Waiting to find out if you are having a boy or a girl until the day of delivery is something I think is gaining in popularity. I feel like technology gave us a big push towards immediate gratification in all aspects of life in the last decade (or 3?), and that trend is slowly ebbing as people realize there is joy in having a to wait for something from time to time. I think the gender reveal has followed suit...much like forcing yourself to wait until Christmas morning to open a present, there's a lot of fun in the anticipation of a surprise. That being said, I think finding out the gender of your baby early is not always about being patient or impatient.
We found out what we were having at the second trimester ultrasound for our first 2 children. For the third, we decided to wait until the delivery day. I don't like saying "we wanted it to be a surprise" because that's not an accurate statement....it's still a surprise, no matter when you find out, instead I'll say, "we wanted to wait for the surprise." An even more accurate statement would be, "my husband wanted to wait for the surprise." Don't get me wrong, I was on board. I was kinda curious if it would make a difference. I mean, most people I talked to that had waited until the delivery day said it was an amazing experience, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I also didn't for one second want to be disappointed about the gender of this baby. Also, I knew if I found out we were having a girl with a lot of time to spare before her arrival, I would spend WAY more money than necessary on a nursery and clothes. So we waited for our surprise, and here is my honest-to-God opinion: If you are going to wait for the surprise, do it for the first child or don't do it at all.
Allow me to elaborate...
First: there is a huge urge to nest when you are pregnant, and when you don't know if you are having a boy or a girl, especially the second or third time around, your nesting capabilities are limited. You can't purge boy clothes or girl clothes, your preparations are limited, so you find other outlets. We cleaned out our kitchen cabinets, garage, office and bedrooms. I mean, all that energy has to go somewhere, and honestly all that stuff needed to get done, but what REALLY needed to get done was shipping off and consigning 5 years of boy clothes and purchasing a few girl clothes. Stuff that ended up getting done in the wee hours of the morning between feeding sessions because I needed to get it done while Thing 1 and Thing 2 were sleeping and not running through my piles of clothes.
Second: Gender neutral baby items. If you wait to find out the gender of your first child, you end up purchasing and receiving all gender neutral baby items. This is what we should all do as parents, especially with big ticket items like pack-n-plays and car seats anyway, but we don't. We try to, but who wants to put their little princess in anything other than the pink sparkly bouncy seat?? Anyway, all this gender neutral loot is perfect to reuse for subsequent children regardless of gender. If you find out the gender early for your first child and not the second or third, there is a good chance your daughter will wear dinosaur pajamas for the first three months of her life.
Third: Waiting may make it harder for some moms to bond with their baby. It is a well kept secret that many mothers don't bond right away with their babies. I know, I know, you're all shocked, but it's the truth, and here's the kicker...for many moms, that amount of time increases with each child. So if it's possibly going to take longer to fall in love with your second or third child, why give yourself an the added deficit of not knowing what you are having and being able to visualize and mentally prepare for that baby? On the other hand, most parents really do fall in love quite quickly with their first child (because there is nothing else to do other than stare at them 24/7). Plus you don't know what to expect or have anything to compare it to on your first go-round, so if the bonding process takes slightly longer than average because you waited to find out the gender, you're none-the-wiser.
Forth: It was somewhat overrated. This is my personal opinion but one that I know a few other people share. For many people the surprise is worth the wait, that just wasn't the case for me. I was going to be surprised no matter when I found out, and frankly finding out anything after 20 hours of hard labor is a little anti-climactic. I know some women say the unknown helps motivate them through the hard moments of labor, but I personally wasn't any more or less motivated that when we did know the gender.
At the end of the day, waiting or not waiting is a deeply personal decision, and there's not a right or wrong answer. I've just shared my point of view because, I think it's important for people to see that it's not about being patient or impatient, there are pros and cons to waiting. It's about doing what's right for your family and enjoying the journey! :)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Fast, Good AND Cheap!
Have you heard that saying "Fast, Good, or Cheap; you only get 2"? Well my little project today was all three! That hardly ever happens for me on projects, except this time.
I wanted to keep the cutting boards in my cabinet upright - I was sick of them being stacked, but even though they were a pain to put away and get out, I didn't want to do anything complicated, permanent or expensive. Enter Pinterest! Saw a genius idea for using tension rods in cabinets to store baking sheets and decided to give it a try for my cutting board dilemma.
