Lucky

Even though tonight I broke our salad spinner and then 10 minutes later fell down the basement stairs (ouch that really hurts), I still feel pretty fortunate tonight because of this conversation:

Chris:  Can you make it up the stairs for one last hug good night?
Me:  Yep
Milo:  Are you feeling better Mommy?  I always love you.
Me:  Milo, I'm pretty lucky to have you as my Milo.
Milo:  I'm pretty lucky to be your Milo.

Raspberry Zinger Recipe

We have recently started a love affair with sweetened condensed milk.  It all started here and after devouring that tray of yumminess, I realized we could make our favorite treats from the restaurant up the street.  Whole World, a little vegetarian restaurant just up the block from our house, has several delicious baked goods, but Chris and I almost always choose the raspberry zinger bar cookie.  It is a tasty mix of raspberry, chocolate and coconut.   I had searched for the recipe, but couldn't find it by that name.  So I made it up!  And it is pretty close and worth sharing.

Raspberry Bar Cookies

9 crushed graham crackers
3 tbspn butter, melted
seedless raspberry jam
1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk
chocolate chips
shredded coconut

Crush the crackers and mix in the melted butter.  Press into square greased pan (I used a 9x9).  Cover with a layer of raspberry jam.  Sprinkle coconut and a few chocolate chips over jam.  Pour half can of condensed milk over the top.  Sprinkle on more coconut and chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Enjoy.  (Sorry about the lack of a picture - they were eaten too quickly to photograph.)

Phases

We seem to have entered - fingers crossed this doesn't jinx it - a more positive phase of parenting.  The late winter and spring months were tough, tough, tough.  It wasn't just having a new baby around, it was also just a difficult time for Milo.  We were all trying to find our new roles and routines.  We've already established change doesn't come naturally to Milo and me, so we butted heads a lot as we were figuring things out.

This new period, though leaves us both some room to breathe.  Milo is happier and more interesting to be around lately.  He's telling imaginative stories, singing silly songs, playing fun games and doing considerate acts for others.  He is more able (willing?) to take direction and to help.  He's less likely to run away from me in public or throw a tantrum for a questionable reason.

Leo, too, is coming into his own.  We see his personality forming and like what we see.  He's napping more regularly and interacting with us in fun new ways.

It's not that we don't have our challenges - both big and small, but they seem like just challenges and not huge insurmountable mountains of trouble.  We're in a good phase now.  It's like the earlier haze is burning off and leaving a cool morning of joy to discover together.

Leo - 6 Months

This little man with his sometimes froggy and sometimes shy smile has totally taken my heart.  I'm a little cuckoo for this kid.  His giggles light up my world.   Leo keeps up a steady stream of baby babbles and loves to have conversations with people around him.

We had a nasty storm here last weekend and it knocked out power from Friday night through Monday night.  Our little Leo was a trooper through the hot craziness that ensued.  As my mom says, as long as I am with him for his milk supply he doesn't really care where he is or what's going on.  Even when his fine baby hair was drenched in sweat, he smiled and cooed and made the best of the situation.

Leo has started eating some baby food lately.  He's had sweet potato, avocado, squash, banana, pear and rice cereal mixed with apple sauce.  He wasn't quite sure about it at the beginning, but now really enjoys being put in his highchair and being fed.

Although I think, he's a strong (and very solid at around 17 pounds) baby, he's not much of a mover.  He can roll from tummy to back, but doesn't do it too often.  He can and does scootch around on his back and is working on lifting his hips off the ground on his tummy.   He can also sit up by himself if placed in that position.    

Leo also has a tooth!  I have no idea the technical name for the tooth, but it is what I refer to as a vampire tooth.  This little vampire prefers to grab hair rather than suck blood though.