I love buying playdresses for Miss L, and boy does she love wearing them. She picks out her own clothes each morning, and she always selects a playdress and leggings. What's not to love about the concept? They are comfortable, look nice and hold up to all her playing and running around. The dress in the photo above was a recent gift from her grandparents.
I have been wanting to add a few new pieces to my own wardrobe and it's been hard to find the right ones to fit my stay-at-home lifestyle. I most want to find dresses that I can wear while doing my daily activities, and more importantly that can hold up during my daily activities. I recently visited Antrhopologie hoping to find something feminine and stylish, but the dresses looked too delicate to withstand carrying an infant in an Ergo and being a target for spit-up. I am hoping you all might have some suggestions for where I can go dress shopping. I would like to add some color to my wardrobe, something I can pair with leggings and a nice cardigan for those foggy days and something that is a little durable for all the messes that come along with having little ones. I also wouldn't mind finding a few nice skirts to go with all those Steven Alan shirts sitting in my closet. Any suggestions for this fashion-challenged mama?
I love Mama J's post about sharing simple, quick and healthy recipes. I've been making an effort to try new recipes to expand my repertoire. Mister T is getting tired of my roasted chicken with vegetables.
I purchased the Jamie Oliver app for my iPhone and I really love the recipes. He claims they are 20 minute meals, but they are definitely more like 40 to 60 minute meals (I guess if you weren't cooking in your own kitchen and did everything really fast not caring about how big a mess you made because you weren't going to be the one cleaning up then it would take you 20 minutes). The app comes with a ton of recipes and he does provide app updates you can download for new recipes.
Miss L's favorite Jamie Oliver recipe is the chicken tikka masala. I've also tried his vegetarian curry with paneer, potato and peas. He has a wonderful potato leek soup and the sausage and zucchini carbonara is out of this world. A really simple one is sausages with baked cannellini beans.
I love the range of cuisine and the recipes are really easy to follow. The meals look so nice when they are plated and most of all they taste delicious! Sometimes you need to make little adjustments because he is writing the recipes from a British perspective, like always skip step 1 which is to put your kettle on (electric kettles aren't as popular here to boil water). One recipe called for chipolata sausages which are very hard to find here so I substituted toulouse sausages.
I also have also made the Mexican family dinner from goop a couple of times. It is really easy and a fun family dinner. Essentially you make shrimp tacos with homemade guacamole and pico de gallo with a side of black beans that have been seasoned nicely to add more flavor. I thought Mama J may like this recipe since Mister R makes such a great guacamole.
Sorry I didn't include the actual recipes, but I don't want to get in trouble with Steve Jobs for not using my iPhone correctly, nor do I want to get in trouble with Gwyneth's people.
I seem to be in a dinner rut so I thought I'd see if any of you have any favorites that are:
1. Quick to make
2. Healthy
3. Don't require a million items you don't have
3. You can prep in advance during the day when your kids are napping or playing
I'm finding by the time I get home from the park/playgroup at 6:30- the last thing I want to do is cook.
So- to start this off here is one of my favorites:
Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
1 bunch of Swiss chard/kale
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices (or fresh)
dry white wine to taste (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup but I do less b/c I like it less liquidy) 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes Salt and pepper 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti Pecorino or Parmesan cheese to garnish
Handful of pine nuts to garnish
EARLY PREP:
Chop the garlic, onion and cut the swiss chard into small pieces.
AT DINNERTIME:
Saute onions until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the chard and saute until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, wine, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Add chard and cover and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the chard is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season the chard mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to the chard mixture and toss to combine.
Transfer the pasta to serving bowls. Sprinkle the cheese and pine nuts and serve.
**You can also add olives too.
Please share more- especially Mama L with her great fish taco recipe!
Hello Mamas! It's been a while since any of us have blogged. I know we're all so busy living life that it's often hard to write about it too.
As part of my new and exciting career path I have set up a new blog Not Just Another Cupcake. It is still very much a work in progress. It's a bit of a tongue in cheek wink toward all those mums who start cupcake businesses. As a "home creator" I'll be writing about crafts, food, style, parenting, health and gardening. Additionally, with the purchase of our new house I'll share the transformation as we renovate and make it our family home.
I have transferred a number of the posts I have written on this blog only to fill it out a little. I'll also post on this blog too as it's a nice open letter to my friends across the pond.
I finally finished this blanket for Master L. I had hoped to have it finished before he was born, but it took as long as having a baby- an additional nine months. Although Mama N sent me the yarn for the sheep and a book to try to encourage me to start crocheting, I was quite intimidated. Before Mama H had moved away, we had talked about trying to take a crochet class but it never happened. It wasn't until just before Master L was born that I became inspired. I signed up for a class at Lion Brand Studio in Union Square. It was not as much fun as laughing with over my weak attempts at crochet but I gave it a try. I thought I had about a month to work on the blanket but as you know Master L arrived three weeks early and all thoughts of crochet vanished in those foggy months.
In March, I decided to pick it up again. I went for some help again at Lion Brand and ripped the blanket out and started anew. When Mama N announced she was coming over for a trip, it was the perfect inspiration. I furiously worked to finish the blanket so she could help me with the trim and the crazy sheep. I would have never figured it out without her help here. If only she was still across the street!
I finally sewed the sheep on last week and with one sheep to go, I showed it to Aidan. He thought with one sheep in my hand, it meant the sheep came off and started pulling at the other sheep I had carefully sewn on there! Will need to put away for a little while. I am very happy with the results and it will be perfect for Liam in the fall. Just don't look too closely at the edges as they are completely uneven.
I'm also a crochet convert. As usual, Mama N was right, crochet is easy and fast.
In a quest to make perfectly decorated cupcakes I purchased a squeezy bag type cake icing kit. The very first time I used it the bag split and I was in the middle of making cupcakes for Master R's birthday party at nursery. I was very peeved to say the least. I kept researching and found this cake and biscuit (cookie) gun type decorator. I'd read mixed reviews on Amazon but decided to give it a try.
These mini cupcakes were the first attempt. These are bite sized cupcake wrappers and a bit of a pain to spoon all the mix into them. Problem solved - add the mixture into the gun with the largest nozzle and squeeze it in. Icing them took a bit of practise and most of these were done one handed with squirmy Master T on my hip. But the decorator is really easy to use and user friendly.
Included in the set is a set of biscuit molds. I couldn't quite get the concept of them until I actually used them. They are little metal plates with cutouts which create different shapes as you squeeze the biscuit mix through creating "press cookies". I used this recipe but I didn't put the egg white on top.
It was so much fun! The cookies are really small and thin. I overcooked the first lot as you can see in the picture. They're a bit brown for my liking. They only need 6 minutes in the oven.
They are a lovely little biscuit and very elegant looking for gifts. Next time I make them I'll halve the recipe (it yields 8 dozen! I was sick of the sight of them and so were our neighbours) and make little hearts which I'll half dip in chocolate.
