Banks' Class Picture

Here is Bank's class at school.   He is in the Toddler I class at our church Learning Center.   He loves it there and he loves his friends and teachers.  We have been very pleased with the CDC and I know when June 29 gets here, I will be crying, knowing that we will no longer be walking through those doors everyday.

These children are precious.  I have watched most of them grow from infants to these independent, smart, outgoing, and sweet toddlers.  They just crack me up on a daily basis and I am going to miss these faces so much.

18 Months

How can it be that my baby is18 months old?  

It seems like yesterday I was going to the hospital to have this little guy....but at the same time, it was so long ago because he has changed so much.  

If it is possible to have a favorite age so far, hands down 18 months has been my favorite!  Just when I think he could not get any cuter, he wakes up the next morning and he is cuter than the day before!

Banks is such a sweet little boy (takes after his Daddy) and is a pure joy.  He is learning every single day and I get the most joy out of watching his mind and personality develop.  He is very fond of books, balls, playing outside, the bathtub, Elmo, sausage, his giraffe lovie (a.k.a. girraffie), his blue silky blanket, his paci, Casey and Basil, feeding Casey and Basil, putting on his shoes, mandarin oranges, cheese, puzzles,  and his Mommy and Daddy, of course.

He is talking more and more these days and it is so fun to be able to communicate with him.  

We went to the doctor today and he is just the perfect size.

Weight:                            23.2 pounds (10-25%)

Height:                             33 inches (75%)

Head Circumference:      18 3.4 inches (50%)

Banks still fights skin eczema and a mild egg allergy, but other than that, he is very healthy.  He continues to be the best little sleeper from 7:00 p.m. to 6 a.m.  and he knows his bedtime routine by heart.   My advice:  never deviate from the routine unless you have to!

I am looking forward to our move and getting to stay home with my little boy.  We are going to have the best time this summer.  I have him enrolled in a pre-school 2 days a week for July.  We are going to do a Mommy and Me Swim class and he I think he is going to participate in Camp Butler one day a week.  For more info on Camp Butler, click HERE.  

Overall, Banks is a blessing that I really feel like to do not deserve, but I am just thankful that God has allowed me to be his Mommy.  

Chicken and Rice Bake

As I posted earlier, I decided to cook some of the recipes from Granny's book.

I tried this easy and yummy dish today because it cooks for 2 hours, which was perfect for a church day.

I am going to list the recipe as Granny (and my Mom) cooked it (totally delicious) but will let you know how I prepared it today (dialed a bit down on the calories).

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 and 1/2 sticks of melted butter

1 and 1/4 cups uncooked white rice

sat and pepper

boneless chicken breasts

In a large mixing bowl, mix soups, butter and uncooked rice.  Add a little bit of salt and pepper.  Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.  Salt and pepper raw chicken breasts and bury the breasts in the rice mixture.

Cover with foil and Bake 2 hours at 300 degrees.

This is perfect to pop in and go to church, then when you get home...it is ready.

***Today, I used the Healthy Requests soups and only 1 stick of butter.  It was still good.  I would say maybe in place of that extra 1/4 cup butter I omitted, I would add 1/4 cup of water.

This might not be a gourmet recipe, but it is really good!

Collin's Party

This afternoon we went to our friend, Collin Baugh's 2nd Birthday Party.  The theme was "Our Little Squirt" is turning 2.  Lauren, being the party planner she is, had thought of everything.   She had a wet area and a dry area for the kids to play.  My little Sir opted for the dry area, choosing his favorite toys, a train and a ball.

We were glad to see Barrett (and his sweet baby sis, Caitlyn).

I just love these girls!  Me, Lauren, and Ashley

Lauren had these yummy cupcakes but she was SO sweet to think of Banks and his egg allergy.  Knowing that Oreos do not have egg in them, she had a pack of Oreos for Banks.  Thanks Lauren!!!

Sweet Brothers.

Happy Birthday Collin!

Banks had THE BEST TIME with the golf club and golf ball.  Good thing our new house is on the golf course.  Maybe he will take up that game!

Oh, and note to self:  Banks LOVES sand tables.

5:00-7:00 p.m.

I snapped these pics last night and I thought  I would give a glimpse of what our life is like between 5:00  and 7:00 p.m.

We come in and Banks goes straight to his high chair wanting to get up in it and eat!

He is learning how to use a fork.  Last night, he wanted a fork and a spoon.

