Home Made

Sebby and I decided to try our hand at making crackers.  So many crackers in the store have milk products of some sort in them.  Whew! I didn't realize that going to the grocery store for "vegan" food would be like going to the library.  I really have to read labels. I also need to carry my laptop so I can look up all the funny looking words in the ingredient list like "casein".   It is a protein found in cheese and milk. Now I have to plan my trips instead of just running to the store for a quick shop.

I looked on line for a cracker recipe. The one we did was really simple but I think I need to tweak it before sharing it with you.  I think the key is making sure the dough is rolled thin enough and the crackers are baked long enough but not too long.  I am at high altitude and so I am going to have to mess around with the recipe till I get something good.  Sebby like them when we tasted them.

Davy wasn't so sure about the crackers. He does like graham crackers though.  He also doesn't have to be on the vegan diet, but since Sebby is why not let them both be on it.  Then I don't have to cook so many different things at meal time!

If any of you have ever made crackers before I would love to hear your experiences with them.  Would love the recipes too!

Asthma, Colds, and Making The Most Of It

Poor kids.  Davy has a bad cold and Sebby has a cold that launched his asthma.  Fortunately we know how to deal with the asthma attacks now so that we don't have to take Sebastian to the hospital.  I am really glad because it saves us sooooo much money!  Maybe that is why God never sold my Oxygen and Medical business.  Now it is providing for my family.  The Dr. gave an RX for Sebby and I had immediate delivery of Oxygen.  Casey still has medicine from the last time and the Dr. upped his dosage for the first two days.  We have been giving regular nebulizer treatments and he seems to be doing better.

Unfortunately because they are both sick we can't go outside.  It can get cabin feverish.  The boys decided to play hide and seek.  Sebby got to be off his oxygen for awhile so we played.  They are creative.  Funny how they have to call me when they are hiding so in can find them.  Sebby asked me to put Davy in the hamper with him so they could "hide" together.  Very cute.

A friend suggested we try a vegan diet for awhile and see if that works to reduce the asthma for Seb.  So Casey went out and bought a few things and made a couple of really good recipes.  My first thought about going vegan is, no flavor diet.  But the recipes we tried are really good. We found them online by typing key word Vegan Recipes. I will share them in a future blog.

Hunkering Down and Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's getting colder by the minute.  I think it's going to snow again.  Sigh.  I really am tired of the snow and cold, but the nice thing about it is that I can snuggle with the boys.  Davy came this morning with this darling and very warm hat on.  He looks so cute in it.

Both of the boys have colds. So what's new.  They decided to get on Grammy's fluffy bed and wrap up in blankets to watch cartoons.  Sebby said, "Can I watch cartoons Grammy? That would cheer me up."  How can I refuse. 

We did make cookies today. They came out really good. 


Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Cream together:
1 pound butter softened, (four sticks or two cups)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar firmly packed

Add to creamed butter and sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 Tablespoon vanilla
and beat till fluffy.

Separately  put
4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
in a bowl and stir dry ingredients together. Add spoonful at at time to mixture and beat on low till well blended

Add
1 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts
1 12 oz pkg chocolate chips

Stir till blended.

You don't have to grease the cookie sheet, but I either spray it a little bit or use parchment paper liner. I actually use a small ice cream scoop (about 1.5 inch) to shape the cookies.  They all come out the same size that way. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
This recipe is good for high altitude cookies.  I live at 7600 feet.

Warm Greetings Fun And Games

I flew into Albuquerque airport and was so excited to see my Sebby and Davy. Don drove up to the passenger pick up and I opened the door and grabbed my Sebby and hugged him tight.  He said, "We are picking up up at the airport!"  He was all smiles and giggles.  After hugging my wonderful husband ( he really missed me!) I slid in between the boys.  I gave Casey a hug and settled back into shear heaven. Davy was asleep in his car seat and I had to wait till he woke up before hugging him.  My heart was really full and I was so happy to be back with my boys.

Casey, Don, and I went out to dinner before heading back home.  Sebby sat by me and hugged my arm and kept saying, "We picked you up at the airport!"  It was exciting for him too.  We had a great dinner and then drove home. Sebby hugged my arm all the way home.

The boys came over the next day for me to babysit while Casey went to work.  We had a ball playing games and running round. Don fixed up a box and pull and put the boys in it and pulled them around the living room.  They both squeeled with delight.

Periodically throughout the day Sebby would say, "We picked you up at the airport!"  I was gone so long that he may have thought I wasn't coming back and he was so thrilled to see that I did!

Today Sebby and I are going to make cookies.  "M&M cookes" per request. Will let you know how it goes.

