Santa Sighting

We went to the 'Winter Wonderland' event at work this morning, and everyone had a blast. Lauren was a little reluctant to sit on Santa's lap, but Cole was just plain curious, and grabbed ahold of the beard to verify its authenticity. Lauren decorated a cookie, got her hand painted, and did several craft projects. Cole got a reindeer-antler balloon hat, that he wore proudly - at least for a few minutes. The highlight for Lauren was 'seeing Santa', although she still can't seem to figure out what she wants for Christmas....

Chocolatey Goodness

I found this recipe for Double Chocolate Cookies earlier this year, while searching for a chocolate cookie recipe to use for ice cream sandwiches. They are delicious - crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and not overly sweet. The only modification I made was to subsitute dark for milk chocolate (just what I had on hand) and to reduce the bake time to about 12 min (found they were a little too crispy at 15 min). The only drawback is they tend to dry out after 3 days or so (even when sealed in an airtight container), so you'll either need to eat them all up or share with a friend :)

Checking In

Cole went for his 6-month check-up last week - logging in at 16 lb 2 oz (10-25%) and 27 1/2 in (75-90%). He has a healthy appetite, and has sampled a few baby foods now; peas and sweet potatoes are his favorites, green beans, not so much. He loves to roll over, has been practicing sitting up, and likes to say 'ba, ba, ba'. He just got some pictures taken at JCPenney (shown here), giggling all the way. And Lauren likes to greet him in the morning with 'Good Morning Big Boy!'

Pumpkins and Puppies

Halloween 2009 was a lot of fun. Lauren picked out the cat pattern for our pumpkin carving. She wasn't too fond of scooping out the pumpking guts though - 'Oh, man!' she said as she helped empty out the inerts (albeit very slowly, one seed at a time). She was excited to wear her dalmation puppy costume for her party at daycare, and for trick-or-treating on Halloween. Cole and I handed out candy, while Lauren and Daddy hit the neighborhood to collect some Halloween loot. Even though she practiced saying 'trick or treat' at home a lot, turns out she preferred to do her trick-or-treating in silence... Ah, maybe next year :)

Incentive

Getting Lauren ready in the morning is a long process... There's a lot of stalling, indecisiveness, and 'no's. So we gave her a little incentive to keep her moving along - the promise of a sticker when she finishes all 5 of her morning tasks (potty, change clothes, breakfast, sunscreen, and brushing her hair). We still experience a lot of stall tactics, but she does look forward to that sticker - which she peels off and sticks on her shirt right away. And amazingly, it usually remains stuck on all day.

Just 3 months left....

till Christmas arrives; I'm not sure I am going to finish this project. I have all the 'ornaments' completed (still one more set to post), but the calendar looks like more work than I thought. Plus, I want to do a slight redesign which will add some 'additional' time - which I don't have much of these days :)

Double Digits

A few weeks ago, Cole discovered his toes. He hasn't tried to put them in his mouth yet, but he sure loves to grab them. He's still not very interested in rolling - has done it once or twice, but is otherwise pretty content to lay in one spot and touch those toes.

Berries for a Buck

Twice this summer I saw berries go on sale at the grocery store for only $0.99. This deal always seems too good to pass up - so I usually buy more than one pint. Oddly though, I usually don't end up eating too many just plain; I instead look for a recipe to bake. For the blueberries, muffins are always a good bet. Raspberries however, are a little trickier. I consulted my Everyday Food index and found this recipe for Raspberry Buckle - basically a yellow cake with berries baked into it. It was good, but didn't turn out anything like the picture, as all the raspberries sank. Nevertheless, who can beat berries for a buck.

Stir Crazy

Lauren spent several days at home last week, sick with the flu (which was being passed around at daycare), and then with an ear infection. Keeping her busy and out of trouble required a bit of creativity - so we decided to do a scavenger hunt. Lauren got really into it, and especially enjoyed 'crossing' the item off the list once she placed the item in her basket. Some of her 'finds' included her stuffed turtle, a pair of underwear, and a tea cup from her kitchen.

