Pizza Pizza

This month's issue of Everyday Food had a quick and easy recipe for a Two-Cheese Tortilla Pizza. It uses whole-wheat tortillas, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with canned diced tomatoes, kalamata olives, mozzarella, and parmesan - with a touch of fresh basil at the end. Liked it so much (and had so little time) that we made it twice this week. It paired nicely with some simple homemade tomato soup, another recipe from Everyday Food.

Baby Sniffles

Well, it was inevitable - Lauren was going to get sick sooner or later. Last weekend, she caught her first cold (first me, then Lauren and Stew). It was so hard to see her sick, with her stuffy/runny nose and red swollen eye. We kept her home from day care for 2 days, so she could get some extra sleep and TLC. But as I hear from many moms, colds and day care go hand in hand. Well the good thing was that Lauren didn't seem that bothered by her cold - she logged some additional time practicing her reverse scooch - all the way under our TV stand. After a week, a lot of tissues, some antibiotic eye drops, saline nose drops, and our trusty nasal aspirator (which she isn't too fond of) - she's doing much better, aside from a lingering cough.

Happy New Year!

Hard to believe 2008 is here! Lauren had a fun first Christmas. Not sure what she thought of the Christmas tree, but she did have a good time pulling on the branches. She had lots of fun playing with her grandparents, and meeting her uncles, aunt and cousins. She got many great gifts - fun toys, books, stuffed animals, and adorable clothes - she is one lucky girl.

Lauren liked wearing her santa hat and jiving to the Christmas tunes. She also spent part of the holiday practicing a new move - the reverse scooch. She is beginning to get up on her knees, but hasn't figured out how to move foward yet. In any case, let the baby-proofing begin...

Rain, Rain Go Away

'The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So I sat in the house All that cold, cold, wet day.'

It has been downright cold and rainy these last few days, we miss the sun! Lauren still manages to have lots of fun playing indoors though. No crawling yet, but she somehow manages to cover a fair distance simply by rolling. Not entirely efficient, but she gets points for creativity.

Eat Your Veggies

These sweet potatoes aren't half bad! Lauren tried her first flavorful food today. She didn't offer much reaction, but nearly all that went in stayed in. However, about half way through, she decided she'd had enough and scrunched her face all up every time the spoon came near her mouth. We'll see what she thinks about tomorrow's menu.

Tipping the Scales

Lauren tells Teddy all about her 6-month check-up last week. How she weighed in at 14 lb 9 oz (finally surpassing Chester), measured to 25 1/2 inches, set a new personal record for number of shots at once (5!!), and learned she now gets to eat real (?) food. What a day.

Glamour Girl

Lauren loves to sport her shades. This photo was taken during a recent outing at a local park. She had fun playing airplane with Daddy, and watching the kiddie train that circles the park. Next time we visit, Lauren wants to ride the train and the merry-go-round too. Yippee!

All Thumbs

Over the last few weeks, Lauren has developed a taste for her thumb, and sometimes the other fingers work just as well. She's not that much into thumb sucking though - she's more of a nibbler. But regardless, the activity is normally accompanied by a good deal of slobber - ick :)

This Is It

This is the third molten chocolate cake recipe I've tested (found it in a Kraft Foods magazine) - and it is by far the easiest AND best tasting. All you need is one mixing bowl and a whisk (no mixer needed), and I used a Ghiradelli chocolate bar (60% cacao). Recipe can be found here - enjoy!

Scary Pumpkin

Lauren's 'scary pumpkin' impression gets top marks. She had a fun time on her first Halloween, handing out candy with Daddy. Not a huge turnout of trick-or-treaters this year, but that just makes for more left-over candy!