Cornish Cooking Challenge 2012

On our fist date, Matt asked if I wanted to come over for dinner.  When I got to his house he asked, "What would you like?  Chinese?  Thai? American?"  I was a little surprised that he was just going to whip out something like that, but indeed he did.  We've had Thai food for our anniversary ever since (all 2 of our anniversaries).  Cooking has become, for me, part of our family identity.  Since we mostly have the older kids in the evenings, dinner time is how we spend a lot of our time together.  They kids are all much better in the kitchen then I ever was at their age. So, one weekend when we Kate wasn't a month old yet (so we weren't out n' about much) and we had the kids Matt came up with an idea... and so the Cornish Cooking Challenge was born.

Matt and Emily came up with 5 categories and requirements for each one.  There was drink, appetizer, side dish, main dish, and dessert.  He wrote the requirements on little sticky notes:

(Let me transcribe some of Dr. Cornish's requirements: Dessert: 3 layers, something salty, 2 fresh ingredients.  Drink: no milk, 4+ ingredients, food processor).

We each picked a sticky note and got to work.  (Seeing as I'm recording this some time after the actual event, I can't remember the requirements for each of the categories...darn.)  We could help each other out with ideas, but each person ultimately came up with their own and carried it out.  Here is what we came up with.

I drew the DRINK (phew!).  I created a delicious drink with some frozen strawberries, coconut milk, pineapple, honey, and ice.  It turned out delightful.

Emily was in charge of the APPETIZER.  She toasted bread and  this super tasty spread to go on top.  It was a hit!

 

Matt and Kate had the SIDE DISH and created a yummy tomato cucumber salad with a homemade dressing.  The veggies were out of  our garden and the community garden co-op we participate in.  Mmmm!

 

Tyler was in charge of the MAIN DISH.  With Matt's help he made a yummy sauce to go over some grilled meat and veggies.  Pretty fancy for a main dish on the fly.  But then again, he is his father's son.

And Amy made DESSERT.  She crunched up pretzels for a crust and then made a lemon glaze with some whipped cream on top. 

Emily got the table set, complete with some sunflowers from the yard (yeah for pretty weeds!)

And we sat down to a delicious meal together.  What a great way to spend time together.  Really, a great time together. 

Salsa - Salsa - Salsa

Matt and I participate in a "community garden" which basically functions like a co-op.  We work for about an hour and a half on Saturday mornings and come home with a laundry basket full, FULL of fresh garden veggies.  Carrots, corn, cantaloupe, beets, beans, brocolli, peppers,squash, tomatoes, tomatoes, and a few more tomatoes.  Each family that participates takes a basket of produce home.  Then if there is anything left over anyone who wants it can take it.  There were a few tomatoes left over (like three 5-gallon buckets full!!) so naturally Matt brought them all home.  

This man loves him some salsa.  And so do the kids.  (I am learning.) Earlier in the summer I found a fantastic deal on a huge pressure cooker and snatched it up.  We'd used it to bottle some chicken (while I was pregnant... never again).  So we decided to learn how to bottle salsa.  

Kate was still a little Little Lady, so I got my job done first before observing everything from the couch while I nursed Kate.  Everyone had something to do.  I loved the scene and the feel of our family being together, laughing and working.  Oh, and on a side note, we have a family rule.  When cooking we wear an apron.  

In a nutshell, here is the process.  I washed all the tomatoes in the huge laundry room sink.  

 

Tyler, sporting a darling apron given to me by the sweetest sister in our ward, Xenna Boyer.  She gave it to me at my first relief society activity.  Her mother had made it and she thought I might like it since I was a new mother.  Tyler's job was to cut the stems and any unsavory parts of the tomato off.

 

Matt's job didn't really require any muscle, but he was going to use his anyway.  He makes tomato squeezing look easy, if you ask me.  Amy, looks a little less impressed.

 

Then the tomatoes were passed on to this cute little chopper.  Amy would pulse the tomatoes in the food processor before handing them off for the final step in tomato prep...

 

We still needed to get as much juice out as we could.  I had tulle in the basement as part of some Easter decorations that was just the ticket.  Enter Emily and her talent with tulle.  She got out as much of the juice as she could, saving the juice for future homemade tomato soups.

