The Celebration of the Very Looooong Dogs

Last weekend was the monthly dacshund weiner roundup.  There were weinies of all shapes and sizes (see picture below). Long weiners, small weiners, brown weiners, black weiners, long-haired weiners, wIre-haIred weiners and even some spotted weinies. Ginger was the prettiest though.

Chloe loved every second of the dog park (except during the picture above apparently). She watched all of the dogs as they chased each other and she said her first word! She actually said "dah dah" which I interpreted to mean "Dad", but Leah told me Chloe was actually saying dog because she did the accompanying sign language for dog at the same time. Ah man!

After Ginger was done smelling everyone we decided to go on a little family hike up in the hills above the park. Here is a picture of Leah and Ginger as we started our assent.

 It was pretty cold out (by California standards) so I squeezed Chloe into my jacket to keep myself....er...I mean...to keep her warm.

Chloe and I stayed warm enough. Leah had to keep herself warm with stinky-ole-slobber-mouth-muddy-butt Ginger. Every time Chloe and I turned around we saw THIS:

That Ginger is always posing for the camera. Lastly, our family picture commemerating our glorious assent to the peak of Mount Abovedogpark.

Modeling her homemade pillowcase dress!

It's my first run, so it needs improvement!

A new ME

After gaining a whopping 34 lbs while pregnant with my daughter Chloë I am so happy to announce that after 7 months I am Finally back to my pre pregnancy weight!! Yay!! For the past 3 weeks I have been eating very healthy. I am not on a "diet" (I am still nursing and cannot restrict my calories) I am just eating all whole grains, no added sugar, and LOTS of fruits and veggies. Chloë and I have been attending a Mommy and me palates/ singing/sign language for babies class. I just started a yoga class on Thursdays and Adam bought me a shake weight that I just began using. I realized that here we feed our daughter pure homemade fruits and veggies, but I am eating a quesadilla and sugar free soda.. Not the best example, especially when she always reaches for what I am eating and wants to try it. I then say "nope baby this isn't for you" well it shouldn't be for me either so here I am. I feel great! I have more energy and I am more motivated.. YAY! Go sz 2 jeans I totally deserve you!!

banana, strawberries,peaches and a little fresh pressed apple juice









 I love vegetables and fruit smoothies!! The one thing I still really miss CHEESE!(the kind that's not so healthy, ya know the melty stringy kind)



Look @ all of that beautiful color in these Japanese yams! yum!



Yellow and red pepper with olive oil fresh cloves of garlic and onions.. roasted! mmm..

Southwest white chicken chili

I just made this delicious Chili.. Normally I don't love chili, but this improvised HEALTHY recipe I made is yummy..

Ingredients

4 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large onion, chopped
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
1 medium yellow squash chopped
3/4 cup water/ chicken stock
1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 (15 ounce) can white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, partially drained
A few dashes of garlic salt and pepper
2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
1.Heat the chicken in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin, onion and pepper and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, stirring often.
2.Stir the water, corn and beans in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with the cheese.

   I am trying to eat healthy so I didn't add the cheese to the top of mine even though I think cheese is the BEST, only Adams bowl got some :)

December and January

It's been a little while since I made a post so Dec. and Jan. will be all tied in.. Christmas was so much fun this year..


  

 Chloë got lots of books, clothes and toys..

 We had a night of Chocolate dipping..

TONS of eating..



More food...


Then for New Years we went down to Southern California to meet our good friends fiance, Darby. We had so much fun shopping and going out to eat and playing the wii..

Eating crab at Joe's Crab shack.

Chloe having a blast watching the waiters dance at Joe's..

Congratulations John and Darby! Can't wait to see you in April for the wedding!!

6 months and graduating to Solids!!!

Before I begin I would like to say, Yes these posts may be uninteresting to you, but I keep this blog for Chloë's grandmas. Yes this is a shout out to the grandmas who check the blog for updates. Grandma Renee, Gigi, Nana, Grandma Baird. Chloë has just turned 6 months old! I can't believe she is a half a year old! She is getting sooooo big. She can sit up on her own and I LOVE it. For me it means more pictures!! She just started to eat "real" food. So far sweet potatoes,  Applesauce (cinnamon and regular), butternut squash, yellow squash, and she has never turned down anything I stick in her mouth.This girl LOVES her food! I am so excited to introduce Chloë to a whole new world of food. As crazy as it sounds I am having so much fun with this. I love letting her experience a world of flavors! My cousin Amber was kind enough to give us this baby food that her baby is too big for now. I have also been making and freezing homemade squash, fresh green beans, and berry baby food. I plan to make all of it myself with our handy-dandy bullet. below is a fun video of how serious little miss is about her food!

I'm serious about this food thing ma!

Random strangers

Now that I have a baby random strangers feel the need to come poke, talk to, and even sing and touch little miss. She loves it and shows off her gummy smile and pretty little dimple for them, but I on the other hand find it odd some things people say ( maybe you can help me decrypt them) like the other day "Oh look at her she is such a pretty little lady, Don't be fooled mom she won't melt"  ??? uh OK because I was worried abt that? " Hi saucy pantsies you are sure saucy!" .. saucy? what does that mean? And how is she exuding saucy to the general public? Or at restaurants waiters always bring her a kids menu and crayons and ask what she wants off of the menu.. I understand that they don't know that a baby at 3,4,5 months drinks her meals, but it makes me laugh. And behold my favorite comment "Boy or Girl?" Really?? She is decked out in ALL pink with earrings and a bracelet on and a pink headband. I smile and say "SHE"S a girl."
They also love to give advice which sometimes is beneficial, and sometimes amusing. Such as,"When your baby is hungry and crying you should let them cry for at least 10-15 minutes before feeding them. That way they don't expect things on demand" Sad..   "If you tickle your baby she will stutter when she's older" well if that's true Chloe won't even be able to form sentences when she's older!! So humorous!

