Lyndon is walking!

Lyndon took his first steps a few weeks ago, but this is the first good recording I've gotten of it, mostly because he freaks out when he sees the camera and tries to get it at any cost. As you will see, I am now using this to my advantage. Oh, and sorry about the sideways...ness. If anyone has figured out how to flip these videos, please share!

three trips to the ER later... (part 2)

This trip was much less exciting than the "Aaaaugh, I almost cut my thumb off!" moment the week before. Basically, I knew I had strep throat, as I have had it just about every other year of my life since I was 5. It produces a certain kind of pain, even, most of the time, a certain kind of taste in the back of my throat. My doctor, however, didn't want to hear it. Yes, I did call on Saturday, but my doctor's office has Saturday hours, so I figured it was reasonable. I told him I had a sore throat and fever, and his response was (imagine a thick Indian accent), "It's probably the flu. Or mono. Either way, drink some fluids and come see us on Monday." Adrian and I spent about 20 seconds deciding that the chance to get better 2 days earlier was worth an extra $20 copay, and off to the MAU we went. Ironically, the wait was much shorter this time (on a Saturday vs. a Tuesday-- bizarre), and the doctor didn't even need to do a strep test to diagnose me. He felt my glands, looked at my tonsils, and declared that I had strep. I actually went home and looked him up. We're joining his practice.

Trip number three was the least eventful but the most painful. Turns out, they anesthetize your finger when putting stitches in, but not when taking them out. I had Lyndon with me, though, and he's already terrified of doctors, so I had to put on a very brave face for his sake, which actually helped me, too. Somehow, faking calm and confidence when you feel anything but, tends to push you a bit more towards the calm and confident side. And singing "This Little Light of Mine" to him helped, too.

As I type this, I'm literally watching the healthy, pink skin peek out from under where the cut used to be. It's my first bandage-free day, and I keep catching myself staring at it, in awe of my body's ability to heal itself and still shocked at the idea that you can sew your skin back together. The past few weeks have been an adventure, to say the least, but I've found myself so grateful for modern medicine and the fact that I have such quick, unrestricted access to it. I know our healthcare system has flaws, but I can't imagine life without it.

three trips to the ER later... (part 1)

alternately titled: dinner did not go according to plan

So, I made the filling for my Chicken and Broccoli Braid the Tuesday I posted about it, and I was getting ready to cut the pastry dough. I got out my nice, sharp, Pampered Chef pizza cutter and gripped it with my thumb and index finger to take the plastic cover off of it. I'll spare you the gory details, but the next thing Adrian heard was me gasping, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh." I knew as soon as it happened that I was headed to the ER that night for stitches, although Adrian convinced me to apply pressure for a while to see if I could stop the bleeding. An hour later, we asked each other how long a wound has to bleed before it officially needs stitches, as neither of us knew. Toddler 411 to the rescue! The book has a section entitled "Is it broken and does it need stitches?" Apparently, we should have only waited 10 minutes. Oops.

So, off I headed to the ER. Actually, off I headed to the Medical Aid Unit (MAU) right across town. This place was a huge blessing, as it is only about 5 minutes away, whereas the real ER is nearly half an hour. I signed in (to the best of my ability) and began to wait. 2 1/2 hours later (good thing I wasn't bleeding heavily!) I got called back, examined and patched up. I was pretty terrified, as I've never had stitches before (except after childbirth, or so they told me; I was pretty out of it and can't remember much). But it was nothing. Less than nothing, as he numbed my entire thumb, so it even made the cut stop hurting. I went home and climbed into bed, expecting a little tingling and maybe some soreness, but nothing I couldn't handle. After all, I endured several days of labor. Everything else is a piece of cake.

I woke up at 4 am in tears. The anesthesia had mostly worn off, and so had the ibuprofen I took before bed. Surprise! It was seriously painful. A couple more ibuprofen took the edge off, though, so I could get Lyndon up and start our day. Except then I was faced with the prospect of changing a (cloth!) diaper without a right thumb (or forefinger, really, as I had injured that, too). Have you ever tried to live a day without your dominant thumb? Ri.dic.u.lous. Never again will I take any of my appendages for granted.

But life went on, and we made it to Friday, when Adrian could take a day off to help me. Little did we know what awaited us then... MAU trip number two! (to be continued...)

What's for dinner? chicken and broccoli braid

I'm making something tonight, derived from a recipe from allrecipes.com, that was too easy, cheap and most importantly, delicious not to share with you. I've tweaked the recipe a bit to appeal to our tastes, what we usually have on hand and our family size (I halved it). The best part is that once you get used to it, it's easy to play around with. I've substituted spinach for the broccoli with great results. I like to mix the ingredients ahead of time (i.e. nap time) and refrigerate them, then assemble and bake at dinner time. Enjoy, and let me know if you try it!

Chicken and Broccoli Braid

Ingredients
1 cup diced, cooked chicken meat
3/4 cup broccoli, finely chopped
1 T. pimento (orig. recipe called for 1/2 cup broc. and 1/4 cup red bell pepper, but we don't eat many peppers around here)
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill weed (I've never used dill; I substitute whatever herb I feel like that night, and they've all been delicious.)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 egg white, beaten (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F).
2. In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt and onion.
3. Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the chicken mixture along the center strip. Fold the side strips over chicken mixture, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal. Brush with egg white, if desired.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

snow shots

Well, it's warming up around here; we're all hoping and praying that spring is on its way. And, just in time, I finally got our snow pictures uploaded and organized. So here we go. It's snow time!

almost ready to go . . . just need one more thing . . .

Ah, that's better. My little marshmallow.

our front door, complete with snow drift, Christmas wreath and mildly makeshift Christmas lights

 our little pond all iced over and one of our little trees

He enjoyed touching the snow, but he got a little frustrated with his snow suit. He couldn't crawl in it or balance very well while sitting up.

So I brought some inside for him. I got the idea from a toddler teacher I used to work with; she used to bring some snow inside for the kids every time it snowed. He loved it.

The snow should be more fun next year when Lyndon can actually walk around in it, but I think he enjoyed it fairly well this year, as well. Hopefully, he can help daddy shovel next year, too!

true love

Soon after Adrian and I got engaged, it occurred to me that I had felt, for the last time in my life, that magical feeling of new love. Never again would I experience a first kiss, or feel butterflies at the mere mention of his name. Never again would the world seem new, fresh and ready to be conquered. Never again would I feel invincible and terrified at the same time.

And then I became a mom. And now I feel butterflies every morning at the smile that awaits me, and every kiss feels like a first kiss. I've never felt so strong or so afraid, and the world seems as fresh and new as the day it was created. Every day is like falling in love for the first time.

So, when I say that I love this little guy, that's what I mean.