Betty Crocker that!

   So here's something everyone will tell you but you don't truly understand until you actually have a baby - those little guys are expensive!! So in an effort to try to save money instead of spend it all of the time, I am making baby food. Yes, you read it correctly. I'm no Suzy Homemaker or Betty Crocker, but I have successfully completed my first baby food recipe today. It is Pom-Pom Apple (applesauce made with pomegranate juice).

My first creation!!

   I had thought about it a little bit over the summer but of course, didn't follow through. Now Harrison is eating like a monster. He loves his rice cereal with fruits and veggies. I'm starting to get sick of constantly buying those little baby food containers. It's not insanely expensive until you realize that your baby can eat what seems like a million of those little containers in one week...
   Anyway, my friend Courtney told me about a great baby food book she had. "Baby Love" by Norah O'Donnell and Chef Geoff Tracy. It is AWESOME! First of all they are parents of 3 kids. Second, he really is a renowned chef. Third and most importantly it is written for even the most beginner of cooks (ME!). I love just reading the darn thing.

My new favorite book!

   I was so excited about the book that I went out today and bought ingredients for 3 recipes. First up, Pom-Pom Apple. It could not be simpler. It took me maybe 20 minutes from start to finish. The most time consuming thing, cutting the apples (which wasn't bad) and using the blender (Harrison and the blender, not going to be friends any time soon...). One recipe made enough for 2 ice cube trays. Translation? About 34 oz. of applesauce. It actually smelled pretty good and I felt really useful (for once) in the kitchen. Tomorrow while Harrison is at daycare I'm planning on making Perfectly Basic Pear and Perfectly Basic Carrot. I'm super pumped!!

Seriously, I'm cooking!

   Now this next part is more for me than you. Let's compare the price of Gerbers Organic Applesauce and the beautiful stuff I made.

Them:

Gerbers Organic 2nd Foods Applesauce - $1.79 for 7 oz. total

Price per ounce: $0.26

Me:

Pomegranate Juice (8 oz): $0.62

5 Organic Apples: $5.60

Makes 34 ounces

Price per ounce: $0.18

Difference: 

Price: $0.08 per ounce

PLUS - I don't have to go out and buy food as often.

AND - I'm not wasting those glass or plastic containers.

Let's investigate my pears and carrots while we're at it. I'm still really pumped and proud, can you tell?!

Difference in Pears: My version is $0.16 cheaper per ounce.

Difference in Carrots: My version is $0.18 cheaper per ounce.

Did I mention everything I bought today was organic too! Seriously, I should get a prize. Maybe a golden apron! I can do this!

~Emily

So this is Christmas!

   Well, we all survived our first Christmas as a family of three!! Adam and I pitched in a whopping three gifts under the tree, but by Christmas Day our tree was full of gifts underneath.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

   Harrison received lots of gifts! He had a blast opening his gifts. Well, he really liked the wrapping paper and tissue paper. He was sent gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Thiele, Aunt Kara, Aunt Kelly and Uncle Kristofer, GJ and Pops Peak, Uncle Matthew and Uncle Daniel, Aunt Karen, Uncle Steve, and Great-Grandma Thiele, Aunt Sandy and Ann. We kept the mailman very busy this week!

There is just so much to look at and play with!!

   Christmas Eve we went to church with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Jack and Lindsay. We went to their house for a nap (for Harrison) and dinner. Christmas morning we opened our gifts at home and then went over to Grandma and Grandpa's again to open gifts with them. That evening we visited Aunt Mary Jo for our traditional Italian dinner - so delicious! 

How's this for a big boy bib!!

   All in all, we had a perfect Christmas! Now if we could just hurry up and get that Christmas tree down. I need the space for all of Harrison's new toys! :0)

~Emily

I'm not a baby anymore!

   Even though Harrison is only 8.5 months old, he's definitely not a baby anymore. It's bittersweet. I already miss the little nugget we brought home, but I love that he is beginning to become more independent and is developing a fun personality. Yesterday was the first day I did not nurse at all. It sounds really dumb, but I almost cried. Then I caught myself, I knew this was coming. Since Thanksgiving we began our weening dance. For the past 2 weeks I was nursing him at bedtime only. Last night we did bottle only. I'll survive and Harrison's ready to be a big boy. Did I tell you how much he loves his sippy cup?

My sippy cup is yummy! I chew on it all the time.

   Other changes? We have those top 2 teeth fully in! They just look so big in his mouth.

TEETH!!

