tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36726714791280926572024-03-18T19:50:22.248-07:00¿Do we do this in English or Spanish?Preguntas, problemas, pensamientos, sentimientos...La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-29517490051840210892014-06-15T11:18:00.001-07:002014-06-15T11:18:22.277-07:00Pixie<p dir="ltr">I decided a few months ago that come summer, I would go ahead and cut all the remaining brown off and get a pixie cut. I don't love it, and I think Bill hates it, but now the brown is totally gone. I'm going to commit to the gray for one year before I decide to keep it natural, but I think the cut isn't right. But I did it!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODzUb43f8SzTXRYGCCA7uVPHqRS7fvWLHq12yND438cy6Z2hsJnY9jZFIsWvyt3e8XgKTYa-1ZBrY_BymIldSmy0DkcoHPzPdunC3rY8meW0Fn0LHKdMF6mdJgL4_GxgfI35FoPtOP4s/s1600/IMG_20140615_111415_771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODzUb43f8SzTXRYGCCA7uVPHqRS7fvWLHq12yND438cy6Z2hsJnY9jZFIsWvyt3e8XgKTYa-1ZBrY_BymIldSmy0DkcoHPzPdunC3rY8meW0Fn0LHKdMF6mdJgL4_GxgfI35FoPtOP4s/s640/IMG_20140615_111415_771.jpg"> </a> </div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-64264173695570683602014-05-04T18:04:00.001-07:002014-05-04T18:04:37.135-07:00Hair update<p dir=ltr>This is my 3rd update post from the bathroom during bath. Not much setting but the lighting is consistent. I post after my haircuts so you can really see the progress. I think in 2 cuts the brown will be gone.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJm-xeaIcOM0h0rFSDWKnina7XsrLkhZvz0xl8egUYmRR7me_kQcNGuAyCDP2pFWWTJP57pZ1GjrGSjDbsjwvFSQm7rwgIpKBt7NChMrb79cDk8rOlNnhmlJ5rw4XYENBmFiHm6Iw7Kf8/s1600/IMG_20140504_175820_704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJm-xeaIcOM0h0rFSDWKnina7XsrLkhZvz0xl8egUYmRR7me_kQcNGuAyCDP2pFWWTJP57pZ1GjrGSjDbsjwvFSQm7rwgIpKBt7NChMrb79cDk8rOlNnhmlJ5rw4XYENBmFiHm6Iw7Kf8/s640/IMG_20140504_175820_704.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaV-4sPA0w7yz-peejmGWBeeUCqCsBlmGlY5EV8tmR0_HbGoltQ7cX0JYdGQdGkUj_-m2kLJjDK3NurCaA-rdiJJhJfWxqJAzpJNmpz84bXRN8kQs_ePRzTdKfSZb8IG7Diqcud0QW3c/s1600/IMG_20140504_175036_684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaV-4sPA0w7yz-peejmGWBeeUCqCsBlmGlY5EV8tmR0_HbGoltQ7cX0JYdGQdGkUj_-m2kLJjDK3NurCaA-rdiJJhJfWxqJAzpJNmpz84bXRN8kQs_ePRzTdKfSZb8IG7Diqcud0QW3c/s640/IMG_20140504_175036_684.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cIa5a_PqP-ChxFccCNUQCg4ypsu2bGI_J2OPQiE6PXWWnpilpRxi7EzaBTQLF54Kpy5rgSb-0_6KHSZF3V2V-POcCLP8Yai7PbKWDzLwfaK29PPDYdL1Y3G8h2C5EJ2I_KjPGHuwGy8/s1600/IMG_20140504_175527_142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cIa5a_PqP-ChxFccCNUQCg4ypsu2bGI_J2OPQiE6PXWWnpilpRxi7EzaBTQLF54Kpy5rgSb-0_6KHSZF3V2V-POcCLP8Yai7PbKWDzLwfaK29PPDYdL1Y3G8h2C5EJ2I_KjPGHuwGy8/s640/IMG_20140504_175527_142.jpg"> </a> </div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-76138688991297348012014-03-31T18:58:00.001-07:002014-03-31T18:58:34.929-07:00Hair Update - 4 Months<p dir=ltr>Well, here we are at month 4. People are starting to notice which is funny since it has seemed terribly obvious for about 2 months. It is more obvious now that I chopped my hair. I like the pixie cut a lot but I'm not sure it is the cut I wanted. I'm going to wear it for awhile and maybe cut more next time. It is coming in very silver in the top, but apparently is still fairly brown in the back. I can't really see it. My stylist has assured me we can start coloring it if I want and I don't know her well enough to know if she's saying that because she thinks it looks bad or because she wants the money. I've really only gotten good feedback so I think it is the latter. </p>
<p dir=ltr>Cheers to silver hair!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchMwlN_zLCxHcSs8iOg5LYUxIpeumA_ykhJ3v5KCHwO7DQ89aYvj-urAnqxHBozadL6PRLm7mc3_l4F_MS6cKO9L3vv7raNV952-sVg2u9CM2BG9V9xLJYrSWpcqt4qhxdOYFNJ7c2BY/s1600/IMG_20140331_182827_579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchMwlN_zLCxHcSs8iOg5LYUxIpeumA_ykhJ3v5KCHwO7DQ89aYvj-urAnqxHBozadL6PRLm7mc3_l4F_MS6cKO9L3vv7raNV952-sVg2u9CM2BG9V9xLJYrSWpcqt4qhxdOYFNJ7c2BY/s640/IMG_20140331_182827_579.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnx1vm6SC31690PS8qSD9-i3TWzd52mRjO1NCwBgpT_GyNLaDbNQLNplUnPhwkI6oCQfVo9R6ZTUcoBokPgmSVd56QmVV-1aD5_2swsIRQftOE4KShvEEevqrb_BjbNNl5Azff8ZCgIs/s1600/IMG_20140331_182721_571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnx1vm6SC31690PS8qSD9-i3TWzd52mRjO1NCwBgpT_GyNLaDbNQLNplUnPhwkI6oCQfVo9R6ZTUcoBokPgmSVd56QmVV-1aD5_2swsIRQftOE4KShvEEevqrb_BjbNNl5Azff8ZCgIs/s640/IMG_20140331_182721_571.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjd82oExqddTQNFcfvfjkWXeCgLV9TUgPGv9KduKPihnXplp0Q3yT3BCUHgbhRyRnbil2RUI3kV41DZDMpdYqgGCngINHJY44X2H5zIV3w4_IiPRzlKydghUpvfXqtvf6WOU6qMI1A6g/s1600/IMG_20140329_155929_985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjd82oExqddTQNFcfvfjkWXeCgLV9TUgPGv9KduKPihnXplp0Q3yT3BCUHgbhRyRnbil2RUI3kV41DZDMpdYqgGCngINHJY44X2H5zIV3w4_IiPRzlKydghUpvfXqtvf6WOU6qMI1A6g/s640/IMG_20140329_155929_985.jpg"> </a> </div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-10711901943261410522014-03-22T21:54:00.001-07:002014-03-22T22:08:46.916-07:00Junk Salad<p dir="ltr">I hate chopping lettuce for salad. I made this up for my family at Christmas and I love all the veggies. You could make tons of substitutions and omit the lettuce it you want. The curried chick peas make the salad. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Ingredients:<br>
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained<br>
1-2 teaspoons curry powder<br>
1 tablespoon oil<br>
Salt and pepper</p>
<p dir="ltr">Vegetables:<br>
1 head romaine lettuce<br>
1 red pepper<br>
1 cucumber<br>
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes<br>
Radishes<br>
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley<br>
2-3 stalks celery<br>
1/2 red onion<br>
2 ounces chopped almonds</p>
<p dir="ltr">Instructions:<br>
Heat oil in small skillet. Add garbanzo beans, curry powder, salt and pepper. Toss and toast, </p>
<p dir="ltr">Chop all vegetables in similar size and put in large bowl with garbanzo beans. Toss with balsamic dressing of choice. </p>
La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-78451429493338812562014-03-09T20:19:00.000-07:002014-03-09T20:19:31.483-07:00Caramel Apple PieThis is a break from the hair update, but I wanted to get this recipe down before I forget it. I read a lot of recipes and reviews and this is what I put together for the best pie I've ever made. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Caramel Apple Pie<br />
<br />
Crust:<br />
3 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 cups shortening (NOT butter)<br />
1 beaten egg<br />
5 tablespoons ice water<br />
1 tablespoon vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
To make crust:<br />
1. Cut shortening into flour until well blended.<br />
2. Add egg, water, vinegar and salt and lightly toss with a fork until it just comes together.<br />
3. Lightly work dough into a ball and divide into 3 pieces.<br />
4. Form balls into disks and freeze for at least 30 minutes.<br />
5. You will need 2 disks for this pie. Not sure how long the third disk will last in the freezer.<br />
<br />
Filling:<br />
7-8 apples, mixed variety, peeled and sliced thin. (I used Grannie Smith and Pink Lady.)<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
3 tablespoons flour<br />
1/4 cup butter<br />
1/4 cup milk (I used 2%)<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
1/2 teaspoon sea salt<br />
<br />
To make filling:<br />
In a small saucepan, combine sugars, flour, butter, milk, water and salt and allow to melt together. Bring to a boil and stir often. Boil around 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir occasionally while it cools and you prepare the apples.<br />
<br />
Prepare apples. Pour in sauce over apples and stir to combine.<br />
<br />
Roll out bottom crust and lay in pie plate. Fill with apples. Roll out top crust and lay over pie. Tuck edges under and flute. Cut several one inch vents in the top of pie. Foil the edges of the pie and put on a cookie sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes and remove foil. Bake long enough to brown the top.<br />
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Let the pie cool at least an hour. If you cut into it sooner the liquid spills all over. It sets up really nice after about an hour.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-7985166572679186552014-02-22T18:24:00.001-08:002014-02-22T18:24:35.782-08:00Update-3 months<p dir=ltr>Just got my hair cut! I think the next cut will be similar but the one after I'm going for the pixie. Kind of exciting.</p>
<p dir=ltr>I'm on month three of grow out and so far it doesn't bother me that much. I think it is going to come in pretty silver, which is good because I'd probably chicken out if it was white or yellowish. </p>
<p dir=ltr>Anyway, enjoy the pic Universe!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_38_kfQVcjHG9Prr6zjt6jzQd81ySKKZgxTJPF43P0l-7uDdhjURMGZTA6wJmpaokKqtW5OWXBhp_lcyZUq5DCs31zMKSmcQE2tt3dV5TIGWl0P3PL1xlD8YljpLQF_v-SFzdpwU_meY/s1600/IMG_20140222_181310_806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_38_kfQVcjHG9Prr6zjt6jzQd81ySKKZgxTJPF43P0l-7uDdhjURMGZTA6wJmpaokKqtW5OWXBhp_lcyZUq5DCs31zMKSmcQE2tt3dV5TIGWl0P3PL1xlD8YljpLQF_v-SFzdpwU_meY/s640/IMG_20140222_181310_806.jpg"> </a> </div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-77373315301466084572014-01-10T18:21:00.001-08:002014-01-10T18:21:28.362-08:00Transition<p dir=ltr>It is a little funny to think about blogging right now when it has been over a year and a half since my last post. I've decided to continue this blog but with a different focus. And I'm going to start with something fun, and kind of weird. I've decided to let my hair go back to its natural color, which is not dark brown like everyone thinks that rather completely and totally grey.</p>
