Just an ordinary update.

Lots has been happening here at the house, and other places too, hence the lack of an update. In the past two weeks, we've been to two amazing weddings, thrown a bachelorette slumber party at our house, had 12 hour work projects due over the weekend, gone to an Austin Aztec soccer game, gotten 1 year pictures made for Scooty, had two sleepovers at cousin D's house, one sleepover at Mim's house, and there's another wedding this weekend that A is making an appearance as the matron-of-honor.

Baby has been in the mood for playing dress-up lately. One of her favorite activities during the day is to bring me shirts or pants from her hamper and motion for me to put them on her. She also likes to carry around a clutch purse of mommy's and put on headbands. Be afraid, be very afraid.

The adults of the casa have scheduled a retreat in May. I will be visiting Las Vegas for the first time in my life, and J couldn't be more excited to take me there. We will be there for a couple of days and then we are flying out to Seattle where we will hang out on top of the Whole Foods, walk to Pike Street Market, and check out the EMP (Experience Music Project). THEN, on the last four days of our trip, we are heading to Sasquatch Festival! We are so excited. We haven't had a vacation like this since our honeymoon in Switzerland.

We are recommending Orbitz right now b/c their hotels are 20% off when you book your airfare. Or something like that. :D

A shopping list:

Floor cleaner for laminate floors (recommendations welcome)
Shoes to wear in next week's wedding (silver, with heel that won't sink into mud)
Bachelorette party gift (something PG rated)
Wedding gift (something off registry?)
Wedding outfit (probably pants, due to clumsiness and dry skin)
Last-minute-babysitter-in-a-bottle (HELP!!!)

Tinted Windows!!

My teenage dreams have come true...
Taylor Hanson once again has a musical career. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmbop indeed.

Hard day's night? No, just a hard night.

Let me be the first to say, nothing throws a SAHM off like 3 months of sleeping through the night interrupted by one night of shrill baby-crying for an hour, followed by an early morning. Catch all that?

Here's a translation for you in layman's terms: Scooty was up from 12-1 last night, screaming her tiny heart out and woke up at six this morning, fresh as a cucumber!

Everyone has hard nights, and this was certainly not our first. But man, it made me rethink my whole "we got this" attitude that I've been sporting around for the last three months. Even at her 1st birthday party, I felt more "with it" than I felt last night at 11:47. I made J get up with me, I was so out of it. I've never done that. In a year of parenthood, it's always been "you get up, or I do." Unless something was terribly wrong...which I can't recall a time before last night...he's always been afforded the luxury of staying asleep or only being on "binky duty." Not that this means he's been getting more sleep than I have, b/c as we all know, that's not always the case.

Well, my point of this whole thing is: baby is not ready to give up her bottle at night, yet. How did you moms handle this transition? I'm at a loss. I folded last night, after an hour of screaming and clawing her way out of the crib, diaper changing, rocking, restarting the lullaby cd, cuddling with mom, ibuprofen and a drink from the sippy cup...I fed her a bottle.

I just realized that again, I have no idea what I'm doing.

And on another note, why did we stay up until 11 o'clock watching Encino Man?

And on another "related" note, you only care about three things: Nugs, chillin' and grindage.

The end.

Nadya business

As you undoubtedly know, there have been TONS of opinions stated on numerous blogs (and news sites and at Tupperware parties and at the water cooler and in the break room and....) concerning the infamous Nadya Suleman...or as she is better known now: "Octomom."

As it as been stated elsewhere...it is reeeeeeally easy to be hypocritical and judgmental as to this woman's choices for conceiving her 14 children. Certainly, I would not wish to be in her shoes. She has a long and daunting future ahead of her and I must say, it takes a strong woman to defend her circumstances under all of the pressure of raising those kids...not to mention outside pressure from the media, her community and society in general.

It has been especially hard for J and I to cast any sort of opinion or views of our own on this woman. If you think she's crazy, maybe you think we are too. J and I had desires to start a family almost immediately after getting married. We were married in August, and certainly by Christmas...or Thanksgiving, we were starting to plan for "trying." After a couple of months of heartbreaking moments with pregnancy tests, I decided that something was probably wrong and I needed to go see my GYN. After getting blood work done, I received a call saying that we needed to go see a fertility specialist because I was not having a complete cycle every 30 days and this needed to be remedied before we could actively conceive.

