Mad Culinary Skills.

Looks good, yes?
I have been ambitious lately, planning and cooking more meals now that Kendall can entertain herself or watch me.
The above was a yummy, easy pasta dish.
It was hot and ready at 5 o'clock, in time for Chris to eat when he got home from work...
Except he didn't get out of surgery until 7:00 p.m...
So it was cold and didn't look this pretty (good thing I took a picture!)...
And, because he is finicky about eating leftovers, I ended up eating most of it throughout the week...
Which is why I don't like cooking.

But here is the recipe nevertheless.

ZUCCHINI, CORN, and BASIL FUSILLI WITH BACON
Serves 6 (or two, with one of us eating a WHOLE lot more than the other...)

6 bacon slices (I added more...because it's BACON!)
1 lb fusilli
3 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
1 1/2 lbs zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 (5- to- 7 oz) container basil pesto
Accompaniment: Parmigiano-Reggiano to top

Cook bacon in 12 inch heavy skillet over med heat, turning occasionally until crisp. Drain on paper towel, discard drippings.
Meanwhile, cook fusilli in a pasta pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then add veggies to pasta in pot and cook, partially covered, 2 minutes (water will stop boiling). Drain.
Add pasta with veggies to skillet along with pesto and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and toss. Season with salt and moisten with additional water if necessary.
Top with crumbled bacon and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.

Seeing Pink

Kendall's outfit today consisted of a pink shirt, pink pants, brown and pink shoes, a pink fuzzy jacket...all accompanied by her pink blanket as we strolled around the mall.

Man at the mall: "Your baby's cute. Is it a boy or a girl?"

Sigh. Sometimes you've just gotta trust your observational skills, people.

P.S. I reckon it's no coincidence that there are ALWAYS creepy old men sitting on the benches outside Victoria's Secret. Those are MY observational skills at work.

"Free Time"

My Uber-Talented Friends.

I've said many times that I have THEE most talented friends on the planet. You may or may not be one of them. ;) There are a few, however, that have been rolling off my tongue more than a couple times lately- so I thought you should get to know them, too.

Like soup?
The RedMolly Picayune-Democrat
This is a friendship that goes waaaaay back to childhood, an acquaintance through church (her sister was my age). I am a new fan of Molly's blog, on which she is in the midst of 365 days of SOUP. Her recipes are creative, delicious, and quite witty- entertaining reading even if you have no intention of cooking. :) Go there...and tell her I sent you.

On3 Design
If it's photography you fancy, here is a brilliant collection to inspire you! Our new Vineyard friends Al & Lindsay are the culprits responsible for Kendall's adorable first photo session. Check out their blog and find that they've been working their magic on others, too. Eye candy.

Day to Day Wonderments
Allyson Baker married my good friend Richard a few years ago, and has been bringing her creative touch to us on her new blog. She is a wicked awesome graphic designer (here's her wedding invitation to prove it...) and has a Martha Stewart-like keen eye for crafts. Wanna know how she announced her pregnancy to her co-workers? Check out these cupcakes! And if you support Hume Lake Christian Camps, you're probably already familiar with her work (and her husband!).

By the way, I FINALLY updated my blogroll (hello, spring cleaning!) and added some that I should have added long ago. If you feel you were unjustly deleted, well, get blogging, kiddo!

Kendall's First Easter

I know, it's been photographic overload on the ol' blog lately, but hang with me...I'm just trying to get caught up! Easter sprung (pun intended) on us quickly, and with it came a rash of beautiful weather (finally!). We made another road trip to Moorhead, MN, to celebrate Chris' birthday (April 2) along with Resurrection Sunday. Before that, however, we stopped for a quick overnight at the new-and-improved Stavenger lake house for the first time. Last summer's sacrifice was worth it, as we enjoyed the sparkling amenities and homey new getaway. Then it was on to our final destination, where we were greeted by Stavenger grandparents, aunts, uncle and cousins...all excited to see our growing Kendall!

