Jahjong

The First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem

2012-01-24T21:20:00.000-08:00

I have been really into organizing and getting rid of excess lately. Getting rid of clothes I no longer wear. Sorting the outgrown baby clothes to give away. Cleaning out the medicine cabinet. The list goes on.

It started pretty severely right before Christmas. I even ordered a Christmas present for myself from Amazon.com - an Expand-A-Shelf for our pantry. When it arrived, I was so excited. I'd had a stressful day at work and knew it would be just the remedy. Marcie was over for dinner and she and Bill just laughed at me when I said I was going to organize my pantry to de-stress my day. It worked.

I went from this.

To our new, lovely, organized, easy-to-read canned and jarred food. LOVE.

Yes, I'm a dork and I know it.
PS: Now, I can see that I have three jars of pepper and onion relish. Have you ever tried it? It is from Harry and David. Mixed with cream cheese it is SO good. We haven't been camping in a long while, but we always make some for those trips. Good times.

PSS: Don't ever buy that Trader Joe's marinara sauce on the left. It is way too watery. Just my opinion.

Storm

2012-01-23T12:18:00.000-08:00

In August of 2010, right before our baby girl arrived, we purchased a generator. We even paid an electrician to wire it to the house. I remember that decision well and how it wasn't the most fun way to spend money - particularly when it was 80 degrees outside. But, boy am I glad that we did!! My friend, Gina, recently referred to having a generator as being similar to any other kind of insurance - it is "power outage insurance". I like that!

I already said we don't get much snow here - and definitely not that often. When there is a flake in the sky the news starts calling it a "snow blast" or something equally dramatic. So, we didn't take the forecasts very seriously - but this time we should have paid attention.

Monday night brought several inches of snow. We all still went to work on Tuesday, but they predicted six to twelve additional inches Wednesday. And indeed - it arrived. We got about a foot and a half of snow in places. And that is just at our house, some places got a whole lot more. They closed our office Wednesday and Thursday - with a late start on Friday. I worked remotely.

See, where other areas get a whole lot more snow than we do, we have something they don't - TREES. And a lot of 'em! When it snows and even worse, turns into an ice storm, trees fall, branches break and generally it make things very difficult!

The power went out Thursday morning at 5 a.m. and was out until 8 p.m. Sunday night. Wednesday was the heavy snow storm and Thursday it turned into an ICE storm! There were power lines in the road and fallen trees everywhere. While we were fortunate to have a generator, there was still a lot to contend with! It was quite the adventurous week!

Marcie and her six-month old puppy, Bruce, stayed with us. There was no way she could get up her hill and then when the power went out - that just made it all the more impossible. It has been fun to have her here. She is still having heating issues at home and that driveway is still impossible to get up in her BMW. She's still here - and we don't mind a bit. It has been fun!
Here's some pictures of the snow and ICE. I didn't get any good pictures that show the AMOUNT of snow we got. It was deep and quite difficult to walk in if there wasn't a path.

Here is some of what we were up to. Daddy pulling Elyse on her new sled through the neighborhood. Things got a little topsy-turvy at times.

She was very quiet and stayed very still, but seemed to like it. She was just a little unsure about the whole thing. She was so bundled. She has several layers of clothing on. Might have added to the "staying still" thing!

This was about the closest a smile that we got out of her. I later learned why she didn't enjoy it as much as we thought she would.

We put her in the bathtub when we got home. You can tell by her eyes - she started not feeling well. She had an intermittent fever for the next 36 hours. Poor baby!! I felt bad then we'd taken her outside. But, we had no way of knowing.

We had no landline, no cable, no internet on our cellphones and bad connections for cell calls. We have a generator (praise God). It powered the furnace, blower to the fireplace, the cooktop, several outlets in the family room, kitchen area and we have propane fired hot water tank. This meant we had hot meals from the stovetop and BBQ (just no oven), hot showers, warm house and places to charge devices. We just had to take a lantern down to the other side of the house, but other than that. We were good!

The generator did affect some of the appliances and electrical equipment. On the last day of the outage, the thermostat started having issues and the furnace wouldn't work. We even made a service call, but fortunately the power came on just hours later. The TV would do this weird standby thing and sometimes not come on. We'd just rented a stack of movies and so we improvised with an extension cord to watch a movie upstairs.

There was a lot of neighborhood pitching in to help each other out. Our next-door neighbor had to work through most of the storm so Bill kept both of our generators running. Another neighbor (Tanner) helped us get up Marcie's snowy hill - that was quite the adventure. Tanner and Mallory joined us for dinner a couple of nights, were able to use our hot shower and spent the night in the man room one evening too. In times like these, we are thankful to some of our great neighbors. We have many near us who will help us in a pinch!

We treated ourselves with candy and Starbucks to go with our Redbox. The pleasures in life.

We did have increasing connectivity issues. Like the home phone in the picture below? Yeah, that wasn't functioning after Wednesday. But, Kindles, iPads, blackberries for work and our personal cell phones came in quite handy. It got very busy keeping up with the activities at home and at work.

When I get bored - I ORGANIZE. Here were just some of the areas I tackled (not pictured - junk drawers in laundry room, Elyse's closet, etc.). I worked on two of our junk drawers in the kitchen. Here is one completed.

I made labels for the garbage and recycling cans because they kept getting confused (this was Day One when we still had power to the office!).

We really did eat well this week. We have a Traeger grill. We've always known you could bake on it, but never tried it. I would recommend using different flavored pellets, but we couldn't complain. It was still a darn good chocolate chip cookie with just a hint of mesquite!

Mmmm!

Bill made us really good salads each night. Marcie shared her new favorite of ranch and BBQ sauce for dressing - YUM! Elyse helped Marcie eat her avocado.

Cinnamon roll pancakes for breakfast. Bill made eggs each morning and breakfast sandwiches. YUM!

Farellis pizza one night.

We did chicken and dumplings one night with Tanner and Mallory. This night they brought down the fixins' for hamburgers. They were great! Do you like our lamp in the kitchen (the overhead lights aren't wired in)? But, the lamp worked just fine!

Then, there was just the hanging out.

Bruce curled up by the fire.

We eventually brought down the other bed, so they could each have their own. But, before that, they'd sometimes share.

Wilson just wanted to be the "boss" of everyone.

Elyse chomping on one of the little stoppers for hot Starbucks coffee.

We wondered how it would go adding Dude to the mix, but he was such a good boy!

Bruce would tease him with his ball.

Lessons Learned:

No matter what is going on at work - your home and family come first! While our professional responsibilities were paramount last week, things like a sick baby and a failing thermostat can quickly readjust priorities!

Neighborhood relationships = important. Next time, I will do a better job making rounds with the ones we are close to. We had a family around the corner from us with hardly any heat and no hot water! I wished I'd known that earlier!

Buy a new air mattress (ours went flat on Tanner and Mallory).

Buy another gas tank. We could have used an additional tank to stock up on extra fuel, share with a neighbor, etc.

If a storm is predicted: make sure our battery inventory is stocked, get supplies to work on a home or craft project to keep busy, if friends come to stay, make sure they pack more than they need to prepare for the worst.

All in all, we were very fortunate with our generator and being surrounded by wonderful people.

Big huge THANK YOU to my husband. He was so good to us and many others. He is a wonderful guy. Love him!

Kiss

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

A dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, blackberries and a big kiss for dessert. Interested?

SNOW Day

2012-01-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

Around here, a snow day is a big deal. We usually get snow every year, but it isn't that often and it usually isn't that much. Elyse had a bath first thing this morning so we didn't take her outside right away given her wet hair. She noticed the snow as soon as she entered the family room. She rushed to the window pointing, "Pretty!"

Later in the morning, we bundled her up and went outside.

The darn boots weren't cooperating very well in the snow.

Happy to trot along beside Daddy.

This hat is probably too small now, but... Mama wanted to get one more day of enjoyment out of it. And here it is.

Last night she fell flat on her face and ended up with a mouthful of blood. This was about half an hour after getting her fingers pinched inside the door of the dishwasher. You can see one of the cuts on her top lip from her fall. Poor bud.

But, it's a new day and there's SNOW!

Libby REALLY likes the snow.

Which way is up?

Enjoy your day!

Can You Say?

2012-01-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

Elyse uses my old phone to play with. We charge it up for her and she loves when we find the ringtone setting and she can scroll through all the music and sounds. We record videos on there for her too and she loves watching them over and over. However, I have no way to get those videos off of the phone. I thought it was about time we did a little video for us to keep.

Funny, how in the moment, I couldn't think - I asked her the same word and left out a bunch of others she knows. That's OK - part of the fun and it just means we can do more. Enjoy!

New Year Photo Dump

2012-01-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Don't have a whole lot of hot news 'round here. Except, I told Bill Friday - this is the first time we are all healthy in over two months - we're doing something this weekend. We didn't do anything exciting - shopping trip to Tacoma. But, go we did - and as a healthy family.

Here is the Missy on New Year's Eve.

Man, this girl loves her some milk. It is pretty much an appendage. It goes wherever she goes. And sometimes, the sippy cups go missing. Wow, that isn't fun when they are found.

This cat sure puts up with a lot. He won't admit it, but he kinda likes her.

There's her BFF again - yep, sippy cup.

Crazy hair and out of focus - yet the girl can't help but be cute.

Morgan and Campbell came over. They were having a sleepover next door and brought us some of their artwork. Morgan has said since Elyse was a few months old, "She's always staring at me." Yep, still is. She likes Morgan a lot.

Help from Daddy with her Jeep. She says it now, "Jeep, Jeep!"

I try really hard not to press my personal views onto my daughter. Like, I don't like celery, but it doesn't mean she won't love it. Case in point - my daughter saying hello to Aunt Sue and Uncle Scott's rat named Trixie. I'm pretty nervous around Trixie - this hasn't been their first little creature. So, I let them do their thing and I stayed behind my zoom lens across the room.

She wasn't so sure at first, but oooh, we like Trixie now.

We like her better in her bubble though. Not so sure. Except later, when she'd walk over to cage saying, "Tixie - Tixie!"

Showing Lucien the ropes on her new Jeep.

A well-used adjective for this girl - BUSY! She is busy, busy and into everything. She asks to get up now - onto the couch, chair or when she wants you to hold her. It sounds like "uppy" because she is saying "Up, Please" and often signs please on her chest. She knows how to work it.

When she got sick at Gram-E's house, Gram-E taught her how to say P-U and hold her nose. She now does that for us when she has a stinky diaper. Funny girl!

Yes, we still like the thumb. Thumb breaks are required in the middle of being busy.

And, checking to make sure no one is coming over. Notice my reflection and the hand prints all over the other window. Yes, we do this a lot.

Thumb again.

We like to drive our Jeep. Check under the hood. And, yes, even climb on the hood and stand on top without holding on. Ugh.

We really like brushing our teeth. Elyse has to have her own toothbrush while we are brushing our teeth.

And more busy-ness. Must crawl underneath the piano to get to the other side of the room. It is more fun that way.

Somebody likes it when I am on the floor at Elyse's level trying to take pictures. She wanted a turn. This is Elyse's "Dodgie" as she calls her.

More pets for Wilson. Oh, my - look at that face.

Our spare room is the best spot in the house for pictures. Great light. It was almost sunset and we had really pretty light.

I told her there was a doggie outside to get her to look out the window. She didn't buy this trick for long.

Wilson enjoyed the sunshine too.

This picture doesn't look like much, but Elyse was carrying around a photo of my Mom. She was talking to it, pointing and has simple as it was - my heart wanted to explode.

I'm sure it was nothing, but if there was any chance at all that meant a connection with her Grandma Kathy - I'll take it.

There's that girl's cool eyes again. They remind me of those mood rings from junior high.

Wilson's on the bed - have to check it out.

This was right after she broke a ceramic ball. Exploring has it's causalties.

It is still a very favorite game to help Mom sort laundry. The cool thing is, we're starting to like putting things BACK! Hallelujah!

That's all we've got for now. See you soon!

Christmas - The Real Deal

2011-12-25T17:01:00.001-08:00

Well, this has been a holiday of ups ... and downs, but in my heart I remain thankful. We've been hit hard - all three of us - by this season's germs. We literally haven't had one day in the last two months where one of us hasn't been sick. Elyse was sick Thursday morning, I got hit with it Christmas Eve morning and by Christmas Eve night - both Bill and I were violently ill. We did our best Christmas morning. It was easy to be cheered by our sweet little girl, so beautiful and happy with excitement.

This Christmas, I may have not gotten to eat anything for 48 hours, didn't get to share in the holidays at my in-laws and see my baby open presents with them, didn't get to take as my pictures, nor did I get to be my normal hostess hustle-and-bustle self on Christmas Eve. But, you know what? I have so many other sweet memories to treasure. I have the best husband ever. I got the best card from Bill. It is my new favorite - so sweet, I treasure each word. I have this beautiful, smart daughter for whom it is a joy to watch her grow. The way her eyes lit up when she saw the gifts from Santa in front of the tree is something I'll never forget. I am so grateful I prepared in advance for Christmas. I made all of the food for Christmas Eve the night before. All of my shopping was done on time and all of the gifts were wrapped. Although being sick was far from ideal, I was so thankful all of the work was done. Somehow I even felt OK enough to be able to take my daughter to Christmas Children's Service. She was so excited to dash through the pews with her cousin, Carson. It is all worth it. And if someone asks me if I had a good Christmas - my answer better be - YES!

I hope your Christmas was relaxing, that you felt love - no matter what that looked like. So, all that aside, here is a peek into this Christmas Season - photos from throughout the month of December.

Cousin Chelsey, her new babe, Adrion and Elyse.

What looks like a sweet little picture is actually Elyse taking a Christmas ornament hanger in her mouth like a fish hook. UGH!

Ornaments taste good evidently.

She likes to take ornaments off and bring them to us saying, "Thank you!"

Love to Grandma Betty!

So excited about her kitty cat pillow/blankie from Grandma Deanie and Grandpa Brad! She had to carry it over to the hearth so she could sit down and take a good look at her - so cute!

She LOVES opening presents. She'd get so excited!

This little xylophone was the hit - thanks, Grandma Betty and Grandpa Keith!

Love.

This was one evening I was rocking away with her and didn't even notice she'd fallen asleep, until Bill told me. Sweet girl.

Her favorite ornament from Aunt OJ. Beeker singing Ode to Joy.

Could this be my new favorite face?

Just a pause for thumb sucking!

Wilson is often not far away.

Christmas Eve with Uncle Corey.

Watching cousin Carson.

Wilson getting love from Uncle Scott.

Loves digging into those presents!

Look! Santa came!!

She went right to her tricycle and climbed on! Thanks, Santa!!

This present is really from Grandpa Brad and Grandma Deanie, but Santa delivered it for them! She sat in it and opened almost all of her presents!

Daddy put an Alpine sticker on it!

My pink Jeep and Beeker - what more could a girl ask for?

I had my settings wrong on my camera, but don't even care. LOVE this face!

Happy girl!

Sitting on Daddy's new bike trailer deciding whom to randomly call...

Another thumb break.

Glittery batons evidently taste good too.

Too bad I focused on the tree instead of the girl.

Blessings to You and Yours,

Bill, Courtney and Elyse

Smile That Melts My Heart

2011-12-08T20:38:00.001-08:00

Evelyn, AKA Gram-E, is very faithful about sending us a cellphone pic or video each Thursday when she watches Elyse. It always makes my day when I come back to my office after a meeting and get a little peek into my girl's day. Here is the Thursday picture that made my heart light up.

Oh, how I love her!

Mish Mash of Holiday Happenings

2011-12-04T12:53:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving turned out really nice this year. I wasn't sure how it would go with coming back from Hawaii right beforehand, my Grandpa passing away, etc. Corey, Keri and Carson came over to hang out early in the day and then went on to her family's for dinner. Grandma Jo did the same and we had a nice visit. Fred and Francie joined us for dinner and we had a lovely meal together - and they got one-on-one time with Baby Girl, which everyone enjoyed. We smoked the turkey again on the Traeger - and it was excellent. Very moist and really nice that it didn't tie up the oven. We'll definitely keep doing that!

I didn't take many pictures, but here is one I did get of Uncle Corey with Carson and Elyse watching a Sesame Street podcast with Adam Sandler and Elmo. One of Elyse's favorites.

The Sunday afterward we went to the Hoys for dinner. We had a wonderful meal of spring rolls. The fresh food tasted so good after the long weekend of heavy holiday leftovers. Elyse had a ball with the girls. Here is Rylee and Elyse.

Here is Ava too - they were so cute how they doted on her.

Wonderful evening with one of our favorite families. Thank you, Van, Vichet, Rylee and Ava!

Lights are up on our house and today was the day to get the tree. We went to our favorite tree farm (Schilter's) and Marcie joined us. Elyse loved dashing between all the trees.

Marcie found one just Little Missy's size.

The girls.

It was so muddy in spots!! I just had to show you!

Me and my babe. It was a little bright - forgive our squints.

I'll leave you with this. A new favorite shot of my sweet, Elyse.

Hope your December is happy!

Chucky Face

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

So, this started a while back - probably when Elyse was about seven or eight months old. She would make this funny face, scrunching up her nose and breathing in and out. It took me back to about 1990 - when the Chucky movies were out with the little cute doll that turned all scary. I started calling her Chucky whenever she did it and soon, she was doing it on command. Still does. I can't believe I'm actually admitting this to the world - that I lovingly compare my sweet angel to a killer doll. Haha.

OK, so remember Chucky? He looked all sweet and then would turn into this:

OK, here's my Chucky.

Oh, Chuck. I hope you do this face for me forever. It makes me laugh every time. We love ya!

Signing with Baby

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Add sign language to the list of things I thought I'd never do. It seemed too complicated and a waste of time. Why not just wait for baby to talk? Well, here's the thing! They are ready to communicate you with way before they are in a place to have words.

I didn't start signing with Elyse until about two to three months ago. I wasn't super consistent and at first she never signed anything back. And now, she is a pro.

Lots of Moms start signing much earlier, but I'm here to tell you - it is never too late. Elyse's favorite sign is definitely "more". She signs it all day long and often combines it with more, eat and even a more, eat, milk... It is great and very helpful to know what she wants. However, it can be hard when you get "more" "more" and you don't know what she wants MORE of. Or, when you know she can't possibly be hungry and/or doesn't NEED anything else to eat. That is where the power of distraction comes in. Or, we just sign "all done."

Above is Elyse demonstrating her own version of two signs, but here are some other babies and/or pictures of the signs she knows and does or at least understands.

MORE

EAT

SLEEP OR NIGHT-NIGHT

MILK

ALL DONE (or finished)

And we are working on HELP, PLEASE and WATER (per conversation with another another Mom (thanks, Sam!).

HELP

PLEASE

WATER (PS: this pic is a little dorky, but it demonstrates the sign really well).

There you have it. Chalk it up to the list of things I thought I'd never do. But, now I'm a fan being able to communicate with my daughter!!

Turkey Cranberry Wreath - The Best Thing Since Thanksgiving

2011-11-20T12:47:00.001-08:00

Turkey Cranberry Wreath

I've been making this post-Thanksgiving recipe for over ten years now. It is an old Pampered Chef recipe I've adapted along the way. We sometimes cook a turkey at other times during the year JUST to have the turkey for this recipe. It is so good with the sweet and savory combo. Easy to throw together after a day of shopping and putting up your Christmas decorations.

2 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 C. mayonnaise
2 T. honey mustard
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
2 C. cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
1/2 C. Onion, diced
1/2 C. dried cranberries
4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded (1cup)
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 375°F. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. With wide ends of triangles toward the center arrange triangles in a circle on Large Round Stone. Corners of wide ends will touch and points will extend one inch beyond of baking stone. Arrange remaining triangles in center matching ends. Seal seams. (Points will overlap in center; do not seal.) Measure mayonnaise, mustard and black pepper into a bowl. Grate cheese into a bowl. Mix filling. Scoop filling over seams of dough, forming a circle. Beginning in center, lift one dough triangle across mixture. Continue alternating with outer triangle, slightly overlapping to form wreath. Tuck last end under first. Separate egg over bowl. Beat egg white lightly; brush over dough. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Aloha Mahalo: Part Five - the Final Aloha

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

We read that you could watch the koi being fed each morning at 8 a.m. We packed Elyse up in her jammies only to find a pretty actionless pond. So, we watched some ladies feed them their muffin crumbs instead.

And we fed Elyse!

Honua Kai really was beautiful.

Here are rooms with an ocean view. We had a beautiful mountain view instead.

My baby has so many teeth!

Bath in the sink while Marcie fed her yogurt! The good life!

Her sweet curls!

My little budding photographer.

Last night - dinner at Hula Grill. YUM!

Our last mai tais!

The whole gang!

I'll leave you with this. This is a first - ladies and gentlemen. Elyse fell asleep in her stroller. She hasn't done that since she was in an infant carrier in the stroller!

Snuggled up with her new Hula Girl - Malia, her newest baby! Must help being pushed along a boardwalk oceanside.

Aloha Maui! We hope to see you again. Amazing trip with people I love!

Aloha Mahalo: Part Four

2011-11-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

We even went to a wedding in Maui! Bill's cousin, Taleni, was getting married on 11/11/11. Only problem? Arriving to the beach to see family I've never met and Bill hasn't seen in many years. There were FIVE wedding parties on this small beach at the same time. Wow, the eleven-eleven-eleven thing was quite popular. We had to search through the groups of people.

OK, here's the couple we were looking for. And we arrived just at the start of the ceremony - perfect!

Beautiful bride.

Bill's Uncle David, his son and wife.

It is crazy how much David looks like his brothers. Elyse takes to everyone really, but I'm sure she liked him extra because he looks so much like her Grandpa Fred.

The beach was beautiful for photographing.

My sandy girl had a fun time. And by sandy, I mean SANDY. We took a lot home with us. I even dumped some more out of the diaper bag yesterday.

Beautiful day. More to come!

Aloha Mahalo: Part Three - A Morning at the Aquarium

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

One morning, Bill and I took Elyse to the aquarium in Maui - the Maui Ocean Center. It was a bit disappointing (no big sealife: seals, whales, dolphins, etc.), but nonetheless enjoyable for Miss Lysey Girl.

Here are several shots of what we did see:

Elyse really enjoyed the fish tank at the dentist's office, so I knew she'd enjoy this - and she did!

She loved this room as they had little benches set up - all the little ones were socializing.

A little girl I know was the biggest socializer of all.

This is her giving one of her "HI"s to the lady next to us.

And another for sure!

She liked the walkway with the sharks and the glass floor.

Good morning at the aquarium with our girl. Stay tuned for more!

PS: Did we mention she did not wear shoes the entire time we were in Maui? We always had a pair in our bag, but we never did put them on? Ahhh, the good life!

Aloha Mahalo: Part Two

2011-11-15T10:39:00.001-08:00

Elyse loved the water - pools and beach. Sounds funny, but the beach was actually easier with her. With the pool, she wanted in, out, up and down the stairs, run around the compound, playing with the water to rinse off sandy toes, and all over again. However, any morning at the pool or beach made for one TIRED girl. She took three hour naps most every day - and we actually had to wake her!

This was the beach out front of our hotel. We'd make trips from the pool to the beach - taking along more sand than we'd like to admit each trip.

Elyse's self-photo.

This was at Baby Beach - just outside of Lahaina. It has a protected lagoon area - so shallow and no waves. Perfect for baby (me too).

This was a night at Duke's - a restaurant at our resort. We had Hula Pie and Lava Flows. YUM!

Elyse's preferred way of travel.

This was at the Tiki Lounge in Kihei where they had the BEST thai pizza ever. Elyse's was experimenting with lemons. For the first time, she (kind of) enjoyed it!

More to come...

Aloha Mahalo

2011-11-14T22:06:00.001-08:00

We just returned from Hawaii. What could be better than a tropical getaway with my husband, daughter and best friend? Not much, I tell you! Yes, Bill, Elyse, Marcie and I just got home from our great trip!

It was a wonderful trip, with a bittersweet ending. The night before we left I got a call that my Grandpa wasn't doing well. He has lung cancer and was recently moved to a nursing home. It was a night of tossing and turning. The morning we left and on our way to the airport, I learned he'd been given a couple of hours to live. It was a tearful journey home. Grandpa did pass away, surrounded by family who love him. Flying across the Pacific was me praying constantly that he be in peace. Prayers for my Grandma and love to Grandpa who surely had a wonderful reunion with his daughter yesterday. That gives me great peace.

OK, tears swept away for the moment as I take you back to our trip. We had a couple of days in Oahu where we visited with friends and family. We saw my cousin Salina and her boyfriend, Ray, as well as my friend Yasha and her husband, Matt. We spent the remainder of our trip in Maui.

Here is Elyse playing on the lawn at Hanauma Bay.

It felt so good to run after being cooped up!

We stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki. It was Bill's first trip to Hawaii and I'm so glad he got to experience Waikiki. Elyse did love their pool!

Marcie and I got massages from Salina - it was wonderful. We stopped in to see her one last time on our way to the airport.

It was a pleasure getting to spend time with her.

On to Maui. We stayed at the newest resort in Maui - Honua Kai in Kaanapali. It was a beautiful condo. Although my missy being on the lanai did give me anxiety, so Dad took her out there instead. Here is she is taunting me sticking her hand through the open glass - ugh...

Honolulu is fun, but I loved Maui! It was laid back and beautiful!

Elyse loved the shaved ice on her aching teeth - she's working on getting her upper molars in and had some periodic discomfort. Ahhhh, shaved ice!

Treats and pass-backs between the three of us were just the right medicine.

Yasha's husband recommended a drive to the Paia Fish Market. It was a cute little town and the food was great. Thanks, Matt! This was the day Elyse was mistaken for a boy. I have to tell you, with how she is normally dressed, this was definitely a first!

I really wanted Bill to experience a luau. We chose the Royal Lahaina Luau - it was great! We all really enjoyed ourselves. We all agreed - they had the best mai tais!

There were lots of cute boys there. We took this picture just to tease Bill.

Elyse loved people watching in Hawaii. Well, she did more than watching. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, got a HI from her. And if they ignored her, she'd keep saying it until they'd pay attention to her!

These two were so cute together!

The backdrop allowed for some fun picture taking! Hmmm, you might be seeing something similar on a Christmas card in your future. We had lots of out-takes with our teething baby rubbing her gums (like this one).

Taryn (Marcie's daughter) wanted to make sure we drank Lava Flows for her. We had no trouble there and Elyse wanted to join in. You should have seen how fast she sucked down her (virgin) lava flow!

The dancers were beautiful and the music fun to dance to (as we did with Elyse).

Happy.

Elyse got fussy after dinner because she couldn't run around. But, as soon as the lights were dimmed she was captivated by the music and dancing. She'd bob her head, clap and sway. So cute.

Pretty Marcie!

It was a wonderful night!

That's it for now, but lots more to come. To be continued...

Nothing Exciting - But My Kind of Day!

2011-11-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful kind of day. We had absolutely nowhere to be.

Today was a lot of fun just being with my girl. She woke up early and I attempted to bring her to bed. She wasn't having that and wanted to play. We gave up after 30+ minutes and started our day.

I literally made recipes all day long from Pinterest. A breakfast casserole made from things we already had on hand (it was super YUM and Elyse-approved). We had pork chops in the crockpot (who knew you could put them in frozen? LOVE THAT) served with roasted sweet potatoes. I also threw together a quick dessert made with just angel food cake mix with cherry pie stirred in. It hit the spot for us and will be a little something to take with us when we visit my Grandpa at the nursing home tomorrow.

Lots of play with Elyse. She has suddenly become very interested in baby sign language. Initially, it was all about the "milk" sign, but now she just just signs "more" constantly. What's funny about it is it usually means when she is hungry and/or thirsty - not to mention, can you please just get me what I want even though I don't know what it is please! She hasn't figured out the "hungry" sign, she has given up on the "milk" sign and now "more" is the catch-all for everything. Quite funny.

Beginning to pack for our upcoming vacation. Do these shorts still fit Elyse? Hmmmm.... How many shoes do we need? As I piled up the clothes to pack, she would grab them and fling them across the room. Yes, it was a bit of an extra effort to address this task with her - but it is part of the fun.

Sorting outgrown baby clothes. This girl is in the 90th percentile and a lot of sorting clothes around here as we out grow out of stuff quicker than I can keep up with.

