Colic Woes and a Great Recipe

I am finally getting  a few minutes to myself tonight and so what do I naturally do first??  Blog of course!!  It's been a long, but greatly improved day with my little Ava.  I have lots to blog about but only a few precious minutes, so tonight we're gonna do it "list style."

-Ava has colic :(  No formal diagnosis, just all the symptoms that are listed in every book, website and magazine.  It's been rough, I'm not going to lie.  She kicks in to a fussy fit that starts around dinner time and lasts until her midnight feeding.  No. Fun. For. Anybody.  It breaks our heart to see her scream and yet it makes us crazy too.  We've had our first MAJOR test of patience in parenting through this.  It's very hard to not want to scream alongside her, but so far we've made it through :) Today I decided to start trying different remedies, just to see if any of them will help.  

-First up on the list, no more dairy in my diet.  Bummer for me.  I happen to love dairy, and as I'm discovering, I eat it constantly and it's in everything that's good.  But, I have read lots about this and the trouble most babies have digesting dairy, so I'm going to try it.  Who knows if it will work, but if it helps her, then I will do it.  If the pictures below are any indication, then it's working!  So far she's been incredibly mellow tonight and she hasn't had any screaming fits :) She and I even took an hour nap together on the couch.  She slept all curled up on my chest, something she hasn't done since she was brand new.  I really think her little tummy has been hurting her.  

- Last night, I made some meat that made all of us grin like this!!  My Mom brought it up this last weekend and she left the recipe for me.  It's a beef tenderloin in a wonderful marinade.  It is soooo amazing!  I will post the recipe at the bottom.  I never took any pictures, because we ate it too fast :) It's from a friend of my Mom's and it is seriously incredible.  The meat is so tender and flavorful, I think this might be one of the best recipes I've ever shared with you!  You buy "petite shoulder" from your butcher and it is so yummy.  The marinade is quick and easy.  Try it and let me know what you think!!  
-Ava wants to know who you like for the American Idol final??  It was good tonight and I am so torn about who I think the final 2 should be.  I think Adam deserves to win, but my heart would really love it if Danny and Chris were the final two, and especially if Danny won!!  The good news is that no matter who makes it, they all will have a great shot at a big career.  This season has been really great.  It's restored my faith in Idol again :)  
-In all the wedding madness last week, I forgot to tell you that I took Ava to our first Mother/Daughter event at Church!  We had a spring fling event and I decided to go.  She was great, although I ended up standing on the outskirts of the room for the majority of the evening, rocking her to sleep.  I didn't want her to interrupt the speaker, but I should have worn more comfortable shoes!!  It was fun but I was exhausted by the time it was over :)
-I did cry however, several times throughout the evening, while heart-wrenching songs were being sung about mothers and daughters :) I am way too emotional in my postpartum state for things like that!!  It just kept hitting me that I was finally a mother and this sweet little bundle was going to grow up before my eyes, whether I want her to or not.  As long as these days can be and as challenging as a baby with colic is, I tear up every time I think about her getting bigger.  She's just so adorable, and snuggly, and little and I want her to stay this way forever.  
-One of my greatest stresses in life right now is the number of thank-you notes I need to write!!  So many people, including many of you, have been so kind and gracious to send us sweet gifts for Ava, it's totally overwhelming to me.  I can't tell you how many days there are packages at our door or gifts that come home with Travis.  It's incredible.  And I'm terrified that I'm going to forget to thank someone for something.  I've totally lost control of the "pile" and the list I started after we got home from the hospital.  Not good.  I seriously need to hire a baby-sitter, just so I can sit and write thank you notes!    We are continually amazed at how loved we are by so many of you.  You have made it abundantly clear in the way we've been showered with gifts, meals, and kind words.  So, if I accidentally miss you or if it takes me forever to get back to you, know that you are not forgotten and your gift has not gone un-noticed or un-appreciated!  

-I really should do some laundry before Ava needs to eat again.  It seems to have tripled since someone came home from the hospital :)  Good thing I love her to pieces!!  She tends to stain outfits and blankets faster than I can enjoy them... 

Try the recipe below and have a great day tomorrow!!  Let's hope the no-dairy thing continues to work through the night :) If not, I'm open to your suggestions.  

Beef Tenderloin

-Petite Shoulder Beef, 3 1/2 lbs. feeds 10 people

-1 small can of Dole pineapple and orange juice 

-1/4 C soy sauce

-1 tsp. garlic powder

Tenderize meat by pricking with a fork.  Put beef in a ziplock bag and pour ingredients over it.  Let air out of bag and let meat sit in marinade for at least 4-6 hours.  Over night is best.  Take meat out of refrigerator and let it sit for at least one hour at room temperature  before you cook it.  

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cook meat for 15 minutes.  Don't open oven door, but lower heat to 350 degrees and cook according the times below:

15 min= rare

20 min= medium

30 min= well

Let it cool out of oven for 10 minutes and slice.  Enjoy!!