14 months.

As we approach the end of 2011, I get a little teary eyed when I think back over the past year and visualize how much you, our little girl, have grown. This time last year, you weren't even rolling over on your own yet.  I would hold you cradled close against my breast, breathing in your sweet baby smell, and getting lost in your deep, dark eyes. I watched you lay in your Papa's arms too, as you quietly observed each other's faces, cooing back and forth.

Now, you'll barely ever stay still, even when you're having milk! You are already so determined and focused on being your own person. I am astounded at how grown up you look and act. You get so excited to run around and interact with everyone and everything. You have even started running off out of my sight when we go for walks outside. I think you know now that I would never leave you and I'll always be right around the corner.

You say many different words, and understand just about everything I say! You have even started to interact with me and ask for things by using your words paired with gestures. You will look at me and point to yourself while saying "buh" for book, asking me to read to you. If I ask who my baby is, you point to yourself and say, "baby!" You have a very strong concept of Self, for one so young. If I ask you where your ball is (or any other number of things), you hold your hands up and shrug very matter of factly as if to say, "well how should I know!"

You also love to get startled. Sometimes, I will hide outside your bedroom door as you play, waiting for you to come out. I pop out and scare you so you jump with surprise and you'll burst out laughing! Your favorite toy right now is your shape sorter. You enjoy pretending you've gotten your hand stuck and wailing pathetically for me to save you. When I tell you that you know how to do it yourself, you pull your hand out and make a pouty face at me!

You've gotten very tall recently; I no longer have to roll up the sleeves and pant legs of your 18 month clothes, though they are still baggy on you! You've also found your true love - spaghetti with tomato sauce and cheese - and you've even started eating it all by yourself. You love applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled in and harvati cheese with herbs. Your one year molars have all started coming in but you hardly seem to notice.

You love bubble baths, everything to do with the word "papa," and coloring. Lately, you have been allowed by the kitty to pet him more often, which you do very gently indeed. You pretend to tickle yourself and say "tick-tick!" and also still tickle my face with my hair. You adore when I pretend to bite your feet and hands while you're nursing - lots of giggling and squealing! When Papa's internet is strong enough, seeing him on the webcam is the highlight of your day. You also love dancing, which is a bit reminiscent of River Dance.

Even though I sometimes miss your days as a newborn, swinging you up into the air is just wonderful. Watching you explore and discover new things is just as exciting as waiting for that first sleepy smile. Hearing you say "mama!" warms my heart as much as your first little coos once did. When you run to me and fall into my arms for a hug, I feel just as much your Mama as I did the first time I held you. You are so different and yet, you are the same. You are my baby.
I love you, my sweet bunny. 

wordless wednesday.

"Mama, come here so I can stick this flower up your nose!"

Digging in the mulch.

Stormy skies

The slide is better with shoes off - most things are!

Putting mulch pegs in the holes.

my "new" living room.

About a month ago, Iris learned how to get down from the couch by herself. Then, about a week ago she learned that she didn't need my help and instead... well, here's a demonstration! Please ignore the yelling in the background, bad timing! We were watching Howl's Moving Castle during breakfast!

I knew it was only a matter of time before she realized she could get on the couch and then get off on the other end, where the No Baby Zone was. For a long time, we had the ottoman, a blanket and cushions blocking her access to the electronics, shelves of dvds and open outlets for our computers and phones. So this evening, we spent a couple of hours baby proofing. Here is what my living room looks like now!

Yes, our little tree is up and there are already some presents hidden behind it! And yes, that is cardboard covering our electronics. I plan to paint it so at least it will look... sort of pretty? Obviously, we didn't know we were going to be having a baby when we bought furniture. Let me also be honest and say I really dislike our coffee table. It looks like a spacecraft, but without the super cool aliens. It's actually not even the one we initially picked out, but the lady taking our order apparently wrote down the wrong product number. We decided not to bother with the hassle of returning it... definitively a mistake, haha! The glass top shows every little fingerprint and drop of water, and drives me batty.

