It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

I LOVE this picture of Zaida.

Her sweet little hands gripping the chair - she is just my most precious little gift. Even though you can't see her face, it is seriously one of my very favorite pictures.

What an absolute sweetheart!

Accountant in the Making?

She might be taking after her Daddy & following in his accounting footsteps. Sure looks like she appreciates those deductions, doesn't it?

Polka dot princess

What a cute girl ... I love her in this sweet little fleece outfit!

And, in this next picture there is no doubt that Zaida is a Meurer. Classic Meurer face!

Santa Who?

Zaida had her first encounter with Santa Claus. As you can see she wasn't so sure, but as long as she could see Mommy she was ok. When I went to pick her up she caught a glimpse of the big man & was lightening quick and grabbed a big handful of his beard. I was so happy that I could release the death grip & get her hand untangled without any mishaps.

Mixed Marriage

Even though it's a struggle we are working through it ... :)

Here are a couple pics of Zaida pre-game ... aren't we excited!

Near the end of the game ... wish I could have slept through the end of the game myself.

Tickling the ivories!

Besides having a nice thanksgiving - we found a new toy for Zaida. :)

She loves music ... she must be taking after her namesake. My grandma was a music teacher & tried to teach me how to play the piano about a dozen times. Maybe Zaida will be better at it than I was!

Thanksgiving

We were fortunate enough to spend Thankgiving up in Aberdeen at my Meme & Papa's house. We love spending time with them - and we are so thankful to have such wonderful family. It was great to spend time with Scott, Jane & Eric - it's always nice to see you guys! We love you!

Sippy cup time?

The other day we figured out that Zaida is probably ready for a sippy cup! See if you can crack the code, too!

I think she likes it!

Lil' Cowgirl

Zaida got all gussied up in her best for church - including her lil' shoes decorated with a cowboy boot & hat.

She was sittin' purdy for her photos, but, Mom ... enough is enough!

Check out my Slide Show!

November Round-Up

What books or magazines have we read this month? Lots of “That’s Not My Puppy” & “Eight Silly Monkeys” … other than that I get the occasional catalog & if I’m lucky I get a few minutes to read “I Am a Mother” by Jane Clayson Johnson.

What movies or TV shows have we watched this month? How I Met Your Mother, Beauty & the Geek, Everest: Beyond the Limit, America's Next Top Model, The Office & Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving

What special days did we celebrate this month? Nephew Seth’s Birthday, Papa’s 94th Birthday & Thanksgiving

What illnesses or health concerns?My back has been causing me problems … but, what’s new? Been doing strength exercises & stretching but it just doesn’t seem to be helping too much. My doctor also thinks I may have carpal tunnel.
Corey went to the doctor the other day for his nose … he’s scheduled to get it fixed in a couple of weeks.

What fun things did we do with friends or family? We were able to take 2 trips to Aberdeen this month – once for Papa’s birthday & then 2 weeks later for Thanksgiving. We love seeing everyone. And it was great that Zaida was able to meet my Uncles Eric & Scott and Aunt Jane.
We got to share Seth’s birthday dinner with the family. And, we were able to go to Seth’s last football game of the season. Unfortunately, they were robbed of the win. Next time!
Our friends have been too occupied, sick &/or out of the state to spend any time with us! :) So, we’ve had a pretty “quiet” month.

What new recipes or restaurants did we try this month? I made 2 cheesecakes for Thanksgiving. One with a caramel pecan topping (I made this last month), and the other one was a Pumpkin Cheesecake. If I can say so … it was dang good! Then this past week I made an Apple Pie – which I am sad to say I ate most of.

Any Special or Unusual Purchases this month? That would imply that I had actually left the house! Ok, so I can still buy stuff off of the internet – which I did. I actually purchased a docking station for my camera. My cameras USB cord is not working anymore (which is why I haven’t blogged in a while – sorry!), so I bought a new charger/USB port for our camera.

What are this months disappointments? First my horrible attitude --- I feel like I am constantly in a bad mood. I’m sure it is just because of my crazy schedule & life. I am just worn out! I also wish these back exercises were helping, but I feel like it is getting worse by the day. And, my house is just as messy as it was last month. And let's not even talk Ute football!

Any Accomplishments? I work 18 hours a week. And, I’ve managed to shower every day this month (I think). Does that count? :)
Okay – really, I started knitting again. My aunt has commissioned me to make a sweater for her niece’s baby.

Anything else noteworthy to record? Zaida continues to get smarter, stronger & cuter by the day. She’s now reaching for her mommy (which makes my heart swell with pride!). She’s eating her first foods now --- loves squash, hates beans. She also got her first sippy cup & LOVES to chew on it. She can sit in her high chair & can sit on her own for small periods of time now too. And, she is on the verge of saying Mama – in fact I think she said “Mum” on Thursday. Zaida used a straw for the first time yesterday. And, ta-duh!!! She has slept all night in her crib the past 2 nights --- Thursday night from 1-8 & last night from 11:30-8! Yippee!