Outside Looking In...

30 Day Challenge - Day 1

2012-02-08T18:07:00.002-05:00

Five ways to win my heart:

1. Find "our song."
2. Tell me I look pretty and mean it.
3. Do something that I want to do, even if you hate it.
4. Remember my favorites. Bust one out once in a while.
5. Random acts of romance.

30 Day Blogging Challenge

2012-02-08T18:04:00.001-05:00

Since my 30 day photo challenge did wonders for my photography blog, I decided I needed to do a 30 day challenge here as well to exercise those creative writing itches I've been having as well. It's going to get tough in a couple of weeks since I actually managed to pick up a late semester class (YAY for using my brain) but I'm going to try anyway. After all, from now until whenever I actually manage to finish, it's always going to be something.

SO - thus I begin my 30 day challenge. Here's the list:

Random thoughts...

2012-01-26T11:39:00.001-05:00

-I’m concerned that we have gone WAAAAAYYYY backwards in the potty training arena. Trying to be patient, but still concerned.

-I am irrationally excited for Nikon School in March.

-Am I the only person in the universe that hates minky dot fabric?

-My D5100 arrived yesterday. My D40 leaves tonight. Happy/sad.

-Kayla has had more diaper rash lately than in her entire life. Another reason I’m dying to ditch the diapers.

-Shaun’s birthday is coming up. Present purchased; do I need to plan something else?

-Valentine’s day is only a week after that. Should I be thinking about dinner out?

-I need to take that jar of coins over to be counted.

-There is a run in my last pair of “good” pantyhose. So much for wanting to dress like a girl again.

-Dying for warm weather already… with an awful lot of winter to go.

-Need to add some stuff to the recipe blog. It is sad and lonely.

-Need to do a 30 day challenge for this blog so I update more often.

-Need to find another 30 day challenge for the photo blog – love how that made me pick up my camera daily.

-I can’t wait to re-enroll in classes. I need to get on that train and finish up.

2012-01-22T19:12:00.001-05:00

3 Day Potty Training (In 2 1/2 days) Part 3

2012-01-08T11:55:00.004-05:00

Not feeling so confident today. 2 accidents before 10 am - it seems like we're going backwards. Not sure if we should even send her to school in underwear tomorrow; not sure if I can handle the fallout of trying to get her back into diapers.

Good grief.

3 Day Potty Training (in 2 1/2 days) part 2

2012-01-07T09:29:00.002-05:00

7:00 am: Wake up later than usual, pull up is damp. Go potty, switch to underwear and go downstairs.
8:00 am: Have eaten breakfast, done puzzles and gone potty twice. High and dry.
9:25 am: Go potty, wash hands, have snack. Still so far so good.
11:25 am: Still no accidents. Pepere and Grammy Sue come for a visit and we have 2 more potty trips and some good distracted time.
1:45 pm: I get out of the shower and come downstairs to an accident shortly after. Oops. Almost 7 hours without though - super proud!
3:00 pm: Manage a quick potty break and a walk up to Turkey Hill without incident. Starting to feel confident again.

Here's where the timeline gets hazy... I got caught up with making dinner, we had one more wetting accident, and no sooner did I get her changed from that then she pooped again (not in the potty). Feeling a little less confident now than I was at say... noon today. We'll see how Sunday goes. She will NOT be happy if I try to go back to diapers for school on Monday, but I really don't want to have to leave work to drop off spare clothing on Monday afternoon. *le sigh*

3 Day Potty Training (in 2 1/2 days) part 1

2012-01-06T16:14:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week, I decided it was probably a good time to start with underwear training for Kayla. I've read a bit about the 3 day method, where you switch to underwear and hopefully don't look back after 3 days. Accidents are expected, and it's about getting the little one to pay attention to their bodies and know when they have to go.

All week I've been telling Kayla that this afternoon we would put her in her big girl underwear and it was her job to keep it dry. We went to target and picked out some new underwear and a second potty to have downstairs. She seemed pretty excited about it all.

So today when I got home from the store, she sat on the potty and then changed into big girl underwear! We sat down to watch a movie, and after a while, I suggested we go sit on the potty - which she did, and she went! Success!

A little later I was on the phone trying to get an appointment to have Shaun's car serviced, she came over and I didn't realize she was trying to tell me she had to go... so we had our first accident about 2 hours in. That's what I get for allowing myself to get distracted.

1:30: Failed nap attempt. Get Kayla up and put her on her potty then in her big girl underwear.
2:15: Use potty, celebrate with praise and a peanut butter cup.
3:30: First accident. Quick change, gentle reminders to stay dry and lots more hugs.
4:15: Second accident. Quick change, another reminder. Note to self - keep checking every 30-45 minutes, no more!
7:00: Four more successful potty trips and zero more accidents. Having snack and feeling good!
7:15: As she's playing at her kitchen, I hear "uh oh mommy! Poop in my panties!" Off we go to the potty, where we manage to get 75% of the offending load. Then it's off to the tub and I feel like a real jakcass for feeling so smug just a few minutes before.
8:15: With Kayla bathed, the toys picked up, snack finished and one more pee in the potty, she is tucked into bed with a pull-up on.

Not a bad time all in all - I actually anticipated much, much worse. I'm going to try to track tomorrow's progress - hopefully a little more closely since Shaun should be home with me most of the day, unlike today.

Our 2011 in Pictures

2011-12-31T18:04:00.002-05:00

Last year, the photo post was a quick-fix to a lost narrative. This year, it was really difficult to choose just one photo per month... but here we are, with just hours left in 2011 - I present Kayla's year in pictures.

JANUARY

None of my snow pics came out, but here she is all geared up for it!

FEBRUARY

Valentine's Day dinner... balloon and all.

MARCH

Celebrating Great Grandpa's 80th birthday with a tune.

APRIL

Starting to get more hair now... enjoying a spring day on the deck.

MAY

Pushing the swing at Pepere and Grammy Sue's house on Mother's Day.

JUNE

Playing in the fountain at Pepere and Grammy Sue's house (photo credit: Paul Roy).

JULY

Kayla Turns 2! Look at how big she is; she even moves into her big girl bed this month too.

AUGUST

One of many walks over to the playground - Kayla's favorite place!

SEPTEMBER

September was our trip month... we went to the beach and Mount Gretna.

OCTOBER

My sweet little Pirate at Halloween.

NOVEMBER

Our first family photos (photo credit: The Picture People).

DECEMBER

Looking lovely at Christmas.

Merry Christmas to All! (now with pics)

2011-12-27T08:58:00.001-05:00

So here I am, back at work. Sipping my first cup of coffee and reflecting on an amazing weekend. We are so blessed, even if being blessed means we were up to our eyeballs in plastic and cardboard and more than a little glitter up through somewhere near 10 am yesterday.

Friday night we had a small get together at our house. Good food, good drink, great friends and family, and of course – top notch entertainment courtesy of Kayla and her “favorite song.” The eggnog went faster than I had anticipated and the carefully chosen dishes seemed to be a hit all the way around, especially the cheese tray. (Gotta love having an amazing place to buy gourmet cheese right here in our little town.)

Saturday we were able to relax a little, and after Kayla’s nap we were off to my dad and step-mom’s house for the annual cookie and fondue celebration. Kayla was absolutely spoiled rotten by the entire family. She loves opening gifts and tentatively asked me “is this for me?” each time one was placed in front of her. Jammies, a Cookie Monster, puzzles, panda umbrella and a handmade fabric “paper doll” book were among the many gifts she received. We whisked ourselves home to put her to bed and watch a little “Christmas Story” while we enjoyed some Irish coffee and exchanging gifts between Shaun and I. I put my new tripod and camera remote to use to attempt a few long-exposure pictures of the tree. Fun! (Now if only I could find time to install my new Photoshop Elements software on the computer…)

Christmas morning was a flurry of wrapping paper and squeals of joy as Kayla opened each of her gifts from Santa – a school bus, some Thomas the Tank Engine track and trains, books, games and so on… then at Grandma and Pawpaw’s house. Puzzles, clothes and a big new kitchen set for her to bring home once our tree comes down. After enjoying a yummy breakfast together, my mom and sister came over to our house for more gifts and lunch. Yet more puzzles, books and a Super Grover doll. After nap time, we headed up to Aunt Dena and Uncle Jaime’s house for the most amazing Christmas dinner and time with Kayla’s cousins. She had a blast running around with all 5 boys and was pretty well exhausted when we got home – though not too exhausted to play with her new baby doll before bed.

Monday we had lunch with my dad and sister before Aunt Paula headed back to Philadelphia, then went out for a bit of shopping of our own. Mostly necessities, but I did grab another set of Kayla’s favorite doggie PJ’s in the next size up, since the 24 month ones are pretty small already. It’s so hard to believe another Christmas has come and gone already, but it was great fun for us this year. Kayla had an absolute blast and didn’t seem to mind one bit that she didn’t get one of the things she’s been asking for from Santa for the last few weeks. More on that to come though…

A week at Sandals

2011-12-21T20:58:00.002-05:00

So as I said in my last post, Shaun and I spent a week at the Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica. We had a fabulous room with two awesome butlers (yes, butlers) all week long. The view wasn't quite what I was hoping for, but it was still amazing. The food was unbelievable, and if you ever get there, tell Verna I sent you for one of her totally amazing Bloody Marys. I love the Caribbean and I really hope I don't have to wait another 5 years to get back!

Next up... Christmas Eve-Eve soiree at our casa!

We're Back!

2011-12-19T13:13:00.000-05:00

Photos are uploaded and I’m working on editing whenever I have time; yesterday was spent digging out from under the mountain of laundry and this week is dedicated to preparing for Christmas. I hope to have another entry complete with photos ready to go soon… so be ready for the tale of our trip to Jamaica aka Paradise, aka the week I got hooked on the Bloody Mary, aka look out for the crazy Rastafarian mosquitos from Hell. It was epic!

Starting to breathe again

2011-12-06T22:02:00.001-05:00

Tonight after two quizzes, a discussion question and two assignments, I laid back on the floor and took a deep breath.

I am a final exam away from completing a semester. 100 multiple choice questions. Only 55 of which I need to get write to still get an A in the class.

My Christmas cards are addressed and ready to send off tomorrow after I get my holiday stamps. Just a few more days of rushing around and then I get to relax for a week. I can not wait.

Is it Saturday yet?

Another Breakthrough

2011-12-05T08:07:00.000-05:00

Aside from the holiday loveliness that happened in our house this weekend, Kayla decided to treat me by suddenly deciding that she wants to go to the potty at home. Saturday she went twice, and Sunday she managed to keep her diaper dry until all but nap time! She still needs to be reminded sometimes, but more and more she looks at me and says “I want to pee pee on the potty mommy!”

This morning she sat on the potty before we left for the day and as she sat there and tried, she looked up at me and said “are you going to be proud of me mommy?” I had to hold back the tears. As little as 3 or 4 days ago, she would ask “can I have a gummy bear?” Knowing that my pride and acknowledgement is her primary motivator is a really awesome thing.

Even though she didn’t go for me this morning, she still got lots of hugs, kisses and “I’m proud of you’s.”

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-12-04T14:52:00.001-05:00

It's finally starting to feel like the Holidays around here. Yesterday we went up to Elizabeth Farms to pick out our Christmas tree. Kayla helped decorate this year, putting her first ornament on the tree:

It was so much fun being able to have her help this year rather than decorating while she was napping and surprising her when she woke up. After a busy morning and a yummy dinner, we settled in to watch Rudolph together. Once Kayla was in bed, we completed our evening with hot chocolate and "It's a Wonderful Life." I just love this time of year.

Happy Turkey Day!

2011-11-23T22:00:00.001-05:00

Before we get caught up in the flurry of family visits, turkey and stuffing, being surrounded by those who know us best and love us anyway... happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. Wishing you the best and to be surrounded by those things that your are most thankful for. I know I will be.

Poor sweetheart

2011-11-16T19:02:00.001-05:00

Kayla came home from daycare today and the first thing I noticed was her eye...

(Incidentally, does anyone else find that the bathtub is the easiest place to photograph their toddler? I feel like I have an inordinate number of bathtub pics, but it's about the only place where she's contained and will sit and look right at me for more than 3 seconds.)

The incident report said that she was accidentally scratched by one of her friends. Honestly, I can't believe she didn't do it to herself... I'm still a little edgy about trimming her nails thanks to being reminded that I hurt her one time.

Quickie Update

2011-11-08T21:37:00.001-05:00

It's been a crazy whirlwind of a fall so far here in our house. We started by decorating our porch:

Then we went to the pumpkin patch:

Then it snowed and we stayed in our jammies and snuggled.

Then we went trick-or-treating.

I've been so busy with work, school, home and family... looking forward to my semester ending (just 4 more weeks!) and getting a little bit of a break. More on that later though. For now, the laptop battery is about to kick so I'm going to call it a night. Promise to be back soon this time! I have recipes stored up for posting and I'm going to attempt a 30 day photo challenge while in between semesters, so hopefully all 3 of the blogs will get a little sprucing up next month!

Been Busy...

2011-10-19T20:07:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to blog about our trip to the pumpkin patch and the rest of our fall/Halloween plans, but haven't had the time. I promise, I'll be back soon. I just need to recover and catch up on all of my school work first...

Friday Confession

2011-10-07T14:13:00.001-04:00

I've been brooding this week. A lot.

Kayla was very excited to see me when she got home from the Manheim Farm Show Tuesday night. She had news. Not only did she actually smile for school picture day, she went potty for the first time at school that day. Awesomesauce, right?

My initial reaction was joy. I hugged and kissed and told her how proud I am of her. And as I was squeezing her for the 37th time, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I missed it.

My kid used the potty for the first time, and I wasn't there. Someone else got to tell her what a great job she did before I could. I wasn't even there to find out when she got picked up from school. Grandma knew before I did.

Working mom's guilt is such a bitch. And a fickle one at that. In my head I know that I'm just not cut out to be a SAHM. I'm ready to go back to work and have interactions with grown ups again after just a week at home with her. But in my heart of hearts, I wish that I could be one.

I shouldn't be too sad. She's 27 months old today, has been in daycare for 25 of those months and this is the first milestone I've missed. I was with her when she crawled for the first time. I was right behind her when she took her first solo steps. I discovered her first tooth. I was there when she said her first word.

So why does this bother me so much? There's no shortage of firsts to come - but now I have to wonder how many more of those will work keep me from witnessing? Seems kind of unfair. But then again, life isn't fair, is it?

Where do they learn to break your heart so early?

2011-09-29T14:06:00.001-04:00

The other night Kayla and I were going through her bath time routine. When I finished putting lotion and a fresh diaper on her, I decided to stop procrastinating and grabbed the nail clippers. I asked her to sit down and be still so I could trim her finger and toe nails.

“Don’t snap me and hurt me again mommy,” she said to me.

Shocked and worried I said “who hurt you sweetheart?”

“You did. You snapped my finger and I needed a Band Aid because there was blood and it hurt.”

Oh.My.God.

My child doesn’t remember the dozens of harmless nail trimmings we’ve had, but she remembers the one where I trimmed one nail a little too close and drew the tiniest bit of blood. Of course, she doesn’t remember the one when she was a tiny infant and I did the same… but I do. At least now I know what she means when she refers to having her fingers “snapped.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Last night we were hanging out while Shaun went running and as she bounced on the couch, she turned and looked at me and declared “I need a present.” When I asked her what she was talking about, she said “it’s my birthday, I need a present!” Obviously it’s totally useless to remind a two year old that her birthday was nearly 3 months ago and even if it was her birthday, she certainly didn’t need a present. So I got a roll of Smarties out of the cabinet and told her that it was a special treat, even though it wasn’t her birthday. The resulting face grab and kisses were totally worth the “I can’t believe I’m giving her more junk food” guilt.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The ups and downs still never cease to amaze me. She can have my blood pressure sky-high one second and have me on the floor in a fit of giggles the next. This morning I was rushing to get her eating breakfast so I could run back upstairs to dry my hair and as I spun into the pantry to grab her a plate, I hear her say “hey, are you ok in there?”

This kid cracks me up. She knows just how to push my buttons already. I’m in for a long ride.

Gretna Weekend

2011-09-27T20:43:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we had a great time with great friends. Mount Gretna is a hard place to describe; it's almost like something out of a story - where quaint cottages with names like "As You Wish" and "Serendipity" are haphazardly nestled close together under a canopy of trees.

After enjoying lunch at the Hideaway, we tucked in on the super huge porch of our rented cottage and listened to music while watching the rain. Even though she barely napped, Kayla was an absolute delight, making fast friends.

We ate way too much and certainly drank our share, but it was a wonderful time. I'd go back to sitting on that porch and listening to the rain in a heartbeat given the opportunity. Hoping we get to do that soon!

Is weekend yet?

2011-09-23T08:05:00.001-04:00

My hair dryer ~~shit the bed~~ finally gave up the ghost this morning. I guess I can’t complain – I’ve had that thing since at least college, if not high school, which makes it approximately… ancient. So I’m sitting at my desk, hair in a ponytail still foggy from lack of caffeine. It’s foggy outside too – hoping that grey skies and rain don’t ruin our weekend.

But my school work is done, we have plans for good times with good friends, Kayla will be with her grandparents Saturday into Sunday…

And right now my husband is out purchasing a new hair dryer for me. Heaven help us all.

Still waiting on that MOTY award

2011-09-16T14:04:00.002-04:00

And from the looks of it, the wait will be long.

The lovely mark on her forehead? Obtained out walking with mommy and daddy earlier this week. I was singing a song to get her to hurry up a little because it was getting dark; I had a hold of her hand, but she tripped and I couldn't grab hard enough fast enough so down she went. Do you know what it sounds like when a little one's head hits the sidewalk? I do. It's awful.

Thankfully she seems no worse for wear, as evidenced above. I am still bothered by it, but she clearly is not. Unless a side effect of a head injury is suddenly asking "why?" to everything. Today when I picked her up from school, I put her in the car and our conversation went something like this:

Me: Did you have a good day today?

Her: Uh-huh!

Me: Good! Let's go home and watch Gabba...

Her: YAY!

Me: Then after nap time we're going to go to the grocery store.

Her: Why?

Me: Because we need food.

Her: Why?

Me: Because we have to eat, silly!

Her: Why?

Me: Because you get grumpy when you're hungry.

Her: Why?

Me: Because I get grumpy when I'm hungry too.

Her: Why?

Me: Oh look, we're home!

Her: Why?

I know every kid goes through this. Somehow though, I wasn't expecting it until she was a bit older. I guess I can just hope that we're getting it over and done with early... and also hope that this little phase doesn't rear its ugly head again later on.

I haven't forgotten

2011-09-12T08:39:00.001-04:00

I wanted to write something yesterday, but the words wouldn’t come. It felt trite. Ten years is such an arbitrary line in time – why would this particular anniversary be more poignant than the previous 9? But it was. Maybe because of the media frenzy; everyone and their brother had something about 9/11 on TV. Maybe because for the first time in 10 years, I actually sat and watched the video rather than changing channels.

I remember 9/11/2001 pretty clearly. It was a beautiful fall day. I remember sitting in my friend Matt’s dorm room with he and his roommate; watching the coverage, holding hands and feeling a spectrum of emotions. Anger. Fear. Sadness. Confusion. It’s amazing how an event like that can cause such a seismic shift to a 19 year old. I remember the agonizing 2-3 days afterwards, waiting anxiously for word from my friend Ashley who was attending NYU at that time. I remember standing outside of my dorm with friends and none of us being able to talk about anything else for days.

I hope that someday I will be able to share my memories of that day with Kayla, and I can help her understand how it changed our world. It’s a hard thing for me to reconcile sometimes… I just hope I’m able when the time comes.

We love the beach!

2011-09-11T12:15:00.001-04:00

Seriously who couldn't get used to this view?

Yeah, that was taken from the balcony of the condo we rented in OC. Nice, huh?

We arrived and dropped Shaun off at our OC Branch to do some work during some rain showers. Thankfully they let up as I put gas in the Jeep so Kayla and I could kill some time on the beach. She happily skipped along, sand toys in hand, oblivious to the crap weather we were having.

As the clouds started to clear off, we had dinner and went down to the boardwalk for some shopping and treats. Kayla loves Thrasher's... she wasn't too keen on the "no ketchup" policy though - vinegar isn't her favorite.

Wednesday morning we woke up to hazy skies that quickly cleared and gave us a beautiful day on the beach! Grandma and Pawpaw came down to spend some time with us. We played in the surf, but the waves were too rough for any real swimming. After a morning on the beach, we had lunch, nap and then went to dinner at Harpoon Hanna's. We hit the boardwalk again and took Kayla to see the kites at the Kite Loft - a huge hit for sure!

Thursday was another beautfiul day in Ocean City, but the morning was a little subdued as we started to get news of the flooding that was happening here at home. Thankfully our house was dry, but many people we know are dealing with water in their basements - some a little, and some a lot. We kept a close eye on everything that was going on, although there wasn't much we could do from such a distance. A lot of bridges were flooded and roads closed, so even trying to come home sounded more dangerous than just staying put.

So we stayed. And enjoyed another beautiful, sunny day. Kayla got to have dinner at Grotto Pizza with Grandma and Pawpaw. Shaun and I got a date night at Liquid Assets. It was wonderful. We got back in time to take a walk down to Dumser's for ice cream and for Kayla to show us the spoils of her night out with her grandparents. A little boogie board, a school bus toy and best of all - a treasured balloon from the restaurant.

Friday was pretty overcast, so we took the opportunity to explore one of the parks across the highway from our condo. Playgrounds are almost always a big hit... and the adults enjoyed the walk too.

After Grandma and Pawpaw headed home, we relaxed and napped, then had a quick dinner in and took one last trip down to the boardwalk. Tonight? A yummy soft pretzel, a new sweatshirt and a cool Angry Bird toy won by daddy. We walked around the rides, and it brought back a lot of memories from when I vacationed in OC as a kid - a lot has changed, but a lot of things are the same. It's so much fun to share this stuff with Kayla now.

All in all we had a great vacation; I'm already looking forward to going back!

We're Back!

2011-09-10T18:12:00.001-04:00

And the basement is dry! I'm in the midst of 37 loads of laundry and catching up on my school work, but when I get around to editing, there will be a photo-laden post for your enjoyment.

There's nothing quite like the beach for bringing out the kid in us all.

A break in the clouds?

