Hello?...Is anybody out there?

A couple of months ago I threw my hands up in the air in regards to this blog.  I basically quit the blogging world cold turkey...okay, maybe it has actually been a LONG while coming, but I was done having it CONSTANTLY on my to do list.  I was tired of it always being a nag on my mind and always thinking about things to post about but never doing it.  It was starting to feel like a looming chore and not what I wanted it to ever be.  The weird part is that I have stopped reading other blogs almost entirely, I thought I really enjoyed that.  I DO.  I guess it all seemed to just suddenly be too overwhelming for me to keep up.  After a few months of a breather and pushing any thoughts about blogging out of my mind I feel I have had a nice little mental vacation and have recently had the desire to begin updating again. Sharing about the lives of my family, my thoughts, cooking experiments, etc. So, here is to a new year and a new try at this blogging thing... again. This time, I make no commitments to anyone about what or how often you will find a new post, and more importantly to tell myself that this is fun, it should be an outlet, a place to share with family and friends far away, and most definitely NOT something I HAVE to do.  I think this mental switch may help a little...we shall see!

Spread the Word!

I have to spread the word that two incredible people are looking to adopt.  I love these two and I know they will be INCREDIBLE parents!  Word of mouth is the key! Its about LOVE and these two have loads of it to share.  I can't wait for them.  Check out their adorable profile and spread the word!

We are OFFICIALLY approved to adopt!!!

Now adoption is all about word of mouth. Please spread the news and share our profile with everyone you know, especiall

y if you know of someone who is looking to place a baby for adoption.

Our profile is: https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/27571174/photoAlbum.jsf

Please post about us on your blog, Facebook, twitter, etc. We are so grateful for all of your support in searching for our little one.

Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts of Internet Amusements Of Which I Shall Blog:

 (as I sit alone on the computer in a quite house at 8pm with BOTH babies asleep at the same time and both the cable and Pinterest not working and Dan gone and the house isn't in total disarray so all my usual distractions from blogging are not present...how is that for a run on sentence, hmm?)

*  VERY PINTERESTING:  

I LOVE Pinterest*.  I know Pinterest has been getting a bad rap lately.  I've heard a lot about how Pinterest is one more way for women to feel like they are not good enough, perfect enough, creative enough, etc.  Or I hear about how it is a waste of time on things that will never come to fruition.  BUT for those lacking in the creativity department (or maybe just lacking in original ideas, but great at copy catting...can I say that), like me, it is GREAT!  Of course I pin way more than I can actually ever do or try...at least not for a long time.  BUT, I get the greatest ideas that excite me to improve my cooking, beautify my home, create something fun/cute/lovely, focus on my parenting, try something new, inspire, and so much more.  I have DONE so many things I have discovered from Pinterest.  Also, for those of us who are very easily sidetracked, it is nice to be able to pin and categorize so I can actually go back to it and refer to ideas as events, holidays, and projects come up.  I can respect that it isn't for everyone, but it is great for me and I get a lot of joy out of it.  I personally don't see a pin of the perfect outfit, or a dream vacation, a delectible dish or a re-purposed bookshelf and think, "I suck".  I think, "OH The possibilities!  OH The POTENTIAL of me!"

(*Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse boards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. A pin is an image added to Pinterest. A pin can be added from a website using the Pin It button, or you can upload images from your computer. Each pin added using the Pin It button links back to the site it came from. -Pinterest Pinning 101)

*  THE PIANO GUYS:  I don't know if any of you have heard of them, but there is a group of men with a Youtube channel and they call themselves The Piano Guys.  There is actually only one of them that plays the piano, the others are a cellist, music producer, and videographers.  Their ambition is to inspire the world with the talents given them.  Their website says, "ThePianoGuys love what they do -- and it shows. At the end of the day, they are ordinary guys that love their families and that thank God for the opportunity they have to do what they love". They are famous for taking their instruments (especially grand pianos) and video equipment to unbelievable places.  I am truly inspired and in love with their work.  Their work ranges from inspiring, beautiful, moving, to light-hearted, funny, and whimsical.  I've always loved the cello.  There is something so romantic, moving, sexy, and sweet about its pure sounds.  Put it together with some exceptional creativity, amazing scenery, and incredible music and you can't get much better.  Dan and I love to hook the laptop up to our tv and just listen to and watch song after song.  We love to scoop up the kiddos and dance to them too.  Family Dance Party at the Brewers with ThePianoGuys! 

