Monster Dash!

Yesterday I registered for the 2011 Monster Dash Half Marathon. There are several half marathons in Chicago, but I chose this specific one for a few of reasons: 


1) It's called the Monster Dash. And you get to wear a costume. 
2) It has great swag. 
3) It starts and ends in a place I can easily get to by public transportation. 
4) It is at the end of October. 


The last one was probably the most important factor to me. This way I don't have to start regularly training until the beginning of June. I have come to accept that my time living in Arizona has made me a huge weather wimp. A fall race means the bulk of training will be done over the summer in conditions that I will actually be willing to go outside in. Also, I want Lily to keep nursing as long as possible, and this race will let me get to her first birthday at least. I definitely noticed an decrease in my supply when I was trying to run last fall. By June and July she'll be eating a lot more solid food and will be needing less milk anyway. So it's pretty much perfect. 


Until June I'll keep walking everyday it's nice out and running when I feel like it. I've accepted that I'm pretty much going to be stuck at 165-168 until I start running regularly. I'm pretty much ok with this because that's what I weighed before I got pregnant. Too bad that's still 20lbs more than it should be. (An office job will do that.) Oh well, I can live with it for now. I know my body well enough to know that once I start training it won't be any trouble to get back where I should be. 

Week 8

Ended up at 168. No surprise there.

M: shopping
T: baby yoga + 1 hr walk + errands
W: nothing
Th: unexpected Dr. visit
F: 1 hr walk
S: 30 min walk
S: 1 hr walk + grocery shopping

Cake Decorating Class

I decided to take a cake decorating class. I had reached a point where I couldn't just learn it from reading it in a book. I really needed to be able to see it done, as well as be able to ask questions. So I ran down to Michael's and signed up for their Wilton Basic Cake Decorating Course. It was super fun. So much so that I'm going to take the level 2 class, Flowers and Cake Design. Here are some pictures and descriptions of what we did. 


First you learn how to ice a cake. There is this amazing piping tip that makes this step soooooooo much easier. After that, we transferred a pattern onto the cake and filled it with icing. This is not a technique that I ever see myself using voluntarily, but if someone else wanted something specific I can now do it. I made this cake for Joe because the first class was on Valentine's Day. Even though we don't celebrate V-Day, I wanted to make my first cake just for him. So it is a chocolate cake with Nutella filling and vanilla buttercream frosting. It was delicious. 

Next we learned to fill and decorate cupcakes. I made vanilla cupcakes and filled them with black cherry preserves iced with a vanilla almond frosting. We learned to pipe drop flowers, shaggy mums, starburst flowers, and larger floppy flowers. 

Along the way we practiced other decorating techniques and for the last class we had to design and decorate a cake all on our own. I wanted to use up my colored frosting from the previous class so that dictated some of my design. I made this cake for my parents as a thank you for watching Lily while I went to play with cake. This is a vanilla cake with a blueberry buttercream filling and vanilla almond frosting. The edges aren't very neat because I ran out of yellow frosting, and it's kind of hard to see but there are tiny white dots in groups of three that are called Swiss Dots, but the flowers turned out pretty nice, I think. 

Now for this class you have to make the icing with vegetable shortening or it just does not hold up to being handled for 2 hours. I much prefer the Italian Meringue Buttercream that I've made for previous cakes, but it takes a bit more effort. So as I make cakes for people and not for class, I will preferentially use the higher quality buttercream. But for practice, the shortening version is easier. Also, Wilton is a huge fan of artificial coloring. For the purposes of class, no problem. Would I ever personally choose to dye frosting unnatural colors? Probably not. At home I've been experimenting with natural food dyes (see Cake Success!) and will be going that route for cakes I make for people as well. 

So this was super fun and I'm excited to start the next class in March. It's also been really nice to have something that's just mine. I love being at home with Lily, but it feels good to get out of the house and interact on an adult level with people who don't just want to talk about kids. Also, I like having a legitimate reason to make (and eat!) cake.  

7 Months?

Lily is 7 months old as of yesterday, as impossible as that seems. I totally had one of those oh-so-sappy I can't believe how old she is moments. I was sitting at the kitchen table eating tomato soup and a piece of toast with melted cheese. Next to me, in her new booster chair, Lily was picking up and eating small bits of cheese, reaching for her little bowl of tomato soup, and playing with her sippy cup. When did my little itty bitty baby grow up? I swear last month she just wanted to nurse all day and cuddle. Now she is feeding herself, eating the same food as us, and scooting all around. I could sit and watch her little hands picking up things forever. It's such a small, delicate movement that gets more precise each time she tries it. It's fascinating.

As skillful as she may appear in this picture, do not let it deceive you. Lily can pick up little pieces of things and successfully get them in her mouth. But she also sometimes gets it in her little fist and can't figure out what to do with it. She doesn't use a spoon on her own, but sure loves to chew on it between sips of soup. And the sippy cup is a total disaster. She's usually trying to drink the water out of the bottom of it or the handle. 

