Sunday, December 30, 2007

Blogging

I was looking at the number of posts per month I blogged this year. I used to post more. A LOT more. There are some very specific reasons for the change:
  • I've gotten a lot of my initial babble out of the way. Apparently, I had a lot of built up babble.

  • I'm a lot busier chasing a running toddler than I was before. He requires a lot more attention and stimulation these days.

  • I've come to realize that a lot of people feel overwhelmed by frequent posts on a blog, even if they enjoy the blog overall. I know I've occasionally avoided a blog that posts excessively, though excessively is a relative term.
All in all, I'm just laying out that while I don't post as much as I used to, and it is unlikely I will revert to such practices, I'm not going anywhere. I'm having fun sharing what I learn and read about while parenting, cooking, and reading my favorite blogs.

So there you have it.

Happy New Year!!

MetaBaby: Growing Up and Moving On

It occurs to me that MetaBaby is no longer really a suitable name for my fearless wonder. He's getting old. *sniff, sniff*

After passing the 16 month mark, I have to come to terms with his toddler-ness. He is a toddler. I must try to remember that.

Hence, he will now be known as MetaToddler, amongst various other names (e.g., Boogie, Bear, Monkey, Wee Wee) because I love to play with nicknames. I won't tell you the nicknames MetaDaddy has been given because he'll probably get annoyed to see them laid out for the world to see. Lucky for him though, he no longer gets the quantity of cutsie ones since MetaToddler was born.

But regardless of what I call him (MetaToddler, not MetaDaddy), he'll always be my little baby.

MetaMommy's Messy Pants

After eating something messy, MetaBaby's favorite habit is to approach me, usually at a running start, and wipe his crusty little lips on my pants. Yogurt, hummus, oranges...you name it, he'll wipe it.

Yes, I'm complaining about it. After all, I do the laundry. However, I also found that unlike jeans, which soak up the slop, messes seem to wipe off of corduroy much easier.

I think I'll be investing in a bit more corduroy soon...even if they don't quite look like the one in the photo :-)

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Sneaky Food Wars

Boy am I out of the loop. I had no idea about Jessica Seinfeld's troubles.
"There's a notable similarity between some of the recipes in Seinfeld's collection [Deceptively Delicious] and those in another cookbook, "The Sneaky Chef" by Missy Chase Lapine."
There are always going to be similarities in the kind of food parents prepare for their kids, but I'm surprised to hear that there are such similar recipes in each book (e.g., grilled cheese with secret sweet potatoes). I hope the plagiarism accusation isn't true. There's far too much good, easy food to tempt kids with that doesn't require rehashing tired ideas.

Around the Internet

From the book of "Better Late Than Never" by me, Bob Vila's tips on preparing your home for winter via Lifehacker. And some great ideas on keeping your apartment insulated without breaking the bank.

If you've booked flight on Max Jet, which sounded fabulous about a month ago, you might want to call your credit card company for a refund. They filed for bankruptcy on December 24th, and will only be working to assist travelers who have already started their journeys. I hope you're not one of them!

Speaking of flying, here are a few nice ways airlines seek to pacify traveling kids.

And just to keep the flight theme, we figured out a way to make meal time on our flight a bit easier, kids or not. We requested a special meal, which meant that we got something a bit more interesting than chicken or beef, and we got our meals before everyone else. We ordered three vegetarian meals, which turned out to be a tasty tofu curry. It's not exactly gourmet as it's still airplane food, but we were happy. There was a child's meal option, but it was food like chicken nuggets and french fries...that just wasn't going to cut it. While the airline we flew had a large selection of special meals (e.g., Kosher, vegetarian), they didn't offer a peanut-free meal. A concern for those with young kids or allergies. In any event, MetaBaby ate some of his meal, which we supplemented with food we brought from home (lentils, avocado, banana), and he did pretty well. Breakfast was also different, and was actually much nicer than the standard meal. Papaya, strawberries and kiwi. We couldn't have asked for better. Contact your airline for more details and to request a special meal.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Baby Jetlag & Christmas Wishes

It feels like forever and a day since I've posted.

We've since packed, did everything (we hope) that we needed to at home, and flew 9 hours to Dublin, Ireland. Funny enough, it was a glum and rainy day in Santa Monica, but a crisp and sunny day in Dublin. You're not gonna hear that very often, let me tell you.

MetaBaby slept for about an hour and a half on the flight, which isn't great. But we alternated entertaining him, so he didn't get too unsettled at any point. We, however, slept zero minutes. Zero. When we landed in Dublin, it was about 2AM at home. We got to my MIL's home exhausted. We let him run around a bit, fed him, and gave him a 2 hour nap. But we were all tired later in the day, so we all settled in for a nap...his second, our first. As hard as it was to get up after 2 hours, we did so as to recover from jet lag sooner than later. We probably shouldn't have let him sleep for that long. Oops!

That night, we all went to sleep. Wee MetaBaby woke up at 3AM hungry and confused. Once he woke (screaming, obviously), we were all awake, so off we went to the kitchen to hang out and be groovy...and to snack, of course. He didn't go back to sleep. No one did.

It was late when we finally got to sleep that morning, and we woke up at 1PM. We only gave him one nap that day and put him down at 10PM. Despite our concerns, he went to sleep after his bedtime routine. Unfortunately, he woke up at midnight, and was up for the night...again. We went to the kitchen, ate, hung out, tried (and failed) several times to put him to sleep, and conceded to the pint-sized insomniac. Eventually, MetaDaddy stayed up with him allowing me a couple of hours of sleep. He later went in with him waited until MetaBaby fell sleep on him. We all woke up at 10 AM and swore that no naps were to be had that day. I think we gave him a one hour nap and put him down at 9PM, after his bedtime routine.

Eventually, he settled into a routine. For two nights, he's slept through the night, and everyone's much happier as a result. We're feeling much better.

On the bright side, tomorrow's Christmas day. Family, food, gifting, and stories...I love the stories. Cross your fingers for us that he doesn't wake up tonight :-D

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Friday, December 21, 2007

Bested Once Again

I might remind you that this year, after several years of valiantly failing give each other Christmas presents, I finally suggested that we not exchange gifts. It's soooooo much easier than worrying about what to give him, especially since I've failed miserably in the past. I once said "I've decided to get you a watch, but I know I'll pick the wrong one. Would you have liked this one?" "Um," he said, "it's nice." "OK, let's go pick one out that you'd like." We're still waiting for that shopping trip.

So, it was a stress-free Christmas. The day before we were set to travel this week, MetaDaddy decided to pick up a spare pair of his favorite pants. So he went out while we stayed and finished packing. Unfortunately, they discontinued the pants, so he was plum out of luck :-(

After a long night of packing and such, we got to bed pretty late. We were exhausted! MetaDaddy usually turns the light out right away, and he's asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. That night, he just sat there...waiting. I didn't think much of it, but he finally says "so are you gonna look under your pillow?" "Ooo! You got me something!!"

Turns out he had to give it to me the night before so we could have it ready for the trip. So far, it's been a great gift and I love it...though I didn't think I would. But all I got him was a DVD of one of his favorite movies.

Bested, once again. And yet, I suppose things could be worse.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Shipping Time Saver

I discovered something after finally deciding to try it out this Christmas. If you want to minimize your time at the post office, which can be an enormous challenge, consider a flat rate box.

The box is free and comes in two sizes (11" x 8.5" x 5.5" and 13.625" x 11.875" x 3.375"). You can ship as much as it fits as long as it doesn't exceed the weight limit. Simply affix enough postage for your shipping destination and drop the box off at the post office.

Pricing as follows as of December 2007:
  • Available to anywhere in the U.S. for $8.95
  • One rate to Canada and Mexico for $23.00
  • One rate to all other countries for $37.00
The way I figure it, if your sending a few things, it's possibly a better price than standard shipping. Even if it's not, when you consider the line that's 50 deep on December 20th, it doesn't sound that expensive.

To sum, no lines, no waiting, no pulling your hair out. Even better, for the first time ever, you might actually leave the post office with a smile on your face.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Quick Pack

It's funny. MetaDaddy has traveled a lot, and as a result, he's gotten pretty good at packing. But when it comes to travel, he's a "last minute" sort of guy. So at the last minute, he can pack a small black suitcase with the utmost precision. Pants, socks, belts, cell phone charger...all in under 10 minutes.

However, it turns out that he can't pack without a hard deadline (e.g., cab driver waiting outside). We decided to finish packing tonight because he has to work tomorrow morning. He'll have enough time to get home and change before we have to leave for the airport. No time for packing.

So tonight, it took 2 hours to do what can take 10 minutes. It's like driving on the 405. You can't help but wonder "what's the hold up?!?" He was trying on clothes to see what he actually "wanted" to wear. He even tried on a pair of old, baggy jeans in his pile of clothes...only to find out it was mine. I remember putting it there momentarily, but I apparently forgot it. When I saw his leg stuck in the pants, I literally fell over laughing. "These aren't my pants, are they?"

We're just about done packing, and tomorrow is all about loose ends. This is by far the most organized we've ever been for travel. And we're exhausted!!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Christmas for the Post Office

50 cards later, we're Just about finished with the Christmas cards.

After all of the mid-nap door buzzing for the neighbors packages and banging on the door resulting in wails from MetaBaby's room, it's my turn. Tomorrow, I attack the post office with piles of mail and boxes of pressies.

Ha Ha!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Around the Internet

If you really need to wake up on time, an alarm clock that can be set to a different time every day sounds like the way to go. Read: sleep in until 9 on Saturday? Anyone? Anyone?!?

Quinoa: A Sacred, Super Crop - This is what I've been trying to tell you! And it's yummy :-)

EnviroLog - If you're going to light up the fire, why not consider and eco-friendly log? I haven't tried it, but I'm intrigued.

Slinky like toy - I'm not saying that we'll get one, but I am saying that MetaBaby might very well have a blast knocking these little guys over...not that I would condone such behavior ;-)

Women have backbone for pregnancy - It's not me. A new study shows that women's spines have evolved to handle the weight of carrying a baby in utero, which is something that men's spines just can't manage. Don't worry guys...I'm sure there are some things you're good at.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Week in Review

Between Christmas shopping, getting ready for our trip to Ireland (yes, again), and keeping up with random every day things, it seems my blogging has suffered. I've got a few posts in the works, but well...it doesn't do much if I don't click that "publish post" button.

Here's a sampling of what my week has been like:
  • In a small store, MetaBaby ran away from me...all the way out the door...onto the sidewalks...with a pair of unpurchased shoes.

  • We accidentally shoplifted a $2 bottle of mustard. I have an excuse! The store was packed, it was hard finding anyone to help me find what I needed, and the checkout was a mess. I was rushed through by the cashier, who happened to snap at a customer who asked for change while packing my bags. When we finally got to the car, I found the mustard under MetaBaby. Now under most circumstances, I would have gone back to pay for the mustard (I couldn't just return it because he'd already slobbered on it). I always correct cashiers who give me too much change! But given the stress level in there, I figured they'd probably just get annoyed with me for adding to their workload. It didn't help that MetaBaby was antsy and his diaper leaked. Ugh. That said, I can't stand the karma factor, so I feel a need to make up for it. I've decided the next time I pass a person in need, I'll drop a $5 in his collection. I usually like giving money to organizations that can make a difference in people's lives, so this is a departure.

  • I've finished most of our Christmas shopping. There wasn't much, but it's hard to get it just right. MetaDaddy had a $20 gift exchange at work (no gift cards), 2 nieces, 1 nephew, a friend who's invited us for a Christmas party, and our Secret Santa gift exchange in Ireland. We got an abacus (good for learning numbers) and some crafty things for the kids, a parking meter alarm for my husband's gift exchange (ironically, my meter almost ran out while I was wandering through Restoration Hardware), some food and a video for our friend's party, and I can't tell you what I got for the family because they read this blog ;-)

  • My husband and I agreed that we will not be exchanging gifts. Primarily because we get busy and forget sometimes. I'm just as guilty as him. But I've never been one to feel that a gift on a holiday means something more than a gift on any other day. So I really don't mind. A friend had a funny reaction though. She tells her husband: "I buy presents for everyone. You only have to buy one."
    Touche.

