New Mothers & New Books

15 May

There have been many, many firsts the past three months, but none quite so enjoyable as the first Mother’s Day.

The Ladies in My Life: Mothers, Grandmothers & Aunts on Mother’s Day (plus baby girl)

A happy baby boy and a sweet redhead girl made two sisters mothers this year. And aunts. 

So we celebrated. Gathering for brunch in our desert abode and feasting on an egg casserole that was served at my baby shower, bread pudding from this barbeque, fresh fruit, bagels, English muffins, chocolate-covered macadamia nuts that are seriously tempting me to get a Costco membership, and mimosas of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety.

And while five women enjoyed a leisurely meal, two dads wrestled two fussy babies during mealtime. We owe you guys come Father’s Day.

But the moment that stole my heart was when Daddy’s little helper decided to make Mom’s bread pudding extra special:

“Stirring” the bread pudding

Seeing her in the kitchen, helping or not, always makes me beam. Visions of cookie-baking and cake-making and family dinners simultaneously dance in my head. And, yes, she already has a big-girl apron.

So it was only appropriate that I was given two Mom cookbooks for Mother’s Day:

Cookbook #1: Dinner A Love Story

DinnerLoveStory

My newest blog obsession is Dinner: A Love Story so it was so sweet of Eric Emily to get me this book for Mother’s Day. The cookbook/memoir covers all stages of family dinner including the just-married stage, the new-parent stage and eventually--and this seems light years off--the stage where everyone sits together at the table sans high chairs and meltdowns and eats more or less the same thing. The recipes are the family’s tried-and-trues and the writing is refreshingly honest. Like the blog, it just feels very down to earth.

I think it may be my new go-to shower gift (that, and the Sleep Sheep).

Cookbook #2: The Little Big Cookbook for Moms

the little big cookbook for moms

Such a cute book from my sister-in-law. With adorable Norman-Rockwell-meets-Toulouse-Lautrec-style illustrations, this book features classic fare for children of all ages–including first meals for little ones and favorite meals for picky palates–with something decadent every now and then. Tips on everything from stocking the pantry to packing lunches abound.

I think it’s safe to say that you’ll be seeing many of these collective recipes on the blog soon–long before Emily starts solids. And if her fascination with watching us cook and sitting in our laps during dinner is any indication, she’ll be sporting that big-kid apron in no time.

Hope your Mother’s Day was filled with good food, good company and lots of love–and some baby snuggles thrown in for good measure.

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Counting Sheep

9 May

Okay, so this post isn’t really about counting sheep. Not in the literal sense, anyway, since there’s just one little lamb in Emily’s nursery: the very important Sleep Sheep.

But it is about sleep. You see, the above picture may not seem that out of the ordinary, but when I snapped that picture two weeks ago today, something extraordinary happened: THE BABY SLEPT THOUGH THE NIGHT.

Cue happy dance from Mom and Dad.

I’m happy, glad, pleased overjoyed to report that at exactly 2 1/2 months old, Emily started sleeping through the night. Every night, she’s blessedly out like a log from 8ish to 6ish. Now, I’m not naive to think that this will last forever: there will surely be off nights, teething woes, colds, monsters under the bed, etc., etc. to keep our little one from getting a good night’s rest.

But for now, everyone is getting some much needed sleep. 

To celebrate, I thought’d be fun to round up some of my favorite slumbering baby poses and places from the past three months. After all, newborns do sleep 16 hours a day on average.

Count with me now: one sheep, two sheep, three sheep … zzzzz

THE TRUSTY CAR SEAT

Every parent’s secret weapon…

DOING LAPS

Is there anything better than a baby falling asleep in your lap? I didn’t think so.

SLEEPING AROUND THE CLOCK

AKA: Waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Every night, like “clockwork,” she slowly rotates counterclockwise until she closes the loop (and then some).

IN DADDY’S ARMS

This one makes me melt …

HANDS UP

A perennial favorite baby sleep position

THE SWING

Seriously, what would we do without this thing?!

SWADDLE SLEEPER

A short-lived phase for a baby who never really took to swaddling

IN THE BABY CARRIER

How she falls asleep like this … I have no idea

And my personal favorite … THE MILK COMA

Knocks ‘em out (almost) every time

With that, it’s time to zip up our SleepSacks and read the final passage of Sandra Boynton’s The Going to Bed Book:

And down once more,
but not so fast,
they’re on their way
to bed at last.

The day is done,
They say good night,
and somebody
turns off the light.

The moon is high.
The sea is deep.
They rock
and rock…
and rock…
to sleep.

Sweet dreams!

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Babies, Barbeques and Banana Bread Pudding

1 May

Quick update! It’s official: THE BABY’S TAKEN OVER OUR LIVES. (In the best possible way, of course.) There’s a new About page featuring the newest family member and explaining what you can expect on The Desert Abode going forward. Check it out! I hope you’ll join us on this new adventure.

On the first 100-degree day of the year, four adults and two babies got together for a barbeque.

Cousins

Cousins

There were juicy hamburgers on homemade buns, potato salad, mouthwatering watermelon and grilled corn on the cob, the latter which wafted through the thick summer air and made our backyard smell like a state fairground. I pity our poor neighbors.

Then I turned on the oven and proceeded to make this bread pudding.

Banana Bread Pudding with Bushmills

Worth. Every. Degree.

Whenever we have people over, the first question I ask Eric is: What should I make for dessert? Before the main dish has been hashed out, the sides planned and the grocery list made, I’ve moved on to the final–and in my opinion THE MOST IMPORTANT (or at least the most fun)–course.

So when Eric suggested bread pudding, which I’d never made before, I got excited. It seemed nostalgic, unexpected and fun–and oddly summerlike. The addition of Irish whiskey put it over the top and had us going back for seconds and thirds until we’d nearly eaten the whole thing. It was the perfect ending to mark the beginning of summer.

Truth is, I’ve been dreading summer. Not that anyone particularly looks forward to summer in the Valley of the Sizzling Sun, but I feared that by the time Emily was old enough–and I was confident enough–to take her out into the world more, it’d be too hot to do anything. But then I realized that’s not true. There will still be early morning walks. And shaded parks, patios and pools. Even restaurants and outdoor shopping malls with misters. Heck, we could even take a drive. Then there’s EVERYTHING ELSE there is to do indoors.

Like making banana-whiskey bread pudding. ;-)

So not only is all not lost, but with a new baby on board, adventure awaits.

Banana-Whiskey Bread Pudding

Makes 8 servings

1 stale baguette, torn into pieces (enough to generously cover the bottom of an 8-inch-square baking dish)

2 mashed bananas

2 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

3 generous tablespoons Irish whiskey (we like Bushmills)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 small handful raisins

2 sliced bananas for topping (optional)

In an 8-inch-square baking dish, mush bread and bananas together using your hands (this would be a great step to have little kids help out with!) until bananas are evenly distributed among the bread chunks.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat milk, sugar and salt until the milk is warm and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. While whisking, drizzle in warm milk mixture. Stir in whisky, vanilla and raisins.

Pour the milk mixture over the torn bread. Allow the mixture to rest for at least 10 minutes before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bread is browned (but still moist) and liquid is no longer jiggly. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. Top with freshly sliced bananas, if desired.

Tastes great out of the oven and also cold the next day.

Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook

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Salsa Fresca

22 Apr

Salsa Fresca

And now for a NON labor-inducing salsa …

Jarred salsa is one of the few packaged goods that makes the cut in our household. We carefully read the back of the label to make sure we’re not being duped into eating some artificially-flavored-veggie concoction (mmmm! tastes like real veggies!) and then proceed to eat copious amounts of said salsa whenever we make enchiladas, tacos, cheese crisps–or just need a snack.

So when Eric came home with a giant–and I mean GIANT–bag of tomatoes the other week, I knew our salsa-eating ways were about to change.

He made this salsa without a recipe: only tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro and fine-motor skills required.

We’ve since devoured it made it twice, enjoying it alfresco with cervezas one evening and alongside a deli sandwich another. It was garden fresh. It was flavor-packed. Most importantly, it was homemade, not store-bought.

And thankfully no one went into labor immediately after consuming it. :)

Eric’s Salsa Fresca

Makes four servings

6 Roma tomatoes

1/2 white onion

2 large jalapenos

10 or so sprigs of fresh cilantro

Finely chop all ingredients and mix together in a serving dish.

The recipe is original to The Desert Abode.

