Project Wedding Dress

Last year I read a magazine article about Project Swimsuit. (btw---I think it was in Parents magazine--I'm looking for it & let you know when I find the info) It was about this mom who every year took a picture of her daughter in this one bathing suit. Sounds simple enough, but it was amazing to see the little girl grow up in this sequence of 20 or so pictures. She literally goes from being a baby who basically "swam" in the suit to a beautiful young woman who filled it out like she bought it for herself.

After a year of thinking about how cool this project is and how I wanted to do something like it for Lizzy, I pulled out my wedding dress and shot a few portraits of her wearing it. I'm thinking I could do this every year since I don't plan on giving my dress away anytime soon. Plus, she loved the dress up "game." However, she did have some trouble keeping it on, especially when standing up. It's a lot of dress, at least the bottom half!

patience, my dear...she's 2

Some days I am just so freakin' tired of being a stay-at-home mom. I need more patience obviously. This sounds ridiculous and trivial, but if you've been there I'm sure you can relate.

It's 2:35. She got upset because I took away her sticker book (after repeatedly saying that we were done playing with it) and told her it's time for nap. Then she didn't want to read any books, yet she kept demanding that mommy "read story! story! storrrreeeeeee!!!" She said she was thirsty, so I went downstairs and got her some water, and then she cried out for juice. (If I would have brought juice, she would have cried out for water. That's the way it usually goes. Can mommy catch a break here?) I say that she can have juice after nap and as pleasantly as possible tell her to "go to sleep" and "have a nice nap."

So here I am. whew.

As I sit and type, I hear her upstairs in her room, not crying, but just whining a bit. I'm waiting for her to get up and come out of your room and say sweetly "nice nap" or a hurried "go pee-pee! go pee-pee!" or some other wiley diversion.

I'm thinking...please Just Go To Sleep! Mommy needs time to herself. Mommy also needs to clean the house, dig in the backyard, do laundry, clean the kitchen, pick up toys, sweep the floor, and ten zillion other things, but please, for the love of God, Go To Sleep so mommy can at least have a 1/2 hour of escape/quiet/me/rejuvenation time.

sigh.

Anyone? Anyone?

Don't have a heart attack...

Actually *I* will have one if any of my readers are still tuning in to this blog. It's been dark for so many months now. I lost the blog bug back in April/May, and...brace for it...I haven't even read any of my usual blogs either! There, I said it. So shoot me.



So....err...isn't my little girl getting big?

Diversion didn't work? Oh well, can't blame a gal for trying.


I'll just start with this: It feels good to be sitting here typing and looking at the swaying leaves outside, thinking of what to share with you. I must say though that it's very difficult to share these days, as blogging seems to have become quite a dangerous pastime of late. Who knows what little quip said off the cuff will come back to haunt me? Should I just throw caution to the wind and take the leap? You'll have to stay tuned for that, b/c for now I truly don't know.

I do know that the best blogs are those that do "take the leap" and let it all hang out, so to speak. I've never been a good risk-taker. For instance, we were just in vegas and I cringed at my hubby putting a $25 chip on the table. Need a say more?

I can fill you in on how Lizzy is doing. She's an amazing talker now and can even sing a few songs. Let's see, she usually goes in this order:

1. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
2. Rock a Bye Baby
3. Frere Jacques
4. then the english version: Are You Sleeping?

Other favorites she likes to sing too:

1. Backyardigans (pirate treasure songs are her favorite)
2. Wiggles (although not so much these days)
3. ABCs

She likes Doodlebops songs (especially Bird Is the Word), but doesn't really know any by heart yet. She can't sit through one of these shows though; gets up after about 5 min into it. Which is great, b/c I can't stand any of it either, other than an occasional song or two. I just don't see the value in that show at all. At least for a 2 1/2 year old.

Oh she's growing so fast!!

And I'm starting to think that I am ready for #2. FINALLY. You'll be the first to know when that happens. sorta.

ok, not really, but I'll pass it on when it happens, k?

In other realms, I haven't done anything with my mother's group so far this year. but I'm still signing up for next year. go figure. Chalk it up to really wanting it to work, and I'm giving it one last try. sigh. There are actually some really nice women mixed into the...well, the not so nice ones. I am always shocked when some of the mothers remember me and say hi while at the park. It's embarrassing sometimes b/c I don't always recognize them. (Gee, maybe I need to try a little harder...ya think?)

