Saturday, May 14, 2011
Vitamix Friday 5/13/11
Seems I keep posting these updates one day late. Ah well, at least they are getting written which is better than I was doing :).
Lately I have had two favorite things to make with the vitamix. Here they are:
Lemon slush
Squeeze two lemons into the vitamix
Add 1 tray ice cubes
blend until slushy
sweeten to taste
Quesadilla sauce
blend up 1 roma tomato, 1/3 onion, fresh garlic, 1 jalepeno pepper
season to taste
Lately I have had two favorite things to make with the vitamix. Here they are:
Lemon slush
Squeeze two lemons into the vitamix
Add 1 tray ice cubes
blend until slushy
sweeten to taste
Quesadilla sauce
blend up 1 roma tomato, 1/3 onion, fresh garlic, 1 jalepeno pepper
season to taste
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Weekly Updates 5/11/11
So this will technically be published 5/12 but in my book it is still Wednesday because I say so ;).
This week has been pretty emotional for me.
Sunday was Mother's Day. Saturday Debbie and I went out for lunch with Calvin, dad, Shelley, and grandma Walter at Dutch Valley. There wasn't much I could eat but it meant a lot to grandma so I was satisfied. For dinner Debbie, Cal, John, and I took Mommaw out for dinner at Cracker Barrel. Then we went to Target for awhile and walked around while John and Cal napped in the van.
John was off Monday night so we went to a cookout at Michelle's with all our friends. It was pretty fun but Cal got restless so we left. I decided we should go to Walmart and get stuff to make quesadillas. While we were there one of John's co-workers saw us and said "I hear congrats are in order. You're an aunt and uncle."
Apparently Sam had her baby and nobody contacted me, Debbie, or Jen. We are all pretty pissed off and hurt over it. I was hoping that the four of us could patch things up before she was born but I see no hope now. I will never be able to forgive her for not allowing us to be there for the birth of our niece. I am slowly getting over it and moving on though. I am hoping I will at least get to be involved in Jarryd's life when Kiki has him. I know I'm not his aunt or anything but Kiki and I have always been super close and I think it would be great for our boys to grow up together.
Calvin is doing great. He has started to say phrases now. The first one was when he was playing he picked up John's old cell phone, put it up to his ear and said "You do what you do. Bye." John and I were just amazed at how clear it was. The next day John was laying on his back and Cal crawled up and said "Daddy bellybutton". Then he pulled John's shirt up and did his "Oh no" sign. It was hilarious. He has also been saying "daddy byebye" and today when we dropped John off at work he said "I love you bye". All of these things aren't perfectly articulated but they are definitely clear enough to understand. He absolutely loves books and we read three every night. He had his 3rd haircut last week and he did great. He sat still the whole time and didn't cry even when she used the clippers on him. He is turning into such a sweet little boy. He amazes me everyday with his affection. He is also becoming quite the little outdoorsy type.
This week has been pretty emotional for me.
Sunday was Mother's Day. Saturday Debbie and I went out for lunch with Calvin, dad, Shelley, and grandma Walter at Dutch Valley. There wasn't much I could eat but it meant a lot to grandma so I was satisfied. For dinner Debbie, Cal, John, and I took Mommaw out for dinner at Cracker Barrel. Then we went to Target for awhile and walked around while John and Cal napped in the van.
John was off Monday night so we went to a cookout at Michelle's with all our friends. It was pretty fun but Cal got restless so we left. I decided we should go to Walmart and get stuff to make quesadillas. While we were there one of John's co-workers saw us and said "I hear congrats are in order. You're an aunt and uncle."
Apparently Sam had her baby and nobody contacted me, Debbie, or Jen. We are all pretty pissed off and hurt over it. I was hoping that the four of us could patch things up before she was born but I see no hope now. I will never be able to forgive her for not allowing us to be there for the birth of our niece. I am slowly getting over it and moving on though. I am hoping I will at least get to be involved in Jarryd's life when Kiki has him. I know I'm not his aunt or anything but Kiki and I have always been super close and I think it would be great for our boys to grow up together.
