Anna's Birthday

Anna turned 1!

We had some friends over to help us celebrate:
The Stewarts (Jacob, Alysa, Benjamin, and Levi)
The Lees (Mike, Evelyn, and Justin)
The Prices (Aaron and Lindsey)
The Leckies (Holly and Mike)
Korean neigbors (see previous post)

Anna got some fun presents:
Books and toys from Grandma and Grandpa Lovett
A headband from the Stewarts
Adorable clothes from the Lees
A classic ring-stacking toy from the Prices
A potty time book from the Korean neigbors

We ate:
Yellow cake with strawberry filling and whipped cream icing
Homemade ice cream: vanilla bean, cheesecake, strawberry, and pineapple mango sorbet

We sang: Happy Birthday to you!

Evidence:

Anna and Lynn

Anna, obsessed with the potty book, refuses to engage in any other gifts

more potty book obsession

aaaaand more.

letter crackers via Trader Joe's

momma and Anna

ice cream cone decorations painstakingly made during the opening ceremonies of the olympics with help from hubby and friends

munching on bday cake. she mostly liked the strawberries and smearing the whipped cream around.

At age 1, Anna:

loves music and dancing

devours fresh fruit of any variety 

laughs when we play peek-a-boo

has perfected her crawl (and man is she fast!)

growls at any given animal

Has visited Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, and Oklahoma

Has 4 teeth

Likes being upside down

cries when daddy leaves for school and smiles when he returns

reads books like a champ

climbs up the stairs, but not down

And, to finish it off, some photos of Anna on her real birthday! We celebrated by sharing a free cookie at the grocery store and taking a LONG nap.

July

July was a fairly relaxed month for us. We did lots of playing, lots of sleeping, and lots of relaxing. It was a REALLY hot month, so we were inside a lot exploring and exploring some more. Anna celebrated her first Fourth of July (her last first holiday!), Alexander's birthday, and her own birthday!

In July, Anna cut some new teeth, started pulling up on furniture, and helped me care for a neighbor's garden. Here are some pictures of our exploits.

Loving some fresh cherries (her hair is loving them too, apparently)

celebrating Independence Day

playing!

bathtime baby

Happy to get a postcard from traveling friends!

80's baby

eating her favorite treat--a fruit smoothie

Anna and Lynn, our Korean neighbor, at Lynn's first birthday party

Alexander's 26th birthday with homemade (AMAZING) pineapple upside down cake

make a wish!

produce from a neighbor's garden

one of Anna's favorite perches--atop Alexander's bedside table

June!

June has been a pretty chill month for the Lovetts. We've been having a lot of fun at home and getting settled into our new home, and mostly just relaxing and spending time with our friends here in Champaign! Not much else to say except that we're surviving the heat one day at a time and Anna is growing so fast. She is quite the crawler now, and loves to explore all day! She is in to everything! She's also started pulling up onto furniture and becoming more interested in her world every day.

Following mom into the kitchen

Father's Day--Anna LOVES Alexander and gets super excited when she hears him coming in the door from work.

Loves playing with pretty necklace from Aunt Stephanie

fun toy!

Teeth!

Other fun things:

• Loves cherries, strawberries, and bananas
• Eats bites of pretty much anything off of mom or dad's forks
• Squeals with excitement at the sight of Benjamin or Levi (4 and nearly 2, our neighbors)
• Loves books
• Claps when we say rhymes or "good job"
• Interested in putting things into and taking things out of containers systematically. 
• Has 3 teeth! Her two bottom central incisors and her left top lateral incisor. 
• Likes the pool and loves it even more if there are little kids there to watch. Doesn't like the way mom smells after the pool and won't nurse until after a nap and mom takes a shower so she doesn't smell like chlorine.
• Favorite toys are: stuffed lion, peanut butter jar (empty) with a ball in it, pink dog, and random household items including a baster, oatmeal containers, drip pan, and aluminum foil roll (makes her voice sound cool when she talks into it)
• Is still afraid of the vacuum, loud sneezes and coughing, and dogs when they open their mouths and pant.
• Dislikes: getting her face washed, going to bed, being left alone in a room, and getting her favorite toys taken away from her (usually keys, sunscreen, and yesterday, a jalepeno at the grocery store. yeah. that was my baby.)

Summer is upon us!

YAY! It's summer! We celebrated by taking a trip to Florida to visit friends as well as lots of time outside and moving to a new apartment!

Anna turned 10 months old today, and she is sprouting her first tooth. She is up on all fours, trying to crawl and she is so close! She is really laid back and loves to roll around on the floor and play with her toys. She was a great traveler and charmed all whom we met. Alexander is spending his summer busily finding something worthy of a PhD. I am working on delicious food, reading, and sewing projects galore. I also started my first painting project--an accent wall in our new apartment. Here are some pictures to prove that we're having a blast!

In her Easter dress and fascinator, made lovingly by Mom

Proud of her new and developing locomotion skills.

Ready for the beach

Enjoying pizza in Hyde Park

Loving the pucker face at a friend's birthday party

Atlantic Ocean with Daddy!

Family on Merritt Island

Kennedy Space Center

Plans for the rest of the summer include: finishing moving to our new place, visit to St. Louis for the Visa gymnastics competition to support Alexander's cousin, lots of playing at the park at our new place, perhaps a trip to UT in August, and mostly staying home and enjoying our own little family. If you're headed this way, we'd love to see you, though! Champaign is an excellent stop for lunch on a cross-country road trip.

8 Months

Really?!?!?! My baby girl is 8 months old. We're loving her emerging personality. This month, Anna:

• Continues to roll tummy to back
• Squirms around on her back trying to reach toys, but doesn't roll yet.
• Traveled to Nauvoo for a few days
• Loves oatmeal and fruit for breakfast
• Giggles when tickled
• Grins when daddy gets home
• Has mastered picking up cheerios and eating them.
• Enjoys being around little kids and squeals with delight when she gets to play with them.

Now, for some pics!

Sticking out your tongue is silly!

Ready for summer in 80º weather

At Carthage Jail

Mom and Anna at Carthage Jail

Easter Dress for Anna

I found a sew-along for an adorable dress at this blog and decided I could make Anna's Easter dress for way less than I could buy one of the same quality. So, here are my spoils:

Front of dress

back of dress (invisible zipper closure) also, check out the AMAZING lining up of the contrasting fabrics.

Sleeve and contrast detail. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to sew the sleeve trim on with red thread, but no way am I going back to fix it! (okay, maybe I will. It might bug me that much)

Soooo, that's that for now. I'll be sure to take some cute pictures of Anna wearing it and post for your pleasure.

Quickwater Macaroni and Cheese

I LOVE macaroni and cheese, and this variety is my favorite--one pot, creamy, cheesy goodness. Yes, I did just say one pot. I promise that you'll never go back to baked, boxed, or any other type of macaroni and cheese after you've tried this one!

It's named after the place where I discovered it--Quickwater Ranch in Victor, ID. I spent many summers there in my teenage years, and anything to bring back the memories of that wonderful, beautiful, amazing place is welcome.

Quickwater Macaroni and Cheese

4 T butter
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I love red, but green is always cheaper. Sometimes I use one of both!)
1 1/3 C elbow macaroni, uncooked
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
2 C water
1 T flour
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Melt butter over medium heat in large skillet or medium sauce pan. Add onion, pepper, macaroni, and seasonings. Stir until onion is tender and transparent. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until pasta is tender (about 10-15 minutes). Sprinkle flour over pasta and mix well. Reduce heat and add evaporated milk. Mix well. Add cheese and stir. Heat through until cheese is melted. Serve warm.