etsy love

I stumbled across this Etsy site a few weeks ago

For the Love of Joy

and could literally buy everything in the store...

but here are a few of my FAVS

It's a . . .

BOY!

We are THRILLED to announce that Carter is going to have a little brother!

We had our big ultrasound on Monday and everything looks great. We prayed for a healthy baby, no matter what the sex, and by the looks of everything-baby boy is just that. His heart rate was 142 and though he was cooperative in showing us that he is all boy (see picture below) ... he was rather shy for the rest of the ultrasound. He would squirm away from the camera, hide his face with his hands, and pull up his knees. Precious.

Here are a couple of the pictures ... they aren't quite as clear as the ones we got with Carter, but still amazing:

We have decided on the name, COOPER, but have not yet chosen a middle name. I pretty much think Carter and Cooper make the cutest brother names I've ever heard!

I've started on his nursery and am excited about pulling it all together. I scored some adorable Pottery Barn Kids bedding on ebay (for a STEAL)... I just hope I love it as much in person as I did online!

Thanks for your continued prayers for this little one.

Favorite Crayon Color?

Carter is really into coloring these days. He likes to go through the entire box of crayons until he has colored with each and every one.

Watching him do this takes me back to my childhood when I loved to color.

I specifically remember my two favorite crayons... not just the color, but the names and everything. Is that weird?? Jeremy gave me a very concerned look when I told him this... but that's really nothing new :)

So here they are:

JUNGLE GREEN

MAGENTA

Photo Credit

They make me happy!

Do YOU have a favorite crayon(s)?

In case you were wondering, Carter's top two are black and brown. What a boy.

Things I Do Not Understand...

1. Why some people wear sunglasses while exercising indoors.

2. Why little boys are so grossly discriminated against when it comes to clothing.

3. Why, when the boys clothing selection is slim to begin with, there are so few decent items to choose from. I mean is it really that hard to find a balance between foo-foo jumpers (for 2 yr olds) and Star Wars/Batman/Superman?

4. Why I am still wearing my Uggs in March. Spring, please come soon.

5. Why my son's favorite color of crayon and play-doh is black. Should I be concerned??

Lemon Loaf Cake Recipe

Many of you saw the picture (on facebook) of the Lemon Loaf Cake I made and asked for the recipe. It's from a cooking blog I love called Two Peas and Their Pod. They adapted their recipe from the Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Yogurt Cake. You can find the recipe and pictures HERE or I've posted the recipe from their website below.

Beware, we ate the whole thing in less than 24 hours. It is THAT good!

Let me know if you make it and enjoy it!

Lemon Loaf Cake

Adapted From Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 C. plain whole-milk yogurt (I used sour cream)
1 1/3 C. sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 tsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1/3 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze:
1 C. confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 C. lemon juice and remaining 1/3 C. sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

16 Weeks

I've heard that your second pregnancy goes by much faster than your first- and boy is that the truth! I can't believe we're already at 16 weeks! Here are some of the highlights:

-I'm feeling pretty good most days. Still tired, but I've decided that this might be my permanent state of existence for the next, oh, 20 years or so :) In order to not feel weak or nauseous, I have to keep something in my stomach at all times. I've also struggled a bit with headaches (something I never had with Carter), but they seem to be getting better.

-I am trying to exercise (at the gym) 3+ times a week, as I did during my pregnancy with Carter. I usually use the elliptical or treadmill and try to do some light weights as well. As much as I would love to be lounging on the couch during this time, going to the gym was one of the best things I did during my last pregnancy so I'm determined to continue it this time around. It helps me manage my weight gain, gives me more energy, and provides some much needed "alone" time for mommy.

-We are really excited to find out the sex of this baby at our next doctor's appointment! I'm thinking it is probably a boy, but I'm not completely sure. I had a dream last night that we were having a girl, so we'll see. We're really just praying for a healthy baby on all accounts.

-And here are some of the weekly pictures we've taken (excuse the poor iPod Touch camera quality):

11 Weeks

12 Weeks

14 Weeks

15 Weeks

-And now, if you will allow me a few moments to rant about a huge pregnancy pet peeve...

I absolutely cannot stand when people complain constantly about being pregnant. I don't care how many times you threw up, what you threw up, or how much you hate being pregnant... and I'm not sure why people think that all of their facebook or blogging friends would care either! I think I feel this way for two reasons:

a) As someone who has suffered two pregnancy losses, I'm very aware of the fact that thousands of women would LOVE to be pregnant, not to mention being pregnant with a healthy baby.

b) As someone who is also completely phobic {and that's not an exaggeration} of throwing up, it only gives me reason to worry that my pregnancies will turn out the same way. I have enough things to worry about... I don't need all of other people's problems, complaints, or ailments added to the list.

I'll stop now before I say too much. But I will finish by admitting that I am a "complainer" by nature. Maybe it bothers me so much to hear other people complain because it's something I don't like within myself. I don't ever want to be ungrateful for the miracle growing inside me. Just a thought.

Bonhoeffer

A few days ago I finished reading Bonhoeffer. To say that it was impacting would be a great understatement. It was challenging, fascinating, and exactly what I needed to read.

I would recommend it to anyone, but would advise that it's not for the faint-hearted or "occasional reader". It's definitely not a book you can just pick up for some light reading. You really have to be committed to working your way through it. I loved it and would love to discuss it with anyone else who has finished it!

Below are some of my favorite quotes/passages from the book:

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

"In New York they preach about virtually everything; only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, sin, forgiveness, death, and life." - Bonhoeffer's take on American churches in 1930-1931 ... Does this sound anything like today? Scary.

"If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction."

"I fear that Christians who venture to stand on earth on only one leg will stand in heaven on only one leg too."

"He had hardly finished his last prayer when the door opened and two evil-looking men in civilian clothes came in and said: 'Prisoner Bonhoeffer. Get ready to come with us.' Those words 'Come with us'- for all prisoners they had come to mean one thing only- the scaffold. We bade him goodbye- he drew me aside- 'This is the end,' he said. 'For me the beginning of life.'

-A fellow prisoner's account of the last time he saw Bonhoeffer, just before his death

And in case you need any more incentive to learn more about this amazing man and his story, here's a very short video previewing the book: