Cake Controversy

I am about to tell a story that has kept us in absolute hysterics for the better part of a week now. I hope that I can accurately capture the true absurdity of the entire situation from all angles. Names will not be changed to protect the guilty. So, just sit right back and you'll read a tale...a tale of a fateful cake.

Let me start by saying that this is the ridiculous cake that I decided to get from Publix for Hailey's birthday. I know it plays into her princess-obsession which I loathe, but can you imagine the look of sheer joy that will come across her face when she sees it? That look alone was worth the $60 for the cake (what was I just saying about our princess being spoiled?). It was supposed to be a 3-minute call...a 3-minute call!!!!

Now the insanity and the subsequent controversy surrounding the cake began on Saturday (one week from Hailey's party which is 8/1) when my mother (who is in town now) decided that we could save money if she made the cake instead of buying it from Publix. Her plan was simply to bake, frost, and lightly decorate the square cakes that make up the bulk of it and then purchase the turrets and princess dolls for $15 on Ebay. Not a bad idea considering that she is fairly crafty and has a history of baking all of my cakes when I was little. I tell her that if she can pull of such a feat, I will put the cost difference in Hailey's college savings account (hey - every little bit counts, man!).

All we have to do is get Luke to buy in to this plan...here's where it gets a bit complicated. Luke decides that he wants to make the cake himself. As my mother and I begin to resist this plan, his scheme grows ever more complex, like an elaborate spider's web that pulls you in deeper the more you resist. Suddenly, he not only has to bake the cakes himself, but they must be from scratch - no cake mixes. Also, he has to roll his own fondant (that smooth type of frosting that is used on wedding cakes) - not the fondant you can buy at Michaels but the kind he's going to make himself, from scratch! Oh, and no buying the turrets, those have to be constructed from cake formed onto wooden dowels. Princesses, of course, will be sculpted and painted by hand from fondant. Before our very eyes, the husband that I know and love transformed into Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes himself. I mean, if these people who have gone to engineering and/or pastry chef school, have been making cakes for years, and have professional equipment can build 3' cakes from scratch on Food Network, then of course Luke can do it right in our very own kitchen.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Cake Controversy tomorrow...

Party Pooper

What’s that saying, “spare the rod, spoil the child”? Well, I’m not going to start beating Hailey with a rod, but our children are spoiled (ok, my children are spoiled). Hailey’s birthday hasn’t even arrived yet, and I am already struck by the kindness and generosity of our family and friends. Of course, with that kindness and generosity comes a big helping of toys and other princess-related stuff. She will love it all. She will play with it all. But really, the kid is getting everything that she asked for for her birthday and everything that she didn’t ask for but we know that she’ll love. That’s a lot of stuff. Did I get everything that I asked for for my birthday? Surely not!!!

Matching

Sometimes matching means putting together an outfit with colors that coordinate. Other times matching means wearing a top and socks that both have Mermaids on them, regardless of color.

Post Post Partum

While I was searching Craigs List for Sophia’s cribs, I encountered several women who had held on to their cribs for years after their children were no longer using them. With some degree of self righteousness, I laughed at these women. What were they thinking storing that junk in their garages and attics for years? Unfortunately, now I understand. See, I’ve been a bit emotional lately about all things baby. Sophia is four months old now, and she's growing up too fast. I just can't imagine that this might be the last time that I have a baby in my life. I may never be pregnant again, never experience the thrill and exhilaration of birth again, never nurse another child, and never again wake up every morning to that wonderful baby smell. I love being a Mom. I love every part of the journey (except the whining).

Why am I worrying about this right now? I have no earthly idea. There's no reason that I couldn't get pregnant again, except for the frightening prospect of having 3 teenage girls in a few years. Well, actually there's a lot of reasons - way more than my logical brain can ponder at this moment. Why am I such a big emotional mess??? Can you get post partum after 4 months?

Funny Girl

Grandpa taught Hailey a joke...

Hailey: Knock, knock
Mommy: Who's there?
Hailey: Amos
Mommy: Amos who?
Correct answer: A mosquito bit me
Hailey's answer: A butterfly bite me.



File under "what?!?!?!":

Mommy: Guess what? Your friend Kellen is coming home from his Mimi and Papas tomorrow.
Hailey: And then he's going to marry me?

The Best Sunday

Here's Hailey reading to Sophia...




Here's what happens when the reading turns into "singing"...

In the Nick of Time

I took Hailey to the doctor on Thursday. Although the doctor is still quite certain that any serious illness would have materialized by now, she wanted me to take Hailey to get some lab tests done to make sure. She felt like the labs would probably come out normal, but it has been a year and 5 fevers since we did them before. I planned to take her to get the labs done on Friday and even drove all the way to the Children's Hospital, but the fever had broken by then. I couldn't justify putting her through the trauma of getting stuck with needles if there would always be a doubt in my mind whether the normal results were simply a result of the fact that the fever had passed. What this means is that the next time we encounter the fever of unknown origins, we'll have to take her for the lab tests right away. I can only hope that this is the last time.

A Matter of Time

Hailey loves to dot her sentences with statements about time. "Yesterday I ate yogurt for breakfast." "Tomorrow we're going to the pool." "Today I'm going to have my birthday party." The only problem is that she had yogurt today, she went to the pool yesterday, and her birthday party is in a few weeks. It gets a bit confusing.

One day I thought that I would straighten the whole thing out with a little explanation of time. A few sentences in to my brilliant solilique I realized that time is really hard to explain. Today is today, tomorrow is tomorrow, yesterday was yesterday...what???? I made several attempts; Luke made an attempt that sounded just like mine but he claimed was better. Guess what? Yesterday we'll try again, and today maybe she'll get it, but tomorrow she didn't understand.

