Let's Share...

Here are some of my New Year's Resolutions... what are yours???


1. Blog more
2. Facebook less
3. Master the art of keeping a clean house, a successful job, a happy girl, and a loving marriage
4. Lose at least 15 pounds
5. Finish a sewing project
6. Pray frequently
7. Keep my nails pretty
8. Hang more portraits on our walls - we've lived here for over a year, for crying out loud!
9. Revamp the living room
10. Finish revamping the basement
11. Travel to West Virginia and Missouri
12. Make a delicious cheese souffle
13. Get family portraits done (of us three AND then also including extended families)
14. Ensure that Casey continues getting breastmilk until she's at least 12 months old
15. Measure out the necessary 10 inches and donate most of my hair to Locks of Love


Tee Jay's is to "have more patience for people who don't walk on escalators when there's no reason not to." I'm not entirely sure what he's getting at there, but a man's entitled to his resolutions, right??

Ten Months Old...

This is the best shot I could get from this month's "photo shoot" in the glider. At ten months, Casey is growing by leaps and bounds, and she's demanding her independence loudly.

For instance, as these photos will show you, she does NOT like being told to sit still in Mommy's glider...






We went home to Rhode Island for nine days over Christmas (photos will be posted just as soon as nice family members send me some - I was so busy playing the Mama role that I forgot to take pictures! please send some!), and by the time Casey went back to Chesterbrook Academy, I had many updates for her teachers... Since we'd been gone, she'd cut three new teeth, had let go while standing, had briefly cruised while playing with her friend Zack, learned how to give lip kisses, and finally mastered the art of blowing kisses, too. WOW!

I cannot believe that in less than two months time, this girl will be celebrating her first birthday. These days have flown on by, eh??

You Win Some, You Lose Some...

Okay, so I've said it time and time again, it seems, that I'm sooooo sorry I'm not posting more frequently! Life has been super dee duper busy lately - that is, it's been even busier than just having a fast crawling 9-month-old on our hands.

Namely, during my lunch hours at work (before taking a 15-minute pumping break) and then at 8:30PM once Casey's gone to bed each night, I've been cramming for an insurance exam. It's been consuming, frustrating, mind-numbing, and nerve wracking. And on top of it, my brain has been drifting to the many tasks to complete for the holiday season.

~ I have to make six dozen cookies for a work cookie-exchange on Monday.

~ We're hosting our 4th Annual Ornament Painting Party at our house tomorrow, which means we need to have on hand: tons of wooden, glass, ceramic, and plastic sun catcher ornaments; paints and brushes; soda galore; three big crocks of delicious hot soup; and some small appetizers.

~ Casey's Christmas gift from Mommy and Daddy this year will be a homemade fabric crinkle book. (Everything else is from Santa.) Sewing has not yet begun!

~ A beloved nephew is going on 3 years old this year - which means that it's finally time he receives his own super hero cape. Also being sewn here at home; also not yet begun.

~ Christmas cards are ready (though a portion of the design got cut off, which greatly disturbs Tee Jay, the creator of said cards). We just need envelopes and some quick addressing/stamping skills.

~ There is still a list (ever-dwindling, thank goodness) of gifts to buy and wrap.

~ And on top of everything else, I've been convinced by one-who-will-not-be-named (but is a pretty smart person, I'll admit) that the best stocking for Casey -and all future Boudreau children, I s'pose- will be one which is hand-made out of her "going-home-from-the-hospital" outfit. Again, another project not yet begun... and one that may have to wait until her second Christmas.

I know that I'm probably preaching to the choir and not likely to get many sympathy votes from any of you harried, hurried, or worried Christmas-ites out there. We're all stressed, I'm sure. 'Tis the season!

But before I could focus much worry on the Christmas stuff, I first needed to get through the insurance exam - which I took today AND PASSED. (Thank God, thank God.)

However, my elation was a bit marred when later this afternoon, Alex from Four Seasons Roofing & Siding told me that we need a new roof (a whole new roof!), and no, this probably isn't going to be covered by insurance.

You win some, you lose some, right?

In the end, though, how can I really consider anything a loss when these two peanuts live in my home??

Promise...

As a little girl, my family had an Advent wreath every December, and we read and sang from a book called "We Light the Candles" by Catharine Brandt. It was a beautiful way to come together as a family, even as we grew into teenage and adulthood and were often busy with friends, jobs, and school responsibilities, and remember that this season is about so much more than Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays.

We Ruegg gals love our Advent book and traditions so much that just a few years back, our parents found and purchased us each our own copy of "We Light the Candles" (which still has the same little drawings in it that our original 1976 version did!).

