As you may know, in early October, we took a trip to our alma mater, The University of Iowa, for the 2016 homecoming weekend. We arrived in town mid-afternoon Friday, and after parking our vehicle about two miles from downtown (jk...but we were a ways out of the way), we met up with my brother T who is a freshman this year at Iowa, and made our way downtown to catch a bite to eat and watch the homecoming parade. C was so excited to see Uncle T, and insisted on holding his hand as we walked to the parade. He was in his glory! Iowa Homecoming weekend has become a bit of a family tradition for us since C joined the family back in 2014, and we have made it a point to make the trek to Iowa City each year to take in the parade, and revisit some of our favorite spots from our college days. 

This fall was G's first experience with the overwhelming amount of school spirit that is found in a college town in the Big 10 on homecoming weekend, and he was all eyes, taking in everything like he'd never seen anything so amazing before...which of course...being 11 weeks old at the time...he hadn't! After scouting out a spot to grab a quick dinner before the parade began, we ended up at Bread Garden, one of my favs from when I lived in Iowa City. The salad bar is amazing, and C (who has been going through a phase of picky eating), cleaned his entire plate of mac & cheese and mandarin oranges...AND ate about half of mine.

The parade was a huge hit...as you might construe from this photo of our boys being completely disinterested in having a photo taken since they were waaaaaay too curious about the parade to bother tearing their eyes away.

 We met up with Uncle B & Aunt C near the Pentacrest to watch the parade, and both boys loved seeing all of the people, floats, dancers, and bands. The parade started at 5:30pm, and didn't end until 8:30pm, so there were a TON of things for them to watch to keep them entertained. It was dark by the time the parade was halfway over, and C was excited to look at the stars and run around the Pentecrest with Uncle B, Aunt C and Papa T, while Graham had the pleasure of nursing on a windowsill of Schafer Hall about midway through. I'm sure this will make a fun story to tell him some day if he chooses to go to Iowa for college! Of course, the Hawkeye marching band and cheerleaders are always the VERY LAST parade entry, so we waited until the very end for the highlight of the event. C got to stand up really close to watch the band (which he loved), and some of the Hawkeye cheerleaders even came up to him to give him a high five. It was sooooo much fun to see the sheer awe on his face as he watched Herky and all of the band members blasting out the Hawkeye Fight Song at full force. A highlight of the weekend for sure! After the parade, back at Uncle B & Aunt C's place, C was pumped about sleeping right next to G in side-by-side Pack'n'Plays. I wasn't sure how the sleeping arrangement was going to go with all of us in the same room, but both boys were asleep by 9:45pm, and slept through the night, so aside from missing bedtime, I can't complain too much! 

Saturday morning, we were greeted to a drizzly day, but we got everyone ready and packed up, then made our way down Melrose to our tailgate spot right across the street from Kinnick. C had so much fun watching the chaos that is Hawkeye gameday, and talking to everyone at the tailgate while munching on snacks before heading into the game just after kickoff. We didn't spend as much time tailgating as T would have liked a lot of time tailgating...but with young kiddos, this is pretty much what we expected by the time we had everyone up and ready to go in the  morning. It was just about perfect to have an hour to tailgate before heading into the game. If we would have gotten there as early as T would have liked, we all would have been ready for a nap at kickoff!

 This was C's THIRD game at Kinnick, and G's first. C was four months old at his first Iowa game, and G was just 11 weeks. Start them young! C was in complete awe of getting to watch his beloved Hawkeyes in person at Kinnick Stadium, and was pretty much rendered speechless by the awesomeness that is gameday at Kinnick. He was exhausted by the time the second quarter started, and somehow managed to fall asleep on Grandma J's lap sometime during the second quarter, all through halftime (missed the band!!), and into the third quarter. Seriously. The kid who wakes up when I turn off the lamp at night in the other room, and he manages to take a nap on gameday in a stadium filled with approximately 75,000 diehard Hawk fans. #ridiculous

 G meanwhile, slept through the majority of the event, much like C's first visit to Kinnick. He did wake up during the third quarter, and I took him to the first aid station to nurse and then walked the halls for the remainder of the game. The rain had turned from a light on-and-off mist into a bit of a downpour by the time G was done eating, so I opted to stay in the shelter of the halls rather than go back to my seat. C had an absolute blast cheering for the Hawks in the rain, and wasn't bothered in the slightest to get wet. All in all, we had a fantastic trip to Iowa City, and can't wait to continue the tradition next year.

