Browse Category: life

Mother’s Day #2

mothersdayHappy Mother’s Day!  With some of the alone time I had today, I had the chance to sit and reflect upon all that has happened this past year.  Last year I was in a bit of a daze being a mom for only less than a month.  This year, being a mom has really sunk in and I couldn’t be prouder of my little girl.  I have to admit that I’m proud of myself too.  I’ve managed to keep up with breastfeeding for over a year and on May 7th we were done.  It was hard but it was time. I also cannot believe that I’m still sane after going back to work full-time and coming home everyday to take care of my little munchkin.  It definitely gives me a greater appreciation for everything that my mom did for us.

cookingThis morning, Jes got up early, went to the store, and came back to fix me a tasty breakfast.

DSC_1681He made eggs benedict with smoked salmon and paired it with mimosas.  Yum.

mimosasHere are the Mommy & Me Mimosas.  Tee hee!

tulipsI also got some tulips!  Aren’t they pretty?  Thank you for a lovely morning, Husband!

Once Kumquat went down for her nap, I got the chance to go out for run on my own.  It was so liberating to be out there without a stroller and leash.  I even had the chance to go to the gym to stretch and workout a bit more.IMG_2346

At 2pm, I met up with Michelle and Amy at Four Seasons to celebrate and got another tasty mimosa with a view of Market St.

brunch

It was a good thing I went for a run because we were treated with quite a feast!  Amy’s husband is now the GM of the restaurant and he hooked us up with a variety of savory and sweet dishes.  I felt so spoiled!

friendsI had a wonderful time and it was such a fun way to celebrate motherhood.

Feeding Therapist Mommy Fail

chicken liverAt Kumquat’s last check-up, we learned that she’s anemic and needs more iron-rich foods.  So, being the dutiful mommy, I went to Whole Foods and bought chicken livers.  I’ve had chicken liver prepared in a fancy restaurant and I’m a fan of foie gras so I was excited to make a fancy pate for the little one.

Tonight after the kid went to sleep, I took out my recipe and cut up the onion as it had instructed.  Then it was time to unwrap the package of livers and I was a little grossed out.  But I powered through and cleaned them and trimmed off the connective tissue and veins with a stink-face that made my forehead tired.  Then I fired up the stove and began the saute portion of the recipe.   As I stirred and shuffled the ingredients around, I thought, “it’s not so bad” with a fake look of contentment on my face.

Then it was time to put it all in the food processor with the lemon juice and salt.  Sounded pretty good so far in my head.  The lid went on and I pureed it to a smooth consistency.  Seems easy enough.

THEN…I uncovered the bowl and a huge cloud of nastiness wafted over me and I thought I was going to hurl.  My eyes watered and I had to do everything to hold it together.  I had to scrape the gray mush off the sides of the bowl and I was utterly grossed out.  I hate to say this but it looked and smelled like something I should be giving to Koa.  By the way, he was sitting right there at my feet waiting for something to drop.

Once I got it all out of the food processor and into a container for storage, it was time to taste it.  I had Jes take a taste first and he said, “It just tastes like liver.”  So I gave it a try and had to do everything I could to not throw up.  Luckily for me there was a can of ice cold limonata in the fridge to save me.

How am I going to keep it together long enough to feed this to my 12-month-old?!  As a mom and therapist, I told myself I’d try everything I fed her and I did.  Can I fake it well enough to convince her it’s tasty?  Don’t think so.  I’m just crossing my fingers that she’ll just gobble it down like everything else I’ve given her.  If she doesn’t go for it, Koa’s going to have a feast later this week.

UPDATE: She ate it and finished a full helping of it.  Good baby.  I didn’t make any faces and it actually tasted better cold from the fridge the next day.  Good job, me. ;P

One Year Later

mommy and babyOne year ago I met my baby girl for the first time.  She was wet, warm, squirmy, and loud.  She seemed larger than I had imagined she would be and her face was all squished.  Although wrinkled, her fingers were long and slender like her dad’s.  It was such a rush and mix of emotions.  I experienced surprise when then pulled her out and quickly placed her on my chest.  Then I had a rush of fear with the thought of “Oh crap.  I have a baby now.”  Then I felt absolute joy holding her and nursing her for the first time.  As I watched her eat, I was so proud and amazed.  She came out already knowing what to do!  Then I uncovered the blanket they wrapped her in and laughed out loud because her legs were covered in poop.  What a crazy first hour.

1st bdayIt’s now a year later and and now I’m feeling a similar mix of emotions.  I’m feeling nostalgic for the first day I met her and all that has happened this past year.  I’m so proud of all that she can do already.  How did we get from this:

to this?

