week in iphone pics

9:00pm on a Sunday evening, both the baby and the hubby are sleeping.  What to do, what to do... oh yes, of course.  Bombard you with phone pics.  Enjoy!  :o)  

MONDAY

The hot weather is driving me nuts.  I'm ok if it is pretty warm.  We can deal.  But this so terribly hot that we can't be outside weather?  It is going to kill me.  To try and entertain ourselves we built a small mountain out of couch pillows and cushions.  Then we headed to Toys R Us in an attempt to find a cheap indoor slide we wanted, no dice.  Ryann laughed uncontrollably as she threw stuff animals out of her crib at me.  And while Ry and daddy read books I created a disaster zone in our living room cleaning out the coat (and various other crap) closet.

TUESDAY

I rocked my morning run on the treadmill.  I ran three miles in 29 minutes.  BAM!  Then it was time for some mall shopping with grammy.  Ryann refused to stay in the stroller, and instead ran around Nordstrom playing with the mirrors and climbing on chairs.  After dinner we made some banana ice cream.  Ryann loved it (and licking the peanut butter covered spoon too).  Some porch snuggling with daddy.

WEDNESDAY

Ryann loves to watch photo slideshows on my computer and tell me who everyone is.  Snack time is happening on the counter more and more often.  She just can't wait until I get everything to the table!  Complete meltdown when I told her no iPad.  So we went outside and did chalk instead, even though we were melting.  Meaghan came over to play, I swear, Ryann really does love Meaghan.  Goofy little bath time girl.

THURSDAY

I'm a dork.  My daughter is a dork.  We go well together.  After the gym we headed to a little playdate.  Don't the kiddos look so cute eating snack together?  When the wee one was up from her nap we did a little grocery shopping.

FRIDAY

Friday is my 'rest' day (no gym time) so we were able to squeeze in an early morning walk and trip to the park before it got too hot out.  Ryann is a little food mooch and was stealing daddy's cereal.  And she stole my Camelbak.  Little stinker.  She also thought she was super sneaky hiding behind the shower curtain.  Sorry girlie, I spy your little feeties!

SATURDAY

A cute little missy did me the favor of sleeping until 7AM!!!!!!  She was still a little groggy when she woke up.  We played at Target while daddy was sleeping (he was on call all weekend).  After daddy went back to work we went for a little evening bike ride, and took some silly pictures.  Ryann loves to splash in the bath.  She especially loves to splash 'Mac' (Max).

SUNDAY

What, you don't do your laundry topless at 6:30 in the morning?  Oh.  Little miss ate YOGURT for breakfast.  Hopefully it wasn't a fluke and we can add that to the daily menu options.  I had another good run, 4.1 miles in 40 minutes (for the record my average heart rate was NOT 119.  I only grabbed the thing when I was almost done with my cool down).  Dare I say, I'm actually starting to really like running?  Silly girl yelling in a bucket.  Mom!!!!  You better stop taking my picture when I'm eating.

And that wraps up this week!  Hopefully I can come up with lots of fun things for Ry and I to do next week.  We are definitely going to need more to keep us entertained.

Head over to Amy's blog to link up your phone pictures from this week!

i've got questions

Oh you know, just some random questions I had on my mind, that I figured the interwebs would have answers to...

1.  Did you know today was national dance day, and national cheesecake day?  Ok, that is more of just an FYI, but whatever.  I remembered the cheesecake part a little too late... we had already been to the grocery store so making anything resembling cheesecake was out of the question.  And then I looked up how many calories were in the slice of cheesecake I usually get from Cheesecake Factory... errr, almost 1200.  Wah wahhh.  So no cheesecake :o(.  I tried to have a dance party in the kitchen with Ry, but she ran away like I was crazy.  I may or may not have been doing an awkward version of the running man.

2.  What kind of make-up do you use?  I've been using Clinique powder and foundation since probably middle school.  I hate having that much stuff on my face.  It isn't really heavy or anything, but I'm tired of apply the liquid foundation and then having to use a powder, and then usually having to put a bronzer on top of that.  I would love a good tinted moisterizer with an spf in it.  Any suggestions?

