We went on a family field trip today to a vegan Indian cooking class hosted by the Vegetarians of Washington at the Upper Crust in Greenwood. It was taught by Sunita Shastri, who demonstrated Cucumber Coconut Salad and Lemon Rice from a southern Indian style, and the northern Indian specialty Chole, a spicy chickpea gravy curry. It was a successful experience. Not only was Lake an amazingly well behaved baby, eating and sleeping like a champion, but we each learned a few helpful things about cooking with Indian spices and we able to sample a few new dishes. For example, in Indian cooking the spices are nearly always sautéed into the oil base as a starting point to enhance their flavor and soften the texture of the seeds eg cumin and mustard. Furthermore Sunita follows the principle that vegetables will also be tastier and cook faster if also sautéed in oil. Not all spices, however, have the same temperature heartiness. Therefore, sauté the cumin and mustard seeds first, then add turmeric with the onion and garlic phase, and garam masala even later when adding the moist vegetables like tomato. Note the layering of spices in her recipe methods below.

We couldn’t help but also enjoy the unexpectedly rich comments of the other guests. We couldn’t stop chortling to ourselves, really! One woman had the audacity to ask Sunita what the secret is to not have your house smell like Indian cooking. She replied, “there is no secret.” The woman asked the question again. Sunita repeated herself. My husband retorted under his breath, “don’t cook Indian food!” Another, perhaps even the same woman, asked if she ever substitutes for ghee. This is directly after Sunita was explaining her background included starting a company to produce fresh locally made ghee after experiencing difficulties procuring good tasting fresh ghee here in the U.S. The guest continued on, that she often substituted truffle oil or cashew butter, or… She lost Sunita’s attention before she even finished her comment. Another participant asked if one could make gluten free naan, and Sunita laughted and said that then it wouldn’t be naan, it would be something else! Someone asked about the 3-4 cloves in the Chole: cloves of what, it didn’t say? After demonstrating the cucumber coconut salad preparation, a thin gentleman in the front row asked what the calorie and protein content of a serving of of the salad contained. Sunita gave him a blank look.

How many calories? I guess 30 kcal, 1g protein

Cloves of what?

If peas aren’t available, one can substitute peanuts, but the quantity would be reduced.

We made the most of out excursion to Greenwood by stopping in for lavender hot chocolate with hemp milk at Chocolati. 



What a fun afternoon! Thank you for joining us on our Sunday outing. Let us know if you try any of the recipes!

My husband invited me out on a date today: to go outside, view the water and take in some sunshine. I was hesitant, it would be my first walk postpartum and I’m technically on bed red still until Monday. Ultimately my love for my husband and my confidence that he knows me better than myself sometimes won out, and we set out from the flat for an inaugural walk. The sun was shining, and it felt good on my aching back. 

The blocks were longer than I remembered. We stopped frequently to rest, to breathe in the fresh air. Michael joked that we were getting a maximum amount of fresh air per foot: a dense walk. I vividly recalled walking meditation at Spirit Rock in Marin County a decade ago when I was on a mindfulness retreat. I relished the simplicity of walking very slowly, aware of each footstep as it interfaced with the earth. We made it to the University Bridge at 40th and Eastlake. We walked out onto the bridge, intending to stand over the water. The bridge was vast. It has always been such a short bridge in my mind. I’m usually running across, nimbly. Maybe I’ve never walked across it before. Pretty view. Nice clouds. Sailboats, and kayaks, and boat boats going by. Friendly joggers. Let’s head back. That’s enough walk for today.

Lake was a champion. He’s not new to this; he’s been walking daily with Nana since he was two days old. 

After a light lunch and a nice nap, we felt re-energized, and we set out for Columbia City to Lake’s first real party! Boy, if you ever want to get a party started, set a two week old down in the center of the room.

We had come to wish our friend Sarah Rawlins (a friend I’d met at my new employee orientation at Harborview Medical Center two years ago) a good send off for her nine months in South Sudan. She will be doing mission work as a training nurse in a large field hospital there. She’s a courageous woman with a heart of gold. There were flat Sarah dolls as party favors, so expect to see Sarah joining us on a few adventures around town, and maybe some hikes. I suspect in the next nine months, both of us will need a friend in our back pocket from time to time. We are here for you, too! Bon voyage et bonne chance Sarah.

Good night friends!

It happened! Mr. Cat is mannying for Lake! It’s so nice and convenient to have an extra four pairs of paws in your court. 

Except Mr. Cat isn’t very dependable because as soon as I took the lid off the pan of homemade grass fed organic beef stew I was heating up for lunch, Mr. Cat hastily bailed on Lake to come investigate his chances in the kitchen!

Maybe Mr. Cat will become a more reliable cat manny with time. 

