Blueberries for Baby!

Yesterday was a Blueberry Day! Blueberries abounded...in the hair, in the pants, under the fingernails, in the ears! YAY BLUEBERRIES!!! Today Ivy scooted like a worm across the entire living room, after a nice morning of more blueberries, (Mommy learned this time to just leave her in her diaper!), saying goodbye to Daddy, getting a birthday present ready for Grammi, and now having a "tea party" with Bunny, Moose, and Crazy Dolly.

This weekend Mommy, Matt, and Ivy are going home to Iowa for Great-Grandma Simdorn's birthday party at Lake Okoboji! We are going to stay at our cabin and take lots of walks. If it's nice, we'll walk on the beach!

Happy Thursday!

Tips for Maximum Meal Enjoyment, By Ivy Mae Kennedy-Schwartz

Greetings, friends, Grammas, Grampas, Aunties, and Uncles!

Mommy is taking the day off today! Something about "cleaning this place before your Daddy gets home!" and "looks like it's been pillaged by pirates." I LOVE pirates! Mommy is so funny.
I am writing today to give you tips on eating. Eating is very fun! It is pretty much my favorite thing to do, besides chewing on shoes and bouncing.
First of all, you have to make sure that you are being fed by a spoon. This is very important! You will need it later.
Okay, so open your mouth, because someone will be slipping mushy stuff into it. You will have to endure this for a little while, otherwise you will miss the best part:


SPOON!!!!


Spoons are amazing in every way. Apparently, you can place food in the little round part and use it to toss food onto the floor, or down your pants, or down Mommy's shirt! Amazing invention!

This part lasts for as long as Mommy lets you do it. I enjoy a nice lukewarm oatmeal down my pants, back, or even as a fun hair product. This is for a maximum eating experience!!!

When Mommy finally decides it is time to clean up, it's DESSERT TIME!!! And by dessert, I mean the washcloth she uses to clean your face. It is delicious! I don't recommend it for actual face-washing; yucky.

This is a best way to enjoy a meal. For some reason, though, I'm always still hungry afterwards...

Here are some pictures of me eating...I am so good at it!

Bye bye!

The Notorious I.V.Y.

What a big weekend!!! Ivy spent a lot of time with aunties and uncles this weekend, because mommy was off socializing. We have decided that we can't bear to be apart for that long and have made a Pinky Promise not to be that busy again. :)

This weekend, Ivy took a shower for the first time and loved it! She just looked up into the shower head like, "Ahh...manna from heaven! THIS is living!" She is now much cleaner than she was previously, without various bits of carrots and oatmeal in obscene places.

She also has been saying "Mama mama!" and "Bayyybee!" and has many, many stories to tell. My favorite one so far is entitled, "Oooo Whoaaaa bayyyybeee Ooo." I'm not sure exactly what the plot is, but it sounds exciting!

Friday night we went to the Saint Paul Art Crawl, and saw our friend Kara's work, which was amazing...she's so talented, a genius, really. The Nautilus Muscial Theatere was there singing some showtunes, and OF COURSE Mommy and Ivy stopped and listened to selections from My Fair Lady, Chess, and even Ben Folds! We were with Matt's dad and his wife. Always fun!

Ivy is loving her whole milk, fresh from the farm!

Here are some pictures just out of the shower, and one of Mommy at her friends Cassie's wedding with her friend Laura. They may have had some wine when this picture was taken, but I can't confirm that. (Mommy and Laura, that is, not Mommy and Ivy...)

Mama

Ivy said "Mama," for the first time yesterday! Of course, it was when she was mad at me, but I didn't care. I was getting into the shower, and Ivy was sitting in the kitchen, whining because she wanted to be HELD, WOMAN! I said, "I'll be right out, baby!" and then, "Mama! (snifflesnifflesniffle) Mama!" I ran out and said, "Mama? Did you say 'Mama'?" She just looked at me like, "Well take your damn shower already! I need attention!" Victory in our time!

Her new favorite is clapping, which Daddy taught her. She claps delightedly to the music that I'm pretty sure plays constantly in that giant noggen of hers. :)

Daddy is gone for the next few days, so it's just me and Ivy! We have a busy weekend ahead, but plan on getting a lot of play time in.

Daddy Time

(Mommy would like to sweetly point out that perhaps Daddy needs to gain a few since he is sitting in IVY'S CARSEAT. Daddy, carbs are our friends!)

Ivy's Very Favorite Time is Daddy Time! Ivy and Daddy tell stories, build with blocks, and love exploring the world together. They go on lots of outings to Daddy's store, to visit Grandma Zimm, and to go out and meet new people! Meeting people and being in the world is a very big deal to Mommy and Daddy, and Ivy loves it!

At ten months, her dad and I are thinking of switching her formula...we dislike the sugary, artificially processed ingredients of standard formula. We're trying to get her either more breastmilk or find a homemade formula recipe. The feeding adventures continue!

Rawkin' the Hawk, playing Peekaboo!

Ivy is now able to play peekaboo by herself, and is ADDICTED! After her bath this morning, I gave her a "faux hawk."

Happy Ten Months!

