Is it Worth it?

Can you tell I'm in a spending mood? It's this dreadful weather. Perfect for nothing except online shopping. I'm lusting after this Le Creuset cookware in Citron (color exclusive to Williams and Sonoma).

Wouldn't this set look just gorgeous in my sunny, farmhouse-style kitchen against the gleaming, white, subway tile backsplash? I know! Ok, I don't have that kitchen...yet. I also don't have the 1000 smackaroos (ouch!) it would take to make this cookware mine.... But ain't it pretty???

Keep Dreaming

Oh Neiman Marcus, why do you tease me so?

What I wouldn't give to strut around in a pair of these lovelies...

Sigh... You can't win if you don't enter, right???

Are We There Yet???

I just snagged two pairs of these super -clearance ($.99!!!) flip-flops from Old Navy in teal and lemon. They are a warm weather must-have for me! Now, I wait for the snow to melt...

Manu's World

I wish a had a "pause life" button I could push to really take in my favorite moments with Manu. He's growing and changing everyday. It's happening all so fast, I worry that I'll forget the perfectness of him right this moment. We're quickly approaching the 9 month mark which means his first birthday is just around the corner. Jeez.

I hope to share the following with him someday when he asks: "What was I like as a baby?"

Manu hearts:

• Food: This kids eats EVERYTHING. Riz jokes that we're going to end up on Maury with a 200 pound toddler. While I don't think he'll have any weight issues, he does have a full blown love-affair with food; any food. When we first introduced meat last month, I thought we had discovered something he'd turn his nose up to. Nope. He also loves some very un baby-like food including daal and rice, brown rice and seaweed, and Ezekiel bread with almond butter. Also, unless you plan on sharing, you cannot eat in front of him. Poor Aunt Sameena learned this the hard way when after a long day of work she sat down on the couch next to Arman with her chicken pot- pie. Manu gave her an ear-full until she handed over some of her filling. Of course this was after he finished his own dinner.
• Michael Buble: Faheem introduced Manu to Michael Buble during his visit to Pittsburgh in July. He's been hooked ever since and we spend a little time each afternoon dancing to his favorite, Everything. His face completely light up as soon as he hears the first couple of notes.
• Women: He's a shameless flirt. He bats his eyes at the check-out girl at Whole Foods, the bank-teller at PNC, and the ladies behind the cutting counter at Jo-Ann Fabrics. While he'll goo- goo and ga-ga with anyone who gives him the time of day, he's particularly fond of blondes. Just yesterday, he fell in love with a (blonde) bride-to-be at Kate Spade after she asked his opinion on a pair of shoes for her wedding party. Smitten! Oh, and if you can sing too, you're golden.
• Ladybug: His continued fascination with ladybugs is endearing. Ladybug became a favorite (his and ours) when we discovered that by dangling her from the car seat handle we could get through through a car ride quietly and with our sanity still intact. Love her!
  

Manu says "no thanks" to:

• Shopping: Manu has little patience for shopping. I have a good 15 minutes in any given store before I have to whip out the fruit leather as a distraction. He's considerate enough to warn me with a little fidgety-ness and a disapproving whine. Those are my cues to get a move on. If I wait too much longer he starts trying to back-bend his way out of the cart; his fruit-leathered face pout-y and determined. We're a real sight in those moments. Regardless, I will continue to shop with him. I love it enough for the both of us.
• Pacifiers: I've tried them on many occasions and he refuses every time. He'll hold it , look at it for a bit and then cast it aside. I thought babies love pacifiers. Instead, he sucks on his right forearm for comfort. Whenever he's ready for a nap he'll prop his left hand under his right elbow and bring his arm to his mouth and suck until he falls asleep. He's a true self-soother.
• Bottles: He used them until he was about 3 months old. Then, no more. Like the pacifier, he flatly refused. I tried to get him to use it, but quickly grew tired of the struggle and gave up. Turned out to be a great thing. He took to the sippy cup like a pro so we just went with it. One less thing to take away from him later.

Hmm. Can't think of anything else he really can't stand. He's a good-natured little thing. When he's had it, I find it to be pretty justifiable.

It's such a joy to see him to continue to develop and express his likes and dislikes. He's not only our baby, he's really his own tiny, little person. Incredible.

Brrrrr!

Is it warm where you are?
Have a happy and cozy weekend!

Start 'Em Young

Jump Around

Those Parents

We're turning into those parents. Call it parent goggles, sleep deprivation, or what you will. We think our kid is the sweetest thing ever and we've got the pics to prove it.

