Family Vacation: Teton National Park

We spent a couple of days in Teton National Park last week at the UW Research Station. It was gorgeous and relaxing and fun. Here are some highlights:

Lodge at the research station

Taking a nap in our cabin

The view from the dock at the research station

Our lovely host, my colleague Mary Ann.

Mike and I hiked to Grand View Point while Mary Ann played with Nora.

Here we are at the top!

We had a great time!

Six months

It's Nora's half-birthday! Some notable things have happened in the past month:

• She's been going to childcare and has lots of new friends there. She's adjusted really well. They do fun things like make art, blow bubbles, play in the sandbox, and have events like a Transportation Fair and International Mud Day.
• Nora's picture appeared in the Laramie Boomerang, our local newspaper! She was in a red wagon with two other babies on the way to the transportation fair.
• She tried solid food. (http://adventuresinthemidwest.blogspot.com/2013/06/bananas.html)
• She sits up with just a tiny bit of support, rolls from belly to back and back to side, does baby push-ups, sings, laughs, "talks," chews on her toes, and (sometimes) sleeps through the night.
• We learned that she is allergic to milk and eggs, and by cutting them out of her (my) diet we are clearing up her eczema! 

Some of my favorite photos from the past month:

Pretty summer dress

Favorite pastime: chewing on toes

Sweet potatoes are better than bananas

Check out the ruby slippers! Thanks, Grandma Sheri.

Vegan baking???

We recently learned that the wee one is allergic to milk and eggs, so I've cut those things out of my diet. I'm pretty fond of baking and eating delicious things, so I'm looking for things that I can enjoy without triggering Nora's allergies.

So far we've tried vegan baked doughnuts, which were pretty great (though they tasted more like sweet rolls than doughnuts) Recipe: http://www.namelymarly.com/2010/06/happy-donut-day-have-you-had-a-vegan-donut/

Next we tried vegan chocolate chip cookies, which did not turn out great. They tasted OK, but were flat and the texture was off. After refrigerating the dough, the next pans full of cookies were better, but I'm still looking for a different cookie recipe. Let me know if you have recommendations.

And last night we had zucchini pancakes, which were really delicious. Recipe: http://vegweb.com/recipes/zucchini-pancakes

Bananas

Nora just had her first taste of solid food. Here's how she felt about it.

OK, let's try these bananas

Mmm-hmm

No thank you!

 Mike and I were totally cracking up. Baby girl actually consumed VERY little banana. Maybe we'll try something else in a few days.

Five months

Nora is a really happy baby, for the most part, and lots of things make her smile and giggle. She loves seeing Mom and Dad sing songs with actions -- "Five Little Monkeys" and "Little Bunny Foo-Foo" are current favorites. She's had a few more social interactions with babies lately, and she finds her friends very funny.

Nora and her friend are almost exactly the same size, but Nora is 6 weeks younger.

Last year at this time . . .

This week Mike and I have been reminiscing about our trip to Europe last summer. This time last year we were in Paris, southern Germany, England, Scotland, and it was an amazing trip. This year we're having an adventure of an entirely different kind, and we absolutely love it.

Four months

 Nora is 4 months old!

Here are some of my favorite pictures and videos from the past month.

Laughing at Mom's singing

Nora is totally into her baby gym these days

And she has sooo much to say