Biggest Confession Ever

I have not begun preparing for the new baby. Like, at all. There, I said it.


In fact, here is a (likely incomplete) list of things I have NOT done:


1. Sorted through even ONE SINGLE BOX of old Josie baby stuff. This includes, but is not limited to, clothes, receiving blankets, tiny hats, bottles, pump stuff, swings, bouncy seats, etc., etc. etc.


2. Started organizing all the rooms in the house to make space for the things we had gladly packed up. For example, I will likely have to clean out EVERY CUPBOARD in my kitchen in order to consolidate enough to make room for bottles and whatnot (And I plan on breastfeeding! Imagine how much room I would need if I was exclusively bottle-feeding! I shudder.)


3. Started the name battle with Jeremy. In fact, I didn't even make the initial list of names yet, because it is just SO MUCH EFFORT to discuss names with my husband. Every name I love, he hates. Every name he loves, I hate. I have no idea how we will ever match a name like Josephine Isabelle.


4. Come to the realization that there is a STRONG possibility we will be living in this house when the baby arrives (although we had plans to be gone), and therefore I need to make some MAJOR changes to our office to make it into a nursery, including finding a home for all of the crap that lives there and painting the walls a color that the landlord approves (because AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, I will NOT bring my child home to live in a Big-Bird-yellow room).


5. Decided what we will do with the sleeping arrangements after the first few months. My initial plan is this: Josie stays in her room, in her crib (unless she shows some sort of sign that she is ready for a big-girl bed BEFORE the baby comes, which I sincerely hope she DOES NOT), new baby in a bassinet or the Fisher-Price Deluxe Rock n' Play Lightweight Plush Sleeper from my wish list (squee! I still love buying baby things!). BUT, after a little while, we might need that baby out of our room. I'm not going to get into it all here, but I *may* have made some mistakes with Josephine, as far as sleeping goes, and so Baby X might be moving out of our room a little earlier that Josephine did ... in which case, I will need another crib (Yikes!) or Josie will need to move to her big-girl bed (she will use MY big-girl bed that my dad made for me); in that case we wouldn't have to buy another crib, but would have to buy another crib mattress anyway, so ... there's that. There are a lot of variables involved in that one.


6. Bought all the things that I wish I would have had last time or all the things we had last time that were awesome that didn't survive the first child.


7. Figured out what all the said items mentioned in #6 even ARE. I think maybe that can be the first thing I work on. Tomorrow or the next day, I'm going to cobble together a list of stuff I need to get for the baby. (I feel better already) (But I'm not going to do it right now. There's only so much I can do in one day, and confessing is today's task)


8. Decided if we are going to keep our craptastic video monitor and buy another camera to go with it (it can scan back and forth between the two) OR buy a nice new one that actually works (but will cost a lot more than just buying another camera for our existing monitor). 


9. Begun to think about DIAPERS. Oh lord. As many benefits as there are to cloth diapers, I am starting to get a little nervous. Josie's still in diapers, and there's always the possibility that she will be out of them by the time Baby X arrives, but I am not counting on it by any means. So, that means I have to plan on having to babies in cloth diapers, and I'm not going to lie to you -- pretty much every other day there is a situation where I am PRAYING the dryer gets done before Josephine soils the diaper she's wearing, because it is the LAST clean one in the house. 


And, of course, all the other little odds and ends that will eventually need to get done, like picking out a "coming home from the hospital" outfit, and making a fun bow to match, and finding a baby book so I can get new-baby footprints stamped in the front at the hospital, and blah, blah, blah. It would be easy to say "Oh, but I have so much TIME!" but not really, when I have done NOTHING. If I had started, at least I could say, "Well, we have clothes for the first month and a place for her to sleep, we'll make it!" We don't have that yet. Oopsie.


I'm not sure how I, a manic, cleaning, planning, type-A person, got here. But here I am. Some seasoned parent please tell me that I am normal or some non-parent please tell me to shut up because everything will be fine. Thanks!