15 Ways Babies Change Your Life.

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

ht: BabyCenter

Rub-A-Dub-Dubby

Our little chicky...all ready for the bathtubby!

...."yeah, I know I'm adorable."

...."seriously, guys, get outta here so I can take my bath!"

...."whew! All clean! I am one hot chick!"

Let's Cut the Crap.

Chris and I were recently at Barnes & Noble and, well, we finally got it...a healthy cookbook (the recommended Hungry Girl series). We've been talking about it for a long time, and with his fun run training and my post-childbirth poundage, we decided it's time to start incorporating some healthy choices into our diets. This is easier said than done, however, because both of us are admittedly picky eaters. Our lists of dislikes include:

Chris- tomatoes, onions, celery, bell peppers and a smattering of other "green stuff".
Jamie- cream cheese, seafood, yogurt and beans. of. any. kind.

Try finding a healthy substitution recipe that doesn't incorporate at least a couple of the above mentioned items. (Suggestions, anyone?) SO, I'm carefully picking through books and internet sites trying to make this work for us. Discouragement set in today upon visiting the grocery store and finding that these alternative ingredients practically doubled my total. Darn you, fresh produce!

I need your help. Come on you culinary geniuses, I need recipes!

Big Girl Toys.

Since Kendall now has fairly good head control (still sporting the bobblehead, but she's almost there), we decided to invest in some toys that will assist and entertain her in this next phase of development. The first, her Baby Einstein jumper, is still a bit too mature for her. Rather than jump and play with the toys on the tray, she's all about leaning down to chew on the seat. She enjoys a few minutes at a time here and there, and I'm sure she'll be jumping in no time!


Secondly, we tried out the highly-recommended BUMBO chair. It's highly recommended for a reason...she pretty much rocks that seat. Just watch all the smiles it produces!


Sorry...this video is knee-deep in baby talk. Can't help it.

A Carnivore in the Making.

WOW! COOL! Is this for me?

It looks so delightfully yummy...I need to try this thing!

Om nom nom...

Yep...I'm gonna like chicken!

Old Job, New Job.

At my old job, I was showered, dressed and out the door by 7:30 a.m.
At my new job, I'm lucky if I shower or get out of my pajamas at all.

At my old job, I spent nights and some weekends grading papers and filling out report cards.
At my new job, I spend nights and weekends playing, holding, feeding and changing...24 hours a day.

At my old job, my floor at home was littered with books and papers that needed to be read or graded.
At my new job, my floor is littered with swings, activity mats, toys and burp rags.

At my old job, I lived for the smile on a student's face when they finally "got it".
At my new job, the smile of one baby gives me all the confidence I need as a mommy.

At my old job, I dealt with all kinds of parents...the good, the bad and the ugly. I took copious notes.
At my new job, I'm putting into practice what I learned from successful families, and gleaning from new examples in my life.

At my old job, I received a paycheck and benefits.
At my new job, my pay and benefits are not monetary.

At my old job, I raced the clock to grab lunch and eat it in time.
At my new job, I can grab some food out and take a post-lunch stroll if I wish.

At my old job, I came home with marker-stained hands.
At my new job, I consistently smell like spit-up and baby lotion.

At my old job, I spent hours planning memorable experiences for my students.
At my new job, my daughter gives me memorable moments daily.

My old job: TEACHER.
My new job: MOMMY.

Ahhh, The Memories.

Happy April Fools Day!
I've been behind many April Fools Pranks, but this one was one of my favorites. :)
I'm still laughing...

APRIL FOOLS 2007

Muuuaaaahhh hahaaaaa....

Remembering Our Hero.

Today marks six months since I lost my brother, Derek. To say that I "lost" him is an interesting statement, since he's not "lost"...I know right where he is. So I'll say instead that six months ago, Derek made his appearance in Heaven. In another sense of the word, I (we) lost his keen wit, courageous smile, and warm concern for others. With Easter right around the corner, I'm so thankful for the reminder that new life awaits those who believe. Thank you, Jesus, for Your resurrection that makes it all possible.

