Baby Love

WSWO vs. WSA

2012-01-31T21:03:00.000-06:00

{whole wheat toast w/olive oil}

{cherry tomato halves}

{blueberries}

{broccoli}

{garbanzo beans}

{smoked salmon}

Yeah. She dumped the non-eaten food into her cup of milk.

That NEVER happens, you guys.

EVER.

(Haaaaaaaaaaaa. Ha.)

What she was offered: To-go edition!

2012-01-30T18:46:00.001-06:00

We were heading out on Saturday for some winter carnival festivities so I packed a quick to-go lunch for Eliza that she ate at a coffee shop while hubby and I had coffee to warm up.

We received this fun little bento box for Christmas (I've been coveting it for a while) from my soon-to-be BIL, and I love it. It is perfect for the on-the-go mom and tot, and comes with a little bottle for drinks, too. It's by Goodbyn (find it here). And seriously, Goodbyn? I will say all kinds of nice things about you if you want to sponsor me :)

{eggplant hummus + leftover pizza crust}

{annie's cheddar bunnies mixed with oyster crackers}

{peas + broccoli}

{fresh whole strawberries}

{fruit leather}

At 2 years, 2 months (and a few days)...

2012-01-26T09:10:00.000-06:00

My dear Eliza, here's a little summary of what you're up to lately (haven't done one of these in a while!):

you love garbanzo beans.

you named your kitty figurine "Gabba Babba".

you sing "row row row your boat", "twinkle", your "ABCs", and Florence + The Machine's "Shake it Out" (well, the chorus at least!).

you use the word "mostly" in the most interesting ways: "you mostly go over there, mama".

you still love your mama's milk.

you have started asking for a baby brother or sister (though I think your Dada had something to do with this...!). You say "I need a baby {brother/sister - but usually it's sister} so I can share my {bread/milky/toys/etc.} with her". I think you would make a marvelous big sister, and I would love to see you in that role someday!

you can count to 11, usually in order, but not always.

you are finally big enough to face forward in your car seat.

you have found a new passion for putting things - random toys, balls, food, sippy cups - into plastic baggies so you can "save them". Then sometimes you will put them in the refrigerator! You're a silly one.

you are a carbivore... but you'll eat (or at least try) almost anything.

you love holding hands with your little friends.

you are potty trained.

you love your uncle Reid and aunt Kelly and always ask me if they will have any "em-ee-ems" (M&Ms) for you.

you "play" with your words... you like to rhyme and make silly words (right now you are saying "fruit-toot-fruit-toot-woot-toot-woot-toot". It's very purposeful and you know you are being silly and speaking nonsense when you do it. Of course we take this as a sign of great intelligence ;)

you love books, and of course you especially love it when we read to you. I think you could probably sit on my lap all day long and read book after book. A few of your favorites right now are Llama Llama Red Pajama, Mousework, anything by Dr. Seuss (maybe that's where you found your love of rhyming!), Strega Nona, and Owl at Home.

you love wrapping your toys up in paper or napkins and giving them to people as "presents".

you are sleeping in your new big girl bed for half the night, and in mama and dada's bed for the other half.

you love caring for your baby dolls - nursing them, putting them to bed, taking them for walks in their stroller.

you are a mama's girl, and that is just fine :)

Love you, sweet girl.

Wordless Wednesday: Eliza and the cow picture, then and now.

2012-01-25T14:48:00.002-06:00

Big Girl Bed = Big Girl Sleep?

2012-01-22T13:42:00.000-06:00

A few readers have asked about Eliza's transition to the big girl bed and how her sleep has been since then.

The short answer? Nothing has changed. Not really. Not yet.

I do have hope (hence the word YET. See?), but so far Eliza's sleep habits are still pretty poor. Well, I suppose her sleep is pretty typical for the not-yet-weaned toddler... but, still, pretty crappy overall. She's waking anywhere from 2-6 times per night, and the waking has become more frequent since the introduction of the big girl bed. So, yes, she is definitely still getting used to the bed.

What we do like about it is that we (and I use that term very loosely, and in fact I really only mean "I" ;) can lay down with her (it's a twin bed) and help her get back to sleep by just laying next to her. So, that's a definite improvement over the crib. And, she seems to wake up less upset, I think because she has the freedom to get up by herself and isn't trapped in the crib. Also, this means that she can walk into our bedroom and climb into bed with us without me having to go get her from her crib - so yay for mama not having to get out of bed (as much)!

Last night, she was so cute... I was brushing my teeth and I heard her bedroom door open (a sound that we are still getting used to hearing - it's surprising to hear her open the door!). She poked her head out and said in her squeaky cute little tired voice "can you come in here?". So I went in and tucked her in and laid down next to her. She fell right back to sleep. It was the sweetest thing...she just needed me to be with her - how simple. I am so happy to know that I can still meet such simple requests as "can you come in here?".

So, I can't give you all the update that I had dreamed I would be able to -- "The big girl bed solved all of our sleep problems! She sleeps through the night and wakes up bright eyed and bushy tailed!" (haha, okay just to be clear I was never delusional enough to think those things... but I will admit to having crazy daydreams of the sort :) -- but I can say that the big girl bed has been a great improvement and our girl feels SO PROUD to be sleeping in it. We are proud of her, too! She has gone through a lot of big girl changes over the last few weeks and she has taken it all in stride without any issues. She continues to be a flexible, easy-going, happy girl. So, even though sleep is still an issue, it's easy to forget about it when this face is smiling at you during the day:

Tales of a Small House, Part II: The Play Area

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share a few photos of Eliza's play area in our house. It's in the corner of our living room. It's 4 feet by 5 feet, so of our home's 920 total square feet, it only takes up 20 square feet! But we pack a lot into the small space for our girl, and she really does seem to enjoy it. It's proof that you don't need a lot of space to have fun.

A key to making this space work is limiting the number of toys in it. We try to rotate certain toys in and out (I keep a few in the dining room closet and swap them out once in a while), but really, Eliza doesn't have that many toys to begin with, and that helps when living in a small house. It's also part of how we choose to raise her - without too much stuff - but I suppose that's the topic for another post.

I got that mat from the thrift store, and it's nice because it's small, I think it's 3'x3', and cushy for sitting and kneeling on. I bought the little carpet sample from the car wash, and it's nice for me and hubby to sit on when we're playing, instead of sitting on the hardwood. The hanging organizer is from Ikea, and I hung it with command hooks (I love those things!). It's great for storing little odds and ends, and the tea set lives there when it's not in use, too. The little square cubbies used to serve as my husband's night stand. Now it stores Eliza's drum, xylophone, puzzles, and a few other toys.

Eliza's bookshelf is the bottom half of our hutch (a girl can never have too many books!). I use the top of it for the few knick-knacks I have that are meaningful to me, and for family photos. See? You can marry kid stuff and adult stuff in (somewhat) perfect harmony!

As you can see on the left and right sides of the hutch, I hung up a few things - hanging storage is useful because it gets things off the ground and instantly makes things look more organized. Again, I just used command hooks because I didn't want to mar the wood hutch (it belonged to my grandparents and I love it). In the corner is a basket - you can barely see it in the bottom right corner - that currently serves as a catch-all for a number of random toys, baby dolls and some baby doll clothes. I was just thinking this morning that I could probably organize this little corner a bit better, but it works for now.

Eliza's horsey purse from Auntie Kelly. She adores it. I do, too :)

She often stands in her fruit and veggies bin :)

There you have it. It's nothing fancy, it's all done very inexpensively, and it's 20 square feet of fun!

Soup Weather

2012-01-19T14:28:00.001-06:00

The windchill today dropped well below zero (-32 when we woke up this morning!), so it was a happy moment this morning when I remembered we had a big pot of homemade soup in the fridge that we made yesterday with my mom.

It was SO easy to make that I thought I'd share it here. I'm no food blogger, but every once in a while I come across a recipe that I just have to share - usually because it strikes the perfect balance between simplicity/no-fuss and deliciousness.

It's my Grandma Mary's vegetable beef with barley soup, and it's the perfect choice for a cold winter day.

Ingredients

- onion, chopped

- 2 stalks celery, chopped

- beef chuck roast, about 3/4 lb, cut into small pieces (or short ribs or any soup meat you want to use)

- 1/2 cup barley

- one large can diced tomatoes (28 oz can I think!), plus one can full of water.

- one can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

- one package frozen mixed veggies of your choice (we used one with peas, carrots, corn, and green beans)

- 2 bay leaves

- salt to taste

Start by cooking the barley according to the directions. Then saute celery and onion together in your favorite large dutch oven with a bit of grapeseed or canola oil until soft. Add beef. When beef is cooked, add the rest of the ingredients - the can of tomatoes (juice and all), plus the one can full of water, the beans, the (now-cooked) barley, the frozen veggies and the bay leaves. Taste it and salt as you go (it will need a fair amount of salt). Cook on medium for a while, and then just leave it on low all day long - the longer the better. I think I left it on low for like 8 or 9 hours!

We ate it this afternoon for lunch with some homemade bread and olive oil. It was perfect for this chilly day, and Eliza loved it too!

Big Girl Bed

2012-01-18T13:32:00.004-06:00

The day FINALLY came.

Eliza had been asking over and over and over again: "is my big girl bed ready yet? Is the carpenter done with my bed?". She was so excited. We told her all about it, she knew a carpenter (not grandpa, we told her, a different carpenter - grandpa is a carpenter too, she pointed out) was making her bed and would deliver it when it was ready.

It was a Big Girl Week, that's for sure - she potty trained and got her big girl bed all in the same week.

First, we said good bye to the crib.

Why yes, that is a Pillow Person - any '80s babies remember those?

I think it was harder for me to say goodbye to the crib than it was for Eliza. Honestly...it was tough. I didn't think I would have such a strong emotional reaction. Saying goodbye to the nursery the way it was -- all the baby things, the arrangement of the room, all the time I spent in there planning and dreaming and working on it before she was born -- it was hard. It's never going to look like that again. And it was probably the only nursery I will decorate; since our house is so small, if we have another baby he/she will share the room with Eliza (no more bedrooms left!!).

I know, I know... first world problems, right??!!

At the same time, I was - am! - so excited for Eliza to grow up and get to experience all these new and exciting things... like the big girl bed. It was a big moment when she ran into her room after it had been set up. She was so happy. It was such a joy to see her joy.

After checking out the top loft (where she will sleep when she's a bigger big girl), she tried out the bottom where she will be sleeping for now, until she's a little more sure on the ladder (and can manage it while groggy, which is what I'm mostly worried about).

A girl and her bed: true love

I had fun setting it up and making it special for my big girl. There are some new things (owl sheets, pink pillow), some old things (pink blanket my mom bought me while we were on vacation in the Blue Ridge mountains when I was younger), and some handmade things (I made the purple pillows and my mom made the small quilt for Eliza when she was a baby). It's perfect.

Potty Training - Days 4, 5, and The Flu

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

DAY 4

Same routine this morning: woke up mostly dry, peed on the potty. My parents came over for breakfast this morning. We made eggs, and yummy farm fresh bacon from our favorite farmers at the market, Bar 5. It was a good morning. My dad left and my mom decided to stay and hang out with me and Eliza for the day since she didn't have to work. Soon after breakfast, I realized Eliza hadn't gone since the morning. I was on watch, though not bugging her about it. All of a sudden she started squatting. My mom saw her first and quickly ushered her to the potty where she happily sat down and peed. Again, we talked about that feeling she was feeling and how that meant it was time to run run run to the potty OR tell mama or dada.

Later, we decided to make an outing to buy Eliza some big girl sheets for her big girl bed (that was to arrive Sunday!). We did the routine potty before we left, and then when we got to the store, I suggested we "check out the potty" there, and she went there as well. So there I was, totally suggesting potty breaks - but yeah, I think I will continue doing this for a while when we're out and about.

So, again, it was just that she had to start feeling and recognizing the urge, and then acting on it. She had tried to do this a few times so far, but it was not yet reliable (though I knew it was totally normal at this point. Realistically, it could take months before she did this reliably). We got home, peed again upon arrival, and then *tried* to nap.

Then, we did not nap.

My mom offered to take her swimming at a local community center while I worked in the lobby, so off we went. We ate lunch, though Eliza barely ate anything... and then all of a sudden she said "I want to go pee" (!!!!YAY!!!!). She and my mom raced off to the family bathroom (I didn't pay for a wristband to get into the facility so I could only go as far as the lobby) where she peed! A great sign! My mom said she peed after they got out of the pool, too.

They were in the pool for about an hour and then we left for home. Right before we left, however, Eliza said "My tummy hurts. Too many noodles in my tummy." Hmmm... we had not eaten noodles...! She has said this before and has been fine, so I didn't know what to think. On the short drive home, Eliza became increasingly upset and irritable, but I thought she was just tired from not napping and that all the activity from swimming had just worn her out. She kept saying "I'm tired mama", and was asking for milk, so when we got home we sat on the couch together and she nursed for like 30 seconds before drifting off to sleep. I was sort of thinking I should keep her awake so we wouldn't have a bedtime battle, but the poor thing just looked so tired that I let her sleep. About 30 minutes later, she stirred. I moved her a bit so that she was kind of over my shoulder...........and then proceeded to throw up all over my back and the couch. EEEEEEEWWWWWW!!! This was my first experience with kid vomiting. I realize that it's been over 2 years and that I'm extremely lucky to have gone this long... but wow. It was disgusting.

Anyway, I won't give you all the vomit-y details, but this went on for the next 12 hours (from about 4:30pm to 4:30am), with some pretty crappy sleep in between "sessions", and then continued into the next two days (though with less frequency).

The good news is that she didn't have an accident this whole time, and she even woke up dry the next morning, and then peed when she woke up.

DAY 5

After one more...session...which fortunately my husband dealt with and cleaned up, Eliza wanted to go back to bed. She wasn't going to hear any complaints from me! So we crawled back into bed and she laid next to me. All of a sudden she said something like "I toot and have to pee". Honestly, I was so groggy that I don't really remember what she said (SO NOT A MORNING PERSON, PEOPLE). I wish I could remember. I do remember realizing that she was indicating that she might need to poop (we were, after all, beginning day 4 of what hubby and I lovingly started to refer to as "Poop Watch 2012". Hey, we have to get our kicks somewhere). So off we went to the bathroom. She sat on her potty and nothing really happened, but she didn't get up. So we started talking a bit about how she was feeling, she told me that "I vomit. I vomit like Belle!" (yes, she is unfortunately already very familiar with vomiting thanks to our kitty...). So we're sitting there chatting and finally - FINALLY - after about a minute or so (well, no, actually after 4 days), she pooped on the potty. And we cheered and high-fived and I told her how proud I was of her. She was SO excited. She kept saying "I poop on the potty by myself!". And of course she wanted to look at it... and she wanted to show it to all her friends ("I show Maya?" No, sweetie...just, no.), and then she waved bye-bye as we flushed it down the toilet.

Oh my, it was an event.

After that, she really started to perk up. I could tell we were through the worst of it, and in fact she seemed to get better as the day went on (and then worse again a little later). As far as potty training went the rest of the day, it was another uneventful day. She wouldn't really eat or drink much this day, I think her tummy still couldn't handle much, so she didn't have many opportunities, but she did go at those periodic "routine" times and avoided an accident.

And this brings us up to the present. Well, sort of. It bring us up to the present day that I'm writing this, but not to the present day in which it will be published... oh never mind, it doesn't matter.

Final Thoughts

It is very clear that she was ready for this. There has been no pushing on my part, and no push-back from her. If there had been any sign that she was not ready at any step of this process, I would have stopped and waited a few more months. If she had become frustrated or too upset or it became a power struggle, I would have stopped. But it turns out that she was ready. And even though she's not "100% potty trained" yet, she is on her way and I am SO proud of her! She has made a lot of progress since we started on Sunday (it is now Thursday, btw), I can't even believe the difference. I know we might have a few more accidents over the next couple of months than if we had waited until she was older to PT - maybe closer to age 3? I've heard that if kids potty train closer to 3, there are fewer accidents and the whole process doesn't take as long. So, I guess it's a trade off. I honestly didn't care WHEN, I just wanted her to do this WITH me, and not have it be something I was doing TO her. And it worked! Or, I guess I should say... it is working (now, excuse me while I go knock on some wood).

I'll keep you posted, but for now I think we've all heard enough about Eliza's bodily functions. I know I've certainly had enough of writing about them for now!

