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Lilypie Kids birthday Ticker
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Round Up
Okay, I'll confess. Sera and I were watching Toy Story 2. I think Woody's Round Up was the inspiration for today's post name. It fits though as it's a hodgepodge of thoughts today.

How is it humanly possible to love someone more each and every day? Is there no limit?

I see Sera laughing and smiling so much that it just amazes me that she is this child. Then I take her into a new situation or new place and I see that serious solemn look appear. She doesn't cry or fuss when she's uncertain. She gets very quiet and still.

Sera has four words that she is using pretty regularly: mama, dada, uh-oh, and hi. Dolls and stuffed animals haven't really interested her until the last week or so. Right now she's getting excited about anything with a face, particularly children and animals...including stuffed and dolls. She says hi with the sweetest, softest voice and waves to them. Her most enthusiastic wave and hi is going to Shadow these days. When we get home, she always seems so surprised that he's still here. She bounces and waves and twists around to see him.

She added a new word yesterday, but she only used it once. It doesn't count yet. She was sitting in her high chair eating breakfast. She kept reaching out and letting me know she wanted something, but I couldn't figure out what. I followed her line of vision and saw that she could see the bananas hanging from the basket on the kitchen island. I asked her if she wanted a banana while making the sign. We haven't worked on this sign yet, but I thought it was time to start. I got up and headed to the kitchen, still talking about her banana when I hear her shout, "NANA."

Sera has learned that the differences in Shadow's barks. He barks whenever someone drives into the cul-de-sac, or if anyone is walking out there, or if a squirrel or rabbit dares to enter is field of site. He has a special bark, however, when he hears Jim's car. He barks, runs through every room downstairs, then he runs upstairs to the window that lets him see the road and then back down to the door. When he does this, Sera will crawl to me as fast as she can and raise her arms to be lifted. She then sits on my leg and bends backwards to get a good view of the front door. The whole time she is bouncing and laughing and has the biggest smile on her face.

Speaking of smiles, Jim and I have been together October 1998, almost nine years. I have never seen the man smile so much or be so happy. He had serious doubts, though I did not, about his ability to parent. Jim had a very difficult life as a child. He lived through situations no child should go through, including severe physical abuse. He's built a pretty strong shell around himself. Most adults would describe him as sarcastic and he can seem very condescending as he does not suffer fools gladly. He would also give a friend the shirt off his back. He is the most ethical and honest person I've ever known. He's sometimes too honest. He never had to learn how to deal with office politics and can sometimes lack diplomacy. He's a wonderful teacher. His students know that he cares. He shares his personal story with them. He wants them to know that there is nothing they can't share with him. He also wants them to know that if he can make it out and be successful, so can they. I tell you all this so you can get a picture of the man I married. In the time we've been together, he's danced once, and that was at our wedding. I wasn't sure he'd dance then. Well, he dances now. Why? Because his daughter loves music and loves to dance. He holds her and dances. He's even danced with Ellen! He smiles so much now that it's a joy to see. When sometimes he was too serious, he is now a man who dances or lies on the floor playing with his daughter. I love watching them together.

I had more thoughts to share, but I hear my bundle of joy waking up from her nap. She wakes up so happy now. She's in there yelling and babbling, but she doesn't cry. When I walk in, her face will light up and she'll reach for me, smile, and laugh. I love this little girl!

Here's a picture from last week's baby shower. She was "helping" Lilly by removing the Legos and handing them to Lilly's mom.



Updated to fix bad link.

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007
The Best Laid Plans
Sometimes I think we're the only family who is dealing with such a tight financial situation. I know it's not true, but it feels that way sometimes. We've been really fortunate to have family who can help us out, but we are definitely tapped out. Part of the reason that money is tight is that I had to take part of my leave as unpaid. Only six weeks were paid and there were 8 weeks left of school when we left for China. We planned on losing two weeks of pay. Not fun, but we were aware, so we planned.

My school corporation just paid out my contract. Our contracts are for 184 days. We can have the pay every two weeks for the school year, or we can stretch it out over a year. We always choose to have to have 26 checks because it's easier for budgeting purposes. The first pay day after the school year ends, we usually receive all our summer pays. They basically pay out the remainder of the contract. We know we won't receive another paycheck until approximately 3-4 weeks after school begins.

