Foto Friday, late again!

Apparently, I'm only able to do Foto Friday on time every other week. I think I've said this before, but I do promise to be better about being on time. Life has just been go, go, go for the Fabers lateley!

Last week, Annabel went to her first soccer game to cheer on her buddy Josh. Unfortunately, we were late to the game, so Josh didn't know his littlest cheerleader was there. But she was still cheered her loudest for him! Or maybe she was just hungry.

Bellie is stylin in her sweet hat and cool shades.

Doh! The other team scored! No worries, Annabel, Josh's team still won, 3-1. She just hasn't learned to count yet.

Daddy and Annabel are intently watching the game, a couple of serious "football" fans.

After all that sunscreen and sweat from watching the game, we figured a bath was in order!

Later during the Labor Day weekend, Annabel decides to get some jumping in. She loves hangin' out in her Amby Jump Jump!

Look at that smile! Has there ever been a cuter toothless grin?

Thanks to Hurricane Gustav, the weather was pretty mild this week. So Annabel and JP got to spend some quality time out in the backyard.

This is probably the only time in her life when Mommy and Daddy think it's cute for Annabel to share her bed with a good looking boy.

Look at these two cuties sitting on the couch together! Thanks to Nanny Kristi for taking these great pics of JP and Annabel. I had to go to downtown to my office this week, so it was the first time to leave them at the house. Everyone did great and had a wonderful day!

Annabel and Nanny Kristi went for a stroll around the neighborhood on Friday to continue to take advantage of the Gustav weather. It was her first trip in the Bugaboo seat instead of the infant car seat. She loved being able to sit up straighter for the view!

Annabel's been sitting up by herself better and better lately! She still quite often ends up doing a face plant, but at least is starting the get the hang of sitting. Plus Mommy had to get some pictures of her in her fancy t-shirt and jeans outfit. And check out the toe point! Future ballerina?

Prelude to the face plant... Bellie checks out the fun embroidery on her jean shorts.

Love those chubby cheeks! Plus, are you surprised I didn't get any pictures of those adorable feet? I am... what was I thinking?

Annabel enjoys some finger sucking and tummy time after the exhausting sitting session.

As for what she's been up to, Annabel is a rolling, razzing and chatting queen! She rolls both from her back to stomach and stomach to back whenever we put her on the floor. It's mainly back and forth, so it's not like she's going anywhere yet, but I'm sure that's just around the corner. She even manages to scooch on her tummy by wildly kicking her legs and semi-rolling in order to get closer to a toy! She's a girl on the go, our Annabel.

The razzing and drooling is also non-stop. We keep feeling her gums and don't feel any teeth yet, but Annabel's drooling would put Niagara Falls to shame. Who knew a little person could produce so much liquid? We're sad to put bibs on her that cover her cute outfits, but if we didn't, her tops would be sopping wet in no time. Fortunately, she has cute bibs, too.

And finally the chatting. With the chatting is also laughing. It's the best sound in the world, to hear her laugh. It lights up our day to get her to laugh. I've been meaning to catch it on video, but I'm so enthralled by her laugh that I forget to go for the camera every time she does it. The cooing and chatting is greatness too. I promise to capture it on video for you soon.

Until next time...
Cheers!

Might as well face it, I'm addicted to blogs

Hi, I'm Cathy, and I'm addicted to blogs.

So a friend introduced me to the Google Reader tool, which is basically an inbox for your blogs. It's so cool because you just put in the URL of the blog you like to keep up with, and just like your Yahoo! or Google mail, it pops up with a new post whenever one of your blogs has been updated. I keep it open in a tab so it lets me know when there's a new blog post on one of my subscriptions. I love it. I try to casually surf the web, all the while with that Google Reader tab in my peripheral vision just hoping that (0) changes to a (1)! I know, I'm a freak.

Another great thing about Google Reader is that it will recommend blogs to you that are similar to the blogs that are in your subscription list. So of course, since I've got blogs like Ginny's hilarious PreBabyBlabber or Danielle's fun New Mommy Rant and the like, it suggested some other fun Mommy blogs to check into. My favorite new discoveries are the blogs about deals, sales and product recos. And the other great thing is, each blog links off to more blogs, which link off to more blogs... it's an endless feast of blogs! Here's a rundown of a few of my new addictions...