2011-09-04T10:52:00.003-04:00

We certainly hope so... especially me. Looking like potential for crap weather in OCMD this week. If anyone has any perfect weather bids they want to surrender for Wednesday and/or Thursday, I'd be eternally grateful.

Though I suppose a crap day at the beach is better than a good day at work, right?

Can you prepare a statement of retained earnings for a corporation?

2011-08-25T21:20:00.001-04:00

I can.

TAKE THAT, ACCOUNTING 200.

Now that I have that out of my system... I just finished up my last assignment for the week. And man does it feel good. I'm currently rocking a 115% in my medical terminology class, which is shaping up to have more work but I feel like I'm managing that well because it's interesting. Accounting spent 3 days kicking my ass before I finally decided I wasn't afraid and I could manage it - so I did.

I'm starting to think that I really can do this. Even when increasing my course load next semester. I can do this.

Wow.

One more week of work and class, then we're off to the beach. Class will likely have to follow, but it will mostly be sun and fun for a few days. I look forward to ocean sunrises and quiet and reconnecting with my little family and my cameras. The next few weeks are going to be fun. It's been a lovely summer, but I'm looking forward to the fall.

Officially Official

2011-08-15T12:27:00.001-04:00

I have a student ID and some books. Virtual Campus orientation is tonight, and classes start in a week.

Holy crap, I’m a college student again.

Ohhh back to school

2011-08-05T20:31:00.000-04:00

This week I took a leap that I wasn't completely certain I was capable of. I registered for two online classes.

Don't get me wrong, I still think I'm the poster child for what not to do... Like people point and whisper, saying "that's the girl who just registered at the local community college to get an associates degree. Oh, don't be fooled by her looks, she's almost 30."

[Side note: that comment about my looks isn't just my vanity talking. A few years ago I was working part time at a grocery store to help pay for our wedding. Maybe it was the fact that no one I worked with was over 18, but no one believed me when I said I was recommending a wine from experience, and yes, I was really old enough to drink.]

I'm not proud that it's taken me so long. I'm not happy that it took 5 years in a dead end job to finally get me off my duff (in my defense, it only became a true dead end this time last year). I wish I could follow my heart and what I think my true career path should be, but we just aren't there right now. I'm also not celebrating - I'll do that when I'm done. Hopefully that will be next December.

So - as if my writing wasn't sporadic enough, it may be even more so starting later this month. Classes begin 8/22 and finish up 12/16. It should be an interesting few weeks. Wish me luck.

2011-07-25T19:29:00.000-04:00

So as I'm sure you've gathered from the last entry, Kayla now has a toddler bed. It was hard for me to make the leap since most things I've read said that kids aren't developmentally ready for a bed until closer to 3. I figured though it was better to risk the psychological damage now than when she fell trying to climb out of her crib at an inopportune time.

Night 1 in the bed was a disaster. It took her forever to fall asleep, and once she did, she wasn't asleep very long. I spent most of the night on the floor next to her. I don't know how much time she spent awake, but it was enogh that she was falling asleep at the lunch table at daycare the next day. Night two, be it from having had some time to adjust or just sheer exhaustion, Kayla slept much better. I had to go replace the nuk once, but she slept through. Each night since has been better.

Friday and Saturday night Kayla slept in another unfamiliar place - she spent her first two nights at Pepere and Grammy Sue's house while Shaun and I were in Philadelphia with friends. Besides a small part of Saturday night, it sounded like she did really well. I'm hoping that it went well enough that she might be invited back over there again in September... Right Dad and Sue?

So we survived the crib to bed transition, nights in a new place and bar hopping around Philly in triple digit heat. Not too shabby for one week, huh? Now it's back to that potty training thing. Maybe...

For the first time EVER

2011-07-19T21:20:00.000-04:00

Kayla told me "I want to go to bed now!"

Look how proud she is to be in her big girl bed...

Another Milestone

2011-07-19T11:03:00.001-04:00

This time for me, not for Kayla. I am proud to announce that today I am wearing a pair of work pants that I haven’t fit into since I was about 12 weeks pregnant (see this old blog entry). So what if it took me 2 years? I’m starting to be happy that I didn’t get rid of all my old clothes… and that the salad eating/gym going is paying off.

Time to consider a bed?

2011-07-15T13:58:00.000-04:00

Today I picked Kayla up from daycare at noon and we went up to the farmer's market to pick up our produce for the next week. Per usual, it took longer than planned and we arrived home after nap time would normally have begun. Kayla was in full out meltdown mode and did NOT want to be put in her crib. But I put her in and sat outside the door until she seemed calm. I went out and brought our groceries inside and then sat down to check emails and such. A little while later I heard her crying "my nuk! My nuk!" so I went up to assess the situation. Guess where that nuk was?

In the hallway.

And a little hand was poking out under the door, trying to grab it.

Little bugger can climb out of her crib. At least she didn't get hurt... but I guess it's time we start thinking about how to get her in a bed since that mattress doesn't go any lower.

Oy.

Powder Room Remodel - the Big Reveal

2011-07-09T07:53:00.000-04:00

I was going to wait until the room is 100% complete (we're still waiting on some of the accessories) before doing this post, but I'm afraid once I get back to work next week that I won't have the time or energy to do post... SO - here we are, the finished powder room.

For reference, here's the before:

The during:

And the afters:

Almost everything was purchased at one of the local "big box" stores, except for the toilet and vanity/mirror which were purchased online (not that I endorse going that route for bathroom fixtures).

The floor is 2X2 slate tiles, which were mesh mounted in 12X12 pieces. In hindsight, we think they were intended to be wall tile, but we like the look. The walls are "Saffron Strands" from the Behr Premium Plus line. The roman shade is a deep blue, bought online from JC Penney.

We spent a lot of time, money and effort in such a small room, but we made a lot of what I would call "rookie mistakes" along the way. Lots of trips out for little things, lots of scratching our heads over why this particular sink comes with 1 1/4" plumbing when the standard seems to be 1 1/2. Or why this toilet is secured with screws into plastic brackets that are bolted to the floor rather than closet bolts in the flange like most others... weirdness (see above statement about not endorsing purchasing bathroom fixtures online).

All in all though, we are pleased with the result. We went from boring builder standard to a more modern style, in just a few weeknights/weekend days, with a toddler in the house, and minimal fighting. We're not jumping to start another project just yet, but we do have a few ideas brewing...

Happy Second Birthday!!

2011-07-07T12:12:00.001-04:00

Dearest Little Kayla -

So here we are again, little angel; your big day is here. There's so much to celebrate - so much growth and change and just so much to love. Even though you thoroughly exhaust me by the end of a day, I wouldn't trade these days at home with you for anything.

I reread my first birthday letter to you last night, and it just staggers me how much you've changed in a year. I didn't think the transition would be so dramatic as it was from helpless infant to toddling 1-year old. But it has been. From toddling 1-year old, to walking, running, jumping 2-year old. From just beginning to grasp two-way communication to knowing more words than I can count, forming sentences, asking questions and making observations.

Right now your favorite things are KaiLan, puzzles, your doll house and playing outside. Your least favorite things are baths (having your hair rinsed out) and sitting still. You know all of your family members by name, and although you're still shy with Aunt Dena and Uncle Jaime, I know you like them a lot.

We had your party this past Saturday, and it was a great time. You were so excited about this party that was being thrown for you! I can't wait to let you help plan next years, now that I know how much you enjoy talking about parties. We were very excited to share your big day with the whole family.

You will be "moving up" to the pooh bear room at daycare on Monday. Today we ran some errands and when we stopped in to drop off your schedule for next week, I popped my head in to your new class room. I was kind of overcome with it all of a sudden... you're growing so fast. You're so big and smart and sweet but stubborn like your mamma. You are so much like us, but still a littler person all your own.

We love you so very much, Miss Kayla. It's been a wonderful two years, and I can't wait to see what this one brings. Hugs and kisses to you sweet one.

Love Always -

~Mommy

2 year well baby visit

2011-07-06T08:46:00.010-04:00

Since I inundated you enough yesterday, I figured I'd save this update for today. Kayla had her 2 year checkup yesterday and she did amazingly well. She hopped on the scale for the nurse with no hesitation, and sat very still and quiet while Dr. S. examined her. She even said a few things while he was in the room - very unusual!

She is now 25.8 pounds (42nd percentile) and 34 inches tall (56th percentile) so she's growing well. The doctor said he heard a small heart murmur, but called it an "innocent" or "flow" murmur; according to him, it's not uncommon and it should resolve itself over the next year or so. She's up to date on immunizations so she doesn't need to be seen again until she turns three.

So thankful for a happy and healthy ~~baby~~ little girl!

Once again, Blair says it best.

2011-07-05T19:12:00.000-04:00

Check out Blair's poignant post about today's verdict in the Casey Anthony trial.

Even though I understand reasonable doubt, I just can't make sense of this. My heart breaks for the little girl who was only a little older than mine is now. I hope that Kayla knows I am, and will always be her safe haven.

Powder Room Update

2011-07-05T08:36:00.000-04:00

The powder room is done, but not finished. Done in that it is functional, not finished in that I wouldn't send anyone in there to use it just yet.

I had to resand/repatch/repaint a wall, so that is in progress. Artwork is on order; we will have to mat/frame it when it arrives. The roman shade for the window should be here today.

Once everything is totally finished, I will post the final product. Here's a teaser pic to tide you over...

Second Birthday Party

2011-07-05T07:44:00.000-04:00

Saturday was a lovely day for a birthday party. So thankful for our amazing families - We gathered, ate, drank and celebrated this little girl for a warm afternoon.

Skinned knees/legs and all - too cute.

I was too busy enjoying myself to snap a lot of the detail shots that I got last year, but I'm cool with that. I was having a blast watching her run the backyard track with her cousins and chatting with everyone there.

The invitations were shamelessly copied from somewhere (I don't even remember the source) but created and printed by me (I'm an MS Publisher expert and didn't even know it!).

We had two kinds of meatball sandwiches, with tortellini salad, green salad and fruit. After dinner, Kayla got to don her bathing suit and do her favorite activity at Pepere and Grammy Sue's house- play in the fountain!

After getting dried off, it was time for cake!

Strawberry filled white cake with whipped icing. Yum.

Then we opened gifts. This was the point where my camera was sitting beside me while I read cards and helped keep her on track (multi-part gifts are tough - she wanted to grab something new after every box, even when there were more right in front of her).

All in all, it was a wonderful success and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did! I'll fill in more pictures as I get them from my dad and sister!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T19:28:00.000-04:00

Friday evening's parade in Lititz

Happy July 4th everyone! We'll be back shortly with a birthday party update and a 2nd birthday letter/photos not far behind!

What I'm about to say might shock you

2011-06-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

No, seriously; stop the presses.

I am not Bakerella.

And as my plans for a perfectly delicious and adorable party favor fall apart, I'm left standing here covered in white candy coating and epic fail. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings in this adventure.

Reason 372 that the DIY Network is TEH DEBIL!!!!!

2011-06-22T21:20:00.000-04:00

About 5 years ago, we bought a house. Nothing fancy - run of the mill new construction townhouse with run of the mill basic finishes. It was our 5 year plan. Well, since I haven't written any more about our attempts to sell, I guess you can figure out how that's working out...