<p dir=ltr>I made the decision because I've been totally grey for a long time, since my early thirties, and the idea of not dying my hair anymore or stressing out about it is so liberating.</p>
<p dir=ltr>I have a little bit of grow out, but I really just made <u>the</u> decision about a month ago. I've returned to the salon, and I'm working with a stylist to make the transition a little less obvious.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Here is the first photo. Our original plan was to use temporary color but it didn't really take. We may try highlights next.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HFFkMskBIZld4QqK3pIIyjKzI2yAun5FCb_CUxpBC6kPKsdEtfaCR1ERUPCzHJJ7fqif71TP8BwvnmlVYvsJpXO3HE9G3ZPo4DvHNL_9RkBuQWS7rlZrjmI-lkkFNgZN6Fvu0qYupnk/s1600/IMG_20140110_180531_128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HFFkMskBIZld4QqK3pIIyjKzI2yAun5FCb_CUxpBC6kPKsdEtfaCR1ERUPCzHJJ7fqif71TP8BwvnmlVYvsJpXO3HE9G3ZPo4DvHNL_9RkBuQWS7rlZrjmI-lkkFNgZN6Fvu0qYupnk/s640/IMG_20140110_180531_128.jpg"> </a> </div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-28756806871711110972012-06-27T20:27:00.002-07:002012-06-27T20:27:49.103-07:00Cast Iron Pizza Goodness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeBfjt72oiX4A-5SYxmYn1Ag5KwzbJkpe05EuxXEB6Ia3LfKpsSPvSUJ9Vx9FLEHiGqIK9YDlxVIx2TE_8JePfpIThuxudsmiyI9vAxX1ENEvT1Es3meurUkeRSmBz5OKhYSTjum5SpE/s1600/IMG_7387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeBfjt72oiX4A-5SYxmYn1Ag5KwzbJkpe05EuxXEB6Ia3LfKpsSPvSUJ9Vx9FLEHiGqIK9YDlxVIx2TE_8JePfpIThuxudsmiyI9vAxX1ENEvT1Es3meurUkeRSmBz5OKhYSTjum5SpE/s320/IMG_7387.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
For the last couple of years I've been obsessed with homemade pizza. I've tried many recipes and techniques and discovered that unless you completely burn it, homemade pizza is pretty forgiving and always yummy. It wasn't until recently that I took Bill's suggestion to try a pizza in our cast iron skillet. This is the first time I've made something that actually tastes like it was made in a restaurant. I've made this pizza countless times and every time it comes out perfect. We did experiment with the tomatoes, trying sauce instead of diced tomatoes and I definitely think it should be made with diced. If you're fortunate enough to have a pellet grill, I highly recommend baking it that way. Such a great pizza treat!<br />
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Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUPA_7niD4Tsq-EfdPlLbpU7iwddPgfIHOGtSOU_WZ-dlhxVfgKBAKtDOcBTaLgwvre7Yf-HITaaJcsyTi5NotjA12ZMFgcCMrMry5s6Q0Us3c9Nzaegk_0GXTJ4CXNlR6LCioMS7KpI/s1600/IMG_7386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUPA_7niD4Tsq-EfdPlLbpU7iwddPgfIHOGtSOU_WZ-dlhxVfgKBAKtDOcBTaLgwvre7Yf-HITaaJcsyTi5NotjA12ZMFgcCMrMry5s6Q0Us3c9Nzaegk_0GXTJ4CXNlR6LCioMS7KpI/s320/IMG_7386.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Crust:<br />
In your bread maker, add the following ingredients in order listed:<br />
<br />
1 cup warm water<br />
1/3 cup oil<br />
3 cups flour<br />
1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
2 teaspoons sugar<br />
1 packet FRESH yeast<br />
<br />
Set your bread maker to the dough cycle. When there is about 40 minutes left on the cycle, start the other ingredients.<br />
<br />
Tomatoes:<br />
<br />
2 cans diced tomates, drained<br />
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced<br />
1 teaspoon dried basil<br />
1 teaspoon dried oregano<br />
1/4 teaspoon black pepper<br />
1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes<br />
<br />
Mix together and set aside. The longer it sits, the better it gets!<br />
<br />
Toppings - Choose whatever you like on your pizza. This is what I do:<br />
<br />
1/2 pound bulk turkey sausage, browned and crumbled<br />
1 small can sliced black olives<br />
1/2 onion, chopped<br />
8-10 mushrooms, sliced<br />
8 oz sliced mozzarella cheese<br />
<br />
Sauté onion and mushrooms until soft. I find this step crucial. If you put the veggies on raw, the pizza gets puddles moisture on the top.<br />
<br />
Assembly:<br />
<br />
When dough is done, grease your skillet with butter. Grease it well!<br />
<br />
Press your dough into the skillet, pulling the dough up the sides of the pan in equal thickness as the bottom. The dough will slide down the sides of the skillet. Keep working until the dough is the correct thickness on the bottom. <br />
<br />
Layer cheese slices over the top of the dough. Press the cheese deep into the corners to hold the dough in place. Make sure cheese is covering entire bottom of dough. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZG0aLPttZLlRV_vOniKOZfViTy_sh9R5PRoEL3kFiLRCyWh5mPMNVXmzjweyEQLYjWhuh3IJUcqkNeXsG-ywqwx9FIst8CeRfYmp6S2ZDL3S2KmsAwLcSYyzF0zJ9aGsDLDjLT6xVdk/s1600/IMG_7385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZG0aLPttZLlRV_vOniKOZfViTy_sh9R5PRoEL3kFiLRCyWh5mPMNVXmzjweyEQLYjWhuh3IJUcqkNeXsG-ywqwx9FIst8CeRfYmp6S2ZDL3S2KmsAwLcSYyzF0zJ9aGsDLDjLT6xVdk/s320/IMG_7385.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Spread toppings over cheese. Cover toppings with tomatoes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.<br />
<br />
Bake in a 425 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Peek in on the pizza the first time you make one to make sure you don't overbrown the crust.<br />
<br />
I blot the top when it comes out to get the pools of moisture from the tomatoes. That way the liquid doesn't gather in the bottom of the pan when you cut the pizza making the rest of it soggy.<br />
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Let pizza rest about 5 minutes before cutting. <br />
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Try not to eat the whole thing.</div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-20330041170682127742012-05-02T22:27:00.000-07:002012-05-02T22:27:15.143-07:00UpdateWhat a difference a day makes! Yesterday we gathered at the hospital once more because my dad had to have another procedure. His blood pressure had dropped and heart rate increased, indicating infection. A scan revealed gall stones and they decided to remove the stones and clean the ducts laparoscopically. I saw Dad last night and the nurse was unable to say when he would receive the trachea tube we were expecting. <br />
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This morning, he'd improved so much that they removed the breathing tube altogether and he is breathing on his own entirely. No trachea tube! I think we all consider this somewhat of a miracle as we were all expecting him to need the tracheostomy and this was definitely unexpected! And wonderful.<br />
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I called to check on him this afternoon and rather than give me to the nurse for the update the receptionist said, "He wants to talk to you." My dad knew I was on the phone and asked to talk to me! I was so happy and stunned and excited that I just said, "Huh?" I talked to him for about 5 minutes and was so happy to hear his voice that I almost couldn't stand it. After talking to Dad, I immediately called my sister and ordered her to call too. She too was giddy with excitement and relief. What a gift to get to hear his voice and feel positive and hopeful for the first time in two weeks. The only explanation is that the hundreds and hundreds of prayers from Dad's family and friends have been answered. Huge networks of people including several churches and friends of friends have been praying for his recovery and today those prayers were answered. How grateful we all are!<br />
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It is really strange to see my father in such a vulnerable state. My dad, 6'3", retired police officer with 35 years experience. Larger than life. To see him in these circumstances feels impossible. I don't know how to comfort him because that has never been my job. It feels so foreign to try to reassure him, or soothe him. And what a strange place in my life to be. To have my daughter fast asleep in her bed and my father asleep at the hospital. I feel like I'm in the middle of two realities. A daughter and a mother. My role as a daughter is so different now. I don't know what I even mean.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-37881901773941487742012-04-30T20:15:00.001-07:002012-04-30T20:15:09.116-07:00When it rains it pours? Try a freaking monsoon.I would not say that 2012 has really been the best of years. I know there is a lot of year left, but the next 7 months have a lot of dazzling to do to convince me that 2012 wasn't a huge pain in my ass. Those who know me well know that I don't like to complain but I swear if I didn't complain about this year, I don't think I would have anything to say. As usual, the trials in my life invite me to really ask myself what I can do to improve myself and I what I can learn from the situation. I'm still chewing on that one.<br />
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After the Summer of Surgeries last year, Bill and I were really hoping for some reprieve. Unfortunately, 2012 started off with Dad having a knee replacement and hasn't slowed down. Dad's knee replacement went well. In February I had a second bunionectomy on my left foot. I had my left and right repaired in college but they've grown back. I started having a ton of pain in my left foot last year and after a lot of exploration it was determined that the bunion had to go if I wanted to feel better. Walking is pretty important, so we had it fixed February 1st. I recovered at home for a month and then went back to work on a knee scooter for another month. We all got sick halfway through my month at home, me with the worst sinus infection I've ever had. We rotated illnesses and we sick for almost a month. <br />