Potty Training - Day 3

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

After waking up mostly dry (I could tell the pull-up was a bit wet this morning), Eliza went into the bathroom with me and went potty. By this point she was getting pretty used to the "routine" times at which we generally use the bathroom: in the morning (and the fact that picking out a pair of big girl underwear follows this potty time is extra motivating at this time), before we leave the house, upon returning to the house, before and after nap and before bath time. By this day she also knew that when you sit down on the potty chair, you go pee. By this point she was willing and able to do this every single time she sat down.

So, by Day 3, it was pretty clear that if someone reminded her to try to use the potty every so often and/or coaxed her into sitting down and trying, she wouldn't have any accidents.

But to me, that's not the definition of "potty trained".

So, while we were at home, I wasn't constantly reminding her or asking her; I wanted her to learn her own body's cues and not have to constantly remind her that it was time to try to go potty. I mean, I know that's a common parental thing to say - especially when you're in public places - "do you have to go potty?" or "let's try going potty" -- don't you hear parents everywhere saying that to their kids like ALL THE TIME? Yeah, now I get it. 'Cuz at this stage they are like little ticking time bombs!!! -- but while we were at home, I just let the learning experiences happen in hopes that she would learn from them. Yes, while we were out I would (and probably still will for a great long while) ask/remind her, but not at home.

I was definitely excited that she had gotten this far, though! The fact that she was "holding it" for some period of time, could release when she got to the potty chair, and was totally cool and happy with the whole experience thus far - without using any sort of extrinsic reward? Awesome. I was just looking forward to that next step.

And so we trudged on.

On this day, we were watching our little friend Isaac and I decided it would be best to bring him back to our house instead of bringing the potential for accidents to my friend's house. So we went to Isaac's house to pick him up. Before we left for home, though, Eliza did use the Elmo potty at Isaac's house. She was very excited to show Isaac how to use the potty, to show Isaac's mama her big girl underwear, and to use a new potty. So, that worked out well.

We got home that morning, played a bit and then it was snack time. While we were all sitting at the table having snack, Eliza all of a sudden looked down and then I saw the puddle forming. I scooped her up and ran her to the potty saying "let's pee in the potty, okay?". She did sit down and pee a bit more, but she had peed a lot on the chair. Fun times. We talked it through afterwards. I told her that was the feeling of a full bladder and that meant she should run run run to the potty before that happens to keep her big girl underwear dry.

It's so interesting to go through this experience - you really realize that these physical feelings are all things that they have to learn on their own (at this young of an age at least) - the feeling of having to pee, the holding of that pee until they are sitting on the potty, and then releasing. There is a lot going on - muscular/physical, mental, and even emotional! No amount of explaining or talking or rewarding can really do that. It needs to click with them, I think.

So, on to our second pair of underwear for the day.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. She peed before and after nap, stayed dry during nap, and then peed before we left the house to drop Isaac off, and then again once at Isaac's house - oh and that time she did actually say "I want to go pee", but I'm not sure if it was due to her actually feeling the need to go, or out of the novelty of using a different potty?

One thing happened later in the day that was interesting, and a good sign, I think: we were eating dinner and I knew she hadn't tried to use the potty since we got home about an hour or so earlier, but again, I wasn't going to bug her about it, so we just ate dinner together and then I got her out of her high chair and noticed her pants were a little wet. I asked her if she felt the wetness and if we should put on some dry underwear. So we went into the bathroom and I took her pants and underwear off and really, they weren't all that wet - like it seemed that she had peed a tiny bit, but then stopped. Then she sat down on the potty and peed a LOT more. So, I took that as a good sign - like she knew that it wasn't right to pee in her underwear and so she stopped until she got to her potty chair? I don't know. Again, she wasn't yet verbalizing the need to go potty and hadn't run into the bathroom on her own at all that day (a slightly discouraging fact), but maybe this was something?

Then Daddy got home, she peed again before bath, and it was time for bed. I was exhausted but feeling like some progress was being made!

Potty Training - Day 2

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

We woke up for Day 2 to a dry pull-up! Small victories :) I know many people/books suggest not using pull-ups for overnight (or at all), but seeing that we're still co-sleeping for part of the night, I wasn't going to spend half the night worrying about The Pee Bomb to go off next to me in bed. So, it's pull-ups for now. We call them her "paper big girl underwear", just like we used to call 'sposies "paper diapers" (vs. cloth).

Straight to the bathroom we went where Eliza successfully emptied her bladder while Daddy (who was in the shower at the time) and Mama looked on - ah, the joys of the single-bathroom home! Then she ran into her room to pick out her (first pair of) big girl underwear for the day (butterflies). Then we played, I made my coffee, put away some dishes, we said goodbye to Daddy, and then we decided we should make smoothies. Just as she was pushing up her stool to the counter to help me make smoothies, she got down and started running into the other room. I followed close behind and found her standing outside the bathroom door saying "I peed, I peed". She did in fact have an accident on the floor, but I took this as SUCH a good sign - she had actually felt the need to pee and tried to get to the potty herself. And she got pretty darn close! She peed a bit more in the potty and then we washed hands and picked out new undies. I just said "let's try hard to keep this pair of underwear dry, okay? Tell mama when you have to go potty OR run to the potty yourself, like a big girl!".

She spent the morning dry, and we made an outing to go to our ECFE class. She peed in the potty there upon arrival and then again before we left.

We got home and she seemed really tired and was asking for milk, so I put her down for a nap on our bed (on a towel!). She slept a LOOONG time - like over 2 hours (which gave me time to take all the Christmas decorations down and sort through her old clothes to make goodwill/pack away piles - score!) - and actually woke up dry! I told her what a big girl she was to wake up dry from a nap and how exciting that was. Then I asked her if she wanted to try to go potty since she hadn't tried since after ECFE. She agreed and again emptied her bladder.

Also of note -- she had underwear and leggings on this entire day and was *almost* able to get them on and off by herself. She just needed a little help in back. Also, she was wiping herself each time.

Anyway, after nap Grandma brought lunch over and Eliza played with Grandma in the afternoon while I worked around the house (as I wrote about earlier this week, we are really trying to organize our living spaces right now). It was a great help, and I was still able to be close by to keep an eye on the PTing. Once during the afternoon, Eliza went into the bathroom and started trying to pull her pants down - I couldn't really believe my eyes, actually! But there she was. She said: "I show Belle!", so we brought our kitty Belle in the bathroom and Eliza showed her how to go potty like a big girl. You better believe I held that cat down and made her watch my two-year-old pee in her potty. Ha! Oh, the things we do.

After that, she went a loooong time (like two hours, I want to say?) without attempting - and she stayed dry, but I was starting to wonder/worry since it had been so long. So at this point my mom and I did encourage her to try. This time we brought our other cat Maxx in the bathroom and Eliza showed him how to pee like a big girl. Naturally, he was enthralled.

After that, Grandma left and Eliza and I played a bit more and then I got dinner ready. Daddy was going to be late that night, so we ate without him. Eliza was sitting in her highchair (with her tray on) during dinner, so I don't know if it was the fact that she couldn't get down by herself, or if she was distracted eating dinner, or if it was just a plain old "learning experience"... but she peed a little while she was sitting in her highchair. It wasn't very much... but enough to change her clothes. So we went into the bathroom (where she also peed a little more in her potty), got her cleaned up and then put on a new pair of underwear.

The rest of the night was accident free. When Daddy came home, he took over. She peed in the potty one more time (including a long stretch of sitting on the potty trying to see if she had to poop - hubby handles that much better than I do for some reason!), had a bath, and then got ready for bed. All in all, it was a great day!

Potty Training - Day 1

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

We started the day with a nice breakfast out to eat as a family. Eliza had a fun time coloring with crayons while we waited for our food, and then she enjoyed a big breakfast of french toast, scrambled eggs and sausage (and some of mama's pancakes). We talked all about how Eliza was such a big girl now, and how after breakfast we were going to go buy her some big girl underwear - the day she had been waiting for a LONG time! She was really excited.

Off to Tar.get we went and found some pretty purple, green, white, pink, polka dots, and butterfly underwear. Eliza proudly put them up on the register so we could pay for them, and then carried the bag out of the store herself.

We got home and made a big celebration out of packing away her cloth diapers ("the baby will use them" she said), and threw away the few paper diapers we had hanging around (which of course I then rescued from the trash so we could give them away). She chose to put on the purple polka dot underwear first and then took off all her other clothes - she was SO proud and excited to be wearing big girl underwear. We explained to her how she was a big girl now so it was time to use the big girl potty, and to tell Mama or Dada when she had to go. We started by going straight to the bathroom. She sat down and used the potty to go pee right away. She even pulled up her underwear all by herself afterwards. We gave her high fives and told her we were proud of our big girl.

Soon it was naptime and even though she did go pee again before naptime, she still woke up wet. So we said "your underwear is wet, let's change you into a dry pair". The idea is to not make it a negative thing that they had a "learning experience" - just to try again. So we reminded her to try to tell us before she had to go potty, or to just run into the bathroom when she felt like she had to go.

Later that day we went to my parents' house - Eliza stayed there while hubby and I ran an errand, an Ikea run which took us 3 hours! While we were gone my mom and dad took over (bless them). She had one little pee accident and then peed in the potty once. When we got home she tried to go again but couldn't "release", so we just said "thanks for trying" and moved on. Not 5 minutes later I saw her in her familiar "stance" and scooped her up mid-accident and brought her to the potty. She did finish pooping into the toilet, about which she was VERY proud. "I made poop go in the potty!". Everyone came and looked. She sat on the potty for maybe another minute or so and then said she wanted to get down. So we washed hands and got ready for dinner. About 10 minutes later I saw her face and knew she was either pooping or had to poop again... sure enough, she had pooped in her underwear. Poor girl. So we went in the bathroom and cleaned up and started over.

At this point, I was feeling very worn down and questioning whether this was a good idea. I didn't want to put any pressure on her or make her feel like she was a failure. She is only 26 months, I knew that is on the early side...was this a ridiculous thing to do? But, I promised that I would give it a good try, so we forged on. We tried hard (and succeeded, I think) to keep things very positive and just kept telling her to tell mama or dada (or grandma or grandpa) when she felt like she had to use the bathroom. I knew she had to learn the feeling first, and that would take time. She definitely didn't like being wet or the feeling of poop in her pants (well DUH!), and she knew that pee and poop went in the potty, so it was just a matter of anticipating the events!

We got home that night accident-free and everyone went potty when we walked in the door. She put on another pair of underwear (pair #5 for the day!) and played a bit before bath time. We talked a lot about it and congratulated her on her first day of potty learning. It was a start.

Potty Training

2012-01-12T21:22:00.003-06:00

For the last five days, we've been working on potty learning/training/whatever you want to call it with Eliza. We started on Sunday morning with a trip to get some big girl underwear, and we went from there. I've been documenting every detail of each day, and I'm going to publish one a day for the next few days.

So, this is your warning!

I know that the five or six of you who read this blog might not mind reading about this subject, but... still. I thought it would be polite to give everyone a heads up. I also want to say that I KNOW this stuff is not interesting to anyone but other parents going through potty training... which is really why I am going to post it and ONLY post it here. I don't talk about it on face.book, so I talk about it here. I also want to have a record of this for when P2 comes along.

To give you a little background, we started the potty training journey here, so this is the continuation of the journey. I don't want to spoil the "ending", but, no, I can't say that we are 100% done as of today - or that there has even really been an ending to the potty learning journey - but she's made a lot of progress. I am so so so proud of her!

Tales of a Small House, Part I

2012-01-10T21:06:00.000-06:00

We are doing some rearranging, reevaluating and redoing of our house. Nothing big, just some organizational and perhaps cosmetic changes. This was spurred by the fact that Eliza's big girl bed is arriving on Saturday, so we have to figure out where her soon-to-be-displaced-by-a-huge-twin-loft glider is going to go in our small house. So, we are doing some major rethinking of our living spaces, which is leading to a lot of purging, repurposing and asking ourselves "is this the best use of this particular space?"

You see, our house has 920 square feet. Not college dorm room or one-bedroom apartment small, but for two adults, one child and two cats (not to mention all of our stuff), it poses a bit of an organizational challenge. Over the past 6 years, I've become pretty good at handling the challenge, to the point that I actually enjoy it (that is, when I'm not cursing the housing market that makes it impossible for us to move - so much for our "5-7 year home"!!! Anyway.....).

Here's what we have to work with in our cozy house:

Three bedrooms. This is rare in such a small house. Even though the bedrooms are small (8'x10'), at least there are three of them - this helps a lot in terms of creating separate spaces and privacy. One is a non-conforming bedroom which means that it doesn't have a closet.

One full bathroom with enough storage for towels, cleaning supplies, extra toilet paper and toiletries. The bathroom is actually where we have the greatest ratio of built-in storage to square footage, maybe with the exception of the kitchen?

Kitchen (not eat-in) - plenty of cupboard space, thanks in part to the fact that we don't have a dishwasher! ;)

Dining room - one tiny closet.

Living room/entry way - no built-in storage here, but my talented father crafted some beautiful custom hook rails (two of them with five hooks on each one) in the corner by our entryway for coats.

Closets: 3 in total. We have two closets of standard door width (26"), by 30" deep and as tall as our ceilings (8'). They do the job for mine and hubby's clothing (we each have one; Eliza uses a dresser) with the help of some mad closet organization and storage solutions. We also have one teensy closet in our dining room. It's not quite as deep as a standard hanger - I know because we use it to hang winter coats and things, and the hangers have to hang diagonally in order to close the door! Thankfully, it's about one inch wider than my wooden folding chairs, so I can store those there.

My new motto around the house is: question everything. For example: Are we absolutely sure we need this {widget/gadget/dresser/random item}? Or, who says we can't store the food processor on the top shelf of my closet? It's more easily accessible there than in the basement. And hey - why can't this wine rack double as a pants-holder when hung on the wall of my closet?? (easily one of my favorites!). We use under-the-bed storage like it's our job, our coffee table is a trunk that houses our extra blankets and hubby's gaming equipment, and baskets line the shelves (also made by my talented Dad!) in Eliza's room that store her next-size-up clothes (only clothes that currently fit her go in her dresser) and other necessities. We're serious about alternative storage in this house!

In addition to storage solutions, living in a small house demands efficient use of space. So, even if the answer seems unorthodox, I always ask: how could we better arrange this room to get the most out of the space? An example: our bedroom isn't being used to its full potential - but for years we thought we didn't have any other options because "this is the only configuration that allows our nightstands to fit next to the bed! what about our nightstands? WE NEED NIGHTSTANDS. Right? Right?" It took a while for us to see that - hmm - maybe we don't need nightstands! Huh. What would that be like? Could we install a few corner shelves instead to store our alarm clock/kleenex box/kindles there? Then, we could move the bed over there to the corner, and then look how much floor space is opened up. Then we wouldn't have to SHUFFLE SIDEWAYS to get past the end of our bed (we currently only have 11 inches between the end of our bed and the wall). How novel. We're moving the bed tonight and we're going to try it out. I'll let you know how it goes!

Does anyone else out there live in a cozy, er, spaciously-challenged home? What are your tricks? I have a few that I'll share in my next post. I'd love to hear yours too!

Big Girl Beds and Babies

2012-01-06T23:03:00.001-06:00

Eliza is getting her big girl bed next weekend, and she is very excited. We've been talking about it for a while, and she has been saying how she is going to sleep in it ALL NIGHT LONG, MAMA! Okay, honey, we'll see!

We've also been talking about babies - we know a few babies, siblings of some of her toddler friends - and she is quite enamored with them. Hubby has started asking her if she wants a baby to come live in our house (OMG no I'm not pregnant), mostly to see her reaction when he asks his follow-up question: "would you share your milky with a baby brother or sister?". Usually she says "no", or, more specifically, "no that's MINE'S!". But more recently she's been getting a bit more on board with the whole big girl concept and is changing her mind.

I got a little bit of this conversation on video today and she even went so far as to explain where a baby would sleep. So cute. She definitely understands baby things vs. big girl things and I'm hoping this will eventually lead to the promised sleeping in her bed ALL NIGHT LONG, MAMA! Until then... we're good (baby steps, right?).

Starting Over

2012-01-04T21:57:00.001-06:00

Looking back at my goals for 2011, I realized that, while I met a few of them, I really didn't do so well overall.

I am still working on my Special topic paper (2nd of 2 prelims required for my Ph.D. program); I was hoping to have that finished and handed in in 2011. Thanks to certain circumstances - some of which were in my control, some of which were not... I'm way behind and had to essentially start over at the beginning of November. Honestly, I feel like a big fat failure on most days when I think about it. What a way to start the year - by realizing you are in the exact same spot you were 365 days ago. It makes it hard to find the motivation to keep trudging on. But, here I sit at the beginning of 2012, once again listing "Pass my Special" as a goal. *sigh*

Okay, I just realized that I also listed "finish my coursework" as a 2011 goal, and I did do that. So, there's something!

