Well-dressed Men and Slut Walks

This morning, while out in my daily walk with Caio, a well dressed and very fragrant Middle Eastern man greeted me. Instantly, the smell of his cologne and fabulous dress shoes reminded me why I love foreign men. There is something about their fashion sense that makes me want to stop, stare, and admire. They don't simply match their top to their bottom; they also make sure their dress shoes match their belt. I love it! Really, there is nothing more sexy than a well-dressed man with a matching belt :)

Since I'm on the topic of clothing, hubby recently told me about Slut Walk. Though the name is a little shocking, it is a feminist movement that calls attention to the rights of women who have been a victim of a sexual assault. Apparently, a cop suggested that in order to prevent sexual assaults, women should not dress like "sluts." Really, what was he thinking? Well, the movement is growing and now there are Slut Walks all over the world. Here is more info on the movement.

Ahhhh! The blogger site and iPad are not very compatible. The site will not let me upload photos from my iPad :( which is too bad since I have a great photo of a guy with matching shoes and belt.

Condensed Milk Addiction

I recently decided to end my four year relationship with condensed milk. It was not easy but it had to be done.

For four years, I have enjoyed a bowl of fruits with nuts/granola and a spoon full of condensed milk. Yes, it sounds healthy, but recently the spoon full of CM turned into two or three spoons and I began to feen for it (Here is a video that illustrates how I feel). My addiction became apparent Sunday night when I dipped a spoon into a can of CM, closed my eyes, and gobbled it down. Instantly, an image came to mind.  I saw myself being ambushed by my family and friends in an episode of Intervention, Ahhh!

I am now CM free and have been for four days. I feel great and an hoping to lose the pregnancy weight a little faster. But like Jenifer Lopes I can't be out of a relationship for too long. My new love and rebound is a tasty Starbuck's scone. Let's see how long this relationship will last.

Update: My abstinence from CM did not last. Yesterday, I opened a can of CM and enjoyed my favorite treat. This is going to be harder than I though and now I know why hubby says that "even s*^% tastes good with condensed milk."

Mission Nigh Nigh is Working

Good Night, baby

Shhhhh,  don't tell anyone, but Caio, my two-month-old, slept from 11 pm to 5:30 am. I hope I'm not jinxing things but I'm so happy that I need to share the news!

For the past two months, I have been waking up every two to three hours to breastfeed my little munchkin. While I love the idea of breastfeeding, I am beyond tired. And while I try to sleep during the day, Caio keeps me up with his cute but non-stop grunts and shifting. Exhausted but singing a very hopeful song, I decided to move him to his room at night. Slowly but surely the move helped :). We are now sleeping so much better and I am dancing to a new tune!

"Boa noite gente"

Nigh Nigh Mission

 I know that my blog entries have stopped but this baby thing is kicking my butt. Actually, the lack of sleep is kicking my butt.

Yesterday, we attended Caio's one month check up. I showed up with high hopes since I suspected Caio to weigh more than 10 pounds. Let me explain. I once read that once a baby weighs more than 10 lbs, he/she can go the night without feedings, so logically I was thrilled to hear that he is slightly above 10 lbs. In learning the news, I began to make plans of how I would help Caio sleep through the night. Well, the doc had a differ view. Though she agrees that  he can now sleep through the night, she believes that I should feed him on demand and that he will slowly adjust on his own. She also went on to say that babies begin to sleep through the night between their 4th to 8th month and that I should be patient. After 8 months, if he is not sleeping through the night, we are to intervene. 8 months! Is she out of her mind?! I'm a working mom. I can't go 8 months without a decent night of sleep. I become extremely cranky and bitch when I'm tired and hungry. Without sleep, I am capable of killing or driving those around me crazy. I can picture myself now saying, "No, your Honor. I plead not guilty due to temporary insanity."

Slightly frustrated by the doc's comments, I decided to "help" Caio sleep through the night as I did with my daughter. Calling this the Nigh Nigh mission, I devised a plan of action. For the first few nights, I will no longer wake Caio up for a feeding--those days are long gone! I will feed him when he asks for it as recommended by the doctor. Next, hubby and I will put him to bed by 10 pm. We began doing this last week and it has been going well. I will also move Caio's bassinet away from my bed. After having kids, I became a light sleeper. Any little noise wakes me up, so when Caio grunts or moves in his sleep I immediately wake up. By moving him, I'm hoping that I will sleep better and that I will disrupt his sleep less. There will also be no talking during the night. I want Caio to understand that night time is sleep/quiet time; it is not play time with mommy. Finally, I am using the French wait method (this comes from the book Bringing up Bebe). When Caio grunts or moves at night, I am going to wait a little before picking him up. Hopefully, this will help him learn to fall asleep by himself and not with my assistance. With my plan in action, I'm hoping that he will sleep through the night by his 2 month check up. Wish me luck!

