1st Dentist Visit for Samantha

Samantha had her first visit to the dentist today.  I was worried she was going to be scared like she is at the doctor's office but she LOVED the entire visit.  Dr. Annie said her teeth all look healthy, no cavities and to keep up the good work! 

 Before Sam's exam, she helped Dr. Annie give Mr. Toothy an exam

 Thatcher was very intrigued

 Samantha didn't want to let go of the suction tool aka "Mr. Thirsty"

 I was in awe the entire appointment at how good she did

This visit gives me high hopes for her 3 year doctor appointment in a few months. 

Chicken Breasts with Avocado, Tomato, and Cucumber Salsa

I have been making a conscious effort to add more protein to our diet and this dish gives a healthy dose of it.  No need to add anything else to your plate, this dish is surprisingly filling. 

From Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 3/4 cup salsa)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped seeded peeled cucumber (about 1 large)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup prechopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped peeled avocado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Preparation

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder evenly over chicken; add chicken to pan. Cook for 6 minutes on each side or until done, and remove from heat.

2. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, tossing well. Serve with chicken

Mini Vacation with the Grandparents

Samantha spent the weekend swimming, gardening and baking with Dancing Grandma and Papa Ward.  Lucky girl!   

Wish We Had A Target

Too bad we don't have a Target in Santa Barbara because Thatcher really likes it.

On To The Good Stuff

So I am over lamenting that my son will not eat a single bit of pureed food.  We tried just about every fruit and vegetable as well as rice cereal and nothing made it past his lips.  I am done. No more mashing, blending or buying jars of food.
 

  Since Thatcher is on his way to having FIVE teeth already (bottom two in, another bottom just broke through and the top two making their way down), we decided to go for it and give him solid food.

That is broccoli, not a glow stick

So far so good....

 Waiting for the verdict....

HE LIKES IT!!!

Thatcher was just trying to save me the extra work, and mess, of mashing up his food.  What a thoughtful little guy.  And I have to say, for getting 5 teeth so young and all at the same time,  he has been quite a trooper!

Our Family

Future Barbizon Model?

Little Drummer Boy (With Hiccups)

Siblings

Up until now, Samantha always put a stuffed animal in the seat opposite of her in the wagon.  She was thrilled to have Thatchie ride along with her this weekend instead. 

Teething

We are knee deep in teething.  Thatcher already has two bottom teeth and now his two front teeth have started to make their decent.  Samantha didn't have her 2 front teeth until about 10 months. 

Thatcher is doing his best to numb the pain by chewing on our ottoman, the coffee table and our dining room table. 

Happy Birthday Laurie

My friends and I surprised Laurie with a 35th birthday party at Arnoldi's yesterday.  Despite a few close calls and a lot of lies, it was indeed a surprise!  The pictures say it all: 

Laurie and I have known each other for 13 years now and I can honestly say, I couldn't ask for a better best friend. 

Circa 2002 despite how 80's we look.....

Early to Bed, For Once

Samantha fell asleep on the couch at 7:30 last night.  I am posting this so I have proof that this did actually happen. Grant it, she didn't nap this day, but still, pretty groundbreaking for a girl whose bedtime hovers around 10ish.  Feel free to do this again Sam (with a nap though please).

Big News

Life has just gotten easier.

Thatcher can sit up in the cart now. 

Watch out Trader Joes!

SMA BLOG PARTY

Today is the first ever “SMA BLOG PARTY!”   What does this mean?

It is simple — bloggers come together to 1) Talk about SMA, 2) Put a face to this awful disease, and 3) Help WIN $20,000 for SMA research by clicking here: http://www.voteforsma.com/ .

If you are even vaguely familiar with our blog, you know that we are 100% behind helping to find a cure for SMA.  Gwendolyn and her parents are dear friends of ours and we are committed to doing whatever we can to help them.

Please help today by participating in the SMA Blog Party.  Join the party AND:

 

1. Repost this post on your Blog, Facebook, Twitter

2.cast your vote for The Gwendolyn Strong Foundation on http://www.voteforsma.com/

What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA):

SMA is the leading genetic killer of infants and young children. It is a terminal, degenerative disease that results in the loss of nerves in the spinal cord and the weakness of the muscles connected with those nerves. SMA impacts the ability to walk, stand, sit, eat, breathe and even swallow. The mind and spirit are no different from that of a healthy baby, but the body eventually fails. Typical babies with SMA Type 1 have a life expectancy of between one and two years and they require around-the-clock medical assistance and monitoring


Here is a typical day in the life of Gwendolyn:

■7:00am ~ the night nurse leaves and we get up to start Gwendolyn’s day


■7:30am-8:00am ~ we wake Gwendolyn up (the smile on her face is priceless when she wakes up); we administer respiratory treatment #1 for the day; we take her off of bi-pap


■8:00am-9:00am ~ we move Gwendolyn and her machine cart from her bedroom to the family room for the day; feeding time #1 (100cc’s fed over 1 hour via g-tube)


■9:00am-10:30am ~ this is usually playtime; stretching and massage to keep her joints and muscles healthy; bath time (aka water therapy) every other day (which she absolutely loves!!!)


■10:30am-11:30am ~ we usually put her back on bi-pap; nap time if we can get her to take one


■11:30am-12:00pm ~ we take her off of bi-pap; we administer respiratory treatment #2


■12:00pm-1:00pm ~ feeding time #2 (100cc’s fed over 1 hour via g-tube)


■1:00pm-2:00pm ~ this is usually when nurses or therapists come to check up on Gwendolyn and give her therapy (2-5 times per week); we put her back on bi-pap; or sometimes this is playtime


■2:00pm-3:30pm ~ we take her off of bi-pap; playtime; stretching and massage


■3:30pm-4:00pm ~ we administer respiratory treatment #3


■4:00pm-5:00pm ~ feeding time #3 (100cc’s fed over 1 hour via g-tube)


■5:00pm-6:00pm ~ we put her back on bi-pap; nap time


■6:00pm-7:30pm ~ we take her off of bi-pap; playtime; stretching and massage


■7:30pm-8:00pm ~ we administer respiratory treatment #4


■8:00pm ~ we put her back on bi-pap; bedtime


■8:00pm-9:00pm ~ feeding time #4 (100cc’s fed over 1 hour via g-tube)


■10:00pm ~ feeding time #5 (400cc’s fed over 9 hours — all night — via g-tube)


■10:30pm ~ we transfer Gwendolyn and her machine cart from the family room to her bedroom for the night and get her settled for the night


■11:00pm ~ one of Gwendolyn’s night nurses arrives, we give a report of the day, and get things ready for tomorrow


■11:00pm-7:00am ~ the night nurse monitors Gwendolyn, suctioning and rotating her sleeping position as needed throughout the night


■2:00am ~ we administer respiratory treatment #5

Nobody should have to go through this, especially a child.

Please help us get the word out about this awful disease and join our blog party!

The Fallon Family 

Sitting Up

One week I crawled, then the next week I started to pull myself up and now today, I can sit up by myself.   I think most babies sit up before they start to crawl but my parents can already tell that I am not going to be like most babies.  Maybe tomorrow I will start to enjoy vegetables?  Nah, probably not.

Golden Corn Salad with Fresh Basil

This is a really good summer salad but alas, it is fall...oh well :)

I have made this recipe several times, most recently for a large group and it seemed to be a hit. It makes a great side dish at a BBQ.   The key here is that you have to use fresh corn on the cob.  I have experimented using different varieties of potatoes (I recommend using fingerling potatoes and slicing them very thin) and tomatoes (heirloom cherry tomatoes tasted and looked the best).  Make sure you budget your time with allowing the potatoes to chill completely or else it will wilt the arugula. 

