last night

I decided that since I only have 5 days left of this pregnancy, I am going to eat whatever I want. So last night after the kids were bathed and fed, Mike went out to pick up some grown up pizza for us (meaning: not Little Caesar's $5 hot-n-ready). While Mike and I ate, our kids decided to read books together on the couch.

I really love my kids. They are so good.

You know what else is good? Barro's Pizza. And Yodipity. Mike has serious frozen yogurt creation talent. He's been bringing home yummy stuff all week.

You should have him make you something. You won't be disappointed.

practice makes perfect

This week Stella decided to bring her 4 babies with her everywhere she went. This means she'll be a really nice big sister, right? Because sometimes she can be a teeny bit bossy and maybe a little bit demanding. (We really love her anyway.) I can't wait to see her with the new baby.

Ah! Only one more week.

Maybe I should pack my hospital bag?

I like being pregnant

even though I am feeling pretty uncomfortable at this point. I'm trying not to think about that. Since this very well might be my last baby (I think 4 c-sections is kind of pushing my luck), I am focusing on the positive. So I've compiled a list.

Things I will miss about being pregnant:

My rock hard big tummy. I'm so not looking forward to the post delivery squishiness.

Feeling the baby move. This is my favorite thing about pregnancy. It is magical. I love it.

The anticipation. It's so exciting to be expecting a new little person! What will he look like? Will he be bossy like Stella, or easy going like Mabel, or clever like Oliver? I can't wait to meet him.

Nesting. I love the cleaning and organization that comes with nesting. It makes me very happy to have an ordered house.

Feeling like it's ok to laze around on the couch all day. During pregnancy is the only time I feel ok doing this. I'm especially living it up this final week and a half.


Am I missing anything? What is your favorite thing about pregnancy?

My house is me and I am it.

Do you feel that way about your house? Today for no reason I am particularly in love with mine.

I was sitting on that black bench this afternoon, warming my feet in the sun and feeling the spring breeze on my face while I watched Oliver ride his bike up and down our street and made our Saturday chore list. I love making Saturday chore lists. Stella was napping, my house was clean, and my belly was full of Yodipity.

All of these little things combined to make me feel completely content. And peaceful. And very grateful for my life.

I am lucky. I know this. It is just nice to remember it every once in a while.


While I am feeling all serene and happy, now would be a good time to have this baby. Mike doesn't think I'll make it til my c-section date. I don't know where he is getting his information. But I would be happy to bring the baby home anytime. Or to wait until May 5th. Whatever.

I may not feel like cooking dinner ever again,

but that doesn't mean I'm going to let my strawberries go to waste. Last night I had to make Strawberry Shortcake. My strawberries were begging for it.

Here is my most favorite shortcake recipe, from the good people at Martha Stewart. It is seriously delicious and surprisingly simple.


Strawberry Shortcake

4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
2 cups heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Using a pasty blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger clumps remaining.

Pour in the heavy cream; using a rubber spatula, fold cream into the dough, working in all directions and incorporating crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, until the dough just comes together. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured fingers, gently pat the dough into a round about 1 1/4 inches thick, pressing in any loose bits. Do not overwork the dough. Use a floured 2 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits as close together as possible. (Use one cut edge as the edge for the next biscuit.)

Place the biscuits on an unlined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Generously brush the tops with a slightly beaten large egg. Sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the biscuits are golden and flecked with brown spots, 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve warm with lots of strawberries and big dollop of whipped cream.


A half batch is perfect for my little family. Let's see. . . I don't have a pastry blender, so I use my fingers to cut in the butter. I don't have a biscuit cutter, either. So I use the top of a small drinking glass to cut out the biscuits, just like my Grandma B used to do. This makes them a little smaller, so they don't need the full 20 minutes to cook. You might want to keep an eye on yours, depending on their size. They do puff up in the oven, though.

I can't say enough about these biscuits. Honestly, if you are going to make Strawberry Shortcake this season, this is the recipe to use.

Trust me.

waiting

Until the baby comes, I'll be on the couch. Most likely putting my feet up and reading a book.

Sometime during the last week I realized that I am ready to have this baby. Even if it means facing an early morning c-section. It's not like I haven't had one (or 3) of those before.

I've almost checked everything off my list.

Only 2 more weeks.

I made jam.

Strawberries were a major steal at the grocery store yesterday. I decided to try my hand at making freezer jam. Guess what? It was a cinch! Have you ever made it before? I just followed the recipe that came with the jars. Easy. You should try it.

Now all we need is some fresh bread and we're in business.

pretty

It's prom season.

I can cross one more thing off my pre-baby to-do list. I delivered this little number to a girl in my neighborhood the other day. Her dress needed some alterations, and she wanted a pretty little shrug to go with it.

I would wear this in a heartbeat. If only I had a waist. And I was going to the prom.

