Happy Halloween

We wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween!

Punk Rock 80's groupie. I decided at the last minute to throw something together, hehe! It's a combo of my closet wardrobe and old Halloween costumes. Blaykleigh is a candy corn. And Jason is a photographer that is why he isn't in the picture (wink, wink).

Gobblin' up my fair share of Halloween treats.

Little Miss Candy Corn! 

Thanks a ton Em for your knitting-kniftyness. 

Have a spook-tastic evening

-the Stowell's

5 months old

Our little pumpkin, look at you! Getting bigger and bigger faster than I think I can handle. It's hard to believe that you were born just 5 months ago and although that doesn't seem like to much time, it has flown by too fast my love. You're never going to be this small again and I don't know how to feel about that; I guess that is apart of being a parent ... watching your 'little' transform and grow into a full blown functional 'human being'. You have brought so much joy to my life and mean the world, no the universe (the totality of matter, energy, and space, including the Solar System, the galaxies, and the contents of the space between the galaxies) to me. I love you my 'little' B. 

At 5 months old, Blaykleigh ....

• is weighing in at 16.5 lbs (according to our bathroom scale) and is 25-26-ish inches in length. 
• is scooting! not full blown scoot across the floor but more so from one end of her play-mat to the other, it's a work in progress.  
• will take her paci in and out of her mouth, over and over again, then she drops it ... and screams until you get it for her. 
• took her very first plane ride ever and visited the beautify rocky mountain state.
• has a new favorite song: 'incy wincy spider' ... I think it's all the hand motions that she likes so much.
• started eating solid food! this is a BIG milestone. so far she has had: bananas, avocado, sweet potato, butternut squash, pears and applesauce. all homemade (minus the applesauce) by yours truly! 
• still has acid reflux ... shocker, i know! my poor girl. 
• loves to hear her voice, all levels of her voice at that. she definitely has some lungs on her that is without a doubt. 
• is super snuggly in the early mornings and i try to soak as much of it up as possible on a daily basis.
• laughs sooooo hard at her daddy and his ducky impression during bath time (which, she still loves).
• is a squirmy worm, rarely staying still.

Insta-Friday

Between traveling to beautiful Colorado, school and getting back into a 'schedule', i've been M.I.A. for a bit. Here are some snapshots of life around here (and in Colorado) from the last two weeks-ish. Enjoy!

B playing with her dolly; lots of loud squeals followed.

Spent one Saturday afternoon making homemade baby food for the little bird.

For all the info and recipes you would ever need, click here. Great site! 

Acorn Squash - thought it was suitable for the season. 

B thought so too - she LOVES this stuff!

What a great face to wake up to every morning don't you think?!

Watching KState rule Texas Tech.

A bit blurry but B is rocking her KState apparel ... shoes and all!

Swinging a new fave around here.

Long afternoon naps, rare but welcomed! 

That is one BIG duck.

About to take off on her very first plane ride. Did absolutely wonderful on the way to Colorado but the plane ride back to Texas was a bit of a different story; I think it's because she wanted to stay in Colorado! hehe

Swinging on the back porch at my parents house, enjoying the view ...

the view -

Mountains, blue sky, and Fall trees!!! Enough said.

B with her great grandpa a.k.a. "Papa the GREAT".

Not the best picture being that this was taken from inside the car at a stoplight. But look at those colors, my eyes were so busy soaking up all the beautifulness the entire time I was there ... haven't seen a Colorado Fall in THREE long years. I miss it nonetheless! 

Canvas and Cocktail celebrating my Momma's biiiiiirthday (the reason for the trip to Colorado).

And yes, our eyes are glowing. 

Our drive up to Estes Park - spectacular scenery. 

B all bundled up as we 'paroozed' all the street shops in Estes Park. 

Like her knitted hat? It was a handmade gift for her from a very talented bestie of mine.

Last but not least, DAZ BOG coffee. Definitely blog worthy. If I had to rate my top three fave's for frozen latte's it would go as followed: 1. DAZ BOG, 2. Nordstorm Cafe and 3. Starbucks.

Yes, Starbucks is 3rd but being that it is the only choice I have here in South Texas, they still get all of our business.

cutest pumpkin in the patch

Insta-Friday

~a little peek into our week ~ 

B got a new toy ...

and she finally talked daddy into buying her a swing! She got 3 new

'toys' this week: a walker, a jenny jump & a swing. She isn't

spoiled or anything, nope not one bit. 

Embraced snuggles from her daddy; buttering him up for her Christmas

list hehe. 

