Bella never crawled. She tried for half a second then two weeks later began walking. So now that I have a crawler in the house, it has been fun as well as educational.

Ava can go from room to room at lightning speed. It is amazing! If I'm in the other room and she needs to find me (which is always, as of late), she'll wail "mamamama!" and bolt towards me, stopping only to eye a speck of leaf to determine if it is worthy of a taste before proceeding.

Ahhhh yes. Crawler's appetite. A walker looks for food bits on tables, toys or leftovers at their highchair's footrest. A crawler finds edibles in obscure places like corners, under the couch or behind furniture, smashing their cranium in awesome determination to retrieve a smidge of bug parts. They go out of their way for food inspection.

And Ava's learned the art of carrying something while crawling. She figured out quickly that it is uncomfortable to carry with one hand when crawling as it will crush fat fingers so she just puts it in her mouth. I have a human puppy.

She's quite pleased with her new skill. She's mastered it well and I don't know if she'll walk by ten months like big sister because Ava can high-tail it to her destination on all fours without injury (unless Mama puts a dress on her to trip on and smack her nose on the floor. Sorry, honeygirl!).

"They" say 50% of babies crawl. Guess that holds true in my house.

Go baby!

Wrestlemania

It looked to be a tough fight.

Aggressive Baby vs Lazy Cat.

Ooooh, low blow, Ava.

The two fist grip with a body squish. Bold move!

That's right. Look your opponent in the eyes before taking him out.

And the winner is...

Aggressive Baby!!

Next scheduled fight:

Whenever Lazy Cat decides he wants more of it and lays next to Aggressive Baby.

Fuhwee At Last, Fuhwee At Last!

Our little Bellarena is three years old.

WHERE has the time gone?

My 5 lb 12 oz teensy sweetpea is now a robust 27 lb chatty Cathy. And her favorite color is pink, in case anyone without ears didn't hear that all weekend.



While we might have an idea what traits our newborns might have as they grow, we can never come close to imagining what wonderful individuals they will continuously evolve into. Or what profound effect our children will have on our own lives.



Isabella is confident, yet a bit shy around those whom she may not know well. A daydreamer like her mother. A sensitive soul like her father. She is expressive with her words though she will often get lost in thought. Bella still asks about the "sleeping" dried-up butterfly Daddy put in the garden a month ago.



She constantly challenges and teaches everyone around her. To be more creative, funnier, sweeter, kinder, more giving, more loving, more informed, more patient, more trusting...to be better people.



So here we go, beginning the wonderful journey into the 3's. I've been given a taste in the last couple of weeks how they might be. Full of emotional ups and downs, pure laughter, heavy sobs...all within a matter of seconds. It is like having a toddler teenager.



And I'm okay with that. Just gonna have to wean Ava so I can start drinking. I'm KIDDING. I think. Get back to me in about six months.



:)



Happy Birthday, Angelgirl!!

Funny Phonics

Bella speaks extraordinarily well but she, like any other toddler, has trouble pronouncing certain letters. For her, it is "r" and "k".

Last night she was in the shower, her new favorite pastime, and husband decided to conduct English class.

H: Bella, can you say "O"?

B: O!

H: Good! Now can you say "kay"...for "K?"

B: Kay!

H: Great job! Are you ready to get out of the shower?

B: O'HAY!


*sigh*

Tagged

Louann tagged me which is good cuz I've had no creativity to post anything this week.



What were you doing 10 years ago?


I lived a very different life as a very different and unhappy person.



What were you doing 1 year ago?



Preparing to celebrate Bella's 2nd birthday as I continued to blimp out with pregnancy. Bella still looked like a baby then. Hey, wha happen?



Five snacks you enjoy

1. Godiva chocolate dipped biscotti to go with

2. Starbucks venti white chocolate mocha followed by

3. Lemon poundcake with thick white icing to be chased with

4. Sweet tea and

5. 100 calorie pack of Chips A'hoy. I'm all about balance.



Five songs to which you know all the lyrics

I know a little of the lyrics to a whole lotta songs



Five things you would do if you were a millionaire
I would invest it and become a BILLIONAIRE so I could...

1. Buy an island

2. Build a resort on that island for family and friends to visit. Note, I said VISIT.

3. Build a fantastic home somewhere in the US where there are no tornados, earthquakes or hurricanes. What does that leave...Arizona? They have monsoons. Crap.

4. Set up and fund the very best research lab/facility to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis

5. Create the children's art studio I've always dreamed of.

SPEND SPEND SPEND! I'm sure that's understood.

Five bad habits

1. I binge on things like cookie dough, 5 packs of M&Ms or french bread with sweet butter. My butt is widening just thinking about it.

2. My imagination puts me into over drive of worry for my children. Random, weird things.

3. I don't take enough "me time" for things like unaccompanied baths. It is not relaxing to have one infant clawing to climb in and a 3 yr old helping you to wash your hair with one of her millions toys crowding the tub.

4. I start projects but don't always finish them (husband will fall out of his chair that I've admitted to this)

5. I rarely floss



Five things you like doing

1. Love to draw. I think I remember how but currently it is mostly shapes and flowers.

2. Love to read. I think I could still read books without pictures but it is ify.

3. Engaging in a full conversation with my husband. That is usually when the kids are sacked out in the car on a trip somewhere. So we get to talk about once a month.

4. Pretend play with Bella. She is hilarious and it is a treat to be a guest in her world of make-believe.

5. Pretend shopping. I love LOVE to look at catalogs of things I'll never buy but picking one thing off every page that I'd have to purchase.



Five things you would never wear again

1. Short shorts *shudder*

2. Uncomfortable high heels for the sake of other women

3. Backless tennis shoes. So dumb.

4. Blouses with shoulder pads (I second Louann on this one!)

5. Reba McIntire 90s hair (yes, I did)



Five favorite toys

1. DVR on the TV...life saver

2. Computer. Helps keep me sane and in touch with reality. Sorta.

3. Cell Phone. Far less disruptive conversations if I am defensively driving while the children are strapped in the back seat with gadgets of entertainment.

4. Bath tub. Oh how I miss thee.

5. CDs...any that my brother and sister make for me. HINT HINT

Okay, you're it...

Candid Camera

If my girls were celebrities, they'd surely be picky about their photo ops.

This one, for example, would be lovely in Parents magazine.
All cute and posed. No need for the fashion police either. Just pure adorableness.



But all celebrities have photos taken for which they'd NEVER want anyone to see. It might ruin their reputation for being adorable!

So this one would probably show up in some rag like Planet Poop or the New York Postpartum.

Happy 8 months, Ava Elizabeth! All your grinning, raspberry blowing and extreme crawl races fill our hearts with great joy.

Paging Doctor WhatsHerName

I'm going to the doctor this afternoon. I've been sick since Monday and can't seem to shake it. Like all good citizens, I avoid doctors as much as possible. However, facing the weekend in and out of fevers and the lovely attitude that accompanies feeling like warmed over doodoo, I took my sister's advice.

