a day in the life of em

In Memory of Dave Baugh

2010-03-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

A few times I've sat down to write something about Dave, but it has been hard to start. So, I'll just start.

Dave Baugh was my first rowing coach at Green Lake. He taught me what it meant to be a coxswain, a teammate and a good competitor. When I showed up at Green Lake in 8th grade, I had no idea what a rowing shell was or what I would be doing as a coxswain. All I knew is that I had to be loud and small. Over the next five years, I learned everything I could about rowing and coxing from Dave. A coxswain's role in the boat is to be the eyes and ears of the crew, and to relay that information to your team and get them to push even harder than they think is possible. Even when you're behind, you still have to make your team believe that they can pull together to win. He taught all of us to never, EVER give up. Dave also taught me the value in learning how to steer a straight line. It doesn't matter if you've got the best crew team out on the water, if your coxswain can't get you across the finish line first- you're out of luck.

I will always remember my senior year and having Dave come to me to tell me that he couldn't decide between me and another coxswain. I had been the Varsity coxswain the year before and had a great boat. That was the year I had gone to Costa Rica for the summer to volunteer and they had gone to Nationals without me. They won that year- they were amazing. The following year was tough. We had some girls graduate and not return and some of the magic from the year before was gone. It was Spring season and the boat was trying to figure out the best lineup. That included my seat. No one was safe. I remember Dave coming to tell me that he would let the girls decide, since he couldn't decide on who would be best for the boat. Both coxswains had our pluses and minuses. I remember him saying to me "I wish I could just nail the two of you together." That is what sticks with me most about Dave. Whereas any other rowing coach would make a decision and not talk to you about it- saying "This is the lineup" and leave it at that. Dave genuinely cared about each of us and we cared about him.

Graduation from high school led me to the University of Washington where I started out on the Men's Freshmen team. A few weeks later, I had been moved to the Men's Varsity team. They were short on experienced coxswains and I was up for the job. It was intimidating, terrifying and overwhelming. But, I had faith that I could do this job that I had practiced the last 5 years for. I knew I could be tough even though I was intimidated. And, most importantly- I could steer a straight line.

Four years at the University of Washington and I returned to my old haunts- Green Lake. I coached Novice Girls rowing for three years. Every now and then I would see Dave and he would always have the same laugh, the same smile and ask me how I was doing. There are so many good memories that I have from the various crews I have been on and kids I have coached. I would never give up my experiences with Green Lake and the University of Washington crew teams and they have shaped me in the person I have become. Dave was instrumental in shaping my career as a coxswain and a coach and I will always be thankful for that. I don't know what my high school and college life would have been like had I had another rowing coach. For that, I am eternally grateful to have known Dave, and he will be truly missed.

Research

2010-03-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some reading lately on food additives and how they affect our bodies. Another reason to get rid of the processed food; a quick little article on how food colorings can cause hyperactivity in kids:

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news/20080522/experts-revisit-food-additives-adhd

If you need another excuse to throw away the junk- that might be it.

The Un-Diet

2010-03-15T10:17:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been having a lot of people ask me "Are you on a diet?" when they see me bring my lunch to work or when I refuse sweets at the office. It has made me realize what a skewed perspective we have on our own diets and how some people perceive healthy eating as being on a restrictive, no fun, calorie cutting, depressing diet. Don't get me wrong, I love my treats. But I think when treats become the norm and not "every once in a while" is when we have to step back and take a hard look at our eating habits. For a while my body was on a sugar craving cycle- I would immediately crave sugar after a meal. I had just finished a meal, and yet, my body was asking for another hit of sugar. I started to look a little closer at what I was eating and realized that the combo of what I was eating during the day had me on a little sugar roller coaster. First I was up, then I was down, then I was up...

So now I am taking charge and refusing to have all the cookies, cupcakes and delicious treats that people bring to the office each day. Cookies at home are pretty much non-existent, and treats that are not really worth it- get tossed into the trash. Harsh, I know- but it has helped a lot. And yes, I still indulge every now and then, but for the most part it is keeping them out of the norm that has helped me the most. Keeping myself focused on the the week has also helped a lot. Wiping off each day as a clean slate for bad food behaviors has gotten me into trouble in the past. Now I clump each week together and "treats" are more of special occasion.

I'm not being restrictive, I'm not denying myself. I'm changing my lifestyle. I feel that if I say I am on a "diet"- it implies that eventually I'll be OFF the diet. So really it is all about a lifestyle change and making improvements in my eating and exercise routines. The un-diet.

Hello World.

2010-03-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

It's been a while. Since I primarily check Facebook every day, I've lost my desire to blog on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly basis. But lately, I've had a lot on my mind.

Things have been great recently. We've settled into our new place, got more furniture but haven't unpacked half the garage or emptied our storage unit. I guess that will get done eventually- I hope. Isabel turns TWO next month, and someone - please tell me where the time has gone. Actually, I think we've already launched ourselves into the Terrible Two's as Little Miss Iz has become Little Miss Independent. Not a second goes by that I don't hear "Isabel do it!" or her pushing a stool over to climb up and see what I am cooking. Lately, she's been trying to dress herself- and this morning it resulted in her trying to put on a dress upside down. Legs went through the bottom of the dress and through the neck. Unfortunately, she was only able to pull it up to her waist.

As we are seeing Isabel grow, it has resulted in a lot of changes in our lifestyle. J and I are trying to get rid of a lot of chemicals from our house- cleaning agents, detergents, hair care, lotions, you name it. Does it have parabens and phthalates in it? Unnamed "Fragrance"? Chemicals that you wouldn't dare ingest because it causes cancer in rats? Toss it in the garbage. We've decided to try and eat organic as much as possible. We're trying to avoid as much processed food as possible, because frankly- most processed food is loaded with chemicals, and really what that amounts to is poison in our bodies. Having a child and realizing that we are responsible for her health and well-being has really been a "Come to Jesus" moment for both of us. I am trying to give her the best possible life I can while I can, and when she's old enough to make decisions for herself- I hope that she will continue on a healthy lifestyle. Seeing the rise in cancers, disease and obesity in this country has made me a little crazy- but I hope that it is for the best.

I'll climb down from my soapbox now, but I do hope that I can instill in her the courage to question the norm. I recently read some disturbing articles that are linking high consumption of dairy with cancer, osteoporosis, and many other diseases. It seems so contrary to what we've heard from the Dairy Farmers of America. "Milk Does a Body Good". I've even heard doctors say that children need lots of milk for growth. But I rarely hear them talk leafy greens and vegetables and other sources of calcium. I know that expecting a toddler to eat all sorts of leafy greens might be a little out of the ordinary- but if we don't start them eating a vegetable rich diet from the start, when will we?

Again, like I said- I've had a lot on my mind. Kids will do that to you. In the meantime, I invite all of you do to a little research and see how you can improve your health. Your life depends on it.

Thankful Thoughts

2009-11-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for a lot of things every single day. The fact that I have a wonderful family, a wonderful husband and amazing little girl. I am thankful that I am healthy, our family is healthy and have wonderful people in my life who make each day fun and exciting.

However, there are some other random "thankfuls" that I should mention on this glorious day of Turkey and Thanks.

-I am thankful that Sesame street is only on once a day and that Isabel hasn't figured out the "On Demand" setting on the remote quite yet.

-I am thankful for my coffee, it is the fuel that keeps me going.

-I am thankful for the fact that Miss Kitty is so tolerant of Isabel wanting to "pet" her. Lately, this has involved a stick.

-I am thankful for OxyClean. 'Nuff said.

-I am thankful for Starbucks Pumpkin loaf. I am NOT thankful for the extra pounds it brings me each year, but this leads me to my next one...

-I am thankful for my trainers who help try and keep the Pumpkin Loaf from adding to me...

-I am thankful for my husband who changes diapers and helps around the house.

-I am thankful that the simplest things are the most entertaining to my daughter. The Squirrel Superhighway in the backyard has been awesome.

-I am thankful for a good glass of wine and a quiet house. Either in the morning or evening. As long as it is quiet. Wine doesn't even have to be that good.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

October November Happenings

2009-11-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

This October has come and gone and we finally moved into our new place. However, we moved Halloween weekend and it was a whirlwind of activity, but we finally did get our act together to take Isabel out trick or treating. Two houses and the Grandma's, perhaps next year she'll bring in a bigger haul for Mommy and Daddy.

Isabel also got her first haircut last weekend and it was a great success. We took her to see my hairdresser and let Isabel sit on my lap and read books while Caryn did her magic. It was great! Isabel had a fun time at the salon and I got my locks trimmed as well. Bonus for all!

We're still settling into the new house and it still looks like a mess. It is hard when the weekends are spent trying to get normalcy back into our lives, but still trying to tackle the boxes that are sitting around. Yuck. And to top it off, the Piggy Flu seems to be looming around the family. Thankfully, neither Jeremy or myself or Isabel has caught it- but it is getting frightfully close. I think if we eat enough bacon, we can probably convince it to be on it's way. Nothing to see here! Move along!!

At 18 months, Isabel is doing a great job of stringing two words together. "Buh-Bye Mama" and "Hi Daddy" are popular as well as "Uh-oh Shoe" and "Hi Keeee" (Kitty) or any number of those combinations. After her last appointment, Jeremy and I sat down and made a list of all the words in her vocabulary and were stunned at the result. It was way more than I expected, and those items that she has very simple words for are the most surprising. She may not be able to fully say "Robot" but she certainly knows what it is. It sounds more like "oboe" than Robot, but we know exactly what she means.

We've also said "Buh-bye" to the bottle, although it has been really hard for her to adjust to the fact that milk isn't coming with a nipple on top any more. We've switched to the sippy-cup top on her bottles and she sees that coming towards her and gets mad. It's funny how kids get into their routines. She's perfectly fine drinking from a sippy cup, not a problem. As long as it is WATER. If it has milk in it- she gets mad and tosses it and demands "WAH-ER". I've even tried to trick her into taking a sip by getting sippy cups that you can't see through. Nope, that just makes her more annoyed. I just have to remember that this too, shall pass. And sooner or later, she'll get used to it. But for the meantime, annoyed that my child is cemented in her routines!

Curious George continues to be her favorite books- so in an effort to save my sanity from reading the SAME BOOK OVER AND OVER, I practically bought out the toy store by my work with all their George books. Some are better than others, but after really reading these books you start to realize how it's not George's fault he's a naughty monkey, but really The Man with the Yellow Hat's fault. He's certainly not paying attention when George gets into trouble and who could blame a monkey for an adult's lack of supervision? And when is TMWTYH going to learn? Honestly. Don't even get me started on the fact that George doesn't have a tail...

Swimming in a Sea of Cardboard

2009-10-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

The final countdown is on and I am packing up our place. This is the time when you start to ask yourself things like "What the hell is this?" or "Why do I need 57 different kinds of tea?". I am not kidding, I just filled an 11 gallon container with all sorts of tea.

The closer our moving date gets, the more I feel a little sad about leaving our little place. This was the place we brought Isabel home for the first time, the place she learned to crawl and walk, and lots of good memories of Jeremy and I starting our life out together here. However, I am excited by the prospect of our new home and can't wait to start a new chapter there. For a while I kept saying that this new house wasn't my dream house, but a good stepping stone for us. Now I am excited about being able to have my family over for holiday dinners, having Isabel grow up in a house with a yard, the potential of her being able to learn how to ride a bike in front of the house and more time spent with my family instead of commuting. So this house IS my dream house- a place where we can make all those dreams reality!

October? Huh?

2009-10-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

Has it really been two months since I lasted posted something? Huh?? Is Facebook replacing blogging? Possibly. But at the same time I don't really feel like I have time to blog about anything exciting!

Well, now I do! WE ARE MOVING! Jeremy and I are in the process of selling our house (by the way, it has probably been the worst experience EVER- but let's not focus on the bad stuff, shall we?) Our closing date is October 26 and we have yet to find a house. Oh well, details, right? I am very excited about finding a bigger house- we're outgrowing our condo and it will be nice to have a little more space. Isabel needs more room to run and climb and be a kid- and in our place she's constantly restricted by gates and sharp corners. Yikes.

Isabel has been growing at lightspeed- I had to go through her clothes again this week and fish out all the 18-24 month sizes and put them away. On to 2T! I tried to put some PJ's on her this week and had a hard time zipping them up. Her little feet were squished in and as Jeremy put it- she looked like a "Baby Sausage".

Hopefully we'll have more of an update soon about a new house and location- but if anyone wants to help us pack... just let me know! :)

I love her hair...

2009-08-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

This chica has the best hair. Hands down. When she gets up in the morning, she looks like sheepdog with her messy, crazy hair. It makes me laugh everytime.

Things have been so busy lately- we've finally put our house on the market again and now we are just playing the waiting game. And cleaning a lot. I can't wait until we finally get a buyer- then I don't have to worry about keeping every single thing completely spic-n-span every day. Not that I don't love my clean house- it actually feels wonderful to not have to a lot of stuff lying around. Just tired of the constant stress of people coming through my house.

Isabel is really close to saying her first word. Well, other than MAMA and DA and KA-BOOM. (which is what she says when she wants to slide down the stairs on her tush). She says PA when I ask her to say Grandpa and G'MA when I ask her about Grandma. But she's also been using the B sounds and will say B'AH when referring to a ball or a balloon. (She LOVES balloons). She pretty much can understand everything we say to her- however there are the exceptions. Don't expect her to explain to you the theory of relativity, but I have to remember there are little ears in the room now.

One of her favorite things lately has been Curious George. Auntie Nicole bought her some George books before she was born and she finally is old enough to sit through stories with a little more meat to them. She also has a Curious George stuffed toy which she loves to cuddle with when we read about George. Let's just say I can pretty much recite the stories about George from memory we read them so much. But she loves them, so I am happy to do whatever it takes to make her sit for a story.

I can't wait for a house that is big enough for Isabel to run around in- and doesn't have so many evil stairs. Crossing my fingers that soon we'll make this dream a reality!

Mmmm Yogurt.

2009-07-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Eat to Live

2009-06-30T20:22:00.001-07:00

Recently, I've been reading a book called "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Furhman and have been taking a serious look at the kind of foods I've been eating in my diet. Having a child puts a new spin on your life- it changes your priorities, your responsibilities and ultimately, your long term goals.

I've also been witnessing how a person's diet can affect their body and it is an extremely serious topic with me these days. I feel strongly that we should be aware of the kinds of things we put into bodies- I mean, we're so concerned if we're around people that smoke, take drugs or drink too much, yet we don't pay the least bit of attention as to what we put into our mouths on a daily basis. Most people don't read labels close enough nor do we get enough of the good stuff into our bodies. The most important thing we can do to ensure our good health is to make sure we're getting enough fruits and vegetables in our diets each and every day and keep the amount of processed foods to near zero. End of story.

With Isabel, I look at baby food and am shocked and appalled as to what is made for babies to eat. I looked at some Gerber Wagon Wheels the other day and found that they were made with high fructose corn syrup. It is no wonder that over 30% of children in the United States are obese. That is a very scary number to me.

The book "Eat to Live" has some very interesting view points and some may seem a little over the top for some. However, Dr. Furhman's bottom line is this- we need to eat more fruits, vegetables and beans and less meat to be healthier individuals. I've made a conscious effort to eat more of these each day and I've been more energetic, lost a few pounds and have felt better over all. I haven't followed his diet strictly, as I don't think I really am there yet. But a few small changes have made a big difference.

As I grow older, I am seeing more and more people close to me with cancer, heart disease and other ailments. You start to wonder if people die of "old age" anymore. I saw an interesting article on Oprah's website the other day about "Blue Zones". Blue Zones are places in the world where people live to well into their 80's, 90's and 100's. Some of the common factors in the health of the people that live there are moderate exercise, legumes and a plant based diet.

You are what you eat. I don't think there could be anything more true than that.

Boogie Woogie Disco

2009-05-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Isabel shows us a few of her smooth moves.

