Indiana

It will be one week tomorrow since Paprika and I touched down in Indiana. We have been keeping ourselves very busy. Time has definitely been flying!

On Tuesday, Ann picked us up from the airport after our long, cramped flight from LAX. Paprika was a trooper on the plane and had everyone laughing. She is such a social baby. We stayed with Ann, Len, Benjamin, and Cameron from Tuesday until Friday. We had such an amazing time. We ate out a lot- at Don Pablo's, Puccini's, Penn Station (twice), and Steak 'n Shake. Wednesday morning we all went to watch Benjamin at his swim lesson. Then we took Paprika, Benjamin, and Cameron to the park. They had so much fun together. Thursday was Cameron's first birthday- we celebrated by getting Cameron and Paprika's portraits taken professionally. The pictures turned out great! Then, Ann and I took Cameron and Paprika out to dinner- they were so cute together at the restaurant. Later that night we had cake and ice cream for Cameron's birthday. Friday we went to lunch, then made the drive down to Indy to my mom's house.

Friday night we spent with my mom, Robbie, and Eric. Then Saturday Caroline had her big graduation party. It was SO much fun! I was amazed at how many people were there. Caroline is very loved- so many people came out to support her. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was great- it was just wonderful seeing everyone! I got to spend a lot of time talking with my grandma and grandpa, and they loved seeing their great-grandaughter, Paprika! We had a really great time at the party. After Caroline's party, my mom, Eric, Robbie, Paprika and I all went to dinner in Broad Ripple. It was a really nice night- we had a great time and then went for a walk on the Monon Trail together. It was Paprika's first trip to Broad Ripple- my old stomping grounds!

Sunday was the Ashmore Family Reunion up in Lebanon at Uncle Rob and Aunt Jackie's house. We spent the whole day up there and had lots and lots of fun. Aunt Jane and Aunt Peg drove all the way out from New Jersey for the festivities. It was so great to see them- it was Aunt Peg's first time meeting Paprika! I always love seeing Jane and Peg- they are so interesting to talk to and really fun to be around- I wish I saw them more often. It was great having everyone together. John just graduated from high school- I am so proud of him! Lilli is not far behind and is going to do amazing things with her life, I just know it! We got to talking about colleges and where she wants to go- she is so motivated, it is really great. It was great seeing Uncle Ed and Aunt Jeanette- they were raving over Paprika, which I love to hear! And, last but not least, I got to see my dad and Paprika got to spend most of the day sitting on her grandpa's lap. It was a lot of fun!

Today (Memorial Day), we went to Caroline's high school graduation. It was amazing- so many kids were graduating, and there was such enthusiasm in the air! Paprika and I went with my grandma, Laura, Kevin, Stephie, and Kevin's mom, Carol. I really enjoyed the ceremony- even though I ended up walking around for half of it. Paprika would not take a nap at all, so she was really really tired by the time the ceremony started. She dozed a little bit in my lap, but then woke up when the crowd started appluading. She did really well considering we were there about three hours, but I felt bad that we didn't stay for the whole graduation!

I will upload pictures when I get back to California- I'm not sure how to do it on this computer! So far, our trip has been so packed and we've seen and done so much. I got very very sick from the plane trip, and am just now starting to feel better. I nearly lost my voice for a few days, and was a hacking, coughing mess. I was absolutely miserable with it. I seem to be mostly over the cold now, although still not 100%. I was so mad that I caught that bug on the plane, since I never ever get sick! Argggh! I was praying that Paprika didn't catch it, and luckily (so far, knock on wood), she hasn't. She's a little tropper, despite me dragging her all over the state and completely ignoring her nap schedule. I love my little bundle of joy, and it seems that everyone else I meet does, too! She is a loved little baby and I feel so lucky to be her mommy and to be part of such an incredible family!

Swimming, The Zoo, and Out To Lunch

We had a very busy weekend. On Saturday, Paprika had her swim lesson. She went all the way under water for the first time! She loves the water so much- she truly is a water baby.

Later that day, we all went to the zoo. Our first stop was at the petting zoo, where Paprika got to pet some goats. Then we went to see the other animals. Paprika was espcially fascinated by the giraffes, the bears, and the snow leopards.



After we took my mom to the airport yesterday morning, we stopped by Noah's bagels in Larchmont Village and had some very yummy bagels and juice. Then we went home and Paprika took a long nap. When she woke up, we walked up to the Paseo, a nice outdoor mall about a mile away. The weather was gorgeous- the perfect day for a walk. We had a great lunch outdoors at The Yard House. Mr. Mustard and I both ordered our new standard- the Blue Crab Cake sandwich. Then we got some Cold Stone for dessert, came home, and put Paprika down to sleep. She slept from 6:45pm last night until 7:30 this morning! I guess we wore her out! :-)

My Mom Is Here!

My mom flew in last night for her mandala workshop. She was so excited to see Paprika. Paprika got to stay up way past her bedtime to greet Grammy (what we call my mom). They had fun playing together before bedtime. After Paprika went to sleep, Mr. Mustard and I caught up on Lost, American Idol results, and Entourage.

