Mommy Mondays: Infant Hearing Tests

I was chatting with a friend the other week and she mentioned she was about to have her son's hearing tested.  She asked about the process, knowing we had done that with Thatbaby.  And it made me realize that this is a topic that might be good to share information about, since it's not that common a process.  I know before Thatbaby got tested, I turned to L&O for as much information as she could provide.

At 12 months, the only recognizable word Thatbaby had was "uh oh."  But he did have a couple other words, that were...off.  Like zuzzz for shoes and appajay for pumpkin.  It made me question where there was something wrong with his hearing that was causing him to mishear and mispronounce words, and making it more difficult for him to acquire language. 

I brought it up at his 15 month appointment, and his pediatrician wasn't terribly concerned since he had passed his newborn hearing test, but knows that I'm not usually the parent who worries unnecessarily, so he referred me to a pediatric audiologist for a hearing test.  While we were in the office, he did a visual inspection of Thatbaby's ear with the otoscope, to make sure there was nothing obviously wrong with his ear structure.  There wasn't.

Now, here arises the real question.  The hearing test itself.  How do you test the hearing of a nonverbal child? Well in our cases, this is what happened, which is also similar to L&O's experience and the experience of a friend whose son had a hearing test the same day at Thatbaby.  So I'm hoping this is universal enough to help anyone else about to experience the test.

The first part of the test was objective.  While Thatbaby sat on my lap, the audiologist placed an instrument in each ear and measured the waves that bounced back from the cochlea/cillia in front of the cochlea. 

The doctor then repeated this form of testing, this time measuring the waves bouncing back from the ear drum.






These tests all came back with normal results.  According to the tests, all his ear functions were working normally.  So then came the subjective part of the test.  He should be able to hear, but could he?

Thatbaby and I sat in a box of a room with me sitting between two speakers and him on my lap. Beneath each speaker was a stuffed animal. In front of us was a stuffed animal (one of those yappy electronic dogs).

The audiologist would randomly alternate between speakers above each side animal and see if Thatbaby turned toward the noise/animal. Between each side he would set off the yappy dog in front of us. (Thatbaby caught on to this pretty quickly. He would turn toward the appropriate animal, then immediately look at the dog to wait for it to turn on. As soon as the test was over he went running up to the dog)

Which answered my question about his hearing.  Everything was functioning normally, and he was hearing fine.  Which meant he was just quirky with his pronunciations (still is) and  just on the slower side when it came to speech.  The entire experience was fairly quick, and very painless.  Thatbaby even danced down the hallway after it was over. 

Sunday Runday: Running Spring

Tomorrow is the first day of spring.  Although, to be fair, it's been feeling awfully springy around these parts lately already.

It started on my run a couple weeks ago, when I noticed giant patches of vibrant purple flowers.  It was just after some heavy rains and it was a nice reminder of the beauty that comes after the storm.

And then L&O posted some pictures of the flowers around her campus, taken during one of her walks.  And I was inspired.  I started keeping my eye out along the paths and trails I run for blooms of my own.

Over the course of the past week I saw flowers of so many shapes and sizes.  Small clusters, giant petals, flowers that reached up to the sky, and others who covered the ground in their brilliant hue.

One of the things I have openly admired about SDMom is her ability to always be grateful for her surroundings.  She takes nothing for granted.  Giving myself a floral scavenger hunt of sorts while I ran accomplished a similar feat.  Sometimes I complain about running the same routes.  It gets boring.  It's a bit suburban without beautiful views of mountains, rivers, or oceans.  But seeing so many flowers made me appreciate the beauty of the neighborhood and how unboring my scenery really is.

Have you found something unique about your favorite running route?
Do you ever stop to smell flowers?

Crave Wednesday: Mini Falafel Pocket Sandwich

 It's baseball season!  Well, it's actually been baseball season since January.  That's when practices started.  Which seems ridiculously early.  And part of the reason most of the practices have been called for inclement weather.

Thatkid is once again on the Dodgers.  But this year, the Dodgers are comprised mostly of his friends.  There are 3 other kids from his team last year, 1 of his old friends who wasn't on the team, and 1 of his new friends. 

