Other new pics of Rebecca

Family Portraits

3 Generations

Christmas Portraits of Rebecca

Ramy's sleepyheads

Poor Ramy has to go to work while Rebecca and I are nestled snug in our bed!

American Airlines SUCKS!

I despise American Airlines. Their customer service is really shitty. But I always end up taking them, because they're the only ones who connect halfway between TN and CA (with Delta, I have to backtrack and go through Atlanta).

Last night, I looked at my flight information to discover that they have changed my flights. Instead of leaving LAX at 11:20 and arriving in Chicago at 5:15, departing Chicago at 7:40, they now have me on a flight that leaves LAX at 11:55 and arrives in Chicago at 5:55, then I depart Chicago at 7:10. So whereas I was supposed to have a 2.5 hr layover, I now just have a little over an hour. Of course, if there is any kind of delay, then that makes it completely impossible that I'll be able to make our connection (unless the connection is also delayed).

So I called and talked to a total bitch of a woman named Lynn Pierce. She very sarcastically told me that my concerns as a parent traveling with an infant were not the concerns of American Airlines and that this was a very minor schedule change. She could put me on a flight that connected through Dallas, but they would not be able to seat me and Rebecca together. Of course an infant cannot travel not next to the parent, so basically we would not have any guaranteed seating assignments. So if the flight is oversold, then we are screwed out of a seat, and then who knows when we would get on a plane.

Of course they will not put me on a flight into Nashville instead, because I booked to go into Huntsville and changing my flight destination isn't something they'll do. If we miss the connection in Chicago, the next one to Huntsville isn't until that evening.

I hate American Airlines. They're so bitchy. I'm going to write them a letter with all my grievances against them. Maybe I'll get a free ticket out of the deal.

Words?

Rebecca definitely knows who "mama" and "dada" are. She uses many exclamation points after she hollers at one or the other of us. And if she cries, it's "mama!" in a very pitiful voice. This morning, Ramy kissed her goodbye and went down the stairs like normal. She was standing on the landing (her lookout point) and peering down to him below. He waved and said, "Bye bye, baby" like he does every morning. She said, "ba ba, da da". We don't know if this was coincidence or if it was "bye, bye, daddy."

This afternoon, we had our holiday music class again. She made friends with a little girl named Amanda and got to spend more time with her friend Ryan (look out Jack and Will, another little boy is trying to make his move). Rebecca sang along with the music and loooooovvvvvves the jingle bells and the drum (in fact, she likes to bang the jingle bells on the drum). We are definitely signing up for the long "Kids Love Music" class that starts in February. They have even more activities and classes available for toddlers who are at least 18 months, so we'll do more of those next summer and fall. In the meantime, we may start going to Gymboree or Little Gym, just to have more socialization opportunities.

It was a crazy, crazy day at Chaffey College. The holidays can definitely bring out the kooks! Hopefully it won't be a zooey at Redlands on Thursday night, but I have my doubts about that. I sent my "breakup" letter to my old dissertation chair today. He was very nice about it, although I think he was surprised I was jumping ship. Oh well.

Yesterday, I made candy all day and packaged it all up to give as gifts to coworkers, our secretaries/receptionists, and other random people we feel the need to give something to at the holidays. My kitchen was covered in a fine mist of powdered sugar, cocoa, and candy cane dust. But fortunately, I got it all cleaned up last night, and Ramy took his boxes to work today, and I'm doling mine out at the various places I go during the week. Everyone likes Christmas candy! I have one suitcase packed and ready to go to Tennessee. Not sure when I'm going to pack the others, but hopefully most everything I need will make it to Tennessee! Pray for good weather and no flight delays (or worse, cancellations!) for our flight Friday night.

It's over already?

I can't believe our three-day weekend is already over. I told Ramy he should call in sick tomorrow so he could have another day of hanging out with me and Rebecca. But darn him for having a work ethic! He has things on calendar, so he won't.

It was a fun weekend for us. Friday, it was rainy, and we all slept late. Soooo nice. We took Ramy's car to be serviced, then we went to Carrows for breakfast, and then we basically hung out and goofed off all day. Friday night, we went to church. Saturday was a Holy Day of Obligation, for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, so we went to the vigil mass on Friday night (for you non-Catholics, since we consider that the day begins at sundown the night before, we can go to a "vigil" mass the evening before a particular holy day).

Saturday morning, we worked on cleaning out the garage. Then Rebecca and I went to stand in line to see Paula Deen at a book signing. I got to meet her and Michael, and Paula recognized my southern accent. She said, "Hey! You're from the south!" I told her I was from Tennessee, and Michael said, "Well, you're like home folks!" So I got my Christmas cookbook of hers autographed by both of them. Too bad Bobby and Jamie weren't with them. Then we rushed home to get ready for the party we went to last night. Our friend Paul's firm hosts a big fancy party for friends and family of the firm, so we always look forward to that. It was a lot of fun.

This morning, we went to 9:00 mass, then got a quick take-out breakfast. Then we went to Babies R Us to return something and then to IKEA. Ramy needed to work on his murder case that has a prelim coming up this week, so I took Rebecca and went to the mall to do some Christmas shopping for a couple of hours. When we got home, the garage was completely organized, but not much work got done on the prelim. Oh well, at least he is happy with the immaculate garage. Then we got Chinese takeout for dinner, gave Rebecca her weekly bath (she only gets a full bath every 5 or 6 days because of her eczema), played with her, and now we're waiting for The Girls Next Door (our new guilty pleasure reality show) to come on in a few minutes.

