Checkered Flag Automotive Destroys Palermo's Pizza!

In the words of Ice Cube - Today was a good day. Lucy went in the pool for the very first time! All we had on hand was regular Pampers, so her diaper swelled up to the size of a phonebook, but no harm done. I was actually rather impressed with the amount of liquid a quality diaper can contain. Anyway, Lucy loved it - and wasn't even nervous or grabby or anything - she even dunked her own face in the water! We took many photos to remember this, yet another "first". As you can see, she is not wearing a life-vest, but rest assured we had a good grip on her at all times. She IS wearing one of her new swimsuits from Aunt Kelly... very stylish!


After a couple hours of bumming around, Ron had his softball game against Palermo's Pizza (3-4 before tonight), and Checkered Flag Automotive (Ron's Team) beat them 16-10! Their first victory of the season! Way to go, Checkered Flag Automotive (doesn't that just roll off the tongue? ha ha)! Since the game was at 6:15, Lucy and I were able to go (and see Lisa and her baby Lauren, who is only a few days older than Lucy)... I took photos at the game, but only a couple are actually OF the game... the rest are of the girls.

Here is a photo of some of the guys... Ron is #10.

When we returned home, we had a message from our Realtor saying that someone wants a private showing at 10:30 tomorrow morning (with their Realtor) - OK! Trying not to get our hopes up, but it has boosted morale somewhat, knowing that there are interested people out there. Tonight, we clean.

Strong Legs, Long Hair!

This evening we had to find a way to keep Lucy entertained for a little while longer, before it was time for her to go to bed. She can get bored/frustrated easily, so we went outside where there is always something new to look at, and it's easy for her to romp around. We spent some time making her practice standing and like the amazing child she is, she got better and better by the minute. I had to run inside and grab the camera:

She actually can stand for several seconds before tipping over (at which point Ron quickly catches her and straightens her back up). She mostly did this when she was trying to go for one of the dogs (we were dogsitting Kelsey today). Some of our other photos show her waving at them (another new trick she likes to do - even if there is no one waving to her!)....

The other news: I got a barrette to stay in her hair! I know it's not really necessary, but since her hair has just enough length to it, I thought it was worth a shot... I can't wait until it's long enough for braids and ponytails!

A Long, Long Time Ago...

...Babies ate "real" food.

This is my Star Wars style photographic take on Gerber Graduates.

They're a LIFE SAVER so I don't care if I can't pronounce half of the ingredients. And what is "purple carrot extract"? Where can I buy some of these purple carrots? And what contribution can they possibly make at the end of that long list of ingredients? It's like, "hmmm... this recipe is close, but it's missing something." They sure are cute though... see?

Happy Fathers Day!

We spent the day at Grand Haven State Park - photos here - hanging out on the beach, walking down the boardwalk, and basically just relaxing. We were all smart about sunblock usage and Lucy was a good sport all day, even though (because of where we were) she didn't get much sleep. She played in the water and had a great time, and even got to sample some of my snow-cone...

Today is also, of course, Fathers Day, and although I can't buy him anything from a store, I like to think that this first Fathers Day our daughter is gift enough. Ron is such a wonderful dad to Lucy, and absolutely, shamelessly loves her. Early in our relationship I could tell that someday he would be a great father, and now that he is, I am so glad I married him. I look forward to all the moments we will share watching Lucy (and hopefully another child too!) grow up...

Open Houses Galore!

Today we spent the morning (somewhat frantically) preparing for the open house - the last-minute stuff... A lot of cleaning, mostly. Then when our realtor arrived, we took off to visit someone else's open house (home for sale). LOVED the house! We played it cool though, but ever since we left we've been obsessing. I really hope it's still around when/if ours sells! It's an amazing deal, and a perfect type/size/location for us. We went to a few students' open houses, and then visited 3 more homes that we were interested in (all in Jenison, private showings). The Allendale house, however, was a tough act to follow. One of them in Jenison is still quite nice, but often the photos on www.grar.com are misleading, so there were a couple disappointing factors (and a couple nice surprises). We're mostly concerned with location, but all houses have pros and cons.

Our poor little Lucy was dragged around all day from place to place, after only sleeping a half hour this afternoon ... not her usual 1.5 - 2 hour afternoon nap! I think it's because we were at my parents' house (since we had to get out of our own home) and sometimes she doesn't nap as well there. She was actually falling asleep instantly in the car, when we went from one house to the next. We had to wake her up and carry her around inside another home... I'm thinking it would have been bad parenting to leave her alone in the car, even though she was sleeping peacefully...

Anyway, so tonight Ron and Ricky swam in our nearly-clean pool and we were both just thinking about how nice it would be if someone wanted to buy our house. Neither one of us were very talkative, mostly because of fatigue, but also because I think it's on our minds... when there is something you want, and it's within reach, but we have to be patient and try to sell our own home first. I guess the open house was fairly slow - but we're hoping that someone out there is watching our listing and will want to come and see it another time. It's only been a week and a half, but I am surprised at how anxious it makes us. There's not a whole lot we can do about it... in time, the right person will come along, and when that happens, there will be a house out there for us, somewhere, and it will be a very happy and exciting time.

Time-Out

No, I'm not talking about discipline... we're just baaaaarely starting to introduce light forms of that in our home. I'm talking about the kind of time-out you have to take when things are getting crazy and you need to hit a mental "reset" button.

In the midst of fixing a broken section of our countertop, and Ricky stopping by numerous times (and consuming equally numerous Flav-or-Ice sticks), the excessive heat, and more phone calls that we usually get in an entire week, we decided to stop and take Lucy outside to play. We sat and watched her climb on our laps, pull grass out of the ground, and gently crinkle up dried leaves, and it was just so calming and simple. I made a blade of grass into a whistle between my thumbs, and she was totally amazed! It's been a while since I even tried that...

For some reason that time outside this afternoon keeps replaying in my brain. Hopefully it will be a reminder of what's important.

Dashed

This afternoon we were sitting in our living room, when suddenly an unfamiliar pickup truck slowed down and came to a stop in front of our house. We anxiously sat still, as if a wagon full of free pool chemicals was parked in our driveway and if we ran out there too suddenly it would disappear. I think I was even talking without moving my lips. Lucy continued to squeal and climb up the sides of her playpen. Shhh!

Then I noticed the guy got out of his truck ::car door shut:: and walked across the street to talk with our neighbor, who is in his front yard. What is he asking? What is our neighbor saying? Then along comes Ricky. Ohh, Ricky. What do you want now? Then a door-to-door salesman wants to sell Ron some cooking supplies. Get away! We might have an interested potential buyer. Then the buzzing street cart gang decided to hit the pavement (there are more, newer, louder machines than ever! I seriously think I saw a dune-buggy)... Oh this is going to attract someone to live here! Ugh. So I motion Ricky to come in through the breezeway so I can learn what he snoopily discovered about the strange pickup truck man. Aaaaaand... It's the former owner.

