Southern Domestic Goddess

Since I last blogged....

2011-11-02T15:19:00.000-04:00

I just looked at my blog and realized I haven't posted in 2 1/2 months. Damn! I've been busy though. I'll start out small- with a photo recap. Since I last blogged...

Jillian turned a month old.

Then she turned 2 months old!

We went to the farm to check out the pumpkin patch, petting zoo, and corn maze....

The kids got dressed up in their costumes (a farmer and a baby chick) for the Scarecrow Stroll.

Cousin Adelei came for a visit.

Jillian learned to sit up in her bumbo seat.

And Jackson decided he loves his sister :)

Hurricanes, Ambulances & Getting back to normal

2011-09-13T08:07:00.000-04:00

It seems that I never have time to blog anymore so I will just make this a really quick random catch up post.

What have I been doing this last month? Barely surviving, that's what. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but it HAS been interesting.

A month ago I had my little girl. I have still not recovered from the trauma that is natural labor. Seriously.

Then she had jaundice and we went back and forth to the hospital and different doctors for blood draws for several days after they finally let us leave the hospital.

When she was cleared of that, we found out that Hurricane Irene was headed straight for us and that they were going to deploy Jason for a few weeks (they send the submarines out of the way so they won't get damaged). So not only did I have to start preparing to evacuate my house with a newborn and a toddler in tow, but my husband had LESS THAN A DAY to prepare to deploy....(and of course I was a complete emotional wreck).

LUCKILY Irene changed course and none of that happened.

A few days later I ended up in the ER with mastitis and dehydration. It was all very overdramatic (thank you military doctors for freaking the hell out about a common infection!) and I had my first ride in an ambulance. Thank God my MIL was in town! I don't know if I would have survived these last few weeks without her help!

A few days after that we repeated the whole evacuation/deployment scare with Hurricane Katia. Once again we were lucky.

Now we are FINALLY getting into a nice normal routine. I'm getting out of the house, seeing friends, doing things on my own without needing so much help,etc. Hopefully all of the drama is over (*crossing my fingers*!!)

I have some good/fun things to share too but it'll have to wait. I forgot the joys of only being able to eat/shower while the baby is napping!

WW: Jackson's first day of school

2011-09-07T06:31:00.000-04:00

I'm way late- his first day of school was August 11th!!

WW: Family pics

2011-08-24T05:49:00.000-04:00

She is here!

2011-08-23T09:49:00.000-04:00

Jillian Claire McGraw

8 lbs 13 oz

20 1/2 in long

8/25/11 at 9:15 pm

She had jaundice and had to stay in the "baby tanning bed" for 24 hours.

I got discharged the day before she did but I refused to leave the hospital without my baby girl, so they continued to let me room in with her.

Her bilirubin levels are down to normal now.

She had her one week checkup yesterday and she is already up to 9 lbs 2 oz!

We are so happy to have our girl home!!

WW: Baby Adelei (new niece)

2011-07-27T08:37:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to Like the Navy Baby Designs Facebook page for a chance to win a gift certificate to my shop!!

Navy Baby Designs new items & FB Giveaway!

2011-07-26T12:11:00.000-04:00

I have added some new designs to my Etsy shop!

I have added pillowcase dresses and tie or tie & suspender onesies to my shop! The ones that I made for samples are Auburn colors but the fabric can easily be changed to fit another team's colors! I can also make tutus in any colors to represent any football team as well! Check out my "design your own" listings for a list of the colors of tulle that are available.

I've also added some Fall/Halloween designs. Check out the short & fluffy Tinkerbell tutu, an orange pumpkin tutu, or this sassy witch tutu! And these are just the NEW items! Does your child want to be a ghost, a pirate, a punk rock princess, or a cheerleader for Halloween? There are listings for all of those items or you can order a custom item to fit your needs!

I do have some limited time sale and clearance items in my shop as well.

Please check out my Navy Baby Designs Facebook page! Like it to find a code for 10% off of any item in my shop. Once I reach 100 fans on my Facebook page, I will give away a $10 gift card to one random fan! Please tell your friends!!

WW: 37 weeks

2011-07-19T21:13:00.000-04:00

Jillian's Nursery

2011-07-11T08:13:00.001-04:00

I officially have less than a month to go and I am ready! I don't think Jillian has very much room to move around in there anymore! I thought I would post some pictures of her nursery today.

