Stuck in the house

My Ella and I have been stuck in the house for a few days now. I don't think I ever realized how difficult it can be to entertain a toddler... I don't know if I like that term yet... without going outside! We've managed though with only a few tantrums and loss of patience. In no particular order, here is what we've been doing....

Current Read!

Well I finished Dracula and loved it and am now onto this interesting little find from halfpricebooks :)

Title: What Your Stuff Says About You: Snoop
Author: Sam Gosling
Genre: ??

 I keep coming back to this book.  I read a few chapters and then I set it down for a few months... not sure why.  It is interesting to me.  It kind of explains to you how you can learn about people just from looking at their areas of living/working... such as a bathroom or an office.  It's interesting to me because I like to snoop at peoples house.. beware :)  but also I want to see how my areas look to others.  It kind of reads like a textbook to me.. which may be why its taking me so long to finish it.  I tell you what I've read is good.  I do wish there were a few more examples of what hes talking about, but for the most part I get the picture.  So if you are looking for a different type of book to read, check it out!

Snoopology

Christmas is coming!

We are almost ready for Christmas! Need to wrap a few more presents and bake some cookies and brownies and we will be set! Oh and buy a few more gifts! Our decorating wasn't as much as I wanted but a little person kept taking everything down... notice how only the top half of our big tree is decorated :)

Ella Birthday Week

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Pies Pies Pies

For Thanksgiving this year I made 5 pies!  2 for my family and 3 for my husbands family.. and they pretty much turned out delicious!  I made 2 pecan, 2 pumpkin, and 1 sweet potato.  I did have to put the pumpkin in longer than I expected but still good! 

Pumpkin Pie

1 egg
1 Tbl flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups pumpkin puree
1.5 cups evaporated mil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbl light corn syrup
1 9in. pie crust (i bought the refridgerated kind)

Preheat oven to 450.  Add sugar gradually to pumpkin puree.  Beat well and stur in flour, sat, and spices.  Stir in corn syrup and beat well.  Stir in slightly beaten egg.  Slowly add evaporated milk, mix until well blended.  Pour batter into unbaked pie shell.  Bake at 450 for 15min then bake at 325 for 60min or until the knife comes out clean from the center of pie.

Pecan Pie

1 9in unbaked pie crust
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat together eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla.  Arrange pecans in bottom of unbaked pie crust and pour mixture over (the pecans will float up).  Bake 1 hour or until knife come out clean from center of pie.

Sweet Potato

1 lb sweet potato
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 9in unbaked pie crust

Boil sweet potatoes in skin 40-50min.  Run cold water and remove skin.  Break sweet potatoes apart in bowl.  Add butter, mix with mixer.  Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until smooth.  Fill pie crust.  Bake at  350 for 1 hours or until knife comes out clean from center of pie.

 Pumpkin pies baking!

2 pecan pies and 1 sweet potato pie cooling!

They were delicious and one day I will make my own crust!  Try them out!

les max brothers chico et harpo

This makes me smile. And I especially need it after a long night and morning with a sick babe.  Hopefully she'll be back to herself soon.  Until then.. daddy came home from work early so I could go to work for a bit.  Love that our schedules can work this out.

 Enjoy this!

New classic read

Well I've read a few books since my last. None seemed adequate for here though. I've just started Bram Stoker's Dracula. I must say I'm excited to see where a lot of vampire moves came from. I tend to navigate away from "scary" books but its a classic and therefore I can't turn it down!

Can you tell I tend to read in groups? All fantasy... All classics. ... What will be next!

my thoughts on Ella turning 1

I've been putting off a new post for awhile now.  I couldn't figure out why.  I mean nothing is really happening that has me busy, so to speak.  I've had plenty to say.. but for some reason I haven't done it.  I realized why yesterday or rather last night at about 11pm as I was trying to sleep but failing miserably....

everything I would say was about Ella's impending first birthday.  I was/am so excited it went well and hopefully the party will go well tomorrow as well.. but each time I thought I would do a post, and it definitely was about Ella in some way, I would shy away.  That's because as happy and excited and proud I am to be her mama and to watch her grow.... shes growing!  It makes me kinda sad; I almost tear up just thinking about it.  She's no longer my little baby who smiles and giggles at me as I gaze into her eyes as she fits perfectly in the crook of my arm.... she's my walking/trying to run almost toddler who laughs out loud and says hi to anybody and refuses to let me hold her unless its bedtime.  It amazes me so see how much she really has changed. 