Their Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/thepianoguys?feature=results_main

This is the first song/video of theirs that I ever saw from ThePianoGuys:

This is an example of some of their funny ones



*  Skype/Webcam:  Technology truly is amazing.  It is amazing to me how it seems to make this immensely vast earth and all the millions upon millions of people who live on it seem a little smaller.  Thanks to the amazing webcam and skype we have been able to not only talk with, but see family over 3,000 miles away.  And with our mobile laptop they have joined us for dinner, story time, and in every room in our house.  I think it has even made it into the bathroom (probably for a tour or something cute happening during Charlie's bath time, not for anything inappropriate mind you)!  Charlie loves to see all of her Grandparents whom she loves so much on the computer.  She loves to show off her talents and toys.  She loves to see her cousins, which hasn't happened much, but I would like it to happen more often.  The only trick is the time difference.  We are just off enough from the majority of our family that it doesn't happen as often as I'd like.  But I am happy for what we get and I always find myself thinking I should do this more.

I Made It Monday: BEST-EVER Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Ok, these are not exactly among the healthier recipes I have tried from pinterest, but these are hands down the BEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever made and I have to share.  I like my cookies soft for longer than just the cooling period, but I've never been able to achieve it...until now.  I could go on about how wonderful they are, but I think you should just make them yourself and find out.  I'm not much of a baker, but these aren't too hard to mess up.  The only suggestions I have are first to make SURE you mix the dry ingredients well (as with all baking).  Once I did not do so well and we got nice nasty bites of baking soda.  Second, make the cookies the suggested size.  I tried to make them bigger and they were so soft and chewy they would fall apart when you picked them up.

JUST ENJOY THEIR INCREDIBLE DELICIOUSNESS!!!  And be careful, they are VERY addictive!

BEST-EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 Cup butter, softened
• 3/4 Cup brown sugar
• 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 Egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color.  Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
3. Mix together dry ingredients separately (flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt).  Then mix in with the
wet ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Using standard-sized cookie scoop or Tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for
8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than 10 minutes.)
5. Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.  Makes approximately 3 dozen.

His First Laugh

James is an extreamly peaceful, easy going, pleasant baby.  He constantly looks pleasantly content and gives great smiles quite easily.  The other day my Dad and I were playing with him and he gave a REAL laugh.  He had been working up to it for the last few weeks so we were quite surprised and delighted to hear his laugh follow through past that happy grunt stage.  I attached the videos below.  Of course I am never fast enough with my camera or phone to catch the best moments, but some of these laughs are pretty good.  Try to ignore MY laughing.  I was doing quite a bit of it.  I couldn't help it, I was so tickled to hear my baby boy's laugh.
 

I Made It Monday: Creamy Quinoa Primavera

I Made It Monday is making a comeback again...at least for a little while.  With the inspirations I discover on pinterest I have been trying a few new recipes over the last few months so I now have a little collection of recipes I can blog about. 

 So...Creamy Quinoa Primavera...It sounds fancy, but it is really not very complicated at all and OH SO yummy!  I first heard of quinoa about 2 years ago and I pronounced it 'qwih-noah' then discovered from a friend who had no idea what I was talking about that it is actually pronounced 'keen-wa'

This dish has helped meet all of my current food goals.  Tasty, healthy, simple, satisfying, and affordable.

