tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4873795933530387232024-03-12T19:38:36.901-07:00Despite the Best Laid Plans...It seems that life doesn't always go as planned yet flexibility is an art that I have yet to master.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.comBlogger449125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-4104543131739698112012-01-02T14:00:00.000-08:002012-01-02T14:02:12.441-08:00Happy 2012...and I've MovedHi there. I hope 2012 is treating everybody well. After an unplanned hiatus due to...well...life, I've started blogging again. I'm not sure if there is anybody still out there but just in case, here is my new home:<br /><br />http://seejendoitall.wordpress.com/Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-42162474561031206852011-03-30T09:27:00.000-07:002011-03-30T09:28:16.987-07:00Wordless Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lhjSW25yquU/TZNaGbvAhPI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/ygGPhLhY0hk/s1600/Hayden%2BSleeping.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lhjSW25yquU/TZNaGbvAhPI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/ygGPhLhY0hk/s320/Hayden%2BSleeping.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589910629067556082" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-90093798391853012792011-03-23T08:24:00.000-07:002011-03-23T08:25:32.357-07:00Wordless Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JR24n_ykIrQ/TYoQ0nF7_6I/AAAAAAAAD18/VwpcJ2XVvjo/s1600/DSC_0500.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JR24n_ykIrQ/TYoQ0nF7_6I/AAAAAAAAD18/VwpcJ2XVvjo/s320/DSC_0500.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587296783739649954" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-19079760609371400192011-03-15T13:06:00.001-07:002011-03-15T13:08:25.194-07:00Oh Sh*tIt seems that Jillian is a parrot these days.<br /><br />And it seems that her mommy has a potty mouth.<br /><br />Oops. Apparently we are entering the phase where we must watch what we say around little ears and wait until after bedtime to catch certain shows or movies. I'm hoping she forgets her new found phrase soon. We'll see about that...Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-68111174080252914202011-03-01T17:05:00.000-08:002011-03-01T18:38:17.803-08:00Sleep Deprivation and MeI have never been one to handle sleep deprivation well. I become cranky. I drink a lot of caffeine. Probably unsafe levels. I eat a lot of cookies. And I make very little sense. So good luck following this post.<br /><br />You see I have always placed high value on my sleep. In college, when other students who crammed all night before an exam, I'd go to bed early even if I hadn't finished my preparations. As an adult I have never been a night owl and usually had to drag Jeramy away from parties so I could get some sleep. As a parent, I have always made it a priority to get my kids on a bedtime routine so that I could go to bed at a reasonable hour. (Well and I guess to help instill good sleeping habits in my children...it's not always about me).<br /><br />So when illness strikes like this past week and I only get a few hours of sleep each night for a week...well...I feel like I morph into some kind of psychopathic bitch. My sole life's purpose becomes finding a way to someway, somehow increase hours of sleep. Preferably consecutive hours.<br /><br />Sometimes I really feel like I'm alone in this. That if I were a perfect mom, sleep would be unnecessary. I despise reading Facebook posts of new moms that go like this:<br /><br />"It's so amazing how little sleep I can function on and still be a super, fantabulous mommy. Who needs sleep when I have this darling munchkin in my life!"<br /><br />In my assessment, these moms are either:<br /><br />A: Infinitely superior to me<br /><br />B: Superheroes with the ability to function with no sleep<br /><br />C: Lying to themselves in hopes that if they say it, it's true<br /><br />D: Trying to live up to the unattainable perfect mom persona<br /><br />For the record...I really hate D.<br /><br />I mean can't we just be honest sometimes? Losing sleep sucks. Changing diaper blow outs sucks. Taking care of sick children sucks. Diffusing a new temper tantrum every 30 minutes sucks. Having your hair pulled by a 10 month old with the strength of Superman sucks.