Lake is a charming fellow and as easily follows: a lucky guy. He is being well attended to around the clock by me, his daddy, his Nana, various new friends in the form of visitors and family dropping in to say hello, and… his two cat brothers: 

Mr. Cat, the gentle giant with the insatiable appetite, and

Mr. Silky, the friendly lap-seeker with the erratic jumping habits.

We really weren’t sure how they would respond to their new little brother. Would Mr. Cat try to devour him? Would Mr. Silky aggressively cuddle or playfully pounce on him?  Turns out they welcomed him home graciously. Mr. Cat gave him a couple preliminary investigative sniffs, then kept his distance. Mr. Silky lurked watchfully, curious and cautious. They both respectfully left his areas clear. The big leather armchair with the cashmere blanket used to be a favorite feline napping location of both kitters, but once it was established as a Lake resting nest, both kitters let it be. Similarly, while they both were known to be found napping in the Moses Basket prior to Lake’s arrival, now they steer clear. Mr. Cat felt the responsibility of the new cub perhaps, and began to take more pride in his appearance. He has begun focusing more energy on grooming his big beautiful marshmallow fur, rather than compulsively cruising for prospective foodstuffs or otherwise edible treats.

Now, a little more than a week has passed since we all arrived home, and the honeymoon period seems to be waning. Mr. Cat was the first to break the hallowed baby territory quarantine by plopping directly down on all the diapering supplies at the diapering station. Cozy! And Mr. Cat is creeping in closer to watch over him. 

 
Our worst fears, however, of jealous cats acting out or over exuberantly loving on Lake are laid to rest as they take on more of a guardianship role. The furbys and the baby are all getting along famously, and continuing to adapt nicely to each other. Soon I’m anticipating co-napping cuddles!

Our Little Prince

My husband and I are both really committed to being Eco-friendly, living on a small carbon footprint, and therefore using non-disposable baby gear as much as possible. Furthermore, essentially to use as little baby gear as possible. So, regarding diapering we set up a good system: merino wool diaper covers x 3, diaper service, organic cotton/wool “diaper wipes” and a spray nozzle on both the sink and the toilet. This set up does require a certain amount of washing in spite of the diaper service not requiring pre-washing. There’s still the baby, baby bottom, wool diaper covers to various degrees, and the diaper wipes. Given laundry is in the basement and I’m not yet cleared for stairs, we were doing a significant amount of hand washing in the kitchen sink. That’s right, the kitchen counter quickly became the de facto changing station. 

Thus, enter Plumbing Problems: whereby suddenly both our sinks, the kitchen and bathroom sinks, stopped draining. And of course, it’s the weekend. It seems the meconium tailings and frequent olive oil soap residue maxed out our 1926 plumbing. With both sinks out of commission and a 6 day old neonate, it began to feel like my world was spiraling out of control. I must stop to do a gratitude check.

* we have running water

* we have hot water

* our toilet works

* we have a working bathtub and shower with a drain that’s draining great

* we have a happy baby

* he’s eating, pooping, and peeing

* he hasn’t been dropped, crushed, squished, or eaten by cats

* our cats are alive and non-plussed

* we haven’t been burglarized

* no one has been injured or died

Okay, deep breath. We can get through this, Tolle-mummy, the meconium days are numbered. 

One broken plunger, some patience, the loan of neighbor Laura’s key for washing dishes, and one miracle-worker Nana later, the drains are once more free-flowing. Peace is restored in the kingdom of our little prince. And, now the meconium days are thankfully behind us.

Lake wasn’t quite born with a silver spoon in his mouth. I was there and can bear witness. He did, however, have one waiting for him at home thanks to his fairy godmother Bridget Haupt. Behind every silver spoon baby likely lurks a silver bell mama. This is that story. 

I had a normal vaginal birth, albeit strenuous, and my midwife has placed me on a two week bed rest in order to optimize my recovery. This entails no stairs (we live in a second floor walk-up), minimal time out of bed, no housework, no lifting anything heavier than my baby or a spoon to my mouth. At times it can be difficult to rein in my normal independent spirit, outdoorsy walking ways (remember this is the one who went to yoga in 41st week and walked eight miles after the water broke). Mostly, however, I have no inclination to be up and about, and generally get very strong opinions back from my body telling metro get back in bed. Being confined to the bedroom can be isolating. Even in our extremely modest 550 ft2 flat my voice doesn’t have the strength to carry to all corners, especially should my mother (Nana) happen to be talking, or my husband is in the office listening to music. Plus, especially the first week I was a bit weak, and my voice didn’t seem as strong as normal either. Dilemma: how to get the help I need (water, a wet cloth, my phone, help up, etc) when I need it (usually STAT!).