I imagine he was told, "hey dude, your old house is for sale" and wanted to come by and see how we have destroyed his knotty pine palace and turned it into a drywalled monstrosity. Well, nevertheless I tidied up, just in case he requested entrance. Ricky thinks maybe he's interested in buying it back. Oh, to be 14. So we're still hoping for a legitimate creepy slow-moving vehicle to drive by. What a tease.

After All These Sunburns... er... Years

I spent most of the day with Lucy in Grand Haven, visiting my mom, and some of her friends who also stay out there in there RV's, lounge around on the beach, wander up and down the boardwalk, etc. Of course I kept Lucy protected with sunblock and a hat, and as much shade as possible. I returned home with her in perfect condition. I can't say the same for myself however, since I neglected to put sunblock on my legs, and paid dearly. I thought (the same stupid thought I always have my first time to the beach), "I could use a little color". Now I have a distinct line where my shorts ended and my bare legs began. I tried to make up the difference with some sunless tanner. We'll see how that turns out... but I'm not getting my hopes up. No matter what I do, I'm going to look like I have hot pink thigh-high hosiery on for the next few days.

Being at the park, and going for a walk down the boardwalk, always brings back memories of the summers we would "camp" out there. We spent the days with our friends eating Pronto Pups, ice-cream, Hawaiian ice, various other junk food, and then burning it off by riding bikes, rollerblading, playing in the lake, harassing the rangers, having water balloon fights... Kelly always ended up with some kind of high-quality major purchase like a Swatch watch or a Stüssy hat (does that say 90's or what!?), while most of my allowance went toward the afformentioned junk food. I have no regrets.

The kids are grown up, and now just the moms continue to stay each summer at this beach front parking-lot community. Some head out to visit for a day here and there, like I did today... but I can't say I enjoy it the same way I used to. Now when I go, more than anything I enjoy the trip down memory lane. I can recall specific events from specific spots along the way... literally, like, right here is where I wiped out on my bike and skinned my knee (I still have a scar) and walked all the way back to the campground alone... because (I was possibly being a baby but) no one cared. And there is where I stood and watched the Northern Lights one night, and there's where we buried a time capsule by a small cottonwood tree...

In lieu of photos from today (since I didn't get any good ones) I am including a sampling from the past. Some awkward tween years, perhaps, but classic, fun times.

A Case of the Mondays

Today has been one of those days. I'm sure all of you have had worse days, but relative to our daily normal routine, it's been somewhat exhausting (including sucky trim-painting up really high on a ladder, paintbrush taped to a pool pole... sun in your eyes). We're trying to get some jobs done before our open house on Saturday, and some of those jobs require 2 people, which means the best time to do such things is during Lucy's ever-decreasing naps. She takes a short one in the morning, and if things go according to plan, a longer one in the afternoon. A couple of barking dogs later, the afternoon nap was cut short and from that point things continued. Ron gave Lucy peaches for part of her dinner, and although we both would think that isn't a problem, they just don't seem to sit well. Upset tummy + not enough nappy = baby won't stop crying. I even busted out the ol' Gloworm, which held her attention for several minutes. An early bath and bedtime for Lucy. She seems pleased to be down for the evening, and risking lightning striking me from Heaven, I am pleased as well. She can be such a happy girl 95% of the time, but tonight she was against the odds. Time for my glass of wine.

The highlight: meeting someone from the hippy commune across the street when her dog came to make friends with our dog.

Open Houses

Today Ron and I are going to try to make it to 2 student open houses. It's hard to justify going to some and not to others, except for the fact that we have lives of our own. Sometimes students forget about that; they think that once school is out, teachers have nothing to do but start lesson plans for next fall, and scheme up ways to make teenagers' lives miserable. Someday we hope they grow up and aren't so shocked when they run into Ron at the grocery store (buying BEER! Oh NO!).

Next weekend we might actually be able to go to a few more, since we're having an open house of our own. We're supposed to get out of here for a few hours while complete strangers walk through and critique our paint colors, tiling jobs, DVD collection... We're going to have to be mindful of what is hidden in cupboards and drawers as well, since there is always a chance someone will peek to see what kind of space we have (and how organized we are... or aren't). We don't want one of our neighbors finding the penis-shaped bottle opener Ron's sister gave me for part of a wedding shower gift... not that it matters, since hopefully we'll be moving this summer. I guess I just worry too much about what others think! Ha ha... well, maybe not that much since I just advertised the fact on the Internet. Have a nice day.

Dora the Saleswoman

Kelly sent me this article from New York Magazine about kids and TV viewing. While I think that most things are alright in moderation, it's worth reading, especially if your child(ren) becomes a little too infatuated with characters and all the associated goodies... and less interested in the world around them.

It's Official

Today our Realtor came over to fill out some more paperwork, we gave her a CD with photos, descriptions, etc. for the listing on grar.com and she put the sign in our yard and everything! I guess that's normal... but it seems very strange to us. There's a sign in our yard. Sometime tomorrow morning our home will be among the other 7 million homes in our neighborhood that are listed online, and we are hoping that somehow, someway, ours will appear more attractive to a buyer than those other houses. Maybe another young couple, looking for a house that doesn't transport them back to 1977, and is duped into thinking owning a pool would be a lot of "fun"... (any potential buyers out there in blogland, a pool is awesome, and I just don't know how we'll survive without one).

Speaking of our totally great super pool, we finally found time to start vacuuming up the sludge that accumulated over the winter, and the water is looking good! We've been vacuuming to waste, so it's on a hiatus while the water level gets filled back up. Later this afternoon (when it's not 90 degrees out) we hope to finish that up, and get the chemicals in, get things churning.

Today is the first day of summer vacation for Grandville Schools. It's weird to think we're at that point in the year already. Yesterday as I was driving, around 11:00 a.m. I noticed teenagers on skateboards and thought, "hey, shouldn't you punks be in school?" and I realized that for the next three months teenagers, skateboards, motorized scooters, and dune-buggies will all be much more prevalent on good old Taft Avenue. As well as the ice-cream truck (which plays Christmas carols in 4-, maybe 8-bit sound). Ahh.... summertime.

Reflection

This was just a random snapshot, actually it wasn't even a "keeper", originally, because Lucy isn't looking at the camera, and she has her fingers in her mouth (again) but I ramped up the contrast, tinted it purple (just for fun) and, with the mirror behind them, it turned out pretty nice.