3.  If you are a stay at home mom, when the heck do you shower?  Where is your kiddo when you do?  Since I've been working out in the morning, I REALLY need a shower right after that.  But the question is what to do with Ry...  I would just shower in the gym locker room, but for starters, snack time is right when I finish with my workout usually, and I just know she would poop and they would page me while I'm not exactly decent.  Plus I like showering in my own house, you know?  Usually I end up sticking her in her crib with some toys, but generally that just ticks her off.

4.  What is your kiddo doing while you're cooking dinner or baking?  Our kitchen isn't really open to the rest of the house.  I try to let her 'help' me, but she is scared of everything.  Like the mixer.  The microwave.  Other various household objects.  Now that Chris is gone, oh you know, all the time, I need to be able to do these things with Ry.  But she usually runs off and tries to injure herself climbing on things.  Typical toddler.  I've tried pulling out bowls, spatulas, pans, etc, and putting them on the floor, but that only occupies her for about .5 seconds.

Well, that is it for now.  But since posts with no pictures are lame, I'll leave you with this:

You're welcome. 

sixteen months

I won't even say it.  You know what I'm thinking.

Where to start... hmm... well I'm sure the girl is growing everyday.  But Ry still fits in her 12-18 month clothing just fine.  The size four diaper is still working as well.  As are the 12-18 month Pedipeds.  The 12-18 month swimsuits are a tad small now, but don't swimsuits always run small?  I like it though, because her little belly hangs out the bottom of the tankinis :o).

Apparently I was wrong last month when I thought her crankiness was related to teething (I guess they could just be really slow).  So far no more new teeth.  But I am happy to report that the sleep isn't quite as bad.  Ryann will usually sleep until 6 or 6:15, and naps for just under two hours.  Bedtime is between 7:45 and 8.  Not much of a difference, but seeing the six on the clock when I get woken up is so much nicer.  Actually thanks to Chris having to be at work before the sun comes up, I am still waking up at 5:15 or so, but I get to spend some time draining my brain in the internet.  Works for me.

she was mad because I was taking pictures instead of swinging next to her

Ryann surprises me everyday with something else she does or says.  I don't know how her little brain retains so much information.  As I said last week, she can recognize all of her letters, and knows the sounds they make (if I make a letter sound, she can tell me what letter it is).  Wednesday we discovered that she can count to fifteen.  Yesterday I found out she knows almost all of the words to most of her books.  When I pause just before the end of a sentence, she can tell me what comes next nine times out of ten.  My favorite is in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, the part the says "M is looped, N is stooped, O is twisted alley oop", oh my goodness it is so cute to hear her (try to) say alley oop.   Now she will try and say almost any word I ask her to.  Unless it is a really hard one :o).

she teased me during the 14 month pics when she stood so nice with the chalkboard...

One of the really fun parts of Ryann's excellent speaking skills, is watching her play by herself.  She frequently narrates what she is doing.  The other day she was playing with her Mickey doll, and was saying things like "Night night Mickey.  Take Nap.  Wake up Mickey!  Mickey sit on bottom.  Mickey go weeee on slide (she was pretending the window was a slide)."  Actually I think the best part of that, was when she was telling Mickey to sit on his bottom.  Because she couldn't get the dang thing to actually sit up, and it was driving her nuts.

We have finally entered the world of climbing.  Ry wants to climb EVERYTHING.  I know I'm lucky that we lasted this long without worrying about her getting up on stuff, but man.  Climbing really ups the ante.  Because of course she doesn't get down carefully.  Therefore I can't leave her alone in a room at all, for the fear of what she will fall off of.  Or get her foot stuck in.  That happens.  Thankfully she isn't super tall or strong, so she can't make it everywhere she wants to go.  Which equals lots of grunting and her saying 'make it.  make it!' when she is trying to climb on something.