One of my better mom friends just up and moved several states away (btw, I'm in CA folks, so several states is FAR out here)...anyway, that was a very sad time and it really affected me. I was just getting to know her better and looking forward to hanging out more, etc. Then...poof! gone. What's worse is that Lizzy always asks where her daughter is, and I have to try and explain that she's not here, she moved, etc. Not the easiest thing for a 2yo to understand.

On a better note, she IS understanding more & actually using the potty these days. YAY. I still can't get her to do #2 in there though. (sorry older Lizzy if you're reading this) and oh man, it's hard not to get frustrated by that. any advice on how to get there? I know I'm ready! :)

Well, I don't want to sit and type through her whole nap--she takes such short ones. I've got to get my bathroom cleaned and maybe, just maybe, do a quick run. Both are sorely needed!

Just so I never forget

Last night I got my first ever "good night" from Lizzie. What a dolly she is. I almost keeled over from her cuteness.

More importantly though, when I asked her if she wanted to pray (something I haven't done at bedtime yet) she immediately put her hands together and looked at me in anticipation for my prayer. Amazing! I am still awestruck at how much she has learned in just a few short months of BSF. We will really miss it over the summer.

I need to continue both of our studies this summer so we don't forget or fall away. It's only 3 months, but it's 3 whole months! It's my prayer to find a home church quickly, one that we can truly connect and grow with. We've tried a couple around home, but I still feel connected our old church, even though we haven't really been attending there and our pastor has been gone for some time now.

What's goin' on

I've had so much to blog about for the past month, and haven't had the drive to post. I haven't even read my usual blogs. So there.

What's been so exciting that I haven't posted about? Lizzie is growing by leaps and bounds. She talks so much more now and we can sorta even have conversations. Well, if you consider this a conversation:

Me: What did you see today?
Lizzie: (staring, thinking of how to respond)
M: did we see water....? and boats....?
L: boat!
M: yeah!
L: dirhtee watah
M: oh yeah, the water was dirty, wasn't it?
L: faw-wa-wa!
M: you didn't fall in the water, which was very good.
L: (smiles broadly and hands me a book) weed book?

It's very sweet, actually. More and more words and phrases come to her all the time.

She can drive me bonkers too. When she doesn't get what she wants she unequivacally shows her disappointment by doing any or all of the following:

screams at the top of her lungs then just looks at me for my reaction
throws whatever she's holding straight at the offending person or object
(or picks something up to throw)
starts to whine and cry with an occasional dramatic flop to the floor

O, it's all new territory for me!

The other thing that absolutely confounds me is how to get her to stop purposefully dribbling milk or juice from her mouth, as well as throwing stuff (food, toys, etc.). It's a whole lot of clean up. I try not to get frustrated and just remain patient, but honestly, it's tough!!!!!!
It's not like I can reason with her. And watching the gravitational pull work on liquid is fascinating stuff.

woo hoo

I don't want to forget these things though, because I know they are just temporary spots on her neverending journey of growth. She's such a sweet, tender girl too. She just came up to me and hugged my middle as I sit here and type.

Moments like that make it all beyond worth it.

Happy 1st Birthday, LizzyLot!

It's been a full year since I started my blog, and what a year it's been. I've grown in many ways and watched my daughter grow as well. She's an amazing "talking" toddler now, and I'm a full-fledged SAHM with a pretty set daily routine. I stopped working about 6 months ago, and have been home full time for about 11 months, and it is only now that I'm starting to feel "at home" with my routine and all its responsibilities and issues.

That's a big statement.

Leaving my job and changing my focus to raising our daughter has been a wonderful blessing that continues to enrich our lives. She's learning so much so fast, and I am absolutely thrilled to be able to be with her every step of the way. (I'm just really looking forward to the time when I can fit all of the house chores into my day too. Well, not looking forward to it...but it'd be nice to have them done) For now, I spend most of my time keeping Lizzie entertained and safe. She's one curious, active little girl! GO GO GO!

Did I mention how thankful I am for her afternoon nap!!??? WHEW, thank God for that.

Summing up

I haven't had the urge to post lately. Lots to write about, but not a lot of energy to spend on writing it all down.
I'll just have to sum up as best as I can.

