Our wedding dinner - take 2.

I never understood why so many women said they didn't eat at their wedding, or that they didn't remember the meal served at their reception. I assumed it was because they'd made a conscious decision to limit their food intake because their dress was about to burst at the seams, or they were afraid of dropping a stinky-stink on their wedding night.

After Josh and I got engaged and started planning our wedding, I was hell-bent on putting together the perfect menu for our reception. I gave myself such a list of criteria, though, that this was no small feat. We deliberated over the menu for quite some time, trying to appease different tastes and aesthetics. For example, my lovely little sister's lactose-intolerance (and, if we're being honest, mine and Josh's as well, though we live in a constant state of denial). The menu we ended up with, according to my husband, accomplished all of our goals and standards. My aunts still say it was one of the best meals they've ever had, and my dad was more appeared more jubilant while looking at all the food than he appeared to be at any other time during the event (see photo below for proof).

The Dinner Menu

Spring Green Salad with Strawberries, Almonds and Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette

Grilled Asparagus

Oven-Roasted Baby Red Potatoes with Rosemary

Asiago Grilled Chicken Breast, Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Dinner Rolls and Butter

Assorted Sodas, Fruited Water, Iced Tea and Sparkling Cider

The Cupcake Menu

Lavender-Vanilla with Buttercream Frosting

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Josh's Favorite: Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!

My Favorite: Funfetti with Cherry Icing

| happy dad |

Looks good, huh? Now here's where my problem lies: I don't remember any of this delicious-sounding food! Why? Because, like those brides I used to scoff at, I did not eat. For breakfast that morning I had, literally, two bites of a double cheeseburger. Lunch was a sip of my sister's Capri Sun. And as for dinner? I had approximately 3 lettuce leafs, one stalk of asparagus, one baby red potato, and one bite of the chicken... and it didn't even have the sundried-tomato sauce in the part I ate! For dessert? I ingested whatever cake got shoved past my tongue when Josh smashed the piece into my face.

It wasn't that I was trying to keep my dress from ripping, and it wasn't because I was afraid to "let one fly" on our honeymoon night - Lord knows that ship sailed a long time ago - but it was the simple fact that I was not hungry at all and couldn't fathom the energy it would take to lift another forkful to my mouth. So while everyone else enjoyed the delicious meal I'd painstakingly planned, I sat there and chewed very slowly.

It's been nearly a year since our wedding, but we're still receiving compliments and comments about how fantastic the food was, as if we ourselves had slaved away in the kitchen. Each remark makes me more and more envious of all those people who had a lovely meal that night (I eventually did eat - at about midnight I ordered pizza delivery to our hotel room and I wolfed down a few slices while Josh slept). Unfortunately, the chef at our wedding venue is unwilling to share her recipes, so I'm putting myself up to a challenge (much to Josh's drooling excitement): I will recreate our wedding menu and finally know what all the hooplah was about. Wish me luck!

| Linking up with Blessed With Grace |

Pretty sights on a (rare) sunny day.

Some days, the weather in the Pacific Northwest (or PNW) can be downright dreadful. Who wants to look out their window and see nothing but grey, endless, moist sky all around them? A few days at a time isn't bad, but Stephenie Meyer was smart to pick our area for the backdrop of her blood-sucking Twilight series.

But even Mrs. Meyer had to agree that, some days, the sun just can't be held back here. On days like these, it's not just vampires shimmering like diamonds. All PNW'ers will tentatively step into the brightness outside and appear to glisten (though I think it's less because we're vampires and more because, accompanying the sunshine, is usually a fine rain mist).

Below are some lovely little photos I took that I thought you might enjoy, showcasing some of the beauty that can only happen here in the PNW. Because here, like no other place, can you appreciate the beauty of the rain when the sunlight appears.

| moss on a wood fence |

| the dock at Redondo Beach - Des Moines, WA

| view from the end of the dock at Redondo |

| Linking up with Life Made Lovely | 

An update on our little man.

Josh and I were elated when, a couple of weeks ago, we found out we were having a baby boy. Since we still haven't a clue what we'll be naming him, for the sake of easy reference, let's refer to our little man as Baby Beard going forward. I'm sure he doesn't have a beard yet, but trust me when I say that he looks exactly like Josh (aka Beard).

The day we found out Baby would be a Beard and not a Lashes, we also found out that he had a heart defect that could not be appropriately diagnosed with the ultrasound clinic's equipment. We had to wait a couple of weeks and go to see a perinatal cardiologist and genetic counselor. This appointment took place yesterday, so get ready for a science lesson.

We arrived at the hospital on time, nervous, but clinging to our Lord and Savior. Our first fear was that Baby Beard would have other anatomical abnormalities which could indicate a genetic or chromosomal issue (like Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 13 or Trisomy 18). We praise our Heavenly Father that the ultrasound showed no other abnormalities, and that his body is developing normally. No need to subject him to the dangers of genetic testing!

After the general ultrasound, we had an echo cardiogram. For those not familiar with this procedure, it's basically an ultrasound with special settings to look specifically at the baby's heart - they take mostly videos of the heart instead of still images, and use specially-coded colors to show how and where blood is flowing. It was a beautiful experience to see his little ticker thumping away on the screen, to hear the life growing inside me as they turned the speakers up and let us listen to the miracle God entrusted us with.

After the echo cardiogram, we met with the perinatal cardiologist - a lovely, intelligent, experience and supportive woman who wanted us to know all the facts. Unfortunately, the fact was that Baby Beard's heart has more complications than earlier ultrasounds showed (according to March of Dimes, approximately 1 in 125 babies are born with a congenital heart defect - that's 32,000 babies in the United States each year). This means that, once he is born, he will be facing a series of surgeries to correct the problems. The extent of the surgeries will not be known until we are able to get a better look at his Pulmonary Artery, and as the pregnancy progresses, we're able to monitor how some key parts of his heart are developing.

| image of a normal heart, with below-referenced areas labeled in blue |

The preliminary diagnoses are: 

Ventricular Septal Defect - This is where a hole forms in the wall (or septum) between the two lower chambers of the heart.

Mitral Atresia - The Mitral Valve did not form, which means that oxygenated blood is not passing through the left ventricle of the heart. Because of this, the left ventricle is underdeveloped and is not pumping the oxygenated blood from the left atrium like it should be.

Transposed Great Arteries - The aorta, instead of being connected to the left ventricle, is connected to the right. This means it is carrying both oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood to the body. This causes low oxygen saturation after birth.

The other possibility is that there could be Pulmonary Atresia. This means that the pulmonary artery is too small or closed at the end, unable to carry de-oxygenated blood to the lungs.

Right now, Baby Beard is doing just fine because he has what is called a Patent Ductus (PDA). This is a small "bypass" that connects the pulmonary artery to the aortic valve so that they're able to share blood passing through both. A few days after birth, though, the PDA is supposed to close. If the baby doesn't have sufficient de-oxygenated blood passing through the pulmonary artery, though, this could be bad news.

So the plan is as follows:

Worst-case scenario is that some of Baby Beard's valves or arteries will not continue developing at an appropriate and healthy rate. If this happens, some surgeries may not be possible, so we would be looking at a heart and/or lung transplant.

If the valves develop appropriately, which is what our cardiologist is planning on, then there will be a series of surgeries for the little guy. The first priority would be to keep his PDA open so that a source of blood flow could continue to the lungs. This would happen by way of medication being immediately administered to Baby Beard after birth to keep the PDA open. Within his first week, we'd be looking at a surgery to put a stent in the PDA, or a shunt in place of the PDA which would keep the aorta connected to the pulmonary artery. At this same time, a larger opening would be created in the atrium (or the upper chambers of the heart), so that oxygenated blood can easily pass to the right ventricle and continue circulating.

Between 3-12 months of age, Baby Beard would undergo an open heart surgery called a "Glenn." This surgery would hook up the big Superior Vena Cava vein with the pulmonary artery so that de-oxygenated blood can be carried from the upper body to the lungs. This will increase his oxygen saturation to about 80, which is pretty good.

Now we wait... until about 4 or 5 years of age. Pre-School Beard, at this point, will undergo a Fontan operation. This is a 3-D surgery that will look something like a highway overpass. It's a tube on the outside of the heart which will connect with the Inferior Vena Cava, wrap around the front of the heart, and re-attach to the pulmonary artery. This, too, will take de-oxygenated blood and pump it directly to the lungs, so that now the right ventricle is only (or mostly) pumping oxygenated blood to the body via the aorta. This will bring his oxygen saturation into the 90's, which is fantastic.

What this all means is that Josh and I will likely not have a track or football star for a son. But you know what? We're ok with that. While our hearts ache at the thought of him undergoing such pain, and not being able to participate in high-endurance sports, he'll still be able to ride a bike... to color... to love... and, by the grace of God, grow into a young man whose once broken heart is completely healed by, and chasing furiously after, the love of his Perfect Father. 

We invite you to join us in celebrating the miracle that is life, as we thank the Lord for entrusting us with the most important mission of our lives: becoming parents to one who will surely be making a vast impression on us all. Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement and well wishes. We'll keep you updated as we learn more, and welcome you to share this blog with anyone else you feel would like to support us in this journey.

Lovin' from the oven.

Growing up, I was very fortunate to have two parents who both loved to cook (and were good at it to boot). I can remember being about 4 years old and having my dad tie this little apron on me so I could "help" him make dinner. My favorite dish was his signature Mickey and Minnie Mouse burgers. He'd form three small patties into the shape of Mickey or Minnie's head, then we'd draw faces (and in Minnie's case, a bow) on them with ketchup. My dad's actually a great cook, all self-taught, and is more of a mad scientist in the kitchen than he is a Wolfgang Puck. This is where I get some of my curiosity and experimentation from when I go to cook something. He's also taught me a lot about getting back up when you fall off the proverbial cooking horse.

My mom, on the other hand, was very by-the-cookbook and would measure things exactly as printed. She cooked good, hearty food like her mother (my grandma, Opal, was from the Midwest and had a husband and 4 kids to keep fed during the 1950's and 1960's). My mom made a mean chili and cornbread, was famous for her banana and Nilla wafer pudding, and God help her if she showed up to any family function without her famous potato salad...

One of my favorite dishes my mom made was her tater tot casserole. Now that I'm getting ready to have a baby of my own, I'm finding a lot of joy in recreating those recipes my parents cooked for me as a child, and the tater tot casserole was my first attempt to honor a beloved recipe while still making it my own. Below is the recipe I use, which tastes almost exactly like my mom's but with a little extra lactose.

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs hamburger (or 2 lbs. if you like it meatier)
4 cans cream of mushroom soup (any creamed soup will work, though)
1 lb. package of shredded sharp or mild cheddar cheese
1 lg. bag of frozen tater tots
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
Parsley to taste
Seasonings for browning hamburger: garlic salt, pepper and onion powder
(all optional and all to taste)

If your oven is anything like mine, you really do need to make your first step preheating it to 450 degrees.

Brown your hamburger and feel free to add seasonings mentioned above to taste. Drain the browned hamburger meat (because I have to drain the meat anyway, I buy the less expensive but higher fat stuff since it cooks off and saves a few bucks in the process). Place the hamburger in the bottom of a well greased glass baking dish and spread it across evenly. Sprinkle most of the cheese on top of the beef.

In a bowl, combine the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk and parsley. Mix well and then pour over the hamburger and cheese, spreading evenly with a spoon or spatula. Then cover with the frozen tater tots and do a few more shakes of parsley for garnish. VERY IMPORTANT: cover the entire dish with aluminum foil, then place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Once the dish has baked, remove the foil and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place back in the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or until browned. Let stand for a few minutes after removing from the oven, then serve and enjoy!



   

I look forward to rediscovering and tweaking more recipes in the future, and hope you enjoy trying them out in your own kitchens. Are there any favorite recipes you have from childhood that you'd like, or have already had the chance, to recreate?

| Linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace |

Snow (and ice!) days.

Did you ever notice the slow changes we make from childhood to adulthood? For example, in childhood you may love eating sugary cereals each morning for breakfast. As you grow up, though, you begin to expand your tastes and reach for alternatives like bagels, eggs, or French toast. Another good example might be bike riding. When I was a kid I loved riding my bike anywhere and everywhere! As I got older, though, other hobbies and tasks started creeping in... first in the form of increasing amounts of homework, then an after-school job, marathons of "Dawson's Creek," and now just good ol' fashioned sleep.

Sometimes there are sudden changes, though. Like one day you're a kid, throwing your boots and mittens on with such reckless abandon so as to go out and try to sled down the biggest hill you can find on an overturned trashcan lid. Then the next day you're an adult who, at the first sign of a snowflake falling from the sky, you grumble and curse at the thought of having to use one of your preciously accrued vacation days to call into work because you can't make it out of your driveway. Ah, the changing temperaments surrounding the inevitable "Snow Day!"

This past week, we've had a downpour of not only snow, but ice. The city I live in has actually declared a State of Emergency due to the snow and ice, which the Pacific Northwest is perpetually ill-prepared for. But now that I'm only working part time, and my husband has an incredible job that allows him to work from home when needed, there were none of those adult-like grumblings to ruin this snow day week of ours. 

So here are some photos I took from our Winter Wonderland. Did you get snow at your home? If so, share some photos!

Frozen vegetation.

Our backyard.

Pregnancy on the brain, much?

These trees were stunning! They're not covered in snow - it's a thick layer of ice, like crystal!

 These photos are my favorite. The first is one of my mother when she was 12 years old. The second is of me at 25. I'm hoping this could become a family tradition of snow angel pictures.

A full plate.

I have a full plate. It's more like a platter, if I'm to be perfectly honest. Keep in mind that a "full plate" isn't always a bad thing. In my life I view it as a way to observe God's grace and provision through recent seasons. I enjoy looking at my plate and seeing all the little treasures that I've piled onto it, like an uninhibited Kate Moss at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Since about this time last year, Josh and I have gotten engaged, married, made trips to the Emergency Room, faced fears of flying, joined a fantastic community group through our church, prayed (a lot!), changed jobs, endured the adventures of public transportation, found out we were expecting a baby, and recently found out that little baby boy of ours has a heart defect. And through all of that, I've ignored a deep conviction to share the stories.

I think that stems from the fact that I've had other blogs before, with themes ranging from an attempt at a Project 365 to chronicling a lifetime struggle with weight issues, and yet they all have failed. Failed, not because they weren't monetized, but because I failed to commit to the mission and the goal I had set for myself with that particular project.

This project, I feel, is different. I'm not focusing on one particular area of my life to write about that would appeal to a certain demographic, but rather opening my life up and letting others glean from it what they will. I hope it's entertaining, that anyone reading will enjoy the antics and triumphs that come along with being a newlywed, a first-time pregger, and eventually a first-time mama. I hope that I'll be able to share recipes, art and craft projects, testimonies, photos and stories that, Lord willing, will encourage laughter, thoughtfulness, creativity and growth. 

And as for the name of the blog? Josh has a beard, and I have eyelashes (see photo below for proof of the beard... the eyelashes must have rubbed off earlier in the party). Since Josh will likely be making guest posts on the blog (and in between those guest posts I'll be talking about him frequently), I figured the title should be inclusive of him as well. 

With all of that being said, what kind of posts would you like to see on this blog? I feel a recipe post coming soon... :-)

In grace,

Claudia