Tension rods were from Amazon, and 4 rods (2 x 2-packs) cost about $22 (free shipping thanks to amazon prime trial). The whole project took maybe 5 minutes to install (include opening the package and unwrapping them). The clearance was tight - exactly 11", so they just barely fit, but they were high enough quality that I was able to use some muscle to get them into place without bending them. Like I said, Fast, Good AND Cheap!!
I wanted to keep the cutting boards in my cabinet upright - I was sick of them being stacked, but even though they were a pain to put away and get out, I didn't want to do anything complicated, permanent or expensive. Enter Pinterest! Saw a genius idea for using tension rods in cabinets to store baking sheets and decided to give it a try for my cutting board dilemma.
Tension rods were from Amazon, and 4 rods (2 x 2-packs) cost about $22 (free shipping thanks to amazon prime trial). The whole project took maybe 5 minutes to install (include opening the package and unwrapping them). The clearance was tight - exactly 11", so they just barely fit, but they were high enough quality that I was able to use some muscle to get them into place without bending them. Like I said, Fast, Good AND Cheap!!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Christmas Trash
This is the second year we have made Texas Trash (Modified Chex Party Mix) by the bucket load to give to anyone and everyone that we want to say 'Thank You' or 'Merry Christmas' to. My husband and children can't get enough of it, and I like that it is a salty treat that breaks up the endless stream of cakes, cookies and candy that seem to accompany the holiday season.
Teachers, choir directors, neighbors, etc, usually get their fair share in a pretty tin (I love the Container Store's selection), and the postman, trash guys and Terminix man get theirs in disposable tupperware containers with ribbon.
I bug my mother-in-law for her recipe every year, which is a modified version of the original recipe. What's funny is I modify her modified recipe, and after making a dozen of these 'double modified' batches, I figured it was time to write both recipes down.
Here's the recipe my wonderful mother-in-law, Alice, has emailed me at least 3 times.
Teachers, choir directors, neighbors, etc, usually get their fair share in a pretty tin (I love the Container Store's selection), and the postman, trash guys and Terminix man get theirs in disposable tupperware containers with ribbon.
I bug my mother-in-law for her recipe every year, which is a modified version of the original recipe. What's funny is I modify her modified recipe, and after making a dozen of these 'double modified' batches, I figured it was time to write both recipes down.
Here's the recipe my wonderful mother-in-law, Alice, has emailed me at least 3 times.
The Original Chex
Party Mix (recipe on the back of Chex cereal boxes)
3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup mixed nuts (Alice uses 1 cup lightly salted peanuts plus 1 cup
pecan halves)
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavor bagel chips (Alice does not use these)
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Alice uses slightly less)
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
(Alice melts the butter in a big roasting pan, then add the
seasonings. Mix all the cereals
and nuts together and then mix in with the butter and seasonings to coat. Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees,
stirring every 15 minutes. Spread
on paper towels to cool. Store in
airtight container.)
The recipe says to use a large microwavable bowl and mix the
cereals, nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips together; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave
butter uncovered on high about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture, stir until
evenly coated. Microwave uncovered
on high 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.
My mother-in-law's trash is delicious! We love it, but after some trial and error, decided we liked it amped up a bit (basically our version has more butter and double the seasonings). We also let the kids help a lot which leads to some less-than precise measuring and generous pouring of anywhere from 1/8- 1/4 cup more of each of the first 7 ingredients. That may be why we were craving more seasoning!
Christmas Trash
Warning: this tasty treat contains tree nuts, gluten, dairy, and is definitely NOT low in salt or fat. That's what makes it so good!
3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup lightly salted peanuts
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup bite-size pretzels or pretzel sticks
1 cup garlic-flavor bagel chips
1 stick (8 Tbs) butter
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons seasoned salt
1½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Melt the butter in a big roasting pan in the oven while it preheats to 250 degrees. While the oven is preheating and the butter is melting, combine the cereal, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips in a large bowl (I don't even bother to stir them together, just dump them in, and as I mentioned before, we measure generously with heaping cup-fulls of all the cereals, pretzels and nuts). Once the butter is melted, add the seasonings into the pan and whisk to combine with the melted butter. I pour the butter and seasoning mix out of the roasting pan and into the large bowl over the cereals. Then I pour the cereal and seasonings back into the roasting pan. I find this extra step helps coat everything a little better than just putting the dry ingredients on top of the butter and seasonings and trying to mix it up from the bottom of the pan. Using a large spoon, gently fold everything together to ensure even coating, then bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. This is when everyone sneaks a taste or two :) Then we box up leftovers in air tight containers.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Halloween is over, the sugar crash is setting in
Halloween is over, the sugar crash is setting in, and according to the retail industry, we were supposed to start thinking about Christmas yesterday.
