This Weekend: Foster City Art & Wine Festival

See more photos from Cuevas Photography

Photos courtesy of Cuevas Photography, all rights reserved.

Looking to get out for some fresh air this weekend?  With the family in tow I checked out the foster city art & wine festival today:

This is a stroller friendly event! (We put CC in his kelty kids backpack)

Location: Leo Ryan Park

Event Parking at the corner of E. Hillsdale and Shell

Sunday Hours 10am-5pm

Wine Tasting: 

Wine Glass, $5 (one time fee)

Each wine pour $5

Beer: $5

Food: $3-$12

A variety of craft booths, a stage for live music, firetruck on display, and an art exhibition (indoor center).

Rides: The zipper, ferris wheel, a giant slide

Kiddie Rides: Motorcycles, mini rollercoaster, train ride, swings, "surf n ride", and you can win your very own goldfish :-)

Check out more weekend events in the right column!

You know you're a mom when...

You're baking your own birthday cake.  Don't get me wrong this isn't a pity party - I enjoy the fact that most recently my mom's night out has been to a wilton's cake decorating class, the basic type. It's been great to have a creative time out since I stay at home with my son. This morning I was chuckling to myself about how much my life has changed...trying to select ingredients to bake my own cake.

I was a high school teacher before I decided to stay at home, well, really I was pushed out of the professional nest...when I lost my job at 9 months pregnant.  But it was the push I needed - I was too afraid to stay home because of the money but also because I was afraid I'd go insane. I'm on the border of insanity most days though I like to think that 9 months in -  I have a better balance -  and the money, well it's not worth the time away from my boy.

With that said there are sacrifices that have to be made when you're making it work on one salary....birthdays, baby showers, holidays, graduations all become and awkward dance when you don't have the money in your monthly budget to be dishing out presents to your loved ones.  This summer feels especially tight as we are trying to get into a place to call our own home. There are parts of me that long for my 23 year old birthday days where I would go all out on the personal grooming: new hair cut, mani-pedi, brow wax, definitely a new outfit and then out to dinner and drinks, probably dancing too without a care about the cost because, afterall it's my birthday. The thing about that is once that day is over - it all feels a bit empty.

This year I think I'll take the short drive to the beach with my favorite boys and eat a  slice of that cake in the sand. No candles or balloons needed, just the two greatest gifts in my life.

What's For Dinner? Pizza!

By Linda Larsen, About.com

I love using mustard in pizza sauce. I tried for years to duplicate the tang of commercial pizzas, and finally hit upon mustard. It works for me! Use my Yeast Pizza Crust¹ for a truly homemade treat.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• Thin Pizza Crust or 2 Boboli® pizza crusts
• Pepperoni
• Chopped green peppers
• Canned mushrooms, drained
• 3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook onion in the olive oil until tender. Add tomato sauce, paste, mustard, seasonings and water. Cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until thickened and blended, about 10 minutes. Spread over the pizza crust and sprinkle toppings over. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-25 minutes until heated through, crust is crisp, and cheese is melted and beginning to brown. 8-10 servings

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The Parent Perspective: Home Buying

It's funny how a baby changes your perspective in life on just about everything. I remember after CC was born it was as though I was looking through a brand new lens. This lens is a beautiful gift and it also complicates things on occassion.

My husband and I have been in and out of the home-buying market for three years. 1,095 days later, yep we're still 1st time homebuyers. The struggle is to stay in the bay area where our heart is though from time to time our minds have wandered to our hometown near Sacramento and at one point wandered 1300 miles to a suburb of Denver. Come to think of it, we almost were Colorado residents but something in my gutt felt wrong, REALLY wrong. My husband was heartbroken...needless to say we weren't speaking in the airport on the way home. But a strong marriage survives and learns from such squabbles...I'm told it even survives buying your first home. (Heck, we survived the birth of our first baby and almost 3 months of his unknown dairy allergy so I'm confident we'll be just fine :-) Needless to say, we're exhausted and trying to stay hopeful.

