In my entire childhood, never did I once utter the word "gnocchi." John Michael, at age 2, added to his growing palate of global toddler foods(edamame, burritos, quinoa, etc.) this evening by eating two helpings of this delicious recipe from Ashley over at Delish. I never thought of gnocchi when thinking of finger food ideas, but this is actually a good one for toddlers. The chicken and gnocchi were so tasty that he didn't even notice the spinach!
Garlic Chicken & Spinach Gnocchi
1 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 (17.5-ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi
2 large cloves garlic, minced (~1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped spinach
Cook the gnocchi according to directions. Meanwhile, heat ~1 teaspoon of olive oil and add diced chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, until lightly browned. Add minced garlic and cook until softened & fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add remaining olive oil (~2 teaspoons), butter, drained gnocchi, salt & pepper. Cook until gnocchi are golden brown on the bottoms. Use a spatula to flip the gnocchi. Add the spinach, tossing frequently, until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
struction site
struction site
Originally uploaded by our "nut" house
This captures JM right now in a nutshell. He is really into imaginative play all of a sudden; working on construction sites, putting out fires, making cookies, etc. I love it. If I could bottle up the way he says "construction site!" I would! This video is longer and cuter than this, but I didn't want to go too public with it. In short, it continues when I ask him what the digger's name is and he says Digger H. as in our last name. These days, if you ask him what his frog's name is, he'll look at you like "duh, Mom" and say with quite certainty that the frog is duh, Froggy H. or the plastic fireman's name is Fireman H. etc. Apparently we have quite a large family of both living and inanimate objects.
Anyway, I will always remember this day because right after we shot this, he came up to me and said "I give you kiss" and planted one on me. He's really good at making mama forget that just 30 minutes before that, he was being a little toot and standing up in the cart at Old Navy and making a huuuuuge scene.
Here he is.... our digger man:
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
My personal trainer is the DEVIL
(Warning: this post contains possibly frightening muffin top photos. Consider yourself forewarned)
Remember my lovey dovey feelings last week after my first meeting with personal trainer, Nancy? No more, people. She is EVIL. I met with her both yesterday AND today because of scheduling issues. Within 12 hours, I did two hour-long sessions of intervals. Yesterday was legs. Today was upper body. Both times, I was switching back and forth between weights and almost dying doing: 1) treadmill 2)stair stepper 3)ARC trainer and 4) power lunges. And, it felt GREAT! Nancy is pushing me harder than I ever would myself. God bless her for that. I'll admit, it's a little weird to have someone there watching my every move. I'm really uncoordinated and awkward at some things and I'm sure it's hilarious (for Nancy's sadistic self, in particular) to observe me jumping all over the place. It's a workout in itself to get all three of us out the door and to the gym so far, but it is SO indulgent to have an hour of working out and focusing just on myself. It's a nice break.
My starting weight is 141. I'll be happy getting down to 130. So far I've lost 1 whole pound. This is 4 workouts in, and the only change to my diet being no cookies and cream, etc. after 5pm (I'll miss you, sweet buddies!). I'm really looking to get more toned and especially to get rid of the muffin top more than anything, so am optimistic.
I can't believe I'm posting a "before" pic of my belly on the internet, but I've thought about it for a week now and decided it would be good for me to put this out there to challenge myself to make a change and also to show the interweb what a real post partum belly looks like. Heck, if I can take pregnancy belly pictures, then I can take a post baby shot. 6 months from now, there's no way in hell I'm doing this, as I'll no longer have the baby to blame for looking this way. Oh, wait, I'm stalling. Gulp.... here goes. Beware, this ain't pretty...
I've got a ways to go, as you can see! And, yes, that is a picture of the mister and I in our bathroom that I look at when I'm brushing my teeth. And, there it is! Whew!
Remember my lovey dovey feelings last week after my first meeting with personal trainer, Nancy? No more, people. She is EVIL. I met with her both yesterday AND today because of scheduling issues. Within 12 hours, I did two hour-long sessions of intervals. Yesterday was legs. Today was upper body. Both times, I was switching back and forth between weights and almost dying doing: 1) treadmill 2)stair stepper 3)ARC trainer and 4) power lunges. And, it felt GREAT! Nancy is pushing me harder than I ever would myself. God bless her for that. I'll admit, it's a little weird to have someone there watching my every move. I'm really uncoordinated and awkward at some things and I'm sure it's hilarious (for Nancy's sadistic self, in particular) to observe me jumping all over the place. It's a workout in itself to get all three of us out the door and to the gym so far, but it is SO indulgent to have an hour of working out and focusing just on myself. It's a nice break.
