Baby Boy Is Turning One Soon....

Theodore Michael, born February 18th, 2011.

    I'm finding it hard to believe that my little man will be one year old soon. In some ways, it makes perfect sense... he is walking around and starting to talk, he is wearing 12-18 month clothes, and it feels like he has never not been a part of my life. But at the same time, one is so big, and he is so small! And one means he is not a baby anymore, but he is! And he'll always be. He still wakes up to eat at night, and when he feeds he curls up in my arms into what my husband and I call our "little ball of baby." Oh, and he still loves to eat his toes, or make me eat them (he often kicks me in the face when I hold him, until I kiss his feet). So, how can he be turning one? 

   As well, my pregnancy does not seem that far away... the time when I still waddled and had the heat in our home turned down to 18 degrees (Celsius) in the winter... and felt Theo moving in my stomach and sang to him there...

   Can you tell I'm feeling a bit emotional? I've been reading The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin (the series known for A Game of Thrones, which is now a TV show) and am relating a lot to the mother character, Catelyn Stark, especially in the second novel, A Clash of Kings.  There is a point where she is telling a female warrior that motherhood is another kind of bravery, and that birth is just the beginning of the battle... that watching them grow up and not being able to always protect them is the hardest part. She says she wishes there were five of her, one to go with and protect each of her five children (I am paraphrasing here). Her words and my feelings about Theo's birthday inspired me to create these two new drawings: 

"A Mother's Protection"- Card Dedicated to My Baby Boy

"Mother and Child- Hopes for the Future" card

    Both drawings are covers for two new cards available on my Etsy Site. I love the first one ("A Mother's Protection"), and am thinking of making a larger version to frame for the nursery. In it a new mother is holding her baby and wishing to protect him from the world, the man-made evils and the natural ones (the cities and the trees in the image). She knows she can't, as he'll grow up and she'll need to let go, but she promises to always be there for him. The second card shows a mother daydreaming happy things about her baby's future and wishing him all the joy and happiness in heaven and on earth. That is my wish for my baby boy this year, and probably every mother's wish every year... I'm just adding one more voice, and a couple pictures, to the mix. 

 -J.L.   

Easy Holiday (or Anytime!) Pies

Merry Christmas! 
This was baby boy's first.

    Happy New Year and a belated Merry Christmas! We just got back from visiting family in Quebec City, and are slowly coming out of holiday mode,... and recovering from time spent in the same house with five little boys all two and under! Talk about a crazy time. David's brother and sister in-law are very gracious and hospitable, to say the least! They housed all of us (David's parents and three young families) at their place, and put up with all the extra late-night crying added to their already busy household (they have twin boys who will be two soon).

    It was great to spend time with family, but it is so very nice to be home again... though we did spend the first part of our vacation at home. Theo, our 10 month-old, celebrated his first Christmas morning here at home, and then we spent the day with my family nearby.  I made two ice-cream pies for dessert at my parents':  Apple-Cinnamon and Pumpkin Gingerbread. The recipes were experiments of  my own creation, and happily they turned out really well (and were so easy to make!). 

Enjoying Some Pie by Christmas Tree Light

Apple Ice-cream Pie and Pumpkin Gingerbread Ice-cream Pie
(with whipping cream, of course)

Here are the recipes...

Apple Cinnamon Ice-Cream Pie

Ingredients:

-1 litre vanilla ice-cream

-1 cup of applesauce (unsweetened)

-1 tablespoon of cinnamon

-1 graham cracker crust, bought or homemade.

Directions:

1.) Let the icre-cream soften in a mixing bowl.

2.)Pour in the apple sauce and cinnamon. Beat on high speed until well mixed. 

3.) Spoon ice-cream mixture into the pie crust. Smooth out, cover, and freeze for at least 3 hours .

(This is seriously a 5-10 minute recipe!)

Pumpkin Gingerbread Ice Cream Pie:

Ingredients: 

-1- 2 cups worth of ginger bread cookie dough (using your favourite gingerbread recipe)

-1 litre of vanilla ice-cream

-1 cup of pumpkin pie filling

-1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Directions:

1.) Roll out the ginger bread dough and put into a pie-plate. Bake as directed by the ginger bread recipe. Let cool.

2.) Allow your ice cream to thaw in a mixing bowl.

3.) Pour in the pumpkin pie-filling and the cinnamon. Beat on high speed until well mixed.

4.) Pour ice-cream mixture into cooled crust. Spread evenly. Freeze for at least 3 hours. 

Serve with whipping cream.

  Enjoy!

     -J.L.