Graham Month Ten

Like every month before, this month was one where we really saw you grow.  You've learned a lot along the way but this month was so much fun because we continue to see your personality developing.

Stats:  You are definitely 25lbs at this point, my haus.  You are wearing size 3 diapers, size 9-12 month clothes though you're closer to the 12 month size.  Not yet into shoes though I'm sure we need  to get you sized very soon.

Sleep Schedule:  Sleep is getting better because I've finally realized I have to force you to put yourself to sleep.  It's not fun for either of us and you cry for upwards of 30 minutes. I feel terrible, but it's working.  You go to sleep at night around 8/8:30 and sleep until 6:30/7.  Now we need to work on you laying down and putting yourself to sleep each night.  Naps are still a little sporadic and inconsistent but generally you sleep for about an hour and a half in the morning and again about an hour in the afternoon.

Foods: You've really started eating more meats though it's difficult for you since you only have two teeth.  I mentioned there are not very many foods you dislike but you're not a fan of bananas and not a huge fan of hummus though I suspect that was because it was red pepper.

Firsts:  You are cruising everywhere!  You love to stand up and balance standing by yourself and then you plop back down.  You do this all of the time in the bath tub and it freaks me out!  You walk pretty well holding someones hand but it's very mummy/Frankenstein like.  You prefer to walk sideways, side stepping.  Your first festival at Comfest, your first 4th of July, your first seafood boil where you tried mussels for the first time.  You clapped for the first time.

Favorites:  Your sister, water, especially baths, food in general.  You don't really have a lovey or favorite stuffed animal.  You like the xylophone and the balls in Addie's ball pit.  You actually really like balls and pick them up and bounce them.

As always, I look forward to seeing what you learn next month and how you change.  I suspect you'll have more teeth and you'll be walking by your next update.

-stephanie

Chicken Avocado Pita

During the summer, I eat a lot of avocado, tomatoes & fresh mozzarella.  Any way I can, by itself, as a dip on a chip or like this below picture.  In one big pita of fabulousness.

Ingredients

Avocado

Grilled chicken, diced or sliced, or sliced & diced if you like it like that

Cilantro, chopped

Tomatoes, diced or cherry tomatoes halved

Fresh mozzarella, shredded if you don't have fresh

Lemon juice

Salt & pepper

Pitas

Combine the cilantro, avocado, lemon juice and salt & pepper in a bowl.  Prep everything else and assemble your pitas.  Eat & enjoy!  It's that simple and so good!

-stephanie

Fourth of July 2014

Each fourth of July, or rather, third of July we rotate going to my in laws lake house to watch fireworks or to Red, White & Boom with my family.  This year was the year of the boom!  Knowing the kids would be up rather late I put Addie down for a nap a couple hours prior to leaving.  Of course she feel asleep about 30 minutes before we were to leave so we got this.

Crabby pants.  So shortly after arriving, I grabbed this.

My dad is a firefighter and every year for the fourth, they have a big party for all the firefighters an their families at their union hall.  Free food, free beer, and a front row seat to the fireworks.

They even put up that fantastic fencing since you need a wristband to attend.  

Very American with the hot dog & burger dinner.  Pasta salad and cowboy beans...it doesn't get much more American.

We were at the party for about 6 hours so Addie was getting a bit bored after hours of bouncing in the bounce house.  Rick took her out into the crowds to walk around and she came back with Elsa face paint.

It looked fantastic with her blue eyes. So pretty.

Rick and I decided to leave the kids with my parents and take a walk ourselves out into the traffic.  Thousands of people in attendance.

Addie loved the fireworks.

As did Graham for about 5 minutes and then he fell asleep.

We had unseasonably cool weather.  We were wearing sweatshirts in the middle of summer.  So the next morning we were able to take a walk without sweating buckets.

Then we went to Mary's house for a seafood boil.  

Addie ate every last one of the mussels in the picture below.

Graham spent the afternoon playing and smiling!

We even got to go to a parade.  Addie caught a lot of candy and had we not told her to come back she probably would've ran a mile down the road to pick up any lone candies.

Such a fantastic weekend!

-stephanie

Strawberry Picking

A couple weeks ago I saw that a local farm was promoting their u-pick strawberries so I packed everyone into the car at 8am to race over before the fields were picked over.

Addie was in heaven.  Hardly any strawberries she picked made it into the basket.  Most made it to her mouth and that was it.

Strawberry picking is hard work when you're baby wearing so I highly suggest bringing along a friend or a husband to help out.

I also highly suggest wearing closed shoes.  Flip flops + itchy pokey hay = not a happy girl.

Graham did pass out briefly.  The reflection in my sunglasses is so pretty.  Fields of green.

Addie finally filled her basket full of strawberries.

The farm also had fresh made, warm strawberry donuts.  I'm sort of a plain jane girl when it comes to donuts but omg, the strawberry donut was amazing!

Blackberry picking is next on our summer to do list!

-stephanie

Pizza for Breakfast

You know those Saturday mornings when you want something hearty for breakfast but you're really tired of scrambled eggs & toast or pancakes?  I had that moment a couple Saturday's ago.  I had some sausage links in the fridge that needed cooked and  there are always eggs and cheese in our house so that was my starting point.  Again, I wanted something different so I started thinking out of the box...well in the box I suppose because I also had a box of Jiffy pizza crust.  That's where my breakfast pizza was born.



I had my crust, and a lot of toppings but I did't have a sauce and then I took a step back and thought, "sure you do, you make a pretty good sausage gravy".  So that's what I did.

Ingredients
1 box Jiffy pizza crust
Shredded cheddar cheese
6 scrambled eggs
Sausage links or crumbles
White gravy (recipe below)
Any other toppings you'd like (ie. I should have put hash browns on this bad boy too)

Make your pizza crust just as the box instructs you.  Place it in the oven to precook the crust while you're making your eggs, sausage and gravy.  You'll want to make sure the crust is nearly fully cooked since you won't put it back in for long once assembled.

Once all of your toppings are ready you can assemble your pizza.  I poured some gravy down first, layered with eggs, add any of your favorite toppings, little more gravy if needed then your shredded cheese.  Bake off for another 5 or so minutes.

White gravy recipe
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Melt butter on medium high heat then add flour and make a roux, continuously stirring.  Once fully incorporated, add your milk slowly and whisk together.  I like to add my milk a little at a time and make sure you break down the roux so it incorporates and starts to become a thick gravy.  If you add the milk too quickly the roux won't incorporate and instead you'll have chunks of buttery flour (yuck!).  Once all milk has been added, continue to heat of medium to medium high heat as the gravy bubbles.  Continue stirring like crazy because you don't want to burn the milk.  After 5 minutes, turn the heat off and add your sausage.

It's such a nice alternative and so much fun to eat for breakfast.  Little messy but so yummy!

-stephanie