bliss list ~ march

How was your March?  Mine was a warm-up, cool-down crazy month!  We enjoyed some incredible weather one week and freezing temps with snow the next.  I guess that's the way March is.  I am very ready to welcome April and some warmer temps --- and probably some April showers.  The spring season leads me to my first love of March.

Longer Days ~ My favorite part of daylight savings time and spring is the start of the longer day.  I love that the sky is still light at 7:30 pm.  And it will only get better.  There's just something about more daylight that lifts the mood.  For me, I guess it means the final months of school and the approaching summer.  It also feels like we have more of an evening to enjoy.  Now if we could just get Nora to stay up just a bit later...

Health ~ We had a sick February and beginning of March.  With Nora's RSV, sinus infection, double ear infection, and my quick bout with a stomach bug, I am very thankful for health and wellness.  Just as spring brings warmer days, it also usually bring healthier days.  I'm ready to open up the house, air everything out and bring in some freshness.  And here's hoping we can keep our health streak up for awhile.

{a picture of health}

Hy-Vee ~ Our new Hy-Vee grocery store opened in January.  It is HUGE and AMAZING!  I love it.  While it has taken me awhile to navigate the new isles and areas, I appreciate the variety of items, the array of produce, meats, and cheeses, and their increased organic section.  Shopping trips there are still like an adventure!

Murphy's ~ One of most favorite beverages.  Hubby introduced me to this drink years ago but for quite some time it was incredibly difficult to find.  Enter or new Hy-Vee store.  Their Wine and Spirits section is INCREDIBLE and always have Murphy's on hand.  LOVE IT!

Our Camera ~ We got our camera last summer before Nora was born.  I did quite a bit of research when shopping and thought about what type of camera would best suit our needs.  I wanted one of good quality but also one that would be portable and easy for a no-photo-skills person.  After several searches and reviews we landed on this Canon:

I couldn't be happier with it.  It is very easy to use, has many different settings, holds the charge beautifully, and even shoots some nice quality video.  It has served us perfectly and has allowed us to capture some pretty great shots.

Last year's March Bliss List --- click here.  And my first item is quite interesting.  I nearly got ill when I read about my running stamina in years past.  Oy!

{sigh}

Just playing.

music monday

Thanks, Hubby, for sharing this one with me.

race approaching

Only 23 days until race day.  I registered yesterday.  No turning back now! 

I had hit a low point the end of February and early March.  I would like to make excuses {sick baby, lack of sleep, bout with a stomach bug, spring break, guests} but there really isn't any use to excuse.  This is for me, to prove to myself I can be a runner again.  I'm not worried about finishing in a certain time bracket, I just want to finish and feel good about it.

My goal was to get back at it this week and I have run three days thus far.  Yay me.

new foods

And the new foods just keep coming!

Some avocado and on St. Patrick's Day --- she needed to eat green!

{3.17.11}

And some sweet pears.

{3.19.11}

talk & roll

world water day

Today is World Water Day.  Interesting fact gleaned from Real Simple: the US ranks number 1 in bottled-water consumption and it takes up to 2,000 times more energy to produce a bottle of water than to run the faucet.  I will stick to my Nalgene bottle, thank you.  And Nora likes it too.

I also checked on the status of our city at America's Least Wasteful Cities.  KC wasn't listed but St. Louis was number 19.  I also took the test, which was interesting.  Some of the items surprised me as being resourceful, like checking books out from the library versus buying books, but I guess that act is aiding in less production, etc.  Another item that peaked my interest --- a rain barrel.  Hubby and I discussed getting one of these last year but we would need some serious help redirecting our drain spouts.  I thought Hubby and I did pretty well but I scored lower than the National average.  I think my lack of taking public transportation hurt my score but living where we live, there isn't much for public transportation.  Still, it gave me some things to think about and with Earth Day approaching in April and my goal to do a few more Earth-friendly things, I'm going to think about some of their recommendations.

AND...this site is sponsored by Nalgene and they will be offering a limited edition Nalgene bottle starting April 19th with $2 from each bottle going to the Surfrider Foundation.

A new Nalgene in my future?  I know someone who would love my red one...

nora ~ 7 months

{click on Nora's 7 month photos to view other outtakes}

Seven months!  That sounds so old.  My baby is seven months old.  After battling RSV, a sinus infection, and a double ear infection during her sixth months I think we were all ready to welcome a new month and renewed health!  Nora has felt great for the last couple weeks and we are both thankful to have our happy, fun baby back.  And boy has she been fun!  She is sitting up by herself, plays independently, is eating some solid food, laughs, shows us what she wants...she has become quite the little person!

Nora's stats {as she enters month 7}

Bedtime: Around 7:45 pm.  With daylight savings time last week, the days are getting longer and soon it won't be dark when it's Nora's bedtime.  For now, she is still tired enough to go to bed before 8 pm.  However, she is much more content during the evening and we have been able to push back the start of bedtime routine until 7:15 pm.  Ideally this summer (when I am not working) we would like for her to go to bed just a tad bit later, say around 8:00 pm, and maybe sleep a tish later.  Hey, I can dream, right?

Wake-up time: Lately, Nora has been waking up on her own between 6:30-6:45 am.  Most mornings she'll just talk and babble to herself until we come in to get her.  I'm a little bummed she does this on the weekends too...we had such a good thing going with this 7:00-7:15 am thing but I can be grateful she entertains herself when she wakes up.

Naps: We have cut out the brief morning catnap completely and have adopted a new schedule.  This was due in part to her bout with RSV.  We had to give her breathing treatments every 4 hours and adjusted her schedule around that.  So now, Nora takes a morning nap from 9:30 to 10:15 or 10:30 am and then an afternoon nap from 1:00 to 3:00 or 3:30 pm.  She is still very easy to put down and definitely lets us know when she is ready to get up!

Eating: As I mentioned above, Nora's schedule took a change during her sixth month but it was perfect timing as we began to incorporate more solid food into her diet.  She is still taking a 6 oz. bottle every 4 hours (at 7:00 am, 11:30 am, 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm) and now has a "breakfast, lunch, and dinner".  She has a slice of mashed banana with 3 Tablespoons of oatmeal around 9:00 am, around an ounce of a fruit and a veggie at 12:00 pm, and about an ounce of a veggie and a slice of mashed banana with 3 Tablespoons of rice at 6:00 pm.  It has been so fun to introduce Nora to new and different foods.  We love how big she opens her mouth when she sees the spoon!

{joke! we really don't give her that much at a time...but I think maybe she could handle it...}

Favorite Toys: Nora has really been into her toys lately.  She sits and plays with them for solid chunks of time, grabs for what she wants and reaches far to find something.

And she loves to jump.  I can't even get pictures of her anymore in her jumperoo because she's always moving!  This week we tried the doorway jumper and I think she liked the change in view!

Firsts/Milestones: During her sixth month, Nora had lots of firsts with food.  And she got to try out her highchair. 

She also hit another huge milestone - sitting up!  She looks like such a big girl when she sits up and we can tell she is loving her independence!

7 months

Seven months today.  Growing up!

{0 months}

{7 months}

st. patty's

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Hubby and I celebrated last night with Reuben sandwiches and a Guinness and Murphy's, respectively.  Good excuse to have a good sandwich and delicious drinks!

shoes that do good

Now that title right there makes it okay to buy new shoes, right?  Have you heard of TOMS?  For every pair of their shoes you buy they donate a pair to someone in need.  Pretty neat.  And so are their shoes.  I have finiky feet {read: VERY narrow} so I shouldn't really risk buying online without trying on but see there is a little boutique not too far from me that sells them.  Maybe a shoe shopping trip in my future?

They even have wedges, although I don't think I can pull these off.

I like.

new foods

A new week, a new food.

Sweet Potatoes.

{3.12.11}

Not a big fan.  But we're going to keep trying!

spring to-dos

I know it isn't officially spring yet but daylight savings time and my upcoming {short} spring break have me in the springy mood.  With the assumed upcoming warmer temperatures comes an urge to clean, purge, freshen, and organize.  There are a lot of things I want to do in the way of spring cleaning and am itching to get started.  Normally nothing would be in my way but this little bug makes getting multiple tasks done quickly a little more difficult.

I hope to use some weekend nap times to work on some of my tasks but know they'll extend into the summer months, which for me fortunately means a break from school and some extra time at home.  In order to be realistic with my goals I am making two to-do lists - one for the short term {read: I can do during a 45 to 120 minute time period} and one for the long term.  My plan is to conquer the list as I can, use my time well, but still give myself some "me" time occasionally during her naps.  Okay...on with the lists!

*          *          *          *          *          *

Short Term To-Do

sterilize Nora's toys

pack away Nora's 0-6 month clothing-toys-accessories

wipe out kitchen cupboards and organize

clean out pantry and spice cupboard

clean stove

clean out bathroom cupboards

clean/organize linen closet

scrub floors {we're talking with hands, not the quick mop}

clean ceiling fan blades

dust window blinds

sweep and wash out garage

Long Term To-Do

dust mop boards

paint master bathroom door

paint/touch-up other doors in house

paint laundry room {been on a list for 2 years now...}

re-pot house plant

plant edible garden

vacuum car

replace microwave

improve deck ??? {pending tax return}

*          *          *          *          *          *     

As you can see, the lists really range.  I tried not to make it too monstrous but I'm sure I'll be adding more items once I get going.  Hoping to get a start this week(end) --- my mom is coming to visit and am pretty sure she'll want to occupy Nora for a bit.