What Three Months Can Do

Tomorrow Norey turns 3 months old. And time continues to pass quicker than is acceptable.

Norey came into the world June 25th, 7 minutes after midnight. The first three hours of her life were uneventful. Just as so many other mothers experience them. The following 3-4 days were more than any of us anticipated.

We came home Saturday, June 29th. My parents were unpatiently waiting for us to arrive. I do not remember a time before or since that the house has been so clean.

By the end of that following week I began to think "Oh no, we've made a horrible mistake. What was I thinking?!" Then I got a good, long nap. And then "Oh, yes. This is exactly what we wanted."

I've never so deeply appreciated leaving the house to go to the grocery store. Even for 20 minutes.

We went on a family almost-stay-cation to Palestine in mid-August. Stayed two weeks. Relaxing with her there was wonderful. So many things change and develop over such a short period of time.

September brought a breeze through the kitchen door. And testing of patience. And trying out new bottles. And new bedtimes. And...

The 13th Has Come and Gone and Now We Listen to Music

Sunil's dream/wish/greatest-want-since-he-learned-of-an-Old-Fashioned, my going into labor and giving birth to Eleanor on Friday, June 13th (a full moon), has come and gone. Now we are back to just plain old waiting.

As he un-patiently waited the arrival of the 13th and potentially our first born child, I made a Birth Plan and an L&D playlist. Thanks to the firm I won a $50 iTunes gift card in our Easter egg hunt. I thought I'd lost it a while back, so it was still full of all fifty dollars.

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Willome for posting that video with James Blake in the background. I "borrowed" this one and worked from there mixing new music with those soothing favorites I already have. I have five and a half hours of music at this time.

The result...with more to add (I've still got $20 on the card and a potential Labor time of 20+ hours):