  • And best of all, I forgot my vision appointment. I didn't remember until MetaDaddy asked my tonight...at like 8PM. My reaction was...well, it was an expletive. I hope it doesn't turn out to be MetaBaby's first real word.
All I have left to do now is finish shopping, finish errands, clean the house, laundry, pack...but most important, tickle MetaBaby while running around the living room :-D

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

13 Doctor Who Related Things

One of my more absurd Thursday Thirteen lists. But I got a bit motivated, and it turns out, there's a lot of Doctor Who stuff on the internet. I know, shocking.

My MetaDaddy has been a fan for years, and we now watch it together when MetaBaby's asleep. Never thought I'd see the day when I'd be watching Dr. Who instead of mocking him for doing so. *Le sigh*


Dalek Cake via Torchwood.org- Go on and make a cake...if you dare!








Cyberman 2006 Cookie Jar - Who can resist evil cookies?














5" Face Of Boe With Animated Mouth - Which as we all know is modeled by Captain Jack Harkness.










Doctor Who Dalek 3D Bath & Shower Gel - Um...ya...













Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver - A true Doctor Who fan is nothing without one, n'est pas?







The Master's Laser Screwdriver - Competely and utterly different from the Doctor's, obviously.













Remote Control Dalek - Tee hee...everything's better with a remote control.











The 4th Doctor - I have no idea who this guy is, but he looks hilarious.












Knitted Dalek via D3 - I'm so impressed, words just don't do it justice.








Doctor's Girls via Torchwood.org- I had no idea the Doctor had had so many girls!


Music Video - Set to Snow Patrol's "Run." A bit sappy, but if you like "Doctor Who" and this song, which I do, it's entertaining.



Doctor Who Spoof - It's a bit ridiculous, but then, I suppose that's the point when you get David Tennent in drag.



Bonus:
David Tennant and Catherine Tate Sketch...hilarious, but the accents are thick ;-)

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Santa Monica Farmers' Market: Frank

I was saddened to hear of the passing of a farmer at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Tsugio Imamoto, who I knew as Frank, had one of the smaller stalls, but had some really nice produce. I made it a point to seek him out every Wednesday. His mint was the best, in my humble opinion.

I didn't know him as long as so many other shoppers loyal to the FM. I regret not having gotten to know him better. An old article in the Santa Monica Mirror mentions a few things about him as a Japanese American. His father brought the family from Hawaii to California, where they learned to farm. He spent years at Manzanar during World War II, where he met his wife. And he lived his 80 years as a farmer in Southern California with his big family, which includes 10 grandkids. What a life!

I miss seeing his table. We will be making a donation to a charity in his memory.

My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and everyone who will miss his stand every Wednesday.


Baby, It's Cold Outside

Getting into the spirit with some Ella...is there anything bettah?

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Baby Food: Raw Applesauce

I discovered a rather useful tip in making MetaBaby's food the other day.

MetaBaby likes apples and pears and such, but I really wish I could give them to him raw. Unfortunately, that would be a choking hazzard. A nurse at his 15 month visit suggested grating hard fruits like apples and pears. Some pears get nice and soft once they're ripe, but others (e.g., Asian pears) are as hard as apples.

I took this idea home and tried it the very first chance I got. I took a small, unpeeled (optional to take advantage of the fiber in the skin) organic apple and grated it with the closest grater I had handy, which happened to be a medium coarseness microplane grater. The result was a fresh, juicy apple sauce that could easily work for an infant's first or second stage of food. It's something that could be ready at a moments notice, which is great around hungry little lads like MetaBaby. I'll be experimenting with different levels of coarseness and playing with other foods like carrots and pears, so this should be a fun new game.

I wish I had known about this sooner, but I'm glad I know about it now.

Side note: You can do larger quantities as suggested by this recipe.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

The Dangers of Cooking

This has been a frightening week in the kitchen. Here are a few of the highlights.

I bought some kale to try Alton Brown's lemon sesame glazed greens. Well, let's say that for a few reasons, I will never be trying it again. Per the recipe, I heated the pan, then put the oil in. The pan got too hot, the oil burned, smoke e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. Had to open every window, chilled the place through and through, and got the whole family coughing. And the kale was rubbery. I obviously don't have the knack. I've been banned from that recipe.

Today, I decided to make the olive oil cake from Sunday Suppers at Lucques. I started by segmenting the tangerines, which MetaDaddy noticed I did wrong. So, now MetaBaby will be snacking on tangerines for the next few days. I then figured I'd at least make the cake because at the end of the day, I know how to make a cake. Turns out, I don't...le sigh.

Here are a couple of things I learned today. Step 2 says you should mix the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer for 7 minutes, then transfer the finished product to another bowl. I figured "that's just one more bowl to clean," so I left it in the same mixing bowl. Here's why you should transfer the egg mix to another bowl. When you fold in the olive oil, it pools in the reservoir of the mixing bowl. Another thing, my favorite cake pan is one with a removable bottom. Why was this a bad idea? 20 minutes into baking, smoke was filling the kitchen, yet again. Olive oil pooled in the bottom of the oven and reached it's smoking point. We had to take the cake out, which was half done, wipe up the oil, and put the cake back in. When it was "finished," it was also charred on top. At this point, we decided to lop off the burnt part, and it was actually nice and golden. So I whisked up some cream and called it dessert. For the record, it was good. I'll try to make this again, when I've recovered.

The amusing thing was that after screwing up so many dishes, MetaDaddy (either out of pity, fear, or concern for the well-being of his first-born), helped finish dinner. On the bright side, the risotto was perfect!

I think tomorrow might be a light kitchen day. For everyone's sake.

Note:  I later found out I was pregnant.  And yes, hindsight is 20/20.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Around the Internet

Oh, how we miss concerts. Our favorite venue was a toss up between the Greek, an outdoor amphitheatre, and the Wiltern. We've seen most of our favorite bands over the years, and maybe someday, we'll get back into the groove. Certainly one of the best things about living in L.A. If you have a band or musician in mind, try searching on SeatQuest to check out their touring schedule. You might be pleasantly surprised ;-) (Via Lifehacker)

Where do you rank on the Global Rich List?

Who needs this clock when you have kids?

Taking Fabulous Photos - Any good picture I take is more an accident than not. So any tips are highly appreciated.

Part of Your World via Dooce - This is bizarre, and yet intriguing.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

A Doll House


If you like your home, why not make a cute little replica of it. You know, for kids!

For $10K, I want to be able to live in it.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

13 Fun Gifts

  1. A variation on the age old loose tea strainer. Nice design, and looks easy to use.

  2. Nap Warden listed out some food gifts. After all, everyone eats. Besides, 'tis the season for tasty treats! But don't limit your food gifts for local family and friends. Dorie Greenspan's tips on shipping cakes and cookies help make sense of picking the right kind of cookie or cake and packing material (e.g., unbuttered popcorn).

  3. Here are some cute toys for a gardener's delight.

  4. Get someone a gift subscription to Netflix. A great gift for parents.

  5. Looking for a pick me up, but not interested in instant coffee, over-priced coffee, or coffee that tastes like someone else's leftovers? How about a
    mini coffee press that you can use in most mugs? Insert, pour water, press, and put it back in its storage container. No stress. No mess.

  6. Storing coffee in the fridge is a bad idea.
    "If you are wondering about the refrigerator, it is a no-no for coffee. Since the temperature is generally around 37 degrees, the water that is inside doesn't freeze. It is a cold mist that lingers on the coffee and there are even more scents and flavor molecules floating around. Liquid water is coffee's worst enemy during storage. Under no circumstance would I ever recommend using the refrigerator for storing coffee."
    How about some good coffee, a nice canister, and a reminder to store properly.

  7. Plant a tree in their honor. The gift that lasts forever.

  8. SmartShopper™ Grocery List Organizer - This is so overpriced, no one should buy it for herself. However, that makes it a fun gift...if you're willing to part with $150 ;-)

  9. IntelliScanner - I like geeky stuff like this, obviously. But apparently, it's all pricey. That said, imagine how much scanning you could get done with this little baby!

  10. Hola Ola - Easy open silicone storage containers sound ideal for the busy cook.

  11. A list of cookbooks from NPR. I find cookbooks rather subjective, and while I like some of these, my list would be different. Get a feel for the recipient to see what his or her library needs.

  12. Tengu by Mr. Jones - OK, this is just precious. Ridiculous, but precious.

  13. Music!! Share some of the more unique flavors of your music collection. I love buying music on iTunes, but Amazon now sells music online, too.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Recipe: Angel Food Cake

It's been a long time in the making.

I've been wanting to make and angel food cake for a while now, but I haven't had the guts until just recently. I saw a Good Eats episode on the topic. Alton Brown gave some great tips and insight, and made it look easy enough, but I was put off from the task when a friend told me about her trouble with his recipe.

I found a recipe in Alice Waters' "The Art of Simple Food," which is actually very similar to Alton Brown's, so I tried it. Brown suggests using superfine sugar (aka caster or baker's sugar) in order to sift per the recipe, which can be purchased or made by blitzing the sugar for a couple of minutes in your food processor. As for the egg whites, I made an effort to store egg whites every time had an extra one (e.g., after yolk-only recipes). When I made the cake, I had only accumulated 9 whites, but the liquid volume came to 1.5 cups (the amount required for the Waters' recipe), so I didn't add more. The cake didn't seem to suffer as a result...just ask my husband ;-)

Keep in mind that the right pan is essential. The cake will not rise as well with a non-stick (or buttered) pan because it needs to climb the sides of the pan. I had a hard time finding a simple angel food cake pan with legs, but I finally found one at Joanne Fabric & Craft stores. Since then, I've also seen them at Smart & Final at a great price.

And remember...no egg yolks = less guilt. As long as you don't eat half the cake in one sitting :-)

Angel Food Cake
from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Tall, airy angel food cake is lovely just plain, but I usually serve it with summer fruit compote and whipped cream. Day-old angel food cake is delicious sliced thin and toasted.

10 servings

1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 12 egg whites), at room temperature
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon orange flower water or rose water
3/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Sift together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt.

In a medium bowl or in a stand mixer with the whip attachment, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Whisk in the water, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and rose water. Keep whisking until the foam is very soft, holds a slight shape, and has increased 4 to 5 times in volume. Whisk in the final 3/4 cup of sugar. Continue whisking until thye mixture forms glossy, soft peaks. The mixture should not be stiff or dry. Transfer to a large bowl. Sift a fine layer of the dry ingredients over the whites, and fold them in with a rubber spatula, gently and quickly. Continue sifting and folding until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 10- by 4-inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Smooth on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. When done the cake should spring back when touched gently. Invert the pan to keep the cake from sticking or deflating. (If the cake pan has legs, turn it over onto them, otherwise invert the tube pan onto the neck of a large bottle.) Cool completely.

To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife around the inside of the pan and around the center tube. Gently push up the bottom, using the knife to help guide the cake out, if necessary. Use a sharp serrated knife into water between cuts to help keep the cake from sticking.

The Joys of Parenthood

I got this via e-mail today, and I thought I'd share it with all of the pretty moms out there. Actually, I know dads can relate too, so it's really for all parents out there.

********************************************************
Before I was a Mom -
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every
10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Legend of the Fall

Note: I thrive on puns.

It's hard running after a toddler. The jumping, the bouncing, the peeking, the arching...and the screaming from MetaMommy every time there's a near-miss.

There's a loud thump in the living room...wait for it...wait for it...no crying. We're safe.

Climbing the stairs, he sits to read a book. Don't worry, I caught him.

Walking across the clutter-free living room...stress-free...THUMP...wait for it....wait for it...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

How is it that of all the things that I've worried about since he's started walking, it's the simple act of carefree walking that resulted in his first bloody fall? His little teeth cut his lip. After a few cuddles and some cleaning, he was fine. He was sucking on his lip a bit, but he was smiling and playing again.

When he woke up this morning, he was fine. Well, except for the swollen purple lip and the traces of blood on his sheet. Let me tell you, every time I see that little lip, I have to give him a ridiculous hug. I'm sure he's wondering what's wrong with "mamamamamamama," but he's sweet enough to let me keep hugging him.

Now that that's out of the way, no more fall, right? Right!?!

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Cat Chatter

2 Cats Chatting:


2 Cats Chatting - Translated: