... In a Jam

One of the great things about being married to a teacher is that he has summers off.  Elvis almost always works summer school for a little extra money, and we've taken some pretty awesome trips in summers past.  Last year we had a baby, so we knew that this summer would have be extra-super to top that.  Word came through the grapevine of a giant family reunion in Oregon, and we hoped to take our first family road trip up to meet all our new aunts, uncles and cousins.  Sadly, things did not pan out for us and we were unable to get the trip together.  Who knew that one little baby would make things so complicated?  ;-)  Anyway, since travel and new parenting were not on our agenda this year, we had to think of some way to make this summer awesome.  After much thought, a theme was born: 2012 would be the Summer of Sauces.  We came up with a few specific recipes we wanted to try, and I took the reins.  Elvis and I both enjoy cooking, especially together.  He is a natural whiz in the kitchen, and I usually play the role of sous-chef.  Unless we're baking, and then I get to be Boss of the Kitchen.  But I thought it was high time I brought something to the table other than dessert. 
After lots of discussion (and recipe hunting) I decided strawberry jam would be a great start.  I got some delicious-looking strawberries at the grocery store yesterday, and undertook my first great culinary experiment:

I rinsed and hulled 2 lbs of strawberries (since it was my first attempt I wasn't sure how many to get).

Next, I mixed together 2/3 cup of Splenda and 2 tbsp. of instant Pectin.

Then, I mashed up the strawberries (a few at a time) with a potato masher.  My, that was fun!  I used 1 2/3 cups of this mush for jam, and put the rest aside.

 I added the strawberries to the Splenda-Pectin mixture, and stirred continuously (don't forget to scrape the sides every now and then!) for 3 minutes.

Finally, I poured it all into a jar, and let it set for 30 minutes.  The recipe didn't specify whether to let it set on the counter or in the fridge, so I did the counter.  It didn't set well, so I put it in the refrigerator where it did solidify a little bit better.

Elvis and I enjoyed our delicious jam this morning over homemade waffles.  It was sweeter than I expected (I may experiement with a teensy bit of lemon or lime juice the next time), but oh so delicious.  And the best part, of course, was that I made it all by myself!

The jam was really a success, so stay tuned over the next few weeks for more of my culinary adventures during 2012's Summer of Sauces.  And, once I get a few sauces down, I'm going to tackle canning with the awesome new pressure canner my parents got me for our wedding anniversary.

So Much Excitement ...

Well, what an exciting weekend. Henry and I experienced our first professional soccer game together on Saturday night. We were in Houston for what turned out to be a mini family reunion, and my uncle had bought tickets to the Dynamo game for everyone in his company. Since some people were unable to make it to the game, it turned into a family outing! I was a bit nervous about how little Henry would react in a stadium, but everyone agreed that we'd just leave if he started fussing. So we packed up and - after an incredibly delicious dinner at Don Carlos - made our way to the stadium.

I am not really a big fan of soccer (Baseball is the first love of my father AND my husband, so it's always been pretty much The Sport in my family), but we sure did have a blast at that game! First off, the BBVA Compass Stadium was ridiculous. I've been to a fair number of professional sports venues, and this was by far the nicest. Obviously it was new, but it was also a comfortable place to sit and enjoy a game, despite being open-air (in Houston in July). Our seats caught a nice breeze, and there was - get this! - actually a bit of space between the seats! Glorious. Even Henry enjoyed himself. There were so many lights and people for him to watch that he was constantly entertained, and (somewhat to my consternation) he even enjoyed the Dynamo Girls nearly as much as Uncle Taylor. In fact, the only problem he did have was when the Dynamo scored. The crowd and the fireworks were so loud that they just terrified my poor Lovebug, and he burst into tears each time. Lucky for me, he's so easygoing and happy that his fits never lasted long, and he would quickly move on to the next game of Peekaboo or a new lap.