 

Kathryn Elaine Cornish (first week)

Sometimes it's hard to remember what life was like before Kate was here.  I continue to be overwhelmed with emotion each time I pause and realize, "She's really here! She's ours to keep!!"  It is impossible to truly convey my feelings about this little lady in our family and in my arms. Here she is, about a day old and all bundled up.  She's never loved having her arms pinned down. You can see her hands sneaking out. The marks from the forceps on her forehead and cheeks lasted for a few days, but the scabs on her cheek, forehead, and the back of her head lasted longer. They didn't ever seem to bother her. I mentioned in my last post that a photographer took pictures of Kathryn for free since Matt works with the hospital.  I watched, mesmerized by our little baby girl and continually thankful that she's ours.  Here are a few of the pictures:  

After two days in the hospital it was time to go home.  Matt spent the morning (August 2) packing up and loading the car.  The little photo shoot was done.  The nurse had gone over the paperwork with me.  I changed into regular clothes.  The last thing to do was get Kate ready to come home.  

I was nervous as we put her car seat in and closed the door.  I was glad Matt was driving.  Matt was as sweet and patient as ever.  He was also excited to get home.  His mom and Reid were flying in from Dominican Republic to stay for a week.  They were being picked up by Doug and Rosemary (Matt's aunt and uncle - I claim them, too... they're wonderful).  The kids were coming the next morning.  Matt whipped up lunch while I tried to put things away and get a bit settled before everyone arrived.  I tried to think of all the things there were to do but found it hard not to just sit and stare at our little lady.  

She had some jaundice so we set her up next to the window as much as we could to get some sun. If you look closely you can see the little slippers Amy and Emily bought for her when they found out they were getting a little sister.  They are darling. 

Within an hour or so of getting home Elaine and Reid arrived.  Here is the first of what I hope will be many pictures of Kathryn Elaine with her Grandma Elaine.

 

We enjoyed lunch with Doug and Rosemary.  The evening passed quickly and soon we were getting ready for bed.  We had Kate's crib right next to me.  She looked so tiny laying there, wrapped up with her little hands peeking out.  I cried as we prayed that night.  We were home, we were healthy, and we were very happy.

We got a call early the next morning.  Amy was ready to be picked up!  Matt took Kate with him to get the kids.  We had prayed since we were first married that when more children came along all the kids would feel a connection, a bond.  I worried and wondered.  Those first few days were overwhelming as well as wonderful.  There were worries and moments of the sweetest joy.  

Amy worked with Grandma Elaine to make a quilt for Kate that she had started a few weeks earlier.  This was the perfect time to finish it.  She had picked out a smooth, green that would feel cool in the summer and a purple and green flannel that would be cozy in the winter.  She's so thoughtful.

Granma Elaine was a wonderful help.  She was busy daily cooking and cleaning.  When Matt went back to work she watched Kathryn in the early mornings so I could get some sleep.  On Sunday (Aug 5) we had lunch with Grandma Simmons.  It was the perfect opportunity to take a 4-generation photo. 

As the week progressed we had a few visitors.  One of my most favorite parts of having this little girl has been sharing that joy with others.  One particularly enjoyable introduction was when Caroline brought the twins by to meet "Baby Girl."  Since no one knew the name of our little lady, that's what the twins called her for months while I was pregnant.  It took some doing to get them to eventually call her "Baby Kate".

I was delighted when I was doing some laundry and found that the first little onsie had made it's way through.  I was told that I probably wouldn't always be so excited about laundry.  Maybe they're right, but I plan on enjoying all the little happies that comes with finally being a mama. 

That week was full of "firsts."  I wish I had kept a better record in my journal.  There wasn't much sleep, but I never did mind that.  It took us time to figure out Kate's schedule.  I found that Kathryn slept best in her bouncy bed with blankets tucked around her but not to tightly (she needed room for her hands to escape).  Matt took the 3am feedings.  He is a wonderful husband and surely will continue to be a marvelous father.  Kate is a lucky girl.

My dad has said many times that there is nothing sweeter than watching a baby fall asleep in your arms and then watching her sleep.  He was oh so right. 

GO...!!!

I'm not sure how to capture the emotions connected to the events that led up to bringing home our little lady.  It seems so fresh in  my mind and yet so long ago at the same time.  As my dad said a few days ago, "How did we ever get along without her?"  I thought some of the joy that came with her arrival would wear off after a few weeks of recovery and little sleep.  I was wrong.  I can't imagine loving her more than I do or feeling more gratitude for being her mama.  It sure was a long road to get to this point, but it's been worth every step. This post goes through some of the pregnancy leading up to the big day.

