Seriously delicious dessert

Thai food is one of my favorites. A few years ago Greg and I were enjoying some authentic Thai cuisine in an itty bitty restaurant in the North Park area of San Diego when I felt the need for dessert. We went with a wild suggestion from the waiter and ordered the "Mango Sticky Rice"...o...m...g.

Who would have thought rice could be so heavenly? I like mangoes as much as anyone else, but I never would have thought to order a "rice" dish for dessert.

Anyway, over the weekend I was browsing Pinterest on my phone, like the crazy obsessed person I have become, and lo and behold a recipe for Mango Sticky Rice. To my pure delight it was a super simple recipe, 4 ingredients, 20 mintues, Thank you Pinterest!!!

To keep with my Asian theme I made this chicken and shrimp dumpling soup for dinner. It was a restaurant quality recipe for sure if not better! Both recipes are here.

Yogurt Cakes and Play Dates

Last Saturday Gwyn and I got together with all our mommy and baby friends for our monthly play date. We always look forward to this event. The babies change so much every month and they are all starting to interact with each other so much more now. This event is held breakfast potluck style and I decided to try out my new Strawberry Yogurt Cake recipe. I am happy to report it was a big hit!

The recipe was a little labor intensive (by my standards). Things like creaming butter and sugar, sifting flour, and zesting lemons are somewhat time consuming and did't sit well with my antsy little munchkin who is having serious separation anxiety these days! I also made a blueberry version during the week for Greg who didn't get to enjoy the strawberry cake before it got whisked away to the play group.

In my opinion, the strawberry cake was better and I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the recipe calling for butter instead of oil which was used in the blueberry cake. I ended up having to bake both cakes significantly longer (an additional 10-15 minutes) than what was suggested in the original recipes. These probably won't be go to recipes for me but I will keep them around on my pinboard for special events.

In other news Gywn started crawling this week! Woohoo! So proud of my little lady! She began with a few shakey "steps" on Saturday and has quickly built up her speed. She will now chase after me if I attempt to leave the room even for a quick bathroom break! Along with the crawling has come pulling up and standing. So after waiting until the very last minute, we finally baby proofed the house...how about that for procrastination! If any of my mommy friends have helpful tips for dealing with separation anxiety I would love to hear them.

Lazy cook finds success

I love easy recipes. Pinterest has been a great tool for finding new recipes but some of my finds have been better than others. The pasta below is last night's dinner and will be going on my new "Success" board see it here .

I experiment with Pinterest recipes at least once a week and have decided to share my success stories with useful commentary here in blog land. Maybe a fellow busy mom will appreciate my recipe CliffsNotes and avoid having to make 5 different versions of Pinterest's "best chicken enchiladas".

I will not be creating a "Failure" board, who likes to dwell on a recipe gone wrong. Failed recipes will mysteriously disappear from my "Eat" board...nuff said.

Pesto pasta with chicken sausage and roasted brussel sprouts

The gist:

This meal is easy. Which means I can make it in 20 minutes or less, the ingredients are readily available (no crazy scavenger hunt at the grocery store) and kept to a minimum (less than 10 ingredients). It is also delicious and incorporates brussel sprouts (one of my favorite veggies).

I substituted trottole, a lovely curly pasta, for the orecchiette that was recommended in the original recipe. This recipe could easily feed 4 people, I had left overs that reheated beautifully for lunch. I will be making this again.

If you are not on Pinterest (you should be) and can not see my "Success" board, you can still find the original recipe here.

Last week I made this...

...in a crockpot. It was divine, and insanely simple. I will never go back to Olive Garden for soup ever again.

Not so little anymore

Something about Gwyn's new top teeth make her seem so much older all of the sudden. My baby is looking more and more like a kid and I'm not sure how I feel about that! Today we had Gwyn's 9 months appointment with the pediatrician. She has grown longer and leaner. I am so thankful to have a happy healthy little girl that is growing right on track but a part of me wishes she would stay little forever.

How did this happen so quickly? The holidays are over and soon I'll be planning her 1st birthday, it just doesn't seem possible.

