Back to Front

Henry rolled over front to back a while ago, but back to front is usually the more challenging one. For a few days Henry has looked like he was going to do it, but his bottom arm would be sticking out in front of him, so he couldn't quite push himself over. Today, I put him on the floor and in a matter of seconds, he did it! He pulled his arm underneath him out of the way and was on his tummy like - whoa, look what I just did!

So, I ran and grabbed the camera and snapped a couple photos (since I wasn't video"taping" the moment). Here's his official picture to commemorate this milestone:Good job Henry! Now you're really on your way to mobility!

Perm?!

Well, yesterday I got my hair cut. This isn't really "news" but a couple people were interested, so I will tell you - I got a very small trim, a few more layers, and a wavy perm. My hair is not curly, I must emphasize, but wavy. I've gotten perms in the past (in the 80's and 90's) and they weren't so cute - more crimpy and inconsistently curly, and this is nothing like that! I'm really happy with it, but if it's dry and I brush it out, it kind of looks yucky. It might force me to style my hair on a more regular basis. I was nervous about getting a perm, but it does give my hair some more body and texture, which was much needed.

Hair!

Okay - I'm getting my hair cut Thursday. Do I just trim it and keep growing it out, cut it shorter, layers, bangs, what to do, what to do...? I am even considering a perm (eek!) because it is becoming increasingly flat and straight. I didn't think that were possible, but alas, my hair is practically disappearing. It's even falling out lately, which happened about 6 weeks after Lucy was born, and then it trailed off. This time around, it started around 2 months after Henry was born and hasn't stopped. Every time I shower, or brush my hair... it's really annoying since my hair was so thin to begin with.

I have made a doctor appointment to find out if this is at all correlated with my continuing weight loss - despite the fact that I drink beer and wine, eat lots of pasta, pizza, cookies, apples, milk, cereal, peanut butter, chicken, you name it - just a general mix of healthy foods and junk foods like I've always eaten! I also have an absence of periods ever since delivering, hair loss, fatigue (although that must be partly due to Henry still waking up a few times in the night). No I am not pregnant, and no I am not possibly pregnant. I am also not pregnant. The Internet self-diagnosis says I might have hyperthyroidism, or I might just be so busy chasing kids all day that I'm burning too many calories. Either way I am going to talk to my doc about it and see if there is a hormonal issue happening (or if I just need to eat more!), and definitely get a prescription for some good vitamins to help fill in nutritional gaps. I've started taking my leftover prenatal vitamins in hopes that it helps keep some more of my hair attached to my scalp, and in the meantime maybe my aunt/stylist can help give me a new look with the hair I do have!

"Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy"

Saw this posted on Facebook by a friend and thought I'd share it here... makes you think twice before complaining about the little "inconveniences" in life, if you think about what we are able to do in this day and age!

Welcome!

Today Henry was baptized at Spring Valley Community Church, officially becoming a member of our church family. We were very happy that a guest pastor, Chris Pieters was able to come and speak today, and perform the baptism, as our church is currently searching for a new lead pastor since Randy left in October. Henry was wonderful, didn't cry or fuss, and actually had a few smiles while he was up there! The pastor blessed him with the water on his head, chest, hands, and feet to symbolize his mind, heart, work, and walk. Both sets of our parents were there, and Lucy lasted through part of the ceremony but was very glad to head off to Sunday school as soon as it was over. Afterward our parents all came over to our house for lunch and coffee.

We really love our church and are glad to be bringing our children to such a friendly, welcoming place. The church will be building a new facility (near GVSU) and a lot of change is going on right now, but we find it exciting to be a part of it.

That Was Quick....

I can't believe it's already Friday! Ron had Monday and Tuesday off, so the work week (for him) flew by. My work week all blends together, so every day feels pretty much the same! The fact that it's Friday only means that tomorrow morning Ron will be around to drink coffee in his pajama pants with me.

I am excited because in about a week or so, I will be getting a new camera body and a new lens to add to my slowly-growing collection of gear. The new camera body is more of a big deal, because it's a step into the semi-pro / pro level as opposed to the enthusiast/hobbyist level. I'm getting the Canon 40D, which isn't This Year's Model, but in many ways it is equally good (some prefer it) and of course, much less expensive. Canon has a way of cranking out new products so that if you buy something 6 months after it is released, about 6 months to a year later they'll have a new version of the same thing, and the older version drops drastically in price, although it might still be an outstanding product. This is what I gathered from extensive forum and review reading, and also my own experience buying the Canon Rebel Xt (not the Xti which was released right before I got the Rebel Xt. The Xti was preceded the Xsi by such a short amount of time, I am glad I didn't get swindled into spending the extra money, and just went with a reliably nice, but not too outdated camera). Then again, I wouldn't like it if Canon (or your camera manufacturer of choice) wasn't constantly improving their technology. A camera is a little bitty computer in many ways, so the same rules apply. It also helps keep the various companies competitive. Part of me still thinks they pace it out for marketing purposes, but that's their perrogative... being a business and all!

As I noted on Facebook, I am pondering which wide-angle lens to buy. I have learned so much about lenses that it is making my head spin, and it really isn't a simple choice. I want something that isn't going to fall apart or feel cheap, I like the USM, I want it wide but practical for portraits (too wide = too distorted), as I'm not necessarily shooting landscapes and architecture. I love primes, but am being lured by the practicality of zooms (I probably still won't get a zoom though, until I can afford an L series zoom that I know will be as sharp as a prime). I'm thinking third-party brand like Tamron or Sigma because I don't want to pay double, or triple for Canon's name brand, especially since this will be a lens that I use at every session, but definitely not my primary lens. If it is a piece, then I can upgrade in a year or two. By then who knows what will be available!

Nice

This was taken early this morning, while the sun was still coming up and Lucy was eating her oatmeal...
Sometimes I still hold him while he is drinking his bottle. But sometimes I unload the dishwasher or drink my coffee... or do a number of other constructive tasks!

He's eating more baby food these days, and seems to like whatever we throw at him...

Friday Updates

I've been such a slacker when it comes to blogging lately. What's new...

Henry is big. His 6-9 month onesies (brand new out of the package) aren't long enough, and stretch all down by the neck if you snap them at the bottom. Yeesh. He wore an 18 month shirt today. What's the deal? Here he is "sitting up" but it's the kind of sitting up that could easily result in him throwing his weight backward and not being able to maintain balance. I was in arm's reach so he was safe. I had to Photoshop Lucy's naked butt out of the background, however.

I went to a jewelry party at Katie's last night and bought a pair of silver hoop earrings, which I needed. I can never justify purchases like that but I'm glad I got them because I should treat myself to "wants" (not just "needs") from time to time!

I am having a hairdo dilemma. I think I want to keep growing it long, but I go back and forth about whether to have bangs or not. Sometimes I clip them back and like it, other times I think it looks awful. I might even consider getting a wave-perm to give my hair some body, because it couldn't be any thinner or flatter. Then I see people with sleek, angled bobs and think about chopping it all off again. Last time I did that was last April... just as my hair was getting officially "long". I immediately wanted my long hair back. I am so indecisive... help!

I finally removed the tiny little pumpkins from our front porch. Already? you ask... Yeah, I'm on top of things around here. I lifted one by the stem and it came out like pulling a spoon out of a cup of pudding. I had to pick them up with my hands (gross!) and the skin was barely holding them together. Why I let them sit all winter, I do not know. Probably just a case of "I'll take care of that later" meets "out of sight out of mind". I didn't want Valentine's Day pumpkins, so they were chucked into the bushes into ploppy little orange piles. I'm hoping Mother Nature takes care of the rest.

