What 70 mph feels like

It can be incomprehensible - how quickly Life can change.

This is the real world; everyone has exceeded the speed limit at some point... and some more recklessly than others. What I have always wondered is what it would feel like to go that fast without a car shielding me from the air slicing by.

Foolish me, I got my answer.

Since accepting my new position at work, I have found myself with triple the responsibilities and what seems to be no way of slowing down. It doesn't help that the person before me basically played "pick-and-choose" with their duties for a few months (read: SIX), leaving the me with a whole pile of late fees, late filings, and lost investments. Allow me just this quick moment to bemoan my fate before I move on: It is difficult enough to learn (and master) a new position without having to play catch-up, and having emotional ties to the work that wasn't getting done, i.e. our 401(k) plans... retirement benefits... etc. *breathe*

On the other hand, I have found that I love what I do. I genuinely have an interest in my line of work - yes, it IS possible to care about water/sewer districts - and having three other people relying on me to get their payroll right has had a pretty good effect on my punctuality and decreasing procrastination. I get to travel more, make more money, and overall just enjoy doing a job that matters. I love my company.

Bruce is now well into toddler-dom, complete with all of the mountains and pitfalls that come with the territory.

Example: What seems like an amazing afternoon at the science center can easily lead to an overtired he-devil with crap running down his legs.

That being said, I am in awe of my little spawnling. His ability to grasp concepts and turn them into action is sick; I have lost track of how many times I look at him and think "Huh. Genius. Where the HELL did he get that?!" Oh, and yes... I know... every mother supposedly thinks that their little darling is carrying the cure for cancer in their perfect little craniums, and I don't doubt that most people would see my son as 'ordinary', and that is perfectly fine with me. All that matters is that Bruce will be growing up with a mother and father who love him unconditionally, and think he is amazing just by being himself.

Is that sappy enough for you?

With all the work that needs to get done at the office, I'm finding myself with less and less energy to fully engage Bubba when I get home. Thank God for Stephen; that man is a fountain of endless entertainment for our little man. Bruce is in that fun climbing stage, and Steve is more than willing to lay on the floor and let the midget scale "Mount Daddy" as often as he wants while Mommy curls into a ball and drools.

As with any feeling, hormones are produced. When under stress, your body naturally produces cortisol, the "stress hormone". Cortisol counteracts insulin, thereby raising your blood sugar levels (hello, fatty)... increases gastric acid secretion (hello, diarrhea)... increases water retention (hello, puffiness)... weakens the immune system (hello, perpetual sore throat)... halts the reproductive system (goodbye, womb-raider)... and more. Fun, huh? I tell you that to tell you this: Enough stress in your life feels like a damn high-speed zoom down the freeway.

When you don't know what to do...

... do what you know.

What happens when you don't know what you know?
Life, I guess.

She works hard for the money...
Things have picked up at work, so that the pace is akin to that of a the Road Runner on crack, with a battery pack shoved up an inconvenient location. Seriously. We just hired a new Executive Director (after 6+ months without one), and lost our Management Analyst that same week. In a 3.5 FTE (full time employee) office, you tend to notice the changes a lot better than at a larger office. Since one employee is new and one is leaving, that puts a lot more on my plate than usual... and with a couple big events coming up (Exec. Committee Retreat on 1/13 - 1/15, Semi-Annual Meeting on 3/18, and PRIMA conference in Orlando, FL on 6/6 - 6/9). GAH!

Home life is... difficult.
Bruce is amazing, as always, and has started showing more and more personality. Whether he's being goofy to get a reaction, concentrating immensely on whatever game he created for himself, or throwing a tantrum of epic proportions when he can't communicate what he wants, I am so incredibly blessed to have him as my son.

Living with Steve's parents for the last year has proven to be a great decision. I know a lot of married couples couldn't imagine living with their in-laws for a weekend, let alone a year, but I honestly love Russ and LaVada as if they were my own parents. I notice more and more, however, some areas where we're all trying to parent Bruce... so that's going to be interesting to address.

Steve and I seem to be mired in a rough patch that just won't go away. Starting back in late-June/early-July, we thought we had worked through it enough in August after attending counseling (independently and together), but it's all still there, bubbling into something dark and sinister. We're putting extra effort into seeing what can and can't be fixed, with the deadline of March 31st of this year; at that point, we'll decide what we should do. While I'm not remotely pleased with this particular aspect of our lives, or the idea of sharing it with x-amount of people online... but I have to get things out or else I explode. It's just the way I am.

Derby Girls and Book Smarts
Roller derby hasn't taken as primary a role as I'd like, so that's why it's near the top of the list of things I want to get back into this year... along with school. Thanks to bills, starting classes was pushed back to Spring Quarter. Meh. I just want to get the next two years over with, education-wise, so I can start earning the kind of money needed to make some of my dreams a reality. *breathe*

Bowing out (not so) gracefully...
I'm focusing on the positive, and hoping that gets me where I need to go. Granted, I don't know "where" that is, but chances are it's better than here.

All things BRUCE

While 2009 has kicked our collective ass more than any year should be able to... I'm still alive. So, it's mid-December... and my son is turning ONE in only 10 days. I think I'm going to have a heart attack - and that IS something that will likely carry me to the grave.





I plan on posting my traditional 'Year in Review' blog here in a couple of days, but wanted to give a quick Bruce-update!






1. WORDS:
"Dada", "Mama", "Dung" (yes... "dung"), "Down", "Uh-Oh!", "Shoe", "Cat", and a mix of whatever it is he's saying when he babbles.

2. WALKING:
Yep. He does it! Bruce started walking a couple weeks ago, right around Thanksgiving, and has a pretty good grasp on it. The only time he tumbles is when he gets too excited, or is overly tired. He can stand, stoop, squat AND walk backwards! I'm so impressed by my little man!

3. TEETH:
The Squish is now the proud owner of 6 baby teeth! He's still cutting them, though, and it seems pretty painful this go-round. He has two more coming in on the top, bringing the total to 8... and I'm sure he's going to practice sinking them into my hand any day now. Oy.

4. OTHER:
He's awesome. That is all. :)

Go, go, go!

What better way to start a post, huh?

Go, go, go...
Times they are a-changin' at the Bishop household. In the month since I last posted, Bruce has gained one more tooth (on the bottom), learned to stand on his own - albeit briefly - and how to use his lion/walker toy to walk himself across the living room. My favorite thing? He now says "Uh oh!" whenever he drops something, and can make the sign for 'all done' right along with me! It is the most magical thing, being able to communicate with your child and knowing that they can communicate right back!

Go, go, go...
Because there is always a second side to every coin... I have to announce that I had a miscarriage last month, on my 26th birthday. I was 12 weeks that day, and started cramping and blah blah blah. We're all okay now, but it was definitely a horrible experience that I had hoped to never go through again. Because of this, we may be a one-child household; my health has been crappy enough as it is, and Bruce is more than enough for us in every (good) way possible.

Go, go, go...
Because working full time, being a mother and a wife, and trying to find time for friends isn't enough, I decided to go back to school for my BSBA (Bachelors of Science in Business Administration) at Central Washington University's Des Moines campus. Before I can jump into that, however, I have about three quarters' worth of pre-requisites to get through... and then two years of classes at CWU. The way I see it is this: I enjoy my job. The insurance field makes sense to me. People will always need property/liability insurance. If I play my cards right, I can get a good degree, and move up in the salary brackets enough to help our little family to live comfortably. I just had that realization while I was driving around Meydenbauer Bay a couple of weeks ago, seeing all these amazing houses, and wondering what the differences between 'them' and me were.

Go, go, go...
The flu, swine or otherwise, has hit the Bishop house it seems. Steve's dad was puking his guts out last night - you're welcome for the visual - and now Steve is texting me that he's not feeling well either. Bruce was puking yesterday morning and then in the middle of the night last night... and I may be joining him in that in just a few minutes. Blech.

Go, go, go...
We are definitely going to Florida for the first weekend of December to visit my Grandpa Chet and his wife, Darlene...! We'll only be in Florida for one full day... oh, the jet lag... but plan on visiting with them for the morning/early afternoon, and then hitting the Magic Kingdom with Bruce for the evening. It will be his first time on a plane, and our first time to Florida!

Go, go, go...
... going, going, Gone!

More that CAN'T be said than can...!

Life is funny. Like hysterically, roll-on-the-floor-until-your-sides-feel-like-they're-going-to-burst hilarious. Unfortunately, that is also the kind of hilarity that brings on nausea after it has had its way with you.

That's where I am right now.

Between people breaking things (father-in-law: neck, grandfather-in-law: hip and/or leg), traveling for work, the insanely fast progression of my son from 'little baby' to 'ginormo', and a few other things I'm not entirely ready to share just yet, this has been one craaaaazy year.

But I am here to focus on the good!

Bruce had his 9-month check up yesterday morning, and is doing very well! He weighed in at a nice 23.75 lbs, with a 19.5'' head, and 30.5'' body. He's definitely a big guy, but not only is he proportionate, he is also extremely active! That ensures that his cute baby rolls stay "cute", and don't morph into "cankles" down the line. He has four teeth now (two on top have broken through, plus two on bottom), and is able to wave his arms and say "Eahhhh!" for "Yay!", clap his hands on command, and shake his head 'no' when asked a question... regardless of the real answer!

He is now a crawling machine, not content to stay put longer than about 1.3 seconds! I love watching him figure out what toy or book he wants to go after, because you can really see the thought process play out on his face. He has mastered pulling himself to standing, and has recently decided that he's ready to walk; he's not, of course (the poor guy keeps falling down...!), but it's still adorable to watch and help him waddle across the room by holding his hands. Cruising (walking along the edge of the couch for support) has also begun, slowly but surely.

As for food... he's a machine there as well! Not content to suffer through regular canned baby food, our little man prefers finger foods - prepackaged and not. Last night, he ate herbed chicken in wine sauce right along with us!

I'm loving my job, and may be up for a promotion (so to speak). We need someone to start doing some hardcore marketing to our members and potential members... and that's where I may come in! I'll find out more about that in a month or so, so stay tuned.

Steve is still considering a career in Radiology. After two years, he could be an Ultrasound Technician, and make some serious money... serious money that we could really use to pay for Bruce's ever-shrinking wardrobe, my coffee habit, and a house of our own!

Finally, we're in the early planning stages of an early-December trip to Florida to visit my Papa and step-grandma. They have yet to meet Bruce, and are in no condition to be flying across the country to do so. I hope to hear back from them soon about this, as there are some killer deals on tickets right now...!

The things a month can bring...

1. New job
2. Bruce - daycare, teeth, mobility, sheer size...
3. Family
4. FALL!

(Yes... I do need to organize my thoughts via numerical lists. So there.)

1. I GOT A NEW JOB!
- My last day at the college was August 14th - giving me my first free weekend in MONTHS - and I have never been happier with my career situation. I am the Office Assistant for an insurance and risk management pool specializing in water and sewer districts in Washington state. It's a public entity company, meaning amazing Government benefits. I run the office, plan the meetings, book the retreats, and go on business trips. I know I sound completely immature and gushing, but I'm truly happy here and feel like I might have found 'my place'. The only two down-sides? One, it's in downtown Bellevue, making my commute quite a bit longer than it was to the college. Two?

2. Bruce
- ... in daycare. After spending the first 7 months of his life with his Mommy, my sweet boy had to be plopped into daycare for roughly 9 hours/day. It's not all gloom-and-doom, however; Anita, who runs the daycare along with her husband, Dan, has been at this for 27 years... and lives across the street from us. Score! They really love Bruce, and he's thriving there.

- Teeth: My not-so-little man (8.5 months already?!) has his two bottom teeth, and will soon be the proud owner of his upper-chompers as well. His upper right tooth has broken through and is coming in nicely, and the upper left seems to be soon to follow. He loves being able to eat what we're eating... something that he couldn't do beforehand.

- Mobility: Squishy can crawl! Granted, it's still early (and by "early" I mean "hilarious part army-crawl, part launch-forward, part backwards movement"), but he can definitely get himself around now. He's also pulling himself up (something that he's been doing at various ability levels since he was 3 months old) and walking around, holding on to our fingers. I can't believe that MY offspring is so ready to get-up-and-go! Where's my lazy baby?

- Sheer size: Yeah. Um, Bruce is a little big. Not "fat"... not even "chubby"... just BIG. At 8 months, his stats are as follows:
Weight = 24.5 lbs (96th percentile)
Length = 30 in. (96th percentile)
Head = 19.25 in. (97th percentile)

3. Family
- Steve's dad fell and broke his neck in the garage two weeks ago, and is finally starting to realize that fact. To say that he has been 'stubborn' would be wildly inaccurate, but at least he's getting better. The plus-side (because there always is one)? Christopher, Steve's brother, has started talking to Dad again after almost 6 months of not. Progress.

4. FALL IS COMING...!
- Eee!
- On Tuesday, Sept. 22nd at 5:18 p.m., I will be the happiest woman alive... or, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Fall is, without a doubt, Krystal's Happy Time. Last year, I wrote a (MySpace) blog regarding all the wonderful things I have to look forward to, but this year I plan to do something different entirely:

Experience it.

This will be Bruce's first fall season, and that means I'll get to be as hyper and schmeepy as I want without Stephen making fun of me. Much.

That's about it for us. I have my first business trip next week (Lake Chelan... woot!), and then a couple of big projects to work on at the office.

Here's a list of what I'm brainstorming about now:
making a unique headboard for our bed,
fall wreaths,
Christmas wreaths,
fall cookie recipes,
finally tackling Alton Brown's Apple Pie recipe,
making a baby sling,
making Christmas blankets for family presents this year,

financial planning,

getting my AIS cert.,

the cost of a relatively new-ish Jetta/Passat (both TDIs),

headshots for voiceovers (thanks, Robert!),

voiceover representation and/or classes,
quitting Avon,
squeezing in skating time,

recipes using squash and any other gourds,
Halestorm (nothing in particular... I just love their music),

a trip to Florida with Bruce to meet his great grandpa and grandma,
start looking at houses by mid-2010...

(Internal) derby bruises, and my Bruiser

There have been more than a few occasions this week that I've found myself thinking, "What the HELL have I gotten myself into?". Then I remember that yes, while falling (and bouncing) on my ass while skating is painful and slightly humiliating, I want to do this.

My skating skills are nowhere near where I'd like them to be, but I'm working on it. That's all I can do, right? I've gone to as many Open Skates as a I can, even though I had to miss the PFM practice on Sunday due to exhaustion (read: 2.5 hours of sleep the night before). My main goals? Crossovers, crossovers, crossovers.

Tryouts for Rat City are Wednesday, August 11th. I have this sinking feeling that I will (1) not only be passed over, but (2) asked to get my ass off the track before I hurt someone. I wonder if my in-laws will let me skate indoors... or my work...

Happy topic anyone? (I'm bumming myself out with my pity-party crap.)

Bruce turns 7 months-old tomorrow...!
My sweet Bruiser; he's 22 lbs of drooling, grasping, stomping love and I can't get enough of him. He's learning how to wave 'Hi' and 'Bye' right now - he started doing it on his own! - and it's adorable, even if it's completely off. Seriously, he'll make this scooping motion with his hand, with his arm stretched out towards the person he's directing it to. Admirable, but hilarious!

What else? He's going through a mini growth-spurt... again... which means we've had to increase his food intake from one serving of baby food a day to two or three, depending on his mood. His favorite form of mush? Butternut squash, and anything with apple in it. He's also a big fan of the Pear & Mango combo his grandpa brought home. He's still taking more than a full day's worth of formula on top of that! He comes from healthy stock...? HA! His two bottom teeth keep shooting up, making his love-bites pretty painful at times. I don't see signs of any more teeth coming in, but basically once a kids starts teething, a tooth can come in at any time over the next two years. *whimper*

So, between work, family, derby, school, and attempting to see friends, my life has suddenly become very, very full. I'm amazed at how quickly things can change... and how some things never ever seem to.

Oh, sweet Jesus...

Sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder if I'm clinically insane.
I wonder what it would be like for a group of psychologists (A herd? A gaggle? A cult?) to study my brain and the crazy way it processes things.

I'm referring, of course, to my decision to tryout for the Rat City Roller Girls derby teams next month. It's not crazy that I want to get into roller derby; I think this sport was created for me, and I couldn't have found it at a better time in my life. Trying out, though? Maybe not the wisest idea. It isn't just that the thought of skating in front of a bunch of tough, experienced chicks is terrifying (which, by the way, it kind of is), but it's also the fact that I've only skated twice now in the last decade. A decade. DECADE.

