Tag Archives: sunday

Baby Collages: Sleeping, Sitting, and Saying “Ahh”?

05/04/2014 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Hey there, how’s your weekend going so far?

Saturday was pretty low key around here, but I did get a well overdue haircut! Yep, I used an exclamation because that’s what this stay-at-home dad gets excited about now.

I almost went too extreme by asking for a Mohawk, but thankfully the lady cutting my hair talked me out of it. Phew!

When I was a freshman in high school, my step-dad at the time once made me go back to the hairstylist that put highlights in my hair and have them taken out. Yep, I came home all happy to have highlights like the cool kids (fyi, not cool anymore) and he drove me right back to have it reversed. Fun guy…

Needless to say, my mom is no longer married to him and we’re all better because of it. She deserves better and has someone much better now!

Anyway, I got carried away, the moral of the story is that Kelley would’ve sent me right back to have the Mohawk cut off immediately; no questions asked. So just the regular “do” for me and we’re all happy.

When I returned home, I worked out in the garage and then Kelley and I went to a nearby hill for a great workout. I did hill sprints and Kelley charged (carefully) up and down the hill while wearing Avery in the Ergobaby Ventus.

We both worked up a good sweat and Avery had a short nap to boot! Win-win for us!

While I was out, Kelley had photo session with Avery in our room and snapped some great shots. I came in and we worked with Avery on sitting up and took more pictures in the process.

There are tons of photos to go through (yes, stamp “new parents” on our foreheads!), so I thought I’d share the most recent via collages.

Before the collages, here a few single shots. It’s hard not post everything we take since we are just so proud and think even the most blurry picture is priceless and hard to delete. C’mon, if you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about.

I couldn’t “bear” to delete the photo because, well, what if one day…..

No explanation needed, just an adorable face I’m lucky to see everyday.

Oh hey, are those mine?

Helping her get set up for sit up practice.

Someone knows how to pose…

The first collage is of Avery’s multiple positions before falling asleep that we captured on the baby monitor.

Here she is in 3 stages all spanning about 5 seconds. From left to right: sitting, falling, fallen.

A few days ago Going Mom and I had a fun play session with Avery. Going Mom snapped these as Avery reached for and grasped the blue ring.

And the last collage is of Avery (surprise!) with her mouth wide open. Not sure if it’s just a laugh or she’s trying to say something, but as always, we think it’s adorable.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the rest of your weekend too!

Have you ever had to go back to have your hair “fixed” either by choice or by force?

Parenting

Shopping Alone and Our First Reel Mow With Fiskars

03/31/2014 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up on Sunday morning? If you’re a baby named Avery who slept with her Mom and Dad all night, you wake up and kick whatever parent is in your way. And, if you are the lucky parent, as I was, you turn around so she can get that spot on your back that’s been bothering you. Thanks, Avery!

With my back feeling somewhat better, all of us finally got out of bed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. It was the usual, Kelley had pumpkin teff porridge, I had steamed veggies with turkey and Beanitos black bean chips on the side, and Avery had, umm….boob.

And, no morning is a good morning without coffee, so I made a cup for Going Mom and myself. We took our mugs on the back porch to enjoy as we listened to the neighborhood kids tell “Your momma’s so fat” jokes; good times.

I had the best view to my right the entire time too!

Sooo, yep, I got to go grocery shopping alone this Sunday. Not wearing Avery must be nice, huh? Nope!

I missed having my little girl close to me with her wide eyes taking in the bright colored consumer goods and mass of people passing by. True, she can be difficult at times, but I felt naked without wearing her in the Onya. I know, I know, next time I go shopping with her I’ll probably complain, but I’d still rather have her with me.

But, I did make use of the free time while Avery was at home with her Nana. Three store trips and several bags plus a box of food later, and I was back home.

My least favorite part about grocery shopping is having to put it all up when you get home. Do you dread that part too? That’s also when Avery likes to start crying, just to make things really fun.

Avery was good for her Nana and instead of cleaning bathrooms with her free time, Going Mom made use of the nice weather and pulled weeds instead.

Before that she enjoyed a beautiful, albeit windy, run while Avery was having her morning nap. This is big for Going Mom since she hasn’t been able to run much since being pregnant, so I’m glad she had the chance. My wife always amazes me and makes me feel like one lucky husband and father!

