What's for dinner?

I guess my dinner chat was subpar today. She had half her meal like this with her head resting on her hand like she was totally bored.

Before I had a baby I watched a lot of Food Network and Rachel Ray made this amazing Chicken Fajita Soup. I found the recipe online and then lost it. Thanks to Zanger I have an even better recipe. I love cooking something healthy for my family and this recipe is delicious and low fat. Check it out at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Chicken-Fajita-Soup/Detail.aspx.

A Shoe Story

This last weekend we had a family gathering in which, brace yourself, Abby did not have shoes on. I know! What a neglectful, abusive parent. Since she can't walk and we were going to be sitting the whole time at a restaurant I did not see a problem. Nearly every member of this side of my family however commented on her lack of foot wear and I fear that she will now be getting only shoes for her birthday gifts. So today Abby and I went to the mall, one of my most hated places to go, to fit her little feet for her first pair of shoes that she will hopefully wear. She usually just wiggles out of the fashion shoes she was given as a baby so I haven't been in any hurry. We went to Payless where they measured her tiny feet and she looked at the saleswoman as if she was insane for touching her feet. Then we went to look at the selection. Abby was not interested at all because there was a little boy running around that she was watching. So we bought some shoes for outside, if it ever gets warm again, and some cute shoes for her 1 year photo session this weekend. They are so tiny and cute. I couldn't wait to put them on her feet and take her outside. As soon as I tied the first one she started crying and crying. I grabbed one of her favorite toys and headed out to the deck anyway. She'll cheer up in the sunshine, right??

Apparently I might as well have put her in cement shoes, she stood like this for several minutes, afraid or unable to move.

So I thought she might be more comfortable scooting back on her bike, she can't scoot forward yet. This was only more upsetting. Well how about trying to walk Abby? She stood and stood and whimpered and "yelled" at me. She did not take a single step no matter what I tried to use to bribe her. What a little diva. Guess she's not that into shoes just like her parents. Well at least I had a good time.

My kitchen, My haven

I don't spend as much time in it as I would like these days but the kitchen is my favorite room in the house. We bought this house mainly because of the kitchen size. There's so much room to walk around that when Tim is my sous chef he's never in my way. There are lots of cabinets and drawers. It's perfect. Every item has its spot.

Since we've had the baby I can not keep it under control. The first months of Abby's life my mom would come every week and clean it and later I would clean it while she played with Abby. If it's a mess I can't handle it. My whole world feels like a mess. I won't even cook. We had take out for 2 weeks straight because no one had time to wash the pots and pans when Abby was sick and we were too tired after. I feel stressed, tense, mad, fatigued, anxious when it's a mess. I honestly have trouble sleeping but am too tired to do it which makes me mad and keeps up longer. I snap at my co-workers. I nag Tim, he nags me. It's awful. But how can you keep up a house with two full time working parents?

All these feelings because of a messy kitchen?? YES! I love cooking and eating with my family. I love hearing how much Tim liked my new recipe and the feeling of eating a good, healthy meal. I love watching Abby try a new food and cry for more or look at me like I just poisoned her. Without my kitchen I'm a wreak.

So this week has been a slice of heaven. Tim has been on Spring Break from school. Instead of laying around all day watching basketball or playing video games or whatever things guys do to unwind, he has spend hours a day cleaning my kitchen. I feel so relaxed, happy and healthy. This week I have made homemade balanced dinners every night while Abby plays with her kitchen set. I clean like two dishes and the next night when I get home everything is fresh and clean and ready for the next meal. Abby tried kiwi, cauliflor, edamame, fish, and sugar snap peas this week and loved them all.

I am so grateful for this time Tim has given me. Abby and I can just play and laugh until its bed time, instead of me trying to clean while she cries for my attention. I even made two meals to freeze for next week. Thank you, thank you, thank you Tim. You are my hero. I'm so grateful that you married me.

(A side note, this morning he walked us out to the car because it was icy. What a sweetheart!)

