Say it ain't so!

The moment I had been dreading has finally arrived. As I swished past the bathroom mirror, I noticed something shining in the afternoon sun. It glimmered as I swooshed the water from the baby's bath down the drain. It captured my eye immediately. Intriguing. Beautiful. Not what I was expecting.

Aha! The dreaded first white gray silver hair!

Excuse me while I cry now.

A Weekend To Remember

It's been a very busy weekend. We had family and friends drive up to the Island for the weekend to join us at Little One's baptism. It was certainly anything but uneventful! It was pretty crazy...in a good way, of course. The baptism itself was beautiful. Our minister was fantastic. It was a beautiful service. I got a bit weepy in church when the minister spoke about Little One being a blessing and a miracle and about how much she went through from her very early beginnings. Our 28 weeks, 3 day preemie is definitely a miracle. It was so great to have our family, friends, church, and community witness and support Little One on the day of her baptism.

Our lovely and talented friend, E sang a solo at the baptism and her very talented mother was the accompanist for the service.

Little One was a fantastic baby and slept through the entire baptism! Yes, she even slept when the minister put water on her head. We were in shock, because we were so sure she'd wake up once she felt the water! Nope. Out like a light. I guess it shouldn't have shocked us, since she slept through Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when we took her to the cinema for the first time last week! The kid sleeps through everything!

The beautiful cake in the photo above was made by our lovely blog friend from Notes from a Brown House! Not only was it beautiful, it was delicious!

A feast was spread for all to share. Lots and lots of dishes were made for our guests. My mother and her sisters sat around the kitchen table in an assembly line and cut, chopped, and rolled the ingredients for their Filipino spring rolls (lumpia). It was quite an amazing sight. My mom and her sisters are tireless workers.

The dishes for our guests ranged from Chicken Adobo, Filipino BBQ, noodles (pancit), fried rice, salads, potato salad, ham, taquitos, sushi (California rolls), roast, spring rolls (lumpia) and some other items. The desserts were even more impressive with the beautiful baptism cake, another large cake that read "Happy Baptism [insert Little One's real name here]", fruit trays, tropical fruit trays, Filipino fruit salad, casava cake, Nanaimo bars, chocolate chip squares, cherry squares, lemon squares, and more!

Above photo: BabyBro, BabyBro's GF, MiddleBro, Brookie (twin B), Lele (my SIL), Kenny, Grampy, Lola, Olala (twin A), me, Little One, and Hubby.Proud Grampy and proud Lola with their four grandbabies.

Our little family of three.
Little One's first time in the Jolly Jumper (thanks to SuperMama for the Jolly Jumper and other baby gear)!
Little One hanging out with Gadget Girl. What a character Little One is!
My brothers and my SIL, the twins and Kenny are all here for the week!! Nothing makes my Dad happier than to spend time with his grandson. Kenny had a blast helping Grampy cut grass!

So sweet!


"Helping" in the garden.
Little One is an outdoor girl and loves the warm sun and the breeze. She was actually very overdressed since I thought it was going to be on the cool side. It turned out to be beach weather. Poor kid! She ended up in just a onesie for the rest of the day.


Babies, babies...everywhere!!! I love taking photos of the cousins playing! :)

Dirty Little Secrets

Being a Mom with a new baby at home means all we do is sit on the couch watching TV and eating Bonbons all day, right? Ummm...right.

One: I don't even think we have these Bonbons here in Canada. I've only heard of people talking about them.

Two: The only chance I get to watch TV is if I happen to be in the TV room nursing Little One. The kid wants her boob snax whenever and wherever she wants them. If I'm lucky, I get to catch snippets of Steven and Chris or The Martha Stewart Show. So, how's that for breaking down the stereotype of Moms glued to the TV watching soaps all day?

This said, there is a show that I wish I had caught. Lele (my SIL) called me up and told me about the Oprah episode where Moms were dishing it all about motherhood. My good friend, Connor'sMom also told me about the show. I really wish I had a chance to see it.

In this episode, Secret Lives of Moms, women bravely break the silence and share their motherhood experiences with other women. Connor'sMom told me that one Mom confessed that she hadn't had a shower in three weeks! Funny, because a friend of mine who has triplets told me that if she even has time to brush her teeth, it's a good day!

