Hello again! Let's eat pizza.

It's been a while. A long while. Motherhood makes one busy. As I type this a complainy-pants is hollering "Bye!" at me from the other side of a gate.

Said complainy-pants (also known as Samwise around here) has allergies. Many. Dairy. Soy. Egg. The awful, scary peanut. And cats, dogs, cockroaches (?!), probably more. It's... exciting. We are sometimes lazy with his food because of it (he eats a LOT of Cheerios), but it means we have exciting adventures in cooking and doctoring recipes. Usually it's a matter of preparing vegan food and then, hey!, we add meat. Blasphemous, I know.

Last night was pizza. Samwise gets his own personal pizza, lucky boy, sans cheese. I make the dough and sauce, so I know it doesn't contain an offending substance. Also, it's delicious. (Thank you Allrecipes!) And, so that you might not miss out on such yumminess, the sauce recipe follows. And tomorrow (or the next day), the dough recipe. Hurray! Also, bad pictures. I am not a photographer, at all.

Pizza Sauce, originally on Allrecipes:

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

• 6 fluid ounces warm water

• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

• salt to taste

Mix it all up, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can mingle, and get to know one another. I like just a kiss of sauce on my pizza, so this recipe yields enough for at least five pizzas. I freeze the rest in ice cube trays.


There is an ominous silence in the other room which demands investigation. Guess I better check that out.

Watching Babies

By watching Babies, I mean the movie. What a cute film! I would have found it incredibly dull before becoming a mom. And intimidating the first month or two of being a mom (back when I was still stressing about doing everything like the book says). But now, what a delight. I had to wait for Dan to be at work to watch; the excessive boobage would have made him uncomfortable.

It's so cool to see little babies growing up in such different circumstances.

When I wash and assemble Samwise's diapers, I often think about how moms diaper their babies in other parts of the world, so I found it interesting to see that sometimes they lay down on a blanket, and sometimes they just go around with a bare butt. And watching babies play with just sticks and rocks reminds me that Samwise is doing just fine with his abundance of toys.

Seeing the moms going about their days, caring for other children and their homes, I got the sudden urge to be productive in my home. I did the dishes. I would vacuum, but there's a baby sleeping in the middle of the living room... so maybe tomorrow.

Concerning Hobbits (and babies)

7 - breakfast
9 - second breakfast
11 - luncheon
1 - afternoon tea
3 - supper
5 - dinner

Experience vs. Experiment

I have heard, many times, about these studies that make claims about the benefits of motherhood on the brain. Mothers are better at multitasking, are more adventurous, have better memories.

Untruths, all of them.

My forgetfulness, this week alone:

Why Dan needs to be at work today (I had to ask at least four times).
A birthday present for my mom (in prior years, I was the one doing the reminding).
It is in fact the beginning of July this week. Not June. I'm a month off, now.
Multiple items for the grocery list, and the necessary coupons, despite putting the list in my phone.
Most of my daily chores. Oh yeah. Dishes.
Diaper changes - I've forgotten a few, only to be reminded by loud complaining and/or a diaper blow-out.
And so many other little things I never would have forgotten pre-baby.

I'm beginning to lose my faith in the infallibility of the scientific study.

Month Three

I'm running a bit late this month. The little man needs more momma time these days (he actually pays attention to me now) which gives momma significantly less computer time. But that time is more fun for momma now: he is grabbing things, and watches me and toys, and will even sit assisted. Actually, having started getting the vantage point of sitting, lying down just isn't good enough anymore, unless there is something to play with or to watch.

• Only the good stuff makes the cut. Having such little time for myself really narrows down the fun things I do. When given a choice between KoL and Sims, I choose Sims (but TopRamen will adventure again someday). And I find that, while on the bottom of the fun pile pre-baby, taking a bath and sipping some wine have suddenly moved to the top of the list. Maybe I'm turning into a grown-up.
• Even if I'm not becoming a grown-up, I do hope I am becoming a grown Christian. After the baby dedication at church this month, I have found myself dwelling on Deuteronomy 6 with some amount of nervousness. Being the one who spends the most time with our son, there is a heavy burden on me to live a life after God. While my relationship with Him has always been important, it's now not just my own that is at stake but that of my son as well. And knowing that, I think, spurs me to love God more. And to love people more as well; I guess God knows some things require more external motivation for me to do them.
• Mom vs. Mom I've met lots of moms and babies. I know the babies' names. I don't know the moms'. Why talk about yourselves when you can talk about your kids? And when you're talking about your kids, it is so easy to compare them. I have to fight that impulse every time I meet another baby. And it's practice in showing love to others that I try to praise their kids' accomplishments while not bragging about my own. Although his only major feat is being bigger than their kid. 
• The little man is so very fortunate. Many babies wake up hungry with no one to feed them. Some wake up with no one to love them. When the little man cries in his crib, and I smile at him while I reach to pick him up, I cannot help but think that I am so glad he has someone (many someones, in fact) who smile at him and love him.
• Babies are perfect for collecting fuzz. It gets in between their slobbery fingers. And then it gets on their mouth. It gets between their toes (and won't come out again until bath time). Where does it all come from? It's not like the little man is crawling or anything.

