Job Satisfaction in Paraguay

FANTASTIC

2012-02-14T14:50:00.003-05:00

VA sent me a new name -

Jusdivine.

To paraphrase VA...it's not just terrible on so many levels...

it's also a boy.

Hair

2012-02-02T15:41:00.005-05:00

Oh look, I haven't updated my blog in almost six months. Ooops. My bad. I guess I should write about something really profound, right?

Like...

MY HAIR COLOR!!!!!!!!!! Whooo eeeee!!!!

Right before my Thanksgiving, this happened:

+

=

Notice a difference? I mean, besides that I changed from one grey shirt to another (and that I don't know how to center photos)? Yeah, no one else did too.

Anyway, I'm having a little mid-life crisis so i'm getting my hair dyed on Monday. Any ideas? Red or blonde? My (straight, male) hairdresser told me to go darker so that I have the "whole, Snow White thing going ON"...ummm, ok.

Ideas?

This is my other option:

Breastfeeding Tips

2011-08-14T14:14:00.005-04:00

I've had two friends ask me about pumping in the last few days so I figured I'd share all of my "wisdom" and let others fill in the blanks. Mind you, I didn't enjoy BFing (the logistics of it - i enjoyed the snuggling with my child part) so I don't know if I'm that helpful.

Hints:
- start pumping earlyish (first few weeks) when your supply is not yet regulated by the baby. This should give you a good stash in the freezer for later one plus will keep your supply up.
- drink tons of water (or any fluid, I guess - I have a friend who swears by Gatorade)
- from the lactation consultant - if you're having a tough few days with a fussy baby (usually around 5-6 weeks because they're having a growth spurt and your supply can't keep up), have a "reset day". Don't do ANYTHING - hang out in your pjs so BFing is easy and super-accessible. Watch a ton of tv and let the baby and your supply match up again. I did this a few times and it totally helped.
- this came from a friend and it's more of a sleeping tip but it is helpful for nursing too. During the day, make sure you feed your baby every three hours (like on the dot). At the beginning, do 15 min on each side each time - so yeah, you have to nurse x 30 min every three hours. You have to wake the baby up from naps to do this. It seems crazy but it did work for us. It taught my daughter that the kitchen was not open 24/7 and she started sleeping much better and with greater regularity (this was pre-hip-brace - after that, all bets for sleep were off). Seriously, tickle his/her feet if you need to keep them nursing for that full 30 min. Definitely worth it. Actually, i think this is worth it for bottlefed babies as well. Everyone needs to learn the kitchen is not open at night (but is open every three hours during the day!).

Supplies:
- a good pump (duh)
- if you don't get a hands-free pump, get a pumping bra. You can actually DO stuff while pumping instead of holding on for dear life.
- a second set of tubing/accessories for pumping at work
- sleep bras or nursing tanks for nighttime feedings (or just general "i don't feel like getting dressed today" feedings). I like the Motherwear sleep bras (but not anything else from there) and tanks from anywhere (Target, etc...).
- nice/supportive nursing bras - you're going to be wearing them for a while so they should fit well. I like Bravado.

Help:
- I didn't find La Leche League to be that helpful. It was more of a social support to continue BFing rather than a place to learn the skills. Since most of my friends BF, i didn't need the social support.
- I went to see a lactation consultant a few times (early on when the baby wasn't latching AT ALL and we were feeding her pumped milk with a syringe like a freaking baby bird and again when she got her hip brace and i needed to learn new positions). All the visits were covered by insurance and it was so helpful to get one-on-one help.
- this post is helpful - http://www.bostonmamas.com/2011/07/14_posts_for_breastfeeding_moms.html
- I went to a BFing support group at the local hospital. I really enjoyed it - your mileage may vary.
- This doesn't have too much to do with BFing but the lovely MJ(G) suggested joining a playgroup when my daughter was a newborn. I'm so glad she did! At the time, I was so confused - I mean, MJ's baby was only six months older than my baby - why did I need to meet more women with babies? But these women have babies who are the exact same age as my daughter (all born in May or June of 2010) and it is so helpful to be in the trenches at the exact same time. Even now, more than a year later, i love meeting with them and watching our kids grow! And in terms of BFing support (and any other support), they are a great cheerleading section.

Ok, that's it for my breastfeeding advice. Please offer your own!

Back again!

2011-07-25T12:43:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been a long time since I posted any great names from VA's job (and my former employer). As always, a very impressive list:

Adorabli
Seanteeze
Natural Natrail
Forreal
Summer Rayne
Snow Blank
Wealth

I think I've become numb to silly names because I actually thought "Summer Rayne isn't too bad". OH MAN.

Necessary Items

2011-07-07T15:55:00.004-04:00

I had big plans to write about the necessary items for bringing home (and raising) a baby (in honor of two mamas who welcomed babies in the past week). However, I'm mourning one of my favorite (non-baby) items right now and I feel like you all need to know about it.

So here we go...item #1.

The Vidalia Chop Wizard (or as we call it "Choppy"). Good ol' Choppy broke the other day and it is killing us. We love him a lot but we're buying a replacement and tossing him in the garbage asap. Seriously, Choppy is (well, was) amazing...you can quickly cut food (including onions) in nice, evenly-sized pieces. Amazing!

2. The Brazilian Blowout. As someone who has been fighting with frizz and humidity for years, I can't believe how life-changing this process has been. I love not having to use a flat iron for straight/smooth hair.

3. The DVR. One of the moms in playgroup mentioned this the other day. SO TRUE. Do you need further explanation? I don't think so.

4. diapers.com. MJ(G) and CCBL both introduced diapers.com to me. It's seriously awesome. They arrive the next day and there is no shipping charge if I order over $50 (which is easy when you're paying for diapers/wipes). It's not the cheapest for Pampers but avoiding the chaos at the big-box stores is worth it to me.

Three things

2011-06-17T10:23:00.002-04:00

1. I am pretty sure I witnessed a miracle at work yesterday. So that's always nice.

2. A friend of mine is having twins in a week (or ONE WEEK!!!! as she describes it). I keep wanting to share some of my "lessons learned" with her but i am too freaking lazy to send an email. I'm hoping to write them here ASAP and then get your input as well!

3. I already bitched to CCBL and she wrote a whole blog entry about it here but here's my story - I am hosting playgroup today. A woman called me and said "hey, my child is sick and I just got yelled at by another friend for having a playdate earlier this week but I'm going to bring him to your house if you don't mind". WHY YES, I do mind. If my child gets sick, she can't go to daycare. If she can't go to daycare, one of her parents must stay home. I don't know about you but i like using my vacation time for PLANNED VACATIONS and not for staying home with a sick child.

I think there is a fine line between the runny nose that all children have all winter long and being actively sick.

Oh and here is a fourth item - I flew alone with the baby (toddler) this week. WOW. It was tough. I don't know how AMW does it with two children!

CSA, week #1

2011-06-14T20:47:00.002-04:00

Mike has been interested in local and healthier eating lately (after watching "Food Incorporated" and reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma"). Without having to do any of the grunt work, I've been able to reap the benefits. We were already drinking organic, hormone-free milk and Mike now buys cage-free (humanely-raised) eggs. He also bought a beef share a month or so ago so we have plenty of frozen meat in the fridge.

Today was the first day of our CSA fruit/veggie haul. We didn't have the greatest experience last year so I was hesitant but excited to try this new CSA. What a bounty!

- red beets
- dark green leaf lettuce
- spinach
- Hakurei turnips
- bok choy
- snap peas
- pea tendrils
- scallions (or green onions, depending on what you call them!)

Here's our cooking/eating plan - please offer any suggestions!

- we roasted the beets, green onions and turnips
- lettuce is ready for salads
- we wilted the spinach with some salt and olive oil (deelish)
- snap peas are pretty much eaten already
- bok choy is chopped and ready for a stir fry tomorrow
- NO IDEA about the pea tendrils. Not a clue. Help, please!

Of course, I had prepped dinner prior to this evening's pick-up. So with all that organic, local, healthy food, what did we eat tonight?

That's right - processed crap. Yum!

Easy

2011-06-03T21:42:00.004-04:00

I'm putting together a Shutterfly book for my daughter's first year (hoping to make this an annual tradition - I already did one for her gestation and birth) so Mike and I were looking at photos from last summer.

And even though the photo subject was (and is) adorable, I definitely felt a little sad looking at her (and us). We just all looked so miserable! For myself, it was a combination of new-mom-ness plus post-partum depression. For her, it was normal newborn behavior plus reflux plus that first terrible (and ineffective) hip brace. For Mike, it was trying to keep it together for his crying ladies while also going to work every day!

And we got through that year and we survived and some might even say we thrived. But would I say it was easy? Ummm, no. And would I say I had an easy baby? Ummm, no (at least not after she got the Pavlik brace). I reread some of my old blog posts and I had forgotten how sad it was that we could only snuggle for one hour per day. Luckily it wasn't for a long period (she was waened to 12 hours/day after a few months) but it was rough at the time to maximize our bathtime/snuggling/breastfeeding in those short sixty minutes.

A few comments and segues into reflux:
- once we got a different kind of brace, everything changed! What I thought was crankiness due to reflux was apparently just discomfort from the brace. She became such a happy baby!
- since she continued with the reflux, the pediatrician dubbed her a "happy spitter". As the person who did the laundry, I disagree with the term "spitter"! This was not spit!
- the puking (and even all spit up) stopped magically when she started walking. It was such a distinct line - one day, crawling and spitting up everywhere (i needed to bring a burpcloth for a 5 min errand into CVS) and then walking and NOTHING. No puke, no spitup, nothing. Amazing.

And most importantly...just because they are fussy and not easy, it doesn't mean they aren't cute!

A few thoughts

2011-05-26T13:26:00.003-04:00

1. I wish my daughter would eat more. If you have ideas for finger foods for toddlers, I'd appreciate the suggestion.
2. I wish I would eat less.
3. My baby is now a one-year-old. What happened? How did this happen? Ahhh, she's lovely and so much fun. I wish I could freeze time...but I've been saying that since she was six months old and then each month gets better!
4. I see no one is going to teach me how to clip my hair like Kate Middleton's. Excuse me, Princess Catherine.
5. I'm newly obsessed with creating an emergency kit in our home. I just found out that my brother and my father both have kits and they also have secondary meeting places in case they can't go to their homes. My brother also suggested the alterate meeting spot to his employer so they now have business-card-sized maps and important emergency numbers. Good idea, little brother!

That's all for now!

Hair

2011-05-03T09:19:00.003-04:00

I want my hair to do this on special occasions.

Do I have to backcomb the top? And how do I pin my hair up? Lots of little pins?

Under what circumstances

2011-04-16T19:33:00.002-04:00

How do you imagine this book got into our home? Just guess.

Hodge-Podge

2011-04-15T15:21:00.002-04:00

Ahhhh, two posts in one week. And neither of them are plagiarizing the president. What's wrong with me? Am I *gasp* motivated? Let's not get crazy.

Ok, so to get back in the swing of things, here's a hodge-podge of things that I've thought about lately.

Politics:
1. I wish people would just close their trap. People get mean when they talk about politics. Specifically, I get really really mad when people say that the president was not born in this country. I think it is a thinly-veiled way of being racist.
2. I think the president's doing exactly what he said he would do - and yet people WHO VOTED FOR HIM are complaining. I don't get this - you voted for him because you wanted change. I am talking specifically about health care. I really don't follow much else.
3. This almost-shutdown really annoyed me. Don't worry - my blame falls equally on the Democratic White House and the Republican Congress.

