Omnivor's One Hundred

So Gustavo posted this list from another British food blogger about the one hundred things that every omnivore should try at least once, then to link the results back to his blog. The items I've eaten are in bold, the ones I would never even try are supposed to be crossed out but I can't figure out how to do that(like Gustavo!) and are asterisked, and comments where I felt necessary of course.
Yes, I know, this is all about me, not the children, considering Domingo eats maybe two off the list and Amalia eats things off the list only if you count me eating it converting it into energy and producing her daily repast from my bosom, but it is a neat game and even people who are remotely acquainted with me know that 95% of my life is dedicated to food, (I know! Only 95%? It used to be 99% until I had children) I said what the hay. 63 of 100, I think that's pretty respectable. Try the list and see where you fall!
Regular baby-related posts to come...

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare -- Gustavo, you've had this (and Kobe beef) at that sushi place we went to, there's even a picture on your blog.
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich--this is hell on a plate for me, blech!
14. Aloo gobi-- Just like in BILB (Bend it like Beckam, doy!)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns-- I love these so much, I often would make a trip to the main office at work when it wasn't totally necessary, just to get some from Wow Bao, mmmmm.
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes-- one of my favorite parts of summer.
22. Fresh wild berries- I would often go running in some random park in Washington and snatch some berries.
23. Foie gras -- I've never had Foie gras proper, just in pate, which is one of my favorite foods. I don't know if I ever will because of how really horrible the process is, although I could get some now in Chicago since the ban is off. Much to Chris's annoyance, not because he loves geese, but because they repealed the ban right before he was set to argue the appeal, and win it of course!
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese--one of my mom's favs, I'm not a big fan.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters-- now that the old uterus is out of commission, I'm in a serious need for some Oysters. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!! It makes me weep salty tears that I haven't had any in ages.
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas- I hate all but fresh shelled peas, even a green coat of wasabi doesn't make them any better.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl-- again, the best chowder in a bread bowl was at Pike's place market in Seattle, mmmm, so incredible.
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut--nasty
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar-- ah Cuba, how I miss you.
37. Clotted cream tea-- can't say I love clotted cream, but I do love a nice civil tea.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O- I (like my little brother) prefer my vodka in a liquid state.
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail-- I make a mean gnocci with oxtail sauce.
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects-- I guess I'd try it, although I can't promise it'd stay down
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu*-- I don't think I'd risk death for a little bit of fish
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin--not a big fan of this texture.
51. Prickly pear -- here they call them nopales, and I'm not a big fan.
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal-- I've had the components of a Big Mac Meal separately, I had a Big Mac once, when I was little, and my Dad got me that instead of a plain hamburger, (I was big into plain as a child) and I think the special sauce was so disgusting to me that it scarred me and I've never had one again.
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads -- yes, in Paraguay, people really go whole hog over their beef, and eat every part of the animal, EVERY part. Sweetbreads are called Molleja in Spanish and I have to say again, not a big fan, it's a texture thing more than the taste though.
63. Kaolin* I can't see myself eating clay of my own free will.
64. Currywurst
65. Durian* I probably wouldn't eat stinky fruit, since I won't even eat cantaloupe.
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake-- I've rocked 'em all.
68. Haggis* Yeah, too much bad press on this one, probably wouldn't try it.
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette* -- Gustavo said it better than I ever could, I do not want to "explore the possibilities of porcine viscera"
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe-- not that I would NEVER taste it, but I read all the crazy psychotropic properties were based on stories of a rotten batch of wormwood, so I'd rather have a cape cod thank you very much.
74. Gjetost, or brunost -- ah, what comes from marrying a Norsemen.
75. Roadkill* yeah, no thanks.
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie-- I've never finished one, but tasted yes, also on my list of most disgusting things ever.
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong-- there used to be this really bizarre tea/antique store where Chris used to live, not surprisingly it's gone and there is a Jimmy Johns in it's place.
80. Bellini-- mmm, I want one right now.
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. --I wish! Some day...
85. Kobe beef-- again, in Seattle, I had a really amazing Kobe beef steak at this beautiful restaurant Cannlis overlooking Lake Washington. My parents paid (of course) and it really was phenomenal. How can anyone say that this cow did not fulfill it's purpose in life, it had a WAY better existence than most people I know!
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers--nasturtiums are my favorite, peppery anf beautiful!
89. Horse* I also can't see myself willingly trying horse, although I hear it's so good, I just don't think I could.
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab -- I never understood the love of soft shell crabs, there are so many tastier crabs out there, why eat one that tastes fishy and has the texture of a bug?
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish -- One of the saddest moments ever was when we went to Jambalaya for Catfish po'boys to discover that Jambalaya was no more. They were addictive and wonderful and if I had known they were not long for this earth I would have eaten maybe 50 more.
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor-- My favorite dish at a Miami restaurant that I whined my way into going to on one of our many trips to Paraguay when we had a long layover in Miami, come to think of it I'm shocked that I was able to get my dad to leave the airport, but this was definitely in the days before 2 hour lines at security.
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake -- "try the little stripey ones mumsy!"

