Medical School Mrs.

As my due date gets closer and closer, I find myself ~~freaking out~~ calmly wondering if I have everything that I need to help Baby Boy B transition into his new home. So I'm asking all the Mamas, Mamas-to-be, Aunts, Sisters, Friends, and basically anyone who has any advice to share to help me out and let me know what were your absolute "Must Haves" and what was really, really "Nice to Have" when you or someone you know came home with their bundle of joy.

Thank you for helping this frazzled Mama-to-be out :).

I hope y'all are having a wonderful week and that it is cooler wherever you are than it is here. (90 is too hot for October!)

WILW

2011-10-05T09:00:00.002-05:00

This week I am loving...

I am loving these PINK Saints sweats! I think they'll be perfect for cheering on the Saints and lounging around taking care of our brand new Baby Boy.

I just recently discovered this cereal by Kashi, and I LOVE IT!! I have been craving cereal and I love that this is a healthy way to indulge in that craving :) Yum! (They also make a cinnamon version, which is delicious as well!)

I am loving Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte (decaf)! Although, now with the BP concerns I haven't had one in awhile, but they sound so delicious! Our little Fall baby has been craving pumpkin :)

Speaking of pumpkin, if you are looking for the world's most ah-mazing pumpkin bread recipe look no futher...The Streaming Gourmet has the absolute best pumpkin bread recipe and it makes enough for two loaves, which is perfect (if you have self control and don't plow through the two loaves like I did) for freezing one and having it whenever your pumpkin craving strikes!

I'm loving my sweet husband, and I missing him terribly! I hope that these next three weeks fly by.

And I am loving this sweet, sweet smile!

What are you loving this week? Head on over to Jaime's blog and link up :).

Maternity Pictures

2011-10-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago, my father generously offered to take some maternity photos of Mr.B and I. I am so thankful for his time and skill :) Now we have some pictures to help us remember this exciting time in our lives. I am 33 weeks pregnant in these photos which means, in just 7 short weeks (or so) we get to meet our son! I am amazed at how quickly this pregnancy has flown by and I cannot wait for our journey into parenthood to begin.

(I LOVE this one...it looks like Emma wants to hold hands too!)

(She is such a good little puppy model)

( I love this one...it looks like we are comparing our tummies...I totally win this contest!)

Wedding Shower

2011-10-02T21:56:00.000-05:00

One of my very best friends in the whole wide world is getting married in less than a month!! Before Mr.B and I headed to North Carolina for his first away rotation, I helped throw her a little bridal shower to celebrate what a wonderful person and friend she is.

Her wedding colors are purple and green so we used those to focus our theme. We got some really cute invitations from the Wedding Paper Divas in purple and green and I made her a cute tulle wreath with a "Q" in the center for her new married last name :).

When we sent out the invitations, we included a recipe card so that the guests could bring the bride-to-be their favorite recipes to help her start her own recipe collection.

One of the games we played was "guess the spice/herb". It was such a fun game and all of the guests had a wonderful time trying to figure out what they were. Plus the bride-to-be got a little head start on her own spice cabinet.

We got a fruit/cheese tray and a veggie platter from Whole Foods and I made some ah-mazing, if I do say so myself, snickerdoodles and Orange & Strawberry Tea Cake cupcakes.

The beautiful bride-to-be with her mother and grandmother.

Hockadasies with the beautiful bride-to-be.

We had such a wonderful time celebrating a such a beautiful bride-to-be, both inside and out.

Only 5 more to go...

2011-09-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

{28 weeks}

{30 weeks}

{32 Weeks}

{34 weeks}

How far along? 35 weeks....only 5 more weeks until baby boy B's due date. I cannot believe how quickly this pregnancy has flown by!
Total Weight Gain? I cannot believe I am about to put this out there on the Internet, but it is for my memory as much as anything so here it goes...24lbs. YIKES!
Maternity Clothes? I am mostly in maternity clothes at this point, but there are a few T-shirts and sweatpants that I can still squeeze into :) haha.
Sleep? Not so great, but at this point I am so excited to meet him that I don't mind waking up all night. It is just good practice :) At least that is what I am going with!
Cravings? Pumpkin, Ice Water, Cold Apples, and anything spicy!
Best Moment this week? Getting to see this adorable face...in this picture he is opening his eyes if you look closely you can see them :)

Movement? Tons of sliding and stretching. A few hard kicks here and there as well :)
Gender? Our sweet blessing is a beautiful baby boy!
Labor Signs? None, yet, PTL! I hope he can stay put at least for another two weeks, but another three would be best so that Mr.B is home :).
Belly Button? Still hanging on to my innie, but it is a lost cause...I think by this time next week it will be an outie.
What I miss? I can't believe I am going to say this, but I miss running errands and taking Emma for 2-3 mile walks. This bed rest business is a little bit harder done than said, but I know that it is what is best for our son so I am doing the best I can.
Weekly Wisdom? Getting things organized and tasks completed before the third trimester is such a wonderful thing, because you never know what is going to happen in the last three months!

Weekly Pregnancy Check-In

2011-09-29T10:53:00.000-05:00

*** Orignially written August 3rd***

{24 Weeks}

{25 weeks}

{26 weeks}

How far along? 27 Weeks!! We are entering the third trimester. I cannot believe this pregnancy is already 2/3 of the way through. Less than 91 days until we meet our son.
Total Weight Gain? Are y'all ready for this? Because I'm not. I've gained a total of 7lbs (eek!). Is there any way the baby weighs 7lbs yet? No. Can we pretend?
Maternity Clothes? Still a mixture between maternity and non-maternity clothing. I can still fit into my t-shirts and workout shorts, but I'm wearing all maternity shorts/jeans/etc.
Sleep? I cannot get comfortable at night. I start out on my right side but then it gets though to take a deep breath (weird I know!), then I lay on my left but then I get a spasm in my back (the same place every night), so then I lay on my back to make my back stop spasming and it becomes really tough to get a good breath so I start the cycle over again on the right. Any sleep advice from all the Moms or Moms-to-be out there??
Cravings? Tabasco sauce on everything...this baby has his Daddy's taste buds! Cold Apples, Peaches, Green Grapes, and basically anything sour or spicy. Our little Louisiana baby loves the spice!
Best Moment this week? We went to our first birth class at the hospital and everything because very real, which was amazing and scary all at the same time!
Movement? Tons of flips, rolls, stretching, kicks, and wiggles. I love it! I think we may have the next kicker for the LSU tigers :)

Gender? Snips, snails, and puppy dog tails. Our sweet baby is a BOY!!!

