For All My Fellow Bloggers Out There

This posting is a public service announcement.

Ironically, this image is so prevalent
on the web, I can't offer an attribution.

As part of my day job, I manage a professional blog with a large readership. Mostly, I delete the spam comments and forward on the real ones to the author.

Well today, I found a doozy of a spam comment waiting in the Pending folder. We all know that spammer have scripts they use to copy/paste into the box, right? Well, someone appears to have copy/pasted every fake message they have in their pre-written file, and Here it is. If you ever see any of these comments on your blog, and you're not sure if they're legit, you now know they are Definitely Spam!

Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google,
and found that it's really informative. I am gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!  (CLICK TO SEE MUCH, MUCH MORE.)

Lea Quotes, March 2012 (Hardly anything, but I tried!)

No Mommy, it's not Daddy's
hat. It's My Hat!

I'm a Mom. I'm on the Internet a lot. I am addicted to Facebook and Blogger. I love Twitter, Pinterest, Photobucket, and 15 thousand other social media widgets. I don't want to be one of those parents... and yet, I soooooo Do. Want. In the interest of meeting both criteria, I present this collection of anecdotes and quotes, saved up and presented on a monthly basis. Your newsfeed/timeline can thank me later.

Couponing: The Eighth Deadly Temptation

You are the Devil, I say!!! Because I want you sooo much.

Logging in. Email comes up... scan the subject lines. Here's one from Eversave -- new coupons are available! Oh maybe, just maybe, this once there will be something really good I can use...

Mmm.... Any flavor International Delight® Iced Coffee.  Oh, God, I wish!

Yes indeed, Couponing is the Eighth Deadly Temptation.

Finally, A Place To Relax

Stars! No, they do not
glow in the dark - those
are in the kid's room.

One of a bedroom's primary functions, in my mind, is to provide a comfortable space in which to get away from the rest of your daily life and relax. Finally, finally I've been able to whip our bedroom into shape. It's been over a year, and for the first time, the E.P. and I truly enjoy the aesthetic of our room! It may sound over-dramatic, but it's been a long road to get to this.

We  moved into our apartment a little over a year ago. It was a big change for the family -- but particularly for The E.P. and I. While we spent our first couple years together in a studio apartment, it was a large one and we had plenty of space. Our second apartment had a decently sized bedroom, which fit all our furniture. Next we had a spacious house. Our new baby's bedroom was large and airy and a great place for her to grow.

With Children Comes Never-ending Change.... Some Spreading to This Blog

Times... they are a-changin'. And believe it or not, I will soon be utilizing this blog more smartly.... that is to say, differently.

My editorial staff, hard at work

You see, I love to write. More importantly, I love to write about myself. ("Narcissist much?" Yes.) Back before I had kids and had a bit more time on my hands, my current conglomeration of blogs and socially networked memberships worked well for me. I organized my blogs, Twitter and Facebook to kinda, sorta work in conjunction, for my own benefit and that of those who wanted to keep up with some aspects of my life, but not others. And it worked.... kinda.

Today I begin to restructure my personal "brand", as it were, here on the Interwebs. Changes, they are a-comin' - changes that may effect this particular url. Currently, I plan to keep this blog (I love SunnyPup! I am SunnyPup!) but will change the content I post here. This will remain, as it currently is, the "family" blog -- my primary place to share essays about being a Mom, and other mundane snippets of daily life.

In the meantime... I have years worth of stories in my brain that have never made it to this page. Yikes!

*wink!*

CANDEH CANDEH CANDEH CANDEH yum!

What Halloween teaches 2-yr-olds

HAPPY DAY-AFTER HALLOWEEN!


What a fabulous year for Halloween and dress up for our family. It wasn't easy to make it all work, but work it did -- and Lea sure learned how to work-it!

Work-It Baby! -- She learned that she's gorgeous in a dirndl. She learned that she only wants THOSE SHOES when she wears it. She learned that the unusual feeling of the felt of her cape isn't really "Yucky!" but it's just how it feels, and it's FUN!

(I'm so glad she got over the "yucky!" felt thing. My Mom slaved over that cape on one recent Saturday, and it seemed for a while that she wasn't going to wear it.)

Work-It Kid! -- She learned that if she behaves, doesn't throw fits, and is even helpful, she will generally get what she wants. So when she can't have a treat until after dinner, she pronounces that she's "All done!", calmly marches to the trash can with her dinner plate, and tries to empty it out and put the plate in the sink. Of course, she's hardly eaten anything on her plate, but she's trying so hard to get candy for dinner and she's doing all the right things. While we as parents are struggling to get protein and nourishment into her system, at least she's not screaming about it constantly. She's workin' it!


