Riverbank Run

 

Derek ran his first 25K race this year. 

 He's still smiling after running 15+ miles!

I made Abigail a matching onsie for the race using freezer paper (as the stencil) and paint. It is a fun and easy "craft"!

My mom's friend Yolanda, My mom, me and Abigail all walked the 5K while Derek ran.

 ...and this is embarrassing... there are photographers along the routes to take pictures and then the computers scan for bib numbers. The camera caught me texting a friend while I was walking!!

 It drizzled while we walked but Abigail enjoyed grabbing at the umbrella.

All that walking and running is so tiring...

Peek A Boo

Her new scooting skill gets her into tighter spots now. She kept peeking out at me and giggling this particular morning.

Paper Clutter Solutions

We need some solutions to help reduce eliminate the paper clutter at our house. I sometimes get the mail, read it, but leave it all so Derek can see it. Sometimes he gets the mail and leaves some out so that I see it. 

Yup, there's our first solution: DO something with the papers rather than just let them sit there. (duh) 

I know, I'm a genius (really it's continually doing it that's the problem, it's easier to blame it on the other person, he he). 

Then there is the question of some of the stuff you just have to save for longer than a few days but don't need to be filed: like invites. Our fridge is not magnetic and at first I was so bummed about this, but now I love it because our fridge stays clean!

We want it visible, but putting it on our corkboard down in our office doesn't help us one bit!

So here are some solutions I found for those things you need to save for a short bit of time:

We tried this (kind of) but you never see these things that are still kind of important reminders and such. We want to be able to "hide away" stuff when people come over but not always hidden from ourselves too!

This would be a neat entry bench, but I think Abigail would get into it, and I'd rather use this bench for mittens and hats!

What a neat "desk" idea! Not a lot of surface space for hanging notes though. It comes stained too:

Tada! I think this is the best solution! Cute shutters or cabinet doors.

 It would stay open 95% of the time when you want to see those coupons/invites/notes/calendar and shut when you need to cover the stuff up. It looks good in other colors/sizes too:

How do YOU manage your paper clutter? Any tips would help us out a lot! I can't even imagine all the paper when Abigail starts school. (I know there's a lot... I was a teacher sending it home!)

New Hair Do

Eleven Months Old

At Eleven Months Old Abigail... 

...sleeps from 8:30 to 6 or 7. Most of the time I can get her back to sleep for another hour or two. I just stay up and get stuff done since it's light out now. We replaced her blanket over the window with real curtains that i found at my neighbors garage sale. Four sections, the size and color I wanted (and not faded at all) for $12. Woohoo. Those help her sleep. I pull the curtains at nap time too and that seems to communicate that it's time to sleep. Most days she takes two naps, but she's skipped the morning one a few times and then she goes down for a nap at 12/ 12:30 instead.

...eats pureed food and table food. Every meal is different because she wants what we eat and sometimes likes the texture of a food (like banana pieces) and sometimes spits it out. She has 6 teeth, but I think she's getting one or two more bottom ones soon.

...nurses 3 times a day. I used to nurse her at 6 and then again at about 9when she was up for good bu now I don't nurse her at 9 and just do that first morning one, an afternoon, and bedtime. She takes bottles regularly now and I gave her formula for the first time today and she took it. I feel like my milk supply is getting lower and lower. I think that is why she nurses more often yet. She only gets like 4-5 oz from me at a sitting when I could fill her up on 8 oz of formula instead and maybe stretch her feedings a bit. We've gone 11 months exclusively breast-feeding though so that is good.

...plays and babbles and swings her arms. She will share with you (her food, a toy, a book). It's cute to see her hand you stuff. If it's food she likes though she only pretends to give it to you.

... is talking. New words that I can think of this month: nigh-nigh (night-night), baby, whoa, papa (grandpa), mommy, daddy...

...is crawling and scooting. Her crawl is still just on her tummy, pushing wit her toes and pulling with her elbows. She also scoots now, on her bottom. She swings her feet put and digs her heels in to scoot forward where she wants to go.

...wears 18 months clothes, size 3 shoes , and size 3 diapers (and cloth diapers).

Here is her ten month post.

Trying to get a photo

Here is video proof that it is harder to get her photo the older she gets.