photo dump

here is a host of poor quality photos... for your viewing pleasure.

i've been too lazy to charge the battery of our big camera so these are all from the point and shoot.  which is sad because some of the pictures could have been cute.  let that be a lesson to me.

during conference, my honey made jello.  and he cut out this jello heart for me.  nothing says love like heart shaped jello.  the first thing he said when he handed it to me was "yeah, it took me like seven trys."  (that's why the pan looks ripped apart. 

my baby, my wreath, my pumpkin.  these are a few of my favorite things.

check out my wreath.  I MADE IT.

and a third picture of the wreath.  because that's totally necessary.

we went to story time and the park the other day with jodi and her little girl elle.  they stopped to pick up lunch, so we had a photo shoot while we waited.

she looks like such a little girl when she sits like that.  it's so cute!

look at her flushed little cheeks.  it was hot.

how gorgeous is that weather?!?!

okay, again.  the squatting.  i'm in love with it.  ps- freshman year college roommates call me squats.  bonus points if you knew that... and why.

and this one is probably my favorite.  woodchip bum.  make a note of it.  the newest catchphrase.

we went to kohls to use one of those $10 cards they send out.  we didn't get these shorts because even though they're only 12 months, there is no freaking way they'd fit by next summer.

i know she looks malnourished, but really, she eats as much as i do.

we didn't get this coat because it's $20 and i'm cheap.  

but that didn't stop me from taking two pictures of it.  another girl came up minutes later and took it off the rack for her baby.  and bought it.  along with a million pairs of baby shoes.  that kid must have a killer closet.

hopefully this will fit next summer.  ;-)  it's not from kohls, but we got some good deals i'll have to write about later.  love it.

someone crawled right out of their little skirt.

she looked straight out of one of those "it's the first day of school and i forgot my pants!" dreams.

and the eyes.  mmmm we get comments on those every time we go out.  it's always semi sad for me because i know people look at my eyes after they spot hers.  nope, not from the mom.

in other news, baby girl is getting BOTH of her top molars.  thankfully it's not screwing with her sleep, but she's definitely not feeling hot during her waking hours.  and i think that's probably what the saturday fever spike was all about.

poor baby.  crossing our fingers it gets better soon!

a short video documentary

this video is from last week and it makes me think of the age old question... "you're a stay at home mom?  what do you do all day?!?!"  well, see what you can learn from this video.

if you're not really an active learner (i never was) then i'll help you out a bit.  here are a few takeaway points you should have taken away.  because i'm nice, i'm giving them away.

1. i've been teaching my baby how to kick a ball soccer style.

2. i am attempting to vacuum more often... ever since i went so long without vacuuming that my unfazed-by-the-vacuum baby turned into completely-terrified-by-the-vacuum baby.

2.5. colorado is extremely sunny.

3. i try to craft.  that wreath sitting on top of the chair?  i started it and got frustrated and left it there until kirstyn could come over and fix it for me.  but i'm not letting that stop me from saying "i made it all by myself, mom!"

4. the fireplace is a good place to hang out.  it doubles as a step and a chair.  what more could you want.

5. my baby whispers when she's playing happily.

6. things are pretty low key with only one babe.

so anyways, sorry for not posting.  i've been attempting an internet cleanse.  sadly, tonight didn't go so well... so to make it slightly worthwhile, i posted this video for you.  i'm going to try really hard to only get online when i need to and not stay online longer than i need to.  so lately i've been trying to stay off altogether because i'm seriously addicted and it's a real problem and i'm going to try to still post daily (or almost daily) without wasting hours online in the process.  any of that make sense?  for some reason i'm struggling tonight to string together cohesive sentences.  maybe tomorrow.

anyways...

wish. me. luck.

we're a bit feverish

well, actually just baby.

she woke up this morning at 7 30.  a little early, but not totally crazy for her.  but instead of being just a little fussy and sensitive, she was inconsolable... for half an hour!  then she started calming down just a bit and burrowing in my arms.  so i took her upstairs and gave her a pacifier.  this is a test i use when she's fussy like this.  she either squirms out of my arms and runs away to play happily (normally happens) or she closes her eyes and cuddles in my arms (happened today).  so i put her in her crib and she was still sleeping at 11:15 or so when i got home from the dentist (sadly, one cavity... rats!) and didn't wake up til 11:45.  i thought she'd be too awake for a nap at 1 (her normal naptime) and so i just didn't watch the clock.  at 2, she was laying peacefully in my arms while we were watching conference (dvr'd from earlier since i had my dentist appointment) and fell asleep! so we took her upstairs, changed her diaper, and she went down for nap just great.  she didn't wake up til 4:30 or so, so i was thinking she'd be too awake for bedtime.  well, i was wrong again.  at six, i turned on afternoon conference and baby was playing nicely on the floor.  then she walked over to me and said she wanted to hug (well, she didn't shake her head when i asked her) so i held her in my arms.  same story again... super still baby for 15 minutes and then she fell asleep.  she slept for 20 minutes.  then we just cuddled more.  then out of the blue she freaked out and started crying.  since she felt really hot, i decided this would be a good time to take her temp.  101.  that explains the crazy day.  she calmed down, snuggled and dozed off again for another power nap.  i am so in love with her.  my honey got home a little after 8 (i am so in love with him too) and this kid was cuddling and whimpering and yawning like crazy.  put her in her crib and she's out.  i didn't give her any medicine for her fever because she's surviving without it and supposedly the fever helps fight the infection.  i'm crossing my fingers she's better in the morning.  but seriously, what perfect timing to be sick that we can just sit around watching conference and cuddling together.  amazing.

check it out, apparently i don't believe in paragraphs tonight.  pray for my kid, k?

peekaboo and byu

i can not get enough of this kid. the other day she found my mixing bowls (she normally only goes for certain cabinets and this is not one of them) and kept putting this blue bowl over her head. and taking it off. and putting it on her head again. over and over and over. while walking around and around and around the kitchen.

tonight i was domestic and i did not take a single picture so you'll just have to take my word for it. we had people (kirstyn and jake, chelsey and casey, kelly and mike, bonnie and geoff, kelsey and danny) from our ward and all their kids (we had 7 kids total) and my brother in law brian (since his wife, kelsey, was working) over to watch the byu game which was strangely exciting and ended with a win! all very unusual, but much appreciated. i was able to clean (well, i vacuumed) and make food. we had chips, doritos, an assortment of chocolate candy minis, 7 layer bean dip, bruschetta, rice krispie treat ice cream bars, redvines, chocolate licorice, hot wings and drinks. my dear christopher kept thinking i was inviting too many people, but little did he know that kirstyn and i got a bit carried away at walmart last night (it was 11 o'clock for goodness sake!) and i bought enough food for all of our friends, plus the entire byu team, should they plan on a post game celebration with us here in parker.

anyways, i was domestic. i'm getting much better at being domestic. not that my performance is improving, but my anxiety is significantly decreasing.  and i consider that a success.

which, speaking of anxiety... last night, as i was making my grocery list, just minutes before i was to leave to pick up kirstyn for our walmart trip, my honey and i were watching big bang theory and WE SAW A MOUSE! in our house! a mouse in our house! i jumped up to higher elevation under the pretext of having a better lookout point, and honey waged the battle up close and personal. after 30 minutes of way too much laughter and ridiculousness, the mouse disappeared and i left. luckily, i got a text later from my honey exclaiming, "i swept him out the door!" (i had told him to chase it with a broom because that's what they did in the old black and white movies) and it was a highlight of my night. it was a fun, bonding experience really. i'm just glad it wasn't a spider. i mean, that would have been no laughing matter. by the way, you better believe i picked up a few mouse traps last night to strategically place around our house. this could have been disasterous if my honey wasn't home with me.

oh my goodness is it really 12:30?!?! yikes. time for bed. i am SOOOOO excited for conference tomorrow!

and ps- not that you care, but i even had a homemade fall wreath and a pumpkin to festivize our front door. i should get bonus points for that.

this is what we look like

elder mark

tonight, my brother in law mark, became elder hillier.  honey was still out of town on business (don't worry, he's back now) so he missed it, but baby and i were glad to be there for the happy occasion.  it's bed time so just real quick, here are a few pictures.  and a video.

so there you have it.

a quick fashion tip

need to take your drab outfit all the way to fab?  

belt it!

belts add personality

belts make your outfit look more polished

belts create a slimming effect.  which is especially important from behind.

just what you needed to kick start your wednesday?  you're welcome.

i mean, she's almost 14.5 months old already

my baby is lovely again.  for the most part.  i mean, she IS getting another molar right now.  it's half in half out.  ugh.  1.5 down, 2.5 to go.  and then all those other teeth...

anyways, she is hilarious.  this has always been my most favorite and least favorite age of kids.  well, technically closer to 18 months but y'know... this phase.

she has distinct preferences on what she wants to eat and she'll let you know.  for meals, sometimes i let her choose and sometimes i don't.  but when i'm feeling generous and patient, i will hold up a banana and ask her if she'd like to eat a banana.  and she'll either shake (most often) or nod her head.  normally she shakes her head for everything and when you go back through the options a second time she'll commit to what she wants.

