Things I've been up too...

It's been a busy month with the birth of my daughter, cookie exchanges and just finding time and energy to do things that I love. But last Sunday I attended a cookie exchange with a few friends (about 25 of them). Lisa was so nice to host this cookie exchange at her house. After slave in the kitchen for two days (yes it took me two days, with an newborn at home and tons of phone calls I finally got my cookies done). Tim was very pleased with all the cookies I brought home. 100 cookies or so, plus the two dozen I made for him. After sampling all the cookies I decided that my favorite cookies were the Chocolate Chip Meringues and Gooey Butter Cookies. Tonight I made the Chocolate Chip Meringues. Here is the Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and set aside.

In large metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar while continuing to beat until they hold stiff peaks. Mix in the vanilla and cocoa on low speed, then fold in chocolate chips by hand. Drop small mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.

Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Turn off oven, and leave the cookies in the oven for 1-2 more hours, or until centers are dry. Remove from pan and store in an airtight container.

Other things that I've been up to while out on maternity... taking care of Annabelle, sleeping a few hours here and there, playing with the baby and when I have time baking. I can't do all my baking without inspiration. I must say that I love google reader. Google reader holds all the blogs that I'm interested in reading in one location, no more bookmarking. Thank you google reader for making my life easy. If you have time to check some cooking blogs, check out Vintage Victual. The blogger is having a give way of some yummy mixes. I wish I had time to blog about my food experiences, but with Miss Annabelle and then starting back to work in a few short weeks, I just don't have time.

Annabelle Renee has arrived...

Sorry this post has taken forever to add, but I've been a very busy mom. Annabelle Renee arrived seven weeks early on October 7, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. weighing 4lbs and 10 oz and 18.5 inches long. Here's the birth story for those that are interested. I woke up on the sixth feeling not right. The day before I received my annual flu shot and I thought maybe the flu shot was making me feel awful. I went to work, feeling quite large and had a feeling that my blood pressure was on the rise. I had my 33 week check up later that day. I was so surprised when the doctor confirmed that I gained 20lbs in two weeks and my blood pressure had skyrocketed. She sent me to the hospital for some testing. She wanted to make sure the baby was okay. I was really upset, being that this was the first appointment that Tim had missed the entire time. I left the doctors office very upset, headed downstairs, finding my coworker (she works in the same office building that my doctor is located in). I started to cry because I was scared. She told me not to worry that she would take me to the hospital. She called the shuttle, but unbeknowest to me, she was having Franklin Square Security pick me and her up and taking us to the Women's Pavilion. I first called Tim and I told him to high tail it to the hospital and secondly I called the dentist office to cancel my appointment.

I arrived at the hospital thinking that I was only getting some blood work and another ultrasound. They decided to admit me due to my weight gain and high blood pressure. My doctor arrived an hour later to assure me that I was in good hands, but they needed to induce me, so I was having this baby in the next two days. I was so scared because I knew that she was too early and that she would be on the small side.

I was admitted at 4:30 p.m. and the doctors started to administer magnesium sulfate to get my blood pressure back on the positive side. I was not ready to have this baby, I didn't have my bags packed, nor did I have a baby book. So thanks to my aunt Linda for picking up clothes for Tim and I and my sister-in-law Rena for coming all the way to the hospital from Anne Arundel County with four or five different baby books. We settled in for the night for a long night of testing and hardly any sleeping. Around 2:00 a.m. I felt some leakage down below and I told the nurse that something was happening. At first she didn't believe me, but later it was confirmed by the house OB's that my water did break. Contractions started a little later and I keep asking for drugs, but I never received any. I didn't realize until a few days later that because of the magnesium sulfate I was unable to receive any good drugs. I did receive an epidural around 9:00 a.m. and I was told to get some rest. Okay, yeah okay, I'll try and rest. I happen to feel one side effect with the epi and that was that my entire body was itching. Tim keep commenting not to scratch my eyelids. Around 3:30 p.m. I thought the epi was wearing off, but I think that was just my body telling me that it was ready for this baby. I progressed pretty fast with pitocin that at 4:oo p.m. I was 100% dilated and ready to push. I thought for sure I was going to have this baby without my doctor (the hospital was so busy) that my nurse told me not to worry that she could deliver Annabelle if Dr. Hesse was not available. Annabelle arrived 30 minutes later with a ton of hair and healthy scream. But because she arrived so early, she was whisk away to the NICU.

She sent 12 days in the NICU, causing havoc to the entire NICU Staff. She drove them crazy because she was so feisty, but because she was feisty, I feel that this brought her home a little early.

Annabelle is currently one month and 2 weeks old and is up to 7lbs. She is still feisty and has her days and nights mixed up, but we still love her, even if we are getting about four hours a sleep a night.

Family Pictures

Check out some of the new family pictures we took!! Can you tell we are ready for FOOTBALL!
Also if you've been following, I'm currently 30 weeks along. Only a short 10 weeks to go until we finally get to meet our baby girl.

New Vehicle!

After many months of going back and forth about what to purchase, we finally made a decision. Yesterday we finally got the chance to purchase a new family vehicle. Last month we visited Heritage Honda in Parkville to look at the Honda Pilots, we also checked out Jones Junction, but we found that they didn't have any 2009 Toyota Highlander. We had to drive all the way to Laurel to test drive the Highlander at the Carmax. We weren't very impressed with either Carmax or the Highlander period. Unlike the Pilot the Highlander didn't have a second row bench seat, but this tiny seat that obviously no one will want to sit in. Plus the Highlander was more expensive.