And now I am going to follow #1 and stop talking about politics.

Parenthood:
1. I love my kid so freaking much. Honestly, I had no idea it was going to be like this. I'm amazed every day at what she's learning and understanding. Ten months is a great age. Sometimes I feel like I was a half-assed mother during the first few (ummm, six) months - I was so tired, so depressed, so unsure - and I don't feel like she got my best effort. I really try now to be the mother that she needs.
2. When I expressed my distress over her first few weeks, my darling friend VAsquared said that I gave her exactly what she needed (food, snuggles). That makes me feel good. The baby didn't know that I was a mess.
3. I am no longer depressed and I have more confidence in my mothering skills (or at least, I know I can fake it) but I'm still tired. This is ok.
4. I have realized that most parents are just faking it. And if they say that they know what they're doing, they are either lying or their kids are adults.

Sort of back to politics for a second - yes, I don't follow my own advice. It's my blog - I can do what I want to do! My dad went to a union rally/protest the other day. I was really proud of him. First of all, I love that my 70-year-old father is more liberal than I am. Second of all, I love that he has held true to his beliefs through his entire adult life. Third, I'm proud that he doesn't just complain about things but he actually goes out and shows his support in rallies. Oh and here's a fourth - if you aren't related to him, he won't discuss politics with you. He really tries to be diplomatic and stress-free when talking to people.

Inside joke

2011-04-11T20:39:00.002-04:00

Today was the first time that I really saw my daughter's wicked sense of humor. I already knew she was a good-natured kid (it feels great when people say they've never heard her squawk) but I didn't know if she was "funny" yet.

Sidenote - being funny is very important to me and my husband. We have frequently had arguments about which one of us is funnier. If you don't think it's me, shut your mouth.

Anyway...the story...my husband had taken down the baby gates last night so there was easy access to the kitchen from the living room (where we were playing). The baby knows I don't like her in the kitchen alone (big appliances, staircase to the basement, unsteady bookcase - pick your poison) and I had already given her a few little warning noises as she inched her way closer to the kitchen. She finally crawled her way into the kitchen and then full on sat down and looked back at me with a dare in her big brown eyes. The nerve! So I chased (okay, crawled) after her and she laughed and laughed and laughed. She didn't even care about being in the kitchen - she just wanted me to know that she could do it AND she wanted me to chase after her.

That kid - she is more than I could have hoped for.

(MEG - I hope you don't mind I ended in a preposition)

I could have bolded the entire speech

2011-01-14T14:31:00.001-05:00

To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants gathered tonight, and the people of Tucson and Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.
There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts. But know this: the hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen. We join you in your grief. And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy pull through.

As Scripture tells us:

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

On Saturday morning, Gabby, her staff, and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and free speech. They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders – representatives of the people answering to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns to our nation’s capital. Gabby called it “Congress on Your Corner” – just an updated version of government of and by and for the people.

That is the quintessentially American scene that was shattered by a gunman’s bullets. And the six people who lost their lives on Saturday – they too represented what is best in America.

Judge John Roll served our legal system for nearly 40 years. A graduate of this university and its law school, Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain twenty years ago, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, and rose to become Arizona’s chief federal judge. His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit. He was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his Representative. John is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his three sons, and his five grandchildren.

George and Dorothy Morris – “Dot” to her friends – were high school sweethearts who got married and had two daughters. They did everything together, traveling the open road in their RV, enjoying what their friends called a 50-year honeymoon. Saturday morning, they went by the Safeway to hear what their Congresswoman had to say. When gunfire rang out, George, a former Marine, instinctively tried to shield his wife. Both were shot. Dot passed away.

A New Jersey native, Phyllis Schneck retired to Tucson to beat the snow. But in the summer, she would return East, where her world revolved around her 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and 2 year-old great-granddaughter. A gifted quilter, she’d often work under her favorite tree, or sometimes sew aprons with the logos of the Jets and the Giants to give out at the church where she volunteered. A Republican, she took a liking to Gabby, and wanted to get to know her better.

Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard grew up in Tucson together – about seventy years ago. They moved apart and started their own respective families, but after both were widowed they found their way back here, to, as one of Mavy’s daughters put it, “be boyfriend and girlfriend again.” When they weren’t out on the road in their motor home, you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ. A retired construction worker, Dorwan spent his spare time fixing up the church along with their dog, Tux. His final act of selflessness was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for hers.

Everything Gabe Zimmerman did, he did with passion – but his true passion was people. As Gabby’s outreach director, he made the cares of thousands of her constituents his own, seeing to it that seniors got the Medicare benefits they had earned, that veterans got the medals and care they deserved, that government was working for ordinary folks. He died doing what he loved – talking with people and seeing how he could help. Gabe is survived by his parents, Ross and Emily, his brother, Ben, and his fiancée, Kelly, who he planned to marry next year.

And then there is nine year-old Christina Taylor Green. Christina was an A student, a dancer, a gymnast, and a swimmer. She often proclaimed that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her. She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age, and would remind her mother, “We are so blessed. We have the best life.” And she’d pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate.

Our hearts are broken by their sudden passing. Our hearts are broken – and yet, our hearts also have reason for fullness.

Our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 Americans who survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to see on Saturday. I have just come from the University Medical Center, just a mile from here, where our friend Gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak. And I can tell you this – she knows we’re here and she knows we love her and she knows that we will be rooting for her throughout what will be a difficult journey.

And our hearts are full of gratitude for those who saved others. We are grateful for Daniel Hernandez, a volunteer in Gabby’s office who ran through the chaos to minister to his boss, tending to her wounds to keep her alive. We are grateful for the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload. We are grateful for a petite 61 year-old, Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away the killer’s ammunition, undoubtedly saving some lives. And we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and emergency medics who worked wonders to heal those who’d been hurt.

These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle. They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, all around us, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, just waiting to be summoned – as it was on Saturday morning.

Their actions, their selflessness, also pose a challenge to each of us. It raises the question of what, beyond the prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. How can we honor the fallen? How can we be true to their memory?

You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations – to try to impose some order on the chaos, and make sense out of that which seems senseless. Already we’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health systems. Much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government.
But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized – at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do – it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.
Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, “when I looked for light, then came darkness.” Bad things happen, and we must guard against simple explanations in the aftermath.

For the truth is that none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped those shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind.

So yes, we must examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of violence in the future.
But what we can’t do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on one another. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.
After all, that’s what most of us do when we lose someone in our family – especially if the loss is unexpected. We’re shaken from our routines, and forced to look inward. We reflect on the past. Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder. Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices they made for us? Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in awhile but every single day?

So sudden loss causes us to look backward – but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame – but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.

That process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions – that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires. For those who were harmed, those who were killed – they are part of our family, an American family 300 million strong. We may not have known them personally, but we surely see ourselves in them. In George and Dot, in Dorwan and Mavy, we sense the abiding love we have for our own husbands, our own wives, our own life partners. Phyllis – she’s our mom or grandma; Gabe our brother or son. In Judge Roll, we recognize not only a man who prized his family and doing his job well, but also a man who embodied America’s fidelity to the law. In Gabby, we see a reflection of our public spiritedness, that desire to participate in that sometimes frustrating, sometimes contentious, but always necessary and never-ending process to form a more perfect union.

And in Christina…in Christina we see all of our children. So curious, so trusting, so energetic and full of magic.
So deserving of our love.
And so deserving of our good example. If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost. Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drifts away with the next news cycle.
The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better in our private lives – to be better friends and neighbors, co-workers and parents. And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let’s remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation, in a way that would make them proud. It should be because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country, and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American dream to future generations.

I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here – they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.
That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. Imagine: here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she too might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council; she saw public service as something exciting, something hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.

I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us – we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.

Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called “Faces of Hope.” On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child’s life. “I hope you help those in need,” read one. “I hope you know all of the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart. I hope you jump in rain puddles.”

If there are rain puddles in heaven, Christina is jumping in them today. And here on Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit.

May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. And may He bless the United States of America.

- President Obama

More Quick Thoughts

2010-11-15T21:18:00.002-05:00

1. I can't believe no one commented on my last post. I still need advice on getting rid of a giant pillow.

2. My baby is almost six months. How is that possible? Also, I think I need a nap/eating schedule for a six month old. I have no idea how to frame our day. Any advice?

3A. One of my friends (who is half-Asian) swears that my daughter looks Asian in certain photos. I tend to agree.
3B. Somewhat related - my friend sent me a link the other day to a mom's group in town. I thought it was weird since there is a HUGE mom's group here (like over 1000 families) and I didn't see the point of a little one. Anyway, I just joined because I figured that it wouldn't hurt to have more activities over the winter and I see this testimonial - "We are excited to be a part of the group. C is 15 months old and loves to walk everywhere. He is a happy and active boy that likes to explore. We look forward to meeting other Asian kids soon." Wait, what?????

4. I am going to TX for a wedding on New Year's Day (no husband, no baby). I'm trying to decide if I should wean the baby beforehand so that I don't have to deal with pumping while away or if I should continue breastfeeding...I'm going to play it day-by-day now. I figure she's now been BF x 6 months so at least Giselle Bundchen will be happy (ha, I totally stole that joke from AMW). Also, I've been supplementing with formula since day one.

5. The baby is super distracted lately while eating - someone recommended a nursing necklace. Is this useful???

Quick Thoughts

2010-11-11T07:51:00.002-05:00

1. I described myself as "the Liz Lemon of playgroup" to Mike the other night. If you watch 30 Rock, you know this is not a good thing. Similarities...awkward, earnest, many striped shirts. It's bad. I am embarrassed after each playgroup. I never giggle or act like my usual self.
2. This came up because Mike said something about how he figured that we were the stars of playgroup. I had to inform him that his wife is a fictional nerd and his daughter sits there with a scowl on her face (which she does in large groups of people).
3. In other news, the day care provider did say that she was one of the most smiley baby she's ever known. So the scowl is reserved for playgroup which makes me feel better.
4. Remember how I was in love with my Snoogle? Now it's just taking up room. How does one get rid of a GIANT gently-used pillow? That's not really something you can put out with the trash. But it's not really something that you can give to someone else...here, have the pillow that I drooled on for 4 months.

Pet Peeve

2010-11-01T10:17:00.002-04:00

I went to Target last night and they were taking down the Halloween stuff and putting up the Christmas stuff. Did you think that would be my pet peeve? Nope - I figure anything after November 1st is fine.

My pet peeve is that I can't stand when people spell Christmas as "Xmas". I feel that it kind of misses the point about Christmas, hmmmm? Also, now that I've typed "Christmas" numerous times, I kind of can say that it's hard to type. But still...

Another pet peeve is when someone says "ugh, I think (kind of food) is GROSS. I would never eat it. It smells like poo"...when I'm in the middle of eating that food. I appreciate your opinion - could you wait until I don't have the poo-food in my mouth?

ok, I'm feeling better now. Onto daydreaming about Christmas!!!

Food

2010-10-19T12:50:00.002-04:00

We had our daughter's baptism this weekend and then took our families out to dinner at a great place in Brooklyn. I just wrote out the menu and my mouth started watering again.

I'm copying and pasting it so you can get hungry too.

