Daddy turns 30...

Today was a special day. Rick turned 30. The big 3-0! A birthday wouldn't be a birthday without some sweet treats and booze....so that is exactly what was on today's menu!

Rick's birthday cake wasn't an ordinary cake.... let's just say his wife gets him. 

During the day I whipped up some birthday cupcakes. Snickerdoodle cupcakes with a cinnamon swirl frosting. 

A birthday also wouldn't be a birthday without a birthday wish...

Not quite sure what's going on with Stella's hair.... looks like she is working a comb over.

And then this happened....

Rick's expression is priceless.

Rick's birthday cupcake was enjoyed.... by Stella.  

Stella wasn't too happy with me when I pulled the plate away. She demolished that cupcake in a very short time. She loved squishing the frosting between all of her fingers. We got such a kick out of watching her explore her sense of feel. 

Happy Birthday Rick..Daddy...xoxo

Our Weekend...in mostly pictures.

We had a sort of busy weekend, and the sunshine definitely helped out. On Saturday, we took Stella to Peddlers Village for her first time. We walked around, met a few friends for lunch outside, walked some more and Momma got to indulge in her first soft serve ice cream cone of the year! Yes, Stella had a taste or two..and said 'mmm'. We stopped at a toy store and bought Stella her first wooden puzzle. I love the wooden puzzles. We chose barn animals since the horse kinda looked like Chaps :)

Stella ate her lunch-cottage cheese and prunes... and then wanted mine...I swear she can sniff out avocado! 

Later that night when we got home, Stella got cozy and we dove into her new wooden puzzle. The puzzle pieces fit perfectly..in her mouth that is. 

It was an early morning on Sunday. Stella participated in her first March of Dimes walk. It was a chilly, breezy morning, but she was a trooper. Actually, we were troopers, because Momma and Daddy carried her ass most of the walk because for the first time EVER, she didn't want to ride in her stroller. I guess that was the price we paid for skipping her morning nap. 

Daddy's girl...

Sunday. April 27, 2014. Walk for March of Dimes

Stella's 7 month update...

7 Months...

Weight: We had our wellness doctor visit just 2 weeks ago and she weighed in at 16 lbs flat! Stella is in the 35th percentile.

Height: During our wellness visit 2 weeks ago she measured 26 1/2 inches. 

Appetite: You are now eating 3 meals a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your milk intake has stayed the same at about 28 ounces of milk a day(sometimes less because your full after your meal), along with oatmeal and a fruit and avocado for breakfast, prunes and cottage cheese for lunch and a protein with two veggies for dinner; all served with a small serving of water. Breakfast is by far your most favorite meal; you are a fruit fanatic. Your breakfast always consists of 2-3 tablespoons of oatmeal mixed with pureed applesauce, pears and/or plums, served with a side of avocado. You LOVE avocado. Every morning we split an avocado. You typically eat yours than want to share mine.  Lunch is always a small serving of small curd cottage cheese and a half of an organic prunes pouch.  You also love love love prunes. Daddy and I sometimes have to put on a three ring circus to get you to eat your dinner. Dinner is usually the meal that we struggle with. You dinner consists of 2 ounces of either organic chicken breast or wild caught salmon mixed with sweet potato or butternut squash. I also usually add one more veggie to the mixture; such as zucchini, broccoli, or peas. Gotta get those greens in! I have also started leaving your food a little chunky, and you are doing a great job chewing it! You actually prefer your avocado cut into pieces rather than mushed up. You enjoy a few organic sweet potato or peach puffs throughout the day. We break them into a few pieces for you and you also do a great job chewing them. 

Clothing Size: Nothing has changed in the clothing or diaper dept. since last month. We have quite the variety of clothing to choose from as you can wear either 3-6 months or 6-12 months. It's okay too..I am not ready to pack up those 3-6 months clothes. Still size 2 diapers! We just bought our first box of threes for when you are ready. 

Milestones: I feel like a lot has happened this month. You cut your first tooth...bottom left/center. You are babbling up a storm! Especially when you think no one is watching or listening to you. Daddy and I peek in and giggle. Your talking mainly consists of the 'ba' and 'da' syllables. You still love to stand when someone holds your hands or lean on the back of the couch. You like to shake that booty especially to some tunes. You are doing more and more push ups when on your belly. You will crawl when you're ready...no rush :). You took your jumping to the next level in your baby Einstein. I'm surprised you haven't jumped out of it! You are facing outward now in the baby bjorn and you love it! You are quite the confident sitter these days. You are being to chew your food that is not pureed. 

Special Outings: It is finally getting nicer out! WooHoo! We have been able to start taking walks into town. We have been walking to the bank and market instead of driving; we get our fresh air and exercise at the same time! We took you to the Easter chocolate factory for the first time...you got to smell that sweet smell; and Momma and Daddy got to eat all the candy for you. We went to Nana and Poppop's and Grandma and Grandpa's for Easter and you looked so beautiful in your Easter bunny dress. You also got to meet the Easter bunny and it was so cute to see you smile and snuggle into the furry bunny. You are doing your first charity walk this upcoming weekend for March of Dimes and Daddy is turning the big 30! 

Thoughts: Stella..it is amazing to me how much you have grown. You are a sincere, beautiful, smart, silly, kind hearted little girl. I love watching you grow each and every day. 