Work-It Girl! -- This child learns fast. She recognized that, even if she can't think fast enough to say "Trick or Treat!" or "Thank you!" on cue, all she has to do is stand there and look cute and people give her candy.

After she received her first trick-or-Treat, she abandoned the sidewalk - she tromped through the yard as quickly as possible to the next front door. She was in like Flynn and knew it!

She had her eye on her candy stash at all times. Every moment, she knew how much was in her bucket or bag, where they were, she checked on them, she practically hoarded them until we were safely home. It was her carefully guarded treasure, and in her mind she'd counted every piece and every piece counted.

Later in the evening at home, when she found an empty wrapper in the bucket, she immediately brought it to me. "What's dis, Mommy?" she sweetly asked, but as her Mom, I could hear the worry in her words. It was the wrapper from the one piece we let her have while at the local Halloween parade. I explained that, she got it, inquisition over. (Whew!)

Even later in the evening, we promised her she could have one more treat after she finished her milk. (Finishing her milk also means "Time for teeth" which means bedtime.) She dawdled, she tried to dilly-dally into staying up later, ran around like a psychopath (i.e. toddler on a sugar-high) and tried to extend her evening playtime, tried to ignore her milk, tried to pretend she'd already finished it. By the time she got around to preparing for bed, The E.P. had forgotten about the promise (or perhaps hoped that she'd forgotten!) Lo and behold, Lea began to freak out on him, sobbing, not allowing her diaper to be changed or her teeth to be cleaned. Her speech was garbled through her tears. But I knew what she was trying to say.

"Treat!"

So The E.P. got her one little crunch bar, and she cherished every bite, and then she was fine and went to bed without further complaint.

The girl remembers everything and wants what's hers.

Work-It for All It's Worth! -- Before I got Lea up this morning, I made sure to hide the candy. Because Lord Knows there'd be no eating breakfast if her bucket was visible. It was not easy to find a spot in our small apartment where she can't find it either on her own, or while watching us prepare meals in the kitchen.

She's been up all of 10 minutes before she was in Daddy's arms, eyes scouring the kitchen, asking "Wuck-ed! Wuck-ed?!" Her bucket was safely hidden and, being a reasonable child, she listened when we explained that the treats are "a sometimes food" and she would see them again.

My gratitude for this morning scene is boundless.

Work-It Momma -- We had a fabulous time, walked 3-4 miles through the neighborhood including going to the parade, and I'm so proud of Lea for how brave she was and how fast she comprehended what was happening in the moment.

And yet... I'm a bit shocked on how quickly she absorbed the "candy candy MINE MINE!" attitude of so many children on Halloween. Was it the big kids diving in front of her to pick up the candy thrown from floats (like a children's Mardi-Gras?!) Was it me? It is just human nature to go nuts when you realize someone will give you something for nothing (as long as you show up and look cute)?

Hmm....  Food for thought before next year's adventure. Food... candy candy candy candy......

The Terrible Twos

My daughter is driving me insane.

INSANE!

Sigh. We've reached a milestone in her development, which we always knew would come: The Year of Great Annoyance. Since she turned 2 about 6 weeks ago, she's progressively grown more demanding. If it weren't common knowledge that all toddlers go through this, and that she will grow out of it... well, I have no idea what we'd do. Seek professional help for our sanities?

We'd finally gotten to a place where I could get some things done at home while she played and did her own thing partially-supervised. Now however, unless Caillou is on, she will not. leave. us. alone! Not for five minutes! Once or twice I've sucuumbed to letting her paper the place with Sponge-Bob stickers just so I could get a little time to finish a project. Fortunately, she likes to un-stick what she's stuck to things. But I fear that the un-sticking-and-balling-up-for-easy-vacuuming is a fad whose time is soon at an end.

Suggestions? Offers to come babysit while The E.P. and I run screaming into the night for 20 minutes of sane-making time?

(Caillou is on as I type this, or else, these words would never see the screen.)

Changing Directions

I'm starting to type this post just as a cat purports to settle into my lap, and a 25 month-old wakes up and waltzes out of her room, ready to take on the afternoon. Let's see how far I get. ;)

Hurray for the Fall!  It's been a hell of a summer and I am so glad to see it end. Suffice to say it was super-stressful, but the worst parts are over.* Now we're in a transition period, as we remember what life was life before it became so busy -- and as we find new paths for using our talents or handling long-standing issues.

