Easy Peasy Breakfast Sandwich

The idea for this came since I've been craving tater tots on and off during my pregnancy.  And since I'm rubbish at eating breakfast, I made a concerted effort to make something healthy and filling that had tots.

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices of whole wheat bread
2 egg whites
1 slice of cheddar cheese
5 tater tots
butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook tater tots according to instructions.  When there are about five minutes left for the tots, begin on the rest of the sandwich.
2. Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread.
3. Place in pan over medium heat until golden brown.  Remove from pan and place on your plate.
4. Cook egg whites over medium heat and lightly scramble.  Don't scramble too much, or it will be messy to eat. 
5. When fully cooked, place egg whites on top of a slice of bread.
6. Immediately place cheese on top of eggs.
7. When tater tots are cooked, cut in half and place on top of cheese.

Voila! 

The Ultimate Guide to Starbucks' Secret Menu

Holy awesomeness Batman!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/the-ultimate-guide-to-starbucks-secret-menu-2524219

Mommyhood

Oh my gosh, I can't believe this is my first post since I had Jared. There really isn't much time to blog nowadays... Some news and notes:

• JD is now 11 weeks old, but is the size of a 4 month old! As of last week he was 13 pounds, 10 ounces and 26 inches long. Yowza! He also has a pretty big head and giant thighs. However, he's not chubby, just long, like Paul.
  
• He is in the best mood when he wakes up from a good nap. He is super smiley and babbles quite a bit. It's adorable! But he tends to be camera shy. As soon as I whip out my iPhone, camera or Flip, he gets distracted and stops doing the cute thing he was doing a second before.
  
• We now have a routine, but not a schedule. During the day, he usually naps for 45 minutes to an hour (I'm lucky if it exceeds an hour) and he eats between 2 to 3 hours. If I get to leave the house, it's after he's had a short nap so I can load him up in the car and go to my destination. Then I feed him when he's hungry. Luckily, he sleeps between 4 to 5 hours at night, starting at 9:00 or 10:00.
  
• I'm also trying to anticipate his needs before he needs them, particularly when he's hungry. When he's screaming for food, I know I'm too late!
• He is still a champion spitter. And the smell of that formula is gross. We burp him over a ratty old towel on the floor and after a while the room starts to stink. That's when we know it's time to change it!
  
• The formula (Nutramigen) is so expensive that I'm buying it on eBay. It's usually a sample size, but I don't care. It's cheaper than going to Target!
• I was having a super hard time trying to take care of him that I totally broke down about two weeks ago. I mean, a complete breakdown. I had mini ones before, but this one was bad. Now my in-laws are helping me a lot and I'm finally understanding JD more, so it's been so much easier. Everyone told me it gets easier at the three month mark, which he's almost at, but I think part of that is purely understanding him and his needs, not just that he's easier to manage.
• I'm going back to work after Labor Day. I never thought I'd say it, but I kind of miss work! I would love to be a stay at home mom full time, but it's not what I thought it would be.
• We got a new car and I love it! It's a Honda CR-V EX with four wheel drive. The ride is so smooth and I'm so glad to have power everything and an MP3 input. My Civic was in the pits and it wasn't worth fixing. It was a 1999 with 160,000 miles and manual everything: windows, doors, etc. It's also easier to get JD in and out of the car seat. Here's a picture of it from the Honda website:

And here are some of my favorite pictures of Jared so far:

a big boy already

I think this is the first picture with his eyes open.

my two boys asleep

one of the pictures from his birth announcement

Paul and Justin's first Fathers Day

I can't believe he used to be that tiny.

a month old

one of the funniest faces I've seen

I love his smile!

He loves to suck on his right fist!

He has so much fun in his bouncy chair.

I would do anything for that face!

Give Them What They Want

Scripture: "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." (1 Samuel 8:9)

Observation: Israel wanted a king for the wrong reasons and God allowed it to happen.

Application: Prayer usually involves asking God for something. But what are the right things to ask for and what are the wrong things? Israel got the king they asked for, but they rejected God in the process. Yet God gave them what they wanted. I suppose the message is, "Be careful what you wish for because it might bite you in the end." I'm not entirely sure; I'm a bit confused.

Prayer: Lord, the verse jumped out at me, but I'm not sure I understand it completely. Do You answer a "wrong prayer request" to provide a lesson? Or is there no such thing because Your will is always done? I hope I get some clarification. Amen.

Random Thoughts

ON PREGNANCY:

• I've had a pretty easy pregnancy thus far. Does that mean I will have a difficult labor?
  
• Jenny McCarthy's book, Belly Laughs, is an easy short read and relatable.
  
• I didn't think I would still need feminine products, but lo and behold, pantiliners are still necessary.
  
• Holy crap! Babies are close to two feet long when they come out! (Thanks for that revelation Janny!)
• My belly button is still an innie, just not as deep. Go figure. I thought all innies turned into outies.
• Luckily, my feet haven't gotten bigger. Not yet anyway. Knock on wood...
• Old Navy has cute, inexpensive maternity clothes. But the sizes run big. I was a XS / S pre-pregnancy, so I bought S during the pregnancy. Most of them are still big on me, even this late into my pregnancy.
• Kicking doesn't hurt nearly as much as slow, stretching movements. He is really strong now as we're nearing the finish line!
  

ON LIFE:

• Why are there tennis balls on walkers?
• I wish I had a super tight knit group of girl friends that I saw multiple times a week, a la Friends and Sex and the City. My best friends live in Austin, Texas! The girl friends that I do see more than once a week are the gals from work. And I do love them, but we see each other at work and don't hang out in the evenings as much.
• Why does the Canadian government condone barbarically killing baby seals? It's cruel and inhumane, especially they are killing these adorable creatures for only their fur. I'm banning Canadian products until they stop being so gosh darn mean! I was able to watch the first five seconds of this video until I saw a mean guy bashing a baby seal with a club and I had to shut it off. It's just too sad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf5tNXpUtkY

Freedom

Scripture: "Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Observation: Due to sin, I should be punished to death and separate from God. But because of Jesus, I have been given grace and freedom from this punishment.

Application: Jesus gave up His life for me and my freedom. That shouldn't be taken lightly. However, it's so easy to take all of this for granted. Especially considering that there are some Christians out there that could be killed in their countries for worshiping God. I have it so easy compared to them.

Prayer: Lord, You paid for my freedom with Your own life-- tortured to no end and sacrificed it all. Please help me to remember that on a daily basis, not just around Easter. I can worship You freely, without condemnation or fear for my life. Others do not have it so easy. While others are forced to worship You in private, I can do so from rooftops. That is something I should take advantage of. In this regard, You have provided freedom to me in two ways. Thank you! I am so blessed. Amen.

All Connected

Scripture: "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." (1 Corinthians 12: 26)

Observation: This is so true on so many levels! It's easy to relate to. For example, physically, if my sciatic nerve pinches, my entire body is rendered useless. Within my family, if Paul gets a promotion, everyone (my parents, his parents, all the siblings, etc.) is happy.

Application: The body of Christ is just that-- a body. We are all one unit. I believe I am a compassionate person by nature, but am I spiritually compassionate? It's easy to rejoice with one another, but am I doing my part when someone is suffering?

Prayer: Lord, I need to do more. I have compassion and empathy, but I don't think I'm doing enough within the Christian community. Meaning, if a friend needs help, I do everything I can outside of the spiritual. I'm not doing enough within Your world, especially spending time in prayer. And I mean deep prayer, not just the simple one-way conversation that I normally do with You. So now that I know what I should be doing, please guide my heart into really doing it. Amen.