*the trip: part 2

I was so glad that Vera and I were able to fly up to Seattle for Michelle's beautiful wedding! Julie and I were saying that I never know when I'll get up there, but it always seems to work out that I do. Michelle was always a favorite friend - ever since we shared a room with 3 others sophomore year [is this where I admit I was in a sorority??]. It was so great to see all the familiar friendly faces - I'm still bummed that I didn't get a chance to really talk to anyone for any length of time. I miss you girls! Anyway, Vera's bedtime is at 7:00 and that's when the wedding started. I have never ever seen her so tired as she was by 11:00 when we left. Poor little bugger, rubbing her eyes like crazy. A favorite moment [Erin, do you read this?] was when Nate asked how old "he" was. And I said Nate, she's wearing a dress. I'm never offended by those things, but it was just too funny how badly he felt and how every time I saw him the rest of the night he'd apologize and exclaim, "it's a blue dress!!"

***

Sitting in the baby-corner with our sippy cups, diaper bags and glasses of wine:

Viv, Janna, Erin + Laura [the dresses appear neon here, but were actually quite cute]:

Another favorite moment - when Jud said to Vera, "You're not in Montana anymore" (as in you're not in Kansas...) and I corrected him: "Utah, you're not in Utah anymore." I guess I have successfully avoided mentioning where we live. Now all you crazy internet stalkers know :)

.... and the beautiful bride:

*the trip: part 1

We're home! We had such a great time and did so many things that I'm having a hard time even organizing it all in my head. So I'm going to give it to you in little instalments. First we stayed with my cousin Beth, her husband, Ryan, and their precious little guy, Pierce. It was so nice to get to just relax and hang out with Beth and watch the babies play. At first they kind of did their own thing, but by the end of the week they were old friends and were so excited to see each other every morning - it was adorable. I really loved getting to share in a bit of their daily lives and came home motivated to do lots of things: make all our babyfood, put my own art/photos up on the wall, actually make all the recipes I bookmark in my magazines... and watch the next Bachelor on Monday :)

It's really hard to choose from all the pictures I took. I just realized I didn't get any of us adults, but here's some favorite moments of the two little cuties:

***
It was great to be in a nearly baby-proof house equipped with lots of new and exciting places/toys to explore. Pierce was a good little sport too and shared well :)

*giddy

Still on vacation but thought I'd post this video that Ben just put on YouTube. Things are just so funny when she's tired:

*travels

I am SO excited for our trip to Seattle!! We'll be staying with my cousin Beth and her family, going to Michelle's wedding, spending a night with the Freises, celebrating Gegi's birthday and of course just loving being in one of my favorite places. I'm not so excited about our long day of traveling tomorrow. Lord, please help her to sleep on the plane...

*brrr

Spring has been slow coming. I'm tempted to be impatient for warm weather, until I remember that last year was the hottest summer on record. The walk from the back door to the car was even too much for my enormous pregnant self. So anyway we've decided to just enjoy the pleasantness of a sweat-free walk to the park.

*moving...

*boone

Vera loves Boone. If he comes over to sniff her face, she holds her breath and then squeals with excitement after he leaves. So naturally I try to get him to greet her over and over again because I love to see her so happy. Here he is obediently sitting for me, but avoiding either of us.

Also, yesterday was beautiful and we went for a nice long walk up to 9th & 9th to browse around.

*babyclothes

I remember back when I used to babysit, I couldn't wait to have a baby so I could dress her [always a her] up in all her cute little clothes. Well I've discovered that babies don't like to be dressed. I attempted the other night to get a little photo shoot of Vera in these adorable little kimonos [hand]made by my sister and Ben's sister. After the trauma of being undressed/dressed several times, she wouldn't stay still for a good shot. Especially of Auntie Jay's - so I put one up from when she was just 3 months old. [by the way, these fotos were a different attempt to get a good picture to send to Liz. She wasn't crying because I wouldn't pick her up, she was crying because I took away the camera. Beth! ;)] Anyway, I love these little creations - they are so so special. And adorable. I'm actually working on a little project of my own.... SouleMama would be so proud.

*panqueques

It might be about 75% nostalgia, but I think my mom's pancakes are the best anywhere. I LOVE them and wish I didn't eat them all up this morning.

1 C flour

~.5-1 T sugar

1 T toasted wheat germ

.5 t salt

.5 t baking soda

1.5 t baking powder

1 egg

1 C buttermilk

1 T butter - melted and cooled

*Top with butter+cinnamon+sugar or peanutbutter+syrup. mmmmm.

Vera hasn't learned to beg yet and seemed to enjoy her baby cereal+banana. [added later: Ben said that she was sitting on his lap while he ate his breakfast. She kept trying to get at his pancakes, so he gave her a little toy. She dropped it on the floor twice and while he was getting it the second time, she made a mad dash for his pancake. Little stinker.]

