I found love at a young age. I was 15. He was 14 (I am a coug, i know). 9th grade & 10th grade. Back then, love & marriage was never on my mind. I just enjoyed being able to say I had a boyfriend. We never went on dates. We couldn't drive.
I married that 14 year old. (whoa, that sounds weird) He is the love of my life. We are now 23 & 22. (well, 9 days until my birthday, but who is counting!) We are still young. I am still a cougar. He is my young cub ;)
We had our troubling times, while dating & married. We had an awkward break up. It was extremely odd. To this day I dont have an answer for what happened, but I do know that if we hadn't broken up, we probably wouldn't be married to this day. Thankful for that little blessing!
Joel plays a humongous role in my life. He is my rock. My foundation. He provides for this family. He loves me. He loves our 1 year old daughter (technically 11 months & 18 days, but again, who's counting!). He has a genuine heart. He cares for us. He spoils us. He takes care of us. He protects us.
I am amazed at how you can love someone so deeply like this. Like, my stomach still knots up when I think about him. My heart starts racing when he comes into the room. It's a silly thing. But its a sure thing, I do love that man.
We are still young. 3 years into our lives together (2 years & 8 months. I seem to round my days up). We have a long ways to go. I want to be that couple that can celebrate a 50 year wedding anniversary. We will have a great life together. The 2 of us & then 1 more.
Our perfectly, rounded, pale skinned baby girl. Our blessing. The one thing that has showed the both of us a love we didn't even knew existed. We loved each other, thats all we knew. This kind of love is incredible. It's hard to explain. But we both feel it.
She is an amazing dancer. Her hair is crazier than Einsteins. She hates her veggies. She smiles at everyone she meets. She is fast as lightning. Her taste in clothing is phenomenal. Her feet are dainty & cute. She oddly inherited a short gene (dad is 6'4 mom is 5'8). Her eyes are big & gorgeous.
This child is ours. We get the honor of calling Scarlet our daughter. It's an honor. A blessing. My heart grows bigger everyday i spend with her.
My life is filled with love & great things. These 2 amazing people have brought me so much joy. I hope everyone finds these kinds of loves like i did. :)
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Scarlet Rose
This is MY story of my pregnancy, delivery and the time in the NICU. Anyone can tell you about it, but nothing is as close to my version! I saw a friend share her story and it made me feel the need to do my own.
No one probably cares or will even read this. This is for me & if anything were to happen to me and if I was no longer here, it's for Scarlet, too. I want her to know how much I love her. How easily it is to love your child when you know NOTHING about them. 9 months (well for me 8) is a long time to carry a child, but nothing compares to holding your baby for the very first time.
So here it goes. My side of the story:
At the beginning of my pregnancy, my progesterone level was really low. Basically the nurse told me I was at a high risk for miscarriage. Luckily enough, they gave me some medicine that fixed that problem by my next visit. My pregnancy was a really enjoyable pregnancy. I had REALLY bad morning sickness that lasted my entire pregnancy but feeling my sweet baby girl move made me look past the sickness. Every doctor appointment was awesome & healthy. I did go to the ER once for what I thought was a heart attack (no seriously). Embarrassing enough, they diagnosed me with Pleurisy. Nothing serious, just really painful to breathe. I was terrified though!
April 12th I had some really sharp pains in my back & period like cramping. I called and asked if this was normal and they said "possibly, but it could also be pre eclampsia, just keep an eye on it". Well, I dont think anything could be serious because that just doesn't happen to you. Like, you only hear about that kind of stuff from tv or other people!
On April 18th 2012, Joel and I went in for the start of the 2 week visits. Everything seemed normal until the nurse came in to check my blood pressure. The look on her face really freaked me out. All she asked was, "Have you been feeling ok"? Well, yeah, just had every pregnancy symptom there is! So she went on to check my pressure again. I just looked at Joel like I had just seen a ghost. What did this mean? Why was she acting so weird? She simply said "Your blood pressure is high". Told me to go pee in a cup and come back and lay down on my left side.
Literally 2 minutes later (compared to about 45 min on a regular visit) my doctor came in with the nurse. She just kind of explained that I could have preeclampsia and they wanted to do a Fetal Stress Test. Scarlet was perfect & content on being inside my belly. The doctor came back in and told me she wanted to see me back Friday and that I needed to do a 24 hour urine sample. ON MY BIRTHDAY, lame.
That obviously didn't go as planned! I was a mess. Terrified that I'd have to delivery early. (Little did i know!) Terrified that I would die during child birth or Scarlet wouldn't make it. !!!! Way to leave a pregnant woman hanging on the details!
All day Thursday (did i mention it was my birthday?!) I had to pee in a cup and pour it into my jug. I was a little bored with the idea by the time it was time to take it to the hospital. All day I just kept thinking something bad is going to happen. I was sick to my stomach about it all. I remember my feet were about 3 times the size they usually are. Ice & elevating them didn't help. My face was red and swollen. My fingers looked like sausage. Obviously something wasn't right.
Friday afternoon (WHY I PICKED A LATE APPOINTMENT, IDK!) Joel and I went in to see what was going on. The doctor said I was just shy of being preeclamptic. She said that it doesn't mean I wont be or that I'm free from it all. She wanted to push for 36 to 37 weeks if I did become preeclamptic to deliver. She put me on bed rest & told me that if I had severe headaches that I needed to go to the hospital. My next appointment was Tuesday. All weekend I sat on my butt, well I guess not really, I didn't think I was going to die if I got up to fold laundry. GEEZ!
Monday evening Joel and I were sitting on the couch watching tv. Around 8ish I started blacking out. All I was doing was laying on the couch. No movement, nothing. The room would turn black and the sounds became kind of distant. It didn't last but a second. I would see stars when I went back to normal. I honestly didn't think ANYTHING of it. I have had that problem earlier before all this preeclampsia stuff went down. I was texting my mom and she asked how i was feeling and I told her I was blacking out. She told me I needed to call my doctor and see if thats normal. Sure enough, it wasn't. The on call nurse kind of yelled at me, "This is nothing to mess around with! Its very serious! Go to the hospital NOW." Fine. I was scared, and a little embarrassed because of the last time I went to the hospital for something. Locked the dog in the cage and went to the hospital, bagless. I thought for sure they would just send us home. :/
When we got to the triage, the nurse hooked me up to everything. She left and came back and said, "Well its a good thing you came in." hmmm, I never knew what that meant. They kept me over night. Not one minute of sleep entered my body. Anytime I had to pee (which was a lot considering they made me drink lots of water and I was 8 months pregnant!) I had to call for the nurse to come and wheel my stuff over to the bathroom and assist me in. Again, I was peeing in a cup! Finally the morning came after the longest night ever! Joel had to go to work at 7. My mom came up to be with me so I wouldnt have to be alone. The nurse came in and took some blood work to get it tested.
My doctor came in about 8. Joel was back and my mom had left. She said that when the blood work came back in a few hours, they would be able to tell if I needed to be induced or get to go home. I ordered some pancakes and tried eating. Seconds later i puked them up. And again, puked something up. YUM! I was so nervous. When i get that nervous about something, I puke.
Doctor came in and said, "Well. We need to get this baby out. Your liver & platelet counts were going wacky. You are past preeclamptic. You now have hellp syndrome. Better to get that baby out now!" (a link to explain what it is. I have gotten a lot of questions about hellp syndrome) I think i actually felt my heart drop and land in my underwear. I couldn't believe it. I was so not ready for Scarlet to come yet. I hadn't even taken my birthing class yet! Still puking and nervous, they moved me to another room & then another one. Finally all set in my labor and delivery room, a NICU nurse came down to explain a few things. I just kind of thought, what is she doing here? I will be fine. The doctor said she had no worries about everything being ok with the baby.
I really feel like the entire day was a blur. I couldn't eat - the last time I ate (and kept down) was the night before at dinner. They got me all hooked up to everything there ever could be hooked up to. The BP thing went off every 2 minutes to take my BP. That thing hurts! They gave me cervical thinners and by noon they gave me pitocin to help contractions come. I honestly had blissful contractions. None of them were painful. I was about 4 cm when they offered me the epidural. I was hesitant, I wanted to wait because I didn't want it to wear off too soon. The nurse told me to get it now if I wanted one. The longer you wait, the higher chance they wont be able to give one. So, I decided to get it. Easy peasy. They came in around 4 to break my water. I asked the nurse if I was peeing on her. I couldn't tell! I was numb! I was kind of stuck at 4 for a few hours. Then 6 cm came around and the contractions weren't as blissful anymore...the right side of my body was in so much pain. They gave me about 3 more doses within 2 hours but nothing worked. Around 8, I was screaming and crying so hard. All the contractions you get throughout the abdomen gathered to one side called a "hot spot". So, basically all the contractions hit me with no medication on one side of my body. My mom heard me from down the hall and came running...the nurse came in and here I was at 9 1/2 cm. I needed to push!!! Half hour later came Scarlet Rose Leonhardt, 7 lbs 6.6 oz 19 inches long. 5 weeks early.
From the very last push I dont remember a single thing! I remember hearing voices, but never got what they were saying. My doctor injected me with a pretty heavy painkiller that knocked me out. 45 minutes later I woke up to a Miami heat game on the tv and saw Joel on his phone, but NO BABY.
I had to ask what was going on. Joel filled me in with what he knew. The nurse helped me onto a wheel chair and wheeled me to my postpartum room. Finally, they wheeled me up to the 3rd floor where the "more intense" NICU was. They told us to wash our hands, put on gloves, put on an apron and go in. I had never seen anything like this. Rooms with incubators, rooms with parents sleeping, nurses quietly working. It was dark and sad looking. We reached her room. There she was.
Hooked up to every monitor, every tube, every wire. Honestly, she looked...dead. I just started crying and I didn't quit. Two nurses and the doctor surrounded her. The doctor TRIED to make sense of it all. I couldn't really hear him. I couldn't touch her. I couldn't hold her. I couldn't feed her. All i could do was stand there in heart ache watching the monitors pump air into my baby's lungs. One by one the grandparents came in. I just stared. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't talk.
I just cried. The whole night. I didn't sleep. I finally got some food in my system. I made Joel sleep up in her room with her while my mom came back and slept in my room to keep me company.
Every time I went to see her I felt sick. Nothing seemed normal. I had never in my dreams pictured itd be this way. I felt helpless, like a useless mother.
Finally, 2 days later. I got to hold her. It was brief. They didn't want to wear her out. She needed little stimulation so her rate rate wouldn't give her brady's (bradycardiac - basically a dip in the heart rate). Scarlet basically got kicked out of her room on the 3rd night due to other babies that needed the room. On the 2nd floor is another NICU. She spent another week and half in there.
Every 3 hours was feeding time, diaper changing time & the nurse did a full check of her vitals and such. In the NICU, it's a place of taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back. That's what happened with Scarlet. They would test her ability to breathe on her own and if it didn't do too well, they increased the oxygen level.
FINALLY they told us we would be going home. We were so excited...the nurse and doctor came back. Scarlet had been having bradycardiacs for awhile now. She would stop breathing to the point where they told us she turned grey. Heart rates for babies are normally 130s-160s...she had gotten to a 30. From then, they keep a baby for 5 days after a brady to know for sure if they would have anymore. This was a Thursday that they told us, but the bradys had been going on since Sunday before, and we were just finding out. Somehow, the messages weren't being relayed to the right people. I was FURIOUS! My stomach was in knots all over again. The nurses from then on told us EVERY detail they knew. They gave us a post partum room to stay in so we could be close to Scarlet.
Scarlet had a few more brady's. Some were because of feedings, some weren't low enough to keep her any longer than she needed. That following Wednesday, they basically gave us a bag full of diapers, formula, and other goodies and told us to leave.
Lunches were spent with Joel's parents. Dinners were spent with my parents. My grandmother (who is no longer with us) got to see Scarlet in the NICU. I am so thankful for letting her see her just once. I remember crying when she came because having her support meant a lot. My family was so supportive and kind through this. I sure did find out who my real friends were through this tough experience and I thank them for being there for me.
And thats that. Everyday with Scarlet is a blessing. Nights still consist of no sleep, I still like to watch her breathe. I can still see vivid images of her in the NICU. I dont want anymore kids. I can't imagine going through this experience again. My heart hurts for those I hear or see go through it.
Sorry, this was long and I am sure I am leaving important pieces out. But, this is something I want to share with Scarlet someday. Her life and her story makes me appreciate life and the little things that come with it. God is a mysterious God, and he works in incredible ways.
-Cindy
No one probably cares or will even read this. This is for me & if anything were to happen to me and if I was no longer here, it's for Scarlet, too. I want her to know how much I love her. How easily it is to love your child when you know NOTHING about them. 9 months (well for me 8) is a long time to carry a child, but nothing compares to holding your baby for the very first time.
So here it goes. My side of the story:
At the beginning of my pregnancy, my progesterone level was really low. Basically the nurse told me I was at a high risk for miscarriage. Luckily enough, they gave me some medicine that fixed that problem by my next visit. My pregnancy was a really enjoyable pregnancy. I had REALLY bad morning sickness that lasted my entire pregnancy but feeling my sweet baby girl move made me look past the sickness. Every doctor appointment was awesome & healthy. I did go to the ER once for what I thought was a heart attack (no seriously). Embarrassing enough, they diagnosed me with Pleurisy. Nothing serious, just really painful to breathe. I was terrified though!
April 12th I had some really sharp pains in my back & period like cramping. I called and asked if this was normal and they said "possibly, but it could also be pre eclampsia, just keep an eye on it". Well, I dont think anything could be serious because that just doesn't happen to you. Like, you only hear about that kind of stuff from tv or other people!
On April 18th 2012, Joel and I went in for the start of the 2 week visits. Everything seemed normal until the nurse came in to check my blood pressure. The look on her face really freaked me out. All she asked was, "Have you been feeling ok"? Well, yeah, just had every pregnancy symptom there is! So she went on to check my pressure again. I just looked at Joel like I had just seen a ghost. What did this mean? Why was she acting so weird? She simply said "Your blood pressure is high". Told me to go pee in a cup and come back and lay down on my left side.
Literally 2 minutes later (compared to about 45 min on a regular visit) my doctor came in with the nurse. She just kind of explained that I could have preeclampsia and they wanted to do a Fetal Stress Test. Scarlet was perfect & content on being inside my belly. The doctor came back in and told me she wanted to see me back Friday and that I needed to do a 24 hour urine sample. ON MY BIRTHDAY, lame.
That obviously didn't go as planned! I was a mess. Terrified that I'd have to delivery early. (Little did i know!) Terrified that I would die during child birth or Scarlet wouldn't make it. !!!! Way to leave a pregnant woman hanging on the details!
All day Thursday (did i mention it was my birthday?!) I had to pee in a cup and pour it into my jug. I was a little bored with the idea by the time it was time to take it to the hospital. All day I just kept thinking something bad is going to happen. I was sick to my stomach about it all. I remember my feet were about 3 times the size they usually are. Ice & elevating them didn't help. My face was red and swollen. My fingers looked like sausage. Obviously something wasn't right.
Friday afternoon (WHY I PICKED A LATE APPOINTMENT, IDK!) Joel and I went in to see what was going on. The doctor said I was just shy of being preeclamptic. She said that it doesn't mean I wont be or that I'm free from it all. She wanted to push for 36 to 37 weeks if I did become preeclamptic to deliver. She put me on bed rest & told me that if I had severe headaches that I needed to go to the hospital. My next appointment was Tuesday. All weekend I sat on my butt, well I guess not really, I didn't think I was going to die if I got up to fold laundry. GEEZ!
Monday evening Joel and I were sitting on the couch watching tv. Around 8ish I started blacking out. All I was doing was laying on the couch. No movement, nothing. The room would turn black and the sounds became kind of distant. It didn't last but a second. I would see stars when I went back to normal. I honestly didn't think ANYTHING of it. I have had that problem earlier before all this preeclampsia stuff went down. I was texting my mom and she asked how i was feeling and I told her I was blacking out. She told me I needed to call my doctor and see if thats normal. Sure enough, it wasn't. The on call nurse kind of yelled at me, "This is nothing to mess around with! Its very serious! Go to the hospital NOW." Fine. I was scared, and a little embarrassed because of the last time I went to the hospital for something. Locked the dog in the cage and went to the hospital, bagless. I thought for sure they would just send us home. :/
When we got to the triage, the nurse hooked me up to everything. She left and came back and said, "Well its a good thing you came in." hmmm, I never knew what that meant. They kept me over night. Not one minute of sleep entered my body. Anytime I had to pee (which was a lot considering they made me drink lots of water and I was 8 months pregnant!) I had to call for the nurse to come and wheel my stuff over to the bathroom and assist me in. Again, I was peeing in a cup! Finally the morning came after the longest night ever! Joel had to go to work at 7. My mom came up to be with me so I wouldnt have to be alone. The nurse came in and took some blood work to get it tested.
My doctor came in about 8. Joel was back and my mom had left. She said that when the blood work came back in a few hours, they would be able to tell if I needed to be induced or get to go home. I ordered some pancakes and tried eating. Seconds later i puked them up. And again, puked something up. YUM! I was so nervous. When i get that nervous about something, I puke.
Doctor came in and said, "Well. We need to get this baby out. Your liver & platelet counts were going wacky. You are past preeclamptic. You now have hellp syndrome. Better to get that baby out now!" (a link to explain what it is. I have gotten a lot of questions about hellp syndrome) I think i actually felt my heart drop and land in my underwear. I couldn't believe it. I was so not ready for Scarlet to come yet. I hadn't even taken my birthing class yet! Still puking and nervous, they moved me to another room & then another one. Finally all set in my labor and delivery room, a NICU nurse came down to explain a few things. I just kind of thought, what is she doing here? I will be fine. The doctor said she had no worries about everything being ok with the baby.
I really feel like the entire day was a blur. I couldn't eat - the last time I ate (and kept down) was the night before at dinner. They got me all hooked up to everything there ever could be hooked up to. The BP thing went off every 2 minutes to take my BP. That thing hurts! They gave me cervical thinners and by noon they gave me pitocin to help contractions come. I honestly had blissful contractions. None of them were painful. I was about 4 cm when they offered me the epidural. I was hesitant, I wanted to wait because I didn't want it to wear off too soon. The nurse told me to get it now if I wanted one. The longer you wait, the higher chance they wont be able to give one. So, I decided to get it. Easy peasy. They came in around 4 to break my water. I asked the nurse if I was peeing on her. I couldn't tell! I was numb! I was kind of stuck at 4 for a few hours. Then 6 cm came around and the contractions weren't as blissful anymore...the right side of my body was in so much pain. They gave me about 3 more doses within 2 hours but nothing worked. Around 8, I was screaming and crying so hard. All the contractions you get throughout the abdomen gathered to one side called a "hot spot". So, basically all the contractions hit me with no medication on one side of my body. My mom heard me from down the hall and came running...the nurse came in and here I was at 9 1/2 cm. I needed to push!!! Half hour later came Scarlet Rose Leonhardt, 7 lbs 6.6 oz 19 inches long. 5 weeks early.
From the very last push I dont remember a single thing! I remember hearing voices, but never got what they were saying. My doctor injected me with a pretty heavy painkiller that knocked me out. 45 minutes later I woke up to a Miami heat game on the tv and saw Joel on his phone, but NO BABY.
I had to ask what was going on. Joel filled me in with what he knew. The nurse helped me onto a wheel chair and wheeled me to my postpartum room. Finally, they wheeled me up to the 3rd floor where the "more intense" NICU was. They told us to wash our hands, put on gloves, put on an apron and go in. I had never seen anything like this. Rooms with incubators, rooms with parents sleeping, nurses quietly working. It was dark and sad looking. We reached her room. There she was.
I just cried. The whole night. I didn't sleep. I finally got some food in my system. I made Joel sleep up in her room with her while my mom came back and slept in my room to keep me company.
Every time I went to see her I felt sick. Nothing seemed normal. I had never in my dreams pictured itd be this way. I felt helpless, like a useless mother.
Finally, 2 days later. I got to hold her. It was brief. They didn't want to wear her out. She needed little stimulation so her rate rate wouldn't give her brady's (bradycardiac - basically a dip in the heart rate). Scarlet basically got kicked out of her room on the 3rd night due to other babies that needed the room. On the 2nd floor is another NICU. She spent another week and half in there.
Every 3 hours was feeding time, diaper changing time & the nurse did a full check of her vitals and such. In the NICU, it's a place of taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back. That's what happened with Scarlet. They would test her ability to breathe on her own and if it didn't do too well, they increased the oxygen level.
FINALLY they told us we would be going home. We were so excited...the nurse and doctor came back. Scarlet had been having bradycardiacs for awhile now. She would stop breathing to the point where they told us she turned grey. Heart rates for babies are normally 130s-160s...she had gotten to a 30. From then, they keep a baby for 5 days after a brady to know for sure if they would have anymore. This was a Thursday that they told us, but the bradys had been going on since Sunday before, and we were just finding out. Somehow, the messages weren't being relayed to the right people. I was FURIOUS! My stomach was in knots all over again. The nurses from then on told us EVERY detail they knew. They gave us a post partum room to stay in so we could be close to Scarlet.
Scarlet had a few more brady's. Some were because of feedings, some weren't low enough to keep her any longer than she needed. That following Wednesday, they basically gave us a bag full of diapers, formula, and other goodies and told us to leave.
Lunches were spent with Joel's parents. Dinners were spent with my parents. My grandmother (who is no longer with us) got to see Scarlet in the NICU. I am so thankful for letting her see her just once. I remember crying when she came because having her support meant a lot. My family was so supportive and kind through this. I sure did find out who my real friends were through this tough experience and I thank them for being there for me.
And thats that. Everyday with Scarlet is a blessing. Nights still consist of no sleep, I still like to watch her breathe. I can still see vivid images of her in the NICU. I dont want anymore kids. I can't imagine going through this experience again. My heart hurts for those I hear or see go through it.
Sorry, this was long and I am sure I am leaving important pieces out. But, this is something I want to share with Scarlet someday. Her life and her story makes me appreciate life and the little things that come with it. God is a mysterious God, and he works in incredible ways.
-Cindy
Monday, July 16, 2012
babies, babies, babies.
You know how summer is wedding season? This season has also been baby season! Friends are having babies, friends of friends are having babies, family members are having babies, I had a baby...seriously, are we going to have an over abundance of people from 2012?!
Anyway, i have been typing up my experience of my pregnancy, delivery and the time we spent in the NICU with Scarlet. I want to remember every detail that happened. Since I have a 2 1/2 month old baby, finding time to write it out and close my eyes to remember it all is kind of hard!
With all my friends having their babies and seeing them hold their sweet baby hours after delivery makes me a little, well, jealous. Not an emotion I should be feeling. I am so happy for my friends and love seeing them as a happy, new family!
But, i can't help to wonder what that feels like. To hold your baby after having gone through labor, to even just touch their small features. I wonder what it feels like to show off your baby to all your family and friends when they come to the hospital to visit. To be up all day/night with a BRAND new baby, not a 2 week old. I missed that beautiful experience. I popped the baby out & 2 hours later I got to watch my baby hooked up to monitors, lines in her mouth, nose, arms, legs.
Now that she's out of the NICU, 2 months later, I have grown past the heart ache I felt, the anxiety I couldn't overcome, and the tears I couldn't stop once they started. Scarlet is perfect and such a joy in our lives! My mind still wanders to that time but sometimes it feels like it was so far in the past. Scarlet is so healthy (minus the reflux). She wanted to prove to us how strong she is!
My life has never been the same nor will it ever be. This love I share with Scarlet means the world to me. Watching Joel take care of her definitely warms my heart. He is so incredible with her.
I dont want anymore children. I dont want to take the chance of experiencing that again. No one knows how horrible it feels until you go through it yourself, which I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy!
Anyways, this was something I needed to vent about...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Afternoon in the kitchen
It's been awhile. Last time i posted was summer and now its Fall! Crazy! Anyway, I have been seriously loving finding new recipes and crafts to make.
So, this is a new recipe i found that tastes wonderful and if you're totally okay with making a mess, THIS IS THE RECIPE for you! :)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar (You'll need more for rolling later)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (a full stick of butter if that's what you're using), softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
Instructions:
Set your oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk flour, cocoa, soda & salt. Set aside until later. In another medium bowl beat sugars, butter and a 1/4 cup of peanut butter until completely fluffy (takes about a minute to fully get it to the right consistency.) Add vanilla and the egg. Stir in flour mix and blend it together REALLY well. Set that aside, too. In your last bowl, mix powdered sugar and the rest of the your peanut butter until smooth (the electric mixer doesn't work too well with this mixture unless you are using a really tall bowl.)
Now that all your mixtures are ready you can officially start making your cookies, which is the best part!
Take a HEAPING tablespoon (or you can just eye the amount, that's what i did) and flatten it. Take 1 teaspoon (again it doesn't have to be an exact teaspoon) and put in the center of the flatten dough. Press all the corners around the peanut butter and roll in a ball. Now this is where that extra sugar comes into place. Pour some sugar in a bowl to make it easier. Roll the ball in it and make sure EVERY brown parts are completely covered in sugar. Place each ball about 2 inches apart. Take a cup and flatten each ball (about an inch and half thick, if not more) with the bottom of the cup.
Bake for 7-9 minutes. Mine took longer but that's because my oven has to be set ten degrees higher than the given temp. So, just keep an eye on it. When the outer part is a little hard they are perfect!
I hope yours turns out just as wonderful as mine! I loved these!
Joel says he loves them! So thats good :)
Enjoy!
-CML
So, this is a new recipe i found that tastes wonderful and if you're totally okay with making a mess, THIS IS THE RECIPE for you! :)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar (You'll need more for rolling later)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (a full stick of butter if that's what you're using), softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
Instructions:
Set your oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk flour, cocoa, soda & salt. Set aside until later. In another medium bowl beat sugars, butter and a 1/4 cup of peanut butter until completely fluffy (takes about a minute to fully get it to the right consistency.) Add vanilla and the egg. Stir in flour mix and blend it together REALLY well. Set that aside, too. In your last bowl, mix powdered sugar and the rest of the your peanut butter until smooth (the electric mixer doesn't work too well with this mixture unless you are using a really tall bowl.)
Now that all your mixtures are ready you can officially start making your cookies, which is the best part!
Take a HEAPING tablespoon (or you can just eye the amount, that's what i did) and flatten it. Take 1 teaspoon (again it doesn't have to be an exact teaspoon) and put in the center of the flatten dough. Press all the corners around the peanut butter and roll in a ball. Now this is where that extra sugar comes into place. Pour some sugar in a bowl to make it easier. Roll the ball in it and make sure EVERY brown parts are completely covered in sugar. Place each ball about 2 inches apart. Take a cup and flatten each ball (about an inch and half thick, if not more) with the bottom of the cup.
Bake for 7-9 minutes. Mine took longer but that's because my oven has to be set ten degrees higher than the given temp. So, just keep an eye on it. When the outer part is a little hard they are perfect!
I hope yours turns out just as wonderful as mine! I loved these!
Joel says he loves them! So thats good :)
Enjoy!
-CML
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Weekend fun
Chicago view from Michigan City. Went to the lake for 4th of July. BEAUTIFUL day.
Seeing it made me REALLY want to go back - but NOT in the winter. That was a crazy mistake!
We FINALLY got to enjoy our lovely deck tonight. (I especially enjoyed the smores) It is so peaceful out in our back yard. If I had a little bug spray I might have enjoyed it a little more.
Evening time with my hubby now :) BYE!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
DIY
I have always wanted to make things. I used to make my own cards, picture frames, i used to scrap book but I am quickly learning that's not my forte. I have ALWAYS wanted to make things i can physically use. I came across a website called pinterest.com. Most people who are crafty probably know of this website. MILLIONS of ideas, pictures, videos, tutorials etc.
I fell in love with more than enough of the ideas. My bookmarks on my mozilla is full from what I have been saving from the beginning. :) So, i finally decided to buy a sewing machine!!! My mom doesn't sew and never really has, so this is something SUPER new to me. Thank God for her friends who know how to sew (my teachers in this whole new hobby). I haven't made a single thing on the machine as I am still learning and practicing.
But, I am going to explain another new found love of mine - wood working. :) YES! I have an absolutely patient and loving husband to help me with this new love. It's not only cheaper but custom made!
We are outside people, I love to enjoy the cool nights by a firepit. I also enjoy it even more on comfy furniture. So, I have been looking for an outdoor sectional but the prices run soooo high on those. I came across Ana-White.com. She is an amazing woman! Sooooo blessed to have found her website.
We made our own outdoor sectional! The best part about it? - IT TURNED OUT AMAZING. No! More than amazing!!! We saved over 300 dollars on making our own! Total price - $225! We found our own cushions on craigslist for $8 a piece! They are $30 cushions! We then had someone alter the top cushions to fit properly. It took us an entire day to do this project, but it was way worth it. We even enjoyed making it a little, too.
I have brand new (clearance) throw pillows to be able to lay your head down and take a nap. Which I am sooo looking forward to! So, needless to say, if you have enough time and energy, it is cheaper and way worth it! Try it! :)
I fell in love with more than enough of the ideas. My bookmarks on my mozilla is full from what I have been saving from the beginning. :) So, i finally decided to buy a sewing machine!!! My mom doesn't sew and never really has, so this is something SUPER new to me. Thank God for her friends who know how to sew (my teachers in this whole new hobby). I haven't made a single thing on the machine as I am still learning and practicing.
But, I am going to explain another new found love of mine - wood working. :) YES! I have an absolutely patient and loving husband to help me with this new love. It's not only cheaper but custom made!
We are outside people, I love to enjoy the cool nights by a firepit. I also enjoy it even more on comfy furniture. So, I have been looking for an outdoor sectional but the prices run soooo high on those. I came across Ana-White.com. She is an amazing woman! Sooooo blessed to have found her website.
We made our own outdoor sectional! The best part about it? - IT TURNED OUT AMAZING. No! More than amazing!!! We saved over 300 dollars on making our own! Total price - $225! We found our own cushions on craigslist for $8 a piece! They are $30 cushions! We then had someone alter the top cushions to fit properly. It took us an entire day to do this project, but it was way worth it. We even enjoyed making it a little, too.
I have brand new (clearance) throw pillows to be able to lay your head down and take a nap. Which I am sooo looking forward to! So, needless to say, if you have enough time and energy, it is cheaper and way worth it! Try it! :)
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