After our first professional soccer game

Oh, yes. The gloves. Well, Uncle Virgil thought it would be fun if all the people from the company wore orange gloves to support the team (team colors: orange & white). So we all donned these vinyl gloves and proceeded to wave many, many spirit sprinkles toward the field. I'm pretty sure it worked, as the Dynamo beat the other guys (Montreal) 3-0. USA!

The rest of the weekend was fun but pretty uneventful. We went swimming for a little bit, but mostly we all laughed and ate all weekend, catching up with one another, laughing at Henry's adorable antics, and celebrating Grampa's 77th birthday. It was such a great weekend, and it made me feel so lucky to be a part of such a fun, sweet, loving family.

My sweet, goofy boy

Things have rocked along swimmingly this week as well, with small bursts of excitement. On Tuesday evening I was taking a quick potty break when I heard the dreaded bonk and wail from the living room, followed by a frantic flurry of motion. By the time I made my way to the nursery, things had spiraled out of control. Henry was shrieking (in panic more than pain) and thrashing about in Elvis' arms as he tried to assess the damage and contain the blood (!!!). Our little monkey had tripped and fallen, biting his tongue in the process. Combined with the excessive teething-related drooling, the blood just got dripped everywhere. We finally got the bleeding contained, but then there was another problem. Since Henry had bitten his tongue, it had swollen up considerably and any time he moved it too much (like say ... for talking or eating) it would scrape against his teeth and start bleeding again. Oh, my poor baby. Elvis gave him a bit of medicine for the pain, but it was obvious the bleeding was freaking him out. It took almost an hour to calm Henry down. He couldn't eat so I nursed and rocked him to sleep, which was very bittersweet. It's been awhile since I nursed period, and it was so very sweet to hold my son and comfort him as he nodded off to sleep. What an absolute joy he is, every minute of the day. Elvis and I checked on him every hour or so until we went to bed, to make sure he was still doing fine. Sweet Henry slept peacefully through the night with no more bleeding, and has been in fine spirits ever since. He was pretty funny on Wednesday, with that swollen tongue. It looked silly all flopped out of his mouth but it did encourage him to try making new sounds, so that's a win in my book.

And the last bit of excitement has nothing to do with my own precious family at all: a very old friend of mine joyfully announced her pregnancy yesterday. She and her husband have wanted a baby so badly, and finally - after years of tears, disappointments and prayers - she was overjoyed to share her happy news. I am so overjoyed for Sarah & her husband, and for her parents who must be beside themselves. What a lucky baby, to be coming into the world so beloved already. And what an incredible lady; her faith and her patience throught the last few painful years have been so inspiring.

And now, I hope it's not too much to ask for a few days of nice boring quiet. I just don't know how much more excitement I can take this week!

The Big 0-5

Elvis and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on Saturday.  It was a nice weekend and we had a lovely time together reminiscing about our beautiful wedding day, and our five blissful years of marriage.  We even had a rare night of babylessness, as my parents were only-too-delighted to take Henry for the night You could say we squandered it, since we opted NOT to dress up for the fancy restaurant, but instead enjoyed some delicious fried seafood and frozen drinks.  But it was a wonderful evening with my very best friend and soul mate, and it was exactly the anniversary celebration we wanted.  And on top of all that, we got to sleep in til 10 the next morning!  Woo hoo!

In all seriousness, it was crazy to look back at our lives and see how far we've come.  You could say we came from different worlds, and a lot of people had their doubts about the two of us together.  But I'm proud to say that what we have together is The Real Thing.  It's not always a bowl of cherries, but there's nobody I'd rather have by my side through this adventure.  And now, to have added this amazing child to our harmonious home has made life that much sweeter.  I have loved every second of our marriage, and I could not be more excited for whatever the future holds.

The best part of the weekend, to me, was the review of all the fun we've had together.  So, here are a few of my favorite memories with my beloved.



One of our first photos together.  We'd been dating about 2 months.  I love this pic, and Elvis HATES it.




Every inch the blissful newlyweds





We had a blast in Philadelphia for our 2nd anniversary.  It was a perfect vacation!



We have been to 4 Major League Baseball parks together.

