the right bite

R has loved oatmeal raisin cookies for as long as I've known him, and I have yet to bake the perfect version. I just seem to mess it up every single time--they're usually these flat, oily discs of a cookie, and who wants to eat that?

I'm getting closer, however. I finally realized that I overmix the dough with my mixer, and I also don't follow high altitude directions. Mixing with a wooden spoon and adding more flour yielded this tasty batch. {Most of you are probably saying "duh."}

But I'm new to this cooking stuff, so bear with me. I don't know how many batches I've tried, but it's been many, and I'm a little embarrassed I didn't tweak my technique sooner. Maybe I didn't care? "At least I baked SOMEthing," was probably my thought as I bit into poor-excuse-for-a-cookie-that-I'd-eat-but-hubby-wouldn't-touch.

Suddenly I'm home with a baby with time to try new things and a desire to please my husband. It feels good to break my old mold and actually care why I'm not getting the results I'd like with something as simple as a cookie. You bet I care, because I'm mom now! And aren't moms supposed to know these things...? I don't want my baby's friends to come over years from now and refuse a cookie. So baking R's favorite is a great place to start. Yesterday was a great time to bake, too: cloudy, rainy, drizzly, crummy... The kind of day I love because we don't get enough of them here, as my grass can attest!

Anyway, I halved the recipe and increased the flour to 1 cup, and when they were done I brought one up to Raul in the study for approval. He tasted thoughtfully and nodded, which I knew was a good sign; the batch years ago with way too much salt had a much different face to it... :)

Olivia and I also ventured out yesterday to meet a couple of friends for lunch, and Liv sported the flapjack hat I knit last November for the first time:

Isn't that such a Charlie Brown face? She wasn't such a fan, but warmed up to it once nicely bundled in her carrier. Sigh. I so love this girl.

tis the season

a list of to-dos.

A lovely photo of seeds from this post inspired me to putz around our yard today. Dex joined me while Livvy slept in her car seat in the kitchen. Sans sunglasses. (It is beautiful outside today--so nice for our daily walk!) She is so girly, isn't she?

Our irises are rising from the ground, as they always do beginning in March. I have wanted to split these for the last two years, but have either chickened out, or realized it was winter and splitting wasn't possible any more. So this fall, I'm looking forward to being brave and splitting them so they have room to grow and fill up the space along our fence. (Please don't hesitate to ask me this September, "Have you spilt the irises Mindy? Well..?" And I will hopefully be able to say, "Indeed I did!") It really will look stunning, if I can only muster up the guts to do it--I'm worried I'll kill all of them and THEN how ugly will our fenceline be...! :)

Because Dex loves to snap branches off of our bushes randomly (sigh), I was fairly surprised to see this one actually blooming. I'm so glad; these little flowers are so cheerful, and are the first sign in our yard that spring is definitely here. Hopefully the bald spot in the middle will fill in... Dexter...

I'm not yet sure what we'll be planting/doing with the yard this year. Most likely some petunias in our window boxes, as they are cute, affordable, and long-lasting. I'm also thinking seeds will be the way to go vs. buying older plants. Which kinds? No clue yet. It is on my list of things to do and think about, which is steadily growing. Amid napping, laundry, playing with Liv, and running the energy out of Dex...

...which is the key to his little doggie heart these days.

me no likee.

This is what most of yesterday consisted of:

No, Olivia didn't want to do tummy time. She didn't want her pacifier. And she really didn't want to chill in her car seat with her little yellow hat on while mom ate lunch. And so it was. All day.

What a difference a day makes... She's like a different baby today: agreeable, alert, actually napping instead of screaming. In honor of her good mood, we slow danced to Dinah Washington's classic before her nap. Now mom can eat lunch in peace.

olivia elaine.

She's here...

Born on March 2, 2010, at 8:35 pm, after 20 hours of labor. Little Olivia Elaine. We finally chose her name as they handed her to us! We knew her middle name would be Elaine; it's mine, and it's also my mom's. It's meaning is very special to me as she will always have a part of my mom with her. But Olivia... R has loved this name for awhile, and I was a little hesitant--I have been pining over Etta for months. But as soon as I saw her, I let Etta go. "She looks like an Olivia," I said, and R agreed.

I know everyone says it, but it's true: I never thought I could love someone so much. She is simply precious; right now my favorite time is watching her sleep, or soothing her when she's upset. To see her relax and find comfort in either R's or my arms is the best.

Olivia is two weeks old today (!) and we've been blessed with R having those two weeks off. He went back to work today, so it's my first full day with her. So far, things are going really well, and I feel good, but tired. She's napping now...

I think I won't be too far behind.