toddling

Just one more week to go before Ziv turns one. Unbelievable! I'm so excited! I've got tons of DIY ideas floating in my head (thanks to Pinterest) and I can't wait till it's time to execute them. I hope they'll turn out nicely. I know it's easier to just hire somebody to do all the decorating but we have a very limited budget so I'd just do the decorating myself. I ordered balloons but that's it.

Home is three days away though. I've yet to do the laundry, prepare everything that needs to be packed and then pack 'em all.

And that's on top of our day-to-day ops, and of taking care of a budding toddler. I've got to watch myself or else stress may get the best of me. 

Look at him!

I've been trying to keep things in order around here but Ziv has become more interested in exploring. Everything within his reach is fair game so we do our best to baby proof. I've covered the unused electrical outlets and raised the power cord extensions so Ziv can't tinker with them. The shoe cabinet, which only has a curtain for a door, is secured with clothespins so Ziv couldn't get to the dirty footwear (but sometimes he manages to remove the pegs). The safety gate is always locked so Ziv can't go to the (hazardous) kitchen, and there's always a fence around the TV set and the cable box to prevent an accident. Just the thought of what could happen horrifies me!

Our books, which I've arranged by color on a coffee table, often end up on the floor. I'm wishing we could install wall shelves so Ziv can't get to them but we're not allowed to drill on the walls. I really have to find a place for them soon.

I used to wish we had more space but I think having a small flat proves to be advantageous now that Ziv is on explorer mode. There's no need to follow him around because I can see him wherever he goes! I remember when my brothers were toddlers, I used to shadow them and it was so tiring. I hated it when mommy asked me to watch over one or both of them because I didn't want to follow them around. I guess I've always been a lounger.

I need to start getting active again though. Really, really, really need to lose weight. 

After this trip, perhaps?

pancake from scratch

This morning, we weren't in a rush so I decided to make pancakes for breakfast. I used to buy those ready mixes until I learned how easy it is to make my own pancake batter. Here's how:

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg then add the milk and oil.

2. Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Mix until there are no dry spots.

3. On a hot, lightly greased pan, pour about 1/4 cup batter (or less if you want smaller pancakces). When bubbles start to appear, turn the pancake over then cook the other side for 30 seconds.

We had strawberries in the fridge so I chopped them up and topped our pancakes with them. Of course, with butter and maple syrup too. You can get creative with your toppings. You can put dried blueberries or some chopped almonds or walnuts. You can put whipped cream and chocolate syrup if you prefer.

If you want/need more fiber in your diet, you can cut the all purpose flour in half then add half a cup of whole wheat flour. We tried that too and it's not bad at all. Also, if you want a thicker batter, you can add more flour into the mixture. Just eyeball it. For creamier pancakes, use full cream milk instead of skim. And oh, you can also put in your fruits in the batter so they get incorporated in the pancakes. The possibilities are endless! 

You can make a large batch too and just freeze the pancakes. For a quick breakfast fix, all you have to do is toast or microwave them.

Enjoy!

wonderfully ordinary

Source: ashleyannphotography.com via Jen on Pinterest

It's past two and my boys are napping. I should be too but me time is too exciting to pass up. So instead of dozing off, I Facebook. I catch up on all my Google Reader subscriptions. I blog.

I love me time.

But I love spending time with my boys too. Earlier, we had lunch at the hawker center at the next block. Ze hubby and I had ayam penyet or crushed fried chicken. I shared mine with Ziv and he loved the rice! Ziv loved the rice so much that he grabbed the bowl and rubbed it on his face. That rice is cooked with margarine and chicken stock, I think. Who wouldn't love that?

I know I should set my son off to a healthy start but man, it's challenging! I prepare healthy congees for him but he doesn't seem to like it as much as he likes real food. But he does eat peas and carrots and corn. He loves fruits too.

After that hearty lunch we lingered at the void deck because it was too hot at the flat. I played peek-a-boo with Ziv, while his dada carried him. Peek-a-boo always makes Ziv laugh. And we love Ziv's laugh. It's always genuine.

