Raising A and D

Photo Story Friday: 366, Week 4

2012-01-26T20:52:00.008-06:00

Day 20: Sunset after snow. I pulled the van over on the side of the road and surprised the children by running out into the middle of our road to take this photo.

Day 21: Sarah in the snow. My heart dog just loves the snow and was very happy to finally have a bit to play in. I also appreciate that she is easier to photograph when she is on a white background.

Day 22: Sydney being Sydney. Our other dog, a BC/Aussie mix, is as lazy (and sweet) as can be. I caught this sweet photo of her snoozing on the floor while the kids played literally 2 feet from her head.

Day 23: Mother's Night Out. I belong to a playgroup of really great women, and we had a night out without the kiddos this last Monday. We went to Caribou Coffee. Mmmm.

Day 24: Winter workday morning. This is a typical morning for me. There is a peek of sun rising over the horizon, my van is coated in salt and grit, and I try to find inspiration for the day.

Day 25: Ready for ballet. Delia was so happy that I put her hair in an up-do for ballet class this week. I was able to capture a genuine smile. Almost.

Day 26: Alaina in the sled. Believe it or not, January 26 is the first time this winter that we have had Alaina in the sled. We finally have a wee bit of snow, and it certainly was nice that it was in the upper 30s. She was a bit unsure of what to think about the whole thing...especially when Delia started pulling her around the yard.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

The Girls, an Odd Winter, and Other Stuff

2012-01-26T09:05:00.011-06:00

This is just a random post with a few updates on our life so far in 2012.

Delia

Stu and I will be registering Delia for kindergarten very soon! We have a Kindergarten Parent Info night next week, and then Kindergarten Round-Up is on February 9th. Crazy! She knows all of her letters now, as well as what sounds they make. I am working with her on learning how to sound out letters to read words. She has done this successfully a couple of times, and I am very excited about helping her learn to read!

In other Delia-related news, she is taking a break from gymnastics and trying ballet for a couple of months. (Since Stu and I both work full-time and Delia is only 4 years old, we have decided she can try one activity at a time.) So far, she is really enjoying ballet! Parents are not allowed to observe classes, so our first reveal of her progress will be the last day of class when they do a short program.

Delia has a number of friends that she plays with at daycare/preschool, and I am thankful that she seems to enjoy school. The daycare provides the preschoolers with additional "enrichment activities" including yoga, Spanish, and music. I think I am going to try to surprise Delia by showing up for yoga one of these weeks. As an aside, one of her best friends is Owen, whom Delia informed me she plans to marry; she told me they will live in our basement.

Alaina

This week is the first in quite a while that Alaina is not taking any medication. Woo hoo! As you may know, she has been plagued by colds, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, and un-fun antibiotic-related junk. We REALLY hope that she gets a break from illness for at least a couple of weeks! She does have an appointment with a pediatric ENT on February 22nd. I am also looking into other alternatives with her diet, including possibly reducing/eliminating dairy to see if that helps.

Alaina is SO much fun these days. She is such a busy and persistent girl! Stu calls her "Tank." ha! She is crawling so quickly now, as well as cruising and standing independently. I know it is only a matter of time before she takes her first steps.

Look, Mama! No hands!

I am especially excited that just this week she seems to say "Mama" with purpose and conviction. It is usually said between shrieks/screams of demand and frustration of not being able to talk with us. She is starting to do a bit of signing though and she is starting to sign "eat" and "more" between screams of demand as well. Alaina will be 1 year old in a little over a month. Crazy!

Winter

I am feeling a bit conflicted about winter this year. Last year we received about a billion inches of snow here in Minnesota, and I was so DONE with winter and snow. This photo was taken just a couple of weeks ago in our backyard. We do have about 2 inches of snow now, but it is supposed to melt (again) by the weekend due to more temperatures in the 30s+. While I am happy to have more temperate weather, it would be fun to actually go sledding!

Other Stuff

As you have probably seen, I am enjoying the 365 (366) photo challenge so far this year. While it is fun to use the camera again, I am really staying busy enjoying time with the girls as often as I can.

January has been a bit hectic for both Stu and I at work. He works for the U of MN and has put in a lot of overtime preparing for the start of spring semester. He also enjoyed his time at jury duty this week. I am transitioning into a new role and team at work, so that has its own set of challenges.

We are also trying to be more active as individuals (and hopefully as a family!) this year. I purchased an elliptical machine earlier in January that we try to make use of, and Stu is still biking, of course. Now that Alaina is older, we will be able to go on family bike rides this summer. Yay! It is also fun to think about the two girls running around parks together.

The four of us will be heading to Wisconsin Dells soon for a weekend at a hotel and water park. I think we can all use a change of scenery during this dreary time of year.

That's about it from us. Hope life is going well for you.

Photo Story Friday: 366, Week 3

2012-01-19T21:00:00.009-06:00

Day 13: Camera Purse. I found one! For only $28! Woo hoo!

Day 14: Sad eyes. Alaina still needs nebulizer treatments several times a day right now due to (another) upper respiratory infection. Her eyes look so sad to me. And yeah, she has a strange get-up going on. She needs to wear a hat to make the respirator mask strap stay in place. Recently a pacifier has also been required to keep her calm enough that she doesn't yank the mask off repeatedly. She is still beautiful though.

Day 15: Bison along the freeway. You can't really see the bison, but that is what I was trying to take a picture of while I was driving. I swear I took the photo without even looking through the viewfinder. I like the way the sun looks.

Day 16: Tongue. Bwahaha! She is so stinkin' cute.

Day 17: Sarah. She is my heart dog. She is also very fuzzy. And sweet. And soft. She really needs to go to the groomer.

Day 18: Delia at the dentist. See how calm she is while she waits her turn? She LOVES visiting the dentist. I am extremely thankful. She did excellent as always.

Day 19: Self portrait at 0 degrees. Oddly, I found the weather today sort of exhilarating. I am definitely from Minnesota. I also know it is temporary. I also realize my sunglasses are really dirty. Wow. Anyway, I kind of like the way my shadow is cast behind me.

Happy Friday!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Photo Story Friday: 366, Week 2

2012-01-13T10:21:00.009-06:00

Day 6: Doggie Delight. Here is a scene following dinner last Friday. The dogs were actually sitting outside at the time this photo was taken, waiting to dash in and scarf up the baby's dinner remnants from the floor.

Day 7: Sisters. My heart soars when the girls play together. Right now their favorite game it to chase one another on all fours. I hear a LOT of giggling when this happens. The girls enjoyed the mall play area last Saturday.

Day 8: Teeth and a giggle. How do you get your 10 month old to show her teeth? (#2 had just popped up on Sunday.) You tickle and tickle her until you get a good tooth/teeth shot. Today is a bonus day with teeth and a giggle. (I could not choose just one!)

Day 9: Orthodox church. I was driving to work on Monday morning as the sun was coming up, and I decided to check out the Orthodox church that I passed every day on my commute. I found out it was a Ukrainian Orthodox church. The sun was just hitting the top of the roof. I got this one shot, and my camera battery died.

Day 10: An evening outside. It was so warm (and still no snow!) on Tuesday evening that the girls and I headed into the backyard to play before the sun finished setting. We loved the pink trail left by a jet.

Day 11: Ballet. Wednesday was Delia's first ballet class. I was all set to take photos of her in action, but sadly the parents were not allowed to stay in class. A photo of ballet shoes is not as pretty as a photo of Delia, but it will do.

Day 12: The library. It is my favorite room in the house...a fireplace, two comfy chairs, a loveseat, and rows and rows of books...my sanctuary.

That's it for this week. Happy Friday!!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Photo Story Friday: 366, Week 1

2012-01-06T09:47:00.005-06:00

Happy Friday, PSFers, 365/366ers, and anyone else who may stop by.

As some of you may know, I have decided to take the 365 challenge and take at least one photo a day every day this year. I will post one photo for each day here on my blog on a weekly basis. I plan to post my photos on Fridays, so I can participate in Photo Story Friday as well.

Whew!

With that out of the way, here we go...

Day 1, Me. Only I can make this project a success.

Day 2, Lazy Sunday. Our kiddos do not watch TV during the week, but weekends are an entirely different story.

Day 3, Birthday Lunch. My best friend, Lisa, took me out for lunch to Big Bowl to celebrate my birthday. Yum!!

Day 4, Super Target. Oh, how I love you. And hate you. I visit you way too often.

Day 5, Sunset. This time of year I mostly see the sun at sunrise and sunset when I drive to and from work. Delia asked me to take this photo of the sky last night.

And that's it for this week. Since January 1st was on Sunday, I only have 5 photos to share so far. Next week you will see 7, I promise.

Happy Friday!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Imagination.

2012-01-03T12:00:00.004-06:00

Imagination. It's a beautiful thing.

And sometimes it makes me giggle.

The Barbies are in school. (That's what Delia told me.)

Even the little ones get to join in on the fun.

I also love creativity.

It is inspiring.

Sometimes serious.

And sometimes silly.

Four year olds are awesome.

Farewell, 2011.

2011-12-31T23:22:00.006-06:00

2011 has been a wonderful year for our family, but now it is time to say farewell.

2012 will be amazing. I just know this to be true.

Alaina will go from crawling, climbing, and cruising

to being a walker.

And a talker.

Delia will go from being a lively preschooler

to being a new student at the local elementary school as she starts her kindergarten year.

My career is also taking a shift this year due to reorganization at the medical device company where I am employed, and I will continue to do my best to figure out how to balance my life between work and family. Anyone who really knows me also realizes that I will do my utmost to succeed in my new role at work.

Stu and I will also be celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary in 2012, so that in itself will make the year special. We plan to take a trip somewhere for just the two of us.

For me, one thing that was lacking in 2011 was photography, so in 2012, I am taking the 365 challenge to take at least one photograph (and share on the blog) every day of the year. I will be sharing the photos weekly, and hopefully I will put up additional blog posts in between.

I look forward to spending 2012 in the company of my family and friends. Take care, and I will be posting here again soon.

Yes, Virginia, the Christmas spirit still exists.

2011-12-27T09:56:00.002-06:00

We began our Christmas celebrations on Saturday morning of December 24th. I explained to Delia that I had written Santa a letter to come to our house one night early, and thankfully he complied!

Delia, Alaina, Stu, and I all enjoyed the many gifts frome one another and Santa, and while Alaina took her morning nap, we packed up the car and put the house back in order. We planned to leave town by around 12:30 or so to go to Eau Claire to join my family for Christmas there. By about 12:40 we had managed to pack in all of the suitcases, gifts, Delia's toys, Alaina's toys and gear, the dog gear, along with Stu, Delia, Alaina, Sarah (dog), Sydney (dog), and me.

I noticed while packing up the van that my left front tire seemed low. Stu agreed, so we planned to fill it with air when we stopped at the gas station for gas and snacks.

At the gas station, I pulled up by the air dispenser, and Stu hopped out of the car. He went to remove the valve cover, and the valve just snapped off. Our tire was flat. Oy vey.

Once Stu and I figured out how to lower the spare tire and where to set the jack, he went to work. I grabbed my phone and began looking for tire stores. Stu told me he had been to Discount Tire in Blaine before, so I found their number and called them. A young man answered the phone, and I told him about our situation. He said they closed at 1:00 that day but that he wanted to talk to his manager. I looked at the clock. It was 1:07.

A minute later, the same young man came back to the phone and asked where we were. I explained we were just a few minutes away, and my husband was just getting the spare tire on now. The man said he and his manager would stay and wait for us. I thanked him profusely and told him my name. He said his name was Chris.

We finally arrived at Discount Tire at 1:30, and one of the garage doors was open. I pulled up and said, "I'm Kelly!"

A young man smiled at me and said, "I'm Chris."

I handed over the keys and took Alaina and Delia out of the van. Stu wrangled our two somewhat distraght dogs and put them on their leashes.

Within a minute Chris told me that the sensor in my tire had corroded. The part was $65 or he would put in a cheaper rubber plug. I told him to go ahead and replace the sensor, as long as it would not take any extra time. I thanked him again for staying late for us; he explained he and his wife had been in a similar situation over the holiday, and he didn't want me out on the road with just a spare tire.

Less than 15 minutes later, Chris and his manager had fixed up our tire and strung the spare back into place. Chris rang up the purchase and told me it was $69. I seemed a bit shocked, and he apologized that the sensor was somewhat expensive. I told him it was not a problem.

My shock came from the fact that despite the fact that it was Christmas Eve and both of these gentleman had stayed at work to help us, they didn't even charge us for labor.

At 1:45, we were literally back on the road, feeling very fortunate, despite everything. Thank goodness that we were at the gas station when the tire went flat. And thank goodness for Chris and his manager at Discount Tire.

The Christmas spirt still exists.

Parenting Fails

2011-12-14T15:21:00.004-06:00

Ever had one of those days where it felt like nearly everything you did went wrong?

Last Sunday was one of those days.

I had it in my head that I was going to take Christmas card photos of the girls at home. My mom had bought them both beautiful, matching dresses. I have a nice camera. I was too lazy to drive anywhere else to take photos. No problem.

After one hour and over 100 photos taken between Stu and I, we had ZERO good photos.
Parenting fail #1.

I had promised Delia that we would go to an indoor play area directly following their cooperation with the photos. However, I was not counting on things to take so long and go so poorly. Alaina was exhausted and so was Delia. This required a delay for a nap which resulted in me breaking my word.
Parenting Fail #2

The good news is that BOTH girls took a nap. That is CRAZY. Seriously, Delia has not napped at home in months or years.
Parenting victory #1

After 1.5 hours, I woke the girls up. This did not make them happy, but a promise was a promise. We arrived at the play area 1 hour before it closed. It was deserted. Delia insisted on playing in the toddler area and was too scared to go into the 4 and up area to climb and play by herself. I was crabby about it.
Parenting Fail #3

After getting the troops ready to go, I was getting everyone situated into the van to head home. I managed to actually pinch the end of Alaina's tongue in the chest clip of her seatbelt! OMG. There was blood. And tears. From both of us.
Parenting Fail #4

On the way home, Delia decided to try her negotiation skills out on me.
"So, Mom. When we get home, I think you need to apologize to Alaina. If you do that, you can let me watch a movie."

I am not sure what to think of this, but she is one devious girl. And one smart cookie. Way to play the guilt card!

Anyway, we did manage to survive the evening without any trips to the ER. But yuck. I wanted a do-over.

Where to begin...

2011-12-09T08:48:00.005-06:00

It has been many weeks since my last blog post.

A lot has happened around my household in the last 6 weeks, especially illnesses. It is going to be a LONG winter.

Of course with the girls being in daycare, they are both exposed to fun germs. Alaina is bound to be sick a lot her first year. I get that. Really. But OY.

October brought about bronchitis for me, and I spread it to the rest of the family. (Go, me!)

Stu's bronchitis turned into a sinus infection.

Delia's cough is still lingering.

Alaina's cough turned into a handful of other fun things. I think we have been to the doctor about 8 times in the last month and a half. 3 or 4 of those visits were all within the same week. She has been diagnosed with bronchiolitis, pink eye, ear infection(s), and upper respiratory infection(s) at various appointments. Some of these have either occurred multiple times or have just never gone away. She just started a third antibiotic this week, and she has been on nebulizer treatments for about 6 weeks now. There has also been vomiting for one reason or another. Ugh.