1 Year Check Up

2009-05-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Little Isabel had her one year check up today. She did ok- screamed bloody murder after getting two shots in the arm, but I don't blame her.

Weight: 23 pounds 7 oz (85%)

Height: 31.5 inches (97%)

She still is a little low on iron, so we have to keep giving her the supplements. I hate to do it, but I also hate to have my little monkey anemic.

Lovely Afternoon

2009-05-10T15:03:00.001-07:00

"Mommy, here is where we should build our beach house."

Today we took Isabel out to Alki beach for a lovely late morning stroll. The tide was out and the weather was perfect. It was a great way to spend Mother's Day, with my two favorite people and a nice Seattle day.

Yes folks, we have a walker!

2009-05-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

She's been walking for a couple weeks now, one or two steps here and there. But today she's been taking more than just a couple of steps and it won't be long now before she's running through the house.

Sickies All Around

2009-04-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

Yes, we all caught the sickness that is going around. Isabel had a temperature yesterday of 103 and was the most pitiful thing you've ever seen. Today she's been pretty cling/crabby/cranky and doesn't want to nap unless she's in my arms. Sigh. The worst part is that all of us are sick- so it is really hard to get any rest.

How Fast a Year Goes By...

2009-04-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

Amazing what 365 days will do to a human being.

Zoo Day!

2009-04-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Today we took Isabel to the zoo on a fun family outing. Finally, she is old enough to have fun seeing the animals. The first time we went to the zoo with her, she slept through the whole thing. :)

The zoo is a funny place to go if you want to observe not only animals, but social behavior in humans. It seems like parents get really cranky when taking kids to the zoo and it's like they are the only ones not having any fun. There were a ton of photographers there today, with their huge lenses and their tripods. There were some who were really rude- this one lady was telling kids "not to kick her tripod" and pulling them away from the window when she was trying to take pictures of the lion. She was plain awful- what do you expect when there were a ton of munchkins trying to see the lions too?

Tired monkey.

Looking at the elephants!

We had a great afternoon- maybe next time we'll go to the Aquarium. :)

No Crying Tonight!

2009-04-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Sleepy baby girl chugged back a full bottle, said goodnight to her peeps and passed out. She stood up once to grab for me, but I just laid her back down again and handed her Bob (her ducky friend, thank you Rachel and Katy!) and she went down quietly.

We went to Tokyo restaurant again tonight and she made eyes at the sushi chefs with broccoli and rice all over her face. She's a charmer, that's for sure! There was one little girl in the restaurant who was being kind of wild, running around the restaurant and screaming. Isabel sat in rapture, watching this little girl. Man oh man, I hope she was not getting any fancy ideas or else I am going to have to invent velcro pants for highchairs.

Teaching the Girls the Finer Points of Life...

2009-04-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

The finer points of life definitely includes a beautiful Sunday walk to the French bakery on Eastlake.

Today Eryn and I took the girls with us for a lovely Sunday stroll through Montlake to Le Fournil. Can you say NOM NOM NOM? Isabel loves strolling along and looking at all the cars and she is so interested in people watching these days!

Face full of croissant!

Lovely Mama E and Baby E

I wish for my next house to be in a nice neighborhood and have a French bakery near by. Oh, and if we could live next door to Ina Garten, that would be awesome too.

Yeehaw!

2009-04-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

So far, so good. Iz cried for one minute tonight and then was quiet. I think we're on our way...

Crying it Out. Day 3.

2009-04-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

Much much better tonight. Crying for 5 minutes, and it was a real cry for about three minutes then sort of a fakey cry after that. Crossing my fingies and toes that this is where we turn the corner.

Also, just a clarification on our "Crying It Out" methods, as I don't want people think we are just LEAVING her there. We do our normal routine of bath, bottle and books and then say goodnight to everyone in the room (Tin-Tin, George, Cupcake and Kit Cat) get into the sleep sack, turn on her bedtime music and off with the lights. We hold her until her eyes close and then it is off to the crib. Most time she wakes up when we put her in her crib and stands up. Tonight when she did that, I gave her back her binky, gave her her ducky and then laid her back down. Then left the room.

So we don't just dump and run, we definitely try to make her understand it is bedtime. I know so many people have opinions on crying it out, but honestly we are doing our best with her and I know every baby is different.

Crying It Out. Day 2.

2009-04-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Probably worse tonight than last night. Last night she cried for about 20 minutes. Tonight for about 30. I took off to the gym to escape the wailing. I can't stand it. Insert sad face here.

Sigh.

2009-04-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

The last few nights have been rough on all of us here at the Calkins household. Miss Iz has been having a rough couple of nights- she's been waking up at midnight or so just wailing. It has taken us about two hours to get her to go back to sleep and it has been really hard. So tonight, we're "crying it out".... all of us.

This too shall pass.

Nom Nom...Baby Toes!

2009-04-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

It is true, baby toes are irresistible.

YAY! Spring is HERE!

2009-04-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today was another awesome day weather-wise. After a fun girly lunch with some friends, Isabel, Jeremy and I went for a walk by our house. We discovered that Isabel is too big for the Baby Bjorn now, not to mention that she is so long that her legs smack my thighs every time I take a step and she's so heavy it hurts my back to carry her after a while. Regardless, I'm so happy Spring has finally arrived and can't wait to get out more!

Apparently Lions and Kitty Cats Are The Same...

2009-04-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

Isabel knows that lions go "raaawr" but apparently so does everything else. Except chickens. She knows what chickens do.

Scoot Scoot!

2009-04-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

We bought Isabel this fun little toy at Target the other night and it kills me to see her push it around.

Like the Formula 1 race car drivers, we tell her to "Push push push!" in our best Italian accents...

Here Comes Trouble...

2009-03-31T20:09:00.001-07:00

New Babies!

2009-03-29T19:48:00.001-07:00

Today we visited our friends J&H and their twin sons J&H (huh, I didn't realize that until now, cute.) Isabel got to "play" with her new buddies a little before they were whisked off to dreamland. Baby J&H are so cute and so alert now. They are smiling socially and I love seeing babies grin.

Isabel is standing on her own now and can push her little scooter car around. It makes me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants, seeing her push that thing. She gets this very intense look on her face and does her little geek laugh.

Elliot was finally born yesterday afternoon and she is a darling baby. Curly reddish hair, 8.8 lbs and 21 inches. So cute. I especially love this picture of her little piggies.

E did an amazing job getting that little girl to come out. I know it was a long, hard labor and in the end so worth it to see this little munchkin enter the world. Welcome baby girl!

Morning.

2009-03-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

It is Saturday morning and I am the only one up. Well, I heard a thump upstairs a little while ago which means that Isabel threw her binkie overboard. So she's up, but not UP. For now, it is just me, my coffee, my phone and the computer. Kind of nice.

I've been waiting for the last 12 hours for a call from the hospital- one of my best friends is in labor right now. I was being all emotional and thinking about how much kids change your life. There are some positives and negatives to every situation and having kids is definitely one of them. But thinking about how amazing a new life is, often times brings tears to my eyes (ok, especially when I'm hormonal and when it is someone close to you). I'll save you all the sappy "Babies are so amazing" chatter- but the bottomline is that I am truly and utterly amazed at the miracle of life.

Here I wait. Ready to jet off to the hospital at the drop of a hat, I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the divine Miss E and can't wait to be her Auntie!

The Meatloaf Cupcake

2009-03-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

I wish I could take credit for this little gem of an idea. Meatloaf cupcakes. But alas, I got the idea from the Meatloaf Bakery (yes there is such a place) and thought about how genius this is. Who doesn't love cupcakes? And if you have picky kids and you tell them they are having cupcakes for dinner? I am sorry, but that is HEAVEN to me. All you need is meatloaf in muffin tins, some mashed veg of some kind, a piping bag and tip and VOILA! Meat heaven.

2009-03-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

There is something on your face...

Rockin' the ear protection...

Isabel Lately

2009-03-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

She'll be 11 months next week, can you believe it?

Yogurt Face!

Allergic to Peas?

