February Recipes

One of my goals for 2011 was to try one new recipe a month. Check out the January recipes here. Just like last month, I overdid it a bit...

Looking for a good side dish? Balsamic and brown sugar roasted carrots. (5 out of 5 stars)
I'm not a huge fan of steamed carrots but I do enjoy them roasted. I used regular carrots cut into chunks instead of baby carrots and didn't steam them ahead of time. I added an extra 15 minutes to the roasting time to make up for not steaming.

Fiesta Red Snapper (3 stars out of 5)
This was decent but not enough flavor for me. I skipped the cilantro because cilantro is the grossest. If I were to try the recipe again, I'd try for fresh ingredients instead of canned. I served it on whole wheat spaghetti but would be good on rice as well. Very fast to make.

Want an absolutely decadent drink for those cold nights? Nutella Hot Chocolate (5 stars out of 5)
I made this one snowy afternoon for Samara and I. AMAZING. I skipped the espresso since Samara was having some, didn't bother with the marshmallows (figured it would be sweet enough and I was right) and since I didn't have a cinnamon stick, I added a dash of ground cinnamon.

Sugar Cookies (5 stars out of 5)
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and extracts until fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder into mixture. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 - 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut out cookies using a 3" round cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

My super handy tips: Make sure you take the dough out of the fridge well ahead of when you want to roll it out.

To go with it? The best butter icing I've tasted to date. (5 stars out of 5)

Smoky corn chowder with bacon. (2 stars out of 5)
This was just average. I'm still going to look for a decent corn chowder recipe. It wasn't awful, just fairly bland and the bacon was soggy.

Tropical pork tenderloin with mango salsa. (4 stars out of 5)
I'm adding this one to our regular meal list. I avoided the cilantro (blech) and next time would half the cloves...they overpowered the other spices. Also, next time, we'll try barbecuing it instead of baking it.

Mini chocolate cupcakes. (5 stars out of 5)
These cupcakes were insanely good. I don't even know if I can allow them in the house ever again. They were THAT good. They were the best combination of a light and fluffy cake and a moist and chewy brownie. SOOOO good paired with chocolate icing.

Pantry pumpkin soup. (2.5 stars out of 5)
Very average. Unfortunately I made a double batch so we will be eating it quite a few more times!

Dried cranberry-onion sirloin burgers. (4 stars out of 5)
2/3 lb ground sirloin (we used extra lean ground beef)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

The original recipe didn't require an egg but we added it anyway as we were barbecuing them and didn't want them to fall apart. These were really tasty. We had them on toasted whole wheat buns with a touch of mayo and a slice of cheddar cheese. Next time I would try it with a garlic aoli and a slice of Gouda.

Another month completed and a few things added to our regular roster!

Picture Catch Up

Video Time!

When you have your first baby, EVERYTHING they do is the coolest/cutest/funniest/neatest/etc. I have so many videos of...well, nothing really! I am trying my hardest to take as many pictures and videos of Presley's first year as I did with Sammy. I'm succeeding with the pictures but having a hard time with the videos.

Sammy at 4 months sucking her own lip (I thought this was the funniest thing, if you can't tell by my excited high pitched voice).


Presley doing the same at 3 months. Apparently all babies do this (I know that now) but it doesn't make it any less cute! I'm still just as excited about it...but Shawn took the video, hence the silence. He doesn't feel the need to giggle at every video he takes of the girls!

Friday Night Leftovers

• It's Friday Night Leftovers time again. How is that possible?! The week flew by, especially because here in Alberta, Monday was a holiday. Want to play along? Join the lovely host HERE!

• I am lost without my DSLR camera. I am not even motivated to take pictures. We kept getting an error on the camera. I checked our receipt and we had 3 days before the warranty expired. I can't believe our luck. Usually, it goes the other way...I'd check and it would be 3 days AFTER it expired! We logged the error and had to send the camera to Ontario for servicing. Hopefully we get it back soon!

• It's been all about poop this week. We started the week off with Sammy asking to poop on the potty (which she did), then she got sick and possible potty training went to shit (literally). Presley went 7 days without a poop, Samara barely went 7 hours without one and I spent the whole time stressing about both of them! You'll all be happy to know that Presley and Samara are both back to pooping once a day. I am happy and I'm sure their bums are too!

• It never fails that whenever I post an update on Presley's sleep, we have a hideous night. I don't even want to talk about it anymore because it jinxes us!

• Samara has come up with a fun game to play with Presley. Hide and seek. With a blanket. Both girls love it but it really requires supervision as Samara loses interest without fail after she has put the blanket over Presley's head and walked away.

