Want to ruin your marriage?

Have a baby.

Don't worry, we're not on the brink of the D word, but it's just been really tough lately. Add in the fact that all 3 of us are sick, no one is sleeping, we both work full-time and are trying to figure out who is responsible for what, and we sort of miss the freedom we used to have.

We don't do anything with just the two of us anymore. If we want to do something, one goes out and does it while the other one stays with Cohen. We just take turns doing the things we used to do together, like biking, grocery shopping, going to the dog races, sailing, and looking for buried treasure. Since he was born, we've only been out together one time. (Any family members wanting to move to Salt Lake City would be appreciated).

I just can't believe some people think that having a baby with someone will make things better for their relationship. They couldn't be further from the truth.

But don't worry about us. We'll get through this. It's just temporary, unlike that tattoo Cohen got.

Do you hate fish?

Then do I have the recipe that will change your opinion AND your life!

I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm part of the best book club ever. It's more of a dinner and social club than an actual book club. We always pick a book and 3 out of the 9 of us read the book and then we discuss it for 2-3 minutes when we get together once a month.

I look forward to my book club and wish I spent more time with these girls. And I always look forward to the food. I mean, these girls have mad skills in the kitchen. No tuna casserole for this group. Last week Marina, who is a lawyer and has the most beautiful 1 1/4 year old girl you've ever seen, made the following for dinner and I day dreamed of eating it again the minute I got home that night.

As part of our dinner group I made it on Saturday and took it over to dine with our friends. My one friend was incredibly leery about eating grouper. I don't think she knew what it was, just that it didn't sound appetizing. But my, my, my, did she ever clean her plate. I think she even licked it before putting it in the dishwasher. (Or was that me that did that?)

Without further ado...

Mustard Roasted Fish, by the Barefoot Contessa (of which I own 4 of her 6 cookbooks)

4 (8 oz) fish fillets such as red snapper (I used grouper, just like Marina)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 oz creme fraiche

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp whole-grain mustard

2 tbsp minced shallots

2 tsp drained capers

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, two mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Like Marina, I served this with roasted fingerling potatoes, asparagus, fennel and green beans. Just tossed them all with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and roasted them at 425. I also served a salad of red pepper, avocado, cucumber and tomatoes tossed with some salad dressing I had in the fridge. Best meal I'd had in...well, since book club!

Next weekend I'm going to do something wild and crazy with beets!!

My baby has kennel cough

Or at least that's what we've told him.

His first week of daycare and he got a fever, a cough, and a stuffed up nose, and then the little disease bag passed it onto me. I have probably the worst sore throat of my existence and a really painful sinus area. My throat is so sore it woke me up in the middle of the night and I had to take some Advil for the pain. Left work early because I couldn't function. And then Christian came home complaining of nausea. I think he just felt left out (really, I do).

And so it begins. Life with a baby in daycare. Cohen's pediatrician said to expect 8-12 viruses a year. We can now put one under our belt. Oh well, it could be worse. Chicken pox, strep throat and scurvy were all going around his daycare last week. Next week: typhoid, the Plague, and rickets. Fingers crossed that polio won't hit anytime soon.

Consistently inconsistent

Ummmmm, are babies always this inconsistent? I thought by 4.5 months Cohen would be into some sort of routine. I mean, I try to create a routine for him but he doesn't seem to stick with the plan. His napping and night time waking are completely anyone's guess.

For instance, yesterday he took 3 very short 40 minute naps. Today, he's been asleep for almost 2 hours. Some nights he wakes up around midnight for a feeding, other nights he gives us a break and doesn't wake up until sometime between 3:00 and 4:00. When do they start being more consistent, or am I up in the night in more ways than one?

One thing is consistent, his cuteness. That little turd biscuit is just the cutest thing and our new schedule of me working and him being raised by Mama Phyllis is really working out for all of us. Christian said I've returned. The old Kristyn is back.

Now who wants to go do karaoke?

"Does this hat make me look gay? No? Maybe it's my raised pinky finger then?"

I have a fever and the only cure is that hat on Cohen.

Memories

I received an e-mail chain from a friend yesterday. I didn't know what it was about until I looked at the first one and read up toward the top. The end effect was me bawling.