Doing it all wrong

Big baby asleep in the bed, little baby asleep in a vibrating chair with a blanket NEAR HER FACE! The HORROR. The horror...
But...
babies asleep at the same time! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MY FRIENDS! We'll keep on fighting until the end, we are the champions, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, no time for...
oh crap, they're awake.

Quick update

While dinner is on the stove and Chris is with Amalia and Domi is entertaining himself, I have 30 seconds to blog.
We had Amalia's 2 month appointment today and it apparently is not a fluke. My genes plus Chris's genes make ENORMOUS children. Amalia is 13 pounds 8 ounces (between 90-95%) and is 25 and 1/4 inches long (above 95%) and her head is 15 and 5/8 (between 50-75%). (Edited to add: Chris found Domi's 2 month sheet, and just to compare, he was 14lbs 2 ounces(90%), 25 and 1/4 inches(95%), and his head was 15 and 7/8(25-50%) boys are just bigger than girls percent-wise I guess.)
We also got a script for some anti-reflux medicine. I convinced the doctor that something was going on, and she said my story sounded good.
I'm still not eating dairy, but I have a feeling that I was barking up the wrong cow. She's still fussy, less than before, but not by much. I'm not quite ready to do a complete elimination diet yet, so we'll see if the Zantac works.
In addition to Amalia's doctor appointment I got out of the house again today and went for a run! New shoes means no excuses, and I'm really going to try and make it out 4x per week. It is MUCH harder to go running outside than on a treadmill.
This weekend is Labor day already, I can't believe it. We are off to Michigan and I can't wait. Tio Gustavo is also coming to town. I can't believe we haven't seen him since Christmas! (He informed me today, we saw him in February, where was I?) So there will also be no excuses to not get some new pictures up here!

More funny things

Domingo says the darndest things, most of them revolve around beverages for some reason.

D: I want to drink a limosine
Me: A limosine is a long car, do you want a lemonade?
D: I want to drink a lemonade.

D: I want a juice.
Me: Ok, what kind of juice
D: Milk juice (it's funnier in Spanish- jugo de leche is comic gold)

D: I want chipses
Me: You want chips
D: No I want chipSES

Also funny:
Domingo loves playing with his animal crackers and when you ask him to hurry up and eat them, he acts like you are making him eat a friend. Ah, a toy you can eat.

Less funny:
The giant fat lip Domi got today when he bit it in the Zoo, although he seems to have gotten over it.



We had the best time with the primas this weekend, and we still have tomorrow to recuperate! (their exuberance takes a little bit of a toll).

2nd Monthday!