Yesterday morning we started earlier and went Norris Honda in Dundalk to find out that they didn't have any 2010 Honda Pilots and they weren't expecting to get any until mid-October, so we decided to head to Heritage Honda. We arrived around 9:30 and didn't leave there until about noon with a new Charcoal Pilot. It's pretty awesome with tons of room, which we needed with two big 75lb dogs and a little girl on the way, and yes I like being up higher too. I will miss my civic though. She will be with us for another few weeks and then she being sent on her way. My Dad will be taking her.

Check out some of the pictures we took of the new Honda.

What a busy week!

This week has been awful busy and long for Tim and I. On Sunday night we had dinner with AJ and Michelle in White Marsh at Kobe's Japanese Steakhouse. This place is very similar to Sakura's. I'm really not sure there was much difference. Other then maybe the price. Last Christmas I won a gift card for Kobe's and yes finally I used it in August. Michelle and AJ also got some great news that they will be excepting a baby girl in January. Both Michelle and I are super excited because our little girls will have playmates. Actually Michelle has tons of friends who just just had babies, so I'm sure her little one can even find a few boyfriends down the road. By Monday evening my feet were so swollen from being on my feet to much. Last weekend, we attended a 30Th Surprise Birthday party for Ricky Smith (Stacy- his wife did an awesome job of completely surprising him). Earlier Saturday Aunt Linda and I took a shopping trip to Babiesrus. I promise you that I didn't buy a single thing for Baby A. Sunday I meet up with my mom and her and I went to Babiesrus in Towson, so she could shop for her first grandchild. By Sunday evening my feet were so swollen, that I was hoping people would not notice.

Monday was a rest day for us, other then working. Tuesday we had our 28 week appointment, were I got great news. I passed my 1-hour glucose test and my placenta has corrected itself. We also found out that I'm anemic, so I've been taking iron pills on top of my prenatal. We also are now seeing the doctor every 3 weeks instead of every 4 weeks.

Wednesday Tim and I toured the maternity ward and were happy to see that we aren't the only one pregnant. The highlight of Tim's night was when 11 couples, that would be 5 pregnant women almost got stuck in a tiny elevator. I was slowly freaking out, but we were lucky enough that the elevator came back down to the main floor and opened. Thank you Lord!

Last night Tim and I are had our first Child birthing class. We both enjoyed the class. Tim learned some massage techniques and I learned some new breathing techniques as well. We have homework for next week. To bring in a sonogram pictures of the baby (which will become our focal point during active labor), we were also asked to put plastic trash bags on all seats in our vehicle, just in case my water breaks in the car. I officially have 11 weeks to go until baby A's due date.

This weekend we have a pretty relaxed weekend in store. We have our first interview with a pedi and then we are running errands and hopefully hanging out with friends. I may even surprise Tim with a few baked dishes. I just gotta find something that looks good.

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend.

Pictures of the Nursery

Please note that the nursery is still a work in progress, but here's a few pictures of what Tim and I have accomplished so far. In the first picture, you'll see the crib with the bedding "Angelica" that we purchased from Babies r us. In the second picture you'll see the new curtains and valance with the 30 year old rocking chair that my parents rocked me in when I was a baby. We also added four white shelves in the room, just to place nic nacs. And no those dinosaurs won't be staying there. They have been put up there, because Josie and Roscoe think those toys are for them.

In the third picture, you'll see the changing table from JCPenny's and the "Miracles come in small packages" decal that I ordered from www.etsy.com. And the last picture is really Tim's handy work at it's best. The baby's room is a tad bit bigger then our full bathroom. He has a very big closet. As one of my friends said "She'll need all that closet space for all the cute little outfits she'll be wearing". Anyway, Tim added the closet orangizer. I'm so proud of him for working so hard on the room. We have a few extra things to add to the room, like the baby's name that will be hanging and a few pictures and decals too.

The Prime Rib

On Friday night Tim and I went to dinner with Jen and Dan at the Prime Rib in Baltimore (Mt. Vernon area of town). After reading several reviews online and checking out the Baltimore Restaurant week menu, we decided to try the Prime Rib. If your not aware of BRW, twice a year once in the summer and once in the winter Baltimore restaurant host a week of economy friendly meals to the general public. The first year, Tim and I started checking out BRW, there was only about 30 or so restaurant participating, but now there is over 80 restaurants. For lunch you can purchase a 3 course meal for $20.09 and for dinner a three course meal for $30.09.

So on Friday night we arrived at the Prime Rib and decided to have our vehicle valet parked (because there was no street parking in the area and no parking garage in site). We arrived about 20 minutes early and waited in the Bar for Jen and Dan. I wore a skirt and a cute top and Tim dress pants and a button down shirt. Usually this place requires jackets. Well once we arrived, we noticed that the wait staff was wearing tuxes and the men and women were dressed to a T. Um, yeah do you feel under dressed. By the time dinner was over with a younger crowded was in full swing of the place. Tim ordered house salad, the prime rib and creme brulee, I ordered Caesar salad, filet and creme brulee. Jen ordered house salad, salmon and creme brulee and Dan got Caesar salad, prime rib and Key Lime Cheesecake. Yum. We had a great time talking and enjoying ourselves. I think next year, we are going to just check out a place with less of dress code.