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Going back to work caused some anxiety but I had a lot of help and it turned out not to be a big deal. We were coasting along when we got some bad news about Dad. Despite the knee replacement, his pain in his hip had not subsided so Dad had some x-rays done and it was determined that he had 3 aneurysms in his pelvis and required surgery as soon as possible. It was expected that he would be in ICU post surgery for about 2-3 days and then out of OHSU in a week. Dad went in on April 17th and was in surgery about 11 hours. Overnight he took a turn for the worse and they reopened him the next day to see if they could determine the problem. Nothing was found, and he returned to ICU. He suffered from ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) and his body basically went into shock from the blood loss during surgery. He has been on a ventilator for almost 2 weeks. They will be putting in a trachea breathing apparatus as the ventilator is very uncomfortable and they usually don't like patients to have one more than 10 days. <br />
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His lungs have improved significantly in the last week, and as the fluid they gave him during surgery and immediately after continue to drain, doctors expect he will make a full recovery. But it is going to take time. Each day they tell us that he will be in ICU at least another week or two, but that time frame has never gone down as the days pass. His other body systems are improving, but we don't expect he'll be able to leave the hospital sooner than a month from now. After that, he'll need to go to a rehab facility to regain his strength before he goes home.<br />
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He can't talk to us. He's been very sedated to keep him calm as the ventilator is uncomfortable and can cause patients to panic. He's restrained so that he doesn't pull the tube out. When he wakes, he can look at us and he knows we're there, but he falls back asleep almost immediately. As his family, it is hard to see that he is improving because we don't understand the numbers or how the machines work, but we trust the doctors and nurses and know that he is getting excellent care. One of Kate's nurses while she was in ICU last year was Dad's nurse for a couple of days last week. <br />
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To say we've been worried and stressed and anxious would be an understatement. Kate flew into Portland the day after surgery to be with Dad but had to leave a week ago. Now she has just as much worry only she has to do it from thousands of miles away. <br />
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To top it all off, Camille has hand, foot and mouth disease. This is not really all that big of a deal, she just has to stay home from school for a couple of days so Bill will be home with her since I'm out of leave. But until we know I'm not going to get it and be contagious, I have to stay home from the hospital. I can't risk giving Dad any nasty germs. Staying at home when I want to check on him is really hard.<br />
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So, there you have it. We've been so blessed to have colleagues that are supportive and friends that offer love and help whenever they can. We continue to pray that Dad will be home soon. And I also have been sending up prayers that God will give us a break in the rain.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-86069573091396589732011-11-05T23:06:00.000-07:002011-11-06T07:49:06.880-08:00PressureI remember how I felt when I first started this blog. I was excited to have a place to put my thoughts. I was anxious to share with friends and family as a way of connecting. I was curious if anyone would read my blog and find what I have to say interesting. I wondered if my blog would be discovered by strangers who would share with their friends and presto! I'd have followers! Mostly I wondered if <u>anyone</u> would read it.<br />
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Now, it has become just another part of my life I feel pressured by. Daily I check my Google Reader and enjoy the words and wit and wisdom of friends and strangers I've chosen to follow and I wonder why I can't think of anything to say myself. My life is full. Why can't I talk about it? I'm funny. Why can't I think of anything witty to share? Lord knows I have the most ridiculous thoughts sometimes. Why can't I put those thoughts into words and share them with the world? <br />
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It seems like more and more I've become aware of how much incredible pressure I put on myself to, ... whatever. Fill in the blank. Pressure to be funny. Pressure to be clever. Pressure to be profound. Pressure to do the f-ing dishes. It is everywhere! In so many degrees and to be honest, it is really starting to annoy me. Oh how I long for that time in my life when I didn't worry about what other people thought! Of course, when I really stop to think about that "time in my life", I realize I can't really remember a time when I didn't care what other people think. Hell, worrying about everyone else and their perception of me is one of the big reasons I wound up in therapy. But I digress.<br />
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But it isn't just the pressure I put on myself. Since I've become a mother I pay close attention to the blogosphere. I read my mommy books. I subscribe to magazines. The pressure is freaking everywhere. And it isn't just on mommies. Sure, I feel this pressure as a mommy. But I also feel it as a woman. As an American. As a <u>human</u>, for crying out loud. Like living on Earth these days means being snuggled up inside a pressure cooker and, wait for it, acting like you're not. <br />
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That's the crux of the problem. The biggest stress of all. That despite all this, pressure, in order to truly be the ultimate mother, woman, employee, or whatever, you have to act like despite all the pressure to be perfect, you truly are under no pressure at all. You must give the impression that it is no big deal and that this brilliance you achieve in every aspect of your life is really just a coincidence. <br />
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Take motherhood, for example. The ultimate example of pressure. In order to be a good, albeit <i>great</i> mother, you must feed your baby the healthiest options available. Surely you could never consider feeding your <i>baby</i>, your <i>child</i>, anything less than the best. Veggies at every meal? Of course. Fresh veggies? Duh. Organic veggies? Obviously. Local veggies? Only if you truly care about the ... <u>world</u>. I mean, if you don't care about the world <u>at all</u> I guess you could feed your child fresh, organic green beans from, (gasp!) California, but if you truly give a crap about the community you bother to live in than SURELY you will bother to buy local, farm-fresh, organic green beans picked THIS MORNING. I mean, come on, don't you care at all?<br />
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See what I mean by pressure? Do you know how expensive it is to buy <strike>local</strike> <strike>organic</strike> <strike>fresh</strike> veggies? Yeah, I said it. It is just plain expensive to get something green on my child's plate, let alone the premium stuff the primo-mommies are providing their children.<br />
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Regardless of what the topic is - food, clothing, discipline, education - the pressure is on for mommies to provide the best. We must carefully research each topic, weed out the nonsense, avoid the insane and overly zealous and ultimately deliver what is unquestionably the perfect specimen of childhood nutrition at every instance that our child opens his/her mouth. If we don't, well, we suck and have failed at parenting.<br />
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But that isn't even the real pressure. The actual part of the story that makes mommies cringe is not that we make the best decision about what we feed our children. The irony of the whole story is that we have to appear completely disinterested in the whole topic. Not only do you have to spend all morning researching the availability of organic arugula at the local farmers' markets, you also have to act like choosing the $6 per pound greens was merely an <i>afterthought </i>to your weekly menu planning. "Of course I thought about it, but I didn't think <u>too</u> much." It isn't that buying organic, local produce is something I worry about, rather it is something that just naturally occurs in my grocery shopping experience. <br />
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All around us we have to make the popular, worldly, educated choice but more importantly, you have to appear like choosing this option wasn't really a big deal. "Oh, you feed your baby <i>canned</i> green beans? Good for you! Where do you buy them? I mean, I usually get my green beans in my weekly produce box from the community garden down the street, but canned green beans would be so convenient! Aren't you clever for choosing something so <i>innovative</i> as canned green beans? Thank you for setting such a good example for mommies everywhere!" <br />