In a recent newsletter for my local mothers' group an article featured crafts that capture and preserve memories of your child. There were many good ideas, such as turning your child's artwork into a poster or notecards, but the one I liked the most was turning your favorite baby clothes into a quilt. Now Mama N and Mama G could probably make such a quilt on their own, but for the rest of us there is a website that offers a baby clothes quilt kit. It offers two levels of DIY. You can cut squares from your favorite pieces that your child wore as a baby and mail them to be sewn for you into a quilt. Or if you are feeling a little adventurous you can buy the kit with instructions on how to sew the quilt yourself.
I have started setting aside clothes as Master Q and Miss V grow out of them. Some of the hand-me-downs will be used for Miss L's quilt because they bring back such vivid memories of when Miss L was a baby. I love the thought of having a quilt for each of them that holds so many memories from their first year of life. I picture having the quilts on their beds as they grow up (until they hit those rebellious teenage years when I will box them up for safe keeping until they will appreciate them again as young responsible adults!).
I am tempted to try to make one myself. My great auntie has a sewing machine that she would like to give me. And I did notice a listing of beginner sewing classes at the end of the newsletter article which definitely caught my interest.
When a package arrives at our home with the Royal Mail stamp Miss L and I are beside ourselves with glee. We know it must be a beautifully handcrafted item from Mama N. Yesterday one such package arrived!
Even Mister T was anxiously waiting to see what was inside. Since receiving the twins' handknit cardigans he refers to Mama N as a "professional knitter." All three of us sat on the sofa giddy with anticipation.
I tried to help Miss L open the package but she quickly motioned me to stop and told me very firmly, "this is MY present" with a special emphasis on the "my". As she unwrapped the tissue paper her eyes got really big as she said, "oooh, HOW nice." A lovely handsewn floral dress!!
In all of three seconds Miss L had taken off her clothes, put the dress on and started twirling around the room with a huge smile on her face. And I had a huge smile on my face. I am so touched by Mama N's kindness.
Miss L's dress is the most beautiful little girl's dress I have ever seen. It captures the whimsical and carefree summer days of childhood.
I think I know what Miss L will be wearing again tomorrow!
Just a little something to make you smile. This is my laundry pile. You can't see all of it. This is about 5 loads of washing just for the past 4 days. There are 4 more loads of washing lined up to be processed. This pile lives on the dining room table until I have the time/energy to fold and put away. Quite often the clothes get folded but don't find their way to drawers. Luckily the boys' clothes live downstairs in the drawers behind this pile.
I'd love to show you the rest of my house but, as you can imagine, if I did show you I'd be sectioned under the British Mental Health Act.
Have a lovely weekend mamas and I should get to the laundry xx
Happy Easter! I wanted to give homemade Easter baskets this year to Miss L, Master Q and Miss V so I decided to knit three little bunnies for my little ones. I took the bunny egg cosy pattern that Mama N recently knit and first adjusted it to make a stuffed bunny for Miss L.
Then I thought it would be fun to make bunny rattles for Miss V and Master Q.
All three bunnies were quick to knit. Each one took two days. It took me one day to knit up all the pieces and a second day to do the finishing work.
Yesterday Miss L and I colored eggs we bought at the farmer's market and baked butter cookies in the shape of bunnies and eggs. After Miss L's swim class first thing this morning we will have an Easter egg hunt around the house. Then my parents and great auntie will arrive for Easter brunch. I came up with a menu using all our farm-fresh vegetables and fruit from our CSA. I am serving an artisanal ham along with roasted local asparagus topped with pecorino and mashed local potatoes. And of course, deviled eggs made from our Easter eggs. My parents are bringing a cake which we will top with local strawberries.
I can't wait for Miss L to find her Easter basket when she wakes up!
I can't believe I've been knitting for over a year and I've never actually made anything for myself. I've always been making little gifts that are quick knits so I don't get too bored or frustrated. With Mama N's help in choosing a pattern, I decided to make a Shalom cardigan. This pattern has been done hundreds of times on ravelry.com so it was nice to be able to see if I'd like sleeves or more buttons. I went with the sleeveless one button closure.
I picked up some yarn at a Patricia's Yarns, a yarn shop I found in Hoboken near my office, and started knitting. Mama N started work on the same pattern so she spurred me along so I finished much more quickly than I anticipated. It only took me about two weeks. Of course, Mama N finished quite a long time before me and was on to other projects but it was fun to work on it together. I miss running to Mama N's with a question and knitting with both Mama N and Mama H with the little ones running around.
The sweater was an easy knit and I was excited that it was one of the few projects I was able to get through without having to rip it out and start again. Since this spring isn't shaping up to be all that warm, I should get some use out of it.
I've been meaning to post on my new favorite thing for cakes- my Wilton 3D train pan. As it is all about the choo-choo in our house, I knew for Master A's 2nd birthday, I wanted a train cake. When I was looking online, I saw a lot of cute cakes that required sawing up several sheet cakes and I felt that could only end in disappointment (for me and Master A). Then, I found this great train pan- which has nine car molds with amazing detail on it. I did balk at paying $32 for a cake pan but I reasoned with myself that with two boys, it will get some use.
The day before Master A's birthday party with some family, I mixed up a snickerdoodle cake (great recipe on the pan) greased the pan well and prayed! After reading some reviews, I bypassed flouring the pan and did not tap the pan when taking the train cars out. Shockingly, all nine cars sprang right out of the pan. Decorating was fun- though I had problems finding the candies I wanted around town. In the end, I used animal crackers to make a circus car, small tootsie rolls for logs, snow caps for coal and smoke and M&M's for the wheels. Next time, I'll get gel icing so I can decorate more neatly.
I see many uses for the pan- whether for a polar express gingerbread train for the holidays, jello train, or having his buddies over to decorate their own car. I think I may make a train for our next book club meeting- though with all of the kids- I'll probably go easy on the icing :)
With a small lump in my throat I must announce that I have sold my beloved kelly green Stokke stroller. For months Mister T has been asking me to sell it. I must admit that it had been sitting in the garage unused since we moved to San Francisco. We recently purchased the Phil & Ted's Sport double stroller which can easily be taken up and down the stairs to our front entryway. And of course, a double stroller makes sense for Master Q and Miss V. Mama G recently sent me a link to the new toddler board that just became available for the Stokke and I felt a strong urge to return the Phil & Ted's and keep the Stokke just a little longer, but deep down I knew it was time to part with it.
I sold the Stokke to a nice couple who is expecting their first child. It is their "dream" stroller so I feel good that it went to someone who would appreciate it as much as I did. I actually couldn't bear watching someone take it away, so I made Mister T handle the transaction while I hid in the house. It's kind of silly that I became so attached to a stroller, but I think I understand why. My stroller was such an integral part of my life in New York. Wherever I went in lower Manhattan, I was pushing my green stroller with Miss L riding along. So parting with it is finally coming to grips with moving on from that part of my life. When I have a tough day I longingly look back to strolling along the Hudson or up that weird alley street with Mama J to Thursday playgroup.