I have one more sewing project to do before the baby comes. Then I am officially retiring my sewing machine for a few months so I can sit and stare at him all day long.

little things

To prepare for little Elliot's arrival, this week I did lots of little things.

Like washed the car seat cover.
Bought newborn diapers (they're so teeny!).
Made a changing pad cover and some burp cloths.
And started making weekly visits to my friendly OB.

His room is fully stocked and ready to go.
I, however, am not quite so ready.
 
Visions of the bright white surgery room awaiting me are giving me night sweats.
(I have c-sections. No homey labor and delivery room for me. Boo.)
I'm trying not to think about the surgery, just the adorable, chubby, delicious result.

The countdown is getting serious.
Only 3 more weeks!

business

The lucky winner of the Shade giveaway is:

Congratulations Kalli Ko! Send your info to barefootstephanie@gmail.com and I will forward it on to the good people at Shade.

Thank you all for your comments! They were so so fun to read. I feel like we're friends, now.

I mean it.

*****

Some of you have asked about our paneling and my source for Oliver's matching beds. Here you go.

a bit of the paneling in our family room

I have long been an admirer of the craftsman style. When we moved into our very 70's ranch style house four years ago, I knew I wanted to install some sort of paneling based on that simple look. Our family room was the perfect candidate. It is in the basement and doesn't get any natural light. It was like a cave (oh, it was awful!). Just as in Oliver's room, I wanted to brighten the walls with more than just paint. I knew what I wanted, but I wasn't sure how to put it all together. So Mike and I headed to the Home Depot to see what was available.

Here is what we found and used, broken down into layers:

Layer 1: 7 inch mdf for a baseboard

Layer 2: 4x8 foot sheets of luan (a really thin plywood-type material that has a nice finished side), placed on its side. This layer can be skipped, depending on your preference and the amount of texture on your walls. We used it because our walls are pretty textured and we wanted a smooth finish for the paneling. If you skip it, your walls will be the background for the paneling.

Layer 3: 4 foot pieces of poplar for the vertical lines. This material comes pre-cut to this length, and is 31/2 inches wide and about 1/4 inch thick. It is placed where two pieces of luan meet, to cover up the seam. Then two more pieces are placed on the luan, each about 24 inches apart.

Layer 4: 53/8 inch mdf

Layer 5: 11/2 inch mdf placed on its side to act as a ledge

We used a miter saw, a nail gun, lots of caulking and white paint, and Mike's general handiness and know-how to complete our project. He was the brains and brawn behind the installation and I couldn't have done it without him.

*****

I found Oliver's vintage jenny lind beds in Utah. I was totally willing to drive across state lines to get them (and also to visit my parents for Christmas :) Honestly, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world when I found them. Matching beds like these are hard to come by. This little company (and the source of my luck) finds old furniture and gives it new life. The beds were originally brown, but I had them painted a very dark navy blue. If you are in their area (near Provo/Orem), it looks like they are planning a big spring yard sale soon. You might want to check it out.

*****

I hope you had a nice weekend. We had full blown spring/summer weather. It was delightful, and our yard hasn't looked this good in months.

Four

Four more weeks until baby no. 4 makes his arrival. Let's celebrate with a giveaway. What do you say?

Almost as soon as I found out I was pregnant with this boy, I put an order in at Shade for some maternity basics. I've had this top in my closet ever since. Let me tell you something, it has never disappointed me. It's comfortable, soft, modest, and it has easily grown with my big huge baby bump. I especially love the feminine gathering on the sleeves. It is one of my maternity staples.

Because of the ruching on the sides, I think it might even camouflage my lumpy postpartum tummy, too. It doesn't get much better than that, does it?

I think we all need this shirt.

So let's give one away! Here are the details:

Leave a comment on this post. Tell me something fun, like how you found my blog or what your favorite Shade item is. Do this before Saturday, and you could be the lucky winner! I'll post the results first thing Monday morning.

Good luck!

**This giveaway is now closed. Stay tuned for the winner on Monday!**

our Easter faces and some other things

Mike is so handsome, even when he's making dumb faces.

Nope, no twins in there.

How she eats with no teeth is a mystery.

Will our next boy have that delicious dimple?

Stella is very serious about those eggs.

We had a really nice weekend. I hope you did, too. 

Wasn't General Conference great? Oh, I felt like every talk had something I needed to hear! I feel renewed and re-inspired. I'm ready to try harder and be better.

I think this was my favorite, but it was really hard to choose. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

Of course it wouldn't be Easter without celebrating our Savior and His sacrifice. I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Atonement and Resurrection. I know that because of these great gifts, I am able to repent, to start again each day, and that I will have the chance to be with my family for eternity. I have much to be grateful for.

And thinking of all of that makes things like cleaning the bathrooms and doing a million loads of laundry today not nearly so bad.