I am so glad to continue the tradition for Casey.


From "We Light the Candles"

We call the first candle promise to remind us that God promised to send his Son Jesus.

Long ago the prophet Isaiah spoke these words of promise about Jesus to God's people.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6)

Long before Jesus was born, God promised it would be so. People joyfully celebrate Christmas because God gave the world his own Son, the very first Christmas gift.

Nine Months Old...

I've got a headache as big as Texas (and that's big!) and am just soooo lazy and such a slacker lately that Tee Jay had to say, "The nine month photo isn't posted!" for me to get this up here. Sorry it's so late!

Leaps and Bounds and Crawls...

It's been way too long since we've posted good news on here, so I promise photos soon.

Life just seems so busy lately, and Casey is 99% of that busy-ness. Particularly, she's CRAWLING!

Casey and I ventured to New Hampshire last Sunday (Casey's very first plane ride!) to visit with my sister and her family (of one husband and four kids). It was on Tuesday, after watching her older cousins zip, zoom, and crawl (or Violet's version of crawling, that is) around her, that Casey, alone in the living room, began crawling. And it's true, perfect crawling. One knee in front of the other, and hands moving forward to match. She was tentative that morning, but gained a lot of confidence by the time we flew back to Philadelphia late Wednesday. (Tee Jay had quite the show in store for him when I set her down on our living room floor!)

Ever since, Casey's been unstoppable. And we learned, after a mere couple of hours, that our house... well, it ain't ours anymore. Baby-proofing, MAJOR baby-proofing, is in order. (I guess I hadn't noticed the need as much at my sister's home, where after having four kids, she and my brother-in-law have set their rooms up so that everything is open and available to children of all ages.)

We've also learned that Casey's noggin is going to have to get very used to bumps along the way. Man, she's a brute, and she's constantly knocking her poor little head on things now.

In more news, Casey came home from New Hampshire with another tooth - or maybe got it the day after we arrived back in Philly. (It's hard to tell, since she guards her gums like Fort Knox. Even Mama and Daddy aren't usually granted viewing privileges.) This one is on the bottom, and I thankfully haven't been bitten yet, though I am afraid it may be in my future.

And since her growth seems to be happening in leaps and bounds, I guess it's finally time for Casey's first "cold" (or whatever it is) to manifest itself. We noticed last night that instead of a peacefully sleeping baby girl, her bedroom was housing a barking seal. Ahhhhh, the horrible (and most uneasy, to new parents) sound of croup. While I nursed Casey, Tee grabbed Dr. Sears' The Baby Book, and in the dim light of our bedroom, we discovered that there's really not much a doctor could do at this point. We ramped up the warm mist vaporizing, let Casey sleep in our bed (even though we've been warned by seasoned parents that this should be a "no no"), and gave her the almighty pacifier (a.k.a. Mom's breasts) throughout the night. She did TOTALLY fine (whew!) and she is her happy, adorable self during the daytime, but we know that croup can often sound its worse during the second and third nights... here we go! (We started this evening with a steamy nap in the bathroom while a hot shower ran - and we'll follow up with plenty of vaporizing and will check in on Casey periodically throughout the night.)

Casey is also becoming cognitive of the word "NO." And boy, she doesn't like it! Just a few minutes ago, she was going towards the cord of our laptop, and both Tee Jay and I sternly, slowly expressed our displeasure. We didn't raise our voices, but clearly looked at her and said, "Noooooo. No, Casey. NO." She sat very still, stared at us, and let her sweet smile slowly turn downwards into a definite frown. The crying followed quickly after, and I couldn't help but laugh while I scooped her up in my arms. I was so proud that Casey understands us... yahoo to having a genius-child! (Don't mock me - I'm sure she's a genius, okay????)

A Prayer of Peace...

Casey's Great-Grandpa Dick passed away peacefully last night, and I ask you to pray for his family, that a spirit of peace envelop them while they remember his full life.

Trick-or-Treat...

A Halloween TRICK:

Instead of cutting the top ("hat") off your pumpkin before carving it, slice a large square portion out of the back.

You'll still be able to scrape out the seeds, be able to put a candle inside, and have enough oxygen for the flame to stay lit.

A Halloween TREAT:

Preheat your oven to 400°.

Place your pumpkin square (as above, cut from the back before you carve), meat side up, in a 9x13 baking dish.

Slice a butternut squash in half and spoon out the seeds from both sides. Place these, meat sides up, in the dish next to the pumpkin. Spread a pad of butter along the meat of all three pieces.

