Little One | Broken Tricycle & Leru Babies

I kind of hate Zulily because just this week they've introduced me to two of the most lovely baby clothing lines and I don't have money to buy some of their gorgeous pieces for my little men. So since I can't buy them, I thought I'd tempt you. So kind of me, I know. Also, in case you're wondering what's so special about the sea of solids that Leru Babies boasts, notice the incredible colors they have in their footed pants. Pants with feet are God's gift to mamas in my book and nearly impossible to find in any color apart from pastels or white. I don't think Broken Tricyle needs any introduction...

P.S.  Snag what's left of Leru Babies & Broken Tricycle on Zulily before I do, and consequently commit a terrible crime against our bank account.

Images via the Broken Tricycle Lookbook

Pregnant | American Apparel?

This post is a result of a thought I had last week about maternity clothes: "All I really need right now is a pack of men's undershirts that are cheap and I can wear to the playground. Surely someone makes a basic, cheap, comfy-casual tee for pregnant women!"

I then remembered the only two sorority tees that I kept and still wear, and both are from American Apparel. I keep going back to them every summer for their incredible fit, length, and their casual but flattering look. Today I am a day short of being 24 weeks pregnant and am wearing one of those tees, which happens to be a whole 2 sizes smaller than my normal size. It still covers my stomach, and although it is a little snug, it's still comfortable and works well in spite of my expanding waistline.

So maybe I've been looking in the wrong place for great basic maternity clothes? Gap has some cute things, but let me tell you, absolutely none of my Gap tees took me to the end of my pregnancy. They are just too short. Why invest in something that you can only wear for a few weeks or months, and not to mention are overpriced and get holes and what-have-you. I want longevity with my maternity clothes.

Here are my two reasons to try American Apparel: 1) You don't get the, "Hey, look at the ruching at my waistline. I'm so pregnant" look, and 2) They are going to help me transition into my postpartum days just beautifully. Who wants to wear maternity clothes after they have a baby? I know I felt sloppy for at least 4 months after having Seb.

In case you still have doubts as to the suitability of American Apparel for your maternity wear, check out this lady's series. American Apparel took her through her entire pregnancy, wearing these shorts at 35 weeks. I am impressed.

Also, in case you are lamenting that the HATCH Collection is so pricey, try these pieces instead: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

So who wants to go to Charlotte with me for some American Apparel action?

image

Travel | D.C. & Old Town, Alexandria

Just popping in to say a quick hello and share a few pictures of our weekend in the D.C. area. I certainly wish we could have made time to see more friends, but the time we had with the few we did see was great and provided much needed time to catch up and share a bit of our lives with one another. I hope you had a lovely weekend! We are gearing up for an all-out attack on the roaches that have seemed to think that our apartment is their new home after being kicked out of the one below us that is in the process of being completely gutted. Yes, all kinds of gross. On the bright side, maybe we'll save money b/c all we'll be eating is fresh fruit, raw veggies and pb & j since I'm going to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. One thing I've learned through this is that you know you gave up the right things for Lent when all you want to do in a hard or depressing situation is eat and do the things you gave up. I pray that you have perseverance and hope this week, friends. Let's turn to Jesus, for we are so very weak without him.

Seb | Spring in the South feels more like Summer in the Midwest

It's become a fun routine on nice days for us to take the wagon to the park, play for a bit, and then ride home, snack in hand, just in time for a lovely sun-induced nap. Seb usually isn't able to walk the whole way, but asks to be put in the wagon towards the end of our walk. It is 69 degrees today, and the first in which Seb got to wear his sandals without socks. Yes, sometimes I let him wear sandals with socks. Just look at that top photo... I'd like to see you say no to that face.

Speaking of that top photo, I'm kind of in love.

P.S. Be sure to let me know what you think of Cody's glasses!

Home | Fat Tuesday recap

Fitz

Linwood

We've had a crazy week/weekend and are preparing for a weekend trip in a couple days, so Cody and I decided that however much it pained us to miss a giant pancake dinner with friends last night, we had to say no. Fortunately, the evening was redeemed with a hearty plate of french toast. You see, we've been eating quite a lot of pancakes lately, so I thought I'd do something a little different for Fat Tuesday.

This post is serving as a little poll, too. Cody has been trying out two pairs of glasses from Warby Parker, and we really can't decide which we like best. We need your help, so comment if you have an opinion about which pair he should get. Thanks, friends, and may you be blessed this Lenten season. It's going to be tough, but I'm excited to see what God is going to do in our hearts.