Ry isn't always the most affectionate little girlie, but this past month, when she wants to give you a hug, it is an amazingly tight and wonderful bear hug.  Occasionally (ok frequently) you get the butt hug... she comes up behind you, wraps her arms around your thighs, and squeezes with all her might, therefore shoving her head in your butt.  But it is still adorable.  Probably the sweetest thing, is that I finally got a real kiss from her.  Twice actually!  The first time was when I was putting her to bed, she usually gives me a big hug, but this time she leaned back and planted a wet one right on my lips.  I was so surprised I about cried.  A few days later she did it again after she gave me a random middle of the day hug.  Absolutely melted my heart.  I frequently wish she was more snuggly/huggy/kissy, but the feeling of joy when I get some love now is pretty dang awesome.

Thankfully Ryann is starting to do a lot better at the gym daycare.  It isn't a complete meltdown when I leave her anymore.  She will actually let me put her down.  Yes, her eyes do well up a little bit, and her voice catches as she says 'bye mommy', but usually by the time I come back she is playing and relatively happy.  Sometimes I will come back to find her asking everyone in sight 'mommy coming?', but she isn't crying.  Or she hangs out in the baby area with Miss Bee, a lady that she has apparently become attached to.  I think she is a wee bit intimated by all of the other kids.  But she usually tells me 'gym fun' at some point in the day.  I hope we keep getting better with all of that, because I enrolled her in a Mother's Day Out program.  Eek!  She will go there once a week from 8:30am to 3:30pm starting in September.  Crossing my fingers that neither of us have a breakdown.

 

I think cute crossed little feet are her signature

Of course life isn't all puppies and rainbows.  Is it ever?  Ry is definitely testing her limits.  She has strong opinions, and throws a mean tantrum if she doesn't get her way.  Thankfully it isn't usually a throw herself on the floor kind of tantrum, more of a walk around the house screaming bloody murder unconsolable crying tantrum.  She did throw herself on the floor in the middle of Beauty Brands, when I wouldn't let her carry around some sparkly red hair clips.  Mean mom, I know, but we were getting ready to leave.  Redirection seems to work pretty well, as long as I have a good enough second option.  That usually includes crayons, chalk or food.  Or helping me with my make-up or brushing my teeth.  Eh, you do what you have to do.

One of the big tantrum causers lately, is the iPad.  And movies too I guess.  Ryann has gotten to the point where she wants to sit on our bed and play with the iPad ALL OF THE TIME.  If we aren't out and about or doing something SUPER awesome, she wants the iPad.  It is nice for when I want to sit her on our bed when I get dressed and do my hair.  And it is nice for Chris when she is having one of her I only want my mom and no one else no matter what moments.  The iPad totally trumps me.  But she is obsessed and addicted to that thing.  So it, and all the movies, have been put in timeout until I decide otherwise.  We've gone two days without touching it.  She isn't happy about it, but I'm hoping that her obsession subsides a bit.  Knowing me this will probably backfire.  Oy.

I can't wait to see what happens over the next month.  We love you so much Ryann!

honey-soy broiled salmon

This salmon recipe is great.  Especially if you don't love a fishy taste.  The flavor of the marinade is strong and good.  I found the recipe here.  Chris grilled the salmon as opposed to broiling it, but I'm sure it would be fine either way.

I've decided to start including the recipe in the post, even if it is already listed elsewhere online.  I figure when I maybe possibly actually print a blog book, I'll enjoy being able to use the recipe straight from the book.  You know in case the internet explodes or something like that.  Entirely possible of course.  So here you go!

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

Ingredients

• 1 scallion, minced
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into four pieces
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vingar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved.  Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add three tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes.  Preserve the remaining sauce.
2. Preheat broiler.  Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
3. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down.  (Discard the marinade)  Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes.  Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

One serving of salmon has 234 calories, 13 grams of fat and 23 grams of protein.

Enjoy!

embrace the camera

Ryann LOVES, loves loves loves, sidewalk chalk.  We've discussed that.  But it is a million degrees outside.  So we aren't using the chalk as much.  Therefore the new favorite in the house... crayons.

