Nay: Not only was I stuck in the middle seat for both of my flights, but on flight #1, I sat next to a Stage 5 talker (you know – the kind that ignores subtle and not-so-subtle hints that you want to be left alone), and on flight #2, I was stuck next to a serious snorer. And I was sans-coffee. So. That was fun.
Yay: I am home! For 22 awesome hours, but still. HOME.
Nay: I was so excited to see Henry – I picked him up from the clinic – but he kind of gave me the cold shoulder. It hurt my feelings so much that I cried. I wanted him to be all, “Momma! Momma!” and he was more like, “Hey, there are car keys in your hand – saaaaaweet.” I texted a bunch of momma friends and DadHTP and everyone assured me it’s normal but… it still sucked.
Yay: However, once we got home and were in a quieter environment, Henry gave me the X’s and O’s that I was searching for. We played, played, played all afternoon. It was lovely. I missed him a lot.
Nay: I tried to make homemade stuffed grape leaves this afternoon. I LOVE stuffed grape leaves. One of my favorite foods. I’ve had a jar of grape leaves in the pantry for a few months, and after browsing recipes online, decided to try my hand at rolling the tasty little treats.
They weren’t very good… They opened up a bit (too much space in the pan?) and were tough. I think grape leaves are one of those foods that just taste better when someone else prepares it.
Any ideas for what to do with all the leftovers? Should I try again or make something else? Is there anything else you can create with grape leaves?!
Yay: While unpacking the diaper bag, I discovered that Maggie is a size 6 Months in baby clothes. I thought Maggie and Henry looked like they were finally exactly the same size! Now I know for sure that they are. As a result, Maggie has a new vest. Lookin’ fly, girlfriend!
Nay: Trying to walk two unruly dogs + navigate the streets with a jogging stroller = Disaster.
I was so exhausted by the time I got home from our two-block stroll that I blew off my run. Seriously – that was enough action for one day.
Yay: Since I’m heading out tomorrow, I simply dumped all the contents of my suitcase into the wash and repacked it when it was dry. Easy peasy.
What was your yay or nay for the day?
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{ 60 comments… read them below or add one }
I love that you put Henry’s clothes on Maggie…we joke that our pup is the official baby product tester while we wait for bebe….she’s not so thrilled about it, but it makes for cute pictures. Maybe we will make a small book with them? (And yes I realize how nutty that makes me sound!)
My yay — getting something in the mail I had been waiting for and it was great; my nay — having the flu (and I had a flu shot). Maybe tomorrow I will be on the road to recovery.
I like how you ended with a YAY.. I think it’s a sign.
I don’t think I’ve tried stuffed grape leaves before. My day. Yay: I made it through the day without eating anything processed. Nay: I lost one of my jobs. I am nanny so it always eventually comes to an end as the families needs change but I wasn’t expecting this one so soon. Boo.
You need the Extra Hnd Glove to free up your hands while dog walking
http://extracleverdevices.com/
Yay for grocery shopping with the man and coffee with a close friend.
Nay on the never-ending studying for classes.
I seriously LOL’d for about 30 seconds at Maggie being a size 6 months. Then I started wondering what size my wiener dog is and what her human sister might have in the closet to share.
A bit jealous Henry is still in 6 months… My girl is 1 month younger than him and starting to outgrow 9 month clothes… ugh.
oh, and we need a tunnel. yay for tunnels!
Same with my son! He is 7.2 months old and isn’t super chubby but is very tall (97th percentile) and needs AT LEAST 9 and they won’t last much longer. 12 month pants fit him, holy moly.
H is short like me
he has some nine months that fit. Baby sizing is so weird!