Despite all of the illnesses that Alaina has been enduring, she is still the happiest baby in the world. Her continued good moods just stun me. She gained complete mobility this week and is now crawling, climbing, and pulling up on anything and everything. She also likes to pull up and let go, thinking that she can already walk.

I will be back again soon with happier updates and photos SOON. I promise.

In the meantime, I hope you are all enjoying the month of December so far. Happy Friday!!

Fun at the farm

2011-10-20T09:13:00.003-05:00

Our entire family had a wonderful opportunity to visit with friends at their organic family farm in Wisconsin last weekend.

While it was a bit blustery, we all enjoyed walking (or running if you are 3-4 years old) around the property, climbing into the hayloft to see kitties, and visiting/getting kissed by cows. The food was wonderful--especially the completely homemade hand-fired pizzas from the outdoor brick oven! Yum!

And of course, the company was the best. The older (both redheaded!) kids got along so well, the dads bonded over similar interests, and the two of us moms loved spending time chatting and watching our babies.

While I was a complete slacker and took no pictures of my own, my camera was used to attempt a group picture at the farm. :)

We are also enjoying the delicious, fresh vegetables that were sent home with us.

What a fabulous and fun weekend!!

Being the Youngest

2011-09-28T08:39:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe that I am already thinking about kindergarten for Delia, but it is that time. She has her early childhood screening in two weeks, and we need to register her in January. It will be here before we know it!

She will be 5 on August 27 next year, and the cut-off for starting school is September 1st. We plan to send her, but of course she will be one of the youngest in her class.

I have a December birthday, so there was never a question about when I would start school. I did well in school socially and academically. However, I did not attend preschool. I only attended a structured center daycare once a week before I started kindergarten, and otherwise, I went to a home daycare setting full-time.

Delia has been in a center daycare for most of her life thus far. She has been in the preschool classroom since she was 33 months old, and just recently she transitioned to the Preschool 2 room which focuses on school readiness. She does well socially, she is making strides academically, and she does very well with the structured schedule, listening to her teachers, and following rules.

The only worry I have at the moment is around academics. Delia does not know all of her letters or numbers yet or how to read. However, late this summer she began to take a real interest in learning her letters and the sounds that they make; she does recognize most of them by sight now. She is also doing better with her numbers and understands basic math concepts. I am hoping that she will be ready by this time next year when she is in school.

I often hear arguments about why one should wait to send their child to kindergarten until they are older if they have a summer birthday, but I recently read an article in the NY Times about why it is good to not wait. I appreciated the article.

For those of you with summer birthdays or with kids who have summer birthdays, what did you do? Do you think you made the right choice?

Inquiring minds want to know.

And just for fun, see what a good little listener she is?
(at gymnastics class)

Thanks for stopping by!

Photo Story Friday: Help! (Alaina 6 month photos)

2011-09-23T10:52:00.007-05:00

Okay, I need your help.

Poor Alaina has not had any professional portraits done yet, and I believe Delia already had two sets taken by this age. In addition, Alaina has NO framed photos up in our house yet.

Bad mom.

So here is why and where I need you.

I attempted to take some photos last night, and now I need to pick which ones to print and frame.

Ready? Set. Help!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

Maybe I need to crop some of those down for a close-up of her chubby little face...

Or maybe I just need to start over and try again...

That pink blanket is distracting me.

Thanks in advance for suggestions!

(By the way, my favorites are 2, 5, and 7.)

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Falling apart.

2011-09-22T08:38:00.004-05:00

No, I'm not falling apart.

But I feel like my house is.

Our home computer (hard drive) stopped working this summer.
The dishwasher stopped working 4 months ago.
The water softener is shot.
The water heater may be on its last leg.
Our kitchen counter top is chipped and looks terrible.
The pipes under our kitchen sink leak occasionally.
One of the toilets is constantly running.
The paint is peeling on the eaves of our house.
We have holes in our house where a woodpecker attacks it every fall.

Let's not even discuss the state of our gardens, that the dogs need to go to the groomer, how horrible the driveway looks, the state of all the closets in our house, or the fact that my carpets desperately need to be cleaned.

Notice a trend here?

Most day I am happy that work is going well, we are both employed, we are all healthy, we can pay our bills, and the girls are great.

Some days the list of "stuff" gets to me. The money factor is a big one with two kiddos in daycare. Regardless of the cost, however, these days I choose to spend time with my family over doing projects around the house, so it is what it is.

So yeah. If anyone can send over a dog groomer, handyman, housekeeper, and personal chef to my home free of charge to help us out, that would be great. Thanks.

Think happy, peaceful thoughts and escape from reality...

My 9/11.

2011-09-11T08:33:00.003-05:00

Where were you? What were you doing? Everyone has their story. This is mine.

I was 23 years old. Stu and I had moved in together and gotten engaged about a month prior to that day. I was a contractor at Guidant Corporation, and life was good. It was a beautiful morning, and I was listening to the radio as I often did on my commute to work. All of a sudden the radio DJ says, "Huh. They just turned on the TV here, and it looks like a small plane crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers in New York."

He continued on with the radio program for another minute when all of a sudden, he yells, "Oh my God! A second plane crashed into the other tower!"

The hair rose up on my arms, and I swear time stood still. I looked around me at all of the other commuters on the freeway, and everyone had their mouths dropped open in shock and disbelief. I barely remember driving the rest of the way to work.

I wandered to my cubicle feeling sick to my stomach. The first thing I did after logging onto my computer was to go to CNN.com. I signed up for breaking news email alerts. The first one I received stated that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon. I was reeling. What was happening?

My department was abuzz with everything going on, and no one was working. I found myself wandering around our building along with some of my co-workers trying to find a television. The internet was real time, but I wanted to see what was happening. I found myself crammed into the office of a vice president along with about 25 other people, as she had a small TV perched on her desk. None of us knew each other, and we were all as different as could be. But no one noticed. We all just needed to see.

Even though the screen on the television was small, I will never forget watching that first tower fall down. The people running and screaming. The cloud of debris. And then the second tower fell. In the office there was silence. Shock. Confusion. It was like something out of a horror movie, but it was real. I could not believe it. All of those people. Lives lost. Families torn apart. The country in mourning.

As the stories trickled in over the course of the workday concerning the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93, I stuck close to my computer trying to understand what was happening in our country. I did not work. No one did.

That evening after spending hours watching footage on CNN, Stu and I were sitting out on our apartment balcony taking a break from the visuals of what had happened that day. An elderly woman who lived across the hall saw us sitting up there and stopped. She just shook her head and said, "Your lives will never be the same."

She was right.

I'm a featured blogger. Go check it out!

2011-09-08T08:39:00.004-05:00

I had the honor over 2.5 years ago of being the first featured blogger in the Meet the Newlyweds Series by Sweet Pea over at the Newlyweds blog.

Now she is revisiting all of her featured couples and asking Where are they now?

Sweet Pea is one of the nicest and sweetest bloggers I have met through the blogosphere since I began Raising Delia four years ago. Go check out Newlweds and the interview. Even Stu joined in one the fun this time.

Wordful Wednesday: The Snub.

2011-09-07T12:50:00.012-05:00

While Delia is sometimes a happy, sweet girl...

She can also be a bit mysterious and complicated.

And by mysterious and complicated, I mean moody and brooding.

Anyway, we had a trip to the park last weekend just like any other.

Delia ran and jumped and climbed, happily playing by herself.

Then she met Andy. At first she was all smiles.

A mere twenty minutes later, angsty Delia came out.

Poor Andy. Delia gave him the snub.

She wouldn't even look at him, and Andy was following her around asking, "What did I do wrong? Why are you mad at me?"

Thankfully I convinced her after ten minutes of torturing the boy (and making me giggle) that she should apologize and get back to playing.

Then she was back to running...

And climbing...

And playing.

Photostory Friday: Hey there.

2011-09-02T09:07:00.003-05:00

Hey there. So I see you are visiting the blog today.
I haven't been here in a while either.

I am so happy to see you! What have you been up to? We have been so busy enjoying summer! See how I like being outside?

I love to smile. It is one of my favorite hobbies...along with shaking my rattle, grabbing my mom's hair, and playing with my feet.

Well, I guess I have to go now. I will miss seeing you. Bye!
Seriously though, have a great weekend.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Sad girl

2011-08-29T12:35:00.003-05:00

Stu and I have noticed a new trend of Delia's over the last couple of weeks. Nearly every night (and morning), Delia will tell us that she does not want to go to school.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I hate school," she says.

My first reaction is to tell her she does not hate school, but instead I ask, "Why do you hate school?"

"Because Hannah is being mean to me," Delia replies.

And my heart breaks to hear these words.

What do I say? What do I do?

For now I tell Delia that I am sure that she is sad but that she has plenty of other friends who are nice to her. Unfortunately, Delia considers Hannah to be her best friend at daycare, and D is a fairly sensitive little girl to top it off.

I feel so badly for my sweet Delia. I didn't think we'd have to deal with this type of issue until she started elementary school, but here we are. *sighs*

We had this same talk last night. Let's hope today was a good day.

Photostory Friday: FOUR

2011-08-26T09:10:00.005-05:00

How did it happen?

FOUR years have gone by since I first held you in my arms.

And now here you are.

You leap.

You hop.

You amaze me.

You take my breath away.

Happy 4th Birthday, Delia. I love you.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Help!

2011-08-24T15:14:00.003-05:00

Yes, you are visiting the blog formerly known as Raising Delia.

It is now Raising A and D. :)

And I need YOUR help because I lost my blogroll when I updated my html.

If you were previously on my blogroll or would like to be on my blogroll, please leave me a comment. Then I can follow the link back to your blog and add you to my blogroll.

Thanks in advance!

ETA: The blog is still under construction, so bear with me.

Photostory Friday: No more doctors, please.

2011-08-12T08:53:00.001-05:00

The last couple of weeks (heck, months) have been busy around our household! In addition to the usual summer activities like swimming, vacationing, going to parks, mini golfing, and other fun things...

...we have also had a few trips to the doctor.

We'll start with Alaina.

She has been one busy lady. She is starting to enjoy tummy time (sort of).

She is rolling both ways and practicing sitting up.

She also had her first ear infection last week. It was so sad! Aside from some nighttime screaming and wanting to just sleep on me for a day or two, she had a quick recovery. Whew!

Now let's move on to Delia.

She has become quite adventurous and busy this year. Her legs are constantly covered in scrapes and bruises, and she moves at no less than 50 mph on average through life.

She also still has a flair for the dramatic.

And speaking of drama, our second (series) of trips to the doctor this week are due to Delia sticking something up her nose. After complaining for a couple of days that her nose hurt, she admitted to putting a "string" up her nose. On the way to her first doctor appointment, she explained that it was part of a Polly Pockets halter top. Oh joy. So after one visit with our regular pediatrician and two visits to the ENT, there is no evidence of the supposed foreign object to be found. Ah well. We all learned something from this experience.

So that's about it from us. We are staying busy and enjoying the summer. We hope you are too.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

This Thursday's Thoughts and Things

2011-07-14T13:32:00.004-05:00

I just realized that I never gave an official 4-month stat update on Alaina.

She is such an incredible little girl. She is growing very well and is sweet as can be. My BFF calls her the happiest baby in the world. She is definitely one of the most laid back babies I've had the experience of being around.

Anyway, here are her stats:

13 lbs -- 37th percentile
23.6 inches -- 27th percentile

She was around the 20th percentile for height and weight at her 2 month appointment, and she was at around the 10th percentile at 2 weeks, so YAY! Way to grow, Alaina!!

We also do not have to do any more hip ultrasounds. Whew!

Oh, yeah. Here she is on her 4-month birthday. Look at those chubby cheeks!

*~*~*~*~*~*

I love Delia.
I really do.
I think she is the most amazing kid, and I am so proud of her for so many things.
However, lately I mostly want her to leave. Me. Alone.
I know that is mean.
I am horrible.
But seriously!!
Every single awake minute that she is near me she is seriously harassing me.
I actually cringe at the word Mom now because I hear it about 10,001 times a day followed by some asinine request.
I am exhausted.
But I still love Delia.
I just wish she would switch it up every once in a while with Dad.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Pumping sucks.

I exclusively pumped with Delia beginning when she was around 2 weeks old, and I lasted until she was around 12 weeks old.

I am actually breastfeeding (and formula feeding) Alaina, so that means I am pumping at work. I am really, really grateful that breastfeeding has gone so much better this time, but I still hate pumping. Yuck.

And you know why I hate it even more? My body does not respond well to the pump. My supply has plummeted over the 6 weeks I have been back at work. I was pumping 10 ounces a day my first week back, and now I am lucky if I get 6 ounces. Boo!

(And yeah, I am doing water, oatmeal, Mother's Milk Tea, a different pump, different flanges, etc, etc.)

But hey. I'm not doing too badly this time around. And I am really glad that Alaina is still getting breast milk.

I just like to bitch about pumping. Because it sucks. Literally.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I love summer.

I like when it gets HOT.

Because that means we get to go swimming.

In the last week, I think the girls have been swimming at a beach twice and a pool twice.

I was even insane enough to bring both girls to the beach by myself. Thank goodness that Delia loves her new life jacket. We all had a great time.

And next week when the heat index here is 115 degrees, we will be up north at a lake doing more swimming. Woo hoo!!

Jungle Girls

2011-07-07T09:15:00.003-05:00

Animal print is so cute on little girls.

I know I couldn't pull it off.

And once again, Delia requested photos since they match today.

Did I mention that Alaina is 4 months old today?

Delia was stunned because Alaina is big enough to grab her hand and hold it.

My jungle girls are so sweet. :)

Wordful Wednesday: The faces of Delia

2011-06-29T08:53:00.010-05:00

It seems only fair that since I did a post a while back on the faces of Alaina, that I should do the same for Delia.

The other day after work, I told Delia that I wanted to try out some settings on my camera. (The poor girl was trying to eat while I was doing this, by the way.)

Here's what she gave me.

Kissy Face

Scary Face

Smug Face

Smile Face

Look-what-I'm-eating Face

Beautiful Face

Go see who else is having a Wordful Wednesday over at 7 Clown Circus.

Happy Sisters

2011-06-23T08:57:00.003-05:00

*hangs head in shame*

I have been a blogging slacker.

But the girls are happy!

Please accept these photos as my way of apologizing.

WW: Sleepyhead

2011-06-08T08:13:00.005-05:00

Alaina turned 3 months old yesterday. I feel like time is flying by so quickly!

So yep. 3 months old. And I swear she is still such a laid-back, easy baby. Of course it probably helps that she sleeps like a zillion hours a day.

And I know that this may not last, but Alaina is completely sleeping through the night these days for 10-11 hours a night.
(Please don't kill me.)

So what is my secret?

Luck.

Cluster feeding at night.

And a bedtime routine.

Sometimes I wonder if she sleeps too much though.

Even the infant room teachers at her daycare commented on how much she sleeps, and heck, they are the infant room teachers. Infants sleep a lot!

Then again, here was Alaina on her first day of daycare.

Delia was so excited to have a picture taken of the girls wearing their matching Big Sister/Little Sister outfits, and Alaina promptly fell asleep when I set her on the chair next to Delia. lol. That is why D has a WTH look on her face. Nice.

According to Baby Center, 3 month old babies should sleep 15 hours a day, give or take 2 hours.

Let's take a look at the amount of sleep she seems to get these days.

8:30pm - 6:30am -- 10 hours
7:45am - 9:30am -- 1.75 hours
11:00am - 12:30pm -- 1.5 hours
1:45pm - 3:30pm -- 1.75 hours
5:30pm - 6:15pm -- .75 hours

Total for the day -- 15.75 hours

Ha! Take that, infant room daycare teachers. Alaina is still a normal sleeper.

Whew. That makes me feel better too.

I will just continute to count my blessings and appreciate that Alaina can even nap when I take Delia on outings to the park.

Photostory Friday: Day at the Park

2011-06-03T08:21:00.005-05:00

While my life may not be terribly exciting these days to most, I am extremely happy just to be able to get myself, Alaina, and Delia all off to the neighborhood park without mishap.

This was one of those days, and Delia was SO ready to run around and have fun. (I also enjoyed using my new telephoto zoom lens!)

Here is Delia's story.

Hey, Mom. Look! I can balance!

I want to be in gymnastics.

I am so good at balancing.

I wonder if those kids over there want to play with me...

Do they see me?

Oh well. I can have fun by myself.

Mom, look how fast I can run!

I'm going to get you!

Oh, darnicles. The wind is getting my hair in my face.
(She really says that, BTW.)

I can twirl!

I can climb!

I can swing!

Bet 'cha can't catch me!

We hope you are all having a happy Friday!

Go check out some other photo posts today.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Photostory Friday: Lost Opportunity

2011-05-27T08:08:00.008-05:00

I was just sitting at my kitchen table eating breakfast when I saw a pheasant in my neighbor's yard. I immediately thought of my new telephoto zoom lens. Perfect!

I put the new lens on and proceeded out to the backyard in stealth mode. I had not seen the pheasant fly away, so I was pretty sure it was just relaxing out there.

Then I noticed this guy in the same yard where I spotted the pheasant.

And of course he began following me along the fence.

Just as I spotted the pheasant, the pheasant spotted the dog.

Wow, that is one fast flying bird. Bye, bye opportunity.

The dog didn't even have the decency to look sorry.

*sighs*

The good news is that it is my favorite weekend to be outside.

My crab apple tree is blossoming.

And our gazillion lilac bushes are gorgeous and fragrant.

So there you have it. Maybe I'll spend the rest of the day stalking the bird feeder with my camera.

And of course, now that I am back inside, a male and female pair of cardinals are at the bird feeder. Maybe I need to create some type of bird blind in the backyard for myself...

Anyway, we hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Wordful Wednesday: Matching Dresses

2011-05-25T09:01:00.003-05:00

When you have one daughter who is wearing 3T/4T clothing, another daughter who is in 0-3 month clothing, and you want them to match, all I have to say is thank goodness for Carter's!

The girls have just a handful of matching outfits, but I have decided I will take photos every time they coordinate. :)

Here was one morning last week before we brought Delia to daycare.

Delia kept making kissy faces, and they both kept moving.

I ended up with just this one where they were both smiling and not moving quite as much. lol.

Happy Hump Day!

Go see who else is being Wordful this Wednesday.

Photostory Friday: My baby likes the camera

2011-05-20T08:49:00.005-05:00

I swear that nearly every time I point the camera at Alaina, she smiles. I love it. :)

I was finally able to dress her in some "summer clothes" this week since the temperatures were reasonably warm. I figured that was a good enough reason to do a mini photo shoot of my little sweet pea.

Oh hey. It's my friend, the camera.

Check out my feet. Aren't they adorable?

What 'cha doing, Mom?

This is my squishy face.

Ah! You caught me smiling!

Alright, alright. One more and then you're done.

Okay, last one. We hope you have a happy Friday!

Go check out other Photostory Friday and Give Me Your Best Shot posts!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Wordful Wednesday: A perfect girls' night

2011-05-18T09:26:00.010-05:00

Around here, girls' night has a different meaning than in the past.

Not too long ago, girls' night meant going out for drinks, dinner, and/or a movie with my friends.

Now it refers to the evenings when Stu has plans, and it is just us girls at home. The girls include Delia, Alaina, Sarah (dog), Sydney (dog), and me, of course. We have quite the feminine home!

So last night was a girls' night and a glorious one at that. It was a gorgeous 71 degrees with sun and no wind.

We needed to be outside, so I suggested Delia paint some rocks on the deck. She was very excited and picked a dozen rocks up before I could get the paints and brushes set up.

One rock after another was painted with different colors.

And for those that are wondering, Alaina was enjoying our time outside too.

I was happy to have my hands free to take a few photos.

Before too long, Delia looked at me and said, "I'm hungry."

I whipped together some sandwiches and before long, at Delia's request, we were having a picnic supper on a blanket.

Delia told me how happy she was to be eating supper on the blanket. (Thankfully she did not complain about how lumpy this particular section of our lawn-in-progress was.)

Then Alaina woke up from her outdoor nap and was all smiles.

Delia gave me her goofiest peanut buttery smile too.

Then we spent some time hanging out in the yard. Alaina lounged while Delia hit/threw tennis balls to the dogs.

After a trip to the neighborhood park, baths for both girls, and books, we all settled down to sleep after our perfect girls' night.

Go see who else is being Wordful this Wednesday!

Hip Ultrasound Update

2011-05-13T15:15:00.003-05:00

Apparently there was a miscommunication about the alpha angles on Alaina's hips. The person passing on messages to me at the pediatrician's office told me "50 degrees," but it was in fact 60 degrees. That means that the last few days I have been worried unnecessarily because normal hips are >60 degrees.

So yes, Alaina was right on the lower range of normal at her last ultrasound.

Today she measured around 68 degrees for both hips! Woot!! So NO hip dysplasia and NO therapy needed. Whew!

Thanks for all of the kind words and thoughts headed our way this week!

Alaina's Official 2 Month Update: The Good and the Bad

2011-05-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

For starters, Alaina is still a pretty easy-going baby as far as I'm concerned. She eats well and sleeps well. She fusses when she is hungry or tired, but that is good because I need to know when she needs something.

She smiles often at us, and as her pediatrician put it, her entire face lights up when she smiles.

We had her 2 month doctor appointment on Monday.

Her official stats are as follows:

Weight: 9 lbs, 11.5 oz (20th percentile)
Height: 21.5 inches (21st percentile)

While she is still a petite little lady, she is doing great for growth because she was only in the 10th and 11th percentile for weight and height at 2 weeks. Yayy, Alaina!!

Now for the part that makes mama worry.

I mentioned previously that around 1 month old, Alaina went to Gillette Children's Hospital for a hip ultrasound. Her pediatrician noticed that she had asymmetrical thigh folds which can indicate developmental hip dysplasia, so off we went. At the appointment the radiologist noted that "her measurements were just outside the range of normal" and basically recommended a follow up ultrasound.

I never heard from our pediatrician, so I was not concerned.

At our appointment, the pediatrician discovered that she was never sent the ultrasound images/results from the appointment. Once she received them this week, I found out that the alpha angle of Alaina's left hip at the time of the u/s was only 50 degrees. A normal alpha angle in infants is >60 degrees.

Reference

We go for a repeat hip ultrasound tomorrow, and I am quite nervous. If the angle has not improved as desired (not even sure exactly what measurement they are hoping for), I believe Alaina will have to wear a harness to correct her hip.

While I know the harness can be very effective at a young age and prevent surgery, I am still sad at the thought of my sweet baby having to deal with this. She already started rolling over occasionally, and I would hate for the harness to hinder her movement. She also starts daycare in less than three weeks, and I am not sure if they have dealt with this kind of thing there. And what if she becomes an unhappy baby? I am honestly trying not to worry about this before I need to, but it's hard.

So that's all I know at this point. We will update as we find out more. Bye for now!

Wordful Wednesday: The faces of Alaina

2011-05-04T13:24:00.003-05:00

I love how babies can seemingly go through a dozen different emotions and expressions in less than 30 seconds.

Here are a few of Alaina's faces.

Serious.

Thoughtful.

Happy.

Relaxed.

We hope you are having a good week!

Go see who else is being Wordful this Wednesday.

Photostory Friday: Show and Share X

2011-04-29T12:38:00.003-05:00

Today's Show and Share item in Delia's preschool class
must begin with the letter X.

Xylophone? Nope, don't have one.

X-ray? Nope, don't have one.

X-ray fish? Nope, don't have one.

But here is Delia, showing off the item I suggested that she share.

My mom was not very creative today.

But hey, at least my teachers won't go crazy with more xylophone sharing.

Yep, that's it. An X. That goes in the tub.

And I think it's clever!

Then again, I don't know what an X or a xylophone is.

Happy Friday!!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T08:11:00.009-05:00

I'm here and emerging from my world of having a newborn baby to bring you a few photos from our Easter weekend.

It all started with our first road trip up north to my in-laws' house. The whole family came, including our two 60-pound dogs. Can I just say that I love my new Dodge Caravan with stow-and-go seats? Woot!

Anyway, our actual trip up was great. Delia napped for 1.5 hours of the 2.5 hour drive. Alaina slept the whole trip, up until the last 20 minutes. Then it became a bit like the movie Speed--if the van slowed down, she woke up. ha!

Despite dismal weather on Saturday, we had a great time visiting with my mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, and Delia's cousins. We also enjoyed some down time.

The egg hunt on Sunday was the highlight of the weekend for a good portion of the household.

We're ready to go!

I have an assistant!

Who hid this one back here?

Got it!

Can I open this one now?

Maybe this one?

I love Easter egg hunting! That's it for now!

We all had a great time and made it home safely as well (although the naps on the way home were not nearly as lengthy).

We hope your holiday weekend was nice too!

Wordful Wednesday: This time around.

2011-04-13T08:11:00.003-05:00

When Delia was born, I was so anxious.

So nervous.

So worried that I wouldn't do things right.

I didn't have a lot of experience with babies, but I was determined that I wasn't going to screw mine up. Of course I gave birth to a 5 pound 6 ounce baby, had issues with breastfeeding due to my own anatomical issues and having a small and sleepy baby, and also dealt with infant reflux.

I started this blog when Delia was 5 weeks old and during the period of my life when I was exclusively pumping. That meant I was hooked up to a breast pump every 2-3 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night. I most often blogged at my 2:00 am pumping session.

Those newborn days were TOUGH.

Nothing could have prepared me for that period of time in our life, but of course it was all worth it. We figured everything out just fine. I cannot imagine my life without my red-headed spitfire of a child. She is so incredible and amazes me every day.

So now we are on take two of newborn days.

This time around is different. I am more at ease.

More relaxed.

More prepared.

I know I won't screw up my child, and I knew what I was getting in to when we decided to have a second child.

And while we certainly have days (or nights) where I want to burst into tears and run away, this time around is also easier.

Even though we are trying to figure out how to balance our time between the girls, I feel like taking care of Alaina comes much more naturally. Breastfeeding is going well (have been exclusively BFing for over 5 weeks now!), sleeping is going pretty darn well (Alaina has slept through the night a handful of times in the last week), and the love I have for my two girls overwhelms me.

Here I am this time around.

Go see who else is being Wordful this Wednesday!

One month update

2011-04-07T11:19:00.009-05:00

Can you believe it has been one whole month since I gave birth to this beautiful little girl?

That means it has been one month since I entered what I like to call "survival mode."

Some like to call it the 4th trimester, but that sounds too nice. Survival is what it's about, people.

Lots of nursing? Check.
Not a lot of sleep? Check.

I am treated with a random good night of sleep (Like last night! Yayy!), but as is to be expected, we don't have much in the way of a normalcy when it comes to night time sleeping yet.

So since I posted a one-month picture, let's work backwards a bit.

Here are some picture I took of Alaina at 3 weeks.

Then there was a huge diaper blow-out, and yeah. That was the end of that little photo shoot.

Here are a couple of pictures of Alaina at around 2 weeks old.

I think there is so much difference between 2 weeks and one month!

And here is a sleeping baby picture taken sometime around 2 weeks. Just because she is adorable.

Now who can forget about big sister, Delia?

She is still doing so well with Alaina. She asks to hold her and see her every chance she gets. Since the baby is a cluster feeder, I am nursing quite often in the evenings when Delia is home from preschool/daycare. For the most part, Delia is a real trooper about the fact that I can't always help her and play with her every moment that she wants.

Of course there are also times when she is not so understanding, but I can't blame her.

So yeah, that's where we are. And today is good day.
I had a good night of sleep.
I managed to take a shower before noon.
And the baby is napping, so I get to eat some lunch and put up this post.

I hope life continues to be smoother around our household as I figure out this balancing act.

***Edited to add that we did go to Gillette Children's Hospital on Tuesday for Alaina to have a hip ultrasound. She had asymmetrical thigh folds at her 2-week appointment, which can be a sign of hip dysplasia. While her measurements were just outside the range of normal, at this point, the doctors don't believe there is a need for a harness. Yayy!

As a mom to two children, I promise...

2011-04-02T11:54:00.002-05:00

1. That I will do my best to balance my time and energy between my two children, my husband, and the rest of my life.

2. That some days, despite my best intentions, I will fail at #1.

3. That I will probably be more tired and not as well groomed as when we had just one child.

4. That even though I love being a mommy of two, some days I will be very overwhelmed and stressed out.

5. That for every time I give a negative correction to my child(ren), I will do my best to say three positive things to her as well.

6. That the entire family will learn about taking turns and sharing and waiting.

7. That not everyone will be happy all the time.

8. That I will work very hard to try to make everyone happy as much as I can.

9. That I will work very hard to make sure that I am happy too.

10. That no matter what kind of day my children or I are having, I will always love them.

How is Delia doing?

2011-03-17T13:37:00.008-05:00

Since the baby was born, everyone has been asking how Delia is doing with her new sister and all of the changes around the household.

Honestly, she is doing as well as can be expected.

She LOVES her baby sister, Alaina. She loves to help out with her, she loves to give her hugs and kisses, and she loves being a big sister.

She was even able to give her sister a bottle this week. (Please disregard her preschool hat hair. ha!)

But of course, even giving Alaina a bottle became boring pretty quickly.

Delia is a busy kid and loves to stay busy. So what is to be expected is that Delia is learning that our world no longer revolves solely around her wants and needs. The first week home from the hospital was fairly rough at times, but the last couple of days have been better as we all settle in to our new norm.

I think it is really helpful that Delia is still at daycare/preschool during the day and then home with us in the evening. I think she would get resentful and really act up if we kept her home. She loves going to school.

Also, Stu has been incredible and patient with Delia and helps out with every little thing, taking up my slack while I nurse Alaina. And Delia is quickly learning that when I have the little one attached to my boob, she needs to ask her dad for help.

As for Alaina, she is such a good little baby.

She is a cluster feeder, so while that means I am stuck on the couch for 1-3 hours at a time, Alaina then sleeps.

And nurses.

And then sleeps some more.

Also, Alaina never really cries. Although when she wakes up and wants to nurse, she squawks like a baby pterodactyl. It's sort of cute and thankfully intermittent.

All in all, things are extremely good for having a 10-day old newborn and a 3.5 year old. We are very blessed!

It's Official. Delia is a big sister.

2011-03-13T15:31:00.008-05:00

At 7:37 PM on 3/7/11, Alaina Deneen was born weighing 6 lbs, 8 oz and measuring 20 inches long. She is so beautiful!