On our trip to California, we had the opportunity to visit Derek's memorial in Turlock. It was Kendall's first visit with Uncle Dizzle since he tenderly felt her kicking in my belly. We adorned his marker with a few flowers, reminded him of how much he is missed, and snapped a few pictures.

March Madness!

Last year, a friend of ours from Vineyard invited us to play in his basketball bracket. It was a generous, yet stupid, move on his part since I've lorded my victory over him for the last year. It's my turn to defend my title- and I'm hoping my completely random picks pan out like they did last time.

I chose Kansas to win the whole thing...I'm not partial because of this, I just thought they looked good this season- along with everyone else. Fortunately, because I wasn't the only one banking on KU,, it didn't hurt my bracket much when they bit it in the second round.

This may come as no surprise to you, but I'm in FIRST PLACE.

And I hope that by posting this, it doesn't jinx me, because my Fantasy Football team sure took a turn south after this post!

Moments So Dear.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure, measure a year...

...so the song goes.

I've been thinking a lot about time this week.

Chris will officially start a new year on Friday, Kendall will grow a week bigger, I'll pull out yet another gray hair (yes, they are there, though in much smaller supply since I stopped teaching!).

Last week, my Stockton church family lost another young person tragically. Unlike losing Derek, this came unexpectedly and there is still a lot of confusion. For some reason, Amy was called back to heaven. And for some reason, I am still here.

While I'm horribly embarrassed to share this, it was a wake-up call for me: After playing a game of Boggle on my iPhone today, I glanced at the accumulated time of play (yes, it records this so you can see how pathetic you are...). It currently reads "2 DAYS, 20 HOURS, 10 MINUTES." 2 DAYS! (Anyone dare challenge me to a game of Boggle?)

Now, in my defense, that has almost exclusively been time I've spent nursing in the middle of the night. But it's time I could definitely be reading...or praying...or gazing at my baby who is growing right before my eyes.

There are no time-outs from life. Every moment counts- and I'll be the first to say I need to be a better steward of my time.

West Coast Meet-and-Greet

Yeah, it was back in February.
Yeah, that was over a month ago.
So sue me. I've been slightly busy changing my clothes every ten minutes due to projectile spit-up.

Miss Kendall made her first cross-country trek to meet, oh, all kinds of fun family and friends. Our concerns about her airplane etiquette were quickly put to ease as she slept- literally- through both flights.

We were greeted in Portland by Chris' Aunt Bev and Cousin Sarah, who transported us to their home in Vancouver, Washington. We enjoyed a nice weekend and visit with Kendall's Great-Grandparents, a special time.


An unexpected treat was an impromptu coffee date with my former roomie, Juliann! Now that we are both mommies of little girls, it gave us good fodder for conversation- not that we would ever be at a loss for words!

A quick flight to Sacramento and we were soon home in Stockton, CA with the Petersen grandparents. Hugs from Grandpa Keith were reserved, however, due to a cold he was trying to contain. His sacrifice was worth it, as none of us ended up sick. Grandma Donna, on the other hand, had LOTS of time to snuggle and smile with baby K.


There are many special people to see when we visit Stockton, most of whom we see on our visits to First Baptist. We did have a special night out at BJ's with some of our must-see friends!

Unfortunately, my Grandma lost her husband the week prior to our visit. It was a blessing in timing to be able to attend his memorial service while we were in town. This Great-Grandma enjoyed loving on the baby...and it allowed us to get some four-generation pictures, too.



Thanks, all, for making our west coast tour so exciting! Have baby, will travel...

Things That Never Annoyed Me...Until Now.

Shirts that don't button up. Doing the whole lifting-up-three-layers business to allow Kendall to "get her milk on" is getting really old. If I could, I'd live in the easy-access nursing jammies that I'm quickly wearing out.