First, we are attempting to cut down the amount of meat we are eating so I have been on the search for yummy yet still satisfying meatless meals.  Quinoa is a grain that is high in protein and can be very filling and satisfying.  I guess it could be argued that this recipe it isn't healthy by the mere fact that it contains cream cheese and butter - but I say it is in quite minimal amounts, there are a LOT of veggies, and if your food doesn't taste good to you it won't matter HOW healthy it is you will always be left wanting.

Second, although I have started eating wheat and dairy products again I still try to replace them when I can and again if it is satisfying.  Quinoa fits this goal as it is a gluten-free grain. 

And another goal is trying to find healthy yet AFFORDABLE options and recipes.  Originally I thought Quinoa wouldn't fit into this category because it averages around $5 for a small box in my grocery store. (I am currently investigating where to buy it in bulk cheaper - we like this recipe that much), but when I factored in that it would be replacing the meat I would have bought and that a little bit can make a lot it doesn't seem too bad.  PLUS, it is good for you!  Isn't that worth it? 

Another goal is simplicity.  It sounds like it could be labor intensive, but it really isn't THAT much work.  You cook the quinoa on the stove like you might rice and depending on the brand you may or may not need to rinse it, you have to cut up some veggies and saute them a a few minutes (approximately 2 minutes), but other than that it is not much more involved.  Maybe not the simplest of recipes, but not complicated at all!

And finally this is a very tasty dish.  It is just such a refreshing dish.  What really gives this dish the green light in our house is that Dan really likes it.  Of course he likes to add his hot sauce, but what doesn't he like to add that to?  The first few times I made it he wasn't too excited about the idea of a meatless, healthy, and strange sounding food but each time he tasted it he remembered how much he actually liked it the time before.  So now when I announce that is what is for dinner he is actually excited about it...which makes me all the more excited about it.

Ok, enough of the jibberjabber and convincing here is the recipe and you can decide for yourself if it meets YOUR food goals!  :O) 

 Creamy Quinoa Primavera

Prep Time: 10 Min     Total Time: 30 Min

Makes about 4-6 Servings

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons butter or margarine
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 cups thinly sliced or bite-size pieces assorted vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, carrot or zucchini, bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Preparation Instructions:

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain. Heat quinoa and broth to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until all broth is absorbed. Stir in cream cheese and basil; cover and remove from heat.
2. Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Toss vegetables and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with Romano cheese.

 And there you have it!

God Bless

Today I was at the park with Charlie and James.  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was out.  It wasn't too hot or too cold.  Charlie was in love with the new playground and we enjoyed playtime and a picnic. 

We were leaving the dry park area for the water play area and as we went I noticed another mother with two children passing us on the sidewalk.  I noticed because the woman looked like she was about to say something to me then changed her mind.  Then again just as she was passing me she looked like she wanted to speak, but still said nothing.  I just smiled at her.  Then a moment after she passed I heard her say, "Maam?"  I turned around to see her walking backwards after her children and she said with only slight hesitation this time, "Maam, I just wanted to tell you that God loves you.  God loves you.  God bless you."  I was suprised not only with the words of her message, but by the true sincerity and genuine love I felt from this woman.  I stuttered out a thank you, a smile, and a "God bless you" in return.  She hurried on to catch up with her children and I to mine, but I walked away with a smile I couldn't wipe away...and I didn't want to. 

Now, the term "God Bless" is one heard often in the south.  Or the phrase have a "Blessed day".  And outside of church I've had people tell me God loved me, but it was usually after they discovered my religion and felt that I needed to be "saved".  But today was different.  At the moment that mother spoke I could feel love; love of a perfect stranger who has felt the love of God for herself and had to share that love.  I felt the spirit confirm that YES, God does love me.  I loved that woman for who she was, a sister, a fellow child of a loving God, and a possesor of true charity. 