Aw Caitlin.. I usually don’t post much but when I read about you being upset about Henry not caring much when you got back it hurt my heart and I knew I had to reach out. I had a second baby when my son was 13 months old. When I got home from a 48 hour stay at the hospital he literally wanted nothing to do with me. I hugged him and kissed him when I got home and he started crying to get away from me.. He literally wouldn’t even look at me for a week. He loves his little sister, it was just me that he was way over. It hurts bad. I cried and cried. Not many people (pediatrician, friends, family) could understand why my feelings were so hurt. Still to this day (2 months later) I get reprimanded if I get sad when he rejects me.
My point is your feelings are totally justified and your not the only mommy who goes through this. Thank you for even mentioning it on the blog. You’re so strong and you’re an incredible mommy. Hugs
Thank you!!!!
Both my kids have done this to me when I’ve come back from trips. It’s normal and it sucks! But never fear mama he still loves you.
Caitlin, I’m sorry you were sad about Henry!
Actually you can take it as a sign of how much he loves you . . .he was mad at you for leaving him! When I had to be in the hospital for awhile when I was little, my sister stayed with our grandparents. When my parents picked her up she was excited to see my dad, but she screamed and cried around my mom and wouldn’t let her hold her. It’s because she was uspet with my mom for leaving. But I think that probably happens to all babies when their mommies leave for even a few hours! You are a fantastic momma! 
I like yay/nay because I love high/low (and I think it’s a great dinner time convo with my future kids).
Nay – the house is a mess.
Yay – signed the contract for our first home.
cute post, Caitlin! haha Maggie posts are the best! my nay was getting kinda bad news at the doctor this morning, but my yay was getting a text message from a cute boy!
My mom makes really good stuffed grape leaves (she also grows the leaves in the back yard), but she always covers them with a heavy plate before she boils them. That will keep them from opening up.
I used to have two dogs and couldn’t handle walking them together so I got a cord that attached to the leash and then clipped the two of them together, so then I only had one leash to worry about! HUGE relief! That could help ya out!
I walk two doxies with a jogging stroller… It’s not easy but I use the giant carabinier hooks to attach their leashes to the stroller. One is shall we say less polite on the leash so she gets restricted to a short leash.
My nay, going to yoga class for the Fiest time after baby and the instructor no showing.
Have you tried baking the grape leaves in the oven? We always do it that was, and they’re wonderful.
can I recommend this very delicious Ottolenghi vine leaf pie.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/08/yotam-ottolenghi-vine-leaf-herb-yogurt-pie
Oh my God, can I just say I live your blog. Thank you for being you – fun, real, serious posts, learning posts and then just darn right funny make me smile posts. So refreshing to come here!
Hi Caitlin! Stuffed grape leaves rock but i’m Greek so i might be a bit biased! In order to avoid them opening, my mom uses a few tricks that she doesn’t mind sharing! Are you stuffing them with rice? You could also use quinoa or a bunch of other things if you wanna be fancy-but us Greeks do a simple rice, carrot, onion mix. The trick is to soak your stuffing in hot water for 5-10min before stuffing the leaves. That way it is already a bit cooked before you wrap them and they will not open while cooking. Also, try not stuffing them too much, about a tea spoon full depending how big your leaves are. Another thing my mom does is to put an inverted heat safe plate on top of the leaves when they are cooking so that they don’t move around a lot. As for the left over leaves, we use fresh ones that we keep in the freezer until needed. They last forever and when you want to use them, you just soak them in warm water. I assume you could do the same with your jarred leaves.
Happy cooking! PS: I really like your blog and Henry is super cute
I think the plate trick would work!!! I’m gonna try this again!
thanks!!!
And for softening the leaves, just leave them soaking in hot water for longer before using them. You can also trim and cut any hard veins. That should do the trick
Nay – No snow… they called for a couple of inches in the Philly suburbs, they were hyping it for days but we got nothing!
Yay – Hitting 50s and 60s with sun this weekend… I will be OUTSIDE woohoo!