Wow! I wish more Moms would feel free to open up and share these things with others. I cannot tell you how many times I've beaten myself up over not having a perfectly clean house or not putting the laundry away immediately. I can't tell you how guilty I've felt for not having an immaculate garden this year. The house renovations are almost complete, but the trim around the windows still hasn't been done. The deck hasn't been done. The shingles haven't been replaced on the roof yet.

What's worse is that for some insane reason, I had this image in my head of all Moms being perfectly capable of juggling everything (work, husband, kids, house, and more!) and never even so much as looking like they've broken a sweat or have a hair out of place. I imagined a perfectly tidy house all the time. I envisioned a baby that never made so much as a peep! What on earth was I thinking? This is not the stuff real life is made of. Where did this image come from?

Women do break down. We do get stressed out. I certainly don't run to the grocery store with baby in tow in my three inch stilettos. Why don't we share these important "I'm not perfect" tid bits? Why do some of us feel like we need to have people believe that all is perfect and rosy at home all the time?

Though I haven't had to experience not showering for three weeks or not having time to brush my teeth, I do admit that I also have some dirty little Mommy secrets. I was contemplating on whether or not I should share, because...Well, it's so embarrassing!!!

Mehhhh...why not? Since we're all sharing here, this is my secret. It's probably no doubt TMI, but here goes! Men (and anyone who feels awkward about girlie business), please avert your eyes for the next paragraph.

Since I had Little One, I had not had my monthly period in...like forever. Now that she is 8 months old, I suddenly got my monthly friend. It was horrible! I cannot believe just how much blood there was! It was almost like it was just after I had the baby! Needless to say, I had not a single "sanitary napkin" in the house, because...well, I hadn't needed one for the longest time! With absolutely no pads in the house and gushing what seemed like pints of blood from my hoo-ha, I needed to find something quick. I had no idea where I put my cloth pads because I stupidly thought that women don't get their periods when they breastfeed their babies!

What did I do? You're probably chuckling because you know where I'm heading with this. I grabbed one of Little One's diapers and put it in my undies! I packed up the baby and headed straight for the local pharmacy to purchase hoo-ha pads...wearing my 8 month old daughter's diaper!

Oh! The embarrassment! The humiliation! The hoping and praying no one would know! *sigh* My friends, that is my Mommy secret!

I do wish that I had a Mommy group to attend here. I do know that there is a sort of Moms and Tots thing here called the Toy Library. I just find that being on the Island (or where we are on the Island), it's not always so easy to meet up with other Moms. I have a friend in our township who has a baby about the same age as Little One, but like me, this Mom is married to a farmer. It's hard for us both to get out and about since there is always work to be done on the farm.

Anyway, I am learning slowly (thanks to many of you!) to let some things slide and pick and choose my battles. Things don't get done when I want them to. Things don't always go as planned. The house and the house work can wait. The baby is my priority. People who come to visit are here to see us and not to criticize about the baby toys all over the living room or the book shelf that I forgot didn't have time to dust.

It's an ongoing challenge and a learning process. Maybe one of these days I'll figure things out! :)

Are you brave enough to share some of your Dirty Little Secrets?

Before I Had You

Dearest Little One,

Before I had you, I never really thought about how truly miraculous little babies are. I suppose that if I had what some may call a "normal" pregnancy, I would have never stopped to think about how truly miraculous it is to conceive, create, give birth to and nurture a little one. It's all about the perfect timing, the perfect conditions, and everything else falling into place at just the right time. You arrived twelve weeks early, and changed our lives forever.

After all your days in the NICU and some scary times, it makes me truly appreciate the true gift that you are. Many people take for granted how very special babies are. I always knew babies were special, but it never occurred to me just how special they are. Perhaps going through all the roller coaster rides we went through in the first few weeks of your life made me more aware, more thankful, and more appreciative. We truly are very blessed.

When I think about everything you had to go through, it sometimes makes me cry. Through it all, you were always very strong and determined. From your first breath, you were a fighter and a strong-minded one! The nurses kept telling me how resilient and how persistent preemies can be. Preemies are little fighters...because they've got to be.

