Matt Turns 31!!!

...this past Tuesday was Matt's 31st birthday. I started the day by leaving a dozen donuts at his work from AR and me. All of his co-workers for very appreciative. Then I always pack him a special lunch with all his favorites that we don't normally buy. Apparently the sandwich I bought was huge so he had 2 days worth of yummy lunch. When he got home, AR and I put a gift basket full of his favorites, 2 Wii games, an Under Armour shirt and a Bass Pro gift card. I also put a 6-pack of Moose Drool in there which he loved. Glad I have beer drinking Twitter friends. :-)

 

Then we went to Joe's Crab Shack as a family. Matt ordered the steam pot which he said was very delicious. AR and I shared carrots and my steak plus she had dill pickles and some purees we brought (which she sucked out of the tub in about a minute flat!).

Then because everyone commented on AR's outfit, which said Daddy's Girl, and we explained it was his birthday. They made him put on a coconut bra and dance while they sang him Happy Birthday. 

Daddy and AR after dinner with full bellies

 

Happy birthday, Mattie!

Happy Easter!!!

...I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. From AR & I to you...HAPPY EASTER!!!

 

Breakfast with the Bunny...

...this past Saturday, before the blizzard came, AR and I went to Breakfast with the Bunny. It was through my work so all the volunteers and some of the grandmas there all wanted to hold AR. She did pretty good being passed around. She found one egg, which we "hid" again for another little girl...

Then we saw the Easter Bunny!

Although she didn't smile in any of the pictures, I think she liked him. I put her on the floor and she'd crawl back to him!

Then we found the ring game...thank goodness for baby wipes!

Then we went BACK to the Bunny! She rolled around in his arms wanting to get a closer inspection.

Then we got home and just decided to be bunnies ourselves!

We've got another egg hunt this weekend with Jenni and Emma...let's hope the snow melts by then!

Sweet Potato Cookies...

...I found a recipe on Pinterest for teething biscuits. It used rice cereal or single grain oatmeal. This seemed like a perfect way to get rid of all the oatmeal because AR doesn't eat it any more and there's a TON leftover (plus I have an entire unopened box). I followed the directions like I was supposed to but added more water because mine were really sticky. I baked and baked and baked and they never got hard like a teething biscuit is supposed to so mine ended up being sweet potato cookies instead!

Here's the recipe from the blog Imprintalish:

Homemade Teething Biscuits (or Sweet Potato Cookies)

1 cup flour
1 cup dry infant rice cereal
1 ripe medium mashed banana (1/3 cup-I have also substituted pureed carrots and sweet potato)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 425ºF / 220ºC. In a bowl, mix together flour, cereal and cinnamon. Add in oil, banana and water. Mix until dough comes together to form a firm, non-sticky dough. Add water or flour (1 tablespoon at a time) if necessary. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/2 inch thick and cut into shapes or bars. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly brown. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Matt and I both agree...bland but it's not meant for us sugar craving adults! Instead of giving AR her normal half of an Eggo for breakfast, I let her have a cookie for breakfast with her fruit. Here she is tasting it..

Hmm...that bite wasn't big enough, let me jam some more into my mouth!

Mmm...de...lic..ious!

 

AR was a big fan if you can't tell by the huge mouthfuls! I had to take it away otherwise she would shove it all in her mouth. I figure, minus the vegetable oil, they've got to be pretty healthy. We'll definitely be making these again...until we run out of baby cereal!

Sunny Afternoon with my Babies...

...Saturday afternoon, AR and I got out the Radio Flyer wagon that Papa gave her for Christmas. It was a warm 67 degrees out so we took the dogs in the backyard. She loved her wagon and watching her doggies play! I pulled her in circles around our yard and she just grinned the entire time.

Then we stopped to take pictures and look at this daredevil...

Yep! She's not afraid of anything, she just stood right up!

So we decided to watch the dogs play around in the backyard. They were crazy and ran in circles which made AR laugh and laugh and laugh and I got some good photos. 

Then the doggies were tired so they came over to visit AR. Here's Shad nudging her hand to get her to pet him.

Emma always wants to lick her face but doesn't really want to be petted.

Even the doggies love them some AR kisses!

We then headed inside and gave the doggies a treat. We made them do a trick for us which AR thought was hilarious!

Mommy loves her baby's blue eyes...

The silly doggies kept playing inside too which AR loved watching them.

Then Emma went to bed and said she was done playing. Whew-we were all worn out!

Then 24 hours later, this is what our yard looked like...

Gotta love Missouri weather, right?

10 Month Photo Shoot!!!

...10 month photo shoot! I never know what to expect from her...one month she hates the basket and loves the bear, next month is the opposite!

 

Look at her showing some leg here! Maybe it's because I haven't seen much of her leg lately because of pants but I feel like this looks like a small child's leg, not a baby!

She was all smiles in the wicker basket this month...and she didn't fall out either!

Now the bear shots, well, um...she wasn't feeling it too much!

Happy 10 Months Sweet AR!

Messy Face AR...

...don't let this face fool you. "What are you talking about, Mom?"-AR

Recently, AR has become a PIG PEN when it comes to eating! She's mainly eating table food but I have some purees I made plus some jars of purees that I don't want to waste. 

Since she wants to grab and hold everything, she is very good about grabbing the spoon/jar quickly and getting just enough on her hand to make a huge mess!

This night at dinner, she got just a little bit in her hand and then literally ran her hand through her hair!

I've since learned to just strip her down before dinner and I don't even bother trying to clean her up since she has a bath shortly after dinner. This was after dinner when AR and Daddy were playing and AR took one step from her toy to my chair!

Now look at her being all prim and proper...like I said before, don't let her fool you...

AR is a pig pen!!!