Hallie’s new favorite place (besides mommy’s arms) is under the Christmas tree. Last night Ben laid her down and sat next to her while she played with her rattle. The day before I had put an ornament down on the bottom branch so she could see it better. Little did I know that my baseball gene would present itself so early in my daughter. The first time Hallie swung her rattle and hit the ornament Ben and I laughed. However, the one hit got her excited and she kept swinging. Her accuracy was amazing! Well, let’s just say that the ball could only handle so much.
As sad as I am about losing the brand new ornament, my happiness that Hallie already keeps her eye on the ball and is showing signs of being an amazing ball player is my Christmas present this year.
Since Hallie has been on Zantac things have gotten better. Although we haven’t gotten rid of the nickname “pill face” just yet. Here are some recent pictures of our little pill face.
It’s the middle of the night and once again I’m up with my three month old. Instead of watching dirty T.V. I thought I’d blog about a simple conclusion I’ve come to. Why Blogs are so successful….especially among women.
#1~ Women love gossip. That doesn’t necessarily mean we all watch Entertainment Tonight to hear the latest about Brad Pitt. It just means we like to know what our friends are up to.
#2~ Women love to talk about themselves and their families. Why not share our highlights with everyone else? Plus, we all want to share cute pictures of our kids (after all nobody’s are cuter).
Ben doesn’t like the texture of pumpkin pie and so he usually misses out. This year his mom gave me a recipe for Pumpkin Squares, claiming that he would like it. Boy did he ever! These pumpkin squares were easy to make and a hit at our Thanksgiving table. In fact I’m making them again this friday for a Relief Society activity.
Here is the recipe:
Crust
1pkg Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
Filling
1 can pumpkin pie mix
2 eggs
1 small can evaporated milk
Topping
1 cup reserved cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter (softened)
Press crust into pan. Pour in filling then top with topping. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 min. (Until knife comes out clean. If top is brown before that happens, cover with tin foil-it will stop the browning while still allowing to cook.)
Refrigerate before cutting and serving. Serve with Whipped Cream! Ummmm enjoy
This is a fantastic recipe that I saw on Rachael Ray. I enjoyed it, but don’t take my word for it~my husband’s response, “Mmmmm, this is good food babe.”
Ingredients
1 12-piece package manicotti shells
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 can tomato sauce (28 ounces), divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preparation
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the beef and brown it, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the tomato sauce, the brown sugar and the Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Drizzle a 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish with 1/4 cup of the remaining tomato sauce. Stuff each manicotti shell with 1/4 cup of the meat mixture and place them side by side in the casserole dish.
Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the manicotti and top with the cheese. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes.
My little Hallie is 3 months old now and she is getting quite chubby. Last week she weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs. 10 oz. Her cheeks are so kissable and her thighs are very grabbable. We can’t get enough of her BIG smiles and her high pitched squeals. She recently found her hands and after gagging herself for a few days she finally got it right and can successfully suck her two middle fingers. She still LOVES to stand up and look around. She also likes to watch TV, for a few minutes at least. We call her our little couch potato. 🙂
Hallie at 3 months
This past week I went and saw a Lactation Consultant. I was told that Hallie has Reflux. Reflux is like baby heartburn and is very uncomfortable. Here are some of the signs (all of which Hallie has).
Short feedings (Hallie eats every 30 min or so)
Coughs between feedings to clear throat
Spits up left over food (thick spit up)
Large uncomfortable burps
Fussy between feedings
Wakes up often because of burps and gas
I’ve been to the pediatrician and urgent care doctor and I’ve told them these things yet they only suggest over the counter Mylicon gas medicine. (I think it’s time to get a new doctor!) The good news is that there is medicine that the doctor can prescribe that will ease Hallie’s pain. They say it takes about two weeks but some people see results immediately. Before we put Hallie on meds we are going to try a product called Colic Calm. I’m keeping my fingers crossed- I hate to see Hallie sick! I’m so grateful I went to see the consultant. It was defiantly worth the money. Here is a link to their website Northern Virginia Lactation Center.
