Lucas times

Lucas is getting so big.  This was his first official ride in the front of a grocery cart.  He still falls over and needs someone to help him stay steady, so I wouldn't say he's necessarily sitting up...but he's close.

He started sleeping in his crib (for naps) yesterday.  And it's going so well!  I think we're actually into a schedule too...it goes like this:

wake up around 6ish or 7ish.
take a nap around 9ish or 10ish.
sleep for a couple/three hours.
3hrs after he wakes up he goes back down, so around 3ish.
sleeps for a couple hours.
bedtime around 8ish.
wakes up around 1am or sometimes if I get lucky, 3 am.
back to sleep till 5ish and then dozes until the 6ish or 7ish time.

and repeat.


the only problem with this schedule is that I have a women's bible study I've been attending on Wednesday mornings...and it's not really working to go the last few weeks...honey child is a hot mess if I don't nap him.
the only other problem is that during his afternoon awake time, that is when Judah naps...which basically means we are housebound until like 5.  But sometimes Judah can skip a nap and it's okay so it's not a hard fast rule.
looks like the best times to go to the Y are going to be evenings. That actually works for me.  Just not on Monday's cause we have our small group.  And once Judah starts school (mother's day out) I can go during that afternoon awake time that Lucas has.
This nap schedule will work really well for me dropping off and picking up Judah too.  He starts a summer program in June/July T/TH from 9-1.  And then in the fall it's 9-2 those same days.  Although, who the heck knows what Lucas will be doing sleep wise at that point.  Babies change!


If you read all that, you must be a gramma. haha. well, that's life at the Lockhart's right now so there ya have it.

I do so love my boys and their sweet smiles!

Lucas's baby shower!

yes yes, I know.  Lucas is 5 months old now.  Baby shower pics? really?  yup! and I'm kinda proud that I am putting them up at all...some lesser blogger may have given up after half a year went by...but not me!

Anyways, it was fun and I really adore the gals in the pictures and how they blessed me and baby Lucas.

I have since filled the picture frames behind me...sadly though, they are christmas pictures and it's almost May.
(do you sense a theme?..lol)

How cute is that diaper motorcycle? so cute!  everything was done so nicely.

These are my friends.   I've made a few more since this picture was taken but these are my Nashville friends.  Love them all dearly.  Aren't they pretty?  :)

"Sometimes it's the smallish things that take up the most room in our heart." Author: Winnie the Pooh

My heart is full.  

And I am so glad my belly no longer is...haha...that was a big old boy and that is pretty obvious even from this picture.
phew! glad that's over!

some ramblings on a wednesday afternoon

do you ever just have one of those days?  and all of a sudden you have another, and another, and then it's been like a week?  yeah. baby naps have a way of messing up my fun.  oh well.  we just joined the Y and I have a feeling it's going to be my lifeline to sanity in the near future.  we've only gone once and it was already way worth it to me. maybe we'll get there again today?  only time will tell.  i'm learning quickly that making plans with two kids might actually be a pointless venture. and yet, I press on. don't mind me if I cancel at the last second, repeatedly....sigh...

when I had one kid, it was hard to adapt.

now I have two, and it's hard to adapt.

I know from having the one, that eventually everything passes and I will get into a groove around the 18 month mark (only 13 left to go people!).  So in the meantime, I do my best to change my expectations and go with the flow.

Lucas started rocking on his knees this week...oh my baby is getting big!  sigh...

He actually fell asleep in my arms this week...it was bliss.  I love that moment when you sway and hold tight that little bundle of warmth and kiss their sweet soft head.  So peaceful and nice.

I need to find a way to get online and post gobs of pictures to my blog.  We have taken some really cute ones and done some fun things...I always want to craft my blogs and make them pretty and such, but I may need to just throw some pics on the blog and let them speak for themselves...I guess I'd rather do that than nothing.  Again, changing expectations.  I sense a theme!

okay.  I guess that's my rambling, for now.