2009-03-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Has anyone out there ever seen any allergic reactions to peas in their kids? A couple of times that I have given Iz cooked peas she's broken out in a rash around her mouth. Tonight she even broke out in little hives around her hands. So for now, we'll avoid the peas. I'm trying to give her other foods that she can feed to herself. So far she LOVES cheese, Cheerios, rice and cooked veggies.

Yesterday we took her to Tokyo (sushi restaurant) and she had tofu for the first time. I wasn't sure what she would think of it, and seeing her reaction to peas- I was a little nervous about the tofu. So far so good. Today we even tried a little bit of plain yogurt. She ate a few bites, so hopefully she'll warm up to it more as we try it again.

I love being able to feed her food that hasn't been pureed within an inch of it's life- however now it makes for a very messy and often times fussy meal time.

Thursday.

2009-03-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so tired right now I can't come up with anything creative as a title. So Thursday it is.

Today was our final exam on our install and our team scored 96 out of 100. Most of the points that were taken off were due to "shiners" and loose coax cables. Stupid stuff that was a result of us not being too careful at the end. It is hard being on a team of 3 sometimes, because instead of bouncing ideas off one other person, you have two to deal with. It wasn't terrible, just sometimes makes the work go slower. (Shiners, btw are when you have the copper part of the wire exposed under the sheath or casing. Not a good thing to have since moisture can get in there and cause a potential short in the wiring. See? I guess I am learning something useful. Watch out, I'm armed with information, this makes me more dangerous than I already am!!)

I had dinner with some family friends this evening (and yesterday!) and it was so nice of them to have me over. Not to mention they fed me yummy food which beats eating take out by yourself any day.

I think the hardest thing about being here is saying good night to Isabel each night on the phone. She makes little noises when she is talking to me "uhhhhh!!!" and "maaaaaaaa" and I wonder if she knows it is me on the other end. Normally Jeremy and I take turns putting her down each night and I've missed out on that this week. I'll have to give Jeremy "Get Out of Jail Free" cards next week as he's certainly deserved it taking care of her all week long. Not to mention the fabulous Grandma's who've helped HIM out too!

Thanks Grandmas! We love you and all you do for us... we couldn't do it without you.

Ladder Day

2009-03-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

Today we learned all about ladders and how to climb them safely. It probably would have been best for me to keep my mouth shut during this course as I proceeded to tell my teammates that I don't usually use ladders, just chairs to get to what I want. Most often, I fall off the chairs and on to the floor. They then suggested I don my hardhat.

After our indoor training on the wimpy ladders, we were ushered outside to manhandle the 28 footers and put them up next to the building. I was proud of myself, I managed to shimy my butt up the ladder without looking down. Getting down was not as easy as getting up- since I kept thinking my feet were not planted firmly. I think the worst part about those big ladders were how much give they had- they shook with each rung you climbed. Fabulous.

Tomorrow is our test for our start to finish install. Hopefully I won't poke anyone with the voltage detector or take out a chunk of skin when I am capping the ends of coax cables. Such a fabulous life I lead- don't you wish you were me right now?

I am missing Isabel and J like crazy- only two more days until I fly home! Yippie! Ho-tel living is getting to me and I do miss having more than two pairs of jeans to wear. Oh! Did I mention that San Diego has a West Elm store? DROOL. I swear, sometimes I kinda wish we lived here!

Act 1- Scene 1

2009-03-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

Instructor: Here we'll be able to do a Balun install and take the VDSL line and hook it up through your coax cable.

Me: Um. Yeah. Um, what is this?

Instructor: Well, clearly you have to take your JSDU and make sure it syncs. Make sure your tip and ring are on the right wires, white and green and make sure your ANI bed of nails don't touch.

Me: Um. Yeah. Um, what is this?

Instructor: (Now sounding like Charlie Brown's teacher because I don't understand a damn word of what is being said or shown on the fabulous slides)

Me: Um. Yeah....

AND SCENE!

Training Day

2009-03-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today was day one of training. I learned all about VRAD and F1 and F2 connectors and this that and blah blah blah. A lot to take in for someone who doesn't consider herself technically able. Granted, I love knowing how things work, but in all honesty- most of this sounds like a foreign language to me. It is crazy to think that after one week of training they think they can send us out into the field- I don't really think you want me hooking up your cable.

I managed to get in a workout today after training and I know tomorrow I will regret the lunges that I did after I ran. I have a feeling that bending and squatting tomorrow will be quite painful. Hopefully I'll be able to do some work at waist level, hooking up all those wires and stuff.

The good news is that we won't be climbing any telephone poles in training- nor will I have to in the field. Such a relief to hear since I pretty much would break my neck. I do have to wear this awesome hard hat and even more fabulous safety glasses. We have to wear safety glasses in class whenever we are around tools and they are a weird kind of plastic that messes with my eyes and makes me want to barf after a while. Same kind of feeling you get when you wear glasses that aren't your prescription.

Other than that, nothing fun to report. I did get in trouble a couple of times from laughing in class. I couldn't help it, the voltage detector that they give us looks very suspicious and apparently vibrates when high voltage is present. I'm sorry, but if you saw the thing- you would know EXACTLY why I was laughing. And I wasn't the only one in the room who was cracking up!

I know, I'm so mature. :)

San Diego!

2009-03-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today I flew out of snowy Seattle and landed in sunny San Diego. I start my "training" tomorrow on installing cable for the company I work for. Now, don't think I've gone nutso on you have decided to change careers. No- I'm REQUIRED to do this training to fill in for workers in case we have a strike in the next month. It is a long story- but the bottom line is that I have some kickass "work boots" required for climbing ladders and am spending the week in San Diego. Yes, there are worse places I could be.

So far, so good. Today Beth's good friend Linda came and took me out to lunch and drove me around San Diego. It was a beautiful day and it was SO NICE of her to drag my butt around town. We even rode a carousel today. What I love about walking around San Diego is that everyone was out today with their kids, dogs, families... it was just so nice to be outside like that. I wish Seattle was like that more than 3 months out of the year.

OMG. I am watching old SNL commercials on the ho-tel TV and it is the commercial about Robot Insurance. I think I am going to pee my pants. "Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel."

Week 1

2009-03-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

It has only been one week since I started back with Weight Watchers and even though I only made it to the gym twice this week, the biggest improvement I've seen is my eating habits. Instead of cookies all day long, I save a one or two cookies for an afternoon snack or for dessert. Instead of eating all the teriyaki chicken and rice, I eat half for dinner and save the rest for lunch the next day. Slowing down has helped a lot- I find that if I take a break from my food, I don't really need to eat the rest 5 minutes later because I am already full. Amazing that a few changes can make a big difference.

Just that has helped me drop 2 pounds over the course of the week. I'm sure some of that is water weight, but it is good to see that number drop on the scale.

Today I had a good but exhausting workout. I had limited time at the gym, so I made sure I packed in as much as I could. My favorite thing to do at the gym is the eliptical, and one of the machines there has this awesome "weight loss" setting which takes you on intervals. I love gearing myself up for the hard parts, I crank up some Beyonce or Lady GaGa and go nuts. The only thing I hate at the gym is some of the gym-goers. I am of the belief that if you go to the gym, you should go to work hard. If not, go home. I hate hate hate it when people talk on their cell phones or just waste time on the machines. The other day I saw a lady working out in her Crocs. Now I'm not trying to judge anyone- but seriously. Crocs? To me, if you don't have proper footwear, you're going to hurt yourself.

10 Months Old!

2009-02-28T19:33:00.000-08:00

Holy Crap! My baby is 10 months old (yesterday!) How the heck did that happen?

Game On, Baby Weight.

2009-02-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

I hope you brought your A-Game. Because your little gig of yours, of sticking those pounds around my middle- is over.

Throughout my 40 weeks of pregnancy- I lived under the idea that the pounds will just "melt off" when I had my baby. Claims like "I was smaller than before!" and "Breastfeeding is the best diet!" was tossed at me like late night info-mercials. Visions of myself- 120 pounds, danced in my head. Fast forward to 40 weeks+ 10 months later and those last 15 pounds of baby weight have held on like Kate Winslet on the Titanic. Breastfeeding didn't work as well as I had hoped- possibly because I was not being super cautious about what I was shoving down my gullet. I admit it, I am an emotional eater. I eat when I am stressed, I eat when I am happy, I eat when I feel like "I deserve a treat." And needless to say- these past months have been stressful, happy and treat filled.