No Pain, No Gain

Cole reviews his immunization record from today's 4-month check-up. 'Sheesh! Enough with the shots already!' He continues to pack on the pounds and inches, doubling his weight and adding a little over half a foot since birth. The stats: 14 lb 2 oz (25-50%) and 26 in (75-90%). And, in other news... bring on the rice cereal!

Xmas Project Update

Here's the next batch - just a dozen (plus the calendar itself) remain. Making these tiny ornaments is very relaxing. Lauren likes to check them out too, and match them up with the pictures on the kit....

A New 'Do

Lauren got her hair cut last weekend. We went with a shorter bob this time, since her fine baby hair on top is still growing out and it was beginning to look a little raggedy. After we were done, we went to Jason's Deli for lunch, where she had a great time enjoying her mac & cheese, milk, and ice cream cone for dessert.

Plum Cake

Tried a new recipe this weekend for a plum cake, from September's issue of Everyday Food. The recipe was pretty simple (the plums are sprinkled on top of the batter, and includes lemon zest too), and it turned out very tasty, and pretty! It wasn't too sweet, making it the perfect accompaniment to our Sun morning cup of coffee (Stew's idea). I couldn't find the recipe online, so I scanned it in here. I ended up cutting the cake into 12 slices (instead of the suggested 8-10) and froze half for a future treat.

Sweet Dreams

Last Friday, Cole slept an amazing 10+ hours at night, 8pm-6am. It began as an experiment, but it seems he's turned a corner - the new sleep pattern has continued for a full week. We are all overjoyed!

Move Over Michael Phelps

Okay, so Lauren's still working on her strokes, but she looks the part, right? However, in light of the recent controversy surrounding the new polyurethane swim suits, she opted for a turquoise two-piece.

Pretend Play

As I rounded up the trash for garbage day, this is what I found in Lauren's trash bin... three 'dirty' diaper wipes, individually sealed in ziploc baggies, from Lauren's babies who did poo-poo in their diapers.

Best Buds

Two brown-eyed friends, one showcasing his best 'deer-in-headlights' impression. Cole is starting to grasp at stuff these days. He particularly likes the animals hanging from his bouncy seat. And Lauren gets such a kick out of every time he pulls one off. 'Mommy, Baby Tole knock el-phant down!' (giggle, giggle) :)

Tried and True

This is our 'go-to' dinner, which we eat almost once a week, typically on Sunday. Baked salmon (seasoned with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, baked for ~ 10 min at 400 F), steamed broccoli, and rice. It is so quick and easy, and satisfying. And even Lauren likes it :)

Christmas Countdown

Last December, I purchased a felt Christmas calendar kit from overstock.com. I started working on it last month, because I'm sure it'll take me about six months or so to complete. It is actually more time consuming than I thought; you have to cut out each individual piece of felt, add the decorative stitches, sew on the sequins, then applique the pieces together. I started with the tree 'ornaments' - here are the first 6, and more to come... I work on them as I am waiting for Cole to fall asleep in his crib at night :)

Mom's Best Friend

The baby swing; what a great invention. Buckle him in, turn on the music, turn on the rotating birds, and set it in motion. Works like a charm almost every time.
Before:

After:

Let's Go

Lauren still enjoys all things 'baby'. She got herself all snuggled up into Cole's infant car seat, tucked his blanket around her legs, pulled the chime toys to the side, and said 'Take me to store, Mommy.'

Ready. Set. Scrap.

Armed with a bevy of new craft supplies, courtesy of Mom, I'm now ready to scrapbook. Here is my first layout. I'm not sure how my style will evolve over time, but I think my designs will be relatively simple with clean lines. I can't wait to use all my new embellishments and papers; just need to find a few spare moments....

Veg Out

Since there were still plenty of veggies from our 'bountiful basket' last weekend, I made some vegetarian chili. I've made this Cooking Light recipe before - and it's pretty versatile. I normally cut back on the chili powder (1 tsp vs. 1 Tbl), omit the jalapeno, and this time I swapped carrots for the bell peppers, and pinto for the kidney beans. I ordered another bountiful basket for this week - good timing too, our fruit/veg stash has run out. However this time I will be splitting it with someone :)

Bubble Boy

Play-time on the gymini was apparently growing a bit dull, so Cole decided to liven things up with a few saliva bubbles. It was like an endless bubble fountain... And check out that double chin!