At least it's not a boy and I don't have a shit-ton of clothes to buy, am I right? :)

Business Trips, Runny Noses, and How to Sleep in a Bed

You guys. YOU GUYS. Jeremy just got home from being out of state for work for three days, and OH MY GOD. How do people DO this? 


It was also just bad timing since I am still sick, and therefore, pretty sluggish and whatnot, and Josie is still hanging on to her runny nose (no other complaints, though, thank goodness!), so we were pretty much stuck in the house the entire time. The ENTIRE TIME. It certainly would have helped break up the days to have fun-tivities and adventures to head out on, but it was just cold enough, combined with her still-runny nose making me nervous about her immuno-compromised state, that I didn't want her to be outside much. If she got really sick again just because I wanted to take her to the park to burn off energy? Come on. Stab me in the heart now and get it over with. PLUS, we couldn't really go anywhere with other kids, because I didn't want to be That Mom who brings a kid covered in snot to play with other kids. It's not a desirable trait in a playmate for your toddler.


So, we stayed in the house for the past three days. Alone. Yikes. You'll notice that I didn't whine about this pre-emptively: Oh, woe is me! My husband is going to be out of town for three days! SOB! Nope. Not on the blog, not on facebook, not on Twitter. I stayed strong. Since I've amassed such a following in all three arenas, it would have just been an invitation for pervs or stalkers or thieves. Fooled ya, buttheads. Now if you try to come do something pervy or stalkery or theivy, my husband isn't out of town anymore! BURN.


I was worried about being all alone because I am pregnant and sick and thought (knew) I would be exhausted after three days of doing it alone, but I think it was the emotional aspect that made it the most draining. There were really only a few things that I *had* to add to my daily to-do list, and it really only extended my work after putting Josie down for the night by about an hour, so you know, do-able (especially if a few things that weren't crucial to our survival got put on the back-burner), but not having him come home and sit down and eat dinner with us, and talk to us, and play with Josie after dinner, and do the bath stuff while I clean the house, and then hang out with me on the couch after the Bean is in bed? Killer. Absolute killer.


Yes, I know that people have lives like this. Some spouses travel on the regular or are deployed or are long-haul truckers, but I SPECIFICALLY forbade Jeremy from having a "being-gone-is-a-regular-part-of-my-job" job long before we were married. He graciously accepted these terms and then told me I couldn't become any crazier than I already was. 


THE JOKE WAS ON HIM, INTERNET. I get a little crazier every day.


Anyway, in my desperate attempt to try to find one tiny little nugget of acceptable-ness in the situation, I did manage to find ONE upside to being the only adult in the house. It in NO way makes up for all the ten million bad things on the list, but man, it is a pretty good thing.


Have you ever slept diagonally across a king-sized bed? Heaven. Best thing ever. Here, let me illustrate this thing that you could likely easily imagine yourself:

Wow. This rendering is shockingly accurate in terms of my delicate willowy build and gentle bump of a stomach. And bald head. I am truly an artist. I am also, of course, reminded of the Attack of the Night Farts artwork. 

Wait, I just clicked over and looked at it. That shit is WAY better than this. I feel very failure-ish now.

I started doing this last time I was pregnant, when I could take naps during the day (ha. HA. HAHAHA. Isn't that hilARIOUS?). When Jeremy happened upon me once, he teased me for weeks. But then a few months later I caught him waking up from a diagonal nap, and he muttered "best thing ever." 


You got that right, dude. 


So, while I don't recommend having a partner who is gone for long stretches of time, for those of you who have to endure the situation, may I suggest the diagonal sleep? It won't give you another adult around the house to help raise your kids or someone to have an adult conversation with, or you know, all the other benefits of having the person you love in the house, but hell, it's something.


Trust me. You'll thank me later.

