Mango, Walnut & Cranberry Energy Bites

I made a new energy bite/ball for work using some dried fruit and quinoa. We also used almond butter; it works better with the fruit than peanut butter would. You can still use peanut butter, it'd just be more nutty.

The quinoa makes these quite crunchy...well, maybe the right word is textured. Plus, it adds a little more protein to the bite to keep your hunger better satisfied.

I loved having these little bites made and waiting for me in the fridge when Rolin was first born. An energy bite or string cheese was sometimes all I had time to grab and shove down my gullet on my way to nurture a screaming bairn.

While this recipe calls for a few more ingredients than the original energy bite recipe, I'm glad to have another recipe in my arsenal, in case I feel like switching it up.

Mango, Walnut & Cranberry Energy Bites with Quinoa and Almond Butter

Makes about 24 balls.

Ingredients:

•         1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
•          3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
•          1/2 cup creamy almond butter, preferably unsalted 
•          1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped well
•          1/2 cup small diced dried mango, about 2.25 oz. (use scissors to cut the strips into small bits)
•          1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries, coarsely chopped
•          1/3 cup flaked coconut, preferably unsweetened
•          6 Tbsp honey
•          2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
•          About 1 oz. mini chocolate chips (about 2 ½ Tbsp) or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
•          A pinch of salt, optional

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread oats and quinoa on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl; chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

After the mixture has chilled, roll it into (very) compact balls between the size of a walnut and a Ping-Pong ball. Keep refrigerated in an air-tight container; they’ll store for up to 5 days. 

B2T2 is a...

B2T2 is growing, growing, growing! I think this baby moves a lot more than Rolin did at this point in the journey. Even a month ago it was strong enough to catch me off guard with its strong kicks, pushing my shirt out with its movements.

I guess I should stop saying "it." We did find out what we're having this time:

Justin was just as eager to find out the gender this time as he was last time, so I decided to be fair and find out. I didn't want to just have the ultrasound tech tell us, unceremoniously, so I asked her to write it down so we could find out later.

Immediately after the appointment, we went to Macy's to return something. While there, I picked out a boy outfit and a girl outfit, then gave the envelope containing the gender answer to the saleswoman and asked her to ring up and wrap up the corresponding outfit.

As I walked away, she said, "Be sure to bring the baby back to visit sometime, it'd be fun to meet him! Ohh! Or her!"

Uhhh...thanks, lady.

We opened the package in the car, but not before I burst into tears, saying I wasn't sure I wanted to know, that I wasn't sure if I was ready, not sure how I'd handle and love two babies just the same as I handle and love my little Rolly bug. Pregnancy hormones are crazy, I tell ya.

During my freak-out session, Justin managed to get the package open for a peek, so he already knew once I had recovered (it was about all of 45 seconds, but still). He's the worst secret-keeper of all time, so I knew I'd find out by opening the package, or I'd find out as soon as I put the car in reverse, because Justin would just blurt out, "It's a ____!" not being able to contain himself.

I opted for the package:

As of today, I'm 26 weeks along. That means there are only about 14 weeks left. Ahh! The baby is about 9 inches long and 1.7 lbs (about the size of an eggplant). Here is a pic from when I was 22 weeks. The baby is expected to almost double in size during the month of April!

22 weeks

Fruits & Veggies

I got Rolin a bunch of fake fruits & veggies for Christmas. When he's not busy throwing them all over the house (a no-no he hasn't quite acknowledged), we try to sit down and name them. He does well until he wants to start throwing them again:

Spring Training

Justin helped coordinate a big regional conference for work, and as a thank you was gifted tickets to a spring training game. It was perfect timing because just the week before I suggested going to a game, because it wouldn't be too hot and it would be cheaper than a regular-season game.

The game was at the stadium in Peoria where both the Mariners and the Padres train; we watched the Padres vs. the White Sox.

I'm guessing this was one of Rolin's best days, as it included lots of open space for running, lots of things for climbing, lemonade, sno-cones and sunshine. I can't say we watched much of the game at all, but we had fantastic seats, the weather was great and Rolin did fabulously.

My Aunt Camille and Uncle Iver have a snowbird house near Peoria, and they volunteer at that same stadium during spring training. They had that afternoon off, but we went to their house afterward, where they treated us to fresh-picked grapefruit and tangelos, and a little wooden toy car for Rolly, in addition to familiar faces and lovely conversation.

Band-Aid!

Rolin got a hold of my phone one Saturday morning. He apparently figured out how to take a video, so he thought he'd share his Band-Aid with the world:

Craftiness

I found my sewing machine the other day. That's not to say I forgot about it, it's just that in the midst of rearranging some of the rooms to make one over into Rolin's big boy room, I found it in the closet and decided I'd rather sew something than reorganize the bedrooms.

I get distracted easily.

Anyway, some of my friends and family have been busy reproducing, so I thought I'd make their offspring some homemade fun from Auntie Christine.

I'd like to thank Pinterest for the inspiration!

