Eighteen months old

Sniff, sniff... Deep breath...

Name: Sara Jo Mowles
Age: 1.5
Number of teeth: 8
Number of hours of nighttime sleep: 11
Number of hours of daytime sleep: 2
Favorite food: banana
Favorite toys: Easter eggs, balls, riding toys
Favorite activities: Climbing, reading, emptying things, slides, swings, making animal sounds
Favorite words: Up, Mama, Dada, more, cheese, fish, meow
Temperament: Mild-mannered, shy, cautious
Dislikes: Teething, cleaning up, having the face wiped, prematurely stopping an activity, not being able to see the action



The past few months have been such a whirlwind. Baby Girl has changed so much and can do and say so much more than just a few months ago. We can't wait to see what she figures out next.

Family

Camping

Click for larger pictures

This past weekend we went camping at San Onofre State Beach with our friends Craig, Janee, and Blake. The weather was on the cool side but absolutely stunning: blue skies and sunshine galore! The kids played together nicely and everyone had a wonderful time!

Easter!

We spent Easter weekend at Casper's Wilderness Park with my family. The weather and company were wonderful, but Sara ended up getting sick. :( Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera that weekend, so I have no pictures to share.

I do, however, have pictures to share from the city's Eggstravaganza the weekend before. We ran into lots of mommy friends there. Sara had a good time, though she was a bit overwhelmed with it all. I thought for sure she'd freak out and refuse the pony ride, but she took it in stride.

Sara, Ryan, and Hayden (Ryan's neighbor and best friend)


Riding the "train"


Sara and Lila (her friend from Mommy and Me) waiting for the hunt to start


Egg hunting


Pony ride

Recipe review

In recent weeks I have been cooking a vegetarian meal--usually based on beans--once a week. I have been doing this because it is very healthy (I use dry beans, not canned) and because it is inexpensive. Larry is never excited about a meat-free meal, but he liked this one the best of all the vegetarian meals I have made. And Sara loved it!

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Kan Kanbayashi

Makes 4 servings

Hands-on Time: 0hr 20m

Total Time: 0hr 40m

This recipe is: Kid Friendly, Quick & Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (next time I make it I will use two)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed (I used dry beans that I cooked)
  
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 radishes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add the beans, oregano, and 1 cup water (I will probably increase the water a little next time). Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and smash some of the beans with the back of a fork to thicken.

3. Serve the beans over the rice and top with the radishes and cilantro.

Tip

Pack this hearty dish for lunch: Simply scoop the beans and rice into large tortillas or pitas.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories 368; Fat 5g; Sat Fat 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1077mg; Protein 14g; Carbohydrate 71g; Fiber 11g

Real Simple, March 2009

"Cheez out"

Sara put two words together for the first time tonight. She was sitting in her high chair and started saying "out. cheez. out." It took me a while to realize that she was pointing to some cheerios that had fallen between the removable tray and the fixed tray of her high chair. She wanted to get the Cheerios ("cheez") out.

I don't know if it's a sign of things to come in the near or distance future, but it's surely a sign of things to come.

Seventeen months old

As Baby Girl approaches the year-and-a-half mark, she seems to be spurting like crazy in just about every way. First of all, verbally, she loves to point out the things she recognizes in her books: "Ball. Cheese. Dog!" For the ones she can't say, she likes to point and say, "That," or have us ask (e.g., "Where's the cat?") and she'll point to them. As the video posted below shows, she loves looking at animals and learning their sounds. If you catch her at the right moment, she might moo, bark, meow, roar, and hoot. She added a lot of new words and sounds this month. In the past week or so she has become particularly crazy about her books. They have become her favorite at-home activity.

Physically, she is becoming more coordinated and confident on her feet. While she still likes the "ning" (swing), she also loves climbing the stairs and going down the slides on her own now. She also likes to turn in a circle or--forgive her for her rhythmless parents--dance. She gets to go to the park just about every day, and she loves it there and sometimes complains now when we leave.

I mentioned last month that toddlerhood had arrived, and this month only confirmed that. Sara is definitely trying on the whine for size, and I'm hoping she'll stop when she figures out it doesn't work (though I suspect she can see how much it BUGS me!). She has also become a much more finicky eater: She likes shredded raw carrots, but not sliced cooked carrots. Some days she likes string cheese; some days she doesn't. I am just giving her a variety every day and hoping for the best!

I looked at her the other day and really saw the little girl emerging. She'll always be my baby, of course, but she's much less of a baby overall. What an exciting, bittersweet time.