Orange Creamsicle Cookies

I'm a huge dreamsicle fan. Orange and vanilla are pretty awesome together. These cookies are a great example of the dynamite flavor duo.

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

2 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp flour

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate, melted

2 Tbsp orange zest (between 2 and 4 oranges)

1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I really like Guittard's or Hershey's white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars several minutes, until light in color. Add egg, vanilla, orange juice concentrate, and zest. Mix until well combined. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and blend just until combined. Feel dough- if it is too sticky, add 1/2 Tbsp of flour at a time until only slightly sticky, but not crumbly. Stir in white chocolate chips by hand. Scoop dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are slightly brown. Do not over bake. Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes until no longer soft and squishy.

Lovable Cornbread

Cornbread. You would think that this crumbly quick bread would be a great starter recipe for the novice cook. There aren't that many ingredients and it goes together pretty easily right? Right. Mix, pour, bake, done. Unless you are teenager Megan, in which case you mistake cornstarch for cornmeal.....and you end up with albino cornbread that's bland and rock-like once it cools. My family loves to tell this story. Often. It's one of my many childhood cooking mishaps, which apparently make for good conversation. Anyway, this cornbread is not bland or rock-like. It's good. Really good. Especially if you like your cornbread a little more on the sweet side. This cornbread is also easy to modify and make healthier! My "healthy" changes are in parenthesis.

Golden Sweet Cornbread

adapted from Allrecipes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup white sugar (1/4 cup sugar + 1/4 cup stevia)
• 1 teaspoon + 1 pinch salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk (skim milk)
• 1/2 cup canola oil (3 Tbs. oil + 5 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan or muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and canola oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes for pan, 15 minutes for muffins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

And here is my cute little helper, offering silent encouragement.

Madelyn & Cornelia

In another life, I was considered to be quite the writer. Back then, the words just seemed to flow for me. And yet, I've been staring at my computer screen for the past hour, trying to convey the balls of information that are rolling around in my head. Nothing sounds right. I can't think of an introduction that appropriately leads into what I want to say. And honestly, I'm not sure how my very very small audience will interpret my jumbled thoughts. I'm sure there are those who are exhausted by my posts that revolve around Madelyn. I beg for your patience. This is yet another Madelyn post.

About a month before Madelyn's first birthday, we went to see a genetics doctor at Primary Children's. The physical and developmental problems she had been experiencing were suspicious. She had thus far been diagnosed with developmental delays, cerebral palsy, failure to thrive, profound hearing loss, major visual impairments, and a few other things. It was all too much to be coincidental, like lightning striking twice in the same spot. Or in her case, six or seven times. We knew that there was something wrong, something that Madelyn wasn't going to "get over" or grow out of. The doctor confirmed what we felt: he told me that he was 90% positive that Madelyn has a genetic syndrome called Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

The syndrome is not that common- it occurs once in 10,000 to 30,000 births. CdLS happens when there is a mutation of genes found on Chromosome 5, 10, or X. From what I understand, it's most likely that Madelyn's form of CdLS occurred due to a random mutation on Chromosome 5. This means that her case is moderate to severe, instead of mild. It also means that our future children are not likely to have CdLS. Fortunately, with this diagnosis, we have a better idea of what to expect in our life with Madelyn. For more information about Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, you can check out the CdLS Foundation website.

When we first realized that Madelyn would be permanently disabled, we were devastated, and I was terrified of what life would hold for her and for us. I worried that my ignorance and fear would affect my view of Madelyn. I worried about other people's reaction to her, and whether she would be treated well despite her differences. I worried about how our other children will eventually feel about our life, and especially about how they will feel about the amount of attention and help Madelyn will require. I was in a constant state of worry about things that weren't actually a problem, were outside my control, or might never come to light.

More and more, I am struck by how much we have been blessed. Jason and I have the sweetest, most wonderful child. In fact, she is far more perfect than I could have ever imagined. She is happy, funny, opinionated, and incredibly entertaining. Madelyn has the most delightful smile, and silliest little giggle. She is most certainly not like other children, but I know that Madelyn will always be an incredible source of joy for us. Like my mom says, Madelyn will always be my baby.

I have also been incredibly grateful for the way our family, friends, and even strangers have treated Madelyn. Our families have been so supportive and loving. Jason and I even joke that Madelyn gets so spoiled by the attention that's lavished on her by our families, that when we come home, she goes through withdrawals. Our friends have also been continually kind and concerned about Madelyn. However, I have been most surprised and relieved by strangers' reactions to Madelyn. Sure, we've experienced a fair amount of blatant staring and displays of ignorance, but the more common reactions are curiosity and acceptance. Almost every time we go anywhere- whether it's church, or shopping, or wherever, someone stops me to ask about Madelyn, or to tell me how cute she is. I cannot recall a single instance where a person who asked about Madelyn was not kind. In many instances, these complete strangers are parents of disabled children, and offer great words of comfort and encouragement. More than one person has told me that Madelyn's place in our family is an amazing blessing. I tend to agree with their assessments.

I absolutely love being Madelyn's mother. I have my dream job, and it's wonderful. A lot of my worry has been replaced by excitement for the future- to see what Madelyn will do, and what she will be like. I know she's an incredible person, and her presence in our family will push us closer to our ultimate goal.

In case this is all super sappy, let me assure you: life is still hard. It isn't filled with flowers and butterflies and pure awesomeness. We have our fair share of the smelly, the messy, and the grumpy. Madelyn can be super naughty ( she's pulled out her feeding tube pretty much everyday for the last two weeks, and most of the time, it's deliberate). Madelyn can also be super grumpy. Mommy can be, and often is super grumpy. Like yesterday...at the store, and last Sunday...at Jason. I have also become quite unsympathetic about some things- like mothers crying about their babies getting their shots. I know, I'm horrible, but it's only because I've lost count of how many times Madelyn's been stabbed with a needle, and because I frequently have to pin my child down, and shove a tube up her nose, down her throat, and into her stomach. But I still don't have a good excuse for being unsympathetic.

When it comes right down to it, what I'm saying is this: for the most part, life is good. Furthermore, our life is pretty normal. Yes, we have a ridiculous number of doctor's appointments and therapy visits. But our main concerns? School, money, spending time together, and keeping Madelyn clothed (our child won't stop growing- 90th percentile for height people). Pretty normal stuff. Normal stuff which I hope I start remembering to write about. Oh, and pictures.

Madelyn's Birth Story

*Warning to the squeamish: I'm going to talk about some of the birthing process. It's a little icky. Proceed if you dare.

I've been thinking about Madelyn's birth a lot lately. I feel like most birth stories go pretty much the same: painful contractions, pushing the baby out, and then feeling overjoyed as your new baby is placed gently into your arms. And that is what puts us in a totally different category than most other new parents. Madelyn's first few months of life were pure pain and sadness and frustration. Oh, and a whole lot of waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

I went into spontaneous labor on April 5, 2010, six weeks prior to my due date. I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was that I was in horrendous pain that kept getting worse. I remember thinking, "If this hurts this badly now, real labor will kill me." I went into active, full-out contractions at 11:00 that night, and by about 1:30 am, I was having contractions every five minutes. Finally, after accepting the reality that I was in premature labor, Jason and I drove to our nearby hospital (longest five minutes of my life).

Once I was admitted (by a receptionist who clearly did not believe I was in labor, despite my being unable to sign admittance papers because of crippling contractions), the labor and delivery nurses confirmed that I was indeed in labor, and had actually dialated to seven cm thus far. My water baggie was also bulging, which pretty much neccessitated that Madelyn be delivered immediately instead of stopping the labor. The nurses had an operating room cleaned and prepped in case an emergency C-section was needed. The anesthesiologist was brought in; he quickly placed my IV, and administered a "walking epidural." After the epidural took affect, I was able to relax somewhat (you know, despite being terrified, and in shock, and trembling wildly as a side-effect of the epidural). I was taken into the operating room a half hour later, and began pushing. Jason held my leg so that I would remain bent in half, so he saw the whole thing, despite his original desire to be on the sidelines. Some crazy old nurse held my other leg and got after me if I made any noise while pushing. I spent the first ten or so minutes pushing so that Madelyn would "drop." Then came the actual pushing to get the baby out, which was helped along by the vacuum and some other medical intervention due to Madelyn's dropping heart rate. While I was pushing, I tried to comfort myself with the idea that Madelyn had to be at least five pounds, and that we'd probably get to go home soon. However, as soon as I saw my child (or rather her back), my heart fell: she was the smallest baby I had ever seen. Jason rushed out of the room with our still silent child. I finished the birthing process, and tried not to dissolve into tears as the doctor sewed me up.

I was taken into the same room I started in, to spend my first hour as a mother alone and in shock. I hadn't seen my child's face, my husband was gone, and I felt like I was in a horrible dream. This could not be happening to me. I spent the time in between the nurses' visits sobbing and praying. I asked God why this was happening, what had gone wrong, why we were being punished....I honestly didn't know if Madelyn would live. The delivering doctor came in and told me that Madelyn had a heart murmur, possible water on the brain, and a bunch of other problems that seemed foreign and terrifying. Jason finally came back to my room to tell me what was going on, and to tell me what our child looked like (we had left our camera at home in the rush to get to the hospital). I was then taken up to the NICU to see my daughter for the first time, and to learn more about what was going on. I could hardly tell what Madelyn looked like beneath all of the medical equipment, but she was incredibly small. We left the NICU feeling marginally better.

I was taken back to my mother/baby room, where Jason and I cried and talked until the decent hours of the morning. Then we began to make phone calls to our siblings and a few friends (we had called our parents while I was in labor). I then waited for my parents to come while Jason went back to the NICU and began discussing our daughter in earnest with the NeoNatologist on call. A little after 9 am, my parents and sister arrived. My parents took me up to see Madelyn, and I got to hold her for the first time. She was light as air, and so tiny that I thought I might break her. We were given even more information, and I went back to my room again.

