Sneak Peak...

I'm very excited to share that Dominic's Aunt Emmy is working on something that he'll be able to use for years to come. I cannot wait to see the finished product. Here's a sneak peak:

Mr. Morales

Happy Easter!

Pork Chops, 3 Ways

Marcos grilled some pork chops. We ate them for three nights and they were so gooood.

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

In baby-related news, Dominic went to the doctor and got his flu shot today and he did not cry. I was shocked. Here is a recent picture of the little dude:

Gardenias

I'd just like to state for the record that I'm the only one who didn't give up on the gardenia bushes that line our front walk. You can see them here on the right side of the walk way:

The bushes were there when we bought our house almost four years ago. They bloom bright white flowers in the summer and smell really good. At the end of last winter, we thought they might be dying because a lot of the leaves were brown. We even bought a soil testing kit at Lowes to see if the acidity level of the soil was killing them.  We procrastinated and never mailed the soil sample, but lo and behold, the gardenias rebounded and looked as healthy and green as ever.

I wish I took a picture of how the bushes looked at the end of this winter. Every single leaf was brown and dry. We wondered if their condition was caused by the cold winter we had. They still looked ok in this picture I took when it snowed in ealry Febrauary:

I'd say about March they started looking desolate. Marcos was sure they were dead and everyone we asked seemed to agree.  Our home owner's association sent us a letter asking us to remove them.  But I insisted that the gardenias were only mostly dead, which we all know means partly alive.  So I did some major pruning. I cut off all the dead leaves and trimmed out all the skinny sticks that were making the bushes so dense.  From far away, they look worse than ever: (Do ignore the huge weed in the front. I had to leave that there to fool the woman who makes the rounds for our HOA. She said if she saw any green from the street she wouldn't fine us for failure to remove dead plants.)

Now take a closer look... new leaves!

I think they'll make it.  Anyone have an opinion?  I know that I'm no green thumb. This will be my first gardening victory if these babies live. I'll keep you updated.

My Little Texan

Taking pictures of your child in a field of bluebonnets is so TEXAN.  I never planned to do this with Dominic.  Actually, I didn't really think about it at all. But the bluebonnet photo shoot concept came up in a conversation Emmy and I were having on Monday and a quick Google search revealed that bluebonnets peak in the second week of April.  Within 30 minutes, we had put D in springy outfit, grabbed his straw fedora, and headed out to Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. The truth is, I couldn't resist an opportunity to snap some pics in a new setting.  That cute boy plus my awesome new camera is one dynamite combination!

The plants were not very tall. I wonder if they'll peak late this year, or if that location just isn't the best. But we had a great time, and I think we'll definitely make this a tradition. I'm already looking forward to next year when Dominic will be trampling those poor bluebonnets.

Backyard Pics

Dominic hanging out in the backyard while we pulled some weeds:

Hand-Me-Downs

When I was a kid I hated hand-me-downs. I thought they smelled weird, like somebody else's laundry detergent. Now I would love to get a box full of clothes in my size!  We've been fortunate to receive a lot of handed down baby clothes for Dominic from a few different families. He has at least 10 pairs of pajamas in his current size, so we can easily go a week without doing laundry. That is nice.  I got him out of bed the other day and discovered this is one pair that is ready to be retired. His poor little toe busted through!

"If you're going to do something, do it right."

This is one of Marcos' mottoes. He applies it without fail while on vacation (budget? why would we have a budget?) and, more often, in the kitchen.  So in this post I bring to you burgers and hot dogs, Marcos-style. Please note we did not have the burgers and dogs in the same meal, although we did have a side of cole slaw both times.

 

Burger: toasted whole wheat bun, cheddar cheese, smashed avocado, two all-beef patties, tomato slices, onions caramelized in bacon grease and balsamic vinegar, roasted poblano peppers, and mustard.

On the left you have the Chicago style dog with pickles, relish, tomato and onion. On the right you have the New York style dog with caramelized onions and sauerkraut. I believe the buns are actually hoagie sandwich rolls.

Marcos admittedly was inspired by a Sonic commercial touting their new hot dog menu.

Baby Talk

Dominic has been pretty talkative lately, and his current fixations are fake coughs, sticking his tongue out and saying "meh."  He's also very good at sitting!

Haricots Verts

Dominic started solid foods a few weeks ago and we're still slowly making our way through veggies.  He started with butternut squash and seemed to like it, but since then we've had limited success.  Tonight we tried green beans for the first time. I've been making my own baby food for the most part, but have come to realize that the orange veggies (butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes) are the easiest to puree. Green veggies are trickier. I made my own pea puree, which I had to put through a strainer because the skins of the pea do not disappear when blended.  He hated my homemade peas and made terrible body shudders every time he tried them. I bought a jar of peas to see if that would make a difference, and he wasn't thrilled with them, but he did eat them.  I read online that green beans pose the same problem with the skins, so I bought a jar of those too.

We started with pureed chicken breast and mixed in some green beans. (I was surprised when the pediatrician recommended we start meats right away - primarily for need of iron).

Stir

Put happy, fresh-from-a-nap baby in booster chair

 

My Mom says that Aunt Kate had a "Green Bean Face" as a baby.  Well, Mom, did it look like this?  Green Beans did not go well! Is it possible he hates green veggies? I just hope this boy isn't going to be as picky as his mom.