We are already on to our second box of crayons.  Several colors from the first box have disappeared or are broken.  Luckily we were at Toys R Us, and Crayola products were buy one get one.  So I already have another back up.

It is so fun to watch her meticulously cover a page with her scribbles.  She likes to request that we draw something, usually a circle, random letters, an 8, or crazier things such as an eagle, a cow, Mickey... I may have been an art student, but drawing we NEVER my strength.  I'm more of a doodler.

What is your favorite beat the heat activity?

a day in the life - elaine

For the record?  Residency is lame.  And we aren't even a month in... moving on... Today you get to peek at Elaine's day.  I hope you enjoy!

***

Hi everyone! I'm Elaine from My First Baby Bump! Thank you to Ashley for featuring us today! My husband Ryan and I have a very active 15 month old little boy Paul. Here is a peek at our day!

7:00- The alarm goes off.... for my husband! Both of us are teachers so we are off for the summer, but my husband has been teaching summer school for the past few weeks. I get up and make some coffee, check emails, and catch up on some blogs!

8:00- I get dressed for the day and I can't believe Paul is still sleeping. I think since we've been on summer break he has really taken advantage of sleeping in. I just love him for that!

8:45- I have to wake up my little man because we've got things to do and people to meet! As you can see, he doesn't really like this idea!

8:55- We are up dressed and ready to go! I start making breakfast and realize it is very quiet. I find Paul playing in the bathroom cabinets. Obviously.

9:00- Breakfast consists of an organic apple pop tart and grapes. Paul eats pretty well but we always know when he is done because he starts throwing food across the room. Thank goodness we have a dog to help with this clean-up.

9:15- We are in the car and off for story time at the library. We read books, sing songs, and have a little playtime! We check out some new books and are on our way!

10:15- Since we are so close to the high school my husband and I both work at, we pop in to say hi to Daddy!

And do some important school work!

11:00- Off to Target for a refill of milk, diapers, and a cute shirt I found in the sale rack!

11:45- Home again and time for lunch. Today on the menu is pesto tortellini and banana! He loves this meal, but I don't love the cleanup. I find pesto everywhere for the next few hours!

12:10- A little ride on the motorcycle and then it is nap time. We just transitioned Paul to one nap and we were promised an afternoon of bliss and hours and hours of a sleeping baby. This really hasn't happened. Maybe it is because he is sleeping in so long in the morning, and this nap will get better when we go back to work? I hope so! During nap time, I clean up a bit, fold some laundry, and catch up with the Kardashians. Ryan gets home and starts doing man stuff like mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. I help out by taking a little snooze of my own.

2:45- Up from our nap. A little diaper change and we are moving at full speed. We have a little snack of milk and goldfish and do a little reading!

3:00- More playtime, we stack blocks, sing songs, read books, and play with mom's phone. If you all have the iPhone, you need to download the Peek-a-boo barn app. Paul LOVES it!

4:00- Time for a little walk to the park. Paul loves being outside, so I make an effort everyday to make those dreams come true. Today we do a little swinging and he learned how to go down the slide by himself. Scared me a little, but he was extremely proud of himself!

5:00- Home and time for dinner. Tonight is Amy's Organic Mac and Cheese and broccoli. I feel better feeding Paul mac and cheese when the word organic is in front of it. He eats and then feeds the leftovers to the dog. Those two are constantly conspiring against us!

5:30- I leave the house for my yoga class. I try to do yoga everyday because it gives me a little time to myself. While I am gone I think the boys do a lot of testosterone filled activities such as wrestling. It is probably better I don't know all the details!

7:00- I'm home from yoga and it is bath time. Paul absolutely loves the water- splashing, kicking, so bath time is a favorite!

7:30- bedtime! After bath time we put on some pajamas, read books, and have a little more milk. We have a few snuggles before I put him in bed. He usually has to cry for a couple of minutes, but by 7:35 he's out like a light!

Ryan and have dinner. Tonight was turkey sandwiches. Try not to be jealous of my culinary creations. We clean up and catch up on some important TV like The Bachelorette. Please don't judge my TV choices!

A little blogging, emails, I will probably be in bed before 10. I'm a real party animal!!

1) What is the most surprising thing about being a mom?

How much you can love someone. I didn't know love like this existed. Even though some days are long and I feel like all I do is pick up toys, when Paul laughs, or smiles, or learns something new, my heart just swells with intense love.

2) What is some advice you'd give to new or soon-to-be moms?

Take time for yourself. Nurture your friends. Go on dates with your husband. Get out of the house. You know what is best for you- trust your instincts. Drink wine.

3) What are your top three baby products?

a) The swing. When Paul was real little, this is where he took all his naps. He loved it and I loved naps, so everyone won!

b) Sophie the giraffe. When we received this at a baby shower, I couldn't figure out what the big fuss was about, but Paul was obsessed with the giraffe!

c) Something that makes white noise. At first we had a little sheep sound machine and now we just turn the humidifier on high and I think it really helps drown out the noise of the house. Blackout curtains are also a HUGE help in the sleep department. Invest in these immediately!

Thank you so much for sharing the day with us!

***

Thank you for sharing with us Elaine!

ketchup loving kid

Seriously.  This kid loves ketchup.  And has recently discovered the joy in eating JUST ketchup, and licking it off her fingers.  A little photo series for you, with what I assume Ryann is thinking...

"Hey now.  You better not put this on the blog mom."

"Moooom, ha ha I'm messy!"

"No.  Seriously.  Don't post these pictures."

So sorry sweetie.  I like them too much.  I had to do it.  That series could also be titled bad photo lighting.  Yuck.  Maybe I should actually set my white balance sometimes.  Or move to a house with more natural light.  I like the latter option.

I thought I'd toss in a little update on our picky eater situation.  She does eat those Gerber meals.  The little cups of nastiness (in my opinion) that they call mac & cheese and pasta stars with chicken & vegetables.  So I know she gets a little bit of protein and vegetables.  I've been playing the tough guy lately, and she has gone pretty much with out eating a meal a few times.  But she lived, and didn't seem all that phased by it.

I have been telling her what she is eating in those Gerber meals, such as the corn, peas, carrots, chicken and turkey.  She will now eat corn.  Not the ideal vegetable for our household, seeing as Chris and I almost never make it, but it is better than nothing!

Ryann definitely seems more eager to try new foods (and even like them!) when we aren't at the table.  For instance, in the grocery store on Saturday they were  passing out samples of brisket with some barbeque sauce they were marketing.  Ryann started asking me for a bite, and I of course said something to the tune of "Yeah right.  You won't eat this."  I know I shouldn't say things like that when I want her to try new things.  But of course she surprised me and gobbled up that bite, along with the rest of mine and Chris's sample cups.

I'm toying with the idea of getting her a little table to sit at while she eats, so she doesn't have to be in the booster at the table.  But I haven't sold myself on it yet.  I don't know that it will make a big difference, and I really don't want more stuff hanging out around the house.  It feels cluttered enough for me!  So we will see.  Maybe I'll try to borrow something, or buy something cheap off Craigslist to test this theory out, before I dive in with something cute that I'll actually allow to sit out in my living room.

And for the record, we have wanted to try just leaving the tray off her booster and letting her eat at the table like a 'big girl' (one of her new favorite phrases right now) but she isn't quiet tall enough for it to really work.  She needs to grow another inch or so.

What is your kiddo's favorite food or meal?

be a healthy role model

While happily wasting time on pinterest recently, this image stopped me in my tracks.

via

All along I've been saying I'm working towards a healthier lifestyle.  And I am.  But the lure of being 'thin' and 'pretty' and wearing all the cute clothes has been my underlying motivation as well.  I wanted (want) to lose weight.  I want to be smaller.  I have a bad habit of measuring my worth by the number on the scale or the size on my tags.  But it absolutely has to stop.

