In Which I Eat a Lot and Get Presents

I just celebrated my second Mother's Day, although still there was something missing (I can't quite put my finger on it...).  But at least this year we know that we have an actual, live baby out there, hanging out in her crib with her dog blanket and her yellow and white socks and no idea how her life is going to change in a few months. 

This morning to kick off the celebration I made ebelskiver, a Danish recipe passed down from my Grammie C. (dad's side) that's somewhere between a pancake and a jelly donut.  It requires a special pan and a certain amount of finesse to flip these little pastries while keeping them intact and not disturbing the applesauce that you dollop in the middle of the dough as it cooks.  I used Grammie's recipe and my mom's handed-down pan, and if you're feeling adventurous you can play along at home:  there's a very similar recipe here, and they have ebelskiver pans everywhere from Sur La Table to Bed Bath and Beyond (who knew Danish culture had become so ubiquitous?).  And you can vary the recipe with what you put in the ebelskiver (applesauce, jam, berries) and on it (powdered sugar, maple syrup, jam, or all of the above).  It's a little more effort than I would usually put into breakfast, but well worthwhile and between the two of us we managed to put away enough to feed most of Copenhagen.

Then I got to open my presents (growing up, we had to wait til after dinner to open presents on birthdays and non-Christmas holidays; but now I consider myself virtuous if I can hold off until the day of the event, so making it to dinner is out of the question), and I don't want to brag, but I have to tell you that my husband is a total pro at giving gifts.  I tore into the wrapping paper and found a certain robin's egg blue box tied up in a white ribbon and nearly passed out with glee (yes, I am a complete sucker and have utterly fallen for a marketing ploy as simple as a box color).  Therein lay a perfect strand of pearls.  They're just the right size, and the necklace is just the right length, and I feel like a proper lady now that I have a proper set of pearls. 

I think it was after watching "Rear Window" a few months ago, I mentioned that what I really wanted was a set of pearls so that I could feel slightly more Grace Kelly-esque (hey, I wonder what Grace Kelly's Thing was!  Something tells me she probably didn't have a Thing).  Well, my husband takes notes, clearly, for here we are! 

I also received from my parents a beautiful lavaliere (just like the Wakefield twins!) with Noelle's birthstone (which is also mine) in it -- a single, sparkling peridot.  Which brings up an important question:  is it "pare-ee-DOTT" or "pare-ee-DOE" or "PARE-uh-dott" or "PARE-uh-doe" or...what??  I have never known, so I have avoided saying the word altogether (my entire life til now, I swear), but now I'm going to wear the necklace and people might ask -- help!

(Ignore the blur at the bottom left.  Not sure what's going on there, and I didn't feel like taking another shot.  Am lazy.)

If this was a Mother's Day pre-baby, I can't wait to see what's in store once I'm truly a mom, live and in person!  Maybe I'll get, like, a whole house or a car or perhaps an island. 

On a PANICKED NOTE:  WHAT do I do for Father's Day, considering there is no male equivalent of a classic, perfect piece of jewelry??  (My husband already has a nice watch, doesn't wear French cuff shirts unless under duress, doesn't golf, and has every tech/gadget thing he needs.  He always tells me to get him some books off his Amazon wish list, but...no.  Too lame.  WHAT TO DO??)

AND!  We now have...a crib!  Woo!  Baby has a place to sleep!  So she can come home anytime now.  Really, anytime would be good.  Like now!  Now would be good. 

(Or now?  Hmm.  Well...how about now?)

(Photo of crib expressly for Leah.  You ask, I deliver!)

Comments

[-R-]

Happy Mothers' Day!

I say PARE-ih-doe.

I see the picture of the laveliere, but I don't really understand it how it works. Is it like a brooch with a part that hangs down?

The crib is very pretty. That room is looking so cute!

[Lawyerish]

The lavaliere is a silver chain and the pendant is like a silver vertical rectangle with a peridot right in the middle of it. If that makes ANY sense. I don't think my photo is the most flattering of the lavaliere, somehow; I shouldn't have let the chain be all smushed up like that.

[terriwc]

so the dictionary has these listings:
PeaR i doh
Pear i dot
pear i DOH
and Pear i DOT
so choose your favorite and stick to it.

Glad you had a wonderful mother's day! I am looking forward so much to the first time we see you holding Noelle. That will be my perfect day.

[jonniker]

Happy Mother's Day, my love! I GASPED when I saw the crib, because it makes it all so delightfully real! It's so EXCITING! (I know, it will be much better when she's here, but STILL.)

[Shana]

Pair'-ih-dough. Eez French! (Though, if we were sticking strictly to that, accent would naturally be on the last syllable. Pffft.)

I love that your girl-nursery is blue. It's gorgeous (that blue is perfect), but not nearly as gorgeous as Noelle. Can't wait until she's home, and you have more pictures of perfect baby cheeks and...well, perfect baby everything.

[Shelly]

I concur.....Pare-a-doe....I watch way too much QVC, and this is how THEY pronounce it.

Lovely gifts, and what a cute crib!!

[Lia]

I say PEHR-ee-dot. But I don't know that it's right.

Lovely gifts, and lovely nursery.

[Carolyn J.]

pare i DOH - roll the 'r' a bit.

[Carolyn J.]

Sorry, I meant pare ee DOH. When I think in French the 'i' sounds like 'e'. Now if only I could speak French in complete sentences, right?

[Heather B.]

Pearls! You know how I feel about them! Yay!

(I apparently feel so strongly about pearls that it requires excessive use of exclamation points)

Happy (2nd) Mother's Day! Next year's is going to be uber awesome.

[Alyce]

Father's day gift suggestions that range far afield since I don't know you're husband:
subscription to a something of the month club (bacon, wine, cigar, etc.)
tickets to an ungettable event (or even a coupon/promise for tickets for Yankee's next season when you'll have Noelle and he can teach her all about baseball -- or whatever sport is his favorite)
1st edition of his favorite kids book
a tiffany key fob with something sweet like noelle's bday

[Mar]

Fathers Day: how about a new yorker cover from Noelle's birthday. Hopefully you can find one that's somewhat fitting for a nursery! You can search (on the magazine's website) through their archives for frameable covers.

[Paula]

Happy Momma's Day! Pearls are perfect - they always make me feel so "ladies lunching" - even when I'm lunching at McDonald's! I think perhaps the perfect pearl earrings to go with them! :)

Father's Day...I totally agree with the tickets idea - something you know he would love to do with Noelle. And a really beautiful frame with a picture of Noelle for his office at work. Guys really do like to show off their girls! :)

[Paula]

Oh, another Father's Day idea: baby clothes from his alma mater or his favorite team. Babies in college stuff is just about too cute!

[JoanP]

Noelle's room is absolutely beautifully perfect! (from a "blue" lover, of course!). About that Father's Day gift--you see, I absolutely love books and a book gift card is pretty much tops for me--but my husband thinks it's lame and wants to get me jewelry. But I really do prefer the books. Or a magazine gift subscription. Just think how many wonderful hours I could have reading if he applied all the jewelry money to the gift card--wowee kazowee!!

[M&Co.]

Wow! I was just glad I didn't have to go to the grocery store on Sunday because my husband offered to go for me.

[KDA]

I lived in Denmark for a year and would make ebelskiver with my host mom. We used a knitting needle to flip the around in the pan. It worked very well. I think we put some kind of prune jam in the middle and served them w/ powdered sugar.

[KDA]

I lived in Denmark for a year and would make ebelskiver with my host mom. We used a knitting needle to flip them around in the pan. It worked very well. I think we put some kind of prune jam in the middle and served them w/ powdered sugar.

[Heather M.]

Wow! Love the pearls...so pretty. Of course, anything that comes in a Tiffany box is to die for!! Love Love Love the room & the crib is so sweet & simple. It will make the little girl in it even more beautiful!!!

Heather M.
Waiting to Travel
thejourneytocaleigh@blogspot.com

[Heather M.]

Wow! Love the pearls...so pretty. Of course, anything that comes in a Tiffany box is to die for!! Love Love Love the room & the crib is so sweet & simple. It will make the little girl in it even more beautiful!!!

Heather M.
Waiting to Travel
thejourneytocaleigh@blogspot.com

[Julie]

The pearls are just beautiful. They are a must have for every lady. And of course nothing makes a girl smile than a little blue box. I to have fallen for Tiffany's marketing gimmic :-)