tEN moNtHS

Whheeeew it's been busy June for the Kruse clan....sort of hard to believe that....

I'm ten months old!!

Weighing in at 19 pounds, 29 1/4 inches long, I'm a busy girl!

I'm crawling EVERYWHERE and can fully pull up to standing on pretty much anything.

I still only have two teeth but the drooling and runny nose lately has mom and dad thinking that more toofers are on their way in!

I'm a jabber jaw and have started "singing", clapping, and SCREAMING with excitement (especially in public!)

I can walk holding two fingers and have just started taking pivot steps from ottoman to couch, couch to chair, chair to momma, and along the front door (another new favorite place).

I'm done with baby food (except sometimes when we're on the go)....the real deal is much more exciting and I will eat pretty much anything you put in front of me. Yogurt is still my ultimate fave food!

 I'm taking three bottles a day, taking 2 naps and sleeping 12 hours at night. Mom stopped breastfeeding me about a week ago (if you want the not-so-blogworthy details about why, ask her!) Dr. Freeman said we can start whole milk at 11 months, so I'm looking forward to that!

My crib is at the lowest level now and  I'm finding it much more fun to sit and stand up, kick the wall, bite the rails, and throw my stuff out of it, rather than sleep in it. hehe!

I get lots of attention because my tongue is always out, my nose is always squished, my hair sticks straight up, and I make lots of noise (plus, I'm pretty adorable!)

I had my first bites of snow cone, french fries and elephant ear at the St. Simon Festival a few weeks ago....what a disgustingly unhealthy yummy treat. I also took my first carousel ride!

I've been doing lots of swimming, boating, BunnyHop classes at the library, playdating, and riding along for walks and runs these days. Summer.is.the.best.

Sneaky, sneaky!

Addy, Emme, and me!

Me and my buddy Anna, "sharing" some lunch!

Lake Sylvan with Grammie

Raft riding

Tupperware party...

Next month, we'll have Outer Banks vacation memories and photos to share....and only two short months until the big O-N-E!!

Miss photogenic

I've been trying to brush up on my photography skills so here's a few from the last couple of weeks that I'm semi- proud of...not too hard when the subject is this adorable!

More photos coming later in the week with our 10 month update...

Dad's Day!

So thankful for my husband today!! He's loving, caring and works incredibly hard for his family so that Claire and I have more time at home.  I could never have imagined a more amazing daddy for our precious Clairebear!  Happy Dad's Day SJ...
Love,
Ab and Claire

Claire- 3 months

Something about a little girl and how she looks at her daddy that's just plain special.

{What We're Eating}

Thai Peanut Chicken
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 bell pepper (red, yellow or orange), sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup chopped broccoli (raw or frozen)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 clove chopped garlic)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups whole grain spaghetti, cooked
salt and pepper

Sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp sesame oil (or olive oil if you don't have sesame)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp- 1 Tbsp Sirachi hot sauce depending on desired spice (optional)
1/2 cup chicken broth or water

In food processor, mix all sauce ingredients until smooth and set aside {you could also use a hand mixer, wire wisk or blender if you don't have a processor}. In skillet, heat olive oil and add peppers, onions, garlic  and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes then add chicken and cook until slightly brown. Add broccoli and cilantro and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Add cooked pasta and sauce to chicken and vegetables and cook on low for a couple of minutes, just so sauce is warmed. Sprinkle with cilantro and chopped peanuts when serving. Makes 3-4 servings. Enjoy!

**I made this tonight for the first time, and Spencer and I fell in love....really pretty healthy and easy, plus you can make it as mild or spicy as you want and/or swap out different vegetables. This WILL become one of our staple recipes!**

Big girl!

This is how we found little miss in her crib this morning....she's very proud of herself for figuring this out {if you couldn't tell by pic #3}. Looks like it's time to move our crib mattress down!

Holy tomato!

Holy cow my tomato plants are officially out of control! I may or may not have planted too many in my smallish planter beds and now they are taking over. Eeeeeek....hopefully some staking and trimming this weekend will tame them a bit. But on a good note, everything is coming up beautifully and it's safe to say I can see the beginnnings of actual vegetables. May I actually succeed in my first attempt at gardening? As long as my tomato plants don't strangle everything else, I think I just might!

9 month update...

I was a little off on my nine month measurements.....

18lbs 5oz (50%)

29 inches (92%)

Not sure where the tall and thin came from but we'll take it as long as she's healthy!!

Happy Monday!

Bulldog babe

As most of you know, we have a very expressive baby...she has made hilarious and sometimes hideous faces since the day she was born. Here is the latest face 'o' Claire (fondly named, the bulldog by our friend Chrissy). We mostly get it when either the camera comes out, or she hears the word "No!"
                     Man, are we in trouble with this little miss sass.a.frass....

 

and if that face wasn't enough, the tongue is back as well...

{What We're Drinking}

Abby's Skinny Margaritas

1 cup tequila
1/4 cup triple sec
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tub lemon-lime crystal light (actually, I've only found it in Kroger-brand light drink mix)
Enough water to fill your pitcher...this makes a half-gallon/two-quart pitcher. Double the recipe for a crowd! Serve over ice.

Sweet, tart and low cal!

nINe MoNThs

Hard to believe that in just three short months, I'll be celebrating my first birthday....but for now, I'm nine months old!!

Here's what I've been up to....

*Weighing in at 19.5 pounds, 28 inches tall (more accurate measurements next week after my check-up)

*Working REALLY hard on crawling....I've got the arms down, but having a hard time getting my chubby thighs to move the way I want them to. Almost every time I try, I end up in a belly flop, and very frustrated!

*Pulling up to my knees (on anything and everyone!)

*Have a mad pincer grasp and it comes in very handy with all of this table food (I get it three times a day now!) I can gnaw on almost anything mom and dad give me and baby food is soon to be a distant memory.

*I have two teeth!

*I went on my first boat ride and loved every minute. Mom can't wait to teach me to swim at the pool this summer!

*Still taking two naps a day and sleeping 12 hours at night.

*Taking steps forward all by myself while holding someone's hands.

*Nursing 3-4 times a day and drinking water out of my sippy with my meals.

*Started waving and imitating the tone of mommy's "hiiiiii,"and mastered the signs for "dog," "more," and "all done"

*I definitely have my frustrating days...still wanting to be a little more mobile than I am but still a very happy, giggly, and increasingly silly girl. Can we say, class clown??

Boo for sour blueberries...

Laughing? Crying? Who knows these days!

(See my teeth?)

We are the luckiest parents alive!