Paul and I took Abigail to the Olney Swim Center today and introduced her to swimming. After getting over the shock of the cool water, Abby had a really great time splashing in the water, kicking her legs, "chasing" after Dad, and watching other kids enjoying the pool. We are excited to take her to the Germantown Aquatic Center, which is a much closer and newer facility, but it was unfortunately closed for Labor Day weekend.

Another big FIRST for Abby today was that she started to consistently take several unassisted steps. We made it a game for her to walk back and forth between Paul and me where she was rewarded with big hugs at each end. This was all an exercise to build her confidence for walking on her own, which we know she can do. This morning, she would only take one or two steps before giving up and sitting down. This evening - only our second time playing the game - she repeatedly took up to ten or more steps and was able to turn, slow down, and speed up without assistance! We couldn't have been more proud of her. :)

I just got a new baby carrier and am loving it! This is the Beco Butterfly (BB) and it is a soft structured carrier like the Ergo and Yamo, which I had talked about in my Babywearing post. A Google search will quickly provide details about this new carrier design, but what I want to share is what I like and dislike about the Beco Butterfly.

Let's start with the dislikes since the list is shorter: I am used to the Ergo and Yamo where there is no fussing with a harness to put baby in. Getting the baby in a front or back carry involves a few extra steps with the BB. Rather than the baby always resting her cheeks on soft straps when she falls asleep, her face can end up rubbing against the webbing or buckles. The hood is not attached, so if you need it while it's stowed away in the waist strap sleeve, you need to fumble with it to attach before use. That's it!

I thought the added harness and built-in infant insert of the BB would make the carrier too hot with baby in it, but so far, I have used it in 90+ degree weather and I can not feel the difference. In fact, I swear it adds an extra layer of protection between me and my "portable space heater," so that Abby doesn't actually feel as hot against me as she normally does!

Now for the likes: This carrier is by FAR the most comfortable for me and I have NO complaints about the Ergo or Yamo. The BB is just a few degrees MORE comfortable. There are more straps, yes, but it means it can be adjusted better for comfort. Abby does not like to be carried tight against me, but I need the straps tight to distribute the weight properly across my back and down to the hips instead of on one shoulder or another. The BB allows me to adjust the distance of Abby from my body, totally separate from the shoulder strap adjustment. The straps - containing a special foam - are curved to add amazing comfort. I like the longer body of the BB for giving Abby more support when she sleeps. The hood is actually better support than the Ergo's hood, which has always been too big for Abby. The hood is similar to the Yamo's support, but putting the hood up is done with quieter buckles. Finally, I feel so much more comfortable putting Abby in a back carry with the BB than with any of the other carriers because of its added safety features.

All three of these soft structured carriers are wonderful and I still can't decide which one I would give up if I had to sell one.

We have been working with Abby on saying "Please" when she requests something and she has been very consistently doing so. She doesn't actually say the word, but she uses the sign for it that her teachers at daycare taught the babies.

Yesterday, I was getting ready to change her diaper. I had the mat down, the diaper unfolded, the wipes container open, but no Abby. She had walked between the ottoman and couch to hide from me.

"Come here for a diaper change, Abby."

She shakes her head.

"Come over here." Points to the mat. "I need to change your diaper."

She shakes her head.

Sighing because I realized I would have to go grab her now, I tried one more time.

"Abby, it's diaper time. Come over here!"

She grins.

She signs "Please."

I was stunned.

I asked, "PLEASE come here for a diaper change?"

She immediately got down, crawled over to me, and let me change her diaper without a fight.

We really have to start watching ourselves now. She is picking up EVERYTHING!

Cool, huh?!

I am a huge advocate for babywearing. Before I gave birth to Abby, I always had the mental image of a baby being perfectly content being moved around in a stroller. My friend Ashley introduced me to babywearing and as I watched her with her alert, observant, energetic son, I quickly learned that I had a misconception of what contentment for a baby meant. She taught me about slings, pouches, and the very versatile Ergo soft-structured carrier.

I wasn't ready to invest a lot in anything yet until I met my baby. What I did do was go to JoAnn's Fabric and buy $5 worth of gauze to make a ring sling. This sling was light and breathable, yet durable, and would allow me to carry Abby around as a newborn in the hot summer months. I figured this sling would help me determine if Abby would be one of those laid-back content-with-stroller babies I had imagined or not.

Fast-forward to Abby at six weeks old. Since she was 2 days old I had been using my homemade ring sling. She only slept being held and walked around. Without the sling, my arms would've fallen off by day 5! She nursed every hour for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes at a time because she would inevitably snooze while feeding, so without a sling, I was in a chair or on the couch with her ALL THE TIME! So, at six weeks after Abby's birth, I was online ordering my very own Ergo Baby Carrier.

Fast-forward again to Abby at 13 months old. The Ergo is in the car and we use it every time we go shopping or walking around. It definitely gets more use than her stroller. Abby likes her stroller rides, but when she gets tired, when she's had a data overload, or when she just wants a different point of view, she will only be happy in the carrier. She can't fall asleep being carried in our arms, but she dozes off quite easily in the her carrier.

Around the house, we use a Yamo carrier. Similar to the Ergo, but much softer and less bulky.

Yesterday, I ordered a Beco Butterfly. It was on sale. Normally $149, down to $105. Again, similar to the Ergo and Yamo in that they're all buckle soft-structured carriers, but Beco has done a LOT for the Butterfly for safety and function and I was dying to try one out. The sad thing is that you can't just buy a Beco, Yamo, or sometimes the Ergo at your local baby gear store. In 2007, Baby Bargains book ranked the Ergo above the Baby Bjorn baby carrier, so now a few Ergos may actually be found at SOME baby stores, but it's still difficult to track down unless you shop online. Forget about finding Becos and Yamos at a retail store, even if you find a babywearing specialty boutique around you.

I'm excited to try the Beco, but I really don't need 3 soft-structured carriers, so I'm probably going to be selling one after I try the Beco. Luckily, the Beco and Yamo are usually in pretty high demand because they're so hard to find, so hopefully I will not have too much trouble off-loading one.

Our friends Kristin, Lisa, and Eric invited us over for Afternoon Tea at their place today and I volunteered to make some low-key food while they supplied the tea. As I've mentioned before, we participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at a local farm (the Red Wiggler) just a few minutes from our house. Over the last couple of weeks we've been overloaded with tomatoes of every type, so for the Afternoon Tea appetizers, I wanted to make some things featuring tomatoes.

I was very happy with the turn-out of these three recipes I tried. Here are the links and the adjustments I made to each:

- Eggplant and Tomatoes Appetizer - I broiled the eggplants on high for 10 minutes instead of having to pull out a grill and I diced the tomatoes because my tomatoes were twice as large as the eggplant rounds. The presentation did not suffer too badly and this was a real hit! The parmesan garlic sauce was excellent.
- Black Bean and Tomato Salsa with tortilla chips - This turned out really well also. I used about 2 Tbsp of cilantro, added diced red onion in addition to the scallions, and added additional salt and pepper to bring out the taste of the tomatoes.
- Apricot Buttermilk scones with strawberry preserves - This is the best scone recipe I have come across. Still a little dry, but was very tasty with the strawberry preserves. I added chopped, dried apricots instead of the currants and combined steps 2-5 and just mixed everything into the wet ingredients all at once....this may have contributed to the dryness, though. I don't know.

Here's a picture of the beautiful Eggplant and Tomatoes Appetizer, courtesy of the website where I found the recipe. Don't they look delicious?!

Here are pictures of Paul holding Abby and our friend, Ingemar, holding his son, Eli. Both pictures taken on the babies' birthdays. The photos are so sweet! Notice the super-protective arms around the babies and the head tilts for intensive face studying.

This is Elijah Miles Flores, born on 08/08/08 at 0050 at 6 lbs 12 ozs and 21 inches. Many of you have asked about our good friends, Olya and Ingemar, so I wanted to let everyone know that the Flores clan are all doing well. We can't wait to visit them once the family has had enough time to get into a routine.

Some pictures of Eli's first week can be found here: http://public.fotki.com/iggolya/project-wombat/wombats-first-week/

A friend posted this on Facebook and I believe each statement.

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Written by Andy Rooney
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I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Abby gained the confidence to stand up on her own today. For the last 3 weeks, we have been noticing that her balance is getting very good and she has been able to stay standing for a very long time. But up until today, she has refused to get into standing position without pulling herself up on something or someone providing her assistance. Her teachers noticed today that when they told Abby, "Up!" she would get up on her own. As they clapped and cheered for her, Abby would clap too; she was so proud of herself.

This is a video clip of her when we got home today. For best resolution, download the video for viewing by clicking here. If you don't see the video below, click here.

Over the past couple of weekends, the Maryland/DC area has been blessed with super fine weather for outdoor adventuring. So, last weekend Paul, Abby, and I popped bikes onto the roof rack and Abby's bike trailer - which we got her for her 1st birthday - into the trunk and we headed to Great Falls Park for a bike ride along the Potomac River. The day was really beautiful - around 80 degrees with low humidity, clear skies, and a gentle breeze.

The park spans Maryland and Virginia. From the Maryland park entrance, we are dropped off just a few yards from the overlook of the waterfalls. So, after taking some photos, we started our bike ride.


Abby really enjoyed the Croozer and snuggled up to the side to watch people and nature as we rode by. I can see that we will be using the trailer a lot more. She was not a big fan of her bike helmet, though, so we will have to work with her on getting used to it.

I had not been on a bike since well before Abby was born, so we eased into biking with this short, 6-mile leisure ride with plenty of water breaks. We will tackle more next time, I'm sure!

I was looking for a quick and easy (i.e., no mixer required and around 5 ingredients) banana bread recipe and my internet search came up with something made with Bisquick. Modifying for ingredients I had on hand and accidentally omitting the sugar, I came up with the following delicious treat, which even Abby enjoys. It was definitely sweet enough because of the ripe, in-season berries. But, if you would prefer, add 2/3 C of sugar (or Splenda equivalent) or just serve with some berry preserves or jam.

2C Bisquick
2 frozen, then thawed and peeled, bananas
1C of roughly mashed blueberries and strawberries
3/4 C oats
2 eggs
1/4 C buttermilk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of a loaf pan.

Mix all ingredients together with a fork, pour into loaf pan, and bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn bread onto cooling rack to finish cooling.