Preschool Visit

Yesterday I brought Lucy to her future preschool to meet her teacher and check out the classroom. I left Henry with my in-laws and got to spend some time with Lucy alone in the room, and then later with all the other kids. The other kids were all coming up to her, introducing themselves, and Lucy was clearly a bit intimidated. What a difference a year can make (and being accustomed to preschool, which Lucy is of course not)! She quickly discovered that this room had more cool stuff than our house ever will, and was happy to explore by herself, and interact with some of the other kids a little.

During "circle time" someone brought in a doll to pass around for show-and-tell. It got passed to Lucy and I was holding my breath that she wouldn't throw a fit when she had to give it to the next kid, but she got the idea and passed it on, and I was relieved. The doll was a winged sparkly fairy with long hair, no less... probably something she would love to hold on to. In preschool she will learn more about cooperating, following directions, and sharing, and I got a glimpse of how much progress 3 year olds can make in that department over the course of a few months into the school year - and it's pretty amazing. There is a big difference between a not-quite 2 and a half year old, and a room full of 3 and a half year olds who have been in school since September. I am excited to see Lucy mature in the same way.

She did a painting, and played with legos and other toys while I talked to the teacher, who seems really nice and laid-back. I didn't really have any pressing questions, as it seemed like a typical preschool situation. The only "problem" is she will be in the PM session (AM's were full), and will probably have to totally drop her nap (if she hasn't already by then, which she seems close to doing now). Hopefully her nighttime sleep will extend a little later into the morning, so she's not going there already tired and cranky.

The Pacifairy Did It

Last summer we switched Lucy to her toddler bed. After she became used to it, we took away the pacifier. It went surprisingly well. Then, after a couple days, it became impossible to get her to sleep without one. I have to admit that we caved and went back to the pacifiers. We thought maybe we just tried to do too much at a time. Over the last several months she became almost more addicted to them than ever, wanting to get it even when she was awake (even though we'd take it away). She had to have them for naps and bedtime, and would start asking for it as soon as she got out of the bath and we were putting her pajamas on.

Then Sunday she didn't nap all afternoon when she was at my parents' house (which allowed me to get a lot of painting done). That night, I figured she was really tired and it might be a good time for the Pacifairy to visit. I explained about how the Pacifairy heard she was such a big girl so she was going to bring Lucy a special treat but Lucy could have no more pacifiers, because they are for babies. She shrieked and cried and eventually I got her to stop screaming long enough to listen to a story - which I made up - involving Princess Lucy and a bunch of other key words such as "beautiful", "magical", "pink", "kitten", "fluffy", "adventure", "forest", and "flying pony", and various combinations thereof. She fell asleep just as I was starting to annoy myself... but I think she enjoyed it. Yeesh. The next morning I let her inhale an entire Hannah Montana candy bracelet right after breakfast, because I had to come up with something and we happened to still have it from Lucy's Christmas stocking from my Grandma. I mean, the Pacifairy brought it. Just like Santa Claus.

Then yesterday she didn't nap (possibly due to the candy bracelet?), as I indicated on my Facebook status. I was so irate trying to get her to stay down, that after an astonishingly wasteful 2 hours I realized it wasn't worth it, and I could have spent that time letting her chill out on the couch watching Noggin while I did just about anything else, which would have been much more productive. I know some peoples' kids nap at age 5, 6, or older, but ours is not one of those kids. I'd rather her go down easier at night, I guess. Last night was a primo example of that, as it only took about 5 minutes of Ron telling her a magical unicorn tale for her to be completely out, by 8:20.

So - the moral of the story was the first time we took the "fires" away she pitched a fit and we got desperate and let her have them again. This time, they literally had to disappear and we had to make the commitment not to go back to them ever again. It has taken a little extra effort but we figured it wasn't going to get any easier, and now is the time to take them away cold-turkey, permanently, no exceptions.

Na Na

Took this of Henry this morning. Whenever I read his shirt I start singing "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot but with the alternate lyrics: "I like Big Trucks and I cannot lie..." Now that is probably in your head. You're welcome.

Anyway, today I became smarter than my camera. I know this will sound like nonsense to many people, but usually I would just shoot in aperture priority (Av) mode, but somehow my dial got switched to fully manual. In Av, I could adjust the depth of field / aperture and the camera would adjust all the other settings according to what it thought it needed to expose the photo correctly. In manual, however, I can adjust all the settings how I want. It seems like a no-brainer that everything would turn out better, but I just didn't trust my own ability to make those adjustments on the fly, and opted to go with Av in order to get the best exposure. That often resulted in me using a really wide aperture to get a fast shutter speed (esp. indoors), but that made it a lot harder to get the focus spot-on (or I'd get one eye clear and the other eye, maybe angled a little further away from me, out of focus - which can be a desirable effect, but not usually).

On that note: when we're talking about photos of people, usually the most important part to get in focus is the eyes. If the rest of the face is slightly soft, it's forgivable. The eyes (maybe because they're wet and reflective) have got to be sharp. With small children, it can be hard to achieve since they are constantly moving. Or you have a fast shutter and the image is too dark. Wide aperture speeds up the shutter and lets in more light, but you might miss the focus mark because you have to be that much more accurate. Sound confusing? It kind of is, but over the course of a year and a half I have gotten a much better grasp of these concepts (while taking thousands and thousands of photos, 75% of which are deleted almost right away). This isn't meant to be a lesson in photography technicalities, so thanks for bearing with me here.

I'm just excited because now I feel like I am justified in my need for a new camera body, sometime this spring. I am not going to get "this year's model" or top of the line anything, but a decent step up from what I have now (which is a Rebel Xt). I think it's only right to move up a step when I feel like I've mastered the camera I have. Now that I can shoot in manual mode confidently, I think my pictures are going to be turning out even better. The one above might look a lot like many other photos I've taken, but the amazing thing was even with him moving his head side to side, almost all the shots I took turned out just as sharp-eyed, which isn't typical.

Basement

Our basement was finished when we bought our house, but it still felt kind of like a basement. We wanted it to feel more inviting, like a real usable living area that you could relax in, without feeling like you were in a basement. We are grateful that it is a daylight basement - but with only one daylight window at the end! Oh well, during the day, plenty of natural light comes in, thanks to the tree-removal in the fall. The bedroom down here has 2 nice daylight windows, and the bathroom has one too. Creative lighting, as we renovate the basement, will be a must. I don't want just overhead lighting, so we're going to incorporate a couple more floor lamps, three some large back-lit panels on one of the larger blank walls, that will serve as an accent light, as well as an art piece. It will also visually anchor the poker table and make it feel like it's in it's own little designated spot. It's a cheap project that we have been working on in our heads, but hasn't begun yet. I keep stressing how important good lighting is in a room, especially one like this where you want to feel cozy, and not like you're in a drug-store.