GO HAWKS!

Orange Chicken with Butternut Squash Rice

You guys...I cooked a delicious meal last week that I am so excited to share with you. I feel like it is sooooo easy to get into a routine of the same few recipes over and over, so I decided to switch things up a bit. As I have mentioned before, our family has been enjoying Blue Apron meals on and off over the course of about the last six months or so. We took a step back over the summer when baby G arrived, but now that we have gotten somewhat settled into life as a family of four, I chose to update our Blue Apron meals to go from three meals a week for two people, to just two meals a week for four people. Leftovers are amazing to be able to pull out of the fridge on nights when a home cooked meal is about the furthest thing from my mind. Anyways...this recipe is a meal I choose not to order, but later decided to cook anyways using ingredients that I mostly had on hand already. I hope you love it as much as we did!

ORANGE CHICKEN WITH BUTTERNUT RICE | Yield: 4 servings | Time: 35-45min.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg chicken tenderloins
1 C jasmine rice
4 stalks celery
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions
1 small butternut squash, diced (approx 2 cups)
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp orange marmalade
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek

Suggested side dish: Pagoda Chicken Egg Rolls

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince garlic (if using fresh). Cut off the root end of the scallion; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottom and green top. Peel and medium dice the squash. Cut the celery on an angle into 1/2 inch wide slices.

In a medium pot, heat 2 tsp olive oil until hot. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and half the white bottom of scallion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, 1-2 minutes, or until softened. Add rice, a pinch of salt, and 1 1/2 C water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low for 14-16 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced squash, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, or until softened. Add 1/2 the soy sauce; stir to coat, cook 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

While the rice is still cooking, in the same pan, heat 1/2 the sesame oil on medium-high heat. Add the celery, remaining garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add 1/4 C water, stirring occasionally until water cooks off, 2-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Pat the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel, and season both sides with salt and pepper. In the same pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cooking 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Add the orange marmalade, remaining white bottom of scallion, remaining soy sauce and sesame oil, 1/4 C water, and sambal oelek (adjust for how spicy you want your dish). Cook, stirring occasionally 2-3 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Add the celery, and continue cooking 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens.

Finish the rice by adding the cooking butternut squash to the rice. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve orange chicken over butternut rice. Garnish with green scallions. Enjoy!

Graham: Three Month Update

Month three with G was upon us before we could blink it seems, and our little guy is not quite as little of a peanut as he was! We don't have any official 'stats' this month since G's checkup isn't until next month, but by looking at him, I'd say that his near triple chin would be enough to lead me the believe that he is growing.

THE STATS:

Age: 3 months

Diaper size: 2

Clothing: 3-6 months, or 6 months

DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITY:

G started smiling this month, and has just about the cutest little half smile smirk that I've ever seen. At the end of this month, he is just starting to notice his hands and arms, and has been holding them up to look at them and try to get his entire fist in his mouth. He has been doing a pretty good job taking a pacifier, which I am so thankful for, but is trying to eat his hand just about every chance he gets. I'd say he has a strong potential to turn out to be a thumb-sucker like his brother! It would be a lot better than scrambling around in the middle of the night trying to find a lost pacifier...just saying...

SCHEDULE:

7-7:40a.m.: Wake up! G usually gets up to nurse just before C wakes up for the day. C can now get out of his crib on his own with the addition to the the toddler rail. This has meant he has started getting up much earlier...around 7:30-8a.m.. He climbs out, flips his bedroom light on, then finds a good book or plays before I go and get him for breakfast, usually after G is done nursing. Thankfully, C's only figured out how to open his door a couple of times, so I can usually count on him to stay out of too much trouble in his room while he waits.

After waking up to nurse, G occasionally goes back to sleep for a couple of hours before waking up to eat again depending on what we have going and how successful I am at keeping C from yelling about 'ope-eyes' right in his face. 