I could tell it took some courage for this mother to tell me.  I don't know what prompted her to say it at that moment or why to me, but I'm glad she did.  It made my day.  It made me smile.  And it made me want to pass on the joy I felt.  So to all of you I want to sincerely say God loves you and God bless you.

Birth-Day Story

WARNING!!! This is the story of giving birth to James so if you are not into that kind of thing I probably suggest you don't read it.  I do throw in a few words like membranes, amniotic sac, stitch, and pain so if you can't even handle that then don't read on, or skip ahead to the pictures.  :O)

As I sit here recalling James's BIRTHday there are parts that seem a little hazy.  Maybe it was how quickly the labor and delivery went, maybe it is my current state of sleep deprivation, maybe both but I will do my best to share the exciting day that James joined our family.

It was Monday morning, April 2nd (my projected due date), and not too much was happening.  The week leading up to this day I was extremely uncomfortable and excited to meet my new little guy, but Charlie, Dan, and I had all contracted hand,foot, and mouth disease and I was no longer anxious to have my newborn out and exposed to such an awful virus!  I figured every day he stays inside, the better chance he has of not contracting it.  So I suddenly became OK with being 9 months pregnant.  But by that Monday morning we were doing a little better, my Mom and sister were in town and it seemed like a good day to get things going.  Dan and I went to my appointment that morning and my doctor stripped my membranes saying that it would only help things along if my body was ready.  So the day went on with no change so I thought maybe my body wasn't ready yet.  So we took advantage of our still free day.  My Mom, sister and I decided to go out to lunch at one of my favorite spots - The Back Porch.  I LOVE this place.  Not necessarily for the food (although it is quite tasty) but because it is RIGHT on the beach.  You sit overlooking the beautiful white beaches and crystal clear water of the emerald coast while enjoying yummy food and good company.  I think the waiter's eyes bugged out of his head a little when he asked my due date and found out it was that day.  He kept glancing at my belly and no joke was slightly leaning back like I was going to explode all over him at any moment.  Yeah, he was just a little weird.

After that I really can't remember what filled the rest of that day.  I think we may have taken naps, but I can't remember.  I do remember during dinner (Taco night - YUM!) I noticed my contractions were starting to get a little stronger and I announced that I was pretty sure I was starting labor.  It definitely wasn't a big deal yet and I thought I still had the entire night of laboring ahead of me.  I thought that maybe we might have a baby tomorrow morning sometime.  The evening continued as normal.  With Charlie's usual bedtime routine with a few more contractions thrown in there, but no big deal.  The contractions notched up just a tad so I took a shower and finished packing my hospital bag.  Then Dan went to bed to get some rest while my Mom, sister and I sat down to watch the most recent twilight movie.  (I don't know why we thought that was a good idea to watch with a woman in labor in the room.)  Luckily, I never got to the gruesome parts of the movie that I later heard of.  I still haven't finished the movie yet.  It just didn't capture my attention, but that could be because labor was steadily intensifying during it.  Finally I went up stairs to get something and Dan timed my contractions and they were about 2-3 minutes apart or less.  He was suddenly very anxious to get to the hospital.  I on the other hand, though getting a tiny bit more uncomfortable, wasn't so sure we needed to yet.  I didn't want to sit in the hospital for hours upon on hours.  But Dan won out and seeing him so anxious was cute so we went for it.  My mom stayed to finish the movie with Victoria and we made the 4 minute drive down the street to the hospital.

It turns out that it was a good time to go.  I was a 6 and almost 7 when we got there which blew my mind because I remembered being WAY more miserable at that point with Charlie.  As soon as I got there labor kicked into gear and the next hour and a half were filled with working through contractions and trying to get through paperwork and get that darn IV into my arm.  Trust me, DARN is not the word that went through my mind each of the 6 tries and 3 medical professionals it took to get my IV in.  Each one ended with a blown blood vessel and an instant hematoma.  NO FUN!  Finally after a little over an hour they got it in.  It took so long because they only attempted between contractions.  It is not fun to be having a contraction AND having a needle digging in your arm.