I have spent the last couple weeks with a dragged-out painting project hanging over my head. Now I am almost done with this one! Our basement, aside from the fact that everything is in disarray, is repainted! Well, the main rec/family area is. We have the same medium sandy gray color, as well as spicy orange/brown accent walls. The hallway, bedroom, and bathroom down here are next on my list, as well as the stairway... but I'm not thinking about that. At the moment I am just trying to enjoy the new warmer, cleaner look. It always amazes me at what a difference it makes in how the space feels. Not to mention we patched holes and the paint covers all the scuffs. We are hoping to replace the carpet with a DIY install later this year. We will probably get a lighter neutral (beige with flecks) Berber or something fairly durable and easy to keep clean, and easy to ride tricycles and push shopping carts on! We're not too picky about the exact color, and are certainly willing to go to the clearance room if we can find enough of the same kind. The basement area we need to carpet is 48 feet long by 12 feet wide. Any suggestions on THE place for carpet? We've been getting it from Columbo's on Port Sheldon, and are very happy with their service, but we aren't as worried about service, delivery, and installation this time around as we are about thriftiness. This actually has the potential to become our favorite place in the house when it's completed to our vision. It might take a little while, but we'll get there. We jsut have to try to be patient (which we usually are not very good at when it comes to home-improvements). By next fall/winter we believe we should have a very nice looking rec-room!

How about that game? I really thought the Cardinals might pull it off, even though I'll admit I was one of the many nay-sayers. Ron had more faith in them than I did, but we both still figured the Steelers would probably win. I don't follow NFL football that much, but I do like to root for the underdog. Oh well, it was still a very exciting game! We had our own little party here (meaning, just us) and I actually ate chicken wings. I tried, but I am sorry - I just can't force myself to love chicken wings! They're too messy and too much work for a tiny little shred of meat, IMO.

Springsteen, and the commercials, were the highlight for me. I think I still love that talking E*Trade baby the most. There were some other really good ones too, which I am sure are all getting lots of hits on YouTube today.

Mean Mommy... I Don't Think So

Last night around 3:30 AM Henry woke up like clockwork. Doesn't matter how much he eats, when he last eats, or what time he goes to bed... 3:30 he will wake up. And start screaming. As you can imagine, "3:30 AM Mindy" is delighted to wake up the instant it starts, and realize that Ron is continuing to sleep soundly (until I start talking about it or sigh loudly to drag him into my pity party). I have agreed that the middle-of-the-night duties are usually mine alone, since Ron gets up early and teaches 150 teenagers all day. But "3:30 AM Mindy" sometimes wakes him up a little anyway... He could sleep through anything.

Now I know why a lot of people disagree with this approach, and I respect every mother's / parent's decision to do what they feel is best for their child, and meet their physical and emotional needs, which nobody knows better than you what that is. However, last night I decided to meet Henry's need of teaching him how to fall asleep without me feeding him. I know he is big enough not to require food for survival in the middle of the night. I was tired, he wasn't screaming quite as insanely loud as usual, and I though, "hey, why not tonight?". I checked the clock: 3:35.

For the next 40 minutes he cried, kind of like a "yelling" type of cry. That slowed down and I watched the clock anxiously, hoping not to hit the 1-hour mark. He stopped crying completely for about 5 minutes and I thought we were in the clear when he started up again. I went in and soothed him a bit without taking him out of the crib (less than 30 seconds) and went back to bed. One more time doing that and he was out again ... the whole process did take a little over an hour, but wasn't too terrible (5:00 was the last time I looked at the clock before I fell back asleep). It's now going on 8:30 and he's still asleep (I checked on him though, and he's okay).

We did this with Lucy around 5 months old and of course it's no fun to listen to your baby cry (and now we have the added fear of hoping Lucy doesn't wake up too, and we're all in adjacent bedrooms). However, I do remember how successful this was with her, and that I always wished I would have done it sooner! I don't think it traumatizes a child, because eventually they have to realize that they are safe and can fall back asleep on their own. Henry has been in his crib at night since he was a few days old. Oh yeah, and Lucy never got up. If she woke up, she went back to sleep on her own.

I hope it doesn't sound like we are cold, callous parents who are selfishly looking out for our own needs, because we are like any other parents, who love our children more than life itself and want nothing more than for them to be safe and happy. Anyone who knows us well knows how much we have sacrificed of our own "needs" to be the best parents we know how to be. I have known many people who use the Ferber (cry-it-out) method to teach their kids to sleep through the night. I know their kids are perfectly happy, well-adjusted, and feel loved and protected. I have known some really lucky ones whose kids do it without any method implemented at all. I also know some parents who get up with their kid to feed, nurse, rock, whatever, for several months to a year, or longer, and they are more than happy to do it. Whatever works for you. I am just ready to reclaim my full-night's sleep, and I actually think Henry will benefit from a full night's sleep as well, since he only takes a couple naps during the day.

Sorry to our neighbors who I think are on the same baby monitor channel.... he he he.

Four Months Old

Henry turned four months old today, and had his checkup with Dr. Joe. He weighs 17 pounds, 6.5 oz. (91st %) and is 27 inches long (95% "off the chart"). I was actually guessing he would weigh more. The average length (height) at age one is 30" so he's well on his way...
It's hard to believe we're 1/3 the way through his first year. Here is a list of his favorite things at 4 months:

• eating
• squealing loudly and high-pitched (even when happy)
  
• taking baths
• putting his hand in his mouth
• putting stuffed animals in his mouth
  
• playing in the Exersaucer
• watching Lucy run around
• shaking a rattle

He was a champ today at the doctor - he had four shots, and although he screamed while he was getting the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ones (but not the 1st!), he stopped pretty much right away when the nurse was done. The rest of the time he was smiley and looking around. He fell asleep on the way home, and is still snoozing in the carseat. The Tylenol I gave him might contribute to a longer than usual nap. I'm thinking about getting the walker out soon, and seeing if he can make it go. Our new house will be a lot more fun for him that our last house was for Lucy in the walker. Much more open space now. I'm wondering if Lucy will "help" him along. Who am I kidding...

Public Photography & Girls by the Water

Last August Ron and I went to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park for our anniversary (he surprised me, and I didn't know where we were headed until we exited onto the East Beltline). Of course I had the camera with me and we wandered around in the blazing heat and I took plenty of photos. I was very pregnant, wearing a thick compression stocking, and sweating like crazy. We stopped at a nice pond with waterfalls and plenty of fish and plantlife to sit and rest. We were both desperately thirsty, and I was so hot I felt like jumping right in!

So, please read this carefully because I am going to post something very unusual and people might think I am crazy, but this is ultimately an attempt to do something nice for someone, and I hope it's not misconstrued in any way... I can understand if this is viewed as unprofessional as a photographer, but in this situation I am not posting this as a "professional photographer" (note: I would never, without permission, post this photo in a gallery on my photography site, which would be illegal), I am posting this as a visitor to the park who happened to take a nice picture, just like anybody else. I am not trying to plug business by posting this, although I did put a watermark on the picture to prevent anyone from taking it and making prints, since it is still my work, professional or not. Legally speaking, it is perfectly okay to take photos of people in public places (except restrooms and dressing rooms), including minor children, without consent, and without a model release - as long as that photo is for editorial purposes and not as commercial advertisement (which is also why I did not put my "logo" watermark on this photo). The two questions that need to be addressed are 1) may I take the photo and 2) what am I going to do with it. These two questions are what matters in any situation where photos are taken of people in public places. If I used a person's image to sell a good or service (as in an ad for an amusement park) it is not okay. If a person's face is seen in an "artistic" or editorial work, I may in fact sell it for profit, like in a gallery. This happens all the time in street photography and photojournalism. Yes, I looked into this before putting a photo of someone's kids on my blog. Finding this photo on our hard drive ended up being very educational for me! I'm glad I understand the law better, because I can see myself, for fun or as artistic exercise, taking photos in public places a lot more this year. That being said...