I'm trying to start getting things ready to take to Tennessee. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we won't get cancelled or stuck in Chicago or anything. Oh well, I'll be home for Christmas one way or another! I'm hoping it won't be too crazy of a week for me. It is the week of finals at Chaffey and at Redlands. Not too worried about Chaffey, but I have a client on suicide watch at Redlands and another couple who could melt down at any time. I actually broke one of my rules and gave a client my cell phone number in case of an emergency. I don't worry he will abuse it, but I was that worried about him.

My Rorschach class I've been teaching is over this week, so I'm trying to get all their Rorschachs and TATs back to them this week. Oh yeah, I met with Dr. Vermeersch about switching dissertation projects. It is all a go! In fact, I am hoping to do research at the University of Redlands. Dr. V does psychotherapy outcomes research, and I'm hoping to do a randomized trial comparing the outcomes of patients when no feedback is given to them about how they are doing in therapy (as based on their self-reported outcomes measures scores), when the therapist is given that feedback, and when both the therapist and the client are given that feedback. The nice thing is that it won't require any subject recruitment, which is the big bear of research. Also, it will go through our IRB as an expedited review, which should make the process easier. I told Dr. Vermeersch that my primary interest at this point was in getting the hell out of there with a piece of lambskin and some initials after my name. He was cool with that.

Party pics

Here's a pic from the party we went to last night in L.A. We had a great time! Great food, fun to see our friends, and Rebecca got a nice present and a chance to play with some other little ones. She looked rather like Audrey Hepburn in her dress, I thought!

Baby, it's cold outside!

It is cold and rainy here! In fact, today, we are supposed to get as much or more rain than we did all of last year. Unfortunately, most of it will just run off, cause flash flooding, and mudslides, and we'll still be in drought conditions. Hopefully it will at least bring snow to the mountains, which is what protects our summer water supply.

We started Rebecca on her antihistamine yesterday, and I think she hasn't had as much nose trouble today. I hope so anyway. Also, the Nystatin cleared up her yeast rash, so she's all well from that. Ramy's off today for his 9/80 day, so we're enjoying hanging out together at home. He and I were planning on cleaning out the garage while Rebecca was napping, but apparently the nap fairy attacked him also. And it would just be wrong of me to deprive him of the joy of participating in organization, so I'm wasting time online rather than being productive myself.

Wednesday

December is here and is going by so quickly! This weekend, we had some actual wintery weather for Southern California. It was cold and rainy on Friday, cold on Saturday and Sunday. Rebecca and I met my friend Julie for coffee on Friday afternoon, and we learned that Julie and her husband Derek are expecting their first baby in July! YAY! We're so happy for them!

Saturday, Ramy cooked breakfast for us, and then he and Rebecca hung out at home in their UCLA gear, while I went Christmas shopping. Then that night, we went out for Mexican. We didn't make it to 7:30 mass on Sunday morning, but we got there for 9:00, so that was still doing pretty good. We got some more shopping done and a few things done around the house, but it was basically another weekend where we all hang out and play and watch movies.

Ramy got a huge case dismissed yesterday, so he had to bring in breakfast for his colleagues. There's also a rumor still floating that he is about to get a DIC position, but nothing official yet. I want him to be in Pomona or West Covina, but that looks unlikely. I'm just hoping it won't be further than Norwalk.

Things seem to be working out so beautifully with our nanny. It is so obvious that Rebecca likes her. Nanny Rebecca says the only time Baby Rebecca cries is when she changes her diaper (she throws a fit for all diaper changes) or when is really sleepy. We've noticed that Rebecca isn't nearly as clingy to me when I come in now, and she just seems happier overall. So it was a good change. Rebecca and I started our "Kids Love Music" holiday mommy and me music class yesterday afternoon. Rebecca LOVED it! She was singing along at full volume (she can definitely project her voice!) and was completely in love with the shaker with bells on it. She also enjoyed banging on the drum. She also made several friends and seemed to have a blast. We do this for two weeks, and then we'll probably join the regular Kids Love Music class in February. It is nice to have these opportunities for her.

Today, I have to get my evaluations from two of my supervisors. I am not very worried about one of them, but I'm a little nervous about one, because she is kind of a kook. However, I also have to go over my evaluations of my students, and I will have to give some negative feedback to one of them. It is going to be hard, and I dread it. Oh well, such is life, as my dad would say.

Go Team!

Ramy and Rebecca cheered on UCLA on Saturday (to no avail - they still lost to U$C) while I went Christmas shopping. Here are a couple of pics of my sports fans.

Last day of November

It is hard to believe that today is the end of November! Wow! Christmas is just around the corner! We had a really nice visit with my aunt and mother. The week flew by! We did a lot of shopping and eating (I think it is a theme with us). We went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra that Tuesday night, took Rebecca to get her pictures taken on Wednesday, went to Thanksgiving mass and had Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, shopped all day Friday, put up the Christmas tree on Saturday night, visited extended family in Redlands on Sunday, and did some more running around on Monday. We also attempted to get some family pictures done for our Christmas cards and had a near disaster with Rebecca falling into the Christmas tree during that process. It was really nice having them here, and for a couple of days after they left, every time we'd go into the guest room, Rebecca would look around expectantly.

Oh yeah, one of the most exciting things is that Rebecca has started saying "mama!" I figured she would probably say dog, sippy cup, and supercalifragilisticexpealidocious before she was ever going to say mama. But it is an awfully nice word to hear from her!

Rebecca finished her ten days of antibiotics and she still has a runny nose, gets congested, and makes funny noises with her nose and throat (I suspect she makes them because her throat itches). So I have a call in to Dr. Jeng to talk about putting her on the maintenance antihistamine.