<br /><br />So when I'm tired and hear other moms drone on and on about their amazing lives, I get cranky. I guess that there are just times that I look around and feel like all I see are perfect moms on FB...perfect moms on blogs...perfect moms on message boards. You know the ones. Skinny. Glowing complexions. Fashionable. With beautifully dressed well-behaved children. Their lives captured in pristine photographs. No worries about money. Whip up gourmet meals every night. Have perfect relationships with their gorgeous and appreciative husbands. Amazingly talented. And always well rested on just one hour of sleep.<br /><br />*sigh*<br /><br />It's times like these that I remember that I'm am just not one of those moms. I can't do it all. And right now all I can really manage to do is work on getting these sick kids better and squeeze in a couple hours of sleep. Perfection, it seems, will have to wait.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-67923243810461072622011-02-28T10:17:00.000-08:002011-02-28T10:37:50.183-08:0010 Months OldHayden turned 10 months old yesterday. I can hardly believe it but first birthday planning has already descended upon us! We didn't do much celebrating over the weekend however. She is still as cute and cuddly as ever, but also impossible to hold at times. She scratches, pinches and pulls hair. Then she flails around like she wants down. But you put her down and she cries. Plus anytime she is in your lap, Jillian wants to be there as well. So then Hayden proceeds to pull her sister's hair, which is also not much appreciated. How do you explain to a 2 year old that the baby doesn't know better? Ugh.<br /><br />Oh and remember a couple weeks ago when we had the stomach flu, and I bragged about how my kids never get sick? It turns our that karma is a bitch. I really should have known better. Last week Jillian began coughing. Then a fever was added into the mix. While Jillian's fever (but not her cough) subsided over the weekend, Hayden started coughing. Now I have two coughing babies and four nights of very little sleep. No amount of caffeine, it seems, can overcome the effects of sleeping in the recliner with a restless baby, which is what I resorted to after waking up ever 30 minutes to comfort Hayden. Her cries have become hoarse, which is perhaps the most pathetic sound in the world.<br /><br />I am now just clinging to the hope that some time these girls will finally start feeling better and that I'll get some sleep. And that I won't get sick too.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-32932312606546120972011-02-25T12:56:00.000-08:002011-02-25T12:59:51.850-08:00The Joys of a SAHDHave you ever left your husband alone with your kids? Do you want to know what happens when you do that day after day? Well it leads to decisions like this on how to dress your 2 year old when Snowpocalypse hits Seattle (aka a couple inches of snow).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5CqFxdwVCn0/TWgYCzDNQ2I/AAAAAAAAD0Q/Net2F7tFLDw/s1600/securedownload.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5CqFxdwVCn0/TWgYCzDNQ2I/AAAAAAAAD0Q/Net2F7tFLDw/s320/securedownload.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577734574840824674" border="0" /></a><br />Of course Jeramy defending himself well by pointing out that it was <span style="font-style: italic;">Jillian</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">not him</span> that chose the outfit. And at least she thought to put on a hat.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-46173565692573534222011-02-22T12:51:00.000-08:002011-02-22T13:03:43.457-08:00This and ThatI enjoyed a long weekend for President's Day. On Friday, I got a day off from everything which I spent shopping and having lunch with a friend and then doing some more shopping. Of course much of my shopping time was spent at kids clothing stores buying stuff for the girls. Shopping for cute toddler clothes is downright addictive. Even when I need stuff for myself, I can't help but be drawn in to these places.<br /><br />On Saturday, Jillian started a parent and tot gymnastics class. If you've read my blog for any length of time then you know exactly how much this is right up her alley. Let's just say that she loved it. I'm pretty sure she didn't stop running the entire class, and watching her with the other kids reinforced exactly how energetic she really is even for a two year old. The hard part was getting her to slow down for the circle times and sing songs with the group...it was glaringly obvious that she is not used to being in any sort of instructional type setting. She's only two, so no big deal. But I think this will be a good thing for her for that reason as well.<br /><br />Overall it was a fun weekend. I can't really say relaxing...because well that word doesn't really exist in my vocabulary for the time being.