It's feeling a bit more real...

Hello, internet. Remember me? The girl who used to blog on here?? Sometimes, I would even comment on all your lovely posts... remember those good ol' days? I think I have something like 28 unread posts in my Google Reader. I'm missing you all!!

If you have been wondering where I am (either that or you've all gone and left me for lack of entertainment, in which case I would completely understand) I have two words for you: I'm pregnant. That about sums it up. More on some of that in a minute.

The ever fun and spunky Jimaie tagged me the other day for one of those memes where you have to write 6 things about yourself. I always love to get tagged, and this time I thought I would take a little liberty with the rules and turn it into my first real pregnancy update... because I probably couldn't come up with 6 interesting things about myself right now anyway. I have no functioning brain cells at the moment, you know.

But before I get into that, I must say something to a very sweet little lady who recently suffered a very sad loss-- that of her own precious little one, Baby Bee. Barbie is a woman who I've only met twice in real life, but I am learning so much about her through this heart-breaking circumstance and I have been completely blown away. Just read any of her latest blogs, if you haven't already (and I know many of you have and would agree with me 100%), and you will see what I mean. Her grace, her trust, her humble and godly attitude under such sadness has taught me so much, and it makes me SO grateful to God for how He is upholding and comforting her-- as well as for the sweet spirit He has given her. The reason I wanted to bring this up is that I can't help but feel for her as the rest of us share our pregnancy stories and pictures. I know she will sincerely rejoice with us, having seen what she is like-- but I also know that it might be hard sometimes. So, Barbie, dear bloggy friend, I just want you to know that each time I share throughout this pregnancy, I will be thinking of you and praying that the Lord is giving you your own special joy as you share in ours, as well as continued healing and comfort. Thank you for teaching us so much through your amazing example.

And now, onto the tag. I am supposed to give six unimportant, but interesting things about myself. Instead, here are six things about me and my pregnancy so far:

one. I felt perfectly fine and pretty much normal up until the Monday after I found out. Then, the tiredness set in. Oh boy, did it ever set in. Some days I am so tired that I find I have to lay down after doing a simple task like taking a shower (if I shower). It's all about doing just the bare necessities around here these days.

two. I don't really have morning sickness, or any kind of sickness. (pleasedonthateme, all you other poor pregnant girlies who do get sick. If I could help you out by taking a bit of it on myself, I would, I promise.) The only times I feel nauseated is when I don't eat frequently enough and let myself get too hungry. Or, certain smells and sights can make me feel a bit yucky. I am definitely NOT complaining though. I realize how blessed I am by the fact that there are certain ways my body doesn't respond to pregnancy, and I am so, so grateful for it.

three. Speaking of getting hungry-- hunger hits me like a brick wall these days. One minute I am completely fine and don't notice anything, and the next I am STARVING. My stomach growls ferociously, I feel completely empty and headachy-- there is nothing I can do but listen to my body and get some sort of food, anything, in there pronto. Pregnancy is so odd...

four. I can never, ever, ever get enough sleep. I could sleep a good solid 8-9 hours at night and still wake up feeling I could go for another 8 or 9. Any of you who've been pregnant know exactly what I mean, I am sure. Those wonderful little fetuses sure are a lot of work to grow!!

five. We (okay, mostly me) have started looking at baby names, but so far nothing has jumped out at me. Which is ok, because of course we have plenty of time. Until we know what we are having for sure and can really give this child a name, he (because right now I'm thinking of Baby as a boy-- it might be wishful thinking) has been given the loving nickname of Bertie. My sister Lydia and I were being goofy on the phone one day trying to come up with baby names, and I suggested "Bertram" (you love it, right?? :)). She promptly shortened it to Bertie, and even went so far as to refer to the baby as "Bertie" on my myspace page. Cousin Steph happened to see it, and asked quite politely if that was a name we were considering... all the while secretly wondering what in the heck we were thinking, I am sure. She then brought up "Bertie" in a comment on the post I did for her, and now it has completely stuck. I get asked by my family quite frequently how Bertie is doing. You'd all better get it out of your system now, folks, because this child is most certainly NOT going to be Bertie forever. :)

six. My very first "belly" picture! Is it just me, or could there be the beginnings of a baby bump there??
Or... maybe I am just a bit fat. Eating a lot and not exercising hardly at all WILL do that to a girl. I'd rather go with the baby bump though, if you please.