So we've decided to start putting a little money into the place. Make it more marketable. The wooden decking has been pulled and replaced with PVC decking and a new railing; stairs were also added. We were in the midst of contemplating our next move when a minor toilet malfunction sparked an idea. The powder room would be next. Simple enough, right? How hard can it be to remodel less than 25 square feet? Gah.

First, the before. Bisque toilet, cabinet vanity with cultured marble top, vinyl floor and my favorite feature - the frameless mirror held up by those lovely plastic clips. Functional but not particularly pretty.

So, prettying up this boring space became our new priority. First came the demo...

Check out how they installed the vanity top - IN THE WALL. How awesome is this?

We decided on yellow walls, a standalone vanity with vessel sink and a modern, white toilet. Oh and a slate mosaic floor, which brings me to the title of this post. I've watched my fair share of DIY, and honestly, tiling a floor didn't look all that hard. HA! Maybe if I had Amy Matthews hanging over my shoulder telling me exactly what to do... but on my own, not so much.

Thankfully things are starting to come together. Keep an eye out for the progress and "after" pics coming soon. I've got a little more painting to do and then we can start installing fixtures. I'll share it all when we're through!

In the mean time, I need to get back to working on little bugger's second birthday party. Only 9 or so days till the shindig, and just about 2 weeks till her birthday!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T12:59:00.000-04:00

First to my dad - there aren't enough ways to say thank you, but what says it best is that I think I'm finally starting to "get it."

And to Shaun - thanks for being a great Daddy. Patient, loving and always teaching. I know she looks up to you and it's only a matter of time before she realizes that you are actually way cooler than me.

Evil, thy name is

2011-06-07T07:54:00.000-04:00

Viral pharyingitis. Kayla spiked a fever on Saturday. She was fussy and clingy, but it was under control with ibuprofen, so I didn't think too much of it. Sunday the fever was gone, but she still wasn't right. Kayla is a pretty laid back kid (as far as toddlers go) but she was very temperamental all day Sunday. I chalked it up to her 2 year molars coming in. Yesterday she was an absolute disaster at daycare and when Shaun brought her home, so I took her to the doctor. Turns out she was sick. Poor monkey.

We're hanging out at home today, hopefully getting plenty of rest and maybe I can catch up on the cleaning I've been neglecting.

My favorite words

2011-06-02T20:32:00.000-04:00

I love the things that Kayla says. I love the way she says things.

This is gra-oohla:

This is a kolala:

This is a lah-coif:

Seriously, is there anything cuter? Well, maybe this:

Doing for me

2011-05-30T09:56:00.000-04:00

I'm slowly starting to come to terms with my helicopter mom tendencies. The realization that Kayla is nearly 2 years old and I have yet to spend a night away from her sort of forced me to take a look at how to fit myself in again. When I first went back to work after my maternity leave was up, I often felt as though I had three full time jobs - wife, mom and employee - and I wasn't truly succeeding at any of them. Now that I feel more like I have the home/work balance in check, I need to start doing some things for me.

I finally ordered my 50mm prime lens for my camera. A small thing, but very exciting. I can't wait for it to get here. Hell, I can't wait for the email that it shipped. I decided to go with Nikon's newest - the f1.8G Nikkor. It's a very reasonably priced AF-S lens (I'm proud that I finally understand some of this photography jargon) and with the good reviews of the older f1.8, I couldn't justify the expense jump to the f1.4. It's not like I'm a pro or anything... but it will be nice to have a new, faster lens to shoot with on the upcoming trips we have recently planned. I just hope it arrives in time. I'd hate to have to start scouring local camera shops if Amazon can't ship me mine in time for Kayla's birthday photos.

In July we are acutally going to go away with some friends for a night. We'll only be in Philly, a quick trip from here, but it will be nice to kick back and not worry about being home by X hour because I know I have to put Kayla to bed, or will have to get up with her the next morning. I'm so excited to be able to relax a little more than usual, if you catch my drift. I know Kayla is going to have a great time staying over with Pepere and Grammy Sue and Gracie.

We hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend. We're going to run some errands and then relax for the rest of our last day off!

Always Remember

2011-05-19T19:38:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the first night in a while that we didn't have anything going on . I took the opportunity to have some real cuddle/play time with Kayla. I never want to forget how much fun it is to sit there with a giggling pile of blankets, pillows and stuffed anmials with some little toes sticking out from underneath; how much it makes me laugh to watch her methodically strip all of the clothes off her Baby Stella only to hear her exclaim "Baby Bella! Where clothes go?!?" in shock and horror; the way she giggles and exclaims "again!" when I do 'this little piggy' or peek out from behind a pillow and surprise her.

Too often still I get wrapped up in the day to day stuff, and I worry that I'm going to lose sight of what really matters. It's so easy to rush around trying to get things done and before you know it another week is gone... maybe it's because we're down to 7 weeks to go until her second birthday... maybe I'm just having a (typical) sentimental moment.

Either way, it's time for a break. Counting down until vacation and some much needed de-stressing with the monkey.

Found my favorite.

2011-05-09T15:42:00.002-04:00

Some of you will recognize her, and know why she’s my favorite. ;-)

Can I just say??

2011-05-09T08:41:00.001-04:00

That I LOVE the Google Doodles today! I really loved the Roger Hargreaves books when I was little, and I really hope to share them with Kayla someday. Which was your favorite?

I don’t think I can pick!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T20:19:00.000-04:00

Hope yours was as beautiful as ours.

Mom, Sue, Darcy... thanks for everything you do. We love you!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:45:00.000-04:00

Hope the hippity hop was as good to you all as he was to us!

Look how grown up she is already...

More catching up to come - we were sidelined by a stomach virus at the end of last week. We're all feeling better now and ready to tackle everything that's coming up!

2011-04-19T11:51:00.001-04:00

Every time I go MIA for a few weeks, I promise to do better. And every time I end up in the same spot. Busy. Rushed. Frazzled. Blogging is such a great outlet for me – but finding time gets tough. I’m sitting here staring at the calendar, and I can’t believe the date. Is it really the end of April already?

Right now we’re back to working on unloading our house. We know we have to sell at a loss, but we’re willing to do it. We need to get out. It’s currently listed For Sale By Owner so we can try to minimize the financial loss – a realtor’s commission just pushes our bottom line price too close to the max of what we think we can get. So if anyone knows anyone looking for a lovely little townhouse in the LTZ, send them my way. The deck is freshly painted, the landscaping tidied and the floors… well… I plan to clean those soon.

Over the last 2 weeks I applied, was interviewed and almost immediately told I was not going to be considered for, a new position at work. I waited 9 long months for an opportunity to come along and just that quick, watched it slip away. “Potential conflict of interests” says HR… So this has brought the potential of school back into focus. Maybe a baby step – an associate’s degree. Make something of the 70+ credits that I’m sitting on. It’s difficult to think about doing it on top of the full time job, wife and mom thing… but it may be my only shot. I’m certainly not getting any younger.

Life with a toddler is wonderful. Challenging. Infuriating. Exhausting. Amazing. She’s doing and saying so much. She can articulate her wants and needs pretty clearly. Although not as articulate, she’s no less adamant when we get it wrong. She never wants to come inside, and never wants to ride in a cart or her stroller any more. And heaven help me if I don’t listen when she says “no mommy, DIS way!” and tugs firmly on my hand. We have our first swimming lesson coming up on Saturday. I’m looking forward to it, even though it means squeezing into a bathing suit. In front of people. Ugh.

I guess that’s it for now. I’ll report back if we have any news on the house or anything else exciting in the next few weeks. In the meantime, stay tuned for Birthday Party plans (my baby is going to be TWO in just 10 weeks!) and Easter Pictures. Hopefully early next week, as long as I finish my essays for my CBCP certification!

It's a Party!

2011-04-02T18:41:00.000-04:00

I noticed this on a fellow blogger's page, and I thought "oh - how cool!" I'm always looking to connect with other bloggers and moms who share the same (and different) interests from me. What better way than crashing a blog party?

5 minutes for mom is having their annual blog party and I'm coming through the door, martini in hand!

My name is Kelley. I'm a working mom of an amazing 21 month old daughter, and married just over 4 years to Shaun - my bestest bud and partner in crime. We live in a small town in South Central Pennsylvania where we enjoy cooking and spending time with our friends. I love to write and take pictures even though I'm not particularly prolific at either. I started my blog as a way to chronicle my pregnancy and help keep family up to date on what was happening, and kept it going as I realized what a priceless memoir it was turning into and continues to be as our daughter grows.

I look forward to "meeting" more of you and watching my blog roll grow!

Always one more project...

2011-04-01T17:42:00.000-04:00

Something I've been wanting to try for a while is blogging some of my favorite recipes. Nothing fancy, just an easy way to save/share some favorites. I finally got it started tonight, so have a look!

http://klgshgcook.blogspot.com/

MIA Again

2011-03-24T16:43:00.001-04:00

I have to be honest, I just haven’t had much to say lately. Kayla is growing and learning by leaps and bounds. She’s also not sleeping very well again. It’s a good thing she’s cute, otherwise I’d have sold her to the circus weeks ago… (I kid, I kid.)

It’s been a stressful time for us though. The shitty housing market is having more of an effect on us than we ever thought possible. For five years we’ve apparently been throwing money at a worthless pile of wood and drywall… it’s beyond frustrating. Last weekend we went over to my Dad’s house and watching her run around in their back yard was great, but it was also heartbreaking. I want to be able to give her that, and right now we just can’t.

Work has been sending both Shaun and I batty in different ways. I’m still spending a lot of time on the road. I like not being stuck at a desk all the time, but the constant driving hither and yon is getting old. This records project can’t go on forever though; today we decided on a drop dead date of 6/30. Three more months and we have to be done. It’s good to see light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it’s not a train this time.

Better weather and better times are hopefully around the corner. I’ve been trying to focus on planning Kayla’s birthday party; even though it’s just over 3 months away, the celebration will coincide with a holiday weekend, so we want to get the invites out early. It’s also given me something to be excited about.

So long story short, we’re just slogging through real life for now and hoping for the sun to come out soon.

Toddlerhood at its best

2011-02-25T16:13:00.000-05:00

Busy times in the house lately... I've been running non-stop everywhere except where I should be - on the elliptical. It's been a tough week, but hopefully I haven't set myself back too far. Work has been insane... I am so sick of driving all over the state and crawling around in dusty basements and labeling boxes. Then when I finally get back to my desk, I have so many projects going on that I hardly know where to start.

Kayla on the other hand, is doing everything she should and more. She's really picking up a lot and saying more phrases every day. She loves to talk, and has finally started opening up at daycare. She says "please" and "thank you" pretty regularly. She's counting to 10 with no help, and we're still working on letters and colors. She loves to sing songs, and do "this little piggy" on her feet.

She's very opinionated and has a sense of style that's all her own. She no longer lets me pick her outfits in the morning - she has to have a say in that matter. She discovered her Babylegs in her top drawer and loves to pull them over her arms like sleeves. She loves to have her back scratched and her feet rubbed. If you start one of those, don't plan to stop...

The latest thing that has me worried is her tendency to go all kamikaze out of nowhere. She loves to climb onto her chair and then tumble off onto the floor and giggle. She runs full bore around the house and occasionally takes a spill. She usually handles it pretty well, but we've had our share of tears as well.

So that's the latest and greatest. What's going on with you right now?

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T22:41:00.001-05:00

From us and the little girl who couldn't even put her balloon down to have dinner.