Last Day With Abby and Cate

Today is the last day I get to spend with Abby and Cate.  We went to the Petting Zoo on the Biltmore Estates.  It was cold but we went and had a nice time. 

After our visit with the animals we went to the Biltmore Square and ate a nice lunch at the Corner Kitchen.  They have good cheese cake there and nice burgers.  It was great to relax and the girls were very good.

They have very nice shops in the square.  We shopped at some kids clothing stores that had beautiful stuff and adorable clothes.  They thought a lot of their clothes and they show it in their prices so we walked out without buying anything.

Later in the evening we went to a Baby Shower that the church and friends gave for Cate.  She got some beautiful clothes, diapers, and wipes, and accessories for babies.  It was fun and very nice of the ladies to do.  Callie is all set for baby things and so is Cate.  Even Abby got a few gifts.  A good evening all around.

First Well Baby Visit

Today was Cate's first "Well Baby" check up.  What trama.  Just think....you have to lay naked on a cold plastic covered table with a piece of paper draped over it. I don't call that very hospitable or comfortable for a naked baby. Then you wait, and wait, and wait.  I wonder if the Doctor is balancing her checkbook or something.  She could be finalizing her summer vacation plans.  Whatever she is doing waiting is getting cold. 

She finally comes in the exam room and poor Cate gets poked, prodded, bent, tapped, and listened to from every angle.  She is weighed, measured, and documented before finally being declared perfect.  We knew she was perfect.  All you had to do was ask.  Would have been so much easier and cheaper.

The Doctor is nice.  She explains things well and has a good way with babies.  But still I think Cate describes her ordeal best in her pictures.  Wow....that was a humiliating and  COLD experience!

Snuggling With Abby

Andy usually gets up early with the girls so Callie can get a few extra winks.  She was up most of the night last night because Cate decided it was time to play around 10:00 pm.  So I went upstairs about 8 am as Andy was getting ready to head out the door for work. On his way out he woke up Abby and kissed her good-bye.

Abby come out into the living room saying, "Abby's awake."  She crawled up on the couch with me.  She likes the smooth feel of my satin pjs.  We got the blanket and snuggled together while watching the early morning news.  She sipped on a cup of milk and snuggled under my arm.  Content to have her there and she being content to stay there we enjoyed sitting together for half an hour.

I've been here almost a month and Abby is finally comfortable with me.  Sad that I have to leave in three days. I guess I just need to make the most of those days while I have them.

Fun, Fun, Fun!

We went to church today.  Abby and Cate wore matching dresses and were so cute.  When we got home there was a package waiting on the door step.  It was a gift for Abby from Auntie Casey, a Adam's State College shirt just like Dad.  So they wore their matching shirts to the Biltmore Mansion.  But before we went we had to do spa stuff with the spa set that Auntie Casey sent with the shirt.  We have to look good and feel relaxed when on outings, right?  And what father wouldn't make sure he looked good too, for his daughters. 

Posing with Abby

I set the time on the Nikon D40X and we took pictures for about 45 minutes.  We had a ball.  She kept saying, "Take it again."  I kept taking pictures until she got tired.  It was fun!

Cate Update #2

Cate is 10 days old. She is changing so fast.  It's funny to watch Cate make faces.  She is dealing with all sorts of stuff from hunger, to temperature, to touch.  She doesn't like sitting in a full diaper, as if anyone would.  She makes faces for all of it.

I get to give her baths.  She likes part of it, like getting her head washed.  The rest of it, like washing her neck folds and behind her ears she can do without.  She smells wonderful after her bath.  Her umbilacl cord stump is almost ready to fall off.

She is alert and can track with her eyes a little bit.  She seems to focus in on close things.  She will stare at my face for a long time.  Hope she doesn't have nightmares over it.  She is getting her days and nights straightened out better, but Callie was up a lot last night with her and was very, very tired!!!

I am fighting the urge to go out and buy another outfit so I can take more pictures.  But then I really don't need cute clothes.  She is cute enough! BTW.  Her congestion seems to be clearing up. 

Cate Update #1

Susanne Catherine, "Cate", is doing great.  She is nursing well.  She does have some congestion and I hope it doesn't develop into a full blown cold.  We have kept her at home except for church and that is were she may have picked up a bug, but I doubt it as Callie held her most of the time.

Abby is still enthralled with her new baby sister.  She isn't calling her "baby cakes" any more, but "baby sister."  She corrected me when I called her Susanna Banana Danna. She told me that wasn't right.  This was her baby sister. 

