June update

It's that time of the year again: birthday month!!! Only this time, we will celebrate my little angel, Nicolas', major birthday: his 1st. :) As my second born, he has had to live with a lot less than Alex had to including but not limited to: new toys, new clothes, one on one mommy and/or daddy time, and sadly for me, individual story time. BUT, I think he has a lot more in one area that Alex never had and that is a big brother who adores him and serves as his entertainment and protector all in one. :) They are my joy in life and I thank God every day for having blessed me with them.

June has already been a busy month, but this week, we will begin by celebrating Roly's birthday (33 years young) on the 16th and finish it by celebrating Father's Day and Grandma Mary's birthday on the 19th. Last year, Grandma Mary arrived in town on her birthday to help get us ready to welcome baby Nicolas. This year, we're pretty sure we won't see her right away, but we're hopeful that we'll see her very soon. Next week, Nico will be 1 on the 22nd and Daddy will be 35 years young on the 26th. Then, on the 29th Great Grandma Petra Saenz will be 87. My goodness, June is filled with birthdays of those I love.

Nicolas finally adjusted to life without the helmet albeit with many small bruises and bumps on his noggin. Poor guy. Alex continues to be extremely active, and he requires constant exercise and stimulation. He loves gymnastics, and we are looking to begin martial arts in the next week or two. He was in swimming lessons but his crazy inexperienced teacher completely made him lose all trust in strangers in the pool so needless to say, we will never take a class with her again. :( We will resume lessons soon but for now, we want him to forget about his traumatic experience as best possible. HA!

I'll post again soon. I've been slacking on the blog because a mobile Nico = crazy mommy with no time! :)

Chipotle chicken breasts

So, in my attempt to minimize points while I was weight watchering (I'm pretty sure that's a legit verb,) I stumbled upon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I experimented first by making this very yummy, spicy, and flavorful chicken breast. I failed with a few other recipes when I realized that baking the peppers in chicken broth then making a sauce was a lot less spicy than trying to make a sauce without the long cooking process. So, I wanted to share this recipe for those of you that are afraid of the really spicy stuff but still willing to take it on a little bit. Here goes:


In a 9X13 glass baking dish, place 3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts with 1 cup of water, a few sprinkles of adobo seasoning without pepper (not the sauce) and 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you are welcome to use any other kind of chicken breast but I love the flavor of the broth when the bone and skin are left on.) Bake it at 375º for 50 minutes (cooking time is for large chicken breasts-adjust time for size.) When the chicken is done, I take the broth and I de-seed the chipotle peppers and throw it in food processor and puree. Pour it over the chicken breast. The sauce is thin but will stick to the chicken breasts beautifully.

Half of a chicken breast without the skin (or 3 oz if you use a scale like I do) with the sauce is worth 3 weight watchers points. We usually pair it with green beans (0 weight watchers points) and a starch (white rice, mexican rice, corn) and it is always a hit. We don't let Alex eat it yet because it can be spicy although I'm sure he'd be fine with it. Instead of pouring the sauce over the chicken, Eddy dips his chicken in it. Enjoy! :)

Great news!

So today was a bit dramatic to say the least, but I wanted to write a quick post. Nicolas has graduated from wearing the helmet. :) This is according to Robert, the orthotist, because he met his goals with his numbers (cephalic index and cranial vault symmetry) and he has outgrown the helmet. We see Dr. Gennuso next Tuesday to get the final blessing but Robert said we basically don't need to wear it anymore unless Dr. Gennuso says otherwise. Ahhhh!

Now, the hard part starts. We have all become so used to the helmet that we're not overly cautious when Nicolas is on the floor, which is almost always these days. He constantly bangs around his head without consequence because he can practically hit it on everything and feel hardly anything. Yesterday, during his hour break, I noticed him hitting his head lightly and experimenting without his helmet as he crawled underneath the coffee table. It was quite amusing and I think he learned that it hurts when the helmet isn't on...or at least I hope he did. I'm a nervous wreck for now and I'm almost certain that the pack and play will become my best friend when I need to accomplish something.

Also, Alex had penicillin allergy testing this morning at our favorite allergist's office in the entire world. Dr. Dennis Dilley He is amazing and we are thankful that Alex is not allergic to it after all. The testing was not fun at all and had to be performed in addition to the traditional scratch test which determined that Alex is allergic to cedar, bermuda grass, and tree nuts last year in May. It required 3 people to hold Alex down because he had to be injected 6 times in his upper arm after having had a scratch test performed on his forearm prior to that. It was chaotic and dramatic but we needed to have it done so that Alex's pediatrician can prescribe the appropriate line of antibiotics if/when Alex gets bronchitis.


So happy that is over with. Next post, I'll post my newest favorite for a healthy chicken option. It is so yummy and spicy. :)

A week late but a little good news!