A Corwin for a day

While Stephanie is away for the weekend at beautiful Lake Tahoe, she asked me to guest post for her. How could I say no-- my very FIRST opportunity to guest post, and for one of my favorite bloggers too!!
You can read my ramblings at Those Corwins if you click right here. Be sure to show Steph (and me) some love while she is gone!

Have a lovely weekend, friends. :)

beating the heat

Ah, summertime-- the time of year when temperatures soar to over 100 degrees and leaving your air-conditioned house is such a big deal that you actually debate whether those groceries are a true necessity or not. About this point in the Bakersfield summers, when it feels like it's been hot outside for ever, I have to begin to remind myself of all the things there are to look forward to come cooler weather. That cooler weather is only around the corner, after all. The summer is, for the most part, flying by, and before too long I will be once again enjoying my jeans and sweaters... cups of hot tea and cocoa in the evening... cool, gray days of cloudiness and refreshing rain... long walks in pleasant temperatures and breezes... steaming-hot yummy soups for dinner... a clear view of the beautiful mountains which surround us... nice big blankets on our beds... the kids playing outside anytime they want, without roasting... actually ordering a HOT drink at Starbucks and enjoying it cozily with a friend... and so many other things that have become but a distant memory in this unwavering summer heat.

Meanwhile, we have managed to find some activities that help to keep us cool and pass the time. This past Sunday afternoon, we did this:

.... for at least a couple hours. Of course, this picture was after I got up, but trust me, I was right in there amongst all those pillows, snoozing away for quite some time. It was glorious.

There's been lots of running through sprinklers in the backyard, along with some dancing thrown in by Miss Emma.

Thoroughly wet and enjoying herself very much, here is fairy Annabelle and her dinosaur sidekick. Rawr.After our kitty-cat popped our last pool (a nice inflatable one), we finally went to the store and got a replacement-- one that does NOT contain air. The sprinklers are great fun, but when all is said and done, nothing is cooler or more fun than some swimming. As you can see, Emma LOVES it.Such cute swimming sisters. They could spend hours in that pool... and they sometimes do! Mommy is quite happy about this. :)


So, you see, summer is bearable after all! It's not my favorite season, but each time of year has its fun and blessings. I'm learning that, even while I look forward so much to the coming of fall.

Ah, October....

{tasty tuesdays} Easy Orange Chicken

Who says Tasty Tuesdays has to be a recipe? It just has to be tasty, right?? (work with me here, folks....)

Just ask my husband... there has not been much spectacular cooking (or any kind of cooking, really) going on lately in our house. I've never enjoyed cooking in the summer anyway since it is so hot, and being pregnant with zero energy and not really knowing what, if anything, sounds good, certainly does not help. But! I think I may have come across something that saves us all. It's inexpensive, it's easy, it seems like a home-cooked meal, and it is oh-so-delish.


Trader Joe's frozen orange chicken. I made it last night with some steamed rice and a salad, and it was the perfect meal. I think my poor husband was just glad to be eating something other than fast-food, frozen pizza, or sandwiches. :)

I'm definitely going to try to find some more options like this to have on hand. It was just the right amount of cooking required, a lot healthier, and I felt like a much more accomplished mom and wife feeding my family a nice sit-down meal rather than another night of getting food from somewhere.

If you have a Trader Joe's near you, I recommend you pick some of this up and try it. Your taste buds will be quite pleased.

Details, details

Wow! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU everyone for your so-sweet and heartfelt comments after my announcement. I was already so excited and happy, but reading all of those from each and every one of you only added to my joy. Some made me giggle, some made me cry, but ALL of them made me smile. Thank you, sweet friends. I am going to try to get around to every one of you today and do some commenting myself-- you deserve it!

This is going to make me sound like a bit of a blog-nerd probably, but I have dreamed about the day that I would be able to do an "I'm pregnant" post. What would I say? How will I tell them all? Will I be able to think of something creative and clever to make my news known? Yep, I really did put that much thought into it. Don't laugh at me. :) In the end though, there could be no better way to find out than the way that God allowed me to, so I knew all I had to do was simply tell the story. And you know what? It was just as joyful and fun as I had imagined it to be.

It still feels a little unreal that I am pregnant, that in only a matter of months we will be welcoming another little baby into our home. Eeeee! I'm sure some of you think it rather funny that this news came so soon after I was just talking about how badly I had baby fever. But, I can honestly say I literally had. no. idea. I was pregnant when I wrote that. In fact, I was pretty convinced I was NOT pregnant, thank to that darn negative pregnancy test I took a mere three weeks ago!

