The Last Week or So...

Here's the last week or so in pictures.

Andrew and Daddy listening to the iPod. Please ignore the fact that Andrew looks like a drunk chipmunk. He was really having a great time.

Seriously love this kid. I was at my sister Jeanette's house for the weekend and I really missed my guys. Doesn't Andrew have the sweetest little face?
Sleeping. Little angel.

My sisters and mom were at Jeanette's house this weekend doing some deep cleaning and organizing the baby's stuff while she's on bedrest. I thought for sure I got a picture of my sister Laura cleaning, but it's not on here. Oh well.

Here's me cleaning blinds.

And here's Jeanette touching up the paint in the baby's room. Then she got in trouble for being up (by me) and was forced to get back to bed. Bad girl.

Amy cleaning the baby's windows.

My mom cleaning the lights.

New weather, new hair, new little friend...

I decided to cut off my hair. I haven't been able to get a good picture of it. It's kind of in shock right now and so is kind of going crazy, but here it is.

Before

After

Our friends Natalie and Quentin had their little guy this week. I got to go see him at the hospital, and he was totally adorable!

He kept sucking in his bottom lip. It was hilarious, and adorable.

Doesn't he have a beautiful profile? What a sweetie.Here we are. Don't mind my hair/face. I was at the park all morning with Andrew and some friends and it was super windy. I was looking a little rough. And boy do I need some sun! :)

And here he is at the park. It was over 60 for a couple days so we were out a lot. It felt SO good, and Andrew was thrilled. He went down the slide about a million times, ran around like he was crazy, and cried when it was time to go. It was amazing. Sigh. Spring is going to come. We just have to wait a little while. :)

Owwwwwww!!

Andrew's learned to say "ow" anytime he doesn't want us to do something. Sometimes he'll even say, "Oh ow ow ow ow!" under his breath. At first I was a little concerned, really worried that he was hurt, but when I realized he was just being smart, it kind of cracked me up. He does it when he's getting his diaper changed, when he's getting dressed, when I take something away from him, you name it. He's a hilarious little guy.

Valentine's Day Cookies

Every year for Valentine's Day, my mom would make sugar cookies and each of us would get a big one with our name on it. It was always super exciting to have your own cookie, and I know I really looked forward to it every year. This year I was at my parent's house and my mom made cookies for all of us! I made and decorated one for her. Thanks for all the cookies, Mom!

My mom with her cookie.

Andrew after we took his cookie away. He had eaten half of it, and then Mike and I realized he really shouldn't eat the whole thing (especially since he hadn't eaten dinner yet.) As you can tell, he was definitely not pleased.

Oh yeah!

He couldn't even wait until he sat down to start in!

Mike with his cookie.

My dad.

Me eating my baby girl's cookie.

Aaron, our returned missionary.

And me. I'm definitely going to keep up this tradition with our own little family. It's just so fun!

A Smaller Me...

Taken in June.

Taken yesterday.

Michael and I started really watching what we eat and exercising in August. Since I found out I was pregnant in October, I've done less exercise, but have been more conscious of what/how much I've been eating. So far I've lost 30 pounds. It feels amazing! I have tons more energy, and the baby is super healthy. I still have quite a bit more to go, but it's amazing how different I feel. Woohoo!!

Why Fridge Locks Were Invented....

We love our new fridge lock, by the way. Andrew? Definitely doesn't love it.

He does love making notes, though. And he's adorable.

Seriously gotta love those little legs... Seriously. Oh yeah, and sometimes he does wear pants. Just not usually since he learned how to take them off.

French Onion Soup Recipe

For those who are interested. I'm not absolutely positive on all the amounts or times, it's kind of when it looks right.

1. Slice 5-6 cups of onions (more if you really like a more bulky soup or less if you like it more liquidy)*Use white onions or at least a non-sweet onion (definitely not Vidalias, etc) or the soup will be weirdly sweet and not so delicious....

2. Put 2 1/2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot, cook onions over medium heat for about 15-25 minutes covered until onions are clear and softened.

3. Add 1/2 tsp each of sugar (to help carmelize the onions) and salt.

4. Cook an additional 30 minutes or so on medium-high heat until onions are browned, stirring frequently.

5. Add about 7-8 cups beef stock/broth, along with 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf. (You can add additional seasonings while it simmers - just try it because too much makes it a weird herb soup and too little makes it kind of bland.)

6. Let simmer for 30 minutes or so, but don't let it get to a rolling boil.

7. If you want to add croutes and cheese, slice French bread in 1- 1 1/2" slices and lightly brush olive oil on each side. Place in a 325 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes until they get crusty.

8. Add a croute or two and parmesan or mozzerella cheese on top of a bowl of soup and put it in the oven for 30 min. and broil to brown the cheese.

Enjoy!

Side note: I know this recipe looks long and scary, but it's pretty simple. It's basically Julia Child's recipe, although she uses less stock and adds wine. I'd just rather not, so I added the stock and she also uses sage instead of Italian seasoning. You certainly could skip 7 &8 and just dip toast in the soup or eat alone. Don't forget the cheese, though. It makes it so gooey and awesome. It is a little time consuming, but so worth it. It's even better heated up the next day, and freezes really well.

Sugar and Spice...

...and everything nice. That's what our little girl is made of.

Yay! A little girl! Andrew is going to be the best big brother to his new little sister!

Any name suggestions??

Snoooow.

We got some snow this week. As in, a blizzard. It was crazy. We got around 18 inches of snow, with drifts of over 2 feet. It was a neat experience to see all the snow outside (with all the wind sometimes all you could see outside was white), especially knowing we were all stocked up, warm, safe, and together. Pretty great.

That being said, I want out of here. Between us being sick, the weather being cruddy, and other factors, Andrew and I have basically been stuck in the house for 3 weeks straight. I have an ultrasound appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'm not thinking I'll be able to make it. And I'm bummed. We were supposed to find out the gender of the baby, and I've really (REALLY) been looking forward to it. I'm trying to keep in mind that we will get the ultrasound eventually and that it's not that big a deal, but my pregnancy hormones are also working against me. :( But, as I said, we are safe, warm, together, and happy.

Get me out of here. :)

Here's Andrew helping me make the French bread croutes for the French Onion Soup I made for dinner yesterday. He's brushing the olive oil on the bread. And looking super cute doing it.

I made blueberry muffins for Andrew today. I thought they turned out so pretty! And he loved them.....a lot. He basically ate muffins for dinner.

And here's the French Onion soup. It. Was. Amazing. Soooo delicious!!!! And perfect for our super chilly day!

Hope you all are safe and warm, and have yummy food to eat!