Lots of laundry. Hanging clothes, stuffing diapers.

Oh, and playing with my new Ipad! Yes, Bill got me an Ipad and I - I mean WE - just love it. Yes, Elyse loves it too. It has a pink smart cover so whenever she sees that flash of pink she grabs for it. It will be perfect for our long airplane rides to help us keep her entertained. She likes the different apps including Incredibooth that takes photobooth style filmstrips (as seen above).

How was your day?

I Got a Feelin'

2011-11-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, Elyse loves her Black Eyed Peas. Check her out in her owl costume breaking it down - and us cracking up.

Halloween night - she was so cute. We made it to just one house trick or treating. She was ecstatic and so adorable running down the road with her little bag. She got her first candy and was so excited that running down the driveway, she fell and split her lip open. Poor bud.

But, she LOVED being home to answer the door. So, here is her dancing mid-doorbell ringing. Fun night with our super sweet girl!!

PS: Thanks to JONNITA for making Elyse's costume. It was too perfect!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from my favorite little pumpkin and me! Hope you have a wonderful day!

First Haircut

2011-10-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: As a working mother, my blogging has really lagged. I try so hard to keep it all up and sometimes - something has got to give. When the diapers are clean, clothes put away and grocery shopping is done - I don't have quite as much time for blog posts. HOWEVER, I am going to make it a commitment to try and get at least one post a week done - even if they are belated. OK, excuses done.

Elyse got her first haircut a week after her first birthday. We just got her bangs cut. It was getting really long and I try to keep it pinned back with a barrette, but those often don't stay long in her hair. We needed to do something.

I had a hair appointment with Jennifer and she was happy to do a quick trim for us. It was just a quick few snips.

She didn't mind at all - as long as she got to hold one of Jennifer's combs. (Thanks to Kathy - in the mirror - for taking the pictures).

My big girl.

Happy girl - new bangs!!

So special knowing my Mom has spent hours in this salon getting her hair done. Jennifer even drove out to my Mom's house when she was under hospice care to do her hair. Jennifer is also the one who introduced Bill and me. Our friend Anna goes to Tangles and now Evelyn and Marcie too! And here we are with our own little girl getting her hair cut by Jennifer!! Special day!

Thanks, Jennifer!

Friends for Mama and Baby

2011-10-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

Kelly & Lydia, Deanna & Lucien, Janelle & Gabby, Erin & Luke, Me & Elyse, Sam & Olivia

When Elyse was about five months old, I started attending a baby reading group at the library each Monday (my day off). It was great fun, she adored it and I got to meet some Moms with little ones the same age as Elyse. One day, the librarian announced they were stopping the Monday group and moving it to Wednesday. I listened to the discussion of people making adjustments to coming on Wednesday instead, switching Baby Gym that day, etc. I was really sad. I didn't have another "day" with my baby. I casually mentioned to a gal named Sam sitting next to me that I wondered if we could host our own group at one of our houses... And so, our Monday baby/play group began! We meet almost every Monday. We've canceled for holidays like the fourth of July due to vacations and recently because almost every little one was sick - but we've met every other Monday since.

We've literally watched them grow together before our eyes: rolling over, crawling, teething and now walking! The babies have great socialization - not to mention how helpful it is for us Moms! I have learned such great tips like offering tofu when Elyse was first trying solids (an easy to nibble protein), the best sippy cups, airplane travel advice and favorite snack foods for on-the-go! What a great group of women and such darling babies! What started as something specifically for my daughter has become something really important for me too! It is so nice to talk to parents literally going through the same stage as we are. We have all helped each other and it has been something I look forward to each and every week.

Here they are in May 2011 (all about eight months old):

And more recently:

These next couple are funny. Three of the girls were fascinated watching Luke get his diaper changed!

Olivia turns one and the babies come in costume.

Playing at Lucien's party.

Kelly & Lydia

Erin & Luke (trying to get him to not cry)

Janelle & Gabby

Sam & Olivia

Deanna & Lucien

THE BABIES

Luke is the youngest. He is forever tortured by Elyse and she still often makes him cry.

Gabby is Elyse's birthday twin. She is super-sweet and we cuddle each week.

Lydia is so tiny and sweet. She sucks on her fingers instead of her thumb and it is so darling (even if our shared pediatric dentist doesn't agree. He wants Lydia and Elyse to ditching the sucking at 2. Oh boy).

Olivia is a darling little girl and so smart!

Lucien is sweet and funny! He is a trooper and keeps right up with the girls!

Last, but not least. The funny (and real) look into typical life of baby group. This is when babies have had enough pictures. I found this quite hilarious and told Janelle to keep on snapping the remote!

What a wonderful group of women and their children. We are all first time Moms and it has been a real pleasure to go through this experience together.What a blessing they have been to my daughter and me. Thank you! It is so fun watching them grow up together!

Right now, I'm enjoying...

2011-09-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

We are entering into the season of thanks. It leads me to share some of the things that have been bringing a smile to my face lately. Here we go...

Spray paint. It turned dingy garage sale knicknaks into these pretty white doves to decorate our shelves. It also transformed an ugly wicker laundry basket and an antique table into matching side tables for our spare room.

This hand cream. My boss got it for me for my birthday in 2010. Still loving it. It is so creamy, yet doesn't leave a greasy feel.

Raspberries. Elyse LOVES them. Blackberries too. Blueberries are now shoved aside when she sees these guys.

The new light in our office. It really completes the room. Thank you my special SECRET friend who gave it to us. What a wonderful gift! XXOO

Pinterest. I know, I keep saying it. But, check out the shower hooks I used to hang my necklaces. You can use a towel rack and shower hooks to hang a number of necklaces - neatly and stylishly! I already had a rack for necklaces, but it only had three hooks. Thank you, Pinterest. Would never have thought of that.

Getting rid of the excess. Thank you for the tax deduction for donating to charity and the ability to get STUFF out of our house. We're learning about lean methodologies at work and of course I love implementing the 5-S philosophy at home. I've taken about seven bags/boxes just in the last few weeks. I'm not patient enough to save stuff for a garage sale and the tax deduction makes it worth it. Heave ho!

Repairmen. OK, this is a love-hate relationship. But, a Sears repairman came to my house and fixed our washing machine. We thought for sure it would be irreparable or cost more than it was worth. Thank you, Mr. Sears Repairman for saving us at least a thousand dollars. Hooray for repairs over buying new!! (PS: Going on ten+ years on my Jeep - so proud!).

Fall. Yes, I'm a little sad to say goodbye to the warm weather. But, I am enjoying chai tea in my mug, pinecones and leaves on my shelves, wrapping up in sweaters, pumpkin roll Scentsy and apple crisp in the oven.

PW's Iced Coffee. I take an iced coffee to work every day thanks to this recipe. I'm pretty boring though - decaf, sugar-free vanilla creamer and some skim milk - but I love it. And sorry, Starbucks - more money in my pocket!

This song that played on the premiere of this season of Grey's Anatomy. It is Atlas Hands by Benjamin Francis Leftwich. I downloaded it today on ITunes and it was FREE. Love it even more.

Laundry baskets on wheels (submitted by Elyse). Elyse thinks this is the best invention ever. Directions: First, pull all your dirty clothes out and then push the basket all over the family room. Done.

Super creative husband. We keep our litter box in a cupboard. We used to put a rag in the corner to keep it propped open so Wilson could slip in and do his *business*. Now, we have a creative little girl who wants to investigate. So, this is the contraption Bill made so Wilson can get in - and Elyse can stay out! Love it!

OK, that's all we've got for now. What's on YOUR list?

Elyse - ONE YEAR. The best is yet to come.

2011-09-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Dearest Elyse -

I've had a million thoughts swimming in my mind as I think about writing this post. You are one year old. What haven't I already said? What am I really feeling? Maybe a little like this at times:

I'm feeling pretty much everything. I'm happy, proud, excited, yet I'm also emotional, sentimental and sad. You have been in my world almost two years now. Two years ago we were trying to have a baby and in January 2011, we were so excited when we found out we were pregnant. Many nauseous, swelling and waddling months later I was nearing my due date. Your nursery was complete. Clothes were folded away in your dresser smelling like a sweet baby. Hospital bags were packed. I was ready, but absolutely terrified! And then... you were here. This beautiful baby girl was laid on my chest with these big eyes blinking back at me. What?!

Elyse with the stroller and baby at Grandma Deanie's.

The next week was a whirlwind. Our house was always full with visitors. I barely slept. I mean, really - I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I couldn't rest - I was so excited. And I didn't want to miss a moment with you. Daddy and I talk fondly of that time. We were up at all hours of the day - and night. We kept the heat on about 75 degrees (and it was September) and Daddy was always sweating. We just didn't want our little girl getting cold. Daddy would sleep with a hand on your chest - he was so worried about you. We spent more consistent time together during your first few months than we had our entire relationship. It holds such sweet memories for us. It was so fun getting to know you.

Elyse and Uncle Casey.

I loved being home with you. I loved holding my sweet baby, patting and rubbing your back back and breathing in your sweet scent. Nursing you to sleep and then carefully carrying you down to your room to sleep. Kissing your sweet cheeks. Being able to (almost) always make your cries go away by giving you what you need whether it be food, diaper change or just cuddles. I'd dress you up and take you out for visits and beam as you were always happy to meet new people.You have never been shy.

The infamous arms-up of the early walker.

Christmas neared and I was excited about the holiday, but inside I was a mess. One night, Daddy and I sat in the living room and tears just rolled onto your head as I said to him, "I didn't expect to love her this much." I was physically sick about going back to work. I always knew I would, but secretly I worried I was being selfish. I did it and it was HARD. Yet, I worked out a new schedule where I could be off one day a week (and Daddy was already off another). Somehow this all brought a balance and peace to our decision. You would be with Mom and/or Dad more than you were not. Somehow it eased that discomfort and I was so happy.

Loves to climb the cement stairs on the patio (and make us nervous!).

I'd come home each night so excited for that moment when I walked into the room and my Baby Girl would see me (this is STILL my favorite part of the day). My friend, Jessica, had told me, "Babies always know their Mama. Whether you work or stay at home - don't worry. You'll always be her Mama." She was exactly right. Nothing changed.

Standing on her own took some practice!

You are the light of our life. I have a new job which is incredibly busy. It makes me tired, but it makes the days go quickly. I work hard to put in the hours so I don't sacrifice anything at work, while still making sure you and Daddy come first. I still get my day off with my girl and everything I put forward at work makes it all worth it to have that time. Everything I do is for my daughter and husband. You both are my life.

My beautiful girl.

I love watching Daddy as a parent. He is so loving with you and watching you together makes me light up with happiness. Boy, is he proud of his little girl.

Still soothed by sucking your thumb. It is the hand clasp, followed by insertion of thumb movement - you have it down pat!

It is definitely bittersweet looking back over this last year. My baby is evolving into a little girl. And as much as I miss my little babe on my shoulder, it is so fun watching you grow. You are funny, happy, ornery and a love.

I thank God every day for the blessing of my family. You and Daddy are such tremendous gifts to me and I couldn't be a happier with my life. I pray each day to be the best Mama I can to you and I hope I am doing all you deserve. Because my sweet angel - you are worth all of it and more. Thank you for being the greatest blessing of our lives.

Love,

Mama

Thoughts of Mom / ALS Walk Reminder

2011-09-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

ALS Walk - 2009

Last week, my friend Andrea brought me cards that my Mom sent off to her when she was in college in New York. They were sweet, genuine and supportive messages of encourgament to Andrea when she was so far away. It touched me reading them and it meant even more Andrea would share them with me. Just today, I got a Facebook message from a friend of my Mom's that read:

Hello Courtney! I have SO been meaning to write you to tell you that I think of your Mom OFTEN! She was one of the nicest and most friendly and funny and compassionate women that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We used to have lunch together at Dairy Queen, when we both worked at _______, and she always ordered their chicken strip basket I remember (one of MY favorite foods as well). I really loved her and she was so very proud of her children. I am very happy for you, Courtney, married now, and with a sweet little (now one-year-old) baby girl!

I'm sharing this because not only do these memories touch me, but because I encourage everyone to share memories of loved ones that have passed. It is a tremendous gift. Another way to share and give tribute to their memory is by doing something in their honor.

Next week (Saturday, September 24) is the ALS walk. Please visit this link for the details. Please consider signing up or by making a donation (you can donate any amount). The walk sponsors the ALS Evergreen Chapter. They've did so much for my Mom and continue to support people with ALS and their families like Melissa Erickson.

If you plan to walk, please don't be later than 9:30 so we can get our group photo. It is at
Fort Steilacoom Park and here is a link to directions.

Looking Back - Year One

2011-09-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

If you have a few minutes (or 15), take a look at the slideshow I put together for Elyse's birthday party. We had this rolling during the party for people to enjoy!

Click Here to Watch the Video.

Celebrating ONE!

2011-09-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

Elyse's first birthday party was yesterday. Tomorrow is her actual birthday and I'll get into the real emotion of what turning one means when I get to putting together her 12 months post. Gulp. I'm getting e-mails calling my baby a TODDLER. Big gulp.

OK, back to the party. Pinterest was a big help. Marcie, Allen and I brainstormed birthday ideas and got lots of ideas from that great site. For instance - the big E (cardboard E, sprayed pink and covered in hot-glued silk flower petals). Sign made with a Cricut - once I figured out how to use the darn thing!

This was another Pinterest idea. Giveaways for the kiddos. Little jelly jars filled with jelly beans, matching fabric and little stickers with an owl that say, "Thanks for coming to my party - Love, Elyse."

Her smash cake.

This was a cake made with love by Mama, Marcie and Allen. We all added our creative touches. Again, inspired by Pinterest.

The cupcakes turned out pretty cute. Lots of people asked where we got the cupcake holders - Fred Meyer!

Pink, orange and green sanding sugar (Amazon.com). The little flowers are made by cutting a miniature marshmallow diagonally and putting the sticky part in sanding sugar. The centers are little candy pieces. Easy (thanks, Taryn!).

PS: How do you shoot in manual when you are facing a window? I gave up and turned it to Automatic. I kept getting just a silhouette!

Allen made the photo garland. I just printed out the monthly pics on Shutterfly. Purchased some orange ribbon and used the green ribbon from my wedding reception.