My water broke that morning at home around 7:00 AM, but unfortunately, contractions did not start on their own. I went to the hospital around noon and was started on Pitocin at 2:00. Alaina came just 5.5 hours later after an extremely intense and painful labor. I did get some pain relief briefly with an intrathecal injection about 3 minutes before I began pushing.

My recovery has been much easier with Alaina than it was with Delia. Unfortunately, Stu, Delia, and I have all been stricken with a chest cold. The good news is that so far Alaina is a fairly easy baby. (Dare I say that? I am sure to have an awful night just because I posted that here. ha!)

Aside from hoping that Alaina does not get a cold, she also has some jaundice. I am just hoping that all of the feeding, pooping, and peeing she does helps to clear out her system quickly.

As for Delia, she loves being a big sister. Even when she is having a naughty moment one second, the next second she will be completely loving and careful when it comes to her "baby sister." I will never forget the feeling when Delia came to the hospital to meet Alaina for the first time. My heart literally doubled in size with love.

Without further ado, here are a few pictures from this week.

Alaina at around 2 hours old

Delia's first visit

The whole family

Peaceful baby

A rare glimpse of open eyes

Sleeping beauty

Thanks for all of the love and support we have received this week from friends and family. We feel so blessed!

Photostory Friday: Dear Baby,

2011-03-04T08:47:00.003-06:00

Dear Baby,

Please come out.

Please? Pretty please?

Your big sister, Delia, really wants to meet you, and your Daddy and I are getting so anxious!

You may not realize this, but your sister showed up when I was 38 weeks, 1 day pregnant. You are already late for the party since I will be 39 weeks tomorrow.

We promise not to hold it against you if you come this weekend. That would be perfect.

Love,
Your Mom

p.s. Here are some pictures we took last weekend with you still snug in my belly.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Random Tuesday Thoughts: A walk, valentines, the nursery, and pregnant ol' me

2011-02-15T12:22:00.008-06:00

Hello, ladies and gents. I hope this Tuesday finds you random and rambunctious.

Here is a random week in review with photos.

It was really freaking cold last week. And then it was not. We went for a walk.

Here.

And here.

We ALL needed to get out of the house.

Seriously. The two with fur have been staring us down for the last week because they were going freaking stir-crazy. (See how they are pulling Stu down the trail?! Poor guy probably has a sore shoulder this week.)

* * * * R T T * * * *

Monday was Valentine's Day. This was the first year that Delia participated in exchanging valentines with her classmates.

We spent three nights working on these. First, Delia traced her name onto cards.

Then we taped some candy inside the card and put a heart sticker on the edge to seal it up.

Voila! Valentines are complete!

* * * * R T T * * * *

Holy crap. I am 36.5 weeks pregnant. Woot!

Know what? My ankles are getting puffy, and I really hate when I drop things onto the floor.

(Yes, that picture is in the bathroom where I work.)

Otherwise, I'm honestly not doing too badly. At least I don't feel any worse than I did at Christmas. I was anticipating things would get worse. ha!

We are pretty much ready for the baby, with the exception of two items I realized we do not have (Mylicon gas drops and a baby book).

This week is operation-get-everyone-else-ready, so the dogs have a vet and grooming appointment on Wednesday. Delia has a haircut (her first official one!) on Wednesday evening. I also just found a new pediatrician for both Delia and baby girl, so that makes me happy.

I am whittling down my to-do list at work and making sure all of the necessary back-ups are in place for when baby girl makes her appearance.

Delia came at 38 weeks, 2 days which is just 13 days from now! Crazy, eh? Of course this baby could come late, but I am not planning on having any time to do anything in March since I'm a planner.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Speaking of the baby, here are some shots of the nursery (which is finally done as of this weekend!).

* * * * R T T * * * *

I hope this Tuesday is good for you and to you. I have to get back to process maps, metrics, and attending meetings now. Adios!

Monday Memo: Make Believe

2011-02-07T12:12:00.002-06:00

Memo: Let the record show that for grown-ups (at least this grown-up) playing make-believe with Delia can be very difficult!

It is amazing that what came so easily to me as a child is so challenging as an adult. Delia will ask me to play dolls or ponies or some variation of mommy/baby with her, and I have the hardest time. In fact, the thought of having to play make-believe with her will result in me coming up with some lame mom task that needs to be done instead.

Before you judge me too harshly, there are some imaginative "games" that Delia wants me to join in on that are much easier to play. These tend to be related to creative activities. For example, ever since November when the preschool room was busy making hand print turkeys, Delia likes to pretend that we paint our hands to make hand prints.

Believe it or not, I do need to participate in this game. I give Delia my hand, palm up, and she asks me what color I want on each finger. After I choose a color, she pretends to paint an individual finger. When she is all done "painting" my hand, she will press my hand to paper. Voila! I will also "paint" her hand.

So of course last week while Delia and I are snuggling at bedtime and she asks to paint my hand, I am not opposed. I give her my hand, and Delia asks, "What color do you want?"

I reply, "Blue."

Delia says, "Sorry, we're all out of blue."

"Hmmmmm," I say. "Okay, how about red?"

Delia remains straight-faced and replies, "Nope, we are all out of red too."

"Okay," I say, "How about green?"

"No," Delia says. "No green either. I need to refill our paints."

I went through about six colors before she finally relented and painted one of my fingers.

Little stinker.

Just when I thought I had this make-believe thing figured out, she goes and makes it difficult for me again.

Bed Head

2011-02-04T08:59:00.005-06:00

Last night I mentioned to Stu that I am glad Delia's hair is finally growing.

Stu asked me if he thinks we should cut it short in the back, so maybe she will end up with frizz-free hair when it grows back.

(Truth be told, I have taken the scissors to the back of her hair to shear of the mullet about 4 or 5 times since the front/sides grow much more slowly.)

I told him I doubted a haircut would help to alleviate the frizz.

Delia just has wild hair.

This is what it looks like every morning.

Yeah, I need to wet her hair down every day and actually do it, but it does end up pretty cute most of the time.

Besides, it sort of matches her personality -- bright, loud, and crazy.

:)

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Sassy pants, Grandkids, and Scotcheroos

2011-02-01T09:30:00.008-06:00

So, Delia started Spanish class at her preschool last week. She is very excited about going to Spanish, but it might be due to the fact that two of her BFFs are in class. Anyway, as we were driving in the car on Sunday, I mentioned that we should work on her Spanish vocabulary words.

Me: Delia, Abuela is Spanish for Grandma. Abuelo is Spanish for Grandpa.

Delia: Are you kidding me?

Me: About what?

Delia: Abuela? That's Spanish for grandma? Are you kidding me?

Me: No, I'm not kidding. (WTH? How do I respond to that? lol.)

* * * * * * * * * *

I'm now 34.5 weeks pregnant. I had Delia at 38 weeks, 2 days, so I may only have 4 weeks left. Eeek! I still have a bunch of stuff to do.

My best friend is throwing me a sprinkle this weekend, and another friend is putting together a shower at work for next week. Woo hoo!!

* * * * * * * * * * *

Know why my parents need more grandkids?

Because this is our favorite picture from Christmas:

From left to right, the dogs are:

Sarah (ours), Sydney (ours), Mora, Dexter, and Ella.

And here is a photo of the lone grandchild from that day:

Delia would not sit still long enough for me to get a good picture, and I hate using flash indoors. ha!

BTW, it still blows my mind that next year at Christmas we will be celebrating with Delia and her 9 month old sister! Wow!

* * * * * * * * * * *

Speaking of the new kid/grandkid in the family, Stu and I really need to sit down and decide on a name. That is one of my top 3 "to dos"!

* * * * * * * * * * *

I friggin' love Scotcheroos. I had one for dessert after breakfast this morning. They are good all day long, anytime of day.

For those from Facebook and work who requested the recipe:

Scotcheroos

1 c sugar
1 c Karo syrup
1 c peanut butter
6 c rice krispies
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c butterscotch chips

13 x 9 pan

In a sauce pan over medium-high, bring the sugar and Karo syrup to a boil; stir in the peanut butter and turn off the heat.

At the same time over low, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together, stirring frequently until smooth.

Pour the yummy PB/sugary mixture over the rice krispies in a large bowl and stir. Press resulting yumminess into the 13 x 9 pan.

Spread the melted chocolate/butterscotch over the top of the bars.

Let set until cool (or toss into the freezer for 15 minutes or so if you are impatient like me).

Cut, eat, enjoy.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Go see who else is being Random this Tuesday.

Go do it NOW. I'm crabby today.

Dangerous

2011-01-24T15:36:00.003-06:00

This was an exchange between Delia and I last week.

Me: Delia, it's dangerously cold outside today.

Delia: It's dangerous outside??

Me: Yep. We need to wear hats, mittens, and scarves.

Delia: Are there monsters outside???

When it's not dangerous outside (and I'm not scaring my daughter), Delia really loves to play in the snow.

Here are a few cute pictures to show you what Delia wished she could do during our recent cold snap.

Why are kids so stinkin' cute when they are bundled up in the winter?!

Wordful Wednesday: Eau Claire Children's Museum

2011-01-19T11:39:00.007-06:00

After a few days of Christmas insanity and joy, what better way to unwind than to hit up the local Children's Museum? My parents live in Eau Claire, so we stopped there before leaving town over the holidays.

It was good for all of us to get out of the house!

Okay, so how many activities can one child do in an hour and a half?

And......GO!!

Visiting the bank at the drive-up window

She is already irritated by waiting at the bank.

Look over there, Dad!

Hanging out inside the digestive system

Sliding out of the butt!

Stu likes sliding out of the butt too. heh.

TV Producer

Construction/carpentry

Art Project

Grocery store check-out clerk

See how excited she is? She knows this is her future summer job. (Really, I think she was just tired by this point.)

Music!

More music!!

Whew. She actually did WAY more stuff than just this. We were all wiped out when we left. And praise the nap gods, our child actually SLEPT on our drive home to Minnesota.

Go see who else is being wordful today. :)

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2011-01-07T15:25:00.004-06:00

That was Tuesday.

Delia woke up and acted like a 16-year old, grunting at me from under the covers.

Daycare drop-off went about as expected being the second day back at school after 10 days on holiday.

Did I mention that it was below zero and there was black ice?

So anyway, I am on my way to work, minding my own business. I was on a four-lane state highway headed east in the right lane. I was only about 150 yards from my turn lane when it happened.

Out of the corner of my left eye I saw a huge Chevy SUV going very fast headed west that suddenly lost control. In the same instant, I realized that the SUV was heading right over the median directly at me.

I thought for a split second that the SUV had gone just behind me when

BAM!

I was suddenly in the snowbank on the side of the highway. I could see pieces of my vehicle littering the snow, and I could feel a cold draft in my car.

I was trying to figure out if I was hurt, and then I really started to panic thinking about my baby in utero.

The other driver showed up at my vehicle very quickly and asked if I was okay. I told her that I thought I was fine, but that I was 30 weeks pregnant and needed to make sure the baby was okay.

She and I both called 911 to have the police come. I declined an ambulance since I was not injured.

In the meantime, morning traffic continued to fly by us, and my vehicle was sticking out into the right lane.

A few minutes later I see two police cars heading away from our accident. I call 911 back to tell them this, and they tell me there are two other accidents on the same road.

I was still sitting in my van at this point with my seat belt on because:
1) It was below zero
2) I did not want to get hit by another sliding vehicle
3) I was starting to have contractions

About 10 minutes pass, all the witnesses left, and thankfully two plow trucks stopped by to help block traffic. The plow nearest to my car was being driven by a very nice man who was an ex-firefighter with EMT experience. He checked on me every 5-10 minutes until the police came.

I was not in a good place while waiting for the police. I called my husband, my best friend, one of my bosses, my midwife, and posted on Facebook.

It took the police 50 minutes to show up. Oy.

Thankfully my best friend also arrived at the same time, the sheriff's deputy who was filing the report did quick work, the tow truck showed up, and we were able to make a quick exit to head to the hospital (since my midwife told me to head to labor and delivery for monitoring).

Needless to say I spent most of Tuesday at the hospital getting the baby monitored. I'm also Rh negative, so they wanted to make sure that they didn't detect any fetal blood mixed with mine. All was good with baby, and I was still doing fine too.

After I was released from the hospital, Stu and I stopped at the auto repair shop where my van was towed.

I am incredibly thankful that the SUV hit the back half of my van and not the front half, or I would likely have a very different story to tell.

It was scary enough as it was. I still see that SUV hurtling towards me when I close my eyes.

The good news is that I am fine, the baby is fine, and the other driver's insurance is taking care of everything. Now I am just waiting to hear whether or not they will total out my van. (Keep in mind that this same van underwent a large amount of body work less than two years ago when a tree fell on it.)

So, yep. There you go. Happy Friday. ;)

Hello, 2011.

2011-01-03T09:02:00.003-06:00

I look forward to this being a great year.

Stu and I plan to stay at our current jobs (he is a printer at U of MN, and I am a business analyst at a medical device company).

Delia will still be attending the preschool class at her daycare and will be transitioning to Preschool 2 late this summer.

And of course, we will be welcoming an addition to our family within the next 8-11 weeks!

I have a few goals in mind for myself beginning this year.

1) Blog at least twice a week.
2) Take photographs at least every other day.
3) Clean up my life.

#1 and #2 are pretty self-explanatory, but let's talk about #3.

To start out this year, I finally cleaned out Delia's closet. It is a large closet, and it had been the dumping ground for various items over the years (everything from my wedding dress from 2002 to portfolios from school in 2000).

And then this morning I unsubscribed to SIXTEEN different email publications I receive on a regular basis for no apparent reason.

While I am doing a bit of nesting, of course, I am intent on cleaning up areas of my life (home, email, work, etc.) that I have let slide for too long.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. :)

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-22T13:19:00.004-06:00

PSF: Fall Getaway Photos

2010-12-16T21:53:00.009-06:00

My story is that about two months ago, my husband and I were able to go out of town for a weekend ALONE. It had been more than a year since we had last done that.

Anyway, we went to La Crosse, Wisconsin.

It was so nice and relaxing! (Plus, Delia had tons of fun being spoiled by Nana and Grandpa.)

Stu and I have a bunch of pictures, and I am (finally) posting a few of my favorites.

(And I am so lazy that I have not even edited these. ha!)

Happy Friday!!

Stu and I checking things out (self portrait)

View from the bluff that overlooks La Crosse

Mississippi River in the fall

A bare tree up on the bluff

A building that caught my eye downtown

La Cross River meets the Mississippi

Well, that's all I have to share today. I promise I will have more to post soon. :)

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Jingle Bells, Bananas, and Pretzels

2010-12-07T08:19:00.004-06:00

So one day last week when I picked Delia up from daycare, her teachers told me that they asked Delia if we had picked out a name for the baby yet.

Delia said, "Yes, we have."

Her teachers asked, "What is her name?"

"Jingle bells," said Delia. "Then we can say 'Come here, Jingle Bells.'"

I appreciate that she qualified it by explaining that we can call the baby to us like a dog.

* * * * R T T * * * *

So I know I griped previously on here about how I've been stricken with numerous colds over the last 8 weeks. I finally went to the doctor last week, and although it is just viral junk, she prescribed an Albuturol inhaler and some Flonase for me.

I am feeling better than I was last week, but I still have a ways to go before I will feel healthy again.

