My chunk chunky, hunky hunky boy

The proof is in the pictures.

Free-For-All Fridays

This is the second time I am taking the liberty to tell you whatever I want, and I'd like to use it to tell you about the awesome dinner I made last night. I'm very proud of myself for this meal. Until recently, I'd gone through a bit of a slump (that's putting it nicely!) with my cooking. Awful, really inedible, meals. But lately, I seem to have gotten my groove back!
I was inspired by this post over at She Breathes Deeply to re-visit some of my old favorite vegetarian/vegan dishes and I remembered this comforting and delicious dish I had run across a few years back: beans and greens over polenta. It was nice to have an idea for dinner!
I ignored the recipe I had followed previously (though it had come out splendidly) and simply started reaching for things - the bag of corn grits, a can of tomatoes, the bunch of kale in the crisper. Unfortunately (or fortunately, perhaps) I was out of beans of any kind so I start surveying the fridge for alternatives. Artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese. Sounds like a Mediterranean party to me. So I struck forward boldly, with chef's knife in hand, and my courage was rewarded.

First, I started the polenta (according to package instructions - essentially one cup of corn grits to three cups of water). Then I sauteed some chopped onion, kale and garlic in olive oil.

I added some Italian seasoning to my polenta and turned the heat down to low. You have to let it cook and thicken for about 30 minutes but be careful! It bubbles and pops like crazy. Stirring more frequently is better than less to help release the trapped air. Once it thickened, I spooned it into an oiled bowl and let it set up for about ten minutes. Flip it onto a plate and - voila! - you could have bought it at a store. I cut mine into pie shaped wedges to serve.

While the polenta was thickening, I chopped up my goodies of choice: the artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and sun dried tomatoes. When the onions were translucent and the kale softened, I added them in with a can of diced tomatoes and let it all get friendly for about ten minute (these were the same ten minutes the polenta needed to set up).

A little chiffonade of basil: stack, roll, chop.

To serve it, I placed two wedges of polenta - points to the center - on a plate, laid my Mediterranean filling across, and topped it all with my pretty basil ribbons and some fresh feta cheese. Mmmm. It was so good. And pretty, too! It seriously made my night.

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The only other thing I wanted to tell you today was that my cactus finally bloomed. This is actually a very big deal. I've had it for three years and... nothing. A couple months ago it grew a big bud but it withered and fell off without ever opening. Finally - finally! - it opened this past Saturday - for my birthday, no less! - and it is so pretty.

He's sleeping in his own room!

This is a big day. Drake took his first nap in his room, in his pack and play, without the comfort of the swing, and with the quilt I made him! We closed the door and used the monitor. I think this means that the transition has begun. The move from sleeping in Mom and Dad's bed to sleeping in his own. We're closer and closer all the time to sleeping through the night, too. Stars are aligning...

He wears flannel like a real man

{Small Style #5}

That's what I love about this outfit. He looks like such a man in the fleece lined flannel he got from his Uncle Mike. It's funny  how I simultaneously detest the idea of him losing his wonderful baby-ness and adore things that make him look like such a big boy. Motherhood makes you crazy.

{Linking up with Mama Loves Papa}

Noticing things

Drake is quickly taking on a lot of "big" boy qualities. (I recognize that it's all relative, and he only seems like a big boy as compared to his newborn-ness - and then, even, only to me. What a novice mother am I. Nevertheless.) He's beginning to notice the things around him. He sees the toys that hang from his bouncy chair and slaps at them wildly. Every once in a while he gets a hold of one - and seems completely confounded as to what is preventing him from pulling his arm back down close to his body. It's pretty cool to watch him slowly begin to discover the world around him. It's still a small world, but it's all new to him. It wakes up the up the sense of awe and wonder in me, too, as I see things the way I imagine he must see them. Pretty lights! Bright colors! So soft!
I've tried to facilitate these little exploratory experiences by placing things of various textures in his hands, setting brightly colored toys in his line of sight, and singing or playing music. The other day I was blessed enough to capture this "first" on video:



That duck had literally been hanging on his car seat since the day  he was born. Suddenly, it was hilarious.
By the way, I'm truly sorry you had to put up with my laughing like a hyena in the background. Hopefully Drake's sweet laugh made up for it.