One week ago today we had our appointment with Dr. Gennuso, the neurosurgeon, and she said that in a month, we can graduate Nicolas from the helmet. YAAAAYYY! :) It's exactly 4 weeks from today because of the way her schedule fell (she only sees patients on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a month would have been a Friday so she put us up to the following Tuesday.) I am so excited. Eddy is convinced that Nicolas could be out of the helmet now but I'd rather give it another month to get even better than it already is. His head looks really good although not perfect by any means. It looks sooooo much better though. I'll take some updated pictures and show the difference. It's pretty amazing.

It works out perfectly because he'll have it off by the time we go to South Padre Island at the end of May. Usually, we go in June during Eddy's birthday week but the prices of condos during that time are ridiculous and we really wanted to stay at the beach so we got a much better deal during the last week of May, and we took it. Plus, Eddy's birthday week is now also Nicolas' birthday week and someone has a very big birthday ahead of him. :)

Tomorrow we pay a visit to Robert at Hanger to get more measurements of the head. I think we saw some more improvement so that's always exciting. Alex is getting the hang of behaving at appointments for Nicolas especially when we have the iPad in tow to keep him entertained. This Thursday, we're heading to Houston to see Anesha and her belly and celebrate her baby shower. I'm so excited for her. She's such a great person and friend, and I know she will be a phenomenal mother.

Off to do some disciplining...story of my life!
xoxo

Yay for improvement!

We were very excited at Nicolas' last appointment at Hanger because we are finally seeing more progress. His cephalic index is now at 87% (the goal is low 80's-he started in the high 90's.) Again, depending on how fast his head grows, we still have a little more progress to make so we are praying that it'll happen quickly. :) We have an appointment with Dr. Gennuso (the neurosurgeon) next Tuesday the 12th and I'm almost certain that she'll put us out to another 6 weeks after that for graduation from the helmet if all looks good. She wanted the head to get as close to perfect as possible so I feel okay with that. This Wednesday will be 11 weeks with the helmet on so another 7 weeks really doesn't feel so far away. Again, if Robert at Hanger sees significant improvement before that time, I'm sure we can consider making an appointment to see Dr. Gennuso to approve the removal but only time will tell. I'm not really banking on that. We've all become so used to having the helmet around that I'm not sure how we'll go on without it. :) hahah, okay I'll be happy to see it go but Nicolas is definitely used to having it protect his little head. Right now, he's running a fever, so he can't wear it at all and he's already banged his head multiple times. The poor guy keeps crying because I guess he's used to being able to run into things and not be phased. It's sad and funny at the same time. I'm looking forward to putting it back on because he gets annoyed without it and I feel safer letting him crawl on the tile and laminate floors freely.

I'm really considering going back to work at least one day a week. I feel good about it because Mrs. Rosie, our fabulous (and kinda pricey) babysitter, said she could help us out one day a week. My biggest hesitation in returning to work is finding a reliable sitter and one that really loves children like Mrs. Rosie does. She is an angel and we all love having her in our lives. We'll see how that goes. I was hesitant but I think it would be nice to make some extra cash, get a mental break from stay-at-home-mommydom, and keep doing what I love. I still have yet to sign my name with my certified credentials. I worked so hard to get them and I still haven't used them since last June when I got them. HA. :) So, just for fun, here goes an electronic version:
Veronica A. S. Contreras, M.S./CCC-SLP
That felt so good. Thanks for indulging me.

I'm almost at my goal weight of 126 but lately my body has been falling apart. I've been eating very well but because I cut out a lot of my dairy, I now not only have anemia but I'm also calcium deficient. I'm a hot mess. I already take a multivitamin twice a day (2 pills at a time), an iron supplement 2x a day, and now I've added a calcium supplement 2x a day. I'm hoping that'll be the last of that. I've also made it a point to indulge in more milk and cheese in limited quantities of course, I have to stay away from yogurts because almost all of them have some sort of gum. Fun times! I feel fantastic otherwise. The chiropractor put me out to 1x/month visits. My neck feels really good for the most part and my low back only bothers me occasionally. It feels wonderful to not be in so much pain.

In closing, I've really come to appreciate the good people in my life and I'm continuing to work on improving my existing relationships. There are a lot of haters out there, most of whom I avoid, but every once in a while, they make an appearance. I think most people know what a hater is but for me, a hater is someone who either who harbors malice, anger, or jealousy in the happiness or success of another person. I'm very happy in life right now, and I am thankful to God for that every single day. My life is not perfect by any means and it never has been, and those who are not going to enjoy the happiness with me, please stay away. I say this as I am ready to purge my facebook friend's list. :)

Mole recipe (adapted from my mother-in-law's recipe, SHOUT OUT!)