 Also new this year is the graduation from the tee to the pitching machine.  Batting has never been Thatkid's strong suit, but now he really has to focus on hitting the ball.  And when he focuses, he does a great job!  The past 2 games he's gotten hits!

And while he may not be the next Hank Aaron, he definitely stands out on the field.  He's got his own signature move.  His slide.

Thatkid has practice during the week, and games every weekend.  Because our weekdays aren't full enough!  And now that daylight savings has started, we've been taking advantage of the light and spending longer at practice.  So baseball nights means I have to have dinner ready to go as soon as we get home.  Which means my love of sandwiches has become a need for sandwiches.  They're an easy dinner which is also filling since all that batting, running, and fielding leaves Thatkid pretty hungry.

This falafel sandwich is especially convenient because the falafel can be made ahead of time.  And while I prefer it warmed up, it definitely can be eaten cold. I can't speak to every child, but my boys love garlic yogurt sauce, the tahini added to this one didn't change that fact.

Mini Falafel Pocket Sandwich (From Cooking Light)

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 Tbsp tahini

2 Tbsp cold water

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/3 cup boiling water

2/3 cup bulgar

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup parsley

1/4 cup cilantro

3/4 tsp cumin

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 egg white

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 whole wheat pitas, halved crosswise

1 cup chopped tomato

1/2 cup thinly sliced English cucumber

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

1.  Combine yogurt, tahini, cold water and lemon in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill.
2. Combine boiling water and bulgar in a small bowl.  Cover and let stand 25-30 minutes. Drain.
3.  Process garlic in food processor until minced.
4. Add bulgar, parsley, cilantro, cumin, chickpeas and egg white to food processor and process until smooth.  Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a patty.  Place patties on a baking sheet.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
5. Heat half of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add 4 patties.  Cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Repeat with remaining oil and patties.
6. Spread 1 Tbsp tahini-yogurt sauce inside each pita.  
7. Fill each pita half with 2 patties.
8. Divide tomato, cucumber, and red onion evely among pita halves.
9. Drizzle each with 1 Tbsp sauce.

Mommy Mondays: 21 Months

Weight: 27lbs 6oz (+ 19 lbs, 2 oz) (from 18 months)

Height: 35"(+ 13") (from 18 month)
Head: 19" (from 18 months)

Sleep: I feel bad and whiney - things here are pretty much the same.  I remember when he used to sleep through the nights sometimes.  Now a good night he only wakes once.  He is doing a great job of naps at preschool, which has always been true.  I just wish he didn't always wake up crying.

Eating: This month he's all about the oranges.  And raisins.  And oatmeal.  And waffles.  And yogurt.  This kid loves to eat.  He nurses before bed and usually once during the night. 

Best Moment: Thatbaby has learned trickery.  When we were at the aquarium earlier this month we were watching the sharks when he grabbed him arm and yelled "OWSH!"  He grinned and pointed at one of the sharks.  "Did that shark bite you?"  "Yeah.  OWSH!"  and then he looked at me and said "Tick you!"

Monthly Wisdom: We're dealing with a lot of hitting, pushing, biting, right now.  Which is really difficult to deal with, but I remind myself this is just a stage.  It's his way of expressing frustration.  Right now, he is finally able to express what he wants, and hasn't quite figured out that just because he wants something doesn't mean he gets it.  As he gets older, he'll get better at communicating. And he'll develop a better understanding of wants, needs, and compromises.  Until then, its all about redirecting and removing him from the situation.

Goals for the Upcoming Month:
- More sleep

Things Thatbaby is doing:
- "Mine" and "My turn" are now regular parts of his vocabulary.

- He loves to "dress up" and dance to music.

- He counts.  "Twooooo,  Niiiiine,  Twooooo, Niiiiine."

- He is very very very into animals and knows so many of them by name.  He can also do most of their noises.

- He also loves trucks.  He has a truck book he reads over and over again.

- He started preschool!  The first day he cried and his teacher cried.  But after that they said they've never seen such a fast transition.  They also said they've never seen a kid quite like him.  He is quiet and sneaky.  So very sneaky.  They'll turn around and he'll be missing, off somewhere getting into trouble.

- He can do somersaults

- He has figured out puzzles.  I swear it happened within a week.

