kaye at six months

our little cuddle-bear turned six months yesterday. this is a big deal.

1. i'm no longer afraid she's going to die of SIDS. apparently there is about a 1% chance of this happening in babies 6+ months. so we're in good shape.

2. we are sleeping at night. and while she wasn't a great napper...ever since about three months she's only been waking about once a night between the hours of 3:30 and 5 am. i feel good about that. plus there is something so sweet about cuddle-sessions in the wee hours.

3. teething? ain't no thang. our little turtle-bug has four. two on the bottom-center and the two right next to the top-center. that's right...not the top front teeth, the ones next to the top front. that's weird. this leads to her chewing on...EVERYTHING. for example:

nicknames: cuddle-bear, cuddle-beet, cuddle-muff(in), bear, beet, turtle-bug, koala, baby

weight: 17 pounds (according to our home scale. first i get on and weigh myself, then pick her up and weigh us together. it's a very scientific process.)

loves: food, long runs, being held, not cuddling, not napping, getting her diaper changed, scratching fabric, story time at the library, and riding dirty around the farm. and by "riding dirty" i mean standing on her dad's lap holding the wheel. it's a luxury we have out here on the farm.

hates: cuddling, napping, being alone, the last mile of any run

milestones: she totally sits up on her own (see above)...and she loves it. i also witnessed her push up onto her hands and knees for a very hot second today. my heart skipped a beat and i beamed with ridiculous enthusiasm.

is this what it's like each time your child does something new? i'm going to be a crier...i know it.

my little beet - you're one of a kind.

i have to say that i kind of LOVE that you're an absolute angel for all others but can be a total pill with me. that means i always get glowing reports of what an amazing little gal i have. and all i can say is, "i know...isn't she the best?"

but you and i know the truth. you save all your sassiness for me. you little sass-face. lucky me. but let it be known that your sassiness is few and far between. so when you do act up, it's fine. we deal.

can i just say thank you x 1 million for being the BEST little running partner there ever was? i mean, even when i made you sit in the BOB for nine miles you were a total trooper for all but the last mile. that's totally understandable. i usually get pretty fussy during the beginning of my runs. we all have our moments.

let's discuss your eating habits little miss. talk about enthusiastic. one look at your thighs and people know you've never skipped a meal in your life.

i'm not sure why i yell "peaches!" at the end of this.

in the last month you have thoroughly enjoyed the Plum brand of organic pouches...because let's be honest; your mom CERTAINLY isn't going to be making your little purees. not when they are so readily available and packaged so sweetly and easy to use. you particularly like butternut squash with cinnamon; spinach, peas and pears; and broccoli and apple. my favorite? broccoli and apple. it's quite enjoyable.

my favorite part about meal time? the way you grunt between each and every bite. i try to slow you down by making you pause for at least five seconds between bites, but it's just not in your nature these days to eat like a lady. we'll teach you some manners in the coming months/years.

oh! and i gave you hummus the other day on a wheat thin. of course you didn't eat the wheat thin, but you gobbled down the hummus and demanded more.

oh! and you may have tried some froyo. like...the most miniscule of miniscule amounts. you totally dug that too. and you still looked cute with it all over your lips.

but baby, we have GOT to discuss your clinginess as of late. it's ridic. and i need you to give me a break. i mean...if i want to sweep the floors or dust and not be holding you, i should be able to. but let me tell you, when i let you weep on the floor in a pile of your toys...i DO NOT feel like mom of the year. but maybe you'll get the memo soon? i cannot hold you all. the. time.

sidebar - my left arm is getting super strong. today as i lugged you around, my bicep was aching so badly i thought it might tear. that's probably slightly dramatic, but it burned.

oh you little turtle...even though you're so clingy, i have to say i REALLY enjoy that you wake up on the right side of the bed every. single. time. the ginormous smile on your face when i snag you out of bed is the absolute best. especially when it is accompanied by a double leg kick with enough force that it scoots you across your mattress. it's like you're saying, "OMG!! it's my most favorite person in the world coming to hug me!" i'd like to think you're really thinking that. maybe one day you'll even say something similar. wishful thinking?

so baby, as you venture into your seventh month, let's work on longer naps. and maybe being comfortable playing by yourself. but you can keep grunting at meal time. that cracks me up.

baby - you're the best baby. and i love calling you baby.

he liked it so he put a ring on it

you know it!

my sister and her main squeeze decided to get hitched.

he liked it. he put a ring on it. and now a wedding is happening...like...tomorrow.

