Easter Weekend Work and Play

I waited a while for this past weekend to come....Randy promised me that he would disassemble the Bowflex so that I could get the room ready for when "AJ" arrives in a couple of weeks. And I should have known that a certain little man would be right behind "daddy" with the wrench. Josiah just LOVES to help (and do whatever it is that Randy is doing). Regardless, though, of all of the work that my men did, I still have a long way to go in order to get the room in the order I wish to have it in. I'll post before and after pics as soon as I finish.

After a long morning of "working", Randy and I took Josiah out and about to get some exercise. But we can't go anywhere without letting him "drive" first. This is one of his most favorite things to do with Randy. Here are my boys in their matching sunglasses.

During our Anniversary date, Randy and I spent some time wandering the mall before dinner. Old Navy is carrying Guayabera-like shirts for the spring this year, so we just HAD to buy one for our little man for his Easter outfit (and it turns out that it'll be perfect for when we move near Mexico). Isn't he just the most handsome little man you've ever seen?

Celebration Dinner

Last Tuesday, after we found out that we "matched" and Randy finished taking his Board exam, we took Josiah out to eat at a Japanease Steakhouse....we thought he might enjoy the table entertainment of fire and smoke. Overall, he did think it was pretty fun....he especially enjoyed eating from chopsticks. In fact, I think it was the best he'd eaten in a couple of weeks now that he's been going through a "picky eater" phase.

Where Do We Go From Here? Part 2

We found out today that we're headed to TX for residency. Randy and I are pretty excited. Although, it's bittersweet. We've made such good friends here, that moving is saddening. While we know that this is the best program for us, as a family, there are few reservations...silly ones, but real all the same....the weather (it's so darn hot all of the time) and the distance from my family (we are only 10 hours now but will be 26 hours once we move).

Gosh, there is sooo much to do between now and the next 6 weeks, when we will welcome a new little one in the family. Then there is so much to do between having the baby and moving. I just hope that the "nesting bug" gets a hold of me soon so that I have enough energy to pack up and rearrange a lot within the next few weeks.

And speaking of the baby....I'm really starting to feel overwhelmed about caring for another little one when we have one that still requires/enjoys all of our attention. How am I going to do it? My friend, Sara, had her second little man this morning. He's just the most precious little thing (next to Josiah, of course)...and it was so special to get to hold him today. But I just can't grasp that that I will be holding my own little one in just a few short weeks. Physically, I'm sooo ready to not be pregnant anymore. But I'm soooo NOT ready emotionally to take on all that a newborn requires--not yet anyway. How do moms who have kiddos so close in age do it? Any tips?

"Ba-Ba" Dilemma--And We're Not Talkin' Sheep (well, kind of)

A "Ba-Ba", according to Josiah, is a pacifier. This child soothing device has been by Josiah's side (or in his mouth) since the second day of his life....he goes down for naps with it, goes to bed with it, and asks for it first thing in the morning. It wasn't until recently that Randy and I noticed him using it as a chew toy. Over the last two days, two "Ba-Ba"s have made their way to the trash because they were "broken" (and last night he threw his "ba-ba" away). We are currently working on the last one we have in the house/purse/car. Last night Josiah did really well and fell asleep without it. He did ask for it once, but after I told him "your ba-ba is broken, and we had to throw it in the trash", he didn't ask for it again until this morning. However, today at daycare, he carried on and insisted that he have his "ba-ba" when he went down for his nap, which is the only time he gets it during the day.

So my question is: do I go the store and purchase more pacifiers (that he's only going to chew through) and gradually limit the amount of time spent at home with a pacifier, or do we suck it up, deal with the crying, and make him quit "cold turkey"? I welcome any advice.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The answer is "not sure, exactly". We found out today that Randy "matched" with one of the two residency programs he ranked last month. However, we won't be notified of the WHERE part until Thursday at 1PM. We're pretty confident that it will be Harlingen, TX..but we won't know for sure until later this week.

I think everyone in my office heard my huge "sigh of relief". While this is definitely one of many items off my "plate of worry", there are a few (fairly large) items remaining:

1. Randy's board exam tomorrow
2. Preparing the house both for moving and for a new baby
3. Making all of the necessary arrangements to move 1500 miles
4. And the Grand-daddy of them all....How I'm going to succeed as a SAHM

I do find some comfort in knowing, though, that the Lord will not give me more than I can handle...it's just a little overwhelming. :-)

Menu Plan Monday-March 17th

It's that time of the week again....and since chicken was on sale for $1.99/lb at Kroger, I stocked up....so that's what we're going to have the majority of the week.

Monday-Cheesy Chicken
Tuesday-Ritz Poppyseed Chicken Casserole
Wednesday-CORD
Thursday-Cheesy Rice and Broccoli Chicken
Friday-Chicken-Parmesan Potatoes
Saturday-Homemade pizza
Sunday-Easter Dinner with friends (I'll be contributing green bean casserole and garlic mashed potatoes)

Check out other MPMs at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Recipe Box Swap

This is a recipe that my good friend (and great cook), Elaine, shared with me years ago. I had forgotten about it until my SIL shared a similar recipe with me. So I decided to make it for the company we had last weekend...and Sara asked me to share it. So here it is:

Ritz Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. sour cream (I use the reduced fat variety)

1 stick butter, melted (I cut back just a little and use 3/4 stick)

1 tube ritz crackers, crushed

1 T. poppyseed

Preheat oven to 350. Combine soups, sour cream, and diced chicken in a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with melted butter, crackers, and poppyseed. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Thanks to Randi at I Have To Say for hosting "The Recipe Box Swap".