Month Two

Everything changes so gradually. Looking at the boy at two months old, he is doing so many things that he wasn't at one month: trying to suck his thumb (but mostly getting all the rest of his hand instead), cooing and smiling, batting at the toys in his gym. But when he started doing these things, I don't remember. He also has mostly stopped pooping at night; which is nice, since we started cloth diapers this week, and poopy nighttime diapers are a pain.

• Not nice names we've called the boy: blob, fatty-pants, poopy-pants, spawn, parasite (although that was while he was in the womb, and doesn't really apply now), crabby-face. I'm sure there are more. Poor thing.
• My worries aren't just mine - they're every mom's. I have been looking through my own baby book this week, and it's nice to see that my mom had many of the same thoughts and worries that I do now (when will he get on a predictable schedule?). It also reminds me I should probably be keeping up on his baby book...
• Just when I think I have him figured out... Since he has been around people more, and making more visits, I notice that I know him better than anyone except maybe his dad - when I know anything, that is. I know what a sleepy look is, what a frustrated cry is, when he wants to squirm instead of being held (which is most of the time). I think he's got his parents' introverted nature, which is not a bad thing. But right when I start to learn about him, he suddenly starts something new.
• Looking ahead doesn't necessarily mean I'm not savoring the now. These past two months have gone so quickly, and he is so different now than he was at the beginning; I can't wait to see where he's at one or two months from now. I know everyone says to enjoy this age, and I do, but it's exciting to see him grow and learn. Each day is its own, but I have fun trying to guess what the next day will bring as well.
• Guess the first word. Toss up between penis (re: my first post) or poop (see rude names above). Although in reality everyone knows it'll be dada. That's everyone's first word.
• People who think being a stay-at-home mom isn't a real job have never been a stay-at-home mom. This job is hard work! I am cooking/cleaning/doing laundry/playing with the boy from 6am to 8pm, not to mention the middle of the night feedings. And then there's all the calories I burn feeding him, and I have to take time to feed myself with something healthy, i.e., not potato chips. Someday I'll get to play with my Sim families again...
• My gag reflex has diminished significantly. Although the spit and poop of other people's kids still have the same effect they always have. At least I can tolerate my own kid's bodily fluids.
• I am not a baby person. I love my own. But the urge to coo and cradle other people's offspring has not taken hold... I wondered if that would change. Despite that, I look forward to having more. After Disneyland, that is. Can't let pregnancy get in the way of Space Mountain.

Weeks 5-6

• Whatever I thought it would be, it's not. The things I thought would be easy (let him cry himself to sleep) are immensely difficult, if not impossible. The things I thought I couldn't do (leave him with a babysitter) I find surprisingly easy.
• Seriously. Throw out the book. All it does is increase stress over all those 'simple' goals that remain ever so elusive.
• Every smile completely erases every crying, fussing moment. I've read that there is no rational reason for humans to have children. Logically, that's true - it messes up your perfect lifestyle, it makes you sick, tired, and poor, and forget about seeing all those awesome movies the day they come out. But when that little smile briefly crosses that little face, I don't care about logic and reason. I can't wait for the hugs and kisses.
• When the baby sleeps in his own room, my sporadic hours of sleep are so much better. I thought I wouldn't move his bed for months yet - but one month in my room was quite enough.
• Being sick while breast feeding sucks. But when both of us are sick (and no one can take medicine) that's even worse.
• After nearly a year alcohol-free, I can barely take my liquor. Guess it'll be a while before I can casually sip a margarita and drive home.
• All my fears about the pacifier have come to naught. After a week of successfully lulling the boy to sleep, he has discovered it is not, in fact, a nipple, and no longer wants to use it. Guess he better figure out how to stick out his thumb.