actually, not tomorrow, but soon-ish. as in, we have about zero days to plan this shindig. and i think kell bell prefers it that way. for as long as i can remember she's always been pretty, "ho, hum, i can't be bothered, blah, blah, whatev," about the idea of her wedding.

me? that wasn't the case. i had been fantasizing (read: obsessing) about my wedding since i was just a little gal. i just love weddings...what can i say? i've written a few times about our big day here and here. since this is a bloggy about our lives i should probably write about the actual day...(as i stare longingly out the window reflecting on our perfect day. i was hungry, but damn skinny. those were the days...)

back to kell bell.

see that sweet little gal with the star on her head? she's bringing this guy into our family...

no, that's not his kid...it's his ridiculously cute nephew so i approve the union.

plus he makes my sweet sis real REAL happy, and they look pretty cute together...

and the guy can grow a mean beard...and seriously people...my sister has been obsessing over facial hair for years. it was her one requirement in her easy-breezy world.

so pardon me as i live in wedding heaven over the next few weeks. (read: time to get serious about cleaner eating so i don't look like trash in her wedding pictures.)

on a related note: i found some random doughnuts in our house today. and when i say random, i mean i bought them on friday. i convinced myself it was okay to eat two because i wasn't eating the entire doughnut...just the glorious, chocolate-y top of the doughnuts.

sunday confessional.

'nuff said.

make this tonight - you won't be disappointed

do you like goat cheese?

perfect. then you're going to love this delish recipe.

some background: my farmer, miss kaye and i traveled out to a fellow farm-family's home (the watterson's) a few weeks ago. they made us dinner which is pretty fantastic. i'll take any opportunity to get out of making a hot meal that isn't popcorn or out of a crockpot.

the watterson's own and operate 24 west ranch right here in the treasure valley (southwest idaho). you can find their goodies at whole foods (boise), albertson's, some local eateries, and i'm sure a few other places i'm unaware of.

needless to say, their farming and our farming differ quite a lot.

the dish miss jill prepared for us was goat cheese, chicken sausage spaghetti. (that is a very unofficial title...i'm just not sure what she called it.)

not but two days after visiting their farm, i was craving it again. this means i made a special 30 minute trip to the store to get the goat cheese. it was a MUST, people. a must.

here's how it went down:

ingredients include: mushrooms, onions, pesto, goat cheese, spaghetti noodles, and chicken sausage (i purchased mine from costco and it's a little spicy and i love it and i could eat several in one sitting).

step 1 - slice up three or four chicken sausage links (depending on how many people you have eating.) i sliced up two for farmer and me. cook those links up and set aside.

step 2 - start cooking your spaghetti.

step 3 - in the same pan, saute up some onions. if you're an onion lover like my farmer, you'll do 1/2 of a walla walla sweet, which i feel like is a hefty portion of onion for two.

step 3 - add in three tablespoons of pesto. i lo-ove pesto, so this might be too much for you. you'll also add in the chopped mushrooms and the set-aside, cooked sausage. just cook those together for about five minutes.

step 4 - add 1/2 of a large package of goat cheese. now pump the brakes. i'm not sure if this was the right move on my part. remember, i was trying to adjust the recipe for two...so naturally, i thought 1/2 would be just right. but i don't think it was. i mean...it was still pretty tasty, but not NEARLY as tasty as what had been prepared for us...and i really really think it's because i skimped on the goat cheese. rookie mistake. the next time i make this i'll use 3/4 package of goat cheese. so anyway, pop the goat cheese in the pan with the sausage, onion, pesto, and mushrooms. stir it around until it's melted.

step 5 - wham bam nelly...you've got yourself some spaghetti. now pile the sauce on top of some whole grain spaghetti noodles and you're set. i prepared a little spinach salad to go with...yep, right out of a mason jar.

i swear it's better than it looks in this shabby picture.

enjoy!

ps. thanks watterson family for a lovely evening and and lovely recipe! yu-UM!

fabulous farm fit-ass...i mean fitness

guys. this is happening. it really is!

i know it's been a bit since i said i was going to start running again...so you probably thought i bombed that goal. similar to how i've said i was going to cook my farmer dinner and then made him popcorn instead. right? right.

well BOOM b*tches! (too far? i tend to write like i speak. let me start over...)

well BOOM! i'm DOING it!

1. the running is going fabulously. like...awesome. my wonderful farmer has been SUPER supportive. not only does he take little miss-miss for a few hours on the days i have to do longer runs, but he also hauled her for seven miles along side me two weekends ago. that farmer...mmm. he's the bees knees. our half marathon is in five weeks and i think it's going to be a success.

2. post-bebe weight? if you didn't read several posts ago let me catch you up. i didn't gain a whole lot of weight during my pregnancy so losing it was a snap. like...i was back to pre-preg. weight in two weeks. i felt like a rock star. SO rock star in fact that i thought i could eat whatever i wanted. i was breast feeding after all! (and that burns like 5000 calories a day. no, no it does not.) so with no working out and the tubs of nutella i gained eight-ish pounds in a snap. yikes. but now with all the running (about 20 miles a week) i'm down three pounds. five to go, but i wouldn't be mad about losing ten.

a few days past my due-date

one month after kaye's arrival. the weight just snapped right off!
this was CLEARLY before my crazy nutella phase...
(pictured here with my bea-u-ti-ful sister, kelli just after the ceremony of some dear friend's wedding)

unfortunately i thought the perfect time to pack on the eight pounds
was right before and during our vacation to hawaii. not. smart.

you would think at 20 miles of running a week maybe i would have lost more? well...that's hard when i STILL can't control my sweet tooth and my even stronger popcorn tooth. it's been a daily battle royale.  i'll get it together eventually. you should have seen the self-control i had several months before our wedding.

it'll be fun to post an "after" picture once i really start practicing a healthy diet.

and thirdly: i think my farmer has been most impressed with the amount of warm dinners he's been enjoying. that's right friends...my farmer has been coming home to actual meals. miss bebe has been my helper in the kitchen (read: keeping the knives and raw chicken out of her reach). yes yes...sometimes the meal is from the crockpot and sometimes it's as simple as grilled chicken ceasar salad, but it's happening. and it's edible. and i think it makes farmer love me just a little more.

i have a pretty delish recipe to post. it's a chicken sausage spaghetti made with goat cheese. YUM? yes.

pinterest - this one worked

oh you people. i have been a pinning fool as of late. not only have i been pinning, but i've been doing. have i been documenting? no...not at all.

but then today as my farmer held our bebe (see him standing in front of the tv in the background) i snapped these quick shots of our spinach.

spinach in mason jars = brilliance.

okay...so it all starts with my deep, deep love for costco. i love the smell. i love the samples. i love the size. for those of you not aware of what costco is...it's bulk. glorious glorious bulk. like...two giant tubs of nutella bulk. moving on...

so i've been shopping at costco for awhile. like...before i was married. yep...for some reason my family of one needed bulk food???

then i continued to shop in bulk for our party of two...still not necessary.

and now that we're a little family of three? still shopping...still not necessary.

but what it comes down to is i would buy this large package of organic spinach pretty much every trip. and while i KNOW we should have been eating that amount of greens before it went bad...we weren't. it would get slimy, and wet, and gross. half the package would be wasted. and that my dears...pissed me right off.

but then...pinterest. glorious pinterest. i saw a pin that said to put the spinach in mason jars...and since my mason jars were just sitting in the cupboard waiting for the next time they were to be used as vases, i figured i'd give it a shot.

and wham-bam-nelly...IT WORKS!!

so the last three times i've purchased spinach, i just divide the large package into four jars. not only does it take up less space in the fridge, but it keeps for over two weeks. it really really does.

and that's all i have to say about that.

on another note...i have a running partner that needs an attitude adjustment...

kaye at darn near five months

well, since this whole trend of writing a letter to your bebe is oh so popular, let's giddy-up on that bandwagon.

letter to my love:

oh kaye. my little high-maintenance kaye. you are your mother's daughter. (i'm a little HM. no judgement please.)

you, my dear, are a little chunk. you're tall. you have big ears. you weigh 16 1/2 pounds. you're still pretty bald, but our farmer and i think that brown hair is getting thicker.

your best feature? it could be your glorious eyelashes. or your super-tiny nose. or maybe that bald spot you've rubbed on the back of your head.

i would say that some of your most outstanding personality traits at four...almost five months are:

1. as stated before, you're super HM. not only do we have to hold you...a lot. but we can't be holding you and sitting down. we have to be holding you and standing up. we can't just be standing up. we also have to be walking. you love to move and groove. you're kind of a nosey little thing, too. you always want to know what's happening in the other room and demand to be taken there. we know you're demanding something because you give us warning grunts before you start to cry. lots and lots of grunting. maybe you could learn to relax a little? just a thought.

it's a good thing you look so darn cute dressed up as a lamb. and that toosh of yours? it doesn't quit.

