7 months

Stats as of April 12th: 19lbs; 28in long

Lincoln loves anything that he can shake to make noise. He got to this toilet paper and had a blast shaking it around. He also loves to shake blankets and pillows. Who knew they could be so fun?

Lincoln has been learning a lot lately. It's amazing how a baby can learn the smallest little thing and it seems like such a big deal.  For example, last Friday night we went to Texas Roadhouse and he figured out how to drink from a straw. Wow! It changed his life! He has also started to try to pull himself up onto things. Because he can't crawl he can't try to pull himself up onto furniture, cuz he can't get to it. But, he loves to sit in our laps or on the floor or couch next to us and he'll grab our clothes and try to pull himself upright. When we put our hands out he can grab them and go from sitting to standing. It also cracks me up when he's sitting on the floor and if I walk past he will whine and try to grab my pant legs to pull up on. I think it's funny! :)

This picture was caught just an hour ago. Sean let him lay on the recliner on his tummy like that and he ended up falling asleep. haha. I love it when he falls asleep randomly. It's so funny. I sometimes wish it happened more often because it gets a little frusterating when it should be his nap time, but he's awak and cranky and won't settle down. This method is much easier! :)

He LOVES baby food! He will pretty much eat anything. The only thing he hasn't seemed to care for is Mango. I had no idea they made mango's for babies, but it's got a weird texture. He wouldn't open his mouth anymore after a few bites. But he loves apples and pears mixed with anything. He also really likes sweet potatoes, green beans, and carrots. He has always loved rice cereal as well. Lately we have learned that Lincoln is quite friendly. When people, especially women, come say hi to him he will often put out his arms and reach out for them to hold him. Like any other curious baby he grabs jewelry, hair, and anything else that looks potentially interesting.

As of May 10th he can officially roll back to front and front to back with no problems. He does it whenever it seems necessary. :)

Chocolate-chip Cookies

What is the deal with chocolate-chip cookies? I swear there are like a billion different recipes out there for them; everyone makes them slightly differently. Some people like them chewy, some like them flaky, some like them crunchy, some like them doughy, and then there are the few that like them burnt. There seems to be a recipe for every preference.

When I was in 7th grade I had a home economics class where we cooked simple recipes, sewed things, and did other domestic stuff that I don't really remember. This is where I starting making chocolate-chip cookies the way I've made them for the last 12 years. I remember the first time I made this recipe in school I couldn't believe how good they tasted. I took the recipe home and started to make them for my family. My mom like to bake occasionally, but even still I liked to bake cookies so much it became my sole responsibility to make cookies whenever necessary. I would make that recipe, and I also had a few other specialties that we all loved. But, I had especially perfected this recipe to the point that I could pump out perfectly delicious cookies almost every time. When switching between altitudes I didn't have to worry: I knew if the dough was right by touching it after everything was mixed.

As I got older, so did my younger siblings. Nate especially would request my cookies. When I was in college and would come over on Sundays for dinner he would always say, "Lets make cookies," as he raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. I went on my mission and started making these cookies for members, investigators, and of course, Elders. They were always a hit. Because of the lower altitude in Texas these cookies were even better. I don't know how it happens but they were soooo good. Just sayin'. Anyways, this is where my cookie story ends: when I got home from my mission the higher altitude totally threw my recipe off I couldn't remember exactly how much flour I normally used in Utah and it took me quite a long time to get it right, especially because I wasn't making them as often. Until recently, I hadn't really figured it out since leaving Texas (that was two years ago btw...). The past few months Sean has been requesting cookies more and more and finally I have regained my ability to perfect this recipe. We have also learned that between the two of us, we prefer them made slightly differently. I like them to be doughy, but also flaky. He likes them doughy and chewy.

So here's my recipe:
1 stick butter at room temperature or slightly colder (This is important. If it's melted it will mess up the cookies.)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/4 cups flour plus about 3 tablespoons
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oatmeal
chocolate chips

Sean's recipe:
1 stick butter at room temperature or slightly colder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oatmeal
chocolate chips

The only thing all cookies seem to have in common is the order in which you add the ingredients. So you cream the butter and sugar first. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat really well! Make it fluffy, people! Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, and oatmeal. Then, with a spoon, mix in as many chocolate chips as you feel is necessary. I never measure that. :) Bake at 350 degress for 9-10 minutes, unless of course you like them crunchy or burnt.

So now I've shared MY recipe. And I'm pretty sure that for the rest of my life I will always make chocolate-chip cookies this way. I look forward to the day when my kids recognize that these specific cookies are the ones their mama makes. It will always give them a good reason to come home.

Tub Time

So, I love pictures of babies in the tub! They always look so adorably chubby. And usually they are happy as well because they love being in the tub! Lincoln loves it for sure. Any stressful night can get better once I get him into the bath. These pics from tonight are fun because it was one of the first times where I let him sit up in the tub by himself. I've been holding off for a few weeks, and now his balance is good enough that he can catch himself if he starts to tip over.

In this photo above I kept saying, "smile for Auntie Melissa"... this is what I got! He's finally starting to smile for the camera. Before he would just stare at it intently waiting for it to go away. I'm excited to send her these photos. :)

I don't know about you, but in these pictures I think he looks so much like Sean. He's a little Seany with blue eyes and no hair! haha.