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What is so exhausting about this whole topic of disinterested perfection is that it applies to every f-ing aspect of our lives. The message is everywhere. <br />
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<ul>
<li>Be green. Avoid BPA at all costs. Conserve energy. Recycle. But don't freak out about plastic bags or canned tomatoes or plastic water bottles at parties because really, you can only do so much.</li>
<li>Eat well. Exercise. Look great in a bikini! But don't worry about your body too much because it isn't healthy to be obsessed about how you look.</li>
<li>Honor your home. Nurture your family. Provide a loving environment for your children. But make sure you portray the ideal feminist by working full time, climbing the corporate ladder and stomping on any idiot that gets in the way of your career. </li>
<li>Whip up a delicious spread of snacks for a crowd coming over to watch the football game, decorate your house in the appropriate team's colors and make favors of personalized football jersey sugar cookies complete with every guests' name but also be able to commentate the entire game and get really irritated by the idiot ref's call during the fourth quarter.</li>
<li>Create the most beautiful centerpiece imaginable but make sure you can put it together with whatever you have lying around your house.</li>
<li>Be able to debate the most complex political issue but also be able to recommend the most fashionable red wine to serve at your book club and know what your teenager enjoys listening to on the radio but also be able to identify the lead in the off-Broadway performance of Miss Saigon this weekend and how she compares to the lady who portrayed her last season and how to copy what she wore on the red carpet using what you can find at the local consignment shop and a packet of sequins purchased at Joann's with a 50% off coupon.</li>
</ul>
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Yeah. That's pressure. Perform as if your life depends on it but make sure you act like you don't give a damn. <br />
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And then be sure to blog about it.<br />
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<br />La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-30885914445318806122011-09-04T22:46:00.000-07:002011-09-04T22:48:54.410-07:00Pesto PrestoWhat is it about pesto? If I see something on a menu that has pesto in it I'm immediately drawn to it. The mere thought of pesto makes me think of summer and delicious dishes and spreading pesto deliciousness on crackers/toast/pita/my finger...whatever. It is so good. Garlic? Oh yeah. Fresh basil? Be still my heart. There is not one thing about pesto that is bad which is why it so, so good.<br />
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What I love about pesto is that it is easy to make and incredibly forgiving. You can make pesto out of anything. I think the most traditional recipe involves garlic (I love you, Garlic), basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Not much to complain about with this combination of delightful ingredients, but I will mention that pine nuts are ridiculously expensive. I typically replace the pine nuts with it's very unglamorous cousin, the walnut. To be perfectly honest, I can't really tell the difference in taste, but my wallet thanks me.<br />
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Other substitutions are often made to save some calories. Traditional pestos require copious amounts of oil (though olive oil is very good for you), cheese and nuts. Now, these ingredients bring much to the table in terms of flavor but they also pack on the calories and fat grams. I'm totally on board with the good fat found in olive oil and nuts, but I enjoy eating pesto with a spoon and even too much of a good thing is a bad thing.<br />
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My recipe for pesto serves it's purpose well in that it gives me that garlicky, basil spread but saves my wallet and my daily calorie count. Remember, pesto is forgiving. Add more of whatever flavor makes your heart sing and go ahead, eat it with a spoon.<br />
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Summer Pesto<br />
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Combine in food processor:<br />
3-4 garlic cloves<br />
huge handful of fresh basil leaves<br />
1/3 cup of shelled pistachio nuts (roasted and salted) or whatever nut you have handy<br />
2 ounces of grated parmesan cheese<br />
1 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices<br />
pinch of salt and pepper<br />
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Pulse in food processor till well combined and thick.<br />
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Stream in oil (olive, canola, whatever you have) until pesto is desired consistency. You don't need as much as you think. The zucchini helps stretch the recipe and only mildly affects the flavor. I can't taste it.<br />
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I've frozen pesto in ice cube trays for easy additions to pastas and sauces. If you are going to store fresh pesto, I suggest you put it in a deep container (so you have less surface area exposed to air) and cover the surface with oil to avoid the pesto turning brown. If it does turn brown, by all means, use it anyway, it will taste great, it will just be brown. Simply turn off the lights so you can't see and eat it with a spoon. It is so, so good.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-57247407134173117432011-08-27T10:07:00.000-07:002011-08-27T10:07:32.049-07:00Blog DelinquentI wanted to come up with this really ingenious excuse for why I haven't blogged lately. Even as I write this I'm coming up completely blank. Sometimes, you just go months without anything really interesting to say.<br />
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Anything I really feel like blogging about I can't imagine would be interesting to anyone else. Maybe I should explore a theme for this blog to give me some direction. <br />
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Anyhoo, at least my friends who have me linked into their blogs will no longer have to look at "4 months ago" as my most recent post.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-37779697424084356052011-04-08T21:03:00.000-07:002011-04-08T21:07:08.055-07:00Who's flying this plane, anyway?There are so many things about myself that I never realized until I became a parent.<br /><br />I didn't realize that I would be completely cliché about all things parenting, for starters. Normally repulsed by any discussion of bodily functions, I will now happily chatter away about the size, frequency, and consistency of Camille's BMs. We have taken easily 5000 pictures of Camille since her birth. I stood staring at a bib in Target that said, "I'm the Star of Mommy's Blog" for about 5 minutes debating whether I should buy it or not.<br /><br />I was also hoping to be the kind of parent that just does everything naturally but instead I read any and every book regarding pregnancy and childrearing that was recommended to me. The last part is important because I didn't realize how important it would be to me to be current on all the trends. Whatever the "it" topic (food, sleep training, safety) I want to make sure I'm aware, educated and armed with an opinion because God knows I don't want to be the clueless parent. Of course, this just emphasizes how completely clueless I am about parenting. Camille has proven time and time again that books be damned, she's doing it her own way.<br /><br />But the biggest surprise I've had since becoming a parent is the realization that I am a complete control freak. I think this will come to no surprise to my friends and family, and certainly not to my husband, but it really blindsided me. Losing all sense of control when you become a parent is probably fairly normal, and my desire to always appear smart, capable and good at whatever I'm doing really came back and bit me in the ass the moment control started slipping away.<br /><br />I thought heart surgery would be the hardest part of the journey. Again, in my effort to appear educated and wise, I said that we may have trouble conceiving, but I never really imagined the magnitude of our fertility challenges. I told people I knew pregnancy and delivery would be incredibly challenging, but I believed that my experience would be okay and would go the way I expected. Then Camille came 6 weeks early and required an 18 day stay in the NICU. I made sure people knew that I understood how challenging breastfeeding could be for mommas, but I really believed that it wouldn't be that way for me. <br /><br />Like putting checkmarks on a shopping list, each of my preconceived notions about all things regarding conception, gestation, and delivery of our daughter have been placed in the "That's what you think" category. I suppose if I were a better person I would sit back, enjoy the ride, and chalk it up to being all part of the experience and joy a parenting.<br /><br />But I'm not that person and the reality is, it is really hard. Each time I watch another one of my well thought out plans go drifting out the window part of me feels really sad and disappointed, and another part feels like saying, "You dummy, that's what you get for thinking you can control how things go." The latest example of this is breastfeeding. Before Camille, I planned to breastfeed if I ever became a mother and never really considered the alternative. When Camille came early, I knew the only way to continue with my plan was to have a pump in ICU with me. So, by golly, I made certain there was a breast pump in there and I started pumping within hours of delivery. And every 3 hours after that. For...ever. Camille wasn't ready to breastfeed exclusively till 8 weeks old, so we fed, pumped and gave bottles every 3 hours for 2 months. And the day the lactation consultant told us we didn't have to pump anymore, I rejoiced.