Tenuousness	3:51	Andrew Bird
Some Surprise	3:18	Gary Lightbody & Lisa Hannigan
Frog on My Toe	3:39	Tori Amos
Ada Plays	3:18	Various
Dirge	3:16	Perfume Genius
I Wish You Love	3:32	Rachael Yamagata
Aria	3:05	Gabriel Yared/Original Soundtrack
Ribbons Undone	4:30	Tori Amos
Pienso en Ti	2:26	Shakira
Winter Song	4:27	Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
Track 1	6:38	Sigur Rós
All the Wild Horses	3:16	Ray LaMontagne
Track 3	6:33	Sigur Rós
Passing Afternoon	4:03	Iron and Wine
Can I Stay	3:40	Ray LaMontagne
Maria's Death [Rückert Lied No. 5]	3:39	Original Soundtrack
Meet Me by the Water	3:58	Rachael Yamagata
A Gift Of A Thistle	1:38	James Horner: London Symphony Orchestra
Duet	4:01	Rachael Yamagata
Sister Song	2:26	Perfume Genius
Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World	4:53	Original Soundtrack
Elephants Instrumental	1:46	Rachael Yamagata
I. Adagio Sostenuto from Piano Sonata No. 14	4:32	Original Soundtrack
Timshel	2:53	Mumford & Sons
Bagatelle in a Minor for Piano, Woo 59, "Für Elise"	2:56	Original Soundtrack
Have a Little Faith	3:54	Michael Franti & Spearhead
Elysium	2:42	Original Soundtrack
No Woman No Cry	7:09	Bob Marley
What a Wonderful World	2:24	Louis Armstrong
Three Little Birds	3:02	Bob Marley
Great Escape	2:09	Moby
Prospero's Speech	3:23	Loreena McKennitt
Full Circle	5:57	Loreena McKennitt
Love Me Like a Song (featuring Willie Nelson)	3:41	Kimmie Rhodes
Such Great Heights	4:13	Iron and Wine
Naked as We Came	2:35	Iron and Wine
The Secret Wedding	6:33	James Horner: London Symphony Orchestra
I Go to the Barn Because I Like the	3:07	Band of Horses
Can't Help Falling In Love (Live At Daytrotter)	3:14	Ingrid Michaelson
Lay Me Down	3:13	The Frames
The Trapeze Swinger	9:31	Iron & Wine
Let Me Come In!	1:00	Gabriel Yared/Original Soundtrack
Holocene	5:37	Bon Iver
All the Way Down	2:39	Glen Hansard
Honestly	4:11	Carey Brothers
Black Nights	1:54	Gabriel Yared/Original Soundtrack
Michicant	3:46	Bon Iver
Nearer My God To Thee	2:22	Eileen Ivers
I Will Follow You Into The Dark	3:11	Death Cab for Cutie
Clementine	4:07	The Decemberists
Wash.	4:59	Bon Iver
I Can't GIve You Anything But Love	3:26	Billie Holiday
Redemption Song	3:48	Bob Marley
Hidden Place	5:29	Björk
Sun In My Mouth	2:40	Björk
Harm Of Will	4:37	Björk
Cocoon	4:28	Björk
It's Not Up To You	5:09	Björk
Undo	5:38	Björk
Pagan Poetry	5:15	Björk
Frosti	1:41	Björk
Aurora	4:40	Björk
An Echo, A Stain	4:04	Björk
Across the Universe	4:08	Rufus Wainwright
Wild Horses	5:43	The Rolling Stones
Curs In the Weeds	3:31	Horse Feathers
Starving Robins	3:21	Horse Feathers
Cascades	4:13	Horse Feathers
As a Ghost	2:58	Horse Feathers
Falling Through the Roof	2:52	Horse Feathers
Like Lavender	3:27	Horse Feathers
Scare Away the Dark	4:39	Passenger
Heart's On Fire	4:13	Passenger
Redford (For Yia-Yia and Pappou)	2:02	Sufjan Stevens
I Never Learnt to Share	4:52	James Blake
Dlm	2:26	James Blake
Our Love Comes Back	3:39	James Blake
A Case of You	2:57	James Blake
Ocean Floor for Everything	3:13	How to Dress Well
World I Need You, Won't Be Without You (Proem)	2:49	How to Dress Well
Enough Thunder	4:15	James Blake
The Curse	5:04	Josh Ritter
Folk Bloodbath	5:16	Josh Ritter
Waves	5:32	Mono Band
Murder in the City	3:12	The Avett Brothers
Naïve	3:52	Sleeping at Last
The Leaving Song	4:10	Chris Garneau

We've Been Busy

Oh how much has changed in the (almost) two years since last writing here.

Sunil completed his degree and is now a PhD! It felt like forever getting there, but last April (2013) he defended his dissertation and became Dr. Patel. We had a party in late April, and he walked in early May.

The summer of 2013 was insanely busy. Two old and very dear friends were getting married within two months of each other (August and October)...and they are also sisters. There were wedding showers and bachelorette parties to attend, plus another friend's baby shower - all in Austin. My co-workers were beginning to wonder if I was planning a move down there.

Once the last wedding was finished we were able to take a deep breath...but not for long. The entire drive home from Austin that late October Sunday was miserable. I couldn't shake my hangover (it was a fun reception). I couldn't even eat dinner. Then the same thing all day Monday. Waves of "ugh." And again Tuesday. Then, when I started crying over The Elf, Sunil went to the grocery store down the street and came back with champagne and a home pregnancy test.

Positive.

It was October 29th.

I had an appointment that Friday, November 1st, with my OB. I was six weeks and one day pregnant. We told ourselves we would keep it quiet for a little while. Then we got home. And told everyone by the end of the following day.

So we've been on Baby Adventure mode ever since. We had to replace that wall we tore down between two of the rooms. And got a bigger and better closet out of it. We've had four baby showers (!). We've completed the registry. We've got a baby doll we (well, I) tote around sometimes to get the dogs comfortable with the idea. We've got frozen pasta sauce prepared for Sundays. We are ready. As ready as we will ever be.