Even though school isn't out yet, my contract was paid out on Friday because I'm on leave. That's when we learned that the school counted the last three weeks as unpaid, not two. I contacted the school today because it appeared that they counted Spring Break as one of my six weeks. Of course, it hadn't been counted in any previous conversations so we didn't plan on it. We planned on six weeks paid leave. Not five weeks. It may not sound like much, but it's a big hit. Big enough that it is changing our summer plans.

Jim always works summer school. In the past, we had two sessions of summer school and a Jump Start session that took place. Jim would work the first session of summer school, and we'd both work Jump Start. Last year, Jump Start was eliminated, so Jim worked both summer school sessions. This year he was going to work the first one only. For the first time in 15 years, he was going to get a summer vacation, so he could head down to the beach with Sera and me to visit my family. We usually go during Spring Break, but this year we were in China. No one in my family has met Sera yet, so this trip is important to us. Jim especially wanted to see Sera's first trip to the beach.

Now, Jim is going to have to work both sessions. He will get the first 12 days in August off (including weekends), but that won't work to visit my family as some of them have plans in August. We've said all along we were coming in July. I can, and probably will, still go in July, but I feel terrible. Jim is going to miss seeing these firsts for Sera. More importantly, I'm not positive a separation is good for them. Sera adores her daddy, and he feels the same for her. I feel like it's my fault because I'm the one not working. On the other hand, Jim and I both agree that we think part of the reason Sera is doing so well is because I am home with her.

I just wish I knew some magical way to earn some "real" money while I'm home. As frustrating as all this is, it just takes one look at this face to know whatever we have to do is more than worth it.

Sera at the park on 5/29 for our playdate. Photo by Gretchen.

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Sunday, May 27, 2007
The Importance of Keeping Your Nose Clean
Becoming a parent as really made it even more clear to me how important it is to set a good example for my daughter.

She wants to do exactly what she sees me doing. When I make her lunch, I've started making myself the same thing. I had to because she was rejecting her food for mine. Sometimes I even have to use the same plate. The other day I made us grilled cheese sandwiches. I broke hers up into bite-sized pieces while I just cut mine in half. You guessed it. She wanted mine. She only has her front teeth, but they work just fine to bite off bits of food. I even drink milk with her, though hers is whole milk. I took a long sip and made the aaahh sound people make when they've just had a nice refreshing drink. Sera immmediately picked up her sippy cup, took a long drink, and made the same noise. Then she looked at me and scrunched her face up into the biggest smile.

I know this is the beginning. I'll see her imitating a lot more of the things I do. I'll be thinking hard about what I say and do to make sure I set the right example.

But there's an even more important reason for keeping your nose clean. Those two nostrils make the perfect handle for little fingers when they grab your nose. I swear she tried to touch my brain!!!

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Friday, May 25, 2007
Favorite Ingredients Friday


My dad was born in Hungary. When I was a child, my parents got a series of books from Time-Life. They were cookbooks from each country. I loved those books. Wish I had them now. Anyway, I think that's where this recipe came from. My mom made this Hungarian dish occasionally. My dad loved it, but I hated it. In fact, only one of my three sisters liked it as a child. I love it now, but Jim isn't crazy about it so I don't make it often. I know this doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, but it's awesome. It was too green peppery for me as a child, but now it's great.

Lescó (pronounced Lecho)

3 T lard or bacon fat
1 ½ c finely chopped onion
½ t sweet paprika
1 lb (5) green peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded & coarsely chopped
½ t salt & pepper
½ c tomato puree
1 lb Hungarian de brecini sausage, cut into 1/8-inch slices (I usually end up using kielbasa)
½ t finely chopped garlic

In a 2 qt pan, heat the lard until light haze forms over it; then add onions and garlic and cook 8-10 minutes or until onions are lightly colored.

Off heat, stir in paprika continuing to stir until the onions are well-coated. Stir in green peppers, tomatoes, salt & p epper. Cover and cook over med heat.

If tomatoes have not produced enough liquid to cover vegetables, add ¼ c or more of puree. Cover again while puree is heating, then add the sausage.

Cover and simmer for ½ hour. Should have consistency of tomato sauce. Add remaining puree if needed for thinning. Can be served with a fried egg on top.

I strongly recommend adding the egg at the end. The runny yolk mixes in with the puree and thickens it slightly and makes it creamier. Yummy!

I ended up making a different variation of my last recipe. I've updated that post if you're interested.

Wanted to share the news about a free cookbook from Ragu. Check it out!

Go visit Overwhelmed with Joy for more fantastic recipes!

