Happy Friday!

I've been slacking on the blog lately. I'd like to tell you that I've been busy crossing things off of my 30 by 30 list, but that would be a lie. Well, a half-lie. I did start my first sewing project. A sewing machine was not involved, but I did cut out a pattern. And a pumpkin has been purchased...just purchased, not carved yet. Do we see a theme, people??? More to come on that later. For now, enjoy these adorable pictures, and I'll work on getting around to a real blog post soon. ;-)

30 by 30

So, I’ve been checking out a few random blogs and searching for blog ideas, and I decided to make a 30 by 30 list. I love lists! This is a list of 30 things I want to accomplish before I turn 30. As much as I’d like to believe that my 30th birthday is years away, the truth is I’m 28 ½, and 30 will be here before I know it. I guess it could be worse. The hubs missed the boat on 30, and now has to make a 40 by 40 list. ;-) While there are a ton of things on my bucket list, like traveling to a gazillion different places I want to see, teaching Izzy how to read, ride a bike, etc., going back to school to pursue a master’s degree, etc., these 30 goals need to be accomplished in the next year and a half. Sooo…here they are. I’m having a little trouble thinking of two more. Any suggestions? Remember people, a year and a half! ;-)

1. Learn how to sew
2. Run a half-marathon (in training now!)
3. Get fit…for real!
4. Read all the books on my book shelf that haven’t been opened
5. Finish my wedding scrapbook (yes, from 5 ½ years ago!)
6. Climb another 14-er (this time without puking afterwards)
7. Visit Hawaii (currently working on this one)
8. Watch my baby girl take her first step
9. Do the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk
10. Learn how to use Photoshop
11. Take a cake decorating class
12. Learn how to use our camera…this means taking it off of the “auto” setting
13. Get involved in some sort of mommy and me group
14. Complete Izzy’s baby book and make a scrapbook for her, either digital or traditional
15. Volunteer for March of Dimes (kind of doing this now)
16. Help feed the homeless, preferably on Thanksgiving
17. Carve a pumpkin...can’t believe I haven’t already done this one!
18. Start co-managing our finances (I live with a CPA, so I’m clueless…never even see the bills…Suze Orman would be so disappointed)
19. Repaint and recover the “project” chair I got at a garage sale three years ago
20. Return to church as soon as Izzy is ready, officially join, and become an active member
21. Successfully grow at least one vegetable. I would say plant a garden, but I know me and that’s not going to happen. I’m thinking the little tomato bags I’ve seen hanging from porches…
22. Master the art of applying eye make-up. It never looks how I want it to look.
23. Embrace wine, or maybe I should just find the right wine…I really want to like it, but I just don’t
24. Order what I really want from the menu, from appetizer to dessert, guilt-free!
25. Get into yoga
26. Sleep at least 8 hours a night on a regular basis again
27. Meet more of our neighbors
28. Try at least one new restaurant a month
29. ???
30. ???

This list has inspired me to make an official bucket list as well. There’s just something about putting your goals in writing. Makes them a little more real. As cheesy as that sounds, it’s about to get even cheesier, but in a good way…I think. I recently saw an episode of Oprah where this little girl from Africa wrote down all of her goals and buried them under a rock. She’s now an adult, and among the goals she accomplished are moving to the USA, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and she is currently working on her PhD. Each time she achieved a goal, she went back to Africa and crossed it off her list. I won’t be going to Africa each time I achieve a goal, but if I put it on my list, maybe I’ll get to visit at least once.

Fun Hair Bows

After spending way too much on Isabelle's hair bows, I decided to start making them. I looked online and found a great website, http://www.girlythingsbows.com/, with step-by-step instructions . My first attempts were the ones she wore in the Grandparents Day post. These holiday bows were fun to make. They aren't perfect. I still haven't figured out how to get the loops even, but they look just as good as the bows that sell for $15 plus, so they'll do. My next project is a tutu for Izzy's halloween costume. Then, it's on to learning how to sew...you know, in all my free time. ;-)

All My Single Ladies

With Griff going on two out-of-state work trips in the past two weeks, I’ve gotten a little taste of what life would be like as a single mom, and I’ve come to this conclusion: if Griff ever decides to leave me, I’m going to do what any self-respecting woman in her right mind should do…CHASE HIM! Seriously, solo parenting is hard! I’m used to taking care of Isabelle by myself every day, but I know I can count on a little break when Griff gets home from work. And not that I don’t adore my baby girl and love spending every moment with her, but let’s face it, she’s not the best conversation companion at this point. We do have some pretty deep discussions using her favorite word, “Ahgoo,” and she’s recently started blowing bubbles, which is pretty darn cute.

Izzy started sleeping in her bedroom a few nights ago, but as soon as Griff left, I had her back in the bassinet in our room. I don’t really know what the difference is, but I just didn’t want her so far away from me while we’re home alone. I’ve spent many nights home alone since we’ve been married, and it’s never bothered me until now. I was really nervous about Griff going out of town this time. I even spent one night with my parents, but then I realized I pretty much had to pack the entire house to spend one night away from home, and decided it’s just not worth it, so I toughed the rest out at home. I’ve always kind of plotted out my escape route in my head in case someone breaks into my house in the middle of the night when I’m alone. It usually involves escaping through the bathroom window (I hope none of you plan on breaking in now because I really don’t have an alternate plan). Anyhow…how am I supposed to jump through a window with a baby? Maybe that’s not the most rational thought, but you get the idea. Being home alone is just different now that I have a baby.

So, this week, I’ve realized a few things. First, I have a new-found respect for single mothers. I don’t know how they do it. Second, I’m lucky to have such a helpful husband. I love him very much and I hope he feels the same about me because, as we talked about earlier, he’s stuck! Third, I need a new baby-friendly intruder escape plan.

Enjoy some random baby pics!

So stinkin' cute!

First bite of peas...she looks a little concerned

Izzy and Mr. Monkey in a staring contest

She LOVES sweet potatoes!

Mmm...Carrots!

We went to see Izzy’s ophthalmologist today, and her eyes still look great. In fact, Dr. Norman said from her exam, it’s hard to see that she ever had surgery…praise God for that! He also said he isn’t sure that she’ll ever even need glasses. This is great news, since we just kind of figured that would be a given. If she does end up needing them, I’m sure I can find some pretty snazzy frames for her sweet face!

Onto other big events….we’ve introduced solid foods! Izzy has been getting rice cereal for a few weeks now, and I started her on carrots yesterday. She is a very impatient eater, and very much prefers her bottle to the spoon, but she did great with her carrots tonight. We’ll see what she thinks about peas in a few days. Oh, the excitement!

Happy Grandparents Day!

We recently got Izzy together with her cousins, Lane and Katelynn, to take some photos for our parents as gifts for Grandparents Day. We, and by we I mean Griff, got some pretty cute pictures considering we weren't dealing with the most cooperative subjects. ;-) Enjoy!

Isabelle - 6 months old

Katelynn - 2.5 years old - Katie (Griff's sister) and Gene's little girl

Lane - 3.5 years old - Tracy (my sister) and Trent's little boy

Barium Cocktail, Anyone???

Izzy enjoyed a yummy bottle of barium for lunch today. Actually, I'm pretty sure it wasn't yummy at all, so it's a good thing she's not picky. Like her mama, if you give her food, she will eat it. We went to Cook Children's Hospital today for her second swallow function study. They put Izzy in a little chair that looks like a car seat, next to a big x-ray machine. Then we fed her barium of different consistencies and watched her swallow on a tv screen. We've been thickening her milk to nectar consistency with no problems, so we started with half-nectar consistency, and she swallowed perfectly without any problems. The speech therapist then switched to a bottle without any thickener, and she and the doctor in the room both said they could see laryngeal penetration with almost every swallow. Griff and I didn't see it. She even showed us the tape three times after the study, and we finally just said we could see it. Kind of like when the doctor pointed out all the body parts of the babies when I had sonograms done..."Oh yeah, I see it now," even though all I really saw was a blob. Anywho...they are the experts so we trust what they see. Izzy did not aspirate on the thin liquid, but the therapist guessed that if Izzy were to continue drinking it, she probably would. They only look at 20 swallows of each consistency to limit the radiation exposure. So, we're now thickening her milk to half-nectar because of her "risk of aspirating." We'll talk with Dr. Worsley and schedule yet another swallow study in 4-6 months. The speech therapist said she wasn't really surprised. Apparently many babies aren't able to "skip steps" going from full-nectar to no nectar. This isn't exactly the result we were looking for, but it is improvement. And as much as we hate the thickener, it is keeping her from a g-button, so we will gladly continue it.

BTW - Izzy is sporting a bow from Emily and a pacifier from Hadley in the pics. Thanks, girls!!! Oh, and I couldn't resist the funny face pic.