We had just found out I was pregnant a few weeks before, and Elvis couldn't resist pointing out where his baby was growing.  He was spectacular during my pregnancy.



The very first picture of the three of us.  That is the face of a man in love with his family.



5 years of wedding bliss!  I love this man more every day!



A Birthday Fit For a King

Poor Henry's hair was getting ridiculous.  Even without the "helpful" comments of strangers, we knew it was time to cut it.  I think Elvis & I were both pretty proud of his glorious mane of hair, and I know that I, at least, was nervous about the idea of scissors near my baby's head.  We decided that his first birthday was a great time to make a milestone moment, and waited out the weeks.  I wish MY hair would grow as fast as that kid's does!

Anyway, the night before The Big Day we decided the time had come.  The weather was nice enough that we hauled Henry's high chair out to our small patio, and I - so eager for the beautiful memories - grabbed the camera.  I had a plan of attack for the actual haircut, but before I could implement it (pun intended) those long pointy scissors caused what could only be described as "hysterical giggling" to explode out of me.  I turned my back to try to get a grip (fail: I ended up laughing til I cried) while Elvis stepped up to the job.  I was close to containing myself when my beloved put down the scissors and said:

     "You need to assess how bad this is, and either fix it or tell ME how to fix it."

Ahem.

So I was actually not quite so horrified to see this:

I wass still a little bit horrified, but to be honest I was terrified that my kid had just lost an eyebrow at the very least. I did laugh a little bit more (and cry .... a substantial amount: Hey, it was my baby's first haircut after all!), but in the end we agreed we should quit while we were ahead.  And so this silly face is what we get to see for the next ??? months.  Hopefully like, 3?

On the actual Day of Birth, the three of us and Elvis' mom made a trek to the San Antonio Zoo.  We met up with my mom there, as well as our friends and their son.  What better way could there be for a little prince to celebrate his first birthday?  None, as it happens.  A great time was had by all.  The boys had a great time seeing all their favorite animals, and the grandmas had a great time fawning over both adorable little guys.

The big Pool Party was that Saturday, and friends and family came from all over the place!  Everyone had a great time swimming, eating, and enjoying the antics of sweet Henry and his adorable friends Lili and Harley.  I made a gorgeous blue three layer cake (Were was my camera at cake time?  I didn't even think about it after all that work), Elvis grilled all day, and Henry fell in love with watermelon.  All in all, I'd say it was a pretty perfect first birthday for a pretty perfect child.

And I will end this post with a note to my son.

Precious Henry, you have made every day a joy since the moment I saw your face.  I love you so much and I always will.  Happy birthday, and many many more.  XOXOXO, Mama

The Crazy Thing I Did for Love

I recently turned 29, and I have to admit that - for weeks beforehand - I was really dreading it. 29: it just sounded SO old! Never mind that many of my friends have turned 29 (and older!) with grace and poise, I was just nervous about it. I mean, it’s only 365 days from 30 and I think we all feel a little wary of that big number, don’t we?

At any rate, as I was celebrating with my family the weekend before my big day I indulged in a bit of reflection. What was the big deal about 29? I figured out that it just sounded so much older than I feel. I definitely feel like I’m a lot wiser and more mature at 29 than I was at 28, but I’m just not ready to be quite so grown-up. So I did something I’d been thinking about since we found out we were having a Henry (as opposed to a Heidi): I got a tattoo!

If you had asked me 2 years ago, I would have told you I would NEVER get a tattoo. It’s not that I’m morally opposed or anything like that. I just couldn’t have imagined an image I would want on my body forever. I mean, I wear my wedding ring every single day, but even that comes off in the shower. But in the past 11 months I have been transformed into a new person. It’s not just that I gave birth and so I felt like I could handle the pain of the tattoo. Nope, it was more that. I feel so much love and joy on the inside that I wanted to have a physical reminder that I could look at any time. And even though it hurt (still not nearly as much as labor, obviously) and I’m certain it’ll be my only tattoo ever, I’m so glad I got it. My parents were less than delighted when they found out, but I didn’t do this for anyone but me. And maybe a little bit for Henry. So when he grows up he can see that my love for him is so overwhelming that I just couldn’t contain it in my heart. It had to spill over to my ankle.

Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

Ah, Mother’s Day. I hope yours was phenomenal. I think it goes without saying that I have a brand new respect and awe for all moms everywhere this year, now that I know what motherhood is all about. I was blessed to be able to see the most important moms in my life this year. My mother in law had to work (boo!), but she joined us for breakfast in the morning to enjoy her beloved son and grandson. Then we went to visit my parents and grandparents in the afternoon, where my dad grilled up some delicious steaks. All in all, it was a wonderful day and I was so pleased to be able to join in the fun this year. Go mommies!
In honor of Mother’s Day, I would like to present the top 10 pieces of advice I received that I would like to pass on to other new mommies. So, with no further ado:

1. Sleep when your baby sleeps. This is a common one, but it’s SO easy to disregard. I was always really tempted to do housework during naptime, but trust me: the dishes will wait. Your mind and body need sleep to function and care for your baby.
2. Babies rarely cry for no reason. The top 3 reasons are that they’re hungry, have a dirty diaper, or are otherwise hurt or uncomfortable. If a feeding, burping, and new diaper don’t help, and your baby doesn’t appear to be in pain be patient and call the doctor. Which leads to …
3. ASK FOR HELP! Whether it’s from your mom, your doc, or your boss. People are usually VERY willing to help a new mom, but nobody can read minds. As for the doctor, call as often as you need to. It’s better to be safe than sorry. And, after all, that’s why you’re paying them all that money.
4. Boob is (almost) always the answer. If you’re breastfeeding, you have 2 perfect baby calmers in your arsenal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Henry NOT calm down when presented with a nipple. I’ve read articles by moms around the world, and they all agree: a readily available breast equals a contented baby.
5. Your body WILL return to normal. Even after you get your pre-pregnancy jeans back on, there are adjustments to be made. It took me several months to figure out how to sleep with big, sometimes sore, constantly leaky boobs (sleep bra + hand towel, by the way). But eventually you’ll be you again. This is just one of those times when you have to roll with the punches and be patient.
6. It’s not forever. Even with the most pleasant baby, motherhood is NOT easy. But when you get stressed out and feel like you’d rather have a root canal than change one more diaper, just remember this: It’s not forever. Before you know it, your little one will have moved on to the next phase and you’ll have a whole new set of worries. J
7. You’re doing a great job! If you worry, plan, fret, stew, or feel concern for your baby (along with all the loving, rocking, feeding, singing, etc.), then you’re doing just fine and I hope someone tells you so every day.
8. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This is true for you AND for baby. Of course you don’t ever want your munchkin hurt, but babies do fall. Don’t fuss too much (as long as s/he’s not serious injured!), and try to remember that babies learn by trial and error.
9. Trust yourself. Everyone will have words of wisdom for you, but it’s important to remember that this is your baby, and your instincts are usually pretty reliable. You know that little miracle better than anyone, after all, so listen to peoples’ advice, consider it, and then do what works best for you and your child.
10. This is the best job EVER! It’s very difficult, but I promise you it’s worth every moment of lost sleep when your baby falls asleep smiling in your arms, or reaches out for you, or gives you a big hug & kiss. So. Totally. Worth. It!

Weaning

And so the time has come. After much discussion and research, Elvis and I decided recently that a year was probably about long enough to breastfeed. I love it and Henry loves it, but it’s just becoming too painful now that he’s got those four precious teeth. So we set out on what I thought would be a long road, eliminating one feeding at a time until he was entirely off the boob. Contrary to all the reading I did, the nighttime feeding was the first (and easiest) to go. It’s actually been about 3 weeks since Henry nursed to sleep at bedtime, and I don’t think he even noticed. I still cuddle and read and talk to him before bed, and we say our prayers before I put him in his crib, and I don’t think he’s ever slept better than recently, when his belly is full of solid food. Glorious. So I progressed to eliminating a pre-naptime breastfeeding as well, and wouldn’t you know it? Nary a fuss. Last week the kid didn’t get a boob at all, and he was just as happy as a clam. He still nurses occasionally in the morning, but I’d say he’s about 96% weaned at this point. And you’d never know how much he loved nursing now, to my dismay.
That’s right: as much pain as it caused me in the beginning (physical and emotional), I have fallen in love with nursing my son. It was so sweet to hold him in my arms and nourish him myself, and while I love the new ease and freedom of not having to confine ourselves to the nursery at feeding time, I also feel this sense of loss that I couldn’t have imagined. The days of being able to hold my little lovebug in my arms as he sleeps are numbered, and the thought brings tears to my eyes every time it flits through my mind.
How on earth am I going to make it through a lifetime of these little milestones?

A Cheerleader for Motherhood

I know as well as anyone that motherhood is simply NOT for everyone.  Heck, I was certain it wasn't for me until about 2 years ago.  But now that I have gone through the process, and know just how sweet life is with a baby, I want everyone to experience it. 
With a few exceptions, my friends are all still very single and in no real hurry to settle down.  I have friends with babies now (totally a must for new parents), and they are all fantastic friends as well as wonderful parents of smart, beautiful children.  But I can't help wishing my girlfriends would hurry up and fall in love, get married, and start popping out babies too.  I want to love and support them as they grow their families, just as they have supported the 3 of us.  I want to watch their bellies swell with life, and calm their fears about labor.  I want to see their lives enriched in ways they could never have imagined, babysit for a few hours so they can shower and nap, and watch their little miracles grow and discover the world.  Yes, I want more little friends for Henry.  He loves other kids, and it's always so much fun to watch him interacting with other little ones.  But more than that, I just want everyone to experience the pure magic that Henry has brought to our lives.  I love him so much, and it seems so greedy to hog all the joy of motherhood.
Yes, it's difficult, tiresome, messy, thankless, sleepless, noisy, smelly, exhausting work.  But the rewards are so priceless: a toothless smile, a giggle, a drooly kiss.  Pure, so-sweet-you-can't-help-but-cry, unending love both given and returned every second of the day.  What on earth could be better?  I'm sure I can't think of anything.
So come on, ladies!  Join me, won't you?

Mon Petit Amor <3

My Little Frat Boy

So, breastfeeding. It was a long and rocky road for Henry and me, but ever since we got the hang of it it's been sweet, smooth sailing. I never thought I would still be doing it at almost 10 months but here we are, four precious little teeth and all. As far as I can tell, the only downside is Henry's new and all-consuming obsession with boobs. It doesn't even matter whose boobs, he just loves 'em. His new favorite activity during play time is to glance from my cleavage to my face, rub his face against my chest, and then grin hopefully up at me. It's kind of cute, since he's so little and adorable, but I can't help but be reminded of a little drunken frat boy every time he ogles me and then flashes that adorable little smile. 
Oh, this kid is gonna be a heartbreaker.

The Perks of Being a Parent

Obviously the best part of motherhood is the actual baby whose mom I get to be. Henry is ... well, he's just about perfect. He sleeps through the night, he's ALWAYS in a good mood, he's really really ridiculously good-looking, and he's even frightfully good at eating "solid" foods. Yes, Elvis and I pretty much hit the baby jackpot with our little snugglebug. 
But going out in public with him is like being a minor celebrity. It's remarkable how patient and kind people are when they see us (especially when they see King Henry). People open doors for us, sometimes even standing and waiting if they see us a small distance away. Nobody gawks at me when my hair or clothes look a mess, or when I can't find my wallet at the cash register amid the diapers, teethers, stuffed creatures, puffs, and face wipeys.  If we're waiting to be seated at a restaurant, our fellow waiters can't jump out of their seats fast enough to let the parents of the small adorable child sit down. And, possibly the most heart-warming of all is how even the grumpiest-looking old men will crack a smile when they see my little Cutie Pie grinning at them. 
Yes indeed, there are a million reasons to be thankful for my precious son. Helping me regain my faith in the inherent goodness of others is just one.