While sitting there we looked over and saw these two girls standing on the edge of the pond. I know it might be sketchy to admit this, but I couldn't resist snapping a photo. I figured I would be the only one to see it anyway, and it was more as an experiment. I never really gave it a second thought. However, as I was just going through old random pictures and cleaning up some folders, I came across it again. I decided that I want to share it, as a very futile effort to find out who these kids are, so I can e-mail the file to their mom, or moms (I don't know if they are sisters or friends), or even have a print made. It's likely this photo will never find the rightful owner, but who knows. If you know who these girls are, or if these are your girls, please forgive me for taking their picture without permission. They looked so cute and summery by the water, and it's truly a candid moment of childhood. I was practicing with a new lens and ended up with something that I think is special... I'm usually not one to say my work is that outstanding, but this was one of those photos that made me pause and take a second look, there is something so timeless about it. If I were these girls' mom, I would want a copy.

Happy Birthday!

This weekend we celebrated my sister's 30th Birthday! Her fiance planned a couple surprises, starting with her good friend Jessie flying in from Duluth and when Kelly got home from class Friday night, she was waiting at their apartment! The next day, Ron and I showed up and hung out for a while, then Kelly, Jessie, and I went to see a movie. While we were gone, Heath, Ron, and Heath's brother and his girlfriend helped set up the food, drinks, and decorations. When we got back, Kelly was surprised again with a party, and quite a few people made it to celebrate with her. Pretty cool. Great job , Heath.... and we were so glad we could be there!

Inauguration Day!

Since the kids won't be able to remember this (but hopefully in school they have up-to-date enough books to read about it), I had to take photos of them by the television. They will be able to see that they were in fact watching all of the morning's events...

Regardless of your personal feelings about Obama, I think it's hard to deny the fact that it's been a looong time (if ever?) that so many people were this excited about a new President taking office. Much more eloquent things will be written about the significance of this day than I could ever attempt to write on this blog.

However, I will say that it is pretty amazing how this process is handled. Someone said (something to the effect of) even though our country was established by breaking away from the Crown, we kept that sense of "pomp and circumstance" that is so elegant and powerful to witness. Every inauguration is historic because it is the continuation of these rituals and traditions. I hope everyone was able to watch at least part of today's events, and that whether or not you voted for Barack Obama, you have appreciation for the democratic system that made this day possible.

Mantle, Painting, & A Session Coming Up!

Well, it's been a while since I've spent any significant time on the computer, so I just caught up on all the blogs I like to read, and Facebook, and now I am pretty sick of being down here in the basement! Although, the basement has changed a lot over the past couple days. I have about half of it painted. We're doing most of it in the neutral color used upstairs, but there will be some accent walls in an orangeish-brown color (or brownish orange).

We listed an old drop-leaf table and 2 chairs on Craig's List and sold it in a matter of a couple hours. They are picking it up tomorrow! Quick cash that can be turned into something useful for down here, like decor or a new window treatment (to replace the vinyl mini-blinds in light blue that we currently have!). We are also selling our old microwave for two reasons 1) it is too big to sit on our counter unless it is in a corner... but at this house, our countertops have no corner areas, and 2) if we ever move to or build a place we should by all means be able to buy a new one that either fits in a corner of the counter or is built in, or for all we know we will move somewhere that already has a sweet microwave! The fact remains that right now it's not being used and I don't want it sitting around gathering dust anymore. It is a great microwave, Panasonic, stainless steel, 1.6 cubic feet. We just don't need it right now. Hopefully we can turn that into some quick money too, which we could put to better use than an unused microwave.

I'm excited about an upcoming photo session this week (children), since the past month or so has been pretty slow, meaning nada! Understandable, I suppose, with the holidays and all (especially since I'm pretty new at this biz) but it feels like it's been too long since I did a session. I do get the sense that word is getting out though, which is exciting. I was contacted about doing a wedding in September. That may be a little intimidating right now, but I'm planning on giving them a good deal and I know I would do well (even though I think I'll be pretty nervous about it)! Also by then I will have so much more experience - including a couple weddings that I'll have a chance to "practice" on with no real pressure (other than my unrealistic need to make every session I do better than the one before): my sister's and my friend's weddings, which are completely different from one another, which is cool. I will have better equipment as well, and that is a factor (although I do believe cameras don't take great photos, people take great photos. A camera is a tool, and only as good as the person using it)... but sometimes you need better tools to do the job right, and to the quality that you'd like.

Blah blah blah...

Oh, our mantle is done and painted. It's so nice to have a fire and be able to enjoy looking at the surround as well. Ron made the mantle out of a rough-cut piece of wood which had to be cut to length from 12 fee to approximately 8 feet, and planed smooth, and sanded by hand. The leftovers are sitting at the top of our basement steps, and you'd never believe something so ugly could become a silky smooth, straight piece of wood for a mantle! It was screwed to the surround framing through holes drilled on the top, which were filled by wood plugs so you don't see any fasteners. A big project, and it's finally pretty much completed (once I finish a couple paint touch-ups)!

DTV Transition

Funny video, must watch, click here and then click on the video. Thanks Kelly!

Potty Post

I think it's customary for parents of toddlers to share their potty-training experiences on their blogs.... at least a few people I know do it, and I'm no exception. So I apologize to those who would rather not hear about such things.

Lucy's been doing pretty well with the potty chair, as long as she runs around with no diaper / pants on. She knows it's coming and will run to it and sit down to pee. However, she was refusing to go #2 even if she really had to. We'd put a diaper back on and she'd go within minutes. Today, however, she finally did it! I actually ran downstairs to check my Facebook, and then I heard her shouting "I went poopy in the potty chair!" over and over, so I ran upstairs and sure enough, she had! I think this is a big next step in this process. We go with a fairly no-pressure approach. It's available for her to use, but I'd rather her run around and go about her normal routine than to sit on the potty for hours on end waiting passively for things to happen. She gets rewarded with candy as well as a sticker on a chart that hangs on the fridge, and some singing, dancing, clapping, hugs, high-fives, etc.

My only dilemma is I still don't know how to get her to tell us before hand if she needs to go, in case we start letting her wear panties. It seems like she goes right back to the mentality that she's wearing a diaper. So, that's the next step! Fun times. At least she's making progress. :) Good job Lucy!!!

Three's Company

I thought I could keep her away, but we now have two Dora dolls in our house. Her neat hairdo is quickly ruined, which of course drives me crazy. Much like Lucy's most of the time...Of all the pretty pictures I took today, I had to post these. I had Henry on our bed, and then propped him up to take care of something. Lucy did the rest...

Baby Names

BabyCenter.com released their list of the top names of 2008 for boys and girls. I find it interesting to watch some of the trends and see how they change. According to their list, for 2008, Henry actually was in the top 100 at #84. Lucy has climbed to #74, but the name was not in the top 100 the year she was born. If we had had another girl, she would have been named Alice (not on the list either). Both Henry and Alice were in the top 10 in the 1900's, so clearly we've gone with the old-fashioned names trend. Well, I guess it depends on which list you look at, since they all tend to be a little bit different. The fact is, the trends are similar across the board. I found the "official" list at the Social Security Administration, although the 2008 list isn't ready yet. It might be fun to look up your own name, or your birth year, just for kicks.

Naming a baby is fun and exciting when you are expecting. There is a lot of pressure to find something that you (and hopefully the kid) will love forever. I really like my name because there weren't too many other Mindys around when I was growing up. To this day I only know a few. It's not short for anything, and it just suits me, I guess because it's all I've ever known! My name hit its peak in 1979 (rank 81), and then went right back out of the top 100. When I was born in 1981, it was ranked at #154.

I get these little e-mails about our children's development and it has articles, so when this one showed up in my inbox I thought it would be interesting for some people to take a look at, and then I went on to find a more comprehensive and accurate source. If you're currently expecting, this is definitely something that will be on your mind!

Changed

I have obviously changed my blog's background image. I am not wild about it, but at least it's updated now. It's not that hard to change it, so I might keep looking for something different. This is too similar to what I used to have. I kind of want to take the time to create my own image, but that isn't happening today...

Princess Bride Ambigram

Kelly sent me this for the 20th Anniversary release of The Princess Bride (which is one of my favorite movies ever!). 20 Years?! Anyway, it is a really amazing ambigram of the title. Thought my loyal fans would enjoy this. Meanwhile, I realize I have change my background, because we are done with the holidays. Well, we've been done for a couple weeks, but I just took the lit garland down from over our cabinets, thus making this official (at least around our house). I'm going to try to change it today sometime.

Wall Decals

I have an idea (maybe possibly totally stolen from Tiece): vinyl wall decals. There are plenty of them here on Etsy to sift through. The prices aren't too bad, and it's of course removable if we get sick of it. I might like this idea. I would want to put it on the back wall up there. Or possibly, if it's more linear, on the wall under the windows. Depends on what we got.

Ideas?

Here is the space above our foyer, there is a ceiling fan there, which someday we plan to replace! It his brass and white with no cover over the lightbulb! You can see part of the paint job I was talking about too. Anyway, ever since we found this house we wanted to put something interesting up there. Most people suggest a large vase/urn thingy with some kind of fake plant or grasses in it. I haven't written that idea off entirely, but part of me wants to find something a little more interesting.

The accent colors in our room are orange and turquoise. The style is a very casual but modern/simple look. I like mid-century and vintage things. Any suggestions for something to place up there?

Multi-Themed Post, Can't Think of a Title

Well, I've finished painting the bathroom - I like it. It's a tad brighter than I would have originally wanted, but it's a vast improvement from the "invisible lavender" that it used to be (meaning it looked almost white, with white trim. Exciting). The brass TP dispenser is the kind that is recessed into the wall. They only make them in brass or chrome, those toilet paper dispenser making devils! So Ron spray-painted ours with nickel Rustoleum. Better now. We switched all the beige switches/outlets to white too. A couple minor cracks were patched before being painted, so overall it's a huge difference.

I'm about 75% done with the great room, which we decided to do in two tones of warm gray (off the same swatch) to accentuate some of the unique architecture. The darker color almost looks a bit olive, but we like it. I'll post pictures soon. We had to borrow an extension ladder from a neighbor. The A-frame (I shall name "old wobbly") we have works for some areas, but I just can't get high enough to cut in waaaay up toward the top. I am not very scared of heights. In fact I don't think Ron would mind if I revealed the fact that he'd probably be more scared than I was up there, but I don't exactly love it either. He'd be perfectly willing to suffer through it for me, but I am a control/neat-freak when it comes to painting, so I'd rather do it myself. I'll go as far as to use an arts and crafts brush to make sure I'm cutting in a neat line. I know that sounds horrible... but I'm being honest about it. Ron has really been off the hook in this department since we've been married. I'm glad the worst parts of the room are done. The rest I can finish today without using the big scary ladder.

My parents took Lucy for most of the day yesterday, and there is no way we would've gotten even a fraction of the work done with her at home. She went to the Treehouse at Rivertown, baked cookies, and watched a small portion of The Little Mermaid before declaring that she didn't like it! What the heck!?! Maybe when she's a bit older.

Henry wasn't exactly the most cooperative boy though, since he seems to have started teething. Pink cheeks (cute), mild fever, lots of extra drool, and screaming. His high-pitched shriek sounds just like the smaller dentist drill. It really makes you work fast to figure out how to calm him down! Smart boy. I dug out the Orajel and that made him stop instantly, but its effect doesn't last long enough. He basically didn't nap yesterday so Ron spent a lot of the day holding him and trying to keep him happy. That was his "job" while I painted.

We received our DirectTV Saturday, which has led to us having HGTV on pretty much all weekend. I like the new setup, and browsing through channels while you're still watching one, etc, is nice. The picture is also much sharper.

I feel like the weekend was really productive, although it went by too quickly. After the great room is done being painted, I'll work my way through the mudroom, stairway, and into the basement... should be a painty week! When I get started on something like this, I don't want to drag it out for too long.

Bye Bye Cable

Here's a question posted to Comcast's customer service forum:

What's the story with Comcast and the digital TV switch-over that's coming in Feb 2009? According to the various gov sites, if you have cable TV, you're not affected. So I called Comcast and the rep told me that they will discontinue all analog channels in Feb 2009 as well and that the cheapest digital package starts at $55/month. So what's the real story?

I'd prefer to just keep everything "as is", but if Comcast is going to dump all the analog channels, I guess I'll have to dump Comcast cable (I guess I'll drop Comcast internet too if I can get DSL in my area) and try using one of the new coupon boxes instead, however I don't know if I will be able to get it to work with my ReplayTV boxes.

So, does anyone know if Comcast really is going to dump all the analog channels?
-Robman

Robman,
First, I would like to apologize for any confusion.

Please allow me to clarify. Comcast's relocation of analog channels to the digital tier does not have anything to do with digital switch over in Feb 2009. The digital switch over is only for off the air channels (local and basic channels available through antenna) being transmitted from analog to digital. If you are a cable customer, you do not have anything to worry about. We got you covered for the switch over in 2009.

Currently on some Comcast markets, channels are being relocated from analog to the digital tier. The main purpose for us doing this is to free up space. For every analog channel, we can fit in more digital and High def channels. If you do not have a digital converter, you may not be able to view the transferred channels becuase they are now in the digital feed. As a result, we are currently offering a promotion for customers who are currently not subscribing to our digital service.

I hope my expanation helped. If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please feel free send me an email with your best contact number. I will be happy to assist further.

Best Regards,

Mark C.
Comcast Corp.

...even though in theory cable users are not affected by the OTA switchover, there's nothing stopping the cable companies using this occasion to move all of their analog channels up into the digital range too. If you're already using a cable box, this probably won't affect you, but if (like me) you have the cable going directly into your TV, it is a concern.

Basically, if you have a basic cable package (like Ron and I) we are getting some cable channels through the analog tier (via our cable). It's confusing to me as anything, but I can almost wrap my mind around it. We pay for a certain number of channels and get others we're not supposed to (Comcast knows this occurs, and we're not manipulating any equipment etc.), and so Comcast is moving them to the "digital tier" (huh) because analog broadcast take up about 10 times as much space (on the frequency spectrum) as digital broadcasts use. The FCC wants to trim down the space required for TV so that they can sell the rest of the spectrum. They also need a dedicated emergency band that doesn't conflict with any of the cellular phone companies. Yada yada yada, we'll have to start paying more if we want to continue seeing all the channels we currently have. I can see both sides, but I think Comcast is being a bit sneaky about it.

For the past year we've heard all about this switchover to digital broadcast and been under the impression we're ready and nothing is going to change. Well, technically we are ready. Our TVs are ready, and we're not receiving a signal through rabbit ears, right? However, that doesn't mean that our monopolistic cable company isn't going to pull a fast one. We've looked into it a lot (per my extreme skepticism and Ron's desire to watch more ESPN) and spoken to actual humans from Comcast on the telephone, and this is reality, not some Internet hoax. Therefore as of tomorrow we are no longer going to be Comcast TV subscribers and are going to the dish. We'll have about a trillion channels for the same cost as Comcast's lowest price digital package ($55). I just hope that we don't become TV-aholics. I'm actually most excited about the Satellite radio channels, and MTV2. Our Internet connection is DSL through AT&T.

It's hard to sift through the rumors and reality online, and at first I was very skeptical about this issue, because I was of course thinking that our TVs are really new, and our connection is cable, and the screen was green, and so forth. We are ready for the switch, but around the same time our cable service will be changing. I'm not sure exactly what date that's occurring, and in my opinion Comcast is being very misleading by using the OTA switch as a kind of distraction. Perhaps a lot of people (like me) are unaware that some of their channels are going to be moved, if they didn't realize they were analog channels being received through the cable. I don't know. I'm sure a lot of confused angry old people will be clogging up Comcast's customer service lines so if you think this might affect you, look into it and get er done early.

Bathroom

Not a post about potty training... :)

I had started painting our main floor bath green, and didn't like it. I decided I could try adjusting the paint myself, and worse case scenario would be I'd have to buy new paint. I added some brown (the color of our front door), and a small amount of it was enough to do the trick, and take the neon edge off the green. Now it's still a cheerful color but a little more natural looking. I should be able to finish that room up tonight. I am also repainting the ceiling in there, since it needed it very badly (previous owners were sloppy painters), and I never did it when we initially moved in. Both kids are napping at the same time (!!!!) so it gave me a chance to get a lot done!

Repainting... More Than Half the House!

I admit it is crazy, but I have taken on the job of repainting our great room (and hallway, and mudroom). Anyone who has been to our house knows that we have tall ceilings, and a lot of windows to go around, and a few weird nooks and crannies. I have almost all the cutting-in done. I will now explain why I'm doing this when I just painted it a little over a year ago!

1: There are plenty of scuffs, dents, a hole created by Lucy, misc. casualties of home-improvements, etc. on our walls and hallway, and the paint left over from the original job is barely enough to do the touch-ups needed, that is, if it hasn't separated and turned yucky. There was about an inch of paint left in the bucket and it's probably not "good" anymore. The paint color used was an adjusted custom color, so it is literally impossible to match it with new purchased paint.

2: I've always felt that there was a bit too much of pink in the color, and wanted something that is a grayer tan. After getting some of the new paint on the walls, I see the colors are very similar, but the new one is a tad more gray, which is exactly what I wanted. Thank goodness, because we really didn't want to adjust another 5 gallon bucket of paint.

3: We are going to paint the basement in two colors - a neutral and a brownish orange (accent walls). I can do double-duty with the new paint and redo the upstairs as well as the basement, stairway, and basement hallway, which are currently scuffed-up white, and the basement bedroom which is blue spongepaint. I believe we have enough paint for that. If not, we can buy more of the exact same color without an issue, since we didn't have it adjusted. Painting is a great way to make walls appear so much cleaner and newer... our basement definitely needs that more than any other space in the house, it's so banged up!

Meanwhile I have started repainting the upstairs bathroom, but stopped. I started with the green we bought back in July of 2008. I have tried and tried and can't convince myself to like it. It's too much of an obnoxious green, although it doesn't bother Ron. He thinks it's nice but gives me the final veto power when it comes to this kind of stuff. Probably a good thing because if I had to start each day looking at that green bathroom I would be pretty crabby. I still want it green, but a more neutral, natural green. The one in there now is too limey, and reminds me of Easter candy. Not that I have a problem with Easter, I just don't like it on my walls.

As much as I dislike painting (probably because I've done so much), I love how much of an impact it has on the look of a room, for relatively little money. A few days of work is well worth it to me. Well, all this work might take me more than a few days... ;)

Break Over

Ron and I spent New Years Eve in Otsego with our friends Eric and Jen. We've gone to each others' homes for the past few years, taking turns with the hour long drive. Well, Ron and I actually were more tired than anything, and decided to crash there that night. The next day was the family Christmas party for Ron's side, so we picked up the kids from my parents and headed over. Lucy had been up since 6:00 AM (that's early for her) and then of course didn't get a nap. We got there are noon, left around 4:30, and Lucy fell asleep somewhere between Grandville and Hudsonville. We put her in her bed when we got home, and she stayed asleep (despite an effort around 6:30 to wake her up for a while). I did change her into PJ's and she went right back down, and didn't get up until the next morning at her usual time! So, essentially she slept from 4:30 PM to 6:30 AM! I don't think she ever slept that long, even as a baby.

We've finished working on the fireplace surround, and to make a long story short, it is painted white. It looks nice, although it might need another coat or two. For tonight, I am done.

Tomorrow Ron goes back to work... and I am back on my own with the kids - which I was used to before, until I was spoiled for two weeks with his help. Ahh... I better head off to bed!

A Look Back at 2008

Another New Year's Eve is here. I can't believe 2008 is coming to a close tonight. We have plans with our friends from Otsego - who we have spent New Years with for the past four years.

This year has overall been a great one. In January I became pregnant, and that is obviously how I spent most of the year. Lucy changed more this year than she did in her first year... it has been quite amazing to see her grow. When I look at photos of her from back in January (like the one to the right), or even the summer, she looks so different! What the photos don't show is how she has grown intellectually and socially. It just keeps getting more and more fun.

In May, Ron turned 30! Wow!

Our summer vacation was spent leisurely enjoying the beaches and parks, as well as a sweltering trip to John Ball Zoo, while I tried to conceal my hideous compression stocking. Of course there were times when I felt that it just wasn't worth it, and let me extra tan leg show in all its glory. Yuck. Fortunately, the issue has now almost completely resolved itself and I no longer have to wear it.

Late in August we got a phone call that we've been waiting for ever since we met our soon-to-be brother-in-law Heath. Kelly and Heath got engaged in Traverse City and we both guessed that they'd end up together, so it was exciting to hear the news. I remember the first time we met him back in 2007, we were living in our old home on Taft in Wyoming. From the start he was easy to get along with and fit right in. Lucy was 6 months old and she warmed up to him pretty quickly. Although I think Lucy is still under the impression that Kelly and Heath appear and disappear like magic elves because they always arrive and leave while she happens to be sleeping. She seems a bit confused by this, but we think it's pretty funny. Now they're planning a destination wedding in June and we're very much looking forward to celebrating with them in Mexico, and at their reception in Grand Rapids later next summer.

By the end of the next month, our little family grew by 21 inches and 9 whole pounds! Henry was born September 28 and surprised us by being a boy (since we were both sort of guessing it might be another girl). Now, I couldn't imagine things any other way. I love all the boy stuff, the little man clothes. The days seem to fly by even more quickly with our second child than they did with Lucy.