Drastic Move

We took the television out of the living room!

As Ron was doing some work behind the TV (patching a hole) he apparently freaked out and lost his mind with all the cords, and the dust, and general mess in that corner of the room - the sagging IKEA TV stand, the monolithic TV that sat upon it... so we decided to try life without Everybody Loves Raymond reruns.

Amazing thing: we actually had an enjoyable evening, listening to music and talking... I felt almost zero stress (which seems to add up for me at night). We set up my Bose stereo on a small table, so we can still listen to our stored music from the computer (through the AudioTron), and the sound quality is, of course, much better since we're using the Bose, and not my old-school Sony tower speakers. Why didn't we do this earlier?

It was funny, instead of staring at the TV, I caught us both staring at the stereo. Old habits die hard.

Lucy will have to do without Sesame Street for the time being, at least until we move. I'm having a harder time without Today, but I have enjoyed listening to more music, and the increased spaciousness of the living room... so it's a manageable trade-off.

We aren't completely in the Stone Age - we have a smaller (in my opinion, "normal" sized) TV upstairs, so there are occasions where we'll be able to see what's going on in the world, or at least watch old episodes of The Wonder Years.

She Wants My Sudoku Book

Silly

No, My Computer Isn't Broken...

I just haven't had a whole lot to write about - same old, same old around here.

We've been working on the pool. Ugh. It's green, but that's normal for just opening it. The good thing is: no leaves in the pool. So, as long as we can vacuum up the algae and get things moving, it should clear up much more easily this year. It's just so much work (maybe other pool-owners out there have had an easier time, but) for us if it's not one thing, it's another... something in our filter broke so Ron had to buy a new part. Now everything is working fine... we just find it difficult to devote time to the pool with a lot of other projects going on. Today, however, we should be able to make some real progress.

Apparently school is canceled (exams) for East Kentwood grades 9-12 today, but no word on why that is. The call went out early this morning, and the superintendent said he was going to talk about why at 7:00 a.m., but then it got bumped to 10:00 a.m. All the secrecy has me very curious. Of course, it's not weather related. If it was something like a water or power outage, they would have said so. Parents and media have been calling and school officials refuse to say anything! Isn't that odd?

Da Ga G'hee Ya Dee...

Our "baby" is 8 months old today, and finally - Lucy is using consonants (mostly D's and G's... c'mon give me an "M")! For the longest time she would "talk" using plenty of inflection and different patterns, but all vowel sounds (and yes, sometimes Y!). We were trying so hard to get her to form other letters - if you can picture us in her face, her in the high-chair, while we slowly and loudly say "Dog-gie" "Da-Da" "Ma-Ma"! She would just smile and squeal and put her hands in our mouths, trying to check out those square white hard things in there.... (where can I get some of those?, she's thinking). The past couple of days, however, she has started to figure out how her mouth can be used as more than just a way in for food, and she's quite a chatterbox! It's so cute to finally hear her little voice more...

Last night we let her destroy a small coupon magazine that came in the mail, and she was having way too much fun. How do we teach her the difference between paper that's okay to rip and crinkle, and precious books that we want (we're ignorant fools, I know) to keep in mint condition? Anyway, I had never heard her babble so much. We kept looking at each other, like, "are you hearing this?!"

Then she pulled herself up to standing by the couch. Crap! Ron, are you ready to catch her? You got her, right? I don't want her to smack her head on the floor!

It's just a matter of time before she ventures away from the furniture, chasing after the "Da-gee"...

Cause and Effect

Here is a video from earlier in the week...

Baby Magnet

We are aware of the dangers of having a pond (and of having a pool). What small child wouldn't be attracted to this:




This alone should convince someone to buy our property. Ooohh.. pretty water lily.... honey we HAVE to have this house!


Anyway, it's nice to see some healthy, happy life flourishing in the pond... and to be honest, Lucy loves looking at it (safely in our arms) too. We will watch her very closely at all times - we always do.

Top Ten List

Top Ten Things I Learned About Owning a Home

10. You love the house when you buy it, and then proceed to change everything.

9. You must have a place to put coats, besides the guest bedroom.

8. If you live with a guy, he will attempt to convert an old house into a 21st century technological hub, running wires and cables through walls that clearly don’t want them, but the digital music and wireless Internet is worth it.

7. If your basement has a drop-panel ceiling, leave it alone. You don’t know what’s hiding up there.

6. Kelly was right about the pool boy thing. It’s the only way to go. Hot tubs from here on out.

5. Before selecting a house, make sure there is a good spot for the Christmas tree.

4. Old with Character is better than New and Boring, but you'll be doing a lot more work.

3. Hardwood floors are nice if you have a dog, awful if you have a baby.

2. No matter how long you live there, about the time you get everything just how you like it, you’ll be preparing to move.

1. The previous owners were giving away a big part of their lives to a couple of young, clueless kids. A million stories, momentous events, and priceless memories happened in this home, and with the initialing of a document, it was passed on to someone who would wipe the slate clean and start creating their own. Bittersweet… and now I understand.

Careful What You Sign

Today featured a story about a woman who is battling with her ex-husband over "custody" of a few frozen embryos they created when they were together, still planning on having a family (through in-vitro). Just before the procedure, he withdrew his consent and a year later they were divorced. Now she wants to have a baby, one she already created, with her ex-husband. He doesn't want to be an anonymous sperm donor, and he doesn't feel that it's right to bring a child into this particular relationship, since if he created a child, he would want to be a father to that child. The contract indicated that in the case of divorce, the embryos were to be destroyed (that was the option they selected).

Well, it's not really a custody battle, since if the man won "custody" I am not sure what he'd do with frozen embryos.

Woman's case: the procedure was to be done the day after the contract was signed, so there weren't going to BE any embryos to destroy (weak, since I think this is a case of her signing something she didn't think was going to ever happen. Big mistake). Even her lawyer says that by withdrawing consent from a "consent form" it makes the contract basically void. Then why is there an item on there for "in case of divorce..."? Woman just didn't expect Man to back out of the deal. Regardless of what they thought was going to take place, they signed a contract! Unfortunately now she feels these are her children and is going to lose them.

His case: Rock solid.

In other NEWS, have you ever put a note in a helium balloon and sent it up into the sky? No? Me neither. But this kid did and it found its way into the hands of someone quite special... and she wrote back. Pretty cool.

Hammock-Grocery-Yogurt Day

Yesterday Lucy and I went to the mall with Grandma Carla to look for a dress for me to wear to my cousin's wedding. I found a few that I liked, but one in particular that I just felt the best about, and it was the cheaper of the options. Luckily it was a short search, because Lucy wasn't loving the mall that day.

