Feeding Frenzy

When Isla hit the 6 month mark a couple of weeks ago, we decided it was time to start introducing her to baby food. Like any new parents - this was quite the occasion for us.

High chair - check.
Video camera - check.
Perfect lazy Sunday morning to dedicate to "baby's first feeding" - check.
Organic fancy rice cereal* - check.
*by the way, I am totally not into the whole organic thing usually. well, unless you count shooting your own meat from the mtn range "organic" and growing your own veggies in a garden and canning/bottling them. anyway, it's funny how you get sucked in to feeling like your baby needs organic.

And so it began. We put that adorable little silver spoon up to her mouth and in went a delicious bite of mush. Anticipation builds. And back out it came. Not only did the cereal shoot back out with a force of disgust, but this was followed by the most heartfelt look of horror. She looked at us like "why would you do something like that to me?" It almost broke my heart. Almost.


Thankfully the pediatrician* said this might happen. And to just give it a few days, she will come around.
*by the way, I have an intellectual crush on my pediatrician. he's A.MAZE.ING. funny i used to have harmless crushes on people like pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones or Mark Wahlberg or Jeremy Piven. oh how life changes.

So we tried the next day. Only this time we try to trick her by making the airplane noises and slurping noises and what not. It didn't help. She didn't want to eat. But she did feel like laughing.

Turn up the volume to hear the full giggling effect. Oh, and if you are patient enough to make it to the end, that's the best laughing and a great ending squeal.


When the rice cereal failed its week trial, I decided to try something different. It has always been my dream to be the perfect little mom that makes perfect homemade baby food from the preserved fruits and veggies from my garden. So out came the stock from the freezer. Mooshed up carrots - nope. Pureed sweet potatoes - nope. Whipped squash - nope. Hopeless. She didn't want rice, and she didn't appreciate the intensive labor I had put into her homemade babyfood. We gave in and finally went to the grocery store and bought a plethera of delicous sounding baby foods. Bananas, squash, sweet peas, pears... and so far we haven't tried everything, but she is still not having anything to do with eating. Not only does she not want to try, but she has learned how to clench her jaws closed so you can't even pry the spoon in there. You can't even trick her into smiling and shoving the spoon in anymore, she figured that one out too.

I suppose we will just keep trying and eventually she will have to like something, right? We love this little person!


And these guys too.

Baby It's Cold Outside

This winter has been odd.

The snow has been sparse, the temperatures will go from -11 to 46 in the same week, and then there's the baby factor. All of this has altered our usually predictable winter season habits. We haven't been snowmobiling and skiing as much as we are used to. But it's okay, we find ways to still enjoy the outdoors and mountains.

Enter SNOWSHOEING. Boo. Yes I said boo. Yes I did it, and yes I will continue to do it. But hear me out on this. We own snowmobiles - why on earth would I want to WALK through DEEP snow to get to the top of a mountain that I could ride to in 3 minutes on my snowmobile...? Let me remind you that watching me walk with snowshoes is like watching a really awkward pregnant chick walk on the Hawaii beach in flippers. (Oh wait, that was me last May.) Still, in a pinch snowshoeing will suffice to get us out of the house and into the beautiful trails that surround us. So I give in.

Isla LOVES being outside. Here she is all bundled up ready to go in her backpack.

This is my best friend Ashley and her boyfriend Casey. Casey is unusually large. And by large I mean TALL. And he broke his walking poles.

This pic does NOT do the hike justice. It was SOOOO steep. And Aaron did the whole thing carrying Isla on his back. He only fell over once - on the way down. Isla thought that was pretty funny.

This is overlooking the Heber Valley. Pay no attention to Isla sitting at a 45 degree angle.

Told you I was uncoordinated. At least I am smiling.

Other outdoor adventures occupying our time include JIBFEST. This is where all our friends come up - we snowmobile them in to an undisclosed mountainous location - build stuff in the woods - and jib. For all the population out there that don't speak this language (myself included) this means haul in rails that Aaron spent all summer making, lumber to build quarter pipes, tools, hatchets, jumps, I don't really know where all this is going. Basically these guys are like little boys in a candy shop. Add lighting a tree on fire and burning up some hot dogs and you have yourself jibfest.