(But... "hammering out a plan for my dissertation"? HA! And also: HAHAHA!)

Another 2011 goal was to focus more on my relationship with my husband. I definitely think we did a good job here - we had many fun date nights, vacations, time as a family and time for just the two of us on the weekends... it was a good year in that respect. And that, my friends, is huge. We're not perfect, but we work at it and never take our marriage for granted. And, we try to laugh and have as much fun as possible!

Being present in the moment and not worrying about what else I should be doing. This is a constant battle but I think I am doing a lot to win this one. I've stopped so many many times over the past 12 months to think how lucky I am in this moment... and in this one...and oh. Oh, this one is so good. I marvel at my little girl, my little family, my extended family, my friends. I love it all, I soak it up and cherish it. I file things away in my mind, take pictures, and try to memorize each day because they are so so good. And I live in the moment as best as I can and as often as I can. So yeah, even though I do sometimes need work to be vigilant about this one, I think I'm doing okay.

Building up our savings account. Uhhhhhhhh, yeah no. Let's break this down: funding slashed = lost my job = down to one income = had to take out loans for school = depleted savings account. FUN TIMES. We're definitely hanging on to that "money can't buy happiness" idea. It really is true, I know it, I live it. But it does buy longterm financial security! ;)

Taking more time for me. Hm. This is a tricky one. Yes and no, I guess. I definitely got my fair share of mani/pedis, facials, salon appointments last year... yeah, I have been fairly well groomed and spa'ed (I know that is totally not a word, btw) lately. But... I haven't taken the time to take care of my physical self like I need to. Exercise - it's the one thing that falls by the wayside. I made time for school work, for relaxing and enjoying "me" time in ways that involve going to the spa, seeing friends, catching up on my favorite shows (Mad Men, Weeds, Grey's, Project Runway, Up All Night)... but finding time to get regular, real, exercise? Nope. And I have the extra 10 pounds to prove it (the 10 pounds that I lost after losing the baby weight in 2010. GO ME.)

I just reread this post and... it's sort of depressing! So I'll end it on a good note:

In 2011, I had all that I needed. I had the health and love and support of a wonderful family, I was content, and I was grateful.

2012, this is all that I need from you.

Some of my favorite Eliza-isms

2011-12-22T20:49:00.000-06:00

This girl is unstoppable in the language department lately. I am soaking up her little phrases, and all the cuteness that comes with them - the broken English, incorrect pronouns and plurals... I love it! Is it weird of me to say that I'll miss it when she can speak proper English?

Here are some excerpts from the past few days:

"Pick you up, Mama?" (you = me)

"Dark is chasing me! Turn light on make dark go away."

"Sometimes food is healthy in my tummy"

"Make crayons be nudey!" (as she strips the paper wrapper off)

"That's a raw egg mama, I have to cook it. See raw egg Maxx? It's too yucky. I cook it."

"Santa might bring Eliza a tiny candy cane. Only ONE tiny candy cane. Santa bring Mama and Dada a BIG candy cane. Bring Eliza a tiny candy cane, just my size."

"Is too windy, Mama. Need your hood on" (as she pulls my jacket hood onto my head). Aww.

"Eliza running like a crazy girl!"

I love that crazy girl.

Wordless Wednesday: The Wednesday Before Christmas

2011-12-21T19:05:00.002-06:00

(E & her auntie Kelly at my parents' house)

EASY Candied Pecans

2011-12-20T22:00:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share my candied pecan recipe in case anyone is interested.

It is super easy and they are delicious! Little jars or bags of these make great gifts for anyone. It is a relatively inexpensive gifts to make, too, at about $2 per jar.

Recipe:

1 lb pecan halves

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 egg whites

1 Tablespoon water

1 gallon ziploc bag

In the ziploc bag, mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Beat the egg whites and the water into a froth. Add the pecans and stir to coat.

Toss the pecans into the ziploc bag and shake it around until they are covered with the sugar mixture.

Pour into shallow baking dish (I used two 9x13" pans) and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Once cooled, put them into six small mason jars, tie twine or yarn around the lid and attach a little gift tag with the recipe on it. I used store bought tags that I got after Christmas last year, but you can be more crafty than me and make your own tags! Or, you could print these from the Pioneer Woman...

Enjoy!

What we've been up to lately.

2011-12-19T22:05:00.001-06:00

Making a gingerbread house

Learning to roll out dough... we'll try again next year :)

Making gingerbread men...

...and women!

Making little jars of candied pecans to give out as gifts.

Aren't they cute?

Making lefse with my mom and my sister-in-law.

(SIL learning how to roll out lefse. It's not easy!)

Making rosettes for the first time.

So, basically, lots of Christmastime baking, and sharing in the buttery merriment with friends and family.
I'm savoring each and every moment.
It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

Do People Think I'm Weird? Probably.

2011-12-08T21:05:00.001-06:00

Scene: Buying a new nursing bra today at Mother.hood Maternity. At the checkout counter.
Cast of characters: Me, Eliza, Cashier

Cashier: "When are you due?"
Me: "Oh I'm not pregnant. Just nursing."
Cashier: "..." She looks at Eliza (who is at this exact moment walking up to me carrying a rather large sign advertising 2 for $20 t-shirts), then back at me, confused.

Oh. Right! Most people do not associate a nursing mother with a toddler. It just did not compute in her brain. No biggie, I know it's a little different to most people.

Me: "Um. Yeah, I'm still nursing this one."
Cashier: "Oh..."

It was so awkward! She really didn't know what to say to me after that - and I totally wasn't offended or anything, in fact she hid her surprise/shock/real reaction quite well and was not rude... but I could tell my answer caught her off guard.

It is definitely starting to feel like people are looking at me like "WTF!!??" when they find out Eliza is still nursing. *sigh* It's to the point that I don't really offer up this piece of information when I'm in certain company. It's just easier that way.

What are they going to think when she's still nursing at THREE??!! 'Cuz this one does not show any signs of slowing down... Eliza and her milky are like *THIS*!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-06T20:57:00.001-06:00

Creating Memories

2011-12-03T20:57:00.001-06:00

We put up the tree today and decorated the house for Christmas.

Even though Eliza was having a day full of some trying little toddler moments... it was so special.

Grandma and Grandpa came over and we trimmed the tree, set up our Dickens houses, shared homemade lefse and a "frosty" (snowman) cookie, and watched as Eliza learned about traditions, the magic of Christmas, and hopefully, about how much her mama and dada love Christmas.

We introduced her to our special ornaments - the one that we had made the year she was born, with my favorite "classic" Eliza picture on it - the one from Nana and PopPop for her baptism, captain kirk and all his ships, the little glass sandal, and the pretty white bird, the stork ornament I got while I was pregnant with her that said "2007", which I used a sharpie to make it say "2009" (hey, it was only $2.50!), the little snowman family my BFF gave us when Eliza was born (I could go on and on!)... it was sweet.

It was the first of many tree trimmings. I love it, and I love making memories with her - that's what it's about, it's all part of creating memories for Eliza, for me, for our family. I want to make it magical. I want to make it special and sweet and something she looks forward to, just like my parents did for me.

And now, I'm sitting in my cozy house with candles glowing (okay they're electric candles. what? I have a toddler!), thinking about the fun day we had, and how much I hope it was special for Eliza, too.

To top it off? It's snowing!

At 2 Years Old

2011-11-29T21:07:00.001-06:00

Eliza talks about everything and anything. This afternoon, she said "There are too many noodles in my tummy, Mama!". I reminded her that we had noodles for dinner a few days ago, but not today. "TUMMY HURTING", she said to me in [joking] reply. Okay, honey!

Eliza plays pretend and makes up elaborate stories about her toys. Two of her bath toys are named after her two cousins, and her bath cow, aptly named "Cowgee" regularly flies on a plane (a baby bathtub, of course) to visit them in Seattle. Then they all go home to the sink to have tea.

She adores books lately, even more than before (and I thought she liked them before). She's been reading them to her animals and dolls now. I was working at the dining room table the other day when I heard her in her room reading to her Ernie doll. I figured out which book she was reading just by listening to her tell the story to Ernie: "Three bears walk in woods. Eat!" and then, "Run run run!". Any guesses? The Three Bears of course. :) It was priceless.

Totally unrelated -- but does anyone else watch the show 'Parenthood'? They should just call it "The Show Where Everyone Talks Over One Another". OMG SO ANNOYING!

Eliza is my little buddy these days - we have little chats, we go everywhere together (well, that's not really new), and we cook and bake together a lot too. She has really gotten excited about helping us in the kitchen. She knows all about the mixer, about what the olive oil is for, how to be careful around the stove, how to dump things into the bowl and stir... and she is so cute when she helps us. It's just so different - so so fun - now that she can talk so much and actually converse!

Eliza is more like a little girl now at age 2. In every way - her body seems more lean and long, her hands are little kid hands... no more baby fat and wrist rolls. I miss the baby fat (and oh my gosh was she ever a chunk!), but it's so neat to see her growing - physically and otherwise - into a little girl. Once she's potty trained and there's no more diaper butt (especially no more cloth diaper butt!), she'll seem even more grown. I know, I know, that's the point, right??!!

Testing, testing, testing. There's quite a bit of that going on in this house these days. I can see her wheels turning... 'what happens when I do... THIS?!' It's her job right now - y'know, all part of growing up. Limits, logical consequences, positive reinforcement and discipline... yes, we've got it all going on. And thus, our job is only just beginning!

I know I keep saying this - and I know every parent says this - but her language development has just gone nuts lately! She uses words and phrases I had no idea she knew... she picks up EVERY. THING. You only have to say something once - she'll repeat anything you say. It's so true what they say about kids being sponges.

Well, I started this post yesterday night and now it's the next day and I'm at a coffee shop studying, so I better just hit 'publish' because I can't think of anything else, and I have to get back to work - my 10 minute break is up! You know, work for 45 minutes, take a 10 minute break...? It's the only way I can get anything done... who is ready for this semester to be OVER??? THIS GIRL.

A 2nd Birthday in Photos

2011-11-29T12:53:00.001-06:00

Riding "horsies" with Grandma

Riding the choo-choo with Mama. Mama *barely* fit in that thing...

Birthday frozen yogurt

Birthday dinner at our favorite Pho place

Cupcake tower! Coconut-vanilla made my Dada, salted caramel chocolate made by Grandma

Eliza loved her little cake, but just ate a few bites and then said she was done - very sensible girl (unlike her mama!!).

Opening presents (while wearing another present on her head - thanks for the headband Aunt Sarah!)

Thankful.

2011-11-23T22:43:00.001-06:00

What are you thankful for today?

...here's my list:

1. the warm kitty curled up at my feet

2. the good health of my family

3. knit socks

4. a certain toddler, wrapped up burrito-style after bath

5. my kindle

6. a husband who lets me sleep in

7. apple products

8. weekday morning breakfasts with eliza, my mom, and my dad

9. my education

10. an oven to bake pies in

11. my mom & dad

12. strangers who give random compliments

13. eliza's kisses

14. sweet notes from my husband

15. aveda products

16. my cozy comfy little house

17. a husband who can bake tastier cakes than I can

18. tea parties with eliza

19. yoga

20. laughing with my besties

image credit

Partay!

2011-11-20T20:25:00.001-06:00

Eliza's party was today, and after a rough start to the day - refusing to nap, and she had a cold - the party was a success! Our food theme was "dips", partly because the party was at 3:00 and I didn't want to serve a big meal, and partly because I was trying to avoid having to use forks (ended up still needing them, but oh well!), so we had guacamole and chips, devil's caviar (also for the chips), spinach and artichoke dip with crackers, baked brie and veggies and dill dip. And then of course, there was dessert! My mom made the most delicious chocolate w/salted caramel cupcakes, and hubby made the yummiest coconut-vanilla cupcakes. I have to say, I could honestly not pick a favorite... so I had half of each. Eliza loved her party, and was totally comfortable and happy even with all the people and noise and chaos (and without her nap) - she really is a trooper, so flexible and willing to go with the flow.

A few highlights from the day:

As everyone was singing happy birthday, I was holding Eliza's little cake out for her with the little "2" candle lit... and I started to tear up just watching her and listening to everyone -- so many people who love and care for her, who have supported us for the last 2 years -- sing to her, to my sweet girl... it was so overwhelming and touching and I think it just hit me that she's TWO now, and really her own little person... very memorable.

After she blew out her candle (she totally blew it out all by herself - haha it was pretty cute :) and everyone clapped, the room fell silent and Eliza just said "need spoon!". HA! The girl just wanted to dig into her cake!

My brother gave Eliza a special little straw sippy cup in the shape of a bunny. It is completely adorable and "leak-resistant" - and I have to say, it really is! I will let you all know when it hits the shelves, it's a bit of a preview of an item that his team worked on (he's an engineer). I was really touched that he thought to give one to his niece on her birthday.

Eliza's Nana gave her a whole bag of gingerbread making supplies and other accessories for the Christmas season - it is so sweet! There's a gingerbread house kit, lots of gingerbread cookie cutters (including the elusive gingerbread woman!), gingerbread cookie-making supplies, a sweet gingerbread-themed child-sized apron, and gingerbread man kitchen towels. It was sweet because Eliza has really gotten into baking with her Dada, so it will be lots of fun for them (and I'll join in the fun too!).

Oh! And one from earlier this morning. Hubby and I set up her play kitchen - her gift from us - last night after Eliza went to sleep and so when she woke up this morning we brought her over to it. The look on her face was so so so sweet; I think I will remember it forever! It was the face of pure toddler joy, and also a shy little look that said "really? this is for me?". Priceless.

Eliza's voice got a bit hoarse by the end of the day - both because of her cold, and all the excitement, I think. Bu that little voice talking like that was really cute. Haha, is that horrible of me that I think my daughter's sick voice is cute?? It's a bit lower and all scratchy... I think it's adorable!

My amazing hubby did SO much work today - not only did he make the cupcakes, he did almost all of the party clean-up, and I am so grateful. I hate that part of the party - I love the setting up, the cleaning and prepping FOR the party, but afterwards it's such a letdown and all I want to do is sit on the couch (or in this case, sit down and ~~play with~~ organize Eliza's new play kitchen, food, and dishes!!).

The day was wonderful and I so soooooo appreciate every one of the family and friends who help make Eliza's life so rich and full of love. Many of those people were at her party today, but due to space issues (i.e. we live in a shoebox of a house - but it's a cute little 900 square foot shoebox!), some of those people were not. So, to ALL of you (you know who you are!), thank you thank you thank you. We are amazingly lucky and grateful to have such a network of loving friends and family who support us in so many ways. I hope someday I am able to have all of you in one room together :)

Photos to come!

2 years, 1 day...

2011-11-15T08:10:00.000-06:00

...and still going strong!

Happy Birthday Eliza!

2011-11-14T07:16:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday to the sweetest, smartest, most loved, happiest, cutest, most adventurous, flexible, reasonable, and fun TWO YEAR OLD I know!

To our miracle girl.

Our long-awaited, hoped-and-dreamed-for... you. It was always meant to be you.

Happy birthday to you, my little love.

I can't believe it's been two years, and yet I can't believe it's only been two years.

xoxo

Mama

Two years ago.

2011-11-13T12:30:00.000-06:00

Two years ago today...

I was laboring at home, writing emails to Hubby that got less and less coherent as the day went on.

I soaked my ginormous self in our teeny tiny tub, dreaming of what my baby would look like. I got out, and my cat jumped in the water. I then chased her soaking wet mop of fur around my house... and then had a contraction.

It was the last day I didn't feel the need to "suck it in". Ah, pregnancy.

My mom got in a minor car accident on her way to my house after I called her telling her I thought I might be in labor.

Hubby came home from work to find me in full-on labor...then raced around the house packing a [second] hospital bag, not realizing we already had one packed and in the car. We ended up bringing way too much stuff!

My mom took this picture:

Laboring at home. I sort of forgot how much that hurt!

I learned that seat belts (and cars in general) were not designed with the laboring woman in mind.

I saw my husband become the best, most attentive, engaged birth partner I could have asked for.

My life was about to drastically change forever.

I was not yet a mama.

...and then, 16 hours after that picture up there was taken, I was.

Normal, Wonderful, Precious Day

2011-11-12T20:42:00.001-06:00

We had a great day today. It started out with mama sleeping in and then going to yoga with Ashley, and then going for tea and a croissant - a great start to my Saturday!