The birthday party
...was a big success. What's better than kids spazzing out from too much sugar while family & friends sitting lazily in the warm, breezy backyard? (it was in the 70s, no clouds) Lizzie loved the first gift she opened (a baby doll that kicked and screamed--thanks unk) so she didn't pay much attention to her other gifts after that & mommy had to do all of the opening. let me just say that I'll be glad to pass this on to her next year. Oh, and the cake--it was beautiful enough to grab, several times, for a fistful of flowers. mmm, mmm, good. By about 7:30pm, Lizzie was spent and crashed without any dinner. She had SO MUCH SUGAR, even *I* was amazed that she went down so easily.

BSF
In other news, I've started a bible study "class" with the internationally known group, BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). It has been just awesome. Awesome, I tell you. Granted, I have been thirsty for God these days, what with us searching for a new church home and everything, but wow. God knew just what I needed and it has truly been a blessing. I joined towards the end of their study of Romans, and next year (starting in September) we will be studying the book of Matthew, which I am really excited about. I think what I have most enjoyed about this study is its structure; it's four-levels of study: lecture, discussion groups, personal study questions, and detailed notes on the study. Plus, they provide childcare AND it's all free. Talk about an answer to prayer. woo hoo!

On the Road Again
Speaking of answered prayers, my husband & I get some alone time this weekend as we will be travelling to an out-of-town family wedding. Grandparents ROCK! Thank you for watching our darling. I will miss her, but I cherish my adult time, especially if it involves sleeping in and staying out late.

Well, I did it. I finished a post. FINALLY.
Thanks for hanging in there and for checking up on me.

Wigglemaniacs

What makes a 2-year-old dance, sing, jump, scream, clap, and nearly get into a fight with a person twice her age? Why, a Wiggly Concert, of course!

Ok, not a fight, per se, but I've never seen a 4 and 2 year old stare each other down like tigers about to pounce. By about 3/4 through the concert, this 4 y-o girl sitting in front of Lizzie had had just about enough of her antics (see first sentence) and finally turned around and just stared Lizzie down with the dirtiest look I've ever seen on a preschooler's face. It made me think, "Whoah, What's she get at home?"

Lizzie, unmitigated by this, just stared back. Amongst the din of Wiggly Fever I was armed and ready for the pin to drop and was about to swoop in to rescue my child from a 4 y-o mauling. I wondered...hmmm... could E fend for herself? I wasn't about to find out, but it was an interesting thought nonetheless.

But the moment passed, and the little blonde tiger in front of us ended up switching seats with her mommie---hahahahahahaha---threatened by a 2 y-o! That's my Lizzie--see, she CAN fend for herself! I thought. Better yet, Lizzie still wanted to "play" with the little girl and moved down the aisle to be closer to her. The poor little 4 y-o looked very distressed indeed by this prospect and dirty looks ensued. I felt bad for her and eventually told her, "don't worry" to which she finally looked a bit relieved, not to mention concerned that an adult witnessed all of her threatening looks. poor lil' thing! Go to a Wiggles concert and you get stuck sitting in front of a crazy 2 year-old Wigglemaniac! What's next?!!

I'll have to post later on the birthday antics, I mean party. Suffice to say it was a success and much cake was both eaten and worn. Success indeed!

New Wiggly Eve

Ok, just a quick post because I have a ton to do and not a whole lotta nap time to work with.

First off, I can't believe that Elizabeth's birthday is tomorrow!!! It blows my mind that 2 short/long years ago I was big with child and doing everything I could do to get her to come out. (she was 10 days late.) 2 years ago today I helped my husband remove some old pavers on our side yard, complete with pick-axe (or something like that). I had no idea just how much my life was about to change.

Tonight for an early birthday present we are taking Lizzie to see the Wiggles! and of course her most favorite pirate, Captain Feathersword. I can't wait to see how she acts and whether or not the whole experience will translate for her. You know, that those people on stage are one and the same as the ones on tv. I think she will. She absolutely adores them and watches them just about everyday, so I would be pretty shocked if she didn't "get it."

I've got my camera all charged up and, lemme tell ya, if any security guard tries to take it or claim that it's not allowed I just may have to put up my dukes. I mean come on, I'm not toting a camera to take pictures of the wiggles--I have a 2 year old who goes cuckoo. YOU do the math, bub. You're not taking my camera.

Psheww. Now that that's off my chest.... I am insanely manic with party planning. I've got 5 million things that I would like to do, and yet only about 5 days left to do them. Now I'm doing the math...and it's sad math indeed.

Oh, and remember how I said that our bathroom will have the toilet and sink?
BAH HA HA HAAA!

What, you think we could just do a mini-renovation in two short weeks? Silly mortals. I didn't have this blog back when we re-did the kitchen...Suffice to say that we started with just sanding the cabinets and ended up with no kitchen for over a year! We ripped it down to the studs, I tell you! Are you familiar with the "may as well"s? We got to know them pretty well a couple of years ago. But it was all well worth it. Now that I have it back, of course.

Ok, I said this would be short and here I am yammering on. I got stuff to do, so I'll bid you adieu and let you know how the Wiggles went. should be fun.

P.S. I hope I like the new Wiggle, Sam. I don't think Elizabeth will notice. But I'm sure *I* will. I hate to admit that I even have a favorite, but it's definitely Greg.

spring fever

spring fever is taking on new meaning here at the lizzylot household. we've all gone mad with cleaning, remodeling, and gardening.

Lizzy's party is next Saturday the 17th, so last weekend we decided to tear out our guest bathroom floor and shower. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it?? Nothing like a 2-week deadline to fire up the pressure.

The toilet and sink still work, so even if we don't get it all done it will at least be a "work in progress." IMO that's much better than the "aren't you going to ever redo this bathroom?" state. We had the floor partially removed to put in a new door last year, so it's been pretty unsightly for a while. My MIL says that just looking like you're working on it is better than it just being ugly. Not her words exactly (she's much more polite), but I do agree with the sentiment.

Aside from the bathroom, we've been rethinking our landscape as well. We recently lost two major backyard trees due to some kind of fungus. And termites. gotta love both of those! So now we've got a big hole to fill--and plenty of big dreams to do the job! In the meantime I've planted lots of bulbs and a few plants here and there. sigh...if only there were more time.

Today Lizzy won't take a nap. She's all off with our lunch visit to see daddy. it's 4pm and she's here at my side lining up these mini rubber ducks she got for her birthday party. (ok, i'm floored by the irony--despite my ramblings here, she's got all her ducks in a row--ha)

What a doll she is. Even when she's tired and excited beyond belief, she charms my socks off.

Better end and tend...

it's party time!

whoah there buckeroo, not so fast. Do you realize how challenging it is to plan a 2-year-old's party? Not hard, just...uh, well...not too easy.

yeah yeah, she's 2 and she doesn't care...blah blah blah.

but we're having kids of all ages over, and this party planner wants everyone to have a good time.

I was just looking through a toddler busy book for ideas and am having the most difficulty finding a suitable activity--something they can do without a whole lot of hand-holding (unless I assign a supervisor I guess); something safe of course (no beads or similar choking hazards); and something that won't create a big mess (paint's probably not the ticket here)...

anyone got any ideas?

I have one but. well, tell me what you think:
How about setting out pre-cut paper shapes (shamrocks and stuff--the party is actually on St. Patrick's day) with holes punched already--the kids can color them or put stickers on them, then string them on some shoelaces (or something) and make necklaces. We could use pasta tubes too, but are they considered a choking hazard? I'm thinking it could be fun for the 2-5 year olds, maybe even the 5-8 set.

I'm not sure what the 8-13 year olds can do. They might hate this idea.

and the teenagers...well, they surely don't want to do kid crafts. They probably don't want to be there at all! haha, i remember those days. =) Hmmm, maybe the teens can be the supervisors. that might be a great idea there!

so, what do you think? I obviously am no party expert and need all the help I can get.

relfection

Elizabeth's 2nd birthday is in a couple of weeks. It's amazing how quickly this year has passed. And she's such a little girl. I can no longer look at her and think "baby." She's Elizabeth, not "the baby" or whatever. I even find myself wanting to correct people from calling her a baby. To me, she's so clearly not one anymore.

I often think about having another baby. We want one, but when is a good time? I don't want to wait too long, but I also would like to be ready for another little hungry person around here.

Granted, I think I could manage a baby better all the time, especially now that Elizabeth is talking more. She understands so much of what is said and really tries to communicate. She says 2-3 word sentences, some of which is understood, but mostly not.

