the big 2-8!

Not mine! My cute husband's!

We are celebrating Drew's birthday tonight, since his real birthday is next Friday and we have a wedding rehearsal dinner to attend. For the birthday boy's dinner I am making his special birthday request, Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon, and for dessert, a homemade cheesecake with strawberries and whip cream.

We both love JC's BB, and though it seems intimidating, it's not really that difficult or complicated to make. I'll give a step by step soon. I have to admit though, that it just feels wrong cooking this recipe all afternoon and not enjoying a glass of wine, but alas, I managed.

I'm off to enjoy my evening with my sweets and the pups.

Looking forward to that cheesecake!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

This is my favorite cookie recipe ever!!!


I usually change up the chocolate chips with whatever flavor I'm in the mood for. Butterscotch chips are on the top of my list these days. I'm obsessed! White chocolate chips and craisins are a favorite combination of mine, too. These are white and dark chocolate.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups white chocolate chips
3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups oatmeal

Preheat oven to 300.

Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds). Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough in about 1 1/2 tablespoon rounds onto a greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.


Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until just golden around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

I personally like chewy soft cookies so I tend to underbake them and eat them right away while they're warm with a little bit of vanilla ice cream.

Baby Girl is half-way cooked and looks perfect!

We went in to the doctor yesterday for the BIG 20 week ultrasound. It's a super ultrasound for taking a bunch of baby measurements, making sure all of the baby's parts have formed correctly, and looking for any abnormalities which may indicate there's a problem.

Some of what they look for includes:
-head, length, and long bone measurements
-the four chambers of the heart, both kidneys, the bladder, brain, stomach, spine,
-the umbilical cord with two arteries and a vein
-the heart rate
-amniotic fluid levels, and
-determining or confirming the sex!! (100% this time it's a girl)

It was a really cool appointment, and I loved seeing all four chambers of the heart beating so strongly, and seeing her little hands and feet and tiny nose. It's still so crazy to me that she's in there just bouncing around. We were very relieved to hear that everything looked perfect, and we don't have anything to worry about. My dentist hubby was very happy to see her perfect little mouth and lips, and no cleft palate, and I was very excited to see some long little violin fingers.

From her measurements she may be a week ahead in gestational age, which would move her due date, unofficially, to my birthday (!!) December 5th. Officially it's still December 12 since the measurements are just averages, but I won't complain if she comes on or around my birthday. I can't imagine a better present in the world.

Warning, here are a few of the u/s pictures, so if you find them creepy or weird, stop reading!

Here is a profile view of her head and belly.


Here is her little foot and tiny toes.


Our nurse said she was in a perfect position to get some good views on the 4D ultrasound, so she turned it on and we got to see what she really looks like in there. Keep in mind she has no fat on her yet so she's still a skinny little fetus, but oh wow, was this incredible. I had tears in my eyes when she turned these on.




We can't wait to meet her in 20 weeks. Back to cooking little one.

Thought for the day

That's all it's really about isn't it?

little reminder of the day

I ran across this quote this morning...

"The right thing and the easy thing are rarely the same."

I think it's good to remind yourself sometimes that doing the right thing is going to take hard work. Whether it's your health, your relationships, your friendships or your work, you need to put in time and effort to reap the rewards. When things get tough, it may seem easy to just throw the towel in, give up, and quit, but if you want to grow as a person and do the right thing for yourself, don't make excuses. Push through and remember that if it's hard for you, it's worth it.

Don't worry, nothing crazy is going on in my life right now. For me this is just my little reminder that in the next few months working out and eating right, balancing life and work is going to get tougher, but I have to work hard to keep balanced and stay sane. It's all worth it in the end though :)

Half Way There!

Today I am 20 weeks, i.e. half way to our December 12 due date. It has been going by so fast! I'm sure mostly due to my crazy work schedule and having something going on pretty much every weekend since March. I just hope the second half goes by as fast so we can have our little one here.


So what happens by 20 weeks? Well, she is 10 1/2 inches long now (head to toe) and weighs about 10 ounces. Her limbs are now in proportion to her head, so we have less of a bobblehead now, and she's basically just a miniature version of her newborn self. She has started getting eyelashes and mini teeth buds have formed. And most interestingly, she is kicking up a storm! I felt her for the first time about 10 days ago. It was like little bubbles or taps on the inside of my belly, and it was AMAZING. I can't even describe how I felt when I felt her for the first time. I was laying in bed, about to go to sleep and I just was like, OH, I think I just felt her! And then she did it again, so I knew for sure. Every day I have been feeling her a little more often and a little stronger than before.

But, what's better than feeling her kick me for the first time? When her daddy got to feel her for the first time! I was so anxious for him to be able to feel her too and I kept telling Drew to put his hand here and try to feel her, but he just wasn't able to feel her over the last week or so. Then finally yesterday at the pool she gave me two pretty powerful nudges, so I grabbed him and said be still, she's right here, and within a couple minutes he felt her twice!! It really is the coolest feeling in the world. I know it only gets better and there's so much more to experience, but for a first time mom, I can't even imagine all that is to come. I'm still completely excited and obsessed with every little kick.

Baby Momma Library

There's so much to learn! Looking forward to our beach week coming up to do some major baby care cramming.

Shall we discuss banana pancakes?

I think we shall. Banana pancake brunch has been one of our favorite weekend rituals over the past 6 years. Trust me, there is nothing better than lounging around on a saturday morning (usually post long run...ahem) making some comfort food, relaxing with the puppies and catching up on some reading. I recommend you treat yourself next Saturday to some yum.


Sour Cream Banana Pancakes (adapted from Ina Garten)
3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup nonfat milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, sliced

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, one egg, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Here's a little trick for extra fluffy pancakes. Whisk the second of the two eggs in a separate small bowl and after it is white and stiff, add it to the bowl and mix in until just combined.



Melt a teaspoon or two of butter (I use butter flavored pam) in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. I can't stress the medium-low heat enough. Any higher and the pancakes will burn and cook unevenly. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan a large ladle-ful at a time.

While the first side is cooking, lightly place the banana slices on the pancake.


Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tiny bubbles start to appear on top.


Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned.


Flip onto a plate and store in the oven, heated to the lowest temp possible while you continue cooking the rest. Wipe out the pan after each completed pancake and reheat the pan with butter to medium-low heat.


Serve with sliced bananas, butter and REAL PURE maple syrup.

Tutu overkill

My poor baby girl is going to be all tutu-ed out when she greets this world. I just can't get enough of the tulle and cuteness, so after a quick little jaunt in Jo-Ann Fabrics I came home with a few yards of tulle, ribbon and elastic and got to work on a couple more tutus for the little one. Here's what I came up with, and it was fast, cheap and easy, just the way we like it.


Of course we had to do a pink one.


And can you ever have enough Gator gear? Hint...NO


Charlotte had to try it on just to be sure it would fit. She's a good sport.

My first Tutu!

Thanks Auntie Julie!


Now if the Gators get to the National Championship this year, I have my very first gator outfit to cheer them on!

ps. Down to Earth in Tioga has THE cutest baby section. I want everything in there!

Lighter Banana Bread

Whenever you go out of town and come back home to mushy bananas, you know it's banana bread time. This is my favorite recipe - it's on the lighter side, made with whole wheat flour and yogurt, and a little extra bananas keep it moist and full of flavor.


Banana Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt (or vanilla yogurt for a little extra sweetness)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon/allspice/cloves etc. Whatever you have and/or like for
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add in banana, yogurt, and vanilla and beat until blended. Add in the flour mixture and beat at low speed just until moist.

Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about 1 hour (it was 1 hour and 6 minutes in my oven) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.


Who else is guilty of eating the crunch top with the moist center and leaving the bottom in the pan?? It's the best part by far! I love when it's still a little gooey on the inside!

It's a.........

Last week we had the big appointment to find out the baby's sex!!!!! I was dying in anticipation in the waiting room, and as if that wasn't enough to drive me crazy, I decided we would torture ourselves even longer by having our doctor write down the sex and put it in a sealed envelope so that we could do a surprise reveal later. Immediately after the appointment I drove the sealed envelope to my friend Julie's house where she and her brother were waiting to receive the precious cargo. They were the only two to know the results, and their mission was to make either a pink or blue cake, which we would cut into later that evening to finally reveal PINK or BLUE.


I kept myself busy with work most of the afternoon and around 7 we had our parents, siblings and special friends over for the big reveal. Julie and Stephen brought over the cutest cake frosted in all white icing with pink and blue polka dots.


We polled the group to find out their suspicions, and then with hands shaking from excitement and anticipation, Drew and I cut into the cake to reveal.....


PINK PINK PINK!!!


IT'S A GIRL!


Welcome to the family baby girl clark! We're going to have a great time and you already have your daddy wrapped around your teeny finger.

With my special cake bakers! Thank you for making this so special for us. This was SUCH a fun way to find out!

Baby makes three...

I directed you all to my baby blog a few weeks ago. I started keeping that as a private way to document my pregnancy before I announced it to everyone, but now that everyone knows, I'm going to consolidate here because it's just too hard and confusing to keep up both blogs. I'm low on time and as far as I can tell, babies make your time even more precious and limited. So from now on there will be baby posts here along with the usual. Just an FYI.

Bachelorette Time!!!

I am off to Miami to celebrate the future MRS Mirna!!!!!!



You can find me in a cabana at the Fountainebleau pool where I'll be sipping my lemon water, sporting a teeny baby GIRL bump, and relaxing and laughing with my favorite girls! We've got some amazing dinner plans and other surprises, which will have to remain secret for just a few more days, but no doubt, it will be one fabulous weekend..See you monday! Have a safe and happy fourth of July!!!