The room is baby blue and white. We didn't really want to paint since we rent and would just have to paint it back and since painting Jackson's room last year turned out to be such a headache. So I had an idea in my head of the kind of bedding that I wanted that would incorporate the blue (i.e. not look TOO out of place) but would still be girly. I never found anything that really fit with my idea, so I just made some!

I found this awesome fabric at Hobby Lobby one day and just went ahead and bought several yards. I ended up making the bumper pads and then just buying a dark pink sheet. It looks kind of bare without the crib skirt but honestly I am probably not going to bother with one.

My aunt & Nanny bought me this beautiful dresser & changing table combo. Our old changing table just wouldn't work- the movers broke it when we moved. I painted the drawer pulls and found this dark pink minky changing pad cover on Etsy for pretty cheap.

I used the rest of the paisley fabric to cover an old bulletin board we had to make a bow holder/memory board. I think it turned out really cute! And it's pretty big- I have seen people selling bow holders this size for $35+ but I made this with things that were already around my house for almost nothing.

The walls in this room were full of nail holes (from the owners or previous renters, not us!) and I wanted those covered up. I really like the love & nature set from Target ( I wish they had made baby bedding but they only had toddler stuff) so I got these really cute wall decals from that collection. It made a really big difference in the look of the room without spending much.

We also have a tan recliner in there (courtesy of my Nanny) and some decorative pillows recovered with pink fabric. The only "big" thing we have left to do is to put up a curtain rod and some curtains.

I am so excited to have a little girl!

Repurposed Onesie Dress

2011-07-05T05:27:00.001-04:00

I have been obsessed with crafting/sewing lately. I spend a lot more time just looking at ideas and trying to decide what to make, all thanks to Pinterest. That site is seriously addictive! One night last week I took one of Jackson's old Auburn onesies...

and turned it into a cute little Auburn dress! I love it! You can't really tell from the picture, but the skirt is pleated all the way around. I'm just so pleased at how it turned out!

I used this tutorial.

WW: 33 weeks (last week)

2011-06-29T06:56:00.002-04:00

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-06-27T06:58:00.001-04:00

We are on the GFCF diet, but luckily many things can be made GFCF just by making a few substitutions or omissions.

Breakfast is usually the same: Blueberry banana pancakes for Jackson, Honey Chex cereal for me, and a fruit smoothie for both of us.

Lunch ideas:

egg salad

BBQ Chicken smashed potato bowl

veggies & hummus

leftover chili

Dinner:

Monday- Spaghetti & turkey meatballs - using gluten free pasta, no garlic bread :(

Tuesday- Turkey Chili

Wednesday- Pork Chops in Mango Salsa (crockpot recipe) w/ spinach side salad

Thursday- Anniversary dinner at Longhorn! :)

Friday- Fried chicken fingers (fried w/Bob Red Mill's Gluten Free flour), mashed potatoes

Dessert ideas:

Bananas foster (in crockpot, using juice instead of brandy) over GF waffles

Flourless fudge cookies

I made this apple dessert last week and ate a bowl of it almost every night. With tofu ice cream on top which sounds gross but turns out to be kind of delicious :)

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-18T20:48:00.000-04:00

To my wonderful husband, who is an amazing father!

Watermelon Berry Smoothie

2011-06-14T05:23:00.000-04:00

Did I mention we have been on a huge smoothie kick lately? I love that I can get so many different types of fruit and even veggies into one and Jackson will not only drink it but think it's a dessert! I almost always put a small handful of spinach into any fruit smoothie that I make- it adds protein, Vitamins A & K, folic acid and much more! There's a reason they call it a super food! Plus if there is enough other stuff in the smoothie, then you truly cannot taste the spinach.

Here's one we've been drinking a lot of lately, partly because I am also obsessed with watermelon right now!

Watermelon Berry Smoothie

makes 1 smoothie

4 oz fruit juice (I use Odwalla's Strawberry C Monster OR 4 oz apple juice + 1/4 cup frozen strawberries)
4 oz water
1 small handful of spinach (usually 4-5 leaves with stems off)
around 3/4 cup of fresh seedless watermelon
1/4 cup of frozen raspberries

It is so good and so good for you! Plus I hide Jackson's powdered multivitamin and strawberry flavored DHA inside of his!

Jackson is 3!

2011-06-12T12:12:00.000-04:00

Even though it feels like we have celebrated Jackson's birthday several times already, today is the actual day he turns 3!

