Ellen Turns 6 Months

Ellen turned 6 months old yesterday... if you can believe it!  The biggest milestone she reached this month is sitting up without my support!  That happened for the first time about a week ago and I was so excited! We believe she is teething for real this time, though I still can't feel any teeth coming up. She weighed in at 14lbs, 15oz. a week and a half ago, which is just over double her birth weight and still in the 25th centile. She still only wears 3-6 month clothes, but I think she's now able to wear the smaller 6 month clothes. Weaning is still going well; some meals she'll sit there 45 minutes loving each bite, and others she'll be done and ready to get out of her highchair in about 10 minutes (usually supper since she's getting tired).

 

 

(I am quite frustrated that this really cute picture is so blurry, but I had to include it anyway.)

Last Saturday I took these pictures as Ellen was waking from her morning nap.  Miss Hippo and the corner of her blankie were right there with her, too.

Since Ellen's being able to sit unaided is the biggest news in the Bolton household, here are some more pictures of her new ability.  By the way, she LOVES these rings. Of course she can't stack them on the rod, but she sure loves to reach for them, bang them together and gnaw on them...stacking will come someday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cake

Yeah! It's Pumpkin Season!!! It amazes me how many people I talk to have never eaten pumpkin. I invited the ladies from our NCT group over for coffee, cake and a catchup yesterday and thought it'd be a wonderful opportunity to introduce a few more Brits to my favourite food: pumpkin! And what a great way... Pumpkin Iced Pumpkin Cake. They not only asked for a second slice, but also requested the recipe. It is as good as it looks, too. (Scroll to the bottom to see some cute pickies of the kiddos!)

Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Buttercream
Source: http://nancycreative.com/2011/12/06/pumpkin-bread-with-pumpkin-buttercream/ 

PUMPKIN BREAD/CAKE

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest 
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest 
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 1/4 cups canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts, optional

Position your oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5″ loaf pan; set aside.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In another bowl, or bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs on medium-high speed for two minutes or until lightened in color. Add the brown sugar, mixing for about 2 minutes, then the granulated sugar, mixing for about 1 minute. Add the orange and lemon zests, if using, and beat for another minute. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Drizzle in the canola oil with beater on medium-low. Reduce speed to low and add the pumpkin puree. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients in two additions and blend for 10-15 seconds just until incorporated. Fold in the pecans using a rubber spatula.
Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
If you’re going to frost the loaf, you can make the frosting while the loaf is cooling…

PUMPKIN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING by NancyCreative

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons canned pure pumpkin puree (I probably used 3 Tbsp)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I also added a dash of allspice)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons half & half or milk
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional, for sprinkling on top

Cream the butter, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and vanilla, blending well. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Add half & half or milk and blend well. NOTE: This makes a very thick buttercream frosting. If you want a thinner, creamier frosting, add more half & half or milk until you get the desired consistency.
After frosting the cooled pumpkin loaf, sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.

 Ellen helped Mommy lick the beater after making the frosting

 The kiddos (all about 5 months): Joe, Ellen, William and Sebastian

Ellen usually squirms and whines when I put her on her stomach, but perhaps on this occasion she wanted to show off her abilities to the boys.

 Seriously... this is impressive and a first.

Toes are great!

Last week Ellen discovered how fascinating toes and feet are and how much fun it is to pull off her socks so that Mommy has to put them back on again and again and again...

Pretty in Purple

Ellen was given a gorgeous purple dress by friends of ours in Gloucester, Steve and Jean Wellington, when she was born.  She's now big enough to fit into it and I must say, she look absolutely adorable in it.

 

 The tongue helps

Laughing at Daddy

Jason and Angela's Visit

Coming soon...

Solids!

Ellen has begun to wean!  Actually she started mid-August, before we went to Northern Ireland.  Initially she was eating baby rice either alone or mixed with mashed bananas, pureed sweet potatoes and jarred baby food, but I really wanted to follow baby-led weaning.  With BLW the baby feeds herself whole foods, not pureed foods, thereby learning what individual foods taste like and their textures, as well as, improving on hand-eye coordination. In addition I don't have to puree foods or think too much about what Ellen is going to eat; she simply eats what we're eating.  We gave Ellen solid, whole foods the day after we returned from NI two and a half weeks ago, and since then, she has already improved her grip on foods - it's amazing how quickly foods can become slippery! - and can now almost sit up unsupported in her highchair.  Granny and Grandad surprised us with the highchair you see in the pictures below. Yes, BLW is messy, but I am a big fan already. Oh and in case you're wondering, she still has her normal milk feeds since she really isn't swallowing too much as this point... but this too will improve over the next few months!

These pictures were taken at Granny and Grandad's. Here she is having baby rice probably with mashed banana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Grandad just entered the room when this picture was taken.

Ellen is gnawing on red pepper in this picture.  There's also a piece of broccoli, chicken and green pepper on the tray.

 Despite her initial reaction to broccoli, it's one of her favorites.

Ellen Turns 5 Months

Ellen turned 5 months old on Tuesday.  During the past month she has become a US citizen, travelled to London and to Granny and Grandad's in Northern Ireland for the first time and started eating solids (another blog on this very soon). She is not quite sitting up on her own as I thought she would by now, but she can sit up with support for a very long time; perhaps in the next month or so.  Her vocabulary has expanded to a few different consontant sounds and she is blowing bubbles - and spitting all over! - and thinks it's hilarious.

Despite Ellen not feeling well today, we managed to get in a short photo shoot of her at 5 months (+2 days!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love this picture!