Boo, illness! Go AWAY!

* * * * R T T * * * *

Delia and I are traveling to Eau Claire this weekend for a Christmas party at my parents' house. We are very excited. And of course, Delia plans to wear a dress and tights.

Of course, she wears a dress and tights every single day. She INSISTS. The girl won't even wear a tunic with leggings. She will break down crying if I don't stay on top of the laundry and all of her dresses and tights are dirty. I don't even know the last time she wore pants.

My mom tells me that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree because I used to request a similar wardrobe when I was that age. Of course, I don't know that I was into the coordinating jewelry that Delia claims she must wear.

Today she has on a pink flowered corduroy dress, pink cable knit tights, a pink ring, and a pink bracelet.

* * * * R T T * * * *

I realized this morning that I don't like bananas this pregnancy. I keep trying to eat them since I think they will help with leg cramps, but every time I eat one, I get halfway through and think, "Nope, I just don't like it."

How odd.

I hope I like bananas again when I'm not pregnant.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Our cafeteria recently started offering jumbo pretzels with cheese sauce. For breakfast.

Now I love me some carb-filled soft pretzels with gelatinous cheese sauce, but for breakfast?

I don't get it.

Maybe they're good with eggs?

* * * * R T T * * * *

Well, back to the grind.

Happy RTT-ing to you!!

100 Days -- countdown!

2010-12-02T09:00:00.004-06:00

There are 100 days to go until this baby girl is due to emerge!

To think that there are about 280 days in a pregnancy, and tomorrow, I will be in the double digits.

Amazing! :)

And YAY!!

The first third of this pregnancy dragged by, so I am glad things are finally moving along. Having the holidays in here will surely help as well.

So, here are some random updates...

It has been just over 2 weeks since I took my last Zofran and since I last threw up. Woo hoo!! I am so, so, SO glad that the nausea finally stopped. I have been fairly non-functional in certain aspects of my life.

Amazingly I am not that tired. I don't get to nap during the day since I work full-time, and I am still going to bed at night during my normal time (between 10 and 11 PM). Of course, I don't turn down a nap on the couch on the weekend. ;)

I get contractions every day. It is so strange to get braxton hicks contractions this early! They actually started when I was around 15 weeks. Physically, I am in pretty good shape, but if I overdo it, I immediately get contractions along with hip and back pain. I did not experience that with my first pregnancy, so it is strange for me to actually feel so pregnant sometimes.

I "heart" Zantac. And Tums. Enough said.

Did I mention that I am REALLY glad that I am not nauseous anymore?

Oh yeah, and the last item on my list of random pregnacy-related updates is that I want my strong immune system back. I have had colds/funk/gunk for about 8 weeks now. Every time I think I am getting well, I get hit with a new cold and set of symptoms. This week (and last) my co-workers and family are enjoying the sounds of me coughing up a lung day and night. Maybe next week will be better. Maybe.

Hope things are going well with all of you. ;)

RTT: Tires, Thanksgiving, and our Three year old

2010-11-23T09:30:00.004-06:00

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Following my encounter with the good samaritan, I am currently sitting at Perkin's about a block from an auto repair shop. If you didn't read that story, I had a flat tire and am purchasing two new tires right now.

I was not looking forward to having to budget two tires. Then the auto repair guy called me, recommending 4 new tires, fixing something in my front alignment system, and doing an overall alignment. The estimate on that made me gasp. Two tires are CHEAP compared to that business. Whatever. My car has pulled to the left since I bought it over three years ago. Maybe I'll fix the alignment crap and get two more tires next year. Or the year after. heh.

* * * * R T T * * * *

The baby girl currently residing in utero likes to hang out on my right side. She must have liked my Perkin's breakfast...or maybe she didn't. Either way, she is practicing ninja kicks right now with my right side. I could see her kicking from the outside last night! I forgot how cool/creepy that is.

* * * * R T T * * * *

We normally host Thanksgiving, and we are doing it again this year. Unfortunately it seems that we have a storm (maybe a blizzard in parts of Minnesota?) coming in on Wednesday/Thursday. I have a feeling that Stu's side of the family from up north will either be delayed or will forego the trip entirely. Thankfully Christmas is only a month away!

* * * * R T T * * * *

Wait, Christmas is only a month away?!

I love Christmas time. :)

SO excited to turn on the outdoor lights! Stu won't let me do that until (after) Thanksgiving. I turn them on Thanksgiving night, so that our family can see them as they leave. ;)

Speaking of decorations, I have always loved having a real tree because I adore the smell. However, I am always the one who wriggles on my stomach under the tree to water it. Considering my protruding belly this year, that is not happening, so I have to go the faux tree route. I think I will buy a real wreath to put over the dining room table. Hopefully the smell will still make me happy.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Our little drama queen, Delia, is as lively as ever. She is really so entertaining (except when I want to lock her in her room for being defiant). From what I hear, that's normal though. Stu and I are taking her random outbursts and dramatic scenes in stride these days (mostly), so I think that helps overall.

Since I have not taken photos of Delia in ages, here is an attempt at a family photo from Delia's birthday party. Amazing that this was taken just a short time ago, and now it is ten degrees and snow-covered here!

Happy RTTing!

Now I have to walk back down the snow-covered sidewalk to get my van back.

Pay It Forward

2010-11-22T08:56:00.006-06:00

Let me set the stage for you.

It was Sunday afternoon (yesterday). I had just arrived back into town with Delia (we went to Eau Claire for the weekend), and I really wanted to go run a couple of errands by myself. Stu was glad to catch up with our exuberant child, so I was able to escape for a couple of hours by myself. And a note on the weather -- it was the tail end of an ice storm, and it was raining.

My first stop was Menard's -- for those of you who are not familiar with this establishment, it is a chain of huge hardware stores in the Midwest. Anywho, they sell bound carpet remnants as area rugs that are really inexpensive. I needed a brown one for the baby's room, so that is why I wanted to go there.

I found the perfect rug, and after picking up a couple of other odds and ends, I was about to go explore the holiday lights area. Right then, a man came up to me and said, "Excuse me. Did you drive a white mini van to the store?"

(I immediately assumed that this guy had hit my van or saw someone hit it.)

"Yes, I did," I replied.

He then said, "I thought so. I remembered that you were wearing a navy blue coat. I parked right near you. When I just went back out to my car, I noticed that your left rear tire was completely flat."

I believe I muttered "Oh crap."

Then he surprised me and said, "Are you done shopping? I can change your tire for you."

I immediately said, "Yes! I am done shopping. I will go check out now."

He agreed to meet me by my van. (As an aside, I was parked right near the main entrance, and it was daylight, so I was not worried for my safety!)

I show up outside a couple of minutes later with my purchases, and here is this nice man standing in the rain waiting for me.

I am still stunned that he was all done shopping and came back into a store the size of ten football fields to look for a woman in a navy blue coat to offer to change a tire. Then I find out that he is not even from here. He just stopped off to get salt on his way out of town.

I think I thanked him at least ten times. He just smiled and said, "Well, next time, you will have to do something nice for someone else."

When he was done putting on my spare, he wished me a happy Thanksgiving and that was that.

I definitely need to pay it forward. Wow!

Thursday Thought Dump

2010-11-11T08:29:00.004-06:00

I swear that every morning on the way to work I mentally plan out my blog post for the day, but I never quite get to it. Ah well, what do you do?

So today, you are getting dumped on.

Time Change

In the first couple of years of Delia's life, I was was always glad that my child did not seem affected by time changes. Whether we were springing ahead or falling back, we did not run into issues.

Until this fall...

I always loved falling back. That meant an extra hour of sleep! Right?

Not this year. That meant my child was up an hour early, so she ended up missing an hour of sleep (because of course I kept her up an hour later hoping that would do the trick.

I know you're laughing at me. You're saying, "Ha! I go through that every fall. Your turn!"

But not only did she miss an hour of sleep on Saturday, Delia missed two hours of sleep on Sunday night, two hours of sleep on Monday night, she does not nap on the weekends, and so by the time Tuesday rolled around, she had a horrible terrible no good very bad day at school and at home.

I know I should be thankful that we did not have an issue until now, but Ugh.

Because you know what happened?

My child here

turned into this monster here

I know you are laughing at me again. But remember this post? Stu and I are working very hard with Delia on her behavior, and I think our whole family was feeling a bit defeated by the time we got Delia to sleep on Tuesday night.

Thankfully she was back to this child

yesterday at school and with us.

I hope the monster stays away.

Being Pregnant

I'm nearly 23 weeks pregnant now. Crazy, eh? I have an active baby girl inside who is currently using me for kicking practice. I love it though. That is my favorite part of being pregnant.

Thankfully the not fun part (the throwing up) seems to be behind me. I hope. It's been a week and a half since I've gotten sick, although I need to take Zofran on occasion.

I actually really like being pregnant, but I feel like it is definitely harder on my body this time around. I have not gained as much weight yet (as I had with Delia at this point), but the baby is sitting really low. I never felt that restricted when I was pregnant last time -- I have a feeling I may not be doing much by the time the 3rd trimester rolls around.

For those of you who have been or are pregnant, do you ever get those moments where someone glances at you and gives you this knowing look like they know HOW you ended up that way? Sometimes I just want to yell, "Yes, I had sex, and now I'm gestating a child!" I do realize that just might be the hormones talking.

Christmas

'Tis my favorite season! And Delia is right there with me. My child has been picking out Christmas books to read at bedtime for the last week and a half. She also insists on me signing Jingle Bells (repeatedly) instead of a lullaby. She already knows We Wish You a Merry Christmas. She is so stinkin' cute.

Just wait until she finds out that one of our local radio stations started playing Christmas music today!

LOL. I just realized that we get to take a small road trip this weekend. I wonder if Stu will feel tortured if Delia and I get our Christmas music groove on in the car. heh.

Television

I love me some TV. Every night as soon as I get Delia in bed, I hop onto the couch and turn on the TV.

And why is it not already on, you ask?

We have found that TV + Delia = trouble.

While I LOVE that Delia will sit and watch Dora, Caillou, or a Barbie movie when I need to clean the house or make dinner, when I go to turn it off, she turns into this

While I know it is important for Delia to learn that the TV does get turned off and that we will say "no" to her, this is one battle that we have been avoiding lately.

Not only does the monster come out, BUT she turns into an overstimulated kid who will not settle down to go to sleep at night.

Plus I find that our evenings with her seem to last longer and are more enjoyable when we're not all glued to the TV.

To Be Continued

I have several more items in my brain, but I really should get back to work and save some of the fun for later.

Funny Hunny Bunny

2010-11-01T10:30:00.005-05:00

Despite our challenges with Delia lately, she is still the cutest kid in the world.

She told me that for Halloween she wanted to be "a pink bunny that hops."

Wish granted, kiddo.

And if you are wondering, she wore her bunny costume again last night. I did manage to distract her when she asked me to draw on the whiskers and nose.

While you're at it, go check out other kids' costumes over at SITS!

Parenting really sucks sometimes

2010-11-01T08:39:00.004-05:00

I normally post cute stories, photos, and nice updates here, but today is not like that. It is not always sunshine and rainbows. So here it is.

I don't know if it is the "Trying 3s" or if it is due to the fact that a baby is on the way, but Delia (and parenting) has been SO challenging the last couple of weeks for Stu and I.

I know we have been through rough patches before, but I feel like this one is especially bad.

Listening (or lack thereof)

Over the last couple of weeks, if we ask Delia to do something (put on her shoes, stop jumping on the bed, take another bite of dinner, etc.), one of three things will happen.

1) She will ignore us and keep doing what she is doing.
2) She will ignore us and will do something else (but still not what we asked of her).
3) She will say "No."

Where did my nice child go? Who is this person who thinks it is okay to act like a spoiled brat?

And what in the hell do we do?

We have tried counting to 3, we have tried time-outs, we have restricted rewards (TV, dessert, etc.), and any combination of the previously mentioned. And yet, this behavior persists.

Time-Outs (Discipline)

As mentioned above, we give time-outs in our house. When Delia was younger, we did time-outs in her room. However, I didn't want her to think of her room as a place she goes when she is in trouble, so for the last 6 months or so, we give her a time-out in a chair in the corner of the living room (or wherever we are). Not. Fun.

I will set the timer on the microwave and tell her she has 3 minutes in her time-out (I have heard to give one minute per year of age).

Then any variety of things can happen.

1) She will refuse to sit down.
2) She will shriek at the top of her lungs over and over.
3) She will yell "No!" or "I don't want a time-out!" or "I need to go potty!" or whatever else she can think of to drive me insane.
4) On rare occasions she will serve her time-out, apologize for not listening (or hitting or whatever), and that will be that.

Every time she yells or shrieks or misbehaves during time out, I will add a minute to her time out (4 minutes, then 5 minutes, etc.) This makes zero impact, aside from ticking her off and sending her into a frenzy of craziness.

Yesterday I was facing this scenario (we had gotten up to 6 minutes of time-out time), and she was still shrieking at me. I picked her up and marched her up to her room, so I didn't have to look at her.

Then more fun ensued. More screaming. And yelling. And then she was kicking/pounding on the door.

So again, what the hell do I do?

If my child is being defiant or not listening, I am not going to just ignore it. For parents who don't believe in disciplining their children, I just do not get it. Apparently you have perfect children, and my child is terrible.

But I don't believe that. My child is not terrible. I know that some of this behavior is normal. (And she is not like this ALL the time, honestly.) I am just trying to figure out the best way to handle this behavior when it does happen.

Last Night

Let's just say it was bad. Delia was completely out of control, and Stu and I were at our wits end.

After we put Delia to bed for the night, we sat and talked quite a while about what we can do better/differently/more/less. We know we need to be consistent with whatever we do. We know there are no magic answers. (It sure would be nice though.)

In the meantime, Delia is pretty much grounded. She is getting no TV for the next week (and she loves her Dora and Caillou). We also put all of her Halloween treats up in the cupboard for the next week. I told her she gets them back after she proves she can be a good listener.

So blech. This is weighing heavily on me today. Any advice? Experiences? Magic answers?

Blue or Pink? What do you think?

2010-10-21T11:06:00.003-05:00

Ever since the moment Delia found out that I had a baby in my tummy, she has insisted that it is a girl.

She will talk about her sister, and I often have said, "But Delia, it could be a brother."

"No, it's a sister," she insists.

Well, we had our ultrasound this morning.

The baby looked really good and was plenty busy. Aside from a low-lying placenta, everything was great.

So the question remains...Blue? or Pink?

And thankfully baby had an answer for us today...

Delia was right all along. :)

Did I do the right thing?

2010-10-07T08:51:00.006-05:00

As a parent, I feel like every decision I make influences how my child behaves and how her personality develops. And while she may not remember situations from when she is three years old, I still think this holds true.

I am sure many of you feel this way as well.

As you may know, Delia turned 3 the end of August. My best friend has a 4.5 year old daughter, and we decided to sign the girls up for swimming lessons together. We found lessons for 3-5 year olds where there is a 4:1 ratio, and the parents do not go in the water.

I will tell you that I was REALLY hopeful that Delia would go along with this since one of her classmates is a friend, but I was a bit apprehensive. Despite Delia's sassiness and the stories I share here, she is very tentative in new situations. If we go to a playgroup, for example, she will take 30-45 minutes to warm up and begin playing.