At nine months Gwyn is enjoying food. She loves to feed herself. She is still the happiest smiley-ist baby I've ever met. She loves the camera and doesn't hesitate to flash her big smile whenever I pull it out. She is on the move but not in the conventional "crawling" sort of way. Gwyn uses lots of maneuvers to get around the house...scooting, rocking, lunging/face planting and rolling to her destination of choice. Around 8 months she mastered maneuvering herself into a sitting position and loves to hang out on the floor with a good pile of toys or lunge after her zhuzhu pet (battery operated hamster).

At 6.5 months she sprouted her 2 bottom central teeth and just this week the 2 top centrals have cut through. I'm telling you there is something about those top teeth that make her look so much older and wiser! Her hair is coming in slow and steady and is still a sandy blonde color with a touch of red. We are now completely certain that those baby blue eyes are here to stay.

Gwyn is a very talkative little girl and loves to babble "mama" and "dada" all day long. She is also extremely ticklish and has a hearty yet girly laugh that is very contagious. We just can not get enough of this sweet girl. I can honestly say I cherish every moment and love being a mother more than any other job in the world!

Three Christmases

One of the best parts of being a parents is getting to enjoy the holidays via your kid! Christmas was such a joy this year. Watching Gwyn play with wrapping paper and boxes (and the occasional toy) was more fun than I ever could have imagined!

Out little family celebrated Christmas in Naperville, Mesa, and Tucson this year. This 2 week extravaganza included so many fun events: a 1st birthday for our new nephew Cole, a trip to the Tucson Zoo, a reunion lunch at Rosa's with my favorite girlfriends, a new Polheber Family portrait, a spa day at the Camelback Inn, a picnic at the Farm at South Mountain, a surprise invite to be a bridesmaid in my oldest friend Colleen's wedding <3, and probably one too many burritos from Filibertos/Nicos/LosBetos...yes, we made all 3 stops...I know, but the Midwest has no idea how to make a burrito.

Gwyn thoroughly enjoyed playing with all her new cousins! She has lots of new playmates on both sides of the family (ages 8mo, 10mo, 10mo, 12 mo) and watching all the kiddos interact was pure entertainment. I literally took hundreds of pictures with my new fancy camera (thank you hubby) that now need sorting. So many precious moments captured!

We were thrilled to share Gwyn's first Christmas with all our family and friends. Gwyn received so many lovely gifts that we filled our extra suitcase and still ended up shipping 2 large boxes with FedEx! Holy cow!

We are so fortunate to have such generous and loving friends and family. Thank you all for making this first Christmas so special!

Another Saturday Breakfast

This was so easy and super delicious that I had to share. Of course, I found this recipe on Pinterest, the are called Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups. It is a Martha Stewart recipe that you can find here. Let me tell you these are ridiculously simple to make.

Originally, I thought I'd use this recipe for guests because you can make a large quantity (just prepare a few muffin tins) and serve a warm traditional breakfast to everyone at the same time. No worrying about cold eggs, toast, or bacon. It is all ready at once and comes in a nice little package. But Greg enjoyed these so much that I might just have to make them for the two of us every now and again.

Enjoy!

Oh my heavenly pancakes

I was never a big fan of breakfast...until I got pregnant. Weird right? Most women can't keep their breakfast down and I just couldn't get enough. During my pregnancy I developed a strange addiction to pancakes that decided to stick with me.

I. love. pancakes.

Since pinterest has taken over my life...and my kitchen. I knew this recipe would be number one priority for my Saturday morning. Lemon Poppy Seed pancakes with macerated strawberries, yes please. This recipe doesn't disappoint!

Lets have a close up, shall we...yum.

And my two favorite people to spend Saturday morning with.

I am a lucky lady!

The Nap Saga Continues

We are making progress. Gwyneth is much more inclined to go down for nap after a couple weeks of using the Ferber method. We have our little nap routine and aim for the same nap times (roughly) in the morning and afternoon.

Our pre-nap screaming is down to a minimum. Most days Gwyn makes some fussy noises as I put her into the crib but then she goes right to sleep! Genius!

