Saturday, May 31, 2008

I am not that GREEN

Dear Whole Foods Cashier.

I must start by pointing out that I do love your store. It has a great environment, tons of options, and well, lets face it 4857 samples. However, when I forget to bring you my reusable whole foods bag, and you must instead pack my groceries in environmentally 'un'friendly bags, please do not shun me, make me feel bad, and put $60 worth of groceries into 2 (yes, TWO) paper bags.

You see, the real reason I shop at whole foods is because I like the free samples and like buying chlorine free diapers for cheaper. I also find you have the best selection of organic produce (although expensive), and since I make my own baby food, your store is a good bet. However, I do not shop at your store in an effort to be environmentally friendly. I could use 7 bags and not really feel bad about it.

Also, you see, I have an 8 moth old who weighs 20 pounds. Have you ever tried to carry a squirmy 20 pound body AND heavy grocery bags? I didn't think so.

The bag broke while I was carrying it upstairs. You see, they are not meant to carry that much weight.

But I promise, next time, I will remember my reusable bag.

Sincerely,
Your Semi-Loyal Customer.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

i go short.

before.



after.



on a side note: conversation

stylist: are you originally from washington?
me: no, we moved here about a month ago.
stylist: I can tell, you have an accent. Where are you from?
me: Minnesota.
stylist: that's exactly what i was going to guess!

OMG, we all know what MN accents sound like (read; the movie Fargo). so sad.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

tour of redmond.

This may be a little boring, but I will try to expose you to the city in small blogs. This is a little of Redmond, the suburb that we are living in. Its only about 10 miles from Seattle so not too bad. However, there isn't much here besides people working and Microsoft. I'll get to mountains and water another day...



This is the Jamba Juice mike will be working at. He is already stressing about the paint colors and trying to pick new ones. I told him to get sales up before he asks to have the outside of the store painted...



This is our condo, we are in the unit right above "Countrywide Home Loans" Gross I know, couldn't they have something cool there? We have a lot of windows which is nice.



Another Outside shot. Nice building, busy street out front which sorta sucks.



Mike going to the elevator. I think he thought my pictures to be a bit annoying at this point.



Redmond Town Center....outdoor mall where Lace and I spend many a day...



Another shot. Lots of stores here...REI, Macys, Gap, Baby Gap, Gymboree, American Eagle, World Market...on and on.



Redmond City Hall. There is PLENTY of money flowing through this city. Not sure why i even took a picture of the city hall. I guess I was just getting out of hand with the camera.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

questions, sweet questions.

i was in the elevator coming in from running today and i was riding up with an older gentleman. i am not a typical 'elevator small talk' person. i never feel the need to start a conversation with the random stranger riding up next to me, but if they do...then i'll talk. this guy seemed uncomfortable so was waiting for the question... "How old is your baby?" hit the nail right on the head, this is the question i was waiting for!

so i thought i'd list the questions you receive from every.single.person. that you come in contact with, at various stages in life...

Upon Graduation from high school

1) Are you going to college? If you answer this with a 'yes' then proceed to the next question. If a 'no' then stand there and watch them stutter uncomfortably while they are thinking you may never amount to anything without college...

2) What is your major? keep in mind many, MANY high school seniors have not thought twice about their major. "oh YOU'RE majoring in 'Early Childhood Development?' that sounds fun! I'll do that too" Typically it is by the time their junior year roles around they realize they should NOT have picked their particular major, just because their BFF did.

Upon Graduation from College

1) Do you have a job lined up? by this time most individuals realize that they will be on.their.own. very soon. So some sort of income is expected, bills don't pay themselves. Some get jobs as analysts for major corporations, and realize that just because they owe $52,000 in school loans, "it was totally worth it." They get to travel for work, and earn enough that they can afford a mortgage on a 'loft' downtown. Others hold 2 PT jobs (lthink, Starbucks and Trader Joes), wondering why they paid so much money for a degree they may never use. Should have just gone to tech school...or maybe just go back to school so they can get a job doing what they really want to do.

When you get engaged

1) Can I see the ring this is a MAJOR question in any young woman's life and by golly give her something to be proud of. If 'the rock' looks large enough it will immediately be followed by the question "how big?"

2) When's the 'Big Day'? people always refer to it as 'the big day' which drove me nuts. Rarely did anyone say..."so, when's the wedding date?" I guess it doesn't sound as free?

3) Where are you going on your honeymoon? Hopefully its someplace good because if you say 'camping' like me (yes, we really went camping), you'll get that deer in the headlights look. If you say Aruba, you will get much more respect, but then you must be willing to hear where THEY went on their honeymoon, because you can bet your bottom dollar it was just so amazing! consider yourself warned.

When you get pregnant

1) How are you feeling? No joke, #1 question for pregnant woman. Practice now, if you aren't pregnant: "Good" "Fine" "Happy" Just never, EVER say anything like "oh, i'm really getting nervous" because then you get to hear their store of how there is NOTHING to be nervous about, and its such a special time, and oh, don't be nervous, be excited!!! okay, i'm having a baby, i've wanted to have a baby since i was 8, i think i am excited thankyouverymuch.

2) When are you due? Once you answer this will either be followed with Response A: Oh you look so small! (which makes you feel like something is WRONG with your baby like they aren't growing or something) or Response B: Really? you look like you could pop anyday now! (which makes you feel like a bigger elephant that you already feel like). I received response A, I have friends who were given B. Neither is cool. Next time you ask say "you look GREAT, you're glowing!" THAT'S WHAT SHE WANTS TO HEAR.

3) It is a boy or a girl? They make those shirts that say 'Think Pink' or "Bundle of Boy" buy one. wear it every day. that way you don't have to answer this question or think about what to wear. If you don't find out the sex people will say 'that is so exciting! what a fun surprise' if you do know the sex they will say 'oh, that is great you are having a boy/girl! Isn't it great that you know so you can be prepared?'

Once your baby is here.

1) How old is your baby? yep there is that question i mentioned earlier! You can say things like 4 months and people will say 'Wow she is big/small for 4 months" I kid you not when we were buying a new car in april the car sales person asked if Lacey was 2 WEEKS OLD. umm, NO. she is almost 7 months old! why would i be car shopping with a 2 week old (i would be at home...trying to sleep) and since when do you hold a 2 week old on your hip? His response...'oh mine is 11 now, i forget how small they are' Fine, but i still don't know when you have seen an 18 pound newborn.

2) Are they sleeping through the night yet? I truly hope that you have a good sleeper because some moms will instill a wrath upon you if you have a 6 month old who still gets up. It is quite ridiculous. Let me just say that having a baby who sleeps through the night is absolutely no indication of how successful of a parent you are. period. I try not to bring this up, as its touchy, but when people ask, i gotta answer. Here is a conversation I had with another mom. Her baby is 3 months OLDER than mine. This was when Lacey was 6 months and her daughter was 9 months old.

Her: How is Lacey sleeping at night?

Me: good, she goes down around 8 and is up around 6.

Her: Are you SERIOUS. My daughter doesn't even do that yet! She still gets up 3-4 times a night to nurse (they co-sleep).

Me: Yeah, its nice

Her: Oh wait, i forgot (no, you did not)....you use FORMULA. So that makes sense now.

I roll my eyes and think of all the breast fed babies that sleep through the night by 3 months....


I am sure that as Lacey grows more and more questions will get mixed in. Its inevitable. We all love to compete. I just kinda try to roll with the punches, and enjoy life. Whatever stage I am in!

Enjoy!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

broke down.

right before we left minneapolis i was in old navy and found a raincoat for the little one...size 12-18 months, it was white with pink giraffe's on it. Wasn't my FAVORITE raincoat ever, but it was cute AND they made matching rainboots, and i could see her walking around in this next winter in the rain. But the old navy I was at only had the boots in size 4T. No problem. I figured I would go to the Old Navy at the Mall of America, because that one is BIG and has EVERYTHING. Went there...nothing. Went to the one by my work....even less. Went to the one in Fargo, ND...nothing. Went to the one out here in Bellevue..nothing. They had pulled them off the old navy website.

okay. now i was getting annoyed and desperate.

ebay.

NOTHING.

Well something...they had the matching dress from the same line, but no rainboots.

