Kate and Blair

Perfectly Pink Baby Shower

2011-11-02T12:00:00.000-06:00

In September I co-hosted a baby shower for my good friend, Maggie. She already has a little boy and was so excited to have a baby girl. We played up the girl theme with a tea party (herbal, of course) and went with classic pink decor.

Here's a group picture of everyone that attended--minus one friend who was holding the camera. (No, that's not a black mask. I just want to respect my friend's preference to not have her picture posted on public sites.) We had a great time and I'm really going to miss Maggie when she moves away next month. Glad we could make this memory together!

Friend School

2011-10-30T18:12:00.003-06:00

Ella started "preschool" this fall! It's really a rotating co-op preschool that we do with two other friends. We meet once a week in someone's home and each mom takes turns teaching. It's a little like Joy school except we use a different program. Ella LOVES it. She talks about preschool all week and constantly asks when she gets to "have preschool" again. And there are usually tears when it's time to leave someone else's house. Here she is all ready for school (her lunch is in the backpack).

As much as I hate to admit it, she's really growing up.

Bear Lake Part Three: Faces

2011-09-26T12:42:00.001-06:00

Thought i'd post pictures of most of my family members. (Thanks to Annette for the pics of my family at the beginning of this post!) I tried to get close ups of everyone but I know I forgot several. This probably represents about 2/3 of everyone. Sorry there are so many, I just have a big family!

Bear Lake Part Two

2011-09-16T20:01:00.000-06:00

Our second Utah reunion was also in Bear Lake. We met up with my side of the family and had a great time relaxing, chasing kids, playing games, and eating. We managed to spend one afternoon at the lake and got a picture of all the grandkids lined up in order from oldest to youngest with the littlest baby sitting right in front. (We were missing two grandkids because one of my brothers couldn't come to the reunion). Ella is in the bright pink flowered suit and she's wearing a hat.

We stayed in a gorgeous house for three nights and there was plenty of room for everyone. Here's a view of the kitchen and a peek at the soda machine. The kids learned very quickly how to turn it on.

The house also had a beautiful deck, grill, and hot tub (which, incidentally, was broken despite the service repair man claiming he had been there the day we arrived and it worked just fine). And you couldn't beat the view.

Kudos to my brother, Cameron and his wife, Annette for planning the reunion. We all had a great time. I only wish we could have visited with everyone longer.

Bear Lake Part One

2011-09-15T14:49:00.000-06:00

I mentioned before that we spent the first couple of weeks of August in UT attending some reunions. The first reunion was with some college friends. We love seeing these friends and we try to get together at least every two years. This time we went to Bear Lake and had three fun days together. But we forgot to get a group picture! So, here are a bunch of some of the kids.

We spent plenty of time playing on the playgroung. Then of course there were drinks in coconuts.

And we all got wet. One day we went to the lake and another day we went to the pool.

On Sunday we even had a little lesson and coloring activity for the kids.

By the end I think everyone was exhausted!

For Patient Friends

2011-09-03T21:28:00.000-06:00

We spent the first 2 weeks of August in Utah enjoying some great reunions with friends and family. While there I took some family pictures for some friends and am finally finished with them. Thanks for your patience D and B!

Even though it was August, the morning was pretty chilly. The girls were troopers, though, and mom did her best to encourage them and keep hands warm!

Mom specifically wanted me to get some pictures of her youngest who is 18 months old. She has such beautiful eyes and soft squishy arms! And trying to get pictures of her was a fiasco--she never stopped moving! But I had such fun playing cat and mouse--and she did get caught a few times!

Post Catch-Up

2011-08-18T13:29:00.003-06:00

I have been back-dating some posts as I've started to catch up with blogging from our past year. Just in case you've missed them, scroll down or use the following links to visit the posts I've added.

Making Snowmen

2010-12-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

These are the only kind of snowmen we'll be making in Florida!

Ella was a great little helper when I made these snowmen for a Relief Society project.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-01T21:50:00.001-07:00

For Thanksgiving this year we packed up the car and made the long trek up to Virginia. Blair's sister, Melissa, lives near Richmond and we were glad to spend some time with her and her family. On Thanksgiving day itself we went to Melissa's sister in law's house. They were gracious hosts and even put us up for the night. Some things worth noting about the trip:

*Ella did better than expected on the drive, mostly thanks to a portable DVD player and plenty of planning ahead on my part. We were so grateful for the DVD player we borrowed from our friends that we decided to get our own on Black Friday to use on long road trips/plane rides.

*Even though we were in an unfamiliar city, we still dragged ourselves out on black Friday and got some great deals.

*Driving up the coast from the bottom of Florida was a lot of fun! We loved going from summer weather, shorts, and flip flops to beautiful fall colors and sweatshirts to no leaves on the trees and jackets. It really made me miss the changing seasons.

*We loved spending time with Melissa and her family and hope to go back as frequently as we can.

I didn't take any pictures on our trip (lame, I know) so here is a picture of Ella a few days before our trip taking care of her baby doll.

Alligator Sighting

2010-11-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Florida my family has been teasing me about alligators. Imagine my excitement when I looked out my back door and spotted an alligator in the canal! We happened to have people over to watch General Conference at the time so we all spilled out into the backyard and I grabbed my camera.

I got within about 6-7 feet of the big guy and snapped a few pics. I figured there was a 2 foot drop from the bank to the water level so he wouldn't come up on land. Only later did I learn that alligators have amazing jumping ability--they can travel twice their length in one shot. This guy was about 8 ft. long. Needless to say, I won't intentionally be getting so close to one again.

Butterfly World

2010-11-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

Blair got a special deal at work for us to go to Butterfly World on the cheap. Ella loved seeing the butterflies and she talked about it for weeks and weeks afterward. She also loved smelling all the flowers and watching people feed the birds in the mini aviary. If the deal comes up again we'll definitely go back.

Welcome Baby Luke!

2010-11-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

My friend, Toshi (seen here), had her baby and I asked her if I could snap a few pictures of him. It was a quick session as far as newborns go and Luke didn't want to sleep for us, but I still love what we got! He's 9 months old now and quite a nice chunk!

Halloween Deja Vu

2010-10-31T21:48:00.001-06:00

For Halloween this year we didn't go all out. In fact, Ella loved her little jack-o-lantern vest from last year and it still fit (though verging on too snug). So, A jack-o-lantern it was. Again. Still cute.

Baby Shower

2010-10-23T21:48:00.002-06:00

In October I helped throw a baby shower for my friend, Toshi. A friend co-hosted it and we had it at her house. I made the invitations and planned the decorations, favors, and a couple of games. We did a safari theme and I had a fun time with it. I managed to snap a few pictures of decorations before things started but I forgot to take very many pictures during the event! I'm lucky I even got one of the guest of honor! You can find some much better pictures of Toshi here.

Toshi's Baby Bump

2010-09-30T21:49:00.003-06:00

I was so excited to take may friend's maternity pictures at the beach! She is such a cute girl and we had a fun time, wind and all.

This is her cute little girl--one of Ella's best friends

Dierbergs Cakes

2010-09-16T21:47:00.001-06:00

When I was a kid, my family had a tradition. It all started when my mom had a birthday cake from Dierbergs. I'm not quite sure exactly how the story goes, but family lore seems to agree that my mom licked some of the frosting with her finger. It was her cake, after all. One of my siblings saw that and decided it was time to dig in. With his hands. Thus, the Dierbergs cake tradition was born. Dierbergs cakes must be consumed with hands only--utensils are not even optional.

Growing up my mom usually made my birthday cakes, but from time to time we would get a Dierbergs cake for some reason and dutifully follow tradition. Then I graduated high school, moved away, and haven't lived in close proximity to Dierbergs for several years. It's been a long time since I had a Dierbergs cake.

Last July when I visited Idaho and Utah to defend my thesis, I proposed a family birthday party. Three cousins, including Ella, have birthday within one week of each other in July, so it seemed like a good excuse to get together. And even though we didn't have a Dierbergs cake, my sister in law did some doctoring of the cake decorations and managed to write Dierbergs on the cake. So we had to follow tradition.

We had all the kids wash hands with soap then put them all on a tarp in the back yard. We explained the rules. Birthday kids get first swipe then everyone else could dig in. Hilarity ensued and great fun was had by all. The adults enjoyed a triple layer chocolate cake (with plates and forks) while the kids reveled in permissable food play. When the cake was finally demolished, only Ella was left primly sitting on the tarp with barely a hint of frosting on her face. The kids had a bawl and I wouldn't mind carrying on the tradition. Enjoy the evidence of the fiasco--unless eating with hands grosses you out. In that case, look away now.

Back off, buddy! This is my birthday cake!

Okay, you can have some.

Or not.

Naples Adventure

2010-09-15T12:15:00.004-06:00

We have heard great things about Naples, FL and since it's only 2 hours away from us, we decided to head over when Blair had a day off of work. It was pretty hot but we had a great time. We hung out at the beach and played in the sand for a while. Ella loved the beach in Naples because the water is so much more calm than on the beaches near us. The sand is also finer and whiter. When we needed a little break from that we spent some time walking around in the shopping district.

We cooled off by having dinner in a little greek restaurant then headed back to the beach to watch the sunset from the pier. It was a beautiful sunset and we struck up some good conversation with the locals. We even saw some dolphins while we were at the end of the pier. Too bad I didn't break out the camera until the end of the day when we were back a the beach to watch the sunset. We loved Naples and definitely plan to go back!

Key West Adventure

2010-09-02T21:47:00.000-06:00

We took our first real family vacation in August when we went to Key West for 3 days. Even though there were heavy rains for much of the trip (thanks to a tropical storm that eventually dispersed) we had a fabulous time! I didn't have my camera out for most of the trip, but I did manage to snap a few shots at the beach and when we went to the butterfly house.

