Tips on Taking Meals to Others

Many of my friends are having babies and one of the most helpful things anyone can do for a new Mama is to provide dinner for her family. Although this is an extremely helpful task, it INTIMIDATES me like no other. I want the family to have enough food, I want them to like it -- and oh by the way -- I want to time everything so it is still warm when I get there. This isn't an easy task for me, but as I've taken meals, I have learned a few things to make it a little simpler.

1. Most of my friends are using Meal Train to organize meals for the family. This isn't just a baby-meal web site, so it can be used for any large group organizing meals for one specific family. It is a life-saver for everyone involved!

2. Cook enough for both your family and the family your feeding, thus creating less work in the long run for you. I usually also put something in the crock pot to make it even easier (see menu below).

3. Use disposable containers for the new Mama, this way she isn't concerned with returning your personal dishes.

4. Pay significant attention to their allergy requests. Funny story: the last family I cooked for said no nuts and no apples. I had this in my head the entire time I was planning, but when I began making the NUTella brownies I panicked. I simply called the mom and they were okay. Just remember that allergies include all ingredients not just the actual food.

5. Take paper plates and napkins, and plastic silverware to the new family so after-dinner clean-up is easy.

6. Bag it up neatly, put your pantless, shoeless children (no joke last Wednesday) in the car and deliver the meal. I leave the girls in the car to hint that I'm not staying long and definitely not impose on the new, tired mama.

Last week I took:
Pulled BBQ chicken (dump raw chicken and BBQ sauce in crock pot and cook)
Buns to make sandwiches
Macaroni and Cheese
Salad
Nutella Brownies

Do you have any tips or great recipes that you deliver for friends?

My Sweet Emma

Emma has a unique story. For the first seven weeks of her life, it was just the two of us and Caroline. My Mom was with me during delivery, and I traveled on the weekends to my parents, but for the majority of those weeks it was just us because Tyler was away. She came into the world on her own time, precisely when the Lord wanted her to appear, but it was still her time, not mine. AND this sweet girl came into the world SIDEWAYS, you read that correctly, sideways.

My Emma is a good baby; one who, even as a newborn, would sprawl out to sleep and when her tummy was full. She is energetic, strong, and super happy!

Yet in all the positive, I had trouble reading her, particularly from two months old until recently. I have felt so much guilt and angst about this. Thoughts of "you've done this before" or "what are you not trying or doing right?" crept into my head and stayed there, especially on nights when I just couldn't find a way to console my precious baby. I felt so embarrassed to admit these thoughts and feelings because she is my baby and I should know her better than anyone else. I also thought that I was the only Mom in the world to ever have these thoughts -- I now firmly believe I am not alone.

So this week we tried something new. Yes, my friends, 6.5 months into her life we're still figuring out Emma. I have been more aggressive about her napping and eating real food. I have found that Emma will happily push through whatever we are doing instead of napping as she should. So, I have discovered her little cues and when she is more clingy than usual, off to bed it is for her.

This new awareness of Emma's cues has made the last week better for all of us. Emma plays more and is less clingy, particularly around dinner time and she has even slept through the night a few nights this week -- a giant blessing from above. 

Feeling Lucky?!

Today is your LUCKY day! Let's kick off this dreary week with a little good luck! Here's the deal:

1) Anyone who comments on this post by 10 PM EST tonight will be entered in a drawing for a LUCKY 2-month supply of Night Renewing Serum ($90 value)

2) Anyone who takes this skin quiz will receive a FREE MINI-FACIAL in the mail (just send me your address)!  https://ginnavanzandt.myrandf.com/Pages/OurProducts/GetAdvice/SolutionsTool

3) Anyone who becomes a preferred customer TODAY, gets a LUCKY Essentials Product (lotion, sunscreen, self-tanning foam or lip balm)....see all products here: https://ginnavanzandt.myrandf.com/Shop

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Athleta

Is premiering on Zulily Wednesday morning at 6 AM. They are an activewear company that is owned by the Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic corporation. I like their products and was just going to place an order; I think I'll wait.

I'm pretty excited to check out what they have for sale -- I'm sure it will be super hot, so be sure to check it out bright and early!

**Photos courtesy of Zulily**

Recovering ...

What a week this has been for us!! It began Wednesday morning at 3:40 am -- a morning I had vowed to wake up early for quiet time during this Lenten season -- but alas, Emma had different plans. She woke up early, but was remarkably clingy, snotty, and drooly, can we say teething?

Goooood morning, teething baby.

I found that the day/week wasn't a complete loss because I was homebound and could just enjoy the girls. Caroline and I made play dough with Emma strapped to me.

We read, cuddled, and just enjoyed each other. We hosted our "first Army friend," Kevin Larrabee, Thursday night for dinner. It was quite fun to see him and catch up about our different, yet somewhat similar lives. Hop over to Kate, his wife's, blog for beautiful pictures of their boys and life in DC. We hope to visit with him and Kate again soon here in Fayetteville or in DC.

On Saturday morning, Tyler's weeks-long cold finally caught up with me and I sound like a muffled, raspy person. Fortunately, you cannot hear my voice. So I took a 2.5 hour nap yesterday and he let us indulge in ice-cream for dinner .. a practice he is not remarkably fond of!

But, today is a new day and the beginning of a new week. The sun is out and we are hoping Spring is here to stay!

How was your weekend? Are you ready for Spring?

Go Deacs!!

Need I say more? One of Wake's greatest traditions is rolling the quad with toilet paper after our sporting teams win. I had the privilege of attending Wake Forest when we were remarkably good at football and basketball (and field hockey and golf and soccer and and and). I did not see Wake lose a basketball game until sophomore year and I helped cheer the Deacs onto the Orange Bowl -- our greatest football season to date.

Tonight, I am thrilled for the seniors who finally got to beat Dook. I am excited that they finally got to see the basketball team beat Carolina, State and Dook (a NC sweep) in one season before they graduate, BUT, and this is a HUGE BUT, I pray this does not mean that Wake will keep our dismal basketball coach. #buzzoutimmediately Go Deacs!!

I've Missed This...

Hello!! As you know, it has been quite a while since my last post and I am sorry for that. For a time I felt as though I had nothing anyone wanted to hear or read, particularly when it came to the ho-hum, day-in, day-out rhythm of our life.

I spent an enormous amount of time thinking about what I am not ... I am not a great photographer nor do I have the ability to dump ingredients into a pot to produce a delicious meal on a whim. I am not a huge party planner or a girl with great fashion sense or a thriving social life.

In comparing myself to others I lost sight of who I AM and who I was purposefully created to be.

I AM a child of God. I AM a wife, mother, daughter, and sister. I AM a writer, I HAVE a voice (and a brain) and I CAN use it for good. Although I don't always get it right, I make an effort to be the best I can be in the roles I have defined. I have stories to share and mistakes you can learn from. I have more to learn and more love to give. And so my hope is to use this space, this space I have missed, to write and I pray that through that writing I will find my voice, my gift, and my unique way to share the love and encouragement I have to give.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Please share this blog, comment, and offer thoughts and questions along the way. Cheers to coming back into the blogosphere!

First Trip to a Dairy Farm

I was raised on a farm in small-town North Carolina; one that actually backs up to a working dairy farm. Over the years we have enjoyed taking "city-friends" to the dairy farm, and I looked forward to the day when I could take my own children.

Caroline LOVES animals and I knew the cows would be a hit. She definitely enjoyed the experience, but did not want to leave our arms; she kept a death-grip on whoever was holding her for fear of being thrown in. The farm had two small babies and then a pasture of yearlings that we watched. She took it all in and was in heaven.

 

Bye-bye, cows!