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 1/4 cups)

Ingredients
8 ounces small yellow Finnish potatoes or small red potatoes
3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cups assorted tear-drop cherry tomatoes (pear-shaped), halved
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups arugula, trimmed
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
2 ounces goat cheese, sliced

Preparation
1. Place potatoes in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 11 minutes or until tender. Drain and chill. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Combine potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and bell pepper in a large bowl.

2. Combine shallots and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly pour oil into shallot mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle over corn mixture; toss well. Add arugula; toss. Sprinkle with basil; top evenly with goat cheese.

Beefcake

Making Progress

Okay, yesterday we moved Samantha into a new twin bed. 

Next step, the toddler bed back up to a crib for Thatcher....

6 Month Doctor Visit

Thatcher had his 6 month check up today and he seemed to enjoy the appointment.  The doctor was very impressed that he is already crawling but not so impressed to learn that he sleeps with Mom and Dad, we STILL swaddle him (if I don't, he will crawl or roll off our bed) and he gets up to eat all hours of the night.  None of this has actually bothered any of us because despite getting up to eat once in a while (okay, sometimes A LOT) he goes right back to sleep and will sleep late.  We really haven't experienced any sleepless nights since we brought Thatcher home. 

  With Samantha, we had her on a pretty tight eating and sleeping schedule, and we rarely, if ever, let her sleep in our bed.  And with Thatcher, we decided to go with a "whatever works" approach, and I have to say, Thatcher wins the prize hands down of being an easier baby.

With all that being said, we are about to move the two of them into a room together.  While I hope it all goes smoothly, I am pretty darn sure Thatcher is going to be pissed, (that is the nicest way I could put it), that he isn't sleeping next to Mom, swaddled all cozy, and eating whenever he feels like it. Hopefully he has been listening when I say all the time how perfect he is and he won't hold a grudge.

Height: 27 1/4 inches 75%

Weight: 17 lbs 15 oz.  60 % 

  

Samantha at 6 Months

Height: 27 1/2 inches  97%

Weight: 16 lbs 14 oz. 75%

P.S.  If anyone has any advice on a toddler and a baby sharing a room, I'd love some.  My main concern is the two of them waking each other up during naps/bedtime. 

Gwendolyn Strong Benefit at SOHO

Last night Todd and I attended the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation Benefit birthday party for Mia Hultgen at SOHO in downtown Santa Barbara.  Like Gwendolyn, Mia suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). 

 Live music, raffle prizes, drinks, dancing, a photo booth and best friends all raising money for a cause that we are so passionate for. 

Grilled Shrimp with Citrus-Sambal-Oelek Dressing

LOVE this shrimp recipe!  The Sambal Oelek Asian chile sauce is pretty darn hot but when combined with the citrus juices the heat is tamed down a bit.  Great as an appetizer or main dish.

From Food and Wine Magazine

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sambal oelek or other Asian chile sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
32 jumbo shrimp (about 4 pounds), shelled and deveined

Directions
1.In a bowl, whisk the sambal oelek with the lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice and oregano. Whisk in the 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2.Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the shrimp over moderate heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to plates and spoon the dressing on top. Serve.

I Can Crawl

Thatcher is not quite 6 months old and is officially crawling!  You can tell from the video he is just starting to figure it out.  I can almost hear what he is thinking, "left hand, right leg, right hand, left leg."   Samantha started to crawl at 6 months however she did more of an army crawl on her elbows.  Oh Thatch, so advanced! 

 

Micah's March - SMA 5K

On Saturday our whole family, including Lollipop, participated in Micah's March, a benefit 5K for the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. We all wore "Team Gwen" shirts and felt so honored to be a part of this event, raising money and awareness for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Please, please, please take a few minutes to look at Gwendolyn's blog and learn more about SMA and how you can help support this amazing family.

Gwendolyn and Micah

Thank you to everyone who sponsored our family in the walk.