He is such a big boy now. He has improved so much over the last year. He can finally communicate with us through sign language. He loves watching other children and is trying more and more to actually play with them. His favorite foods are blueberry pancakes, bananas, and peanut butter sandwiches. He loves fruit smoothies of any kind.

He loves the water- whether it's the ocean, the water park, or even the just splashing around in the sink or the dog's water bowl! He loves letters, numbers, and puzzles. I think he has an analytical mind. He is starting some pretend play though. He likes to give his babies something to drink and brush their teeth.

He's the sweetest boy. He loves hugs and kisses and cuddles. I can't wait to see him love on his baby sister!

Happy Birthday Jackson!!

WW: Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party!

2011-06-08T05:39:00.000-04:00

BBQ Chicken Smashed Potato Bowl

2011-06-07T14:59:00.002-04:00

Have you ever gone to a BBQ restaurant and had a loaded baked potato? I mean one that is REALLY loaded with chicken or pork? (Is this a Southern thing?) Yeah, this is like the quick and cheap, but still delicious and satisfying version of that. This recipe is perfect for using up leftover chicken.

BBQ Chicken Smashed Potato Bowl

individual serving

Take 2-3 red potatoes and cut them up into about 2-3 pieces each. Put them into a pot of boiling water and let them boil for 15-20 minutes or until soft. (I leave the skins on, but that's up to you).

Drain the potatoes. Put them in a bowl and smash them up. Add salt, pepper and butter to taste. (I use Earth Balance's dairy free/soy free butter substitute).

Take out your leftover chicken (or pork) and heat it up. Pretty much any kind of chicken except fried should work. Pull off or cut up the amount you want and put it on top of the potatoes.

Add BBQ sauce to taste.

This is what I had for lunch today. It was amazing. I didn't take a picture because I was starving. Sorry!

This post is linked to:
Tuesdays at the Table
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
What's Cooking Wednesday
Gluten Free Wednesday
What's On the Menu Wednesday
Real Food Wednesday

Jackson's Fish themed birthday party

2011-06-06T14:38:00.001-04:00

Jackson had 2 birthday parties this year :) When we were visiting family in Alabama 2 weeks ago, his Nana threw him a fish themed birthday party. He really loves fish!

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Wheat Grass Smoothie

2011-06-01T21:19:00.000-04:00

Jackson officially started the GFCF diet on Monday. He's been doing okay, except that he is all of a sudden not wanting his peanut butter or grilled cheese sandwiches. I want to blame it on the GF bread, but he was eating GFCF grilled cheeses before the diet officially started, so I don't know what the deal is.

Since he has been on the diet, his speech therapist has already told us that he is more vocal and his ABA therapist said that he has been interacting with the other kids more often. I don't know if that is necessarily due to the diet (does it even work that fast?) but I will definitely monitor his progress.

After reading the Autism Book by Dr. Sears, I have decided to also go on the GFCF diet through the rest of my pregnancy and while breastfeeding. I plan to keep Jillian GFCF until after her 2nd birthday as well. I don't know that there is any proof that this will help prevent her from getting autism, but it can't hurt.

Anyway, we have been addicted to smoothies lately! Jackson and I have had one of these every afternoon after his nap. It is GFCF and the "chocolate" flavor comes from chocolate Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood Powder which is made from wheatgrass and is full of antioxidants that you can't get from a multivitamin. It is pretty good- it does have a slight aftertaste but I don't mind it and Jackson hasn't seemed to notice it yet.

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Wheat Grass Smoothie

makes one 8 oz smoothie

Ingredients:

6 oz almond milk (or any milk/milk substitute)
1/2 frozen banana (or 1/2 fresh banana + 2 ice cubes)
2 scoops of chocolate Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood
1-2 tbsps peanut butter (I use Smart Balance with Omega-3)

Blend well and drink immediately! It's delicious!!

Jackson's Graduation

2011-05-31T16:20:00.000-04:00

2 weeks ago, Jackson "graduated" from the morning school that he has attended all year. He will be moving on to full day special needs preschool at the local elementary school next year. I know that is exactly what he needs - to be with teachers and specialists that are more qualified to work with him- BUT we will miss this school and these teachers SO MUCH!! They have been wonderful to work with and you can truly see how much Miss Dawn loves her students (and vice versa!! I swear Jackson has a little crush on her ;) I started crying at the end of the year picnic when she started telling me how much Jackson has touched her heart this year and how she wishes she could have him again next year. I'm tearing up again just thinking about it!!