Throughout the day, G continues to nurse every two hours, catching some shut-eye when he can. He has only napped flat on his back once during the afternoon, and usually has to be held or in the car seat while on a walk or on a trip in the car for any napping he decides to do.

12:30-1p.m.: C goes down for a nap. He usually sleeps about 1.5-2hrs, and I try to get G to nap in his Rock'N'Play so I can get some things done around the house. That plan works maybe 50% of the time, and the other 50% G stays wide awake watching whatever I'm doing, or demanding to be held. I do feel pretty guilty about not holding him or playing when he is wide awake, but since C has started getting up earlier, I rarely get a moment to myself, so this is usually my only chance until everyone is settled for the night, and by then, pretty much all I want to do is read a book and go to bed.

During the afternoon, we try to get outside for some fresh air. Might be a wagon ride, stroller walk, or visit to the park. G loves to be outside, and is almost always content to tag along on whatever adventure C & I are taking. We'll be sad when the weather turns colder and we are no longer able to play outside on a regular basis!

8-8:30p.m.: After getting C to bed...usually around 7:30-7:45pm, G has had enough fun for one day and is ready for some shut eye. He nurses, and then after some solitary snuggle time on the couch, I lay him down, awake, and he soothes himself to sleep within 5-15min. Once he fills his tummy, he is almost always fast asleep in the Pack'N'Play (he switched over from the bassinet this month) by 9-9:30p.m., and that's the last we hear from him until we start the routine over the next morning.

TOY OF CHOICE:

G hasn't experienced too many toys yet, but has enjoyed playing on his playmat. He also loves watching big brother C play with all of his toys. He is currently more about hands on play, and likes to "rock'em & sock'em" a.k.a. rough-house more than any specific toy.

STORYTIME:

G doesn't necessarily have a favorite book just yet, but does enjoy being part of storytime with his big brother. Lately, this has meant a blend of Herky's Gameday Rules, The Children's Story Bible, Halloween in Iowa, and This Little Explorer. We love to read! Sometimes, if G's lucky, I even read aloud to him from Game of Thrones: Storm of Swords...my current read.

THREE MONTH FAVORITES:

Smiling

Rough-housing "rock'em & sock'em"

Watching everything big brother C does

Blowing bubbles

Being outside

Daddy's funny faces

THREE MONTH LEAST FAVORITES:

Not getting enough attention

Being tired
Being cold

Evenings...likes to be in bed by 8:30pm

This picture was taken the day of the dreaded two month vaccines. G had been crabby all afternoon after his morning appointment, and the only way I could get him to calm down was to put him in this fleece bunting from when C was a baby. It may have been 90 degrees outside this day, but you would never know it from how content G was to be all snuggled up!

OH THE MEMORIES:

This month kicked off with several visits to the Clay County Fair. G slept through the majority of the fun, but did open his eyes to check out the baby animal barn and the John Deere equipment.

G got to attend his very first Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium this month when he was just 11 weeks old. We took the boys to the Homecoming Parade on Friday night, and had a sleepover at Uncle B & Aunt C's house. After settling in for the night, both boys slept surprisingly well in their side-by-side Pack'N'Plays. We enjoyed a bit of tailgating with our family, and then to the game it was. G slept for most of it, waking up sometime during the third quarter to nurse (inside the first aid station at Kinnick). I commented to T later that that was the most I've been able to watch of a Hawkeye game all season! Usually I'm too busy running around watching C, but he was so busy watching the game or napping on Gma J's lap to cause any trouble!











Big brother C has been a source of much fascination this month, and these two little guys are becoming the best of friends. C is such a proud big brother, and is always watching out for G. G, meanwhile, rarely takes his eyes off big brother during his waking hours for fear of missing out on something important he might do or say. One afternoon, G was fussing a little while playing in C's bedroom. I had stepped out for a minute to go switch the laundry around, and when I came back, C had him situated on a blanket in his room surrounded by all of his very favorite stuffed animals and beloved blanket. #truelove





So many smiles this month! Can't wait to see what the month four will bring!