• I am really dragging my butt this week. I feel mentally drained and that's saying something considering my day consists of repeating words my 21 month old says and gooing and babbling at my 3 month old.
  

Nice Stranger

There was a really nice nurse at Presley's check up this morning. She was weighing and measuring Presley and asked if this was easy routine now that she is 3 months old. I replied that it was, especially considering Presley was my second baby. She looked at me with this shocked look and asked how it was possible I had 2 babies already when I was so young and skinny. I replied that I would be 30 this year and she couldn't believe it.

I'm tempted to start stalking her and make her be my new best friend. Let's face it, we could all use a friend like that!

Of course it's possible this is the latest training nurses get so that parents are super nice to them!

What's the nicest thing a stranger ever said to you?

3 months!!

Presley is 3 months today. She no longer looks like a newborn...she is all baby. I feel like I blinked and missed the "4th trimester".

At 3 months, Presley is such a happy girl. She smiles and coos and loves to copy facial expressions. She can sit for a few seconds unassisted (with someone super close by!) and loves to stand on our laps. She does NOT smile or coo for tummy time. The poor girl acts like we are torturing her. I actually dread it! I can't even say that she's bad at it because she makes up her mind as soon as you flip her onto her tummy that she's not even going to try.

Her favorite activities are walking around and taking in the sights, playing on her playmat (on her back, of course!), being in the Beco, being sung to and having baths. This girl is a water baby. I think she's really going to love swimming. She can be really tired and fussy and as soon as you get her in the bath, she is all smiles, kicking and splashing.

Presley is still eating every 3 hours or so. Sometimes she goes 3.5 or 4 hours but usually it's 3 hours. She is still a breastmilk baby...she hasn't had a drop of formula.

Generally Presley is a pretty great sleeper. She sleeps in her crib in her room. If we're out and about, she'll take a nap in the Beco. She is put down in her crib drowsy and puts herself to sleep. She sleeps 12 hours a night with 1 wakeup to eat after 7-10 hours (that part is completely inconsistent). She will go 3 nights straight where she wakes up at the 9 hour mark and then the next night it's 7 hours. I never know which one it's going to be...so I continue to go to bed at a good time, just in case! We're still dealing with the 45 minute nap. She wakes up at 45 minutes to the second. She does take a longer nap when Samara naps though so for that I am very thankful!

Presley weighs an even 12 pounds which puts her between the 25th-50th percentile. She measures 24.5 inches long. I'm not sure on the percentile for that since the nurse measured her incorrectly at first and made Presley's percentile chart appear as though she had shrunk since our last visit. She's fairly lean but starting to get some rolls on her thighs (LOVE!). She is super long...she wears mostly 3-6 month sleepers now because of the length (and they just barely fit her in the length) with a few items still 0-3 months (mostly shirts). She is still in size 1 diapers.

Things I never want to forget:
-how getting those first little laughs and giggles can bring tears to my eyes. How gratifying is it to make your baby smile?!
-that an exclusively breastfed baby can go a week without pooping! I stressed about it for 7 days and all was fine in the end (well, as fine as a blowout that involved throwing out a onesie, sleeper and receiving blanket can be!).
-how Presley's face lights up when Samara comes to play with her.*she really did NOT want to participate in the monthly picture this morning! Unfortunately I don't have my DSLR camera which takes the picture super fast and was using the digital point and shoot instead and it takes forever. It was such an ordeal for both of us that I didn't even bother pushing through to get a smile!

Stay Away!

Not much to say today except Samara is sick (seriously, every time she goes to this one playcenter, she gets sick...do they never sanitize or disinfect anything?). I will be busy all day cleaning everything over and over again to try and ensure nobody else in the house gets sick. We will also be staying home all week so that we don't spread the germs, unlike SOMEONE who apparently went out anyway and got my little girl sick!

Crash!

When you see this video, you will probably think a few things.

1. Why, why, why is Tash so freaking loud?
I swear I'm not that loud in real life.

2. Why does Samara look like a little hobo with clothes that are too big?
She chose the outfit herself.

3. Why is Presley being ignored and crying in the background?
Shawn is with her.

Happy Sunday!

Hope you're having a sleepy and relaxing Sunday! Yay to long weekends!

Busted.

Sammy discovered a fun game she forgot she knew how to play. We "played" it a few times and now her bedroom door stays closed while she forgets about it again!

Friday Night Leftovers

• I swear working out makes me a better mom. It recharges my patience and re-energizes me. It's also helping with my momsomnia. Having my 6 pack back is pretty nice too!