Watched religiously for weeks. Then suddenly the coat and the boots came on...size 12-18 months...HOORAY...but you had to buy it as a set...NO!!! I JUST WANT THE BOOTS. Kept watching...boots came on (can you believe it!) wrong size...ugh.

I ended up buying the set yesterday. Yes I know, I know. It was more expensive than I wanted to pay, but I still had the tags on the coat I bough so maybe i can bring it back to ON? Let's hope so because I told the husband I could...

i couldn't find anything else on ebay that i liked. and lets face it, when something gets in my head i just have to get it.

here is the set.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Random Blog Musings

maybe I should... clean the house, or not.
I love the smell of... rain in the summer
People would say that I'm...the person who remembers everything they read, useless or not.
I don't understand why... the carpool lanes in Washington are for 3 or more people because last I checked 2 was a carpool.
When I wake up in the morning... I head straight for the coffee and Good Morning America...and then more coffee...and then more...
I lost my willpower to try and change... the fact that other parents will always have their opinions on what is best for your child. Now I just nod my head and move on.
My past... made me who I am today. Easy right.
I get annoyed when... my husband wants me to always figure out "what we should do"
Parties are... an excuse to get together and eat
Dogs are... great, but borderline annoying
Cats are... ugh...
Tomorrow is... Thursday...another day to figure out what to do.
I have a low tolerance for... bad drivers...or should I say bad mergers.
I am terrified of... airplanes. I still go on them but they freak me out.
I wonder why... I wasted so much money on college.
Never in my life have I... been drunk.
High School was... not the best days of my life. It wasn't bad, college was just so much better.
When I'm nervous I... shut down.
Making my bed happens... oh, 50% of the time. Sad as it sounds, it gives me something to do.
I'm almost always... looking up things online...when Lacey is napping that is.
I am addicted to... coffee, baby shoes, target, my down comforter...
I want someone to... award me with loads of money. I can dream right?

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The PAPA of all baby carriers.

So I returned my Coach bag on Saturday (oh HUSH), it was much too small to be used as a diaper bag and had been sitting in my closet for 2 of the 3 months I owned it. So Mike gave me the money and told me to go get whatever I wanted. I started by purchasing something for Lacey (duh!). I got her (me) the Ergo Baby Carrier and I will tell you that after ONE day i am addicted. Its the best $100 I have ever spent.

I had a Baby Bjorn. This worked fine until Lacey was oh...12 pounds...or 3 months. Considering she didn't like to be in it the first 6 weeks (she'd rather be curled up in a ball, not having legs dangle about) we got about 6 weeks of use out of it until it hurt my back...good thing someone GAVE that one to me! Plus there is alot of "speculation" about how the Bjorn puts stress on the baby's back by having their crotch support all their weight.


I also have a hotsling that my sister in law gave me for christmas. This works well for carrying Lacey on my hip, but she only likes to be in that for short trips until she starts to fuss AND my back starts to hurt quickly as well. I never liked it for newborns either. She always seemed akward in it.


I needed something because a stroller is NOT always the answer. I had heard about the Ergo, read reviews, found a store right by Mike's work and went and tried it on yesterday. Put down $100, and fell in love. The shoulder straps are really padded, and the weight of the baby is put on your hips, not your shoulders. The baby's weight is distributed throughout their hips, thighs, and butt, as opposed to their crotch (bjorn), and they can be on your front, back, or hip. The only major downfall is that they can't face out when on your front, but I'd rather have a back carrier anyday. They also sell an infant insert for really little babies, that sells for $25. I'd probably buy that if I were having another. Plus this goes up to 40 pounds so you can use it for much longer. But the biggest event of the day...Lacey fell asleep in it! That never happens. They have this hood thing attached so that when/if baby falls asleep you can snap this up and it keeps their head from falling all over and keeps it dark. Worked like a charm.

This morning I woke up and Mike and Lacey were gone. They had gone to Starbucks to get coffee (for me) since we were out. He comes in wearing the carrier!! I never even showed him how to put it on, which was amazing in and of itself. I asked him how he liked it. His response: " I Love it. It works great" Oh, I got the black one below.

Monday, May 19, 2008

3 Things...

...I have painfully learned about parenthood.

