In case you were curious...

Alaina doesn't have a cold.  She has an ailment called RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), complicated by bronchiolitis (which was causing the wheezing).  RSV, at its mildest, is basically a really bad cold.  At it's worst, it means hospitalization, or even death. *cue dramatic music*

Google Health has a nice page with the details: RSV information and statistics.

She appears to be on the upswing. I've scheduled one more trip to the pediatrician (making 3 for this illness) to confirm that.  Don't want to be a hysterical first time parent, but lack of oxygen isn't something to screw around with.

She is also NO LONGER CONTAGIOUS.  So no need to worry.

But it does bring up some interesting reminders for me.  For instance, I've never been a stickler about making people wash their hands before handling Alaina, including children (who are the #1 affected and passer-ons).  Please don't be offended if I ask you to scrub up before holding her.  I don't think you're dirty...just germy.  This has been a rough two weeks for everyone.  And it's not quite over yet!

I am so grateful that her little personality is unchanged even though she feels like garbage.  I know I can be a cranky mess when I'm all congested and not getting enough rest.  But not my daughter.  Sure, she might need a little more love and to be entertained, but I'm happy** to oblige cuddling that baby!

**Sometimes it's not as much fun when she's really tired with a runny nose and has tried to rub her sleepy little eyes, but missed, and so only succeeded in smearing snot all over her face, and is in the process of blowing Guiness Book sized bubbles of drool (and snot, too, I'm sure).  Sometimes, then, it's not quite as much fun to cuddle her...you know when she's a damp cranky tired mess.  But a few quick swipes to the face with a tissue, and we're back in CuddleTown.

Recipe: Baked Hawaiian French Toast with Fresh Berry Compote

Sounds fancy, right?  Couldn't be easier.  :o)  I instituted "Breakfast for Dinner Fridays" at our house because that's and EXTRAORDINARILY long work day for Erik, and who wouldn't want to head to their second job with a tummy full of warm breakfasty goodness?

The details:
16-18 oz. Hawaiian bread (either King's or Franz.  16 oz. is the round loaf, 18 oz. is a package of rolls)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (very softened!)
5 eggs
3 cups milk
1/2 C. maple syrup (use real, otherwise it tastes too sweet)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon, OR nutmeg, OR cardamom (personal preference)

Tear bread into 1" pieces (if you're using the rolls, that's roughly quartering them).  Place in greased 9"x13" pan (glass is preferred).

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs (one at a time, that's important!) and beat well.  Mix remaining ingredients until blended.  Pour over bread and refrigerate overnight. 
[Breakfast for Dinner Fridays note: any "overnight" refrigerated items means I make it in the morning, and let chill all day]

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes...or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  For me, that was closer to 45 minutes.  Allow to "rest" for 5 minutes.  I cut it into quarters, then the quarters into wedges.

While it's baking, make your berry compote!

The details:
4 total cups berries, your choice.  [I used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.  I'd stay away from raspberries, they will fall apart when mixed.]
1/2 cup orange marmalade, melted. [stir constantly over medium heat on stove top, it melts quickly, and if you've ever smelled burnt sugar, you'll realize why we don't microwave it!]


Fold together gently.  Allow to sit for AT LEAST 10 minutes. [The sugar in the marmalade will draw out the juices in the berries....delish!]

  Ta-da!  Would be a great brunch addition!

Respiratory Nastiness.

Baby Alaina has another cold.  Not something she tolerates very well, since she is a baby who loves her sleep, and congestion isn't exactly conducive to restfulness.


After waking up wheezing on Friday, and coughing until she puked all over, I decided a trip to the pediatrician was warranted.  The visiting pediatrician (who was awesome, by the way) congratulated me (!!) on catching the symptoms early and recognizing the wheezing as a problem.  And then prescribed Albuterol. 

Albuterol is a bronchodilator that is given in an inhalant form (for itty bitty kids there's a mask attachment).  It's wonderful, it cleared the wheezing right up, helps her breathe (if she can ever get her nose to quit running)...but one teensy, tiny, little minuscule drawback.

She can't sleep.  It makes her wired.  Jittery even.