Other side effects of a sleepless night: I have noticed that I look much older. Perhaps it's the dark circles under my eyes or my tired expression...regardless, I look older and that needs to change. Here is a before and after picture of me.

Before sleep                                                                                                            After sleep

Research on Brazilian-style Rice

Unlocking the secrets to Brazilian style rice

I know this sounds silly, but let me explain. For years, I have tried to make Brazilian-style rice. I would add a tablespoon of oil, 1 cup of rice, and 2 cups of hot water. But my rice was always sticky and never resembled the loose and glistening rice I often enjoy at friends' home or at Brazilian restaurants. Frustrated and determined to know the secret, I began my research. I started noticing preparation strategies, ingredients, tools, and variations of the dish I love so much (Note that I don't really like rice, but am more than happy eating a plate of pure Brazilian-style rice. It's something about the texture and flavor that keeps me coming back for more).

I've come to the conclusion that it's all in the oil or I should say the amount used. The 1 or 2 tablespoons mentioned in cookbooks really isn't enough. From my observations, one needs to cover the bottom on the pot with oil. It gets better! Once the oil is hot, add chopped garlic and/or onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Next, mix Jasmine rice with the ingredients; make sure to coat the rice with the oil. After a few minutes add water. This is where noted rice makers disagree. Some believe that the water must be hot before adding it to the pot. Others are comfortable using room temp water. Conclude by adding salt and pepper and bringing the water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, lower heat and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.

Whenever I make sticky rice, hubby usually  says, "united we will win/succeed." Apparently, it's a common saying and an indirect insult if someone says this about your rice. 

Note that my research is all theoretical. Once I overcome my fear of coating the bottom of the pot with oil, I will begin empirical research. Wish me luck!

Tough Decision

Recently, I wrote about circumcisions. After the birth of my son, the doctor asked if we were planning on going through with the procedure. Since hubby preferred not to have our son C. and I knew very little about the benefits and disadvantages of the procedure, I left it alone. Actually, I just can't bring myself to watch or participate in the process. I couldn't bring myself to have my daughter's ears pierced let alone C. my little boy. I know, I'm a wimp!

Still curious about the process, my sister emailed me info on the benefits. Let me sidetrack and tell you that I have the best sister ever (I hope she reads this!). Really, of the three Juqueira kids, my sister has the biggest heart and is surprisingly resourceful. In a matter of minutes, she can tell you the best car to buy, provide feedback on a shitty easy, and plan a great family trip. Needless to say, she sent me info on the benefits of C. Here are her findings:

Here’s are some interesting facts related to the benefits of circumcision from a WebMD article: In studies published in the past decade, the removal of the foreskin provided a 50% reduction in HIV transmission, a threefold reduction in human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in female partners of circumcised men (HPV can cause cervical cancer), and lower rates of syphilis and chlamydia, which causes sterility and is the main sexually transmitted disease among teenagers. Circumcised infants were also roughly 10 times less likely to suffer urinary tract infections and the high fevers associated with them. And circumcision virtually eliminates serious penile cancers, which invade about 1 in 100,000 uncircumcised men. The evidence from Africa of circumcision’s potential role in AIDS prevention led the New York City Health Department in April to begin considering outreach programs to promote circumcision among gay adult men and drug addicts.

Baby Boy

New baby boy

The nine month wait is finally over. My baby boy was born on Easter, April 8th, after 17 hours of labor!

Baby and mom:

Aquarela Kids Above:

Throughout the preg, I opted not to know the sex of the baby. Since knowing but not allowed to talk about it was too much pressure, hubby also decided not to know the sex of the baby.

We would have been more than happy with either sex, but the idea of having a little boy and girl, a couple, was top on our list. Needless to say, we were and are thrilled to have a little boy. He is going to learn how to dance with mom and will become a soccer-fan-cake-baking little boy with dad!

Baby and Dad:

While at the hospital, we were given the option to circumcise him. To be honest, I know little of the benefits or disadvantages associated with the procedure, but hubby felt no need to go through with it. After a little research, I discovered that C is on the decline in the U.S. Excluding cultural or religious reasons, parents and doctors see little benefits to it.

After asking around, a friend sent me this video on circumcisions. It's a little long and graphic but informative.