When Daphne really likes something, she is inclined to ask that you do it "again" "again". In fact, "again" is one of her favorite things to say.
I've taken up telling her that if she wants someone to mindlessly do what she wants over and over again that she needs to find a nanny.
She has a funny way of saying nanny. It's pronounced NAN-EE in an inquisitive tone. Very hilarious.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
I Like You
Daphne woke up last night as I was getting into bed, so she came to snuggle with me. After a few mintues of sitting there she turned to me and said,
"I liiikkkke you mama."
"I liiikkkke you mama."
Baby Poop
Yesterday while we were going through paperwork, I ran into some of the papers that I was given at the hospital when Daphne was born.
There was a sheet of paper that we got with photos of baby poop on it in the different stages after birth. It was supposed to be a guide to help make sure the baby was eating enough.
I gave it to Daphne and told her that it was photos of baby poop. She took the page and went and sat on Jared's chair and looked at it for a good 20 minutes.
Apparently, it was a good source of entrainment for a 2 year old. Who would have known?
There was a sheet of paper that we got with photos of baby poop on it in the different stages after birth. It was supposed to be a guide to help make sure the baby was eating enough.
I gave it to Daphne and told her that it was photos of baby poop. She took the page and went and sat on Jared's chair and looked at it for a good 20 minutes.
Apparently, it was a good source of entrainment for a 2 year old. Who would have known?
Paperwork
Yesterday Jared mentioned that he had some filing to do. As he was sorting through it, he asked me to put a few things away here and there.
Being pregnant, and on a serious organizational kick I started to look at what was in the files, and I got a serious urge to clean things out and organize them. We ended up spending the majority of the day going through files, cleaning out old junk and reorganizing everything. We moved on to Jared's desk after that and got everything sorted out and put away.
We threw away 4 bags full of shredded stuff and several trips to the recycling of other random papers.
We also had a really great time going through all of our random "cords and computer crap" that we had stuffed in a box. I needed something from the box this week, and it literally exploded as I opened it. After going through it all, we got it to an organized sanity.
It seems so nice to have everything so well organized. I don't think that Jared was expecting that much cleaning and organizing to come from a simple filing project.
Being pregnant, and on a serious organizational kick I started to look at what was in the files, and I got a serious urge to clean things out and organize them. We ended up spending the majority of the day going through files, cleaning out old junk and reorganizing everything. We moved on to Jared's desk after that and got everything sorted out and put away.
We threw away 4 bags full of shredded stuff and several trips to the recycling of other random papers.
We also had a really great time going through all of our random "cords and computer crap" that we had stuffed in a box. I needed something from the box this week, and it literally exploded as I opened it. After going through it all, we got it to an organized sanity.
It seems so nice to have everything so well organized. I don't think that Jared was expecting that much cleaning and organizing to come from a simple filing project.
Swimming with Daddy
We finally convinced Jared that this weekend was a good time to head out to the pool. He has been swimming with Daphne before, but the last time was mid July of 2008, so it's been about 9 months. Way back then, Daphne would scream bloody murder if any part above her neck got even a drop of water on it, and she was not willing to swim on her own in any capacity.
Now that she is swimming the pool back and forth with wings and no assistance, Jared was very impressed. Daphne even spent some time going under the water, and was happy as can be to do it.
I think Jared is impressed about the progress Daphne has made in her swimming.
Now that she is swimming the pool back and forth with wings and no assistance, Jared was very impressed. Daphne even spent some time going under the water, and was happy as can be to do it.
I think Jared is impressed about the progress Daphne has made in her swimming.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Rabbit Laid an Egg
I had a very strange thing happen to me this week.
I walked out to feed the rabbits one day, and under one of the rabbit cages was an egg. This led me to the only possible conclusion, that the rabbit laid the egg right?
Oh. and it was a male rabbit!
After further investigation, one of the chickens had escaped and decided that the best place to roost was under the rabbit cages. But it made for a funny story right?
I walked out to feed the rabbits one day, and under one of the rabbit cages was an egg. This led me to the only possible conclusion, that the rabbit laid the egg right?
Oh. and it was a male rabbit!
After further investigation, one of the chickens had escaped and decided that the best place to roost was under the rabbit cages. But it made for a funny story right?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Photo Backup Complete
I finally completed the back up of my photos. I committed to making a complete online, off site backup of all of my photos that I have taken that are in the digital format. This represents almost 200 gigabytes of space. Slowly, after weeks and weeks of constant uploading, I now have a complete backup on my yellowcowphoto.smugmug.com page. I feel more organized and safe already.
Your Baby Can Read
Papa Bob got Daphne the Your Baby Can Read series for her birthday. It is a set of flashcards, DVD's and books that are supposed to be used to teach early reading to your baby.
I have read some good things about it and some bad things about it. I agree with the good things. The critics say that it is just a TV show you put your kid in front of to watch and that they are simply memorizing the words. However, if you read all the literature and really get involved, you start to understand that that is not the case. You are coming up with many, many ways to get your kid involved in understanding the written language. It takes a lot of repetition and a lot of work. The people who are just showing DVD's to their kids are doing it wrong, not wonder it seems so mundane. It is supposed to be set up so that you read the books with the baby and do flash card and come up with as many opportunities as possible for the baby to discover the world around them.
That said, you are supposed to watch the 20 minute DVD 1-2 times per day. I have been doing it for about 2 weeks with Daphne.
I was so impressed to see that Daphne can read the word "dog" and "arm". She still can't recognize them in every setting, but she definitely knows the words because she can see the word and say it without any additional help. It's kind of a miracle to see my just turned 2 year old start to read words. I am excited about what her future holds. She loves books so much, and it's such a gift to teach her how to read at such a young age.
I have read some good things about it and some bad things about it. I agree with the good things. The critics say that it is just a TV show you put your kid in front of to watch and that they are simply memorizing the words. However, if you read all the literature and really get involved, you start to understand that that is not the case. You are coming up with many, many ways to get your kid involved in understanding the written language. It takes a lot of repetition and a lot of work. The people who are just showing DVD's to their kids are doing it wrong, not wonder it seems so mundane. It is supposed to be set up so that you read the books with the baby and do flash card and come up with as many opportunities as possible for the baby to discover the world around them.
That said, you are supposed to watch the 20 minute DVD 1-2 times per day. I have been doing it for about 2 weeks with Daphne.
I was so impressed to see that Daphne can read the word "dog" and "arm". She still can't recognize them in every setting, but she definitely knows the words because she can see the word and say it without any additional help. It's kind of a miracle to see my just turned 2 year old start to read words. I am excited about what her future holds. She loves books so much, and it's such a gift to teach her how to read at such a young age.
Chicken Stock
I've been working on a batch of chicken stock for a while. It was clear that it was time to make some because I still had some necks and organs in the freezer from when I butchered chickens a while back. Also, we had chicken legs for dinner a few nights in a row, and I had a carcass left in the freezer from a while back.
Additionally, we were getting more vegetables from our CSA than I was able to eat so it was time to morph all this food into something that would be useful to me at a later date.
My favorite thing about having learned to can last summer was the fact that I have no reservations on canning my own foods. It makes it so wonderful to know that I can make 2 gallons of chicken stock and preserve it without having to think about using it all up. The trick is that you have to pressure can it, and that gets me a little bit nervous sometimes.
I got my pressure canner from a yard sale for 20 bucks, and I adore it. It is huge--20 quart capacity, so I can can about 2 gallons of things in one go. Pressure canners that were made recently are incredibly safe, but in the old days these things used to explode and cause all sorts of trouble.
I feel like I sit on pins and needles while I wait for the 25 mintues to be up. I've only got 5 more mintues to go on the batch I'm working on.
The positive side is that I will have freshly canned chicken stock to use at my will that can sit in my pantry waiting for me to come up with something to use it in!
Additionally, we were getting more vegetables from our CSA than I was able to eat so it was time to morph all this food into something that would be useful to me at a later date.
My favorite thing about having learned to can last summer was the fact that I have no reservations on canning my own foods. It makes it so wonderful to know that I can make 2 gallons of chicken stock and preserve it without having to think about using it all up. The trick is that you have to pressure can it, and that gets me a little bit nervous sometimes.
I got my pressure canner from a yard sale for 20 bucks, and I adore it. It is huge--20 quart capacity, so I can can about 2 gallons of things in one go. Pressure canners that were made recently are incredibly safe, but in the old days these things used to explode and cause all sorts of trouble.
I feel like I sit on pins and needles while I wait for the 25 mintues to be up. I've only got 5 more mintues to go on the batch I'm working on.
The positive side is that I will have freshly canned chicken stock to use at my will that can sit in my pantry waiting for me to come up with something to use it in!
Out Chickens--Out!
I am surprised with how quickly I got tired of having chickens in the house, and they have officially been kicked out today.
The Cornish Cross breed is a breed of chicken that has been bred to mature super quickly. I am surprised that these chicks are only a week old, and they already seem so incredibly big to me. Additionally, the Chukar (a type of quailish bird) grow very quickly as well (full size in about 6 weeks). You can tell how fast the other birds are growing when you compare them to my laying hen that I bought. She is a week old, but she is SOOOOO much smaller than the Cornish Cross.
I had all 16 of the birds in the bathtub under a heat lamp, but when I got back from the store today there was a definite chicken smell in the house. Rather than continue to deal with it, I decided to kick them out.
I split up the chukar and the laying hen from the cornish cross, and I put them all out in the garage. The Cornish Cross are happily eating away pretending that nothing has happen, yet the Chukar are cold and sad to be away from their friends. The Chukar have a light on them, but they seem to feel that it's necessary to all bunch up and act cold. If the light were any closer to them it would burn them, so I think we're going to have to call it good enough for now.
As soon as I kicked them out I cleaned and sterilized the bathtub with bleach and then scrubbed the floor of the bathroom. You'd be hard pressed to see that I was running a chicken farm in it just a few hours ago.
The Cornish Cross breed is a breed of chicken that has been bred to mature super quickly. I am surprised that these chicks are only a week old, and they already seem so incredibly big to me. Additionally, the Chukar (a type of quailish bird) grow very quickly as well (full size in about 6 weeks). You can tell how fast the other birds are growing when you compare them to my laying hen that I bought. She is a week old, but she is SOOOOO much smaller than the Cornish Cross.
I had all 16 of the birds in the bathtub under a heat lamp, but when I got back from the store today there was a definite chicken smell in the house. Rather than continue to deal with it, I decided to kick them out.
I split up the chukar and the laying hen from the cornish cross, and I put them all out in the garage. The Cornish Cross are happily eating away pretending that nothing has happen, yet the Chukar are cold and sad to be away from their friends. The Chukar have a light on them, but they seem to feel that it's necessary to all bunch up and act cold. If the light were any closer to them it would burn them, so I think we're going to have to call it good enough for now.
As soon as I kicked them out I cleaned and sterilized the bathtub with bleach and then scrubbed the floor of the bathroom. You'd be hard pressed to see that I was running a chicken farm in it just a few hours ago.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thank You Iron Chef
We had the March Iron Chef on Monday. It was a total blast. A few people were not feeling well, so the numbers were down a bit, but that doesn't cause a problem. There was still good company and good food--that's a win-win.
The best part of the night was that my friend Corey made a lovely salad with lettuce, kiwi, pears, avocado, nuts, etc. I ate two whole bowl fulls.
I actually came home totally inspired by the salad and made one of my own. I've had 8 salads in the past 24 hours--now that's a lot of lettuce and spinach!
The best part of the night was that my friend Corey made a lovely salad with lettuce, kiwi, pears, avocado, nuts, etc. I ate two whole bowl fulls.
I actually came home totally inspired by the salad and made one of my own. I've had 8 salads in the past 24 hours--now that's a lot of lettuce and spinach!
Eating All the Food
I spent the majority of the summer storing up healthy, local foods of all kinds for us to eat through the winter.
At one point, we had 20 chickens, 2 goats, 2 lambs and a bunch of beef in the freezer. We are slowly chipping that down. The chickens are almost gone and the goat is nearly gone also.
The pantry was crammed full of salsa and tomato sauce, green beans and applesauce. We really have been making progress on eating it all. I feel pressure to eat it before it's time to can food again, problem is that it doesn't appeal to me, so Jared is on his own.
The truth is that I'm doing a really good job being efficient about eating the food and making it incredibly delicious.
At one point, we had 20 chickens, 2 goats, 2 lambs and a bunch of beef in the freezer. We are slowly chipping that down. The chickens are almost gone and the goat is nearly gone also.
The pantry was crammed full of salsa and tomato sauce, green beans and applesauce. We really have been making progress on eating it all. I feel pressure to eat it before it's time to can food again, problem is that it doesn't appeal to me, so Jared is on his own.
The truth is that I'm doing a really good job being efficient about eating the food and making it incredibly delicious.
More Swimming
We went swimming again today, only this time we took Julie and Audrey and Copper.
As soon as Daphne saw Copper put on the water wings, she followed suit. The second Daphne got in the water, I wasn't able to touch her again. She giggled and laughed the whole time while she moved her own body around the pool. It was very fun to watch her being so independent.
She came home after swimming and took a 3 hour nap. I guess swimming on your own for the first time can really be tiring.
I'm such a proud mama. I spent so much time teaching her to swim and now she is really doing it!
As soon as Daphne saw Copper put on the water wings, she followed suit. The second Daphne got in the water, I wasn't able to touch her again. She giggled and laughed the whole time while she moved her own body around the pool. It was very fun to watch her being so independent.
She came home after swimming and took a 3 hour nap. I guess swimming on your own for the first time can really be tiring.
I'm such a proud mama. I spent so much time teaching her to swim and now she is really doing it!
Chicken Time!
Jared, Daphne and I headed out to the feed store on Saturday to get some new chickens. Yes, it's that time of the year again.
Every year Wilco gives away free meat chickens with each bag of feed that they sell. I ended up getting 10 chickens for free, which is the number of chickens I was planning on raising for the year. We end up eating about 1 chicken per month--we're not big chicken eaters around here.
I got 10 meat chickens, 5 chukar and another laying hen. They just happened to have the same breed of hen that I had lost last year. She was my favorite hen, and I am happy to replace her.
I'm hoping to take some photos soon to post. They are already at least twice as big as they were when I got them.
Every year Wilco gives away free meat chickens with each bag of feed that they sell. I ended up getting 10 chickens for free, which is the number of chickens I was planning on raising for the year. We end up eating about 1 chicken per month--we're not big chicken eaters around here.
I got 10 meat chickens, 5 chukar and another laying hen. They just happened to have the same breed of hen that I had lost last year. She was my favorite hen, and I am happy to replace her.
I'm hoping to take some photos soon to post. They are already at least twice as big as they were when I got them.
Final Grades
The final grades for the semester were released today. Though I knew that I did not have anything to worry about in terms of passing the class, I was eager to discover what my final grades would be.
I was relieved to see that I got two A's and a B. That confirms that I do in fact graduate Magna Cum Laude.
After I saw my grades, I ran a report through the school's system to confirm that I had met all the requirements for the degree. No surprise, the report came back that I had in fact met all the requirements for the degree.
I'm still waiting for a letter from the school, but I've got nothing to worry about at this point!
I was relieved to see that I got two A's and a B. That confirms that I do in fact graduate Magna Cum Laude.
After I saw my grades, I ran a report through the school's system to confirm that I had met all the requirements for the degree. No surprise, the report came back that I had in fact met all the requirements for the degree.