I just want to add, God is good.  I see it in so many ways every day.  I feel honored when God uses me and blessed when he works in me or on my behalf.  There.  Just wanted to say that.

I leave you with a cute picture of Lucas. 

Judah-isms from when he was 2

Judah turned 3 this last week...sob...cough cough...I'll be okay...sigh...

Anyhooo...I've been keeping track of some of his funny little sayings. Now that he's turned 3 he hasn't magically started saying them all right, but some of them he's learned the correct way to say...proof he is getting bigger...(pardon my crying....sniffle...)

So here ya go, just for fun:

Goofy is "Goopy"

Back pack is "pack pack"

Thunder is "under!"

Wash cloth is "cwoff cwoff"

Tortilla is "tia"

Whatever is "wever"

Granola bar is "nola bar"

Ready, set is "ready, steady"

huff and puff and blow! is "huff and chuff and blow!"

binky is "pinky"

winnie the pooh is "pinnie the booh"

Did/Do your kids have any fun sayings?

what is possible?

I can either:

A) get the kids ready, leave the house for the day, have a messy house and bad hair

B) stay at home, do my hair, get the kids ready and deal with a messy house

or

C) clean my house, stay at home, have bad hair and not get the kids ready.

Choices, Choices!!

It is not possible to have a clean house, good hair, kids ready and leave the house all at the same time. At least I haven't figured it out yet...hmm...

Corn Casserole

This is my new official go-to corn casserole. Not that I have an old one. Ha. It's delish. Probably all the butter and sour cream...oh heaven. Paula Deen knows how to make your mouth happy.

I made this at thanksgiving time and now again at easter. I left the cheese off the top the first time because I didn't have any on hand, and it was delightful. My sister made it once and left out the sour cream and mixed the cheese in, that was also amazing. Pretty much, this recipe is impossible to mess up. I am making it the way the recipe directs today times 2. It's easy to double and still cooks up good, especially nice if you are sharing a holiday or a meal with a group of people.


Corn Casserole
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

ps. this is not turning into a recipe blog. It just so happens I cooked successfully twice this week.

Meal Share

I have been participating in the local Moms Club more now that I'm not sick and pregnant, it's still a little tricky to get to events with a baby who has a nap schedule, but I try. The thing I am involved in that I love, L-O-V-E, love is the meal share. I am on a team with 3 other gals and every friday we take turns bringing/receiving a meal. It is SO nice when Lance is gone to have someone show up at my front door with a delicious dinner that I didn't have to cook! I end up eating a lot of kid food when it's just Judah and I. No sense making a huge meal for 1. So the meal share is a huge blessing.

Well it is my week! The team I am on is a vegan group. I volunteered to join this team because I am curious about how to cook and eat vegan and I thought it would be a good challenge personally, to try to cook/make something outside of my normal comfort zone.

One of the gals brought Vegan Mac-n-cheese. How is this possible you ask? well, check out the recipe and see for yourself. It was amazing. And considering I am on a diary hiatus for Lucas while I'm nursing (sensitive tummy), it was especially delightful. (thanks Jessi!)

Another recipe I really enjoyed making, serving and eating was Enchilada Casserole. Technically, this is a vegetarian recipe, not vegan. But leave the cheese off the top and it is still delicious and is vegan. I had to eat it that way personally and I loved it.

So this week I decided to make something that caught my eye while perusing recipes. It feels very summery. I had planned to make a cous-cous recipe but I just couldn't resist this once I read the ingredients. And boy am I ever glad I made it! It was so good, I figured I'd even share it here on the blog ;) so here ya go!

(doesn't it just look delectable...)

Southwestern Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 (16 ounce) package rotini pasta

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 cups whole kernel corn

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. In a large bowl combine oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic. Stir in pasta and set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in corn, beans, green pepper, red pepper and 1/2 of the cilantro leaves. Spoon onto a platter and garnish with tomatoes and remaining cilantro. Serve chilled or at room temperature.