The Fever Is Back

I'm really writing this more as a record keeping action. I've documented just about every fever she's had since the beginning, and I'm trying to see if there's a pattern over time.

Gross, Gross, Gross

There's nothing a Mommy likes better than to be pooped on and puked on in the same day. That was my special treat today. It started at a colleague's going away party with all of the people from my office. I had Sophia with me, sitting on my lap. I didn't hear anything to tip me off, but all of a sudden my belly got very very warm. I looked down and sure enough, the little one pooped out the back of her diaper, through her onsie and onto my shirt. Check please!!!! Of course, being the seasoned Mommy that I am, there was no panic and no running out the door. Nope, a quick trip to the bathroom to clean her up. Then some improvised cleaning of my shirt, followed by tucking the shirt in to hide the stain, and we're back in business. What!!?!?!? Sit around with poop on my shirt...yeah, I've experienced worse (like catching puke in my hands and holding it for multiple L.A. blocks, but that's a story for another day).

Speaking of puke, after I left the party (covered in poop), we headed to the airport to pick up Grandpa. Within a few minutes, Hailey was puking all over herself in the backseat - car sick, and no, I was not driving like a maniac. I calmly pull over the car, which now contains my poopy shirted self, my pukey shirted daughter, and my totally oblivious baby. No need to panic. A quick wipe of the car seat, a stripped down toddler, removal of some chunks under my fingernails, and we're back on the road. Ah, what a day! If only Sophia could have pulled out a peeing when her diaper was off episode, I would have hit the trifecta. As my friend Meggan says, I earned my Mommy card today. Thanks, girls!

To My Sophia...

16 weeks already!! Where has the time gone, little one? I can't believe that you are getting so big so quickly. In just the past few weeks, you've started acting less like an infant and more like a curious, active little girl. You've started reaching for objects, and of course, trying to shove them in your mouth. Everyone swears that you must be teething already, which is a distinct possibility that your Mommy is not willing to come to terms with yet. I'll believe it when I see that first little bit of white poking through, until then I'll ignore the possibility that you could even be old enough for such silliness.

You've also really started to embrace bath and swim time. Kicking and splashing in the water are two of your favorite passtimes, along with exploring all the toys in your playmat. You also enjoy sitting up in the Bumbo, going for rides in the Bjorn, and blowing spit bubbles until you are soaking wet. Your sister gets a big kick out of watching you and tucking you in (wherever you happen to be). You think she's just hysterical sometimes, other times not so much. I'd like to say that you're sleeping through the night, but that's more than Mommy can ask of you at this point. You're just such a hungry little munchkin, but don't worry, Mommy isn't going to cut you off just yet.

I know that I haven't dedicated quite as much time to you on the blog as I have to all of your sister's many escapades, but that will change. The two of you will keep all of us mighty busy over the next 18 years, and there'll be lots to write about.

Birthday Party Blues

We are giving Hailey her first ever kids birthday party this year. It’s not that she’s been totally deprived in the past, it’s just that we’ve always either traveled for her birthday or done family parties or both. However, now she wants to have a birthday party with her friends. Yeah, I don’t really know how to do birthday party. Unfortunately for everyone (most especially my husband), this is one of those situations where my inner Bree VanDeKamp seizes control of my usual rational self. I’m already in a panic. Do I invite all the kids from school or just the kids I like? Do I provide goodie bags? Do I say no gifts so we don’t have a million little toys I don’t want? What do I feed all of these rug rats? Where do I have said party? Oh my. So many questions and not much time to plan. Pressure, pressure, pressure!!!!

Hailey Swims, Sophia Jumps

Hailey swam by herself (well, with the use of a life vest) for the first time this weekend. She is taking swim classes twice a week, but was still very hesitant to swim without the use of a parent or other flotation devise. Even with the life vest on, she wouldn't let go. Well, this weekend, she finally took the plunge, and I've never seen her so proud of herself. Here's a little clip.

Sophia is having her own little breakthroughs. She's all about the laughing, jumping and grabbing. Of course, she's also really into sticking everything in her mouth. She's getting to be such a big girl (and I don't mean just girth). She's so fun to interact with now.

More pictures and videos available on Flickr.

Don't Stifle My Creativity, Mommy

I was just having an interesting conversation with a friend of mine about Reggio versus Montessori versus Standard curriculums for toddlers and preschoolers. Before I had Hailey, I was always a big proponent of Montessori, which gives kids the opportunity to direct their learning in a more unstructured way than the standard "we have story from 10-10:30 then art from 10:30-11:00, etc" type of curriculum. I'm not as familiar with Reggio, but she tells me that it's even less structured than Montessori. Now, as I said, I was a big proponent of Montessori before I had kids, but when I went to look at a Montessori school again a few months ago, I was shocked by how turned off I was by the sheer chaos of it all. I truly feel that at her age, Hailey needs structure. She needs someone to help direct her to activities and encourage her learning around a few key areas. Of course, I want her to develop critical thinking skills, but I don't think that being in a more structured preschool is going to translate into her NOT asking me how Santa can fly around to everyone's house in one 12 hour period (more on the Santa debate at a later date). Now, on the weekends, she often has unstructured time, and she is certainly capable of playing by herself. However, after a certain amount of time, she's bored and wants some direction. It makes for a much easier day for all of us if I can say, we are going to do 2 activities today and whatever happens in between is free time. Luckily, she's at the age where I can say...do you want to play games or do you want to color? (more on game playing later too) All of that is to say that I'm still happy with Hailey's preschool. She seems to be really learning her letters and, more importantly, the sounds that the letters make. Luke swears that she'll be reading by the fall. I'm not so sure about that, but she's a smart cookie so I won't bet against her.