Labor Signs? None, thank goodness!

Belly Button? Still an innie, but Mr.B claims its on its last leg as an innie. We shall see.
What I miss? Being able to sleep straight through the night. But, hey! This is great practice for when our son makes his big debut :)

Weekly Wisdom? Pregnancy horomones are insane! Some times I catch myself feeling really overwhelmed and sad, and while I know that it is the horomones its still difficult to navigate through them. So any advice y'all have about this would be most welcome and appreciated!!
Milestones? We've made it to the third trimester!!!!!

Our Precious Gift

2011-09-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I went to the doctor for my 34 week 4 day appointment and our sweet boy was extremely cooperative and gave us some really wonderful pictures, so I thought I would share!

{He is opening his little eyes :)!!! Oh my gosh I cannot wait to meet him!}

{And look at that smile! He already has me wrapped around his little finger!!}

{This was our 9 week ultrasound...look how far we've come!}

And in other news, he is no longer in the breech position and is now head down! PTL! Thank you all for the prayers for good test results this afternoon, we are still waiting to find out what the results are but hopefully everything checks out. We need him to stay put for at least 2 more weeks.

Game Day!

2011-09-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

It is finally here!

College football season starts up again today and I am so excited!

Hopefully, all of the drama that has happend in the last few weeks, pre-season, is over and done.

Those boys made a huge error in judgement and now they will pay the consequences, and rightfully so.

I just hope that the rest of the season is drama free so we can focus on some football!!

I hope y'all are enjoying watching the kick off of the 2011-2012 season as much as I am and I hope that all of your teams win, unless of course you are a Ducks fan...

GEAUX TIGERS!

Baby Boy B's Bedding

2011-08-10T15:24:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the BIG day!!

2011-07-29T11:01:00.000-05:00

For the past month, Mr.B has been studying every day at least 12 hours a day. Tomorrow he takes Step Two of the boards. I cannot believe we are already here, at the beginning of fourth year gearing up for Step Two. I can remember thinking when we get to Step Two he is almost done with medical school, and here we are, nearing the end. If y'all have a few prayers to spare, we would both appreciate them. He has worked so very, very hard for this and I am so very proud of him. Good luck, sweetheart! Emma, baby boy B, and I are so extremely proud of you!

100 Days!

2011-07-27T11:56:00.000-05:00

One hundred days until we get to hold our sweet son and see this sweet face in person.
I cannot wait to meet him and learn all there is to know about him.
Some days it feels like f.o.r.e.v.e.r until we get to meet him.
And other days it feels like I will never get everything done in time.

100 days until our son's due date!!

89 days until one of my best friends gets married
88 days until Mr.B's last away rotation ends.

79 days until our son is considered full term

39 days until LSU kicks off their season

32 days until Mr.B starts his first of two away rotations.

9 days until our third trimester starts!!
3 days until Mr.B takes Step Two of the Boards.

Vacation!

2011-07-24T11:14:00.000-05:00

Mr. B and I flew up to Raleigh, NC on June 25th for a family vacation. The plan was for my parents, brothers, niece, nephew, Mr.B and I to drive down to Southport, NC and get on the Bald Head Island Ferry for the short 20 minute ride to the beautiful Bald Head Island. My parents rented a beautiful house for all of us and we were so very excited to go and spend a week relaxing with my family after everything my parents had been through these past few months.

Unfortunately, my Mom had to have another emergency surgery on the 25th so my parents couldn't make the trip down to the beach. My brothers, my niece, and my nephew went down on the 26th while Mr.B and I stayed in Raleigh to help take care of my Mom. We decided to go down on the 30th and come back on the 2nd but we had a wonderful time while we were down there.

We enjoyed watching the sunset over the dunes right outside our back door.

We had a great time playing on the beach with these two adorable kids.

How did I get so lucky to have such a precious niece and nephew?

They are such fantastic kids.

We had such a great time telling them about their cousin on the way.

They immediately told us all the things they wanted to teach their new boy cousin.

My niece is planning on teaching him how to walk when we visit them at Christmas this year :)

Ha ha ha.

On Friday, I wanted to take Mr.B to see Old Baldy, the lighthouse on Bald Head.

Will and Elizabeth decided they wanted to tag along to show Mr.B how cool this lighthouse is.

Will wanted to make sure I could make it to the top, it is 100+ steps, he offered to help carry me!

How cute?

This is such a cute picture of them, I'm sad Mr.B's eyes are closed.

SO....just pretend they are open...mmk?

Our son supported Old Baldy :)

How adorable? I mean seriously.

The cuteness doesn't stop.

Our group.

We had such a great time,

It could only have been better if my parents had been able to make it.

Next year we will have a new addition :).

I cannot wait to show him the beach.

Have y'all had any fun vacations this summer?

Birthday Boy

2011-07-21T10:32:00.000-05:00

On June 17th, my sweet husband turned the big twenty-eight.

We went out to dinner with a bunch of couples from his medical school class because the 17th was also MSIII's formal. After dinner we went to to the formal and had a great time laughing and dancing.

Here are a few shots from supper.

Happy Birthday to my handsome husband!

I am so thankful that God brought you into my life, and that you chose me.

I love you with all my heart and I could not be prouder of you.

Weekly Pregnancy Check-In

2011-07-17T13:16:00.003-05:00

{20 Weeks}

How far along? I am 23 weeks or 5 and 3/4 months along. I cannot believe how quickly this pregnancy is flying by, it feels like just yesterday I was telling Mr.B that we were expecting.

Total Weight Gain? At my last appointment I had gained 2lbs so I was -3lbs overall for this pregnancy. My at home scale says that I have gained....eeek....8 pounds. We will see what the doctor's office scale says this week. I'm hoping for 5lbs, I think I could handle 5lb. But 8lbs...WOW that seems like a LOT.
Maternity Clothes? I am wearing a mixture of maternity and non-maternity clothes.
Sleep? I am having a hard time finding a comfortable position but once I'm settled into a good position, I am good for the night.
Cravings? I am craving watermelon, peaches, gummy bears, and I really want a sausage biscuit (but I haven't given into this craving).
Movement? Our son is moving all the time! I love it :) Feeling him move throughout the day makes me smile.
Gender? Baby B is all snips, snails, and puppy dog tails. A boy!
Labor Signs? I had a few uterine contractions that freaked me out this week but I read some where that it is normal to have them anywhere after 20 weeks so I calmed down and they stopped. It was a really scary moment.
Belly Button? My belly button is becoming shallow....eeek!
What I miss? I would really, really love a nice cold glass of Chardonnay.
Weekly Wisdom? When everything feels totally out of control and scary, it is most likely the hormones taking over and the only thing to do is to sit back and wait them out.
Favorite Moments? I woke up to Mr.B feeling baby boy B kick and laughing every time he felt him. It was such a perfect moment.