In November our country elected the first African-American President: Barack Obama. I felt very proud to participate in this year's election, as it was an exciting race and so historically significant. I will never forget the excitement of the day, and the record voter turnout.

I also officially started my photography business, Mindy Leigh Photography, and after a few sessions with clients, I am starting to build more and more confidence. I find this very fulfilling artistically, and enjoy the outlet. I am looking forward to watching the business grow, and I am trying to be patient, remembering that I've only been at it a couple of months. I get excited to think about what it will be like a year from now.

The holiday season felt like a whirlwind from Halloween right through Christmas. Isn't it weird with all the anticipation of this time of year how quickly it's over? What's weirder: I am baking more Christmas cookies today for Ron's side of the family's get-together tomorrow. The party we were going to have was canceled due to one of the biggest snow storms in my life.

Looking back I know this year had its fair share of tragedy. So many people in the world are suffering greatly, and that makes my problems seem pretty insignificant, but in they still matter. Family members have moved away, friendships have dwindled, our church said goodbye to a wonderful pastor and now is searching for someone new to embrace. But then, we have become closer than ever with other relatives, old friendships from years ago have been rekindled (some of them thanks to Blogger and Facebook), and now as members of our church we have found a place we feel very welcome and secure. So it seems life has a way of balancing itself out. Whatever ups and downs I've been through, I have come out of them still a happy, and extremely blessed person.

Christmas Morning At Home

a few more photos:

Sledding

I'm going to try to post some pics from Christmas. The Picasa (new version) collage is the way to go. Of course all my photos are on Smugmug. Anyway, Christmas day we all spent some time out in the snow, sledding. Here is the highlight reel:

Three Months Old

Our baby recently turned three months old (on the 28th). I stopped counting weeks around 12 or 13 because it really stops making sense to other people when they ask how old the baby is... "he's 27 weeks." huh? Anyway, today I did a mini shoot with him. I'm trying to put in a little more of the same "effort" with our own kids as I do with others'... I stopped myself around [way too many] photos and ended up with quite a few great ones. He was being very smiley and the light was just right. I can't believe how quickly these months have gone by... much faster than it felt with Lucy, which is fun, but it's a little sad that he's not going to seem like a baby for too much longer...I have others that I want to put on our photo site in a little while, when I get the chance.

Rolling Over

Hey, Henry rolled over today for the first time, front to back. He's three months and one day old. I'm hanging out at my parents' house while Ron works on our mantle at home (which means sanding and conditioning and staining, and no place for little kids to be hanging out). Henry was doing "tummy time" and flipped over (to his right), catching us by surprise. I really wasn't expecting him to do it, and we weren't even trying to make him roll over. Good job, buddy!

Merry Christmas!

It's been a very busy but fun past couple of days. Christmas Eve my sister and her fiance came up from Illinois, and that night we went to my grandparents' house for a party. Lucy hammed it up, and as she got more and more tired, and ate more and more cookies, she got more and more goofy. She seemed to enjoy the attention although she was getting a little too loud! She was up very late that night, but we got home and she selected two cookies for Santa Claus, and "wrote" him a note, along with a glass of milk...

The next morning she got up to find the presents Santa put under our tree for her and Henry. My sister let us borrow her video cam, so I might add a clip of that later, when we showed her that the cookies had been eaten and she saw all the presents. Well, really we didn't go overboard for our kids (3 each, plus a "shared" gift) - and I'm glad because even with that amount it looked like Christmas exploded in our great room. Just in time for us to hustle up and get showered and geared up to head over to my parents' house.

We managed to make it over there around 11:00 AM. That's without any sitting around, let alone cleaning up at home. We ate brunch and opened more gifts. We got quite a few very nice things, but the kids really made out like bandits. Afterward Kelly, Heath, Ron, my dad, and I went outside with Lucy and spent some time sledding down one of the hills in their backyard. We were probably out there for too long because when we did go inside Lucy's cheeks were bright red for a while! It was a lot of fun, so it was worth it :). She went down for a very late nap, reluctantly, and then we went to my other grandparents' house...

So, more food, more presents, more people... a lot of fun. Henry was a good sport and didn't fuss too much. Lucy was thrown way off her schedule but there's not much you can do about that besides go with the flow and hope things can go back to normal after the holiday parties are all over. We got home and got the kids ready for bed around 9:30 last night. After bringing everything in from our trunk, and adding it to the already disastrous living room, we slowly started organizing all the gifts, garbage, and packaging. We clipped zip ties, and got everything ready for Lucy to play with in the morning. It was exhausting. I have lots of pictures but as we've been trying to get things back in order I haven't had much time to go through them. I'll put some up later!

I'm sure many of you have very similar stories, but I hope that amidst all the rushing around, wrapping, baking, traveling, not to mention the weather, that everyone had a wonderful time with family and friends.

Barbie Vs Bratz: Barbie Wins!

Ron and I dislike the Bratz dolls. He says anything that ends with a "z" is no good. I think he was emotional when he said it (and wasn't even thinking about Ritz crackers), as we were hunting for Christmas presents for our nieces (and daughter) - trying to find something fun but not skanky. So hard these days, isn't it? Kelly sent me an article from The Consumerist about this! I had to share it here for all those last minute shoppers, make the right choice, please. And then I will editorialize a bit :).

Court Stops Production Of Bratz Merchandise

This may well be the last holiday season for Bratz dolls, as a federal judge ordered their manufacturer to cease production and stop selling the popular dolls.

Mattel, maker of Bratz's main rival, Barbie, sued the company, alleging that their creator came up with the concept when he was working for Mattel. Whoopsie!

Some parents are thrilled that Bratz are going away (pending appeal), says CNN:

The judge's ruling came as a relief to some parents who see the popular dolls' clothes and makeup as too racy for their young daughters. It also eliminates heavy competition against Barbie — a doll often seen as less provocative, but whose slender body also raises parents' eyebrows.
"I'm happy to not see [Bratz]," said Kristi Cassell of Sandy Springs, Georgia. Her 5-year-old daughter, Emily, has amassed a collection of Barbies.

"Barbies come across more wholesome," Cassell said. Barbie has some "questionable" clothes, "but it seemed like all the Bratz dolls were on a darker side of Barbie," she said.

Six-year-old Sierra Curry-Corcoran of Newport News, Virginia, also has a Barbie collection and no Bratz dolls. But not by choice.

"I like Bratz better. They have more fancy clothes, and they look more cool," Sierra said.

Her mother, Tasha Curry-Corcoran, strongly disagrees. "Bratz are trashy: They wear too much makeup. Their clothing is too short; their boots are too high. They look like prostitutes. That's why we don't have them in our house."

For the record, Consumerist morns the lack of available She-Ra dolls for today's youth.

I happened to notice the Barbie dolls when we were shopping, as I believe that inevitably at least a few of them will be moving into our home. The dress for this year's Holiday Barbie is unbelievably ornate and beautiful, and they are, of course, "a classic". I have to play devil's advocate for a moment though: She is not completely innocent.