We spent the rest of that day and the next at the hospital. We went to the NICU as much as we could, and my heart was broken every moment I couldn't be there. Actually, it was kind of torturous to be in the mother/baby ward, because I could hear other babies crying, and I watched as babies were wheeled in to their mothers' rooms, and I couldn't have that because my baby wasn't healthy. That ended up being a theme in my life for the next two months- extreme guilt and pain that I was no longer pregnant, even though I was supposed to be; anger towards my body for letting Madelyn down (we've learned since then that Madelyn's premature birth is due to something that my body had no control over). In short, it was a rough time. I've honestly never felt such deep heart-break and pain.

But then, the miracles began to happen. As Madelyn spent more time in the NICU (seven and a half weeks from beginning to end), more tests came back with good results, tubes came off, and Madelyn gained weight. We began to see her sweet little personality emerge past the sleepiness and irritation at being bothered so much. Madelyn went from being 3 lbs. 1 oz., having a bottom that barely covered the palm of my hand, and drowning in diapers the size of a playing card, to being a hefty 6 lbs. and almost too big for preemie clothes. This is not to say that the NICU is a cake walk- I can honestly say that those weeks were some of our most painful, stressful, frustrating, frightening, exhausting, etc. ever. Getting Madelyn out of there was agonizing- I went home every night feeling like a part of me was missing, and terrified that Madelyn was going to stop breathing during the night and that nobody would notice amongst the constant beeping and activity in the NICU.

The day Madelyn came home was rainy, and a little cold, but it was magical. We were finally home together, without nurses, doctors, or the constant beeping. We then began to experience the many of the normal new baby things, and some not-so-normal new baby things. And that seems to be our pattern- some of our life with Madelyn is very normal, but much of it is very abnormal. However, over the course of the last 14 months, we've found that our sweet little girl has brought a few miracles into this world with her: peace and joy, love and happiness. We will never have a "normal" life. Madelyn will always require lots of help, and a ridiculous number of doctor and therapist visits, but she will always be worth everything we've gone through to get her here and to keep her here.

This is what Madelyn looked like when I first saw her:


Later, on the first day, after some equipment had been removed:


To give you an idea of Madelyn's size as a newborn-that's me holding her:


About half-way into our NICU stay:


The day Madelyn came home:

Madelyn

Madelyn was in the hospital last week. That sounds scary, but she was there (at least in theory) so that we could learn how to help her gain weight. Unfortunately, that means a feeding tube. As in, everything she gets is going down a feeding tube. We kind of hate it, in part because we lose one more "normal" aspect of life for our child (being fed orally), and also because having an ng tube shoved up through your nostril, down your esophogus and into your stomach seems rather icky and uncomfortable. But, at the same time, this is not only our best option, it's our only option.

I know people are still wondering why Madelyn is struggling so much. We don't know. We have clues, and teams of doctors are looking into all sorts of possibilities. We have suspicions, and strong signs. Once we know for sure what we are dealing with, we plan on being absolutely upfront and unapologetic about Madelyn's difficulties and needs. We are not ashamed of our daughter in the least. She is wonderful, and smart, and as sweet as can be. When I was pregnant with Madelyn, I thought of her as my "sunshine baby." That sounds silly, I realize, but it describes Madelyn perfectly. She is an absolute ray of light, and Jason and I are in awe that we get to take care of this incredibly special child. We wouldn't change a thing about her.

I also know that there are those who are wondering if Madelyn will catch up or will eventually be like most other children. She will not. Her condition is permanent, and we aren't waiting for her miraculous recovery. This means that, for us, life will always be a little different. But it will be wonderful and happy, even if it includes an abnormally high number of medical bills and more work to accomplish normal things. We have learned though, that miracles don't always include the sudden healing of a child with special needs. The child is the miracle. The ability to still laugh, and enjoy the "new normal," and find the occasional silver lining (my baby still likes to cuddle, and our apartment doesn't need to be baby-proofed yet) are miracles. And the ability to accept whatever comes with faith, peace, and determination is the miracle that happens in our lives everyday.

Yes, sometimes we honestly feel a little picked on, or rather, we feel that Madelyn is pretty picked on. But these things I know: disabilities are a part of our earthly experience. Yeah, God could prevent them. He could prevent the suffering and the pain. But He won't. Not because He doesn't care. I know He cares an infinite amount, and that our child will always be protected and watched over. I know the Savior loves little Madelyn deeply. We feel that love from the other side of the veil constantly. But regardless of that love, we still have to suffer in order to learn and to grow. Suffering is an absolutely necessary part of the refiner's fire. And if there is one thing we are learning throughout this first year of our new life, it is that we are willing go through anything to be able to be with Madelyn, and each other, and all future children after this life. And the Lord is guiding us ever carefully by the hand, step by step.

So I think what I am trying to say is this: Madelyn has had a difficult life thus far, but one day, it'll be okay. Madelyn will eventually be blessed with a perfect body to go with her breathtakingly beautiful spirit. But for now, she's that beautiful golden chrysanthemum that is growing in a dented, old, rusty bucket (even though Madelyn is undeniably cute). But as the gardener said: “I ran short of pots, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn’t mind starting in this old pail. It’s just for a little while, until I can put it out in the garden.” This is, of course, pulled from President Monson's talk "Charity Never Faileth."