Well almost...we have a new hurdle. Gwyn has become a cat napper. She sleeps for 5, 15, maybe 30 minutes and then her little eyes fly open and she is ready to get up!

Ferber says that you are supposed to leave the child in the crib for a full hour. Maybe I should follow the rules and let her hang out in the crib if she wakes up? This will undoubtedly lead to more crying...sigh...any thoughts for me??

Naps

Oh how we struggle with naps everyday. Sometimes I feel like getting Gwyn down for a nap is my one and only job. It is certainly first priority on our agenda each day because a tired baby is not a happy baby.

Gwyn's "tired signs" are perfectly clear. She is a yawner. If Mama happens to miss a yawn, she will not hesitate to remind me that she is losing steam fast by rubbing her eyes furiously. I try to pay close attention to her signals to get her down in a timely fashion but it doesn't seem to make a bit of difference.

Gwyn wakes at approximately 7:30am each morning. If her wake time is off I still aim for the morning nap 1-1.5 hours after she gets up (because she is already exhausted by then). This usually puts our morning nap at 9am. I have tried to play with this time...a little earlier...a little later...nada. She does not want to go to sleep. She will cry and cry and cry. I usually continue my attempt for 1 hour. Then I bring her back down stairs where she jumps deliriously in her Jumperoo (smiling and yawning between bounces) or she fights with all her might to keep her head up while playing on her play mat (if her head rests on the floor for more than 5 seconds she promptly lifts it right back up with restored determination and vigor!) I am usually exhausted just watching her.

So I hold out hope for an afternoon nap. Usually I start attempting this one at noon. Basically, to avoid sounding redundant, this is a repeat of the morning.

Then, to my great dismay, she usually falls asleep in the middle of a meal (while nursing) around 1:30-2. When this happens I attempt to separate myself from her...not easy, and put her down to sleep. This is successful maybe 50% of the time. Today is one of those lucky days, but who am I kidding, this is not working!

Tomorrow we are going to try Ferber for naps. I used Ferber for bedtime and Gwyn goes straight to sleep every night within minutes after eating. I will report back in one week...cross your fingers, say a prayer, do a dance...we need all the help we can get!

Flying Solo

This week my traveling husband (Greg never travels) is spending a week in Dubai. Greg has been working on a large oil and gas project in the middle east for the last 3 years. Fortunately, he has been able to complete 99% of the project from the comfort of his office here in Illinois. His company has made several attempts at sending him to the job site however, things like pregnancy complications and the birth of our daughter have worked to keep him close to home. So finally the time came for him to make the 14 hour flight around the world to see (in person) all the hard work he has contributed.

I can not tell you how much perspective I have gained being a single parent for the last several days. Of course no one would doubt the job of raising a child alone would be an incredible challenge. And please let me add that Gwyn is an amazing baby. She is happy nearly all the time and a relatively easy going kid. But come six o'clock, when her daddy comes through the door, Gwyn is the happiest baby on the block (and mama gets a much needed breather or sometimes just a bathroom break).

On top of allowing me a break, Greg is always pitching in around the house. Whether it is feeding the pups, taking out the trash, or just checking all the locks on the doors before bed...he is always helping me, and listening, and talking, and making me laugh.

He is my partner in crime, the love of my life, and the best father to our daughter that I could ever ask for. Saying that I miss him is a complete understatement. Thank goodness he'll be home in a couple of days :)

Apples and Doughnuts

I have been counting down the days until apple picking season. I love this time of year in Chicago. The air is cool and crisp but the days are still sunny and warm. Last weekend we visited an apple orchard and were able to pick Courtland and Gala apples. I made baby food with the sweet Gala apples and I plan on making my first attempt at apple pie with the Courtlands this weekend. Gwyn brought her buddy Julianna and we all had a great time.

The apples were good but the highlight of the trip was actually the apple cider doughnuts that are made fresh at the orchard shop. These doughnuts are legendary and I have to admit they might have been my underlying motivation for the apple picking excursion.

The doughnuts are apple spice flavored and covered in cinnamon and sugar. They are warm, soft, and fall apart while you eat them. They remind me of an apple spice flavored churro only much softer and even more delicious. Needless to say, we will be ordering a dozen when we return for pumpkin picking next month.

