Guest Post

Happy Valentine's Day!!!
Today I have a guest post about Love/Valentine's Day on Bekah's blog My Little Loves, so head on over and check it out! 
-V 

When Ears Ache

Well, we are under the weather...again.  Coughs, colds, and aches for Henry and me both.  I am not used to being sick so frequently, but I guess maybe it comes with having children, and more so those who are in a daycare setting? Henry is in an in-home daycare with just a few other babies but they seem to constantly share bugs with each other.  Evidently with their parents, also.  Things could always be so much worse, and I would gladly take this cold over the last sickness we had any day, but I must say I cannot wait for spring to come so we can swing the windows wide open and let the fresh air in, and the dry, stale winter air out.  Out with the winter germs.  I took Henry to the pediatrician yesterday, I jumped to take him a bit quicker than I normally would because it seems that every other month at least, Henry gets an ear infection.  It's tough to tell with that boy, because he doesn't scream and cry and carry on all day like he's in pain.  He gets clingy, and just seems unlike his bubbly self.  He'll still smile, and sometimes giggle a bit, but all without the same Henry pep and energy that we are so used to.  The nights can be rough, and sleep comes in very small increments.  It has made us constantly question the way he's acting, because sometimes when we think the symptoms are just teething, or grumpiness, or a cold, he'll end up with a double ear infection.  Then on days like yesterday, when I'm just sure he has one, we are told it's just "on it's way" to being infected but mostly just uncomfortable and not too bad yet.  We are constantly confused by the tiny cues.  The past four or five nights Henry has been digging in his ear with his tiny little pointer fingers while he nurses or lies on his side.   I know babies often play with their ears but he'll spend a few solid minutes just aggressively digging down into it.  I know they are uncomfortable, that much is clear.  I will not jump to antibiotics before there is an actual infection, especially since we experience this so often.  When they become truly infected we get the problem resolved right away, but in the mid-space we are feeling a bit helpless.  So I'm wondering, do any of you lovely readers know of any ways to help an aching baby ear?  Any homeopathic remedies out there?  I would love to hear.

Back To School

Oh goodness, I just did not think I would ever be so excited to start school again but here I am, giddy as can be to be an official student again! When Eric and I moved to Alaska, I had one more semester of school which I did on exchange at the University up here. I had planned for that to be it, just a simple semester of courses... but of course the process was met with bumps in the road.  I should have expected that, trying to finish 3500 miles away from my university was bound to have a glitch or two.  First there were unexpected fees, then there were many student requests that needed to be filled out and sent, and signatures to retrieve from various professors, oh yes and then there was a baby... then redoing the requests, the signatures, the countless phone calls and emails.  Oh, the headache.   During all of that wait time though, I became increasingly anxious to get back to school and finish where I left off- the end of a program, and what turned into the beginning of the next.  In addition to finishing my program, I am also finishing the prerequisites needed to begin the IBCLC (lactation consultant) one.  I'm extremely, extremely excited for this and recently have been thinking that maybe I needed that time to just live and gain back the desire to be in school again.  I always enjoyed school, but I also spent nearly every bit of my spare time working, with my sights set on the days that would follow when it was all over.  When I could choose a career and focus on working each day, no more classes, no more tests, no more whacky exhausting schedule.  Joke's on me though, because I then became a birth assistant up here where I work at all hours of the day or night (you know those babies love the middle of the night!) and had a sweet baby of my own.  Collectively the two made the hours I keep even more crazy, and the days equally exhausting.  But wonderful.  I also have these two things, my work and my Henry, to thank for helping me to find exactly what it is I want to do.  I am glad that being a full time student has come and gone, but I wish I could tell my two-years-ago self to soak up that time because I do miss the classroom setting now.  At this time, it makes more sense for me to take these prerequisites online though, and so that is what I will do.  I'm equally thrilled about it, really.  And definitely a bit nervous.  I want to do well, but I also want to do well quickly because I know that as soon as they are over, I get to start that lactation program.  
This should be a challenge, but one I welcome.  A way to switch things up a bit.  A way to learn and grow and stretch a bit more and I love that. 
Thinking back to college, I did well in the lecture scene.  I like to see other faces, hear people talk, and soak up information through discussions.  Opening my book on my own time to study was not my best method for learning.  I am absolutely the person who reads the same sentence six times over because I start to think of something else, run through my to do list in my head, and forget all about what I had just read.  It will take discipline to do well in a setting like this, so we will see how it goes!  I am used to balancing work and class, along with other activities, but it's safe to say none of them have been as consuming as being a mother, so balance will be key for me.  And it's something I will strive for until I'm exactly where I want to be. 


On tonight's menu: Spaghetti with roasted garlic tomato sauce, and a big ole' bunch of spinach wilted in it!