I'm still waiting for a letter from the school, but I've got nothing to worry about at this point!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Birth Plan
I've been mulling around a birth plan for this upcoming birth. It is difficult for me to go back and make changes to the birth plan that I made for Daphne. I just happened to spend a lot of time writing up desires about the birth if I were to transfer and need a c-section. It was a good thing that I was prepared, but it was still a little tough for me to confront writing out what I would want to happen if it were necessary for another C-Section.
I think that I have hammered out enough of the birth plan to call this a great 1st draft. Things can change in pregnancy, but this reflects what I am looking for in birth. I am posting it here because I shared my first birth plan with a lot of friends who found it to be immensely helpful in planning their own births.
I think that I have hammered out enough of the birth plan to call this a great 1st draft. Things can change in pregnancy, but this reflects what I am looking for in birth. I am posting it here because I shared my first birth plan with a lot of friends who found it to be immensely helpful in planning their own births.
Christine Anderson
Birth Plan
General:
I plan to have a water birth at the Portland Andaluz birth center. This is going to be a VBAC. If transferring is necessary, I would like to transfer to OHSU, and only in the case of emergency.
I desire a pretty standard natural birth, but I have been specific in the birth plan to be clear to anyone attending the birth.
Guests
I plan to have a doula for support who will also act as a photographer for the birth.
I really would like my 2 year old daughter to experience the birth. She will be taken care of by my doula and by my husband Jared.
I feel that I will get enough support from the Andaluz midwives, so I desire that no family or guests attend the birth. If anyone shows up at the birth center they should be told to return home and wait for communication from my husband or myself.
Anyone who is allowed in the room needs to be reminded that we want silence during contractions and the delivery because of our religious beliefs.
Room
If it is available, I prefer the Tierra room. If it is not available, the Solona room is my second choice.
Labor
I am eager to stay at home as long as possible during the labor. I am hoping to drive to the birth center when I am around 6 centimeters dilated.
I do not want any music to be playing during labor or delivery. I do have some music on my Ipod that I will listen to if the music strikes me.
I plan to be mobile during labor and to eat and drink at will.
We are eager to maintain silence during contractions for religious reasons.
Birth
I plan to have a water birth, however, if I need assistance in pushing, I would like to try squatting on dry land.
I would like silence maintained during the delivery of the baby if this is possible. Gentle encouragement is also important to me.
I would like Jared to catch the baby with the help and guidance of the midwife, but with minimal intervention unless it is an emergency.
I would like the lighting as low as possible when my baby is born.
When my baby is born, please pass him or her straight to me unless there is an emergency. The first few moments of bonding are important to me without logistical interruption.
When the baby is born, I would prefer that the room stay silent and calm for a while. It is especially important do not want any comments about the sex or the state of health of the baby announced. If there is any concern, it should be directed to me personally.
Third Stage
I plan to have a natural third stage, and to allow the placenta to turn up in its own time. I would like the cord to stop pulsing before it is cut.
Drugs/Pain Relief
Under no circumstances do I want any drug administered to my baby or I without my express permission. Permission should be asked before EACH drug is administered. I feel very strongly that no drugs should be used for any reason unless in an absolute emergency.
Care of the baby
I do not want the baby to be taken away from me after the birth. Weighing, cleaning and other logistics can be done at a convenient time after bonding and breastfeeding have been established.
Please do not administer a Vitamin K injection to the baby. We plan to use the non-synthetic oral Vitamin K.
Please do not administer eye prophylaxis to my baby after birth.
We would like to do the newborn screening tests as two tests, the first occurring before we leave the birth center.
If the baby is a male we do not plan to circumcise.
Care of the mom
I am concerned about tearing. I would like the degree of any tear to be discussed with me so that we can decide the best solution. At this time, I think that I would desire stitches with any significant tearing.
In case of transfer to hospital or for C-Section
I desire a labor and delivery that is as free from medication and other interventions as possible. Please discuss any suggested interventions or procedures with me and obtain my consent for proceeding.
I am very keen to avoid another caesarean section if it is at all possible. I feel strongly that I can have a successful VBAC.
If there are strong indications of fetal distress or infection, I would like this fully examined before there is a decision to transfer or cut.
If the baby is found to be a surprise breech, I do not consider this to be an indication for a caesarean.
I do understand there are true emergencies such as a prolapsed cord that are automatic indications for a caesarean.
I would like a midwife to stay with me during the transfer to help advocate for me. I understand that midwives do not have hospital privileges and are thus acting as personal advisors and not medical professionals in the hospital.
I want to ensure that no drugs are administered to my baby or I without my express permission beforehand, even if they are standardly administered drugs.
I do not wish to have any drug in the benzodiazepine class even in a life saving emergency.
In the event of a C-Section I do not want to be put to sleep, I want the surgery to be done with an epidural only if possible.
I would like my husband to be in the room at all times during the surgery. If it is an emergency, I respect that the surgeons will need their space, but I still prefer that my husband be allowed at least to stay in the room, even if only in a corner that is out of the way.
I would like my wishes regarding silence (including music) to be respected during surgery. I know that some coordination is necessary between the surgeons, but this should be as succinct as possible.
When the baby is born, I would like for no announcements to be made about the state of health or the sex. If there is an emergency, the baby should be attended to in silence (except for the communications necessary to administer medical attention).
When the baby is born, I would like it to be handed to my husband for care.
I would like to breastfeed the baby in the recovery room if possible.
Please do not admit my baby to special care simply for observation, but only if there is an emergent medical concern.
Please do not give my baby supplements of glucose water or formula milk without my permission.
Please do not give my baby a pacifier for any reason.
If I have trouble breastfeeding, I would greatly appreciate the help of a midwife who is fully supportive of breastfeeding, and would not like other interventions or solutions until it is clear that breastfeeding will be impossible.
Going Home
I would like to go home as soon after the birth or surgery as possible, unless I, or my baby, have health problems that require hospital treatment.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Chasing Rainbows
Papa Bob came up to visit us last weekend and we had a lot of fun. The weather was really being fickle. It was raining one moment and then sunny the next. That combined with the wind really made for a lot of indoor activities.
One late afternoon we were driving after the rain and there was a large rainbow overhead. We were admiring it and showing it to Daphne. Bob commented about how close the rainbow looked and we started joking about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and how it is impossible to catch the end. However, the rainbow was so strong and so close we could see the place where the rainbow met the earth. We were driving, and at every turn or bend the rainbow would follow us and surely with each turn it's end would change.
I have never experienced being able to see the end of a rainbow before, so it was a lot of fun. Daphne now knows what a rainbow looks like, and she's excited to point it out in her book from the library this week.
One late afternoon we were driving after the rain and there was a large rainbow overhead. We were admiring it and showing it to Daphne. Bob commented about how close the rainbow looked and we started joking about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and how it is impossible to catch the end. However, the rainbow was so strong and so close we could see the place where the rainbow met the earth. We were driving, and at every turn or bend the rainbow would follow us and surely with each turn it's end would change.
I have never experienced being able to see the end of a rainbow before, so it was a lot of fun. Daphne now knows what a rainbow looks like, and she's excited to point it out in her book from the library this week.
True Pregnancy Cravings
I was telling my husband how luscious it would be if I could only eat Inari and cookie dough for lunch. After I said it, I realized how stereotypical it sounded of a pregnant woman, so I submit it for your enjoyment!
Swimming Breakthrough
When I was not feeling very well at the beginning of the pregnancy, I decided that I was going to get out more and do more activities. I committed to taking Daphne swimming 2-3 times a week. It seemed to be something that she really enjoyed.
One of the lifeguards was enamored of Daphne and every time I went, she would give me tips on how to get Daphne to start practicing swimming on her own. She used to be really fussy about not wanting to go under the water or not wanting any water to get on her face or ears. Over the past 4 months, she seems to be making great strides in being able to swim. She is anxious and willing to go under the water for brief periods of time. She LOVES to slash and get her hair and face wet an she's learned a very strong kick. Despite all that, she still was trying to hang on to me all the time even when she had something else to support her.