Until that blessed day when all will be made perfect, we are going to enjoy Madelyn's skinny little legs, her sweet smile, the giggle fits, and all the funny little things that make Madelyn, Madelyn. We love her just the way she is.

Repurposed Sweater

We had a dilemma after we bought Madelyn this:



Of course, it's super cute, but not incredibly practical for winter. I planned on buying a little cardigan to go over the top, but I could not find one that would look good and cost less than $15. A few nights ago, I had an epiphany. I remembered that I had a white cropped sweater that no longer fit. I've been seeing adult clothing refashioned into kid's clothing on multiple blogs and I figured I could do the same. So I cut the sweater into Madelyn-size pieces, using the bodice from the pattern I used to make her blessing dress. Here is the finished product:



This would be the overall cardigan. Our camera stinks, but you get the idea. I added random flowers and cool buttons that I got from my grandma. I also replaced the buttons for better ones. Here's the closeup:



And here's the flower I made to go on the headband that will match the dress. Making this involved an open flame, which was a little scary, but it was pretty easy otherwise. I may have one that matches hers.....



The sweater is not perfect, but it cost exactly $0. That enabled us to save $15, plus it was educational for me! Madelyn likes it okay, so we are going to call it good, and call her holiday outfit complete!

What's In My Bag?

I have seen multiple blog posts about the contents of various women's purses, and since I always enjoy reading these, I thought I'd get in on the fun! Here's my lovely diaper bag which also has to serve as my purse (not that I mind, it's a pretty darn cute diaper bag).



And here's an inside shot:



Okay, so now I'm going to pull out everything and list it here for you! You lucky, lucky people!

-Wallet
-Pen
-A recipe for Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
-2 packs of Extra gum: strawberry shortcake and polar ice
-Vaseline Lip Therapy
-Berry-colored lipstick
-Dr. Pepper chapstick
-2 tubes of pink lipgloss
-A makeup compact minus makeup
-Bobby pins
-Hair elastic
-Mini hand sanitizer
-2 moist towelettes
-iPod touch in fabric case
-Skullcandy (love them) earbuds
-Keys
-Sunglasses in fabric case
-1 smooshed strawberry granola bar
- a handful of gum wrappers
-changing pad
-part of a Winco ad
-a traveling formula container
-diaper wipes in case
-Madelyn's jacket and gloves
-Madelyn's hat
-my leather gloves
-2 burp clothes
-a white baby headband
-a green onesie
-a brown floral onesie
-coupons
-2 tubes of diaper rash ointment
-a pair of baby booties
-baby lotion
-baby tylenol
-five diapers
-a purple sweatsuit for Madelyn
-a pair of pink newborn booties (that don't fit Madelyn anymore)
-a bib
-WIC packet
-3 play rings
-a miniature rainbow slinky
-a booger bulb
-a tupperware full of bobby pins
-Madelyn's immunization card
-3 receipts
-a very large business card for Primary Children's

And that's it! Madelyn and I are slightly high maintenance, and we require a very large and a very full diaper bag to feel secure in life....Sorry though, if you found this boring. I'm not very cool.

The Sock Thief

A ridiculous portion of our lives are dedicated to socks. Jason and I spend way too much looking for (Jason), picking up (Megan), and arguing over socks. You see, we have a few strange sock habits. Okay, in all actuality, I have some weird sock habits. I wear them when I sleep (and I might add that I highly recommend it- I am out within five minutes of laying down, and I sleep deeply without waking up), I occasionally tuck my pajama pants into my socks during the winter before I go to bed (don't you hate it when your pant legs ride up and your legs get cold?), and I have quite the talent for losing my socks. And this, my friends, is why I am the sock thief.

Women's socks, for some reason, are not very warm, nor are they very sturdy. I go through them quickly, and I lose them easily. I've gotten a lot better about keeping track of them, probably because, for the first time in my life, I have a washer and a dryer to myself. For a long time though, I had a hard time keeping track of my socks. Community laundry rooms were not kind to me, and I lost most of my socks before Jason and I got married. And then, a marvelous thing happened: Jason and I got married, and all of a sudden, I realized that in addition to my own few pairs of socks, I now had access to Jason's numerous pairs of socks. Jason, fearing for his socks' safety, bought me a package of socks for our first Christmas. His only oversight, however, was that I had found out the truth about men's socks: they are way way better than women's socks. So, for the past two years, I have been "borrowing" his socks on a regular basis, and you know what? He doesn't like it. He worries that I'm going to lose them, and he hates losing socks (I have not, by the way, lost any of his socks in all my days of doing his laundry). So, once again, he has told me to expect socks for Christmas. That's fine by me, but Jason, my dear, sweet husband, please buy me men's socks. I might stop stealing yours, and we'll both be much happier sock wearers.

