I Need a Shower

Once I became a Mom I quickly realized what a luxury it is to take a shower. In the beginning I was so busy taking care of Ryan all the time I barely had a chance to shower more than a couple times per week. Then I started to shower more often because I was able to put Ryan in his lamby seat with a toy. He would sit in it on the bathroom floor where I could see him. He would usually give me about 10 minutes to shower and dress.

However, he is no longer happy with this little setup. The lamby seat is too confining for him and he spends his entire time struggling to climb out. If I put him too close to our vanity he will open the drawer and then slam it shut on his little fingers.

If I move him away from it, he struggles to escape his lamby seat.Sometimes he is able to manuever himself so far out of his seat that he gets stuck hanging off the side. So I need to come up with a new solution to my shower dilemna. Where do you put your baby/young child while you shower? Our bathroom isn't big enough to fit his exersaucer, so that won't work. Any bright ideas?

Ryan: 9 Months

Happy 9-month birthday Ryan! This month was a fun one for you, exploring every single thing you could get your hands on. You continue to stand up every chance you get. You haven't attempted to take any steps yet without holding on to something. If you see something you want, you will simply sit down and crawl to it rather than even trying to walk.
You love your sippy cup and throw a mini-tantrum every time I try to take it away from you. Your interest in foods is slowly returning. New foods this month included cheese (you actually don't seem to love it that much), beets, hummus, cottage cheese, kale and egg yolk.
You are so much fun to play with, especially when you are smiling and laughing. You like being tickled and playing peek-a-boo. I have noticed lately that you are much more likely to laugh when it's just the two of us, or when Daddy is around. You are more quiet and serious when other friends and family are around. Maybe you will be a shy little boy? I'm just happy that I get to see your silly side. It melts my heart!

Your big accomplishment this month was learning to say "Dada". I don't think you necessarily associate it with Adam yet, but I think you will soon. You have also been saying "Yayaya" a lot lately.You weigh about 19 pounds now. You are looking much sturdier these days, but don't seem to be as tall as other babies your age. I can't believe you wear size 12 month clothing already!Sleep is still an issue, as I fear it will be for quite some time. You have started to nap more, totaling about 1 hour per day. But those darn nights......

I can't wait to see what your 10th month will bring. I love you Baby Boy!

Outtakes:

Foodie Friday: Cleanse

On Sunday night I declared this a "healthy" week. I was talking to my sister on Saturday and she mentioned she was doing a cleansing diet where she was eating a lot of seaweed and raw garlic. So that's definitely not what we're eating in our house, but she inspired me to be a little healthier this week. Adam and I have been eating a lot of junk lately and I felt like our meals needed a little cleansing. More veggies and fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. Here are a few of the meals we ate this week:

2 recipes from this book:

Lemony Lentil Soup with Greens (Ryan loved this soup!)

Salmon in Aromatic Tomato Sauce with Swiss Chard

And Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps! Recipe is here. I don't remember how I stumbled upon this recipe but I've made it a few times and Adam and I both like it. It really packs a punch of flavor, so it's great when served with the cold lettuce and some brown rice on the side. We also had potstickers.

Finally, to round out the week I made whole wheat brownies. Adam was so incredibly suspicious of them, since he knew I was on a health-kick this week. I had to convince him there was no tofu or beans in them before he would take a bite. We both really liked them! (You didn't think I would give up dessert this week, did you?)

Napping - Dare I Say It?

Ryan is napping right now. In his crib. I'm almost afraid to type it, as if that will somehow jinx it and make him wake up. For the past week he has taken maybe 4 or 5 naps in his crib, typically around 40 minutes each. I'm so excited! Could this possibly last?

When Ryan falls asleep, either nursing or in his carseat, I have been getting up and laying him in his crib. Sometimes he wakes up, but lately he has been staying asleep more often than not. I really really really hope this lasts.

Nights are a different story. I still spend about 45 minutes getting him to sleep, usually around 8pm. Once he is in his crib he will sleep for 30 minutes and then like clockwork he wakes up. I put him back to sleep, either by nursing or rocking him, and then he wakes up a few more times before I give up and bring him in bed with us, usually by 11pm. He then tosses and turns and wakes up crying between 3 and 5 times per night until we're up for the day by 7:30.

