Benjamin at 5 months

Finally after all that drooling and gnawing, he's got a tiny sharp little tooth on the bottom front! He can flip over easily from back to front and vice versa, can grasp things with pretty good coordination, and is starting to hang onto me when I hold him. :)
Still laughs a lot and has a very expressive little face.
A favorite game now is pulling off his socks!

More Changes

The Basketball Court/Bedroom needed some help, so we moved the bed out of the corner where it was haphazardly wedged, and added some simple sheer curtains. ($12 each at Lowe's...I figured probably the same price as making them, and way easier). It's a big improvement, but we still need something on the walls. Something large...several of them. I am open to any suggestions!

The storage container on the right side of the bed is filling in as a nightstand right now. The baby toys are not part of the decor plan! We are storing the bookshelf for friends. They said we could stain it, but we haven't gotten around to it. There is that cool nook at one end of the room that I'd like to do something with. Just not sure what. The glider doesn't belong there, but I moved it in when I had the flu and haven't yet moved it out.

Joining the Gym

Jeff and I have always wanted to work out together, but, working at BJ, there were separate facilities for men and women. As newlyweds we used to drive over to the gym together at 6 a.m., but once we got there, we had to go our separate ways.
Lucky for us now there is a very nice Bodyplex just down the road with good childcare. Dues are pretty reasonable and you get free classes and a state-of-the-art facility. Sauna, bike room, aerobics room, a whole floor full of treadmills and elliptical trainers upstairs, plus weight machines downstairs. They sell smoothies and protein shakes in the lobby. The nursery is spacious and well-equipped and everyone we talked to there seemed friendly and happy with their job. So...after a trial cardio workout with my hubby, I decided to sign on.
I predict it will be a lot of fun. We're both doing something we enjoy doing (not the SAME OLD workout video) and we're doing it together, which bumps up the fun 100%. Also, he's really good at pushing me the extra mile. Or quarter mile. I started out easy b/c I wanted to be able to walk the next day!
We figured out we can probably work out together four days a week. Every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday we're going to do our best to be there.
After working out yesterday I felt this huge rush of positive feelings. It's just the endorphins, but I'd forgotten how exercising makes me feel, and realized how mopey, slow and "blah" I've been feeling. This will be a great change for both of us...and I'll (hopefully) soon have a few more clothes in my closet I can wear. :)

New Years' Resolution Update

I'm trying to keep myself accountable on these. Elizabeth, your dedication to WW is an inspiration to me, since I feel like a big flop in the eating right/exercise department!

1. Read at least 25 books this year. (Starting a third book this week. Did I mention I get a lot of reading done while nursing?)
2. Brush up on my knowledge of French pronunciation for voice lessons. (Haven't touched this yet; still looking for an easy, free way to do this.)
3. Practice guitar more consistently. (Getting some better, but need to pull out the guitar the minute Benjamin dozes off...)
4. Stick to my new cleaning regimen. (Doing pretty well here, except for the weeks I had the flu.)
5. Read Bible and have devotions consistently, every day, no excuses. (Pooey. It's been hit-and-miss at best.)
6. Pray nightly for requests God lays on my heart. (Have been slacking off ever since the flu. Ever notice how schedule disruptions can throw everything off?)
7. Work out. My goal is to start small with 15 minutes a day. (I am ashamed...)
8. Fix hot meals every night; even when I'm teaching, have something Jeff can put in the oven. (YES! At least I have success here. There's only been one night where Jeff had to cook.)
9. Find time for crafts or creative things. This could be a sewing project, a musical composition, poem, drawing, decorating project, whatever. (Yes! I'm working on finishing up curtains for the dining room, and also slooowly finishing a crocheted scarf that I started two years ago...LOL)
10. Keep a biweekly "date night" with Jeff where we can discuss financial, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. (Yes, we've kept this up.)

I will try to evaluate myself every month so I can see how I'm doing.

Chef Emilee

I'm not much of a chef, but here are some good 'uns I found that I make a lot (I won't tell you how much "a lot" is!) Thanks friends for sharing your recipes!

Italian Chicken and Pasta Dish
(this one I kind of improvised; we have chicken and pasta a lot and this is a nice spin on that)

Cook 2 chicken breasts in a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and oregano (or sprinkle in some pre-mixed Italian spices). Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces when done.

Cook enough spaghetti for two people, depending on your portion size. Drain and put in a very large bowl. Add a tablespoon of butter, a little more olive oil, more Italian spices and some parmesan cheese, and toss.

Add the chicken either on top of each plate of spaghetti, or mix it all in. I usually mix. You can also add in cooked snow peas for a complete meal.

This is really good with fresh rosemary and oregano if you can get it. :)


Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, cooked according to pkg. directions
1 normal-sized jar of pasta sauce
1 pound of ground beef, cooked and drained (or ground turkey for lowfat version)
1 pound ricotta cheese (lowfat, or even fat free works well)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pound grated mozzarella cheese

Combine pasta sauce and ground beef. Add a little salt (1/2 tsp) Place a small amount of mixture on bottom of a 9x13 glass baking pan, spreading to cover the bottom with a thin layer. Layer 3 noodles over sauce. Top with 1/3 of remaining sauce, 1/3 parmesan, 1/3 mozzarella. Top with 1/2 the ricotta by small spoonfuls. Repeat layers: 3 more noodles, 1/3 sauce, 1/3 parmesan, 1/3 mozzarella and rest of ricotta. Top with last 3 noodles, remaining sauce, parmesan and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour.

Boston Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 T. lime juice (lemon works too)
1 T. honey
1/4 cup oil

Combine sauce ingredients. Either pour over chicken and cook in a covered pan (easy way) or put chicken in a baking sheet lined with foil, and baste every 10 minutes, baking in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Guess which way I always do :)

Wooster Chicken

Sprinkle chicken with about 3 T. worchestershire sauce, add some salt and sprinkle with dried rosemary. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.