Everything was family-style (my spelling may be off):

- roasted artichokes in lemon sauce on arugula, baked clams, mozzarella in corrozza (google this - basically fried grilled cheese), fried shrimp and shrimp cocktail
- Mediterranean salad
- pasta course - fusilli in vodka sauce and linguine with clam sauce
- entrees - chicken francese and chicken marsala
- sides - broccoli rabe and mashed potatoes
- dessert - big plates of spumoni, slices of cheesecake, slices of carrot cake, tartufo, etc...

Seriously, it was awesome. I'm hungry.

And because I don't plan to post her photo, here's a glimpse of her with a proud and happy momma:

Article about hip dysplasia

2010-10-02T10:41:00.003-04:00

There was a great article about hip dysplasia in People magazine. It also included some information about the Pavlik harness. Here's some excerpts from it:

http://celebritybabies.people.com/2010/09/29/larry-the-cable-guy-and-wife-cara-how-we-healed-our-son%E2%80%99s-hip-dysplasia/

A few things really resonated with me - especially when the mother said that she would "get one hour out of 24 when I got to squeeze him and hold him like a real baby"...that really is one of the hardest parts about it for me. You just want to snuggle (and breastfeed) your child in the normal position and it's hard to realize that you can't.

I will say that I'm so glad that I stuck with breastfeeding even though it sucked. I am sad that for half of her life, I couldn't hold her "normally" but now that she's only in it part-time, I'm glad that I kept doing it.

The comments from readers after the article are also interesting. When my daughter was diagnosed, I found very little information on such a supposedly common disorder, I'm so glad to hear all of these stories. I'm also so blessed that my daughter was diagnosed on day #2 and has been followed by an amazing pediatric orthopedic surgeon since day #4. The longer diagnosis and treatment takes, the more likely your child is to require hip surgery. Scary! And again, so blessed!

Not Cool!

2010-09-14T05:36:00.003-04:00

We rented a cottage on Cape Cod in August. We rented it the first week and my parents rented it the second week. When we first got there, I was definitely disappointed - the place was definitely run-down and the loft that had been heavily billed in the ad was inaccessible except for a ladder (somewhat hard to get to if you were carrying anything - like wine or a baby). Buuuuut...whatever...GREAT location to both downtown and the beach and reasonably priced.

EXCEPT...there were two deposits - $100 for "extraordinary cleaning" and $250 for "house repair".

Guess where this story is going??

That's right - we didn't get our cleaning deposits back. I was a little shocked but i was like "well maybe we didn't clean it as well as we thought - plus there was a ton of trash because of the diapers".

But a few days later, my dad finds out that he didn't get his deposit. Whaaaat???? That's just CRAZY. He is neurotic (thanks to many years in the military and many years as my grandmother's son). He even said that my stepmother told him to STOP cleaning before check-out because it was spotless.

Also, they took $39 out of dad's $250 deposit because he "stole" 2 pillowcases (which he thought belonged to me). He was SO mad "$39 for your shoddy old pillowcases!!!". They couldn't have given him a call to ask if he had them??? So now he's packaging them up and mailing them back without a note. Hee. My dad rarely gets fired-up (similar to my husband, not so similar to me) but when he does, it's awesome.

We (Mike) already called the owner and he was not interested in discussing it. Oh well...time to let it go. Lesson learned!!! Renter beware!

Pavlik

2010-09-05T09:18:00.003-04:00

*** This post will not interest my usual readers (ie my brother and six of my friends). However, since my daughter got her Pavlik harness, I've been searching the internet for information and I haven't come up with much. I hope this post will be found by another parent who is searching for information. It is an amalgam of google searches, information from my daughter's doctor and hints from a friend of a friend. ***

Sleep - not happening. I went from having a nine-week-old who sleep 8+ hours (a combination of luck and a strict sleep/nap routine) to having a 15-week-old who sleeps MAYBE 3 or 4 hours at a stretch. And to cap it off - I'm back at work (and caring for other people's children) so the lack of sleep is really hurting us. No solutions yet.

Skin - I think the best thing to do is put on a plain (no appliques) white onesie, then the harness and then a dress. We use onesies that are a little bigger than usual (I think 3-6 month) and they've been washed in Dreft (especially impt since the onesie is so tight against her fair skin all day). We use dresses in the 6 month size. Also when I take the harness off for the "one hour of freedom", I usually bath her and I always do a quick skin check. I look for areas of redness (future breakdown) around the neck, under the arms, on the back, hips and on the thighs. I also check her toes for good circulation and to make sure that they aren't squeezed into the the foot part (this was happening in the smaller Pavlik). If I see problems, I apply Aquaphor to the area and I try to eliminate future rubbing with Duoderm or stockingette. I have also heard of parents putting cornstarch in the booties to avoid the smell.

Cleaning - for a child who can't move, you would be surprised at how dirty and smelly the harness can get. Our daughter's August harness got particularly dirty because we were at the beach for almost two weeks (and I possibly spilled baby vitamin drops all over the back). For dirt, some parents recommend dyeing the harness so you can't see the stains. We didn't do this because I didn't really care about a little dirt. However, a spitty baby equals a stinky/smelly Pavlik. To get rid of the smell, I suggest scrubbing at the spots with a (CLEAN) hard toothbrush and some mild detergent (again, Dreft is probably a good idea). Then scrub again without the detergent (just water) or rinse with as little water as possible. If you need to dry the harness quickly, I suggest blasting it with a hairdryer. Otherwise, let it sit in the sun (this is a natural stain bleacher) for a few hours.

Also, I suggest taking off the booties when changing a dirty (DIRTY) diaper. I've changed a lot of diapers in the last twenty years and infants have an uncanny ability to get their feet smack in the middle of the diaper. Gross. Double gross when it involves your white cloth harness.

Ok, I'll write more in another post. Topics will include gear (slings, Bumbo, etc...), breastfeeding, snuggling, swaddling and the emotional aspect of your child being in a harness.

What's this?

2010-08-08T14:35:00.002-04:00

Well...since CCBL updated HER blog, I felt obligated to take a look at mine!

I have SO much to say...of course, it's mostly comments on parenting so I guess this is probably a mommy blog now. :)

Let's start with three things that I didn't understand prior to having a child:

- I had no idea how much laundry we would do! I heard parents complaining about it and I thought "but it's one small child!"...ha ha, I was SO naive. It's not just HER outfit, it's mine, the sheets, the Boppy cover, the bib, etc... we do a load of laundry every 1-2 days.
- You know how you see cars on the highway BRIMING with baby crap? And you wonder why they need that much junk to go away with a little baby? Ok, I totally admit I was judgy about the overpacking....and then i just went away for four days with my daughter and filled the car. We had my bag, her bag, her little vibrating seat, her tub (ok, this was unnecessary but she's having a bad week* and she loves her bath) and the Pack N Play and all of it's accoutrements.
- Talking about your child nonstop --- dude, I'm boring! This never bothered me about other parents but it actually bothers me a lot when I do it. I just talk about her CONSTANTLY. I think there are two reasons - one, this is the best thing that I've ever done so obviously I want to talk about it; two, it's so all-consuming - it's not like I can talk about movies or work or books!

*Yes, I realize that babies can't really have "bad weeks" but she just was placed in a Pavlik harness and she's so irritable so I felt that she deserved her bathtime.

So...there it is...a new blog post! Yay for me!

Other topics for future posts:
- sleep (mine, hers, his, ours)
- why breastfeeding is both awesome and terrible
- the Pavlik harness
- great hints that you guys gave me
- stuff that NO ONE told me
- baby blues/PPD
- general thoughts on labor, hospitals, newborns, etc...

Itzbeen a miracle

2010-07-01T12:00:00.002-04:00

Guess who slept from 11pm to 5am last night? What a wonderful day!!!

Edited to add:

The itzbeen is a timer so that sleep-deprived parents can keep track of how long it's been (itzbeen) since a specific task was done. Mike and I find it to be a useful tool to communicate with each other.

Anyway, they measure hours and minutes. Specifically:
- 6 hours and 2 minutes since the baby's diaper was changed
- 6 hours and 2 minutes since she was fed
- 5 hours and 51 minutes since she fell asleep
- I have no idea what that last one measured (it's the misc button)

Doula, etc...

2010-06-27T19:39:00.002-04:00

So I have about a million things to share, including:

- my sleep obsession
- unsolicited parenting advice from people on facebook
- the difficulties of breastfeeding (and my experience at La Leche League)
- baby blues/PPD
- general thoughts on labor, hospitals, newborns, etc...

BUT today I want to talk about "the doula"...a few weeks ago, I had a little "breakdown" (I can't think of a nicer word). Basically I was sobbing about the baby's diaper rash when CCBL called...I guess she could tell that I was "not myself" and contacted Mike. He had already spoken to me and had gotten the same impression and was already on his way home. Between him and CCBL, they worked out a little plan for "Operation Bring Sanity Back to Job Satisfaction":

1. get a therapist (she specializes in PPD and is awesome)
2. make sure JS gets some sleep
3. hire a doula!

A few things about doulas:
- they can be either L&D or postpartum
- they can do overnights (like baby nannies) or during the day

The doula service that Mike found does postpartum and they don't do nights (which kind of stinks but would suck our bank acct dry). The director says their services are threefold:
- mother care - lactation support, psychological support, etc...
- newborn care - baths, etc...
- household care - light housekeeping, errands, etc...

A few things about my doula:
- TOTAL HIPPIE
- gray braid on top of her head
- big hippie dresses - i am 99% sure they are breastfeeding dresses even though her kids are grown. I feel like she could whip out the bo.ob at any moment.
- looooooves to recycle
- knits big wool socks for her grandchildren
- obsessed with cell phone ringtones
- loves to make fruit and yogurt smoothies

Anyway, to sum up my first experience with her - within 5 minutes of arriving at our condo, she was grabbing my bo.ob (not sure if that is googlable) and getting my child to eat; within 30 minutes, she was RUBBING MY NASTY SWOLLEN FEET; within 90 minutes, I had left the condo and was heading to pick up a prescription while a stranger did my laundry and watched my newborn. Being overly tired will allow you to do things that you would never imagine.

Since then, she has come over once/week. She has done countless loads of laundry, watered the plants, gone to the supermarket, helped me pack for a weekend trip to see my family, etc...Also, I have napped for two hours while she held my crying child. Like I said, I would never have imagined that I would allow a stranger to care for my child while I slept...then I had a baby and became REALLY TIRED.

We bought a package of 20 hours so it will run out in about two weeks. I think it's a great service but I don't think I can justify it as an ongoing cost. But I'll miss my hippie!

Sidenote - I haven't posted a picture or named my child on this blog. Thoughts on internet privacy?

Timeline

2010-06-15T18:35:00.005-04:00

Ok, for those of you who asked, here's the timeline of my birth story. For those of you who did NOT ask, sorry for the details! For those of you who want more grossness, you know where to find me!