The nanny Rebecca started work for us this week as well. On Tuesday, I took off work to be here to make the transition a little easier, and so Rebecca could get acquainted with our Rebecca's daily routine, where things were, etc. She stayed with her on Wednesday, and when I came home, Rebecca was much less clingy to me than usual. On Thursday, Ramy came home and said she was all smiles for him, and when I got home she was all smiles for me. I think she is less stressed than she was at Arlene's, which in turn, makes us less stressed! It is nice to not have to pack all her things up to take and to know that I don't have to get her out of her cozy bed in the morning if she is sleeping well. So far, Ramy and I both think we made a good decision in hiring Rebecca. Next week, Rebecca and I start taking a music class for babies ages 4-14 months old and their moms. It is all holiday music stuff. Basically, I think they get to play with drums, maracas, and tambourines, but Rebecca loves music so I think she will enjoy it, and it will also give her more opportunity to interact with other babies.

Rebecca and I head to Tennessee two weeks from tonight. I have so much to get done before then, I can't even believe it!!!

9 month checkup

Here are a couple of crazy pics of Rebecca. She is modeling her "baby legs" (or maybe she is sorry she missed out on the 80s) and her Baby Ugg boots. Isn't great to be on the cutting edge of fashion for 9 month olds?

This morning, Rebecca and I went to her 9 month well-baby checkup. She weighed in at 16 lbs, 4 oz. and measured at 27 inches long. I don't really think the length was accurate, because I think she moved up on the table when they were about to make the head measurement. If so, that would be the 47th percentile, and she's definitely shorter than half of all 9 month olds! But she's still hanging in there at the 10th percentile for weight. They did a toe prick to check her hemoglobin, and she was well within normal range - no danger of anemia. Dr. Jeng wasn't able to hear her heart murmur at all when she was standing up, and he didn't hear it when she was lying down either, but she was not cooperating. It should be more pronounced lying down. But either way, it definitely hasn't gotten worse and may have disappeared. She is exactly where she should be on social and language development, and she is ahead of expected on both gross and fine motor skills. Dr. Jeng proclaimed her to be perfect, healthy, beautiful, and comical.

The biggest issue we discussed is that she has basically been sick for the last month - she had a cold, followed by the double ear infection that wouldn't go away, and then the upper respiratory infection. I told him about how she pulls at her ears randomly and how she cries out in her sleep and grabs her ear if she is lying flat. Dr. Jeng suspects that what is driving all of that is allergies, especially since she has eczema, I have a lot of allergy problems and come from a long line of allergy sufferers, and Ramy's dad has asthma (another predisposing factor). He thinks that she is staying congested because of the allergies, which is pushing pressure into the Eustachian tubes. The pressure would be the strongest when she is lying flat and is probably causing her ears to pop when she sleeps. With the chronic congestion, the fluid in the tubes is less likely to drain, making it more uncomfortable and more likely to cause more ear infections. He wanted to be completely sure that there was no underlying sinusitis, so he put her on a whopping dose of amoxicillin for ten days (twice the amount each time than what she got before, and now she gets that 3x a day instead of twice). And then if she is the same (which he suspects she will be), then we'll put her on a maintenance antihistamine.

A day in the life of Rebecca

Rebecca has had a very adventure-filled day. She was awakened to go to church (we made it to early mass this morning) and threw a big fit about having her clothes and diaper changed but was as good as gold during the service (she always sings along with the songs, but she didn't try to give her own homily today, so both of us got to stay through the whole mass). Then we went to the grocery store, where Rebecca was carried around by her daddy. She was angered by the carseat but then fell asleep before we got home, so I carried her upstairs and she finished her morning nap in her crib.

When she awake, she had her breakfast of apple cinnamon oatmeal. But you see, daddy was working on the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs, and he was far more intriguing than breakfast. So she refused to participate in more than half of it. Then we went to Costco, where she got to take a fun trip in the cold room and to look at the lobsters in the tank. She wanted to bang on the tank, I suppose so they would look at her. Next, we went to Lowes and she fell asleep on Ramy's shoulder and she took another nap in her crib.

Then she got up and ate some blueberries and yogurt. While mommy folded five loads of laundry, Rebecca got to play on the floor in the upstairs. She found daddy's wallet on the nightstand and pulled it off. Then she found the baby in the mirror and yelled at her and patted on her and kissed her and yelled at her some more. Somehow, Paddy got upstairs so she chased him for awhile. Then she pulled up and cruised around the laundry basket, after which she opened the drawer, leaned against it and pushed it closed, getting her fingers caught in it. She cried for half a second until she spied Paddy again and then took off after him. Next, she watched some football with daddy while mommy cooked dinner.

Dinner was the most interesting part, because she got to try a new food - eggs (egg yolk actually). She also had acorn squash with cinnamon and carrots, both of which she loves. So in went a spoonful of squash, a spoonful of carrots, and then here came a spoonful of egg yolk. This was what seemed to go through Rebecca's mind:

Wait. What was that? I don't know what this stuff is. What do /i do with it? It is crumply and weird feeling in my mouth. Oh okay, here's some more squash and another bite of carrots. Oh no! There's that bizarre yellow stuff again. What the heck am I supposed to do with this? Okay, I'll roll it around in my mouth for a bit and maybe it will taste better. Oh good, more squash and carrots. WHAT IS THIS YELLOW CRUMBLY GUCK? Why does my mom keep giving it to me? I'll just spit it back out and blow raspberries until she gets the idea. Okay, carrots and squash again. WHAT THE HECK DOES IT TAKE TO GET ACROSS THAT I DON'T LIKE THIS YELLOW GOO? Passive resistance, that's the idea. I'll just keep my mouth open with the yellow bits and won't chew or swallow it and let it fall back off my tongue. Okay, I guess mama will got the hint, because she scraped it off my tongue with the spoon and now she just keeps giving me the carrots and squash.

