Jaded Optimist: Blog

She’d like to thank the Academy…

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:26:06 GMT

Also, thanks to flip video. Little flip ultra that I was so excited to acquire, sorry to have used you so infrequently. I do have a tendency to “save” new purchases. Ahem. Just be glad that I didn’t share the 15 minute video of C doing a dance concert in the living room…

Actually, can folks leave me a comment (I know, this is asking a whole heckuva lot, at least I am assuming that is why I get so few comments. Hint hint.) about whether they can view the video ok, and whether they would like to see more videos on the blog.

In other news, C has just 7 more days of camp, and then a week off in between camp and school. And G is working *a lot*. So, a week, me, two kids…what to do? Call me crazy (actually, please don’t as I have already booked the tickets), M, C, and I are heading down to Portland to visit my unsuspecting cousin. Actually, she knows we are on the way, just not what she is in for. Just kidding S! These girls…very well behaved. G has ~~forced~~convinced me to take the train instead of driving. I am still nervous…three hours in car with two kids—yeah, there might be a lot of crying, and pulling over, but at least no one else would know about it. On the train, I might be able to tend to the kids, but under the stern glare of a hundred other passengers.

And then there is the little matter of getting me, C, M, stroller + carseat, luggage, and diaper bag from the train to the hotel and around town. Current big debate—bring C’s carseat to enable us to cab or not? Installing two car seats in a cab fills me with fear (seems like the first $10 of every cab ride would be me installing the car seat while the cabbie laughs…or cries) but so does walking two miles pushing the stroller with M in it and trying to carry C on my shoulders or back at the same time. Anyway, looking forward to the trip. Especially the part where I get to sit in the bathroom for three hours to have light to read (or knit!) after the girls go to bed. Oh, G will be sorry he missed out on this trip!

The Official Word

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:19:19 GMT

Height: 25 inches (75-90th percentile)

Weight: 13 lbs. 13 oz. (50-75th percentile)

Head: 41.4 cm (50-75th percentile)

Great tone and head strength…enough that the ped. thought I could put M in the jogging stroller now, even though usually babies aren’t ready until about six months old. Which means I could start running again. Which seems like it should be good news, after all I love running. But I realized what I don’t love is getting *back into* running. Sigh.

4 months old

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:01:15 GMT

M turned four months old on Friday. Tomorrow she has her ped. appt. and we will have the official measurements. I can still remember (as can G) crying when she was four days old because it was going so fast already (repeat after me: “baby blues”). Since then, time has just gone faster. Sniff.

At fours months she:

1. Does cute little sneezes still, big yawns, big stretches, little chewy mouth movements (still strange for me to see a baby tongue since we didn’t with C what with the tongue tie and all). Babbles a lot, with the occasional screech. Doesn’t laugh so much as wheeze and screech.

2. Is very mellow and smiley. Saves the biggest smiles for her daddy—she smiles at him even when he isn’t looking at her. Just catching sight of him is enough to trigger a huge open mouthed grin. She also smiles for C, but is a bit more wary. *Mostly* falls asleep in the car, but if not…yikes! Super loud sobs which put me in a panic, making me want to yell “You’re gonna be OK! Say the (*(&(&^%%% words!” ala Reservoir Dogs. Then when I stop the car and rush to the back seat, she immediately stops crying and looks surprised, like, Oh? You’re here? But otherwise, smiley and mellow.

3. Hates tummy time with a passion, but not quite enough to figure out rolling over yet. Does not like to be alone. Likes to be held sitting up or in the sling facing out to experience the world. Likes to kick and kick in the tub. Starting to figure out rolling from back to front…at least, is halfway there.

4. Goes to bed pretty easily around 7:30 ish and sleeps until…well, lately it has been 4 am. And then sometimes will go right back to sleep after nursing, sometimes is up for an hour and then will go back to sleep, and once in a while just won’t go back to sleep. Last night however, she slept until 6 so I am hopeful. Napping is still pretty hit or miss…the occasional mega nap (by which I mean 60-120 minutes) but in general still does 20-40 minute cat naps. Can seem completely asleep in your lap, only to wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed if you attempt a swing or bed transfer. Or move. Or breathe too deeply. Or (hello weekends) C comes running in to tickle her feet.

5. Understands at least some of how hands work. Grabs hair, shirts, blankets, her own feet, toys, etc. Chews a lot, but no teeth signs as of yet. Enjoying taggie items, her activity mat, and some smallish stuff animals (those with chewable appendages).

6. Has totally sweet and adorable baby chub.

7. Is pretty game for whatever mommy cooks up, including the monthly picture with the birthday cat.

Actually, might need to talk with her about appropriate boundaries with the birthday cat.

My own brand of weirdness

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:42:23 GMT

I am a short term planner--for the short term, I really like to have a plan. I like routine (Tuesdays are library day! Wednesdays we go to the Farmer's Market! Mondays I do the lower body workouts from 10 minute solution Pilates on the ball and 10 minute solution tighten and tone pilates, etc. etc.) I like having vacations planned months in advance. I would rather have a bad plan than no plan at all...and a change to the plan makes me break out in a sweat even if the change is for the better. (G would be laughing now, or maybe crying...if he read the blog.)

So, decision making can be tough for me, because I really don't like to change the plan later, so the decision has to be the right one the first time. But, and this is too bad, I also have a tendency to overestimate my capabilities. Witness countless dinner and party plans that had me up at midnight making pastry crust, or screaming at G "it is 12:03 and I need to be chopping basil from 12:01 to 12:04 and there is no freaking basil!" That type of thing. I have the feeling that if I just try harder and am more perfect, then there really will be 26 (or 40) hours in the day.

Sigh. Can you say controlling first born??

In the past few days a plan that I was holding onto became obviously wrong. Obvious to people around me, obvious to G, but not really obvious to me. So we talked at length last night, and came to a decision, and this morning I double checked that that was really the decision (poor, incredulous G who thought deciding once would be enough!) and I just feel sick about it. (Although that might be the shameful number of Junior Mints ingested tonight.) The plan had some points that were unresolved, which I was studiously ignoring because there was no good resolution and acknowledging that would have meant that the plan wasn't going to work...but it was the plan! (I know, you are thinking that you never, ever want to go on vacation with me. The plus is that I panic about finding rental houses and such and get those details all worked out and solidified early...and I make excel spreadsheets to exactly divide all the costs of a group vacation...I'm not helping my case am I?)

I know that once I have made and settled into the new plan, I will be ok--because there will be a plan. That's how I ended up ok with and even excited about things like up and moving to Seattle from Boston, or having a second kid. But this between plan part really really stressed me out.

Funny for the day...in the car with C we listen to "her music"--right now, Elizabeth Mitchell's You are My Sunshine. The one verse contains "when I woke up I was mistaken please don't take my sunshine from me." C pipes up--"Do you know why she was mistaking mommy? Because the sunshine belongs to everybody!"

cute kid overload

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:06:40 GMT

In every picture of C holding M, M has the same expression. To me it says “I will always remember that *you* did this to me.”

The C-bird…an equal mix of gorgeous and silly. Would perhaps lean more towards the gorgeous if we took a brush to her with more frequency. When I started taking pictures she ran in to get her camera (the 2 mp one from camp…see earlier post). She set up with a blanket and some toys in the yard and said she was “camping”. A girl after my own heart—camping where you have a bathroom, refrigerator, and comfy bed nearby. She takes inordinate amounts of pleasure in these old, broken play sunglasses, including wearing them to camp.

And of course little M. As soon as the diaper comes off, the feet go up in the air, possibly to the hands, possibly all the way to the mouth. Still can’t sit up and not a big fan of being on her tummy, so the available poses are somewhat limited.

And of course, you need to be able to tell when the photo session is over.

Didja miss me?

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:44:51 GMT

I know, it’s been awhile. Sorry. Busy + some lousy photo days + outings on my own with the girls (means I have no hand for a camera) + busy + knitting = no blogging.

So, to catch up…G is back. M and C are thrilled. C is doing awesome at swimming class, even jumps in on her own now (!!) and M has figured out how her hands work and is reaching and grabbing for all sorts of things now.

Last weekend we (me, M, and C) hit the Bellevue Arts Festival. With two little kids, that means that in 3 1/2 hours we ate lunch, got a snack, waited in the face painting line, nursed twice, changed a diaper and used the potty, got C’s picture on a Bellevue police motorcycle, perused the fairy wings, kites, and furniture that you could sit on booths, and spent about 10 minutes looking at “real” art. Sigh. Oh, and after a woman walking by me said loudly “That baby is going to get a sunburn on its head!” we were completely humiliated and bought a nine dollar, way too big hat at Babystyle in the mall. [Long gone are the days when people (well, ok, one woman once) approached me at the mall to compliment me on my parenting skills. Now, it is public criticism or “Wow, it looks like you really have your hands full!”. Apparently that is what two kids will do to a person.]