   Harrison's also talking more and more. I love listening to him talk in the morning or when he wakes up from his naps. And, he's getting more hair in! Harrison's hair is a-growing and is super fluffy on the very top of his head. It's hysterical! Finally, he's venturing out to the world of standing. He hasn't quite gotten into crawling but he loves standing up. We were lucky that we had a friend looking to get rid of an activity table. Harrison LOVES playing with it and trying to push all of the buttons!

So many buttons to push!

   It's hard to believe that in 2 weeks he'll be 9 months old. Where is the time going?!
~Emily

Excuse to take a picture

   One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is creating our annual Christmas card! I'm not going to lie, we don't go too crazy on our cards. (We go through Walgreens online photo center.) But we do go through each themed card and plan out our Christmas photos! We were very lucky this year as one of my sorority sisters was able to take our pictures. Jessie was awesome and Harrison lasted longer than we thought! Below is a sampling of the pictures Jessie took.

We're just pretty as a picture!

   My other favorite part of the holiday season is getting the mail. I know, that sounds pretty lame. But, I like getting everyone else's holiday cards. I LOVE seeing how my friends' families are changing. It's the one time of the year that the junk mail doesn't outnumber the good mail!

~Emily

'Tis the season to be....jolly??

   This time of the year is hard. I want to enjoy getting ready for Christmas and enjoy the change in the weather, but it's easier to say than do.
   First of all let's talk about putting Christmas up. I'm the type of person that likes to clean before putting decorations up. Seriously, since Harrison's been born, I bet we've dusted maybe 5 times. I hate dusting because I hate moving everything off the shelf to get everything clean. So I have avoided a lot of our Christmas decorations because I don't want to clean.
   Next is the tree. I don't mind putting the tree up but I'm very OCD about fluffing the branches and spacing the ornaments out just so and adjusting the garland... you get the idea. Thank god Adam isn't like me and he just throws that thing up and can decorate it at Superman speed. We used to put up 2-3 trees but that was also when I hosted a cookie exchange so I wanted the house to look nice. We haven't hosted the party in 2 years, so needless to say I've lost all my motivation to decorate.
   On to shopping. Adam and I take our Christmas shopping very seriously. We have 3 sides of our family to plan for - the Monahans, the Thieles and the Peaks. Adam is very good at researching what all 5 of his siblings are into. Together we tackle the parents and my brother. And, we don't mind shopping. We're good at shopping actually. What we do mind is the insane amount of other people shopping too. I'm not fond of lines or crowds. I like to get in and get out. I don't like stalking people in the parking lot for a parking spot. Above all, I hate waiting at restaurants that normally do not have a wait at 8:30 at night!
   Lastly, finals. Of course if it's December that means finals are close at hand. The week before finals is the worst at school. The kids just want to be done (so do I for that matter). For the past two weeks, I have stayed at school until 4:30pm. I know that doesn't sound late, but normally I'm outta there at 3:45pm on the dot! Reviewing for finals is painful and boring but it's dumb to start a new chapter 1 week before finals. While the kids praying for a snow day, I'm praying that the snow can wait. If there's a snow day, my plans are down the toilet. (Yes I'm OCD about my beloved school plans too.)

   The good news is finals are over and I have completed all of my grading. We have had no snow days. Adam put up our tree and I have actually pulled out a few decorations. We are two people away from finishing our family Christmas shopping. We are trying to avoid the mall during the weekends at all costs and well, the restaurant thing still sucks but I'm trying to make sure I have a granola bar for those annoying waits. Hopefully with school being out, I will be able to finally relax with my boys and enjoy the Christmas season! I'm excited to spend my 2 free weeks with Harrison and the doggies!

How can you not be happy with me? I'm a bundle of fun!

~Emily
  

  

A mouth full of teeth

   It's been too long and I'm sorry. I keep meaning to write a post but I haven't had the corresponding pictures. Let's face it, we're in it for the pictures:0)

   As I have mentioned before Harrison has teeth, plural, more than one. The easiest ones to find/see are the bottom two. I swear every time I look at them they keep getting bigger. It's weird. Here's this little baby (he's still little to me) and he has these gigantic teeth. Harrison has also started to get in his top two teeth. About two weeks ago Adam and I noticed that his top gums were beginning to get blistered. Then one week ago, you could actually see the white tooth still under the gum. Now at least one of them has just started to break through. Sounds terrible, doesn't it? It's funny to watch him because you can actually see him running his tongue over his teeth. He LOVES chewing on everything and can cry at a whim when he bites on something wrong. The best part about getting teeth? Harrison takes some really good naps. Growing teeth must really take it out of you!

All I want for Christmas is my top two teeth!

   I can't believe my baby boy has teeth. Before I know it he'll be driving! Oh god.

~Emily