Calvin is doing great. He has started to say phrases now. The first one was when he was playing he picked up John's old cell phone, put it up to his ear and said "You do what you do. Bye." John and I were just amazed at how clear it was. The next day John was laying on his back and Cal crawled up and said "Daddy bellybutton". Then he pulled John's shirt up and did his "Oh no" sign. It was hilarious. He has also been saying "daddy byebye" and today when we dropped John off at work he said "I love you bye". All of these things aren't perfectly articulated but they are definitely clear enough to understand. He absolutely loves books and we read three every night. He had his 3rd haircut last week and he did great. He sat still the whole time and didn't cry even when she used the clippers on him. He is turning into such a sweet little boy. He amazes me everyday with his affection. He is also becoming quite the little outdoorsy type.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Hot Topics Monday: Extended Rear-Facing
Sorry for the delay in getting this posted I had a couple really busy days.
Some people won't consider this a "hot topic" but I have seen discussions on online groups get extremely heated over this issue. Hopefully after reading this it will clear up why ERF is so important. Please take the time to read the information, do your research, and watch the videos. Or if you do not have time to read this a least PLEASE watch the video. It is under 4 minutes long and it may save your child's life.
Most people when seeing this title will probably be thinking "What the heck is Extended rear-facing?"
Extended rear-facing (ERF) is keeping your child's carseat rear-facing past the "1 and 20lbs" requirements that is law in most states. Most people have no idea that there are significant safety benefits of keeping your child rear-facing. This will hopefully change soon as the AAP recently changed their recommendations. They now state that children should remain rear-facing until at LEAST age 2 (source) or until they reach the maximum height or weight for rear-facing in the convertible carseat.
The most important question is: WHY extended rear-face?
There are many reasons
-It is proven to be 5x safer than a forward-facing carseat.
-The back of the seat cradles the baby preventing severe spinal injuries and even internal decapitation
-Convertible carseats can easily fit a child rear-facing well into their second year and sometimes beyond.
There are a few common concerns that parents have regarding ERF
1. Scrunched legs
-Touching the back of the seat is not a problem. While it looks uncomfortable to us it really isn't for them. When you see a child playing on the floor how do they usually sit? With their legs crossed. Children are naturally more flexible than we are. Even when sitting in a chair most of them curl their legs up under them rather than leaving them dangle when they can't reach the floor.
2. Broken legs
-Many parents are concerned that their child's legs being against the seat will cause a broken leg in the event they get rear-ended. There has never been a single case of a child breaking a leg due to being rear-facing. But even if it were to happen, it is far less of a concern than a broken neck from forward-facing too early. Remember:
Broken leg=cast it
Broken neck=casket
3. Getting rear-ended
-This is a big one and in my experience generally the reason most parents who have read about ERF give for turning their child around. Parents mistakingly think that if they are hit from behind and their child is rear-facing they will have the same risk for a broken neck as a forward-facing child in a head-on collision. And because being rear-ended is the most common accident this is a somewhat logical concern. HOWEVER this concern can be laid to rest also. First of all while being rear-ended is a common car accident it is the LEAST common form of SEVERE auto accident. Also, if you are hit from behind YES your child's head will go forward until the vehicle comes to a stop however it is simple physics that it would be far less severe whiplash than if your child were forward-facing. Remember "an object in motion stays in motion". Your vehicle is traveling say 35mph forward and comes to an abrupt stop, you and your child are going to be thrown toward the front of the vehicle when it stops regardless of what direction you are hit. When forward-facing the spine hyper-extends and can cause internal decapitation in a young child. When rear-facing the back of the carseat is there to cradle your childs neck and spine and acts as a cushion against the impact.
*Car accidents are the leading cause of death of children ages 2-14 in the US
*2.9% of those deaths are caused by spinal injuries
4. Convenience
-This one I simply find ridiculous. Many parents turn their children forward-facing simply because they say it is less of a hassle to put him/her in the car. This one is a no-brainer. Why put your child at 5x greater risk simply because it is easier?