We're talking about a kid who naps, on average, 3 times a day.  In the last two days, she has napped a combined total of 40 minutes.  No big deal, she'll sleep at night, right?  Wrong.  Not only is it a struggle to get her to sleep, she doesn't stay asleep very well.  And a couple hours later, she'll wake up wheezing again.  So do I put her back to bed, let her get the rest she needs to be well, and listen to her struggling to breathe?  Or do I give her more medication, clear up the rattle in her lungs, and stay up with a cranky baby?

I went from having a daughter that looked at me so sweetly and so gratefully when I put her down for naps to having a daughter who snuggles into her cuddle (my name for her polkadot fleece blanket) only to start screaming 2 minutes later because she can't shut her brain off. 

Is it too early to give her a sippy cup of Airborne?

On the plus side, even though she is awake ALL day, Alaina is still a sweet baby to be around.  Takes a little bit of extra entertaining (otherwise she dissolves into a fit of exhausted crying that still doesn't parlay into a nap), but is otherwise charming as usual.  This was a photo I snapped of her on our walk today:

 
She's so proud of those little teeth.  Alaina kept smiling for anyone who paid her the least bit of attention, like she was saying, "Look, I'm getting teeth, just like you!"

A note on this week's menu...

Wednesday is St. Patrick's Day.  As such, I lose my husband to O'Finnigan's Pub for the evening.  Not because he'll be slugging down green beer and corned beef, but because he'll be keeping the idiots in line who are slugging down green beer and corned beef.  Welcome to the glamorous life of a bouncer.

So the menu is Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday night's dinners (Saturdays, again, on my own, lose him to the thrill of dealing with drunkards).

Your kids are great. But....

Here it is.  You've been waiting for a rant, I'm sure.  And today, I oblige.

(Before I begin, allow me to preface:  this is NOTNOTNOT about any one person.  This is a culmination of feelings begotten from well-meaning suggestions that I'm too polite and well-bred to turn into a backhanded compliments.)

Please don't tell me how to raise my kid.  If I want (or need) advice, I'll ask for it.  I promise.

But your unsolicited suggestions, your passive aggressive hints, and your outright judgemental reactions are hurtful.  And honestly, detrimental to my mental health.  It can't be safe for me to imagine you burned at the stake for your (in my opinion) bad parenting advice.

Just because you raised, or are raising, a child doesn't make you T. Berry Brazelton.  Having a child older than mine didn't unlock some mysterious safe in which ALL secrets of parenting were stored. 

The best piece of wisdom I've gotten on the subject?  "Yes, they raised a child...but not YOUR child."

My child is just that: MINE.  I know her better than you.  Not to be immature, but nanner nanner boo boo.

Sure, I've only been at this parenting thing for 6 months, but I have 27 years of observational experience, books galore, the internet, and what was that other thing???  Oh, right, MILLIONS OF YEARS OF BIOLOGICAL INTUITION.   If it doesn't feel right to my instinct, I'm not going to do it.  And if I'm not doing it, it's because it doesn't feel right.  So that suggestion I receive contradicting my feelings?  In one ear and out the other (I've been practicing that manuever since age 12).

I know it takes a village.  And I appreciate my village.  But I'd prefer to reach out to the villagers.  And sometimes it seems like the only villager available is the town idiot.  And you can't deny that, as parents, we ALL feel this way at one time or another.  We want the best for our children, and we want our own decisions validated.  So when we receive suggestions that go against what we feel, we react defensively...because what we hear is that our decisions are BAD, we are BAD parents, we are HARMING our children.  Sure, not what was said....but that millions of years of instinct is telling us otherwise.

I think I might just have to develop a code phrase.  It will sound very polite to the suggestion giver, but in my head it translates to vicious profanity.  Hmmm....more on this code phrase later!

Seriously? Who does that TWICE?

When Alaina was about 2 months old, I locked her, along with my keys, in the car.  It was cold, dark, threatening to rain, and she was enormously hungry.  Which, of course, for an 11 week old, means lots of screaming.  The manager of Red Robin was very helpful, and enlisted his staff to keep me from freaking out (too late) and brought us hot chocolate.  He even offered to pay for the towing or locksmith!  It was an awful night, but, like most things, it was funny eventually.  Until Sunday.

