Watch This!!

If you want your heart to MELT completely please watch the most ADORABLE little girl play peek-a-boo!! I mean seriously - she is too precious and so funny! It's a little small and garbley...but that little laugh is to die for!! I love this girl! Please watch and fall in love!

Introducing...My Girl Maggie (after the fact)

So, about four months ago the sweetest and most beautiful little girl entered into this world, on November 10, 2011 my precious Maggie Grace was born!

Labor: I was induced at midnight on Wednesday the 9th.  My nurses were amazing, the hospital was freezing, and the day was long.  Around noon (after 12 hours) I got an epidural - and in my case that actually sped things up; plus, it was pretty amazing!!  Then, at 6:30ish I began to push.  At 8:27 my new love was born!

Eating, Sleeping, and Diapers: That pretty much sums up a new babies life, haha.  At first I felt like all she did was eat because she would always fall asleep while eating and it would take practically an hour for her to eat, and then in about another hour it'd be time for her to eat again! So, I a lot of Netflix...  Maggie and I spent many nights on the couch; it was so sweet and easy - there is nothing like cuddling your sweet baby, holding her in your arms for hours while you sleep.  So precious!  (I did miss my bed and my husband, though, so after a couple weeks we really started to work on sleep training.)  And, Robert was a champ and changed most of the first week diapers.  

Schedules: We did/do Babywise, and I would highly recommend checking it out.  It's basically a three hour schedule of eating, playing, and sleeping.  So, she eats - now at 8:30 or 9, 12, 3, 6, and 8).   Then plays, at first there isn't much playing, there's hardly any awake time.  But now it's so much fun.  Maggie and I read stories and play in her bouncy chair and go on walks...she's such a joy!  Then there is napping!  Praise the Lord that napping is no longer a great mystery or daily challenge for us over here!   Lastly, it's bed time - and I do love our bedtime routine.  When she eats around 6 she stays up to play until around 7:45 and then she has a bath, which she LOVES!  Then it is time for jammies with daddy, and one last feeding to send her off to sweet sleep!

Now, Maggie will be four whole months this weekend!  I seriously cannot believe it.  I love my girl SO much!  I don't know how I imagined motherhood to be...not exactly like this, I'm sure, but I am so glad that it is this way!  Maggie is beautiful and fun and joyful and amazing!!  I can't wait to see how she grows and learns and changes.  She loves reading stories and singing and she rolled over at 6 weeks - what an Einstein!  Before I know it she will be sitting up and crawling and getting more hair and sleeping 12 hours and holy cow I'm so excited, but at the same time I can't believe how much she is already growing up so quickly!!  Thank you, Lord, for the great gift of Maggie Grace Wauhop.  Robert and I are so blessed!  We love you baby girl!

February 27, #5!

Just a quick note before I head off to bed and snag a few hours of sleep... This is the fifth February 27th that I have spent in-love with Robert Charles Wauhop.  I guess the first February 27th was more of a nervous, hopeful "like," and the second was like a "well, this is the last February 27th I'll ever care about... (apart from the fact that it's my sister's birthday)"  But number 3, 4, and 5 - completely smitten!  Truly, truly, I have the world's best husband!  I cannot thank the Lord enough for the greatest earthly blessing which is marriage to this wonderful man and the life and family that we have together!  We are "fellow heir[s] of the grace of life," 1 Peter 3:7b and God is so good!  

Sun Dried Tomato and Garlic Alfredo

So, like I previously mentioned I have been trying to cook at least one new thing a week, and this was on the menu for last week - and it is definitely a new fave! (especially for Robert!)  It's really easy and inexpensive and there were enough leftovers for Robert to take for lunch the next day!  So...

Sun Dried Tomato and Garlic Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves (I didn't do quite that much, i just used 3 cloves because i'm not a fan of food drenched in garlic)
  
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained (they are pretty cheap at Trader Joes)
  
• 4 ounce can of sliced mushrooms, drained
  
• 1/4 cup white wine
  
• 16 ounces Alfredo sauce (I used Ragu brand, but homemade or any other kind will work)
  
• A box of your favorite pasta
  
• 2+ chicken breasts

Directions: 

• Saute tomatoes, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil for about 3 minutes.
  
• Deglaze the pan with wine, then add Alfredo sauce. Cook for another two or three minutes, stirring regularly, until sauce is heated through.
  
• Serve with chicken breast (it's really nice to have cooked chicken on hand, and actually this link will show you how to easily make that happen) over pasta.
  
• Enjoy!
  

*I would say that this feeds 4 people, so adjust accordingly (Robert and I do eat kind of a lot, though.)

I'm Back!!!

YAY! I'm blogging again! It's been quite a while since my last post...and, a huge new part of my life is the one to blame...my sweet Maggie Grace Wauhop! Can you believe that she will be 4 months old in just a few weeks!?! I can't! But, at the same time, i feel like she has been a part of our fabulous little family forever! I've heard that's how motherhood is, though. And it is so wonderful. Seriously, the faces she makes, the "stories" she tells, she is just the sweetest girl this earth has ever seen and Robert and i are so in love with her!!

So, my plan so that I don't get too overwhelmed, but am still connected to the blogging world and the 3 people who read this (don't give up on me kristen!) is: 1. to share new and delicious recipes that i am trying (i told Robert that i'm going to make at least one new thing every week [thank you pintrest - making better wives and moms everywhere, haha!]) - that's the easy blog. 2. Maggie's Mom posts, aka things i love about being the cutest girl ever's mom! these should include pictures and milestones and maybe videos if i can ever figure out how to upload all of the adorable things that she does onto my ancient computer. and 3. just things that the Lord is teaching me, encouraging stuff, and updates on our life - seminary, graduating in May, future plans, etc?! So, with that being said, I do want to just share this link to an awesome sermon by our pastor JMac that was super encouraging as a stay-at-home mommy! It's so good to know that you are doing the Lord's will for your life and loving it! God is so kind to make our desires His desires and to give us such joy, peace, and grace! Thank you, Lord! And, please listen to this sermon if you get the chance :)

The Woman I Want to Be!

I saw this on a blog I occasionally stalk, and I loved it. The list of comparison is truly convicting and inspiring and just a great little tool for some self examination... this is the kind of example I want to be for sweet baby Maggie, and the wife I want to be for my AMAZING husband and the child I want to be for my perfect and loving Heavenly Father!

Flashback...

to July 3, 2009. Young(er) Robert watches young(er) Ashley walk down the aisle; they say "I DO!" and then they kiss and so far they have lived happily ever after!!!

Flash forward two years (present time) and they are in cool San Francisco celebrating two years of fabulous love and a baby girl on the way! So, please enjoy a few pics from our trip - we did!!


THE PAINTED LADIES


CRAZY LOMBARD STREET


COOL STAIRS AT COIT TOWER


ALCATRAZ!


ROBERT IS LOVING THE PRISON!


(and obviously i'm looking super cute!)




AUDIO TOUR


(this totally crazy insane guy) in front of this YUMMY burrito place!


YAY for our good friends, the MILLERS :) (came to visit from Modesto)


GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE!!

OK. There are a million more pics, but uploading them is getting annoying, haha. So, for now, adios!! Can't wait for my man to get home...!