So we bring us to today. I have signed back up with Weight Watchers and having been trying to go to the gym on a regular basis. I realize that without each other, the other is useless. If I don't have a goal to reach each week, knowing I have to step on a scale- then I will be a little more lazy about going to the gym. Each keeps me in check, each helps me be more accountable.

I know my new journey will be hard and will be filled with lots of ups and downs. I guess if it was easy, everyone in this country would be 120 pounds. For now, I'll take each day as it comes and do it one pound at a time.

MUST.HAVE.

2009-02-20T20:07:00.000-08:00

Today I was shopping at Pharmaca in Redmond and I came across this little jewel of a toy:

Yes, it is called the "Prance and Play Unicorn" from Melissa and Doug. Let's just say nearly peed my pants when I saw it. I came *thisclose* to buying it when I realized that a pointy stick with a stuffed animal stuck on top of it is probably not the best idea for a ten month old baby. Sigh, I guess she will have to wait two more years before she can play with that.

Look At My Teeth!

2009-02-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

See those two toofers? She's got one more that poked through to make that three!

Isabel in her "Valentime's" outfit. Ready for lunch!

Benefits of Being a Mommy...

2009-02-17T19:35:00.001-08:00

You get projectile vomited on for no reason at all! Well, I take that back. I am sure there is a reason- but I received no warning at all. One moment we were making toast, the next, I was wearing her lunch. The worst part too is that while I am covered in barf, I have to get her bathed and changed first before I can take off my icky clothes.

J is home sick as well, but he is certainly worse than Isabel. I don't think he's been able to eat anything all day and Isabel keeps trying to play with him, which consists of her trying to smack his tummy.

Visit from Tito Tony!

2009-02-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

Last week my brother came up to visit from California. It was such a great time and a lovely visit, albeit very short. I wish that he still lived up here, it is hard for me to imagine that Isabel will only see her uncle once or twice a year.

Tito tells Isabel the finer points of the Cheerio. Deelish.

Life is Hard...

2009-02-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

Especially when all you have to do is wake up and get fed. Sleepy monkey.

9 Month Check Up

2009-02-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

Isabel had her 9 month check up today and she again, is a big headed, tall baby.

29.5 inches for height (97%)

21 pounds for weight (80%)

45.5 cm for head (90%)

She had her blood drawn today for an iron screen and was happy as a clam throughout the whole process. Did not flinch when the nurse poked her toe to do the draw. But boy did she let loose and scream when she had her shot.

Dr. Shorr said we could start feeding her some pasta and meat sauce and all sort of iron rich goodies. Unfortunately, she's a little anemic so we need to load her up on some good food. Time to whip out the blender and chop up some steak!

As If You Needed Another Reason...

2009-01-31T16:01:00.000-08:00

Apparently recent studies have shown that there is mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup. According to US News and World Report (click here for article), the FDA knew about this information, but did not release it right away. And of course, the Corn Refiners Association of America is disputing these claims.

Just another reason we all need to know what kinds of ingredients that are in our foods. I'm telling you, natural sugar is the way to go.

The Weirdest Thing...

2009-01-24T21:33:00.001-08:00

When Isabel is fussing in the car (which is rare, but happens) she will instantly calm down once I start singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "I'm a Little Teapot". Sometimes I end up singing one song 8 or 9 times before she falls alseep- but it works everytime.

I'm no singer, but if it helps calm her down, I'm all about it.

Testing out the gate...

2009-01-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

Trying as hard as she can to figure a way through.

I'm in Trouble...

2009-01-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

Taken today with J's camera phone. Look at that grin too- she's totally proud of herself. Time to lock down Baby Jail.

PS

2009-01-17T20:50:00.001-08:00

I am so annoyed with Blogger for messing up my posts. None of the font sizes are consistent and it really chaps my hide.

Fin.

She's Gonna Kill Me One Day...

2009-01-17T15:04:00.000-08:00

But I don't care. It's freakin' cute. In other news... drum roll please... Tooth #2 has landed! Yes indeedy, our child is no longer the hillbilly child (no offense to hillbillies that follow my blog) and now has two teeth.

Isabel in her Princess Unicorn Hairdo...

Let me out, please! 20 years in jail for poopy diapers.

The reason why I post the above picture is to illustrate the fact that Little Miss is pulling herself up on her crib. We have her mattress on the lowest setting and yet, she can still put her hands up on the rail while kneeling. I remember Jennifer (our wonderful doula) had said to us once- "Just wait until they wake up in the middle of the night and start crying because babies can pull themselves up, but have a hard time sitting back down." FUN. I don't doubt that we may have to implement some sort of baby trap to her crib over the next year.

Big Girl...

2009-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

She's growing so much- and so fast! When did she hit the fast forward button?

Jibba Jabba

2009-01-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

My first attempt with iMovie.

Teeth and Crawling... oh MY!

2009-01-02T22:35:00.000-08:00

So Isabel's tooth is official- the little bugger is sticking out and I think there is a second one on it's way. She's pretty crabby and cranky and on a little bit of a hunger strike. She starts to put her feet up on the tray to her high chair as if to say "Heck no!" to food. Poor kiddo.

Not only does she have the tooth going for her, as of yesterday we have a little mobile kiddo. She's an official crawler, she finally coordinated her hands and her knees. It is hilarious to see her face light up when she sees something she wants- and goes right for it. Case in point, Miss Kitty. Before, Miss Kitty would just sit and watch Isabel flail on her tummy. Now, she has to get out of the way... and fast.

Wow. Our baby. All growed up.

I have a problem.

2009-01-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

I think the first step into healing is admitting you have a problem. And yes, I have a problem. I have an addiction to shopping at Gymboree. For some reason, I'm getting completely and totally sucked in to all the sales that are going on. Case in point- today I wandered in to Gymboree to exchange an outfit that Isabel received for Christmas. I wandered out with a few gifts for some friends, a few more outfits for Isabel and this crazed look in my eye. I had found that Gymboree was having a super sale, a lot of stuff had been marked down to $4.99. It is like treasure hunting- and the more that I found on super sale- the more I had to have. AGH!

So yes, I have a problem. But I can say that I did get some great deals. Ok. I am done. Sorry for being a nut-ball.

I say this every year...

2008-12-28T14:13:00.000-08:00

Thank god Christmas only comes once a year.

Again, Christmas was a whirlwind this year and on top of that there was the added stress that the weather brought with it. I am happy to see the snow melt away- except we have a massive mound of dirty snow piled up in front of our door from our neighbors who shoveled the driveway. I am so grateful that they pitched in to shovel, but not so happy with their decision on where to put the snow.

Isabel had a good Christmas, she totally understands what it means to open presents. Or really, she understands what fun crinkly wrapping paper and curling ribbon can be.

Yesterday I poked around in Isabel's mouth to find something poking ME back! You can't see the tooth, but you sure can feel it. I think it is behind her bottom gum a little, but it is there for sure! Hopefully soon it will make it's arrival so we can get that goofy one tooth grin out of her. I can't wait!

Happy Holidays from the Calkins Family

2008-12-24T09:26:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanks for the snowsuit, Auntie Kirstie!

2008-12-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here we are running to the mailbox in our little snowstorm.

Forgotten Children's Fund

2008-12-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

I know times are tough for a lot of people out there this year, but I just wanted to say that we should not forget those who are extremely less fortunate than us. Even $10 or $15 would make a difference in someone's Christmas.

I've been an elf for the Forgotten Children's Fund in years past, visiting families around King County and delivering much needed food and gifts. My brother's godfather was our Santa Claus and we had a wonderful time.

In times when we are trying to pinch a few pennies here and there, open your hearts to those who truly are in need this Christmas.

http://www.forgottenchildrensfund.org

Happy Holidays!

And you think I'm kidding...

2008-12-13T21:38:00.001-08:00

Proof that this little Miss is on her way... and she loves shoes. :) Takes after her Mama.