Aside from taking care of my little & cooking a meal or two, my week 

revolved around the above & below pic. Ignore the Magic book, that

was Jason's - he amused us with some card tricks one night! Good to know

that if this engineer thing he does doesn't work out, there is hope for him

as a magician. And the cup of coffee, my black magic - full of super powers 

and tasty spices! 

skull. 

She loves holding fingers as she drifts away to the land of nod. 

Giving her rubber ducky some love. 

She was all smiles until the moment I took the picture. Go figure. 

Hanging out in her boppy. 

Nap time. This meant I got at least an hour of uninterrupted study time in. 

Amen. 

                                                 

sweet, sweet rain

I woke up this morning to a great big thunderstorm. 

It even found it's way into my dreams as I drifted back to sleep for awhile longer. 

What a lovely surprise! 

found here

carry your heart

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

- e. e. cummings ~

B-Bananas

So tonight was a big step in the Stowell household, Blaykleigh had her first few spoonfuls of "big girl food"! 

Menu

Main course: Momm-ba Juice

Dessert: Nanners a la Creme 

I read that it was best when starting your little on solids to feed them their normal 'milk' first and to think of the solids as a dessert. So that is just what we did with B; only giving her several spoonfuls of 'Nanners a la Creme' a.k.a. smashed banana + milk. She seemed to like it and we will try more tomorrow, I am excited to embark on the wholesome homemade baby food journey! 

Here is a video of her and her taste-bud exploration 

(Please excuse my nails & her forehead; I'm in desperate need of a paint job & she is apparently in need of yet another nail trimming!)  

Apple Spice Bread

Thought I would share a tasty 'fall-ish' treat. I made this apple spice bread today, it's delish - even used my thrift store Pyrex find for the first time, isn't she a beauty! The combination of spices is just right for the season and with a dollop of butter on it, you have perfection! 

For those who don't know, fall is by far my favorite time of year and I wish South Texas would realize that summer was officially over two weeks ago. I am ready for the days when I can leave the windows open from sun up to sun down and enjoy the crisp breeze, granted there aren't many but I will take what I can get. I am ready to wear sweaters and boots and scarves. I am ready to take my very first sip of a steaming hot pumpkin spice latte; these 90 degree days make it impossible to enjoy, so here I wait for that perfect fall day. I am ready to fall in love with fall. But as for now, I have my apple spice bread and for a moment I will pretend. 

Recipe: Apple Spice Bread 

Ingredients
2 cups sweet apples - chopped finely
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup butter
2 small eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon (heaping 1/2 tsp if you love cinnamon like myself)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (another heaping 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Method 
Cream the butter (at room temp) with the sugar, then combine with the oil, eggs, and vanilla and set aside.

In another bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to oil mixture gradually. Fold in the apples and nuts.

Grease one loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake at 325 deg F for about 55 mins (check after 45 mins) till its brown on the outside, appears crusty, and the toothpick test passes or butter knife as in my case.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then let it cool completely on a wire rack (I cut into it at this point, my taste buds couldn't handle the temptation)

Delight in the glorious flavors of fall!

4 months old

Truly. Madly. Deeply. 

in love with this sweet baby of mine.

Happy "Birthday" little bird! These past four months with you have been nothing less than wonderful. I can't believe how fast you are growing; changing ever so slightly everyday. I love being able to spend just about every moment of every day with you; watching your little personality emerge, seeing the joy in your face as you discover something new, the way you light up when I greet you as you awake from your dreams and most of all,  being able to hold and love on you whenever I please. Being your mom is a gift far greater than I could have ever asked to receive.   

At four months old, Blaykleigh ...

• weighs exactly 15.0 lbs and is just about 25 inches long
• has an amazing set of lungs on her; from crying to playful squeals, she will make your ears ring
• reaches out and touches our faces; makes my heart go to mush
• holds her hands up in front of her face, playing with them until she drifts into her nightly slumber
• still wakes up at least once for a 'mid-night' feeding
• puts everything in her mouth, everything
• is quite the bubble maker and slobbers like its nobody's business
• still suffers from the awful acid reflux
• sits up in her bebe pod like a pro now, no more slumping off to the side 
• loves her bath time just as much as she did in month one, two and three of her little life
• laughs the worlds best laugh 
• enjoys her Baby Einstein video time during the day
• is really good at mimic-ing her daddy and his funny faces
• sleeps her longest naps while on Jason's chest on the weekends
• grabs everything with her left hand; perhaps this means we've got a lefty

Picture Perfect Monday

"Whatever you are, be a good one." 

Abraham Lincoln 

Have a great week!

- the Stowells