Peel and dice two pears (any variety), and fill the squash "holes" with your pear bits.

Sprinkle your pumpkin and squash with cinnamon and nutmeg, and if desired, pour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into each squash "hole."

Fill your baking dish with about 1/2-inch water, and cover with aluminum foil and bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and scoop out the pears, pumpkin meat, and squash meat, leaving the skins behind. Hand mash all ingredients together in a large bowl (puree in blender/food processor for newer eaters). Spoon mixture into ice cube trays, cover tightly, and freeze overnight. Pop cubes into a large ziplock bag until ready to serve individually to baby.

(Yes, we are giving out what my sister calls "the sucky candy." For the record, I LOVE Smarties and gumballs!)

Happy Halloween!...

We wish for all you goblins, ghouls, ghosts, and other wonderful characters to have a safe and fun Halloween!

The Thing About Eight Months Is...

...that Casey has finally cut her first tooth!

(I discovered it tonight - wow!)

Eight Months Old...

Amazingly, We're Still Here...

Hells Kitchen aired a finale last night, and guess what? We missed it. And somehow, miraculously, I still haven't checked online to see who won Chef Gordon Ramsey's top spot at a new restaurant.

We dumped cable about three weeks ago, and I've got to admit that it's not too bad. I thought that I'd miss our shows tremendously, that life would be extremely different without DVR capability. And while I do feel a pang of regret when I hear the words "Project" and "Runway" in the same sentence, I think Tee Jay and I are both quickly realizing that there is, indeed, life beyond television.

If the cable box were still present here in our living room, I know that we'd be watching, DVR'ing, and constantly playing catch-up on Modern Family, Glee, High School Reunion, Top Chef, Holmes on Homes, Project Runway, Hells Kitchen, Survivor, Amazing Race, America’s Next Top Model, The Office, House Hunters, Income Property, CBS Sunday Morning, Southland, Medium, Jeopardy, Say Yes to the Dress, Jon and Kate + 8, House, Brothers & Sisters, Community, Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live, This Old House, The Soup, Iron Chef, Wife Swap, The Next Food Network Star, Law & Order, Heroes, Lie to Me, Mad Men, So You Think you Can Dance, Cold Case, American Idol, The Late Show with Conan O'Brien, Landscaper's Challenge, and probably countless other shows.

(If that's not one of the most pathetic paragraphs I've ever written, I don't know what is.)

Do we watch TV? Sure - The Jay Leno Show is on in the background while I type this. But I've got to say, there's a little something freeing about our spare time no longer being dictated by fictional or reality-based story lines which don't include Casey, our cats, our families, our home, or our conversations with one another. I dare you to give it a try.

Catching Up...

Here's some of what we've failed to post on the blog in a timely manner...

Professional Six-Month Photos:





Some more play time with cousin Violet:




Dressing in argyle with Dad:



Talk Like A Pirate Day:






Thank you, Sam Moon, for hosting us!

I'll Show Her Who's Boss...

Casey says something that sounds surprisingly like, "Tee Jay." So I let her know tonight that Tee Jay is NOT what she is to call her father.

"Casey, his name isn't Tee Jay to you. You may call him Daddy or Princess Daddykins or My-Favorite-Man-Daddy."

My vote's for the second option.

School Days...

It's funny to think of my seven-month-old in school, but it sounds nicer than daycare. And at Chesterbrook (Academy, that is), there is a curriculum and "lessons" for even the youngest sweeties.

So, with school comes cheesy (a.k.a. adorable) photographs and first-time artwork.

Prayers...

I was going to post some school-related stuff tonight, but then heard the news that my niece's first school friend had passed away yesterday.

I have been thinking about this poor 5-year-old boy's family ever since, and it is so upsetting to me.

Having Casey is one of my greatest joys, but it's also a tough job to undertake. There are times when I am less patient than I should be, and I know that I have a lot to learn. But I can't (and won't) imagine life without that peanut. If she wakes up every two hours tonight and keeps me tired and dragging and not sure how I'll make it through work tomorrow, I will praise God because it means she's alive and able to communicate, in her own way, with us. I need to remind myself to feel this gratitude (and thank the Lord for it) every day.

Tonight, my prayers go out to little Payton's family, his teachers, and his friends. Please send out your prayers as well...

I Guarantee You...

...that if you dress your infant daughter in any color other than pink, people will be sure to tell you how cute "he" is.

Apple Bottom Jeans...

She's just too stylish for words...

And don't you think that these next three shots really make it seem like Casey truly is dancing at the club?? (...shorty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low...)

