The rush of the Holiday Season!

Hi! Well, it's that time of year for the rushing around & anticipation of Christmas. Rush is the key word for me this year. I can't believe Christmas Eve is 2 days away! I lost track of time after my back injury & now that I'm (knock on wood) starting to feel better, I realize how much needs to be done during the Holidays. I have stacks of gifts to be wrapped & cookies to be baked (maybe!). Sadly, I haven't done any holiday baking this year, which is my favorite thing to do during the Christmas season. I'm excited for Ella's first Christmas - even though the excitement of Santa & thrill of opening gifts won't phase her one bit this year, it will be fun to watch her with family & friends relaxing and spending time together!

Merry Christmas & safe travels!

Six Months Photos

We had Ella's six months pictures on Sunday. She was a trooper & didn't get crabby until towards the end of the session. You can check out a sampling of the pictures at the following link: http://www.nicolereyesphotography.com/

Click on Albums and you will find her album labeled El.a

SIX MONTHS - Half a Year!

We have achieved a big milestone. Ella turned 6 months old on December 2nd. I can't believe she's been a part of our lives for half of a year already. It's been so fun to watch her develop & grow. She's our little miracle & surprises us every day. Her 6 month well check went well. She's going to be tall (not a big surprise) and is steadily gaining weight, a good sign considering her acid reflux & gas issues. We're trying baby oatmeal now instead of rice cereal b/c the rice cereal is too harsh for her gassy tummy. She's also getting a daily dose of prunes to help with her digestive issues. We're also going to start therapy for Ella's neck - she has a minor case of torticollis, which is a crink in her neck and makes it hard for her to hold her head up straight. I'm hoping the therapy will help sooner rather than later.

It's been a pretty crazy few weeks here. Thanksgiving weekend I had a pretty serious back injury and couldn't really walk or do much of anything without severe pain. I've been seeing a chiropractor who found that I have/had something called Sacroiliitis (sp), caused from my pregnancy. Basically the weight of the baby & the way I was carrying the baby during pregnancy caused the pelvic region to adjust in a weird way and then my left hip got all weird and rotated so the joint wasn't allowed to move anymore. Yuck. It was the most painful thing I've ever had happen. I'm finally on the recovery road and can't wait until I'm pain free!

We've got tons to do to get ready for the holidays, but we're excited! After a carpet cleaning appointment today (fingers crossed that they arrive on time!) we will be able to put up the tree & decorate the house for Christmas (finally!)

Rollin'

On Wednesday 11.25.09, Ella first rolled from her back to her stomach. Now, she can't get enough of it. It's hilarious to watch, as she likes to roll and roll all across the room! I was able to catch some of her rolling in action tonight. :)

Mishaps in the Kitchen....

So Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Time for family & some food. Thought it'd be fun to make homemade rolls to include with the Thanksgiving meal at Jay's parents. First batch ended up in the trash. Something wasn't right with the dough - it didn't rise & I wasn't patient enough to wait before throwing them in the oven. So, told myself I should give it another shot. This time I pulled out the big guns - my Marjorie Johnson cookbook. As I've said in the past, I love her. Today, I REALLY loved her & wished terribly that she was on my speed dial to help me get the damn buns done! I'm a pretty good baker, so I didn't think this task would take up my ENTIRE day! Anyway, the second batch rose properly & came out of the oven golden brown (all thanks to the tips & info in Marjorie's book). Whew. But, we'll see about a taste test. See, I also made a pan of "just in case" buns, using the frozen dough (should have probably just done that from the beginning). And, because I'm worried about how both types of buns are going to end up tasting tomorrow, I just ran to Cub for the big purchase of a couple packs of brown & serve. Hey, at least there will be buns at the dinner table!

The title to this post is Mishaps in the Kitchen. Not only did I spend my entire day on buns, but I also wanted to whip up a "quick" salad for tomorrow. Simple. I've made it in the past. Should be no big deal. Good thing I was the only adult home today. The recipe requires chopped cranberries. I use one of those slap shot chopper deals. Remember the first batch of buns? Well, while I was chopping cranberries I wanted to take a peek at the buns in the oven. Big mistake. I kept my hand on the chopper, slipped/lost my balance or something & cranberry pieces flew everywhere. Under the burners on the stove, in the utensil holder, on the floor, you name it. Sometimes things in the kitchen just don't go my way.

For all of you out there who've been baking or cooking all day, or are in the midst of it right now, Good Luck. I hope it goes better for you than it did for me. And remember, there's always next year. Happy Thanksgiving.

Sleeping....

Apparently playing is hard work!

5 months (sort of)

Ella is 5 months old as of 11/2 (sort of behind in the picture taking & blog updating). She's doing great. We've introduced the jumping/bouncing contraption, which she's starting to get the hang of. We're still working on her torso & neck control, but she seems to be getting stronger, so that's good news.

Speaking of the jumping/bouncing contraption, she's in there right now....and she just fell asleep!