Vaccinate Now!

A few months ago, I wrote about my support for vaccinations especially in regard to the pertussis outbreak in our state.  Washington and Oregon have two of the highest rates of unvaccinated children perhaps due to the large numbers who follow "alternative" lifestyles.  These are people who believe vaccinations cause more problems than they prevent.  Of course there are also simply the lazy people who just can't be bothered to protect their children.  Both groups have always driven me up the wall since they are relying on the immunity of the rest of us.  Now this issue is brought into stark relief for me by a recent experience.

A regular part of our weekly schedule is a visit to a certain shopping area which includes a grocery store and a Starbucks.  We often grab bread or eggs before meeting a friend for coffee.  Imagine my dismay when I read in our local paper that there had been a case of measles reported in our town.  When I went to look at the dates and locations of exposure, I found that our one regular stop was the main focus of concern.  Even the times of day lined up.  The rest of us are fine, but since my baby is too young to be vaccinated, she is at real risk for this illness.  We had three whole weeks to wait before we were in the clear.  I am happy to report that she is fine, but that is a matter of luck and nothing more.

A baby or child who catches measles is in for several weeks of recuperation and a host of unpleasant symptoms.  Most children, however, do recover without permanent harm.  Pregnant women are a whole other issue.  If they are expose to measles their babies risk blindness, deafness, and even occasionally death.  This is not about some vague desire to be "natural" or "have less chemicals" or "avoid autism."  Science, the best information we have available, does not support these concerns.  It is about protecting the lives and health of my baby and yours.

Cooking Fail!

Confession time.  My Valentine menu did not go quite as planned.  I posted my plans, but things went a bit awry.  First of all, I did not even attempt the stuffed peppers.  The night before, the baby did not sleep much so neither did I.  When I went to cook that night, I knew I was too tired to attempt the whole thing.  Instead I opted for beet and asparagus salad, mushroom tart, and dessert from the store.  Trimming things back just seemed the smart thing to do.  It turns out that it wasn't enough.

On my husband's advice (he's a much better cook than me) I added some dried mushrooms to the fresh ones I diced for the tart.  I reconstituted them just like the package directed, but they were still completely rubbery and tough.  We ended up having a not wonderful rubberband tart for our family Valentine dinner.  The only good part was the beets cut with heart cookie cutters which tickled the fancy of our toddler chef.  Next time, I will be grinding the dried mushrooms in the spice mill if I want to add extra flavor.  Live and learn, and don't try new recipes on important nights!

Valentine '13

It's now been ten years since M and I first met, and I still think he's the proverbial cat's pajamas.  Therefore, here is a list of ten reasons to love him (in no particular order):

10. Cool under pressure
9. Smart, smart, smart (alec?)
8. Reads (novels even!)
7. Hilarious
6. Produces beautiful babies
5. Takes care of beautiful babies
4. Endlessly patient with beautiful babies
3. Fabulous cook
2. Perfect travelling companion
1. Puts up with me!

Valentines with Kids

The sweetie and I have always had a pact not to go out to restaurants on really busy holidays.  It's always packed, you never get very good service, and the food is usually over or under done due to the rush.  Thus was born the Valentine's dinner at home followed by a date night at some later time.  Now that we have little kids, this is even more appropriate.  This year Delphinium has done all the decorations and the menu will be as follows:

-Beet and goat cheese salad (we'll use a heart cutter on the beets)
-Puff pastry (heart-shaped of course) filled with creamed mushrooms
-Stuffed red peppers filled with tomatoes and rice
-Chocolate cake (baked in my heart pan of course) with whipped cream (dyed with a tiny drop of beet juice)

Sick Day

Well we are home today sick, so I actually have the chance to make a blog post!  An amazing rarity these days.  When either of us is sick, I allow Delphinium to watch television, and I don't even feel guilty (too much) about it.  It turns the day into a really calm experience.  Every few hours, when things are just starting to get whiny or sad, we have fifteen minutes of Kipper or Thomas, and everything is better again.  Another way we maintain sanity is by doing art projects.  Yesterday she painted half an egg carton with tempera paints, and then today we applied the eyes and face to make a caterpillar.  I remember making these so often with my brothers!  Let's just hope she's over things by Thursday, so she can go give her paper airplane valentines (how cool is that?  you can fold the card into an airplane!) to her classmates.

Four Month Doctor Visit

In celebration of turning four months old, I took Little Bird in to see her pediatrician for a well-child visit.  The biggest news is that she's doubled her birth weight!  For someone who started out so slow (with the tongue-tie) that's pretty impressive.  I do have to say that she has some delightful rolls and dimples, and absolutely the cutest chubby knees I've ever seen (don't tell Delphinium I said that).  She's also grown four inches in four months.  No wonder she cries sometimes!

The doctor declared all to be well with our girl, and said that she is developing and progressing nicely.  She can hold up her chest and head when on her tummy, follow a toy held in front of her, and even reach for the toy (not always successfully) and put it in her mouth.  The days of not worry about what's in arms reach of the baby are certainly over.  Next month she even gets to start out on solid foods!