The Good Life

Say What?

2011-12-21T09:07:00.000-05:00

Having a preschooler with an imagination leads you to say stuff like:

"Eat all the babies first and then you can eat the mom."

*We were discussing her small and large vitamins she needed to eat. Nothing truly horrific.

Kids are Gross

2011-12-20T20:56:00.000-05:00

Lizzy sneezed hard enough to need a tissue. Soon she came hunting for a tissue and found that the box was empty. After asking me what to do now, I suggested she go upstairs and get a tissue from the box in our room. She's becoming slightly frightened of going to a different floor by herself so she looked around for another option. Spying Nye's diaper that I had recently changed (and forgotten to put in the wash pail!), she happily chirped, "How 'bout I use Nye's diaper! That's a good idea!"

Oh no honey, that's a terrible, terrible idea. ::gags::

Forget something?

2011-12-04T11:45:00.000-05:00

Say you've gone to a sports lock-in and you forget a playpen? No fear, just throw baby in with the balls.
The ultimate ball pit/playpen!

Snowmen

2011-12-03T11:40:00.000-05:00

See the two piles of pink clay? They are snowmen. Lizzy's been making lots of them, but each has to have a friend. When she asked me to come see her latest creation, I asked her their names.

Me: Oh! What's his name?
Lizzy: Ala-kima-wanna-loo.
Me: Wow. What the other one's name?
Lizzy: Snowman.

A Nice Day for a Stroll

2011-12-02T11:37:00.000-05:00

We recently found a stroller someone was getting rid of. Nye believes it's for him.
So adorably enough, Lizzy takes him for a ride. I briefly consider telling them to stop, but then think, what's going to happen?! Lizzy's pushing him so gently.

Oh.....right, she could slip and accidently push the stroller into the (cold) oven with enough force to knock Nye off balance and send them both careening into the edge of the fridge.

REALLY GUYS?! You have the coordination of your mother!

Concoctions

2011-11-04T09:40:00.002-04:00

Lizzy tried to get me to taste her orange juice this morning, but she's been a little sick recently and I don't want to get sick, so I refused the drink.

I didn't know she had such persuastion in her:

Lizzy: It tastes like orange juice and milk, and cream. Taste it Mommy!

Me: No thanks.

Lizzy: Try it Mommy, it's like blueberries and chocolate and orange juice

Me: ::laughing:: Umm, no thanks.

Lizzy: OH! You taste it! It's like chocolate, milk, and peas

Me: ::cracks up:: Ewww, that's gross.

Lizzy: Noooo...It tastes good. ::giggles and drinks it::

Doctrinal Growth

2011-09-19T21:06:00.000-04:00

We were listening to music while I made dinner when I heard:

Lizzy: "Mommy, what is 'pavalioned in splendor'?"
Me: "It means God is clothed in brillance and majesty and it's really awesome and pretty and..."

Lizzy still had a confused face, so I quickly googled the definition of splendor.

Me: "It also means, a brilliant appearnce or granduer and pomp."

I was still despairing of the right words when Lizzy said, "Oh! It's like BOOM, BOOM!" as she signed 'lightening' and 'thunder'.

Yep, that describes it! Good girl!

As I was wondering how she got so smart, she proceeded to accidentally lock herself in the bathroom. It was a 10 minute ordeal of her crying and me describing how to unlock it.* Just goes to prove that those academic types have no common sense! :D

*I know I could have unlocked it from my end with a screwdriver, but I wanted practice in case she ever locked me out of the house-which she almost did one time!

New Heretical Church

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Lizzy has started her own church.

She found a small table and makes me sit and be queit while she reads from "New Good Food: A Shopper's Pocket Guide." The people are friendly there, and it has a very celebratory atmosphere. The preacher talks for about 30 seconds then yells, "Now it time to run and play!!!" and proceeds to run and play. After a few laps around the congregation, she goes back to the podium and tells me to be quiet again.

However, I find the scripture reading questionable. The last sermon taught this:

"The fruit of the Spirit is....... elephants. Now, Run and PLAY!"

Still, I think I'll stay because the pastor is really cute.

Dress Up

2011-09-08T18:34:00.000-04:00

I put a new bin out for my kids. A dress up trunk. After a while I heard Lizzy crying, "IT"S NOT WORKING!"

Yep, that's the hard way to get a leotard on.

Notice the small hand in the lower left corner reaching for the dress. That's Nye. He's obessed with the feel of taffeta on this dress. Lizzy can't even put it on because as soon as she gets it out, he's chasing her, trying to touch it. When he sees it lying around, he rests his head on it, pops up, and does it again. When he's through with that, he'll grab some and gently rub it on his cheek. It's adorable enough to provide proof-see below.

I'm Learning to Speak Boy

2011-08-30T13:26:00.000-04:00

I'm quietly sitting in the living room and Nye (9 months) is playing in the play kitchen in the adjacent room. I hear a small gagging noise, but don't run over right away because Nye usually chokes up whatever it is on the first gag or so. However, I do keep an ear out for any more sounds that might indicate there's a problem.

The first gag is soon followed by a host of choking and gagging noises. Something's very, very wrong. My heart's skipping beats as I jump up and sprint over to Nye to see if I can help him or save him or whatever!

Nye's peacefully sitting there, calm as can be, smiling at me, chewing on a cast iron play pan, and practicing a horrible gagging noise. He's very proud of his new noise. Oh boy! BOY!!!

(the picture has nothing to do with the post...No babies or steaks were harmed in the writing of this post :D )

A Tender Moment

2011-08-14T18:43:00.000-04:00

Lizzy was climbing up on the counter to get herself a cup of water. I kissed her heel and smiled at her. She turned around, smiled back at me, and said, "Mommy, I love.................juice."

Who doesn't?!

Best Conversation Ever!

2011-08-09T09:22:00.001-04:00

9:00 am this morning:

Me: "Lizzy, you're awesome"
Lizzy ::scowls in confusion:: "What you say?"
Me: "You're awesome."
Lizzy ::immediatly lights up with a giant smile:: "Yeah!!! I IS a possum!"

Meet Kiney

2011-08-08T10:05:00.000-04:00

Last night, somewhere around 10pm, I made a new best friend. Lizzy named her Kiney (K*eye-knee: rhymes with hiney as my husband quickly pointed out).

Lizzy was my dreamer sleeper, but for the past 4 months she has been too scared to go to bed by herself. We'd either put her in our room (bummer!), deal with an hour plus of screaming, whining, etc, or lie in her room with her till she fell asleep (at which point I was practically asleep as well).

Two days ago was one of the worst nights ever with her. She or Nye woke us up 8 or more times between 11pm and 6am. This night was followed by a day of no naps for her and minimal nappage by Nye. It was also the worst day at church we've ever had with them. I think I heard one sentence of a hour long sermon.

The next day, Lee stayed home with the kids while they were napping and I did some therapy shopping. :) It feels so good to enter and exit a car without unstrapping/buckling two kids each time!! While I was out, I found a cute little blue bird night-light that charges, then unplugs and lights up on it's battery power. Although it was a little pricey, I was willing to pay it for the chance at sleep.

So last night we put Lizzy to bed and gave her a new surprise! Lizzy loved it and immediately named her. Lee and I put Nye to sleep and left the room. We were sure the calm wouldn't last, and listened for the shrieks of "I'm SCARED!!!!!!!!!" We never heard them. After an hour I checked on her and saw this:

Long story short: I. LOVE. KINEY!!!!!!

Technically speaking

2011-05-13T17:46:00.000-04:00

You know you're living in a world of techonology when your 2 yr old starts ending her sentences with "dot-org."

IE: Mommy, fommy, bommy, I like cheese.org.

Potty Humor

2011-04-30T11:21:00.000-04:00

Lizzy goes to the potty today and chats with me:
Me: Ok, we have to wipe now.
Lizzy: Oh....whhhhhy (whiny voice)?
Me: Because if we don't, some poop might be left and hurt your bottom.
Lizzy: And cause we'll get sick?
Me::surprised:: Yeah, we could get sick from it too I guess.
Lizzy: And then we'll DIE!

Hmm......

Later,
Lizzy: Look! I pooped. Number2!!
Me: ::surprised because I never use that phrase:: Did Dad tell you that?
Lizzy: Yep! ::poops more:: Look! I pooped Number 3!!

My Sweet Girl

2011-03-21T11:20:00.001-04:00

This morning I was getting snacks for Lizzy when I tripped and fell. I made a pretty big thud and as I was getting up, Lizzy proclaimed, "OH! Mommy fall down. It's O. K. Mommy. I kiss your bottom Mommy, you feel better."

I'm not sure I've ever made her an offer that generous. :)

Happy Birthday!

2011-02-23T08:42:00.000-05:00

When I was younger I used to set my alarm to 5:46 AM on Feburary 23. That was the time I was born. I guess I liked to be awake when I actually turned a year older. Now I'm older and wiser. I sleep in!

Well that is, I try to sleep in. But Nye, being the sweet guy he is, must have wanted to be the first to officially let me know it's my birthday. He woke me up at 1 am to wish me a happy birthday-he couldn't stop screaming it. He even gave me a gift (FYI: if you were thinking of getting me a soaking wet diaper-I've got all I need. Thanks.).

Nye must have sensed my birthday hadn't happened yet, so he woke up at 2:15, 3:30, 4:28, and 5:40. He even gave me two more gifts to help build the excitment! Well 5:40 did it. I was awake for my birthday. Thank you little man. He must have known because he didn't wake up again till 7:30. (See, he didn't wake up anywhere in 6 o'clock hour. Yay!)

I really wanted Nye to just stop screaming and go to sleep. As I was moping about this being a lousy start to another year, I decided to be zen about it. So I repeated my new parenting mantra: "It's not about me." Somewhere in my sleep deprived state, I realized how true this was. My birthday wasn't about me. :D It was about my mom, who was probably just as awake and possibly screaming as loudly as Nye during the same night hours 26 years ago.

Thanks for the reminder little guy, you rock.

Thanks for birth Mom, you rock. :)

Dramatic Moments in our Life

2011-02-21T17:11:00.001-05:00

I glanced across the living room at my daughter and jovially asked, "Whacha doing Lizzy?" She gave me a look.

You know, the "I may have just committed a very serious crime-am I going to get away with it?" look.

I quickly scanned the living room for potential disaster. The baby was still alive-looked like he had all parts intact. No paint or food spills. No nuclear waste accumulating 10 feet from the potty.

So we stared at each other for a very long 10 seconds while I waited for an answer. Then, slowly, she put her hand up to her face, her finger up her nose, and very seriously said, "Picking my nose."

Chatty Kids

2011-01-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

This picture has nothing to do with the post, but goes to show you can do more in a kitchen than cook! I see magic show possibilities with this shot. :)

*********************************************************

Lizzy has turned out to be quite the talker. We should have known from this video of her at 2 months old:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5VDKIE4Lrs

I was just telling Lee last night that I didn't think Nye would be as talkative since he rarley coos or ga-ga's. The very next morning this happens (2 months also):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU9NSeAM49I

I caught the tail end of it on camera, but the first half was noisier than the video. There's hope for him yet!

Warms My Heart

2010-12-28T09:46:00.000-05:00

Little words warmed my heart this cold early morning.

Lizzy sat down to eat her pretend pancakes, bowed her head, and said:

"Thanks soooooo much.....
Kingdom come sooooooon.....
Amen!"

Amen!!!

Today, I Feel Like a Mom

2010-12-15T14:02:00.000-05:00

My house is trashed with piles of clean clothes, books strewn about-lying open and half read, partially completed train tracks, uneaten snacks, and block cities all over the floor and sofas.

My fingers smell like a mix of baby throwup and baby shampoo.

I haven't completed anything today.

But...

We've read books together, and ate pancakes while chatting. We've explored new toys, swam in a bath, "fixed" VCR tapes, sorted outgrown clothes together (it may be more of a mess now than before), warmed ourselved by the "feel good" (portable room heater), and snuggled down for a nap.

Now the house is quiet. I'm going to ignore the mess and settle down to read in that bit of sunshine you see in the back.

Life IS good.

Unfortunately...

2010-12-15T13:53:00.001-05:00

Fortunately, the unusually fussy baby I was holding suddenly calmed down.

Unfortunatley, he looked like this afterwards.

Fortunately, the massive amount of throw up didn't get on the carpet at all!!

Unfortunatley, myself, my clothes and 4 of Lizzy's books were plastered.

Fortunately, this calmed him right down and after a bath he fell fast asleep.

Unfortnately, I still haven't figured out what made him throw up (twice now!).

Conversations with a 2 yr old

2010-12-08T18:56:00.003-05:00

I had the plates for dinner sitting on our island when Lizzy grabbed them. I asked her to put them back and she started crying. Turns out she wanted to set the table with them. This was our conversation:

Me: "Lizzy, you can put them on the table, but be careful. If you drop the plate it will break."

Lizzy: "Yeah, break my toe!"

Hmmm...close enough I guess.

_____________________________

Lizzy found her "Daddy" wood doll, walked it over to me, pulled his legs wide open, and yelled "DADDY PEE ON MOMMY!!" Then fell over laughing histerically.

Oh to be 2...

Setting the Table

2010-10-05T21:58:00.002-04:00

Lizzy helped out tonight by setting the table for me. She did everything by herself with direction from me. I'm so excited that she's becoming such a big helper!

This was the final result. And here's a video of her setting it. :)

Grownup Funny Face

2010-09-12T19:43:00.000-04:00

What the Stylish Wear....

2010-07-14T10:09:00.001-04:00

...when potty training:

A winter hat and Thomas the train underwear.

Is it believable that she picked this outfit out by herself?

Fingerpainting

2010-06-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Lee and I used naptime to paint some pictures (an anniversary activity every other year). Lizzy woke up early and decided to join us.

Did you know finger paint smells good?

She painted the paper a little, but found body paintings more interesting and stylish. (Link)

Overheard...

2010-06-27T14:25:00.002-04:00

...at the grocery store:

My slightly exasperated husband: "I can't take Lizzy to the candy aisle. She keeps grabbing everything regardless of price!"

Reasons I love my little one

2010-06-19T20:46:00.004-04:00

First off, she can rock any outfit.

Secondly, tonight she was given the 10 minutes to bedtime warning, then asked if she wanted chased. Instead she yelled CLEAN UP, then proceeded to truly cleanup. Toys, trash, and anything left on the floor made it's way quickly into the toy bin.

As Lee prepared to chase her, she ran to the upstairs yelling SLEEP. When asked if she wanted a book to read, she jumped in bed and laid down asking for a paci.

I love this girl. If our next kid isn't this obliging I won't know what to do!!

PS: She had spent a good 45 minutes being chased and tickled prior to this, so she was pretty tired. Still, she rocks. :D

Sharing is Caring

2010-05-20T13:00:00.001-04:00

Moral of the Day: If you really love someone, you'll offer them first dibs on your food.

If their mouth is sewn shut, you can give them a big hug instead.

Who Stole the Meatball from the Meatball Jar?!

2010-05-19T07:34:00.000-04:00

Some kids like to steal cookies from the cookie jar.

Lizzy decided the jar was a better place to put meatballs.

And proper etiquette demands that you "drink" the meatball.

Baking the Day Away

2010-05-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

I love to help bake.

Scratch that...I love to eat flour.

Here Comes the Bride

2010-04-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Since her Grandma is getting married soon, Lizzy's decided to get in on the wedding action.

I'll give you a tip though Mom. Once you are done smearing your wedding veil with cracker crumbs, don't leave it at the foyer door. The ants will find it. All 5,000,000 of them.

Stuff that belongs in the Bath Tub

2010-04-29T15:33:00.002-04:00

Hearing the pitter patter of feet in this household means "someone" is rearranging. It's always interested to give it a few minutes and then check go check on her creation. Today we are stockpiling for tonight's bath.

Stuff that belongs in a bath tub (according to a 1 yr old)

Baby dolls
Sports Illustrated
Good News
United News and Prophecy
Shirts
Jeans
Tractors
BibsBaby wipes
Felt Animals
Book cases
Nasal Aspirtator
Books
the list goes on...
Amazingly enough, this picture was only taken at the halfway point. As I type this, the tub is 3/4 full of what use to be put away.

The final outcome:

Drinking the Night Away

2010-04-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

Shea, save your shot glasses (and votive candle holders). They come in handy later.

Master of the Spoon

2010-04-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

Okay, well maybe Apprentice to the Master...
or Intern to the Apprentice to the Master...
or more appropriately, Beginning Helper of the Intern to the Apprentice to the Master.

But it's a start and she likes it!

A Real Sweetheart

2010-04-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

This sweet little girl loves to give kisses and hugs. They just tend to look a little more like headbutts. But everyone has a little WWF in them, right?

They May Be Related

2010-04-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

I know a girl who likes to fly high.

I know a sister who has made a business from that!

I know a girl who loves to pile her bed high with stuffed animals.

I remember another sister who at the age of 6 didn't have room to sleep on her queen size bed because it was so full of stuffed animals.

You Know You're Pregnant When...

2010-04-25T05:04:00.001-04:00

You find yourself eating leftover pineapple by light of the microwave at 5 in the morning.

It's not as nice as candlelight, but there's still something cozy about it.

Dandies!

2010-04-23T12:46:00.000-04:00

Have you taken time to stop and smell...

and pick....

and eat your favorite flowers today?

The Little Carpenter that Could-Part II

2010-04-23T12:38:00.000-04:00

After a "little" help from Papa, the bunk house turned out pretty nice. It's not done yet, but that's Mom's fault. She still needs a measuring tape, level, and square to finish this baby.

But that won't stop Ms. Hospitality, here to say "Welcome to MY house!"

Won't you come in?

What?! You're leaving already!? No, stay for more, more, more, mor, mor, mor, mor.....

The Little Carpenter that Could

2010-04-23T12:33:00.001-04:00

Power tools and toddlers are a match made in heaven!!

But after all that sorting and drilling, she needed a break!

She was also under the impression that since the screws were in a bucket-which sorta looks like a big cup-you can drink them. Didn't work for some reason...

So after eating half the screws, she had to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to salvage this project.

And of course, every good carpenter cleans up after herself.

Crazy Dancing Fool

2010-03-09T07:31:00.002-05:00

Lizzy has recently found great joy in dancing. She spins in circles till she falls down, does the Dinosaur Stomp, and yesterday learned how to arabesque. Granted, her balance needs work, but she has fun and that's the whole point of dancing!

