Family Photos & A Day At The Park

Our wonderful wedding photographer met us at one of our favorite Cincy parks a few weeks ago to snap a few photos of our family.

She did such a wonderful job capturing Evelyn's personality! Here are a few from the day.

I'm in love....

7th month

Dear little, Evelyn, I can no longer leave the room without having you pinned up or strapped into something because you're on the move. I wouldn't say you started crawling quite yet, more of a wounded soldier scoot. You get on all fours, wobble around a bit and then collapse onto the floor as you muster up every ounce of might you've got in that petite little frame of yours to inch your way to your destination.

You are so curious and determined, and your attention span lasts about two seconds. Oh look a ball. Hi mom. Oh ball. Where'd the ball go? Oh look remote control. 

That's how I picture your brain working anyway.

Likes
*Sleeping on belly. In the last month or so it seems like your preferred sleep position is your tummy. That or you just collapse after trying to escape from your crib. Yes, that could be it.
*Fan. We just installed a ceiling fan in our room. We should really put one in yours since you're so fascinated by it!
*Swinging. Now when we go to the park, you enjoy a little swing time. I push you from the front and you giggle and giggle.
*Johnny Jump Up. Thank goodness for this contraption. When I'm not chasing you around the floor, I can put you in this swing-like device that hangs from our door frame and get a few things done around the house while you bounce around.
*Anything and everything in mouth. Still chomping on anything you can get your little hands on.
*Kids. You love love love watching other babies and kids play.


Dislikes
*Getting dressed. You still always get angry when I put clothes on you.
*Going to bed. There's no doubt about it, you definitely know when we are in your room and nearing bedtime; and you don't like it one bit.
*Being bored. Like I mentioned earlier, you can't sit still for more than two seconds or focus on one thing for more than a few mintues. I feel like I can't keep you satisfied and am always moving you from one toy to the next; to the exersaucer; to the Johnny Jump Up; to the high chair; and so forth....

Other
*Mover. I can longer set you on the floor and trust that you will be in the same spot when I come back. You want to touch and explore everything- and it's usually the things that you shouldn't be touching, like under the couch, the vacuum cleaner and the fire place. I think we'll be baby proofing in the near future.
*All 4's. You can get up onto all four very easily. You just can't quite figure out how to coordinate those limbs into a crawl.
*So curious. You are into everything. I can't even change your diaper anymore without you pulling down the wipes, kicking off your diaper and trying to turn over on your tummy on the changing table.
*Sitting. We've got a sitter! I still need to be sitting behind you as you've done a few face plants, but we are well on our way to independence.
*Teeth. Your bottom teeth are even more prominent now. Seems like they grow a little more every day and you let me know they are there by biting my arm.
*Food. So far you've had avocado, banana and sweet potato without a lot of interest.
*Socializing. Before when I'd sit you in front of another baby you'd complely ignore their existence  Now you reach for their hands and look them in the face.
*Sleep. Still some issues getting you down at night as you'd rather play around the clock. You wake once or twice a night for a feed, but typically right back down.

You make us laugh and bring so much joy into our lives. Can't wait to see what the 8th month will bring!

This month you made your first trip to Bethany Beach. Too bad you stared at a bug in the sand the whole time and then daddy put your feet in the freezing water and made you cry. 

Your Good Morning face. I get to see this face every morning. It's the best. 

Oh my rolls.

7 months never tasted so good!

We just pin her up; that's normal, right?

Better than Starbucks Iced Coffee

I love coffee. Like a lot.

And since Evie was born in the winter, I'm definitely guilty of making one too many trips through the Starbucks drive thru on those cold, bitter days when I needed to escape from the house.

We recently splurged and got a much nicer coffee maker than our $20 one from Target. We're happy to say it does make a better tasting cup of Jo-- which has cut back on my coffee outings through the week.

See? Fancy. 