*breathe*

It's like Steve said, though; I can't expect to be perfect at everything on the first go-round.
Yes, my skating is stiff... but I haven't fallen down yet.
Yes, I need to work on my crossovers... but I haven't broken a femur. Yet.

I was at Skate King last night for an Adult Skate, and was the only one there in full gear. I felt a little out of place, especially since I couldn't skate nearly as well as most people on the rink, but it felt good to get a little more practice just being on my skates.

Oh, yeah! I got skates!
A nice, easy pair of R3s. Just basic black, nothing fancy. It's just cool to have my first pair, knowing that they're going to be with me for a while.

I guess that's it for now. Tryouts are on August 11th and 12th, so under a month away. I'm still trying to work in time to practice after I get off work or on the weekends when Steve can watch Bruce. I think that's going to be the hardest part of derby; making the time for practices and bouts. I feel so guilty even taking 20 minutes for a shower, let alone driving out to Bellevue or Lynnwood multiple times a week.

We'll figure this out. Derby is already too much fun...

Good things come in pairs, apparently!

I spoke about a week too soon; Bruce has TWO teeth! *Squeeeeee!*

Both his bottom right and bottom left middle teeth are coming in and, while it renders him completely miserable and fussy, I couldn't be more proud. How silly does that sound, by the way... being proud of my child's emerging teeth? It's not like he or I have any say over it, or the rate that they come in. I guess I'm just so amazed by how quickly he's growing. He's my little giant.

Next topic up for discussion?





Yep... I'm going to look into Roller Derby!!!!!

Things that go CHOMP!

We have been fairly certain that Bruce has been teething for a while now (try since he was 3 months old and started drooling like a freaking faucet), but - drumroll, please...

His first tooth is coming in!

Steve called to inform me that he felt something a little sharp in Bruce's mouth (sounds terrifying, right?) and, after obtaining visual confirmation, we have tooth! The coolest part about this is that Bruce turns 6 months old tomorrow. Talk about milestones! What an awesome story this is going to make for him when he's older and wants to know about his milestones with growth and all that fun stuff.

Our little man - on top of producing his first tooth - has also been going through his 6-month growth spurt. We noticed very quickly that, when it comes to the 'typical' growth spurts, Bruce is about a week or two... or four... ahead of the actual date they should be occuring on. It just goes to show that, once again, BABIES GROW AT THEIR OWN PACE. While he normally takes roughly 32 oz of formula every day (on top of whatever pureed food we offer), these last two weeks have seen him consuming anywhere between 28 and 50 oz in a 24-hour period. *GULP* Big guy!

On a slightly sour note, we go in on Monday for Bruce's 6-month Well Child check-up mean - you guessed it - more shots. They put off giving him one round of shots at his 4-month visit, so he will be getting stuck THREE times. I can't stand seeing the look in his eyes while they hold him down and he's screaming... *shudder* I just want to snuggle him and slap the nurses!

Anyway, that's the newest on our not-so-little guy. I'll definitely post more after Monday when we have the latest growth/weight stats!

Just... adorable!

Last weekend saw the arrival of Bruce's 23rd week. Not a significant number, admittedly, but still an amazing thing!

To start the weekend off, we took Bruce to his first Mariner's game on Friday. The M's were playing the Twins (and ultimately lost after going into extra innings... boo...), the weather was great, and I wanted to cash-in my Mother's Day gift of a baseball game! At first Bruce was a little spooked by the train - and the resulting whistle - as well as the cheering, but being able to hold my hand while in our new baby backpack seemed to do the trick. By the time we got to our seats (Section 347 is AWESOME, by the way), he was golden! He interacted with everyone nearby, snuggled with Daddy, and gave me tons of kisses.

Steve, Bruce, and I headed up north to Bellingham to visit with Jason, Merrilee, and their 10-month old son, Baxter on Sunday... and man, is that kid adorable! It was very cool to see the differences and similarities between our sons, and to just chat with "new" parents our own age.