I thought, “what I need is a bell!”

So I have the brilliant idea of bringing out the family silver dinner bell from the upper cupboard.  Nana was amenable to the plan after I gave supporting examples of times no one heard me, and brought the bell to my bedside.

*Ding a ling a ling!* “May I have a glass of sparkling water please?” Bon!

Then my husband becomes privy to the set-up when he spies the silver bell. He’s, to put it mildly, not a fan. We’re all a team here, no servents and Queen Mothers. 

Bell goes away.

Time passes. He acquiesces on his own accord and the bell is restored to my bedside table. A few instances come to pass of voice not being heard and I escalate my calls to include vigorous ringing of the silver bell. It is faintly heard in the other room and a devoted husband happily comes to my aid. Judicious use of the bell is appreciated by all.
Today I defied bed rest to go to my PEPS group in Ballard. It would have been Lake’s 2 week old mark, had he been born at 40 weeks, but the generous facilitator invited me to come anyways, in spite of his super young age if I could make it. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to but I rallied! I can surely benefit from any extra early parent support I can get! It felt refreshing to get out show up for the party. Next week I’m bringing the snacks: on the road to recovery. 

I must say, it will feel mighty good to be able to put the bell back in the cupboard.

Field trip to Ballard: PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support) Babies!

We had a great night last night! Shhh, don’t tell Nurse Ratchet… He slept from 1am to 7am… He was so content to sleep next to Daddy he wasn’t overly-anxious to wake up and eat, and I was loathe to interrupt such a beautiful and peaceful scene… He was cuddled up against him like the little Big Spoon, with his lower hand clutching beneath Daddy’s flank.

Both parties seemed mutually happy with the arrangement, and the parents were refreshed from a sound night’s sleep!

“Lake and leak, leak and Lake, we’re a team. He’s clearly Lake and in his presence I’ve become leak. Periodically my breasts leak when he wakes up hungry and lets us know, and when he latches on to one breast, the other will leak in symphonic harmony. It trickles down like a rivulet. And even my eyes, they leak occasionally and unannounced too.”

“You know that you’re all in for breastfeeding when you contemplate the possible benefits of using leaked breast milk on your face as a facial serum, for skin tightening and creating a fresh faced dewey glow look.”

Cosmetics gold mine?

“Today we beat the heat by celebrating Lake’s one week birthday with his grandmother Julie,  his Nana, and his new friend Lena Meyer. We sat around with chilled grapefruit sparkling water and eating oranges. There was reminiscing about hot summers in Spain and Italy, of enjoying all the plazas and fountains. Daddy led us in the Swedish version of happy birthday (ed- Glad födelsedagen. It’s very peppy). We went outside to catch the breeze. My first outdoor excursion since walking across the street after arriving home from the hospital.”

A hot succulent!

“Umbilical update: it’s looking good! As of today he know longer has his stump and he looks like a real little boy. The stump met an unfortunate fate involving sterilized scissors and two medically minded parents in an incident of kitchen surgery.”

“I’ve given him two doses of Pharmax neonatal probiotics now: one yesterday and one today. I think that it’s really helped minimize his spit up. So now we get the joys of the other side, and maybe we’re working on a blow-out here!”

“I’m concerned about his healing ubilicus, though. I’m not sure that we’ve escalated to page the midwife status yet, but I’m unclear on what the parameters of normal are here. I know it’s supposed to smell like ripe cheese. But if it smells like… fetid… could be a sign of infection. It was doing so well, it was all dry and perfect, but then it got wet. I know I can’t be the first mother to get an umbilicus wet during the first two weeks, but now it seems like it just can’t get ahead. And when it’s like stinky cheese, drying out, then I worry that if it dries out it will give him a weird belly button. Maybe I’m just assigning myself fault and this is totally normal. Maybe I didn’t even get it wet; maybe it’s oozing a bit all on it’s own. Hard to say, being that I’m all new to this! But I liked it better when it was dry and didn’t smell.”

“The nursing staff was really strong on us using disposable diapers until the belly button heals over. It seems highly unlikely a necessity since disposable diapers have not been around since the birth of man. But maybe it’s the best thing to try out now. I really like the diaper service diapers and his little wool diaper covers. He seems so cozy in it, and no skin irritation or anything.”

“Well, at least he’ll have a belly button. Proves his origins. He’s the real deal 100% organically grown baby! …Do test tube babies have placentas? Maybe they have IV port scars instead of umbilicals…”

“Ok, let’s get you some more food huh?”
Scribe: “He really enjoys his arms.”
“He used to push them around inside of mama. One of my coworkers called him super baby, because I was always drinking the Health Force Nutritionals vitamineral greens drink with warrior food protein powder. It’s true: he’s a super strong baby!”