<br /><br />I still planned to breastfeed till one year and wean her over the summer. Once again, my plan was rejected. Camille took a break from being a champion nurser and my supply took a dip around 5 months. We didn't realize there was a problem till her weight was affected and despite 2 more months of constant pumping and feeding, supplementing with formula, herbs, massage, tea, water, you name it, we never really recovered. Like a stubborn, bull-headed mule I've fought and fought this to the brink of insanity and though I've been done pumping for a week and only nurse once a day, if at all, I still want to cry about it.<br /><br />It isn't formula. Formula is fine - Camille is thriving. I just wanted this neat, pretty, perfect mommy experience where we breastfeed for a year, take long walks in the stroller, go to farmers' markets with her strapped to me and buy organic veggies, you know. The idyllic experience that is sort of silly because being a mommy isn't pretty and perfect. Instead, it is exhausting, tear-stained, and covered in sweet potatoes. And that little scene I had in my head got replaced with reality. Which is SO much better anyway.<br /><br />Our reality is making Camille a bottle in the morning and snuggling with her in her chair while she sucks it down and lets out a trucker burp. Reality is Camille sneezing during her mouthful of dinner and spraying it all over me, and then looking up at me and laughing. Reality is Bill telling me he has to change Camille's clothes after their walks because he sweats so much in the Ergo. I much prefer reality because every movie has the scene I'd envisioned in my head, but I'm the only one who has Camille.<br /><br />I know there will be many other points in Camille's life where I will imagine it a certain way, only to find out that what I want/think/dream doesn't really matter, because it isn't about me. I would be lying if I thought I could let my desire for control go, so I won't, but I do hope that over time I learn to get over it quickly. I definitely have better things to do.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-79008123243961820942011-03-21T21:27:00.000-07:002011-03-21T21:27:30.546-07:00Teddy writes a letterJust in case you missed it on Teddy's blog:<br />
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<a href="http://teddylovestreats.blogspot.com/2011/03/letter-to-my-baby.html">http://teddylovestreats.blogspot.com/2011/03/letter-to-my-baby.html</a>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-30424441228774405612011-02-16T21:33:00.000-08:002011-02-16T21:33:53.135-08:00Bullying sucksWe had an assembly today. I remember as kids there was nothing better than an assembly. Mainly because you get out of class. In fact, I think when we were headed back to class we felt a little disappointed, not because we had to go back to class but because the assemblies were usually a letdown. Today's assembly was about bullying. It seems that this year especially we have spend a considerable amount of time talking with kids about bullying and what they can do to help improve the school culture. More than ever before it seems like this message is falling on deaf ears. I think kids know all the answers adults want to hear when it comes time to talk about bullying and how to decrease those behaviors but I also get the sense that they are humoring us. "Bullying can leave lifelong scars." "The bullies do it for attention." "The bullies may have sad lives at home." Kids have heard this message before but they seem numb to the subject. <br />
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I don't think this means that kids don't care. Why bullying is such a problem is a whole other subject. Changes in technology? Popular culture that glorifies and rewards the "mean kids"? A numbness to the feelings of others due to ________ (absent parents, violent video games, high fructose corn syrup)? Whatever the reason bullying is rampant in our schools, I think kids do care about the problem, it just is so very, very big. If I'm feeling helpless, how must they feel?<br />
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The presentation was good today. Fresh voice, energetic speaker with a story of his own, et cetera. The difference today was that this was the first time I've talked about bullying as a mother. Though I was sitting in a gym surrounded by middle school children, my thoughts the entire time were on Camille. And I just felt like crying. This ache settled deep in my bones for her and I felt like I couldn't breathe properly. I had to really fight to stay in control because crying in front of a middle schoolers is really embarrassing.<br />
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I just can't take the thought that someone could be mean to her. Someone someday might say something to her that hurts her. Or scares her. Or makes her doubt her worth. The thought makes my skin crawl. As I was listening to the presentation, watching video clips of kids at schools across the country, I started thinking about private school. How much would it cost? Could we consider that as an option to protect her? But I can't protect her. Not really. At some point in her life, she is going to figure it out. Even if I shelter her from reality as long as possible she will come across meanness in this world. She will discover eventually that not everyone is kind, not everyone is considerate, not everyone cares about her feelings. <br />
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I don't know who my girl will become. But I pray with all my might that whether butcher, baker or candlestick maker that she be kind. That she cares for her fellow man. That she have empathy. I pray she'll embrace diversity and respect people when they are different than she. And I pray that somehow, we'll teach her how to respond when she realizes that not all rest of the world is like that.<br />
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The assembly did speak to me about my own actions and behaviors as well. On the drive home, another driver "merged" into my lane in a way that should better be described as "barging in without looking at a really unsafe speed and with total disregard for lines on the road and traffic laws". I believe I said something to the affect of, "nice driving, jerko." Little ears will soon be in the car with me and will understand not just that what I said was mean, but also how easily I judged, criticized, ridiculed and condemned someone who made a mistake. I treated a total stranger as if he had no feelings. And I do it all the time. How can I expect my daughter to respect people who make mistakes, to be courteous to others, if I toss insults around without a second thought? How can I expect my daughter to be sensitive to others' feelings if I laugh and joke at TV shows whose entire purpose is to mock people? Just because I don't know someone personally doesn't take away my responsibility to respect him or her. I need to clean up my act, and quickly. She can't talk yet, but my baby can hear. She can understand. And she is learning every day about the world around her.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-46043858872416543252011-01-22T15:24:00.000-08:002011-01-22T15:24:09.285-08:00The time has comeOh man, I've been dreading this post. I haven't posted in a long time because I have been composing it in my head, knowing that after this post, everything will be very, very different. Before this post, I was a stay at home mommy and after, I'll be a working mommy. I could get all negative and mopey about returning to work, and that would be true to how I'm feeling, but instead I'd like to at least <u>try</u> to find some positives. <br />
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What I will miss when I return to work is obvious. My baby girl is slowly moving out of the fragile, baby stage into the fun, exciting stage. Everything she does enthralls her. Finding her feet, pulling on her tights, trying her darndest to flip onto her tummy. I'll just plain miss watching her. And holding her. Our new fun thing is to look at mirrors. I hold her and she grins and grins, trying to figure it out. Is mommy holding me, or is she in there? So fun. <br />
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At six and a half months, Camille is just awesome. She can flip from her tummy to her back without a pause and just recently learned that her feet will reach all the way to her mouth. She is eating rice cereal and seems to really enjoy the new texture and taste. She is a bouncing machine in her jumperoo and adores the pink bear that Grannie and Grandpa gave her that sings. She falls asleep for her naps within minutes and can sleep all night without needing attention from us. She still wakes up periodically, but can put herself back to sleep in usually 10 minutes. <br />
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She is constantly smiling. When she wakes up, when she eats, when playing with a toy, when looking at Teddy. My favorite is when we put her on the changing table to get her sleep sack on before bed. Daddy reads from a book while I get her in the sleep sack and she always looks back towards him the second you lay her down, because she's looking for Bill to start reading. And she grins this huge grin. Baby Girl loves her daddy.<br />
