Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Six Months.

Button got his six month checkup last Thursday. He also got his shots which always suck but he actually did pretty good this time. Slight fever for one day and back to himself the next. My little trooper. We also found out that he is now sixteen pounds and is in the fifty-sixth percentile for his length. Above average! This kid will be a tall one. I got these questions from Molly Alpert and decided to try this.

My little Button you are getting so big! It amazes me to see how much you're already doing. I can't wait for more! I love how we learn new things about you every single day. You love your daddy so so much, I can see it when you look at him and you make noises to get his attention. He's always telling me how amazing you are and how he can't believe we have you and neither can I. He's right.



Weight: 16 lbs.

Clothing size: 6-12!

Diaper size: 3

Feeding: This is your schedule-
6am- 8oz bottle
10am- Oatmeal with fruit
11am- 8oz bottle
4pm- 8oz bottle
6:30pm- Veggie & sometimes I add Oatmeal. (You're a hungry boy)
9:00pm- 8oz bottle

Milestones: You roll over all over the place like no other. You're almost sitting up and I can leave you sitting for a few seconds before toppling down on the bed. It's beyond cute. You're almost holding your own bottle! I can't wait for that day to come. I also started giving you water in a sippy cup and right now you play more with it than what you drink from it but you're getting the hang of it. I'm a proud mama!

Loves: You love, love, love your jumperoo. You can be in there playing for hours if I let you. You love EVERYTHING we feed you. You're just like daddy! I am so glad you're not being picky (yet), but for right now, I'm letting you try everything I can get my hands on and you've been doing so good. You love playing with your little rattle ball and love munching on your hand and blanket. You also love it when we make you laugh and being on your belly. If we make you laugh while on your belly you smile and put your head down as if you get shy. Melts my heart every time.

Dislikes: There's nothing that you don't like! Well, you've been giving us kind of a hard time with napping and going to bed. You sleep through the night fine but going to sleep is a problem. I think you just want to be awake all the time and you fight me when it's nap time and night time. You will probably get over it.

Adventures: You went to the mall with us for the first time! Well this is actually your second time, but the first time your were about two months old so it doesn't count. This time you were looking at everything and everyone! You loved it.

Mommy and Daddy could not get through the month without: Your paci. I know we are going to have a hard time getting you off of it but you love it right now and if you're starting to get a little fussy that just completely and immediately calms you down. Your jumperoo for sure. When I put you in it I can go get some things done and you're fine with this. It's a life saver.

Sorry for the blurry pic!

 We love you monkey!

Our Weekend.

Friday was the day to relax. Jack and I recently discovered (surprisingly) that we both have an addiction for crossword puzzles, so guess what our Friday night consisted of? I know, such nerds! We are getting pretty good at them too, we even race to see who finishes them first. Ok wait I should stop there. Enough with the crosswords already.

Saturday morning we got up bright and early and headed to the West side of town where Jack and I used to live. We hadn't been there for about seven months and we really missed it. We headed to one of our favorite places called Charcoaler. They have the best burgers! It had been a while and we definitely needed to make that our first stop. It's a drive-in where you get your food and park, they have a beautiful view of the mountains.





We also did some shopping for ourselves and Elliot at the mall. I don't think I had shopped for myself in a long time. Elliot loved it too and was looking around the entire time taking it all in. We loved watching him watching everything. Him and I were also matching :)

After we headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond then Baby's R Us. Whew no wonder we were tired. Elliot took naps in between our shopping spree so he was a happy baby.


Iced coffee (or any coffee for that matter) is a must in this household.
 
Sunday we did our regular grocery shopping and had breakfast with my sister and brother then headed back home. It also rained and we had to take a walk around our neighborhood. It was so beautiful! Later, my best friend showed up and we had a glass of wine. The weekend was over! Onto the next one.



Thursday, July 25, 2013

Outing.

I went out!! Alone, with my best friend and some coworkers.

It.was.so.nice. It had been a long time since I did that. Granted it was just a dinner with some people from our corporate headquarters but it was so much fun. We had dinner and drinks and talked and laughed the night away. I got home at about 9:30 and Jack had already fed, changed and put Button in bed. Such a good daddy.

