[summer adventures] Seattle

We took advantage of our summer vacation and took Ellie over to Seattle. On this trip Ellie got to go to Dim Sum for her first time (sorry no pics of that). We ate at House of Hong - best place for dim sum in Seattle. I have been going there since I was Ellie's age!!

Then we drove to Pikes Place Market. We had a great time waking around and showing Ellie all our favorite places and things.  We decided to not use the stroller since it was pretty crowded, even on a rainy Thursday! So I wore her in my mei tai and loved it. Seriously ladies  wearing your baby is the best!!

There were so many peony bouquet's. I was in heaven. 

We visited the gum wall. (Would you believe this was my first time? I know how could I live here my whole life and visit the market every year and not see this?) it was gross but we had to get a pic!

We also ran into Dr. Who and Dr. Sheldon Cooper!!!  Soft kitty was sung. Special moment for all three of us. (Soft kitty was the first song we sang to Ellie in the hospital)

Ellie need her lunch while we were thee so we fed and changed her in the car. 

Then we headed back into the market and bout some flowers and our lunch at Delarentis. Go there. It is a little grocery an has the best sandwiches. We get the grinder. 

Ellie was pretty tuckered out on the way home. She fell asleep holding my thumb. And then must have had a great dream about her visit because she kept smiling!!

My beautiful bouquet of peonies and dahlia's. 

- Ashley 

I have to say though. I am a little disappointed that we are not famous. Why? Because we don't have the paparazzi following us around documenting our lives!! It would be so much easier to get photos if we were!

[recipe] Angel Food French Toast

So we got an angel food cake a few days ago and I was going to make a rhubarb dessert with it but that didn't work. So it's just been waiting for us to do something with it. Yesterday I got the BEST idea- lets make French toast with it!!

So that is what I did this morning for breakfast. 

 First I sliced the cake into portions. Mixed up the batter: an egg, some milk and cinnamon. Then I heated up a skillet and melted some butter. 

 Next I fried the cake. While the cake was frying I sliced up some strawberries and cleaned up some raspberries. 

When the cake was done I just plated it added the fruit and then covered it with powdered sugar!

Yum!!!

- Ashley 

{weekly update} week five

I thought that I was going to love doing these weekly updates but I didn't know that they would make time go by so fast with Miss Ellie!! It feels like I was writing her first week update yesterday and now I am writing week 5!!!  It seriously is going by so fast but I am loving every moment of it!

Weight: we had her 1 month appt on Friday and she came in at 8 lbs so close to that still I am sure. 

Sleep: we are co-sleeping with her and love it!! She is just in our bed sleeping between us. It is so nice that she is just right there for when she needs soothing. Sleep is going pretty well and she naps throughout the day. She still takes her 4ish hour nap but it seems to be a little later. And then we have noticed that she is going close to 6 hours the past few nights!!!  However last Tuesday she slept practically all day which meant she partied (i.e. cried/fussed) all night!  Luckily it hasn't happened again (fingers crossed knock on wood). 

Diet: she was starting to get really mad and fussy when she finished her bottles so we decided that we should up her amount to 3 ounces at each feeding and she is one HAPPY baby! We are still using the Similac Sensitive formula and she seems to be doing well. And her poops have increases to almost daily as opposed to once every three days!

Crying: when she is hungry, bored or tired. Sometimes she just feels like crying because she likes the sound of her own voice I'm sure ( takes after me *wink).  She is pretty easy to soothe still at this point. 

Social/Outings: busy week. Ellie had her dr check up and got her second round of hep b - hated it. She also got to go to the Funky Junk Sisters Junk Salvation Show (basically a flea market/junk show). We went to kohls while daddy signed paperwork for his summer tennis league he coaches. And she visited daddy at work on his last day of school and got to meet all his co-workers!

Clothes: Ellie is still rocking the newborn stuff. It is so funny to go shopping with her and look at clothes that are like 9 month size.  They are huge and I can't believe that she will get big enough to wear it!  But she will I know. 

Baby Gear Love: we still love our Boppy pillow for feeding and propping. Our stroller is awesome! Ellie has gotten way more active in her play mat and my mei tai has been a life saver on several occasions. We also got this FABULOUS thermometer at Costco, you just swipe it across her forehead and it tells you her temp! It was a great buy at $29.99. Way better than at target. And it's like what the hospital and our dr use! (we are kinda obsessed with it - checking her temp and ours about 10 times a day!) Also she loves to be swaddled again!

Milestones: Ellie can hold her head up for about 10-12 seconds at a time and does it often!  We can tell that she can see us better and she had better control of her arms - but she does lose her arm privileges at times due to flailing!

Mama: I finally am off work now for at least 10 weeks and I am so thankful that I get to be home with her all the time to get to witness everything! It was rough this first month as I had to go to work due to running out of sick leave 5 days after we got her!  And since we couldn't afford for me to stay home without pay, Thomas was able to take time off work as well as his mom. So they took turns being home with her. But now I am home with her and I love it!

- Ashley 

[recipe] Best Pancakes Ever!!

Ahh the memories. Friday nights after football games in high school my friends used to come over and we would have pancakes!  It was a tradition I hope that Ellie will do as well (but I can wait 14 years).  My mom made the best pancakes and I am so happy to have her recipe!

First gather your ingredients and a mixing bowl. 

For a full recipe you will need: 

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 T oil

and Milk (enough for consistency ~ 1 cup)

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients and mix together with a whisk. Then add your egg, oil, and drizzle in a little milk. Whisk together and add milk as needed. 

(We like chocolate chip pancakes so I add them in now and mix together) 

The key to nice crispy fluffy pancakes is a hot pan, hot oil, and room temperature batter.  Make sure you pan is piping hot and the oil is too. Then drop a spoonful of batter and let cook until it bubbles, then flip and let set about 1-2 minutes and then you are ready to eat!

Yumm!!!

Ashley

[DIY] flowers indoors

Do you like to have flowers and plants growing inside you house but forget to water them?  I have the best solution for you!

(shamrocks, maidenhair fern, and idk)

I remember when we first moved into our home. I wanted plants indoors because that is what I grew up with and having live plants in your house really helps to make it seem like a home and lived in!!  But we had a problem - no watering can. And our glasses just wouldn't cut it. So how do you water your plants?  

**** ICE CUBES ****

This is a great alternative. Especially in the Summer when your house gets really hot. Just drop an ice cube or two in you plant and as it melts your plant gets just the right amount of water and you don't have to worry about the water spilling over and damaging your furniture!

I love indoor plants and have several of them and I love this tip! 

Ashley

{monthdate} one month

My dearest little Ellie Faith,

What a journey we are on. Today marks you being one month old (at 1:03pm to be exact). They say that time flies when you are having fun and that it goes by faster as you get older. This is true but how can it be true for you?

(How did you go from this to this so quickly!?!)

I have loved every minute of being your mama...even those nights when you were wide awake!  I have so enjoyed watching you grow and become more aware of your surroundings. You are such a blessing to us!

So far we have spent time with you in the hospital after you were born, been to the doctor twice (once for you 1 week visit and once for your 1 month checkup). I have held you as you got your shots - boy did you hate those!!  We have had lots of mama + Ellie time. We have gotten pretty good at swaddling and figuring out what your cries mean. 

You have gotten so much better at tummy time and you love to play in your activity mat and be carried. 

We just love you so much!

Stats:

Height: 19 1/8th"

Weight: 8 pounds

Head: 14"

Food: 3 ounces at each feeding

Diapers: at least 10 a day

Clothes: newborn size though you are starting to fill them out now

Sleeping: naps for about 4 hours anywhere between 10am and 2pm

Cries: usually when you are hungry

Loves: activity mat, mei tai carrier, skin to skin, eating, diaper changes, your car seat, and being swaddled

Hates: being hungry, wet diapers, baths, and shots

Mamas proudest moment: changing your poopy diaper and flinging some of the poop on the wall - yuck. 