{21 Weeks}

{22 weeks}

I didn't take a 23 weeks photo, but I thought I'd catch y'all up on the belly's progress.

49 Days...

2011-07-16T15:57:00.000-05:00

I don't know about y'all but I am sick of summer. Being pregnant in the South in the Summer is pretty miserable. It is HOT here y'all. And I am beyond ready for football to start. I don't know what it is about Fall and Football but they go together and the beginning of football season means that Fall is just around the corner.49 more days until LSU's first game. If I can just make it 49 more days, cooler temps should be on the way, I hope!

What signals the beginning of Fall for you?

Is Summer dragging by for you?

Two years ago...

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

We went to this beautiful chapel in Nags Head, NC.

We promised before God, our families, and closest friends to love one another unconditionally and totally.

I married my best friend, my soul mate, my prince charming.

We had a beautiful reception and enjoyed the cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean.

We laughed with my best friends and took the first offical Queens + Significant Other picture

We ran through a shower of rose petals and well wishes.

I love you so much, sweetheart! These past two years have been the best years of my life and I cannot wait to see what the future brings. You are the light in my life and I cannot wait to see how this next chapter in our life brings us closer together. You are going to be an amazing father and I cannot believe how blessed I am that you are my husband and how lucky our son is to have you as a father. A&F+D.

Beach Trip

2011-06-20T09:50:00.000-05:00

Back in April, Mr.B and I took a long weekend and went down to Destin for a a mini-vacation. We took Miss Emma and introduced her to the beach for the first time. We had such a wonderful time getting some sun and spending some quality time together.

This last one I am going to blow up and frame. I just LOVE how it captures the two loves of my life.

19 Weeks!

2011-06-18T11:37:00.000-05:00

How far along? 19 weeks
Total Weight Gain? I have gained 2 pounds but I am still -3 for overall weight gain.
Maternity Clothes? All maternity shorts and pants. Some maternity tops and some regular tops.
Sleep? I wake up around 4am every morning because I'm starving I bet I'll be making up those -3 pounds soon!!
Cravings? Gummy bears, real Coke (which I never drink), and Pizza
Best Moment this week? Finding out that we are blessed with a baby boy :)
Movement? Tons of movement. I love feeling his little kicks!!!! Sometimes he kicks me so hard it wakes me up :) . Sometimes he flips or does a somersault and it takes my breath away.
Gender? It's a BOY!!!!
Labor Signs? None.
Belly Button? No change.
What I miss? Tuna fish sandwiches and white wine

It's a BOY!!!

2011-06-16T17:11:00.001-05:00

It looks like bugs, trucks, dinosaurs, and leggos are in our future because...

Mr.B and I could not be more thrilled with the news that we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our son. He is due November 3, 2011. We cannot wait to meet him. God has truly blessed us.

{11 & 12 Weeks} April 14th and April 21st

2011-05-07T15:52:00.000-05:00

How far along? 11 and 12 weeks
Total Weight Gain? I lost 2lbs between 9 and 10 weeks and then I gained 2lbs between 11 and 12 weeks which brings me back to being 5lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight.
Maternity Clothes? Not yet but soon, very soon!
Sleep? I am sleeping pretty well at night except for waking up a couple of times a night to pee. And I have started taking an hour nap in the afternoon.
Cravings? Watermelon, Grapefruit, Grapes, Bananas, and lots of ice cold water
Best Moment this week? Mr.B and I went to Destin for a few days. We took miss Emma and had a very relaxing weekend. We got some sun and had a great time spending some one-on-one time together.
Movement? None yet.
Gender? This week I think it might be a girl but that is just because I have been craving fruit, fruit, and more fruit.
Labor Signs? none.
Belly Button? still and innie
What I miss? Not a thing!
Weekly Wisdom? Spending some one-on-one time with Mr.B was so wonderful and as this pregnancy progresses I want to be sure to remember to make our one-on-one time a priority and I also really want to remember to take time for us once our little blessing is born.
Milestones? nearing the end of the first trimester!!! hopefully the morning sickness will begin to ease up a little.
Favorite Moments? I was getting my nails done this week and a complete stranger asked me when I was due! It made my day that someone else could tell that I am pregnant and I got to share my joy and excitement with her.

{9 Weeks} March 31st

2011-05-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

How far along? 9 weeks

Total Weight Gain? I've lost 5 pounds since we found out that we were expecting. My morning sickness lasts all day and all night, but I am not complaining. As odd as it may sound, I find a lot of comfort in being sick all of the time because it helps me know that everything is going well with this sweet little baby.

Maternity Clothes? Not yet, but it won't be too much longer before I am going to have to get some maternity shorts because it is getting really warm down here in Louisiana and all of my summer clothes are too tight.

Sleep? I know it is too early to be this uncomfortable but I cannot seem to find a position that I can lay in for longer than 30 minutes. The frequent trips to the bathroom aren't super conducive to sleep either, ha ha. But it is totally worth it!

Cravings? Apples, grapes, black olives, fruity ceral, and water...lots and lots of ice cold water.

Aversions? I cannot stand to be anywhere near raw meat. I cannot even buy raw meat at the grocery store. This is becoming a huge problem because I do 99% of the grocery shopping, so hopefully this will get better soon. (If y'all have any tips or tricks with how to get around this, Mr.B and I would both appreciate it!)

Best Moment this week? Seeing our little baby B on the ultrasound, he/she was wiggling and waving. Such an amazing moment.

Movement? We saw the little one moving around a ton on the ultrasound. But he/she is obviously still far too small for me to feel anything. I cannot wait until we can though, I can only imagine how amazing that must be.

Gender? Your guess is as good as ours :)

Labor Signs? None. Please dear God let this remain the case until I make it to 39 weeks.

Belly Button? Still an innie.

What I miss? Absolutely nothing. Okay, maybe one thing. I really would like a tuna sandwich but I am more than happy to wait 7/8 more months to have one.

Weekly Wisdom? Pregnancy is a one day at a time journey. Each pregnancy is different and there is no point in browsing the web looking for a gaurentee for a succesful pregnancy and the more you look the more stressed it is going to make you.

Milestones? Our 1st OB appointment!