Problem? I have had one doctor the last 7 years. My OBGYN. I'm pretty sure he's not interested in checking anything neck up.

So I've located a doctor on our plan and get to start a whole new relationship with someone who's hopefully been in practice longer than I've been a mother.

The upside? 2-3 hours in a doctor's office. By myself. I may actually get to finish reading an article. Or two!

I'm All That And a Bag of Chips

We just got back from seeing my family in East Texas. In my brand new used 4Runner. It even has that used car smell with the nice new car spritzer.

I love it. We all have our own personal space during drives. That way, when Bella vomited Sunday's entire menu, it remained in her own personal space.

Ava was delightful the whole weekend. She took heavenly naps, laughed, screeched with delight and let everyone hold her for at least a nano-second +1. Bella had a bit more of a drama riddled time but that's par for course these days.

On the drive back there was the usual holiday traffic and prayers for especially long naps went unanswered.

While inching along the highway, my husband pointed out a cute dog peering out of the window. I don't look into other people's vehicles. A good example why I don't? As husband was pointing and chatting with Bella about the dog, the people in the vehicle thought we knew them and were all craning to see who we were in order to wave back. Even rolling down their window just in case we wanted to give a shout out. Awkward.

So as we keep crawling home, an 18 wheeler pulls up next to me. I really never look at those drivers. They are usually oogling hard for a glimpse of cleavage which I didn't even own until I had babies.

I made the mistake of looking at Trucker Man cuz he was right next to me and through the corner of my eye I saw his arm moving. I glanced super fast to see him tip his coffee mug at me and grin toothlessly while his window was down.

"Ewwwwwwww!" I said, shuddering dramatically. "Truckers are so gross! All horny and icky!"

Husband said the usual husband stuff, "Yeah, cuz you're HOT."

Then Trucker Man moved up next to the vehicle in front of us and I watched him talk to whoever was in there, then wave the vehicle over to his lane.

To get around the stalled out 18-wheeler in my lane.

Oh.



So, my friends, let that be a lesson to you. Truckers are not always horny and icky. Sometimes they are also friendly.

Something To Talk About

I'm not a girl's girl. I don't have a gaggle of girls that I like to hang out with. My best friend is my sister and my next best friend is Cathleen, Bella's best friend's mom (got that?). Most women get on my last ever-lovin nerve.

I've always been that way. One friend at a time. Low maintenance friends at that. Except with my sister, it is required we email/call every day or every other day. She helps keep me sane.

Tomorrow, I'm meeting some new women. Cathleen is making me do it. OKAY, she's not making me. It is an organization of stay-at-home moms who have playdates for their toddlers. But they also have a Girl's Night Out. Before Cathleen even finished her sentence about the GNO, I shot it down. Why?

It is far easier for me to mingle with moms when I have my kids with me. I feel like the focus is off of me or something. I don't think I'm all that but when I'm around a bunch of women, I feel like the intense white light of interrogation and judgement is upon me. But I have no idea what I think they are judging me on!

Granted, alot of women are snippy, catty and clustered together in their little groups with an invisible shield up for no intruders. I've seen this at Bella's gym class, her school and on the playground.

But that's me judging them, isn't it.

For whatever reason, when I enter the vacinity of a group of women, I get all verklempt. If all eyes are on me when someone asks a question, I turn bright red and words dribble out of my mouth like I'm on heavy medication.

I guess you could say I'm socially inept with females. However, I can hang with my husband's friends or socialize at his work functions like a superstar. I enjoy mingling with his co-workers or laughing at the endlessly retold stories by his friends. And I have no problem when those friends happen to have a girlfriend that week.

So what's the deal? Increasingly I hear how important it is to have women in our life. That it is supposed to keep us grounded to have that GNO.

Am I missing out on this big secret to happiness as a woman? Am I unfulfilled and didn't know it?

I know that I'm smart, funny and delightful to be around. My mama tells me so. Now that I'm a mama too, do I have to start being a girl's girl?

** UPDATE **

It went well! I really liked the "host mom" and a couple of others. When it got too gossipy I would just take Ava over to play with different kids. Bella was a bit sensitive but she only knew one child and overall she adjusted really well with a complimentary toddler fit when it was time to leave.

I have to say though with the way those 10 kids could tear up a house, I don't think I'll volunteer my home just yet!

A Leg (or two) To Stand On

Fat thighs are apparently helpful if you're

7 1/2 months and determined to stand vertically.

She really doesn't understand why

she can't just get up and go like big sister.

So, she practices.

All. Day. Long.

Worry Warts n All

My mom once told me that once you have children, you never ever stop worrying. Naturally, having my parents worry about me when I was younger was more annoying than appreciated.

What Mom didn't tell me is how irrational those fears can become!

I would imagine most pregnant women have over-the-top fears because we all know that absolutely anything can happen in those 9 months. Or we feared giving birth, not only for the baby's life but our own. Then of course the fears that baby wouldn't be healthy or perfect. We can mostly blame hormones for those panic attacks.

But what is with the constant dramatic "what-ifs" that pop into my head all the time?

What if I'm turning a corner while holding the baby and practically knock her head off on the door frame? Okay, done that. Twice.

What if I'm carrying my baby, I trip and lose grip of her only to watch helplessly as she rolls 2 feet away on the parking lot. Yeah, that happens in slow motion it turns out.

I'm constantly doing safety checks.

Is the knife block far enough back on the counter? Should I just do without knives for the next 10 years?

With all the perusing of the fridge Bella does, could she possibly pull it on top of her? Is she Mighty Mouse and I didn't know it?

Cribs are supposed to be safe but can I really leave Ava in there to play freely? Is there some crazy way she could get a limb yanked out of socket through the bars? I did the coke can test with them. Is that enough?

In the past if someone cut me off when I was driving, I would yell or make eye contact, cuz we all know that is intimidating. Now I'm afraid someone will pull a gun on me or my family. Someone needs to create a baby-in-the-vehicle force shield.

While I don't own one and don't plan to, I finally understand kid leashes. I've had Isabella disappear into the clothing rack and I nearly passed out in sheer panic until I heard her giggles from deep within toddler pj's.

Being in public, I constantly worry that someone is eyeing my children for the perfect opportunity to snatch one. While part of me thinks that is extreme, the other sees those creeps in the pedophile section of the paper or hears the horror stories in the news.

I know that I cannot protect my children forever but as long as they are dependent on me for their well-being, it is my job to be on constant surveillance. At home, in public, it is my job to protect them to the best of my ability.

However, I don't want to be That Mom who doesn't know when to chill and let her child venture from the nest a bit. Fortunately, I don't really have to face that challenge until fall when we attempt preschool again. I was pregnant with Ava the first go-around with Bella's school, so we'll see if that was hormonal or I'm just always a frantic freak.

What do you fear most? If you have more than one child now, what is it that you have maybe loosened your grip on?