I'm so glad it's Friday! We don't have a whole lot planned for the weekend yet. Tomorrow is Paprika's swim lesson, which is always fun. We had to miss last Saturday because she was sick. She's all better now, so we'll be back at the pool tomorrow.

Mr. Mustard is still looking at cars and is thinking more about getting a car he can convert to run on veggie oil. To convert your car to run on veggie oil, it has to have to have a diesel engine. And because we need to be able to transport Hauser, we need to get a wagon. Unfortunately, there are very few diesel wagons in existence. In California, they are particularly rare. So, he's been checking out various out of state sellers online and may even buy a car off of Ebay and have it shipped out here. I think it would be awesome to run our cars on veggie oil. The BMW can't be converted because it's a standard gasoline engine. But hopefully in the future we'll be able to have both cars run on such efficient (and inexpensive) fuel!

9 Months Young!

Today is Paprika's 9 Month Birthday! It hard for me to believe that she's been outside of me as long as she was inside me. We went to her nine month check-up with her new doctor in Pasadena. She is 23 pounds in weight and is 28 inches long. The doctor said she is perfectly proportional and is a really healthy, vibrant girl. He also commented on how advanced she is verbally. He said that she is talking in a way that he sees in babies much older than she is, and that with her verbal skills being so advanced, he would expect her to be slower in her physical development- but that her physical development is also a bit ahead of the curve. That was really nice to hear! He also checked her eyes and her reflexes-- all in good shape. :-)

Look What Paprika Learned to Do Today!

Today is Paprika's last day of being 8 months old! She surprised me this morning by climbing up onto the entryway landing! It's her first time she's climbed up like that. Now it is her absolute favorite thing to do. She goes up and down, up and down, all day long.

In other news, I'm pretty sure that Paprika has learned how to unbuckle her car seat belt. I noticed it was unbuckled for the first time about a month ago, but thought it was a fluke. But, it keeps coming unbuckled somehow while we're driving, so I'm pretty sure she's learned how to take it off. Luckily the bottom part stays snapped, so she is still safe in the car. I am amazed at how mechanically inclined she is. She can figure out just about anything, it seems!

Perfect Mother's Day

Yesterday was the absolute most perfect Mother's Day I could have hoped for. Although Paprika was still a little sick, she was in good spirits all day. We had bagels for breakfast and then Mr. Mustard gave me my Mother's Day present- a card and a beautiful jewlery box I have been wanting. I also got Mother's Day cards from Paprika, Hauser and Meg! It was really special.

We walked up to the Paseo Colorado and had lunch at The Yard House, which is a great restaurant/pub with outdoor seating. Paprika was just great- so happy and well-behaved. Afterwards we went shoe shopping, and I finally got some shoes to match my now larger, post-pregnancy feet. I am so gald to have some shoes that finally fit!

We walked home, and then spent the evening together. After Paprika went to sleep, we made a pizza and some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and watched Entourage on DVD. It was such a fun day- my very first official Mother's Day (although I did count last year as my first Mother's Day!) ;-)

A Day At The Park

We had a very rough night last night. Paprika was so congested, she could barely breathe let alone eat or drink anything. It was awful. She couldn't sleep because she is so sick and stuffed up. The frustration of being congested and not able to sleep got to be too much for her and made for one very upset and cranky baby. We were up almost the entire night with her. She finally took a three hour nap this afternoon and afterward seemed to be feeling better.


It was a beautiful day today and it seemed like getting out for a little while and getting some fresh air would do us all some good. So, I made a picnic lunch for us and we went to a nearby park. Paprika loves being outdoors. We all had lunch, and Paprika got to have her very first bite of banana! It is her first sweet food she's tried. She also had little pieces of turkey. Afterwards we went to the playground and she got to swing in the baby swing, and go down the slide with daddy. She is quite a daredevil and likes swinging in the baby swing best when she goes really high. The higher the better!




After that we visited the park's rose garden, which is just gorgeous right now. Paprika likes to stick her nose right into the roses to smell them. That put her in a great mood. After that, we came home and she napped for an hour. Mr. Mustard fell asleep and now Paprika is busy crawling around the living room. I have a feeling that tonight is going to be another long night, since the cold bothers her most when she's sleeping. Here's hoping that she's through the worst of it!

First Cold

Well, it's been almost 9 months since Paprika was born and so far we've escaped without so much as a sniffle. But after hanging out with our neighbor's child a few days ago, Paprika has come down with her very first cold. She's been stuffy and coughy and has been rubbing her eyes a lot. I took her temperature yesterday and it was only 99.1, so nothing to be concerned about fever-wise. I feel really lucky because I know of so many babies who are constantly sick their first year of life. Here we are 3/4 of the way through Paprika's first year, and this is her first bout with anything. Mr. Mustard and I have also been battling sore throats for the past few days, so I hope that we don't get sick, too.

I have to say, it's not the most fun thing in the world taking care of a sick baby! She really hasn't seemed herself since this cold started. But, I think she's mostly through it and will be feeling better by tomorrow. She has her 9 month checkup on Wednesday with her new pediatrician, so I'll see what he has to say when he sees her. I'm betting she'll be long past this cold by then.

