Piece of Cake

I'm working on a post about Christmas Day (which I accidently posted earlier tonight, then promptly returned to draft mode when I realized it!) so that you can see some pics of how spoiled Liam was (well, we all were!) on his first Christmas.

Under the tree this year, I found this book:

Along with this adorable addition:

I couldn't wait to try it but really needed an occasion to go through the trouble of gathering the ingredients and putting these together. Then, a friend called and invited us to a cookie swap tomorrow night. Perfect!

I opted for the no bake (easy!) recipe which consists of a package of crushed oreos and a package of cream cheese. After mixing them together and chilling them, I used the cupcake mold to shape the dough into tiny cupcakes, chilled again, then dipped the bottoms in melted chocolate and inserted the lollipop sticks. I turned them upside down in an egg carton to let the chocolate harden.


Then, I dipped the top in pink candy melts, and decorated with an m&m and sprinkles. I stuck the sticks in styrofoam so that they could harden.


I made Rob my official taste-tester. Rich. Moist. Delicious!!

Then, I packaged them up for the party tomorrow night. (Really, what doesn't look cuter with a green grosgrain ribbon tied to it?)

I'm thrilled with how these turned out and just had to share. I can't wait to experiment with other cute creations from the book and make more of these cupcake pops! (These will be so perfect at my cousin's baby shower in a few months & I've got a while to perfect my technique before then.) If you ever need a cute treat, give these a shot. They were fun & so easy!

From our family...

...to yours.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling.

Letters to Liam, 3 months

My Little Liam,

A year ago today, I wondered if we’d ever have a baby of our own. Would I ever know what it was like to watch my belly expand as my baby grew, to feel a little one twist and turn inside me, or to see the face of a child that was a little bit of me and a little of your daddy? A baby was our biggest Christmas wish, and you are our dream come true. Although we didn’t know it yet, on Christmas morning last year you were three days old, at the very beginning of your little life. As we decorated our Christmas tree this year while you watched, I teared up thinking about how lucky we are to have you. Three months old and you are the light of our lives.

Last week, I started packing up your newborn clothes. What a bittersweet day! I mourn the fact that you are growing so quickly and celebrate it at the same time. Each day I see you change and it takes my breath away.

It’s almost time to move you out of your bassinet in our bedroom and into your crib in your own room. We decorated a beautiful nursery for you, and you’ve never even slept in it! It’s silly, I know, but it feels like such a big step and while I know that you are ready, I’m not sure that I am. Once you’re gone, you’ll never again be the tiny baby sleeping steps away from me. I cling to these days (even the difficult ones) because I know how sweet and precious they are.

Speaking of sleeping, you are doing so great-- We put you to bed around 11:30pm each night and you sleep until 8:30-9:30am the next morning! I am SO happy that you sleep through the night because it makes our days together much easier. We’re still having problems with your tummy, but we’ll keep trying new things until you feel better. We increased your acid reflux medicine and changed bottles recently. I’m committed to continue breastfeeding you and daddy gives you a bottle of my milk each night. Your colic seems to have calmed down considerably, but I don’t think we’re out of the water just yet. We’re trying to be patient.

You rolled over for the first time yesterday! Today you have been showing off your new trick—you’ve done it several more times and you seem so pleased with yourself until you realize that you can’t figure out how to flip back over. Daddy and I are so proud of you (and terrified)!

You had a great first Thanksgiving at Marmi & Poppy’s house! Grandpa Blakely, Aunt Barbara, Uncle Jeremy and your cousins Sarah and Jack came to celebrate. We had so much fun getting to see them and you and Jack had a great time playing. We got some sweet pictures of you two together— I hope that you two grow up to be friends as well as family like we are with your Aunt Barbara.

Christmas is just a few days away and we’re so excited to celebrate with you! We can’t wait to give you your presents—some blocks, cars, books, keys and teethers. You’re not quite old enough for most of your gifts yet, but you will be in the next few months and we can’t wait to watch you grow and play. We’ve added new ornaments for you to the tree and we’ll build our own traditions as a family each year. I’ve been working on sewing your first stocking this week and can’t wait for Santa to fill it with goodies.

I’m not a big fan of Christmas songs, but one song I keep hearing has lyrics that make me overwhelmed with gratitude for all we’ve been given this year:

My whole life has turned around,
I was lost but now I’m found…
A baby changes everything.

