Alex's 32nd!

So even though the power went out for 5 hours, I wasn't going to let it ruin our plans to celebrate Daddy's birthday! We were having a pizza party and the cake AJ and I made him earlier that day! Even Dylan was awake to enjoy it!

Play Mat!

Dylan loves laying and looking around on his play mat & AJ loves laying and playing with him!! They are very cute together!!

All Done Up!

Here it is all decorated!!! I love everything about it - the lights, all our ornaments from all the different vacations we have been on, the smell of it in the house, the presents under it when Santa comes - everything!

Oh Christmas Tree!

This year we went back to Dixiedale Farm in Chatham to pick our tree with my brother, my sister & law and my niece. We bundled baby Dylan and he had his first experience in the bjorn - it was great - he was warm and I had two hands!

Little Painter

I recently picked up some water paint for AJ and she LOVES it - every day she asks to paint and since it's pretty hard to make a huge mess with water colors - why not?! She is so serious about her work and loves picking a person that she is making the painting for. Over the weekend she painted for Uncle Mark and for Grandma & Pop Pop. Today she made ones for Mimi & Daddy!

Chicken Soup With Bisquick Dumplings

I got the idea for this soup from my sister in law and it is super good and a definite keeper - thanks Maria!!!

3 cans of chicken broth

2 cans of water

4 bone in, skin on chicken breasts

1/2 bag baby carrots

1 celery heart cut up into chunks (including leafy greens)

1 small onion cut up

fresh parsley

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups Bisquick mixed with 2/3 cup milk

Add chicken breasts, broth, water, parsley, salt & pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cook for about 40 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove the chicken from the pot, let it cool then remove the meat, shred it and add it back to the pot. Add the carrots & celery and cook till veges are softened. Mix the Bisquick and milk and then drop by the spoonful into the pot. Cover and cook another 30 minutes (or till dumplings are done) and serve! SO YUMMY!

Dylan Sutton Matrale

Dylan Sutton Matrale

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 6:51 AM

7 pounds 2 ounces, 20 inches

After my water breaking around 8 PM on Tuesday night we dropped AJ & Marley at Mimi's and made our way to the hospital. Once again, my delivery was super smooth (6 push sets of 3 and he was out) and didn't hurt a bit - I am a huge fan of the epidural! This time my mother in law got to experience the delivery with us (for AJ it was my mother) and she was amazed at how things have changed since she went through it all! My doc and Dylan's doc both agreed we were well enough to only stay one night and sent us home a day early so I didn't have to be away from AJ that long and so we could get to enjoy a homemade Thanksgiving meal. She was so excited to meet her brother and hold him and love him up! My mother made us a small turkey and stuffing dinner that we gobbled up quick when we picked up AJ before heading home as a family of 5! Boy it feels great to be home!

Dylan is just perfect and so beautiful! He latched on right away in the delivery room and has been eating non-stop ever since. He is a pooping and eating machine! He sleeps well and is even giving me a few 3-4 hour stretches at night - what a good boy! AJ just adores him and constanly wants to hold him or help with anything she can.

Alex & I are really enjoying everything right now - life is good!