Friday Mornings

What is one of the best ways to spend a Friday morning? With other kids! And for this mom, that means getting to spend time with other moms. Ella and I have been going to the moms group at Mercy Vineyard Church since the start of the new year. Lots of the kids play in the nursery while the moms hang out, read, pray, chat and have coffee in another room. Ella sticks with me, though, since she's younger than most of the other kids. She has a great time playing on the floor and getting attention from the moms who have older kids. We look forward to going each Friday morning.

This week we drove to a community center for moms group to play in a great big room with lots of toys. Ella was thrilled! The play room is designed for kids ages 1-5 but Ella's entertainment was to simply sit and watch all the kids playing. She especially loved seeing kids jumping in the inflatable jumper. It's fun for both of us to get out and see friends since it's a little harder to do in the colder weather. Luckily, this week has been beautiful!

No Chicken!

Last night we ventured down a new road - Ella tried meat. We bought a few little jars of stage 2 chicken from Gerber. After Pete fed her some peas and applesauce, he opened the chicken. It was hilarious! Ok, maybe not quite so hilarious for her, but we practically ended up on the floor laughing. (Is that bad parental support?) She furrowed her eye brows, stuck out her tongue, and gagged. Um, I guess that's a sign she's not a fan. I'm guessing it's only because it's thicker than anything she's had before. She didn't actually spit it out, but she really didn't want to swallow it. We tried two more bites to see if it would get any better. No luck. I think she was mad at us. Well, we'll try it again tomorrow and see if she's had a little time to get used to it. That's what worked when she didn't like fruit the first time she tried it. Oh, new experiences.

A book & a bear

Ella loves books. For about a month and a half, she has been turning the pages in the books we read together. She likes to look from me to the book and back to me while I read. Sometimes she giggles at the pictures, especially when we're reading Curious George. We read before each nap and before going to bed at night. It's a great way for her to relax and transition to her sleep time. Here are a few pictures I took recently of Ella enjoying some reading time with her bear.

Mama's Baking

I need to admit something. I have a bit of an addiction to baking. I don't know what it is, but I can't bake enough these days! It's 9:15am and I've already made a couple loaves of pumpkin bread. Last night I made raspberry jam crumb bars and Irish soda bread.For Valentine's Day I made 5 dozen champagne truffles, heart sugar cookies, 2 classic coffee cakes, and a cherry streusel coffee cake. Most of it is to give away, but we definitely sample everything that I make. Ella loves to sit in her highchair or play with spoons and bowls on the floor while I bake. I often wait until she is sleeping to take on larger baking projects, though.

Here are a couple photos from recent baking endeavors. I'll soon have pictures of the baking from the last few days.

a practice (mini) cake

the full-sized inside-out black forest cake

champagne truffles

Our Valentine

We had a great Valentine's day! Ella got to spend the entire day with Grandma & Grandpa Olsen and Auntie Kristin. We all went out for lunch at Spoonriver, a little cafe nestled between the Guthrie Theater and the Mill City Ruins in Minneapolis. The food was delicious! They serve unique combinations of flavors and ingredients and even served many dishes with drawn-on hearts using colorful sauces. After lunch, Pete took us on a nice tour of the St. Paul area. Then Ella settled in with Grandma & Grandpa and Kristin at their hotel so that Pete & I could go on a Valentine date. We ate seafood at Joe's Crab Shack for the first time before driving to The Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo to see the band Romantica play. They were great! It was a very memorable first Valentine's day for Ella and a perfect date night for us.

Thanks Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie Kristin!

happy valentine's day!

Nap Time

Look at this happy little girl. How can I walk out of the room with that little smile on her face? She's just too adorable. And she's a great sleeper. After her nap, she usually plays in her crib for a while, babbling to herself while shaking a toy. When I go in to get her, she's all smiles and wants to cuddle. The cutest thing is that she has recently started patting my back when I pick her up. Such a doll!

Uncle Jake

On a recent trip to Pequot Lakes, Ella got to spend a little time with Uncle Jake. She's crazy about his guitar!

A Great View

We recently made a trip to Ikea for a little browsing with my friend, Kim, and her little girl, Aria. Since Pete had the stroller in the back of his car, I decided to see how Ella would do for her first ride in the front of the cart. She loved it! We cruised through the unending maze that is Ikea while Ella smiled at every person we passed. I think she was feeling happy about having such a great view. I was so proud of my big girl!

Ella loves standing and walking along anything she can. One day I discovered that this plant box (a centerpiece from our wedding!) is a great level for her in the living room. I put one of my weights in it so it won't tip, dropped in a couple toys, and let her play. She seems happy, doesn't she? (That's Izzy, her Cabbage Patch, in the box.)

Green Beans

We've been trying all kinds of new foods lately. Today we added green beans to menu. Ella likes them! One point for the "likes" list! We really haven't found anything that she doesn't like. For a little while, we thought bananas would end up on the "no thank you" list, but after we took a break for a week and tried them again, they are definitely a keeper. So far we've tried squash, sweet potatoes, peas, and green beans along with bananas, peaches, pears, and apple sauce. She still loves her brown rice and, more than anything else, her oatmeal. What should we try next?

Sorry about the lapse in blog entries. Our internet was down for the last week and I didn't get out to check more than my email during that time. We're back in business as of an hour ago, so I thought I'd post something new right away. I hate waiting. Why would I make you? Unfortunately, I don't have pics to include today, but that might change by the end of the day. We'll see how ambitious I get.

Ella is now seven months old, crawling like nobody's business, chewing on everything she can get her hands on, and incredibly curious. She loves to show off her smile at everyone we pass when we go shopping or sit at a coffee shop. Her two little teeth are crazy sharp, so if you play with her, don't get your fingers too close to her mouth. Seriously. She loves peek-a-boo and has developed an adoration for "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." She wants to stand as often as possible and loves to walk (quickly!) when both hands are held. She's even occasionally brave enough to take a few steps holding just one of our hands. Her balance is getting better each day, and she has tried standing on her own for just a moment a handful of times. We're excited to see the progress she'll make over the next month as she keeps trying new things and gaining more confidence. We'll keep you posted!