It's official- Ryan is crawling!
What a great way to celebrate his 9-month birthday!
And Catherine was right- we ARE in trouble. This kid is determined, and already speeding up. :)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Ryan is 3/4-year old!
My life is officially flashing before my very eyes. Ryan is now 9 months! That's 3/4 of a year old, people!! My baby is growing up!
First things first- TEETH! I've been calling him "Mr. Tooteef" because his 2 bottom teeth have popped through- within a week of each other. And OH MY GOD, the drool that ensued...amazing, really, that the kid doesn't dehydrate each day. I can't wait for them to come in more- he's going to look so cute!
The best thing to have developed over the past month is Ryan's SCHEDULE. I feel like we have been through the bad and the ugly, and we're finally at the good! After being subjected to Operation Tough Love, I'm proud to say that he (after only 3 nights of crying it out) is now sleeping 11-12 hours a night....can you hear my sigh of relief?! I actually am wondering what the heck took us so long. He'll go down for the night around 7:30 and is up between 6:30 and 7:30. We are all so much happier! He is also taking 2 naps a day totaling about 2-3 hours, so this is a nice break for me during the day.
Very little news on the crawling front...he's still pretty much scooting backwards all around the house......although over the past few days, he's made a bit of progress in the forward direction. Catherine keeps saying "We're in BIG trouble once he starts crawling!" Haha- I think she's right!
As far as eating goes, the child has a hollow leg. I swear, I don't know where he puts it! He's still eating pureed food...he seems to have a highly sensitive gag reflex, so Mike and I completely freak out when he gags his way through a roll of bread...we'd rather not endure that, so we're taking it very slowly with the table food. He's had rice, potatoes, bread, but that's about it for now. He does eat anything and everything pureed though....he's not picky!
Because of his amazing eating habits, he's MASSIVE. I stepped on the scale with and without him the other day and the difference was 22.5 lbs! Not sure how accurate this method is, but if it's true, he's definitely on the upper end of the scale. Just to give you an idea of how big he is, Catherine was 21 lbs, 5 oz on her 1st birthday! Yowza- he's a big 'un!
Ryan is pretty good about playing on his own- as long as he can see me. He HATES to be alone. Probably because he's never had to be! Anyway, he is really starting to play a lot now, and enjoys lots of toys that makes sounds, banging on anything he can, chewing on anything he can, being tickled, watching the birds, getting help clapping, "I'm gonna getcha!", swimming, bathtime, and most importantly, big sis Cate.
He's a happy-go-lucky kid and people always comment on how calm and content he is- he sure is a BIG light in our lives, and we love him so so so much!
First things first- TEETH! I've been calling him "Mr. Tooteef" because his 2 bottom teeth have popped through- within a week of each other. And OH MY GOD, the drool that ensued...amazing, really, that the kid doesn't dehydrate each day. I can't wait for them to come in more- he's going to look so cute!
The best thing to have developed over the past month is Ryan's SCHEDULE. I feel like we have been through the bad and the ugly, and we're finally at the good! After being subjected to Operation Tough Love, I'm proud to say that he (after only 3 nights of crying it out) is now sleeping 11-12 hours a night....can you hear my sigh of relief?! I actually am wondering what the heck took us so long. He'll go down for the night around 7:30 and is up between 6:30 and 7:30. We are all so much happier! He is also taking 2 naps a day totaling about 2-3 hours, so this is a nice break for me during the day.
Very little news on the crawling front...he's still pretty much scooting backwards all around the house......although over the past few days, he's made a bit of progress in the forward direction. Catherine keeps saying "We're in BIG trouble once he starts crawling!" Haha- I think she's right!
As far as eating goes, the child has a hollow leg. I swear, I don't know where he puts it! He's still eating pureed food...he seems to have a highly sensitive gag reflex, so Mike and I completely freak out when he gags his way through a roll of bread...we'd rather not endure that, so we're taking it very slowly with the table food. He's had rice, potatoes, bread, but that's about it for now. He does eat anything and everything pureed though....he's not picky!