** Please note: In reviewing this blog entry, I do hereby acknowledge that I am about due for the return of Woman Week as it has been 15+ months since the last one **

A Blessed Day

Our babies are the best gift my husband and I could ever give this world and each other. Two tiny human beings who have such an incredible impact on our lives and the lives of those who've met them.

I knew I always wanted to be a mother but I never imagined a love so fierce that it makes my heart skip a beat.

Who knew I could function on so little sleep and still keep up with a toddler and an infant? Or that nutrition and bowel movements would become such an integral part of every day? I never sang in public until I had a toddler. Now it is nothing for us to break into song while grocery shopping! Hearing Bella's sweet voice belt out "Happy And You Know It" is worth all the wincing at my tone-deafness.

To hear my children's laughter is the highlight of my day. When they cry it breaks my heart into a million pieces but when I can comfort them the world rights itself once more.

These tiny souls of light and love teach me every day how to be a better person. How to be more understanding, more giving, more loving.

When Bella was born, I looked down at her wrinkled red little self and wondered if I could truly love her more than I love me. Could I and would I sacrifice myself for her or any child of mine if I had to?

Before Ava was born, I worried..will I love her as much as I love Isabella? Am I going to be strong enough for these girls? There for them in an instant and stepping back when they need me to?

Of course. I'm a mother.

I'm Mommy.

And I'm blessed.

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms and may you also feel blessed this day.

Hello, Lovey

I could never get Bella attached to anything besides her pacifier. Ava doesn't take a pacifier and appears to no longer have interest in her thumb (thank heavens).

Today she found a "lovey" for herself. A dish towel.

She was laying next to me playing with it, rubbing her face, covering and uncovering her face with it, "talking" to it and hugging it close to her. I admit, I got a little jealous.

So when it came naptime (we are in the throes of learning to nap without nursing), I lay her in the pack-n-play with her dish towel.

I have not heard a peep. I just got done sneaking in to make sure she's still breathing* and there she is, curled up with her dish towel.

If anyone needs a plastic key impression, just see Ava's forehead.

Looks like my mom is gonna have to point me in the direction of more dish towels for backup.

*For all who may be concerned, though she's been sleeping on her tummy for a couple of months, I won't let her have her dish towel buddy for night sleeping till she's older.

Jumpin Snooze

A good reason Mommy doesn't exercise.

It is exhausting.

All Together Now...

Potty training is a family affair. This, I did not realize until we embarked on the journey.

There is constant potty surveillance. Whether it is to make sure Bella doesn't go without telling me to help her or locating a bathroom immediately upon arrival anywhere outside of the home.

Then there are the potty conversations. We went to dinner with family on Tuesday night and before leaving the restaurant, Bella announced she had to potty...again.

As she's sitting on the pot, she yells (as if I'm not 2 inches in front of her), "Mommy! When's the poop gonna pop out?"

The lady in the next stall of course started laughing.

After finishing up, we wait in line to wash our hands. I spend most of the time in public restrooms now telling Bella to quit touching everything. I think I'll bring gloves to slip onto her hands once she's washed them because she HAS TO throw away the paper towel into the trash, even if it requires jumping up and into the trashcan.

And we all know that bathroom doors are the nastiest, so as I cut Bella off before she can reach the door handle, she points out that the lady over there has germs too and we better not touch her. Ha.

While I'm elated Bella is diapers no more except night time, it is rather humorous to me how going to the bathroom is the number one most important activity throughout the day. And it is fine by me!

She is a lady, after all...

1/2 Birthday + 1

Ava is 7 months old today!

Yes, that is a bow velcroed around a wisp of hair.

As you can see, Willie is a glutton for punishment.

He lays just within reach then cries out loudly as if greatly

surprised when she grabs chunks of skin and fur.

It's okay, baby, kitties don't taste that yummy anyway.

Happy Seventh Month, Honeygirl!

Amazing Race

Kids amaze me. My own being no exception.

For months I've been fretting because Bella refuses to wear panties and is very sporatic with going in the potty.

Last night while playing with her Disney princess ball, she started talking about each character. Then the light came on. She has those same characters on little panties given to her by Grandma! I don't think I've ever moved so fast as I did to retrieve the princess panties. We laid them out on her floor and she carefully picked a pair to wear. I was so excited I nearly peed my own pants! She went to the potty, washed her hands and came into the living room wearing...panties!**

I didn't want to hold out too much hope that this new trend would continue today. But it has! She woke up this morning, took off her night diaper for a bath and then we once again carefully picked out some panties. She had a tiny accident so I quickly put her on the potty where she finished, then a fresh pair of panties were picked out and put on.

I cannot TELL you how amazed I am. It really is true that it is best to wait till kids are ready. Potty training is a monumental step in leaving babyhood and it has been, and will continue to be, an emotional rollercoaster. But at least we have some friggin progress!!

And then there's Ava. She is doing everything so fast I wish she'd slow down! She's standing in her crib unassisted until her chubby legs give in. She is rocking on all fours and I can see the wheels turning in her head as she tries to figure out what should move first. Hand? Knee? Head? She still gets frustrated but I imagine in the next few weeks she'll be zooming about the house tasting new carpet lint and stray leaves.

She feeds herself Gerber star snacks, concentrating hard to capture it between her thumb and forefinger then getting into her mouth. Sometimes she'll have a star on the tip of her lip and I have to refrain from helping her as she works it into her mouth. And she's totally over eating anything too pureed. Toothless Wonder can chomp on banana and avocado like nobody's business.

What's happening? I'm trying to stop and smell the roses with my babies but they are in a hurry to move on to the next thing!

I can see it now. I'll be one of those parents who breaks out the baby videos at 2am to watch in the dark, reminisce, sob and eat a tub of ice cream.

** It is nearly 5pm and 6 pairs of panties later, Bella is still onboard with this whole idea. I did realize rather quickly that my new job is to locate restrooms immediately upon entering buildings. A sanitary toilet ring that sticks to a toddler's behind the whole day would be fabulous.

Part Time Zombie?

There is an ongoing debate over TV and kids. Especially toddlers.

I, quite frankly, am a fan of certain programs such as Little Bear, Little Einsteins, Backyardigans and the newest one, The Upside Down Show. Bella has learned so much from each. Her absolute fave is Little Bear. She's even got her own imaginary Emily who comes over to play occasionally. Fortunately she hasn't figured out how to blame misbehaviour on Emily. Yet.

There are some programs that just weird me out completely. The Doodlebops? Next to Teletubbies, this is the freakiest show out there. What purpose does it serve? Why do they only have four fingers on each hand? If there was a question about gayness on Teletubbies, there's definitely gayness on Doodlebops. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Have you seen Lazytown? C. R. E. E. P. Y. Oddly fascinating to watch Sportacus flip, twirl and not poke anyone's eye out with his razor mustache. If Lazytown represents Iceland, where it was originally produced, I think I'll wait a little longer to visit. Don't need a bunch of big-headed puppets chasing my candy.