Favorite Moments? As we were going to sleep last night, Mr.B rolled over, smiled, and said " Hey Katherine, you know what? We made a baby, like we really did it. I'm so excited I can hardlycontain it!". Best. Moment. Ever.

thank you!

2011-04-30T14:18:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I got a surprise package in the mail. One of my favorite bloggers and dear friend Katie from Loyal, Loving, & Learning sent me a "Congratulations on your pregnancy gift". If you haven't checked out her blog head on over and meet Emmalyn, her gorgeous little girl. Katie sent me the most thoughtful gift, a pregnancy journal.

She even took the time to go through the journal and leave me little notes! I am so moved by her generosity. Thank you again, Katie! I love it and I know that we will enjoy being able to look back and remember this journey.

Chocolate Pudding

2011-04-15T10:31:00.000-05:00

Warning: This recipe is addictive. It is simple. It is delicious. The only bad part is that it has to chill for 4 hours. Yes, they are a loooong 4 hours but trust me it is worth the wait and if you can restrain yourself from this chocolatey goodness it is even better the next day.

1/4 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder

3 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

2 3/4 Cups of Whole Milk

1/4 Cup Heavy Cream

1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1.) Combine brown sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in large saucepan. Whisk milk and cream into sugar mixture until smooth. Add chocolate chips and bring to simmer, whisking occasionally, over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and large bubbles appear at surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla.

2.) Transfer pudding to large bowl and place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding. Refrigerate until completely cool, at least 4 hours. [I got this recipe from Cook's Country]

And that is it! How easy is that?? And super delicious. Do you have any favorite, simple recipes?

WILW

2011-04-13T09:24:00.000-05:00

I am joining Jaime over at This Kind of Love for What I'm Loving Wednesday. If you want to join in head on over to her blog and link up. What are you loving this Wednesday?

I'm loving that we have been having beautiful Spring weather here!

I'm loving all of the cute animated movies that are coming out.

I'm loving these cute sandals from bakersshoes.com

I'm loving my sweet Emma dog

I am loving my wonderful, amazing, and kind husband

What are you loving on this beautiful Wednesday? I hope that y'all are having a beautiful and blessed day!

And so it begins....

2011-04-04T20:41:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that it is time for Mr.B to start looking at residency programs. It honestly feels like just yesterday we found out that he got in to medical school, and now, here we are, putting pins in a giant map of the US so we can keep track of all the different programs. In less than 365 days we will know where/if we are moving for the next 5 years. Holy cow! Where does the time go?

I am so very proud of how hard he has worked for the past three years and I know he is going to make an amazing doctor and save so many lives. I really am so lucky to be his wife. I wake up every day proud of the man I married and honored to be the woman he chose to spend his life with.

If any of y'all have any experience with an Orthopedic Residency program, or you know there is a residency program where you live and you LOVE your city, I would love to hear about it!

Any other medical school wives out there looking forward to residency?

My Secret Keeping Skills

2011-04-02T14:41:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know that I am a horrible secret keeper, especially if it is a good secret. I am even worse at keeping secrets from my husband, when I get him gifts it kills me to not tell him what it is right after I'm done wrapping it. So it may come as a HUGE surprise to y'all that I kept a secret from him for 11 hours, half an hour of that 11 hours I was spending time with him ( talk about torture ). But I did it, and it totally paid off! Now for the story....

Two weeks after Valentine's Day, Mr.B came home from a not so great day at work. I made supper and we were just waiting on my father and grandmother to come over and eat with us. When we sat down to supper, I jumped up and said, "Oh, babe your last Valentine's Day present finally came in, let me go get it."

He opened the present...

And looked confused...

So I asked him to read the card, and he still looked confused...

I kept looking at him with a HUGE smile on my face, waiting for him to connect the dots...

Finally, I asked him to read the card aloud....

"For the Father-to-Be...." He said.

And finally

Finally

I saw the realization creep across his face.

He jumped out the chair and hugged me and said, "Is it true??"

"Yes, honey! We're having a baby!!!"

5 Years

2011-02-12T11:58:00.000-06:00

Five years ago today, Mr.B and I started dating. I cannot believe it has already been five years, it really does seem like just yesterday- as cliche as it sounds. These have been the happiest years of my life and I am so blessed that he took a chance on me. I love you, baby, with all of my heart.

New Beginnings

2011-02-08T09:44:00.000-06:00

So I have some news. Y'all may remember that I started the Master's in Counseling Psychology program in June of this past year. After a lot of thought and talking it over with Mr.B, I decided to take this next semester to figure out what I really want to do with my life. While I loved the program, my professors, and the other students in the program I just wasn't sure that I wanted to be a counselor, specifically a Child Life specialist. I am not sure that I am strong enough emotionally to be there for the times that were hard, like really hard. You see, as long as I can remember I have wanted to work with children. But after everything we went through this past Fall, I decided that I wanted to work with children in happy circumstances and focus on the positive things in life.

So that brings me to my brand new, okay okay, two week old job. I work for one of the best Nursery Schools in town....you know the kind that has a waiting list that you have to put your kid on when you find out you're pregnant. And, I LOVE IT. I am so happy and I love working with the little ones. The additional income doesn't hurt either. So for now, I am working and studying to take the PraxisI and Praxis II in March so that I can apply to a Master's program combined with an alternative certification program to begin this summer.

How did you find your dream job? If you're a teacher do you have any recommendations for studying for the Praxis? How did you choose what grade you wanted to teach?

Books Read in January

2011-02-06T14:40:00.000-06:00

Mr.B and I have a secret. We like to listen to books when we take road trips. Now, I know what you must be thinking... "You listen to books?" "Isn't that kind of nerdy?" For those of you who haven't ever tried it, you should give it a shot. We enjoying being able to "read" a book together so we can talk about it, plus it makes all those hours stuck in the car a little more productive. And because we like listening to books so much, Mr.B set up an account on Audible.com so that we could get a good deal on downloading books. But, we haven't been taking very many trips and we have a ton of books saved up to listen to and we no longer needed our audible account. Mr.B told me I could pick out 10 books to download, and being the book lover that I am, he didn't have to tell me twice.

I really enjoyed listening to these books while I was cleaning the house, cooking dinner, ironing, walking the dog, driving to work, grocery shopping, working out, and pretty much anything I did but didn't have to really focus on. We may have to re-open that account at the rate I went through the books this month. I started and finished a total of 4 books this month and on the 31st I started the fifth, The Help, and I am already 2/3 through it.

Have you ever listened to a book? What books are you reading? Did you like the the Hunger Games series? I really loved the first two books and I liked the first part of the last book but I really didn't like the ending, I felt like she got tired of writing and just sort of threw the last few chapters together. What did you think?