It's quite hysterical sometimes, trying to understand her. I love this: her Ds sound like Gs; and her Ls sound like Ys; so, the word "LID" for example comes out sounding like "YIG." I feel like I'm in the Da Vinci Code, the way I constantly have to decipher her. so funny.

At the same time though, I want to appreciate how very special and fleeting this time is, because sooner or later it will be gone and only a memory. And she will be talking up a storm. in perfect english! and I will be left to think, "where's my cute little baby that said 'yig' and 'gaga'?"

I guess I'm going to have to get used to this sort of thing. Saying goodbye and hello to new stages, new abilities, and new growth. I'm constantly amazed at how much I've grown and learned since becoming a parent. so much that I can't imagine living an entire life not going through this wonderful journey.

What are some things you've learned (about yourself or life in general) as a parent that you never would have known otherwise? I'd love to hear your stories.

Arizona Trip

We're back from Arizona--visiting family. Lizzy was soo very good. She amazed me in that she took all her naps & was a very big girl on the plane. Even while we were constantly out and about, she was well behaved and sweet. It was a totally new surrounding and routine for her and she just adapted beautifully!

What I keep hearing is "fawawa." Which in babyspeak means: I fell down in the water. Yeah! While out picnicking by the colorado river, she got excited about something she saw (an underwater rock?) and ended up falling down at the riverside and getting all wet--soaking, in fact! The water was cold--snow melt--so she shivered and screamed until I finally had her clothes all changed. Poor baby. It must have really left an impression.

I also keep hearing her say names of our family
"shue" (sue)
"beel" (bill)
"geh gamma" (great grandma)
"buggah" (buddy)
"ellah" (ellie)

I'm glad that she seemed to really enjoy the trip and remembers the people and events so well. It just shows how much she is growing cognitively.

Sleep, Eat, Sleep

Lizzie is much better--no vomiting, yay! But she's still not herself. After eating a little oatmeal for breakfast and drinking lots of Pedialyte, she cozied up next to me on the sofa and fell asleep watching a random episode of Barney. (I couldn't take another Wiggles epi) She slept cuddled next to me for over an hour, then for another hour after I escaped her clutches. It felt like she was an infant again: I watched goofy daytime tv (yay food network! btw, TLC has SO MANY baby shows now--a baby story, bringing home baby, etc--do people really watch these all day long?) while she just napped on the sofa. Just like old times.

As the day slipped by, she ate more food and seemed to feel better and better. She skipped her regular afternoon nap though, and at about 5:15pm she konked out on her bed. I wasn't about to protest. She needs sleep.

The one amazing thing that happened today is:
She pooped in her potty for the first time! Wasn't the best...uhh...offering (coming off of stomach flu and all) but of course I cheered her on.

She amazes me that even while she's sick and not feeling 100% she's still trying to use the potty and being the all-around wonderful toddler that she is.

That's my girl!

My Poor Baby

Lizzie's sick. She has severe vomiting and hasn't been able to hold anything down since last night, not even water. She's fine otherwise: no fever, no pain, etc. so I'm thinking it must be some kind of bug or food poisoning.

This morning it seemed that she was over it, but then...not. One minute she was fine and then....blacgh. I was trying to get her to the bathroom when she spewed all over me, on my clothes, down my neck and back...let's just say it brought me to a whole new level of mothering. I was grossed out, definitely, but isn't it weird how your baby can do something like that to you and it's all okay? Anyone else...forget it.

That said, this mommy feels pretty helpless with the inabilty to instantly take away her discomfort. But this kind of ailment is supposed to be over in a day or two, so we're just laying low and giving her a sip of water every so often. Very difficult to hear her ask for food though! I try to explain it to her that we need to wait, but that doesn't help, obviously. Plus, she doesn't really understand.

Guess we'll be doing tv most of the day. Maybe she'll end up loving football (via super bowl). Either that or she'll get a heavy dose of Wiggles. I'm guessing the latter.

No Pie!

All day long this is what I heard from my little darling.

No Pie! ( but it sounds like Nooo Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!)

She LOVES this mother goose rhyme and even acts out the kitties when they "meow, meow meow!" So all day long at totally random moments she'd bust out with "no piiiiiiiiiiii!" and I just had to crack up hysterically.

Remember this one?

Three little kittens, they lost their mittens
and they began to cry,
Oh mother dear, we greatly fear
Our mittens we have lost!
What! Lost your mittens! You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie!
meow, meow, meow!
No, you shall have no pie!

