It's a [BIG] boy!

This post probably isn't necessary since I'm pretty sure all of my readers (can I even pluralize that?) have already seen pics on Facebook, but it'd be weird ignoring the birth of my child, so here we go. 

Despite assurances by my doctor that I wouldn't make it to my due date on the 16th, I made it to my "scheduled-just-in-case" induction on the 18th.  We finally got to the hospital around 10:00 P.M..  Yes, P.M.  I'll spare you the details, we'll just say it was a busy day for deliveries and I kept getting pushed back.  But on the bright side, we got to fit in one last movie in the theater that we hadn't planned on.  (Green Lantern was okay, but I love you, Ryan Reynolds!)  Also, I wasn't the lady down the hall, screaming bloody murder as she had her baby in the toilet of the delivery triage room because she barely made it to the hospital in time.  

Me when we checked in.  One last belly shot.

They started me on the pitocin around midnight, broke my water around 1:00, and gave me my epidural an hour or so after that.  We tried to sleep for a little while after that (I tried, Jim succeeded), then the "real" labor started and after a few pushes, I had him at 4:47 A.M.  About the same difficulty level/"hard labor" duration as Sam, but the waiting for "hard labor" to start was MUCH shorter this time.

I can't remember if this shot was pre- or post-birth, which is why I'm including it--to illustrate how FREAKING awesome epidurals are.  I've never experienced natural childbirth, but I can hazard a guess at how painful it is based on the pre-epidural labor pains and the post-labor carnage.  But I can smile through it like that, and even enjoy it, because of the joys of modern medicine.  Really, when the epidural was in full force was the most comfortable I was for weeks before and after birth.  Yay, drugs!

So after I start pushing and the head starts to appear, the conversation in the delivery room goes something like this:

Jim: "Red hair?!?!" 

Me: "Shut up."

Then the doctor/nurses verify that he's not pulling my leg, and we start wondering where in the heck in our families of blondes and brunettes a redhead would come from.  As this discussion is going on, I keep pushing when told to.

Dr.: "This is going to be a pretty big kid!"

Me: "Really?" (Internally I'm remembering how the entire pregnancy, the doctor has been giving me size estimates, based on the ultrasounds at each appointment, in the 7-8 pound range.  At my appointment two days prior, he measured at 7 pounds.  But I don't want to call the doctor out on this and distract him from his efforts to save my lady bits from total destruction, so I abbreviate it to the oh-so-articulate, "Really?")

Jim: "Look at the shoulders!  They're huge!"

Nurses: "This is a big baby!  How big was your last one?"

Dr.: "I'd say he's going to be at least 8, 9 pounds."

Me: See above internal dialogue, which I now translate into a puzzled expression and a "Wha?"

After a couple more pushes and some skillful maneuvering by the doc, out came Mr. Max James Hill.  

The official measurements: 22 inches long, weighing in at 10 lbs. 1 oz.  

My reaction when they said the weight (flattering pic, I know--I'm pretty sure some giant stuck their hand in there--I refuse to believe that's mine). 

After a little cleanup (the hair is more strawberry blonde, not flaming red)

Jim is slightly excited to have a man-child...

And Sam has been a fabulous big sister.

It's been sort of a sleep-deprived haze since then, but we're settling into a little more of a routine.  He's a little more alert now (I think this was at 2 1/2 weeks)

And for the most part he's very patient with the loving attentions of his sister.

Max is a sweetheart and we're so excited to have him in our family!

Nesting

I was doing so well at posting for a while and then [-wham!-] nesting kicked in.  Then it puttered, now we're in the mad dash to the finish.  Cause my due date is tomorrow.  (I'm not officially scheduled until Saturday, but there will be some membrane stripping at tomorrow's appointment to get things going.)  So before el nino arrives, I figured I'd at least do the nursery post I've had swirling in my head.  The rest of the February-June posts will have to wait. 

Since we only had two bedrooms finished when we moved in, it was necessary to finish the rest of the basement.  Sam was a little apprehensive, but she's been a trooper about moving down.  It helped that she got to decorate her room how she wanted.  (Mostly.  Jim shot down the initial paint choice of pink.)  

The curtains, currently in a puddle on the ledge, still need to be hung, but I figured I'd better take some pics while I could because my daughter is the queen of clutter and this is as clean as the room will ever be.  Every picture she draws and every piece of flotsam she finds is a "special treasure" that she needs to incorporate into her decor.  Sometimes my inner clean freak has a meltdown, but overall it's fun to see what she does.

Her craft corner.  She's got an artistic streak a mile wide, an area where she luckily didn't take after me.

Although the downside of her wanting to draw and "create" all the time is that, other than her bedtime story, she never wants to read.  :-(  Her poor neglected bookcase/dollhouse. 

