it to me to name our kid just so he will match his room..oh brother!!! Then Scott also mentioned the name Shane. Now, I have to say that has always been one of my favorites, but I could have sworn Scott did not like it. So, now we have Jack, Wyatt and Shane at this point. Jack is pretty much off the list but I still love it.

We have begun at this point, well who am I kidding, for a year now our families have chosen names that they like. Let me give you an example: Gary (Scott's Dad) is obsessed with the name, Ezekiel Zacharias Gieser. Ezekiel isn't that bad but along with Zacharias..oh no!!! The reasoning behind this name is the nickname that comes along with it..EZ Gieser! Hahahaha..oh man I am sorry but I don't want my son to be know as easy! Good effort though Gary:) Most recently Jan came up with the name Deacon. Not too bad but Scott is really liking it. So, after all this I think we are pretty much left with Wyatt and Shane. We decided that we will wait until he is born to see what the little guy looks like and then make our decision. Since we already know the sex I think it will be great to have that anticipation of naming him the day we see his sweet little face!
Until then the family has decided to call him "What's Its Name". Or more affectionately known as WIN:)

Oh yeah..it's a boy!

I think most people have a preference to the gender of their first born. Of course, the main hope is to have a healthy baby no matter the gender. Scott and I both wanted a boy. I always wanted an older brother and Scott loves having his older brother. Then if we have a girl we have a body guard and spy built in. Girls scare me..really they do. All that Princess talk and major attitude..awwhh..believe me I know. I love being a girl..makeup, clothes, design..PINK!!! It is all great but I think being a boy mom would be the best ever. Not so much drama involved:) So, we went into out first ultrasound appointment hoping for a boy. I was a little over 15 weeks and the tech said it might be a little too soon to tell..oh wait..nevermind..it's a boy! Now, Scott was not in the room at this point I wanted to scream and be all giddy about it but it was just me and the tech. That kind of ruined the moment. I wish I would have asked her to wait to tell the both of us. Once Scott got into the room I was so excited to tell him. He asked if it was too early as well and the tech asked if I wanted to tell him. So, I said "Do you really want to know". He replied,"of course". "It's a boy!" I exclaimed. We saw the first pictures of our new little miracle. It was so amazing. We saw him cough. He even covered his mouth while doing it..Scott said he already has manners. I found this amazing little poem that I framed with the little ones ultrasound picture under it:
We treasure this first glimpse of you; the amazing miracle of life is true.
So small, yet awesome in what you'll become, grow strong and healthy our little one.
We are here, dreaming and waiting, wishing, preparing and anticipating. Each day a step closer to life anew, each day a touch closer to holding you