But enough wallowing. I'm going to embrace my Phil & Ted's and look forward to pushing it around with all three children (two strolled and one carried to start with!) to get to know my new city better and make new friends.
On the bright side I pocketed some cash that I can spend frivolously on myself. I decided to put it to good use and I've purchased private Pilates sessions. I had my first private this morning, working on both the Reformer and Tower. I've decided it's time to get myself back out there, and I'm determined to get my old body back too. I want to wear pants that zip and button rather than pull up, and I miss my Steven Alan shirts! More on the Reformer for my next post...
In response to Mama V's question this is the bunny egg cosy. I have been meaning to blog about it but where does time go? I have been doing a lot of knitting and sewing lately but can't post anything because it's all gift knits. When the various recipients have received their respective gifts I'll post because there are some really sweet things!
This bunny was the cutest knit I've done to date. I plan on making a full set with different coloured jumpers/sweaters. The next one will have a pink striped jumper and then a green one.
Most weekends we have boiled eggs with soldiers so these will be so cute on top. Master R loves his "hase" and wants to eat "ei" (two words he always says in German) every morning now.
PS. Note the floral oilcloth table cloth. Since I don't have a girl I've started filling our house with pretty girly things including tea sets, cake plates, table cloths, oven mitts and tea towels.
My mom's birthday was last Friday and I decided that I wanted to knit something for her. She knit a beautiful hooded scarf for my birthday last year. She even dyed the white yarn for the trim in earl grey tea to create a softer white!
I decided a cowl would be something I could realistically finish in time and also something that she could wear a lot on her daily hikes along the coast in the fog. I found a nice pattern on Ravelry for a Dolores Park Cowl, which happens to be named after a park here in San Francisco. So I renamed it the Bolinas Cowl for my mom's quaint little hippie town in Marin.
The pattern is really simple so I wanted to find a unique yarn to make it look more textured and patterned. When I went to Atelier Yarn in my neighborhood I could hear Mama N's voice warning me not to pick out one of those multi-colored granny yarns that comes out looking like a frumpy country mouse knit. I hope Mama N will approve of the yarn I chose.
I knit the cowl each night while Miss V took her 2:00 am feed and slept. Master Q only interrupted to feed on a few occasions. Last Friday we packed all three children in the car and took a day trip out to Bolinas to spend my mom's birthday with her. It was a beautiful day - sunny and warm. We spent the day lounging on the deck while Miss L chased after my my mom's dog and watered the flowers with her little water pail.
Currently I am trying to knit three little bunnies for Easter. The twins' bunnies will have jingle bells stuffed inside to make them into rattles. I have been inspired by Mama N's absolutely adorable bunny egg warmer. I hope my bunnies will turn out as cute!
Months ago Master K and I discovered the joys of YouTube (and just this morning, gasp, he has worked out how to use the mouse, so he will soon be surfing all on his own!). Having multiple computer monitors, downtime on YouTube has meant that Mommy can simultaneously check email while Master K keeps up on the latest "diggers and dump trucks and fire trucks and cranes" (his requested YouTube search). And in the course of one such search, we found a video, an 8-minute wonder of domesticity. This video has repeatedly kept both my husband and son rapt, as they watch two women make a cake.
You see, it's not just any cake -- it's a scarlet red Fire Truck Cake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuXQVAg4Cqk
Well we were pretty blue last weekend, so we decided to focus our energies on replicating the YouTubian wonders of this cake. Dad and son were the primary forces behind the baking; in the tradition of many moms before this one, I quietly kept the kitchen from falling apart during the experiment, laying out ingredients, setting up the mixer, and making a quick run to Duane Reade for off-the-shelf frosting when Mister A's butter-heavy homemade efforts resulted in a gooey glop not fit for any self-respecting firefighting vehicle.
The boys had fun mixing:
And, frosting:
You may notice that they did not quite achieve Betty Crocker's scarlet red hue -- this, despite squeezing an entire tube of red food dye into the frosting. Mister A realized we didn't have nearly enough frosting (or patience) to "crumb coat" the cake, as the video advises, which involves smoothing on a preliminary layer of frosting and refrigerating until it is hard enough for a second coat. We persevered with the production. The truck came out a kind of "hot salmon" color, but we were not deterred. We had some friends over and gorged on the fenders and rear. One friend was of the frank sort, and soon informed us that the cake was dry to the point of inedibility. We were not deterred. Our friend's son stripped the cake of its gummy-bear flashers and popped off two of its Oreo-wheels. But it was still beautiful, if a tad droopy, because it was our Fire Truck Cake. After several days (and no more dining invites to ingrates posing as friends), we had to retire the front-end of the cake to the trash, but only after solemnly eating the frosting windows and front wheels. Master K has continued to ask for more Fire Truck Cake, so I think Mister A has his work cut out for him come third birthday in September...
As you all know I love food and since the boys, my quests for treats are those that are kid friendly. One day a few weeks ago, I read about a waffle truck online and was excited to see that it was parked in Hanover Square on Wednesdays. Since Mister R is home and it was freezing cold, I sent him out for the waffle expedition. No, the title is not spelled wrong, wafel is apparently the Belgium spelling and dinges are toppings.
There are two types of wafels sold- the Brussels and Liege. I prefer the Brussels- light and crispy (apparently first came to NY for the World's fair in 1964). My preferred toppings- Belgian chocolate fudge and strawberries. Mister R preferred the Liege waffle- light and chewy- with speukoloos spread & whipped cream (an awesome spread that tastes kind of like peanut butter with graham crackers). They will give you a taste of it to try.
If you check their blog before you go- and call the wafel hotline- they have a question or thing of the day (i.e. what is a curling stone made of- answer correctly and you get a free dinges). In case you are dying to know- a curling stone is made of a Scottish granite. Look for a big yellow truck- usually not much of a line (but a loyal following). It's all a bit quirky and fun.
The waffles are a bit pricey but they are delicious. I hate to say it, but the second time we got them, we debated whether to wait to eat them when Master A was napping, but we decided it would be too cruel. As you can see, Master A enjoyed quite a nutritious lunch. They travel well in cute little boxes.
I can see many a fun spring/summer outing spent with the boys running around Hanover Square covered in wafels and dinges. Let me know if you want to join us.
I am definitely no expert, but have been requested to share my experiences with 2 Masters sleeping in 1 room. There really is no trick to reaching the bliss that parents feel when their kids are sleeping soundly in their "own" room. Here in NYC, space is a premium, so we could not imagine both little ones in their own room. Knowing that in most places all over the world kids (and sometimes entire families) sleep in one room helped to ease my initial anxiety. I spoke to friends who had done it and posted on HRPMamas and the advice I remember the most was not to fall in to the trap of playing musical beds. In other words let the kids get used to each others sounds and do not be too quick to run in and save one from the others waking.