Friday night/Saturday:
4pm - go to library where woman behind me in line tells me I'm never going to read any of the books I'm checking out. She is right.
5pm - go to Old Navy to buy summer maternity clothes because it is HOT out and I'm obviously going to be pregnant forever. I started having some "weird feelings" but I thought I had eaten something funny. Ha.
545pm - more "weird feelings" and it dawns on me that this might be real. I call Mike on my drive home from Old Navy.
615pm - I call MJ and say "it doesn't really hurt so could this be it?"...I am obviously stupid/naive.
615pm-midnight (good thing I have emails with MJ to reread - I would have forgotten all of this) - contractions get more intense but I can doze/read magazines in between. I also call my dad/stepmom and tell them to await a phone call in the morning (they don't wait - they left NJ at 6am).
Midnight - OH MY. this hurts A LOT.
1am - I have a few back-to-back contractions. WHOA. This kills. I call MD and say "I had a few two minutes apart" and she says "come in when they are consistently every 3-5 minutes". UGH.
1am-2am - I basically sit in the tub with my shower over me and cry every eight minutes
3am - Mike calls MD again and says that I can't talk during contractions. They are still every eight minutes but Mike totally lies (thank goodness) and says they are every 5-6 minutes.
4am - we arrive at hospital where RN is TOTALLY skeptical and sort of mocks my infrequent contractions. Then she checks me and I'm 5cm dilated...all of a sudden, she and the other RN start taking me seriously. Not that I'm in a mood to say anything but I totally wanted to yell that I knew I was pretty far along.
5am-8am - 6cm dilated, epidural, dozing, calling my parents to say they should start driving up (and then finding out that they are already midway here). Also, epidurals are AWESOME.
10am - 9cm dilated but head not engaged
noon - 10cm!
1230pm - start pushing
230pm - two hours later...still pushing! Head is apparently stuck a bit. Some discussion about a C section but we are making progress so we don't really discuss it further.
330pm - still pushing! Epidural wears off on right side. WHOA PAIN. Also the baby's heartrate doesn't recover quickly after contractions so I can't push with every contraction (turns out this is because the cord was around her neck).
330pm to 423pm - Mike keeps telling me he can see the head (with brown hair!) and I mostly just cry that I am too tired to push.
423pm - BABY!!! YAY! Best feeling in the world!!! They put her on my chest - they had already cut her cord before she was fully out (because she was blue). Someone asked ME if it was a boy or a girl - I was so confused and I couldn't understand why no one knew yet! So I looked...and I was SHOCKED!!! A girl!!!

It was an amazing feeling - we just took turns holding her and laughing and crying and kissing!

That's it!!!

Too tired

2010-06-04T09:42:00.002-04:00

So yeah, I had a baby.

And yeah, I'm too tired to write about her.

So here's a photo of my newly painted bathroom with some beautiful flowers from CCS.

A conversation

2010-05-17T22:11:00.002-04:00

Last night at 10pm...

M: where are you going?
me: the bathroom.
M: didn't you just go five minutes ago?
me: yeah.
M: wow.
me: yeah.

I will not be using any of these names for my child

2010-05-12T17:16:00.003-04:00

VA from VA has come up with an all new list of actual baby names. Awesome.

Kionne Kizzy Olive
Medallion Paul (a female)
Rain A Star
Success
Spirit
Nimrod
Strength
Amazingly Speaks
Furious
Demanguss
Elyzabythe
Cordarryl
Margarita Petron
Exavier
Isaaclama
Jewnaiya
Derquacia
Jazzmeainia
Vanity (incidentally - being seen in in the ER for an overdose)
Fher

I only SAY that I don't like ice cream

2010-05-10T21:12:00.006-04:00

I know it seems unlike me but I really don't like to have conversations on the medical area shuttle bus in the morning. This is my "play with my new phone time". However, this girl got on the bus last week with about a million bags, a cup of coffee and a big platter. There were no seats so she asked me to hold her coffee while she reorganized all of her stuff. I was not feeling generous enough to offer her my seat (let's be real) but i did offer to hold the platter...which meant that she then felt comfortable telling me about how she made this dessert for her coworker. HOLY. It sounded so good. I just found it online and I swear, one of you needs to invite me to a summer BBQ so I can have an excuse to make it.

FROZEN BANANA SPLIT

24 (3.5-ounce) ice-cream sandwiches, unwrapped

6 medium bananas, peeled and thinly sliced

1 (12.25-ounce) jar hot-fudge sauce

1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped

1 (8-ounce) package milk chocolate covered toffee bits, divided

1 (12.25-ounce) jar butterscotch ice-cream topping

1 (8-ounce) container frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed

Line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place half of ice-cream sandwiches evenly over bottom of pan, completely covering bottom, cutting sandwiches to fit, if necessary. Top evenly with banana slices. Pour hot fudge sauce over bananas. Top with cherries and 1/2 of the toffee bits and pour butterscotch evenly on top. Layer with remaining ice cream sandwiches and spread whipped topping over sandwiches; sprinkle with remaining toffee bits.

Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours. Remove from pan, using foil handles. Cut into squares and serve.

**********************

And because everyone likes to go from thinking about ice cream to thinking about my feet, here's a swelling update - my feet/ankles/calves are looking somewhat normal again. Basically I drank a ton of water, stopped having any artificial sweetener, had a little bit of salt (seems counter intuitive but does help), ate a ton of asparagus, ate a ton of non-processed food, etc...I still appreciate CCBL's reaction. :)

Missing: My ankles

2010-05-05T21:48:00.004-04:00

Have you seen my ankles?

36 Week Ultrasound Photo

2010-05-01T09:57:00.003-04:00

Ultrasound photo - baby is looking straight on at us, hand covering the mouth.

This blog is SO boring.

Photos as usual

2010-04-27T11:39:00.005-04:00

Over a month ago, my MIL asked to see photos of the finished nursery. It’s now been six weeks since I wrote that post and it’s still funny to me. I just don’t feel any rush to get the nursery “done”. If the baby came today (which NO, not going to happen), we would be fine…but the nursery is not “done”.

34 weeks:

35 weeks (same jeans, different black shirt):

I talked about the bibs that K designed for the baby. After she emailed the images to me, I printed them out on yellow paper and framed them - I think they look great!

Also, this blog is just photos and baby yammering. Sorry if it’s boring!

Oh also, the bathroom is now “moccasin” (light brown). And M&M hosted a shower and the baby was further spoiled! Pictures coming soon.

For all the doubters

2010-04-13T12:51:00.002-04:00

I am just as surprised as anyone that I went from reading this to making this:

Also, it needs to be hung up in the nursery but I am still admiring it in the kitchen.

Bathroom

2010-04-05T11:30:00.000-04:00

I want to get the bathroom painted before the baby arrives but I have no idea re: colors. M says that we should just go with light blue again but I think that's boring. Thoughts? Oh also, no green - CS taught me that tip - no one wants to have green undertones on their skin first thing in the morning under artificial light.

I definitely want to keep the wainscotting and ceiling bright white.

Color options:

1. Repaint same light blue.

2. Pale yellow?

3. Pale pink?

4. Something else? Cream? Taupe?

More photos

2010-04-02T19:24:00.002-04:00

This is totally a photo blog now. I'm way too lazy.

First off, my oldest friend K sent me these bibs last week with her original designs on them. They are almost too cute to use so I asked her to send the images to me so I can print and frame them. This way, the baby can get the bibs messy but I get to keep a K masterpiece!
And now photos from the shower in NY and P&K's place...if you want to see more, I've got plenty but here are the highlights.

The lovely hostesses (my stepmother and K):

Me with my stepmother (now known as Nonna to the baby!):

The tables and the centerpieces:

Adorable decoration - and now I have more clothes for the baby too!

Coming together, slowly but surely

2010-03-25T19:48:00.005-04:00

Putting together the bookshelf:

Putting together the crib:

Putting together the crib with a fake smile: Looking a little stressed - thankfully this is the closet door in the living room and NOT a crib:

Monkey at the top of the finished bookshelf:

The baby's book collection, courtesy of Auntie PC - one for every month of gestation!

Photos

2010-03-25T19:20:00.004-04:00

Oh blogger. Why can't you post pictures in the order that I post them?

My MIL hosted a shower for us (oh, ooops, did I not invite any of you? Nope.)

Gifts:
Cake:

Favors - cookie lollipops with our photos (can you guess which is me and which is M?):

While tossing stuff in the baby's room, I came across my LIGHT-UP tiara from my bachelor (edit - bachelorette) party in Vegas. Oh it's classy! Also, post-haircut.

Last week (31 weeks and 5 days, I think). Also pre-haircut apparently.

I don't ever write anything anymore - I just post photos.

Coming next week:

- CCBL's Box O' Loot

- KLG's artistic gift

- Pictures of us working on the nursery (warning: there are a lot of fake smiles)

This is for Kelly

2010-03-20T12:59:00.002-04:00

Someone has a good opinion of his appearance...he told me last week that he was looking REALLY GOOD and getting a lot of attention from the ladies because he had parted his hair differently.

And then Kelly and I mocked him mercilessly. It was awesome.

Photos from last week...out of order.

2010-03-15T14:57:00.006-04:00

My mother-in-law asked to see pictures of the finished nursery. HARDY HAR HAR. Unfortunately she wasn't joking. Oh well. I sent her this.

The fan installed by my dad!

Mike and my dad working hard on putting up the fan. Also my dad kind of freaked when I took this photo. Apparently a flash going off when people are working with electricity can be frightening. Ooops.

Me at 30 weeks in my gym clothes.

That was last Monday. I've done nothing of note since then (ummm, except not eat solids for three days - thanks, Norovirus!). So not eating and not exercising - Mother of the Year.

Also, I obviously don't know how to put photos up in order today.

If you can't say anything nice....

2010-03-05T10:46:00.000-05:00

Let's get the dying baby story off the top of the blog, shall we? New topic...

I've found that walking around with a bump means that people feel they can freely offer advice and opinions about pregnancy, deliveries and childrearing. They also feel free to offer opinions about weight gain and rub my belly (and we all know I don't like overtouching).

Maybe it's because I work with a lot of women...I have approximately 75 colleagues between my two positions and I'd say that 60+ of them are women. In addition, many of them are women in their mid50s which seems to be the prime age for comments.

My friend AMW says it is just a rite of passage...she's right but I still am taken aback when someone walks by and offers up an opinion. I'm sure I did the same thing before I got pregnant so I'd like to offer a blanket apology to my friends - you all looked gorgeous then and now!

So without further adieu, here are my favorite pregnancy comments (some mine, some others):
1. Are you sure you're not having twins? I think this is a pretty common one - another variation - are you sure there is only one in there?
2. You're having a girl because your face and ass have gotten bigger.
3. You're having a girl because you're really round all over (ha ha, this was to me - I told the woman that I was round and fat pre-pregnancy so then she got all flustered and said she wasn't saying I was fat)
4. You have another ten weeks to go? No way! Variation of this: you have ANOTHER three months??????
5. WHOA! Your girls are huge - you need to put on your coat!
6. Still here? you're ready to pop!
7. You're going to spoil your child.
8. Don't hold your child too much.
9. You should use a pacifier.
10. You shouldn't use a pacifier.

So here's my new rule: I'm limiting myself to simple phrases only. Namely "you look GREAT!".

Do not read if hormonal

2010-02-23T20:43:00.003-05:00

Warning – this is sad.

I’m sure if you’ve seen or talked to me recently, I’ve shown you a picture of my little patient. I was his primary nurse and I was obsessed with him. I loved recounting every time he gave me a little gummy infant smile and the day he learned to laugh (just on Wednesday!). Here’s an unsurprising secret – babies think it’s hysterical when you make crazy faces and tickle their necks. Unfortunately, he started to go downhill this weekend and he was “redirected” to comfort care only (no interventions) on Sunday night.