And now we are waiting.

An Ultrasound

Tortilla Soup and My LOVE of Cooking...New Love

Last week we did something revolutionary. We went to the store on Saturday, bought everything we needed for a whole week, stuck with it, and didn't see the store again until Friday evening.  It was kinda amazing.

I sat down and wrote out our week of dinners on paper, planned the ingredients against what we already had at home, and away we went.

Once we got back I used our big over-the-fireplace chalkboard to write down our menu for the week, with a warning to Sunil that we would be sticking to it. And we did.  The only thing that threw us off was the a/c going out and that just swapped leftovers and something for the oven day (in this instance it was the Hanks' spinach, mozzarella and sausage roll).  It was great. It was easy. It is being repeated!

This week has started out very well. And it is all inspiring me to cook different foods rather than get tired and stick to our usual go-to meals - spaghetti, burgers, leftover spaghetti, leftover burgers, tacos, frozen pizza. This week's menu:

Monday - Honey Mustard and Panko-Crusted Chicken with Creamed Spinach

Tuesday - Stuffed Bell Peppers (with a little Sriracha for spice) and Cornbread

Wednesday - Chicken Tortilla Soup

Thursday - Tilapia, Salad, Roasted Asparagus

And it's been fun. I'm getting much more comfortable in the kitchen. Trying out spices. Measuring with just my hands (Yikes!). Very adventurous.

So tonight's adventure in cooking is tortilla soup. A truly new food. I can't say I've ever even eaten tortilla soup. I'm definitely stepping out of the comfort zone with this one. But, hey, it has cheese, corn, chicken, Ro-Tel...I don't know how it could go too wrong.

Besides, we've always got a frozen pizza in the garage freezer just in case.

Technology-Free Day

For Summer I I had to take an introduction to computing course. The teacher wanted us to spend 24 hours without technology, then write a 3-4 page (single space : /) paper on it. It is important to note some of the rules.
1.) Driving is acceptable without any radio though;
2.) No oven or stovetop IF they are controlled with computers (as most are);
3.) Only use cash if you purchase something unless the store uses the old-school credit card swiper and you have to physically sign the receipt; and
4.) Basically just nothing that is run by a computer in ANY WAY (it's amazing how many items are on that list).

Here is the result:

My Saturday began with the knowledge that I had about 24 hours to prepare myself for the 24-Hour Project. It was time to ready the supplies:

·         Reading material, because I’m pretty sure a Nook is considered digital, and I refuse to read the only un-read “book” in the house – Fifty Shades of Grey (on loan from an aunt);

·         Cash – to buy a book worth reading;

·         Prep friends and family for the astonishing one-day disappearance;

·         Get a good movie in with the husband; and

·         Figure out what to eat in lieu of our usual “Spaghetti Sunday”.

It got underway that afternoon. I’d say it really started with my reminder to my husband (Sunil) that there would be no TV (he was happy on that one), no movies (a little saddened there), no cell phones (“WHAT?! That’s crazy!”), no cooking in the kitchen (“So, we’re grilling?”), and absolutely no computers (“Well, I guess I’ll spend the day at a coffee shop then.”).  Next up, I made my list. I knew I wanted to use this time as an excuse to browse around the bookstore, something I really miss doing now that I have a Nook. So, Barnes & Noble made the cut, first. Dinner followed in importance. We were going to grill, so there were obvious limitations to this area. Steak, potato, and stuffed mushrooms have always been enjoyable. Done. Now, the hardest part. Explain to Mom why I won’t be calling for our daily 1+ hour chat on Sunday. This was not easy. She was going to be spending Saturday evening gaining crucial small town gossip at a martini party. Oh, the Sunday gossip had such potential. But, it would just have to be postponed until Monday after work. She ended up calling during said party to give me a little scoop to tide us both over until Monday.