Daddy's proudest moment: spilling your formula all over the kitchen your second night home!

Things we are looking forward to is you being more social and holding your head up!  Also we can't wait for our adoption to be finalized so you can legally be ours!!

We love you Ellie Faith!

Mama

Summer time!!

Today marks my first day of summer break and I have at least 10 uninterrupted weeks with Ellie before the start of the new school year!!

I am so looking forward to watching this little girl grow and become more aware of her surroundings and become more interactive. 

Here is what I have to look forward to doing: 

Tomorrow is Thomas last day of school. We are going to have so much fun scheduling out activities for the summer. We have been looking forward to this for so long and now it's a reality!

What are your summer plans?

Ashley

{weekly update} week four

These past four weeks have gone by in a flash!! I can't believe how quickly the time goes once baby is home and in your arms!

We have had a total blast watching this little girl grow and change right before our eyes!! Wowzers, I knew it happened quickly but for reals!

Weight: She has been eating a ton!  I am sure she is still somewhere in the 7 pound range, but who knows.  We have our 1 month check up on Friday so the official weight will be in then .... we are taking bets!!

Sleep:  We are working on this.  For some reason when we tell Ellie its bed time and time to go to sleep she just won't have it and wants to look around and fuss!! (kidding of course - we know she can't follow these requests!)  She does take a good 3 1/2 to 4 hour nap every day in the afternoon time.  She is still sleeping in the bed with us and we love it!

Clothes: Newborn all the way - though some 3 month is small enough for for and preemie is big enough.  I am happy though because those little newborn clothes are so cute!  she is still in newborn size diapers too!

Visitors/Social: She got to meet more family this week for Father's Day.  She met my grandparents (great grandparents) my brother and his wife (auntie and uncle) and his in-laws.  She was a great little girl and really only cried once we got home!  We went shopping at Costco, ate at Jimmy Johns and she finally made it to the grocery store!

Diet: She is still eating 2 ounces at each feeding, going to ask the doctor if we should up it.  She seems to be doing better with the Similac Sensitive formula but man does she get mad when we take the empty bottle out of her mouth!! She wants more!!

Crying: When she is hungry, wants to be held, has a wet diaper, and when we tell her to go to bed!  I don't really have any other baby to compare her to, but I think she is a pretty good baby.  She gets fussy once in a while but we are usually able to soothe her!

Baby Gear Love: still huge fans of the stoller, she loves her car seat and car rides,  plays on her activity mat and has started getting propped in the Boppy!!  the gum drop paci that we got from the hospital (its the only one she will take  - thank the LORD I got a second one!)

Milestones:  We let her meet her hands this week, she loves them!!  (We have been keeping them covered with mittens or the long sleeves with the hand covers because she didn't have much control and would scratch her face the 0.3 seconds she had free hands while changing)  She also found her thumb/fingers with her mouth on Saturday and has been trying to figure out how to get them back in there ever since!  She celebrated her first Father's Day and her Daddy's birthday all in the same day!  She can hold her head up for about 5-10 seconds at a time and is getting a little bit better with tummy time.

Mommy:  I am doing pretty good.  I have my last day of work tomorrow, then I am off for the summer!! YEAH!  It has been an adjustment for sure since we brought her home but I am so happy we have her!  I also finally got out to the horses for the first time since we brought her home and it was nice just having that time with them and letting them know I still love them.  Even though I wasn't pregnant with Ellie, I still gained a little weight while we have been waiting for her, so I have about 5 pounds to lose.  I know that doesn't sound much compared to what pregnant mom's gain, but hey its ok!

I love this little girl and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and supporting and doting husband to raise her with!

♥ Ashley