This Oz Life

Not much new to report this week, other than our girl is retiring her bouncy seat AND rainforest. Turns out once you can roll back to belly, those things aren't "cool" anymore. We are open for suggestions on substitutes "places" she can sit and be independent!  Speaking of sitting, she is sitting up with a "spotter" in case she face-plants, and is getting frustrated with toys being out of her reach (crawling is right around the corner, I think!) This … Read more

Last week, my mom gave Larkyn this hat, and I could not WAIT to put it on her. As soon as I had a reason for her to wear it (the Otterbein Homecoming parade today!), out it came. By the time we got home, it was way unnecessary, but I still needed a few pictures of it. I have no idea how my mom does it. I don't understand the inner-workings and miracles of taking a piece of yarn and a hook and making it into a hat. All I can say is good job, mom! Read more

There's my little ladybug!  I had her matching red shoes all laid out to debut, but she grew out of them too fast. The kid is destined for big feet like her mama. And she sure knows how to use them already, as you can see in her newest contraption, the Fisher Price Bumper Jumper. Since we live in a 900 sf house, the monstrous bouncers are not happening. We tried one, it was almost as big as the dining room table, and it went back to the store!  Anyway, that's her new gig, bou… Read more

Before Larkyn was even born, I knew I wanted to make her baby food. I registered for the Beaba and was disappointed (but not surprised--its pricey!) when no one purchased it. Luckily, I saved up some gift cards and had one  mishap shopping trip , but now the Brezza is MINE (ahem, Larkyn's)! Why not jarred food? Well, I have actually found a brand I like, Earth's Best. But, that is just going to be the backup for traveling or if we run out of fresh at home. Their jars are organic,… Read more

OK, I hated taking these pictures with the flash on. Even with all the editing, they don't look half as good as the usual ones I take when I have daylight. Is that a valid reason to be a stay at home mom-- better lighting? Anyway, Larkyn is 5 months old today! When I got my monthly email from the baby websites, I was happy to see that I could check off the little boxes for her expected milestones. Besides growing like crazy (like at those rolls!), she is enjoying screeching like … Read more

I'll make this quick because I don't have much to say on this topic. But there is one upside to it this year... Read more

Matt is fortunate enough to still have all FOUR grandparents around (I, sadly, do not have any living grandparents). After many failed attempts at getting up to visit them, we finally got up to Berea to meet Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Priest. Oh yes, and the 2 great aunties who smothered her with kisses! Grandma Priest is famous for cooking her fabulous Czech/Slovakish delights, and we had been looking forward to the stuffed cabbage rolls, breaded chicken, and pretzel salad (reci… Read more

For years, Matt has been saying, "You have to try my grandma's pretzel salad!" Well, she finally made it for us last weekend, and it is to die for. I don't know why it is called "salad", but it came from a cookbook that was so worn and loved that she had to stitch it back together again. Use this for your next gathering! Pretzel Salad From Grandma Priest Crust : 2 C crushed pretzels (don't crush them too fine!) 3/4 C melted butter 3 tsp. sugar Mix together,… Read more

What an exciting week! On Monday, when I have more pics, I will show you how Larkyn's meeting with her great grandma and grandpa (and aunties and cousin!) went. Since learning to roll from back to belly, she rolls all over the place now. No more "You lay right here on the rug while I go make your bottle"...I come back and she has rolled across the room!  This also means stomach sleeping, of course. Thanks to the Angelcare monitor , I only freaked out for a few minutes eac… Read more

Lulu was born with a nice head of hair and had a barrette-holder (courtesy of Lottie Da boutique)before she was born. Only problem? A few weeks after she was born, she lost all her hair, except by her neck and on the sides. Yes, my daughter was rockin' the Larry David 'do . Thankfully, she has been sprouting blonde locks for about a month now, and there is juuuust enough to gather into a teeny barrette. Or, more often, clip the barrette to a stretchy headband. Anything to avoid… Read more

We are adjusting nicely to our new schedule with me back at work. It has been busy, and the highlight of our week was definitely Larkyn's baptism on Sunday. Her newest talent is rolling from back to belly (yay!)  As you can see, this week's picture is a little out of the norm.  That is because tonight was Curriculum Night at school and I just got home in time to put her to bed. This is her actually sleeping (its pitch dark and she is fast asleep!) Yes, she dramatically sleeps … Read more