Avocado Bread

You didn't misread the title...I said avocado bread!! I am quite the fan of the yummy, delish, green...fruit? Is the avocado a fruit? Anyways, I'm such a lover of good ole homemade guacamole. I rarely make it because Kris won't eat it, therefore I eat it all! We had some friends over for dinner, so of course I whipped up a batch. After stopping myself from taking a spoon to the left over avocado, I googled 'avocado recipes' and came up with the following recipe...

Avocado Bread
2 cups flour
3/4 c sugar (I added an extra 1/4 c brown sugar and some cinn. to make it a little more sweet)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 med. avocado (mashed)
1 egg
1/2 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 and generously grease a 9x5 loaf pan
combine dry ingredients and whisk together
in a separate bowl, mix avocado and egg then stir in buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients and blend well.
Pour in loaf pan and bake 50 mins to 1 hour

It was very yummy! Kris hates avocado so I made him try it before I told him what it was. Even he loved it!

I'm one Jolly Jumper!

Kris and I decided it was time to pull out the Sassy Seat Jumper and let Miss Elly have a go at it! She loves standing and kicking those chunky little legs, so we thought she might enjoy the oldie but goodie toy (how long have these things been around?!). We about lost her when we stuck her in it, but she actually enjoyed herself and kinda got the hang of it. How convenient that the seat came right to her mouth...she could have cared less that she had no arms, just as long as her mouth was free to suck away!

Mmmm...almost as good as my dinner

I just HAD to stick in a picture of Elly in this dress I have been eyeing! I broke down and made the purchase. The picture doesn't do it justice! So cute!

So...I take she's staying?

Before Elly arrived, I was a little nervous to see how Sampson was going to react to not being the "top dog" anymore. He has actually taken it quite well! In the last week or so, he has become somewhat curious about the little person who seems to be staying! The other day Kris was on Elly duty while I was getting some stuff done around the house. I walk into the living to find the following...

Sampson keeping an eye out for anything suspicious and Elly sinking into the sofa! (It still baffles me that she can sleep in such uncomfortable positions!)

Elly's first day of school!

Well...not really, but it was her first day with the new babysitter! We started off with a great morning. I had a couple cancellations at work, so I didn't have to be in until 9:30. I love mornings like that, nice and leisurely time with my baby girl! Elly was a doll...for the most part :)

Yay for my first day with Miss Kelly!


WHAT?! You're going to leave me there?!?!


I got nothing but good reports when I picked her up. Kelly said she did great, and that in her 20+ years of keeping kids, Elly was the most advanced, precious, well mannered baby she had ever seen! Well...maybe she didn't say that, but I know she was thinking it :)

Tummy time...

...and a little babies gone wild on the side! Seeing that Elly is not a big fan of tummy time, I knew I needed to snatch up the camera and get some shots while she was hamming it up the other day!

Look at me!!! I'm so very strong!!!


Mommy...I saw you eat that cookie today. How many Weight Watchers points is that?


Happy baby!


Ellyson Jean! A little modesty PLEASE!

Who knew...

...Uncle Kris was such an inventor of fabulous games! We were quite unprepared for a last minute visit from the twins the other night. I had no toys handy and the only thing I had for them to do was color. You don't need two (almost) four year olds to know that one measly activity will not last long! When they became restless and the new game was "jumping over sleeping Hank", we knew we needed something quick! I left the madness to put Elly down and when I came back "jumping over sleeping Hank" had turned into "who can blow down the tower of markers the fastest"! Uncle Kris snapped all the markers together, would stand them up, tell the kids "ready set blow" and would count until the tower collapsed. Whoever did it the fastest would win a quarter, along with the title of "new world champion"! After naming a winner, Auntie had to remind Uncle...with twins, we ALWAYS have a tie :)

Uncle Kris explaining the rules (I hope they listen that well in school!)


Ready, set, BLOW!

Kalynn's turn...

Sister had a little difficulty understanding the rules :)

BTW...the old saying that you marry a man like your father, runs true in this family! I can totally see my dad creating a game JUST like this! Confirms what I already knew, Kris is an awesome dad :)

I'm three months old!

