Random Schmandom

I am so behind on blogging, and I am leaving tomorrow for a week long trip. This is my attempt to catch up quickly!


Addyson has started eating solids. She is doing great. So far, her repertoire includes rice cereal, applesauce and carrots. Let's just say the carrots are showing their effects in...ahem, undesirable places. Also, orange spit up is hard to get out of clothes.

She is right on the brink of sitting up unassisted. I've been giving her lots of practice time using her Boppy pillow for support.



It is impossible for her to stay in one location anymore. She can get all the way across a room by rolling from her back to her front over and over again. She's rolling over at night in her crib and many times I have been awakened when she rolls over into the bars and doesn't know what to do! Poor little girl. In the morning she looks like she's trying to bust out of jail!




Addyson has so many cute little dresses that she has only gotten to wear many of them once before she grows out of them. I feel like I need to document her wearing them so I don't feel so bad about it!


Darling dress from Aunt Roxy-Thanks, Rox!







It makes me so happy to see what a great dad Brandon is. He is always trying to sneak in a cuddle. He loves to play with Addyson. He takes care of her at church so I don't have to take her to Primary with me. He can make her laugh so hard! I'm so grateful she has TWO adoring parents who love her to pieces.



This weekend Addyson and I went with a bunch of friends to hike up to Table Rock, a big flat area at the top of a mountain in the Boise foothills. Unfortunately, Brandon had to work, but I went anyway even though it was six couples (and kids) and me! I was so proud of myself for carrying her in the baby carrier all the way to the top. I'm not gonna lie...it was hard hauling all 17 pounds of her up that mountain! The payoff was a beautiful view of the city, gorgeous weather and a great time with friends (not to mention a killer workout)! It reminded me of why I love hiking so much. I need to do it more!




Also, this week my friend Shannon had a birthday so Shannon, Rachael, Rachel and I went out for dessert to celebrate. I had so much fun talking and laughing with them! Everyone needs some girlfriends to do that with. We realized that we should go out more often! I didn't get home until 11:30...it was fabulous. Happy Belated Birthday, Shannon!



And finally...this weekend we had Stake Conference. Our Stake Presidency was reorganized so they sent Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to attend! It was truly wonderful to sit at the feet of an Apostle of the Lord and be spiritually fed. Brandon and I attended the adult session on Saturday night and it was amazing. The Spirit was strong and bore witness to me of the apostolic calling of Elder Bednar. He spoke about the pre-existence and also about moral agency. Many wonderful truths that I had never known were learned. I know that Elder Bednar (and all of the apostles) are truly special witnesses of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for my Savior and I know that He lives and loves me. I feel so blessed that I was able to listen to Elder Bednar's words this weekend.

And on that note...I'm off to Utah! Addy and I are flying down tomorrow and I can't wait! Here are some of the things I'm looking forward to:

-Going to lunch for my Grandma's birthday with all my aunts and cousins
-Seeing my parents and siblings
-Attending Emily's wedding shower (my sis-in-law)
-Lots of eating out, courtesy of my Dad (Just kidding, Dad!)
-Hanging with Roxy
-Spending time with Brooke on Friday...going shopping!
-Seeing my in-laws
-Relaxing
-Watching Neil Diamond week on Idol tomorrow! Woo hoo!

Thanks for hanging in there and reading this LOOOONNNGG post. Remember the blog is going private this week! If I don't have your email address make sure you get it to me.

And in the words of Ryan Seacrest...SCHEAFFER...OUT!

I am NOT Martha Stewart, and This Proves It

Last night for dinner I decided I would try out a new recipe I had for soup. I thought I would just make some of these to go with it:





The dough comes inside one of those pop out cans, where you pull the strip of paper and it's supposed to "POP" open. Well, it didn't pop. I tried sticking a spoon into the seam. That didn't work. I tried beating it on the side of the counter. That didn't work either. As a last resort, I decided to use a can opener and open the end of the tube. As soon as I had the end halfway off, all the dough started oozing out of the open portion and going everywhere and I couldn't finish the job. I got a knife and pried the rest of the lid off...and then reached into the can to pull out the dough. The can opener had left a sharp edge that cut my hand as I reached into the can. It didn't seem too bad, though, and I washed my hand and went back to work rolling out the dough on the cookie sheet. Just as I was about to put the breadsticks into the oven, I noticed little red spots all over the dough...yep, it was my blood. How gross is that? I immediately threw all the dough away. I was feeling really irritated at this point that I had just spent 20 minutes trying to make these supposedly "easy" breadsticks and now had nothing to show for it.


Neverthless, I put my chin up and went to work on the soup. I had tasted it a few months ago when a friend made it for a church activity and it was good and the recipe seemed so simple. Here's the recipe:

Black Bean Soup

2 cups black beans
1 can chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 Tbsp. fresh, chopped cilantro
1/2 lime

1. Cook the salsa over medium heat for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the salsa along with the chicken broth. Cook until it comes to a low bubble and then simmer for another 15 minutes.