My little sweet pea. She was SO happy! Her shirt is from Etsy and the little skirt is from Costco. I think if all she got yesterday was love from family and friends and that balloon - that would have been just enough for her!

So excited!

Tanner and Maggie helped with presents.

Everyone was very generous. She got lots of contributions to her college GET account, many books and other fun things. Gram-E even spoiled her with her first Coach purse! Oh, my. We're starting her early!

Presents are fun!

Anna has been waiting to take the little cowgirl to a rodeo and got her lots of Western gear including this sign for her room!

She loves baby dolls. She tired a little with the opening of presents and went around visiting with her new baby.

Visiting with Uncle Allen!

She had a good time!

More baby love!

Saying hello to Grandpa Fred!

She wasn't so sure what to think of the cake. She enjoyed it, but I think she was more fascinated by seeing all of her favorite people watching her!

Daddy helped her out.

It was finger-lickin' good!

All the little cousins were excited by the jelly beans (sorry to the Moms and Dads!)

Baby dolls riding on new toys is super fun!

It was a super fun day for our baby girl. She was surrounded by a whole lot of love for her. We just couldn't ask for anything more!

The BIG Milestone: We are Walking

2011-08-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Baby's First Steps. It sounds so exciting, right? Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to minimize things - it is just complicated. To a working parent, it can come with many mixed emotions. We have really been looking forward to Elyse's first steps, but also dreading we'd miss it. Fortunately, like every baby milestone - it just doesn't happen in one day. Deep down I knew that, but our Mama/Daddy guilt sometimes really can get in the way. Walking - like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, etc. is really a process.

I do feel like it was an answer to prayer that my week off in CA coincided with her big build-up to walking. Bill and I saw the progression before we left - standing on her own and becoming more and more confident in her creeping and cruising. During my trip, I saw her take a couple steps, but it was more an unassisted step or to from the couch to another chair, for instance. They were steps, and definitely exciting, but I wasn't ready to define it was walking. Particularly, when we were away from home (and Bill). There was no way I was going to call and tell him. I returned home on my birthday, Saturday, August 6 and I would say over those next few days and week is when the real "walking" evolved. It couldn't have happened more perfectly. It was fun to watch the progression with my girlfriends, but I got to be home with my husband and watch as our daughter's tentative steps turned into real walking. She was an official walker about a week before her eleventh month. Big girl!

My most significant memory in terms of her walking was Tuesday, August 9. I had a horrendous day back to work. I came home after the long day and when my sweet girl saw me she lit up with the brightest smile and walked straight toward me. It was the first time she had ever done that. Everything that had happened that day just melted away in that single moment.
This video was shot a couple of days ago. She had been "helping" Daddy water the plants (equating to stomping and sitting in the puddles and pulling the leaves off the plants). She was happily showing off her walking skills. She was soaking wet, but enjoying every minute. I apologize the video is a little shaky - I think something is wrong my with Flip video camera!

Like a Needle in My Eye

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Traveling with a baby isn't a huge deal, but it does take planning and a bit of patience. We have a trip to Hawaii planned in November, so when Carin suggested a girls gathering in CA I figured it would be a good test run. Only problem? Elyse's first flight would be with me - by myself. I've conquered some pretty big tasks, but I was a little worried about this one. Thankfully, in the end we had two safe flights and a happy ending.

Details: Tuesday, August 2. Flight from Seatac to Sacramento. Passengers: 10 month old girl, 36 (almost 37) year old neurotic mother.

Arrived at Seatac airport. We parked so Bill could help me with the baby gear. We never park, so this in and of itself was odd. I check in at the Alaska Air kiosk. Stand in line to check suitcase and carseat. Long lines, but no problems. Kissed Bill goodbye and off through security check-in. Elyse is in stroller, diaper bag is on my shoulder and backpack with camera bag and changes of clothes is looped on the stroller handler. We're doing good - baby is happy.

Stand in long line and finally get up to desk - show ticket and ID and man tells me ticket doesn't say anything about an infant riding on my lap. I tell man that I entered the information on the kiosk - it even asked that I enter her name. He says, "Sorry, you need to return to counter... but tell the gal over there so you can come back through the 'premium line' and don't have to stand in line again." I sigh deeply and upon returning to Alaska, the lines seem to have doubled. I find an Alaska employee standing at a podium with a phone to her ear and apparently on hold. I step toward her and she barks, "This line isn't open." Grrrrr... I survey the lines again and see another woman at the "Group Check-In" counter. She looks friendlier. I approach her and she actually gives me eye contact. I tell her my situation and she says, "I need to check in a huge group of Japanese tourists, but I know exactly what happened - let me help you". The woman kindly explains this happens when you check into an exit row and it is a problem the airline is aware of. She prints me a new ticket and sends me on my way.

I return to the premium line and the woman checking tickets doesn't seem to remember me from just ten minutes ago, but still waves me through. I proudly show my ticket marked "infant" to the security agent and I proceed to the security check-in. I remove my shoes and Elyse's. I get all of our things in the bins and one of the employees tells me Elyse needs to come out of the stroller and I can carry her through. I cannot get the stroller to collapse. Three security employees stand around me saying to each other, "Those are the hard strollers." Balancing a baby on my hip and trying to rush folding up a stroller - I'm definitely sweating now. I finally get it onto the conveyor belt and we breeze through the x-ray. A very nice security employee helps me get the stroller off the conveyor and we struggle together getting it to snap in place. I get us all situated and Elyse refuses to go back into the stroller screaming and clutching at my shirt each time I set her down. Her Sophie toy and one of her shoes fall on the ground and a woman walks by with two small children and says, "It is so hard doing it alone, isn't it?" We load up (stuff in the stroller - Elyse in my arms) and ride three elevators and two trams before we get to our gate. Wow, you forget what a large airport this really is.

Our gate is jam-packed. Not one place to sit. I see Starbucks and head that way. I order an iced latte, banana bread, apple juice and a bottle of water. I walk over to wait for the coffee and a woman says, "Ma'am, you left your wallet!" Oh my - I need to get it together! We get our order and I am relieved when Elyse agrees to get back into the stroller. We head to the gate area. Still no seats, so I sit on the floor fill the sippy cups with water and one with half water/half apple juice. Elyse is fussing, she wants out of the stroller again. I take a sip of the iced latte when the announcer says, "We will now begin pre-boarding First Class and Families with Young Children." What?! Where has the time gone? I toss the coffee and we head toward check-in. They let me push Elyse in the stroller until we get onto the plane and a nice man says, "Don't worry - just leave it. I will collapse it for you." Thank you!

We find our seat. I try to balance Elyse on the seat without her falling while I put my backpack in the overhead bin. I move too quickly to get back into my seat and slam my forehead into the overhead compartment. I'm now not only sweaty, but my head is spinning. Elyse is super testy now. I realize I'd never changed her diaper. I decide to go ahead and do it quickly on my lap since there were hardly any passengers around me. At this point, I really didn't care. She actually enjoyed laying on my lap. I sat her up and the fussing returned.

I start digging for her toys and pray for our seatmates. We are in the middle seat. The first man arrives and his seat is to our left. He is a Grandpa and as he sits down he gives us a pained look. I apologize and hope for the best. Elyse will settle for a moment, but then cry, shriek and yes, even scream. I find the melatonin. It is natural and I just hope it keeps her a little calmer. I give her a 1/4 of a tablet. It is peppermint and chewable - she likes it. We look at books. Play with Sophie. Hold the dolly, but man she is TICKED. The seat to our right is still free and the only thing keeping her happy is if I let her stand on the seat. She grips onto the headrest making faces at the people in front of us. Fortunately, they are incredibly sweet and as Elyse is shrieking in their ear they tell me, "Don't worry about us. We love babies." Next thing I know I get a new seatmate to my left. The man says to me. That was my Dad. Sitting next to a baby is like a needle in his eye. I'm a teacher. Don't worry about me. I'm good with it. Ugh...

Still no one to my left! Could we be this lucky? Nope, here comes the lady. She is a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant. She tells me not to worry. Phew - at least we have nice people around us. I proudly pull out the apple juice for take-off hoping her sucking on her sippy cup will help with take-off. She's had apple juice with others, but we never give it to her so I'm thinking I'm being so smart. She takes two sips and throws it on the ground, refusing to drink from it again. I worry - I'd read so much about the pressure hurting baby's ears and I didn't know how it would affect her.

Fortunately, she did fine with take-off - the pressure didn't seem to bother her at all. Heck, she was already fussy. About fifteen minutes in she fell asleep after constant fighting and fidgeting. Thank goodness for that thumb. She sucked away and finally drifted off. I was shouting "Hallelujah!" in my mind! My right arm fell asleep and my nose itched, but I didn't move an inch. Attendants came by offering snacks and drinks, but I declined - nothing was worth waking the babe. Half an hour later a baby shrieked and her eyes popped open and she sat straight up. We were back on.

More toys came out, snacks, milk - she was not a happy girl. She did not want to be held. She wanted DOWN. The man next to us made faces at her and the woman in front played peek-a-boo. This would appease her for five minutes at a time and then the crying would resume. Finally - a blessed hour and a half later, we landed. We got off the plane, found our stroller, hauled it over to baggage claim and there was Carin. We loaded our stuff into the car and as I unwrapped the carseat from the plastic I noticed I'd gotten black grease all over the front of my white t-shirt. Perfect... But, somehow I didn't care.

Details: Saturday, August 6 (my birthday). Flight from Sacramento to Seatac. Passengers: 10 month old girl, 37 year old mother - praying for a better flight.

As we leave Alyson's she says, "This has the tendency of being the best birthday ever - or the worst!"

Check in at Sacramento. No kiosk. Live body. No problems. One elevator, no trams. Security check-in was a breeze and I easily folded and unfolded the stroller. Elyse happily went back into the stroller. We didn't drop a toy or a shoe. We went to Starbucks and I bypassed the coffee, but ordered a water and banana bread. We sat in a SEAT at the gate and she shared the bread with me while I filled the sippy cups. She stared and laughed at the children and babies around her. I gave her HALF a tablet of melatonin and she happily sucked it down.

They called for early boarding and I put her in my Ergo Carrier and she was HAPPY. I was happy I had free hands. I easily folded down the stroller as we boarded the plane. I found my seat and rejoiced we were next to a window this time. I managed to get into my seat without whacking my head. We played with some toys and my cell phone and she didn't cry or scream even once. Two nice men sat next to us and didn't appear to cringe when they saw a baby. I gave her a sippy cup for take-off which she refused, but stared out the window taking it all in. And then... she fell asleep. My arm didn't fall asleep. I bypassed by the snacks and drinks, but didn't mind at all.

We touched down in Seattle - it was a big bump and it startled her awake, but she laid back down - quietly until we got to the gate. Upon exiting the plane, I put her back in the Ergo and easily gathered our things. I found our stroller, loaded up and we met Bill at baggage claim. The best birthday gift ever.

ELEVEN Months

2011-08-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Dearest Baby Girl,

Here we go. Almost there. It has almost been one whole year since you made me a Mama - for real. I can honestly say, you've changed my life for the better.

I remember taking this picture. You rarely fall asleep in our arms anymore at bedtime and when you do it is almost always with me. This particular evening, you crawled up to Daddy and snuggled in.

Yes, I'm pretty confident you were successful at melting his heart. I think he might have held you all night if he could.

You are very curious. Your head often whips around when you hear a noise you recognize (the cat's meow) or one you don't (bulldozer next door).

You're very independent yet like to know we are paying attention. You are busy-busy-busy, but come up to our laps for love periodically, and then you're off again.

You get fascinated by the smallest things. This was a piece of thread you pulled off some fabric. This literally kept you entertained for 45 minutes - chewing it, carrying it and swinging it.

You've got so many teeth now. Four on top and on bottom.

You often spread your right palm wide when you are cuddling and drinking milk - or even just hanging out.

You have the sweetest smile. Just thinking about it when I'm away from you makes my heart gallop.

Did I mention you are a busy girl? You get super excited when we open the pantry door. You love to hop to it and help Mama organize. Below you are chewing on a bottle brush. I keep it in that pink organizer for when we are traveling. It is one of your favorites to pull out.

Speaking of travel. You got to attend the ALS Doubledaybike ride with us in late July. Daddy rides every year in memory of your Grandma Kathy.

You loved seeing all of the bicycles. This is a 90 mile bike ride over two days. Daddy did so well - we were so proud!

You love pointing now. We laugh watching you chat away and shake your finger at us. Here it appears you're telling someone to "Shhhhh".

We really creeped into your morning naptime, but you dealt with it like a trooper. You are such a good baby girl.

Grandpa Brad and Grandma Deanie came this year. It was so fun and special to get to spend time with them and have them join us in honoring Grandma Kathy.

You went on your first airplane ride the first week of August to come with me to see Mama's good friends Carin, Alyson and OJ. You didn't like the flight there so much (that's a whole other story), but you did super great on the way home!

We were in Lake Taho a couple of nights. We stayed at an amazing place called Sunnyside Lodge. They had this great deck that wraps around the lodge with tons of seating for their restaurant. You can walk out on the dock while you're waiting for your table or down to the beach - which is what we did so you could dip your toes in the water!

You were so funny stepping on the rocky beach. You didn't know what to think of that!

(PS: See that bow in your hair? I haven't given up on that even though your favorite thing is feeling your head to see if one is there, ripping it out and sticking it in your mouth. Your hair is getting so long, soon we will have to secure it back, so I'm doing my best to get you used to it!)

You love your baby. She often came out with us to dinner. You give the baby love snuggling her, putting her on your shoulder and even give her kisses (pardon the poor cell phone pic).

Auntie Carin and Al love playing with you!

You think Al is super fun (who doesn't?).

After Tahoe, we stayed at Alyson's parents' house in Sacramento (they were out of town). You loved that there were so many things there for Alyson's niece, Presley, who is just a few months younger than you. You just had to try out all her stuff.

There's that heart shaped mouth I just adore.

Somehow, you hadn't been in a pool yet. We had the fortune of hanging out in the pool each day in Sacramento. I wouldn't say you loved it. I'm not sure how to describe it. You were very fascinated, interested, and pretty much in awe, but it took a bit of work to keep you liking it. This day, Carin was out of the pool and you'd have enough, want to go to Carin to get out, change your mind ten minutes later, and so on and so on.