WILW

2011-01-19T12:20:00.000-06:00

I'm joining in with Jaime's What I'm Loving Wednesday, if you haven't checked out her blog you should head over there and check it out.

I'm loving this cute camera bag. It would be a perfect for carrying my camera around.

I'm loving this adorable little girl. I cannot wait until Mr.B and I have a little B running around.

I'm loving that Mr.B is getting to shadow a few doctors in private practice to see which speciality he wants to focus on, we are so blessed that they are sharing their time and skills with him.

I'm loving that I just finished Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy. I literally laughed out loud when I read this book.

I'm loving the delicious homemade chocolate pudding and whipped cream I made earlier this week.

I'm loving my sweet Emma dog.

I'm loving my amazing husband. How did I get so lucky?

{photo taken by Katherine Harris}

What are you loving on this beautiful Wednesday? I hope y'all are having a very blessed day!

Indian food + Ice Cream

2011-01-15T16:20:00.000-06:00

Last week Mr.B and I had a dinner and a movie date. We ate at one of the local Indian restaurants, Indigo. I love Indian food. Seriously, it might become a problem. The first time I ever ate Indian was when I spent a semester abroad in London and my boyfriend at the time tricked me into trying it. One bite and I was hooked. A few years ago, Mr.B and I were driving around Shreveport when we saw a sign that said "Indigo coming soon" and we knew we had to try it out. It is as good as the Indian food I had so many years ago in London. On top of the amazing food, the owner is one of the nicest people in the world. He is always smiling knows our name and treats us like family. He has affectionately nicknamed me "pigeon" because I can never finish my meal and I like to get it all "set up" before I start eating. So back to the story... as we were leaving I decided that I had a craving for Marble Slab's sweet cream and strawberries....a totally random craving because it was in the 30s last Friday. Strangely cold for Louisiana.

{we heart it}

I have always been one of those people who couldn't understand how people could eat ice cream in the middle of winter. I am cold natured and so I'm naturally drawn to warm things during the winter, hot chocolate, hot coffee, warm muffins, and fresh-from-the-oven cookies.

{we heart it}

But, here we were standing in the freezing cold parking lot- pretty full from our yummy dinner- discussing ice cream. Mr.B was very agreeable to the suggestion, so we headed over to Marble Slab. Mr.B ended up trying their tiramisu ice cream and loved it. I got the delicious-ness otherwise known as sweet cream and strawberries. When we got back in the car we looked at each other shivering and turned the heat on full blast. We sat their content in our toasty car eating ice cream. So you see, the trick to eating ice cream in the middle of winter is a very warm, and toasty car.

Oh, and because Indian food and ice cream were a perfect if totally random pairing we repeated that perfect combination again this Friday- I think it may become one of our regular routines :).

What about y'all? Do you eat ice cream in the middle of winter? If you do, do you have a trick that keeps you from freezing to death? Or do you have an interesting date night dinner/dessert combo?

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2011-01-12T16:39:00.000-06:00

I am joining Jamie over at This Kind of Love for "What I'm Loving Wednesday". If you haven't checked out her blog head over there and say "hi". I hope y'all are staying warm and safe on this very cold Wednesday!

I'm loving The Bachelor and that Brad sent home the two drama queens. I am rooting for Emily from North Carolina. She seems so sweet!

I'm loving my new water bottle. I am trying to get back to drinking more water and this water bottle is helping me on my way to that goal....

I'm loving this Fage yogurt. Seriously, y'all it is sooo yummy.

I'm loving these Ugg Cardy boots. They are so cozy and perfect for the cold weather we're having here.

I'm loving this Sarah Bareilles album.

I'm loving watching Psych episodes on Netflix.

I'm loving Silk's new Pure Almond Dark Chocolate. It is so tasty and it is pretty good for you too. Perfect for indulging my chocolate cravings without going overboard.

I'm loving my sweet Emma dog.

I'm loving my amazing husband. I wake up on a regular basis and ask myself how I got so lucky.

I hope y'all are having a very blessed Wednesday!

New Years Eve 2010

2011-01-08T14:00:00.000-06:00

We celebrated New Years Eve in New Orleans this year with Mr.B's family, every year they through a huge New Year Eve party complete with fireworks. A few of Mr.B's fraternity brothers and a few of his medical school classmates made the trip down to the Big Easy to ring in 2011 properly. I found this dress at ModCloth and bought it back in early December. I was pleasently surprised to find it when I was packing for our trip. When I pulled it out of my closet to pack it I realized that under the black overlay the dress is purple, perfect for celebrating in Tiger country :). I also found these heels at ModCloth and I love them! I got so many compliments on them, I just love the cute ruffle.

When we finally got home from our stay in New Orleans, I went through our photos and realized that there was only one picture taken of us together at New Years and it isn't even a full body shot. But thankfully, we both have our eyes open and are smiling at the camera, we got lucky!

{New Years Eve}

I hope y'all had a great new years! How did you ring in 2011?

Ho Ho Ho!

2010-12-25T13:35:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas

Wishing you peace, love, and happiness in the new year. Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

T'was the week before Christmas...

2010-12-23T09:25:00.001-06:00

and there was Christmas cookie making and decorating.

and chocolate chip cooking baking...

Mr.B and I made our first ever proper turkey dinner...and it turned out really, really well.

Miss Emma even got a piece of turkey....

We celebrated an early Christmas with my parents, one of my brothers, and my grandmother

I hope y'all are having a beautiful week before Christmas...I cannot believe it is only 2 days away!

Have y'all started celebrating already?

We will celebrate Christmas again on the 25th with Mr.B's family in New Orleans.

I am starting to like this double Christmas situation :)!

All I want for Christmas...

2010-12-16T15:15:00.000-06:00

Since there are only 9 more days until Christmas (holy cow...seriously...only 9 more days...I have so much left to do. 50% of our Christmas decorations may or may not still be in their boxes in our kitchen and at this point probably won't make it up this year, let's just be honest here), I thought I would share with y'all all that I really want for Christmas. I made two wish lists for the gifts, here and here, that I would make me giddy to see under my Christmas tree, but to be completely honest the things that my heart desires this year are not things that can be bought.