Baby Cheapskate -- This is a blog filled with great deals on baby stuff, both online and offline. She keeps an eye out for quick specials, clearance deals, free samples, etc. A lot of times, these sites will offer an exclusive discount just for BC readers, too. Some examples are

• Labor Day cloth diaper sale at FancyPantz. BC readers get an extra 10% off regular prices with code "cheap"
• A post on the top diaper and formula deals for the week
• eToys 50% off sale, plus free shipping
• Huge stroller sale at AlbeeBaby, most with free shipping

Freebies4Mom -- A blog similar to BC (they share info between them sometimes too), specializing in free sample deals, coupons and stuff. One that I'm going to take advantage of is getting a free diaper sample from Seventh Generation diapers. Also, she just did a post of all the places that give you free stuff for your birthday! Fun!

CoolMomPicks -- This mom was actually featured as Mom of the Month in my most recent Parents magazine. It's a reviewer site of cool stuff for Moms and kids. Plus, usually with each "pick" she does a giveaway of the item, or some special deal on their web site.

MomAdvice.com and her blog, The Motherload -- From her site, "Well researched and in-depth articles on frugal living, saving money, work at home opportunities, inexpensive recipes, and tips for organizing your life. Find answers, opinions and a community who understands." She also does review blog.

Mommy Track'd -- From her site, "A smart, stylish, helpful and always entertaining resource for the stay-at-work moms managing the daily tug of war between work and family." Articles, reviews, etc. Pretty cool site and entertaining newsletter.

And those are a just a few that I've been keeping up with! They're fun, provide recipes and often have links to the latest and greatest cool stuff. And those of you that know Chris and me know that we are total gadget freaks... whether it's the latest in techno gadgets, baby gadgets, kitchen gadgets, etc. We are so there.

So if I see anything exceptionally cool, I'll post it on my blog. Otherwise, be sure to check out some of these sites and see where you end up. Endless entertainment during naptime, I assure you.

And, just because I can't wait until Foto Friday to post this super cute photo of Annabel at her first soccer game yesterday, cheering on her buddy Josh...


Cheers!

Foto Friday

What a busy week we've had! Annabel has decided to choose the week that Daddy has to go out of town to start rolling over onto her tummy to sleep at night.

Here she is, at naptime. I would put her back on her back, only to have her flip herself back over on her tummy again!

Also this week, Annabel went to go visit her Great-Grandma. Annabel had just gotten her shots that day, though, so she was a little grumpy!

Annabel's chillin' with her Grandma and Great-Grandma. Just catchin' up on gossip with the ladies.

She also had to let everyone know that she was NOT happy about her shots!

And some more cute photos from the week, PLUS a couple of Mommy and Annabel pics!

Bellie is all smiles with Nanny Kristi (in a Baylor t-shirt!!) after her nap.

We got to see Auntie Kathryn too!

Some playtime with Annabel. She was really diggin' those wrist rattles. They were quite yummy.

Mommy loves giving kisses to Bellie!

As promised, I finally got a shot of Annabel enjoying her new favorite paci -- her toes!

As always, JP and Annabel are adorable together. They really are becoming the best of buds. They both are experimenting with their voices this week, as evidenced by the chorus of high pitched squealing that I could hear all the way from my office at the front of the house! Here are some cute pics of them hangin' out together.

JP tells Annabel a really good secret.

Annabel tells JP that that's probably the best secret she's ever heard. Ever.

Two of the cutest babies ever!

Today, JP and Annabel discuss John McCain's surprise nomination of a woman as his running mate. And not just any woman... a working mother of FIVE kids! Wow! And they thought their moms had it tough!

Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Cheers!

4 Month Check Up!

Annabel had her 4-month appointment this morning. It was another tough one, with pretty much the same immunizations as last time. Four shots!! And since she's a little older, more aware of her environment, she did NOT like the shots for sure this time.

