Woodblock Printed Pillows

I just love these little pillow animals created by Laura Frisk.
I love them so much I even have one of them on Baby Girl's Amazon Registry.

Speaking of Baby Girl,
my to-do list today involves making a mobile.
Have you ever checked out the price on those things?!?
Ridiculously way too expensive for the cute ones, in my opinion.
So I'm going with a homemade version inspired from Pinterest.

Wish me luck!

24 Week Update

How Far Along:
  24 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

  Baby is about 10-12 inches.

Maternity Clothes:

Nothing new this week...

I'm still trying to squeeze into my early pregnancy clothing.

Weight gain:

I'm up 15lbs from my pre-prego weight!

On a side note, here's a conversation between Micah and I recently...

Micah: "you look bigger."

Me: (stare blankly at him)

Micah: "well, I'm just saying."

Me:  (laughing) "yes, that is the whole point of growing a baby inside of you,

you generally get bigger."

Sleep:

Same old same old.

I'm beginning to realize that my lack of sleep for the next 18+ years

is now coming into effect.

Best Moment of the Week:

Micah finished the changing table!

Movement:

Still feeling little kicks and jabs here and there.

Food Cravings:

Orange juice has been amazing in the mornings

(and I've never been an fan of orange juice till now).

Gender:

Baby Girl.

Belly Button in or out:

In 

Wedding ring on or off:

On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

Nope

What I miss:

Being able to vacuum my house

without feeling like I need to take a nap afterwards. :/

What I am looking forward to:

Getting to dress my little girl up in all the cute outfits I've been given.

Nursery:

Micah finished the changing table

and I started to add little things here and there to it.

Ways to Relax:

I caught up on one of my favorite TV shows... Grimm!

My Week in Instagrams

 

Happy Saturday!

I hope you have a relaxing weekend.

Micah is almost done with refinishing our nursery changing table,

so I'm hoping for some inspiration and energy this weekend.

Because once the changing table is finished,

it's my job to figure out where it goes and to decorate accordingly.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Don't you just love it when you actually find a good recipe on Pinterest.

I like to call those recipes "keepers".

And if you spend any amount of time on Pinterest,

you know that good recipes can be somewhat hard to fine...

We do all have different tastes, right?

I found this recipe the other day

and happened to have a half carton of Ricotta Cheese in my fridge

just waiting to be used soon, or else it was going to spoil.

So I though I might as well try out the recipe...

and I'm so glad that I did!

This recipe is so good

that I've made them twice this week already.

As promised (if you follow my instagram),

Here is the recipe for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes  

Adapted from: Sugar and Charm  

1 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white sugar 

1 cup milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 

1 tablespoon lemon zest 

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, white sugar and salt in a bowl.

 

2. In a large bowl, combine the milk, egg, melted butter, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and whisk to mix. Add in the ricotta cheese and continue to mix.

 

3. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Do not over mix or you will get tough pancakes!

 

4. Over medium heat, melt some coconut oil (or butter). Add in 1/4 cup of the batter (spreading out a bit to make sure the pancake is even and the center gets done along with the edges) and let it become a nice golden brown before flipping. These will take slightly longer to cook than a normal pancake, but make sure to watch them so they don't burn.

Crochet Baby Blanket

It's finished!

Well, I still need to sew in some loose strands,

but for the most part... It's finished!!!

My year long process of crocheting a baby blanket is done

and I couldn't be more happy with how it turned out.

I hope Baby Girl loves it and keeps it forever.

I still have my crocheted baby blanket from when I was a baby

and Micah still has his too.

So, hopefully this one will withstand the test of time

(and withstand all the tugs, spills, and accidents)! :) 

If you want to make this crochet granny square blanket too,

you can check out this YouTube video...

It's where I got my inspiration.

Ash & Anchor

Happy First Day of Spring!

I envy those of you who live in warmer climates.

Places where right now the sun is shining,

coaxing all of your spring tulips and daffodils to bloom.