I wish Ryan would sleep in his crib all night. But for now I'm elated about his napping. It's a step in the right direction!

Thank you

I would just like to say a special thank-you to my Mom.I see her on average 2-3 times per week. She comes over for around an hour and plays with Ryan while I get stuff done. It is so nice to be able to wash dishes, mop, or fold laundry without trying to distract Ryan from crying. I know it sounds strange, but getting these things done is a luxury for me! And I owe a big thank-you to my Mom for knowing that I need this.

She is a wonderful Grandma too! (She's had practice....she has 5 other grandchildren!)

Thank you Mom!

Weekend Recap

After being sick for what felt like forever, it was nice to enjoy the sunny weekend! Saturday I went with my parents and Ryan up to visit my sister's family.Samantha tried to get Ryan to take his first steps, but it didn't happen.

Sunday morning Adam and I collaborated on a nice fattening breakfast. Ryan had plain YoBaby yogurt, whole grain oatmeal, and apricot applesauce. Such a healthy guy.
After breakfast I took Ryan over to the local farmer's market. Here is my loot. I got kale, 2 bunches of radishes, 3 lemons, broccoli, golden chard, a grapefruit, day-old peasant bread, 1 dozen brown eggs, and brussel sprouts. All for only $12.

Sunday afternoon I attended the baby shower of my friend Laura (I've known her since Kindegarten!). Adam was on baby duty while I was at the party. I arrived home to this:

A sleeping baby!!

We ended the weekend on a high note. We used a gift card for BJ's and got food to go.

What did you do this weekend?

Let's Play Ball!

Ryan's new "thing" is throwing. Doesn't matter what it is. If it gets into his hands, it will be thrown!

(Mostly with his right hand, in case you were wondering. Sorry Adam)

Foodie Friday: Filipino Recipes

I have had the pleasure of working with 2 different Filipino co-workers on two separate occasions. Both of them generously gave me some authentic recipes that they liked to cook at home. I love when this happens! Getting family recipes from people of different cultures automatically means it will be good. And these 2 recipes are delicious! The ingredients are simple but the results are yummy. And now I will give them to you:

Chicken Adobo

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (minced)
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
ground pepper (a healthy pinch)
1 tsp sugar

1) In a large pot saute garlic and onion for 10 minutes over medium heat.
2) Add chicken, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, pepper, and sugar.
3) Let simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is done and sauce has reduced.
4) Enjoy over rice!



Beefsteak (Bistek)

1 lb london broil
1 large onion, sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar

1) Thinly slice the beef against the grain (As thin as you can get. It helps if the meat is still a little frozen)
2) Combine lemon juice, soy sauce and sugar in large bowl. Add sliced beef and marinate for about 1 hour.
3) Saute onion for a few minutes. Add beef with marinade juices.
4) Cook on medium to medium-low for up to 2 hours. Add water when you notice the marinade reducing too much. I've had to add quite a bit of water when I make this. In the end the meat will be so tender it will practically fall apart.

Enjoy!

Not Easier, Just Different

When Ryan was a newborn I remember asking my sister (who has 5 kids), "Does it get easier?".

At the time I am sure my sister wanted to simply say "Yes, of course it does. It will get easier for you".

Instead she chose to tell me the truth. She told me that being a mom never gets easier, it just gets different.

And now here I am, almost 9 months into this parenting adventure, and I am finding that her words were so true. Each stage of babyhood so far has had its share of both challenges and joys. True, Ryan no longer has colicky crying spells, and in that sense he has gotten easier to take care of. But oh my, the crawling and getting into every single thing that shouldn't be touched and I can't take my eyes off him for a second! In that sense it has gotten more difficult. (As I type he has just emptied our electronics drawer and is chewing on a pair of headphones).

But if I had to choose, I'd say the stage he is in right now is my favorite so far. His personality is developing more and more each day, and I am having so much fun interacting with him. He laughs at my silly faces and voices. He loves being hung upside down by Daddy. He smiles at strangers at the grocery store. At the opposite end of the spectrum are his mini-tantrums. He grabs the spoon out of my hand when I try to feed him something he doesn't like. He cries and arches his back every time I put him in his carseat. Those are the reasons why this parenting job isn't easy.

