Here's Why...

I haven't posted for so long.

*We were out of town*
The trip was good if not a little long and tiring. I LOVED meeting Brendan's family- especially his cousins and grandparents I hadn't met before. Ezra has some great people in his lineage.

*I lost my camera*
At Carkeek Park, I left it on a log. When I went back, it was gone... of course. So, I've got NOTHING to show for any of my stories, and so far I've discovered that just isn't what the fans want. Facebook friends of mine are still getting a good slough of pictures of Ezra, though, thanks to Brendan's iPhone and my family.

*I packed and moved*
Umm...do I even need to present an explanation for this excuse??? We moved from Eastlake which I loved to Bryant which I really like for a HUGE (from our perspective) house in exchange for our small apartment. I can have like 8 kids now if I wanted and still not have to move... well, maybe we'd need another bathroom. NO, I do not want to have 8 kids.

Ezra has done very well with the move and has figured out the new house. He has his own playroom now and likes it as much as I hoped. Blackberry, his new best guinea pig friend, lives next door to the playroom, and they have enjoyed many cheerful hours staring at each other. Black lets Ezzie pet him, feed him, and yell at him :)

*We applied to become a host family for international students*
I'm very excited about this. The process was simple and went great. Our first student is scheduled to arrive from Germany next Saturday and the next from Japan a month later. I'm excited to share my home, have someone to eat the giant meals I tend to make (never did learn to cook for 2), expose Ezra to new languages, and make a little money. This will be like me working from home... we shall see. I'm envisioning a whole new category of post for Blark Notes.

*My parents were in town for a week*
It was wonderful. Facebook has the evidence. I miss my family more than ever, and it is nothing short of tragic that the two wonderful Meador grandparents must live so far from us. They say it's my fault for leaving them. I guess it is. There is just NOTHING like your own mom being around... when you're me, and your mom is your best friend, and you actually like the way you were parented. Same goes for my Dad. Thankfully, Aunt Whitney will be here in July!

***

So, there you have it. My life in a nutshell. One little tidbit to add- My favorite comical moment of the week:
At Ikea with my parents, I bought a hanging shoe organizer for the closet called "Skubb." Brendan saw it and said, "What's this?"
Me: "Oh, that's a hanging sho..."
Brendan: "Wait, wait,wait. I don't want no Skubb..."
I can't get it out of my head. Yes, I'm still sleep deprived (but it's getting much better, and I have all kinds of opinions about it. But, that's another post!)

Peace Out

I'll be out of town and with (I assume) limited internet access for the next 8, yes 8, days. AND, I lost the camera, so there won't be any fun post of photos to show for my absence at its end! Look to facebook, my friends, for mobile uploads from Brendan.

Thinking about Easter

Today is Maundy Thursday, a day that the Church celebrates and remembers the institution of the Lord's Supper. I decided to read through the accounts of that ancient Thursday in the Gospels this morning. I was struck with a few things anew.

1) Poor, wretched Judas. "Satan entered into him." Jesus said so many times that day that those who love him are known by following his commands and that those who are in him are safe in the Father. I'm thanking Jesus today for sending the Comforter so that no one else may enter into me and praying that He would give me strength to love him by following his law and remind me of my safety. My life is hidden with Christ.

2) Jesus WENT somewhere. He's physically there. I never really thought about that until recent sermons and Sunday school classes brought out that fact. He's a real corporeal hero. I'm not with him yet. What a thing to anticipate! I forget in my life here to hope for his return, to hope for my union with him in Heaven. We have the Spirit- and what a blessing He is, but we don't have full communion with Jesus until we are there. Hard to understand, this "already but not yet." This is where the reality of the trinity truly matters.

3) He wants me to be with him, with his real body and person in Heaven. John 17:24-
"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." Jesus' desiring this makes certain that it will come true! I've got to remember these promises more often.

Important Notice

One thing I forgot to mention about making your own baby food: Unless you're interested in a 6 hour stay at the ER, DON'T put your finger in the immersion blender while it's plugged in!!!

Waiting. I walked in with a bloody kitchen towel. They at least gauzed me for the wait. Poor Ezra (and the two of us!) had to whirl out of the house without eating our nice family dinner that was laid out and ready to be eaten. I was just putting the finishing touch, a quick zjzjjjjhh on the broccoli with the hand blender for Ezra. I put my finger in to scoop out what was stuck in the bell when my evil right hand ever so briefly apparently squeezed the trigger! I went to the sink to run water over it and saw that, given the amount of blood, this was probably pretty bad!
The lidocaine shots hurt a lot. Thank goodness for breathing techniques and great pain management abilities, another perk of natural childbirth that you can carry with you forever! I also got a tetanus- that didn't hurt then, but it hurts a lot now.

the lacerations. there were 4 separate gashes. The worst two got stitches. (by the way, by that point, Grandma and Grandpa Ribera had long since come to rescue Ezra and put him to bed.)

after the stitches- 8

all stitched and swollen with lidocaine. As of right now, the numbness still hasn't worn off. I'm worried about how this thing will feel when it does!

