Isabella is ONE

My itty bitty newborn baby, Isabella Juliet, just turned one year old yesterday. Everyone warned me that time goes faster as soon as you have kids, but I never could have imagined just how true that would be. I frequently reflect on my pregnancy with her, her delivery, her infancy -- all of which were as easy and pleasant as I could have dreamed. The thing is, when the twins were infants, I remember looking foward to their first birthday. It was as much of a celebration for me as it was for them (maybe even more). Don't get me wrong, I adored Gabe and Ari as babies too, but they were just... harder. With Bella, I wanted to keep her young forever. Jake and I still aren't sure if we'll have another child, so the possibility that she may be my last baby, in addition to the sweet joy she brings to our lives, makes me want to cling to her chubby little bod for dear life and never let her grow up. But I know that all I can do is to enjoy each day with her and try to remember every little detail of her; of each of my children. This is why I keep my blog.
I love this girl so much. She is so cool just like her Daddy, yet she's still fiesty and spunky like her Mommy. She is observant, and she can pick up on anything -- norms, rules, humor; but she cherry-picks what she wants and doesn't want to mind. She will consistently and reverently fold her arms during family prayer without being reminded, but she refuses to stay away from the dog food no matter how many times I ask. She is serious much of the time, but when she's amused, does she ever bust a gut laughing (and it's the most adorable laugh ever -- same as Ari's). She loves to create her own adventures (she'll climb anything and wind up in some seriously strange places), but if Daddy tries to toss her, she gets scared (of heights!) and will purse her lips and repeatedly make an "oooh, oooh, oooh" sound. She loves to eat and will sit through very long meals, which makes me such a happy mama, but she will wriggle away within seconds during a diaper change or getting her clothes changed. She loves her brother and sister, and they love her too. But then again, who wouldn't adore this girl?

Yesterday, Isabella received several calls from loved ones wishing her a happy birthday, and she got to eat not one, but two cupcakes! She has never had a taste of pure sugar before this, so her reaction was priceless (at least to me, her mom). We are not yet finished celebrating her birthday, as we'll be having her party the week after we get back from Disneyland.

ooh la la!starting off cautiously...what is this magic food?it's beginning to sink in :)quite pleased with this momentyay Bella!Of course, Bella was not alone in her cupcake experience -- Ari and Gabe were happy to toast her birthday with one of their own.

Fall Bugs

Although the weather doesn't seem to change with the coming of Fall (it is September 22nd after all), the family health does take a turn for the worse without question. All three of our munchkins have come down with Croup, one right after the other. It hasn't been fun, and we even debated taking Gabe to the ER on Sunday night because he sounded so bad (the pediatrician recommended we do, but we decided against it). He seems to have turned the corner and is beginning to get his energy back after a steriod shot to the thigh, but the girls are still in the thick of it. Luckily, theirs is not nearly as bad as Gabe's was. We got our flu shots last Monday, so I think they might have picked this up at the doctor's office. Hopefully, this means that everyone will have gotten the bug out of their system, and we'll be ready to enjoy our Disneyland trip, which is less than a week away!

Family Pictures 2009

We finally got around to getting family portraits. It was Isabella's first time in the portrait studio and she's already a year old (almost)! Ariana was pretty afraid of the big camera and flashbulbs, initially, so she wasn't her normal smiley self at all for the group shots. I finally got her to flash us a grin by singing the 'Skiddamarink' song at the top of my lungs with hand gestures. Isabella was pretty solemn, but at least not crying. And Gabriel hammed it up (thank you Gabe!). All in all, I think we made out okay. :)

recipe: Korean Sizzling Beef (Bulgogi)

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. dry white wine
2 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
One 2 1/2 pound beef flank steak, cut across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices
16 scallions
vegetable oil, for rubbing
kosher salt
steamed rice, for serving

1. In a large, shallow dish, combine the soy sauce with the sugar, white wine, chopped garlic, toasted sesame oil and crushed red pepper, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the sliced flank steak and coat thoroughly in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate the steak for at least 4 hrs. or overnight.
2 Light a grill or heat a griddle. Rub the scallions all over with vegetable oil and grill them over high heat, turning once until the scallions are just softened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
3. Working in batches, grill the steak over high heat until the slices are richly browned and medium-rare, about 30 seconds per side. Serve with the grilled scallions and steamed rice.

