Confession of a stay at home mom: frozen

When one of my babies is crying and I know there is nothing wrong other than they are overtired or blowing off steam, I am frozen. After troubleshooting for problems, all that I can do is let them cry it out for a bit. [I know a lot of my friends are not advocates of cry it out and that's fine, we are all different. But you still know what I am talking about---those moments when they cry and there is nothing more you can do but, hold them/let them cry it out]
During these unpleasant moments, I am mentally frozen. I cannot complete a thought. I cannot read and I can hardly carry on a conversation. I am not even sure what I am thinking-it's like I am blank.
In fact, my diminished mental status causes me to be physically frozen too. I can physically do very little when they are crying, especially when they both are!
Anyone else feel frozen sometimes? :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Party Preparations: Cupcakes

First of all....I am totally in denial that Caleb will be one this month.  Seriously?  Where has time gone?!  I cannot believe I am planning a first birthday for him!

As my regular readers know, Caleb has to eat dairy free.  This added an interesting element to party planning, but its been fun.  I have tried (remember these are ALL dairy free):

• Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting using only butter alternative-Cake and forsting tasted good but but the frosting melted before I could even finish frosting three cupcakes!
• Raspberry vanilla with cream cheese frosting:  Cakes was awesome, but I did not think the kids would like the raspberry "surprises" throughout.  The cream cheese frosting was ok, but not good enough.
• Raspbery vanilla cake with buttercream frosting:  Again, the cake was awesome but I did not think the kids would like the "surprises".  The buttercream frosting used all shortening---I realized, we were on to something it was GOOD, but thick!
• Snicker doodle cupcakes:  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.  THE WINNER.  See recipe below; next step--figuring out how to decorate in a fishy theme.

After I found the winner, I sent several of you a picture of the test cupcakes and many of you asked for the recipe.  I hope I remember it correctly because I sort of made it up, here goes.....

Cake Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 Pamela's white cake mix (bonus this is also gluten free)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Frosting Ingredients (3 cups):

• 1 cup shortening
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (if you want pure white frosting use clear vanilla)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch kosher or fine sea salt
• 1-3 tablespoons rice/almond/coconut/soy milk (i used almond this time, but will use rice at the party)

Topping:

• 6 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps (cake):

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 16-18 standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Combine eggs, oil, water and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk (either by hand or with a handheld mixer) for 2 minutes.
3. Gradually add the cake mix and cinnamon, whisk just until combined, mixture will be a little lumpy
4. Divide batter among prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of the topping on each cupcake.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until risen, lightly browned and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool.

Steps (frosting):

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat shortening until smooth.
2. Add Cinnamon, salt, vanilla and butter flavoring.
3. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until its all mixed in with mixer on low.
4. Add one tablespoon milk alternative. Gradually add more rice milk until the mixture becomes a spreadable consistency.
5. Turn mixer up to medium-high and beat for 30 seconds or so until very creamy.
6. Frost the cooled cupcakes.
7. Sprinkle the frosting with the remaining topping.

Yum.  Yum.  YUM!!!!!  I cannot wait to figure out how to decorate these things!!!

Sliding!

Addison did not like slides until she was about 2 and only recently will do down them with no hesitation.  Caleb?  He was in LOVE from first slide!

Check out how tough Addison is!!!  Face plant in the rubber and she STILL gets up and "shakes it off"

New Friends

As I said in my last home tour post, we have already met some wonderful godly friends here---and friends for Addison too!!!  We had the chance to watch a friend's little girl for a couple hours and it was a BLAST, I think I had as much fun as the girls!  Can you tell they had fun??

We do not have any chick-fil-as here but there are TWO opening within 10 minutes of us over the next couple of months.  YAHOOOO!!!!!

Lets cover up

No lets cover you up

Ok...I will get covered up!

11 Months

Happy 11 months to our Caleb Asher!!

As Addison so eloquently says "here comes mischief" 

Weight:  I am guessing 26 or 27 maybe (Addison weighed 28 lbs after her bad stomach bug so he may outweigh her now)

Height:  29 inches?

Diaper size: 4 during the day and 5 at night (as a side note, Addison never wore a size 5 diaper)

Clothing: 18-24 month, unreal

Overall:  He is the most huggable little boy ever!  Every time I pick him up he wraps his arms around me and gives me a big hug and even makes an "awww" sound.  Caleb's general demeanor is very happy, energetic, loving and curious/mischievous.  However, when he does not get his way he is very vocal about it and is not easily consoled once he IS finally upset (except mommy---and it even takes me a little while to console him).  

Description:  Here are words I would use to describe our little Asher: mischievous, lovable, charming, vocal, temperamental, curious, kissable, energetic, distracted, content, meek, solid, admires big sister

Separation/Stranger Anxiety:  We are also still struggling with it quite a bit.  Earlier this week we went on a "meet the doctor" visit for a potential pediatrician.  We mentioned his stranger anxiety and she said it is VERY common for babies who went through much pain for very long during early to mid infancy to experience more intense separation/stranger anxiety.  I felt much better!

Food:  Up until Tuesday I would have said he was a fantastic eater but he stopped eating almost everything! We are blaming his teeth because he won't chew anything harder than a banana.  So teeth---COME IN!

Liquid feedings:  Today we started replacing liquid feedings with almond milk in a cup.  Lunch is now a cup with almond milk.

Teeth:  He has about 6 teeth all cutting right now; and once his come to the surface they take an eternity to come all the way in.  Poor little dude.

Mobility:  In the past month he went from barely crawling to speedy Gonzales on his hands and knees!

Verbal:  He said his first sentence---kinda:  "Hi Dada" :) He babbles constantly but he can say mama, dada, bye bye, boo (as in peek a boo), piper, hi, ball, baby.  I am actually surprised he can say this much!

Schedule:

• 8:00-8:30 am:  Wake up, liquid feeding, get dressed
• 8:30-9:00 am:  Breakfast (takes a while to get him and Addison up and dressed and ready for breakfast)
• 9:00-10:00 am: Mon & Wed Sibling time; Tuesdays Baby Play at the library (Aj at school) ; Thursday Mommy time (AJ at school)
• 10:00-11:30/12:00 pm: Nap
• 12:15-1:00 pm:  Lunch
• 1:00-1:30 pm: Independent Play time
• 1:30-2:10 pm:  Structured Play time with Mommy
• 2:10-4:30/5:00 pm:  Nap
• 5:00-5:30: Daddy Time
• 5:30-6:00 pm:  Liquid feeding then Dinner
• 6:00-7:15 pm:  Family time (play ground, errands, walk, etc)
• 7:15-7:50 pm:  Bath, Bible time, prayers
• 7:50-8:00 pm:  Bedtime feeding