Then there are the Midway Ice Castles. Don't get your tiaras out just yet folks. I was sadly disappointed to learn that these so-called advertised "ice castles" were not like, um, castles. They were just really pretty ice sculpture things. Still fun to check out and take some pics with friends nonetheless. I just have to save my Cinderella costume for another day I suppose.

Starting the ice castle stroll.

My two best friends Ashley and Whit.

This one is really blurry of me doing the Lion King presenting Simba pose - but I thought it was a really pretty view of the ice not-castle.

The ice tunnel. Isla is a very tactile learner. Oops.

All-in-alll we are alive. We have been busy working and playing. We are hoping for a big late winter! Please give us more snow!

Old Friends

Yesterday I realized that there are few things in life better than simply getting together with your childhood best friends whom you haven't seen in years. Nothing fancy needed. Just a big supply of your favorite beverage, some munchies, and comfy stools to sit around laughing for hours.

My mom once told me you will know a best friend because you can go for a long time without seeing each other and when you do finally reunite, you can seamlessly pick up right where you left off.

What's Better than Finishing a Basement?

What could be better than Aaron finishing our basement?




Going downstairs to find this...




Aaron hard at work - with Isla intently watching in her Johnny Jump Up - fashionably clad in the most snuggly bear suit (many thanks Treeses!)

Construction extraordinaire, babysitter, Mr. Perfect.

Happy Martin Luther King Day

To celebrate Martin Luther King Day I am going to post our Christmas pictures.

Don't judge. I'm busy. And a new season of The Bachelor just began.

Christmas was crazy as usual. And having a baby made it 50x more fun. Isla met Santa (twice), we ate way too much delicious food, and partied with just about everyone. Oh, and Isla reveled in the crinkly joy of wrapping paper.

Overall 110% a success.

Santa? Whatever.






Too much partying. Power nap with uncle Logan.


More curious about the dog than Christmas morning.


This is where Isla gets her gorgeous baby blues. Love Grandpa O.


My brother gave Grammy this as a joke... but she was SO stoked on it for real.


Haha I love Isla's eyes in this pic. OOOOH bath toys from cousin Addie!!!


And of course no Christmas Season would be complete without a family picture. Our amazing friend Travis came up and patiently snapped some pics of us in the cold and snow.




Cheers.

Playing Catch Up

I sat down to blog about a lovely "baby's first" Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, but realized that I have skipped so much.
Backtrack to a year and a half ago... Letting a month and a half go by without posting would not really mean you missed anything. Perhaps a post following a hiatus like that might read "we are still doing well, Aaron is still in Colorado, and I'm still working, we play as often as we can."
But now a month and a half means baby milestones, hundreds of pictures, and memories that we are holding on to as tightly as we can.
So before I get back to the routine blogs, I want to play catch up. And I know it's probably the most overused phrase in blogging... but I'm going to say it anyway... I will try and post more frequently. However, I make no promises. :)

First of all, AARON IS HOME! For the first time in 2 years he lives home again. Yes, for the first time he actually LIVES in the home we bought! Not just the occasional weekend visitor. Now while I love his new presence around the home, and most notably a good night's sleep without fearing for my life and a lower power bill without every light on 24-7, this also comes with a few caveats. You see, apparently living alone for 2 years tends to make people slip into a somewhat selfish lifestyle. Aaron was able to eat whatever he wants for dinner (ice cream and coke), watch whatever he wants on TV (mafia shows or Turner Classic Movies), go to bed whenever and however, come and go as he pleases, not clean the condo, basically live the bachelor life. Now I don't consider myself the type of wife that has the proverbial "chain" on my husband. I would like to think of myself as a very lenient and compassionate type. But take a lifestyle that has been building for 2 years, put them back in the same household (oh, both home full-time, btw) and expect them to mesh seamlessly back to the idealistic married life AND throw a baby in on top of all that transition. Needless to say it is a learning process.
I hate his shows, he hates mine.
I want to make salad and fish for dinner, he wants to grill red meat.
I want him to change ALL the poopy diapers to make up for his missing first 3 months, he doesn't.
I want him to clean, OH WAIT... he wants me to clean more, I just want to play with him and the baby when I am done with work.
I say potato, he says poe-taaa-toe.
You get the picture.
But slowly we are re-adjusting to a co-habitating life again. And we are figuring out how to still be a husband and wife and NOT just Isla's mom and dad. This has by far been the biggest challenge.
Did anyone else deal with that transition?
Anyway, all of that aside, I am constantly overjoyed having my best friend back around. I still lay down every night and think how unbelieveably HAPPY I am to be going to bed next to my husband. It's surreal. And Isla LOVES having her daddy around all the time too. No one can make Isla smile nearly as big as her daddy. It's the sweetest thing to watch.

