More From Thanksgiving

Big Roll-Over

Wow! This morning Paprika finally did a BIG rollover from back to tummy, pushing her arm out from under her and springing up onto both elbows. She has been rolling over for the past week or so, but hasn't been able to get her arm out from underneath her. So, today was a big day because she rolled completely over and then pushed herself up!

Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, I put her back on her backside and watched her do it again. Then I called Mr. Mustard at work to tell him the good news. I can't believe how much she's changing and how quickly.

I am trying to get Paprika on a better daytime napping schedule. Right now she doesn't really nap, except for 15 or 20 minutes at a time- and then only once or twice per day. She really fights sleep. I think she is afraid of falling asleep and also very curious about the world around her, so she doesn't want to miss a thing. But, I know she's tired because she rubs her eyes and gets really fussy.

She's also not sold on the crib yet. Mr. Mustard laid her down in it last night, but she woke up quickly and seems much more at home in her bassinette in our room. So, I guess it's going to be a slow transition moving her into "her room."

I can't believe Christmas is only a few weeks away!

First Piano Lesson

Mr. Mustard gave Paprika her first piano lesson when we were up in Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving. She was fascinated by the sound coming from the piano when Mr. Mustard touched the keys. She studied Mr. Mustard's fingers and then reached out to play the piano herself. She liked that when she touched the keys, she made sounds come from the piano!

3 1/2 Month Stats

We had a great Thanksgiving- Paprika's first out of the womb! We went up to Santa Barbara and visited Mr. Mustard's mom and his sister, Andrea. We drove up early on Thursday morning and stayed until late on Sunday. It is very relaxing up there- and the weather was great. It was so nice seeing everyone and enjoying good food together!

Paprika is growing and changing so much. We just weighed her a second ago, and she is 17 pounds and 26 inches long. :-)

About a week ago, she started rolling over! Mr. Mustard laid her down face-up in her bassinette and left the room. When we came back in, she had flipped herself over. She is able to get mostly over, but has problems getting her arm out of the way. She likes to do push-ups and in the morning she entertains herself by pushing herself up onto her stomach and turning her head from side to side.

Paprika is also now able to grab and hold objects with her hands. She especially likes holding plastic rings and mommy's or daddy's ponytail! About a week ago, she could only hold objects for a second or two, but now she can hold them for a lot longer, and can pass the objects back and forth between her hands. She also is able to hold her own pacifier in her mouth!

Paprika is a very talkative girl and likes babbling to herself and to anyone who will listen. She is pretty quiet around strangers and likes to wait until she really gets to know someone before she talks to them much. So, Mr. Mustard and I hear most of her babbling and around other people, she's pretty quiet. Her favorite sounds are "oooo" and "booo."

Asleep In The Baby Bjorn

Happy Baby!

Bath Time!

Good Weekend

Mr. Mustard and I went to Islands for dinner on Friday night to celebrate. We had a great time and reflected back on how amazing the past few months have been. Paprika was born on August 16th, Mr. Mustard won his second Emmy on August 19th, and I passed the Bar on November 17th! It's really been a whirlwind.

Saturday we made the trip to one of my LEAST favorite spots on Earth- Babies R Us. Ugh. That place is just too much! But, it had to be done. We bought Paprika a new mattress, sheets, and other baby crib necessities.

Saturday night I started to sell off all of the books I used to study for the Bar. I am selling most of the books for a profit because I originally bought them on sale or used. So, it feels pretty good knowing that not only did I not have to pay to take a Bar Review class, but that I'm actually making money off of the process of studying for the Bar.

On Sunday, we bought Paprika's crib- a really beautiful light yellow one we found (where else?) on Craigslist. We got it for about 80% off it's price new- and it is in perfect shape. We came home and Mr. Mustard set up the crib in her room. It looks great!

After setting up the crib, we took Hauser to the dog park in Brentwood. I like it much better than Laurel Canyon because there is glorious shade in Brentwood, as opposed to the desert-like landscape of Laurel Canyon. Hauser had a great time and it was nice for us to get out and enjoy the perfect weather we've been having here in Southern California. It was Paprika's first experience at the dog park. I was a little nervous when I saw two huge Great Danes loping around the park and a bunch of other big dogs running around- but all of the dogs were more focused on each other than on Paprika.

Bar Exam Results

The results for the July 2006 California Bar Exam were just posted- and...drumroll please...I PASSED! Yea!