COLD!!!

2010-03-05T20:35:00.001-05:00

There is one sign that cracks us up every time Lizzy does it. When she signs "cold", her eyes bug out, her lips quiver, she balls up her hands till they are white, and shakes her whole body. We tried to get it on video, but haven't yet captured the best sign for it. It's still pretty cute though.

First Haircut

2010-01-23T10:53:00.000-05:00

Before:

After:

It's now slightly tamer (and slightly more assymetrical). Just a hint: cutting a squirmy baby's hair in the bath is more difficult than I first imagined.

Toddler Bed!

2010-01-22T10:48:00.000-05:00

Someone gave us a bed so we started putting Lizzy in it for naps. She ended up sleeping longer in it! Must be comfy. It's definitely easier on my back than trying to give her a kiss in her crib.

Cool Whip Playdate

2010-01-20T09:00:00.007-05:00

We hosted our first playdate yesterday. The highlight was drawing in cool whip. I expected the kid's to be interested in the activity for about 15 minutes, since it was all 1 and 2 yr olds.

50 minutes later we were finally cleaning them off! They had a blast. Lizzy especially. She took advantage of the fact that I was snapping pictures and stuffed her face with all the cool whip she could grab.

In the end, her pile of cool whip was considerably less than the other kids, but her belly stuck out a lot more!

You'll have to watch the video here!

Happy Birthday Little One!

2010-01-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

Feelin' Hot

2010-01-14T21:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday's conversation:

Me: "What's wrong honey?"
Lizzy thinks: "I'm bored, I have a temperature of 104, and I feel icky."
Me: "Here, have some bread. Maybe it will make you feel better."

...

Lizzy thinks: Whoa, I do feel a little better!

Little Miss Piggy

2009-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

I think I've mentioned it before, but we started giving Lizzy solids at 3 1/2 months. Not because we felt she needed it, but because SHE insisted that she desperately wanted whatever we were eating. Her patience to wait has increased, but the demand is still there.

Ever Been Tickled...

2009-10-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

...by a 9 month old? It was brutal for me and her. Watch the giggles here.

My Other Aunt Loves Spoils Me Too

2009-10-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

I also want to take a moment to thank my other aunt for the super cool headbands.

I really like them a lot....

Can I take it off now Mom?

This is for you, Tia

2009-10-28T21:12:00.002-04:00

Shout out to my Tia for buying me this awesome onesie! All the futbol players at the park think I'm the coolest baby around.

Maybe that's because I cheer for them as well.

Thanks again!

Good Neighbors

2009-08-21T17:53:00.001-04:00

All the kids in the neighborhood love to come visit us. First they ask for some books.

If you give them books, they ask to hold Miss Lizzy.

Then when they are done, they ask for candy or the CD player so they can play Freeze Dance. It's been a good summer.

Click here for the neighborhood rendition of Wheels on the Bus. Too cute!

Puppy Love

2009-08-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

We recently visited my Aunt in Colorado.

She has two baby loving pups that couldn't stop with the kisses.

Luckily Elizabeth LOVED them!

At the Airport

2009-08-18T10:31:00.000-04:00

If Babies Could Talk...

2009-08-12T06:00:00.012-04:00

Watcha doing?

Oh, just eating some grass.

You mean this stuff?

Yeah, it's real good. Try some.

Why thank you. I will.

Now you're sure this is edible, right?

OK, well here goes...

Oh wow, she's really gonna do it!

ACK....ptttt....yuck, that's disgusting!
You eat that?!

Tastes fine to me....

(More grass eating fun can be found here.)

The Many Moods of Lizzy

2009-08-10T10:08:00.003-04:00

Lee has always said that Elizabeth's facial expression changes rapidly.

The other day I shot proof of that.

The time stamp on these pictures are each 5 seconds apart.

Dance Baby Dance

2009-08-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

Lizzy loves liveliness; Lee loves Lizzy; Lizzy likes Lee lively. It's lovely to see.

Like to see more?

Laura and Seiji's Wedding

2009-08-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Baby Gamer

2009-07-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Starting your children early on the important things in life is our focus today...

Lizzy confused the old Super Nintendo with the Wii Fit. But she is doing a lovely downward dog yoga pose.

Blue Shirts

2009-07-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Amazingly enough, the blue shirted family day was not planned, yet somehow 6 separate groups showed up wearing the same color. Very odd, but wonderful for pictures!

Grandma and Lizzy had lots of fun bouncing, as shown here.

Lizzy's First Tea Party

2009-07-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Because a Happy Baby is a Beautiful Thing

2009-07-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Because Matching is Cool

2009-07-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

Both cousins were into the camera, but one in particular was wonderfully goofy. See it here.

Little Miss Millet

2009-07-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

She's so happy she can feed herself. I'm loving it because I can eat my own food while she goes to town on hers.

See it here

and here.

G.I. Joe's with Dad

2009-07-24T06:00:00.002-04:00

No one ever laid down the ground rules that GI Joes are just for boys, so Lizzy and Lee played away.

Elizabeth caused mayhem and chaos for one poor GI. This shot reminds me a miniature Godzilla going in for the kill. (That's a nice motherly thought, isn't it?)

Our next task is to teach Lizzy that you don't hit a man when he's down.

And don't miss this video (click here)!

Cars are Great Teething Toys

2009-07-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

We went down to Georgia and her grandmother let her behind the wheel of her new car.

This is Elizabeth's patented three-point hold on the steering wheel (for extra safety).

This pictures just goes to show that nobody likes a back seat driver, especially one with claws.

Carrot Face

2009-07-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

This is what makes it worth it!

2009-07-21T12:09:00.001-04:00

No matter how grumpy, sleepy, tired, ill, or stressed I am, this ALWAYS cheers me up. It's moments like these that make life fun.

Laughter, Part 1

Laughter, Part 2

More Cousinly Love

2009-07-21T11:00:00.001-04:00

There's definitely a love/terror element involved with her older cousins. She loves being with them, watching them, and having them play with her, but she knows when her limits and boundaries have been violated (according to her) and speaks up about them!

To see a little more love in action, follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEPLl7wZN9k

Cloth Diapering

2009-07-19T17:55:00.005-04:00

So here are a few of my thoughts on the cloth diapers I've used so far and the ones I want to try.

My Current Stash:
Bum Genius 2.0 One Size Seconds, Pocket Diapers
My favorite at night and on long car rides. These contain the messes best for my chunky thighed little girl. I don't love stuffing them though, and am contemplating trying the organic one size bum geniuses that you don't need to stuff. The other downside is that the velcro taps seem to tub her belly a little raw. But I like the ease and fit of velcro much better than the

Kushies One Size, AIO (All in One)
These are the ones from Wal-Mart. They are pretty awful at containing anything. However, I still find myself reaching for them if I know I'm going to be staying at home for a while. I like that they are all cotton and that they require no stuffing. But they tend to leech wetness because of the way they fit at the belly.

Mommy's Touch, One Size, AIO
I love that these are all in ones, but they tend to compression leak after a while on. I also don't like the snaps at the waist. That's just a personal perference though. I think velcro gives a better fit at the waist and is much easier to put on in the dark (at night). I still have Ducky on the small size and the part that tucks in at the waist tends to flip itself out. That can spread wetness if she pees too much. But I love that they are AIO's.

gDiapers
My emergency, I forgot to do the wash, diapers. I like these for air travel when I want to pack lighter. I used 2 of these with 3 liners (and lots of paper liners) for a 5 day trip. They were fantastic. Still I don't like that I have to throw something away.

What I would like to try still:
Happy Heiney's
The one-size velcro version looks comfy and like it would hold well. I'm tempted, but haven't found one cheap enough yet ($8-10).

GroBaby
This one is very appealing because it similar to gDiapers. The only thing I don't like about the gDiapers is that you throw away the inner lining. This is the link to their site:
http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/grobaby%E2%84%A2-ic-11_16.html

The natural baby company has also just released a new laudry soap I'm interested to try. It's called tiny bubbles (http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/tiny-bubbles-p-732.html)and they claim it's about $0.22/load. I think the homemade stuff is cheaper, but I'm not sure by how much and if it will be as effective.

Naked and Happy

2009-07-17T14:48:00.000-04:00

A Mostly Quiet Car Ride

2009-07-16T20:29:00.000-04:00

Old School Fashion

2009-07-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Patch Kid

2009-07-16T20:18:00.003-04:00

Great Grandma Louise and Me

2009-07-16T20:17:00.000-04:00

Play Ball

2009-07-16T20:16:00.000-04:00

Exersaucer Fun

2009-06-03T17:00:00.000-04:00

If You're Happy and You Know It

2009-06-02T20:15:00.000-04:00

Sand, Sand, Sand, Here I Come

2009-05-22T13:59:00.006-04:00

Adventure at the ocean continued...

After about 6 minutes of lying in a comatose state, and 5 more minutes of marginal movement, Elizabeth's hand wandered off the blanket and discovered sand. She was very intrigued, so we sat her up to let her play.

She loved it. Too much. It was obvious this was going to end badly, but we were having so much fun with her fascination, we let the discovery take its natural course.

I don't think she expected it to turn out quite like that. Nothing had ever stuck to her face before.

Of course it ended up all in her eyes, and she felt compelled to lick her lips. This elicited a ridiculous expression followed by hacks and coughs to remove the unwanted invaders, unsuccessfully. So the adventure ended by taking one more dunk in the ocean to wash all the sand off and then feeding to wash the sand away. By the time we got to the car and put her in she was asleep (no pacifier, no cajoling, just sweet sweet sleep). It was lovely.

On a side note, I thought she picked up a cold for the next two days. Her nose constantly ran with clear mucus and she sneezed often. When it ended abruptly, I realized she didn't have a cold. Her body was just getting rid of all the sand particles shoved up her nose. Poor thing. :)

My Bonnie Went Into the Ocean

2009-05-22T13:29:00.006-04:00

Elizabeth became sea worthy this past weekend when we visited friends in Florida. They took us to Destin (which has to be the most beautiful beach I've ever been to), and we played!

Elizabeth's very first dip was as a naked baby to wash off the last of her bottom between a diaper change. She squawked, understandably, when I quickly dipped her in and out. Then we headed back up the beach and put on a bathing suit. Too cute!

Her next trip all the way in went something like this:

Elizabeth learned that ocean water is salty and probably learned that it stings as well. I learned to hold her with her back to the wave, not her face. After that Courtney put the camera away and we had a ball. Elizabeth got more comfortable in the waves and really liked it.

Jesse (6 foot something) and I would play "Quick!! Pass the Baby!" when a wave taller than I would approach. The game usually ended in Jesse running at me, me passing Ducky off as quickly as possible, and in the meantime losing my foundation and getting hit and toppled by the huge wave. It was a blast! :D Elizabeth didn't seem to mind either unless she wasn't promptly passed back to her mama.

After about 30 minutes of wave riding, I gave Elizabeth a break. This was her reaction:

Complete and utter exhaustion. Guess we wore her out. But don't feel too bad for her...yet. She still had to discover sand!

Bedtime Beatboxing

2009-04-29T09:44:00.006-04:00

So one night at the end of March, Lee put Elizabeth to bed. This is the "lullaby" he sang her.

The next day as I carried her around in front of me, I heard some odd smacking noises.

I think she's got the whole beatboxing thing down!

Entertaining...or horrifying?

2009-04-28T06:30:00.000-04:00

I was entertaining Elizabeth the other day by making exaggerated faces at her. She loved it.

Then, to get her used to the camera, I let her look at the screen as I made the same faces into it. The resulting pictures had me gasping in horror and quite surprised that instead of screaming in terror, Elizabeth laughs.

So now I present Ducky's calm, tranquil, happy faces, and the reason behind those faces. Wouldn't you be terrified?

(Okay, looking back, she does look a little petrified in the first one. Who can blame her?)

First Laughs

2009-04-27T15:32:00.002-04:00

Mmmmm....this little girl's belly laughs (or constipated pushing noises) is music to my ears. She just started doing this last Monday (April 20th). It's so fun!

First Food!

2009-04-27T06:30:00.000-04:00

Ducky's first food was a peanut butter and white chocolate chip cookie. Do I win a mothering award or what?! :)

It actually was an accident. I was having her smell the cookie, and before I knew it she had whipped her hand up and shoved the cookie and my hand into her mouth. I removed both, but she succeeded in eating some crumbs. After a few lip smacks and a happy face, she looked for more.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of that experience, but she proved her intelligence and hunger for cookies in the bath that night. It's as if she knows the cup has pictures of cookies all over it, and she wants them. :)

Three Months Old

2009-04-19T13:36:00.001-04:00

Sabbath Fun

2009-04-13T21:04:00.001-04:00

Baby's Got Rhythm

2009-04-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

I think she kept pretty good tempo with Lee's music. What do you think?

Oohs, Aahs, and Cat Calls

2009-04-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you want lots of attention, walk around with a baby strapped on you.

If you want attention and lots of "oohs" and "aahs" put said baby in a ridiculously frilly sunbonnet (Don't worry about it actually matching the rest of the outfit, no one is going to look at anything except the hat and squishy baby face inside).

And as Elizabeth and I learned today, if you want unsolicited cat calls from trucks driving by, repeat the previous steps while on an innocent walk to the library. Be sure to be outfitted in maternity jeans, slightly greasy hair in a ponytail, sneakers, and a torn backpack (oh yeah, and a wedding ring). I guess baby wearing screams avaliable and attractive around here. Who would have thought?! :)

Of course the calls could have been directed at her...

Hello Ducky

2009-03-31T14:07:00.005-04:00

Elizabeth recently attempted a game known and loved by many grade school kids. The Staring Contest (where the first one to blink loses). She warmed up with a little pre-game trash talking.

Unfortunately, she picked an inanimate object as her first competitor. Lizzy the underdog put up a fight, but collapsed under the strain her head's weight. Better luck next time baby.

Lizzy's Reaction

2009-03-25T10:05:00.007-04:00

I was talking with Grandma Rosie last night and she was curious what Elizabeth's reaction to all the activity. So here are a few videos of her just taking it in.

Initiation by Cousins

2009-03-23T18:56:00.007-04:00

I'll warn you ahead of time that this post is image HEAVY! However, I knew it would be better than coffee-flavored ice cream to one Grandma. :)

We traveled down to visit with Lee's family in North Carolina this weekend.

Lee's purpose was to celebrate the start of March Madness with lots of TV and lots of pickup basketball.

My purpose was to visit, and Elizabeth's purpose was to get initiated to cousinhood by two wonderfully maternal and loving cousins.

Before we left, my pediatrician warned me not to let her be cuddled and touched too much by little kids since she's so young. Somehow I knew that a "no touch" rule would never fly with this two cousins!! :)

It was a rare moment that Elizabeth was awake and not surrounded by one of the two girls (if not both). They even visited with her while she was sleeping.

The littlest cousin loved to help change diapers. She would always pipe up, "I throw it away!!!"

We also dressed her up like a princess for church using one of the girls' old dresses.

Actually, my sister-in-law let me go through all her girls infant clothing and borrow some.

The two girls were very helpful during this process.

Every time I saw a cute outfit and said so, the oldest cousin would chime in, "You can have it." :) Such generosity in that little heart.

This littlest would scream, "YOU WANT THIS!??," holding up onesie after onesie.

We really had a great time visiting with everyone!

So Elizabeth ended up with lots of kisses, cuddles, hugs, as well a few bumps and bangs. All in the name of love.

I think she liked it. :)

Speaking of Chiropractic...

2009-03-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

Betcha can't do this...

or this...

or this...

Yep, I'm a gumby baby.

This was her first craniosacral fascial therapy from her Great Aunt Linda. Lizzy actually really enjoyed it and it was hilarious to see her body twist itself about. Linda did very little of the moving; she was really just there for support and to help the fascia unwind.

Poster Girl for Chiropratic Care

2009-03-18T15:21:00.002-04:00

I recently read that infant seats are the most comfortable place for babies to sleep. I question this. Luckily, Elizabeth does not.

Are We in Trouble?

2009-03-16T21:59:00.009-04:00

Is it trouble when you child's first word is "No"?

Elizabeth was objecting to a book being placed on her stomach. Grandma Rosie mentions that the book is something she has to get used to, and Lizzie says "nooooooo" very clearly and uses quite properly for someone who has no idea it's even a word. :)

Grandma Rosie to the Rescue

2009-03-11T20:57:00.005-04:00

Lizzy fussed from 6 to 8 straight. I changed her, fed her (three times!), walked her, put her down, picked her up, used a pacifier, rocked her, talked to her, etc. I tried almost everything. Then Grandma Rosie called and suggested I remove her pj's and put the phone on speaker. Elizabeth quieted, listened intently, and was even smiling and talking by the end of 10 minutes.

It was almost a perfect ending. But then we hung up. This, it turns out, was NOT okay. To add insult to injury, Lee put her clothes back on. She is currently screaming again. It was nice while it lasted. Call again soon Rosie!

Now I'm off to call Grandma Carol. Let's keep this magic rolling! :)

Aunt Extraveganza

2009-03-09T20:02:00.001-04:00

Meet the Aunts...Miss Birthday Cake, Miss Chiquita Banana, and Miss Flower Pot.
Miss Fussybutt is in the middle.

Little Bit's a bit happier after a walk in the park.

My Little Oompa Loompa

2009-03-05T17:36:00.006-05:00

I realized while going through my pictures, that my baby is a pink Oompa Loompa. The proof is the picture...

Thanks for the cute coveralls Aunt Kathy. I love them on her.

Sleddding...Inside Style

2009-03-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

We took Lizzy sledding today...but inside. This website gave me the "bright" idea. I still can't tell if she liked it or not. She was very still, quiet, and super alert. However, the moment we stopped for good she did the fastest flip over (and off the paper) I've ever seen. I figure she either wanted to keep moving...or she was jumping off for dear life. :) We'll see tomorrow when I try it again.

In other news, I think Little Bit has read been reading parenting books on the sly. Yesterday I was cuddling with her to get to sleep for her nap. She cried until I put her down in her crib! I didn't know babies weaned themselves from comfort. I was going to eventually work on getting her to sleep by herself, but she beat me to it.

So yesterday after I put her down, I put in her pacifier and quietly read to her. Eventually she fell asleep. Today I put her down when she was calm and sleepy and got out the book to read to her. She cried and fussed until I stopped reading, then she was calm again. Hmm...that's a very clear message. "Shhh Mom, I'm trying to sleep."