The Great Outdoors...

Our sweet boy loves being outside & thanks to the gorgeous Fall weather, that is precisely where we've been spending most of our time. Here are a few pics of Cy Wesley at play.

Lila Grace at 30 1/2 weeks...

Lila was semi-cooperative during our sonogram this morning...allowing us to get a few views of her sweet face. She has loved having her hands by her face, which provided a bit of a challenge for our sonographer. At 30 1/2 weeks, our baby girl is weighing in at 3 lbs 4 oz and appears to continue to be perfectly healthy! The sonographer even commented several times during our appt about just how "pretty" her heart is. Just 8 short weeks to go!


Just for the sake of comparison, here is Cy at 31 weeks...(Our sonographer deserved 5 stars for this shot!)

And Lila's profile...

Lila's Nursery

I finally got to set up Lila's crib bedding and complete a few more projects in her nursery, thanks to my friend, Kristi, who has generously allowed us to borrow her crib for Cy. I absolutely LOVE her bedding and hanging wall letters...can't believe that our baby girl will be enjoying her new room in a few short weeks! Mom and I are still working on her drapes, bay window seat & basket liners, but other than that...we're ready! 9 weeks to go~

So Big...

Travis, Cy and I joined his family in Austin this weekend. While the guys updated their knowledge on all things dental at a Continuing Education course, the girls shopped and relaxed with the little ones. I neglected to bring my camera, but John did snap this cute picture of Cy playing near a drainage pipe in The Domain Shopping Center....all boy!

Busy Momma Recipe: The Best Bread Pudding

I consider myself quite the bread pudding connoisseur, due to the fact that this is my Daddy's favorite dessert, and have tried many, many recipes. That being said, this just might be the most tasty homeade bread pudding recipe that has ever touched my lips! (The White Chocolate & Raspberry Bread Pudding from Nordstrom Bistro is so very fabulous!!!) This is Miss Paula Deen's famous bread pudding...so yummy!

The Best Bread Pudding

2 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in a bowl
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
For the sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup brandy

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.


For the sauce:
Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

Lila's Stylish Ride...

Our baby girl received this adorable car seat cover courtesy of her very thoughtful, Gran (Thanks, Beck!)...so sassy & fun!

Busy Momma Recipe: Heavenly Cheddar Baked Chicken...

Here is one of my favorite quick & easy recipes. Heavenly Cheddar Baked Chicken even gets high marks from my sweet husband who I've affectionately & accurately labeled a "Snooty, Foodie"!

Heavenly Cheddar Baked Chicken

1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg
1 Tbsp. milk
1 c. shredded Cheddar or Asiago cheese
1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 c. crispy rice cereal
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat medium baking dish w/ 1/4 c. melted butter.

~In a bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, & garlic powder. In a separate bowl, beat together egg & milk. In third bowl, mix cheese, bread crumbs & cereal. Dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture, dip in egg mix, then press in bread crumb mixture to coat. Arrange in baking dish. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. butter evenly over chicken.

~Bake 35 min. in preheated oven, or until coating is golden brown & juices run clear.

"Before Five in a Row"

I want to share a resource that I recently discovered (thanks to another blog that I follow) called "Before Five in a Row". The book is based on the "Five in a Row" home school curriculum in which you read a book on their literature list (which you can purchase or check out at your local library) every day for 5 days and reinforce the lessons within each story with fun activities throughout the week. "Before Five in a Row is geared toward children 2-4 years old. As I've mentioned in previous posts, Cy LOVES to read so I feel confident that these lessons/activities will be right up his alley. Here's a tidbit about "Before Five in a Row":

Not to leave out the eager younger children, this volume provides mini Five in a Row-style lessons for youngsters. This book; however, is divided into two parts, the first being similar to the other curriculum guides. Just as in the original series, each unit is built around a simple, classic children’s storybook. This book differs from the older volumes in that it is not structured around a week. The purpose is simply to provide an array of activities for each book that engage children and lay the foundation for further learning. Some of the activities are subject related, such as Bible, science, math, language arts, and art; others are various skills such as learning shapes, sequencing, colors or problem solving, and the rest are centered on specific topics, like relationships, contentment, birthdays or another book-related idea. The second part of this book focuses on arming parents with creative ideas to build learning readiness. This section is a treasure trove of activities that help develop reading readiness and motor skills or focus on the arts. Additional activities also capitalize on teachable moments that arise during bath time, in the kitchen, or during a trip to the store.
Those few brief years of early childhood can never be reclaimed later and many parents discover too late that they pushed too hard and too early for advanced academic achievement. You can’t go back and swing at the park, float paper boats in the rain and do the myriad of play activities with your young children that help build the foundation for learning in a way that also encourages a flood of warm, young-childhood memories.

"Before Five in a Row" vision statement: Dedicated to protecting and nurturing the early years of childhood, Before Five in a Row opens up the world of learning through great books and creative play, and builds a solid foundation for more formal education to come.

I've placed it on my wish list for Christmas and wanted to share this resource with all of you interested mommies out there. Here's the link for anyone interested:
http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/beforefiveinarow.html

Another book that she recommends is called "My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God's Word in Little Hearts" (which can be purchased at amazon.com).