The Stupid Voice in the Background...

Yeah, so here are some recent home videos... with the world's STUPIDEST Mommy-voice in the background. (I therefore apologize - but the baby is cute enough to make up for it, I hope!)

September 21st - Making her new funny face and saying lots of "da-da-da"s:



September 28th - Casey's version of clapping, which is her newest trick:



Casey has become a little bit of a mime lately. She can't fully copy our actions, but she knows how to wave hello and good-bye, sticks out her tongue when we do so, tries a silly clap as evidenced above, and has a LOT to say, even if only she knows what it means!

In other news, I have LOVED making baby foods. It's not necessarily that I don't trust Gerber and the like, but I feel like I can do better and healthier (at least, I hope I am!). I love that up until she hit solids, Casey Sue was an exclusively breastfed baby. And now I can continue with a feeling of wholesomeness, homey-ness, and nurturing in picking fresh, local fruits and veggies and making them into purees that my baby enjoys. I've never been a big health-food nut myself, but I've got to admit, these look and taste (yes, I have tasted most!) delish. Tonight, however, presented a whole new ballgame when I pureed organic chicken, potato, sweet potato, and onion together. Ahhhhh, nothing like liquid meat to make you rethink what you want for dinner...

Just For Today...

We've been keeping super busy here in Philly (what else is new?), so I'll just fill you in on today (yesterday, by the time I've actually posted this).

When I woke up today, I thought we might be able to go apple-picking after Mass.

What I didn't expect was that the orchard would be so quaint and have hayrides!


I didn't think that available for picking were so much more than apples! We had the option of choosing our own grapes, peaches, pears, veggies, pumpkins and more.


I didn't know that it'd be a perfect day for making delicious baby foods. This time, I cooked parsnips, butternut squash, acorn squash (both plain and with apples and cinnamon), and zucchini for Casey. The last baby food of the day, warm applesauce, was ready for her at just the same time we realized that she's now learning how to have more solid 'movements.' She grunted and turned red and didn't appear to like this new 'development,' so we're grateful that she's enjoying said apples (which should improve the situation).


I didn't anticipate our washing machine would make an ominous shudder before filling the basement with a haze and nasty smell. I didn't understand what the odor was, but felt it might be gas. I didn't comprehend that when my husband answered "yes" to "Ohmigod, do you think we should call someone??" he guessed we'd talk to a knowledgeable coworker or dad later... not that I'd dial 9-1-1 and bring firefighters to the house for what was probably a burned rubber belt in the machine. I thought it was gas, okay??? (Reason #501 to live near family!)


I didn't imagine that the quiet moments and chaotic ones would make it such a busy day that Tee Jay and I wouldn't get to eat dinner until after Casey was already in bed... and that we'd go to sleep exhausted, yet so incredibly fulfilled.

Seven Months Old...

...by the way, seven months brings us a baby who doesn't sit still very well for a "formal" picture in the glider.

We tried over and over again, but she had other ideas. Does she always want to?:

A) Lean all the way forward?

B) Grab her toes?

C) Slouch backwards?

or D) All of the above?

Plan C...

Our little family of three made a pact to don pink tomorrow in support of Tee Jay, who has been geared up to receive his first-ever "pink slip." Casey and I were even going to treat Teej to a meal at Outback Steakhouse after the eventful workday.

But as you may be able to tell from those first two lines, our plans aren't happening anymore - because the layoff isn't coming! (Can I get a "yahoo," please??)

Basically, Philadelphia is in a terrible financial crisis (who isn't?) and our Mayor proposed a doomsday budget called Plan C in which all libraries, rec facilities, and parks would be closed and 800 police officers would lose their jobs - it was to be a loss of approximately 3,000 Philly employees, Tee Jay included.

Along the way, we've been a bit angry about the situation and Mayor Nutter's (now, there's a name...) handling -or mishandling- of it. But we've done our best, and succeeded, at not being too nervous about our future. There wasn't a lot we could do about a possible layoff until it arrived. And worry wouldn't help much except to cause belly- and headaches.

Based upon news reports and a letter from the Mayor, we were 99% sure that the notices would be delivered tomorrow, but were also assured there was a chance that the Senate might be able to pass a bailout budget sometime between September 18th and the employees' final work day of October 2nd.

That possible bailout surprisingly arrived today!

We are, of course, happy about the news. And now the only Plan C in our lives can go back to being Casey... who'll probably still decide to wear pink tomorrow.

(Yea! for her Daddy!!)

More Baby Food...

(featuring a MoBoleez bonnet)