12 Months Old

It has been awhile since I have posted and so much has happened in the last month. We celebrated Olivia's first Halloween (see the adorable pictures below), planned and prepared for a 1st birthday party, the first two teeth have come through, and we now have a one year old. I am still in shock that the past year has gone by and I no longer have a itty bitty baby, but instead a walking and talking toddler! Olivia is a full on walker and sometimes tries to run, loves to jabber and flip through her books, is eating more and more table food, has her two bottom front teeth poking through, loves to dance to music, and has experienced cake smashing at her party!

 

The past month was so busy with party planning (pictures and details coming soon) and before we knew it, her birthday had arrived. I loved being able to document her first year using the adorable monthly onesies I purchased when I was pregnant. It was bittersweet putting the final onesie on her and taking her 12 month photos... here they are...

 

I love her look of wonder in this picture and her bright eyes!

gotta love this smiling face!

 

Halloween was a blast this year and this Strawberry costume that my mom found at Costco was a huge hit. The green tights over her chubby legs was the best! And she was such a good sport and left her costume and the hood on the entire afternoon and evening.

 

our little strawberry

digging into the pumpkin full of candy

love her face in this picture and the candy spread all over the floor

We celebrated Olivia's first birthday party last weekend and I will work on posting the details, recipes, and picures soon! Our little girl is now one and I love how much she is growing and learning, but defintely shed a few tears on her birthday. I miss our little baby, but know that the fun times have just begun. Love you sugar plum... can't wait for the adventures ahead!



11 Months Old

Our little Olivia has transitioned from a baby to a toddler this month and we are in complete denial that she is almost one. The 11 month mark has brought about so many changes in Olivia including she is full blown walking, likes to climb, has quite the personality when you tell her the word no, has thrown a few tantrums, has no teeth yet, and still thinks cat napping is the way to go. I love seeing her little personality develop and it can be scary to see how much she is like me. At least I have no one to blame when she pulls the same faces I do and seems to get upset about the little things... I can't imagine where she gets that personality trait ;)

Olivia has been on two road trips in the past month, went to the ER for her first time (dog bite), picked out her first pumpkin at the pumpkin patch, and has grown out of so many clothes that I lost count. She is just over 23 pounds and is 30 inches tall. Her favorite snack is Cheerios by far and she loves to drink water out of a grown up cup. She skipped the sippy cup stage entirely. Sleeping has been a bit longer at night and she is pretty worn out by about 7:30pm. She has had a few nights with nightmares and wakes up all out screaming... I sure hope those are not frequent!

Here are a few pictures of Olivia's 11 month onesie...

playing with her hula hoop in front of her closet

love those bright eyes and her rocking horse in the background

this about captures it, she is almost one and seemed to hold her finger up at just the right time for the picture

And I just love these pictures from the pumpkin patch... Olivia absolutely loved playing with the pumpkins, playing in the dirt, and seeing the farm animals... the pigs were her favorite!

sitting on the hay bale and playing with a corn cob

she wanted to play with all of the pumpkins

The next month is going to be busy and bittersweet. I am knee deep in planning her 1st birthday party and getting invites mailed and party decor made. I can't wait to celebrate her 1st birthday with all of our family and friends... but I will be shedding a few tears as our little girl transitions from baby girl to a little girl. I can't believe how fast the time has gone... We love Olivia and are so blessed to have you in our lives. Love you!

10 Months Old

Our little girl turned 10 months old this week and is full blown walking! She took her first steps at right around 9 months and has really taken off in the past few weeks. She has pretty much stopped crawling and now just walks wherever she would like to go. I do love this stage where her walking is a fun mixture of a drunken baby and a zombie... nice and wobbly! Olivia has changed so much in the last month and is more of a toddler than a baby. My heart breaks to think that my little girl is no longer so little but I am so excited for the changes and stages ahead. 