Prior to having a baby we may have purchased property in a less than "safe area" or new construction in a high traffic neighborhood. Now when we're looking at property if I'm clutching my baby close, I know we're in the wrong place. Recently we were in a peninsula neighborhood I was questioning only to, minutes later, witness a drug deal 50 feet from us. That was it for me...on to the next idea.

The bay area is where we've resided for more than a decade after leaving the small town where we grew up to attend college (my husband is pushing 15 years but he's older than me, wink wink) and for better and for worse it's our home. We've also made the decision that I will stay home for the next couple of years to raise CC and a future baby #2 and therefore our purchase price is limited by our one income. In many neighborhoods this puts us on the price border of a townhome or a single family home...thus a big part of our delimna. Many of the townhomes are newer and need less work, tend to have more square footage than the tiny sfh we can afford and sometimes offer amenities such as a pool, playground, and regulations to keep your neighborhood looking well-kept. BUT, there's also that pesky HOA fee, regulations on what you can paint and how you can remodel, not to mention the close proximity of your neighbors.  The sfh we're able to purchase are SUPER tiny but do offer a garage and a yard (even if it's an amazon at the time of purchase).

Our latest search has lead us to the Willow Glen and Cambrian areas of San Jose. We'd love any feedback you may have, email us at SFPeninsulaParent@gmail.com

What's For Dinner? Fresh Berry Crotsata

Okay, not exactly a dinner recipe! I can't get my mind of Farmer's Market tonight (if you're our San Carlos neighbor, we're looking forward to seeing you!) especially as we may be moving to the south bay :-(  A little dessert for dinner (or after dinner) never hurt anyone!

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-calcook20recb-2009may20,0,4717590.story

From the Los Angeles Times

Recipe: Mixed berry crostata

Total time: 50 minutes, plus chilling and cooling time
Servings: 6
Note: This crostata dough is adapted from one by Nancy Silverton of Mozza.

Crostata dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Dash of salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons ice water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar and salt. Distribute the butter over the top and mix until the butter is thoroughly incorporated and the mixture resembles moist cornmeal.

3. Combine the ice water and vanilla and sprinkle over the top of the dough. Mix until the dough comes together and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl and flatten it into a disk, then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mixed berries and assembly

3 cups mixture of blackberries, blueberries and cut-up strawberries

5 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Crostata dough

1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Vanilla ice cream

1. In a medium bowl, toss together the berries, sugar and cornstarch and stir gently until they are well-coated. Set aside.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the crostata dough out to a roughly 16-inch-diameter circle. Leave it a little thick; the added texture is better. Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet, then place the sweetened fruit mixture in the center and distribute it in a low mound, leaving a 2-inch border.

3. Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit to form a 6-sided tart, with the fruit showing in the center: Fold one edge over, then fold the second edge over, pleating the dough as necessary and pressing firmly on the pleat.

4. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with a little water and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until the crust is brown and the fruit is soft and thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. Rotate the crostata halfway through baking for even coloring.

5. Remove the crostata from the oven and cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving with vanilla ice cream.

Each serving: 470 calories; 6 grams protein; 59 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 24 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 61 mg. cholesterol; 36 mg. sodium.

Ready to Pop?

When  you're prego and close to your due date you feel like you could "pop" any minute...but that's not the kind of "POP" I'm talking about. I'm more so I'm referring to the kind where you're not going to be able to hold your tongue for two more minutes because a well-intentioned relative (let's call them an "outlaw") is all up your nostrils. For an extravert preggie this kind of attention may only be mildly annoying, but for an intravert like me it's a total invasion of space and my "peaceful zone". I was especially protective of my space before my baby, CC, was born as I did not want him to come home to 1050 square feet of chaos.  The truth is that there are several sets of feelings to consider here, including the well-intentioned outlaw. I say put that outlaw in charge of meals for the first couple of weeks after the birth of your baby. Does this mean you have to see the outlaw every day (even multiple times a day?) NO.  After your baby is born, unless you have a sleepy perfect angel baby that people sometimes whisper about, you will barely have time to think much less make a meal for yourself.  It can be a good break from the household for one parent to go pick up food but that gets tiring quick.  Have your outlaw be the "meals coordinator". 