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It will be so amazing to have Bill take over because he is the kind of dad every kid wants. He is goofy, he is fun, he is devoted, and he completely adores her. Bill will now understand how fast time can really go. <br />
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Even though there is so much that I will miss there are actually some things that I will not miss. <br />
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1. Washing baby dishes. I pump and give her a bottle every time I feed her. That equals a lot of pump parts and bottles to wash and sterilize. My hands are like sand paper. When Camille goes down for her nap, I spend 20 minutes washing everything. I will not miss that.<br />
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2. Playing the guessing game. What time will she wake up? How long will she sleep? When will she want to eat? If she wakes up at this time, will we have time to eat before we need to leave? What if she only sleeps 35 minutes? Will we need another nap before dinner? Ugh.<br />
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3. Teddy's eyes. That dog has been staring at me with those huge chocolate eyes for months with such a look of disappointment. I'm home, yet he is ignored. He doesn't even get excited about walks anymore because they are so infrequent (thank you rain and unpredictable schedule).<br />
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4. The elusive nap. I am a terrible napper. A nap has to find me, not the other way around. I'll be just starting to drift, you know that moment that feels so good as you are just starting to fall asleep? Then I hear her on the monitor. Bill always seems mystified that I didn't take more naps during my maternity leave, especially when I was up three times a night. My naps now will be intentional. And successful. And probably just as infrequent.<br />
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5. Online shopping. It is so, so easy, and so, so dangerous. I need a new book. Zing! It arrives on my doorstep. Camille needs a new _____. Zing! Two days later it is here! I've never been patient and free two day shipping at Amazon is a scary, scary thing for stay at home mommies.<br />
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6. Grizzly, Chaucer, and Emmy. Those damn (sorry) dogs have been driving me apeshit since Camille's napping became more predictable. Grizzly is the German Shepherd with completely moronic owners who let him run around off leash. Grizzly thinks people calling him or trying to get him to come in is a hilarious game, which makes his owners yelling "Grizzly" constantly completely counterproductive, as Grizzly just runs the other way. Chaucer and Emmy are the dogs across the street who are never allowed off leash or out of their yard and bark non stop when they see Grizzly strutting around the street or turning cookies in our grass. Miraculously they've never woken Camille but they've caused my blood pressure to sky rocket, made even worse when I talk to Grizzly's owners and hear, "We try to get him in and he never comes." Maddening.<br />
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That's it. Those things are the ONLY things I will not miss. Everything else I will miss terribly. Camille and I will never get to spend this much one on one time together again unless one of us is sick, which would completely suck. I am completely blessed to have been able to spend 7 months with her and I know how lucky, lucky, lucky I am. And it has to end, right? And now our relationship will change, but it will be just as sweet. Just different, and that's okay.<br />
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Do I sound convincing?La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-35029263228998774732011-01-04T14:05:00.000-08:002011-01-04T17:06:25.734-08:00BlockheadI looked up online to find out that Black Ironwood is the densest, hardest wood on the planet, but I should have known because my head is made of it. Remember that last post I wrote? The one about sleep? The one where I am perplexed at why people always ask me if my baby is hungry? Well, back to that dome of wood that sits atop my shoulders...she was.<br /><br />We went to the doctor for her 6 month appointment and discovered that she's only gained 3 ounces in a month. She should have gained a pound. Her percentile has dropped from 20% to 7% in weight. The doctor asked me to talk about her feedings and I told her how Camille often cries when I switch sides and sometimes takes 5 minutes or more to calm down after a feeding. I thought she needed help burping since she's always been a lousy burper. Then doctor asked if she does that after her nightly bottle. No, she doesn't. Because she's not hungry after her bottle.<br /><br />In my defense, I never had production problems before and she eats at least every 2-3 hours. But apparently I have some production problems now which is why she hasn't been gaining weight. She's getting enough calories to support her length gain and head circumference gain, which are both right on target, but there isn't anything left to add to those squishy cheeks and nummy thighs.<br /><br />I can feel bad all I want but the more important thing to do is to get her back on track, which is fairly simple: just give her a bottle chaser after she breastfeeds. We have milk stored in the freezer and Camille will eat formula, so this shouldn't be a problem at all. In fact, after her last feeding, she chugged a full 6 ounces from the bottle. (That is about what she eats for her nighttime feeding and she ate that in addition to breastfeeding.)<br /><br />I know it isn't my fault but I feel like such a nitwit.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-72468859756437132612010-12-16T07:44:00.000-08:002010-12-16T07:49:30.375-08:00Bleary-eyedSigh. To say the last couple of weeks have been a little tough is like saying the Olson twins are a little thin. Or Edgar Allen Poe is a little dark. Or...you get the idea. Three weeks ago our sweet little Camille had a major change in terms of sleeping and the result is a very tired and stressed-out quartet of Burels. I think what makes this so difficult is we're almost 6 months into this game, and this is a whole new strategy from Baby Burel. And we did NOT see it coming. Well played, my love, well played.<br /><br />It started with Camille's naps suddenly dropping down to 30 minutes. For those of you not obsessed with infant sleep, at this age a baby should sleep roughly 10 hours at night and anywhere from 3-5 hours during the day, depending on which expert you are reading at the time. The 3-5 hours of daytime sleep is usually in the form of 3-4 naps. So quite obviously, Camille's 30 minute nap regime was not sufficient daytime sleep. Even if she took 5 naps (which she does) it still isn't hitting the minimum daytime sleep hours. And 5 naps a day is really annoying.<br /><br />I tried everything to extend her naps. The Baby Whisperer offered the "pick up/put down" strategy, which is (duh) picking up the baby when she cried and immediately putting her down when she stops. Rinse and repeat until baby is asleep. I tried that for awhile and only once succeeded in extending her nap by 15 minutes. And it took 30 minutes to do so. The Baby Whisperer recommends "wake to sleep" as a technique to extend naps. Gently stirring the baby before she wakes up at 30 minutes supposedly resets her meter and allows her to sleep through to the next sleep cycle. That one never worked, instead it just took a couple minutes off her 30 minute nap. The Baby Whisperer suggests "sitting", thoughtfully named for the technique of sitting with the baby without moving or engaging until she is asleep. I still do that but it doesn't extend naps, it is just part of our naptime routine. I tried a bunch of things from the No Cry Nap Solution, but all I can remember is giving Camille a "lovey", creating a consistent routine and buying blackout shades.<br /><br />After about a week of this, Camille's nighttime sleep also changed. She'd been going down around 7pm after a set routine. Bill and I would put her in our bed to start out the night and then move her. We did this because she was screaming for several hours a little over a month ago and laying on the bed with her put her to sleep quickly. After the change in naps, laying on the bed became problematic because she would wake during transfer. No amount of consoling and soothing would put her back to sleep and after a few nights of that, I was going mad. A baby screaming in your ear for 2 hours is no fun. Again, I think what made it so bad was it was a change from her previous behavior. Who was this child?<br /><br />Feeling like we had no other choices, we looked into the Ferber method. For those of you not versed in infant sleep strategies, Ferber used to be known as the "cry it out" method and was pretty controversial at the time. It also has had a hard time overcoming that reputation. We decided to go ahead and do it since she was screaming anyway. Ferber suggests progressive waiting, which means putting baby down, soothing a short time after that and gradually extending the wait time.<br /><br />After buying the book and reading about the method we were convinced this is the right thing to do, just unsure if it is the right time to do it. Ferber suggests not using progressive waiting until the baby is 4-6 months old. Camille is 5 and a half months, but because of her preemie-ness she is four months and 3 days as of today. Another problem is she could still need a feeding during the night. A lot of experts say that the baby doesn't need a feeding in the middle of the night past 6 months.<br /><br />We trudged ahead because again, we felt we had no choices. What we were doing was not working, was making everyone crazy and sleep deprived. So we started. We decided we would no longer put her in our bed. We also stopped the swaddle. We agreed that if she woke during the night, I would feed her once. The first two nights were pretty hard. She went down easy but woke quickly after 30-45 minutes. She cried for 50 minutes. She woke again later that night, after midnight and I fed her. She then cried 50 minutes. For two nights it was a variation of that pattern. Teddy would whine in his crate. I was curled up in a ball sobbing. Bill was listening to his whole family cry.<br /><br />It got better after the second night. Still wake ups, but less crying to go back to sleep. She also had two amazing morning naps, 90 minutes for one and 2 and a half hours for another! I thought we'd maybe turned a corner. Then last night.<br /><br />Down easy, cries that lasted less than a minute. Then she woke up at 12:20. Pretty early for her night feeding and she'd eaten 9 ounces before bed, so I decided we should let her cry rather than me nursing her back to sleep. She cried for over an hour. Bill was confused why I'd changed the plan. When he said that, I got up and fed her and she fell asleep quickly. And woke again at 3:45. And cried until 5 when I got her up. We ate, dressed and played. She was incredibly tired but I got her to stay up until 6:30. Her usual morning nap is at 8. I'm not sure what this is going to do to her routine today. Should be interesting. I feel bad for me, as I've had almost no sleep but I feel worse for Bill who is greeting 8th graders this morning on just as little sleep as me.<br /><br />We're not sure how to adjust the plan, but I've learned some things the last couple of weeks.<br /><br />1. You can't make a baby stay awake or go to sleep. You can try, but if they stay awake or go to sleep, don't think you had anything to do with it.<br /><br />2. People who don't have young children assume that kids are always hungry. They never guess that the baby is tired. Before I had a baby, I probably assumed hunger too. With my baby, she is usually tired. In fact, if Camille is crying it is one of 3 things, in this order:<br /> 1) she's tired<br /> 2) something else is wrong and by the time you figure it out, it won't be bothering her anymore<br /> 3) she's hungry<br />People often ask me when she is crying if she is hungry. It is usually less than an hour after I've fed her. I wonder why no one ever asks if she is tired.<br /><br />3. Regardless of what people think, I really appreciate those people who offer support, not criticism. When you are in the thick of it, "Why don't you..." kind of makes the hairs on my neck stand up, especially if it is accompanied by a "Well <u>we</u> never/always...". My parents have been incredible since Camille was born. Though I'm sure they have opinions about how Bill and I are doing things, they have never said one thing about any of our decisions. Instead, they just ask questions, offer encouragement, and tell us we're doing a great job. They probably have a ton to say about it in the car ride on the way home, but they've never once criticized in any way.<br /><br />4. Sleep training is hard on the whole family. Without sleep, I get very emotional and have a hard time dealing with stressful situations, like a baby screaming in my ear for two hours. Without sleep, Bill has a hard time dealing with 150 8th graders. When forced to listen to a crying baby for hours on end, Teddy gets stressed out. He had a gastro incident this week that prompted a vet visit. $150, two shots, and two prescriptions later, it was determined that it was likely caused by stress. So sleep training gives Teddy diarrhea.<br /><br />We'll figure out what is best for this family. One thing that is so clear about parenthood is that what is right for one family may be wrong for another and vice versa. That is why there are so many experts and stupid books. This mama likes things a little more clear cut which is why this has been the most challenging thing I've done in my life.<br /><br />In the meantime, somethings haven't changed. Camille is still the prettiest baby I have ever seen. Her smile is starting to turn into a laugh, which is glorious. Her eyes light up when you walk into a room and her fingers curl around my shirt while she's nursing. She is a delight and when she happens to be having a great stretch of sleep, I find myself missing her. I mean, <u>look</u> at this child:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdfmrwGo9HzN6z0SnZarldzBIUtn6WhHEyL4INz9oPdChZB7Ur3SYvMKuM9bvhFP0LhXYHMQMQJPzSjCjrfEwtgXmu2SC6gFAA88aGk74xU1sZD_WB8Z_8mqpVF6tj0U4bjEHpd1KGas/s1600/IMG_0712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdfmrwGo9HzN6z0SnZarldzBIUtn6WhHEyL4INz9oPdChZB7Ur3SYvMKuM9bvhFP0LhXYHMQMQJPzSjCjrfEwtgXmu2SC6gFAA88aGk74xU1sZD_WB8Z_8mqpVF6tj0U4bjEHpd1KGas/s320/IMG_0712.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Amazing.</div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-23461549008845815442010-11-22T16:06:00.000-08:002010-11-22T16:06:17.683-08:00Ahh, marketingThere is a commercial on television for Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread that is quite possibly the most delicious thing you consider a condiment. What cracks me up about this commercial is how they spin it to make Nutella a healthy food. Mom is running around, busy, trying to get her kids out the door complaining about how difficult it can be to get them to eat a healthy breakfast. She goes on to say that she is grateful for Nutella because now she can get her kids the healthy start to the day they need. By spreading Nutella on whole grain bread. The kids gobble it up. <br />
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Of course they do. I would eat Nutella spread on a piece of cardboard. Or shoe leather. Or a rice cake. I just wouldn't then turn around and say it is healthy. Would the same mother allow the kids to put frosting on their bread? What about melted chocolate? This commercial drives me so crazy that I looked up the nutrition information for Nutella as well as some other foods. Allow me to compare.<br />
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Nutella has 200 calories and 21 grams of sugar for each serving of 2 tablespoons.<br />
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2 tablespoons of chocolate chips has 110 calories and 9 grams of sugar.<br />
2 tablespoons of canned chocolate frosting has 140 calories and 16 grams of sugar.<br />
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Now, I fully understand that calories alone don't determine if a food is healthy or not. Usually I consider fat, protein, fiber and vitamins as well. <br />
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Nutella has 11 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein, 1gram of fiber, 4% of your daily requirements of calcium and iron.<br />
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Chocolate chips have 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of fiber and 4% daily requirement of iron and 2% calcium.<br />
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The frosting has 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of fiber and 4% daily requirement of iron.<br />
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After comparing the numbers, I would probably go with the chocolate chips for overall health because of the low fat and calorie count. I wonder if Nestle should consider marketing chocolate chips as health food. All they have to do is put them on whole grain bread.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-1755964391807598172010-11-16T20:57:00.000-08:002010-11-16T20:57:21.343-08:00Three songs I really hate<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"If I Die Young" by The Band Perry. Favorite line: A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell them for a dollar. They're worth so much more after I'm a goner.</span><br />
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"Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw. Quite possibly the whiniest song ever performed.<br />
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"Stuck Like Glue" by Sugarland. Why does she rap?La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-1210791353988079172010-11-03T04:30:00.000-07:002010-11-03T04:30:46.563-07:00Too much at once!At Camille's four month appointment the doctor told us that we should be moving her to her crib and we should stop swaddling her. Since she was tiny, our experience has been that if she is swaddled, she will sleep longer. Part of this was probably that they told us to do it in the hospital, Camille is a preemie, and we felt that developmentally, she needed the comfort of the tight swaddle to sleep. Now, at 12.5 pounds and four months, we are supposed to stop the swaddle so she can comfortably and safely move at night.<br />
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We knew that changing her routine so drastically on the night she had her shots was a bad idea, so Bill and I put Camille to bed in her normal routine (swaddle and bassinet) and figured we'd start with the crib tomorrow, get her used to that and then remove the swaddle.<br />
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Unfortunately Camille was super fussy last night, woke up early (ironically, she was out of her swaddle for the first time ever) and fussed during her late night feeding. I made a judgement call and put her in a Halo sleepsack but feared that she would be too cold. We swapped it for a long-sleeved, fleece sleep blanket and I just put her down so I could pump. <br />