Bowed but not broken

2011-02-14T22:39:00.001-05:00

So week 2 of the C25K program didn't go well for me. I decided to repeat week 2 starting tonight. Maybe it was the crap I ate at lunch today. Maybe it was the cold I'm starting to come down with... but tonight my heart just wasn't in it. I'm still floating out there in limbo-land... waiting for the weather to get warm so I can take this show outside.

Hopefully that will help. Maybe?

Sometimes order comes from chaos

2011-02-11T20:56:00.000-05:00

My schedule this week was completely FUBARed. Monday we had the HOA meeting. Tuesday I ran. Wednesday I was on the road from 8 am until 6:30 pm for work. I missed dinner. I was too late for bath time. I had only a few minutes to snuggle my girl, feed her snack and put her to bed. Thursday I was on the road again. Picked Kayla up at my in-laws' house, made dinner for the family, cleaned up, bathed her, blanched some green beans so I could freeze them, and by the time I should have been on the elliptical, I was being undone by these little monsters:

These were itty-bitty versions of what I normally make. Dozens and dozens of them. Little army men marching me off the cliff of death by sugar high. And that was only from the occasional finger lick. I didn't even get to enjoy one of them. Ahh, the things we do for our children. The word on the street is they were quite a hit at Kayla's Valentines Day party today. Totally worth it.

So tonight I snuggled Kayla a little bit more than usual before I put her to bed. I changed, stretched, waited a few minutes. Then I made myself go downstairs to do penance for missing last night. I hopped on and started to move, and I stood there looking at the console of the elliptical: my iPod (gotta have tunes), my Blackberry (just in case Shaun needs to get in touch with me), the baby monitor (since I'm on my own if she wakes up)... and it hit me as though I had run right off the machine and into the concrete basement wall. I had actually really started to enjoy this. Not because I like to run; Lord knows that hasn't been the case in over 10 years. Not because I really want to exercise - let's be honest - who really wants to do that? But because those 25 minutes, 3 times a week... those are MY minutes. I go to the basement, crank my music and I don't think about packing lunches or doing laundry or did I return that email or what did I leave sitting on my desk that evening when I finally clocked out? I don't count the days since I last ran the vacuum or scrubbed the toilets. I don't wonder if the humidifier is full or if Kayla is sleeping OK. I don't really think of anything. I just go. And I love that. I love that time when I can shut off my brain and let my muscles take over for a little while.

It's amazing when a small moment of clarity hits you in the midst of the craziness of day to day life and you realize what it's all for.

McFatty... Tuesday?

2011-02-08T20:57:00.000-05:00

So things got shaken up a bit this week. Last night I got home from work, inhaled a quick bite and gave Shaun his birthday gifts so we could bathe the baby and take off for our HOA meeting. We were there until after 9 pm, so the workout got pushed to tonight.

The progress? Slow. My weight is still hovering around the same place it was 2 weeks ago. I'm OK with that. I don't think I look much different, nor do I feel much different. That's tougher to deal with. I know I'm only in week 3 of running, but I really thought I'd see or feel some difference by now. I still haven't started my weight training either. That's my goal for this week. Even if it's only a few sets of bicep curls and some sit ups - strength training is super important.

Anyway, I did run workout 1 of week 2 tonight and it felt pretty good. I'm glad it's done because I didn't feel remotely like running. I'm also glad that I pushed through and did it. Tomorrow I will be on the road for work again, hefting boxes and moving a lot. Hopefully I won't also be paying for tonight.

She melts me

2011-02-04T18:45:00.001-05:00

Tonight Kayla was a real mess. She threw a fit when we tried to get her to have dinner. She cried all but non stop for nearly an hour. Finally I managed to get her to eat some grapes. When she had emptied her bowl she held it up and asked for more. As I was cutting them for her, she came over and wrapped her arms around my leg and said "thank you, mommy."

I think my heart is still laying in a melted puddle on the kitchen floor.

McFatty Monday - Progress Check

2011-01-31T11:49:00.002-05:00

So here we are, Monday once again… time to check in on myself.

The good: I ran all 3 workouts last week. My weight remained steady.

The not so good: I felt like hell after the third run. I barely made it through, and I found myself needing to quit early on nearly every running interval. I also ate like a starved lunatic at Saturday’s baby shower.

I will be repeating week 1 of the C25K program this week. I also hope to add in my light upper body weights starting tomorrow. I didn’t do that at all last week to give myself a chance to ease back into the working out routine. I am proud of my little achievements, and trying not to be too disappointed about the shortcomings. I think I’m on the right track with running and eating better. We’ll see how things go this week.

What is it?

2011-01-26T18:33:00.001-05:00

Why do snow days still feel so awesome, even though I have to go to work and make sure Kayla gets where she is going to be safely? It's been coming down all day and there's no sign of it stopping soon.

It makes me almost as giddy as it did when I was 10.

McFatty Monday - C25K Run #1

2011-01-24T20:49:00.001-05:00

20 minutes removed from my first workout. My legs are jello, my lungs burn, and I'm still sweating a little even though I've rinsed off in the shower.

It feels like success.

Seriously. I was almost discouraged by the cold in the basement. I was almost discouraged by the fact that my legs hurt mere moments into my warm up walk. But I made myself keep going, and I am proud. For the first time in probably years, I set out to work out and I actually did it. It's these little successes I know I am going to need early on in order to keep myself going.

Here's hoping the pain of tomorrow and the following day don't put a dent in my plans to keep this up!

My little lady

2011-01-22T18:57:00.000-05:00

It's hard to describe the stage Kayla is at better than my mother in law did the other day. "She's really starting to put things together." She does much more than repeat what she hears from us; words are becoming phrases and questions. She knows her family members inside and out; right down to my dad and step mom's dog. She can count to 5 on her (my) fingers and to 10 while looking at her number puzzle. She's smiley and adorable yet moody and tantrum prone all at once. It doens't seem so long ago I was wondering who she'd be. Now it seems we're starting to see it.

It really does go so fast.

I need an acountabilibuddy...

2011-01-21T21:14:00.001-05:00

So I'm jumping on Blair's bandwagon. It's about time. Really, it is.

I started this blog to tell the story of how we became a family. I have been using it to tell what our life is like as a family. One thing I haven't really been telling is the toll it's taken on me physically. For the last 18 months, it's been one thing after another. I'm a brand new mom, I'm tired. I'm a working new mom, I'm tired. I'm making weak attempts to keep house, I'm tired. I have a toddler, I'm tired.

I need to get out of this rut. I need to stop making excuses.

So beginning next week, I am going to hop on the train to McFatty Mondays and a modified version of the nine-week Couch to 5k workout. And I want - no, need - to be acountable to someone. So blogosphere, you are it. You're my accountabilibuddy. Healthier eating has already started. Playlist making starts tonight. Daily weigh ins start tomorrow. Working out starts Monday.

I'm still ironing out the details, but my plan looks a little like this:

Monday - Couch to 5k run 1 (for the appropriate week)
Tuesday - Light weight training
Wednesday - Couch to 5k run 2
Thursday - Light weight training
Friday - Couch to 5k run 3
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Light weight training

Run days will be spent on the eliptical since my knees won't tolerate running anywhere else. Once I'm through those 9 weeks, we'll see where I can go from there. My goal is to lose the last 10 pounds still hanging on from pregnancy and in doing so, gaining a little bit of myself and my confidence back. I'm really excited to get this going. I want to be the happiest and healthiest momma I can be so that I can be around for this little girl for a long time.

18 month checkup

2011-01-14T16:43:00.001-05:00

We just got home from Kayla's 18 month checkup, and it seems that thanks to a lollipop and some Yo Gabba Gabba, the shots are all but forgotten. Since she screamed through her entire 15 month checkup I was a little bit worried, but she was a champ for this one. She even smiled at the doctor a little bit.
According to Dr. S., the two shots she got today are her last until she is ready for kindergarten. She'll still get her annual flu shot, but that will be it for a few years. Even though I do OK when they stick her, I'm glad that we don't have to do that again for a while.

Basically she's totally healthy and developmentally on track. She has a little cold, but what kid in daycare doesn't have one this time of year? Or any time of year for that matter. She is 31 1/2" tall and weighs 23 lbs 8 oz. She's still cruising right along the 50th percentile on the growth charts, except for her head circumfrence, which is still in the 75th percentile. It's great to once again see everything really is going well. I rarely doubt that they are since she's hitting milestones and eats and drinks like a champ, but it never hurts to hear it from an expert!

Happy 18 Months!

2011-01-07T21:31:00.005-05:00

Hard to believe a year and a half has passed since this little girl turned my world on its ear. All my love little angel.

A week later, the Christmas Recap

2011-01-03T20:10:00.001-05:00

Now that the last waves of illness seem to be receding from the house, I wanted to FINALLY try to get caught up here. Kayla's second Christmas was definitely a memorable one; I couldn't wait to share.

Christmas Eve started with breakfast at Pepere and Grammy Sue's house with our dear friends the Fraileys. Deb, Peter and Noah are like family to us, and their angel Eli is never far from any of our hearts or minds. They also brought their furbaby Maggie along - Kayla couldn't get enough of her! After breakfast and gifts with them and Aunt Paula, we came home for an unsuccessful nap attempt.

Deb and Kayla

The Bedger family stopped by for an afternoon visit on their way to see their families. Thanks for the yummy cookies guys, they were great! After that it was time to get dressed and head out for our traditional Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family. Kayla was utterly adorable in her new dress...

But the adorable factor only lasted so long thanks to that entirely too short nap. Thankfully we got to enjoy the time with family a bit (that particular gathering holds a lot of special memories for me and is super meaningful, so it meant a lot to be there even just for a couple of hours) and Kayla slipped into a snooze on the ride home. We didn't get to read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" this year, but that's OK.

While Kayla was snoozing, Santa came and left her some goodies in her stocking and under the tree.

Which she happily tore into on Christmas Morning.

After Santa presents, it was over to Grandma and PawPaw's house for breakfast and more presents.

And some puppy kisses

We came home and had nap time, then went back to Grandma and PawPaw's to see Dena, Jaime and three of their boys. There were (of course) more gifts, and lots of playing and laughs and hugs.

Christmas then continued on Sunday with Nana...

It was a busy, but wonderful 3 days. We spent the next week hanging out at home, passing our cold germs around and resting. I didn't accomplish as much as I'd wanted to, but it was great to have us all home together for a few non-hectic days. We celebrated a quiet NYE at home with champagne and chocolate souffles and more cold germs. Thankfully we're all feeling pretty much better now and we are looking forward to all that 2011 has to offer!

Our Year in Pictures

2010-12-29T20:03:00.001-05:00

So the innerwebz seem to have eaten the lovely year in review post I was working on. In frustration I present a year in pictures...

JANUARY

Kayla at 6 months, still sporting the crazy-awesome spiky hairdo.

FEBRUARY

First venture out into the snow.

MARCH

Self feeding in full swing already... Kayla starts crawling this month too.

APRIL

First Easter, not liking being placed in the grass.

MAY

So much fun. We celebrated Pepere's 50th birthday this month, although his birthday is in April. Kayla's first teeth finally appear in May.

JUNE

We celebrated Aunt Dena and Uncle Jaime's wedding this month. Kayla's first steps also came in June; just in time to be fully mobile for her party.

JULY

Pictures in the dead heat of summer - dead referring to the grass of course - on her FIRST BIRTHDAY! We went to Avalon in July too.

