all things Isla

Birthdays

2012-01-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

For my birthday, Steve got me such a gorgeous bouquet of flowers...and we had sushi for dinner - just like last year! The real fun was a few days later for Isla's birthday turning 3!

We cannot believe our baby girl is now 3! She has turned into a little girl over night. We love her super sweet demeanor, silly dances, adorable singing that makes us melt, fun/happy personality, how kind and gentle she is with other children and so much more......she is getting potty trained right now and just about has it down!

Isla makes us so incredibly happy and we are so BLESSED to have her as our daughter!

We love our three year old so much.

2012-01-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

christmas

2012-01-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so much fun this year, just the 3 of us. We missed our family but we will always remember what fun we had. It was magical with Isla's excitement about Santa. I love Christmas with kids! She loved it so much. Her favorite gifts were this "automoblox"car you can take apart easily and put back together, and Woody and Buzz light year, and her princess shoes. Tiffany sent Isla a book, 'Twas the night before Christmas' that Isla had me read about 20 times on xmas eve.

I made my family's traditional Christmas dinner of prime rib, yorkshire pudding, twice baked potatoes, orange rolls, salad and raspberry walnut torte....and I was extremely proud of myself for doing it quite well I must say. We ate leftovers for days and enjoyed it every time! Steve made delicious bananas foster french toast. It was amazing.

2012-01-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

we have had such great weather this winter. its so fun to have this view down the street from our house!

the squirrels that live in our yard are so adorable, they are everywhere.

I cherish each kiss from my Isla girl.

Rhode Island is really lacking in good restaurants. We can't find anything we love. So we have been making stuff, like this yummy greek meal!

weird flash lighting but had to capture our date, it was the first time we got a real babysitter for Isla!

2011-12-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

I need to catch up on here!

This is a super long post and the pics are all out of order, sorry.

We went to a local church that had lots of beautiful lights, nativity scenes from around the world and a donkey!

morning green smoothies (this one has fennel carrot juice and spinach plus other yummy stuff)

I could wrap presents all day, its so fun. We are staying here for Christmas so we shipped a bunch of gifts to family around the country...

high chairs, pacifiers and diapers at almost 3 years old, can you tell I want to keep her a baby forever?

its so hard to get a picture of me and Isla....this is the closet I could get, she won't pose!

Isla won't get 3 feet from the top of the stairs, ever since we fell down.

I think I have gone pom pom crazy

I love our snuggles every morning

Santa, if you read my blog I want these please

Its been a fun Fall and winter so far, hopefully we will have a white Christmas, but no snow yet. I am so excited to wake up Christmas morning with Isla, Christmas is the best with her just amazed at all the magic of Santa and baby Jesus and music and treats and oh she loves jingling all the bells! The second Isla sees a Santa, she holds me tight and covers her face with her hands and won't budge until we have walked away from him! Thats ok though, I find them creepy most of the time!

2011-11-30T14:15:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend was so much fun. We had Steve's parents come stay with us and also Steve's sister Ashley and her boyfriend Dustin came on a train from NYC where they both live, a few hours away. We had a blast just hanging out playing games, eating peppermint ice cream and apple cake, going to Newport mansions, dinner on the water, walks to the beach - gorgeous sunny 75 degree weather, and going to a Christmas tree farm. They babysat Isla so Steve and I could have a fun date. Isla LOVED all of them, but particularly Grandma Jenny! Isla teared up when we dropped them off at the train station. What a fun way to kick off the Holiday season.

2011-11-20T14:30:00.001-08:00

2011-11-12T21:00:00.001-08:00

We have been in awe at the colors. This is the grocery store parking lot. Every tree and bush was bright red.

This tree across the street has been my obsession.

Isla and I watched this bird for a long time as I was putting her down for her nap on a very rainy day. It was right by her bedroom window. The red cardinals are so beautiful. This one was loving his shower, all puffed up and getting nice and clean.

We are finally starting to feel a little better and ready to get back to normal life on Monday! We can't believe how fast time is flying, its already the Holidays! and 1/4 of the way done here in Rhode Island.

Though I hate to brag, I should mention on here that Steve and I are the parents to the absolute sweetest angel living on this Earth. Isla is our world. She amazes us each and every day with cute sayings, things she is learning, her incredibly kind and gentle demeanor and we just.. well, I could go on and on but lets just say we have lots of love in this house.

2011-11-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

oh what a lame week we have had. I was all set to start a great productive week the day after Halloween, but the next morning I slipped and fell down the wood stairs...while holding Isla. Not fun! I held on tight to her so she was 100% fine but I got pretty hurt, I don't think my body has felt so beat up other than after labor. So we took it easy for a few days. Right around the time my body started to feel good enough to get productive, we all got sick with our first flu since we moved here. So a couple more days of taking it easy. All the while, its never been so beautiful out and I wish I could go ride my bike. The sunsets on the beach here are so breathtaking. The water looks so still and peaceful. One night I found my "happy place," ice cream sundae with that beautiful sunset and Isla napping + good music. Hopefully next week will be more exciting though....

Boston

2011-11-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

We went for a weekend getaway to Boston but ended up leaving early, it was sooooo freezing. It was great going along the Freedom Trail and seeing all the beautiful historic architecture, walking around Harvard, going to Quincy Market and having delicious "chowda", and Isla loved the childrens museum so much, especially this little play Grocery store and kitchen. We were excited to go to Salem too but it was just too cold and ended up snowing....hopefully next year!

2011-11-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

Isla loved Halloween, she kept saying "couple more houses!!" She got to wear Belle's yellow dress on Beauty & the Beast (she pretends to be Belle all the time, and pretends mommy is the Beast...). We tried to get her to wear the crown but she didn't like it.

2011-10-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

Steve had a birthday! He had a busy day at work and then we went to the Cheesecake Factory. I got this idea above from Pinterest. I took a deck of cards and punched 3 holes and put book rings in and wrote down 52 memories we have together on post it notes I placed on each card.

This is going to be a frequent meal at this house. Except I will replace the potatoes with green beans next time. Find recipe here.

Fall here in New England is everything we hoped it would be....its so fun to be outside right now. Lots of bike rides. Also Isla loved her Halloween package from Grandma!

Vermont

2011-10-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

We went to Vermont last weekend for a few nights. We planned to see the "peak foliage" but because of the Indian summer here in New England this year, the colors are delayed, but it was still beautiful. It really looked a lot like Utah to us....Park City and Mueller Park canyon. But no big mountains. There was tons of beautiful farm land with happy cows.

Isla was an angel the whole time, even with it being 5 hours away. She just sat back, excited to be on a trip again and go to a hotel again, watched her movies and took long naps. Thank you baby girl!

We were staying in Stowe but we drove over to nearby Burlington to rent bikes and ride on a bike path along Lake Champlain for a couple hours. It was GORGEOUS, I was in heaven. Isla fell asleep in the trailer. We didnt want it to end. But we got tired! Afterwards, we got some really good pizza.

We went to the Ben and Jerry's factory, it was kinda cool I guess. The tour guide joked that they didn't want to leak secrets to Haggan Dazs....

Isla being sassy to Steve

We went to a Foliage Arts and crafts festival....

and Isla got to pet these super adorable baby cows, they were so sweet.

It was a fun trip! We are looking forward to our next getaway in a couple weeks.......

M a i n e

2011-09-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we decided to take a quick trip to Maine. We loved it. It was so beautiful. Flowers everywhere! We checked into a little motel in Ogunquit and walked around, got some seafood and looked at shops, went swimming and got the best pizza ever....the next day we hung out in Kennebunkport, which we loved even more, it was such a beautiful place. Steve liked the lobster roll with mayo - like a lobster salad where as I died over the roll with fresh lobster with just melted butter and lemon...we drove by George Bush's "compound" and happened to see a car drive up to the gate with a Texas plate and Presidential seal... We really want to go back and stay there again.

2011-08-30T09:24:00.001-07:00

pics of our house/yard before the hurricane

I forgot to takes pics of our street but here are other streets nearby that show how it looked everywhere. Luckily our trees did not fall down, we just had some huge branches and leaves all over. We had no power for 2 nights. Isla was a happy sweetie pie the whole time, thank goodness.

Everyone was checking out the big waves at the beach, but we were not that impressed since we are used to big waves in CA, haha.

Luckily we have power now but so many still don't. Everyone was great at preparing for this here and most have already cleaned up their yards nice.

2011-08-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Elephants... we went to the zoo and I was so pleased with it, all the animals were very close up.

giraffes and my favorite, the red panda - so cute!

Isla got very tired by the end of it, not a very fun last 15 minutes or so, but the first 4 hours were great. She is finally at an age to enjoy the zoo, yay!

2011-08-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

About 5 minutes away there is a nice park and beach with a merry-go-round. Isla ended up being too scared to go on it, so instead we got ice cream and then walked around the park and along the beach. Maybe next time we will get her on the carousel.

2011-08-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the "Quahog Festival" in this cute little town near us, Quahogs are kind of like crab cakes.

when I don't feel like cooking I like to make a platter of meats, cheeses, fruit, bread and crackers etc..Its super easy and everyone enjoys it

This is Isla's face when she is being disciplined, right before she starts wailing and running to mommy.

Its been fun to explore...we took a turn down a tree lined street and it lead to this gorgeous park...

we were having a bad heat wave, 100 degrees but with humidity they say it feels like 105. So I tried to take Isla to her first movie. It went well for a few minutes and she was obsessed with the popcorn, however she soon was running up and down the stairs and being too loud so we had to leave.

Isla always makes friends at the beach. they always seem to be boys.

I used to crochet years ago but wanted to learn to knit so I am finally doing it! It took me forever to get it down though, watching youtube videos.

Isla won't go in grocery carts anymore. Im getting used to it I guess. It takes longer, like this day when she wanted to sit in there for quite a while....if I mention finding some chocolate, that gets her moving!

I love sweet plump summer raspberries! such a treat.

2011-07-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

Isla and I really love IKEA, Steve not so much. Im sad its almost an hour away. Isla had to lay on every single bed. Today I took Isla to the library and the park next door and she stopped to snack on her crackers and looked so pretty in the light.

4th of July and other stuff

2011-07-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Steve had to leave to go back to his training in NYC early on the 4th, but me and Isla did have a lot of fun. It would have been the perfect night if only daddy had been there! We even got lucky and saw really big fireworks up close that people lit off on the beach. Isla kept clinging to me repeating " Isla scared. Isla scared. Isla scared." I was cracking up. (But we did take off a little early....), she didn't cry or anything.We have been so shocked at how big the 4th is here! They have parades and block parties and even fireworks every single night for the week or more before the 4th. On the actually 4th, I could hear fireworks constantly until about 3am. I even heard some on the 5th til midnight too. ? We aren't complaining though, we think its very cool!

Isla was entertaining some people and made friends with some very sweet boys who even let her add to thier sand castles.

ah, the day Isla started walking after her injury! We had gone to a little petting zoo/park with some friends and it must have motivated her. She was limping so bad though, but it was a happy day .

We went to a party on the 3rd thrown by some people Steve will be working with at his residency....they lived right on the water and it was so gorgeous. and here is the front of our little cottage and a little peek inside....

Its starting to feel at home here, though we still have a lot to do to feel totally settled....its a very old house, luckily it was updated around the 80s so its not too ancient...though the scary basement smells like it is. Its a cute house but definitely has its quirks. Isla has been beautiful and darling and I love love love spending my days with her. She has been....adjusting....and being in her ~~terrible~~ wonderful twos, so its been interesting! I cant get the girl to brush her teeth, every day its a battle....but most of the time she is better than EVER and a super fun sweet angel. I love my little buddy! and thank goodness Steve is home for good now! we sure missed him....

Rhode Island!

2011-06-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

There are always squirrels in the branches of those trees, eating little red berries!

we bought our first car! we ended up with the 2012 Ford Focus, it has amazing gas mileage!

The first few days here were quite exhausting, for everyone! I am now feeling pretty settled in. I really like our new -OLD- house, the creaky wood floors are a little annoying but I love how much character the home has. I will take pictures soon. Barrington is a gorgeous green sleepy town on the water with an adorable beach (pictures above, the water was like a heated pool) only for residents. Everyone is sooo friendly and down to earth, and everyone knows each other! I think these 2 years here will go by way too fast...

Utah

2011-06-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

The day after Steve's graduation, I hurried and finished packing/cleaning and flew to Utah with Isla. She was in heaven. Like a lot of kids, she lives to run run run!

no more hamburgers and fries for about a year, we got way too many on our trip!