Then we went home and she took a short nap... then went outside and we put her on the hammock for the first time (we were carefully holding her so it wouldn't be dangerous). I think she liked it. She also went to the grocery store (a first) and sat in (the appropriate spot for infants in) the cart! I know it's odd she hasn't been to the grocery store before, but she has been to Target (and the mall, and the greenhouse, and loads of other places). For a long time, Ron just picked up groceries on his way home from work on Fridays. She was in this stage for so long where she was too big for her carrier but not big enough to sit in the cart. Anyway, she was really entertained for a while, until we got to the checkout where she got scared from all the noise and commotion, and was holding her arms up for me to take her out of the cart and carry her.

After her dinner, she had yogurt (banana cream flavored) for the first time! She LOVED it.

I'm sure she had plenty to blog about last night....

Beach Bums

With her Aunt Kelly by the water... Lucy's first trip to the beach, Warren Dunes, May 27, 2007.

Agree or Disagree, I'm Putting This Out There

This morning there was a woman named Frieda Birnbaum on Today who, at age 60, just gave birth to twin boys. She has 3 other children (33, 29, and 6) and "wanted her younger son to have siblings closer to his age and wanted to remove some of the stigma attached to older women giving birth."

While I am happy that medical technology is allowing men and women to deal with a full range of fertility, obstetric, and pediatric health concerns, as Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park: "just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should do it." When Meredith interviewed the new mom, Birnbaum said that it's a wonderful thing because it gives women the choice, and we don't have to do what society dictates, etc. Meredith asked her what she would say to people who think that she isn't thinking about the babies' future - Birnbaum said that they just don't agree with her choice because "maybe they're not a part of it, or they don't think that way..." and explained that this is the wave of the future, and they just have to move with the times. Okay. I can understand that this isn't the 1950's and women are more often postponing motherhood, to either pursue an education, career, financial stability, or other personal goals - and this is an important part of the feminist movement. You don't have to do what (the former?) society dictates... Good thing, because I think the world would suffer if it didn't have the gifts, talents, and ideas of professional women.

However, when a person decides to become a parent, he or she has to have the mentality, even before pregnancy, that the baby's (or babies') needs come first. This mother seems to be fulfilling her own needs (and perhaps those of her 6 year old son's ??) to blaze a trail for senior citizens who, if they have enough money, can take advantage of in-vitro fertilization and become parents again. Mission: accomplished! Never mind the fact that she will be an elderly woman trying to raise twin sons (!), a surely exhausting feat (in addition to her 6 year old) and since the average life expectancy for a woman in the United States is around 80 years old, these kids are in for a unique childhood. I am glad my own parents are still here to be involved, witness major life events, and can still take care of themselves while I am busy taking care of an infant. When the mother passes away in 15-20 years, who will be responsible for the teenage boys? Of course anyone's parents can die at any time, but even if she lives to be 80 years old, they will always have a special situation with their mother being as old as she is throughout their childhood. I don't know... I'm getting on a tangent here. Of course this is a subject that there is a lot to say about, and a lot of people's opinions will differ.

Some people require medical intervention to become parents, but usually these people are choosing that route because RIGHT NOW they are in their window of time when becoming parents makes sense. They deserve the chance at least try to have a baby of their own, and in many cases, families spend the life savings just to attain that miracle. Those who cannot afford it, simply cope with their disappointment and some of them choose to adopt (and almost always feel that their adopted baby was the one they were meant to raise, and believe it is a blessing in disguise).

I don't know how old is "too old" - I know women who have had babies in their late 30's... celebrities having them in their 40's... and they are handling it beautifully. But 60 is a whole new ballgame in my mind. Maybe I just need to "get with the times" ... I thought this was an interesting, controversial, social / moral issue. There cannot be laws regulating when someone is "too old" to have a baby. That's a slippery slope ... then does it apply to the father? What if the conception occurred "naturally", mandatory sterilization? That's all insane, and should never and will never happen. It is up to an individual to act selflessly, as mothers have no room for selfishness. While I support a woman's choice to do what is right for her and her family, well, in this case I think Jeff Goldblum was right.

I thought at least 2 pictures of Jeff Goldblum were necessary to make my point.

Shadows and Light

Leaves Near and Leaves Far


Translucency of the leaves on the tulip tree


and a few more

Crawling Video

Okay now I have a video of her crawling - to the camera case (one of her favorite toys).

Clapping Video

Here is the video I took this morning of Lucy in her play pen, clapping her hands!

Marathon Update

I just wanted to post a link with some unfortunate news about the marathon situation: check out my other blog.

Part of me feels like a bit of a failure, even though I know that is ridiculous! There's nothing I can do - I got injured and I don't have enough time to train properly for such a long race, 4.5 months away. That doesn't mean that I can't still get back into running, for which I am still very excited. I got an amazing purple jogging stroller from Kelly - from a friend of hers at work - and I plan on putting some miles on it, even if some of those miles are relatively slow! I'm sure Lucy will enjoy the ride either way :)

My sister and my cousin are still in it, and I wish all the best for them! Also, Tiece, who is training for the Grand Rapids Marathon in late October, I hope your training continues to go well, and of course I'll be checking in to see how things are going.

#1 Song the Day You Were Born

Bored? Looking for some Internet fluff? Check out this site and learn what was the #1 song the day you were born.

Mindy: Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes (5-12-81)
Ron: With a Little Luck - Paul McCartney & Wings (5-26-78)
Lucy: SexyBack - Justin Timberlake (10-1-06)

I must admit, Lucy has the coolest one.

Officially a Crawler, and Clapper!

Today Ron and I wanted to get a lot of work done, so my parents watched Lucy for most of the day. We were quite productive, and I've already started doing touch-up painting, which is crazy, since that's one of the last things on the list. While I have begun painting things, Ron is still doing some finish work here and there, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. I still can't believe we've been putting these things off this long. At least we're finally motivated.

When we went to get Lucy I started playing with her and "lured" her with a toy to see how her crawling was going - and to my amazement she actually crawled across the floor, like a real crawling baby! She used to get around through a process which involved the following moves: sit, fall forward onto hands, scoot legs under self, repeat. Now she knows how to stay on her hands and knees, and by moving those particular body parts she can go where she wants to go. As you can tell by the fact that I'm trying to explain to perfectly intelligent adults what crawling looks like, we are quite excited and proud! As long as she has a toy, a shoelace, or food to entice her, she is doing really well...

... and in the same day, she picked up another new skill: clapping! She is getting better and better by the minute. I've been trying to teach her this for forever, but she is too strong and resists anyone trying to hold her arms and 'clap' her hands for her. I will try to post a video of her crawling and/or clapping added to this post sometime tomorrow. I just wanted to share this with my handful of readers.

