*palabras

Ben taught Vera how to play hangman the other day which has been fun. When it's her turn, she does "cat" about 90% of the time, so you have to pretend to not know for a bit :) A simple game we all know how to play - but such a new concept for a very beginning reader! It's neat to see when she can guess what the word will be from her small assortment of known sight words: bunny, daddy, etc.

*el iphone

I am now the proud and grateful owner of an iphone!  I was reluctant to make the switch from a regular ol' phone to a smartphone, but well I guess the time had come. The thing I looked forward to most was the camera - I love it!!  So much fun.

Here's some favorites:

Vera was happy to pose for my very first picture:

  

wittle cutie pie:

 

eating her hummus at mazza:

 beading her hair:

cool day at the park:

riding her "bike with pedals and no training wheels!"

first flowers at red butte gardens:

***

*2 comidas

I thought I'd share these two winning meals we've had this week.  The first is a recipe that I got from the chef at that restaurant I worked at a few years ago and haven't been able to find since then - though I knew I'd made it once and it was a hit.  He wasn't really excited to share the instructions to his own creation, but I got it anyway  :)  I love it because it is cheap and delicious and a good way to get my girls to eat some protein without knowing it!  I scribbled the brief recipe on a notepad:

Pasta with Chickpea Sauce

boat ton of olive oil + chili flakes [his words - funny another chef's recipe I have calls for a sh*t ton of something :)]

add onion [finely chopped or in cuisinart], rosemary, thyme [whatever you want, oregano sounds good too?]

add pureed chickpeas and some whole san marzano tomatoes [pulsed the chickpeas in cuisinart unti smooth. this time I just added a few regular canned romas and broke them up a bit, hardly any of the sauce]

That's all I had written - minus the notes I took now.  When I made it the other day, I added some of the cooking water from the penne to the sauce and grated some good parmesan and made sure to add plenty of kosher salt. It's kind of a funny color, so it's not the prettiest - but super tasty.  We all loved it! Next time I will be sure to have some really good quality olive oil on hand to finish it with.

***
This next one was a "go-to" from one of the ladies at the mom's group I attend.  It is so easy and so healthy and delicious - I'm determined to make it one of my regulars as well. The girls had something else, but I bet they might even like it..

Kale and Sausage

Brown sausage [I used this uncooked chicken, spinach feta from Harmon's, but she says she uses any kind] in a pan with some olive oil and a few chili flakes. 

A minute or two in, add chopped red onion. Saute until sausage is cooked through, browned and onions are nice and golden [they started to burn a bit which was the tastiest part].

Add washed, chopped kale and saute just a minute or two until it is wilted. Top with kosher salt.

*familia

My parents and brother+nephew were here [at different times] in the last month. Besides the fact that Edie sleeps 100x better in her own basement room and has to give it up when visitors come - we LOVE having family.  It just makes me ache inside that we don't live down the block from grandparents or cousins.  One reason it was so sad that Ben didn't get the job in California - I let myself get so excited thinking about being near the Caters.  

Anyway, here's a cute little video of Papa Sam and Edie:

Someday we will have more seating both in the living room and at the dining room table! someday :)

We do live near my oldest brother which has been really amazing as I never really knew him that well otherwise [he's 12 years older]. His kids are a lot older than ours and are really busy with sports and activities, so we don't spend a whole lot of time with them. Vera has always been enamoured with them though, and I was especially touched how Katie spent time with her this last time we were there for dinner.  Edie doesn't know them really well but you could see she was 'enamoured' as well :)  This was the night we were there with George and Tyler - I thought I had a picture of Edie and George but I think it was deleted somehow.  She was a little shy with him until he started feeding her his ice cream and brownies...

*17 months

Edie and I made muffins this morning while Vera was at preschool. I love love love this stage - I mean it's just more fun every day.  I know I keep saying that but it's just true!

She was mad here below because I put the muffins in the oven and she didn't understand that we couldn't have them right now.  So she threw herself on the floor - doesn't kick or scream, just lays down on the floor in protest.  Don't worry, I don't let her get away with being naughty or having fits - it is pretty funny though and we often have to hide our laughter at her little antics.

*do mastics

aka gymnastics. It's funny how a kid hears a word :)  Our church was able to get some tickets for the Utah meet last night. We took Sam along and all had a great time - it is really big here and far more exciting than a basketball game :) We got there pretty early and the actual meet didn't start up until they had put on a little show for senior night, so we didn't get to stay until the end. These two were pretty funny - awestruck at everything, super excited about the people, the cheerleaders, the red lantern things, the fans dressed in full body green leotards...  Sam watched the actual gymnastics a little more intently than Vera who was more concerned with whether I was going to let her have more cotton candy.

They were like who/what the heck is this??  ok I guess I will let it hug me and take a picture if you say so.  Last year when Vera and I went she was really into the mascot and kept asking, Where is that turkey? 