Happy 4th!

Hope everyone had a great 4th! Here Lauren models her 'All American Girl' shirt that she picked out to wear to the 4th of July celebration at our local park. She had a blast there, snow cone and all. Upon returning home, she and Daddy cooled off in the pool with a leisurely swim. Then later, she helped decorate cupcakes for a special ending to our bbq ribs and corn dinner. In a year or two, we may even round out the 4th with some fireworks, but for now we'll settle for viewing them on TV. And finally, here is Lauren's 3rd exhibit 'Red, White, & Blue' on display at the new art gallery which opened a few weeks ago in our kitchen :)

Stickin' to the Curve

Cole had his 2-month check-up yesterday. He's steadily gaining in height and weight - now up to 11 lb 4.5 oz (25-50%) and 23 1/4 in (50-75%). He did pretty well with his 4 shots too (didn't react until the 2nd one hit). When Lauren got home she noticed his band-aids and exclaimed that 'baby Cole has owie; two!' and surmised that 'baby Cole fell down, on the floor'.

My Do It!

Lauren has certainly begun to assert her independence. She wants to do everything herself - get dressed, apply lotion, brush her hair - you name it. Of course we let her try these things for herself, and tell her to ask Mommy/Daddy for help if she needs it. But when it comes to changing her diapers, 'my do it' usually results in fair amount of diaper drama... Fortunately, she is mostly interested in putting on the clean diaper, as opposed to dealing with the dirty one :)

Bountiful Baskets

I've been wanting to try the local produce co-op 'Bountiful Baskets' for a while, and finally placed an order this week. For a 'contribution' of only $15, you get a share of a large group purchase of grocery store-quality produce, which you pick up at a park/location near you. I was surprised at the quantity - for this cycle we got: 8 bananas, 5 apples, 6 plumots, a bag of cherries, 1 lb of strawberries, 4 lb of grapes, 8 plum tomatoes, a (large!) bag of green beans, 2 bunches of celery, 2 zucchinis, and a head of cauliflower. It might be better to split it with someone, as there is so much! But it truly is a bargain and I'll probably try it again.

Monthly Mini Album

Got this idea from my mom - to make a mini-album of our monthly pictures of Lauren. It's fun to flip through it and see how she has grown. It is hard to believe she is already over two!


Lauren loves to look at the little album too - or really any video/photos for that matter. "Want to see pictures!" she says. And she refers to anything on TV as a 'movie'. Cracks me up.

All in the Family

Here's a side by side of Cole and Lauren, at 7 and 10 weeks respectively. As noted previously, I see a remarkably similar hair pattern...

Happy Father's Day!

Hope all the Daddys out there had a great day! We had a fun day here - sleeping in (some of us), a little afternoon swimming (again, some of us), and a steak dinner (all of us). Unfortunately Stew had to do the grilling (his specialty), but I chipped with the accompaniments - mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and a New York style cheesecake (a reader recipe from the Sept '06 issue of Everyday Food).

Going Bananas

We had some bananas that were going bad, so what else to do but bake up some banana bread. My mom shared this recipe with me a while ago - it is from a Disney cookbook, and makes the most delicious rich and buttery banana bread. The recipe actually makes 2 loaves, but I usually halve it, and omit the walnuts too.

Smiles & Grins

Cole has dished out his first smiles. All it takes is a little song, or a few tickles. 'Pop Goes the Weasel' and 'Rubber Ducky' work well. He has 'cooed' once or twice so far, but nothing too consistent just yet.

Here he sports his flashy new grin, and a new pair of overalls too. And if you look really closely, you can see some new hair coming in on top of his head - woo hoo!

Summertime

I made some orange juice popsicles the other day and Lauren really enjoys this icy treat. She did a pretty good job eating dinner last night, so she got to have a popsicle for dessert. I asked her what they were made out of and she said 'yellow'. Not quite. So I told her orange juice, and she said 'same' and she held it up and pointed to Stew's glass of orange juice on the table. She recently learned the concepts of 'same' and 'both' - she likes to point out colors or objects that are the 'same', and when we give her a choice of something she often lets us know she doesn't want just one, she wants 'both!'