-Many parents say their child "likes it better." How does your child know there is any other way to ride in a car if he/she has only ever been rear-facing? He/she doesn't know the difference. In fact I remember being around 7 years old and fighting with my sisters over the rear-facing seat of my dad's station wagon because I liked looking out the back window and propping my feet up. And frankly when it comes to safety, I will do what is safest not what is easy or what I believe my child will like better.
Some people won't consider this a "hot topic" but I have seen discussions on online groups get extremely heated over this issue. Hopefully after reading this it will clear up why ERF is so important. Please take the time to read the information, do your research, and watch the videos. Or if you do not have time to read this a least PLEASE watch the video. It is under 4 minutes long and it may save your child's life.
Most people when seeing this title will probably be thinking "What the heck is Extended rear-facing?"
Extended rear-facing (ERF) is keeping your child's carseat rear-facing past the "1 and 20lbs" requirements that is law in most states. Most people have no idea that there are significant safety benefits of keeping your child rear-facing. This will hopefully change soon as the AAP recently changed their recommendations. They now state that children should remain rear-facing until at LEAST age 2 (source) or until they reach the maximum height or weight for rear-facing in the convertible carseat.
The most important question is: WHY extended rear-face?
There are many reasons
-It is proven to be 5x safer than a forward-facing carseat.
-The back of the seat cradles the baby preventing severe spinal injuries and even internal decapitation
-Convertible carseats can easily fit a child rear-facing well into their second year and sometimes beyond.
There are a few common concerns that parents have regarding ERF
1. Scrunched legs
-Touching the back of the seat is not a problem. While it looks uncomfortable to us it really isn't for them. When you see a child playing on the floor how do they usually sit? With their legs crossed. Children are naturally more flexible than we are. Even when sitting in a chair most of them curl their legs up under them rather than leaving them dangle when they can't reach the floor.
2. Broken legs
-Many parents are concerned that their child's legs being against the seat will cause a broken leg in the event they get rear-ended. There has never been a single case of a child breaking a leg due to being rear-facing. But even if it were to happen, it is far less of a concern than a broken neck from forward-facing too early. Remember:
Broken leg=cast it
Broken neck=casket
3. Getting rear-ended
-This is a big one and in my experience generally the reason most parents who have read about ERF give for turning their child around. Parents mistakingly think that if they are hit from behind and their child is rear-facing they will have the same risk for a broken neck as a forward-facing child in a head-on collision. And because being rear-ended is the most common accident this is a somewhat logical concern. HOWEVER this concern can be laid to rest also. First of all while being rear-ended is a common car accident it is the LEAST common form of SEVERE auto accident. Also, if you are hit from behind YES your child's head will go forward until the vehicle comes to a stop however it is simple physics that it would be far less severe whiplash than if your child were forward-facing. Remember "an object in motion stays in motion". Your vehicle is traveling say 35mph forward and comes to an abrupt stop, you and your child are going to be thrown toward the front of the vehicle when it stops regardless of what direction you are hit. When forward-facing the spine hyper-extends and can cause internal decapitation in a young child. When rear-facing the back of the carseat is there to cradle your childs neck and spine and acts as a cushion against the impact.
*Car accidents are the leading cause of death of children ages 2-14 in the US
*2.9% of those deaths are caused by spinal injuries
4. Convenience
-This one I simply find ridiculous. Many parents turn their children forward-facing simply because they say it is less of a hassle to put him/her in the car. This one is a no-brainer. Why put your child at 5x greater risk simply because it is easier?
-Many parents say their child "likes it better." How does your child know there is any other way to ride in a car if he/she has only ever been rear-facing? He/she doesn't know the difference. In fact I remember being around 7 years old and fighting with my sisters over the rear-facing seat of my dad's station wagon because I liked looking out the back window and propping my feet up. And frankly when it comes to safety, I will do what is safest not what is easy or what I believe my child will like better.
 |
| Calvin ERF age 13 months |
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Vitamix Friday 5/6/11
Well it's my first post for "Vitamix Friday". We have made a lot of tasty things using the vitamix so far but this one is by FAR the best.
Most of this will have to be started simultaniously. Read through the recipe first to be sure you won't skip anything.
