Christmas Cookies...Then and Now

Last year I wondered if cookie baking with a 9ish month old would be easier than baking cookies 5 at a time in a toaster oven with no running water, on my feet as a 6 month preggo.  Verdict is...it is much easier cooking in a proper kitchen baby or not.  I was able to use nap time and pre make some doughs.  I even brought Zack into the kitchen with me and gave him "kitchen toys" (his bowl and spoon, a wooden spoon and a colander).
This was last year...

my 1 sq foot of prep space and my make shift cooling rack made from cutting boards placed on burners.  All my recipes were on post-its.

this was the first batch...before I realized that the cookies on the side of the pan would break because of the pan shape...I was able to have 5 usable cookies each batch.

the rolling pin was not on the list of things for me to pack so I used a glass...and thanks to IKEA I had pretty nice cutters.

Yes...after being on my feet all day baking I had to wash these by hand after carrying bowls of water from the water cooler because our running water wasn't working that day...and yes I was 6 months preggo.

This year I had all the proper tools and more counter space...

I still used post-its for the new recipes...why not print them off?  I hate how recipes look printed off...sometimes I retype them but post-its work!

I made a Marum family staple...Sugar Cookies

We used to make these cookies then decorate them as a family on the kitchen table.  At the end of the day our table would be covered in frosting.  Because I am a tad bit OCD and like things the way I like them...I decorated them myself.  It wasn't easy growing up in a house where your brother or mother (not daddy:)) would decorate a Christmas Tree cookie with blue frosting!!!!
I made my all time favorite cookie the Reese's cookie...a bit of pre made chocolate chip cookie dough in mini muffin pans then right when the cookies come out stick a Reese's in the middle.

I actually made my own cookie dough because I need way more chips than the store dough provides...and nothing beats a homemade chocolate chip cookie.  I add a little red Christmas flower to make it a bit more festive.
I made some oatmeal raisin cookies per request of my good friend who LOVES my oatmeal raisin cookies...what makes them so special?  You know how I use way more chocolate chips than necessary well I double the raisins and add chocolate chips.
I tried two new cookies this year...well 1 1/2 new cookies.  I made what they called a double chocolate peppermint crunch cookie (can anyone say YUMMMMM)...and I think they even look better than they sound...

I also used my sugar cookies and made an orange glaze to spread on half of the star cut out and covered the glaze in toasted coconut.
The end result was a big mess, and LOTS of yummy cookies.

this time I have a dish washer to do most of the work for me!

How did I do this with Z crawling all over the place?  Well naps help but the biggest help was making the sugar cookie dough the day before and saving it in the refrigerator.  When he wasn't napping I brought him into the kitchen to play with kitchen things...

he really enjoyed watching the cookies bake...or was it the light...I don't know

my biggest mistake of the day was letting him play with my plastic jar of sprinkles...I figured he would love shaking it and the noise and colors would keep him busy for a while...

basically it kept me busy for a while...it had to be the little ones...{sigh}

8 Months...

Zachary has had such a BIG month!  He crawled, he pulled up, he started scooting, and then he figured out how to get himself down.  It's funny one day I said I like that he can't get down because then I can prop him up and make lunch, go to the bathroom...or anything else that doesn't take very long.  The next day he bends his knees puts his hand down and crawls away. 

Every day he throws everything off this table and I put it back...Adam said I should just take the table away for good...but then what would Zack do?

We also stop along our trips to the kitchen to play with the door stop.

Z loves that he can get to the diaper bag whenever he wants.





We have tried several new foods...chicken, turkey, pumpkin, peas, mango, etc... I have also given him slices of pear and graham crackers.  For lunch he has yogurt with fruit puree...basically a smoothie. 

He still lives his bath.  He likes to turn over and basically swim around.  His favorite bath toy is the rubber ducky...which he eats.

He has 4 teeth now and LOVES when I brush his teeth.  He sees it as a game, he bites down and lets go and I tickle his gums. 

He played football for the first time...

and played in the leaves for the first time...

We have SO much fun everyday!  We go on at least 2 play dates a week (usually 3), we run errands and I try to have one day where we stay at home so that he can take naps when he wants.  We don't have a nap schedule which allows us to do whatever we want whenever we want.  Zack can sleep on the way to a play date in the car or on the way home.  If he is playing with his friends he forgets about naps. 

He likes to help out mommy and daddy...I love that he helps even it means refolding laundry several times.

I had already folded this laundry...why fold with him around you ask...because he LOVES having new "toys" to play with

helping daddy put together shelves.

He was also dedicated this month! 

I can't believe my little boy is growing up so fast.  On one hand I wish he was still my little baby, but on the other I get excited for every new thing he learns or experiences. 

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving in Bali was great last year

...in fact this time last year I was in Bali getting my pregnant self a foot massage while laying on the beach...

The only monkeys we saw this year were the monkeys on Zack's pj's

so it's safe to say that this was a much different Thanksgiving. 
We left Thursday morning and went to Mebane for a Milton Thanksgiving.  My mother-in-law totally out did herself and made anything you could think of to add as a side dish to turkey and ham.  In true thanksgiving fashion we ate in 30 min what took days to prepare.  My contribution to dinner was pumpkin bread...it was my first time making it and it turned out really well, however whenever I make something for the first time for other people I always have anxiety about the recipe. 
After Thanksgiving we celebrated Christmas and exchanged gifts with Jamie (Adam's brother) and Katie (his wife).

I made our Thanksgiving night meal (loaded potato soup and sandwich stuff) so there wasn't a whole lot of pressure because everyone was still full from Thanksgiving.  This is the difference between the Marum's and the Miltons...even after a huge Thanksgiving meal we Marums will eat a full evening meal. :)  The potato soup was great and we had enough for our post shopping lunch on Friday.  Everytime I cook in the crock pot I say I need to do it more...I love make ahead meals!
Thursday night we went to my parents house so my mom and I could go Black Friday Shopping.  Yes we are the "crazy" people that go out shopping at odd hours of the morning...I don't see it as crazy I see it as an oppertunity to get someone a $50 gift for $16.  Ok so maybe it's crazy that the store gives me that kind of deal but I'm OK with it and no matter how miserable I am the rest of the day I don't think I will ever give it up.
We had Chinese and Thai food for dinner Friday night.

Saturday afternoon my mom made what I like to call the opposite of Thanksgving mea...Flank Steak, plain rolls, asian salad and twice baked potato's.
This thanksgiving wasn't as relaxing as last years, but it was wonderful...we truly have so much to be Thankful for!

Zack playing football for the first time while Uncle Scott dropped leaves on his head.

i-phone photo dump

The reason I haven't gotten these pictures sooner was I figured it would be complicated...

This was our first day back in the Sates...Zacks first time in his new car seat...the first toy we bought him at our first trip to Target.

Zack and I in my "new" car

Zack's feet hanging out of the hotel crib

such a cutie when he sleeps

In his new jumparoo...I think it took him a couple weeks to figure out it bounced because there were so many fun toys attached.

little Z asleep on the floor in our new apartment.

"Mommy stop taking pictures and wipe my face"

My employer is Zachary!  Yes this is our official form for Zacks doctor.

we woke up one morning to this...turns out it was heat rash because it went away like 15 min after I unbuttoned his PJ's

awwwwwwwwwwww

playing with his music table

rocking...about a month away from crawling forward.

finger painting with food...who says you can't play with your food?

lovin' the swing!

Video Camera Dump

So one of the positives of having a video camera is we get some really great video's...the negative is my not being as pro active about using the video's.  These are some of my faves from the last couple months...of course all are of Z...what can I say...he is the cutest Milton.

OK...I lied...this one was actually from my i-phone (5.5 months)

This was Adam's attempt to get Z to crawl again...he wouldn't for another few days (7.5 months)

the first thing he finds on his crawling adventure...I had to take the rubber ends off of all of the door stops in our house because I already had to take one out of his mouth.

Zack's Dedication

Adam and I have been looking forward to this since we got home from China.  Adam even e-mailed the church the first Sunday we were back and found out that the dedication ceremony would be November 19th.  Yes Nov. 19th was a Saturday.  As opposed to the dedications I have seen at other Churches Crosspointe made this an event...it was truly something special for Adam, Zachary and I.

Beforehand Adam and I had to do some homework, listen to some podcasts and attend a tour of the Children's ministry.  The podcasts discussed 3 important things for all parents to remember as they raise their children.
1) Talk with your kids about God...even when you think they can't understand you.  I have always knows that kids know and can do more than we give them credit for.  If Zachary has learned that when he sits in the high chair and I come over with a bowl he should open his mouth because he is getting food, why can't he learn that when it's bed time we say a prayer.
2) Put your marriage relationship first.  This doesn't mean I am supposed to love Adam more than Zack or that I should take care of Adam before I take care of Zack.  There is no way I am going to do Adam's laundry or fix dinner over having play time with Z.  It means that in the midst of taking care of a baby we need to make our marriage relationship top priority.  Since date nights have become super expensive with the cost of a babysitter we have decided to have dates in with take out and no TV at our own table after Z goes to bed. 
3) Come up with values and habits that you want to put in place starting today!  Our 5 habits that we want to instill in Zachary are: honesty, hardworking, giving, consideration, faithfulness.  The habit I wanted is happiness, because I believe happiness is a choice and there is no excuse to not wake up everyday happy.  After the sermon on happiness this morning Adam agreed to make it our 6th value.  The 2 habits that we want to instill are praying every night with Zachary and keep our family involved in Church.
Our tour of the Children's ministry was interesting, they showed us parents what our kid's future at Crosspointe would look like and I am ready to sign up for the long haul.  With my time in the 3 year olds and the kindergarten class I knew that their program was great but I was really pleased with everything else they talked about.  My favorite thing was hearing that even in the baby nursery they sing songs and pray with the babies.
When we got to the Church Sat. night there was a photographer that took pictures of our family:

I have to say that when our church does something they do it right...they over plan and over organize so that everyone can enjoy the event. 
This was the centerpiece:

we got a certificate, a gift (a kids bible) and an assignment to write a letter for Zachary to open on his 18th Birthday.

There's my baby!

They even left a snack for the babies:

Our Pastor and Children's Pastor gave a short talk, they showed photo's of the babies and families and served cupcakes.
During one of the transitions they showed this video:

It was an Amazing night thanks to all who could be a part of it...

Uncle Scott and Aunt Bethany

My Parents (Grandma and Grandpa)

Adam's Parents (Grammy and Grandpa)

My Grandma (Great Grandma)

 And thank you to everyone who wasn't there but is a part of our lives and who will support Adam and I as we raise Zachary.