<br /><br />And here are a couple of the latest pictures of the girls. And yes in response to everybody's comments on recent pictures, these two are looking more and more alike.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AXeIdYZ8YGE/TWQkbd32G-I/AAAAAAAADzY/5a3ew3CSbjw/s1600/DSC_0347.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AXeIdYZ8YGE/TWQkbd32G-I/AAAAAAAADzY/5a3ew3CSbjw/s320/DSC_0347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576622292885445602" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5k5D6MmumR0/TWQkTIwT3HI/AAAAAAAADzQ/qNrROmw8VnI/s1600/DSC_0388.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5k5D6MmumR0/TWQkTIwT3HI/AAAAAAAADzQ/qNrROmw8VnI/s320/DSC_0388.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576622149777742962" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-32892799682234207822011-02-17T09:28:00.000-08:002011-02-17T09:35:21.228-08:00Cousins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GUSbZFS6zo8/TV1cG6bZWVI/AAAAAAAADy4/2b3eTe2SuQE/s1600/DSC_0383.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GUSbZFS6zo8/TV1cG6bZWVI/AAAAAAAADy4/2b3eTe2SuQE/s320/DSC_0383.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574713187587676498" border="0" /></a><br />Just prior to everybody getting sick, my sister and I managed to get a picture of all three girls together in their cousin's t-shirts. Have you ever seen a cuter group of girls? Jillian was sooooo excited about getting to hold Lily. It is amazing how much of a difference nine months makes. Prior to Hayden's arrival she was oblivious to my pregnancy and once she was here Jillian did not seem to notice very much other than adding the word "baby" to her vocabulary. Now at nearly two and a half years old, she is enthralled with babies. She loves to watch them and hold them. Part of it is probably having had a baby sister for some time now, and part of it is probably just an increased level of awareness. She spends much of her play time now putting all her stuffed animals to sleep...an obvious reflection on how Jeramy and I spend our days trying to get her and her sister to sleep I suppose!<br /><br />P.S. Between my house and my sister's, little Lily was the only one who didn't get the stomach flu!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-46570782627062753072011-02-16T12:48:00.000-08:002011-02-16T12:59:59.062-08:00Sick :(We are rarely sick at my house (knocking on wood as I type this). Sure we get a cold or two each season but for the most part the kids and adults in our household seem to be rocking some pretty healthy immune systems. In the 2.5 years since Jillian had been born, neither of my children have had the stomach flu. But that all came to an end this past Monday...<br /><br />My sister and another friend came over for a play date Saturday morning. We had a fun time and all seemed well. Then on Sunday morning news came that Jaime and her boyfriend had been sick all night. Ugh. By Sunday night it all started at my house when Jillian threw up all over me while sitting on the couch watching TV. I had no idea so much could fit in such a small stomach. I also had no idea how long blueberries and raisins last in your digestive track. <br /><br />Jillian and I spent the better part of the night together. And then when she seemed to be keeping fluids down again, Hayden started in. And then Jeramy and I weren't feeling so good. It was not pleasant. I so badly wanted to call somebody and have them come take care of all four of us. But then they would get sick too. So we were stuck. And miserable. <br /><br />It was a lovely Valentine's Day.<br /><br />By Tuesday we were starting to mend and considering solid foods an option again. I'm back at work today, but not quite 100%. <br /><br />Being sick sucks. Being sick and having to care for other human beings sucks even harder.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-1422206359943645832011-02-11T07:34:00.000-08:002011-02-11T07:39:53.268-08:00Learning to Speak JillianJillian's pronounciation leaves a little to be desired. Here was our conversation the other day:<br /><br />Jillian holding toothbrush: "Butt cheeks".<br /><br />Me: "Butt cheeks? Are you saying butt cheeks? Why are you talking about your butt?"<br /><br />Jillian: "Butt cheeks!"<br /><br />Me: "Are you poopy? No. Why do you keep telling me butt cheeks???"<br /><br />Jillian still holding toothbrush: "Butt cheeks!"<br /><br />Me: "What are you trying to say? Are you saying toothpaste?"<br /><br />Jillian gleefully: "Butt cheeks!"