Megan's Crazy World of Crafting

Every Mommy knows that she needs an occasional break from being a Mommy in order to stay sane. Unfortunately, since Jason is so busy bringing home the bacon and otherwise providing for us, and since Madelyn is a high-maintentance child, I don't get a lot of Mommy breaks, so instead, I sew and make various things. All without trying to spend money.....

A car seat canopy refashion- I made this canopy several months ago, but the straps would move all around on the handle. I finally had enough of the slipping and sliding, so I remade the straps so that they fit snuggly. I also remade the flowers with the help of some fabric my Grandma gave me. I'm pretty sure the fabric is older than I am.



I believe in beautiful hair, but Madelyn lacks large amounts of it, soooooo..... she wears a lot of headbands. Again, I kinda had to use what I had lying around...ahem, tights.....but anyway, they work!



This pillow is, once again, made from fabric found in my Grandma's fabric filing cabinet (as well as some fleece from a jacket I made in sewing class that will never fit unless I am hugely pregnant) and from a pattern found on purlbee.com.



I made the fabric basket liners, which were also made from that super old pink fabric from my grandma. Note: It's a good thing they are meant to only show on the outside because the inside is U-G-L-Y. I need to learn how to sew a flat piece of fabric to four sides of fabric.



Madelyn's tissue paper mobile- $3 for tissue paper. Martha Stewart's minions inspired this one. So cheap, and simple so that Madelyn doesn't get overwhelmed.



And now I feel like a total showoff, but I promise that my lack of photography know how keeps me very humble. Amen.

The Nursery Revealed!

Okay, so a quick disclaimer: the nursery is not actually finished. I still have a few projects I'd like to complete in there to finish it up. Here is a quick peek though:






Okay, so obviously, I need to paint out the bookshelf, and I'd like to add a shadowbox above it. I might reupholster the rocking chair, and I'd like to frame Madelyn's blessing dress (I seriously hope we never have another little girl small enough to wear it) and place it above her crib.

The best part? We were able to finish the room for less than $100 because of our wonderful family. My mom gave us furniture, and my cousin gave us the crib and changing table. Jason's mom made us a bunch of gorgeous blankets (one of which is on the rocking chair) and the crib linens. D.I. and Roberts were the sources for the rest of it! But we are pretty proud of it, and we think Madelyn likes it too!

Ruling the Roost

So I always feel like a loser because it seems like we have nothing going on. And then I feel like life could not get any crazier. The phone is constantly ringing, Madelyn's therapists are always at our apartment, the trash is always overflowing, and of course Madelyn is insanely cute (okay, she also needs to be fed and kept clean and entertained). What is going to happen when we have more kids? So basically we live a constantly busy and somewhat boring life. But we do have some fun stuff going on as of late!

-Madelyn has discovered her hands. She raises her fists (which kinda smell funny since she has sweaty palms due to clenching those fists so tightly) in front of her fists and concentrates really hard on those babies. She tries really hard to one of those fists to her mouth, but so far, nothing.

-Madelyn now demands attention. She needs to be talked to. She needs to be held. She needs love! Or else she yells, cries, and pouts. She has the best pouty lip I've seen. Like, for reals. She loves listening to music (favorites are Taylor Swift, Michael Buble, and some Disney, and of course, songs sung by Mommy and Daddy). She also loves loves loves dancing.

-Madelyn can laugh, and she does it a lot. It's a strange little laugh, and it's hard to hear sometimes. However, if we are dancing with her, she will laugh hysterically and quite audibly.

-Our child is naughty. She cries when Mom leaves her with Dad, she cries when she has to run errands with Mom, and she doesn't care for naps. Umm, as in she slept for a total of thirty minutes between 7:15 am and 5:30 pm. Grumpy kiddo today.

-As you can tell, Madelyn is the queen of our apartment, and Jason and I have become second class citizens. Her complete and utter control over us is based on cuteness. She wins hands down.

-Jason is still working hard. Really really really hard. He's doing awesome in school and is pretty much amazing as an employee too. That, we are sorry to say, is his life right now. He is dying for a vacation outside of Utah.

-Megan is 90% Mommy and 10% Seamstress. Sewing is really my favorite hobby lately. I've been sewing headbands, and various items of clothing for Madelyn. I finished my and Madelyn's Halloween costumes. I've gotten really creative with my fabric scraps and odds and ends. My projects do not always turn out, but I have grandiose plans for my little fabric scraps.

-Megan has been baking lots less, and bookmarking more recipes. In fact, my baking is mostly just experimenting with whole wheat flour, which I am trying to like. I've made some sweet potato rock muffins. Lesson learned: Whole Wheat All-Purpose Flour is not the same as Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Major fail. But, But! I can now fit into a pair of khakis that I wore before I got pregnant. Yes, they are my biggest pre-pregnancy pants, and yes, they look horrible with my pasty skin, but they fit nevertheless.

Like I said, we are incredibly boring, and more than a little overdue for a break of some kind. But we have a darling little girl who keeps life incredibly interesting, messy, and joyful. Unfortunately, no pictures today. I'm still trying to figure out the MacBook I inherited from Jason and I haven't attempted uploading pictures from memory cards yet....