Iris is very pleased to be allowed over there now and explored every little corner of the space as we renovated. I had to move all the ornaments to the very top of the tree, which looks pretty funny! It's also so nice to be able to walk around the house without stepping over cushions! Anyone have any suggestions for how I should paint our classy cardboard? I'm thinking of going for some sort of enlarged mandala print.

links I love.

This is a well written story about a woman's experience with charity. Definitely made me rethink my perspective. This year, I donated a whole bunch of never-used formula, toothbrushes, toothpaste, other personal care items, and canned tuna fish and pineapple. I'm thinking we can afford to give a little more this year.

Moon and Sable on Etsy. I love the V drop earrings, the lone wolf necklace and the crystal fragments duster earrings!

I adore Modcloth. I've bought all of my clothes in the last year from this store, and love every piece! They sell retro, vintage inspired, indie and overall stylish clothing I haven't seen anywhere else. I'll have to make a "what's in my closet" post some day!

This article talks about how, in my home state of Rhode Island, formula companies are no longer allowed to use hospitals to send samples of formula home with every new mother. Formula will still be given to those who may need or request it, but is no longer given indiscriminately. I hope this gets more mothers and babies off to the best start possible!

I made this Quinoa and Green Olive Stew (without the chicken) last week and it was delicious! I might just make it again today! I've been really getting into using quinoa in my every day cooking, since I have accidentally gone mostly-vegetarian since Marius left.

Rhythm & Ritual is a blog I stumbled across at some point recently and I found it really interesting to scroll through.Very inspiring images. 

I look for a lot of my tattoo inspiration here. A lot of it is not my style, but it's still fun to browse! I have two small tattoos currently - the first was on my lower stomach when I was 19 and the second a symbol on my inner wrist a few years ago. I have been planning a few larger pieces for several years now. When we get to Germany, Marius and I are definitely planning on actively pursuing getting tattooed some more. He's got three right now, one of which is a piece covering most of his back. Here is one of my favorite artists in the US, Thomas Hooper!

excitement for the park, and a very large t-rex.

I've been seriously terrible at posting on my blog lately. I've had a lot of things going on emotionally and needed some time to focus on myself and our family. Life has been wonderful, as always, and Iris has changed so much in the last week it astounds me. She has her first molar now and has grown at least an inch taller!





I had a doctor's appointment on Friday, so my friend Lena and her husband took Jane and Iris to the park nearby. Thank you to Lena for taking these pictures of Iris! I love how her zesty personality really shines through in these photos!

loving Papa.

Iris' Papa Doll finally arrived today. 

This photo perfectly captures her reaction.

She's been carrying him around all day since.

We miss you, Love.

wordless wednesday.

an unlikely murder.

I really enjoyed taking photos of my cranberry sauce the other day, so today I decided to play around with a pomegranate. I've called this little set, "The Unlikely Murder."

Food photography may be becoming another new passion! 

thankfulness.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Iris and I had a nice dinner yesterday at the squadron. This morning, I went with Lena to the airport to pick up her husband just returning from Afghanistan, then I had a nice long talk online with Marius when we got home. I made a delicious vegetarian stew for myself with fire roasted tomatoes, quinoa, beans and green olives, along with numerous spices. All in all, it was a good day even though Marius couldn't be here to share it with us in person.

In the last few hours of this day, I sit here reflecting upon what it is I am truly thankful for. My life, the experience of living and all the wonder it brings. My Family, my health and my wealth, which has provided the roof over my head and all the amenities we are so fortunate to own. I am thankful that we don't have to worry where our next paycheck is coming from or that we don't have to choose between heating our home and affording food. I am appreciative of my military family and my friends, whom have given of themselves to help us. I am thankful for my daughter for bringing so much more light into my life, and who has bettered me in more ways than she will ever know.