P.S. Cody loves it when I take pictures of him eating...

Home | Bekah visits

I'm afraid that this is the only picture I have of Bekah visiting this weekend. We had a great time, saw a lot, ate some extremely tasty food and cupcakes at Daisy Cakes, window-shopped at Southpoint mall where Bekah bought me an early birthday present (eee!), enjoyed the most perfect lattes at Cafe Driade + our first ever macaroon, perused Fifi's consignment store and discovered the Nomadic Trading Company, where Bekah purchased the most gorgeous pillow cover. The only thing that makes it okay that the weekend is now over is that we're just that much closer to making our trip to Michigan in May. Oh, and getting to see Nanny and the Brewer clan in D.C. in less than 4 days is pretty exciting, too.

It's been a wonderful whirlwind around here.

Pregnant | Baby likes bananas

We kind of buy an insane amount of bananas around here. Note that 3 have already been eaten since I bought them at 5:30 last night. It used to be all Sebastian, but I've jumped on board as of late and eat probably twice as many as he. In case you're wondering, we'll be fortunate to make these last a week.

My sister is on her way to N.C. as we speak, so I'd better get back to work. Not that I've been doing much (hello, three posts in one day!?)...

Tumblr | Loveliness

Hey there! Cool things happening over on my Tumblr, I've Stolen a Garden, thanks to my new discovery: Loveliness. I hope you'll stop by.

Little One | Trousers

This is the sweetest collection of little pants I've ever seen. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to put little boy in for my brother's wedding this summer. I'm thinking flouncy linen or cotton pants, a lightweight button down, and a homemade bowtie. As for Sebastian, it will be his first gig as the ringbearer!

P.S. I love this polo!

Home | Arise from the dead

Two days ago I again picked up my copy of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. (Oswald... now that's a good name!) It is such an encouraging little text and a great way to start your day, especially if you only have a few moments to yourself. This morning's reading was the start of a mini-series of sorts beginning with the word arise. If you really think about it, that word in itself has the power to send chills up and down your spine. I'll let you take a look, and be encouraged this morning by the words. I know I have the tendency to feel downtrodden and weary, but if we will only arise, God will give us life.

Be encouraged this morning!

Seb | Love is in the air

Sebastian received his first valentine today. Three to be exact, and one was from a girl. Woah now. Happy Valentine's Day, friends! I'm going to go celebrate with cherry vanilla icecream. You know, to wash down the 8 cinnamon rolls (with pink icing!) I ate earlier.

Home | A jumble of things

cody and seb at the park this weekend.

My head was filled with such a random bunch of things for the last several days, that I've avoided blogging like it's the plague. As a result, you're going to get a few different things. Okay, maybe I'll be able to keep it to two.

kissing baby peter

Let's start with the really good stuff. Namely, this boy has his first baby doll (just this morning!), and it's possibly the cutest thing. I got it out of the chest in our room, due to this post on babies. He got so excited and instantly tried to make him sit down. This proved a little difficult, as he wasn't quite sure how to move his legs, but once mommy helped, they sat facing each other and chatted for a while. Since then, he has learned to change baby's diaper, and not even by my prompting! Seb took the baby into his room, got out his diaper changing mat, and laid the baby on it. Maybe he thinks that the baby can stand in for him on all future diaper changes... let's face it, that's probably the real reason he was so excited.

I would still like to get a soft-bodied doll before the baby comes, just so that Sebastian, 1) has more of a life-size baby, and 2) can more easily dress and change the baby.

baby's turn...

...sebastian's turn! Indicative of good sharing skills??

Also, I hope this little series isn't indicative of the mischievous way he's planning to interact with his baby brother... yes, that just happened.

Secondly, speaking of baby brother, my head is swimming with all the boy names in the world. As I suspected, naming our little guys is seemingly impossible. Cody and I each have about 2.5 names that we like, and guess what, our lists don't match. Do you have a difficult time coming up with baby names? As I told Cody, there are a lot of names that I love enough to name my favorite pet, or would be ecstatic to hear on my friend's new baby, etc., but none that I want to give this boy strecker child. Fortunately, the name drought might be nearing an end, as I've managed to stumble on a few amazing naming sites.

You Can't Call It "It"
Nameberry
Waltzing More Than Matilda 
Baby Names From Yesteryear (favorite alert!)
and an old favorite Appellation Mountain

Do you find it more difficult to name boys or girls? Any favorites that you can't use due to bad initials, funny sounding, or other weird reasons? Someone use the name, Grahame, please, because we don't want our baby to sound like a tasty cracker treat used for smores.