It was quite a show!

Vera loves being in charge of her own ticket. I love this age when they are still so excited about little things.

I asked Sam how he liked the cotton candy:

toward the end they got a little silly. tired silly.

They also danced a lot hoping to get filmed and put up on the big screen, it was pretty cute.

Meanwhile Ben and Edie spent some quality time together.  They went to Smashburger where he said she devoured her french fries -- until he let her have a sip of his chocolate milkshake which she just about freaked out over.  She apparently said HI! to every single person she saw and pointed out every baby and "Papa" looking man.  Isn't this the cutest?

*randoms

Various photos from recently:

*hi there!*

Picnicking outside on a warm February day:

First time putting boots on by herself last week - no matter they are different boots.  She is now mastering this skill - the other day she put Vera's mary janes on/off for about an hour.

a box in the house! the girls were immediately jumping up and down in excitement. Edie went through the tunnel over and over and over.
 

Graham was over the other evening and I got the biggest kick out of just listening to them.  Vera desperately wanted him to play "mommy and daddy" and kept calling out to him: Graaah-amm! I'm making cooo-kies!  Graaaaaaham it's our baby's birthday, come on!!!  He played along for a minute or two and then would go back to crashing block towers.  A few times he finally yelled out, "WHAT?!" when she called his name for the 100th time.  It was pretty hilarious.  Thankfully they finally settled into something they both agreed on and spent the rest of the evening laughing and telling each other silly stories.
 

She got super-fancy for him and even had the idea to put these beads in her hair.

*disappointed

We got news yesterday that Ben did not get the job in California.  All signs had pointed towards him getting it - every interview so encouraging, we were almost sure he had it and had let ourselves get a little dreamy in our plans. Ben has been working so incredibly hard for the last eight years and it would have just been so amazing to get this, to be near his family and all the friends we have there [Ben had even dreamed a few times of taking Vera surfing].  I really wanted it for him. I wanted it for all of us of course.

When he got his first interview, I really just prayed that he would be encouraged by it. There are so few jobs out there with so many applicants - I knew a job was a long shot, and so I prayed for a good interview, for him to come away feeling positive and encouraged.  And he did!!  Like a hundred fold.  I was so thankful.  Then I was so thankful and proud when his final interview came and went - they really thought highly of him and his work - it was really an answer to prayer.

As it seemed more of a possibility, I actually became a little more pessimistic.  I felt like God wasn't going to give us the easy route, that growth in faith doesn't happen that way.  That's what I felt, but obviously not what I wanted.  It's such a struggle, a hard thing to pray for peace and trust in God's plan, knowing there is also an outcome that you want.  All my devotions around this time have been words of trust in adversity or in disappointment, how God works in us most when we have to rely on Him.  I'm telling you I did not want to have to be in that situation.  I confess my lack of faith and my selfishness.

Even the night before he got the answer, I came across this excerpt in the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer that I am reading, and had a feeling it was for us too:  

Bonhoeffer was an eternal optimist because he believed what God said through the scriptures.  He knew that whatever befell him or the faithful brethren would open new opportunities in which God would operate, in which his provision would become clear.

This was said by the man who was later executed for his role in Hitler's assassination attempt!  So really, I need to 'buck up.' I know that God is using this to teach us to trust in Him for the future.  I am thankful for this opportunity to see how He provides. I just need a little time too - to come to grips with that :(

I will say that I am just incredibly, over-the-top proud of Ben.  You have no idea how hard he has worked over these years and how hard he worked to put everything together for the interviews.  It sounds like what happened is the committee and dept. chair really liked Ben and possibly preferred him, but there was another candidate who has his Phd and law degree in hand and had been teaching already at the University for a number of years.  Ben is actually dealing with this better than I am - he said a week or two ago that if he didn't end up getting it, he would know it was God's plan, that there is actually comfort in the mystery of not knowing "why" - we can't know why, but we can know there is a why.

Anyway, thanks for all your thoughts and prayers and encouragement, everyone!

*la pared y los platos

Well now I'm a little embarrassed because my little wall is not that impressive! But they are up and it makes me happy. You might notice the grouping is a little high - like I said I have mostly used nails that were there when me moved in :)

*blue plates : green wall

Whether or not we are moving anywhere for a job this Fall, I have been overcome with this need to simplify things in our home, to do some things I've always wanted to but just didn't have the energy or whatever.  No excuses. One excuse has been "well we will be moving eventually" - so literally I have not even put any new nails in the walls but used what was there before. Partly because I'm intimidated by crumbly lath and plaster, but really???  Anyway so I finally realized something that I've always wanted to do.   

