Catching up

Being a goof ;) Like the aspirator as well? Hates me using it on her, but loves picking it up and trying it on her self...she grabs it and says "no, no" for nose, and continues to use it and a kleenex to "clean" her own ;) She has blown her nose for several months though, so that helps!

She is catching up finally! She is right at about 19 pounds, still little, but has gained a great deal in height. I am now down to one feeding a day...she has lost interest, and more or less weaned herself. She loves just about all foods. Favorites are "chee" cheese, "manana" banana, and "aher" cracker. She now knows her meals, and will ask for "behbah", "na na" (breakfast and lunch) especially. She says juice, milk, please, thank you (and uses the last two appropriately a good deal of the time without being prompted). She has taken to nodding and saying Yeah regularly to questions asked, which is a great help. At bedtime, she takes her milk, grabs her blankie and binkie, and says "nigh nigh". We'll ask if she is sleepy, and she'll sign the word and wimper "seepy". She LOVES bedtime, but I think it is because of getting to cuddle with her blanket. Jes and I take her to bed and she gives us both hugs and will fall towards her crib ;) We do wonder if nightmares are beginning...she will wake every once and a while screaming...but when we turn on a light and try to talk to her, she is fine and will settle down. She can be moody, but has turned into a very happy girl. She loves her siblings, as they do her, and definately misses them when they're gone. She calls them "issy and bubba". When the kids come home, they immediately ask for her, and by that time she hears them and races to come greet them! Melts my heart when she does the same to me if I'm gone...she gets so excited! One of her favorite games is when the kids "chase" her saying they are going to "get" her. She run around the main floor laughing hysterically! She loves "titty" kitty, but is beginning to get a little rough...likes to hold on to his tail and follow him around. But if we say to pet or be nice she says "paaa" for pet and acts innocent :) She is now walking everywhere. A few weeks ago, she finally mastered pushing up from the floor without something to hold onto, so that got her going full time. She LOVES reading...especially when accompanied by music (Jes and I know the whole song of Over the River and Through the Woods because she loves the singing). She signs book regularly while saying "ba" and asks to get "upease" up please to be read to. She then says "dow" when she's reading to get down. She speaks so much, the kids LOVE trying to get her to say new words! I truly think signing has helped her comprehension. She gets a good deal of what we say, whether it be getting out, closing, put it away, etc.

We heard the baby's heartbeat Thursday...166...the nurse joked based on the wive's tale that it was a girl because of the fast heartrate...Jes didn't much appreciate that. The boys are definately voting for a boy...especially Chase. It would be a great birthday gift for him! The baby is due May 11 just days before his birthday. I am beginning to feel better, but not completely recovered yet. Thank you for all of the prayers! That's about all I can think of to catch you up on now! Enjoy all the new pictures! So sorry for the delay...I will try to be better!

Gianna 14 months

First Sucker! a miniature dumdum...she was quite pleased ;)

sporting mommy's heels

And standing in them so well!

She crawls up to this at grandma and grandpa's house, calls for "bankie" her blanket, and says "rockie, rockie"... too cute

Cell phone

Gianna has an obsession with Cell phones, so Grandma got her one for herself ;)

She loves it of course

Learned how to fully say "hello" with it instead of just "hi"

And will walk around the house like this talking to herself for quite awhile

Halloween

Our little kitty ;)

The Cousins

Gi Joe Snake Eyes and two kitties! momma and baby as Maisy says

Corn Maze

Maisy at I at the Corn Maze with the Little Flowers!

Gianna and mommy

BEAUTIFUL fall trip to the zoo with mommy!

Reading and smoothies

More reading ;)

First smoothie! Wanted some of moms

Check out the face!

Gianna goofing around

Little girl that LOVES her blankie

She was laying down and pushing this button repeatedly...adorable

Reading with daddy

State Fair

Tuckered out in the very beginning...one of the ONLY times I've EVER seen her do this in public...she was a tired girl!

Chase on the saddle

Maisy and Cousin Arynn

sporting the hat ;)

Gianna 12 months

Just being cute

Check out the progression...pardon the nudity, but it was too cute!

"Been caught!"

"Does this help? Here you can have one too mommy!"

Pregnancy laziness

I have failed all, terribly sorry. One of these days I will do a proper post. Trying to think of everything that has been missed out on in the past month! I have been very busy, but dealing with a first trimester which has made anything extra seem so burdensome! especially heading down to the basement for anything (ie blogging). Hopefully to get better in less than a month! More to come soon (including pictures)...promise...

Sweet Potato Pancakes

So I'm finally starting to feel better. Gianna and I were caught up in a whirlwind of allergies/colds during the week of her birthday. I had a sore throat for longer than I can ever remember, but it wasn't strep. She was already on antibiotics, so luckily she was safe once she started getting better (days before I did).

Wanted to share another GREAT dinner idea. Jes and I treated ourselves to Jimmy's Egg here in Wichita a couple of weeks ago. I am a HUGE fan of their food and prices. Anyway, he ordered Sweet Potato Pancakes for his meal. He was blown away, as was I. I decided, during a dinner dilemma, to recreate the meal. I quickly shooed Jes out the door when he got home (to mow before it rained) while Maisy and I hurried with dinner before he discovered our supper surprise. We cooked up some delicious turkey sausage from Aldi (by the way, excellent special purchases next week), some eggs, grapes, and this wonderful treat. There are many recipes, this is the Sweet Potato Pancake recipe I used.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
2 cups milk
4 teaspoons melted butter, plus more for greasing skillet
2 whole eggs
1 sweet potato, cooked until tender, peeled and pureed
Pecan butter, recipe follows
Maple syrup, for serving
Directions
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix together and whisk until smooth. Cook batches in buttered skillet on medium high temperature until bubbles form on the surface, then turn over and cook until dark golden brown. Serve with pecan butter and maple syrup.

Pecan Butter:
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans toasted and cooled
1/2 pound butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
Mix all ingredients together (use rubber gloves). Roll in parchment paper and freeze. Cut into slices and top sweet potato pancakes.

Yield: 10 servings


Delicious :)

Gianna ~ One year

 

Sorry it's late kids... computer didn't exactly want to cooperate with us. Hope you can enjoy a rewind with us on the anniversary of her birth. She has changed our life. Hopefully she will have many more lives to change as well.

Make a Smilebox photobook