We went to the beach the first morning we were there and it was a bit overcast. We didn't mind at all, though, because that meant we had the beach practically to ourselves! The water was warm and there was a slight breeze. It couldn't have been a more perfect time!

And here's my baywatch babe

While there we ate at some fabulous restaurants (I want to go back just for the shrimp quesadilla I had), walked around a lot, admired the architecture, and enjoyed the butterfly house. That was Ella's second favorite part (the beach was her favorite). We ended out trip with the obligatory chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick. Delicious!

Fourth of July

2010-09-01T13:19:00.000-06:00

For the Fourth of July this year Ella and I were in Idaho with family so I could defend my thesis and finish my paperwork for my Master of Science degree. Blair had to stay home for work, so he missed Ella's first encounter with snap crackers:

She thought they were great and whined a little when they were all gone. But she stopped when Uncle Kimball started lighting other things on fire.

And she got to eat a cookie.

And things were great until the really loud ones started

But all in all, it was a success and she talked about "fifo-verks" for a few weeks after the big event. I'm sure she'll love to see them again next year, too!

Ella's Birthday

2010-08-29T14:13:00.003-06:00

Ella turned two in July! We knew she and I were going to be in Idaho without Blair on her actual birthday (during my trip out west to defend my thesis) so we had a little family celebration 2 weeks before her actual birthday. She didn't know the difference--she was just thrilled to have cupcakes! We had a friend over for Sunday dinner and then just had cupcakes and opened a few presents. It had been a while since Ella was given new toys, so she was in heaven with the presents and I loved watching her!

"How old are you?"

She made off with some fun new toys: a dress up petticoat skirt, sunglasses, a box for sorting wooden shapes, and some blocks for stacking (and pushing over!)

When we have some down time and ask Ella what she wants to do, we can usually count on her response, "pay bocks!" (play blocks)

And here's a snapshot of all of us together

Side note: Though Ella turned 2 in July, she really started acting 2 just about 2 weeks ago. We still adore her, 2-year-oldness and all!

Florida Wildlife

2010-08-23T07:01:00.004-06:00

As soon as we found out we were moving to Florida, my family started teasing me about alligators. The teasing increased when we moved into an apartment that sits right on a waterway (very common for the "Venice of America"). But I haven't seen any alligators yet. We plan to eventually take a trip west across Alligator Alley, so maybe we'll see one then. We have, however, seen plenty of wildlife:

Here's a family of ducks that live in our complex. The babies are pretty well grown now, but Ella loved to feed and follow them when they were still tiny. We counted the babies every time they came by.

They joined us one day for a picnic

We see tons of these little guys. It's hard to get close because they're pretty fast. This one snuck into our screened in back patio.

We watched this sea turtle for a while when we went to the beach a couple of weeks ago. He persuaded Ella to brave the noise and movement of the waves and come into the water. She now really enjoys the ocean!

And though there aren't really any animals here, this is a view from our patio. We see a wide variety of birds and the occasional fish in the water. And we have some lovely sunsets.

Happy Birthday, Blair!

2010-08-23T06:54:00.004-06:00

Way back in June we celebrated Blair's birthday. Though we didn't have an official party, we did have some trifle (the official birthday treat at our house) when some friends came for a BBQ and we made Blair listen to us all sing 'Happy Birthday'. Otherwise, to mark the occasion we just had a quiet family dinner with cupcakes for dessert, the obligatory candles and singing, and some small presents. As predicted, Ella adored the cupcakes. (I'm sorry I only took one little snapshot of the occasion!)

Eat Puppies.

2010-08-03T13:08:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we decided to go out to eat one night. I was telling Ella about it and she was excited to eat in a restaurant and sit in a high chair at the table. A minute later she piped up with halting little words:

"Ella eat puppies."

Me: "You want to eat puppies?"

Ella: "Yes."

Me: *Confused. Thinks for a minute.* "Oh! You want a hot dog?"

Ella: "Yes!"

She has obviously had a hot dog at a restaurant before, but she doesn't eat them often enough to remember the name. We've been laughing about that since she said it! Thank goodness she doesn't really want to eat puppies...

First. Pick. Dada.

2010-07-24T14:19:00.005-06:00

Today Ella and I were driving in the car and I told her we were going to pick up daddy and then take dinner to some friends who just had a baby. Two minutes later I heard her pipe up from the back seat:

"First. Pick. Dada.

Then. Go. Pool.

Okay?!"

Apparently she didn't think our friends needed dinner.

I've been MIA for the last couple of months while I made one last push to finish my master's thesis. A couple of weeks ago I presented and defended my thesis--and I passed! Unfortunately, I missed the deadline for August graduation by one week, so the degree will officially post to my transcript in December. But, for all intents and purposes, I have finally earned my Master's degree in Nutritional Science!

In the meantime, here are some things that happened around here and a list of posts to come:

Blair's Birthday

Florida Wildlife

Ella's Birthday at Home

Fourth of July

Family Birthday BBQ

Atlantis and Orlando

2010-06-06T18:09:00.008-06:00

The second week of May Blair had a furlough day. It just happened to fall on the day of the recent space shuttle Atlantis launch. Since Atlantis will be retiring this year, and are only a few launches left. Neither Blair nor I have ever witnessed the spectacle, so we decided to have an adventure and go watch the launch then spend the night in Orlando so we could go to the temple the next day. The drive there was about 4 hours (give or take, but could have been faster if not for an impatient toddler) and we were in fine spirits when we arrived in Titusville, FL. The launch was scheduled for 2:20 and we had an hour and a half to wait.

(Not our car, but I liked the artwork)

We planned to view the launch from Spaceview Park. The park is situated on the edge of the waterway that separates Titusville from the NASA facilities. Every last inch of parking close to the park was claimed, so we had to park about 12 blocks away. The closer we got to the park, the more the air sizzled with anticipation. There were many people who had been there since early morning and plenty more crawled along like ants marching to a spilled lunch. Shade umbrellas, lawn chairs, camping chairs, blankets, towels, coolers, and even a few sleeping bags choked out all the grassy areas. There were T-shirt vendors, food vendors, beverage vendors, and memorabilia vendors on street corners and dotted throughout the park. We managed to find a little piece of pavement on a pathway in the park where we promptly laid out our blanket and began slathering on sunscreen. I watched in fascination as strangers talked and joked, people checked and re-checked camera batteries, and children asked over and over, "is it time yet?" Boy scout troops were there and news crews vied for good positions for reporting on the scene. I heard one report that attendance for viewing the launch was over 35,000 people.

The clock ticked on and we made conversation with our fellow spectators. There was a sense of camaraderie and easiness bred from our shared purpose. Ella ran and danced begged to sit in every stroller she could see. Blair kept telling her about the shuttle and made a rumbling noise while showing her with his hand how the shuttle would fly up into the sky. Soon the chatter became louder and we heard snippets of conversation: "Just 5 minutes!"; "Not long now!"; "It's 2:18!"; "Get ready!"; "Here we go!!"; "10...9...8...7..."

And I heard myself join in with "6...5...4...3...2...1!"

We heard a great rumble and the suddenly silent crowd stood with eyes fixed, frantically searching and hoping to spot the space shuttle as it rose into the sky. Arms were raised heavenward with cameras ready. Then the shuttle came into view and the crowd exploded with squeals and exclamations. Ella was sitting on Blair's shoulders and she was mesmerized by the bright fire exploding from the end of the shuttle. We watched until it was too small to watch anymore.

Then it was over. The crowd immediately burst into action, folding chairs and blankets, buckling children into strollers, and packing up coolers and bags. I stood watching the commotion and reflected on the experience. The experience that lasted less than a full minute. Hours of planning, preparing, and waiting all lead up to just one minute of awe. Then everyone was strangers again, elbowing and running to beat their neighbor out of the park. Blair and I stood and watched and let Ella play for a while. Then when the crowd had thinned out a little we buckled her into her stroller and headed out to our car.

Not long after that we discovered why people were running and throwing elbows to get to their vehicles. On a normal day, the drive from Titusville to Orlando takes about 45 minutes. But that day we sat on the road for over 3 hours. That's what you get when 35,000 people are trying to get out of a small town.

We discovered during that drive that the Orlando temple was closed for maintenance so we wouldn't be able to attend the next day. But since we had already paid for our hotel room we stayed anyway and took Ella to Sea World the next day. She really had a good time seeing the fish and sting rays and splashing in water wherever she could (sorry no pictures--I left my camera in the car). Blair and I really enjoyed the shows and had a good time, too. As Florida residents, we were able to pay less than one day of admission for a "fun pass" that will let us come back all year long. We plan to go up at least a couple more times in conjunction with temple trips, so we think we'll make good use of the tickets. It was a fun family vacation and I'm glad we went!

Saturday at my Sister's

2010-05-16T20:06:00.003-06:00

In April Ella and I took a trip to Idaho to visit my mom and siblings who live there. All of my siblings have families of their own and all but one live in Idaho. I love that I can see everyone in just one trip. We had a great time and Ella loved playing with her cousins. One night we stayed over at my sister's house and in the morning the sun was shining, the kids were all happy with legos, books, video games, trains, and breakfast. The lighting in my sister's kitchen was beautiful, so I pulled out my camera and started snapping pictures of her youngest as he ate his breakfast. Soon the 3 year old wanted in on the party, then the 7 year old. And that's how the most relaxed photo session I've ever witnessed unfolded. All the kids were in pajamas with hair ruffed from their pillows, but they were bright eyed and happy. Twenty minutes later I had shots of all the kids and they barely noticed the interruption.

Do we really need to stress over matching outfits, perfectly parted hair, and perma-smiles? I don't think so. Sometimes it's nice to see kids just being themselves.