Because of his amazing eating habits, he's MASSIVE. I stepped on the scale with and without him the other day and the difference was 22.5 lbs! Not sure how accurate this method is, but if it's true, he's definitely on the upper end of the scale. Just to give you an idea of how big he is, Catherine was 21 lbs, 5 oz on her 1st birthday! Yowza- he's a big 'un!
Ryan is pretty good about playing on his own- as long as he can see me. He HATES to be alone. Probably because he's never had to be! Anyway, he is really starting to play a lot now, and enjoys lots of toys that makes sounds, banging on anything he can, chewing on anything he can, being tickled, watching the birds, getting help clapping, "I'm gonna getcha!", swimming, bathtime, and most importantly, big sis Cate.
He's a happy-go-lucky kid and people always comment on how calm and content he is- he sure is a BIG light in our lives, and we love him so so so much!
Friday, March 19, 2010
ASB activities
Catherine has been a busy little bee! Over the past week, the American School of Bombay (ASB) has had her hoppin'!
Friday was Sports Day! The EC3, EC4 and KG classes all participated, and even some parents got involved! Here are some highlights from the day:
Saturday was the PTA Family Picnic! Fun all around- water activities, cotton candy, ice cream, a magician, hair braiding, henna tatoos, bouncy house...wow, we were exhausted by the end of the day! Unfortunately, I didn't get many pics, but here are a few:
Tuesday was Assembly. The theme was The Food Pyramid. It was too cute! Catherine was in the Fruit Group, and she was the Apple. Their line was: "We are the Fruit Group. Make sure you eat 2 to 4 of us every day to be fit and healthy." Catherine was the only fruit you could hear- she practically ATE the microphone! I was so proud of her- she was so confident and large-and-in-charge! For some reason, my video won't upload, so here are a few shots:
Friday was Sports Day! The EC3, EC4 and KG classes all participated, and even some parents got involved! Here are some highlights from the day:
Saturday was the PTA Family Picnic! Fun all around- water activities, cotton candy, ice cream, a magician, hair braiding, henna tatoos, bouncy house...wow, we were exhausted by the end of the day! Unfortunately, I didn't get many pics, but here are a few:
Tuesday was Assembly. The theme was The Food Pyramid. It was too cute! Catherine was in the Fruit Group, and she was the Apple. Their line was: "We are the Fruit Group. Make sure you eat 2 to 4 of us every day to be fit and healthy." Catherine was the only fruit you could hear- she practically ATE the microphone! I was so proud of her- she was so confident and large-and-in-charge! For some reason, my video won't upload, so here are a few shots:
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Enchilada Casserole
Last night, I mentioned on FB that I made a Chicken Enchillada Casserole, and it was JUST LIKE HOME. It's true- it was so tasty- even with India ingredients.
Even Mike said "Mmm, this is good! This is REALLY good!"
I credit my mom with this recipe- thanks, Mom! :)
Enchilada Casserole
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I boiled 6 small chicken breasts in boullion and shredded)
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin (I add a bit more)
4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c. water
2 c. salsa
12-18 corn tortillas (depends on how many layers you want- 6 per layer)
1 lb cheese, shredded (cheddar, monterrey jack, pepper jack- it all works!)
1 c. sour cream
Preheat oven to 375.
Brown beef and onions. (If using precooked chicken, soften onions in a bit of olive oil, then add meat)
Add next 6 ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour a bit of salsa (just enough to moisten) into 9x13 pan.
Arrange 6 shells to cover bottom of dish.
Spoon meat mixture onto shells, top with dallops of sour cream, dallops of salsa and sprinkle with cheese.
Repeat layers (I usually do 3-4 layers, and break up meat, sour cream, salsa and cheese accordingly)
Cover with foil and cook 40 minutes.
Remove foil and cook 5 minutes.