And then mama just had to take Isla on a slide, that she was scared of, on my lap and somewhere by the end, she had done something to her ankle/foot. I still don't really know what happened, I am guessing a torn ligament. She couldnt walk. (She is barely trying to stand and its been 12 days now)

It was kind of depressing seeing her like this. Poor girl! I carried her everywhere, 32 pounds, for days, still am for the most part. Luckily she returned to her normal happy self though, crawling around. Lets cross our fingers it heals really really soon! Btw, I did take her to the Dr. - no broken bones that they could see.

Have to put this in, I will never forget all the huge furry spiders in and out of the house in Utah.

Such gorgeous sunsets and green canyon!

Steve's parents were kind enough to help us move our belongings across the country....they stopped in Utah for a couple of the days. We got to see a lot of Isla's Great Grandparents, which was really nice!

Congrats Dr Sadler!

2011-06-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

bye bye San Francisco!

Steve graduated from dental school, yay! I am so proud of him. He worked SO hard and he did extremely well! (His parents came out but I guess the pictures of them are on thier camera only!) Steve is so happy to be done!

2011-06-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

shrimp tacos with sour cream Lime sauce, cabbage and cilantro...mm!

for 1 or 2 days I wasted a lot of time making this little ABC book for Isla, I drew pictures of things of hers that she knows well...

she loves to "help" with the dishes now

painted when I should have been packing...really...

Last pic of our SF apartment (top floor), from the car as I was trying to hold back tears but not succeeding.

2011-05-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

2011-05-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Ive been packing....I love going through Isla's tiny outfits...and I better have another girl someday to put in these darling clothes

after a day of looking at car dealerships (we have to get a 2nd car since steve will be commuting daily to work) we enjoyed In & Out - Isla is obsessed with shakes.

sunday drives

thrifting in Marin

Isla loves to see daddy when he gets home from school!

2011-05-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

tired after a long day and trip to costco - she is holding her churro!

It is hard going to Costco with Isla now, all she wants to do is run in random directions the whole time and cries if we try to hold her or put her in the cart. Luckily I distracted her with these chairs. If you tell her to "relax" she will do that position.

our favorite pizza in san francisco, Delfina. mmm.

see, they are "relaxing"

Isla was chasing around some older girls trying to be friends with them. One girl started pushing her away and it made me sad. at least Isla didnt seem to care.

eggplant parmasan

I love baking pies. This is strawberry. I am going to make a strawberry rhubarb pie next. we love it with vanilla bean ice cream...

2011-04-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

2011-04-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Isla's adorable friend Juliette.

Isla has been wanting in her moses basket a lot, its been in my closet. she shuts the closet door and just hangs out for a little bit.

samples at costco

she likes to sleep with her "friends" (piggy, penguin, elmo, tiger etc)

Ive been getting bags of clementines and I juice them for Isla, she loves it so much. she chugs it.

2011-04-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

2011-03-31T22:24:00.000-07:00

today was heavenly. after months of freezing rainy weather we are finally getting some beautiful sunny days and boy are we loving it!

2011-03-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

2011-03-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

2011-03-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

Isla loves nursery

pretty drive up to our Aldea apartments. This road has been closed for most of the time that we've been here!

2011-03-11T22:33:00.000-08:00

soapy clean after a day of running in puddles, crawling in dirt, getting covered in yogurt etc!

and these are some old ones I never posted from around Christmas time:

my rosemary bread, mmmm. for a while Isla's favorite thing was going through the cabinet in the bathroom, exploring every little fancy glass bottle...

2011-03-07T15:54:00.000-08:00

Isla was sick recently and would just lay there looking so tired for hours...she is back to her healthy happy self now!

Isla has been such a cutie pie. She is talking now in sentences all day long, chatting up a storm. She has had quite the appetite lately. Her favorite foods are, by far, berries. Any kind. She is sensitive and silly. She is obsessed with anything Princess related. She loves when I sing beatles songs to her at night. She won't let me touch her hair, ever. She can do her ABC Puzzle as fast as I can. Every time I cough, she says "you ok mama?" She hasnt gotten into dolls but she loves cars. But she is very girly, often wearing my heels and carrying my purse on her shoulder. We just cant get enough of her! We could just watch and hug and kiss her all day long. I would say that I'd like her to stay like this forever but Ive learned that I love her more and more the older she gets. Her once very blue eyes are now green ~

2011-02-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

After trying out several different roasted chicken recipes, I found the one.

