Time is Flying

Every week I look down at my beautiful baby and think of how old she is getting and how many things she is learning to do. It doesn't seem like so long ago that I was taking her one month photos and having her share our room in her cradle. She turns eight months old this week! Ah, how quickly time passes.

I know it has been over a month since I last posted and I'm sorry for that my faithful readers...if you are still reading my blog. We have had a busy summer with Mom and Dad leaving to the Philippines, babies being born, vacations, service, exercising, cleaning house, organizing house, cleaning house again because we messed it up... Sometimes I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day. I do feel like my house is getting clean though. Hooray!

She loves the grass.

In short, Nara is crawling everywhere. She looks like a little Mowgli sometimes because she crawls by half elephant walk and half on her knees. By half I mean that one leg does one thing and the other does...the other. She is getting so big and so cute. She jabbers all the time and loves to be around other kids.
 We are off to play, exercise, and do some chores. Yay!  I am hoping that now the summer is over I can get back in my routine of blogging on Mondays. Here's hoping.

Elephants

I recently made a card for my primary president's daughter that was about elephants. I hand painted it with water color. What do you think? I had way to much fun with the project and try to take pictures of all my work. I love art and should probably do more of it. What do they say? Practice it or loose it? Anyway, I have been trying to get better and think my skills have improved. No matter what it's about the improvement. Well, here is to bettering yourself.

If each city could have a stamp in my nonexistant passport, I would have a stamp for Lodi, CA

It's been a long while since I last blogged, so here goes a brief Reader's Digest version of what has been going on...with pictures...
As Morgan family readers know, we had a family reunion in June. Kim and Tamina both have lovely blogs about all the details. Here are mine.
We went to Lodi, CA. LODI! 5 hours north of my hometown in Southern Cali. I have never been to Lodi and had a marvelous time. I think it is beginning to be a big game to add cities to 'Jen's visited list' because I am so excited to go anywhere.
Nara had such fun in the airplane and playing around with cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents and in the motel. She had her first swim of her life in Lodi, and I must say that she did really well. She was all about the water despite the chilly temperatures. Like my cute sunburn I got at Magic Mountain (which happens to be in Vallejo, a city I have never been). Nara had fun at Magic Mountain, so did we. It was so fun, and a totally different experience going with the kids. We saw animal shows and played and had so much fun. Thanks Mom and Dad!So cheesyCute Boys


The reunion was fun and so good to see and meet everyone on the Stewart side for the family including Grandma Zelma. They were so cute together and I know it was great for Grandma Great to see one of the newest great-grands
The boys played horseshoes during the reunion. It must have been a very intense game because they missed all of the games, prizes and socializing with cousins, aunts and uncles. Shame, boys. Good thing the wives were social. Poor little Nara was so hot in the Cali heat. We had to rid her of her shirt and douse her with water several times that day. Everyone loved her though. I don't think she had much time when she wasn't being held. All the new faces and heat wore her out though. She and Sarah were lucky and got a nap in the shadeRemember how I said that there were games at the reunion. This was one of them. The Elephant game. The point was to knock over soda cans with your "trunk" (hosiery with a tennis ball in the end) Adam was so cute playing with it afterward. Aunt Janelle said that when she was learning about the game, she thought that the hosiery was supposed to be tied around the waist. Luckily her boys helped her out there. Think about it.

So cute. Those girls lover their Nara

Fun, fun weekend. It was great going someplace new and being with family that we don't get to see all too often.

No pictures please!

I had nose surgery on Thursday. The cool thing is that I get to wear a really cool mustache bandage underneath my nose. There is minimal pain, no brusing and besides a little iodine and blood clots, you may not even be able to tell that I had surgery...well, until you take down the bandage and see my nasty nostrils. Hence why no photographs will be taken. However I was thinking about drawing a mustache on my mustache. I'm on the up and up and feeling better all the time, just taking is slow on recovering.
Nara is faring pretty well. She is on formula now since she has gone through her entire supply that I built up. So sad. But I also started her on it three days early when the doctor put me on presurgical prescriptions. Only 5 more days then all the drugs will be out of my system enough to feed Nara and get back to everyday living.

Distracted Blogging

This is why distracted blogging is not a good idea...Yes, that would be Nara's bum I am holding. Good thing it's laundry day.

Carrots Are All Thumbs

Nara had carrots for the first time this weekend. I had a time making them. First I tried to puree the carrots raw. Let me just tell you that it was very nasty, lumpy, and watery. It wasn't until later that the lights came on and I thought, "Perhaps I should cook them". Um...duh! I tossed them and started fresh, or cooked rather. The second time through went so much smoother. They didn't taste half bad and pureed nicely. How fun that was! She likes them a lot, but when I gave her applesauce afterward she made a face like none other. It was so funny.
I love my baby girl. She is so cute. She is making a habit of sleeping in her high chair and she is also becoming fond of her left thumb. Morning noon and night she seems to find that thing. I suppose she will just have to have it...since I cannot detach it and take it away. I have heard that it's good for babies to learn to sooth themselves with it, but I don't want to have an older child still sucking their thumb in the middle of Primary. Any thoughts?

Rice, Bananans, Apples...Oh My!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! I am proud to announce that NARA IS ON SOLIDS!! While we are still experiencing the effect this new diet is having on her diapers, I am excited to say that she is loving the change and eager for more.
We started her out on rice cereal. She handled it well, but made a jolly good mess out of herself. (That's why I bought a stain stick) Next we threw in some bananas, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She smiled her cute little smile, sparkled her eyes a bit and ate a good portion of the bowl that I made up.
However, all of this was just a glimpse of how she feels about applesauce. I gave her apples last night and she gobbled up the entire bowl and neigh unto licked it clean. I'm sure she would have if she were able...and I had let her. I couldn't get the spoon in her mouth fast enough. She was smiling so big that the food that was in her mouth was falling out. Also, she attempted to devour the spoon on several occasions.
Who knows what is next on the le menu de Nara, but whatever it is, I am sure I will report it. I'm into making my own baby food, so if Anyone has suggestions, or recipes, then please share.
I love these moments in life that keep you smiling. She is growing up so fast and is such a joy in the process. I love my girl!

Graduation!!

Hail the conquering Graduate! Chris graduated last Friday from WSU in Information Systems and Technology. We are so proud of him. His little girl was so observant while sitting in the Austad Auditorium. She was looking all over and didn't really know what to do with herself because there was so much excitement around. She was excited to Grandpa Morgan and fell asleep in his arms. The graduation was nice, good speakers and motivating words, however, the hooding of the Masters Degrees took quite a while. Each graduate had to stand in the middle of the stage, get hooded (which looked more like they were choking them than anything) then walk over to the line of teachers to shake their hands. It was then that the next name was called. This process was repeated many many many many times. We were pretty excited when the undergrads got up to be presented with degrees. Guess where Chris was in line??? He was the very last one to come in when they first entered the auditorium and the second to last to receive his degree. He said he wanted leg room...that and his major was the last one in line of degrees. I guess I can't blame him for that. All in all, it was a fantastic day despite the rain outside. Nara was awesomely well behaved and Chris was fantastically handsome in his cap and gown. I never thought I would go for guys in a dress. Oh come on, that is practically what it is...a black moo moo. But he looked good. I am so proud of him. All the hard work, time, energy, sleepless nights, early mornings, papers, and exams, heartache, and stress has finally paid off. What does he have to show for it? A degree, a few more gray hairs, and a future where the sky is the limit. Congrats' Chris! Now on to the Masters.



Do you think he will be hooded? Do you think the 'hooders' will be able to reach him or will they need a step stool??