happy boy

I freaking love this boy!  Really, how could I not?  Jeff and I have a joke because my grandma thought I was upset by not having a girl, she kept trying to cheer me up (when it obviously wasn't even needed) before Liam was born.  Now Jeff paraphrases her comments and says things like, "it's ok honey,  Eventually you might grow to like him."  He mostly does his comments directly after I mention how I totally adore Liam.  Anyway, Liam totally is the best baby ever.  He falls asleep at night easily, he wakes up smiling, he has slept through the night since he was a month old (moms please don't hate me, I'm sure your kids will eventually sleep through the night), and he's pretty happy all day.  Although lately he thinks he is a big boy because he can sit up better so he gets mad if you lay him on his play mat.  He wants to sit to play with his toys.  Then he gets too excited and accidentally flings himself backwards where he needs me to sit him back up immediately or he gets grouchy because only infants lay down.  Apparently. 


Also, I've decided that Jeff and myself are totally screwed.  Liam is a super easy baby, so when we have a second baby (unless it is as easy as Liam) we are going to think it is a grumpy demonic baby.  Wow, makes me sound like super-mom, right?  Possibly calling my future next baby demonic?

exciting!

Well, exciting to me that is.  Liam just rolled over this morning.  Several times.  Finally!  Its sooo cute!  He giggles while he rolls, and whenever he does roll Jeff and myself have to clap, cheer, and act like all around mental patients.  The joys of being a parent.  I never realize I'm acting insane until someone tells me.  Yeah, I'm one of those moms.

things that taste super fatty but are (mostly) healthy are awesome

Foe instance, today I made a random smoothie consisting of things I had on hand.  Those can be awful.  Today was yummy!
keep in mind I tend to dump in random amounts and not measure:

1 scoop vanilla protein powder
skim milk
ice cubes
pineapple chunks
coconut flakes
a banana

add ingredients, blend, enjoy!

Confetti Corn recipe

This isn't my recipe.  It is the Barefoot Contessa's.  It is super easy and delicious.

Confetti Corn recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small orange bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Kernels cut from 5 ears yellow or white corn (4 cups)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil, minced fresh chives, and/or minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the bell pepper and saute for 2 more minutes.

Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Over medium heat, add the corn, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the corn just loses its starchiness. Season to taste, gently stir in the basil or other green herbs, and serve hot.

Most Delicious Homemade Caramels Ever

Not that I'm hyping this or anything.  I haven't yet told my mom the ingredients, because she's so happy stuffing her face with them and being oblivious.  Anyway, this recipe is pretty easy.  And sooo worth making!

Ingedients:
1 cup butter
1 16 oz. pacakage brown sugar (2 1/4 cups)
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup light colored corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Line an 8x8x2 inch baking pan with foil and butter.  Set aside.
In a 3 quart saucepan melt butter over low heat.  Add the brown sugar, half-and-half, and corn syrup; mix well.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until it boils.  Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and reduce the heat to medium.  Keep boiling the mixture for about 40 minutes (I know, it's long.  Try to get someone to switch with you after a while) until the thermometer reaches 248 degrees.
Take the pot off heat and stir in the vanilla.  Quickly pour the mix into the prepared pan and let cool.  Cut the caramel into pieces and wrap in wax paper.  Supposedly it lasts for two weeks, but we ate ours long before then!

If you want to make some caramel like this, but take some off the stove after about 20 minutes, the softer mixture will be perfect sauce.  Yummy with ice cream!

what I want

Yes, the weather is beautiful right now, but I'm totally over 90 plus degree weather.  Plus, getting fall fashion magazines and ski jackets in my store makes me crave fall.  Plus, if it is a bit cooler then I can snuggle with Liam all day in the middle of a ton of big comfy blankets!  Awesome.

what I want right now:

I conclusion, I am apparently an old lady.

conversations

Jeff: what's that?

me: (looking at my magazine) it appears to be a Prada ad featuring a sullen looking pale girl who needs to eat more.

Jeff: Why is she sullen?  Is it because she's starving and chained in the basement.

me: she's a model.  Same thing.

happiness is...

opening your mailbox and finding the humongous September issue of a fashion magazine.  Yay!

my new favorite

what happens when you have a baby boy

Your son will eat an insanely large amount.  He will then precede to spit up almost everything he consumed.  Of course, he will wait at least an hour between eating and spitting up so you aren't expecting it.  When he does spit up it will be all over the both of you.  In the time you spend reaching over to grab a burp cloth, he will have smeared spit up in his eye, up his nose, and all over the rest of his face.  Awesome.  It's like the gross version of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.  I would post a photo, cause Liam somehow managed to look cute even with spit up smeared all over his face, but that's kinda gross.
Maybe I can because a children's author and make this into the baby version of the story.

getting nervous

I put a random netflix movie on today and it happened to be You Again.
For anyone who hasn't seen it, it contains an engagement, Kristen Bell, and revisiting (mostly) bad high school experiences.  I'm thinking this was a bad choice to watch, because I'm going to my 10th high school reunion this weekend.  I know, right?  When did I get that old?!  I wasn't tormented in high school or anything, but I was by no means popular.  That mixed with the usual post high school weight gain makes me want to show up looking completely amazing in an impossible "I didn't even try" way.  I think I'm screwed.  Basically I'm just glad I'm going with Kristin, cause she makes everything fun.  But I do think I will definitely need those two wine vouchers included in the ticket...

where did my tiny little baby go?

