Ada's First Birthday

Yesterday, Ada-girl turned 1. It was such a busy day, I didn't even have time to stop and reflect on the year gone by. At her party, a friend asked me something along the lines of how the first year went with two. I realized I hadn't really thought about it in those terms, but before I could answer, she piped up, "I think it was successful!" I have to agree. It's been a good year, which is not to say it's been without its ups and downs, but.. when life feels like it's going right, you just don't stop to question. You give your thanks and move on. Am I right?

It was a lovely day and a lovely party. We have this fantastic rooftop garden/party area in our building that I never utilized until last night, but it was a great space; lots of space for people to move around (read: for kids to run around crazy) and socialize. Once the sun went down some, it cooled off a bit and was quite comfortable, even if the ice cream had turned into soup. At least there were lots of mix-ins.

I got the idea of an ice cream buffet from Pinterest (where else?). And I'd been collecting little bits of pink party decor here and there ever since she was born. Perhaps before. All in all, it was inexpensive and lots of fun. We're so grateful to have amazing people in our lives who come to celebrate our kids with us.

Eating her pink lemonade cake. She wasn't shy.

We played a variation of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey; it's called dip-a-marshmallow-in-powedered-sugar-and-try-to-throw-it-in-Ada's-mouth. Will did it twice. Good aim!

Ada played, too.

I love this pic of my brother and sister-in-law so I had to share it. Aren't they precious?

So sweet.

Ada, 11 months

How did this happen? Eleven months? Wasn't I just begging for my epidural? Staring out my hospital window at the "U" on the mountain, grateful for this most auspicious of views? Joking with Chris about how awesome it would be if this girl appeared by noon--and then surprised when we weren't too off the mark? Staring into her sweet face for the first time? Demanding my discharge papers? Where has this year gone?

Straight to my heart is where it's gone, and I don't mind a bit if that's cheesy. This has been quite the year. I know I haven't documented every little detail of her development the way I did with W. I hope one day when she sees this, she will be flattered by the truth that I would so much rather be living and experiencing her moments with her than be preoccupied by preserving them. Documentation is important, but it takes a decided backseat to getting caught up in her world, her magic. She has burst into her own tiny person.

*Has discovered singing in a big way
*Shakes her finger for "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"
*Is taking steps
*Still just her two bottom teeth, but if my eyes aren't deceiving me, it looks like she'll be getting at least 4 more very soon. Poor girl!
*Has become super clingy to me. Maybe because Chris was gone for so long? I don't know.
*Finds W's sippy cup every day and drinks it until she's discovered--which always ends in hysterics for all parties involved. This has gotten to be such a bad habit that I've taken to giving her her own sippy cup with milk in it (I know, she's not supposed to have cow's milk for another month--whatever. I give her strawberries, too, now, and she's just fine).

*Has become interested in books; won't sit still very long while being read to, but will read to herself.
*Waves to people
*Plays "Jaws" with Chris (when he pretends to be a shark and chases her around while singing the Jaws theme music, then chews on her when he catches her; also, sometimes she will be the shark and sing the theme song and chase Chris, which is even funnier)
*Dances to a beat
*Says "Hi," especially to her own reflection in the mirror
*Loves bath time
*Likes playing "blast-off" with Chris
*Finds every single stray piece of paper-like substance that might be lurking in various corners of our home; then tears it to bits; then tries to eat it

*Has a crush on Elliott Buehler, one of the elders in our ward that Chris home teaches. We sit in front of him and his wife in Sacrament meeting and she flirts shamelessly. Seriously, all through the meeting she makes eyes at him and giggles at him. She is not this way with anyone else, and it's hilarious. We think maybe it's because he has a beard like Chris's and reminds her of him? In any case, she's nuts about him.

High Five for Friday

It's Friday! And there's lots to be excited about this week:

1. Chris is home from Ecuador: He spent a little more than 2 weeks there with a geochemistry professor from the U doing research on how mining practices are affecting the environment. Pretty amazing, no? Now he's back with an undergraduate research position (yes, I'm bragging. Who cares? This man is great!) analyzing samples. Great stuff for grad school applications, which is right around the corner. Oahu? Portland? Santa Cruz? Salt Lake? Where WILL we end up?

2. Ada taking steps! She was hesitantly taking a few steps here and there, but the night before Chris got home, she decided hesitancy was overrated and is now figuring it out pretty well, though crawling is still her preferred modus operandi.

3. Great weather. This week has been beautiful and filled with outdoor activities and exercising. We've taken walks, eaten out on the patio/balcony, shopped at City Creek, gone to the new exhibit at the zoo, and tonight we're headed for one of our favorite summer traditions, Concerts in the Park, just down the street. How's THAT for a run-on sentence?