I am so happy! This little girl was there with me the whole time, which makes it all the more special. We did it without the help of a Bar Review course- no BarBri, no PMBR, no nuthin'! Just us! We did it! I am so happy! It's a proud moment for our family! I just called Mr. Mustard and told him the good news- he's ecstatic! :-)

Miker Meets Paprika Bliss

Our good friend Miker came by to meet Paprika on Monday and Tuesday! Miker's nickname for Paprika is Paprika Bliss because that's what I told him her name was going to be when I was pregnant with her, since we were keeping the name a secret. So, Paprika Bliss has stuck as her nickname according to Miker!

We had a great visit. On Monday, Miker and I took Paprika to the Beverly Center mall to celeb watch and eat at Rubio's- my favorite fish taco place. Then on Tuesday, Miker came over in the morning to see Mr. Mustard and do some last minute bonding before heading back up to the Bay Area. We miss having Miker in Los Angeles! It was GREAT seeing him!!!

Bath Time!

Here is a photo of Paprika post-bath, wrapped up in her warm towel!

Three Month Birthday!

We are having a great day today. :-) Paprika and I walked Hauser earlier this morning. It's a beautiful day outside- sunny and warm- about 70 degrees. Then we came back home, and we've been watching some movies from Netflix. We are currently watching Oklahoma!, which is probably my favorite movie next to Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and Total Recall! I also rented The Music Man and Wordplay, which is about crossword puzzle enthusiasts. We are relaxing and just enjoying this day together. Paprika is such an easy baby now- we are really just having a good time.

Mr. Mustard and I are working on converting the nook into her room- I have the whole nook pretty much cleaned out and tonight we are going to look at cribs. I found a very cute pink rug online from Pottery Barn Kids I think I'm going to order to put on the floor. It's going to be great! I am having some mixed feelings about moving her out of our room, though- it's so great to be able to look at her in her little bassinette and make sure she's sleeping alright. I like being close to her in the middle of the night, since I can get to her quickly when she wakes up.

Paprika is back to waking up once during the night. Her schedule now is to go to sleep around 8 pm, wake up at 4:30am, and then fall back asleep for 3 to 5 hours after that. Last night was challenging because she woke up at 4:30 and didn't want to go back to sleep. But, compared to where we were a few months ago, she's sleeping like a dream and we really have no complaints!

We finally assembled our stroller last night- it's so nice! So far we've only been using the Baby Bjorn and that's worked out great. I have a feeling that as she gets older we will be using the stroller more and more often- but I will miss the close feeling of the Bjorn, for sure!

I finished the manuscript to my book and I am now formatting it to get it ready to be published. It's hard to find time to work on the book because even as wonderful as Paprika is, she requires constant attention. So, it's going slowly but surely, and I figure as long as I keep at it, it will be done eventually!

3 Months Old Today!

I just took these sweet pictures of Paprika on her 3 month birthday! :-)

Doggie Kisses!

3 Month Stats

Paprika will be 3 months old on Thursday. Mr. Mustard and I weighed and measured her last night out of curiousity.

She is now 15.5 lbs. and 26 inches in length.

Her birth weight was 8 pounds 7 oz. and she was 20 inches in length.

So, in 3 months she has gained 7 pounds and has grown 6 inches!!!! :-)

Busy Weekend

We had a really busy weekend and I'm just now catching my breath from it! On Saturday, we woke up early and went to the mall- where I bought jeans in a size smaller (yea!) and Mr. Mustard got some shorts. I didn't think he'd be able to find shorts in November- but it is L.A., afterall- so he found some really nice ones. Clothes shopping for Mr. Mustard is such a rare thing that when he finds something he likes my immediate reaction is to say "get it now and in triplicate!"

We had lunch at the mall and discovered a really great "family area" in the food court. It's basically a private suite of rooms where you can change diapers, feed babies, and other neat things. It was a really really nice find- we were looking for a place to feed Paprika and change her diaper- and luckily happened upon the family area.

After that, we went to look at bigger places to rent. We saw three houses in Culver City- all of them were unfortunately disappointing on some level- either because they were on really busy streets, or the price was too high, or a combination of things. But, it was fun driving around together.

Then we went to the newly opened Griffith Park Observatory- it has been closed for the past four years and was one of our favorite places to go before it was shut down for the renovation. A famous scene from Rebel Without a Cause was filmed there- and the observatory has the most beautiful views of the city. We had to reserve tickets a few weeks ago- and then park and take a shuttle to the Observatory. It was worth it, though! Paprika had a good time and it was great to be able to introduce her to the Observatory at only 12 weeks old! I was a nervous wreck because there were SO many people at the Observatory and I didn't want people bumping into us with Paprika in tow. The observatory was packed- it was like being at a crowded rock concert. We managed to steer clear of the crowds mostly and stayed about an hour and a half before heading home.