Lack of drive-thru coffee shops. Starbucks, Caribou...I'll pass if it means I have to unload the baby and reload her- with coffee in hand. I can just see the scalding hot coffee burns across her face.

Venues with no place to nurse. Ugggggghhhhh! Xcel Energy Center, I'm talking to YOU!

Diapers with brightly colored waistbands. Purely for vanity's sake, I'm sure that seeing your diaper through your clothing is the baby equivalent of panty lines. I'm not down with that. Must they all have big bird, Winnie the Pooh (although this one is slightly appropriate), or Muppet Babies strewn across them? Whatever happened to white diapers?

High heels. I've thrown fashion to the wind in lieu of practicality. I tried getting back into the heel this weekend for church, but my feet do NOT thank me for the 20 extra pounds of baby stuff I'm carrying while walking on a Bic pen...and they made me pay for it all night long.

The garage door. Baby's nursery is right above the garage. Baby is usually sleeping when daddy leaves for work...need I say more?

Snaps. I do realize they make the diaper-changing process much more convenient, but I feel like I spend hours of my life just snapping things up! Snapping up her clothes after changing, snapping up after laundry...I'm all snapped out. Bring on the zippers!

Teenagers. Okay, they annoyed me a little. But my annoyance has been amplified by the thought of my daughter becoming one of these self-absorbed, socially retarded creatures. An excursion to the mall the other day had me asking twice for teens to move out of the way since they were blocking the path for the stroller (to which they were totally oblivious). I was greeted with the famous look of disgust, as if I just told them that Zac Efron is NOT the "most gorgeous boy on the planet". Yes, I'm a grown-up now. Those darned kids!!


Here's your chance to add to my list, you cranky old scrooges!

She Keeps No Record of Wrong.

Let's review shall we?

I clipped Kendall's finger with the clippers. Not her nail, her FINGER.
I locked my baby in the car.
I've bumped her head on the handle of the infant seat multiple times.
I held her down while the doctor pierced her skin with a sharp metal needle three times.
Last night I scratched her chin with my wedding ring (I'll blame this on Chris for giving me such a big, fat diamond ;)

Before you call CPS, let me say that each of these instances absolutely broke my heart. And, obviously, continuing to keep a tally on every mistake I make as a mother will keep me discouraged.

When she looked up at me this morning with big blue eyes and scratched chin, I knew she had forgotten about it. And if I'm going to count anything, it should be all the smiles I get that assure me that she loves her mommy.

The spiritual parallel to this illustration may be obvious. As we enter this Easter season, I remember the wounds that Jesus bore on my behalf. And while I didn't deserve it, he forgave me and has kept no record of my wrong-doing.

Kendall will not always be so forgiving (the teenage years, after all, are only 13 years away...). But I'll always be her mommy, love her unconditionally and never hurt her intentionally.

Meet The Cousins

Technical difficulties delayed this post, but we thought Marcus and Mallory's first meet-and-greet with the baby in February was pretty funny. Mallory has a new favorite playtoy, and Marcus took great pride in his self-proclaimed soothing skills. Maybe a little overwhelming at times for Kendall, but we can tell these three are going to be the best of buddies as the years go by.

They Start 'em Young

This weekend we trekked to St. Paul, Minnesota for the annual High School Boys State Hockey Tournament and let me tell you...it's a BIG deal. The Excel Center was packed with 17,000 crazy hockey fans awaiting some exciting championship games, and they did not leave disappointed. One semi-final game was approaching the longest game in tourney history, seeping into 4 overtimes and well after midnight (Kendall and I enjoyed the end of that one in our jammies back at the hotel). Chris enjoyed sporting the Baby Bjorn, to which Kendall has taken a liking, even using it to nap from time to time!

Of course, the highlight of our trip every year is hanging out with that crazy Stavenger family. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents made Kendall's first hockey experience extra special! Now, if we could just avoid massive baby poop explosions during the game, Mommy's experience would be much more enjoyable!

The cousins are totally into it...the band, at least.

