There were two in the bed & the little one said....

Roll over. Roll over. Yesterday, Ezra officially rolled over!! He performed his wonderful new trick about 4 times from his tummy to back. He's done it a few times already, but it could be argued that we helped a bit...pushing on the bed mattress to make a downward slope doesn't count, right?  And of course, once I figured out the video on my camera...he was so over being on his tummy!! But I did get a shot of his face from the first time he did it!

Pancakes!

Today is IHOP National Pancake Day from 7am to 10pm! If you go, each guest will get a free short stack. They only ask that you consider making a donation to support local children's hospitals through Children's Miracle Networks. How cool is that?! Two great things! I'm really hoping we can squeeze in some pancakes some time today!

Monday

W was feeling a bit under the weather this last weekend so we decided to stay indoors. Much to our delight, the weather cooperated with our quarantine so we didn't miss any sunshine. Sounds like a perfect time to binge on LOST & finally catch up to Season 6. And that's just what we did.

Come Monday morning... perhaps with any type of hangover, we had some clean-up to do. And with absolutely nothing in our fridge, I still needed to come up with something for dinner. So after two loads of laundry started, dishes swishing in the washer, a belly-full baby down for a nap...I pulled out my trusted crock-pot!

Here's a favorite of W's & a quick-prep meal {or appetizer}...but you have to like ONIONS! :)

French Onion Soup

(Recipes from my fabulous thrift store find: Betty Crocker Recipes Book)

3 large sliced onions

3 T of butter

3 T of flour

1 t sugar

1 t Worcestershire sause

1/4 t pepper

4 cans of beef broth

 (I just used 7 beef bouillon cubes with 7 cups of water 

since we only have chicken ready-to-serve broth) 

1. Mix onions & butter in slow cooker. Cover & cook on high heat for 30-35 minutes or until onions begin to brown

2. Mix flour, Worcestershire sause, sugar & pepper. Stir flour mixture & broth into onions

3. Cover & cook on low setting 7-9 hrs. or on high for 3-4 hours.

It has such a great savory taste! I like to serve the soup with some cheesy broiled French Bread. I make it right before serving the meal.

Cheesy Broild French Bread

8 or so slices French bread

3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese

2 T grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Set oven control to broil. Sprinkle with cheeses. 

Place bread slices on rack in pan for about 3 minutes. 

(Our oven is weird & burns really easily on broil setting, so I have to check every 30 seconds or so) 

And now that my work is done for the day, I get to go play! Yay!

Wrinkles

Do these wrinkles make my forehead look big?

Or perhaps a bit like a cute old man?

Didgeridoo

Noun. A musical wind instrument of Australian Aborigines made from a long wooden tube that is blown into to create a low drone.

At our Narnia book club (through our church's young adult ministries), we are sharing relics from a past adventure. Jason brought his didgeridoo from South Africa. It's really hard to play but has a really cool low tone. And it produces great laughter when someone tries to play it!

W was able to work it after only a few attempts. I, however, wasn't really ready to put my lips on beeswax and blow like a platypus.

Happy 2 Months!

Ezra, I can't believe you're already 2 months old! Sometimes I still feel like we're in December, trying to figure this whole thing out. Time definitely has a mischievous side of moving too fast. This month we moved you to your crib so you & I could get better sleep. I just couldn't keep checking on you every ten minutes. It amazes me how much & how quickly you change! I swear there have been mornings when I feel like I'm looking at a totally different Ezra than the one we laid down for bed the night before. Children really grow like weeds right before your eyes! :)

It has been so wonderful to finally meet you just 2 months ago! It feels like we're just starting to get to know each other. And we are looking forward to learning more about you & growing as a family! Here are some things we've learned about you thus far, little man:

-Your little hands are lint traps! They are so firmly closed into fists most of the day that you carry along all sorts of lint with you. I have to clean them out at almost every feeding!