While I did that, Eliza and Dada went to breakfast at their favorite place, and then to a toy store. Hubby has been looking forward to this for AGES. He wanted to take Eliza and let her pick out one thing to buy for a special birthday present from him (did you know that baby girl turns TWO on Monday??). He was more excited than she was, I think. First, Hubby said they went to the bakery down the street from the toy store and shared a birthday cupcake (hey, we milk birthdays for as long as possible around here - we have what is called "birthday WEEK"). At the toy store, they played for over an hour before Eliza carefully chose what she wanted to bring home. She finally settled on a tea set. That is a very rare treat for our girl (um, so rare in fact that this was the first time it has happened!), and it was clear she understood that this was a special day. Hubby said they came home and had a tea party together right away. Aw. Wish I had a photo of that!

I came home feeling great (although a little sore - getting back into yoga practice is tough!). Tried to get Eliza to take a long nap since she went to bed late last night, but she thought 30 minutes was enough, so we just played and read books until Dada got up from HIS nap. Then Eliza and Hubby decided to tag along with me to my hair appointment - they played at a playground nearby while I got my hair cut. When they picked me up, Eliza said "nice hair, mama!" Haha, I wonder who coached her?? :) Then it was off to the Children's Museum where we had a great evening playing with face paints, exploring the new exhibits, as well as visiting her old favorites - she specifically requested the Habitot ("hava-tot") and water table ("otter table") galleries. That girl is getting so good at ~~demanding things~~ communicating! ;)

After about an hour and a half of playing, we were all getting hungry, so Dada suggested we continue the birthday week celebration with a special dinner out for sushi. Why not? She's almost two, it's about time for her first sushi, right? Hubby and I love sushi and were hoping Eliza would too. We thought we'd give her an easy intro to the sushi world by ordering her a california roll. She seemed to enjoy it! It was pretty cute. She also enjoyed watching the men make the sushi behind the bar and watching the Japenese cartoons they had playing on the TV. It was a memorable, and really really fun day as a family of three.

Painting her face. Then she moved on to painting Mama & Dada's faces...

Reading the Peter Rabbit story board at the Storyland exhibit

Getting ready to go on a safari in the rainforest...

Trying her first sushi roll!

Hubby and his girlie martini - note the face paint. He didn't take it off until after she went to sleep tonight. What a guy.

A First (aka: Your Mom Getting All Sappy On You)

2011-11-03T22:43:00.003-05:00

Eliza, today was a big day for you. This morning, you went to play at the hourly daycare co-op that we joined. You have been there once before, this was your second visit there. Last week, you did great, though your teachers said you did get a little sad about 30 minutes before I came to pick you up. But, even with that, you were happy as can be when I picked you up and you told me you had "fun!" playing there. So I was not surprised when I dropped you off there again this morning and you happily said goodbye to me and started playing without a problem (you have NEVER ONCE cried when I have left you with someone!).

I returned three hours later. When I walked in the room, I couldn't find you playing in the classroom anywhere. All of a sudden I heard Teacher Claire's voice say: "She fell asleep about 45 minutes ago! Isn't she cute?".

Hold up.

What?

My brain did not compute. Certainly she must have me mistaken for someone else (but she should KNOW who I AM, I thought. How could she get me mixed up with another parent? For that split second, I was so annoyed!), because you, my dear child, will not fall asleep for anyone but me (and sometimes Grandma) - no way, no how! And yet, there you were. Asleep on the big stuffed doggie in the corner of the room. My sweet sweet baby - asleep...??? This was so out of context and confusing for my brain that I immediately starting panicking internally. Yes, this over-protective mama's first thought was "AHMYGOD MAH POOR BAYBEE!" I can't explain it, exactly, but my immediate fear was that you had been so upset that you cried yourself to sleep and were scared and alone and missing your mama, and, and, and...more drama and helicopter parenting, etc.

Teacher Claire said that you did get a little sad while out on the playground, about an hour before I was scheduled to come pick you up, and that she told you that mama was coming back soon ("Mamas always come back!") and that you understood that and continued to play. Then, you came back into the classroom with Teacher Claire and went to lay down on the floor with a baby doll. She said you were a bit fussy and whiny and she thought you were tired. So she picked you up and put you over on the big soft cuddly doggie and you fell asleep.

Okay, that sounded fine... even though my brain was still confused, I thanked her, I woke you up softly and we went home.

Then I started thinking more and worrying more (haha of course!) and wanted to know all the minute details of how this went down. So, I emailed teacher Claire. She was so kind and emailed me back right away. Here is her email:

Hi Ella, I will break down Eliza's day for you:

9-10 we have free play. Eliza played in the house area (she went on a picnic with some other friends). We read books ("The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear" SEVERAL times) She played with the magnetic train set, balls and bean bags; pushed babies around in the cart; built and knocked down block structures...kind of a usual morning here. :)

At 10:00 we have snack time. We had Cheerios and raisins. She ate a great snack and enjoyed hanging out with her friends.

Around 10:15/10:30ish we have group time. We read our book "Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin" and talked about jack-o-lanterns. We sang Halloween songs, did the 5 Little Pumpkin flannel board story and sang Baby Beluga. We talked about the letter O practicing the sounds that O makes in the microphone and discussing words that start with O. She participated at group time and enjoyed singing the songs especially.

Around 10:40/10:50ish we went outside to play. We were on the playground for about 10 minutes when she started to get sad and ask for mommy and daddy. Susan and I kept reminding her that moms and dads always come back. That seemed to help. She said "yeah" and then go play for another few minutes. This cycle repeated a few times. I asked if she wanted to come in early with me to set out lunches. She said yes, so she and some of the friends came in at around 11:20. She was so tired she was sort of whiney but not really crying. When we came into the classroom she laid on the floor with a baby and in about 30 seconds I could see that she was almost asleep. So I scooped her up and laid her on Big Puppy (mostly because she was in front of the door and I didn't want her to get stepped on when the other kids came in from the playground). She snuggled in and fell right to sleep. I was sort of expecting her to wake up when the class came in (and sat next to her on Big Puppy) but she didn't, she slept right through it!

She was sound asleep by 11:30 and stayed that way until you came to get her.

Her morning was great! She was busy all morning and played with many different toys and lots of different kids. She wasn't crabby AT ALL and she would let us comfort her and it seemed to help her to feel better. She just seemed to be worn out by the end of a busy morning. All the kids were--it takes a couple of days for them to come down from Halloween. :)

I was so very calmed and comforted by this email that I nearly burst into tears. You are such a strong, smart little girl, Eliza. "What a competent child," your Grandma said to me in an email today, "able to console herself and find comfort from others." It's so true. You are growing up not only physically, but emotionally. You are, as we say in the family field, securely attached. You know that mom and dad are here and will have your back - and so, you are independent, you are growing (tiny, for now!) wings. You know we will be here to catch you if you fall and so you feel confident going out into the world on your own. Right now, that world is small and safe - it's your day care center - but you are exploring it and mastering it with ease and confidence. Soon, it will be your grade school, your friends' houses, your peer group, your dorm room...your first job... and I know you will be just as confident in all of those settings. Even if you feel sad or scared at times like you might have today, you will look back and see us there supporting you and rooting for you and you'll know that it's okay to go and explore and discover the new world around you.

It may sound like a silly little thing to some people, that you fell asleep on your own today... but it represented so much more to your daddy and me. We love you so much and are so proud of you, and that will never change.

xoxo

Mama

What she said.

2011-11-02T21:39:00.002-05:00

My little chatter box is saying so much lately, I just can't keep up! So many parents note (and remember!) when and what their little ones say down to the exact word and day, and I feel horrible because I can't even tell you which new words she learns on a day-to-day basis -- I just can't keep up! She says new things every day, makes new sentences, comes up with things I know we didn't teach her... it's amazing to see her vocab and her speech grow by leaps and bounds!

Eliza said to me this morning as we were getting out of the car: "Eliza want to make cake". I had to tell her that it was nap time so we couldn't make a cake right then. To this, she replied: "Eliza sad".

Discussing her Halloween adventures this afternoon with her grandpa, she told him: "Uncle Reid give Eliza candy". It's true. My brother gave her as much candy as she could eat on Halloween night when we drove over to their house for a surprise trick-or-treat visit.

As we lounged on the couch this afternoon, she told me: "nice nose, Mama!", followed by "nice chin, Mama!", and finally: "nice eyes, Mama!".

She really likes to recite the rhyme (with hand gestures of course) "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors see all the people!". It comes out more like "Here church, here steeple, open.........see peeeeeeeeeeople!"

Eliza was sitting on a stool at our kitchen counter while I was making dinner tonight, playing with our jar of coins, a dish towel, and a magazine, and eating cheerios. She said "Eliza having party!" It was so cute! And then she randomly said "Eliza funny". She says this a lot. She must think she is pretty funny :) She is right, of course.

Counting is big in Eliza's life right now - we count everything these days. She often counts my earrings, her elbows, her eyes, the cats... yes, counting to the number 2 is big around here! She can count to five, too, but so far, it is coming out: "one...two...five!"

Some other favorites: "Belle chasing you!" (when she says "you" she really means "me"), "Eliza run away" (whenever she doesn't want to do something she is supposed to be doing - e.g. getting dressed). "Eliza have one" (and she hold up one little finger when she says this).

My girl is talking up a storm these days - I wish I could remember every little thing she says. This is just a handful. It is just astounding how quickly she picks up new words and phrases. I am really loving this age. It comes with some extra challenges, sure - just like every other stage - but the ability to communicate with her is so cool...and handy!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:28:00.002-05:00

Barn Time

2011-10-25T13:37:00.000-05:00

Eliza's love for horses is growing with the help of her Aunt Kelly, my brother's wife. Kelly has had horses all her life and is the perfect person to teach Eliza about them. I really hope Eliza's love for horses continues and that she can learn from Kelly as she grows.

On Saturday, Eliza and I drove out to the barn to meet Kelly, who said Eliza could ride with her that day. This was Eliza's third time riding a horse, so I'm sure she felt like an old pro. Haha. This time, we helped Aunt Kelly bring in the horse Eliza would be riding, "G" (short for Gallahad):

Kelly showed Eliza how to clean out G's hooves, and then Eliza helped brush him.

After Aunt Kelly saddled him up, Eliza was chomping at the bit (haha) to get on, so we wasted no time. Kelly asked Eliza if she would like to ride by herself or if she'd like to ride with her and Eliza said, very clearly "by self". Eliza loves her Auntie, but I guess she wanted to have the saddle all to herself this time!

Eliza was on cloud nine on that horse! Kelly lead G around the property a bit, and Eliza just sat there riding with the biggest smile on her face. G was so incredibly sweet and gentle, the perfect "kid" horse, as Kelly said.

We are so very lucky to have Auntie Kelly in our family (but not just for the access to the horses, of course!). I hope there are many more days like this in Eliza's future!

Three Things

2011-10-21T20:34:00.001-05:00

Three things that are making me happy right now:

1) Fall decor. Ornamental corn (we used to call it "Indian Corn", but I'm pretty sure that's not PC...!), pumpkins, gourds, leaves in a rainbow of fall colors... Eliza likes to tell me each time we walk in the house that she hung the corn, she picked out that pumpkin, she hung up that halloween decoration (the mummy is her favorite)... she's really getting to understand the concept of decorating. I am already looking forward to Christmas with her!

2) Beautiful fall weather (do you sense a pattern? we love fall around this house!)! It is so gorgeous here right now so we are doing a lot of playing outside in the backyard and taking walks.

3) Baking. Eliza is getting to the age where she can (sort of) help in the kitchen and it is SO much fun. She has watched me cook and bake (and her Dada too), and for her to now be invited to help is totally rocking her world. She pushes her chair up to the counter and helps us crack eggs, add the flour, stir... and she loves watching the mixer go "round round!" I've dreamed of baking with her since before she was born, so this new stage is totally rocking my world as well :)

What's making you happy right now?

What she was offered...

2011-10-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

Today there is no "what she ate" photo, NOT because I forgot to take an after photo (which is usually the case), but because... she ate it all! This is rare, people. In fact, I have an upcoming installment in which she ate NOTHING. There is no predicting toddlers and their eating.

{pb+j on whole wheat toast round w/our homemade jelly!}

{string cheese pieces}

{half a banana}

{three strawberries}

The last of the "months old"

2011-10-14T09:01:00.001-05:00

Today my girl is 23 months old. This officially marks the last month that I will say that Eliza is "___ months old", something I have done for almost 2 years. Lately, I have been saying "almost 2" when people ask me how old she is, but still... it's a milestone, and means my baby is growing into a little girl!

Happy 23 months, big girl!

Wordless Wednesday: BFFs

2011-10-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

Talking up a storm!

2011-10-03T20:27:00.001-05:00

Eliza is talking so much lately! She's starting to put sentences together and use phrases. I swear her vocab doubles every day. She will repeat anything we say, and has also started to form her own sentences.

Here are a few of the things she's saying these days:

"Where did it go?" (she hides something and then asks this, hand gesture and all)
"There it is!""
"Eliza drink Isaac's water" (this one she put together all by herself last week when we were watching Isaac and she stole his sippy)
"Eliza wants more"
"By self" or "Eliza do it" (she uses these when she wants to do something without your help - which is basically all the time)
"I don't!" (this one is used anytime she doesn't want to do something, doesn't want YOU to do something, or basically doesn't want to agree with what you are asking her to do)
"Eliza's running!/jumping!/walking!/chasing!/drinking/eating" (she likes to narrate what she's doing. So cute!)
"Uppa-dee-dee" (this is her request for you to pick her up)
"Change diaper"
"Milk please mama"

I know I'm forgetting a lot right now; I'll add to this list as I remember more. I'd like to get some recordings of her talking. Her speech is changing so rapidly that soon she will sound completely different I'm sure. It would be fun to have a recording of how she sounded before she could really talk. My iPod has a voice recording app which would work better than a video recording since as soon as I take out the video camera, she clams up!

In which Eliza learns about cookie dough...

2011-10-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

What she was offered...

2011-10-01T19:23:00.001-05:00

{green peas}

{string cheese}

{apple slices}

{rice + beans}

{strawberries}

I've been using leftovers a lot lately for lunches. Eliza loves it and it's super easy for me. We've also been loving sweet tango apples, too. Yum!

So happy fall is here :)

Uninspired

2011-09-29T08:02:00.000-05:00

I have been neglecting this space lately and I'm not sure why. I guess I could say that I've been busy, and that my time on the computer has been spent on school work (which is totally true), but honestly I just haven't been making it a priority lately. I don't like feeling guilty that I haven't been blogging, but that's what always happens. I constantly tell myself throughout the day "oh I should blog about that" - when Eliza does something new and/or "bloggable", or when I think about some topic that interests me and want the opinion from my fellow bloggy friends... and then I *don't* blog, and then I forget what it was I was going to write about, and then I feel guilty for not having written it down when I thought of it in the first place... and that was a run-on sentence. Which is very much how I feel like my life has been lately - one big run-on sentence that isn't very organized or coherent!

So, yeah, that's all to say that I will be back. :)

WW: Making jelly from our grapes!

2011-09-21T21:41:00.000-05:00

21/22 Month Update

2011-09-18T21:39:00.001-05:00

Eliza is 22 months old! She is going to be two (TWO? Did I just say TWO?!!) on November 14th. And this mama is going to need a pause button, RIGHT QUICK.

So here are some bullets about what's been going on in The World of Eliza over the last two months, and in between I put some of my favorite pics of my girl over the last month or so.

Eliza is talking in very short sentences - one of her favorite is "Eliza's _____." She likes to identify what is hers. She hasn't figured out the word "mine" yet, but I'm sure it is just a matter of time. Another favorite is "More ____ please!" or "Yes please mama" when she wants something. She's picked up many other phrases and sentences lately, too. Too many to remember right now... but a couple of my favorites are: "Eliza do it by self", and "Eliza/Mama put it/milk/water in there!" (can be either a command or a statement of fact).

Playing her xylophone - the girl's already got talent!

She is much better about not throwing her food - this is new in the last two months or so. She used to throw her food 99% of the time after she was finished eating and now she simply hands her plate (or any food she doesn't want) to me or hubby instead of throwing it. If she does throw any, we ask her to pick it up after she is done eating, and she (usually) complies and actually seems to like picking it up and taking it to the garbage. "Throw away!", she says.

Helping mama and grandma pick some grapes and some peppers from the garden

Eliza is so so sweet. She likes to lay her head on my chest after she wakes up from nap and then she asks me to sing to her. It is so adorable. She just needs some time to wake up, and she wants to do it in the arms of her mama. Makes me feel so lucky and just so so happy to be her mom. I love my girl. She is also an excellent hugger, and will hug you and say "hug" (which sounds like "huck").

