Mike and Music

Four years ago, MikeandMusic.com made its official debut, and I can’t help but think about what a crazy four years it’s been, and how far our blog has come.

In February 2006, life was pretty boring.  Mike was doing some work on the house we were renting, we took a trip to L.A., we watched “Grizzly Man,” and got haircuts.

February 2007 was light on posting:  only a rant about Richard Walker’s Pancake House (summary: don’t go there!) and a rave about our Roomba.

Big, exciting things started happening later in 2007– we bought a house and got engaged– so by the time we got to February 2008, I was writing about creating our wedding registry in addition to posts about trips to Vegas and the outlets.

I must have had a lot of free time last year, because February 2009 featured eight posts.  That’s a lot, especially for a short month!  There were musings on the internet and texting, highlights of  a visit from relatives, and a delicious recipe.  We also got rid of our old stove and got a new tv,  and I got a new job.

And now here we are, February 2010.  From boyfriend and girlfriend to husband and wife.  From renters to homeowners.  From DINKs to a working mom and part-time SAHD.  MikeandMusic.com has born witness to it all.  I hope you enjoy reading our blog as much as I enjoy writing it!

Things here at Baby Central are going pretty well.  When the weather was great last week, we took advantage and did fun outdoors things, like hitting the outlets for some shopping one day and walking to various San Diego hot spots other days.  Michaela is still very portable, so we’re able to take her out quite a bit, as you can see below.

Taking a break from shopping, Mike got a little hungry.  “Tastes like chicken,” he says.

We bought a jogging stroller this week, and Mike walked to Balboa Park with the baby for their Outdoor Education class.

Later in the week, the three of us walked downtown to the New Children’s Museum.

Finally, now that Michaela is bigger, we are able to put her in the baby carrier we got.  Hands-free baby fun!

Until next week!

Technically, this is two photos of the day, because you can’t quite see all the detail in the first photo.

The thing at Michaela’s feet?  It’s a red velvet cupcake I decorated with a “2″ in honor of her two-month birthday.

It’s so hard to believe Michaela has been with us for two months!  Even harder to believe she came a month early.  We’re so happy to have her, though!  Here are some cute shots from the last week or so.

Michaela reaching for the mirror on her play mat for the very first time.

Skype-ing with Nana and Papa.

What a cute tummy!

And what cute shoes!

All bundled up for a trip to Seaport Village.

HAPPY TWO MONTH BIRTHDAY, MICHAELA!

I’ll start by saying that it appears that I’ve turned into one of those people who can only talk about her child, as if my baby is the most fascinating subject on the planet.  In my case, it’s true.  Now onto the news.

Michaela had her two-month pediatrician’s appointment today.  She is quite the child!  She weighed in at 13 pounds, 4 ounce– up from 7 pounds, 8 ounces when she was born– and 23 inches long– up from 20 inches at birth.  Clearly we’re not dealing with the low birth weight problems that often accompany babies born prematurely.

She had her first round of shots, which was probably harder on me than on her.  She’ll forget the trauma, but I’ll be scarred for the rest of my life.  Hearing her wail, seeing her little face turn red… oy.  But she was a trooper, and Mike and I were reminded of how good we have it.  Hopefully this won’t jinx it, but honestly, the only time we’ve ever heard her cry like that is when she’s been poked at the doctor’s office.  I know that’s not the case for all parents, and we’re very thankful.

Michaela should be smiling any day now.  Very exciting!  She’s scissoring her legs when she’s on her tummy, working on sort of rocking herself over onto her back.  She’s not there yet, but I think it’s coming soon.  And yesterday, she reached out for the mirror attached to her play mat, grabbed it, and looked at her reflection.  Needless to say, it was the highlight of my day.

Unfortunately, I didn’t snap a picture of the delicious tacos Mike made for dinner tonight.  I was too busy cramming them into my mouth!  These Tasty Lentil Tacos were yummy and are definitely something we’ll be making again.  Here’s our version.

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• Plus whatever tortillas you like (corn or flour, or tortilla chips if you decide to do nachos) and whatever you put on your tacos (salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc.)

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
2. Put your taco filling on your tortilla, dress, and eat!
   

Michaela wasn’t too fond of bath time at first, but she’s since grown to tolerate it (I’m not sure we’re at “enjoy” yet).  Here are some shots of tonight’s bath.

Mike and I signed our family up for an outdoor education class for infants (0-12 months) through the local community college district.*  The class is a great chance for us to learn about developmental milestones for the baby, make friends with people who have kids around Michaela’s age, and explore our beautiful city.  The class meets once a week for two hours.  And the class is free!

We went to the first session yesterday and were pleasantly surprised to find a good turnout– about 20 kids.  At seven weeks, Michaela is the youngest kid (the next youngest is 11 weeks); the oldest kid in class is 11 months.  We all sang a song to get to know each other (”Michaela’s here today/Michaela’s here today/We’re very glad to see you here/ Michaela’s here today”) and then broke up into groups to do an exercise and get to know each other.  The other folks in class all seem very nice and I’m looking forward to getting to know them better.  Not surprisingly, Mike is the only dad in the class.

As you can see in this picture, Michaela wasn’t the most active participant.  But we had fun anyway!

* Don’t worry.  In spite of the fact that our child is less than two months old and we have her enrolled in this class, we’re not going to be the type of parents who over-schedule each and every minute of Michaela’s life.