But in the summer time, a piping cup of hot coffee just isn't as appealing to me when it's 90 degrees outside. Thanks to our new, fancy machine and the ease in which I can whip up great tasting coffee, iced coffee made at home really can taste just as good better than what you can get from any coffee shop.

Here's how...

Make a big pot of coffee (extra strong). So if you usually put in 6 scoops per 6 ounces of water, double it and make it 12 scoops. Since the ice dilutes the coffee, you'll need to give it a little extra kick so that it doesn't lose the coffee taste and end up tasting like water.

Here's what you'll need

Once your pot of coffee is finished, pour all of it into a pitcher and put it in the refrigerator. Give it a few hours (or however long enough to get nice and chilled).

Add some ice to your favorite glass (always put the ice in the cup first), add a little cream (I used almond milk), a few drops of your favorite flavored syrup (we use the sugar free vanilla) and pour the cold coffee over top.

Top it off with a cute straw and refill as needed, of course!

Birthday Celebration & A Trip To The Zoo

The other day a man knocked on our door to see if we'd like to have our bushes trimmed.

"Hi, is your mom or dad home? I want to talk to them about your landscaping as I can do some trimming for cheap."

Rewind. Is my mom or dad home? I know I look young, but c'mon guy.

Number one: Our landscaping hasn't been touched since we moved in 8 months ago. We have poison ivy growing up the outside of our home. There are like 5 plants total out here.  It looks awful. Our landscaping certainly needs a lot of work, but a "little trimming" isn't really at the top of our list.

And two: I'm turning 26 this week. And that little baby crawling on the floor next to me, yeah she's mine, not my little sister.

Regardless of how old (or young) I look, I can't believe I am more than halfway through my twenties! Maybe that guy will come back when I am 36 and ask me the same thing. Wouldn't that be nice?!

Twenty-five was definitely a great year with a lot of change. I was pregnant. We bought a house. And last but certainly not least, Evelyn was born. Pretty good year I'd say.

Celebrating my birthday after giving birth also gives me a new perspective on this day. Twenty-six years ago my mom and dad held me in their arms for the first time as I breathed my first breath, my day of birth. That's pretty cool to think about. I bet my birthday is a special day for them as well, just as Evelyn's birthdays will always be for Ryan and I.

26 years ago- Baby Kaitlyn with my parents

To celebrate my 26th year of life and first birthday as a mommy, we went to the zoo. The weather could not have been more perfect. I captured some of our day below.

Red Beans & Rice (Slow Cooker)

Ryan and I eat a ton of rice. Rice and veggies. Rice and sausage. Rice and beans. Rice goes good with just about everything, don't you think? We do.

It's so easy to make, and you can jazz it up with your favorite spices, sauces, vegetables and meats to create a pretty simple yet solid meal. 

I was super excited to try a new rice and beans recipe I found on Pinterest (surprise, surprise), and it didn't disappoint. 

Only a few steps and it was so good. 

[via]

I always forget to snap a shot of my own finished product!

Here's the recipe with a few modifications....

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I used dry)
• 14oz andouille sausage, sliced (I used Kielbasa because it is all we had)
• 3 tablespoons Creole seasoning 
• 1lb dried red kidney beans
• 7 cups water
• white rice (I used brown)

Dump all ingredients except for the rice into a 4-quart crock pot and cook on high for 6-7 hours. Serve over cooked rice. 

I'll eat you up I love you so

As expected, Evelyn came out with a full head of hair. It wasn't long after we got home from the hospital with her that we realized not only did she have a lot of hair, but she had a lot of unruly hair.

See what I mean?

Her hair was out of control and not for a second did I think about combing it down-- I liked it too much. Everywhere we went someone seemed to comment on "that hair." Not only had it become her trademark, but it also suited her spunky personality quite well.

I checked my email one afternoon to find an email from Ryan: a side-by-side comparison of our daughter and this little monster from the book, Where the Wild Things Are.

Yes! That's our Evie, I thought.

