You're Baby is Small

This comment I hate more than anything.  My baby is NOT small, in fact she is in the 98% for height and 87% for weight.  No she doesn't have rolls of fat on her... but she is lean, solid and very muscular. Yet we constantly hear "Your baby is so little". I wonder if the people saying this have any idea how big a baby is supposed to be? I never respond to that comment but I promise you it cuts to my core.

Why does this bother me so much?  Because when you have made a commitment to exclusively breastfeed your baby its rough in the beginning, your baby loses weight while you're waiting for the milk to come in.  I took my baby to the hospital daily for a week after she was born. She had trouble gaining until my milk came in and she lost 20% of her birth weight.  By the way, this is completely normal but scary for a new mom.  Your entire job after that is just to make sure you are feeding enough to your baby.  There is no sleeping through the night because its a chance to get extra calories into her growing body.  It's a job that consumes you.

Breastfed babies are completely different than formula fed in how they gain weight... in fact there is a different chart used to track their growth until they are 2 years old.  She doesn't eat sugar, or fillers, or processed foods.  She only drinks water and Goat's milk. She is a strong healthy girl.

I just wonder how those moms would feel if I started saying "Your baby is huge"?  I'm pretty sure it would hurt their feelings as well.  There is nothing wrong with my baby, she is perfect in every way... If you don't believe me, just ask her grandparents.

Outdoor Baby

Since the weather has heated back up, its pool time, frozen yogurt pops and chalk art!  We spend ALOT of time outside with the music on and blankets on the ground.  Baby J has gotten pretty good at dancing when the music is on... I can only say I REALLY hope her moves get a little better or its going to be an embarrassing childhood for her.

 Dad's chalk art

We have a cherry tomato plant that daddy and her have been checking on every morning.  Now that they are turning red she is constantly wanting to eat them.

Mountains and Mosquitos

We decided to hike up around Mount Rainier this weekend with the babe. After going the wrong direction up a mountain (the one we were suppose to hike AROUND) we got on the right path and had a nice 3 hour hike.  Baby J was waving, singing and saying hi to every person we passed.

While I was smart and wore a sweatshirt hoping not to get bit by the swarms of mosquitos, I took off my sweatshirt before getting in the car to leave... and I have at least 30 bites on my arms.  I have a pretty severe reaction to bites so I'm now covered in hives.  No, its' not pretty...

Now if you'll please excuse me, I really need to go scratch myself.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

I found this delicious recipe from Chef in Training and tried it out last night.  It was so easy and incredibly tasty and the hubby loved it. Winning!

INGREDIENTS

• 10-12 oz penne pasta
• 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken (I used a Rotisserie)
• ¾ cup cooked and crumbled bacon (I used the pre-packaged)
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups heavy cream (milk would be fine, too)
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• ⅓ cup ranch dressing, I used Lite House
• ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. I always add a little olive oil after I drain it and stir in around so the pasta noodles don't stick together or the pot.
2. Toss in cooked and chopped chicken as well as cooked and crumbled bacon into the pasta.
3. TO MAKE RANCH ALFREDO SAUCE: Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and stir to combine. Once you have your roux, add heavy cream (or milk) stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in Garlic salt, onion powder and ranch dressing until well combined.
4. Pour ranch alfredo over pasta, chicken and bacon. Stir to evenly combine.
5. Add in shredded cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
6. Pour into a casserole pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Mommy Daughter Day

The nanny was on vacation so baby J and I got to spend the day together.  It started off with a little blogging, then a long walk...

It's been fun to see her growing this last month, she now communicates everything she wants by pointing.  If she wants to take a nap or go to bed at night, she walks in her room and points to her crib. (Yeah, pretty sure that won't last but its freakin' awesome right now.)  If she wants water, points to her straw cup.  She pretty much points to everything but it works!

Since its only 104 degrees here right now, I got the Yobaby yogurt squeezies and put them in the freezer for her afternoon snack.  Yummy and cold.  And since she REFUSES any kind of milk, we aren't even offering it to her anymore, just making sure she gets enough dairy during the day. We've tried it all, from goat's milk, to almond, to dare I say strawberry... no go.

Today daddy gets her all day.  I totally wish I had a nanny cam now...

Truth - Communication

I decided that every so often I'm going to try and right more about the "truth".  About what our struggles were in the first year of having a new baby and being newlyweds. I think its something most people don't talk about and sometimes you wonder if you're the only one experiencing these feelings.  What I have found is, your not.  I used to read the other mom blogs and think, they have it all together! Maybe I'm not cut out for this. But the truth is, Yes I am.  I am an amazing mother. But I want to be honest and share the struggles too.  It's really all about balance.

No matter how many articles you read, or questions you ask, nothing prepares you for parenthood.  Your life will never be the same and the changes will be immeasurable.  At times, its incredibly hard.  You feel like you’re just digging in and hanging on for awhile, whether it be teething, sickness, just waiting for them to get a little bit older or waiting for them to actually sleep through the night….