When we went swimming on Wednesday, Daphne put the wings on her arms and rather than really hating them (like usual), she started laughing so hard that she let go of me. When she realized what she had done, she decided to go with it and start kicking. She ended up swimming the width of the pool without any assistance. She giggled the whole time.
When I took her swimming today, I put the wings on her again and started to swim with her. She was out of control. I could hardly keep my hands on her when she was not wearing the wings because she was so excited about her new independence. Her legs are getting really, really strong from all this swimming.
Good job Daphne, not many 2 year olds are willing to swim unassisted in the pool!
One of the lifeguards was enamored of Daphne and every time I went, she would give me tips on how to get Daphne to start practicing swimming on her own. She used to be really fussy about not wanting to go under the water or not wanting any water to get on her face or ears. Over the past 4 months, she seems to be making great strides in being able to swim. She is anxious and willing to go under the water for brief periods of time. She LOVES to slash and get her hair and face wet an she's learned a very strong kick. Despite all that, she still was trying to hang on to me all the time even when she had something else to support her.
When we went swimming on Wednesday, Daphne put the wings on her arms and rather than really hating them (like usual), she started laughing so hard that she let go of me. When she realized what she had done, she decided to go with it and start kicking. She ended up swimming the width of the pool without any assistance. She giggled the whole time.
When I took her swimming today, I put the wings on her again and started to swim with her. She was out of control. I could hardly keep my hands on her when she was not wearing the wings because she was so excited about her new independence. Her legs are getting really, really strong from all this swimming.
Good job Daphne, not many 2 year olds are willing to swim unassisted in the pool!
Bone Man
We have yet another superhero to add to the collection. My hip has been bothering me during this pregnancy, and it's been hard for me to deal with sometimes. I decided to go to the chiropractor to get it fixed. The trip to the chiropractor became much more exciting today when her daddy pointed out that the chiropractor is really BONEMAN!
Yay for Originality
As Daphne becomes more and more adept at talking, she has been starting to originate things on her own. I still have to answer when people ask her her name, and I often put the idea in her head to go tell her daddy that she loves him.
She was sitting on my lap the other day while i was doing some boring work and she gave me a giant kiss and started playing with my hair. She looked at me and said, "You're gorgeous mama, just gorgeous." It's been a while since I recall saying that to her (I used to say it all the time), and it hit me completely from left field, but it made me smile.
Today, she was saying bye to her daddy so we could go swimming, she ran up and gave him a hug and a kiss and was running away. She took a pause in her run and said, "I love you daddy," before racing out the door.
She was sitting on my lap the other day while i was doing some boring work and she gave me a giant kiss and started playing with my hair. She looked at me and said, "You're gorgeous mama, just gorgeous." It's been a while since I recall saying that to her (I used to say it all the time), and it hit me completely from left field, but it made me smile.
Today, she was saying bye to her daddy so we could go swimming, she ran up and gave him a hug and a kiss and was running away. She took a pause in her run and said, "I love you daddy," before racing out the door.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Light Man
The electrician came last week and spent several hours at our house crawling in and around reinstalling circuits and generally making sure that we were not going to burn down the house. I know that plumbers make about 100 per hour. The Light Man was here for a good 4 hours, and Jared and I were cringing about what our bill would look like. It turns out that it was less than $200 for the work that was done. He did a fantastic job and we couldn't have been happier. What a relief to have that all sorted out.
By the way, we used Simpson Electic out of Mcminnville if you were in the market for a Light Man.
By the way, we used Simpson Electic out of Mcminnville if you were in the market for a Light Man.
Ugly Pants
I have been waiting for months and months to get done with some other sewing projects so that I could make some wool pants for my babies. I finally got the pattern this week, and I sat down to sew a pair of pants.
Needless to say, I must be out of practice on sewing clothing because I had a lot of difficulty. In the end, I got a pretty ugly pair of pants that I'm not sure what to do with. Of course I used my most expensive fabric to make the first pair of pants. I'm going to rip them out and try to start again somehow, but for now, I'm just too darn frustrated.
The point of buying the pattern was to allow for extra room in the bum for a cloth diaper. The photos of the pants online are really cute. I must have done something terribly wrong.
Though they look Ok from the front
They are just downright baggy in the back.
There is such a thing as too much room in the booty! I'm actually more concerned about the wrinkly, wavy pattern I'm getting in the fabric more than anything else. Time to save for another month or two before I get some more fabric to start again.
Needless to say, I must be out of practice on sewing clothing because I had a lot of difficulty. In the end, I got a pretty ugly pair of pants that I'm not sure what to do with. Of course I used my most expensive fabric to make the first pair of pants. I'm going to rip them out and try to start again somehow, but for now, I'm just too darn frustrated.
The point of buying the pattern was to allow for extra room in the bum for a cloth diaper. The photos of the pants online are really cute. I must have done something terribly wrong.
Though they look Ok from the front
They are just downright baggy in the back.
There is such a thing as too much room in the booty! I'm actually more concerned about the wrinkly, wavy pattern I'm getting in the fabric more than anything else. Time to save for another month or two before I get some more fabric to start again.
Daphne's Song
I got Jared a keyboard for Christmas so that he would be able to work on a lifelong dream of being able to play the piano. This has been a big hit with Daphne, and when she sees the keyboard she tries to play. It has an unfortunate side effect that when Jared tries to practice that he has a little girl in his lap wanting to learn also.
On her birthday, they were sitting together playing music, and Jared made up a song that he called Daphne's song. It goes:
Daphne's Song
Daphne's Song
Daphne is... (enter random things here, i.e two years old today, etc.)
Today, Daphne was singing to herself while she was playing and this was the song.
Daphne's Song
Daphne's Song
Daphne is so cool...yeah!
On her birthday, they were sitting together playing music, and Jared made up a song that he called Daphne's song. It goes:
Daphne's Song
Daphne's Song
Daphne is... (enter random things here, i.e two years old today, etc.)
Today, Daphne was singing to herself while she was playing and this was the song.
Daphne's Song
Daphne's Song
Daphne is so cool...yeah!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Where Were We?
I've been working on posting a lot more recently. Yesterday, however, I just totally missed out. Every time I sat down to write I was back up on my feet being taken somewhere interesting by a 2 year old just learning to discover life.
We spent a huge part of the getting the house clean. I've been on this organizing kick recently, and the house was getting a little out of control, so I spent a lot of time organizing the house. Hopefully, the result is that everything should now have a place where it belongs. If something is taken out, it should be able to be put back where it belongs without much fuss. That was a lot of the problem.
I have had a box that my mother-in-law brought up for me this Christmas from her mom's house. It was a set of bone china that was being passed on to us. I finally got it out of the box and got it cleaned up and put away. It is a beautiful complete set of 8 settings. I am so happy to own it.
The sun finally showed his face yesterday, so during the warmest part of the day (it got up to 57 degrees), I took Daphne and Flaff to the park. We spent a good hour and a half on the swings and going down the slide. I even got a phone call in to my grandma. It was so lovely to have nice weather outside and to be doing something fun with the baby and the dog.
In my own personal organizing kick, I got my inbox empty of random things. I had an hour of video of Daphne to process and put on DVD, so I managed to do that, which is lovely. I am now fully caught up on DVD/photo processing.
I even got a chance last night to transfer some music off my computer that has been waiting to be put on my MP3 player for over a year. Now all my music is where it belongs and it has been backed up!
I started to go through some old photos, and I realized that I have a lot of photos that have not been backed up, so I'm going to be spending a lot of time uploading old photos to my backup site. This might take longer than I was thinking it would. However, I will be so much more comfortable when everything is safely backed up and in a system that I can use.
When I got back home from the walk, Daphne and I made some mashed veggies and chicken rolls. After all that work, neither Jared or Daphne were hungry, and poultry is difficult for me to eat right now. No one was going to eat dinner, so I sat down and ate half a chicken roll myself just for good measure. Also, home made ice cream came up on a Facebook conversation, so I whipped up a batch of egg nog ice cream for fun. Ice cream has been a nice little treat for me before going to be recently (I know I'm bad).
It was a domestically boring day, with plenty of little exciting parts. It surely is becoming spring because I hear the bird migrating. Daphne dragged me out onto the porch yesterday when she heard a migration of Canadian Geese. She said, "mama, mama, I see birds." I had to go out and look for where the bird were with her. What a sweet little end to the day.
We spent a huge part of the getting the house clean. I've been on this organizing kick recently, and the house was getting a little out of control, so I spent a lot of time organizing the house. Hopefully, the result is that everything should now have a place where it belongs. If something is taken out, it should be able to be put back where it belongs without much fuss. That was a lot of the problem.
I have had a box that my mother-in-law brought up for me this Christmas from her mom's house. It was a set of bone china that was being passed on to us. I finally got it out of the box and got it cleaned up and put away. It is a beautiful complete set of 8 settings. I am so happy to own it.
The sun finally showed his face yesterday, so during the warmest part of the day (it got up to 57 degrees), I took Daphne and Flaff to the park. We spent a good hour and a half on the swings and going down the slide. I even got a phone call in to my grandma. It was so lovely to have nice weather outside and to be doing something fun with the baby and the dog.
In my own personal organizing kick, I got my inbox empty of random things. I had an hour of video of Daphne to process and put on DVD, so I managed to do that, which is lovely. I am now fully caught up on DVD/photo processing.
I even got a chance last night to transfer some music off my computer that has been waiting to be put on my MP3 player for over a year. Now all my music is where it belongs and it has been backed up!
I started to go through some old photos, and I realized that I have a lot of photos that have not been backed up, so I'm going to be spending a lot of time uploading old photos to my backup site. This might take longer than I was thinking it would. However, I will be so much more comfortable when everything is safely backed up and in a system that I can use.
When I got back home from the walk, Daphne and I made some mashed veggies and chicken rolls. After all that work, neither Jared or Daphne were hungry, and poultry is difficult for me to eat right now. No one was going to eat dinner, so I sat down and ate half a chicken roll myself just for good measure. Also, home made ice cream came up on a Facebook conversation, so I whipped up a batch of egg nog ice cream for fun. Ice cream has been a nice little treat for me before going to be recently (I know I'm bad).
It was a domestically boring day, with plenty of little exciting parts. It surely is becoming spring because I hear the bird migrating. Daphne dragged me out onto the porch yesterday when she heard a migration of Canadian Geese. She said, "mama, mama, I see birds." I had to go out and look for where the bird were with her. What a sweet little end to the day.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Dinner is a Failure
After Daphne's nap, I headed to the kitchen to get dinner started. We get our vegetables from a CSA, so we get and awful lot of veggies sometimes. It often is overwhelming because it is meant for a larger family, and there are only two of us that are eating large meals consistently. I have 3 weeks worth of vegetables that I needed to get cooking.
I was going to make chicken rolls, which is a really cool Rachel Ray recipe, but I was going to put rapini and mashed roots into it to use up some veggies. I was using some thigh meat from the chickens I butchered last year, but I had to debone them. I was not meant to be a butcher, nor was Jared, so getting meat off raw bone is not easy for either of us. When I finally got it off the bone, Jared showed up to grind it for me.
However, in my frustration of getting the meat off the bone I forgot I was sauting the rapini, and I ended up burning it to a crisp. Two weeks worth of rapini gone. I really wanted to try it too because I had never eaten it.
In my frustration over the rapini I threw out the chicken bones rather than put them in my boiling pot of chicken stock on the stove. That was very frustrating to me because I RAISED the chickens FROM SCRATCH, and the fact that I wasted a perfectly usable product that I had worked so hard for was upsetting.
I lost my will to cook after that. After all, the smoke detectors have already gone off twice since I started cooking, so Jared's reheating taco meat and making some taco shells so I can whine about it on my blog. Bad job Chris.
I was going to make chicken rolls, which is a really cool Rachel Ray recipe, but I was going to put rapini and mashed roots into it to use up some veggies. I was using some thigh meat from the chickens I butchered last year, but I had to debone them. I was not meant to be a butcher, nor was Jared, so getting meat off raw bone is not easy for either of us. When I finally got it off the bone, Jared showed up to grind it for me.
However, in my frustration of getting the meat off the bone I forgot I was sauting the rapini, and I ended up burning it to a crisp. Two weeks worth of rapini gone. I really wanted to try it too because I had never eaten it.
In my frustration over the rapini I threw out the chicken bones rather than put them in my boiling pot of chicken stock on the stove. That was very frustrating to me because I RAISED the chickens FROM SCRATCH, and the fact that I wasted a perfectly usable product that I had worked so hard for was upsetting.
I lost my will to cook after that. After all, the smoke detectors have already gone off twice since I started cooking, so Jared's reheating taco meat and making some taco shells so I can whine about it on my blog. Bad job Chris.
Photos all Backed up
After working on it for three days straight, I've finally got all my photos backed up online! It is a complete relief to have the photos up there because now I know that they are in a safe place should something ever happen to both of the hard drives they are stored on now.
Now I've just got to get the other files on my computer backed up, but that's not going to be a problem at all, it's less than 1 gig of stuff.
Now I've just got to get the other files on my computer backed up, but that's not going to be a problem at all, it's less than 1 gig of stuff.
Baby Blankets Complete!
Before the winter started I decided that I was going to sew my way through the winter making baby things. You've seen many of the photos that I've posted of the various creations, and sometimes, I have a hard time thinking that this baby could need ANYTHING ELSE.
Truth be told, many of the swaddling blankets that I have from Daphne are just too darn small to swaddle a baby that is any older than a few weeks old. I did some research online, and I decided to make some blankets that were 36" by 45". I went to the fabric store and found two flannel prints that I liked that had animals on them and were unisex. I then bought a ton of muslin.
I made a blanket with each of the flannel prints backed with muslin. They came out REALLY well. I then made a blanket out of 100% muslin. I also have my 100% wool blanket.
I like my fabric choices because this baby is going to born in the summer, so it is going to be hot, but swaddling is comfortable for them. The muslin is very light, so it won't be too hot. Additionally, the wool blanket will be fantastic for the summer as well because wool insulates against heat the same way it insulates against cold.
Just one more step on my baby sewing project that is complete. What a relief!
Truth be told, many of the swaddling blankets that I have from Daphne are just too darn small to swaddle a baby that is any older than a few weeks old. I did some research online, and I decided to make some blankets that were 36" by 45". I went to the fabric store and found two flannel prints that I liked that had animals on them and were unisex. I then bought a ton of muslin.
I made a blanket with each of the flannel prints backed with muslin. They came out REALLY well. I then made a blanket out of 100% muslin. I also have my 100% wool blanket.
I like my fabric choices because this baby is going to born in the summer, so it is going to be hot, but swaddling is comfortable for them. The muslin is very light, so it won't be too hot. Additionally, the wool blanket will be fantastic for the summer as well because wool insulates against heat the same way it insulates against cold.
Just one more step on my baby sewing project that is complete. What a relief!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Ready for a Fire?
On Friday, our dishwasher completely died, and we were having some other electrical problems in the house, so we waited out the weekend and I called an electrician on Monday.
It turns out that the circuit that runs many things in the kitchen had failed. The electrician couldn't find the wiring for it, so he had to set up an entirely new circuit. While in the process, he discovered that our other electrical problems were due to the fact that some rats, yes RATS had chewed through the insulation of wires and they were sparking and running hot under our house. That's a pretty scary thought, and considering the fact that I've been on a kick to get things organized and sorted out, it made me even more resolute in my decision to get a few things done.
I need to finish uploading all of my photos to an off source site. This is taking forever, but I will sleep so much better when this is done.
I then need to take our video camera around the house and document all of the things that we have. I went over our insurance policy lately to make sure that we had enough coverage. My insurance agent reminded me that even though we have the coverage, we will not be reimbursed for personal property unless we have a way to prove what we own. This is now on the top of my list of things to do.
As soon as my house is clean again I am going to go through our entire house and document our belongings to make sure that we would not be at a total loss if there were a fire. It's better to spend the time to be prepared and never need it than to lose everything.
It turns out that the circuit that runs many things in the kitchen had failed. The electrician couldn't find the wiring for it, so he had to set up an entirely new circuit. While in the process, he discovered that our other electrical problems were due to the fact that some rats, yes RATS had chewed through the insulation of wires and they were sparking and running hot under our house. That's a pretty scary thought, and considering the fact that I've been on a kick to get things organized and sorted out, it made me even more resolute in my decision to get a few things done.
I need to finish uploading all of my photos to an off source site. This is taking forever, but I will sleep so much better when this is done.
I then need to take our video camera around the house and document all of the things that we have. I went over our insurance policy lately to make sure that we had enough coverage. My insurance agent reminded me that even though we have the coverage, we will not be reimbursed for personal property unless we have a way to prove what we own. This is now on the top of my list of things to do.
As soon as my house is clean again I am going to go through our entire house and document our belongings to make sure that we would not be at a total loss if there were a fire. It's better to spend the time to be prepared and never need it than to lose everything.
Graduation With Honors
One thing that was recently called to my attention that I think is pretty cool is that I will actually be graduating with honors from PSU.
Though I'm not going to attend the graduation because it will be a 3 hour ceremony when I am 8 months pregnant, it is satisfying to know that I would be seated in the section with other honors students.
So, I will be graduating from PSU with Magna Cum Laude Honors! Go me!
Though I'm not going to attend the graduation because it will be a 3 hour ceremony when I am 8 months pregnant, it is satisfying to know that I would be seated in the section with other honors students.
So, I will be graduating from PSU with Magna Cum Laude Honors! Go me!
Organizing Life
Everyone had random things in life that need to be handled so that they can be COMPLETELY organized. I have a few things kicking around myself. I have been putting of several big projects that need to get done while I do school and make diapers and do other random things.
However, I was inspired yesterday after cleaning off my desk and actually knowing what the top of my desk looks like. My in-box only has a few small things in it that I am slowly drawing to a completion.
One big project I took on a LONG time ago was to transfer our family photos from VHS to DVD. I got most of the transferring done, but Jared let Daphne play with the DVD's and the labels on them and when I realized that I was going to have to do a lot of work to get it sorted out, I kind of gave up. I have a renewed energy to sort them out and finish the transfers.
Additionally, I decided to make a backup of my computer. This is a pretty huge feat considering that I have a lot of personal photos and videos I'd rather not lose. I was talking to Jared and we agreed that if I were to lose everything we owned, recovering the family photos would be vital. Of course I have a system set up for client work, but I'm working on a system now for the family photos.
The problem is, that I needed an off-site back up so that if there ever was a fire, the data is safe. Thankfully, I already have unlimited online photo storage. The problem now is that there is 50 gigs worth of data to back up, so I'm uploading the photos slowly, slowly. It feels so good to know that the photos will have a safe back-up, but it's a project I will be steadily working on for the next week or so.
All things considered, I already feel MUCH more sane though.
However, I was inspired yesterday after cleaning off my desk and actually knowing what the top of my desk looks like. My in-box only has a few small things in it that I am slowly drawing to a completion.
One big project I took on a LONG time ago was to transfer our family photos from VHS to DVD. I got most of the transferring done, but Jared let Daphne play with the DVD's and the labels on them and when I realized that I was going to have to do a lot of work to get it sorted out, I kind of gave up. I have a renewed energy to sort them out and finish the transfers.
Additionally, I decided to make a backup of my computer. This is a pretty huge feat considering that I have a lot of personal photos and videos I'd rather not lose. I was talking to Jared and we agreed that if I were to lose everything we owned, recovering the family photos would be vital. Of course I have a system set up for client work, but I'm working on a system now for the family photos.
The problem is, that I needed an off-site back up so that if there ever was a fire, the data is safe. Thankfully, I already have unlimited online photo storage. The problem now is that there is 50 gigs worth of data to back up, so I'm uploading the photos slowly, slowly. It feels so good to know that the photos will have a safe back-up, but it's a project I will be steadily working on for the next week or so.
All things considered, I already feel MUCH more sane though.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Celebrate with Books
We go to the library every week, and I usually stop into the community information center to see what is going on.
I saw a flier there that I thought was really interesting. It is something that promotes celebrating special occasions with donations of books to the library.
You can donate a specific amount of money to the library so that they can buy a book on their wish list. You can buy it in honor of a birthday, a gradation, father's day, an anniversary, anything. They put your name and the name of the benefactor in the book, and then they send a card to the benefactor.
It's a cool way to give something to someone who already has everything and to increase the resources available in the public library.
I saw a flier there that I thought was really interesting. It is something that promotes celebrating special occasions with donations of books to the library.
You can donate a specific amount of money to the library so that they can buy a book on their wish list. You can buy it in honor of a birthday, a gradation, father's day, an anniversary, anything. They put your name and the name of the benefactor in the book, and then they send a card to the benefactor.
It's a cool way to give something to someone who already has everything and to increase the resources available in the public library.
Professional Workers as Superheroes
I've posted before about how Daphne admires the Garbageman, and she waits at the window every Tuesday morning for him to come pick up the garbage on our street.
While we were on vacation, we watched Wall-E, and the movie was not cool to Daphne until I referred to Wall-E as a garbage man. She spent the rest of the movie inquiring what the garbageman was doing. In the eyes of a 2 year old, being a garbage man is a fantastic profession.
We've been having some problems with our electricity, so we had to call an electrician out to sort it out. I told her that the Lightman was coming to fix our problems. The entire time he has been here she has been asking about the every move of the Lightman.
Jared and I were talking about the roles of professionals as superheroes in the eyes of a 2 year old. Everyone is a superhero if you can add -man to the end of their name. Suddenly a plumber becomes Waterman and daddy is the Comptuerman.
What is your superhero distinction? You might have a 2 year old batting her long lashes in your direction.
While we were on vacation, we watched Wall-E, and the movie was not cool to Daphne until I referred to Wall-E as a garbage man. She spent the rest of the movie inquiring what the garbageman was doing. In the eyes of a 2 year old, being a garbage man is a fantastic profession.
We've been having some problems with our electricity, so we had to call an electrician out to sort it out. I told her that the Lightman was coming to fix our problems. The entire time he has been here she has been asking about the every move of the Lightman.
Jared and I were talking about the roles of professionals as superheroes in the eyes of a 2 year old. Everyone is a superhero if you can add -man to the end of their name. Suddenly a plumber becomes Waterman and daddy is the Comptuerman.
What is your superhero distinction? You might have a 2 year old batting her long lashes in your direction.
Scotty's Playplace
We had a little party for Daphne's birthday on Saturday. We had brunch with a lot of her friends and then the parents with kids headed out to Scotty's to play. Daphne had a total blast.
Satori's beautiful face.
Daphne playing with Copper in the playhouse.
Daphne learned to go head first down the slide, and it is absolutely hilarious to watch.
I love what this photo depicts.
Satori's beautiful face.
Daphne playing with Copper in the playhouse.
Daphne learned to go head first down the slide, and it is absolutely hilarious to watch.
I love what this photo depicts.
Bubbles!
Since Daphne is so interested in bubbles, I decided to soap up her bathtub on Saturday morning. She adored it!
Gotta love the tongue.
Again with the tongue.
Gotta love the tongue.
Again with the tongue.
Ya Ya Party
Daphne's ya ya came over on her birthday to give her a few presents. I was out at my knitting circle, but here are some photos from the event.
Bubbles are always a fun activity.
Playmobil HORSES!
Bubbles are always a fun activity.
Playmobil HORSES!
Balloon
Daphne was fascinated with how I was able to blow up the balloons for her birthday. She's been working on this yellow balloon since Thursday.
Birthday Cake
I made Daphne a birthday cake for her birthday. I tried making an Angel Food Cake, and it was very simple. It smelled wonderful. Ironically, we still have not found a time to dig in to it and eat some. Perhaps today will be the day.
Blowing out the "fires"
The super excited face because she gets to blow out the fires.
Blowing out the "fires"
The super excited face because she gets to blow out the fires.
Stick Horse
We decided to get Daphne one large present and one small present for her birthday this year. I thought long and hard about what to get her for a long time. She recently took to riding the broom around the house telling me that it was her stick horse. I then saw a stick horse pattern in the local sewing store. It seemed a bit beyond me, so I got Daphne a stick horse off Etsy. It arrived the day before her birthday and she opened it the morning of her birthday.
As you can see, she took right to it.
There she goes! I said that a few times and now when she rides the stick horse I am required to say, "There she goes" and then "Here she comes" when she returns. I love how Patty is FLYING along behind.
She SO loves her stick horse.
Checkin' him out!
As you can see, she took right to it.
There she goes! I said that a few times and now when she rides the stick horse I am required to say, "There she goes" and then "Here she comes" when she returns. I love how Patty is FLYING along behind.
She SO loves her stick horse.
Checkin' him out!
Popsicle
Daphne loves her Popsicles, so when she does not pee in her diaper at night I let her have one or part of one after dinner. Here she is LOVING her Popsicle.
She was snowing me all her pretty teeth, she has 16 now.
Could any baby be happier about eating frozen fruit?
She was snowing me all her pretty teeth, she has 16 now.
Could any baby be happier about eating frozen fruit?
Hey Mr. Groundhog
I must say that I'm very disappointed in the performance of the Groundhog this year. In fact, I read during Groundhog's day that he is only about 30% accurate which means that if you were to assume the weather is going to be opposite what he says, you have a better chance at reality.
The fact is, when he said 6 more weeks of winter, I wasn't so sad. I have an awful lot of sewing to get done and I was buried in schoolwork to boot, so I didn't really mind the prescription to stay inside for another 6 weeks.
The truth is that I'm done with the winter. The weather is completely driving me crazy and I don't like the cold. The fact that I am pregnant does not help my case either because it makes me even more antsy about getting the winter done with. After all, I am due in the summer and it's never going to get here if it keeps on SNOWING.
We woke up yesterday with a dusting of snow on everything. I was sure that was the last snow that I would see, but we had another dusting this morning.
I was sitting down with Daphne to process some photos to get up on the blog this morning and Daphne implored me to look outside. "Snow mama, SNOW." I ignored the comment wrapped up in what I was doing. After she forcibly turned my head I discovered that it was in fact full on snowing outside.
So, Mr. Groundhog, I'm almost done with all my sewing and my schoolwork is completed, I'm officially requesting 60 degree days. Thank you for your kind consideration of my request.
The fact is, when he said 6 more weeks of winter, I wasn't so sad. I have an awful lot of sewing to get done and I was buried in schoolwork to boot, so I didn't really mind the prescription to stay inside for another 6 weeks.
The truth is that I'm done with the winter. The weather is completely driving me crazy and I don't like the cold. The fact that I am pregnant does not help my case either because it makes me even more antsy about getting the winter done with. After all, I am due in the summer and it's never going to get here if it keeps on SNOWING.
We woke up yesterday with a dusting of snow on everything. I was sure that was the last snow that I would see, but we had another dusting this morning.
I was sitting down with Daphne to process some photos to get up on the blog this morning and Daphne implored me to look outside. "Snow mama, SNOW." I ignored the comment wrapped up in what I was doing. After she forcibly turned my head I discovered that it was in fact full on snowing outside.
So, Mr. Groundhog, I'm almost done with all my sewing and my schoolwork is completed, I'm officially requesting 60 degree days. Thank you for your kind consideration of my request.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Last Final Completed!
I just finished my last final for my classes. I went into the weekend thinking that it would be nice to get everything done my Sunday night but not actually thinking that it would get done.
Daphne blessed me with a very long nap today so that I could write my English paper, which I am happy to be done with, and posted about earlier.
After dinner, Jared took Daphne to bed and allowed me to work on my last final. It was a timed paper of about 2500 words about various aspects of the American Vice Presidency. It was a challenging paper, but overall, something very satisfying to complete.
This officially means that I've done all the work needed to get an A in my classes. I've turned in all the work that is necessary for school at this point except a few small discussions this week. The discussions are incredibly simple and can be done one handed with a wiggly baby on my lap demanding that I feed her granola and yogurt. I can safely say that I'm free from school.
I'm going to hold of announcing that I'm a college graduate until I get a letter to that effect. The diploma takes about 3 months to get in the mail. Nevertheless, I am excited that I actually made it to this point in my school career, and I am proud!
I'm headed to bed to watch trashy TV and eat coffee ice cream. I deserve it.
Daphne blessed me with a very long nap today so that I could write my English paper, which I am happy to be done with, and posted about earlier.
After dinner, Jared took Daphne to bed and allowed me to work on my last final. It was a timed paper of about 2500 words about various aspects of the American Vice Presidency. It was a challenging paper, but overall, something very satisfying to complete.
This officially means that I've done all the work needed to get an A in my classes. I've turned in all the work that is necessary for school at this point except a few small discussions this week. The discussions are incredibly simple and can be done one handed with a wiggly baby on my lap demanding that I feed her granola and yogurt. I can safely say that I'm free from school.
I'm going to hold of announcing that I'm a college graduate until I get a letter to that effect. The diploma takes about 3 months to get in the mail. Nevertheless, I am excited that I actually made it to this point in my school career, and I am proud!
I'm headed to bed to watch trashy TV and eat coffee ice cream. I deserve it.
Writing
I was telling Jared yesterday that I am very proud of my education and the fact that I will soon be a college graduate.
One skill that I really have down pat is the ability to write. One of my finals that I need to get done is a 5-7 page paper analyzing film in one regard or another. Though I've had an idea for the paper for the past 10 weeks, I was still feeling a little nervous about writing it. I decided that I was going to get all of my finals done today, so as I put Daphne down for a nap, I sat down to pound out 2000 words on the various aspects of the American family and its portrayal in film.
Surprisingly, before Daphne even woke up, I had the 2000 words done, put in perfect MLA format with all works cited. Now all that remains is a quick proof and a submission.
Not only does this mean that I totally adore the ability to pound out 2000 words on any given subject, it means I'm only another 2000 words away from being a college graduate!
One skill that I really have down pat is the ability to write. One of my finals that I need to get done is a 5-7 page paper analyzing film in one regard or another. Though I've had an idea for the paper for the past 10 weeks, I was still feeling a little nervous about writing it. I decided that I was going to get all of my finals done today, so as I put Daphne down for a nap, I sat down to pound out 2000 words on the various aspects of the American family and its portrayal in film.
Surprisingly, before Daphne even woke up, I had the 2000 words done, put in perfect MLA format with all works cited. Now all that remains is a quick proof and a submission.
Not only does this mean that I totally adore the ability to pound out 2000 words on any given subject, it means I'm only another 2000 words away from being a college graduate!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
One Class Completed!
I've been complaining on here a lot about the various college things I've been going through.
I am currently taking 12 credits, which is 3 classes at PSU. We are drawing very near to the end of the term, and I have been posting here updates here and there.
I'm drawing to a close on all my classes.
The only thing that remains in my Political Science class is the final. I am working to get the professor to open up the final to me so that I can take it and be done.
I have to complete a 5 page paper that I have been working on, and that is all that remains in my English class.
As of now, I have completed all of the requirements for my last class (Women/Queer Studies), and I am guaranteed an A in the class.
Just a few simple steps and I will be a college graduate. Who wudda thunk?
I am currently taking 12 credits, which is 3 classes at PSU. We are drawing very near to the end of the term, and I have been posting here updates here and there.
