Amelia Takes On the World

Dearest Amelia,

You were 22 months old on Sunday and I’m sorry we weren’t here with you.  However, I know you were having a great time with your cousin Lena, Pappy, Uncle Benji, Aunt Ann and Nonni.  Everytime we called there were squeals of laughter in the background.   You and Lena get along so well, I’m so glad you are so close to each other.  I heard you got to finger paint, blow bubbles, play with a water table and of course lots of sticker play.  You even fed ducks!  They definitely kept you entertained.

The last couple weeks has really marked a turn in your verbal progression – instead of just one word you try to say phrases with 2, 3, sometimes even more words.  We don’t always understand you but its fun to see you mind figure it all out. 

You also are physically moving along – almost getting the jumping thing down, running around like a champ (you are the queen of missing corners/doors by like 1/8th an inch), walking up and down stairs just holding on to hands or handrails.  I think you are taller and you definitely feel heavier … but yet you are losing the toddler belly slowly, becoming a true little girl. 

You still love to eat most anything though you are addicted to cereal, and we have to sometimes bribe you to eat the other things.  After the first bite you remember you love that too and its no problem to get you to keep eating.

You definitely have a fun personality – loving, sweet, fun and playful with an independent streak for sure.  You are stubborn but not too much – most of the time.  Just enough for us to know you are your own person and I think that’s a good thing. 

I think you’ll be a great big sister – you love baby dolls and always say baby or sister to my belly, usually with a pat or a kiss.  Its so sweet.  Probably my favorite thing this month is you like me to hold you like a baby and rock you and sing to you.  Just melts my heart every time. 

I didn’t do a great job of getting photos/videos for this post but here is a short video montage from yesterday – you love Mickey Mouse clubhouse and calling for Toodles, though that part is unfortunately a little dark and then you were showing me your jumping skills outside.

I love you baby girl!

Mom

This past weekend Chris and I headed to Vegas to celebrate my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary.  I have to admit, I didn’t have high expectations.  Vegas? Pregnant?  Just wasn’t a high priority for me.  I was so wrong – we had a blast!  Great food, great company and one of the funniest things I have ever seen – my parents renewing their vows with Elvis.  We laughed so hard we almost cried – didn’t even mind the costumes by that point.   I left most of the picture taking to my wonderful sister-in-law Michelle but here were just a couple of shots for you to enjoy. 

Our first night at Ceasars before we ate at Raos – yummy Italian food.

Yes I am a pregnant pink lady.  The things I will do for my mom.

The cute wedding chapel – we had a great Elvis but alas, all pictures indoors had to be taken by the chapel photographer.

My mom & dad ready to be whisked away by their limo. 

We had a great time and I’m glad we got to be a part of my parents’ celebration. Hope everyone else’s Memorial Day weekends was just as entertaining.

Kelly

Happy 5th Anniversary to my loving, wonderful husband Chris.  When I’ve told people that it was our 5th anniversary this Friday usually I get the ‘wow, time flies fast’ type of comment.  I get that – time is moving fast these days.  But when I really think about it?  I don’t remember life before Chris.  Okay that is a slight exaggeration – but what I mean is it seems likes its been forever and a day since I had to live my life without Chris in it, and I can’t imagine him not being a part of it.  I still miss him like crazy when he goes on a 2 day business trip and I enjoy our weekends most when we get to spend them together as a family.  So I look forward to celebrating our five years together today and our eternity of happiness together every day.

Love,

Kelly

This morning Amelia decided she wanted 3 bows in her hair.  Yes 3.  And still had all 3 in when I picked her up from school today – I have no idea how.  When one started to come out in the car she was distraught until it was back in.  She definitely has her own sense of style!

She also loves to build with blocks… and knock them down.  Here is the progression of seriously building…

Saying ‘Oh No!’ while purposely knocking them down…

And being quite pleased with herself and the result.  That’s just such a smug look of satisfaction on her face.

I love to see her mind work with building – she is very careful to get the blocks of the base lined up.  WIth a couple block helps from mom (really barely any), she managed to build one tower of blocks so tall it was almost her full standing height (this one was on the floor, not the table).  No picture of that of course!  These photos have a weird reflection from the sun hitting the window on the side of the house, but still cute!

Hope you all have a good week,

Baby Momma

Here are a few random photos for the week.

Amelia got a princess tatoo when she got her haircut last weekend – she loved to show it off, but its gone now.

Amelia loves eating pasta this week.  She was also eating yogurt – by using her spoon to put yogurt on her fork. Silly girl!  And then she ‘posed’ for the camera.  I’m happy she likes pasta but she always ends up needing a bath.

Saturday morning hair.