First Dentist Visit

Hailey had her first dentist appointment yesterday. We took her to a special pediatric dentist who was recommended by multiple Mommies, and let me tell you that pediatric dentists are totally different than regular dentists. Everything was kid friendly, and there was singing. Singing I tell you!!! Hailey was an angel through most of it until the dentist whipped out that pointy sharp metal thing (you know what I'm talking about). There's just no way to make that sharp metal thing look friendly. At that point, all cooperation came to a screeching halt, and there was actual screeching to be heard throughout the building. Luckily, the whole ordeal of the sharp metal pointy thing was mitigated by a princess sticker and a new beaded bracelet. Ah to be a child again and have all your problems so easily solved. The next time you're in for that root canal, maybe you could take solace in the thought that there might be a princess sticker waiting for you on the other side. Well, that and some good drugs!

Lots of Firsts

Hailey and Sophia (and Mommy) attended their first major league baseball game last Tuesday. Here are a few pics from that.   Not surprisingly, Hailey wanted to eat everything she saw.  She had a hot dog, peanuts, a red icee, and ice cream.  She wanted popcorn too, but that would have probably sent us to the poor house, so I had to draw the line at that point.  Sophia slept for a while during the game, then woke up as soon as people really started screaming.  It was a Yankee-Braves game, so high drama.  Sophia didn't like the noise too much.  In fact, I ended up taking her into the First Aid room where the wonderful EMT's let us use a room to breastfeed, gave us a water, and shared their air conditioning.  What a great find!  

In other news, Sophia has started to roll over. Of course, she's only rolling from front to back, but it won't be long now.   She's also laughing a lot more these days than she ever has before. It's just great!

Funny Hailey Statements

Mommy: “Hailey stop itching your mosquito bites.”
Hailey: “I’m not itching them, I’m scratching.”

Mommy: “Uh oh, Hailey, you got a little sunburned today at school.”
Hailey: “Marley did it.”

Hailey (reverse logic): “The parking lot is dangerous because you need to carry me.”

Grandpa: “Oh, that freaking cat.”
Hailey: “Oh, that freaking cat”
(Thanks for that one Grandpa)

Hailey: "I have 2 boys - Corbin, Kellen, and Mr Potato Head"

Hailey: "Acceptable means that we have to get in the pool."

Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation over a long period of time has very funny effects on the human body. Most of the time, I feel completely normal. Then, there are times when my judgment is well, let’s just say, impaired. Let me give you three amusing examples that have occurred over the last week or so.

1) I leave the grocery store with my basket full of groceries only to realize that I’ve driven my cart to the parking spot that I wanted to get before someone rudely cut in front of my car and stole the spot from me. So, now I’m wandering the parking lot with a cart full of groceries because I don’t remember where I actually parked, only where I wanted to park.

2) I get home from the grocery store and realize that the one pound of sliced turkey I ordered from the deli is missing. I recall going to the deli counter and taking the package of turkey from the woman, but now it’s not in any of the bags, in the car, in the garage, not anywhere. I check the receipt, and I was not charged for the turkey. Instead of jumping to the most logical conclusion, “oh I left it in the basket before I checked out or it fell out of the basket,” my first reaction is that I actually dreamed up the entire thing. I never went to the deli counter. Yup, I dreamed it in the few hours of sleep I got the night before. What?

3) This is the best one…At our farmer’s market, you have to check your own grocery bags at the front desk. I have a bunch of Trader Joe’s bags that I stick inside an insulated grocery bag. You hand them the bags at customer service, and they give you a number. When you check out, you hand them the card with the number and they retrieve your bags. Well, I retrieved my bags, but when I opened the insulated bag, the bags that I stuck inside were blue. Well, my bags are red or at least I remembered them being red. Instead of thinking that they handed me the wrong bags (the most likely scenario), I actually think that maybe I’ve crossed into an alternate universe in which I purchased blue bags, not red bags. I pretty much refused to go complain that I had received the wrong bags because I honestly believed that the alternate universe explanation was the most logical one. Eventually, my mother insisted that I go back and see if they handed me the wrong bags…which, of course, was the case. Whoa!

Mommy Sense

I am a firm believer in mother's instinct. Whenever another mother says to me "I think it might be time to..." (insert: change daycares, introduce formula, start solid foods, let the baby cry it out, etc), I always say "well, if you think it's time to do that, then it probably is, and don't let anyone tell you differently." I just think that mothers tend to know their children the best and have a sense for when these life-altering changes are needed. Think of it as Mommy-Spidey Sense. Does anyone else get that reference?

All of that is to say that my Mommy Sense is a-tinglin'. After a rough night in which Sophia woke me up every two hours to comfort nurse, I'm beginning to think that it might be time to cut the cord a bit here. I love having her in my bed for the convenience of nursing at night, but she's a thrasher - kicking her legs, punching herself or me in the face, grunting, etc. It makes me exhausted just thinking of how often she wakes herself (and me) up. The question is, if I take her out of the bed, will she be able to soothe herself back to sleep without the boob? Once she's out, I'm not going to be hopping out of bed to comfort her unless she's in full meltdown mode. Since the girls are sharing a room, I can't really chance her waking Hailey up if it comes to that. So, the only alternative is to put her in some type of contraption in our bedroom, like a pack n' play, to test out the new sleeping arrangement first. I could also put her in her crib in Hailey's room (excuse me - their room), hook up a monitor and hope for the best. Whatever we decide, something must be done because I think she's ready to make it through the night (or close to it). We just need to remove the Mommy crutch, or boob as the case may be.