-The only 3 places you'll successfully nap more than 30 minutes are: our bed, your crib & the Moby. We definitely had a very short window of you sleeping anywhere & everywhere!
-You have the ultimate frown: a perfect upside down "U" and this precious big pouty lower lip-flip (and it's really hard not to giggle when we see them)
-Fans, ceiling beams & light fixtures fascinate you
-You hate your car seat unless we're walking briskly or driving faster than 30 mph
-Eating is not a problem for you-- you are usually done in under 10 minutes now! And feed about every 3 hours.
-You seem to know exactly when we talk about you sleeping--you wake up in that moment, even if you're in another room
-Papa's football hold is your favorite
-You have a Swenson nose & face with Mama's blue eyes
-We put you in 0-3 or 3 month clothing, but most of it is too big & too long. We just don't have much NB sizes & most are too short for you.
-You fight sleep at nap time like your Papa, but thankfully go right back to sleep during the night
-So far, new situations or people don't faze you
-You finally "woke up" around 6 weeks
-We are thankful for the 5 & 6 hour stretches you sometimes give me at night...we're hoping for many more next month! :)
-You love baths but I'm still waiting for you to enjoy the lotion rub down afterward

Your Dr. visit Stats:
-10 lbs 13.5 oz
-22.5 inches long

We seriously can't remember life without you, little dude. It's been lots of hard work-- many moments that press our patience and knowledge. You can still be so unpredictable. And there are still many days when we're in survival mode. But each day our love for you grows and deepens. I love to sneak into your room while you're sleeping & just look at your sweet face. That peacefully sleeping face & your smiles and coos are some of my favorite things.

Two Really Good Things

1. I fit into the only pair of "fat" pants I have (Barely, but the button is done! And who cares about the few rolls spilling over?!)

2. For the first time in (what feels like) a really long time, I was bored at home this afternoon {yes, W, I know boredom is self-induced} :)

Now perhaps to anyone is was not recently pregnant & gave birth, these two things could be very depressing. But to me, they are great signs of recovery! Baby steps to regularity! Things to be celebrated! :)

Baby Theory...

I am curious. I've been noticing how Ezra reacts when other people hold him. Normally, he's totally great & gives smiles which we love. From what we've learned of his little personality, he doesn't seem to be at all shy. There have been a few people who just seem a bit awkward & nervous when holding Ezra. And it's like he can tell. He gets fussy pretty quickly.

Last weekend, I handed Ezra over to my cousin. I'm pretty sure that he has limited to zero infant experience. But since I'm fairly certain he wants kids in the somewhat future, I thought I'd give him a test run! :) So Ezra started to whimper and cry almost immediately. Later on in the evening, I asked if Jorel wanted to try again...reminding him it's like falling off a horse, you have to get back on. Jorel worried that Ezra would cry again. As I passed Ezra off this time, I gave him a few tips & helped Ez get settled on his lap. Magic! Ezra hung out with his second cousin during a whole round of Rummikub. Success! And Jorel seemed a bit more confident & relaxed. Changing people's infant comfort level, one cute-baby-hold at a time. His girlfriend whisked Ezra away pretty quickly afterward and was a complete natural. No fussiness from Ezra.

So right, the theory. I've read about it before, but have finally seen it in action. Even with such limited people experience, infants seem to have this sixth sense about people. They can really seem to "read" the people they come into contact with. Pretty amazing.

Celebrating Love Day!

We spent Valentine's Day up in the vineyards near Fairplay & Somerset (in the Sierra Foothills). My parents have a client who owns Oakstone Winery up there so we decided to make a day of it. My dad & this guy are both Grandpas and apparently swap grandkid pictures frequently! So he was very eager to meet Ezra, and Dad was very excited to show him off.

On our way up to the winery, we stopped for lunch, nursing & a diaper change at Bocconato Trattoria. And to enjoy the gorgeous sunshine!

Oh, and some zzzz's

And cuddle time with Grandma!

It seemed like a grandparent fest at the winery as everyone compared stories. We were some of the younger people there, but they were all so sweet even when Ezra got a little fussy towards the end. Perhaps a little too much excitement, but he did really well considering it was a full day of adventure!

When Ezra got fussy for his nap time, we popped him in the wrap & out he went. 

Hope you had a fabulously wonderful Valentine's Day too!!

Blue Steel

On Fairy Tales & Dragons

"Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." -C.S. Lewis

Una and the Lion by Briton Rivière, 1880

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” - G.K. Chesterton

The Many Faces...

of Ezra! Such great entertainment for his parents! :)

We've been getting smiles & giggles for a few weeks now!!

Photography Giveaway!

Our friend, Tara, (who did our super fabulous newborn pictures) is having a giveaway! If you live in the Bay Area & need some family pics or need a creative gift, head over here and post a comment!

Superbowl Sunday

After church, we headed over to my parents for a little Superbowl time. The guys enjoyed some football and wine.

Mom enjoyed some Ezra.

And I enjoyed catching up on thank-you cards.

Dad made some delicious Spicy Chicken Legs for dinner too! A good time had by all! Well, except this is what Ez thought of football thus far...

You have your work cut out for you, Dad! :)

Date Night

On Saturday we were able to get a lovely night with just the two of us. Grandma, like the wise woman she is, encouraged us to get out & we are so thankful!! W let me pick our cuisine & there was no pause to think: sushi, of course!! I had been missing it so much since I was pregnant! So after dropping Ezra off at the grandparents, we went home to get ready and headed to dinner. Yum!!

Then we headed over to a friend's concert for a bit & hung out with some friends before picking up the little tyke. It was so nice to be together & able to focus on one another! Such a great evening! We sure missed our little Ez, but loved the time together!

Just Hanging Out

Jojo & Ez did some bonding this afternoon while I cleaned up the kitchen a bit & made some lunch!

Our little 7 week old!

How Ezra Came To Join Us...

So I've been working on this post since 4 days after Ez was born. It took awhile to get things down in writing. And it turned out quite long...but I think it's more for me to "get out" into words than to interest others as reading material. But here's our story nonetheless...

Welp, it looks like the easy 41 weeks of pregnancy were quickly made up by our labor & delivery. You know this is true when your midwife-- who's done this work for 40 years-- tells you that this was in the top running for hardest & most difficult births. Yikes!

It all started on Wednesday morning around 1 am when I passed my plug & contractions started coming for the first time. We both went back to sleep, knowing that things were finally getting underway. That morning, we visited our midwife where she managed our expectations: it could be a while or not. I wasn't dilated still, but she stripped the membranes around my cervix to help it along. At about noon, contractions were definitely different & stronger. This was when my back labor started to kick in. I would never want this kind of pain for anyone! It was the one thing I was worried about before labor & it was the one thing that I battled with. Because Ezra was posterior (his back against my back in the womb; W likes to call it Sunnyside Up), every time there was a contraction, my lower back would throb in the nerve region. (For information) Basically, the heaviest part of Ezra's head rested heavily on my lower back.

So we labored from the rest of the day with contractions getting stronger. We walked around our complex more times than I can count. We had lovely visitors come & make us dinner and play board games to kill time (and give W some relief). At about dinner time, I had to lay down during contractions and focus on breathing through them. We continued through the night much the same until about midnight where contractions could finally average about 5 minutes apart, lasting 90 seconds, for about two hours. It was getting much harder & I was pleaded for backup. So we called our midwife and the team showed up to our house around 12:45am. It was the perfect help-- a great change in pace, good distraction, and additional support to help us. Two doulas were there to help and used counter pressure for my back pains. We tried different positions on the bed & exercise ball to alleviate the pain. Our midwife set up the supplies & checked my progress. When they came, I was only about 1 cm dilated (much to our chagrin!) but everything was progressing smoothly, albeit waaaaay too slowly for me! :) And I seriously can't believe that the medical profession sees 1-4cm as "pre-labor" or "early labor"...I was definitely laboring here! It was super hard work!! Not to be taken lightly, people!

At about 6:30am, our midwife checked me again and I had progressed to almost 4cm, and just after my water broke. They all saw clear liquid, but immediately after came some gushes of blood. Not normal. Our midwife made the call. "It's not an emergency now, but we need to go to the hospital." The blood indicated that there could potentially be a problem when it came time to push, and it wasn't something that should be risked at home. And WOW! We are so thankful for her knowledge & experience because we are all thankful that we went to the hospital at that point. Unfortunately, getting there when I'm in active labor.. not so happy.