A Good Sunday

Oh, how I needed a Sunday like today.  For the longest time I've had this weird thing about Sundays, where I end up feeling more anxious than relaxed.  It's been weeks since we've been able to just slow down and enjoy the end of the week, and reset before the week ahead, but I'm happy to say that today we changed that.  It was so needed, and I'm so thankful it finally happened!  When we got up this morning we did a few errands and came home to put Henry down for his nap.  He has tried to skip his morning naps for the last two weeks at daycare, and today he slept for a solid hour and a half.  Proof that although he can manage to skip the nap and stay in a decent mood, the boy needs the sleep.  During that time, Eric and I were able to open the blinds and let the sun pour in the windows, while we listened to guitar music, sipped coffee, made steel cut oats for the week and folded laundry/cleaned the kitchen.  I know those aren't exciting things at all but it just felt so dang good.  And friends I have to tell you, if you don't already make steel cut oats, you really should try them out.  We both prefer them to regular oatmeal but haven't taken the time to make them for far too long.  We sliced peaches and berries and topped with soy milk and cinnamon and it was the coziest, most delicious breakfast.  I think next time I'll add flax seed, and I think Eric wanted to add nuts (not for this gal!) to his.  When Henry woke up we played, had a yummy lunch together, and went for a walk on the trails outside our house with some friends. Nap number two afterwards, play time, dinner, baby bath and bed, workout and voila! A lovely Sunday.  It sounds like all we did all day was eat, but hey, in my eyes that makes for quite a good day.  What do you all do when you need to slow down and unwind?
Yesterday we went snowshoeing, wearing Henry in the backpack which turned into the least relaxing hike.  He usually loves to go out and about, isn't bothered by the cold etc. (Well, we only take him out of the temps are reasonable, we stay inside when it's absolutely frigid!)  But yesterday he just wasn't having it.  We rarely hear a true fit from him, but he let us have it for a solid hour.  I felt terrible, because I wasn't sure what was wrong but I could tell he was obviously uncomfortable (clearly) and the mom-guilt washed over me as we were out snowshoeing for our own enjoyment.  I think he was possibly hungry, and maybe uncomfortable in the backpack that needed some readjusting.  We forgot the paci, had no snacks, and essentially were just doing everything wrong at the moment in the eyes of Henry.  I even resorted to taking him out of the backpack and nursing him while snowshoeing.  I have been perfecting the art of nurse/hiking for months.  We got back as quickly as we could and as soon as he was reunited with his cheerio cup he was happy as can be.  Noted: DO NOT LEAVE THE CHEERIOS BEHIND, EVER.
So today we thought we'd give it another shot, and he loved the walk.  The backpack was readjusted, the belly was full, and this mama had cheerios in the pocket just in case.  It's so nice to be able to get out for fresh air and see him enjoying the surroundings.  (Lots of trees, lots of snow, running dogs, a squawking raven, a young moose) We were relieved.
I hope you all had wonderful weekends, and enjoy the week ahead! If you are new here, thank you for stopping by!  Are we friends on Twitter yet?
Looking forward to this next week, with some warmer temperatures and hopefully some wonderful, healthy meals.  You may have all noticed that I'm talking an awful lot about our food recently.  Mostly because a. I adore food. and b. I'm really making an effort (like I've said a zillion times before) to cook more new delicious meals and I like to have somewhere to share them.  So thank you for allowing me to do that.

Tonight's dinner- We accidentally ate essentially the exact same thing as last night. We didn't really meal plan for tonight and when rummaging around found that we had tilapia, so we made that with a honey & soy glaze, along with pearl couscous and kale chips.  Eric was determined to redeem ourselves from last night's burnt kale and they definitely turned out much better. The midwives gave me some delicious big salt crystals as a gift at our spa party, and they were the perfect addition to the crispy kale.  Henry wasn't a huge fan of the chips, and there was honey on the fish (we forgot to reserve some for him before drenching it!) so he had leftover quiche, avocado, and blueberries for dinner.
Happy Sunday.

Isn't this just a wee bit sad? We look so happy and poor Henry--not quite. Mom guilt all over again. 

A much happier boy on today's walk. 

Dinner!

I am absolutely thrilled with the frequency that we've been cooking recently, and more so with the number of the meals being new recipes.  Well new to us.  I'm not huge on just throwing things together blindly-- I think some people just have a knack for that, and some don't.  As badly as I wish otherwise, I'm not one of those people who can just throw whatever is in the kitchen together and suddenly have a beautifully put together, should-be-a-recipe, delicious dish.  Maybe it's one of those things that will come with time, we will see.  But one of my favorite activities is looking through recipes, and the binder I keep full of them is ever-growing.  It feels nice to make my way through some of them, and also to experiment with some of the things I find in the wonderful world of Pinterest or through other blogs I stumble upon. And then of course share them here with you.