We found out on my birthday that our little one was a Little Lady!  I wasn't surprised, but we were delighted to be able to announce it to others!!  These are two ultra sound pictures from that oh-so-fun birthday, February 6, 2012.

This is the one we got three copies of and dropped off with a pink sucker at each of the kids' schools to announce that they were getting a little sister.  I looked at this one a thousand times during the following weeks and months.  I fell in love with that little profile.

Each week I would read different pregnancy blogs to find out about the development of our little lady.  The blogs would say the approximate size in weight and length and compare it to something.  My favorite blog, Baby Center, compared the baby to different produce items (which is all relative, I know, but I still thought it was fun).  For that week we would refer to the baby by her produce name.  Our little one was "Strawberry," "Lemon," and "Avacado," amongst many others.  On week 17 the blog said she was as long as a turnip. I realized I wasn't especially familiar with turnips.  So when I was at the grocery store I decided to check out the turnips.  They were these cute little cream and purple, oniony looking veggies.  So I bought one the length of our baby to drop off at Matt's office.  I found some paper in the car and a paperclip and made a little sign to go with it.  Matt loved it!  That made me happy.  So, I started to do it every week.  I got a little fancier by adding googly eyes and bows.  Sometimes I even came up with a little rhyme to go with it.  The nurses and staff would come in to see what our baby girl was each week.  I thought I was so funny! 

I can't remember exactly when Matt and I decided on her name.  We had really wanted her name to mean something.  We often prayed about what her name should be.  One Sunday we each created a list of ten names that we liked.  Eventually we did some trading ("I'll take off this name if you take off that one.") until we were down to about 6 names total.  Kathryn Elaine was in our top three.  Kathryn (with that specific spelling) as the formal version of Kathy for my mom, and Elaine is Matt's mom.  We felt strongly that that should be her name when Matt discovered if we named her Kathryn, then the first initials of her name and the older kids - Kathryn, Amy, Tyler, Emily - spelled out KATE, which is a nickname we both like.  A sweet and powerful reminder of how we, all of us together, are a family.

We had agreed not to tell anyone the name until she was born, but decided to tell the kids.  We had a family home evening on the importance of names and the meaning of the Savior's different names.  Matt wrote out each of the kids names on a magnet board, wrote Kathryn's name on top, then boxed the first letters to spell Kate.  He told them how important they each are to our family.  They will be significant influences in Kathryn's life and her name will be a reminder of that.   I love love love who her name connects her to.  I look forward to telling her about how her name came to be.

As already posted, in the final months I enjoyed having chubby feet and legs, ate lots of eggs and toast, and made it through the Utah summer heat to finally arrive at our due date, July 24th.  I not-so-secretly really wanted our baby girl to come on that day. Well, our due date came and went, which is what Dr. Judd had told us to expect.  He said if I had not gone into labor on my own by July 30 we would check into the hospital and begin my induction.  He also said that a c-section was a very real possibility because I wasn't making any progress.  I was initially quite upset at that news, but ended up feeling grateful that he said it beforehand so I could emotionally prepare for that if it was necessary.

Monday July 30 we had the kids in the morning and spent the time cleaning the house and trying to waste time until our 2:00 doctor's appointment.  Matt and I headed over to Dr. Judd's office for a very short visit, seeing as nothing had changed, and then had two hours to kill before we were to check into Orem Community Hospital.  We got something to eat and went to the Orem Library to check out some movies to watch.  We figured there was going to be a lot of waiting.  We checked out "Lawrence of Arabia," "Follow Me Boys," and several others that I can't remember now.  Those were the two that Matt watched.

At 4pm on the dot we pulled up and got our bags out of the car and headed in.  I remember grabbing Matt's hand, holding tight, and thinking, "We are going to walk out with our baby girl!"  We got settled into room 115 and met our first nurse, Marta.  She got the initial induction started.  We passed the evening hours by watching part of a Bible documentary, taking walks around the hospital halls, and enjoying a dinner from Bombay House which Erin and Karen brought.  It was delish!!