Olivia is still a pretty good eater and has become quite fond of Cheerios. She loves sitting in her high chair and munching away. Her favorite toy lately has been her blocks, she loves stacking them up and then knocking them down. And sleeping is still not great... she co-sleeps with us and then cat naps throughout the day. Maybe she will love sleep next year... 

Here are a few pictures in her 10 month onesie...

Olivia standing in her room... love her eyes looking up at me

this is her favorite expression right now, usually happens when she is surprised

The summer has come to an end but we had so much fun taking Olivia to the GJ Rockies baseball games, to swim lessons and the pool, and on nice long walks in our neighborhood. The next season of Fall will bring about some fun memories... Olivia's first Halloween, cute new fall clothes, pictures in a pile of leaves, and so much more! Here are a few cute pictures of Olivia from the past few weeks...

Olivia during bath time... love her cheeks in this picture

Olivia's first pair of shoes... she looks so grown up in this picture

To my sweet daughter... you are growing up fast and I am trying to soak in every moment with you while you are still little. I love seeing you learn to walk and explore your world. You are so smart and amaze me each and every day. I love you sugar and always will!

9 Months Old

Our little one is not so little anymore... she is 9 months old today! Olivia has grown and changed so much in the last month and is turning into a sweet little girl. I can't even call her a baby anymore when she is almost walking, saying 'mama', and growing like a weed. The past month has been busy with summer activities, a family vacation to Park City, lots of learning and growing milestones, and tons of fun along the way. 

Olivia is a quick crawler, stands on her own, and took her first few steps a few days ago. It will be no time before she is walking on her own, but for now she has figured out that crawling is a much quicker form of baby transportation. She loves eating her baby food and still favors anything with squash or banana in it. We tried avocado this past week and she hated it... just like her momma! 

This past month has also brought teething and separation anxiety... two things that are not enjoyable! Olivia has yet to pop a tooth, but has all the signs that it could happen any day. And the separation anxiety is hard... no other way to describe it... Olivia cries when I leave the room and has been extra clingy lately. I do hope this stage will pass.... soon!

Here are a few pictures of Olivia in her 9 month onesie this morning... smiles were hard to come by, but she is adorable anyways...

And since it has been awhile since I have posted on our blog (sorry!), here a few pictures from our summer adventures...

enjoying a ride in the red wagon

ready for a day at the zoo

looking at the the animals with daddy at the zoo

catching a nap at the zoo

watching the GJ Rockies game with mommy and daddy

This summer has been a blast for our family and we have created so many amazing memories. We are so blessed to have such amazing and supportive families and a beautiful daughter to show the world. I love you Olivia and love the little girl you are becoming... this life will be an adventure!

Book Club Summer Break

You may have noticed that it has been months since I have posted about book club, or maybe you have been too busy to even notice. Summer has just been crazy for us and there is hardly any time for reading or evening watching my favorite TV shows. I have been super busy at work and whenever I get home I either want to soak up every minute with Olivia or go to bed when she does, which is about 9pm. I love reading, which is why it is frustrating that I don't have much time for it. The book club selections over the summer haven't been exciting to me, which also hasn't enticed me to pick up a book. Maybe when Summer is over and life slows down, I can recommit to reading the book club selections. I do wonder what I did with all of my time before I had Olivia... Anyways, enjoy your week and this lovely hot Summer weather!

8 Months Old

Summer is flying by fast and it has been so hot here! Olivia is not slowing down at all and growing like a weed. It's hard to believe she is 8 months old today because she already acts so grown up. She is crawling a ton and is getting pretty fast, can hold onto the edge of the couch and walk a few feet, loves to eat her baby food purees and puffs, still isn't sleeping through the night, and has uttered a few sounds that are close to mama and dada. I love this age where she interacts with us, has a smile that melts my heart, and loves to explore. Our summer so far has included lots of swimming, plenty of walks to the park and around the neighborhood, lots of baseball games, and spending lots of time with family. Olivia absolutely loved her swimming lessons and is a total water baby! She has also mastered picking up her baby food snacks and making it to her mouth most of the time. Sleep and napping is questionable on most days and nights and I have really begun to think that our child is just one that doesn't need much sleep... completely opposite of her mother :(