On Sunday, we took a trip up the coast to Santa Barbara. We had lunch at The Habit- our favorite hamburger haunt. It was Paprika's first trip to the Habit and she did great! She sat in her car seat while we ate, and looked out at all of the people. Afterwards, we took Hauser up to the beach and went for a hike at Elwood Shores. He got really worn out and loved running through the grass. We took Paprika there when she was 2 weeks old- so this was not her first trip. She liked it and slept pretty much the whole time while Mr. Mustard carried her in the Baby Bjorn.

Sunday was also the sixth anniversary of Mr. Mustard and my first date. Mr. Mustard's mom watched Paprika so we could go to a nice dinner and see a movie- it was wonderful. It was the first time that Mr. Mustard and I got to go out to dinner by ourselves since my mom was in town (9 weeks ago)- and the first time I had seen a movie in the theaters since before Paprika was born. We saw Borat, which Mr. Mustard had been dying to see. It was a nice break to get out for a couple of hours.

Yesterday I did a lot of clean-up around the apartment. It's never-ending, of course, but somehow it seems to pile up really quickly after the weekend. I did about 6 loads of laundry, dishes, etc. and then did some rearranging. I have it almost to where we can turn the breakfast nook into Paprika's room. I know we'll be moving before long, but in case we're here a few more months, it would be nice for Mr. Mustard and I to have our own bedroom again.

12 Weeks Today!

Paprika turns 12 Weeks Old today! She's not quite 3 months- that, of course, won't happen until next Thursday, November 16th! It's amazing how much she's grown and changed in the past 12 weeks.

When we first brought her home from the hospital, she only slept for about an hour at a time and had to be held every second. She cried a lot and it was very hard to calm her down sometimes! Now she will sleep for 10 hours at night and calms down easily when she gets fussy. She still likes to be held a lot, but she sleeps on her own in her bassinette. When we first brought her home, she couldn't stand being in the swing or bouncy seat. They are still not her favorite places to be, but she tolerates them a lot better than she used to!

Paprika has discovered her hands and is making all kinds of sounds with her mouth. She is discovering language and will try to imitate Mr. Mustard and me. When she was born she was not as aware of the world around her and her days consisted mostly of sleeping and eating (and pooping!). She still does a lot of that, but now she's also interested in playing a little bit and enjoys looking at bright colors and interacting with others.

Paprika's bed time is a little messed up from the time change. Since we've been home from Indiana, she has been going to bed at 8 p.m., which is earlier than I'd like because Mr. Mustard doesn't get home from work until 7:30 or 7:45. So, he only gets to see her for a few minutes before she's out like a light! Then, she wakes up early and is ready to start her day before I am! Today she woke up ready to play at 6 a.m., which is not too bad, I guess- although I would like it a lot better if she would sleep in a little longer!

More Pictures from Indiana!

We're Back In California!

Wow- what a GREAT trip we had! I didn't have time to update while we were gone because we were so busy every single day. Paprika was fantastic the whole trip. I am going to write a log of what we did every day so that I don't forget.

Saturday- October 28, 2006

Mr. Mustard drove us to the airport early in the morning. So early, in fact, that I had to wake Paprika up from her peaceful slumber. We made it to LAX in record time, although the car did stall half-way there and I got really nervous we wouldn't make it! Mr. Mustard helped Paprika and I into the airport and helped us check our bags. The ticket agent offered to let Mr. Mustard walk with us up to the gate (past security), which I thought was really really nice of her! So, Mr. Mustard went with us through security and waited with us until we boarded the plane.

Our plane ride was pretty great, considering it was Paprika's first time flying. We were on Southwest, so we got to choose our seats. I chose the second row since that way no one would want to sit with us (no extra leg room like in the first row), but it was still very close to the front. Our first leg of the trip was from LA to Kansas City. She was a little freaked out at the take-off, but quickly adjusted. The plane was pretty empty, so we had a row all to ourselves. I kept Paprika entertained by playing with her and showing her the view out the window.

We stopped in Kansas City and all of a sudden A LOT of people got on the plane. Every seat was taken. Ugh. So, Paprika sat on my lap next to the window and a very nice osteopath student from Ohio sat next to us. It was great talking to her, and the flight passed really quickly. Paprika seemed used to the take-offs and landings by this point and didn't make a peep.