Last Sunday, my mom and I went to the grocery store on our way to my dad's house for a birthday celebration.  I grabbed a cart, was getting ready to bring Miss Lainey out, when the woman parked next to me indicated that she needed to leave RIGHT THEN.  So I shut the door, waited for her to back out, and tried the door.  Locked.  Again.  With the baby in the car.  Again.  Fortunately, my mom has AAA (conveniently purchased after the last "Morgan locked the infant in the car" incident).  It only took them about 30 minutes to show up, and get into the car (did you know they use a blood pressure cuff [or sphygmomanometer, if you're feeling fancy] to crack the door open enough to snake an unlocking tool in there?) and Alaina was smiling and giggling most of the time.  The last few minutes she was growing tired of waving and having kisses blown to her.  I'm sure if she could, she'd have said, "Mom, just get me out of the car already!  Why are you just standing there?!" 

When we arrived at my dad's house, my stepdad (not my mom's husband, but my dad's partner, keep up with the story, people!) had just stepped out to run an errand.  A little unusual for him when he knew there was company on the the way.  When Gary got home, he came bearing a set of TWO hide-a-keys.  Boy, am I loved.  With the key hidden on the car, I'll NEVER lock my keys in the car again.

That's what I said as soon as my mom got AAA.  And since she's gotten it, I've locked my keys in the car twice.  Only once with the baby inside.  Do you know how many times I've locked myself out of the car in my life?  3.  In 6 months.  All after my daughter showed up. 

I'm not blaming her....I'm just pointing out the facts.

delish.com's take on budget groceries

 Great link from my sister-in-law, Nichole.  Some really fantastic info!

[Grocery Tips]

Also would like to add:

~The first bit about grocery store rotisserie vs. roasting your own has one major flaw.  Not only can you roast your own for TONS cheaper, but you can roast it in the crockpot for nearly the same convenience as grocery store rotisserie.  Bar none, crockpot roast chicken is amazing.  I roast mine upside down and end up with the juiciest and most tender chicken breasts of all time.

~Using chicken thighs vs. breast: boneless chicken thighs are only a tiny bit more expensive than bone-in, and are tons more convenient.  Plus, the additional fat in the meat makes thighs ideal for stir-frying or sauteing.

~On seafood: I found a bag of frozen tilapia loins for about $6.  Each fillet is enough for one adult, and there's about 12 per bag.  That's $1 per serving! (until you get going on the side dishes)

~EAT SEASONAL!!!  Not only is it smart, cheaper, and tastes freakin' amazing, it can be SO MUCH FUN.  I had a great time with my mom, mother-in-law, and my daughter trolling local farmers markets.  It also is a great way to support local farms.  When we get closer to spring, I'll start posting what's coming into season.

An acrostic poem dedicated to Dave's Killer Bread.

Delightfully textured,
And so
Very satifisfying when
Eaten in the
Stillness of the morning.

Kept next to my toaster oven for
Immediate access....don't want to have to go
Looking for it when the craving
Looms!
Empty bags are a source of
Remorse...but mostly abject despair.

Bread?  It's just bread, he says. His failure to
Recognize the magical
Earthiness and intoxicating
Aromas just mean that, without a
Doubt, I always get the last piece.

She is her mother's daughter.

It's not too early for me to get her a 

Tully's card, is it?

Snoqualmie Falls!

As I mentioned in my gratitude post yesterday, I lovelovelove taking advantage of all the neat stuff Washington state has to offer.  Erik, Alaina, and I headed out to Snoqualmie Falls in North Bend to check it out.

This is Salish Lodge.  Rumor has it the restaurant
and spa are fantastic.


                                                     The Falls from the Hawk Overlook. 
                                                                 Main viewpoint was closed.






                                                    Trees on the opposite side of the Falls.

Small whirlpool near the base.

The crest.

Ivy on a tree near the trail.

                               The happiest baby in all the land.



















