Here We Go Again

Woo hoo! The Pittsburgh Steelers are once again AFC Champions and are going to the Super Bowl.

More terrible towels have been ordered as we prepare to cheer on our Steelers to Super Bowl win #7. You can hear Eli singing the Steeler fight song "Here We Go, Steelers" as he eats his breakfast in the mornings.

We are definitely excited that "Pittsburgh's going to the Super Bowl!"

Even Superheroes Have Sick Days

Superman, or Spider-Man? It depends on the day and what is clean. Eli transforms into a superhero nearly every day when we get home from school. Whether it is his Superman PJs,

complete with cape for flying "super fast!"

Or his muscley Spider-Man. Spider-Man is home sick today. We had to put those super mega muscles and creative juices to work this morning.

Marshmallows + toothpicks = fun building materials...and tasty too!

I think it morphed from a storm trooper ship (note: he still hasn't seen Star Wars, but he sure knows enough about it!) to a marshmallow blaster and was probably a few other things along the way.

He has a low grade fever and an icky cough that hurts his throat. We've laid low on the couch watching all kinds of guilty cartoon pleasures that Mommy normally says "no" to. A few projects thrown in to keep us from going stir crazy. Hopefully he will be back to his normal self soon. He told me that his "spidey sense" was starting to tingle. Maybe that is a sign the fever is gone and Spider-Man can get back to fighting bad guys.

Build-a-Birthday

This post was promised long ago....Eli's 4th birthday party. After debating a few ideas, Eli settled on a construction themed party.

Our pirate-loving boy picked out treasure chests for his guests to build. My camera battery decided to die minutes after the first guest arrived, so I had my friend (THANKS, LA!!) take pictures for me. Finally got the CD from her and found time to make a quick slideshow. It was a fabulous day full of fun memories. Can't believe my boy is 4!

January's Angels

“Music is well said to be the speech of angels.” ~ Thomas Carlyle

On this day a beautiful angel was born and today she is singing to me from the heavens.

I borrowed this quote from a family friend's blog as it spoke very clearly to me. Today is my sweet sister, Kelly's 33rd birthday. She had a passion for music.

Miss her so much.

This past week we remember three loved ones who are celebrating their birthdays with the angels. I am sure it has been quite a party.

My sister, Kelly ~ January 18th

Matt's mom, Judy ~ January 15th

My grandmother ~ January 11th

Missing you all on your birthdays and always.

And in This Corner...

...weighing in at 12 pounds 4 ounces and 22 1/4 inches tall...

It is 2 month old, Jude!

We were able to get Jude's stats this week at his 2 month appointment, and just like his brother, he is growing out faster than he is growing up. He is in the 44th percentile for weight and only the 9th for height. His head size is in the 43rd percentile. All of this leads to absolutely edible thighs that are chunking up quickly. Very quickly, our fragile little newborn is turning into an adorably round and squishy baby. Love it.

We were able to talk to the doctor about the spitting up and reflux issues, and before I could finish telling her all the details, she already had her prescription pad out, signed, and ready. We have been pleased with the fact that our doctor is not quick prescribe meds. I feel very comfortable that we have done the right thing, and Jude is now on a very low dose of Zantac. Hopefully we will see the excessive spitting and the fussiness that goes along with it calm down in the next few days....so far, not yet. If it doesn't improve, we'll keep trying to get a dose or a plan in place that works. I was delighted to hear that she DOES NOT think it is food related, and that I shouldn't need to try the "elimination diet." Hallelujah. Welcome back coffee and chocolate!!

This appointment also brought shots...

our little fella was not a fan. So sad! He was pitiful the rest of the day. Very very sleepy and seemed to cry out in pain whenever I picked him up. So sad.

I am trying to keep up with all of his milestones...though it is harder to keep on top of it the second time around.

I hope to fill up this calendar with all kinds of fun facts. It is my version of a baby book....along with the blog.

The comments we hear about our sweet baby most often (besides "He's so cute!"...of course) are, "He's so alert!" and "He's so strong!" It is true, our social butterfly doesn't nap a lot and will smile, and maybe even let out a little squeal, for just about anyone who pays him any attention. He has good neck control which comes in handy trying to keep an eye on big brother Eli at all times.

At this very moment, Jude is protesting. He is not a fan of Mommy sitting at the computer; I have been working on this post for 3 days now. Gotta run. Happy 2 months, Jude!

Family Resemblance

Happy 1/11/11! I just love fun dates, don't you? Anyways...

I have been wanting to do this ever since Jude was born. I put Jude in outfits that we have Eli photographed in and try to recreate the photo with Jude. I have actually done it a few times, but I couldn't help sharing this one as it was one of Eli's most memorable smiling pictures at a little over a month old. Jude is almost 2 months here...

I see the resemblance. Don't you?

And as much as I feel they look alike on a daily basis, seeing these pictures together helps me see the differences too.

Wish I could have gotten that big of a smile from "Jude the Dude" (as Eli lovingly refers to him...)

Perfect for Chilly Weather

Despite being in Florida, we have still had our fair share of cold weather so far this winter. I know it isn't the snow that the rest of the country got this week, but there were flurries here over Christmas (while we were out of town, of course.) And this week is another cold one. One of my favorite chilly weather meals comes from this back issue of Cooking Light.

Beef Daube Provencal
or as I call it, stew.

This classic French braised beef, red wine, and vegetable stew is simple and delicious. After cooking it once, it has become a regular in our house. I even asked for a pretty ceramic dutch oven so that I could make this in it. (I got a pretty red one that sits on my kitchen stove whether I'm using it or not as an accent piece. Love it!) The magazine suggests a whole-grain baguette and a bag of salad greens with vinaigrette to round out the meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.

Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.

Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup stew and 1/2 cup noodles)

NUTRITION PER SERVING:
CALORIES 367(31% from fat); FAT 12.8g(sat 4.3g,mono 5.8g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 29.1g; CHOLESTEROL 105mg; CALCIUM 76mg; SODIUM 776mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.4g

Better Late than Never!

Brotherly Love

Eli continues to love having a little brother. Whew! For that, we are grateful. On the other hand, Eli didn't really have "terrible 2's" or the "trying 3's"....instead he saved it up all for the "frustrating 4's." Everything is drama, drama, drama, mixed with some whining, back talk, and a few fits. We have found that consequences are not working as well, and he almost enjoys doing the opposite of what we ask. Oh the fun. The joy. And on mornings like yesterday, when I've been up with Jude more than I'd like....it is enough to make me want to quit.

We have decided to try something new in the discipline department. If it works, I'll definitely share it in another post.

In Jude News: He loves to smile. Such sweet, sweet smiles, and is super duper cuddly (in other words...loves to be held all. the. time.) Unfortunately, the reflux is still a big issue. It is my number one topic to discuss at his 2 month appointment next week (AHH! 2 months!!) I have begun eliminating some foods from my diet a bit to see if that helps at all. So far, it hasn't been long enough to notice of chocolate or dairy are the culprits. And despite all the tummy troubles, he still manages to make the most adorable coos and squeals. He is discovering his voice, for sure. He also loves to mimic us and stick his tongue out. Just precious! Bath time is still a favorite time of day. He smiles and squeals as his brother splashes in the tub next to him. It definitely helps relax him and get him ready for bed.

One night his bath was so relaxing that he fell asleep in the beanbag chair as I was helping Eli get jammied and ready for bed. Too cute.

So Excited & I Just Can't Hide It

Don't you hate it when you accidentally hit "Enter" and you post something before you intended to. Ooops!

Well, it is true. I can't hold it in anymore:

I am SUPER DUPER excited to share the FABULOUS news that my sister, Kristen, is engaged! Another Snyder Sister wedding! And another brother to add to the family. Wahoo!!

We are thrilled for the beautiful couple just back from a 9 day trip to Europe.

Congratulations, Kristi & Steve! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness, love, and blessings.
We love you both!

Our 12 Days of Christmas

According the the Church, the Christmas season only just begins on Christmas Day and continues for the next 12 days until the Epiphany. This is why many, us included, choose to leave decorations up until January 6th. It will be sad (and a challenge with an anti-nap, refluxing baby) to take our decorations down tomorrow.

We didn't do anything official to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, but we did spend lots of quality time with family until New Year's. All of my sisters (and hubbies) were here to spend time with us at some point during the break. It was so much fun introducing them to Jude for the first time.

And guess who else was here?

Asher Basher! Too bad Eli came down with his first case of strep throat (lovingly given to him on Christmas by his dear Aunt Ann) on Asher's first day here. Eli was quarantined and wasn't allowed to play. He was pretty pitiful, but the antibiotics (his first ever!) kicked in fast and he rallied. By the next day, he was good to go. Yay for medicine!

Eli's new bike has been a little frustrating at times for him to get the hang of,

so he would rather ride his big wheel instead. And Asher didn't mind giving it up. He preferred the plasma car.

He decided that it made a better truck and ended up pushing it around instead of riding on it. Then it was time for a walk down the road to find the horses and goats.

The boys loved watching the animals, and Jude was a champ and napped in the sling the entire time. The silly baby doesn't like to be put down too much. And what visit with cousins would be complete without trying to get both boys to look at the camera at the same time?

I did not even attempt to get all three cousins. Probably should have tried. Instead, this is the best one we got of the visit.

We loved having family in town. It is always sad when it is time for them to go, but we know that they will be back again soon.