Go on and roll your eyes. We know what's up.

Don't worry about it going to our heads.
I'm sure when he starts talking back we'll being singing a different tune.

The other great thing about Hhds..

Trying new and exotic foods!

Like Turkey

With herbs,

And Risotto!

So turkey didn't go over so well at first. But just when we thought Manu was going to be a vegetarian, he came around.

I Miss Hhds.

I miss Horseheads. More specifically though, I miss being around family. Riz is working this weekend and next week he'll be heading to Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. It's really hard to do the parent thing by yourself. Some days you just need someone to say with arms outstretched: "Here. Let me take him for a bit. Go shower." There was an entire week of that when we went home for Christmas. I know I've said this before, but it's so great to have so many people anxious to entertain the little guy all day, every day. Having everyone there provided Riz and I with several opportunities to get out of the house together AND separately without the baby in tow! Must do more of that this year!

Some highlights:

Reading for leisure.



Sisters doing nothing!

Hanging out with cousins.

Food and family.




Meeting up with old friends...

...and some brand new ones!

A New Year

New Year's resolution time. I'm great at making them, but I stink at keeping them. Of all the past resolutions I've made which have included: running a minimum of three times a week, keeping my nails in pristine condition and morphing into a glamorous desperate housewife to name a few, I haven't kept a single one. I haven't ran since I became pregnant with Manu. My nails are perpetually brittle and jagged. And while I did manage to become a housewife, there's absolutely nothing glamorous about the gig. Actually, now that I 'm thinking back, I did keep one resolution I made 2 years ago which was to eat more yogurt. I did do that. Yay for me.

My mom said to me on the phone the other day that people who really desire change in their lives will do whatever it takes to make it happen, new year or not. There's always a million reasons not to do something. That may be so, but I still can't myself. The idea of starting fresh is so exciting. I was thinking of making this year's resolution(s) like a "to-do" list. I love lists and I'm good at accomplishing things when they're in list form. And maybe smaller goals for me. Anything bigger than 'eating more yogurt' and I'm bound to fail.

Ok, so my current To-Do/Resolution List for 2009:

1. Edit and simplify- Starting in the kitchen and working my way through the house. Giving/throwing stuff away, organizing what I have, and working on making daily chores and processes more efficient. Fun!

2. Finish decorating the family room and re-do entry. I've had a serious and prolonged decorating block in regards to the family room. My problem is that I can't decide on a color scheme or even an overall look long enough to do something about it. As soon as I think I have a brilliant idea, I see a gorgeous home featured in Elle Decor or House Beautiful and I'm no longer happy with my plan. I need to stop relying on others to tell me what the chic-est shade of kelly green is, or how Kelly Wearstler-esque lattice prints are sooo en vogue and finally just do what I like. Period.

3. More me time. Now that I'm a mom, I feel like I'm always giving. It's kinda what I do and it's so easy to lose yourself in the days that seem to blend together. There are no weekends. There are no vacations. I love it, but it's awfully demanding. I'm going to work on scheduling some time out for just me and not feel guilty about doing it. I know I'll be a better mom for it.

I think that's plenty to start with. If by some miracle I accomplish those things, I'll add more. I can think of at least a dozen other things I'd like to do but I'll reserve them for fear of once again setting my expectations far too high. Wish me luck.

Here's to trying! Cheers!

Baby's First Tree

Riz and I were really excited to share Christmas with Manu this year. He's still too young to understand the craziness/joy of it all but, nonetheless, we had a great time including him in our little traditions.

Instead of shelling out big bucks at a nursery, we made the trek out to Reilly Farms in search of the perfect tree. We slowly navigated our way through the snowstorm (I'm speaking in PA terms here), avoided several accidents, and made it safely to Mt. Nebo, PA. There we found a gorgeous Fraser for half of what we had been paying in years past at the local nurseries. Lesson learned.


Every year Riz and I each buy a new ornament to add to the tree. This year, Arman picked out his very first ornament. As you can see, he was a fan of the jingle bells.

We tried to show him how to hang the bells on the tree

but he was far more interested in getting the entire thing in his mouth.

119 photographs later, Manu's drool-covered jingle bells finally made it onto the tree.

Send Riz to Vegas!!!

Riz is a finalist in the"celebrate with Palm" contest. His entry and nine others are being judged on the Palm Facebook Page. Go to http://www.palm.com/celebrate and follow the directions to vote for him! You can vote once daily between 12/20 (today) and 12/29.
The winner receives a trip to Vegas in January! Thanks for your support!