I'm not sure what we have planned for this weekend. It is Mother's Day, after all! I hope we spend some time outdoors, maybe going for a hike in the mountains near our house. That would be fun! Whatever we do, it will be great because we'll all be together!

Hot Summer!

The weather here is hot already! We've been keeping cool in the airconditioning. On Monday we walked up to the library in the mid-day heat. Big mistake! I plopped Paprika in a cool bath when we got home, which she really enjoyed. Yesterday we stayed indoors mostly- did a few returns at Target and then went to the fabric store to get some supplies for a sewing project I'm starting. Then, yesterday evening I went for a walk with my neighbor, who has an 11 month old son. It's always great talking to her about our babies, since they're so close in age. We were "scheduled" to go for our walk today, but I happened to see her out and about while I was walking Hauser yesterday. Today we're going for another walk once it cools down.

I recently bought Paprika some new toys, since she's almost at the 9 month milestone. She has a new activity table that I just put the batteries in- she's loving that. She really is very happy with simple toys, though. I borrowed some books for her from the library. She can sit and look at books all day practically, she loves the pretty pictures. I bought her a balloon today when we were out grocery shopping. She saw the balloons at the store and started saying "Ba! Ba! Ba!", so I had to get one. I am a sucker for her every whim. She's really enjoying the balloon, and is playing with it right now! I like it, too, because it says "Happy Mother's Day!" :-)

Swimming Lessons and Car Shopping!

We had a really fun weekend! Paprika had her second swim lesson on Saturday morning. Mr. Mustard videotaped part of it. Paprika loves being in the water, splashing, and kicking with her feet. She wants to put her face in the water and drink it all up! She tried to drink the water a few times, and surprised us with a few big gulps! After seeing the look on her face, I don't think she'll be trying that again anytime soon.

We also went to look at a new car for Mr. Mustard. He is driving our Saturn right now, which works great, except that it's not big enough for Hauser and won't fit Paprika's car seat. So, we're trying to find something that will fit all of us comfortably, since the BMW is not big enough for Hauser to ride in. We looked at a Subaru WRX wagon that was for sale on Craigslist. It wasn't what we were looking for- a lot more "used" than had been advertised. So, the search continues.

On Saturday night we went out for Mexican food to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. The food was delicious, and Paprika had fun listening to the music and playing at the table. She is so good in restaurants- we are so lucky that she is such an easygoing baby. We were out late, and she did just fine. Even when she is very tired, she is easy to be around. She just wants to check out the scenery, make friends, and take it all in.

On Sunday we went to a birthday party for Don, one of Mr. Mustard's friends from film school. It was a backyard barbeque, and we had a great time! Everyone was really nice and of course, loved being around Paprika. Paprika got to crawl in the grass- she really liked that a lot!

Beautiful Day!

Today is my dad's birthday! We called him this morning to wish him a very Happy Birthday! It was great talking to him and catching up with everything that's going on with him! After we talked to my dad, Paprika and I went for a beautiful walk up to the park. The weather here is so gorgeous today! We met three other moms with their babies. One of the babies was born just 5 days before Paprika. It was great talking to them, and we may meet up in the future. Paprika had a great time swinging on the baby swing. She was so happy to be outdoors and was laughing and giggling at everyone in the park.

After that we went to the library (also within walking distance), and the librarian was so helpful. He's going to order me a book I've been wanting that's at another branch. He said the book should be there by tomorrow! So nice and convenient!

Paprika is starting to pull up on the furniture. She is very determined to explore every inch of our house. I guess I need to invest in some baby-proofing locks for our cabinets, since she's determined to get into them. She has also started going into the bathrooms and shutting the door. Then when I try to get in, her body is up against the door, so I can't push the door open. She's very trixy, this one!

Yesterday she opened up the bathroom cabinets for the first time and took everything out of them! Luckily, everything is still sealed in ziplock baggies from the move, so she couldn't make too much of a mess. Her favorite thing to find in the bathroom is the plunger. I had hidden two plungers underneath the bathroom sink, and when I turned around, she had taken both plungers out of the cabinet, and was playing with them on the floor!

Her other new favorite trick is to take off her diaper while she's in her crib. Apparently, this is also something I did when I was her age. To remedy this problem, I started putting her in onesies when she naps. But, she's now figured out how to unsnap the onesies- she just pulls really hard! Now when I hear her wake up from her nap, I run right in there, since if I wait a few minutes, I might be met with a very unfortunate surprise! Yesterday when I was met with such a suprise, I had my camera handy and got a few snapshots for posterity. ;-)

Wrap Party!

Mr. Mustard and I had a night out on the town on Sunday while Mr. Mustard's mom babysat Paprika. We went to dinner at Sushi Roku- the first dinner we've had out just the two of us since my birthday back in September (when my mom was in town and babysat Paprika). It was so relaxing! Then we went to the wrap party of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. It was really great seeing Mr. Mustard's friends from the show and catching up with them- such nice people. We also spent some time talking with the cast of the show, who were also really nice and down-to-earth people. It was refreshing!