My desire was to have them in bed at the same time and up at the same time (ambitious but what the heck.) At that point Master D was sleeping roughly 7-7 and I planned to sleep train Master G and set his clock for the same hours.
Here is what we did...At 6 weeks I started G's night time routine (bath, book, bottle) and put him down at the same time Dorsey went down in our room. Over the next 3 months he went to bed around 7 and I would feed him on demand throughout the night. I attempted not to go to him at the first sign of him waking but allowed him to try to soothe himself but as we know its just too hard when mom and baby are sleeping in the same room. When he was 12 weeks old we put his crib (what he would be sleeping in his own room) in the TV/guest room. I continued to feed him on demand but I think it helped that I wasn't right there and he seemed to do a bit better and it took me a bit longer to get to the other room in the middle of the night so there was some delay. He was waking 2-3 times/night at that point and at 16 weeks we sleep trained via CIO. The first night was alot of up and down, the second once or twice and the third he slept 12 hours +/-. That was pretty consistent (luckily Master G is a finger sucker so he soothed himself quite well) so in 2 weeks we moved the crib to Master D's room and put them down together at 7. For those who do not have a third room to sleep train in it is advised you keep the baby in the room and Mom and Dad sleep in the living room for a few nights.
For naps we have a Pack and Play in our bedroom so that Master G can nap in the afternoon in our bedroom and Master D in his crib. When Master G turned 1 year and the 2 were pretty consistently going down around 1 for their afternoon nap we tried to put them together to nap but because it was a novelty the wound up standing and laughing and fooling around so I went back to separating them for nap time.
There has never been any issue with the middle of the night. They do not wake up fully in the middle of the night. There are occasions when they cry out but quickly put themselves back to sleep. I can see on the video monitor that their eyes are closed and just feel around for their lovey and or suck their finger and go back off to sleep all while the other child sleeps soundly without even a flinch or a little roll to their other side and I am sure are unaware of it.
Back to my earlier point, I would hesitate to go in and scoop up the crying one so they don't wake the other because you get in to the habit of rotating beds, pack and play, cribs etc and makes for a disruptive night(s). In my experience the kids are completely used to one another and don't even notice.
In the morning it is a bit more tricky and this is where we have tried to adjust accordingly as sleep habits are ever changing in these little ones. For the most part Master G sleeps later, as he needs more rest than Master D even with his marathon naps. In the beginning we were able to go in and sneak Master D out in the AM and let the little guy sleep but now that he is just more alert he will pop up even when we go in as quietly as we can. We then shifted Master D's bedtime to 7:30, and unless he is sick, do not let him nap for more than 2 hours so that he sleeps a bit later in the morning. At this point Master D wakes up somewhere between 6 and 7, occasionally later and will wake up Master G. He yells for G and tells him to "come on" "what are you doing?" No one is screaming for me so I let them hang out for as long as possible. Often they stand up and "talk" to one another and lie back down and go to sleep.
For the most part they just get used to each other and you have to be on your toes to work out the best way to get them to both sleep the longest they can. I think if one gets less night time sleep than they need it is made up in the nap(s) theoretically.
It is working for my kids but of course everyone's situation and kids needs are so different. I do not know if there is a magic trick to making it work but I can say for us it was not as much drama as I thought it would be. And I know it has brought them together and closer which is the cutest thing.
Now that I've sold my business and am officially a fulltime mum the question I get asked the most is "don't you get bored?". A working mother even asked me what I do all day (ha! She should try being at home all day and realise just how much more demanding it is than going into an office. Trust me I've done it). Just today I got asked if I get lonely for the 3rd time this week.
Until today I haven't had a chance to even think about being bored or lonely. But this evening Mr M is travelling, the kids are tucked up in bed and I'm working on an uninspiring knitting project. This has given me an opportunity to let my mind actually turn the cogs.
I can honestly say that I never ever feel bored. The last time I remember feeling bored was whining about it to my mother when I was about 12. With so much going on at all times it isn't a feeling I ever get. But loneliness? My days are filled with mothering and homemaking and I guess I haven't had a chance to think about this either.
The past week or so I had an urge to go and meet people. Not really for my sake but for Master T's. From the time Master R was 8 weeks old I was actively attending mama's groups around Battery Park. For Master T I've done nothing. He's never really had a play date. The problem is to find a group of mothers with babies the same age as Master T. Finding a group for your first child is relatively easy. Will the mothers relate to me with two kids? I'm not sure. I've started looking at music and "gym" classes. It might be a good place to start. I just hope I don't meet any more stalkers or drug dealers!
As a side story do you remember before you were a mum going to dinner parties or other events and meeting a new person. You pretty soon get to the question, so what do you do for a living? When the woman would respond, I'm a stay at home mum, my eyes would glaze and I'd start scanning the room for someone more exciting to talk to. I had to chuckle to myself. On Saturday night I was that mummy! A newly graduated MBA had just landed a fantastic job and was telling me all about it. When she asked what I do I told her and instantly saw the frozen smile and then the "oh, how nice for you". I just laughed and showed her the photo on my phone of my darlings. I'm proud to be a stay home mum and feel privileged to have the opportunity to just be mum.
It feels absolutely wonderful to be blogging again after a very long hiatus. Thank you to Mama V for introducing my two bundles of joy who arrived in December - Master Q and Miss V.
Taking care of newborn twins and a very energetic two-year old, along with having to cope and address some serious medical concerns for Miss V, has not left me with much time to think about blogging or knitting or yoga or anything else that I enjoyed in my prior life.
However, about two weeks ago I started to think about a knitting project that I left unfinished while on bed rest. Last week I started taking notice of my knitting bag sitting in my closet. Then I decided to I take out my knitting bag. It sat on our bar for the rest of the week and I thought about knitting every time I passed by to go to the kitchen.
This week I actually started knitting again (inspired by a few emails from Mama J about her current knitting projects). I decided to start knitting during Miss V's early morning feed from 2 to 3am. It is one of the few times the whole house is quiet and I don't work with Miss V on her feeding therapy (I let her sleep through the feed so she gets her rest). The first night the only thing I accomplished was figuring out where I left off and what I was doing and by that time Master Q had awakened and was ready to feed.
The next night I knit two rows and I was hooked all over again, just like when we knit our first hat project with Mama N over a year ago. Knitting again has really made me feel rejuvenated. All week I couldn't wait to get back to my knitting. It was so nice to throw my mind into something else and I find knitting really helps calm and center me.
Today I finished knitting the Debbie Bliss Stripey Hat for Master Q. It felt so gratifying to accomplish something. Master Q really needed a hat too. He has outgrown all his newborn hats and all the infant hats are pink, which Mister T says will not do for Master Q.