After that ordeal, she was still hungry, so I cut up about a quarter of a banana (quartered it and then cut it in slices, so each slice had 4 tiny wedges of banana). I put that in one pile on her highchair tray and about a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese in another pile. She knew what the cheese was, so she went after it first, but then she got intrigued by the chunks of banana. When she picked the first one up, she made a face like "What the heck is this slime?" But then she got it in her mouth (caked in cheese) and decided it was the best stuff she had ever eaten, grunted and banged her fists on the tray, demanding more. So she ended up eating almost a whole banana that way. Then our chicken pot pie came out of the oven, so we ate, and she wanted some of ours. So I gave her a couple of bites of the potato in it, which she liked.

As you can imagine, after a 9 month old feeds herself shredded cheese and banana, she is pretty sticky. There was banana stuck all over her arms, legs, face, hair, diaper, and shirt. So it was bathtime. Immediately we dunked her in the tub, where she splashed around and looked at us with glee. While washing her hair, I decided that she had to have her bangs trimmed. It could not wait until December, because her bangs are in her eyes and it drives me nuts. So I overrode Ramy's veto, and the hair trim commenced. Rebecca was less than interested, but I cut off a little bit just from the front. It's not the best haircut in the world, but it isn't in her eyes anymore, so I'm happy. Next haircut, I'm giving her some Benadryl first.

Now she is finally winding down and getting ready to sleep...finally.

Sunday

We've had a very productive weekend! I'm caught up on all my Rorschach grading. I have read so many Rorschach scoring assignments that I've started dreaming about coding in my sleep! Ramy got the new baby gate installed at the bottom of the stairs. We cleaned the house. I did about 5 loads of laundry. We went to Costco, Lowes, the mall, the pizza place, and the grocery store. Woo, what an exciting life we lead.

We finished up getting together the huge box of Christmas gifts for Abner and family in the Philippines. I can't wait to hear their reaction to what we're sending - this will be a huge deal for them. We've loaded it with clothes for the whole family, food (including Spam and corned beef - apparently hot commodities and delicacies in the Philippines!), toys and games and books for the kids, some jewelry for his wife, and some kind of tool dealie for Abner, and some more stuff.

Rebecca seems to be less snotty-nosed. I still think she has some fluid behind her eardrums, because when she lies flat, she bats at her ears. We go to the pediatrician tomorrow for her 9 month checkup. The only shot she is supposed to get is her second half of her flu shot. She may get a blood test for lead and anemia, but I'm not certain about that. After that, we are meeting Rebecca's nanny for lunch and to show her around before she starts next week. Then on Tuesday, my mom and aunt arrive for their Thanksgiving visit. Ramy and Rebecca will be picking them up, because I'll be at Chaffey listening to my crazy college kids. Tuesday night, the ladies (minus Rebecca) are going to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra play. Wednesday, we're taking Rebecca to get some pictures done at the Picture People. Thursday is Turkey Day, so we'll go to Mass that morning and then gorge ourselves. Friday, Rebecca is going to stay with Ramy while we go shopping. The rest of their visit is pretty unscheduled, but I'm sure we'll stay busy and have fun.

Toothy Grin!

Here's a new pic of Rebecca. You can see those two pearly little bottom teeth. We all think that she looks much more Filipino (or at least Asian) with her hair pulled back, for some reason. She also looks more like a little girl and less like a baby. (It's a necessity, because her hair is so long that her bangs get in her eyes, and I can't stand that).

Thursday

So as to be fair, here's a pic of Ramy and Rebecca also at the park on Monday (since I did one of me and her in my last post). Rebecca is finished with Mrs. Arlene. She did pretty well yesterday but was really cranky there on Tuesday. She is still pulling at her ears a lot, especially if she lies flat. So I just really think that there's continuing to be fluid in her ears that bugs her. We go for her 9 month appointment and second flu shot on Monday, so I'll talk to Dr. Jeng about it then.

I suddenly realized how much has to be done in the next few days! I'm trying to get all my Rorschach grading done for my class as quickly as I can, because they have another big assignment they'll be turning in on Tuesday. Arghhh! Since I'm having company for Thanksgiving, I also probably need to get the house ready for them, and then Rebecca the nanny starts the week after. Not to mention that I've not bought a single thing yet for Christmas. What do I do with all my time?

Here's a picture of me and Rebecca that Ramy took yesterday at the park.

We are still dealing with Rebecca being sick, and I'm tired of it! Poor thing. We started with a cold, then the double ear infections that wouldn't go away, and then that turned into the upper respiratory infection. I have invested in my own otoscope so at least I can look at her ears and see if they are red or not. I also bought an electronic snot sucker, since the old fashioned kind, well, sucks. She also thinks it is a torture device, so at least this one, while still tortuous, is faster and more thorough. Where does she pick these things up? There are only 3 other kids at Arlene's (only 2 others when she is there). I blame Ramy. ;-) I think his germy clients pass things on that hop onto him and then infect sweet babies. Maybe I will start spraying him with Lysol before he comes in the door.Another reason for him to become a DIC - less clien contact.

Back to the grind!

Sadly, our four-day weekend is over (or it will be after The Bachelor is over), but we really had a good time - from the pumpkin pancakes on Friday morning to cleaning out the garage tonight! Yesterday, we went to mass at 9, and then we drove to Loma Linda to my department picnic. Today, we ran errands and started putting together the balikbayan box of things we are sending to a family in the Philippines. Abner is a really resourceful fisherman who makes all his own fishing equipment to support his family. Ramy hired him to be his tour guide when he last visited, and Ramy thinks a lot of him. We're sending a box with clothes, toys, magazines, Spam (a delicacy there!), school supplies, and candy to them for Christmas.

