Our family was given an AMAZING gift from so many of our friends!  One Fab Friend in particular offered to organize a few dinners for us for after Piper was born.  I loved the idea, but didn’t really think we would need THAT many dinners!  Maybe a couple weeks worth at the most.

HAAAAAA, HAAAAAA, HAAAAAAAAAAA! I was sooo clueless!  As my sweet Fab Friend’s email to everyone said,

“Baby Coady #3 is only a month away and as many of you know 2 babies = HARD….3 babies = CRAZY MIND NUMBING HARD!”

Oh she had no idea how right on she was!

Truthfully, Piper is an AWESOME baby, very sweet and content…now into week 4, I still feel like we are in the “honeymoon phase” of a new baby.  However, we have had 2 other babes that have been sick with 2 different colds, and have only wanted “mama” since my return from the hospital (they used to go to ANYONE), the sleep deprivation is definitely setting in (especially when you need to get up for 3 kids at night and not just the newborn), and trying to find the balance, and energy to make work, family, blog all sync together AND take a shower is proving death defying.

The thought of leaving the house for a normal grocery run, not so much.

So back to the amazing gift. With Baby #1, friends called on a whim and told us they were bringing a dinner that evening. So nice! But also a little scattered for my post prego brain.

With Baby #2, friends called and sent emails that they were going to be dropping off a dinner (insert any day of the week here). Which again was so nice, but I ended up trying to manage a dinner calendar while also trying to recover and master survive my way through our newborn and our 11 mos old! NOT an easy feat for a time that was most certainly the most challenging I’ve ever had.

So when my Fab Friend offered to organize dinners for me for #3, I was SO THANKFUL! What I never expected was 6 weeks of dinners, 7 days a week! ARE YOU KIDDING!?!?

Needless to say around 9AM each day I think, “I’ve got my snap together. I can rule the world! I am mommy, hear me roar!!”

But by noon I’m saying, “Dear Lord, thank you for giving me incredible friends that bring me dinner each day!! Also if you could please give me the energy to eat it, and not fall asleep in my plate, that would be great!!”

This is what my Fab Friend did (and yes she has a child too)…

1. She emailed everyone asking who would like to help with dinners.
2. Anyone that didn’t want to cook, was super busy, or lived further away, she offered to arrange for a dinner to be delivered by a local spot and they could send her a check.
3. She sent out a master dinner calendar so everyone would know where their day was.
4. She sends an email at the beginning of each week reminding everyone who’s up that week.
5. And to top it all off, she and another Fab Friend gave me darling thanks notes (in the photo above), PRE-ADDRESSED.  They are just waiting for me to write and send after each meal!!  (They can also be purchased from my Favorite Sara + Abraham.
   

Truly, from the organization, to the meals, to the thanks cards – we could not be more grateful!  I encourage you to organize this if you have a friend that may be under water….you don’t have to be ill to appreciate the kind gesture of dinners.  TRUST ME, having 3 babes, 2 years old and younger will do it to you too!

I’ve also gotten to try a lot of things I would not have otherwise.  And when I’m feeling awful about a busy mom friend dropping off a dinner, the comment I always hear is.

“It was no big deal!  I just doubled up and am feeding my family the same thing!”

I’ve been asked a lot what we’ve been eating so far….here you go.  The variety has been amazing!  Seriously SUCH a treat!! THANK YOU!

Panini – Chicken Kabobs, Greek Salad, Pita Bread & Hummus.  Susie Cakes treats
Gina’s Pizza – Rasta Salad, Green Pepper & Sausage Pizza, Buttered Pasta for the Kids
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, Pasta, Garlic Bread, Sorbet
Homemade Baked Salmon, Strawberry Salad, Bread, Buttered Noodles & Jello Jigglers for the kids
Homemade Tostadas
Homemade Pesto Pasta Salad, Fruit, Choc Chip Cookies, Cookie Cutter PB&J, Pretzels, Fruit Roll Ups
Homemade Tamale Pie and Caesar Salad
Homemade Pasta, Stuffed Peppers, Brownies
Homemade Sweet Chicken and Rice, Salad, Hagan Daaz Ice Cream Bars
Homemade Chicken Divan, Fresh Fruit, Caesar Salad, Peeps
Pei Wei (and a Quiche Lorraine for breakfast the next day & Zuchinni Bread for snacking)
“BFD” – Breakfast For Dinner – Crepes, Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Hash Browns, OJ
Homemade Chicken Chili, Chips, Avocado, Cheese
Bag of fun Groceries for Munching
Homemade Teriyaki Chicken & Rice, Salad, Lemon Bars
Trader Joe’s Pasta, Marina Sauce, Turkey Meatballs, Garlic Bread, Tea & Lemonade, Girl Scout Cookies
The Cheesecake Factory - Lettuce Wraps, Chicken Carbonara, Corn Dogs, Macadamia Nut Cheesecake
Homemade Scallop Potatoes, Ham, Spinach Salad, Rolls
La Fogata - Santa Fe Salad with Chicken, Chicken Tacos, Cheese Quesadilla
Daphnes – Chicken Kabobs, Rice, Greek Salad, Hummus, Pita Bread
Homemade Lasagana
Al’s NY Pizza & Salad