I was a little sad because I hardly saw the little Button, I got home, prepared everything I could for the next day so I wouldn't have to if I got home late, took a quick shower, got ready and my friend was there to pick me up. I got home and he was already sleeping, but honestly, I really needed that. It's nice to be able to do some of the things I used to do before becoming a mama. Nothing compares to the precious gift of being able to be a mama for your child but maaaan sometimes you just need a drink. The funny part is that at the end, the conversation turned into talking about our kids, ha! Doesn't this always happen?

I tried the beergarita? I think that's what it's called, and to be honest, it wasn't all that. I didn't really like it! I think the combination of the beer and the tequila just didn't work for me. I loved my tap beer waaay more. So refreshing.



Have a great almost weekend!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Recipe.

As promised, here's the recipe for the delicious fish dish I posted on my Instagram (@shadiabrown).

This is very simple yet so so good and so healthy!

You're going to need:

Any fish that you like (I used Tilapia)
A can of tomato sauce (no salt added)
2 cloves of garlic
Cilantro (Yum)
2 small tomatoes
Parsley Flakes
Paprika
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Cover a container in foil, make sure it's not too shallow otherwise it can spill and cause you a whole lot of mess and trouble in your oven. Add a little Olive Oil to the bottom. Add the Tilapia. Dice the tomatoes with some of the cilantro, the garlic, and a little more Olive Oil. Mix in a container and add to the fish. Add some of the tomato sauce to the fish as well with a little bit of water so it doesn't dry up. Sprinkle a little salt & pepper, parsley flakes & paprika. Put in the oven at 400 degrees. I know it's hot but when you need to cook things fast to get all your other shit done, trust me, you'll do the same. Besides, fish cooks pretty quickly! Check on it after about 15-20 mins. It should be juicy but cooked. I also added a couple of chilies for a little kick but this is completely up to you depending on your tolerance for heat.

For the salad all you need is baby spinach and yellow, red and orange peppers. The ones that are meant to go on a veggie tray. Slice the peppers and add lime and olive oil to the salad. Simple and quick.

I sauteed brussel sprouts and mushrooms in a little Olive Oil and some lemon pepper. We love lemon pepper around here. This is the perfect veggie side dish.

Update: Forgot to add the watermelon water! Jack took care of this one. Cube watermelon in the blender and add some water. Blend and enjoy! We never add sugar because it's naturally sweet and granted,  watermelon is not always as sweet as it should be, but it's so refreshing when it's lightly sweet.

The best part about this whole thing? Eating it!



Did you really think I would write a new post without sharing a picture of my Button? :)


Happy Wednesday! 

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Food & Drinks.

Wow, it's been a whole minute! I've been crazy busy these past two weeks and have had zero time for a post. This weather sure as hell isn't helping because it's one of those days when you just want to stay home in bed all cuddled up with your loved ones watching movies and sipping on hot tea, or wine, or a beer. Did I already mention how much work sucks on these days? Well, everyday when you have a little one in daycare all day.

These past couple of weeks (who am I kidding this is everyday!) I have been busy at work, getting home and whipping up some dinner for Jack and I, and now Elliot, then prepping for the next day. This post, I decided, will be about food and drinks. Who doesn't love food? And good food at that. Simple, quick recipes that just about any busy person can make for dinner or lunch and even to snack on. Honestly, going out to eat for us is getting old, there's not a lot out there and it's just not that good. We get tired of it so we try to go out as little as possible, although I'll admit, that's hard when you're sick (as I've been the last few days) but this is especially the time when I resort to quick and easy meals that won't leave you longing for taste because these dishes have plenty of that. And Drinks? Forget it. I can go on for days about drinks. Don't even get me started.

If you're like me, the last thing you want is a sweet drink on a hot summer day, or cold day, or any day. I would have a beer over any sweet drink. So let's start with a nice, refreshing one. The Michelada. This is typically a Mexican drink, but I think now you can find it just about anywhere. Or at least you can ask for it. Super simple. Take a tall frozen glass (if you choose) and rim it with salt and chili powder (optional). Fill it with ice. Squeeze a lime or two, add a little salt and stir. Get your favorite light beer (Corona, Michelob,etc) pour and stir. The salt, the lime in the beer and the beer. Need I say more?