NJ

S, Jeff, and the Monkeys hosted Thanksgiving Dinner in NJ. If I had to describe S in one word I would have to say she's a "doer". While the rest of us are daydreaming about what we should be accomplishing, she's already completed it and on to the next thing. And she doesn't just get things done; the execution is perfection. Dinner was amazing. The menu was superb. Individually the dishes were scrumptious, but the real treat was how all the flavors worked together. Additionally, everything was on time and hot. That is no small feat. You really outdid yourself, S. I'm thankful for you!

CT

Ok, time to play the catch up game in a big way. Yes, I've missed a whole month of posts. How much longer can I blame it on a new baby? At least until he turns 1, I figure. The baby and the holidays. That's my excuse. In April I'll have to think of something else.

I love the holiday season for many reasons, but mostly because everyone makes an extra effort to get together. I only see my Connecticut family once a year, so visiting them is always a treat. This year was extra special because it was also an opportunity for everyone to meet the baby for the first time. Riz had to work, so Manu and his brave Mom drove from Jersey to Connecticut the Sunday before Thanksgiving (I'll explain why we were in Jersey in my next post). We spent several days visiting with family.


My Mom also joined us which was really sweet. She wasn't planning on coming until Thanksgiving, but was able to clear her schedule and arrive a couple of days earlier. I hope she doesn't regret it. Manu kept us up night after night while in Connecticut. My lamb who is currently sleeps from 6pm-10pm and from 10pm to 6am was waking every 2 hours and was absolutely inconsolable. I still can't figure out why but it was bad news. Sorry, Mom! Here are Grandma and Manu at my Aunt Phyllis' new and absolutely gorgeous home in Farmington. When I grow up, I'm going to live in Farmington. With its tree-lined streets, quaint storefronts, and all its New England-ness, it's right up my alley.

Here's Manu with my cousin, Erum. Some people are just "baby people". My siblings; all baby people. Me, not so much. I like babies well enough. Of course I'm head-over-heel in-love with my own and I do have more interest in babies since Manu's been born. But I'm never overcome with the desire to cuddle other people's babies for hours on end. I kinda just like to rock them a bit, sniff their baby head, kiss their cheek, and then return them to their parents. My cousin Erum on the other hand awoke one morning, ran downstairs to the living room where Manu and I were playing on the floor and announced:

"Oh my God! When I woke up this morning I thought 'It's been 14 whole hours since I last saw him!' I missed him so much! Come here!"

Really? That's so not the first thing I think of in the morning.

We did get to see the Aunts briefly as well (a short hour before bedtime on our last night there). Manu loves his Aunts and they love him right back. Again, baby people. It was wonderful to have so many eager babysitters around for a bit. We'll see you guys in a couple of weeks for a proper visit at Christmas!

Manu and I had a great little vacay in Connecticut (save for the night time fiasco) and really enjoyed our time spent with all of you. We're already looking forward to next Thanksgiving!

5:30pm

At 5:30pm each day we begin Manu's bedtime routine. He's usually asleep by 6:30pm which leaves Riz and I a few hours to ourselves before we crash. I try hard to make dinner something special for the two of us. Breakfast is hurried. I usually eat lunch with one hand. Dinner is our time to sit together without jumping up to grab a burp cloth or retrieve a toy. It's nice.
Last night's dinner recipe came from Williams and Sonoma. It was easy and quite yummy so I thought I'd share.

Rosemary and Orange-Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

Zest and juice of 2 oranges

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 chickens, each 3 1/2 lb. and cut into 8 pieces

3 sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lb. total, peeled
and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

2 leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed
well and finely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus
sprigs for garnish

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

To make the marinade, in a small bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, garlic, vinegar, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until blended.

Place the chicken in a large sealable plastic bag or large bowl and pour in the marinade, coating the chicken evenly. Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat an oven to 425°F.

Place the chicken and the marinade in a large, heavy roasting pan. Arrange the sweet potatoes and leeks around the chicken, making sure to coat the vegetables with the marinade.

Roast until the chicken shows no sign of pink when the thickest parts are cut into near the bone, the skin is brown and crisp, and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir the chicken and potatoes once or twice while cooking. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Place the pan with the sweet potatoes over medium-high heat, and add the orange zest and juice and chopped rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the potatoes are very soft and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Arrange the sweet potatoes around the chicken and pour the sauce over the meat. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve immediately. Serves 8.

Diane Rossen Worthington, Author, Seriously Simple (Chronicle Books, 2002).