Tonight's recipe: Sea Bass with Soy Glaze and Cucumber Salsa 

Cucumber Salsa
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1½ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce (We used Bragg's liquid aminos)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Sauce
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce (Again, we replaced this with Bragg's)
¼ cup mirin (Skipped this entirely because we didn't have any, or even really know what it was! Oops!)
¼ cup sugar (I did half organic cane, half brown sugar, just because the mood struck me)
2 tablespoons dry white wine

Fish
6 (3-ounce) sea bass fillets (We used Alaskan Cod)
½ cup all-purpose flour
a4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:

Salsa: Make the cucumber salsa first. In a glass bowl, combine cucumber, soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, and cilantro, and mix well. Cover and set aside.

Sauce: In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and wine. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce into a small bowl and set aside.

Dredge the sea bass in the flour. Heat a skillet on medium-high until hot. Add the olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Saute the sea bass for 2½ minuts on each side, until browned. Reduce the heat to medium, then pour in the sauce mixture and cover with a lids. Cook until the fish is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness.

Place fillets on a platter, and pour the pan juices over the top. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and top with salsa, or the salsa on the side if you prefer.

It turned out really interesting, and we liked it a lot!  We served it with quinoa, and a side of kale chips.  We have been eating an awful lot of quinoa recently, and although kale chips are a random thing to throw in the mix, they're delicious all of the time, if you ask me.  Even when burned (like tonight as you can see)

So that's that! I'd say it was a success, as both our plates were cleared in no time.  I think we're off to watch a movie and relax, and I'm anxiously looking forward to a bowl of greek yogurt with mini chocolate chips for dessert.  Wow, we just get more and more crazy on Saturday nights with time! ;)

A few tidbits to wrap up the week

Oh thank goodness it's Friday! Is it just me, or does it feel like this week was exceptionally long?  Perhaps it was due to the way the week started, a long day at the birth center.  A wonderful birth, but an awful plumbing problem (thank you frozen pipes!) that made for a disaster.  I think it's taken me all week to re-group after that one!  I have just a couple of things I want to share.
First of all, we had beef and broccoli with quinoa again tonight per the hubby's request. Remember this recipe?
I mentioned last time that it was a little too salty because we didn't have any low sodium soy sauce at the time (oops), so tonight I wanted to try again.  But instead of using soy sauce at all, I used Bragg's liquid aminos. For anyone new to Braggs, it's a liquid protein with 16 amino acids and tastes much like soy sauce. Delicious!  You can find it in the natural section of the grocery store if you choose to try that route.  It was a good choice, we really liked the flavor tonight.  I was a little nervous when I saw that it made an odd consistency in the pan at first, but it all turned out wonderful.
Also, I have a little bit of a new obsession thanks to Morgan of Mrs. Priss: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters!  It's weird, I have never been a lipstick person and suddenly I cannot stay away from these.  I have made three separate trips to different stores just hunting down certain colors.  Definitely out of character, but I don't even care because I really think they're fun!  So far I have Pink Truffle, Creme Brulee, Sugar Plum, and Candy Apple.  When I do wear something on my lips, it's usually something close to my natural lip color, so it makes me a little nervous wearing some of these.  But they are so creamy, full of moisture, somewhat sheer and wearable that I'm trying to be daring in using them. They are much nicer than any other lipstick I've tried and there are so many fun colors.  The Candy Apple terrifies me just a little since it's bright red.  I'm a little scared to wear it out of the house because I feel like it makes me look like I'm playing dress up but it's going to happen! Anyway, for any of you lipstick wearers out there, absolutely try these. They are fantastic. The end.
But while we're on the topic of makeup, do any of you have an eyeliner that you're in love with that doesn't end up an inch below your eye by the end of the day?  I have never had that issue before, so I'm unsure of what to try.  I think my face is rejecting the Alaskan air, and nothing works the same on it as it used to.
I've got more to write, but I think I had best head to bed before my thoughts become any more jumbled than they already are.  I am just so thankful it's the weekend, I hope you all have a wonderful one!

Would you be so kind?

Every now and again Top Baby Blogs resets their numbers to give other blogs a shot at moving up in the ranks and being seen by more readers, therefore extending the big community of mommy bloggers.  They have just reset, and I would truly, truly appreciate it if you'd take a moment to give our blog a vote! On the sidebar you can find the top baby blog button and click to vote. Just click again on the owl on the left when that screen pops up and voila! You can vote once per day and we are so thankful for every vote, but I will only ask once when they do this. More importantly, just thank you for spending time reading our words on this blog.  I love sharing with every one of you!