I went through a battery of tests, and it turned out that all I needed to do was to take a pill (Clomid) that would "jumpstart" my reproductive organs and give me a cycle. We were made aware of the side effects of such treatment, including the chance of multiple births. Well, needless to say, Clomid worked the first time for us, and with no real side effects (other than drowsiness and a little nausea). Even something as simple as the treatment plan that we were prescribed can have unintended results and known risks.

I think there is some weight to what people are saying about the doctor in Suleman's case. He should hold some responsibility for the outcome of Suleman's treatment. But have him provide any kind of support to her and the children now? That's just kind of silly, isn't it?

This is one of those areas that are not black and white; it is a total grey area. If you cast opinions and judgments on one part of it, you are casting those same opinions on the whole of it. I hope that society's opinions of IVF, IUI and other fertility treatments are not affected after this, but fear that they may be. I hope that this doesn't make it hard for women and/or couples to seek any kind of fertility treatment for fear of being judged or thought of as nutty.

Cakes.

You were born on a Wednesday.

As I watch you explore your surroundings with your new-found sense of confidence, my heart beams with pride. But sadly, every night when I put you to bed, I realize that you are growing up. And that tomorrow, you'll be a day bigger and a day more independent. You'll eventually need me less and one day, you'll be embarrassed by the kisses I so freely give to your forehead and cheeks.

But today, you are only ONE. You are one. I have to pinch myself! I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by! One year ago today, you were a puffy-faced 8 lb. 13.4 oz newborn. Now you are a 22 pounder, verging on toddlerhood.

It's no surprise your first word/syllable was "Da-da." From the minute you were born, you could follow his voice through a room. At first, you were a mama's babe. But, in the last 6 months, you have developed a ridiculously adorable bond with your daddy. You follow him to the door each morning, and every day starting at 5:00 pm (sometimes earlier), you ask for him repeatedly.

You are our little athlete...you love to pick up, bounce and chase balls. Your dad's dream came true when you dribbled a toy with both feet the other day (maybe it was coincidence, but, hey...). You can crawl and climb over anything. You were an early walker...and your "crawling" left us all in stitches. You came into this world wide-eyed and observant; like a little sponge who had heard all about this wonderful place and the people who live in it, and wanted to learn more.

Your favorite things are baby dolls, books, bathtime and binkies. I like to think that you are so sweet to your babies because I have been so sweet to you. You love our puppies, and spend 50 percent of your day playing with them through the window or in person. You love to be outside.

You have three teeth and thick blonde hair, a sweet pouty lip, cheeks to die for and big, beautiful, blue eyes.

You have changed our lives, filled our hearts, kept us on our toes and wrapped us around your little finger.

Happy Birthday, Baby.

A Very Happy V-day.

Happy belated Valentine's day everybody!

We had an awesome V-day, for the very first time. It's not that we haven't tried before (in previous relationships and previous Feb. 14's with eachother....), but this one actually worked out. Our first Valentine's Day together, I was absolutely ill. I had whatever was going around the office that "winter" and had actually gone home from work and climbed in bed and gone to sleep. J woke me up with an amazing dinner and a nice potted mum, but I was too sick to even enjoy it. When ya can't even smell the flowers or taste the food, it's kind of a buzz kill. After our lovely dinner, I sent him packing and went back to sleep with a green dragon (nyquil) cocktail.

The next year, we were in the midst of buying our house and were completely freaked about spending money. I managed to get J a card, and he hand-made me the cutest card ever (as a total after-thought, but whatever).

The next year, I was overdue with baby S. So, nothing kills the romance like swollen feet and false labor.

THIS YEAR, though. J really outdid himself. He arranged for a sitter (thanks mom and A!), had fancy dinner reservations, booked a hotel stay, and took me to a movie and shopping! It was a day full of my favorite things, and I couldn't have been more surprised. To cap it all off, we met up with friends downtown after dinner and stayed out late like we were just a young couple again.

It's safe to say, this V-day is good for another three years. ;)

Awkward.....

So I recently have come to grips with SAHM-ness. I denied it for almost a full year, but you know what? I am a stay-at-home-mom. I think the thing that solidified it for me has been my enjoyment of morning t.v. programs like GMA, Today, The View, and my favorite, Ellen.