This pic is from October, I love this dress on her! her hair is so much longer now...

Isla found a new favorite spot. We are down to a bottle once a day but its about time to take them away....she has quite a 'happy place' though, her pillow and blanky and bottle.

our apartment might be tiny but Im going to miss it so much! so many wonderful memories here.

Steve's parents came out and it was gorgeous weather. They babysat Isla while Steve and I went to movie (The King's Speech - so good!) and dinner (this amazing peruvian place called Fresca) it was a blast!

all mine! ; )

2011-02-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

This and That...

2011-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

Today we found out Steve got accepted to residency at Lutheran Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island...so we will be headed that way this June. We are excited!

I held and laid by Isla for hours after she had an accident (falling off the arm rest of the couch on to very hard floors hurting her tail bone and wrist), it was really hard to see her in such pain, but luckily after some Advil and a nap on mama, she woke up happy....we were so relieved.

It was so nice to have some beautiful sunny days here recently....we are going to miss our city by the bay. I think I will have a hard time holding back the tears on moving day. I'm so grateful to have had these 4 years here, we sure have many special memories we'll always cherish!

sunday

2011-01-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

two!

2011-01-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

Isla had a nice birthday! We spoiled her all day. She is still talking about her birthday presents and enjoying her cake and ice cream. We can't believe she is already 2 years old...we love her so much!

its time...

2011-01-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

to make this blog Private!

I've gone back and forth about it but recently made the decision to officially make this Private.

For all of you Grandmas, Grandpas, Great Grandparents and Great Aunts -don't worry, you will still get to see Isla's pics just like normal, we will be sending you an email inviting you.

I want to do it soon so anyone who wants in, please email me or leave a comment letting me know. Otherwise I will just try and send it to everyone we know!

some of the utah pics plus recent ones

2011-01-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

a few days ago I started getting so tired, little did I know it was the beginning of the worst flu I've had in years...

Isla is obsessed with painting!

and back into her routine of morning sesame street...

batteries ran out before we could get one of Isla looking at the camera...

Isla never stopped moving while we were in Utah -way too much to explore!

She keeps talking about her cousin Zach

It was so nice to be together as a family, and talking to Stephen who is on his mission.

Isla loves her Uncles.

On Christmas Eve, Steve's family has a party and its always really fun. His Grandparents give everyone a fun little present to play with, this year it was a contest to make things out of balloons.

Isla has grown sooo much this past month, I think all of the stimulation really pushed her to a new level. My favorite is how she always says to me " Hi mommy. What you doing mommy?" : )

She is the happiest little girl, so sweet and loving and so goofy and funny. I need to get her dancing on camera.

**Hopefully this post makes sense, I am very drugged up at the moment!

home

2011-01-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

we came home from our trip to a freezing San Francisco apartment with no heating, luckily Isla has a nice heater in her room.

our already late flight was delayed so it was a pretty long night. I don't know how people do it with multiple children!

Had to take a picture while Isla and I were lounging around together....dark chocolate, Jcrew catalog, yummy lip glosses, creams and purses...

Christmas in Utah was a blast, but its nice to be home. Lots of fun pictures to come!

thanksgiving

2010-11-30T10:49:00.000-08:00

Steve cooked the most amazing thanksgiving meal. I loved just relaxing and crafting while he cooked. Isla was busy playing with her Grandpa who she adores. I was really looking forward to Thanksgiving....especially because that means its time to put up the Christmas tree and decorations! We are really looking forward to Christmas in Utah. Go Utes!

shoes

2010-11-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

Isla can already walk pretty well in high heels.

not a baby anymore...

2010-11-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

I babysat this adorable and well behaved baby Kate for a little while and realized just how big Isla is. I still hold Isla like a baby and think of her as one, but look at her! she is a big kid now....no she is still my baby! I cherish every hug and kiss she gives me and I hope she is still giving them to me when she is 50 years old!

chestnut street

2010-11-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

Isla and I often go hang out in the Marina on sunny days. I like it because its really safe and beautiful...plus there are lots of cute shops. Isla loves to get her cupcake and eat it at the Palace of Fine Arts. The cupcake she got was amazing. The strawberry frosting was perfect! (SFers: I don't really like Kara's cupcakes so I was excited to find SusieCakes, which are amazing.)