It rained all day today, but in the late afternoon the storm ended and the sun and blue sky reappeared. I took Miss L and Master Q out in our new Phil & Ted's Sport double stroller and we walked over to our favorite neighborhood park near the Presidio. It was the perfect opportunity for Master Q to wear his new hat. In the photo above he is also wearing the lovely cardigan that Mama N knit for him. Miss L enjoyed jumping and splashing in all the puddles at the playground and Master Q hung out in the stroller bassinet.
I'm going to go now and search for new patterns on Ravelry. I'd love to knit a rattle for Miss V and I need to start working on a birthday present for my mom.
So happy to be back knitting and blogging with my dear mama friends!
Most of you know that I'm an ice cream addict. I've tried so hard to stay away from it recently because I know that I can't stop until I eat the whole tub! I just keep thinking of all that sugar and fat going through my milk into Master T. But today I felt like some ice cream and I recalled a quick recipe that my mother used to make. It's super quick and super easy. It's also low fat, and doesn't contain any of the nasties that commercial brands contain.
All you do is freeze a tin of low fat evaporated milk. Allow to soften slightly, add a 300ml tub of low fat double cream, approx. 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp natural vanilla essence and whip with a hand mixer but not too much - you don't want whipped cream. Freeze. Once frozen allow to soften slightly and then whip again. I just used a fork and then froze again until firm and ate! The more you freeze and then whip the fluffier it becomes but I found just the once was fine.
Just omit the vanilla and add any flavour. I'm going to grate some dark chocolate and add cocoa. Can't wait!
As some of you know I threw Mister TS a 35th birthday dinner party a few weeks ago. Over the years of being together I have started to plan way in advance for his birthday as it falls just 5 weeks after New Years, a week before Valentine's Day and now during the week of our wedding anniversary. When he tried on and admired a watch back in December while we were Christmas shopping I bought it quickly without him knowing and kept it hidden successfully. While resting on my laurels I invited his 2 best friends from college and their wives for dinner on the saturday of his "birthday weekend" and when all said they could make it I sat back and relaxed about the birthday plans. Mister TS gave me the new Thomas Keller Ad Hoc cookbook for Christmas and was dying for me to make something from it. I chose a menu included some of our favorite things: butter lettuce salad with bacon and blue cheese dressing (mine), buttermilk fried chicken (his) and something we had never tried Leek bread pudding. That is where I think I lost my mind. Fried Chicken for 6 fried chicken lovers? And I had never done it before? I had confidence, probably too much.
A few weeks before the party one of the wives mentioned that her Mister was going to the Super Bowl. What? It turns out he forgot about the birthday dinner!! I then enlisted my closest friend and her husband to keep it a group of 6 (more festive than a group of 4) and she was happy to oblige and loves fried chicken perhaps more than my husband. Two days before the party I received an email from the forgetful friend saying that he cancelled his trip due to the crazy weather and would be able to attend! Now it is a group of 8 and I begin to truly panic. I decided at that moment I needed some help so that I could prep it all and have someone else fry the chicken when necessary. I started to come to my senses a little bit and asked a fellow school mom who is a private chef if she knew of any students that could come help me. She asked around but did not have anyone! It is now friday morning, the day before the party and I have a morning class and meet up scheduled with some of our Mamas and Masters and a client to see in the afternoon! Luckily plans that morning changed (as plans with the Masters frequently do) so Master D and I went to Whole Foods together and got everything we could possibly need for the weekend menus. The fried chicken and butter lettuce salad became our meal for Super Bowl Sunday and I bought a beef tenderloin for 8, greens and the ingredients for the leek bread pudding.
At 1:00 pm friday the chef friend emails me and suggests I call the French Culinary Institute to ask if they have any students that can help. I call right away and a very nice woman takes my call as if this is a routine matter. She takes my information, what I need and puts a message on the school and alumni message board. By 1:35 I had 2 phone voice mails. I decide to call 1 over the other because I like his name and voice best. It turns out he graduated 2 years ago and is working as a private chef. He has worked at a few nice restaurants in the city (including Jean Georges) but prefers private chef work. He has the Thomas Keller Ad Hoc cookbook and likes and is familiar with my menu! At this point I am so relieved and happy I hire him to cook the whole meal start to finish and clean up. He came at 4:30 (after a trip to Whole Foods for a few last minute ingredients I didn't have) and left at 10:30 with my kitchen spotless while we were eating birthday cake. Everyone stayed until 1 and loved the meal, especially and most importantly Mister TS. And for the first time of my lengthy dinner party history I enjoyed every minute of the evening and even got to partake in the cheese and wine before we all sat down. It was heavenly and not expensive. This is a great way to have a dinner party for a special occasion rather than getting a private dining room or large table somewhere. We saved a lot by drinking our own wine and even with the food and chef costs still wound up ahead(as compared to a restaurant.) I highly recommend for your next special occasion!
Just wanted to share this fantastic dish with you. I just made it for lunch and it was a hit. It includes all Master R's favorite foods, peas, sausages, pasta, cheese and tomatoes and is quick to throw together. Despite the sausages it feels healthy and virtuous. Enjoy!
Since I've made the decision not to have a fulltime nanny something had to slip. And it's my diet. My diet has been crap lately. I'm lucky if I can grab a slice of toast and protect it that from Master R's greedy fingers.
So I signed up for Pure Package meal delivery service. I get 3 meals a day plus two snacks. The food is all fresh and I'm really enjoying having meals ready to just rip off the cover and scoff. Only the evening meal requires heating. The portions are huge, sometimes too big. But I feel virtuous knowing that I'm getting the required fruit and veg. If I go out for lunch I just give Mr M the meal I've missed.
The only issue is that sometimes I just feel like a slice of buttery raisin and fennel toast and a cup of tea. And that's exactly what I'm having for dinner tonight. Bon appetit!
It is quite interesting the number of boys we have between us. Out of the 8 mamas only Mama H is lucky enough to have not one but two girls. The rest of us are blessed with little boys. Personally we were really wanting a boy first. Mr M is just a boy boy if that makes sense. Second time around he wanted another boy. I really didn't mind. Again, Mr M got his wish. We'd like to have a 3rd and it would be nice to have a girl. I'd love to make beautiful little dresses for her and paint a room pink. But if number 3 was another boy I really wouldn't be worried. Boys are such fun too.
Last night a documentary aired on four families all desperate for a girl. One family had 8 boys while the others had four boys each. What I found disturbing was the desperation of these mothers. All the fathers were fine with it. Sure, it would be nice to have a girl, but they had healthy children so what's the problem. The mothers were a different story.