Amalia you are two months old today! And what an eventful two months it has been, with loads of... eating! and... sleeping! and... pooping! AND? not much else I'm afraid.
Well, that's not entirely true, you have started smiling, and it was about time, since I was on the verge of getting worried that you were either going to be a sullen surly child, or there was something amiss. But just when my fears were about to go to the next level, you pulled out the big gummy grins. They are pretty cute I must say.
But the lateness of your responsive smile made me think that you were not being stimulated enough. And this leads me to my next point:
It is time to let you in on something that second borns have come to realize since the birth of siblings, second born is second class my dear. Take it from someone who knows, namely, me. I apologize in advance, but being second means you get the shaft, a lot. Whereas with your brother, every moment he was awake, and many when he was asleep, I would stare at him, show him pictures, toys, do tummy time, and talk to him. With you I'll strap you in the Bjorn and we are off to the races. If you are not attached to me, you are sitting in the swing or bouncy chair for as long as you will tolerate, and sometimes longer, while I get Domi a drink, or something to eat, or read a book, or watch a "programa" on the computer. I feel guilty about it, but there is very little that can be done. When we try to do tummy time, or play with toys or the play gym, Domingo gets in the way. It's very hard to include him in our play time because he's kind of a brute and is not a great sharer. Things he's got to improve, I agree, but it's taking a little while. The result is not a whole lot of quality one on one Amalia-mama time. I say quality, but I guess that is a relative term. We spend loads of time together, but the VAST majority is trying to keep you from having a total baby rage fit. This is something we must discuss.
I have stopped eating dairy in an effort to see if your less than sociable mood will improve. So far, while you are a bit less gassy, you are still not the happiest of babies. We spend loads of time bouncing, jiggling, wiggling and rocking in the bathroom, or on the bed, with the water running or the sound machine full blast. You are swaddled, deswaddled, reswaddled etc. multiple times in an effort to keep you sleeping as long as possible, because I'm afraid that is the only time when I can try to get the kink out of my back from holding you all the time. I must admit, while I love you all the time, I REALLY adore you when you are sleeping.


And actually that is something that you do pretty well, at night at least, day time is still really crappy, I just sat down again after the 4th time of putting you back to sleep! I cannot complain that you are getting up every hour on the hour, at night. You usually get up once at 3 and once at around 5 or 6 and then are asleep until 7 or so. At which point you don't stop screaming until around 9 p.m. when we all collapse from exhaustion.



All in all you are pretty much exactly like your brother. (Except in addition to screaming all day, he was awake all night too.) Which, in general I would never say that's a bad thing, except in this one area where he nearly drove me insane.

Speaking of this guy:


It is inevitable that you are going to be compared. I do it already all the time without even really meaning to and it began before you were even born. I have ven diagrams comparing your times in utero. People ask all the time, how are they alike? Are they different? Does she seem different to you? And partly because you look so similar, you were born as skinny and are now just as chubby, because you are going through a very similar "fussy" stage, and partly because I think it's human nature to reflect on past experiences, I find myself comparing the two of you all the time. And with my handy dandy archives, I can go back and check to make sure I'm not just making things up when I do! I can see that by your age, Domi was doing x,y, and z and you are only doing x. Why can't you be more like your brother?
That was a joke.
I will do my absolute best to never compare you in that way. There will be enough people around to do that. Maybe they'll stop when you decide to go to law school instead of medical school. (Another joke, since if you go to law school, I'll disown you)
In all seriousness, you are you. You are not your brother, cousins, primas, or anyone else. You can do things in your own way, in your own time and on your own terms. I promise that I will always remind you never to compare yourself to anyone else, and will love you for you no matter what.
Even when you are screaming in my ear for two hours straight, now that's saying something.
Love,
Mama

Pardon the dust...

updating the old blog here, to include things like, oh I don't know, my other CHILD perhaps!
In the meantime please enjoy funny things my child has said recently:
D: I want an infusion of herbs
Me: An infusion of herbs is not to eat, it's to drink, like tea
D: An infusion of herbs to drink?
Me: Yes
D: I want juice

D: I don't like this book. I want to close it forever.

D: I want astronaut juice
Me: I don't have juice, I only have milk ok?
D: Ok, I want astronaut milk

and finally, the cute toddler must, mispronouncing words: HipoMOtamo. Cute at 2, but for how much longer...

The first step is the hardest

I ran again for the first time in a really really long time yesterday. I can say that my body is not exactly thanking me for it today. I hopped on the scale and I'm still 4 pounds pre-Amalia wieght, and I said enough is enough. Wouldn't it be great that for every pound Amalia gains, I loose one? If there were any justice in the world that is how it would work. As it is I can definitely pinch an inch (or more) around my belly, and something tells me that Dara Torres doesn't have rolls of backfat when SHE puts on her bathing suit. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have had seconds of those BBQ ribs, they are now on my babyback ribs.

