Are You a Shlumpadinka?

So. Ask yourself. Are you a Shlumpadinka?

I don't like to quote Oprah...as it reveals that I am a viewer...but I must say that she really does have something when it comes to this theory..

Basically, if you are guilty of running errands in your pjs or wear your husband's sweats a lot--you qualify.

I started to think about this because I have been watching a lot of "What Not to Wear" on TLC. A lovely little show of 30 minutes where the hosts tear apart women that either are wearing too many cat sweaters or think that neon is still in. Or they fall into my category of "being too busy" to look nice.

I don't know about you, but when I only have to impress my office manager and the 5 month old everyday--the motivation to dress in real clothes is pretty low. I have been challenging myself to try to look a little nicer--so that at least by the time my husband comes home he has a shred of a reason to remember why he married me in the first place.

Today I tried to jazz it up a bit (mainly because my shorts that I had worn all week and t-shirts were all covered in baby spit up). I put on my khaki capris and a nice tank top. Dressing nicely actually helped me feel a little bit better about the day. My co-worker calls it, "dressing for success." She says that even though she works at home, she makes a point of wearing work clothes. She says it makes her feel more like she is "at work." I don't know if she has stopped that since she had a baby herself....

In any case...don't give up on dressing in REAL clothes! (okay, but I think that nursing moms should get some kind of exception though. As soon as I put on a shirt, there is spit up on it. Today was a miracle to go for more than a couple of feedings without a big pile of yuck).

Real clothes really do help your outlook on life for the day.

PS If you have a chance, check out the link on Oprah's page. I think that I match Dawn most closely in what I would wear everyday if I could.

Flavor Friday

Heidi asked for a fish dish...this one tastes good re-heated. And the salad it suggests you make is pretty good too...Herb-Crusted Salmon with Mixed Green Salad. Note that you don't HAVE to use fresh herbs on this. They can be so expensive!

According to OChef.com, you can substitute one TEASPOON of dried herbs for one TABLESPOON for fresh herbs.

I also found this "leftover" recipe.....Fish and Couscous Salad

Enjoy.....

Greater Love Hath No (Wo)man than this....

than (s)he who scrapes away the astroturf from someone else's front steps.

We have a brick entryway to our house that was once covered in astroturf. When we moved in, the majority of it had been scraped off, except for little bits here and there. Today my mom spent a couple of hours scraping off the rest.

Not to be a Debbie Downer to the young moms reading this, but if you think that you are serving your children now....just wait till your kids are grown and have kids of their own. Today, my mom arrived at my house at 8am. She helped give Baby P a bath. Then she did his laundry, then she did our laundry. Then she made our bed. She cleaned up the bath stuff and put it away. She probably started scraping the astroturf about then...but I can't be sure. Then she gave Baby P his bottle. Then she played with Baby P. And then we put him to bed. She helped me get my sandwich ready even though she was starving.

Then she told me this really cool story about how she got to see her very first American friends yesterday. They actually were the ones that picked her up from the airport when she first arrived in 1968.

Then she cleaned up lunch and then she made this beautiful fruit platter with nectarines, apples, and cherries. I should have taken a picture of it, because she arranged the fruit in a way that only a mom can do. I'm sure she did some other stuff after that, only I haven't discovered it yet. Then it was time to feed Baby P again. And then she played with him.

She was such a blessing to me today. I hope that I can be as helpful to my children as she is to me.

borg borg borg

I just found the coolest website: www.ochef.com

Enjoy!

Bomb Scares...It Is Not Going to Be That Way and etc.

Today I survived my first lengthy separation from Baby P. I had to attend the 1st of a 4 day trade show.

You want to know something funny? After all the stressing I was doing about milk production, I FINALLY realized LAST night that today would be the longest time apart from Baby P since he was born. Obviously someone was focusing a ton on milk production. Anyways, it didn't freak me out too much to be apart from him--seeing as I was finally able to come up with enough milk so that I could leave for 12 hours. Yea! I guess the dark beer and Fenugreek really helped things out.

There were actually parts of the day where I thought, "hm. This is kind of nice. I only have to care for myself at the moment." Part of caring for myself involved heading to the car around 1130am to pump (something I was pretty intent on doing since the pediatrician was harping on the importance of the frequency). As I neared the parking garage, I saw 2 police officers standing in front of a lot of yellow tape. The entire parking garage was blocked off.

Seeing as I know more about law enforcement than the average lady, I knew immediately that this was a "perimeter enforcement." Perimeter enforcements are super boring for police officers (unless you are like a certain someone and enjoy standing around; I guess it beats chasing after bad guys). They have to stand for several hours in front of yellow tape and answer questions from vexed people like me asking, "when can I return to my car?" "why is this tape here?" "what do you mean, you are conducting a special investigation?" "is it really going to be 45 minutes or are you just saying that?" "can't I just go to my car and get 1 thing?"