This weekend we went to a birthday party for our friend, Kari, and Ivy was a total SHOWBOAT! She loved meeting new people, and we danced to Matt on the washtub bass, playing with our friends Pete, Kari, and their mom and dad. What a blast! Sunday Ivy hung out with Daddy all evening, which is by far her FAVORITE thing to do! and went to a clothing swap with Aunt Laura and Mommy!
Ivy is talking, talking, talking, saying "Ewwww!" and "Da da!" and "nananana". Overnight, she went from never wanting to be on her tummy to ALWAYS wanting to be on her tummy. This week she has been helping Mommy "fold laundry," and trust me, is a VERY big help! ;)

Up Around the Bend

We are SOOOO excited for SPRING and then SUMMER in Minnesota! Mommy and Ivy are very, very blessed to have a beautiful backyard at their house! We love to spend the early evenings outside around the fire. Last summer, Ivy was much too tiny to explore, but this summer, we are movin' and shakin'!
Last night, Matt built a fire, he and Mommy, Aunt Jaimee and Mizz Ivy had a blast rolling around in the dirt and grass. SOME of us tasted leaves and sticks, which we found were not as delicious as they looked. It was the first time Ivy noticed things on the ground...we might have a future Girl Scout! We all had bottles in our hands, of one type or another. ;)
I'm so grateful to be a Midwesterner...there's nothiing like throwing together some supper, good friends, beer, and laughter. We are so lucky!
Ivy is trying her best to crawl, but just doesn't like being on her tummy. With lots of grunting and scooting, she gets where she needs to go, though.
Her dad is a master behind the grill, so lots of backyard time is planned in the coming months. Matt also has a huge backyard! Who needs a vacation when you've got grass and a blanket?

Poop: "Poop" spelled backwards.

Ivy was still fighting nasty-ass diaper rash when she woke up this morning. The drama of motherhood: when will the mystery rash disappear? What is it? Is it an allergy? WHY DOES IT KEEP COMING BACK???
We've already been to the MD, so this morning I called my chiropractor, and begged her to look at it. Surprise! It's a virus, and she put a nifty light-thingy on Ivy's butt, and the sores were gone! Toss out the medicated crap, keep using the Calendula diaper cream, and ding ding ding! Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! All better. :)

After I changed her around noon, I went to throw the poo away, stopping on the way to pick up some toys to then put away on my way back to the bathroom and her room, and felt something...squishy...on my foot...I looked down and WHAT WHAT! The contents of her diaper had plopped onto the floor, which I'd then stepped in, which I'd then tracked all over the house, which now explains why we need carpet cleaner. Baby poop is worse than dog poop. And more orange, apparently.

Hm...what's for dinner?

Joy of Yummies

Ivy Mae has been eating solids for a few months now, and eating is one of the most joyful moments we share, and her father feels the same way. We both love food, and are big supporters of buying fresh and local. Of course, when you're the manager of a Byerly's like her dad, you have tons of access to gorgeous food! He DOES spend a larger proportion of money on high-quality food. But by cutting out packaged, sugary foods that don't offer much in the way of taste, nutrition, or the "soul" factor, the grocery bill isn't that much bigger. We don't have sugary cereals, packaged meals, a ton of meat, soda (sometimes I get it, though! As Laura O. says, "Ah, Diet Coke...my dark mistress!") or sweets. Not that I don't like those things! I eat what I like, but it's not on the regular grocery list. (I have a pie addiction!)
As for Ivy, we've had a great time giving her whole foods that I mill in a baby food mill. I steam the fruit or veggies in the microwave, then mill it and add it to oatmeal (instant but plain.) Yeah, sounds really hippy-dippy and time-consuming, right? Not so. Ivy only eats about one fruit and one vegetable a day. Milling takes about two minutes, and it takes ten minutes to steam the veggies if needed. I give her a bottle in that time. I make a lot at once, and we have her food for two or three days! I also add some breastmilk to it before I give it to her. Just in case anyone is interested in saving money and giving your baby some healthy food! Life is too short to eat crappy food...and cost is no excuse, because packaged baby food is pricey. (And yes, fries and pizza is still a requirement sometimes!)

Here's a link to the food mill, which you can find or order from PeaPods, as well as a million other places online!

Ivy also crawled over to the DVD shelf today and pulled them out one by one, tossing them behind her! Yesterday I caught her right as she was reaching for the powerstrip under the TV...anyone have any good tips for child-proofing?! She's way faster than I imagined!

Happy Wednesday!

Easter Bunny

Holy Hannah, it's been a long time since I posted. I'm going to write about Ivy, since she's waaaay more interesting than I!
She's 10 months on the 18th, and doesn't want to crawl. Put her on her tummy and she starts to moo. She loves standing and being held, but she LOVES dancing! And by "dancing," I mean "bouncing." She is CRAAAAZZZZEEEE about the bouncing.
She's eating oatmeal and all kinds of fruit now, and loves details like buttons, points them out with her little finger. This Easter weekend my parents came, and Saturday we had dinner with them, along with Matt and her dad, Michael. We had a blast! Right before bed, Michael was holding her and she smiled at him and said, "Da da!" We all got so enthusiastic that she started crying. Way to go, mommy! She's been going on lots of walks with mommy, and looooooves snuggling with Daddy. She shows off for Matt, and always goes in for snuggles and kisses before faking him out and grabbing his glasses. He falls for it every time!
We (Mommy, Matthew, and Ivy) went out for brunch on Sunday morning with my parents, Michael's parents, and his friend Jeremy. So many grandmas and grandpas! She wore the jumper and hat her great-grandma made for her, and sat like a "big girl" in her high chair. We love our Ivy Mae!