Thank goodness for DVR, a cheaper version of TIVO. We can save all our grown-up shows to watch when Bella is asleep or putting every one of her 1500 babies down for a nap which can take a good hour or two.

Our guilty pleasure? Sopranos. It can shock us, bore us or leave us uncomfortable, but we still watch. Curb Your Enthusiasm. Mostly makes us laugh, generally leaves us uncomfortable.

Thursday is our favorite TV night. We actually get excited about Thursdays. 30 Rock is my fave new show. It is friggin FUNNY. It is SNL-type humor, but we are in bed by 9pm on Saturdays so we never get to see SNL and only snippets of that show are ever funny so why waste precious space on DVR?

The Office and Grey's Anatomy are also must-sees or must-records.

If you still watch Desperate Housewives but are too ashamed to fess up, it's okay. I won't fess up either.

What is your guilty TV pleasure? How about your kid(s)?

If neither you nor your family watches TV, yay for you! I guess.

As for movies? I haven't been to one in over a year and a 1/2. Maybe one day my husband will feel comfortable enough to find an actual babysitter. I imagine it will be only after we get a nanny cam for every room, nook and cranny of the house.

Play Nice!

Toddler Moment
by Bella

Yesterday when doing yardwork, hubby threw out a plastic cup of floating weeds. Bella saw this and gasped, "Daddy! Why did you fow those fowers away?! Those fowers are for Mommy to be married!"

Duh!


----

All you moms who've ventured into the world of playgrounds, I think I need some rules of etiquette cuz some moms annoy and baffle me.

I believe in letting Bella go play and interact with other kids as long as she is sweet and not bothersome. By bothersome, I mean, when she sees preteen girls hanging out being "cool" it is NOT cool for a 2 1/2 yr old to hang out too.

Not that Bella knows. She just saunters up to them, leans back like they do and says "hey, guhls" casually. Don't worry, I rescued the girls from further embarrassment.

So when my daughter (who does stare) hangs around kids of any age, I let her do her thing. Some Moms who are with their friend(s) appear to only want their kids to play together. Bella will sometimes linger, awaiting an invite to play only to have the moms ignore her curly cuteness and shuffle their kids off somewhere else. Let me tell you. THAT ANNOYS ME.

What baffles me? When I have my infant in her carrier next to me and some snot-nosed 4 yr old goes sticking his head in her carrier in an attempt to give her kisses. I first kindly tell him no and we don't need to get so close to the baby. When he shoves his head in again, I haven't a choice but to pull him back. When he goes in AGAIN and snot is running down his nose onto her blanket, I pushed his forehead out of her carrier.

Was that wrong?


Most of my life I've had few relationships with women because they get on my last ever-lovin nerve. Since becoming a mother, I've made a couple of friends with other moms through playgroups or little gym class. I just don't dig mothers who think their kids' poo don't stink. Or those who allow their children to be rude to other kids. I'm really trying to be a good playground mom. Really.

Suggestions?

Stories of your own?

And on this day...

Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary. And what a four years it has been! We've been blessed beyond measure with two beautiful baby girls and a home full of love, laughter and friendship.

I saw him and I knew. We clicked instantly. And during that evening when he kissed my forehead so sweetly and playfully, I knew.

Within a few dates, I knew we would marry. I knew that he was the person meant for me all along. I knew that if I was to have children, it should be with him.

We lived in two different cities but we talked to each other every single day since we met. We saw each other every single weekend, without fail. He introduced me to his mother early on and SHE knew. Mostly because her son never ever brought a girl home to meet his beloved mom without her being pretty dang special.

We moved in together which was hugely controversial in our family but perfectly right for us. Both of us came from awful first marriages and were both a little gun-shy to do it again, though we knew we'd marry.

And we did. Three years later on April 19 in a beautiful garden. It was a small ceremony with closest friends and loved ones. We had a fantastic reception at our favorite hole-in-the-wall Greek restaurant. We laughed, drank, ate and basked in the glow of our love and joy. It was truly one of the happiest days of my life.

And then the other two happiest days happened with the births of Isabella and Ava. Our little angels. Testament to our love and devotion to one another.

I love my husband for all that he is and all he's allowed me to be. He makes me laugh like no one else can. He "gets" me. Totally. All the good, the bad and the ugly. He loves me completely. He lifts me up, he encourages me to continue growing as a person, as a spiritual being. He listens to me. He thinks I'm hilarious and cute. And even when I'm the exact opposite of hilarious and cute, he still loves me. And I feel the absolute same about him.

Happy 4 years, sweetheart.

The Landlord

Have you seen this?

http://sjl.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=3efbc24c7d2583be6925

You simply must! Happy Thursday!

These days...

Busy busy busy...that sums up our life.

Spring is here (depending on the day) and we've been working in the yard. Yesterday Bella helped us plant flowers. Several of them pink, of course.

Ava experienced grass for the first time. I only had to swipe it from her hand before it met her mouth half a dozen times. I'm an idiot because though she was wearing a hat, her cheeks got a little too pink. BAD MOMMY!

I'm completely out of shape because my legs are sore from bending to the ground to work and my arms hurt from trimming the hedges. But on a brighter note, I"ve been on the Weight Watchers diet for 3 weeks and my "fat pants" are too big! Not even cinchable anymore!

I got a new electric toothbrush. Exciting, eh? YES! If you haven't got one already, run and don't walk to your nearest dentist for a Oral B Sonic Complete. It has Clean, Soft and Massage levels. It is like a spa for your mouth.

Ava uses the least amount of water for taking baths. Okay, the cats use the least amount cuz they use their tongues instead of water but I digress. Look at this cutie patootey! She's a splasher. A screeching, happy splasher.

Breast Is Best...For The Wrong Reasons?

Our society drives me nuts sometimes. Oh, I understand that we live in the best country in the world, but for a society so educated and technologically advanced, we sure have lost touch with nature and nurturing one another.

Tomorrow I'm driving 45 minutes from home with my girls to give a literal breastfeeding demonstration with Ava to a new mom. This is the fourth time in about a year that I've been asked to help a new mom deal with what everyone told her should come naturally but doesn't for most.

I'm a pretty laid back person, I think. I have opinions like everyone but I'm also shy and reserved around people I don't know.

Except when it comes to breastfeeding.

I don't know how the fire got lit with me on this subject, but it has. Perhaps it is the statistic that something like only 19% of women nurse their babies past 3 months. Or how overtly sexual boobs have become in our society, practically losing all sense of their intended purpose, thus making breastfeeding seem secondary or not important at all.

Why do so many moms quit nursing before their newborn is even six weeks? While lactation nurses at the hospital are wonderful, most haven't nursed a child in years. Even I had forgotten some aspects of breastfeeding a newborn until I had Ava.

Nursing a newborn for the first time (and often babies that follow later) is frustrating. It can be scary for a new mom who's already so unsure of herself and whether she's doing all the right things. I'm amazed how many new moms don't know that they WILL peak at about 7 weeks. They are not destined for milk tankers the remainder of their nursing days. Their beautiful infant isn't always going to frantically flail arms and legs while searching desperately for a breast that's right there for the taking. Marathon feedings DO slow down. They speed up now and then but eventually there's an actual routine.

The poor mother I spoke to today just sat in the dark and cried last weekend. Her mother didn't nurse her and the lactation nurses at the hospital just told her textbook crap that isn't necessarily true. 20 minutes on each boob at every feeding? nonsense! Neither of my babies ever nursed past 10 minutes. It is absolutely daunting to any woman who thinks her entire life must revolve around feeding a baby.

I'm not taking issue at all with women who choose not to nurse. It is every woman's right to choose. Most women want to nurse their babies but for whatever reason some cannot. No, I'm pointing fingers at the weak attempt by our society to encourage what is truly the very best for babies. That means giving the support, respect and education new mothers need but few recieve.

Did you know that in Norway, women breastfeed in public all the time with nary a glance or side remark from passersby because it is that common? Nature and nurture. How absurd that it isn't as accepted and common in our own country?

My sister is my hero because though my nephew didn't nurse well, she switched to pumping for him for a year. That is incredible and I'm tremendously proud of her because though it was a pain in the butt, she did it anyway...for him.

I'm rambling, I know. It has been a long week and I'm dealing with a bit of an infection in my right milker. Perhaps it has made me a bit touchy? :)

I get sad for new moms who have to struggle more than is necessary to try and do what they feel is right for their child, only to give up because no one hears their silent plea for help. Mothers are judged so harshly, why can't women unite more and be supportive? Educate one another while allowing for mistakes or differences in opinion and parenting techniques?

*sigh* Time for two Tylenol and sleep. Hope I haven't ruffled too many feathers!

Love Thursday

Well, THAT's new...

My oldest child who never napped for more than 40 minutes as a baby (and I nearly went crazy) now sleeps a minimum of 2 hours, often as long as 3 1/2 hours. Every day. At least that gives me 40 minutes all to myself as the littlest one takes her miniature baby nap.

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We have the overwhelming task of prepping our house to sell and took a load of trash to the dump this weekend. We got turned away cuz...

They didn't have any more room for trash. At the DUMP.

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My youngest child bites while nursing. And she has no teeth. The chompers on a toothless six month old make me shudder in fear of those first two buds that will emerge in the next month or two. Is it so wrong to yell obscenities masked in cute words like "mother duckie!"?

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I am on somewhat of a post-baby safe-to-nurse diet. Being the healthy eater that I'm trying to be, I bought some Kashi GoLean Crunch. Since when did the FDA approve dirt as "an assortment of delicious food options for a healthier you"? Are flaxseeds those fuzzy looking things falling off the tree in my backyard?

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We're donating tons and tons of books to a library of my husband's choosing. We called one library and they were elated to receive any kind of book, even offering to put "In Memory of Becca" in the best books of the bunch. We called another library and they were all "eh, we need to examine them for quality."

For free books?? In a public library?? In the backwoods country?? No wonder the volunteer firefighters burn up their own trailers. (oh, yes. That is a whole other story for another day)

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So what's new with you?

The Return of Silent Movies

In a recent interview, Kirk Douglas said that when he had his stroke he could no longer speak so he was just hoping that silent movies returned.

I will never again go on a cruise. Not after watching Poseidon on mute. This movie might have fared far better in the theaters if it had been marketed as a silent movie. Nothing like watching people drown in silence.

A child was one of the main characters in Poseidon and since being pregnant with Bella, I cannot watch children suffer on TV, movies, the news or in real life.

My heart raced, I felt short of breath and I clinched the covers with my hand, squinting my eyes to see less misery, taking care not to wake the tiny sleeping beauty next to me. It was more torture than entertainment. Had the sound been on, I'm pretty sure it would've driven me to change the channel.

If you are trying to be sweet to whoever you snuggle with by keeping the TV muted, it is best to watch action shows/movies as opposed to Shakespeare. Takes alot less brain power to follow along. Unless it is a Will Ferrell movie, God love him, no brain power required, muted or not.

Oh, and the new series Dirt on FX with Courtney Cox? That show, muted, is utterly ridiculous. I won't bother watching it with sound.

In conclusion, here's to dry land! CHEERS!!

Pacifiers Suck

Hello, my name is Jenn and my daughter is a paciholic. We both need help.

You think I'm joking. I am not.

It is completely our fault for not getting her off the pacifier before age two. When she had her teeth grinding issues, the dentist said the pacifier would at least help curb it and prevent further injury to her teeth. Apparently, that didn't happen since she had to have surgery anyway.

I'm sure all you moms have heard it debated: thumb vs pacifier.

Bottom line, neither is good!

What I have now is a nearly 3 year old pacifier addiction. She seriously thinks she has to have it. It is no longer a want, it is a need. The dentist explained this to me and we witnessed this weekend just what he meant. When it came naptime for an extremely exhausted little girl who couldn't find her pacifier, the drama that played out deserved an Oscar. We were in the country and my husband was ready to drive 30 minutes to the closest store for a pacifier. We found it, thank God, and the poor thing slept for 3 hours.

Amanda, wise as a teacher and wise as a sister, has told me what I know deep in my heart. We're gonna have to just take the pacifier away and deal with the tsunami of tears, hurt and heart-wrenching begging.

I can't stand for my children to cry. I truly believe there are better ways to handle things than to let a child go from tears of unhappiness to sobs of desperation. However, I cannot let her go beyond age 3 with a pacifier. Her upper jaw is unable to grow properly because of it. She can't put her teeth together in the front! If we end the pacifier use by age 3, she has a 99% chance of her jaws righting themselves.

And it is our fault that we are in this situation. As parents, we should always have our children's best interest at heart. But knowing when to intervene is the tricky part.

If your child is using a pacifier and he or she is past age 2, be prepared for the ugliness of pacifier addiction. If yours weans herself on her own, be very thankful!! If not, my heart goes out to you and your little one.

Thank goodness Ava takes neither thumb nor pacifier. Just boob. And that is A-Oh-Kay. For now. :)

Mmmm..mmmm...Good

While Bella may want puppies in her tummy, Ava wants FOOD!

She showed an interest in food early on but I waited until a little over 5 months to start giving her food once daily. She's had rice cereal, pears, sweet peas, avocado and banana. LOVES the banana. While I'm a believer in fresh foods, I will buy the organic Gerber foods early on for the convenience.

How about you? Did/do you fresh squeeze your babies' juices, steam n' puree fresh veggies, mash delectable fruit?

Do I Have Puppies In My Tummy?

That is the question asked yesterday.

We've had our first toddler version of the birds and the bees. It was humorous and confusing for both of us.

It all started when my aunt got a new teacup Dachsund. Oh yes. It is even SMALLER than a miniature Dachsund. Her name is Minnie and she's the cutest, tiniest weenie dog ever. I will post a pic of her when I retrieve my camera from my MIL's house. When your two kids are bawling and screeching cuz it is past naptime, you tend to lose your wits as you bolt to your vehicle with them.

When Bella woke up from her nap, the first thing she asked for was a puppy like Minnie. She will name it Mickey Mouse.

I told her that maybe her grandmother's black weenie dog (Maggie) would one day have puppies. Bella wanted to go to Gran's immediately to get her puppy. Thus began the long conversation:

Mama, I want a buppy for my OWN.

Well, Maggie hasn't had puppies yet.

Theya not bone yet?

No, honey, they are not born.

I'm not bone yet?

Yes, you are born. The puppies are not.

Do I have buppies in my tummy?

No, dogs have puppies. You will have human babies when you are a grown up.

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? (the word "why" always sounds so nasal)

But I want to have a buppy, not a uma baby. Can we go to the hospial to get one?

Husband chimes in.

Bella, puppies don't come from the hospital. The mommy dog gets pregnant and carries the babies in her tummy like your Mommy carried Ava in hers and then one day the mommy dog gives birth.

Bella and I just stare at him.

Mama, can I have a buppy now?

Grin n' Piglet

Will her gummy smile at age 115 be this cute?

Still Kickin...

Hello, everyone! I finally found my way out of the mountain of laundry in time to post before the week's end.

We returned from visiting my family on Sunday and it has taken this long to get our life somewhat back on track. Working to get Ava back on a sleep schedule just so we can screw with it all over again in two weeks when we go see more family!

I love to see my family. While it isn't necessarily relaxing, it is nice to have a bunch more arms to hold Ava and a few more legs to chase Bella. Her favorite chaser is my parents' dog, Lilly. Lilly is like the Energizer Dog on speed. She's sweet as can be but OH MY LORD does the animal ever sit still?

Yes. When a 2 1/2 yr old is holding her ball and gets too distracted by Dora to throw it. Lilly waited breathlessly for Bella to throw it. And waited. Then looked perplexed. Then the full-body wiggles began and just before blowing up with all that patience, Bella returned to reality to throw the blessed ball.

We also took family pictures. Um. Let me just say that attempting to get three kids under the age of three to cooperate was comical. Throw in some wind, goosebumps and two grandmothers teetering on little chairs on a hill, it would've been more memorable just to video the event.

Upon leaving, Bella announced "that gurl" (photographer) is her new best friend. God love her. Everyone is her best friend these days. And if someone ignores her, she will loudly point it out. "Mama, why that man not tawking to me?" I know the day is coming when she starts to point out obvious differences or characteristics of others. In preparation, I'm practicing my not-shocked-response face.

We are on our way to the dentist to make sure those pretty and expensive teeth Bella owns are doing well. We're also begging the dentist to wave a magic wand to make her hate the pacifier.

Here's hoping...

Toddler Tidbits

This morning Bella was bathing joyfully and then there were screams. I thought surely she'd rubbed soap into her eyes or hurt herself with one of the million bath toys.

Nope. It was a bug. The teeniest, tiniest bug. I tried to convince her that the microscopic critter just wanted a bath too. She'd have none of it. So I made the mistake of flushing the offender down the toilet. If she ever pees in the toilet again, I'll be amazed.

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Bella has educated me. She'll spin the globe in her dad's office and point to somewhere on the ocean, telling me it is the Chocolut Micky Way.

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Last night, Bella was sitting with Ava laying across her lap while I read a book to her for the tenth time. I look over and Bella's holding her shirt up while Ava is rooting for a nonexistent snack.

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Isn't it incredible how much a baby

changes in just ONE YEAR??

I can't even imagine what Ava will look

like or her personality a year from now.

It is exciting being a mom!

Okay, that was overly enthusiastic because we all know it isn't always exciting. Especially if you wake up one morning and it dawns on you that you haven't worn your hair any other way than a ponytail for four months. Or you realize that you DO own something other than Mommy Attire.(ie. t-shirts, nursing bra, sweatpants, tennis shoes). I actually still own a skirt and heels!

What's your daily Mommy Attire? Don't make me hate you.

Life and Love

We've had a busy but fun few days. We've gone to the park, we've visited family, we've eaten in restaurants TWICE without a single tear shed by any of us!



Yesterday in the quiet of the afternoon as I nursed our baby and my husband read with our toddler, I was overcome with love for my family.



You know that love.



Your heart swells with so many emotions that it spills over into tears. You feel blessed and honored to be such a part of these wonderful beings' lives.



I look at my husband and am still amazed that our paths crossed and how almost instantly I knew he was who I had been searching for. Before, I thought that was a ridiculous notion. Can you possibly meet a person and within moments of speaking you just...KNOW? Well, yes. With age and experience comes awareness, I guess.



I see Bella and what a beautiful individual she is. Each day is a fresh day of learning, exploring and growing. I look at her photos over the last 2+ years of her life in awe. I see her pure love for family and friends. She is loving and kind to her baby sister, climbing into the crib to play with her, "reading" to her, singing to her. She is a remarkable person.



Playing face to face with Ava, I sense that she will be an opinionated observer :) She takes in everything but is never quiet about it. She's the noisiest 5 month old ever, grunting, growling, babbling. She absolutely adores her sister. She's already got a sense of humor and gets quite happy with herself. Funny how hard you'll work for wet kisses and laughter.



I never want to take my husband or my children for granted. I want them to always know my love, support and joy for each of them.



Happy Tuesday, all!

Hoppin On

I'm not one for getting on bandwagons and am usually turned off immediately when Oprah touts anything as THE NEXT BIG THING. I mean really, who can even afford any of her Favorite Things?

However...

I have to say that watching The Secret was truly inspiring. What's sad is my husband brought it home weeks ago after watching it at work. He hailed it as incredibly eye-opening and I dismissed it as some hooey for motivating his work staff.

Then I happened upon Oprah's show last week and 7 of the "teachers" of The Secret were discussing the video. It definitely peaked my interest to see such a diverse group of people all so excited about this discovery.

The funny thing is...there's nothing new about The Secret. It is simply the law of attraction. We've all heard about it. We all recognize it. Few of us really apply it to our life.

This weekend I watched the video my husband brought home, ignoring his baffled looks that it took Oprah and not him to get me to believe the video's magic. I'll never live that down.

Let me just say that I recommend this to everyone and everyone's loved ones. It IS truly eye-opening.

All those sayings we've heard:

1) Every action has a reaction
2) Think good things and good things will happen
3) Don't do today what you'll regret tomorrow
4) Life is what you make of it

All of that is true! And all of it is related to the law of attraction. Many of you Christians or other religions may wonder if this will interfere with your beliefs and I don't think it does. I think it coincides. I think God is all things, will always be all things, for eternity. He created the law of attraction just as He created the law of gravity.

I've been on a spiritual quest for some time now and watching this just felt right. It made sense to me and how I view spirituality. I won't go into great detail but I don't just believe in blindly following the Bible or man's teaching of it. There is great mystery surrounding the Bible, much history and many debates. I love to learn about it all. It is a huge part of my spiritual growth.

As I said, "The Secret" isn't some great mystical discovery. It is life. Energy. Spirit. Your MIND. This video really explains it better than I've ever heard or understood.

If you have seen this or decide to watch it, I would love to know your views.

Not For The Weak

Wanna know what's gross?

Emptying the laundry basket as you do each week and finding a moldy spit-up infant pj's and your favorite t-shirt also molded by spit-up.

Are you shuddering? Me too!

Also what's gross?

Your potty training toddler deciding she needs to potty on the BIG big girl potty (ie. toilet) and doesn't warn you or your bathroom carpet that she had already pooped in the pullups she was removing all by herself with great pride.

And one more gross-out?

Your gimpy dog who can't tell when he goes either type of potty and thus doesn't realize it as he snuggles all happily in his cozy blanket rather than face the cold for a walk-n-drop stroll.

Would bathing in bleach be a bad thing? Think I'll just stop and smell the roses from hubby instead....

PB Warning!

A salmonella outbreak that has slowly grown to nearly 300 cases in 39 states since August has been linked to tainted peanut butter, federal health officials said Wednesday.

The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter because of the risk of contamination.

The affected jars have a product code on the lid that begins with the number "2111." The affected jars are made by ConAgra in a single facility in Sylvester, Georgia, the FDA said.


I have a jar of Peter Pan with the number 2111!! ACK! Threw it out immediately!

No better time than now to find out other PB options. What is YOUR favorite peanut butter brand?

Happy Vamentime's Day!!!

Hope you all feel loved and appreciated today!

Wiggin Out

Ava's 4 month checkup was on Friday. The usual. Strip her down, weight check, eyebrow raised at thunder thighs (hers, not mine...I think), height measurement, gasps from doctor on future NBA player, screams from shots and then the silence of breastfeeding.

Ava is 13 lbs, 14 oz. Just 9 oz more than Bella was at 4 months, which surprises the heck out of me. But even more suprising is that Ava is 26 3/4 " long and Bella was 24" long at 4 months. It never ceases to amaze just how different siblings are from the beginning!

Now on to even more important things.

Which 'do will do?

An Amazing, Exciting and Lovely Time

She called this a "rain down".

Logical, don't you think?

Forgot her shoes. Had to make do.

Bella loves talking. And talking. But it is at such a high decible, I think my dad doesn't even hear her sometimes.

She also loves adjectives. And is learning to use them correctly!

We went to see my family this weekend. My parents, sister, BIL, nephew, brother, and his GF.

Dad became Bella's new best friend with his gumball machine. He'd give her a penny for a gumball and she'd chew it for about 3 seconds, spitting it out as instructed (the concept of gum still pretty much eludes her) and would immediately ask Grandpa for another "doin". Yes, that is "coin" with a "d". Watching Dad try to figure out that one was funny.

All weekend, everything was "amasing" and "essiting". She told my mom that the peaches in the fruit bowl were "lofely".

What 2 1/2 year old says "lovely"??

Climbing awkwardly out of little cousin Dillon's toy house, she exclaimed "Its a WONNERFUL day!"

My sister just likes to hear her talk. I'm very glad someone other than me thinks everything Bella says is adorable. That is, except when she screeches "Noooooooo!". That is not adorable on any level. Even when she's got teensy-tiny pigtails I've managed to stretch up into rubber bands. Instant face-lift for a toddler.

We had a great weekend and I already miss everyone. How was your weekend?

And WHY would I want my toes in my face, Mama?

Could he BE any cuter?

Life Is Like A Box of Chocolate, Alot Of It Is Nuts...Or Maybe Just Me

Three Faces of Eve posted some interesting facts about herself. I love reading about you all so I thought maybe you might want to know a bit more about me. Hey, I understand if you don't.

Over the years, I've learned to see the humor in my life and poke fun at myself. I wouldn't change anything about my life or my past as it is all one big adventure with lessons throughout.


1) Being the undisciplined college student that I was, I only attended the art classes. Even with A's, that isn't going to do much for the ol' GPA when you don't show up for anything else.

2) Amazingly, some people thought my talent enough to teach their children art lessons for two years. That was fun and inspiring. Though not inspiring enough to return to school.

3) Met my husband at the horse track. It was the first time I'd ever been and he was standing next to me as the horse we'd both bet on won the race. I high-fived the stranger and married him 3 years later.

4) I hiked the Grand Canyon from North Rim to South Rim in just over 2 days. I had never hiked or camped prior to this. I lost four toenails which, I'm told, have been permanently "traumatized". It was the worst and the most incredible experience ever. By the end of the 26 mile hike, I was in tears and a day hiker asked if I was alright. I sobbed and begged that she tell her children to "keep to the right" of the trail instead of barreling down past exhausted uphill hikers. I'm pretty sure she was concerned for my mental state as well as physical.

5) Having not learned anything, I skiied for the first time on my honeymoon in Whistler, Canada. CRAZY. That sums it up. Took me 2 1/2 hours to get down the mountain. By the end of it, I was cursing so loud I'm pretty sure the school of 9 yr olds zipping past me picked up a few new words. I blame my husband for thinking the girl in powder blue excelling in ski school was me and encouraging me to skip the rest of class to ski with him. I was actually the one in powder blue barely mastering the snow plow.

6) Third time's the charm for stupidity, I guess. When 4 months pregnant with Bella, we went to Mexico as we do every year, but for some ungodly reason, we decided we were bored of just relaxing on the beach with waiters to serve us. So we rode 1950's banana seat bicycles through the jungles of Coba. It was so bumpy, I couldn't sit on the seat and I had to stand on the pedals to ride. I spent the entire next day sick, in Mexico, and my husband frantically called my doctor in the states asking for help. Can you imagine the conversation the nurses had over that call?

7) I have never ridden a rollercoaster and never will.

8) I'm afraid of exiting dark rooms. I will pretty much leap or run from the dark room to one that has light. I'll do the same when leaving the dark outside to the lighted indoors. I try to keep the heebie jeebies to a minimum around others.

9) I've been married before and thought for sure I would be punished for getting a divorce by never bearing children. So much for that ridiculous notion. I've been blessed beyond measure with two beautiful, healthy girls.

10) I love to drink sweet tea with milk. My brother and sister do as well. But they drink tea with about 1/4 tsp milk. Not sure that really counts.

11) I have an obsessision with my childrens' nostrils and ears. If there is anything there, I gotta remove it. It appears that I've passed that obsession on to Bella. The other day she was caught with her finger up Ava's nose.

12) Sometimes when nursing Ava in the middle of the night, I think of things I could blog about. Then I completely forget what it was by morning.

Yeah, so I'm ending the list at 12.

Tell me something kooky about you so I feel better about myself. K? What good friends you are!

Look At That Goat, Honey!

We are so City. If there was ever a question before, it has been answered as of yesterday.

We went to the livestock and equestrian show. Our city has one of the largest stock shows in the U.S. and we've gone every year that we've been together. The first few years, I think we fit in pretty good. Even went to the rodeo without looking too deer in the headlights. I yee-hawed with the best of 'em.

This year we loaded up the double stroller, the Snugli (aka the Life Saver), the diaper bag, our two children and us. I opted against Bella's faux fur sweater set that just screamed Gymboree, and instead she wore jeans and a hoodie.

We wandered around aimlessly, Bella's excitement building for the animals she was supposed to see. The first animal? A horse. Walking away. So she got to see a horse's butt up close. I just prayed that was all she'd see at that moment.

I don't know WHY but it took a good hour, 3 corn dogs, a bag of caramel popcorn and a greasy ham n' cheese sandwich for us to decide we needed a map. Bella had yet to see anything other than the equestrian behind and her humor was leaving the premises. Oh, we could hear the swine, the chickens, the cows and the goats, but had yet to find them among all the barns and auction houses with high stalls.

FINALLY, we found what we were looking for. The children's barnyard. Newly hatched baby chicks, ducklings, calfs, bunnies (only the cutest EVER!), miniature horses, piglets, and a turkey the gobbled and made the city kids scream with delighted fear while the country kids looked confused at such a response.

Bella took a cute picture with four precious baby goats. She was too enamored to look at the photographer so the girl started yelling Bella's name to get her attention. "ISABELLA! LOOK AT THE CAMERA! ISSSSSSABELLLLLLLLAAA!" Whatever. Bella was way more into this fuzzy little creature laying on her lap. That polaroid was $7.50.

Afterwards, she took an adorable picture on a miniature horse. Pink cowgirl hat, chaps, bandana and huge smile. She threw a fit when she had to get off her new toy.

Then said she needed a picture with the chickens. Fortunately, there was no booth for that.

Three hours and well over $100 later, I was carrying Bella, Ava was in the Snugli on my husband and the stroller was strewn with goodies and crumbs. It was time to go home.

On our way out, we're walking by the area the animals use to exercise.

I exclaim, "Bella! Look at the goat, honey! Isn't it so cute?!"

It baa's at me.

Oh. It is a shorn sheep.

I may as well have offered up some hot sauce from NEW YORK CITY! for the looks I got.

The country folks rolled their eyes, a few chuckles were heard and my husband laughed hysterically. (hey, mister, I didn't see you pipe in that it was a sheep!)

Next year, I will at least know the difference between a goat and a naked sheep. I just hope Bella continues to not take notice of the huge difference between a bull and a cow. And I do mean huge.

A Tale Of Four Kitchens

This year we decided to get Bella a play kitchen. I'm all for women's lib but also understand that little girls looooooove to pretend they are domestic goddesses.

I didn't want to spend alot on a kitchen since it wasn't to be the focal point of her room. I also bought her an art easel and her dad bought an adorable writing desk & chair. We have high expectations.

I found a kitchen on sale for $30. It was a steal as it was regular price $60. How could I not? I ordered it and received a box of 150 million pieces of plastic all stuck together awaiting an evening of cursing and ARGH!-ing to put it together.

My husband's aunt ordered a kitchen for their granddaughter, who they are raising. She bought the fancy schmancy expensive one. It was delivered to our house since she and her husband work.

Then she figured out that the store over-charged them and so the store...sent them another one. To our house. So now I had three play kitchens at my house. Why? Because they insisted my aunt had to take her first one back to the store for a refund because she paid by check, blah blah blah.

After comparing apples to carcass, I decided to buy the schmancy kitchen from the aunt and give the crappy one to his grandmother so all the grandkids could play and destroy without anyone feeling bad.

Problem?

El' Crapo was missing parts. Are you kidding me?

I contacted the store, they said they'd send the parts.

What did I receive? Oh yeah! ANOTHER KITCHEN.

I have never, nor do I ever want again, four plastic kitchens in my home. Try explaining to a 2 1/2 yr old that you are basically a plastics warehouse and she only gets to keep one. How very Mommy Dearest.

The tickle-your-funny-bone-or-not part? The original store told me to keep Crappy Kitchen #2 for free. HA! All that means is that I have two turds and one is still missing pieces! That will be donated. Don't feel bad for the kid who gets it, SHE can have HER mommy call for the missing sink.

As for Bella, she's happy as can be with the expensive kitchen. Go figure. And when I asked if she could make me some tea?

"Uh-oh...I'm fesh out, Mama."

*sigh*

A Noisy Village

I'm sure you moms have all heard the phrase "It takes a village to raise a child". It should really be more like "It takes a village to talk about how you raise your child".

People, specifically family, spend 90% of their time visiting with you assessing your child. Have you noticed? Especially infants. I guess because they can't pipe in to defend themselves.

Why is the baby crying?

She sounds like she's in pain. Did you give her the maximun 12 doses of Mylicon yet?

Have you tried giving her cereal? Can I give her some? I just happen to have a box of baby cereal in my purse.

Is her ear deformed? Why don't you duct tape it to her head?

She certainly is fat. Are those thigh tires a good thing?

Oh, there she goes spitting up again. Does she need some medicine? What does her doctor say about all that spewing? It sure is rank. No thanks, you can hold her.

She just blew out a diaper. That's why she was crying. Perhaps you should change what you eat so she won't be so miserable.

Does she always scream when she's unhappy? Is it gas?

Isabella was never like that. She's always been so docile and sweet. (This just baffles me since Bella didn't like anyone or anything the first 6 months of her life. Everyone thought she was Satan's sister)


And the best one...


You shouldn't hold your baby so much. It will spoil her.


SERIOUSLY?

It wears a person out completely. A mother shouldn't have to spend so much time defending herself or her children! It is no wonder that so many moms look wild-eyed and exhausted. It isn't necessarily from their babies...it is from everyone constantly evaluating their skills as a parent or their kid's lack of perfection (ie. seen and not heard).

Other than that, we had a fabulous weekend. How about you? :)

Snow, Ya'll!

Well, lookit that.

Snow.

In Texas.

Keep tryin, honey...

I think red plaid and pastels look lovely together, don't you?

(There IS a fire amongst all that ash. Really)

Bella shares her fashion tips with Ava.

Careful What You Ask For

Because my daughter is hilarious to me, another Bella Tidbit:

Last night after a long, luxurious shower (a rarity), I was at my make-up table applying my nightly moisturizer with Bella next to me, rummaging through the make-up drawer. She found a necklace and decided to try and hang it on my boob.

When that didn't work, she decided to examine the boob closer and poked it as if it might be playing possum.

We talked about how Ava gets baby milk and she drinks big girl milk. Then she asked where the milk was. So I showed her how it works with a little squeeze, a stream of milk hitting the counter.



Bella stared for a moment.




"Ima go see what Daddy's doin"




HA.