Seb | Loving his family photos

Seb sifts through these picture cards that my mom made until he finds the one of my dad on the lawnmower. He either loves his papa or machines you ride, or both. Speaking of family pictures... my in-laws gave Seb a collection of refrigerator photo magnets that can be stacked and stick together. He carries them around the house, plays with them in his crib, stares at the faces, and of course stacks them on the refrigerator. I never thought that a little child would respond so well to pictures of family members, but it's so precious. Have you done anything creative with family photos for your baby?

Home | An afternoon in one photo

Food | Two breads

Sometimes we get to a point where I just have to make bread. It's remarkable how a nice homemade loaf can make an empty kitchen seem suddenly full, and a humble meal seem instantly glamorous. If it's any clue into the state of our refrigerator, I made not one, but two kinds of bread tonight. The beer bread is a trusty favorite, and the naan was a new one that I've been wanting to try. Both were a success and are so easy to make, so I thought I would share them with you. The naan is sure to be a new staple around here. I can't wait to eat it with some of the hummus I made earlier today.

And what to say about the beer bread... it is the fastest, easiest bread I've made, plus gives me a hint of beer flavor, which is very appreciated by my pregnant self. I often make this bread when I need an emergency filler, or when we just don't have much food in the house, like tonight.

BEER BREAD

PREP TIME  15 Min  

COOK TIME  45 Min  

READY IN  1 Hr

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour 

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer 

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS (which I leave out):

1/2 teaspoon onion powder 

3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted  

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch baking pan. 

In a bowl, mix the self-rising flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Pour in the beer, and mix just until moistened. Transfer to the prepared baking pan. Top with the melted butter. 

Bake 45 to 55 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

TIP... if you don't have self-rising flour, but have plenty of all-purpose, don't sweat it. You can make self-rising flour with a combination of all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Just look in the back of your Better Homes and Gardens cookbook or online. 

Home | In which we recover all day

Silly me. I thought that Seb would have his meltdown while I was gone at my women's retreat. But apparently it's not so traumatic when mommy leaves for the weekend until she gets back. As Cody said today in explanation, "A whole new world has been opened up to him, and he's realized that mommy can actually leave!" Or more than likely, it had absolutely nothing to do with me, and he's lamenting the fact that Mamaw and Pawpaw aren't here to play with anymore. Regardless, several wake up calls from the bub in the middle of the night + a final one at 6:50 a.m. left me a little exhausted this morning, especially since I, of course, had to stay up super late telling Cody all the details about my weekend. It's not my fault I couldn't get everything out earlier (I'm looking at you, Superbowl).

As a result, this picture is a pretty good description of how our day ended up. Sebbers did do a little something very nice for me and napped from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and then wanted to play in his crib until 5:00 p.m. Yes, I realize I just lost any amount of pity you may have been holding out for me.

Now I'm going to go off and finish preparing for bible study tomorrow morning, try to get rid of this pregnancy-induced heartburn (okay, maybe it was all the leftover pizza I ate, almost exclusively, today), and hope that Sebastian decides to fall asleep.

Would you be interested in hearing about the retreat I went on this weekend? There is so much to say, and it was really such a great weekend. I find myself going over my notes, and still wishing that all my friends could have been there, too. Shout out to the Uecker ladies for being the best roomies!

Food | No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake

This is such a quick, easy, and delicious recipe. I whipped up a batch for Cody and myself, and it was such a treat (hence the less-than-attractive presentation). Don't worry, we didn't eat all six servings in one sitting.

I can't wait to revisit this recipe during the hot summer months. I'm thinking enormously pregnant me will appreciate such a simple, but decadent treat.

Two things: I doubled the graham cracker crumb crust, which I personally thought achieved a better crust to filling ratio. And second, I used frozen raspberries, and it worked just fine. You can also be more generous with those raspberries, which is always a no-fail option, in my opinion.

Enjoy!

Seb | Spooning & Forking

Sebastian has officially learned to use utensils. It's a little difficult when things won't stick to his fork, like pasta, but have no fear. In such a situation, he has one of us put the food on his fork, and then he feeds himself. Quite ingenious if you ask me. Last night he ate a giant bowl of yogurt all by himself, and not a drop got on the floor. But according to Cody, who cleaned him up, he did get some in his eyes. Hhmm... we'll have to work on that.