Past FIF recipes:
Catalina Chicken
Croissant French Toast
Corned Beef
Sloppy Joe, Mac 'n Cheese Casserole
Shredded Chicken
Baked Bean & Burger Casserole
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Crab Rangoon
Sausage con Queso and Ro-tel Cheese Dip
Blueberry Multigrain Coffeecake
Banana Bread
Bananas Foster
Old-Time Beef Stew
White Chocolate Snack Mix
Gorilla Bread
Ginger Shrimp
Roast Chicken
Tex-Mex Chicken Taco Soup
Shrimp Mold
Pasta Puttanesca
Pork Milanese
Pumpkin Dip
Oven-fried Chicken
Best Bundt Cake Ever
Hot Dog Casserole
Chicken & Rice
Peanut Butter Fudge
Omelets in a Bag
Shrimp Boil
Apple Cheese
Pulled Pork BBQ

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Thursday, May 24, 2007
A Girl and Her Daddy
This is the smile she gives her daddy every day when he comes home.

It's too bad these two don't have fun together.

We went to a baby shower this morning. Sera had a wonderful time. For the first time, she really played with someone else. Of course, I'm not so sure Lilly thought it was as fun. Lilly is 18 months old and has been home since December. She'd build a Lego tower, and Sera would tear it down almost as quickly. The shower was for my friend, Lauren. She received her referral in the last batch. Her daughter is 9 months old.

Note to all the moms out there. 5 Minutes for Mom is giving away a tutu. What little girl doesn't like to play dress up? Head over there to sign up.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Our Surprise
Sera has been feeding herself finger foods for a while now. I let her "try" to feed herself yogurt a few days ago. It was a major disaster, but hysterical. She had absolutely no use for any of the utensils I offered her and went with her fingers instead. More yogurt ended up in her hair and smeared on the high chair tray than in her mouth.

Tonight, she didn't care for the dinner I made: roast beef, broccoli cheese rice, and green beans. I mixed up some sweet potatoes and rice cereal for her instead. Watch what happened next...



She's the smartest kid alive! At least her mommmy and daddy think so. :O)

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Free Stuff
I just found a new site called mommyknows.com. It looks interesting, and I'm checking out all the goodies she offers. This month, she's giving away a prize a day. Go visit and comment for a chance to win. Good luck!

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Photos From Friday

Jim and Sera at the game. She does own other clothes, but daddy likes her to wear her slugger outfit to baseball games.


Jim and his two best friends from high school. They played football, basketball, and baseball together.

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Monday, May 21, 2007
She Lives!
Sorry to drop off the face of the earth like that. My Airborne let me down, but I don't blame it. I don't think it can compensate when you really really need sleep.

In my last post, I mentioned how beautiful Tuesday morning was. I didn't mention how horrible Tuesday evening was. Jim is taking a class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. They began last Tuesday. Because it was the first class, he wanted to go early and stop by the bookstore to get the textbook. The forecast had called for thunderstorms that evening, so when the sky started to darken, we weren't surprised. I was feeding Sera her dinner when Jim left. The local channel was on and our tornado watch turned into a warning. The wind really picked up and the latest news had our area as a danger spot for a tornado. Just then, Jim walked back in the house. He had forgotten his parking permit. I asked him not to leave yet, to wait until the storm passed us. At the rate it was going, it shouldn't be 20 minutes. We could hear the storm sirens going off in our county. Before he walked back in, I had finished feeding Sera really quickly and was holding her so I could run to the basement, if needed. A few minutes later, our phone rang. Friends were nearby and wanted safe shelter during the storm. We told them to come on over. It took them about 15 minutes and by that time the storm had passed us by. What a relief. Jim headed on to class, our friends went home, and Sera headed off for a much needed bath.

Wednesday and Thursday are a blur of taking care of Sera and sleeping whenever she did. As soon as Jim came home, I'd Nyquil up and go to sleep.

Friday morning, I had to go to my eye doctor and learn that my eyes are old. On my last visit, bifocals were optional, no longer. I haven't been seeing as well as I should, but my prescription didn't change. What changed is I now need "multi-focal" lenses. Bah humbug.

The day got better though. Remember I mentioned big plans for the weekend? Well, we headed north to Jim's hometown where he and the other members of his high school baseball team were recognized and given plaques. It was the 25th anniversary of winning the state championship title. His town is incredibly small, so this was a major feat. It was an incredible year for him from start to finish, but he tells the story better than I. The ceremony was held between games in a doubleheader at his old high school. As the second game got underway, grilled burgers and hot dogs were served to all the guests. It was a wonderful time. Jim got to see friends and teammates he hadn't seen in 25 years. We headed home later that evening as Jim felt it was important for Sera to wake up in her own bed.