Well..those were all questions I wanted to ask...but didn't because I knew secondhand that it stinks to have that job and have to interact with the public in that manner. I surmised that the "special investigation" was code for a bomb scare and I would have to wait 45 minutes until I could get into my car again. I s l o w l y strolled back to my prison cell..I mean, booth and tried to pull myself together. I was already so concerned about how the day would go...this deviation in schedule was NOT appreciated. Besides, I am not with Baby P today so I shouldn't have to worry about my schedule being up-ended. I guess God had different plans for me. I would like to say that handled the whole thing gracefully...but I didn't. I was frustrated and irritated....just another area for improvement I suppose.

Fortunately, when I went back at 1230 all signs of law enforcement and yellow tape had disappeared. I quickly took care of business.

**
Working at the show today was interesting because I had a chance to reflect back on the last summer show I worked (we do one in the Winter and one in the Summer). This time last year, I was only 8 weeks or so along in my pregnancy. I had not told anyone yet and I remember being exhausted at the show. I was nauseous and extremely tired. I recall eating lunch in a secret place I found at the convention center (I will show you sometime) and at one point laying down on the floor (which was kind of gross), bursting into tears because I was so tired and hormonal. I just wanted to go home and sleep.

Thankfully this time I was more of a normal human....just a human with an excessively huge appetite due to nursing. Hey, it take a lot of food to keep a 19 pounder going. I remember coming home from the show last summer and being discouraged because I was SO tired. How am I going to care for a child when I come home from a show if I am this exhausted?

Turns out that it is not as hard as I thought it would be. I was so excited to see Baby P after the long day, that I was actually looking forward to feeding him more than I usually do. I mention this as an encouragement to the pregnant ladies reading this. If you are anything like me, you might be trying to visualize what it will be like living with your new little one. You run through your day, kind of "working in" what it would be like to have a little someone by your side. And then you get discouraged because the baby isn't even out yet and you can't seem to manage to get the simplest things done.

I realized today that those kinds of visions are not realistic if you are using your current energy level as a yardstick. The fact is, making another human is a pretty tiring process. There is nothing like it, and hopefully you are not crazy like me--making assumptions about the future based on how your pregnant body handles a long work day.

I don't know about you, but I definitely have a lot more energy when I don't have another person growing inside me. Of course....I am sure there will be some day when I have to work a show or something and I am pregnant...and then I will have to return home and take care of Baby P....that is a scenario I haven't had the chance to OVERthink yet.

**
If anyone is still reading at this point...another thing I came away with this week was that I am really grateful for my job (not my motherhood job, my other one). I really love it. I love the work that I do. Not many people can say that. I love that I can work from home, I love most of the people that I work with, and I enjoy my job description. Some time away from Baby P was helpful to remind me of how much I enjoy owning my company.

So...as much as I love what I do...I don't love it so much that I enjoy giving up my Saturdays...tomorrow I must trudge back to the convention center. I hope it goes well...

Flavor Friday

I planned ahead since I knew I was going to be out a lot and I wanted to come home and just eat some leftovers. I hate leftovers....so I made stuff that actually tastes good when it is heated up again.

Here are 2 things I made in advance:

Baked Pasta with Tomatoes, Sausage, and Cheese

and

Chicken Marbella

(I call it Jen's Chicken because she brought it over as one of my meals after I had the baby. You have to like some stuff that some people have a hard time with: capers, olives, and prunes. Yeah. Prunes. I was a little worried about the prunes myself but it turns out the whole combo is pretty tasty).

Here is the recipe:

2 1/2lb whole chicken (cut up) OR you can just use chicken breasts
1 head garlic (5 -6 cloves) chopped
1/4 cup oregano
salt/pepper
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers (with a little juice)
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup cilantro or italian parsley (optional)

Combine all ingredients (except the last three) in a bowl. Coat the chicken and marinate overnight.

I keep the skin side down and use a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top and pour the white wine around the perimeter of the dish. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently. Garnish with cilantro or parsley. It goes great with couscous.

When cooled, I pour the leftover juice from the pan into a Ziplock with chicken breasts. I freeze and then use for another dinner.

mmm...Dark Beer

You're supposed to do Homer's voice when you read the subject line for today's post.

Of course, after I wrote all of that godly stuff last night today was really challenging. I think or I know I am stressed about work and it has taken a hit on my ability to produce enough milk. I need to be able to attend a snoozefest, I mean, convention this weekend and in order to that there needs to be enough milk here for Baby P to eat....well...my body hasn't been cooperating and I have not been able to store up enough reserves.

I talked to the pediatrician today and she gave me some suggestions. She told me that I need to pump after every feeding. Which is great, because I have a lot of time to sit around and pump. (that is sarcasm). She also suggested I try taking some Fenugreek AND my favorite part of her advice was to drink some dark beer. I will be hitting a Guinness shortly. Of course, it is an Old Wives Tale as to whether or not the dark beer will help increase milk production....but if your doctor is telling you to drink the beer....you drink the beer.

I know that ultimately my baby will be fed. And if I have to use some formula, I have to use some formula. It sure is hard though accepting all of that. Thankfully my pediatrician has a 1 year old and she had just gone through all of this. She was very sympathetic towards my embarassing tears.

So...here's hoping that the dark beer works.

July 15...a good Streams Devotion....and random musings on KP

This is from the devotional that I have been reading, Streams of the Desert. I hope that it brings you as much comfort as it did to me:

It is easy to love Him when the blue is in the sky,
When the summer winds are blowing, and we smell the roses nigh;
There is little effort needed to obey His precious will
When it leads through flower-decked valley, or over sun-kissed hill

It is when the rain is falling, or the mist hangs in the air,
When the road is dark and rugged, and the wind no longer fair,
When the rosy dawn has settled in a shadowland of gray,
That we find it hard to trust Him, and are slower to obey.

It is easy to trust Him when the singing birds have come,
And their canticles are echoed in our heart and in our home;
But 'tis when we miss the music, and the days are dull and drear,
That we need a faith triumphant over every doubt and fear.

And our blessed Lord will give it; what we lack He will supply;
Let us ask in faith believing--on His promises rely;
He will ever be our Leader, whether smooth or rough the way,
And will prove Himself sufficient for the needs of every day.

To trust in spite of the look of being forsaken; to keep crying out into the vast, whence comes no returning voice, and where seems no hearing; to see the machinery of the world pauselessly grinding on as if self-moved, caring for no life, nor shifting a hairbreadth for all entreaty, and yet believe that God is awake and utterly loving; to desire nothing but what comes meant for us from His hand; to wait patiently, ready to die of hunger, fearing only lest faith should fail--such is the victory that overcometh the world, such is faith indeed. George MacDonald

***
Okay, well I just read this again and was convicted again. Like I was this morning. Sometimes I equate conviction with encouragement. :) It is just another symptom of being an Overthinker.

I prayed that I would able to have this faith. Of being able to "desire nothing but what comes meant for us from His hand." I can't imagine doing this, and yet I feel honored that I got to watch KP do this very thing. Since I know I won't acheive it, I feel honored to be able to be so close to someone who can do it. She probably won't admit to it, and she will blab on about how God saw her through her 35+ treatments of radiation and she won't take credit. Which she shouldn't, because God truly did cover her in so much grace and continues to.

All I am saying is I never once saw her break down and say, "it is not fair" or "why me?" or "this sucks." She just endured her trial with patience and a perserverance that I don't think I will ever have. I guess it is really true that God only gives us thet trials that we can endure.

I am not sure how I got onto that topic...I was just going to post the excerpt and then hit the hay. Maybe it was just because KP gave me her speech the other day, summarizing her experience with cancer.

I praise God for His faithfulness, mercy, and lovingkindness to our entire family in protecting her and keeping her with us on earth.

In any case, do you love Him only when the sky is blue? Or do you also trust in Him alone when the day is drear? I will pray for you, that you will (and I will) trust in Him for all things.

Flavor Friday (Late)

Oops.

This one is fancy-shmancy and only works if you are not pregnant...sorry Ladies....

Spinach and Prosciutto Salad

For pregnant ladies....I will post a link to SuperMom--a multivitamin. Honestly, I can't seem to figure out how it is different from other prenatal stuff. Maybe you can?

This Old House

We were in a Bob Vila place over the past couple of weeks and decided it might be a good idea to fix up the backyard. I was pretty excited as I was dreading the summer--it is going to get hotter and I was dreading spending the pretty summer days in a pee and poo filled backyard with doggies and a sweaty baby. Baby P is not ready for the park that is just around the corner, so I had a feeling we would want to take some jaunts out into the backyard every now and again....I unfortunately didn't have the foresight to take some "before" pics so you will have to rely on your memories and trust me when I reiterate it was a pee and poo filled backyard.

We covered the dying grass dirt with bark, painted the concrete gray, the cinderblock brown, and added some plants. I thought I would try my green pinky (I definitely don't have a thumb) at gardening again. I figure what could it hurt considering that I am at home more now while Baby P takes his naps. In between fighting work fires, I sometimes venture out and water the new plants.....

All in all, it was a lot of work. I basically would feed and play with baby and then put on my work clothes (this consisted of some old sweat pants and a shirt I acquired at a Jimmy Kimmel taping that said, "the more I Jimmy, the better I feel"). It is pretty unnerving, trying to get paint off of your hands as fast as possible so you can head back in and feed baby. My husband definitely did the most work. He is pretty detail oriented and I cannot be trusted with a paint brush. So I just did big brush strokes in certain areas and he made everything look pretty.I cannot believe his ability to paint in a straight line. It is crazy!!

We also added a table and chairs. So now we sometimes head outside and sit with the dogs. I have been trying to introduce Baby P to them and vice versa. Both parties are so mellow, it has been rather uneventful. Unless you count my slight expressions of dissatisfaction when the doggies were allowed to lick Baby P's feet, etc. as he sat in Daddy's lap. I was glad he was sitting with Mike and not me. I don't want Baby P to be afraid of the doggies. And my reaction would probably help promote that. I know their saliva is harmless, but it grosses me out....as I know it grosses everyone else out. Except Mike. We also got a second doghouse, so now they have matching doghouses. It seems to tie everything together, don't you think?