OJ had a lot of fun playing with you!

I'm pretty sure I can hear you through this pic saying, "Ooooooh!"

They had a big glass coffee table, which you'd spend your time walking round and round. One day, Auntie Carin gave you a Nutrigrain bar which ended up being a cereal bar smear around the entire perimeter of the table.

Auntie OJ shared her yogurt with you. You really liked it (blueberry, of course).

We haven't ever turned on a TV show for you. You do watch Muppet Show on our phone or computer, but that is a PowerPoint and super short and somehow seems different for us. I don't know how strict we'll adhere to the "No TV Before 2", but we definitely don't set you in front of it. However, the girls were watching Marmaduke and you were fascinated by all the animals. You crept over to Auntie Al, cuddled up with her and watched about 15 minutes of it. I have never seen you have that kind of interest in TV before. It was so cute and hey, we were on vacation!

The girls celebrated Mommy's birthday. We went swimming and came home to a fun balloon! You REALLY liked it!

We went out for birthday desserts to a place called Rick's Dessert Diner. It was AH-MAZ-ING! It was an old fashioned diner-style dessert hangout. They had really incredible desserts: pie, cake, tortes, cheesecake, cookies - you name it! We got three different things and shared - you even had a few bites although the blueberries and string cheese I brought along kept you pretty satisfied!

You were fascinated with my birthday candle. Next month will be so fun!

You and I both got fun gifts from Auntie Carin. Here she made you a new onesie - we just love it! She is so creative!

The ballon was weighted by a sucker. You never did get that thing open - we were making sure of that!

Next thing you know, it was time to leave. Auntie Carin really wanted pictures with you. She wants her son, Isaiah, to see you and have a connection with you. Hopefully, our next trip we can all hang out together!

We needed pictures with Al too - silly girl.

We love your Auntie Carin so much. It was so good spending time with her, but always hard saying goodbye!

As I said, you did so great on the airplane ride home. It was the best birthday present ever. You were really helpful when we got home helping me unpack!

You're getting quite coordinated these days. Your favorite game recently is climbing in and over the barstool chairs. It is quite funny seeing you fling yourself over the rails. Hard to explain, I'll have to shoot a video soon. You are always exploring and repeating your new favorite phrase: "Go-Go-Go!"

You're still the prettiest, sweetest, funniest girl I know. You make your Daddy and Mama so happy, Baby Girl! We love you more than ever!

PS: YOU'RE WALKING!!! Video coming soon!

Oh Franklin Covey, I'm Not Ready to Break Up

2011-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was going through my planner the other day. Because really? Isn't carrying a planner so 90s? I received mine as a gift when I graduated from college in 1997. It is real leather, a Franklin Covey and I LOVED it. I felt so grown up carrying it. Now, the nameplate reads my maiden name, the leather is worn off and faded, not to mention super dated. I admit, I'm still not totally ready to toss it. I know - one step away from HOARDER! I took a picture of it for my friend because she didn't believe that I still had it!
I came across a list of baby names I started (literally) in 1997 when I got it. I added to it along the years and last year, once we found out we were having a girl, we got a little more serious about it the list.

Girl Names:

Claire
Paige
Eva
Eden
Eve
Gillian/Jillian
Kate
Eleanor
Gabriela
Grace
Natalia
Caroline
Christelle
Reagan
Helena
Lauren
Evangeline
Addison
Violet
Ruby
Elyse
Leila
Lily
Avery

Boy Names:

Nathaniel
Cole
Lucas
Brandt
Brennan
William (Will)

I so wanted to leave some of the names off as I typed them out, but I didn't. There are names on there I clearly couldn't have chosen - we now have a niece named Clare. I have a good friend with a daughter named Addison. And really, would I actually name my daughter Evangeline? Probably not.

Do YOU still have a planner? Do you use it? What funny stuff is in yours?

Cloth Diapering... Ten Months In.

2011-07-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Posing in her BumGenius! April 2011 - Amanda May Portrait Art

Here's my original post on our whole cloth diapering routine. In honor of Melinda (just had her first babe) and Melissa (expecting baby #4) who are both beginning and/or thinking of trying all of this out, it led me to realize that I needed to update my post as some things have changed. Some are significant, some not so much, but thought I would share everything that changed since November when I first listed out our routine.

Change #1: I don't like velcro diapers and wouldn't buy them again.
We have BumGenius 4.0s in velcro and snaps. Velcro was my favorite at first - particuarly for middle-of-the-night changings. Honestly, if I were to do it all over again, I'd probably just put baby down to sleep in a snap and then change her into a disposable if I needed to change her in the middle of the night. It is much easier to put on a diaper with velcro rather than messing with snaps. However, now that we aren't changing diapers in the middle of the night anymore and a significant amount of time and washings have occurred, the velcro is no longer as necessary, nor is it in the best condition. Our liners are always line dryed so it isn't the dryer that has ruined them, they just don't stick as well. Even the laundry tabs have softened up and don't have that same "sticking" quality. I also cannot leave Elyse in a velcro without pants. She loves to rip them off. I have a feeling I will eventually transition out of the velcros and set them aside and either make do with less diapers or buy more snap versions. They have conversion kits, but that honestly sounds like more trouble than it is worth!

Change #2: I do remove inserts before laundering.
I didn't want to mess with this at first. Now, it is totally worth it. All inserts are removed and velcro tabs stuck to the laundry tabs. It is a step that helps get the diapers cleaner - as the inserts don't always come out on their own in the wash. Totally worth the step.

Change #3: We add a wet towel to the washing machine.
This was a tip from our favorite store and resource for all things cloth diapering - Simple Cloth. We have a front loader and in order to trick the machine into using more water, we add a sopping wet towel to the wash. It helps get them cleaner and ensures that you don't get residue. My routine is to take out the washable wet bag of diapers. I open the cupboard and pull out the towel I always wash the diapers with along with the second (clean) wet bag. I put the new wet bag/liner in the pail and we are ready to head to the washing machine! I put the bag up to the machine, pull back the top and push from the bottom so all of the soiled diapers go straight into the machine. I don't even have to touch any diapers. The towel is thrown in the laundry sink over running water and when appropriately soaked, I add it to the machine. I add my 1/3 c of Country Save and get it running!

Change #3: We wash diapers less frequently.
We wash diapers two times a week - they sit no more than three days. Bill and I normally take turns, so each of us is only washing the diapers/putting them away once a week.

Change #4: We are pretty strict about what we put into the dryer.
We always line dry diaper covers and the all-in-one, one-size BumGenius Organics. Into the dryer goes fleece liners, inserts, towel, wipes (washcloths) and the wet bag/liner(s).

Change #5: I went back to work, so we have a new routine for when she isn't with us.
We pack six diapers into the diaper bag for the day. We send along a wetbag. When that comes home, we empty the soiled diapers into the diaper pail and hang the wetbag to dry out (we have two so we rotate for washing). One Grandma uses cloth wipes so we pack those and the other uses baby wipes.

Change #6: We did install a clothes line above the washer and dryer. On any given day, you will likely see a string of diapers drying. This worked much better than our previous method of drying on a rack in the spare room. Diapers are either drying on this line or outside if it happens to be a pretty day.

Change #7: We purchased a hemp insert for night-time. At first, I thought our night-time leaks were a problem with our inserts, so we purchased an insert made of hemp which is super absorbent. We later found out most of our leak problems were do to the diaper itself (see below warning for not purchasing used diapers). We double up and make sure the microfiber insert is on top and the hemp is on bottom. We are having leaks once and a while again at night, so I think it is time to buy a bigger hemp insert now that we are on the largest snap of the Bum Genius.

Lessons Learned and Other Stuff:

Careful when stuffing diapers. You have to make sure the insert doesn't bunch when stuffing, or it will leak. I often check this before putting the diaper on to be safe.

Also, be careful when you put the diaper on. You have to make sure all of the inside/absorbent parts of the diaper aren't sticking out. Sometimes the cotton on the organic all-in-ones is poking out or the back part is folded. A quick check of the waist and legs and a quick tuck-in is all that is needed to prevent most leaks.

Sometimes diapers leak no matter what. We have a little one who likes to hold it sometimes, so when she finally goes we often leak due to the volume - whether she's in a cloth or disposable.

Speaking of leaking, if you are going to deal with a big poo, pray they are in cloth! The messiest explosions I've ever dealt with were when we were out-and-about and Elyse was in a disposable diaper. The BumGenius have that good elastic around the waist that is good for containing things, if you will. I remember two distinctive times being in a public restroom with poo everywhere. A thousand wipes later and a fresh change of clothes, we got it cleaned up, but boy is that not fun! It is funny to me the people that won't consider cloth diapering because they are worried about the poo. Well, I don't like it either. But, I much prefer it in the diaper than all over my baby, her clothes, surroundings and ME!

Don't buy used diapers. I bought some on E-bay and they leaked at the legs. Waste of money. I didn't save a thing.

You do have to change them more often. Usually if she has leaked, it is our fault. We didn't realize how much time had passed since the last diaper change. Yet, sometimes she leaks and I have no idea why.

We haven't had staining issues. There is so much on-line about removing stains by drying in the sun. We haven't had that problem, which is a good thing because we don't get a ton of drying-in-the-sun days here.

The stinky part isn't from what you think. If you are worried about a stinky diaper pail - worry more about the ammonia smell than anything else. The other soiled diapers are sprayed off, so besides that initial P.U. you don't smell the dreaded "poo" after that. There is a strong ammonia smell from the soiled diapers come laundry day. However, it stays pretty contained in the pail and we keep an air freshener nearby. I do smell ammonia when they are first washing in the machine, so I usually plug in an airfreshener or something in the laundry room.

No problems with residue. We haven't had any issues (so far) with soap residue, so we haven't had to strip diapers yet. I've also read how some can get a buildup of urine residue from not enough soap. Haven't had that problem either.

Cloth diapers do give them a "puffier" bum. I actually think it is cute and sweet to pat, but I get that sometimes it doesn't work. Take note when buying fitted leggings or jeans. Some of Elyse's jeans fit much better with a disposable given the added bulk of a cloth diaper.

I still love cloth wipes (or washcloths) the best. We almost never use disposable wipes at home. As a matter of fact, if you're looking for them here, you'll have to dig. We use the cloth wipes for diaper changes fresh from her warmer. In the kitchen, we use traditional washcloths and towels for cleanup. They work better and there's nothing to toss in the garbage. (Now, on-the-go we go through a TON, don't get me wrong).

We needed (or maybe it is wanted) more diapers. We have about 30 diapers. I'm not sure of the actual number, but I am amazed people get by with only a dozen. I'd go crazy doing laundry that often. This amount works well for us, although to others it might seem excessive. I'd recommended starting with a smaller number, you can always slowly buy more as you need them. Plus, it doesn't seem as expensive that way.

OVERALL:

We still enjoy doing it. It is still not a big deal. We had a couple of extended trips lately and as I packed that huge sleeve of disposable diapers, I will tell you it gives me great satisfaction in our choice. I still have no qualms about using disposables on-the-go, but what we use in comparison to most and what we have saved financially is huge. It is completely a personal choice, but for us we are still really happy about it. Plus, they are so cute. Are they not? Look at that baby!

Questions? Happy to help if we can!

TEN Months

2011-07-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

I've come to love Kelle Hampton's blog. She has a child with Down's Syndrome and I was reading a post about her having an emotional day in terms of being a parent. Really what she was describing likely is greater at times with parenting a special needs child. Yet, what she described.... we all feel it.

I knew I'd love my daughter. I knew I'd love her in a whole new way and I was excited and scared to know what it felt like. It is a different kind of love and one I'd never experienced before. It makes my heart want to explode with happiness, yet it also can bring such overwhelming fear and responsibility. Here's Kelle's take:

THE SEARING VULNERABILITY LOVING A CHILD BRINGS.
Everyone feels it at different places along the journey. I love them so deeply, so fiercely, so wholly that the thought of them not being okay is more painful than that of my own well-being. There is fear in parenthood... That fear never really disappears, and I'm well aware it exists. My job is to find an appropriate place for it, not to bury it completely but to manage it, to never let it outshine our zest for life and adventure. Sometimes, it's good to go there. To think about the what-ifs and sympathize with the families that do experience this reality. And it's uncomfortable. But I am becoming familiar with the beautiful process of ups and downs, ebb and flow, victory and defeat. They depend upon each other. We wouldn't know defeat if we didn't have victory to measure it against, and we wouldn't understand that breath-taking happiness is so wonderful if we couldn't compare it with lesser days of disappointment.

I am so touched and encouraged by Kelle's words today. She seems to be creeping into my mind these days. I really appreciate her balanced advice.

Here's looking back over the last month.

We went on another road trip. I had back-to-back conferences in Walla Walla. It was extra-special because YOU got to be with me!

Aunt Sue came the first trip and Daddy and Marcie the second! Life in a hotel room with you was sure different than our last hotel stay! You explored every inch of that room.

Can you believe their cribs? Jessica from my office said, "What - are they from the 1800s?"

You really enjoyed yourself.

The old crib didn't seem to bother you at all.

Aunt Sue loved getting to play with you. I think she enjoys your toys as much as you do!

We took you to the park and at first you did this.

And a little more of this.

Soon, you woke up to play!

You do love to swing! This was definitely the warmest weather you've been in since you were born (it was in the 90s).

Right about here is when it all started going downhill. You started getting cranky... you were hot... and getting so upset didn't help things. We got in the car, cranked the A/C and you just wouldn't calm down. Rather than take you back to the hotel (you were literally screaming) we pulled over to a shaded grassy area and just held you, gave you water and a bottle and eventually you calmed down. Poor bud! We quickly changed our minds about eating out that night. We were relieved you were finally feeling better and didn't want to chance it.

Instead - we came back to the hotel room and celebrated Aunt Sue's birthday camped out on the hotel room floor! I felt sad she had to celebrate away from her husband so I wanted to make it special, but she swears she loved it! We just want you happy, baby girl!

Next thing you know - it was the Fourth of July. I have loved going to the local parade on the Fourth for years. It meant so much for you to join us this year. I rubbed my belly last year waiting for this day.

You were SO GOOD. I don't know why I was so surprised. You loved every minute of it.

Anna always saves us seats. She was super excited to get to share the parade with YOU!