It’s been extremely hard on us to say the least, but you know, I think Mr H. would agree, we’ve gotten stronger, we’ve learned to communicate better, we’ve become each other’s best friends (more than we were before), we know everything about each other, we lean on each other in every situation, we’re really a team and we both know the journey it’s been to get here because we did it together.  Every battle I went through, whether it was breastfeeding or sleepless nights, he has been there every step of the way.  He knows me better than I know myself.  For that I’m thankful. 

I know what it’s like to be a new mom that feels incredibly alone at times and I encourage you to talk to someone. You’ll find out its completely normal. (My inbox is always open.)  Then tell your partner how you feel.  It is so important to communicate what is going on.  Even if its, “Hey honey, I’m feeling really disconnected from you.”  Because you will.  Then work together to make changes that feel better.  Don’t wait.  Don’t internalize. Talk about it immediately so there is a resolution and you can be the best team for your kids.

“If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?”
― Milton Berle

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

These are so easy and yet so delicious.  I make them at least twice a month.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 Envelope of taco seasoning
1 can of refried beans
2 cups of salsa (I like Pace Medium)
Tortillas
Cheddar cheese (I cut mine into sticks)

Directions

Cook the chicken in a skillet, add the taco seasoning with the water as directed on the package and cook down till the water is gone.  Add the can of refried beans and salsa.  Mix and heat to incorporate.

In a greased baking dish, spoon mixture into your tortillas, add a cheese stick and roll. (This can be refrigerated or put into the freezer at this point).

Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the tortillas just start to crisp and brown.

Top with avocado, sour cream, cherry tomatoes, olives, green onion whatever you like... its all good!  Serve with side of spanish rice.  Easy and quick.

Friday Night Fever

Well we've spent all weekend with a baby and 102 degree fever.  I hate fevers, they scare me to death.  I noticed a new tooth sprouted on Saturday night but we continue even today with the fever.  If this is how she is with these teeth, what are the molars going to be like?

All she wanted was to cuddle and have daddy read to her

I've been trying to do the suggested things:

• Light clothing
• Keeping her inside
• Lots of water
• Alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen every 4-6 hours
• Cool cloth (she screams at this part)
• Eating (she only wants pureed foods)

During one of her fever breaks we dug out all the toys since its too hot to go outside

Something funny she did while playing with dad.  She picked up a toy phone and said "Hello?" She's never said that word before!  I'm glad we both got to witness it.

Korean Beef Street Tacos

These are my favorite "food truck" style tacos.  They taste like heaven and are very easy.

Ingredients

•  1 3 pound beef chuck roast, trimmed
•  1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
•  1/3 cup soy sauce
•  1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic (about 8 cloves if fresh)
•  1 heaping tablespoon of ginger paste
•  2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
•  1 tablespoon sesame oil
•  1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

For the shredded cabbage slaw:

•  1 16 ounce bag shredded coleslaw
•  1 tablespoon  soy sauce
•  2 tablespoons  seasoned rice vinegar
•  Salt and pepper to taste

Make It

1. Place all the ingredients for the beef in the slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low for 8 to10 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Use forks to shred the beef, then stir the beef into the juices.

3. In a large bowl, toss together the slaw ingredients.

4. To serve, remove a helping of the beef with a slotted spoon or tongs, place it on a warmed tortilla, and top with some cabbage slaw.

We use the blue corn and flaxseed tortillas, so tasty and put a little sriracha sauce to give it an extra kick.

Playground for Adults

Its so nice to have a reason to be a kid again. Mr H and I along with the babes spent the morning at a local playground. I would be lying if I said it was for our kid and not for ourselves. I found myself climbing and hanging on the toys and then glancing around to see if anyone was going to report me to the playground police. Let's just say we ALL had a great time. Can't wait for her to be a LITTLE bit older to really enjoy the toys.

The Running of the Baby

Well we have an absolute runner walker on our hands.  No more needing to hold fingers.  I tried to get a few pictures and that didn't turn out very well... She takes off running and crashes into walls, toys, the dog.  I am more exhausted now than I was before!  And I live in a constant state of panic that she is going to seriously hurt herself instead of the scrapes and bruises she is getting now.  And to top it off, she has restless leg syndrome... well that's what we're calling it anyway.  She never stops even in her sleep... which has been crappy because all she wants to do is GO GO GO.

On top of that she has begun to communicate her needs and wants.  She points to what she wants now, whether it be something she is eating that she wants more of.... or something she shouldn't have but wants to play with.  And the tantrums of a one year old have started, although not that often, JUST every time she doesn't get something she wants.

And I'm pretty sure most of this has to do with those teeth coming in.  Which I have resorted to filling her feeder with yogurt and freezing it, she loves it!  Oh the joys of parenthood...

With all that going on, we still have squeals of laughter filling our house from sun up to sun down.  She loves her cuddles, especially in the mornings and she has started to sing into her microphone she got for her birthday.  Oh I hope she's a better singer than her mom and dad!