I’m sorry to say that he passed away early on Monday morning. Fortunately, I was able to be at work that night and care for him. I promised myself that he would not be put down all night and I am so grateful to my coworkers that we were able to give that gift to him. I had another patient so we all took turns carrying him and snuggling him and whispering strong words to him as he got worse and worse.

Around 330am, he started looking worse so we took him into his room to have privacy and I called his mom to let her know it would happen soon and the doctor would call her later (parents were unable to be there). We all took turns hugging him and saying our goodbyes. Over and over, I just kept saying that I was so sorry – so sorry that he got the short end of the stick in so many unfortunate ways.

About an hour later, as I was snuggling him, he stopped breathing. His heart stopped beating moments later. I handed him to another nurse and went to get the doctor. He came in and declared that he had passed. We gave him a bath and created a memory box for his parents – some locks of hair and prints of his hands and feet. I know it seems strange that they weren’t there for the death but I know that they adored him so much.

I don’t think it’s super appropriate to discuss patient matters on a blog so I hope I got the essence of his life in words without compromising his privacy. I just felt it was important that I take a moment to remember him and share his short life with other people. I had never held someone as they died and I never thought I’d want that responsibility. But as sad as death is, I know that he was loved and that he is comfortable now. I’m glad I was able to be with him and that we were able to keep him warm and safe and snuggled through his last night.

Freecycle follow-up

2010-02-22T18:10:00.002-05:00

I've talked before about the wonders of freecycle.

The downside? When you post a listing, you get emails that end with this signature:

Cloth diapering, extended breastfeeding, sewing, homeschooling and AP mama to X, Y, and Z. New baby girl Z coming soon.

Is it necessary to have this much information included in every email you send from your yahoo account?

Sidenote - I met a girl at a Super Bowl party who works for yahoo. I asked her if they walk around saying "Ya-hooooooooo-oooo!" at work. She looked at me like I was crazy. Oh.

Shirts

2010-02-19T10:22:00.004-05:00

Something I don't get...I was always under the impression that if your shirt pulled between your chest, then it was too tight. I usually try to avoid that...although at this stage, I really don't care. Everything is pulling. But I think it's weird that it's acceptable according to this gap.com website photo.

Also, because clothes are starting to frustrate me, I'm making my move to shoes. Specifically the retro NB sneakers. Because what I really need are more sneakers...especially sneakers that aren't useful for exercise.

But seriously? How awesome are these? And on sale! And in millions of colors!!

Whoopie Pies

2010-02-15T10:06:00.010-05:00

I decided to make Whoopie Pies for cooking club today. The theme is "quick and healthy"...so I went with "bad for you and sort of complicated". I don't listen to directions apparently.

I used the mix from WS - I thought this would make it easier but I'm not convinced. But it was red velvet and I am a sucker for red food during Valentine's Day so I bought it ($14!!!! And it only made six pies!!!).

The directions call for cream cheese frosting but I wasn't sure about that (KLG later pointed out that WS probably suggested cream cheese frosting because that is the usual pairing with red velvet cake - she's so smart! College professor and all that!). I polled some friends with the question "Do whoopie pies traditionally have cream cheese or marshmallow filling? Or is it just a buttercream frosting?".

Here are the responses:

- isn't it like whipped cream?

- i always thought marshmallow!

- I don't know. clearly the internet is working, i suggest you go there.

- i cant help! I am not sure I have ever had a whoopie pie.

- Not cream cheese for sure. Some involve marshmallow. I think the traditional filling is like frosting with a lot of Crisco.

- aren't they an Amish thing? i would say definitely not cream cheese.

My favorite part of my friends' responses is that some of them googled "whoopie pie recipe" and then sent me the exact same link - coincidentally the same site that I had read PRIOR to emailing them. Actually not coincidentally because it's the first suggestion if you google "whoopie pie recipe".

Do my friends (and husband and brother) think I don't know how to google?

Also I think it's funny that some friends called them an Amish thing and some called them a Maine thing - my friends are very geographically divided. If you do google "whoopie pie recipe" and click on the first link, you can read the whole history of whoopie pies. It's fascinating.

Anyway, they are now made (with a marshmallow filling per the New England recipe because I thought I should skip the raw eggs).

They look cute but I'm not sold - I can't wait to taste one!

Also, in totally unrelated but still food news, I bought almond butter yesterday. If I read another article about peanut exposure in utero or via breastmilk leading to peanut allergies or asthma, I will freak out. A special thanks to my employer - we get articles like this emailed to us once/week. I didn't mind them when it was a "job thing" but now I'm worried as a parent-to-be. Almond butter seems like a good alternative (NOT eating a nut butter is not an alternative). However, almond butter is TEN DOLLARS PER JAR. Seriously? This better be good.

Politics

2010-02-14T09:05:00.002-05:00

M has a very good friend who works for a politician. This politician is running in a very big election in November. This politician and I have very different ideals and I would not usually consider voting for him.

However, as M pointed out, if this politician loses, our friend will not have a job.

So how would you vote?

My take is that I vote because of how I feel about certain issues, not because of how I feel about the politician himself (or herself). Also, I feel that our friend knows the risks involved in joining a political campaign - he left his secure job and took a risk with this job because he knows the advantages that will come his way if the candidate wins.

On the other hand...if this was not a friend and was M or my brother, would I change my tune?

Heh

2010-02-13T09:58:00.001-05:00

This is an awesome picture:
1. the sweatshirt.
2. the skullcap.
3. many, many vitamins.
4. the expression (I think I'm trying to be tough).

More photos

2010-02-08T17:49:00.004-05:00

Ok, I'm posting some more photos but PLEASE answer my mattress questions from the post below!

Also my dad thinks I need a radon detector and a smoke detector in the baby's room. True?

Onto pictures...this is where I stand when I take photos. These are the stairs that I fell down in Oct 2007. Sigh.

Here I am at 24 weeks exactly:
And here's 23.5 weeks before the video shoot:

More advice!

2010-02-08T17:34:00.002-05:00

Seriously, you would think I was the first person to ever be pregnant...and I don't mean that in a "me and my baby are SO special" way...I mean it as "holy, this is harder than I thought - I have so much more appreciation for my friends now" way. Seriously. I am impressed by each of you who managed to have children without freaking out!

Ok, I need more advice:
1. What does one wear to the gym during their third trimester? This kid is sitting VERY low and my gym pants are no longer comfortable. Do they make maternity gym clothes? ***Also, WHOA, am I almost in my third trimester????? ***
2. Don't even get me started on my sports bras.
3. Or my regular bras. ***Funny side story - M was reading Baby Bargains out loud recently and started asking me about nursing bras and clogged ducts. Never thought we would have THAT conversation. ***
4. Big question of the day - what mattress do you have in your crib? This is harder than I thought - Babies R Us has so many options and Baby Bargains hates them all!!!

Also, I have NOT received my glucose results yet. Apparently there is a backlog at the lab and I should just be happy that I got my thyroid results! :)

So mattresses...offer opinions, please!!!

Advice

2010-02-03T20:47:00.002-05:00

Ok, I am getting a little worried about the glucose challenge on Friday. Totally standard for all pregnant women and it's just a precursor to a diabetes test...so if I have a high blood sugar with this test, then I have to take the real challenge/test.

We all know that JS in P loooooves carbs - so I'm worried that I'm going to have a high reading!!

Any cheat secrets? I mean, besides eating well for the last six months???

1. I heard I should fast 8-10 hours before I take the glucola.
2. Some have recommended lots of water; some say none.
3. No concentrated sweets 24 hours before the test.
4. Should I eat a hard-boiled egg while I'm drinking the glucola or just continue the fast?

Help!

I don't know him.

2010-01-31T20:19:00.003-05:00

Someone had a thirtieth birthday party last night. And someone decided to shave his beard MID-party.

Wow.

Also, I appreciate MJ's question about my video shoot - it went really well!! I hope I'm in the final version so I can post it here.

I'm gonna be famous!

2010-01-15T13:31:00.003-05:00

I guess I feel less fired up now that I'm feeling the love from work! So how am I going to look camera-ready by next week?

X is producing a short video which will be shown by X at the end of February. The video will also be posted on the intranet. We are looking for approximately 75 people to be filmed—for about 5 minutes each—answering a few simple questions about what makes X unique and special. The filming will take place on X on January 20 and 21. You were recommended as someone who might be good for this video – which is meant to be very fun and upbeat.

Yes, I am this excited about a possible 30 second cameo in a video for a meeting and the inTRAnet.

Fired Up

2010-01-13T21:36:00.004-05:00

I'm all fired up. I was boarding the shuttle tonight when a woman asked the driver if he went to **** House. For lack of a better term, the **** House is almost like a B&B for parents of kids receiving treatment at the hospital...think Ronald McDonald House but privately run by the hospital.

The shuttle driver said that he would drop the woman off nearby. Honestly at that point, I was in my own little fog of "end of 12 hour day" and kind of ignored the situation. A few blocks into the ride, he pulled over and told the woman to get out at the corner and directed her how to get there. It was only three blocks BUT it was 13 degrees and pitch black out. Plus she had never been there, was not familiar with Boston and was carrying two bags.

Let's not forget that if she needs to stay at the **** House, she is dealing with a very ill child.

So of course, I open my mouth (surprised?) and tell the driver to drive her all the way to the house...because none of us employees mind going TWO MINUTES out of our way on the way to the parking lot. Right??? Right???? But no one else on the shuttle bus even notices this conversation so no one chimes in to agree with me. Meanwhile, the driver hems and haws and turns the corner further away from the house...REALLY? I was furious. This is how we treat the parents of our sickest patients? We ignore their simple needs???

FIRED UP, I tell ya.

To be fair, maybe the other riders were all in their post-12 hour day fog too because a few seconds later, one of the men on the shuttle jumps into the argument and suggests that since the driver already turned the corner, he might as well drive us to the parking lot and then drop the woman directly off at the **** House.

He then leaned over to me and apologized because he didn't realize that it was a parent that I was arguing for (for whom I was arguing?). Then we had a lovely conversation about how the **** House is really nice (see photo).

Anyway, I'm still fired up. I was trying to do my good deed for the day and I just ended up feeling so annoyed that the driver and the other riders couldn't see that two minutes of our time would save a cold walk in the dark for a mother of a sick child. Grrrrrr.

Sidenote - this house used to be a frat house and was remodeled by the hospital last year while keeping the outside facade. Gorgeous!

Worth a thousand words

2010-01-12T10:10:00.003-05:00

This blogpost is because I'm cleaning out the photos on my phone in anticipation of getting a new one (don't even START, Mike!).

About a 100 funny things strike me in this photo:
1. The fact that my grandmother really wanted a nice photo of the two of us.
2. That we agreed to do it.
3. We coordinated our outfits!
4. We were only 22 and 19.
5. That it looks like an engagement photo.
6. That we coerced KC to take the photos.
7. Oh yes, that there were many more outtakes before we agreed on this one (this was pre-digital cameras, by the way).
8. That we did the posing at KC's work building because it was decorated for Christmas.
9. That we are so obviously related...something that I usually can't see.
10. And yes, this picture is still displayed in my grandparents' living room - which is why I was able to take a picture of it with my phone.

Best Gift Ever

2010-01-11T18:41:00.004-05:00

This is the Snoogle pillow. I also like to refer to it as "the best thing that has ever happened to me". Some might argue that marriage to an incredible man or the conception of our long-awaited child would be better than a pillow.