Toddler with a Camera...

Cube Farms Not Friendly for Cows

When I was breastfeeding Hailey, I worked in a nice quiet office with a door and a lock. Every time I had to pump, I just closed the door, pulled the shades, and stuck those little suckers on. I could email; I could read; I could write a thesis (yes, I’m a multi-tasker). Now, I work in a big cube farm which is not at all conducive to pumping. Luckily, my wise employer has provided 2 “mother’s rooms” for exactly this purpose. One room is on my floor and the other is 2 floors up. Wouldn’t you know it, but the room on my floor is nasty with a toilet in it, not exactly sanitary conditions. The other room is a bit more comfortable, but about a mile away from where I sit. So, everyday, no matter how badly my feet are throbbing from my new, cute work shoes, I have to stop what I’m doing and march myself up there, lugging my big mama double-pump bag. Did I mention that I have to do this three times a day? Then, I have to walk my throbbing little feet back to my break room to quietly slip the little milk cooler (which says Medela all over it…not much on subtlety) into the fridge. At that point, I can return to my desk, put my big-mama-jo pump bag away and resume normal operations. This is what some might call a big pain in my ass.

Oh, and as if this whole little process was not difficult enough, there can be complications. For example, today I finished pumping only to realize that I didn’t have a lid for the milk bottle or a bag to put the milk in to carry it downstairs. How was I going to transport this liquid gold in an unopened bottle all the way down the elevator, through the quads without spilling it? Well, there was no other option than to carry the opened bottle in my hand. Now, I’m walking through the halls with an open container of breastmilk. “Hey, Alisa, what’s that you’ve got there?” “Oh just some breastmilk, Dr. So and So. Want a sip?” Note: That didn’t really happen, but the thought of it was mortifying. Of course, I can’t take the milk home now because I don’t want to carry it all the way out of the building so it has to sleep in the fridge overnight. Moooo!

First Tomato of the Season

Sweet deliciousness!!!

New pinwheel for the garden. Hailey picked it out...pink, of course.

Yes, that tomato plant is bigger than Hailey!

First School Project

We had to complete our first school project for Monday. It was a little scary because I didn't quite get all of the instructions, so I kind of just guessed as to what we were supposed to do. I'll get a little bit better about following directions when the homework is actually graded. I think we're ok on this one. Anyway, I just wanted to share Hailey's little family poster board project. She did all of the placement of the photos and letters. Plus, there's some additional Hailey "writing" around the pictures.

Scavenger Hunt

Mom and I took the girls to Target last night. Normally, I make Hailey ride in the cart, but I was feeling particularly reckless so I let a toddler loose in the toy aisles. She proceeded to walk up and down the aisles saying that she was looking for things for Hailey. When I asked her what those "things" were, she explained that they were "princess things." Shocking, I know! She then walked down the girl aisle. You know, the one with all of the pink crap. She was like an obsessive compulsive child, floating down the aisle and touching each and every pink box (which was 99% of the boxes). The whole thing was so funny to watch.

Now, if you don't have girls, you might not notice this, but they are making the most absurd things pink and slapping princesses on EVERYTHING. So, I'm sending you all on a scavenger hunt. The next time you are at Target or the grocery store or even Walmart (gasp) make a note of the most ridiculous item you see with a princess on it. Then, send us a comment, or better yet a princess, so that we can make a list of these blatant marketing ploys. I'll start...the most absurd thing that I saw princesses on at Target was a tackle box. Do we really need to have a pink tackle box when we're out fishing on the lake? Are we planning on catching Ariel???

We've Evened Out

This morning and today have been better. She's been eating both from the bottle and from me. I'm pleased with her progress towards being the most ideal baby ever!

Careful What You Wish For

Well, my relatively easy day back at work turned into a relatively difficult evening at home. I think that our little monster has decided that she only wants bottles and pacifiers now. Remember just a few days ago when she wouldn't take either? Tonight, she nursed for a little while, then screamed bloody murder. She only stopped when we gave her the bottle. I've nursed this child to sleep for 3 months!!! Now, all of a sudden that's just not good enough. I think that she doesn't like me anymore. She's really hurting my feelings.

First Day at Work

I’m feeling a little less (parenthetical) about working today, maybe that’s because I’m actually at work. I’ve just about survived my first day. I mourned a little in the car on the way here because I really missed Sophia. I thought that I would also be sad about all of the other benefits that maternity leave afforded me (shopping during the day, completing home projects, gardening, etc), but really all I was sad about was missing Sophia. However, by the time I got to work, I had pulled myself together and managed to make it through the day quite well. Of course, I have lots of other thoughts rolling around in my head about working and breastfeeding at work and various other topics, but I think the most important thing to say today is that I made it through the day. I'll worry about the rest another time.

Zucchini Overload

As every good gardener knows, when it rains zucchinis and squash, it pours. Thus, we had a ridiculous amount of produce, as you can see above. So tonight (my last night before work), Mom and I made 3 different baked goods involving zucchini - zucchini bread (classic variety), orange/chocolate chip zucchini bread, and brownies. It only took one zucchini to make all of that, and it wasn't even the biggest zucchini (which rivals Sophia in size). It was a lot of baking, and of course, Hailey had her hands in all of it (sometimes literally). Wow...I love parentheses today. I'm in a (parenthetical) mood. Either that or I really need a drink on this my last night before going back to work. Did I mention that I go back to work tomorrow? I'm plagued by the thought, but don't know enough how I feel about it to tell you (maybe I'll let you know tomorrow). For now you should just know that I'm going back to work tomorrow, and I'm feeling parenthetical about it (whatever that means).