The Infamous Eyebrow Shot

I've already told you that his eyebrows are prize-worthy, but now I'm offering proof:

Small Style #4
(linking up with Mama Loves Papa)

The outfit is one of those all-in-one deals from Target so I can take no credit for cute styling, but I just love it on him.

 My apologies to my Facebook friends for the repeat of the picture, but I couldn't resist using it for a Small Style post. I seriously can't get enough of it.

Birthday Day

{Alternately titled: Marriage Update: My Husband is Amazing}

My birthday isn't actually  until this Saturday - I'll be 26 - but we celebrated yesterday because the Hubs works weekends. Justin made an all day event out of it. He brought me some pre-breakfast yogurt in bed (cuz I was starving) and then brought me my first present: a gorgeous pair of brown leather boots. (The hunt for the right pair of boots has been a long-standing one - my poor Hubby has tried several times to get me the right ones, only to be foiled by my wide feet or my big calves or my distaste for synthetic materials. Sadly, yesterday's gift was another strike - big calves - but they really were gorgeous. He did a great job picking them out.)  For a full breakfast, he took me to the No Sweat. Mmmmm, the No Sweat. If you live in Helena (or within a reasonable drive, even) and you haven't had breakfast at the No Sweat, I'm slightly concerned about your mental health. Because you're crazy. It's delicious. It was the perfect start to my birthday celebration. We sat in one of the worn, wooden booths next to the glorious heater, ate big piles of freshly shredded hash browns and thick cut ham and melty, gooey cheese and sipped coffee and talked and laughed and sang along with the Motown tracks that were playing in the background.Yes.

From there, we loaded Drake into the backpack carrier and walked down the street to Sole Sisters to return my gorgeous boots. I tried on another size, but nothing worked. They were either too tight in the calves or too big in the feet. Poor Justin: he was seriously bummed. But it wasn't all bad! I strolled around the store, stroking and admiring the gorgeous selections of girly dresses and flowy tops and shoes that could be on display in an art museum more readily than worn on your feet. I found a soft blush dress with tiny grey polka dots that made me feel pretty.

From there, we took Justin to the chiropractor, then on to lunch at The Red Atlas, complete with an It's-My-Birthday-Beer.

And then! The highlight of my month: a 75 minute massage from Amy at Lazy Owl Massage. Glory. Completely relaxed on a massage table with a heating pad, sublime smells of massage oils and lotions, the [recorded] sounds of the ocean. In a word: heaven.

After that luxurious experience, Justin took me home for a lazy afternoon of lounging in bed with my two favorite men in the world, watching Midnight in Paris, and flipping through pictures of beautiful homes online - day dreaming about the kind of house we'll have one day.

My beautiful mother picked up Drake around 6 p.m. and I was free to get ready without distraction or time constraint. A hot shower (shaved legs!), blow dried and styled hair, full makeup - all in preparation for the culmination of my wonderful day: date night with my handsome husband.

He took me to the Mediterranean Grill and we stuffed ourselves with fresh and yummy food like lamb brochettes, caprese salad, swordfish with basmati rice and seasoned veggies, kunefe for dessert - all accompanied by a fabulous bottle of Earthquake Zin from my old hometown (Lodi, CA). We enjoyed the hell out of the food and the wine and each other's company. We talked about all the adventures we still want to have someday. We got sentimental and made toasts to each other. We promised to never let it get old.

Towards the end of the evening, we saw our good friends Jesse and Porter walk by and invited them in to finish our bottle of wine with us, then joined them a few doors down for a proper cocktail at Miller's Crossing. I blew $15 in the slot machines hoping I could get lucky on my birthday, we laughed at me and how easily I get tipsy these days, and then I started missing little mister. We picked him up and were home in bed before midnight.

The day was better than perfect. I am so grateful to be married to a man who will go to such lengths to make me feel so incredibly special. As much as life may change, as many children as we may have, as busy as it all may get, I hope we never stop doing this -taking a day to celebrate each other - because that's where it all began.