He is getting the hang of it.

He still loves to be silly too!

Banks will definitely let you know when he has had ENOUGH and wants out!

 We then head up to the tub.  Banks LOVES his bath and has the best time playing.  He has recently started to try to drink the water so I might have to take all of his stacking cups out.

We have to do 2 puffs on our Flovent.  Notice the lovely blanket I have rigged over the window.  Gotta block that sunlight that still is coming in at 6:45 p.m.!

Banks loves his books. His favorite:  Goodnight Moon

We always make sure to play.

Banks has been having a great time on his horse that was a hand me down from Georgie.

Bryan, Banks, and I spend these 2 hours together as a family and it is our special time.  After the Sir goes to bed, it is dinner and clean-up, paper work for me, tending to Casey and Basil, and most nights, we split to our "his and hers" DVR boxes!    Mine is in our room and Bryan's box is in the den.  We do watch some TV together (Revenge, Swamp People), but he hates Housewives, DWTS, and Bachelorette and I hate Ax Men, Loggers, American Pickers, Storage Wars, and Chasing Classic Cars.....so our system works for us!

Granny's Recipe Book

I have been going through closets, drawers, and cabinets packing and cleaning stuff out in preparation for our move.  Sometimes, I get stalled because things I run across just can not be packed immediately.  Photo albums from my single days, for instance, Bryan found very entertaining.

Yesterday, I was going through my closet downstairs and I came across Granny's recipe book that she gave me several years ago.  This book stopped me for at least an hour.  I had the best time looking at every page and imagining a younger Granny, in her little kitchen in Hueytown, testing some of these new recipes and whipping up some of her favorites.  

So funny, that they were all kept in this regular, no frills photo book.

Inside, are hundreds of loose pages from newspaper clippings.  I guess the Birmingham News and Post Herald used to post recipes. 

This is one of my favorites.  A hand written recipe from a spiral notebook for punch that appears to be the victim of some sort of chocolate or coffee explosion.  I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall that day. 

I love how she just pulled back the plastic covers and mixed clippings with hand written notes.

One of my favorite recipes.  Bryan loves this recipe and I make it almost every weekend during football season and make the brownies in a bulldog paw print pan. 

I guess Granny was somewhat of a messy cook.  Here is a recipe from Cream-de-mint squares and it looks like she spilled some of the mint on the sheet.    Notice the page to the right is stained too.  How funny!

Most of the recipes listed where they originated, usually from a friend.  Granny's friends had the craziest names!  Some of the names listed were Birchfield, Boots, Florine, Griff, Dot, Nora Lee, Maude, Sissy, and Nell.  Of course there were some from Martha, Cora, Hallie, and Ruthanne....but some of those names crack me up!  

This has been the best "find" of the packing so far.  I can't pack it up just yet.  I am going to take it straight up to the kitchen and pick a few recipes from it to try in the next few weeks.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful Moms out there who read my blog.  You are all so very special in so many ways.   I would like to give a special shout out to my Mama, Ruthanne.  You are the best Mother and I love you.

It still does not seem like I should be a Mother, since I waited SO long to get married....but I am......

and this little boy has made me so happy!

I tell him all the time if I could have any baby, boy or girl, I would pick him over and over.  

I love you Banks!!!!!

Whitney's Sprinkle

Yesterday morning, Tara, Laura Ann, and I hosted a sprinkle for Whitney and her baby boy, due in July.  Olexa's was the perfect place for us to enjoy each other's company, great food, and of course, the yummy cake.

Alison and Laura Ann

Above:  Whitney and her sister, Michelle

Below:   Gracie, Leslie, Michelle, and Whitney

Tara and Me  (and the Sun)

Whitney has most of the basic baby stuff from Peggy, but she told people that she really wanted some blankets for swaddling.  Well, she racked up!  I hope this little guy likes to be swaddled, because his Mommy definitely has the blankets for it!

The 3 us us.  Basically, the 3 of us are on the phone 3-way most of the day (oh, except when I am am making doctor calls), usually talking about our kids, what happening on Facebook, our make-up and hair, cute clothes we have bought or want to buy, telling funny stories, our favorite shows, reminiscing about crazy fun times in the past, and our ever present plot to loose 10 pounds. 

Whitney, Carrie, and Laura Ann

It was a great morning for Whitney and sweet baby boy (who still does not have a name).  I will post pics when the precious thing arrives, which may just be on my birthday!