Funny Moment

This morning at breakfast, the restaurant had on CNN. Hailey kept identifying Barack Obama (spotting Obama is one of her favorite games). Here's the conversation that ensued:

Mom: "That is Barack Obama, and do you know who that is with President Obama?"

Hailey: "No"

Mom: "That's Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany. See. She's a girl, and she rules a country. Maybe when you get older, you can be in charge of a European Union country."

Hailey: "I don't want to do that. When I get bigger, I want to be Tinker Bell."

At least, I tried.

How Many Hats?

As parents, we wear a million different hats. When Hailey was really little, we would constantly comment on which hat we were wearing at what time...

Daddy is a jungle gym
Mommy is a nurse
Daddy is a pack mule
Mommy is a moo cow
Daddy is a pillow
Mommy is a human rocking chair

Given all of these roles, we rarely have a chance to just be Luke and Alisa anymore. That's why as much as I'm not looking forward to going to work and being away from Sophia; it will be kind of nice to go to a place where I'm just Alisa. It's a simpler role to fill.

Dance for Me, Monkey

I remember distinctly the moment when I realized that Hailey would cry when she wanted us to entertain her. For a while, we tried changing her diaper, feeding her, rocking her, etc. We tried just about everything until we discovered that what she really wanted was for us to dance around and entertain her. She would cry...we would make fools of ourselves. It was a joyous little scam she had going. Well, we've reached that point with Sophia. It's as if she just looks at you and says, "Dance for me, monkey, or suffer the screaming consequences." Then, we dance or sing or blow spit bubbles or make raspberries. Whatever it takes to get the little one giggling or at least smiling. It's pathetic, but it keeps peace in the kingdom. So, we will continue to don the jester hat as necessary. How can we not? Have you heard how cute that little laugh is???

I Need a Drink!

What was I thinking when I agreed to fly alone with both girls to Austin to meet up with Luke? It was not such a good idea. The flight wasn't so bad, but the rental car situation was a nightmare. We landed at 12:30pm. I left the rental car facility at 2:00pm after having to switch cars once, install two car seats myself, find directions to our hotel, etc. Oh yeah, all while surviving in 100 degree heat. It was seriously bad news, but no worries, we made it to the hotel where Hailey and I looked forward to enjoying a nice dip in the pool. Oh wait, the pool is inside and freezing. She didn't like it. Then, she didn't like the towels because they were too small. Now, we are sitting in our hotel room watching PBS. Hmmm....coulda done that at home and spared myself the trouble. Grouch grouch! Someone please pass the tequila; Mama needs a stiff margarita!

Happy Anniversary - Video Enhanced

Yesterday was our 5 year wedding anniversary, and by all accounts, it was an incredibly crappy day. I'm not just saying that...Luke would agree (I think). Hailey was sick, we had a horribly disappointing garage sale, he missed watching his cousin play volleyball with the AVP, we were all in crappy moods (mostly me), and it was altogether a disheartening day. However, there was one shining light that made the whole day worthwhile - Sophia's first laugh. It was priceless! Of course, like the bottle, I haven't been able to get her to do it again. We'll be trying though.

PFAPA

Hailey's mystery fever is back. I've been doing more research on these fevers of unknown origin and came up with Periodic Fever, Aphthous stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Adenitis (PFAPA) or Marshall's Syndrome. She's not a textbook case because her episodes occur at intervals greater than 4-6 weeks, but she does exhibit the high fevers with no other symptoms. Of course, no one knows what causes PFAPA. There are a few treatments that have shown promise, but they aren't really worth it for us. Typically kids just grow out of the fevers. It can take years, but at least it's not something more serious. Also, I have no idea if this self diagnosis is correct, but I'll be talking to Hailey's pediatrician about it asap.

Success!!!

After consulting with our pediatrician, I purchased a new type of bottle and used a new feeding technique (forward facing vs. cradled). Apparently, doctors know what they're talking about because after about a half hour of Mommy's quiet begging, Sophia finally took a bottle. There was no screaming, no carrying on, just a lot of time getting used to the foreign object in her mouth. I happened to have the camera handy, but it wasn't real easy to snap the pick and not disrupt her flow. Now, let's see if I can repeat my success tomorrow.

Too Fast or Too Slow?

It appears that there is some disconnect between Hailey's brain and her mouth. One is moving faster than the other, but I can't tell if it's the brain or the mouth. However, I know that something is out of whack because of the nonsensical conversations that she has. Here's my favorite quote from this morning:

"Josie's not a bad girl because I need a flower in my hair because I want to hold it."

What?!?!?! How did she connect Josie with a flower in her hair? What sentences went in between those? I have to capture more of these sentences because they are priceless!

Bippety Bronzity Boo

Those are the words that my Fairy Tan Mother will have to say as she magically fixes the ridiculous looking orange streaks I have on my legs from misapplying self tanner. Well, I didn't misapply. The can had poor instructions. I didn't know you were supposed to rub it in!!!

Buffalo or Bust

Hailey, Sophia, and I took a trip to Buffalo all by ourselves. It was a little tricky to navigate two children, a stroller, a diaper bag, and a suitcase, but we managed with a little help from valet parking. Of course, the trip was not without it's moments of comedy:

Hailey noticing a pigeon 20 yards away on the tarmac: "Look, Mommy, a chicken."