Stolen from Wiki:

One of the most common criticisms of Barbie is that she promotes an unrealistic idea of body image for a young woman, leading to a risk that women who attempt to emulate her will become anorexic. A standard Barbie doll is 11.5 inches tall, giving a height of 5 feet 9 inches at 1/6 scale. Barbie's vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips). According to research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the 17 to 22 percent body fat required for a woman to menstruate. In 1965 Slumber Party Barbie came with a book entitled How to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat." The doll also came with pink bathroom scales reading 110lb, which would be around 35lbs underweight for a woman 5 feet 9 inches tall. In 1997 Barbie's body mold was redesigned and given a wider waist, with Mattel saying that this would make the doll better suited to contemporary fashion designs.

Beyond the physical appearance of either line of dolls are the activities and implied interests, intelligence, and goals of the dolls. Barbie is a little more grown up (older) than the typical Bratz doll, but it is still fairly clear that Barbie, even from the start, was portrayed as better role-model, and well-rounded person (even if she was 6'0 tall and anorexic). If you haven't had enough already, check out this interesting little "article" about Barbie, Rethinking Barbie and you'll be surprised at how "good" they really are.

With all the imagery in the media bombarded at young girls, choosing one doll over another is probably not going to eliminate all the issues they will develop. I do think that when there is the ability to screen shows, music, and even toys, it is our responsibility to do so. Those marketing sharks are good at what they do, and you have to protect your kids.

Couldn't Wait 2 More Months

Henry is in his Exersaucer. I took this one yesterday. He seems to enjoy it for short periods of time, as he likes to be upright.

Ahh... Sleep

More good news: Henry has slept through the night for the past 3 nights. Last night he had a bottle around 6:00 and fell asleep. I was thinking he'd need to eat again, so Ron got him up around 9:00 and Henry managed to have another 4 ounces (he usually has 6) while dozing in and out. We put him back down and he woke up this morning around 6:30. The other two mornings he went from about 7 or 8 PM till 7 AM. At only two months old, I think that's pretty good! We haven't done any of the Ferber-izing with him, and he does not wake up in the middle of the night just to be "resettled".

When Lucy was 5 months old, I resorted to letting her "cry it out" after I became tired (literally and figuratively) of getting up in the middle of the night just because she had a habit of waking - but not eating - around midnight. I realized I should've done that a lot earlier because the next night she didn't wake up/cry at all!

Now, I won't get too comfortable because once those teeth start working through all this gets tossed out the window. For now, I enjoy the full night's sleep.

Potty Post

Today Henry took a morning nap so I decided to give some more focused attention to potty training with Lucy. Sparing the details, she had 3 successes and 3 accidents. After the first success, she got to wear her "pretty panties" but then refused to even entertain the idea of taking them off... so of course those got wet. She immediately ran to her dresser to get another pair - but I decided to let her go completely natural instead of battling with her about taking them off again. She sat there much of the morning, without me forcing her, and drank water. I think a few hours of effort is enough for today, but we'll see if she's in a good mood this afternoon... it might be worth another try.

I remember several years ago, before I was even married, thinking about what it would be like, "someday" when I was trying to potty train a toddler. I can't believe this time has come. In some ways I thought it would be a lot more difficult / grosser, but it's not too bad. It just takes a lot of patience and paper towels. I know eventually they all get there... we're just trying to do that before Lucy needs size 5's.

2 Months Old

Today Henry had his 2 month well-baby checkup. Our little (big) guy weighed in at 14 lb. 7 oz. - about 2 pounds over my estimate... shows what I know! He is 25 inches long! Both vital stats off the chart, but proportionate to one another. He received several immunizations and of course screamed his head off. That's no fun for anybody! However, he calmed down very quickly after I picked him up.

Speaking of which, the little guy is very clingy to me. I've been trying to figure out just how to describe his personality differences from Lucy - he is less intense but more dependent. I'd say he seems gentler but that's more an intuitive thing than anything he has shown by his actions... because he's too young to pound Legos on the slider. I just get the sense of it, although I want to be careful not to make it a self-fulfilling prophesy if I'm off the mark. Today I figured out a trick to get him to sleep in his crib more easily (as opposed to the bouncer, or my arms) - I bundled up a t-shirt that I wore last night and tucked it next to him. It actually smells like my body wash and laundry detergent more than anything, but whatever scent he detects in there is comforting, and maybe he feels like I am still by him.

We just started giving him a small amount of rice cereal (the flakes) mixed with some warm water, and perhaps a teaspoon of applesauce to help move things along. He is getting the hang of eating from a spoon, and it should help reduce the amount of formula he eats. I know it is very early for "solids" (if you can call them that), but I find it a better alternative to the child eating 35 or more ounces of formula in a day. We're blessed to have kids with healthy appetites, and Lucy enjoys such a variety of foods, but I'm very conscious of them overeating or eating for entertainment or comfort (not that I think Henry is doing that... yet. Wait until he has his first taste of ice cream). Other than that he checks out just great, and he makes good eye-contact and he is smiling more and more. I dug out the ol' Baby Einstein activity mat (with arches with things dangling down) and he seems really enthralled trying to bat at the little toys. Lucy is happy to demonstrate for him (sigh) by closed-fisted punching the little ladybug rattle. I half expected her to do this kind of stuff when I started bringing out "her" old toys. I'm sure others can relate, and it's pretty cool watching him watching her...

Homework

My sister e-mails me funny stuff from time to time... got this today:More amusement here.

Another New Lens

Yesterday I got a new lens, which will be ideal for more indoor portraits that I will be doing over the winter / spring. I have been taking tons of photos with it, and have almost zero time to edit any. However, this is one that I did get to (currently Lucy is calling for more crackers), and I think it's one of my favorites. I have a lot more that are going to go on Smugmug later on. Also, I have a session on Thursday with two young boys (with red hair and blue eyes!), and look forward to sharing some of the highlights on my other blog.

Sign of Things to Come?

Then I told her to take her foot off Henry's head...

'Tis The Season

This was cute...I put the tree up Friday (yes, I waited until after Thanksgiving!)... decorated it Saturday... and Lucy added the finishing touch this morning. Christmastime is officially upon us! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend.

Winter Wonderland

I took the time to bundle Lucy up in her snowsuit - those boots don't go on easy - and take her outside late morning, when the snow was falling. It didn't even feel too cold, but I'm glad I wore my snow pants and boots too. She was making snowballs and throwing them...

Last year she could barely move with her snow pants on, and walking in clunky boots didn't work well for her either. It's fun to watch her actually able to run around and play outside.

Teddy Bear

Here's Henry in an outfit from my aunt and uncle - it has a little hoodie coat with ears on it - apparently a staple for baby boys! I even got a couple of smiles out of him when I was taking pictures! It seems like he's smiling more and more easily these days :).

Have Site, Will Photograph

If you will direct your attention to the right hand side of this blog you will see a new link: Mindy Leigh Photography. Ta-da! I suppose now I have a business. I also see from looking through my own website that I have to fill in some galleries, big time! However, it is a cool looking Flash page and I am in complete control over editing and updating it, which is very convenient. I don't even have to have a computer programming degree to do it... it is all very user-friendly for me!

So, if you're interested you can contact me through that site, or through Facebook, or Blogger, or e-mail...

I hope to have a greater variety of photos on there as the months go by, but I had to put something up because I think it is a great networking tool :). I love photographing kids, but the more I think about it the more I want to try different things like maternity and engagement photos (I'm thinking this time of year, I'd want to try more contemporary / urban settings). Anyway... check it out if you get a chance and tell me what you think!

Puppy Livestream

Click Here if you are so bored you want to watch a live streaming video of puppies! I learned of this on Facebook. Thanks Rita!