At the end of 2019 On the first day of 2019 – Cedric's face changed from toddler-ish to little boy this year I feel so reflective this time of year and in that spirit I reread my 2018 wrap up post, which I close in this way: "We'll be asleep well before midnight and everyone in our house will be awake before the sun rises for the first time in 2019. It'll be like any day in our house and yet it will feel like 365 new days have been unrolled like a carpet ahead of us. I wonder where... Read more →

Hi! It's my 36th birthday today! (It's also Erica's birthday if you'd like to wish her a happy one. Love you, birthday twin!) We're in Austin for Christmas so today I'll be celebrating by eating breakfast tacos, getting my first ever blowout at Dry Bar in downtown Austin, and seeing a matinee performance of A Christmas Carol with Chris, my sister, and brother-in-law. (Thanks for babysitting, mom and dad!) And I hope some kind of chocolate dessert will happen at some point too. As has become tradition, I've rounded up favorite things from the past year. Thirty-five to be exact.... Read more →

In addition to the best pimiento cheese, there's one other family recipe that I crave around the holidays: my Aunt Peta's spicy-sweet pecans. But first we need to clear up a couple of things. For one, my Aunt Peta wants to make sure I tell you that this is not actually her recipe. She remembers having these pecans at a school or church function and then asking for the recipe. But for all of my life I've associated these spicy-sweet pecans with my Aunt Peta and so I think of this recipe as hers. Plus I always love a recipe... Read more →

One of my 2019 goals was to have "one family meal" meaning that more often than not we are all eating roughly the same dinner each night. At the beginning of the year this felt like a struggle. Often I was making two meals and didn't feel like we had any meals that everyone would eat. I'm happy to report that as 2019 wraps up I'm feeling really good about our family dinners! We've found meals, or at least combinations of food, that work for everyone at the table, and my meal planning/grocery shopping/cooking systems are working well. Having more... Read more →

Tis the season for raising a glass and sipping bubbly beverages. But since I'm spending this holiday season with child I'll be passing on the alcohol. Plus over the past couple of years I've been questioning how much and even whether I want to drink at all. I've never been a heavy drinker but when not pregnant will have a drink or two socially on occasion. However, learning more about the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer and the ways alcohol messes with sleep in addition to just not feeling as great the day after having a drink have... Read more →

Have you ever had pimiento cheese? My mom makes the best pimiento cheese – a savory, tangy cheese spread with just a hint of spice – and it's a taste that takes me right back to my parents' house and my childhood. It's delicious as a sandwich between two toasty pieces of bread or simply slathered on saltine cracker. I can (and have!) made many meals of pimiento cheese and crackers. Apparently pimiento cheese is a Southern thing if you're wondering why you haven't heard of it. I grew up in Austin, Texas which isn't really the South but my... Read more →

Baby bump status: This past week my belly seemed to pop out even more (it seemed to happen at the same time with Cedric!). I definitely feel like I have a baby bump but when I look in the mirror I often look smaller than I feel. There's plenty of time to feel and look big so I'm not worried. :) I got the "Oh my gosh you're pregnant!" from two people at the boys' school this week who hadn't known previously that I'm pregnant. I think it's fun to be noticeably pregnant so I'm enjoying it. No unsolicited belly... Read more →

The glorious desert winters catch me by surprise every year but we appreciate them so deeply after the hot, hot summers. Just today, the last day of November as I'm writing this, we ate the last of the sweet potato pie and brought out the Christmas decorations. It's sunny and cool, the front door is open, and our grass and plants are looking so green after rainstorms this week. December will be all about enjoying our family and the holidays but in the new year it will really be time to get ready for a baby in the house again.... Read more →