At the face paint tent, C picked “bunny” although 90% of people who commented (and there were many comments) thought it was a kitty. She also convinced me to buy her a fairy princess crown.

C is in camp this summer, and the past week was “photography and scrapbooking” so you know I was excited. Each of the kids got their own little digital camera—2 mp, with no screen. Which meant that C came home with 20 extreme closeups of herself, and 20 pictures of the ground. Also, a scrapbook of said pictures. And this piece…

…which is kind of scary, and kind of genius, no?

Our tomato plants continue to astound and amaze us.

Lots and lots of gorgeous (tiny) tomatoes.

And I really am keeping busy with the knitting. Almost done with my first big project—the sweater for M. Just one more seam and weaving in all the ends left. Unfortunately, that is both the trickiest and the most boring part. Also unfortunately, the neck barely fits over her now…and this is supposed to be the 9 month size. Oops.

To avoid that project, I have two new WIPs (works in progress)—a cardigan for C and a sock (hopefully someday to be a pair thereof) for me. Feel free to laugh about knitting a sock, G certainly does on a regular basis, but the Yarn Harlot assures us that once you go handmade socks you will never go back.

What else… went to a birthday party with C yesterday and she colored the birthday card while I was in the shower. When I checked it out, it said “ihop”. Apparently, she started to write “I hope you like your gift” but either ran out of space or spelling knowledge. Nonetheless, I was pretty excited to see her writing on her own like that.

We had overnight guests on Friday. Now we have a 10 day break before we get a cat, a family of four, one guy, and then my brother and his girlfriend all staying over for various lengths of time. I think in the next four and a half weeks we will have people here more nights than we won’t. Not that I am complaining, as they are one and all people we are excited to have stay with us, but for someone who tends toward the stressy… well. Hopefully the guest sheets will stand up to the onslaught.

M turns 4 months old on Friday. I know. I am tearing up too just thinking about it.

Dear Daddy,

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:31:49 GMT

M here. We need to talk about this whole business trip thing. So listen up.

First up, some complaints. Mommy lets C dress us both up as long as C will pose for pictures for her. Who is the loser here?? That’s right buddy, me. Do you see any colors that match here? Yeah, me neither. My color sense is being destroyed at the delicate age of three months.

Also, I don’t know what you told Mommy about the grass…but she has definitely been leaving it for you to deal with.

But back to C. She is all over me! Hugging, tickling, prying my fingers open so she can hold my hand, trying to get mommy to make me wear dresses all the time. For serious daddy, I need some help here.

She wants to hold me, and her skills…leave something to be desired.

I have had to resort to some fearsome hand chewing.

I may have to go into hiding.

Hurry home!

Yours, M

The world according to C

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 05:21:27 GMT

On breastfeeding: “Well, you have glasses of milk in your throat, and they fill when you drink milk and then they spill over and come out your boobs.”

On the joys of teaching: Me: “Is Ms. C pregnant at your school.” C: “I dunno. Teachers don’t need to have babies mommy.” Me: “Why?” C: “Because, they TEACH.”

On tummies: C: “Mrs. N said Ms. C is pregnant. She has a baby in her big tummy. But Mrs. N has a big tummy too and she isn’t pregnant.” Me [horrified and aghast with shame at what C has probably said to her teacher]: “Well, lots of people have big tummies. I have a big tummy and there is no baby in there.” C: “Mommy, that is because your parts aren’t put back together yet.”

On where babies come from: “Well, there is a tummy, and then there is a big vat of unborn babies and the vat gets near the tummy and a hole gets cut in the tummy and one end of a tube is put in there and the other end is put in the vat and then one of those unborn babies is pumped in.”

On two teenage girls walking into the cookie store: “Hey, they don’t have any husbands. But, they are so beautiful.”

On two teenage boys talking with a teenage girl: C: “I think that is one of their wives.” Me: “I don’t think so.” C: “Oh. Well, maybe they just live together.”

In Joke

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:31:54 GMT

With G gone, I thought it best to push some of the Netflix movies he wouldn't like to the top of the list.

We have an inside joke about the movies that I pick--they all seem to have genocide or suicide in them. (In reality, they don't all...probably just like 80% or so. Because I like to mix it up with some flicks about poverty, torture, and/or man's inhumanity to man. And then the last 5%, let's be honest here, is all the Will Ferrell movies.)

I am not much for the "girly" movies, but I wanted to get something that would be good for knitting to. But let's face it, you can't change who you are. So tonight I watched....wait for it...

