12 Month Update

Dear Stella,

        Let me just start by saying that this has been the best year of Daddy and I's life. You are such a special girl, and we will never have the words to tell you just how much you are loved. I write this update with tears of happiness. I look at you often and am still amazed that you are ours. You are so smart, so beautiful, so loving, and simply perfect in every way. I am incredibly thankful for you each and every single day. You will always hold a very special place in our hearts. I am officially the Momma of a toddler and I am loving every moment. 

Love you to the moon and back,

Momma

xoxo

Weight: 19 1/2 pounds

Height: 28 inches tall

Appetite: Your appetite is very much the same as last month. We still eat all three at the kitchen table. We mostly have the same foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner, unless Momma and Daddy are eating something spicy for dinner.  Lately your favorite foods have been pickles, broccoli, pomegranate, pasta and still avocado!  You enjoy a snack or two sometimes during the day such as fruit, yogurt, gold fishies or multi grain cheerios. Your milk intake is some where around 15-20 ounces a day of Horizon Organic 2% DHA Omega-3 milk.  Water is drank throughout the day and especially with meals. We continue our milk and sippy cup battle but have found one cup, one very special Minnie cup that you will drink milk out of.  

Clothing Size: You are in mostly 12-18 month clothing and still wearing size 4 diapers. Yay to fall clothing! Love the colors and layers! 

Milestones: You are one smart cookie! You pick up things very fast. Momma is having a hard time keeping up with you these days. You're crawling all over this house and taking a good amount of steps on your own when walking back and forth to Daddy and I. You are pulling yourself up on everything you can get your hands on. Your words are Momma, Dada, ice pop and up! You can do patty cake, 'so big', and can identify so many things! 

Thoughts:  Stella...I promise...if you call my name I will listen. If you reach for me I will hold you. If you need me I will be there. And when you are grown,  I will still. 

Our routine:  You are like clockwork. Our day still begins at 6:45 each morning. After you wake up I bring you down into our bed where we watch a cartoon and you enjoy your first morning milk bottle and sometimes a small cup of Cheerios and I enjoy my morning cup of coffee. Around 7:15 or so we make our way into the living room and play for a bit. We eat breakfast together around 8 o'clock. We have been on the baked oatmeal train these days! After our breakfast we brush our teeth together and head out for a nice morning walk.  After our walk you go down for your morning nap. You usually go down anywhere around 9:30 and sleep for an hour and a half. This is when we head out if we are going out for the day sometimes for lunch, or after lunch. We both eat lunch around noon. You take your second and last nap in the afternoon anywhere between 2 and 3 and sleep for another hour and a half.  We have dinner at 6 and bath time follows. After your bath we have some special playtime with Daddy and off to bed at 7:30. We relax in your glider and you drink your milk cap for the night and off to bed when you are done. Our routine is very consistent day to day. 

Your favorites: Lately your favorites have been cruising around in your walker, crawling, swinging in your swing, standing at the window sills and pointing, going for walks outside, dancing to music and you still love tubby time! 

Momma’s Favorites: My favorite thing to do lately has been spending all of my time with you and Daddy. 

I love you to the moon and back. xoxo

Puffer vests, pumpkin waffles and finger painting..oh my!

I have been absent from the blogging world lately. I guess a lot going on. Been crossing more off my to do list for Stella's shindig, our home computer took a shit (add it to the list) and I am not a fan of blogging on my iPad and the pictures are crazy blurry, blah, blah, blah. Stella has been keeping her and myself busy lately. She is ev.er.y.wh.ere, pulling herself up on everything. I honestly feel like it happened overnight. Anyway, Fall is in full force over here. Puffer vests are out, pumpkin recipes are on a roll, leaves are falling, Halloween pjs are washed and ready to be worn, and apple picking is in the immediate future (like today!!)

   

                                   

                                   

                                   

A perfect Sunday morning breakfast...pumpkin waffles. We used this recipe. 