- He can buckle himself into his carseat.  At least the top buckle.

 

Sunday Runday: Take A Hike

Thursday afternoon SD Mom texted me to see if I wanted to go for a "hike" on Saturday morning.  Knowing that "hike" was code for "run" I told her I was in, as long as we could guarantee being done by 8am, so I could get home in time for Thatkid's baseball game.

SD Mom made no promises, but I did some math and figured we'd be starting early enough.  So we met in the dark and started up the trail.     The first part is fairly flat, so we ran.  And pretty much we ran until it got light, at which point we started on the rocky, uphill part of the trail.

Walking this portion of the trail was nice because it really gave us a chance to take in our surroundings.   With all the rain, the whole area was greener than it has ever been.

After a very long and strenuous climb, we made it to the summit.  Where there was a lot more green to be seen in the surrounding basin.

Our way back down was a little treacherous.  The loose rocks and steep incline meant I was not the only one who ended up on my bottom.

 

We crossed rivers that never existed, some by bridge, and some by rock.

 

And in the end, covered about 6 miles in 2 1/2 hours.  So it was a good thing we started early!

Mommy Mondays: Ode to the Working Mom

Last Tuesday was a looooooong day at work.  With my new job I don't have them as often as I used to have at my previous position, but I'm in a profession where most days the work doesn't end when I leave the office anyway. 

At 3:30, I texted Thatboy to see if he could pick up the boys from school, because there was no way I was going to be home before dinner. In fact, I arrived home after the boys' bedtimes.  But they weren't asleep.  Thatboy let them stay up long enough to kiss me goodnight as I swept in the door.  The entire day, I probably saw my children for about an hour.

And this is the cry I hear most from the working mom.  They complain that they barely see their children during the week.  They let their children stay up later at nights, because it's the only time they see them.  It's rough.  I get it.

But the thing is, and what I jokingly tell my friends and coworkers, is that you have 18 years with these kids.  The hours you miss now are a drop in the bucket of the many hours you will spend with them.  That sounds dismissive.  And I don't mean it to be so - because I understand.  I know that these are the hours when milestones occur.  This is the time when your children actually WANT to be with you. 

But my remark is more a way of asking them to give themselves a break.  For centuries men have spent long days and nights at work, without worrying about the impact it had on the family.  It was a given.  And in many ways, it still is.  Despite the fact that most families are dual income, men are still usually considered "breadwinners' while women are "homemakers."  Which means the pressure is on mom to be a full time worker, and a full time maid, and a full time caretaker.  I'm not implying that our husbands still come home, sit on the couch, and wait for their martinis - I like to think that most 21st century men are equal partners in the home - but the pressure is still there for women, even if it's self-imposed.

So moms.  Instead of beating yourself up for not spending enough time with your kids, think about what a great example you're setting.  That they'll know mommies and daddies can both work hard.  That they get to see time management skills in action.  That they know daddies are just as capable of helping out around the house and taking care of children. 

And really they are. I don't think Thatboy is an unusual specimen of a husband.  I tend to think he's fairly run of the mill.  And I know that those nights when I have to work late, the boys are in excellent hands.  Like on Tuesday, Thatboy picked the boys up from school and took them on a hike.  And he's well trained enough to send me pictures, so even though I'm not there, I'm not entirely missing out.

Then he took them home, fed them dinner, bathed them and got them all ready for bed.  While I tucked them in, he heated up dinner for me too.   Because really, in the vast scheme of things, families aren't really about one person taking care of everyone.  In a family, we all take care of each other.  As long as your children are cared for, the hours don't really matter.

Sunday Runday: Deep Breaths

There are ways in which running doesn't let you lie.  It becomes a sort of truth serum. 

Like when you're under the weather. 

This past week I've been exhausted.  But I chalked it up to working a ton, and sleeping not a ton. 

And then I went for my after-work run. 

It only took a tenth of a mile before I was gasping for breath, my heart racing, my throat burning.  So my exhaustion?  Probably due to being sick, not just being tired. 

It's funny how much a little cold can impact your running.  It's mild enough where I have no runny nose, no cough, no sore throat, but I feel it instantly under exertion.  Which actually does make sense given my exercise induced asthma.    So this past week has been filled with miserable runs.  Not miserable enough to throw in the towel, but feeling like I was running through water carrying bags of sad kind of miserable.  In addition to the whole tight chest, burning throat fun.

