Lazy Tuesday

We're having a lazy day today. Owen is enjoying his new rain stick and pushing his mail cart around the house while I'm making a grocery list and heating up some left over curry for dinner.

I made a yummy Mexican lasagna yesterday that Jeremy gobbled up with some fresh gucamole. I don't have any pictures because it was eaten up before I even thought to take any - but trust me on this one, its husband approved ;)

3 Chicken Breasts
1 can mushroom soup
1 packet of Taco Seasoning
1 can black beans
1 can green chilis
4-6 flour tortillas
shredded cheddar/mexican cheese

Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt/pepper/garlic powder/pinch cayanne. Bake for 350 for 30 minutes until heated. Remove from oven and shred with a fork. Stir in black beans (rinsed) and taco seasoning. Add to bowl with soup and chilis. Mix well.

Spray 9x13 baking dish with non stick spray. Layer tortillas on the bottom, pour half of chicken mixture and spread evenly. Add layer of cheese (don't be shy here, ADD CHEESE) and then another layer of tortillas/chicken/cheese. On the top I usually cut a tortilla into strips and layer vertically. Top with cheese. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 - uncover for another 5-10 minutes for a crispy top.

Here a few of my recent posts on Kveller in case you missed them!

I'm not a hippie, I just parent like one :)

and I also submit my nursing in Target post which has gotten some really nice feedback.

I cannot believe Owen will be 15 months tomorrow!! IS 15 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!! (Mama lost track of the days!!)

How is that for the most random post ever?

Al fresco birthday party

The rain let up for a few hours on Sunday for us to celebrate with our friends for their son's 7th birthday. It was very humid outside (Owen's little ear curl was in full effect!!) and we were tired after moving some of our stuff to the new place, but we were happy to be outside and to eat some pizza and cake.

Owen is very interested in using a fork now. We put the food on and he takes the fork from us and puts it in his mouth. We have yet to find a baby-sized fork that will actually stab food, so for now we're supervising while he practices with an adult fork.

 This boy soaks in extra time with his Daddy, and we're looking forward to weekends together in June.

But as bedtime approaches and we have a baby melt down...

This boy just wants his Mama :)

Singing in the morning

Owen's favorite song right now is Ha Ha Thisaway and Jeremy taught him to sing along if he sings the "ha ha" part and we sing the rest. Its ADORABLE.  We do a lot of this lately.

The saying "shabbat" is more by accident. He brings me this Shabbat board book to read and I think he likes the repetition more than anything else but his little "bat, baaat" kills me everytime!

Nursing in public

It took me a while to get the hang of nursing in public, let's be honest, it took me a while to get the hang of nursing, PERIOD. Fumbling with a screaming baby didn't exactly make me feel at ease at home - let alone in front of others. I was mortified to be using a nipple shield (what is that gadget? she can't just nurse her baby like a normal person?) and everything about nursing felt forced and awkward. I brought bottles of pumped milk wherever we went and let myself get engorged, while missing out on yet another bonding moment with my newborn. In retrospect - what was I thinking?

And then we settled into a rhythm and ditched the shield and I remember crystal clear one afternoon when he was 4 months old, he fell asleep nursing in my bed and just before I dozed off I thought to myself, "THIS! This makes it all worth it. This is what everyone was talking about." My perfect nursing moment. And then his first tooth came in, and more teeth and biting, and acrobatics and now popping off to talk to me while he's nursing (most often saying,"Da-dee?" or some random animal noise) and now nursing is intertwined with how we exist together.  It happens when it happens and doesn't when it doesn't.