"Wearing" Grandma's earrings

This girl's intelligence is freaky. You only need to say or do something *one time* for her to remember it and repeat it from then on. She knows so many things, from numbers and letters (a few!), to even our first names! Tonight hubby asked her what mama's name is and she very clearly said "Ella"! I didn't realize my parents had names other than 'mom' and 'papa' until I was like 10. Or, something like that.

First time on a horse - 22 months old - she was a complete NATURAL!

She says "yep!" now, as well as "sure" - I guess that's what we say, so she says it too!? It's so cute. And I think I heard her say "nope" today... which, I guess is at least slightly different than just the plain old "no" that we hear so often... ;) And it's pretty cute, too.

Taking the light rail with Mama

Still nursing and still enjoying every minute - though I am ready to transition to no nighttime nursing. We'll be working on that next month... we even bought a book that talks about it and we've been reading it a lot lately to prepare her. She is ready. It will be hard at first, but she will be okay.

Hair cut #2

Bedtime shifted a bit this summer, it had started to become later and later, which is not something hubby and I were fans of... but we rolled with it. We are trying to ease her into an earlier bedtime in preparation for the fall semester, when I will have work to do and precious little time in which to do it - I do count on those few hours when she's asleep (and I'm not) at night and during nap time to focus on schoolwork. I prefer to focus on my girl - not my computer screen - when she's awake!

Running around near the central library in downtown

Game playing has been a new thing lately. Eliza is figuring out what is funny (and what is not funny, too) or what will get a laugh or a rise out of someone. She plays games with us, makes funny faces, and just acts silly with us. She is my little goofball!

Out to breakfast with mama and dada at the cabin

She is so very observant; nothing slips by her. I never doubt her when she calls out that she saw something in the car or when we're out walking (or even when she sees something on the page of a book that I didn't notice). And her "uh-oh!"s are almost always spot on - so I trust her when I hear an "uh-oh!" from the other room. It usually means something has spilled, she has found some cat vomit (yeah, gross), or she has peed on the floor ;)

Tea time at great aunt Mary's house

We had a really fun summer together, and while I might not have paid as much attention to my school work as I should have, I soaked up the time with my girl, and that is never something I will regret!

Eliza, I love you more every day!

xoxo

Mama

Wordless Wednesday: A Visit from Patrick (and his parents, too!)

2011-09-14T20:33:00.002-05:00

WSWA vs. WSA

2011-09-08T08:43:00.001-05:00

(Today I actually have a what she ate photo!)

{edamame}

{pb pretzels}

{smoked salmon}

{pineapple leftover from a fruit salad}

{vanilla yogurt + berries}

{center: chocolate covered sunflower seeds}

Not surprisingly, the salmon, sunflower seeds, and the edamame are gone :)

I overheard a toddler mama the other day who was worrying that her son didn't eat veggies and was wondering how could she "make him"? I don't think there is any way - at least no good way - to force a toddler to eat a vegetable, or any food they do not want to eat. The only thing we can do is offer our kids nutritious food options over and over AND OVER again ask that they try it. Right? I think that it is their job, their right, to decide whether or not they want to continue eating it.

Eliza loves peas and broccoli, but she's not so keen on other veggies she is offered, and that's okay. But does that mean that I only offer her broccoli and peas as a veggie option? No. I serve her whatever veggie we are eating that night, and she will usually give it a try and dramatically spit it back out on her plate. And then we say "thanks for trying it, Eliza!"

Wordless Wednesday, State Fair Edition

2011-09-06T21:59:00.002-05:00

(words needed here to say: I feel you, Mama)

Today

2011-08-31T21:28:00.001-05:00

Eliza,

Today, I watched you walk out the door with your grandma, on your way to a fun morning date to the Science Museum. You walked down the stairs in front of our little white house, one hand holding the railing, the other holding grandma's hand. You looked like such a big girl. I said to myself 'where did my baby go?' I thought of two summers ago, when I was waddling up and down those stairs, my belly so big and full of life - you were all curled up in there, getting ready to come out - and I was busy getting ready for your arrival: planning a nursery, washing diapers and onesies, all while dreaming of you, my sweet Baby P. How are you already almost two years old?

Today, you played at a little indoor play area at our local mall with grandma and me. We shared (and I use that word lightly because I think you drank most of it) a mango smoothie and you sat on my lap, enjoying the novelty of drinking out of three straws. I told your grandma that last time you and I shared a smoothie (about 6 or 7 months ago), it was a much more equitable experience :) But it's okay, I know it's all part of growing up. You know what is yours, or, more accurately, what you would like to be yours, and you know how to defend it.

You are growing up.

Later, when you were playing (after you made sure that the mango smoothie was gone), you found it difficult to share the play area with the other children, telling them "No" and saying "Eliza's!" when they tried to play where you wanted to play. You were upset that a little girl was on the slide. You pushed her and were not very gentle with her. I jumped up and came over to you and we talked about gentle touches and you told the little girl you were sorry. It was hard for mama to see you do that; I know you are a kind, tender, gentle girl, and you were just having a hard time sharing today.

You are growing up, and this is all part of growing up. As I watched you, again I wondered, 'where did my baby go?'

Today, you pooped in your potty for the first time and you were happy and proud of yourself, and yet, at the same time, it was like it was no big deal to you. You just stood up and slammed the lid shut and (almost) walked away (there was still the small matter of wiping to be dealt with...). When dada came home, you said "I pooped!" and we all laughed and high-fived. When I called grandma and grandpa to tell them, grandpa said it made him a little sad - you are growing up.

Today, I am a very proud, very happy mama.

There are moments when this is hard. Like, really really hard. Moments when parenting you, my dear toddler girl, is not fun, or even The Thing I Would Like To Be Doing Most at that moment. But that is normal, and those moments pass. And I remind myself that each day will be different, each day you will change, that 'this too shall pass'... I remind myself that you are growing up. And it is bittersweet.

Today, you needed me when daddy was rinsing your soapy hair at bath time. You were scared and didn't want all the water splashing over your head. You are usually okay with it, but tonight you weren't, and we don't know why, but you just needed to be held while daddy rinsed your hair. I held you and told you it was okay and that the water wouldn't hurt you, but that I would hold you and give you kisses while daddy poured the water. You agreed, and I gave you big raspberry kisses on your belly - just like I've been doing since you were one week old - and you laughed, which made me laugh.

Today, you grew up a little bit more. But I want you to know that you will always be my baby and I will always be here to hold you when you are scared - even if all you are scared of is bath water.

Eliza, you are growing up, but you will always be my baby girl, and I will always be your Mama. I love you so much.

xoxo

Mama

Wordless Wednesday - Video Edition

2011-08-31T10:02:00.000-05:00

At the coral reef exhibit at the zoo

WSWO vs. WSA

2011-08-29T21:15:00.002-05:00

A two-for-one installment of What She Was Offered is about all I have time for on this fine Monday. It's been a good day, after a wonderful weekend, but this mama is beat!

For some reason I don't have the 'after' photos showing what was left over when she was done for either of these two lunches. My camera ran out of batteries before I could snap the photo - both times! What are the chances? Oh well. Her plates look sort of disgusting sometimes anyway...

{fresh peach slices}

{leftovers: grilled chicken + melted cheddar cheese}

{black beans}

{edamame}

{center: pretzels standing in garlic hummus}

{steamed broccoli}

{half a banana}

{greek yogurt + dried cherries}

{leftovers: baked tilapia}

{center: chickpeas + plain hummus}

What are your favorite lunch items for you and your kiddos lately?

How Long?

2011-08-25T21:31:00.001-05:00

"How long do you plan on breastfeeding?"

This is a question I was asked recently. By a (near)stranger. Um... really? Is this something we are asking people now?

Anyway, I guess the question itself wouldn't have bothered me if I didn't feel as though it was asked with undertones of "you aren't going to breastfeed her until she's, like, 4, right?"

This question has always bothered me...the idea that there is an age at which all babies/toddlers should stop breastfeeding is...ridiculous. Right? I mean, why should someone else tell me or my child when we should be done nursing? And frankly, why on earth would someone else care? I don't get it.

The fact of the matter is, she is not going to be breastfeeding in high school. Or even in junior high. Or elementary school (well, probably not, lol ;). So, what's the big deal? Why is it so weird for a 2, 3, 4+ year old to still want to nurse once in a while?

Even if it's not for you and your family, why comment or judge others?

Child-led weaning is not for every woman, every family... and that is my point, I guess. The decisions you make will be different than mine. But so what? Why can't we all just make our own decisions about what's right for our own family without judgement or questioning?

I know that there will come a day when Eliza (or any toddler) is no longer interested in nursing; one day, she will decide she is done and she will wean. I don't know when that day will be, and so, Stranger With the Inappropriately Personal Question, I can't answer your query. Although, based on what I know about my dear girl, my guess is that it won't be this year, and it probably won't even be next year... but it will happen (so don't worry).

But really, for us, the question was inaccurate - the question really isn't how long am *I* going to/plan to breastfeed my daughter... the question in this situation is how long does Eliza want to continue nursing?

So, I guess I should have answered her by saying: "ask Eliza!".

WSWO vs. WSA

2011-08-24T08:29:00.000-05:00

A quick one for today - sorry if these are getting boring! I am sort of getting into doing these...

clockwise:

{cherry tomatoes from our garden}

{toast strips + eggplant hummus}

{cheddar cheese e}

{raspberries}

{greek yogurt + honey}

{center: chocolate covered sunflower seeds}

We were apparently not a fan of raspberries today...

{go here for the dish set we use}

Raspberry Picking

2011-08-23T07:09:00.001-05:00

We went raspberry picking last week and it was a hit with the girl. She loved it - she got the hang of picking the ripe raspberries right away. She also got the hang of stuffing them immediately into her mouth. She was a girl on a mission, and her goal was to eat as many as she could. It was so fun to watch her while my mom and I picked.

The farm where we picked was about a 30 minute drive (we spent longer in the car than actually picking), it wasn't cheap - there was an "admission" fee (perhaps to pay for all the berries you inevitably eat while you're picking??), and then the raspberries were $4 a pint, and the sun was out in full force with no shade to be found... but it was worth it. We made some fun memories, and we all enjoyed ourselves.

(and we got some yummy raspberries, too!)

As a toddler activity, I would highly recommend berry picking - as long as you go on a day when it won't be crowded. It was nice that Eliza could walk up and down the rows without us having to be RIGHT next to her. She had some freedom, which I think helped a lot. Also, bring a hat and sunscreen. One other nice thing about berry picking is that you don't need to pack a snack!

Snacks

2011-08-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

The last post had me thinking about snacks. On-the-go snacks, specifically, as snacks at home are a bit easier to come up with...

Our go-to on-the-go (hehe) snacks are:

1. Trader Joe's freeze dried Banana slices. Eliza LOVES these things and they are just plain old bananas that have been freeze dried (there are not fried banana chips, a very different - and much less healthy - product!). Eliza also enjoys the freeze dried Mango slices from TJ's. They also sell strawberries and blueberries but she doesn't seem to like those as well.

2. Fruit pouches, which I call "smoothies". These have become very popular lately. Originally developed, I think, as a fast way to feed purees to a baby, they have been discovered by toddler mamas and dadas as a quick and healthy snack on the go (and yes I find it ironic that Eliza is eating purees now, as an almost 2-year-old!). Unscrew the top and they can suck the smoothie right out the top (beware - one squeeze and you have a fruit smoothie geyser on your hands! Eliza is pretty good at not doing that anymore...usually). There are many different brands and flavors. This is one of Eliza's favorites:

3. Annie's Cheddar Bunnies. Thanks to a friend, these are often referred to as "hoppers" in our house, and they are one of Eliza's favorite snacks. Not the healthiest thing in the world, but sometimes they are just the ticket to satisfy both mama and toddler when we are out and about and need a fast and mess-free treat.

4. Mini boxes of raisins. Franny's are my favorite raisins. They are really big, and I think they are better than any other. The fact that they are organic is cool too, but honestly, I like them for their taste more than their organic-ness. :) Eliza likes them, but is tiring of them lately, so I end up eating most of the raisins we buy for snacks. But, these little boxes are easy to throw in a purse and go!

5. Babybel Cheese. Fun, relatively mess-free and YUMMY! We recently discovered these at Trader Joe's (cheaper there than at big box grocery stores) and Eliza really thinks these are neat. They are little soft cheese rounds in a wax shell that you peel open. I love that they don't get smushed if they are in my bag, and they keep for a few hours outside of the fridge, thanks to that handy wax shell!

(ps, I was not paid to say any of this, though I wish I had been!)

What she was offered...

2011-08-19T08:09:00.002-05:00

Today I only have a photo of what she was offered - hubby was cleaning up the table and didn't realize I wanted to take a photo of her plate after she was done, so he threw the remainder in the garbage (or, in this case, the compost bin for the non-meats -- I have found that keeping a compost pile while doing BLW and feeding a toddler who creates a lot of mess and doesn't finish her plate has been great - my composter has never been so full of food scraps! :)

clockwise from top:

{leftover BBQ pulled pork}

{garbanzo beans}

{fresh mango}

{pretzels w/pb and raisins}

{babybel cheese round}

{center: fresh tomato from the garden}

She didn't care much for the pork, but ate the beans and all the mango - those were by far her favorite two things on the plate. She licked the pb out of the pretzels and ate about half the portion of tomato and half the cheese round. She has been a fresh tomato FIEND lately with all the cherry tomatoes in our garden, and she ate almost an entire fresh tomato from my mom's garden last week. I'm one happy mama when I watch her pick a cherry tomato (or five) and eat it! I wonder if it will last?

I'm glad people are finding this fun little series helpful! You'll see that I'm not all THAT creative with food, but I do try to offer her a balanced variety. I definitely don't think that toddlers needs to eat something completely different/new from day to day, so there are days when she will get the same lunch (or breakfast) as the day before. I just won't post the repeats here since that wouldn't be very interesting.

On-the-go snacks are also a big part of our life these days and I am getting bored of the same old few things that I bring out with me when we are out of the house... so I'd love to hear your suggestions if anyone has any?!

Wordless-ish Wednesday

2011-08-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

A toddler's plight: when mama can't/won't pick her up RIGHT THIS SECOND (but then does like 0.5 seconds later because she is pretty much a big 'ol sucker)...

"Oh mummy, why? WHY must you deny me?"

"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaiiiieeeeeeeeeee!!!!"

(That face could win an Oscar, don't you think?)

Meeting Old Friends

2011-08-16T08:17:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we met some good friends at a local playground so our kids could play and we could catch up. We all went to college together and now we all have kiddos, so it was especially fun to see our little ones playing together. One flew in from California (or, rather, was here already visiting family, she didn't fly in to go to the playground with us!) and the others drove from just down the street (practically). It was a wonderful evening of playing (after we waited out the rain shower that passed over us by huddling under a tree!). There were seven of us who graduated from HU there, and between us we had six children. Of course I didn't get photos of everyone or all of the HU babies - why didn't I think to do a group shot?

Eliza hangs out with Thomas - they are only two weeks apart!

Randy and Eliza play peek-a-boo!

It is just so wonderful to watch your friends play with your child and make them smile, isn't it?. Warms my heart.

Dana and Thomas - he is the smiliest toddler!

Randy introduces Eliza to baby Avery (not his baby - there was a lot of baby swapping going on!)

Eliza gets a mid-play cuddle and kiss from Dada

Isey is hard at work playing!

Got your toes!

Adults can have fun on the playground, too!

Mama helps Eliza on the... what the heck is this thing called, anyway? It's not really a teeter totter...

Wish we could do this more often!

What she was offered vs. What she ate

2011-08-13T21:16:00.002-05:00

I know I just did one of these yesterday, but I thought I'd keep the ball rolling today with another installment of WSWO vs. WSA!

Today is a good example of how Eliza sometimes - well, often, actually - doesn't eat much. But that's okay! Believe me, the girl is not starving.

What she was offered:

clockwise from top:

{cantaloupe}

{pretzels and goat cheese}

{edamame}

{heart-shaped pb&j}

{in the center: raisins and chocolate covered sunflower seeds*}

{not pictured: 2% cow's milk}

...

What she ate:

So, one bite of the pb&j, two pretzels (actually, she shared one with mama), a few cantaloupe bites, most of the edamame (she's an edamame girl!), and - not surprisingly - all of the chocolate sunflower seeds :) It was a small lunch, but then she sort of made up for it at dinner tonight. It all balances out!

*I decided to offer Eliza a little treat with lunch today - this is not a daily occurrence, but it's Saturday so I thought it would be fun :)

What she was offered vs. What she ate

2011-08-12T13:07:00.003-05:00

Let's talk food. It's a familiar topic of discussion for toddler mamas, isn't it? Why? Because, if you're like me, you are constantly wracking (or is it racking?) your brain to come up with meal ideas (and not just for the toddler, but for the whole family!). I'm sure I've said it before here -- we don't prepare special or different meals for Eliza; she eats the same things we do.

