Rice King

If you haven't been to Rice King in Provo, I suggest you go. Even if you live states away, you should come visit me (or someone here) and we'll go. When I think of Rice King, I think of great Dr. Pepper, cheap lunch meals, friendly Victor (the owner), the lumberjack server Hans, my friend Amanda getting asked out on a date with Hans, my first date with Nathan, and a million visits with Becca, Kyle and Katy.  This weekend, Eliza and I had a lunch date there with our friend Beckie and her son Henry.

(Aren't they cute?)

Eliza enjoyed sitting in her high-chair and even managed to stand up (despite being securely strapped in place) while I attempted to eat. Henry provided some entertainment as she stared at him during the meal and lunged towards him several times. Henry wasn't too afraid, it seemed.

 She also practiced her fine motor skills, pushing tiny pieces of rice around

and finally managing to eat a couple of pieces.

 The highlight of the meal was when the older lady seen in the above picture walked over to our table and expressed her love for our children. She lightly touched their heads, brushed Eliza's cheeks and gave her a little kiss on the forehead. She was so happy to be around small children. It made my day to see someone so loving and obviously excited to be around sweet,smiling babies.

Sadly though, Beckie is moving to Georgia at the end of the month. Not only am I insanely jealous she is moving to the South, but I am also incredibly sad she is leaving Utah. Thanks for the fun times, Beckie! I really am so happy for your family's new phase of life (and that you no longer have to be a full-time employee)!

Jacob FAIL

According to the local Walmart, the majority of Utah is Team Edward.

 

Even if you don't like Twilight, this was pretty amusing. My first thought: several of my friends would not be pleased.

Back in the Water

For our family night last week, Nathan, Brandon, Eliza and I went to the pool. This time, we were equipped with a baby raft. Although Eliza found her mobility was somewhat limited, she discovered the float allowed her more freedom as she kicked her arms and legs.


She happily played until she exhausted herself of all energy.  She was so tired she literally almost fell asleep in the water. After an hour and a half, she contently laid her head on the float, smiled up at us, and yawned. I can't wait to sign her up for swimming lessons one day.

Please...No Pictures

This is the look I get when I attempt to take pictures of Eliza after her afternoon nap:

 Scathing.

Who knew a 10 month old was capable of so much facial expression?

10 Months Down!

On July 6th, Eliza turned months old. She has developed an adorable personality that is uniquely Eliza. She recently discovered the joys of feeding herself, but will only eat shredded mozzarella cheese and Cheerios.

She loves freely crawling around the house, but demands the full undivided attention of those watching her.

 

She especially enjoys staying up past her bad time, kicking the sides of her crib and crying pathetically until Nathan or I come into the room. As soon as we come to her side, she is all smiles and laughs. She is a clever girl... I fall for it every time!

Last night, after convincing Nathan it was okay for baby to stay up a little late, Eliza dazzled us by saying "dada." Nathan was positively giddy as she repeated the word several times. A few minutes after these precious words were uttered, she bit me with her four tiny teeth. Adorable.

Eliza has never been a peaceful baby, so I had fully prepared myself for a fast-moving crawler; she has certainly surpassed these expectations. Although our house has been baby-proofed, Eliza constantly finds ways to make ordinarily safe objects destructive. For instance, earlier tonight, she pulled a Bible off a small end table on top of her head and also smacked herself in the face with a sandal. Amazing. She has even managed to get her tiny feet stuck between the refrigerator and the floor several times and underneath the couch. I am somewhat afraid of what more mobility entails.

And even though she has plenty of toys, nothing is more fascinating to Eliza than lint balls, fuzz, the dirty bottoms of shoes,  and paper products.

 She promptly puts these items into her mouth.

Eliza also particularly loves licking the floor vent.

 How do I baby-proof that!?

 It is disgusting.  However, we are doing our best to teach her proper hygiene.

 There is never a dull moment in our house when Eliza is awake. I love her curiosity and feel immensely grateful for her presence in our home.

Splish Splash

Eliza loves water. Nathan and I have known this for months now, but yesterday, I really saw our little swimmer in action! After applying generous amounts of sunblock to Eliza's tiny little body (which, let me add, she is already tanner than me and has never been in direct sunlight!) and placing a sun hat on her head, we headed to Veteran's Memorial Pool.

Eliza's energy levels were off the charts, and I thought swimming might be a fun way to calm her down. She was SO happy to be around all the people and in the water.

Eliza and I headed out to deeper water, where she proceeded to kick her legs and flail her arms in an attempt to swim. To my surprise, she can nearly swim. She was desperate to float on her belly and repeatedly shoved her head underwater as she kicked. Of course, I wasn't about to loosen my grip on her, but I am sure she will be a swimmer soon.

 After a day of fun, she wasn't too happy about leaving the water.

Good thing we're going back next weekend!

A Mother's Day Out

For months after Eliza was born, I felt incapable of going anywhere alone with her. The thought of venturing out alone with Baby was anxiety-inducing, stressful, and ultimately an impossibility. This fear developed during Eliza's colicky-days, when Nathan was the only person who could calm her for any amount of time. However, my anxiety did not disappear when the colic finally subsided; I suppose I lost most of my mothering confidence.

Because of this debilitating phobia, Nathan was forced to join me when I took Eliza to any appointment or baby related outing. Due to his flexible schedule, this was never a problem. Eventually, this codependency evolved to the point where I couldn't go anywhere alone, even if I didn't have the baby; I always wanted (needed, in my mind) Nathan. So, for months, he did everything with me from grocery shopping to midnight diaper runs.

Annoying, right?

Well, two months ago, Nathan was hired full time as the Assistant Manager at Noodles & Company (yay for Nathan!). Obviously, this changed things drastically. Because we work opposite schedules and seldom see each other throughout the week, I have been forced to adapt. Sitting at home all day begins to get old after ten months. I am proud to say I went out alone this week with Eliza multiple times and managed perfectly well. It has taken some getting used to, but this past weekend, I felt completely anxiety-free. Eliza and I have had so much fun together, and I finally feel able to enjoy just being with her- my sweet little baby girl.