We moved when O was a newborn so I nursed him as our little family explored our new city. The beautiful part about all of this is that my first memories of so many of the places we frequent, involve nursing Owen. I remember nursing Owen in the Target parking lot. I remember nursing Owen in a booth at Panera. At my doctor's office and at brunch with friends. Almost every place we go in Pittsburgh has a spot where I nursed my tiny Owen. There is a bench at the park where we sat and nursed while on a walk with friends. This is my favorite memory because a young, college-co-ed type guy came up to us and showed us his dog. He said hello and looked me right in the eyes and smiled. He didn't shy away, he didn't pull his dog away to avoid the crazy woman nursing her child in the middle of a public park. He smiled and waited until my friend's toddler was done petting his dog. Said goodbye and walked on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

I've always been discrete about nursing. We use a cover, I turn away. I try to find a private booth in the corner of the restaurant. Not because I am embarrassed but because I don't want to be made uncomfortable by stares or dirty looks just as much as I don't want to make other people uncomfortable. As Owen gets older I do find myself being more self conscious about nursing in public. He will not tolerate a cover so when he asks to nurse I try to distract him and nurse as soon as we get somewhere more private. Its fairly easy for me to be discrete as I can mostly cover my breast with my shirt while he's nursing and he doesn't care just so long as he can still see me so I'm not sure what my hang-up is. I nursed him on the plane when we went to Asheville a few months ago and I contemplated lying about his age - because for some reason its acceptable for a 11 month old to still be nursing but not a 13 month old.

The other day after our shorts-try-on session I had to run into Target for a few things. Owen was already a cranky mess from taking a short nap and then being forced into a bazillion clothing changes so by the time we walked into Target he was having none of it. I put him in the Ergo because I knew he would want to jump out of the cart. He fussed and waved his little hand around in front of my face pumping his fist to show me the sign for "baby milk" (as if I didn't already know what he wanted). I needed to grab a few things, but I wanted him to be okay. So I unbuttoned the top of my shirt, and I nursed him while I shopped. He nursed happily with his head resting on my chest for the entire trip and while I was a little paranoid that people could see this insane woman walking around Target nursing her kid, also felt empowered. I was meeting his needs and still getting done what I needed to do.  I even snapped this picture of us so now I can have two memories of Target. Nursing my tiny newborn in the back of the parking lot and calming my fussy toddler while I grabbed a new toothbrush and a pack of Clorox bathroom wipes.

I called Jeremy at work on my way home, he was in the OR and asked, "Is it important because I can act like this is work-related and leave."

"Nope" I said. "I just wanted to tell you that today I am Supermom."

And I guess I think that's pretty important :)

Stacking cups

He doesn't walk yet because he's busy stacking cups ;)

Accessories!

Its getting warmer and I realized I don't have a lot of summer clothes for Owen. He is such a long, lean boy he doesn't fit in any of the 18 month pants/shorts we bought in anticipation of warmer weather.

So off to Carter's we went, complete with hat and amber teething necklace. He wasn't very happy to be trying on clothes and the sales person was so nice trying to make him smile while I sat on the floor and wrestled him into pair after pair of shorts.

And you know what size I ended up buying?

NINE. MONTHS.

Yep. My skinny string bean with no butt fit into the nine month shorts with room to spare. No worries of childhood obesity over here!

Today is a beautiful day

Things I'm Loving Right Now

I've been struggling to fit blogging into my day, so I'm sorry the posts have been mostly pictures and updates and less insight on what I'm thinking. I've been using Kveller for my creative writing outlet but I'm hoping to provide more content here too. Now that Owen only takes one nap, I need to manage my time better (like forget the laundry I *think* about doing and just blog instead).

These are a few things that are making my life easier right now, I thought I'd share!

Burts Bees Tinted Lip Balm

I had a few coupons from Rite Aid for this and that's the only reason I was willing to try a $7 chap stick but I'm glad I did. I went with the Red Dahlia color and it's the perfect addition to any diaper bag, soft smooth chap stick with a nice pop of color. I think I've worn actual lipstick twice since Owen was born but this is like the best of both worlds - practical with a hint of glam. Its definitely worth the Mama splurge. Now if I could just stop obsessing about not putting it through the washer ;)

Boogie Wipes

I bought the original scent of these before and thought they were a waste of money. Saline wipes? Big deal. I also felt the smell was overwhelming and prefer Owen's milky, baby smell to the face wipes. I saw these on sale a month ago and thought they were unscented. A few weeks ago O got his first cold and he's had a runny nose ever since. Constant wiping with tissues makes his little nose red so I switched back to these and LOVE THEM. Even hard, crusted-on boogies come right off. While I still think I'd rather have the unscented version the sweet menthol smell is nice and doesn't linger like the original scent.

Canada Dry Diet Ginger Ale

I don't drink caffeine and haven't in over five years, I have a sensitivity to it so I just avoid it all together. It really isn't a big deal because I was never much of a coffee drinker but it does limit the variety of what I can drink, especially when we are out. I get so excited when a restaurant has caffeine-free diet options on their fountain (thank you chick-fil-a) but my staple is the one can of caffeine-free diet Dr. Pepper I have at home everyday. The rest of the time I drink water, and while its boring -- its the best way to stay hydrated and make milk. My friend Kelly turned me onto this when I visited her in Asheville and its a nice option to have in the house. I used to only drink ginger ale when I was sick but I've managed to get past that and kind of like that I now have a drink option in the house that Jeremy won't guzzle down before I can get to it. Because according to him, ginger ale is for when you are sick ;)

The perfect Toddler Towel

     Owen has outgrown all of his baby towels *sniff* and we found that if we put the hood on him right out of the bath there was hardly any towel left to bundle him up in. I bought this Aden + Anais set before Owen was born from a deal site where it was over 50% off and got rave reviews. I remember opening the package and thinking, "this thing is HUGE!" and I packed it away. I pulled it out a few weeks ago and it is the PERFECT towel for wrapping up a squeaky clean 14-month old. I love that it still has a hood (baby = hooded towel) but it envelopes him in fluffy softness all the way down to his baby toes. We can literally wrap him up in it like we used to do with his infant towels. Its quite pricey for a towel, so I'm cherishing the one I happened to have but if I ever find another one on sale I will be scooping it up. Note: The A&A washcloths are also huge, I used it as a burp cloth when O was a baby and still think its too big for bathtime. I guess you could just look at it as a free gift you get with the awesome towel ;)



Tell me, what are you loving right now?

My 2nd Mother's Day

Last year I snuggled on the couch with this handsome bundle

This year, I walked UPHILL in the Pittsburgh Race for the Cure  with Owen on my back... pushing an empty stroller

not quite as relaxing, but I was still happy to spend the day with my favorite little boy!

Splish Splash!

Owen has been such an absolute joy lately. Not a day goes by that our cheeks aren't hurting from smiling as we watch him grow, learn and say new things.

He recently started splashing UP A STORM in the bathtub. So much so that the person bathing him needs a towel of their own. When Jeremy is giving O a bath I stand in the doorway and say, "splashes! splashes!" and Owen laughs and plunges both hands in again and again. Its AH-DORABLE!!

He also wants us to read his bath book over and over again. He points to all of the things in the book and we have to recite what they are.

This past month Jeremy was on a service that while it didn't allow much time off, he was home in time to read Owen a story most nights. So after his bath, Jeremy gets him ready for bed and the two of them sit and read bedtime stories. Owen usually requests, "mooo, mooo" or "raaaawr" which is totally cute. He usually starts to sign milk and say, "night, night" before the books are finished. Jeremy scoops him up and gives him lots of kisses. Then I say, "give Daddy kisses goodnight" and Owen kisses Jeremy with his open-mouth slobbers on both cheeks. Then Jeremy hand him over to me and says, "Kisses for your Mama" and Owen showers ME in the kisses before we read one last story, nurse and down for bed.  This routine kind of slowly developed on its own. It is so nice to have Jeremy there for bedtime and our family kisses are the highlight of our night.

This week on Kveller

Owen at the Conservatory this afternoon - his shirt was very interesting!

I've had a busy week on Kveller!

I blogged about Owen's love for all things Passover

and had TWO more feature articles!!

Friends with Benefits

And this piece which I was thrilled they asked to feature because I gathered a lot of my thoughts from here on my blog and put them into a full article that pretty much summed up how I felt about the power of prayer during my pregnancy.

Prayer During Pregnancy

Shabbat Shalom! Have a wonderful weekend!

Tuesday with my big boy

Tuesday was the perfect day for me and my little to visit the zoo. It was a beautiful day and all of the animals were out enjoying the sunshine.