I haven't written my monthly note yet also and probably for the same reason and probably because I don't want michael to see me sobbing while doing it... he makes fun of me enough for crying at tv shows :)

But even though I was sort of ignoring it.. it happened!  Time doesn't stop because we want our babies to stay babies.  She is now one year old and one day... almost to the hour.  I wondered if I would pick this back up after her birthday.. I hoped I would and look!  The next day I felt the need to type to express myself... to let go of this uneasy sad feeling of her turning one.  Who knows if this is normal or not.. oddly and unlike me enough.. I don't care.  It's how I feel and that's that. 

But Oh my gosh!  She had so much fun yesterday!!  Pictures will follow soon.  But she had a mini chocolate cupcake that she literally gobbled up and tried to steal mine... :)  she loved the gifts her mama and dada got her and she had a blast in the bathtub!  She even tried to take her diaper off and climb in on her own!  Silly girl :)  To top it off she's been sleeping great at night.. her gift to us?

We all look forward to tomorrow when ALL of both of our families will come together in our little home to help celebrate this little girls first year :) :)

Have a very happy happy weekend!!

T-Day Poem

Save Room

As meals go, Thanksgiving dinner

Is always a feast - a five star winner,

Here comes the salad, dressed just right,

The golden brown turkey - a savory delight.

The stuffing now and then the gravy,

The jello mold, all wiggly and wavy,

Take some cranberry sauce and candied yams;

Is there room for fresh made rolls and jams?

More dishes temptt me; ah, but I

Must save some room for pumpkin pie.

-Joanna Fuchs

says it all! cant wait for food!!!

Friday!

I am going to Kansas City tomorrow!  Very anxious to be away from my princess Ella for the night, but I'll have a good time.  After a kinda long morning.. up at 5am due to teething... molars.. seriously.. she isn't that old!  So sleeping not well lately.. its okay though!  We shall deal.

I did accomplish Ella's Wish List for her bday and Christmas!

Loving it!  I can't wait for the day she can help me make it for her!!  Tried to get a picture of her today.. but she moved too fast!  She had got into the bathroom and wrapped herself in toilet paper!  Made me think... well I guess she wanted to be a mummy for Halloween.  :)

Happy Happy Friday!!!!

i love my lists

I have a Spring birthday, Michael has a Summer birthday.. so it's kinda fun that Ella has a Winter birthday!  At the same time though, her winter birthday is a week after Thanksgiving!!!!  Which means I have to prepare for tday, at least its not at my house, and for her bday at the same time... 

List #1 - Tday

-make fruit salad
-make pasta salad
-make 2 pies, pumpkin and pecan
-figure out times for my tday and michaels tday
-outfits :)


List #2 - Ella bday

-chocolate cupcakes for 11/29
-white cake for 12/1
-invites sent
-buy party decor
-birthday list for everyone
-outfits again :)
-food
-drinks
-set up party decor
-buy presents
-wrap presents
-clean house
-thank yous
-candle

List #3 - Ideas for gifts

-pusher thing
-riding thing
-blocks
-stacking things
-nesting dolls type things
-mini kitchen
-toy food and such
-stuffed animals
-musical instruments
-magnets
-clothes size 18mo :)
-leggings/tights
-shoes no idea on size

Any other ideas?

Daddy and baby

My two favorite people in the world are having a daddy/daughter afternoon. Wishing I was with them but very glad I'm able to be supportive by being with my grandma and dad at the mayo hospital in Rochester, MN.

My grandma was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer about 3 years ago. I've only missed a few appointments with her. She's doing great. She turns 90 in January!

Ella and dada are visiting grandma and playing with the puppies. It's cold out but they may go for a walk. Dada loves his time with her and Ella adores her daddy more and more every day. I can't wait until I get home to spend some time with them too!

This coming weekend I'm going to Kansas City to visit miss Mattie and I'm so excited but I'm gonna be away from my baby Ella. I hope I can make it through the whole weekend!

Can't help it!

Can't help but want to share my babe chattering away at her toys.  It just makes me smile :) :)

Stationery card

Twelve Months Pink Birthday Invitation

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random thoughts

My mind is blank the past few days.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe I'm just tired.. and I am tired but really tired.  I think i've been napping too much.  Since Ella has been taking naps in her crib and they last for 1 -1.5 hours so I've been resting too.  I don't know though.. I think the real reason my mind has been blank is because it's almost November and boy is it going to be busy.......
Heres a mini schedule of my next 30ish days...