Hi Caitlin! I often email you- lol! I had to comment today though because I was so surprised to see grape leaves on the blog! I am arab and that’s a constant dish we prepare at home. My mom LOVES making them and I always dread it because we wrap those things for hoursssss. My mom is so picky about who helps her because she likes making sure the appearance is nice. Unfortunately she loves how I wrap (lol) so I get stuck doing it… we fill up a huge pot! I love helping her though
I must say you wrap really well!! My mom would approve lol To help with the unfolding issue, I just want to say that my mom always packs them really tightly together in the pot so that they hold form. It looks like you did that too though. I will ask her for more tips and get back to you 
yay for the good wrapping job though!!
Maybe you could bake them like kale chips?
When my first son (now 5) was a year old my husband and I went on a cruise and left him behind with my mother. When we came back my mom came to the airport to pick us up it was almost as though my son didn’t recognize me or was very under whelmed by me. I was devastated by this for quite a while.
I know how you feel…
I’m glad you got an afternoon of snuggles!
I work full time and am still breastfeeding my 8 month old. When I get home from work I am greeted by a baby who sees momma and immediately whines until she gets a boob. I can’t wait for the day when I come home and she is happy to see me!
I’m with you on the baby cold shoulder
I dropped my 9-month old off at daycare after two days home sick, and I was sure she would be sad and cry when I went to leave. Nope..she was more like “see ya, Mom! I have things to do!” Wahhhhh.
Yay we had an awesome dinner, Nay I had to go to work in the awful snow!
Bahaha- the Maggie pic- I die. Also commend your packing method. Very similar to my own.
Yesterday’s Yay- Reffing a lacrosse game and not regretting a single call I made.
you might have gotten this one already, but they sell round heavy plates with a small handle and large holes (feels as heavy as a brick) that you place on top of the grape leaves in the pan.
barring that, you can also use a heavy plate. they will open if u dont weigh them down. good luck!
Yay we had snow!
Nay I had to take a comp day since I didn’t want to risk driving me and my pregnant booty in it. (But I had a day off–so yay?)
I definitely think Maggie should inherit that vest when Henry outgrows it!
I’m sorry you didn’t get the greeting you wanted from Henry…but…this is why dogs (and even cats) ROCK!! They’re always happy to see you
Oh, and my yay for the day was nixing my workout to hang with my pup who had been at the vet all day
and the nay–the pup having skin issues, the cost of the vet bill! 
Grape leaves look tricky so I stick to buying them. Yay: tonight is my fav workout class. Nay: I forgot to cover my plant last night and lost it to the freeze :/
Baby cold shoulders are the worst!
I was so happy to see my 14 week old baby girl after my first day back at work and she barely looked at me when I got home – and none of her usual smiles or coos. She also kept looking over at my husband (who is home watching her now) while I held her all night. It hurt so much!! I kept telling myself that I was so glad she loves hubby and that they had such a good day together, but it was rough. The baby smiles I got after day 3 at work made things sooo much better! Even though it sucks…it’s nice to know I’m not alone…and that it does seem to get better!! I’m on week 3 back at work now and she gets super happy when I get home!
Every day when I pick up my 6 month old son from day care, he smiles really big…. at my work badge. And then he reaches for it. He just LOVES that thing. But when I put it away, I get lots of smiles and cuddles, so that makes it better. And I use my work badge to my advantage when he’s whining while being strapped into the car seat. Glad to hear you got a day full of playing though. I’m sure that took the sting off a little.
Maggie looks too cute in her big brother’s vest!! HA!!
Whoops…. *little* brother’s vest!!
Aw, I’m so sorry Henry was distracted by the keys
If it makes you feel better, I still think the story of him staring and grinning at the self pic you texted him is one of the cutest things I’ve heard! And Maggie looks fabulous in her vest 
Nay- drove all the way to my son’s orthodontist’s appointment to find out they were closed due to the weather…. Got home and realized they left a message on the answering machine that I didn’t check before I left!!! UGH….
