Trip to the Mall

I haven't been to our indoor mall since before Camille was born. I think I was there for a hair-cut in August? Hmm. It's been awhile at least. Today I landed there with the two kiddos in tow for a 10am appointment with the Picture People. I waited until we were in the studio to put on Camille's dress (over her onesie/leggings) as I wanted to avoid any last minutes spit-ups and Russell changed into his collared shirt to avoid the wrinkles that come from his continual movement;-)

Short story: good photos and happy children= happy mama. While waiting for our photos to be uploaded/edited for viewing, we detoured over to See's Candies for a sample and then to the Lego store for a prize. Without Russell's co-operation, I wouldn't have been able to get a picture of the two kids together (and happy). I bought him a new Lego kit for $12 and the fun he's had with it in the last few hours has been worth the money. I have a feeling that the two little Lego kits he has will only multiply in the years to come.

We have to wait to receive our prints since their printers weren't working. The Picture People reps asked if I could return at a later date to pick up the prints. With a smile and a firm 'no' I suggested kindly that the package be mailed to me. For the few dollars I dropped in their cash register, it wouldn't hurt them.

Next wonderful expensive gift? A lovely camera. Suggestions welcome.

5 Months

Five months of this little woman's life has passed already. It has gone so quickly. She's no longer an infant but a delicious baby. I often hear, "she looks just like Russell" and "look at those cheeks!"

She loves to babble, kick her feet, and when I pull her forward, she bends her knees and stands up on her own. She does not roll over, crawl, or sit. She sounds as athletic as me;-)

New Season, new clothes

If I were to chose my favorite item of clothing to wear indefinitely, it would be a denim skirt. Last year, I looked high and low for a nice denim maternity skirt and there was none to be found (stylish, not Amish) except for one at the Gap for $40. I ordered it online and proceeded to wear it until I was almost 9 months pregnant. That's what I call "getting your money's worth."

This year, I'm still post-baby body and my regular denim skirts don't fit. I checked out Gap.com and they had a pencil-skirt for $60. Old-Navy had more than a few mini-skirts (which only look good on nobody, so why do they sell them??) and this one with a draw-string. Since this skirt was only available online, I didn't mind buying it sight-unseen, otherwise it would have been nice to take an hour or two and shop inside of a store.

I also bought a pair of capris. This is a leap of faith for me. Again, the pair I ordered was available 'online only' so let's hope for the best! I've only owned one pair of capris in my lifetime and every time I wore them, I just felt like I was wearing shrunken pants.

So, here's to spring and longer days and sunnier days! I've been waiting for this since last fall;-)

Nella's Mom

Kelle Hampton has a blog that was recommended from an online bloggie friend. Kelle is a home-grown photographer, wife, and mother to a beautiful toddler and new mom to another beautiful daughter named Nella. Nella was born with Down's Syndrome which wasn't discovered until her birth.

Tonight, Kelle will be interviewed on CNNI (international) at 4pm Eastern and the interview will be online afterwards. On her blog, Kelle seems like a very forthright and honest woman who loves her family and I'm looking forward to seeing her interview.

Strawberry Empanadas

In an effort to clean out the large Ziploc bag of random recipes I've collected over the years, I came across a very easy recipe for Strawberry Empanadas. Yum. I have no idea where the recipe came from since the page it's on is photocopied but here it is...

1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature

4 Tbsp. light brown sugar, divided

2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh strawberries

1 pkg (8-count) refrigerated crescent rolls

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

*Preheat oven to 375F.

*Blend in cream cheese and 2 Tbsp. of the brown sugar in a bowl. Fold in strawberries.

*Unfold the crescent roll dough into four rectangles, smoothing the dough together along the diagonal dotted line. Divide strawberry mixture among the four pieces, spooning onto the bottom half of the rectangle. Fold dough over and crimp the edges with a fork.

*Bake the rolls for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and dust with the remaining brown sugar.

I made these on Sunday morning and they were so delicious. In an effort to get everyone fed, I didn't care to take the time to photograph our breakfast plates but they were just perfect. I love yummy breakfasts and so does my family:-)

Hang Out time

This is kinda a fun month seeing the difference in between a four-month old and a four-year old. Russell keeps Camille entertained with his antics and constant movement. She loves to chatter to herself and anyone else who will stop and listen.

When I'm making dinner, I plop her nearby and she just kicks back in her bouncy seat- yes, with leg outstretched. When was the last time you wore white pants with fruit on them and looked adorable? Yes, it's been a long time for most of us;-)

Still draggin'

Although my OB upped my thyroid meds two weeks ago, I've been feeling still more tired and despite diet/exercise/breastfeeding, have gained three pounds:-( My TSH tested yesterday resulted at 26.0, worse than before the upped meds. My OB gave me a referral, so I'm off to the endocrinologist next Thursday for some answers. I wish we didn't have to sacrifice so much of our paycheck for medical insurance but I'm glad we have it. The kids are healthy and strong and I'm thankful every day for that:-)