1) "You will never get good sleep again"- I used to HATE it when people would say that to my pregnant self. "Oh, you better sleep now, because when that baby comes, you'll never sleep again." I swore, I would never say that to anyone I knew who was pregnant. The thing is, I am finally willing to admit...they are completely right. I mean when I was pregnant, my thoughts were...my baby WILL sleep through the night, because I will TRAIN her to do that. The thing is, Lacey is a great sleeper. She slept through the night at 8 weeks...most babies don't get there until 12-16 weeks or some babies not until 8 or 9 MONTHS (Lord, please help those parents)! But, 2 things I didn't understand (for whatever reason) was, 1) just because they sleep through the night 2 or 3 nights in a row, doesn't mean that they will FOREVER be sleeping through the night. I don't know why I didn't even think of that. Plus, when you are used to sleeping all night, and then suddenly for a week you have to get up 1 or 2 times a night, it is painfully difficult. Secondly, just because your baby is sleeping doesn't mean you don't think about them. "Is she too hot?"; "Is she too cold?"; "Is she breathing?"; "Is her leg stuck in the crib?"; "Did she roll into the bumper?"; and my favorite "I can't believe she is still asleep, I better get up and go check on her." I still won't say this to people who are pregnant, maybe they'll have an AMAZING sleeper, but if not, its totally fair for them to figure it out on their own, because that is what we all have to do.

2) It is the most selfless job on the planet, and requires the most patience-a very obvious statement, but didn't really hit me until as of late. When I think about how much time I spend taking care of Lacey and thinking about Lacey, I wonder how I have time to do anything else. Your priorities are definitely put to second place and what Lacey needs, Lacey gets. I have spend endless hours trying to get her to fall asleep, only for her to wake up 25 minutes later, ready to go again (where I know that she will be ultimately crabby in a short hour). I notice it the most, when I am exhausted and the minute I fall asleep, she wakes up. Or there are the times when you just want to go to the mall and look around but she won't stop whining and its easier to just go home rather than try to shuffle through the mall, holding a baby in one hand and pushing the stroller with the other, while trying to look at things. But, it is all worth it. 100% completely and utterly worth it. When you are at your witts end, I handle it by reminding myself that if anythingwere to ever happen to her, I would rather have spent 3 crying hours getting her to fall asleep every.single.night. (or whatever the current struggle is), than not have her here. It just comes with the job.

3) Sometimes there is nothing you can do to help your baby- this you painfully learn during the first six weeks during the "witching hours" those hours in the evening when your normally happy newborn, just cries for no apparent reason. But the problem is you know that's coming because everyone warns you about it. It is so hard when they are in pain or uncomfortable, and you can't do anything to calm them down. I learned this, this past weekend. It was hard. We had a couple days in the 80's. The brainchild who build this condo, decided to not put AC in the units. We didn't even think that we might not have air conditioning. Its a new condo. brand.spanking.new. Anyway, it was HOT in our house and Lacey can't sleep without being in her sack, but who can sleep covered when the sun in blaring in your room and you are hot? The poor thing, was dripping wet, crying and crying. We can't open her window because we live on a busy street that is pretty loud, she had a fan blowing but i think it scared her more than anything... we tried everything...most people just tell us, just lay her in her crib in a onsie and she'll fall asleep when she is tired enough. No she won't. I've waited up to 4 hours for that to "work" and it doesn't. We had 2 painful nights of lacey screaming because she is beyond tired and hot, and mama crying because she wants to help lacey but has absolutely no idea what do do. Mike is so frustrated because why the heck do we not have AC? It was so sad and so hard. Last night it cooled off and she went to bed at 7 and slept until 6:30 this morning so we were redeemed. Either way, I've got to figure out something this week because it is supposed to warm up next weekend as well. Any suggestions? Please let me know.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Bugaboo of the Pacific Northwest

I guess its a little embarrasing but I seem to have THE SINGLE MOST POPULAR STROLLER around here. Maybe its becuase REI is headquarted here, but the BOB Revolution is apparently the thing to have.