So with Sam moved out, it was time to start on the nursery.  The color Sam had in there worked for a boy and I LOVED it, so we didn't need to repaint.  I looked around forever trying to find baby bedding that matched, and can I just say it KILLS me how much baby bedding costs?  But unless you want to pay mucho $ for something custom, you're pretty much stuck with pastels.  Not that I have a problem with people using pastels, they're just not for me.  Luckily on a trip to IKEA I spotted this crib duvet:

$10 and a perfect color match? (Sam's quilt that I picked the paint color from is in the same bedding line.)Winner!!! 

I was stumped on the big wall, though.  The room has super-high ceilings, so I needed something to take up a lot of space.  I stole my idea from one I saw on the interweb. 

They're Paul Frank alphabet flash cards, which I put up using poster tack. 

Some of my faves...

I love the crab because in the midst of a bunch of Arlos, Shakas, Pufaks, and Clancys, he's just "Steve".

My other fave about the room--the light fixture.  I had a awesomely girly chandelier in there for Sam, which had to move with her because a) she loved it and b) it wouldn't work in a boy room.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to find something that would be fun without being babyish.  Then I remembered one I'd seen when I was looking for dining room lights that had been awesome, but didn't really fit with the dining room style and shot down by Jim as "too funky".  So this time I ordered it without telling Jim.  :-)

As usual, my pic doesn't really do it justice.  But neither does the stock photo. 

Picture the color on the stock photo with the size somewhere in between the two.

We still need some finishing touches, but my nesting has been squashed by swelling and an unwieldy belly. So details can wait.  Suggestions are welcome, though!

For now the only other thing we need to put in there is a baby!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Because my life seems to revolve around food (eating it, preparing it, smelling it, daydreaming about it), I feel the need to do another recipe post. I don't claim any great cooking skills, but since I enjoy eating so much I also enjoy making yummy food, and I'm always on the lookout for good recipes. So I'll go on the assumption that the one or two people reading this blog also like to find good recipes.

 

This is one I found after I became addicted to the chicken tortilla soup at Cafe Rio. I know a lot of people haven't tried it because they get stuck on the sweet pork, and I don't blame them, but it's definitely worth a try. I wanted to be able to make it at home, so I search the interweb for a good knockoff recipe. You can find the original here. I've made a couple minor adjustments. It doesn't take long to cook but does take a bit of prep work, but if you use a food processor or chopper it speeds it up. Sometimes I actually like this one better than Cafe Rio's. Enjoy!

 

(Sorry, no photos. I was making it last night with 4 little girls playing "kitchen" in the kitchen with me and while trying to rush out the door to Hobby Lobby before it closed. Instead you get a stock photo of the onion goggles I wear while prepping the soup.  I got them a couple years ago at Sur la Table and they are a necessity in my kitchen.  The only ones that mock them are the ones who don't experience the burning pain that comes with chopping onions.  Jerks.  Or Sam's friends when they're over while I'm cooking.  If you're lucky, I'll post a pic of me wearing my goggles some day.  Smokin'.)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 1 recipe Taco Chicken (see below)
• 1/2 - 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 4 cans chicken broth
• 1 (15-oz.) can chopped or diced tomatoes
•  1-2 jalapeno or serrano peppers (serrano are a little hotter)
•  1/4 c. fresh lime juice (~2 limes. You can use bottled but it is better with fresh.)
•  1 tsp. Kosher salt
•  1/4 tsp. black pepper

TOPPINGS:

•  Store-bought tortilla strips (you can actually buy a bunch from Cafe Rio), or 2-3 corn tortillas, plus oil for frying
• Avocado or guacamole
• Grated cheese
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

Early in the day, begin marinating the chicken. Right before you start preparing the soup, start grilling it.

  

In a large stockpot, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and minced jalapeno/serrano and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.

  

While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings: grate the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado (or make guacamole), and fry the tortillas. Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup. Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.

  

TACO CHICKEN

• 1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs (I don’t know if I use that much—2 lrg. breasts, pounded to about ¾ in. thick)
• A couple of juicy limes
• A couple splashes of red wine vinegar
• 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Juice the limes and combine with a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. Add garlic and spices. Pour over chicken. Marinate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.

 

Grill about 7 minutes per side. (If flattened, grill about 3 minutes per side.) Remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes so it doesn't lose its juiciness. Shred before adding to soup.

 

GUACAMOLE

•  2 avocadoes, peeled, pitted, and mashed
• lime juice (to taste, but ~ ½ a lime)
• Kosher salt (to taste, but ~ about 1 tsp.)
• Fresh onion, chopped (to taste, but a few tablespoons)
• ½ to 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced