The Daily Life of Sweetpea[s]

The Barna's say HELLO

2008-09-21T18:47:00.001-07:00

Sól in Texas

2008-08-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Mmmm...tasty watermelon.

Remembering Thomas

2008-08-08T20:45:00.001-07:00

I am very thankful that I was able to make it to Thomas' memorial service this past Monday. It was a BEAUTIFUL service. Sarah's friend David Gentiles spoke...didn't try to answer any questions, but reminded us that God is good. Scott's sister Rachel spoke on behalf of the family and shared how Thomas had brought them all closer together. There was a beautiufl song and then a slideshow of Thomas pics. After a closing prayer there was a reception at the church and it was a good time to cry and laugh together.
I was able to have breakfast with Sarah the next day before I left Dallas and she reassured me that she's doing ok. She and Scott are obviously devastated, but it must be a huge relief that Thomas is no longer suffering. They're leaving this weekend for a two week trip...to somewhere beautiful.

Sad News

2008-08-01T19:30:00.001-07:00

Please pray for my friends, Scott and Sarah Bickle...Baby Thomas died on Thursday afternoon. You can read more here.
I'm hoping I can make it to the memorial.

Mom's Night Out

2008-07-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Stephen got a Red Sox ticket from someone at work (corporate seats) and he offered it to me (b/c he loves me and b/c he knows that I'm a big fan!!!). So, last night I went with his co-worker Brittany and enjoyed the luxury box seating. (Luxury Box means free food, free drinks and one of the best seats in Fenway Park!!) It was the first game I've been to in 4 years (tickets are super expensive) and I had a blast. Go Red Sox!

It Sucks When...

2008-07-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

...the ceiling falls into your son's crib. Thankfully, he WASN'T in the crib, but I went in the room to put him down for a nap and ta da! Yucky mess. Jana, this happened shortly after I got off the phone with you this morning. Reminds me of your ceiling incident...you and the chihuahuas!!

Potty talk

2008-07-23T13:42:00.001-07:00

The boys have taught Mei Mei how to hold her nose and say "pee-pee, poo-poo." She thinks its hilarious.

Things I Never Thought I'd Say

2008-07-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

excerpt from Parenting magazine by blogger DaMomma.

Things I Never Thought I'd Say:

"Did someone pee in my bra?"

"We don't lick public toilets."

"She ate cat food? Eh, that's ok. Poop I'd worry about, but a little kibble never hurt anyone."

MB's Books

2008-07-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't read a good work of fiction in a while. I've been stuck in non-fiction and how-to (sewing and baby) books. My latest favorite is "Organic Housekeeping" by Ellen Sandbeck.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carrol
l30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

books books books

2008-07-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Once, when I was babysitting, I got locked in the bathroom......with my huge Adventures of Sherlock Holmes book. I couldn't get out til the parents got home and heard me yelling. One of the most embarrassing moments of my young life. (Just thought I'd throw that little story into this post.)

The Big Read, an initiative by the National Endowment for the Arts, has estimated that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed. I think this is kind of a weird compilation of books......How do you do?

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible (okay... I haven't read the whole thing... but a lot of it)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (another I haven't read all of, but some of it)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky (I didn't quite finish)
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carrol
l30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

New Things

2008-06-27T06:10:00.001-07:00

My little 7mo. old is going places these days. He started crawling a few weeks ago on his daddy's birthday and now he's pulling up on furniture and exploring his new freedom to go where he wants to go. He's still one of the happiest babies I've ever met and he makes people smile wherever we go with his sunglasses and charming ways. Every new stage seems to be my favorite. Right now it's a little more tiring to keep an eye on him, but it's so fun to play and interact and show him new things. Oh, and he has two little teeth! It still surprises me to see them in there when he smiles.

Lips and Lashes

2008-06-22T21:06:00.001-07:00

Key West!!

2008-06-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

We're back in Boston from our fabulous vacation. Everything about it was perfect. We couldn't have asked for more. Some of my favorite things about the trip:

1. A week of quality time with my two favorite people.
2. The ocean view from our room!!
3. The tasty cuban food. Mmmm....
4. Sól's sunglasses (he kept them on the whole time)
5. Sól learning to wave hi and goodbye (he's become a little flirt.)
6. Sipping tasty drinks by the pool. :)

Ready for fun in the sun...

2008-05-23T10:36:00.001-07:00

We're taking a little florida vacation next week. It's supposed to be a little rainy, but we're looking forward to it anyway.

Stephen turns his thesis in at 5pm today. Woo hoo!! He'll be graduating in a couple of weeks. I'm really proud of him and all his hard work. We'll be sticking around Boston for another couple of years at least.

¡Ay Chihuahuas!

2008-05-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

¡Ay Chihuahuas! (This is an expresion that my spanish-speaking parents use on a regular basis. It always makes me laugh.)
And speaking of Chihuahuas: Sweetpea, didn't your dogs participate in a race like this?

photo ©Dustin Snipes

10 years ago

2008-05-23T09:22:00.001-07:00

In early June 1998, Jana and I took a trip to visit our friend Annie Kate in NYC where she was working on her Masters. It was my first and only trip to the city. Jana and I were exhausted, although excited, upon arriving in the city, because we had each just returned from Europe on different trips. I can't believe it was 10 years ago. So much has happened, so much has changed and why, oh why did I wear those overalls??

My little beauty...

2008-05-18T20:17:00.001-07:00

*sigh*...so in love.....

6 months!!

2008-05-15T05:39:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday (mother's day!!) marked Sól's 6 months of happy air-breathin' life. I can't believe how quickly time has passed. The three of us spent Mother's Day sharing a cold, but we were together all day and that's what counts. :)

Sól has been sitting up on his own for about a month now. Last week he started pushing up onto his hands and knees! And just two days ago he really started babbling and trying to make more word-like sounds. We get a kick out of it b/c sometimes we think we hear him say "Hey!", "Yeah", and his new favorite "dadadada." Sól seems to love alliteration and we can always get a good laugh when we say, "Jalepeño pepperoni pizza." He thinks it's hilarious. He loves to swim and so far his favorite food is carrot. I love being a mom.

