Meal Planning Monday

I had planned to work on my Blog yesterday afternoon, because I figured that would be a good Sunday activity, but it was such a nice day that I spent it napping and outside with the kiddos. So, here is the plan for the week.

• Monday: Bean and Sausage soup with some cornbread muffins I pulled out of the freezer this morning because Phoenix insisted on eating a frozen one.
• Tuesday: Shepard's Pie. If you want to be technical the correct term is Cottage Pie because I am not using lamb.
• Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan and a Caesar salad. My kids love Caesar salad. It's kind of funny.
• Thursday: I call this Mandy's Pasta, because she told me how to make it. It is a baked pasta with cheese, bacon and onion in it.
  
• Friday: Hamburgers and Pasta salad. Even though it has been raining for what feels like a year, I am so ready for Drew to light the Barbeque and for us to eat outside. We even got the deck swept off last night so that we can.
  
• Saturday: Breakfast-For-Dinner. Not sure what I'll make yet, but I'm thinking it will be pancakes...maybe Star Wars Pancakes if I'm feeling fancy.
  
• Sunday: Roast Chicken with whatever vegetable that appeals to me when I go to Safeway this week.

My New Idea

I am a planner, and a list maker, so making a meal plan for the week comes naturally to me. When Jo and Karen are over they like to check out what I am making for dinner that week. So, my new idea of a weekly (we'll see how long it lasts) post called Meal Planning Monday, where I'll tell you what my meal plan is for the week, and maybe spark some ideas to your meal planning, which can be a dreaded chore (especially when you ask your husband what to make and he either says I don't care, or something totally ridiculous like Liver and Onions). Feel free to comment, ask for recipes, or give me ideas!!

• Monday: Tacos. (I can just hear my sisters say Taaacos). Drew just got back from Kalispell, and he brought back some of those really yummy uncooked tortillas from Costco. Then for dessert, we made them with butter and cinnamon and sugar (SO GOOD!!)
  
• Tuesday: Perogies. Not that interesting, but Tuesdays are a really busy night.
• Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken.
  
• Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs. I got the recipe from Lynn, and they are SO good. The trick is to make them the night before, because they are better the next day. They are also really good if you freeze them, and then re-heat later. And a Caesar Salad. If I'm in the mood, I might make some breadsticks. We'll see.
  
• Friday: Crispy Oven Baked Chicken and Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes. I think that my veggie will just be cooked carrots, because my Dad gave me a gigantic bag of them from "the pit".
• Saturday: On Saturday is our Breakfast-For-Dinner-Night. But, I think I might rebel and have my dear husband take me out on a date, or I just might take myself out on a date.
• Sunday: Ham (one of those ones from Costco in the red package), funeral potatoes and broccoli.

April

Life with a newborn is busy. Life with 4 kids is crazy busy. I love having Taylor as a part of my family. I am so lucky to have her, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Here are some of the things we did this April

Davis lost his first tooth. He was a bit slow in losing teeth. He was worried that he hadn't lost any yet, and felt sad that all the other kids were losing theirs and he hadn't. He asked me one day "Mom, will I still have all my baby teeth when I'm an adult?"

I don't know how we worked this, but our last two kids, and Mat & Robyn's first two kids have been born 2 weeks apart. Here is Taylor with her cousin Daxon. He is 2 weeks older, but when she was born, she was 2 pounds bigger.

Auntie Lynn came and stayed with us for a few days. It was so nice to have her here!! It was just what I needed. She played with the boys, gave Taylor lots of cuddles, baked and cooked very yummy things, we talked, we laughed, we shopped a bit. I was so sad to see her go. I knew that she needed to get home to her own family, but I wished that she could have stayed longer. I know this sounds weird, but I don't think you really realize how much you miss someone, until you can spend some time with them.

We set up a tent in the basement, and the boys got to sleep in it. Phoenix only got to sleep in it for one night. He was a bit small, and kept his brothers awake too much. I think there also was a bit of a conflict over someone wanting a cuddle, and no one would cuddle with him.

Taylor and Marcus playing on my IPhone.

We were worried that Phoenix would be really jealous of Taylor, because he doesn't even like it when Marcus sits on my knee. He has been fairly good about having a new sister. He loves her, and won't keep his hands off of her. He always has to touch her, and lay beside her, try to wake her up, bath her and feed her. One day she was getting her clothes changed, and was laying in just a diaper on the floor. I went to get her some clean sleepers, and as I came into the kitchen from the laundry room, Phoenix was throwing a diaper into the garbage. He told me that she was poopy and that he changed her. I went back into the Family room, and Taylor was laying naked on the floor.

Introducing...

The wait for baby was of course totally worth it...

