Playing Catch Up!

I took a little blogging hiatus. Work has been sad and busy and insane, and at the end of the day I just want to spend time with my hubby and snuggle my sweet baby.

We have been a busy bunch though. We've been to Burlington twice, celebrated two birthdays, rented a storage unit to clear out the house to finally put it on the market, celebrated St. Patty's Day, and we've got a peanut who may just start crawling any minute now. It would probably take me days to write about the last few weeks, and I'd likely not remember most if it, so I'll remember them by photos instead. Here's what we've been up to...

-We celebrated our anniversary Thursday night by going out for dinner at Vine.  Then we continued to celebrate by taking Friday off together.  We spent the morning with E, then took her to school and we just enjoyed the day together.  Browsed around SouthPark Mall, bought a few things for E (of course...it's the only thing I buy these days!), had a yummy lunch at Cowfish, and had Starbucks in the middle of the afternoon.  I love this man of mine...

 



-We went to Burlington to celebrate my mom's birthday.  Ellison got dressed in her finest leopard attire for the occasion and I could just die at the cuteness.  We had fun snuggling with Grammie, ripping off Aunt Rachie's nose, and eating our weight in shrimp boil goodness.

 

 

-We ventured uptown for the St. Patty's Day Parade.  From the photos, it seems as though Ellison was less than impressed, but I promise she had a good time! 

 

 

-We enjoyed some beautiful weekend weather that brought Ellison's first ride on a swingset and breakfast on the back deck.

 

 

-We went back to Burlington to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday.  Ellison spent the evening with Grammie and hung out in her jammies all day (dont' judge) while Barrett and I spent some time catching up with great friends enjoying a few drinks around the fire.

 

 

 

-In other news...Ellison is going to crawl any minute now, I officially joined to Y and started the C25K program (ambitious, I know), and little miss is turning into a big girl right before our eyes.

 

 

Sorry for being a slacker.  I'll do better.

 

Happy Easter Weekend, Y'all!

 

 

 

Four Amazing Years

Happy four year anniversary to my wonderful husband! This has been the most wonderful year and I am so excited to see what life has in store for us. Thank you for being such an amazing husband, friend, and daddy. I love you with all my heart, forever and always. XOXO

Menu Monday on Wednesday

Oopsie!  Missed Menu Monday again!  Maybe Mondays aren't the best day for me to plan to blog?  Obviously.  Anywho...we had some yummy goodness at the Brooks' Casa this week, so still wanted to share!

Baked Salmon and Greek Couscous -

We marinated the salmon overnight in a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and McCormick's Mediterranean Blend seasoning and then just baked it for about 20 minutes.  We served it with couscous mixed with olive oil, feta, tomatoes, and black olives.  This was the first time I'd made couscous (easiest side dish ever, by the way) and it most definitely will be playing a larger role in our meal planning.  We ate the couscous for lunch a few times and it got more delicious as the days went by!

French Dip Crescents with Au Jus -

These were just OK.  The cresecents were still a little doughy on the inside and and the roast beef was dried out from cooking so long.  The au just was just OK too.  Because we didn't make our own roast, we didn't have any pan drippings so the au just was made from beef stock.  Not sure we'd make these again.  The roast beef paninis we made a few weeks agao were WAY better.  I used THIS recipe for the crescents and THIS recipe for the au jus.

Bangin' Grilled Shrimp -

We've made the original Bangin' Good Shrimp recipe from Skinnytaste a few times before, so this time we tried the grilled version and they were just as tasty.  These would make for a good summer shrimp dish.  We ate a little leftover couscous with the shrimp, but I think they would be super delicious as lettuce wraps!

Baked Chicken Fajitas -

We've all seen this recipe on Pinterest right?!  We finally tried it and it was a winner!  It was very easy to throw together, very little mess to clean up, and leftovers were just as good the next day.  They'd make for an easy meal for a big group.  We will absolutely make these again.

Shrimp Po Boys -

So, so yummy!  Easy breezy, too. I coated the shrimp in a little corn starch and Tony's Chacheres seasoning and cooked them in a bit of olive oil, and they were PERFECT!  The right amount of spice and crisp without being too bready.  We toasted up some French bread and added lettuce, tomato, and mayo.  These will be making a repeat performace.  A lot.

Six Month Well Visit

Our sweet Ellie Belle had her six month checkup today! She got a great report and is doing everything she should be doing. She is meeting all her developmental milestones and is turning into such a big girl! Dr. Washburn was very pleased with everything and told us she was perfect and that we're doing a great job...it's nice to have a little affirmation now and then!

Ellison got four vaccines today, three shots and one oral. She was so brave!
Y'all...she didn't cry. Seriously. She didn't even flinch for the first two. The third one apparently burns when it's injected, and we did get a couple crocodile tears and a good red faced yell, but literally 5 seconds later she was totally composed and over it. We are super proud of our brave girl!

We got the go ahead to try some new foods...puffs and yogurt melts. Dr. Washburn said they are really great for helping develop some more fine motor skills...using a pincer grasp instead of raking food towards her. We may also try to introduce a sippy cup in the next month or so and will start trying to phase out one daytime bottle and replace it with a fruit or veggie.

Ellison is a growing girl! Thanks to solid foods, E's stats are...

Height: 25.5 inches (30th percentile)
Weight: 17 lbs 3 oz (67th percentile)
Head Circumference: 42 cm (26th percentile)

Six Months

Dear Ellison -

Happy Half Birthday, Sweet Girl!  I can't believe we're here already.  You are growing too fast and are learning to do so many new things.  We love you more than words can say.  You truly are the light of our lives.  Here's what you've been up to the past month...

-Your six month checkup is next week, so we'll know then exactly how big you are.  I think you're pushing 18 pounds and you're definitely growing taller.  You are mostly wearing 6 month clothes now.  Most of your 3-6 months still fit, and you can even wear a few 3 month outfits, but I don't think that will last much longer!  You are still in size 2 diapers, but I think we'll be moving to size 3's soon. 

-You are eating like a champ.  You typically have four or five 7 oz bottles during the day.  You eat 2 tablespoons of rice cereal mixed with 1.5 oz formula mid morning while you're at school.  We started on some fruits and veggies this month too and we usually feed you 2 oz about an hour or so before we start getting you ready for bed.  So far, you've tried sweet potatoes, bananas, green beans, and carrots and have loved them all!  I am planning to make your food for you and so far it's been very easy.

-We have been getting you into bed by about 7:30 every night and usually wake you up around 6:15 during the week to get ready for school.  On the weekends you're usually up between 7:00 and 7:30.  You usually take two naps a day...a shorter one in the mornings for about an hour and then a good 2-3 hour nap in the afternoons.  You like sleeping on your sides and still move all over during the night.  More often than not, your head is where your feet should be in the mornings when you wake up.

-You are a great sitter.  You can sit for a really long time unassisted.  You have super trunk control and can reach out for your toys and pull yourself back to sitting.  You can twist to look at things behind you and still keep your balance.

-Tummy time is still not your most favorite thing to do.  I really think you might be one of those babies who just skips crawling.  You love to stand up and pull up whenever you get the chance.  Your legs are super strong.

-You are so chatty!  You babble and talk constantly!  We really think "Buddy" will be your first word.  You are making lots of "Buh Buh" noises and have done it a few times in response to Buddy coming into the room.  Could be just a coincidence, but your daddy and I have conceded to the fact that the dog may have won over the two of us.  You also love to shriek.  You've most certainly found your voice and love exploring all the things you can do with it now!

-You are such a smiley, happy girl.  You give the biggest grins and your giggle is the sweetest sound.

-You're very into faces now.  You like to reach out and grab our noses! 

-You are still into the exersaucer and have also found a new love for the jumper.  You love to bounce! 

-Bath time is lots of fun these days!  You will be graduating from your bath chair really soon.  You LOVE the water and have learned how fun it is to splash around!

-There were lots of firsts this month!!

-Your first snow was a bit of a surprise.  We had heard there would be flurries, but we got big flakes for hours!  We were sure to take you out for lots of pictures.  Your little eyes were as big as saucers!

-You had your first fever this month...and that wasn't so fun!  You'd had a cough and cold for a couple of weeks, but the fever sort of came out of nowhere.  You were out of school for two days because of it.  We think it might have been from teething becuase....

-You have your first tooth! Your bottom middle left tooth has just broken through the skin.  You didn't complain too much, but we gave your a little tylenol and Orajel as needed and it seemed to do the trick.

-You took your first trip to the grocery store and sat in the front of the buggy like a big girl!  You were so well behaved!  There were lots of things to look at....lights, colors, people, and new sights and sounds!

-You also took your first stroller ride without being in the car seat.  You sat right up, kicked your little feet back and forth, and enjoyed seeing the world.

-We celebrated cousin Lola's first birthday this month too!  It was your first party!  We had lots of fun and got some really cute pictures.

 

-You also had your first Valentine's Day!  Daddy and I joined you for a Valentine's Ball at school.  You were sleeping when we got there but we woke you so you wouldn't miss all the fun!  You got a few sweet cards for your first V-Day, and we can't wait to start lots of fun traditions with you!

-School is going great.  You are learning lots of new things and making new friends.  There were lots of fun things happening at school for you last month.  You had your first school fundraiser...you sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts....8 boxes to daddy's work friends and 3 boxes, 2 partnership cards, 1 gift certificate, and 1 bag of coffee to mommy's work friends!  Mommy came and read to your class one day too.  I read The Belly Button Book, which is one of our favorites!  You also took class pictures this month.

-Nana came back to visit us from Florida.  She came the day after Valentine's and got to be here for your first snow!  Mike came a few days later and got to meet you for the first time too!

-You are such an angel.  We love you to the moon and stars and back.  Happy Six Months Ellie Belle!

 

 

 

Menu Monday

Linking up with Rachel today for Menu Monday! Here's some yummy goodness we've been whipping up over at the Brooks casa.

-Turkey Reubens: We used thick sliced sourdough for these paninis and topped it with turkey, Swiss, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, and a little mustard for dipping. It's the perfect tangy combo.

-Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Dipping Sauce: These were super tasty. The dipping sauce was simple and was the perfect compliment to the shrimp. We served them with brown rice that we jazzed up with some sautéed onions, mushrooms, and soy sauce. Next time, I'll spray the shrimp with an olive oil spritz or drizzle with a little butter just to help the shrimp brown up a little more.

-Southwest BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad: This is probably my favorite salad combo. Chopped iceberg, red pepper, cucumber, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and grilled chicken tossed with a little sweet and spicy barbecue sauce and ranch dressing. Sprinkle some tortilla crumbles in top, and you've got yourself a dinner worthy salad.

-Low Country Boil: Shrimp, potatoes, and corn on the cob boiled in some Zatarains boil mix. Yum.

-Shake N Bake Chicken Parm: I've had a box of Parmesan Shake N Bake in the pantry for a while, so it was time to use it up. I was planning to just bake it and serve with roasted potatoes and green beans, but there was a recipe suggestion on the box for chicken parm and we had all the ingredients, so we went with it. It was really yummy and much lighter than your typical fried chicken parm.

We've got another yummy week planned! What's cookin' at your house?

Mommy Guilt

It comes in all forms. We feel it for many things:

Breast feeding didn't work for us.

I work full time and my baby's in daycare.

Sometimes I turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to get a few minutes to myself.

All things we feel guilty about, but definitely shouldn't.

My newest mommy guilt obsession
- the gym.

I need to work out. NEED to. And, for maybe the first time in my life, I actually want to. Here's the problem...I feel bad about going to the gym after work. I feel bad that E has been in school all day and then I leave her right after we get home.

She's fine. Daddy takes super good care of her and she thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread. Buddy keeps her pretty entertained too. They're all fine. It's me. I'm the one with the issues.

So, I'm just going to do it. I'm going to go work out and I'm going to feel really terrible about it for a week or so. Then I'll get over it just like I've gotten over all my other mommy guilt issues.

Anybody else in the same boat?