Saturday, Jim proved what a great daddy and husband he is. When Sera woke up Saturday morning, he brought her into our room. She drank her bottle and we all played on the bed for about an hour and a half. She then went down for her nap, and so did I. When we woke up, Jim had gone downstairs as he didn't need a nap within two hours of waking up. I got Sera dressed for the day and headed downstairs to fix her second breakfast. She gets real food with this one. Jim heard us stirring and came up from the basement as I got her plate ready. He took one look at me and could tell I'd hit bottom as far as my cold was concerned. He took Sera's food and shooed me back upstairs. I went willingly. I dozed on and off as Jim brought me soup and sandwiches. I could hear Sera squealing with laughter as he played with her downstairs. He even took her to a cookout we were supposed to attend. Periodically, he brought Sera to me so she and I could get our mommy/daughter moments. I stayed in bed the whole day and night. I woke up Sunday feeling human again.

Thanks to everyone who wondered where I was. Oh, and I just have to address Kate's comment. Thank you, Kate! I have to confess that I finally feel like I'm doing the job I was meant to do in this lifetime. Everything else has just been work to bring in the dough. This is what I'm meant to be...a mom.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Making Friends
Yesterday morning was absolutely beautiful. The sky was blue, and the sun was warm. Last week, our play group had decided to it was time to switch to a park instead of McDonalds on nice days. Shortly after we got there, one of the mom's adult sons stopped by. He was cleaning out an old house and found two kittens: one alive. He brought the kitten out to his mom. She checked to make sure she (it's a girl) didn't have fleas and was cuddling away. The kitten was obviously hungry. I still had a few packets of formula in my diaperbag that we had taken to China. We mixed up some formula with water and the kitten dived in. She didn't know how to lap yet, but she'd dunk her face and lick it off her whiskers.

Sera was fascinated. She kept reaching out for the kitten. I picked up the kitten and held it for a bit while Sera stared. At one point, I was walking around with her when she led us to the mom's chair where the kitten sat. She reached over and started petting the kitten. Jim would love to have a cat again, but right now we think it would be too much for Shadow. He's still adjusting to one small being in the house that's getting all the attention. He's been great, but no sense in pushing it. Some day.

Last night, my voice started cracking. About 10 pm, I started sneezing and feeling a little sniffly. This morning, I woke up with a sore throat and just a general feeling of yuckiness. I can't be sick. We've got big plans for the weekend. I've already had three doses of Airborne since last night. It's time for the fourth.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2007
When It's Right, It's Right

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Monday, May 14, 2007
Things To Ponder
Question: Why do we buy toys for babies?

Sera's favorites are remote controls, water bottles, and paper.

Retorical Question: Did you know that a remote control, when applied forcefully to a mom's upper lip, will leave a mark?

Observation: If you sit directly in front of a high chair while feeding your child, and that child sneezes, you will wear what they're eating. Luckily it was only string cheese.

Sera's favorite things right now include waving hello and saying uh-oh. We're still working on the concept that uh-oh means something fell "accidentally" and was not thrown down.

Scariest moment of motherhood so far: Yesterday at the game, I watched Sera every second of the game, except for one play. She was in the seat between us. My arm was there and I had been supporting her and making sure she didn't fall. I looked down after that play and she was GONE! My heart stopped because I couldn't see her beneath the seat and Jim didn't have her. I lifted the seat and there she sat playing happily. She must have slid off the front of the seat and the backpack broke her fall. She didn't cry until I snatched her up. It's scary how quickly it happened.

And, finally, the only thing on TV that Sera has shown any interest in is baseball and Little Einsteins. I think the baseball is because she likes sitting on daddy's lap, and she loves watching him get excited about a play. Everytime he cheered or clapped yesterday, she did also, but her eyes were on daddy, not the game. In this picture, she's raising her arms to help Rocket fly. It's the first time she did it. I was actually trying to get a picture of her watching the show when she raised her arms. I can't believe I got the shot.

