Translation

Bon Appetit = French for 'enjoy your meal'

Move over Julie!

I feel like Julie from "Julie & Julia." My Grandma got me this book when I got married. I have been trying a different recipe ever night and I love it!! I love cooking and I love discovering new recipes. I still make my favorites from growing up, but it's fun to add to the menu - Last night's dinner was a hit!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI! - SOOOOOO easy, so good and so healthy too!

3 - 15 oz cans of pinto or white kidney beans (cannellini) rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup chopped red, green or yellow sweet pepper
2 fresh jalepeño chile peppers, seeded and chopped (beware of the volatile oils!)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsps cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

mix in a slow cooker and go!! (cook on high for about 4-5 hours, low for 8-9)

The best part about this dish was that I had everything in my kitchen already, and it was almost no work.

My suggestions:

I used one black bean one black eyed pea and one RED kidney bean can each. I didn't have the other types on hand. I thought it was flavorful and added color to the dish. (light beans with white chicken = boring aesthetics. Presentation DOES matter!). Moral of the story: being creative with your bean choice will NOT take away from the dish

I served it on rice - YUMMY!
flavorful topping suggestions: Fresh snipped cilantro (favorite), shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and/or sour cream.

NOTE: toppings may or may not take away from the healthfulness of the dish.

Bon Appetit!

UP

Things are really looking up for us. When we got married, things were going good. We were poor, but definitely making it. Juan and I both had full-time jobs for the summer. THEN I got pregnant, sick and just couldn't work as much as I wanted while I was throwing up all day - my job was a little too demanding for that. We still had not worked out Juan's legal status. We were saving up the large sum of money it required, along with costs of rent, tuition, etc. Juan still had not been accepted into BYU or any school for that matter. He was still attending the English Language Center, so he could still work, but because of his student visa he could only work on campus. Then a huge blessing came - he passed his English test! We could now begin the application process for BYU. We had completed his application for Winter 2010 semester, but because of a mistake that BYU made, we had to push it back to spring. BIG disappointment. He had already finished the English curriculum, so No school = NO work! He wasn't able to work a whole semester, which happened to be the semester I was giving birth... I wasn't working either... We had hurried to get his papers finished before 2009 was over, but let's be honest, it's government stuff. So many hoops and hurtles... He didn't get his work permit to work off-campus. WE WERE POOR. AND I MEAN POOR. About to bring a baby into this world and we couldn't even put food on the table for ourselves. And I was sick all along the way. I made it through the days. I had to. But by the time Jack was due, my body couldn't take it anymore and I got REALLY sick.

And even through all of this, I cannot help but look back on this and not have one regret. YES, I was scared that Juan would be deported or something (a little dramatic, since he was safe under the fact that we were "in the process") but still - you never know. Scared about the money. Scared about finishing school. Having the health and strength to take care of this baby. But Juan and I have grown so much after going through it. I wasn't exactly surprised when I found out I was expecting. I was "prepared" to receive the news that I was pregnant - I was told he was coming. And I had the normal worries, but I was content. Things were being prepared, but then everything seemed to fall apart. WHY? All I could do was believe that things would work themselves out in time. And through the generosity, prayers and faith of others, they have. I am humbled by the endless mercy of God.

Right now -

Juan has his work permit
Juan passed his permanent residency interview
Juan got not only one, but TWO jobs
I got not only one, but TWO scholarships
We qualify for grants - LOTS of free money for school and living expenses
TAX returns!!
Because of all this, I can stay home until school starts again.
And I get to wake up to this in the morning:



I LOVE my life :)

You would think that being a FULL TIME stay at home mom would give me enough time to do some laundry, or at least cook a meal AND do all the dishes And take care of my baby... Right?

I have no idea where the time goes and how I seem to get NOTHING done. At least my baby is happy :)



P.S. That is not my sink, nor is that Jack taking a bath... only a representation of how I feel sometimes.

DHS

Juan, Jack and I went to the office of the Department of Homeland Security today. We had the interview for Juan's permanent residency. Talk about intimidating. I hate government stuff! They make you all worried with all the stuff you have to bring with millions of copies, and if you forget something - you might be denied. denied. denied. After thousands of hard earned dollars are spent to ensure this process goes through, to be denied would be devastating, especially when you are as poor as we are.

So we get there, go through security (like at the airport), and then we wait. and wait. and wait. We finally got called in. The lady was super nice. The couple before us was unprepared - we were over prepared. And she appreciated that. She basically approved our case immediately after verifying all of the information and collecting necessary documents. We waited longer than we were actually in our interview.

