6 weeks

Camilla was 6 weeks last Monday. She is getting so much more fun and interactive and I thought I would show this little video of a recent chat we exchanged.

It was a really great chat, probably the best I've had in awhile. As you can tell, our dog Pippi is still getting used to having some jealousy issues but overall she is warming up well to Camilla.

So now that Camilla is 6 weeks she can do so many things! She holds her head up for several seconds and looks around. She follows toys with her eyes and head. She loves to chatter and flap her legs/arms. When she lays flat she can even scoot herself 90 degrees with her legs. She tolerates tummy time for about 5 minutes before calling it quits. Camilla is a very good natured baby and will play independently. The best part is that Camilla is generous with her smiles and it's the best feeling when she gives me one of her million dollar toothless grins.

A Winner

It seems like there are a lot of baby products on the market that are completely useless and unnecessary. For example, why would I need a teether in the shape of a giraffe that costs $25? The lady that helped us register at Buy Buy Baby absolutely insisted that I register for this just because it was one of the most popular items of last year. Yeah, I gave into peer pressure. What's more embarrassing is that someone actually bought it for me.

I found the process of registering pretty overwhelming but rewarding. One item I never thought I would have used has come in really handy lately. It's the Moby wrap. This wrap/sling is amazing! Once I read the instruction booklet and had a couple of dry runs I was ready to try it out. I have been able to do so much more around the house and Camilla seems to like it too. She gets to be squished up, which she loves, and I have two hands to work with. Today we did laundry, dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and put away some Christmas stuff all while working together.

Even the back of Camilla's head is cute to me.

What was a baby item you found the most helpful or ridiculous?

Popped!

I guess it all started about a year ago when Ryan and I were walking on the Plaza and we stopped in the Topsy's store. Topsy's is by far the tastiest popcorn ever, hands down. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with coconut oil. Apparently, Topsy's also knows that they are the best popcorn ever because it's so stinkin' expensive. So, this last year I have made it one of my personal missions to find an affordable substitute.

Thanks to our Costco membership, we have found some great replacements. The first we stumbled across during try out day. GH Creators carries a "Chicago" style popcorn mix. You may wondering what Chicago style is all about. It's caramel and cheese popcorn mixed together. It's the perfect blend of savory and sweet. It's worth a try and could easily be created at home.

If you are more of a single flavor popcorn lover, you might want to try "Popcorn, Indiana" brand. I have tried 3 flavors: movie theatre style, white cheddar and cinnamon. The cinnamon isn't what you would expect however, it's not the super red artificially dyed sticky kind of cinnamon. It's just actual cinnamon sprinkled on the popcorn. It keeps the popcorn light and fluffy while still have the perfect touch of cinnamon.

If you are more of a do it yourself kind of popcorn lover, you might want to try out my friend Celeste's homemade caramel popcorn. Here's her recipe:

http://onhandmodern.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/11/awesome-homemade-caramel-corn.html

Celeste made this delicious treat for Camilla's baby shower and it was a hit! Celeste's caramel popcorn is surprisingly crunchy. My mom also made amazing caramel popcorn growing up, but her recipe is gooey and sticky (so delicious!). Mom would make caramel popcorn as a treat for me to take to school when it was my birthday. All of the kids would love it because it was tasty and because it was homemade. Not many moms would make homemade treats, they would just pick up the stale super sugary cupcakes from the grocery store that no one really likes to eat, they just look cute. Way to go Mom! You will have to write in your recipe on my comments section.

I've always loved popcorn. Maybe my popcorn obsession didn't start just a year ago. It probably started long ago. Often when we were kids we would sit down at the kitchen table after church as a family and Dad would whip out the whirly pop popcorn maker for the stove top. He would make "real" popcorn, not the microwavable junk. It was always perfectly salty and fluffy. Mom would pair the popcorn with a hunk of cheese and usually some fresh fruit. It was the perfect lunch. We had some great Sunday afternoons sitting around the table, passing the big blue popcorn bowl around, laughing and having some great chats.

What are your favorite popcorn recipes?

A church going family

We made it to church!

It took two hours of preparation to get there. Nurse baby, Mom showered, baby bath, baby pooped on bath towel immediately following bath, baby dressed, Mom dressed, Baby takes nap, Mom needs a nap, family goes to church.

We took photos when we got home. They are terrible quality but Camilla looked so cute in her lavender dress. She was wearing tights and shoes at one point, but that's a story for another day.

Yeah, that really is the best shot. Seriously.

I've been told this gets easier.

Did I mention that Ryan helped so much this morning? He even figured out how to get her tights on first try. Pretty soon he will be putting in braids and pig tails.