1 Year and in the Clear

I took the day off from work yesterday to take Matthew to the doctor.  He was diagnosed with hip dysplasia when he was a newborn and had to wear a corrective harness.  It came off in May of last year, with the scheduling of an appointment to follow-up in a year.  Matthew had to be x-rayed, and unfortunately, the x-ray machine in the doctor's office was broken.  We had to go elsewhere to get the x-ray done, which meant going to a huge, overwhelming x-ray room.  Matthew freaked out and was really upset, but he cooperated well.  When we went back to the doctor, we were told that Matthew looked "absolutely perfect" with no need for any additional appointments.

I'm so grateful to have this experience behind us!  Because of the x-ray machine issue, our appointment took a little longer than expected.  Matthew was ready for a nap not long after we got home.

We are having a potluck lunch at work today, so I put a dish together yesterday to contribute.  I decided to make Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad.  I made it once for us for dinner and loved it.  I had served it warm then, so this is my first time making it in advance and serving it cold.  I hope it goes over well.  It's obviously a bit spicy, so we'll see if people like it or if I should just go back to bringing cookies on potluck days.

For our dinner, I decided to make beef burritos.  The only thing I omit from that recipe is the garlic.  That's odd for us, as we are big garlic lovers.  The first time I made these burritos though, the garlic seemed to stick out too much.

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen yesterday but also plenty of extra time to play with Matthew.  I love days off with him.  He seemed to have recently went through a phase where he was extremely independent in playing, but now he seems to prefer having us around, even if it's just to sit on our laps while he plays.  He really enjoys books, blocks, puzzles, and his Fisher Price Little People farm.

Speaking of which, I think Matthew could use a lap to sit on right now.

Long Night

Yesterday was a pretty normal day.  I made Cheater Korean Beef for dinner, which is super easy and tastes awesome.  I follow the recipe as stated, except I omit the ginger.  I don't know what it is, but the last time I made it and used the ginger it called for, Ernie and I both thought it tasted like soap.  Last night was much better.   There is a little bit of spice to it, so Matthew ate some chicken tenders instead.

Matthew was a little cranky going to bed last night.  I read him a couple Dr. Seuss books that he pulled off his bookshelf and sang to him (everything from nursery rhymes to Conor Oberst), but nothing did the trick.  Ernie rocked him for a little while, and we thought everything was fine.  Not long after Ernie and I went to sleep though, we were suddenly jolted by the unmistakable sounds of a sick child.  Our poor little guy was sick several times.  He didn't have a fever, so we just tried to make him as comfortable as possible and take care of him.

Matthew slept in a little bit this morning and seems much better.  I'll be fine too, as soon as I get some extra coffee.

Mother's Day

I wasn't expecting anything on Mother's Day.  Ernie isn't one to make a big fuss of holidays, so I was just looking forward to another nice weekend day at home.  Ernie was kind enough to get up with Matthew in the morning and let me sleep in (which he actually usually does on the weekends, which is awesome).  When I did come downstairs, he immediately asked me if I'd like to go out for breakfast.  It was still some what early, so we figured we'd beat the Mother's Day crowd.

Ernie and I had excellent omelettes.  We ordered French Toast for Matthew, which he'd never had before.  We sampled it, and it was really good, but Matthew was happier nibbling on some of my wheat toast.  At home, I opened my cards: one from Matthew, one from Chewie.

I chose to make one of my favorite recipes for dinner: Mexican Stuffed Shells.  It's an easy recipe, but it takes a little time, so it's not an ideal recipe for a weeknight after work.  It's a perfect Sunday dinner.

It was a beautiful day, not too hot outside.  We spent time in the backyard playing with Matthew.  I blew bubbles that he had a blast chasing, and we also kicked around a ball.  Matthew loves being outside.  I am not an outdoors person, so I'm trying to adjust for his sake.

I spent the majority of my life planning on never having children.  I was perfectly content with not being a mother, and my husband also didn't want kids.  For some unknown reason, we both changed our minds in 2010.  We got engaged later that year, married in 2011, and Matthew was born in 2012.  I can't believe I spent so many years not wanting this.  Being a mom is hard, but it is so incredible.  I feel so lucky each and every day.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squared Bars

Over the weekend, Ernie suddenly got a craving for chocolate chip cookie bars.  I thought of a recipe I'd recently seen on The Girl Who Ate Everything for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squared Bars.  The only ingredient I didn't have was unsalted butter, so I just used salted instead.  My bars had to bake a few minutes longer, but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.

The bars turned out really well!  They are not only the best bars I've ever made but maybe the best ones I've ever eaten.  The recipes from that site have yet to let me down.  She is awesome.  I'll definitely be making these again!