Today: Halloween!  Ellas first so dressing up and family is coming over
Tomorrow: work and nails
Friday: move my sister to out of town and rehearsal dinner
Saturday: wedding all day :)
Nov. 7-25: boss gone so I am here most of the day m-f :(
Nov. 10: grandma is here!
Nov. 11: 2 nephews getting baptized
Nov. 12: grandma appt in Rochester.. gone all day
Nov. 17-18: in kc visiting friends.. first time without ella :/
Nov. 22: Tday!
Nov. 29: Ella turns 1!!!
Dec. 1: Ella party!

After that it probably will not die down due to Christmas being right around the corner.. oh my!  When I look at it in this way.. it doesn't look like much.. but I'll be working about 30hours a week.. compared to my normal 15-20.. so I won't have as much time with my ella as normal.  I'll get over it though.  And I'm sure it'll fly by!

Speaking of flying by.. I cannot believe ella is 11 months!  I don't know where the time went!  It amazes me.. I remember thinking this when I was pregnant and perhaps since then as well.. but some days just seem to draaaaagg.. whether I'm with ella or not.. but then all of a sudden a whole week, month, and now almost year has gone by!  I cannot believe it!!

So with all this stuff coming up.. I can't think about anything else... and sometimes thinking about it all gives me a headache (so to speak).. therefore my mind goes blank.

All I know at this moment is I cannot wait to see my Ella and put her in her adorable costume!  Pictures to come!

Oh and I get my new phone today!!!! WOOHOO!  I'll have to post a picture of what I've put up with for the past month..

Happy Wednesday!!   Happy Halloween!

sweet babe is almost 11months!

My Ella My Ella

Recently I have had this feeling in me that makes it hard to be away from you.  It feels as if something bad will happen to you if I'm not right there protecting you.  It scares me and makes me angry at the same time.  I just want to go sleep next to your crib again :)  or not go to sleep at all.

I don't know if its due to Halloween or your aunt telling me these horrible news stories.. but it has gotten to me bad!  I'm constantly checking on you and hoping you are alive, unhurt, breathing normally, and sleeping.. if you are awake I need to keep you in my vision, even if daddy or papa are right there also....

I'm hoping this will pass... but honestly I don't care.  There is so much evil in the world and who knows how close to home it is.. but if I have to watch you to keep you safe or at least until this feeling goes away.. then so be it.

I know I know.. I sound crazy.. but if I were to describe my dreams recently.. I think it would terrify anyone!  Especially since you are in them!

Moving on..........

I am loving watching you grow my baby girl.  It is amazing watching you while you think about things.  How something works or how to grab something and still stand or when you think about walking and then decide its faster to crawl..... you just get this look on your face that I wish I could capture on film... oh man have I tried but you always look away!  It just makes my day to see you smile or laugh really hard!  Daddy can get you to laugh like that.  He can also get you to 'brush' your hair... just say 'so pretty' and put a brush in your hand and off you go brushing the side/back of your head.  Makes me think of your hair.... oh my goodness Ella Grace you are going to have the most beautiful hair!!  It is such a pretty light to medium brown hair with curls!! It's going to be curly!  I will love it!  You will hate it most likely.. just like me.. but then again maybe you won't.  You will have curly hair right away.. rather than like your momma.  Mommy's hair turned curly in 8th-10th grade.. dang puberty!  That's a whole other story though.. and we are not going there anytime soon!

You took your first step in Texas.. that was fun because only mommy was there to see it! It made me feel special!  You took your first REAL steps about 2 weeks ago.. again as soon as I turn the video camera on you drop to your knees... but every day you take more and more steps.. your 'high score' is 8 steps in a row!  But you do so many steps throughout the day.. just not all at one time.  We all know you can do it.. but you would just rather crawl and that's ok with me.  I'll just be waiting, and I'm sure you'll start walking just as soon as you realize you can run.. walking will probably be bypassed.

We have a new nickname for you and please don't take offense!  You are our little terrorist!  Why do you say?  Well just look at the house!  Your room has books and new diapers ALL over it!  The bathroom has your bath toys ALL over it!  The living/dining room has your toys, books, stuffed animals, movies.. ALL over it!  The kitchen even has packaged food (specifically string cheese), pans, spoons, and your cups ALL over it!  We can't leave a laundry basket around you.. no matter it being clean, dirty, folded, not folded.. if you see it.. you just HAVE to go and pull EVERYTHING out of it.  Seriously though... it is so fun to watch.  I may follow you around most the day picking up things you left and sometimes I leave it all there to show daddy 'what you did today' haha

Speaking of daddy.. he is over the moon with you.  You should see the love in his eyes whenever your name is even mentioned.  And the fact that you craw/walk/bounce to him pretty much whenever he gets home makes his work day worth it.  Thank you Ella for finally letting daddy in our little circle.