Places where you are wearing your spring dresses and ballet flats...

and maybe pairing your outfit with a cute scarf like these from Ash & Anchor.

And adding a bit more to the outfit
with one of these Rose Talisman necklaces...

Here in Montana, I at least attempted to wear a dress.
But due to the 39 degree weather and the rain, I had to pair my dress with
my Hunter Wellies, thick leggings, a sweater, and a scarf.

Implement

I love it when I have friends and family that are super talented and artistic.

Selfishly I love it because I get to do posts like this and say: "Oh! Look who I'm related to!"

And un-selfishly because it's so wonderful to see people I love

succeed in what they are so talented in.

My brother and sister in law, Luke and Whitney, both design and build for Implement

and along with the owner Jonathan Curtis,
they seriously come up with some amazing items.

So amazing, that Implement has been featured...

here and here and here and here.

And guess what is even more amazing (for you!!!)?

For the rest of the month of March and all through April,

Implement is offering a 15% discount off all full price items

for all you readers of Wuthering Iris!

All you have to do is type in the code 15OFF

in the discount section during check out.

So head on over and take a look at all their amazing items!

Here are a few of my favorites...

23 Week Update

How Far Along:
  23 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

  Baby is the size of a Grapefruit!

Maternity Clothes:

Nothing new this week.

But I'm sad that I am at the point where this early pregnancy dress

is just a bit too short in the front.

Weight gain:

I'm up a total of 14.6 lbs!

Sleep:

Well, I'm noticing a pattern where sleep is great one week,

and the next week not so great.

This whole week I've had to get up at least 4 times a night to pee,

plus by 6am each morning my legs are aching so bad

that it's either sleep through the pain or just get up.

(I usually just force myself to sleep through the pain).

Best Moment of the Week:

Micah and I went to Target to register!!

 

Movement:

At my last midwife appointment I found out something

that explains why I can feel movement but not a ton of it.

Here's how the conversation went...

 

Midwife (as she is measuring my stomach): "Did you feel that?!"

 Me: "No."

(a few seconds later)

Midwife: "You had to have just felt that! I saw your stomach just move!"

Me: "Nope. Nothing."

Midwife: "Hummm. Let me check something."

(midwife then looks at my chart)

Midwife: "Oh! Well, that explains it. You have an anterior placenta."

Me: "A what?" (my inner thoughts: "Oh Lord please, not another complication.")

Midwife: "Totally fine and normal,

your placenta is just at the front of your uterus instead of at the back.

So it will just take a bit longer (and harder kicks)

for you to really start to feel movement a lot".

Me: "Lovely." :(

Food Cravings:

Nope.

But my lunch and dinner appitite is out of control!

Gender:

Baby Girl.

Belly Button in or out:

In 

 

Wedding ring on or off:

On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

Nope

What I miss:

Sleeping on my back.

What I am looking forward to:

To be honest, this pregnancy acne is one of the most frustrating things.

I can't wait till that goes away after birth, or I keep hoping it will go away before.

Any natural recommendations?

Nursery:

It's coming along.

Since all the walls are white (and I love white walls)

I needed to find a way to bring in some color.

So, going with our Peter Rabbit theme,

I sketched a huge tree on one of the walls.

Now all I need to do is find someone to paint it for me.

 

Ways to Relax:

This week I was completely wrapped up in this book!

Sunday Morning Breakfast

Even though I woke up this morning

to a blanket of fresh snow on the ground...

it still didn't deter me from having

Banana Huckleberry Pancakes for breakfast!

Happy Sunday

My Week in Instagrams

I hope you are having a nice and relaxing Saturday.

I am spending my day reading...

because I CAN'T put this book down!!!

For Book Club (for the month of April... yes, I'm a bit ahead of the group)

we are reading The Devil in the White City

and it has quickly drawn me in and not let me go.

I guess that's a sign of a good book, right?

It's not a book for the faint at heart though,

it is partly a non-fiction about a serial killer in the 1890's,

but if your like me and your able to sleep soundly at night

after watching a scary movie,

 then you'll be fine...

or at least I say that now.

