PIE!

I know Sofia has her own blog and all, but since I talk about pie so much here (and since I haven't made a post in a while), I thought I'd share this photo of Sofia's first slice. This girl is going to grow up with a passion for pie, if her Mama has anything to do with it.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION INSPIRES PROJECT

Yep, I created a blog for Sofia: Born in Mississippi. Thought it best that she have her own Internet presence, since I know she's going to have a lot to share with the world. In fact, Sofia may just turn out to be a more prolific blogger than her mama.

SOFIA GRACE STREETER

We welcomed Sofia Grace Streeter into the world at 5:11 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. She weighed six pounds, six ounces, was 19 inches long and showed off quite a set of lungs.

Mama and Sofia just seconds after birth.

Mama and Sofia, both tired but clean.

Already wearing a smile.

Believe it or not, we have yet to document a single moment since we came home from the hospital yesterday but plan to soon. Meantime, we're giving Mama some time to recover and Jackson (the dog) and Bingo (the cat) some time to get used to the idea of having a baby in the house. So far, so good.

A FLOOR TO REMEMBER

We've lived in this house for three years. On Saturday, Kurt started installing a new wood floor. And just yesterday (Monday), we found out that our baby will be arriving ten days early, as in...tomorrow! Yep, Kurt not only pulled this one out at the eleventh hour, he did a fabulous job and put the house back together in record time. And it turns out that living in a house that's topsy-turvy for a handful of days, with every other room filled to the gills with the furniture and knickknacks from the living room, was really worth it. Because this was one of those jobs that, if it didn't get done now, it might never get done.

And now this beautifully stained wood floor will forever be a reminder of the few days before the arrival of our beautiful little girl, Sofia. We can't wait to welcome her home.

RIDE 'EM, BINGO!

FOR THE LOVE OF ART, PANEL TRUCKS, AND DON DRAPER

Check out the wonderful paintings of food delivery trucks by Brooklyn artist Kevin Cyr (you might want to check out his Camper Kart while you're at it). I first saw Kevin's work on the Serious Eats blog sometime last week and have been revisiting his truck series pretty regularly ever since. The ice cream truck is a fave, but I chose to feature his painting of the Utz truck because (a) I love that teal background (b) Utz reminds me of living in Baltimore and (c) there was an Utz story line in the second season of Mad Men, which I devoured, sans a bag of Utz, via Netflix in record time.

I thought I'd have to sit on pins and needles, waiting for this season's episodes of Mad Men to make it to DVD, but the Internet gods are working in my favor. Did you know that you can watch current episodes on casttv.com? Which, for a Don Draper fan such as myself, is pretty darned satisfying. Time to celebrate with a bag of Utz. Hmm, can you get Utz potato chips in Mississippi? Probably easier to celebrate with a John Deere instead.

FOR THE LOVE OF PETITS FOURS

Seriously yummy petits fours from Moeller's Bakery in Houston, Texas, that were served at a little baby shower that was held in my honor last month. I can't even begin to tell you how addictive these things are. Oh, how I love petits fours.

In fact, petits fours inspired this painting that I did last year.

Still, I have to say, I do prefer pie.

YOU KNOW YOU WANT SOME, PART 3

More evidence of our on-the-road eating habits. Behold Strawn's Eat Shop in Shreveport, Louisiana. Of course we went there for the pie, but we started with lunch.
Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, cream gravy, fresh-from-the-garden black-eyed peas, side salad, and cornbread muffins.
We almost didn't have room for pie, but where there's a will, there's a way. Plus, while Strawn's is known region-wide for their strawberry pie, peaches were in season, so we got a slice of each. The peach pie won, hands down. I'd also like to mention that, while I usually look down my nose at a pie that's missing meringue, I have to say, this was some mighty fine--and mighty fresh--whipped cream.

YOU KNOW YOU WANT SOME, PART 2

Old news, I know, since we made this road trip all of a month ago, but I need to share with you the awesomeness that is Ray's PeGe in Monroe, Louisiana. We stopped there to experience their much lauded po-boys, which did not disappoint.
Neither did the fries. Or the gravy. Or the milkshake.

YOU KNOW YOU WANT SOME

Seen somewhere near Carthage, Texas, when we made a pit stop. Unfortunately, the place was closed.