So Santa, if you could some how put these things in my Christmas stocking, I would be oh so grateful come Christmas morning and I wouldn't miss all those pretty packages wrapped beneath the tree:

(1.)Mr.B has to take Step 2, the second part of his boards this summer (probably sometime in August) and I would really like him to make a super, amazing score on it so that he can get into any program that he wants to get into. He did really well on Step 1, so a good score on Step 2 would make applying to residency programs that much easier. (ps- I know Mr.B would appreciate this gift too, So it could be a combined gift)

(2.) I would really, really like a way to figure out what the next step in my career should be, I am at a crossroads and I'm having a difficult time making a decision between two different paths (one is easy and one is hard...of course). So Santa, if you could some how make this decision easier to make I would really, really appreciate it :)

(3.) I saved the best for last. Dear Santa, Mr.B and I would really, really like to have a healthy, full term baby this year. I have been a pretty good girl all year long and if I could have just one present this year this would be it. I'm not really sure how you'd fit this into my stocking, but you being magical and all, I bet you have some kind of trick up your sleeve.

{2 of these beautiful Christmas Pillows}

Date Nights.

2010-12-06T13:41:00.001-06:00

Before Thanksgiving Mr.B and I went to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. We are (nerd alert) pretty big Harry Potter fans, we've read all the books and seen all the movies, so we were really pumped about seeing the newest movie. It lived up to our expectations, my only complaint was that they left a lot of the book out- basically covering the "most important" parts which makes sense because if they had included everything I wanted them too the movie would've been 5 hours long.

Last Friday, Mr.B came home from his last week on the away portion of his OBGYN rotation, the whole OBGYN rotation will be over on December 17th. So to celebrate, we went to Painting with a Twist. Click here to watch a quick video if you haven't ever heard of Painting with a Twist.

We had such a blast painting and laughing- Mr.B is really talented he can paint, draw, I've never seen him sculpt but I'm sure if he attempted it he would be really good at it. I, on the other hand, have a hard time with drawing a straight line- so you can imagine how funny the painting class was :). We now have two fleur de lis Christmas paintings and a house that desperately needs to be decorated for Christmas.

The Christmas decorations will have to wait though, I have finals this week...in fact my first one is tomorrow so I'm off to go study. I'll be around during study breaks and hopefully, next weekend I'll be back with Christmas photos and maybe some yummy Christmas recipes.

Have y'all had any fun date nights lately? Any original, crazy, or cheap date ideas?

I hope you have a very blessed week!

Emma Louise napping in the warm sun...it's been cold here today.

6 Years Old

2010-12-01T09:00:00.003-06:00

My ~~little~~ nephew is turning 6 years old today... SIX....like the number that comes after 5. I cannot believe how quickly the time has flown. I have had the great pleasure of being an Aunt for six years and this wonderful little boy was the one who blessed me with this title.

I can remember when he was born, and the adorable red sweater onesie I got him for his first Christmas.

His sweet not quite one year old giggles...

His curiosity as a two year old, exploring the back yard....

Making silly faces right before Thanksgiving supper as a 3 almost 4 year old....

He was our very handsome and serious ring bearer as a 4 year old....

Seriously reading the paper as a 5 year old...

Happy Birthday, sweet nephew! You brightened my world the day you were born and forever transformed me into your Aunt. I love you more than words can say. I wish I could give you the moon.

Applesauce Spice Cupcake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting {November Dessert}

2010-11-29T09:49:00.000-06:00

Ingredients for the Cupcake:

2 cups of All Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg

1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter

1 Cup of Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Packed Light-Brown Sugar

4 Large Eggs, Room Temperature

1 1/2 Cups of Unsweetened Applesauce

1 Cup of Pecans (optional)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

2.) With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add applesauce and then flour mixture, beating until just combined after each. Stir in pecans by hand.

3.) Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen for up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Ingredients for the frosting:

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth.

Christmas Wish List (Part II)

2010-11-27T12:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T09:00:00.002-06:00

I hope that you are having a beautiful day, surrounded by loved ones, and eating lots of yummy food. Happy Thanksgiving!

Favorite Fall Clothes

2010-11-22T20:22:00.000-06:00

These are some of my Fall favorites....

Gap

ModCloth

Piperlime

What are your favorite fall staples?

New Orleans Trip

2010-11-20T12:28:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we went to New Orleans. We had such a blast hanging out with Mr.B's parents and brother- we hadn't seen them since the end of August, so it was a much overdue trip. We cannot wait to go back down to celebrate Christmas and New Years with them this year :)

Miss Emma loves their swimming pool and spent Saturday afternoon in the pool swimming and retrieving her tennis ball...

Mr.B helped his Dad put together a brand new grill- boys and their toys!

Miss Emma Louise had a good time bugging her four-legged Aunt (Kelly)

On Sunday, we headed to the Oak Street Po-Boy festival, and we ate waaaaay too many Po-boys but it was so much fun! We were so busy eating that I forgot to get a photo with us in it, but here is a picture of the sign and the ominous grey clouds - thankfully it didn't start raining until we were on the road heading home.

Do y'all have any fun plans for this weekend?
I hope you have a relaxing one, no matter what your plans are.

OBGYN Rotation

2010-11-19T09:28:00.001-06:00

Mr.B took his shelf exam for his Surgery Rotation on Friday, October 22nd. That test concluded his second rotation (Internal Medicine and Surgery). Surgery was a very different rotation than Internal Medicine.. I think that each rotation will be an exercise in working with different personalities. In Medicine, the Residents and Attendings wanted to know everything they could possibly know about the patient (their pain level, what they had for lunch, if they had family visiting them, their favorite color- okay I'm joking about that last one, but you get the idea). Conversely, in Surgery, the residents and attending wanted to know only the pertinent facts (where the pain is, does the patient have a fever, have they used the restroom, are they eating?, etc.). Neither way is better, they are just different.

While he was on the first two rotations Mr.B worked 6 days a week, 12+ hours a day, and was on call every 4 nights. On OBGYN, Mr.B will work 5 days a week, 12+ hours a day....but for the first week he worked 6am-6pm and the second week he worked 6pm-6am (which basically meant that I was a medical school "widow" for a week because our schedules were exact opposites). His call schedule hasn't been too bad this rotation, except that he is on call this Sunday, which normally isn't a huge deal but he will be working out of town for the first part of next week so I wish I had one more day to spend with him before he left.

He will be out of town from M-TH this week and M-F next week, in a city that is about an hour and a half from where we live to help serve their OBGYN patient population. The good news is that one of his best friends is scheduled to work with him in the same rotation.

The first two weeks he was assigned to Labor&Delivery, the third and fourth week he was/is on the clinic, rotation then he'll be away for two weeks doing Labor & Delivery, and then he'll be back in town on clinic for a week.

