Today Erica turned 8 weeks old… and went for her shots and weigh-in.

For the weigh-in, she’s now 9lbs, 8oz, and has a double chin to show for it. 

As for the shots, she was given a series of 4 shots- 2 on each thigh.  E couldn’t watch, so I had to hold her legs down while the shots were administered.  The first syringe was at least half full… and given the size of her leg in relation, it seemed like a lot.  e’s reaction to:

Shot #1 was “Hey, owww… what did you do that for?” 

Shot #2 “OW!  Hey you did it again!

Shot #3 “WAAAH! You poked me in that leg already!!”

Shot #4 “OK, OK that’s IT!  You want real tears, you GOT it!  BWAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

Thankfully she was ok taking the Infants Tylenol, but you have to wonder about giving so many injections to someone so young, especially when her immune system is still developing.  But that’s where trust with your healthcare provider comes in. 

So here’s something interesting we learned.  If you were born before 1984, chances are you got a smallpox vaccine- the one that leaves a round scar on the arm just under the deltoid.  Smallpox was “erradicated” in the early 80’s which is why kids nowadays don’t need the shot.  I remember growing up and seeing everyone with the mark, but I guess this is one example of how vaccinations actually work!

Yes, this seems like an odd topic to write about.  The story here is that it’s one of our main comfort foods… and my Mom isn’t here to make it for me.

So I went onto the internet just to see what exists in the way of recipes (I can hear my mom’s voice- “you don’t need a recipe, just use what you have!)

Yes Mom.

However there are variations and I like to see what other people are using.  Anyways, I think I’ve come up with a “base” recipe, to which you can use as a starting point and modify as needed.

So here goes, the secret unveiling to “Durwin’s fried rice”

• 3 cups of uncooked rice
• 4 chinese sausage
• 5 eggs
• lots of chopped green onions
• 1.5 cups of frozen peas (or mixed vegetables)
• cooked oil
• sesame oil
• Oyster sauce
• light soy sauce
• Tumeric
• Salt and Pepper

The rice is made first earlier in the day, and set in the fridge to chill.  Heat up the frying pan and put in 3 or 4 tablespoons  of “cooked oil” (Not sure what it is exactly, but we have a jug of Corn oil that’s been heated up and cooled).  Dump in the rice and give it a good stir.  While the rice is getting up to temperature, beat the eggs in a bowl and dump that into the pan, stirring to mix well.  When the egg solidifies and browns a bit, dump in the Chinese sausage (which will give the dish a nice saltiness) and maybe 2 tablespoons of sesame oil.  Sesame oil smells yummy when heated.  Next, sprinkle in maybe a teaspoon of Tumeric.  Not too much, so watch the amount carefully as a little goes a long way, and give everything a good mix.  Now add a teaspoon of Oyster sauce, a decent amount of pepper, a little bit of salt, and the frozen peas.  After about a minute of stirring, add the chopped green onions.   When everything gets nice and hot, add Soy sauce to taste.  Again, a little goes a long way so maybe just start with a teaspoon and add until you get the right salt content.

By this time, everything should be nicely mixed and the dish is nicely sizzzzzling!  Have a final taste, adjust the spices as needed, and enjoy! 

just uploaded a few new photos of before/after bathtime.  I’ll have to spend more time getting the AWB (white balance) right on the photos, and figuring out how to organize gallery better.  To view the photo gallery, there’s a photo tab at the top right of this page, and I’ll put a link in the link section.