Grape scented bubbles and Orange playdough

We played outside with grape-scented bubbles (they smell really good actually) and made butterflies and birthday cakes with playdough while waiting for Daddy to come home.

 I got a Zinnia Flip cover in the mail (we took a walk to the mailbox and M had to push her baby too) and M wanted it on her baby. :)

 Snuggling with the baby

M and I's butterfly. She kept insisting it needed a mustache...

First Bento Lunch

I've recently discovered the art of bento-making. Here are my favorite links:

Building a better bento
A whole message board about bentos!
Really neat webiste about bentos
Love this one!
This one too!
More about the boxes

So...I decided to try it. I love that it gets you thinking about having a healthy "rainbow" of colors in the lunch. And because it just looks like so much fun! I even picked up some fun things at the dollar store to use for my "bentos".

 Makenna's first bento. Abc's & 123's spagettio's, baby carrots and bugels with fat-free dressing for a dip, a "skewer" of golden raspberries, and a piece of strawberry breakfast bar. I think it needs more green! (which I added later in the form of fresh green bell pepper, her fav)

 She was very curious when I was making it and kept asking me questions. I brought it over to the table saying, "Ta-da!" :) When she said she was all done (she had 2nd helpings of several things) I asked her if it was fun. She shook her head yes and had a big smile on her face.

 Now for Livy's. I actually got this idea from a "Muffin Tin Monday" blog I read. Like a bento but in a muffin or whatever container. This is a hawaiian flower ice cube tray from the dollar store. Livy has the spagetttios, "sticks" of the breakfast bar, shredded cheese, raspberries, then at the end I put a squirt of mayo and some dressing. Sounds unusal, but I like her to try different things. I once read about a neat idea to put different condiments, etc, in a muffin tin or small bowls to let your toddler dip their finger in to taste and feel the texture of things.

 She isn't sure what to think...and I don't knwo how to make them upright, they usually do it automatically.

7 & 8 months ~ Olivia Kate

 4/14/10, almost EIGHT months

 4/16/10, Hiking on the trail (this was me before losing the 34 lbs!!)

Sound asleep in the Mei Tai carrier!

Fun one of Daddy and M, it was really windy!

 4/20/10, EIGHT months

Closest to SEVEN months I could find!

My Sweet Livy Loo

I feel like the time is just flying by with her. Seriously, can't believe she is 13 months already. She still seems like my little baby though, as she isn't walking yet and stills wakes at night 1x to nurse. I don't want to rush her. :) She was such a great baby, hardly any crying. The only time she didn't sleep well or was fussy was when we were back in MO visiting family for 6 weeks when she was 8 weeks old. I think the long car ride upset her tummy and all the moving around was unsettling. As soon as we returned home, she started sleeping 12 hours and was back to her usual happy self. I feel very blessed that she is an easy baby...especially after having M. :) I've tried to post pics for each month. So glad Picasa tells me what date they were taken! (note, I have so many 9/10 month pics, looks like I will do a separate post for different months)

 5/3/10, NINE months (seem to have a TON from 9 months...can you tell I like the silly ones the best?)

 5/23/10, NINE months

5/26/10,  NINE months

 Queen of funny faces!

 Thought she was going to start crawling! Nope....

 TEN months (started crawling)

Wonderful Wednesday

Okay, I realize my title is somewhat cheesy :) but it seems to fit. We are enjoying a relaxing morning of playing and being silly.

129.4 this a.m.! Yay! That is the lowest I've gotten so far in my weight-loss efforts. 34 lbs total lost since the end of April. I feel SO much better. Great workout again last night. Did the elliptical, cranked the treadmill way up and walked, then did the funny loud machine for 10 min. Still amazed how it seems to get my heart rate up so fast. I'm loving it is a great workout in a short amount of time. I was sitting on the exercise bike reading a fitness magazine and just relaxing after that, and the personal trainers were teasing me if I was really working out or not. It is a smaller gym, so they always comment on how cute the girls are and recognize Dan and I. Especially with coming 2x day as some of them are there all day. Dan meets with his trainer tonight, 2nd time. He was so beat last time, I hope tonight goes well!

I got my CJ's all natural products in yesterday, love her stuff. I will do a separate post reviewing them. I got baby stuff (soap, body butter) and natural all-purpose cleaner (love how it makes my dark wood laminate flooring shine!). Also going to post on Livy's development, she is doing new things everyday!

So cute in her little overalls

She put them on her head like this...just like Daddy :)

Chocolate Popsicle Faces

The perfect before dinner snack. Being the super-mom that I am, I realized it was almost 5 p.m AFTER I gave it to them. Oh well. :)