Babies, Bread Salad, Back to School, and Brothers!

So, as most of you know, our little family of three is now a little family of four :)  We reached the one month mark and we are...surviving.  I think "surviving" is the best word to describe it as I am pooped, overwhelmed, re-learning the infant phase, and learning the terrible two phase!

The night I went into labor, the Jman made this amazing Greek Panzanella - or bread salad.  I couldn't get enough of of it - delish!  J, out of necessity, has become very adept in the kitchen.  I am one lucky girl!

Greek Panzanella
Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1 inch cubes (6 cups) (I think Jman just used a left over end of a baguette)
Kosher salt
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4" thick (we didn't seed it)
1 each red and yellow bell pepper, large diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
1/2 pound feta cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the Vinaigrette 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/3 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil 

Instructions
1)  Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.
2)  Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.
3)  For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion.
4)  Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

If you are close to your due date, try this bread salad!  

Look at me: so hopeful that on Saturday night/Sunday morning we would welcome our new addition...little did I know that the madness would continue four 44 more hours.  Swell!

I went into labor on Saturday night, but Mr. Man wasn't ready to make his appearance until Monday night - good times!  So we took two "before" pictures...The above picture was taken Saturday night - we headed to the hospital but were sent home three hours later as I had made no progress.  Please note: the contractions were strong enough that NO SLEEP occurred for 44 hours...so fun!

We made it past triage!

We attempted the hospital once again on Monday morning - only after laboring at home with Owen playing "Mommy Tunnel" (I was on all fours during contractions and he mistakenly thought I was playing a game) and saying "mommy feel better?" 

He's here!  And I'm feeling no pain!

Once I finally got the epidural, it was smooth sailing.  We were admitted around 11 and Elliott Edward Stephens, 7 lbs, 12 oz, 20 inches was born at 6:04 PM.

Happy Daddy!  His first day of lectures are the furthest thing from his mind!

If only sleep came this easily in the wee hours of the morning when NO ONE should be awake!

This picture cracks me up - J had already started school, but this was his first day of actual lectures.

We are blessed in so many ways!  We have two healthy little boys, Jeremy has a great schedule with school, and our families have dropped everything to help us out.  When I am frustrated that Owen is screaming at me because he wants to take his toy crane in the shower, or Elliott is refusing to sleep at 4:50 in the morning, I count my blessings and think of this picture:

Love these little boys!