Yum Yum Recipe

I just made these muffins and I have to say they are very moist and tasty, very fall-y. I didn't even burn the bottoms of them which is my trademark! I didn't have any allspice so I can't vouch for how they will taste with that added in, but my way is pretty good. Also, I used fresh pumpkin instead of canned, which is really hard to find in grocery stores now anyway.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN MUFFINS (from Taste of Home 2008 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes)
Prep: 15 min. Bake 20 min.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Dash ground allspice
1 egg
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the egg, brown sugar, pumpkin, milk, butter and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.


Pumpkin and I went to a local pumpkin patch on Monday (I have some really cute pictures of her, will post after we get new computer) with a Mom's group from church and I got a pie pumpkin and several squash and I have been making and freezing baby food. I just gave her squash today (her first vegetable!!) and she seemed to like it. She didn't eat it all, but it was a good start. I did learn that it is better to take off her shirt first. She did fine until I removed the bib and cleaned her up, she was still spitting up squash all over herself for at least half an hour afterwards.

6 month pictures

We went a couple weeks ago to Portrait Innovations and got Pumpkin's 6 month pictures. Here are a few of them, there were a ton of really good ones, I'll post some more later on. We're looking at getting a new computer so I will be able to edit pictures and video because my current computer just won't be able to handle it. It may be a couple weeks before that happens so I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures.

She has started saying Da Da, which is very cute. She has this really soft way of saying it. She gets excited when "A" comes home, she starts waving her arms around. She has also started trying to get up on her knees, she can't do it yet but I can see it is coming in the next couple of weeks. She hasn't cut any teeth yet, but I can imagine that it will be happening soon (although I have been thinking that for a month already). I am almost done with my Italian class which is probably good since she has been pitching a fit the last 2 times I've been gone. "A" says that about 7:10 she will start fussing and then all of a sudden she starts screaming like he has never heard before. She won't even eat, he ends up just putting her to bed around 8 and she goes to sleep pretty quickly. I think she is off her routine and it messes her up, or maybe she is a "momma's girl"!!

6 month update

Pumpkin went to the Pediatrician yesterday. She weighed 16 pounds 13 ounces and was 25 3/4 inches long. Her head was 17 1/4 inches (that is in the 75-90th percentile!!). He said she looked wonderful. She got her normal shots plus her flu shot. The first shot she didn't even react but she started screaming on the 2nd, but she has done really well afterward. She hasn't had any adverse reactions to any of her shots, thank goodness.
She has started on rice and oatmeal cereal, she likes them both. She is so funny because between each bite she has to suck her fingers. She still sucks the 3rd and 4th finger on her left hand. It makes for a messy meal, but I enjoy every minute of it.

A sneak peak at my 1st Halloween costume

I'm dressing up as Tinkerbell, Momma is just wearing a dress.
I love my new outfit!

Look how far I can stick out my tongue.

With my wand, I can command Daddy and Momma to hold and snuggle me. Oh wait, they do that anytime I want now.

I can fly, I can fly, I can fly.

Pumpkin's baby dedication

Here are some pictures from Pumpkin's August baby dedication. Our church has the parents get up on stage and pledge to raise their child in a Christian home, attend a Bible-teaching church, and re-dedicate themselves to God. Then the church body pledges to support us as we raise her. It's a nice way to present your child to the church and, especially for us, to thank God for the miracle He has given.
Our pastor and his wonderful wife.

Our pastor and Pumpkin (she didn't even cry!)

He said that she was holding his hand as he was praying. He gave her back quickly when she started pulling on his microphone.

One of the pastor's wives took all these pictures for us, she's a photographer so she can do all kinds of fun stuff with pictures.

Love the bow. Pastor called it a garter.

Everyone who came up for the dedication, we took up several rows. Thank you to everyone who came, it really meant a lot to us.

Pumpkin and the cloth diaper

Here is a couple of pictures of Pumpkin in her Fuzzibunz cloth diaper. I have only had one blow-out and two leaked diapers since I have started putting her in cloth. However, I believe all of those have been due to operator error, they weren't the diapers fault.

She looks pretty happy, doesn't she?

If you are at all interested in cloth diapering, I would highly recommend a cloth diaper trial, especially through Diaperdaisy (www.diaperdaisy.com). There are several websites that offer cloth diaper trials, but diaperdaisy is the only one I found that is customizable. Sara at Diaperdaisy has been wonderful, I emailed a question and she emailed me back that day. When I ordered my diapers, she was on her way out of town to a wedding for the weekend but she made sure my order went out before she left! She also sent me some cloth diaper friendly detergent to try which really came in handy. I really can't recommend Diaperdaisy enough. It is so nice to try all these diapers out because some of the ones I thought I would like best, I'm not really keen on after trying them out. This has saved me quite a bit of money.

I've got a bunch of pictures from this weekend, but I don't have any more memory on my computer (or some error like that) so I'll have to post more later. Granddad and Grandma came up and we took Pumpkin to the Renaissance Festival where she saw her first parade, first elephant and camel and first joust!