Baby Travel

Traveling with a baby can be a pretty scary and stressful thought.  I know, it absolutely consumed me before our first plane trip.  We recently flew to Dallas and had Baby J sitting on our laps.  When we left from our home airport, the plane we were flying on broke…. Yeah on top of already being stressed, now we have a broken plane and a delay… a delay that meant we had no time to eat.  No time to expend some of that energy.  No time to change a diaper.  Only enough time to catch our next flight.  It really was the worst possible situation.  But you know, it turned out just fine.

 As she gets older and we have our next flight planned this fall… I’m thinking about getting her own seat and bringing a car seat.  She rides great in the car, she has her own place to relax, she’s not stuck in our laps (which is uncomfortable for everyone).  Hopefully she’ll be more interested in videos or cartoons to keep her occupied for part of that time.

We have just been co-sleeping with her when we are on vacation.  So far that has worked out great.  I’m hoping it continues.

The best tips I can give you are these:

• Fly during the day.  Even if you think that a red-eye is the best option, its not.  They won’t sleep like you think they will.  I prefer to travel first thing in the morning when they are well rested. When it's their naptime, they’ll actually fall asleep and if they don’t, don’t stress, go with the flow.
• Go to the dollar store and stock up on a million toys.  The best item I bought was a bag of balloons.  I ended up giving them out to other kids in the airport and thankful parents.  They are the best distracter, time waster and energy expender there is.  Cheap and take no room to pack.
• Bring suckers, just in case they refuse to drink or eat anything to pop their ears for take-off and landing.  We had to do this once and it worked great.
• Bring a large bottle of water and their sippy cup.  Yes you can go thru security with it, just tell them its for your baby.  They will test it and send you on your way.
• Bring the snack pouches or pureed foods.  Baby J stopped eating them, but on the plane we ended up feeding her those.  It worked out great.  I wish I had brought more than I did.
• My favorite item we have ever purchased is our backpack.  We get stopped all the time with people asking about it.  She loves to ride in it, it’s great for getting through the airport and it travels well, you can even carry it on and stick it overhead.

Deuter Kid Comfort II

Most importantly, just go with the flow and do the best that you can.  Your schedule will be messed up, but you're on vacation, have fun.  If they can't sleep, get up and go to the pool at midnight, play games, watch TV.  It will all work itself out.  And if you can RENT BABY EQUIPMENT to save yourself time and hassle. Less things to lug around the airport is a positive in my husband's book

Also when you get home, things might be a little crazy for a week day or two while you adjust back to your normal routine.  

Any travel tips you want to add?

4th of July

Whew!  What a whirlwind of a weekend.  We spent a LOT of time outdoors over the last few days.  Lots of sunshine and heat meant we bought a kiddie pool and floaties for Jessy.  And now that she has learned to point at what she wants.... it was a ton of pointing at watermelon, cherries and blueberries.... all weekend long.  For fireworks we went to a friends house and watched people setting them off around the neighborhood.  Jessy made it 2 hours past her bedtime before she started to lose her marbles... so we went home and tucked her into bed.

Star Skirt    Little Sparkler Onesie (Old Navy - sold out)

Frog bath and pool toy

The frog float toy is the BEST!  And I'm pretty sure baby J loves it too! With tempts reaching 100 the next few days with no end in sight... we're going to get a lot of use from water toys!

1st Birthday Party

So we celebrated Baby J's first birthday this weekend.  The day was beautiful.  We did a Lemonade theme party if you couldn't tell!

That's my beautiful grandmother, Baby J's GREAT-Grandmother. She's going to be 100 this year.

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

I made these this weekend for our baby girl's first birthday.

Ingredients

• 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup lemon curd (make your own in the microwave, recipe to follow)
• 2 egg whites
• 3 Tbls granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Coat a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine cookie dough and all purpose flour. Knead together until well blended.
4. Shape dough into one inch balls. Press cookie dough in bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup, forming cup shape.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and let cool for at least ten minutes before gently twisting to remove from pan. Place on rack and let cool completely.
7. Whip egg whites in a mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, continuing to whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
8. Spoon lemon curd into cups. (If necessary, press the center of the cups down with your thumb before spooning in curd to create more space.)
9. Drop one tablespoon of meringue on top of the curd in each cup.
10. Place cups on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place under the broiler just until tips of meringue start to show color. Remove immediately. (Watch these constantly. My broiler took 15 seconds to brown the meringue.)
11. Let cool for a few minutes before serving or store in refrigerator until ready.

Lemon Meringue Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• lemon zest from 3 lemons

Instructions

1. Melt butter in microwave, set aside to cool slightly.
2. Whisk together sugar and eggs in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl.
3. Whisk in lemon juice and zest.
4. Finally whisk in the butter.
5. Microwave on 50% power for one minute. Stir.
6. Continue microwaving at 100% power in one minute intervals, stirring after each interval until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (The curd will thicken as it cools.)
7. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove zest.
8. Pour curd into sterile jars and store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

This stuff is seriously so good, you'll be spreading it on toast, rolls, your finger....

These are easier then it seems, I promise and WELL worth it.  I have a super clingy baby right now and these can be whipped up pretty quickly.  They store great in the refrigerator to be eaten every 10 minutes until they are gone... oh, that's just me I guess.