Most of all, I am thankful for my husband and for our marriage. My words fail me in describing the perfect love we share. Thank you, Marius, for teaching me with such patience to love myself. You've loved me unconditionally, and shown me the greatest compassion and tenderness that I have ever known. Your incredible steadfastness and sensitivity astonish me every day. You are truly an exceptional man. I am so thankful to have you in my life and I look forward to spending every day of eternity together. I will always follow the road which leads me to you. 

lullaby moon kitty

I've mentioned on countless occasions that Iris' favorite toys are actually her books. I can't help but buy her new ones all the time because not only am I exhausted of reading the same ones over and over, but she simply glows from the inside out when presented with a new book. About three months ago, at Kohl's, I spotted this book called Lullaby Moon. It's about a mama (or papa) and baby mouse coming home after a day of playing, and getting ready for bed. The illustrations are soft and warm with a lyrical story. Iris took to the characters immediately. Especially - no surprise - the kitty.

See the little kitty stuffed animal tucked into bed with the baby mouse? Iris would squeal and point this kitty out every time we read this story. It got to the point that she would disrupt my reading and just flip all the way to the last two pages. I knew I wouldn't find a stuffed animal of this character anywhere online, so I decided to make one myself.

He took me around twelve hours to design, sew and embroider. 

Everything was done entirely by hand; I've never used a sewing machine in my life!

Iris absolutely adores him - he gets a lot of love. Making him inspired me to create some felt food for her as well. This is the first crafting I've done in years. I used to make jewelry, knit, work with clay and all sorts of things that I haven't touched in a long time. Now that I'm a stay at home mom, I'm really enjoying exploring my creativity again!

simple and delicious cranberry sauce

Welcome to my very first recipe post! Yes, also my second post of the evening; I'm trying to make up for lost time! Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow... can you believe it?? This month has simply flown by, don't you think so? I thought I'd share my very simple and yummy recipe for cranberry sauce.

Gather your ingredients! Oops, the orange peels got mostly cut out of the picture.

Cranberries are just gorgeous little things. I used to eat them raw as a child and maybe I still do.

Combine water and sugar, and bring to a boil.

Add cranberries and orange peels.

Bring back to a boil and listen to those cranberries pop!

Reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you're using a wooden spoon, it will be tinted a lovely color!

After 12 minutes, the mixture will have started to thicken and turn a deep ruby red.

Squeeze some fresh orange juice, maybe an 1/8 of a cup or so.

Sprinkle some cinnamon, but not too much. That stuff is powerful!

Allow to cool, thicken and become edible. With a spoon. No turkey necessary.

Ta-da! Homemade, whole cranberry sauce, that was easy!

There are so many different variations you can do with this. Usually, I add chopped walnuts in with the cranberries and orange peel but since I'm making this for a variety of people who may have nut allergies, I decided to leave it out. We found out about the allergies the hard way last year, oops! I made double this recipe for tomorrow's thanksgiving party, so I hope it gets eaten! Otherwise, this bowl of cranberry and I are going to become very well acquainted. 

Simple Cranberry Sauce Recipe

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

12 oz fresh cranberries

4-5 orange julienne strips (reserve the orange)

cinnamon

Combine water and sugar in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. 

Add cranberries and orange julienne and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer approximately 12 minutes - enjoy the sounds of cranberries popping!

Turn off the heat and squeeze some fresh orange juice into the sauce, then sprinkle some cinnamon to taste - it should add a layer of flavor, but not be overpowering. 

Stir and allow to cool to room temperature before serving, and be sure to remove the orange peels. May be refrigerated for up to a week.

well, hello there!

It's certainly been a while! I have been so busy planning and shopping for Christmas that I've all but forgotten about my blog. I'm usually one of those last minute shoppers, or at least I used to be. In the last couple of years I've found great pleasure in plotting Christmas presents way in advance. This year, I'm making a concerted effort to support small businesses and craft a few little things myself, as well. I've done quite a bit of shopping on etsy.com, which has actually become a bit of an obsession. One of my long term goals is to open my own shop there in the next few years! Anyway, here are a few instagram pictures from today!

Iris drinking from her Klean Kanteen sippy cup.

There was a lot of this going on today...

We made about a half a gallon of cranberry sauce!

Iris running free... or tightrope walking?

She played with this leaf for a while.

During dinner, we watched a show about black holes. Fascinating stuff.

A pre-bedtime routine snack of strawberries, which has become somewhat of a tradition for us.

And finally, the song I've been playing on repeat for most of the day!