I just have one problem. Is anyone else a little freaked by the mandatory dance-off at the beginning of every Ellen show? Now, I'm as big-of-a-fan of crazy flailing of arms and kicking of feet and snapping and clapping (also known as awkward dancing) as anybody...but, man. It almost gives me a bit of anxiety during this part of the show.

eh, not like it's going to keep me from watching and enjoying.

has everyone seen this?

and also this:

FLOOR!!!

new floors

the past 7 days

In the past seven days, we've celebrated an 80th birthday, kicked back and went out with dear friends, tried the coconut ceviche (ooommmmmmggggg), did a week's-worth of grocery shopping, definitely got our walking skills down, contracted THREE colds, took some time off to recover, bought new floors (yipppeeee!), installed them ourselves, saw a grrrrrrrreat movie with some awesome friends, and caught up on some Jericho.

What did you do?

man....

Nothing makes you feel MORE out of shape than getting an email from Vicki Secrets advertising their swimsuit sale....in JANUARY. Thanks a lot honey, but I'm SOOOO not there yet. When do I get to stop using "I just had a baby" as my excuse?? Next month? eegahds. I better get to work.



HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYBODY!!!

Forgive the baby talk...I really want to stop. I really do.

She just gets so excited when I talk to her in a high-pitched voice! Maybe it's excitement or maybe it's anxiety. Or maybe it's just bouncy houses that make us revert to our squealing 7 yr. old selves! Either way...here's a vid of the baby at Cousin D's 4th bday party! What fun we had!

On the Eve of Change....

Growing up a young WASP in Texas, I always had desires and dreams to live in a different time, in a different place. I wanted to live in Elizabethan days, to experience the dress, the traditions and the lifestyle. I wanted to live in the 1920s to drive one of the first cars. I wanted to live in the 1960s to experience having a television for the first time. I wanted to live in the 1970s to see what life was like during the "flower power" movement.

For one of the first times, I'm excited to live in the day that I do. What a world to live in and what a time to live in it. Great change is on the horizon...not only for tomorrow, but for the 4 years to come.

I am hopeful for our economy. I am hopeful for our troops. I am hopeful for our country. I am hopeful for the rights of my neighbors and friends. I am hopeful for my daughter's future.

an unintended use of a 26 (and a half) year old...

So here's some things I've found myself doing lately, that I probably shouldn't...because I'm probably supposed to be "past that phase."

1. saying things like "don't front."
2. staying up late to play video games (and actually doing a pretty good job)
3. learning to play golf (i really am not good...but it's still fun...really.)
4. dancing to Mix-XM songs while driving down the road
5. drinking Sparks (tho sadly, it is out of production)
6. Learning to ride a bike (again)

I just have to say it.

I LOVE the new Kleenex ads. Freakin' love.

Touch. Touch. Touch. Touch. FEEL.

Isn't that the truth? When I see those commercials, I stop. I was having one of those moments (like in the commercial) where you are running around the house, putting up toys and cleaning stains from the carpet and avoiding getting pooped on, peed on or puked on (the three deadly P's)...when I saw that commercial. I laughed, I related and later in my day, I talked about the ad.

Then, tonight, I'm sitting in my chair...watching American Idol on my DVR and flipping through my Parents magazine...when bang! It happens again...I see an ad in print...with pics of lots of things I would want to touch (and the word "touch") and then I turn the page. OMG. There's an ACTUAL Kleenex in the magazine with the word "FEEL."

And I did.

But it's not only about the ad. This commercial reminds me to stop being so BUSY. Take time and smell the roses. Touch the soft tissue. Smell your baby's sweet smelling hair. Kiss the hubby. Pet the puppy.

Then, get back to your cleaning. Those stains won't remove themselves, ya know.

Why we don't eat (most) meat.

As I'm sitting here with S, watching BBQ Paradise on the Travel channel...I have to admit to myself....a big plate of barbecue sounds pretty good right about now. But then I have to remind myself it's only 9 in the morning and I've not eaten any beef, pork or chicken in almost 8 months (besides that one slip-up on Christmas Eve...).

A lot of our friends and most of our family are avid meat-eaters...so why would we choose to give up the meat? For goodness sake, my family raises cattle and we live in TEXAS. Some people "go veg" for political reasons, or for religious reason, and some give it up for social reasons. High cholesterol runs in my family. In fact, several members of my family have been told to consume red meat only once per week, if that. So how about health reasons? Studies have shown that vegetarians have a lower rate of coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, and cancer.

J was raised vegetarian. I gave up meat for Lent in college. J doesn't like handling red meat and I gag at the thought of handling chicken or any other birds. We noticed that the times we enjoyed cooking the most were usually when meat was not involved. Also, when we went on a vegetarian diet, we would feel lighter and have more energy. We had friends who were vegetarian or vegan, and of course, J's parents don't eat meat. So, when we would eat with these people, it was easier to cook meals that didn't involve meat.

Being vegetarian has led to some surprising benefits. We get a kick out of knowing that our knives have only been used for slicing veggies, tofu or Quorn. In the Austin area, it is a lot easier to live this lifestyle. There are vegetarian restaurants, bakers, and grocery stores (or at least large sections in certain grocery stores).

We do still eat fish occasionally, and still eat dairy products and eggs...because it is easier to eat at a restaurant that way. We don't want to completely inconvenience friends and family who do still eat meat. Being a vegetarian doesn't have to mean eating salads and side-items only. That's not to say that we don't still think meat looks good. Because at this stage, it still does have an appeal. The thing is, we can't bring ourselves to actually eat it. You're crazy if BBQ doesn't still look good on paper, or if you think we don't have cravings for hamburgers or tacos.

This has raised the question of "what about baby S? Will she be allowed to eat meat?" Our take on this is...there are still a lot of healthy options for vegetarian babies and as long as it makes sense for us to keep her on a veg diet, we are going to do that. Of course, if when she gets older and can form her own opinions...if she wants meat, she can have it...just probably not in our house. But who's to say we'll still feel that way in ten years. For now, this is what works for us.

Fin.

The importance of routines, binkies, and lullabies

Finally, after the Christmas holiday travel and the New Year's Eve debacle, we are back into a routine. It only took five days...but man, those were loooooong days. We definitely were not ready for J to go back to the office on Monday.

But now, we are back to our four squares and two naps a day, and it is pure bliss. S is finally sleeping through the night again. In fact, this morning when she woke up, a disoriented mom thought it was 2 or 3 in the morning...and sent dad to go soothe her with a binky....yeah.

Speaking of binkies, man...our kid loves hers. In fact, it's usually somewhere in this developmental stage that babies form attachments to certain things. Often times, it's a blanket or a stuffed animal or something. But what has Miss S chosen for hers? Why...another binky, of course. Putting her to bed or down for a nap without a binky in the kisser and binky in her hand is like walking out of the front door without pants on.

Her lullabies are almost as important. Since she was in the womb, we've always let her listen to music and it still has a tremendous soothing effect on her. Our house has also been filled with the sound of a heartbeat noise-maker since she was born. That with the scent of lavender and vanilla, our house is a basic 24/7 cocoon.

Speaking of...zzzzzzzzzzzz

A new year in the "big city"

We rocked-in 2009 with some Rockband 2 and maybe a little champagne....and the neighbor's fireworks/loud music/bonfire/partying until 2 a.m. (*ahem* thanks *ahem* neighbors!).

I also worked on my knitting. Did I mention I'm trying to learn to knit? It's really just so I can impress my grandmother...who is like...the QUEEN of knitting. I took pictures of E's Christmas gift...which was an awesome "no-knit" scarf that I made myself the week before Christmas. :D

J bought an awesome 80's metal guitar with his Christmas cash...and walked around the house making Gene Simmons' faces and throwing up his classic rock hand gestures.

I've written and rewritten this post nine times.

I have this little belief that you can tell how your year was by looking at your bank account, your photos and (recently) your twitter or social networking site of your choice. Since some of that is privileged information, I wrote a post earlier with pictures from every month. I can describe that to you in one word: "baby." It was definitely the year of the baby for us here at the H house. In January I was 8 months pregnant. In February, S was born. And from there to the end of the year, we were documenting milestones...baby's first laugh, baby's first Easter, baby's first tummy time, baby's first rolling over, baby's first road trip, baby's first July 4th, baby's first solid food, baby's first crawl, baby's first stand-up, baby's first Halloween, baby's first Thanksgiving, baby's first Christmas, baby's first snow...etc.

I have another little belief that you can tell how your year is going to be by looking at how you spend New Year's Day. Our day was spent with our little family. We worked on hobbies, cleaned the house, danced in the living room, played all day, rested when it was needed, and then I capped off the evening with dinner and a lot of good conversation with E. We talked about our year and where we are now in our marriages, our friendships, our families, and where we want to go in the next year. We talked about our long term goals, we laughed at stories we hadn't told each other, we cried over memories and achievements. It was a good day, full of normal every-day activities and a few extraordinary moments; and I expect nothing more of the year to come.





Willkommen 2009. Willkommen.