Get Movin'

2010-04-29T14:20:00.005-06:00

Greetings from Sunny Florida!

After spending January frantically searching for a place to live, packing our house, and visiting with friends and family, our big move started on the first day of February. Blair and his dad drove our moving truck across the country while Ella and I bunked with family in AZ. Then at the end of the week Ella and I flew out to FL where Blair picked us up and took us back to our mostly empty new apartment. The next day some members of our church congregation arrived to help us finish unloading the truck. Everything went amazingly well considering the length of the drive and the timing involved. Ella was even delightful during our flights!

We've settled in pretty well now and Ella is really well adjusted. We like our apartment and Blair enjoys his job. Of course there are some things that we haven't gotten used to (and we may not ever) but we're remembering to be grateful that Blair was able to find a job in his field when cut backs and hiring freezes are occurring around every corner.

The picture at the beginning of this post shows Ella in our 'backyard' in mid-March. We have a screened patio that opens onto a common grassy area along a canal. It's nice to look out at the water and see different kinds of birds. Ella really enjoys going outside, too, so it's great that we have easy access to a grassy area. We've also been enjoying beautiful weather and Ella re-discovered the pool this week. I have a feeling that we'll visit plenty of pools and beaches this summer for her entertainment! Okay, and ours, too...

Double Trouble Strikes Again

2010-04-25T20:12:00.004-06:00

My long-time friend came for a quick visit from Vegas before we moved to Florida. Her babies are close in age to Ella and they had a fun time together. Here are a pictures from their visit:

These baby blues are real...no doctoring here

Little boys actually do eat dirt...and mud...and grass...and...

Bath time!

Even babies dread the customary group shot...at least they're all looking in the same general direction

Closing your eyes too soon for that first kiss could cause an embarrassing chin kiss. Don't take it too hard, Adam. There's still plenty of time to win her over.

During the trip we hung out at our house, went to the park, grilled some delicious ribs, and generally just relaxed. It was a very short whirlwind trip, but we're so glad they came.

Adventures in Colorado

2010-04-23T06:50:00.006-06:00

Still playing catch-up...

In January Blair and I decided we should take a trip to Colorado to visit Blair's sister, Charlotte. At her house there are lots of kids, lots of toys, lots of shoes, and a swing hanging from the ceiling in the family room. Ella had a blast. She also loved playing in the snow (and sucking on a snow ball) and has been asking for "no" ever since that trip.

While there I also took some pictures for this cute couple...they tied the knot a couple of weeks ago and you can see more engagement pictures of them here.

Adventures in Potty Training

2010-03-14T18:48:00.006-06:00

My unconventional potty training methods have earned a few quizzical looks, some "you must be crazy" eye rolls, and an occasional gasp. But I'm glad I did it the way I did. I know potty training is a hot topic for moms so I want to put this out there for anyone interested. For this post I'll write a summary of what I did and then point out the advantages and disadvantages of this method. Warning: If potty training is gross to you or body functions make you squirm, don't read on. Second Warning: This is a long post.

I introduced Ella to the potty when she was only 7 months old. At the time she was sitting up very well and showing a lot of interest in her surroundings. I did some reading on some methods of infant potty training but what I saw was a bit extreme. I didn't want my baby crawling around diaper-less in a fully carpeted rental apartment, nor did I want to arrange life around my baby's potty schedule. However, I did see an advantage to making the potty a regular part of daily life early on. So I scaled back the method and worked on "infant potty awareness" with my daughter. When she was 7 months old, I found a cheap little potty ($0.99 at Ikea) for Ella and started sitting her on it.

Week 1 (7 mos old)

The first day I sat her on the potty when her diaper had been dry for a while. We played and read books and sang songs. After about 15 minutes she went and I acted really excited, clapped my hands and cheered and covered her in kisses. I also made a "pshhhhh" sound so she would associate the sound with going potty. I showed her what she put in the potty and how we cleaned it up then I put her diaper back on and we went about our business. We did this about 3 times the first day and 4 times the second day. By the third day when I sat Ella on the potty and made the "pshhhhh" sound she voluntarily went within the first minute. She still went in her diaper between potty breaks, but she definitely understood the concept of going in the potty and got really excited with huge grins when she went. During that week she also pooped on the potty a few times and figured out the difference between the two functions.

Week 2 (7 mos old)

By the second week, I had made sitting on the potty part of our routine. We went when she woke up in the morning, after meals, before and after naps, and before bedtime. Nothing was rigid and we missed a few times, but the point was to simply give her opportunities to go. I tried to give her 4-7 opportunities each day to go to the potty. I never expected her to keep her diaper dry or to always go every time I decided to sit her on the potty. The point was to just let her be comfortable using the potty.

After 1 month (8 mos old)

By the end of 1 month, Ella stopped pooping in her diaper. She decided it was uncomfortable to sit in her own poop and much better to go on the potty. If she needed to poop, she would either hold it until a regular potty time or make a noise to tell me she needed to poop. Since she was 8 months old, she has soiled a diaper less than 15 times. That alone made the potty awareness worth it to me--No wiping up a poop covered bum for us.

After 2-3 months (9-10 mos old)

Ella started peeing less in her diaper and more in the potty. This translated into big savings on diapers for us. By the time she was 10 months old we were down to using 2-3 diapers a day (including one at night!).

Holding Pattern (10 mos-18 mos old)

We continued in this pattern for several months. I eventually found a potty seat that goes on a regular toilet and Ella started using that. This eliminated potty clean up and helped Ella identify more with how grown-ups go potty. I decided to wait until Ella was walking and able to communicate to us that she needed the potty before I transitioned from diapers to panties.

At 18 months old

Just before Ella turned 18 months old the time felt right. She was mobile enough to come get my attention and she had just learned to say potty ("otty"). Santa also brought Ella some brand new panties for Christmas and I was tired of seeing her wear them like hats. So one morning I put panties on Ella and sat with her in the kitchen for 3 hours and we played with a doll who drinks and wets. We talked about wet panties and dry panties and sat the baby doll on the potty. We clapped for baby when she peed in the potty and told he we were sad when she made her panties wet. We repeated this over and over and over. All the time I gave Ella snacks that made her thirsty and made sure she had plenty to drink. I also let her have her first accident on the tile floor (that's why we were in the kitchen) so we could talk about how her panties got wet and how uncomfortable it was. (This one-day method comes from a book called "Toilet Training in Less than Day" by Nathan H. Azrin and Richard M. Foxx.) After 3 hours we took a break but kept the panties on. She had a couple more accidents that day but only 2 accidents the next day and only 1 the day after that.

Present day

Ella hasn't worn a diaper since the day we played with the drink and wet baby doll. She tells us "otty" when she needs to go and unless she gets too distracted with playing, she rarely has an accident. She's used to the routine and has even started to use toilet paper to clean herself. I still pay attention to how much she has had to drink and how long it has been since she went to the bathroom and try to remind her if it has been a while.

Outings

I didn't want to put pull-ups on Ella because they are so similar to diapers. But when we go out in public I don't want her making messes. So I compromised and decided to put a pull-up over her own panties. We call them her "girl panties" because there is a picture of a girl on them. This way if she has an accident while we're out, all I have to do is change her panties and pull-up. I take the pull-up off when we're at home and there hasn't been any problem or confusion so far.

Public Toilets

Public Toilets were a big concern for me because Ella is just physically too little to use a public toilet. But I didn't want to plan my life around potty breaks at home, so we hunted around and found a fold-up travel potty seat that goes with us on errands and outings. It sits right on top of the regular toilet and Ella loves the pictures of Elmo and Cookie Monster that are on it. She has used several public toilets without any problem. I keep the travel potty seat in a ziploc bag inside of a zipper pouch designed for holding soiled clothing/diapers. I also keep a spare pair of panties and a pull-up in there just in case. So far I've never had to use them. (Just FYI, I clean the seat and change the ziploc bag regularly.)

Night Time and Sleeping

Ella stopped having accidents in bed after 4 nights of wearing panties. Though I wanted to claw my eyes out and shoot myself when she woke up wet at 2 am and I had to clean up the mess, bathe her, and change the bedding, I held out and refused to go the route of pull-ups. By the 4th night she had held it all night long and barely went just as she was waking up. On the morning after the fifth night, she held it until I got her out of bed and took her to the potty. She keeps her bed dry now and will wake us up if she really has to go (this has happened less than 5 times since she fully trained). For dry bed insurance, I stop giving her liquids 45 minutes before bedtime so she'll be less likely to have a full bladder during the first half of the night. Ella did have one week of relapse just a couple of weeks ago when she wet her bed every night for 5 nights in a row. I think she stared sleeping more deeply and lost control, or she might have had a mild bladder infection that affected her potty routine. In any case, she stopped as abruptly as she started and again keeps her bed dry all night.

Was it Worth it? Yes.

Here are the advantages to this method:

Huge $$$ Savings: Fewer diapers and wipes from 8 mos old to 18 mos old; NO diapers and wipes after 18 months old!

No fighting: The potty was never a choice for Ella--it was just part of the routine

No manipulation: The potty isn't a power struggle (as it might be for a 3 year old)

Quality time: Potty time is one on one time with mommy or daddy-she loves it

Confidence: Ella is very proud of herself and knows we're proud of her

Less stinky: No poopy bum since she was 8 months old

Here are the disadvantages to this method:

Time: It can be time consuming and so may not be as doable for a baby with older siblings or a working mom

Convenience: Diapers are simply more convenient--they get changed on mom's schedule

Patience: This method requires a lot of patience--rushing Ella or getting mad if she didn't go when I put her on the potty could have spelled big trouble

Spouse Cooperation: If you have a spouse, you have to have have their full support and cooperation (my husband was supportive and helpful but I might have lost it if he hadn't been so great)

Disclaimer

This method is a fusion of two known methods of potty training. Though doctors and specialists have been known to support both infant potty training and Potty Training in Less than a Day, I have not seen any references that from doctors or specialists that either recommend or discourage using them together. This method may not work with every child. I paid close attention to my daughter and how she reacted to and learned about her body and the potty. It was a good method for her and I'll use it again with future children only if they are similarly receptive and eager.

Short-Lived Career in Upholstery

2010-03-02T18:01:00.009-07:00

Sometime in December I picked up this sad little bench for less than a song (read: free) and decided to do my best to bring it back to life. The previous owner had thrown some scrap fabric over the seat where some ferocious cat had ripped it apart. It was nasty and I had no clue where to start. But with my typical impulsive zeal and overconfidence I decided to dive in head first.

I did check out some upholstery books from the library and skimmed enough to know that I didn't want to try this alone. So I asked my sister in law, Jenn, if she would be willing to help me. She has some limited experience in reupholstery, which is more than I had, and she said yes. So in January we got to work.

I took pictures as we picked the bench apart so we would have a reference when we put it all back together with new support slats, foam and fabric. The reference pictures were a HUGE help. From start to finish we probably spent 10-12 hours total on the bench (spread over 3 days) and we learned a little something along the way. I couldn't have done it without Jenn--she was fantastic! And I'm really pleased with the result.

It's far from perfect and certainly not a professional job, but it'll work for my needs. I intend to use it as a prop for photography. It'll also serve as a little stool to help Ella get up onto our bed--after I scotch guard it. As time goes by I find I'm forgetting how much work it took...so maybe I'll try to rescue this little number, too:

Wish me luck!

New Job

2010-02-21T12:18:00.005-07:00

In the second week of January Blair received a job offer from Broward County, FL! He has been searching and interviewing since before he graduated last April so we were really relieved to find this job. (For the record, he did have an offer elsewhere this past summer but after some thinking and praying we didn't feel like it would be a good fit for us, so he turned it down and kept looking.)

Blair accepted the Florida job and then we went to work looking for housing and trying to become acquainted with the area from over 2,000 miles away. After many hours of research we decided to rent an apartment without looking in person. It was a risky decision but we felt like things would work out just fine. With housing squared away we set to work sorting through our belongings and packing stuff up. We had four weeks from the time the offer was extended to the start date, and with 4-5 days of driving the moving truck that gave us just three weeks to tie up loose ends and get packed.

As a side note, I really like that Florida's seal states, "In God we trust." That sums up very well the last 10 months of job hunting and will be our family motto for the next several months as we move to a completely unfamiliar place where we know no one.

Blair and I never, ever pictured ourselves in Florida. I've only ever been to one ocean beach in my life--and it was so cold I wore a sweatshirt the whole time and barely got my toes wet. I'm excited to experience a warm beach and glad that Ella will get to enjoy that, too. Blair's job will be a great start for his career and we think we'll really like it in Florida. The first adventure we'll plan will be driving down the Florida Keys all the way to Key West. It should be great! We'll keep you posted.

New Year

2010-02-17T13:51:00.004-07:00

For New Year's Eve this year Blair and I went to to his sister's house in Mesa. We put Ella to bed there then spent the evening playing the Wii, wearing silly hats, and eating delicious scones with honey butter. We were traditional and watched the ball drop then rang in the new year with some smooches. We can tell we're boring parents now because it took major effort to stay awake past 11:00. We made a tired drive home and once Ella was safe in her own bed we crashed only to be awakened entirely too early by our little one. We didn't make any resolutions this year besides improving where we're slacking, but we do have some goals for this year. We have a feeling 2010 will be a good one!

Here's the obligatory silly hat photo

Things to Come

2010-02-17T11:45:00.003-07:00

We've had a busy year so far and I'm finally in a position to play catch-up on this blog. Here's a preview of posts to come:

New Year

New Job

Short-Lived Career in Upholstery

Adventures in Potty Training

Adventures in Colorado

Double Trouble Strikes Again

Get Movin'

Stay tuned...

Christmas Catch-Up

2010-01-24T21:37:00.004-07:00

This post has been a long time coming! We've had a very busy and exciting few weeks and I want to make sure I write a little bit about our Christmas before life becomes too overwhelming. Above are some mugs I made for Blair and me. We didn't drink much hot chocolate this season thanks to living in the desert, but I'm still glad I made them.

We put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I was a little apprehensive about having ornaments low enough for Ella to reach but she hardly gave the ornaments any notice! She was more concerned with the lights and every morning when she came to the living room and saw the tree she would blurt out "chee, chee, chee!" until someone turned on the tree lights.
I have ambition to make some beautiful stockings some day. But until then, here's our a mismatched collection. No mantle for us so we utilized a window sill.
Ella was spoiled rotten by grandparents and friends. We got her clothes and underwear. (Yeah, that's what every kid wants Christmas morning.) Oh, and I made her the photo book. But she got some wonderful (and very pink!) toys from generous family and friends. It didn't take her long to get the hang of opening up presents and she was actually excited to see what was IN the boxes this year. It was really fun to watch her excitement at the new toys. She has really enjoyed playing with her new things!
We had a white porcelain nativity set up on a cupboard in our family room. Ella loved walking past it and exclaiming, "baby, baby!" and "shhhhh, shhhhh." She also decided that baby Jesus needed a hair bow. I didn't get a picture of it, but for several days there was a hair bow sitting next to the manger. Ella loves her hair bows and I saw a deeper meaning in her "gift" for baby Jesus. So I left it there. Then one day she decided the donkey actually needed to wear a hair bow. I got a picture of that one.

Merry Christmas to all!

Family Pictures

2009-12-20T21:49:00.005-07:00

Blair happens to have a brother-in-law who is also a fantastic photographer. The weekend after Thanksgiving he was gracious enough to take us out for some family pictures. Ella is changing so fast it's hard to keep current pictures around. I am thrilled with the results! The above picture will wind up on our wall somewhere and the rest here are some of my other favorite images. Thank you so much, Cody!

November in Summary

2009-12-17T09:29:00.003-07:00

We had a very busy November! Blair's niece got married and I took bridal pictures and assisted with wedding day pictures. It was a beautiful wedding! The week after the wedding Blair's sister and her family came to stay with us for 5 days while they were in between houses. That's when the above picture was taken. Ella loved having her cousins around and still asks for "Nanna" (Savannah-her 10 year old cousin). It was a full house, but we enjoyed the company.

The following week I spent a lot of time taking pictures for a school play. The kids were in grades 1-3 and they were darn cute. It was so fun to see the different personalities as I took individual pictures in costume. I won't post any pictures because I didn't ask permission from the parents and I want to respect privacy. But trust me, they were adorable.

The week of Thanksgiving I actually flew to Utah to meet with some professors and try to rescue some semblance of a thesis project. It became obvious in late October that my project wasn't going to pan out into usable data so we had to come up with plan B. It was a whirlwind 3-day trip but I think things look good now for completing my thesis. During the trip I left Ella here with Blair and had my first nights baby-free since she was born. It was so strange to not have to worry about when someone else was hungry or tired or bored. I got so much done! But I really missed Ella and Blair. Trips alone can get, well, lonely.

I came home the night before Thanksgiving and we had a lovely Thanksgiving day at Blair's sister's house. She was a fabulous host for 25 people and the weather was so gorgeous that we ate outside on the patio. Stephanie set a beautiful table--actually 3 beautiful tables--and we all stuffed ourselves silly and stayed late playing games and eating pie.

I'll stop here for now and save decorating for Christmas for another post. November sure kept us on our toes, but we made some good memories!

Changes

2009-11-13T11:27:00.003-07:00

Sometimes you just know it's time for a change. Not long ago I chose the name Ella Rose for my photography business because I was inspired by my daughter and because I felt it conveyed beauty. But I've never been entirely happy with the name. I don't just strive to capture beauty--I try to capture beautiful moments to remind people of joyous times in their lives. So I toyed with other ideas and one day it hit me out of the blue that my childhood nickname should be the inspiration for the name of my photography business. Katie Joy. I find joy in life and I capture joyful moments through my lens. Hopefully, the work I do will help people remember the joy in their past.

So, before I get much more established, I am making the change. You can link to my new site here: http://katiejoyphoto.blogspot.com/ and check out some more pictures of this beautiful bride. And since I won't be posting again on my Ella Rose blog, don't forget to change your bookmarks, bloglines, or blog lists. Thank you for looking!

When Mom Isn't Looking

2009-11-10T17:59:00.003-07:00

When mom isn't looking, here's one thing Ella does...

Can't forget the tummy...

Am I pretty or what?

Halloween

2009-11-08T22:57:00.003-07:00

Ella was a great sport this Halloween. She let us dress her up like a Jack 'o lantern and even kept her hood on. I think she actually liked the costume and she knew we thought she was cute. The night before Halloween we went to a trunk or treat with Blair's sister and her family. We ate yummy food and admired some great costumes. I even dressed up like a witch for the event but I forgot to get a picture. Here are a couple of snapshots of Ella in her costume.

Ella got to hang out with her cousin, Luke Skywalker

On Halloween we went over to Blair's sister's house so Ella could go out trick or treating with her cousins. She brought back some great candy for us.

And while we were there she got to meet one of her relatives

Since Halloween, Ella has taken to dressing up. If any of her clothes are sitting out she wants me to either change her clothes or put something on over what she is already wearing. I shouldn't be surprised since I loved playing dress-up when I was a little girl. We sure love our little girl!

E's First Haircut

2009-11-01T21:41:00.004-07:00

Some people call me rash, but I prefer spontaneous. I up and decided to cut Ella's hair on Friday. I've been thinking about it for a long time because her hair was getting longer in back and was pretty uneven. It's also pretty straight and fine so I figured a little cut would help it look a bit fuller. So Friday I just decided to go with it. I recruited Blair to help distract Ella with a book and an apple (though I was prepared to resort to a popsicle), got her hair nice and wet, then went to town with the scissors.

The Result

The difference is fairly subtle but I think it pretty cute and it should grow in nicely now, too.

By the way, if anyone ever says it's easy to give a toddler a haircut, they're either trying to trick you or impress you. And they're lying through their teeth. I'm lucky that it's pretty even at the bottom.

Garage Sale

2009-10-26T10:17:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago Blair and I cleaned out the garage for Blair's dad and we decided to combine a bunch of stuff from that with a bunch of our stuff that we don't need/want any more and have a garage sale. Sounded like a good idea when I suggested it. After many hours of cleaning, gluing, hefting, dragging, painting, and taping, we finally had our stuff ready and signs waiting to be placed around the neighborhood. The sale was just over a week ago on Friday and Saturday mornings. (Those are garage sale days around here.)

Surprisingly, traffic on Friday was much better than on Saturday and we sold a lot more on Friday than on Saturday. I really thought it would be opposite. Also, people wouldn't take the initiative to bargain with us! It's a garage sale, people! When I say $5, it really means I'll probably let it go for $3. Maybe $2 if you make me laugh. Or $1 if you buy something else, too. So don't roll your eyes, throw the object back on the table, and stomp off to your car. Make me an offer! I love to negotiate.

We also met lots of interesting people. There were super friendly morning people, grandmas who came to look while grandpa stayed in the running car, moms dragging kids out to hunt for new toys, groups of men with trailers looking for super cheap furniture to refurbish and re-sell, and the eccentric types who were decked out in gypsy clothing and had little room left in their cars after visiting several sales.

The whole experience was actually refreshing in some ways. I enjoyed visiting with such a wide array of people in such a short amount of time. Plus we got rid of a bunch of stuff that was just taking up space and we even made a decent amount of cash. I'd definitely do it again...in a few years. After I've forgotten just how much work it takes.

Camping for Fall Break

2009-10-18T20:09:00.005-06:00

Ella eating breakfast at the picnic table

In Arizona the schools have a fall break in October. I never had a fall break when I was a kid, but October in Missouri required sweaters, jackets, and the occasional winter coat. Here you can finally play outside without getting heat stroke. So Blair's sister organized a little camping trip while her kids were out of school. His other sister came with her family and Blair and I tagged along. We went to Dead Horse Ranch State Park and had a fun time. The daytime weather was beautiful, the evenings and mornings were a bit nippy, and at night we shivered. But I was thrilled to feel the cool air! Ella had a fun time riding around in her stroller and hiking backpack. She fared really well considering her age and the fact that we wouldn't let her scoot around in the dirt. I enjoyed hanging out around the campfire and hiking along the pretty creek. It's a great place to go for a low key vacation!

Family Reunion Part 3

2009-10-02T20:23:00.005-06:00

We let Ella play with some wild flowers for a little while when we took a hike at the reunion. She cried at first because she doesn't like sitting in the grass, but when she got distracted by the flowers and passing 4-wheelers, she was much happier.

Really mom? More pictures?

Love those eyelashes...

Her favorite part was riding on dad's back when he was running.

Those eyelashes again...

And this is what we saw when we walked back up to the cabin. Good thing it was in park...they really meant business.

And this is Ella riding back from the reunion--rejecting her baby doll for an ipod touch and a hat with attitude. I didn't think this was supposed to happen for at least 10 more years...

Family Reunion Part 2

2009-09-26T10:25:00.005-06:00

There were plenty of fun activities at the family reunion. We had a bunch of 4-wheelers that we could take out to see the beautiful scenery.

We also had a family auction to raise money for the next reunion in a couple of years. People donated items or services for sale and anyone in the family could bid. Here's my brother playing auctioneer and sporting a punch bowl and plastic necklaces for sale. The reflection in the bowl shows most of the family. For the auction I made a bunch of glass bead jewelry and also donated 5 dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies and a photo session.
We also saw some pretty sunsets and enjoyed the campfire each night.
There was, of course, the option to hike.
Ella sure got a kick out of that outing.
Next post: Ella meets wildflowers

Family Reunion Part 1

2009-09-22T23:12:00.005-06:00

Blair and I took off for a couple of weeks to attend my family reunion and spend some time with my family in Idaho. It was a great trip and the family reunion was a lot of fun. We went to our family cabin near Lava Hot Springs for three days of camping, log splitting, 4-wheeling, eating, and letting the kids be dirty. Here are a few pictures.

Enjoying the campfire right before we put Ella to bed

My manly lumberjack

Just a few of the 20 grandchildren...Ella is playing in the exersaucer

Ella discovered olives...and she loves to put them on her fingers as she eats them.

I wasn't lying when I said we let the kids be dirty...but we tried not to let them eat the dirt.

Ella loved her cousin, Jacob. She thought he was her own personal baby and loved to give him hugs and kisses.

Ella also adores girls around the ages of 9-12 so whenever she spotted Emmy, she reached her hands out and begged to be held.

More pictures to come!

Ella Rose Photography

2009-08-20T23:26:00.005-06:00

I realized that my photography habit has been creeping in pretty often to our "family" blog, so I decided to make a separate blog for photography. I'll probably still post portraits of family and friends on this family blog, but I'll keep it more related to our comings and goings as a family. Results of other photo sessions, like the picture above, will be posted on my photography blog. So go check out Ella Rose Photography and if you're interested in following my photography, add it to your bookmarks, bloglines, or become a follower. And if you know someone in the Phoenix area that needs pictures, send them my way. I'm itching to get out for more sessions!

Not Cool

2009-08-19T21:54:00.002-06:00

The other day I was driving my 9 year old niece and her friend somewhere and they were asking me to scan through radio stations to find a good song. After 5 or 6 duds, I stumbled on Hotel California and said, "hey, this is a great song!" From the back seat there was an uncomfortable pause and then, in a voice heavy with annoyance my niece said, "my mom likes this song."

Well, I'm a mom. "Yeah, I guess moms like this song."

But everyone should like this song. It's a classic! It has an awesome guitar solo. It's melodic rock in its prime. Sure, it was written before I was born, but it's timeless! Or so I thought. I guess it's not cool to like this song anymore. Which means I'm not cool. Unless you think it's cool to know all the words to Hotel California. Then I stand corrected.

I didn't change the station. We listened to the whole thing and I sang every word.

Trip to DC

2009-08-16T22:56:00.004-06:00

Blair's childhood friend got married in Washington DC last week, so we used it as an excuse to take trip out that way. The only time I have visited DC was last fall when we had only a few hours before we had to catch a train to VA. I didn't get to see much then. So I was glad to go back and see some more of the city. This time around we got to see the Capitol, the Library of Congress, Voice of America Studios, National Botanic Gardens, the National Archives, the Air and Space Museum, and the Museum of American History. We stayed with some friends who lived about an hour and a half away from DC so we drove to the end of the metro line and took the metro in a couple of times. It worked out really well.

Ella did great. She enjoyed sitting in her stroller and watching the people. She even took naps in her stroller.

Her favorite attraction was this exhibit at the National Archives where you can pick up a telephone and listen to a recording. She cried when we left.

She also really enjoyed the Botanic Gardens because there was a children's garden where she was allowed to play in water fountains.

All in all, it was a really fun trip. We loved staying with Blair's friends and the wedding was really nice. We're glad we could be there. And we hope that wasn't our last trip out that way!

One Year Old

2009-07-23T17:38:00.004-06:00

I just thought I'd share a few things about Ella at one year old.

*She doesn't crawl and I'm not sure she will. If she's on her back, she flips over to her belly and uses her hands to push herself up into a sitting position. No balancing on knees for her.

*She loves to point at things and exclaim "oh!"

*She loves music and if there's a beat she'll bop up and down. If I say "Let's dance" she'll start bopping up and down even if there isn't music.

*She enjoys bathtime and swimming.

*She understands a lot of what we say and can point to different facial features as we name them.

Words she says:

Baby (bebe)

Puppy (pup!)

Favorite foods:

Avocado

Blueberry

Banana

Corn on the cob

Peas

Favorite toys:

Baby doll

Stuffed animals or anything that has a face

Burp rags/clothing

Mom's jewelry

Cell phone

Books

Baby Love

2009-07-18T22:35:00.002-06:00

Ella loves her baby doll, so it seemed fitting to include her in some of Ella's 1 year pictures. Enjoy!

Really?

2009-07-18T15:29:00.002-06:00

Today's high: 115 degrees F

Sigh.

First Birthday

2009-07-16T11:31:00.005-06:00

Ella had her first birthday last Saturday! We had a family party for her and she had a ball with her cousins. The menu: Shish Kabobs, grilled corn, fruit and cheese platter, veggie platter, cupcakes, cake, and ice cream. Ella had 10 cousins here under the age of 14, so she was in heaven as she got passed around. She adores other children and babies. We ate, had a water balloon toss, ran through the sprinklers, and played a water relay race. Then we had cake and ice cream. Ella kept trying to reach out and touch the candle, which made everyone gasp in unison several times. She loved her balloons and for several days after the party when we brought her out to the family room after waking up she would say "oh!" and point at the balloons until we went to touch them.

This is her "oh!" face. I love it.

But she didn't love her cupcake very much. She ate a good dinner, so she wasn't hungry to begin with and it was also way past her bed time by the time we got around to cake. So she sat and stared with the cupcake in front of her.

The next day the balloons kept her occupied for quite a while.

And we tried again with the cupcake.

This time she got the hang of it. But she only took a few bites then just played with the rest of it.

Happy first birthday, Eleanor!

We love you!

Night Flowers

2009-07-05T16:58:00.005-06:00

Last night we went to my sister in law's house for a family bbq and to watch the fireworks display put on by a local church. We had a great view of the show from the back yard. I had my first attempt at shooting fireworks and was pretty pleased with the results. For any photo buffs out there, I put my shutter speed on bulb and shot these at f/9.0, ISO 400, 2-5 second shutter speed. Don't they look like flowers?

After the Honeymoon

2009-07-04T11:28:00.005-06:00

Kayla and Blaine got married in May, so they have plenty of recent pictures together, but I asked to take them out for a shoot

anyway. Since they met last summer while working at Aspen Grove, we headed up there for some pictures.

It's a beautiful place!

Twins Turn One

2009-07-04T11:02:00.004-06:00

Remember these guys? They're turned one a few weeks ago! We had fun wandering around the farm together.

Whenever Amy and I are together I usually forget to take a picture of us. Blair reminded us this time.

The Move

2009-07-04T00:30:00.003-06:00

After I finished my oral coursework exam I had one afternoon to rest before starting the packing process. Then this past Tuesday morning we said goodbye to our old apartment and got in our truck for a long drive.

This is our basement apartment in Provo--I eventually got used to the weird floor plan and low ceilings.

This is Ella's first nursery; it opened into our bedroom. But she has her own room now!

Our massive moving truck. We got the big one because it was cheaper than the smaller one. By a couple hundred dollars. Weird. The thing was only filled halfway.

Here's my manly truck driver. He tamed the beast and even managed to back it up successfully a couple of times.

We towed our car so Ella sat between us during the drive. Thank goodness there were no airbags and no policies against child passengers.

The trip was exhausting. Ella took some good naps but it was a trick keeping her entertained. She kept trying to get Blair's attention while he was driving. Very cute but not so safe! In the end, the drive that usually takes 10 hours ended up lasting 13 for us. That's really not so bad considering we could only make it up to 35 or 40 mph when climbing hills/mountains and the beast maxed out at 65 mph on flat ground. Oh, didn't I mention where we went? If you read this far you'll get the answer: Gilbert, AZ. Yep, Arizona in July. We must be crazy.

Beautiful Family

2009-06-26T20:43:00.002-06:00

Remember this cute family? Sarah asked me to take some more family pictures for them before we move away. I actually did these for them a few weeks ago. Their little Elizabeth is such a doll and has been a good playmate for Ella. We'll sure miss them!

One Less

2009-06-25T23:13:00.002-06:00

As of today I have one less hurdle between me and my Master's degree! I sat for my oral coursework exam this afternoon. It was just me and three of my professors locked in a room for 2 hours with me in the hot seat. I had to answer questions, draw diagrams, apply knowledge to new situations, and prove I've mastered the material I've been learning. And I passed! Now all that's left is my thesis project. I'll be finishing that long distance because we're moving to AZ on Tuesday.

To celebrate passing the exam Blair and I took Ella to the pool/water park in our neighborhood this afternoon. It was great weather and Ella had a fun time experiencing the water and watching the other kids. Then we splurged on some Haagen Dazs and I spent the evening NOT studying. It was refreshing.

No pictures of Ella swimming yet but here are some pictures that our friend, Emily, took for us a few weeks ago. We had beautiful weather until just before we met for pictures. The wind picked up--no, it REALLY picked up--and a dust storm blew in and made the air hazy. And Ella didn't want to cooperate very much. But Emily still managed to capture some nice pictures of us! Here are my favorites.

Favorites

2009-06-10T21:51:00.006-06:00

Ella has really been showing personality and preferences in the past several weeks. Here are some of her favorite things:

Bath time. She kicks her legs and grins when she sees us filling her tub.

Bananas. We have to hide them or she'll point at them and grunt then whimpers pathetically when we don't give her one.

Anything from mom and dad's plate. She loves to experience new things.

Avocados. It's her favorite food...she cries when it's gone. And, no we don't feed her like this. We use a spoon.

Peaches!

Morning yoga...nice cobra form. Okay, so she's not a yoga prodigy. But she does enjoy playing with her toys on the floor each morning.

Her stuffed elephant, Zobedia. Ask me later if you want to know about the name.

Smiling and being sweet

Ella is going on 11 months tomorrow. Her first birthday will be here before we know it! And she's still our favorite little person.

For My Nieces

2009-05-30T21:56:00.005-06:00

Last weekend Blair and I took Ella up to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho to hang out with my sister and her family for the weekend. Then we went on to Boise for a few days to visit my mom and three of my brothers and their families. It was a busy week but we had a great trip! While I was in Boise I took two of my nieces out for a photo shoot. Sharene is starting high school this year and Kara is just a grade behind her. Aren't they gorgeous? I told them I'd post a little sneak peek on my blog, so here it is. You are both such beautiful girls--I hope you like them!

Disneyland Part 3

2009-05-29T21:25:00.007-06:00

I just have one more thing to share about Disneyland. On our third day there we all dressed our little girls up like princesses/fairies and had a mini photo shoot. They certainly got lots of ooohs and ahhhhhs from people passing by. Ella loved her fairy skirt and tried to eat her wand. Our Sleeping Beauty hated sitting in her dress (darn hoop skirt) but wasn't quite a walking pro, so she did a lot of standing and fussed when she was tired and couldn't sit down. Snow White is already training for her first marathon so chasing after her was exhausting, but well worth it. A big thank you goes to Janeal for finding the adorable outfits! And now, a sample of the results:

Snow White

Sleeping Beauty

Eleanor the Fairy Princess

Disneyland Part 2

2009-05-14T23:15:00.006-06:00

Favorite rides (Disneyland and California Adventure):

~Space Mountain

~Soarin' Over California

~Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster

~Carousel (ahhh, nostalgia)

~Small World (Ella's Favorite)

Favorite Food:

~Monte Cristo Sandwich at Blue Bayou

~Swirly ice cream cones from the shack in Paradise Pier

~Churros (thanks, Steve!)

Favorite Pastimes:

~Taking pictures of our cute babies

~Skipping and dancing to the soundtrack music playing at the park entrance

~Pin trading

~Saying Happy Birthday to random people just because they were wearing a happy birthday button with their name on it

~Racing through fast pass lanes and figuring out the rider switch program

~Chatting and catching up with friends

~Girls' night out shopping and hot tub

Disneyland Part 1

2009-05-11T22:54:00.004-06:00

During our post-graduation trip we left AZ and headed to CA where we met some friends from our early college days. And Disneyland was where we hung out for 3 days! It was my first trip to Disneyland and I had a fantastic time. Hopefully it won't be my last trip there.
Ella was amazing during the trip! She took naps in her stroller, waved at random people while we walked around, and didn't get scared on any of the rides she was allowed on. She even put up with her sunhat!
Here's the group we went with. All four guys were roommates during their undergraduate days at BYU and we like to get together for reunion trips every couple of years. We had three baby girls with us--the oldest was about 18 months and Ella was the youngest at 9 1/2 months.
The first day we had lunch at the Blue Bayou. I was shocked at how dark it is in that restaurant; I never felt like my eyes fully adjusted. I guess normally the Pirates of the Caribbean ride passes through the restaurant but it was closed for repairs, so we missed that effect. But it was still a great experience. I had been told that they have a fantastic sandwich called the Monte Cristo. I was intrigued by its strange description so I had to try it. And I am very glad I did! It was delicious!

Yep, it was my birthday the first day we were there, too. Loved the Mickey Mouse shaped sprinkles.

I have some more to say about our trip and plenty of pictures (including princess pictures of all the babies) but that will have to wait a day or two. For now here's my first picture with a real celebrity. He was very gracious.

Senior Pictures

2009-05-11T13:23:00.005-06:00

During our trip, some of my sister in law's friends saw me with my camera and asked if I would be willing to take some pictures of their boys who had skipped the senior picture thing. Of course I would! They were quick shoots and the guys were really polite and cooperative. I have been photographing babies and children so long that I forgot how nice it is to work with someone who holds still and follows direction. Here are the handsome guys.

Prom

2009-05-07T22:17:00.003-06:00

The night of Kayla and Blaine's wedding, Blair's nephew, Tyler, went to prom. I asked Tyler's mom, Jennifer, if I could tag along for pictures so I could see the kids all dressed up. Tyler's a handsome guy and his date was a beauty. We took a few pictures of just Tyler and his date then headed over to a house where 20 couples were going to meet for dinner. Some awesome moms got together to put on the dinner. The house was completely decorated and filled with tables set to rival any restaurant. Lucky kids. After dinner they apparently all took a "party bus" to and from prom. It was fun to see them so excited--and to remember my own proms. What do you remember about yours?

Kayla's Wedding

2009-05-05T13:18:00.002-06:00

Blair's niece, Kayla, got married a week and a half ago. Here are a few pictures from outside the temple. Kayla has gorgeous eyes, as you can tell from this next picture.

The bridesmaids and Kayla's sister, Hannah (in red)

Kayla with her sisters

Graduation

2009-05-05T12:16:00.002-06:00

Our little family has had a very eventful two weeks. I'm in the process of editing pictures from events/trips, so check back in the next few days for more posts. It all started with graduation...

Blair's Dad came from Arizona for the event.

His sister, Jennifer, also came from AZ and his brother, Chris, just moved to UT so he was able to come, too. My mom came from ID as well (not pictured).

Ella almost stole the spotlight from her daddy.

Blair in front of the building where he attended most of his MPA classes.

Can you guess what Ella's favorite part of the day was?

As soon as the ceremony was over, we raced home to pick up our bags and then went to catch a flight to AZ. Ella slept soundly on the plane and didn't even flinch during the bumpy landing.

We took off to AZ so quickly because Blair's niece got married the next day. Pictures of that to come...

Time to Celebrate

2009-04-19T12:34:00.006-06:00

(Click to make larger)

We have a very exciting week coming up! I could gush about how proud I am of Blair and how brilliant he is, but I would say that whether he earned these degrees or not. Graduate school has certainly stretched us both in many ways and I'm so glad Blair will get some recognition this week for his accomplishments. He has worked very hard and has been a great example to me of faith and sacrifice. I love him so much and I look forward to our next adventure together!
A lot of people have asked, so in case you were wondering, I have completed my coursework for my graduate degree but I still need to complete my thesis project. Because I'm waiting for data collection, I probably won't finish until this coming winter. Luckily, I can work on it long distance if we move. I anticipate graduating next April!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T22:46:00.004-06:00

We had a beautiful Easter Sunday! The Easter bunny skipped our house this year (he didn't want to tempt Ella with goodies that she can't eat) and I decided not to kill myself over a big meal. Instead we had a nice time at church and spent the afternoon wandering around campus with the camera. The real purpose of the outing was to take pictures of Blair for graduation announcements...but I took just as many pictures of Ella as I did of Blair. She was picking at the grass and eating it in most of them.

She looked too sweet in her easter dress. I made the little hair bow to match.

And Blair even managed to get me out from behind the camera.

And here we all are together...gotta love auto timers.

Happy Easter!

Winding Down

2009-04-05T19:46:00.004-06:00

April is always an exciting time around here. And by exciting I mean busy, stressful, and fast-paced. Classes are winding down which means papers and projects are due and finals are just around the corner. I'm trying to make fast progress on my thesis writing but I usually have to wait until Ella is in bed at night. We're happy that Blair will be finished with school soon and we're looking forward to his graduation and visiting with family. We just have to hang on for a couple more weeks! Ella, as always, brings us so much joy. Here are a couple of recent pictures.

Another Reason

2009-03-29T13:57:00.003-06:00

We love Ella's high chair. It's the perfect size for our apartment, it folds up and gets tucked away so I'm not scooting around it all day, and we can pull it right up to the table so Ella gets to eat with us. Then today we discovered yet another reason to love Ella's high chair:

This can occupy her while I cook, clean, or study. Maybe some day the banging will turn into beautiful music.

8 Months

2009-03-17T11:58:00.002-06:00

Ella is 8 months old now! We went to stake conference this past Sunday at the Provo tabernacle and the weather was so beautiful that afterward we spent a few minutes taking some pictures of Ella on the lawn outside. She hadn't had a good morning nap but was sweet enough to give us 7 or 8 minutes of calm before she demanded to get in the stroller for the walk home. Ella seems to have changed tremendously in the past month. Here are a few things about her:

She has two new teeth on top! If you look closely in this picture you can see them (click on the picture to make it bigger).

Ella really likes playing with things that aren't toys. Shoes, pens and markers, wooden spoons, and rubber spatulas are at the top of her list. She also likes an empty plastic salt shaker.

Ella has learned to give kisses and if she's in a good mood she'll give mommy and daddy kisses.

Her face is very expressive.

Other things about Ella this month:

*She says mamma and dadda (well, she said dadda for a week and refuses to say it now...but she says mamma a lot). We love to hear her babble.

*She loves carrots and peas and puts up with green beans. She also likes sweet potatoes and she will only eat prunes if they're mixed with peas. Yeah, delicious.

*She likes to drink water from a cup.

*She gives high fives if you hold your hand up and say "give me a high five!"

*She loves fabrics and textiles. She can't get enough of the different textures.

*She's really good at picking things up and dropping them.

*She enjoys the feel of wind on her face. If we blow on her face it usually makes her grin and squeal or laugh.

*She hates the vacuum and cries every time we turn it on. But she tolerates the sound of the hair dryer.

*She loves to have mommy read books and usually complains or cries when the book is over.

*She is a joy to have in our family!

New Toy

2009-03-15T14:19:00.004-06:00

Nope, Ella didn't get a new toy. I did! It's a Canon 85mm f/1.8 lens for my camera. Beautiful depth of field, lovely bokeh. For those who don't speak photography, it's a great portrait lens that will give me more control over making parts of the picture fuzzy. Unfotunately, it came during a very busy week so I haven't had much time to play. But I did break it in with a few snapshots of my favorite subjects.

Chewing on some braided trim from my sewing area

My handsome husband in our office/sewing room

Ella hanging out on our bed. Notice that her eyes are in focus but her ear isn't. I shot this one at f/1.8-- That's some pretty shallow depth of field.

Playing in the family room. f/4.5

Picture Update

2009-03-09T22:46:00.005-06:00

Here's a quick update on Ella:

She still likes to hang out with her friend, Elizabeth. Ella is very interested in grabbing ears, noses, and hair, so we have to watch carefully when they're together!

Reading with Daddy--notice that she's reading the Journal of the American Dietetic Association

We finally got Ella a high chair last month. We literally have no floor space in our kitchen for a traditional high chair so we got this one. It scoots right up to the table and we can fold it up and tuck it away when Ella isn't using it. It also has a handy pocket on the back for bib storage.

Ella still won't take a pacifier. But she'll play with it--it's a great toy for teething!

We love this face.

Ella also now has two new teeth on top! Pictures coming soon...

Are You Happy?

2009-03-01T23:26:00.003-07:00

Oh, so that's the secret!

The Mommy Do

2009-02-28T17:23:00.004-07:00

Those who have known me for a while probably know that I've had some version of the same boring layered haircut for years and years. Yes, I tried something a little shorter on my mission (only because the hair dresser messed up) and I've had varying lengths from shoulder length to halfway down my back--but let's face it, it was always the same haircut. Then a few weeks ago Ella discovered my hair. She decided it was her new favorite toy. It was so interesting to tangle in her fingers and she loved to shove fistfuls in her mouth. My head couldn't take the yanking so I decided it was finally time for a real change. I took the plunge and here's what happened!

Side view

"Give mommy kisses!"

It's much harder for Ella to find my hair now. Change is good.

Discoveries

2009-02-24T14:01:00.004-07:00

We have discovered that:

Ella might actually overcome her dislike of tummy time and eventually learn to crawl,

Ella's post-bath hair is pretty rockin',

and Eleanor looks more like her daddy than I wanted to admit. Do you see the raised eyebrow? The slightly cocked head? The smile? I'm just glad I can still claim those brown eyes...

Three Years

2009-02-20T17:30:00.007-07:00

Blair and I celebrated our three year anniversary last Tuesday! Time has flown by yet we feel like we've been married much longer than just three years. Maybe it's because we've really known each other for almost eight years. To celebrate we went to the Draper temple open house in the morning and then went out for a casual dinner that night. Blair happened to look at the time when we were in the sealing room at the temple open house and it was 10:20--which was also our sealing time on our wedding day. It was a neat coincidence and a really poignant moment as we stood together holding our little girl and looking into the mirrors that go on for eternity. I don't think we could have planned that.

For dinner we went to Springville and ate at Art City Trolley. The atmosphere was fun and funky and the food was delicious. Ella was a jewel. Blair and I decided to not exchange gifts but Ella decided to celebrate our three years by giving us three diaper blow-outs in one day. One was at the temple open house, another on the way home, and a third in the afternoon right after I had put her messy clothes in the washer. Impeccable timing!

What else is there to say about our anniversary? Not too much. We love each other more now than we did three years ago and I look forward to an eternity together.

Preview

2009-02-15T21:53:00.003-07:00

Here's a preview for Emily and Jake. Thanks for putting up with the snow!

More Practice

2009-02-12T17:37:00.005-07:00

This cute family from my ward let me get some more practice with pictures this past weekend. The toddler was sure full of energy but he did really well and the baby was sweet for most of the shoot, too. I, of course, had lots of fun!

Mom Ate My Toy

2009-02-10T22:11:00.003-07:00

Check out my new toy! Mom says it's named spaghetti squash.

I like to kiss it...

And pat it...

And sing to it...

Mom's going to do what to it?

What do you Google?

2009-02-06T22:57:00.003-07:00

A while ago I placed a free counter on our blog and I discovered that it could tell me all sorts of neat stuff about what kind of traffic comes to our site. One of my favorite features is the report I can get of keyword searches and search engines that lead people to our site. Not surprisingly, an occasional search for my name or Blair's name or our names together brings up a link to our blog. But I was pretty surprised and amused to find that we get more hits for a different line of keywords: halitosis nose, halitosis from nose, garbage halitosis, weird smell in nose and mouth, halitosis coming from nose, strange smell in nose, odor busting toothpaste, garbage smell through nose for a long time...

Well, you get the picture. These search terms typed into google inevitably lead to our blog and to a post I wrote last year. And as a follow up to that halitosis post, let me just say that my nose is back to normal now.

We get several hits a week from these types of search terms. I had no idea so many people had this problem and I'm not so sure they'll find answers to their problem on our blog. But it sure does make me think more about what I google. What do you google? (And is that really a verb? Just asking...)

Official Pictures

2009-02-04T10:27:00.006-07:00

I finally got around to taking some "official" six month pictures of Ella. The lighting in our apartment is not great and the weather has been too cold to take Ella out for pictures. So, I grabbed the opportunity to sneak in some shots of Ella after photographing my neighbor's baby on Monday. Yep, we still love her!

January

2009-01-31T09:58:00.006-07:00

The snow and cold we've had this January sure produced some beautiful ice. Icicles like these always remind me of A Christmas Story. Can they really be dangerous? They're hanging off the porch of the house we live in--not our porch because we live in the basement apartment, but I'm sure our neighbors don't mind that I snuck up to take some pictures.

