melted smoosh

oh, baby girl. how can it possibly have been half a YEAR already since we first snuggled you? somehow, in the last few weeks, you seem to be growing up right in front of my eyes. your facial features are becoming more defined, you have favourite toys and books, you're sitting up by yourself (for up to ten seconds before you lose your balance!) and you're eating solid foods. your personality is becoming more apparent, too. you are the personification of chill ... generally relaxed, not necessarily smiling all the time, but not bothered by changes in your routine.  thanks to your easy-going disposition, you were a champion traveler on your first set of flights to visit the Geiger Gang in Redmond. this was the first time you had met your Uncle John and Uncle James, and we were so lucky to spend time with the whole family (Auntie Kelli and Uncle Colin drove in from Spokane, Uncle John flew from Boulder, CO and his girlfriend Genesis traveled from Ellensburg, an...

dear Sweetpea, what excitement we've had since the last update! the highlight of this month was definitely your Grammy Kim and Auntie Krista coming to visit (part of a whirlwind trip to see your Uncle John in Colorado and Auntie Kira in North Carolina). i had lots of plans for sightseeing, like a trip to the zoo, the aviary, and Phipps Conservatory, but it turns out that just relaxing at home was the perfect way to spend time together. you loved bouncing up and down on Grammy's lap while she sang "Trot, Trot to Boston", and you grabbed onto Auntie Krista's long hair and showed her all your toys. we wish they didn't live so far away, but we're lucky enough to be flying out to Seattle next month to see the whole Geiger gang, so it wasn't as hard to say goodbye this time. you're getting closer and closer to sitting up on your own, although you have a tendency to slooooowly do a perfect forward fold until your nose is touching your toes...

dear Sweetpea, what a fun month you've had! every day, we see more of your personality emerge. you take everything in with those big blue eyes, and you especially love to watch Kaiser and the cats run and play. you can make all sorts of funny sounds, and for some reason, your favorite time to soliloquize is on the changing table. we hear a lot of "ah-goo, ah-goo" when you're playing with your toys. sometimes you make a guttural clicking noise in the back of your throat, and when you're very happy, you trill like a kitten. you love when we mimic the sounds you make, but i can't even figure out how to vocalize the kitten sound!  the biggest change in your daily routine this month is that you're now tall and strong enough to play in the exersaucer, and you can't get enough! your arms aren't long enough to reach all of the toys yet, but you love to look at the bright colors and explore the different textures and shapes with your fingers...

dear Sweetpea, you are growing by leaps and bounds -- not just physically, but mentally and socially too! every day you amaze me with how big you seem, with your fantastic head control, longer awake-times, and determination to grab your toys or chew on your fingers. it's so fun to watch you start to manipulate your environment, instead of simply reacting to it. you're teaching me developmental psychology all over again (and, if i may say so, playing with you is much more entertaining than sitting in a lecture hall). keeping warm in Daddy's fur hat the biggest transition for you this month has been starting daycare, and it is such a great fit for us. you happily go to Miss Sherry or Miss Marlene in the morning, and you're usually talking away in your bouncer or snuggling with Miss Ernesta when i pick you up at the end of the day. the ladies love you, and they tell me they miss you on Tuesdays and Thursdays! the only problem is that you tend to take short n...

the last Friday before returning to work next week! here's what i've been enjoying during my time off... -- Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus protein shakes. the chocolate tastes just like a chocolate milkshake, and the vanilla version has a hint of nutmeg reminiscent of eggnog (a good thing in my book). they're the perfect sweet pick-me-up for the middle of the afternoon with staying power to quench the nursing-mama hunger!  -- Scandal, starring Kerry Washington and created by Shonda Grimes (the master of drama behind Grey's Anatomy). i've never been too interested in politics, so when people would rave about this show i never thought i'd enjoy it. but one fateful afternoon, it popped up on the "Popular" list on Netflix and i decided to give it a go. and.... oh ... em ... gee. i can't stop watching it. not only are the storylines tight, fast-paced and intriguing, but the camera-work is fantastic and i want to own Olivia Pope's wardrobe...

dear sweetest-of-all-the-peas, you're sleeping in your bouncer right now, and as much as i'm cherishing the quiet, there's a part of me that misses you when you're in dreamland. how is it possible that you've been with us for two whole months already? and how is it possible that there was ever a time when i didn't know you? you smile so much now -- at me when i get you out of your crib after a nap, at Daddy when he comes home from work, at the cats when they walk past you (and sometimes tickle you with their tails). every once in a great while, you let out the cutest squeaky laugh and then look surprised at yourself. you absolutely love having your diaper changed, which is weird and cute at the same time. you've discovered your hands, and you like to wave your arms and kick (sometimes with glee, and sometimes because you're mad and not in the mood for a nap). you still love your pacifier especially when you're falling aslee...

since i've been on maternity leave for the past 8 weeks, friday doesn't come with quite the same sense of TGIFFFFFF!!!, but it's still friday. and deserves celebration. and there are always new favorites i'm discovering (or old ones that merit acclaim)! this week i'm focusing on my beauty must-haves. i'm sure there are better, pricier products out there, but for drugstore prices, and for my skin, this is where it's at. --Aveda botanical kinetics toning mist. okay, this isn't a drugstore product and it costs $18 per bottle at my salon, but it's worth every penny (and a bottle lasts me about 9 months). i use this after washing my face and it has made a world of difference in evening out my combination skin.  -- Neutrogena healthy skin SPF 15 moisturizer. the alpha-hydroxy is key to this moisturizer that truly sinks into the skin and leaves it feeling soft and refreshed. so many moisturizers i've tried in the past are either too heav...