You’ve changed our lives forever, and we couldn’t be happier.

I love you, my little Christmas miracle.
Mommy

Got Milk?

Whoever said, "Don't cy over spilled milk" was obviously not a breastfeeding mother, who just accidently dumped an entire bottle of pumped milk all over the kitchen counter.

Santaland

When I was growing up, I went to visit Ms. B every fall. I'd stand up tall while she measured me, as her and my mom discussed the details of a beautiful dress that would soon be mine. She'd sew for several weeks and once my holiday dress was finished, the first place I wore it was to visit Santa.

We went to the same mall each year to see the same Santa Claus. He was really impressive-- beautiful suit, real beard, straight out of Miracle on 34th Street (my favorite Christmas movie!). Now that I'm older, the thing I appreciate the most about him was that he was unbelievably jolly. How many children sat on his lap each day? Yet, he always treated my brother and I as if we were the only children in the world. I remember him asking us what we wanted for Christmas and he listened with such earnest. To me, he was the REAL Santa Claus.

Last year, not long after I found out I was pregnant, I went to Strasburg and found the perfect red & white striped knit Christmas outfit and I imagined taking our baby (no idea if it would be a boy or a girl) for the first holiday picture. And although our baby would be too small to remember, I wanted the experience to be special.

We took Liam for his first visit with Santa yesterday, and it wasn't exactly how I remember it or what I had imagined. Cute background, great suit, real beard--but Santa had no Christmas spirit. He never asked Liam what he wanted, didn't say Merry Christmas... He didn't even say hello to us. Crumpet popped Liam onto his lap, we snapped a few pics and that was it.

It doesn't matter so much this year, because Liam doesn't understand... but we understood. Maybe Santa thought that it wasn't worth the effort with an infant? I was disappointed in him none-the-less. I'm so hopeful that when Liam is older, his future visits with Santa inspire him to believe, just like mine did.

We did end up with a sweet pic of Liam with Santa...it was just too bad his attitude was ho-ho-ho-rrible. However, a photo with no tears equals an overall successful first Christmas pic.

(He'll save those for next year when, I'm sure, Santa will scare the hell out of him.)

Etsy Strikes Again: Trimming the Tree Edition

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is approaching. Santa's been busy picking out the perfect presents for a little boy who has been very good this year. (You know, the one who will be more interested in the celing fan than any gift I purchase.)

In a few weeks, Rob, Liam and I will pick out a beautiful frasier fir that will fill our house with the scent of pine and the spirit of Christmas. I love the few weeks before Christmas where we sit in front of the fire at night and look at the tree and the gifts multiplying beneath it. I love having personalized decorations around the house. Last year, I made a tree skirt out of some of my favorite fabric and this year, I need to get around to making our matching stockings. (Liam's babylegs are the only thing I've sewn since he was born and I really miss it!)

For our tree, we started out with packages of store bought ornaments, but over the years, Rob and I have tried to pick up Christmas ornaments on trips we've taken, places we've lived and things that represent us so that the tree has ornaments that actually mean something to us. Some of my favorites include a small silver bell that matches our Vera Wang silverware with 2008 engraved on the back (the year we got married) and a tiny sweet grass basket (that reminds us of home-- Charleston, SC). We also love the red balls with green polka dots with an R (Rob), S (Stef), C (Chloe) and a T (Tate-- the is the first year Tate's ornament will be here without him. We miss him SO much.) on them. We need to find an L to add Liam to the bunch! I've been looking for a new ornament to represent our little addition, but I've hated every "Baby's First Christmas" ornament that I've seen.

Until I stumbled upon lemons with a pea. How simple but adorable is this?!

Ours will be green with red writing and it will say "little baby Liam" on the front. The back will have his full name, birthday, weight & length on it.

I couldn't get out of Robin's etsy store without adding this to my cart as well:

(Ours will have our names and wedding date.)

I'll definitely post pictures of the ornaments when they arrive, of the tree once it's up and of the stockings once they're made. Liam's not taking substantial naps most days, so this may have to a be a project to tackle on a day that he's hanging out with his Marmi--right after a much needed solo trip to the grocery store! (Exciting, I know.)