One Week

How time is flying already.

"Do you want my milk????"

Family Love

Big sis holding Emily by herself for the first time.

BIG kisses!

Emily loves her Nana.

Our first family adventure to Parkside.

Introducing....

Emily Elizabeth Coffee

Born on September 17, 2010 

at 5:16 p.m.

7 lbs 5 oz

19.5 inches

It's a girl!

She's perfect!

Happy Birthday???

It looks like today might be the day! Contractions woke me up at 2 a.m. and haven't slowed down much. We went in for a scheduled non-stress test and when she checked I was 5 cm and my bag of waters is bulging. So we are at the hospital right now getting settled in.

I have to say I am feeling GREAT! I feel like I should be at home but the doctor wanted us to go in in case my water breaks and things go quickly. I am handling contractions with the balance ball, deep breaths and this little acorn to focus on. So we'll see how long I can keep this up. I already miss Gracie like crazy! She and Nana are coming to visit with coconuts before I get too scary in here :-)

We'll keep this space posted with pictures of the baby as soon our little bean arrives and we have settled into the maternity ward. Wish me luck!

Easy Cheesy Vegetarian Lasagna

41 weeks, two days and we are still waiting on a baby. Things are progressing though. Some contractions and bloody show last night but still prelabor.

So on to other things....

We love veggie lasagna. In fact I think it is what Ryan ordered on our second date at Ghazzi's Pesto Cafe in Fayetteville. I love the comfort of something cheesy and bubbly out of the oven on a chilly night like tonight. It is hard to believe Autumn is just a week away!

This is a very quick prep supper that can be done in the morning or anytime during the day and then baked at the last minute. The baking is really the only thing that takes time.

Easy Cheesy Vegetarian Lasagna

No Bake lasagna noodles
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce (I use TJ's organic tomato basil-low in sugar and sodium and uses real ingredients)
one bag broccolli slaw (or chopped zucchini or spinach)
one container sliced crimini mushrooms
shredded parm cheese or asiago
ricotta
(I also thought of substituting a jar of alfredo sauce for the ricotta)
mozerrella cheese for top

In a large baking dish layer
1/2 jar sauce
noodles
mushrooms
cheeses
noodles
1/2 jar sauce
broccoli slaw
cheeses
noodles
pour last jar over the top

Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees
then top with moz cheese and nake another 15 minutes until bubbly

Batch Cooking :: Meatballs

We made some turkey meatballs for the freezer today. Gracie also made her own meatballs with a large one for daddy and was discussing how much food he eats. "He thinks he's pregnant."

Turkey Meatballs:

Two packages ground turkey (~3 lbs?)
4 eggs
5 green onions chopped
1 cup ground wheat crackers or cereal (we used wheatabix this time) or oats
2 Tsps olive oil
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook 400 degrees for 30 minutes

Cool, freeze on a cookie sheet then transfer to a freezer bag)
yields 100 balls

Sauces can vary:

*Italian Marinara Sauce

*Korean Dipping Sauce (ketchup, soy sauce, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, grated ginger, garlic, chinese 12 spice rub with love)

*Tzatziki (yogurt, cucs, garlic and maybe dill or parsley)

Happy Birthday Dad

Happy Birthday Dad. I wish you were here.

41 weeks. I was hoping the baby was going to be born today because it is my father's birthday but it looks like we still have some time. 80% effaced and 2 cm at the doctor's office this morning so it could happen any day now. 

This afternoon I was telling Gracie how wonderful it is that she is wearing her flip flops with white socks just like my dad used to. 

And then she says "when you wish him happy birthday, do you wish that it would make him alive again?" Oh honey, do I ever. xo

Universal Love

40 weeks, 6 days and counting!

I love these two amazing people so much, it is amazing to realize that my heart is going to grow even more for this new baby. It reminds me of the universe in that it is growing larger everyday at a faster and faster rate. I am always telling Gracie that I love her "more than the whole wide world" when I really should be saying "I love you more than the whole wide universe!"

The waxing crescent moon has been so beautiful in the sky over the past couple of nights with Venus close to it. I am looking forward to Ryan finishing his hand-built telescope so that she can really look at the sky someday. Then she can start to realize just how big the universe and my love for her is.

Simple Supper :: Chana Masala, Biryani Rice, Simple Salad and Whole Wheat Naan

We're trying to think of very simple suppers for the baby days to come. We are going to try to stock our freezer with homemade lasagna, casseroles, soups, etc but I also want to have some easy grocery store dinners that are as healthy and tasty as homemade as well.

Tonight we are having a 15 minute prep dinner with limited cooking/heating time.

TJ's shopping list:

for the salad:
bag of organic mixed greens
tomato
feta cheese (store broken in freezer)
balsamic
olive oil

for the chana masala:
canned garbanzos
masala simmer sauce

for the biryani rice:
frozen grilled chicken (optional)
bag of biryani rice

whole wheat tandoori naan
butter

She's Having A Baby!

Nope. Not Me!  Still 40 weeks, 5 days and counting. 

