Baby number 2 - and…. it’s a BOY

I should know by now that life rarely turns out the way you imagine or plan it. Along the way you are in for many surprises, but in the end that’s what makes it beautiful and worth the ride.

I wanted a second baby, but I was always honest about it… I wanted another GIRL.

For some reason (maybe because I grew up with a younger sister) I always imagined myself as a mother of two girls. Never once did I think about the possibility of actually having a boy. Therefore imagine my surprise and somewhat of a disappointment when I was told that we are expecting a baby brother. 

I was worried about how things will work out after giving birth, both with practical matters as well as emotionally. The day was crowded enough with one kid and a company to run… How was I supposed to make room for a second baby and the scariest of all - what if I will love him less than I love my daughter?
Other thoughts were haunting me as well… Will I manage to lose the baby weight? (I gained 20 kg again, even if I paid attention to what and how much I ate). How will I handle the jealousy of my daughter and what if I end up neglecting her? When will I have time for my husband and how much will this affect our relationship as a couple?

I didn’t have an easy pregnancy.  First trimester went by with nausea and vomiting and once the belly started to get bigger, I started aching in weird places and having tons of Braxton Hicks contractions. I stopped working when I was around 7 months pregnant because I feared I will give birth prematurely. 
At the prenatal check-ups I was told I was expecting quite a small baby and chances were that he will be bottom down at birth which will result in a C-section again. But I wished so much for a natural birth and I fortunately managed to experience it this time around. 
Against all odds I went one week over the due date and on the 24th of May 2018 at 05.30 after 14 hours of labour I gave birth to my son, Darius Daniel. Weighting 4135 grams and measuring 56 cm , this sweet baby boy was nothing but small :-) And I loved him from the bottom of my heart from the very first moment I got to hold him. Not more and definitely not less than I love his sister.

 Gender means nothing - he might not be the girl I dreamed of, but he is the most amazing boy in the entire world and I am so proud of him.

As for the life with 2 kids while running a business - well, it’s hard (I’m not gonna lie), challenging, exhausting at times, but also beautiful and fulfilling. 

Roxi's pumpkin pie

Ingredients

• 1 fresh pumpkin (sliced, baked on baking sheet and blended afterwards until creamy)
• 1 package cream cheese, softened (I used Philadelphia) 
• 1 cup sugar
• a hint of salt
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 piece pre-made pie dough ( I forgot to buy it so I made it myself. Ingredients:300 g flour, 150 g butter, 80 g powdered sugar, 2 egg yolks, lemon zest and a bit of cold water)
• sour cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 175 °C.

Place the pre-made pie dough down into a pie pan (aprox. 26 cm diameter) and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Pierce dough with a fork before putting in the oven. Bake alone for about 20 minutes and only afterwards add the filling.

For the filling, mix all the ingredients in the exact same order as written above and you are done! Pour the mixture on top of the pie dough and bake for around 50 minutes or until the center is set.

Cut into slices and serve with sour cream.

I hope you will enjoy it.

Roxi's salty crackers

This is a healthier alternative to all the chips and crackers you buy in the stores. Give it a try - it takes no time and your family will appreciate it.

Ingredients:

• 500 g flour
• 350 g salty cheese (I used salty sheep cheese from Romania, but feta cheese will also work just fine)
• 150 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 100 g sour cream
• salt, cumin seeds and poppy seeds for topping 

Mix all the ingredients and knead the dough until it's easy to work with it. Roll the dough into a sheet that is about 1-2 cm thick and cut it lenghtwise to get the shape you see in the picture. Grease each piece with egg yolk and spread salt, cumin or poppy seeds on top. Bake on a baking sheet until golden.

Enjoy :-)

Ready or not, here I come! ... or the story of how I gave birth

It happened so fast and the feelings were so intense...
I had it all planned out. I was due on the 10th of January. After a couple of prenatal classes and lots of research on the net, I was going for a natural birth. I was strong and I could handle the pain. After all, how bad can it be?!
I had an easy pregnancy, except for the continuous nausea and daily vomiting of the first trimester. I worked almost until the end. My belly was so big and I looked so ready to give birth, customers were literally sending me home (they didn't want my water on their expensive carpets..haha).
Everyone but me seemed to be aware of the upcoming event. Two days before the big day, I was traveling 200 km by car to attend a family wedding. People started to question my sanity :-) and I don't blame them. Little did I know that my daughter was about to scare the sh*t out of me.
It started as a relaxing evening on the 9th of January. We were home and about to watch a movie with my brother and sister in law. I had been complaining the whole day that the I couldn't feel the baby moving at all in the last 24 hours, so I decided that for my own piece of mind I will call the hospital. They said I have to be seen by a midwife and maybe a doctor.
So we packed it all up (my hospital bag was already ready and waiting), but then we were in for a surprise. We decided to take my brother-in-law's car, but it wouldn't start (we found out later the engine was dead), so we drove our car instead. Half way to the hospital the wheel gets stuck and we find ourselves waiting for my dad to pick us all up. By now I was beginning to get nervous. I had a bad feeling in my stomach and I could hardly keep calm.
Once at the hospital they started to check the baby, looking for the heart beat. It seemed like forever until the midwife told us that there is life inside me. I instantly broke into tears. All I wanted to know was that she was fine. From that moment on I was in a trance. I remember midwives coming in, a female doctor, nurses - so I knew we were in trouble. They induced me and labor started. I could handle it so I kept my spirits up. But then my baby's heart beat started to be irregular. By 6 a.m. a decision was reached that an emergency C-section is the best solution for us. And on 10th of January 2015, at 06.13 Sara Maria was born. Her umbilical cord was wrapped three times around her neck and one time around her body (no wonder she was unable to move or be delivered naturally).  Not really the way I planned it, but I was so happy we got a happy ending.

Roxi's biscotti

Biscotti is a sweet coffee bread, that is easily addictive :-) With a simple google search you will find so many recipes... My choice this time was the cranberry&almond biscotti.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 175 °C. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into a log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush egg white glaze on top and sides of each log.

Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack, while maintaining oven temperature.  Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn biscotti over. Bake until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Roxi's yogurt delight

Chopped oranges, greek yogurt and dark chocolate musli... Healthy and fresh! 

Roxi's lemon cake

This is my favourite version of lemon cake. It's easy to make and tastes good. Enjoy it together with a cup of coffee or tea. 

This is the recipe

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
3/4 cup milk

Heat oven to 175°C.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the egg, lemon zest, the melted margarine or butter and the milk. Mix well (some lumps will remain).

Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. 

I covered the cake in chocolate frosting and sprinkled it with chopped almonds and dried berries.

I hope you like it.