She also pulls herself up in her crib and soon we will have to lower the mattress again... any time she is on the floor, or crawling, she wants to pull up onto something. We're so happy, but also getting nervous about our hardwood floors. She is definitely going to keep me on my toes.

Crafty Idea

I have been going through all our "stuff" and found countless old cards - birthday, anniversary, congratulations on having a baby, thank-you notes, all kinds. Many of them have beautiful designs, and some of them were probably fairly expensive.

Sometimes there are nice poems, or handwritten notes inside, or just a funny phrase...

The problem is that whether they're attached to some sentimental event or not, it's hard for me to throw away a card that someone was thoughtful enough to give. I try not to be a packrat, and I despise clutter, but over the past year, cards have become an issue around here. I have been collecting many, especially the ones we received after Lucy was born... which is where I got my idea:

I eventually plan on making a scrapbook for her, and since she is almost 8 months old, I am obviously already really behind. I wanted to keep all her cards, but realized that they're pointless to save unless they are somehow being enjoyed. I got the idea to use the cards (even though they may be partially cut-up in the process) as embellishments in her scrapbook. This way the cute artwork, and even the little handwritten notes from friends and family can be added to the pages, so we will always remember who was nice enough to send us a card.... oops - just kidding - we will always be able to enjoy their kind words!

So if you ever plan on scrapbooking, or feel guilty throwing away a $4.00 card (which someone no doubt spent 20 minutes agonizing over at Hallmark), put them to use... and clean out that junk drawer!

Well-Viewed

In light of our attempt(s) to rearrange our living room, I am offering some quotes from familiar people about television.

We have struggled to find a way to situate our couch, chair, end table, bookshelf, and entertainment center - and the deal-breaker is always how various furniture is angled toward the television, or how we can hook the cable up to the television in a particular location...

... and it dawned on me, our lives are revolving around TV in more ways than one. While I love certain shows, I worry that we are addicted... like one could be to alcohol. Do you enjoy a glass of wine? Or do you need a glass of wine? Well, I need a glass of wine, I'm afraid. I like Matt Lauer to tell me what's going on in the world every morning. But I also need feng shui. Therefore, we're considering banishing the TV, at least until we have a different living room that allows for harmony among furniture, decor, and media. I think TV has a lot of positive things to offer, if you want to sift it out, but once you start picking and choosing, the line between "fun" and "junk" is blurred. I love the news, I love the dramas, comedies, Jeopardy!, American Idol, This Old House, Bert and Ernie...

Television! Teacher, mother, secret lover. ~Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

The television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly, that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little. ~Ray Bradbury, The Golden Apples of the Sun

Television: chewing gum for the eyes. ~Frank Lloyd Wright

Your cable television is experiencing difficulties. Please do not panic. Resist the temptation to read or talk to loved ones. Do not attempt sexual relations, as years of TV radiation have left your genitals withered and useless. ~Matt Groening, The Simpsons

If you read a lot of books, you're considered well-read. But if you watch a lot of TV, you're not considered well-viewed. ~Lily Tomlin

When we say "War is over if you want it," we mean that if everyone demanded peace instead of another TV set, we'd have peace. ~John Lennon

I believe in love. Yes, I believe in love! Love! Money! Love! I believe in poetry! Electricity! Cheap cosmetics! I believe in the sky over my head and my silver shoes beneath me! I believe in Las Vegas! I've been there! I know that it exists. I believe in you! I believe for you! I have a vision! I have a vision! I have a vision! I have a vision! Television! Television! Television! Television! ~Mirror Ball Man (Bono), ZooTV

No final decisions have been made. We might not be able to take such a drastic measure, but if we do, it'll be okay - summer TV is mostly reruns.

Dooce

For the past couple of months, I have been checking out Dooce, a blog written by a woman named Heather Armstrong, who lives with her husband and daughter, and their dog, in Salt Lake City.

I found the word "Dooce" in the list of blogs linked on other friends' blogs... Who is this Dooce person, and why are all these random people somehow connected with her? I had to find out for myself, so I started reading and got hooked. I don't know if anyone of my blogging friends actually knows her personally, but it's hard not to feel like you do in a way, when you follow along with her experiences day to day. She is such a talented, funny, and candid writer that you want to see what happens next... the story is her life and it's actually a good read. She illustrates with truly beautiful photography.

A couple weeks ago I added Dooce to my links, so I guess you could consider me a fan. Even though she's a total stranger...

But be warned: if you start going back to her earlier posts you may end up reading her entire blog (which doubles as her career thanks to the ads), and she has had it since 2001. With multiple posts each day... you do the math.

Entrusting

This morning I was informed by Brett Thomas that an 8-month old girl went missing from the 2800 block of Taft Ave. That is the same street we live on - but it doesn't connect. There is a sort of "break" in the road at a point between here and there. That section is off of 28th street... but it still made me perk up and listen carefully, since it's not that far, and grab my phone in case I saw anything suspicious. A mother apparently had a bad migraine last night, and last saw her daughter playing in front of their apartment complex around 10:30 PM, with a mentally-disabled cousin. This morning, both were missing.

She said the cousin was barely capable of caring for himself... good thing HE was left in charge of her precious infant daughter.

I watched footage of a distraught mother being consoled by neighbors and family, and thought, what a nightmare! Since her daughter was missing, I was sympathetic and worried, hoping and praying that someone would find the baby, and even the cousin too.

Now I just learned the Amber Alert has been cancelled (everyone is safe and sound)... and my sympathy has all but vanished. How could she entrust her little baby girl with an individual who can't possibly know how to take care of her, outside of an apartment complex, at 10:30 PM, in a relatively unsafe part of town, etc. etc.? Migraine or no migraine, common sense should prevail.

Mothers

Yesterday was Mothers Day. Since it was my first Mothers Day, it was hard not to reflect on the mother-child (especially mother-daughter) relationships I have witnessed, or been a part of...

My own parenting style is influenced by how my mother raised my sister and me. I think that it's impossible to avoid, because that is the "way" we have always known. It almost always makes women more like their own mothers. I know this isn't something we strive for, but it just sort of happens. I never realized the amount of love, fear, and pride she has had in her heart, watching us grow up. All those emotions are on full-throttle from day one, and after experiencing those emotions on a daily basis myself for the last several months... I'm humbled.