Getting her height measurement: 24.8" (75th - 90th percentile)

Weighing in: 12 lbs 12 oz. (25th - 50th percentile) -- Like the flower? This is a G-Rated blog, remember? :-)

Head measurement: 16" (50th percentile)

A happy and unsuspecting Bellie awaits the next part of her visit.

Yucky shots! Daddy comforts Annabel after she receives her immunizations.

Our pedi said that we can start Annabel on cereal anytime in the next month. He said there's no need to hurry since she's gaining weight consistently. I'm in no hurry myself because I'm really enjoying nursing her. She's not going to be a baby for much longer! I've gotta enjoy this while I can. On a side note though, Target did have organic rice cereal on sale, so I went ahead and bought some. It was still more expensive than the regular rice cereal, but I'm going to try to get on the organic bandwagon and see how Annabel does on it. It's even called "HappyBellies" -- it's a sign, right?

Speaking of which, I've been thinking I'm going to TRY (see? I said TRY... I'm giving myself an out in case I give up) to make her food myself when she starts on fruits and veggies. So I don't want to go overboard on the organic produce-buying. One of my parenting/pregnancy magazines cites a resource that lists the fruits and veggies with the highest and lowest levels of pesticides so that you can prioritize which ones to buy organic.

The 15 fruits and veggies with the highest levels of pesticides (highest to lowest order): peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes (imported), pears, spinach, potatoes, carrots, green beans and hot peppers.

The 15 fruits and veggies with the lowest levels of pesticides (lowest to highest order): onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mango, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, papaya, blueberries and watermelon.

You can view the whole list here.

Again, we'll see how long I can stick to this before I throw in the towel and go for convenience. With the added costs of child care, we're cooking more often than we were before, so hopefully, this will just be another step in the cooking process! But, since I'm not starting Annabel on solids for another month or so, I guess I can procrastinate thinking about it for a little while.

What about you guys? Any stories or advice to share about cooking for your little one(s) or buying organic? As always, comments and feedback are appreciated!!

Cheers!

Rash Update

So we're back from the doctor's office and have had a relaxing evening since then. Our pedi did a pretty thorough examination, and it turns out that Annabel's rash is the result of a viral infection. She has a sore throat (he had to stick a tongue depresser in her mouth to see her throat, and Annabel did NOT like that!), so he said that's likely where the infection is. We had noticed that her voice was a little raspy earlier this week. But, she had been extra fussy Monday night, so we thought it might just be because she had cried so much. Still, other than a slight raspiness and Bellie being a little fussier than usual when we put her to bed at night, she's been her usual self. Once we noticed that the rash wasn't going away, we decided to call the doctor.

The doctor said that the rash is a manifestation of her immune system fighting the infection. And, because the infection is viral and not bacterial, there's nothing we can do but wait for it to resolve itself. He said that since the rash started on Wednesday, then it would likely be gone in about three or four days. Possibly even by the time the weekend is over. He called the rash "viral exantham." Here's what WebMD has to say about it:

"Generalized rashes over the whole body that are caused by viruses are more common in babies and young children than in adults. A rash may be caused by a viral illness if the child also has a cold, a cough, or diarrhea, or is in a day care setting where he or she is with other children with viral illnesses. Most rashes caused by viruses are not serious and usually go away over a few days to a week."

We're not sure where she caught the virus/sore throat, but at least she seems to be getting better. Daddy's doing her bedtime routine right now (she didn't nap very well today, so we're putting her to bed early), and I don't hear any complaining, so she must be tired!

In other news, while we were having tummy time this evening, Annabel rolled from her back to her front! She's only done it that one time (well, she did it again, but Daddy was helping), so I didn't get photos or video, but stay tuned! Looks like we have a little rolly polly on our hands!

So it'll be a quiet weekend at Annabel's house while she gets some rest and recovery time. Hope you have a good weekend, too.

Cheers!

Happy 4 Months + Foto Friday

Happy 4 months to Annabel today!