But this little lady is having a baby. Gracie made this puppet at the Art Fest, complete with two arms and legs

and an upside down baby inside of her with pink eyes and a yellow nose. "She's having a baby."

Kings Mountain Art Festival

40 weeks, four days and counting!

Labor Day weekend didn't bring us a baby, but it did bring lots of smiles to are faces. This is our favorite art festival in the area mainly because they have a kids area for art, games, and fairy crowns. Gracie even remembered the older Grace that made her crown last year as well. It is all run by and benefits the local Woodside school.

A Perfect Storm

I just read a great post on simple mom about how to bring peace to the witching hour.

I remember having this witching hour during Gracie's colicky newborn phase but we don't have much of one now. She has, however, been having a hard time over the past couple of weeks, possibly in anticipation of the new sibling.

Maybe she is sensing my anxiety. Maybe it is because our schedule has been different. Maybe she is just as nervous as the rest of us are. We were able to press the "reset" button today and things feel a little bit more normal.

This lovely quote from the simple mom post really resonated with me and I hope that I can do a better job bringing peace into her new role as a big sister.

"Though it’s not easy, I have a responsibility each day to draw them close and show them that they can trust me to be calm in the midst of their storms."

Korean Meatballs

When my dad came back from Vietnam, my mom and he went to a restaurant in Berkeley that had a similar recipe to this one we had tonight.

Preheat oven to 375
Mix one package ground turkey
1/4 toasted pine nuts
3 green onions, sliced
2 Tsps soy sauce
3 Tsps tokyo with love (rub with love)
1 egg
3/4 cup bread or cracker crumbs


dipping sauce:
1 cup organic ketchup
1/8 cup soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsps grated ginger
1 Tsp brown sugar

Cook meatballs 30+ minutes  until brown

Serve with sauteed veggies and brown rice

Today's Bouquet

40 weeks, three days and still counting. We had a fabulous time with our friends at UMe today. I am savoring these last moments with just Gracie and still excited about the things to come.

Walking around S.F. and eating oysters didn't do the trick but here are some pictures from the weekend. 

Betsy's Burritos (or Terrific Tostadas)

40 weeks, two days and no baby yet!

So on to other things....

My ultimate comfort food. My mom's pinto beans. We had them in burritos growing up but now I use them for lots of our favorite dinners.

Place in a slow cooker:
4 cups pinto beans
10 cups water
cook on high 4 hours until tender
Saute:
olive oil
2 onions
1 bell pepper
3-4 chile peppers (seeded for a milder dish)
2 Tsps cumin
2 Tsps coriander
Add above to slow cooker along with
1 tsp salt
4 chopped tomatoes
Cook on low until ready to eat/assemble

For burritos:
Roll beans, cheese and cilantro in whole wheat tortilla and top with sour cream and salsa

For tostadas:
cook corn tortillas in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes on a cookie sheet with an inverted cooling rack on top of them to keep them from curling
Top with beans, cilantro, cabbage, lime, feta and salsa

Other Yummies:
Use as a filling for Tamale Pie (recipe soon), Tacos, etc.

Blackberry and Nectarine Crisp

40 weeks, one day and no baby!

So on to sweet things....

This is such a simple and quick dessert. Perfect for when you have company or just want to savor the flavors of the season. I keep picking blackberries in our yard and toss them into the freezer. When I have a couple of cups, I make something like this. 

Some of our other seasonal favorites are (spring) strawberries and rhubarb, (summer) blueberry and peach, (autumn) apple and raisin, (winter) any fruit I have thought ahead to freeze. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Butter a pie dish

Cut 6 nectarines or any other stone fruit 

Add 1-2 cups blackberries or any other berry

(fruit should total approximately 6 cups)

Top with Crisp Topping:

1 cup oats

1/2 cup w/w flour

honey or agave or brown sugar to desired sweetness (We prefer very little)

1/2 stick butter (grated with a cheese grater)

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

Bake 30-40 minutes

A Day for Labor?

Today is my due date. Labor Day. No baby yet so we are heading into the city to walk and eat oysters. It worked last time!

I recently found this video of Gracie on the day we took the pregnancy test nearly nine months ago. She was the first person that I told. I had tears in my eyes and I told her that she was going to be a big sister  and so this is how she greeted Ryan when he got home from work. An unforgettable moment.

We have our labor supplies ready.

A lavender sachet to help relax my mind and a massager for when Ryan's hands start going numb.

A Balance ball to sit on during contractions.

Coconut water (from a real young coconut, the bottled stuff just isn't the same)
Here is a list of its benefits during pregnancy and post labor.

Honey and nut butters

Energy Bars

We'll see if oysters and Bi-Rite help today!

Our Rocking Chair

We rubbed walnut oil and a LOT of love into our rocking chair this morning. My grandparents gave this chair to my mama when I was born and I was rocked for hours in it as a child. It still makes me drowsy when I sit in it for too long. Gracie was also welcomed into this world with this chair and rocked to sleep many times. It was so special to "give it a massage" with her for the new babe.