The next stop was in Chicago. Everyone from Kansas City got off the plane and the new passengers boarded. It was a pretty full flight, but luckily while the new passengers were boarding, Paprika decided to get fussy. She was kicking and crying, and so no one wanted to sit next to us and we got a whole row to ourselves again! Paprika quickly quieted down once everyone was seated and she barely made a peep until we arrived in Indianapolis.

Once we arrived in Indy, I called Ann who was scheduled to pick us up. Ann arrived with a car seat for Paprika and a beautiful snuggly pink blanket to keep her warm. That was great since it was about 40 degrees outside. Paprika was really tired by this point, and was ready to go to sleep. We arrived at my mom's house around 9pm (after being gone since 5am Los Angeles time), and everyone was really exicted to meet her. My mom, Eric, Robbie, and Ann were so happy to see Paprika. She was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep, though! So, Ann set up her bassinette and brought in a bunch of supplies she had bought for Paprika. After a little rocking, Paprika fell asleep in her nice, new, comfy bed.

The set-up at my mom's house was very ideal. My mom had converted Robbie's toy room into a nursery, and it was so comfortable for us. I especially liked the fact that it had a rocker, which was actually the same rocker my mom used for Robbie! Ann really outfitted us with so much that it felt just like being at home. She thought of everything- diapers, wipes, blankets, burp cloths, a bassinette, a baby bathtub--even toys and warm clothes! We really wanted for nothing, which made Paprika's stay so much more comfortable. She transitioned really well from being at home to being at my mom's house. Yea!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Paprika slept in until almost noon! After she woke up, she visited with her uncle Robbie and got used to seeing my mom's house during the daytime. My grandparents (Paprika's great grandparents) came over for a visit, which was wonderful. My grandma brought over my first Christmas dress, which I wore for my very first Christmas! It was adorable, and I was so glad that she had kept it all these years. Now I know what Paprika will be wearing on her first Christmas!

Then Paprika and I headed over to see the Kohls- Laura, Kevin, Caroline and Stephanie (and Buddy, Sparky, and Lulu, too!) We had an amazing gourmet dinner- so wondeful, healthy and super-tasty. It was great. Everyone enjoyed meeting Paprika and hanging out with her. It was great catching up with everyone and just spending time together.


Monday, October 30, 2006

After a good night's rest, Paprika, Robbie and I headed up to Pendleton so Paprika could meet her grandpa Dave (my dad)! It was a gorgeous day- in the 70s and sunny. We met up at the cafe at my dad's church, and then headed for a great lunch at The Bank, a cool restaurant in Pendleton that used to be- you guessed it- a bank!

Paprika slept soundly in the booth while we had lunch, and then we went back to my dad's apartment to change Paprika's diaper and to get ready for our trip to Falls Park. Then we headed over to Falls Park to go for a long walk and take advantage of the beautiful weather. Paprika loved looking at the leaves as they fell off the trees and glided through the air. My dad was doing great- broken collarbone and all- and even offered Paprika his sling to use as a sunshade for her head! Then we went over to my dad's girlfriend's house, so Paprika could meet Nancy! It was great seeing Nancy again and we had a short visit before Paprika decided it was time to go home and get to bed!

That night we went back to my mom's house to get a good night's sleep before our very eventful Hallow's Eve on Tuesday!

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Happy Halloween! And what a Happy Halloween it was! Paprika and I slept in and headed up to see my dad in Pendleton around noon. My dad and his friend Ron played guitar and sang for Paprika at the church. She had her own private concert and it was just beautiful. We hung out at the church for awhile- it is very nice and comfy there. After that, my dad, Paprika and I went back to The Bank for lunch and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. The town of Pendleton was gearing up for Halloween- there was even a tractor with hay getting ready to give people hay rides.

Paprika and I then packed up to go to Lebanon, Indiana to visit her great uncle Rob and great aunt Jackie. We had a great visit with them and caught up on life, the universe, and everything. Paprika's second cousin, Lilli (super-genius girl), knitted Paprika beautiful pink scarf! It was really sweet of her!

Then, Paprika and I headed over to see Ann at Tracy and Glen's house to go trick-or-treating. Paprika was pretty tired by this point, but was tolerating meeting everyone. There were millions of trick-or-treaters (well- it seemed like millions, anyway) and they were all very cute! Paprika and I stayed at the house with Ann and Cameron (who were dressed as chickens!) to pass out candy.

After that, we drove up to Lafayette, Indiana to spend the night up at Ann and Len's house. Whew! It was an exhausting, packed day- and a very fun one at that!

