Welcome home Dada

It has been a long 2 months with the hubby gone.  We have dealt with longer deployments in the past, but this one has been the hardest for me thus far.  Not only do I have a toddler walking around the house now, but I have been going through some extreme bouts of exhaustion.  Not to mention the sun literally has not come out since Daddy left in January!  Thankfully, the storm has settled just in time for Dada's arrival last night!  

Unfortunately, Dada came in around 7pm, so Zach was already fast asleep upstairs. The dog however was wide awake, and ran to his side the moment he walked in the door.  He won't leave his side now.  He's such a daddy's boy.  Though he is partial to Zach when he has food too.  

Though the reuniting is always a wonderful thing, it often takes quite an adjustment.  When Dima left, Zach was barely walking around the house yet.  Now, he runs around and is like a kid instead of a baby.  I absolutely love this stage, but it's very different from 2 months ago! Our lives have adjusted in a result of these changes, so we've developed quite a routine by now.  And so once again, I will be spending the next week or so teaching Daddy all about our new routine, and finding ways to incorporate him into this routine.  I am so used to doing everything myself by now, that it will have to take some adjusting to get daddy involved.  Don't get me wrong, I'd take him home any day, but it's always an adjustment when he gets home.  I'm sure my military friends completely understand where I'm coming from.  

In any case, I am ecstatic that he's home for a very exciting few months ahead of us.  We have a trip to Tokyo planned in April, followed by a 2 week stay in the states for Dima's brother's wedding!  Not to mention many other exciting things in the works!  Welcome home Daddy.  We couldn't be happier that you're here with us now!

Neko snuggling with Daddy in the morning

Zach holding onto Daddy in pure excitement in the morning before work!

best buds

Just a few days before my c section, I began to get really worried about how the dog was going to react to the new baby when we came home from the hospital.  Was he going to destroy everything in the house in order to get our attention?  Would he try to jump on the baby?  Claw him in the face?  I spent a lot of sleepless nights worried about this meeting.

As it ended up, we brought Neko outside to meet the new addition when we came home from the hospital.  And what did he do?  He wagged his tail and started licking the baby's face.  Zach learned very quickly how to push the dog's face away when he'd had enough.

And so for the first 6 months or so, the dog constantly gave the baby attention and kisses.  As Zach got bigger, and began to sit up, stand up, and eventually walk-things have changed quite a lot.  Now, the innocent dog will be laying on the ground, and Zach will jump on him for big hugs.  He pulls his tail, ears, and tortures him in more ways then I could name.

Does the dog complain?  Not a bit.  Because he loves his little brother to death.  Not to mention the baby drops food on the floor during mealtimes for him.  The two are inseparable.  Once you find one, you find the other right by his side.  Now I understand what they mean about a boy and his dog.  This photo is proof of this exact point.  Of all the space in the house, neko has to lay down right where Zach is standing.  And Zach has to stand right next to Neko.

Despite the looks we're being given here, they were quite happy here.  They're giving the, "mom we're playing leave us alone" look.

It is comforting to know they love each other so much.  It's much worse when Daddy is home to join in the fun!

Raw almost vegan strawberry cheesecake

I've recently adopted an almost raw vegan diet.  I started it out to test to see if it really did give you energy.  As many of you know, I've been struggling a lot lately with extreme exhaustion.  Not good timing with the hubby gone!  My house is an absolute disaster because I've been so tired I couldn't even stand long enough to dust! It's been a long month and a half- we are ready for Daddy to come home!  

Anyway, I tried this as a test and guess what?  It worked!  I have been up at 6:30 every morning since starting and have energy throughout the day!  I feel great and have been keeping active running, attending body sculpting class, and doing long yoga classes all week.  I've even brought Zach to the park 3 times this week and an indoor play place once.  I have had the energy to crawl through small tunnels, and chase after a walking baby (yes, he's walking now).  I haven't felt this good in a long time!

My diet has mostly consisted of TONS of fruit and vegetables, hummus, salad, baba gnash, juice, and lots and lots of nuts and seeds.  I havent felt hungry once as I'm eating a LOT.  I don't know if this is a lifestyle I will keep with.  I do enjoy some chicken and love eggs in the morning.  But for the time being, with the hubby still gone, it's working great for me.  I feel fantastic!

Awhile ago, my super healthy friend, Alicia, told me about this yummy paleo cheesecake she made.  I figured I'd look into it and guess what?  It also happens to be raw AND can be made vegan.  I was dying to give it a go, but making an entire cheesecake for one person?  Not fun.  So when my friend, Jess told me she was throwing a mini get together for her husband's birthday, I just knew this was my chance to dive into it!

The original recipe can be found on My New Roots.  I changed a few things and doubled the recipe because my pan was big and I like a tall cheesecake!  I found it extremely easy to make.  If you decide to try this though, be sure to read the recipe first and plan accordingly.  It takes some planning!  You have to start a day early!

And so, here is what I did:

Raw "vegan" strawberry cheesecake

Crust:

1 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)

1 cup soft Medjool dates

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Filling:

3 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best

juice of 4 lemons

2 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract

2/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted

2/3 cup raw honey (This is what made it not vegan.  If you wish to make a vegan version, use agave nectar.  They don't sell it in Oki!)  (Also, I ran out of honey so used a little maple syrup to substitute) 

2 cups strawberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

Directions:

1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness. Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 10x10" pan lined with saran wrap, and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.

2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.

3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own place all filling ingredients (except berries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient).

4. Pour about 1 1/3 cups of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid.  This takes a few hours.  Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time between making this and serving it, so it wasn't nearly done!  

5. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer (what leftovers?).