I think about your first two months of life and how I was in Toronto with you, while Daddy was at home on the Island. I think about how every day was a challenge for me and about how alone I sometimes felt. I think about how exhausting it was to wake up at 5AM every morning, commute to the hospital and stay all day and have to pump breast milk for you every two or three hours. I'd leave the hospital in the evenings, feeling exhausted, drained, homesick and missing your Daddy.

Despite all this, there was never a single doubt in my mind that you wouldn't be okay. There were a few "scares", but that was mostly from your very diligent and very capable doctors being overly cautious (which is a good thing). One LP, days and days under phototherapy, and a few other things, and you came out just fine.

When I look back at photos of you while you were in the NICU, those days seem so far away. I see before me a very active and busy 8 month old (chronological) girlie who is now 12 lbs, 2 oz and eating cereal (and boob snacks)! It's hard to believe that this same little girl was a 980 g preemie who had an NG tube, CPAP, and all sorts of leads attached to her.

In our quiet moments together when you're nursing, Mommy thinks about those times. I am always reminded about just how special you are. You are our little trooper. Some people may think Mommy is a little bit paranoid when she washes her hands constantly, to the point where her skin on her hands start peeling. Some think it's odd that Mommy carries Purel and all kinds of liquid hand sanitizers in your diaper bag and in the car. Some may think it's odd that Mommy winces when strangers want to touch you, pick you up, or kiss you. Mommy knows you need to build your immune system, but she also knows how easy it is for preemies to get sick...and how a simple bug that may not really have a huge impact on some people can be deadly for you.

You are our special little miracle. This weekend our family, friends and loved ones will be coming to celebrate with us. This weekend is your baptism, as well as a celebration of your life and everything you had to go through to be where you are today.

In my moments of exhaustion, zero down time, anxiety because you are teething, and just days when I think I can't keep up with you, helping Daddy with the farm stuff, tackling all the household duties, doing work on the side...I'll think of just how special you are and how blessed we are.

Love,
Mommy xoxo

Parallel Lives

Have you ever met someone for the first time and after talking for a while you realize just how much you have in common? I mean so much in common that it's almost eerie? Almost like you're living parallel lives?

Well, I haven't "met" this person. In fact, I don't even know this person. I found her via BlogHer@Home. Like many of us who aren't able to attend the BlogHer convention this year, I'll be spending my BlogHer '09 weekend at home. Actually, it's Little One's baptism and we'll be having lots of friends and family from out of town visiting us on the Island.

Anyway, I chanced upon The Spohrs Are Multiplying while checking out the latest news on BlogHer@Home. I don't know why, but something made me click on their link. As I read about them, my heart just sunk. I realized just how much we share in common. It was pretty freaky.

The Spohrs' little Maddie was born on November 11, 2007. Little One was born on November 11, 2008! Maddie was born at 28 weeks, 6 days gestation. Little One was born at 28 weeks, 3 days! Freaky or what? I was shocked that they share the same birth day and gestational age.

As I read on, I was reminded about our experience with Little One being in the NICU and how difficult it was for us. If you've been following the blog for the past year, you already know about Little One's story. It is so interesting to know just how many other parents out there have preemies at Little One's gestational age (and younger!) and have had NICU experiences similar to ours.

I just thought I'd share their site with you.

Let There Be Chocolate

Oh, the things I do for my blog readers! :)
Gadget Girl, Little One and I headed to the west end of the Island for a trip to the Farmers' Market, a picnic by the water, and then off to the Chocolate Works we went! How could we not swing by one of our favourite spots? The place was bustling with tourists and locals alike. People flock from far and wide to sample the delectable chocolate treats!

It is my mission to sample every item in the shop for you, my dear friends, family, blog buddies, and readers. Over the course of three days, we taste tested a few chocolate goodies. Hubby helped me sample the chocolates. You didn't think I'd eat all that chocolate by myself, did you? Plus, Hubby has very discriminating taste buds when it comes to sweets. He's the sweets expert in this household.
Up first is the Coconut Bar. Before I tried The Chocolate Works' coconut treats, I was never really a coconut fan. The Chocolate Works' chocolate coconut treats have really, really converted me though! I am now a loyal fan of the Coconut Bar!

Unsweetened coconut with a hint of vanilla and coconut cream, nestled amidst delicious milk chocolate just melts in your mouth. The tactile sensation is almost a spiritual experience. I kid you not.

Hubby says that of all the chocolates we tried, his favourite has got to be the Coconut Bar. Of course, Hubby loves anything and everything coconut. He claims to be an expert in chocolate/coconut treats and says that this coconut bar is one of the best coconut chocolate bars he has ever tried. I have to agree with him on this one. The Coconut Bar gets five out of five stars!

Up next is the Oreo Extravaganza. For Oreo cookie lovers, this takes the Oreo cookie experience to the max! The ever popular Oreo cookie is dipped in milk chocolate and beautifully drizzled with white and dark chocolate. FANTASTIC!!! It's a delight for all senses! Five stars out of five.

My Mom is a fan of macaroons. This macaroon is a little slice of heaven. Premium quality chocolate envelopes this mound of coconut goodness. Chocolate sprinkles add to the aesthetics. This is the perfect little macaroon. Actually, it's not so little. This macaroon is pretty big!

Just as an example of how good this macaroon is, when I brought it over to my parents' place, my Dad said, "Oh! Chocolate!" and my Mom quickly snapped, "Hey! That's mine!".
I've always been interested in sampling the Pecan Caramel Wave. The Pecan Caramel Wave looks so beautiful. It's just so visually appealing. I sent one over to Jeanna @ The Wisconsin Candy Dish in her box of goodies from The Chocolate Works. I've also sent a few Waves to other friends across Canada and the U.S., but I have never tried one. I decided now is about the right time to dig into that ooey-gooey caramel goodness.

Gadget Girl loves the Pecan Caramel Wave. She said she loves caramel, which would be fitting since the Wave is all about the caramel. Hubby and I shared half a Wave. We'll save the other half for later. Hubby's review: "The Caramel Pecan Wave is perfect for anyone who is a caramel lover. It's just so rich with caramel!"

I noted the pecan. I love pecans. The Wave reminded me of a better quality and more visually appealing Nestle Turtle. I swear, the Caramel Pecan Wave is edible art! It truly is! It's so beautiful that you almost don't want to eat it! I said almost!

My verdict? Love the chocolate and love the pecans. However, like Hubby said, it is perfect for anyone who is a caramel lover. There's a lot of caramel in this treat! :) I think this is one of the reasons Gadget Girl loves The Wave so much! 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. If I loved caramel, I'd give this a perfect score though. There was a bit of a debate going on at the testing table! ;) Gadget Girl will have us tell you that you must try the Caramel Pecan Wave because it's "sooooooo goooooooooood"!!!
The owner of the Chocolate Works let me try the chocolate cream cheese cupcake.
OH.
MY.
GOODNESS!
Though I love to bake, I don't normally eat baked goods. Why? Oh, I don't know. I love creating things, but not necessarily eating what I bake. Read between the lines: sweets and baked goods= calories and inches on the waist!!! HOWEVER, this has got to be THE BEST cupcake in the world! I couldn't even wait to get home! I ate it as soon as we left the Chocolate Works!

The chocolate cupcake was moist and delicious. The frosting and chocolate sprinkles just perfected the piece. To my surprise, in the center of the cupcake there was cream cheese and...chocolate chips!!! Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Okay, it's a good thing we live on a farm and have a lot of physical work to do! We're going to have to work off all this chocolate! :)

Remember...If you're on the Island, stop by the Chocolate Works! They've also got a great assortment of coffees, teas, jellies, mustards, and other goodies!

**Amendment: Hubby and I just finished the rest of the Caramel Pecan Wave and we have changed our verdict. It is absolutely divine! Five out of five stars! Why is it that we all of a sudden love it? Hmmm...I don't know. Perhaps it's because we had time to sample it little by little. It's a fairly large sized chocolate treat. It's very decadent! Glad that Hubby and I shared it! If I had to eat it by myself, it would probably last me a week!**

Oh, It's Not What You Think...

I haven't hit rock bottom and I haven't decided to take up drinking as my newest hobby. No, really. I haven't.

Gadget Girl and I have been working really hard on the farm and at the homestead, that we decided that today would be a great day to do some baking for Little One's baptism next week and work on some other little projects. Gadget Girl is doing a "test batch" for the Nanaimo bars today! Wooooo hoooo! What a rough life it is to have to do some "quality control". You know, just to make sure the Nanaimo bars are fit for consumption! :)

We've also decided to make some homemade vanilla...hence, the alcohol. For this vanilla recipe, we used brandy.

