Tuesday, March 28, 2017

spring!

we had such a lovely spring day together that started with family cuddles. then we had brunch at wild eggs, stopped by the library & then to the zoo. our zoo pass was one of the best investments ever!  
we are so grateful for the beauty of this day. we can't wait for more just like it..

z insisted on having her own seat at the table:
& she did not want to share the popcorn:
she waved at everyone on the train & kept saying "choo choo":

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

regina spektor.

I got to see Regina Spektor
with my sister.
in Nashville!

It was such a fun little trip. I got to catch up with my sister. We seriously have to take time aside to do it, she is a busy Mama with a business and 4 kids. She is also one of the coolest people ever. We never run out of things to talk about.
We lucked out while we were in Nashville because it was so warm. We were able to enjoy walking around the city without jackets or cold wind keeping our heads down. We had tacos at Bakersfield before we saw Regina at the Ryman Auditorium. The concert was incredible. Regina is incredible. She sounded so good live. She played so many of her quirky songs that I have loved for years and quite a few songs from her new album. Some of the new songs are all about time & it really hits me hard now that I have a baby. Her music just means a lot to me. I am so grateful that I could see her perform. I love watching an artist with all of their passion doing what they do best. 
Nashville is just in a constant state of fun. Walking around on a Monday night, everyone was happy and every bar had their windows open and a band playing. We stopped to watch a few of them and eventually found our way to Mike's Ice Cream. We ate while we walked and came upon a street performer who sang 'What a Wonderful World". Perfection. 
The next day we found my car with a very flat tire and a big piece of metal stuck in it. We had to call AAA & had enough air to make it to a garage for some new tires. We picked one that was close to Biscuit Love where we wanted to have brunch. It was so delicious and well worth the line outside. I wish I could live in Nashville, I adore it.  but it was such a good time !











Sunday, March 19, 2017

"A day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day" - Winnie the Pooh.

We had lots of playtime this weekend. Z loves to dump out these blocks. I put them back for her so she can keep doing it::
& she loves laying her caterpillar while I pull her through the house::
Grumpy cat::
Saturday night bowling!::
It is exhausting to wrangle a toddler in a public place. We all had fun, but we will probably save the next bowling trip until she's a little older:::
Jonas loves bowling, even though he is really hard on himself when he plays:::

Sunday best:::
Another Jamie Oliver recipe for Sunday supper:::
Z was dying to pick up sticks and play in the dirt:::




We took a walk to return Moana. It was such a cute movie! "You're Welcome!" is stuck in my head:::
"helping" Papa put up some curtains:::
it's so good to be with them^^

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Zara:: 15 months.

Our baby is 15 months old! She is in the permanent state of wonder. She will randomly give us kisses and has ten beautiful teeth. She is our entertainer, our alarm clock and our little goofball. Her smiling face is our favorite thing to see!



She wears 12-18 month clothing & size 4 diapers. She weighs 24 pounds, 12.3 oz. Putting her in the 90th percentile for weight. She is 30.5 inches (this always varies from my growth chart at home because they lay her down and she doesn't always stay straight). Everything was perfect at her "well visit". She is perfect! 
Unfortunately she remembers what happens at the Dr. now. So she screamed when she saw the table and the entire time Dr. Hawley examined her. The shots were rough on her, but she got lots of cuddles :)

This month started off with the worst round of teething ever. I could not comfort Z no matter what. There were nights that she cried more than she slept. At one point, I really didn’t know what to do. I almost took her to the doctor just to ask, haha. Somehow we made it through and now she has 4 giant molars.

She is finally saying “Papa”, but still calls both of us “Mama” most of the time. She has also added “Cowboy”- the name of the dog her babysitter has. She says “duck” and “ball” and attempts a few other words.

We finally upgraded her car seat. She outgrew her keyfit a while ago. Sometimes I just have to wait for emotions to pass before I make a change like that.

Z loves to play with cars and airplanes. We bought her a few hot wheels, she loves them.

Every time she sees herself in a mirror she points and says “Ara”.

When she is ready to drink milk, she runs for a pillow in the living room to lay on the floor and drink. If it is not on the floor, she will get it herself. She also loves to sleep on the floor.

I got her to do the sign for milk! That lasted a while, but now she just says it.

When I sit down and she wants me to get up, she picks me up by pulling up on my shoulders.

She likes to put her clothes or toys I the garbage. Yikes.

She has sneaky hiding spots, like behind the claw foot tub. So funny!

Sometimes she walks on her tippy toes and it is adorable. She also opens her mouth wide, just to be funny (photo below). & she still says “ohhhh” when she is excited about something. We love that.

It has been so beautiful outside this month, so we have played outside a lot. Mostly she loves to play with sticks and dirt and chase squirrels and birds. We have so much fun!

Z loves this game of getting her hands wet in a cup of water and then putting her hands all over our faces.

Jonas taught her to blow kisses. & he invented his own baby carrier with a blanket or sweatshirt. It works when she will not walk in the direction we are going or if she is whiny.

Z loves her paci but doesnt need it all the time- just when she is sick, tired or cranky.

Loves blankies and stuffed animals!

When I am cooking, she will play on our porch and hang out with the cat. She loves it.

Z still loves to call her Papa on the phone or use Facetime. Sometimes we call her from the next room.


She likes to get bracelets out of my closet and put them on and look at herself in the mirror. She also thinks they are watches, because she checks the time like Papa.

Z drinks milk all the time. She loves crackers, yogurt, mac & cheese, eggs, dry cereal, PRETZELS, bread & butta, roasted potatoes, rice, cheese sticks and bananas. I really try with fruits and vegetables, but her interest is low. I will keep trying and one day she will love them! Although sometimes she will surprise me and eat a ton of radishes. Some days she doesn't eat whole lot.