Here are a few pictures of Olivia in her 8 month onesie this morning... enjoy!

our smiley happy baby

this smile and laughing just melts my heart and makes me chuckle

And a few more fun pictures from our summer fun...

our little sailor baby at swim lessons

cute little firecracker

sporting her shades at the baseball game

To my sweet Olivia... I could have never imagined that the days with you could get any more fun. I love seeing you grow and learn and can't wait for the journey ahead of us... love you munchkin!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all of the amazing dads in this world, including my husband Michael! This Father's Day is extra special with Olivia having her daddy to celebrate with. I am very blessed to have a husband that wants to be and is an amazing dad to our little girl. I cannot say thank you enough to him for all he does for our family!

To my daddy, thank you for 27 years of memories, advice, guidance, and love. I am so blessed to have you in my life and to share such a special relationship with you. I will always be your 'noodle' no matter how old I get. Thank you for setting a great example for me on what being a parent means and how taking care of your kids in the most important thing in life.

To my step-dad Jeff, thank you for your constant support and advice throughout my life. You have been a blessing in our family and I thank you for all of the memories we have created together. 

And to my father-in-law Mike, thank you for setting an amazing example for Michael on what being a great dad is. You have been a great role model for Michael and continue to love us and support us in so many ways.

Thank you to all of the fathers in my life... I am very blessed and so is Olivia! Here is an adorable picture of Olivia this morning in her cross stitch onesie that Grandma Carlene made that says 'Daddy's L'il Sunshine'... so cute!

7 Months Old

Our little baby is turning into a very mobile little girl... Olivia is crawling and moving around so fast and the days of trying to keep up with her have only begun. Our little one is already 7 months old, which makes me think she is going to be turning one before I can catch my breath. Life has been so crazy lately and I can hardly catch enough sleep, keep track of the details of life, and spend every moment I can with Olivia. Working just seems to get in the way sometimes and our dang house just doesn't seem to clean itself... I can dream right?!

Olivia has been a tiny bit better on the sleeping, but still ends up in our bed most nights of the week. I have heard more advice on the co-sleeping arrangement than I care to and we have taken the stance that whatever allows Olivia to sleep will just have to work for now. Because when she sleeps, we sleep! She is still a great eater and loves her baby food and baby snacks... the Plum Organics little cremes are her favorite and anything with sweet potato, mango, or banana, she will gobble up! Swim lessons last weekend were a huge hit and she is definitely a water baby! I think her favorite part of the lesson was the splashing.

Here are a few pictures of Olivia in her 7 month old onesie... it barely fits her...

To my sweet munchkin... you are the love of my life and I am so lucky to be your momma! We are having so much fun watching you grow and explore your world. I can't wait to see what this next month brings :) Love you sugar!

Olivia's Favorites

Well, you guessed it... Life has been crazy! I haven't posted in over two weeks and the days go by just way too fast. We have been so busy with Olivia and we have spent the last two weeks traveling...first to Salt Lake to visit family and then last weekend we took Olivia camping for the first time! We also start swimming lessons tomorrow morning for the little miss and I couldn't be more excited. I can't wait to see what her reaction is to being in the pool!

Olivia has been such a happy baby lately and has already developed some favorite things... here are just a few...

little einsteins is Olivia's favorite Disney show... and it's educational :)

Brown Bear, Brown Bear has been Olivia's favorite book for weeks

we started Olivia on baby food a few months ago and my favorite brand by far is Plum Organics and Olivia likes every flavor we have tried

these Plum Organics snacks are perfect for travel and come in lots of fun flavors

And of course I couldn't possible post about Olivia without showing a few pictures... enjoy!

Olivia sporting her adorable polka dot sunglasses

carrots all over Olivia's sweet smiley face

Olivia standing up all on her own

Just looking at these pictures makes me smile... I am such a lucky momma!

