Waiting...and thinking, thinking and waiting...

As I sit here and look through the photos from the day at the park, my mind is full. First, look how beautiful my daughter is!! I can't believe that my husband and I created something so beautiful!!

I see her smile, and look at those cheeks (they're from me of course), I just look at all of her and think she's so beautiful and perfect. So can we have made another perfect one? Will Charleigh be just as beautiful? or loving? or happy? There are so many questions that wonder through my mind.

Then I start to think about my sanity. I think this is because of all of those lovely people out there who insist on telling pregnant people that your children will be the complete opposite. So that must mean Charleigh will be an unhappy, unruly and will never sleep. That scares me so much. First off, why must people do that?? Second, what if it's true? Sometimes I can barely handle Ryleigh, as good as she is. What if I'm not cut out for this? Having two, two and under. I'm actually starting to get more excited about Charleigh's arrival, but on the same hand, I'm starting to get more and more nervous. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to handle the both of them after my cesarian. How do people do that?

Anyway, as Charleigh's birthday gets closer and closer, I'm busy with school, getting the girls' room ready, getting all of Charleigh's clothes ready, and being uncomfortable. One thing is true that people say, each pregnancy is completely different. Going through pregnancy with Ryleigh was pretty rough, but going through pregnancy with Charleigh is rough in a totally different way. I am exhausted, yet I cannot sleep at all. I stay up until 2-3am nearly every morning. My back hurts so badly I cannot explain it, and I still have 12 weeks to go. I know my pregnancy ailments are no where near other peoples, but I am still miserable. And taking care of a toddler while not so happily pregnant is not the easiest thing in the world while you get to see your husband maybe 2 hours a day. I know things will get better and God doesn't give you anything you can't handle, but boy do I wish I could just blink the next three months away, cause I think it is going to be extremely hectic.

Alright, alright, alright....enough of my ranting and raving... I really wanted to blog about the trip to the park with Ryleigh. It was so much fun! She loves it so much and it's amazing to see her growing into an independent little lady right in front of my eyes. I'm glad I'm not working right now, and I wish I could be a house mommy until my girls go to school, but we all know that today that normally isn't the case to provide for your family.

Well here there are. We went to the Bayou Black park last weekend with GG, Grandad, Nanny Lauren, Aunt Brittany and Aubrey. Unfortunately, Jacob couldn't come because he had to work. The day was very over cast and windy, but it actually ended up being perfect weather.

Let's just say my child is very spoiled by her grandparents.

I love her laugh.

Beep. Beep. 

She was trying to get the camera, or me...lol

giggles and grins :)

She 

is 

such

a

big

girl. 

Words cannot express how much you love your children. 

Hanging out with Grandad. 

Aubrey has such a cute smile!!

Being a big girl and sitting by herself. 

Look at that face...haha...love it 

Aunt Brittany and Aubrey :)

See that child in the corner??? The only other child at the park. Her name was CHARLEIGH!!!! (Probably not spelled that way lol) What are the odds of that??

So cute. 

 It was so much fun. A great day. Just wish Jacob could have joined us.


Love and God Bless
mrs.comeaux

Betty Crocker? Not so much....

The Rainbow Cake attack...

Martha Stewart's Outcome

Over the holidays I decided to take all my free time and try out my "betty crockering" skills for my family's end of the year gathering. Making a cake from scratch is actually not as hard as I thought it would be. The only thing I would have done differently in the Pre-eating stage of the cake would be to get a kick-butt standing mixer, preferably hot pink ;)

First I started out with the essentials.

Here's the recipe... 

      Ingredients

• Vegetable shortening
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 1/3 sugar
• 5 large egg whites (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Gel food coloring

•     Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush six 9-inch-round cake pans (or as many 9-inch cake pans as you have, reusing them as necessary) with shortening. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper; brush again and set aside.

My Notes: I will try to find a better way to fit the parchment paper in the cake pans. The way I layered the paper in the pans misshaped the cakes, as you can see in the pictures.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg whites and mix until well combined. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and milk in two alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk. Mix until well combined.

My Notes: Again I did not have a BIG fancy standing electric mixer. So needless to say my lacking of arm muscles were exhausted after this. Baking should be exercising. 

3. Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each color to an individual cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake for about 15 minutes. 

My Notes: Make sure you divide as evenly as you can!!!! It makes a difference. 

4. Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let them cool for at least 10 minutes. Invert the cakes on the wire rack and let them cool completely. 

My Notes: I didn't invert them, I just let them cool for about an hour. 

5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the purple layer on the cake plate. Spread a scant 1 cup buttercream filling over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges. Repeat process with blue, green, yellow, and orange layers.

My Notes: I didn't do any of this. Maybe I should have lol...

6. Place the remaining red layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

My Notes: While I'm typing this I'm just realizing it said to refrigerate the cake....O well maybe next time.

7. Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.

My Notes: I just used regular Pillsbury extra fluffy frosting. It took 3 cans!!! Had to go back to the store...I only bought 2. 

 The process...and outcome.

All mixed and ready to go! I loved the shades of colors I got. 

Don't mind the tiny burnt edges...lol...my oven isn't the best.

You can kind of tell It's sort of lopsided because the cakes aren't exactly circular

due to the parchment paper that I mentioned earlier.

My out come. Not as pretty as Martha's, but it still came out cute. 

It actually tasted okay, not great. The only thing I would like to have been different would be the level of moistness in the cake. I only made it a day in advanced, so I don't know exactly what I should have added or can add for next time. So if you have an suggestions please let me know!! Thanks :)

Other than that it was fun and I was pretty proud of my creation. I just need to start baking more often!!

Until next time...

Love and God Bless

mrs.comeaux