This recipe was adapted from my mother-in-law's, Mary Contreras (shout out), recipe for mole which is outstanding and amazing on its own but I found it a little bit difficult to replicate hers so I made my own tweaks to it. :) Mary is an UH-MAZING cook and we keep telling her to open her own restaurant. She still thinks we're crazy. ha

Ingredients:
Serves 6 (if serve only 3 oz of meat---can make more meat because mole sauce alone can serve a lot more)
-3 Shredded and boiled chicken breasts-with skin and bone in (mary uses an entire chicken and leaves the pieces as a whole--you can totally do this but we only eat lean cuts of meat in our house)
Note: I hate dry chicken so I make sure to only gently boil my chicken breasts for an hour with the lid on and that's why bone-in, skin on works so well here but you're also welcome to use any kind of chicken you like and will tolerate :)

-Broth from boiled chicken breasts (at least 4 cups)
-Doña Maria mole in a jar (can be found in Mexican food aisle usually by the jalapeños...most other moles will suffice.) 2 tbs (I eyeball it and sometimes use a tbs more but that's up to you--adding more mole makes it spicier)
-1-2 tbs sugar (you can vary this--more sugar decreases spiciness but I like the sweet kick it adds)
-3/4 tsp of salt
-1 tsp-1 tbs of creamy peanut butter (optional-add as much as you like for flavor--mole already has peanuts in it)
-rous

Directions:

1. Before I start, I put 1 1/2 cups of the hot chicken broth into a measuring cup and add 2-3 tbs of Dona Maria mole and let it sit for AT LEAST 10 minutes to soften the mole
2. I then start the sauce by making a rous (note: Mary doesn't do this, she thickens hers by adding the flour alone to the pan before she adds the mole/broth combo and you are completely welcome to do that as well--it's easier to do this if you add sifted flour)--I use 2 tbs of butter, let it melt, then I add 2 tbs of flour and whisk to form a paste--let it cook a few mins to cook the flour taste out
3. Then I add the broth/mole mixture and follow it by adding another 2 1/2 cups of broth and whisk til all the lumps are gone (the broth should still be hot--at least very warm so that the lumps will cook out evenly and quickly)
4. Then add salt, sugar, and peanut butter
5. Simmer and reduce for 20 to 30 minutes (I sometimes go as long as 45 minutes depending on bath/feeding schedules but you just have to keep whisking it.)

This recipe allows for a mole that is not very thick. It's more of a light soupy gravy which sticks to the chicken just enough for my liking and it's got a nice mix of sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness. If you want it thicker, make a thicker rous (add equal parts butter and flour.) I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Again, the sauce can serve more people and accommodate more chicken. Per weight watchers, I call it 8 servings for the sauce alone (and it is 3-4 weight watchers points depending on the amt of peanut butter you add.) I don't use very much sauce. Please let me know what you think and any changes, if any, you made to make it your own. :)

Updates and recipes

It's been a while since I last posted so my apologies. I have been promising a few friends some recipes so I'll try to post them on here when I get the rare chance to sit at my computer. By the grace of God, both of my children are taking a nap right now. Alex has almost completely forgone his nap although I really hate this transition time. He is super duper cranky in the evenings without one but he goes to bed at a decent hour. When he has one, he's in a great mood in the evenings, but he wants to party like a rock star past 10 p.m. What to do?! Despite what some parents (who don't know what it's like having a 3 year old) say, it's not a behavior issue. I choose to not make him nap and therefore we have a decent, peaceful bed time. :) Otherwise, Alex continues to be crazy and full of energy. Just the other day he told, "you're such a drama queen, mama." Thanks, Alex!

As for Nicolas, the helmet continues to bring lots of attention his way. I tend to forget because during the day when school is in session, the crowds aren't too large, and lately we've been meeting a lot of people who either had a child of their own or know of a child who was previously in one so that's been pretty cool to experience. During spring break, however, the stares and comments were crazy! It's like a part of him now so I don't notice it unless my face is being beaten with sweet kisses from my baby boy.

As for progress, at our last appointment 3 weeks ago, we didn't see any change or improvement. We go for another appointment with the orthotist tomorrow and I'm pretty sure we've seen some improvement but the numbers will tell us. It looks a lot better and I think that's because he had a growth spurt just before his 9 month birthday. (the head reshapes with growth.) As for his growth, he continues to be very tall and very thin with a large head. HA! :) 85th percentile height, 90th percentile head, and 12th percentile weight. Awesomeness! Doc said although his weight %s went down, he wasn't concerned because height %s went up and we all know the head went up too. heehee I'll post more about #s regarding his plagiocephaly improvement once we visit Mr. Robert tomorrow.

I got to meet sweet Alicia, my beautiful niece, on the day she was born, and I finally posted a picture on facebook. Here we are again.

I love that sweet little girl and so does Alex. Per the usual, he's convinced that we changed Nicolas' name to Alicia and now keeps referring to his baby brother as such. Fun times!

I'll post a recipe for mole next.