Today I was at Redmond Town Center...its this outdoor shopping mall...anyway, I am pushing Lace around and I see 2 other mom's coming at me with the same stroller. We all three had different colors, but still. We all just sort of smile at each other and I think...'oh americans are so darn silly' but then I started thinking about how much i LOVE this stroller because I can push and steer it with one hand, and I can turn it 360 degrees with one hand, and it reclines flat, I can go through doors without using the wheelchair button (because lets face it, not all stores have wheelchair buttons), and it pretty much pushes itself, and I can run with it and it has cup holders for lacey, and it goes up to 70 pounds, and on and on....

Other than that Lace and I also went to the park today, which was pretty uneventful because lets face it, a 7 month old can't really 'play' at the playground. We sat in some swings than left.

She got up at 5:24 this morning...i was so annoyed, until I went in there and realized that she was soaking wet : ( I was changing her and saw that one of her diaper tabs wasn't connected. Poor thing...soaking in her own pee...no wonder I heard her a lot randomly throughout the night...she probably slept in that all night. Oops! She was happy as a clam this morning though, except she didn't want to go back to sleep right away. but then when she did fall asleep, she slept for 2.5 hours! We are on nap #2 now and she is having a hard time falling asleep thanks to the CONSTRUCTION that they just started across the street (right out her window...they are building condos). So other than me being annoyed with that we are having a great day!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

super target

Conversation between Random Lady at Jamba Juice and Me.

Me: Are there any Super Targets around here?

Random Lady: What's Super Target? (I kid you not).

Me: (while silently freaking out)....ummm, its a Target that sells groceries too.

Random Lady: Oh, they ALL sell groceries. (Notice how she emphasizes ALL).

Me: No, this would be a Target that has a Deli, and a Bakery, and a Meat Department, and Starbucks (oh wait, i have yet to see any grocery store here that doesn't have Starbucks).

Random Lady: Huh?

Me: Nevermind (while I quietly sulk and wonder how I am going to survive).

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

photo shoot

i had this dress from baby gap. it is 3-6 months so i figured i should see if she even gets the chance to wear it, it fits like a glove and i must say she is quite photogenic.....






Directions

I am GREAT with directions, a total map-reader. I am definitely THE person you'd want when you're navigating.

So how come I manage to get lost every time I get in the car?

I DESPISE driving in Seattle, the streets do not makes sense. Here are some directions I pulled off of google maps the other day, for a park I was trying to find. I didn't end up going...

1. Head south on 51st Ave NE toward NE 45th St

2. Turn right at NE 45th St

3. Turn right at 49th Ave NE

4. Turn right at NE 50th St

5. Turn left at 50th Ave NE

6. Turn right at Sand Point Way NE

7. Turn right at NE 74th St

Please notices 2-5....especially #4 and #5.....NE 50th Street AND 50th Ave NE...are you joking me? Those 2 roads should NEVER cross. They are basically the same thing.

That is the pattern that happens throughout the city. OR it will be like you are supposed to turn on 148th street, and you miss it...no big deal right, just take the next turn and go around the block? WRONG, because the next road is always something like 51st ave. NOTHING MAKES SENSE AND IT DRIVES ME CRAZY.

rant over.

Monday, May 12, 2008

6 Random Things

1. I hate flying- sure its the quickest way to get from here to there, and I will get on an airplane, but I HATE IT. I get really scared, and if I am not scared that the plane is going to crash, I am scared that someone is going to highjack it.

2. I love Lysol wipes- using them, I can feel the bacteria dying.

3. I don't really like chocolate- I will eat it, but lets say my choice is some sort of candy bar, or jolly ranchers. I would ALWAYS take the jolly ranchers. Let's say the options are a brownie or an orange. I would USUALLY take the orange.

4. I had a baby and it didn't change my body one bit- my doctor actually called me a 'super human' I bounced out of that hospital 2 days after having Lacey in my regular clothes, showered, make-uped, and rested. I didn't tear (my doctor said...."you were built to have babies"). and went running 2 weeks after giving birth. Yes, that made me PROUD.

5. I look bad with short hair- well, I should say short, dark hair. Remember Mandy Moor in "How to Deal" and EVERYONE was going for that haircut? Well, it could be that my stylist (oh la la) didn't know what she was doing OR it could be that I didn't have someone doing my hair for me everyday, but it did not look good. And my friends, when your hair is 1.5 inches long it takes 3 years to grow out.

