Our Little Sitter Upper!

In the last few weeks Allison has become quite good at sitting up completely unsupported. I think she really enjoys her new skill, too, as it is much easier to play with some of her favorite toys when she is sitting up. She also spends a lot of time on her tummy (if we lay her down on her back she instantly rolls to her tummy). She gets up on all fours (sometimes on her tippy toes in a plank position) and really wants to move forward. Unfortunately for every inch she moves forward she moves 10 backwards. Her greatest motivation for moving forward right now is Jersey. I'm pretty sure he'll stay out of her sight once she does move forward. For now he's content to sit and watch her....oh so tempting!

Master Chef & Baker

I'm really not a 'master' chef & baker but lately I've had some success in the kitchen that I figured was worth sharing.

First, I've discovered a new favorite cookbook - the 'Now & Later' Cookbook by Weight Watchers. I borrowed it from my friend Claire a few months ago and copied a few recipes out and I love it! The recipes come in pairs, you make one recipe and save some left-overs out to make a second recipe. It works great! Last week we had the Miso glazed pork and then pork fried rice and they both were fantastic.

Second, I made one of the world's most amazing carrot cakes a few weeks ago for my friend, Claire, for her baby shower. It was a Peter Rabbit themed shower so it fit perfectly with the theme and Claire loves carrot cake. This is not an ordinary carrot cake, it was a triple layer cake, each layer glazed while warm with a buttermilk glaze and then frosted with 'deluxe cream cheese frosting.' I got the recipe from my friend, Jodi, who found it in some southern cook book. I also made some regular butter cream frosting to decorate the cake with little carrots, I guess my cake decorating class came in handy after all! Yup, I used close to 2 pounds of butter making that cake. The good thing was I think there were nearly 20 ladies to help eat it. Doesn't it look pretty?

Finally, I've been testing some new skills in the kitchen making food for the baby girl. We started experimenting with solid food a few weeks ago. So far she's tried cereal (made with prune juice to avoid some potential consequences), banana, carrots, pears & avocado. So far the only thing she doesn't really like is banana but I keep on trying. This fall I bought up quite a bit of produce at our local farmers market and made a bunch of baby food that is sitting in our freezer. I love having her test out new things. Our freezer is well stocked with peaches, plums, pears, peas, potatoes, beets (my Mom's idea!) and a tomato/potato/pea blend. I'm also planning to make some sweet potatoes and squash for her soon. Of course, this has all been made easy using my Babycook steamer/processor. It was a shower gift and it works like a dream (although I know it is totally unnecessary!). And doesn't the little lady look like she is enjoying her food? Okay, maybe not in that picture, but she sure is cute!

Weekend Family Outings

We've been trying to get in some little family outings on the weekends. Our goal is to have all of our 'chores' done on Saturday so we can relax and get out together on Sunday afternoons. This weekend we took our second family 'hike' at Peavey Arboretum, it is a beautiful place this time of year. Allison really enjoys her ride in the backpack and Mark & I enjoy getting a chance to talk without much of an agenda. Oh - and today we put Allison's bunting on by laying her down in the trunk, I learned last week she likes laying back there when I had to change her diaper once, I guess there is a lot to look at!

Road Trip!

This weekend Allison & I took a trip down to the southern Oregon coast so that we could see my cousin Tills (a.k.a. 'Uncle' Tills) play soccer. Allison did great on the drive and Tillerman had a fantastic soccer game (with two assists!). We were able to stay with my friends, Bob & Amy, in Bandon so we took Allison on her first adventure to the Oregon beach. She loved it even though it was a bit chilly. The Alli-girl did great in the car (and she spent a LOT of time in the car this weekend). I'm thankful she's such a trooper so we can get out on little adventures like this.

The Case of the Very Helpful Husband

Mark has been the one dressing Allison in the mornings when I go to work - I've been trying to get in as early as possible to get a good start on a productive day so I'm often leaving before she is up. In order to facilitate dressing Allison I have organized her drawer full of 'outfits' which are folded and piled together. Apparently today the pants that went with the onesie Mark was putting on Allison were too big.....so he grabbed a random pair of tights (which I bought on Monday to go with a cute little jumper hanging in the closet) and pulled them on over her onesie. Yes, my daughter went all day with a mismatched pair of tights pulled over her onesie. Claire was sure to inform me that they did not go out anywhere today. And the best part? Mark knew he was dressing her in tights (Claire & I thought maybe he didn't know the difference between tights and leggings) - he felt he had picked out a fabulously functional outfit. According to him this was all my fault since he couldn't find a skirt to go with the tights - not that skirts really matter he thinks they are impractical anyhow. Go figure!

Christmas is Right Around the Corner!

I'm not sure that it is in my best interest to share this or not, but oh well.....one of my favorite blogs belongs to a friend of a friend who does custom designed birth announcements, adoption announcements, Christmas cards & adoption profiles. Sharon & her crew do fabulous work, including Allison's birth announcement (which I loved!). Anyhow, their latest & greatest Christmas designs are up in time for the holiday season - and if you leave a comment about your favorite design you could win 50 free cards! That is a great deal (especially considering the printer they use has excellent print quality as well). So go check out the blog & leave a comment at the Forever Family Designs Blog.

Visitors

My Aunt Pam & Uncle Loren have been in the state of Oregon for the last week. We saw them twice, they came by for a little visit and we met them up in Salem for my cousin's soccer game. As usual, we enjoyed our time with them and Allison really liked meeting them. I'm pretty sure this blog post will make Uncle Loren's day (or week, or month, or even year), he's always wanted to be featured in a blog post! Allison & I are planning a trip to Coos Bay here in a few weeks to see another one of Tills' games. Love & miss you guys already!