Our routine:  Our routine is very much the same as last month. You still awake around 7ish (been 6:45 lately). We have breakfast together shortly after you awake. Your first nap is around 8:30 a.m for about an hour and a half, sometimes 2 hours. You nurse around 11 a.m and we have lunch sometime between 12:30 and 1:00. You take an afternoon nap around 1:30/2:00 and nurse again at 3:00. Last evening nap around 5:00, which is usually a short one (about 45 min). We all eat dinner at 6:30 p.m. Bath follows dinner on bath nights. Nurse right before bedtime which is at 7:30 p.m. You still awake once during the night to be changes and eat- anytime between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. Between all that eating and napping during the day, we play, go for walks, play outside on your swing, run errands etc.. 

Your favorites: Some of your favorites have been the Easter colored plastic eggs, being pushed fast in your walker around the house- you move your legs as if you were doing it all by yourself,so cute- swinging on your swing, going for walks in your stroller, books, books and more books, bath time- every time you take your bath my kitchen floor gets clean from all the splashing, standing up when someone holds your hands, Momma's smoothies, drinking water out of a mason jar rather than a sippy cup, being naked and your Mickey and Minnie. 

Momma’s Favorites: Lately I have been loving the Spring-like weather. It feels good to get outside with you and go for walks, fresh fruit smoothies, writing about how much I love you and how much I love being a Momma, I LOVE your kisses, it melts my heart when you give my cheek a surprise open mouth kiss, our interaction when we play, your silly giggle, Caramel Flan latte's from Starbucks, the Target dollar spot, finally cooking grub on the grill again, 

Stella.... Sometimes when I need a miracle, I look into your eyes and realize I've already created one. -unknown

Some more pictures from Stella's 7 month pictures and throughout the month....

\\

Stella's Breakfast

  

Watching her sleep on the monitor...so peaceful

Stella...we love you to the moon and back. 

All about Mama Bear and Papa Bear

Sweet baby Stella, here is another post that I hope you look back on and read when you are older. 

Your Mama Bear and Papa Bear are two parents that couldn't be prouder. We look at you and are in awe and can't help but smile. We are in complete love...simply put.

 I wanted to share with you a little bit about us in our life right now...

All about your daddy...

Your Daddy is a nurturing, hard working, will give you the world, silly, loving man. Your Daddy goes to work everyday, sometimes extra days on the weekends, works his butt off, so I can stay home with you right now. He comes home and can't be more excited to see you when he walks in that door.  He calls numerous times a day to see how your day is and how you are doing because he misses you. Your Daddy has been a carpenter for --- years now. He is very good at what he does and is so handy around the house. He is a perfectionist and always double thinks himself. He doesn't always give himself enough credit.  He will give, give, give before he takes. He loves the outdoors, cutting and striping the grass (one day you will see for yourself), working out and spending time with you and I.  He is a steak and potato kinda guy and prefers vanilla over chocolate. He also loves fine dining and smelling good. Daddy sometimes gets frustrated too quickly, as do you. So we know where you get that little short temper from. Your daddy loves you unconditionally, is always here for you and always will.

All about your Momma...

Give your Momma a good book, some fresh fruit, lots of sunshine, a Starbucks latte, you and Daddy and I am as happy as can be. I have been incredibly lucky to have been able to stay home with you thus far. I love each and everyday. I have been a 5th grade teacher for five years now. To be completely honest, I used to enjoy it more than I do now. Maybe because being a Momma is the best job in the whole world and no other will compare. I love to read, even though it's been a while since I kicked back with a good book. I love to bake, to take long walks, to go out for ice cream or frozen yogurt and having a clean vehicle. (There is just something about driving a clean truck..Daddy is the same way) I am a person who strives on immediate gratification, which is not always a good thing. I love taking care of you. I also like Daddy, enjoy fine dining, but give me a piece of barbecued chicken and a corn on the cob and I can chow down. I am a more salmon and avocado kinda gal, and prefer chocolate over vanilla. I also love you unconditionally and will always be here for you.  

All about your English Bully Eleanor...Ellie as we like to call her for short

How shall I describe Ellie? Ellie is a playful, chubby, stinky, high maintenance pooch. She thinks she is a lap dog but weighs a whoppin 54 pounds. She is a Daddy's girl. She is now three and a half years old, but still has the energy of a lil' pup. It was quite the adjustment for her when we brought you home because she was our only baby for a long time. She licks your face and is afraid of about everyone of your toys. 

And that is us, right now, in this so called thing, life. 

Let's have a chat over a smoothie for two

Okay, so we didn't exactly have a chat over a smoothie for two; but we did have both. Every time I would make a smoothie I would dread cleaning the pitcher and the parts inside of it. A few weeks back I replaced all of our drinking glasses with mason jars for several reasons. Our more dainty glasses were constantly breaking in the dishwasher, the mason jars have lids if I want to have a drink to go, I can really store anything in them and everything just tastes better out of a mason jar.  My point? I dread cleaning the blender pitcher no more! The mason jar screws right onto the blender! Blend and Enjoy (no clean up)!

And so we shared a strawberry blueberry spinach smoothie for two!  If it were up to her, she probably wouldn't share with me. 

And about that chat...Stella has been enjoying full out conversations with herself when she thinks no one is paying any attention to her. So as I pretended to play on my i pad, when I was actually filming her, this is what I recorded... 

Only two more days and my baby bear is going to be 7 months old....Pretty Please with a cherry on top, slow down.