<br /><br />Me: "Oh you want toothpaste!" I gave her some kids toothpaste.<br /><br />A few minutes later Jeramy walks in the room.<br /><br />Me to Jillian: "Tell your daddy how you say toothpaste"<br /><br />Jillian: "Butt cheeks!"Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-66254348144977183772011-02-02T14:42:00.000-08:002011-02-02T14:51:52.019-08:00A Healthy Check-upWe took Hayden in for her 9 month appointment yesterday. Dr. M declared her a happy and healthy baby girl. The stats are:<br /><br />Height: 27.5" (50th)<br /><br />Weight: 21 lbs 10 oz (90th)<br /><br />Head: 18.25" (95th)<br /><br />So yeah she continues to be a bit on the chunky side but her rolls are crazy adorable. I'm sure her weight gain will slow down as she continues moving more and more. The poor baby seems to have taken a queue from me in the thighs department. She is a definite pear shape. When Jillian was 9 months, she was the same height but a mere 19 lbs...nearly 3 pounds less. Looking back at pictures she was also a lot more mobile. Hayden can do many of things Jillian was doing at the same age in terms of crawling, pulling up on things and climbing stairs but with much less proficiency. Hopefully Hayden will put off walking a couple more months than her sister as well. Jillian was practically running by her first birthday. I much prefer Hayden's low key style.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-90288427825172503192011-02-01T14:51:00.000-08:002011-02-01T15:07:29.614-08:00Whining About WhiningJillian has hit a phase that cannot pass soon enough. Whining. Oh God does this girl have a talent for it. Plus she is persistent. The whining goes on and on and on, and on the really good days becomes an inconsolable temper tantrum. It increases before nap time and bed time, and a sign of a really horrible day is when it starts first thing in the morning. That was today. I was only too happy to ditch the husband and kids for work today. (But before you go feeling too sorry for Jeramy I should point out that the girls had overlapping naps today for two days in a row which never ever happens on a weekend!)<br /><br />Now don't get me wrong. I love Jillian. The girl is fun and full of personality. I just hate the whining. I think that I could handle it better if there were some logic to it. Time outs now work well for bad behavior but they do nothing for whining. Jillian's communication skills make it worse too. You know she wants something in the kitchen so so so badly, but who knows what the heck it is. Trying to understand Jillian is like trying to understand Charlie Brown's mom. Jeramy is better at it than I am. I'll be standing with the refrigerator door open showing Jillian food options (and be met with no's and whining) and Jeramy will say she wants an apple. <br /><br />It is also impossible to figure out what sets her whining off into full blown temper tantrums. For example, on Sunday I decided to wash a blanket from the living room (not on of her blankets but just an ordinary blanket). When she saw me put it in the washer she threw a fit. "Noooo Mama. Please mama noooo!!!". I tried explaining that the blanket was dirty, but rationalizing with a two year old is wasted energy. She screamed and she cried and she begged me to stop washing the blanket for a half hour. The only thing that alleviated the situation was serving macaroni and cheese for lunch.<br /><br />The only thing we have figured out that does work for whining is tricking her into thinking that we gave her what she wants. For example when she kept dropping macaroni and cheese on the floor after the aforementioned tantrum, she'd cry that she wanted me to pick it up so she could eat it. As I don't trust my floors, I'd pretend to put it in her bowl but then stick it in her napkin. At bedtime she asks for more water than what is in the sippy cup in her bed (bad for potty training I know). Instead of giving her more water, which equals wetting through her diaper, I just go out and pretend to get her more. Dishonest, yes. Effective, yes.<br /><br />I never said that I was above dishonesty.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-69531853935172492862011-01-27T10:18:00.000-08:002011-01-27T10:45:19.872-08:009 Months<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TUG3MsowdhI/AAAAAAAADx8/S9Ax4G4zr2k/s1600/DSC_0247.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TUG3MsowdhI/AAAAAAAADx8/S9Ax4G4zr2k/s320/DSC_0247.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566932043175065106" border="0" /></a>(this girl loves her doggie!)