By this point I was in a LOT of pain.  I started to really freak out because I still thought I had hours ahead of me and I felt like I couldn't do it anymore.  Dan was amazing; supporting me through each and every contraction and coaching me to relax and breath all the way through.  My Mom resumed her same job as she did when Charlie was born - counting.  I know it probably got monotonous for everyone, but it really helped!  The sweet nurse that was able to get my IV in (bless her) was the only other person in the room and she said she thought I was almost there.  I didn't believe her because we hadn't even been in the hospital two hours yet.  She checked me and low and behold I was a 9 and totally effaced.  She got on the phone with the doctor right then (who thankfully happens to live in the neighbor hood behind us - remember that 4 minute drive? yeah, AWESOME!).

As she updated the doctor on the phone I had a strange sensation and a lot of pain.  I felt like the baby was coming out, I wasn't even pushing.  I started to yell that he was coming out and both Dan and my Mom started freaking out and the whole room was suddenly full and busy and doctor Graham said she was on her way.  But the sensation was very strange, not like a baby and I was in so much pain and so confused and freaking out because I had no idea what was sliding out.  It turns out that it was the amniotic sac.  My water still had not broken and it was still intact, but on its way out anyway.  The nurse later described it to me as being like squeezing a deflating balloon in half and it bulges on both ends as it tries to compensate for the lost space.  Well that is what what happened with the amniotic sac.  But no one broke it like I thought they would because they were trying to prevent me from having the baby any faster than I was.  I suddenly found myself pushing against the pleadings of EVERYONE around me.  But it was time.  My body knew it was time and I had ZERO control over it.  It hurt so bad and all I wanted to do was push.  Luckily, Dr. Graham walked in, broke my sac and I was all ready set to push (officially) and have this baby.  Pushing this time was MUCH more painful than it was with Charlie.  I think because it happened so fast this time.  Dr. Graham was amazing and really helped me focus.  Dan was right there with me encouraging me.  And besides the two of the them I was almost oblivious to all the people in the room.  I couldn't tell you who was there or how many people there were, but I remember Dr. Graham's face and I remember Dan's face, and I remember

SO MUCH PAIN

...then suddenly...they are placing this baby on me...this perfect...sweet... baby boy...the room, the noise, the lights all faded into the background and I just held on to this perfect little angel.  He looked at me and he held tight onto my finger and I was so in love.  I couldn't believe it.  It didn't seem real.  It seemed too fast to be real, he seemed too perfect to be real.  And nobody whisked him away to the warming table like they did with Charlie.  They just left him in my arms with the two of us just looking at each other.  I think I even asked if this was real and if he was real and I vaguely remember some chuckles.  Slowly, the room came back in to focus as all the busy hands slowed and everyone was looking at him too.  He was perfect.  And at that moment my love grew.  My love for Dan grew, my love for Charlie grew, and my love for this little baby felt like it had always been there as big and strong as ever.  I was in awe.


That magical moment lingered and pleasantly eased me back into reality.  Until the one stitch I needed was placed and I'll tell you that jolted me back to reality...and pain...pretty quickly.  But the doctor kept telling me just to look at my baby as she finished the stitch.  It was only one stitch, but it felt like heck and felt like it took forever.  I just kept talking to and looking at my baby through the pain (that I thought was supposed to be over) and he helped to ease it.  Someone asked what his name was and we said James.  And I knew that was the right name.

Recovery was so fast this time. It was pretty fast with Charlie, but seemed faster this time.  Sometimes I even forgot I had just had a baby until I would sit funny and my bruised tailbone would remind me.  I did have one crazy case of the shakes.  I felt like I was riding a bicycle with no tires over train tracks.  It was so strange to be shaking so uncontrollably and so extreme.  Luckily that didn't last long.  My adrenaline just needed some kind of outlet after such a fast a furious delivery.  He was born within two hours of getting to the hospital and within 15 minutes of the doctor's arrival.  He was born 14 minutes after midnight making it an April 3rd birthday.  I'd say that is a pretty good BIRTHday.