You had two new things in the past week.. you got to wear your new pink coat that papa got you in Arizona and you got to pick out your pumpkin with papa!

So my Ella my Ella... until next time...  I'll be thinking of you and checking on you soon!

Love you forever and always,
mama

obsessed with my video camera

I just realized I could take videos with my camera and I looooovvve it! Be prepared for some videos!

Here is my baby girl Ella yesterday eating her snack.  If you listen at all you will also hear my lovely annoying dog, Fresco, barking.  Never met him? And ignore me!

art work diy :)

 I made picture frames!  It was easy!  Its similar to another project I did once..

you need: wooden frames, white paint (only if you'll be able to see through the material), and any material you can wrap around the frame.. I used patterned duck tape, purple ribbon, pink lace ribbon, multicolored yard, furry yarn, and decorative marbles (glue if you use marbles)

 Don't forget some art work.. this is some of mine from college.. not good but I plan to put Ella's in it when I have some!

 Three of the frames done!  You just wrap and wrap and wrap!   The duct tape was actually the hardest to do.. I'm surprised by this!

Final Product! (I need to hang them still..)

 I just love this picture of Ella.. had to share as well!  Not sure when it was taken though..

backward or forward facing

Ella is coming up on her 1st birthday.. ummm wow... that is just insane.  With this milestone comes a big decision, well to me it is a big decision..........

Should I keep the car seat facing backward or turn it forward???

The Law : children must be in backward facing car sears until they are 20lbs or over AND 1 year old...

Ella is almost 22lbs so we are good there and as of Nov. 29 she will be 1... so legally I can change it.

AAP and NHTSA : both state that children should stay backward facing until 2 years old.. not a law but a recommendation...

ugh!  What to do.  I keep going back and forth....... Ella would LOVE to face forward and the car seat would be much easier to switch vehicles.. well to attach it that is... but what if something happens and she gets hurt and she wouldn't have if she wasn't facing forward.

This is just too confusing and I don't like it!  My whole family and my husbands think it would be fine to change it and part of me does too.  But I want to make sure she is as safe as I can get her.. at least in the car.

My thought at the moment is to leave her car seat facing backward while it is in my car.  We are already planning to buy a 2nd car seat as a spare/emergency use.. so it wouldn't stay in one particular vehicle.  So put that one forward when needed.

Since I drive her 95% of the time then she would be backward facing most of the time.. but then when she does go in a different vehicle then will she be angry that I won't let her sit that way in my car?

ooh this just sounds more confusing as I type it.. well hopefully this makes sense to those who read it.. if it doesn't then you have a well earned insight to how my head thinks.......

happy tuesday!

26 seconds of my loves

A little video of daddy and ella.. he doesn't appreciate being recorded and he definitely doesn't know I'm putting it here :)  oh well!  he knows me well enough to know that I'd do it!

Love you both soooo much muah! xx

a classic

Title: Sons and Lovers
Author: D.H. Lawrence
Genre: ??? its a classic

I'm reading this book because I have a big pile of books to read.  It was on top.  I bought it several years ago at b&n and never got around to reading it...

I'm maybe a quarter the way through and its different.  I mean its a classic.. written in a different time/country so its kinda a difficult read for me, especially since its written how people talk.. so sometimes it takes me a couple tries before I realize what the sentence is.  I tend to read books fast so I skim parts and you can't do that with this because of the way its written.  I like to shake it up a bit and read things like this.  I figure it'll help with a lot of things?  Anyway.. check it out if you are looking for something older and a bit challenging..

Crazy for missing this?

    I miss being pregnant.

I know I know some people will think I'm crazy, but I had an awesome pregnancy and I enjoyed it.  I mean I enjoyed knowing that a life was growing in me.  At the time, I was like ugh I don't enjoy this but looking back I did!

Now, this doesn't mean I want to have another baby.. meaning I miss being pregnant, but I don't want to be pregnant at this moment.

Something hit me last night, some errant thought, and I realized I missed it.

I miss feeling kicks and movements...

I miss hearing the heartbeat...

I miss seeing ultrasounds...

I just felt like sharing this.

Maybe Ella will have a sibling some day.. 

but that day will not be for at least a few years! 

It was Thanksgiving in these two pictures..

I was 39 weeks and 3 days.. 

I had Ella the following Tuesday evening :)