Kendall had a good pre-game thumb-sucking session before...

...she went to sleep. Unbelievable what babies can nap through!

Her first hotel room, and she found the mirror quickly! A little obsessed with it, actually...I hope that's not a sign of things to come. :)

For The Ladies...

Jimmy Kimmel put together a fine-looking cast of gentlemen for this hilarious sketch. It's like he jumped inside my brain and assembled all the good looking men in there...minus Chris Stavenger (who really should appear in this skit). Enjoy the eye candy, and a good laugh!

Yummy.

That's Right...I'm Calling You Out!

Blogging...it's become much more difficult finding time to write with the little munchkin around, but I still read quite a few on a daily basis. With that in mind, there are a few friends who I think would make GREAT bloggers- so I'm officially throwing out the invitation to a few people I find intriguing. Or, at the very least, acknowledging their extreme coolness.

Michelle Watkins- We had a divinely-appointed (coincidental) meeting on our flight back to Minneapolis, on which she and her hubby were in transit back to their current home in New Orleans. Michelle is both charming and witty, two qualities that would make for excellent blogging. Plus, she's a Navy wife and probably has some killer stories to share. Get on it, Michelle!

Keith Dickson- Keith is one of the most amusing human beings I've ever met. He's got the sarcastic edge and keen observation skills that could make his blog one of the most fantastical works of comedic genius in history. The day his equally-entertaining wife started blogging was one of the greatest days ever. Speaking of...

Liana Dickson- Liana already HAS a blog. However, she abandoned it a while back and ever since, there has been an empty hole in my blog-reading heart. Being a mom now, I'm calling on you, Liana, to bring back your hysterical mom experiences for our reading pleasure. SURELY you have time!?!

Heidi Snavely- Oh, Heidi. You may think your life isn't interesting. But you live in Southern California! And you have a great eye for finding weird situations (especially in the company of Karen). Why not pen them for the world?

Mikey and Christa- On a serious note, these two also already have a blog, but have not updated it since returning from Haiti recently. Their ministry with Haitian orphans has surely been amplified in the wake of the recent earthquake. Pictures, stories and testimony are due!

There you go, friends. Get on it! And, since spring cleaning is upon us, I'm going to be fixing up the ol' blogroll. If you have a new blog you'd like me to include, or want me to remove yours because you are utterly embarrassed by your lack of activity, let me know.

This post has been brought to you by the Baby Bjorn.

Everyone's A Show-Off!

Kendall wanted to share with all of you the new skill she's working on- standing up with her strong legs! However, she's not the only one who wanted to get on camera...

So, we tried it again. This time, uninterrupted. :)

The Mom Diaries

Kendall is now two months old. It has been the most exhilarating and challenging two months of my life. Admittedly, for the last few weeks I've felt like my entire body is a clenched fist. To an extent, I've felt imprisoned in my home or under a sleeping baby. I've had no motivation to venture out into the world- it's just too much work. This feeling, I know, is nothing short of normal for new mommies.

Sunday night, I decided to intentionally regain some of my freedom. Yesterday, the sun was shining and enough incentive for me to get out of the house. So I packed up Kendall and ventured to the mall with stroller in tow. I spent about an hour just walking around- grabbed a coffee along the way and enjoyed my stroll. Kendall is a great traveler...the lull of the stroller quickly put her to sleep. I loved it so much that I decided to do it again today! With the weather warm-ish (high thirties...I can't believe this is my new warm....) but not yet warm enough to walk outside, the mall is a great option for me. I could spend hours at Barnes and Noble alone- that store is a drug!

I've also been putting Kendall "down" more often, letting her learn some self-soothing methods on her own. This is mutually beneficial, as I can then complete much more work at home. The Baby Bjorn has also gotten some use, although Kendall hasn't decided that she loves this apparatus yet, and never fails to let me know...very loudly.

Yes, I'm slowly getting the hang of this mom thing. And accolades are due for typing this whole thing with one hand. :)