I've only read a little over half of the book,

I could completely change my opinion

and be scared out of my wits by the end. :)

Follow Wuthering Iris on Bloglovin

In case you haven't heard the news already, Google reader is shutting down on July 1st.

So if you happen to follow this blog via Google,

now might be a good time to switch to something different.

I personally love Bloglovin and use it to keep track of the blogs I love to read.

So I recommend it!

Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

Two kinds of food always remind me of my mother...
Coconuts and Raspberries.
So when I saw this recipe in this months Martha Stewart Magazine
I knew I would have to try it right away,
because I too, love coconuts and raspberries.

And not only was this super easy to make, and quite quick,
you can really taste the flavors of both the sweet coconut and the tart raspberries!

Enjoy this delicious treat!

Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 cups dried sweetened coconut flakes

3 tbsp sugar

1 egg white

pinch of salt

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

6 oz semi sweet chocolate

2 tsp coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine coconut, sugar, egg white, and salt in a food processor and pulse till just combined.

3. Add raspberries and mix until combined (don't over mix).

4. Scoop mounds of coconut mixture (about a tablespoon size) onto a lined baking sheet. 

5. Bake until macaroons are lightly golden on top, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool.

6. To make the chocolate dip, place chocolate in a bowl (or double boiler) and set over a saucepan of simmering water.

7. Stir chocolate until it's fully melted, then add the coconut oil, stirring until combined. Remove from heat.

8. Dip the bottom of the cooled macaroons into the chocolate then let dry on wax paper.

9. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until the chocolate is firm.

 

Seventh Tree Soaps

Oh today has been a dreary day.
Unlike the warmer sunny days we have been having as of late,
today it has both snowed and rained,
and stayed around 40 degrees outside.
Such a day calls for some snuggles next to the fire with a good book.
Or maybe a warm bath (with a good book).
Speaking of baths, I would love to add a few of these
adorable soaps from Seventh Tree Soaps to my bath-time routine.
Though, knowing myself, I would probably think they were way to cute to actually use
and the little owl would just sit on a shelf in my bathroom.
 

22 Week Update

How Far Along:
  22 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

  Baby is the size of a Papaya!

Maternity Clothes:

Thanks to my friend Ruthie,

I now have a pair of maternity jeans that actually look good!!

Weight gain:

Still at the 12lb weight gain marker.

Sleep:

Micah was on a missions trip in Mexico all week,

so I got our queen size bed all to myself...

it was glorious!

I missed Micah terribly, but slept great.

Best Moment of the Week:

Micah brought back the cutest baby dress from Mexico.

I can't wait till she can wear it!

 

Movement:

She's still kicking around in there,

but I seem to notice it more at night (and in the middle of the night).

This little girl has already got her days and nights mixed up!

Food Cravings:

No specific cravings...

I'm just hungry ALL THE TIME!

Gender:

Baby Girl.

Belly Button in or out:

In 

 

Wedding ring on or off:

On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

Nope

What I miss:

There are a few things...

Coffee is still high on my list,

but I also miss being able to play

and run around with Silas in the backyard.

What I am looking forward to:

I'm looking forward to hitting the 37 week marker and being considered "full term".

I know I still have a ways to go, but at times I still worry a lot 

that something will go wrong again with the pregnancy.

I just want to hit that marker so some of my worry will go away.

Nursery:

I finally finished my year long crochet baby blanket project!

I'll post pictures soon.

 

Ways to Relax:

While Micah was gone in Mexico, I was able to do a lot of crocheting.

I made a baby sweater, a baby hat, and baby leggings.

I also have read through book 3 in the Anne of Green Gables series...

only 3 more books to go.

My Week in Instagrams

It's been so nice and sunny the past few days.

Living in Montana (especially in the Spring), you really learn to not take for granted the sun...

because unless its July, August, or September, it's probably going to be cloudy.

So when we get a burst of sun through the clouds, we all go outside.

We might be bundled up in blankets and sipping hot chocolate, but we are still basking in the sun.

Even Silas has learned to enjoy the warm rays...

 

Raspberry Lemon Pound Cake

So, I finally got around to posting a recipe!

It's not like I haven't been cooking.

It's just that sometimes by the time I'm finished making something,

I have exerted all my energy and lack any motivation whatsoever

to make my dish look cute, take a picture, and then blog about it.

But I had the energy with this one!

I love pound cake.

In fact, I'm eating a piece right now as I type this.

I probably love it so much because it doesn't taste like a sugar overload.

Plus, when you have extra eggs just sitting in you fridge, it's a great way to use them.

Here's my recipe for Raspberry Lemon Pound Cake.

Raspberry Lemon Pound Cake 

Adapted from Martha Stewart

 

1 pound (3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon coarse salt
4 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

zest from 1 lemon
9 large, room-temperature eggs

1 cup fresh raspberries (or thawed frozen)

 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

 

2. Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.

 

3. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy (very important for you to mix it till it's very fluffy), for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.

4. Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. 

 

5. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. 

 

6. Add the lemon zest and beat a few more seconds. Then fold in the raspberries.

 

7. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.

 

8. Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes before icing.

Lemon Icing:

2 cups powder sugar

juice from 1 lemon

pinch of salt

1. Mix icing ingredients together until smooth. Add more sugar if it needs thickening.

 

21 Week Update

How Far Along:
  21 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

  Baby is the size of a Pomegranate!

About 10.5 inches and 12 ounces.

Maternity Clothes:

I found some old/new clothes at a clothing swap

that a few friends and I had on Saturday...

and the few items even fit over my growing belly!

Weight gain:
Hehehe...well, I'm starting to pack on the pounds now.

I'm up a total of 12lbs.

Sleep:

One thing that has changed since I became pregnant...

I have to sleep with the window open.

Pretty much throughout my whole life, I have been a literal ice cube while I sleep

(ask Micah, I'm not exaggerating),

but now I find that I get so overheated at night

that I have to sleep with the window open

and a cool breeze blowing on my face.

(remember...I live in Montana...and it's winter...

and the cool breeze is actually arctic air that's probably around 10 degrees).

Best Moment of the Week:

I had to have another quick ultrasound,

so I was able to hear our little girls heartbeat again!

 

Movement:

I was able to feel her kick from the outside!

But unfortunately whenever Micah tries to feel she stops kicking.

Food Cravings:

I was finally able to eat eggs for breakfast... scrambled eggs!

It's been months since I've even been able to tolerate the smell eggs

and now I can eat them every morning!

Gender:

Still a girl!

Belly Button in or out:
In, but I'm beginning to notice that its getting flatter.

And, on a side note...

I'm now realizing that getting that belly piercing in my early twenties

(why oh why did I do that) was not the best of ideas. 

 Wedding ring on or off:
On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

Nope

What I miss:

I still miss coffee.

I would even be happy with a good cup of decaf,

but I read that coffee blocks vitamin absorption, so I've even cut out decaf.

What I am looking forward to:

I am looking forward for winter to be over,

so that I can sit outside with my big pregnant belly and soak up the sun!

Nursery:

Nothing new from last week.

 

Bed Rest Update:

The results of my last ultrasound came back

and the "complication" that had me on bed rest was no longer visible! 

That is a huge answer to prayer!!

So I think I will change this catagory from "bed rest update"

to "ways I've been relaxing".

My Week in Instagrams

Happy Saturday!

 

Best Dressed - Oscar 2013

Who was your choice for best dressed at the Oscars this year?

Mine was Jennifer Lawerence.

Her dress was, hands down, the most amazing thing ever.

The color, the cut, the fabric...

even the backwards necklace that hung down to her waist.

It just screams "old time Oscar royalty".

All Photos via: This is Glamorous

And of course, that graceful fall she took while accepting her award...

Dress still looked amazing.