Isla also learned how to walk up and down our stairs all by herself today. Usually we hold hands.

lately

2010-11-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

2010-11-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

Isla has been really obsessed with Sesame Street. She begs to watch it all the time, and I usually give in since its like a babysitter for me plus Isla has had a cold and its been rainy out lately. But thank goodness the weather is warming up so we can spend our days outside again.

2010-10-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many times I have kissed those cheeks. It has to be in the millions.

we love this video moniter. I still look at her in the middle of the night to make sure she is ok!

2010-10-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

santa cruz

2010-09-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

we headed to the boardwalk over the weekend. Isla was in heaven. I loved being there as well...I grew up going there often, I have great memories there. when we left we were covered in sand and totally wet, Isla couldn't get enough of the ocean. Her favorite ride was this train that drove around and she got to steer the wheel!

baker beach

2010-09-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Isla and mama have been enjoying lots of beach time lately. mama misses being alone on the beach, free to swim and relax, but she also enjoys how much FUN it is being there with her baby girl. Isla really really loves it.

about 20 months

2010-09-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

Recently....

Isla has been watching the Sound of Music a lot...seriously. she loves it. she hands me the remote and says "movie" when she wants to watch it. oh and when the dancing scene comes on, she will find me and tug me and lead me into the room to dance with her.
she has also been into Sesame Street (she loves Elmo) and Ratatouille.
she has been eating a lot of mandarin orange slices, chicken nuggets (well mainly the ketchup), eggs (with ketchup), and she loves when we get take out like mexican, she downs the beans and rice etc.
she can now almost count to 10 (she says 5-10 haha) and can pick out and say about 10 letters of the alphabet. She knows C, D, I, J, L, O, S, T....its so fun to see her learn! She repeats words I say and remembers them daily now so its hard to keep track but recent ones are hold, fun, scary, stuck, leaf, fog, brush teeth, hi mommy, triangle, bicycle, boy and girl, fly and rough (daddy's face).
when we say prayers at night, she never wants it to end, she just keeps saying "more" probably because I talk about fun stuff in our prayers.
Isla has been starting to sing! she tries to sing Twinkle Twinkle little star and she still dances non stop.

we love our baby girl so much!

more fun in the sun

2010-09-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

we went shopping on Chestnut street (ahem, window shopping) and Isla had some treats like french fries and a cupcake. happy girl!

Isla at the beach

2010-09-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

today it was BEAUTIFUL and hot so we hurried to the beach to enjoy it. we are really looking forward to doing this a lot through out the next few months.

Isla spent a good 45 minutes straight just throwing rocks! Im excited I got one that captures it.

2010-08-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

I uploaded these pictures in reverse so we'll start with how great she did on the way home! she is quite the traveler now and it went very smoothly.

Isla loved the beach, but not the pool...

I loved walking along the pier in Newport, it was so calm and beautiful!

Isla was so sweet and happy the whole trip, very lovable!!

Isla loved the beach SO much, even when the waves were up to her belly. Our little beach bunny!

Isla adores her uncle David (who was a bit sun burned).

Thanks mom and dad for a wonderful time, Isla can't wait to see you again soon!

2010-08-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks Sarah for inviting us to the Discovery museum in Sausalito! it was so much fun, Isla loved it!

2010-08-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

2010-08-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

Isla gets into this spot to watch her favorite show called 'Brainy Baby' and doesn't move an inch the whole time...(in this picture she was very sleepy too and yes thats her artwork on the wall).

she poses for the camera now and even says 'cheese'

Isla really loves yogurt.

my sleeping beauty

2010-08-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

sorry no recent pictures here, but 2 cute ones none the less. we misplaced our camera charger but a new one is on its way and I can start taking lots of pictures of my favorite model real soon....

Isla has been a doll. I feel like she has gone from toddler to little girl overnight. She talks so much, basically everyday she says tons of new words, repeating things we say and stuff she picks up. When I hand her a cookie, she says "te-tu" (thank you), she is constantly pointing out body parts of everyone, including people on tv, saying " eyes, nose, ears..." always with a very distinct S sound. I didn't realize ABCs were something to be teaching her yet but the other day she brought me a toy and said "ay-bees" and then I realized that she was pointing to "ABC" and trying to say that. She loves to feel pretty like a princess with her fancy pink dress. she has only been to nursery a few times yet she already LOVES a couple things she picked up there: "head shoulders knees and toes" (which she likes to do super fast of course), and "ring around the rosy". she really believes that when I kiss her ouchie, it gets better. she says "oops" a lot. she has been enjoying the movie Ratatouille. when counting she only says 5,6 a lot. she is very bossy and likes to tell me how to dress (she will scream if I try and put something on and say OFF), or as I am changing songs in the car she will also let me know which ones I can stop on. She dances like crazy, all the time...do all toddlers do that??!! She is very tall and towers over kids several months older than her. Her eyes are turning from very blue to more blue-green and her hair is getting long! Ok I will stop now, I guess I could go on and on! anyway, we LOVE HER SO MUCH!

2010-07-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

Isla got the best gift from Grandpa, a little girl purse with different things like a mirror, lipstick and fake cash! she loves it. She also loves to put my necklace on her head like that! she is really into hats right now, she talks about them a lot and puts things like baskets and bowls on her head all the time.

I feel like its pointless to list all the ways Isla has grown because it would take way too long! she is no baby anymore, she runs and climbs and says a million different words and understands almost everything I say to her!

we really feel like she gets better and better, right now she is so wonderful I wish she would stay this age forever. She constantly hugs me all day and is so playful and sweet! I love watching her learn new things each day. she makes us laugh all day, she is so funny.

If only...

2010-07-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Isla would keep clips and bows in her hair! she got all pretty for a little visit from Grandpa Ludlow. She loved playing with him, he brought her the best toys and chocolate!! too bad I forgot to take pictures but we had a great time going to the Fior de Italia in Northbeach, a place we went to all growing up (starting when I was just a little older than Isla). Isla misses you Grandpa! :)

2010-07-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

on the 4th we had foggy cold weather, so we just celebrated with hamburgers and watermelon indoors!

UH OH! our little artist...

p.s. any fellow bloggers out there know how to change the template back to "minima" after changing it with the new designs???

2010-07-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

utah

2010-06-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

Isla entertained everyone at the airport with her sprints back and forth, it was nice she got her wiggles out.

we walked around the U of U and showed Isla around her future college. Go Utes!

Isla is finally starting to LOVE stuffed animals. she kept saying "rawr" with this bear.

from the moment she woke up to way past her bed time, Isla wanted to be outside. I guess we all did! it felt so good and hot outside.

we drove around at sunset to enjoy the scenery in our Bountiful neighborhood, its gorgeous! oh how we miss those warm summer nights and amazing sunsets.

she looked so cute when she was focusing so hard on that paper.

Grandma Sadler introduced Mr. potato head to Isla, which she LOVED!

Isla and I were sharing a lounge chair and a lemonade until she took over and finished it off.

that orange dot is Isla exploring and being so independent and curious about nature and everything outside!

Isla had fun with the grandparents while we went to park city and to a movie, it was the best!

the last night there, Isla decided she did NOT want to go to bed, even at midnight. so this is us waiting for her to calm down. she is all sweaty from crying in her crib. she just wanted to be outside still!

Isla fell asleep on the plane. so sweet. and tonight she fell asleep on the floor she was so exhausted! we had such a great time in Utah, Isla was so happy the whole time, loving every second. we loved visiting with steves parents and grandparents and just couldnt get enough of that dry 90 degree sunny weather! Still, it is so good to be home!

2010-06-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

sorry to our Isla followers for not updating pictures very much lately! I just finished packing for our trip to Utah, we are leaving early tomorrow morning. we are excited to see the grandparents and great grandparents, enjoy some of our favorite food and oh the warm summer nights will feel so good!

pretty girl in new shirt

2010-06-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Isla looks so pretty in light blue!

2010-05-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Isla is such a cutie when she wakes up from her nap, so warm and cuddly!

a song Isla loves even more

2010-05-27T13:01:00.001-07:00

a song Isla loves

2010-05-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

about 16 months.