Meals Coordinator

Many people will offer to drop off a meal, not just family and friends but co-workers and neighbors alike. TAKE THEM UP ON IT! A due date is a moving target so you can't really make too many plans until after the baby is born - it is then that you know what day you'll be leaving the hospital and when you'll start needing meals. Your newly appointed coordinator can rally the troops and work with them to find a good day/time to drop off a meal. If the coordinator is computer savvy, email is a great tool or they can create a google calendar that all contributors can view.

Meal Drop-Off

When you have a baby you're not always in a good space for company...this ranges from I'm so sleep deprived that I'm going to fall asleep here on the couch while you're talking because I'm too afraid to say I need to go back to bed, and I'm breastfeeding and my milk is all over my shirt, to my baby continues to projectile vomit everywhere.  People will understand if you need time to recooperate but you have to be honest with where you're at. One family I know left an ice chest on their porch so that people could drop off meals without disturbing them or their sleeping baby. My advice is to tell local visitors to expect to stay about 20 minutes...that may seem extreme but right after birth, let me tell you , the most important thing for a new mom is REST so your body can heal (and produce milk if you choose to breastfeed/pump). Can you really REST with people in your house? :-)

What's For Dinner?: Broccoli Rabe Pesto

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe Pesto

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell for Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

12 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough lower stems removed
• 1/2 cup pistachios, toasted
• 3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 pound orecchiette pasta
• High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing (optional)

Directions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Cook the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes and then immediately plunge in the salted ice water. This will prevent the broccoli rabe from being overcooked and will set the lovely green color.

Drain the broccoli rabe and squeeze out any excess water; coarsely chop. Place the broccoli rabe in the bowl of a food processor and puree until it is a coarse paste. Add the pistachios and parmigiano and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you probably will need more salt. Add the ricotta and pulse until combined. Taste for seasoning once again-it should be full-flavored, slightly bitter and creamy at the same time. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. (If you are making the pasta right after the pesto, just use the broccoli rabe blanching water.) Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the cooking time on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, place the pesto in a large skillet and add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water; place over medium-high heat. When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the skillet with the pesto. Stir vigorously to combine and cook until the sauce is creamy and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; add salt to taste. Remove from the heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, if desired, and stir vigorously. Garnish with more parmigiano. Voila!

Per serving: Calories 420; Fat 13.5 g (Sat. 4.4 g; Mono. 5.5 g; Poly. 2.7 g); Cholesterol 18 mg; Sodium 286 mg; Carbohydrate 54 g; Fiber 3.5 g; Protein 22 g

Photograph by Con Poulo

What's For Dinner: Grandma J's Chicken Tortilla Casserole

3 cups boneless chicken, diced or shredded (cooked!)
12 corn tortillas 
1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of chicken soup 
1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of mushroom soup 
1 cup chicken broth 
1 onion, chopped 
2 cans mild green chilies 
1 can sliced or chopped black olives 
1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese 

In a bowl, combine chicken, chilies, soups, broth and olives 
In a greased 9 x 13 pan, layer half the tortillas cutting to fit the pan 
Top with half of the chicken mixture and half of the cheese 
Repeat layers, top with cheese. 
Bake @350 uncovered for approx 30 mins. 

Newly Pregnant?

Congratulations! And Yes, it's overwhelming - so much to learn for the biggest responsibility of your life :-)  Here are some of our favorite Peninsula resources for prego parents:

Pre-Natal Fitness (San Carlos)

Once you're prego the fitness rules change - talk to your OB about your personal fitness level. We love this class in San Carlos taught by Patty Dougherty, C.C.E. (she also teaches birthing classes and is a doula, what a combo!) Pre-Natal fitness is a great way to start a healthy pregnancy and meet other local moms who will be your greatest support system. This class is held Mondays & Wednesdays 5:45-6:45 at the San Carlos Adult Recreation Center. (I'm still attending the post-natal class with my little guy as babies are welcome!)