I feel like I should say something that's been on my heart and in my thoughts: I realize, that in the grand scheme of things, 9 months of wanting and waiting to have a baby is nothing. I know it takes some women YEARS to conceive, and that there are many who simply can't. Some of these women don't even HAVE children yet, such as my two sweet little girls that I've been blessed with. So even though there were many moments of disappointment and sadness, as well as wondering and worrying in the past months, when all is said and done, I am simply grateful. Grateful for the new life He is blessing us with. Grateful for the two little ones He has already blessed us with. Grateful for the time He gave us of learning even better how to simply trust in Him. THIS is God's perfect timing, His perfect planning, and I can already see the reasons why it's going to work out beautifully THIS way. I'm so glad I'm not in control, and I wouldn't change a thing. Maybe once this baby is born I'll be able to figure out what was going on with my body, if anything, but for right now, I don't care-- we're having a baby!!! :)

Many of you asked when I am due. Here's the funny thing-- I don't really know! Since my cycles have been so wacky this past year, we can't really base a due date off that. The doctor did do a very brief exam, and her guess is that I'm approximately 6 or 7 weeks along. When I get to see my normal doctor in August they will do an ultrasound and get the measurements so they can give me a real due date. If the doctor's guess is right, I think that would put the date sometime in March. In case anyone is wondering, although we will of course be thrilled and content with whatever God chooses to give us, at this point we are hoping for a BOY. Hurry up and get here, 18 weeks, so we can find out. In the meanwhile, think happy blue thoughts, everyone! :)

As a final note to this long post that contains NO pictures (sorry, I promise it won't happen again for a while)-- how fun is it that I get to join all my adorable and dear pregnant blogger ladies: Lisa, Morgan, Emery, Barbie, Jenny, and Megan! Not to mention my good friends Kourtni and Stacie, of course. That's a lot of hormones, a lot of growing bellies, a lot of soon-to-be-babies, and a whole lot of amazing blessing.

Prayers and the answers to them.

I know that I've mentioned my "baby fever" several times on here. But there is one thing I've NOT told you about.

I've been worried.

You see, Jeremy and I have been wanting and trying to have a baby since last October. But ever since a little before then, my body has been doing some weird things. I've skipped periods completely. Sometimes I would go 50-65 days between cycles. And lately, that's been the way it is EVERY time. After doing a bit of research, I found that there were several reasons why this might be, why my body would be departing from it's "normal" schedule. None of the reasons were good for a woman who is trying to get pregnant, obviously. And then there is the emotional rollercoaster each month took me on-- "It's been 45 days now, maybe I AM pregnant!" Take a test, it's negative. Two weeks later, still no period. "Maybe the other test was just too early"... so I take another one. Still negative. And then, after even another test a week later, my period finally arrives, defeating my hopes for that time around.... only to have the exact same thing happen the NEXT time around. You do not even want to know how many pregnancy tests I've taken in the past 9 months. I even took one two weeks ago-- negative, of course.

Finally, I made a doctor's appointment. Yesterday, on day 68 of no period, I went in. They took my blood pressure, read my pulse, asked for a urine sample, and then sent me into the room to wait.

So I sat and I waited, sitting on the table, wrapped in the clumsy paper sheet, looking at my feet and wishing it was just a few degrees warmer in there.

I waited, and I was nervous. I've never been to the doctor before because I thought something was wrong with me. What would they say to me? Would they want to do a bunch of tests? My insides were quivering. "What if something IS wrong? What if I can't have a baby right now? What will we do?"

I needed to pray. "God, help me to trust You. Please let everything be ok, but if it's not, help me to trust You. I know You know what's best."

There was a knock on the door, and the doctor entered the room, introducing herself with a smile. She sat down and kindly said "So tell me why you're here today and what I can do for you."

I knew exactly what I needed to tell her, all my concerns and fears-- I had even written down all my previous cycle dates so she could she what I meant. She listened, nodding her head and mm-hhmm-ing every now and then. Then, she put her hand up and stopped me. "You know, I wouldn't really worry about all that."

"Excuse me? I'm concerned here, lady..." my thoughts protested.

Then--

"You're pregnant."

"Really????!!!" I'm pregnant. I wanted to put my head in my hands and cry for the joy and sheer surprise of it, and that is just what I did when she had left the room a few minutes later.

Oh, thank you, thank you, Lord.

I'm pregnant!!!!!!

dancin' in her undies

Our little Annabellesie-boo, pleased as punch to be wearing her pony panties (or, as she says, "poan-eee pan-ees!") It is quite possible that I would let my child wear nothing but her panties all day long, she is just that cute. Seriously, I could probably eat her little tummy and tushie for dessert. Munch, munch.

She's done such an excellent job with potty training. It really only took a few days, for which I am so grateful. Potty training is probably one of my all-time least favorite things about parenting, but it makes all the difference in the world if they are really ready-- and Annabelle was. It's been over a week now since we've had an accident!! Woohoo! I think that is due partly to the fact that she really does get it, and partly to the fact that this girl can HOLD it. Seriously. Sometimes I don't understand how one tiny little 22-pound two-year old with a bladder the size of a plum (or something like that) can retain so many bodily fluids. It's amazing.

Rejoice with me, people: this is the first time in over FOUR AND A HALF YEARS that I have not had diapers to change!! Or buy, for that matter of fact. Based on those facts alone, this post should really be accompanied by a rousing rendition of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.

Yay, go Annabelle!

{tasty tuesdays} Chicken- Spinach Rice Bowls

There is something I must tell you about this week's recipe: to be 100% completely honest, my darling husband did NOT like this meal. I thought it quite tasty, however, and the kids even ate it. Besides, it is quick and easy for a relatively healthy meal. In my book, that's a winner. But, I would love to know what all of YOU think. Here's the recipe, and please don't be afraid to give me your reviews! :)

Chicken-Spinach Rice Bowls

Desired amount of rice (I used basmati long-grain rice, but you could do this with any kind, even brown or wild)

1 large chicken breast, cubed

salt and pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

approx. 3 cups fresh spinach leaves

1 can healthy request cream of mushroom soup

pinch of tarragon

Cook rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, saute chicken over med-high heat in large frying pan with a small amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Right before chicken is done, add in garlic. Reduce heat and finish cooking chicken completely. Add spinach and cook for about 5 minutes, gently stirring and tossing. In a separate small bowl, whisk soup with one half can milk or water. Stir in tarragon. Once spinach has cooked down slightly, add soup mixture to the frying pan and cook over low heat until heated through. Taste and add any extra seasonings you think it might need. Place cooked rice in bowls and top with the chicken and spinach. Bon appetit!

How would you tweak it? Would you add or leave anything out?

Tidbits on some precious little ones

Have you noticed what a very bad blogger I've been lately? It's true-- between the heat here in good ol' Bako, taking a sick day and playing catch-up the rest of the week, and the general busy-ness of summer-- I am afraid that my creative blogger juices have run a bit dry. Have no fear, I'm sure I shall make some sort of a proper comeback soon. Until then, I will satisfy you all with a few little updates.

It's taken me quite a long time to get around to writing about this again-- but do you remember when I first wrote about my dear friend Kourtni and her pregnancy? She is now 17 weeks along, and I am thrilled to say that things are going wonderfully. Every time I see her, her baby bump has grown a little more, and it is so cute that it takes everything in me not to rub my hands all over it (you're welcome for my restraint, Kourtni :)) They recently were able to find out that they are having another girl and we are all looking forward so much to the day when we can welcome little Genevieve into our lives. God be praised for His protection and providence in this pregnancy-- we could not be more grateful and happy for our good friends.

I also wrote some time ago about our sister Jessica and a court hearing for the two kids that they are trying to adopt. That first hearing in March did not go as we all hoped, but they had another one a little over a month ago-- and thank the Lord, things moved forward in a very positive step with the parental rights being taken away. This means that there are no longer any biological visits required, which is a HUGE blessing, since those were very difficult and emotionally upsetting for not only the kids but also mommy Jessica. It also means that the next step is.... ADOPTION. All of us in their family are so excited for that to happen that there are hardly no words. My sweet little niece Faith and nephew Jason ARE our family, and none of us could imagine our lives without them. The day when Luke and Jessica, those amazing parents, make them theirs officially and forever will be one for mega-rejoicing. The only thing to do now is to pray that the process can move forward quickly and without delay.

In other "nephew" news-- I have a new one! My older brother Tyra and his wife Christine welcomed their first baby about two weeks ago. Since, up till now, my girls have been the only babies born in our family, it is quite exciting to welcome this little one. He's the first BOY too! Tyra was always the guy at church holding everyone else's babies; if there was a baby around, you could pretty much be sure that Tyra would find a way to get ahold if it. So it thrills me that now he has one of his own, and hopefully his love for babies has not diminished now that this particular one is no doubt waking him up at 2 in the morning and peeing on him. (I kid, I kid-- I know he's quite the happy daddy, even now that he is faced with the realities of a new baby). Without further ado, I give you Brayden Garrett, our newest family addition:

This Auntie can't wait to meet him and see him in person someday, as well as introduce my girls to their new cousin-- I don't know when that will be, but I am so looking forward to it.

