St Patrick's Day

I saw this post on one of the blogs I follow and I couldn't resist attempting it for myself. I had never heard of a leprechaun trap cake before but thought it was super cute!


So Peanut and I worked hard:


Piping batter of different colors into a rainbow in the bundt pan. I did the double cake mix recipe (which by the way will overflow your average sized bundt pan as my oven found out)


I made green buttercream icing from this recipe.


This was the result. Sadly my rainbow didn't really turn out and I'm not entirely sure why but it definitely looked cool anyway (with some dark chocolate ice cream on the side).


Tonight while eating it, Peanut sacked out on the couch next to me :)

Random pictures from this week

And it's only Tuesday... ;)

Finally mastered the bottle just in time for Mommy's first fellowship interview

He had his hand up around his face during both ultrasounds while I was pregnant :)

Big belly following breakfast

Ready to run errands with Mommy!

J's First Outdoor Adventure

We took J on his first outdoor adventure today to Whitewater State Park to learn how to make maple syrup. It was really interesting and made Del and I want to collect sap and make our own syrup.

It was really cold (in the 20's with lots of wind) so we bundled J up really well (flannel jeans, puffy vest, hat) and then put him in the Bjorn with the fleece cover over it and then zipped him inside Del's down jacket. I think he was actually warmer than me!

Two naturalists from the park taught the class (which was surprisingly big). They taught us how to identify trees in the winter and how to put the tap and bucket in place. We couldn't actually collect sap because it was too cold (it needs to be in the 40's during the day and 20's at night to work- which it had been this week up until today)

Once the sap is collected, it is boiled over a fire for several hours until it condenses down into syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to make 1 gallon of syrup! It is then poured through a strainer and ready to eat. We got to taste sap (tasted like water) and the finished syrup (over ice cream).

Proof that J survived our outing no worse for the wear :)

Smile!!

That's right.... we have smiling! He started yesterday but this is the first one we have caught on camera!

Sweet face post-smile :)

Angry face- we don't see this that often

Hanging out on the boppy

My best friend Jaclyn came and visited last weekend which was awesome. We hung out and ate great food (including our standby of yummy cheese, fruit and crackers).

More boppy/tummy time

Trying to escape boppy/tummy time :) J discovered his feet this week and his ability to use them to push off things.

3 1/2 weeks and outgrowing clothes :)

Going out for what turned out to be a surprise 30th birthday dinner with some resident friends planned in secret by my sweet husband!

Pre-bathtime 3/2/2011