This is Rebecca's last week of daycare. I'm so happy! Next Tuesday, my mom and aunt arrive for Thanksgiving. We have a busy week with them planned and are looking forward to their visit. I haven't even made my menu or grocery list yet for Thanksgiving. I'm also up to my ears in Rorschachs I need to finish grading. Maybe it will be a quiet day at Chaffey tomorrow and I can get some stuff done, but I doubt it. I think my schedule is packed with a work-in already. Oh well, the day definitely flies by there. The other thing I have to get done are the pictuures for our Christmas cards. I have an idea and hopefully I can bring it to fruition!

Yay for 4 day weekends!

Ramy had his 9/80 day yesterday, and Monday is Veterans' Day, so we're enjoying a long 4-day weekend together. Nothing very exciting happening for us, but it is nice to just relax and hang out together. The biggest news is that we hired a nanny! Hooray! She'll be starting the week after Thanksgiving. Her name is Rebecca (which may get confusing to our Rebecca, so we'll have to think of something), and she is 26 years old and lives in Riverside and does a lot of community theater. We liked her a lot and were willing to pay more than we had planned to get her for our Rebecca. The other big news is that the LA County Public Defenders Office rumor mill has it that Ramy is being pegged for a DIC (Deputy-in-Charge; i.e., supervisory) position. We expect that soon after the new year, he'll be getting moved, probably to Whittier. Of course it is all speculation at this point.

Wednesday

While Ramy and Rebecca were hanging out, napping on the couch last night (see pics below), I got a lot of work done, which was awesome. This morning, Rebecca and I have been reading books and playing with her doll, and we're waiting until she's had her medicine long enough so that she can eat breakfast. Last night, for dinner, I came up with a concoction that was actually completely delicious. Sweet potatoes, mixed with banana, nutmeg, and a little bit of vanilla. It tasted like a dessert! She loved it and was grunting for more. Later, she shared some yogurt with Ramy. For breakfast this morning, she is having apple cinnamon oatmeal. It is a lot of fun to give her new combinations of food and to see her reactions.

I think we've almost gotten our nanny confirmed! Expensive, but worth it. I just pray that this will be the key to keeping Miss Rebecca in a good mood. I'm still worried about her ears, because when she lays down on her back, she starts pawing at her left ear.

We're looking forward to a long weekend coming up. Ramy's trial didn't go, so he gets his 9/80 day on Friday, and then Monday is a holiday for him. So we get to all have 4 days off together. Woo hoo! No plans for anything very exciting, but I know we'll have a good time together.

Sleepyheads

I came down the stairs a few minutes ago and saw my two loves both sound asleep on the couch, watching tv. I couldn't resist snapping these pics.

Monday

Busy day for us...
Ramy is waiting to learn if he is going to start trial or not - hopefully the DA is going to drop this case and he won't have to. Tomorrow, I have to give a talk at Chaffey and also have a full schedule of clients. We had a church town hall meeting tonight - our parish is about to start building a childrens center that wll have a preschool and kindergarten.

I took Rebecca to the pediatrician today to check her ears after the last ear infection. She still has some fluid behind one eardrum, but no longer infected. Since she has had three ear infections in 7 months, they are concerned. It is often at 4 within a year they start talking about putting in tubes, because of the speech delays, increased risks of encephalitis, hearing loss, and more lifelong sinus problems. So we'll see. Oh yeah, she weighed 16 lbs, 3 oz.

We made an offer to one of the nanny candidates tonight, but we'll see if she takes it. We really liked her a lot and feel she is a good match for us. Hopefully she liked us just as much! Hard to believe we're just a couple of weeks from Thanksgiving!

Heavenly bread pudding

Some of you know that I love bread pudding, and it's true. But this is the very easy, sinfully delicious recipe I used for the bread pudding I made last night. I adapted it from a recipe by The Pioneer Woman


The Best Bread Pudding

2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
3 1/2 to 5 cups sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup pecans, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat together eggs, butter, vanilla, and milk. Add sugar and mix until sugar is dissoved. Arrange bread cubes tightly in a shallow casserole dish, keeping the crust facing up around the edges in scattered within the dish. Pour liquid over the bread. Sprinkle pecans all over and bake for 55 to 70 minutes, or until crust is golden brown all over the top.

While the bread pudding is baking, make the Cream Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup cream
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture reaches a low boil. Stir in vanilla. Pour a small amount over the individual servings of bread pudding. Serve hot.

Saturday

We had a very successful dinner party last night. We had hot spinach, parmesan, and artichoke dip in mini bread bowls as appetizers, shrimp and penne pasta in a garlic tomato cream sauce, ceasar salad, and garlic bread for the main course, and bread pudding for dessert. It was delicious, if I do say so myself, and of course Rebecca was a big hit. We enjoyed having Ana, Simon, and Rourke over, as always. Even better, I got the kitchen cleaned back up after the left, so I don't have to face a messy day-after-party kitchen this morning.

We also interviewed a potential nanny yesterday afternoon. Her name is Rebecca also! We really liked her, so we feel good about that possibility. Ramy and I decided that after being used to paying for a nanny, we needn't have to worry about whether or not we can afford private school for Rebecca. It will be cheap in comparison! Oh well, whatever it takes, and it won't be forever.

Ramy's actually already up and gone this morning. He had to meet a client at 8 in La Mirada, so Rebecca and I are on our own for a few hours. Then I'm sure he'll have some kind of project to work on. ;-)

We're havin' a party...

Busy day today! We are having a dinner party tonight at 7:00, so I've got to get ready for that. Plus, we're interviewing a potential nanny at 4:00. Of course, Rebecca had no interest in sleeping late this morning, so she is up and playing. We'll be headed out to the grocery store in a little while. We're having brie en croute for appetizer, shrimp and penne in tomato cream sauce with capers, chicken caesar salad, garlic bread, and bread pudding with whiskey cream sauce for dessert. There's enough butter and heavy cream in this meal to harden anyone's arteries!