But it sure is a lot of fun right now!

(Ryan is exactly 1 week old in the first picture. I almost didn't post it because oh my goodness I look awful. But look how little he is!)

Big Boy Day

Today was just another indication of how quickly my little boy is growing up!
Ryan has started wearing 12-month jammies. Do you know what makes these "big boy jammies"? They have rubber soles because pretty soon he will be running around in them! Waah! I don't think I'm ready for my baby to start walking.
We also bought Ryan a convertible car seat today. It's the kind that goes up to 70 pounds and will eventually face forwards in the car when he's a little older. He looks so small in his new seat!

Mommy's Little Helper

I am such a good helper! Mommy loves it when I put away the laundry.

Foodie Friday: Bell Peppers

I love bell peppers because they are so versatile. I use them in all sorts of cooking, from Asian to Italian. We ate them twice this week.....first up was pizza!

I love making homemade pizza. It is much healthier than delivery pizza, and is fun to make. Trader Joe's sells balls of pizza dough for around $1 each, but it's pretty easy to made dough yourself. I like to top mine with lots of veggies, but Adam prefers pepperoni. We compromised this week with Turkey Pepperoni and green bell peppers.
Later in the week we had stuffed red bell peppers. I absolutely LOVE this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis. I have made it many times and it always comes out perfectly.

I also use bell peppers in asian cooking. I have made Thai Basil Chicken a few times using chopped chicken and green and red bell peppers and it is delicious! Bell Peppers are also delicious in Beef and Broccoli or any sort of asian stir-fry.

We also like putting bell peppers on skewers with meat and onions, and cooking them on the BBQ. Santa brought Adam a new skewer set for Christmas and I am anxious to try it out!

Finally, I use bell peppers in Mexican cooking. I put them in fajitas or even add them to refried beans when we have burritos.

So how do you cook with bell peppers? Right now is the perfect time to experiment with them.....their peak season is January through March.

Gag Me

Dinner last night was a bit traumatic for Ryan. For the past month or so I've been giving him more foods with texture. Nothing too big or dangerous. Think banana mashed up rather than pureed into total mush. I've given him teething biscuits, Gerber Puffs, Baby Mum Mums, tiny pieces of wet bread, etc. Every single time Ryan gets food with ANY sort of texture in his mouth, he gags. I know he isn't really choking, but it is still quite scary. So then the other day I saw this blog post. Spaghetti! What a great idea for a food with texture that I can safely feed Ryan. Right?
Wrong. Everything was fine until Ryan actually got a tiny piece of pasta in his mouth. He started gagging really badly so I put my finger in his mouth to try and fish it out. I accidently poked the roof of his mouth ever so slightly......and he started screaming! I think he got scared by everything going on in his mouth and just got really scared. I had to take him out of his highchair to console him.
So I've learned my lesson for now. No more textured foods for Ryan, at least for the next couple of weeks. Just mush.

Up Close and Cute

Sick as a Frog

Yep, Ryan and I are sick again! The last few days around here haven't been too fun. Lots of coughing, wiping noses (Ryan HATES this....how in the world do you wipe an 8-month old's snotty nose??) and being up all night. Ryan coughed so hard the other day that he threw up his breakfast all over me and his bedroom floor. Riley licked it up for me while I went to get a rag.

I'm feeling better today, but Ryan is still really snotty and has a wheezy cough. We took him to Kaiser this morning just to make sure his cough wasn't asthma. I had pretty bad asthma growing up, and I've heard it can be hereditary. Luckily the Dr. said his chest sounds good, but he does have a partial ear infection. No meds yet, we just need to watch to make sure he doesn't get worse.

Last night Adam made a late-night run to Target to buy a humidifier. He came home with the Crane Cool Mist Frog Humidifier. Pretty cute!

I think it helped Ryan to breathe better, but I still had to sit up in bed and prop him up. This is the part of parenting I really hate....seeing my son sick.