Yay for Juan being a permanent resident!

Not so good luck

Today, after dropping Juan off at school (I love this whole full-time mom/wife thing I got going on right now!), I was carrying Jack into our apartment. He had fallen asleep, so I was cradling him face up.... All of the sudden I hear this big SPLAT! and I turn to find a HUGE puddle of bird poop that had very narrowly missed landing on my poor baby's face.

Apparently in some cultures this is good luck: to be pooped on by a bird.... But I think the last thing I need is some nasty disease-filled bird to POOP on my baby's CUTE face and get him sick. Agreed?

Warning: Lots of Pictures

And a boring birth story. It has been 6 weeks already. 6 weeks today! But to keep a record for myself, and at the request of others, I must document it. So, let's start from the beginning.....

Once upon a time, there was a guy and a girl. They got married in beautiful San Diego. They were very much in love.
They were so excited to start their life together and start a family. They didn't have to wait long because the girl (me, Kailey) found out she was expecting! They were married May 2nd, and by June 27th (my birthday) the happy couple found out that they would soon be three!


Okay, enough of that.... Here I am at about 20 weeks
And 32/35 weeks or something like that.
And 40 weeks plus 3 days. The day before I went into the hospital. I was scheduled to be induced on March 11 at 9:30 AM. My doctor said it would be the only way for the miserable Puppps to go away (which is a rash, a horrible rash, that itches beyond belief, that usually only occurs with your first pregnancy and is usually with a boy) and I also had the stomach flu or something like it for a whole week before he came. I was awake all night, every night, with a horrible stomachache. All I could do was rock back and forth in the fetal position. And then I was vomiting and etc....... no more details needed. But I had to go into the hospital a couple times for dehydration so I could get IV's. So, my wonderful doctor took pity on me, and we were in the hospital the next day!

The next morning, I was so nervous, but I was glad that this whole pregnancy was going to be over with and that I was going to meet my son soon (without having to worry about when I was going into labor or not!). We had our bags packed and ready to go the night before, since we knew we were going, and I was all showered and ready to go! Poor Juan was so excited he was driving a little too fast. My mom was there with us, and we kept telling him it was ok - he didn't need to drive so fast! But to no avail. We were pulled over just about a mile from the hospital. You know like in the movies? Well the cop wasn't as enthusiastic. He still went through the motions, took the license blah blah blah, but by the time he came back, my hormones and emotions got the best of me and I was bursting with uncontrollable tears. But its ok, I'm not embarrassed... We got off with a warning, and Juan got a good punch in the arm when we got to the hospital.
And here I am after the Pitocin... Just chillin talkin to my dad. At about 10:00 AM. I was a 3.5 at my check-up on March 8th, and when I checked in on March 11th, I was still a 3.5.

an hour later, stronger contractions, but no real labor pains. and 3.5

still a 3.5

3.5

Maybe a 4!

4, doctor broke my water, EWWWW

More painful contractions. Got the Epidural. The anesthesiologist was going into surgery, so I might have had to wait and risk not getting one at all, and I was all about getting the epidural. And it was glorious. They started the drip and I was able to sleep and relax. BUT I was at a 3 or 4 for a long time!

3.75

4

4 - 99˚ fever

Still a 4 - 100˚ fever, internal monitor implanted

4 - 101˚

at 3:00 AM March 12th - A 7!! 100˚

3:30 - 9

4:15
nurse wakes me up... "Ok girl, we're reading to start pushing!"
Me: "have you called the doctor yet?"
Nurse: "Oh yeah, we're going to call him right now. You could be pushing for a while. It's your first and he's a big guy."
Me: "ok"

So we set up the skype, to allow my dad and Juan's parents to be a part of the moment. I was skeptical at first, but I decided that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I wanted them to be a part of it. So we set up the webcams (from the side of course) and they got to be with us during the delivery! ....

Nurse: "Ok here comes a contraction. Ready... PUSH!"
"Harder!"
Me: thinking - "my eyes are going to burst if I push any harder... Oh suck it up Kailey, you gotta get this baby out!"
So I pushed! 3 pushes per contraction. As HARD as I could. No screaming or punching or biting, like I had thought. (THANK YOU EPIDURAL!)

4:25
Nurse: "We better wait, or I'm going to be delivering this baby without a doctor!"
Apparently I pushed harder than they had seen in a long time! Yeah, I'm pretty proud of that!

