Zoom, zoom, zoom!

This girl is ready for her own set of wheels!

Pie face!

Good things come in three's, three strikes you're out, or "omne trium perfectum"

Bella learned THREE new skills this week:

1. crawling
2. drinking from a sippy cup
3. taking off her diaper

I can think of all kinds of ways these three new skills could go together. . . . .

Reading is Fun - Momma Zen

I didn't realize how much I missed reading until I scheduled it - 9 to 930 each night.  The past few books have been so good I've stolen a few minutes in the afternoon to read while Bella has napped.  Reading beats tv or a movie about 90% of the time.  The other 10% you just need to turn completely off, slump on the couch, and not use a shred of thought or imagination.  That 10% occurred quite a bit over our long winter, but with the cold weather has slowly retreated.

Parts of Momma Zen really resonated with me - - 

We can handle anything when we exchange our worries and fears for alertness and spontaneity, when we focus solely on what is in front of us, and when we leap into the sheer wonder of the unplanned life.

When I occupy that instant, any instant, my heart's fullness reminds me that here is everything and everything is here.  This is how I would live if I had mastery of myself -- without wasting one sideways glance at what was or what has yet to be.

I look at my daughter's open and shining face.  In her mind there are no old jobs, old hurts, or old grudges.  No gossip or fretting.  Not the debris of dashed hopes or unrealized plans.  Nothing hounding her.  Nothing to prove.  No list on the refrigerator.  There is just immediacy, honesty, and perfection.  Somehow she trusts that everything she needs will be provided here and now.  If I could muster just a tiny bit of her colossal faith that everything is, and will be, okay, I could live differently.  

PS - I think all this stress and need for Zen stemmed from how many HUGE life changes fel and I are going through.  But, we have almost everything "checked off" the to do list. 

1. We've both signed job contracts
2. We've signed the lease on a rental in Manhattan
3. Bella has a reserved spot at a wonderful daycare
4. I went to national conference (AGS) and presented my research
5. We are under contract on our house!

Reading is fun - Valley of the Dolls

I couldn't put this one down - so good!  I can't believe it was published in 1966, could have been written yesterday.  Evidently Hollywood and the Big Apple haven't changed one bit in the past 50 years.  Lindsay Lohan is the new Neely.

Here's the plot - 

Dolls: red or black; capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight—for Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, it doesn’t matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three women become best friends when they are young and struggling in New York City and then climb to the top of the entertainment industry—only to find that there is no place left to go but down—into the Valley of the Dolls.

Goodbye dear cubicle

The coundown has started - 37 days until I complete fellowship!

hanging out outside

This girl loves to get her photo taken!

Bella's new exersaucer

Saturday morning

On Thursday, 10 pounds of organic apples arrived on our doorstep from our produce delivery service.  I had the rather ambitious goal of making homemade applesauce (recipe), in hopes Bella will love it as much as I do.  Amen for the apple peeler, or this already arduous task would have been much more difficult.

Twenty-two apples later we were ready to go!

Of course all momma's are multi-taskers, so I had Bella's new bamboo diaper liners prepping.  Found out (after buying them) that you need to remove the natural oils so that they will absorb.  I had two options: 1) boil them for 30 minutes - aka, diaper soup; 2) run then through the wash 6+ times.  The little hippie in me couldn't justify using that much water.  I'm hoping these liners are everything advertised - more absorbent and less stinky.

7 months!

Favorite things:

• banana toothbrush
• baby dolls
• strawberries
• pulling the music tail on her elephant (in the middle of the night!)

Anyday now she'll be crawling and cutting teeth.  Past 2 nights she's replaced her middle of the night feeds with some babbling and elephant tail (see above)

Broccoli quiche

Well, I intended to serve Bella quiche but it took FOREVER to make/bake. So she ended up with steamed broccoli and strawberries which was just fine with her. 

Bella's first ajiaco!

Our little lady chowed down this afternoon. She also got to try some homemade strawberry-kiwi jello, which was pretty fun. Overall it's been an amazing first Mother's Day - despite waking up at 530 (I did get a warm apple fritter out of the deal!)

Happy Mother's Day!

BLW #7: Homemade Beef Burgers

We've got a carnivore on our hands!  Our little lady loved her hamburger that daddy grilled for her last night.  She loved it SO much, so thanked him by saying "papa" this morning.

Spring is here!

Loving family time outside!

ps - that's daddy playing guitar in the background
pps - had to stop the video before she ate grass!

Tutu cute

Meant to post this last week, it's the 1st outfit fel and I have bought for bel.  

(I thinks he likes it!)

The great outdoors

BLW #6: Cheese and Lentil Wedges

Little patties of lentil-y goodness that taste a lot like stovetop. Bella liked them but daddy didn't like what big bites she took!

To Texas and Back.

Bella and I just returned from 4 days in Grapevine, Texas.  My 4 days were spent conferencing it up with the American Geriatrics Society.  Bella's 4 days were spent relaxing with GG and Gpa Bill.

She was a HUGE fan of the cowhide ottoman.  So much so, that when I tried to get a picture of her laying on it she cried when I made her look up.

Dr. Rosso and her research poster.  

Enjoying some fajitas at the Cantina.

Rocking her new camo hat at Bass Pro Shops.

She loved the big fishies!

She also loved maxin' relaxin' on the big soft bed.

Whew!  I am exhausted and SO glad to be home.  This little lady is getting to be an expert traveler.  She slept the whole flight out, and napped for take-off and landing on the way back.  She also charmed many hearts and made lots of new friends.

Looking Back

2012.

Picked up our first CSA delivery - can't wait for this year's to start.  Loved all the local fruits, veggies, meats, breads. . . . 

Also went for a long weekend in Arkansas where I feasted on some ribs and sewed Bella some swaddles (which we used EVERYDAY!)

2011.

Landscaped the front. . . . .can't wait for our flowers to come up this year!  Boo on the long cold winter.

2010.

Completed the final walk-through of our new house and began packing up Janssen Place.

Got offered a residency position @ Children's Mercy and considered switching to Peds, but in the end Geriatrics won out.

2009.

Had our wedding reception in KC - what a great day surrounded by friends and family!

Click here for video.  And, after 5 years I finally graduated medical school.

2008.

Felipe graduated med school, and his grandma came to visit.