Bear Skin Baby

Ever since Jeremy's sister Carrie gave us a stuffed animal that looks like a mini bear skin rug, I've been waiting for the opportunity to take that classic nakey baby picture. So we had some fun tonight and got a couple of great shots

But of course the good shots came with lots of antics. Taking pictures of a baby is harder than it looks....thank goodness for digital cameras!

During our little photo shoot Tessa gave a few laughs. She's been squealing and goo-gooing for some time but this is the first time I've heard her say 'ha ha ha'. I tried to capture it on the video part of the camera but it was too hard to tape and tickle her at the same time. Good thing Daddy's coming home soon for just such an occasion!

Boredom Leads to Online Shopping

Well we are officially on day 9 of Jeremy being gone out of town and me alone with Tessa 24/7, and I've got to give props to the single moms out there. I definitely don't mind being alone with her all day, as we do that every day, but it sure would be nice to have someone else hold her for an hour or so in the evening.

She's continuing to teeth which has made her a little fussy and needy, and she thinks it's cute to throw a fit every time I leave the room to pee, check the mail, or get food. She has a couple of little white tooth buds under the surface that have gotten more prominent. Her sleeping is better but we've been using chamomile or gentle naturals teething drops alot...and once in a while (like last night) she just has a tough night!

I'm trying to keep us occupied so we don't get too lonely, but found myself shopping on Ebay yesterday to kill time. We got some baby clothes and Bum Genius diapers, and look what else- a juicer! We can make our own juice!

Simpsonized

Yes I know I'm a little slow on this bandwagon...but I've been simpsonized. Pretty good except I'm missing a baby on the hip (they don't have simpsonized baby images) and it wouldn't let me have two dogs, just one. Otherwise pretty good! :)

Mamaw's Famous

Well at least in North Vernon she is :)
http://plaindealer-sun.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&subsectionID=42&articleID=1870

Happy Birthday Mamaw

Hey Folks- Tessa here. Mom is all busy reading about feeding me or not feeding me so I thought I'd write my own blog. Doesn't she know I like the breastaurant anyway?

Last night was my Mamaw's birthday. We celebrated the 25th anniversary of her 30th birthday. That's confusing. Anyway, here are pictures!

Hey, listen up suckers or I'll sock you one!

There's my Mommy, Mamaw and Great-Mamaw. I was too busy eating my hand to smile

Bob was really into something called cake, and he made a mess!

We went on a walk. There's cousin Bill and below is Aunt Becky with flowers in her hair. Bob picked them for her.

When will I get to walk around in the garden with everyone? My mommy says not yet.

Papaw kisses me alot

There's Mamaw, the birthday girl

Hey I know that lady

rice cereal follow up- eek!

So upon researching rice cereal after our appt today I've found that it's actually a subject up for great debate! On babycenter.com (my priceless source of info since the beginning of pregnancy) I've found many many moms who say don't do it...it's better for their tummies, allergies, etc to wait until 6 months and start with strained veggies and fruits. Some mothers feel very passionately about it.

Who knew this was a topic of great debate?!

My new book 'super baby food' seems to agree that waiting as long as possible is best, and upon further research so does the AAP! (association of pediatricians)

So basically while the doc agrees it would help her sleep through the night, I think we'll wait a little longer. I've been nursing during the night for 4 months, why stop now.

Let Them Eat Rice!

Hello All! We had Tessa's four month doctor's appointment this morning and she is now snoozing in a tylenol induced nap brought on by a slight fever because of her shots :(

She is doing great and even had an diaper explosion for the doctor just to make him laugh. She weighs 14.3 lbs and is 25 inches tall, which puts her at 70% on weight, 75% on height. The doctor predicts she might be tall and skinny, not unlike her parents....if we could only master that skinny part.

I talked the doc a bit about her recent sleeping troubles and he said since she wants to nurse when she wakes she might be hungry for more than milk, which would be normal for a baby of her age. So he wants us to start giving her a tablespoon of rice cereal in the evenings and work up to two tablespoons a day....that's right, my baby is ready to eat! boo hoo :(

He doesn't want us to feed her anything but rice cereal until 6 months, but the book I listed below has been shedding some light on what we can feed her then, including sweet potatoes, avocado, bananas, etc.. Anyone have any advice to offer on making/storing your own baby food and what you started with?

So Thursday after WW, I am going to swing by Babies R Us and get some little spoons and other eating tools since we don't have any, as well as some rice cereal. I can't believe my baby is all grown up!

Getting Ready

Proof that Tessa truly is growing up too fast. I purchased these books online today :( We have two more months until eating time, but I thought I'd be ahead of the game.

A tutorial on how to feed a baby starting at 6 months old...what foods are best, what to avoid, etc. Plus given Tessa's status as Superbaby, I couldn't resist the title. Perfect! Check it out

This one is more of a cookbook with baby food recipes and recipes for kids up to age four. Check it out.

The Perfect Turkey Burger

Jeremy and I have been trying to figure out a perfect turkey burger recipe for a while now with some failed attempts. But we made them last night and practically licked our plates.


Turkey Basil Burger:
-- 1lb ground turkey (lean but not extra lean)
-- 1 egg
-- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
-- 1/2 cup or so chopped basil (from the garden:)
-- 2 tsp salt
-- 1 tsp pepper
Now the key ingredient was actually the cheese on top....low fat feta! With an onion and whole wheat bun it equals about 8 WW points per 1/3 lb burger.

Turkey burgers make Tessa SO happy!

Boulder Pictures

After our adventure in the mountains, we made a weekend stop in Boulder, CO to visit with Jeremy's Dad and Stepmom.

For a fun activity we made our own custom made sun visors!

In case you didn't know Tessa is a super baby....she likes to fly through the sky and even has a motto

One of the most fun activities as the Flying Pig Ranch is riding the 'tractor'

And also 'swimming' with Grampie!

Breckenridge Vaca Pictures

Here is our cabin which was plenty big even for our large group, and beautiful views! There were 7 bedrooms, each with it's own bathroom! Check it out


Here are a few pics of our whole group which included: Jeremy's Mom and Stepdad, Sister Jessica, Sister Carrie with husband Clay and our niece Vicki, Step sister Caroline with her husband Guido and our niece Cassandra and nephew Donovan, Step brother Colin and his partner Paul. And of course us! Fun in numbers! :)

Tessa got a bath in the mountains!

Tessa with her cousin Cassandra......

....Uncle Colin....

...Grandpa Dave...

...Cousin Donovan...

... Mom-Mom...

...and Cousin Vicki and Auntie Jessica...

We took a boat ride across Lake Dillon and had a picnic. Isn' the sky beautiful?

And here's a pic from one of the higher impact activities we didn't participate in...white water rafting!! Maybe in a few years :)