One thing is certain: I have got to bring home some more money! I Love my job. I love my boss, I love the work I'm supporting, I think it's important to get this work out into the world. That said, I do not intend to leave my current part-time position, despite our growing need for additional income.

That leaves me with finding a secondary source of income that isn't stressful or requiring of an upfront investment of some kind. I have nothing of value left to sell (and those items that I do have aren't moving in this economy regardless.) Also, minimum-wage jobs are not an option -- what little is left of my time to "give" to a job is more valuable than that. I could write and love the work... but the starting income is eq*uivalent to about $3 an hour.* Been there, done that, I need faster results!

Then, last night, as I lay in bed thinking, it occurred to me: I have one asset that I can give and give and give from without losing any inventory. One lasting resource that people have told me they would pay for: my voice.

Now, I can't play any instruments while singing - not well, anyway. It's not for trying/practice, it's just how I am.  So I need an accompanist, or backing tracks, or something. Or I need to sign up with a local talent agency and let them work on my behalf. I used to avoid doing that in part on the basis of my looks (hefty) - but last year in Ikea at Christmastime, I saw a man and a woman perform, and she was every bit as big as me and not nearly as good. And I thought, "I can do that!"

Christmastime is the primary gig time for musicians like me. How do I get started around here with something like that? Where do I find an accompanist willing to work for half of whatever gets tossed in our hats? I know some GREAT musicians around here, but none of them are right for this job - they are either soloists in their own right (and I'd be backup for them) or they're too busy with other things. I don't want to be backup. Give me the dang mic.

* denotes any place I was interrupted* while typing and had to leave for a bit. *

Still Alive

Hello Friends and Family,

After nearly a week of radio silence, I just want to affirm: yes, I'm still alive!

A LOT has been happening of late. Mostly though, the whole family got sick, and it hurt my eyes to look at a computer screen, so I haven't bothered to turn it on.

That, and I don't want to sign into Facebook until I have ample time to catch up on everything.

Lea/Nicole is fine, happy, healthy once again! The E.P. needs rest, but is otherwise well. I need a vacation. BADLY. Badly. b.a.d.l.y.

But, that's not in the cards just now. So, I'm drinking my afternoon coffee, then off to take Lea for a walk (the kid's new online alias) and avoid the computer some more.

BTW -- Grandma and Grandpa - Lea LOVES the new coloring book and items, Thank You! =D She loves to draw "circles", now that I've found the stamps, I will send you some more pictures.

~Pup

And So it's now August

Life is full, full of everything these days. Here's a quick record of the biggest items of note:

• Lea ("Nicole") is henceforth to be called Lea on this blog.
• Lea has entered the terrible-Twos. Oh the tantrums! oh our eardrums - and sanity!
• i have a new keyboard that doesn't work very well. At the moment, I do not intend togo bac and fix all its little mistakes as I type. it is, after all, inflatable. lol
• Less than 2 weeks until 2 family bday celebrations! Yay!!! Looking forward to them both!
• we've *almost* sold the house. So close....

Well, really that's all i can think of right now. I've been working hard today and I need a mental break. Off to play some farmville. Cheers!

Grocery Store Adventures

Nicole (aka "Baby Girl" aka my daughter) LOVES Wegmans. Everytime we come 'round the corner from which she can see the top of the great wide brick building with its turret and large lettered "W-E-G-M-A-N-S" across its front, she gleefully cheers. "Yay!!!" *clap, clap* "Yay!!!"

Wegmans has become our regular ritual. Often, it seems more like a pilgrimage. Wegmans has the best of everything we want for our daily lives: A huge Gluten-free selection, the best Dairy/Casein-free cheese for pizza, Affordable Organic produce and products, Clean bathrooms, Nicole's favorite "Choo-choo" (train), and.... the reason for me it's a pilgrimage.... A fabulous in-house Café with 3 full shots of espresso in every medium latté. Now that's how a 16 oz latté should be made!

Yesterday began a new sort of grocery-shopping adventure with me and Nicole. Generally, given her fussy age, either I go alone or her Gigi or The E.P. (or both) come along to help look after Lil Miss Fussy-pot once she starts up. I rarely go on a full weekly shopping trip with her - but yesterday, I did.

The first thing we did was walk through the buffet section and get her a coconut water (they don't have soymilk or kid-friendly juice options in the to-go fridges of our Wegmans. You can pop a straw in coconut water and minimize spillage, unlike twist-top orange juices.) Then we got a cart, and the juice kept her entertained briefly while she rode in the basket.