 Now, James is two months old and life is busy, crazy, wonderful.  He was a missing piece to our family.  We are in love with him and I would say he is in love with us.  Now that he is smiling it is easy to see that he is happy so much of the time.  I look forward to watching him grow and watching his personality develop more.  Any fears I once had about my ability to love another child or that my love for Charlie would have to decrease to be able to love another have vanished and seem silly now.  I love this little boy, James.

Happy Mama

Doting Daddy

The Rigamaroll

Proud Grandma

Probably the best nurses anyone could ask for!

He Loves bathtime (first bath)

I've Lost That Bloggin' Feelin'

Don't get me wrong, I WANT to blog.  I enjoy it and I often think, "Oh, I'm going to have to blog about this" or "This would make a good blog post"  or "this picture is DEFINITELY going on the blog" but does it happen?  Obviously not.  The same has gone with reading blogs.  I go to my blog roll and see all the updates of my family and friends, but instead of clicking on them and reading I feel tired and close the computer.  I don't know what my deal is.  How can you really want to do something but just never do it.  I'm still figuring it out.  I have so many posts I want to do and I have so many blogs I want to catch up on, but I just can't seem to get going again.  So to my blogger friends.  How do you do it?  How are you motivated?  Where can I start again?  I know this sounds crazy that you would need motivation to do something you WANT to, but I'm curious what gets you on your computer and typing and reading?

INTRODUCING...

James Jay-Louis Brewer

Born Tuesday

April 3, 2012

at 12:14 am

weighing in at

6 lbs 12 oz

and 19 3/4 in. long

It has taken me six weeks to update here on the blog, but we are absolutely thrilled to welcome our little man into our family. He is so perfect and we are SO in love.  He makes our family feel more complete and we love being all together.  He is a little snuggler and LOVES to be held.  He is not too much of a crier, but he is definitely a grunter and growler.  It is so funny to hear.  He is a great and fast nurser and growing SO fast.  He is quite tall for a Brewer or Bulson so we'll see if he keeps that up or if that slows down.  He is becoming a great night sleeper and I can usually get a chunk of 3 1/2 - 4 or even 5 hours of sleep. Which makes for an easier day with him and our busy miss Charlie-Marie.

Charlie LOVES her little brother and has been SO good with him.  She loves to kiss him, give him toys, and talk to him.  She enjoys introducing him and it is so cute because she can't just say it straight, it always sounds like her voice is going over a hill as she says "Baby Jaaaaaames".  I was worried about some aggression, but she has been great.  She slips into meltdowns a little faster than she used to, but overall she has taken very well to the transition.  She is a big helper.  She helps me get ready to change his diapers by getting a diaper and wipes then she throws the dirty diaper away.  She loves helping out with it most of the time.  Yesterday we were at my doctor's office and my doctor was holding James and showing him off to the rest of the office and Charlie followed her around watching her like a hawk.  Being the little guardian she told the doctor, "Careful doctor Graham, careful!  I watch you" (said with the "r" sounding like a "w".

Dan and I are transitioning as well as expected with the inherent sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn.  I think I would say in many ways going from one child to two is much easier than I anticipated.  I think because I kind of know what to expect this time around.  Not everything is new and unknown.  In that way it was much easier than going from zero to one.  It isn't nearly as stressful.  HOWEVER, it is challenging getting Charlie out of the house and keeping her busy and happy while nursing every 2-3 hours.  She has learned that she has a few extra moments to make a mess or try and get away with something if I am sitting on the couch nursing.  She knows I can't put a stop to it as fast as I did before.  Little sweet stinker girl!  :O)

Well, I hope to get the BIRTH-day story posted pretty soon for those who are interested.  In the meantime, enjoy some little James tidbits...