You had to check everything out.

Anna really enjoyed you. She calls you "E" and says she can't wait to take you to a rodeo! She even bought you cowboy boots! She's a good friend and you're lucky to have her in your life!

Cousin Marshelle had her 40th and we celebrated Hawaiian style!

Not sure why you are yawning here because I got you home on time and you still stayed up super late that night!

Your cousin Mariah just adores you! Pretty girls!

You really love to touch things and lately it has often turned into hitting - the dog, cat, PEOPLE! You were hitting Uncle Harry!

I missed it on camera, but you can see by their smiles - you just did it again! Oh boy - we're going to have to work on this! Gentle, gentle!

Speaking of getting into trouble. You've played a little rough with Wilson as I recently captured here.

It is so hard to capture a decent picture of you lately as you are always on the move. I do love this one - you are quiet and sweet - and I love those sweet cheeks. I will sure miss them when they are gone one day.

You are so close to walking. We're waiting for you to stand on your own - that is the next step.

The cat is on the bed - in case you were wondering.

You pull yourself up on everything. Fortunately, this table is sturdy, but some them are not!

Daddy calls this being the "doggie". You walk around with a toy or something you've found in your mouth and crawl to your next destination. In this case, it is a picture of your cousin, Tanner!

We got to break out the summery pajamas! Thanks, Grandma Deanie! You are doing so well with sleep lately. You've been sleeping an average of 11 hours with no wakeups!! Such a good girl! You are ready for us in the morning. You are usually jumping up and down with excitement when we come in!

Monthly photos were so hard this go around. I definitely need a helper next month. You do NOT want to sit still. But, how can I resist this cute face?

Or this one? You have your two teeth on bottom. Four new teeth on top and a new one popping up down below next to your two front teeth. Teething causes some intermittent fussiness, but so far it still hasn't caused us too much trouble.

Sometimes snacks are more fun on the floor.

This is the cabinet Daddy baby-proofed just tonight. It has all our baking ingredients and yesterday you got out the baking soda. Yeah, you're fast.

I've still never mastered getting on top of your fingernails that grow faster than I can keep up with. Our new plan of action? You watch your minute or so Muppet Show slideshow on Youtube while I madly clip them. You are so engrossed that you don't even care.

You are done with purees. You love everything about solid food and I think lemons are really the only thing you will not eat. Your latest fave is blueberries and you recently shared tofu phad thai with me and LOVED it! That's my girl!

You are pretty much weaned off the bottle. We still have them on-hand if you need it, but otherwise you are drinking all your formula in a sippy cup and in just two short months we'll be switching to whole milk. You love drinking your water from a sippy with a straw. I'm so happy this transition has gone so easily.

Here, you're fussing because I couldn't hold you. I was trying to take pictures of our friend's newborn baby (photos to be shared soon). Yes, our session was cut short as you weren't having it!

Here's my absolute favorite picture of the entire month. I want to smooch you every time I see it.

Sweetie, thanks for another month brightening our lives for the better. I love every inch and everything about you (even when you grind your teeth)! I hope we come close to being the parents you deserve. I love you more each second that passes. You keep my heart full. Happy ten months, sweet pea!

Love,

Mama

Kids and Cats

2011-07-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

I got a great kick out of my friend telling a story about her husband yelling at people to slow down as they drive by his house. He yells, "Slow down! We have kids and cats!" That still makes me chuckle just thinking about it.

Elyse sure does love her dog and cat. When she sees Wilson she makes the "K" sound for "kitty". Here they are playing and doing their best to be nice to each other. Please note - Wilson is declawed. Please also note - this cat HATED kids before Elyse. He's doing so well - even if they both do get a little rough.

Office Re-Design - Grey and Yellow, Grey and Yellow, Grey and Yellow

2011-07-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved into our house almost four years ago, I have never liked our office. It has been a mish-mash of furniture. Lack of seating. Artwork didn't really go with anything. No style. It was never a room I enjoyed being in. Did I mention it is just to the left of our front entrance and one of the first rooms people see? Yuck! Here are some before pictures. I'm kicking myself for using my 50mm portrait lens. Ridiculous - I couldn't get a decent shot of the whole room. Oh well.

This is the left side of the office. Pictures and... a whole lot of nothing.

This is in the center of the room on the wall directly in front of you. I fell in love with this Louis Comfort Tiffany mosaic when I saw it in 1999 at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had to purchase the print. Then I paid $100 to have it framed. Don't you love the turquoise matting (ugh!). Now, I want to re-paint the frame and change out the mat hoping I can attempt to breathe some new life into it. Wish me luck. For now, it is hanging out in the closet.

Here's our desk and a file cabinet behind it. Yep, I told you - a whole lot of nothing.

Bill and I discussed many different options and honestly, we couldn't always agree. I kept being drawn to the furniture options at Ikea. He wasn't too hip on that idea worrying it wouldn't be high-quality and wouldn't hold up. We talked about some custom-built furniture, but never really wanted to pull the trigger due to the expense. Given Bill's recent carpentry skills and interest, we finally decided he would build cabinets himself and we would just purchase a desk.

I did find a great desk at Ikea and Bill was willing to go take a look. Bill, Marcie and I both took an early afternoon off one Thursday and headed up to the store with our favorite baby shopper figuring it would be a good time with less crowds. Not only did they have the Liatorp desk, but they had the matching cabinets. Ooooh, I hadn't seen those before! Much of it was solid wood and the lumber alone would have cost more than what the Ikea option offered. Plus, it just so happened to fit perfectly in the room (three inches to spare total). We were very excited!

First, we removed everything from the room. Bye-bye old desk, chair, file cabinet, artwork and photos. The cabinets and desk were put together (that took Bill five straight hours) and brought in (thanks for the help, Corey!!). It fit the room perfectly and honestly, looks like a built-in! Then, it came down to the details!

It all started with Nate Berkus. I watched a lot of Nate while at home on maternity leave, rocking away the hours with my newborn. I gained lots of style and DIY ideas from Nate and crew. (Little known fact: one of his regulars on the show is Elyse Luray, historian and appraiser. A smart and elegant lady with a beautiful name!). OK, back to my point. One of Nate's favorite color combinations was grey and yellow. I thought a lot about those colors over the months and knew eventually that is what I wanted to do with the office. I had just subscribed to Pinterest and created a style board for Office Ideas. Let me just say, if you are looking at decorating a room start to finish - Pinterest is the way to go! (PS: let me know if you need an invite to Pinterest! You will just LOVE it).

Here it is - the new and improved office!

Desk and Cabinets: Here is a link to the office furniture (except the TV stand). It is Liatorp and really well-made. We love it. We are thinking of adding a glass top to the desk for added protection.

Bulletin Board: I have seen several of these DIY bulletin boards on blogs lately, but when I saw this one in yellow, I just knew we had to do it! I had one spare frame, but it wasn't quite big enough. Marcie suggested purchasing molding and have Bill make one so we could make it whatever size we wanted. He was totally up to the challenge. (PS: My husband becoming so handy is so much more romantic that flowers and candy - I just love it!) The trim was pretty inexpensive at Lowe's and a co-worker gave us the chicken wire. We got some bright yellow spray paint for the trim. I hadn't intended for Bill to spray the chicken wire too, but it actually turned out great! I love when accidents work out better than your original plan! We're using bamboo clothes pins to attach photos and notes. It turned out so well - Bill did an amazing job!

CPU/ Printer Cabinet: We didn't want the CPU on top of the desk and we weren't super confident there would be enough ventilation in the side cabinet designed to hold it. Bill had the great idea of building a little stand to hold both the CPU with the printer on top. He sprayed it white to match the desk and cabinet and it looks great - blends right in.

Artwork: Did I mention I love Pinterest? I did a search on "free printables" and came up with almost all of the artwork in the room. I had already ordered this print on Etsy, but all the others I scored for free. Pairing them with inexpensive frames makes me one happy girl!

Office Supply Storage: Marcie and I have been pros at flea markets and garage sales recently. We'd talked for a while about the grey/yellow theme. When we saw a ton of silvery storage bins and bookends at a garage sale last month, I snatched them right up - perfect! Plus, I think I only paid a $1.00 for all of them.

Curtains: I almost always start with fabric when thinking of decorating a room. But, this time I did it completely backwards. I chose the fabric last and the curtains were the final touch in the room. I was deciding between a charcoal and white chevron and this great Joel Dewberry floral. I had originally considered ordering the fabric on-line, but Evelyn and I decided we'd venture out and see what we could find. When I saw that Joel Dewberry in person, it just clicked. We went to a few more stores, but within hours we were back to purchase it. Six yards of fabric, a few hours at the sewing machine and ironing board and by the next evening I had finished the curtains and had them hung. I just love them - they really make the room! Thanks to Young House Love for their tips on hanging the rods 12" above and outside of the window. I love the results. I hadn't used my sewing machine since Elyse was born and I have to admit, I was beaming with pride after I hung those curtains. It felt really good!

Chairs: The desk is finished on either side as a room divider. We've always wished we had a second chair in the office. I can't tell you how many times Bill and I are in there together or with a friend perusing on the Internet or looking at a photo slideshow. These Tobias chairs from Ikea were perfect. They were Marcie's suggestion. We really like them - and they are comfortable too. I like how they just disappear and don't stand out like our former clunky, black office chair.

Storage Cabinet: This is the only item in the room that has remained. It is an antiqued cabinet with yellow and turquoise. Turquoise wasn't exactly part of the plan, but somehow it adds a little pop of color that works. I still do dream of painting it (like this one), but so far, Bill says no.

The Little Details

Yellow Owl: I saw this bad boy on Etsy. A bright yellow, retro, ceramic owl. I pondered him for a couple weeks and then snatched him up. He is even more cool in person and perfect for the office.

Found this vase (above) in grey for only $7.99! Paired with the yellow owl = heaven.

Scored this cute little ceramic white owl paperclip holder on Etsy. Simple and sweet.

Marcie found a black B and C for us (they didn't have any Es). Evelyn and I were at Joann Fabrics shortly thereafter and they had wooden letters in the exact same size. A little yellow paint and Elyse gets to stand out as she always will. Our family of initials is complete. Yet, I'm still wondering - can you spray paint leather? I'd love to turn that B and C dark grey!

We also gave makeovers to a variety of decorative and storage items. We picked up some bright yellow spray paint and did makeovers for a pencil holder, "HOPE" sign along with some storage bins and baskets. Bill was a big help with all of the painting. I like how there are now little bits of yellow tucked around the room.

We brought in glassware from the china cabinet including a collection of vases and candlesticks to fill up the rest of the glass door cabinet.

I'm sure we'll continue making little touches to the room. I'm still not sure what to do with the little shelves above the desk. They are intended for CDs, but I'm not so sure about that. I'm also considering make a pennant string for the bulletin board (like here). I still have this rug in the garage - I'm trying to decide if I can make it work. It was only $20, so it was worth a try! Also, the cabinet we saw at Ikea had doors on the right side (on the bottom). We're thinking about whether we should purchase them. What do you think?

All in all, everything worked out as planned. We didn't go over budget by keeping costs down whenever we could. All the DIY work between Bill and me made it all the more meaningful. I am loving the results. That was fun. On to the next project!

Italian Spaghetti Bake

2011-07-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite way to have spaghetti! I always make two and freeze the second (or share). However, you can easily cut this recipe in half. I recently made some for a neighbor friend after he joked on Facebook about the kids eating PB&J all week while Mom was out of town. It was easy enough to make and share. As I was putting it together Bill said, "You're adding all those veggies! Their kids are NOT going to like that!" Guess what? They did and even requested the recipe. Here you go, Christins! So glad you liked it. Enjoy!

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI BAKE

2 pkgs spaghetti (we like to use whole wheat, but you can use any)
1-1/2 pounds ground beef (or use half ground Italian sausage)
1 lg. green pepper, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
2 cans (15 oz ea) tomato sauce
1 pkg (8 oz) pepperoni, sliced
1 pkg sliced, fresh mushrooms
1 can (3.8 oz) sliced olives, drained (I usually omit)
1/2 t dried basil (fresh if you have it!)
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t garlic salt
1/4 t pepper
3 c (12 oz) shredded mozzarella
1/2 c grated Parmesan (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, drain. Stir in tomato sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives and seasonings. Drain spaghetti.

Spoon 1 cup of meat sauce into two greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dishes. Top each with 2-1/2 c spaghetti, 1-1/2 c meat sauce and remaining spaghetti and meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Serve with salad and garlic bread and eat up! Yum!

Yield: 2 casseroles at 8-10 servings each.

The Waiting

2011-06-28T13:28:00.001-07:00

Sending encouraging thoughts to Melinda. She is less than two weeks from her due date. So close to becoming a mother for the first time and meeting her sweet baby boy. I remember all of those feelings - the worry, the excitement, the discomfort - did I mention the worry?!

Love to you Melinda! Elyse and I are so excited for you! I know it is hard right now, but such joy is headed your way! Keep your chin up and rest as much as you can. You won't even want to shut your eyes when he arrives - you won't want to miss a minute!

PS: this is my first mobile post. Crossing my fingers!

Chicken and Dumplings

2011-06-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

Bill loves chicken and dumplings. Marcie has made PW's version a few times and shared leftovers with us. I decided it was time for me to try it. I decided to use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to save time and I also omitted the 1/2 c of celery. It turned out amazingly good and I'm so surprised how quick and easy it was. It is definitely a "comfort" food and not something we'll have all the time, but it sure was good!

Pioneer Woman's Chicken and Dumplings - Even Easier!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole rotisserie chicken, deboned
Salt And Pepper
½ cups Finely Diced Carrots
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
½ teaspoons Ground Thyme
¼ teaspoons Turmeric
6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
½ cups Apple Cider
½ cups Heavy Cream

Dumplings:
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ cups Yellow Cornmeal
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1-½ cup Half-and-half
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley (optional)
Salt As Needed

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a pot and add diced onion and carrots. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

While chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.

Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine.

Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Add minced parsley if using. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check seasonings; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Seriously good!