4. Discovering 'gift packages' in the beauty department. I love a good deal, especially when that deal includes getting otherwise pricey favorites at a steep discount. Philosophy's gift sets were the discovery today. Seriously, who'd have thought you could save so much? That's, of course, if you find a gift set where nothing will go to waste. Which I did. Which makes me happy.

5. Purchasing some much needed organizational tools. We are sort of overflowing our space here. Part of this reason is that I am not a very good organizer. I lack the ability to look at a space and know how to make it look neat and crisp, which is a shame, because I'm a huge fan of orderliness, straight/clean lines, etc. But I have purchased some bins that should help with storage, and am hoping to add some in-closet organizers soon. I watched Mary Poppins this week, and am inspired by her ability to snap! put things in order.

So, anyway, that's what's going on around here. How was your week?

Ada, 10 months

I know, I know. I gush about her every month, but I just can't help it. This rambunctious girl has caught my heart. Here are the latest:

*Her stats from her 9 mo. appt. were:
   Weight: 17 lbs (16%)
   Length: 27.5 in. (44%)
*Still nervous to stand on her own. She does it frequently throughout the day, if she is highly distracted by something. But as soon as she becomes aware of her independence, she freaks out and sits down, or grabs hold of the nearest object, which may or may not be sturdy enough to support her. Life lesson? I think so.
*Says, "Hi," in a long, breathy voice, "Ada," "Mama," (yes!), "Dada," "Uh-oh!" and "bottle." She also has invented her own interjection, pronounced, "Brfs." We're not entirely sure what it means, but she says it often when small roadblocks get in her way and she's only mildly frustrated. (When she's really frustrated, she growls. Intensely. Hilarious.) "Brfs," is reserved for mildly comical incidents, like when Tina Fey says, "Blurgh," on 30 Rock. But we prefer, "Brfs." Give it a try. You know you want to.
*Hair is growing and turning into a lovely mild strawberry blonde, and is growing growing, growing. At shortest, it's 1", at longest 5!! This is just an estimate. It's not like I pulled out my ruler or anything (Btw, who says "guesstimate?" Drives me nuts. Isn't it the same thing as "estimate?" WHY ARE WE USING THE "G," PEOPLE? I should have put that on my grammar pet peeves list. Maybe it's time for part 2).
*Has become a mama's girl. What?? All her life she's been all about her daddy and now she's super clingy to me. This has its benefits and its drawbacks. And, mind you, she's still plenty fond of her daddy, but when she's sick and miserable, she wants me.
*Is not picky about her solids, but definitely prefers to feed herself when she gets the opportunity. Her favorite snacks seem to be Gerber yogurt melts and Cheerios. (And chocolate.)
*Follows W around like he's the god of her tiny little universe. Everything he does she aims to be part of. Sometimes she's a welcome companion. Sometimes she's not.
*Dances to a beat
*Like Curious George along with W
*Super smiley
*She is a SNUGGLE bug. And we love it.
*Loves to talk on the phone (and knows how to play peekaboo farm already!)
* "Mugs." I was unaware of this term before I married Chris. So for people who are ignorant like me, this basically means she strikes a pose. An adorable one, and makes eyes at you. I submit the most hardened person on the planet would not be able to withstand. Not that I'd let her anywhere near the most hardened person on the planet! Yikes. Scary thought. Moving on...
*Is starting to cultivate some fantastic nap hair. Observe:

High Five for Friday

This week has been pretty good. Among the perks:

1. Southern Night. My friend Elizabeth (who is an awesome writer, yet does not have a blog I can link you to...) is from Georgia. She makes all kinds of tasty Southern dishes and invites the people she cares about most. Lucky girl that I am, I am just such a person--and it gave me the chance to catch up a bit with friends I haven't seen in a while. Plus, the kids were the only kids there, which meant they got LOTS of attention, which is awesome.

2. Scharffen-Berger Chocolate. Sometimes I just pull out a few pieces for a snack. I'm all about dark chocolate, the darker the better. This 62% is tasty, but I can go lots darker. I like it so dark and bitter that it comes right back around to being sweet again.

3. Clean dresser top. During the semester, our dresser top gets piled high with stuff. Clutter. The other day Chris spent some time cleaning it off, dusting it, etc. Now it's beautiful, and the orderliness brings my stress level down a bit.

4. A long walk in Sugar House Park. Enter Elizabeth again. Wednesday night we just got out and walked; I'd never walked the entirety of Sugar House Park before, so we drove there and got our exercise on. 

                                     

5. Getting a cold. Maybe it doesn't sound like a blessing, but it is. My body is shutting down, and I can totally justify doing as little as possible and getting a little bit of that rest that I have so been needing. Hello, dear bed and book. Lovely to see you again.

What good things happened for you this week?