I'm drawing to a close on all my classes.
The only thing that remains in my Political Science class is the final. I am working to get the professor to open up the final to me so that I can take it and be done.
I have to complete a 5 page paper that I have been working on, and that is all that remains in my English class.
As of now, I have completed all of the requirements for my last class (Women/Queer Studies), and I am guaranteed an A in the class.
Just a few simple steps and I will be a college graduate. Who wudda thunk?
Friday, March 06, 2009
Taco Moon
Jared was reading a book to Daphne last night with shapes in it. There was a picture of the moon as a crescent. When he asked Daphne what it was she said "taco". I guess she knows her food.
Birth Time
Of course, Daphne's birthday is on the 5th of March, and I've found that for the 2nd year in a row it gets me thinking a lot about the whole birth experience.
Last year, Jared was in the hospital up at OHSU during the first part of March, so I spent the entire time driving back and forth to the hospital. It really got me thinking a lot, feeling pretty sad about the entire experience. After all, I had planned for the perfect storybook birth and ended up with the short end of the stick.
This year is a little different. Now, I'm facing being 6 months pregnant, and while thinking about the birth that was, I have to face my future birth plans. I'm working so hard for a VBAC, and though I'm very confident that it will happen, I've got a creeping fear that I will end up with another c-section. Either way, I'm excited to add another member to our family, especially if we will have half as much fun as Daphne and I are having.
Last year, Jared was in the hospital up at OHSU during the first part of March, so I spent the entire time driving back and forth to the hospital. It really got me thinking a lot, feeling pretty sad about the entire experience. After all, I had planned for the perfect storybook birth and ended up with the short end of the stick.
This year is a little different. Now, I'm facing being 6 months pregnant, and while thinking about the birth that was, I have to face my future birth plans. I'm working so hard for a VBAC, and though I'm very confident that it will happen, I've got a creeping fear that I will end up with another c-section. Either way, I'm excited to add another member to our family, especially if we will have half as much fun as Daphne and I are having.
Happy 2nd Birthday Daphne Elle!
Happy 2nd Birthday Daphne Elle! Yesterday was Daphne’s 2nd birthday. I knew that it was coming up, but it kind of sneaked up on me, and I couldn’t believe that it was already here.
We spent the day together hanging out, and it was simple and nice. We went to story time in the morning and played music, listened to stories and played with bubbles. When we got home, Daphne took a nap and then we got to work making dinner. We had lobster tails, twice baked potatoes, green bean casserole, angel food cake and coffee ice cream. It was nice.
We gave Daphne a stick horse for her birthday. She truly loved it and spent the entire day running around the house feeding pretend grass to her new friend. It was a nice, calm, perfect day.
Mostly, I want to make sure that Daphne knows I wish her a super happy birthday.
We spent the day together hanging out, and it was simple and nice. We went to story time in the morning and played music, listened to stories and played with bubbles. When we got home, Daphne took a nap and then we got to work making dinner. We had lobster tails, twice baked potatoes, green bean casserole, angel food cake and coffee ice cream. It was nice.
We gave Daphne a stick horse for her birthday. She truly loved it and spent the entire day running around the house feeding pretend grass to her new friend. It was a nice, calm, perfect day.
Mostly, I want to make sure that Daphne knows I wish her a super happy birthday.
Coffee Ice Cream
I created a recipe for coffee ice cream that has turned out to be incredibly fantastic. Here it is:
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups cream
4 tablespoons instant espresso
In a stand mixer, beat together the eggs and the sugar until the eggs lighten in color, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the milk and the cream slowly and whip to combine. Add in the instant espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.
Turn in an ice cream maker until set and then refrigerate for 2 hours to allow to harden. ENJOY!
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups cream
4 tablespoons instant espresso
In a stand mixer, beat together the eggs and the sugar until the eggs lighten in color, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the milk and the cream slowly and whip to combine. Add in the instant espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.
Turn in an ice cream maker until set and then refrigerate for 2 hours to allow to harden. ENJOY!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Back in Shape
The more pregnant I get, the sicker I get and the less nutrition I get, the more I feel like my body is falling apart. I've always been an incredibly athletic person, and the last 2 years have really shown a decline.
I was in tears yesterday at the grocery store as I looked at all the food around me that I was completely unable to eat myself. I feel like my diet has more orange juice and potato chips than any American should have access to.
I AM starting to turn it around and when I don't vomit up food that is better for me, I try to eat it.
Last night, I decided to get back to running as well. I've been running off and on but it seemed to make me feel more sick. After a nice long run last night, I actually feel decent today. I did yoga after I ran and it was a TREAT. I never would have thought.
So I'm back to running and yoga! Hooray!
I was in tears yesterday at the grocery store as I looked at all the food around me that I was completely unable to eat myself. I feel like my diet has more orange juice and potato chips than any American should have access to.
I AM starting to turn it around and when I don't vomit up food that is better for me, I try to eat it.
Last night, I decided to get back to running as well. I've been running off and on but it seemed to make me feel more sick. After a nice long run last night, I actually feel decent today. I did yoga after I ran and it was a TREAT. I never would have thought.
So I'm back to running and yoga! Hooray!
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Carrot Eater
We have a share with our local CSA where we get fresh vegetables every week from their farm. www.oakhillorganics.org
They have carrots almost every week, so while I pick up, Daphne gets a carrot and munches on it the entire way home. Here Daphne is eating her weekly carrot. She clearly loves it!
They have carrots almost every week, so while I pick up, Daphne gets a carrot and munches on it the entire way home. Here Daphne is eating her weekly carrot. She clearly loves it!
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss
Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday, and the library was celebrating. We decided to head out for the party.
They had story time, cake and games. It was all a little over Daphne's head, but I like taking her out and doing things with her.
They had story time, cake and games. It was all a little over Daphne's head, but I like taking her out and doing things with her.
For Sale: 1 Baby
I've decided to sell my baby.
She is almost 2 years old, like new condition though there are a few scars and bruises from run ins with furniture.
She comes with home made accessories: 2 tu tus, 9 skirts and countless diapers. Good luck trying to clothe her. Good with most animals.
Does anyone really know what they are getting into when they have a toddler?
She is almost 2 years old, like new condition though there are a few scars and bruises from run ins with furniture.
She comes with home made accessories: 2 tu tus, 9 skirts and countless diapers. Good luck trying to clothe her. Good with most animals.
Does anyone really know what they are getting into when they have a toddler?
Zorba
This is GMV Zorba (yes I picked the name). He is 65% German Angora 35% French Angora. I think the perfect mix is about 75%, but I wanted some color in my stock. The color comes from the French Angora sides because the Germans are usually white or black (they are a fairly new breed). He is a torte, and he is beautiful. Though he is not really friendly when I go to feed him, he sat for me perfectly through a pretty intense grooming. He didn't try to bite or scratch as all, I've never seen such calm love in a bunny. In fact, he was so sweet that Daphne got to hold him for me quite a bit, and she did a great job. She even carried him in to her daddy so he could see the grooming job we did.
Bunny Grooming
I got some new rabbits about a month ago to replace the incredible loss that I had this winter with my German Angoras.
When I got them, two of them were very matted up, and needed a lot of care. I finally got a livestock blower and got to work. It was sunny and 60 yesterday so we took the buns out on the porch and I started grooming. Turns out we only got one done because I had plenty of help.
When I got them, two of them were very matted up, and needed a lot of care. I finally got a livestock blower and got to work. It was sunny and 60 yesterday so we took the buns out on the porch and I started grooming. Turns out we only got one done because I had plenty of help.
Swinging
We found a swing set on the beach, and Daphne insisted we stop to play. I decided to try to take some fun photos.
A rare photo of daddy swinging.
Love the look in this one.
My absolute favorite of the set!
Giant monster swinging baby.
A rare photo of daddy swinging.
Love the look in this one.
My absolute favorite of the set!
Giant monster swinging baby.
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