Before I was due I set up an induction date with my obgyn because I was terrified of having a gigantic baby. All of my kids have been around the 9 lb mark, and I was worried that if I went over, then the kid would weigh at least 20 lbs. I was so nervous the night before. I was worried that it wouldn't work, or that it would take all day. I was also worried about actually being in the hospital, since the last time I was there I didn't have the greatest experience. On Friday March 25, Drew and I got to the hospital at 630 am. After getting checked in, at 800am the doctor came at broke my water, then Drew and I wandered the halls for an hour to see if we could get things into motion. While we were walking around we were reminiscing about going for walks at the Foothills in Calgary. This time Drew pushed my IV pole around. Sadly, the walking didn't do much, so at 900am I was put on the drip. Because I was on the drip I couldn't go into the shower, and I was really disappointed because that is one of the things I do to help with the pain. At around 1100am, things really started picking up. I am not comfortable with an Epidural, or with Morphine, and my pain reliever of choice, the gas, wasn't available anymore, so I was hurting, and unsure of what I was going to do. They gave me heat packs, and those were great until they took them away because I was getting too hot. Then I decided that maybe I should have some Morphine, but when they went to put it into my IV, the baby dropped too much, and it was too late. At about 1130am I started to push, and then at 1137am, I had a baby. When it came out Drew said "It's a girl!!", and I said "A girl!?! Really!?!". We both were surprised. She weighed in at 8 lbs and 13 oz (the same weight as Phoenix), and was 54 cm long (the longest of my kids (hopefully that doesn't always stay that way)).

Because we didn't know we were having a girl, we didn't really have a name picked out, we did have a list of names, but we didn't have one picked. We actually didn't decide on her name until we were just about to leave the hospital. I had all the paperwork filled out, and her loaded into the carseat ready to go. Then to complicate things, Drew asked the boys what they thought we should name their little sister. So, we decided to call her Taylor Rosetta.

We all love her a lot.

Overdue

I have never been pregnant on my due date...until now. And it is complete torture. I was teary and a bit cross all day on March 18. I tried to keep myself busy and distracted, I did laundry and some sewing with crazy hair, and in my non-fitting pj's. Then my sweet husband took me out on a date, and I felt much better. At first I didn't want to go, because I feel very anti-social, and very un-attractive. We went to Streetside, and then wandered around the Home and Garden Show. I kept making comments like, "I packed my bag today maybe that will get me into labor". As I was getting into bed that night, I sighed and said "I am officially overdue.". March 19 came and I had high expectations. I even got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed the kitchen floor. I thought this baby just wants to share a birthday with his/her Aunt Mandy. No luck. Then March 20. March 21. March 22 (maybe it wants to share a birthday with Aunt Jen). Now we are sitting at March 23. One person told me that I am having a girl because girls like to take their time. They need time to do their hair. Meanwhile, I keep getting advice from people on how to bring on labor. Eat Chinese food, jump on the trampoline, drink raspberry tea, drink caster oil (gag), eat Curry, go for a jog, go for a walk, get a massage, get "romantic", go on a bumpy car ride...I admit I am trying some of these, like the tea and the massage, but I am doing those because I like to drink herbal tea, and I like to get massages. But, for the most part I think the rest will just make me more uncomfortable, and make me waddle just a little bit more. So, I guess I just need to be patient, and try to enjoy being pregnant for the last time. Because this won't last forever...even though today it feels like it will.

Mmm...bacon

I know I've mentioned before that Phoenix is a busy boy. He is down-right exhausting at times. The other night, we were doing a family activity before bedtime. Marcus picked that he wanted to color. So, we were all busy in the living room coloring; meanwhile, Phoenix got bored and wandered off, then my sister Lynn called, and I was talking to her. We heard some rustling going on in the kitchen, and Drew sent Davis in to see what Phoenix was doing. He came back in with the open package of raw bacon, and said "Phoenix was eating meat!!" Phoenix opened the fridge, opened the ziplock bag of bacon, and was eating it. The funniest part was that he was upset that we took away the bacon, and made him wash his hands.

A Very Special Person

I need to apologize about these pictures...they are terrible. The joys of taking pictures in a school gym. I should have tested it out first or something, but I took some cute ones, and then realized that I needed to turn off my flash.

At Davis' school they have "Special People" Assemblies. Kids get honored for all the hard work that they do in school. At the end of January Davis got picked by his teacher, Mrs. Fleming. It was also a special assembly because Mrs. Fleming and her baby got Special People Awards because this was just before she went on her Maternity leave. Davis is a very special person. I always get told by his teachers how well liked he is by all the other students. He is funny. He is a hard worker. He is smart. I love my little first-grader.