My starting weight is 141. I'll be happy getting down to 130. So far I've lost 1 whole pound. This is 4 workouts in, and the only change to my diet being no cookies and cream, etc. after 5pm (I'll miss you, sweet buddies!). I'm really looking to get more toned and especially to get rid of the muffin top more than anything, so am optimistic.
I can't believe I'm posting a "before" pic of my belly on the internet, but I've thought about it for a week now and decided it would be good for me to put this out there to challenge myself to make a change and also to show the interweb what a real post partum belly looks like. Heck, if I can take pregnancy belly pictures, then I can take a post baby shot. 6 months from now, there's no way in hell I'm doing this, as I'll no longer have the baby to blame for looking this way. Oh, wait, I'm stalling. Gulp.... here goes. Beware, this ain't pretty...
I've got a ways to go, as you can see! And, yes, that is a picture of the mister and I in our bathroom that I look at when I'm brushing my teeth. And, there it is! Whew!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
School days, school days
This morning we went to JM's new school to go meet his teacher. I wasn't expecting to get emotional about him starting school, but I was. Getting the parent handbook and talking about orientation and lunch boxes, carpool lines and playground play made me both excited for him and saddened that he's beginning his "big boy" school career where he'll learn all sorts of things without me that will last until he's in college and hopefully beyond when he's getting his PhD :).
I was so impressed with his teacher. She was a middle school teacher for special ed and ESL prior to staying home with her two sons, then started doing this part-time. She seemed down to earth, organized, and best-of-all, enthusiastic about teaching two year-olds! Part of the reason I love this school so much is because it's a co-op, which means that instead of having aids in the classroom, the parents subsidize tuition by volunteering, so I'll actually get to witness his learning once a month. His class is only 9 kids, so the parent community is really tight. It's such a sweet place for learning. JM is going to do great when he starts next week; I can just tell. Today when we were conferencing with his teacher, he went right over to the construction trucks and had a ball.
I was so impressed with his teacher. She was a middle school teacher for special ed and ESL prior to staying home with her two sons, then started doing this part-time. She seemed down to earth, organized, and best-of-all, enthusiastic about teaching two year-olds! Part of the reason I love this school so much is because it's a co-op, which means that instead of having aids in the classroom, the parents subsidize tuition by volunteering, so I'll actually get to witness his learning once a month. His class is only 9 kids, so the parent community is really tight. It's such a sweet place for learning. JM is going to do great when he starts next week; I can just tell. Today when we were conferencing with his teacher, he went right over to the construction trucks and had a ball.
Part of the reason I love this school. Nobody has tire swings like this on their playgrounds, anymore! So cool! And, check out that natural light in the classroom! Nice!
PS- In case anyone is following my Noah sleep drama from yesterday, he woke up at midnight, last night :(, but went back to bed after a few minutes of rocking in the chair with a paci and didn't wake back up until 2:15 :)! I think this is progress!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sweet Noah
When we were talking about baby names, Mike and I kept coming back to Noah, because we liked that it was biblical, strong and what we felt was the name of someone likable. How could a Noah be anything but a nice person?
It's funny, because our Noah has such a happy disposition, I just can't imagine him being a jerk in any way. This post was inspired by him sitting next to me on the sofa, distracting me by smiling at me whenever I look in his direction, and just now pooping with the biggest grin on his face, like only a baby can do, like it was the coolest thing ever.
Little Noah went through a period last week where he started waking up at 11pm instead of 1 or 2am. Believe me, sleep digression is not easy when mama's gotten used to that longer evening stretch. Getting up at 11, when you've just gone to bed at 9:30 (or later, if you're say watching important TV, like Bachelor Pad :) is no fun. Noah is definitely working the adorable and happy thing to his advantage. It's impossible to be annoyed when he is smiling at you at 2am or when you are ehem, trying to put him down for nap for the 4th!!! time in a row, each time when you think he's asleep for sure and he's not. Anyway, I finally had a lightbulb moment on Saturday night, and duh, put his paci in at 11, instead of feeding him and sure enough, without making a peep, he accepted the nuk and went back to sleep until 2am. Last night, he didn't wake up at all and slept until 2:45! I'm crossing my fingers for another good night tonight! Do it, happy little man! We know you can!