Those people would be wrong. This trumps marriage and child. Although one could also create a connection from the marriage to the pregnancy to the back aches and sleepless nights to the need for a Snoogle. So I guess it is all related.

Look how it cradles! It's fantastic! You can also flip it around if you want to wrap your arms around it - I prefer to lean my back into it.

More photos

2010-01-06T20:31:00.008-05:00

Here's a picture of me tonight - totally sitting up straight and sort of sucking my stomach in (if that is possible anymore).And here's how I really feel:

Ahhh, I love relaxing! A photo from a month ago is here - same shirt. No surprise since I only have about 5 well-fitting shirts at this point. :)

Also, Mike is not home which is why I am parading around in front of the hallway mirror.

Sidenote: my grandmother just called. This may be only amusing to MJ since she had to take messages from her for four years. Things she told me:

1. I need to gain more weight.

2. I don't need a car seat until the baby can sit up on his/her own.

3. I can't go out shopping for a car seat tonight. I tried to explain online shopping for the 900th time but it didn't work.

Also, I think she thinks Mike is a traveling salesman since he travels for business. I tried to explain that conferences are a good thing for him but it didn't work. Please note the correlation between my explanations and the lack of comprehension.

Freecycle

2010-01-04T18:06:00.002-05:00

Are you all excited for a post that is NOT about pregnancy?

Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew about freecycle. It is the greatest use of the web! To sum it up, it's basically a free version of Craig's List. You list what you have or what you want and you hope that people in your area can help you out by either taking it off your hands or offering you their old items.

I've given away a 20-year-old sewing machine, my wedding dress and the disgusting sink/vanity from our bathroom (we replaced it immediately upon moving in). If just for the vanity, then I think it's worth it - could you imagine if we needed to haul that to the dump?

I've also given away a desk, some curtain rods and a broken microwave.

I haven't used it for GETTING things yet but I did see that one woman got a free snap-and-go stroller frame the other day so I'm considering it. Also, a friend of mine used it for some office furniture and she's really pleased.

However, I have NOT had any luck getting someone to pick up this stupid Select Comfort bed...don't fail me, freecycle!

In the meantime...

2009-12-29T16:10:00.003-05:00

I shouldn't be so concerned with making a nursery because this is what the second bedroom currently looks like:

We got a new (KING SIZED) bed this weekend so the old bed is currently on top of/around the bed in the second bedroom. Anyone want a three-year-old Select Comfort queen sized bed?

Also, this is what I looked like last Wednesday.

Nursery Thoughts

2009-12-29T15:51:00.006-05:00

Let's be honest...this has officially turned into a baby blog. Oh well!

I can't decide between green or yellow for the room. Specifically, I am very obsessed with gray/yellow right now.

These are the colors that I was originally interested in:

I think the circular crib and flamingo thing are weird but I really liked the green/brown/white combo.

I was also obsessed with this ridiculous pewter crib.

Let's play a game called "my kid doesn't need this crib", ok? I won't even tell you what it costs but I would have gotten a hefty discount because of my stepmother's job. It would still be expensive even with the discount. Ick. Also, I'm pretty sure that a METAL crib is not the best idea.

Surprisingly, Mike really liked it a lot too. I was pretty sad to walk out of the store without it!

So moving on, I think I've abandoned the green room and pewter crib for yellow and gray (or grey, if you prefer your tea or your cats to be British).

So here is my new color obsession:

I wouldn't go with the super dark gray but I do like the idea of a lighter gray (like the side walls in the picture). I think it's nice and calming.

Also, the crib in these pictures is from Ikea. Impressive! I was definitely skeptical of buying a crib from there but it seems that most people are very happy and the safety features are pretty impressive (thanks, CCBL!!!).

So grey/yellow/white or green/brown/white? What do you think? Also, thoughts on the Ikea crib?

Also, thanks to KLG for sending me to a great decorating website with lots of photos!!!!

There you are!

2009-12-27T16:26:00.005-05:00

Well, I'm pretty sure that this is not a hysterical pregnancy since I started feeling the baby move on Tuesday afternoon! I wasn't sure for a few days but it's pretty obvious now. YAY!

Today is the 20 week mark - yay for halfway there! This was the picture that I got in this week's email...I'm pretty sure that my child is a bit lower but I'd say this is fairly accurate as to where I am feeling the kicks...aka RIGHT ON MY BLADDER!!! :)

I may have actually told my long-awaited child to "quit it" yesterday. I'm a really sweet momma, apparently.

Also, I'm entirely too lazy to edit out "your baby is practicing swallowing" and "click for the big picture" out of the image.

I wish I could think of a pun about backs.

2009-12-22T10:53:00.004-05:00

Soooo...in my last post, I complained that my back hurt. I thought I had just slept on it funny so I tried massage, acupuncture and heat...no resolution so I finally went to the doctor today.

Turns out that my rotator cuff injury from 2007 has come back to haunt me.* The muscle under my right scapula is apparently visibly larger than the left. The only problem is that I am no longer allowed to use excessive amounts of heat, cortisone injections or prescription pain relievers (or muscle relaxers).

Anyway, I'm off to Physical Therapy 2x/week for the next 4 weeks - that should fix it! I'm slightly disappointed that there wasn't a quick fix but I'm definitely relieved that there is a solution!

* I should say that the injury is only mildly "haunting" me...I feel worse for Mike who has to listen to LOTS of whining and is now responsible for basically all physical work in our home. Oooops!

Lots of venting

2009-12-18T11:08:00.002-05:00

Need to vent/complain....

1. We were supposed to have new windows installed on Wed and Thurs. However it was too cold yesterday so they are finishing them today. I am hiding out in the basement. I am irritated because I cancelled lunch plans today because all I wanted to do was nap/relax (my back hurts) and instead I had to get dressed before 9am on my day off. Wahh, life is SO hard for me!

2. I get irritated when people have a long-standing problem and don't do ANYTHING about it. We all know that I had a hard time getting pregnant. It sucked and I was sad and depressed. There were plenty of times when I felt like I would never have children. BUT I always had a future plan...I took medications, I drank gallons of decaf green tea, I did acupuncture, etc... I had three doctors with a medical plan...and if that failed, I had two adoption seminars lined up for this autumn. Just do something!!

Ok, I guess it's obvious that I've never been actually clinically depressed. Also, I'm apparently not compassionate.

3. A lot of people are telling me that I'm having a boy because I haven't gained weight in my face. This is sort of a half-assed compliment.

4. I used to consider myself pretty good with babies. I was really good at swaddling, calming, etc...somehow I have lost this skill. I don't know if it is related to working in the ICU or struggling to get pregnant but either way, it's not very good timing!

5. I get nervous when people make baby plans before the 12 week ultrasound. I worry that they will get too hopeful and then be disappointed. Conversely, I am now 18 weeks pregnant and I haven't done anything. Ooops.

6. My husband is fantastic. That is a whole other post. Let's just say that I am no longer mad about the "Whoa. Preggers!" comment.

7. I have photos from the 18 week ultrasound last week! They are a bit boring but I will scan them.

6 and 7 weren't really "venting"...darn. I will have to work on my pessimism.

If you're so upset, tell the internet

2009-12-15T11:03:00.002-05:00

Two things my husband said to me yesterday...

1. He walked by while I was changing into my pajamas and says "WHOA. Preggers!"...about two seconds later, he says "You look beautiful!" but really in those two seconds, I almost killed him.

2. A dialogue:
JSinP: blah blah blah, something about getting stuff done before the baby comes...
M: It's okay. We have six months!
JSinP: Ummm, no, we have five months.
M: No, it's mid-December and the baby is coming in mid-May so that's...oh...shoot....that's five months.
JSinP: Yeah.

If you're curious...

2009-12-10T21:17:00.003-05:00

...this is what I look like lately:
At least this is what I look like when smirking and posing in Au Bon Pain in the middle of a workday.

Comment Commentary

2009-12-03T11:16:00.003-05:00

I have to respond to a few of your comments from my last few posts:

1. I deleted a comment that mentioned my last name. Sorry!
2. Gange's posts about Christmas gifts were surprisingly right on.
3. I was at Logan Airport yesterday for the world's fastest and stupidest trip and I bought Good Housekeeping on Meghan and CCBL's suggestion. Ummm, it was great!!!!!!!!! I am fully committing to the fact that I am now in the appropriate age demographic for it. Wow.

And some other comments:

1. My FB wall is still blocked. I don't know if this bothers anyone but Meghan.
2. I ordered a ton of maternity clothes because I am sick of squeezing into tight clothes. I want to breathe!
3. After a huge rainstorm, it is now 60 degrees and gorgeous outside.
4. Mike's fancy holiday party is in two weeks. I guess I should go try on my dresses and see what fits. I'm assuming that they will fit because they are all sort of loose.
5. For those that don't know, I am mildly obsessed with dresses. This may come as a shock since I never WEAR dresses.

Can't we just do gift amnesty?

2009-12-01T20:51:00.004-05:00

I need some suggestions for Christmas gifts. Ideas? Here’s my list:

- My parents – I think we’re all set for them. We bought them a calendar from an artist friend (who I won’t mention here because I’m afraid it will make the blog google-able – but the info is in the image!) and I think we’re going boring this year – kitchen stuff, new cordless phones, etc…
- Mike’s parents – calendar and NO EARTHLY IDEA. Help!
- My grandmother – oy. No idea. Maybe a new phone?
- My grandfather – probably nothing. He lives in a nursing home and told me he doesn’t need anything (this is kind of true).

- 18 year old cousin (boy) - gift card to somewhere???
- Cousins – either individual gifts or group gifts for the siblings:
o Siblings - almost 7 year old girl and 3 year old girl
o Siblings - 3 year old boy and 2 year old boy

Please share your thoughts! I need help!

I'm bummed that I won't be spending Christmas this year with these characters:

You might want to click on it to get the full awesomeness of the 80s.

I need a new magazine

2009-12-01T09:37:00.003-05:00

I need a new magazine...something a little craft-y, a little homey but not too "housewifey". Suggestions?

As you know, we already get a lot of magazines so I have some opinions:

- I can't stand Rachael Ray.

- I want some nice articles about cute gifts for people or trendy/inexpensive clothes for me.

- I like articles about women's health issues.

- I want some nice recipes for relatively healthy meals. While I love Martha, her recipes are too lengthy for a normal Tuesday night dinner; Real Simple's recipes are too...well, too simple.
- Self and Glamour are great but they don't have anything too crafty/homey.

Suggestions?

Terrible!!!

2009-11-29T11:10:00.002-05:00

More names from Virginia!

Harlem - I kind of like this! I have a friend from Australia who named her daughter Sydney.
Nzingha
Changin
Souleymane
Paishance
Jazzmen Bunnie
Godsee Joy

Siblings -Zuyaun, Jujuan, Tyjuan, Dujuan, Zuyjaun

And, Virginia, you are not the above-mentioned friend from Australia. I can't believe I have two friends from Australia and neither have accents. Can you work on that?

When did this happen?

2009-11-29T00:31:00.006-05:00

Last weekend, I wore my favorite jeans on both Saturday and Sunday. No worries...they zipped up in the am and, although they were a little tight by the evening, they fit fine. I definitely noticed that my clothes fit differently but they FIT so I didn't really care.

On Monday and Tuesday, I wore scrubs.

