walking

Connor has been standing independently for a couple of weeks now. He pulls up on something and then can let go for a substantial amount of time. As a result, he has begun using his walker and is becoming quite comfortable behind the wheels. I can never seem to capture his long walks across the living room but he does it. Today he took two very intentional, very real steps all on his own. We didn't have the camera ready, of course but Matt & I were both there to see it. Here's a little montage of his latest accomplishment. (I tried uploading music to it but couldn't figure it out. I did manage to get the other noises out of the background though, so it's just silent.)

Peeping Tom!

Or Peeping Connor rather. Lately, there is no privacy in our house. Connor is so curious about the shower. He pulls the curtain back and stands there, just watching you.

Finally Fall!

Today was the first day that we have needed long sleeves and pants. I went digging through Connor's closet to see if he had any such clothing & found some jeans and a football themed t-shirt. He was so irritated that there was something on his arms; he kept pulling at them and looking at me. We went to the grocery store not long after I shot this video & he just grew more and more perplexed by these new clothes. I couldn't help laughing at him!

Taco Soup

In honor of the first signs of Fall, I am making Taco Soup for dinner!
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 Jalapeno or Serrano pepper (depends on you how spicy you want it)
1-2 cans of Ranch Style beans
1/2 a small onion, chopped
1/2 a green bell pepper
1 can Rotel (drained)
1 can Mexicorn (or plain corn)
1 package Lawry's Taco Seasoning
1-2 cloves minced garlic
3 1/2 Cups chicken broth (or water can be substituted)

Chop your veggies and saute until tender in the bottom of a large pot. Brown the ground beef, drain fat & add to pot. Add all other ingredients and heat thoroughly. Serve with grated cheese on top. A side of chips & guacamole round out the meal nicely!

Due Date

Sorry I forgot to include a due date. I am due at the end of April, around the 28th!

Last night was bath night & I wanted to show off my art work!


Clearly Connor was pleased!

Bananagrams

Matt & I were introduced to a new game that we just love now! It's called Bananagrams. It is sort of like Scrabble except you create your own board instead of sharing one. Anyway, here's a completed puzzle. Check it out!


Yep! We're pregnant! Baby #2 is on the way & should be arriving in late April. We are very excited that Connor is going to be a big brother! They should be just shy of 18 months apart which is the spacing we were really hoping for. We are so grateful the Lord has blessed us so quickly with another baby.

Here are a couple of more recent pictures of the boy. Thus far, he doesn't seem to care that mommy is exhausted & puny. He stays busy regardless.

Here he is pulling our throw blankets out of the trunk
- one of his favorite games lately.

Connor has now discovered his love for black beans!
This makes me happy because I love them too!
During Labor Day weekend Matt added shelving
to our closets & Connor 'helped'.

MOPS Mania

I have not blogged about this mainly because there hasn't been time lately! I have taken over as MOPS Coordinator for our chapter. For those who aren't aware, MOPS is an international organization for Mothers of Preschoolers. We meet twice a month, have guest speakers, eat breakfast, do a crafty activity & most importantly get a break from our babies! I got involved in MOPS last spring after Connor was born and grew to enjoy it very quickly. Once the semester ended, I was approached about taking over and after a few weeks of chewing on it, I accepted. There is a lot to orchestrate for a MOPS meeting and I only have 1 semester under my belt!

Well, we had our first meeting today and I believe it was a success. Not everything went according to plan, but it all ran smoothly and everyone seemed to have a good time. Walking out of there though, all I could think about was the next meeting and working on it now! This is a bigger job than I would have imagined. I could easily put 15 hours a week into it. Thankfully I have a team of other moms who are helping me plan and execute our meetings. I need 3 more moms to have a 'complete' team though. Let me know if you're interested! Ha ha!

Connor really enjoyed himself too. He is so social; he loves anytime he gets to play in the nursery with other babies. Here he is with one of his teachers, Ms. Melanie. Ms Linda wasn't there yet, but they both love him so much I have no trouble leaving him! I know he is well cared for. I told Matt it was like today was Connor's first day of school!

Stuffed Chicken

We've made this a couple of times now & we LOVE it!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I prefer to pound them so they're nice & thin.)
1 C frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 C chopped mushrooms
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 C chopped sweet red peppers
4 slices Provolone cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 t Basil, Parsley, Thyme & Oregano

Preheat oven to 375. Butterfly the chicken, then pound it out. Saute mushrooms, spinach, peppers and garlic briefly. In a bowl mix the drained spinach, sauteed mushrooms, garlic, salt & pepper and herbs. Place stuffing inside chicken breast. Lay cheese on top of stuffing. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the chicken. Bake for about 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.

We have served it with wild rice or quinoa and a green veggie like zucchini or broccoli. So very yummy! (Also, FYI bigger chicken breasts are easier to butterfly & therefore 1 breast will feed both Matt & me.)