But during the week, my runs are pretty short.  Easy enough to suffer through.  I was really concerned about my long run this weekend.  So I resorted to using a running aid.  My inhaler.

This is one of those times I admit to being ridiculous.  I have an inhaler.  I am supposed to take that inhaler every time before I run.  I take it never.  I keep it with me, just in case, but I never feel like I need it. 

But after these past few runs this week, well, you know what they say about desperate times.  So before I left the house, I took a couple puffs.  And it was like I was a different person altogether.

No difficulty breathing, no tight chest, no burning throat, no racing heart.  It made me realize how silly I've been by not using my inhaler.  Even when I'm not sick.  Sometimes I guess you need to be dumb, in order to get smarter. 

Crave Wednesday: Grilled Zucchini Caprese Sandwiches

After Thatkid ran his Star Wars race back in January we surprised him with a day at Disneyland.  He couldn't have been more excited.  As evidenced by his face.

No, but really, he was super excited.  Just annoyed that his mom was slowing him down from getting to do all the things he wanted to do.

We haven't been to Disney since I was pregnant with Thatbaby, and this trip went so much better!  We learned our lesson and went with a plan!  Instead of running all over the park, we planned our rides in one area before moving on to another.  Like heading to Tomorrowland to pick up fast passes for Thatkid and Thatboy to go on Star Tours, and then grabbing breakfast while the boys watched Jedi School.

 

Right before they went on Star Tours, we got fast passes for Buzz Lightyear.  And then Thatbaby and I waited in line for finding Nemo while the bigger boys went on their ride.  After Star Tours they joined us in line, and by the time we were done with Finding Nemo, it was time for Buzz Light Year.

Then Thatkid wanted to go into the castle, and Thatbaby looked tired, so we put him in the stroller and walked over to explore Sleeping Beauty's castle.  3 times we explored Sleeping Beauty's castle.  And while we explored, Thatbaby slept.

 

I'm so thankful my boys are good stroller sleepers.  Since he was out, Thatkid took the chance to go on another "big kid" ride.  

When Thatbaby woke up, we went and grabbed a snack of ice cream on Main Street, and then we headed over to Toon Town.

With one small stop on the way at Small World.

When I saw that it was still going to be decked out for  the holidays in January, I knew we needed to take Thatbaby there.  Jingle Bells is his favorite song, and the slow moving ride is great for little guys.

And then we let him run crazy in Toon town.  Thatboy and Thatkid headed to Goofy's coaster while Thatbaby investigated the homes of Donald, Mickey, Chip and Dale.

And went for a ride in all the cars he could climb into.

Getting hungry, we headed to dinner.   And we talked about if there were any other rides we wanted to hit up before heading home.  Thatkid requested the Storybook Canal, which none of us had ever rode on.  We decided it would be our last ride, and headed over after we finished eating.

We determined that this is a ride that would be much better during the day, because we really couldn't see much of anything at all.  As we were heading out, we realized the line for the teacups was nonexistent, and so we decided on one more ride.

It was a totally great experience.  Both boys had such a fantastic time, and Thatbaby developed an intense love for Mickey Mouse.  Yestrerday was an insane day at work, and after working 12 hours, I dreamed of taking off and just spending time with the family again.  Vacations are so important, even if it's just a weekend away to reconnect or disconnect.  And disconnect time is something I am very into right now.  I'm longing for some time to just veg.  And for warmer, drier weather.  Because it is very cold and wet here lately.  So wet that I've had to retire my grill for a bit and substitute in my grill pan.  Which is still one of the best wedding presents we ever got. Because it means even when it's pouring rain outside, I can still have sandwich filled with warm, grilled vegetables and melty cheese.  This sandwich is a twist on one of Thatbrother's favorite things - a caprese salad.  And while in general I make my caprese with burrata, there's definitely something to be said about classic mozzarella.  Especially in a sandwich.  In addition to the cheese, tomato, basil, and vinegar, the sandwich adds one of my favorite vegetables - zucchini!  And grilled zucchini is one of the best ways to serve this squash.   So when I say "veg out" I'm not just talking about curling up on the couch!

