Homeowners! + Single-Serve Chocolate Banana Cake
Monday
Ugh. Arthur woke up at 6:35 on Monday. I was really really hoping he’d go back to sleep, so I sat in torment while he cried, and after exactly five minutes, his cries subsided; he was asleep again! I breathed a massive sigh a relief, and frantically did my morning puzzles while I waited on tenterhooks for Arthur’s second awakening, which I knew would be the real start to the day.
That one happened just 15 minutes later, a bit before 7:00. And just like that, our day had begun! It was a pretty typical morning without anything new to report, other than Arthur trying a new extremely crumbly bread. I ended up gently shaking him afterwards to get some of the crumbs off, which he loved, but he was still shedding them for quite some time afterwards.
As usual, Arthur didn’t nap on me at 11, but this time, it took only five minutes for him to fall asleep in the stroller. I guess it had been an earlier morning for him! He only napped for 35 minutes in the stroller, but happily, he continued to sleep as I transitioned him onto my boob, where he got another 30 minutes of sleep in. A gold star to Arthur!
Despite having had such a good nap, though, Arthur was really darn fussy for the afternoon. I was very happy Miklós was coming back in the evening. At least he was a bit calmer after a walk, and I was able to take a break from reading the same three books over and over and over and over and over.
Arthur was pretty happy to see his pops when he arrived home a bit before 7:00, and kept saying Papa as Miklós bustled past his room unpacking and showering. I was also pretty happy - someone else was on bedtime duty tonight!
Tuesday
Poor little Arthur. He woke up at 6:15 on Tuesday and was so distraught; he was literally shaking. He didn't seem to have a fever, so we’re not sure whether it’s teething pains or he had a really bad nightmare or what. He seemed inconsolable for a few minutes there, but after a little bit, he calmed down.
After his rough start to the day, though, Arthur was full-on amazing. It was a big day; we were going to Tilburg to buy our house! It’s a good hour and a half drive, so naturally I was dreading that; Arthur is not a car guy. And getting him into the carseat was as horrible as always. However, he fell asleep about 15 minutes in on our way over, at around 9:00, and slept for the rest of the ride there.
In Tilburg, Arthur was pretty calm and cheerful, and charmed everyone he met! No big poops or anything either, which was much appreciated. And everything went so smoothly with the purchasing process. Everyone involved was extremely nice and it all went off without a hitch!
I think Arthur liked his new home - at least, he liked the figs there! There are two fig trees, and he went pretty crazy over the bits of a (somewhat underripe) fig that I gave to him. We'll take that as his stamp of approval on the house.
Afterwards, we met the two sets neighbors to the right of us. They were both couples around our parents’ ages, and so nice and welcoming! One of the couples has a grandson who is exactly 12 days younger than Arthur, and lives just a couple streets away, so I can imagine he and Arthur will grow up seeing a lot of each other! It was really nice to hear that.
Arthur was a doll on the drive home as well! We got going a bit after 3:00, and Arthur once more fell asleep 15 minutes or so in! He woke up when we were a good half hour away from home, but was quite content and easygoing then; no fussing or even demands on my attention! I was amazed.
Then at home, he was remarkably chill in the bedroom upstairs, happily entertaining himself while his parents talked and daydreamed about our their home. Maybe this is what actually napping a decent amount during the day does? He must have napped for at least 2 hours in total, and I can’t remember the last time he’s napped anywhere near that much in one day.
It ended up being a somewhat late night, though, because the takeout we ordered took forever to get here. And by that point, Arthur was starting to lose it. So I’d say his day ended a bit similar to the way it started, but at least the in-between bits were great, and the little tyke was ready for bed when it was finally time!
Wednesday
Another very early morning for Arthur Newt - this time he woke up at 6:30. I'm not terribly surprised, though, as his pops was bustling about in the bathroom getting ready for his office day. Still, Arthur was pretty darn relaxed and easy for most of the morning, half of which he spent eating paper.
We had the usual dilemma when it was time for our 11:00 nap - a very tired Arthur was not willing to nap on Mama. But we also had the usual solution, when he fell asleep less than ten minutes into our midday nap. He woke up after 40 minutes pretty much on the dot, but I tried to make the transition to my boob quick and seamless so he would go back to sleep, and go back to sleep he did! I think his stroller wakeups are just him coming out of one sleep cycle, and being a bit discombobulated when he does so; it's not the ideal place to sleep. So a quick transfer lets him go back to sleep without fully waking up. The second part of his nap was only half an hour, but it still meant he got over an hour of sleep in, so that was something!
And though he certainly had his moments of demandingness, Arthur was pretty good-natured for most of the afternoon. He did, however, manage to eat part of a book: a big chunk of a lift-the-flap (his second one consumed) - no paper is safe from him!
We videochatted with G-Dawg, who continues to be amazed at how interactive Arthur is even over video. It's true; the bug really does like to smile, babble at, mimic, and respond to his relatives online! The same held true when his pops arrived home; Arthur kept saying Papa, and pointing at the door Miklós was coming in and out of, which was pretty cute.
I did cook a new and tasty dinner recipe on Wednesday, but I'll put that up later. Today, I want to post a cake recipe to celebrate our status as homeowners. This was another Instagram find that seemed too good to be true, but I was pretty impressed by how tasty it turned out, with so few ingredients! I also liked that this one was another dessert that only used fruit to sweeten itself - no sugar or sweeteners added. I've made it twice now; the first time I put it in the air fryer as recommended, and it was good, but a pain in the butt to clean afterwards. The second time I just microwaved it, and it was just as tasty but easier to clean, so I think that will be my go-to. I mostly followed the recipe, just thirding (is that a word?) it to make it single-serve and swapping the cocoa for carob to make it caffeine-free. But yeah, pretty dang tasty, crazy easy and quite healthy - a win, win, win! Here's how I made it:
Single-Serve Simple Chocolate Banana Cake
Ingredients
1 ripe banana (I like mine really gooey and sweet, so usually pop them in the air fryer until the peel is completely brown)
1 egg
2 tbsp cocoa or carob powder
pinch salt (optional)
splash vanilla (optional)
chocolate chips (optional, I've made it with white chocolate chips and without them)
Instructions
Mash the banana until it is fully puréed.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
Microwave for 3 minutes.
Serve warm or let cool!
Comments