Pork Aplenty

Sandra Lee showed a cooking demonstration for Slow-Cooked Orange Margarita Tacos on the Today Show this week, to promote her new Money Saving Meals show. I'd never slow-cooked a pork roast, but have always wanted to (I love bbq pork sandwiches), so decided to give it a try. It called for a 10-lb bone-in pork shoulder picnic cut - and boy, was it large; barely fit in the crock pot. I substituted apricot preserves for the orange marmalade, but otherwise stuck to the recipe (finally, a use for the margarita mix that's been sitting in our fridge for quite some time). I cooked it with the skin on/fat intact, but next time I would probably remove the skin/fat, as 'pulling' the pork off post cooking kinda grossed me out... However, the meat was so tender and tasty! The first night we had pork soft tacos with avocado, and a corn/black bean salad. The second night we had bbq pork sandwiches - just top with some bbq sauce and serve up on a roll (Lauren enjoyed her own 1/8 of a sandwich too!) I froze the remainder of the pork, and will probably make some green salsa enchiladas at a later date. I'd definitely make this tasty (and economical!) recipe again, but will pick a smaller cut of meat and hold the skin/fat.

On the Up and Up

Cole went to his 1-month check-up yesterday. He is now 9 lb 3 oz (25-50%) and 22 1/2 in (75-90%). He had a good visit, and only cried briefly when he got his Hep B vaccination. The nurse commented on his new 'do' - as his top hair has disappeared! She actually chuckled (we won't tell him) at his newfound male pattern baldness :) Lauren sported the same hair-style for quite some time, but the difference is she didn't have any hair there to start with.

Like Clockwork

Now a month old, it seems Cole has already established a relatively regular nighttime feeding pattern. He eats around 8-10pm (sometimes twice, what a snacker), then 1am, and 5am. These times aren't actually all that bad, since I'm really only waking + returning to sleep for the 1am feeding. When he's done with the 5am feeding I hand him off to Stew for a burp/change, since it's almost time for Lauren to get up anyway, and I enjoy a quick bowl of cereal (I really look forward to that; ah, the little things...)

Breakfast & A Bouquet

Lauren made this adorable paper flower bouquet at daycare for Mother's Day. Her teacher comes up with very creative art projects. Also, for Mother's Day, Stew prepared a wonderful brunch - eggs, bacon, and orange french toast casserole. The recipe is from Cooking Light. The carmel topping is so delicious (it tastes like a fresh-baked cinnamon roll!), and it is a great make-ahead dish - just prepare the night before then pop in the oven for 35 minutes.

My Faves

I love to eat, and sleep, and eat some more. Here are my other 'Top 5' favorites....
- a good burp
- a clean diaper
- kisses from my sis
- getting my hair washed
- snuggle time

3 Weeks and Counting

Grandma Pennie made these yummy baby-blue frosted cupcakes to mark Cole's 3-week birthday. It only seemed fair, since we had cupcakes when Lauren turned 3 weeks too :) This time however, Lauren got to enjoy one as well. But none for Baby Cole, since as Lauren points out, he has 'no teeth'.

Turning Two

Lauren turned two this week, and we celebrated last weekend with a small birthday get-together with the grandparents. She sported a new dress for the occasion, and really enjoyed having everyone sing Happy Birthday to her (she'd been practicing herself all week!) She was a little frightened of the flames from the candles, but we eventually got the smiles out after she stuck her finger in the frosting. She had a blast opening all her presents (it took quite a while!) and got lots of cool things - including this kitchen set from Mommy & Daddy and a wooden cookie baking set from Grandma & Grandpa. She got some really cute clothes too, and upon opening a pair of denim capris, she immediately pulled off her diaper cover and put on the pants - wearing them under her dress for most of the afternoon. Lauren also had a good 2-year check-up at the doctor's; she's up to 35 in (75%) and 25 lbs (25%), and no shots - yippee!