<br /></div><br />Hayden has now been on the outside as long as she was on the inside. It is funny how little things seem to change on a daily basis. But then, when you look back over several months, you realize just how rapid a baby changes. This really hit home last weekend when we visited a friend and her newborn in the hospital. I swear I just blinked and Hayden went from a tiny fragile infant to a chubby, mobile baby.<br /><br />Hayden continues to prove herself happy and adaptable. This past month has introduced some challenges in the sleep department. I attribute it to hitting big milestones like crawling and pulling herself up. She wakes herself up several times each night practicing crawling in her sleep or becoming restless and unable to calm herself back down. Usually re-inserting her pacifier does the trick, but sometimes she wants to be rocked back to sleep or even occasionally demands a bottle. The bad nights are when Jillian gets up several times and Hayden wakes up several times. The horrible nights are when Hayden's crying wakes Jillian up and I have two tired, crying children to deal with. Thankfully I can hand one off to Jeramy but really folks this is a major reason that I'm not considering a third child.<br /><br />Naps are another issue. While Hayden doesn't usually get too cranky, she has been resisting naps these days. And when she does take them they are short. I remember with Jillian that this was a difficult age as they want to be awake and experiencing new things rather than sleeping. It also always seems like at least one child is awake at all times with Hayden usually taking two naps and Jillian taking one.<br /><br />I must admit that I am feeling rather worn out these days. I think that I'm usually getting enough sleep in terms of hours, but with the constant interruptions I never wake up feeling truly rested. Plus there is the weather as winters in Seattle are gray and soggy. The days are short, and I go to work and return home in the dark. During the week it often feels like I'm either working, commuting, caring for children or cleaning and on the weekends its kids, cleaning and laundry all day long. I need to work on finding balance again in life, but as any mom knows that is not always easy. Plus I have had some other stresses piled on me in the past month that I think may be exaggerating my fatigue. It will all get easier some day, I know. I just have to find a way to make it all manageable now so that I can make enjoying my family a priority.<br /><br />And really, with a baby like Hayden, there is so much to enjoy. I swear she is the baby that makes everybody else want to have babies. What a sweetheart.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-89538924872318435872011-01-25T15:42:00.000-08:002011-01-25T16:48:05.637-08:00They Actually Exist!!!My days are pretty predictable: wake-up, get ready, work, make dinner, kids bath/bed routine, clean house, catch a couple minutes of TV and then bed. Weekends are wake-up, get ready, clean house, chase kids, clean house, chase kids, feed kids, nap time, clean house, chase kids, dinner, kids bath/bed routine, clean house, catch a couple minutes of TV and then bed. Wednesdays I get a couple of hours of Jen time (no DH or kids) but otherwise it is work/kids/husband 24/7. Frankly it gets a little exhausting. So when the<a href="http://www.bloggersnightout.blogspot.com/"> Seattle area infertility bloggers get together</a> rolled around Saturday night, I must admit that I was pretty damn excited. Sure meeting people who you call your "friends" but have never actually met is a little intimidating. But there would be no husband or kids. And there would be cheesecake.<br /><br />I must say that we had a fantastic time. I am pretty sure that if there were no other constraints, we might still be chatting each other up right now. It is really an amazing experience to meet somebody whose blog you have read for so long that you feel like you already know them having gone through together the trials of infertility then pregnancy then newborns then toddlers then another pregnancy and then two raising children. What is even more amazing is to find out they are real people and their blogs really reflect them. I spent much of our conversation thinking they totally get me.<br /><br />And yes, we even got a picture:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TT9iwKIKU5I/AAAAAAAADxo/GDNV-qwfySI/s1600/Blogger%2BGTG.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TT9iwKIKU5I/AAAAAAAADxo/GDNV-qwfySI/s320/Blogger%2BGTG.