Evening came. Movie time. Sunil and I got all caught up on a thriller – Apollo 18 – and ate heated-in-the-digital-oven pizza.  It was tasty.

Unfortunately, I realized the following morning that I had forgotten to do one thing – notify FaceBook. Dang! The urge was strong. But I fought it off with a trip to one of my favorite places – the bookstore.

I got dressed, took a little Patel Petty Cash, and got in the car. The first thing I did was reach for the radio. It was Sunday, and NPR has “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me” and “Car Talk” on, but I would just have to podcast those some other day. What to do with no radio? Roll the windows down. Of course! I’m sure the world of Las Colinas just loved my singing.  

I pulled up to Barnes & Noble, re-checked the cash in my back pocket, and strolled on in. Oh! The books. So many new ones. I hadn’t been to a bookstore since December. I was almost overwhelmed. “NEW IN PAPERBACK.” “NEW BESTSELLERS.” Too many to choose from. I dove in at the first table. Paperback. My first selection, Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness. About Africa. Reminded me of Poisonwood Bible, a favorite of mine. But no, I refuse to get the first one. This is my day to just do what I want to do. I was going to take my time. I kept finding more and more. Then I realized I couldn’t take pictures of them with my phone to keep track of the ones I wanted for the future. And I sure didn’t have enough money to buy them all – cash flow problem, literally. Thankfully I found a pen and scrap of paper. I wrote down several titles: An Everlasting Meal, Blue Nights, Nightwoods, Please Look After Mom, The Sweet Life in Paris, Wild. Now that I had wandered and meandered and wondered, I had to make a choice – it had been almost two hours. I chose my book – Wild. It was so pertinent to the project too. A woman plucks herself out of her regular world and leaves civilization to hike the 2,663-mile Pacific Coast Trail hoping to find something in herself that was missing.

Next up, groceries. And the best part – I was by Kroger! Not our boring old Tom Thumb. Or maybe it was the worst part. I was on a budget, after all. That did not make this mecca of produce, cheese, bread, and flowers easy to navigate. I had to be careful in my choices and budget accordingly. I ended up scouring the mini gourmet cheeses for a fun appetizer, I couldn’t resist. Add some crusty Italian bread for $1.50, and voila, yumminess.

Now it was time to head home. Back in the car I went, and my hand reached straight for the radio again. I resisted. I rolled the windows back down. I then realized – when I saw hallmark right in front of me – that my sister-in-law’s birthday is Tuesday. I don’t have a card. I also don’t have any more cash. This is frustrating.

My windblown hair and I finally arrived back at the house with groceries, book, and a card-sized empty spot. I put everything away and began marinating the steaks. A little dry rub, some cracked peppercorn, a little garlic, drowned in Worcestershire sauce, back in the fridge. This will be tasty.

Speaking of tasty. It was about time for lunch. Normally I prepare lunch with the news on in the background. Then I typically eat lunch while watching recorded episodes of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report or some horrible guilty-pleasure Housewives of ______. It spares Sunil from having to listen to them when he comes home. But, not today. Today, I made a sandwich. A gourmet sandwich. I mean, I had a lot of time on my hands. Bread, cheddar cheese, turkey, tarragon Russian dressing, caramelized onions (made a few days earlier), and a side of sweet potato chips. Oh, it was good. I devoured it while reading chapter one of my new, hardback book. I washed the dishes. Then, I got on a roll and hand washed all our dishes. Then I actually dried them and put them all away. Trust me, this is a dreaded chore, made all the more so by doing it without even the radio on. My dogs and I had a long one-sided conversation during my various chores on Sunday.

Now, some real me time. I grabbed my book, removed some back cushions, and sprawled out on the couch. Two hours of true quiet time later, Sunil walked in the door. He took a few minutes before it registered why everything was so quiet. “Oh, yeah. This is that 24-hour thing today.”