It's funny, because our Noah has such a happy disposition, I just can't imagine him being a jerk in any way. This post was inspired by him sitting next to me on the sofa, distracting me by smiling at me whenever I look in his direction, and just now pooping with the biggest grin on his face, like only a baby can do, like it was the coolest thing ever.
Little Noah went through a period last week where he started waking up at 11pm instead of 1 or 2am. Believe me, sleep digression is not easy when mama's gotten used to that longer evening stretch. Getting up at 11, when you've just gone to bed at 9:30 (or later, if you're say watching important TV, like Bachelor Pad :) is no fun. Noah is definitely working the adorable and happy thing to his advantage. It's impossible to be annoyed when he is smiling at you at 2am or when you are ehem, trying to put him down for nap for the 4th!!! time in a row, each time when you think he's asleep for sure and he's not. Anyway, I finally had a lightbulb moment on Saturday night, and duh, put his paci in at 11, instead of feeding him and sure enough, without making a peep, he accepted the nuk and went back to sleep until 2am. Last night, he didn't wake up at all and slept until 2:45! I'm crossing my fingers for another good night tonight! Do it, happy little man! We know you can!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Get in shape, girl
Today I did something I thought I'd never do. Had my first session with a personal trainer at my gym. I've always kind of worked out on my own. I've never been obsessed with fitness nor had a body I've thought was "ideal" (probably having something to do with my love of chips and salsa and also margaritas and wine) but the times in my life I have felt the healthiest in mind and body have been when I've been exercising regularly. Since it's so hot right now and I can barely get enough sleep as it is, running isn't happening that much for me, so I needed something else to motivate me. Enter the personal trainer.
I know I'm only 9 weeks out from pregnancy, but with JM it took me over a year to lose the last 10 pounds of pregnancy weight and this time, I'd like to get it off a little sooner. With one more body to take care of, I can already tell finding time to work out is going to be harder. I think I've only made it to the gym four times in the past 5 weeks and have gone running once. My training session went great. Nancy is my trainer and she is another mom to two boys who also breastfed. I know her from Zumba class (she is WAY more coordinated than me) and I can tell already that our working relationship is going to be a good one. She gave me some good compliments on my form and encouraged me to work out using her plan on Friday without her (saving me money). We did some stretching at the end that felt really indulgent. Stretching is something I rarely take time to do. It's hard enough to find minutes to work out as a mom. It's easy to let the stretching fall by the wayside.
So yeah, I'm going to try to lose 10 pounds safely without affecting my feedings with Noah. I am also going to try to tone up overall and specifically lose this muffin top. My stomach has never been flat, so I doubt I will have a 6 pack or anything, but I want to lose a few inches around the waist for sure. I'm going to try to work out with Nancy once a week and twice without her. If I get brave later, I may post a "before" shot so I can track my progress. We'll see how this goes!
I know I'm only 9 weeks out from pregnancy, but with JM it took me over a year to lose the last 10 pounds of pregnancy weight and this time, I'd like to get it off a little sooner. With one more body to take care of, I can already tell finding time to work out is going to be harder. I think I've only made it to the gym four times in the past 5 weeks and have gone running once. My training session went great. Nancy is my trainer and she is another mom to two boys who also breastfed. I know her from Zumba class (she is WAY more coordinated than me) and I can tell already that our working relationship is going to be a good one. She gave me some good compliments on my form and encouraged me to work out using her plan on Friday without her (saving me money). We did some stretching at the end that felt really indulgent. Stretching is something I rarely take time to do. It's hard enough to find minutes to work out as a mom. It's easy to let the stretching fall by the wayside.
So yeah, I'm going to try to lose 10 pounds safely without affecting my feedings with Noah. I am also going to try to tone up overall and specifically lose this muffin top. My stomach has never been flat, so I doubt I will have a 6 pack or anything, but I want to lose a few inches around the waist for sure. I'm going to try to work out with Nancy once a week and twice without her. If I get brave later, I may post a "before" shot so I can track my progress. We'll see how this goes!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Our chunky monkey
Noah had his 2 month appointment this morning.