The new booster chair has been an absolute godsend. There is so much less mess with a tray! And since I can put things on it (bits of food, toys, etc) she's willing to amuse herself in it for longer than the other chair. This makes it a little easier to do the dishes, cook, and clean. 

This whole solid food thing has been an adventure. For those of you without babies, there are three main methods: 1) The traditional way of starting with rice cereal between 4 and 6 months followed by pureed fruits and veggies, then pureed everything else then finger foods, and finally table food (though usually of a 'kid friendly' variety). 2) The modified way of skipping cereals altogether and going straight for pureed fruits and veggies at 6 months, then the same as before. 3) The baby-led approach waits until the baby can grasp things and eat them on their own. For all three, the baby is really just getting used to different textures and flavors while breastmilk and/or formula is still the main source of nutrition until about 12 months. 

We sort of tried a combination of all three. Method 1: At 6 months, we gave Lily steel cut oats because the pediatrician said cereals were going to be the easiest to digest, but we didn't want to give her uber-processed non-nutririve rice powder. She never really liked it, so I did some research and came across Method 2. So we tried mashed up avocado and she loved it. We quit the cereals and made all kinds of pureed things. She would get super frustrated though, because she desperately wanted to be feeding herself but couldn't deal with the spoon and it's not exactly easy to pick up and eat applesauce with your hands. 

Then we had her 7-month check-up and she gained a whole pound in one month! That's the most she's EVER gained. She now weighs 11lbs 12oz, which is still not even on the charts. But she's 24 and 3/4 inches long, putting her in the 10th percentile for length and head circumference. The pediatrician said to go ahead and let her have finger foods and that we can just give her some of whatever we're eating, provided that it's not too spicy or too allergenic. 

So for the last week or so we've been cutting up or shredding whatever we're eating as well as still giving her pureed fruits and veggies and it has been hugely successful. She loves grabbing little pieces of food and is SO proud when she gets it in her mouth and has to chew it. Letting her have control over something has made her much more tolerant of the spoon. Cheese is her new favorite food. She would eat an entire brick of it in one sitting if I let her. 

So... that's all, I guess. Lily is growing and I'm already getting weepy and nostalgic. How bad is it gonna be when she actually grows up?

Week 7

Ended up at 168. Must remember to GO OUTSIDE!!!

M: errands
T: 45 min walk + grocery + baby yoga
W: 1 hr walk
Th: nothing
F: auto show
S: aquarium + field museum
S: nothing

Cake Success!

Finally, a cake went well from beginning to end. I decided to make a cake for a friend who is having her third baby(!) and because I have been looking for an excuse to make this recipe for a while. I made a chocolate lavender cake with blueberry buttercream filling and icing. Then I piped crazy swirls all over it to give it a celebratory feel. Ta da!!!

Apparently, it was as delicious as it sounds. And pretty cute to boot. I did not taste this cake once it was all assembled, but I definitely taste tested along the way. Believe it or not, I'm kind of getting sick of eating cake. I still love decorating it, but I'm over the actual eating of it. Which is probably good for my body. 

This buttercream recipe is the most amazing thing in the world. I got it from The Whimsical Bakehouse book I've been using. It is technically an Italian buttercream and it is the best buttercream I've ever had in my life. When you first make it it's light and fluffy and buttery and sweet and tastes like a little bit of heaven fell out of the sky and landed in your mouth. Then I mixed in some pureed blueberries and I almost died of joy. Thankfully, I have a teeny bit of this concoction left in my fridge to smear on bagels, cookies, my finger, whatever. I love the deep purple color from the blueberry juice, and the little bits of blueberry make it look like purple granite. 

The lavender chocolate cakes were a cinch to whip up. You steep some lavender in milk over the stove for a little bit to give it that oh-so-subtle flavor. I'm psyched to try this with other random herbs and spices. I see many experimental recipes in my future. 

Again, if you can think of any reason you would like your very own Cake by Lizz, let me know and one will be showing up on your doorstep shortly. 

Weekends at the Hammons'

Weekends for us have always been about recharging for the upcoming week. Sometimes that means going out with friends, exploring a new part of town, cooking a splendid feast, sleeping in, or basically doing whatever we feel like. Having Lily hasn't changed this too much. Except there are more naps. 

Marathon Misgivings

Registration for the Chicago Marathon in October is now open. My original plan was to train for and run it this year. Based on my brief foray into running last fall, I'm a little worried about my hips. For those of you that don't know, I have crazy hips that dislocate and get really sore if I run too hard. My hips feel great while running, but they kill me at night after running. This is the place I feel the difference between my pre- and post-pregnancy body the most. I'm thinking that trying out a new distance in a new body is probably not the smartest idea.  I ran the Covered Bridges Half when I lived in New Hampshire, so it's a distance I know my body can handle (or at least could pre-pregnancy). So I'm going to compromise and run a half marathon instead. Sigh.  