The one exception to this is lunchtime.

Eliza eats after her nap and I eat lunch during her nap (eating by myself is a rare treat, so I take the opportunity when it arises!), so on the weekdays we sometimes eat different things for lunch.

Recently I've started having fun with what I prepare for Eliza. I make what I call "Bento" lunches for her. 'Bento' is the Japenese word for 'convenient' or 'convenience'. A Bento Box is a lunch box made up of several little boxes, each meant to hold a different food. Like this:

I took this idea and decided to offer Eliza a "spread" for lunch. It's fun for me, I think it's easier than coming up with a different main dish + veggie or fruit every day, and Eliza likes it too, I think! AND, it will allow me a reason to someday buy a cute, eco-friendly lunch box like this one for Eliza. :)

I thought it would be interesting to do a series of "what she was offered" vs. "what she ate" with Eliza's lunches on the 'ol blog. Maybe it will help someone out there to share a few new ideas for lunches, and it will inspire me to come up with new fun things to serve. And, it will also help assure you that, no, your toddler isn't the only one who sometimes eats next to nothing!

Here goes!

What she was offered:

clockwise from top:

{pretzels}

{mozzarella string cheese bites}

{half a banana}

{rainier cherries}

{annie's cheddar bunnies}

{full fat greek yogurt w/honey on top}

{in the center: garbanzo beans}

{not pictured: 2% cow's milk}

...

What she ate (or, didn't eat, as the case may be):

{and she asked for seconds on the garbanzo beans!}

Warning: Potty Talk

2011-08-11T13:26:00.001-05:00

I decided not to talk about potty learning/training on Face.book. Just didn't want to go there, I guess. Figured that I have my blog to talk about baby poop, pee and other things related to baby [fluids].

So you, lucky reader, get to hear it all - no holds barred!

Eliza will be 21 months on Sunday. When she was 18 months old, my mom bought her a potty chair. We accidentally bought one that makes sounds when the child pees (it was used so we didn't know it when we bought it), but Eliza hasn't figured that out yet. Not sure how we feel about that particular feature. Anyway, this potty chair has been sitting in our bathroom ever since May.

We have, and have always had, a very open attitude with Eliza when it comes to using the bathroom (and bodies/bodily functions in general) - I never shut the door when I am using the bathroom, and even when I do, she is welcome to walk in as she pleases (though we have recently started teaching her the idea of knocking). We have also talked a LOT about the bathroom, the toilet, peeing, pooping, diapers, etc. with her (along with the difference between mama and dada's anatomy in the same conversation). From about 16 months on, she knew what the toilet was for, knew that she went pee in her diaper, and knew when she had pooped and needed a new diaper. So, she has been "potty aware" for a while.

When the potty chair found a home in the bathroom, we told her it was Eliza's potty and she could use it if and when she wanted. She loved sitting on it and "practicing". She would sit down and say "Peeeeeeeee!", ask for a piece of toilet paper, shut the lid and then walk away - no, she never actually went in the potty, but we never expected her to, nor were we planning on starting to potty train anytime soon. So, we'd just reinforce the behavior by saying "yep, that's where Eliza will go potty when she's a big girl" or "yes, that's how you sit down on the potty when you have to pee". Very neutral, very easy-going, no excitement or convincing her to actually USE the potty.

Then one morning Eliza and dada were sitting in her room and Eliza was naked (her favorite way to be, don't you know!). She started saying "toot!" (which she used to say when she actually was peeing), and hubby thought she might have to pee. So, he asked her if she wanted to pee in her potty, and she said yes. They went into the bathroom, Eliza sat down on her potty, and she peed. Then - just like she practiced - she got a piece of toilet paper, put it in the potty, slammed the lid down and walked out the door. Ha!

Since then, we have kept a very neutral attitude toward PTing, not pushing her at ALL, and lo and behold, she has begun to want to pee in the potty. A few times, when she has been naked around the house, she will yell "pee!" and run to her potty. She has made it there one out of the three times :) And when she doesn't make it there, she says "uh-oh!" and points to the puddle on the floor (which is weird, because we have never said anything about having an "accident" on the floor or that being bad or "uh-oh" worthy, but I guess she gets it that pee goes in the potty or in a diaper!?).

Where are we now? We are definitely not in active PTing mode with Eliza - I know she is not fully ready yet. She doesn't yet anticipate having to pee or poop, so the cognitive/behavioral connection is not quite there (though, sometimes it seems to be, but it is definitely hit and miss). But we are letting her lead the way, as we don't want to squelch any progress that she wants to make. And we are also talking more about her using the potty if she wants to, instead of peeing in a diaper. Once a day, before bath time, she uses the potty pretty consistently. We noticed that she peed every single time she would get into the tub, and so hubby started talking to her about it and explaining to her that she could pee before she gets into the tub in her potty... and then one night he asked her before bath time, "Eliza, do you want to pee in your potty before you get in the tub?", to which she answered "yes", and then peed in the potty. So, now that's what she does.

She has also started waking up in the morning with dry diapers, which shocked me at first (I thought she was dehydrated or something!?), so sometimes (if I am awake enough, haha), I'll ask her first thing in the morning if she has to pee and she will say "yes", and then go use the potty. She wanted to do this one morning at the lake last week so I held her up on the big toilet (we don't have a potty chair there) and she peed!

I just think it is amazing to watch her learn about all this and figure it out in her own head. I am fully prepared - and even expect - for her to be in diapers for quite a bit longer, but we follow her cues and will try our best to help her get there (PT'ed, that is) easily and without struggle. We stay calm and neutral because we don't want a power struggle, we don't want a competition, and we certainly we don't want to set her up to fail.

I'm not a BTDT mama, so as always, I welcome any and all advice or experiences you've had on this subject. I have already consulted a few of my expert mommy friends and their advice has been invaluable!

Wordless Wednesday: A mid-week getaway

2011-08-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

8/3 - 8/4

Since I missed WW last week...

2011-08-07T22:26:00.000-05:00

This little monkey enjoyed goofing around in Grandma and Grandpa's hotel room this morning!

A Saturday Morning

2011-07-30T20:07:00.001-05:00

Heading out the door, bright and early, sippy cup in hand.

Skirt + Sandals = Summertime!

Coloring as we wait for our breakfast

How much is that baby in the window?

Playing with Dada and Trunco

Iced coffee, a kitty on my lap and a baby napping... the end to a great morning!

Weekend Recap

2011-07-27T21:46:00.000-05:00

Warning: Photo heavy post!

We spent last weekend at the lake, and we had a great time, as usual! The only downside was that Saturday was a dreary day, and it was the day we had friends coming up. It looked like this for most of the day:

But that didn't stop us from having a fun day. Our guests arrived - good, wonderful friends and their little guy (3 months younger than E), Isaac. As soon as they arrived, everyone got right to playing inside the cabin. Eliza and Isaac enjoyed using the daddies as jungle gyms, playing with Eliza's Thomas trains, and generally being crazy, cute toddlers.

Even though we were trapped inside for most of the day, we still had fun. Eliza LOVES her friend Isaac. She talks about him ALL THE TIME (she even said his name in her sleep one night!), so she was giddy having him there. There was a lot of hugging, giving kisses, and, of course, some wrestling and some arguing over toys (they ARE still toddlers, after all, no matter how much they love each other!).

Handsome boy!

Eliza making her 'faces' for Dada :)

The babies enjoyed running wild and eating on and off all day (no highchairs at the cabin) - there were no real defined meals that day, and they didn't eat as well as they usually do, but we kept saying "meh, it's the cabin!" We were all pretty relaxed that day! Later on, the mommies took the babies to the park in town while the daddies cooked dinner. Good trade, I say :)

Our friends left on Saturday night, and Eliza fell into bed - exhausted and happy - at 8:00. The next morning, we went out to breakfast and then came home and relaxed. I was still tired so I convinced Eliza to cuddle in bed for a bit when we got home (okay, I totally bribed her with nursing and reading books!).

My mom came up later on and she and Eliza went out to the dock and watched Daddy fish for a bit. Eliza said hello to the bait:

Daddy had to leave that evening and drive back to the city so he could work the next morning, but Eliza and I decided to stay another night with my mom so the girls could have some together time. It was great! We played in the lake a lot, throwing rocks and playing with her new toy boat (say that 10 times fast!).

My parents set up a hammock at the cabin and Eliza loves swinging in it. She probably spent 45 minutes in it while Grandma swung her.

On Monday morning, Grandma took us out to breakfast (she had yet to try the new - and only - breakfast cafe in town) and then we went back to the cabin to hit the water one more time. Well, actually, Eliza and Grandma went in and Mama stayed on the dock and took pictures. Eliza rode on Grandma's floaty, though she wasn't too keen on it, so she opted instead to walk in the water and/or be carried by Grandma for most of the time!

It was another lovely weekend at our Shangri-La. Good friends, family, food, and... as long as I'm on an 'f' trend here, I almost forgot: new futons to sleep on! YAYYYYY!

Wordless Wednesday: Eliza and Isaac

2011-07-27T06:00:00.004-05:00

July 2010:

July, 2011:

Weekend, Extended

2011-07-25T21:19:00.000-05:00

We had a fabulous weekend at the cabin this weekend. Good friends of ours came up on Saturday with their little guy (who is 3 months younger than Eliza) and we had a really fun day. On Sunday, my mom came up. Eliza and I stayed the night last night while hubby went home so he could work this morning, so the 'ladies' got a little cabin time, which was soooo much fun! I haven't uploaded any photos yet, so I'll wait to do a better post until I can include pics of our weekend.

Right now, I want you all to go over to Missy's blog to congratulate her - she and her husband have a match! They have been waiting to adopt for a while and their prayers have been answered today with the wonderful news that a birthmother has chosen them!!! I have known Missy for three years and I have watched her go through so many struggles and heartache on her journey to motherhood - she was there for me during the hard times I went through, and then she celebrated with me when Eliza was born - even when I know it was hard for her (and she sent me the cutest hat and booties that she crocheted when E was born). I am overjoyed to finally be able to celebrate with her as it is now her turn to become a mommy; her baby girl is due the end of October! Congratulations Missy!

The Lazy Mom's Update - 19/20 Months

2011-07-21T13:47:00.001-05:00

So... yeah, it's been two months since I did an update about my sweet girl. Time flies. I can't believe it's been that long since her 18 month update.

Dear Eliza,

You are 20 whole months old now, and just as busy as you were last month and the month before that - if not more! I love watching you learn and explore the world. You get smarter every day (which also means you get a little sneakier every day, as well!), I just can't wait to see what you will learn each day when we wake up.

So what have you been up to lately?

You say cute little sentences now like "uh-oh baby!" when something drops on the floor or something else that is "uh-oh" worthy happens. Another one you say is "more ____ please" when you want something (like ice - you LOVE to play with and eat ice). You are very polite and say 'please' and 'thank you', too, although you need a gentle reminder when to say these things, but that's okay. You also say "oh no!" a lot. Sometimes the emphasis is on the "oh", and sometimes it's on the "no". It's funny to hear you say it as you sound quite serious.

Your verbal skills have seen a lot of development recently and you now will repeat things we say without prompting. The other day I said "come here honey!" and you said it right back to me in your sweet sing-songy voice.

Eliza, you are usually a very happy toddler from day to day... but when you want to do something, you are quite serious and fierce about your desire and you like to tell us all about it. We saw that in you even before you were a year old, so it is nothing new. Thankfully, you have become a very reasonable girl, allowing us to explain something to you and then deciding on your own to put something back (like the jelly beans at the store this morning) or transition from one activity to another. Come to think of it, we haven't seen a full-blown tantrum lately. I think your increased vocabulary is helping on that front!

You have stopped throwing your food so much, for which your dada and I are very grateful. When you are done with your meal, you now say "all done" or you just hand your plate right over to me. This is a major change, as just a few short weeks ago you were still resorting to whipping food across the room like a baseball pitcher to signal the end of your meal!

Your hair has gotten so long recently! We finally took you in for your first haircut, though it was just more of a trim to get the hair out of your eyes. You looked so cute! And you sat so still while the stylist cut and blow dried (and then styled!) your hair. You were dubious, but you were patient. At the end, you got your first sucker, which, of course, you enjoyed very very much. And just yesterday, you let me put your hair in pigtails and you looked SO CUTE!

You are very physically strong and adventurous. You run and climb like you are a big kid! You always want to go to the highest point in the playground and freak your mama out (which reminds me, why do playgrounds have huge openings at the top of the structure, like 10 feet in the air??).

Speaking of playgrounds, they are pretty much your favorite place to be! You love going down the big slides, climbing, and playing in the sand. But I think your favorite activity is swinging. You enjoy it so much that you close your eyes and smile whenever you are on it - it is so magical - you get this look on your face that makes you seem wise beyond your years! You just soak up and enjoy the simple feeling of swinging back and forth. It is precious. Your grandpa first noticed it when he took you to the park, and now you do it almost every time you swing.

You weigh 30 pounds now (though I am not sure how tall you are), so you are still our big girl! You are still wearing the same 'ol cloth diapers. Our stash is made up of 20 dipes and it seems to be just the right number. Those things have saved us a lot of money! Especially in your second year - we are really reaping the financial benefits now.

You are napping once a day, from about 11:30-1:00 and going to bed somewhere between 7:15 and 8:00. Bedtime has been an issue lately as you have been fighting going to sleep more and more... we're not sure why... but you just don't seem tired at night. I try to run you ragged during the afternoons, but sometimes even that isn't enough! I guess you just have a lot of energy - certainly far more energy than your mama and dada do :)

You are still nursing and loving it just as much as you always have. You now ask to nurse either by signing 'milk' or by saying "ilky". I am happy to let you nurse as long as you don't hurt mama, which has happened lately when you slap or kick me, or pinch me (usually my other nip.ple, ouch!!!). I've started telling you to be gentle or you will be done nursing, and the times I've had to make you stop you haven't liked it much, so I think you are figuring it out and are becoming more gentle. In fact, you are nursing at this very moment and you are being very gentle and sweet. You look up at me and smile and it just melts my heart. I often ask you while you're nursing: "do you like mama's milk?" and you will answer by nodding your head, it is so cute!!!

You talk in possessives a lot. You will point to something and identify whose it is. For example, you point at your sippy cup at say, very clearly, "Eliza's", and then you will point to my glass or waterbottle and say "Mama's". The same thing with hats or coats on the hooks by the front door. "Dada's" you said today as you pointed to his bike helmet. And just the other day when we got home and were coming up the stairs to our house, you pointed to the house and said "Eliza's house". Ha!

Mama loves you so much, Eliza. You are my sweet girl, and we have so much fun together every day. I so enjoy spending my days (and nights!) with you, and even though I might sometimes need a mama-break, or feel like I'm at my wit's end some days, there is nothing I would rather be doing right now than being your mama.

Wordless Wednesday: Nursing on the Shore of Lake Superior

2011-07-20T05:32:00.002-05:00

The After and Blog Hiatus!

2011-07-08T06:36:00.003-05:00

So here's Eliza's "after" photo from her haircut on Wednesday.

Really, we didn't have much taken off, it was just a trim (we want to keep those curls going on in the back!). It was just getting so long we had to get out of her eyes (and SOMEONE likes to rip barrettes out of one's hair). We took her to a Kids' Hair salon, which was cheesy, but well worth it - the lady was really good with her, and Dora was on the TV in front of her chair, which didn't hurt. Eliza stayed calm (and slightly angry, apparently, as you can see in the WW photo!) and didn't move a muscle the whole time. The lady "did" her hair after she cut it, which I found really funny - she even put product in it (!!!!). It ended up looking super cute, I think, and Eliza somehow didn't rip it out, so it stayed cute all day! So, first haircut was a success!

My little love and I are leaving this morning and will be gone for about 10 days, so the blog will be silent until we get back. Hubby is coming too, later today. He'll be coming home early though, because he wasn't able to get enough time off work :( We're sad, but Eliza and I will be with my family so we won't be alone.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Wordless Wednesday: First Haircut

2011-07-06T19:19:00.002-05:00

Reminder!

2011-07-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Dear Readers, if anyone would like me to make a blog header, email me at empberry gmail.com! Wendy already requested one and I had a ton of fun making it for her (and she had some great suggestions which helped me make it perfect for her!), and it turned out to be super cute thanks to the photos of her ADORABLE little guy. Thanks for letting me do that for you, Wendy!

Send me the photo/photos you want me to use and any other important details and I'll be happy to give it a go.