I can hardly believe that little Ellyson is three months old! It seems like just yesterday she was kicking me in the ribs! Since we don't have a 3 mo. Dr. appointment, I did a little stat taking of my own. According to my unreliable scale, Elly is a whopping 13lbs. 4 oz. Like I said, my scale is completely unreliable so I wouldn't take those numbers to Vegas :)

In the last couple weeks, Elly has discovered that her little hand fits perfectly into her little mouth! If she not plugged with a paci, she's plugged with fingers and occasionally an entire fist! She's not much of a thumb sucker but she sure loves those other fingers (as did Kris and I both as kiddos!).

Check out those baby blues!

Ready, Set, ROLLLLL !!!!

Today marked a very momentous day in the Elly Roebuck household (she does run the house)! Elly was enjoying her play-mat while I was putting away her clean clothes. I turned around to find the following...

Elly on her side (in a very cute outfit might I add :) )!!!

So what does a good mother do?? Leave her all alone while you root around for the camera! Thank goodness I found it and was able to capture Elly's first roll!!

Almost there.....

PUUUUSH, GRUUUUNT (check out her face!!)

SUCCESS!!!!

Doing a little post roll dance :)

Girls (plus Jack) night!!

Last Friday night marked the third (I think??) annual Zoo Beastro! All the fancy restaurants of Fort Worth set up booths inside the FW zoo and have samples of their yummy food. You wander from booth to booth and tent to tent, with a drink in hand of course, and taste the best Fort Worth has to offer! Tickets were a little pricey so we decided we would have to wait until next year. I was thrilled when sweet Ali told me she had an extra ticket for little old me (hubby gave me the night off and babysat)! Better Than Ezra (remember them?) and a great 80's cover band, The Time Machine, were there for us all to show off our crazy dance moves. It was a great, much overdue, night out with the girls...and Jack!

Me, Christen (soon to be Mrs. Files!! Can't wait!!) and Ali


Love me some Jack :)

Look at me now!!!

We gave the Bumbo chair a few weeks and another shot!!! See the big changes (especially in Elly's cheeks!) below...

BEFORE....


AFTER.....

"I meant to give a 'Go Frogs' with my right hand but it came out 'hook em horns'...sorry mom!"

Oooops...

I love the time Elly and I spend first thing in the morning! She is so sweet, smiley and in such a great mood! On my days off I try my hardest to get Elly and Sampson out on their morning walk (Poor Hank gets left out...two dogs and one baby=too much to handle!). I pack her up in the stroller, grab my ipod (my mom's day gift...thanks hubby!) and jam while Elly enjoys the view and Sam enjoys peeing on EVERYTHING! About halfway through I look down at my sweet girl and about died at the sight I saw...

Notice the look on her face...


In case you didn't look close enough...

Needless to say we beelined home. You don't even want to know what it looked like when I lifted her up! Oh the joys of parenthood :)

Tummy???

A little advice from all you mommy's out there...

I have been trying desperately, with no avail, to get Elly to nap in her crib. I just can't get her to stay down once I put her in! I get maybe 10 minutes and then she's up, wide awake and ready to play. She's up for about 30 mins and then gets cranky because she is tired. The only way I have been able to get her to sleep for any amount of time is if she is in her beloved swing. I'm worried that I am creating a "swing monster" and that I won't be able to break this habit. I have had two friends tell me that the answer is to let her nap on her tummy. I tried this today and we are now going on a two hour nap! Too bad I haven't gotten anything done because I have been planted next to her crib watching her breath! She has moved from side to side and has no problem lifting her head, but I keep going back to everything I have read and what my Dr. always says..."Be sure to put her on her back to sleep!!!" So, all you mommy's out there, honest opinions please, am I a bad mommy for letting my (almost) 3 month old nap on her tummy?????

Nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby!! Well...maybe a smiling baby :)

Can Jenna, Annalee and James come out to play???

Elly had her very first lunch/play date!! We met up with our good friends, the Self's and the Lewis's at the play area inside the mall. Obviously, Elly and Annalee (3ish months) didn't do much playing but they sure enjoyed watching the big kids, James and Jenna, run around! So...what does a precious girl wear for her first play date you ask??? An outfit meant only for a precious girl! Our dear friend Megan got Elly the cutest Baby Nay outfit at one of her baby showers. It has been hanging in her closet and I have been waiting for the day that she would fit into it! Well my friends...today was the day! It finally fits! Check out the pics before we got on our way. I'm a bad mommy and forgot to get pictures while we were there. Oh well...maybe I will remember on her 2nd play date :)



I've got a plan and you don't know what it is!


I'm whipped! Watching kids play sure does take it out of you!