Granted, I also had a mission while visiting our friends. A couple of weeks ago, I went to an open call for a local talent agency, hoping to get started in the voiceover (and maybe acting) field in the greater-Seattle area. I had my acting resume, but... headshots. Yep. Kind of need those, too. SO, since Merrilee is a whiz with her spiffy new camera, she agreed to take some headshots for me! She and I headed to a local park and got the job done - which is no small feat, considering as how I had NO idea what I was doing! She's a pro, I'm telling you. Merrilee also took some great shots of Bruce, which she edited and sent our way as well.

So, just because I'm so impressed (and freaking proud of how handsome my little man is!), here you go:

And yes, being the sentimental mommy that I am... I cried when I saw this picture! My sweet baby!

This picture, aside from being insanely adorable, is great; this is the face he makes before deciding to do something 'new' - a new way to roll, a new way to smile, a new "something".

Some of my headshot options:

Now, these are just THREE options! She sent me way more to choose from - these are just the ones I pulled off her Flickr account (I hope that was okay, Merrilee!).

All-in-all, I'd say it was a great weekend!

Adventures of Any/All Kinds

Adventure #1:
Bruce has mastered rice cereal and pureed carrots, and is now onto peas and butternut squash. I wasn't intending him to start the squash until next week, but Granny was watching him for the day and didn't know that... so he got an extra treat! We're trying to space the new foods out by 3 days at least, to see if he develops any kind of allergic reaction to the food... but, so far so good!

Adventure #2:
Bruce + cup + 1/2 ounce of water at a time x 4 = hilarity

Adventure #3:
I went to an Open Call for the Colleen Bell Agency, a Bellevue-based talent agency specializing in modeling, acting, and voice acting. I decided that there are some one-time dreams in life that are definitely fine to give up - my ambition to live in a house made entirely of pudding and Doritoes, for example - but then, even with all the pressures and responsibilities that I may have, there are some things that just shouldn't get pushed aside. I have a real knack for doing different voices, and it has always been a passion of mine. I'm hoping to hear back from the Bell Agency some time next week, but I'll also look into another Seattle-area agency that specializes solely in voice-over artists.

Adventure #4:
This one is kind of 'forced', since it's not an adventure I was hoping to have any time soon. My boss' boss, C.P., is a pretty horrible boss. Seriously, she just should not be in the position to manage anything other than her own checkbook. Anyway, she has been making work-life progressively harder over the last couple of months to the point that I am seriously rushing through my Medical Coding & Billing studies so I can get out of here. That, I guess, is what this 'adventure' involves; a whole lot of studying, praying, job-applying, and wishing that the economy didn't suck so very, very much.

Adventure #5:
I am way, way in love with Baby Legs. They're a-maz-ing; little leg and arm warmers for children (and adults), that come in adorable little patterns. They do, however, cost roughly $14.95 retail, or $12.00 online FOR ONE PAIR. GAH!!! That being said, I'm thinking about making some for Bruce on my own. There has to be a leg warmer pattern out there... and what better way to learn how to knit than start on this? *gulp* You can check-out Baby Legs here: www.babylegs.com

Adventures in "real food"

Ladies and gentlemen... my son, the (unwitting) spokesman!

As you can tell by the picture above, we've also started letting B.Max try his hand (literally) at drinking from a cup. He LOVES it! Sure... most of the water cascades down his chin after every enthusiastic gulp, but that's half the fun!

<-- Saturday marked the day Steve and I started trying Bruce out on rice cereal. Lauded for its gentle-on-the-stomach properties for "first foods", we figured it was a safe place to start. As the packaging recommends, we started with just a tablespoon of cereal (and added formula), which he seriously couldn't get enough of. I had found a great, low-cost, convertible booster seat at Babies-R-Us, and he seems to do really well with it.

We would be mid-scoop, getting more cereal on the spoon, and be met with a mixture of joy (see right), or ferocious yelling for what we assumed was more mush. Sweet boy... it's like we don't feed him or something!

This afternoon, I tried making the goop a bit thicker - instead of the runny, soupy mess we had started out with, I thought it would be fun to try him on something a little more substantial. Again - he loved it! It was all I could do to keep up with him... and pray that he didn't choke! My son can seriously wolf-down his chow!

The only down side to starting solids is that my father-in-law now thinks that Bruce is ready for sucking on watermelon and other "harmless" fruits. When I was at Bruce's 4-month checkup, our doctor recommended starting him on rice cereal, then moving on to oatmeal, then veggies and/or meat, and THEN fruits. I guess - and this makes sense, actually - that babies will start to just prefer the sweet taste of fruit and will reject or lose interest in things that don't taste as sweet!

My little man is growing up! Just 10 more days until he's 5 months old. I'm still amazed he's mine.

Recipe Madness Monday!

The joy...

Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese Croquettas
(*What are these? Basically, you turn your leftover mashed potatoes into wonderfully cheesy, fried balls of heaven. Eat them. You will see.*)

Ingredients:
3 cups mashed potatoes, leftover or freshly made
1/4 pound manchego cheese, frozen 1 hour then finely chopped with a food processor (1 cup), plus shaved manchego cheese, for serving
6 ounces serrano ham, frozen 1 hour then finely chopped in a food processor (1 cup)
2 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Romesco sauce for serving
Chopped chives, for serving

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl or in the food processor combine mashed potatoes, cheese, ham and eggs. Season with plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should still be wet enough so the bread crumbs stick to the croquettas. Form into croquettas (makes about 2 dozen, medium-sized) and dip into panko bread crumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Pat lightly so the crumbs stick. Lay out on a tray, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before frying.
To fry, heat 1-inch of vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or heavy bottomed pot, over medium heat to about 360 degrees F. Fry in small batches, turning once until evenly browned. Each batch should take approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with kosher salt. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with chives and shaved manchego. Serve with Romesco Sauce.

Romesco Sauce:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 poumd roasted red peppers, drained
*1 egg yolk
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon orange zest and 1/4 cup juice, from 1 orange
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer almonds to a blender. Add roasted red peppers, egg yolk, garlic, zest, and season with salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to combine the ingredients. With the blender on low speed drizzle in the olive oil. Once it begins to emulsify, stop the blender and add the orange juice, and sherry vinegar. Buzz once more to fully emulsify.

In honor of Mother's Day

Since this will be my first Mother's Day with my baby on the outside instead of in my uterus (yep; I was just four or five weeks pregnant this time last year - Eee!), I thought it would be fun to jot down all the things I love about being a Mom.

Of course, I expect that not all of this will apply in a year or two (especially anything having to do with drool, I'd assume)... so it's going to be exciting to see how things change!

I love...

seeing my son's eyes light up when he sees me cuddling with my baby how blowing raspberries on his tummy will make him laugh one day, but get no reaction the next hearing him breathe asking my son a question, and getting a glob of drool as an answer the fact that I have a son knowing that he likely got his eye color from me how adept at diaper changes I have (finally) become watching Steve and Bruce snuggle at the end of the day knowing that I can calm him down when no one else can the way he will give me "kisses" after I burp him taking him to visit "baby-in-the-mirror-friend" when random people stop me to tell me how gorgeous my son is when Bruce astonishes the doctor with how much he has grown knowing I made my mother-in-law a Grandmother ... that the best is yet to come.

Baby kisses

Bruce has started making up his own games, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

One such game involves him looking from whomever is holding him, waiting for a smile or some form of recognition, then looking at one other person (this is usually played with Grandma and Mommy) and - again - waiting for a smile or recognition, only to smile coyly and do it all again.

The other one (the one that has completely stolen my heart) is simple:
I kiss his cheek, he turns his head for another one.
I kiss his cheek again, and he 'kisses' my nose/mouth/nearest facial feature.
I melt.

On to less sappy notes, this weekend was spent in Forks, WA (yes, "Twilight Town"), visiting Steve's aunt, uncle, and cousins. Bruce did extremely well on the car ride, and seemed to enjoy his first exo-utero ferry ride from Edmonds to Kingston. We kept getting stopped by random people, telling us what an adorable boy we had! I couldn't agree more.

Time on the Baysinger homestead was great. They have mules, horses, ducks, dogs... not to mention a pretty fun bunch of family. Bruce was outside and enjoying the fresh air all day on Saturday, causing him to sleep extremely well that night! Only ONE middle-of-the-night wake-up, AND he talked himself back to sleep at one point!! I am a proud, proud Mama.

Finally, tomorrow is D-Day; the day Steve and I find out just what's wrong with my thyroid. My doctor's office called me on Friday to let me know that the preliminary test results show that I have "thyrotoxicosis", most likely from Graves Disease. Whatever, kids... I just need it fixed!

So, that's all for now. I'm thinking about posting another recipe... any ideas?

"My son is four months old. "

Now there is a phrase I never thought I'd say...!
At his 4-month Well Child appointment yesterday, Bruce stunned us all. Our little Bruiser weighed-in as follows...
Weight: 17 lbs, 3 oz.
Length: 27 in.
Head: 17.5 in.
Percentile: 97th

Dr. Constantin was thrilled with how well Bruce was doing, and said that everything seems to be developing the way it should... which was a huge relief for me. I'm sorry, but this is a mini-human! Have you ever stopped to think about just how much could go wrong?! She also gave us the 'go-ahead' for starting Bruce on rice cereal!!! SQUEEE!!! He has been so interested in food for the last two weeks... and since I'm no longer breastfeeding (due to a combination of him weaning himself and my thyroid), it comes at a perfect time.

I've decided that I need to get him out of the house more often (read: Mommy is going stir-crazy). Instead of this being one of those "I've decided..." moments that get placed on the back burner of my brain, I actually stuck with it! Case-in-point? This afternoon.

This afternoon, Bruce and I met my best friend, Mary (and her 3 dogs - Blue, Dante, and Mister) at Westcrest Dog Park, in West Seattle. It was awesome! Not only was the weather perfect, but Bruce got to be around over 25 different dogs, and take his first walk in the woods. If his bottle hadn't have leaked in the diaper bag, we might have stayed even longer! The sun was shining (74 degrees!), the dogs were friendly, Mary was amazing as always, and it felt so, so good to be out of the house. When I was pregnant, I was determined that my baby would be out experiencing the world (or at least our community)... and today was a great first step.

Here are some other ideas I have for places to take Bruce:
Woodland Park Zoo
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Pike Place Market (he's already been, but still. Come on.)
Seattle Aquarium
Seattle Science Center
Marymoor Park
Lake Sammamish State Park
The Little Gym (starting at 6 months)
Reading Time - Libraries

I'm open to recommendations...!

How NOT to take care of your child

There are some topics that have, admittedly, become "sore spots" since having become a mother; topics that, beforehand, would have just made me shake my head, say "That's horrible", and go about my day relatively unaffected.

Not so with this one.

If you are a parent, this may be too much to handle.
On Monday of this week, a story aired about a 21 year-old mother in Lynnwood, WA leaving her infant son in her car for seven hours in 69-degree weather while she was at work. Her son, consequently, died from this... and I can't get it out of my head.

While I understand that there are relative factors that play into her decision-making (1 - her age/education/maturity, 2 - childcare availability, etc.) here, I'm flabbergasted. How could a mother do that to her baby? According to police reports, the woman didn't even walk out to the parking lot to check on him, not that the small act of checking on him would have made what she did any better, but still. I keep picturing what it must have been like for that poor little baby, and it breaks my heart; I can almost hear him crying for his mother, hungry and wet and overheated in that car.

This story has been heavy on my heart this week. I can only pray that that sweet boy didn't suffer, and that he is resting peacefully with the Father.

Sorry for the downer, everyone... but sometimes you just have to get it out.

No more weaning = no more whining

My poor son... Wednesday was beyond difficult, and he was such a trooper - until 2:00PM hit and he turned into a non-stop screaming MACHINE. Seriously, don't babies need to breathe??

That being the experience of our first day of full-on forumla, we decided to stop this weaning business and continue breastfeeding. There has GOT to be something out there (medicinal, homeopathic, or otherwise) that can provide me with some relief while we get my thyroid figured out that does not require me to stop nursing my 3 month-old son!

I'm sure Dr. Ball is going to blow a gasket, but he's so close-minded and old fashioned about breastfeeding that that is to be expected. Plus, he really does have my (the patient) best interest at heart, so I have to respect him there.

I just know how good breastfeeding is for babies, and how much Bruce loves it... so we're considering this the first big "mommy sacrifice" that I'm having to make for him. I would gladly continue to feel like crap in order to give Bruce the best start possible.

ESTJ - "Administrator". Much in touch with the external environment. Very responsible. Pillar of strength. 8.7% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)