2. Blend half of the soup using a handheld blender (or a regular blender works too-just be careful because the mixture is hot). Add the cilantro and the lime juice. Top with sour cream, cheese or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

That should be a no brainer, right? Well I had completed the stove portion of the recipe and poured the mixture into my blender (I don't have a handheld blender). I put the lid on and let 'er rip. The next thing I knew was that it was raining pureed black beans EVERYWHERE! The liquid hit my arms and I could feel it burning my skin. There was brown goo in my hair, on the floor, on the wall, all over my cookbooks, the microwave, the side of the fridge, the cabinets, my face and my shirt. ( My shirt looked like someone threw up on it.) I just stood there in shock, thinking "How did this happen? I know the lid was on!" At that very moment, Brandon walked in the door. He saw me and the mess and very wisely said "I'll start cleaning up." I decided to try and salvage what was still left in the blender, which was not much. I put the lid on again, held it down with my hand even, and turned the blender on. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN! The lid shot off and even more brown goo went on every imaginable surface of my kitchen. At this point I was in tears. I wish I had taken a picture of the way me and the kitchen looked at this moment in time. Just imagine a bloody crime scene, where the blood is brown, and you've pretty much got it right.




Needless to say, we ate frozen pizza for dinner. Try this recipe at your own risk.

(P.S. Do any of you brainiacs know why this happened? I'm thinking it had something to do with the temperature of the liquid causing the blender lid to not create an airtight seal.)

Going Private

I am making my blog private on May 1, 2008. If you would like to continue reading it, please leave a comment or email me at nscheaffer@yahoo.com so I can list you as an invited reader.

Thanks!

Fondue, Friends and Fair Weather...Finally!

I am in charge of a Relief Society cooking group in my ward that meets bi-monthly. This month I decided to plan a fondue night to try out my new fondue pot and some new fondue recipes. It was so fun. We had quite a spread that included a chocolate fountain, Chocolate Butterscotch fondue, S'mores Fondue, and White Chocolate Fondue. We also had two savory fondues...a Bacon Cheddar one that I made and a Chili Fondue that was spicy. For dipping, we had french bread, veggies, donuts, pound cake, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, Oreos, marshmallows and pretzels. I was in a sugar coma after not eating sugar for a month!





I invited my friend Jaime who used to be in our ward to come and was glad she did. Please disregard my chin (s) and my off-center necklace.




This weekend I got a visit from one of my old dear friends from high school, Lisa! We hadn't seen each other in about seven years. Her and her boyfriend Todd were in Boise and stopped by for a visit. It was so fun to see her and catch up. Why do I look like I'm pregnant in this picture? I'm posting it anyway to prove that she was here.





Lisa and Todd




Spring has finally arrived here in Meridian, Idaho! She's a temper mental woman, though...last week it snowed one morning and two days later it was 7o degrees. Those warm days have been beautiful. One day last week my friend Kaydee and I put our babies in their strollers and went for a nice, long walk.


Here's her six week old, Ethan. Isn't he precious?




And of course, Miss Addy Waddy:

She's gazing heavenward like a little angel...or more likely plotting her next ill-timed diaper blowout. She's been doing that often lately.

It's tax day today...are yours done?

And the winner is...

Tawni! Tawni will receive a package in the mail from me as soon as she emails me her mailing address. Thanks to all of you for your advice on which dress to purchase for Addyson! Because of your comments, I've narrowed it down to either Dress #1, or Dress #3.

Thanks for playing!

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

These last few days I have had three reasons to do a happy dance.

First, I booked a flight for Addyson and me to SLC to visit my family! We are going in less than three weeks and are staying for almost a week.

Next, I received some fantastic good mail yesterday from my friend Kelly in Arizona. She's going to start a blog soon. (Right, Kel?) She sent me this adorable pink dress for Addy and a Target gift card. It was so nice and thoughtful..and even better because it was unexpected! Thanks, Kel! (I'll post a picture later.)

And the grand finale...

Remember this post? Well, I tried on some of my pre-pregnancy jeans today and THEY DID UP! Woo hoo! I am thrilled to report that I have been doing great in this area. I have been working out faithfully and not eating sugar, and just eating less in general. It seems that eating sugar only fuels your appetite to eat more...and not eating it helps you eat less and make better food choices. I still have a ways to go but this progress has remotivated me! I have been starting to run again...today I went out jogging/walking and I did 4.2 miles (I clocked it in the car). I would say that I ran 3/4 of the time. I am just loving being active again! It feels great.

And on that note...I'm off to a fondue party. Hey, I'm only human!

Baby Couture and Blog Giveaway!