Book Review: This Life Is In Your Hands

This Life is in Your Hands is Melissa Coleman's account of her family's homesteading past. Before she was born, Melissa's parents, jaded by modern society, retreated to the wilderness of Maine, bought 60 acres, and determined to live a simple, totally self-reliant life. This eventually led to a large organic farm, a home, three daughters, and many "interns" eager to live off the land and learn from the Colemans.

By piecing together her own memories, media reports of her family's "unique" lifestyle, journal entries, and interviews with all those involved, Melissa Coleman presents the family's voyage from start to finish -- yes, there was an end. The subtitle of this book is "One Dream, Sixty Acres, and a Family's Heartbreak." You go into the story knowing what specific tragic event eventually pulls the family apart and ends the experiment (which is something I hate -- it ruins it for me, knowing what is coming in the final pages; alas, this is a device I see more and more these days, so I suppose it is here to stay). 

The journey itself, though, is interesting. Especially for someone like myself, who has no real knowledge of what it would take to make EVERYTHING you need to survive, starting with building your home with your bare hands from trees on your property, there was plenty of things along the way that distracted me from the fact that I knew tragedy was going to strike and the family was going to break up. And, of course, this book chronicles a story that is certainly unique to a massive portion of the population, so that in itself is something that makes it all the more interesting and novel.

Now for the part I hate doing in book reviews -- telling you about things that got under my craw a bit. Sorry, I need to be honest. At times, the book comes off rather preachy. Coleman goes into great detail explaining her father's organic gardening beliefs and the family's stance on everything from vegetarianism to consumerism -- and most of the time, she is putting rather annoying and arrogant statements in the mouths of her characters. You know, the "We do it THIS way, and why would you EVER do it another way?" annoying comments that make you un-friend people on facebook and complain to your spouse after a dinner party. At first, honestly, I wasn't sure I could make it through the entire book. But about 50 pages in, I suddenly was hooked and needed to hear this story. Yeah, the characters from time to time made me want to slap them, but that happens in novels, so why not in a memoir, right?

In the end, despite the hang-ups I had about this book, I read it surprisingly quickly and find myself thinking about the family long after having closed the book for good. I don't know about you, but as a reader, those are two good signs for me. If you are even mildly interested in the homesteader movement or the birth of organic farming in the US, you need to read this book.

If you'd like to see what other reviewers had to say about this book, the complete TLC Tour guide can be found HERE. If you'd like to learn more about Melissa Coleman, you can visit her website and facebook page.

I was provided a copy of This Life is in Your Hands, but was not compensated for this review. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Thing #381 About Having a Toddler

Sometimes you go to fluff up the cushions on your couch, and you find ...

... a half-eaten apple.


And you think:


1) Hmm, at least it's from today. (I think.)


and


2) Hey, it could be much worse. (Much MUCH worse.)

Long-Overdue Cloth Diaper Funk Update

I should do a birthday re-cap, because it seems like the thing to do, but since I was sick and took zero pictures, let's just say it was the best it could be while being sick, thanks to my lovely husband. Awww. 

One thing we did on my birthday was be part of a Guinness World Record for most cloth diapers changed at the same time (fascinating, I know!) because, you know, how often are you involved in breaking world records.

So I took my kid and changed her on an elementary school floor with a bunch of other kids. 

(white shirt with the pink heart, middle of photo)

I have never seen so many amber teething necklaces in one place, let me tell you. 

That, and a message from a friend, reminded me that I never updated you on the "stinkiest diapers ever in the history of cloth diapers" problem like I promised many of you I would. Mind you, I'm still sick and basically dying, but thankfully I had this post half-written and was able to finish it with minimal sickness-induced whining.

Now, I could go ON and ON and ON about cloth diapers, both about how much I love them AND about how sometimes they are the bane of my existence. Sometimes when I get angry with them, I have to weigh the pros and cons in my head, and then I also remind myself that I *personally* know many people who have never had a single issue with their cloth diapers and think even an idiot can cloth diaper. Then I'm like, oh, okay, I started using these for a lot of good reasons, and it's clearly my fault and not the diapers themselves. 

Sorry diapers.