• After staying in all last week, I made up for it by cramming the week with 2 different storytimes at 2 different libraries, 2 playdates outside of home, 2 visits to 2 different drop in playgroups and a couple of walks.
  

• Does anyone else love the smell of bleach? I sterilized the kitchen sinks, all the doorknobs, countertops and light switches in the house yesterday. LOVE that clean smell. I fully realize not everyone is as OCD about cleaning as me and this point will clarify I'm crazy.
  

• Samara does the funniest thing lately. She will wake up in the middle of the night (at least, we assume she's awake) and yell, "OOOOHHHH JENNYY!!" Sounds completely random, right? And you're wondering who Jenny is? We have this Sing Yourself Silly Sesame Street DVD that has this song on it. Check it out, it's super catchy. The "Oh, Jenny" part is at 44 seconds.

• You know these delicious cookies Samara and I made for Valentine's Day? Well, we actually pre-made them on the weekend and sadly there was not even ONE left for Love Day. We have a serious sugar addiction in this family.

• I found out late last night that my sister is coming for a visit for an entire week! I am beyond excited. I haven't seen her since summer.
  

• I am looking OLD. Not super old but old enough. I'm always surprised when I look back to pictures from years back and see how young I look...because that's how I see myself looking today...until I look at the pictures. Sigh...Botox anyone?

• I love that we have 2 girls. My only disappointment? We had the best boy name picked out. Anderson James. Andy or AJ for short. How cute is that? I guess we will be using the name for a dog instead.

• My friend posted good advice when it comes to blogging. Seriously, these 2 things are my pet peeves. Check out her advice here...and follow it! (My apologies for being a bossy cow!)

• Want to get rid of your leftovers? Head over to the host HERE.
  

Sock Hands Graduates

I'm sure you all remember Samara's phase as Sock Hands.
Well, she has graduated. Meet Shoe Hands!

Wordless Wednesday (Mostly!)

Samara's kicks then:

Samara's kicks now:

Strange looking moose...

Samara and her daddy went on a little date on Saturday afternoon. They went to the Galt Museum where Samara found a lovely moose. Ahem. Shawn said he must have corrected her about 50 times but she refused to change her mind.

Happy Love Day!

This is what I thought of Valentine's Day last year. Truth be told, I do still feel that way. But...it is an awfully good excuse to do some fun activities that are slightly out of the ordinary with Samara to break up our routine.
Happy Valentine's Day! Hope it's great and that you feel the love every day and not just today.

Family Traditions

Here at the T house, we have a Sunday morning family tradition. Every single Sunday, without fail, Shawn makes us blueberry pancakes (or, as Samara calls them, "nanakes"). And let me tell you...if you're not lucky enough to have been here on a Sunday morning, they are THE most perfect pancakes. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside. They are so yummy that sometime around Thursday afternoon I start to crave their deliciousness. One tradition we're going to start when the girls are a bit older is to have a weekly game night. Even though I hate playing board games. Ahhh...the things we do for our kids!

Do you have a weekly family tradition?

Matching Expressions

Some of you commented on the girls sitting in the chair together in this post.

While I think it would be funnier if Catherine's comment were true (Shawn picking his nose), in reality, Samara was watching Dora and I thought it would make a cute picture to have them sitting together...so I plopped Presley down beside her.

When I was reviewing the pictures later, I couldn't get over their expressions. EXACTLY the same!!

Friday Night Leftovers

• With all the incredible technological advances that have been made, you'd think they would be able to make a car seat that was easy to carry. I have bruises all down the sides of my legs from it banging against my leg every step that I take.

• What a winter...we've had incredible amounts of snow (that melt during equally incredible Chinooks). It seems like we are shoveling constantly...which explains why I found Samara pushing around a pancake flipper like a shovel the other day!

• We're going on about 37 straight days of grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. It's not even that I'm lacking any other ideas. I just LOVE them. Luckily, Samara seems to as well.

• Looking for a cool photography blog to follow? Check it out here! My fabulously artistic husband is getting into the field and could use some critical eyes.

• Remember all my problems with cloth diapers? I won't even link to all the complaining posts I made in the past because it would probably take me the rest of the day. Well...success! No, I didn't stupidly push through for the 89th time. I sold them. Well, I sold Samara's. I still need to sell Presley's brand new, unused ones.