Unfortunately, the sweet birthday girl is not so happy today. She seems to have developed a rash that will not go away. It started Wednesday evening and has since slowly spread to cover her chest, belly and back. It's not really anywhere inside her diaper, nor is it on her arms and legs. And I've been checking her temperature practically hourly, and no fever has developed.

I went to my trusty WedMD.com resource (an excellent and easy-to-read healthcare resource -- I worked with them extensively back in my internet marketing days), and according to them, it seems like a heat rash. I called my pedi and have an appointment for Annabel this afternoon for him to look at it. The nurse said that if she develops fever to bring her in sooner, but for now it doesn't seem to be an emergency. Crankier than usual, and not sleeping or eating like she normally does, but the nurse said it's likely because the rash is making her uncomfortable. My poor baby! Hopefully, they'll give me the OK to put some mild hydrocortisone or something on it. I'll keep you updated on her condition. She's actually asleep now, so that's a good sign.

I guess since I was on photo overload last week, I actually didn't take as many pictures this week. But I've still got plenty to show you!

First off, BIG CONGRATS to our friends, Travis and Terri. They have been blessed with the adoption of a baby girl! She's technically not adopted yet (still some steps to go), but they do have her and she's pretty much theirs. She arrived on Monday, exactly two months old that day. She will be named Haley Rhea, and she's beautiful! Travis had never changed a little baby's diaper before, so Annabel came over to give him a lesson. Did she go easy on him and let him start with a peepee diaper? Oh no! She took him straight to the Show... big poops!

Annabel has doubts about how Uncle Travis is going to do this.

Hurry up, Uncle Travis! The clock is ticking! Get this poopy diaper off!

Daddy supervises the wiping of the booty. That's right, Uncle Travis... front to back...

Success! Uncle Travis changes his first poopy diaper, leaving a clean and satisfied Annabel!

A few days later, Haley arrives! Here she is, already settling in and getting comfy in her swing.

Mommy Terri gives Haley her first bottle at home!

For my birthday, Chris thew a small surprise birthday party for me! So much for dinner at home and the Olympics :-) He and our friend Renee were super sneaky and totally got me. It was still pretty low-key and relaxed... the perfect way to spend my birthday. Here's a pic of the group.

From left: Derek, Sara, Renee, Me, Annabel, Chris and Kathryn. These are also the Aunties that got us a tree for our backyard to commemorate Annabel's birth!

I didn't get any pictures of JP with Annabel this week, but I did get this cute one of JP as he was going down for his nap.

JP shows off his new naptime lovey while he pretends to go to sleep! (Nanny Kristi moved it away from his face after I took the picture... just had to get the picture first cuz he's such a cutie!)

And finally, we'll close with some pictures of Daddy and Daughter. You can see I went a little B/W crazy this week.

This is the picture I took before I grabbed the small camera to get the video of Annabel rolling over. Isn't that the cutest face ever?

Daddy loves it when Annabel holds his hand while she's eating. She does that with me too, but this is a G-rated blog so I can't show you that picture. (And that's a Baylor ring that he's wearing. Go Bears!)

Who can resist those chubby cheeks? Annabel studies her Daddy intently while he holds her.

Annabel and Daddy love the Baby Bjorn!

Cheers!

Happy Birthday 2 Me!

It's my birthday! Yep, I'm turning thirty-something today. This past weekend, Chris and I went on a date to Cru. It was also restaurant week, which usually falls around my birthday, so we had a big dinner. It was super yummy (chocolate lava cake for dessert!!) and the atmosphere was very nice. I couldn't drink since I'm still nursing, but Chris had a flight of sparkling wine which he enjoyed. Once I'm done nursing Annabel, though, we're definitely going back for a wine tasting.

I don't think we have any major plans for tonight. Chris is cooking me dinner, and we'll play with Annabel and then watch the Olympics. Exciting life I have, isn't it? I love it!

Reflecting on where I am in my life for these thirty-some-odd years, I want to say how blessed I am to have you all be a part of it. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, beautiful child and loving friends and family (and of course, two fantabulous dogs) who are all a part of my daily joy. I couldn't ask for more. Thank you for your love and friendship!

Cheers!