4:33
Doctor gets there and we push again.
1,2,3 push and he's out!!! With a cry of relief and sheer amazement.
Juan cut the cord and they whisked my baby away, before I could even hold him :(
They wanted to make sure he was ok because of the long labor and my fever. They did all the cleaning and measuring and the grandparents got to watch via skype, while the doc took care of all my stuff.... I watched and listened as my baby was crying and crying. I wanted to hold him so bad! I barely remember my placenta being delivered or being stitched. All I could focus on was my beautiful baby.


He was so beautiful from the moment he was born. He was nice and full - 9 pounds!! He was not scrawny... He was my beautiful, strong baby!
And I finally got to hold him... (wow was I swollen)

All I could think was he's so beautiful. I'm so in love!

And here is uncle Bryan, who was able to be with us too!!
And my nice green jell-o!! Only in a utah hospital!

We had to stay upstairs in the delivery room, while we waited for a recovery room in the mom and baby ward to open up. Apparently they had about 30 deliveries in the past 24 hours or something like that! But we were finally able to move down. I barely remember being transferred. It's all a bit of a blur. I felt like I was hit by a bus when I woke up. No more Epidural! Getting up was horrible. Going to the bathroom was horrible. And to make things worse - my rash actually got worse! It was no longer just on my belly. It spread down my legs and under my knees and on my rear-end and on my love handles and in my armpits! (It took about a week and a half to go away, but apparently sometimes it has to get worse before it gets better). We finally decided on a name: Jack Henry. It was on our list, but I knew once I saw him... We really wanted to give him a family name, and one we both liked, but Juan was reeeeeeally picky. We were also forbidden to name him Juan. Although I would have, if that was what Juan really wanted, because he had always wanted to name his son, especially a firstborn, after himself and his father (they are both Juan José). But in the end, he decided against it. And we went with Jack (a form of John) after my mom's dad, John Henry.

Jack ended up being jaundice and They wanted to keep us for a little while extra to make sure we were both ok, following the long labor and the fever. I hated those stupid beds. I could never feel comfortable and I hated being restricted. I was so glad when I was able to get up and shower!! We stayed until Sunday, March 13th. We were both ok, and it was a long time to be away from home, so I was so glad when we were able to go home! Here we are getting ready to go home!
And we're home! Look how cute!
Showing Jack of to the grandparents!
MY POOP KING... This kid, i swear.... Went through 200 diapers in a week. We were changing him all the time. We put one diaper on and he would put immediately or he would pee all over us while we were trying to put the new one on and we'd have to change him again. Well.... one time, after a shower of course, and after we had cleaned the couch cushions, he pooped. ALL over me!!! Notice the splattering on the pants and the yellow on the shirt. It squirted straight up... I had no idea he could shoot poop with such power!
Grandma enjoying the poopmeister. I was so glad to have my mom there. She was able to help take care of him during the night while I TRIED to go back to school.
And here he is sleeping!


And Nathan came to visit us!And now my mother and father in law are here all the way from Mexico. They get to stay with us for a month and enjoy their son and grandson!

And finally my dad came to visit for the baby blessing. Look at the happy grandpa!
And Aunt Cami!
The family at the blessing! We were blessed with a good turnout despite the distance. (not pictured: James, Joseph, Nathan and Juan's cousin Ismael).
And finally! After 4 weeks that thing fell off, the day before his blessing.
And this is a common sight these days...
The happy family...
Growing up too fast!!
I love this cute little guy! (who is already wearing up to 6 months clothes)
Juan with his dad and his son!
And drumroll please.........

I successfully gave birth and completed a semester!! The grades aren't in yet, but I'm pretty sure I didn't fail any classes! In fact I think I did pretty well considering the circumstances. And I just found out that I am going to be able to graduate April 2011 if all goes according to plan. That means I get to take spring and summer off, go home to California to visit for a couple weeks and come back for fall semester to finish it off!! wooooo!!! And I just received a message in "my financial center" at BYU telling me of a full tuition scholarship that I had earned! I couldn't be more excited!

I'm sorry for the bombardment of photos and the delay. But I commend you if you have made it this far. Thanks everyone for your love! We love and miss you all. Hope to see you soon!

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What a disapointment.

I have been waiting for March 7th for just about 9 months.... Well, March 7th came and went, and what do I have to show for it? A big belly, no baby and some puppps - one of the most miserable experiences a pregnant woman could imagine. I figured he wouldn't come on time, but you can't help but have hope, right?

I'll keep y'all updated. I just didn't want you to think I was not blogging because I was in labor/enjoying my beautiful baby, because I'm not...yet.

I'm so lucky!

A homemade meal... AND he's doing the dishes, after letting me sleep in!