My sister-in-law Emily is getting married this June. Her wedding colors are red and black. Of late, I was given some news which sent me into semi-panic mode. I was told that she wanted Addyson and me both to wear red dresses for the reception. We are not going to be in a line, and I am not a bridesmaid--she just wants us to match for the family pictures. Seeing as how it is now Spring, this poses a bit of a problem. There are no red dresses to be found in any stores! It is practically impossible to find myself a decent, modest, semi-formal dress in ANY color during any season. Finding a red one in Spring (that is also flattering to my post-baby shape) is going to be a Herculean task. I hope I'm up to the challenge.

However, I did a search online for something for Addy to wear. I was pleasantly surprised to find there are a bunch of websites that offer semi-formal baby dresses in a variety of colors and styles. I figure I can take some creative license as long as I stick to either red or black, seeing as how I was given short notice in the off season.

Here are my favorites.


Dress 1:



No, it's not all red, but I love the polka dots! Doesn't it look sort of summery, too? (It also comes in black polka dots and bow.)


Dress 2:


Classic, right? I'm worried it is too wintery for summer.


Dress 3:


The sash comes in any color (red, black?) and I think the rose is a nice touch.


Dress 4:

I love the pattern on the bottom. Is it too much black? Plus, no red.


Please leave me a comment and let me know which dress you like best, or if you don't like any of them. I will put all of your names in a bowl and draw one out randomly to be the WINNER of a fun package in the mail from me (it may include a children's book, some treats and some of my favorite beauty products). I will draw the winner on April 12!


THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR INPUT! GOOD LUCK!

I'm Lovin' It!

Recently my mother-in-law told me about this story. I forgot all about it until I was in the Mickey D's drive through with my mom when she was here (we stopped to get her a Diet Coke). I told my mom about it and she scoffed! She said something like "As if that would ever happen, the chain going on all day? Come on!" I believe that this story really could happen and it irritated me that she wasn't a believer! Just to prove her wrong I told her, "Okay then. I'm going to pay for the person behind us." Behind us in the drive through line was this huge, nice truck with a family full of kids. I was praying that their bill wasn't $50. When we got up to the pay window, I told the worker I wanted to pay for the car behind us. He was so confused and said he didn't think he could do that. I talked him into it and he reluctantly charged my debit card for their order. I wanted to pull up to the second window, take the Coke and drive off quick before they were told what happened. But alas, the line was SO slow, and we were stuck behind a car waiting for their food while the truck pulled up to the pay window. We watched them as the worker told them their food was paid for. The wife got this huge grin on her face. They kept looking at us in amazement like "Do we know them?" They looked so confused yet so happy at the same time! My mom and I were trying so hard not to laugh and kept straight faces as if we didn't know why they were staring at us. Then we took off as fast as we could. I don't know if they paid for the people behind them in line, but it was so fun. It made me feel so good! It was like a runner's high that lasted all day.

Today I went to the grocery store. I loaded my groceries in the car, put Addyson in and was heading over to return the cart to the cart return ( I hate doing this with her in the car, alone--I have to lock the doors first). This nice woman saw me load Addy in and came over and took my cart and told me she would return it for me. This was no huge deal, but it made a big difference to me and made me smile. It made me think about how random acts of kindness really can have an impact on people! Imagine if everyone did one RAK a day! Wouldn't the world be a better place?

I love this quote:

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. " ~James Matthew Barrie

Dear Addyson...

You are now five months old! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Here are some recent observations about you.

1.You have recently started rolling from your back to your front (but only over the right side). In fact, you won't stay on your back at all! You immediately flip over to your tummy.

2. You are close to being able to sit up on your own...but not quite!

3. You love holding things in your hands, especially your colorful little linking rings.

4. You are so much fun to dress up! I would rather buy clothes for you than for me!

5. You are still super roly-poly! At your four month dr. appt, you were in the 80th percentile for weight and weighed about 15 lbs. I love the rolls on your arms and legs-and your chubby little cheeks!


Trying on a 12 month swimsuit...it's way too small!
( I had to take it back and get 18 months.)

6. People constantly comment to me about what a good, content baby you are. Most of them say that they have never heard you cry or fuss. It's true! You rarely do either.

7. You love your naps and get excited when you know I'm putting you down for one. I know this because you smile and kick your legs and flail your arms!

8. You love making squeaking noises and when I answer you back.

9. You smile often and sometimes laugh.

10. Your eyes are still a brilliant blue. I guess they're staying blue? We don't know where you got them (my eyes are brown and daddy's are green).

Addyson, I love you. I can't even tell you how great it is being your mom! You are such an easy child and I am so grateful for your sweet disposition. I can't imagine life before you were here. You have brightened my life in the best way possible. Thanks for coming to join our family.

Love,
Mom