I Have a Crush on Food Blogs

Okay, so here's the deal: I absolutely love food blogs. As in, I rarely use my recipe books. As in, I read more than a dozen blogs every day. As in, the recipes are so stinkin' good that I just can't help myself! So I've thought about starting a food blog, but I just can't get myself to do it for a couple of really good reasons (at least in my own mind).

1. There are about a bazillion food blogs out there. Food blogs from people who have more cooking experience, more cash for ingredients, and way better photography skills (you've got to have awesome pictures).

2. I'm only what? 22? Pretty sure I have tons of learning and refining to do in the kitchen.

3. And I forgot my last reason. But I'm sure it was a good one. I've got Mommy brain.

So anyway, no food blog for now. But I am making something yummy for dinner tonight. They involve bacon! And cream cheese! And more cheese!

Da-duh-duh! Chicken Rolls! These are based on a recipe that everyone seems to know, but mine are super cool because they have bacon and other yummy twists.

Chicken Roll Bread Dough

6 cups flour

1 ½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup hot water

1 Tbsp yeast

Combine water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for five minutes. Add oil, salt, and flour. Let dough rise in warm oven for 50 minutes, punching down every ten minutes.

Chicken Roll Filling

8 oz. cream cheese

4 Tbsp. melted butter

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 Tbsp chopped green onions

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 Tbsp milk

1 ½ cups Italian bread crumbs

Blend cream cheese and melted butter until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients. Roll out bread dough and cut into 3 inch squares. Place 1/4 cup of chicken mixture in the center of each square. Pull up the corners and seal the edges. Roll in melted butter and then in bread crumbs. Let rise for ten minutes, but not until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 12 rolls.

Mini Me

This is why Madelyn is Jason's Mini-Me.

Jason

Madelyn

Megan

It's kind of sad that Madelyn doesn't look anything like me. I just hope Madelyn doesn't look just like her Dad when she grows up. I'm not sure Jason would make an attractive girl.

Oh Me, Oh My

So I'm sitting on the couch, surrounded by Kleenex, hand sanitizer, a plastic bag, and the remote controls. It's the first time I've been sick since Madelyn's birth, and can I say that being a sick mom is stinky? Anyway, it's just a head cold, so I'll survive.

So life at the Wells' apartment has been pretty low key lately. Madelyn is just eating, sleeping, and playing. She is a little bit of a stinker, but she's also super happy. We like her, and we'll keep her. So here's what Madelyn can do:

-Smile! She's really learning how to respond to us, and her happiest time of the day is 6 am.
-Kick. Her favorite places are in the tub and against any flat vertical surface.
-Coo. When Madelyn is happy, she likes to talk. Otherwise, she yells.
-Pout. She's got her daddy's talent for pouting. Nough said.

We love having her home. We fall more in love with her everyday.

Jason is still working in the Church's IT department, and will be switching over from his intern status to contingent staff once school starts. He's pretty awesome at his job, and everybody loves him.

I am at home all day, almost every day. This means that I now follow half a dozen TV shows via Hulu. I'm lame, I know. It does help me get through the 45-minute long feeding sessions (Madelyn likes to goof off while she eats). I'm also having fun sewing things for Madelyn- a blessing dress, a car seat canopy, and a sling, so far. Otherwise, I'm trying to brainstorm what in the world to do for Madelyn's room, at the lowest cost possible. It's interesting.....

And of course, I'm cooking! And baking! And gaining weight....but Jillian Michaels and I are working on that.

I Smell Like Spit-Up

My last blog post was February 28. I have to laugh a little bit, because just five days after that last post, I went into preterm labor. Unfortunately, by the time we decided to go to the hospital (I had no idea I was in labor- I just knew I was miserable and wanted the horrible pain to go away), I was way too far along for them to stop my labor, and I gave birth to Madelyn early the next morning. Today, six weeks later, is her actual due date.

I feel like we've been living in the Twilight Zone since then. While we've adjusted to life in the NICU for the most part (you can never truly feel at home in a hospital), it all seems so surreal. I feel like a part-time Mommy since I only get to hold Madelyn for about an hour and a half every day. I did get to meet my little one early, but we've also seen her hooked up to all sorts of things, endured lots of disappointment, and learned the consequences of a shortened gestational period. There have been a lot of tears and frustration for both Jason and I, and I feel just guilty that my body didn't do what it was supposed to do in regards to carrying a child. But now, I'm just going to stop with the not fun stuff. That's not what we need to focus on, even though it's hard not to.

So now for the fun stuff. Madelyn is an absolute sweetheart. She is a happy, smiley baby who loves to be held. She is also quite fiesty. She does not like to be held in certain positions, and she will get mad if the nurses mess with her too much. She prefers to be held so that she can see us, and most of the time, she just wants to sit on one of our laps, and make froggy faces. She is growing great, and is currently 5 lbs. 11 oz.- which is quite a bit bigger than her original 3 lbs. 1 oz. In fact, she's got some nice chub around her face, and her arms are getting some mini-rolls on them. She's also filled out in the legs, which means that her chicken legs are officially gone. She loves it when Daddy sings to her (Mommy does too, but Dad's more favorite) and when he reads to her. She is finally beginning to like baths, but she still hates having her head scrubbed. Yes, head, not hair. Her hair currently consists of peach fuzz. It's very soft and sweet, but she does lack that wild hubangee look that some of the other hairier babies have. We like her though, bald head and all.