Hope everyone (in the US) has a magical, fun, safe and happy holiday weekend!

A Day in the Life: Thursday

2011-06-30T21:43:00.003-05:00

Our day started at 6:05 this morning. I was draaaaaging. I was really, really tired this morning. I'm usually able to get up and wake up relatively quickly, but this morning I will it admit, it was rough. It was definitely an Elmo's World morning. I laid on the couch half asleep with Eliza while she watched an episode we have on DVD. I finally managed to wake up enough to check my email and blogs.

After we said goodbye to hubby, at around 7:00, I made us breakfast (scrambled eggs and strawberries) and then we got dressed. I wasn't able to do the dishes because Eliza was a little clingy and whiny this morning, so I just left them in the sink/on the counter and snapped a photo of them instead of washing them - ha! Then we went outside to water the plants. My window boxes (well, mainly just this one) have totally exploded this year! I'm in love with my window boxes. My dad made them for me the summer after we moved into this house.

This morning we had plans to go visit a close family friend, Marce - she is my dad's godmother and she just celebrated her 90th birthday. She is a hoot. I of course forgot my camera, which I was really bummed out about, I really wanted to get her photo with Eliza. We had a nice time visiting with her. My mom brought Star.bucks and muffins and we chatted and chased Eliza around her PRISTINE house. She has a gorgeous old house and it hasn't been changed since like the 1950s. It's amazing, and full of awesome, kitschy knick-knacks (that I constantly had to keep Eliza away from!) and SO SO CLEAN. Every one of the four bedrooms is always ready for guests, with clean sheets on the beds and not a spec of dust ANYWHERE. It was amazing. Eliza had a fabulous time, Marce loves Eliza, and she gave Eliza a fancy little purse. It must now come everywhere with us, of course. Haha, isn't it so cute how she carries it on her elbow?

After nap, we went to an indoor playground - it was in the upper 90s today, and the heat index was over 100, so I welcomed the air conditioned play area!!! Eliza really likes this place, and she is getting old enough to run around and play by herself in some of the areas (when the place isn't crawling with tons and tons of kids, that is), so I let her be for the most part, and it was cool to watch her interact with the other kids and explore the place on her own. She enjoyed the bounce house most of all! Afterwards we walked through the building the playground is housed in. They have a little indoor conservatory/garden area there with a pond and a waterfall. Eliza learned about throwing pennies into the pond, thanks to a sweet elderly couple sitting on a nearby bench - they were giving out pennies to all the kids to throw into the pond. Eliza took like 10 of them and got all excited with each throw. It was sweet.

While we were there, Eliza took a little tumble down a step, so when we got home, a Hello Kitty band-aid for her knee was in order.

Then we spent the hour before hubby got home playing with Eliza's toys (indoors), and reading books. Since it was so hot, I didn't want to turn on the oven to cook dinner (I figured we were paying to cool the house, why would we turn on the oven and heat the place up?), so hubby picked up dinner on his way home. Sweet!

Then it was the usual bedtime routine, and Eliza was asleep by 7:30. After she was in bed, I put a load of laundry in, picked up the house a little bit, checked email/twitter/fb for any word of our friends' new baby's arrival (well actually, I've been doing that obsessively all day long, haha), and poured myself a glass of wine (same bottle as yesterday - we don't go through bottles and bottles of wine around here, don't worry!!). Now I'm going to watch an episode of Glee and then it's off to bed.

Good night all!

A Day in the Life: Wednesday

2011-06-29T20:50:00.001-05:00

(My first Day in the Life post was here: it kind of got pushed down due to my WW post)

Eliza woke up at 6:30 this morning - not so bad! I stayed in bed for about 15 minutes ~~trying to wake up~~ falling back asleep on and off until 6:50 when I finally dragged myself into the kitchen to make coffee. Eliza and hubby were playing for a bit before he had to leave. He left a little late today, around 7:15 or so.

After we said bye bye to dada, we went into the kitchen and got breakfast ready. Oatmeal for Eliza and cereal for me. We also split a peach. Eliza ate all of the raisins out of her oatmeal first, which I always laugh at. I am also a "miner" when it comes to food - hubby likes to accuse me of mining all the good chocolate or other yummy candy chunks out of ice cream. It's true, I'm totally guilty of that - sorry honey!

After breakfast, we had some time to kill before we had to be out the door for music class. We leave at around 10:00 or so, and it was only 8:00 by this point. So we got dressed and went outside to play. It was a beautiful day today, and the morning was cool and breezy. We discovered our just-bloomed lilies (see WW post!), sat at the picnic table for a bit, where Eliza enjoyed playing with my cell phone (yes I have a totally outdated phone-only cell phone, don't laugh!), and had a nice chat over (iced) coffee, heheh... and just played around outside until, somehow, like 2 hours had passed...

Then it was time to leave for music class. We take a weekly Music Together music class and today was our third class. I like it, and I think Eliza does too, but I think it was WAY overpriced. Oh well - it is what it is, but I don't know that I'd sign up for another session. I've been surprised to see Eliza act so shy and timid at these classes - she is usually SO outgoing and not shy at all around other kids and parents. It's weird, and I can't figure out why, but she just buries her head in my shoulder and won't let me put her down. She eventually warms up, but it takes a while! At the end of class, all the kids line up (well, sort of) to get a rubber stamp on their hands. This is a highlight for Eliza - today's stamp was a ladybug.

Still a little wary - she was afraid to go right up to the teacher for her stamp.

Then it was time for nap, so we headed home and Eliza fell asleep about 11:40 or so. I ate lunch while Eliza napped and checked my email, and then I realized that I should have checked my phone because my BFF was in town apartment hunting (that's where I was yesterday, btw, from 12:30-4, looking at apartments with her - so fun!!!) and was going to come over if she had time before she had to go to the airport. Of course I missed her text, but I called her and she was still nearby so she came over. We chatted a while and Eliza woke up at 1:10. Eliza ate lunch while we watched her and talked some more. Then we just played and hung out in the house and - yes - talked some more! We can do that... a lot :) At about 2:30, she had to head to the airport so we had to say goodbye. But only for a month or so - she is moving back here from the west coast, and we are SO. EXCITED. to get her back! So, saying goodbye wasn't so hard today.

Eliza has a sour face on, but she really loves her Auntie/Godmama Ashley :)

After she left, Eliza and I went to water the tomatoes. She loves ~~helping me~~ drinking out of the hose sprayer:

It was getting really hot and sunny outside so we went inside to cool off. We played around the house some more...

Holdie-Outie Fail

Someone knows they are not supposed to be standing on the toilet...

One of our favorite past times: sitting on the kitchen floor eating sorbet from the container!

My mom called and said she was picking up pizza from our all-time favorite Neapolitan pizza place, Punch, and we should come over for dinner. YUM! I asked her to pick one up for hubby, too. So we jumped in the car and went over to my parents' house. Eliza played with Grandpa and me (and the kitties), and Grandma got there soon after with the pizzas. We ate dinner and then Eliza had a little time afterwards to play with Grandma before we had to get home.

"OMG MOM, THAT PIZZA SLICE IS AS BIG AS MY HEAD"

Man-handling a Mango

We got home right as hubby pulled up, so we had perfect timing. After he ate his dinner, it was time for the usual: bath time, diaper and PJs, books, nurse. She was asleep tonight by 7:40.

Now I'm sitting on the couch with a glass of wine. Heading to bed early tonight with my Kindle (I'm reading 'The Help')!

Wordless Wednesday: My lilies are blooming!

2011-06-29T12:28:00.002-05:00

A Day in the Life

2011-06-29T09:22:00.001-05:00

This sounded like fun, so I thought I'd join in and try blogging a few days in our life...though I don't think I will be able to do the whole week...

Tuesday.

Eliza woke up at 6:00 this morning, and even after going to sleep last night before 10pm (9:30, I think?), I was dragging this morning when my wake-up call came. She woke up at 10:00, 11:45 and then like 3(?)am, which is unusual for her these days (she's down to more like 2 wakings only - hooray!), so I was tired. What's new though, right? It was okay though, because Eliza was happy as a clam and that smile of hers can cheer me right up. So anyway, she nursed in bed for a while and we just lazed around for a while before we both rolled out of bed around 6:20. Then she climbed down off the bed and went to the door saying "dada", so I knew she was ready to get going (and she hasn't quite figured out how to open doors yet, so I have to open the door for her).

Hubby leaves the house about 7:00 and so Eliza likes to "help" him get ready by making him read her a few stories, asking to smell his breath after he brushes his teeth (haha, it's become sort of a thing they do now), and "helping" him pick out what to wear that day. This gives me a few minutes to fully wake up, check my email, get my coffee made (I LOVE MY KEURIG!), and maybe turn on the news to check the weather.

We say bye-bye to dada around 7. Eliza needs a diaper change so I do that first, and then she requests that I put her swim suit on her. Okay, whatever floats your boat, child. So on goes the swim suit. I start breakfast - oatmeal and eggs. My mom calls and says she and my dad are going to stop by for a visit before my mom has to go to work. Yay! Eliza waits for them at the door and greets them. They brought cereal for breakfast, and a ripe peach, too, so we all eat together - it's quite the spread.

After breakfast, my mom plays with Eliza for a bit, and Eliza convinces grandma to let her go for a "swim" in the bathtub. Eliza loves water, and she loves all her bath toys - so she fills up the tub with a bit of water and Eliza sits in it and plays. They leave soon after and I check my email and a couple of blogs again while Eliza continues to play in the tub (don't worry, I sat right next to her on the floor of the bathroom).

I have to get the kitchen cleaned up and the dishes washed, so Eliza watches a bit of an Elmo's World DVD while I do that. She eventually gets tired of it (she loves it for about 15 minutes and then seems to get bored), so she plays by herself while I finish. I'm so glad she's getting better at independent play time!

Then we get dressed, change diaper again, get a snack/drink together and, by 9:40, we finally get out the door. We go to baby story time every Tuesday at a local bookstore. Eliza loves it, and I actually do too :) We get there about 30 minutes early so we can get a good spot (it gets super busy and space is tight). Story time goes from 10:30-11:05. Then we usually head straight home for nap. This morning we went to my parents' house because my dad was going to watch Eliza from 12:30-4:00 and I knew she would never be up from her nap by 12:30 in time for me to bring her over there, so I just put her down at their house. She fell asleep about 11:30.

I was gone from about 12:30 - 4:20, and it's pretty unusual for me to be gone that long (or at all!), so I suppose this isn't a typical "day in the life"...

When I got back to my parents' house, I found Eliza and Grandpa swinging in the backyard swing having a great time. My dad said Eliza woke up about 1:00, she ate some lunch, they walked to the park and had a great afternoon together. She always has fun with Grandpa.

Eliza had a snack at their house before we left, and then we said goodbye to Grandpa. We spent about 5 minutes in the driveway where Eliza protested quite loudly about getting into her car seat. Oh yes folks, this child is almost 20 months old and she still hates her car seat, and likes to tell me about it quite frequently. We have a car seat battle nearly every day where she physically refuses to sit in her car seat. Although, I will say that she is quite reasonable, and after some talking to her, she stops fighting me and sits in it herself. I don't feel comfortable physically pushing her down to get her buckled... at least it's never had to come to that yet...

So we get home around 5:15 or so. Hubby gets home around 6:15 usually, so we have an hour until he's home and I know dinner will only take like 20 minutes so Eliza and I play for a while. I also check my email on my iPod, open the mail, and return a phone call.

Eventually I make dinner: spicy black bean burgers, brown rice/peas/carrots medley (frozen - don't get any crazy ideas that I made that in 15 minutes!), and peach slices. Hubby gets home and we eat at about 6:15.

After dinner, we start the bathtub, hubby reads Eliza a few books and then he handles bath time with her while I wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen. I usually try to go in at about 7:00 to help her brush her teeth and get her out of the tub. Then it's diaper, PJs and milk time. She was asleep by 7:30.

Tomorrow I'll try to include photos!

In Praise of All

2011-06-27T09:01:00.001-05:00

I was not paid to say this, but for cloth diapers, I love All Free & Clear! It's cheap and it does a great job. I have never once had to strip my diapers due to detergent build-up, I've never had an issue with diaper odor, and I've been using the same dipes for 18 months! At first we started with Charlie's soap laundry powder, but I just decided it was too expensive and on the advice of another CDing friend, Aletta, decided to switch to All F&C about a year ago.

So to those new CDing mamas, don't let the interwebs convince you you have to buy special, fancy, expensive soap to safely wash your diapers. All Free & Clear will do the job just as well.

List Update

2011-06-23T19:58:00.002-05:00

Remember this list I made? It was exactly two weeks ago and, as of today, of the ten items on that list, I have completed five.

#1: My closet. Officially cleaned out and organized. Gave away two huge garbage bags full of clothing to the goodwill. It feels great to be able to actually pull things off hangers and out of drawers that I know fit me and that are seasonally appropriate (of course, today it was barely 60 degrees so I had to dig for a sweatshirt - gah! What's with this weather?)

#2: Well, I bought a few new summer shirts and I did find a dress at the thrift store, but it's sort of too fancy for everyday casual dress-wearing. Anyway, at least I have a few new items to choose from.

#5: The cats. Those poor animals. I have been giving them more attention lately and hubby and I managed to finally trim their nails, so we're making steps in the right direction. Unfortunately, it seems that Eliza has made it her goal to negate all of this progress by grabbing them, pulling them down from wherever they were peacefully sleeping, yanking on their paws and generally just harassing them nonstop. Poor things!

#7: The dust ruffle on E's crib! Done! And I decided not to actually hem it, but to use double-sided tape so that I could undo it in the future in case (hopefully, when) we need to use the crib again at the highest mattress setting.

#9: My tomato beds: weeded and mulched! Eliza helped me do this today. We had great fun - turns out she's an expert at grabbing handfuls of mulch and throwing them on the tomato bed. And we found cocoa bean mulch, which is the best stuff in the world - have you ever smelled it? It smells like chocolate! And, it's pretty. Highly recommended.

So, my progress is not all that bad I guess - 5 out of 10 isn't bad!

Wordless Wednesday: There's a lot going on here...

2011-06-22T08:21:00.000-05:00

Our Weekend

2011-06-21T20:53:00.001-05:00

This weekend we had a couple of visitors - hubby's parents, also known as Nana and Pop Pop. We had tickets to Florence and the Machine for Friday night and hubby and I both really wanted to go, so they offered to stay at our house while Eliza slept that evening so we could go.

The concert was awesome. Florence was very ethereal with her long fuchsia see-through, flowy garb (she was wearing a leotard underneath) - and man, can that girl sing. The concert was outdoors, which was extra cool. We had a great time - we danced and ate kettle corn and had a drink. Afterwards, on our way home (and once we confirmed that The Girl was still sleeping peacefully), we stopped at the gas station for ice cream treats - oh yes, we know how to do it up right with the gas station desserts! Watch out for us - we're crazy.

Saturday morning, Eliza and hubby took our visitors out to breakfast at one of their favorite breakfast spots, and then they hit up the farmer's market. Wondering what I was doing? SLEEPING. It was awesome. The end.

Later on, after nap, Nana and Pop Pop offered to watch Eliza while we went to a local brewery for a big party celebrating their recent victory defeating a very old law that did not allow breweries to sell their own beer on site. Now that the law has been changed, they can go ahead with plans to build a massive new facility that includes a restaurant and bar.

Hubby having a pint in the rain.

A toast to their success! "Power of the Pint!"

Eliza had a fantastic time with her Nana and Pop Pop - she loved playing with them all afternoon. Unfortunately it rained all day, so they had to spend the whole afternoon indoors, but they still had a great time.

Later that evening, we ordered in and after Eliza went to bed we just chatted - my sister-in-law is recently engaged and the wedding planning has just begun so we talked a lot about that. I'm so excited for her, and I loved planning my wedding so I look forward to lots of wedding planning discussion with her :)

On Sunday, we went to hubby's favorite local restaurant for Father's Day and then we took Eliza to a playground nearby and played until it was time for nap. After Eliza woke up, Nana and Pop Pop had to leave. Sadly, I totally failed in the photo department this weekend, so I don't have much to show for their visit (which is also why I needed to write about it here so I wouldn't forget!). We did manage to snap a quick one when N&PP were on their way out, though it's not the greatest of Eliza...

See her dress? Nana got it for her at the farmer's market - it is so cute!