It has been too long...

2008-12-12T23:07:00.000-08:00

Things have just been so busy. Pretty much my life consists of: wakeup-get in the car- drop off Iz-work-get in car- get Iz- sleep. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Work has been good and honestly, I am just looking forward to the end of December and the end of the holidays. Then I can at least take a deep breath and not worry about commitments, full weekends or anything like that.

I am looking forward to some new babies arriving in December and some more babies arriving in April! Pretty soon Isabel will be getting her all her new BFF's and let me tell you- SHE IS EXCITED. Or it could be gas. Either one.

In other Isabel news- she is *THISCLOSE* to crawling. Today, she rocked back and forth a couple of times on her hands and knees and took a step towards a toy. Hopefully she won't be crawling too much until after Christmas- that way, we don't have to secure the tree to a wall or something. She is noticing the cat more and more and lunges at her every chance she gets. You better watch out, Miss K. You're about to get your tail yanked!

Isabel has her next check up in January and we'll see how much she's grown. She's getting to be quite the piggy when it comes to food- she'll polish off half a jar of fruit or vege and quite a bit of cereal in one sitting. I love it! I love that she loves food- it is so fun to see the expressions on her face when you give her something she likes. I'm excited to try non-jarred foods like avocados and fresh bananas and to try some of the baby purees from the baby cookbook. But honestly, I am too pooped for those sort of endeavors. Which reminds me, why the heck am I up right now?!

Look What I Made!

2008-11-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, some girlfriends and I went to the Make It Workshop in W. Seattle and took a sewing class. I learned how to sew, pivot corners and go in circles (sort of). It was a ton of fun and I can't wait to go back and take another class. They offer all sorts of classes and are available for parties too.

http://makeitworkshop.com/

Here is what I made in class. Granted it was just practice, but it turned out to be a great hat for Miss K.

Whew.

2008-11-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

It has been a week. I started my new job on Tuesday and so far so good. Everyone is super nice, I'm learning a TON about mobile, and I get to play with some fun mobile devices. Can't complain! I don't love the commute though- that is for sure. On the days that my mom watches Isabel, I drive about 100 miles. In one day. It makes for a very very long day. Thank goodness for falling gas prices and our little VW. Perhaps when she's a little older, I'll get a motorcycle with a sidecar. Do they make baby goggles? AWESOME.

We're still waiting on the arrival of Miss Isabel's teeth- she's been gnawing on things like crazy and her gums look pretty swollen. I am looking foward to arrival of said teeth, but I am a bit nervous of what that means for "The Girls". YIKES.

Big Girl Chair

2008-11-06T22:43:00.000-08:00

Hey, my face matches my sweater.

I get all these toys to play with? Woooee!

So we've been working on the solid food for about a month now. We've only been consistent the last few weeks, but now since I was home this week, I've been giving her solids about twice a day.

It has been hard, sometimes Isabel eats quite a bit and sometimes it is only two bites. I'm sure we'll get there eventually. Apparently, she doesn't share the love of food her Mommy has. Mainly, she is excited to sit in her chair and bang her toys on the tray. Because that is fun. And loud.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today I took Isabel on her Halloween Tour 2008. We went to visit Jeremy at his new office, visited the cousins at my mom's, then over to Grandma Beth's and a visit with the Tris. The hot dog costume was a big hit with everyone and we almost got her into a photoshoot at Jeremy's office as well. The best $20 I've ever spent, for sure! She humored me all day, but certainly lost it on the way home tonight. Screamed for about 5-10 minutes in the car until she fell asleep. Poor baby...

I am officially on vacation until I start my new gig in Redmond. I'm excited at the possibilities of vacation, but at the same time- just looking forward to some good sleep and some lazy days.

Nature!

2008-10-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today J and I took Isabel out for a walk along the Cedar River trail. It was such a beautiful day and we had been cooped up in the house for too long. Amazingly enough, we were lucky to witness salmon migrating up the Cedar River. I kid you not- it was insane. The river is shallow enough to see all the salmon trying valiantly to beat the current and head up stream. There were hundreds of them and each time I saw a new group of them, I stopped stared. I just could not get over the fact that we were witnessing this- here in our little town of Renton!

The excitement was a little too much for Isabel and she fell asleep along the way. I guess that is what happens when you get a little too much nature in one day.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

2008-10-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

So one of the things I forgot to mention yesterday is that Dr. Shorr was concerned about some rashy areas on Isabel. He asked me if I was eating a lot of foods like tomatoes, citrus, wheat, eggs, chocolate.... WAIT. CHOCOLATE?! No, no this can't be true. Please, say it ain't so! Insert sad, crying face here. Dr. Shorr told me to lay off on the chocolate for a little while to see if the rash improves.

That's strike two, Baby Isabel...

6 Month Check Up

2008-10-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today was Isabel's 6 month check up with Dr. Shorr. She's still a tall one, but now instead of 95% for height, she's 97%! So she definitely takes after her daddy!

97% height (28.25 inches)
80% weight (17.7 pounds)
85% head circumference

Jeremy and I both like Dr. Shorr a lot. He's very helpful, gives us a lot of good information for Isabel and is really good with her. He even asked us to bring in a picture of her in her Halloween costume.

The last week has just been sleeping hell. She's been waking up in the middle of the night crying and it has been so hard. Dr. Shorr definitely thinks that her chompers will break through in the next month or so, and attributes the night waking to the pain in her gums. In addition to that he also thinks at the rate she is growing that she's going to need more food during the day. So, onward we trudge, hoping each night gets a little better.

We finally had someone stop by to see the house, so I'm crossing my fingers that someone falls in love with it soon. It would be so great to get that going before the holidays!

New Jobs!

2008-10-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

This month has been crazy- J just finished up his stint at work and I'm wrapping mine up in the next two weeks. I just got a job on the eastside at a telecommunications place (rhymes with Ray Me & Me) and I am thrilled. I can't wait. J got a new job in Fremont at the other image licensing place and so we're going to be traveling in totally different directions.

We bought Isabel her high chair the other night and she's starting to take to rice cereal a little more. She doesn't make that accusing face anymore and she's starting to open her mouth a little more when the spoon comes near. So we're making progress! On the other hand, we're stuck in swaddle hell. Isabel has been pulling the swaddle over her face the last couple nights, so J and I tried to put her in a sleep sack last night. It was totally awful. So we'll try something else- I saw some good advice from Birth and Beyond online so hopefully that will help.

No bites on the house- which right now is just fine. I think we've got a little much going on right now and it is totally fine with me.

YAAAAWN....

2008-10-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

It's 8 pm and I am pooped. And it's only Monday. Gross.

The weekend went by too fast and last week was a little bit of a whirlwind too. I had to take Miss K into see Dr. Theresa. Turns out she's got a bladder stone and has another UTI. Poor kitten face, I really hope she feels better. She's got three weeks of antibiotics ahead of her and a new "diet" to boot.

Miss Magoo (Isabel) has been teething like crazy, getting her gums on anything and everything that is within reach. I can't imagine what that must feel like, probably pretty itchy. I can't wait for her to get to her 6 month birthday. We tried a few times already with Rice Cereal and she HATED IT. I can't wait to do all fun veggie purees and see how that goes. What a crazy experience that must be- new foods, new tastes...

You want to hear something tragic? Mother's Cookies is going out of business. I am SO SAD! I absolutely LOVE their Taffy Cookies, and their little Circus Animal cookies were a big part of my childhood. WAH!!

Simply Wed- Best of Western Washington!

2008-10-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hey all-

My sister in law is in the running for "Best Wedding Planner" in the Best of Western Washington contest. GO OUT AND VOTE FOR HER! She helped me plan my wedding and does an AMAZING JOB.

Vote for Simply Wed under "Weddings" and "Wedding Planner"

http://best.king5.com/contests/best-of-western-washington/2336

VOTE VOTE VOTE!!

So... tired..

2008-10-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

I am too tired to do anything but sit here and type ... slowly. I'm even too tired to whine about being tired. Believe me, I tried it. Sounds more like a dying cow.