The next morning at 5am our new nurse, Jana, told us I was dilated to almost 2 centimeters.  Sigh.  Not much progress in 12 hours.  The pitocin was started soon thereafter, which started contractions. For 2 hours Matt and I walked, swayed, hugged, cried, and breathed as the contractions continued.  Matt and I had talked on the Sunday before about what I would like him to do during the labor and delivery.  I wasn't sure exactly, but thought I'd mostly want him to just stay close, talk with me, and help me do whatever I had to do.  That's what he did.  One of the sweetest memories of this whole experience is of having Matt right by my side, sharing it with him. He was wonderful. Truly wonderful.

At about 8am I got an epidural which worked fabulously.  The rest of the day was spent resting with hourly visits by the nurses.  It was hours before I made it to 4 centimeters.  Eventually I was dilated to a 9 and was mostly effaced.  The problem was that our little lady was still way up high.  At about 6pm Dr. Judd came in and said if we can not get her to come down then the only option was a c-section. With Matt and Ana (our new nurse) as my coaches we started pushing.  It was exhausting.  Matt would count me through each contraction and pushing.  After an hour Dr. Judd came in and said he would try the forceps.  For almost another hour we pushed while he maneuvered her down with the forceps.  The nurses all said that Dr. Judd is the only doctor they knew who would even try forceps in this situation, it was his specialty.  Thank goodness.

I remember when Matt finally said, "She's coming!"  Tears started streaming as the final pushes brought her into the world and we heard her first cries.  Oh what joy filled my entire body.  It was only a few minutes before I was holding her.  She curled up on my chest and was soon asleep.  Here is a quote from my journal about that moment:

"I could hardly believe the time had finally come that we could meet her, that we could see her, our daughter, our Kathryn Elaine.  The back of her little head was swollen, she had big red marks on her cheeks and forehead, with a scrape on her cheek and another on her forehead, and several on the back of her head.  But her heart rate had been strong and steady through the whole process.  Sweet, tough little lady.  Matt cut the cord, they wiped her down quickly and within minutes she was with me.  Our Little One was finally here.  I simply cannot explain what I felt to have her tiny self, her little tabernacle, curled up on my chest, calmed and quiet and ours.  I couldn’t hold her and Matt close enough.  In that moment, I felt the reality of heaven."

We called and texted family to announce that Kathryn Elaine had arrived at 8.7 pounds and 20 inches long.  She was a little banged up but doing wonderfully.  Mom and dad picked up Emily, Tyler, and Amy and brought them down about an hour after Kate was born. Can you tell that Amy was pretty excited to finally be holding her little sister!  It brings new emotions to see the older kids holding Kathryn.


I was so thrilled for mom and dad to get to hold her, to hold this little baby who they have long prayed for.  It was also a joy to tell mom the name we'd picked out and why.  How I love my parents and am oh so grateful that Kate will know them.

The nurses came in to take Kathryn down for a real bath and to weigh her.  Amy, Grandma, and Matt went down to watch.


She was nothing but sweet and calm for the nurses.  I'm sure she was pretty wiped out from the day. 

Meanwhile, I ate my first meal, cold cereal, an apple, and some cookies.

Mom, dad, and the kids stayed for about an hour before exhaustion hit. They headed home after a few more hugs and kisses. Matt, Kathryn, and I said a family prayer and went to bed after some debate over where Kathryn's bassinet should be - next to me or next to Matt. I played my "I-just-gave-birth-to-her" and "she'll-need-to-nurse" cards.  I won.  I'm sure we could have stared at her all night.  I can't say I slept much, I was too busy watching her and listening for her little breaths and nursing her.  In the wee hours of the morning she and dad had some snuggle time. During the second night some of the reality hit that she was coming home with us.  We would be in charge of her. I was overwhelmed as I watched her sleep.  Am I going to be what she needs me to be?  I knew I would make mistakes and it already hurt. Again, I was so grateful to have Matt.  I watched him sleep, too.  I wished, like I did when Matt and we got married, that I could be perfect for the ones I loved.  

Thursday we packed things up and Matt began taking things out to the car.  A sweet girl named Andrea from Bella Baby Photography came and took pictures of Kathryn.  Matt got Kate dressed in a pair of ruffle bum pants and a onsie with tiny pink hearts. I was still in my hospital gown and robe.  The nurse was trying to go over paperwork with me, but I was so distracted.  I couldn't take my eyes off of this little bundle in pink ruffles.  She is really ours.  When Andrea began taking pictures of Kate and Matt my heart filled to overflowing as did my eyes.  I thought of my dream from 2 years earlier of being in the hospital with Matt by my side and our daughter in my arms.  Dreams really do come true.