Still Baking

Don't worry folks, I have not let the baking slide. I have a NEW recipe! In all my baking delirium, I have come up with Cherry Garcia cookies. Please hold the applause... To my regular chocolate chip recipe I have added about 1/4 t. of almond extract, a cup of dried cherries (finely chopped) and 2 cups of chocolate chunks in lieu of chips. (You may applaud now) OH Yumm! It is cherry/chocolate heaven...NOT that I have tried any - ya know, with the whole chocolate ban in effect. Ok, I tried them before the ban, so it doesn't count! Quit judging me!

Cheesey, I know

So, yes, maybe I am a little cheesey...Who cares!? I just LOVED these shirts that my friend the FlipFloppingMomma gave Aiden and I! Aiden's reads "Demand" and mine is "Supply" - on the back they both say "Economics 101". These shirts are from http://Milkthreadz.com , Not your Mommaz nursing wear!

My Scariest Day

Ok- so it has been a while since I have posted anything, I am sorry to admit. But I have a good excuse! You all know about the no-sleeping thing we have been going through with Aiden, well the saga continues into yet another week. Over the weekend I had had it. I decided to take him into the doctor to see what the heck was going on. I know babies get restless when they teethe, and I know that around 6 or 7 months the whole separation anxiety kicks in and that will keep them up too - but this child had not slept for more then 40 minutes at a stretch for two weeks and I couldn't take it anymore.

So off to the doctor we went, under the mask of his 6 month checkup - perfect timing! Now I don't look like the overreacting parent that I really am. To make a long story short, after explaining my woes to the Dr., he also became a slight bit concerned (At least I am no longer alone here), and did a physical exam on the boy. He found that Aiden's spleen was enlarged - No wonder he could not sleep, an enlarged spleen! OK - what the heck does that mean? Turns out that an enlarged spleen can mean some serious stuff (warning to all mothers, never look it up on the Internet if your child has an enlarged spleen!). So we rushed poor little Aiden and his abnormal spleen up to the Hospital for an ultrasound. By now I am in full panic mode and I am taken the Farmer with me.

A wonderful ultrasound tech, all of 12 years old, greeted us. We laid Aiden on the same table that I laid on many times to watch him and his sister swimming happily in my tummy, and she squirted him down with the funny jelly that I too had had smooshed all over my belly. Aiden was very pleasant through all this, I think he enjoyed someone so close to his age working on him. The tech took about five minutes to look at his spleen and kidneys and promptly left the room to talk with the Dr. on duty. Now this was the longest ten minutes of my life. Did we have a tumor on our hands? Was there a problem with his kidneys? Did he have a blockage? Questions whipped through our minds.

It turns out that Aiden's spleen was within the normal parameters for an infant of his age and they found no other problems. How they could tell this from the very brief examination, was beyond me, but Whew! So now what? Well, we talked to our Pediatrician once again and he came back with the diagnosis of "Colic". Hummm, colic, huh? Well, ok, if you say so Doc.

So I am trying out a new theory. For the past to days I have been avoiding all caffeine in my diet. Yes, Ladies, that means NO CHOCOLATE. Uhg..... And what do ya know, he has slept the last two nights. Huh, who would have thunk it? I guess sleep is better than chocolate after all.

Tommy Turtle, What Color Is Your Underwear?

I am not sure when the exact moment was that I got old. Was it a gradual process, or did

I wake up one morning with no idea of what was considered cool anymore. All I know is that I no longer view low waist jeans and tight Hollister tops as appropriate adult clothing. Of course, I know some 30-somethings who still think this is the only way to leave the house...
I, apparently, have also become thoroughly confused by men's clothing as well. Above we have a case in point. Above is my dear brother-in-law (yes, the Farmer has two teenage brothers - something about an empty nest syndrome, I am not sure...But where would we be without them to use as models?) and he is sporting the "IN" look in denim these days. Do you notice anything wrong here? Like a waist maybe? I spend more time knowing the color of his underwear then I do my own!
The pants are worn so low and so big that while carrying heavy boxes for me (hey, a girl has to have her boy-servants!) they actually began to fall off the child, leaving him to spread his legs as far as they could go, just to keep his pants above his knees! I had to rescue him just before they hit the floor.
Well, I might not get it, but the girls sure seem to be wild about this boy, so he must be doing something right.

First We Learn To Crawl

Aiden has been getting better and better about being on his tummy. Dare I say, some days he prefers it. Albeit with a fair share of "baiting" involved.

Today we used the unassuming dog. There she lay, sprawled out in the sun, minding her own business. Dreaming about chasing rabbits in the yard, or digging up a juicy mole to enjoy in the sunshine. (The likes of which leave ginormous craters in my yard that slightly resemble a minefield.) Suddenly, (insert "Jaws" theme music) her ear is grabbed and twisted into a tightly wound tootsie roll!

Daaa-da Daaa-da Daa-Da Daa-da Da-Da Da-Da DA DA DA DA

She leaps from slumber to defend herself, realizing quickly that she has turned from the mighty predator of her dreams to the unknowing prey! Pounced upon by none other than....THE BABY!

Ok - so she saw it coming. And she somewhat enjoys becoming a jungle gym for the children. Hey, it is attention after all!
Oh - that mighty hunter - ya just gotta love him.

Overheard - The Shadowy Man and The Sticks

While driving home after dark last night, this was the conversation in the car:

Sarah - "Mama, I just saw a man standing outside in the dark."
Me - (Trying to alleviate any fear of strange men in the dark) "Oh yea? Well they have a dog at that house, maybe he took the dog out to go potty."
Sarah - "No, Mama, he was a really tall man!"
Me - "Yes, Honey. Tall men have dogs too."
Sarah - "But he was really shadowy!"
Me - "Oh?"
Sarah - "I know, he was out to build a fire and has to look for sticks in the dark."
Well, that explains it.