D is for...

Date-Night...Quite possibly the greatest hyphenated word in the entire "Encyclopedia of my Ordinary Life". It doesn't matter where we go, or what we do. Date-night is always a special time for Jason and me. (Praise the Lord for 2 sets of in-town grandparents who love to offer free babysitting!)

Denise...my middle name (after my mom), just in case you'd ever wondered.

Diapers...I don't even want to think about how many we've been through already, let alone how many more we'll use with baby brother. Thankfully, potty training is going pretty well with Norah, so we're using considerably less than we were a month ago.

Disc Golf...(Know by most as "Frisbee Golf", but referred to as "Disc Golf" by actual players of the sport, in an effort to make it sound more dignified) I'd be in serious trouble if I forgot to mention this one. Calling D.G. an "obsession" of Jason's would be putting it mildly. (I even made him a disc golf birthday cake this year) And he is really, really good at the game. We have a disc golf basket in our backyard (Aggie maroon & white, pictured left), where J can be found most nights, practicing his putting, often sinking them from 60 feet! Thankfully, we both really enjoy playing together at the various parks around town (and even a little on vacation), and it has been a blessing for us to have this avenue of recreational companionship to share. Norah loves to get out in the backyard with us and shag stray discs (more of mine than Jason's) and she's finally tall enough to reach up and drop her retrievals into the basket, where she's figured out on her own is the place all discs "belong".

C is for...

Cable...a "luxury" we've never felt the need to indulge in. For the entire 7 years of our marriage, Jason and I have never had cable tv. We do, still watch some occasional television (Norah loves PBS) and we definitely enjoy our online membership to Blockbuster (so worth the $10/month!), but that's more than enough tv in our house as far as we're concerned.

Cakes...and boy have I made a lot of them! For a little over a year now I've been providing cakes for a Princess & Diva Birthday Party business, and I really love it. I have made tons of pink and purple cakes, doll cakes, and even a castle cake. My favorite cake this year was Norah's first birthday cake (and cupcakes) for her Monkey party.

Christian...Jason's and my shared faith is the most important foundation of our relationship. We both grew up in the Church of Christ , and still continue to worship there together three times a week. But more importantly than the decision to attend "church" tri-weekly, is our decision to do our best to live out our faith in our every day life, and model it to our children.

Cookbooks...I am a cookbook junkie. I have a big collection of them, and love pouring over them to make my weekly grocery list. My two favorites are "The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook" and "My Favorite Recipes", a Gooseberry Patch blank cookbook that I hand-write all of my favorite recipes in. Only the best of the best, tried-and-true and "secret family recipes" make it into that book, and I look forward to passing it on to Norah someday.

Cravings...I didn't have many with my first pregnancy (really, just orange juice, all 9 months), but this time, it seems like I have a new one every day. Some of my more recent cravings have been for circus peanuts (you remember, those orange, marshmallow peanut-shaped candies?), strawberry daiquiri's (thankfully, I've never acquired a taste for alcohol, so virgin is just the way I like them!), and just about anything high in protein.

Creative...Growing up, I never really felt this was a word that described me. I would, however, say that it it was a word that described what I wanted to be. I do love creating things---from sketches, to sewing projects, to big dinners, and take an extra bit of pride in anything that I can make from scratch or without a pattern.

B is for...

Baby Brother...I have one (although I'm pretty sure 22 year-old Jonathan wouldn't appreciate being referred to as a "baby" at this stage in life), Jason was one (again, not a baby anymore!), and in December, Norah will have one, too!

Baking...I love to bake. Cakes are probably my most common kitchen product, but I also enjoy trying new muffin recipes, as well as pies and pastries.

Big Sister...I am the oldest of 3 kids, and will admit to falling into most of the stereo-types of a "first born". Norah and I will soon share the moniker of "Big Sis".

Books...from fiction, to children's books, to devotionals, and of course, "the classics", Robinson County is a home filled with books. We love to read--Norah included (since she was about 3 weeks old). She "reads" in the car, and we always read at least 2 books before bed--a tradition I really look forward to continuing with her once we've moved her into the "big girl bed", where we can cuddle up and read together.

A is for...

AA...which, if you have not figured out by now, is short for Norah's "Aunt Amanda", my sister, and one of my very best friends.

Angela...my name, which despite the fact that I asked my mom to change to it "Cinderella" when I was six, I've come to really like. Now "Angie", is another story...I don't think I'll ever like that nickname, or the familiarity that someone assumes when they automatically call me "Angie" after I've just introduced myself as Angela. My close friends and family call me "Ange", and I'm ok with that.