2010-05-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

{we don't have a lot of recent pictures of Isla because she was sick the last couple weeks but she is all better now}

one of Isla's favorite times during the day is bath time. she can spend a LONG time splashing and playing with her toys (until she gets water in her eyes).

Each day I am amazed at new things she is understanding, its incredible. she really understands so much of what I say now and tries to copy me a lot. Like I recently gave her cherries for the first time and after only saying it twice she was trying to say it, it sounded more like "shech-shee"...so sweet!

She has some interesting favorite foods....she LOVES soy marinated salmon which I make often. she gobbles it all up and says "more?" (the word she says the most). I was having a hard time getting her to eat other meats but she does devour breakfast sausage as well (so healthy right?). She requests "nanas" a lot and goes to help herself with snacks out of the cupboard like crackers, pretzels and nilla wafers. But her favorite food by far is any and all fruit.

she walks on her tip-toes a lot!

she LIVES for going outside and on car rides. If I but even touch my jacket, she starts saying "go?" and "carride?" once we are in the car, she is so in her happy place hugging her stuffed tiger we keep there. sometimes she catches me staring at her in the rear view mirror...she then gets all bashful and does this little wave and says "hi.."

she is very social and at the grocery store she will talk and laugh at everyone passing by...but occasionally someone scares her so she hugs me super tight until they are gone.

she loves nursery rhymes and songs like the wheels on the bus, ABCs and its raining its pouring. she still loves the amazon kindle commercials a lot and loves when I sing those songs to her at bedtime.

she hugs her mama a lot...its the best feeling in the whole world and I just wish it lasted longer!

2010-05-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

I took Isla to the zoo but I probably should not have, since she still had a bit of a cold...I thought she would really love the animals. She did like them but honestly she was more excited about the other kids, trees (yes trees) and food...and this cave she was obsessed with and screamed when it was time to go. she is so funny.

2010-05-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

2010-04-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is Isla loving her first pickle.

I have been thinking about making this blog Private, so please email me or leave a comment with your email address so I can invite you ok? Email me at goldenearthgirlie@gmail.com

Thank you!

the Park

2010-04-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

Isla is obsessed with the park. Lately we have been going pretty much daily, since the weather has been so beautiful. I think its getting warm enough to go to the Beach too. The Spring and Fall here are the best times of the year...summer will be foggy and cold.

Isla is so adorable at the park, she wonders around with this happy look on her face, looking at everything and saying Hi to everyone, dancing and laughing. The park is Heaven to her!

14.5 months

2010-04-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

wearing mamas scarf

She has been making this face so much and I can't get enough of it, maybe you guys can't tell from the pics but its so freaking cute.

Isla in her spot after she wakes up.

Isla has been surprising us so much with her new words everyday and understanding of things we say. Its amazing how fast she is learning, practically overnight!

mama and dada, bottle, water, strawberries, more, cheese, bath, this/that, outside, hi, up, book....

When I say lets draw, she pulls out he crayons. When she sees birds, she tries to whistle. She likes to take my purse and put in over her shoulder and go to the front door and act like she is going out on the town!

we just keep saying how she gets better and better everyday.

Easter

2010-04-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

Here in San Francisco, it was very rainy on Easter, which was actually really beautiful and cozy. Isla had her first real experience with chocolate and she is obsessed now! Of course daddy insists on brushing her teeth after her chocolate sessions.

I made traditional lamb with mint and roasted rosemary potatoes as well as my Grandma's Raspberry Torte and it was to die for! My Grandma would serve it on Christmas night but I think it will be our Easter tradition now.

we had such a nice day together.

ps. Yes Isla loves lemons, she must get it from her mama.

I even sucked on lemon heads all through my pregnancy with her!

saturday

2010-03-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

2010-03-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

This is Isla's new face she has been making all the time, I have to kiss her every time its so adorable.

She found one of her favorite foods in the fridge, a block of Harvarti Cheese.

Isla has been better than ever. we love her so much! She has been saying new words practically daily. bottle, water, outside, whats that? and ooooh-which she says a lot in the cutest voice ever.

We just can't get enough of her.

2010-03-09T17:53:00.001-08:00