A couple of things. One- I've decided that I'm going to start using Sarah Palin-isms in some my day to day interactions with people. If someone asks me if they can contact a client about a photoshoot- I'm gonna say "You betcha" and "We're all mavericks over here!". Then I'll cock my head a little and give a sassy little wink!

We'll see how long it lasts before someone clubs me over the head with a high heel.

Two- My grandma visited last week and it was a wonderful visit. She got to meet Isabel and I got to spend some time with her. I hardly remember my great-grandparents, so I am so happy that Isabel had the chance to meet her great-grandma.

Three- The house is on the market, and now we just sit and wait... and wait. Yuck. I know its not the best time to be selling, but I'm tired of driving around and I know the Grandmas would appreciate us being closer too. They do Jeremy and I an amazing amazing favor by watching Isabel three days a week. We are very lucky and I just want to make it as easy on them as possible. I know they love Isabel and don't mind, but I don't want them spending all that time in the car and on the freeway.

Four- I'm pooped. It's been a LONG week with lots of activities and I need a few days of non-eventful-ness. (Is that even a word? Probably not.)

Five Months Old and Sitting Up

2008-09-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

Five months old today and sitting up like a big girl. Amazing, she can do this unassisted for a while, you just have to sit close by to make sure she doesn't fall on her face.

Getting Ready to Sell

2008-09-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was spent cleaning, packing and organizing in preparation for putting the condo on the market this coming week. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold and it is making moving even more miserable than it already is.

Isabel ready to move.

Daddy and Isabel enjoying the patio.

Crossing my fingers and toes that our place sells in the next few months so we can find a new house closer to the Grandmas.

Did I Just See That?!

2008-09-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

Here I was enjoying my morning coffee when a commercial for HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP appeared on TV.

Are you KIDDING ME?! Gee, thanks Corn Refiners Association! Thanks for twisting HFCS into something that seems to be OK!

I'm going to drown my sorrows in some natural sugar, thank you very much.

On the Move!

2008-09-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight Isabel flipped over from her back to her tummy- twice! I had to make sure it wasn't a fluke so I made her do it again. Sure enough, she made a little grunt and flipped herself over. Amazing- almost 5 months old and on the move!

Speaking of which, J and I are putting the place on the market. So if anyone is in need of a cute townhouse in Renton- let me know!

Life... What Are You Trying to Tell Me?

2008-09-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get the feeling that "Life" is trying to tell you something? Just last week, my good friend Joene lost her husband. Garry had suffered a heart attack earlier this month, but was home and on the mend. Then, suddenly- he was gone. It is hard for me to understand, and hard for me to comprehend. Especially now, when work has been so crappy and overwhelming- it really does put life into perspective. Sometimes I just want to scream "STOP!" so I can catch my breath and take a moment, but unfortunately life doesn't work that way.

I guess what I am saying is relish the good moments and try not to focus too much on the bad ones. In the end, it is not worth the energy to get caught up in the negative.

You Know It Has Been A Good Day...

2008-09-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

When your hardest decision is to have either a bowl of vanilla ice cream with Fran's chocolate sauce or a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Rolling Over

2008-09-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

"Feats of Strength" with Isabel

She gives a little squeal like she's a weight lifter.

So Long, Farewell!

2008-09-01T12:16:00.001-07:00

Goodbye to the days of bringing Isabel to a restaurant and having her snooze through the whole thing. I realize now we should have taken more advantage of those days. Last night Jeremy and I went to Vince's Italian Restaurant with Miss Iz in tow. Vince's is this really divey Italian joint that I like a lot. Think of Beppo's, but not so loud. Lots of families and older folk, so it was a safe bet to bring the kiddo.

Isabel did well for the first 10 minutes or so. We had to wait for a while for a table and once we were seated, she started to squirm. I got her out of her seat to change her diaper and as Jeremy says "Once she's out of her carseat, it is game over."

We managed to get through our salads and part of our entrees before the squirming started. We handed her back and forth over the table- allowing one another to chow down before we had to hand her back. Then, about 10 minutes before we left- the screeching started. Many of you have heard Isabel screech before, a happy screech that makes us all laugh. This screech was different. She sounded like a cat being attacked by a racoon- and she was attacking her burp cloth with such vigor that we thought she was trying to rip it apart. We couldn't stop laughing, her outburst was so unlike her that we just were cracking up. You could tell she was trying to tell us that she was tired, hungry and had enough. I am sure the people in the booths around her thought we had raised a Wolf-Child; with her wild hair and screeches.

Thanks, Mommies!

2008-08-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the mommies for chiming in on the sleep issue with Isabel. She's been doing much better, sleeping until at least 5:45-6:00 am. We decided to give her a small supplemental bottle of formula right before bed (which by the way, tastes NASTY! I can't believe babies eat this stuff!) and she's been sleeping much better.

It makes me feel so much better to hear real life mommy stories and to know that there are other mommies out there that are having the same problems. Whenever I do research online or read a "Baby Book" from an "expert"- they always seem to make you feel like what you are doing is wrong or the choices that you make are wrong. It is nice to know that sometimes you just have to go with the Mommy Instincts.

This morning I heard the monitor click on as Isabel's crib aquarium had turned on. Jeremy was out of bed so I assumed he had turned it on for her and had let her do her stretching routine after being released from her swaddle. Jeremy brought her in around 6:30 to wake me up and had asked me if I had released her from her swaddle. Of course I didn't, and so we realized then that she had escaped from her swaddle and had turned on the aquarium by herself.

It is amazing to me how every day she learns something new, grows a little more and just becomes more and more interactive. I look at her all the time and am amazed at human life. It is truly mind blowing.

Birthdays. Blegh.

2008-08-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about birthdays (mine in particular) but I don't really enjoy them. I know some people who are so excited for their birthday and celebrate the entire week, but to me, it is just another reminder that life is non-stop. I'm also not a fan of the focused attention that comes with birthdays. I have a vivid memory of one of my birthdays when I was a kid- my grandfather had come up to visit for the summer and I REFUSED to come into the dining room for cake and singing. I knew they were going to sing to me and I wouldn't have any of it. As a young child, I remember being sung to at a restaurant and I had burst into tears. I don't know why- I just really dislike my birthday. I love birthdays for other people though; buying presents, making a cake- I love that. But when it comes to mine, I'd rather just hide under the covers until September 1.

I think one birthday tradition that I will have to carry on is the box of Fran's Chocolates. Man oh man. I bought a box for myself on Thursday and I've been loving every piece. It's not like See's Candies where you can rip through most of the box in one sitting- they are just so good that you really want to make the most of them. Jeremy dislikes Fran's because of the cost- but once in a while you really need to treat yourself and make yourself feel special. So here I sit, a big fat glass of Pinot Noir and a half empty box of Fran's. Perfection.

Our Other Kiddo...

2008-08-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

So in Miss Kitty News- the great news is that she went to visit Dr. Theresa on Thursday and she's down 1.5 pounds since March! She's now a svelt 14 pounds (well, I wouldn't call her svelt, but we're getting there) Even though we didn't think the Kitty Jenny Craig was working, it turns out that perhaps it was. It is so hard to tell through all that fur sometimes. She also received a clean bill of dental health, which was a huge relief for me as I didn't want to shell out another $400 to get more teeth pulled.

Isabel now outweighs Miss K and has taken an increased interest in the cat. She pays attention to the cat now, watches her as she walks by. Pretty soon Isabel is going to be crawling after her, so Miss K better enjoy her laziness now or find better places to hide.

Need Mommy Advice!!

2008-08-27T09:59:00.001-07:00

So our little bundle of joy has been sleeping quite well for the last month and a half and it has been a fairly regular routine. Bathtime, feeding, in bed by 9:00. Wake at 6-6:30 am. This week, she's been waking up earlier and earlier. At first it was 5 am and this morning it was 4 am. And it is not like she's had escaped from her swaddle and she's still sleepy. I am talking about wide eyed, smiling at you, "Let's play!" awake. It is so frustrating, dragging yourself into her room, hoping to plug her pie-hole with a binky and have that be the end of that. Oh no. She's been messing with us too. She'll take her binky for a couple minutes and close her eyes. Just when I've collapsed back into bed and have pulled the covers over myself, I hear the monitor click on and she's whining again. This went on for about 45 minutes before I finally just got up and fed her at 5 am.

So my question is- WHAT GIVES? How did a baby go from sleeping well to torturing me with early, early mornings? Is she not getting enough food at night to last her through that last two hours of the morning before getting up? Dr. Shorr had said to me on Saturday "If she starts to wake up again in the middle of the night, you can go ahead and start feeding her rice cereal." (Not in the middle of the night, mind you- that would be crazy.) Perhaps Isabel heard Dr. Shorr and is taking matters into her own hands? Is it possible we created a genius mastermind? Mommies, I need your advice!

2008-08-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Isabel and Miss Kitty spending some quality time together. (Yes our cat is huge.)

My mom trying out the bow.

My mom is determined to tame Isabel's hair and so I gave in the other day and helped put a bow in her hair. The kicker was that after we had slicked down her hair so that the bow would stick, once it started to dry, her hair and the bow started to stand straight up again.

Just goes to show you can't try and tame what is naturally wild.

Big Feet

2008-08-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

So I forgot one crucial thing about yesterday's check up. When Dr. Shorr was looking Isabel over, he couldn't hold back the comment: "Wow, she's got big feet". Jeremy and I just laughed- it is true. I can just see it now, she's going to be a giant on the playground- towering over all the boys in her class. Perhaps this is good- they'll be too intimidated to mess with my little girl.

4 Month Check Up

2008-08-23T21:21:00.001-07:00

Today was Isabel's 4 month check up and immunizations. Everything went fantastic- SO MUCH BETTER than our last check up with Dr. Constantin. Never in my life have I wanted to write a "YOU SUCK" letter more- but I honestly would have no idea where to start. Thankfully, Dr. Shorr was a welcome improvement. He listened to me, asked us all sorts of questions and sent us home with a sheet on "what to expect" for her fourth month. Of course she screamed bloody murder when she got poked with the needles, but quieted down once I picked her up. She did great and today she's been all smiles for us.

Here are her stats:

26 inches in height (95%)
15 pounds (75%)
16 3/4 inches- head circumference (90%)

So really it means that my baby is a tall, skinny, big headed baby. HAHA. Heidi Klum, eat your heart out.

Estrella Santos

2008-08-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

Many of you know Enjay Santos, a friend and former co-worker. This past Saturday, Enjay lost his mom due to complications of a very unfortunate accident. My heart has been heavy the past few days as I have grieved for my friend and his family.

http://www.esantos.net/estrella/

If those of you who know Enjay are able to attend the service tomorrow, I know he would be comforted to be surrounded by people that love him.

Just Cute.

2008-08-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

I hate to post endless pictures of the kiddo without something funny or witty to say, but unfortunately I don't have anything to say. It has been one of those days in which I need to remind myself how fragile and short life can be and I should cherish every minute of it.

It has been too long...

2008-08-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Nakie Nudies in the heat (well, she has a diaper on)

It has been a long week for me and I haven't been good about updating the blog. So many things have happened since last week! And it has been too freakin' hot to do anything but lay in front of the fan.

My brother finally visited last week and got to meet Isabel for the first time. It was so neat to see him again and it was wonderful for Isabel to meet her Tito Tony. The time together was too short, and I hope he comes up again before she gets too much older.

Jeremy and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary last night and we left Isabel with Auntie Eryn and Uncle Aaron. I feel bad for them, they unfortunately had to watch a very cranky and hot kiddo. She definitely was showing the devil horns last night- for sure. But, it was so nice to get out and have a nice dinner and we were so thankful to our friends for putting up with her. The food was great, the sake was even better. We went to this place in Renton called "Blossom Asian Bistro" and the food was fantastic. They do little plates which was a great way to taste everything.

Tito Tony is amazed at Isabel's fantastic 'do.

A second week of work for me and it gets a little easier every day. I still miss Isabel throughout the day (I don't miss the poopy blowouts, that's for sure) but it is good for me to still stay active in the working world. She's growing like a weed on steer manure- she's already in her 6-12 month clothing and tops out at about 15.5 pounds. She's been getting a good work out in her Rainforest Jumperoo from Grandma Beth and it is her new favorite toy. She gets some pretty awesome air when she really gets going.

1 Week Down

2008-08-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Week one of returning to work has been completed. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be- but it was still hard getting back into the swing of things. That and finding an appropriate place to pump during the day. It is hard to be sneaky and discreet around the office, especially since I work/live in a cube.

I was able to finagle an empty office with a locking door, so that is nice. Now I don't have to worry too much about being walked in on in case I forgot to lock the bathroom door. Can you imagine the look that person's face? It makes me giggle just thinking about it.

I had mentioned to our office manager that hey- if that office stays empty- could I bring Isabel to the office with her Jumperoo and just leave her in there with a webcam and some Cheerios? I'm sure she'd be fine. He laughed at me and then threatened to call CPS. I told him if he was going to call CPS on me, he'd better include the picture of her in the tub with the Doctor Ma Swim Ring.

Yes, we finally scored our own Doctor Ma swim ring from China. Isabel loves it and paddles around the bathtub. And before YOU go calling CPS on me- this is perfectly safe. She can't tip over and we NEVER leave her alone in the water. I was truly amazed how much she took to the water considering her first encounter with the bath left us both in tears.

One more thing- Miss Kitty has turned into quite the kitty "big sister". She yeowls at Isabel and watches her when she plays on her blankets for tummy time. If I have let Isabel fuss a little too long, Miss K will act very distressed. I am sure she is just saying "For the love of God, make it stop!"

They are now in the same weight class- so technically, it might be a fair match.

Blegh.

2008-08-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow officially ends my maternity leave. It has been three months and one week since I've been gone. The past few days have been very hard, dotted with the occasional breakdown in which I feel like a terrible mother for leaving my little girl behind. But it is reality, and that is something I will just have to deal with. So boo-hoo and woe is me.

The insanely wonderful news is that Isabel will be cared for by everyone in my family, including Jeremy who will have Mondays off. So I really should just shut my cake hole and be grateful that we are not leaving her with strangers.

Today, I had one of those "Pretty Woman" moments while attempting to find a suitable "undergarment" for myself. I had walked into a certain Maternity store that sells undergarments for new mothers and had asked if they would help me. After measuring me, the gal pretty much announced to the whole store that I was too large and that they didn't have my size at the store. I was further informed that I would have to go to Nordstroms to special order my size as again, they didn't carry sizes for people as large as me. Pissed and annoyed, I left muttering to myself "If you don't want my money, FINE!" I was able to find decent help at Nordstroms, and the gal re-measured me and reassured me that I was NOT the size that the maternity store claimed I was and that I didn't need to special order anything. Gracious. I know when you have a baby "The Girls" go up a size or two- but I wasn't THAT big. I almost wanted to go back to that maternity store and ask if they worked on commission. "BIG MISTAKE. BIG MISTAKE!"

Say What?

2008-07-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

This picture just cracks me up. Her hair defies gravity and she looks like we just told her that Santa Claus isn't real. I need to develop a line of baby hair care products and put her picture on the bottle.

Simply Wed

2008-07-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Kirstie is a wonderful wedding coordinator and was recently featured on NWSource.com

http://www.nwsource.com/shopping/pet-stuff/local-wedding-ceremonies-have-gone-dogs

If you know of someone who is getting married or are getting married yourself, pass her name on! Check out her site here: http://SimplyWed.com

Isabel and the Play Mat

2008-07-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

If you can, turn up the volume on this one. She's a talker!

Jeremy's Genes

2008-07-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

Photographic evidence that Isabel has Jeremy's genes when it comes to height. Exhibit A: Her 3-6 month outfit that I had put on yesterday. A few weeks ago this outfit fit just fine. Yesterday, as I tried to squeeze her in it, I realized that the pants were too short and the "diaper area" was waay too tight. Poor little kiddo! She kinda looked like the Incredible Hulk, except she wasn't green.