On the other side of the family, Ron's mother (Sarah) is the matriarch of a growing extended family, four children, eight grandchildren... she is as happy as any grandmother could be. She has so many reasons to celebrate Mothers Day, and deserves a little special attention and thanks for all she gives to us. This year, however, she spent Mothers Day on an airplane, on her way to England... after hearing that her own mother, almost 97 years old, has taken a turn for the worse. A family member sacrificed financially to get her a plane ticket to see her mom. Sarah needs to see her mom before she passes away, which could be very soon. I can't imagine what the mind of an older woman is like, having to think about your own mother passing on. Sarah will struggle with this, but her mother has lived a long and fulfilling life. I hope that she finds peace in being with her over the next couple of weeks, if they are her last. I never met Ron's grandmother Julia ("Grandma England") but I feel connected to her in a small way. She is Lucy's great-grandmother. Seeing children at the beginning of life, and thinking about an old woman nearing the end... I suddenly feel like I'm standing in the eye of a storm, beautiful, calm, and frightening.

I remember wanting to have a baby and wondering when or if that was going to happen. I promised that if I could have a baby I would never take her or him for granted, trying to bargain for pregnancy. All too easily I broke that promise, since the days go by so quickly, and we have this amazing child that keeps us busy, laughing, and exhausted. Last night I snuck into her room quietly while she was asleep, and it was like I was seeing our daughter for the first time again. (As cliche as it sounds) I kissed my fingertips, reached into the crib, and gently touched her.

Baseball Game

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was quite eventful... Friday Ron's parents and their friends Kurt and Susi from Germany came over for dinner (outside) and we had a lovely time. Susi last saw us when I was pregnant but just starting to show. She really loved holding Lucy and Lucy loved pulling Susi's necklace off (magnetic clasp). She was so good the whole time! Way to be a happy baby, Lucy! I think they were impressed with our home and our yard, which looked good since we spent a lot of time on it over the past week. They left and about 15 minutes later, my sister and her boyfriend arrived for a weekend visit from Chicagoland. We hung out talking for a while, and then finally went to bed. Saturday was my 26th birthday, so we celebrated by going to a Whitecaps game at Fifth Third Ballpark...


Kelly got box seats down behind the backstop, just onto the 3rd base line. Since we were right up against the front, we had a place to set our beers! The game was pretty good, but the Whitecaps ended up losing in the last inning. Then there were fireworks! Between each inning there were lots of SHENANIGANS (Amber, I had to use that word because that is the only word to describe it). It's nice for the kids. Lots of silly games and things to keep people entertained. Ron and I plan on coming back for more games when Lucy (and other future children) is old enough to enjoy them. After the game we went to my parents' house to make s'mores outside. We all went back to our house afterward smelling like a campfire. Mmmmmm....

Sunday we skipped church and went to Legends for breakfast (Lucy was pretty well-behaved but kept reaching for my omelette, silverware, placemat....). Then back to mom and dad's to give out Mothers Day cards / gifts, and just to hang out some more. Kelly and Heath took off early afternoon to head back, and the rest of us went to Grandma and Grandpa Hiddema's for May birthdays and Mothers Day, barbeque etc. A LONG day for all. A Long weekend...

Rise and Shine!

Lucy must be waking up earlier because it's light out earlier. There's no other explanation - she went to sleep quite late last night (9:30) and was up at 5:15! UGH! I let her play in her crib and make noises until I finally got up at 6:15 and fed her an earlier breakfast. The thing is, when I went down to her room, I walked in and discovered her sitting in her crib, pacifier in mouth, smiling. She wasn't even propped up against the side (note: her getting up into a sitting position and staying that way hasn't happened before, since whenever I try to "make" her sit on the floor she fights me by stiffening her body and refusing to bend at the waist).

Seems like suddenly she's coming up with some new tricks. I tried to work with her on her crawling this morning and sometimes she decides to go on her hands and feet (as in the downward-facing dog), instead of hands and knees:

which results in either her dropping back down onto her knees, or if her arms give out, dropping onto her face. She's been practicing yoga like this for a couple of weeks, so this is nothing new. This morning, her arms unfortunately gave out in a rather dramatic fashion, which Ron was still home to witness. The poor girl started crying and had tears streaming and everything. No more crawling practice until later today! I carried her over to where she could see our dog Killian and she stopped immediately.

Also, Happy Birthday, Bono!

PS: That's not a photo of Lucy...

Stolen Blog Post

i so don't need a blog: random

It takes a special person to see deeper meaning in the city's symbol of the Calder sculpture and a wavy blue line representing the Grand River. But she's right...

Packing Bins

Ron picked up some gray Rubbermaid storage bins, so we can start get organized (I'm sick of our storage room being a pile) and put things in them that we know we want to save. I gave Lucy a little blanket she can curl up with. She's all set to go! Don't worry, I won't put the lid on until it's time to put this bin in the back of a pickup truck.





(I hope no one is taking this seriously)

A Whole New World...

This morning Lucy actually crawled, technically. She lunged forward and collapsed after just a couple of moves, but she did it... a little! She will probably get better at it over the next couple of days, and will soon be all over the place. From what I hear, it's just "all of a sudden" they figure it out and become instant pro's. I can do some baby-proofing, but something tells me she will discover hidden dangers that I can't even predict!

The timing isn't too terrible though, since we're beginning to de-clutter and super-clean our home in preparation for putting it on the market. There will be less breakables and personal mementos around for her to scatter, and although I want her to explore freely, I want it to be a safe envirement for her... and not go around behind her "undoing" what she does. Exciting! Scary! I'll keep practicing with her and she'll soon be crawling - and then I'll think, "Why was I in such a hurry to help her gain this skill!?"

Kelly's Back

Kelly is back from Ireland and posted her photos here.


I guess in this case, the grass really is greener on the other side. She had a good time, but is glad to be home, and I'm only starting to look through her 239 photos she posted. She was even at the Cliffs of Moher!

Tulip Time

Yesterday I spent the morning and early part of the afternoon in Holland with my mom and Lucy, checking out the tulips. We went to JP's for a drink since it was still a little chilly at 9:30 AM, and then went to Centennial Park. There were lots of cute children dressed in Dutch costumes, and many beautiful tulips.


Of course, Lucy wasn't all that excited about a bunch of flowers. I was trying to get some nice photos but she seemed more interested in flirting with the cute Dutch boys she met at the park. She did all she could to stay awake almost the whole time we were there, but she fell asleep in the stroller eventually, if only for a short time. I am not complaining though, because she didn't cry once.

The rest of the week looks kind of touch-and-go with rain, so I'm glad we went yesterday. The weather was perfect and the tulips still looked good. It was nice to walk through Holland, Hope's campus, and the park.

Cutest Thing That I Ever Did See....

Last night at Mark & Susan's we were watching one of their digital channels with oddball videos and such, and this came up. If you like kittens, or Fatboy Slim, or anything cute... or good music... please check it out right now!!!

While you're at it, check out some of his other videos, like That Old Pair of Jeans, all pretty entertaining. I miss MTV. We don't get MTV, but if we did, we still wouldn't see any music videos. I should say, I miss MTV of the late 80's and early 90's before reality shows took over...

Annika Celeste

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, at 12:47 a.m. Mark and Susan had their second child. She was 7 lb. 15 oz., 20.5 inches. Everyone is healthy and doing well. We're very happy for them and excited to meet our new niece Thursday night when we go to visit them at home. The photo was taken by Steve at the hospital.

Big sister Sloane is probably really busy helping her mommy with the new baby...

Luck of the Irish

This morning, on my favorite morning news show - Today - I tuned in to see Matt Lauer at the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland! The views were indescribable, and I'm suddenly extremely envious of Kelly, because that's probably very similar to what she will be seeing on her bike trip! Matt flew into Shannon (same as Kelly) and is traveling all over the western side of the country.

This is all part of a yearly expedition called Where In the World Is Matt Lauer? where Matt travels to amazing destinations that are kept a surprise from the viewers until he is there. Yesterday he went to the Boeing Assembly Facility in Everett, WA. It was really interesting to see all about how the planes come together, and the new 777 being built. The facility is so big, workers ride bikes from one place to another, it has its own weather system (clouds, rain even), coffee shops, dry cleaners, sleeping facilities, med centers, restaurants, just about anything you'd need to live. Not to mention the giant commercial airplanes being built! It was cool to see that, since a good friend of mine from high school - Kevin Price - is a mechanical engineer for the company.

Gettin' Ripped!

Lucy is working on her upper body strength, here she is doing her morning set of push-ups. She has pretty good form (for a baby) and a lot of determination. I'm starting to see some real definition in her biceps.

If you're wondering what on earth she is wearing, it is the yellow overalls from when Kelly and I were babies. I believe they were purchased for Kelly in 1979.

More Lucy Pics

Bike Ireland

Saturday night my sister Kelly left for Ireland with her friend. They are going to ride their bikes around the southwest countryside, and see some really beautiful sights. When she comes back she will have had some unforgettable experiences. I'm really excited for her to have this opportunity, and I remember when she first told me she was thinking about going, not quite sure if she should. It's a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing, and I'm glad she decided to take this trip.

She said she would try to post updates on her blog, but probably won't be able to upload any photos... I'm sure she be taking hundreds! She might even have to start a SmugMug account, like ours.

Step Right Up, Folks!

This morning I took Lucy to her opthalmology appointment, per the recommendation of our pediatrician. Our pediatrician's thoughts were that her vision, eye movement, focusing, dilation, and everything else eye-related seems normal, but it's just a good idea to get her checked out by an eye doctor. I agreed with him in all respects, so today was her visit to Dr. Peters.

At first a technician came in and administered a variety of vision and tracking tests, which Lucy passed perfectly normal for her age (just under 7 months). She then put 3 drops into each eye (three times, 5 minutes apart) to make her pupils dilate. Lucy did not like this, but stopped screaming as soon as it was done.

Then after a bit of a wait, the doctor and his intern came in to take a look. He shined lights in her eyes, and turned off the lights in the room and held up this amazing little device with whirling colors (I was transfixed, so I imagine Lucy liked it too). I don't know what it was supposed to do... but it was amusing. Then the two of them were just asking me general questions (he even shined the light in my eyes to see their color) and sort of leaning back, pondering gaze at my child. "hmm... yeah, it's subtle but I see what you mean..." regarding an alleged droop to one of her lids. I have stared at her and analyzed her and cannot for the life of me see this. I suppose if you try hard enough, you can see an asymmetry in anyone's face, but I tried not to let it bother me. A few more questions, and a screaming session which involved restraining her on my lap while I held her arms down (as she was kicking me repeatedley), the intern holding her head still, and the doctor shining a light behind a magnifying glass into her dilated pupils. Sound like fun? Imagine if the people doing this to you are 10 times your size!

Anyway, the conclusion is: yes her eyes are different colors. This is known as heterochromia iridium (which I knew thanks to the information superhighway). It can be a genetic abnormality (harmless, but rare physical trait that is not associated with any other disease, or trauma), or it could be caused by disease, injury, various "syndromes" (great), tumors, lesions, etc. etc. etc. All I can say is, aside from her eyes being different colors, there are no symptoms present which would make me think she is anything but a perfectly healthy child. I would suspect that if her heterochromia was a result of something serious, there would have been something more noticeable in her development, behavior, or temperament.

Moving on - they want us to come back in June for further examination. He wants to see how her pupils react to light change before anyone administers drops. He also said that it might be something where we explore more in-depth genetic history, and then I sort of stopped listening. I do take this seriously, but I am not going to spend the next (indefinite?) number of months letting curious doctors and specialists conduct experiments on Lucy. If there is cause for concern, I will pursue it and take all their advice, but I don't like how it made me feel when they were scrutinizing her face. She has her whole life to be scrutinized. In our society it is hard enough for young women to feel good about the way they look. She is unique and beautiful (I have proof).

Panic Attack!

I decided that when it was time for Lucy's afternoon nap, I would let her fall asleep in my arms, on the couch, while maybe dozing off for a while myself. Afterall, I'll only be able to do that for so long until she is either too big, or too old to nap... I read two books to her, and we were all bundled up with a blanket and before I knew it we had both just barely entered dreamland. Suddenly our weather radio started beeping - loud and fast! And LOUD. I remember looking through the little booklet at all the different types of beeps and what they could represent. Loud and fast was the *worst* kind of alarm there was, so I lept off the couch with Lucy in my arms, letting the blanket fall onto the floor.

As I ran to the radio to listen to the weather announcement recording (a male voice, see below) and read the message that scrolls across... the phone rings. I glance at the radio and see "TORNADO WARNING", then run and answer the phone (I know, I know) thinking it might be someone calling to warm me of the same thing. It wasn't - it was a woman from Kent County Health Services conducting their periodic checks on Lucy's development, and my questions or concerns as a parent. I immediately told the lady about the warning on the weather radio, and to hang on... Meanwhile opening the basement door and calling Killian...

... the warning was for the southernmost counties of Michigan, and has now become a tornado watch. So I was all shaking from the adrenaline but was able to answer the lady's questions.
So why does our weather radio have to send me into a tailspin of fear because a tornado touched down 150 miles away from me? Oh well... better safe than sorry. That radio is a blessing and a curse. I am sure glad we have it in case of real emergencies that could occur in the middle of the night, when no one is watching television. It just catches me off guard! I guess that's the idea.

The device also warns us when there is a volcano eruption, tsunami, earthquake, flood, social emergency (like a riot), hurricane, and a whole bunch of other things that will probably never happen anywhere near Grand Rapids. Basically for us, it's for tornados, t-storms, and blizzards... oh my. Well now I'm all keyed up and won't be taking a nap.

Hannah's Wishes

My brother and sister-in-law sent this to everyone, it's the school project of their daughter Hannah (my 4-year-old niece): her 3 wishes. They said they did their best to keep a straight face. I have to admit it is a little funny, but also very cute...



My advice is don't over-analyze her choices... I'm sure she thought them through carefully! :) Basically anything involving being a princess would probably make her happy!

New Holland Brew Co.

On April 6th I took this photo - it was a snowy night and Ron and I went out to New Holland for a couple drinks and some chips. I just snapped this shot randomly (no flash) from one of the high-tops in the front of the restaurant. I was pretty happy with the composition, even though it could be clearer. Anyway, I just e-mailed it to someone from NHB. They already wrote back and said they'll probably use it somewhere (maybe on their site) and said maybe they can hook me up with some beer for my efforts! Well, that would be great, but really I was just glad he liked my picture. Hope you do as well.

Talk Me Into Anything....

I've been convinced that I am capable of running a marathon. I'm a former cross-country runner, so the sport isn't completely unfamiliar territory, but it has been quite a while since I did any running on a regular basis. Also, the thought of a marathon is quite overwhelming so the only way to really approach it is by breaking it down into smaller distances in a training schedule like Hal Higdon's example. The farthest I've ever run at one time is 7 miles, and that was when I was about 16 years old (almost 10 years ago!). But starting tomorrow, I am supposed to begin running. That's fine, since the weather is improving and I can think about the great shape I will be in this summer, and maybe have some form of a tan...

I think I have an acceptable pair of shoes, but something tells me that I'm going to have to start aquiring some "cooler" running gear. Can you imagine!? Getting into a sport as an adult was not something I expected to do... but like I told Kelly earlier, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." The best thing to do is to just embrace these unexpected turns. This one can only lead to more self-confidence, as well as improved physical fitness. I really can't see anything bad coming from it, so it's worth a shot.

The date looming in my mind is October 7, the date of the Chicago Marathon.

My sister Kelly and my cousin Luciana are going to run as well. Kelly is also training for a half-Ironman length triathlon in August, so she is way ahead of me as far as preparation, but I have the advantage of a very flexible schedule, since I'm not working outside the home. This summer I can get up early (before the heat hits) and do my running, maybe with Lucy along for the ride.

It's been a long time since I've really had a goal set to accomplish, and I think that this one is realistic. I never would have thought I'd run a marathon - and maybe that's exactly why I should. It will also be a fun experience to share with my sister and my cousin.

Babies Suck!

Ha ha...

This is her new favorite thing to do. I don't think I can stop her... she is determined to suck on her big toe.

We Should Be Having a Priority Contest!

Okay, I have to express some thoughts here. I'm taking a risk that someone might stumble across this blog, but I'm just going to be honest about my feelings - and what better place than the world-wide web! Oh well...

Our baby Lucy is developing and growing at a totally normal pace. We're not sure how much she weighs (I'll let the doctor tell me if there's anything to be concerned about), or exactly how many inches, and half-inches she is in length. All we know is that she is perfectly healthy and happy, she smiles and loves to play on the floor, and last night - for the first time - had REAL prolonged laughing fits when our friends' dogs were sniffing around her play pen... she thought it was the most hilarious thing, apparently, and I can't even describe what it was like to hear her really laugh... just like a "real" kid! As weird as that sounds... we were tickled (lame phrase, but that's the way it really felt!), it was the most amazing thing I've ever heard. My point is, I think there are more important things than whether or not she is sitting up without toppling over, or how big (or small) she is.

I have never been huge into competition. The only thing that I really got that way about was beating my own best times in high school cross country... but all the while I was perfectly happy to be running on JV (not top 7) and not have the pressure. I just always liked doing things for "the fun of it"... not to be the best. I guess that's why I slacked a little bit in school... there were times where I thought, 'hey, good enough!' but I can't really think of a more rediculous thing to get competitive about than the development of infant children.

Unfortunately it's not always possible to avoid this weird competition (especially in a family known for lots of competitiveness), and even though we don't like it, it's important to other people and we are brought into it without even wanting to. I don't like that our child is compared to someone else's, because all kids are so different. Not to mention, they have different genders, different parents, different ages... so talk about apples and oranges! Anyway, as hard as it is to let it slide, we hope to just smile and say, "wow, that's great", and continue to focus on the things that really matter, like our little girl's giggles... okay I just had to vent there. Bye now!

It's called a "Play Yard"...

Or is it a "Pack-n-Play", or a good old fashioned "Play Pen"? Or maybe it should be called "Baby Cage".

Whatever it is, we finally broke down and bought one - it's green with multi-colored safari animals as accents. Lucy plays on the floor more now, and we want to keep her safe from curious pets (ours or other people's), and eating yard treasures of any kind when we take the operation outside. I'm sure whatever were to discover would go directly into her mouth. This is a more controlled environment. Anyway, it was fun to put her in it, she rolled around and had her face pressed up against the mesh sides, and was scraping her fingers on it... no attempts yet to escape. Hopefully it will work nicely for her, and not fall apart before baby #2 comes along. We like to be economical :) (hence not spending extra money on bells and whistles we don't think are necessary). Wow - our lives are so exciting! I'll post pictures another time!

No Surprise Here

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North   You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The South
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Sleeping With her Pink Bear

I know, I know, babies are supposed to sleep on their backs - but Lucy rolls onto her front all by herself - and today after she fell asleep Ron walked in to find her like this, cuddling with her pink bear (so I grabbed the camera):

Garrett & Ian Dancing

These are my twin nephews, Garrett and Ian (Ian is in the gray, and Garrett is in the black t-shirt). Free entertainment!

6 Months Old!

Here's the cake I made for Lucy - it didn't turn out exactly as I had in mind, but it was still pretty cute!


Here's is Heath and Kelly - they came up to visit for the weekend. The 4 of us (them, Ron, and I) went out to New Holland Brewery Saturday night for dinner and drinks, and then to Buffalo Wild Wings. Sunday we went to my parents' house for burgers and to celebrate Lucy's half-birthday :)


Here is Lucy eating some frosting on her little cake (an extra cake my mom bought just for Lucy to dig into). She didn't know what to think about all the attention, but she seemed to enjoy the frosting.


Here's Kelly holding her niece before we had cake.


More Photos from the weekend!