Saturday, April 26, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Riding his horse
Aw, my cute boy!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Tide pooling on a beautiful Sunday
Today the forecast was for beautiful weather all over the San Francisco Bay Area. The Summer fog hasn't yet crept in, so the coast would be clear but a little cooler than the high 80s forecast for inland (read: home). I looked at the tide charts and low tide at Agate Beach in Bolinas was scheduled for 1:50pm. How perfect!
We put together a picnic lunch for Davey, left at 11am, stopped at a deli to pick up sandwiches for Mark and I and hit the road for Bolinas. It was Davey's nap time and he was literally asleep by the time he was buckled in to his car seat in the deli parking space. He slept for the hour long drive to Agate Beach. Wow, what great tide-pools!
Polly and Rozzie met us in the parking lot with their own lunches. We walked down the short path to Agate "Beach," which is more rock than beach, and picked a mostly flat area for our little lunch-time picnic. After eating a bit, it was time to explore, and explore we did.
Davey seemed to find it interesting but really wanted to get down an walk. The couple times I let him walk, he'd step in the water and risk slipping (on the kelp). He did trip a couple times, getting (very) minor abrasions on his shin. He never hurt himself badly enough to get upset. The only reason he ever got upset was when he wanted to get down!! After a while we went back to the beach area to get Davey a drink. Mark and Davey then wandered down the beach, where it was safe(r) for Davey to run around, while I joined Polly and Rozzie on the reef.
Ah, the temperature was wonderful, the sea life beautiful, the company marvelous.
We'll be back!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
What kind of spider is this?
Seen stalking insects in a very sparse web on my home office window. Now I don't know where it went. Eek!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Can't. Stay. Awake.
He was in a pretty darned good and perky mood all day. However he hd diarrhea and absolutely would not take a nap. We tried putting him down twice, giving him plenty of time to put himself to sleep. He just wouldn't do it. One time Mom tried taking him for a stroll, he in his sleep sack, but after half a block, she said he was wide awake, babbling and excited to be out in the world.
He got to go to the park, go for two strolls, play with Marina, Bonnie, Cosmo (Bonnie's miniature pincer) and my mom (and me, of course). When I changed his diaper in the late afternoon, as dinner was cooking, I saw that he had a mean diaper rash beginning (from the diarrhea, I'm sure) so to his delight, I let him run around naked in the back yard for a while.
Finally, I sat him down for dinner at 5:15. He ate a bite or two, chugged soy milk and then started fussing. What you see in this video is what I saw just before I got him out of his chair, in to his sleep sack and in to his crib. Thankfully, as he's got that rash starting, I'd liberally applied diaper creme in his last diaper. Now he is OUT, asleep, much earlier than his usual bedtime.
Shoot. I didn't get a chance to give him tonight's dose of antibiotics!
*Update: After an hour of sleep, Davey awoke crying and verrrrry unhappy. He had a bit of a fever and I think he was feeling pretty badly. I gave him a dose of Motrin for the fever and pain associated with an ear ache and teething, his evening dose of antibiotics and he chugged a cup of soy milk. Then he was content to snuggle in my arms for an hour until he fell peacefully back to sleep.
He awoke next at 4am, crying, exactly 8 hours after his previous dose of Motrin. I got up, gave him some Motrin, he chugged a half cup of soy milk, inhaled a cup of soy yogurt and was then content to go back to bed with Mark and I. He awoke next at 6:15am, chirpy and happy and ready for a brand new day.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tantrum caught on video!
For your viewing pleasure... you may revel in our fun of dealing with tantrums.
18 Month Update
This morning Davey had his 18 month well-baby check-up and he was in a spectacularly good mood. He was energy boy from the minute I took him from his crib!
While in the the examination room, Davey was happily running around, climbing the chair, pushing the chair around, dancing atop the exam table. He didn't cry or get upset when Dr. Lee examined him or when the nurse measured him. Once he began to fuss a little but quickly turned it around in to a laugh when Dr. Lee palpated his tummy.
Then, joy! Dr. Lee's dog, Lucy, came in to the room. Happy, happy, happy! Squeals of delight from Davey as he got down on the ground and patted the funny little dog. She's mutt with some pekinese in her, as evidenced by her severe under bite. Davey was in heaven.
Results of the visit:
* He's got another ear infection (which I suspected starting yesterday afternoon)
* Weight: 20lbs exactly. That's up 1lb-2oz from 3 months ago.
* Height: 32". Up 1-1/2" from 3 months ago.
* Head: 19-1/8". Up 1/8' from 3 months ago.
He's still not on the weight chart, but he's following along his own growth curve just fine. Height and head-size are still following along the middle of the averages. Davey's doing great!
Because he's got an ear infection, and now on antibiotics for the next ten days, he wasn't given any vaccines today. We'll go back to the doctor in two weeks, they'll check his ear and then, if he's free of infection, he'll get his vaccines.
Upon returning home, Marina was here and Davey had a great time playing with her while Mark and I got a bunch of work done. After lunch Davey fell asleep and, as Mark was home and I was working, Marina left early, knowing Davey wouldn't wake up until after her regular time anyway.
Davey had a good time playing with Mark after he woke and while I continued jamming on work (lots of icons in my life right now).
While griding on work I had the TV on to follow the Olympic Torch Relay fiasco in San Francisco. That was entertaining, even if I was only listening most of the time.
At 3:30 Polly IM'd me, asking if I was coming. D'oh! I was so engrossed with work that I'd nearly spaced out on Prescott's track meet! Prescott's first race was the1600 meter, scheduled to start ~4:10 in Petaluma. Quick, Mark, get Davey together and let's go!
We got there just a few minutes before Prescott's race began. He kicked butt, with a commanding lead most of the race and he handily won. Great run, Presky!
Later his stomach started hurting and it was getting cold and he didn't do nearly as well during his second event, the 800 meter. Regardless, he soldiered through and was a great sport.
By then it was late for Davey's dinner so we headed back to Novato quickly and had dinner at El Encanto where Davey ate chicken I'd brought and Mark's black beans and rice.
All in all? It was a very good day.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Davey's 18 month birthday
How did we celebrate his 1-1/2 year birthday? Well the Giants were kind enough to schedule their home opener on that very day. So we celebrated Davey's birthday with a ferry ride to/from San Francisco and the long walk to/from AT&T Park to/from the ferry building.
The Giants didn't cooperate enough to actually play well or win, but it was still the home opener, the sun was out, it wasn't too cold, the jet fly-over didn't freak out Davey this year (as opposed to last year -- what a difference a year makes) and the garlic fries tasted good.
Oh, and our new seats have an excellent view!
Davey particularly enjoyed his first ferry ride. Mark and I (mostly Mark) took Davey out on deck a few times, which he loved! The exposures were limited as it wasn't all that warm, but they were long enough for Davey to thrill in the wind, water and the occasional seagull.
Mark and I enjoyed food that we picked up at the ferry building for dinner before we got on the return ferry. Mark got his favorite cheese wheel from and a chicken pot pie from Gold en Gate Meat Company. I got a delicious steamed chicken bun, 5 spice chicken with vermicelli and coconut water from the ever delicious Out the Door (the take-out arm of Slanted Door).
Based on yesterday's experience, I think we might be able to go to more games this year than last. If we're both there, we can take turns accompanying Davey as he runs around. It's not as though the games will be so riveting we won't be able to tear ourselves away or anything. ;-)
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Lemon Rosemary Salt
I finally got around to opening up Susan Loomis' Italian Farmhouse Cookbook over the weekend and found a yummy looking recipe for chicken and pork skewers. It, however, called for some lemon rosemary salt and when I looked up that recipe I saw that it wouldn't be ready for 3 days. So I'll be making the skewers in a few days. Meanwhile, I made the salt (and cheated by using a little on dinner tonight). Susan Loomis says this compliments roast chicken, grilled fish and oven-baked potatoes as well as steamed veggies or atop fresh cheese spread over a slice of bread. This is going to be good.
Lemon Rosemary Salt
3 cloves garlic, 2 cut in half, green germ removed
1 cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Zest of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Mince 2 of the garlic cloves and reserve the remaining whole clove.
2. Place everything but the reserved whole garlic clove in a food processor and process with 2 or 3 pulses, just until the salt has been slightly ground and the ingredients are combined. Alternatively, you can crush the ingredients together in a mortar with pestle.
3. Pour the salt mixture into a half-pint jar, push the remaining whole garlic clove down into the salt and cover. Let sit for at least 3 days before using. This salt will keep at least 3 months if kept airtight.