                                   

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all-pupose flour
• 3 tablespoons of firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1 cup of canned 100% pure pumpkin
• 1 egg yolk plus 3 egg whites
• 4 tablespoons of melted cooled butter
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
3. Combine milk, pumpkin, butter, egg yolk and vinegar in a small bowl and stir to combine.
4. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Gently fold in egg whites.
6. Use batter immediately in waffle maker

 

Come October 1st, Halloween outfits will be worn along with Halloween hair accessories. Halloween decor will make its way around the house, and Halloween treats will be made. 

This was the second year that Carters did not disappoint with their Halloween outfits. I have also been loving etsy for Stella's Halloween hair pieces. I will soon get the wheels turning- thinking about Halloween costumes. I am so excited that we can actually go trick or treating this year. 

Saturday morning after breakfast we let Stella fingerpaint at the kitchen table while Rick and I finished off our cup of coffee and I worked on one of my diy projects for her party. Morning messes are the best!  Not too mention early morning bath time since her hair had a nice coat of yellow paint in it by the time she was done...so did my kitchen chair :)

Speaking of bath time, it falls nothing short of comical lately....yes, Stella is in the tub. She is just blocked by lots of bulldog. :)

Off to getting ourselves ready to go apple picking! I already found me lots of new apple recipes to try, but of course the first will be a homemade apple pie (topped with vanilla ice cream!)

Our Fall Bucket List

                                   

                                   

                                   

We managed to cross off many of our Summer bucket list items this Summer, and had fun doing them. But it's now time for a Fall bucket list- my favorite!! So here is a list of things that I hope we do this fall...

Apple picking at the apple orchard-of course testing a few out while picking

Bake apple pie and apple crisp

Roast s'mores

Go pumpkin picking and take a ride on the hayride while we are there

Carve pumpkins

Roast pumpkin seeds

Morning walks

Wear fall-ish hair barretts

Choose a Halloween costume

Go trick or treating 

Make pumpkin pie with homemade whip

Make hot apple cider

Jump in a pile of leaves-after daddy rakes them :)

After dinner walks down the path

Watch football

Make and eat caramel apples

Eat Thanksgiving dinner

Make homemade popcorn balls

Light fall scented candles

Wear fall coats

Collect different color leaves

Fall projects

Work on the baby nursery!!

Decorate the front porch for fall

Celebrate Stella's first birthday of course!!!!

Make hot chocolate with marshmallows

Roast acorn squash

Happy Fall!!

How about a little weekend recap?

Saturday was absolutely miserable. The humidity was at an all time high, so no outdoor activities for us. After a day of dryer shopping on Saturday and eating out for lunch that was enough for one day. I forgot that buying an appliance takes for.ev.er- talking to the sales guy- choosing one- setting up delivery- discussing warranties- checking out! And with a baby in the shopping cart nontheless! Momma really pulled out the ridiculous acts just to keep Stella amused. I think Saturday was the last day that I will be squeezing into my favorite color Loft shorts. see you next summer!  I couldn't wait to get those bad boys off. The rest of the day was spent in cozy clothes, taking turns playing in the living room and playroom.Stella was in bed and sleeping by 7:15! I guess dryer shopping really pooped her out too! Ha! Rick and I actually got to watch an entire movie and stayed up for the entire movie! Shocker!

Stella has been on her 6 a.m wake up calls again. Ugh! But Sunday was a different story. She slept until 7:30. It felt like pure heaven! I hadn't had a good night sleep like Saturday's in a long time. That extra hour made all the difference. Sunday- simply perfect outside. So perfect that after breakfast we headed out for a morning walk-all three of us :) We followed up our morning walk with a little sidewalk chalk. Of course all she wanted to do was munch down on it.

 

 

 It was a low key Sunday with a walk to the market for some groceries and then hung at home with the football games on the TV. 

 

 

 

 

Later in the day Grandma and Grandpa came over for dinner and to install the new garage door opener. Yep, that doohickey also took a shit! When it rains- it pours...right? :)

Anyway- this little girl is now on a mission every wakeful second of the day! No more 'i'll be right back in 5 seconds- stay right here!'  from this Momma. There is a baby on my tail all day long! This girl is crawling all over the joint! I thought I was tired before? Ha- games on me! She sure keeps me on my toes now...