Oh, and yes, Madelyn spit up on me today. It's the first time that it's happened. It won't be the last though, will it?

We Stink At Blogging

After thinking about it for a few weeks, I've decided to finally post something. I know. Amazing. Truth is, I'm a lazy bum, and while I love to read other people's blogs, I stink at doing my own.

Jason and I have been busy between work (Jason) and school (both of us) and baby growing/nesting (Me). Jason is now doing an internship with the church, and drives up to the IT office in Riverton pretty much everyday. Yeah, he work about five minutes away from my parents' house, which is great for when I want to visit. He uses his hour-long commute each day to "read." In other words, I've been renting the Jason Bourne series for him from the library, and he listens to the tapes on the way to and from work every day. Then, he comes home and works on Calculus. Calculus has become a dirty word in our home. However, Jason is working really hard and is doing well in his class. We like the nights where we can just spend time together and relax though.

I am currently splitting my time between a sewing class, and being a happy little homemaker. The cleaning/cooking/laundry thing is going fine. I do have doubts about my sewing class though. Between walking to campus, and trying to fit my rather large belly behind a sewing machine, and attempting to remember how to do stuff with my prego brain, sewing class is somewhat of a challenge. I am learning lots though- i just finished my first project, which is a polar fleece, zip up hoodie. It fits over my belly. Most things don't anymore. Of course, there is almost a full grown newborn in there. Yes, I am 33 weeks, and feeling it- today in the form of Braxton Hicks. Jason is loving the giant belly- he pokes and prods it in order to bond with baby Madelyn. He also likes my tummy because it makes me infinitely more entertaining- I can't reach anything on the floor, or really go from sitting/laying down to standing anymore without lots of struggling. He thinks it's pretty funny.

So that's our life right now. It really is taken up by our basic daily responsibilities, and preparing for Madelyn. We are soooo stinkin' excited for our little girl. I just worry that once she comes, Jason's never going to let me hold her, unless he's at work (he says I've had her for nine months, and now it's his turn). So that's the last few months in a nutshell, and maybe, just maybe, I'll post again before the baby comes. Maybe.

What We've Been Up To.......

So here I am, sitting on the couch with a mild case of the flu, and absolutely bored to tears. That's when you know it's time to post! A ton of things have happened since June, although I'm not so sure I remember half of them.......I suffer from dying brain cells (also called pregnancy). So obviously, that's something that has happened since June. We found out that we are expecting a little buddy on April 10th. So far, the pregnancy has been very healthy, and I've been doing great! Jason is beyond ecstatic, but is a little annoyed that his buddy can't come out to play for several more months. He is also determined that his buddy will be a boy. We will find out for sure on November 19th.

A few weeks before finding out about our little guy, we moved back to Provo. We love our apartment and being close to family and friends, but sometimes we miss the small town feel that Rexburg had. We don't miss the lack of variety. There's lots to do and see and eat in Provo.

We've also started new jobs- I work as a teacher's aide at Canyon Crest Elementary, and Jason is working as a programmer for Quomation- a company that designs software for insurance companies. We both enjoy our jobs, but look forward to crashing together after Jason gets home from work.

We also have new church callings! Jason is a Webelos leader, and is enjoying getting back into scouting. I am a Sunbeams teacher, and those four year olds are giving me a run for my money.

We start school in January, and then life will change again. In the mean time, we will be focusing on getting things ready for the baby and enjoying the holidays.




These are our most recent photos, which are sadly from the Fourth of July and August. They slightly misrepresent us- yes, my hair is no longer red, but Jason is currently sporting a full beard, and loving looking like a lumberjack. It looks good on him.

Tex-Mex indigestion + spandex= bad idea

Life in Rexburg is business as usual. We have been tolerating the rain, and enjoying the occasional sunny day. Last weekend, Jason convinced me to go camping in Island Park. We thought that it wasn't going to rain. Just as we were finishing our foil dinners, the downpour began. We played Scrabble in the tent, where Jason proceeded to kick my sad butt with his spelling genius. We were so glad to discover that our sweet new sleeping bag was plenty warm. The next morning, we took down camp and headed home, but not before we found this HUGE salamander hiding under our tent. The poor guy was lucky that he didn't get stepped on.

This last Tuesday, Jason's family- Mom, Dad, Jessica, Amber, and Grandpa Wells, came through Rexburg on their way to Yellowstone. We all went out to eat at Amigo's (which actually turned out to be pretty good- figures we would find this out a month before we move) and then we went swimming at the hotel they were staying at. It's an interesting sensation to be wearing a skintight bathing suit, when your belly is bloated from a huge Mexican dinner! Anyway, it was fun, and Jason enjoyed having the chlorine on his skin. The fam came back through on Friday night, so we all just hung out at our place, ate dinner, and played some games. On Saturday we toured BYU-I campus, ate some Subway, and said goodbye. It was so fun to see them! We enjoyed their visit immensely.