In our book the mother cat looks terribly mean too! When the kitties find their mittens in the next verse, Lizzy will get up and go to her drawer and "find" her own mittens, bringing them to me, just positively beaming. At which point I just fall over from all of her cuteness.

As her grammie always says, "she is such a character!"
That she is, that she is.
And she shall have some pie. but only if it has fruit in it.

big steps towards two

She's putting words together.

Heard from Lizzy's mouth this past week:

no meep (milk)
hi mama
bah bye mama
bah-bye buh-boh (bubble)--a favorite while washing her hands
hi (enter word here)--that's whatever she sees & can say, like bee, kitty, baby, etc. (not everything, but I have a feeling that's going to change)
bye (enter word here)--she said "bye house" yesterday as we left for the park. so very cute.

and a new one this morning: cay-wee...(pause) mee (carry me)--awwww, so cute.

We've been potty training too, and she did a little (1 tsp or so) yesterday. yay.
It's a painful process at times, so 1 tsp is well worth getting excited over.

I'm such a mom huh?
It's challenging, but I'm enjoying the ride.
But 45 min in the bathroom just to get 1 tsp of pee! I just gotta laugh. and of course celebrate the small stuff.

little yellow balls

This morning at breakfast Lizzy thought it would be fun to put Kix cereal up her nose. I guess they smell better than they taste. Or so she thought.

Kix is ball-shaped, slightly larger than a pea. And yes, her sweet-smelling cereal got stuck up there.

I didn't see her do it. But I wondered at how she kept pointing at her nose and saying "kix. kix." It wasn't until she was digging deep in her nostil and saying "help" that I notice the little yellow offender lodged snugly within.

Nice! Now how to get that out? Tweezers crossed my mind, but...yeah right.

Granted, Kix softens when wet, but it was definitely stuck. She can't exactly blow her nose, and she thought it was way funny when mommy was trying to teach her to do so.

Eventually she sneezed and a virtual eruption of yellow goo and snot spewed forth. There were not one, but two kix balls up there!

I would so love to know what she was thinking.
For mommy, if not so scary it would have been hilarious.
But we're laughing now.

Oh yeah, and no more kix. at least for a while. Mommy must recover.

Down wi' Diaper Duty

I just cleaned up the worst diaper duty. O. M. G. (Sorry future Lizzie if you're reading this) But I simply must ask: What goes on in her little body to produce such a huge mess?

In this case, the poor little Dora pull-up diaper didn't have a chance. As for her pants: to clean or not to clean, that is the question.

She even did the walk. You know what I'm talking about. Where the poopy kid walks on tip-toe with feet wide apart in a futile attempt to escape the load in his/her pants. Yeah, that one. (future Lizzie: breathe. I didn't capture a vid for youtube. that's right, deep breaths, one, two...)

OK, so it's not like she's an adventurous eater. She IS a toddler.
Recent staple items include:

• yogurt
• cheese
• bread
• corn
• peas
• cereal: kix, cheerios, rice crispies
• oatmeal
• pb&j
• and of course: any and all fruit

No, we're not vegetarians.

Actually, I have to limit her fruit b/c of this very messy reason. So she didn't OD on fruit in the last couple days, at least not that I'm aware.

I'm not one of those moms who busts out the wipes every time Lizzy touches something, so maybe she caught a bug?

Glad I could share this lovely experience with you. I feel so much better now.

Have Birds, Will Sleep

Thanks Heather and Belle-ah for your encouraging words. I know geniune friends take time, but does it have to take so long? (grin) Actually, I'm more disappointed with my mother's group in that I haven't met anyone who's willing to take the time to make new friends. I thought there'd be more SAHMs in the group who were ready for that. I'm happy that Lizzy and I have met a few great ladies just by going to parks and taking classes.

Speaking of classes, our Kindermusic class ended and I'm now considering getting her into a tumbling class. She just loves climbing and tumbling (sommersaults are a fave), so I thought it would be a good way to expend some energy. However, I'm a bit concerned about her climbing everything at home from sofas to cat condos to Lord knows what. Anyone have experience in this area?

Speaking of climbing...Lizzy's now in a big girl bed.

After months of wondering "will she climb out of the crib and break her neck" and "how many times will she fall out of her rail-less crib tonight" (night before last it was 3...that we know of at least), we finally said enough's enough and set her up in a twin bed. She absolutely loves it.



Of course, she can't sleep without the birds (see pic), so we hooked 'em up to her bed side rails. It's so ghetto, but they still work and she still sleeps. Everyone's happy!


This morning at breakfast she actually claimed to want to take a nap. You heard it right folks, the gal who refuses to nap actually requested one this morning. I thought I was going to fall over from shock. Of course, this afternoon when it actually was naptime, she didn't go so willingly, but we're dealing with a (nearly) 2yo here. She's not exactly reasonable, people.

I am so proud of her though. It's got to be hard to give up the comfort and familiarity of her old bed, but she's a trooper. The new bed's got more jump power, which certainly helps.

She's growing up too quickly.

As I disassembled her crib last night, I couldn't help but hope to be putting it back together soon, for our next little one. Maybe later this year, but I guess we'll just have to see what God has in store for us.

That's all for now. I've got to get off my tushie and move some muscle before the angel awakens from her blissful nap.

Oh dear...she's crying already. I typed too soon.
It's true. A mom's work is never done.

Is it me?

I haven't been to any of my mother's group functions lately. No playgroups, no outings, no meetings, etc. I haven't even really talked with any of them lately. And no one has called me either. It's weird. The group claims to be supportive, but they seem to be more clique-ish and gossip mongers. If a previously active group member (for any group) just suddenly stopped attending, wouldn't you (or someone) call and see what's up? You know, check to see if she's alive at least?

Maybe that's just what I would do.

I'm realizing that the group is bigger in theory than in practice. It's a shame. I haven't totally given up on them, but I'm not really sure if I care anymore. I have met some wonderful mothers while at the park with Lizzy. It's fun to just go and see who's there and who you'll meet--no structure, just random socializing. Interestingly, we go to parks nearly everyday and have only very rarely run into another mother from my group. What do these mothers do all day long couped up in the house? I would go crazy and so would Lizzy.

Don't get me wrong, the ladies in my current group are basically nice, but so very few are truly friendly and receptive. What also bugs me is that the president is one of those "queen bee" types that has to be loud and the center of attention at all times. At my first mom's night out she sat right across from me and spent the majority of the evening talking over everyone and trying to carry on conversations with moms clear across the room. I couldn't help but instantly be annoyed with her. Not my best attribute, admittedly, but so be it.

Ideally, I'd like to connect with a playgroup that's associated with a good church. At least we'd have the common thread of faith between us and could possibly grow from each other that way.

I don't know. I'm idealistic. Maybe that's another bad attribute.
But so be it.

I just want to make new friends with other moms in the community. Why does that seem to take so long? Are people too busy? too introverted? too selfish? too.....gosh, I don't know. What's up with people these days? What am I doing wrong? Is it me?

New Year, New Family

10 days into 2007 and I've been MIA for over a month! oops.

Lemme sum up--It was a good holiday, but our Christmas was rife with sickness. Yes, mommy had a nasty, stuffy ol' cold and so we had to cancel our xmas eve dinner as well as other fun holiday stuff. I think it is the only holiday in which I spent most of it at home, indoors. Nice, in a way, if only I didn't have to keep a kleenex box by my side at all times. (my poor nose) Anyway, I'm over it & glad to be healthy again. And at least I didn't spread it to anyone. Of course, my sniffly self DID go shopping in the last rush for presents, so some poor soul out there probably touched my germs on a shopping cart or keypad. double oops.

If you are that unlucky person, I am so very sorry. You have permission to sneeze on me.

In happier news, I became an aunt for the second time to a little boy, Nathan. Welcome to the world, little guy! Isn't he cute?

I also became a mommy to a new phone. Also very cute, and no diapers! Not great for cuddling or cooing though. Motorola better get right on that. Isn't it girly in all it's raspberry pinkness! awwwwww.....

I used to hate pink girly things. Only recently has pink creeped its way into my preference. Could it be Lizzy's neverending show of pink clothes, pink toys, pink dolls, pink EVERYTHING that has subliminally swayed me? hmmm, big question for a random wednesday afternoon. I'll leave the pink ponderance to my shrink. If had a shrink, that is. Suffice to say that pink makes me feel happy and girly. Two pretty cool things to get from just a color.

Now if I could just get it to make me feel like doing dishes or diapers, we'd be set.