On Wednesday, I woke up and pulled on my jeans. Ummmmmmmmmmm....they no longer zipped painlessly. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? In three days????? I could zip and button them WITH GREAT EFFORT but it wasn't a pretty sight.

So this happened:

This is really not a good look for anyone (I'm just sayin')...I think it's time to accept the weight gain and buy some maternity pants.

I didn't think the body changes would bother me so much (it's for a VERY GOOD cause...also, let's face it, I was already significantly overweight) but it is really a strange feeling to be eating fairly well and exercising but still have an evergrowing pooch.

While I'm at it...

2009-11-22T19:58:00.002-05:00

While I'm logged in here, I might as well comment on some other things:

1. I bought Swiss chard. WTF. Suggestions?
2. I ran into my former personal trainer at the gym and told her "the big news". Now I kind of think she's pregnant...she had a few random comments. I was surprised that she knew that pregnant women should consume an extra 300 calories/day. I don't think I knew the exact # before I was pregnant...did you???

Superstitious

2009-11-22T19:50:00.004-05:00

For those of you with children, when did you buy your first item for the baby?

As you probably know, I'm a little cynical about this pregnancy. I'm very excited about the possibility of a baby but I'm also worried about getting too optimistic when I know that things can go wrong.

I received some children's books last week and a big stuffed kangaroo this morning so I feel like it might be time. We were in BabyGap buying an outfit for a friend's baby this afternoon and we found the cutest onesie...and we bought it....and now we're feeling superstitious.

It doesn't help that the onesie has little skull and bones on it. :)

More information

2009-11-10T17:56:00.002-05:00

Since you've all been asking the same questions, I'm totally going to take advantage of the self-serving nature of having a blog and write about it! Plus I think it will be nice to remember all this information later on.

When are you due?
May 16th

Do you want a boy or a girl?
I really don't care. When I'm awake, I think it's a boy. But in my dreams, it's always a girl. We won't find out before the big day!

Do you have names picked out?
No. I am taking suggestions. Winter Coates will not be used.

What are you most excited for?
Holiday traditions, definitely! My mom had great traditions with us and I can't wait to honor her by sharing them with her grandchildren. By the way, this wasn't a real question...I just wanted to mention it.

Other stuff?
My endocrinologist asked when my last day of work would be...he was not pleased with the answer of "May 15th". Apparently pregnant women should not work. He was the fellow though - the attending didn't say anything about it. Work does sort of suck though - it's not easy being on my feet for 12 hours. I think I am going to start wearing sneakers. Also, I would like to win an Oscar so I can use the time to thank Mike, friends and medical professionals for getting me to this point!

Photos!

2009-11-10T17:25:00.009-05:00

I hope I told you all the news...otherwise, these photos are going to be a surprise!

Profile and Hamburger (according to Mike)

Full body profile

Upside down

Happy birthday

2009-11-01T20:02:00.006-05:00

Happy birthday, Mike! We're now the same age for a whole 2.5 months.

I made you a key lime pie.

Also, Carnation, don't be stupid. You should not bill sweetened condensed milk as a good source of calcium.

If you do, people will check the back label and see that you are also a fantastic source of sugar and fat.

Now key lime pie is delicious so I'm willing to forgive you but I think you should reconsider your label.

Boring

2009-10-29T09:24:00.003-04:00

Well, Gange has confirmed that I'm a boring blogger...sigh. He also had a great suggestion - Perhpas you could write a blog entry giving a short blurb describing who all of your blog followers are?

I don't know what "perhpas" means but I like this idea. Who should I profile first? I'm thinking of going in order of people who live comments. Who wants to be first? Gange, it's probably going to be you.

Cottage Cakes

2009-10-27T13:14:00.003-04:00

I was talking to Mike last night and saying that my blog had been really boring lately. He looked over at me and said "well, it's kind of always been boring. If I didn't know you, I wouldn't read it."...ouch.

ANYWAY!!!!!!!!! We went to Manchester VT with my brother and his wife over Labor Day weekend. The inn served these awesome cottage cakes for breakfast. It's SO easy.

1 cup cottage cheese
4 eggs (beaten)
4 tablespoon melted butter or margarine (this is a TON of butter - I think you could reduce it)
1/2 cup flour

Whisk the first 3 ingredients together.
Fold in flour.
Pour batter on a griddle, using medium high heat.
Serve with syrup.

And head up to Manchester VT! It's awesome and there is a quarry!

Baby Names

2009-10-25T21:51:00.000-04:00

I can't believe no one has asked what cottage cakes are! I want to share the recipe!

Anyway, VA gave me some more fantastic names:

Equaija Attrelle Ann (how do you pronounce Equaija?)
Pinky
Asian
Ocean (ha, there was a kid at my hospital this week with a similar name)
Yeternity
Berry
Egyptian
Cherysh
Senator
Harleigh
Cinnamon
Rockqwell
Darlin
Destyne Luck
Goodness

Itchy

2009-10-25T10:54:00.004-04:00

I think this is my last gardening email of 2009!

Updates:
- I finally planted crocus and hyacinth bulbs this morning. Yay! There is a good chance that I'm allergic to something since I haven't stopped sneezing/itching since I started planting them. This also happened on Friday in the car on the way home from buying them. Oy. Oh well, they will smell pretty in the spring - even if I won't appreciate them because my nose is so stuffed.
- The store was out of daffodil bulbs. I didn't think it was worth going elsewhere for more.
- Bulbs are dirt-cheap. Get it? "Dirt-cheap"???? Ha ha.
- I finally took down the 2nd Topsy Turvy. The green tomatoes were never going to redden. Grrr. What were other people's experiences with tomatoes in New England this summer?
- I should have brought the basil inside two weeks ago.
- I planted an old squash this morning. This is a Tony trick. Let's see if it works.

Gardening updates are boring. I need to find some Benadryl. Also, I need to make cottage cakes for my handsome husband.

Less than a week later!!

2009-10-20T06:16:00.002-04:00

The Ganges would be so proud of me...I'm updating and it's only been five days since my last post.

Anyway, I've been up since 0230* because I worked Fri/Sat/Sun overnights, slept all day on Monday and then only slept four hours last night. Icky but at least I've been able to catch up on TV this morning!

I've been really trying to give all of the new shows a decent chance this year...I can't even believe how dorky that sounds but it's** true! So here's the rundown of my DVR by day of the week:

Sunday - Mad Men, Brothers and Sisters, Entourage, Army Wives (although I'm losing interest)
Monday - How I Met Your Mother, Gossip Girl, Greek
Tuesday - Melrose Place (meh), 90210 (double meh)
Wednesday - Glee, Modern Family (holy crap, funniest new show in a long time), Eastwick
Thursday - The Office, 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy (losing interest), FlashForward, Private Practice

I wish I could get into The Good Wife but it's not doing it for me. Anything else I should be watching?

* I think it's impt to use military time as often as possible to annoy people who are not nurses or former army sergeants.
** It's vs its annoys me SO much.

October 15th

2009-10-15T10:07:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure why but I won't allow myself to turn on the heat until Oct 15th. Basically we've been freezing for two weeks. Poor Mike - I'm a cover hog so he had to grab a blanket from the basement couch recently to keep covered. Hee hee.

ANYWAY!!!! The heat is now on and I am so happy.

Also, my brother was stinking cute this morning when he called. I'll have to write about it later.

The plants are all done (although the hydrangea is actually GROWING) and now I've just got some mums and pumpkins by the front garden. I need to plant daffodil bulbs asap if I want them for the spring. I don't really have anything else to write about! Suggestions?

Bruschetta!

2009-10-01T21:05:00.001-04:00

Hmmm...I emailed the bride (what???? I'm possessed!) and she gave me the same advice as CCBL - just call the restaurant!

Anyway, here's the deal: it's just bruschetta! REALLY? WHAT?

So he gave me the ingredients:
- tomatoes
- onions
- fresh garlic
- balsamic vinegar (that must have been the sweetness)
- capers (interesting)

I guess I'll try it out!

Secret Food

2009-09-29T18:55:00.002-04:00

Ok, I need some help...as you may know, I'm obsessed with tomatoes. I tasted something tomato-y and AWESOME this weekend but I can't figure out what it was.

We were at a rehearsal dinner this weekend at an excellent Italian restaurant in Lenox MA. The appetizers were served buffet-style on different tables. On this particular table was small slices of bread and then hummus, baba ganosh, olives, etc...very Mediterranean/Italian/Greek. In addition, there was a tomato mixture of goodness. What kind of tomato-y dish goes with those other dishes? It was sort of bruschetta-ish (supposed to go on the bread) but BETTER.

I can't even figure out the ingredients - something sweet? Balsamic vinegar? Tomatoes were definitely the main ingredient (no cheese, grain, etc...).

Please help - I can't stop thinking about it!

Sidenote: if you're ever looking for a good weekend excursion in the fall, I would definitely recommend Lenox. The wedding was obviously the high point of the weekend but Lenox on its own would have been pretty great too!

Thank you, KLG

2009-09-25T08:13:00.002-04:00

I thought this was pretty funny:

http://kanyelicious.appspot.com/http://jobsatisfactioninparaguay.blogspot.com/

Cute

2009-09-24T22:58:00.007-04:00

Well, I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the x-rated produce. Also, I apologize for the ten day absence - I forgot I had a blog!

Anyway, I'm totally going to gush about Mike. Annoying but whatever, it's my blog and I can brag and be mushy about his cuteness. He went away from Friday to Sunday...when I got home on Friday night from work, these notes were all over the house.

Too freaking cute!

I can see Gange rolling his eyes right now.

Whatever.

Interesting

2009-09-14T13:07:00.003-04:00

Huh. This is how the cucumber, lemon and lime were arranged this morning by the cleaning lady.

By the way, after the economy tanked while we were in Hawaii last year, we got all grown-up and stuff and canceled the cleaning lady, the Globe delivery and HBO.

We were back with HBO and the cleaning lady within six months. Having a clean house after working a 12 hour shift is an amazing feeling.

Two posts, one day

2009-09-08T14:32:00.003-04:00

I am still loving this email and now I want to add my own commentary to some of them. I'm sure that will bore some of you...and to that, I say "get your own blog".

1. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I canthink about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tellmy own story that's not only better, but also more directly involvesme. (I've never thought this...except ALL THE TIME)

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when yourealize you're wrong. (unfortunately this happens much more than I want to admit with my husband)

3. I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink tohave fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint andsticks when they've invented the lighter? (YES! I also think non-drinkers have fairly boring stories. Again, I'm sure that some of you will say "JSinP, you're a TERRIBLE lightweight drinker"...but whatever, at least I try! Also, get your own blog)

4. That's enough, Nickelback. (hmmm...I don't really care one way or the other. I could say it to Coldplay though.)

5. There is a great need for sarcasm font. (Also a font for "you're a moron but I work with you so I don't want to be too mean")

6. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it. (well, no, because my movie-watching was severely limited by the PBS-loving parents...but this totally happens when I reread books)

7. I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actuallybecomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone'slaughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a littlebit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still theonly one who really, really gets it. (Again, I haven't seen a lot of movies - definitely happens with TV shows though)

8. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. (only my brother will appreciate this - this is also true when trying to bring all of my grandmother's groceries into her condo. She'll suggest that you take a rolling cart through the handicapped entrance and up into her place but instead I'd rather have my hands fall off as I carrry a year's worth of Parmalat through the front door)

9. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. (ALL THE TIME)

10. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nodand smile because you still didn't hear what they said? (this has been happening a lot lately - I am blaming it on swimming a lot but I'm sure what my excuse for deafness will be when the pool is closed)

11. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired. (ALWAYS)

12. Bad decisions make good stories. (so one time I was at a wedding and they served boxed wine...)

13. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say theirname and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem... (I have this problem a lot...this is ridiculous because I love public speaking but this paralyzes me)

14. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at workwhen you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day. (I miss these days so much - unfortunately my current job doesn't allow for F'ing around on the internet)

15. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste. (YES. Also, Mike would count in that statement...I hate when I am all dolled up and I don't see him. I kind of feel bad for him...he only sees the gross JSinP)

16. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle,then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes. (ummm, yes)

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call. (this is a common conversation between me and Mike - should we delete those #s or not?)