Moving on.

Recently an opportunity fell into my lap to interview with a new company. Maybe not so much "fell into my lap" as much as someone up above graciously placed this blessing in my lap. I knew this was going to be a good thing when I was unable to find a babysitter the day of the interview and the owner simply told me to bring her in with me. While I absolutley loved my old company and even more my old co-workers, this deal was too good to pass up. To channel my inner Mylie Cyrus, "it's the best of both worlds". I am a full-time stay at home mom, AND a full-time career woman. I work from home designing and occasionaly drop into the office which is 3 blocks from my house. Did I mention on those occasions which require me to be in the office they let me bring Isla with me? In fact, they are sad when she stays home with dad. There have been times where I am changing a diaper while on a conference call with a client, but it really does make me feel like Superwoman. I am so grateful for this opportunity. When my maternity leave was coming to an end I NEVER EVER IMAGINED it would be THAT hard to think about leaving my baby with a babysitter. And I must give props to my angel baby who makes it possible for me to work full time and is content sitting in the Bumbo on my desk helping me calculate hydraulic grade lines and pressure heads. She has become my partner in crime.

Finally, since our last post Isla has discoverd the irrisistable art of giggling. It's the best sound in the whole world.
Better than Brad Paisley.
Better than Snoop Dogg.
Better than waves crashing on the beach in Hawaii.
We pretty much spend all our time trying to make her giggle. And it's never the same stimulant that generates a laugh. Today a duck noise makes her giggle, tomorrow she will look at you like you are sooooo laaaaame if you try to use the same duck tactic. She is so close to sitting up on her own. She loves doing anything outdoors and adventurous. (Another post on that later.) At her last checkup she weighed 15 lbs and was 24 inches long. She is in the 75% percentile for weight and length, and 95% for head size. Big head.

One more thing I forgot to mention. I hope you are all sitting down for this. Are you ready? I have picked up the hobby of... GASP... running. (When I type this I mentally hear the theme song for the original old school nintendo Mario Brothers game when you have to battle Bowser.)
Anyone that knows me knows that I absolutely DESPISE anything that makes me sweat. But I have decided that I hate being flabby even more than I hate sweating. Plus I am not going to lie, my mom motivates me. She is a runner, and somehow makes it seem so appealing. I am training to run the Ragnar race this spring.

Okay, enough of that long overdue, and generally LONG post. Here are some pics to go along with the update because you have all been so patient and made it to this point.

Bathtime is Isla's favorite!

We found my dad's old cowboy hat in the garbage.
So naturally we dug it out and put it on Isla.
Sanitation is overrated anyway.

100% pink.

Isla got a horsey jumper at one of the baby showers. She LOVES it.


Uncle Dan plays baby balance with Isla.

This is what happens when Daddy dresses Isla.
Purple Baby Legs and a Haloween costume.
Months after Haloween.

Favorite past time: eating her hands.

Fair Trade Act

Despite all the physical havoc aftermath this little angel pie has wreaked on my body... (think hemorrhoids, occasional incontinence, sore breasts, body stretched out, and oh yeah, all that flab) I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Look at this face. What a darling! Still can't believe she is mine.







Isla loves staring contests with her Daddy. As I have mentioned before, she ALWAYS wins.



P.S. Can anyone help me figure out my header thing? Do I just need to make something to those dimensions in photoshop or something? Durrr I tried to make my layout all fancy and it didn't really work out. ooops.