There was a gentle breeze so I thought it would be nice to sit at the park for a while. Ziv played while ze hubby and I gossiped about neighbors. That's one of our favorite things to do. Gossip. Sometimes we go as far as making up stories about our neighbors. But we keep those stories to ourselves.

Later, we'll stop by the supermarket to get some stuff for Ziv. That kid already has a lot of stuff but every day he seems to need something new! While we're at it, maybe I'll stop by the library to drop off some books.

I live for days like this. So ordinary yet so fulfilling.

going with the flow

So I went back to the dentist last Saturday. He removed the stitches ever so gently that I felt no pain or discomfort at all. He said one of the wounds is recovering slowly so he put on some nasty tasting medication on it. I asked him whether my tongue will feel normal again. He said maybe in two to three weeks.

I really wasn't expecting any better answer than that. I've already scoured Google for articles about "tongue numb after wisdom tooth extraction." Yes, that's the exact string I used. I've read stuff so I'm preparing myself for the worst, which is to live with only 30 percent of my tongue able to taste and feel.

I already came to terms with my tongue constantly having that pins and needles feeling. I don't have much to complain about. Although I felt kinda sad thinking about all the delicious foods I won't be tasting the same way again, it's not like I've lost my leg or sight or hand or hearing. Losing one of those would be life-changing.

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My son. Oh my son is waking up way early again. Like 4:30am early. It's easier to accept when it's like the first time in a long time or maybe even the second time. But three days straight? That wake-up time is too painful.

I actually come to around 5 and at that time he's already babbling and shouting and playing and banging on his crib. I ignore him, hoping he'd go back to sleep but he doesn't. He cries around 5:15-ish. That's his threshold. By then he'd be ready to be picked up.

Ziv slept beautifully while his grandparents were here. They were amazed by this baby's ability to sleep from 6:30pm to 6:30am, with only one waking for a feed. Even I was amazed by it. I should've known it was a phase. Now we're back to one night waking plus early waking. 

I'm currently reading this book called The Wonder Weeks. It proposes that there are specific weeks in a baby's first year of life when he's extra fussy and when all the difficult baby things you thought you got over with comes back. These weeks, according to the book, precede huge leaps and major changes in the baby's mental development.

Ziv is currently 49 turning 50 weeks old. But he was born three weeks shy of a completely full term baby so mentally, he might be 46 weeks old. Guess what? The book says week 46 is a wonder week! So maybe that explains why his sleep schedule is off kilter again. Aside from that, his appetite is quite weak. He couldn't finish a 5-ounce bottle when just last week, he downed them with vigor.

Are you familiar with Pokemon? Ze hubby and I always say when Ziv's behavior changes that he's about to evolve, like a Pokemon. See, when a Pokemon evolves, they become stronger and gain more moves. If Ziv were a Pokemon, maybe he's about to add walking to his moves. Or maybe he's cutting teeth. (He has five teeth now, by the way!)

A few months back this would've stressed me out but I've since learned to relinquish control. When it comes to raising a baby, you just have to go with the flow and let things be.

pork giniling (minced pork)

Pork giniling or minced pork is ze hubby's favorite. He says it reminds him of his childhood. Well, my mother-in-law does cook this very well so I can't blame ze hubby for loving this dish.

Minced pork is so versatile and is one of the easiest ingredients to work with. You can put it in Pinoy-style spaghetti or turn it into lumpiang Shanghai or cook it like this, as a standalone ulam.

Last night, ze hubby had dinner with his office friends so I thought of a quick dinner fix. There was minced pork in the freezer, and carrots, potatoes and bell pepper in the crisper so I decided to just put them all together.

Here's how you can make this super easy ulam.

Ingredients

250 grams minced pork

2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup diced potato

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

Banana ketchup

Tomato ketchup

Patis

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat some cooking oil on a pan. Saute onions and garlic. Once they're soft, add the minced pork and some patis. 

2. Once the meat is slightly brown, add the potatoes and carrots. Saute for a few minutes. 3. Lower heat then add the banana ketchup. I just eyeball it. If the meat and veggies are red enough, then they're fine. :) Since I didn't have tomatoes, I also added a bit of tomato ketchup. Cover the pan and leave for a couple of minutes until the meat and veggies are cooked.

4. Before removing from heat, put in the bell peppers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!