We all rushed to cars, loaded up & drove the 22 miles...yes, 22 miles with horrid back pain and some annoying contractions. Already by this point, I was in what felt like another world of sorts. Focused, yet withdrawn from what was happening around me. I know at one point at home I was acutely aware & asked W to change a song that was playing in the background and to blow out the candle when the scent was too strong, and then later in the first examination room at Kaiser I told W not to breathe in my face & I pushed something he offered me away. I remember not wanting my progress to be checked. It was awful having to lay on my back through those strong contractions. And I'd rather not know where I was either in case it wasn't close to 10cm. :) I also remember leaving the house around morning time & our neighbors across the street opening the garage. I felt kind of embarrassed as there were so many people around me, herding me to a car. Quite the spectacle on an early Thursday work morning.

So walking down the stairs, a car ride of 22 miles, and walking to the hospital are all good methods to help push labor along. When I was admitted about 45 mins after my water broke, I was already 6 1/2 cm and more blood was coming. Labor also suddenly switched gears when my body had urges to push...already (thanks to Ez's position)! The second hardest part to my labor: having to resist the strongest urge to push. They moved me to a delivery room as I tried really really hard to breathe through the urges as more blood was pushed out.

Not sure the time lapse, but the next time they checked me I was 9.5 cm and finally 10 cm--totaling the active labor stage to 3 short (long!) hours. I was finally able to push! And push, I did. However, Ezra would not cooperate at all. Later, the doctors and team kept talking about what an effective pusher I was (Oh thanks! Such a complement!) ;) I remember thinking I can't believe I'm actually to the point of pushing this kid out. I'm really pushing. Pushing. Our child. This is straight out of a movie or something. Not reality. This is so weird. Everyone was telling me to push. Push harder. At one point, I screamed back "I am!" Ezra started to crown but would not come. So we tried an eposiotomy to see if that would push him out. Nope. And last, the vacuum (which is more like a plunger) and out he came, looking quite blue! We were able to spend a few moments with him before he headed to NICU. He had difficultly breathing because his blood-to-acid ratio was too high from all my blood loss. Our midwife commented that she only sees that kind of blood loss with drug-addicts so apparently it was quite a lot. I just remember seeing the doctors with face-masks on to shield them & looking like they just came out of heart surgery covered in red. Awesome.

We spent two days in the hospital before we could take our little bundle home. And man, it was so great to be home! Even with so many things out of our control, we were so happy with the birth. We just hope that the next ones are not as fierce and brutal. We were consistently reminded of God's grace & goodness during this whole journey & are so delighted with the outcome: our own little baby Ezra! So in the end, it was well worth the hardship...guess you can't always do things the easy way, eh? ;) It's a good thing we're not wimps!

Some things we learned afterward about God's goodness...

-The delivery team was extremely open & respectful about our original home-birth plan which is fairly rare...they were also very welcoming considering this was a transfer thus more work for them without any notice
-So glad we didn't have that kind of clean-up in our house!

-At each point along the way, we had the right people helping us. Each stage called for different skills and knowledge (of which we lacked much) and God placed the right people there during that stage

-Our midwife informed us that we were moments away from a C-section if the vacuum didn't work (State law only allows 3 attempts with vacuum)
-Having health insurance...something we take for granted but were so happy to have even with my lay-off because the district has really good coverage. Our total hospital bill was under $300
-Easily agreeing on Ezra's name...we both had our own favorite & Ezra was our #2 name. Yet we both separately arrived to the fact that each of our favorites just didn't fit. So Ezra, it was! I just really like how God answered that prayer for me that we would whole-heartedly both want the same name.
-It is truly by God's grace that I was able to still have a natural, non-medicated delivery...there were many rough patches along the way when I didn't know if I could actually do it. Glory be to Him!

Celebrate the BOY!

Okay, so I've only been a Mama of a boy for less than 2 months, but I can already tell that boys get the short end of the stick when it comes to crafts, clothes, and other fresh ideas. So when I came across this, I got really excited. When I'm able to get crafty again, I'm definitely going to be trying some of these ideas out!!

SuperEz!

He loves this pose! We like to think that he's getting ready to leap small buildings in a single bound, rescue helpless women and children from dangerous situations and save the world!