And then....Christmas Break!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woot Woot! I think we are both MORE than ready for a break from school. Do y'all have any fun plans? I hope y'all have a beautiful Friday!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins {October Dessert}

2010-11-17T08:00:00.001-06:00

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth.

Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake at 400 F for 16-20 minutes.

Recipe Source

Christmas Wish List (Part I)

2010-11-15T13:39:00.000-06:00

We spent this weekend in New Orleans with Mr.B's family and had so much fun relaxing and catching up with family and friends. But now, we're back home and I needed a little something to perk up my Monday...what better way to cheer yourself up then to do a little Christmas "wish list" browsing...........so here are a few of the items on my Christmas list this year...

Have y'all started making your "wish lists" yet? What is the one thing you REALLY want for Christmas this year?? I'm always looking for things to add to my list :) I hope y'all are having a great Monday!

Lazy Sunday Movie...

2010-11-14T20:00:00.000-06:00

So Mr.B and I were lounging around on Sunday evening, soaking in the last few hours of one of the most relaxing weekends we've had in weeks, dare I say months? We wanted to watch a movie. So we turned on our Wii and got onto Netflix (how cool is it that you can watch movies/TV shows on your Wii? I mean really it has to be one of the coolest things ever!) and while we were searching we ran across a movie that I had wanted to see when it came out, but in typical style-we never got around to it. The Princess and The Frog is a modern day fairy tale and we LOVED it. As many of y'all know I was born and raised in Louisiana and Mr.B's family lives in New Orleans so this movie was very comforting for us. I would strongly recommend renting it and seeing it because it has a great message as well. Oh and they mention the city where we live in the movie and it gave us a big laugh. (I'll give you a hint- Ray says it).

Have y'all seen any good movies lately? Old ones you love? New ones that are destined to become a classic in your house? Any movies you recommend staying away from? Oh and don't forget to mention your favorite movie time treat, whether it is the classic staple (popcorn) or something different like chips and salsa!

Happy Birthday!

2010-11-13T06:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday!

To one of the very best friends in the whole wide world!

And a big Congratulations to her for completing her very first 5K!!!

Almond Chocolate Cake {September Dessert}

2010-11-11T13:00:00.001-06:00

So a few weekends ago, while Mr.B was on call, I decided to watch Julie&Julia to get some inspiration in the cooking department. Have y'all seen Julie & Julia? It is one of my favorite "new" movies, because Julia Child reminds me a little of my Mama, at least when she cooks. She always makes the most delicious food and never lets an "accident" or a "mistake" derail her, in the kitchen or in life. That is one of the qualities I admire about her and wish that I could emulate better. Anywho, back to the movie...one of the desserts that Julie makes is Julia Child's Reine De Saba (Chocolate and Almond Cake), and in the movie it looked so delicious that I just had to make it. Luckily, Mr.B gave my Julia Child's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Christmas last year.

This is not my favorite chocolate cake, in fact, I was kind of disappointed. But to be fair, I did not use the best almond extract. I did use really good chocolate, however. I think that this cake is a little dry, and it is not very sweet, which can be good. All in all, I would give this recipe a 7 out of 10. But, I'll share it with y'all in case you want to try it and prove me wrong :).

Ingredients:

4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate

2 Tablespoons of Run or Coffee (I used coffee)

1 stick of softened unsalted butter

2/3 cup of granulated sugar

3 egg yolks

3 egg whites

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon of Granulated Sugar

1/3 cup of pulverized almonds

1/4 Teaspoon of Almond Extract

1/2 cup of Cake flour

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.) Butter and Flour the 8 inch cake pan (I used cocoa powder so the color of the cake didn't change

3.) Place the chocolate and the rum OR coffee in a glass bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water and let it melt while you measure out the rest of the ingredients

4.) Cream the butter and sugar until it makes a pale, fluffy mixture

5.) Beat the egg yolks into the butter mixture until well blended

6.) Beat the egg whites and the salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the 1 tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks are formed

7.) With a spatula blend the melted chocolate into the butter/sugar mixture, then stir in the almonds and the almond extract. Then stir in 1/4 of the egg whites to lighten the batter. Fold in a third of the remaining egg whites carefully, and when partially blended, sift on one third of the flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly with more egg whites and more flour until all egg whites and flour are incorporated.

8.) Put cake batter into prepared pan and place the cake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Cake is done when it has puffed, and 2 1/2 to 3 inches around the circumference are set so that a toothpick comes out clean. The center should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and the toothpick comes out oily. Allow the cake to cool completely on a cake rack before icing.

Happy Be-lated Birthday to my big Brother

2010-11-09T12:16:00.000-06:00

Sunday, October 24th was my older brother's birthday. Even though he is A LOT older than me ;-) I have always looked up to him. This post is a little late, but I think he'll forgive me. He is cool like that.

He is an amazing father to his two precious children,

a kind son to our parents,

a strong and caring older brother for my younger brother and me,

and a role model for every one he knows.

He is strong in his faith,

leads by example,

works hard at everything he does,

is really funny,

and he is an amazing cook.

Oh, and he is a pretty good golfer as well.

A total catch.

Happy Birthday Big Brother.

I love you.

Our Loss

2010-11-07T17:45:00.000-06:00

Thank you for the emails. Thank you for the cards. Thank you for the flowers. Thank you for prayers. Thank you for the love. Thank you for the support. Thank you for the prepared meals and the ice cream. Thank you for the magazines and movies. Thank you for being their for us during this horrible, difficult, and heartbreaking time.
Mr.B and have taken the past month to grieve and allow our loss to fully sink in. While we will never "get over it" we will pick up our lives and move on, because, well, what else can you do? I needed this month to support my husband and take care of myself. That being said, I think I'm ready to be back.

I hope y'all had a great weekend. We had a pretty laid back weekend. Mr.B and I ran errands and cleaned the house, plus he caught up on some very much needed sleep.

Taking a break

2010-10-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

I am going to take a break for awhile. It may be a week, or a month, but probably won't be longer than that. I am going through something I can't really talk about yet but it is the only thing that I can think of right now. I really need to focus on myself and my husband right now. I really appreciate each and every one of y'all more than you know, and I hope y'all will still be here when I get back.

I heart Saturdays

2010-10-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

The ingredients for a perfect Saturday:

I hope y'all are enjoying a pefect Fall Saturday too!

Hooray for Saturday!

2010-09-25T10:44:00.001-05:00

Happy Saturday! Mr.B got home this morning around 7:45am after being on call last night. So he crawled into bed just as Miss Emma and I were kinda-sorta-waking up, so we took a 30 min nap before we got up for good.