18. It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text. (I thought everyone else loved the video!!! I hate it)

19. The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, sawthey had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words,someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to thinkabout it, and then estimated that there must be at least four peopleeating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating bymyself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat ba$tard before dinner. (ALL THE TIME)

Still laughing

2009-09-08T13:10:00.004-04:00

I sent Mike an email complaining that I had to pick up TEN books for him at the library this morning.

This is what he emailed me in return:

Ok, that's pretty funny and I'm totally going to do the same thing to someone else.

Ser?

2009-09-06T17:46:00.003-04:00

Virginia sent me another list of AWESOME names.

amiracle
symphonie
oprentiss
lover
jubilee
kapri summer
knicholas
gaybreil
airyn
silver unique
miangel
preshus
tru blessing
hosanna
winter sky

Is it weird that I sort of like Airyn and Winter Sky?

Also, the title of this post is the hot new word for Fall 2009 (TM C. Gange).

That's enough, Nickelback.

2009-09-04T09:13:00.003-04:00

I got this as an email forward...I was pretty sure it was another cheesy forward but I ended up snorting a few times so I thought it was worthy to share. Also, Mike who usually hates forwards thought it was awesome...so that's a ringing endorsement. :)

I wanted to add my own commentary but it's probably not necessary.

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can
think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell
my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves
me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you
realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to
have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and
sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're
going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to
be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the
direction from which you came, you have to first do something like
check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to
yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're
crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

That's enough, Nickelback.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard.
This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will
never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't
work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically
fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all
know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards
or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and
suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually
becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting
90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's
laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little
bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the
only one who really, really gets it.

The other night I hit a new low at an open bar. I had already hopped
on highway blackout when, inevitably I had to find a bathroom.
Eventually I decided it was probably on the other side of the bar so I
tried to walk over there, but ran into a guy coming the other way. We
played that, Both go left, Both go right game to no avail, so I
finally put out my hand to guide myself past and that's is when I realized, yup, that's a
mirror I just tried to walk through. And the guy on the other side is
me. Even cats can recognize their own image.

How the he11 are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than
take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear
your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the
spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron
test is absolutely petrifying.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all
I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod
and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up
to prevent a di ** from cutting in at the front. Stay strong,
brothers!

Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in'
examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete
idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and
said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and
instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I
know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the
shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty,
and you can wear them forever.

I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to
be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an
overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories.

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would
probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their
name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem...

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work
when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything
productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't
want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are
going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me
if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I
swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching
TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge
me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching
this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the
room. Will we still be friends after this?'

While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China
and USA. No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that
when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? ), but
when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to
voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run
away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing
anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle,
then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising
speed for pedophiles...

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers,
but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not
know what time it is.

It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to
answer when they call.

I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I
find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from
the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car
keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the
Donkey - but I'd bet my a$$ everyone can find and push the Snooze
button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time
every time...

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would
happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the he11 do I respond to that?

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the
link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they
drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or
Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw
they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words,
someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think
about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people
eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by
myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat ba$tard
before dinner.

Topsy Turvy

2009-09-01T21:05:00.003-04:00

Before I touch on the topsy-turvy, I'd like to give a shout-out to Gange and CCBL for being such loyal commenters. YAY! Also, big props to CCBL for finding out that she's got one of each "flavor" to that belly of hers!

Anyway...topsy-turvy...I think it's pretty cool. As you can see, I have some cherry tomatoes growing now. It definitely took ALL summer but I think it's because of the lack of sun for all of June and most of July. I actually had two planters originally but the second one got even less sun. I'd like to try it again next summer - maybe move it to a sunnier area (my neighbor offered her garden) and start with nursery-grown seedlings (and not started from seeds).

All this from a commercial on NESN!

Photos and commentary on acupuncture coming soon (aka when I upload the photos).

The Kindle

2009-08-19T21:51:00.003-04:00

I had the opportunity to play with CCBL's Kindle in MN. Here are my thoughts.

Pros:
- dude, it weighs like NOTHING. Imagine going on vacation - you can bring ten books with no worries!
- I'm sure it eliminates clutter on your bedside table.
- you can download books instantaneously. That is pretty awesome. In fact, CCBL found out that she was having twins (yay) and immediately bought a book while waiting for the OBGYN.

Cons:
- I think it's a lot of money (too lazy to actually look this up).
- I like to flip back and reread certain pages - it might be hard to do this on the Kindle.
- the "books" cost $15 apiece
- I'm a big fan of the library and rarely buy books.

So while I don't think it's worth it for ME, I can definitely see the appeal.

Gardens

2009-08-18T16:54:00.005-04:00

I took the GRE this morning and I feel that I can FINALLY relax...well, until I have to worry about applications...and then actual schoolwork. What am I thinking?????????????? :)

Anyway, my gardens look like craaaaaaap so let's focus on KLG's instead. She built a cool box garden earlier this year. It has been very productive!

Isn't that incredible?!?!? And here is her harvest for just ONE DAY last week:

Awesome!

When I get around to it, I'll post pictures from my topsy-turvy. Everything else (including the hydrangea) died while we were on vacation. Also, next week, I'm going to take some pictures at the acupuncturist's office.

Awesome Friend

2009-08-10T21:46:00.001-04:00

Well!

This touched me:

http://keepinghercool.blogspot.com/2009/08/24-see-my-city-like-tourist.html

Props to Virginia

2009-08-09T11:41:00.003-04:00

Oh boy, Virginia has some new doozies from my old hospital:

Desmonde Tutu

Elvis (a girl)

Legacy

Modesty

Versace

Margarita

Yoyo

Ebenezer

Sirjerome

Little John

Queetia Paradise

Siblings: Marqueisha, Markeisha, Markella, Marche, Marcus, Markell, Marnisha and Jamarr Marquette

Twins: Major and Minor (I think I listed that one earlier)

I am not even going to spellcheck this post. Something tells me that "Sirjerome" will not be in the dictionary.

Awesome Food News

2009-07-27T17:20:00.001-04:00

http://boston.grubstreet.com/2009/07/el_pelon_to_rise_from_the_ashe.html

Plus I like that the link ends in "ashe".

Thoughts

2009-07-26T21:26:00.003-04:00

1. I am going to Minnesota in SIX days! I'm so excited! Someone (guess who?) thinks this deserves a full blog post but I really don't have much else to say yet!

2. I can't believe I didn't update in almost two weeks. I really don't have many stories lately! Someone else gave me a hard time about my lack of updates (again, guess who?) so my plan is to take some awesome photos of his daughter tomorrow for my next post.

3. Meghan's hydrangea is gorgeous. If I saw this a few weeks ago, I'd be jealous...but now that my hydrangea is a wilted, watery disaster, I'm GREEN. I'll post a picture of mine tomorrow.

It's pathetic and requiring stakes to keep it upright.

Little Burgers with Greek Salad

2009-07-13T12:40:00.001-04:00

Recipe #3 - I pretty much stole this from Real Simple magazine but I took out stuff I didn’t like and added other stuff (ummm, cheese).

Box of couscous
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
Salt and pepper
Other Mediterranean-like seasonings
4 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, sliced into half-moons
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Hummus
Feta Cheese
Pita chips (cut up some pita and stick in oven at 350 for 5-10 min)

1. Start making the couscous.
2. Mix the beef, salt&pepper and any other seasonings together and make little patties.
3. Stick the little patties in a glass dish under the broiler for 5 min; flip them over for another 5 minutes. Apparently it’s impt to keep a close eye on this because the fat in the burgers can catch fire under the broiler. Thank you, Google. I used 93% lean so I figured I might be ok.
4. Mix the couscous, tomatoes and cucumbers together. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice.
5. Serve salad with mini burgers and pita chips and hummus.
6. Throw feta all over everything.

Fish Tacos

2009-07-13T12:25:00.004-04:00

As most of you know, I'm OBSESSED with a certain Mexican place that has burned down and I obsessively have been looking for a fantastic steak burrito or fish taco since the fire. I never even thought about MAKING it on my own until last week.

Also, Mike has a tendency to buy random protein products and stick them in the freezer. He's really good about cleaning out the freezer (whereas I usually forget to even look in there) but he would be happy with a random George-Foreman-ed piece of meat/fish and I like something a little fancier.

Anyway...Mike bought some Mahi-Mahi from Trader Joe's a while ago and it inspired me to find a recipe for fish tacos.

Mahi-Mahi (dude, if I knew how much, I would have my own cookbook)
Olive oil
2 limes
Taco seasoning (we have A LOT of taco seasoning in this condo – we make a lot of tacos)
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Sliced red onion
Tortillas (we use the low carb ones – SO yummy)
Shredded white cabbage
Salsa
Sour cream

1. Mix together oil, the juice of 1.5 limes, some taco seasoning and some of the chopped cilantro leaves. Cover the fish with this marinade for 20 minutes (NO MORE THAN 20 MINUTES or you risk making seviche).
2. Grill the fish and the red onion (you’ll have to look up specific grilling instructions; I have no idea).
3. Place the fish and the red onion in tortillas and top with cabbage, salsa and sour cream.
4. Enjoy but realize it’s not as good as a certain Mexican restaurant.

Beet Salad

2009-07-13T12:19:00.004-04:00

Here is the first of three recipes that I love:

Beet Salad - this is a Mamma original and takes about 30 seconds to pull together. It's nothing fancy...
- can of beets
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar (balsamic doesn't taste as good)
- one clove of garlic - minced (should be fresh if you can)
- oregano or Italian seasoning (which includes oregano)
- salt and pepper

1. Drain most of the beet juice and place the beets in a serving dish. It's best to do this in a wide dish so that the beets aren't resting on top of each other.
2. Drizzle with oil and vinegar, scatter garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Let it sit out for a few minutes (20 min would be ideal for the flavors to seep together).
4. If you're worried about garlic breath, you can pick them out now (the flavor is already seeped in).

Thoughts

2009-07-10T10:19:00.002-04:00

1. I am SO happy that Mike is now a follower. I feel very cool.
2. I am waiting for before/after pictures of Meghan's hydrangea. I saw the cell phone pic and it was dangerously impressive.
3. I have three great recipes to post...but I've since found out that one of my recipes is actually a dirty word (according to the SW at work).

Hydrangeas

2009-07-06T20:29:00.004-04:00

Everything else in my garden looks awful but the hydrangeas look awesome.
May 18:

July 6:
Also, I made a beet salad for lunch and fish tacos for dinner. I should post the recipes.