• We stayed home from all our activities this week (poor Samara) so that I could try to get Presley into a decent napping routine and tackle the 45 minute nap problem. It didn't work. Instead I got highly stressed and worked up over it, was a miserable cow all week and everyone suffered. Today, I let it go. This is our last baby. She will eventually "get" the napping thing again. Until then, if she takes the odd nap on my chest? I'm just going to snuggle in and enjoy every minute of it.

• Want to get rid of your leftovers from the week? Check out the lovely host here (though I'm not certain she's doing it this week).
  

2 under 2

As soon as I decided I wanted to have kids, I knew I wanted them close in age. My sister and I are 15 months apart and are best friends. I know it's no guarantee but I really enjoyed growing up with a friend who was basically the same age as me. Samara and Presley are 18.5 months apart. Is it hard? YES. Is it great? YES. Would I change it? NO.

Some things are harder and some things are easier than I anticipated.

Easier
-loving another baby just as much as Samara. When you have your first baby, you can't imagine that there is room in your heart for an equal. This worried me while I was pregnant with Presley because Samara is so fantastic and the center of our lives. Yet, as soon as Presley was born, it was like she was always a part of our family. I instantly fell in love with her and haven't looked back.
Harder
-while I loved Presley instantly, I didn't have endless hours available just to cuddle her, stare at her and watch her sleep like I did with Samara. Instead of focusing solely on her, I share that time doing puzzles, reading books, playing with blocks, etc.

Easier
-in a lot of ways, going from 1 baby to 2 was easier than going from 0 to 1. We already knew what to expect with breastfeeding, diaper changes, lack of sleep and just how frustrating and emotionally taxing (though completely awesome) it can be...so none of that came as a shock.
Harder
-while I knew just how hard having a newborn is, nothing could prepare me for how divided my attention would be with 2 kids. I tried to imagine it when I was pregnant with Presley and couldn't really picture how life would be. I find myself MANY times a day having to choose who to give my attention to. It is, for me, BY FAR the hardest part. It feels, at times, like one is being ignored or not getting the attention she should get. I'm sure this is true for all parents of more than 1 child. I think what makes it especially hard is that Samara is still so young. She isn't as independent as she will be in a couple of years (though I'm completely aware that had she been older, we'd be experiencing other difficulties).

With this comes guilt. I feel guilty much of the day...which frankly is exhausting and I hope it subsides as the girls get older. If I'm playing with Presley on the floor (making faces at her and telling her how smart and pretty she is) and I look up and find Samara looking over at me from where she is playing alone, I could cry over how bad I feel that I'm not giving her that attention. When I'm making Samara lunch and Presley is screaming in her swing, I want to throw up over how bad I feel that I can't calm her down. Did I mention it's emotionally draining having your attention divided like that?!

To help deal with this, Samara has been watching DVDs. It's no secret that we don't even have cable in our house. We're just not TV people. Up until Samara was around 15 months or so, I'm not sure she had even watched TV in our house before. As I got really tired at the end of the 3rd trimester and was exhausted trying to juggle Samara and get supper on the table, I introduced her to Dora. Now Dora is practically a daily fixture in our lives (along with Sesame Street) and I feel a guilty pang in my heart every time I press play (though she excitedly asks for it and does appear to be learning things from it). Knowing that her attention is focused on the TV instead of some intellectually stimulating activity I can plan and play with her is a bit heartbreaking.

Easier
-already knowing it takes much planning and packing to go anywhere.
Harder
-going somewhere with 2! Just the logistics of it...carrying Presley in the car seat while I either carry Samara on my hip or try to force her to hold my hand in a parking lot while struggling with the ever present diaper bag. I have to take a deep breath every time we pull up somewhere and plan the best plan of attack. Going somewhere with 2 also means that 2 little ones could have a meltdown at any moment. So you do what you have to do...and you do it fast!

Easier
-being that Samara was only 18 months when Presley was born, we're still basically in "baby mode"...still changing diapers, dressing her, helping with feeding, etc.
Harder
-the young age means she is still very dependent...able to play on her own for short periods of time only. It never fails that I'm 5 minutes into breastfeeding Presley when Samara asks to go on the potty and then poops. I can do one of 2 things...make Presley take a break from feeding and have her scream in protest so I can change Samara or enjoy the eau de poo while I finish feeding Presley. Neither is preferable, obviously!

Anyone that has 2 kids says that it gets better...the saying is that it is short term pain for long term gain. Soon they will play together and occupy themselves for hours and hours while I read, take long baths, eat chocolate and give myself pedicures (HA!).

Although this is a bit like how I would imagine running a marathon on no sleep with little training would be, I just love that all of Samara and Presley's memories will include each other.

Wordless Wednesday