Sunflower Fields

I've really gotten into photography since Cupcake was born and especially since I got a new camera for Christmas last year, so I keep dragging the hubs around town for photoshoots!  He mumbles and complains about having to go, but I think he's pretty happy with the pictures in the end.  We have a local sunflower field that is open to the public and there is a 3-4 week period where the sunflowers are in bloom.  I've seen people post pictures taken there before, but never knew where it was......until now.  Turns out it is very close to home!!  So, off we went......  Here are a few of my favorites.

Football Season is Upon Us!

............and we don't have cable.  So we can't actually watch the game, but I guess that's a good thing since our team isn't very good any way.  Silly me found an app for my phone, though, that allows me to listen to the game, which then allows me to yell at the phone, and ends up ruining the rest of my day because I don't like to lose.  Anywho, I was driving through Indiana on one of the several trips I made over the summer and decided to stop in Lafayette to do some shopping.  You just can't find this stuff around here.  Everything is scarlet and gray (blah!).  I found this cute little number for Cupcake, so she has something to wear on Saturdays.

Frozen Yogurt

As a special treat I made raspberry frozen yogurt for Cupcake the other day.  She loves it!  It was way easy (except the seed straining part) and I had a taste (or two) and it's yummy!!!

2 cups frozen or fresh raspberries
4 tbsp superfine sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups yogurt (I used whole milk for her)
6 tbsp sour cream
2-3 tbsp confectioner's sugar

In a saucepan add raspberries, sugar and water. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes.  Puree then strain the seeds.  Allow to cool

Stir the yogurt and sour cream into the puree and add enough confectioner's sugar to sweeten.  Transfer to ice cream maker and freeze for 20 minutes.

See, I told you it was easy!!

All is well!!

We went to the Children's Hospital last Friday for an EKG for the heart murmur that Cupcake's pediatrician heard at her 15 month appointment.  The ultrasound tech was very positive about the appointment.  She said she didn't hear it, but the cardiologist would want to look at the pictures, take some measurements and listen to the recordings.  Well, apparently he liked what he saw and heard because he said everything was normal!!  Yay!  We were very pleased with the news.

The weather around here has been fantastic so we've spent some time outdoors.  We visited two Metroparks this week.  Cupcake and daddy played at Wegerzyn while momma took a photography class and then she and momma went to Stroller Strut at the arboretum with some friends.  We had a picnic afterward and a long nap when we got home.

We also had a playdate/birthday party this week. The kids had a great time playing in the water table and going down the slide. They loved the slide so much there were a lot of tantrums while waiting their turns!  Oh, toddlers!  They sure are fun.  Corinne devoured a cupcake and again took a long nap when we got home.

That seems to be the theme these days.  Play hard and sleep hard. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

15 months!

Yesterday Cupcake hit the 15 month mark!!  She seems like such a big girl now!  She had her doctor's appointment today and the girl is staying right on her curve.  She's 21 lbs., 4 oz. and 31 inches tall.  She's tiny enough to still fit in her infant carseat!  She's cruising in her convertible carseat, though.  She more comfortable sitting more upright (but still rearfacing).  And mom and dad like the convertible seat better since it allows for the passenger seat to be a little further back.  I forget her head measurement (I have it written down), but basically her head is huge!  

Her pediatrician is pleased with her development.  She has 12 words, 6 signs, she's running, climbing, & throwing, she can stack 3 blocks, she tries to eat off a spoon or fork, tries to brush her hair and basically is the smartest toddler ever!  She's also smart enough to know that veggies don't taste nearly as good as crackers, so it's a constant battle to get some nutritious food in her.  She wants to eat fruit, bread and crackers ALL THE TIME!  The only vegetable we can get her to eat is sweet potatoes.  It's frustrating!

We did get a little bit of not so good news.  She has a heart murmur.  We don't know why, yet, but her pediatrician made it seem like it wasn't that big of a deal.  (Although mom reserves the right to freak out any way.)  She sees the cardiologist on Friday.  We should have more info next week.  Is it Friday, yet?

In other (big girl) news I think she is done breastfeeding.  She nursed yesterday morning for quite possibly the last time.  I didn't intend to wean her, yet.  I was hoping to make it to 18 months, but she and I are going to be apart for 12 days, so it had to be done.  She seemed to handle it well.  It was bittersweet nursing her yesterday.  I'm ready to be done, but I'm going to miss it.  It was our snuggle time.  She doesn't seem like a baby any more.  And we're starting elimination communication.  So we're not potty training, but I'm trying to teach her that she has control over going to the bathroom and I'm trying to understand when she needs to go.  So far the only real progress we've made is that if you ask her if she needs to go pee pee she'll go in the bathroom and point at her potty.  Sometimes she will not sit on her potty and she has never actually peed in her potty.  We'll get there.

Crazy House

Things are getting crazy around here.   We definitely have a toddler in the house.  She feels the need to climb everything.  Her favorite thing to climb is the fireplace hearth.  Her next favorite thing to climb is the stairs (hello, new gate!).  And then she likes to climb her toys.  Here she is climbing out of her SuperSeat.  She likes to stand on the tray (and it's starting to show wear) and climb into and stand in the middle.  She is also a big fan of standing backward on her Infant to Toddler Rocker.  She has taken a spill or two over the side, but that doesn't stop her.

She's also a big fan of throwing food, not so much eating it.  Oscar is in heaven!  Momma is in sticky floor Hades.  I don't deal with mess very well.  My OCD does not like it.  It's very hard to watch her throw her food on my freshly mopped floor.  It's also very hard to let her throw toys all over the living room.  Don't even get me started on stains on clothes!!

Did I mention the front room has become a storage barn for such things as a baby pool?  Yeah, I don't want to have to deflate and inflate this thing every time we want to swim.  It's bad enough I have to empty and refill it.  So it lives in the front room for now.

And it was a bittersweet moment last night as I sterilized breastpump parts and bottles to pack them up.  She is still nursing twice a day, but I no longer need to pump.  I still have 30 or so oz of milk in the freezer and I'd like the counter space back in the kitchen.  So the drying rack, pump and bottles are headed to the basement!  I threw a few pacis in there, too, since they needed cleaned, though she won't be weaned off those any time soon.  Girl loves her paci!

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

It has gotten toasty here!  Spring completely missed us.  We went straight to summer weather.  It's a good thing Cupcake got a pool for her birthday!!!  We've been spending a lot of time splashing and having fun in the water.