Book Club Updates

Time has flown by and reading has just not happened in the past month. I always have the best of intentions on reading the book club books and reading them in time for the discussion, but lately this just hasn't happened. Life has truly just been way too crazy! I barely read the last book selection 'The Great Gatsby' and really just skimmed the book in order to keep up with the discussion. The discussion about the book at book club was mixed, some of the ladies loved it and some didn't really enjoy it. I was just excited to see the movie the following weekend. Most of the time movies stray too far from the books, but the recent release of 'The Great Gatsby' movie seemed to stay true to the original book with a hip modern take on the storyline. I wished they would have stayed with the original music of the era but oh well, overall the movie was fun to see. 

The next selection for book club is a popular read right now and topping the bestseller's list... it is 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. 

My mom just finished reading this book in her book club in Salt Lake and raved about it. She couldn't get enough of this book and could not read it fast enough! I still have about 3 weeks till our next book club and have the best of intentions on reading this book. Stay tuned to see if it happens... Happy Reading!

6 Months Old

Where has the time gone?! My little baby is 6 months old and already so grown up. It makes me kinda sad to write this post because I would love to turn back the clock and shrink her back down to an itty bitty baby again. Olivia has been such a happy girl lately and loves exploring her world. She is so close to crawling and gets so frustrated when she tries to crawl and just can't seem to coordinate her little legs. She has been eating lots and lots of baby food and has loved everything we have given her. She seems to love mangos and butternut squash the best! Unfortunately she is still not a great sleeper and sometimes I wonder if I will ever truly sleep restfully again... maybe when she is 5.

I am so excited that summer is coming and we can spend loads of time outside with Olivia and I can't wait for her first experience in a pool.

Here are a few pictures of Olivia in her 6 month onesie...

To my sweet baby girl... I love seeing you grow and explore your world. Your daddy and I can't wait to teach you so many things and watch you grow up. I am so blessed to be your mommy!

Happy Mother's Day

This year Mother's Day is extra special now that I am the momma to our sweet Olivia. I am so blessed to be her mother and take care of her each and every day. This morning was wonderful for so many reasons... Olivia slept till almost 8am, my husband brought me coffee in bed, I received the most amazing cards, texts, and phone calls from loved ones, and I have a beautiful purple orchid plant sitting on my counter. I am truly blessed and spoiled with love.

I will always say that I have big shoes to fill and an amazing role model in my mom. She has been the most amazing mother and friend throughout my 27 years of life and continues to be an amazing support and influence in my life and for Olivia. She will always be the sweet Nana to my little one and truly my best friend. To my mom... you have set an amazing example for me on what it means to be a great mom, you have taught me, guided me, supported me, and loved me through so many things and times in my life. I cherish our relationship more that you will ever know and thank the heavens for you daily. Love you!

The other amazing mother figure in my life is my mother-in-law Carlene. She is the best when it comes to mother-in-law's and I am truly blessed. She has been so supportive and helpful for us this past year as my husband and I have journeyed into parenthood. She is great listener, a great friend, and a wonderful grandma to Olivia. Love you Carlene and thank you for being an amazing support to me during the good times and the bad.

To all the moms out there, we should pat ourselves on the back for a job well done in taking care of our children and our families. Motherhood is a 24 hour a day and 7 day a week job and the most rewarding thing possible in life. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Mexican Fiesta Dinner

I have been meaning to post for a few days and just can't seem to find the time. I really wish I could add a few more hours to each day and definitely some extra sleep for me at the same time.

This past weekend, my Dad visited and we always find time to cook a few new recipes. The recipes we chose to cook on Sunday matched perfectly for a Mexican Fiesta theme on Cinco de Mayo. I only wish we would have made magaritas to go with dinner :) 

These recipes were found on my Recipes Pinterest Board and turned out fantastic and would be great for a family dinner or even a potluck. Hope you enjoy!

these stuffed peppers were delicious and super easy to make

this corn salad had lots of flavor and makes great leftovers

Next Book Club Selection - The Great Gatsby

At book club a few weeks ago, we made our next book club selection The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The girls wanted to choose a classic and with the upcoming movie coming out on May 10th, this book seemed like a good pick.