Griffin and Phoenix, a "romance" about two people with inoperable cancer. Can't imagine why that one didn't clean up at the theaters...such a great date movie and all. How the heck did it even get on our Netflix list??

At least I did make very good progress on M's sweater.

The other movie that came is Ocean's 13, and there had damn well better be only lighthearted stuff in that movie.

Day 3 of 10

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:52:25 GMT

Of simulated single mom-hood for me—G is back in Boston (*again*) for work and we three girls are on our own here. Oh, G complained mightily about the trip and work…but every night I have called between 11 and midnight eastcoast time he has been at dinner, at a bar, etc. Harumph.

In his absence, the garden is exploding (due, no doubt, to my faithful watering). Both tomato plants have…tomatoes!

Gosh, I love tomato plants. They smell so beautiful. And the tiny hairs have been catching the sunlight such that the whole plant looks golden-veined.

(Note to self: terrible dust spots! Get over it and clean the camera sensor already!) I think the blueberry plant is coming right along as well, although even if they all ripen it is basically going to be about one breakfast’s worth of berries.

If M naps enough I spend a lot of time taking bee pictures in the poppies.

The poppies might be my favorite (only partially because I don’t have to water them).

Oh, the girls sure do miss their daddy though. It has been a struggle keeping their spirits up, as I am sure you can tell.

Today I even, with no alcohol whatsoever, suggested painting as a good activity. C and I started off with the same thing to paint (ie, like a coloring page but thicker paper) and you can see we each had a very different interpretation.

(Sorry for crappy shot here…). C’s started off as NYC (which is “big buildings with the Statue of Liberty. If it is just buildings with no Statue of Liberty, then it is Boston, right Mommy?”) and then somehow had some camouflage added. Then it was a dust storm…which I was inspired by Wall-E. Then there were tears about the people on the ship in Wall-E and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to remind C about respecting the earth’s resources…but she decided that since it was an “earth on TV” that it was all pretend and we don’t need to worry. Sigh.

You will also note that I have no innate painting talent and no learned skills either, although in my defense I was painting with a baby in my lap, and with a really thick brush.

Hippie cred

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:44:04 GMT

Risking the ire of the neighborhood association by taking advantage of a sunny day to bleach cloth diapers out on the patio.

Whitens them right up. Clothes lines aren’t allowed, but I don’t see any lines here do you?

But enough about those kids…

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:11:00 GMT

I know—you are tired of looking at pictures of my adorable, sweet, generous kids. You keep reading my blog waiting for…an update on my knitting!

Since the last knitting post, I did a hat for C. But apparently it is important to check gauge, and I am some sort of extremely tight knitter…so the hat fit M instead. Ahem. Undaunted, I resized the pattern up to above the listed “adult” size, and came out with something that fits C quite nicely. And apparently, she likes it because this morning she ran into our room in just a pull-up, socks…and this wool hat. But I am not posting a picture of that! Instead, my cute kids (sorry, hard to post without a picture of them!) modeling their matching hats:

I am about half way through a sweater for M, but due to that aforementioned gauge issue (which this time, I even checked, I swear!) I am trying to knit at the 12 month width, but the 9 month length. Sigh. If only she were long and lean, instead of average height and chubby. Hopefully it will fit her for about two days in October and I can get cute pictures.

As promised….

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:09:26 GMT

The C update. First, a disclaimer…swimming classes and ballet recitals turn out to both a) have lots of other kids (whose photos I don’t like to post) and b) be crowded and not exactly lit for photos (especially ballet recitals, with all the other parents in the way, setting off flashes like crazy!) Nonetheless, we have:

A happily swimming C

Demonstrating her mad skills, cute goggle look, and closed eyes post jump in (using “jump” in the loosest manner, as it was more of a sit down and controlled fall in). We were very happy that she seemed happy the whole time, as some of the other kids were screaming for most of the class. Guess we were right to wait until she was four and a half?

Our ballerina:

After the “show” I was able to almost get some portraits:

C did so great, paying attention to the teacher most of the time, and not clinging to her parents and refusing to dance (unlike one of the other students). Color us proud.

3 months…growing up so fast

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:40:52 GMT

Can you believe it? I cannot…M turned three months old today. She celebrated with a nice bath and a nap.

At 3 months, she:

1. Smiles *all the time*. Seriously, she is the smiliest baby I have ever seen. She also “talks” a lot.

2. Sleeps a 9-10 hour stretch every night. Recently, she has started waking up around 5ish and flailing around a bit (still swaddling, so it is like watching a bug in a spider web) and I can just pat her chest and she falls back asleep. The whole time, her face looks kind of angry…like she is mad that she is waking up. It is pretty cute…although I am thinking it would be cuter at, say, 7 am.

3. Likes baths again, and kicks vigorously during them.

4. Still has the spitting up issue, as discussed many many times before.

5. Has discovered her hands, and the hands of others. She has pinchy little fingers now that have grabbed my hair and necklace. Sometimes when I am holding her she plucks at my arm, or she will hold onto the hem of my shirt when nursing. Sometimes she just wrings her hands together (what I call “worried hands”) and other times she sticks as much as possible in her mouth and makes loud, wet sucking noises…and has on occasion gagged herself a bit. Silly baby.

6. Has a butt dimple. Well, it is in that area anyway. Actually, she has had it since birth and the ped. scared us a bit about it…she had to measure its depth (it is quite deep) and make sure she could see the bottom…otherwise it might have been her spine! Or something like that…we weren’t totally clear on the implications, but in the end (no pun intended) the bottom was visible. But it is a shock when you are changing her diaper to see that hole…above the other hole. I am going to stop now.

7. Likes having her feet rubbed, being held, back patting, nursing, napping on you, her swing (sometimes), her big sister, baths. Tolerates the car seat and stroller. Does not seem to like baby-wearing/slings, which is a disappointment to me as C really did. Also not a fan of the tummy time.

8. Has sweaty feet. Seriously, they are damp little things. Very weird to me, as C’s feet didn’t start to sweat until…well, this year I think! (And now, since she refuses to wear socks with her shoes…peee-eeewww.)

9. No regular nap schedule yet, but she will nap pretty well in the swing (while I do my 20 minutes of exercise a day), in the car (while we pick up C and run errands), and in her bouncy seat (falls asleep to the sound of the fan while I shower).

10. Blue eyes still. Hair getting lighter. Bald spot holding on tight. Cute pudge, although no ped. visit at 3 months so won’t have official weight or height to report this time. Not yet sitting or rolling over. Is just a crazy easy baby and has fit into our family and our lives so well. Adored by us all!

Later this week we will have updates about C, who successfully lobbied for a new leotard and tutu to go with her new ballet shoes (“Mommy, I have a good idea! Let’s buy a new tutu because my old one is really falling apart.”) Picked black for all three, so she looks like quite the tiny little goth dancer.

C also brought the awesome today at swimming class—got right in the pool (with these block floaties tied to her front and back), tried floating and dog paddle, chatted with the other kids, hung from the pool ladder, swam after a noodle, and even jumped into the pool, soaking her face! This from the girl who wouldn’t go in the water last year in Hawaii and who screams every time water gets in her eyes during a bath. I was one proud mommy (who didn’t bring the camera today to swimming, fearing the worst). Although, she still screamed for her daddy tonight during her bath. Sigh.

Mom humor

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:58:16 GMT

Apparently yet another internet phenomenon that I somehow missed

Long weekend…big week

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:51:23 GMT

M at the 4th of July parade (she is a bit paler than this…due to the orange seat she kinda looks like we have been self-tanning her, doesn’t she?)

Told G he was always looking grim in pictures, so this is what I get. Not sure if M is teething or what, but she is a big fan of finger chewing right now (and note drooling/bubble-blowing in top picture).

C all ready for fireworks on a friends porch—princess costume, rain boots, and sweater. We were looking out over unincorporated King County…where private fireworks are legal. And many, many people partake in firework displays, so we were able to see quite a show. C and her friend were on the porch starting at 7:30 or so, exclaiming over every firework, and both were asleep by about 10:05 right after the real fireworks had started.

This week C starts swimming classes and has ballet camp (the recital is Friday!); M is turning 3 months old (!!) So should get a bunch of good photos in this week.

Random

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:03:17 GMT

I love my macro lens, but I am lazy…and have yet to use it with a tripod. So a nice bright sunny day, which is normally horrible for photography, allows me to get some handheld shots in while the baby naps.

No more fairy tales for C for a bit. The other day she said “I am the princess, daddy is the prince, and you are the fairy.” What is M, I inquired. “The stepsister!”

Bought a “playground ball” and a T ball set for C to play in the backyard. So she and a friend are out there on Saturday. G wants to give them my big blow up exercise ball to play with. I object—since I do in fact use it to exercise, and we have bought toys for the backyard. G is sure the ball will be fine. He throws it outside. It hits a rose bush. A few minutes later the girls bring it over. With a hole in it. It is ruined. Think G will listen to me the next time? Yeah, me neither.

I love that little M…but some days… Today I gave her a nice bath, because her little head was kinda sweaty the past day or so (80-90 temps and all that). As I am toweling her off…she pees all over the towel. Get her diapered and dressed, and into the rocking chair for nursing. And she poops. Fine. Put her on the shoulder to burp, and she projectile spits up at least several ounces of milk—all down my back, and all over the rocking chair. Move her forward to regroup….and the next projectile gets me down the front, down her front, and fills my lap with milk. Luckily (for me, not for him) G works from home so I was able to call for backup. Sigh. What’s a few more loads of laundry between family, right?

Silly C

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:44:18 GMT

For the most part, we love to hear what C has to say—to hear a little bit of her logic and creativity, and see how she understands the world. At the end of any of her meltdowns, in addition to asking for a tissue (which is the sign that she is calming down) she will come up with an explanation for why she was upset. It usually recasts the preceding meltdown in a light that is more logical and shows her in a better light than the actual things said during the meltdown. For instance, there may be unexplained crying about eating strawberries at dinner, and at the end of the crying she will say “Well, I just wanted to eat the strawberries in daddy’s lap, thaaaaat is why I was crying.”

Other random things I have liked lately “Mommy, do you want to play cats with me? It is just like playing crocodiles, except you are a different animal. Come on, let’s play.” “This sheet is on top of these necklaces and then you lay down on them and they massage you—they bump all the old ssages out and put new massages in and that is how it works.”

But then there are the things that we don’t like to hear. For instance, although he laughed I don’t think G was too happy when at bedtime tonight C said “Daddy, the more you work, the more we love you.”

Um. Not really sure where that came from! The next exchange is fully my responsibility though.

Scene: Putting the girls in the car. M has been changed several times due to spitting up, and now we are running late, and she is in a final outfit. As soon as I click the carseat in, boom, spit up is running out of her mouth.

Me: M, God….

C: Dammit!

Me: C! You cannot say that, it is not nice.

C: Mommy, I was just helping you. You said God so I said dammit. I was finishing it for you.

So goal for this week: less swearing. I would prefer to have as a goal, less spitting up, which would naturally result in less swearing, but M will not play along.

Heat Wave

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:32:10 GMT

Ugh. 93 here this weekend, and us with no AC. Luckily the temperatures drop at night, but at 3 am this morning it was still over 80 in our bedroom. Poor M is used to sleeping swaddled…but in this heat? So last night I tried to not swaddle her…and no sleep. So did a minimal swaddle and she fell right asleep, but later on had her arms out and woke up at 3 am (which is why I know what the temperature was) which she hasn’t done in weeks.

Yesterday we tried to pretend there was no heat, and went to the Bellevue Strawberry Festival. C and her friend seemed to do OK—C even went and sat in the sun to listen to Rocky Raccoon (gosh, did we feel bad for the sucker in the huge raccoon costume!) and *exercised* to the songs. They also went on blow up bouncy things, got their faces painted, and waited in line for a balloon poodle. The adults guzzled lemonade and sought shade until one of us (ok, me) whined enough that we left.

Today our heat-beating strategy involved going to a movie theater to see Wall-E. C had to be convinced to go (showed her previews on YouTube—“Mommy, let me see another episode about Ollie!”) So now M has been to her first movie—and was pretty good for it even. Overall…eh. It was ok. Good animation, a bit too much shooting for a G movie (in my opinion), and they really hit you over the head with the moral. The story line is just OK though…while I agree with the sentiment (boo on consumerism) there are gaping plot holes. Glad we went, but mostly to be in AC.

Other goings on this week: lots of time spent watering our new plants.

A lot of cuteness

a little of this

and the bald spot continues to gain a foothold.

Oh, and we are flirting with going Piscetarian (vegetarian + fish). I do the meal planning and we have been eating a lot more beans, lentils, veggies (thank you Kirkland Farmers Market) and salmon and a lot less animal meat. For environmental and health reasons. Not C so much though…if we removed ham and chicken strips from her diet she would waste away to nothing. Sigh.

This Week in Pictures

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:40:20 GMT

Last day of school (with early dismissal) was celebrated with lunch at Ruby’s Diner, where C was very entertained making a cardboard car. You can tell she is excited for school to be over…and camp to be starting! Later that day, at the Kirkland Farmer’s Market, we found the cheapest cherries and discovered that Cinnamon Kettle Corn is like crack, if crack was puffy, cinnamon covered, and edible.

Thursday saw many crappy pictures at some of the worst places to take a picture—the aquarium and the waterfront carousel. Otherwise, much fun was had by all. We did discover that 4.5 year olds cannot play skee ball, the waterfront Red Robin has some awesome views, and C can sleep through M crying the whole ride back from downtown during rush hour traffic. C spent Friday sailing and hanging around downtown with daddy, who doesn’t feel obligated to photograph every breath of every day, and thus there are no pictures to share.

M continues her cuteness assault, this week highlighting her very cute little feet and a floral cloth diaper.

However, she already seems a bit jaded about the camera.

M loves her big sister and saves some of her biggest smiles for her. Although that might not be obvious from these shots. M’s look says more “Why are you over there holding the camera and not over here saving me!” Perhaps she is understandably nervous about being held by C.

With good reason (“Mommy! I am not touching the soft spot I am just patting her head.”)

Nonetheless, they do make quite a cute little pair.

There is no I in TEAM

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 06:47:32 GMT

With a few apologies to Judith Viorst

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 06:44:40 GMT

When I woke up it was only 6 am and the baby was still sleeping but my body needed to nurse and also I had to go to the bathroom and I could tell it was going to be a no good very bad day.

Then when I fell back asleep the baby woke up and wanted to nurse and I sat with her in the rocking chair and listened to G snore for an hour because he can’t wear his CPAP machine due to a bad cold and listening to snoring sucks.

I think I’ll move to Australia.

Then when the baby fell back asleep and I climbed back into bed G got up to shower and left the bathroom door open so I could hear the water running and then C woke up as well and came and climbed into the bed and wanted to play with the baby, and surprise the baby woke up—and spit up all over the bed. I was having a terrible, no good, very bad day.

G got out of the shower and did make breakfast for C and himself—but did not clean up after any of it. I made my own breakfast, which I ate while holding a fussy baby who spit up again. C didn’t want to color, play the memory game, go to a playground, or read books. She only wanted to watch the Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss video from the library—with me and G. G promptly fell asleep on the couch because *he* was so tired. The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss is not really high quality programming.

I searched the internet for tickets to Australia.

Then I did get to take a shower and M didn’t fall asleep in her bouncy seat until the very end and woke up when the water turned off and I couldn’t even go to the bathroom in peace because C wanted me to look at the picture of a princess that she drew. And then she wanted me to play some game she made up where one of us is the dancer and one is the person who gets a present and I wanted to be the dancer, but no C was the dancer, and M would not fall asleep in the swing. G “had to work” but I am pretty sure most of that time was spent organizing a night out with the guys.

Finally I convinced everyone we should leave the house and after changing M’s onesie *again* we got into the car, and as we drove I could hear M spitting up in the backseat. And G kept saying “What’s wrong? Are you having a bad day? You seem really anxious.” And at the sporting goods store C decided to stand on a bucket and fell off and hurt her butt and wanted me to kiss it to make it feel better. And then we drove to Ruby’s Diner for lunch because they have cardboard cars for kids and the baby fell asleep on the drive there but woke up as soon as we placed our order, spit up, and then was hungry. And the booth is too narrow to really nurse in. So G ate while I changed the baby in the bathroom and then G walked the baby around outside while I shoveled my food down and C insisted she wasn’t hungry anymore and really wanted to be with daddy not with me. She would miss me if I was in Australia.

So I sat outside the Starbucks to nurse M while G went to get me a grande nonfat cappuccino and cookie, but he forgot and got a tall cappuccino and the Starbucks didn’t have chocolate chip cookies so it was peanut butter. And C had whined loudly in the Starbucks because she wanted a cinnamon roll because NOW she was hungry, although for the chicken fingers five minutes before she was too full. And then G broke the cookie in half and gave half to me and half to C and then he took a bite of her half and she burst into loud tears and G said “why is she crying” and C said “because you aaaaaattte my cooooookie” and G said “I am going to the garden center and I will check in on you three later.”

Wait….I hope there is Starbucks in Australia.

As soon as he walked away C’s tears escalated into sobs and shouts because she wanted a SNACK and she wanted a CINAMMON ROLL and she was SO HUNGRY and the baby was spitting up and it was hot and people were staring at us. And G had left so I didn’t have the keys to the car, and no stroller or sling—just the baby in her three hundred pound carseat. By now C was completely covered in tears and people were really looking and commenting and I had to get everything in the diaper bag and the baby in the car seat before we could leave and then carry the bag, the carseat, my coffee, and C’s milk, and somehow hold her hand to walk to the garden center and now she was crying harder and harder because her “nose was drippy” and she was sure I had a free hand to get her a tissue.

I was pretty sure G was having a better day.

So then we made it to the garden center and they only have flatbed carts which are no good for carseats and the place is huge and we can’t find G and we walk by the restrooms and C insists she does not have to go. And I have blood blisters all over my arm from carrying that stupid carseat hooked over it. And then we do find G and he goes to get the stroller out of the car and meet us by herbs, but then C DOES have to go to the bathroom and RIGHT AWAY MOMMY! and of course someone NOT handicapped is in the big stall so C has to go with the door open since I can’t wedge me and the baby in her carrier into the stall. When we finally meet up with G he has a cart full of plants and I can hardly see because my eyes are so swollen and itchy from hay fever.

I bet I won’t have hay fever in Australia.

So we check out with the roses and herbs and realize that there isn’t room for all of them in the car with me and the kids, so G takes the plants home and I need to walk the girls around freaking Woodinville for an hour while he makes the roundtrip back to get us. The baby’s outfit was soaked, but it was already the backup outfit from the diaper bag. We walked through a park where C picked up dirty pinecones while I nursed M and breathed in increasing amounts of pollen and then C wanted me to dance for her and I ran out of kleenex and old napkins for my hayfever and finally we met G at the bookstore and I was able to use the restroom with just *one* kid and get a drink of water from a fountain that sprayed my entire shirt with water, and that’s when I noticed all the spit up down my pants. And we drove home and I had twenty minutes to make dinner except C was asleep in the car and M was hungry again and wet and the whole wheat tortillas that were going to be our side dish were all moldy because everything immediately molds in this climate. And I spilled on my shirt and the house was hot but I can’t open the windows because it aggravates my hay fever. And G was leaving for a guys night out but somehow had time to start a World of Warcraft quest on the computer even as the baby cried, the laundry piled up, and the stove timer was going off.

This was really a terrible, no good, very bad day. And G pointing out again “you seem really anxious” WAS NOT HELPING.

So he left, and I stuck C in the bath while putting M in her *eighth* outfit of the day and trying to do another load of laundry. And M decided that she was overtired right then and cried through C’s entire bath and the only thing that makes her happy is nursing but that is hard to do while bathing C, especially because no water can ever touch C’s eyes. And then M nursed while I read C her story and then M woke up and promptly spit up all over my neck and down my shirt. And maybe, just maybe the end of this no good day was in sight.

So M cried a bit more until I could get her swaddle clothes out of the dryer and on the way from my room to the laundry I discovered C was out of bed because she had to poop…and guess who gets to wipe it? And then finally it was 9:30 and C was in bed, and M was in bed, and I had a nice night of laundry, dishes, and cleaning spit up off the car seat to look forward to. And when that was done, I frittered my free time away dorking around on the web and blogging.

Sigh. I bet G and the kids would follow me to Australia.

Finally, the nice weather has arrived!

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:37:59 GMT

What I like—60s/low 70s, not too sunny.

What else I like—that little munchkin, elf, peanut face!

Big sis—kissing little M’s toes :) C always wants to hold the baby, hug the baby, tickle the baby, etc. etc. etc. Still working on remembering to hold the head up though.

Lots of hair on top, but getting a bald spot in the back (baby M, not daddy!) There is a spot of hair on the bed from where she frantically turns her head in the mornings when she wakes up.

Daddy and his girls. The one shot I got with the camera timer before most of the subjects mutinied.

Happy Father’s Day Eve to this wonderful daddy, who changes diapers, wears the baby in a Bjorn, reads book after book even though he doesn’t like reading, and even while asleep (!! judging from the snores heard between pages this morning). C adores him, and rightfully so—he has far more patience than I, is never afraid of looking silly while playing with all the neighborhood kids (as demonstrated at our block party today), and can usually be snookered into serving mac n cheese for any meal!

Bright light, bright light

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:58:13 GMT

The sun shone unexpectedly bright today. Natural light = impromptu photo session!

Eyes closed due to that mysterious orb in the sky.

Please, no pictures!

What we mean by “has unusually good head control for a 2 month old.”

The hair gets a lot of comments.

Did I mention that spit up problem?

Can a girl not hang out in her swing without that camera appearing??

Sisterly love.

Car seat? I never agreed to anything about a car seat!

I am so happy I could just…spit up.

The Official Word

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:49:20 GMT

Weight: 11 lbs. 15 oz. (75th %)

Height: 22.5 inches (50th %—and somehow shorter than last months 23.25 inches…which I knew was false!!)

Head: 39 cm (50th %)

So M is right on track and doing really well.