How to Baby Proof Your Fireplace Hearth

2011-06-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

How can you really baby PROOF anything? I'm already struggling between letting Elyse learn and not letting her hurt herself. Last week she was having a ball swinging a wooden puzzle above her head and down to her lap. Up and down it went and I just knew she was going to bonk herself. I watched her wondering - do I take it from her and make her mad? Or do I just let her go and if she hits her head it will be one of her many lessons in learning to be more careful. It wasn't a real heavy puzzle, so I chose the latter, ended up with a crying baby crawling into my lap and me wondering if I'd made the wrong choice.

Choices like these are how I feel about baby proofing. There is such a range of how to "baby proof" your home. Our goal is similar to the day with the puzzle. Our "baby proofing" is going to be more like "baby resistant". We're working on safety covers on outlets, getting chemicals up high, securing bookcases to the wall and moving out the sharp-edged coffee table, replacing it with a leather storage ottoman. Floor lamps are staying and so are some of the knick-knacks. Here we will work on the word "No", "Stop" or "Not for Elyse" and see how we do!

The biggest safety concern in our home is our fireplace. It is a slate fireplace with a beautiful slate tile hearth. Lovely as it is - it is incredibly dangerous for an on-the-go babester making her way around the room. We talked a lot about the hearth and how to make it safer even before Elyse was born. We discussed gates, pillows, foam, bumpers, guards, but none of the ideas really sounded ideal. Then, Bill came up with the idea to build it into a bench. It is genius really - and I'm so happy with how it turned out!

Babyproofing:
From Fireplace Hearth to a Bench

Materials:
1"x2" and 1"x3" Furring Strips
Wood Glue
Screws
2" Foam
Sander/Sandpaper
Vinyl (or your favorite fabric)
Staple Gun & Staples
Felt Floor Pads (optional)

Build a frame to encase your hearth. We used 1”x2” and 1”x3” furring strips to form the frame. This wood is extremly lightweight and easy to use. Use glue to piece together and then screw the ends and corners to ensure it is secure. Use a hand sander to round the edges and corners to make sure there are no sharp edges.

Here is a closer look at the underneath of one of the sides of the bench.

We went to our local foam outlet and purchased 2” foam. Cut the foam and attach with glue and finish with staples. We chose vinyl to cover our bench, but you could use oilcloth, leather or faux - or any time of washable surface. Baby is going to be attracted to this, so you'll want something easy to clean. Based on the price and selection we went with vinyl in a grey color that closely matches the slate on the fireplace. It blends in beautifully.

Another look underneath.

Wrap the fabric tightly onto the foam and fold the edges like a package - securing it with glue. Attach felt pads to the bottom to keep the floor from getting scratched (if you have hardwood like we do).

Here is the bench pulled away from the hearth - really easy to remove.

I am so proud of Bill. He did an amazing job! It is comfortable enough to sit on as a bench for extra seating, keeps us from gasping when the baby goes near the fireplace and looks great! Much better than ugly baby gates and because it is built-to-fit it is a much better (and cheaper option) than what you will find on-line.

Just a quick slide onto the hearth and you are set!

Let us know if you give this a try. We'd love to see what you come up with!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Bill is spending his first Father's Day doing what he really enjoys - riding his bike! I'm waiting for Miss E to wake up so we can go to the store and get some groceries to make him a nice dinner. Enjoy your day!

NINE Months

2011-06-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Dearest Elyse,

June 12 you turned nine months old! Thank you, my dear baby girl, for making that day so special. You see, yesterday was also four years since my Mom went to heaven. I really miss her. When you were born, I was so happy, yet made it made me ache for own Mama all over again. A friend recently said to me, "I understand Courtney. I think the saddest thing ever is for a daughter to become a parent for the first time without their mother. It is just not how it is meant to be." Yes, it is sad. I am sorry you two couldn't be together. You see, my Mom lived her whole life waiting until the day she could become a Grandma. She would have loved and spoiled you to pieces. But, I do remain positive and am quickly reminded of all the other ways we are blessed. I am also comforted knowing you have someone extra special looking over you in heaven.

Today, you weigh 20 pounds and are 28 inches long. You hovered at around 50% on the growth charts until four months and are now in the 87th percentile. We are so fortunate you are healthy. Your doctor said you are doing amazing!

You do love eating food! We have had no problems with you adjusting to eating all of the food varieties. We don't even do much with purees anymore. We still send them along with the Grandmas and you have rice cereal often for breakfast, but other than that, you eat all kinds of things. You just love feeding yourself! Last night you even had supreme pizza (no crust). I removed the pepperoni, but you ate everything else - cheese (of course), sauce, sausage, olives, mushrooms! I was shocked. I thought you'd be picking through it, but nope! Yes, you pretty much like anything and everything right now.

We've had a pretty grey Spring so far. However, a couple weekends ago, we were blessed with absolutely beautiful weather. You loved being able to hang out in the backyard.

We had some sleep issues earlier in the month after your ear infection. You slept with us a lot when you weren't feeling well and it seems you really liked that! Honestly, we enjoy it too, but we know it doesn't let any one of us get good sleep. A few patient nights of going in and out of your room whenever you'd wake up and rubbing your back, and soon you were back on track. Now, most nights you sleep until at least 6 a.m. You're a pretty good sleeper.

That's my lens cap again. You are so good to hold it for me.

Drying diapers in the sun! We haven't been able to do this since we started cloth diapering!

You've definitely gotten more separation anxiety. It's not bad, but it does happen. You now even get upset sometimes when Daddy walks out of the room. As much as it feels bad seeing you cry, I know he likes giving you that extra kiss and snuggle to soothe you.

You love necklaces! You seem to focus in whenever you see someone wearing one. You won't pass up any opportunity to lean in and sneak a taste! Yes, the one in the picture below is a favorite of yours for sure!

So, forgive me for talking about your potty-habits, but you have a tendency to "hold it" and then go all at once. Your diaper will be super dry even after a nap and then an hour later you will be soaked. I worry sometimes I didn't get the cloth diaper on right or that we are having leaking problems with them. However, last week we went to Ikea and I changed you into a disposable in the parking lot. Ten minutes later, I was holding you and felt something wet. You had leaked, more like soaked, your entire onesie, shirt and pants. I couldn't believe it. We ended up changing you in the couch section!

On the days when we aren't fortunate to have sunny weather, we do keep ourselves busy inside. One Sunday, we decided to organize Daddy's clothes. You were very interested in this project.

You loved crawling all over his clothes, finding drawstrings and zippers to chew on and shaking that (tightly sealed) Ziploc baggie of pennies around.

One morning you were in the bathroom with Dad and he decided to help you out with your hair styling. A little bit of gel and this is what we got! Crazy how much your hair has grown.

You are very social and really aren't afraid of anyone. You love animals and children. You have a ball at our baby group although we're working on being more gentle. Today, you tried to hold onto Luke (8 mos) to stand up and pushed him straight backward and he bonked his head. He cried so hard and was really nervous around you the rest of the time. Poor bud!

This is a very typical happy face of yours! Just close your eyes and imagine the screech that goes along with it!

You are crawling all over the place now, pull yourself and creep/cruise to get yourself wherever you want to go. And yes, you are often on your tiptoes.

Libby is often not far away from you. She just had to get in the picture! We remain impressed with how incredibly patient she has been with you. She lets you climb on her and even mess with her feet (she barely lets us touch them!).

This is your blowing bubbles face that has continued since last month. You do this when you are playing contently. And here you are on your tiptoes. My Mom said I walked on my tiptoes for months, so we will see how this progresses with you.

This last month has brought some more teeth! You were ready to add to your two bottom teeth and at least four are coming in on top. You don't really like me looking.

In addition to "hi", "hey" and "Dada" you have a few new words. OK, they are mostly baby babble, but sometimes it really sounds like you're saying, "I did" and "I do".

We love plastic-coated bibs. They really are the best invention. The kind with pockets are the best because they catch everything that drops and often you eat your leftovers when Mama or Daddy is cleaning your tray after you eat.

We went to the mall the other day and we had to snap a quick photo before we left because you looked just too darn cute.

I read here about these pillows and knew we just had to get one for you. I was stunned with how well it turned out. The back is pink and white polka dot and the scripture is free-hand embroidery done by machine. This gal is so talented and I love that the proceeds support such a great cause. When I opened the package while at the mailbox it choked me up when I saw it. I love the scripture and the fabric colors are perfect! I had originally intended to save it for your birthday, but your Dad and I loved it too much to keep it on the shelf until then.

Thank you baby girl, for another wonderful month with you! We love you to pieces!

Love,

Mama

If You're Happy and You Know It...

2011-05-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

CLAP YOUR HANDS!

Elyse started clapping on Saturday - and not how I expected. I expected a clap we'd get excited about, but she wouldn't know how to do it again so we wouldn't see it again for a while. Not at all how it went down. She just started clapping - Bill was in the room too and we gave her quite the cheering in response. I'm sure the level of excitement helped because Elyse hasn't stopped doing it ever since. She claps at the dog and cat, for dinner, bathtime and even when she wakes up.

The video is cute, but I'd recommend muting it so you don't have to hear ridiculous-me excitedly cheering her on. And by the way, Dad doesn't really like me calling her "The Clapper". Honey - baby as the Clapper is different from the "clap". Boys are so weird! But, I digress.

Enjoy!

This reminded me of John and Sherry, bloggers from Young House Love, who had a super funny moment where they were being filmed by a local TV crew for a segment when their daughter clapped for the first time. Glad to know we're not the only parents around who get so excited about these firsts. Good times.

Random Thoughts

2011-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Prepare yourself for the randomness that is me. Here we go!

I've really been blessed in unexpected ways in the last month. I was given two huge gifts last month that I was asked to keep a secret. Not money gifts or anything - just really nice gestures. I was feeling so blessed and then Bill and I had a very fun surprise when someone at a restaurant paid for our $67.00 meal telling the waitress she likes to "pay it forward". What?!! I LOVE that. We are still planning our own way to pass along our blessings to a stranger ourselves.

* * *

We were the first to move into our brand new neighborhood almost four years ago. We'd sit on our back porch and look out over the empty lots. We cherished that time because now we see either houses or bulldozers prepping lots for more houses. The quiet is gone, but it is replaced with some truly wonderful neighbors. I am meeting more of them everyday. Bill and I laugh because we often pack a bottle on a walk around the neighborhood "just in case" we get to chatting too long!

* * *

I have a crush on Winco. It is clean, has a great bulk section and nice produce. And, the PRICES! Oh my gosh. The store does make me giddy.

* * *

The cuter I dress my daughter, the worse I tend to look. Work days I try to look my best, what has happened to the weekend? Hoodies and jeans or Adidas workout pants is my new weekend staple. Mama needs to work on this.

* * *

I don't deal well with people who don't support who I am as a person. This may sound like a basic requirement, but it can be difficult and complicated.

* * *

I am still making baby food purees. We're trying new flavors. I added cinnamon and nutmeg to carrots and it was a huge hit. Garlic powder in the broccoli - ummm, not so much. I might have added a little too much. First bite was followed by a gag and second bite she literally shuddered. Funny thing is, she kept eating it. But, I won't do that again. Is it mean that this makes me giggle just thinking about it?

* * *

I'm a cheapskate about a lot of things, but I do use nice skincare and hair products. They make a huge difference. Plus, my hairdresser totally yells at me when I stray - and yes, she always knows!

* * *

Speaking of - this is my new favorite lipgloss. I even tossed all my other brands - even Lancome. Because those all have the same problem - they are sticky and little strands of hair stick in the gloss. I hate that. Not this lipgloss. It has nice coverage, not sticky and lasts. Love it. (These rules do not apply to chapstick. It does not need to be fancy to be good).

* * *

I really, really like this book - Mamarazzi: Every Mom's Guide to Photographing Kids. So much good information. So much to learn!

* * *

The last episode of Private Practice (5/12/11) is still haunting me. Did you see it? I've watched the show since it began, but it is now deleted from my DVR. I really wish I hadn't watched that whole episode.

* * *

Our baby group at the local library ended on Mondays. So, a gal and I started up on our own . Live local and have a baby and want to join us at 10:30 a.m. on Mondays? Or know someone else who may be interested? Contact me.

* * *

I love Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes. I almost love it more than the actual show. I'm fascinated with how the show is put together and of course, by Oprah herself. I'm not looking forward to May 25. Sad day.

* * *

Rounded collars on baby clothes are so not cute anymore. Please don't hate me for saying that.

* * *

I can't stop thinking about how my friend Andrea stood in my kitchen recently and told me me how proud she is of me and how proud my Mom would be. Something so simple, yet it is still making me feel good a week later.

* * *

We just got our first electronic toothbrushes. We got the Philips Sonicare using the coupon at Costco. Bill's dentist recommended he use one about two years ago, but we held out. And now? Oh my gosh, you should have seen us talking about it. We were like two kids with a new toy! Needless to say, we're about 15 years behind the times, but we are all about the power of this toothbrush.

* * *

Suddenly, I'm all about coffee. I'm using a french press at work. It's decaf, but hey - this is big for me.

OK, that was enough randomness for now. I'm done now. Have a good week.

EIGHT Months

2011-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Dearest Elyse,

I know I keep saying it, but EIGHT months! Wow, time does fly by when you have a baby. You are growing so fast. Now, be prepared for lots of pictures as always. I know I'm definitely "that Mom" who takes a ton of pictures of their child, but I don't care! Taking pictures of my favorite little gal is such a fun way to explore my own interests in photography while getting to capture all of your changes. I do not think you can take too many pictures of your babies. I even excitedly just ordered the book Mamarazzi: Every Mom's Guide to Photographing Kids. If I have any regrets, it is actually that I wish I'd been with it enough to take more pictures of you when you were a newborn. But, that was a pretty intense time, so I'm making up for it now!

Libby is so good with you. Actually, both the cat and the dog are. You were playing with your toys and eating a Baby Mum Mum and Libby just sat their patiently. I'd given her the command "leave it" so she knew not to snatch anything from you. But, if you dropped it... well, it was then up for grabs.

We got the coolest bathtub from the neighbor girls. It allows you to safely sit up, feel the water all around you and reach all your toys. It has made bathtime so MUCH fun for you! Thanks, Morgan and Brooke!

One day I came home from work and your Daddy met me at the garage door saying, "Shhhh..." Seems you'd fallen asleep in your high chair. It was too late for naptime, so we just let you snooze their for a while. Sweet girl.

