I was warned

Yeah yeah...alright....it's true....

Pinterest is addicting

Blast!  Time to set time limits so I actually get some sleep.

The Ladies

Me and my sweet little girl for her first Christmas

I have an amazing friend who offered to do some pictures out of the goodness of her heart and I just love this one.  Melanie was exactly 6 months old in this picture.

I suppose....since it is the 1st...

So, last time I posted was the 1st of November, so I assume it's only fitting for me to post on the 1st of December and try and be a bit more entertaining :)

- Melanie's new favorite thing is her toes (and anyone else's toes for that matter).  If they wiggle, she wants them. 

- She's starting to really reach for things that she's interested in, especially anything I'm eating or....well....touching....hahaha

- Her hair is getting so long it grazes the middle of her eyelids, so I'm going to have to figure something out quick.  Bangs here we come!

- If she could have an endless supply of dog ears to pull and dog eyes to poke, it would probably be the best day of her life :)

- She's getting really good at playing the piano!!  She's so smart.  hahaha.  Well, we sit down together and she will bang on the keys and sing/yell a little song.  It's super awesome.

- Her daddy is her favorite pal, that's for sure!  She gets sick of my face by around 6:00....so when dad comes home around 6:30...you'd think he was a godsend for the poor child!! 

Really I think we were blessed with the easiest baby on the planet.  She's patient, she's funny, she's calm, she's entertaining, and so happy.

Now it's legit

I finally finished the bumper pads on her pretty little crib. 

I have a feeling it was probably just in time :)

I will NEVER make normal pancakes again

Yummy Idea from The Chew

Seriously, the most amazing breakfast ever. 

1. Peel and core an apple of your choice (I used galas and they rocked)

2. Make your normal pancake batter of choice (I used Bisquick...but you could be hardcore and make it from scratch if you're fancy) and make it a little thicker than usual so it sticks to the apples well.

3. Add some nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla....I just eyeball it, so don't be scared.

5. Get your pan/griddle oiled and ready to roll

6. Give those little apple slices a gooey pancake batter bath and cook it up!

7.  Dress like you would a usual pancake :)

Mine never have the hole in the middle....it usually fills in....so don't freak out.

I usually eat about 4 slices a sitting in an effort to be responsible, but don't kid yourself.  I wouldn't make fun of you at all if you at the whole apple.

Addicted

.....To Indexing....

So, there is an awesome website called FamilySearch.org where you can discover your geneological history.  I'll be honest, I've never used the thing, but I know a TON of people that do. 

I got an email from a lady at church the other day explaining how you, well...I, could help the process.  Basically you look at old documents and then you computerize the data so it can be searchable.  It allows people to access whatever documents are connected to their ancenstors!

Like I've said, I've never actually used the site, but I've always been interested in geneology, PLUS, the nerd in me that isn't working 45 hours a week anymore, actually enjoys the work.

It's super cool :)

Working Around It

I REALLY want to see this movie but with a new little munchkin (and her intense eating schedule) it is a little difficult.  So I bought myself the book! 

The last time a read a real fiction book, not a spiritual/self-help/school/work/baby book, was probably over 3 years ago...I know I know...that is a terrible thing to admit. 

I just wrapped up Mothering With Spiritual Power which I would highly recommend to all mothers, LDS or not.  So...here we go....I'm getting my fiction hat on!!

Blessing Day

On July 31st, Tyler gave Melanie a beautiful blessing and we were so grateful to have our wonderful family surrounding us.

this is our sanity

Don't judge me for not having her bumper done yet....she's not wiggly enough yet for me to feel bad about it :) 

SO, if you are expecting or are a new mom, I would highly suggest reading The Happiest Baby on the Block.  It's a quick read, entertaining, and incredibly helpful.  See exhibit A....my burrito baby! 

At the beginning she would be inconsolable and the ONLY thing that would fix it are the suggestions in this book, and swaddling is a HUGE part of the success.  It's also the only way she will sleep for solid blocks of time and she has more than made up for our rocky beginning by sleeping 7-8 hours through the night nearly every night.  (Granted, that also means we don't go 1.5 hours without a feeding all day long...I've already become an expert at feeding in a parking lot in the backseat of the truck...haha)

In news not having to do with our little munchkin, I also made THIS last night:

Subtract the peas and lemon and add kielbasa sausage instead to make it a man friendly meal :)   It was really delicious and as long as you don't sell it as 'the real deal fettucine alfredo' and just call it a 'creamy sauce', no one will even ask questions (wink wink).  I even used whole wheat pasta, so technically we each had a handful of whole wheat pasta, half a head of cauliflower, and 6 pepperoni sized slices of kielbasa....pretty dang healthy if you ask me!

I am overjoyed with our new little girl. I am so grateful that I am able to spend every day with her so we can learn about each other.  Trust me...motherhood, at least in this home, is a two way street.  When people ask how I'm doing, my response is usually, "we're figuring each other out", because that really is the case.  Melanie has her own personality and even at the young age of 5 weeks, it is already very clear.  Motherhood is something I have always taken very seriously.  The choice to have our little girl was made out of a true desire to learn and grow as a family in an effort to return to our Heavenly Father proving that we worked hard to become the best we could be.  I am blessed to have the privilege to raise this little one with Tyler.

On a lighter note, I have become an expert at multi-tasking, using only one hand for everything (you'd be suprised), and perfectly timing meals, showers, and housework during short nap times.  I'm still figuring out how to navigate trips out into the world, but we're slowly getting there.  We're happy, healthy, and adjusting quite well to our new little family.