Miss Emma and I took a long walk this morning because the weather was so nice, in the upper 70s, which was a nice break from the lingering summer heat--but the weather is supposed to warm up to 93 degrees this afternoon so we took advantage of the brief cool temp.

I feel like I have a mountain of things to get done today so I better run on to Target before the Saturday rush starts. What are your plans for the weekend? Are you going to relax or commit yourself to doing 10million things like I did? I totally vote for relaxing! Oh and cheering on your football team---unless your team happens to be West Virginia and then I'm sorry but I'm cheering against you today. I hope y'all have a happy, safe, and relaxing weekend!

Happy Tuesday!

2010-09-21T16:26:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went to Raleigh to visit my family, I flew up on Friday and got back Monday evening just in time to watch the Saints game with my sweet husband and Miss Emma. {Hooray! for no Monday or Friday classes!!}

Oh--I have to brag about my amazing husband for a minute.....without asking he did all of the laundry and changed and washed the sheets off of the bed so I could come home to a clean house!--I am so blessed.

Okay back to what I did this weekend, I had such a great time catching up with my family and hanging out with my adorable niece and nephew, and I was not ready to leave the beautiful Raleigh weather and return to the hot sticky, not close at all to Fall weather in Louisiana. While I was in Raleigh, my Mom and I went to get pedicures and I decided to go with Essie's new for Fall "Merino Cool".

Have y'all tried any new Fall colors? What are you new favs or your go to staples? I am always looking for a great new color! I hope y'all had a great weekend!

Things I love about Fall...

2010-09-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Fall has to be my absolute favorite season.
I love the changing of the leaves, the crispness in the air, the smell of a fire crackling in the fire place, the rainy days, football games, stews, soups, comfort food, and spending time with my family and friends during the holidays.

What are your favorite things about Fall?
Or is it your least favorite season, if it is what is your favorite season and why?
I hope y'all are having a great day!

XOXO,

Supper Time (30-Minute Supper) Croque Monsieur

2010-09-08T12:46:00.001-05:00

Quick Croque Monsieur

(serves 4)

* I got this recipe from Cook's Country October/November 2009*

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 Cup of Milk

2 and 1/2 Cups of Shredded Gruyere Cheese

Salt and Pepper

8 Slices Hearty White Sandwich bread

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

6 Ounces of Thin Slices of Deli Ham

Directions:

1.) Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees Melt 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan over medium heat Whisk in flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes Slowly whisk in milk and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup of cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and keep warm.

2.) Spread remaining butter over 4 slices of bread. Arrange, butter-side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread each slice with mustard, then divide ham, 1 cup of cheese, and 1/2 cup sauce over mustard-topped slices and top with remaining bread Top with remaining sauce and cheese Bake until cheese is golden brown and bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Enjoy!

---------------------------------------------------------

Mr.B and I had a sandwich and a side salad for supper one night and it was delicious. Mr. B had the leftovers for breakfast the next morning by just re-toasting the sandwich in a toaster oven. He was really excited that we ate "fancy ham sandwiches" because I never, ever eat ham....seriously...the only ham I will eat is in an Arby's sandwich. I won't really eat pork either unless it is bacon....weird I know but I can convince myself that the pork is not pork then I can eat it but otherwise I cannot help but picture Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. That book ruined pork and bacon for years...

I hope y'all are having a blessed and relaxing day!

XOXO,

Surgery Rotation

2010-09-05T11:57:00.001-05:00

Mr.B took his first Shelf Exam last Friday, which concluded his rotation in Internal Medicine. During his Internal Medicine rotation he was at the VA hospital in town, now that he is on Surgery he is back at school. He has call every four days until the end of this rotation, and, while I may not understand why this is a great thing, he is one happy medical student! He came home every night last week with a huge smile on his face, exhausted but so happy. That smile reminds me that, even though the hours and the stress of medical school are not exactly a walk in the park, Mr.B is doing what he loves to do and he is going to make an amazing physician.

{I cannot remember where I got this photo, but I am not the original source}

Saturday morning, Mr.B got up around 4am to go up to the hospital for his first 24 hour surgery call, the first full night away and I know it will not be his last. In order to keep myself busy, I went and got a haircut, went to the grocery store, worked out, made supper, and did some homework. At 5:00 I called him to see if he wanted me to bring supper to him so we could watch LSU kickoff together, and luckily he was free. So I made Eggplant Parm, packed a cooler, and drove up to the hospital. When I got there he had to jump in the car with me so he could show me where to park.

Y'all, when I pulled up to the hospital, I almost did not recognize the cute doctor sitting on the stairs as my husband--it finally hit me--SMACK--my husband is going to be a doctor, school isn't going to last forever, and he is going to save lives. Amazing!

We had supper in the lounge and watched the first half of the game with another 3rd year, and a bunch of residents. After supper Mr.B showed me his call room--a very small/undecorated version of a dorm room, and then I took him across the street to buy him an iced coffee. When I left, I was overcome with pride in the man that I married, he is so honest, hardworking, and kind, how did I get so luck? When I got home I finished the LSU game--we won, but barely and did not deserve the win, and crawled into bed with Miss Emma. While going to bed alone wasn't top on my list of "to-dos" I know that this small compromise is so completely and totally worth it. (Y'all may have to remind me that I said that when we get into residency and I am ~~whining~~ going on and on about how much I miss my husband.

She is so cuddly...and how can you say no to that face?

I hope that y'all are having a great Labor Day weekend so far!

XOXO,

Kickoff

2010-09-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again!

It is football season.

This year, I'm going to do my best not to yell at the TV too much.

Mr.B says I get way into the game, but I can't help it.

I'm a southern girl and football is in my blood.

I hope that y'all enjoy cheering on your teams today and that your team wins, unless they are playing LSU, then I am going to have to pull for the Tigers.

Geaux Tigers!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

XOXO,

Emma's Tricks Video

2010-08-31T10:56:00.000-05:00

I decided we needed a video of Emma doing her tricks so that even when Miss Emma Louise is ~~experiencing selective hearing~~ not in the preformance mood, we can still show this video to show how smart our puppy is.

Oh and I used a greenie as her reward, she loves these things and we love that the greenie cleans her teeth and freshens her breath! It is a win/win treat!

I hope y'all enjoyed watching Miss Emma Louise and that she brightened your day a little bit :)

XOXO,

Back to School

2010-08-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

I started Graduate School again, yesterday!

I will be kind of busy for a couple of weeks getting into the swing of things again.

So, I may not be posting any new stuff for awhile, I'll have to play it by ear.