R is for Robot

Max turned 3; he had a robot-themed birthday party. There was a special appearance by Steve-Bot3000. Some of the kids were kind of scared by the big robot, but Carolyn crawled immediately up to it. I think she knew it was dad.

8 Months Old

Carolyn is 8 months old. This month brought a lot of activity: She began eating like a horse -- really, like 5 or 6 jars of baby food a day, plus nursing 4-5 times a day. She has lots of bumps and scapes on her head, since she tries to climb on just about everything and sometimes tumbles over in the process. She is moving all over the place and we have had to babyproof the house (you will be happy to hear that we have installed a gate on the stairs and a mesh to cover the open-railing in the living room). She started going to day care one day a week at the Pumpkin Club. And, no, she still does not nap, has no hair, and no teeth.

Pictures were a bit delayed this month because she would not sit still long enough for me to take any. This picture is pretty typical - always on the move!

A few videos to show a day in the life of Carolyn, at 8 months.

Snowshoeing at Mirror Lake

It was President's Day, so we did not have to work. Instead, we went snowshoeing at Mirror Lake. (You gotta love being a state employee. We may not get pay raises, and are facing massive budget cuts from our legislature, but the schedule is nice!)

Game Night - The Iron Chef Edition

We oftentimes get together for game night with our friends. This month, Kim and Nick hosted the "Iron Chef" edition of game night. The challenge was PIZZA. Each team had 10 minutes in the kitchen -- they had to roll out the dough, top their pizza, and get it in the oven. So every 10 minutes a new pizza came out for the taste test. We judged the pizzas on originality, flavor, and presentation.

Becky & Steve's pizzas won the awards for flavor, as well as overall. Nikki and Josh's pizza won the award for originality and presentation. They each made a pizza; one was all veggies (Nikki), the other all meat with macaroni and cheese (Josh). They cut their pizza crusts in the shape of the yin-yang symbol. All of the scores were very close. And, all of the pizzas tasted great. We are lucky to have friends who enjoy eating and cooking as much as we do.

If you want some ideas for creative pizzas, here is a list of the entries:

Nikki -- all veggies
Josh -- macaroni & cheese with buffalo sausage (he cut the sausage in the shape of a buffalo, too)
Kim & Nick -- salmon, olives, fresh dill, garlic
Todd & Michelle -- pesto, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, garlic
Becky -- carmelized onions, figs, walnuts, gorgonzola, fresh greens and a balsamic reduction
Steve -- roasted red peppers & garlic, fresh herbs, and spicy marinara
Michelle -- baked apple & almond
Josh -- vegetarian philly cheese steak , made with portabella mushrooms and spicy cheese sauce
Zak -- putanesca (olive, marinara sauce) with four cheeses

Do I have something on my face?

Dad sometimes lets me eat by myself.

More mail

Yesterday, Carolyn received a Valentine's Day card from grandma Carol and grandpops Harry. Right now, cards are the perfect gift for Carolyn because they keep her entertained for a long time. She sat on the floor, playing (and eating) this one for almost an hour last night. The card from grandma and grandpa Altman was particularly exciting because we had to get out the piggy bank to put in the crisp $ surprise! She loves banging her hands on her piggy bank. By the time she is old enough to spend the money, she will be so excited that we save all of the dollars that she receives in cards. (By the way, she also has a savings account that has the larger sums of money - checks - that people have given her. We have kept a register of every deposit, including who gave it to her, so she will know who to thank later in life when she gets to buy her first real bicycle or whatever else she decides she MUST have in life.)

And now, mastering the stairs

Not more than an hour after I found her standing in her crib, I found her attempting to crawl up the stairs. And we thought it was safe to put her on the floor downstairs.... Yes, this girl is a mover!

Girl's Night Out - February

As Michelle put it, we ate chilli in a barn, listened to a yodeler, went snowshoeing in a field, and then went home .... and I have not laughed so hard in a long time. Thank you to Michelle, Michelle, and Heather for such a good night out.

Valentines Day Party

Today, Carolyn and I went to a Valentine's Day Party with the mom's club. It was at an assisted living facility, so the kids made a bunch of valentines cards and delivered them to the residents. Both the kids and the residents loved it. (Carolyn was too young for the fun, but she giggles a lot when she is around the other kids).

Packages in the Mail

Yesterday, Carolyn received a package in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa Utz -- she unwrapped it by herself. (well, she slobbered on the paper until the gift fell out!) . Thank you. She seemed to be very pleased with the gift.

Look at her now ...

With Steve on duty, Carolyn has been getting better at taking her naps and on a fairly routine schedule. Good for dad! He is definitely more successful at this than I ever was.

Today, when I walked into her room after naptime, this is how I found her.

(Hey Mom, aren't you glad I lowered her crib a couple of weeks ago? )

Couple's Night Out, A wine Tasting

A couple of months ago, I joined a group called, Mothers and More. It is a group of local women who all have kids. Most of them are transplants to Salt Lake City, meaning they have no family in town. They plan a lot of events with the kids, a book club for the moms, holiday parties for the whole family, and every month there is either a "moms' night out" or "couples' night out" event. Last night was a wine tasting for the couples. It was a lot of fun.

I am beginning to realize how nice it is to have friends who also have kids. I was amused that everyone arrived right on time and almost all of us left a few minutes before ten -- because that is when we told our babysitters we would be home. Steve and I tried out a new babysitter last night. She is a high school student, so is a lot cheaper than our previous babysitter. The house was tidy, Carolyn was asleep, and she seemed excited about the night ... so I think we have found our new 'regular' babysitter.