Grilled Zucchini Caprese Sandwiches (From Cooking Light)

1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 6 slices

4 tsp olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

4 ciabatta rolls, split and toasted

8 basil leaves

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place zucchini in a shallow dish.  
2. Add 2 tsp oil and garlic, toss to coat.  Arrange zucchini in grill pan, cook 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear.  Cut each zucchini piece in half crosswise.  Return zucchini to shallow dish.
3. Drizzle with viengar.
4. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
5. Brush bottom halves of rolls with 2 tsp oil.
6. Top evenly with zucchini, basil leaves, tomato slices, and mozzarella.
7. Brush cut side of  roll tops with remaining liquid from shallow dish and place on sandiwches.
8. Heat sandwiches in pan until warm.

Crave Wednesday: Grilled Tomato and Brie Sandwiches

 

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!  Only a week late really, and I had the best of intentions on sharing this last week, but, well, keep reading and you'll find out why that didn't happen.

My balloon plan worked out perfectly!  Each guy in my life awoke to 10 balloons with 10 things I loved about them.  Some of them woke a little earlier than others.

Thatbaby dug right into his book - Corduroy's Valentine.

When both boys and Thatboy were awake, they presented me with a gift the three of them had made for me - a new cork board to hang up all my favorite art the boys make or bring home.

And then it was breakfast time!  Because it was a school day, I had made heart shaped pancakes the night before, so I just needed to reheat them in the morning.

 

And then it was time to get dressed and head to school.

 

Thatkid has gotten too old for homemade Valentine treats.  He just wanted to pick out a box of cards from the store.  He did bring in strawberries cut like hearts for his school party though.   Thatbaby isn't too cool for school yet, so his classmates got playdoh - a BIG favorite.  Those kids are playing with playdoh about half the time when I pick him up.

It's hard to work out romance with 2 small kids at home, so Thatboy and I came up with a plan - we both skipped out of work early and headed to the fancy movie theater to see a movie.   He met me outside the movie theater with a rose.  "I picked you up a whole dozen roses on my way here!"  "Where are the other 11?"  "In the car."

 

After the movie, we headed home to pick up the boys.  Years ago, we tried to figure out how to celebrate Valentine's Day with a 4 month old and decided to take him to dinner at a place where a baby wouldn't be totally out of place - Old Spaghetti Factory!  We decided for a reprise this year.  Italian (if you can call it that) seems fitting for Valentine's Day, and this is about as family friendly as it gets. 

Then we came home and put the boys to bed.  Despite the fact he usually sleeps in much less, Thatkid was anxious to put on his new Valentine's Day pajamas.  And read his new Valentine's Day book.

The kids asleep, Thatboy and I curled up on the couch....and fell right asleep.  And so failed my plan of posting this recap. I know, we're terribly romantic.  But romance isn't always about wine and roses.  Romance is easily expressed through food, which is probably why Paris is considered so romantic.  The bread, the chocolate, THE CHEESE!  There's something about cheese, isn't there?  Wine and cheese, fondue, there's just a natural association between cheese and love. This simple grilled cheese sandwich couldn't be any more Parisian, any more romantic.  It's so simple, brie and tomatoes, grilled until the cheese melts, and melds it all together.  The toasty bread doesn't hurt either.  And what's most important is how quickly it comes together.  Because the real secret to romance, is the time you spend together, so the less time cooking, the better.

Grilled Tomato and Brie Sandwiches (From Cooking Light)

8 slices whole grain bread

1 tsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, halves

2 tsp country-style Dijon mustard

4 oz Brie cheese, thinly sliced

1 1/3 cup packaged baby arugula and spinach mix

8 slices beefsteak tomato

cooking spray

1.  Preheat grill to high heat.  Brush 1 side of each bread slice with oil.
2. Rub cut garlic over oil.
3. Spread 1/2 tsp mustard on each of 4 bread slices, oil side down.
4. Top each bread slice with 1 oz cheese, 1/3 cup greens, and 2 tomato slices.
5. Top with 4 bread slices, oil side up.  Place sandwiches on a grill rack coated with cooking spray.  Grill 2 minutes on each side.