AUGUST

Kayla did a brief stint as a vampire when her lateral incisors popped through but the centrals took their time making an appearance. We also paint, rearrange and re-accessorize the living room. Little improvements make a big difference.

SEPTEMBER

We took a mini-vacation to Ocean City. Our first trip as a family. <3

OCTOBER

The first time she was actually awake and aware for Trick or Treat night.

NOVEMBER

Her second Thanksgiving - third if you count the fact that I was pregnant in 2008. Hard to believe how much things can change in 2 years. This month we celebrate Nana's 50th birthday too.

DECEMBER

Spoiled silly at Christmas. We are so very lucky.

And that my friends, is the short version of our 2010 in review.

We hope that your 2010 treated you well and that 2011 is even better!

Merry Christmas to all

2010-12-20T21:15:00.003-05:00

I'm expecting a busy week so I wanted to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas, from our family to yours.

We are all alive and well

2010-12-16T20:49:00.001-05:00

So once again it looks like I've fallen desperately behind on both blogs. Last week I was dying of strep throat. This week we are temporarily without internet while we redo our office and assemble our new desk and hutch. I promise I will be back next week!

Things to come:

2010-12-03T08:39:00.001-05:00

*Christmas cards are sent. I need to give the one going farthest away (Colorado) some time to get there, and then I can share the amazing Shutterfly card that we made this year.

*I have the weirdest toddler on Earth. She actually WANTS to wear a hat and mittens.

*This weekend begins the Christmas festivities in our house. I plan to document with lots of pictures.

*Working on the 2010 recap… hope to have that posted soon.

Please friends, don't be fooled

2010-11-24T20:31:00.001-05:00

I know that I totally have seasonal ADD. Just last night I was prattling on about cards and photos and I am serously dying to get our Christmas decorating going (10 more days... just 10 more days). At the same time I'm sitting here sipping tropical Juicy Juice (don't tell Kayla) spiked with just a hint of rum. Despite the fact that I seem to long for summer while looking on to the days and weeks ahead, don't think that the significance of tomorrow is lost on me. It most certainly isn't.

I have so very much in my life to be thankful for; it seems trite to try to sum it all up in a blog post but I am going to try anyway.

I am thankful for my home. I am thankful for all the love that is contained within these walls and the joy of those who live here. I am thankful that I come home every day to arms that are ready to hug and a little angel who exclaims "mommy, mommy, mommy! Mine, mine, mine!" when I come through the door. I am thankful that we are healthy and fed and truly we want for very little. I am thankful that we both have steady jobs and have had very little turmoil during these tough times when so many have had to go without.

I am thankful for my family; the family I was born into, the family I gained when my dad and step mom married and the family I married into. Together, they form a support system I don't know what we'd do without. They are happy to babysit when we need a break. They keep me fed and sane when I am on my own with a toddler for the first time. They are here every weekend to play, to go to the park or walk for ice cream. I have parents and sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents and nephews who I adore and I am thankful that Kayla will grow up in such a large, loving family.

I am so thankful for these two. Without them I'd be wandering, lost and lonely. They really do complete me, and I am ever so grateful that I have them.

So tomorrow while I am eating turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes to my heart's content, I am going to be thinking of these things, and more. I hope all of you have something to be thankful for too. Happy Thanksgiving all.

Looking forward to the little things about the season...

2010-11-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

This time of year is so much fun for me. There’s so much anticipation and joy for all the things to come; decorating, baking, meals together with family… I really adore it all. I always have, and now that Kayla is a part of it all everything seems new again. Knowing that she probably doesn’t remember last Christmas means that this year it will be a new experience all over again. She’s so much more aware and interactive than she was last year at not quite 6 months old.

One of the silly things I always look forward to is sending and receiving Christmas cards. I love getting cards from friends and family in the mail and putting them on the front door. It’s one of the few times that I actually look at the inside of our front door. Even more than that I love going on a search for the perfect card to send out, and now taking the perfect photo for our cards.

Last year we went the route of a traditional card with a wallet-sized photo inside. They were nice, but somehow I can’t imagine finding the time to address and sign cards and write Kayla’s name and age on the back of each photo again this year. This time around I am definitely going with a photo card from Shutterfly. Now my hardest decision becomes which one?

I love the simplicity of this one:

Just as I love the whimsy of these two:

Be sure to check out all the holiday card, invitation and new year’s card collections too and tell me what your favorite is!

Been caught slacking...

2010-11-21T21:58:00.000-05:00

Almost a month since I last wrote... where to start...

Well, after Halloween we had a few busy weeks. The first week of November was relatively normal but ended with Shaun and I at Lincoln Financial Field to see the Eagles take on the Colts. What a great game it was! It was a little bit more fun for me than Shaun, but we both enjoyed some good cheesesteaks and yummy beers while we were there. I did my best not to brag too much that we came away with the win that night. ;-)

The next day Shaun left for Oklahoma City for the week. I wasn't sure I could keep it all together here, but truthfully the week went really fast. I have my parents and in-laws to thank for helping so much to keep me fed and sane... but really I almost enjoyed it. Being home with Kayla that Thursday (Veteran's Day) and Friday was a nice treat.

Trying to figure out whose toys are in the basket...

Last week was a little crazy for me since I was on the road for work on Wednesday - Friday. I had to drive to King of Prussia and back for training on the software that I am our administrator of. I hate training (so boring!) but I try not to undervalue time NOT spent at my desk. I am dreading finding out what my inbox looks like right now, but that's a bridge I will cross tomorrow morning.

This weekend we got to take my mom to lunch for her birthday, which was great. Today I cleaned the house... not so great, but I feel like I actually accomplished something. Every day life is really all that's happening here, and I'm 100% OK with that.

The holiday season is just about ready to kick off and I am so excited. I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving with our families. Then it's just 1 week until we start our Christmas preparations. The weekend after that is our 4th anniversary and hopefully when we'll get our Christmas shopping done. We're pretty focused on just getting stuff for Kayla this year; the Wii was our gift to one another. I know me and I will still get something small for Shaun to open on Christmas morning, even if it's just stocking stuffers. But I'm getting ahead of myself... turkey first. You must respect the Turkey.

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-29T21:46:00.000-04:00

Kayla was definitely the cutest duck on the block this year!

She rode around with these goulish characters

It was cold but she was a real trooper!

I found out that she knows some more words I hadn't heard her say - I'll be updating the post below!

At 15 months:

2010-10-27T20:45:00.003-04:00

Kayla can find her:

Fingers/Hands
Toes/Feet/"tootsies"
Nose
Ears
Mouth (moves her jaw up and down)
Tongue (sticks it out)
Teeth (grins)
Belly and belly button

And she can say:

Baby
Ball
Bear
Belly
Belly Button (sounds like baby)
Book
Bubbles
Bye Bye
Car
Cow
Cracker
Dada/Daddy
Duck
Green beans (guh buh)
Hi
Mama/Mommy
Moo
Outside
Puppy
Quack
Squirrel
Waffle
Woof

She also says the phrases:

Uh oh
Oh no
I don't know
I did it

She loves "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Old MacDonald" and "If You're Happy and You Know It." She adores being read to. It seems like she's picking up more and more every day. When we hold her up to our family photo wall, she can point to all of her grandparents, herself and Shaun and I when we ask her to. It's so funny that apparently she's a mouse at daycare because at home she is a whirlwind. I'm totally loving it though.

I just crossed three things off our baby bucket list. I'm a little surprised at myself that I have nothing to add to it right now - but I'm sure more will come as she gets older and is able to do more. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I'm still enjoying her being little.

Fall is here

2010-10-24T21:41:00.001-04:00

This weekend was truly divine. I love the days when the air turns cool enough to merit long sleeves all the time even though the sun shines so bright during the day. I love the amazing colors.

I love mums and jack o'lanterns and funny little pumpkins on my front porch.

And I love the treats.

This weekend it was roasted pumpkin seeds and cake pops a la Bakerella (I can't believe it took me so long to really pay attention to her and try these things out!). I made cinnamon french toast for breakfast and Shaun made an amazing chicken and gnocchi soup for dinner. Delish.

My mom and I took Kayla to the park on Saturday. We met some friendly dogs and Kayla chased the ducks.

Then we carved and colored our pumpkins for the front porch.

My camera got quite the workout this weekend too. I'm finding myself becoming more and more comfortable with my camera in my hands - capturing the moments as they happen. I'm finding that I'm grabbing a few more "wow" shots among the usual so-so stuff, and that makes me happy. Sometimes I really have to debate with myself when chosing shots for my Project 365 blog. It's a nice feeling.
We're quickly coming into my favorite time of year. Halloween is right around the corner and then it's on to Thanksgiving - from then to New Years I am in full out holiday nerd mode. We're slowly but surely starting to establish our little family traditions and it's so much fun. This is exactly what I'd hoped having a family of my own would be like.

Late to the Party

2010-10-22T09:34:00.003-04:00

So as usual, I’m falling behind again. On picture taking. On blogging. On everything that’s going on in the world. Driving around each day I see maple trees that have already gone scarlet and started dropping their leaves – an ever present reminder that if I don’t get out soon, I am going to miss photographing another spectacular fall. So I’m going to spill out the details of the last few days in order to prepare to write about the fun stuff we plan to do this weekend (pumpkins, cake pops, fall pictures and whatever else we can fit in!).

Backing up to last weekend, we went to our friend Addison’s first birthday party on Saturday. What an event! Adam and Kristen have a great playroom for the little monsters, and Kayla loves playing there. Miss Addison is up on her feet and unstoppable – cute as a button and growing so fast! She totally dove into her smash cake too. Yum! It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since Kristen and I were having lunch together when Kayla was just a few weeks old and Addison was still an inside baby.

Then things turned iffy on Sunday. Kayla started acting fussy early in the day, and woke up from her nap with a fever. We kept it pretty well in check with medicine, but it was obvious that she wasn’t right. I put her to bed early on Sunday night, deciding to play the next day or two by ear. Monday morning she woke up burning hot – I could feel it before I even laid my hands on her. So it was ibuprofen and into bed with me for a morning of rest and Nick Jr. It was always very evident by the ebbs and flows of her energy level and number of smiles how the medicine was working for her. She happily munched on her breakfast while I talked to a nurse from our doctor’s office, deciding not to bring her in right away as long as the medicine was keeping the fever under control. She ate her lunch and took a nap without a fuss. The nurse called back while she was asleep to see how she was doing. Have I mentioned how much I like our pediatrician and the office he works in? Although our 15 month appointment was a bit of a disaster (not really their fault), they really do care about their patients. Since there wasn’t an obvious cause for the fever and Kayla seemed better, we skipped taking her in.

Tuesday had Kayla back at daycare and me back at work. She was sluggish and quiet, but got through the day. I was exhausted, but I managed too. Life was mostly back to normal. Until Wednesday when the rash broke out. We got a call from daycare and apparently Kayla had a case of Roseola. Thankfully by the time the rash shows up its no longer super contagious, and it didn’t seem to bother her, so she was allowed to stay. The rash was still pretty obvious at bath time last night, but by this morning had really faded. She’s still fussy and we’ve had some rough mornings, but I think the worst is definitely over with.

So there’s the big update of what’s happening in our world. Hopefully I’ll have another one with some pictures from the weekend!

15 month checkup

2010-10-11T11:00:00.001-04:00

Well that was a disaster. Normally Kayla reserves the tears for when the needles come out. Not today. From the second the doctor touched her she cried. And cried. Then for a change of pace, she cried some more.

On the up side, her growth is right on track (21 lbs, 12 oz and 30.5") and she's hitting all of her milestones. She got 3 shots and mommy got 1 (flu shot), so we are all set for winter.

She is slumbering peacefully in my arms right now. Hopefully we will be all clear to go to the zoo when she wakes up.

Still here, still busy!

2010-10-09T16:51:00.000-04:00

It seems like the days are really getting away from me now. Fall is here, and the sights and sounds of the season are everywhere! We went shopping for pumpkins today, and now have three really nice ones adorning our front porch along with the incredibly priced mum I bought at the produce market. I'm looking forward into digging into the biggest pumpkin and roasting the seeds. We want them to last until Halloween though, so that will have to wait a couple of weeks.

Kayla turned 15 months old on Thursday. I didn't hop on the scale with her this week, but we will get the word from the doctor on how she's doing in a few days. We'll be headed there Monday morning and then hopefully to the zoo on Monday afternoon. The zoo should be an adventure - Kayla loves animals, and she's starting to warm up to people when she's in unfamiliar situations. She likes to smile and wave and say "hi" to people now. She's also saying "bye." Particularly once she puts her Baby Stella diaper bag over her arm and struts out of the living room.

We are now almost 36 hours removed from our last nursing session. I was very proud to hit each milestone with that - getting started, being able to pump while working full time, surviving a major supply drop and being able to provide for her the entire first year. I didn't mind continuing to nurse her morning and night, but it just felt like a good time to move on. She's now used to coming back downstairs after PJ's for her bedtime snack, and she didn't fuss at all this morning when Shaun got her out of her crib and we waited until around 8 am to give her breakfast. So far the transition seems to be a non event. I hope that continues.

Monday is a bank holiday and teacher inservice day at Kayla's daycare, so we are going to enjoy the rest of our long weekend. I'll check in again soon!

Catching Up

2010-09-26T21:03:00.000-04:00

The weeks are busy and our weekends are getting even busier; kind of amazing for the amount of time I feel like we spend at home but somehow the days keep rolling and I keep feeling like I'm struggling to keep up. Work has been out of control busy with trying to get our new software rolled out by the end of the week while pretty much flying solo. Shaun's schedule is changing which means Kayla's daycare schedule is going to be changing. That has me a little bit stressed out. Add the fact that for the last week or so, Kayla has found 4:45 - 5:30 to be a more acceptable wake up window than 6 - 6:30 and I feel like I'm running on E.

Wednesday of last week, Kayla had her hair trimmed for the first time. Her bangs were just too long, so we asked Grandma to trim them up for us. Much better!

We've had some great times though while the time flies by. Last weekend we finally made the trek up to the Lititz Farmer's Market. My dad and step mom came up to walk with us and we enjoyed a sunny Saturday together. We shopped and went to the park and did a TON of walking. It was great to watch Kayla climb and explore, and a perfect photo op.

Later that day my mom came up to visit. Kayla apparently had enough exercise because she all but darted out the door when Nana said "walk."

Sunday we had a relaxing day at home cheering for our favorite football teams and hanging out with friends.

This weekend was another busy one. Aunt Paula came home to visit and she and Nana came with us to visit the local Alpaca farm.

Kayla didn't seem as interested in the animals as she was when we went to see them back in the spring. She was far too busy running all over the yard and climbing everything in sight. We left before we all got too much sun and came home for lunch. Daddy was just getting home from work at the time Kayla woke from her nap, but by then she was in utter meltdown mode from being tired still. She screamed for close to 90 minutes on and off, mostly on. She was a total peach once we got her calmed down, but for a little bit it was damn near unbearable, and it derailed our plans to visit the Ephrata fair that evening.

Today was much better. She was up early again, but took a longer than usual afternoon nap, and we had zero fit pitching.

I'm hoping to get to bed early tonight so tomorrow I am ready to dive headlong into one more week of hell before things slow down a little bit at work. I hope. I hope. I hope.

The Vocabulary Grows

2010-09-11T10:47:00.001-04:00

In addition to the previously mentioned words, Kayla is now saying no, bubble, ball and more. She only says "more" when we read her "What does baby say?" book. I nearly fell on the floor when she did it for the first time yesterday. Shaun was reading the book to her and when he said "what does baby say?" she said "more!"

She's starting to use Mama more, but not Dada so much. This morning she said it when Shaun came downstairs, so I think she's getting it. Her most frequently used phrase is "na na" which in combination with some gesture seems to translate to "I want that." She walks over to the fridge and smacks her lips when she wants a drink. She's also learned to throw her hands up when one of us says "touchdown!" It's so cute.

First Family Vacation

2010-09-09T21:08:00.002-04:00

After a nice long weekend of family picnics and warm weather, Shaun, Kayla and I took off for a few days at the beach. Tuesday morning we packed up our car and hit the road towards OCMD. We stopped at the Gap Diner for breakfast and continued on South and East. After a quick trip across the street for a baby flotation device and some adult beverages for our evening, we hit the indoor pool at the hotel. I wish I had brought my camera down for that, because I've never seen Kayla smile so big as she did while floating around the pool in one of these:

After a while we headed back upstairs to get ready. After showers, baths, blow-drying and dressing, we made our way to Phillip's for Shaun's favorite treat - the seafood buffet. Once we'd eaten our fill, it was off to the boardwalk.

And I realized during this time that it was Kayla's 14 month day. *sigh* She is getting so big.

So we walked and we enjoyed the evening breeze coming in off the ocean and were happy. So happy that someone was completely exhausted by the time we got back. Oh - and Kayla was pretty tired too.

We settled into the room for the night, with her completely conked out. That is, until the lovely hotel decided to give us a "welcome call" AT 8:30 PM - she was inconsolable for nearly an hour. Thanks so much Holiday Inn...

Anyway - Wednesday got off to a great start. We had an amazing breakfast at the Bayside Skillet, followed by some beach time while the sun was not too hot. Kayla was very excited to play in the sand.

Not so excited about the water...

But still liking the sand.

We did a little more pool time after the beach, followed by lunch and a family nap. We had dinner out at BJ's on the Water, then Kayla and I did another walk on the boards. Today we were up and at 'em early for the ride home, and we've been getting back into our routine. I can't believe this mini-vacation is all but done already, but we have a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks.

Clinging to summer

2010-09-02T20:21:00.000-04:00

Fall is in the air, no doubt about it. As we run full-speed towards Labor Day I wanted to take some time to enjoy what's left of summer. Shaun went over to watch college ball with the boys, so Kayla and I took a walk around the neighborhood. It wasn't a long one since it was so hot, and about half way through Kayla was attacked by a leaky sippy cup that ended with her being drenched in cold water. We enjoyed the stroll though, and heaven knows I needed the exercise.

It really was lovely, even though it's in the mid-90's and humid. I'm really starting to look forward to our real "last blast" next week. I just have to survive 1 more day of work and then it's a week off for the little family. We're home for the weekend and then Tuesday morning we take off for Ocean City, MD for a few days. We'll spend time on the sand and in the water and strolling the boards. I'm really excited to have a few days away from the craziness that has been our daily lives lately.

Kayla is doing well in the Fuzzy Bear room at daycare. She sits down at the table and munches her waffle happily every morning when we arrive. She waves goobye and I am left wondering where this sudden independent streak came from. We haven't gotten any bad reports so far, so I'm assuming all is well during the day. I hope that's truly the case, because we may have to up her to going 5 days a week in the near future.

It's hard to believe she's nearly 14 months old already. This time last year I was just getting ready to go back to work; now she's walking and talking and I still tear up a little bit when it comes time to go in the morning. The more things change...

Doing it again

2010-08-27T20:13:00.000-04:00

Two brags in one day... this can't be good for my karma, but I can't help it. Today I was so thrilled to come home from work and find this little beauty waiting for me in my mail box:

Some flavor of mother's jewelry had been on my list for some time. I really wanted a ruby to wear for my little angel. From seeing it on other blogs and even in a recent magazine, I'd been eyeing up the Dainty Drops necklace from The Vintage Pearl for what feels like years... I think it was probably only months, but still. That's a long time to wait for something you really want. I finally pulled the trigger a couple of weeks ago and it was totally worth the wait. The second I put it on, it just felt right. My only regret is not thinking to just add circles and/or stones for Shaun and myself while I was at it! Perhaps in the not too distant future...

Already Harvard Bound

2010-08-27T12:59:00.001-04:00

I know every parent on Earth thinks their kid is the smartest kid EVER... but I don't want to forget everything Kayla is doing, so here's my brag list.

She knows "where her shoes go," and can point to her toes, ears and nose when asked. She knows what a doggie says (though it sounds more like wuh wuh) and in addition to "cracker" she has picked up "baby" (when pointing to herself in a picture) and "duckie." She babbles all the time and I'm always listening in for more words coming through.

She's walking really well now, and loves to hold my hand and walk up the path at daycare. Last weekend she started taking little steps sideways and backwards. She's getting really quick at going up the stairs, and knows when we go up. If I say anything about bed time, bath time or nap time, she scurries over and waits for me to move the gate so she can climb up. She will normally run right into her room, pull some PJ's out of her dresser drawer, and run up and down the hallway with them. Sometimes she will go straight into our room and bounce on the bed. As soon as she hears the water in the tub though, that becomes the sole focus. This girl still loves bath time!

When in front of the mirror, she gives herself kisses when we tell her to; she's also giving us kisses when we ask again (she had been doing that but stopped for a while). The other night Shaun had her in his arms and he told her "I love you" and she leaned in and gave him a kiss. I nearly died of the sweetness of it all.

The most recent thing has been trying to put her own socks on. She used to just hold them up to her feet, but in the last few days she has started stretching the opening out the way I do when I put them on for her. She's also recently started to feed herself with a fork and spoon. It's a little messy but she gets the job done!

Every day is an adventure seeing what else she's going to pick up or say or do. I love it. I didn't think I'd love anything as much as the cuddly newborn phase, but there is just nothing like coming in the door after work and hearing the squeal of joy just before she comes around the corner and runs into my arms. What a great feeling.

First "official" word

2010-08-21T19:14:00.002-04:00

At first we weren't sure, but yesterday and today confirmed it. Every time we open up the pantry door, someone rushes over, lifts up her hands and says clear as day...

"Cracker!"

Not mama, not dada, but cracker. That's my girl.

Mommy's little nudger

2010-08-11T20:27:00.000-04:00

The central incisors have finally broken the gumline - soon enough she won't have fangs any more.

Is there a spot in the baby book?

2010-08-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

I’m wondering where I put the keepsakes from “Baby’s first ER visit.”

Before I go any further, don’t worry – Kayla is fine. But I absolutely had to record this one for posterity.

Last night I took Kayla upstairs with me so I could try to get changed and ready to hang out for a little while before giving her a bath and putting her down for the night… after which I had tons of work to do (we’re getting ready to paint the living room). I didn’t realize that my mug full of change was back down on my nightstand, and before I know it I am sweeping her mouth and getting two quarters out. She didn’t seem too bothered at first but then she threw herself to the ground. At first I thought tantrum, but when it continued downstairs I started to worry. Normally Shaun’s Blackberry will solve any problem; not this time. She screamed and writhed and arched her back… I didn’t know what to do.

Assuming that she was in pain, I called the doctor first. Since I couldn’t state with any degree of certainty that she didn’t swallow a coin, they said to take her straight to the ER. So I packed up the diaper bag and off we went. By the time we got to the hospital, she was calm. She even smiled at me while I was getting her out of her seat.

We got checked in pretty quickly. A nurse brought us back to check her O2 stats and get some basic information. Then we were shown to a room where we sat on the bed and I tried not to worry. Within minutes we were back in X-ray. Kayla actually laid pretty still for that ordeal. I was surprised and pleased; as we were walking out, I heard “I don’t see anything.” Reassuring, even though I knew we’d have to wait for a doctor to confirm. We went back to our room and sat for a while before the doctor came and gave Kayla a quick exam. He said she seemed OK, but he needed to look at the X-ray and then he’d be back with us. So we sat. And sat. Kayla tossed my cell phone on the floor, sending the case in one direction and the battery in the other. Twice. I managed to keep her entertained until the doctor came back and said the X-ray was clean and that someone would be by with discharge instructions. A nurse came by to check Kayla’s O2 stats again – she screamed bloody murder the entire time. You could tell the poor guy was really uncomfortable dealing with a baby. I felt bad for him; he took off running as soon as I could free my left hand to sign the discharge sheet.

So I guess it was just a tantrum after all – I’m waiting to see what driving down to LGH for a little peace of mind is going to cost us. I’m going to be sure to tuck that bill right into her baby book with her admission bracelet and the parking garage ticket with the date and time…

And the mug full of change is now up on top of a dresser, where it will stay.

sniff

2010-08-04T21:57:00.000-04:00

Shot July 27, 009... approximately a million years ago.

Life's a Beach

2010-08-04T21:43:00.001-04:00

I'm severely behind on both blogs... I think pictures of Kayla's first beach experience will say more than I can. Thanks Dad, for photographing this for me!

And one more of her second beach day, for good measure...

Google WTF?

2010-07-28T10:48:00.001-04:00

Why in the world would Google Reader suddenly be suggesting blogs all about living child free? Nothing to get me riled up on a Wednesday morning like a blog post about how stupid I am for not just having a baby, but actually WANTING to have a baby.

Yikes.

I feel like I'm marching to the gallows

2010-07-19T07:17:00.001-04:00

First day back at work in 2 weeks... all kinds of changes. Please don't make me go...

She was really starting to drive me crazy, but I don't want to drop Kayla off either. I'm just not ready for vacation to be over.

At the Beach!

2010-07-12T17:14:00.001-04:00

I'll write a more extensive update soon but here is some cuteness to pass the time with.

Happy First Birthday!

2010-07-07T15:52:00.003-04:00

Dearest Little Kayla,

I can’t believe this day is here. Part of me welcomes it with open arms. Part of me is squeezing my eyes shut, putting my fingers in my ears and stomping on the floor yelling “LALALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” because as long as I don’t acknowledge the day, that means it didn’t happen, right? That means that somewhere in a parallel universe, July 6th goes right into July 8th and there are no birthdays for my little angel – she remains a sweet little baby forever. Doesn’t it?

But you really aren’t a baby anymore. That’s obvious to anyone who looks at you. You interact with confidence. You smile, you babble, you reach to be picked up. You stand up on your own and clap your hands and smile. You take wobbly little steps across the living room and when you topple over you giggle, get up and do it all over again. When you want something you point and “ooh!” to let me know. Then you dive out of my arms towards the target of your interest if I don’t get the hint. I love to make you giggle by holding you in my arms and swinging you around or letting you drop a few inches and catching you. Sometimes you get a full out belly laugh going and it’s absolutely the sweetest thing ever. Your third tooth (another one on the bottom) has poked through. The drooling has eased, so I don’t know that any more are imminent.

I’ve noticed you starting to imitate the things that you’ve seen other people do. When we were at Adam and Kristen’s house the other weekend, you played in the play kitchen with Addison and Trevor. I had to look twice before I realized that you weren’t just chewing on that toy fork – you were actually mimicking eating, dipping it into a bowl and putting it in your mouth. You’ve started holding your little phone rattle up to your ear too. You constantly amaze me with the way you pick things like that up.

Over the last 4 weeks or so we’ve slowly switched you over to cow’s milk; you still don’t enjoy cold milk as much as you do juice, but you drink it daily with your breakfast and afternoon snack. You still nurse morning and night, and I will keep that up as long as you’re willing. I love our quiet time together and that I get to start and end each day with you. Sleep is still good for the most part; you’ve recently rediscovered your ability to soothe yourself to sleep. You sometimes wake up around 4 am and nurse from one side before going back to sleep until your usual 6 – 7 am. You’re an excellent eater. You’ll try anything and even things that elicit a bitter beer face usually still get a second taste before you refuse all together. This month’s new favorites were kiwi and blueberries.

We had your first birthday party this past Sunday, and it was a big success if I do say so myself. Even if the baked beans were crunchy, the cake was delicious (and beautiful) and we had a wonderful time with family. Your first time in the swimming pool went over well too. So much so that I could barely wait until today to fill up your pool here and invite Trevor and Addison over to swim with you!

In just a couple of days we’ll be leaving for your first trip to the beach. I can’t wait to show you the sand and the water. I’m anxious to see how you like it. It should afford some great photo ops as well. After we come home, it will be time for your 1 year check up. I can’t wait to find out the “official” word on how much you’ve grown.

Somehow Daddy and I survived waiting until the last minute to assemble your gift. Thankfully it was worth the effort and the rush - we couldn't keep you out of it tonight!

There’s so much happening now, so much joy and wonder in our lives little one, and it’s all thanks to you. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a sweet little angel in my life, but I’ll gladly keep doing everything I can for you. I am so proud to be your mommy.

Happy birthday, little angel. Your daddy and I love you more than we can say.

Love Always and Forever –

~Mommy

Another Milestone

2010-06-23T19:41:00.000-04:00

Nothing like the excitement of a new milestone to revive you after a
long day. I observed a recovery test at a satellite ops center today.
Part of that test had to be done after hours, so I ended up heading
home around 6. I met up with Shaun at his parents' house and we had
dinner.

Afterwards we were sitting in the living room and Kayla took a few
(maybe 3) steps away from the couch. She was less wobbly than normal,
so Shaun enticed her to try again. Before we knew it, she was making
her way back and forth with no extra enticing. Each fall made her more
determined to get up and keep moving. She is taking as many as 8 or 10
steps at a time now. I can't believe she's walking... Only 2 weeks
until she's officially a toddler.

The Wonderful and the WTF of Children's Television

2010-06-17T11:23:00.002-04:00

Yes, I let my <1 year old watch TV. Before she was mobile, it entertained her so that I could lay her on our bed, build a pillow fort around her and go take a shower. Sometimes on a Sunday morning I just need to make coffee and inhale a muffin without her hanging on my pajama pants. This is most easily accomplished by putting her down in front of 50” of color and movement and sing-songs. Hey – you do what you gotta do.

Now that my horrendous parenting methods are fully on display, let’s discuss.

As someone who watched cartoons and kid’s shows well into her teens, I figured I knew what I was in for. I knew Blues Clues inside and out thanks to the neighbors I used to babysit for. I was vaguely familiar with Bob the Builder and a few random others because of our nephews and friends’ children. Because of youth group, I was even pretty well versed in the antics of the Veggie Tales (“Oh Where is my Hairbrush?” anyone?? Anyone??). It seems that more than a few years will really put you out of the loop though. Did you know they replaced Steve on Blues Clues? Yeah, I didn’t either until a few months ago. Joe is great and all, but it’s just not the same. Don’t get me started on the “Gotta Go” song he does about using the bathroom. It’s disturbing. Joe isn’t even his real name; the only thing that would have been cornier would have been to name him Steve II. But I digress…

So as I’m watching Nick Jr. with Kayla these days, I find myself smiling a lot at these shows. I also find myself scratching my head quite a bit. I’ve been kicking these thoughts around and wanted to see if any of my parent friends feel the same way as I do.

The Show: Yo Gabba Gabba

The Premise: DJ Lance and friends interact between the real world and Gabba Land. Through song and dance, they teach all kinds of lessons about the world around them and interacting with others.

The Wonderful: The guest stars on this show are awesome. The episode with Jack Black was particularly entertaining. The songs are catchy and I’ve noticed Kayla bouncing along when they sing and dance.

The WTF: I’ve been known to describe this show as “what I imagine a bad acid trip would be like.” It’s frantically paced and a little bit disjointed. The whole “Super Martian Robot Girl” segment is particularly weird and out of place. There’s something unnatural about DJ Lance but I can’t put my finger on it.

The Show: Ni Hao Kai-Lan

The Premise: Kai-Lan and her friends Hoho the monkey, Rintoo the tiger and Tolee the Koala have fun adventures together. Every show has a theme and at some point a conflict arises. Kai Lan and her friends work together to solve the problem and everyone is happy.

The wonderful: Kayla absolutely lights up when she hears the theme music for this show. The focus on Chinese culture in this show is great. They teach kids words in Chinese (although sometimes Kai-Lan and her grandfather Ye Ye pronounce things a little differently, which I find confusing) and celebrate things like Chinese New Year.

The WTF: Besides the koala with an identity crisis (he really wants to be a panda, but I guess the show’s writers thought that would be too cliché) it seems that they don’t always get the moral of the story quite right. In one episode, Rintoo upsets Tolee by wrecking his house and when Tolee gets mad, they talk him into forgiving Rintoo so he won’t feel bad. I think Rintoo needed to learn to be less rambunctious and he should have felt bad. Tolee should have forgiven him because he was ready to accept his apology, not because he didn’t want him to feel bad. Then again, maybe I’m just cynical.

The Show: Max and Ruby

The Premise: Max and Ruby are brother and sister rabbits. They are often at odds, although Max’s perceived silliness often gets them to the desired end anyway.

The Wonderful: Max’s one liners. Seriously – he usually only gets to say 1 word per episode. Over and over.

The WTF: Ruby is a bossy little thing, and very self-righteous. Grandma bunny occasionally makes appearances on the show, but where are their parents? Ruby babysits a baby bunny for his mom. She has a “Bunny Scout” leader. The world isn’t entirely devoid of authority figures, or even parents. Theirs are the only ones missing. It makes no sense to me.

The Show: The Wonder Pets

The Premise: A group of three classroom pets travels the world saving other baby animals during after school time.

The Wonderful: The use of classical music in this show is particularly good. The portrayal of different cultures or places is decent, if not a bit stereotype heavy. The emphasis on not giving up and working together towards a common goal is nice.

The WTF: I give the creators of this one imagination points, but the whole idea of a guinea pig, a duck and a turtle flying all over the globe in a bowl is a little ridiculous. The Wonder Pets celebrate every success with celery – do all of those animals really eat celery? I’m going to have to test that one out.

I’m sure I will have future installments of “The Wonderful and the WTF” to come. I didn’t even begin to delve into the world of Bruce A. Moose yet. I could probably dedicate a post a day to him for like a month. Sesame Street is also notably different from the show I knew and loved as a child and that merits some discussion. Then again I mentally started ticking some of these things off 9 months or so ago, so it could be awhile until I can crank out another one.