*8 months

Lucky girl gets to have her birthday on gnocchi day. I am just amazed at how much she changes day to day. She's been army-crawling for a while now, and last week was doing a little handstand thing that I think was an attempt to move forward. This morning she really crawled for the first time! She's also pulling herself up on just about everything, is starting to show signs of 'playing' with us, has 2 little teeth, is still sleeping about 12 hours at night and has continued to develop a healthy little temper. She still doesn't like naps, but I think she's starting to understand that she doesn't have a choice.

*the cheerful life

Someone sent me an email recently and commented that [per the blog] our life here seems so peaceful and cheery. It is for the most part. However, I think this is kind of an exercise in finding the good in our days. Not that it's hard to find, but if you know me, you might know that I can tend to be a little ... negative. I remember one time finding out that someone thought I was a complainer. I was insensed -- what?! me? I relayed the information to Heather and Leslie [or was it Julie and Sarah?] and they gave each other a little twinkly-eyed look that told me that yes, it was true. Good thing I can laugh at myself, eh? So anyway, I just want you to know that although I share with you all the fun, cute happy times here at the Cater household, we [yes, mostly me] have our fair share of downtime. I struggle especially with patience with Vera [when she wakes up again after a 15 minute nap - this is getting better, by the way], with feeling unproductive [mostly not contributing any $$ to our destitute brokeness], with few good friends here [Jenny, I am so so thankful for you], with of course the usual feeling pasty and out of shape - with lots of things.

I've been reading the Psalms lately and am encouraged to be joyful, cheerful, glad, grateful ... even when we all feel like this:

(this, by the way, is lately how Vera expresses her despair)

*spring break

We had a great time in Carson. My older sister and her family were there too - Vera loved seeing her cousins running around and thought they were pretty funny. We didn't do a whole lot, just hung out at home and got to visit with lots of old friends and family. Good food too, of course [Sarah, we had a bunny cake - the picture didn't turn out very well...]. Vera didn't have any trouble falling asleep in another place -- good because this was a trial run for our upcoming trip to Seattle!!

Visiting Great-Grandma Kay at the ranch [um yes, Liz, I'm wearing your clothes...]::Playing peek-a-boo with Eliot:: Egg hunting with Olivia, Ivor + Eliot. Vera found the one we set right in front of her::Easter dinner [sooo good. local lamb, stuffed tomatoes, butternut squash, homemade bread, yummy wine... oh and see the bunny cake in the right corner! There was a lamb cake too - Great Great Granny Mae's sour cream cake. It was so good.]::

All dressed up::

Being pulled around on my old VW bug [which Eliot was reluctant to share]::

*The Easter Dress

Little Easter Dresses deserve their own post. I always remember having a special one - usually made by my mom and usually matching my little sister's. I was so excited to see Vera in hers! Ben's mom bought it for her - maybe next year I can make one :) I didn't get a picture of the adorable little ruffled and laced bloomers - they were probably the best part.

Of course, the special dress is for a special day. Easter is my favorite Sunday of the year - so joyful and triumphant. He is risen!

*happy spring!

Off to Nevada tomorrow for a week!

*happy moment

A sunny afternoon, a peanut butter cup, a hot mate*, a happy baby and a resting husband.


*[I realize that if you don't know how to pronouce mate - it looks like I'm talking about a hot australian buddy. It's 'mah-tay'. Also -- to be honest, this happy moment was last week before I discovered that mate does indeed make for a hyper little baby. Sad, I was really starting to like it again.]

*a favorite scene

Vera's got a cold this week and so the past couple nights has taken her first baths in the big tub - the steamy bathroom helps to clear up her stuffy nose. I liked to witness this nightly little daddy/daughter ritual and will miss it once she graduates full-time to the big kid tub.

*accomplishment

Yesterday I was able to make a whole batch of these ----

----while Vera kept herself busy here:

Totally unprecedented. Afterwards, we went downstairs [yes I carried baby and tray :)] to share with Daddy. Vera was pretty upset that peanut butter and milk are both on her not-allowed-to-eat list.

*mangia

My first attempt at feeding Vera homemade food. Like her friend, Sam, she wasn't very interested. Most of butternut squash/pear mixture you see on her face was my attempt at sneaking little bites in when she happened to open her little mouth. I took a video too. After the first look of disgust, she kept her mouth tightly closed, little stinker. She was much happier when I gave up and handed over the spoon. What is it about store-bought food? My mom used to make the most delicious homemade mac+cheese, yet all I wanted was the boxed Kraft [I have since realized the superiority of the former]. Just you wait, Vera, you will like what I make! and that's final!

*bicicleta

Ben's been loving his new bike - riding to school [almost] everyday just like we used to in Missoula. And look! He's wearing a helmet. Our neighbor down the street was hit by a car on his bike and apparently cracked the woman's windshield with his helmeted head. Lesson learned.



[note: if you don't know what to put for your title, just think of the most basic thing and say it in another language: an easy way to make you sound cultured and cool]

*pequeña

One of the first things that struck me when Vera was new was finding her teeny shoes or socks or whatever lying around: sweet reminders of the new little person in our home.

*entertainment

Do all babies do this? She's been making these sounds for a long time now, but just discovered that the hot water bottle makes for the best resonancy.

*pre-pre-school

Cuteness is multiplied by the number of babies present: see here.