I love this book and I thought the resemblance was adorable, so I bought her a cute onesie and a few prints for her nursery off of Etsy.

And, yep, the idea for my blog title stemmed from this book. I think a rumpus is the perfect definition for any parent's first year with a baby. They flip your world upside down...in a good way of course, causing a wild commotion unlike any other.

Evie's hair as tamed down more recently, but her personality sure hasn't.

We'll eat you up, we love you so, dearest Evie.

6 Months

It's pretty strange to think that Evelyn has been with us for half a year.  In a lot of ways it's hard to picture life without her. Did I really use to sleep 8 hour stretches through the night? Was it really possible to leave the house in under 2 minutes?

Who needs that kind of rest and freedom anyway?

In all seriousness though, these last few months have been so so so fun. Each new stage really is the "best stage" which makes me even more excited for what's to come.

I can't write a post about Evie's sixth month without mentioning sleep. At about 5 1/2 months things just started "clicking" for her. All of a sudden days became less fussy, activities became less overwhelming and sleep become something that wasn't so complicated-- for all of us! Long story short with some trial and error, Evie (for the most part) is now napping during the day and sleeping at night in her crib.  Most nights it still takes a lot of time and energy to get her to fall asleep, but once down, she will usually only get back up once during the night, in which case I give her a little snack and back down she goes. This has been huge for us. Ryan and I are finally enjoying some alone time in the evening and Evie is getting the rest she needs through the night.

If I had to pick one word to describe our little girl right now it would be passionate. Since day one, Evie has been very enthusiastic about everything she does.  Although this personality trait can be hard to manage at times, I so love that our daughter is one with a lot of spirit. I can't wait to see how this passion  unfolds with each passing day.

Likes

*Still standing. You're happiest on your feet.
*Outside. The warm weather has been so good for the both of us. You love looking at the birds, squirrels and trees and taking in new sights and sounds.
*Stroller. Yay! You are so so chill just cruising in the stroller.
*Cans/Glasses. For some reason you are mesmerized by glasses of water and soda cans.

Dislikes

*Getting dressed. Anything that involves an article of clothing going over your head and arms puts you in rare form, which is pretty frustrating considering I have to change you 2-3 times a day.
*Men/Unfamiliar faces. Oh my, we are going through a stranger danger phase. On several occasions you have gone from perfectly content to frightened tears when someone unfamiliar (usually a man) come to say hello. Ryan thinks definitely OK that his little girl is fearful of "scary men."
*Going to bed in the evening. Nothing new here. You want to play 24/7 even if that means fighting through exhaustion. Maybe when you can crawl and walk on your own you will just move yourself to sleep.


Other

*Pinching. You have such a mighty grip for being a little thing. You are really into mommy's face right now. You'll grab onto my lip and cheeks and it hurts. Bad.
*Your hair is getting longer and blonder.  I love how your long bangs hang in your eyes.
*Teeth! You've been putting anything and everything in your mouth since 2 months, and finally, just the other day, there they were. Two very small teeth poking through on your bottom gums.
*Reaching. As soon as something interesting catches your eye, out go your little arms, reaching for that cool, new object that you want to put your hands and mouth all over. Lately the remote control has been a hot item. And the other day we walked by the counter and grabbed a towel, which means mommy should be a little more cautious of what's in your reach.
*First solids. We mashed up an avocado last weekend and you took it like a champ. I'm not sure you loved the taste, but you enjoy putting the spoon in your mouth. You may have gotten more on your face and hair than in your mouth.
You're on the move. We like to call it the caterpillar. When on your stomach, you slowly inch like a worm to whatever toy is in your sight. You can also now raise up on your arms and knees, but haven't quite figured out how to crawl.
*At your 6 month well-visit you weighed in at 14 pounds and 12 ounces and measured 25.5 inches long.

Happiest in her daddy's arms

Mmm avocado!

Little one, you amaze me every single day. It's going to be a fun summer.