Happy Friday Grandmommy

Bad Hair Day

Just for fun here's some pics after one of Abby's super long naps when she was sick.

I miss you

I miss my little girl.
Since Monday she has been sick.
Really sick. 104.5 fever sick.
It has been a nightmare.
It's so hard to see such an active girl just laying around for 4 days.
Only comfortable in her parents arms.
Every time she has a little energy to play she ends up crying and just flops on the ground.
This is how she spent the day:

After eating 2 cheerios and 4 bites of yogurt she feel asleep in my arms. I finally slide out and then was afraid she would fall but left her anyway and just sat by her.



She woke up coughing and got really upset. She fell asleep with her head on my lap and then moved into this more comfortable position.

And then this one. Then she woke again when the phone rang and fell asleep on my lap again.

I

Anticipation

Since Tim and I got married we have taken a road trip every year. Since we work so hard we do everything we can to make sure we can financially afford a 7-10 day trip every year. We don't spend much money on entertainment each year so things always work out, even when the furnace breaks or we lose a car.

Where have we been? 2007 - Memphis before we headed to Gordonville, TN to get married. 2008 - Practically the whole state of Arizona including the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, and Sedona. 2009 - The Badlands, the Great Tetons, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Park.

This year it took a lot of coaxing but Tim convinced me we can do it, we can take our first family vacation. So we are going to drive to Great Smokey National Park in Eastern Tennessee. We reserved a cabin for 4 nights. It's fully stocked with pots, pans, dishes, toiletries, linens, everything you need to feel at home. This way we can sight see during the morning and then let Abby run free in the evening with plenty of room. There is a glider inside and rocking chairs on the porches so we can read and rock our little bundle to sleep each night.

As in everything else I do, planning a trip is a big process to me. I love planning, organizing, packing for the trip almost as much as the actual trip. I've already started collecting maps, guides and tips for traveling with a toddler. I've found our official trip journal that I have documented every trip we have taken thus far. Each night of a trip I unwind by going through our favorite memories of the day and what we saw and such exciting moments as the hail storm and tornadoes on our last trip. Every trip has it's own photo album, yeah I'm one of the rare few that still prints pictures. That reminds me I better get a new album. I can't wait to share those memories with Abby someday.

Here's a link to the cabin we are renting. http://www.townsendgetaways.com/Mountain_Breeze_About.html
The owner said we have swimming privileges at a club near by that has a baby pool she thinks Abby will love.

I love bears. Besides penguins they are my favorite attraction at the zoo. I saw one bear at Yellowstone when my cousin and I went with my grandparents and was hoping to see one again when Tim and I went. It will be unbelievable to me if we don't see a bear this year. There are 1500 bears in the park or 2 per every square mile. Tennessee here we come!

11 month update picture addition

I can't believe she's almost one. This month has been a blur of birthday parties and sickness. We ended today with congestion, diarrhea and a fever. So here's an abbreviated update in pictures.

We are on to almost all finger foods. She likes spaghetti, tacos, chicken and broccoli casserole and pretty much any other food we let her try. Her favorite foods are still cheese and peas.

Danger Mouse (as she is now called by her father) LOVES bath tub. Look at that little leg trying to climb right into the tub.

She stills naps on her own schedule but usually will nap from 1 to 3. Otherwise she'll just pass out like this in Daddy's arms. He's got the magic touch.

Reading a Valentine Card from Grandpa Dave. She still loves books. Her favorite books are the Christmas Angel and Baby Jesus is Here.

She continues to be an entertainer and a big show off. She kept everyone laughing at Melissa's shower. Since the party she can now flip herself all the way over instead of just throwing herself back.

This big girl is standing alone a lot now. Yesterday just seconds after this picture she took 3 steps!!

Little stinker is always climbing into, over or on to something. Her favorite obstacles - the stairs, the gold chair to her left, her toy box, her dad and the laundry basket. But how can you get mad at a cute smile like that.