Yay- climbed into bed at 8:00pm to read and watch American Idol. Felt very well rested this morning!
Check out Daily Garnish and search her website for a post on grape leaves. She’s vegetarian/vegan, and they looked delicious!
I hear what your saying when you came home and got no affection! Don’t worry it happens to all us mommas! I always feel better when my mom/husband tell me how much my little one missed me while I was away! After a little warming up I always get some extra loving
LOVE Maggie’s vest!
Safe Travels.
Remember that baby’s brains don’t yet grasp things like time, and he probably didn’t realize that you’d been gone for a couple of days! A few short days just blends together for them. I also have an 8-month-old and she’s 100% in the moment. I went away for 2 nights, and I could tell she didn’t realize I was gone. But it’s definitely understandable that you were upset because you missed him so much. My daughter hurt my husband’s feelings a few days ago. She recently learned how to kiss. When he got home from a week-long mission (military), he puckered his lips to give her a kiss, and she turned her face away and kissed ME. He tried again, and she did the same thing. I had to remind him that babies have no idea what they’re doing. They aren’t thinking like us. At this age, they just mimic what they see without really knowing what it means or why they’re doing it.
Oh, and remember… pretty soon, you might have to deal with Henry having emotional meltdowns when he knows you’re leaving town. And it will break your heart so much more. Appreciate the clueless stage while you still have it!
I believe that my Serbian genes make my stuff everything: bell peppers, cabage leaves, grape leaves, zucchinis..whaever comes into my hands. These dishes are warm, full of vegetale and you can put so many things inside. The easiest way to start are bell peppers or extra large zucchinis. Probably I will blog about it soon. Stuffing leaves requires special wraping system. My mom is an expert for it, but I am not so talented. I might ask her for the scheme though.
Yay: Evening run at 10 Celsius
Nay: Painfull eyes after staring at excel tables all day long
*me stuff everything
I’ve never had stuffed grape leaves, but maybe I’ll have to try them.
My yay for the day- my boyfriend woke up early today to make my breakfast
My nay for the day- the girl I’m working with’s grandpa died this morning
Yay- TWO workouts in one day! Speed work in the morning, 30 Day Shred (levels 1 & 2!) at night
Nay- messy piles of slush everywhere and crappy drivers. I’m so ready for spring!
Haha I cracked up at Maggie in Henry’s vest…my dogs are big enough to wear MY t-shirts; yikes!
I run with one dog and a BOB on occasion and though not the same, it is much easier with a leather leash. Retractable leashes are not only awkward to hold but they also give dogs too much pull. A quality leather or nylon leash will give you more control and make it easier on walks.
It is so hard to believe you actually took both dogs and Henry for a walk, wearing shorts no less!! It was about about 30 degrees windchill factor and wind up to 25 mph. Hard to even stand up, let alone walk with a jogging stroller and two dogs.
A great balanced post with good ratio of I’m-happy-to-be-alive-and-appreciate-my-life positives to let’s-be-real-this-kinda-stunk negatives
I think it’s hilarious that your dog can fit into Henry’s size 6 month clothes. I’m not usually a big fan of clothes on dogs, but hand-me-downs are totally acceptable!
My nay is an ongoing nay…a month ago my company lost 2 contracts and we’ve been waiting to hear it will impact current positions. In a staff meeting upper management confirmed that there will be job loss, but it will still be another month before we know who. SO that sucked, I can’t take much more waiting! My yay was going to the gym after dinner when all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch
I totally cracked up at the photo of Maggie. Hilarious!!!!! She’s totally rockin’ that vest.
So Maggie has always cracked me up- the way you describe her + her spaced out look in every single photo. I seriously just laughed out loud at the photo of her in Henry’s vest. Hilarious!
On the way home from my vacation last summer, I got stuck next to a college-age kid with terrible BO. Luckily, I was reading “First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria,” about serving in the Peace Corps and working in the developing world, so it fit with what I was reading.