Colorado 2010 - Day 1

On Day 1 of our trip to Colorado, we took the 6am flight and landed in Denver at 7:30am. Upon landing, we were not really sure exactly what we wanted to do that day. While getting our rental car (a very nice Buick Enclave) the lady at the counter mentioned that her favorite things to see were in Colorado Springs. That sounded good to us, so we unpacked our TomTom and headed in that direction (the sales lady also secretly loaded up our rental car with every insurance coverage known to man, but that is another story).
We weren't really sure what Garden of the Gods was, so when we pulled up we had to go to the visitors center to know for sure. It is just a little area with some massive red rocks that are cool. We also got to try out our new umbrella stroller that we bought for the trip.






Pikes Peak in the distance:
Our next adventure was to drive just a few miles away and go to Cave of the Winds. I remembered the commercials from when I was a kid, and also that it was extremely expensive to go there (not sure how or why I remembered that). It was fun there, but a bit commercialized, and quite expensive. We had to carry Andreas through the cave since they wouldn't allow strollers, but he seemed to like it down there, luckily for us.



Our last stop was to have dinner at Casa Bonita. It was really fun since it was exactly as I had remembered it as a kid. The only problem was that the food was quite nasty. The beans tasted like cigarette butts, and the rest of it was not much better. But the sopaipillas were plentiful and good -- those did not disappoint! We also were seated right next to the diving pool and saw a few of their little shows. Saul even went through Black Bart's cave!
The Dinner:
The Sopaipillas:

Black Bart's Cave:
In front of the puppet theater:

The diving show from our table:

The Calm Before the Storm

The last few weeks Saul and I have just been getting ready for the weeks to come. With vacations, big meetings at work, and lots of other goings on it is going to be an action-packed summer! But we are enjoying every minute of the chances we get to be together and enjoy Andreas' smiles.

One day we were letting Andreas roll around on the floor and weren't paying ultra close attention. When we turned around, he had rolled across the floor and found a bottle that we had fed him previously. We proceeded to grab it, hold it himself, and drink out of it. We were so surprised that we had to take photographic proof!
It was a dark and stormy night...actually the first bad thunderstorm we have had in over a year. Lightning was striking every 3-6 seconds for probably a good hour. The power kept flickering and Saul had to keep running outside to our fuse box to set things straight. Tiffany had just gotten out of the hospital, so on Sam's Birthday (May 14) we had him over and made him a double layer spice cake. I won't tell you how fast he ate it, but I am pretty sure he enjoyed it. He turned 27, which is why there is a 7 in the cake. I even made sure the candles were BYU colors.
I like this picture because he has those cRaaaaaaZY eyes!

I tried to fix Andreas' hair for these pictures of him in the green suit, but you can't really tell. It does its own thing.
Mid-yawn:


Here is Andreas with the end result of a feast of peas and carrots. He is a great little eater and we haven't really found anything that he won't eat (kind of like his parents). Keeping his attention through the whole meal takes quite a bit of effort though -- he gets very interested in everything from his chair, to his bib, to anyone else in the room.

Success!

Tuesday May 4 was the day of Andreas's surgery and it was a great success! We were able to get through it just fine, and the doctor was able to take care of everything in one surgery. After we were allowed into the recovery room, it took Andreas about half an hour to wake up, but after that he was happy and smiling and charming the nurses. Even when we brought him home he did great and did not seem very affected. We know that this was a big blessing and a direct answer to everyone's prayers, so thanks to all for your love and support.

An updated picture of the teeth -- they are about 1/2 way in now:
A picture on Cinco de Mayo (Andreas' shirt says "Mi Papa es el #1"):





The cake Saul made me for Mother's day. It took him a very long time to do and turned out to be a bit of an explosion at the end, but it was much appreciated.

Also, Saul and I were watching America's Test Kitchen on PBS and saw a great recipe. They did thousands of test to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe and also taste tests to find the best chocolate chips. The results are as follows -- they are a little more work than the normal Tollhouse recipe, but taste really good. Make sure you follow the steps exactly as outlined.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 16 cookies

Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
  
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (**Ghiradelli 60% Cacao bittersweet chocolate chips were the winner by a landslide in the taste tests and were not too expensive at Walmart)
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Back Scoot

Andreas has always been a free spirit trying to gain as much independence as he can as fast as he can. He unfortunately hasn't figured out crawling yet, but ever the picture of ingenuity, has developed his own back scoot. Why flip and be on your belly when you can get to wherever you need to go while lying comfortably on your back?

Jumping

Here is a video of Andreas jumping in his new Jumperoo. He can really get going sometimes!

A Second Tooth, the First Disease, and Some Good Recipes

Andreas had his first cold this week (caught from my second round with my cold). He really didn't fuss too much -- he is such a happy little trooper! But he is mostly over it now and back to normal. Except his sleep schedule, which we are working on. We decided to buy a jumperoo and I have to say that I highly recommend them. It took him about 10 minutes to start jumping all over the place. I told Saul that we just need a little Riverdance music and he will fit right in. Someday I will make a music video of it -- I'm pretty sure it will go viral on Youtube.