She hates to ride in cart kid-seats for more than a couple minutes. I tried to find any of the cool kid-friendly carts for her -- ones with the "car" in the front, or the special seats under the cart's handlebars -- but on this trip, they were all in use by other families. So into the basket Nicole went.

We were barely out of the produce section when she began to get antsy. From produce we go to Nature's Market -- whence started the inevitable quiet request for "Up". She did very well, however, and made it all the way to frozen food/general produce before waving her arms and adamantly shouting "Up! Up, Down!"

So, I put her down. And I looked at her for a second. And then I said, "Nicole, come help Mommy! Would you like to help Mommy? Here, put this" (points at big bag of coffee on the lowest shelf) "in the cart for Mommy!"

For almost the entire rest of the trip, Nicole "helped" me fill our cart to the brim. If it was too high for her to reach, I'd pick her up. She could lift most things above her head and into the cart by herself. She even picked up a gallon of water off the floor (where I'd set it) and put it on the bottom of the cart, with a little help. She is one determined little lady!

In the bulk aisle, she was DAZZLED by her close proximity to the selection of candy. I let her pull one plastic tube of mini M&M's out of a giant yellow M&M's side, and used it to bribe her on out of the aisle. (They make a great sound when you shake them, like a maraca -- that made it easy to draw her attention back to being good! ;)

Checking Out
When we got to the checkout, I took the two small shopping baskets that were in the aisle and flipped them over, making a bench for Nicole to stand on. Then she could help me put things on the belt. I handed her as much as possible - she was so proud to help me! Other customers were commenting on how adorable she was, and how gleefully she helped Mommy.

When I had to move the cart up to pay for everything, and she was left with nothing to do, she started to get antsy. I picked her up and swung her for a second - then picked her up and swung her upside down. Each time the muffled beginnings of a complaint were transformed into a distracted smile. Then Nicole started to crawl on the floor - but she was being quiet, she was staying near the cart, and most importantly, she was NOT pulling candy-bars off the shelves. This was more than one "kind" shopper could handle, however, and so this strange woman proceeded to come try to "help" me because she was AGHAST that I was letting my child's hands touch the floor. (Parents, you all totally understand -- if I had encouraged her to stand up and keep to herself, it would have ended in very loud tears. I mean come on, the kid is only 22 months old.)

...So this kind do-gooder tried to help distract Nicole from the floor. Fortunately, Nicole was actually distracted and just stood there, staring at the stranger talking to her. Kids know passive agressive well, she was giving the woman a look as if to say, "Just what are you trying to tell my Mommy?" Hahaha!

I ended up getting Wegmans' "Helping Hands" to help us to the car. Once we'd checked out, that was too much for Nicole. She wouldn't have the basket, she wouldn't walk with me and I couldn't push the cart and hold her too. That's the first time I've ever had to get help to get the groceries to the car. I am still so proud of her for making it that long, and for being so helpful! As soon as we were in the car, I popped open that little tube of M&M's, put her tray in her lap, and gave her some. That elicited a few more cheers from Nicole! Thank goodness too. =)

Yet another mundane day in our lives... but still an adventure! =)

(Not my child... but might as well be ;)

A New "Name" for "Baby Girl" -- Nicole?

OK, "Baby Girl" is no longer an appropriate pseudonym for my daughter. She's nearly 2, and she's very much a little girl. I need to come up with something else.

Hmm....

Given that she's named after her Dad (kinda), I can run with that and call her "Nicole". (If you know who we are: Trust me, it makes sense in a round-a-bout kind of way.)

I could go the other way and name her after her Dad The E.P.... but obviously, the initials in "Evil Princess" are already taken. ;)

BLG (Beautiful Little Girl) sounds like a sandwich.

Well.... I got stuff to do, I don't have time to dawdle and dream on this. "Nicole" it is - for now, anyway!

If you have a better idea, please tell me in the comments or on Facebook! =)

Family Update

Baby Girl is doin' good! We've really learned that gluten does NOT agree with her. Nor dairy, but gluten more than dairy, surprisingly.

The E.P. is awesome as always.

Me? Gawd, I'm always talking about my health (just not necessarily on this blog!) I had a take-home sleep-test last night. It turns out the equipment malfunctioned, and I'll have to do it AGAIN. Given that the sleep center is an hour's drive away... I'm far from thrilled! I want to know if I have a sleep issue already, so I can resolve it and stop feeling so fatigued all the time. *Sigh*

...And that, is the end of this family update. =)

Fourth of July

I am REALLY proud of us. REALLY proud. Because Baby Girl got to enjoy the fireworks last night without getting throwing a sleepy-fit or being freaked-out by the lights and the dark and the BOOMS. Hurrah!