Hailey during landing: "My ears are stuck, Mommy. I need your ears."

Pilot: "We are going to be waiting here for a few minutes because there is a plane currently at our gate. Please do not get out of your seat until I turn off the fasten seat belt sign."
Sophia 3 seconds later: Giant poopie explosion noise.

Hailey visiting the beach on Lake Erie: "Look, the ocean!"

Hailey sitting in Grandpa's convertible Miata in the garage (top down of course): "I'm driving to Vegas, Mama. I need the keys."

Hailey carrying on a conversation with herself in the backseat: "I'm Cinderella. No, I'm not Cinderella because I'm Sleeping Beauty because I'm not Tinker Bell. No, I'm Tinker Bell, but I live in Pixie Hollow."

Hailey making random commentary in the backseat: "Oh, Jesus."

2 Month Pictures Available

I can't help it. She's so darn cute. Click here for more pictures on Flickr.

We Are on to Something

Check this out!!! Sophia has decided to take a pacifier. She's taken in on multiple occasions over the past two days. I just gave her one and put her in her crib to sleep. It's amazing. I don't force it on her when she doesn't want it, but there are times when she clearly wants to suck on something to go to sleep. Those are the times when I sneak it in, and she actually likes it. I'm so glad she caught on to the benefits of the pacifier just in time for her first plane ride tomorrow. We're going to Buffalo...wish us luck!

Hand Cheese

I think that most people are familiar with the concept of toe cheese. You know that gross fuzz that sticks in between your toes? Well, Sophia has a slightly different version which occurs in her hands. Because she does not take a binky, she often tries to suck on her hands. Then, her hands get covered in fuzz which balls up into little stinky hand cheese deposits. It's really quite nasty. You often forget about these little details when you haven't been around babies for a while. That's why I though I would share it with you. Aren't you glad you know?

The Lifesaver Incident

Last night was Relay for Life. It was a great time for all, and we raised a lot of money to help the American Cancer Society fight cancer. However, we had a bit of a life or death incident. The theme for our team this year was "lifesavers." There were Lifesaver candies all over the tent. Hailey had one early in the night that I broke into several small pieces, she had a second while she sat on the blanket with her Daddy, and the third she had while I was walking the track with Sophia. As Luke was telling her that she needed to sit down while eating candy, she tripped and the candy got stuck in her throat. By the time I got back, Luke calmly done some version of the Heimlich so that she was already puking and up came the Lifesaver. It was pretty scary, but she was fine and asking for popcorn immediately after. We learned an important lesson...no running with candy (or no candy period!!)

Sophia Speaks - Turn Your Volume Up

[iPhone] Sophia speaks on 12seconds.tv

Picnic Dinner

You can see our beautiful fountain in this shot. The color matches the trim on our house.

Sophia looks thrilled!

Since I was feeling like such a bad Mommy yesterday, I decided to redeem myself by making a picnic dinner for the family on our front lawn (we don't have a backyard). Hailey decided that she wanted to sit in Sophia's chair. Then, she wanted to sit in Sophia's chair with Sophia. Luke captured the whole thing from our upper porch. The colors in the foreground are our flower baskets. There are more on Flickr.

Could You Just Stop Needing Me So Much?

Luke tried unsuccessfully to give Sophia a bottle again last night. If I hadn't seen her shenanigans for myself, I would have never believed that there was a child who would not take a bottle. Yet, there she was flailing about, crying hysterically, and choking on my hard-pumped milk. It's a crazy scene. We finally gave up, and I breastfed her. You might say that she won. I like to think that we compromised - she got to keep her boob and I got to keep my eardrums. Fair enough.

Anyway, I think that her lack of bottle cooperation is having a serious psychological effect on me. At first it was funny, but as the end of my leave creeps closer, it's becoming much more of a dire situation. It seems that after these bottle incidents I immediately become very depressed, and I start to panic about going back to work. I know that it's a terrible thing to say, but I feel very trapped. I know that I should enjoy these moments with her because she will be babbling and running around like Hailey in no time. Yet, I just feel depressed and then I feel terrible about feeling depressed. Today was so bad that I actually called and extended my maternity leave by one week. Not that one week will make a difference, but I might as well take what I can get even if I don't get paid.

Tonight we will try a new type of bottle. Maybe that will make a difference, probably not. I'd welcome any words of encouragement.

Morning Rituals

Every morning Hailey wakes up chattering non-stop as if she must spew out all of the words she'd saved up while sleeping in the shortest amount of time possible. The best morning conversations are the ones where she tells you all about her dreams. The trick is that she never prefaces the dream stories with the phrase "last night I dreamed that..." Nope. She just starts talking as if the whole thing really happened. Sometimes she'll tell a story about a friend coming to visit or something that happened (or could have happened at school). It's really hard to decipher fact from fiction in the morning.

What I always know is fact is that Hailey must put on her "slippers" every morning. When I say slippers, you probably pictured pink fuzzy slippers (she has those too), but what she actually means are her black patent leather shoes that she imagines are Cinderella's glass slippers (maybe because they are shiny???). The shoes are an integral part of the morning routine which, when combined with the nightgown that she wore to bed, creates a magical dance outfit. It's a pretty strange routine, but it is what it is.