Brandy Vanilla
(Makes 8-ounces)

1 cup Brandy
1 whole vanilla bean

• Place Brandy into seal-tight container.
• Add one vanilla bean.
• Wait. It will take 3-weeks for vanilla to cure properly.
• Pour into decorator bottle.

It sure smells yummy! We'll let you know how it turns out!

Mommy Mishaps

Before I got married and before I gave birth to my daughter, it used to annoy me to no end when people would say things like "You think you're busy now. Just wait until you have a family of your own" or "When you have kids of your own, you'll know what busy really is!". It really, really bugged me! It wasn't until just recently that I discovered that every single person who has said these things to me has spoken with true wisdom and experience. Well, sort of.

Before I had Little One, I used to get my hair trimmed and styled on a regular basis. Now, I don't even have time to take a shower that lasts longer than four minutes. Don't get me wrong. I do take care of myself. I still get my hair cut (pssssssst!!! If you're on the Island, Island Styles is a great place to get your hair done!). I just don't get my hair cut as often as I did before. I haven't even had a manicure or pedicure since...*gasp* my wedding!!!

Many of my friends and family who read the blog know of my eyebrow fetish and my extreme dislike for hair where there shouldn't be hair. Case in point? Remember that hoo-ha waxing post? I'm sure we can all relate.

Anyhooooo, I am obsessed with eyebrows. If anything, I need to make sure that my eyebrows are presentable. Neurotic? Perhaps a little. I'm sure we all have our own little quirks though!

Anyway, what I've learned recently with my new found "zero down time" is that a Mommy must never ever try to trim, tweeze, pluck or groom her eyebrows when she is exhausted. Never. Why? Ummm...there's this thing called "over-tweezing". It's when you tweeze and tweeze...and keep on tweezing until you're left with barely there eyebrows. It's a horrible, horrible thing. It gets worse when you think you can shade them in. Check it out...*sigh* Ah well. They'll grow back.

Next Mommy Mishap? I have come to learn that if I'm exhausted, I should never ever operate machinery, handle anything that is breakable...or even do anything that requires even the least bit of thinking. Why? Well, things like this can happen...The above photo is of my beloved water bottle that Hubby got me when I was in the hospital every day for the first two months of Little One's life. While she was in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), I'd make sure to stay hydrated and fill the bottle with ice chips and water. I carried this water bottle all over the hospital with me. While I sat in the breast pumping station and diligently pumped milk for Little One every three hours, I sipped on refreshing water from this water bottle.

I knew that it was only intended for cold beverages, but not too long ago, in one of my dazed half-awake moments, I poured boiling water into the water bottle. Why? I have no idea. I was shocked to see the bottle suddenly expand, balloon, and then shrink right before my eyes. There was a popping sound and the bottom of the bottle (the part that is not made of plastic) popped off and flew across the kitchen. Boiling Scalding hot water flowed all over the kitchen counter and onto the floor...burning me in the process.

Another Mommy Mishap was when I ensured that Little One was protected from the sun (covered from head to toe and underneath her UV filtered buggy protector) during Canada Day. Of course, thinking only of the child, I forgot to protect myself and ended up with the most horrible burn ever. I'm hoping I can fix the warped tan lines in time for her big party in two weeks. No photo will be posted since I'm far too embarrassed to show you!

I won't even get into the time I tried to put the ice cream in the microwave and the piping hot, just cooked roast in the freezer. *sigh*

What are YOUR Mommy (or Daddy) Mishaps?

Help Has Arrived!!!

Today Little One turned 8 months old (chronological age). The above photo is from when she was 3 months old (chronological). She would have been newly born in her corrected age. She sure has come a long way. She's getting bigger! She is now 11 lbs, 4.5 oz. She's much heavier than her birth weight (980 grams...a little less than 2 lbs, 3 oz).

Read the shirt: "I'm the princess. We'll do things MY WAY".
Her little track suit. She wears this when she dances to BOOM BOOM POW.
I've been tormenting myself for the past few months just thinking about when I'm going to start Little One on solid food. Everyone keeps telling me, "Oh, she really should be eating solids now" or "She's too old to be exclusively breastfed. She needs more than just mother's milk".