He was avoiding pictures, but I finally got him!

Why Bibs Were Invented (....or "Why Dad's Don't Feed Babies")

Thank God for plastic bibs.  But she loved the "garden vegetable" baby food.  P.S. Where else would vegetables come from?  I've never heard of "sidewalk vegetables" or "canyon vegetables"....of course they come from a garden.

Today, and everyday, I am grateful for...

•  My husband, Erik: he works 7 days a week, without (much) complaint to provide for our family, and to allow me to stay home with our daughter.

• My daughter, Alaina: she never fails to bring a smile to my face, no matter how low the checking account balance is, how full the dishwasher may be, or how much laundry has piled up.  Seeing the pure joy on her face when she sees something she likes is a constant reminder to revel in simple pleasures.

• My family, both blood and paper: the support they've given to Erik and I while we learn to be parents is unparalleled.  They celebrate our victories, and kiss our owies when we fall.

• My brother (yes, he's family, I know...): he has stepped up and embraced the role of "uncle" more than I knew was capable.  And in being a great uncle, he has become an even more amazing brother than before.

• My community and my neighbors: they are excellent resources for humor, consolation, and a cup of sugar.

• My health, both physical and mental: for allowing me the capability and desire to spend time with my daughter and husband.  I adore watching her grow, and I can't wait (well, I can wait a little bit) to watch Erik get gray hair and start wearing old man suspenders!

• My country and government: maybe its not ideal at the moment, but it's certainly working better for me than a lot of others might.  Except for Canada and France.  The whole "government-mandated vacation" thing sounds awesome.  Get paid by politicians to not work?  Okay.

• My state: seeing bald eagles surveying passing cars while sunshine pours in through my windows, spending wonderful days nestled in the temperate rainforest, watching the breakers of Pacific Ocean roll into shore, or heading over the arid eastern Washington climate...and can do it all in the same day!  I am truly blessed to make my home where I choose.

"On The Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman

I've had a go-to collection of kids books that I've adored since I was, well...a kid.  Not classics, by any means, but stories I remember reading with my parents.  What family didn't have a copy of "The Little Brute Family" on their coffee table?  Oh?  You didn't?  That was just me?  Again, the misfit.

I ordered a new book (ack!  change!) from Barnes & Noble, and it just showed up.

Learn more here!

This book is incredible.  For sure, it's the new bedtime book in our house.  It's prose is so lyrical, the illustrations are magic, and it carries a powerful message: that you are the one and only you!



So whenever you doubt just how special you are and you wonder who loves you, how much how far,
listen for geese honking high in the sky.
(They're singing a song to remember you by.)

Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo.
(It's because they've been dancing all night for you!)

Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.
(Listen closely...it's whispering your name again!)
It's true, Miss Alaina James....the night you were born was a wonderful, powerful, magical night.  And this world is an infinitely better place for having you in it.

How Google Pwned My Pediatrician (or "Yes, mom, you were right...")

Alaina's six month well check was today.  Once again, medical science declared her a marvel.  Not surprising.  But her pediatrician did diagnose an innocent heart murmur.

"Are you familiar with heart murmurs?" she asked.

"It's just a goofy heart beat, right?  Like a valve not closing all the way?"  I wasn't worried, I've known lots of people with heart murmurs, and it's never been a problem. 

"Or it could be a hole in her heart.  Most murmurs that sound like this are no big deal.  She'll most likely grow out of it."

HOLE IN HER HEART?  NO BIG DEAL?  I totally thought I had a grasp on it, didn't think I would freak out.  But then she says hole in her heart....those words are a huge deal. 

I was on my way home when my mom called.

"So, have you Googled heart murmurs yet?" she asked.

"No, if her pediatrician isn't worried, I'm not going to worry," I said, still a good 20 minutes from home and Internet access.

But now I'm home.  And, of course, I couldn't stop the compulsion to type those 3 words into my Google taskbar.  Here is what the American Heart Association has to say about innocent heart murmurs.  Notice they don't mention hearts with holes in them. 

Innocent Heart Murmurs...not "hole" hearted!

I'm still not worried.