YUM!

My little fish

Gwyneth LOVES her bath time.

This girl has no fear of the water.

She loves to splash and splash.

This is my favorite time of the day.

Change is...

...good, I hope!

Going back to work, ugh. When deciding to go back to work it was never a question of if I would go back, but when would be the best time. In order to stay current as a nurse practitioner, I knew taking more than 6 months off would make my return very difficult. The saying, "if you don't use it you lose it" definitely applies to my profession.

When I landed myself in the hospital a month before Gwyn was born, I had to involuntarily resign from my position at the Community Health Clinic. Sadly, they just don't grant medical leave to people who go MIA more than 3 months. This was unfortunate because I really enjoyed my job and working with an under served population. But clearly, Gwyn's safe arrival was the number one priority.

Not having a job to return to, I've had the luxury of being home with Gwyn for longer than the standard 12 weeks (which is not enough maternity leave for anyone in my opinion!!). I've also had the opportunity to search for a new job with a part time/baby friendly schedule. Lucky for me, I might have found exactly that!

New Job:

part time-check

2.5 miles from my house-amazing

4 hour shift-unreal

urgent care-hmmm...

For the last 2 years I've been working in primary care. Urgent care is a far cry from stuffy noses and cholesterol checks. My family practice background will be helpful but I'm going to have to sharpen up some skills that I haven't used in a while. For example, suturing, not something I've done since I was an intern. There just hasn't been a need for it. I'll be learning a lot of new skills too. It is all a bit intimidating, but overall I think it will help me add more tools to my tool box and that is never a bad thing!

I'll be starting the new job in September. We've found a lovely woman who has been running a small home daycare here in Naperville for the last 12 years. She will be watching Gwyn for 4 hours in the afternoon. I know this is going to be a really big change but I'm thrilled to still have my mornings free for play groups and library activities. I'm sure Gwyn will adapt just fine, hopefully I will too!

A night on the town!

Happy Birthday to my Honey....6 days ago! Whoops! Where did the time go??? That's alright, I know Greg will forgive me. This year for Greg's Birthday I planned a special surprise, a date! That's right our first date since Gwyn was born. Actually our first date since I was admitted to the hospital so technically we haven't had a night out in approximately 5 long months!

I was worried about leaving Gwyn with a sitter, but my awesome girlfriend Meghan volunteered to watch our sweet girl and I knew she would be in good hands. I decided to take Greg out to dinner and a movie. We have these great theaters in and around Chicago that serve dinner in the movie theater, perfect for busy parents in a time crunch. So I got us tickets to see Friends with Benefits...hil-arious! A little ronchie to be honest, but fabulously entertaining.

As the movie previews started I found myself more worried about my dear friend Meghan than I was about Gwyneth. I suddenly realized that our daughter is not the easiest to put down for bed and I started to wonder if poor Meghan was in for an evening of screaming. The movie had not even begun and I was already texting the sitter...so cliche. Twenty minutes passed and no word from Meghan. Now I really started to get worried. Greg told me to relax so I put my phone away but continued to check it every minute without being overtly obvious.

Finally news from Meghan. Gwyneth finished her bottle and was fast asleep....woohoo! I could finally relax. It was such an enjoyable night. I know it wasn't my birthday but I may have had more fun than Greg :)

More Grandparents!

The last of the grandparents, including the GREAT grandparents, came to visit Gwyneth a couple weeks ago. We attended an outdoor concert in our central park, ate lots of delicious food, and spent a majority of the time staring at our little sweetie...who is getting quite big :)

Gwyn is a whopping 13 lbs now. She loves her play gym, bumbo seat, and staring at the fan. She has also become very talkative lately. When her daddy comes home from work she laughs and coos and smiles at him. Daddy is already wrapped around her little finger! She is one happy baby and we are very lucky parents!

3 months!

Time is flying by and we are having more fun everyday!

Gwyneth hanging out with the boys at play group.

Gwyn and her buddy Juliana :)

Happy 3 months to my sweet baby girl!

Gwyn Sits!!

Happy 4th of July!

Busy Busy

Our sweet baby is 2, almost 3 months old! Gwyneth is such a happy baby. She is giving us lots of smiles these days and gaining more and more control of her head/neck. She is still up approximately every 3 hours at night but when she wakes up she promptly "gets down to business" (eating) and is happy to go back to sleep. During the day we are still struggling with routine. She does better when we get out of the house, so I've been planning more activities during the day.

I rejoined the gym...hooray!!! The YMCA has a very nice center for kids/babies and they have been looking after Gwyn for roughly 30 minutes while I do a little cardio. Handing over my baby, even for a half an hour, has been incredibly difficult. I go to the Y in the mornings and Gwyn naps through the whole event but it is still really hard for me. I figure it is good preparation for the day I go back to work and have to leave her for hours at a time, pretty sure that will be torture.

We joined a Mom and Baby group. Our hospital puts on a great group one day a week for new moms and babies 0-6 months and it has been an awesome resource. I wasn't really sure what to expect but the group is huge 25+ moms. They do a short educational talk (different topic each week) and then let all the babies socialize. We've met a lot of nice people so far!

Lastly, our library does a Baby Play Date every other week. They sing songs, read short books, and finish up by allowing parents and babies to socialize. Gwyn loves the music! She is also starting to become very fascinated with other babies, it is really cute to watch them all interact.

On the days when there isn't an activity scheduled we like to take a leisure walk in the baby bjorn...puts Gwyn to sleep every time!

The blog has been a bit neglected but as you can see, we've been busy! Now for some 2 month pictures.

Look familiar? These are the bonnet and booties I made in the hospital...they are just now fitting!

Gwyneth loves her bath time.

So in love with this little girl!!!

Belated Anniversary

Our 2nd wedding anniversary was on May 23rd. I feel terrible not to have properly documented this anniversary but life with an infant is a little chaotic. I was describing our anniversary "celebration" to someone and was encouraged to write down our experience because they thought it would be a funny memory to reflect on.

Sorry in advance that there are not any pictures...I'm sure you will understand. I woke up on the morning of our anniversary not feeling quite right. I didn't get a lot of sleep because Gwyneth had been up every hour wanting to eat. Already, I was off to a cranky start. Greg had spent the night in the guest room trying to get some sleep because he had a big meeting that day. He woke up all fresh and rested. I was admittedly a little resentful of his long uninterrupted snooze fest but gave him my best "Happy Anniversary!"

As the day progressed I began to feel worse. I knew I was sleep deprived but this was something more. Greg called that afternoon to announce he would be bringing home a fancy dinner. I was relieved that there would be no cooking in my kitchen that evening!

I heard Greg walk in the door just as I had finally put all my symptoms together. Gwyneth was starting to fuss, it was almost 7 o'clock and time for her nightly meltdown. I fed Gwyn and then headed down stairs to greet Greg, he had a lovely dinner set up in the dining room with flowers.

I felt terrible. "I have to go to the doctor," I told him. I knew why I felt so bad...I had a terrible UTI. I handed over the fussy baby and ran for my car keys. I spent the evening in after hours care and poor Greg ate the fancy dinner alone bouncing Gwyn with one arm.

The following night we had a proper celebration and watched our wedding video. Life is certainly different with a baby, but I wouldn't change a thing :)

Grandpa & Gwyn

This past week Greg was in Houston for a training course put on by his company. The idea of taking care of Gwyn 24/7 without Greg seemed like a daunting task for me. We knew there would be lots of family members excited to meet Gwyn so I asked for a volunteer to come stay with us while Greg was away.

Gwyneth is the first grandchild for my parents. My father has been anticipating the arrival of his grand daughter since we announced we were expecting (maybe even before!!). Needless to say, he and his wife happily volunteered to keep us company.

On day one of their visit, my dad could not contain his excitement and ran out to purchase this giant bear for Gwyn. I had a large brown bear when I was growing up and I loved it. I'm sure Gwyn will love her bear too when she is a little bigger. In the meantime, I'm not sure where we are supposed to keep Mr. Bear!!

This is one happy Grandpa!

Thank you Dad and Goli for giving me an extra hand this past week!