When I took this picture I told Saul that you don't have to smile in all the pictures. If this is the result, I may have to change my policy....

I hate this picture of me, but there are so few of Andreas and I together that I had to post this one. I'll try to get a better one in the future.
Playing with his new Jumperoo:

The appearance of the 2nd tooth (you have to look close):
Here he is playing superman with Daddy. The funny thing is that he will keep himself perfectly straight when you lift him up like this, which takes a lot of muscles.
Saul never ceases to amaze me with his hidden skills. When we first met, he was not able to cook toast. Now he is capable of some pretty amazing things. Every few days when I come home from work he has whipped up some new recipe. He mostly sticks to the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook because he says it is pretty easy, and I have to say, the dishes have been really good. A couple that he has made include lemon-mustard chicken, greek-style pork, and a few others. I wanted to list a few of the best recipes here (next time I'll make sure to take pictures):

Here is the recipe he made for Crispy Oven-Fried Fish (the dill makes all the difference):
1 lb tilapia
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup bread crumbs (he may have used Panko crumbs)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dill
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp melted butter/margarine

Thaw fish if frozen (I recommend just getting a whole bunch fresh from Sam's Club or Costco). Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Place milk in a shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. In a third shallow dish combine bread crumbs, cheese, dill, and pepper. Toss with melted butter/margarine. Dip each piece of fish in the milk, then flour. Dip again in the milk, then in the crumb mixture to coat all slides. Place fish on a greased baking sheet. Bake uncovered in a 450 degree oven for 6 to 9 minutes or till fish flakes easily with a fork.
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Ginger-Glazed Pork Chops

4 pork loin chops **also would probably be good with chicken
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sliced green onion
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cornstarch
1 clove garlic, minced
Hot cooked rice

Trim fat from meat and place chops on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for 8 to 10 minutes or till no pink remains and juices run clear, turning once. Transfer to a platter. Meanwhile, for glaze, in a saucepan combine honey, soy sauce, green onion, ginger, cornstarch, and garlic. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly (make sure to stir a lot and keep an eye on it so it won't thicken too much or burn). Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Spoon over chops and serve with rice.

Easter, Helmets, Teeth, and Other News

Andreas was a little fussy yesterday. He has been ultra drooly for about a month. His mouth is a magnet and everything MUST go straight in. Saul said he thought he felt something in his mouth, but this was coming from the person who thinks the baby should be doing chores by age 2 -- he's delusional. We decided to try to wrestle him down to feel for teeth, and sure enough, there it was! The bottom left tooth coming in. It has broken the surface but just barely.

Here are a few shots of the new tooth (if you look really close). Saul was the photographer and I was the baby wrangler, so they are a bit blurry.



We didn't do any Easter Egg hunts this year, so nothing too fancy at our house for Easter. Sam and Tiffany had us over for an Easter feast Sunday. Tiffany (as always) did everything up so nice we felt like royalty. Unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures of the table-scape, so make sure to check out her blog for those pictures. I was feeling a little under the weather, but recovered just in time to be able to stuff my face with such delights as Sam's masterful twice-baked potatoes, beef brisket, pistachio jello "salad", rolls, green salad -- the works! We didn't have much time to watch our usual Ten Commandments (luckily we had caught most of it on TV the night before), but there is always next year!
Here is Andreas and Zoe at Easter:

Here are some pictures from Andreas's first Easter:


He is able to hold onto his feet now -- which of course he wants to get into his mouth as soon as possible but hasn't reached that level of dexterity yet. He usually manages to pull his socks far enough to do the job though.



In other news, the fruit trees in our yard are doing quite well. Our Satsuma orange has a few flowers and new foliage. Our Moro Blood Orange tree has new growth but no flowers to speak of. Our Red Skin peach tree has oodles of fruit on it. they are about the size of half dollars, so we are really excited:
Here is our Meyer Lemon tree -- so many flower buds it barely can hold them all. They aren't blooming completely yet though, so we are excited to see them all in full force. But we should be getting plenty of lemons! In the picture you can see all of the little purple pre-flowers:
And here is one last picture of Andreas with his new glo-worm. It sings lullabies, and is usually good for entertaining him for 15 seconds.
The other news is that Andreas may have to get a helmet to fix his slightly misshapen head -- the doctor says he is borderline, so we should be able to tell by the end of April if it is going to be required. Saul and I are really trying to keep him sitting/standing up because who really wants a helmet? NOBODY! Also, we found out he is going to need surgery to fix an undescended testicle next month. A lot of little things to fix, but we feel blessed that at least everything has been minor rather than major issues and we know that Heavenly Father is watching over us.