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Paprika and I spent the day with Ann, Len, Benjamin and Cameron in Lafayette! Len was in a car accident a week ago and his back was hurting, so he stayed home from work. We had a great day hanging out around the house and catching up on old times. In the afternoon, Ann and I snuck off to the mall with Paprika to do some much needed shopping and to get Paprika an outfit for her first portrait session on Thursday! We had Applebee's for lunch at the Tippecanoe Mall and then went back to Ann's house to watch Lost and eat pizza.

Thursday, November 2, 2006

Ann took the day off work to spend time with Paprika and me. Cameron and Benjamin went off to Miss Kimmy's for pre-school/daycare while Ann and I got Paprika ready for her first professional pictures! We were scheduled at 10:45, which meant we had to wake Paprika up early to get her ready, since Paprika was on California time and wanted to sleep in late! Paprika was great at her photo shoot, and we should get the pictures in a few weeks. They are adorable! Ann and I had a great time picking out the shots, and I ordered lots of photos so that I can share them!

After the photos, I changed Paprika back into regular (non-dressy) clothes and the three of us went back to Applebee's for lunch and then shopped around the mall before going to pick up Cameron and Benjamin. That night we spent the night at Ann's and had a great time just being together. We laid Cameron and Paprika out so they could meet eachother and baby-socialize!

After the babies were asleep, Ann and I had a great time sorting through Ann's closet- it seems I've inspired her to clean out her closets and donate her old clothes to charity! All I have to say is that the recipient of Ann's clothes is going to be very lucky because she has great taste and lots of really cute clothes she decided to pass on!

Friday, November 3, 2006

My mom turned 50, the big 5-0, today!!! Paprika and I left Ann's house mid-day and drove to Indianapolis to meet my mom at her massage therapist's office in Broadripple. My mom had just finished her massage, and then watched Paprika while I had an awesome and relaxing massage! It was really nice- I am very picky about massages, and this woman was just great at releasing all of my tension. I exhaled a big sigh of relief and then Paprika and I headed up to Fishers for my mom's 50th Birthday Party at Laura and Kevin's house!

Laura and Kevin put on a great party for my mom's birthday- I know she really appreciated it! The whole family was there, and we had a great meal of tacos, burritos, salad, and- of course, birthday cake! I was so glad that Paprika and I got to be in Indy for my mom's special birthday! It was such a good evening!!!

Saturday, November 4, 2006

My mom took me to a Crystal Workshop at the Peace Learning Center in Indianapolis at Eagle Creek State Park. We took Paprika with us, which ended up working out perfectly. At first we were going to go to the workshop by ourselves and leave her with family, but with nursing and everything that goes along with that, we decided it would be better to take her with us. She was great through the whole workshop. I laid a blanket down for her, and she either slept or babbled quietly to herself for most of the workshop. She got a little fussy during one of the meditations, but she quieted down quickly as soon as I took her into another room (and got some food in her tummy).

That night we went back to my mom's house, had dinner, watched Simone with uncle Robbie, and got packed for our big trip back to California!

Sunday, November 5, 2006

Everyone woke up early (about 4 a.m.) to see Paprika and I off to the airport. My mom woke up to say goodbye, and then Eric and Robbie drove us to the airport around 5 a.m. Robbie and Eric helped me with the luggage and we said our goodbyes at the security check-point. The flight to Los Angeles could not have been any easier. Paprika was great, despite being woken up at 4 a.m.- far earlier than her usual wake-up time of 11 a.m. in Indiana! She slept in the Baby Bjorn at the airport while we waited for the flight, and then once we were on the plane, she was so excited to look out the window and look at the other passengers that she stayed awake and alert for almost the whole flight. The plane was only about half full, so we had our own row for the whole flight home! Paprika did great on the take-offs and landings, and she even slept through one of the landings. The other passengers commented on how adorable she looked as she slept on her stomach in the crook of my arm. I even had time to take some pictures of Paprika on the plane!

When we arrived in Los Angeles, we went down to baggage and our bags were among the first off the flight! Mr. Mustard picked us up and we all went out to brunch, as it was still only 10 a.m. in Los Angeles! We went to Jack and Jill's in Beverly Hills for a great meal of yummy Cinnamon and Vanilla French toast. Paprika snoozed on the booth seat while Mr. Mustard and I caught up and enjoyed our breakfast! We then came home and took a quick nap, as Paprika and I were both exhausted, since we both had been awake since 1 a.m. California time!

Overall, it was an excellent trip! Paprika slept great last night and is getting used to the time change. She fell asleep last night at 7 p.m. California time and woke up at 4:30am, then went back to sleep until 8:30am. She was such a trooper and I was so glad she got to meet everyone on my side of the family and have such a relaxing, enjoyable trip out to Indiana!