Appliqué...one of my favorite sewing techniques. I've enjoyed every appliqué project I've taken on, from our Christmas stockings, to Norah's quilt, to my more recent t-shirt and onesie exploits.

Aprons...my favorite kitchen accessory (can you believe it beat the pot-holder mitt?!) I love cooking in an apron. I also enjoy sewing them and have made quite a few that I've given as gifts. I think Norah might take after me in this respect, as she seems pretty proud of her apron when I let her help me in the kitchen.

Ashley...Norah's middle name, chosen for no other reason than we liked the way it sounds. (And yes, I do, occasionally use her first and middle names when she's in trouble)

Avocado...so delicious! I love them plain or in guacamole, and think they're just about the best possible addition to a green salad.

August ABC's Meme

I was over on Bella Dia and fell in love with her August meme. So beginning tomorrow, for the rest of the month, I will be posting an Encyclopedia of My Ordinary Life. I wont tag anyone, but feel free to join me. It'll be a great way to update more often, and I think it'll be fun to look back at down the road. See you tomorrow when I start with my personal favorite letter...A! (And don't worry, AA, I will still try to post some photos of Norah, from time to time, too! Happy Birthday, by the way!)

AA Comes to Visit

Norah (and the rest of us) were thrilled to get to see AA last weekend. She came to town on Thursday night and stayed through Sunday.

We enjoyed a lot of quality time together (my favorite, as always, was shopping!) And as usual, AA felt the need to spoil her biggest fan. (Norah sobbed, "AA...AA...AA..." for about 20 blocks when we left mom & dad's to go home on Saturday night!)


The source of this time's spoiling was a cute little piggy, whom Norah has aptly dubbed, "PEEEG". He oinks and wiggles his little tail, periodically, and came with a tiny little bottle. Norah loves feeding piggy (as you may notice from the photo, baby pigs drink best from their nostrils), and occassionally, when she thinks no one is looking, she likes sneaking a swig from Peeeg's bottle. Milk's, milk, right?

Tickled BLUE

Jason and I headed in for our 18-week sonogram yesterday, in hopes of discovering the gender of our anxiously awaited family addition. Before she began, the sonogram technician asked us if we wanted to find out what we were having, and Jason and I agreed, we did. It was a good thing she asked, because the second she turned on the monitor, it was very clear to all of us--even without being told, that Norah will be welcoming a baby brother this December! (above photo is under-side view of baby's bottom/legs--so you're looking up between his legs...arrow indicates the "gender-identifying body part") The technician also confirmed it verbally--we are expecting a boy. Jason and I are overjoyed and so excited. (We would have been thrilled with another sweet girl, too, but do think it's fun that we're headed for "uncharted waters" with this one)

(Photo at right is a front-view of baby brother's face, which is blocked by both of his arms, in a "boxing pose"...you can see his nose and mouth peeking out between his arms) We took in a video tape to record the ultrasound--the same one we used for Norah's. So, before she could record on it, the tech had to fast forward through the first ultrasound. It was fun watching tiny Norah--2 years ago--6 months before we even knew her. The neatest thing was comparing the two babies' movements. Norah was so calm in the womb. I didn't feel her move until I was about 24 weeks along, and even then, it was a rare occasion the entire 9 months. "Little brother", on the other hand, I've felt since about week 16--and he put on quite the acrobatic show during the sonogram. (He did, however, hold very still for us to confirm his gender...Norah was much more bashful and tried to keep her legs crossed). Both babies crossed their legs at the ankles for a good part of their sonograms. That was fun to note because Norah still loves to sit in that position now, and it looks like little brother may follow in her footsteps. The tech said everything looks as healthy as can be--the best news of all!

(Photo at left is of baby brother's profile, looking up) After taking little brother's measurements, the tech moved my due date up 5 days, to December 27th. (That was music to Jason's ears since December 31 was so close to the end of the year and he's really hoping for a last-minute tax deduction) On the other hand, if little brother comes 2 days early, like big sister did, we might have to leave in the middle of Christmas dinner! Either way, we'll be excited to welcome his arrival.

For those who are curious, we haven't settled on a name yet, but are in negotiations :) However, as was our practice with Norah, the name will remain between Jason and me until the baby arrives. (Since we tell everyone the gender ahead of time, we like to keep one little secret to ourselves...plus, it insures that no one tells us how much they hate our name until after it's too late to change our minds)