Callie is trying her best to give time to Abby.  She does miss her special play time when it was just the two of them.  Callie is funny because she says that she "isn't doing anything because Mom is doing it all." That would be house cleaning, laundry, and cooking plus helping out when needed with the girls.  Yet she feels that she is always busy, nursing the baby, changing the baby, bathing the baby, and rocking the baby.  So not much time with Abby.  She will figure it out soon, especially when I go back home.

Abby is taking it all in stride.  She loves holding Cate. Andy and Callie even let Abby feed Cate a bottle for a minute or so.  They watched over that very carefully.  It went well.

Cate is 9 days old now.  She is starting to round out a bit.  Her cord stump was bloody this morning when I gave her a sponge bath.  I cleaned it up with a Q-tip.  It should come off in the next week or so.  The doctor will check it next week anyway at her first Well Baby check-up.

She is perfect and beautiful. 

Applesauce

You would think when Abby says "applesauce" she is speaking about something that you eat.  When I went to the store I bought her applesauce.  I found out later that is not what she is saying. 

We were doing her letters on Starfall.com.  The O has an eight legged sea creature on one of the pages.  I asked her what it was.  She said, "applesauce".  I tried to correct her and said "octopus". She nodded her head and said "applesauce"! 

Okay.  Applesauce.

Hugs and Kisses

My granddaughter, Abby, is hilarious.  When she gave me a hug and kiss before going to bed the first night I stayed at my daughter's house I felt so good.  I thought that was special and just for me.  Then reality hit.  As I was giving her a bath and letting the water out she had to "hug" the water as it was draining.  "Good-bye water."  Hug!  Then she kissed all her boats as she stacked them on the edge of the tub.  "Bye boats. "  Kiss, kiss.

When I put her down for a nap we have to kiss all the dollies, books, toys, blankets and each other.  Then we do a round of hugs, sing some love songs, and then do it all again.  I fall asleep before she does. I think it is a nap time tactic.

I took her for a walk today.  She saw many pine cones and was entralled with them.  Then she saw a broken one.  Of course she had to pick it up and kiss it.  "Bye-bye boken pine cone."  Sigh.  She is a very loving girl and much like her mom who when she is taking her pain
medication loves everyone and everything.

Having A Ball

Okay, so maybe I can take too many pictures of my grandchildren.  NOT!  They are the perfect subject to photograph.  I am having a ball !

Like Mommy and Laundry Baskets

Siblings very much want to be involved with the new baby.  At least when they first come home.  I'm sure the newness wears off as it did after my son was born.  My girls were so excited to have a new baby brother and when I brought him home they played with their dolls and "helped" me with the new "toy."  After about 3 weeks they decided this kid took too much of Mom's time away from them.  So the attention getting started in. 

Sometimes attention getting included doing over and over the things that I thought were so cute to begin with.  One of those things was nursing.  Callie would "nurse" her dollie while I nursed Joshua.  Cute?  Of course.  Even when she would do it in church, restaurantes, car, store, and just about anywhere.  I would just shrug with a sheepish grin and say, "Like Mommy".

Today, Abby got the great idea to "nurse" her dollie.  And so it starts...."aww, isn't that so cute?  Let's take a picture."  Well, Callie....get ready, because you ARE gonna have to say, "Like Mommy."

Who would have ever thought that a lanudry basket would make the perfect basinet. Cate is as snug as a bug in a rug.  Kind of like a cacoon. Andy likes it too because he moves it to wherever he is so he can keep an eye on her. It also fits nicely on the foot rest of the rocker so one can rock her gently to sleep.  And those handles for easy carrying are great! Very convenient. I think I will market them as a new baby product that parents must have. I just don't want to forget that this isn't folded laundry and put her away in a drawer some place.

Blessings Again

There is so much joy in holding a grandchild.  This new little life that came out of my daughter.  Such a miracle.  "Baby Cakes" is perfect.  She is sleeping on a pile of blankets stacked in the laundry basket.  Laundry baskets have a whole new meaning now.  As I watch her softly breathe I thank God for taking care of my children.  They are so blessed and so am I.

Andy is a good father.  He has taken wonderful care of Abby while Callie tries to get some rest.   Andy took Abby shopping for a bedding set.  They couldn't find one so they came home and Callie ordered one on line.  Very cute owl and tree on brown and blue background. It matches her room.

Callie is feeling so much better tonight. Amazing how much some solid rest can do fo the soul.  The baby slept so much better also.  Though I do have a feeling that she will want to play in the middle of the night. I rested today so I think I will get to play with her.

I enjoy taking pictures of my grandchildren.  It helps when they are so photogenic, don't you think? Enjoy.