The last time I read this book I was in high school and I don't remember enjoying it much. Since that has been about 10 years ago, I am willing to give this book another chance. I also love reading a book and then following it up with the movie. Our book club girls have planned a girl's night out to go see the movie on May 11th, which gives me extra incentive to read the book in time. I plan to start reading the book this weekend and will be posting a recap in a few weeks. Happy Reading!

Book Recap - 'The Timekeeper' by Mitch Albom

I finally found some time to finish last month's book club selection, The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom. 

I have been so stretched on time lately, that finding time for reading has been pretty non existent. Overall, I would give this book a B... it was okay at best. I have enjoyed this author's other books and thought I would enjoy this one more. The overall concept in the book about time and how precious it is was enjoyable to read, but the various story lines were difficult to stay interested in. The most important lesson I learned from this book is that you cannot control the amount of time you have on this earth and you better make the best of it. I have already begun to learn this lesson with Olivia and have realized just how precious the moments are with her and doing my best to live in the moment. I hope I have decades of time with all of my loved ones and will be here for many years to come, but God will decide the timetable for all of us and in the meantime, we shall live in the present and enjoy the moments!

Chicken and Rice Stoup

I have been under the weather the past few days with having my wisdom teeth out yesterday and a cold for the past few days. My mom is visiting for an extended weekend and made this delicious recipe today for me. There is nothing better when you don't feel good than having your momma make you some soup and take care of you! This Chicken and Rice Stoup is from Rachael Ray's magazine, called EveryDay with Rachael Ray. 

This soup (or stoup as Rachael calls it) is the perfect comfort food for treating a cold and easy to eat considering I just had my wisdom teeth out. I can see myself making batches of this soup during the fall and winter seasons and for my little Olivia when she is older and has the sniffles. Hope you enjoy!

Cloth Diapers

We made the plunge a few months ago and tried cloth diapers for Olivia. So far so good! My mother in law set us up with a trial at the local baby store and we were able to try ten different styles of cloth diapers for three weeks. After the trial, it was clear which brand and style of diaper we liked and wanted to use. We currently have a set of a dozen cloth diapers made by bumGenius in two different styles, the all in one and the one size diapers.

these all in one diapers are super easy to put on Olivia

these one size diapers fit Olivia great and will expand as she grows

 

The quality of this brand is excellent and they fit Olivia's little bum so nice! We use the cloth diapers part time on the days Olivia is home with either Michael or myself and I wash a load after a day or two of use. The washing of the diapers is my least favorite part, but it saves money and isn't too bad with a great washing machine like ours. I have found a few resources (listed below) with great tips on cloth diapering and maintaining the diapers long term. Our hope is to use this set of a dozen cloth diapers for the next 18 months or so and then possibly again with the next baby. I hope by using them part time, we can save some money and do our part to help the planet at the same time. Here are a few links and resources if you are interested in cloth diapering your little one...

• How To Strip Cloth Diapers - a great instructional on stripping the diapers from the cleaning/detergent residue and getting them brand new clean.
• Cloth Diaper Routine - this mom of six gives a step by step routine of how she does cloth diapers for her kids. I have learned some great tips from her! 
• Colorado Baby - this is the store that we bought the diapers from and the owner has been a huge help in answering my questions and helping me get used to the cloth diaper routine.

Using cloth diapers is a total learning process and I have found some great tips that work for me. The Colorado Baby store sells some liners that you lay in the cloth diaper to catch solids and they easily flush in the toilet. I also use a waterproof zipper bag that hangs on the side of the changing table to hold wet diapers till it is time to wash. It is best if you double wash the diapers (or use a prewash setting on hot) and then I line dry the diapers to help preserve the velcro. 

All in all, it has been a good experience for us and I hope to continue to cloth diaper part time. And because I have a hard time posting without pictures of Olivia, here are a few pics in her pink cloth diaper :)