Funny Is As Funny Does

There are so many parts of parenting that are not fun - disciplining your children, cleaning up bodily fluids, changing diapers, folding mountains of laundry, etc. I think that one of the things that keeps Luke and I sane is just our sense of humor. No matter what, we always try to laugh at even the worst parenting situations. Sometimes we have to hold back our laughter until after the disciplining is done, but it's always there just under the surface. Our kids are really our biggest source of amusement. That's why this blog is so easy to write. Unfortunately, I can't think of anything funny right now so check back tomorrow. I'm sure that one of them will come up with something.

Relay for Life

Our Relay for Life event supporting the American Cancer Society is taking place this Friday. It's an event that we take part in every year, not just because I work there, but also because we envision a cancer-free world for our children. You may have seen ACS's new commercials where we celebrate less cancer and more birthdays. What many people don't realize is that the organization actually helps to make that a reality on four fronts - helping people get well, stay well, find cures, and fight back. If you want to know more or to make a donation to my team, please click here.

The Rules of Sophia

Sophia is certainly a different animal than her sister. She came with her own set of rules and regulations, which she makes up on a daily basis. I thought that I would capture just a few for your amusement (or in case you are ever called upon to babysit...I'm looking at you grandparents!)

1. I will not take a binky. Does not matter the size or shape. Does not matter how hysterical I am. If it's not skin...I'm not in.

2. I will sleep, but only under the following conditions - in my swing, in a moving stroller (no stopping to rest, people), in a moving car (run red lights if you must), or on another human being. I will under no circumstances sleep in my co-sleeper, in my crib, in something that is not moving, or without another human being within nose-shot.

3. I poop a lot. How comfortable are you with baby poop? Because here's the funny thing...I tend to poop outside of my diaper. That "no leak" policy really just covers the liquid stuff. Poop is another story and you should be prepared for emergency bath session (for both of us).

4. I don't like to be cold. I don't like to be hot either. I like to be the temperature that I like to be. So, figure out what that is and try to just keep it that way indefinitely.

5. Sometimes, I just want to be left alone, and by "alone" I mean in quiet place where you are holding me nonstop for several hours, preferably while staying in constant motion. Were you trying to sit down? Well, I'm awake now so get moving.

6. Most noise doesn't bother me unless that noise is any type of plastic rustling...plastic bags, candy wrappers, plastic wrapping on anything. That noise will wake me from the deepest slumber and send me into hysterics. Consider me a "green" baby who requires a plastic free zone.

Well, those are just my latest and greatest rules. I'm sure I'll come up with some more tomorrow. I like to keep my parents on their toes, you know. Silly parents were thinking that they just about had me figured out...ha!

Princess in Pants

Dear Evil-Doers at Walt Disney:

Why do all of your princesses wear dresses? It must be exhausting for them to wear dresses all the time and fulfill their many princess duties like being rescued by princes, throwing grand balls, and cavorting with mythical characters such as fairies, godmothers, dragons, etc. I would like to see just one princess who wears pants. This would also help me with a little problem I'm having with my daughter. If I have to hear her say (more like whine), "I can't wear those pants because I have to be a princess" one more time, I'm going to hold you personally responsible for the consequences which may or may not involve my head exploding, clothes flying out my daughter's third floor window, and/or a bonfire fueled by every princess item we have in this house...which is a lot. So, if you could see fit to create just one princess who looks a little more like me and a little less like Barbie, I would be much obliged.

Sincerely,
Mother Concerned About the Princessification of our Daughters

Ode to Coffee

I don't drink coffee. I like coffee, but I don't drink it out of the great fear that I will become addicted. I don't want to need caffeine. Here's the problem...the older I get and the more kids I have, the more I feel like I want, need, and frankly deserve a little caffeine every once in a while. So, the other day I bought some caffeinated soda ...gasp! Now, I can sip a little Cherry Coke Zero when I get sleepy after lunch. What is the world coming to??!?!?!? Yeah, I know that this is silly and I'm an adult so I should join the adult world and be a part of our caffeine nation. I think that I can hold off until I go back to work, but I'm not giving up my mid-afternoon soda.

So, I'm going to take a vote. Should I start drinking coffee every morning? (keep in mind that I'm not a morning person so this may ultimately help my marriage...no vote for Luke although he's aloud to comment)

Weekend Excitement

[iPhone] New tv on 12seconds.tv

Luke won a tv playing in a poker tournament at our local Mexican restaurant. He promptly returned the prize 42" tv so that he could upgrade to 50". Here's the 12 seconds update I recorded as he set it up.

What Not to Wear

This post should probably be called What You Can't Wear Anymore or maybe The 5 Things that You Can Wear or more appropriately Another Post Wear I Bitch About Something. Today, I'd like to bitch about my wardrobe or lack thereof. Since I had Sophia and swore off all maternity clothes, I have very little to wear. Every morning, I walk into a completely full closet and pull out one of about three outfits that fit me. "Oh you must be exaggerating," you say. Ha!!! Let me detail exactly what I have that "fits"

• 1 pair of jeans - they are actually too big, but I refuse to buy a smaller size because eventually, I'll fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans, right? Of course, by then they'll be out of style, but it's the principle of the thing.
• 1 long black skirt/1 long denim skirt - these have been my summer staple so far whenever I need to look respectable.
• 2 polo shirts - I picked these up at Target a few weeks ago when I literally couldn't fit into anything but a t-shirt. Unfortunately, I later learned that busty women (i.e. breastfeeding Moms) should not wear polo shirts because they make you look like you have a uni-boob. Great. Thanks for the advice!
• 2 casual type cotton shirts - These I bought recently and apparently the v-neck and scoop necklines are better for busty ladies so I guess I lucked out on picking 2 things that actually fit and look respectably good (supposedly).
• 3 pairs of workout shorts - I'm not proud of these or the white, pasty legs that stick out of them, but it's getting hot here so the world will have to suffer with this fashion nightmare.
• Endless supply of t-shirts - This is pretty much what I wear every day. I have three types of t-shirts. I'll describe them in descending order from the ones I have the least of which is nice, clean, unstained, well-fitting t-shirts to ones that are either too big, too small, or too stained. This second bunch might still be worn in public, but I would have to justify that by remembering that I have a newborn. Finally, the ones that I have the most of are the too big, too stained, and too deteriorated kind (some that literally have holes in them). These shirts are saved for days when I'm mostly in the house, but let's face it I'm not above wearing them somewhere like the grocery store if I didn't feel like changing.
• 2 sweatsuits - yup, the kind your grandma wears. I'm not proud.