So, Day 1 of swimming lessons was a few weeks ago. I was really excited because the ratio actually ended up being 3:2. It was just Delia, her friend, and another girl in the class, and they had two teachers: one male and one female. Delia refused to go with the male teacher (no matter what), but after much coaxing from the female teacher, she got Delia to sit on the edge of the pool and splash a bit. This was after Delia sat with me for 25 minutes near the edge of the pool watching her classmates.

The following week Delia told me she would go in the water the entire class. And she did! Granted, she spent the first 10 minutes looking at me and saying that she wanted her mommy, but after that, she had a blast. With that being said, she spent her whole lesson in one small area with the female teacher, but I had great hopes that the following week, she would follow along with the rest of the class.

So last night we showed up at the pool, Delia put on her swimsuit, we stopped in the bathroom, and when I went to help Delia back into her suit, she freaked out. She started sobbing these huge tears and telling me that she did not want to go swimming. I told her that if she did not want to go swimming we would have to go home. She said that's what she wanted. Even when we said good-bye to our friends in the locker room, Delia did not change her mind.

So we left.

I was really disappointed, and I told Delia just that. Since I don't know if she understands the word disappointed, I told her that I was very sad that she was not swimming. I barely talked to her on the way home.

We kept it low key after we arrived home. I did not allow any TV watching or a trip to the neighborhood park. I told Delia that her chance to go somewhere fun was her swimming lesson.

So did I do the right thing?

Should I have forced my 3 year old into her swimsuit, despite her tears and obvious opinion on swimming last night?

Or was it okay that we went home?

I don't want her to think it's okay to quit at something, but when do you start that lesson?

By the way, she told me that she will go swimming next week. We'll see...

Photostory Friday: Autumn Colors

2010-10-01T08:55:00.004-05:00

As a child, when asked what my favorite season was, I always answered with "Winter!"

As an adult, when asked the same question, I answer with "Fall!"

While I still love nothing more than seeing snow pile up around my house, it's not quite the same now that there is driving and shoveling involved.

But fall...it was always a close second for me.

The smell of wood smoke in the air...
The taste of apple cider...
The sound of crisp leaves under my feet...
The beautiful colors of autumn...

I plan to get more pictures in the next couple of weeks as we are not even at our peak color time yet, but here is a start.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Wordful Wednesday: Gooseberry Falls

2010-09-29T08:52:00.009-05:00

For any of you who have ever visited Minnesota's infamous North Shore region, you have no doubt visited Gooseberry Falls. We went there over the weekend along with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and Delia's cousins.

The obligatory pose-in-front-of-the-statue picutre

A picture of the upper falls at Gooseberry

Delia having a moment with Daddy

Don't fall in! (Seriously, people were too close to the edge of water and cliffs for my liking!)

View from the top

Hello there! (a.k.a. Don't let go of my hand because I don't want you to trip and fall. Again.)

Delia and Daddy striding along

Delia and her cousin, the leaders of the pack, pause for a break

I think Delia liked our trek through the woods as much as she liked the falls

Go see who else is being wordful!

Wordful Wednesday

10 Things I Love This Week

2010-09-20T10:58:00.006-05:00

To get my Monday started off on a positive note, here are a 10 things I love this week:

1) My dad. He installed three new windows in Delia's room this weekend. They look incredible, and I am hoping her room stays warmer this winter!

2) Lowe's. We bought those three new windows at Lowe's for only $352!! Also, two out of three are eligible for the tax credit this year. Sweet!

3) My mom. Her generosity is incredible, and Stu and I are very much enjoying our new bedding set. Thanks, Mom!

4) Taste of the Wild dog food. Okay, I am not eating this stuff, but my dogs are doing really well on it. I feed them grain-free food, and I have been trying to find something that works well for them but doesn't cost a million dollars a year. This is it!

5) The pictures from my brother's wedding. I have to say that Delia is stunning. (Yes, I am biased.)

6) Pizza. Thank goodness I can eat it again without feeling ill. Mmmmm...pizza.

7) Halloween. I know it's only September, but Delia and I are so excited for Halloween! We already have plans for trick or treating with friends, and we bought Delia's costume this weekend. Let's just say she wore it on Saturday AND Sunday around the house.

8) Fall. I LOVE fall. We had a really warm summer (which I enjoyed), but it is a relif to wear pants, long-sleeve shirts, and jackets. Now that I'm feeling a bit better, I hope to spend lots of time outside. And like Delia reminds me, after fall comes the snow!! (Sorry, Lisa -- I know you don't want that to happen quite yet.)

9) Hockey. Along with fall comes hockey season. Woot! I am looking forward to watching our Minnesota Wild!! The first preseason game is on Wednesday. Yayy!

10) Delia. Although we had a few challening moments this weekend, I still adore my child through and through. And I LOVE that she is telling me how she feels these days -- even if it means that she tells me she is not happy with me. And yes, I am that mom that laughs when I hear my child saying, "I am so upset right now."

To wrap this up, here is another picture from the wedding, so you can see a recent picture of me with a very tired flowergirl. :)

Happy Monday to you!!

2nd Trimester

2010-09-13T08:19:00.003-05:00

I don't know exactly which day I entered the 2nd trimester, but since I am over 14 weeks, I am definitely there now. And although I try to save randomness for Tuesdays, I have some stuff I feel like sharing today.

Since the news has been out in the open over the last 2 weeks, I feel like this pregnancy is finally moving along. It took FOREVER to get to the point where we could share the news. I'm sure it didn't help that I was trying to get through my day at work and at home (with Delia) when I felt like absolute crap. At least now if I am feeling crappy, I don't have to hide it.

Speaking of not hiding it, poor Delia has been traumatized by me twice in the last week. It is true that I have been nauseous this ENTIRE pregnancy. Even before I had my first positive test (at a very early date), I felt rotten. However, I had not thrown up at all. Apparently, being 13 weeks pregnant means that it's my turn to throw up. What the heck!? And when I say Delia was traumatized, I am not kidding. I'm talking about my poor kid watching me barf into a plastic bag in the car--in the parking lot of her daycare--as I am supposed to be unbuckling her seat belt and sending her off with hugs and kisses. Oy. That happened about 2 days out of 5 in the last week. Yuck. So now I've gotten strict again with my regimen of Zofran and Unisom. Yayy pills!

So aside from the fact that we have shared our news, I suddenly LOOK pregnant. As in, I look the same right now at 14 weeks as I did with Delia at 20 weeks (maybe even 24 weeks). Now it did take forever and a day for me to look pregnant with Delia, so at least I get to enjoy looking pregnant for my 2nd and 3rd trimester this time around (instead of just my 3rd trimester like last time). And all of my friends assure me I look pregnant. Of course to strangers, it probably just looks like I've been eating too many Ho-Hos.

As you might know, I am a planner. And I am getting SO anxious to find out the gender of this baby!! The other day I mentioned to Delia that we will find out in about 6 weeks if the baby is a boy or a girl. She just looks at me, and says, "It's a girl."

"But Delia," I said, "It might be a boy."

"It's not. It's a girl," she insisted.

So I don't know if my child has a 6th sense about this, or if she is just really hoping for a sister. At least we will have about 20 weeks to get her used to the idea of having a brother if this baby is a boy. :)

So I had my first really hormonal outburst yesterday. And I apologize to Stu, Delia, and the fine people that work at the new Chipotle location near Northtown Mall in Blaine. When I asked Stu to pick me up some chicken tacos, how was I to know that Chipotle makes you pick every single ingredient for tacos? Aren't lettuce and cheese sort of standard? So I told Stu that I wanted chicken tacos with hot sauce (not mild) and to have them add guacamole too. He came home with "tacos" that contained chicken, hot sauce, and guacamole. Where was my lettuce and cheese? (Not to mention that I wouldn't pass up that sour cream.) Stu and Delia were sort of dumb-founded as I grabbed the tacos and drove the 12 minutes back to Chipotle. And I will never forget the look on the faces of the six Chipotle employees when I asked them to make me new tacos, as I would not eat "tacos" that were made of just chicken and hot sauce. They were so frightened that they even offered me chips and guacamole as they handed me my new bag of chicken tacos. Thanks, people. Those were darn good tacos too.

Delia's Birthday Present

2010-08-30T08:50:00.002-05:00

As I posted last week, Delia turned three on Friday.

And Stu and I had a little surprise for her.

She happily wore her shirt to spread the news to the rest of our family at her party yesterday.

That right there is probably the real reason that I have not been keeping up at blogging, gardening, or other things in life lately. :) I have not been feeling very well, but I have had some semblance of normal for the last week. Hopefully I continue feeling better from here on out.

So YAY!! We are all SO excited. Delia's little brother or sister has an estimated due date of March 12, 2011.

And p.s., Delia insists that I have a baby sister in my tummy. I guess we'll see in about two months. :)

Three

2010-08-27T14:30:00.002-05:00

Three.

Three years have already gone by since I first held you in my arms.

You were so tiny. Only 5 pound and 6 ounces.

But so perfect. And you stared at your daddy and I with big blue eyes.

You didn't even cry. Not a peep.

Just stared at us in wonder. You knew who we were.

And we knew who you were.

You were ours. Our Delia.

We love you, little big girl.

Happy 3rd Birthday.

Hello out there

2010-08-23T10:02:00.015-05:00

It is me, Kelly.

I have returned from the land of no blogging.

As I have explained in other emails, it has been a busy summer for our household. (Then there is that whole being busy at work thing.)

Remember this one? We went on a family vacation in June.

And our whole family was in my brother's wedding on July 24th. Delia was the cutest flower girl. I swear there are pictures. Somewhere...

Did I ever tell you about the crazy storm we had in July too?

This used to be my neighbor's shed

And this was our porch swing

We still have our garden. Sort of. See, I've been slacking on that, so we may have more weeds than vegetables and fruit this year. However, we grew some HUGE cucumbers that are delicious!

Let's see...what else?

Oh! I went on a little vacation with some girlfriends too. That was so fun! We spent 3 nights up in the Ashland/Bayfield area of Wisconsin. It was gorgeous!

This was the view from our hotel room of Chequamegon Bay (Lake Superior)

Here is the view of the Bayfield ferry dock as we were on our way to Madeline Island via the ferry

Here is one of the many sailboats we saw on our ferry trip

Views from Madeline Island

A photo of us gals on the ferry trip back to the mainland

Stopped at the beach on the way to dinner one night -- we had such gorgeous weather!

Ashland's (last remaining) infamous ore dock, which apparently will be torn down later this summer

I like all boats, but tug boats are especially neat

Hey look. It's me. I'm outside the Great Lakes Visitors Center.

And one last obligatory sky picture to wrap up this series of mostly boring but beautiful scenery photos

I must say that I was REALLY relaxed when I got home from my girls' weekend. And it managed to last a whole half of a day at work when I got back. :)

Speaking of work, I should get back to it.

Never fear. I will be back. ;)

Photostory Friday: Door County

2010-07-30T09:22:00.019-05:00

As you may remember before I started slacking on my blog this summer, we went to Door County, WI, for a vacation.

Stu, Delia, and I went there with some very good friends, and we stayed at a resort just outside of Egg Harbor, WI. We had the most wonderful time! Good friends, good wine, good weather, good food, and new things to see every day.

Here is just a snippet of some of the things we did.

Here is the view from our resort our first evening. That is Green Bay (Lake Michigan) in the background.

There was a playground on the resort property which the kids thought was very fun.

We had several pools to choose from, all with a gorgeous lake view. We spent every afternoon soaking up the rays.

Delia especially enjoyed going "swimming." Stu and I didn't mind her clinging to us at all. We all had a blast.

Ahhhh. I wish I was there now, splashing in the water and relaxing the afternoon away.

One evening we went to a brewpub called Shipwrecked in nearby Egg Harbor. The guys got a kick out of it, and we all enjoyed a night out on the town.

Later that night we were slammed with the equivalent of a monsoon. It was a little bit crazy and fun.

The next day we went to Peninsula State Park for a hike. Here is one of the 10 lighthouses in Door County where we started our adventure for the day.

Check out that view of Lake Michigan. Gorgeous!

Our hike ended at a swimming beach, where we all enjoyed wading in the cold Lake Michigan water.

My friend, Jenny, and I are hiking back through the woods to the lighthouse.

Stu and I decided to drive to the end of Door County in the hopes that Delia would nap. She did not.

Here is what we saw in one direction.

And the other direction.

On our way back to the resort, we had to stop at several Cherry Stores and have the obligatory pictures in front of a cherry tree or cherry sign.

Sign:

Tree:

We spent our last evening using one of the grills on the resort property and watching the kids run around and play together. They were so funny!

Delia keeps telling me she wants to go back to Door County. It looks like she may have enjoyed herself. :)

Hosted by Cecily and Caitlin

Camping 101

2010-07-29T09:22:00.003-05:00

I'm sure all of you have been camping in some fashion or another during your lives -- car camping, backpacking, tenting in the backyard, or some other variation. You may have camped in the woods, on an island, on a beach, in the desert, in the mountains, or in your friend's basement.

My version of camping has varied over the years.

My family had a pop-up tent camper when I was young, and we used to go to private campgrounds with a huge group of families. As kids we had so much fun. We spent hours around the campfire, poking sticks into the flames, boiling water in cans, and finding out which rocks or nuts would explode in the fire. We would ride our bikes around and around the campground until all of the seasonal residents were irritated beyond belief. We would also spend as much time as possible swimming in the pool (that was sort of a required thing for these big group camping trips). At the end of the day, we would all end up back around the campfire eating food and visiting with our family and friends.

Once I was out on my own as an adult, it was all about tent camping. However, tent camping for me means that my car is packed to the roof with all supplies one may possibly need -- a camp stove, a lantern, flashlights, tiki torches, rope, toilet paper, tarps, air mattresses, air pumps, rugs, chairs, a hatchet, huge bins and coolers full of food, and anything other thing you can imagine. I like to camp in style. I have used this method of camping for anything from a hiking/camping trip with Stu to going to see Phish (due to not wanting to shell out money for a hotel). Yes, I go overboard, but I haven't had any complaints about preparedness!

While I do not have one particular tale to share with you about camping, I did want to share some things I've learned over the years.

1) As an adult, state parks are nice. They enforce quiet hours (at least in WI). This is extremely important if you like sleeping.

2) Earplugs are essential. No matter how much you drink, you will hear things. People will be snoring, yelling, laughing, singing, or rocking out to music all night long.

3) Do not set up camp in the dark wearing flip flops. You will likely end up wandering into a patch of poison ivy, and you will get it all over your feet.

4) If you are suddenly noticing a ton of bumps on your feet (or somewhere else on your body), but you never actually saw mosquitoes land on you, do NOT assume the bumps are mosquito bites. Go straight to a shower or sink, and wash your feet. You probably have oil from poison ivy all over your feet.

5) If #4 is true, again, be sure to wash your feet before you climb into your sleeping bag.

6) Bring calamine lotion and benadryl on every camping trip.

7) If you notice that your camp stove grill has a slightly rounded look to it, do not even attempt to grill hot dogs or brats. They will end up in the dirt.

8) Bring some of your own firewood if possible because the stuff you buy from the campground might be extremely wet and will not light.

9) Make sure to put any rubber maid bins of food back into your CAR. Raccoons can open them.

10) I recommend setting up camp during daylight hours. Most of the above issues can be avoided if you do.