she looks just like a little adult.  i have mixed feelings on this.

she's decided to start signing now.  i mean, i've only been using sign language with her since she was FIVE months old!  i mean, she used to do "all done" and then she stopped for a long time.  but now she does "all done"  (raises one hand with a casual flick of the wrist), "more" (which looks like slow motion clapping since she can't quite figure out how to put her fingers together), and please (gently scratches her chest... mostly just with one hand but is sometimes two).  so those things in combination with shaking and nodding her head... i feel like we're having all out heart to heart conversations conveying every personal detail of our inner-most desires!  it is so fun for me.  every. single. time.

how cute that she posed with her book?  she's saying "thank you aunt liza and cousin skye and cousin will!"

but seriously, i wonder if she'll stop signing again when she gets bored with it.  i'll have to keep finding new signs to keep her interested.  i tried to teach her more for the longest time ever and she would. not. do it.  then one day i showed her please and she's been doing it ever since.  when i started giving her what she wanted when she said please then she brought back those other signs!  i think baby signing is the cutest thing ever.  and i can't believe that it was only a year ago that this talking little individual was just a tiny blob.  now she is a tiny spunky girl!

other things she's loving right now would be my cell phone (still.  of course), shoes (if i take her shoes off when we get home, she whines and brings them to me to help her put them back on), getting into everything in sight, and anything that's not a toy.  what's a good term for that?  i started to say she playes with adult toys but that is definitely NOT correct.  i mean that she likes to play with everyday objects.  like thermometers.  she loves to put the thermometer in and out of it's clear plastic holder.  she also likes things with lids to put on and take off.  one of her favorite "toys" right now is toothbrushes (my favorite one has been missing for two days... i hope to find it soon) which is ironic because ever since her molars started coming in, she does NOT like getting her teeth brushed or even brushing her own teeth but she'll chew on our toothbrushes all morning if we let her.  other favorites include a pack of dental flossers, mascara, q tips, and the zippers of my cosmetics/jewlery bags.  can you tell our bathroom is her favorite place in the house?!?!

she has her favorite drawers and cabinets.  i put some toys in her favorite kitchen cabinet and rubberbanded the cabinet under the sink (her second favorite cabinet in the kitchen)... the rest she only occasionally opens briefly before moving on to bigger and better things.  i reorganized all of her toys last week and it's going much better than before.

i was totally anticipating that she would retrieve toys from the cabinet but it turns out that she likes to be IN the cabinet when she plays with them.

baby girl is also getting really close to saying a lot of words.  i know she's saying words but i have trouble counting it when only my honey and i can tell what she's saying.  but really, today she got so excited when we saw a cat meander through our back yard and she said "cat" several times!  i took a video of it but you can BARELY hear her.  actually I can barely hear her.  i'm sure you don't hear her at all.

all of the personality that comes out of such a tiny person.  i can't believe she understands what i say and then acts accordingly.  which speaking of... one of my very favorite things is when i'm telling her we have to change her diaper, get new clothes on, something random she doesn't want to do, and she takes off running in the opposite direction.  every time she does that i think it's the funniest thing in the world.

anyone else noticing that all of her dresses have been converted to shirts?  swap out the bloomers for leggings and BAM, she'll be wearing this outfit til she turns 2.  or 12.  

anyways, she's pretty amazing.

bikes, slides, and parks oh my

this morning i experienced a little slice of heaven.  we went on a little family bike ride.  there are a million miles of bike trails around here.  and parks too.  and perfect weather.  i love colorado.  have i mentioned that before?  because i. am. in. love.

they're precious aren't they?  they are.

don't judge.  it was soooo sunny.

my honey is so cute.  and such a good dad.

we got tired of climbing the stairs every time so we started lifting her and sending her down on her own.  it worked well.

i think this dog's name might have been honey.  ha.

look how excited she gets over sliding!  i love it!

she seriously couldn't get enough.

and oh my goodness i'm pretty sure this is my favorite shot of the whole day.  the hair!  the hair!

this is a really close second though.  i can't lie.

and we're off.  see ya later!

the relief society broadcast tonight was awesome.  especially president uchtdorf.  of course.  he always delivers.  his words brought tears to my eyes and i could not be more excited for his talk to get posted online.  i can't wait to watch it again.  and once it gets posted i'll link to it here.  oh. my. goodness.  so incredible.  watch the "you are not forgotten" little snipit.  it made me cry.

who's with me?!?!