I figured it was time to get back on the horse, meaning in my running shoes. I was actually scared to start. I remember how hard it was to start running again last time, how painful and demoralizing. I figured, this time, I didn't let myself get that far gone, I was still doing my non-impact exercise, and have been doing that for the last several weeks, running should be no problem. Nope. Sorry, try again. It was just as hard, painful and demoralizing this time. I made it 2.5 miles at 6 mph and it was a constant conversation with myself of "that's it, one more foot in front of the other" for 25 minutes. Not the most stimulating conversation to have with one's self. But the only way to make it easier is to keep doing it.
Since they are all napping (Chris included) I should probably go for another round of treadmill punishment. BLERG!

Here I am...

Every year about this time I absolutely dread living where we do. You see, it's this weekend every year that the air and water show come to the lake front. Air show you say? "Buzz-cut Alabamians spewing coloured smoke in their whiz-jets to the strains of 'Rock you like a hurricane?' What kind of country-fried rube is still impressed by that?"
Apparently my son. Yesterday we spent the better part of an hour standing on the window ledge of the nursery as the blue angels or what ever they are called do flybys of our apartment. It sounded like they were going to come crashing through the window even though they were way out over the lake and much higher up than the 17th floor. I'm very glad Amalia slept through it because I would have yet another reason to hate the air and water show if they had woken her up!


At least looking at planes keeps him from watching t.v.!


Amalia says "This is MY kind of water show!"

Who is the idiot...

that one day after announcing going on a no dairy diet, and makes it all day yesterday without ingesting any (no small feat for someone whose ultimate dream is to have a cheese farm just for the free cheese), promptly goes out and splits a chocolate bar with her son? Because you know, chocolate, there's no dairy in that right? Unless of course it's milk chocolate dodo brain.

Don't cry over no milk

Despite my wishful thinking, and 5 and a half weeks of super calm fussless baby, Amalia is showing more and more Domi-like behavior especially in the evenings. Our weekend with our friends got me thinking, maybe it isn't just the regular run of the mill colic/6 week fussiness. With Domingo, he started getting fussy around 5 weeks, and it kept up until about 5 months. This is the classic colic time frame, so I just thought it was a case of plain old colic. I also assumed that it was kind of an unlucky fluke and our next child would not have this same problem.
But here we are spending more and more time in a darkened bathroom with the water running bouncing and jiggling to get our unhappy child to stop crying. With Domingo, we didn't really have any basis for comparison, everything we read said that it would go away, and eventually it did. I also didn't mind spending countless hours in our bathroom wondering how many fields could've been watered, or toilet's flushed with all the water that was running down the drain so that Domingo wouldn't cry. Now I don't really have that "luxury" since Domingo isn't so keen on hanging out in there, and really gives me grief about wasting water.
So after this weekend when we spent time with our friends Russel and Courtney and their daughters both had very similar behavior to Domi (and unfortunately now Amalia). She cut out dairy and soy and she said that it was like night and day.
So maybe my yogurt pretzel and ice-cream only diet is to blame? What are the odds that I would have two very fussy children? Maybe it IS me?
Who knows if it will work for us, but I'm willing to try it, the only I have to lose is a few hours of bouncing and a lower water bill.

Smile!

We had a great weekend that started out on Friday with baby's first smile! I didn't get a picture of one yet, but I'm sure I will at some point. (The one above is more of a grimace as she was stretching out on her play-gym) Amalia has been doing lots of sleep smiles and smiles as she's nursing and other non-social smiling, so we knew the real thing was around the corner. On Friday she smiled at me twice when we were playing while Domi was napping, in what's known as girl-time. Hopefully girl time will morph more reliably into everybody nap-time because I honestly could use the break!
It was a beautiful weekend up at the lake. Domingo could not get enough of the water, and the waves were surf-worthy. Papa was begging for a break, but Domi just wanted mas y mas.


We hung out with our friends Henry and Sarah and their super cute baby Polly.

And our other friends Russel and Courtney and their two super cute babies, Charlotte and Madeline. Domingo got in some good practice on sharing, but often ended up like this:



But there were some good times too:



Charlotte is only a week younger than Domingo, she was born on Domi's due date! It was so nice to have him play with someone his own age. Overall they both did really great. Charlotte is a bit better at sharing than Domi, but maybe she gets a little more practice since her baby sister is a few months older than Amalia.

