Can I Smell That?

It has been 5 months since I discovered that Aven was allergic to the milk in my diet and 3 1/2 months since I found out that corn and all things derived from corn were probably also giving her a hard time. This makes my diet limited and difficult. I really can't complain. I'm eating healthier than I ever have before and I am 20 pounds lighter than I was before I got pregnant. But, with the holiday season right in front of me, I can't help but feel a little left out due to my dietary restrictions. No pie, cake, fudge, hot chocolate, etc, etc, etc . . . since just about everything contains either dairy or corn syrup. At times it seems as though America has been built upon these two food items.

Recently I have found myself indulging my cravings through smell. When I bring Ian a piece of cheesecake home from the Cheesecake Factory I insist that he eat it when I am with him so that I can smell to my heart's content the delicious food that is currently forbidden to me. My friends have also taken to waving whatever off-limits-to-me food they are eating under my nose whether I ask them to or not. I even attended a pancake breakfast in the faculty room this morning just for the smell. I'm becoming a smell-a-holic.

Since I have been on this diet I have wracked up quite a list of foods I want to eat as soon as I am restriction-free. The two top contenders are a cupcake from Kara's Cupcakes in San Fransisco (little out of reach, but hey, I've been making a sacrifice here!) and a cheeseburger from Acme Burger Company. I am somewhat afraid of what I might do to myself once I can eat whatever I want, but I am holding out hope that I will be able to maintain my healthier diet now that I know that there is life beyond cheese. So, if I ask you if I can smell your fettuccine alfredo try to spare me the strange looks an just indulge me a little.

Photo Shoot!

One of my grandma's friends gave Aven a fancy pink dress. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it as we are not church-going folk, so I did the only thing I could think to do with it- a photo shoot.

Aven humored me and was a good little model.


She even gave me a darling smile.

Aven in Film.

Aven just hit the 6 month mark. That's right she's .5 years old. A half a year. And that marks an important milestone. Real food. Sort of, it's just some ground up rice and sunflower oil mixed with breast-milk. It kinda looks like cream of wheat, but we mix it really liquidity to ease the transition to real food. Later on we will thicken it up.

Here's a video of our first attempt at feeding her. It's been a few days since this was shot and she's gotten a lot better, but she's still leaving most of the food on her bib.



This second video is Aven giggling, I don't know what I'm doing that's so funny but she finds it hilarious, and her laugh is just adorable.

MillCreek Canyon Photos

I just wanted to post a couple of the shots I took up on the Trail.
I liked the way the sun was filtering through the leafless trees along the path. Combined with the colors of the dead leaves on the ground with the contrasting little bits of still green foliage along the sides of the trail. I thought it was very nice.

"Hiking" in Milcreek Canyon

On Saturday we went on a nice walk along the pipeline trail in Milcreek Canyon. I'd like to say we went hiking, but the trail is pretty level. Aven enjoyed herself- she spent most of the time babbling away, probably telling anyone who would listen that she is too big for the front carrier. Grace also had a grand time sniffing every leaf and twig and meeting other dogs.

Smile of the Day

Enjoy!

Halloween 2

No matter what age your kids are you can't miss the opportunity to carve a pumpkin and to try to put them inside that pumpkin if they are small enough.

Aven wasn't particularly interested in the pumpkin even when it was lit. Her attention requires a lot more flash and sparkle (yay for Christmas!).

Aven enjoying her first Halloween story- not quite the way we intended.

I put Aven in her bunny costume and took her to visit my grandma on Halloween morning.

There may not have been any trick-or-treating, but Halloween was sure a lot of fun with our little bunny.