Here's a pic of Rebecca from yesterday morning. Check out her crazy morning hair. We call her Filipina Specter (because her hair is as crazy as Phil Specter's).

It's November!

Wow, it is already November. For us Catholics, today is All Saints Day, which is a Holy Day of Obligation (you gotta go to mass or you're a big fat sinner). Since I have to work tonight, we went to the vigil mass last night, which was totally not crowded since most people were doing the trick-or-treat thing. It was a really nice mass. For all the Protestants (most everyone I know and love), All Saints Day is the day to remember all the saints (not just the canonized Saints) "who have died and gone before us into the presence of the Lord". Apparently, I particularly like the somber church holidays because I like the services for All Saints and Ash Wednesday the best. But anyway, enough theology. Rebecca wanted to preach a little last night too, so Ramy and I alternated taking her out and coming back in. She blew a big raspberry in the middle of silent reflection and then again when we went up for communion and the sacristan gave her a blessing. Ramy told her she was "gabaten", which is Visayan for "God's going to get you."

We interviewed a couple of otential nannies this week. We loved one but then found out she is moving to Texas in February. The other one was just not what we wanted. So the search is still on. Hopefully the perfect person will be revealed. We're interviewing more the next few days.

Just another manic Monday

I was on my way back from Loma Linda on Saturday afternoon when Ramy called and said Rebecca woke up from her nap screaming. Obviously not feeling good. So I took her to Urgent Care ans waited there while Ramy took the dogs to get their shots and then came back. Turns out she has a double ear infection, and that's why she's been so cranky the last couple of days. So 10 days of amoxicillin for her.

We went ahead to the Halloween party and she loved it. Rebecca was grooving to the Disco music and enjoyed smiling at everyone and being admired. She was truly a social butterfly.

Yesterday we cleaned up in the house some, played with Rebecca, and went shopping, as well as going to the 5 pm Mass. We have had several nanny candidates interested in the job, and we're interviewing the first one Tuesday evening. We're hoping this will work out perfectly. Today, Rebecca and I have read 4 books, eated pears and blueberries, and now she just settled down to nap while I compute and take a shower. I have to score about 10 Rorschach assignments for my lab, and I've been putting that off. I think a trip to Target to buy Halloween candy and some nice colored pens will make things better.

What a week!

It has been a crazy, crazy week. Rebecca and I returned from Tennessee on Monday evening. Rebecca did, surprisingly, fine in daycare on Tuesday. Of course, this was when the fires were raging all around us. Wednesday, she did fine in daycare, although I had to deal with a completely crazy client and catch my lab up on the Rorschach Structural Summary, which we were supposed to do in class on Tuesday night but was cancelled because of fire. Thursday was when it all fell apart! Still dealing with the crazy client, and my students being worried about their grades and the confusing nature of the Rorschach, but then I find out that Arlene called Ramy and told him that Rebecca was crying hysterically. So he came home early to get her. Then I had to go deal with an even crazier client most of the evening.

It has become clear to us that Rebecca is not thriving in daycare. For whatever reason, she needs one-on-one care. So we are going to have to get her a nanny. We broke the news to Arlene, who immediately agreed with us, which confirms my fears that she was going to break up with us at any moment. But she did agree to hang in there with us until we find someone else. So now the search begins for a nanny. We are praying that God will send the perfect person for Rebecca and us.

Today, I have to run out to Loma Linda to leave something so I don't have to go early Monday morning. Then I'm getting a flu shot. Ramy is installing Rebecca's big girl carseat in my car, which means we are officially done with the infant carseat. Tonight, we are going to a Halloween party in Santa Monica. Rebecca will be the one one of us dressing up. She is a butterfly. Ramy and I are going as boring adults. On a side note, we rented the movie Knocked Up last night and thought it was hilarious. Not as funny as 40 Year Old Virgin though.

The Girl Posse

Here's a pic of my Girl Posse on Saturday night, when we gathered to celebrate Jackie and Sandy's birthdays. I love my girlfriends!

Not burning!

Rebecca and I spent a long weekend in Tennessee last Thursday through this Monday. We greatly enjoyed our time with my mom, Aunt Margaret, the Girl Posse, Molly, and Baby Jack. Jack and Rebecca got to meet, and Will gave Rebecca one of her now-favorite toys, so Rebecca enjoyed spending time with her boyfriends! We shopped, ate, went to a craft show, and generally enjoyed fall in Tennessee. We returned home to find much of Southern California ablaze! Thankfully, our home is not in any real danger, but the air quality, ash falling from the sky, the acrid smell, and the general bizarreness of the fact that there are 17 major fires in a 100 mile radius from us has been chaotic.

Rebecca has had a good couple of days at daycare. Cutting those bottom two teeth seems to have been a very good thing, but they still bug her a lot. We are working with her to be more satisfied even if we are not right there with her, but that's a slow process. She is eating more solids at each meal now (a whole avocado and a whole banana for dinner last night) and LOVES her yogurt. Her current favorite things are pumpkin, blueberries, yogurt, and still, pears and butternut squash. She crawls lightning fast, pulls herself up on everything, lets go briefly, and says "dadadadada" constantly and particularly in response for my requests for her to say "mama" (she does, however, say "uh-ma" when she is particularly desperate for me).

Long time no blog

I realized that I haven't updated the blog in a couple of weeks. Things have been busy.

My mom was here to visit the last weekend of September. We went to our church's Harvest Festival, did some shopping, ate at Ruth's Chris, and enjoyed hanging out. Rebecca sure loves her Grammy!

Then last week, Rebecca came down with a cold and was really congested. We thought she was better and then got sick at daycare on Tuesday, so Ramy was off with her on WEdnesday and I stayed off with her on Thursday. They started her on a prescription cough medicine and decongestant. She's also finally cutting a tooth, so she's been a little cranky. I just pray she'll do okay at daycare on Tuesday. I live in fear of Arlene telling us she won't keep Rebecca anymore, and then we'll have to hire a nanny for her. Actually, of all the things that could happen to Rebecca, that's far from the worst, so I won't say that's what I live in fear of.