Just one last tidbit of baby-ness: have I mentioned how hotly my own baby fever is raging these days??

{tasty tuesdays}... on a Wednesday!

As you might have noticed, "tasty tuesdays" have somehow fallen by the wayside these last couple of weeks. My apologies. I had a recipe in mind to post yesterday, actually... and then I was up sick most of the night on Monday, which left me completely wiped and exhausted on Tuesday. There was a major flu bug that made it's way through our little circle after all our families spent so much time together over the 4th of July weekend... ugh, not fun. Poor dears. But, I think we are all better now!

And even though it is Wednesday, I am still going to post this week's recipe. It's a good one. We had a family brunch on Saturday morning here at my house-- it was so wonderful and relaxing-- and this was what I made. It was so good (I'm not trying to toot my own horn-- it's truly just a delicious recipe, that's all) I didn't even manage to snap a picture of it before it was half gone! It is not healthy, but if you are looking for a tasty breakfast splurge-- here it is. :)

French Toast Casserole

1 loaf french bread, cut in 20 slices

8 eggs

2 cups half-and-half (I used fat-free)

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

dash salt

Lay/ overlap bread slices in a well-greased 9x13 pan. Mix eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with whisk until well-beaten. Pour mixtures over bread slices, making sure to spoon some between the slices too. You want ALL the bread to be well-coated. Cover pan and allow to soak overnight in refrigerator.

Praline mix:

2 sticks butter (I cut it down to 1 1/2), melted

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans (chopped walnuts also work well)

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

The next morning, heat over to 350 degrees. Make praline mix by mixing all ingredients together. Spread over bread slices, once again making sure to get some in between the slices too. Bake approximately 40 minutes, or until no longer soggy on top and edges.

Best served warm, with lots of lovely people to enjoy it with you!

The winners are...!

Twenty-six names went into a bowl....
Miss Emma carefully (and I do mean carefully... she put a lot of thought into which piece of paper was the perfect one) chose as I looked away. And the first winner just so happens to be:
Yay! This girl is such a sweet and endearing blogger, and I have loved getting to know her a bit. I have to admit that I am slightly intimidated and maybe even a little embarassed sending one of my little creations her way, because wow-- she's got an adorable Etsy store and her craftiness amazes me. But, I couldn't be happier that she won. And here is what you won, Kerri!

A set of 10 fabulously girly black-and-white notecards,

complete with turquoise envelopes and polka-dot envelope seals.

(not all are pictured)

Then it was time for Annabelle's little fingers to make a choice, and here is her pick:
Yay again! I have to say, it was quite a pleasant surprise to see her comment. Lindsey is a friend of mine from when I lived in Nebraska, one whom I haven't always been the best about keeping in touch with, but a dear one nonetheless. So Lindsey, thank you SO MUCH for saying hi, and I'm so excited you get to be a winner! Here's your little prize:

Eight sheets of sweet birdie stationery, complete with envelopes and button envelope seals. The paper has a soft vintage print, and each bird is made from vintage fabric.
Will you girls please e-mail me at taliabridgman at bak dot rr dot com and give me your preferred mailing addresses? I promise not to stalk you or show up at your door, but only to send a lovely package. :)

To everyone else, I just want to say thanks so much for commenting and showing me how blessed I am! 30 comments!! Yay! I loved each and every comment, whether it was someone new coming out of hiding or one of my beloved "regulars". I know I haven't yet gotten around to commenting some of you new people back, but I promise I will stop by soon... after all, I could always use another bloggy friend. :)

Thanks so much for making my first ever giveaway a great big success. If I could, I would have given each and every one of you a prize, you are all just that sweet.

"we look like little girls from long ago"

That's what Emma said when I showed her the picture I took of them for my exposaroonie entry this week. Oh, how I love this week's challenge: vintage. It was so much fun to dress my girls up in their best vintage-style outfits; that dress Annabelle is wearing actually IS vintage-- it was my mother-in-law's when she was a little girl! And look at their oh-so-serious faces. They posed like little pros from the days of yore.

I am so excited to see all the other vintage entries. On Friday, they will all be up, and then you can go check them out too! Don't forget to vote for your favorite.

If you have not already done so, please don't forget to comment and enter my 100th-post giveaway! Today and tomorrow are your last days to do so, and then comes the big reveal of what two of you wonderful people have won. Hooray!