Eight long years ago, on my European *tour* with my sister Liz before I got married, I saw and remembered this wall of blue plates on a green wall at a lovely little hostel in Alicante, Spain.  The whole hostel was so artistic, so wonderful.  I took this picture below, telling myself I would do this wall in my home someday -- only took me just short of eight years!  I scanned the photo below [isn't it hard to believe that just a short time ago we weren't using digital cameras??  Pretty crazy.], but then got a little nostalgic and scanned a few more.  So I will share these with you now and at some point this week share the picture of the plates I .:finally:. hung on our green wall - only been in this house for 6 years!

anyway::.. the original photo of the inspirational green wall:

Ben and I were getting married in just about a month's time.  I was sure something was going to happen and I was going to die and never see him again.  Here is one of my nightly calls home.  International calls are so disappointing - always that delay.  Maybe now you can just call on your cell phone? I have no idea.

I love this next photo taken with my Holga.  Doesn't it look like those buildings don't fit in the same picture??  It was in Granada, right by the shop where I bought the two plates which are now on our wall.  It was so fortuitous - the owner was about to leave for holiday, but hesitated and let Liz and I in. I wish I could have known what a gem that place was - filled with all shapes and sizes of these beautiful pieces.  They seemed mass-produced at the moment, but separated later from the group I saw how beautiful they really were.   Wish I could go back and buy a box full.

...Might as well share other highlights.  El Alhambra in Granada.  One of the most beautiful and fascinating places I have ever been.

This was at the beginning of the trip in Paris. I wish I could know Paris better, felt I just got a taste.  One of my favorite memories was having a simple picnic with Liz on this little river island.  A decent [not great - the great one we had on the train from Pau to Barcelona] baguettte, some cheese and red wine.  I love to see this little spot - or one like it - on movies. Have you seen Midnight in Paris? I LOVED IT.

This one is labeled in the album as the "big night." I think we saved up and decided that would be the big dinner where we spent some money.  It was tucked away in a plaza strewn with twinkly lights and about five outdoor cafes.  We had goat cheese papilotte with leeks, a salad, prosciutto, melon, creme brulee and of course, un noisette.  I loved these glasses you saw everywhere in France - loved them.  I tried to register for similar ones at Williams Sonoma - no luck :) 

look at this real film!  take that, instagram!

***

meanwhile, my handsome husband-to-be was hiking Mt. Whitney:

 

I did survive my European tour, married him and now we find ourselves in Utah - almost done with school, enjoying life with two of the most precious little girls I could ever imagine. Pretty amazing.  Praise God!

*fancy

Vera came out the other night in this fancy getup. She even added the belt and made a belt buckle out of the tag from her sweater. You could tell she was proud :)

Ben: Wow, who are you? Are you a movie star?
Vera: Yes I'm French. I go to Chinese too!

I like this pose:

Here's one of those examples of simple toys. I bought a cute toy grocery cart last summer[thankfully garage sale], but they both still prefer the utensil basket if they go shopping. 

Notice she went to add another necklace after each photo.  Sometimes I feel we encourage this vanity a little too much.  Not sure if I've shared this quote from a month or so ago:

Me:  Is it more important to be pretty or to be kind?"
Vera:  kind.   .... and pretty.

sigh. I do appreciate her attention to detail, her creativity and her playfulness :)

*muffins

I love muffins!! I have fond memories of my mom making bran muffins and if there were leftovers I would have one sandwiched with butter in my lunchbox... I can literally see where I was sitting in the lunchroom one such time.
 

I always make either my modified rendition of Barefoot Contessa's or a bran recipe from one of Julie's cookbooks in college, but I was looking for something new.  I love chowhound.com when you're looking for the "best" recipe or method of doing something - I feel I can trust their foodie tastes :)  Anyway so this week I made the blueberry oat recipe from this thread and plan to try as many from that and other threads I found.  It'll be a fun experiment.  These blueberry ones weren't as healthy as I'd like, but definitely delicious!

*Edie lately

a little over 16 months old...

I got this little video below of Edie the other day saying a few words and showing her odd hit/hug behavior. I was going to edit it out, but that wouldn't be the whole truth :)  Why?? I didn't provoke anything - it's so funny. Does anyone know the psychology of this? At least she doesn't bite anymore. Anyway, I love her little words. Most used is "bapoo" which means diaper, paper, marker, crayon and poopoo. I love how and when she says wow.  I just handed her a button and she said it :) I also love how she says AH-OH! all the time. She calls herself Deedie in pictures and in the mirror now and loves to look at all the family pictures on the fridge, pointing everyone out.

I love right now how she loves to have a visitor over and when they come in, quickly tries to show them as many things as she can. "mama! baby! puppy!" My parents were just here for a few days and it was fun to see her bond with them - she was especially drawn to my dad. He is always popular with dogs and little ones :)

I should note that she still doesn't sleep consistently through the night. It's such a different experience than with Vera who slept all the way through at 6+ mos and didn't look back [until about 2 years old]. I admit I would be like umm your 1 year old isn't sleeping all night yet??? Let me give you some tips. So horrible - it makes you realize you should never ever be quick to judge! Anyway, we got in a cycle where on trips and when we have visitors she doesn't sleep well and so I will nurse her as many times as it takes - which carries over to normal life. In retrospect I wish I would have tried other soothing methods - I guess in the middle of the night when you're trying to not wake the rest of the house, it's hard to know what to do. So anyway, hopefully she'll start sleeping more consistently once I wean her completely.

We also love how she likes to *burrow*.. like if you lie down on the floor she'll scoot up next to you and burrow in. Or if you're on the bed, she'll burrow under the covers next to you.  Pretty cute.

ANYway, here's the video:

*breastfeeding basics

I have been wanting to share some of the tips we give pregnant/newly breastfeeding moms. Basically we call a month before, a week after and 4-6 weeks after with specific things to share at that point.  I started this post last week and it was turning into a LONG post, so I just deleted it and thought I'd write some of the most helpful tips.  These are things that really seem to help a new mom - things that we might not have thought of.  I love when I'm talking to a mom and a piece of advice 'clicks' and you can see that it will help her situation.  I wish I had someone call me every couple weeks to share some advice!

So here you go...

Before the birth: 

*Let your doctor/midwife know that you want to breastfeed your baby, that way they can support you and will [hopefully] not do things to interfere with that.  The biggest thing here is that your baby doesn't get a bottle in the hospital. There are many other ways to make sure the baby gets anything extra they may medically need!  NO BOTTLES.  I can't tell you how many moms don't breastfeed because baby got bottles in the hospital [though it doesn't have to be the end - get help from an LC]

*Colostrum is the first milk you make and it is a super baby food!  It only comes in tiny amounts, but is just perfect, absolutely perfect for your baby.  Your mature milk won't come in if you are not nursing your baby!  I've talked to moms who give bottles while they wait for their milk to come in. ?!!

*Along the same lines, nurse the baby as soon as you can. Ideally they should put the baby on your chest skin-to-skin. I always thought this was for "bonding purposes" - but really it is the perfect time to start breastfeeding [obviously sometimes medical needs arise and you can't do this right away] - the baby is usually quiet and alert and just ready to nurse. [[edit: I went to a perinatal conference a month or so ago and learned all about skin to skin contact and how amazing it is in so many ways. won't get into it here, but if you read this - do skin to skin with your baby as soon as possible after birth and even into the first few weeks. it literally is wiring their sweet little brain :)]]


Just after the birth:
*It's normal for it to hurt a little bit right when baby latches on. If it hurts the whole feeding or your nipples are shaped funny afterward or you are starting to crack - get help!  It might be an easy fix.  For soreness, put a little breast milk on your nipples and let it air dry - so helpful.

*Around 2 weeks babies will go through a growth spurt. It will seem like they want to eat really often - like every 1/2 to 1 hour. If you go ahead and put them to the breast again, your body gets the message to make milk. If you think "I'm not making enough milk" and give a bottle - your body will get the message it doesn't need to make any extra to keep up with babies growth!  For most women, the more you nurse the more you will make. 

*You can know you are making enough milk if your baby has 6-8 wet diapers and 3-4 dirty diapers and is gaining weight.  Babies cry - it doesn't necessarily mean you are not feeding them enough!

4-6 weeks after birth:
*You might not have that heavy, full, leaky feeling anymore. so many moms [myself included] think this means they have less milk, or that it is drying up. It just means that your body has adjusted to what you baby eats. The milk is still there, it still flows whether you feel it or not.  [One time I felt like there was nothing there, but knew Edie was eating at home so I pumped. I got 4 oz out of the side that felt empty!]

*If you give a baby a bottle after a breastfeeding session, the baby will probably drink it!  Babies like to suck.  If you are worried about your supply, it is better to feed a little more often to increase your production.  I always share this fantastic article about low milk supply/increasing supply.

*valentimes

 We had a lot of fun with Vera's valentines this year.  I found this idea maybe last year or even two and it's been sitting on my desktop waiting.  I made a grid on some white paper and then we filled in the squares with different shades of pink - mixing our own from red, white and a little yellow paint.  It was a fun little project for the two of us after Edie went to bed one night - I think I will frame the original for her.  She kept commenting, "well pretend that someone, well an artist, says they like your side better, and well they like art and they like yours, well that would make you happy!" I think she was saying that she liked my side better and that I should be flattered :)

We took it to kinkos and had several copies made [don't you love to see designs repeated??] and then she cut that into hearts and added glitter glue too.  I love to see her go through the process of making things like this, seeing the finished product all lined up, choosing which one to give who.

 

little helper 

[who can climb onto the chair by herself now!]

and last year: