I say this every year...

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

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanks for the snowsuit, Auntie Kirstie!

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

Forgotten Children's Fund

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...

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

It has been too long...

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!

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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

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!

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....

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!

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..

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

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

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?!

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!

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?

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...

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

"Feats of Strength" with Isabel

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

So Long, Farewell!

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!

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.

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...

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!!

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!

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

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

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

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.

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...

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

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.

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?

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

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

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

Jeremy's Genes

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.

12 Weeks Old Today!

Bumbo Seat Sitting is serious business.

12 weeks sure does go by fast. Today, on her 12th week, Isabel learned a little bit about comedy. Jeremy was trying to get her to sniff his coffee as he does with the cat each week. The cat has a hilarious reaction to coffee, she gets a bit of a Billy Idol sneer when she smells it. So, as Jeremy put the coffee up to Isabel's face, she leaned down and burped in his coffee. I nearly peed my pants laughing and she just sat there and smiled.

Craigslist Shopping Should Be an Olympic Event

Wednesday and Thursday of this week was spent stalking ads on Craigslist for a Bumbo chair for Isabel. I swear- you have to be so on top of those postings and call or email right away or else it gets snatched up. I was able to finally snag a Bumbo chair Thursday night.

This is what happens when Jeremy opens a new box of diapers. He promptly puts one on her head and calls her "Little Dutch Girl". Terrible, I know. But somehow we all think it is funny.

Oh Me Oh My!

Newsflash- Isabel slept last night from 9 pm to 6 am. WHAT THE HECK! I'm going to be a little pessimistic and just say it was a fluke (just so I don't get super excited and think this is going to be the norm going forward). Unfortunately, at 4 am I couldn't sleep anymore as I was totally freaked out that she slept so long. So, Isabel had a great night, but me- not so much. C'est la vie.

Last night Jeremy and I had dinner with our friends Dave and Lisa and their little girl Megan. Megan is almost 6 months old and is just darling. I think she may have talked some sense into Isabel about sleeping through the night. HA! Isabel also test drove Megan's Bumbo chair and loved it. I thought perhaps she was too young for it- but it turns out that she's probably ready for it. Sigh... they grow so fast! Pretty soon she'll be asking for the keys to the car. God help us all!

Glitter Lotion and Kids DO NOT MIX

I had this lotion in our guest bathroom that was next to the sink. I never really used it, maybe a few times. The reason that I never used it was because it had glitter in it. It smells lovely, but I'm just not the glitter girl type.

Yesterday my mom and Alyssa came over to visit and of course, before touching Isabel, my mom has the girls wash their hands. Alyssa came running over after washing her hands and started touching Isabel's hair. "Wow" I said, "You smell nice, Aly." Alyssa looked at me and said "I put your glitter lotion on my hands!". Here is where it was like the movies: I started to say "NOOOOOO!" in slow motion as I realized that Isabel's hair was COVERED in glitter.

I am still finding little specks of glitter all over Isabel. In her ears, on her forhead... GAH.

Isabel on YouTube

She just likes to "chat" lately.

Thanks Pease!

This adorable quilt was made for Isabel by Kathy Pease, one of Beth's very good friends. I've been putting her on it for Tummy Time lately and she seems to like looking at all the patterns. I think there is a business in "Tummy Time" quilts that incorporate things that babies like to look at. All the quilts I have seen for Tummy Time are a little weird. Like a surfboard shaped quilt by Boppy. Bizarre.

Simple Things

Right now I am watching Isabel take a nap (I know it is kind of creepy to watch people sleep, but for goodness sakes, she's a baby) and I am having a hard time figuring out what to do. I want to feel productive today, but also feeling very lethargic. Blegh. Then I realized that for the first time in a while, I actually have some free time and I just don't know what to do with myself. So, I grabbed my book that I started a week before she was born and made myself some tea.

Then I promptly grabbed the computer and started to type. HA.

Another random thought- I really enjoy the Dixie Chicks. I forgot how good some of their songs are. Jeremy made this mix; "For the Baby"- good music that is ADULT music but soothing enough for the kiddo. We've banned children's music in the house (with the exception of one CD of classic children's songs in a beautiful spanish guitar) and so there is a lot of music on here that I haven't heard in a long time. Love it.

After a traumatizing trip to the doctor this week, we're all a little tuckered out this weekend and I am glad that it is a three day weekend for Jeremy. After his first week back, he gets to spend a little bit of time with Isabel and gives me a little bit of a break. A break to do some online shopping for this stupid activity mat that seems to either be sold out everywhere or is costing a fortune on a certain online shopping mega-store. I won't name any names, but it begins with an "A" and ends with a "Mazon.com". GAH!!

Little Chubbo

Isabel had her two month check up yesterday and she weighed in at 12 pounds 4 oz and was 24 inches long. 85th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height. Supermodel in training, perhaps?

Alo?

The hair gets me everytime. It just keeps getting taller and taller.

Farm Visit

This weekend we took Isabel to visit Moonshadow Farm out in Duvall. It was a beautiful day, a lovely drive and we got to see the "country". Beth's friend Sharon owns Moonshadow and has a fabulous farm. I was so impressed by how neat and organized everything was. She has pygmy goats, mini donkeys, alpacas, ducks, geese, peacocks and most importantly- chickens! I was so thrilled to receive some fresh eggs from Sharon. My quest for fresh eggs has been a year long search and I finally was able to get some!

If you want more information about Moonshadow- check out Sharon's website: http://moonshadowfarm.org

I love this picture because she totally looks like Mr. Magoo. We've been calling her that ever since.

Is It Too Early For Demonic Possesion?

I'm serious. Our little angel of a sleeper turned into the Dev-il last night. Wednesday night Isabel slept from 9-3:30 am and Jeremy and I thought it was too good to be true. And we were correct. Last night Isabel went to bed around 8:15 and woke up at 9:00. She fussed a little, I soothed her back to bed and she slept until 11:45. Then got up again at 2:00 am, then at 4:00am, then at 7:30 am. Jeremy even sat with her in the rocking chair from 2:00 am-3:30 am. It was a horrible, horrible night.

I hope that this was a fluke and does not continue as a trend. Ironically enough, I had just checked a book about healthy sleep habits in children out from the library on Wednesday night. Apparently this made Isabel very angry.

Thank God for coffee.

PS. Isabel is 2 months old today!

Disclaimer: Photo may or may not have been retouched to illustrate point.

Mary Wright Memorial

I wanted to post information about the Mary Wright Memorial site that my good friend and mentor Rachel Wright has put together in honor of her mother. Rachel's site has some wonderful information about Stem Cell research and Bone Marrow donations. Please take a moment to check out the site and read more about Mary Wright and the fund that has been set up in honor of her.

http://www.marywrightmemorial.com/

Please remember that many companies match donations given to charities by their employees, so keep that in mind if you are thinking of donating.

Thank you!
Melissa

101 Uses for a Cat

#89- Bib Model

Tummy Time

Rarely does "tummy time" yield such smiles from Isabel. Pretty much she gets very upset with me and only lasts about 2 minutes. I know tummy time is important in helping babies grow stronger and teach them about rolling over, but the longer I can hold off on the whole "crawling-walking-making me crazy" stage, the better. :)

Zoo Trip

Today Jeremy, Isabel and I joined my sister and her girls at the Woodland Park Zoo. Yes, Isabel pretty much slept through the whole thing, so it was really more an outing for Jeremy and I than anything else. She didn't care that a giant grizzly bear was inches from our faces or that the hippos were showing off. It will be a couple years before going to the Zoo will be an exciting and facsinating outing. I almost had a meltdown in the Food Court, waiting in line for a cheeseburger. It was hot, it was crowded, I was starving and the people in front of us were taking waaay too long. I totally get why kids get so cranky sometimes- by the end of the day, I was DONE.

Sadly, we had left the house without bringing the camera. Our first Zoo trip and no media coverage.

First Father's Day

We celebrated the beautiful, sunny, Father's Day weekend by taking some picnics and enjoying the weather. On Saturday, Jeremy and I took Isabel to Lincoln Park and had lunch by the water. Sunday we visited with my parents and then went to Chateau Ste. Michelle for a picnic in the grass with Grandma Beth. It was a nice, relaxing weekend! I am so thankful that Isabel is so portable and happy in the car- she's an easy baby to take around town.

Family Portrait
Ready for the beach
Playing on the picnic blanket
Cutie Pie Part 2

LaBou Skincare

Hi all,

My great friend Joene is responsible for taking care of my eyebrows (it is quite the job!) and so if anyone is in need of a skincare specialist or some eyebrow waxing- DEFINITELY call her. She's been taking care of my skin and brows for 5 years and she is the only one I trust to do so!

http://labouskincare.com/

Cutie Pie

I think the cheeks are weighing her down. She seems to be packing quite a bit in them!

Again, They Grow So Fast

A bittersweet moment today when I went to put on the outfit that Isabel came home from the hospital in and I found that she was busting out the seams. Her little toes were curled up in the feet- as they were too small for her growing tootsies. I realized at that moment that she was never going to be that small again and even though I am thrilled she is thriving and becoming a chunk- it was a bit sad knowing I had to fold up the outfit and put it away.

I realize now that this will continue to happen through her entire life, but I think it is that first time you find out your little kiddo is marching on with time just makes you think more about how fast they grow and how amazing life can be.

Perhaps it is all the jellybeans that I am eating lately that are causing these gushy "Mommy" revelations. Red Dye # 40, you are making me nutty!

Sweet Jesus!

Dear 7 lb 8 oz Baby Jesus with Golden Fleecy Diapers-

Thank you for letting Isabel "Sleep Through the Night" two days in a row. For this, we are truly grateful.

Yes, the major event in my life right now was that Isabel slept two nights in a row from 10 pm- 3:45 am. That might not sound like a lot, but believe me- it was FABULOUS. Except for the fact that "The Girls" were hurting from the extended period between feeds (sorry, maybe too much information?)

It has`been getting easier with her, she's been a great baby so far. Which can only mean her "Hellian Years" are somewhere down the line. Please let it be at a time when I am oblivious to the whole thing- preferably when I'm 85 or something.

A Week of Firsts...

Sleeping at the Columbia Winery
Baby Acne (so sad!!)

This week was a big week for us and Isabel. We took her on her first outing to the Columbia Winery to visit my dad, we had our first restaurant experience when we went to Ivar's to celebrate Grandma Beth's birthday and she received her first finger mustache.

The winery visit was fun, she slept through the whole thing. My dad took us on a personal tour of the winery and gave us a little wine tasting for free. Yes, we looked like responsible parents drinking wine while our baby slept in her car seat next to us.

Grandma Beth's birthday and Ivar's pretty much was a fantastic evening. Except for the last 10 minutes before the dessert arrived and Isabel woke up and wanted to feed. I was able to jimmy-rig a blanket over my chest and nurse her. I am definitely going to buy one of those nursing "Hooter Hider" blankets the next time I am out.

Ah, the finger mustache. Yes, this is what happens when a baby keeps me up at night, waking and fussing every hour and a half or so and then sleeps for 3.5 hours this morning. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET!!

Formula One Fan!

Isabel doesn't know it yet, but she's destined to be a Formula One fan like her Dad. Well, she better, 'cause I bought the cute Robeez to wear when she and her Dad watch races.

Check out my race car shoes!

Race Day with Dad (check out those cheeks!)

Yesterday we had a special visit with my godparents up in Bothell and dinner with my parents later that evening. My godparents were so excited to see Isabel, and it was a wonderful time for me to hang out with them.

Meeting Nino and Nina (my godparents)

Ok last picture- this is totally hilarious and if I could imagine what she is thinking right now, it would probably be "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?"