After visiting a while longer, Nana had to head home, and it was time for me to try our new Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower. Fiskars sent me the mower to review and Sunday was my first trial in the review process. I want to mow a few more times before posting anything, so stay tuned!

But, having missed wearing Avery in the Onya Outback while grocery shopping, I wanted to take her with me for our first mow. With my legs day from the Supreme 90 Day workout complete, why not torture them a little more by pushing a reel mower while wearing a baby? That’s normal, right?

Giving a pep talk before getting started.

I won’t get too detailed now since that’s for the actual review post, but I enjoyed the mow. The mower actually pushes fairly easy considering it’s only you powering it, and definitely not as noisy as its gas-powered brethren!

The wind coupled with dead grass is not the most ideal mowing scenario, but luckily the Onya’s integrated hood protected Avery from grass flying all over her. Me, not so much. Mowing didn’t take too long thanks to the 18 inch reel mower, which is bigger than most of its kind, and we went for a family walk right after.

Since it was late in the afternoon, I left the hood over Avery in hopes for a short nap, and like usual, she slept. It never takes long in the Onya before she’s out, if only nighttime would be that easy!

The neighborhood goose with multiple names happened to be enjoying the weather too, but he didn’t feel like talking to me..

An hour later and we were back home and ready to wind things down for the night.

We spent a lot of time in the Onya this week and I am growing more attached to it with each use. Although, like most things, there are a few minor issues I have. When using the chest clip, trying to attach it behind my back can be difficult at times if the strap isn’t straight and Avery gets fussy fast when both of my arms are up behind my head. I am sure this is uncomfortable for her, but maybe because she’s still on the small side for this carrier. All in all, these are just petty things that don’t really bother me a lot, but just wanted to mention them. Like the Fiskars Reel Mower, I will be posting a full review of the Onya Outback in the future as well.

Hope you’re having a great start to the week!

Do you have any Sunday morning (or any other morning) routines or is it always spur of the moment?

Would you mow while wearing your baby?

Going Healthy, Uncategorized

Going Healthy: Easy Coconut Salmon Cakes

03/30/2014 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

Do you find yourself stuck in a rut of eating the same thing day in and day out for weeks? If you answered “Yes”, you’re not alone. But I make it a point to change things up when I can. As long as it’s tasty, healthy, and relatively quick to make, it’s fair game! Or should I say fair fish? See what I did there?

Enter these delicious salmon cakes that are both healthy and easy to make. Using canned salmon (tuna or crab would work too) makes these a convenient weeknight main course and are perfect to make extra for the next day.

Serve on a bed of steamed squash and green beans.

So, make a double batch of these to have dinner with the family and to take to work (or just have the next day if you stay at home like me) for a healthy and delicious lunch.

Baked Coconut Salmon Cakes

Ingredients

2 (5oz) cans wild salmon in water, drained (canned tuna or crab works too)

1/2 cup Coconut Flour (If you don’t have this, rolled oats also work well)

1 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 T Dijon mustard

3 egg whites or 3 flax/chia eggs

4 T Of your favorite salsa

1 T each dried basil and dill

Pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to incorporate. You can also mix everything in a food processor if desired. If mixture seems too runny, add oats or coconut flour 1 tablespoon at a time until thick enough to hold together.

Scoop the mix into a lightly oiled 12 cup muffin pan (I filled 9 of the 12 cups) and bake in pre-heated oven for 25 -30 minutes, depending how toasted you want the top. It should have a crispy golden crust on top.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes.

Top each cake with your favorite mustard, salsa, or even a yogurt sauce like Tzatziki; I like them plain too. Serve with steamed veggies of choice.

Kelley’s parents, Nana and Papa, are coming over to see Avery today while Kelley and I use the time to get chores done. Kelley is going to clean our bathroom while I run to Costco and Sprouts sans baby for our weekly essentials. Yeah, we live exciting lives, don’t be jealous.

This made me realize I don’t have many pictures of Nana and Papa with Avery, so I’ll be sure to fix that today!

Avery had a big week working on her rolling abilities, and now she rolls both ways like a pro! Hopefully she’ll show off her new skills today and maybe even surprise us all and get up to tap dance. Or maybe not….

Plus, she’s been going on long walks in our new Onya Outback and always seems pretty worn out afterward.