Ok. That is the full extent of the clothes in my closet that I can wear right now. I'm only about 13lbs above where I was pre-pregnancy, but I think that even if I lose the weight, I'm still not going to fit into stuff. You see things just aren't where they used to be. I've tried to go to the store to buy more clothes, but everything either looks weird with my new shape or is too expensive for what I'm hoping is a temporary size issue. I've actually started walking and exercising this week not because I think that I look that bad but because I'm tired of wearing the exact same 4 shirts, 2 skirts, and 1 pair of jeans over and over again.

Plus, let's face it, Sophia is going to be 6 weeks old on Friday, which means that I'm getting dangerously close to not being able to use the newborn excuse for my disheveled appearance anymore. I suppose that sometime in the next 2 weeks or so I'll have to start wearing makeup and combing my hair again. If I don't, I hope that someone has Stacy and Clinton (hosts of What Not to Wear) on speed dial because at that point they might be my only hope.

Backward Logic

One of Hailey's favorite new words is "because." The way that she employs "because" in sentences is quite unique. Set aside the fact that she could use 4-8 "because's" in a sentence, thereby creating the longest run on in the history of man, and you are left with the use of "because" to create some very backward logic. Let me give you some of my favorite examples...

Here's a simple one that she used tonight...

"Josie's not feeling good because we have to take her to the doggy doctor."

Then, they can get a little more complex...

"I'm hungry because I need to eat macaroni and cheese because it makes me get taller because it comes in a bowl because we eat it for breakfast."

Her turns of phrase are so entertaining (although less entertaining when she's on her 6th because, and you've forgotten what the point of the sentence was to begin with). Being the daughter of an English teacher and a logic master, I can't help but rearrange the sentences and repeat them back to her every once in a while. Still, it's just so cute that I hate to force real logic on her too soon. For now, we can't translate the sentences because we have to sit back and enjoy them because Hailey is her own unique personality because she says the craziest things sometimes. It's actually quite hard to write in reverse logic...you should try it!!!

Smiles

I swear that these pictures were taken in this order and within the span of about 3 minutes...maybe less. That's how fast her mood swung from happy smiley baby to upset baby and back again. The whole thing was pretty funny, and I was glad to have caught it on camera. She is getting much more interactive now in terms of actually responding to us beyond just demanding food all the time. Also, she's quite cute if I do say so myself.

More Worm Fun

Hailey and her friend Kellen had a little adventure at our garden last week. I put them in charge of distributing and burying the worms that I had ordered. They took care of a few other chores like watering and picking strawberries as well. Of course, the red that you see around their mouths is actually strawberry juice, and no, I don't always wash the strawberries first. People have been consuming organically grown, fresh veggies and fruits for millions of years. So, I say, let them eat dirt! Ok, I try to wipe them off as best I can, but their hand to mouth speed is sometimes faster than I can catch.

Anyway, I love having my girls up at the garden (it's still weird to say my girls), even though Hailey won't touch worms and gets a little weird about the dirt as well. It's good for them to see how their food is grown and to pick their own veggies. I know that Hailey's love of tomatoes comes from the fact that she can pick those cherry tomatoes and just pop them right in her mouth. We've expanded the garden this year, so I'm hoping that maybe some of the tomatoes will actually make it in my mouth too. I encourage everyone to try growing a cherry tomato plant or two even if you do it in a pot on a patio. It's rewarding, fun, and delicious!

Little Miss High Maintenance

She reluctantly took the pacifier yesterday!!!

Sophia is just a wonderful, happy baby (for the most part), but I have to say that I forgot how high maintenance infants are. Or, maybe it's just that Sophia herself is a little high maintenance. She is certainly more demanding than her sister was both in the fact that she doesn't take a binky and that she hates to be wet or cold or not in someone's arms. She also isn't a big fan of the bottle, but she'll take it eventually when the milk starts to choke her. Although I have a list a mile long of things that I want to accomplish while on maternity leave, it's hard to do much other than hold her, feed her, watch her, etc. Still, I must remind myself that the reason I'm on maternity leave is to hold her, feed her, watch her, etc. That should be enough, and when it's not, she reminds me to focus on what's really important - her!

A Funny Conversation

Hailey: "Mommy, I want to ask you a question about Cato (a boy from her class). Cato said that he would come to my house this weekend and dance with me. First I'll put on my dress and then my slippers then Cato will come and he'll dance with me." (I don't know where the question went because she didn't ask me if Cato could come over. She just told me that he was coming over.)

Mom: "Did you ask Cato to come to your house or did he just offer?"

Hailey: "I asked him and he said that he would, but I didn't ask Marley. Cato is a cute boy, and he's a good listener."

Oh my...I guess this is starting already. I'm not ready for this silliness.