This dish is fast, delicious and super healthy. I actually cheated and bought a bag of salmon from SAM's. It is blackened salmon. Hey sometimes you just need to save those extra five minutes it would actually take me to marinate the fish to spend with your little one. I'll take them. Jack just threw them in the oven and called it a day. For the salad, it's just baby spinach, carrots and apple. I made a lime dressing with olive oil, salt, pepper and mustard. So yummy. What better way to add a veggie than edamame! They're so delicious and so so good for you. Win.


Next drink is a Tecate. If you've never had one please go to your nearest liquor store and get yourself a six pack. This goes amazingly good with shrimp cocktail or ceviche. My mouth is watering already. Put them in some ice in your cooler and when you open one, squeeze some lime in it and on the lip and sprinkle some salt. Take a sip. Thank me later.


This "fried" eggplant I usually make for breakfast with hummus. This is very typical in the Middle East and one of my favorites. All you do is slice the eggplant (if you like it crispy slice thinly), put some olive oil in a pan and "fry". I put fry in quotations because I merely cover the bottom of the pan and not really fry them, it's more like toasting them, but fried is the way to go in the Middle East (not when you're trying to lose that baby weight). When done, squeeze some lemon, sprinkle some salt if you'd like and take a bite! This can be a side dish with any meal.


Mmm this drink is sooo yummy. Have you ever had a "red beer"? Gosh I hate that name because it doesn't do any justice to this drink. It's clamato (tomato juice with clam juice and other stuff) with beer with some condiments. Rim a tall glass with salt and chili powder, fill with ice, squeeze a couple of limes, add a dash of soy sauce, Tabasco sauce (yeah you read right) salt & pepper. Add clamato, I usually do about two quarters to three quarters of a cup and the rest with a light beer. Garnish with a celery stalk. Take a bite of the celery and a sip of the drink, I can already taste it. I'm not sure that this would be good with a dark beer, if that's your preference, but you could totally try it.


This salad is perfect as a snack or maybe for a little get together in some fancy little spoons or tiny bowls. You know what I'm talking about. Crazy simple. Cut some watermelon, nothing fancy shown here, some mozzarela and basil. I read that for better taste, you roll up the basil leaves and cut into little strings. Stack, make pretty, and add some lime juice, salt and pepper. I will seriously make this for a party. The combination is just perfect. I guess you can say it's a caprese salad with watermelon instead of tomato. Again, you can make this as a salad to go with some chicken or fish. Even some steak, why not.


Last but definitely not least, a simple cold beer. My absolute favorite. We love to buy cool beer glasses that we put in the freezer to enjoy our favorite beer. It just makes the whole drinking experience so much more fun and festive. Someone call AA.


I'll leave you with a pic of my bebe. He was also sick but is doing much better! 


Stay tuned for more recipes and drinks and a day in our lives in pictures! Because they tell more than words can. Have a great week and almost weekend!





Monday, July 8, 2013

Fourth Of July & Weekend Recap.

Sorry this post is a little late, but lately I've been feeling a little down and have been wanting to spend as much time as I can with Button and my hubby. I feel like work has been consuming my life and I have been missing out on eight daily hours in my baby's life. It's different when you leave your baby to go somewhere for a couple of hours because you know you can go back any time. I literally cried on my way to work today after leaving Elliot in daycare. You would think that after almost three months of doing this I would be used to it by now, but nope, it just hasn't gotten ANY easier (cue the violin). Ok enough of the sappiness.

Our Fourth (or better said would be Independence Day) was such a nice day for us. We celebrated on our own, no hassles, no going anywhere, just us, in our home. It was THE best although I would've loved to stay up for the fireworks, but man we were so exhausted we went to bed early (another bad thing about working). We sure heard them though!







We had a mini cookout which consisted of two steaks, one for Jack and one for me, some shrimp kabobs, grilled zucchini & asparagus and some homemade guacamole. Everything came out so delicious!

Of course a cookout isn't a cookout without some beer!

So that was pretty much our Fourth of July celebration (yeah we are boring). Next year we for sure will plan something bigger and throw a few sparklers in there.