Rebecca and I are headed to Tennessee this week. We'll just be there for a long weekend (Thursday night through Monday night) to see my mom and friends.

Sunday

Here's a couple of pictures of us this morning before we went to mass.

Wonderful fall weekend

Rebecca's new favorite toy is Paddington. She loves to look at him, touch him, pet him, watch him, shriek at him, and chase him. He is incredibly tolerant of and patient with her, thank goodness.

We got rain! The first rain in a year basically! It made for a nice Saturday morning to sleep in, and then I was fortunate enough to be able to go enjoy a pedicure by myself while Ramy took care of Rebecca.

This evening, I was welcoming fall and decided to make myself some pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie always reminds me of my dad, because he and I always loved Thanksgiving for the pumpkin pie, and it was a matter of great pride in getting the proportion of spices just right. It's nice to have those memories of my dad that don't make me sad. I'm sure he gets all the most perfectly-made pumpkin pies there are now, and he can even enjoy eating the batter and not having to worry about raw eggs.

This is my recipe for Pumpkin Streusel Pie (my dad actually didn't like the streusel, because it has pecans. He was a pumpkin purist! I made his pumpkin pie the same way, just without the streusel topping).

Pumpkin Streusel Pie

For pie:
2 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch, deep dish pie crust

For streusel topping:
2 Tbsp. butter, room temp
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pie crust in pan.

Whisk eggs until well beaten. Add pumpkin and whisk to combine. Add in sugar and spices and whisk until fully incorporated. Gradually add in evaporated milk, whisking until fully incorporated. Pour into unbaked piecrust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until pie is just set in middle.

Combined streusel topping ingredients with a fork. Sprinkle mixture over top of pie and return to oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until knife inserted in center comes out clean (except for streusel topping). Cool on wire rack. Serve immediately, topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Refrigerate.

A Busy Week

First of all, we're so happy that Baby Jack arrived safely on Monday afternoon and that he and Molly are doing wonderfully well.

Rebecca had a good week this week. She tried zucchini, yellow squash, and nectarines this week. She loves squash in any incarnation apparently. Blueberries and apricots are next up.

I've finally gotten my fall schedule completely nailed down. Things are going well with all my different clinical sites. As it turns out, I'm not going to be applying for internship this fall. Disappointing but for the best. I'm probably switching advisors and dissertation projects. I just don't want to be working with cancer patients. I'm tired of hospitals. I'll take the opportunity to get some neuropsych training next year and make myself more marketable for internship and beyond.

We're enjoying the cool fallish weather!!

Another recipe

I made some delicious pumpkin bread this afternoon. Here's the recipe.

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour

Pumpkin Bread:
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts), toasted
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup water or milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour two 9x5x3 loaf pans. Set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling: In a food processor, process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and process until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing until well incorporated. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

Pumpkin Bread: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the sugar nad melted butter and whisk until blended. Whisk or stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and nuts.

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix, as it will make dough tough.

Divide the batter in half and divide it evenly between the two prepared pans. Divide the cream cheese filling in half and place each half of filling on top of the two pans of batter, smoothing the tops. Top with the remaining half of batter. Bake the breads for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Place pans on a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing breads from pans. Can serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freeze for later use.

Sunday

Here's a picture of Rebecca as she most likes to be - naked. What a change from her newborn days when she screamed when you took her clothes off and we made up the "I'm a Naked Baby" song.

I'm so thankful for Vicodin. It has allowed me to spend much of the weekend blissfully unaware of my tooth pain. I'll be glad when tomorrow is over and hopefully my tooth will be fixed.

Some comfort food recipes

To comfort me in my time of need, I made these today. Delicious!

Chicken Corn Stew

4 large chicken breasts (bone in)
1 quart chicken stock
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 medium sized red onion, diced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 can petite diced tomatoes with diced green chilis
1 can (approx 15 oz) whole kernel yellow corn
1 can (approx 15 oz) cream style corn
1 cup heavy cream
Hot sauce (to taste, optional)
Garnish: shredded monterey jack cheese, fresh parsley
Place chicken breasts in slow cooker, along with chicken stock, bouillion, onion, cumin, chili powder, white wine, pepper, bay leaves, and garlic. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Skim fat from top of crock. Remove chicken from crock and shred. Discard bones and skin.

Return chicken to crock and add tomatoes with chilis, yellow corn, cream style corn, heavy cream, and hot sauce (if desired). Keep crock on low heat and cook for an hour (or more) or turn to high until stew is heated through. Garnish with shredded monterey jack cheese and fresh parsley, if desired.



Baked Macaroni and Cheese
1 (8oz) pkg large elbow macaroni, cooked
16 saltine crackers, finely crushed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. seasoned pepper
1 10oz. block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 10oz block extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups milk

Layer one third each of macaroni, crackers, salt, pepper, and cheese into a buttered 13x9 inch baking dish. Repeat layers twice.

Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over pasta mixture.

Bake at 250° for 50 minutes or until golden and set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pain!

I am in misery with tooth pain. I think I have an abcessed tooth. Of course it is the weekend. Called Dr. Setiady and will see him at 8:30 am Monday. In meantime, he is calling in amoxicillan and vicodin. Plus I am to take 600 nmg of ibuprofen with one extra strength tylenol. He warns it will get worse before it gets better. Glorious.

Yay for Friday!

We love Fridays, especially the Fridays when Ramy is off (every other week). It's nice to be able to have three whole days together to just hang out. Of course Ramy can cram more stuff into his day off than I can into a whole week off. It's only 7:39 a.m. and he's already been up and gone to take his dad for bloodwork.