I'm not going to disrespect the turkey by putting up Christmas decorations just yet, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to start drafting up the ol' family Christmas letter.
Maybe it's pregnancy hormones or maybe it's just the general state of grumpiness I live in without alcohol, but my husband seemed to think my first letter was too cynical and sarcastic for public circulation. This is my fifth draft. I think it's a winner...Stephen thinks we still have a ways to go.
Dear family and friends,
In keeping with tradition, we have enclosed a family photo that we paid shy of a year's college tuition for. When ever in doubt of our character, kindness, self discipline, generosity, attractiveness or personal hygiene, we hope you will refer to this photo to reassure you that we are happy, calm, smiling, and have it all together, no matter what you may have seen or experienced when dealing with us in person. Also in keeping with our tradition, here is a brief update on life at the Childress household. Carter is brilliant, and continues to baffle us by being the smartest child in the world. We aren't 100% out of pull-ups yet, but I know that it is only a side effect of his independent thinking style and genius IQ. Jack is the world's cutest baby/big boy depending on what mood he's in. Potty training? He wants to be a baby. Playing with knives? Big boy. Fortunately, he's so charming and good looking, we barely even notice we're being blatantly manipulated. Our beloved cat Scratch is seldom/never mentioned in our holiday correspondence because he is an animal, but that didn't change how deeply saddened we were to lose him earlier this year. Luckily he was returned to us by a concerned neighbor. Stephen is still working at Elite Compression Services so I can stay at home pursuing my passions. They change weekly, but mostly involve parenting. Stephen and I both celebrated the big 3-2 this year, which means we have now legally been driving for more than half our lives. To celebrate we each scored traffic tickets and took defensive driving online. Despite the new technology and lack of stand up comedy, it was a nice trip down memory lane, since none of the material had been updated since 1996. Certainly the biggest news we have to share is that we will be welcoming a third child into our family in February 2013. We do not know yet if it will be a boy or a girl, but we are positive it will be the most beautiful baby you've ever seen and that we will post an exorbitant number of pictures online, clogging up your Facebook feed and causing you to block if not unfriend us. In closing we'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday/new year and look forward to getting your Christmas cards so we can confirm that we are still friends. With genuine love and affection, The Childresses
I'm not going to disrespect the turkey by putting up Christmas decorations just yet, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to start drafting up the ol' family Christmas letter.
Maybe it's pregnancy hormones or maybe it's just the general state of grumpiness I live in without alcohol, but my husband seemed to think my first letter was too cynical and sarcastic for public circulation. This is my fifth draft. I think it's a winner...Stephen thinks we still have a ways to go.
Dear family and friends,
In keeping with tradition, we have enclosed a family photo that we paid shy of a year's college tuition for. When ever in doubt of our character, kindness, self discipline, generosity, attractiveness or personal hygiene, we hope you will refer to this photo to reassure you that we are happy, calm, smiling, and have it all together, no matter what you may have seen or experienced when dealing with us in person. Also in keeping with our tradition, here is a brief update on life at the Childress household. Carter is brilliant, and continues to baffle us by being the smartest child in the world. We aren't 100% out of pull-ups yet, but I know that it is only a side effect of his independent thinking style and genius IQ. Jack is the world's cutest baby/big boy depending on what mood he's in. Potty training? He wants to be a baby. Playing with knives? Big boy. Fortunately, he's so charming and good looking, we barely even notice we're being blatantly manipulated. Our beloved cat Scratch is seldom/never mentioned in our holiday correspondence because he is an animal, but that didn't change how deeply saddened we were to lose him earlier this year. Luckily he was returned to us by a concerned neighbor. Stephen is still working at Elite Compression Services so I can stay at home pursuing my passions. They change weekly, but mostly involve parenting. Stephen and I both celebrated the big 3-2 this year, which means we have now legally been driving for more than half our lives. To celebrate we each scored traffic tickets and took defensive driving online. Despite the new technology and lack of stand up comedy, it was a nice trip down memory lane, since none of the material had been updated since 1996. Certainly the biggest news we have to share is that we will be welcoming a third child into our family in February 2013. We do not know yet if it will be a boy or a girl, but we are positive it will be the most beautiful baby you've ever seen and that we will post an exorbitant number of pictures online, clogging up your Facebook feed and causing you to block if not unfriend us. In closing we'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday/new year and look forward to getting your Christmas cards so we can confirm that we are still friends. With genuine love and affection, The Childresses
Thursday, September 13, 2012
The boys of summer
It was like the movie "Groundhog Day" around here this summer. Every day the same. I was dealing with 'morning' sickness that is more like 'debilitating-all-day' sickness for me, and we finally had to get some help in the form of a girl that came in the mornings to watch the boys for about 6 weeks.
So everyday was the same...starting at about 3am, I would get sick. Crawl back to bed sometime around 5 or 6am take a Zofran and pray for death. Stephen would wake up with boys at 7am. 8am girl would show up and Stephen would go to work. Noon, Stephen's home for lunch, I take another Zofran. After lunch, Stephen gets boys down for their 'nap', before heading back to work at 1pm. 2pm, after about an hour of (sometimes) quiet time, I pry myself out of bed, apply swimsuits and sunscreen, and it was out the door for swim lessons. After lessons, another Zofran for me, a snack for the boys, then I would plug them into a show, curl up on the couch and zone out until Stephen came home then I would retreat to bed as soon as he'd let me.
On paper, it kinda sounds like a dream come true, in bed til 2, lazing about all the time, but it was honest-to-God, THE hardest summer of my life. Not being able to take care of my family, even though it was a temporary situation, was surprisingly heart breaking. And even though we were all under the same roof, I really missed them because even when I was awake, it was hard to be present.
Despite being so sick, I managed to take the boys to swimming lessons almost every day. We had a ton of missed classes because of weather, but squeezed in several make-ups in the last few weeks and I'm so proud of how far they came.
The first day of swimming lessons was horrible...Jack refused to get in the water. When I threatened to spank him if he didn't cooperate, he flat out said, "I want a spanking." I realized, he wasn't being stubborn, he was just terrified. And no, I didn't spank him, in case you were wondering. Carter got in, sort of, but repeatedly told his coach, his classmates, and anyone else that would listen, that he didn't want to die.
The last day of summer lessons was a whole different story. They were like two different kids. Carter was gliding underwater with his pancake hands and kicking really well. Jack jumped in, kicked around using a kick board, and put his face under water.
Their attitude was what I was most proud of, especially Carter's. I signed him up for twice as many lessons as Jack and the schedule was nuts. Mondays and Wednesdays he saw a different teacher than Tuesdays and Thursdays, and to make things crazier, his Monday/Wednesday teacher changed twice over the summer. Didn't matter, every day I'd go upstairs to let him know it was time for swimming lessons, and he'd ask "which coach is it?" I would tell him, then he'd get on his swimsuit and head for door without another question. Other than the first day, he walked right up to the water and did his thing with honest enthusiasm and joy. Every day, and I'm not exaggerating, it was incredible. Jack did really well too. He's two, so clearly there were a few days when his heart wasn't in it, and it took some cajoling to get him in his swimsuit, in the car, and/or in the water, but for the most part he was very cooperative.
And of course Stephen was amazing this summer. Incredible. Beyond incredible. In fact, words just can't describe how hard he busted his ass to take care of our family almost completely by himself for close to 2 months. His relationship with the boys grew so much too - they all became so close this summer, it was incredible to watch. The three of them were just inseparable...the boys of summer.
I love my boys. All three of the men in this house are just incredible in their own way. I always knew it, but this summer just reinforced what a lucky lady I am to be a part of this family.
So everyday was the same...starting at about 3am, I would get sick. Crawl back to bed sometime around 5 or 6am take a Zofran and pray for death. Stephen would wake up with boys at 7am. 8am girl would show up and Stephen would go to work. Noon, Stephen's home for lunch, I take another Zofran. After lunch, Stephen gets boys down for their 'nap', before heading back to work at 1pm. 2pm, after about an hour of (sometimes) quiet time, I pry myself out of bed, apply swimsuits and sunscreen, and it was out the door for swim lessons. After lessons, another Zofran for me, a snack for the boys, then I would plug them into a show, curl up on the couch and zone out until Stephen came home then I would retreat to bed as soon as he'd let me.
On paper, it kinda sounds like a dream come true, in bed til 2, lazing about all the time, but it was honest-to-God, THE hardest summer of my life. Not being able to take care of my family, even though it was a temporary situation, was surprisingly heart breaking. And even though we were all under the same roof, I really missed them because even when I was awake, it was hard to be present.
Despite being so sick, I managed to take the boys to swimming lessons almost every day. We had a ton of missed classes because of weather, but squeezed in several make-ups in the last few weeks and I'm so proud of how far they came.