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Two Months

11 Apr

If one month is life-turned-upside-down hard and scary and new, then two months is finally feeling like you’re getting the hang of this whole parenting thing. Two months is sleeping for stretches of 4, 5 and even 6 hours at a time–and no longer depending on that afternoon nap. Two months is knowing what baby’s crys, grunts and coos mean (hungry, tired, happy, dirty diaper). Two months is the beginning of a routine: an evening walk, a bedtime and story time. Two months is wondering if you might be ready to start working again, even though there are still times when sending an email is hard.

Crock-Pot Cooking à la Bebe

Two months is no longer feeling like you need to keep the pediatrician’s number on speed dial. Two months is getting back in the kitchen (even if it means rolling the Pack n’ Play into the kitchen). Two months is cousin playdates and Easter and eating dinner outside the house (but not in public yet). Two months is Size 1 diapers and officially growing out of newborn clothes. Two months is wide toothless grins, and special coos reserved for Mom and Dad.

Pretty in Pink

Two months is dance parties by the crib and Daddy singing The Very Best of Frank Sinatra in its entirety to calm a fussy baby. Two months is starting a book–a whole book!–with wild aspirations of finishing it (Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods for the second time). Two months is ordering a family-size tent on clearance on REI.com because multiple reviewers claimed it was big enough to fit a Pack n’ Play.

Waking up on “the wrong side of the bed.” We have no idea how she does this!

Two months is debating with your husband which character is the coolest in Dr. Suess’s ABC (a duck-dog? a quacking quacker-roo? or a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz?). Two months is planning summer trips to visit Great-Grandmothers and a special Great-Great-Aunt. Two months goes by in the blink of an eye. Two months is love, pure and simple, for our sweet Valentine.

Thanks for a GREAT eight weeks, Emily! You’re a very good baby.

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The Cat’s Meow

3 Apr

Here we go again … another post about my cat.

Garfield napping amongst a burp cloth and cartoon ruler. Yes, we use a Garfield ruler circa the 1980s to measure just about everything under a foot. No, this picture wasn’t posed.

Garfield is–shall we say–not a socialite. OK, so he doesn’t like anyone except Eric and me. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway or the knock of the UPS man elicit fear in our furry friend as he scurries off to hide behind the toilet in our guest bathroom. Yes, it’s a REALLY ODD place to hide, especially because he’s likely to meet the behind of anyone who stays longer than a couple of hours. 

Moving on …

So when we found out we had a bun in the oven, I worried that we were going to ruin Garfield’s life. Could he learn to like another person IF that person was itty-bitty? Did he know I was pregnant or did he think I’d been eating too much kitty chow? Was he one of those cats whose shelter description should have read: would do best in a quiet household with NO KIDS or other pets?

Garfiield Meeting Emily

Garfield meeting Emily

So when we brought Emily home, I dutifully whipped out a tiny hat with her scent to present to Garfield. He was cowering behind the toilet (the grandparents were here–see above) so I left it there and periodically checked in on him and let him discover that the same baby scent was also on my hands. The experts claim this is the best way to introduce pets to babies and although I was skeptical, I could see in his eyes that he understood.

When the coast was clear and he ventured out of the bathroom to see what all the commotion was about, he was curious, not scared. He peered into her Pack n’ Play and studied her. The look on his face said: What is that?! He even stood up on his hind legs like a begging dog to get a better look and sniff the tiny being in the crib.

Garfield 3 am

Hanging out cribside at 3 a.m.

He approached Emily with caution and ran for the hills upstairs during some of her early crying spells, but never went far or stayed away long. He wanted to be with us. He wanted to be with her.

And soon he was everywhere we were–our new family of three–morning, noon and night. Keeping us company and helping us through those tough first weeks by being our golden orange ray of sunshine. Darting in and out of Emily’s polka-dot curtains during nighttime feedings and trying his best to engage us in a game of chase. By my side during the workday–looking after his girls.

The Three Musketeers

But alas, Garfield’s love is unrequited because Emily has yet to acknowledge him. But the day will come soon enough when she’ll be chasing him around the house yelling Gaa-field, Gaa-field!

In the meantime, Garfield decided to adopt a kitten of his own: a Border Collie stuffed toy that he dragged out of the guest room and hauled to his upstairs scratching post–twice. It’s been there ever since and Garfield periodically “mothers” it.

Garfield's kitten

Big-cat-little-dog cuddle time.

So ends our “tail” of how Garfield became a big brother AND added a third person to his circle of trust. Not only was his life not ruined, but he lived happily ever after.

The end.

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Guinness Chocolate Cake

21 Mar

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Let’s continue our belated St. Patrick’s Day adventures, shall we?

I made a cake. From scratch. With a baby.

It was 4:40 p.m. on Monday. Emily was unusually calm for that time of day, peacefully rocking in her swing. I’d already accomplished the things I set out to do that day (taking Emily to the doctor, downloading her St. Patrick’s Day pictures, and giving the grandparents, aunts and uncles an update on her one-month checkup). Heck, I’d even taken a shower.

We missed having Guinness chocolate cake with our corned beef and cabbage Sunday, so I decided to surprise Eric and enhance our leftovers with a fresh-out-of-the-oven cake. I tiptoed around the kitchen, quietly rounding up ingredients when–crash!–a bottle of ground cinnamon tumbled onto the kitchen tile and caused Emily to stir.

But then something amazing happened: The baby went back to sleep. And I had this cake in the oven before she woke up. I even did the dishes. But lest you think I have it completely together, you should know I had minor issues measuring the Guinness and butter. It was nothing more than a little absentmindedness (I think it’s called “Mommy brain”), but I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I hadn’t set out and put away (most of) the ingredients as I went along…

The proof is in the pudding cake. Photographic evidence emailed to Eric at 5:18 p.m. (Note the diaper package on the counter.)

And it was the best Guinness chocolate cake I’ve ever made. In part because it represents a return to the kitchen for me, but also because I used Dutch process cocoa instead of the boxed HERSHEY’S stuff. I’d always heard that it was better for baking–yadda, yadda, yadda–but continued to buy what I knew. Consider me a convert.

Next up? This carrot cake for Easter. And I’ve already “hatched” a plan to make it in stages in case I’m not so lucky next time. :)

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake

For the cake:
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with wax paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter and cook over medium heat until the butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and sugar, and whisk to blend.

In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Wait to remove the cake from the pan until it has cooled a bit.

Make the icing: Combine powered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and spreadable. Top the cake, letting some of the icing drip down like a foamy head of Guinness (if desired).

Cake from Cucina Nicolina; icing adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

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Luck o’ the Irish

18 Mar

I know I’m a day late and a dollar gold coin short, but I couldn’t resist sharing these pics from Emily’s first St. Patrick’s Day.

We enjoyed a laid-back day at home with our little 2-foot leprechaun, making corned beef and cabbage and dreaming about returning to the emerald isle with our little redhead. There was also a St. Patrick’s Day parade led by Eric who enthusiastically sang and danced our daughter to sleep during her late-afternoon fussy time.

Oh yeah, then this happened.

Hope you had a happy St. Paddy’s Day! Once again, I’ll leave you with my favorite Irish proverb:

may your troubles be less,

and your blessings be more,

and nothing but happiness

come though your door!

 

 

 

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A Month

14 Mar

For more than 9 months, I couldn’t see beyond Valentine’s Day. So how is it possible that a whole month has past?

Home from the hospital (and wearing a "Mommy's Valentine onesie)

Home from the hospital (and wearing a “Mommy’s Valentine” onesie)

In the short time since we brought our wee one home, it somehow became spring (although I’d hardly know it because I’ve been inside most of the time). It also snowed (which we also missed being inside and all). We didn’t cook a single meal for 3 weeks straight thanks to the generosity (and good cooking!) of family, friends and neighbors. We missed 3 episodes of Parks and Rec. However, Emily and I HAVE made it through 3 movies (Julie & Julia, Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally–clearly she’s a Nora Ephron fan).

I know it’s cliche, but I already feel like we’ve had her forever–and yet it also feels like she was born yesterday. So here’s what I know about parenting one month in:

Parenting is HARD. Shocker, I know. Between recovering from childbirth, receiving intense on-the-job newborn-care training and learning to function on less sleep, it’s clear this parenting stuff isn’t for sissies. But it does seem to get easier each day. We are so blessed that our little Valentine sleeps between nighttime feedings (!!!), waking me up every 2 to 3 or more hours to nurse. So while it may not be contiguous, we are getting–some–sleep. And that goes a loooooong way.

There’s little time for much else. I’ve temporarily given up trying to do much else other than feed, change and entertain the baby. Emily keeps me on my toes for most of her waking hours. She’s strong and alert–and bores easily of lying wide-eyed in her crib. Limiting my other activities is less frustrating for all involved. Eric and I find that if we can each set a goal to do ONE thing a day (vacuuming, paying a few bills, whatever) that it’s enough (and is sometimes a small victory!).

Playtime!

Playtime!

That said, we haven’t let our house fall apart. We share laundry duties (one tiny baby = a LOT of extra laundry), Eric makes dinner and does the dishes, and I try to pick things up around the house once a day. I know people say you’re supposed to let dishes pile up and forgo the cooking and cleaning for a while, but keeping the house up has given us a sense of order and control in an otherwise life-turned-upside-down time. Don’t get me wrong–nobody’s going to give us a housekeeping award at the present time–but things are just tidy enough not to drive us bonkers.

The baby will cry as soon as you sit down to eat dinner (or do anything else). See above. Without fail, our peaceful slumbering baby will suddenly awaken as soon as dinner’s on the table. I’ve taken to scarfing down breakfast, lunch and dinner because I never know how much time I have before she melts down. Taking quick showers, stealing two minutes to brush my teeth and getting dressed in record time are also my new specialties. Sitting down to complete a task often takes several attempts (including finishing a meal).

You can get a few things done IF you do them one-handed. My iPod Touch is my new best friend. There’s just enough room alongside baby on my nursing pillow to help me time feedings, keep up with email and a few favorite blogs, obsessively Google baby-care questions, and listen to podcasts and NPR clips. It keeps me from feeling isolated from the world when I’m captive in my rocking chair. I also repositioned cordless phones next to my upstairs and downstairs nursing stations so I can answer the phone with–you guessed it–one hand and use the speaker function to carry on a conversation.

Emily and her friend Doug

Emily and her friend Doug

A swing is worth its weight in gold. We were on the fence about getting one because they’re not cheap and we heard that not all babies like them. But some friends insisted we borrow theirs and it’s been a LIFESAVER. It’s how I found time to write this post.

An owl mirror and the Laugh & Learn puppy (pictured above) have also provided some free babysitting entertainment. Which brings me to my last point…

Babies are endlessly entertaining. Spending time with Emily is more fun (if not occasionally frustrating) than anything else I could be doing. From her sweet baby smiles to her obsession with trying to rollover (which she accomplished once–much to our surprise!) it’s fascinating watching her discover herself and the world. I still can’t get over her bright red hair. Needless to say, we spend a lot of our time just marveling at her.

Post-bath fluffy hair

That’s my long way of answering the big “how’s it going?” question. It’s going. And it’s going by a little too fast. She’s already growing out of her size-NB clothes (sob). And while I’m excited for her to grow and for the two of us to become more mobile during the day, I know I’m going to miss these precious first weeks. Because as hard as they are, my heart also feels so full that I sometimes think it’s going to burst.

I love our little girl.

Psst! I’m bound to be back in the kitchen sooner or later, but in the meantime you can expect a whole lotta of baby pictures. 

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Look What We Baked

27 Feb

You may recall that Eric and I had planned a date to eat spicy Mexican food and take a long walk the evening prior to Valentine’s Day …

IMG_7511-19

It worked.

After downing a bottle of mouth-on-fire salsa at La Fonda Del Sol and taking a stroll around the neighborhood, I crawled into bed a little past 9.

5 minutes later my water broke.

5 minutes after that I was having contractions that were 5 minutes apart.

Less than 8 hours of non-medicated labor later, we had one of these:

IMG_7527-31

So …

Instead of wearing a cute dress, I sported a hospital gown on Valentine’s Day.

Instead of getting a room at a fancy hotel, we checked into the Labor & Delivery ward.

Instead of dinner at a nice restaurant, we enjoyed room service from the hospital cafeteria.

Instead of fresh flowers, we dressed up our daughter in flower hair bows (and hats with ears).

Instead of a pound of fine chocolates, we held our 8-pound baby in our arms.

Instead of heart-shaped red and pink decorations, we marveled at our sweet little redhead girl.

IMG_7522-27 (3)

BEST. VALENTINE’S. DAY. EVER.

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