When she figures something out for the first time, I always think “GENIUS” but in reality it’s just normal.

How can one little person elicit so many conflicting emotions at once?  While I’m in the middle of a frustrated fury holding a crying baby throwing her head back, she’ll suddenly stop and place her head and cheek on my chest to give me a hug.  The frustration immediately disappears and my heart just melts.  What a stinker.  This is going to be how she’ll get a pony from her dad one day.

I’m excited to see what she’ll accomplish this coming year and I’m also nervous about all the things I will need to learn and do as a parent.  I think this is when it gets harder.  She’s going to be running soon and I won’t be able to catch up.

I’m so happy to be celebrating her first year of life and there are lots of moments I’d love to relive.  Luckily I kept up with littlejanie.org and managed to take a photo of her every day this past year.

cakeHappy Birthday, Baby Girl.  It’s been a fun ride so far and looking forward to what you have in store for us this next year.  Love you.

Sick Day

Yesterday I felt like crap but I managed to power through the day.  Once I got home I was feeling a little better but then 6 pm rolled around and I started getting the chills and my entire body was aching.  I’m not sure this is because I have a sore throat, headache, fever, and no nasal congestion or coughing.  Could I just have some kind of infection that I can’t see or feel?

I went to bed around 8 and shivered, tossed, and turned under the covers wearing three layers and socks.  At about 10, I woke from a short nap and took my temp.  It was 100.6!!  It had been a very long time since the last time I had a fever and it is NO FUN.  I woke up at 6 am with my alarm and I was in no condition to go to work.  So, I called in sick for the day.  When I took my temp in the morning it was still 99.6 and I had the chills again.

lunchAfter a morning nap, I felt good enough to take a walk.  So I went to lunch by myself at 12 when Mirian came back to put Kaylee down for her nap.  I got a spicy tuna roll and a tempura roll, which really hit the spot.

pedicureAfter lunch I went next door for a pedicure.  Their massage chair was AWESOME and it was just what I needed for my body aches.  The lady also gave me an extra-long foot/leg massage that helped too.  Aaah…

Thank goodness for Tylenol because it really helped reduce the symptoms.  The only catch was that I had to take it every 8 hours or else the chills and fever would kick in again.  Too bad it doesn’t make the sore throat go away.  So, I think I’m gonna be ok for work tomorrow but I’ll have to make sure I drink my fluids tonight and bring a bottle of Tylenol with me.  Wish me luck!

Good ol’ HH

HH at CommonwealthOn Thursday, there was an HH scheduled at Commonwealth and by 3:00 pm that afternoon I was still trying to figure out how to get home to pick up Kumquat and be back in Oakland by 5:00 with one last patient to see at 3:15 and a Giants v. A’s game scheduled in SF at 7:15.  Well, within a minute of my last ditch effort to figure out the logistics, I got a call from Jes telling me that he’d be home early.  WOOOT!

foodI got to enjoy HH without the nightmare logistics and having a baby to tend to at the bar.

teresaI think the last time I had a REAL HH like this was a little less than two years ago.  Thanks for watching Kumquat, Jes!

Until next time…

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We left Maui on Wednesday (3/6) morning and it happened to be Brother and Joy’s wedding anniversary too. Happy Anniversary!

It was a good week of sun, water, and family time. The house we rented was awesome and perfect for the seven of us. Loved having easy access to the beach at any time and the convenience of a full kitchen. Of course we missed the whole “hotel feel” of a vacation at times but we were still able to get a taste of it at the Sheraton pool and bar that was just steps away from where our beach camp was located. It was also so nice to have family around to enjoy this experience and also to help out with watching Kumquat. What a treat!

IMG_0520Also, thanks to Yoon and Kurt for coming over from Oahu to hang out and that bucket of rice lasted us three meals!!

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The flight from Maui to Honolulu was short but painful since Kumquat decided to be h-angry right as we were landing. The 2-hour layover in Honolulu was just enough time to sit down for a proper meal.

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Luckily the longer flight from Honolulu to SF was not as bad. She slept for a total of 2 hours and I had the Ergo to hold her and plenty of snacks to keep her occupied.

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A vacation to Hawaii is definitely different now with a 10-month-old in tow but totally worth the extra luggage, lack of reading, and time lost in getting out of the house each day. Bringing her pack-n-play and feeding seat was worth it and Kumquat did quite well with the time change there and back.

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Also, thanks to my mom for keeping Koa company while we were gone. Hope you had a fun vacation in SF!

So our next trip will likely be back on Oahu again.  Not sure how we’ll be able to pull off staying at the Moana again but who knows what life will be like next year.