Below are some picture of Eleanor from January. We love when she turns on her side to sleep. The other two are from a random Sunday Afternoon when Ella was especially happy.

I wouldn't want to eat it either...

2009-01-24T11:17:00.002-07:00

Double Trouble

2009-01-21T10:46:00.002-07:00

Remember these guys? Double Trouble came to town last weekend. Ella got to see her twin friends on Friday night for an hour or so. Oh, and they brought their parents--Amy and Ryan. Adam and Rachel have grown a ton since we last saw them and they're both delightful little babies. You can already tell they have unique personalities and preferences.
Unlike last time they were together, Ella enjoyed sitting between them and touching them at the same time. I guess here she's trying to get Adam to look at her. Check out Rachel's cute curly hair!
Ella's big thing lately is reaching out to touch. She doesn't usually grab something until she has tested it out by just touching. Are they destined to be friends?
Saturday Ella and I went to see the Fitz fam (plus friends) over lunch and we had a good time chatting and catching up. We sure wish we lived closer!

Too cute for just still pictures...

2009-01-18T20:05:00.003-07:00

Six Months

2009-01-13T17:41:00.006-07:00

Ella is six months old now. Time is flying and she is growing so fast! So, to mark the occasion I thought I'd plaster tons of pictures of her all over our blog. If you find that annoying, I guess this blog isn't for you. But before you leave, be sure to vote on the poll we posted about blog related pet peeves. Now, here's the scoop on Ella:

She still doesn't love tummy time but is very good at assuming the Superman flying position every time we put her on her tummy

Though still prone to falling over, she is sitting up on her own now and getting better at it every day

She has already discovered the phone

She likes to wear these cute booties and grab at the bears

She has two (sharp) bottom teeth and is still teething

She puts up with the cold, doesn't complain about her car seat, and is generally very patient and good natured

She still has beautiful, huge eyes that seem to be settling into a chocolate brown color. In the right light they can double as mirrors (okay, that's an exaggeration, but they are big and do reflect a lot)

She is very social and likes to make faces and smile at people (provided she's not tired or hungry)

Ella is also learning to fall asleep without being held or rocked and she's still enjoying rice cereal. We'll start introducing some vegetables and fruits soon. She also likes watching mom in the kitchen and when dad is studying she likes to sit on his lap and reach for his books. We love her!

Holiday Highlights

2009-01-02T21:55:00.006-07:00

Blair, Ella, and I went to Boise for the holidays. Here are a few highlights.

We had an unconventional Christmas Eve dinner with my whole family. Instead of the traditional turkey or ham with potatoes etc., we had food that represented the type of food eaten in Bethlehem when Christ was born; bread, cheese, crackers, nuts, dried fruit, hummus, and beans were included in the spread. Sure, Mary and Joseph probably didn't ever taste Wensleydale with cranberries, smoked gouda, or cheddar cheese, but we sure enjoyed it!

Jacob Phillip Redd's first Christmas. I witnessed his birth three weeks ago and really enjoyed holding him during this trip. There is nothing like a cuddly, sleepy, hungry newborn!

Ella's first taste of wrapping paper.

Ella's first solid food! Santa brought her rice cereal...but he forgot the bib. So yes, Ella is wearing a dish towel. She figured out the spoon quickly and really enjoyed it!

Ella's first tooth. If you look close you can see it in this next picture. Just ask me if I'm happy about this...

We spent New Year's Eve with my brother, Kimball and his wife, Christine. Christine made some delicious snacks and treats and we played some games and welcomed the new year in a relatively quiet way. We had fun and Ella slept right through it all.

We wish you all a happy new year!

Oh, Deer

2008-12-30T18:37:00.005-07:00

This is for everyone who has ever said Ella looks like a deer caught in headlights:

Merry Christmas!

Cousins in Boise

2008-12-17T21:15:00.005-07:00

Ella and I spent the last 10 days in Boise. I went because my sister was due with her 5th baby on December 10 and her husband is deployed right now. She needed all the help she could get. After making some tough decisions about whether or not to induce labor, baby Jacob arrived last Friday! I'll post more on that once I get some pictures. We also met Ella's cousin who arrived just a few weeks ago. Her name is Olivia. Here she is with her mom, Tausha.

We got in the Christmas spirit when I was photographing her.

Love those rolls!

Perks

2008-12-02T19:10:00.006-07:00

One of the perks of motherhood is that you can put ridiculous but oh so cute looking things on your baby and they can't do a thing about it. My current favorite: The bonnet. Really, how can you resist this?
Ella's a great sport about it. But there's no guarantee that she'll forgive me when she's older and finds out how out of style her mom made her. It's a shame you don't see many baby bonnets any more...how could classic baby wear go out of style?

And yes, I actually put this on her when we go out on sunny days.

The Chair

2008-11-30T14:55:00.003-07:00

Before Ella was born I mentioned this chair in a post. Blair teased me because I was in love with the chair. I wasn't in love with the chair because it's pretty (it's not) or super comfortable (though it is) or even because it rocks and swivels (fantastic!). I was in love with the chair because it was symbolic of impending motherhood. Well, motherhood came and now I'm living it. And I still love the chair. In fact, I love it even more than before. Sitting in that chair I feel some of my happiest feelings. There I rock Ella, sing to her, feed her, burp her, or just cuddle her. It doesn't matter what I'm doing; when I'm in that chair my world is Ella. Unless Blair is there and he gives me that look. No, not the look that says he's amused I'm in love with an ugly pea green chair that squeaks. It's the look that says he adores me and loves me even more when he sees me caring for our daughter. It makes me melt every time. This chair is definitely my happy place.

Ella Laughs!

2008-11-02T20:14:00.003-07:00

Ella laughed for the first time two weeks ago, but we haven't been able to get her to do it again until today. Fortunately, this time we had the camera ready.

Apparently, making raspberries is the key. It's hilarious how parents will find that one thing that, while making the child laugh, also makes the parent look and sound ridiculous, and then repeat it over and over. Kate and I laughed at that kind of thing before, and we still do. The only difference is now we are laughing at ourselves.

What Was I Thinking?

2008-10-31T22:36:00.004-06:00

I have never been good at coming up with Halloween costumes. Really. I thought I was really clever one year when I went as a magnet--but no one quite got it. Then there was the year I went as the nerdy business man. Bad idea. So I don't know what made me think I could come up with a decent costume for Ella this year. But I was determined to make something--well, not just something. I wanted her to be a flower and I was going to be a butterfly and Blair was going to be a butterfly catcher. So I set out to make her into a flower. And it worked! I actually made a recognizable Halloween costume that was pretty cute. And it only took six hours. Six hours?! What was I thinking? No wonder people just pay for ready made costumes. I take comfort in the fact that Ella won the baby costume contest at our ward party.

I also made some tasty treats for the party. Yum.

Happy Halloween!

Snapshots

2008-10-26T15:51:00.013-06:00

Ella is growing so fast! Here are some snapshots from the past few weeks.

She'll sit up when she's propped with pillows. She also likes playing with the "Taggie" that her Aunt Cherry Ann and cousin Emmy made for her. She's a champion fist eater and gives great smiles.

Though Ella has been to play group with other babies, this weekend was the first time Ella had a friend over. We baby-sat Elizabeth while her parents went out. The two were blissfully unaware of each other.

Here's Ella in her Sunday dress all ready to go to a wedding reception. I am in love with her Mary Jane socks.

Fast Friends

2008-10-22T22:33:00.004-06:00

When we visited out friends in Vegas a few weeks ago Ella also enjoyed spending some time with her new friends. Sort of.

Until Adam decided to let her know what he really thought.

Guess they'll have some things to work out on our next visit.

Thank You, Alton

2008-10-12T19:22:00.004-06:00

I would be so ungrateful (sniffle, sniffle) if I did not publicly thank (hiccup) Alton Brown (sniffle) for his strangely good lentil cookie recipe. Yes, I said LENTIL. Red Lentils to be exact.

I like to pretend sometimes that I'm a good cook (and Blair encourages the behavior) so sometimes I turn to the Food Network for inspiration. Lately I've been recording lots of old episodes of Good Eats, an Alton Brown staple on the Food Network. I like it because it combines food history, food science, and good recipes. His skits are over the top and are often pretty amusing as well as educational.

I wasn't sure I would find any inspiration on the Good Eats show all about lentils. Really, there's only so much you can do with them: soup and cold mush that might pass as a salad. But then when he started going on about a baked good made with lentil puree, he had me. I had to try this. Was he just acting when he took a bite of the lentil cookies and looked like he actually enjoyed it? Well, apparently not. I made them and they're good. Really. Not the decadent treat kind of delicious, but definitely good.

In addition to lentils, they have oatmeal and dried fruit in them so you feel like you're actually eating something a little more healthy than a usual cookie. I wish Food Network provided nutritional information on their recipes so I could confirm this. I bet they would be good with chocolate chips, too. I'll try that when I can eat chocolate again (Ella doesn't do well when I eat chocolate...something in it must irritate her). Anyway, here's a link for the brave who want to try these for themselves. Oh, and FYI, I did use all purpose flour (sorry, Alton!) and I found that baking them for only 12 minutes yielded a more moist cookie. I only baked a few at first then scooped out the rest of the dough into balls to freeze individually before moving to a plastic bag for long term freezer storage. Now I can pull a few out at a time to bake whenever I want a sweet chocolate free treat. Enjoy if you dare!

Three Months

2008-10-11T16:46:00.006-06:00

Ella is three months old today. I can hardly believe how fast she is growing! She is a sweet baby and Blair and I love being her parents.

Everyone said when we had a baby our lives would change forever--and they were right. But the change was gradual and natural. We've never been happier and we look forward to the many more months and years we'll have with our sweet baby girl.