First up, a few taggy blankets with a crinkley factor in the middle:

 Back I

 Front I

Back II

Front II

Then some crayon rolls. I had fun making these! They're not perfect, but I don't think those under the age of seven will mind much:

Inside I

Outside I

Half-rolled I

All rolled up I

All rolled up II

Inside II

Inside III

Half-rolled III

If you'd like one, let me know!

Drumming

Some meals turn into jam sessions:

Ostrich Festival

Chandler holds an annual Ostrich Festival in March, so we went...more out of curiosity than a need for entertainment. Turns out, it is more of a typical fair with rides, rows and rows of crafts, shirts with wolves howling at the moon and jewelry. There were tons of food options and, of course, real ostriches.

They do race ostriches. We didn't get a chance to see a race, but that's something I'd go for again to see. They also bring in some entertainment worth naming, such as Edwin McCain, The Axe Women Loggers of Maine (yes, you read that right), Flock of Seagulls and some gals from the Disney channel.

We had the most fun in the petting zoo area. Rolin got to see ostriches up close, which really excited him because there is an ostrich statue in almost every public building in town, and Rolin loves to see them. Here's one at the library:

Here are a few videos and pictures of Rolly feeding goats and sheep. He didn't hesitate at all to feed them!

Rolin also got to go on one ride with daddy, while momma sat on a bench with a few other pregnant ladies where we discussed how it was much warmer that day than expected, and how we're grateful for a bench and good husbands who ride rides with our littles. 

Sedona and beyond

During my parents' visit, almost two months ago now, we took a very windy road to Sedona. I'm all about scenic routes, but it's harder to enjoy them when you feel as if someone has super glued a bowling ball to your abdomen; a bowling ball that likes to play a game of statues in the car when you go around a corner.

Remember playing statues with your siblings in a back seat...trying as hard as you could to completely smash the poor soul everyone was leaning into as a parent would whip around a corner on a curvy road?

I don't know if this happens to every pregnant lady, but it has been the case with both of mine. Speed bumps or pot holes are the worst.

Rolin entertained himself with some light reading during the trip.

Anyway, we took the most windy road up through Wickenburg, Yarnell, Prescott (pronounced Pres-kitt) and Jerome before embarking on the beautiful, red-rock adorned Sedona. We drove right through an area damaged last summer by the Yarnell Hill Fire, the one that destroyed more than 120 homes and, after a freak change in the wind, took the lives of 19 firefighters known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots, most of whom were from Prescott.

We stopped in Prescott for the night. Once in town, we checked out the Yavapai County Courthouse. Rolin and Gigi got right to work, making sure all the staircases around the building were ok for ascending and descending. It was much colder in Prescott than back home in Phoenix, so I wore my scarf around my legs. I'm sure you'll see this as a new fashion statement. At least if you're with me, it's chilly and I'm armed with a pashmina scarf.

Stairs!

Stairs!

Stairs!

Stairs!

We stayed the night in Prescott, enjoying carry-out pizza in our hotel room and watching the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics.

Rolin's favorite part about our hotel stay: rides on the luggage cart.

We ventured to Sedona the next day, stopping in Jerome on the way.

Jerome was a neat place. It's an old mining town built on Cleopatra Hill. When I say "on" the hill, I mean literally. The homes and businesses appear to be built into the steep sides of the hill, and there is not much for flat surfaces in the entire town. It was a prosperous area back in the day, for its gold, copper and silver mines. The town once boasted a population of more than 15,000, but dwindled to only 50 when the mines closed in 1953. It's slowly rebuilt itself, but not for mining. It's an artists hangout now, and flocks of people visit the little town for its quirkiness, ghost town, small shops and free-spirit, artist-lifestyle aura.

Gigi with Jerome in the background.

We pretty much stopped there only because I had to use the bathroom. Again.

However, we're glad we took time to drive out to the edge of the town to look back and see it's steep-set design and take a few pictures of the valley below before heading on to Sedona.

I've seen pictures of Sedona before, but it is another experience entirely to see nature's grandeur in person. We strolled the strip, along with about 500 other tourists, had a nice lunch at the Open Range Grill and Tavern (great views) and sped through a bit of Sedona history while seeing the sights on a trolley tour.

Chimney Rock, also known as the "Three Fingers" is on the left. The name you call it depends on from which side you're viewing the formation.

Trying to keep him warm AND restrained. 

The unfortunate timing when the belly protrusion is still questionable...food or baby?

This is Coffee Pot Rock. See the formation that looks like a coffee pot?

We got a tip from the trolley driver that views from the Sedona airport are especially spectacular, so we headed up the hill before starting our journey home.

Rolin did great in the car, except for the very last 20 minutes or so on the way home. He cried so hard during the last stretch that he made himself throw up. That hasn't happened before! I think it was a combination of tiredness, hunger, it being dark and that his car seat was turned forward-facing so he had a different view than he was used to upon waking from his catnap.

It was nice to see more of our new state. Northern Arizona is much different that its southern side. I'm probably going to regret saying this, but I like the southern side's warmth a bit more!

The rest of our trip was spent with Rolly spending quality time with Grandpa L.J ("Bakka") and Gigi.

Going for a ride to the park.

Learning about football from Bakka L.J.