2. you are a ridiculous squirm-bucket when i change you rear, but i learned a trick: when i take your pants off, i put them over your face. kind of like blinders on a horse so it doesn't get spooked. you seem to like it because when i move the pants off your face you are ALWAYS smiling.

3. aren't you just the best little napper there ever was? no, no you are not. i can get a solid 25 minutes out of you about two or three times a day. which provides me enough time to use the bathroom or make a sandwich and not eat it.

when are you a good napper? you're a good napper when i'm flying across the roughest of farm roads or we're in an incredibly loud restaurant. you'll sleep for an hour or two.

you'll also sleep in the moby wrap.

4. bless your drool-face. drool is something you do best. it may be because of the teeth that arrived at three months. really, three months? was that necessary? it's okay though, they are super SUPER cute. those two bottom teeth look great on you.

you've learned a few things to help soak up all the drool. one of those past times is chewing on bunny. you would chew bunny's face off if i let you. it used to be the softest of bunnies. now it's poor, matted fur smells a little funky.

5. you also started rolling over this past month. it's your party trick. we did a lot of tummy time to get you there, but you hated it so so much. lots of grunting and some crying would ensue with tummy time, so i would flip you back over. once you figured out the rolling thing we couldn't stop you. but guess what, you STILL hate being on your tummy. so tell me, why do you roll to your tummy every chance you get? conundrum you are, child.

6. bumbo. this is a whole different battle. i've seen the bumbo in business with other children. it works. it's awesome. you? you won't sit up you lazy thing. you lean. lean as far as you possibly can.

7. you have also started on people food, you little rock star. you eat it like a champ. so far you've tried butternut squash, broccoli, carrots, plums, and avocado. dislikes? none of them. loves? all of them.

8. things that make you smile and squeal with delight (because you aren't really laughing yet): snapping my fingers rapid-fire style in your face, sitting on my head and looking in the mirror, chewing on your ribs, and fart noises. yes...fart noises. such a lady.

we love you miss kaye. aka baby. aka turtle-bear-bug-beat-koala. we haven't settled on a nickname.

its about that time...

22 weeks pregnant last june. 

about one week ago i decided it was time to stop shoving trash in my face and start training for a half marathon. 13.1 miles folks. it'll be my third.

(don't worry...i stopped buying nutella about a month ago. now i just have to stop shoving all the other crap in my face.)

before miss kaye was with us i think i could run about an 8:30 minute mile pretty consistently. i mean...by no means was it easy. i was definitely huffing and puffing and sweating and panting and cursing, but hey...i was in the 8's. that's a big damn deal for me.

back in my faster days. pre-bebe.

so when i set out for my first long run this past sunday at my 9:40 pace i was feeling a little sad. but then i realized i wasn't breathing heavily. i wasn't in pain. and i was ACTUALLY enjoying myself. the six miles were gone in a flash. boom.

as i was running, i was thinking it might be fun to share some of my very most favorite most awesome running songs. the songs that keep me going. relax me. motivate me.

let's keep in mind i'm one of those crazy (awesome) runners that sings out loud and run-dances. or dance-runs. whatever. let's get on it...

playlist i like to listen to when i'm doing an interval run:

girl talk - feed the animals
i listen to the whole album. and it's awesome. if you haven't heard this compilation...get on it.

artists i like for a long run that you have to settle into:

eric hutchinson
jason mraz
jack johnson (some of them)

these types of songs seem to do a good job relaxing me and keep me paced well.

songs i enjoy when i'm feeling like a total badass and want to run-dance/dance-run:

sexy and i know it - LMFAO

bad romance - lady gaga

moves like jagger - maroon 5

hey ya! - outkast

super bass - nicki minaj (i also run/rap/sing this one...quite impressive)

gives you hell - the all-american rejects

sexy back - justin timeberlake

timebomb - beck

lay down the law - switches

party in the usa - miley cyrus (i'm not ashamed.)

rock dj - robbie williams

locked out of heaven - bruno mars (this one just makes me feel like a super sexy runner, right?)

call me maybe - carly rae jepsen (again, i'm not ashamed.)

f*ck you - cee lo green (i sing and dance/point especially hard to this one for some reason. it happens right at about 22 minutes on my playlist so i must be feeling particularly energized.)

some nights - fun

what makes you beautiful - one direction (sometimes i listen to it twice in a row.)

my farmer is coming to pick up miss kaye here in about an hour. i'll be going for a five mile run on this glorious, non-windy day...without having to push a stroller. i'm pretty jazzy-jazzed.

what songs are on your workout playlist? what must-haves am i missing?

my running partner.