Good luck and happy camping!! :)

This post was a prompt from Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.
Go see who else is writing today!

Shifting Sunset

2010-07-21T10:07:00.005-05:00

I think sunsets are amazing.

You look up and think you are seeing the most beautiful sunset in the world.

You take a photo.

You put the camera down and continue to watch the miraculous sky.

That's why you realize that the sunset has become even more beautiful in the two minutes since you began watching it.

You pick up the camera and take another photo.

At this point you cannot imagine the sky becoming more glorious than it is right this second when you realize the light has changed again.

Wow.

It's not every evening that I even have time to pay attention to sunsets, but when I do, I am always rewarded.

I need to do this more often. With sunsets and with life.

Eight Years

2010-07-13T08:23:00.004-05:00

It was eight years ago

When our life began anew
When we said "I do"

Can you believe it?

Since then life is even better
A house, two dogs, and a daughter

There is so much more to come

We will live it all together
Side by side with one another

Happy Anniversary, Stu.
I look forward to many more years.

It's a miracle!

2010-07-06T10:01:00.004-05:00

It only took 2 years and 10 months...

Delia watched a WHOLE movie this weekend. And she sat through quite a few episodes of Caillou as well.

Now don't get me wrong. We have a "No TV" rule in the evenings when we get home from work. We try to keep the TV watching to a minimum.

However, there are moments in life (like when Stu and I are exhausted and recovering from building two retaining walls in 95-degree humid weather) when it would be so nice to all climb onto the couch together and enjoy some down time in front of the TV.

We watched Monsters, Inc. this weekend, and Delia LOVED it. When it was over she asked to watch it again. ha!

You are probably wondering what the big deal is, right?

Well, my child has never paid attention to TV. I know I will probably regret this later, but for now, let me bask in the glory that can be a good distraction for my child as needed.

Summer Vacation from Everything

2010-06-30T08:39:00.004-05:00

I know, I know. It's been a while.

I have been on vacation in every sense of the word.

No work.

No blogging.

No taking of photos every day.

Yikes, I know. I have messed up my 365 project, but I am on hiatus. I ended with week 22, and maybe week 23 will start again next week. No one ever said it has to be a consistent 365 days. (Or did you, Chris? ha!)

So I've been enjoying life. We went to Door County, WI last week with another wonderful family. It was so relaxing and beautiful.

We got back into town on Friday night, and we continued our vacation by taking it easy back at home. In fact on Sunday while there was laundry in the dryer and the house was a mess, I decided to take Delia to Como Zoo. The un-fun stuff can always come later.

And after being back in the office for two days, I am on vacation again for the day to go watch Eclipse with a group of girlfriends. Then I may do some shopping.

Of course I will work another two days this week, but then we have a 3-day weekend for the 4th of July. We plan to build Front Yard Project #3. I'll keep you posted.

As for other updates, Delia is really enjoying the summer weather. We spend nearly every second possible outside. If she's not riding her tricycle, swinging, or sliding, she is attempting to use her "hu hoop".

So yeah. I'll be back. But for now, I'm enjoying the summer and letting some things slide.

I hope you are enjoying your summer too. :)

Photostory Friday: 365, Week 22

2010-06-18T14:30:00.008-05:00

Happy Friday! It is a happy one for me. When I leave work tonight, I will not be back in the office for 9 whole days! I will be on vacation next week, and so will my blog.

Hope your next week is great!

Day 148: Little gardener. Check out her Dora gloves! ha! The only pics I took all day were when Delia helped me plant flowers.

Day 149: Front yard project #1. I did this one back in May, and I never shared a picture. Imagine the same space with rotting broken beams around it, no mulch and all sorts of rock/dirt. It was kind of gross.

Day 150: Front yard project #2, front deck. I posted it earlier this week, but I hardly took any pics last week. Sorry, you get to see it again.

Day 151: Shadow portrait. Every night we get home from work Delia asks to go the park. Every night we go. Nearly every night I bring my camera. ha! We were on the way to the park here.

Day 152: Sunglasses and swinging. I like the reflection in D's sunglasses in the first pic. And of course I had to show off her new obsession of the week -- swinging in the big kid swing.

Day 153: Tree bark. This particular tree had all sorts of fun fungus and colors. I like it.

Day 154: Stormy weather. Minnesota was hammered by storms last night. The storms went around us, but I ended up with very strange and creepy lighting at sunset. The yellow coloring in the last pic is actual.

Go check out more 365 projects or Photostory Fridays!

Hosted by Chris

Hosted by Cecilyand Lisa

Wordful Wednesday - Where we grow old together

2010-06-16T08:46:00.004-05:00

I love the image of a couple growing old together, rocking on the front porch of their house.

While my house does not have the lovely front porch with an overhang that is in my mind...

now we have THIS.

Our very own front deck.

And if the housing market causes us to stay here until we grow old, we'll just swap out the andirondack chairs for rocking chairs.

Go see who else is being Wordful this Wednesday.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Jesus, tomatoes, and my peeps

2010-06-15T08:05:00.003-05:00

It's time for our favorite weekly random ramblings! <-- spoken in best game show host voice

Did you hear about the 6-story high Jesus statue that was struck by lightning and then burned to the ground?

I bet THAT freaked some people out.

I guess that's what happens when you make Jesus 6-stories high. Maybe if they would have kept him under 3 stories this never would have happened.

* * * * R T T * * * *

We were eating dinner last night when I grumbled about not wanting to go to work tomorrow.

Delia looked at me very seriously and asked, "Do you not like your people, Mama?"

I replied, "Delia, I really like the people I work with. I just need a vacation."

Then she said, "Oh, good. I really like my people too."

* * * * R T T * * * *

Did you know if you let tomatoes rot into your garden soil over the winter/spring, and then just leave them in the soil, they will seed??

I recently found this out when I started weeding my garden only to realize that my "weeds" were tomato seedlings.

I think I have about 30 new roma tomato plants! I need to get them out of there.

Next year I am NOT buying any more tomato plants. I will just use this method again. Sweet. Money saved!

* * * * R T T * * * *

Did I mention that I'm going on vacation in this post yet?

Wow, I need a break. bwahaha!

Okay, back to work. I have to cut this one short.

Go see who else is being random today.

Letters I am Writing Today

2010-06-14T10:00:00.003-05:00

Dear Mother Nature,

Okay, we get it. Rain is good for the earth. My garden is happy, and my grass is happy. My trees are probably happy too since I never water them. However, there are now mushrooms growing in my yard. A LOT of mushrooms.

Most likely, my less-than-smart dog, Sydney, will eat the mushrooms. She will then throw up in my house. On the subject of dogs, I am not a fan of going out in the rain to pick up poop, nor am I happy about picking up poop that has been rained on and melted down into our 8 inch long grass. Both the pooping in the rain and the long grass are due to you.

Have I also mentioned how Delia cannot go outside and play? She is getting QUITE restless and crabby these days.

Please stop with the rain. Or just make it a once a week event. I miss the sun.

Sincerely,
Waterlogged in MN

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Dear BP,

WTF? I LOVE the Gulf of Mexico. You suck.

Sincerely,
BP Hater

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Dear Delia,

It helps no one when you carry on crying and screaming at bedtime like I am torturing you by putting you into bed.

I understand that Mother Nature has been punishing us with all of her rain, but is that any reason to take it out on me? Your mother? The one who carried you for 9 months and gave BIRTH to you?

No. No, there is no reason to take it out me.

Zip it.

With all my love,
Your mama

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Dear Sydney,

You are a dog. Not a cat. There is no reason why you should want to pee or poop in Delia's sandbox.

Again, you are NOT a cat.

And really? The sandbox??

That is disgusting.

Also, please don't eat the mushrooms.

Love,
The woman who insisted on adopting you

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Dear vacation,

Please come soon.

I'm losing it over here.

Sincerely,
Burning out quickly

Photostory Friday: 365, Week 21

2010-06-11T09:31:00.009-05:00

Happy Friday!

If you missed my 365 post from last week, it was posted a couple of days ago here.

Hope you all had a good week.

Day 141: Sunset at the park. We were still in WI visiting my parents, and Delia was at her favorite neighborhood park. She has no fear now, and was up and down and all around the playground.

Day 142: Torch. It is fun to photograph fire. I like how you can see the flame turning into smoke.

Day 143: Bike. Stu bikes. Stu bikes a lot. He was riding around the front yard on his mountain bike while Delia navigated the driveway on her tricycle.

Day 144: Flower. Okay, it's a weed. It was a bit of a challenge to get this photo, as it was pretty windy the day I took this.

Day 145: Tricycle. Yep, I mentioned it earlier. Delia LOVES her trike, and we spend every evening with her on it. This night we packed up the family and the trike into the minivan and went to a nearby nature trail.

Day 146: Chain. This is part of a swing set at the closest neighborhood park. In fact, it is part of the swing that I like to use while Delia runs around and plays.

Day 147: Rice Creek. This creek runs through our community. Minnesota may not have mountains or the ocean, but we have lots of lakes, rivers, and creeks.

Go see who else is part of 365 or PSF!

Hosted by Chris

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Wordful Wednesday: 365, Week 20 (w/extras)

2010-06-09T10:00:00.015-05:00

Hello there!

I was out of town last Friday, so I am posting my 365 pictures from last week here on Wordful Wednesday.

Happy Wednesday!!

Day 134: Friday night. Our Friday night dinner plans are typically the same. Stu grills some sort of meat for himself, and I have cheese pizza. Everyone is happy. I was going with the budget frozen pizza this night. Of course, the pizza IS still in the oven at this point.

Day 135: Day 1 of a long weekend in Duluth. I had so many photos -- was hard to choose just one.

Sailboats on Lake Superior

Ice cream at Bridgemans's after a stroll on the lake walk at Lake Superior

Crayfish claw from a walk along Island Lake

Day 136: Day 2 of a long weekend in Duluth. Again, too many photos to choose from...

Morning walk around Island Lake -- fun with the low water level

Wild iris spotted on our walk along Island Lake

Playing along the water's edge (Island Lake)

Barge at sunset on Lake Superior

Day 137: Clouds. Yeah, it's a sky shot, but you have to admit it was a beautiful evening.

Day 138: Personality. I finally captured it in this shot. Delia was in the middle of telling me a story about preschool.

Day 139: Rain barrel. Stu waters all of our plants in the backyard out of the rain barrel. He is awesome. Oh yeah, and you can get a neat reflection off of the rain in one.

Day 140: Wine and cheese party. Delia and I arrived at my parents' house in the midst of a party. I enjoyed myself. So did Delia.

Hosted by Chris

Random Tuesday Thoughts: 50/50

2010-06-08T09:49:00.005-05:00

Ever have one of those weeks where you want to return your child?

Yeah, that was me about 50% of the time for most of the last week.

The other 50% she had me laughing non-stop. Weirdo.

I'll tell you about it in random-Tuesday-thoughts style.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Delia and I had to go out of town the end of last week to attend a funeral. Stu stayed behind with the dogs since he head a big bike race on Saturday -- Tour de Cure for Diabetes.

Anywho, Delia and I had been in rush hour traffic for an hour on Thursday and had not even made it out of the metro area yet. My phone rang. It was Stu.

He wondered if I knew that I left Delia's potty chair at home.

Crap.

Since I had also forgotten a sippy cup, I decided a stop at Target was necessary to pick up a solid toilet topper (we had a folding one, but I didn't want to battle with it every time D needed to pee). Thankfully there was a Target right over the border of Wisconsin in Hudson.

By this point, Delia had already drank all of her juice, eaten all of her snacks, and was whining non-stop. I was READY to stop at Target.

We get into the store, and little-miss-wearing-her-sunglasses-diva Delia started telling me over and over how she had to poop.

Perfect! We were there to buy a new potty seat, so game on! Delia picked out a Dora toilet seat and a Princess sippy cup. The whole way up to the cash register I continued to hear how she needed to poop.

After paying, we dash into the bathroom and as I'm tearing off the plastic from the new toilet seat, Delia starts screaming about how she doesn't want to poop. Augh!

I tried for TEN minutes to convince her that she needed to poop. I finally gave up and hauled us back to the car.

(Of course she pooped as soon as we got to my parents' house 50 minutes later.)

* * * * R T T * * * *

On Thursday night, my mom was hosting a wine and cheese party for a slew of female co-workers/friends. Delia and I showed up mid-party.

In true good-parent fashion, I settled down on the patio amidst the women and helped myself to some wine.

Thankfully preschool seems to be having very positive impacts on Delia, especially when it comes to socialization. She actually made friends with a nice lady inside of the house who was willing to get her a plate of food while I sat ourside and drank some wine. ha!

Later on in the evening, Delia treated everyone to her renditions of ABCs and Baa Baa Black Sheep.

In Delia's version of Baa Baa Black Sheep, when telling who the 3 bags of wool are for, she sings

One for the master
One for the dame
One for the little boy who lives down the drain

And when I say she sings, I mean she belts it out. This little girl is loud.

To top off the evening, she insisted upon giving the ladies hugs and kisses when they left. Wow.

She has always been so shy, so this is highly unusual.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Friday was the day of the funeral. After spending some time at my parents' house, it was time to drive to the church.

Although the funeral was a sad occasion for friends of our family who lost a wonderful woman who was a great-grandma, grandma, mother, and sister, Delia was delighted that one of the grand children present was a friend of hers. I will call her Ellen.

Throughout the whole service, Delia kept asking loudly, "Where's Ellen? Where is she?"

We were seated in the front of the church. Remember that loudness I spoke of?

Really though, Delia did great. The service was probably 40 minutes long or so, and she was a trooper.

* * * * R T T * * * *

After the funeral, everyone crowded into the bsaement for a late lunch and cupcakes. Delia opted for a cupcake and milk.

And she opted for sitting with Ellen.

At a table where I was not sitting.

Now THAT was a first.

* * * * R T T * * * *

On the way home from the funeral, the fun began.

Yet again Delia told me (and my parents) that she had to go to the bathroom, but when we pulled up to the gas station she screamed over and over about how she did not want to go potty at the gas station. We had her new Dora toilet seat with us, but she was not having it.

She was sobbing and screaming about not wanting to go potty while alternating with the word "Owie!" over and over.

At one point, I said, "Delia, if you don't stop your whining, Mommy is going to stop at a bar to have a drink!"

Delia suddenly stops crying and says, "I want to stop at a bar and have a drink."

Oh boy.

Thankfully she fell asleep a few minutes later.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Well, that is the gist of my weekend. Really though, Delia was SO naughty and defiant and whiny all weekend. Yesterday was much better. I'm hoping it was a temporary glitch in her personality. ha!

Go see who else is being random today.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Hey, it's Tuesday. What else can I say?

2010-06-01T08:29:00.006-05:00

It's Tuesday, and that means it's time to be random. Ready? Set. Go!

* * * * R T T * * * *

I love bananas. They are SO good.

Did you know they contain tryptophan? It is supposedly a "mood-enhancing" protein. Isn't that the coolest?

I'm eating a banana right now. Really, I am.

* * * * R T T * * * *

I have an obsession with hardscaping our yard. This was the first retaining wall project.

It was quite the undertaking, and I know how excited Stu was to spend a whole weekend hauling blocks, digging, and leveling with me. Plus it was 95 and humid.

We are still proud of this one though. It has been 4 years(?), and it hasn't collapsed into the hillside yet. ha!

Did I mention that we're gearing up to build another retaining wall in the front yard? heh. I'm just waiting for a free weekend and a sale at Menard's...

* * * * R T T * * * *

We spent the long weekend in the Duluth area of Minnesota visiting Stu's parents. We all had a really nice time. Stu and I even were able to go have a date night for the first time since Valentine's Day.

We took a lot of pictures over the weekend.

And can you believe that Delia and I even went in the lake while we were there? No, not Lake Superior. Stu's parents are on a reservoir. But never in a million years would I have imagined voluntarily swimming--okay, wading--in MAY up north.

* * * * R T T * * * *

My best friend had her baby last week. I visited them in the hospital and took a few pictures.

This one was my favorite.

That right there is a very proud big sister. :)

* * * * R T T * * * *

It's JUNE, people.

June.

That means it's summer!

Okay, I know technically summer begins June 21, but for us summer is June-August. I really, really hope this is a good one. Last year it was too cold.

* * * * R T T * * * *

I should get back to work. My to-do list is eerily long for a Monday morning.

Go see who else is random today.

Photostory Friday: 365, Week 19

2010-05-28T09:28:00.010-05:00

Day 127: Lakes. We live in the land of 10,000 lakes. I stopped by a park on Friday. Do you believe people are already swimming here? Personally, I stayed dry on the dock.

Day 128: Triangle. My mom and I took a bonsai class a number of years ago. I learned that all trees are in the shape of a triangle. This one is pretty obvious, but not all of them are.

Day 129: Monkey bars. You know, I tried to use the monkey bars at the playground the other day. I made it across 2 bars and then dropped like a brick to the ground. My shoulders hurt the next day too. It was so much easier as a kid.

Day 130: Garden path. I installed some patio blocks last weekend on the backside of our garden when it was 95 and humid. Super idea. It worked out well though, and Delia loves walking back there. So do I. :)

Day 131: Propeller seeds. I hate them. They are everywhere in my backyard, and it's ugly outside around our house again. I tried to make them into a pretty picture.

Day 132: Delia. I need at least one picture of her a week, I suppose. On Wednesday night, I surprised her by packing up a picnic lunch and heading to a park. She was actually take a short break here.

Day 133: Branding. Isn't it crazy how corporations love to leave their marks everywhere? This is on my work campus. I don't think the water tower is operational, but it sure makes a neat sign.

Hosted by Chris

Hosted by Cecilyand Mamarazzi

You know what it's like

2010-05-27T08:35:00.003-05:00

You know what it's like
When you have someone
Who makes you laugh
And makes you cry

You know what it's like
When that certain someone
Holds onto your hand just because
And your heart fills with joy

You know what it's like
When that little girl
Calls to you "Here, girl!"
Like you're a little puppy

You know what it's like
When your very own child
Makes you laugh so hard
That tears begin to flow

You know what it's like
When your young daughter
Gives you that knowing look
And you know she's not so little anymore

I'm feeling pretty sentimental this week.
Perhaps it's the fact that Delia began preschool.
It just seems like she went from a toddler to a girl overnight.
I didn't think this would happen so soon.
But, WOW, I sure love her. She is amazing.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: I'm old and my little girl is getting old too

2010-05-25T08:27:00.005-05:00

It's Tuesday and time for randomness. Are you as excited as I am??

* * * * R T T * * * *

So I went out on the town Saturday night for my soon-to-be SILs' bachelorette party. We went out dancing after dinner, and I came to an important realization. I am getting SO old.

Now, it's not that I was the oldest one there. In fact, my STB SIL's grandma was even out dancing. However, the music just drove me nuts. Ick. I heard some bumblebee song that made me go WTH. My mom and I were trying to dance to it, and we gave up. It was horrible. BUT we did have fun with my STB SIL and her family. They are all a riot.

* * * * R T T * * * *

So, you may be aware that I live in Minnesota. If you know anything about the midwest/upper midwest, you know that we have extreme weather. It is as cold as can be in winter and hot and humid in the summer. It's not summer yet, but yesterday was 95 with about 80% humidity. WOAH. Thankfully it will only be 90 today will less humidity. I am actually REALLY enjoying our early summer weather.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Delia starts full days in the preschool room at school tomorrow. *sniff* My little girl is getting so darn big!

I am a bit nervous though. Drop-off time is not our favorite, and now we need to start dropping off with a new teacher in a new room. Thankfully several of Delia's buddies already moved up to preschool and will be there.

Did I tell you how excited I am to save $25 a week with her being in preschool? ha! Because I am.

* * * * R T T * * * *

My best friend is going into the hospital tonight to be induced to have her second baby. I am SO excited for her! And I really want to know this baby's name!!

* * * * R T T * * * *

We planted seeds a week ago Sunday in our new raised bed garden. We already have seedlings up for everything we planted! We have green beans, cucumbers, carrots, and lettuce all making their appearance now. I love it!

* * * * R T T * * * *

Remember all my whining about work and how busy I've been, blah, blah, blah? Well, we finally had that huge system/project release on Friday night over the weekend. Everything seems to be going okay so far -- thus why I was able to post here 2 days in a row this week. ha!

* * * * R T T * * * *

Delia recently became afraid of bugs. I hope it's not something I've done. It's not like I would dare leap backwards and scream like a little girl when a hornet flew into our house. And it's not like I insist on squashing any little spider who makes its way into our house. However, when we are outside, if Delia even sees an ant, she will start screeching and run away. We have a yard with grass and trees, and there are bugs. I need to get her over this thing and soon.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Okay, my to-do list at work just tripled in size while I took the time to write this post. I guess it's time to get back to the grind.

Later, peeps.

Sassy Pants

2010-05-24T13:54:00.002-05:00

Every time Delia comes up with some new phrase or idea or concept, I am utterly amazed.

Stu and I made this child, and she has the most amazing and humongous personality!

However, when things like the following are said, I wonder what we're in for.

My mom was in town this weekend, and in true fashion, we did lots of talking. The women in my family love to gab.

So, at some point we were all sitting around, and I began telling Stu about something.

Delia looked at me and asked, "Why are you talking?"

I was shocked and trying not to laugh, but said, "Because that's what I do."

Then I continued on with whatever else I was telling Stu.

Delia then said, "Why are you talking still?"

OMG. She is going to be SO sassy when she gets older.

We are in so much trouble.

Photostory Friday: 365, Week 18

2010-05-21T10:57:00.006-05:00

Day 120: Race ya! They may look fun when they play together, but our yard does not fare so well. Stu is trying to grow grass in various areas now. *snerk*

Day 121: Family picnic. These are my cousins' kiddos with Delia. I just loved how they all sat so nicely together at this little picnic table. :)

Day 122: Woah. I love it when I can see the rays of the sun.

Day 123: Sunglasses. Every picture I took of Delia this week she was wearing these pink sunglasses. This is the only one where she actually looked at me and smiled. Stinker.

Day 124: Sarah. Again, I love that I can photograph my black dog outdoors. I think she is beautiful.

Day 125: Flowers. I couldn't pick between these. My last lilacs and a shrub that just started blooming. An ending and a beginning. You pick.

Day 126: Delia. I took a slew of pictures of Delia throughout the evenings. These were a couple of my favorites. And P.S., she and Sarah have recently become best buds.

Hosted by Cecilyand Mom24

Hosted by Chris

The weekend I wished for a green thumb

2010-05-17T20:29:00.002-05:00

We had the most amazing weekend!

It was 75 and sunny. We completed quite a few yard projects, grilled out with family, played in the wading pool, and planted our gardens.

Yep, gardens with an S. We now have two raised bed gardens.

One raised bed has three types of tomatoes, two types of peppers, and onions galore.

The new raised bed has strawberries, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, and green beans.

We also planted some raspberry bushes.

I am SO anxious for all of our work to become fruitful. :)

I will take pictures in the near future. I promise.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend too!

Photostory Friday: 365, Week 16 and 17

2010-05-14T09:08:00.016-05:00

Okay, so I had a short delay in getting these to you, but here are the two weeks of pictures I promised.

Day 106: Slide. I love the bright colors and lines of playground equipment. I may dedicate a whole week to photographing different parks and play pieces. I am odd, I know.

Day 107: Plans. I may or may not have been outside in the dark with my tape measure taking measurements around the front of our house before drawing this little plan up for our future front entrance.

Day 108: Pippi. Delia's pigtails were sticking straight out this day. They cracked me up.

Day 109: Oh crap. That's what I said after snapping this picture from my car (while at a stoplight). I forgot I had left the camera on the B&W setting. Why do I do that?

Day 110: Shadow. I love how trees cast long shadows as the sun is setting. Like this one.

Day 111: Daddy/Daughter Time. I love taking photos of Delia and Stu together. We were enjoying some time at yet another local park on this evening.

Day 112: Fudgiscle. Who doesn't love one of these? And Delia is generally a very neat eater, but not with these things. :)

Day 113: Annoyed. I hate driving in the rain. Thankfully Delia kept me entertained during our drive to Wisconsin last Friday.

Day 114: BFFs. I posted earlier this week about Delia's new friend. Here are a couple of more cute pictures I took while they were working on a puzzle together -- two minutes after meeting one another.

Day 115: Nature Preserve. I wanted to go for a walk on Mother's Day at a nature preserve near our house. It was gorgeous! I took several random pictures -- none of them stood out to me, so here are a couple.

Day 116: My other home. I feel like work is taking over my life in general these days, so you may as well see where I work. This is where I sit when I'm not in 10 meetings a day.

Day 117: Princess. I don't call her princess out loud. She probably already thinks highly of herself since we all insist on telling her she on a daily basis how adorable she is. But yeah, she is my princess.

Day 118: Cube farm. It's not pretty, but a small part of me likes all the clean lines of the corporate world. Again, work is life these days. Talk to me again in a few weeks -- it should be better then (I hope).

Day 119: Snake. Hey, that's what Delia told me it was. Who am I to argue with genius like that?

Well, that's all folks. I hope you all have a great Friday.

Hosted by Chris

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Wordful Wednesday: Little Ladies Tea Party

2010-05-12T08:45:00.005-05:00

Over the weekend, the women in my family attending a bridal shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law. A good family friend hosted the shower, and she has the most beautiful things in her home. Everywhere you look are treasures.

While at the bridal shower, Delia found a new BFF. Seriously, I was blown away by how quickly the two of them took to each other.

After doing puzzles and playing with a barn full of animals, they decided to play dress up. Delia's new BFF donned a lingerie number, and Delia herself wore a dance recital costume from when the BFF's mom and I were in ballet together as kids -- this particular costume was from our Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star program.

Once dressed up, the girls sat down in a sweet little nook that was set up for a tea party.

Aren't they adorable?

And they were so polite!! It was the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

Plus, they kept each other entertained long enough for all of us ladies to sit and have cosmos after the shower was done. :)

Go see who else is being
Wordful this Wednesday over at
Seven Clown Circus!

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Abandonment, Oil, and Funny Things Kids Say

2010-05-11T08:35:00.004-05:00

Hey there. It's Tuesday. And since I have a bunch of random stuff to share, I figure it is a good thing that I can join in on Random Tuesday Thoughts!

* * * * R T T * * * *

Lately Delia is having some weird fear of us leaving her behind. It's not like we have a history of abandoning her or something.

But seriously, every time we are getting ready to leave the house, she freaks out and says, "Don't go without me!!!" If I even open the door to put our stuff out in the car, she really panics. Is this normal?

* * * * R T T * * * *

I lived in Texas for a year of my life (give or take a few months). It was such a culture shock moving from Wisconsin to Texas. VERY strange. Anyway, I remember one hot summer day (when it was like 110 degrees outside), my roommate and I went to a lake to go swimming with some friends. I was SO excited to get in the water. Then I saw oil wells out in the middle of the lake.

And I couldn't do it. I just could not wrap my mind around swimming in a lake where they had oil wells. Everyone laughed at me and told me that they had them all over in lakes and the ocean, and they never leaked.

I wish I hadn't been right.

This oil leak/spill/horrific tragedy is really upsetting.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Okay, so on to funnier things.

This last weekend Delia and I were in Wisconsin at my parents' house. For a little background this was the first weekend away from home where Delia was not in pull-ups, but I had great confidence in her. However, I did make sure that she went potty before I put her to bed.

So Saturday night Delia went potty and 5 minutes later I was attempting to put her to bed. And of course, she is in the stage where she makes excuses not to go to bed. So she says, "Mommy, I need to go potty again!"

I said, "Delia, you just went potty a few minutes ago."

She replies, "But mama, I'm holding my cratch!"

I about lost it. And how could I not let her try to go potty again? After all, she was holding her "cratch." Oh boy.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Is it normal that little kids use their tongues in an expressive manner?

Delia's tongue comes out of her mouth when the following is true:

She is being silly.

She is being shy and avoiding talking.

She is running.

She is concentrating.

I worry most about the running one. Is it bad that I keep telling her that she will trip and bite her tongue off?

Weird kid.

* * * * R T T * * * *

Okay, that's all for today, folks.

I need to get back to work. As usual.

What's wrong with her?!

2010-05-06T15:48:00.002-05:00

A couple of nights ago, we put Delia to bed as usual around 8:00.

She was playing quietly with her babies for a while. I heard the occasional sounds of Delia saying, "Oh, poor baby. You're so poopy. Holy gosh!"

I'd just chuckle and leave her alone to wind down for the night.

All was quiet for some time when at 9:00 I heard Delia start crying and saying, "Mama! Mama! Mama!"

I went into her room and asked if she needed to go potty.

Delia handed me one of her babies and said, "What's wrong with her?!"

I felt around in the dark and realized that Delia had managed to behead one of her favorite babies, Ariel.

Frantically, I crammed the head back into the body of the doll, and said, "It's okay, Delia. Mommy will fix her. It will be okay."

Satisfied that I'd lodged the head back into the doll's body successfully, I lifted the doll up to check her out in the bit of light streaming in from the hallway. That's when I yanked on her head and beheaded her again. In the light. And Delia saw it all.

It was not good.

Delia began sobbing hysterically and screaming, "Wah! Wah! What's wrong with her?!! What's wrong with Ariel?!!!"

Now I was feeling really frantic. I pressed another of Delia's babies into her arms and assured her I would fix Ariel, all the while Delia is screaming and sobbing.

Then I did what any good mom would do. I ran downstairs with baby Ariel in my arms and found the instant bond Krazy glue. Thankfully it seemed to do the trick, but while the glue was bonding and drying, I went back upstairs to comfort my crying daughter.

I said, "It's okay, Delia. I am using my mommy magic to fix Ariel. You will get her back soon."

I tried yet again to give her another doll, but Delia sobbed and wailed, "I want Ariellllllll!!"

After a few minutes I went back out to check on Ariel's status. The glue was dry, there were no fumes coming from the doll, and her head appeared to be intact.

I ran back into Delia's room and thrust the doll into her arms.

Delia murmured, "My Ariel..." and promptly curled herself around the Krazy-glued doll and went to sleep.

Hopefully this story gave you a chuckle. I will be honest. When I retold this story to Stu, I was laughing so hard that I was crying.

Also, I want to let you know that I will not be doing PSF/365 tomorrow as usual, but next week I will post two weeks' worth of photos. No big problems here -- work is just keeping me tied down. Hope you are doing well.