Yesterday was my annual cookie exchange.. Mother Nature gave me my long- awaited wish of snow.. in the form of a blizzard!!
When I was 7 months pregnant with Alison, Ryan (2 yrs old) & I met my mom, sister and newborn niece, Alexis for lunch before went I to the doctor for a scheduled appointment.
The doc sent me to the hospital for some extra tests because I really wasn’t feeling well. My mom took Ryan back to her house to bake gingerbread cookies.
While waiting for my tests, I went into premature labor. They tried to stop it, but could not. I was rushed my ambulance to a neonatal unit in Boston where they prepared us for the worst. It was the scariest night of my life.
36 hours later the contractions had stopped, but I was in the hospital for a whole week… including Christmas…
Alison was born still early, in January, but very healthy … and she is worth every bit of what we went through…
My mom has always talked about how she & Ryan were making gingerbread men the afternoon that I called her to tell her I was being put in the ambulance… December 20, 1994…..
I’ve never made these cookies until this year..
Paula Deen’s Recipe for Gingerbread men
I did, however, use the royal icing recipe from Emeril’s sugar cookie recipe..
The gingerbread really came out nicely… really good flavor & just the perfect amount of chewiness….
That’s my baby!!!!!!
and as for the cookie exchange? It was wonderful… small, but great
A few of my friends braved the almost 2 feet of snow, and Alison’s friends came and baked their own cookies!!!!.. My daughter- in- law, Amanda made an awesome recipe ( next post) … Altogether… a great evening!
oxox
michelle
barefootgirl in the kitchen 
[…] Sparing you the details, he told me that my baby would most likely be born early and to not dismiss any signs of early labor; he felt like the baby was not in any danger, therefore not bed rest or hospitalization like when I was later pregnant with Ali […]
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