Then we've got the Neonatologist, whose advice I really appreciate and would consider over just anyone on the street who tells me what I should do with my baby. I mean, the Neonatologist knows about preemies and their digestive systems. She knows just how premature Little One was at birth and she tells us not to rush things. In fact, she's even asked me if I would consider exclusively breastfeeding Little One until she's a year old.
Well, Little One has been showing lots of interest in food and wanting to eat. As much as I didn't want to try her on rice cereal today, she looked ready.

It may sound odd of me to say this, but this eating solids stage signals (to me, at least) an end to her "babyhood". By eating solids, she won't be dependent on me nursing her. In some ways, it makes me sad that she's growing up so quickly.
Her first taste of cereal...and she hated it! She cried and cried. She still wants Mommy's milk.
Gadget Girl is visiting us on the Island to keep me from going bonkers help me maintain what little sanity I have left help out on the farm and relieve me of a few jobs around here. Thank goodness for Gadget Girl!

I had a minor breakdown this morning. The baby's cheeks are so red and she's been complaining a bit. She was screaming. I had just nursed her. I hadn't even had time to shower, brush my teeth, eat breakfast...and I just broke down. I'm not the kind of person who asks others for help. I don't know why. I just never have been one to ask for help. I feel badly for Hubby because he's so busy with work. Some people say, "Oh. You don't need help. You only have one baby. That's nothing. One baby would be a breeze!".

I honestly don't know how I'm going to survive the exhaustion and having to take care of this baby who never naps during the day, get all the household chores done, all the meals cooked, all the running around helping Hubby with things on the farm (errands, fetching parts for equipment repairs, picking up seed or what not). It's just really hard. If I had the luxury of having a cleaning service come in once a week or once every two weeks, or being able to order delivery sometimes instead of making all our meals from scratch, that would be nice. If I had the luxury of having people come and watch the baby for half an hour or so, that would be great too.

I'm really nervous about Little One turning a year old. I had originally planned on teaching again when as soon as she turns one. I'm barely hanging on as it is. I don't know how I'm going to cope. How will I take care of the home, the baby, my husband, help Hubby with farm related jobs, and teach ESL students and have them with us 24-7?

I'm not helping Hubby much right now, except for running the errands and doing odd little things here and there. I haven't been driving tractor for him because I've got the baby all day and all night. Now that Gadget Girl has come to help me, maybe I can finally take a nap! I have not had a nap since before Little One was born! I've never been one for naps, but when I was pregnant I did indulge in a few naps because I was always so wiped out! People used to tell me, "When the baby sleeps, you sleep!". That would be great...if the baby slept longer than 7 minutes at a time! Then if by some miracle, she does sleep longer, that's when I get chores done.

Please tell me it won't always like this :) Don't get me wrong. Little One is a fantastic baby. She's so funny, smiley, and active!!! If all I had to do was take care of her, I'd be fine! LOL! Unfortunately, that will never be! I live on a farm and am married to a farmer. There's always a lot of work that needs to get done.

For all you Mommies out there who have two, three, four (or more!) young children, I really, truly, honestly admire and respect you! How do you do it all?!?!

My Little Vampire

...vampire lover, that is! Little One, whom I so lovingly call my Little Milk Monster (because she's got an insatiable appetite!) loves the Cullen boys. Though she has a soft spot for the Quileute werewolves too, she proudly displays her preference.

Okay, perhaps it's Little One's Mama who is crazy about the Twilight Series and Edward Cullen/Robert Pattinson! Little One looks so darn cute in her Team Edward onesie though!

Canine, Jeanna, Deb, Fancy, Andi, and Maya (J's daughter), this pic's for you! :)

It's Just Another Manic Monday

First off, Happy Birthday to my Mom! :) We had my Mom and Dad over for supper to celebrate my Mom's birthday. I prepared the quickest dinner possible: baked salmon, hot potato salad, and sauteed zucchini. Dad brought a garden salad with lettuce from his garden. Little One gave her Lola a pretty bracelet that can hold photos of all the grandbabies. After the gift opening, Lola blew out her birthday candle.

The birthday cake? Well, I wanted to be different and I made a Chocolate Chess Pie (as per Hubby's request).

CHOCOLATE CHESS PIE

2 eggs

1 sm. can evaporated milk

3 tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 stick butter

BE SURE TO MIX AS FOLLOWS: Beat eggs. Add 1 cup sugar and then add milk. Mix well. Mix cocoa with other 1/2 cup sugar. Add to egg mixture and mix well. Melt butter and mix with above. Add vanilla. Pour in 10 inch deep dish unbaked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. I make my pie crust from scratch and I think I may have even posted the pie crust recipe on the blog before. I'm too lazy to dig it up, but it's somewhere in the archives under "recipes".

It's been a crazy few days weeks months and I've discovered that I am such a bad wife. I've been finding myself totally wiped out lately. If I can get all our meals made, the dishes all washed, errands done, a few loads of laundry done, the baby taken care of and maybe a review or article written, it's a good day. Then I think of the gardens that need tending, the house that needs cleaning, the basement that needs finishing, the windows that need window treatment, the things Hubby needs help with on the farm...

I can go on and on. The nurse that comes to follow up on Little One said something that struck me yesterday. She said, "People who come to your home know you've had a baby. They come to see you and the baby and not your house. If they comment on the state of your house, hand them a broom!" :) That kind of put things into perspective for me. I need to learn how to pick and choose my battles. I suppose I can settle for a less than perfect house if that means that my baby and my husband are happy, healthy and taken care of.

I shouldn't complain about how exhausted I am. I should count myself lucky that I can spend time with Little One while she's little. I'll start teaching again when she's a bit older, but for now she needs my undivided attention. This is really important to me since she was born almost three months early.

This said, it's gotten to the point where I'm so tired or too busy to even make my husband's meals for when he comes in from work. I'm such a bad wife that this is what we had to eat:

Toasted Montreal bagels (brought by my aunt and uncle from Montreal) with garlic and herb cream cheese, smoked salmon and capers. I know this probably doesn't qualify as a "meal", but that's about all I could manage to make with all the work that had to get done.

Good news! Little One is now 11 lbs, 4.5 oz! She was assessed and is doing great! She's doing things she should be doing at her age (chronologically and corrected). She's been rolling a lot, laughing a lot, smiling at everything and everyone, and is now *gasp* trying to crawl. She'll be 8 months chronological on the 11th and is still being exclusively breastfed. Some people have been telling me "You should stop nursing her!" or "She should really be eating solids now". The neonatologist actually backed me up and said that she believes I shouldn't rush into feeding Little One solids. She's a preemie. Her stomach and guts are still premature compared to babies who are born at term. Come August, I should be able to start her on solids if I feel she's ready.

Little One is showing signs that she's ready. She reaches for our food when we eat. She tries to eat big people food. Her appetite is increasing tenfold. Am I going to start her on solids in August? I'm not sure. We shall see. Part of me feels sad that she's almost ready for solids. It's exciting and sad at the same time. Exciting because she's reaching new milestones, but sad because she'll be a year old in four months!!!

My niece, The Teenager (formerly known on the blog as "Toad") likes the Black Eyed Peas. Little One was groovin' to BOOM BOOM POW the other day. I cannot believe my 7 month old baby was laughing and dancing to "I'm so 3008. You so 2000 and late. I got that boom boom boom. That future boom boom boom.Let me get it now". She's such a funny girlie.

HELP!

I need your help! Here's the deal. I'm entering a photo contest. I do realize that I am not the greatest photographer that ever was. I realize I'm not even a good photographer. I don't even have a good camera! I've got a SONY Cyber-Shot and pretty much do the "point and shoot" thing.

In any case, I'd like to enter this photo contest just to see what happens. There are two categories: Babies and all other photos. I need you to tell me which "baby" photo and which "other" photo you like best.

Here are my baby photos for your selection:

1. Sweet Dreams

2. Talk Baby to Me

3. You Are My Sunshine

4. Daddy's Girl

5. Strike a Pose

Here are my "other" photos:

6. In Bloom

7. Serenity

8. Deep Thoughts

9. Acrobat

10. Tear Drops

11. Freedom

12. Solitude

13. Peacefulness

14. Early Morning Mist

15. Day Break

16. Stream

17. Clouds