What else? Oh yes, Jason and I are having some luck in the apartment area, thanks to the wonderous and oh-so-fantastic Megan and Brian. We will be moving down to Provo during the last week of July, and I honestly cannot wait. I'm ready to pack up now and head out. Unfortunately, we still have to finish the semester. Lame.

We survive off of Otter Pops and Friends

I am officially resigning myself to the fact that this blog is my responsibility. So I am taking the heat for not posting anything for a while. We have been busy to say the least. Here is what has been going on:

-We visited Jason's Aunt Sarah and Uncle Blake in Vancouver, Washington right before Spring Semester began. We had a ton of fun seeing the sights and hanging out with their family. Here's a few of the things we did:

Hiked Multnomah Falls

Checked out Saturday's Market in PortlandAnd walked through Chinatown (empty)

-Summer semester is in full swing. Midterms came out last week, and we are both doing well in classes. Jason is "enjoying" statistics and databases. I am learning how to sew a straight line and bowl. The sewing is going well. The bowling is not. I have also read at least 47 children's books in the last several weeks for my children's literature class.

-We are collecting camping gear so that we can go on a official trip before this summer ends. Jason is borderline desperate to go.

-I am continuing my experimentation in the kitchen- sometimes it turns out, sometimes it doesn't. But I am just waiting to try a recipe for cream cheese cinnamon rolls from Joy the Baker.

- We have eaten through a box of 100 otter pops in the last two or three weeks. We have two pinks, one orange, and about a million greens left. Why do they even make a green otter pop?

- Jason was accepted into BYU, and he received his Associates degree! Huzzah!

-We are trying to coordinate our move to Provo in August. We are so ready to get back to civilization!

-During Memorial day weekend, we visited my family and Jason had the unique opportunity of ripping out my parent's front sidewalk (8" thick) with my dad, brother, and brothers-in-law. They also rerouted the sprinkler system. Afterwards, they shot up zombies in the basement.

-Jason is currently resistant to the idea of a haircut. We are trying to work through that. I have tried to convince him that he is no longer a midwest beach bum, and that he must look like he belongs in polite society. His answer is still no.

-We have watched the first 2 1/2 seasons of Friends since borrowing the discs from Dani two weeks ago. Hi, my name is Megan, and I have been addicted to Friends for two years now.....

-My little sister graduated from Riverton High School this month. We are so proud of her!

-We saw UP! last night and loooooved it. I have not laughed so hard, or banged my head on the armrest so often since I was......somewhere else?

That is our life in a nutshell. I could go on, but then you would be bored and never speak to us again. That would be bad. I will try a shorter post next time, which will hopefully be within the next week or so.

How well does Megan know Jason?

I've been after Jason since December to do a few things: write Thank You's, write one blog post, and fix the blinker (okay, not really nagging, but definitely needs to be done). The thank you's are done. The blinker has been investigated. But I'm still waiting for that blog post. So in the meantime, I'm posting this note that's circulating around Facebook.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
ESPN- Tennis, basketball, or baseball. Or Colbert Report, OR the Daily Show.

2. You're out to eat, what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
He gets a Caesar, without question.

3. What's one food he doesn't like
Coconut, almonds, pickles......

4. You go out to eat and have a drink...where would he choose?
Arby's

5. Where did he go to high school?
This one is really tough without looking but he graduated from Heritage, right?

6. What size shoe does he wear?
9 or a 9 1/2- I know this one, we just bought him Nike Airs, after about an hour at Famous Footwear, and after I brought him about ten different pairs of shoes. It was fun, really!

7. If he was (were) to collect anything, what would it be?
High tech gadgets

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
The recently discontinued Chicken Bacon Swiss from Arby's. It's a sore topic.

9. What would this person eat every day if he could?
Meat and potatoes, or Peruvian food probably.

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Ohs! If I even mention that I want some of his cereal, than he gets a super sad lip and the puppy eyes going.

11. What would he never wear?
Purple

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Detroit Tigers

13. Who did he vote for?
No way are we going to reveal this. We want to keep this blog friendly. We voted the same though.

14. Who is his best friend?
Me, of course. But he's awfully fond of his siblings, and the former Elder Smart: Logan.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
I pick off my nails, out of boredom. He really pushes using the nail clippers. I just think my nail clippers are built in.

16. What is his favorite color?
Red

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday what kind would it be?
Funfetti with rainbow chip frosting, or Tres Leche Cake, using the top-secret recipe.

18. Did he play sports in high school?
Tennis, oh, and he was an avid dater. Hey, it counts as it involves strategy.

19. What could he spend hours doing?
He can and does spend hours on his computer, working on programs, playing one of two games, looking up music, and reading from Digg.

20. What is one unique talent he has?
He can brighten up any room he enters. He has this way of being able to focus individually on every person in the room, all at once. He's quite the quivering ball of energy.

Jason is wonderful. I love him dearly. And you will hear from him soon, I promise.