I will be honest. Even though everything has gone like clockwork with him from the beginning with his feedings, I still had anxiety about this visit to the ped. The devil really has been trying to get in my head the past few days. I even did a Google "2 month old baby" image search to compare Noah's size to other 2 month olds. Not proud of that, but true. I am so scarred by JM being so tiny and worrying about him endlessly that going to the ped with Noah is totally scary for me. Anyway, get thee behind me Satan, because Noah is still doing great and I need to stop worrying about him! Easier said than done for me and most parents I know. Anyway, he's 50th percentile for weight (11 lbs 7 oz) and 75th for height (almost 24 inches). He is SO long that I wasn't surprised by the height at all. And I'm perfectly content with "normal" for weight. He's a chunk for our family, anyway!
At 2 months, Noah:
-Smiles
-Coos
-Naps every 1.5 hours or so
-Sleeps one long stretch from 7 or 8 to 1 or 2 (making mama have to go to bed early- boo)
-Wears 3 month clothes from Carters, 6 months for Polo, is too big for 0-3 month from Gap, too big for most newborn and too little for most 3-6 months. We are a smorgasbord of different sizes over here!
I really want to say a prayer of thanksgiving for this healthy baby! It's not all about the numbers, I know, but it is reassuring that my breastmilk is fine!
Friday, August 13, 2010
2 months old!
God bless him. Noah is such a happy little soul. He is a ray of sunshine. I was trying to settle him down for a nap and he just kept smiling up at me, making his paci fall out, so I thought heck, we may as well take his 2 month pictures... Hence, without further ado, I give you the many faces of 2 month-old Noah...
Silly
The Camera Adds 10 Lbs, Doesn't It
Serious
Shy
Ready to Party! (at 2am)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
12 on Thursday (Survival Mode Edition)
Ughhhhhh.... lack of blogging is a direct correlation with the insanity that is my life right now. Hence...
1. We went to Iowa and it was great to see my buddies from childhood. Noah was a dream.
2. While we were gone, Nana decided to potty train JM. He was potty trained for a record three days, one of which was when we got home. I was going crazy trying to get him on the potty every 90 min, Noah fed every 3 hours, Noah napped every 90 min, etc. so the potty training is on hold. I feel a little guilty that JM was "ready" and we missed a window, but some good friends reminded me that us being ready was equally as important.
3. I need to lose 10 pounds in a major way. Considering taking a "before" picture and bravely documenting my attempt via this blog a la MC from the Nest.
4. The truth is, I am not sure how this exercise and weight loss will happen. I am not sure if I took a shower yesterday or not. For realz.
5. I have at least 10 thank you notes to write. If you are one of the 10 people who I need to write to (Emily, Betsy, Karen B), I'm so thankful for what you sent!
6. Noah is sleeping pretty well at night. Last night he slept from 8-1:30 and from 1:30-5 and 5-8:30.
7. Noah is sleeping terrible during the day, unless he's in the swing. I've been trying to get him to have "non-swing" sleep, but it's not going well. Since we're in survival mode, I'm opting for swing naps today to accomplish something.
8. I'm pretty sure I've had Katy Perry's California Gurls in my head for about a month now. JM calls it "the popsicle song." It's his favorite. Such a great influence we are on him with the quality Christian rock.
9. I did take a shower today. A post gym shower. Hooray!
10. We are currently missing the question mark, R, and F keys on our computer thanks to JM. I have to cut and paste any question marks because that one doesn't work. It drives me crazy!
11. I don't know how I made it through JM's early life without nursing in bed. Dear God, it's the most wonderful thing ever! I was worried I was going to mess JM up. With Noah, it's my salvation at the moment and he loves the early morning buffet action.
12. Am I the only one who finds it odd that JM will not eat green grapes nor bananas, but will eat 12 brussel sprouts or a whole zucchini in one sitting?
1. We went to Iowa and it was great to see my buddies from childhood. Noah was a dream.
2. While we were gone, Nana decided to potty train JM. He was potty trained for a record three days, one of which was when we got home. I was going crazy trying to get him on the potty every 90 min, Noah fed every 3 hours, Noah napped every 90 min, etc. so the potty training is on hold. I feel a little guilty that JM was "ready" and we missed a window, but some good friends reminded me that us being ready was equally as important.
3. I need to lose 10 pounds in a major way. Considering taking a "before" picture and bravely documenting my attempt via this blog a la MC from the Nest.
4. The truth is, I am not sure how this exercise and weight loss will happen. I am not sure if I took a shower yesterday or not. For realz.
5. I have at least 10 thank you notes to write. If you are one of the 10 people who I need to write to (Emily, Betsy, Karen B), I'm so thankful for what you sent!
6. Noah is sleeping pretty well at night. Last night he slept from 8-1:30 and from 1:30-5 and 5-8:30.
7. Noah is sleeping terrible during the day, unless he's in the swing. I've been trying to get him to have "non-swing" sleep, but it's not going well. Since we're in survival mode, I'm opting for swing naps today to accomplish something.
8. I'm pretty sure I've had Katy Perry's California Gurls in my head for about a month now. JM calls it "the popsicle song." It's his favorite. Such a great influence we are on him with the quality Christian rock.
9. I did take a shower today. A post gym shower. Hooray!
10. We are currently missing the question mark, R, and F keys on our computer thanks to JM. I have to cut and paste any question marks because that one doesn't work. It drives me crazy!
11. I don't know how I made it through JM's early life without nursing in bed. Dear God, it's the most wonderful thing ever! I was worried I was going to mess JM up. With Noah, it's my salvation at the moment and he loves the early morning buffet action.
12. Am I the only one who finds it odd that JM will not eat green grapes nor bananas, but will eat 12 brussel sprouts or a whole zucchini in one sitting?
Monday, August 02, 2010
Dreamin
This morning I am dreaming...
...of jumping into cool Deep Eddy, where we went with the J's yesterday. I just attempted my first post partum run and even at 9am, it was HOTTER THAN HADES. With my out of shape body and both boys (one 32 pounder and plus 11 pounder plus 11 lb carseat) in the Duallie, it was like running through mud. Needless to say, my face is red as a tomato right now. Not pretty.
...of our trip to Iowa this weekend for Elizabeth's post-wedding reception. Mike has never been to where I grew up and I can't wait to show him. It's been 5 years since I was there, myself. Have dreams of bringing home suitcases of sweet corn and Hy Vee beef. Definitely a dream, since we're taking baby Noah and all his stuff. I don't think my accountant husband is going to spring for paying for a suitcase of corn.
...of maybe, somehow getting organized enough to do the Austin Half Marathon in February. Considering it took me over an hour to get everyone fed, dressed and out the door with the jog stroller this morning, it might be hard, but I'd like to shoot to make it happen.
...of busting out some walls. Our 2200 square feet is seeming awfully crowded with the addition of just one little body and I've been watching way too much HGTV lately feeding Noah. Mike and I talked about it on Friday night and we are going to start researching what it would take to update our kitchen and possibly add a first floor master suite. It might take YEARS for us to do it, but it is really fun to talk about and dream about.
And, now back to the reality of changing a really stinky 2 year old and paying bills... dreaming of a Chuys mango margarita, which will actually become a reality come 6pm tonight!
...of jumping into cool Deep Eddy, where we went with the J's yesterday. I just attempted my first post partum run and even at 9am, it was HOTTER THAN HADES. With my out of shape body and both boys (one 32 pounder and plus 11 pounder plus 11 lb carseat) in the Duallie, it was like running through mud. Needless to say, my face is red as a tomato right now. Not pretty.
...of our trip to Iowa this weekend for Elizabeth's post-wedding reception. Mike has never been to where I grew up and I can't wait to show him. It's been 5 years since I was there, myself. Have dreams of bringing home suitcases of sweet corn and Hy Vee beef. Definitely a dream, since we're taking baby Noah and all his stuff. I don't think my accountant husband is going to spring for paying for a suitcase of corn.
...of maybe, somehow getting organized enough to do the Austin Half Marathon in February. Considering it took me over an hour to get everyone fed, dressed and out the door with the jog stroller this morning, it might be hard, but I'd like to shoot to make it happen.
...of busting out some walls. Our 2200 square feet is seeming awfully crowded with the addition of just one little body and I've been watching way too much HGTV lately feeding Noah. Mike and I talked about it on Friday night and we are going to start researching what it would take to update our kitchen and possibly add a first floor master suite. It might take YEARS for us to do it, but it is really fun to talk about and dream about.
And, now back to the reality of changing a really stinky 2 year old and paying bills... dreaming of a Chuys mango margarita, which will actually become a reality come 6pm tonight!
Sunday, August 01, 2010
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