The first day of swimming lessons was horrible...Jack refused to get in the water. When I threatened to spank him if he didn't cooperate, he flat out said, "I want a spanking." I realized, he wasn't being stubborn, he was just terrified. And no, I didn't spank him, in case you were wondering. Carter got in, sort of, but repeatedly told his coach, his classmates, and anyone else that would listen, that he didn't want to die.
The last day of summer lessons was a whole different story. They were like two different kids. Carter was gliding underwater with his pancake hands and kicking really well. Jack jumped in, kicked around using a kick board, and put his face under water.
Their attitude was what I was most proud of, especially Carter's. I signed him up for twice as many lessons as Jack and the schedule was nuts. Mondays and Wednesdays he saw a different teacher than Tuesdays and Thursdays, and to make things crazier, his Monday/Wednesday teacher changed twice over the summer. Didn't matter, every day I'd go upstairs to let him know it was time for swimming lessons, and he'd ask "which coach is it?" I would tell him, then he'd get on his swimsuit and head for door without another question. Other than the first day, he walked right up to the water and did his thing with honest enthusiasm and joy. Every day, and I'm not exaggerating, it was incredible. Jack did really well too. He's two, so clearly there were a few days when his heart wasn't in it, and it took some cajoling to get him in his swimsuit, in the car, and/or in the water, but for the most part he was very cooperative.
And of course Stephen was amazing this summer. Incredible. Beyond incredible. In fact, words just can't describe how hard he busted his ass to take care of our family almost completely by himself for close to 2 months. His relationship with the boys grew so much too - they all became so close this summer, it was incredible to watch. The three of them were just inseparable...the boys of summer.
I love my boys. All three of the men in this house are just incredible in their own way. I always knew it, but this summer just reinforced what a lucky lady I am to be a part of this family.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Made in the USA
We joined some friends to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics last night. They were interesting, right? Theatrical, and not all-together un-entertaining. Anyway, I made a dessert for the festivities. I pieced it together from a couple different recipes I found online, and it miraculously came out well! It was super easy, delicious, and even looked fancy. Sort of. My fruit cutting/arranging skills are pretty amateur, so imagine what it could look like if someone with actual culinary skills took this on!
Red White and Blue Fruit Tart
Mix apricot preserves and water. Heat the mixture in a small saucepan or the microwave until boiling. Remove from heat. Brush the center of the pastry crust (where your filling will go) with approximately half of the mixture. This will create a glaze that helps keep the crust from getting soggy once you add your filling. Save the rest of the mixture.
Mix together lemon curd and marscapone until well blended. Set aside.
Once the glazed puff pastry is completely cooled, spread the lemon curd and marscapone filling. Arrange the sliced fruit on top.
Reheat the apricot glaze and brush over the top of the fruit.
Can be served immediately, but for best results, refrigerate for an hour or two before slicing. Makes approx 32 servings.
The great thing about this recipe is you can use whipped cream instead of marscapone, any type of fruit (I just used red and blue in honor of team USA) and any type of preserve (apricot's what the Joy of Cooking said to use, but more importantly, it's what I had on hand). It's SO easy and versatile. Hope someone out there will try it!
 |
| French pastry, English lemon curd, Italian marscapone cheese, Mexican Fruit, Made in the USA!! |
Red White and Blue Fruit Tart
- 1 package (of 2) puff pasty sheets
- 11 oz jar lemon curd
- 8oz marscapone cheese
- 2 lbs strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered lengthwise
- 1 pint blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tsp water
Mix apricot preserves and water. Heat the mixture in a small saucepan or the microwave until boiling. Remove from heat. Brush the center of the pastry crust (where your filling will go) with approximately half of the mixture. This will create a glaze that helps keep the crust from getting soggy once you add your filling. Save the rest of the mixture.
Mix together lemon curd and marscapone until well blended. Set aside.
Once the glazed puff pastry is completely cooled, spread the lemon curd and marscapone filling. Arrange the sliced fruit on top.
Reheat the apricot glaze and brush over the top of the fruit.
Can be served immediately, but for best results, refrigerate for an hour or two before slicing. Makes approx 32 servings.
The great thing about this recipe is you can use whipped cream instead of marscapone, any type of fruit (I just used red and blue in honor of team USA) and any type of preserve (apricot's what the Joy of Cooking said to use, but more importantly, it's what I had on hand). It's SO easy and versatile. Hope someone out there will try it!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Forever and ever, amen.
Happy 7th anniversary to my amazing husband. I'm looking forward to many many many many more.
Custom Portrait by Nan Lawson 2012 - please credit photo.
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