Ingredients
1 5lb bag yukon gold potatos
1 pint heavy whipping cream
olive oil
1 red onion
1 jalepeno pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 cup parmesean cheese
1 stick butter
8oz cream cheese
1 can unsalted sweet peas
1 can unsalted french style green beans
1 can sweet corn
5oz fresh spinach
2tbs classico pesto
1 small ginger root
16oz vegetable broth
1. Alfredo sauce-Add whipping cream, 1tbs pesto, cream cheese, butter, and parmesean to a small pot. Cover and put on simmer until everything else is done. Do not let it boil.
2. Finely dice onion, garlic, and ginger root
3. In a separate pot put enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot, and 1tbs pesto. Saute finely diced onion, 3 minced cloves garlic, and ginger root until golden brown.
4. Peel and chop 1/3 of the potatos and boil until tender (about 20 minutes)
5. If saute is golden-brown add vegetable broth and reduce heat to medium.
6. Peel and finely chop remaining potatoes and set aside.
7. Stir alfredo
8. Drain potatoes. Put water back in the pot and add the potatoes you set aside in step 6
7. Add cooked potatoes from step 4, jalepeno pepper, spinach and saute sauce from step 3 to a blender (do more than one blending session if needed). Blend all together until smooth. The end result is pretty nasty looking (think toxic sludge). But trust me, it tastes good (even a non-veggie friend agreed)
8. Open canned veggies and drain. Add them to a pot of water. Cook covered for about 10 minutes on low
9. Stir alfredo
10. Drain potatoes and veggies. Add to concoction from step 7.
11. At this point we separate some out for Calvin so that he doesn't get the alfredo part.
12. Add alfredo sauce.
ENJOY! And if you try it please leave a comment and let me know how you liked it! :)
Thursday, May 5, 2011
May-Updates
So, I really need to update more often....
Anyway, the last time I posted was about Cal's first ER visit. Turns out he didn't get any better so I took him to the pediatrician. He was put on two different breathing treatments and some claritin. It cleared up within just a few days. I give credit to his super mommy-milk for such a fast recovery :).
Cal also started walking. On March 15th, the day before he turned 13 months old he just stood up in the middle of the living room and took off across the room. He practiced and practiced and was walking 90% of the time within a couple weeks. Now he runs everywhere. It is so cute to watch. I love having a toddler! I find myself looking back and missing his tiny baby days though.
Cal is learning new things all the time. He can say a bunch of words now including mom, dad, bellybutton, stairs, shoe, eye, book, byebye, hi, that, this, egg, ball, paci, and bear. He also repeats a lot of other words. He can understand so much now and he surprises me every day with how smart he is. He absolutely loves books. He quietly sits and looks at them a lot. In fact he is "reading" a Disney baby book right now. We usually read about 3 books before bed. He really likes ones with animal sounds. I think he just likes to make mommy feel silly :).
Calvin also got to experience his second Easter. He enjoyed the eggs. He was convinced they were balls and kept trying to throw and kick them. It was adorable. He was holding one and said "ball" to Debbie. She said "no, egg" and he responded "ohh, egg" LOL!
Calvin also got to experience his second Easter. He enjoyed the eggs. He was convinced they were balls and kept trying to throw and kick them. It was adorable. He was holding one and said "ball" to Debbie. She said "no, egg" and he responded "ohh, egg" LOL!
John used his spending money from our tax refund to buy a vitamix. At first I was a little skeptical but after seeing what this thing can do I am soooo amazed. It was worth every penny of that nearly $400. It makes perfectly smooth smoothies, soups, and nut milks. It even heats the soup right in the container. I am sold :)
I've decided that in order to get going on keeping this updated I'm going to try to have a few "theme days" like a lot of blogs I read. So...
Monday: Hot Topics
Wednesday: Random family updates
Friday: Vitamix recipes and experiments
Saturday: Silent Saturday (picture posts)
I think that will be a good start. Maybe I'll add to it as I go.
 |
| My little guy walking |
 |
| Easter eggs I colored since Cal fell asleep :) |
 |
| Getting a breathing treatment |
 |
| Walking to mommy |
 |
| He loves brooms |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)