*urp, escuze me

My daughter likes to intentionally burp. I am sure that some day she will make a great partner to some uncouth neanderthal, but at this time I consider it very unladylike.

It would be impressive if she could make it through the first few letters of the alphabet, but her belches are usually small utterances in moments of silence or when we are near people whom we are trying to make a favorable impression upon.

When my sister was visiting last year, she noticed that Cora only does it around me. I don't understand. Am I not showering her with enough attention? Has she seen Shrek too many times? How do I fit in the equation?

Perhaps I am not making myself clear. To the general burping population, I say: have fun. Enjoy your gaseous venting. Do it with style. If it happens to be when I am near, I can respectfully assess your technique and will dole out praise if it is deserved. However, I don't think I am ready to give my daughter to your ranks yet.

classic brownies

I like a tall brownie. I found this recipe on my favorite cooking website, the smitten kitchen. It has been my brownie recipe of choice for at least two years and I have most of the kinks worked out. The recipe suggests cooking them in a 9 x 13 pan, but I use an 8 x 8 pan and cook them for over an hour with an aluminum foil hat about 30 minutes into the process to keep the top from burning.

You really need to cook it until the brownies leave the side of the pan, which results in dry edges. I just trim the outer 1/4 inch off the brownies which allows me to snack on the chewy caramelized remains which are delightful in their own way.

My four favorite things to cook with: butter, chocolate and the kids.

Pregnancy Diary: Entry 2

The White Stripes' "Elephant" album is surprisingly good background music for crib assembly.

Also, my favorite quote from Cora this week is: "Mom, there is a baby in your tummy and he is eating all of your food up."

Those who know us are aware that our baby name list is a closely guarded secret, so I will instead give you our rejected names to help you narrow it down:

Hugh Jass
Chai
Stag
Bea Elle 'the bub'
Okra Winfrey
Percy
Mace Windu
Maud (this one is a name I was actually hoping she would go for)

*Mary has just asked me to clarify that these are names that I have come up with and she has rejected.

It's raining purple

I don't see colors well, but I am pretty sure this is purple.

As spring approaches, I drive around Brisbane waiting for the jacarandas to bloom. It is my favorite part of this season.

I missed taking a photo of them in their prime this year because of rain and laziness, but I walked out of the house early in the morning last week to capture these shots.