Then Jack and I both had to work the next day and we were so ready for the weekend. Friday I got home and pretty much landed on the bed and couldn't get up. I usually get home to the hubby and Elliot napping and so I joined them for a little bit. Once they woke up I was still really tired and it was so hideously hot out that Jack went to get dinner because taking the Button out wasn't an option. I think we were in the hundreds. When he got back of course we had to kick the weekend off with ice cold beer. Very much needed when it's that hot out. All we needed was a pool. Or a bathtub full of ice, aaand more beer in it. :)

Saturday we did our usual grocery run to stock our fridge full of goodies for the week then headed to the stores for some shopping. Grabbed some cool stuff from Target & World Market. I freaking love that store. They have the best unique decorations for pretty much EVERY part of the house. I also attended my friend's baby shower and took Elliot with me so everyone could see him. He was such a good boy and did so good! After, I went home and relaxed with Jack and even stayed up until midnight! Such a rarely occurrence and I paid for it the next morning when Elliot was up and feeling fresh at SIX AM. Zombie mode for mama.

His little outfit for the day. He looked freaking cute.


Mustache ask you a question?

On Sunday, Jack and I decided to have a day date and left Elliot with my mom and sister to head out to grab a bite to eat and go to the movies. Yay!! We hadn't been to the movies in ages (or been anywhere alone for that matter). Since before I had Elliot, about nine months. NINE months without movie popcorn. That's murder! We watched World War Z. Pretty cool movie. It had been a long time since we had had a date and it felt so good to just have alone time with Jack. I was so excited! It did feel weird being out without worrying about our baby, and we missed him too much, but we enjoyed those few hours so much that we decided to have these dates at least once a month. More if possible. We might even throw a couple of night dates after my mom offered to watch him whenever we feel like going out. I'll probably take her up on that offer soon.

In other news, this little one is almost sitting up! If I lay him down on a pillow he lifts his little head up and tries to lift himself up. I think it's a matter of days before he can sit up. He also imitates my fake cough. It's the cutest thing I've ever heard. He will also do it randomly to get my attention. That little monkey.
 


He also tried spinach and loved them of course. He is starting to try to grab his little bowl and spoon. I might just let him try feeding himself, but I know it will be a complete mess. He put his hand in his mouth after I gave him a spoonful and proceeded to smear it all over his face. So cute but a disaster for mama to clean so I just took him straight to his bath. These pics are nothing, but if I show you the one where he is really messy you'll think I'm a bad mama (ha).



After his bath I let him fall asleep on our bed. I love cuddling with him and him touching my face and even pulling my hair. And the babbling, oh that is hands down the best part of this age. All the sounds he makes and how he smiles when I answer back just completely melt my heart. I love this baby so so much that sometimes I wonder if I'll be able to love our next baby as much as I love him. I know that's a stupid thing to think about, does it or did it happen to you? I know I will love the next one just as much but the love for this kid is overwhelming!



Hope you all had a good Fourth!

Follow me on Instagram (@shadiabrown) and Bloglovin' for new posts and pics! :)







Monday, July 1, 2013

The Curious Case Of Elliot Button.

So, I've never told you why we call our baby Button...

When he was born, every time I fed him and sat him on my lap to burp him, he would ALWAYS wrinkle his forehead and stay like that for as long as he could. I would run my finger gently down his forehead to get him to stop but he wouldn't. I'm sure that is the case for most babies, but it was just so funny to us because we had never experienced or seen that before.

This kid was also born almost bald. He only had a little layer of hair on the lower part of his little head and a little fuzz on top which left the middle part, including his bald spot, well, bald. He seriously looked like an old man. One day as we were watching him do the wrinkling of his forehead Jack said he looked like Benjamin from The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and he totally did! It was so funny because every time we looked at him we were reminded of that and the nickname stuck. Now he is STILL bald (actually even more now since he lost the little hair he had) but looks nothing like an old man. He doesn't wrinkle his forehead either. I kind of miss his littlest days. BUT I cannot wait to see his little head full of hair!




Total old-manish face



 See the hair?

It's feels surreal looking at these pictures and seeing how fast time went by. Look at this little newborn! Now he's a little boy developing a personality of his own. He's full of happiness and smiles. Oh, how much he has changed!

No but seriously, when is his hair going to grow?





 
I love you my little Button!




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