Giving Thanks



 

Adam, Chloë, and I all went to Idaho Falls for thanksgiving this year. Miss Chloe did great on the plane. When we arived there was snow :) Great to look at, but oh so cold! Then came the blizzard.. very cold. We got to ejoy new family members, yummy food and lots of  laughter and noise.



Chloë holding Abram



Chloë in the craft room with grandma Baird



Abram and Owen

Belly laughs

I am so thankful

To my Itty bitty-

Sometimes I can't find the words to express what I feel. Sometimes I am too full of emotion to know exactly what I am feeling. You hear 'motherhood is tough.' And it is. Before I had you, I didn't really understand. But then you came into my life. It's the emotional side of it. It's tough. I'm always wondering how you'll turn out, if I'm doing things right. I am a mess when it comes to you. I see myself in you. You're mine. And that's emotionally draining because I want to be the best for you, and hope that I am, but I'm always analyzing myself. And for these reasons in pops the saying 'motherhood is tough.' You'll never know what I'm talking about until you have your babies, Chloe. But for all the trying, emotional uncertainty it brings, along with it comes FAR more JOY! I am so happy being your guardian. I love being your mom and feel so grateful. My darling daughter, I ALWAYS wanted to be your mother. When I was little I used to play with all of my dolls and hold them and cuddle them, and dream of having one of my own. I loved the honor of carrying you in my tummy. I LOVED being pregnant with you. I never felt so important as I did when I was blessed to have the oppertunity to carry you. The first three months of your life were difficult for me, but so worth it! Now you are my smiling, cooing, cubby little miss and I couldn't adore you more! I can't help but dress you up every day and take a ton of pictures of you. I know how badly I will miss these times. I want to soak you in. As I listen to your monitor at night my heart races when I think your choking or not breathing. I have to go in and put my hand in front of your mouth to check. You have always been okay, but I don't know what I would do without you. The thought makes me cry. I am so sad to think you will be eating solids soon and won't need our nursing times as much. I fear I will be one of those women who nurse until your five! I don't want to let you grow up. I am thankful for the time in Italy as I was thinking of having you and I was on the top of a high mountain in San Marino and I went by myself to pray about you, and immediately got my answer. I am thankful god was so blunt with me. I need that. You were so ready to come to our family. I am so blessed. To my darling daughter, I am so very lucky to know you  I love you   love, Mom

Coco loves her doggie

Adam is trying to teach Chloe to be kind and gentle with our dog Ginger. Here she is giving ging love.

Mother, wife, and seamstress?

Now that Chloe is sleeping so well I have had time to sew! These past few weeks I have had such a blast making her things. Bows, headbands, skirts, bibs, appliqued shirts.. Halloween outfits.. So much fun! MORE TO COME!! 

Mommy's lil pumpkin

 Halloween is just around the corner and it has been so warm.. It doesn't feel like fall at all, which I'm sad about. I didn't want to miss out on the festive experiences just because it still feels like summer, so Adam and I took baby Chloë to the pumpkin patch. She looked pretty confused about all of the picture taking, but she complied and we got some great shots of her.

 She looks like she is dazed and confused..

judging by Chloë's face though I'm not so sure she was a fan.

 

Chloë was so exhausted with all of the fun .. Perfect fall day with the family that I adore!!

I love October!

happy fall, all!

We're all balding!!!

Having been a hairstylist I have heard the complaint many times. "My hair is falling out after I had my baby" I guess I never thought it would happen to me because I have so much hair. (Not the best logic) BUT about a month ago I started really losing a lot of hair. I know it's gross to show, but I have to prove my point.. Here is a picture of three days worth of showering.. our poor drain keeps clogging. so gross I know. I knew some people lose hair postpartum but this seems like too much!! Anyone else lose this much hair?? When does it end?I am becoming like my husband and daughter.. Bald!

26!

Yesterday I turned 26.. 26!! I can't believe it. Adam let me sleep in an extra hour.. He took Chloe when she woke and I got a wonderful hour more of sleep!We went to the park, then My friend Jessica and I worked on making Chloe's Halloween costume (she is going to be a flower) Then when Adam came home he took Chloe and I out to Lark Creek for a birthday dinner. Chloe wasn't having any of it. As soon as we got there she started screaming uncontrollably and Adam nor I could help her calm down. I felt pretty stressed out with a packed restaurant filled with people trying to have a nice dinner. And here we are with a sreaming baby in a nice place. So Adam and I took turns taking her outside while the other one ate. It wasn't exactly what I had hoped for my birthday but adam promised me a do-over this weekend! Oh and Adam got me an i-touch gum and bath salts!

Yucky vitamins!

Man I LOVE this kid ! She makes me laugh every day, and today she laughed for the first time REALLY HARD. She is really starting to be fun! I will have to post a video of her sweet baby laughs! This video is of her taking her vitamins, which she hates unless I mix it with milk in a bottle. Did I mention I LOVE HER??

Stranger Danger!

We missed Adam so badly and couldn't wait to come home and see him. When Adam picked us up from the airport he went to hold his little girl and... She got stranger danger! She was so upset she didn't know this man who was holding her! She squealed! and it was hard for us to calm her down. I felt so badly for them both. Chloe didn't have that long of a memory and Adam wanted her to miss him and be happy to see him. I wondered how long it would take her to remember or at least get used to him. Then this morning daddy did his usual made up songs with her and she fell instantly back in love! She now adores her daddy again.. Phew! We don't ever want to be away from him that long again it was too intense for us. We love you adam!