It was a great weekend. And we decided that we're going to leave Eliza with Nana and Pop Pop every time they come to visit - they had a good time bonding, and hubby and I got a nice little afternoon date. After all, they admitted that while they like seeing us, they really come to visit to see Eliza. But, of course, we already knew that! ;)

BLW Link

2011-06-21T12:58:00.001-05:00

Anyone interested in baby led weaning should check out Jess's blog again today. She's continuing her Tuesdays Unwrapped series with an installment she wrote about her experience with BLW and her daughter, Gabby. She found that a combination of purees and BLW has worked best for Gabby. It's a good reminder that in parenting (as well as life in general), it doesn't have to be all or nothing. All babies are different and what works for one baby won't always be best for another. We each know our own babes best, so do what works for you and yours!

A Day at the Beach*

2011-06-20T22:00:00.002-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa took me and Eliza to the beach today. We only have a few months of beach weather 'round these parts, so we thought we should take full advantage. I hope this is just the first of many trips to the beach this summer.

Eliza had a blast. It is true that she is a very happy girl all around, but oh my, playing at the beach today brought out a giddiness we don't see very often in our girl. She was all smiles when she played in the water...and, of course, when Grandpa swung her up in the air!

She felt right at home. In fact, she made a run for it and headed straight for the water at her first opportunity - no adult supervision or hand-holding needed, apparently. She loved the sand. So much so, that after digging her hands and feet into it, she thought she'd see how it tasted, too. Why not? Eh, she didn't think it was all that good. But, she sure liked the feeling of it on her toes.

The weather was perfect - not too hot or sunny (though that didn't stop me from covering that baby from head to toe in sunscreen), but warm enough that the water felt nice. We sat under the shade of a massive (but closed) umbrella, and I spent a lot of time just watching Eliza and taking photos of her. It was great, and very relaxing. I sat there and dreamt of someday being able to bring my Kindle to read in the shade while Eliza and Dada swim :)

Reaching for a rock to "sploosh"

Laughing at Grandpa as Grandma looks on

This is a beach my parents used to take me and my brother to when we were young. My dad said how he never thought he'd be taking his daughter's daughter to the very same beach someday. I never thought I'd be taking my daughter here, either. How surreal... and how very lucky I am.

Can you even stand the cuteness that is those baby shoulders??

I still have to blog about the fantastic weekend we had, but just wanted to get this up since I loved the photos I got today - the light was perfect, and my subject was just so darn cute, I couldn't stand it!

***

*Okay, so this beach isn't really a real beach. It's a "man-made lake", as everyone around here calls it; the water is skimmed and treated similar to a pool, and the sand was brought in. It's actually pretty cool, though, at least to our land-locked population. You get all the benefits of a lake without some of the downsides (seaweed, slippery rocks, algae).

Our Thursday Mini-Adventure

2011-06-19T13:12:00.001-05:00

On Thursday (when I first posted this I thought we did this on Friday, but then later realized it was actually Thursday - haha, go me), Eliza and I went on a little adventure together - it was fun, and we were so exhausted by the end of the day! After nap, we headed to the closest park and ride, and we hopped on the light rail to go downtown and visit hubby/Dada at work. It was Eliza's first time on the light rail, and she loved it. I had told her all morning that we were going to ride on a train later on, so by the time we got there and saw the train (and heard the whistle), she was really excited. We got on and rode it for about 25 minutes into downtown. She sat on her very own seat and looked out the window, and at all the people on the train. Of course, my camera was buried in the stroller basket which was folded up on the train, so I didn't get any photos of her actually on the train (fail).

At the train station

We met up with hubby at his office, where Eliza charmed all of the people there, and then went to have a bite to eat from a food truck - they are all the rage here now and they serve up some yummy food! Then we walked around and Eliza enjoyed the ride in her stroller. She is a people-watcher at heart, just like her dada. Afterwards, we hit the skyways and, since the lunch rush was over, we let her run wild.

Hubby had to go back to work, so we said goodbye and went to meet my brother and sister-in-law at their office, which is about a 10 minute walk through the skyways. We had a coffee/chocolate milk date with them and Eliza enjoyed playing with her auntie and uncle for a while. It's fun going downtown because there are three (soon to be four!) people we can visit!

We went back to hubby's office to pick him up, and walked back to the train station. Eliza was happy to spend so much time with her dada that day - they usually only get to see each other for about an hour in the mornings and an hour in the evenings, so it was a special treat for her.

It was a fun afternoon, and we were tired when we got home from all the walking/running/carrying. Needless to say, Eliza fell right asleep at bedtime that night. We should do that more often, I guess!!!

Header Love

2011-06-15T22:25:00.000-05:00

So, wow! Some of you, like, actually want me to make you blog headers... who knew? Now, mind you, I don't know any fancy tricks - the above example is pretty much the extent of my knowledge on this whole header making business. Photo + text = header!

But, yeah! Why not? I'll give it a go. Just for you, my lovely readers.

Email me at: empberry gmail com with a couple of photos you'd like me to use AND your blog's header width. In blogger, this info can be found in your dashboard under design > edit header (I think, I told you I'm new at this!). The width should be given in pixels and is commonly in the range of 800-1000 pixels.

And I promise, if I make you one and you hate it, you don't have to use it. Or, alternatively, you could just tell me and I will change it, I'm cool like that.

(Thanks for all the compliments on the new header, btw!)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T06:01:00.007-05:00

(Even if it wasn't WW, I still wouldn't have any words for this photo. Anyone want to take a stab at a caption?)

New Header

2011-06-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

Like my new blog header?

I had a ton of fun making it. It was really easy, too, once I figured out a thing or two about blog width rules, pixels and resolution... I'm sort of a novice when it comes to this stuff, but thanks to Google, I don't think I did half bad.

If you want me to make one for your blog, let me know! I'd love more practice :)

Part II

2011-06-14T06:38:00.000-05:00

The second and final installment of my guest blogging experience about Baby Led Weaning over at Jess's blog is up today.

Go check it out!

Ahma

2011-06-13T21:54:00.001-05:00

Eliza is finally learning to say "grandma". For a while, she didn't really have a word for my mom (we're calling my parents "grandma" and "grandpa", and hubby's parents are "nana" and "pop pop", names which she both says and uses quite efficiently). It was weird. She clearly knew who grandma was all along, but whenever we talked about grandma and grandpa, she would only verbalize "grandpa" (which came out "bumpah", and still does), making the sign along with it. It was as though this word/sign combination represented both grandpa and grandma...? Maybe? Or perhaps she just never got around to learning the word "grandma"? I guess we'll never know.

But finally - finally - she has started to try to say grandma and it is so cute. It comes out as "ahma". It melts my heart (and if it melts my heart, I can't even imagine what it does to my mom's).

Those two are best friends. Eliza always prefers to be with/be held by my mom over me when given the choice (unless of course there is nursing to be done, then she will settle for mama), and it doesn't make me sad or jealous in the least. I am so happy to see them together and to see Eliza love her grandma so much. They have a special bond and they are both very lucky to have the other!

Play Date with Auntie K

2011-06-12T21:49:00.002-05:00

Fun on the big girl slide! (Photo alternately titled: "My child needs either a barrette or a haircut")

Feeding auntie's fishies in her backyard. Eliza takes this job VERY seriously.

What I keep meaning to do...

2011-06-09T06:01:00.001-05:00

I've noticed a few bloggers recently posting all the things they have been meaning to do lately, but have been putting off. I knew I had to get in on this - I love lists. Is it just me? No no, I KNOW there are lots of you who get all excited by a potential list-making opportunities. Admit it. It's the first step, people.

Anyway, yes, list-making is a favorite past time of mine, and this exercise made me realize how many things I've been meaning to do*... and have been putting off. So I thought maybe if I wrote them all down (or, at least the first 10 that came to my mind) in black and white, I might actually get the motivation to do them. Well, a girl can hope anyway...

Clean out my über-tiny closet, switch out winter clothes for ~~summer clothes~~ the three t-shirts and one pair of shorts that are in a box labeled "summer clothes" in the basement.
Buy some new summer clothes - oh, and buy a dress! Yes, I want to wear dresses. Summery, casual ones. That go with casual sandals.
List items on eBay that I've been meaning to sell for... a while.
Go through Eliza's dresser and box up clothes that no longer fit her or are too warm to wear - it was 104 degrees here yesterday, people! It's time for the warm clothes to move over (for at least a few months...) and make room for summer clothes.
Pay more attention to my cats. This includes: brushing them, clipping their ~~daggers~~ nails regularly, and other good-cat-owner behaviors. They have been seriously neglected since approximately 11-14-09.
Get my sewing machine fixed so that I can...
Hem the dust ruffle (what an ugly name for something so pretty) on Eliza's crib. I made it so that it was the right length for the mattress at its highest/wee-baby setting, and now that it's on the lowest setting, it looks ridiculous.
Find or develop a recipe for a healthy muffin for Eliza. That girl is SUCH a carb fiend (hubby wants to find this shirt in her size), and I'd like to offer her a nutrient-packed, whole wheat, grainy (read: not as yummy) version of one of her favorite treats: the muffin. Recommendations welcome!
Weed my tomato bed. Buy cocoa bean mulch, add mulch to said tomato bed.
Buy thistle seed and fill the backyard bird feeders.

*this list (obviously) only pertains to inter-household/domestic-awesomeness duties. My long list of grad school to-dos is tedious and boring, so I won't make you read it. You're welcome.

Wordless Wednesday: One Year Ago

2011-06-08T13:32:00.000-05:00

Guest Blogging

2011-06-07T12:19:00.002-05:00

I am a guest blogger over on Jess's blog this week as part of her "Tuesdays Unwrapped" series. Today's post is part one of two about our experience with Baby Led Weaning.

Thanks for having me, Jess, it was a lot of fun!

Go check it out!

Water, Bubbles & Dock Dancing

2011-06-06T22:03:00.001-05:00

We had such a fun weekend! The weather was beautiful - it was super hot and humid in the cities, but the weather at the cabin was perfect (it seems to always be about 10 degrees cooler there than in the city). We drove up on Friday, ate dinner and then put The Girl to bed. Then we relaxed with our Kindles (hubby relaxed by fishing off the dock, but he did have his Kindle in one hand!), and a drink. It was awesome!

The next day, my parents came up, which made Eliza very happy - Mama and Dada are just not as fun as they are, apparently :) She was asleep when they arrived, but when she woke up she was very happy to see them.

We had a great day. We hung out on our new dock (where Eliza thought it was pretty fun to freak her parents and grandparents out by dancing on the dock like a wild child), walked in the lake (still too cold to swim for this mama), and we also checked out a few garage sales in town. They were all pretty lame, unfortunately, but we did stop by a little petting zoo while we were in town - there was a little festival going on and we just caught the tail end of it. Of course I forgot my camera :( There were baby goats there. They were SO cute! Aren't all baby animals cute? They kill me with their adorable-ness. Anyway, Eliza loved the animals, so it was worth the garage sale strikeouts.

That night we grilled and had fajitas for dinner, followed by a fantastic rhubarb tart made by my mama. My dad completed the awesomeness by picking up some DQ soft serve. YUMMMMM.

The next morning we decided to check out a new playground after breakfast. We have our 'usual' playground in town that we always go to, but it was fun to check out a new one. It's at the boat launch on the adjoining lake, only about a 5 minute drive from our cabin. Eliza gave it her stamp of approval by going down the twirly slide about two dozen times. While we were there hubby found a baby painted turtle in the sand - it was so tiny and SO cute (what did I say about baby animals??). My mom moved it to the woods so it wouldn't get stepped on. Then we went to get coffee before we headed home.

Eliza took an EPIC three-hour nap when we got home, and I joined her for about two of those hours, which was so nice. This is one of my favorite things about the cabin - napping in the middle of the day is perfectly acceptable :)

After nap, Eliza and Grandpa played with some bubbles on the dock. Grandpa would blow bubbles and help Eliza catch them on her hand - she thought this was great fun. She did this for quite a while!

Then we did some more walking in the water with Grandma. Eliza is becoming a pro at this! Hopefully soon the water will be warm enough to go swimming (warm enough for mama, that is!).

The day at the cabin ended with my mom making the most out-of-this-world, mind blowing pizza EVER. Words cannot describe how awesome it was. We were singing her praises the rest of the night (and today). It. was. so. good. Then we headed home while my parents stayed for one more night.

It was a lovely, fun, relaxing weekend for all, but most of all, Eliza had a blast. She loves it up there, and I am so glad. She is the fifth generation to enjoy our family's lake cabin and it is such a wonderful sight to see. I love watching her with my parents, it reminds me of when I was little, when I spent time there with my grandparents. I have so many happy memories from that time, and I hope that Eliza makes wonderful memories there with her grandparents, too.

I am one lucky mama. In so, so, so many ways.

Making Faces

2011-06-03T14:07:00.001-05:00

Eliza loves making faces.

She knows that she can get a laugh out of us (because obviously, it's hilarious), so she does it a lot. I think, though, that she thinks she makes different faces, but in fact she is making the same face every time.

She squeezes her eyes shut, squishes up her nose and puts her head to her chest. There is always a shy smile, too.

This girl cracks me up.

Happy weekend!

Lactivists, (L)activate!

2011-05-31T22:03:00.001-05:00

[Hahahaha. I'm chuckling over my title. Heheheh...]

Just a quick post tonight - wanted to pass on two links to a set of blog posts I found interesting!

I've been interested in breastfeeding rights, promotion, cultural acceptance, etc. (A REAL SHOCKER, I KNOW), long before I actually started breastfeeding (I blame it on my Mom - thanks Mom!) I'm very interested in helping to promote breastfeeding without being divisive or judgmental; without blame or guilt and WITH compassion, support and understanding.

So, as a "breastfeeding advocate", these two posts piqued my interest.

Top 10 Things Breastfeeding Advocates SHOULD Say

Top 10 Things Breastfeeding Advocates should STOP saying

I think the author does a great job capturing the positive, supportive spirit that we should offer women - ANY woman - who may want to breastfeed, those who aren't sure if they can/want to, those who want more information about breastfeeding, and even for those women who don't end up breastfeeding (whether it be by choice or whether they are physically unable to do so).

Take a look!

She Could Have Been Famous

2011-05-26T06:15:00.001-05:00

You know those viral you tube videos of babies laughing? Like, this one or this one?

Well, we totally missed our chance with Eliza. We had our chance - she did it once, she laughed like those babies - HYSTERICALLY, sooo cutely, for like two minutes straight... and we didn't have a video camera.

Here's what happened. It was back in October, Eliza was 11 months old. We went to visit a litter of 12 week old kittens (my parents were choosing two new future furbabies out of this litter). There were about six kittens running around the house, but when we got there they all bolted and hid under the furniture (scaredy cats!). So, we all sat down on the floor, Eliza on my lap, and we grabbed some cat toys - the fishing-pole type that have feathers, string or glittery tinsel at the end of the string - cats go NUTS over these things. Anyway, one by one, the kittens started to come out from hiding. They were shy at first, but once they saw the toys flying around, their little kitten brains couldn't resist and they started pouncing. They were jumping up, one after the other, flying through the air, smacking into each other in mid-air, etc... sort of like this, only faster and there were six of them all going at once. It was hilarious. Even the adults couldn't stop laughing!

So, Eliza watches this unfold and at first is really interested and smiley. And then as soon as they started jumping up like little jumping beans, she started laughing SO HARD, and did. not. stop. for like two minutes straight! I mean, it was a serious belly laugh. It was so funny - we had never, ever, heard her laugh like that or for that long. My parents and I just looked at each other and laughed - we couldn't believe the sounds coming out of this girl!

Alas, we missed it. No video camera handy, not even a camera. I swear to you, if we had gotten that on video, there is no doubt in my mind that it would have gone viral on you tube. I suppose I *might* be a bit biased, but really - seriously, it was just as funny and cute as those videos I referenced above.

So, here's a tip: if your baby is going to be in the presence of adorable, tiny baby animals, don't be like me and forget the video camera, people!

Wordless Wednesday: Pure Joy

2011-05-25T06:57:00.000-05:00

Sappy Sunday

2011-05-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

This girl makes me smile every day. She is so sweet and so caring. She loves her family, her dolls, her stuffed animals, her kitties... she gives kisses and tells us she loves us. She makes silly faces and throws her head back and laughs and laughs. She loves to be tickled, and always says "again!" when you stop. She loves her friends and asks to see them by name ("isey!" "eddie!" "vi!" "audie!"). She is such a little love.

She is a happy, happy girl, and I do not know what I would do without her.

How big is Eliza?

2011-05-21T21:20:00.001-05:00

My baby girl is a big girl!

Weight: 29 lbs 3 ozs (95th percentile)
Height: 34" (97th percentile)

Our wonderful pediatric nurse practitioner said she is "the picture of health".

She is happy and healthy. We are so lucky.

What more could we ask for? Nothing!