Week 6

Ugh. Ended up at 169. Stupid, delicious Chinese food. And Thai food. And pizza. And cake, oh so much cake. I'm beginning to think my new cake obsession is dangerous for my health. Oh well. 


It's been particularly frustrating to be trapped inside the past few days when it was SOOOO nice outside. Even though it's getting warmer, it's almost impossible to walk anywhere because the sidewalks at intersections are still under 6 ft of snow. And hanging out in the parking lot just isn't that appealing. I think the sidewalks are melting today and I'm going to brave a walk to the grocery store with the stroller. 


M: baking + washing machine disaster
T: Baby yoga + hibernating
W: impromptu trip to RG
T: nothing
F: nothing
S: all around town
S: cleaned

Little Gifts

This week's cake adventure was about 2/3rds successful. The instructions called for using a special (pricey) mini cake pan. Me, being the smart and frugal girl that I am said that's stupid, I'm just going to bake one big cake and cut it into small squares. There were two problems with this plan: 1) the cakes were ridiculously crumby and fell apart very easily, and 2) the sides were not cut at perfect angles so the glaze did not coat all the sides evenly. Oh well. Next time I'll use upside down cupcakes. 


So, these little devil's food cakes were coated with a thin layer of vanilla mint frosting, then chocolate glaze was poured over for that oh-so-smooth shine. Then I piped some small designs on a few of them, kind of like patterned wrapping paper. Then came the modeling chocolate, or chocolate plastic. It's a blend of melted chocolate and corn syrup that forms a pliable dough that can be molded, much like playdough. The instructions said to coat a surface with corn starch, which I did, but it made the previously smooth and shiny chocolate get all dusty and dry looking. I tried wiping it off but that didn't help. I need to do some more research on how to use this stuff. I still have a hunk of it and I'm going to experiment with it next week.                                                                                                                                    

Week 5

After 5 days of being snowed in it really felt good to go outside for a bit, even though it meant shoveling out my car. I ended up at 168, which is better than I expected given that all I really did was sit and eat again this week. I wish the sidewalks were cleared enough so that I could go for a walk with Lily in the stroller. The baby bjorn is great for shopping or quick trips, but it  really starts to hurt my back after a while because my posture is atrocious in it. Maybe I'll try the mei tai as a backpack carrier this week on the warmer days.

M: Sick + laundry
T: Sick + meatloaf
W: Sick + snow
Th: Recovering
F: Cleaning
S: Nothing.
S: Shoveled.

Over it.

So... Lily started solid foods a couple of weeks ago. Thus far she's had steel cut oats, apple slices in a Sassy food bag thing, rice rusks, and avocado. She REALLY wants to feed herself and wants nothing to do with a spoon. She loves to gnaw on the rucks and apple slices because she can hold onto them herself. The oatmeal and avocado have been more challenging. 


I know she's still very new to this whole food thing, but we were having zero success even though she was clearly ready. We've tried a few different spoons to see if it was a texture thing. We've each tried holding the spoon. We've tried airplane and other distractions. We even tried letting her hold the spoon. Nothing. Then I tried using my finger. That worked marginally better.


A few days ago I was eating carrots and Lily kept trying to grab it out of my hand. And then genius struck: I should use the carrot as a make-shift spoon. Worked like a charm. Now she gobbles up avocado like nobody's business. Don't get me wrong, she still gets it EVERYWHERE, but a good portion of it gets eaten.


That last part is the source of my current frustration. I'm super excited that Lily is eating solids and I'm looking forward to making all kinds of delicious fruits and veggies for her. I enjoy watching the hilarious faces she makes and I'm proud that she can hang onto a rice rusk for more than a minute before flinging it to the ground in excitement. But I hate the mess. I'm still not completely comfortable with the new, albeit low, level of chaos in our home. And now that chaos is covered with a thin layer of slime. 


I keep trying to clean up after she eats, but I inevitably miss some. Then that one little piece gets smeared around all over again. It's not a problem to get her clean, more so me, the high chair, table, and floor. It's physically impossible to sweep with one hand, trust me I keep trying. The high chair has so many little nooks and crannies that it is a crumb and glob magnet. And I don't know how she does it, but sometimes I end up with more slime on me than anywhere else. 


I know this is a silly thing to complain about. I just needed to vent. Lily eating is great, but as far as the mess it creates, I'm over it. 


**Update**
Today Lily had sweet potato for the first time. She LOVED it. She gave me a huge grin after each bite and kept lunging forward for more. She even tolerated the spoon. 

Week 4

Ended up at 167. We've been sick. There was a blizzard. That's my excuse for this being late. 


M: 167. Scrubbed bathroom
Tu: 167. Baby Yoga plus Art Institute.
W: 167. Play group.
Th: 167. Shopping.
F: 167. Sick
S; 168. Sick
S: 168. Cosco