Changes

Sorry that I have not been posting in an efficient manner. My mind is tangled up in what I want for this blog in the new year. I am wrapped up in a million and one ideas I have that would make this venture more satisfying to me. I am seriously considering a new name, a new look, and new features. Since we have gone vegetarian Monday through Friday and pescatarian on the weekends (only if we feel like sushi or someone is making us lunch...I know, so bad), I was thinking of a weekly vegetarian recipe or recap of our veggie meals. Other thoughts: a baby fashion segment, a Friday Finds segment (awesome things I find around the web), Want-y Wednesdays (things I totally want, but don't need), a different cool place in Omaha each week (kid or not kid related) and great vintage finds...I have also thought about a craft/or artistic venture a week.

What are your thoughts? What would you like to see?

In other news, we are trying to get out and about more, as a family, on the weekends. We lived for brunch in Chicago and went just about every weekend. There is a lack of brunch places in Omaha....and by lack, I mean like 4 places...insert very, very sad face. The brunch/breakfast spots here are very different from Chicago's...in that they aren't very modern and the menus aren't laden with organic/sustainable/gourmet items. I really miss that. I miss the creativity that went into cooking brunch/breakfast in Chicago...I miss the artistic/intellectual ambiance that I felt in the different establishments that we would visit. I always felt a-buzz and ready to take on the world after my morning brunches...and it wasn't just the coffee making me feel that way. I am slowly getting used to the different pace of life in Omaha. The non-showiness...the humble attitudes....the friendliness. Okay...enough of my sentimental longing...get to the point, Erin! So, we went to brunch...ha ha. It was a charming little place called Lisa's Radial Cafe. Being newly vegetarian, our options were limited, but I had gone in with a yearning for pancakes, so that is what I indulged in. Ada Louise was well-behaved and a little ham, like usual. She completely turned herself around in her high chair to entertain the other patrons in the room. We were in and out in about 30 minutes or less, which was perfect because that is about how long Ada Louise will last out at a restaurant before complete meltdown status. I am hoping that some new brunch/breakfast places will open up in Omaha in the next few years. Being kind of a foodie...but not one for dinners or staying out that late, I appreciate a really inventive brunch spot.

Ada Louise Alice in Wonderland

This is an entirely belated post, but I just wanted to share some pics of Ada Louise's 1st birthday party. Though it was held a few weeks post-actual birthday, Ada didn't seem to mind. Since Ada's middle name is Alice and I love Alice in Wonderland, I thought an "Ada Louise Alice in Wonderland" theme was a good fit. I bought her the CUTEST little Alice dress from Etsy and made a big Alice bow myself. We made some Alice in Wonderland decor..big, colorful puffs, buntings and garland...and a cute little Christmas tree adorned with Alice in Wonderland playing cards... and just made the space really girly, colorful, and a bit vintage-y. Take a look...
The birthday girl!

Decorations!

Cake and general festiveness...

To Eat or Not to Eat

That is the question posing Ada Louise 3-4 times a day...and the answer is usually, not to eat. Ada hates eating. We went through a great streak of her eating normally, but now she refuses 98% of the things we give her...her diet mainly consists of Cheerios, eggs (scrambled or hard-boiled), and frozen peas and carrots.

She used to love to eat the Happy Baby Organics puree packets....she just squeezes all the contents out or throws them on the ground now....I am happy to finish them, especially when she has a mango packet that she is more than willing to hand over. She is more concerned about feeding our poor, starving, skinny dogs (insert photo of 1 almost 20 lb. Pug and 1 19 lb. Dachshund....skinny and starving they are not!), than feeding herself. It is really a stressful and will-breaking struggle. No matter what we do or what we feed her...she will not eat. I should say, she does nibble, and occasionally she will eat half of each thing she is given (woo hoo for the black bean, avocado, cheese quesadilla!), but for the most part her breakfast, lunches and dinners looked pretty much untouched. I was worried about the lack of vitamins in her diet, so I bought a liquid multivitamin to add to her water...that, also, did not go over too well. She took one taste, made a face, and politely declined.

Has anyone else had these issues with their little one? Since moving here in August, she has steadily teethed her way into December and sprouted 6 teeth....should I assume this is teething and that more teeth are on the way? Being a person who loves to cook elaborate and exotic meals...her resistance to normal, non-Cheerio food is so disconcerting!

Here are some pictures of our latest idea...moving her from the high chair to a booster seat...exciting to Ada at first, but SUPER messy for mommy and daddy....time to buy a stick-on placemat and a splash mat!

Here are some gratuitous fat dog pics...just for good measure.

New Wes!

As I was browsing my blog list today, I stumbled upon some great news on Jen Loves Kev....a new Wes Anderson movie is coming out! Yes, the regulars are all there...Bill Murray, Frances McDormand....AND, wait for it...my celebrity boyfriend, Jason Schwartzman. It looks fantastic. It has to be more than genius. Here is the trailer for Moonrise Kingdom...get ready to pee in your pants...twice.

Mornings

It's funny...Ada Louise turned 1 year old on December 5th, but I swear she immediately entered her terrible twos. Upon waking, she is already cranky, whining and wanting to be held and carried everywhere. What. Is. Going. On?! Where is my sweet little lady? Hopefully, this is teething and it will disappear as quickly as it came. These pictures will help me remember that she is achingly cute and lovely...instead of the little crankster, sour-grapes-lady she has been the past couple of weeks.

In Motion

Welcome to January! The weather has been so nice here, so we have been spending all of our time outside and on the go! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I will catch you up on everything we have been doing since Christmas over the next few days.

With the weather being splendid and sunny, we have been going to the park a lot...not to play on the swings and slides, but just to enjoy nature. I would say that Ada Louise enjoys that much more than the hubbub of the park. She just will not stop moving! I guess I should say, also, that we now have a walker on our hands...and she is so fascinated and proud of her humongous achievement! She just walks and runs everywhere...no goal or destination in sight...just plain old movin'!

Day 1....55 degrees with blissful sunshine

Day 2...60, equally sunny and spectacular