Because that is not how I want Ryann to feel about herself.

I've made great changes in my life with both my eating and exercise.  Those changes will allow me to have a better life with my daughter.  That is wonderful.  But I need to remind myself WHY I am living this way.  Not for the body I see in the mirror.  But for a healthy and happy future.

A couple months ago I read a mcfatty post via the list of those linking up that struck a chord with me.  I hope you have a moment to read it.  Children don't grow up and decide to hate their bodies.  We teach them to do it.  Every time I remark about how I hate my thighs, or how my butt is huge or how this or that body part isn't the way I want it to be, I'm teaching Ryann that it is ok to say those things about herself.  And it isn't.

My body may not be perfect.  I may not love the number on the scale, or the size of my jeans.  But this body created another life.  A little life that I want to see grow up happy, healthy and confident in herself.  I want her to be proud of who she is.

So I will be proud of who I am.  A wife.  A mother.  A daughter.  A sister.  A friend.  An artist.  A dreamer.

What makes you proud of yourself?

week in iphone pics

Whew!  There is a lot.

MONDAY

I was bummed because this friends, was my bed head.  It looked pretty dang decent.  And I was going to ruin it with a workout.  Ryann was still in awe of her Minne doll.  Later the crazy little lady decided she wanted to sit in my sink.  We met up with some boys and their nanny (hi Sarah!) at Monkey Bizness for a little playtime.

TUESDAY

To save ourselves from Chris's long hours, Ryann and I headed to my parents.  Ry helped grammy keep track of the list during our ridiculously long grocery store trip (I'm picky and Ryann and I can eat a lot of food, it takes a bit to get it all sorted out :o).  Later we picked up a coloring book at Target, along with a giant pad of paper.  Ryann LOVES the itsy bitsy spider on the iPad.  A little water play was a great end to the evening.

WEDNESDAY

We headed to the park at 8am in an attempt to beat the heat (it was still pretty warm).  They had a slide that Ry could manage all by herself.  She was in heaven.  She discovered the joys of licking ketchup off her fingers.  During nap time I did some sun worshiping in the pool.  Ryann had insisted that Minny take a nap with her.  She discovered she could push buttons with her face.  The little one was a punk and refused to share her grapes with papa, but lucky for her she looks cool in shades.

THURSDAY

Thursday morning I headed out for a 3 mile run, and promptly turned around to do the workout on the treadmill.  It was HOT at 6am!  We made a morning trip to the Children's Discovery Center.  A little light afternoon reading after Ry figured out how to climb on to the couch.  And some pool time in warmer than bath temp water.

FRIDAY

Ryann lounged around with Mickey on the laptop after breakfast, so that mommy and grammy could eat of course.  Some after breakfast coloring with Nikki kitty.  We drove back home and Ryann wanted to play in her crib, with ALL of her stuffed animals.  Finally seeing daddy after a long week.   Ahhh love, so sweet.

SATURDAY

Saturday morning grocery trip equals food samples.  Ryann danced in the cart while eating bread and BRISKET!  Sometimes she just wants daddy to hold her like a baby.  Ry enjoys catching fuzzes in the air (uh, yes, dust particles, I know).  Practicing the climbing skills.

SUNDAY

YUM yum yum.  Brunch at Cheesecake Factory.  Ryann scored a plate of bread and bananas and several 'she's so cute!'s within five minutes of being there.  A not so good picture of the brunch group.  Grandma 'Nita and Great Grandma stopped by this afternoon, she doesn't know I snapped that pic :o).  My child is addicted to Pixar movies.  Usually Toy Story 3, Kung Fu Panda, Cars or Monsters Inc.  Blame her daddy.  I sigh and shake my head every time.

Hope you enjoyed the quick recap.  Now a most likely dumb question for any flickr users out there.  Is there a way for me to set the width on my pictures, other than the drop down menu on the share section?  I want my pictures to always be 500 pixels wide.  I'd appreciate any help.

Link up your iphone pics over at a good life!