You see, this friend of mine works at the reproductive center where Cohen was conceived, and our e-mail chain was about the blood test results I was waiting for to confirm that Cohen was in there. We kept writing back and forth that day about when the results would be in. The last e-mail was from me and it went something like this...

"I heard back from Jennilee. I'm "definitely pregnant." My HCG reading was 791 and I am 2 days shy of being 5 weeks. I'll be calling tomorrow to schedule an internal ultrasound with Dr. Jones (I guess she's in your office next week) next Friday."

It instantly took me back to the days leading up to finding out I was pregnant and then the days shortly afterward when we were awaiting confirmation, to the agonizing week of waiting for the internal ultrasound to make sure the baby was viable. Those 10 days were the best and also the scariest of my life to that point.

It brought everything back into perspective for me. It makes me so incredibly grateful for the blessing that Cohen is. I know I've written some honest entries lately about my struggles...okay, I've written A LOT of those entries, but seeing those e-mails just reminded me how truly blessed I am. I know that you must think I'm not grateful for the little ankle biter. But I am. And Cohen IS a great kid. Sure he fusses all the time, he throws up all over himself every day, and I have to get up and answer his booty call a couple times each night, but so what. I just need to suck it up and move past the negative. I wanted him for so long and I got him and I'm going to enjoy him. End of story.

The return of Rip Van Winkle

Guess who slept 5 hours at school today? That would be the baby that only slept for 1 hour yesterday. Guess he got used to the noise or else he used the baby ear plugs I put in his sack lunch.

His report card today said "Had a great day (smiley face). Nice long nap and loved playing in exersaucer." That's my boy.

I could not WAIT to leave work to pick him up. He was fussing again when I got there but started laughing when he heard my voice. Wow, that just makes my day. Going back to work was the best thing I could have done for our relationship. I appreciate him SO MUCH MORE now and actually look forward to his 4:00 a.m. booty call. Strange that I was working so hard to get rid of it.

And pumping at work when you wear a dress is a little awkward. I had my dress up around my neck and was sitting in my underwear and high heels, praying that I had locked my office door.

Fun with being a working/nursing mother.

First day of school

Well, that's where we're telling Cohen he's going...school. Not daycare. We want him to think he's smarter than he is and that at 4 months old, he's ready for school.

So I started my new job today. For those that don't know, I've accepted a great position at a non-profit agency called Head Start. They provide a leg-up for over 2000 under-privileged children in the community. I'm very excited to finally feel like I'm making a difference.

I've been trying to prepare myself for the moment when I dropped Cohen off with his new set of moms, but nothing can prepare you for it. I cried the entire drive to the daycare and then when I had to leave him with Phyllis. I felt a lot of sympathetic eyes on me as I walked back to the car. A lot of women have been there, some of them when their babies were only 6 weeks old (stupid Utah law).

But he survived like I knew he would. With a lot less sleep (a total of an hour versus his usual 3.5) and a messed up schedule, but he still survived. They said he'll get used to the noise and will be able to sleep through it eventually. Here's hoping. This is Cohen we're talking about.

Pumping at work was an adventure. I have to close all the blinds, lock the door, and huddle over a desk while I milk myself. I have to let everyone know the milking schedule so they don't interrupt. I might just put a picture of a cow on the door, although it's really not necessary. After I emerged from my office, someone walked by and said "Ah, the all too familiar sound of a breast pump in action!".

I couldn't wait to pick the little turd burglar up and I think my boss knew that as she let me go an hour early. I drove like a demon (okay, I drove as I usually do) and practically ran in the daycare. He was crying but as soon as he saw me, he stopped and started to smile, which made my heart melt and is making me cry as I type this. I grabbed his report card and we headed home for a much needed nap and some cuddling.

Many thanks for the e-mails, texts and messages today. You made my first day away from Cohen and back in the work force so much better due to your thoughtfulness. Now, how about bringing me some dinner?

Being the BEST. BOY. EVER. on Mother's Day and making Mommy's first MD the best day she's had in 4 months.

 

 

 

 

 

Flying high with the Momster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When did Elton John move into the neighbourhood?