i'm on pinterest.  i just started so i know next to nothing.  but i think if you go to http://pinterest.com/carrieelise/ then you can see all my stuff (this is for you liza).

so who's with me?!?!  leave me your link so i can check out your pins.  do it!  now!

in other news...

this morning i woke up at 8:30 to a wonderful text from my friend kirstyn saying something along the lines of "i found the most awesome garage sale, i'm going to the store to get cash and then i'm coming back.  come!"  so i got ready, got my baby up and ready, ate a little, and then we were out the door.

i am at the garage sale for seriously half a second before i have major deja vu (that's french for "already seen" in case you didn't know).  i have seen all this stuff before!  well, not all of it.  but probably half of it.

there are two women running this garage sale and one looks slightly familiar and i'm pretty sure her name is renee.  well, long story short, that was indeed renee... the previous owner of our current house!  i've been wanting to meet her for months (more accurately, since april, when we actually bought this place) and fate brought us together at this garage sale!

actually, i'm not really good at making things short so here's the slightly longer story.  i told kirstyn my suspicions (which i was actually really positive about) and we agreed that it might be awkward or uncomfortable for renee if i accosted her with this information so i didn't say anything.  she actually left with one of her kids and said she'd be back later.  in the mean time, i bought a few of renee's old things (renee had fabulous taste... she had our house decorated beautifully) from her friend lisa who was manning the sale.  and then i left.

we went to the library for story time and to pick up saving ceecee honeycutt and pride and prejudice on dvd (which i'm so sad about because i opened the case tonight and it was empty).  and then we went home for a few craft supplies.  and then we went to kirstyn's to make these little get well cards we found on pinterest.  i still need to take a picture of my finished product.  okay.  here it is!

crafting is one of those really distant talents i occasionally attempt to develop.  like cooking.

anyways, on our way home, i felt like i should swing by the garage sale again.  as i was parking my car i felt super super stupid but i knew they'd seen me so i was past the point of no return.  i walked up and was warmly greeted by renee, who'd been informed of my identity by her friend, lisa.  we talked as if we were old friends and exchanged multiple hugs.  after 10 or so minutes i had to break up our love fest (past nap time and i'd left baby in the car... windows down, 20 feet away... with a toy and i was feeling a little guilty about neglecting her) but we exchanged numbers and renee said i could have anything i wanted left over from the garage sale and that for the bigger items, she would be happy to bring them to my house for me since i don't have a truck.  anyways, it was glorious.  i love that woman.  and i love her house.  i mean, my house.  all of these keeps making me think of adoption and birth parents contacting the adopted family or vice versa.  yes i just said that.  ha.  anyways...

nap time was short but it worked out because i was able to make it to the post office before it closed!  and then we went straight to the in laws for pizza and the byu game.  came home during half time to put our exhausted baby to bed and watched byu win.  and then honey passed out on the sofa (of course) and fifty million hours later i'm still awake and on the internet (of course).  this is getting to be a real problem.  i need to work on this.  i have a problem.  i really need to work on this.

but really, isn't that a cool story about meeting renee?  it 100% made my day.

and back to the beginning... leave me your pinterest link.  or tell me the more technologically savvy way go about this whole pinning madness.

goodnight!

our other home at home

we spend a lot of time in this ball pit. A WHOLE LOT. it would be our home away from home except it's here at home. so it's just a more concentrated home at home.

this morning baby enjoyed a nice playdate while i went to a book of mormon class at church. and we went to the park with kirstyn and michaela and the weather was gorgeous. baby loves slides these days. she's loving everything more these days... well, the last two days. i guess her new molar isn't hurting so much anymore because she's gotten her appetite back, she's sleeping through the night again, and she's not so fussy anymore. she's just happier. and cuter for that matter.

and in case you were wondering, we had taco soup, corn bread, and a spinach salad with mandarin oranges, craisins, and pecans tonight for dinner. ordinarily it would have just been taco soup, but my christopher's grandparents are in town visiting and we had them over for dinner. hence the cornbread and salad. you know how it is... gotta go all out for the grandparents in law.

has anyone ever read saving ceecee honeycutt? i'm picking it up from the library tomorrow.

it was a nice day

this morning kirstyn's little girl came over to play with us for a few hours and it was GLORIOUS.  it put baby in such an amazing mood all morning.  none of that sensitive groggy stuff for the whole first hour.

we went to walmart.  it was successful.

nap was also a success.

i made an even unhealthier version of this meatloaf recipe.  it was heavenly.

it's cold and it feels like fall.

today i did not pinterest at all.  good for me!