6. I like being alone- my husband doesn't get this, but I LOVE doing my own thing. Which really never happens when you have a child(ren). Thankfully, my husband rarely gets on my nerves, so if I have to spend long hours with someone, I'd want it to be him.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mother's Day thus far...



Happy Mother's Day to all you new mamma's, seasoned mamma's, and soon to be mamma's.

A year ago today I remember being at church, I was around 17 weeks pregnant...I think. I just know that I didn't know if I was going to have a girl or a boy (but i was hoping beyond hope for a girl...). Anyway, I was at church and they were giving Dove chocolate to all the mom's and I remember thinking if I should take one or not. I mean I was 1/2 mom at that point. I WAS the housing unit for my child who was halfway ready to come out...well you don't call yourself married, when your engaged, so I didn't take the chocolate.

Fast forward to this mother's day...Its quite different.

Mike is working 6 am-4pm. I was up at 3:30 am because lacey decided she wanted to eat. Acutally, I don't even think she was hungry, but its the easiest way to get her to go back to sleep. Then I heard her talking at 6:30 a.m. While I was motivating myself to get out of bed [on MY day], I must have fallen back asleep. Then I woke up at 7:00 and thought CRAP. So i went and got Lacey.

Then I changed her poopy diaper.

Then I made muffins. Fed her breakfast, emptied the dishwasher, reloaded the dishwasher, gave her a bottle, got her dressed, Put her down for a nap.

Then I took a L-O-N-G shower, and realized how tired I was. Conveniently, she woke up right then.

She is a lot of work, and this mother's day is much different than the thrill of being pregnant. But having her here next to me is about 385645895 times better. I love that little smiley, giggly thing. I can forsee being able to keep 2 kids in line, but do people REALLY do it with 3,4,5, or MORE???

Good for them, I will stop at 2. Thank you very much.

So I am guessing that Mike has some surprises in store, when he gets home. At least I am hoping so : )

Okay, she just puked on the carpet. Gotta Run!

Happy Mother's Day!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

my top 10

I thought I would take a blog to spotlight some of my favorite baby items. My top 10, in no particular order. Some of these things I currently own, some I wish I owned, but I think they all need a little attention none the less*

10. Babylegs- I love, love, love this product. They are leggings for babies-toddlers. Make diaper changes a breeze, come in SUPER cute patterns, and only cost about $12 (and you WILL get your $12 worth, I promise).


9. Phil & Ted’s Bottle- this is an item I will buy for baby #2. It keeps formula in the top of the bottle and water in the bottom. When you are ready to make the bottle…just twist and shake! How GREAT is that?!? No unscrewing bottle lids, while trying to balance a baby on one hip and dumping formula into the bottle. PLUS. This comes with a thermal case that keeps the water warm for hours, so that if your baby only likes warm bottles like mine, no problem.

8. Isabooties- these are a comparable alternative to Robeez. Robeez are very practical, but in my opinion they are kinda over-rated. Everyone has them. So I got Lacey these, and I’ve never met another baby with them. FYI…they run huge…lacey is just starting to fit into the 3-6 month size now at 7 months.

7. Bob Revolution- this is a super popular jogging stroller for runners, but I would recommend it to anyone who has never ran a day in their life (even if they don’t plan to). I’ll admit that it looks large and in charge, but it is really amazing. Turns on a dime, goes through/over anything life can dish, and pretty much pushes itself. I say at least go to REI and push it around. I wasn’t sold on it at first, but once I pushed it, I threw down my money and bought it.

6. Seventh Generation Diapers- I don’t use a lot of disposables, but if I did I would spend the little extra money and buy these. Even if you can’t afford them as your “always” diaper, buy one pack and TRY THEM. They are AMAZING…the stretch on the tabs can’t be beat. I actually like changing Lacey’s diaper when I am putting these on.

5. Moby Wrap- well, I swore against wraps…then I had a baby. This was perfect for when she was a newborn. Pop her in and she would sleep and I could get things done. I just bought one for my friend for her baby shower and I hope she loves it as much as I did.

4. Chamois Crib Sheet- great if you live in a cold climate OR have a newborn who wakes up every time you put them on the cold sheet. They are so soft and a great alternative to flannel. This one is from pottery barn, but I got mine at Wal-mart for $10.

