Miss Independent

One of the weirdest things about being a mom is having two completely opposite instincts at war with each other all the time. The first is wanting your child to be healthy and thriving.  The second is the desire for your child to remain tiny and in her current stage forever.

Our little monkey is four months (almost) going on 14.  She is getting so big and has started really interacting with us in the last couple of weeks.  And she is becoming very independent, both to my relief and sadness.  Where she used to want me to rock and cuddle her into a nice cozy nap, now she cries when she's sleepy in my arms, preferring that I put her in her crib to allow her to fall asleep on her own.  She has perfected the art of self-soothing (a big-time thumb/finger sucker) and loves her alone time.  This is great, on one hand, because it allows me more time to get other things done.  But I can't help but acknowledging that this is one step in many towards the inevitable: she is going to grow up and leave us!  I know it is a long way off still, but seriously, my pregnancy was over in the blink of an eye and it feels like she was just born even though it has been 4(!) months already!

So, in an effort to hang onto every minute, and as my Facebook friends can attest, I have attempted to document EVERYTHING she does in pictures and video.  Here is a very small sampling of what she has been up to lately:

 Ballet dancing

 Big girl bath time

 Dressing like a pumpkin before bedtime...not to be confused with a carrot!

Sitting up like a big girl.

This picture melts my heart.  It perfectly captures how big and little she is at the same time.

As far as baby's go, we really feel like we have hit the jackpot.  We would love her no matter what, but she has turned out to be a super chill baby.  We would have been happy with a tenth of her temperament.  She rarely cries and when she does it is usually easy to sooth.  She goes to bed at the same time every day and always sleeps all through the night.  She is a good little eater.  She is just a very happy camper.  Sometimes she has so much joy bubbling over she doesn't know what to do with it and will let out one ear piercing, adult-sized scream.  At first we were concerned because we thought something was wrong with her, but when we would look she would be smiling ear to ear.  I will leave you with this little video, which perfectly encapsulates her personality.  Warning: it is like two full minutes of the same thing, so watch at your own risk.  However, if this doesn't make you smile you have a heart of stone :).

So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, adieu

Aunt Danielle is leaving!

 For just a little over a month my sister has been in town and staying with us.  Later this evening she has to go back to Boston to complete her last semester of grad school :(.  We are all quite sad.  It has been so nice for Elliot to have a chance to bond with her Auntie.  Those two are like peas and carrots.  Who else will buy her red baby jeggings, share celebrity gossip with her, and listen to how awful her parents were treating her?  Only a cool aunt!  And I'm not gonna lie, it has been great for us to have another adult in the house to help out with baby duties.  I don't know what we are going to do without her.  We simply must have a live-in nanny!  

Since saying good-bye is hard, I think we'll just send her off with a picture tribute:

Loving on Auntie and Ginger

What's up too cool?

Keeping it shady

Being silly

My absolute favorite picture of these two.  

Good luck with your last semester Auntie!  We will miss you!

Summa Summa Summertime

In addition to raising a baby this summer I have also been raising something else I am almost as proud of...my garden!

This is the before and after of part of the garden.  My dad planted it while I was still pregnant and named the little garden shown "Elliot's Garden."  There is a little sign and everything.  Anyway, the garden really took off and I have spent the last several weeks harvesting zucchini, green beans, cucumbers, jalapenos, and tomatoes.  And even though I have spent a lot of time on the Food Network and Pinterest trying to find recipes to use up all the zucchini, I have quite enjoyed my daily trips out to the garden.  I also attribute some of my weight loss (46 pounds since delivery!) to having tons of fresh produce around.  So in the spirit of keeping summer alive here is the recipe I use for homemade tomato soup.  I found it online a few years ago and just wrote it down, so unfortunately I cannot give its author due credit.  But, it is fantastic and if you have tomatoes on hand I definitely recommend it.  I used cherry tomatoes this last time and was able to eliminate the sugar all together because they are so naturally sweet.  Also, the cayenne pepper gives it a bit of a kick so if you are not into some spice I would only use half the amount suggested.

Fresh Tomato Soup

• 8 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 cups broth (any flavor)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• sugar to taste
• 1/2 cup milk (optional)

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, cayenne, basil, thyme, & bay leaf with broth in stock pot.  Bring to boil and gently boil for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.  Run mixture through a strainer, reserving the liquid.  Place remaining chunks in blender and blend until smooth.  In the stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour to make a roux, cooking until it is a medium brown.  Gradually whisk in a little tomato mixture so no lumps form.  Stir in the rest.  Season with sugar.  Add milk if desired.

Oh, and I also discovered a way to use up my cucumbers and some other things.  My new favorite thing is infused water!  There are several different ways to make it and the combinations are limited only by your imagination, but this is how I do it: fill a pitcher with ice; add the desired fresh produce; fill with water and give it all a stir.  Let sit at least 15 minutes in the fridge and then serve.  I call it party water!  It is a great way to keep drinking water when you get bored with it and want to reach for a frosty diet coke.  My favorite combinations are cucumber and lemon, nectarine and mint, and cucumber and mint.  Try it, you won't regret it :).  Happy hydration!

Time waits for no man...

...or in this case, woman.

Well, the time that I have been dreading and that seemed so far in the future that it would never occur is upon us: my return to work.  I am sad and anxious, and also worried that I will be gone so much she will not like me the best anymore.  I am assured by all that she will always love her Mommy the most, but I am convinced she is going to feel abandoned.  In actuality I know it will be harder on me than it is on her and that makes me feel better...a little.

The last 12 weeks have been the best of my life and I am going to cherish this summer forever.  It was truly a wonderful experience to spend every morning waking up to her cries (even when I was so tired I could cry!) and then spend the day with her and usually with Erik, our new little family figuring each other out.  And while I am sad to see time slip away so quickly, I realize it was necessary to take our bambina from this little bundle...

...to this big girl.

I am so excited to keep watching her grow!  I will be spending the next couple of days enjoying every minute of our time together.  Say a little prayer for us on Thursday!

What a Girl Wants

It has now been two months since the bambina has entered our lives and she has become pretty good at communicating what she wants (and doesn't want!) with us. For example we know she wants:

to lay on her changing pad and chit chat with anyone who will listen,

to go swimming whenever possible,

to sit like a big girl,

to have a comfortable place to rest,

to be silly,

to spend hours playing,

to share secrets and naps with her bestie,

to coordinate her outfits,

and to discuss celebrity gossip with her aunt.

However, she does not care for:

being dressed in a huge, puffy (and I assume itchy) dress for her baptism,

being shoved into her car seat in the same huge, puffy dress for the long (5 minute) ride to church,

the first dip,

being dressed like a nerd (eww, Mom, it looks like I tucked my shirt into my jeans!),

or wearing the adorable, hot pink, baby flip-flops that Mommy carefully selected and pictured her wearing while traipsing about town on our errands, accepting compliments left and right from passersby.  In fact, she rejects all shoes, which might be part of the reason she is screaming in her baptism photos...hmm.

But one thing for which I am grateful is that no matter what, sometimes all a girl wants is her Mommy.

Happy two-month-day Baby Girl!  We are so glad you came along!