Trick or Treat!

Siena is wearing the hard candy headband.  I'm redesigning it a bit before I post it on etsy- this is like a "first draft"

Tonight we'll be eating pumpkin soup and watching not-so-scary movies at our good friends' house. We'll also be attempting something we've never done before- putting Siena down to sleep at their house, and then transferring her back to our house in the middle of the night. 

We'll bring the whole night night arsenal- pack n' play, musical glow worm, Goodnight Moon, night night doll and moo cow blanket.  We'll tuck her into one of their sound proof rooms (they have his and her's recording studios!) and pray that she falls and stays asleep, and then does not go monkey when we wake her up at midnight. 

I'm 99% sure this will be disastrous.  How's that for optimism?

Happy Halloween, if you celebrate it!  If not, Happy Monday!  I'll leave you with pics of our recent trip to the pumpkin patch...

Siena and Leila

Probably not supposed to do that...

Fatface.  Power Poof hair clip by Natty Bratty on Etsy. 

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Pot Roast Fail x4

Does a moist, tender pot roast really exist?  I have never tasted or made one, but the idea is really appealing.  Take a tough, otherwise useless cut of beef, throw it in a crock pot with some vegies, broth and a few spices, and it magically turns to a tender, flavorful meal in 6-8 hours.

Joe bought 1/4 a cow, so we have a plethora of roast cuts in the freezer.  I have no idea what to do with them, so I did what any modern housewife does: I googled "fool proof pot roast recipe no cream of mushroom soup", found a 5 star recipe, and went to work.

Pot Roast #1:  used crock pot, seared meat, added plenty of beef broth and red wine, vegies
Cook Time:  on low for 6 hours
Results:  dry and tough, but at least the vegies were moist and delicious.

Pot Roast #2:  seared meat, used pressure cooker, added broth, wine and vegies.
Cook Time:  45 minutes in pressure cooker
Results:  dry and tough, but at least the vegies were moist and delicious.

Pot Roast #3:  meat unseared, tried crock pot again, made a stuffing of olives, onions, and sundried tomatoes, added 1 cup water and spices.
Cook time: on low for 5 hours
Results:  dry and tough, but at least the vegies were moist and delicious.

Pot Roast #4:  went bare bones- crock pot, water 1/2 way up the meat, fresh herbs, vegies
Cook Time:  on high for 3 1/2 hours
Results:  dry and tough, but at least the vegies were moist and delicious.

Ok, so is the point of a pot roast to leech all the flavor and juices OUT of the pot roast and create the best vegetables you've ever tasted?  If so, then I get an A+.  If not, then WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?  I'm so stubborn that I keep on cooking them, but I hate wasting our precious cow. 

Mind you, all four attempts were listed as fool proof recipes or shared by trusted friends.  #2 in the pressure cooker was the least disastrous because pressure cookers are just awesome.  

Fortunately, Pot Roast #4 did not go to waste.  I shredded the rock hard piece of meat and put it in a skillet with it's own juices, some caramelized onions, garlic, salt and pepper.  Amazingly, the juices leeched back INTO the meat, and we ate the most delicious shredded beef tacos EVER.

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New Baby Headband

You may have seen this picture from last week and wondered "what is that on her head?" 

Let's try a different angle...

 

Yep, it's the Boba Milk Tea headband!

 

And if you're still wondering what the heck it is, then perhaps the tapioca milk tea craze never hit your neck of the woods.  Milk tea is THE reason I gained 15 pounds in 2005-2006.  I've since cut it out, but I get nostalgic whenever I think of it.  I'm whisked back to college finals, my 4 months in Taiwan (the CAPITOL of milk tea), and my first date with Joe, as we slurped liquid candy through oversized straws with googly eyes. I love it so much that I decided Sisi should wear it on her head :) 

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Customer Love :)

Thanks ladies for sharing your photos! You are all stunning.

Child of Manhattan Hat

Sparkle and Flutter Butterfly Clip

Champagne Toast Cocktail Hat

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the "SH" word

Sharing. 

I'm seeing that "sharing," "waiting your turn" and "no touch" are the buzz words on the playground. Now that I'm bringing Siena to public parks and play areas, I need to figure out where I stand on the issue.  Yes, it is an "issue" and it's a little more complex than "sharing is good, taking is bad." 

At 9 months, Sisi isn't too interested in other kiddos (unless they are wearing something shiny), but older babies and toddlers LOVE her!  They want to pet her, touch her headband, and follow her around. They want to play with whatever she's playing with, and ride her like a horse. It cracks me up when babies who are just a little bit older than Siena point to her and say "baby" then try to cuddle her.  Even though it's my instinct to hover and referee every interaction to make sure everyone is "behaving", I try my hardest to sit back, observe and let things take their course (unless I feel like someone will get hurt).  Usually Sisi is totally fine, even when someone takes her toy or accidentally crawls over her in a tunnel. Occasionally she'll reach for something another child is playing with, and that child will yank it back.  Does Sisi get her diapers in a bunch about it?  No.  But the parents sure do! Then suddenly this minute interaction becomes a big deal with a lot of tension surrounding it.

Is it a big deal, or is it wasted breath? Should we be trying to teach babies to share, and wait their turn, and keep their hands and feet to themselves before they even have a concept of those abstract ideas? Should babies work these potentially volatile interactions out on their own, or do they need us to set things straight? When do we start to teach about sharing?  When do we need to set these rules? 

My answers?  I have no idea.  I'm a FTM here, with zero infant experience.  A few months ago, I would have said that parents need to keep the peace and order on the playground.

I will say, this blog post by RIE advocate Janet Lansbury (who just seems like the coolest, most gentle lady ever) and accompanying videos opened up a whole new world to me.   What do you think?  I'm especially curious to hear what the seasoned moms have to say about the "sharing" issue. 

If those were your babies, what would you have done?   Does it seem negligent to just sit back?

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Sisi is 9 Months!

Siena is 9 months old!  This month has been a whirlwind of mental and physical growth. I heard that after 8 months, things start moving FAST.  I totally agree!  Several people have remarked how her features are less babyish and more "little girl" like. Very bittersweet. Stay baby, stay! 

Siena at a glance:
-expert crawler and stander
-just starting to cruise
-claps very enthusiastically 
-has 2 bottom teeth and 2 very jacked up top teeth, with a big ol gap in the middle. wonder where that came from?  ;)
-eyes are still blue
-can stay up 3 to 4 hours at a time without getting uber-cranky, which means we're more free to go on outings to the library, mall, and park in between naps.  we get out once a day, which is heavenly!
-sleeps through the night 50% of the time, or else wakes up once to feed.  i told joe months ago that at 9 months, THAT WAS IT!!!  we would sleep train and cut out that pesky night feeding.  but honestly, now that we're here, i don't really care enough to tackle that issue. and after eavesdropping on some moms at the library who were in despair because their 2 1/2 year olds were still waking up multiple times to eat, i feel pretty lucky.
-latest culinary adventure- sardines!  a convenient, nutrient packed super food.  unfortunately, it makes her breath smell like sewage.
-loves feeding herself soft finger foods.  this morning i gave her a spoonful of cottage cheese, and she reached into her mouth and grabbed it, put it back on her tray, and then ate the curds one at a time.
-digs in her toy box for her stuffed animals, and drags them all around the house.  she could care less about her other toys right now.  she's even started carrying them in her mouth while she crawls around (just like the doggies do!)
-she occasionally plays tug-of-war with the dogs.  she pets them softly before bedtime. 

sisi's wearing a hard candy headband. more pictures to come soon!

hard candy clip- i need to make a few tweaks to the design, and then i'll put it up on etsy!

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Just Listed!

A quick post to let you know I've finally gotten around to listing the Pea in the Pod, Nest, and Patchwork Posy headbands. I think all three together would be the cutest baby shower gift EVER.  Check 'em out!

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First Bday Theme

I'm not even sure if Joe and I will throw Siena a "real" first birthday party or an outting to someplace cool like the zoo with family.  I'm racking my brain, but I'll spare you the detailed pro's and con's list I made. 

For now, let's suppose I'm throwing Sisi a party.  Before I do any planning whatsoever, we need a theme.

What does Siena really and truly love in this life?  

-Pesto and Basil --> puppy themed party?

via sugar and meringue

via dannyandjess.blogspot.com

-her monster bath toys --> monster themed party?

via bhg.com

hat by justbehappy on etsy

-shiny things --> bling bling party?

via glee projects

clips from giant dwarf on etsy

-healthy food--> cute fruit and vegie themed party?

via weheartit.com

 What do you think, any favorites?  If we skip a party this year, maybe we can go wild with one of these themes next year.  But she'll be such a different baby by then, and maybe she won't even like those things anymore (I hope she still likes the dogs and health food though, or we'll have a problem.)

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Dear Pregnant Friends...

I'm delighted to be surrounded by lots of beautiful, glowing pregnant gals. They keep coming out of the woodwork!

So here is a little post about things to stock up on now for YOU.  I know you are online shopping 24/7 for baby stuff, but you deserve to splurge a bit on yourself. BTW, in case you're wondering about my credentials, having 1 baby makes me THE baby expert, obviously ;)

1. stretchy tops/dresses that you can pull down easily for quick access.  May as well pack away everything else for a while!

2.   stud earrings

3.  all natural bath products and perfume oils- regular bath products are so toxic, not the best if you're nursing. This handmade soap is Detox for Baby from Spoiled Rotten.  I love it for myself- haven't tried it on baby though. 

4.  cute lounge wear

5.  comfy flat shoes- toms, rainbow sandals, ballet flats, furry moccasins.

6.  scented candles- brought me a crazy amount of joy during those early months.

7.  tubs of gourmet ice cream- try Clemmy's Ice Cream or La Loo's goat milk ice cream for fresh, all-natural versions.

8.  kindle-  all the times I woke Sisi woke up just because I turned a page.  Save yourself the frustration :) 

9.  cute outfit for newborn photoshoot-baby's outfit is easy (birthday suit) but think ahead about what you'll want to wear.  Something figure-forgiving, casual, and easy to throw on.  I remember frantically dragging my 5 day old around Target searching for something to wear.  I chose a dress that wasn't flattering, and showed my sweat like crazy.  A flowy maxi-dress with bare feet would have been perfect (and hid my baby bump leftovers really well.)

dress by Free People

I can't wait to see each of you become mommies.  Your babies are already so blessed!!!

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