3. Angel Care Monitor- sleep is precious, so I didn’t want to waste that precious sleep wondering if Lacey was breathing or not (sounds strange, but when you have a baby you’ll completely know…). Anyway, this monitor detects breathing motion and an alarm goes off if they stop breathing (its very sensitive, and would go off periodically for Lacey..).

2. Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair. I imagine all the little boys and girls over in Sweden have these Scandinavian built highchairs. Seanna…if your family has one that they no longer need, I will pay for shipping to get it over here….Its practical but $$$. The chair is $230, the chair pad is $40, and the baby rail is $40. That is $310, plus taxes and shipping. Thankfully some US company makes one that is $145 which includes shipping. Its called the Euro II Highchair if you want to check it out.


1. Bumbo Seat- I’ve heard that your baby either loves this seat or hates this seat. Lacey loved it and since they can’t get out of it (although she can get thisclose…) so I can plop her in it and let her play, while I shower or get ready.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

naps.

we've had this REALLY good nap schedule going.

but today its terrible.

here's to hoping that we pick it up again tomorrow!

Friday, May 2, 2008

paranoid.

Thanks to this event...




...I now have a paranoia about bridges. I wouldn't say that I am scared of them, but I would definitely say that I do not like being stuck in traffic on a bridge (or under for that matter), over water. I guess I always HOPE that the bridge isn't going to suddenly decide to fall. Which makes life a little tricky when this is the bridge I have to cross over to get from the Eastside (Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland) to Seattle.





This is Lake Washington my friends and it is HUGE. Its Beautiful with the mountains all around...(which you can't see in this photo, but trust me), however, I find myself stuck in traffic on this bridge almost every time I've driven on it. As you can see its 2 lanes, meaning there are no car pool lanes to speed things along. Not that it would matter anyway because as luck would have it, on this road, car pool means 3 or more. Lacey and I just don't cut it.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Thus Far...

I can tell you some things I like MORE about Washington

1) The Weather. I can already tell that although the weather here isn't perfect, it is far less extreme and guessy than Minnesota.
2) The Scenery. Mountains and lots of water make a big difference.
3) That there literally is a Starbucks on EVERY corner. I was standing in a parking lot the other day and I could see three Starbucks from where I was standing.
4) That CMT is channel 61 and not 156 or whatever it was in MN. 61 is a channel that you 'run into' 156 is not.
5) The Bike-Friendliness of the city. Minneapolis was pretty good about this, but Washington is better. Makes sense since you can bike year round here.
6) The Whole Foods is Much better and oddly enough cheaper.
7) I LOVE the outdoor malls. Every mall I have been to is "open air" and even the skyways I have been downtown are open air. Isn't that CRAZY? It makes me feel like I am on vacation.
8) All the Farmers Markets, with CHEAP flowers.

Things I like LESS thus far:

1) Traffic. I don't have to drive much, but traffic is awful. I am not used to 24/7 car pool lanes. Some of the car pool lanes are for 3 or more people (as opposed to 2) so I can't even take them when its just Lacey and I.
2) Lack of Super Target. We have a Target close by, but I haven't seen a Super Target yet. I have only seen one Walmart though, so we are ok.
3) McDonalds doesn't have Redbox. Isn't that so weird? They didn't even know what it was.
4) Gas is more $$$. Again we don't have to drive a lot, but its 3.86/gallon. I think that is about .30 more than MN.
5) The fact that all of their main grocery stores require a "super saver" card. I am NOT a fan of carrying those ugly things on my keychain. Again, a reason to find a super Target.
6) The electric baseboard heaters. They are so annoying. I am a fan of central heat I guess, or at least that is what I am used to.
7) The fact that in Redmond (home of microsoft and where we live) NO ONE has a Mac computer. When we were at Panera the other day we were the only ones there without a PC. That is so weird.

it makes sense now

I always wondered why new moms always cut their hair.

But when your options are ponytail every.single.day. or getting your hair pulled out it makes sense.

If i cut my hair I can do either a mini ponytail or leave it down. Got it!

Don't worry, I won't be cutting my hair...we know what THAT looks like : )