my baby don't mess around

I was talking to my best friend (since 4th grade!) Ariana on Skype the other day, and she had her almost 3 month old baby girl while I had my 7 month old baby boy. she was making dinner, Skypeing with me and entertaining her baby all at the same time. her little girl was on the floor, just looking around being as cool as a cucumber. I commented on how chill she was and how it seemed miraculous to me that she was able to even make dinner. I told her how Dean wants to be held A LOT and how he usually wants me to entertain him, even at his advanced baby age. she told me her little girl has been like that since day one. 

at first, I was a little envious of her daughter's tranquility, ability to sleep through the night (still not happening over here), and the fact that she just lays her down to fall asleep (instead of the countless minutes of rocking we do). I lamented the fact that even in the hospital, Tom and I had to take turns holding Dean just so he was not screaming. I thought of how I had to throw my arm over one ear and cram the other full of pillow just to get some sleep while Tom held our seriously loud baby boy (sorry to whoever's room was next to us in the hospital).

but then, when i stopped to think about it, I love my little boy just the way he is. sure, he hasn't slept through the night yet (almost one time). at night, the only way he likes to sleep is to cuddle-sleep (I blame Tom because he, too, is a cuddle-bug). I had to use a breast shield while nursing him for the first 4 months of his life, and nursed him almost every 2 (daytime) hours until he started solids. the only way I could even think about cooking dinner was after Tom got home, so he could hold him. I had to carry that baby all the time and don't even get me started on how I'm the only person who can successfully rock him to sleep. 

but, he is so sweet. he gives the best cuddles at night with the sweetest little angel face that I've ever seen. I love that he gets excited when he sees me and wiggles toward me as I come to pick him up. I love that we have no need for a baby monitor, even in my in-laws 2 story house. I love his smiles just for me, that he has learned to give me kisses, and that he sort-of-kind-of says 'mama.' I love that he knows what he wants and tells us when he's unhappy; it's never a mystery if he's hungry/tired/hurt/wanting-to-be-held. the best part of it all, is that it's only getting easier as he grows and develops. now, he eats like a champ (breast and solids). he smiles and giggles all the time (even over Skype). he's become much more independent and can sit and play long enough for me to do things. 

I'm realizing that I love him all the more because he was (and is) so dependent on me.

pizzeria

as a wedding gift, we were given a pizza baking stone and rack. we left it in Tom's room (along with some other things) when we returned to BYU-Idaho because we had limited space and it was pretty heavy. now that we're back, we pulled it out and decided to use it. they pizzas we made were delicious! we've been trying to pitch in and make food while we've been living with the in-laws, especially because Juanita (Tom's Mom) works 5 days of the week. this time when we made the pizzas, we decided to imitate my favorite pizza, the O-riva from Oregano's in AZ. we topped the thin crust with sauce, tomatoes, artichoke chunks, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. this was my first time making pizza (or any food where the recipe calls for yeast) all by myself...and I am very happy at the way they turned out.

I used the recipe that came with the pizza stone and I have included it below, because I recommend it (and didn't mess it up).

Pizza Napolitana:

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 1/2 to 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

cornmeal, for dusting on pizza peel (optional)

toppings:

1 cup pizza sauce

olive oil to taste

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

other toppings, as desired

Directions:

place yeast into the bowl of an electric mixer (although we don't have one and just mixed it by hand in a bowl, and it turned out fine). Add water and sugar; stir to combine. proof yeast 5 minutes, or until foamy. stir in salt, olive oil, and 1 cup flour. mix until blended. add additional 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour. mixing until a dough forms into a ball. remove dough from bowl to a floured surface. knead 8-10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. place dough into a greased mixing bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. punch dough down; divide in half (reserve half the dough for another pizza or freeze for another time). 

Place the pizza baking stone in the oven; preheat to 450 F. 

on a lightly floured surface, working from the center to the edge, pat and roll the dough into a flattened circle that is a little smaller than the pizza baking stone. sprinkle the pizza baking stone with cornmeal. gently slide the pizza dough onto the pizza baking stone. spread the prepared dough with pizza sauce lightly over the top. scatter with grated mozzarella cheese and any other desired toppings. 

Bake about 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is crispy and light brown and the cheese is melted. carefully remove pizza and cut into 8 slices. (I recommend watching the pizza so yours doesn't burn like my peperoni one did). 

Enjoy!

over the weekend

...over the weekend, we celebrated Tom starting his new job. Tom's mom, Juanita, bought him a new pair of pants to wear to work. and after church on sunday, we drank bubbly sparkling cider and a plate of special cheese and meats. I made caramel apples, thanks to a caramel recipe from my Mom...then I proceeded to eat two of them. they were delicious...and perfect for autumn. speaking of which, the weather has finally cooled and there's a soft breeze lilting through the palm trees. florida has finally acknowledged the new season before us and I am grateful.

we are all hoping Tom's first day at work is a success. good luck my love!

this handsome man

...got a new job! And I couldn't be more proud of him. The job is in Fort Lauderdale, but since he starts Monday, he will commute from here (South Miami) for now. But soon, we will finally be moving into our own place and starting our life a little further up the east coast.

As for how I feel about the change; it's not exactly some place we've never been or somewhere exotic (at least, not to us) and I will definitely miss out on autumn and winter (boo!). But, we will be able to go to the beach and enjoy sunshine all year long. Maybe I'll get a tan? ...okay, okay, not much chance in that because even when we're at the beach, I hold Dean under the umbrella most of the time. It will be nice to be so close to Tom's family so we can continue spending time with them.

I am super excited for Tom and it is a job that seems like he'll be happy doing and that was our number one priority in coming here. As for me, I am going to learn Spanish. I must. I've caught onto some of it since I've been here, but now I've really got to buckle down and learn it.

So, look out, Fort Lauderdale, we're coming your way!