One mother went as far as saying that to her not being able to have a girl was the same as a woman who can't conceive at all. A dreadfully selfish and almost disgusting suggestion in my opinion. This woman was blessed with four very beautiful and healthy boys and was bemoaning this fact! The documentary showed her discovering she was pregnant with number 5 and accompanied her to the 18 week scan to see the sex. It was a boy. She sobbed openly in front of her boys about not having a girl. How will these boys grow up, especially the poor little boy number 5?
The mother with 8 boys was now in her mid forties and had been trying for a couple of years to fall pregnant again but it was just not happening. She had largely accepted it.
Two of the mothers, one in the UK, the other in the US, underwent PDG, a IVF type process of selecting only the female embryos for implantation. The practise is illegal in the UK so the British mother travelled to Spain for the process.
It was the second attempt at PDG for the American mother. Unfortunately for her it failed once again. She sobbed openly in front of her boys about not having a girl and her husband was clearly concerned about how this negativity would effect their boys.
It does have a happy ending. The British mother had refused to marry her partner of many years until he gave her a girl. After 4 beautiful boys and a single round of PDG she gave birth to twin girls. She had her fairytale wedding with the young daughters as bridesmaids. The disproportionate attention she gave to the girls while ignoring the boys was disturbing. She highly recommended gender selection as a way of building a balanced family.
Gender selection is actually legal in many US states. What are your views? Will it create an unbalanced society or just enable people to create a balanced family?
Ask any new mum and the biggest concerns are going to be feeding and sleep - both their own and their babies. I read so many books on sleep and had formed a very strong feeling against any form of sleep training. I was definitely in the Dr Sears camp (cosleep until baby is ready to move into his own bed) rather than the Dr Cohen approach (at 8 weeks place baby in crib at 7pm, close the door and open it again at 7am). However all that changed with Master R was 7 months old.
I was going back to work on a 2 month contract with Goldman Sachs. The Sunday before I started I met with Mama V and complained that I didn't know how I was going to continue to cosleep with Master R, wake during the night for feeds and make a good impression at work. Mama V told me I was just going to have to use the cry it out method (CIO). She shared her experience and urged me to consider it. What sold me is that she said Master K was a much happier baby as a result often waking of a morning to sit in his crib playing happily with his toys - a stark contrast to Master R who awoke screaming most mornings still tired.
That night Mr M was travelling for work so I resolved myself to the task. After a bath and story we lay down together for a feed and then put him in his crib at 7pm. Prepared for the worst I was surprised when he only whimpered for 15 minutes before falling asleep. Shocked I waited for him to wake up. Finally at 10 he awoke crying but again he only cried for 10-15 minutes. He woke again at 11 and I thought this was going to continue all night. But once again after 15 minutes of crying he fell asleep again - for the rest of the night! The next night he only cried for a little while before sleeping the whole night and then every night since, except for a the odd night of course.
So now I'm a convert. I see anti-CIO parent's kids who still wake during the night at 4 years old and I'm so pleased that Mama V encouraged me to do it. Now however, it's Master T's turn. He's 5.5mths old - where has the time gone? It's not so easy. He feels like a little baby and seems to young to just cry. We've started CIO, a modified version of it anyway. He falls asleep during feeding and was waking again after 1-2 hours. But a week ago I started letting him cry. It hasn't been as quick as Master R, but so far it's working. Master T mostly sleeps through until 10:30-11pmish when I come into bed and wake him up. In the next couple of months I'll move him out of our bed and start working towards a full night of sleep. Two kids sleeping though the night, won't that be bliss!
What do you think? Did you or didn't you use CIO or a version of it?
Master R is obsessed with cooking. He stands up on his little stool next to the bench and insists on mixing and of course eating. An idea I stole from another wonderful blog is to have a cookie of the week. The mama blogger lets one of her 3 children choose a cookie and they bake it together. With no classes on a Tuesday it has become bake day. I'll try to post what we've baked and share the recipe.
These are an old favorite passed down from my grandma. ANZAC biscuits* were developed to send to the Australian and New Zealand Army Core while serving in Gallipoli.
*Biscuits are not savory like in the US but are just the British word for cookies.
ANZAC biscuits 1 cup plain flour 1 cup dessicated coconut 1 cup oats 1 cup dark sugar 125g butter 2 tbs golden syrup (you can find this in some stores around Battery Park) 1 tsp bicarb soda
Preheat oven to 180C/350?F. Combine all dry ingredients. Melt butter and golden syrup and add to the dry ingredients along with bicarb soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Mix well and using a teaspoon form into balls - careful they really expand. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden.
Considering that Master D has only had a babysitter once in his entire life, he is turning into a remarkably independent child. He recently started insisting on walking everywhere, which was fine as long as I could keep up, but suddenly he is a sprinter and he careens around stores as if they're race tracks. He searches for opportunities to dash away from me, and when he finds them he wastes no time looking back to see where I am. I worry that he will run into elderly people and knock them down, or rush out of a grocery aisle into another shopper's cart, or simply run into the arms of some predator who sees that I am a few yards away, unable to keep my toddler out of harm's way.
So, the party is over! Yesterday, at the airport returning home from our annual trip to visit my parents in Florida, Master D was tethered to the monkey leash he dreads so much. Passersby all admired it, and giggled, and asked me where I found it, but Master D just howled and screamed, "NO MONKEY!!!!" over and over again. I explained that it was for safety, and that it was dangerous when he ran away from me, but my explanations only seemed to make him hate the monkey more because they reminded him of the freedoms he had lost. So I let him cry, and I went about my business at the ticket counter, security, etc.. People stared, and I wished I could explain that I am usually an attentive and caring mother, but I consoled myself with the fact that he was safe.
We had a similar experience at our favorite grocery store today. It has always been the best because it boasts TV Car Carts in which Master D can pretend to drive and watch "Bob the Builder" at the same time. All the other stores have Car Carts, with steering wheels, and we thought they were a big deal until these tricked out babies came into our lives this summer. At first, I relished leisurely shopping trips that allowed me to saunter down every aisle instead of beelining to the hummus and string cheese. But its novelty has started to wear off lately so we only shop once a week or I leave Master D with daddy. Today, even after two weeks without our dear carts, the magic was gone. Master D climbed in excitedly, seemed glad to see "Thomas the Tank Engine" pop up as the first show, but quickly started climbing out and demanding to walk.
I tried to negotiate with him - we could go see the fish tanks if he got back in the cart. He could ride the mechanical horse after our shopping if he got back in the cart. He could have turkey sausage for dinner if he got back int the cart. He could have chocolate in the car if he got back in the cart. Mamas, nothing worked. He just kept trying to run, and I kept picking him up and trying to bribe him. So he started to cry and throw himself on the ground, in full tantrum. People stared, and tried to get by us, and finally I just hauled my kicking, screaming toddler out of the store and put him in his car seat.
I never see other kids doing this, so I know I must be to blame. Perhaps it's because he always cried in his stroller as a baby, and I dreaded the stares and comments as we walked down the NYC streets, so he never learned that sometimes we just need to run errands. Maybe I have let him walk so many times that he thinks I will always cave, and that walking in stores is his god-given right. Whatever the cause, I need help! We will be eating frozen chicken nuggets for dinner tonight because our post-vacation refrigerator is bare. Where have I gone wrong?!
So- we are back from our Argentinian 5 week adventure. Traveling with two was quite a challenge- especially on a sightseeing/non "veg at the beach" vacation. Naively, I didn't think it would be all that different from our day to day life. On the weekends in NYC, we go out for lunch, spending the afternoon in some type of activity. I was in for quite an awakening.
Things I learned:
In traveling with small children, expect the unexpected and be flexible. There is no routine- things changed from day to day. They won't nap when you want them to- if we got a stroller nap- we would take take advantage of the time to see something you want to see or eat. We found we revised our "schedule" every few days and tried to go with what worked best for the boys.
We were lucky also that Master A was young enough that he didn't require constant activities, museums, etc. just for him. He was at an age that he was happy just to run around outside wherever we went. However, that also meant he liked to run out of restaurants. We tried a lot of outdoor restaurants in our neighborhood but even that proved to be too hard. He's just an age where he won't sit in a chair or high chair. After many meals of taking turns eating and chasing Master A, we learned to go at his "naptime" and just wait until he fell asleep in the stroller to have a more relaxing lunch. If he wasn't asleep when we arrived we would just walk in circles around the restaurant we wanted to eat and pray he would fall asleep. If he did, we went in. If not, we skipped it. Some days were better than other with the boys and we learned just to adapt. Naptimes changed and our schedule was rearranged.
If your child sleeps in a crib at home- and the place you are staying at does not have one- bring one or buy one. Master A tricked us for a week or so- falling asleep pretty easily so we didn't bother buying one for the apartment we were staying. A store to buy a pack & play was going to be a trip to the suburbs that we didn't feel like taking. Once we were about 2 weeks in, Mister R had to lay with him each night till he fell asleep and he would still pop out occasionally. It was a real pain and stressful if we had a sitter. We should have made the trip and bought a crib from the get go.
Babies are the best travel companions. Master L was great- he would sleep in the Ergo for hours while we moved around (thanks for letting me borrow Mama V). I finally mastered feeding on the go. While his sleep was erratic at night- he was very easy and slept well on the long plane rides and while I was wearing him. I wish we had traveled more when it was just Master A and he was a baby.
Go somewhere that kids are not seen as a nuisance. In Argentina, the kids were fawned over and no one blinked if they were crying.
Flights- for long flights- overnight flights are key. The boys slept quite a bit since it was their normal bedtime. On the flight out, they "blocked" an extra seat for us (we bought one for Master A) so we were able to bring the car seat on for Master L- made a big difference. We did bulk head seating on the way back and I don't know if I'd do it again for a night flight. There was room for Master A to get up and move a little- but the armrests don't come up so he couldn't lie down. He was much more comfortable on the flight down. From Buenos Aires, we visited two different areas that required short flights. They were harder- at varying times- had lots of delays. We were happy when our traveling around ended. I would try to avoid moving around if possible. We found that there was also an adjustment to new hotels and Master A became very clingy. Master A became attached to Mister R which was sweet but a pain at times. If he was nervous- he had to be carried around holding on to Mister R in a death grip. We tried to humor him as much as possible and allow him what he needed to adjust- since we were forcing these changes on him. He did not understand that this was a vacation or what was going on.
Renting an apartment was a great way to travel. It was so nice to have two bedrooms and be able to shut the door and still relax in the evening. We got suites in the hotels and would only do this in the future.
A pool was great to have- Master A became a water bug and it was our nightly ritual. We tried to drag Master A out to dinner but he was grouchy and tired if we were out past his bedtime at 7:30 (we had several meals packed up for our hotel room) so we learned to come back to our apartment at night and relax at the pool. I wasn't sure how much we'd use it- but it helped an extended trip feel more like a vacation.
Food- I had a list of nice (not super fancy) restaurants I wanted to go to for brunch or dinners. They were scrapped and our focus became on pizza, empanadas, and helado (ice cream). We started our day around noon or one and would try to go to lunch and one place/neighborhood we wanted to see. In the end, after we saw all we wanted to see, we'd take long walks for food and then hit the park.
Sitters- don't be afraid to use them- once you have someone you trust. We went out a few nights and one full day and one half day. I very rarely use them at home but it was a nice treat and in the end we wished we had started earlier and done it more. Next time, for a shorter trip, I would hire someone to watch the boys while we do some sightseeing- so we'd get more in.
Traveling with two is difficult but fun. The time Mister R spent with the boys was priceless and gave him quite an appreciation into what it takes to just get out the door with both of them. It is doable with a lot of patience and flexibility. Some days you just pack them up, slather on sun block through their crying and wailing and hope for the best. Oh- only send out pictures where the kids are smiling and everyone will think it's a breeze! It couldn't have been all bad, we are already thinking about Italy in September (provided Master R rejoins the working force before then).
A while ago I wrote about my attempts at using real nappies with Master R. Despite my best efforts it wasn't very successful. They just leaked too much. I can't do nappy changes every 1-2 hours. I think he was too active for them.
However, I'm using the same size, large, for Master T with great success! They last for 2-3 hours between changes and look great too. It's so cute seeing him in little red, blue or yellow nappies. I have about 7 sets and just throw them straight in the washing machine as they're soiled. Once I've used them all I just switch on the machine (no fabric softener though as this effects the absorbency). Once washed just throw in the dryer and viola, nappies ready. I really don't find them any more difficult than disposables. I'm also saving money but better still, the environment.
These real nappies are not going to work for the long term but if I can enjoy them for the next few months that's good enough for our pocket and carbon footprint!
With great trepidation I hired a nanny - fulltime! I've ummed and arghed about it and still am not quite sure about it. Do I really need fulltime help when Master R is already in nursery 3 days a week? Sure I can't do anything with Master T glued to my hip but I like to feel independent. I always think about my mother raising 4 of us with no help. Then I have to remember the nervous breakdown.
When we last brought up this issue here on the blog I remember Mama LS saying that having the help enables he to be a better mother and wife. This is the crux of the issue - I'm a bit of a stressed, exhausted, disorganised mess at the end of the day. Mr M would like to come home and have a conversation not just incoherent grunts.
Currently I have a young neighbour come over for an hour each evening and just hold Master T while I do the bedtime routine with Master R. It's lovely to have that one on one time with each child and not frantically throw Master R in bed while Master T screams.
With that in mind I went ahead and hired a nanny, F. It was a very short interview. She's very young and very pretty (perhaps too pretty!), quite shy and, importantly German so she can continue with the boys' bilingual exposure. Rather than the gruelling interview I'm going to give her a 2 week trial where she and assess the situation after that. F will work with us from 12 until 7 so I'll still have the mornings with my boys. And I'll be here at home with her 90% of the time anyway.
I'm quite nervous about it but also welcoming the time I'll have to get this house sorted out, cook meals for the family and pursue other career options. I'll report back soon.
Master R loves cooking. He's actually really good at helping me in the kitchen. He gets up on his step at the bench and mixes, measures and pours. He gets so excited about it! I made a big error yesterday though. Forgetting that toddlers need instant gratification and don't understand the word "wait" I thought he'd enjoy some jelly*.
He had so much fun stirring and stirring. I was very anxious about the hot water. But the problem started when he just didn't get the bit where it needs to set in the fridge. We had massive tantrums and tears. It took ages for him to forget about it and stop opening the fridge.
You should have seen his face that evening when I gave him some jelly! He was really excited to see how it had set and wobbled.
Today we baked a scrumptious orange cake together. A much better idea - he can lick the bowl and spoon then in 45 minutes eat a slice of cake. Later he got to make the icing and lick the bowl again! (Must post the recipe for the cake we baked. It's an orange cake made with 2 full oranges - skin, pips and all! Yummy!)
*Sorry I don't know the American word for jelly but I think you call jam jelly? I'm sure you'll understand what I mean from the picture.
We celebrated the holidays late this year, due to our December travel (I promise I will blog on that later). My MIL gave us a Wii. I was a bit surprised being that we never asked/showed any interest in one. Does she want my unemployed husband to ever go back to work. I envision days filled with him bowling, golfing, playing tennis in the endless time suck of gaming systems.
As many of you know, I sometimes feel that her gifts often have some kind of dig at me as well (remember the lovely napkins from last year "I am the f*!*ing queen). So, I was a little surprised that the next box was a Wiifit. Five months post-baby, was this saying I needed to get in shape. It was a good thing I wasn't having a bad body image day or I may not have responded very graciously. Mr. R says she knows I do work out videos. Hmmm, maybe.
So, we all gathered around the Wiifit to see what our "Wiifit age" was. I should preface this by saying we were all drinking wine. You enter your DOB, height and then do a balance test where you put weight on one side of the body then the other. Mama H- you would be great at this. Mr. R gets up there and he has a fit age of 45. It asked him if he finds himself tripping when he walks down the street. It tells him he is overweight. He is not amused. My MIL tries- her age is 37. I must point out that she drank the least amount of wine. I give it a try- my age was 57. It asked me if I trip walking down the street. I couldn't believe it, 20 years older than my MIL. I tried again the next day and it went down a whopping 51 years old. So, if I wasn't annoyed enough that my MIL spent all of this money on a gaming system we never wanted, I got a fit system that told me I was old and uncoordinated. (It was lucky it didn't call me fat or it would have been thrown out the window. Merry Christmas to me!
We have a dummy (paci) free house! Hurrah. Well, kind of. The catalyst for this change was Master R's constant whining "Dummy gone!". Mr M and I were completely fed up and while we were away I threw out every last one.
It wasn't as hard as we expected for Master R to quit. After his operation I'd been a little lax and had given into the whines allowing him to play with it in until he got sick of it and gave it to me. A bad habit. We don't mention that D-U-M-M-Y word now simply referring to it as "D". He has occasionally cried out for it and it takes longer for him to fall asleep. With the D he'd fall asleep almost immediately now it takes a little while often with tears.
Master T on the other hand would not take one. I tried on numerous occasions to hold one into his mouth only for him to gag and spit it out in disgust. I tried other brands but he wasn't interested preferring only the real thing. Interestingly he'll take a bottle from our child minder but not the dummy.
There is upside to Master T's behaviour but there's also downside - he sleeps much less than his big brother. Not only that but he seems to wake more frequently. Currently he sleeps less during the day than Master R. But at least there's no attachment to an innate and often dirty object. And no weaning off it - that part I'll take.
Source: http://eatourbrains.com/EoB/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/sloth.jpg So I am, at last, a little bit pregnant. Yes, a little bit – I am a few days past “seven weeks” (which is hokum-counting, because I’m really only five weeks post-IVF-transfer). The news is thrilling, of course, but the roller-coaster reality of trying for so long to get pregnant is that, once prego, the ups and downs continue. At the first sono last week, the doctor located my new little passenger, but quickly turned grave, telling Mr. A and me that the heart rate of 95 bpm had him “concerned.” So I was to take it easy, and come back in a week. Easier said than done!
I actually asked the doctor whether my racing heartbeat during the exam might have affected things (picture my pumping heart: cranking up to maximum as doctor initially thinks he spots three embryos, then bang-banging again as he corrects himself to say there are two sacs, then dipping up and down after he declares that one sac is empty... it was like an elliptical workout in one long minute’s span.)
Anyway, back to taking it easy, doctor-style: no exercise, no hot baths, no extra-curriculars with Mr. A, bi-daily hormone shots, pills and suppositories, and, of course, no undue stress for this mother of active little Master K. We can all say ha! to that one, Mamas!
Wouldn’t just prescribing a beach getaway be a little easier? Oh, right – no flying until this first trimester is over at the end of February.
Mama H, yoga junkie, had to endure an extreme version of doctor-prescribed sloth for several months of her recent pregnancy. I am in awe of her (for many reasons) and wonder how she managed. I am antsy with the desire to run, or do some squats, or even a downward dog. I shall try to enjoy the downward gear-shifting, but can’t help but fret over my ever-decreasing muscle tone, especially when long-suffering Mr. A injects my posterior each morning with progesterone (in oil! Agh!) What a sight. Ladies, would love any ideas on how to embrace my inner sloth.
Yes, yes have a little giggle. I have a couple of knitting injuries. First I have a rash on my finger from the wool I'm currently working with. I don't think it's an allergy, just from excessive wool rub! Second, I was experiencing pain in my forearm and shoulder. Mama LS if I was in NYC you could treat your first knitting injury. When this happens I know it's time to switch to crocheting and give my body a rest from the strenuous activity that is knitting. It was during one of these breaks that I crocheted this blanket for the MIL. I don't really think she likes it but I don't think she likes much that I do. She did ask for one though and I delivered. I also knitted her a pair of leg warmers in the same colour. I hope she gets some use out of them. I won't be knitting her the huge ski sweater she's requested though. It's just too much work when I'm not sure she'll ever wear it!
I'm currently working on one of the most exciting knitting projects I've undertaken. The front and back is finished as is 1.5 sleeves. I should be finished in a couple of weeks and can share the result with you. My only concern is that its too small. I've prewarned Mama J that she might receive a partially knitted sweater if its the case.
We are eight mamas who bonded during summer 2008 spent in parks around Battery Park, NYC with our newborn babies. Now separated by an ocean and land we share the many ups and some downs of being fulltime mamas.