The E.P. and I worked hard to prepare her. Over three days, we carefully adjusted her sleep schedule so that she would be up on Monday evening without growing over-tired. And we talked with her a lot about nightime fireworks. We took several evening walks, one in the dark on a cloudy night to show her that it was safe. We sought out neighbors shooting off small fireworks nearby - we were always too late to watch, but we enjoyed the chase and indoctrinated Baby Girl to the fun with plenty of "BOOM! CRACK! KA-BOOMS!" in imitation (and silly celebration!) of the sounds.

Yesterday afternoon, we watched a documentary on the show at the National Mall. We also drew pictures of fireworks with Baby Girl. We ensured her that she'd love it.

And she did!!!!!

A Precious Evening with Daddy
I ended up too mosquito-bite ridden to go out, so The E.P. took our girl out by himself. Fortunately, we live just down the road from the local municipal fireworks launch site, so all they had to do was clear the trees to get a good view.

When they returned home, Baby Girl went quietly to bed. The E.P. told me she'd been very good and not gotten scared or cried once. (!!! Fabulous!!!)

This morning when I woke her up, I had to ask her about it. As she squirmed about on the changing pad I asked her, "Did you enjoy the fireworks?" At the sound of that last word, she got the sweetest smile on her face, and she delightedly sighed "Daaaddy". It was obviously a magical evening for them both. Too bad she probably won't remember it when she's older.

Third of July

There is nothing so fulfilling as a good ol' picnic in the park with people you love, especially when it starts with live music and truly meaningful (to me) prayer. *Sigh*

That's what we had the priveledge of attending this morning! Our church's annual service and picnic in the park for the 4th of July.

It was gorgeous, and there was a great turnout. This year, I didn't have to provide music or run sound - so I got to sit at the park benches with everyone else and just enjoy. As usual, Reverend David's message was profoundly moving (how does he know how to speak to just what's going on in our lives every single week?) and the music by Joe G. and Donna Marie Cary was just fab. Donna Marie was in great form this morning. Hurrah!

Plus, one of our members was Christened today, at our church's first Sunday morning celebration of the kind. There have been a number of children in the congregation welcomed to this world with a Unity Christening (Baby Girl included!) but this was the first to have a public celebration of it. Little C. is such a beautiful light, and his family is incredible and full of love, and it was a heart-growing event for all in attendance. Well... except perhaps for Baby Girl, who at the time was down the hill a little bit, on the swings with her Daddy, refusing to be anywhere but there with him.

A Toddler, the Children and High Temperatures
I am SO PROUD of my little girl for being so awesome this morning, given the necessary chaos of any large potluck picnic. I am DOUBLY proud because the heat index at the time was 100 degrees F. OH MY GOD it was HOT! So hot, I was joking that I was glad I wasn't running sound because with all my sweat pouring off me, I'd short the system out. It's not really that far from the truth, I was the sweatiest person there.

Anyhoo, we prepared Baby Girl well, and actually remembered to bring water, bug repellants (baby-safe and adult-ready), toys, SUNSCREEN, and oh yes, SUNSCREEN. The E.P.* missed half the service because Baby Girl was intent on getting as much playground time as possible, which he obliged. Over the course of several hours, she was drenched in sunscreen 3 times, and still came out half as red as a strawberry (just like her Mommy, I was so hoping she wouldn't inherit that. Oh well. =)

When The E.P. or I wasn't looking after her, the other children were fabulous with Baby Girl. They helped her up and down the playground, encouraged her to use the slide (how were they to know she's already a super-slide afficionado? lol! It was just HOT and she didn't want to burn her legs ;) and looked after her like a sibling. It was a joy to watch, especially just after the Christening celebration. When I was growing up there would be regular Christenings in the churches I attended, and a lot of pretty words were said and a lot of love was shown -- but in the weeks afterward, it never felt like the cohesive church family we'd uniformly (in unison) pledged to be. But at our present church, even the children are heavily involved in everyday spiritual growth and sustenance of the church - we respect openly respect them in both words and actions, and trust them to respect each other. So they do.

At one point, a couple younger girls were playing with Baby Girl. I had to get her in the shade before she got heat exhaustion -- I thanked one of the girls several times for being so great with my daughter, and then told Baby Girl that we had to go up into the shade -- that "These big kids know how to take care of themselves in this heat -- see, they're not as red as you are, they are taking care of themselves, using sunscreen, not playing too hard and drinking water." As we walked up the hill back to the picnic shelter, several of the children proudly told me that they were going to go get some water too. I had honored them for being respectful of their bodies - and in doing so, they became respectful of their bodies' needs in the moment. (I love it when stuff like that happens. =)

Fabulous Conversation with Fabulous People
I know, I know, all I'm doing here is gushing. But seriously, I've been craving such a great event for a while. I was oblivious while The E.P. kept running after Baby Girl, but I'm so grateful to him for giving me that opportunity to engage in fun discussion with some other adults. I learned some really valuable things and hope I was able to pass along some good information too.

This is the first church community I've ever belonged to where I feel like I actually belong. I am NOT implying that "Everyone should come to my church!" Heck no! We are all different, Spirit created each of us to be unique, and as such our spiritual paths are unique. Other people would feel like constant outcasts in Unity, and yet embrace other traditions as fish to water.

Plus our lives are so busy, I'm coming to rely on my Church family for friendships. That is new as well; in the past, friendships made at church tended to be the ones with the least sturdy foundation, for a variety of reasons that make up an essay for another day. I find that I actually depend on my church community, a concept I've heard about all my life but never quite experienced. And it's lovely. =)

*For "new" readers to this blog, "The E.P." is my "Evil Prince", my nickname for my DH since long before we were married. Oooh, those lordly 'evil' know-it-all types with dark hair and a biting wit are sexy. ;)

Summer Adventure Planning

It's summertime! It's crazy-hectic time, but dang it, we are going to take some time out to celebrate and enjoy the season. Baby Girl turns Two toward the end of the summer - I want to make sure she learns some new things and enjoys the weather.

I've got some ideas In the Works:

Fourth of July -- word has it there's a parade here'bouts! I better get the information on that asap. There's a parade and some kind of festival and fireworks, I'm sure. I think Baby Girl will LOVE fireworks this year - she love sparkly things and jewelry and airplanes and butterflies and fireflies -- how could she not? =)

Local Petting Zoo -- There is a petting zoo only about 10 miles away, with everything from sheep to giraffes. It's time we saw some of the animals in her books in person.

Udvar-Hazy -- Have I mentioned that Baby Girl LOVES airplanes? Anytime she hears one, she points to the sky and states, "Ay-pwane!" for all to hear. (Much better than "Uh-oh!", which she used to say!) If it flies, she loves it. If it's locomotive, she loves it (hence she loves Trains too - fictional ones anyway). I think she will LOVE the local Air & Space museum - at least for about 20 minutes. More than that might be too much.

Dulles Viewing Area -- Where's the local observation point for the runways? We've GOT to find it. Not the end of the runway -- too harsh on her little ears, and it might scare her. But she would LOVE to watch the planes take off and land. I think she gets that they do, or that there may be people inside them -- but by observing a runway, she could Really learn about flying. Hmm, seems Udvar-Hazy is it; no Gravely Park like at Reagan National.

The Giant Playground in Sterling -- There is a HUGE playground on Sterling Blvd. HUGE. We could make a family trip to the awesome pupusaria out there, with a good long stop at that playground first. It's like a play-palace!

Any other suggestions for local stuff? =D

Cutest Sentence Ever!

While it's not her first sentence, it is the most adorable Baby Girl has uttered so far:

"Yay! Daddy's home!"

;)

A Real Scare: Calling the Paramedics for Baby Girl - UPDATED

It's been over a week now since the horrifying day the paramedics came by to check on Baby Girl.

The story isn't very long. Gigi called me at work to tell me that the little one had a low fever and was uncharacteristically quiet and had even napped at an odd time, hence she was going to call the Advice Nurse. (This kind of call usually is a courtesy call to me to let me know I may have to leave work to drive to the doctor's office in a little bit. But at the time, I doubted I'd have to leave.)

A short while later, Gigi called again. "I'm calling 9-11 now at the Advice Nurses' recommendation, I can't wake her up," was a brief, terrifying message. "Bye."

Stunned, I finished a work-related online task and let it sink in. Why am I still here, on Paypal? I thought to myself. Because I'll forgot where I left off and it'll end up in error. But is that really more important than Baby Girl? Of course not! I gathered my things and stumbled out the door, practically tripping over the words "I have to go! Gigi's calling the paramedics on Baby Girl!" as I spun out the door.

What A Ride Home that was! I whipped out a credit card and took the Greenway. I called the EP, I called my sister, my best friend, and my in-laws. And I totally started FREAKING OUT.

As I thought about Mom's words to me over the phone just minutes before, my breath drew tense and shallow. What if...? Like all mothers, I have an innate fear of losing her early. It'd be just my luck, my evil ego likes to tell me. For a few seconds, I was enveloped in a mental world in which Baby Girl was gone, and it was like the day my father died all over again. I called The EP again, practically sobbing, seeking the calming words I knew he'd provide. With his help, I didn't careen off the road or pull over and give up. (Later I learned, he was freaking out too, but hiding it well.)

The paramedics left before I made it home. I knew they would, EMS teams are nothing if not efficient. The good news was, they didn't take Baby Girl with them! Here's what happened:

• Mom (Gigi) called the advice nurse.
• As she was on the phone with the nurse, Baby Girl was drifting off to sleep and became hard to arouse.
• Finally, Mom could not wake her up. She tried everything. The nurse said to call 9-11 immediately.
• Mom called me.
• She called 9-11.
• Baby Girl's breathing became very fast and shallow.
• The paramedic on the phone with her advised Mom to put Baby Girl on the floor (hard surface) and tilt her head back to help her breathing.
• The baby was limp when Gigi lifted her, but started to move slightly by the time Mom got her to the floor.
• Mom did as the paramedic said to help her breath.
• UP! she popped and ran into the living room!
• Baby Girl was running around contentedly by the time the ambulance arrived. The paramedics checked her out, and after all was said and done, determined that something had definitely happened, even if it had passed. Mom was not hallucinating.
• While they were there, Baby Girl spiked another fever, then it went back down.
• Given all her vital signs were fine, Mom opted not to take her to the ER (a possibly traumatizing experience) and called the Advice Nurse back to make an urgent appt. with the doctor.
• I got home!

Baby Girl was thoroughly examined by her Doc. We talked and talked and discussed and the Doctor told us what she thinks may have happened: A rare type of seizure that infants/children get when they spike a fever. Ten percent of children born to families with a history of epilepsy get this type of seizure; only one percent otherwise. Baby Girl did not shake, but having this type of seizure doesn't necessarily mean that one convulses.

It was a particulatly hot day, with air temperatures hovering near 100 degrees and a dangerous air quality. Although we purposefully kept Baby Girl inside in the A/C, children are still greatly affected by such weather. And -- here's the kicker -- she was teething. Baby Girl always gets a fever when she's teething.

The good news is, this type os seizure is not harmful, just scary. There's still a possibility that something else happened, but for now, we'll go with it, and pray that nothing more serious is going on.

Monday's Trip to the Pool

We made it to the pool on Memorial Day!

It almost didn't happen. When we went over there at 11AM (opening time), as a family, decked out in our suits and all -- the lifeguard said she needed 2 more hours to clean the pool. Extremely disappointed, we left, knowing that Daddy had to leave at 1PM. Baby girl was obviously confused -- we'd just made a big fuss about her new bathing suit, and this whole "pool" thing! Now we're back home! Fortunately, we were able to satiate her urgent desire to be outside doing things by having some family time in the shaded area just outside our patio door. As a bonus, there was a 2 year old boy that baby girl played nicely with, and they had a great time together setting up and taking down her baby "bowling pins", and putting them in the bag and taking them out again. =)

And so, at 1PM, Daddy left to spend some needed time with his dorky friends, being dorks together. Fortunately, he came home earlier than expected, and so we were able to take an evening trip to the pool together at around 7PM!

Baby Girl LOVED her first excursion to the pool. With one exception. Shortly after we put her in the toddler pool, as she gained her footing and confidence, she drove face-first in, arms outstretched, embracing the water! Daddy quickly grabbed her up, and while she coughed a little she did not choke or gasp for air. She did, however, scare the pants off herself, and wanted out of the water immediately.

I so felt for her during this experience. She LOVES bathtime. She has no fear in the tub, and has a remarkable sense of balance for her age. Daddy took the opportunity of her "dive" to talk with Baby girl about respect for the water, and while she wasn't about to get in it again, she seemed fine as long as we were holding her above it. (Oh her expression was so serious! Deep in thought she was!)

At this time, we put the floaties on her arms. Amazingly, she did NOT resist, and even helped! (She had resisted my attempts to get them on her at home, but I wanted her to be prepared, and apparently my efforts worked. =)

We ended up spending the majority of our time in the main pool, by the decorative fountain/bench. It's in a shallow area and is made to sit on with the water lightly splashing down on your back. She did not want to go deeper than her knees in the water. But she really enjoyed sitting on the fountain, kicking her legs, watching everyone else in the pool have tons of fun around her! There were boys playing with balls, a game or two of Marco Polo, other parents and young kids -- Baby girl was enthralled. We stood by her in such a way as to protect her, shade her from the setting (HOT) sun, and give her some space to take it all in without smothering her.

We showed her how much fun *we* have in the water. We took turns swimming (I love to go underwater!) and we played little water games with her. We let her know she was safe, and we enjoyed being with her there, and all in all I think her first experience with the pool was a great one.

By the time we left, she'd been smiling for a while. I can hardly wait to go again!

To the Pool We Go! & other baby updates.

We're getting ready to take baby girl to the pool! Whoo hoo!!!

She's never been. She played in little plastic pools a few times last summer, and she's been to Lake Erie, but she's never been in any contained body of chlorinated water just to play except, well, except the bathtub. And she LOVES the bathtub!

Since we moved to our new community, whenever we walk with her by the pool we've tried to explain that she's gonna LOVE it, that it's like a big bathtub except it's ALL for play (and you don't have to worry about shampooing and all that. ;)

In preparation, I got her the cutest little one-piece at Target, swimmers (diapers), and broke out the floatation gear I was given by a fellow Freecycler over a year ago. (The floaters came with... oh, something we acquired before she was born, like a box of clothes and the changing table or something.) I'm not sure we'll be able to get the floaties on her arms today, we might have to sit with her in the baby pool and just hold her this first time. "Hold your arm out straight and keep it there!" is beyond her current ability to follow directions. ;)

A Baby's Progress
She's really been growing up lately, by leaps and bounds. She has started saying sentences, particularly "I see a duck/bird/rabbih!" or "I fell down!" or "Uh oh! Up!" which means "I hear an airplane but I can't see it!" LOL

She LOVES to draw. We draw on the patio doors daily. She's very good about keeping her crayons to the glass doors or her paper, and only strays to walls/furniture when the glass is too crayoned-up or the paper is out of reach. So as long as we keep on top of those two things, she's welcome to walk around the house with her crayons. When I catch her straying, a firm "Glass or paper! Go to the doors!" works every time.

This weekend has seen a big change for her: We got rid of the high chair. Yes, she's only 21 months old, but she's ready; plus we need to her to move on a little early as our apartment is small and the high chair is constantly in the way.

She'd been kinda transitioning for a while. She has a baby rocker that was her father's and her grandfather's and on back a few generations -- for some time, we've been pulling it up to the footstool for her to color or eat a snack. In restaurants, she demanded to grow out of the high chairs and into the booster seats, no longer satisfied to be strapped in at the end of the table. She doesn't stay in her booster seat of course, but she'll use it or our laps and sit calmly and color/eat when she refuses to do so in a high chair.

So... I got an $11 booster seat at Target last week, Gigi strapped it to a dining room chair, and now baby girl eats at the table with us -- or at least Next to us as we futz about online, as the case may be!

It's harder for her to climb in and out of the seat, but we'll all adjust. We don't bother to use the leg straps with it, they irritate her and she's very sure footed (like my Dad and I). I put some little rubber bumpers on the bottom of a rigid decorative mat to protect the table surface, since table cloths are still too dangerous to use around her regularly at this time (too tempting to pull on, whoo I made something move wow fun!)

Casein and Other Irritants
Baby girl has now been off dairy for two whole weeks, and today we start two weeks off gluten in addition to the dairy. All because of the last few months, we've seen the return of colic, and it was becoming unbearable for all of us -- especially her, who was regularly in pain, rolling on the floor, not wanting to be touched and there was Nothing we could do. An x-ray also showed a major backup in her system, and we're still working to clear up her constipation.

But going off the dairy... WOW what a difference! She had started regressing in a few areas that I had hoped were just due to growth spurts -- as a baby learns to walk they babble less, or as they learn to talk they stall in their physical growth -- but wow, no, it was the Dairy! Her attention span has returned, we can read books with her again. She had suddenly become fearful on the playground slide, she is now getting over that again. And she's talking SO MUCH MORE, with much less pain, fewer tantrums, and better sleep for everyone in the house!

...I'm still not 100% certain it's casein and not lactose, but as casein intolerance often show up as excess mucus in the system and her perpetually-runny-nose has cleared up... Am hoping it's casein. She may eventually be able to have chevre and some other quality goat/sheep dairy products.

Today starts the first day of 2 weeks off gluten. The wheat in her diet has already been somewhat restricted, but now it's being entirely removed. I have a feeling her bowel irritation is going to quickly clear up. I'm going to give up dairy for these next two weeks myself, and see what changes in me. I have a really good feeling about it!