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Sunday, May 13, 2007
It Can't Get Any Better
What a great weekend. The weather was beautiful, and I spent it with my husband and my daughter. It truly can't get any better. What's funny is that we didn't do anything really extravagant or unusual. Our big outing on Saturday was the grocery store. Sunday was more fun as we went to see the Silverhawks play baseball. Sera and I were spoiled as Daddy brought us breakfast in bed both days! On Saturday, he made toad in a hole, and on Sunday he made French toast. Toad in a hole is when you fry up an egg inside a hole you've cut in the middle of a slice of bread. It's yummy!





The grocery store is fun!


Especially if you FLY through it!


Daddy and Sera doing the chicken dance at the baseball game.


I found this picture online of toad in a hole. They added shredded cheese and baked it. I've not had it that way. I've always had it pan-fried, kind of like grilled cheese, but only one slice of bread, no cheese, and add an egg. If you've never had one, I recommend them.

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Happy Mother's Day



from Sera, Jim & me to Grandma Sheila, Grandma Nora, Grandma Teri, and Grandma Dee

and to all our friends celebrating today, those with children at home, those who now hold their child's picture, and those still waiting for that special day.

We love you!

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Friday, May 11, 2007
Question
When one spent over $25.00 on Mother's Day cards over a week ago, shouldn't one have mailed them by now?

I just found the bag. I forgot all about them. Oops.

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There Is No Doubt
She definitely called me mama this morning.

When I went in her room to get her, she was standing and smiling and laughing like usual. I always scoop her up saying good morning and then kiss her all over her face. Then she goes on the changing table to get a clean diaper. Today when I put her down, she reached up for me and said mama.

We've been home four weeks yesterday. I think that's pretty fast for her to already call us mama and dada.

Her favorite word by far is uh-oh.

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Favorite Ingredients Friday


UPDATED: I ended up making this dish the following week. This recipe just wasn't doing it for me so I found another one. It was delicious.

Catalina Chicken

1-1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c apricot preserves
1/2 c Catalina dressing
1/2 envelope onion soup mix

Brown chicken in skillet. Mix preseves, dressing, and soup mix and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.




I typed this up last night. I do find it somewhat ironic that Catalina Island is all over the morning news. I hope the fires end soon.

I recently found this recipe stashed away. I've never made it, but got it from someone who brought it to my house years ago when I hosted a carry-in dinner party for my staff. I thought the ingredients sounded awful together, but it was delicious. I got the recipe from them and then forgot all about it. I'll be trying this again soon to see if it's as good as I remember.

Chicken Catalina

1 whole chicken or its equivalent
1 jar of apricot preserves
1 bottle of Catalina dressing.1

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Mix preserves and dressing together and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Serve over rice.

Go visit Overwhelmed with Joy for more fantastic recipes!

Past FIF recipes:
Croissant French Toast
Corned Beef
Sloppy Joe, Mac 'n Cheese Casserole
Shredded Chicken
Baked Bean & Burger Casserole
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Crab Rangoon
Sausage con Queso and Ro-tel Cheese Dip
Blueberry Multigrain Coffeecake
Banana Bread
Bananas Foster
Old-Time Beef Stew
White Chocolate Snack Mix
Gorilla Bread
Ginger Shrimp
Roast Chicken
Tex-Mex Chicken Taco Soup
Shrimp Mold
Pasta Puttanesca
Pork Milanese
Pumpkin Dip
Oven-fried Chicken
Best Bundt Cake Ever
Hot Dog Casserole
Chicken & Rice
Peanut Butter Fudge
Omelets in a Bag
Shrimp Boil
Apple Cheese
Pulled Pork BBQ

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Thursday, May 10, 2007
A New Milestone
Sera has been babbling the sounds mamamama and dadadada since we met. She's not placed any real significance on them. About two weeks ago, she started saying mamamama whenever I was getting her food ready. I honestly think she thought it meant food. In the last few days, she's been saying it more when I'm around, but she's not really calling me mama yet.

On the other hand, this happened yesterday.

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Wednesday, May 09, 2007
'Cause I'm a Ding-a-ling
My grandfather used to call his grandchildren nicknames. One of his favorites was ding-a-ling. I'd have to agree with him. I made that post this morning about my new camera and forgot to post the pictures!

My camera is the Sony DSCW80. There is a link on the previous post if you want to see what it looks like and does.

I recall being in a theater Sunday night. I know Spider-man 3 was playing. I couldn't begin to tell you what happened. I do remember thinking at one point that I'd rather be with Sera than watching this movie.

First picture with new camera. Sera was supposed to be napping before our playdate, but she was really playing with her toys. I caught her in the 10 seconds she was still.