Check out & Sign  Up for a Birthing Class Series:

They can fill up fast so make sure to allow yourself plenty of time....the last few months get VERY hectic! We like the Basic Prenatal Package at Blossom Birth in Palo Alto...there's nothing basic about it! It covers all your new parent needs and you will feel well-prepared for the arrival of your new little one.

Sign up for emails from Baby Center (online) that are customized for your due due (and baby's age after birth). They're so informative that it reduces a lot of frustration - we love them so much we forward to our husbands and the grandparents!

OBGYN / Hospital / Insurance Relationships:

You may love your OB but you may NOT love what it means to have your OB deliver your baby. Each doctor has different relationships with different hospitals where they have permissions to deliver babies. Make sure your doctor and your hospital preferences match. I switched my doc after 26+ weeks in order to deliver at Sequoia hospital instead of Standford. (more details on that in a future post). It was hard to give up the OB that I loved and had a relationship with, especially when over 1/2 way done with being prego: my advice is if you have to switch do it as early as possible.  Make sure your health insurance covers all of the OB and hospital costs (or as much as possible). A vaginal birth without complications can be $30,000 without insurance.

Books & Magazines:

You'll be in info gathering mode from some time now and here are some of our favorite books/mags to fill your coffee table:

Books:

What to Expect: Classic and thorough but can be kind of boring :-)

From the Hips: Comprehensive and open-minded, great visual aids too!

Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy: Laugh out loud funny, but can get a little negative, read in small excerpts.

Magazines:

Fit Pregnancy and Mom & Baby (same publisher), super fun, stay fit and review new products!

Parents Magazine: This was gifted to me (great gift) and I read it wayyyy more than I thought I would while pregnant....I thought it was only for after baby was born...wrong!

Bay Area Parent: what every local padre needs!

Family Friendly Vacation Reviews

We've been listening to your requests and we'll be adding a new feature on family friendly vacations just in time for summer! Most comments refer to wanting vacation locations less than 2 hours a way that have accomodations and activities designed with kids in mind but are sophisticated for parents as well. We'll let you know what's HOT and what's NOT because everyone needs a great family fit!

Email us with your destination review requests! Our first destination will be Monterey, Ca.

SFPeninsulaParent@gmail.com

What's For Dinner? Slow Cooker: Pizza Chicken

 Set it and Forget it! :-) Happy Friday!

From About.Com: Busy Cooks

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Ingredients:

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bell peppers, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 cups pasta or pizza sauce
• 1 cup shredded pizza cheese

Preparation:

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and place in a 4-5 quart crockpot. Top with onions and bell peppers and pour pasta or pizza sauce over all. Cover crockpot and cook on low 4-5 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Stir well, then sprinkle with cheese and let stand 5 minutes to melt cheese. Serve over hot cooked pasta or rice. 8 servings

Pre-Birth To Do List

So I have three girlfriends due in a span of three weeks this summer...I can't believe it!  They've all gone through their preparation routines and then asked me if they were missing anything. I found this list in the format of an email to my husband J about a month before my baby was born. My girlfirends thought it was super helpful....

J: email the HR person who works with the medical insurance about our hospital/OB/medication costs 

Have Resources on hand:
_Bookmark helpful internet sites - American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Sears, Dr. Spock
_Post phone numbers of "help lines" both day time (ob, lpch) and 24 hr numbers, put  family and friend numbers on white board for hubbie and other helpers
_Baby states of consciousness info - quiet alert state etc.
_Create flexible birth plan to give to nurses/doc at hospital http://www.babycenter.com/calculators-birthplan
_Create phone list for when CC is born / email list for initial photos  etc. www.callingpost.com  *Babe I need the numbers you want for our acct on website and read the instructions so you can leave the initial "he's here" message
_Legal guardian, will paperwork
_College fund set up
_Get Car Seat Inspected @ LPCH, I need you there to watch it be installed correctly
_Hospital Tour
_Hospital Tour Pre-Admit Paperwork

_Set up breast pump and sterilize parts for use - read directions
_Call nursing mother's counsel to have a counselor assigned in advance http://www.nursingmothers.org/  or La Leche League http://www.llli.org/Web/California.html
_Finish nursery setup - bedding & move crib, toy org, diaper station, bath station ready.

_Nursing station set up at rocking chair: snacks, bottled waters, breast shields, garbage can, clean towels
_Relocate book shelf & teaching materials, file paperwork and build 2nd file cabinet.
_Find/Interview Pediatrician

Shopping:
_Circumcision care: gauze pads and vaseline
_rubbing alcohol and cotton balls
_grooming kit with baby brush/nail clippers or file, etc.
_Medical kit: thermometer, infant tylenol, pedialyte
_Peanut shell sling for home use
_Hospital bag: night light, snacks for j, lavender oil smell stuff, birth ball


Questions for the OB:
_When do you reccommend supplementing formula for breastmilk?
_What % weight loss is considered "normal"? (10%?)
_Circumstances for a c-section
_Alternate pushing positions - do I have to be on my back for you to "catch" the baby?

This Weekend - New Feature!

The Dreaded Question:

What should we do this weekend? It gets even more complicated when you have a child (or children!) Check in with us for our new weekly feature "This Weekend"!

Skirt Steak With Pepitas Sauce and Warm Tortillas

Today's recipe is from the May issue of Real Simple

Makes 4 servings

Hands-on Time: 0hr 20m

This recipe is: Quick & Easy

Ingredients

• 1 1/2   pounds skirt steak
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 8  6-inch flour tortillas
• 1/2  red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2  cup   fresh cilantro
• 1/4  cup   pepitas
• 2   tablespoons   extra-virgin olive oil
• 2   tablespoons   fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Heat broiler. Season the steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and place on a rimmed broilerproof baking sheet. Broil to the desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
2. Warm the tortillas according to the package directions.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the onion, cilantro, pepitas, oil, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the steak and tortillas.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories   622 ;   Calories From Fat   46% ;   Protein   46g ;   Carbohydrate   37g ;   Sugar   2g ;   Fiber   3g ;   Fat   32g ;   Sat Fat   9g ;   Calcium   111mg ;   Iron   8mg ;   Sodium   965mg ;   Cholesterol   97mg

Real Simple, May 2009

Mom's Night Out: Cake Class

My Mother's Day present...very exciting. Chocolate cake...it's been a long time. (I'm excited to try to make bread from scratch this week too)

Here's my cake after a lot of frosting :-) I know the little boards underneath aren't cute...but you've got to use something to transfer it around.  Here it's sitting on the turn table....quite handy when you're decorating.

In Class tonight we worked on lettering, stars and dots....which all sounds simple enough but it makes your hand hurt like no other. I choose to do the stars on the edge of the cake which looks more like a flower border when you stick them close together. I chose to work with the same color frosting so that I might minize the look of any errors!

Okay - so my lettering is not that great....but practice makes perfect.  It's a lot more difficult off the practice card when you can't trace the letters and are free-handing!

Sooooooo I've only had 1 major blunder so far and I thought you'd appreciate this:

For the frosting instead of buying regular cubed vegetable flavor I bought cubed butter flavor...doesn't that sound more reasonable? (At least it does in this non-cook's head) Granted I didn't have the sheet right in front of me AND there are all those mystery ingredients including flavoring options, vanilla, butter, etc. Needless to say my pale yellow cake stood out in class. I did end up cutting the butter flavor with vanilla flavoring and I think it's pretty good! A happy accident at least this time around.

Mom's Night Out: Perhaps I'm meant to bake out of a box...

So I went to my first cake decorating class last night and it was, well, a bit overwhelming.  I don't think it helped that it was the longest I'd ever left CC (3 hours) which wouldn't be bad if he a) took a bottle or b) didn't nurse before bed time.  The instructor, who has been teaching for 3+ years seems friendly enough but also was putting out the "stressed vibe" and that was hard to not pick up on.  I also didn't know what to expect as far as homework:

Next Week:

Bake your cake, fill and frost it (all from scratch she says or what will you be learning? RIGHT)

3 different batches of frosting (stiff, med, thin)

20 parchment frosting cones

and organize, bring in all products.

Ummmm what? I think I might need a class where I just show up and make pretty frosting flowers.  She did say that she had one student go to safeway before classes and buy a cake and scrape off the frosting.... Hmmmm :-)

When she was making the frosting she was very meticulous and talked about working without distractions because otherwise your designs will melt. She has 3 kids and tells them they aren't allowed in the kitchen while she preps...I think I'll try that. No CC, you're not allowed in here! Mom is busy....concentrating. Plus I had no idea the mysterious products it takes to make this stuff from scratch...see below... + meringe powder which they were out of. I'm trying just to buy the basics and hopefully if I continue this quest I'll buy more in the future if I need it. I just have to get that meringe stuff and some cake cardboard base thingys for next class.  Trying to keep it budget friendly, no fun fancy tool caddys or cake caddys or fabulous mixers (that I've wanted forever but still) for me. Hopefully my girlfriend Erin will buy her mixer and her mom and I will be able to use it too.  

Yes, Erin and her mom Millie (who I lived with for 6 months in college) are both taking the class thank god...otherwise I think I might have left crying.

Did I mention that they only had course books in Spanish? It might as well be in German for as much as my conversational Spanish helps me in this bad boy....
Shouldn't be a problem you said? Maybe you could translate these instructions for me!

I thought a good goal would be a cake for Charlie's baptism in a couple of weeks...but now I'm thinking his Sept. birthday is a better goal....we're only having immediate family anyway :-)

Our Weekend

Well... I'm glad that the weather hasn't been as bad as the forecast (at least so far, hold up weather, I still have to go to costco!)

Yesterday we celebrated 8 months with CC and went out to breakfast. Why is it that any breakfast that I didn't cook tastes 4x better? Mmmm....I think I want breakfast for lunch again.  We then took a couple of laps downtown to explore the art festival where local artists bring their wares to sell on the sidewalk.  I love these little "festivals" especially when I can explore what other photographers are doing. I picked up a couple of cards and when I get some time to myself I'm planning to check out their websites.

The little man is doing well though it's getting tougher to go out as he wants to crawl/explore all over.  I finally got smart and bought some BPA free tupperware so I can pre-pack rice cereal and a puree, bib, etc (spoon stays in the little sassy tupperware, love it!) so that I don't have to scramble when we are ready to leave.  Ahhh the baby scramble... it's impossible to remember everything EVERY time unless it's pre packed.  (That's also why I leave the cheater bag in the care, extra diapers, wipes, blanket and extra onesie and sweatpants) :-)

Better sign off before the little man wakes up and I've got nothing done! (besides blogging!)

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

I know we need the rain and no, I have not forgotten my farm town roots, but I can't help it, I loathe the rain.  I loathe the rain even more with a baby in tow as I either stay inside all day or take tremendous care to bundle him accordingly so that no tiny drops reach his tiny limbs.  I am longing for the promise of late spring - the warmth - the freedom.  Lately, what has constituted a good day has been getting out for a hike or extended walk, especially on the weekend.  Fresh Air/Free/Exercise/Entertainment/Discover new places... can't beat that.  Looks like this weekend might be super crap....arrrg.

Overall CC is doing well - he's more mobile every day and is now consistently pulling himself up on his knees and a few times lately to his feet. He's eating  lots of solid purees with little fuss and is learning to express himself in new grunts/octaves all the time :-) Still no teeth, but that's okay with me.

We're celebrating 8 months tomorrow.