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566276243945051026" border="0" /></a>Clockwise from lower left <a href="http://sunnyinseattle-cadh.blogspot.com/">Sunny</a>, <a href="http://bitingmyhand.blogspot.com/">Ludicrous Mama</a>, me, <a href="http://takingthestatisticalbullet.blogspot.com/">Katie</a>. Our photographer would like to remain anonymous, but I can tell you she is totally sweet and about to be pregnant when her current first IVF cycle is completed (fingers crossed!!!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Although I don't blog much about my infertility experience these days, it is still something that is very much a part of me. It was really great to get together with a group of women who have been there and understand that as well as encourage somebody in the midst of treatments. The word on the street is that this will be a get together of some frequency...so Seattle area folks stay tuned! And those outside of Seattle, well you may just want to think of moving here soon!<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-34820016800023916282011-01-22T07:44:00.000-08:002011-01-22T08:00:59.011-08:00A New DooWhen we were about 2 and 4 my little sister and I gave each other hair cuts. We are told that Jaime did a pretty good job on my hair. I on the other hand destroyed hers.<br /><br />Well...what goes around comes around it seems.<br /><br />The other day, Jeramy's 4 year old niece decided that Jillian wanted shorter hair.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TTr9PU3_ARI/AAAAAAAADxI/UChVCWjb4l0/s1600/DSC_0317.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TTr9PU3_ARI/AAAAAAAADxI/UChVCWjb4l0/s320/DSC_0317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565038729313059090" border="0" /></a><br />She gave her bangs. Very short bangs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TTr96k-JOkI/AAAAAAAADxQ/GdXca_6LUFo/s1600/DSC_0311.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TTr96k-JOkI/AAAAAAAADxQ/GdXca_6LUFo/s320/DSC_0311.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565039472368237122" border="0" /></a><br />And I'm not quite sure what she was trying to do with the side.<br /><br />An emergency trip to the hairdresser was in order when I got home from work. Not really wanting to chop everything off, I went with an reverse bob, which masks the damage to the side somewhat. The front...well...we just have to wait for it to grow out I guess.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TTr_GITKfyI/AAAAAAAADxg/ueXA187nqDY/s1600/DSC_0318.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TTr_GITKfyI/AAAAAAAADxg/ueXA187nqDY/s320/DSC_0318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565040770341830434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TTr_F-X5muI/AAAAAAAADxY/aFfjGVoRwBA/s1600/DSC_0319.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TTr_F-X5muI/AAAAAAAADxY/aFfjGVoRwBA/s320/DSC_0319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565040767677340386" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-44630015470103338692011-01-19T10:12:00.000-08:002011-01-19T10:39:19.287-08:00Entering 2011 with PerspectiveSo yeah...I haven't been the greatest blogger lately. The holidays really got the better of me. I had grand ideas of doing it all: baking cookies, mounds of presents for the girls, a sparkling clean house, hosting guests with flair and style. What I ended up with was gaining 5 pounds from eating cookie dough, ridiculous amounts of toy packaging garbage, toys flung across the entire house and hosting guests in my pajamas. Perhaps I need to be more realistic about what is really achievable.<br /><br />I had a week off between Christmas and New Years which I planned to spend contemplating lofty goals for 2011. Instead, I was reminded that despite all my planning, there are truly very few aspects of life that are in my control. Hmmm...despite the best laid plans...doesn't that sound familiar. It seems that the only thing I can control in life is how I respond to situations or people. So for this year, I'm just going to focus on being the best me that I can be. And that doesn't involve long lists of resolutions or beating myself up when I inevitably fall sort. It just involves taking every day step by step and trying to remember to make the best of every moment.<br /><br />In other news:<br /><ul><li>Hayden is an official crawler. Jeramy convinced her to do it by placing Gerber puffs in front of her. She is quite food motivated you see. She began as the Frankenstein of crawling, but is becoming more agile every day. Last week she even pulled herself up on the living room ottoman. My husband thinks this is all wonderful. I think it would have been find to let the whole mobility thing wait until the age of 18 or so.</li><li>Related to this, my floors are impossibly dirty. <br /></li><li>Related to this, it is very hard to keep small objects out of the hands of an 8 month old when a two year old also lives in your home. <br /></li><li>Jeramy is still home with the girls. He hopes this may change one day soon with the promise of some work on the horizon. Unfortunately it is work that is an hour away at half the pay. Despite this he seems to be looking forward to this prospect, as it seems that life as a SAHD isn't exactly full of bon bons and naps.</li><li>I celebrated my 33rd birthday by hiring a maid service to come clean my house. Best gift ever. <br /></li><li>Jillian is quite the talkative little girl these days. I only understand about 3% of what she says, but that increases to 6% when Jeramy interprets for her. <br /></li><li>I'm finding that 2 is an easier age in terms of discipline. She actually gets the concept of time out, will stand in the corner by herself (usually) and the poor behavior usually stops afterward (for maybe 5 minutes).</li><li>I'm finding that 2 sucks in terms of whining over everything. She wants to sit in my lap for dinner. Sissy is playing with her toy. Best of all are the situations where I cannot figure out what she is unhappy about. <br /></li><li>I'm becoming a very proficient with coupons in my efforts to save money given Jeramy's job situation.<br /></li><li>I'm really looking forward to the Seattle area IF blogger get together on Saturday! </li></ul>I really have missed blogging and connecting with others. So in 2011 I really hope to get back into the writing routine. Oh wait, that sounds like a resolution, and I'm not going to make those.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-23865416179720339992010-12-07T15:12:00.000-08:002010-12-07T15:16:40.736-08:00Hey There Seattle BloggersI know you guys are all dying to meet me. And <a href="http://www.bloggersnightout.blogspot.com/">here</a> is your opportunity! <br /><br />And well if you don't want to meet me, <a href="http://sunnyinseattle-cadh.blogspot.com/">Sunny</a> for Sunny in Seattle and <a href="http://takingthestatisticalbullet.blogspot.com/2010/12/calling-all-seattle-area-bloggers.html">Katie</a> from Taking the Statistical Bullet will be there, and they are way cooler and funnier than me! Hope to see you guys there!!!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-2407578766781151822010-11-23T15:43:00.001-08:002010-11-23T15:57:32.654-08:00I'm Dreaming of a White...ThanksgivingPanic has ensued Seattle because not only has it snowed in our city of hills and few snow tires but it isn't even Thanksgiving yet for the love of God. And by snowed in I mean 5 inches at my house. Snow prior to Turkey Day hasn't happened in 25 years. Oh and predicting the weather around here is sort of like trying to get rich by winning the lottery. Luckily I figured out that their prediction of .25" of snow was inaccurate in time to get out of the city before everybody else. I have many friends who spent until the wee hours of the morning commuting home. Today is a snow day because not only are the roads bad but everybody needs a mental health break from that traffic jam. We are certainly enjoying the break at my house!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUgH8cdmI/AAAAAAAADuk/jjEFwvRLCAQ/s1600/Snow7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542898152251356770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUgH8cdmI/AAAAAAAADuk/jjEFwvRLCAQ/s320/Snow7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUflSs99I/AAAAAAAADuc/bBafgDg_2DM/s1600/Snow6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542898142949472210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUflSs99I/AAAAAAAADuc/bBafgDg_2DM/s320/Snow6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUYHFfX7I/AAAAAAAADuU/Xj9N5zDoiVM/s1600/Snow5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542898014581907378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUYHFfX7I/AAAAAAAADuU/Xj9N5zDoiVM/s320/Snow5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUXSJq-_I/AAAAAAAADuM/FdwGpkoyxf8/s1600/Snow4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542898000372366322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUXSJq-_I/AAAAAAAADuM/FdwGpkoyxf8/s320/Snow4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUWUjNFdI/AAAAAAAADuE/8vfib6VL5eA/s1600/Snow3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542897983836