Excuse me, I'm eating right now.

Cheese!

(That's Lauren in the background showing us pictures of her new daughter, McKenna. She got her referral in the last batch. The other legs belong to Jodi. She has an 11/24 LID.)

Kyra in motion

She was fascinated by this book

Yes, we bought it. It was a bargain book. It plays the music for Wiggles songs and comes with it's own kareoke style microphone and lyrics.

You can't see me

Can you?

Yes, you can

Yay!

That was fun


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Early Bird
When Jim came home on Monday night, he hustled us into the car and took us shopping. My first Mother's Day came early as Jim bought this for me. Jim's camera is great. In fact, it's wonderful, but it looks like this.


It takes fantastic pictures, but by the time I get it out of the case, make sure the correct lense is on, remove the lens cover, and turn it on, the picture moment has passed. Jim likes to check out my blog posts to see pictures of what we're doing while he's at work. This should make it a lot easier.

Yesterday, we had another play date with our play group. Laura and Kyra joined us this week as Laura had the day off. Daddy joined us too and after a quick nap, we ran a bunch of errands. We talked to the doctor and got the rest of Sera's test results. All are good. She's showing imunizations to everything she should. Her levels were all good and the stool sample came back normal. We go back for her 15-month checkup. After a few more stops, we ended our errands by visiting Borders and hanging out for a bit.

Sera had another first yesterday. For dinner she ate 3/4 of a jar of spaghetti, 1/2 oz of cheddar cheese, and 3/4 of a jar of diced peaches, and she drank milk from her sippy cup. I really don't think we'll be doing baby food for long. She wants what we're eating, and with some minor adaptations, she can eat what we're eating or slight variations thereof. Oh, and the doctor gave the okay on peanut butter. We told her about the "incident."

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Monday, May 07, 2007
The First Time's the Hardest. Right? UPDATED, NOW WITH PICTURES
It finally happened. We all knew this day would come. I didn't expect it to come so quickly, or with so little advance warning. Jim went out and played 18-holes on the golf course yesterday while Sera and I played at home. We had talked about going to see Spider-man 3 over the weekend with Doug & Laura and their boys, but didn't. They had to go Friday night as their babysitter, Laura's mom & dad, were heading out on Saturday for a cruise. We have a list of volunteers to babysit Sera, but she didn't nap on Friday. I wasn't anxious to leave her in the first place. Add a lack of nap and the fact that the baby sitters all lived about 20 minutes to our east and the movie theater is 30 minutes to our west and it was a no brainer to not go. I told Jim to go on without me, but he wouldn't. We just scrapped the idea and moved on.

Well, while Jim was golfing, Laura called and volunteered to watch Sera while we went to the movie. Their house is about 10 minutes from the theater, plus her kids are great entertainment and would distract Sera. I mentioned it to Jim when he got home, but more as an idea for later in the week. Next thing I know he's gone on-line, bought tickets, and is calling Laura to say we're on our way. We had 45 minutes to get me dressed, Sera dressed, pack a diaper bag, drive about 25 minutes to their house, and then 10 minutes to the theater. It's probably best that I didn't have more time. This didn't give me time to think.

Even though Sera knows them all, and I knew she'd be fine, leaving her was still the hardest thing. We went straight back to their house after the movie. Jim walked in ahead of me. He said that she just looked at him for a second as if she was wondering who else was coming in the house. Then recognition clicked and she reached for him. I was right behind him. When she saw me, she reached for me. She went back and forth between us for a few rounds before settling in with me. The whole time she just kept smiling and laughing. She kept patting my chest and rubbing my arm. This made me realize that she hadn't done that in a long time. She did both, a lot, that first week or two we had her. It's almost like she has to keep checking to see if I'm real. To keep reassuring herself that we're there and not going anywhere.

Laura & Doug said that she was very quiet for the first half hour or so. They put her in a wagon with their 3-year-old, Kyra, and her 3-year-old cousin, Joshua, and went for a walk. At home, they had a whole play area with toys set up for the kids. They took lots of pictures, and it's obvious that she had a good time.

As hard as it was for all three of us, I think it was important for Sera to learn that even if we go away, we're coming back. The fact that she was so happy, she was almost giddy to see us let me know that she wasn't sure she would. She's had so many changes in her short life that I have to wonder what she was thinking when we left. She'd been to that house and she knows Laura and Doug and their children. Did she think she was visiting, or did she think she was going to a new home? I don't know. I do know that we were all happy to be together again.