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The temperature thing is a problem because Bill and I sleep much better when cool. I'm afraid without the swaddle she is going to be too cold in just a sleep sack (Halo's are sleeveless). When we move her out of the crib we can close the heat vent in our room and that might help.<br />
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Not sure why I started this blog so early in the morning. Wish us luck on the sleep-front. Well, mainly me since I'm the one who suffers if she doesn't sleep well.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-26351874348000656282010-11-02T07:46:00.000-07:002010-11-02T09:37:09.800-07:00'Tis the season!I've commented before about how stores start putting out Christmas decorations as soon as the month ends in "ber" but once Halloween has passed, nothing is holding stores back from displaying fake trees, ornaments and ads that whip kiddos into a frenzy over the next "it" toy. While I still think it is a little premature to start shopping for holiday decorations, it is not to early to start preparing your holiday cards. Bill and I sent out Christmas cards once with Polly and once with Teddy. Now that we have our little darling, Holiday cards are a must! I love hanging cards on our front door, especially the photo cards, and I want my baby's adorable face to be smiling at all our friends and family this holiday season.<div><br /></div><div>I read about t<a href="http://bit.ly/sfly2010">his fabulous offer</a> on one of the blogs I read and am super excited to participate as well. First, because I love free things, and second because I really love Shutterfly. I've ordered photobooks from Shutterfly before and am so happy with them. As a non-scrapbooker, this site is really for me. It is easy to use, produces beautiful results, and takes all the annoying scrapbookiness out of making memory books for Camille. Yay!</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that we have a baby, we're finding that photo gifts are such a great thing, especially for grandparents. I made photobooks for Camille's baptism for Grandma Micki, Grannie and Grandpa and it was a big hit! There are so many different ways to do it and it is so easy. Be sure to check out some of <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books">these cool designs</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>While getting this post together, I enjoyed looking through their <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards">holiday card collection</a>. (Click that link to see what I'm talking about!) </div><div><br /></div><div>This was one of my favorites:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGb1Vkyj6g-wCP906u22mtZwfi34uZtajTeQleRaIqdAipC05ly8JoCiFx2pzm-bv9YkxwWJ2aLFjzBafDSmrqx7c1Eg2gfIPBSphyphenhyphenybnb8e7S7XuLXRrgz83RMQYIkjcKCAYPp3k4Hk/s1600/christmas+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGb1Vkyj6g-wCP906u22mtZwfi34uZtajTeQleRaIqdAipC05ly8JoCiFx2pzm-bv9YkxwWJ2aLFjzBafDSmrqx7c1Eg2gfIPBSphyphenhyphenybnb8e7S7XuLXRrgz83RMQYIkjcKCAYPp3k4Hk/s320/christmas+card.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color:black;">I like the classic design and the reference to one of my favorite carols.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>For a folded card option, this design caught my eye:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYwXMLT4Ei-5MiucCu0bOUafDi5S3gqcdfhBok9V-hwwwyB6hb_eQ9IWrUwbEyykmlXfftxGII8UNr4-O3dUIoU1GXE5fTMiz2maYSe41CtIM-85ij55rt17AuyUSL-7D1fcr2liztyw/s1600/fold+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYwXMLT4Ei-5MiucCu0bOUafDi5S3gqcdfhBok9V-hwwwyB6hb_eQ9IWrUwbEyykmlXfftxGII8UNr4-O3dUIoU1GXE5fTMiz2maYSe41CtIM-85ij55rt17AuyUSL-7D1fcr2liztyw/s1600/fold+card.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I like how simple it is and non-traditional.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm considering using their site for gifts as well and think <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars">these calendars</a> will make lovely gifts for family. For the family that reads my blog, try to act surprised! I love that you can print important dates into the calendars, which is helpful for remembering birthdays and other events.</div><div><br /></div><div>When all your cards and gifts are ready for mailing, print out fun photo labels <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/address-labels">here</a>. It is so nice to add that personal touch to a card and there are so many creative designs. This was one of my favorites:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRw5CJvYXzHwGfBtdWi4oMVtvM2xuJ-KB4TgyRsWia0R3V4L1qRBQ5tsOS55Q56uI9qO82pUS81OA0FbCpnxV-2-xfY3PLQCjxhDuKJkqD6PDXq0Ru33MCBY2dhboQa4cY9D1dBOhSAA/s1600/label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRw5CJvYXzHwGfBtdWi4oMVtvM2xuJ-KB4TgyRsWia0R3V4L1qRBQ5tsOS55Q56uI9qO82pUS81OA0FbCpnxV-2-xfY3PLQCjxhDuKJkqD6PDXq0Ru33MCBY2dhboQa4cY9D1dBOhSAA/s1600/label.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>For my blogger friends, think about taking advantage of <a href="http://bit.ly/sfly2010">this offer</a>! It is an amazing deal and so easy, promoting a site I love! </div><div><br /></div><div>So start shopping because those cards need to get in the mail!</div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-84385488642534264792010-11-02T06:13:00.000-07:002010-11-02T06:13:08.083-07:00Shades of blueEven though I have 3 months left of maternity leave, I've started thinking about when I go back and what it will mean for everyone - for me, for Bill, for Camille. I am overwhelmed with the feeling that going back to work is just...wrong. Camille is so tiny and darn it, she needs me. Of course she will be well taken care of with Bill, and what a lucky little girl to have her Daddy take care of her for 3 months. But we're still nursing and the thought of being at work when my little girl needs to eat makes my stomach ache. I'll be pumping of course, which sets up a whole new pile of anxieties. Being a working, nursing mom isn't easy for anyone, but being a teacher puts a whole other layer on top of the challenges. It is recommended that I pump twice while at work. The only way I can see to do this is to pump during my lunch and during my planning period. At the moment, these two times are scheduled right next to each other during the day so that won't work. I'm going to request that my schedule be changed to an early lunch and a late prep and hope for the best. This morning I pumped for almost 25 minutes. I have a 30 minute lunch and a 50 minute prep. I'm taking over Bill's role as team leader while he is on paternity leave because we didn't want to lose the stipend. That means I have 25 minutes during the day to do all the teacher things I need to do and be team leader. I really don't see how this is going to work in a way that doesn't leave me a ragged, stressed out mess. I was never much for staying late at work and that was before I had a beautiful baby waiting for me at home. Ugh. I need to push it out of my mind because I have 3 months left with her and I don't want to spend them worried and sick. <div><br />
</div><div>I <u>know</u> millions of moms have done this and it is fine. I <u>know</u> I will have lots of support from Bill. I <u>know</u> I'm not the first teacher mom to go back to work while nursing.</div><div><br />
</div><div>But it still sucks.</div>La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672671479128092657.post-7050693753988053352010-09-29T08:46:00.000-07:002010-09-29T08:46:22.895-07:00RoutinesCamille will be 3 months old on Friday. Every mom I know says that she can't believe how quickly the time goes by and I won't be the exception to the rule. Camille has changed so much since we brought her home in July and to look at her now you wouldn't think she is the same baby. I'm taking her in tomorrow for her echocardiogram, the first she has had since leaving the womb. I hope that this will be able to tell us right away if Camille has Marfans or not, but I imagine it will be a longer process than that. I think they have to monitor the changes in her echos over time and we may not have a diagnosis for many years. What I am planning on teaching Camille early, starting tomorrow, is that going up to OHSU for echos means a treat afterwards. <br />
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After the echo we are going to lactation for another appointment. I am 90% sure that Camille is perfect as usual - gaining weight like the little champion she is - but her eating habits have changed so much in the last couple of weeks that I really want to check to ease my mind. She seems to finish nursing much faster than ever before (15-20 minutes) and some days nurses every 3 hours (like yesterday) and others ever 4-5 hours. Mama likes consistency and routines, so this just makes me a little nervous. Also, she was gaining 10 ounces a week (average is half an ounce to an ounce a day) and I can't believe this rate is going to continue much longer. My calculations say that she should weigh over 12 pounds. Gadzooks, that's a big baby!<br />
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One thing my sweet baby has learned about her mama is that Mama needs breakfast and coffee in the morning. Camille has graciously obliged by taking a 20-30 minute nap after she nurses in the morning. I don't know how long this will last and I never know what the rest of the day will look like, but she is pretty routine with allowing me time to make breakfast and drink one cup of coffee everyday before she wakes up and needs attention. Sweet girl.La Maestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14567404293782488976noreply@blogger.com0