And me – 24 weeks pregnant.  Over the last few weeks I think someone slipped  basketball in there – its amazing how fast the belly can grow when it wants!  I’m measuring right on track but I feel much bigger than last time.  That cami is a non-maternity cami, maybe that’s why – haha.  I wish I could say that.  For reference next to it was ~24 weeks with Amelia, give or take a couple days.  So I was starting to get big – but just not quite as much.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

BabyMomma

Remember my one pea baby who sprouted on Mother’s Day for me?  Well this has been a growing week.

This was Monday evening – just 36 hours after the above photo.  Unfortunately you are only supposed to have one plant per cup so I had to wean my pea babies down – you plant a few seeds to guarentee at least one.

This was Wednesday – look at how well and tall and straight they are growing!

This is from Thursday evening – I forget how fast nature works.  Hopefully the next picture will be the pea babies planted into a real planter box to grow, along with some tomatos, a squash plant and a canteloupe plant my wonderful husband picked up for me at the store.

Have a good weekend!

Pea Baby Momma

I don’t often write about my own mother – Amelia’s ‘Kaykay’.  (Note, she is the one on the far right in the photo)  Usually this blog focuses on Amelia and her day to day adventures – which sometimes we are lucky enough to include the grandparents in that day.  However, I am so proud of my mom for a program she started in Houston – I just felt moved to share with my blog readers.  Hopefully this picture works.  Its a screen print of the ‘Greater Houston Community Foundation’ and a story about my mom’s program.  Knowing how overwhelming a newborn can be even when you have support – this is something that has lots of meaning to me.  I hope it stands to move some of you to do a little something for your community – whether it be big, small, monetary, volunteerism or any action that can make a difference.

So Saturday we decided to go explore the Atlanta zoo. I haven’t been in my 10 years of living here, but we recently got a family membership since its a great toddler thing to do. We love things to wear out the toddlers. Added benefit this past Saturday was a ‘Little People’ show – didn’t really know what to expect from this but Amelia plays with Little People toys so figured she’d like it. And it was free.

Probably my favorite picture was this one of Amelia with her reflection. We were looking at the gorillas through the glass and I just love how it turned out. I was carting around the big camera, but with all its manual settings and a toddler to chase – many of the photos didn’t come out like I planned. Quite a few had to be lightened. But this one… this one worked and I just like how it looks.

After a couple hours of the zoo, it was time for the show.  Of course both girls had to be with Nonni.

When it was over, Amelia asked for more – she loved the show.  Now she always talks about her ‘people’.

This is Amelia showing us what a monkey says.

The girls were so tired after their fun-filled morning.  Aren’t they cute together?

And I’ll leave you with Amelia smiling after she stole the camera lens from mommy.

We had a great day – the zoo was lots of fun.  I can imagine we will have a lot more wonderful visits this summer.

Baby Momma

PS I took quite a few animal photos, but I’m going to post those over on my ‘learning photography’ blog that I am starting: http://www.dyarfamily.com/DyarFamilyPhoto

I hope everyone is having a wonderful mother’s day.  I got beautiful red roses, breakfast in bed and a spa day to look forward to. Thanks dear husband and Amelia!  I love my morning so far.

Amelia helped me plant some seeds the other day, peas since its one of her favorites.  You can just see a green sprout coming out of the first one, closest to the bottom right in these pictures.  I can’t wait until its far enough Amelia really can see it growing along.  The 2nd part of my mother’s day gift is my wonderful husband has agreed to build the peas a trellis after they sprout and need to be transferred. Thanks honey!

Enjoy the day!

BabyMomma

Okay so credit goes to my friend Leslie who passed this on to me (who got it from her mom so I don’t know who to give original credit to) – but I love this recipe.    With Amelia allergic to dairy, egg and peanuts – I wanted to make this but make it so she could have it too.    So off I went to Whole Foods and got non-dairy and egg replacement for all the ingredients and I’m happy to say it turned out well! It was still really good.  Maybe not as good – but really good.

So I thought I’d share the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter (I used Earth Balance, no dairy)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
3 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (I used Tofutti non-dairy cream cheese)
2 mashed ripe bananas
1 egg, beaten (I used EnerG egg replacement)
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream (I used Tofutti non-dairy sour cream)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tea. baking soda
1 tea. baking powder
1/4 tea salt
3/4 + cup choc. chips (I used Enjoy Life non-dairy choc chips)
Nuts-optional (I did not use nuts at all)

Cream together softened butter, cream cheese and brown sugar.  Add bananas, egg and sour cream, mix.  Blend all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Combine dry ingredients into sugar/butter mixture. Once blended stir in choc. chips.  Bake in a glass dish at 325 for 60-75 minutes.

Enjoy!

PS My favorite way to enjoy is toasted with peanut butter – well sunbutter these days…  not really healthy but so yummy!