“Yep. Don’t even talk to me about computers or phones or anything like that.”

“K.”

He didn’t really know what to do with himself. He sat in the chair across from me. He stared at me. He stared out the window. He sighed. “I think the yard needs to be mowed.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll be outside.”

About fifteen minutes later I joined him. I used our brand new Round-Up Ready-to-Use Extended Control Weed & Grass Killer to commit a little herbicide. Then we started pulling out the weeds that were mixed in with grass we didn’t want to murder. After about an hour it started to rain. I think our neighbor decided we must be nuts because he bailed on being outside. We kept pulling weeds. It was too much fun getting drenched and digging in the mud. So much for that manicure.

After that was done, I went inside and got showered and cleaned up. I folded laundry on the dining table so I could watch Sunil mow outside the back windows. I talked to the dogs. I reached for my phone to take a picture of my dogs when they did something really cute. I sighed.

Now it was getting later. Sunil came in from the yard work. He showered. We started prepping dinner. Sunil went outside to get the grill ready. I worked on scraping the inside of those mushrooms out. I chopped up five Serrano peppers. I got out the cheese (yeah, if you haven’t noticed, I really like cheese). I stuffed the mushrooms with the peppers and cheese and set them on a plate.

About this time, one of our friends came over. I suspect Sunil was going a little stir crazy without excess sound and must have invited him to stop by, but I have no proof of this. I had to explain the rules of the day to our friend. “So, what’s the point?”

“To go without all the ease of technology for a day and see what we can get from that.”

“Whatever.”

The three of us had a nice time. We talked about work. We talked about his current relationship. We planned out a late summer mini vacation. NOLA here we come! Once the steaks were ready our friend headed home. He had more of a craving for In-N-Out burger.

Sunil and I ate dinner and talked. This was novel. Well, actually, it just reminded me of the days when we were dating. I had a tiny apartment back then. But I didn’t have cable. We talked about lots of things, personal things, so, sorry, you don’t get the details. I proposed we do this once a month. Unplugged Sunday. To my amazement, Sunil agreed.

To my further amazement, Sunil then started rearranging the living room furniture! The backstory here is that we’ve had a hand-me-down couch sitting in the middle of the room for over a week now, waiting for the old couch to be moved so it could take its place. We spent the remainder of our evening moving the old couch to a back room and rearranging the rest of the living room furniture.  It was a good day. And night.

I felt relieved all day. I felt frustrated too. I wanted to listen to music but couldn’t. That was my greatest complaint. Really, my only complaint. The relief came from knowing that I had an excuse to ignore my phone all day. I did not have to feel obliged to answer every phone call, every text. I could just ignore them and keep on with my day. I enjoyed the solitude. It reminded me of the days when I had no cable, no Internet, and no smart phone. During that time I read every single book by Hemingway. I re-read East of Eden. I relaxed. I was well rested. I may propose a cancellation of cable soon. I’ll just have to get that one done before the new season of Dexter starts. If not, it’ll be at least another year.

Framing It

Now that we are finally getting a Michael's - first craft store in the area - I am going to get this framed.  We'll put it up on our large wall behind the couch. :)

Easter Week

This week I am remembering back to when I was much younger and celebrated - with some gusto - Easter weekend. It feels like it has been so long since I did this. Every year I continue to give up something for Lent, but I do not know the last time I really acknowledged Easter and Good Friday (reverse those) in a fitting way. This year, however, I have an accomplice and a plan. I'm slowly "teaching" my husband some of the things I know about this holy week. Sadly, my knowledge is limited. Luckily, we have a friend with TONS more knowledge than me...many thanks to his religiously zealous past relationships. Between the two of us we have begun to school my husband on some of the basics. And this weekend we bring out the big guns...10 Commandments! Since we've decided to do this, I'm taking one yummy step further and making a mini holy-day meal. We shall see what comes of this one. I am personally very excited and wish I had a whole big family of people to cook for!