Mr. O looked like such a big boy in his sun hat - complete with sweaty little toes and sippy cup!

The three tiger cubs were pouncing on each other right in front of the window. They are getting SO BIG!

It was the last day of Passover so Owen and I shared a Passover-approved lunch of cheese fries and ice cream (so much for organic, no-sugar eating...)

Saaaaay CHEESE (fries!)

 

Just before we were about to leave the house to go to the zoo I was brushing my teeth. Owen was in the bathroom with me, standing while holding onto the vanity. He started pointing to HIS toothbrush in our holder. I put some toothpaste on it and there we were

brushing our teeth together. 

It is amazing to me that he is a little person now and this was the first of many thing we will do together. Owen and Mama.

Fourteen Months!

Dearest Owen,

My sweet boy, you are FOURTEEN MONTHS OLD TODAY! You continue to be the light of my life and everyday is a new adventure with you. You have become enamoured with your "DA-DEE" and ask for him all day long. Everytime the door opens you call his name again and again. He is equally as smitten with you and he lights up each night when you shower his cheeks with your open mouth kisses before he hands you off to me for "baby milk and night, night." You say Mama, less and less but you have your Mama all day long.

Your favorite book right now is "Moo, Baa, LA LA LA" and you ask for it EVERY TIME we sit in the rocking chair by saying, "Moooooooo!" Your Daddy and I are so tired of reading it and both of us know it by heart but hearing you recite the animal sounds and point to them on the pages still amazes us every time you do it. You love to pet Harleigh and crawl after her whenever you see her saying, "Kit-ty! Kit-ty!" Your Nana and Papa got you a touch and feel puzzle for your birthday which you love. Daddy says, "Owen, bring me the horsey" You bring him the horse and say, "yeeehehe" for the horsey sound. "Ba Ba" for the sheep. "Moooo" for the cow. And, of course, "Quack Quack" for the duck. You also say "uh, uh" for a doggie sound, and "chicken" now, but its for when we give you chicken nuggets ;) You can point to my eyes and nose and have even pointed to your tummy a few times. So smart, my boy!

You are more giggly these days and love to be ticked underneath your chin or have raspberries blown on your belly. You are so easy going and I cannot count the times people comment, "Is he always this good?" the answer is simply: Yes. You have gotten taller but haven't filled out much. Your arms and legs are slender and I'm afraid you've inherited the "Reese butt" -- or lack thereof. No butt to speak of on you, just like your Daddy and your Papa. Your hair is a definitive strawberry blonde now and the wispy ends curl up when you are sweaty. I adore your silky little curls, I sit and twirl them around in my fingers after you've fallen asleep in my arms. You love to have your teeth brushed at night and still say, "Night, Night" and sign milk when you are tired.

Spring is slowly making its way to us and being outside is one of your favorite things. We take walks or visit the zoo when the weather is nice. You cruise around the furniture and you can walk behind your little mail cart unassisted but still no steps. You know how to turn around and slide down off the couch backwards - something you managed to teach yourself. Your favorite thing to do right now is pick up tiny, tiny things off the floor and put them in your mouth. You pick them up, hold them up to me and then right in the mouth they go. Dirt, lint, wrappers, PENNIES! Anything you can pick up with your little fingers. Its impossible for me to keep the floor spotless so I spend my days fishing yuckies out of your mouth. You eat better from the floor than you do from the table and your Daddy and I have contemplated putting your dinner down on the carpet for you to enjoy (I kid, sort of...)

There is something so special about you, Owen. A quiet wisdom behind your eyes that I am sure you will amaze us with one day. With you, everything come is its own time and you are teaching me more about patience than I ever thought possible. There are days when I wish you were chubbier or more mobile or that you could tell me exactly what you want and then I sit back and realize that you are perfect and I have nothing to worry about. But I'm your Mama and worrying comes with the job but I promise you that I make it a point to drown myself in your adorableness and be thankful for the last fourteen months of perfect days the two of us have spent together.

My perfect boy, my heart is yours.

Mama