Having a new dryer delivered today! Never been more excited to dry a load of laundry in a timely fashion! (I was getting pretty close to drying Rick's panties outside on the line! haha!) Just kidding ;) We don't have one of those....

Baby Bump: 19 weeks

After a day of dryer shopping (yep, our damn dryer took a shit) the first thing I did when we walked in the door was ripped off my uncomfortably tight shorts and threw on comfy pj pants and a sweatshirt. Stella did the same ;) Hence the reason we are both in cozy clothes in my weekly picture.

Yay to kicking off football season! Just another reason I am a sucker for fall! The only thing that was missing while watching the game was a frosty Stella Cidre in my hand! Other exciting news...if baby cooperates, next chalkboard will reveal the gender! That also means we will be half way there!

How far along: 19 weeks

Gender: Sept 12th it is! Drum roll please.......

Weight gain: Not sure of weight gain. Guessing somewhere between around 8/9 lbs. 

Maternity clothes: Not yet.

Stretch marks: No

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: I would kill for a good night sleep right now. 

Best moment this week:Football has officially started!

Worst moment this week:Again- didn't really have one but super tired this week. Missed three days worth of walks because of the crappy humidity!

Miss anything:  I am dieing for a frosty pumpkin ale or a Stella Cidre!

Movement: Yep! Mainly at night though. I think because I am constantly on the move with Stella I don't pay much mind to the movements during the day.

Cravings: Nope. Just enjoying pumpkin Everything- yogurt, ice cream, lattes, candles, lotions...

Queasy or sick: Feeling good.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender!! Less than 1 week! Boy or Girl?!? Still feeling boyish...

 This picture shows the bump a bit more than the one with Stella and I :)

Ditching the inchworm?

Game on Momma!  I was washing Stella and I's breakfast dishes this morning while Stella was just sitting in the living room for a brief moment watching Mickey and playing with her toys. I turned around and who do I see in the playroom? Yep! Stella. Last night Stella chose to ditch the inch worm for a bit and crawl! Like a legit crawl.
I love the time that we get to spend trekin' around in her room. It's usually after bath time; after drying off, getting lubed up with baby lotion and nothing on but a diaper. She smells so yummy. Wish I can bottle her baby scent up and save it forever. can they make it in a candle.. ;)

 

  

Did I mention that we were having a crazy hair party night?!

Along with the crawl, she took eight steps on her own last night! I feel like she is going to be walking in no time. I see baby gates in my near immediate future!

Rick and I ordered her teepee! I am so excited for it to come! It will probably arrive just in time for her birthday. The bookshelf has had so many new additions in the past month- we will now have a new spot to read them. Rick just may find me in the teepee during my me time ;)

Cheers to a happy Friday! wishing I could really cheers to a happy Friday with a Stella Cidre right now.

It's really happening..she is turning 1.

This week has been another busy one so far. Today was a dreaded trip to the DMV so Stella Momma could get her license renewed. Yes! I am a legal driver again. ;) After walking in and seeing it was dead, not a single person in line I gathered the application to quickly fill out. By the time I was done filling out the slip, there was about 10 damn people in line. Go figure. Good thing snacks were packed ;) Stella was a gem.

Chillin' in the DMV...

 

We then took a trip to Michaels Crafts to pick up a few items for another DIY I am doing for her party. I just fell in fall love walking in to all the fall decor and fall scents. We tried on about 20 different Halloween hats and headbands. if only she would keep one on, I would have bought one of each. 

 

 

 

We threw a couple canvas boards into our shopping cart for a finger painting session when we got home! Along with some sidewalk chalk and Minnie stickers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On another note, I am not sure if there is a more appropriate onsie quote than this one...

 

As I plan her party and sit to work on these mini projects I am doing, it feels so surreal that all of this doing is because Stella is turning 1. 12 damn months have gone by already. 1 effing year. Denial. Pure denial. Where does time go? I love the age she is at right now because the interaction between her and I is just incredible- so funny at times. But where have the days gone where she fit in my one arm? The days when she would fall asleep on my chest while listening to my heart beating? They feel like so long ago...

Yes. My little girl is turning 1. A solid 1.