Baby Bumbers, Buntings, & Booty!

I'm selling more high-end baby stuff on Ebay; specifically Pottery Barn Kids bumpers, furry buntings, boy clothes (Ralph Lauren, Juicy Couture, Gap, Kenneth Cole), and baby girl fleece sleepers. A ton of what's listed is brand NEW! Check it out as all proceeds go to HOPE for Ari: http://www.auctiva.com/stores/viewstore2.aspx?id=1268758&styleid=12&siteid=0

Sleepover at Nana & Papa's

Last weekend, the kids had their first sleepover at Nana & Papa's house (my mom and dad). Nana made a great dinner for the whole family, including Aunt Marci & Leah. The kids loved every minute we spent there while they were being showered with unending attention and souveniers from Nana & Papa's recent trip to Alaska. They espeically loved watching Papa's lazer light machines project stars onto the cieling before bed, and of course swimming in the pool. The kids slept, napped, and ate so well. No tantrums either. And you know me, that right there is enough to make me happy. Of course, it didn't hurt that Jake and I got a date night and got treated like we were at a 5 star resort the whole time we were there either.

recipe: Pan-Roasted Salmon-and-Bread Salad

This is aMAZing! Like most of my favorite recipes of late, this recipe is courtesy of Food & Wine magazine (I'm not a chef, I'm more of a test kitchen).

Active: 15 min; Total: 40 min. (2-4 servings, depending on your potions)

12 oz. ciabatta, cut into large chunks
5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. salted capers, rinsed and coarsely chhopped
1 lemon, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 lbs. center-cut skinless salmon filets, cut into 2-inch chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 450*. In a large roasting pan, toss the ciabatta chunks with 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Roast for about 5 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted.
2. In a large bowl, toss the tomato halves with the garlic, capers, lemon, parsley, crushed red pepper and 2 Tbs. of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Stir the tomatoes into the toasted bread. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and break down.
3. Meanwhile, in the same bowl as before, toss the salmon with the remaining 1 Tbs. of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mestle the salmon into the bread and tomatoes, spooning some of the tomatoes on top. Roast for about 6 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through. Serve right away.

Zoo in the Rain

We went to the zoo on Labor Day weekend for the first time all summer, since the weather is normally way too hot to walk around outside. Last Saturday was the exception as it was beautiful, rainy, and almost tropical. I guess we weren't the only ones who felt that way, because the animals (who in my experience are normally a little lazy or skiddish) decided to come out and be social. It was so much fun for the kids. Ariana begged to be lifted up at every attraction, and she waved excitedly to each animal she saw. Gabe loved it too, but he was most enchanted with the elephants (and even the pictures of elephants!), the lion, and the monkeys. Isabella missed out on the animals, because it was her nap time, but she was still content the whole way.

August Photos

For those who missed the August milestones post, it's hidden below the Zuchinni & Fennel Soup recipe! I couldn't get it to move up. Anyway, it's long, and as usual, it is written mostly for me to remember my children as they were when I look back fondly on these times. They change way too quickly. But, for those who are interested in an update, it's all there. I put the pictures from last month separately in the current post.

Isabella being courted by her doting boyfriend, Ezra.

The baby likey the camera.

Too chic for her own good.

Ari is a little excited about www.BowsForAri.com

Isabella sportin her bow-hawk. Potty time for my big girl. Everyone should have one potty shot during their childhood. Period.
Another great weekend at the Chandler Mall play area. This is going to be the setting of a very large fraction of my kids' childhood photos.

My little darling on a day when she decided to skip her scheduled nap.

The men of my life.Gabe and Lana playing slinkie.First kiss.Gabe wouldn't take his eyes off of the gorilla behind us for one second.

Ariana was horrified by this crocodile. I thought that the Rainforest Cafe was supposed to be a fun place for children. No? Ultimate entertainment.
Little mannequin