Jeff told Liam he's not allowed to grow any bigger until he can walk and use the toilet by himself, but I doubt he'll listen.  Liam just keeps getting bigger and doing more things.  I can almost understand why that crazy Duggar lady has like 19 kids or something.  You miss the itty bitty baby who couldn't even support its own head.

 Liam totally thought he was hot stuff at ikea yesterday.  It was the first time he had ever ridden in his stroller without being in the car seat.  He loved it!  I can't being he's finally big enough to not need the more confined car seat.

Shoes!

normally when he holds his bottle by himself he tilts it up to the correct angle a bit more, but he was being lazy.

 

I just thought this was funny.  His foot being in the ring.
He can play with his feet too, but I have yet to get an unblurry picture of that.

the life of a super nerd

My favorite three things -not counting Liam, cause he would dominate everytime.  Really, not counting people or pets at all then- are currently (in no particular order):

1. Jeff singing "Safety Dance" in the weird voice the band sings in, plus doing all the random funny music bits in the same voice.  Totally makes my morning.

2. The Jane Austen Handbook.  I got it last week.  It's awesome.  It tells you how to do important things like pay a morning call, or elope to Scotland.

3. Matt got me addicted to the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins.  At first I agreed to read them because he didn't know anyone else who had read them and he needed someone to discuss them with.  But then they got addicting, and even with a baby, I've managed to read the first two (out of three) in two days. 

squawk!

Jeff and Liam are currently having an unintentional contest to see who can squawk at either other the loudest and the most.  It is highly amusing.  I wish I could get audio of them without their knowledge.  Hmm...

Oh, and when Liam is not having squawking contests with Jeff he is trying to talk and have conversations with me as loud as he can while trying to cram his whole fist in his mouth.  I know, it is very impressive.  Sometimes talking to me makes him fall asleep.  With his fist still in his mouth.  Its that last bit (because its so cute) that saves him from me being grumpy that he thinks talking to me is boring enough to put him to sleep.

ewww. totally ewww.

I literally gagged when I was flipping through my new issue of Food Network magazine and saw that state fairs in Texas this year were selling deep fried butter.  Yes.  I said deep fried BUTTER.  As someone who thinks butter is pretty gross anyway I was completely disgusted.  I am always amazed at what people will eat when it is fried.  Jeff really wanted a deep fried moon pie this year.  I'm pretty sure that if deep fried dirt was available people would eat it.  This is what the California State Fair had to offer this year:

Jeff thought it would be funny to get a picture with Liam holding a corn dog because he's obviously too young for solid food, but Liam likes to grab things and he has super strong kung-fu baby grip, so Jeff had a hard time getting his lunch back!

too bad I'm not a good photographer

This past weekend Jeff and I went to my cousin's wedding in the Bay area.  My new profile picture is from there (but I swear I'm really not that chunky.  It was just super windy.  Exhibit A: my hair!).  Anyway... it was outside in pretty much a field on the cliffs overlooking San Francisco, Angel Island, and Sausalito.  And the wedding theme looked like it could have been an ad for Anthropologie.  Which is pretty much my favorite store of all time.  At least it would be if I could afford to shop there in anything other than the sale section. 

I want to know who they are

ALL of Liam's bibs have a label on the back saying "Do not iron".  First of all, you may be asking yourself "Why was Liesl reading the bib label?  Random."  Well, he was asleep on my lap wearing it, and I was bored because I couldn't read my computer or any books, so I read his label.  Anyway, no matter what brand, his bibs all say not to iron.  I REALLY want to know who would iron a bib.  I'm guessing it is the weirdos who iron their jeans and underwear.  And really, who does that?!  And back to topic, Liam's bibs primarily come from places like Walmart or Babies R Us.  Why would someone iron things from there?  I could see maybe if you were a crazy obsessive ironer AND you have a bib from Neiman Marcus that was way swanky you MIGHT want to iron it.  But still...

now presenting

My living room shall henceforth be known as Babytopia.

And of course, Liam is drooling.  Again.

one more month!

So my birthday is in exactly one month.  Not that I'm excited or counting down or anything.  I love birthdays!  I really don't even care if its mine or not.  I don't even have any plans for my birthday yet.  But nonetheless I'm excited anyway.  For any How I Met Your Mother fans out there, I love my birthday as much as Lily loves hers.  Yeah, I'm reaching late 20's status, and I act like a 5 year old on my birthday.  It is the one day (in my opinion) where you can act like a little kid (jubilant, not bratty) so why not make the best of it, right?  And just so you all know, I'm totally wearing a tiara on my birthday.  The whole day.  I know Jeff will probably act like he doesn't know me, but at least Liam will think I'm cool.  I hope.

you know your child needs their nails trimmed when...

they accidentally scratch you and draw blood.  At this point Liam pretty much has Wolverine claws.  Jeff and I both wish Liam could wear mittens forever because we are both spazzes at cutting his nails and we've each nicked his skin once.  I felt soooo guilty!  But Liam is like a hurricane and can't stop moving long enough -or at all- for us to trim his nails.  He even moves too much in his sleep.  If there existed a professional baby nail trimmer I would be there at least once a week.  Hint hint.  Someone please become that profession now.  The parents of the world need you!