Enjoying Eating

We have been blessed with an adventurous, cheerful eater! I've been meaning to post for a while about the solid food thing because I don't know that I've mentioned it at all yet. I love making Ezra's food, and it's SO easy that I don't understand why commercial baby food was ever even invented. Even the busiest person could do it- if you feed yourself everyday, you can easily feed your baby the same stuff. It just takes a little planning. I've had lots of people ask me with a tone of awe, "Wow, you make your own food? How is that going?" Fine and Great, thanks.

Initially, feeding a baby solids is challenging and can be discouraging because they are just so amazed by the new, weird experience. However, Ezra took to it after about a week and a half. I know that every baby is different, though, so I don't think people whose babies are slow to accept solids have done anything wrong! Here's what works well for Ezra: warmth, flavor, and power. Ezzie does MUCH better if his food isn't cold. As for flavor, I have used garlic, olive oil, spices, and even (gasp! I know...) a few tiny grains of salt in all of Ezzie's little mixes. I was very surprised to discover that he prefers savory or even sour (like the plain, full fat yogurt) tastes over sweet ones sometimes. Power means that Ezra is in charge of the amount that he eats. I've never tricked or wrestled bites into his mouth, and I can really see day to day that he is just eating the amount that he needs. Our pediatrician's intern said that studies are now showing that the skill of portion control, developed as an infant, is carried on into life and heleps prevent obesity! So, yay for that! I also always give Ezra a few bites on his tray that he can smear, pinch, suck, eat (maybe) on his own. At first, when spoon feeding, I always had to give him a spoon of his own too, but now he's totally over that and can handle just me giving him bites.

Here's an example of how we work it.
This week's menu:
Monday: Adults - sloppy joes, sauteed spinach; Ezra - ground beef (taken out of the pan before saucing up the sloppy joe mix) and sauteed spinach (chopped of course)

Tuesday: Adults - Broccoli Cheese Soup and Bread; Ezra - broccoli stew (pureed veggies and broth taken out of pot before milk was added) with shredded cheese and bread bits on his tray

Wednesday: Adults - Mango Chicken with Black Beans and Rice; Ezra - a chunky puree of that whole dinner with avacado

Thursday (Tonight): Adults - Soup and Salad Bar for parish group; Ezra - leftover ground beef with peas and bites of mommy's soup and bread

Friday: Adults - Roasted Sausage and Root Veggies; Ezra - a few veggie chunks presed through the garlic press... I might let him try sausage (it's preservative/nitrate free)

For breakfast, I just give him leftovers from the night before, oatmeal, blueberries or other small bites of fruit, yogurt, or egg yolk if we're having eggs.

Lunches consist of leftovers or various small bites when lunch happens. I'm just now moving him toward three meals a day.

Anyway, there's some info for those who've been interested. I should note, too, that the American Academy of Pediatrics did a study on allergies and their connection to food introduction schedules and determined that there is no evidence to suggest waiting to introduce ANY particular foods until any particular time. Though, most professionals are still wary of peanuts and honey. Personally, I give Ezra something new, wait a day or two, and then give him the next thing. I've become VERY lax about it at this point. I will wait until he's 1 or older to do honey and peanuts.

Here's a video of some of our dinner time silliness :)

Phot-astic!

First of all...I have fuscia highlights! I've ALWAYS (since like 13y.o.) wanted to have my hair dyed some crazy color. I couldn't as a kid b/c of ballet (and maybe my mom...), then I was dancing here in Seattle and still couldn't. Then, I went to business school and felt it would be out of place there too. Well, none of that is in the way now, and Ezra's not old enough to be embarrassed of me yet. SO, I did it! I wanted to do my whole head, but I didn't want to scare Ezra, and this style will grow out very nicely. Everyone should check out my stylist, Harmony, if you ever need a new one! She is so great- gives great advice, is professional, and does what she says she's going to do! And she's my new friend :) harmony.bridgeblondesalon.com

the back
the big chunk
the first day
and, yes, Ezra likes it!

Ezzie Antics
with oatmeal fangs. this happened accidentally, and I think it's the funniest thing I've seen all year

doing chores again


Our Trip
Back home with Daddy. We missed him so much, and it was really hard to be apart!

Denver Airport. Ezra was GREAT on all the flights
Amarillo airport
Sad to leave each other before going to the airport
Ezra bug hunting while we waited out in front of the Big 5 store because...
the keys were locked in the car. It was pretty funny.
Sorry for the sideways-ness. In an outfit from Grandma Laura with Grandma Debbie
One of many stroller naps in cousin Micah's old ride
the beginnings of the crawling (I'll try to get video up soon! I'm just inept, and Brendan and I have to do it together)
untying laces
airplane
The GIANT Chuckanucka at the Fireworks at SeaTac. Ezzie, as you can see, was too tired to care much
"They let ME through security?" Oh, yeah, dumb story: they made me take Ezra's shoes off of him at the amarillo security line. Yeah, gotta watch out for those crazy babies and their shoe bombs...
Oatmeal from matching zebra bowls... and putting oatmeal in mommy's eye while she tries to take a picture!
before the sorting project began

OK- there you go! When I deliver, I deliver!

Crawling

Ezzie is crawling! Today I saw the first real, bonafide crawling in the foyer at church. Video to come... when I get it. I don't think it should be too hard.