Doug is going to email the pictures to me. I'll post when I get them.


Hitting the wagon trail with Kyra and Josh


We don't need no stinkin' bottle


Don't tell mommy and daddy, but I'm having fun here

Would you like a puff?


How about you?


You can have a puff, too. Can't leave anyone out.


Uncle Doug is kinda cool.

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Friday, May 04, 2007
Favorite Ingredients Friday - Breakfast Edition




Wow, I can't believe it's been almost two months since I participated in this meme. I guess I've been a bit busy. :O)

This isn't a breakfast I make often, but it sure is yummy. A hotel I used to work at had this on their menu. I came up with my own recipe for it. I'll warn you though that I don't have exact measurements.

Croissant French Toast

Stale Croissants
milk
eggs
sugar
cinnamon
butter

I whisk up about two eggs and add milk. I just eyeball it. Slice your croissants in half and soak in milk-egg mixture. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Remove croissant from egg mixture, tapping off excess, and dredge in cinnamon sugar mix.

Melt butter in skillet. Place croissant half in skillet and fry until browned and the cinnamon sugar forms a hardened candy-like glaze.

You can serve with maple syrup if you need a little more sugar. Also good with fresh fruit.

Final step: Make appointments with your dentist and an endocrinologist for cavity and diabetes testing.

Go visit Overwhelmed with Joy for more fantastic Irish-themed recipes!

Past FIF recipes:
Corned Beef
Sloppy Joe, Mac 'n Cheese Casserole
Shredded Chicken
Baked Bean & Burger Casserole
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Crab Rangoon
Sausage con Queso and Ro-tel Cheese Dip
Blueberry Multigrain Coffeecake
Banana Bread
Bananas Foster
Old-Time Beef Stew
White Chocolate Snack Mix
Gorilla Bread
Ginger Shrimp
Roast Chicken
Tex-Mex Chicken Taco Soup
Shrimp Mold
Pasta Puttanesca
Pork Milanese
Pumpkin Dip
Oven-fried Chicken
Best Bundt Cake Ever
Hot Dog Casserole
Chicken & Rice
Peanut Butter Fudge
Omelets in a Bag
Shrimp Boil
Apple Cheese
Pulled Pork BBQ

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Thursday, May 03, 2007
Question
How is it possible for one tiny person, 17# 13 oz, to generate so much laundry?

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Our Routine
Yesterday was one month. We met, and adopted, Sera on April 2nd. We've been together one month. It seems like yesterday, and it seems like forever. I can't imagine our lives without her anymore. Life pre-Sera was like Dorothy on the farm. It was a nice life, but lots of shades of gray. Life with Sera is like entering Oz and seeing all the colors for the first time.

We've pretty much developed our routine now. Sera wakes between 6 & 7 am. She has her morning bottle, and we play on my bed for about 15-20 minutes. Then we go back to her room where she plays on the floor with her toys. I'll either play with her or put away the clothes I washed the night before. If she's having a mellow day, we might sit in the recliner and watch a dvd instead. She has three. Baby Einstein's Baby MacDonald, Baby Einstein's Baby Signs, and Little Einsteins origin story about Rocket. I then put her in the crib and she takes her morning nap. It's been as short as 30 minutes, but it's usually around an hour. This is my shower window.

When she wakes from her nap, she gets a bath and dressed for the day. We then head downstairs for scrambled eggs. If we have any appointments or errands, they usually take place now. If we don't, it's play time.

Sometime between 1 and 2, she'll take her afternoon nap. It can be anywhere from one to two hours long, usually two. Then Daddy comes home. She gets all excited when she hears him unlocking the front door. It's officially now Daddy & Sera time. Sometimes we head out to one of the sport events at Jim's school, a baseball game, or something. Other times, Jim and Sera head out on their own. Sera usually has her third meal around this time.

Dinner is still not routine, but we try to eat by 7. Anytime after 7 is fair game for starting the bedtime routine.

Yesterday we headed out when Jim came home. We went to Michigan City, about an hour away. Jim used to live there and still likes to get his haircut there. It's hard to switch when you find someone who really knows your hair. While there, we got Sera's first haircut with us. I say with us because it's obviously been cut before. In fact, I'd say they used to shave the front all the way back. It's growing out now, so we left that alone. We just had the back evened out as it was getting long, below her collar, but it was really scraggly. She did really well, though she kept swinging her head around to see what Margaret was doing to the back of her head. Aftterwards we headed out to dinner. Sera got to try her first grilled cheese. I tore out tiny pieces from the middle of the sandwich. She really liked it. She's finally drinking some water now, too. That started on Monday. She's always refused water before. On Tuesday, she drank from a straw for the first time. The restaurant's high chairs all had broken straps, so Sera sat on my lap while we ate. She would take a piece of her sandwich in each hand. One she'd feed to me, and the other she'd feed to herself. Isn't that the sweetest thing?