Speaking of those two babies, it's incredible the difference a few short months can make. Amalia is still a floppy fairly expressionless ball of chub that still sleeps most of the day and night, these guys were smiley cooing head holding up little ladies who were awake as much as they slept (except at night I'm assuming). It's insane how quickly they change. It also really does confirm my belief in the whole "4th trimester" theory. I don't buy a lot of what is said about babies, for example my son continues to sleep in our bed as does our daughter and we are all still here, as sane as we ever were, which I agree, may not be saying much but that is another subject. But the whole, babies are born 3 months too soon really rings true to me. Those 3 and 4 month old babies just look like a totally different species than my little 7 weeker. I know it's coming, and very soon, but I just can't get over the huge difference.

23rd Monthday!

Domingo you are 23 months today, and just to prove this blog isn't all sunshine and roses, here's a little taste of reality: this past month you've been kind of a stink. I'm not saying all the time of course. In general you are still your sweet, funny, charming self. But on occasion, usually when I'm nursing Amalia, or when it's nap time or time to go, or get dressed, or change your diaper, you show your less sociable side. So this month has seen the introduction of the dreaded "TIME OUT". It hasn't come out all that often, but the few occasions when you have been placed in the "esquina", it has been for fairly extreme behaviors. One of your favorites is to roughhouse while I'm nursing Amalia. You get this crazed look and clench your teeth and start to roll around, sometimes kicking me, sometimes just shaking your head like one possessed! I know that you would never intentionally hurt Amalia, but you might accidentally on purpose hurt her. I hate punishing you for what amounts to just an abundance of energy, especially when all you want is to be close to me, but I'm giving you the gift of self-control. Your welcome.
In general I think you are still a little young to grasp it entirely, but recently if you are doing one of the forbidden behaviors, and I ask if you want to go to the esquina, you say no and sometimes stop. That's progress!
Speaking of progress, on the food front you've started to be a little more adventurous in the world of meats, you've eaten and asked for more steak, pork, and chicken. Now I just have to get you to eat some fish and then my mother of the year award is in the bag. But seriously, I can't complain about your eating habits. You love milk, would rather eat edamame and carrots than french fries, and usually let me finish my ice-cream without stealing it, usually.


This month has seen at least one first- your first hair cut! I must say, although I did laugh at the mullet and curls, I was a little sad to see you turn into a little boy before my very eyes. But it was time, and you are still a baby at heart even if you look, and talk like a big boy.


As I had mentioned in an earlier post, the no t.v. rule went firmly out the window around the time your hermanita started waking up. So when she's extra needy, you enjoy a wide variety of Spanish language programing thanks to our beloved cable. But that means I have "three little birds" being sung by little children (Sprout por favor!) going through my head all day and night. I'm not sure if it provides any relief.
You continue to talk more and more. This isn't really news to anyone anymore, but I feel it bears documenting. You speak in complete sentences, know how to use the past tense, and conjugate regular verbs correctly for everyone except the first person, you still talk about yourself in the 3rd person! saying things like "no quieres" instead of no quiero. I think this is mostly because I haven't corrected you. When I do correct you and say things like "mio" or "conmigo" you pick it up right away.
You talk in English a fair amount, mostly to your father and other relatives who don't speak Spanish. I've heard you count to 8 in English (while you can count to 20 in Spanish- but skip 13 every time, maybe you're superstitious?) and say random things spontaneously in English. You've actually started counting things rather than just reciting numbers which is something new. And you know several of your numbers and letters by looking at them. (The number 8 and letter M have been your favorites for some time, I don't really know why!)
You say funny weird things all the time, and I am kicking myself now for not writing them down so I can post them now. But trust me, they provide hours of entertainment for your Papa and I. One thing that cracks me up is you look out the nursery window and show me the houses where the monsters live with the goats. They are apparently our neighbors.


Next month you turn two, and I really can't believe how the time has gone. It's gone both really fast, and it also seems like you should already be two years old. And even though you are difficult and willful at times, I am so glad that I'm getting to spend all this time with you right now. And even though I relish your nap times almost as something holy, I love our time together much more, even if it's watching Bob Constructor for the 100th time and doing your chicken arm dance to the theme song with you. That's the best.
Love,
Mama

SIX WEEK FUSSINESS!!!

That's all.