SUPER easy, and can easily be doubled.
Can also be frozen in casserole dish.
ENJOY!
Even Mike said "Mmm, this is good! This is REALLY good!"
I credit my mom with this recipe- thanks, Mom! :)
Enchilada Casserole
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I boiled 6 small chicken breasts in boullion and shredded)
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin (I add a bit more)
4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c. water
2 c. salsa
12-18 corn tortillas (depends on how many layers you want- 6 per layer)
1 lb cheese, shredded (cheddar, monterrey jack, pepper jack- it all works!)
1 c. sour cream
Preheat oven to 375.
Brown beef and onions. (If using precooked chicken, soften onions in a bit of olive oil, then add meat)
Add next 6 ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour a bit of salsa (just enough to moisten) into 9x13 pan.
Arrange 6 shells to cover bottom of dish.
Spoon meat mixture onto shells, top with dallops of sour cream, dallops of salsa and sprinkle with cheese.
Repeat layers (I usually do 3-4 layers, and break up meat, sour cream, salsa and cheese accordingly)
Cover with foil and cook 40 minutes.
Remove foil and cook 5 minutes.
SUPER easy, and can easily be doubled.
Can also be frozen in casserole dish.
ENJOY!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Holi- the Festival of Colors
Monday, March 1st marked the day of Holi- the Hindu Festival of Colors. We missed it this year, as we were in Dubai, but it's quite the event around Mumbai.
Powdered paints are thrown, then water is thrown. It's a fun time for all- a time to be silly and dance around on the streets.
Catherine's class celebrated Holi, and boy did they have fun! I'm pretty pround of how involved my "shy" girl got!
Here she is with friends Kerala and Holly:
Plotting to get someone!
Teachers Aiyesha and Basantika- we love them!
Getting a squirt from Holly:
Look at this chaos!
Resting after all the action:
Powdered paints are thrown, then water is thrown. It's a fun time for all- a time to be silly and dance around on the streets.
Catherine's class celebrated Holi, and boy did they have fun! I'm pretty pround of how involved my "shy" girl got!
Here she is with friends Kerala and Holly:
Plotting to get someone!
Teachers Aiyesha and Basantika- we love them!
Getting a squirt from Holly:
Look at this chaos!
Resting after all the action:
Friday, March 5, 2010
Hello Dubai!
Sightseeing: Check
Shopping: Check
Sun, surf and sand: Check
We decided to go the luxury route for this trip and hit the UNBELEIVABLE city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This place is shocking. Like, no kidding. The amount of money that is walking around there is unreal.
We spotted at least 5 Maserati's and endless Mercedes, BMW's, Porches, Lexus, Corvettes, etc, etc, etc. Mike was in "Man-who-loves-cars" Heaven.
Me? I was in "Woman-who-loves-clothes/shoes/purses" Heaven. Too bad I'm so out of style I don't even know what's current. I felt a tad out of touch. Oh well. Not like I could afford anything there- prices were 2x those of the U.S.- at least.
But it was a fun trip, just oggling at the sights and realizing that the entire city has been built from NOTHING. It's literally in the middle of the desert.
We got access to the Palms Islands (islands built in the shape of a palm tree) and drove along one of the palm fronds, checking out the mansions. We got to see the world's tallest building- a record 162 stories! We visited the Dubai Mall (which features a huge aquarium and 1,200 shops!) and the Mall of the Emirates (which features Ski Dubai- you've probably seen it on the Travel Channel). We strolled through the Gold Souq (and bought nothing) and the Spice Souq (and bought some saffron), walked along the dhow warfage and took a boat ride across the Dubai Creek. We lounged in the grassy expanse of the hotel between the pool and the beach- and loved every minute of it. We built sand castles and collected seashells, and Ryan now gets to say that his first visit to a beach was in Dubai.
There were lots of things we didn't get to do....like a desert safari, a camel ride, a mosque visit, etc. But you know what? That's OK. We have small kids, and maybe some day we'll go back and do those things when the kids are older.
After all, we got to spend 4 solid days as a family....and that's what's important.
Here are some pics of our adventures!
Shopping: Check
Sun, surf and sand: Check
We decided to go the luxury route for this trip and hit the UNBELEIVABLE city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This place is shocking. Like, no kidding. The amount of money that is walking around there is unreal.
We spotted at least 5 Maserati's and endless Mercedes, BMW's, Porches, Lexus, Corvettes, etc, etc, etc. Mike was in "Man-who-loves-cars" Heaven.
Me? I was in "Woman-who-loves-clothes/shoes/purses" Heaven. Too bad I'm so out of style I don't even know what's current. I felt a tad out of touch. Oh well. Not like I could afford anything there- prices were 2x those of the U.S.- at least.
But it was a fun trip, just oggling at the sights and realizing that the entire city has been built from NOTHING. It's literally in the middle of the desert.
We got access to the Palms Islands (islands built in the shape of a palm tree) and drove along one of the palm fronds, checking out the mansions. We got to see the world's tallest building- a record 162 stories! We visited the Dubai Mall (which features a huge aquarium and 1,200 shops!) and the Mall of the Emirates (which features Ski Dubai- you've probably seen it on the Travel Channel). We strolled through the Gold Souq (and bought nothing) and the Spice Souq (and bought some saffron), walked along the dhow warfage and took a boat ride across the Dubai Creek. We lounged in the grassy expanse of the hotel between the pool and the beach- and loved every minute of it. We built sand castles and collected seashells, and Ryan now gets to say that his first visit to a beach was in Dubai.
There were lots of things we didn't get to do....like a desert safari, a camel ride, a mosque visit, etc. But you know what? That's OK. We have small kids, and maybe some day we'll go back and do those things when the kids are older.
After all, we got to spend 4 solid days as a family....and that's what's important.
Here are some pics of our adventures!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The bird boy
Ryan and his favorite past-time...watching the birds.
Maybe he'll grow up to be an ornithologist.
...That would be a bird scientist.
Don't feel bad, I had to google it.
Maybe he'll grow up to be an ornithologist.
...That would be a bird scientist.
Don't feel bad, I had to google it.
Shisha Pipe
Last weekend we went out to dinner with American friends Becca and Joel. We went to a Lebanese restaurant in a stadium-type hotel, and it was SUPER-COOL. The food was great, the conversation was great and at the end of the meal (think hummus, babaganoush, kebabs), we decided to try the Shisha Pipe.
For those of you who don't know what a shipa pipe (aka hooka pipe) is, here's a pic:
You can get any flavor you want....we went for orange.
We really didn't know much about it. It's a contraption that several people sit around and smoke from and socialize...kind of a bonding thing. At this restaurant they gave us each a little plastic mouthpiece so we didn't pass germs. Huh, imagine that- safety precautions in India?!
Afterwards, I heard a rumor that 1 shisha pipe is equal to 20 cigarettes. WHAT? I didn't even know it was tobacco! I thought it was like flavored air or something...geez, no wonder we were all relaxed after a while...
Joel was especially good...
It was a really fun night...and I'd totally do it again. Shisha pipe and all.
For those of you who don't know what a shipa pipe (aka hooka pipe) is, here's a pic:
You can get any flavor you want....we went for orange.
We really didn't know much about it. It's a contraption that several people sit around and smoke from and socialize...kind of a bonding thing. At this restaurant they gave us each a little plastic mouthpiece so we didn't pass germs. Huh, imagine that- safety precautions in India?!
Afterwards, I heard a rumor that 1 shisha pipe is equal to 20 cigarettes. WHAT? I didn't even know it was tobacco! I thought it was like flavored air or something...geez, no wonder we were all relaxed after a while...
Joel was especially good...
It was a really fun night...and I'd totally do it again. Shisha pipe and all.
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