We stopped and visited our friends, Doug & Laura and their family, on our way home where Laura's mom gave us three bags of clothes for Sera. She may have officially hit the stage where she'll never wear an outfit twice now. Everyone has been so generous. It seems like Sera is always tired and in need of sleep when we visit them, but she perked up this time and got playful.

We finally got home around 8, just in time for a final bottle and bed. Jim is usually in charge of the night time routine, but last night I did it. Two days ago, we bought a video monitor because I was dying to know what Sera does in her room. We would know she was in there awake; we could hear her, but if we went in the room she'd immediately start crying. Jim had been able to get her to sleep while rocking her. She'd wake slightly when he put her in the crib, but fall right back to sleep. On the other hand, she would not sleep when I rocked her. She would reach for my glasses or stick her fingers in my mouth or stroke my face or scratch my skin, but she wouldn't sleep. She started doing the same thing with Jim. It's like she doesn't want to miss a moment with us. We had to start putting her in her crib and leaving while she was still awake. I would cuddle her and tell her I loved her and how she was safe and home now. I'd tell her to sleep all night and have lots of good dreams and I'd come get her in the morning. I'd also use the baby sign for go to sleep, and then put her in the crib. I was sitting by the crib and stroking her back for a bit, but no matter what as soon as I moved, she'd sit up and cry. I'd tell her, again, that I loved her and to go to sleep and leave. She'd cry for maybe 10 seconds and then silence. I knew she couldn't be asleep, but I didn't know what she was doing.

Last night, I cuddled her and whispered my standard good nights to her. When I made the go to sleep sign and said good night, she gave a half-hearted whimper. I then placed her in the crib and put on the cd I play for her to go to sleep. I turned around and she was lying down already. A first! I said good night again and left. Silence. She didn't even cry. I ran into my room and turned on the video monitor. For the next 20 minutes, she rolled around, played with her fingers, played with her toes, changed her position at least a dozen times and went to sleep. I love this monitor.


Sera's First Haircut



How do you get a toddler to sit still for a haircut? Introduce her to suckers. Margaret has a stash for just this purpose. Needless to say, Sera loved it.

A lock of hair for the scrapbook.

When I downloaded the pictures from the camera, I found these from the day we went to the lacrosse game.

Whatever we're looking at must be fascinating.

Love the Puffs.

Girl Talk

We must remember to stand up when taking Daddy's picture. Even from a distance, it doesn't work if you're sitting on a bleacher.

Sera's friend, Kyra. It was her brother's, DJ, lacrosse game we were watching.

By the way, in case anyone is curious, baby food carrot stains are permanent. :o)

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Wednesday, May 02, 2007
'Cause You've Got To Have Friends - UPDATE


Here's our Tuesday morning playgroup. Isn't it amazing? This isn't close to all the children in the area. It's just the ones where the moms can meet on Tuesday mornings. We're going to enjoy being a part of this group until I go back to work. I have absolutely no idea what Sera was looking at. I was taking pictures for one of the moms in the back row.

Our new doctor, by the way, rocks. She called us at 8:30 Monday evening. She had just received most of Sera's blood test results and knew we'd want the news ASAP. Her lead level is low, her hemaglobin is good, HIV is negative, and she's showing immunity for DTAP and Hep B. This means her vaccination records are probably accurate and she won't need to repeat them. She had the TB patch test on Monday. We go in today for a reading, but it's barely noticeable. That's good news, too!

UPDATE: Just got home from the doctor's office. The nurse read her TB test and rated it a negative 1. There's no bump or red mark, just the slightest bruise. She said it was perfect and there was nothing for us to worry about. Woo hoo!

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Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Colleen's a Mommy!


Colleen is a fantastic person, and I know she and Jim will be wonderful parents. I have it on good authority that Jims make good daddies.

I also want to congratulate the FTIA 10/28 group. They stood by us and then had to wait much too long for their referrals. And, finally, a local friend also received her referral. We can't wait to meet McKenna on our Tuesday playdates!

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