Lincoln's 6 month photos by Greg Deakins

Texas Chili



I didn't take a picture last time we made it, but I thought this picture was appropriate!
Don't you want some chili now?

So, one day Sean and I decided to make some chili. Both of us have had lots of chili in our lives, primarily as a result of being in Texas. Chili cook-offs are a big deal in Texas. So, we figured we could make it ourselves with the right ingredients, and let me tell you, we succeeded! After our first batch we were both shocked by the fact that we had just made the best chili either of us had ever had!

This is what we used:

1lb browned ground beef (I've also cooked it with 1/2 an onion, which is yummy, but optional)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can sweet corn
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 packet of HOT chili seasoning
2-3 jalepenoes
1/4 cup brown sugar
garlic salt
pepper

First, brown the ground beef with some salt and pepper. Then, get ready to put everything into a big pot. We cut of the jalepenos and removed the seeds. We pureed them along with both cans of tomatoes in a blender to make a very juicy tomatoe sauce. Pour the sauce, beans, corn, sugar, and seasoning all in a big pot. I'd cook it on Med-High for about 15 minues and then let it simmer for a while on a lower temperature. Then add your garlic salt and pepper to taste. It will be spicy! but the brown sugar is supposed to help tame that a bit. :)

Pour up a bowl with some cheese and sour cream. Sean prefers to eat it with cornbread smashed all up in it, making it all one mushy mixture. To each his own, right?

Homemade Laundry Detergent

So, I caved into Pinterest's persuasive ways and decided that I couldn't resist to try out making my own laundry soap. It was super easy, minus the fact that I overflowed the pot when I let it boil (next time I will half the batch and make it twice!). And, I think it's awesome! I've always been a cheapy when it comes to detergent. I usually buy the SUN brand that's like 7 bucks or something for a big jug. But now I will never go back! Because #1: Making this laundry soap is even exponentially cheaper and #2: it's waaaay better. Borox is one of the main ingredients you use to make it and I'm pretty sure that stuff is the cleaner of all cleaners. If you look on the back of the box it tells you all the things you can use it for. And the list is LONG! It cleans amazingly well. I just feel like our clothes have a lighter fresher feeling to them they didn't have before. I used THIS blog's recipe to make it. See for yourself . . . It's awesome!! And if you're more fancy than me you could use a more appealing bar of soap in the recipe to add extra scent or color. I just used Dial. :)

P.S. I also tried my own dishwasher detergent. Not a fan. It's not cheaper and it doesn't smell as good as my orange flavor kind anyways. The reason why it's not less expensive is because in order for your dishes to be residue free you have to use a rinse agent. So far I've seen the options are either a produce called Lemi-Shine (which works really well) or you can also use vinegar. BUT, for the amount of either one of those you have to use it would cost more that just buying the generic brand of regular dishwasher soap. Therefore, I have decided it's not for me! :)

Happy 6 months to Lincoln!

This was right after he rolled over!

Lincoln is officially 6 months old! For some reason 6 months seems like such a big milestone! Half a year!! It's gone by soo fast! He's learned quite a few new things in the last few weeks. Back on March 10th, he rolled over for the first time. That was also the last time he rolled over! haha. He hasn't done it since, and I'm not sure why. When he's on his tummy he hardly even tries to go from side to side. He more often does this swimming thing with his hands and feet and tries to push himself up. He seems to want to figure out how to move forward instead. Whatever, the kid obviously has a mind of his own. He can sit up now though, which is cute. He loves to play with his toys sitting up. I keep the bobby pillow behind him though to protect him when he loses his balance. Our floor is hardwood with a rug on it, so it's pretty hard. The bobby softens his fall, unless he falls forward... then he's on his own. He has also gotten super grabby over the past week. Anything that's in our hands needs to be in his. I took him to work with me for a few hours this past week. I was trying to mark some papers with a highlighter and he was reaching for it like crazy. One of the little girls in the office thought it was pretty funny. He also loves remote controls and if he's sitting in your lap at the computer he will not stop until you let him bang his hands on the keyboard for a little bit. Also, he learned how to blow spit bubbles in the last day or so. That provides several minutes of entertainment. He loves his Wonderbug exersauser. He loves a few different rattle toys we have. He loves anything made of fabric: shirts, blankets, bibs, burpclothes. He instantly grabs it when he sees in and starts chewing on it or covers his face with it. And he also seems to love hanging upsidedown.

He has been eating rice cereal for a little over a month now, and he loves it. About two weeks ago I started mixing a little bit of baby food fruit with it to give him some new flavor. And now the last week he's been eating the fruits or veggies by themselves and maybe had some rice cereal afterwards. So far he likes apples, peaches and banannas best. Not a fan of peas though. I think we'll try some green beans soon. Last night we tried a bit of chicken and chicken gravy. He gagged and then proceeded to spit it out. I don't blame him. I heated it up a little and the stuff smelled like cat food. It was bad. Sooo, I think I might try to make meaty baby food for him. We'll see what I come up with . . . or who knows? maybe his tastebuds will mature over the next few weeks and he'll be okay with the flavor and texture. Overall, since starting solids I feel like he is constantly eating. He still nurses the same amount as he did before solids.

He is quite a little ball of fun. Most of the time all he wants is some good ol' fashioned attention. He is pretty ticklish and quick to smile and laugh.  I'm looking foward to the next few months to be able to watch him become even more mobile. He is going to love it!