Grace upon Grace

...Yellow and gold as the new day dawns 
Like a virgin unveiled who waited so long 
To dance and rejoice and sing her song 
And rest in the arms of a love so strong 
No one comes unless they’re drawn 
By the voice of desire that leads em’ along 
To the redemption of what went wrong 
By the blood that coveres the innocent one 
No more separation 
Between us. 

So lift your voice just one more time 
If there’s any hope may it be a sign 
That everything was made to shine 
Despite what you can see 
So take this bread and drink this wine 
And hide your spirit within the vine 
Where all things will work by a good design 
For those who will believe 

And let go, of all, we cannot hold onto 
For the hope, beyond, the blue 

Said I let go, of all, I could not hold onto 
For the hope, I have, in you

-From "Beyond the Blue" by Josh Garrels

What's Up

• As of yesterday, Beau and I are in the third trimester. (Well, Beau might have beat me to it by a couple of weeks, he is such a show off.)  I don't remember the third trimester being particularly pleasant, but last time I did this we had to pack up and move across the country in my 7th month. I don't see any airports or cardboard boxes or cat carriers in my near future so this time should seem like a cake walk, right? There is also the comfort of knowing that with each day, Beau is getting stronger and more prepared for little things like eating and breathing and that sort of thing.  
• Remy read his first sentence the other day; "Clean your carpet better than the pros!"  
• Yesterday we celebrated Mommo's bithday.  I cooked one of her favorites, and mine too! Here is the recipe if you are looking for a nice, easy slow cooker recipe:
• 1lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 4oz cans fire roasted green chiles 
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 lime
• fresh cilantro to taste (1-2 tablespoons)
• 2 cups of long grain white rice
• Put the chicken in the slow cooker and coat with half the taco seasoning. Pour in green chiles and tomatoes (undrained) and top with the rest of the seasoning. Cook on high two hours, low two hours (or low 8 hours.) In the last 15 minutes cook the rice, squeezing in the juice of one lime and fluffing in the chopped cilantro at the end. Shred the chicken in the pot and serve the mixture over the rice. Top with favorites like Mexican cheese, sour cream, lime, and cilantro. Yummy!  

Nope, Not Spring Yet

This morning we woke up to rain, chilly temps and gray skies and it was hard to believe that two days ago it was 70 degrees and sunny. It felt like winter was over! Oh well, it was too good to last, but at least I got some pictures while it was so nice!

A Drive in the Dark

Beau

BIG baby Beau! I am 27 weeks 3 days pregnant but Beau is measuring as if I was 29 weeks and 2 days, nearly two weeks ahead of schedule! They estimate he is already 3 lbs! And look at those chubby cheeks! My glucose test came back fine so it doesn't appear to be a diabetes issue, he is just a big fella. Head is down, fluid is good, cervix is long. I had some bleeding last week and have not been as comfortable lately so the doctor wants me to take it easy and to lie on my side two hours every afternoon. Sounds fine to me! Okay, I'll stop talking now and just let you look at that squishy face!

Perfume

I love me some perfume! I have found that a good fragrance will lift my mood, feed my senses, and help me feel more present in the moment. I took these photos for last weeks photo challenge, "reflection." These Versace eau de toilettes (Bright Crystal and Yellow Diamond) and various Coach Poppy perfumes are what I wear the most, but I also really like Romance by Ralph Lauren and Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf.

Piper and the Pool

It's been warm enough that I've been able to keep the sliding glass door open to the back yard in the afternoon. The cats appreciate it. Here is Piper sitting on the back stoop just outside the kitchen, watching birds.

I've been taking a lot of Piper pictures lately, I think I am feeling a little clingy around her since her accident. 

By the way, doesn't that pool look inviting? I can't wait for swimming weather. Probably won't get warm enough until after the baby comes though. I can see it now: Beau and me, floating in the pool. Poor Remy has summer school but we will put him in his swim trunks as soon as he gets off the bus and he can join us!

NOT a Grackle!

Yesterday I was at the kitchen sink when I saw this guy gleefully flitting around the neighbor's peach tree (which, oddly enough, has buds on it already!) He was so happy to have the WHOLE tree to himself that he stayed for quite a while, so I was able to grab the camera and take some pics. He was a sweet little visitor, not to mention a good reminder that I need to refill my hummingbird feeder!

Living Room

The living room is still a work in progress but with the addition of the $19 coffee table a few months ago, and now a book shelf from Target, it is becoming a really nice place to relax with a cup of tea and a good book!

Piper

Piper used one of her proverbial 9 lives this weekend. Ross was out with a friend and I had just put Remy to bed when she, frantically pacing the four foot wall that divides the loft from the ground floor while she waited for dinner, got a little TOO excited and fell nearly 20 feet to the living room below. She managed to get her front feet under her but still landed hard enough to knock her face on the floor.  By the time I got down the stairs, she was hiding in the garage with a bloody nose. I was imagining a trip to the animal hospital complete with tears, x-rays, and hundreds of dollars in fees but when I opened a can of cat food she began purring loudly and got to work eating (blowing blood bubbles out her nose in the process.) I felt her over for swollen spots or gruesomely protruding bones but she felt fine to me, and she never lost control of her bowels or became shivery, so we took and wait and watch approach. She spent most of the next 24 hours on our bed and a day later was as good as new.  She's a tough old girl!  

Mr. Clean

A Good Week

It's been a busy week in the Cangelosi home. Remy loved being back at school, and he did a phenomenal job wearing his undies and using the toilet. This dream of having him potty trained by the time Beau comes seems to be coming true! 

I have continued with my mission to "focus" in 2014 by cleaning and organizing some of the problem areas in the house, particularly all the mail and school work that had accumulated in the kitchen. I tossed half a garbage bag of junk, cleared off several feet of counter space, and next I want to move my HQ to the unused built-in desk in the loft upstairs. I resisted for a long time because it was too far from the living room and I wouldn't be able to see Remy, but now that he is at school 5 days a week I think it will be okay. And as for Beau, until he learns to crawl, he has to go where I bring him, muhahaha! (First time parents don't fully comprehend what a precious gift that early immobility is!)  

I've also been busying trying new winter-time recipes. The first was a crock pot curry that turned out a little too spicy but was otherwise pretty darn satisfying, and the second was a hamburger soup that I, personally, loved.  Having enough energy to cook is AWESOME. Long live the second trimester!

 http://thelemonbowl.com/2013/05/slow-cooker-chicken-curry.html

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/01/hamburger-soup/

Speaking of the second trimester, I'm becoming convinced that Beau is some kind of giant. I will be just 25 weeks along on Saturday, but when this kid shifts his weight I practically lose my balance. Well, not quite, but he is a force to be reckoned with. When I lie on  my side in bed he starts knocking against the mattress like he is trying to kung-fu kick it into submission. This morning he was leaping about so much in the doctor's waiting room that I had to cover my belly with two hands so that people wouldn't be alarmed by my large, spastic belly.  I can't wait to meet this kid!

Temperatures continue to rise into the 60s almost every day so I'm hoping we'll get a chance to spend sometime outdoors as family this weekend, but other then that we don't really have any plans. Maybe church, maybe a trip to Hobby Lobby to get some fabric for my curtain project.  We'll see what happens!