Stephen will be presenting his thesis on Monday and by next friday he'll be completely done with his graduate program!!! Right now we're all hangin' in there as Stephen is incredibly busy and I've been swamped with some unexpected photo work. We have sweet, wonderful friends that have stepped in to watch Sól when needed. At the end of May the three of us will be vacationing in the Florida Keys!!! We can't wait.

networking madness

2008-05-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

i just joined facebook (for lots of reasons) and ask me what i've gotten done today. nothing. my house is a mess, my child needs a bath, but i'm connected. oh, man. i'm connected. craziness. you can reconnect with people you don't really even care to reconnect with...

anyway, i feel like i just got my first email address or something. i also have a profile on linkedin and i got a couple of photo gigs from it last year. nice.

Meltdown on Aisle 5...

2008-04-30T11:35:00.001-07:00

I had my first real public "i want to pull my hair out" Mommy moment yesterday at Target. Baby was hungry and I thought I had a few more minutes before he might really notice that he was hungry. He started to cry...I gave him a teething biscuit straight from the un-paid-for box...he started screaming and kept chewing at the same time...in a matter of minutes there was biscuit mess all over his face, hands, clothes...i picked him up b/c he wouldn't stop screaming...biscuit mess all over me...i wanted to leave right then, but i hadn't paid for the biscuit!!...check -out lane with screaming biscuit-covered baby...teller was slow and unhelpful...finally arrived at the car and baby got to eat...

phew. i can laugh now, but wasn't laughing then...

One Year Ago...

2008-04-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

All three sweetpeas were in boston together...so fun. Lizard was waiting for Mei, Sweetpea was talking about adoption and I was 11 weeks pregnant. Miss y'all!!!

Etsy, oh Etsy

2008-04-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

I joined Etsy in January so I could start buying fun gifts and beautiful fabric (for who knows what...I like to have fabric just in case!) It's a fun place to be inspired by beautiful handmade loveliness. (Sweetpea still has prints for sale!)

I also joined hoping it would motivate me to make art and sell some photographs. Almost four months later my Etsy shop is finally ready. :) So fun! I'm hoping to put more prints up soon.

Plankton and Babies

2008-04-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Sam: "Hey Ethan, do you know how babies are made?? I do."

Ethan replies while shoveling applesauce into his mouth : "No."

Sam: "Well, first Daddy has plankton in his body..."

It went downhill from there. I only stepped in when Sam referred to caterpillars and I told him there were no caterpillars in my body. *I think raising butterflies has confused the matter.*

What We're Reading

2008-04-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

Eres mi Mamá?(Are you my Mother?)

--Eres mi mamá?--preguntó el pajarito a una vaca.
--No puedo ser tu mamá--dijo la vaca--Soy una vaca.

Oso polar, oso polar, qué es ese ruido?(Polar bear, polar bear, what do you hear?)

León, león, qué es ese ruido?
Es un hipopótamo que resopla en mi oído.

Huevos verdes con jamón (Green eggs and ham)

No, no me gustan en ninguna ocasión, los huevos verdes con jamón!

In these three books the translation is excellent and Huevos verdes con jamón even rhymes the whole way through! Some of the childrens books that are translated from english have a lot of grammatical errors in the translation. (I ran them past my linguist father and read reviews on Amazon.) We've been very happy with most of the Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle books.

Sól's Sleepy Song

2008-04-15T09:08:00.001-07:00

My baby sings himself to sleep every day. He's been doing this for several months now. It seems to work really well. I think I might try it myself...

Who is MB and what happened to WG?

2008-04-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

I just want to say thanks for supporting me through my name change. :)
Here's the story again about Mexican Beauty:

when i was in college i bought a mango one day. the sticker on the mango said "mexican beauty." to be funny i put the sticker on my driver's license and the name just stuck with my friends. stephen calls me MB regularly and for our anniversary this year he bought me a mango. :)

And speaking of being Mexican, this Mexican-American Texas girl who grew up listening to her parents speak spanish but never using it (me) is trying to teach her son Spanish. Our Texas trip was Spanish boot camp for me and I've only been speaking to Sól in Spanish ever since. It's been easier than I expected, but it's also been a lot of work. My brain hurts at the end of the day. The idea is that I speak only Spanish and Stephen speaks only English and Sól will learn both at home.

Will keep y'all updated on this. I'm brushing up on my grammar and learning new vocab all the time. One of Sol's new favorite books is La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (The Very Hungry Catepillar.)

Spring Homeschooling Fever

2008-04-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Every spring every Homeschooling parent begins to question what they are doing. Have we made the right choice? Are we where we should be? Where should we be? Should one be in school and the other not? How do I stay patient? Is this fun? Can I start drinking? How much is too much coffee? Do I even like these little people?

The questions go on and on and this is where I am right now. We started the year with a bang and had a great time, but since adopting Mei Mei, if we can do phonics and math and read a book, I consider that a banner day. *When it boils down, thats all that is important in the first grade.*

But now summer is coming up and we are headed to homeschool conferences, looking at curriculum for the fall and planning, planning, planning. * I think we might be joining a homeschool choir called Corum Deo.*

I am beginning to see how far we actually have come this year. Sam is reading!! And he is beginning to write his own sentences!! That is huge for him and for me. I can teach something!!!
Ethan did pre-K this year and he know his numbers almost to 20 and knows most of his letters.

I am learning as well. I am learning through making alot of mistakes on how to present a lesson in an orderly way, how to enjoy my kids in the moment, how to capitalize on a statement or idea and how to let them explore it. I am learning that Barna homeschooling doesn't have to look like another family's homeschooling, that it is unique to us and that makes it special and wonderful. I don't have to be perfect and that I am not completely responsible for how they will grow up and that God is sovereign and can cover my mistakes.

What I love about Homeschooling is that it is not only about teaching and training your children, but it is about teaching and training my heart as well.

Can I Change My Name?

2008-04-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

So, I was just thinking that "Wedding Girl" doesn't really apply to me anymore. At some point I was a crazy wedding photography girl and I started a photoblog with that name and then kept it when I joined this sweetpea blog. But at this point I don't know if I'm even going to shoot a single wedding this year or in the future. (I'm hoping to focus more on portrait photography)

I'd love to change to a name that fits who I am now...but would that be too weird? Y'all all know me as WG. Any thoughts?

Just Read and Reading.

2008-04-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

Just Read:

The Island of the Blue Dolphins
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
A Wrinkle in Time
The Children of Men
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Reading:

Jane Eyre
The Secret Garden

Some of these are for pleasure; most I'm reading with my tutoring students.

Makin' Baby Food

2008-04-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

Things seem to be happening quickly these days...Sól is more mobile, wants to be upright more and we've started adding rice cereal to his diet. (he's nearly 5 months now.) I'm using "Earth's Best" organic whole grain cereal and I'm hoping to use their veggies in a few weeks when we're ready to start.

Some of my friends here have made their own baby food using the "Super Baby Food" book. I'm reading it now and am hoping to do the same. Have any of you tried this? I'm wondering if y'all have any tips on making food or tips on feeding solids in general. So far it seems like a lot of fun and a BIG mess. :)

I'd love any advice on baby sign language, too!!

Greetings from Texas

2008-03-30T17:10:00.001-07:00

Sol and I only have a few days left in Texas...we've really enjoyed our trip and are excited to see Stephen soon!! We've toured the state visiting friends and family. Sol has bathed in many kitchen sinks and smiled the whole way. We've even met some blogger friends like Martha and Tricia!! So fun.

New things that Sol started doing since we've been in Texas:

1. he's teething...chewing on fingers and teethers and drooling all over the place.
2. he does this high pitched screeching sound and loves the way it sounds. sweetpea's chihuahuas were concerned by the noise made by the tiny human...
3. he gets upset if you take something away that he wants to touch or play with.
4. he's grabbing at toys with more precision and intensity.
5. he sits up in the baby tripod position. (leaning fwd. both hands on the floor)
6. and starting last friday he travels around the floor during tummy time. i put him down in the middle of the blanket, left the room and when i returned he was off the blanket slowly scooting himself after a toy! it's definitely time to baby proof the house!!!!!

I was hoping to get a classic photo of Sol sitting in the bluebonnets, but we're both suffering from allergies and I'm not so sure it's a good idea.

Tis the season...

2008-03-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well, its that AWFUL time of the year again, when I have to buy a suit to take my kids to the pool in. I google 'swimwear' and I get websites with strippers modeling gauze and ribbon **ok, I know I can't know for sure they are strippers.**

I want a suit that moves well and is flattering that doesn't look like it came from Lands End. Now, I have actually bought a suit before from them, but I just feel soo old wearing them. I've had babies and I can't hide that...but do I have to look matronly??? Problems areas??? Uhhh ...from my breasts down to my knees...Whatcha got???

I like alot of the suits at Athleta. Does anyone have a suggestion for me on where to look??

WG Travels

2008-03-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Sól is 4 months old today and I can hardly believe it. He's starting to scoot and twist and roll over. I guess we might start thinking about baby-proofing soon.

Anyway, we're goin' to texas this week to see his abuelo y abuela, play with his primos and introduce Sól to his tíos (my brothers), his bisabuelos and several dear friends. See you soon, sweetpea!!

Studying Greece

2008-02-28T15:09:00.001-08:00

2008-02-27T12:38:00.001-08:00

Look who has a new BPA free pacifier!! Thank you, Natursutten!!
I was worried he wouldn't like it because he loves the Avent ones so much, but so far so good!

My Birthday Present

2008-02-26T07:51:00.001-08:00

My girlfriend gave me a birthday present yesterday. My b-day was the 12th. She gave me this exquisite cup from White Forest Pottery. I love how it feels in my hands and I love having beautiful things around that you actually use. I love that it is imperfect and beautiful at the same time. I love that you can see evidence of the potter and that the evidence hasn't been smoothed away.

I love my birthday present.

Video

2008-02-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

I was going to post this great video someone sent me of a baby laughing. It cracks me up every time I watch it....but today I noticed that there was a website advertised in the bottom corner throughout the video...so I checked on it... I'm sorry to say it was a p**nography site. Man, that sort of thing makes me so angry and sad! Just thought I'd give y'all a heads up on "cute" emails or videos you receive...

Regarding Glass....

2008-02-20T07:58:00.001-08:00

...glass baby bottles, that is. Here are some super cool, possibly less breakable, and really quite expensive ones!!!

Another article....

2008-02-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

about plastics in general---it's fairly long, but fascinating. Also gets into the hormonal impact of plastics.....and no, I'm not suggesting that plastic is all bad. But seriously, read the article.

An exerpt:

On land [article had been discussing sea pollution], things are equally gruesome. “Fertility rates have been declining for quite some time now, and exposure to synthetic estrogen—especially from the chemicals found in plastic products—can have an adverse effect,” says Marc Goldstein, M.D., director of the Cornell Institute for Repro-ductive Medicine. Dr. Goldstein also notes that pregnant women are particularly vulnerable: “Prenatal exposure, even in very low doses, can cause irreversible damage in an unborn baby’s reproductive organs.”

And after the baby is born, he or she is hardly out of the woods. Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Missouri at Columbia who specifically studies estrogenic chemicals in plastics, warns parents to “steer clear of polycarbonate baby bottles. They’re particularly dangerous for newborns, whose brains, immune systems, and gonads are still developing.” Dr. vom Saal’s research spurred him to throw out every polycarbonate plastic item in his house, and to stop buying plastic-wrapped food and canned goods (cans are plastic-lined) at the grocery store. “We now know that BPA causes prostate cancer in mice and rats, and abnormalities in the prostate’s stem cell, which is the cell implicated in human prostate cancer,” he says. “That’s enough to scare the hell out of me.” At Tufts University, Ana M. Soto, M.D., a professor of anatomy and cellular biology, has also found connections between these chemicals and breast cancer.

** I just realized that the plastic bottles we store water in must not be polycarbonate. I can't remember what they're called--will try to find out.

BPA Free

2008-02-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know about BPA-- toxic chemicals used to make plastic hard or soft? I've only read a little and it's a bit alarming. Since baby is bottle fed we switched to Born Free bottles a couple of weeks ago and we're really happy with them. Just wondered if anyone has read or knows more about it.

This site seems to be a good starting place for those of us that feel we're out of the loop. : )

Happy Birthday Lizard!!!!

2008-02-12T07:42:00.001-08:00

We love you, Liz and we're so happy that your family is finally all together!!!! Hope you're having a lovely day...

It's me!!

2008-02-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let all of you know that I'm still here. I am sleep deprived and am pretty much running on coffee and sugar.

I just read through several posts worth of comments and I wanted to thank everyone for following our adoption blog and loving us even though you don't know us. I loved seeing the comments everyday in China. They were a constant encouragement during some difficult days. The trip probably isn't what I had fantasized about. Chinese New Year, the severe weather and Sam being sick really made for an intense time, but we are overjoyed to be home with our sweet daughter. It is all so surreal. I prayed and longed for her for so long and now she is just here...poopy diapers and all. * which makes it VERY real*

She likes to dance, eat raisins and sneeze food out of her nose. She can now wave and say "bye", she says "hi" and "mamamama". She is extremely playful and will try to charm us to get out of going to sleep or something else she doesn't want to do. She wanders around the house investigating every nook and cranny. She likes to comb my hair and stick her fingers in my mouth. *I, of course, let her.*

She is cuddly and sweet and likes to bury her head in my neck. She will sometimes even let Daddy give her some tickly kisses.

We are falling in love and I am so thankful that we could share it all with all of you.

I love Sweetpea and WG dearly and am thankful they let me in on their sweet friendship. I'm obsessed with pictures of Sol and long for pictures from Ethiopia.

Even though we are spread across this country, San Fran, Dallas and Boston, I love that this blog can make you feel so close. *mwah*

Sounds of Baby

2008-02-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hey friends, just to update you-- things are going really well with baby Sól. He's a total joy to be with. I love being his mom...He's almost 13 weeks old now (and over 13lbs!!), he's holding his head up more, he's sleeping in his crib (not in the bassinet anymore), he's sleeping through the night and just this week he started laughing!!!! These are good days...

Happy Birthday Sweetpea!!!!!!

2008-02-06T05:25:00.001-08:00

Feliz Cumpleaños to my BFF...Thank you for being such a beautiful friend and person. I hope you have a lovely birthday and many more lovely years to come. I miss you!!!!!!!!!!!

We're all praying your referral comes soon!!! Just think...this time next year you'll be a mom!

Masterpiece Theatre presents:

2008-02-04T20:08:00.001-08:00

.....a short and silent video showcasing sweetpea's impressive cinematography skillz.

the setting: sweetpea and sweetpea's husband enjoy a daytrip out to an tiny island which is also a bird sanctuary. the weather: Mexican-sun-sweltering. sweetpea is not half-naked like everyone else--she has the day before proven herself to be not-a-good-sunbather and has broken out in a full body sunrash. Thus she has desperately outfitted herself in white clothing in an attempt to neither die of sun poisoning nor heat exhaustion. (Rash must not be exposed to sun, and this proves to be difficult, since sweetpea is in the Carribean.) Our guides, having hooked fish off the side of the boat on the trip over, have laid out a delicious spread: fresh guac, fresh pico, and a huge fish, seasoned and grilled. All participants have just finished stuffing their hungry mouths and slugging down the last of the cerveza and orange Fanta.

the action: sweetpea, fascinated by the crackling sound of some kind of freaky million-crab-march migration, fires up the Nikon. Realizes a few seconds later that a gigantic iguana broods a few feet from the crab craziness. Nonchalantly backs up to include giant lizard in the shot, as if it were intended to be a part all along. As the shot winds down, cool, hip, jiggly-camera work is utilized, allowing viewer a sense of the full setting. *Please also note--the ultra-white husband (also developing sunrash on his chest and back.) Shot ends with a provocative glimpse of fish carcass.

Sweet Baby Mei....

2008-01-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

some of my favorite photos from sweetpea blog archives...

2008-01-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

we've got sweetpea and M in massachusetts, sam & ethan, M & Giz, all three sweetpeas in Cali, the german expressionist meerkat and kinkade on fire. we've had some good times...

Our sweet little loser of a blog.

2008-01-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

WG, who is probably out snowboarding in a winter wonderland right now, recently sent Lizard and me a gentle email pointing out an undeniable truth: that this blog has become the boringest blog ever.

So, to anyone out there still reading, I apologize. WG had a baby, Lizard and I are focused on our adoption blogs, and, I don't know, I've lost my mojo, people. Here's why:

Too many people read this thing. People from church, people from my husband's work, etc. This should rightly make me more cautious about what I post, but I'm afraid it's really dampened my blogging spirits. Many times I've thought, "Oh, I'll post about this, " only to start thinking about who may read it--what if THAT person reads? By then my desire to post has pretty much completely faded.

So today I'm really throwing caution to the wind: I'm going to talk about politics!

question: What IS it about Obama? Republican friends left and right, (or maybe right and right,) are just lovin' that guy. I really like him, too. His speeches are inspiring. I appreciate the way he's run his campaign. I'd be excited to have a black president.

I want to know more about why people are willing to stop being conservatives and vote for him. Because from what I understand, though he sounds quite centrist, his (short) voting record--which IS what we should be looking at, people--is liberal. Has the Bush admin. just embarrassed us so much that we are willing to vote for someone who seems like he won't make us all feel sheepish? I'm not knocking Obama's appeal or his sincerity. Just pointing out that his actual stance on issues is solidly liberal--universal health care, full-on affirmative action, and a vote against the partial-birth abortion ban. That last one really gets me. I would classify myself as a moderate/conservative; I continue to ponder these things in my small-brained way, admittedly without expertise, and I can't get away from the fact that I believe in small government, not big. Therefore I can't look at his /positions record and vote for the guy, despite the inspirational speeches, despite the thoughtfulness. Should I? Anyone want to convince me to? Here's an even better question--does anyone still READ this blog??

a momma's gotta go 'boarding sometimes...

2008-01-20T06:52:00.000-08:00

stephen watched the baby on friday so i could go snowboarding in vermont with a friend of mine. it was way fun, but i'm so sore it's not even funny...

Lizard's Baby

2008-01-20T06:48:00.000-08:00

In case y'all haven't heard, LIZARD's IN CHINA!!!!!!!! Check out her blog for more info and awesome pics.

2008-01-12T17:47:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I love my car seat....and sometimes I don't.

Sam and Ethan rock it again...

2008-01-09T08:03:00.001-08:00

So, I have a cold and this past Sunday Andrew took the boys to church. I was in bed as they prepared to go and did not see their outfits until they walked in the door after church. **I immediately pulled the blanket up over my face and laughed so hard I was crying.** Because on top of these AWESOME outfits they each wore a blue stripe clip-on tie on their t-shirts. I "yelled" at my husband for letting them go to church looking like nerds, but he thought they looked great.

This folks is how homeschool families get weird.

Mondo Beyondo!!

2008-01-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Some of my bloggy friends do a "mondo beyondo" list at the beginning of the year. Forget about those lame resolution lists about losing weight, etc. THIS is a list of your wildest dreams, your deep desires. No worries about whether they are actually attainable.

It's good to dream!!

Here's my starter list for myself:

1. Live in Europe.
2. Live in Africa.
3. Buy and renovate cottage. Create an amazing veg. and flower garden outside cottage.
4. Persuade all my dearest friends to move onto the same street as the cottage.
5. Volunteer at an animal shelter.
6. Start some kind of arts/minisitry/NGO for children in war-torn countries.

SO, what's your list look like?

Happy New Year from WG & Family

2008-01-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a little Christmas vacation in So. California with husband's family. It was a much needed break for all of us. The week before we left was extremely stressful as I tried to balance pumping, breastfeeding and sanity. Stephen was busy finishing up finals and we both breathed a sigh of relief in Cali's sunny air.

After giving it all I had, we switched completely to formula a little over a week ago. It was a huge load off...I was totally exhausted from trying nearly everything. I'm happy to say that my baby is gaining weight at a steady pace and is very happy and healthy.

2008...We're looking forward to watching our baby boy grow into a little toddler, Stephen's looking forward to finishing up grad school!!!...And we're praying about what's next...

Hope you all had a lovely holiday sesaon!! Any new year's resolutions?

Only Scoob could tell...

2007-12-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

So, as you may have heard we had a teeny, little incident at our zoo. You know the story, Tatiana the tiger escaped and mauled three people killing one of them.

We were at the San Francisco Zoo 4 weeks ago. I LOVE this zoo. I am attached to this zoo. It is so beautiful and spectacular and parts of it are oh, so very.....old. The entire large cats building/cages/enclosures are the originals. It is a beautiful building with classic architecture. But it is old people.

The two survivors aren't talking. The theory is that they were taunting the animal and either helped it out somehow or antagonized it to the point that it got angry enough to climb/jump out of the enclosure. The cafe where the two victims were found is where we buy our chicken nuggets. I cannot imagine how those two guys ran there, in the dark, knowing a Tiger was chasing them. It isn't a direct shot from the enclosure to the cafe actually. Terror!!

Sam has a Scooby Doo theory that the boys were set up by the Zoo director, because he wanted more money. He wants to go investigate and I said no way, until we know its safe!!

Scooby Doo, where are you??

Good News!!

2007-12-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

We had a follow-up appointment this morning with the pediatrician and Sól had gained ONE POUND since thursday!! We're thrilled to know that it IS in fact a supply issue and not something wrong with him.

On friday I got an electric pump and started pumping, measuring and supplementing with formula. I was alarmed to realize that I could only get 1 oz. per breast every 2 hours. We supplemented the other 2 oz. with formula and voilá! he gained weight. Poor little guy has been hungry and we didn't know it!! He's been so content it was hard to know that anything was wrong.

Anyway, the plan is to keep pumping for the next week to try to increase milk supply. I've also started taking Fenugreek to see if it will help. In the meantime we will continue to supplement and offer him at least 4 oz. at each feeding.

Thanks again for your prayers!!!! I'll keep you updated.

2007-12-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

We received our Letter of Approval for Mei Mei today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are thrilled, overwhelmed and exhausted. I need a drink.

Weight Check

2007-12-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

After almost 5 weeks Sol is still only a few ounces above his birth weight and our pediatrician is very concerned. Once again we've got the weekend to show some more weight gain and then go from there. I'm going to be pumping this weekend just to rule out the supply issue. (I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with supply, but we want to know for sure.) If he doesn't show significant weight gain by Monday then the doctor will start with blood tests and maybe an ultrasound to see what could be wrong. I would really appreciate your prayers for my little guy.

We Love Our Sling!

2007-12-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Sol's new favorite activity is riding in the sling during his awake time so he can peek out and see the world. When he gets tired of all the visual stimulation he can lay back and snooze in a cozy womb-like position. Thanks for the sling, sweetpea!!

Good Report

2007-12-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

We gained 2 ounces since Monday!!! Things are looking good. The zantac seems to be making a difference.

You think you won't, but you will...

2007-12-03T14:47:00.001-08:00

Two weeks ago this is what my boys put on to go eat Indian food. There really was nothing I could do about it. They thought they were dressed up. I thought they looked like nerds. **OF COURSE, I did not tell them that, but are they helping the home schooling stereotype??NO!!**

All of you hip mom's, whose kids are three and younger dress your kids in Gymboree, Gap, Hanna Andersson, Old Navy. Or maybe you are even hipper and your kid is dressed entirely off of Etsy. You make sure they are adorable and hip. They wear expensive, adorable shoes and they always look great. Sometimes greater then you. You go to the mall and are horrified by all those mismatched kids 4 and up. You think,"my kids will NEVER look like that!!" But they will. Wait and see. You will meet your husband at a restaurant and he will gawk at your children and you will say, "I tried." Because what you don't know is how tired you will be and that your kid will have strong preferences that you don't really want to fight, because you know you are going to be late and you finally have shoes on one of them while you are searching for the other kids shoes. He will want to wear his cowboy shirt with camos or clip his tie to his t-shirts. My hairdresser tells me Ethan looks like a foreigner from some Scandinavian country.

I know he does.

You think you can fight this crime of fashion, but you can't. You think you won't let them out of the house looking like...well, my boys, but YOU WILL.

2007-12-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

So, he only gained half an ounce over the weekend and the lactation nurse and pediatrician both think that his lack of weight gain, choking and lack of bm's are all related to the reflux...so they've put him on zantac and we've got another checkup on wednesday. i've stopped pumping for now. it's a little frustating and confusing because he seems so content most of the day. he's not a fussy baby.

anyway, thanks for your encouraging words and prayers. we're doing fine other than that. we had a fun family bonding day yesterday just the three of us.

WG's Baby Update

2007-12-02T14:50:00.001-08:00

Sol is 3 weeks old today. The moms are gone and we're on our own!!

We had a discouraging visit to the pediatrician on friday. Sol has a bit of baby acid reflux and hasn't gained any weight in 2 weeks. We're also dealing with a little bit of constipation on top of that...I've started pumping to increase milk supply and we're going in tomorrow for a weight check.

I'm not too worried because for the most part he seems happy, but it was a little frustrating to hear that everything's not ok. He sleeps on his tummy now and that seems to have solved some of the discomfort of the reflux.

We're hoping we have a more positive report tomorrow. He's a good baby and he gets cuter every day. :)

Little Thomas.

2007-11-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

Please keep Thomas and his parents, Sarah and Scott, in your prayers. Thanks.

'Sweet' Sam

2007-11-26T07:10:00.000-08:00

All this talk of babies is particularly wondrous to me when I think about how my first baby, Sam, turned 7 on Friday. I really cannot believe it!! Am I really old enough?!? ...probably not. It is chronologically possible, but I don't feel ready for adolescence. He is big and independent and wants private showers and likes looking 'sweet' on his new bike. He makes his own lunch and pours his own milk. He swings by for a cuddle and then runs off to create havoc with our art supplies, because he HAS TO make something right then and there. He is becoming argumentative and is beginning to make good points. **oh no** He recites The Hobbit and SpongeBob with equal ease. He is maturing yet still believes in Santa. **he has come up with an entire plan on what to do if we are in China for Christmas. It basically involves a letter to Santa that says leave presents here-arrow pointing to floor.** He is a boy, but becoming a little man. He is passionate, emotional and I think even as an adult he will wear his passions and emotions on his sleeve.

So Happy Birthday sweet Sam!! **I mean that only in the coolest sense.**

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

I hope y'all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving day with your friends and family. Husband, baby and I are spending the day with my mom and mother-in-law. I'm thankful today for my incredible husband, son and our supportive family. What are you thankful for?

Anyone diving into black friday shopping tomorrow?

Bringing Baby Home

2007-11-16T04:41:00.000-08:00

We've had three nights at home now and each night is getting a little easier. I feel like God has given me super human mommy strength to run on very little sleep and for that I am incredibly thankful. My body hurts, though. It's my biggest struggle right now. I don't have time for a full play by play of my labor and delivery, but Sol was born with vacuum assist and I had an episiotomy. It hurts to sit and it hurts to walk...I'm praying for quick healing...

Sol is an amazing baby. He doesn't cry unless there's something wrong and we're quickly learning how to be a step ahead. He has these alert periods during the day--we set him on a blanket and he just stares out the window and listens to our voices. It's super cute.

Breastfeeding is going really well. My milk is in and he's an efficient eater. This is a huge answered prayer.

And my mother-in-law is here as an angel sent from heaven...I don't know how we'd be surviving without her tasty meals and extra set of hands. We're SO happy to have her here. My mom will be arriving in a few days and we're excited for her to join in the fun.

We have a check up with the pediatrician today to see how he's doing. We're hoping for a good report.

Day One With Baby

2007-11-12T20:44:00.001-08:00

Hey friends! Thanks for the encouraging words and prayers. We made it through day one with baby and we're really enjoying our time together as a family. Sol is breastfeeding well and Stephen and I can't stop staring at him. I feel blessed beyond words. It's been a very emotional past couple of days. We'll be going home tomorrow afternoon. We're really looking forward to it.

Introducing...

2007-11-12T09:21:00.001-08:00

Family and Friends,

At 6:40 PM on Sunday November 11th, 2007, Sol Austin Perdue was born in Cambridge, MA at Mount Auburn Hospital. He is a whopping 21 inches long and 7 lbs 11.8 oz. After a long day of uncertainty, we'd like to introduce you guys to the newest grandson in the Perdue and Loa family. Mom, Dad and Baby are resting well at the hospital, enjoying decent hospital grub, and staring at the baby all day long. If you'd like to reach us, email or give us a call.
Enjoy the attached pictures...

Stephen, Roxana and Sol

Baby Sol

2007-11-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

After 20 hours of labor, Roxana gave birth to Baby Sol this evening. They were five minutes away from a c-section, but he made it out just in time. :) Mommy and baby and Daddy are all doing great. I'll let Rox give you the details when she's ready......

Labor....

2007-11-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

WG called me last night as REAL labor began! As of 12 noon, she's been in labor for 12 hours---will update as I know anything.....

Contractions, contractions, contractions...

2007-11-10T05:47:00.000-08:00

I've had contractions on and off for 2 and a half days now. They finally got more painful and close together last night and then after a couple of hours they just went away....I'm thankful for the good night's sleep, but a little exhausted from the never ending mild contractions and back ache. It's tends to make one a little grumpy. Please pray that maybe all this pre-labor will make labor go more quickly somehow...and SOON!!!!!

2007-11-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

So did someone ask for pictures??

WG as a baby

2007-11-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

Taken Feb. 1977, 4 months old

I started looking through some old photos this morning while I was thinking about my baby and what he might look like. I'm nearing the end of my 40 weeks. My due date is next friday. My mother-in-law will be here on monday and my mom will be here at the end of next week. Besides feeling a little impatient, I've been feeling really great this last week. I've had a lot of energy and only some slight back pain. I'm hoping I'll have exciting baby news to report soon!

EARTHQUAKE!!!!

2007-10-31T07:21:00.001-07:00

Well, after living here 5 years I have become an official Californian. I have survived an Earthquake. ** Ok we all did, but it felt HUGE to me**Last night right after 8pm I was at a friends house checking out her baby clothes for Mei. All of a sudden, I heard this rumbling. My first thought was that her husband had arrived home and was opening the garage door. But the rumbling got louder and I could feel it in my feet. I was hilariously slow on the uptake and still did not get what was going on, so my friend spelled it out for me by yelling, "Its an earthquake!" She runs to the kitchen doorway as I feel the floor bumping up and down beneath me and then swaying from side to side! I finally make it to her and basically grip on to her arm. At some point, she asks, "Is this your first??" I think the look of sheer panic gave her my answer. The whole thing lasted roughly 15 seconds. Cell phones were tied up immediately.

This is the largest quake since the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake. So it is significant. They have recorded 30 aftershocks throughout the night, but thankfully, they are too small to feel.

Andrew was home with the boys. Sam's evaluation was that it was "incredible." He layed on his top bunk and watched all his 'treasures' bounce around on his shelves. Ethan said it was a "superduper ride!!"

By the way, if you look at the map and find the word San Jose. We basically live right above the 'S'.

Go Red Sox!!

2007-10-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Boston Red Sox won the world series last night against the Colorado Rockies. It was a 4 game sweep and Bostonians are on a serious high this morning. The celebrating in the streets last night went into the early morning hours. I watched safely and warmly from my tv at home.

A local furniture store had a promotion this summer for free furniture if the red sox won the world series. Furniture purchased from their store during their 5-week promotion would be fully rebated if the red sox won. Around 30,000 people took a chance on their deal and will now have their furniture for free. Crazy, huh?

Baby Corner

2007-10-27T10:49:00.001-07:00

Lizard asked to see our baby space, so here it is. The second half of the room is still reserved for our office. We can't really afford to use the whole room for baby. We only have 800sq. ft of our little apartment to work with right now. =)

My weekly checkup went well yesterday. The midwife said that baby's around 7lbs already. So, I'm ready and just waiting...

I Love Boston in the Fall...

2007-10-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

October is such a wonderful month in New England. If you've never been put it on your to-do list. It's totally worth it to go leaf-peeping, apple-picking and catch a Red Sox game at Fenway. Chances are you'll need a sweater or light jacket and that's fun, too.

Completely unrelated: I had three hours of relatively painful contractions yesterday and I thought, "oh boy...here we go." Turned out to be a false alarm. There was no consistency to the contractions and then after 3 hours they almost completely disappeared. Guess my uterus was just having a dress rehearsal.

36 Weeks

2007-10-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Only a few weeks left. I'm kind of ready for baby to come out and play. =) I'm wrapping up my photo work and spending my evenings sewing last minute projects. Everywhere I go I get the same reaction--"That's going to be a big baby!" Hmmmm. What do they mean by big? Not exactly what I want to hear as I'm hoping to labor sans drugs...

I'm taking a breastfeeding class on Saturday at the hospital. I'm looking forward to it.

In the photo I'm wearing one of my favorite maternity shirts (it's one of the ones loaned to me by Kellsey. Thanks, Kellsey!). I get compliments on it every time I wear it and it's one of the only few that is long enough to cover my enormous belly.

Sam and His Daddy

2007-10-15T14:14:00.001-07:00

You know you live in California when...

2007-10-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

your Administrative Assistant is the 4th season winner of Survivor. Y'all I am not kidding.

My DH began his new job yesterday and he mentioned his assistants name and how he liked it.

Today while she was doing his orientation she told him her life story. How she won the 4th season of survivor, how her nephew is the Dallas Cowboys player Roy Williams, how her little boy is on the new show Carpoolers, how she is a Christian and where she goes to church. To say the least Andrew was a little blown away.

So I know Vecepia had to overcome a lot of challenges to win Survivor, but is she up to my husband's horrible spelling? Stay tuned...we will see......

2007-10-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

WE HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A blog...

2007-10-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you find a blog that is sooo funny and sooo clever that you just have to tell people about it!! Please check out the Bean Bag by Sarah Bean.

6 more weeks!!!

2007-10-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

I'm 34 weeks pregnant today. I keep thinking, "can my tummy get any bigger?!" and yet it does!

I'm still feeling pretty great overall, but this third trimester has introduced a few new discomforts like heartburn and disrupted sleeping. I can tell the baby's getting bigger and stronger as he can almost kick into my ribs now. It's fun to watch his foot or knee move across my tummy. It's good clean entertainment for friends and family.

I'm in third-trimester maternity wear now. Thanks to all my wonderful friends who loaned me clothes I don't have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe at this point. At the beginning I didn't fully understand how much longer my shirts would need to be at the end of pregnancy. I keep trying to wear the clothes I've been wearing all summer but now those clothes look like someone dried them too long and they shrunk all around.

I'm really thankful for my wonderful husband who has been a huge support. He's super busy with grad school right now, but he works from home as much as he can and he calls often when he's away. We survived childbirth class last weekend and we feel like we're as ready as we could possibly be without having gone through this before. We're eagerly awaiting our November baby and trying to use this time to rest (me, not busy grad husband) and do things we won't have time to do in a couple of months.

2007-10-02T07:59:00.001-07:00

If you were lacking some good websites to waste time in, look no further. I just subscribed to DailyCandy. You will receive a daily email focused on an area like beauty&health, travel, kids, products, etc. What's great is that you can sign up for your local big city edition, so for us its San Francisco. On Monday's I will receive the new Kids edition and on Tuesday the Deals edition. So between DailyCandy, Etsy and blogging we will all be officially wasting tremendous amounts of time!

some other news...

2007-09-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

Well, if I needed anything today it was some good news...and we got some. My husband, Andrew, was offered the position of Director of Planning for Stanford Hospital and Clinics this afternoon. He has, of course, accepted.

It is a very big job so we may be seeing a little less of him, but I am extremely proud of him.

Are you tuning in????

2007-09-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Some things might be happening over at our adoption blog. Stay tuned!

How we met...

2007-09-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

I met Jana in September 1996, one week after I was engaged to my husband. **We were engaged our junior year and married for our senior year. We fell under the 'better to marry then to burn with passion' category** Jana and I were in a printmaking class together, intaglio, I think?? The great thing about being an art major is that you get to sit around and talk for hours while working on your pieces. By the time of my wedding the next May, which Jana attended, I felt that it was weird that she wasn't a bridesmaid! In 1998, Jana and I traveled to New York City together to visit a friend who was doing grad work. That was such a great trip!!!!!!!!!!!

When my DH and I moved to Iowa, Jana visited us. When we moved to Houston, Jana visited us. I have always been blessed by her loyalty to our friendship even when miles separate us.

Then there is Rox. Rox is so special to me, because she was a friend of my sister-in-law. Rox and I were probably more acquaintances, then friends at Baylor. I knew she was close with Jana, but we only had one class together. I believe Rox and Adrienne really got to know each other in a photography class. Many of Adrienne's first portraits are of Rox. When Adrienne died Rox sang at her funeral. Her grief was beautiful and comforting to me. Then I really didn't see her again until Jana's wedding, where I believe, our friendship really began. We were celebrating Jana and remembering Adrienne, which made for a sweet, sweet weekend.

One year later, Rox and Jana traveled to California to visit me where I took them on a beautiful and nauseating drive up Hwy 1 to Point Reyes. We have emailed, made calls and blogged in between trips to visit each other in California and Boston.

From my perspective to know the three of us, is really to know about the fourth. Rox and Jana have their own sweet friendship and history, which I am so, so thankful they have invited me in to.

I love these women.

The true story of the sweetpeas.

2007-09-27T20:21:00.001-07:00

Fun story: Yesterday as I headed up north toward my evening job, I stopped at a mall I never go into, just to blow off some steam by walking around and people-watching. And, yeah, okay, I was also looking at baby clothes. Are you HAPPY? Anyway, lo and behold, as soon as I walk through the door, I find myself almost literally running into Lindsay! It was fun see an old friend unexpectedly---that doesn't usually happen to friends who live on opposite ends of the metroplex....ANYWAY...... Lindsay said she'd like for us to post on how we met, and how we all ended up so evenly sprinkled across the nation. But I don't have the energy, ya'll; the ragweed is finally getting to me and I am nearly ill with allergies. Ugh. So, who'd like to start telling the story? It goes round and round and round......it's a circle of love, really. :) G'nite.

Blankets??

2007-09-27T07:12:00.001-07:00

Ok...I admit it. I've been looking at baby products. A lot. I learned that when we receive a match to a baby we can send her a few care packages. Things people like to send are blankets, stuffed animals etc. I want to send her a really soft, cuddly blanket. What should I send?? I would prefer it to be under $75.

Felicidades

2007-09-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet grandparents celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary last week. They are both still very healthy and active in their church and community.

New Blog

2007-09-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll, please check out ASK MISS MOMMY. This is a new blog by Sam's occupational therapist. She is very hip and cute and I am sure is up on all the latest and greatest baby products out there. **Unlike me** The added bonus is as an OT she views the products with a child's development in mind.

Published Photos

2007-09-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of photos in this month's (October) Writer's Digest magazine. The photos are of author James Boice. If you look at the small type in the fold of the page you'll see my little name. =) I also have a Writer's Digest cover coming out in December. That'll be kinda cool...

Still Made in the U.S.A.

2007-09-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

I heard about this website on npr: www.stillmadeintheusa.com

Considering all the lead toy recalls, it seems like a good resource and a great way to find unique and somewhat local products. =)

10 week countdown

2007-09-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm 31 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Just to compare I've put up a 21 week photo, too. I'm feeling pretty great--just moving a bit slower these days. No more weddings to shoot and only 4 more portrait shoots until I'm finished with work in early October. I've been in a crazy nesting phase lately--sewing and shopping and reorganizing everything. I'm having baby shower #2 on Saturday with my Boston girlfriends and I'm really looking forward to it. =)

A Kiwi Surprise

2007-09-05T13:40:00.001-07:00

Today, I went out to check the mail and a package was sticking out of the mailbox. I quickly read 'New Zealand' on the envelope and I KNEW what SHE had done. I squealed, yes, I'm pretty sure I squealed and clapped my hands like a hungry baby seeing her mommy walk toward her with food. I'm sure my boys exchanged glances and thought "yep, she's cracked."

I was sooo excited because inside the package was this bag!!! I had recently admired it on Kate's blog and today it appeared in my mailbox. It's blogging MAGIC!!!!

Thanks Kate!!!!!!!!!! You made my day!!!!

bebe quilt

2007-09-02T15:03:00.001-07:00

while i was in texas my mom helped me make my first quilt. i was excited to get it back with our lost luggage. you'll have to excuse mr. monkey and mr. elephant. they insisted on being in the photo.

Baby boys

2007-08-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

Um...this is awkward, but I'd love to hear some people's thoughts on circumcision. Not really something I've ever had to think about before...

Lizard Simpsonized

2007-08-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

This is fairly accurate...

Snoogle Goes Camping

2007-08-30T09:00:00.001-07:00

Stephen has a week off before his final year of grad school so we did a little thing we like to call "pregger camping" up in New Hampshire's White Mountains. It's full on car camping (as opposed to hiking with packs to your camp site). We brought our largest tent, air matress, snoogle pregger pillow, lounge chairs and lots and lots of yummy food and snacks in coolers. (We also stayed in campsites with a short walk to flushable toilets.) We took a tram car to the top of one of the mountains for a very light hike and beautiful view, made dinner and s'mores over the campfire, and we swam in a crystal clear lake surrounded by quiet and beautiful mountains. The weather was perfect (50s-70s) and our trip was lovely...