You LOVE your swing. You have one at Grandma and Grandpa Ds and they gave us a spare for you to have at home. Plus, we also go swing next door with the neighbor girls. You LOVE it. We always get big smiles and shrieks of delight.

We had a photographer come to the house and she gave me the best advice. She said this window seat was the best light in our house for photographs. She said I could take photos of you here for the rest of your life and not be disappointed. I had to try it out - she wasn't kidding.

See that curled left foot? You do that constantly and always when I'm trying to put shoes on you. What would normally be frustrating instead makes me laugh. You do it almost as a reflex and I've had to try all my tricks to get you to unflex that foot so I can buckle your shoe!

I don't know what is more precious - those cheeks or that bottom lip. Good thing I don't have to choose just one.

Sweet baby girl.

I adore this expression. And I'm getting prouder of my photography skills. All those nights with my nose in camera books is slowly starting to pay off! Turning off that flash and shooting in manual mode has opened up my world!

Your two little teeth. You can see them well these days!

Yes, babe - you are growing so fast.

Mama is still making all of your food. Sweet potatoes are still your favorite. I bought a box at Costco and it made LOTS. Good thing you love it.

I think this might be my favorite picture right now. You can't help, but smile. What a look!

And this one. How can such a messy baby still look so precious? You had really enjoyed this dinner. Finely grated cheese and steamed peas you'd chase all around the tray and would end up flying for Libby who'd happily gobble them up mid-air.

Morning at the Farmer's Market with Mama and Daddy = Happy Baby.

And this one is to prove to you - yes, she is not ALWAYS happy!

Your eyes. Everyone thought for sure you'd have brown eyes. However, they are blue, but sometimes look hazel and we're still waiting to see if they will keep changing. It seems every photo I take they look different. Definitely beautiful - just like you!

One morning before work, we somehow ended up ahead of schedule. Gave us some time to play a bit and sneak in a few pictures.

You love holding my lens cap for me. Such a helper. And, yes, you caught another cold. Pardon the drippy nose. Part of life as a baby.

Still loving Sophie. Poor little giraffe. She gets contorted every which way.

Yep, those little teeth are just too cute.

As you grow, more and more of your personality shines through. I would definitely say you are independent. And, yes, I love that.

You are very inquisitive. You will often turn a toy or object around and around inspecting everything about it. You are a very curious girl.

Since it is only a mere four months away, your Aunt Marcie and I have already started thinking of ideas for your first birthday party. Yes, we are crazy party planners. We know we want to do cupcakes, but want to get that gourmet frosting like you get at the specialty bakeries. We did a test batch. This frosting was super yummy, but the color and texture weren't quite right (Grandma Jo thought I brought her deviled eggs). We'll get it perfected by September, I'm sure.

We spent Mother's Day as a family in Tacoma. We took you to the zoo. I brought my zoom lens and everything and was so sad when I discovered I didn't bring a memory card. That's OK - we had a great day and I'll have plenty of opportunities to take pictures of you at the zoo in the future. You loved looking at everything and taking it all in. Here's what I did capture of you on my phone. You were so tired afterward.

Phones have been a great invention in terms of being a parent. From staying in touch with text messages to sharing pictures and videos, it sure has helped me stay connected to you. Gram-E sends a few pics/videos a day and Daddy and I always swap pictures on our days when one of us is with you and one is at work. Here is one we sent Daddy to show him how much you enjoyed your breakfast!

I got a great tip (thanks, Kim) for how to keep a bow in your hair. A bit of gel and then twisting the hair before putting the bow in - voila! A bow that stays in all day! You have quite a bit of hair, but it is incredibly fine and I hadn't had much luck before.

You definitely like to discover with all of your senses - including using your mouth. Yes, sweet pea. You taste everything. I thought grocery cart covers were so silly and a waste of money until you tried to lick the cart at Costco - yuck! Yes, I forked over the $15. Well worth it. You love to suck on drawstings on hooded sweatshirts and jackets and if there is a zipper in your sight - it will most definitely end up in your mouth!

You've been a vocal girl since you were very young. You say, "hi" and "hey" now as well as "Dada Dada Dada". Right now, you love "O" sounds.

You have been fighting off a cold all week. At first, it didn't seem to cause you any discomfort - you just had a runny nose and cough. Monday night it came to a head and you were up much of the night. I stayed home Tuesday and we spent much of the day like this. You just want to be held and even took naps this way. The last couple of nights you have been so upset Daddy and I have taken turns sleeping with you in the spare room. You snuggle up - wanting to be as close as possible. You'd cry so hard the cries would turn to soft moans that would slowly get slower and quieter as you'd snuggle in deeper. Poor baby girl.

This is a cell phone shot taken by me - I just wanted to capture your not-feeling-well-sweetness.

We found out Wednesday that not only do you have a cold causing all that congestion, but you also have an ear infection. Poor baby. Baby Tylenol and antibiotics will help you feel better real soon.

Here's to another month of changes. We love you angel!

Mama

Cozy

2011-05-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tell me there aren't days where you wouldn't want to be a cat? To get to snuggle underneath the covers all day if you want to.

Even if the bed is neatly made, he will paw his way up underneath the comforter. Ahhhhh.... The life of Mr. Wilson.

Mama Day: PART TWO

2011-05-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you what today means to me. I always knew I wanted to be a parent. I hadn't thought much about one child, two children - I just knew I wanted to be a mother. Losing my own Mom only made that feeling stronger. I'd try to protect myself though, as I had a secret worry that I might not be able to get pregnant. I think a lot of this circles back to the death of my own mother. Losing someone close to you is a lesson in the precious gift of life. I knew that finding out I was expecting was no guarantee for a healthy pregnancy or baby. Week 11, I heard the baby's heartbeat. Oh, what a glorious sound - I was overjoyed! Week 19, I found out our "Baby D" was a girl! I had completely convinced myself our little one was a boy and this completely caught me off guard. I was ecstatic and for the first time a small part of my heart began to heal. The thought of having a daughter of my own and regaining that mother/daughter relationship I'd lost three years prior was just an overwhelming gift.

Pregnancy wasn't easy. I had horrible morning sickness that lasted well beyond the first twelve weeks and even reared it's ugly head unexpectedly during the second and third trimesters. Week 31, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Week 34, swelling began and I sat near my shoe rack wanting to cry because I had not one pair of shoes to wear to work the next day. Changes in the workplace were pushing me to seek new employment, so I was lugging myself to informational interviews trying to market my leadership skills and downplay the big belly loudly announcing my need for some upcoming time off. The last two months brought such discomfort from ligament pain that working long days (and nights) didn't help to improve. My doctor suggested walking and in time it did help, but at first just getting around the block was so uncomfortable it didn't feel like my own body.

But, guess what? Diabetes went away immediately after my daughter's birth. The swelling diminished after a couple of weeks (and I can still wear all of my shoes) and I even got a new job! Labor wasn't easy and even scary at times, but Elyse and I were both fine postpartum. I was elated that she was healthy. I felt so fortunate.

It is hard to even attempt to describe the love I have for my daughter. I'd like to say we fell in love the moment she was laid on my chest. Believe me, that was amazing and unforgettable, but that wasn't exactly it. Elyse was born at 2:49 a.m. on Sunday. We were in our postpartum room before 6 a.m. and the first thing the nurses urged is to, "Get some sleep." Yeah right. We had visitors all day long. It wasn't that I minded. It was exciting and I wanted everyone to meet our sweet girl. I was so proud and happy.

That night, everyone was gone. Bill curled up on his creaky, uncomfortable bed and Elyse was swaddled in her bassinet. Lights were out in the room, but I was still hooked up to monitors that cast a green glow in the room and buzzers would chime through from other nursing calls. Sleep? Are you kidding me? I would close my eyes and think about sleeping, but know I'd need to wake soon anyway to feed baby once again. I could hear Bill snoozing away and I'd just lay there. And then I'd HEAR HER. She was making little noises. Squeaking. Moving. Getting a little louder. Fussing. Just a bit. This baby - MY BABY. I couldn't handle it. We weren't supposed to hold our babies in bed with us if we thought we might fall asleep. The hospital had a horrible experience just months earlier when a father accidentally dropped his baby after they'd both fallen asleep. Baby fell on the hard tile and experienced a serious head injury (but thankfully survived). The nurses were ADAMANT about this and if they came in at night and saw one of us cuddled with baby we'd have to quickly announce, "We're awake! We're awake!" I risked scolding from the nurse and reached toward the foot of my bed to scoop my my tightly, swaddled baby out of her bassinet. I laid down on my side and put her down right next to me. She instantly quieted. I was astonished by this, but it was apparent she was quickly comforted. She was used to being close to me as we'd been together for so many months. She knew the sound of my heartbeat and the feeling of my warm body. I realized that I was comforted too - having her next to me again as we'd been all these months. Every job interview, every work discussion, every moment - this baby had been with me at all times. Yet, I felt as if Elyse knew me better than I knew her. She knew my voice, my smell. I thought about how that morning when she was born, from the moment she was laid on my chest her eyes had locked on mine. It was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. These huge eyes taking me in as if to say, "So that's what you look like, Mama!" We laid there together for minutes to hours in the dim light of the hospital room with me rubbing her belly, kissing her cheeks and whispering in her ear. I told her how I loved her. She was my sweet baby girl and how I would always be her Mama. There were many tears - gloriously happy tears. This was our first time together to quietly bond as mother and daughter. There was no going back - I had fallen in love with this sweet little child.

To this day, I love my time with Elyse as she is going to sleep. I love that transition where she starts to get tired and wants to be comforted and snuggled. I softly sing in her ear and stroke her hair and cheeks. We don't nurse anymore and honestly, I do miss that - particularly at night. But, we still get time for closeness. She varies between wiggling to get just that right comfortable spot and looking up at me to touch my cheek or hair. I breathe in her hair and her skin and pepper her with kisses. I know she won't be my baby forever and I treasure these tender moments together.

Don't worry - it isn't real. Just a little fun with Picnik to play a joke on Daddy!

My baby girl - thank you for making this our most special Mother's Day. I love you, dear daughter. Thanks for making our family complete.

Courtesy Amanda May Portrait Art - April 2011.

Mama Day: PART ONE

2011-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

My own Mom had a GREAT sense of humor. I snapped a pic of this sign at a cider mill near our house last week. Mom would have thought that was so funny!

My Mom was one of the best. Being a Mom was so natural for her. She got pregnant at 18. She'd always been the "good girl" and she got caught in a dumb mistake. She was mortified, scared and overwhelmed. It was a one-time thing and she had to find this guy and tell him she was pregnant knowing he probably wouldn't believe that the baby could be his. How hard must that have been? She was bombarded with people pushing her to have an abortion. She did think about it, but knew she could never follow through with it. Although teen pregnancy isn't looked highly upon today, it was much worse in the 70s. She'd tell me stories like going to the drive-through at one of our local burger joints at about eight months pregnant and the girl behind the counter handing her food to her looking away and plugging her nose.

Mom and me. 1975.

She carried me to full-term and ended up with eclampsia during labor, convulsing violently during my birth. When the doctor came out to the hallway to notify my grandmother of my arrival he only said, "The baby is fine. Mom is holding her own." Mom was unconscious for days and when she awoke she was temporarily blind, but comforted immediately by her doctor who had fallen asleep in her room with his feet propped up on her bed. She went on to raise me on her own, living in an incredibly small house with her younger brother. She was on welfare my first six months to help her get on her feet. Gifts for my first Christmas were from the local Salvation Army. Soon, she met my Dad (who later adopted me) and they created a life together.

How did she do it? How could she be so mature and handle so many grown-up decisions on her own? I will never know. I don't mean to say that my Mom was perfect. I think we do this sometimes when people pass away. Let's be honest. Mom was a terrible housekeeper. She wouldn't ever say the "F" word, but she could cuss like a sailor and liked to string together as many "bad" words together as she could into their own unique combinations. She didn't like to cook and we grew up eating a lot of TV dinners and boxed macaroni and cheese. I don't really remember her spanking me (but I know it happened), but when I was in trouble she would lecture me until my stomach hurt so bad from the guilt I wanted to throw up.

Mom, Grandma and me. From a scrapbook I made her in 1994.

I don't see all of those things as necessarily negative. They just are part of my history and have molded me into the person I am today. I liked to clean and grew up cleaning the house a lot. I loved experimenting with cooking and trying new recipes. Mom loved that I enjoyed it and always encouraged me. She never missed a choir concert, soccer game or school conference. She would always run into the bathroom if we were sick and hold a cool, wet washcloth on our heads. She wasn't a fan of sarcasm and would never think of speaking badly toward my brother or me. She bought a van when we were in middle school and early high school because she loved driving us around with our friends. We lived in single-wide mobile home in a trailer park and I'm amazed to this day how many of our friends chose our house to hang out. She was honest with me at a young age about my biological father, but was always respectful about him. She sent care packages to my friends going to college on the East coast whose families weren't as supportive. She loved my brother and I so much and we were her proudest accomplishments. Her office was always plastered with pictures of us and I know her past co-workers know more about me and my brother than they'd ever want to know.

Another scrapbook page. Yes, I used colored pencil to tint her shirt and give her makeup. I liked that quote because we missed each other so much when I was away at college. How profound it is today.

I have 32 years of memories. 32 years of learning - whether as a specific lesson or just by her actions. I look at my own daughter and pray I serve her well as her mother. I have read, and firmly believe, our same-sex parent is the most influential person in our life. This is definitely true for me. My Mom was so good about telling us she loved us - from when we were tiny to adulthood. That is something Bill and I have talked about and we do with Elyse. We have promised each other we will tell her even when she might find it embarassing or as an adult and think it is uncomfortable. It is important. And no matter what happens, I will always know my Mom loved me. Her death cannot change that. Of course, much of this is because of all the things she did for me. But, it is also always because she told me. Often. I want Elyse to feel the same way. We aren't going to be perfect parents. But, no doubt. That girl will be loved.

Mom, Sue and me. Tolmie State Park - 1992.

It is my first Mother's Day as a parent myself. It is also the first in several years where I don't have to focus on being sad about the loss of my own mother. Bill and I are going to celebrate together on our own today with Elyse - just our precious little family. Today I will be thankful for the Mom that was there for me and the Mom I can now be for my own daughter. Happy Mother's Day. Kiss your babies (young and old). Tell them you love them. Say it. Often. You won't regret it.