Anyway, here is a short video from their graduation. Jackson was (predictably & understandably) very upset by the crowd and noise, but with one of the teacher's help he got through the song. He is on the far left.

WW: 28 Weeks

2011-05-18T08:21:00.000-04:00

Easy GFCF Banana Blueberry Pancakes

2011-05-16T21:38:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned earlier, we are working on transitioning Jackson to the GFCF (Gluten-free, casein-free) diet. So far, these pancakes have been the biggest hit. I make them in bulk and freeze them that way I can just microwave a couple for him for breakfast each morning. He's eaten them every morning for the last few weeks.

One box of Bisquick's gluten-free pancake mix makes about 20 medium sized pancakes. Jackson eats 2 a day so this recipe uses the whole box and lasts us about a week and a half.

Ingredients:
1 box Bisquick GF pancake mix
2 cups of Almond Milk (or other milk substitute- rice milk, soy milk, etc)
4 tbsps vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp GF vanilla
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 medium banana, pureed

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

I love my griddle. It makes it so much easier to cook these in bulk! I heat it up to about 350* and use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure out each pancake. As soon as the edges are brown, you can flip them. I have noticed that with this mix (maybe w/all GF mixes?), the top doesn't bubble like I'm used to with "normal" pancakes.

When the pancakes are done, put them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. I usually end up with about 3 layers of pancakes. Make sure to put wax paper between each layer. Then stick the whole thing in the freezer for about 30 minutes to "flash freeze" them.

I usually clean my kitchen during that time. Then all I have left to do is to bag them and put them back in the freezer! It takes me about an hour total (including waiting for them to freeze) and saves me a lot of time every morning.

This post is linked to:
Tuesdays at the Table
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday

Getting to Know You

2011-05-15T13:44:00.001-04:00

1. have you ever gone to see a movie by yourself?

Yep. Sometimes I need a few hours out on my own and going to a movie by myself is the perfect escape from real life :)

2. would you rather go through a tornado or a hurricane?

I am SO scared of storms, it's ridiculous! But I guess I would have to say hurricane. Tornadoes pop up quickly and there really is no escape, but with a hurricane at least you can see where it's headed and evacuate.

3. have you made summer vacation plans?

Just one trip "home" to Alabama to see our families. Other than that we will be spending lots of time at the beach and the local water park. There are definite perks to living on the coast!

4. what's your favorite accessory?

Honestly, I haven't had much time lately to focus on me- I've been too busy buying things for the new baby and planning Jackson's birthday party! So the only accessory I've been wearing recently is my wedding ring :)

5. have you ever been thrown a surprise party?

No I haven't but that's alright. I'm not much for surprises if they involve lots of people- I'd rather know so I can make sure to have my hair & make up done! That sounds vain, but if I don't know something special is happening then I am probably running around in jeans & a tee, hair in a ponytail, with nothing but some lipgloss on.

6. are you friends with your neighbors?

Nope. I'm friendly with them- always a wave or head nod when we walk out- but I really would rather not try to be friends with my neighbors. I don't want anyone showing up when my house is a mess or I haven't showered that day (ha!). Plus I've had a few incidents where our neighbors liked us but we didn't really care for them and that is seriously AWKWARD.

7. what's the last movie you saw in the theater?

Either Suckerpunch or Red Riding Hood. I can't remember which was last.

WW: Beach trip- Tybee Island

2011-05-11T05:48:00.000-04:00

My fabulous Mother's Day

2011-05-09T19:02:00.000-04:00

I had the BEST Mother's Day this year! We got up early and went to church (which IS a treat, because my husband doesn't usually want to go with me) and then we headed down to Jacksonville for a nice lunch. We wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory (my all-time favorite restaurant), but it was SO packed! I have never seen that many people waiting outside to get into a restaurant- and we got there 15 minutes after it opened! The funny thing is, there are several really nice restaurants in that area and none of the others even had lines.

We ended up going to Maggiano's Little Italy and it was DELICIOUS. Seriously, some of the best Italian food I have ever had. Plus they gave me a flower since it was Mother's Day AND they gave us a free appetizer when they found out it was our first visit! Then we got some to-go cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory on the way home.

Jackson was SO sweet and well-behaved the whole day. He kept kissing me and tried to hold my hand all through lunch :) And when we got home I found my present- a Cricut Expression!! I spent the afternoon playing with it!