I have to go in for a couple of hours for some more training in Redlands. I think Ramy and Rebecca are going to get the cars washed and who knows what else while I am gone.

We are anxiously awaiting news that my friend Molly's Baby Jack is on his way. He'll be gracing Molly with his presence within the next few days, so we're excited to hear about his safe delivery. We're also hoping my friend Julie is going to get good news about a baby this week too. She and her husband have been trying to have a baby for some time, and Julie goes to the same group of doctors who helped us have Rebecca. AND my friend Raquel who lost preemie triplets last fall is now 10 weeks pregnant with another baby, so everyone is hoping that this pregnancy will go fine for her. Lots of prayers for so many babies this week!

No word on whether or not I'm going to get to apply for internship. I hope they let me know something soon, so I can know exactly how crazy busy the next few weeks/months are going to be for me!

Love to all!

Another week

It's the start of another week. It will be a busy one for us. I have to be away from Rebecca four days this week - that's the most ever. :-( But at least she'll be with Ramy on Friday while I'm at training.



I'm so happy that summer is coming to an end! It was so nice and cool here this weekend, we didn't even turn on the a/c. I can't wait for fall! I'm looking forward to yummy stews and chowders that just don't seem right to make in the summertime, as well as some homemade bread. Last night, I made lasagna and bruscetta for dinner. Ramy looks forward to wearing his sweats and watching football. Rebecca also has some sweats as well as a UCLA outfit, so she's ready to watch with him.

Rebecca tried green beans this weekend for the first time, and they were a big hit. Here's a pic of her chowing down on some banana in the mesh feeder.

Here is Rebecca wearing a cute buggy outfit that her Grammy made her. Speaking of which, Rebecca's Grammy won Best of Show in the Lincoln County Fair for the baptismal gown she made for Rebecca. We are so proud!

Great news!

Dr. Jeng called yesterday with the news that all of Rebecca's tests - the metabolic panel, the organic acids, and the amino acids - came back completely within normal limits. I asked about the possibility of the intermittent form of maple syrup urine disease, and he said that was what they had been most concerned about. But if she had even the intermittent form, something in either the organic acids or amino acids would have been out of whack. I told him about the Soothie and our suspicions and he agreed that it was likely the culprit. What a relief to know that she is completely healthy.

Also, she has learned to pull up. She will pull up on anything. Me, Ramy, the side of the co-sleeper, the wall, you name it. When I take a shower in the morning, I usually put on one of her Baby Einstein DVDs for her to watch (and be distracted by, so she won't notice I'm not right there with her) and corral her in the co-sleeper by our bed. I came out of the shower this morning, and she was standing by the bed, trying to climb onto the bed to get the remote control.

We are in the process of babyproofing the house. We have the plastic outlet covers in all the plugs now, and we are getting the covers for the power strips today. We went shopping for gates for the stairs last night but then discovered that they won't work if you have an iron railing/banister. So then we learned you have to get an adaptor kit for that. But those will be up soon, and then we'll also be getting the screen that covers the railings too.

This week, she has added mango and plums to her food repertoire. Today, she will be having green beans for the first time. Butternut squash remains her favorite, and peas are her least favorite. She learned to recognize the peas by their bright green color. If she sees a spoonful of it coming, she barely opens her mouth. If it is another food, she looks at it and opens her mouth wide. Crazy baby.

I turned in a 25 page outline of my major area paper to my advisor yesterday. The committee meets this next week to decide who they'll certify to apply for internship. So we'll see if they'll let me apply. If so, then I'll be working my butt off for the next couple of months to get ready. If they don't, then I'm switching research advisors and changing dissertation topics to something easier.

My mom bought tickets to come see us at the end of September/first of October. So we're looking forward to that. It cooled off a bit here the last couple of days, which is very nice. I'm going to be buying our tickets home for Christmas this weekend probably. It looks like Rebecca and I will be in Tennessee sometime around the 15th. Ramy will come in on the 21st. Then we'll all go back sometime around Jan. 4.

That's all our news for this sunshiney Saturday!

Love to all!

Hooray for playing in the pond!

Rebecca has fallen in love with her Baby Huggums doll. These are pictures of her playing with it. She likes to explore the doll's face with her fingers and then she kisses the baby doll on the mouth. So sweet! Rebecca loves her exersaucer so much. It is a godsend. But it has some of the strangest sayings. One of the things you press says, "Hooray for playing in the pond!" Oddly, it is catchy, so now Ramy and I say "Hooray for playing in the pond!" at random times to one another. It can take on so many meanings.

Yesterday was the start of our new fall schedule. I got up early and got ready and got Rebecca fed and we were at daycare by 8 a.m., and then I made the trek to Chaffey College, discovering that there is no good way to get there. Another joy of the L.A. area traffic. So I've got to test out alternate routes to see which is the best of the worst. I got stuck in traffic on the way home, so Ramy picked up Rebecca. Then I dashed in just long enough to feed her and then had to leave again to go to a meeting in Loma Linda. By the time I got home last night, Rebecca really wanted some mommy time. She loves daddy, but even he is no consolation prize for mommy.

Fortunately, we don't have to go anywhere today. Tomorrow and Friday, Rebecca will go to daycare for just about 3 hours each day. So that's good. I got some work done on my comp paper last night and am hoping to get more done today while Rebecca (hopefully) naps.

Still no word back on her remaining bloodwork and urine tests. Today will have been a week since they drew the blood, so I'm thinking they'll at least have that back today, even if the urine tests aren't back. I am pretty sure it was the vanilla Soothie pacifier that caused all this worry, but I'll still be relieved when we get the tests back for sure.

Hooray for playing in the pond!