Now for the advice. (Disclaimer: I am neither a scientist nor a cloth diaper genius. This is just what has been working for me.)

Anyway, the number one thing I learned from research and advice is that THIS product exists:

Rockin Green Cloth Diaper and Laundry Detergent (Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer)

Love it. I had to soak the diapers in like 4 tablespoons in hot water for a very long time and then do lots of washes, but once I was done, NO STINK. Amazing. You can also toss a tablespoon in with every load to prevent the stench. 

The other VERY important things I learned are:

1. There is math involved in loading up your washer. Stay with me. I only have like 20-something diapers, and sometimes (most of the time), I was waiting as long as I could until I did a load and was throwing a crap-ton of diapers (no pun intended) (okay, pun intended) into the washer all at once. HOWEVER, a much better method is to have fewer diapers and more water. If you have ten or fewer diapers but still set your washer to the largest load, this allows the diapers to really agitate, and the more they move around and the more water they have to slosh around in, the cleaner they can get. 

2. Hot water. Let me say it again. HOT WATER. I was following whatever the recommendation was (cold-hot-cold?) but my hippie biology-major neighbor was like, "Umm, you have human waste on those. Use hot water." Also, apparently since I use microfiber inserts, if you end with a cold rinse, anything still on the fabric (pee, poop, or any detergent that did not get successfully washed/rinsed enough) will be "trapped" in the microfiber and will just act like a magnet to attract more stuff. Hence, stink magnets. 

3. Figure out your own system. I know, that sounds so incredibly vague that you might feel like punching me in the ovaries right now, but I will explain. While I was doing my (exhaustive) research, lots of people said things like "it's important to remember that everyone's water is different, which makes washing different for everyone," and I was like, "NOOOOO! Give me a real answer!" But they're right. We all have different level of rust and lime and whatever else in our water, so the detergent that your friend across the country swears by might not work for you, and the way your other friend washes might not work either. However, I soon figured out two "washing schedules," based on how "funky" the diapers were, and things have been great ever since. Once I got the ammonia out and stripped them all nice and clean, I have not had any major problems. Within this tip are two subtips:

3a. It might take at least three wash cycles (or more) to get them clean. Not all of these have detergent added to them, but you need time in the washer to get those babies clean.

3b. LOTS of rinse loads. You don't want any detergent left on those bad boys. Also, I don't strip the diapers with Dawn anymore, I just wash with hot water a bunch of times, and BOOM, stripped. The rinsing is key.

So, my schedules are pretty similiar:
1) (normal load) Wash with 1/4 to 1/2 scoop of detergent; two additional wash cycles (with no detergent or anything), last with second rinse. All hot. All on largest, longest heavy-duty wash cycles. 
2) (slightly funky or more poopy load) Wash with 1/2 scoop of detergent; wash with VERY little detergent (1/8 scoop?); two additional wash cycles (with no detergent or anything), last with second rinse. All hot. All on largest, longest heavy-duty wash cycles. 

Yes, it's a lot of washing and rinsing, but the diapers are coming out like new.

4. Detergent is a big deal. I use Charlie's Soap and I really like it. Like I said, though, everyone's water is different, so it might work great for you, and it might not. Also, there is SO MUCH controversy in the cloth diaper world when it comes to your choice of detergent, and not everyone likes Charlie's, but here is my thought on it: it is on the list of recommended detergents to use, and I know a few cloth diaper geniuses who use it and swear by it, so I gave it a try and I like it. 

5. Velcro is the devil. Okay, this one has nothing to do with the washing/removing funk advice, but velcro is still the devil. If you have the option to choose between snaps or velcro (which as far as I know, you pretty much always do for the same price), buy the GD snaps. I got velcro because I was thinking of changing a newborn a million times and in the dead of night, and wanted it to be easy and fit perfectly, which it did, and everyone who talked about velcro versus snaps said the snaps were good for when your kid is older and trying to take off his/her own diaper, but I figured I cared less about that than my immediate "diapering a newborn" needs. But here is a little science for you: VELCRO DOES NOT LAST FOREVER. No matter what. I got a set of 12 diapers replaced by cotton babies when the velcro failed, and now the replacements, which we have only used for 7 months, have no stick left in the velcro. Yes, I wash them a lot, but I would rather have velcro go out than have stinky-ass diapers or lingering detergent burning my baby's skin (YES, this is why all the extra rinses are crucial.). There is no "wear and tear" to any other part of the diapers from my wash cycle, just the velcro, so I don't blame myself. So, here we are again, with only a few snap diapers and the rest falling around her ankles. I am seeing if I can get them replaced with snap diapers, but if not, I am going to have to convert them to snaps, which ether costs money or takes a LOT of time, depending on how you do it. So, NO VELCRO. 

I'm pretty sure that is all I have for the moment, but I will continue to update this as I remember things and/or I get more questions.

Some Things to Tell You About Today

1. I'm sick.


2. Josephine is VERY sick.

3. Instead of awesome thunderstorms that were predicted for today, it is just gray and ick, which is somehow making this day seem even longer and more insufferable.


4. Someone got our debit card number and spent a billion of our dollars yesterday and now we have to deal with all that.


5. Tomorrow is my birthday.


*Sad trombone*


Can you either tell me funny stories or commiserate with your own sad lists in the comments? Please? PUH-LEEEEEESE? I need you now. More than words can say.


XOXO,


Lame Veronica

And Then I Realized I Spent Josie's Entire Nap Chatting and Online (Window) Shopping*

My little sister and I, discussing Josephine's symptoms and trying to decide if she is REALLY sick or just a little under the weather. 


(Victoria had just gotten off the phone with us)

*Also, what do we call it when you are looking at stuff you want to buy online, and then you add it to your cart and everything, and are SO CLOSE to buying it, but then you're like, NO! STAY STRONG! and you don't spend the money? Can we still call that "window shopping"? Or what? Please get back to me on this, ASAP.

Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich (*I DIE*)

Oh my god. I finally did it. I made a caprese grilled cheese sandwich. And my life will never be the same. I need to make some serious changes in the grocery budget so I can always have fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil on hand. ALWAYS.

I have been collecting caprese grilled cheese recipes on Pinterest, and they all have interesting spins on them, but when I got home last night from teaching my night class and needed a snack, I decided to go with my gut and go simple. And it was GLORIOUS.

The idea is very simple:

1. Spread a little olive oil on a piece of bread, plop it in a pan on medium heat.

2. Place nice large basil leaves on the bread (one layer -- not too much!), followed by THIN slices of your fresh mozzarella and THIN slices of tomato, and second slice of bread (with olive oil, of course).

3. Let sit for how ever many minutes make you happy (I HATE burny grilled cheese and Jeremy loves it), flip and repeat.

DONE!

NOTES: 

1. The thinner the mozz and the tomatoes, the better. I hate to say it, but I will use less cheese the next time around (I know, who AM I?!?!)

2. If your bread is as grilled as you would like it to be but the cheese isn't as melty as you'd like, you can toss it in an oven, toaster oven, or even (GASP!) a microwave (for only a few seconds if it's the micro) to get the cheese melted but maintain the nice toasty nature of the bread. Another reason to make sure your cheese is thinly sliced.

3. I recommend a diagonal cut on the sandwich (and every sandwich you ever eat). Just kidding. (Not really)

It was slightly drippy because my tomatoes were very ripe, so as long as you don't mind a few drips, this might be one of the best sandwiches you ever eat.

Mangia! Enjoy!

Book Review: Narcopolis

Jeet Thayil's debut novel Narcopolis is not for the faint of heart. It takes readers on a thirty-year journey through the depths of Bombay's seedy underground. Death, drugs, prostitution, and perversion take the lead roles in this book. The city of Bombay is explored in a way that it has not been by modern authors (at least to the best of my knowledge). The opium dens, the brothels -- they are only the beginning of what the city has in store for these characters. 

My opinion boils down to this: If you like poetry, specifically modern poetry, you will like this book. If poetry confuses you or you dislike it for any other reason, you might not like this book. Or, perhaps, it will take you a while to get used to the style. If that's the case and you went into the book thinking you didn't like poetry, then, hey, give poetry another try! You might love it now!

I was thinking this the entire time I read the book -- that this book was like one long poem, and it was hard for me to remember I was reading a novel. Then I read the dust jacket summary and author information (which I try to avoid doing before I read the book so I don't taint my feelings about the book), and it turns out the author has published several volumes of poetry and this is his first novel. There you go.

I was also thinking while I read this book that there are certain people I know who would LOVE this book (Brandon, if you're reading this, let me know if you want to borrow this book!) and there were people who I would NEVER think of lending this book to (sorry mom), and I was wondering if that meant anything about the book itself. Can I fully recommend this book when I feel this way? But honestly, I think I always feel that way about the books I read to some extent. This book just has such a strong tone that it is all the more obvious. It begs for a certain type of reader, and that doesn't make it a book that is "less recommendable," it just means that author has a strong voice, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

If you are up for a startling read that has a beautiful voice, then this is the book for you.

If you'd like to read what other reviewers on the TLC Tour had to say, the schedule of tours can be found HERE.

Outtakes

I seriously thank my lucky stars every day that my child was born in a time when digital cameras are possible. If you've ever been to this blog before, you know how many BEAUTIFUL pictures we have of our BEAUTIFUL daughter, but there are quite a few ... not-so-awesome pictures as well.

Whether it's due to a lame camera, the lame person trying to use the camera (i.e., me), capturing an awkward moment, or having a squirmy child, we have hundreds of outtakes. Here are just a few of my favorites that prove it is worth my while to take multiple pictures every single time, since I will have a few of these to weed out.

(Confession: Some of these make me smile more than the "good" ones.)

If you already have a great outtakes post or do one in the future, leave a link in the comments! This will be the place where we all come for a laugh! :)

Country Crock & Veggies (A Sponsored Post)

I have a sponsored review of Country Crock and their veggie recipes available online up over at my Review page. Click HERE to see it!

It's a ........

GIRL!!!!!!!

I have so much to say about it, but I just wanted to get it up and get the news out! The baby is healthy and we are oh-so-happy. :)

Book Review: Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall

Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall was a book I have been excited to read ever since reading the short synopsis I was given when offered a copy for review:

Amid the mayhem of the Civil War, Virginia plantation wife Iris Dunleavy is put on trial and convicted of madness. It is the only reasonable explanation the court can see for her willful behavior, so she is sent away to Sanibel Asylum to be restored to a good, compliant woman. Iris knows, though, that her husband is the true criminal; she is no lunatic, only guilty of disagreeing with him on notions of justice, cruelty, and property. On this remote Florida island, cut off by swamps and seas and military blockades, Iris meets a wonderful collection of residents -- some seemingly sane, some wrongly convinced they are crazy, some charmingly odd, some dangerously unstable. One of these is Ambrose Weller, the war-haunted Confederate soldier whose memories terrorize him into wild fits that can only be calmed by the color blue, but whose gentleness and dark eyes beckon to Iris. The institution calls itself modern, but Iris is skeptical of its methods, particularly the dreaded "water treatment." She must escape, but she has found new hope and love with Ambrose. Can she take him with her? If they make it out, will the war have left anything for them to make a life from, back home?

I am pretty particular when it comes to tone, and some of my pet peeves are books set in the past that have a very modern tone or books set in the past that have a tone that doesn't really ring true to me as a reader. This book, from the opening sentence, transports you back in time in the most fabulous way. The entire time I read the book, I was not only enjoying the world that was created for me, but also wondering, How does she do it?!?! This is fantastic! Having read some not-so-great historical fiction, I was enchanted by this book. 

Not only was the tone simply divine, but the setting ...a semi-tropical island mental institution on the beach? Come on. I could hear the waves of the ocean the entire time I was reading. I could feel the humidity. I was constantly "on the lookout" for crocodiles and big bugs. And while Iris was being held at a mental institution for being a "willful woman," and you feared for her safety every moment, the setting was oddly romantic. 

Now, Iris. Oh Iris. I ached for this woman who was being imprisoned for disagreeing with husband, especially because you know it actually happened in this time period. A time when feminists were considered mentally unhinged and tortured? Horrifying. But this woman will not be broken. True to her character, Iris' actual story is revealed slowly -- painfully slowly -- but it would ruin the book if you knew all the details up front. Iris is a mystery, but you are always on her side, never doubting her motivations.

This is the story of a sad period in our history. It is the story of Iris, the story of Ambrose, the story of Iris and Ambrose, the story of the mental institution's doctor, the doctor's son, and the island itself. Painful and beautiful at the same time and lovingly written, Blue Asylum is a story you will surely enjoy.

If you'd like to hear what other bloggers on the TLC book tour had to say about this book, click HERE for the full schedule of reviews. You can also check out her website and blog.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, You're Only a (Very Long) Day Away!

Tomorrow is the big ultrasound! If you want to cast a last-minute vote on the right, be sure to, because tomorrow morning is your last chance.


This ultrasound is consuming my thoughts ... except for the fact that I have lots and lots of prep to do for teaching my class tonight (that I put off all week because I was feeling so dreadful) and Josie is on day two of cranking it to the maximum and needing lots of extra attention (although nothing I do is what she wants me to do and OMG the TEARS) and both my eyes are twitching, but WHATEVER. 


As I was typing that, Josie looked me right in the eye and did some sort of crazy roundhouse kick that somehow got her leg stretched out enough to knock over the huge glass of water sitting in the dead center of the coffee table (surrounded by remote controls for the TV and surround sound and a magazine I didn't get a chance to read). WTH, am I right?


If I could just go back to bed and not get up until the ultrasound Wednesday morning ... ahhh, a girl can dream.

Obligatory Easter Re-cap

Today was Easter! Yay! 

We started the day with some rousing non-Easter activities, like vacuuming:

and instructing dad to move the easel into the "good light" overlooking the back yard:

Then, of course, I dressed her all up, even though we weren't headed out of the house, and let her see the bounty that came from me and her two grandmas (who SPOIL her) :)

I wasn't going to "do" eggs this year, but then at the last second I bought some on sale and made them into alphabet and number matching eggs.

I know some of you might be rolling your eyes right now. I know they are not in her skill set at one-and-a-half, and I don't expect her to have learned all her letters by next week. It was something I was planning to do when she was older, but she has been OBSESSED with words and letters lately, so I figured, what the hey?

I didn't bother to put anything in them (Because come on, really? She's not even two.), then tossed a few around the room for her to "find."

They turned out to be a hit! She would "find" one (hidden in plain sight), shriek "BALL!" (everything round is a ball, and by extension, delightful) and then immediately followed that with a "THANK YOU!" And repeated that about a million times, because hey, once you set an egg down and walk away, you can find it again as many times as you want if there are no other kids to snatch it away from you!

She had a lot of fun roaming around and slowly looking at the eggs and gathering them up, as well as exploring all the little goodies the baskets had to offer.

Then I tried to take a photo of her sitting and looking darling. Not so much.

Wiggling

 Escaping

 Still running

 "You want a pose? I'll give you a pose!"

 "Seriously. Quit following me!"

It turns out she wanted to return to her easel, with the help of her new bunny.

Then demanded her dress and socks be removed ... but her dress shoes put back on. Diaper, dress shoes, and bunny ears. All she needed was to add her blanket as a cape and she was back to her art.

You can't help it when you have the sensibilities of an artist! You can't be corralled! 

Hopefully your Easter celebrations were lovely, however you chose to celebrate!