460498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUWUjNFdI/AAAAAAAADuE/8vfib6VL5eA/s320/Snow3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUVawQG8I/AAAAAAAADt8/5FHtVt8XGN8/s1600/Snow2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542897968321928130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUVawQG8I/AAAAAAAADt8/5FHtVt8XGN8/s320/Snow2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUU7NAthI/AAAAAAAADt0/HPwD-WZ0Q0s/s1600/Snow1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542897959852619282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TOxUU7NAthI/AAAAAAAADt0/HPwD-WZ0Q0s/s320/Snow1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-55491430265333741072010-11-10T09:39:00.000-08:002010-11-10T09:50:56.125-08:00Wordless WednesdayOctober 2008<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNrZfyIcmRI/AAAAAAAADq8/_c6w_4pLyGM/s1600/101_0336.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNrZfyIcmRI/AAAAAAAADq8/_c6w_4pLyGM/s320/101_0336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537977831861819666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />October 2010<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNrbcZFsvKI/AAAAAAAADrc/Ty4onu3B_BE/s1600/DSC_0761.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNrbcZFsvKI/AAAAAAAADrc/Ty4onu3B_BE/s320/DSC_0761.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537979972623056034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNra7WnCalI/AAAAAAAADrU/tgz2pYrz0sY/s1600/DSC_0762.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNra7WnCalI/AAAAAAAADrU/tgz2pYrz0sY/s320/DSC_0762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537979405021899346" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNra6coBKqI/AAAAAAAADrE/KAA995HsFBQ/s1600/DSC_0754.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNra6coBKqI/AAAAAAAADrE/KAA995HsFBQ/s320/DSC_0754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537979389456755362" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-89361128708946805912010-11-09T14:36:00.001-08:002010-11-10T09:36:27.288-08:00Um...hiSo yeah, it's been a few weeks. I'm sorry. Because I know my readership has been refreshing every few seconds just aching for an update from me.<br /><br />Oh...what's that? You've haven't even noticed that I've been gone? And you don't think a couple people with my blog in their Google Reader counts as "readership"? Yeah, yeah, I get the point.<br /><br />Anyhow, much has been happening at my house these days. Jeramy went hunting, which meant a week of being a single mom. On the plus side the house was much cleaner when I got home each day because my MIL would take those messy kids to her house after they woke up. On the negative side, a two year old and six month old do not provide for very stimulating conversation. Unless you enjoy discussing the merits of Elmo. In which case you would find out discussions enthralling.<br /><br />Then this happened:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNnRtuhu1kI/AAAAAAAADqU/2K88MnxE96s/s1600/DSC_0778.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNnRtuhu1kI/AAAAAAAADqU/2K88MnxE96s/s320/DSC_0778.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537687800342566466" border="0" /></a>Just a couple days early (and after an early labor that stretched out over three days) my niece Lily Marie arrived. She was just a petite thing at just 6 lbs 5 oz and 18.5" long. The delivery went smoothly, and I have to admit it was pretty amazing to witness and Jaime handled labor like a champ. Lily has been growing like a weed since then. I think her lowest weight was 6 lbs 2 oz and she is now 7 lbs 3 oz. I'm such a proud auntie!<br /><br />The day after Lily's arrival Hayden turned 6 months old. Half a year. Seriously. She remains the worlds sweetest baby even if chewing on your finger and pulling your hair are her favorite activities. She also seems to have forgotten how to suck her thumb, and cries out hourly for me to come and reinsert her pacifier each night. Sleep in one hour increments is not quite as satisfying, but this is far better than actually having to feed her at some point during the night. That would require much more than walking down the hall in back in a zombie like state. She has mastered rolling from back to front, but is not very good from front to back. At least she is getting more and more content with tummy time because the whole flipping her back over every 15 seconds thing was getting old. She can sit up, but she is not nearly as steady at Jillian at the same age. She tends to fling herself backwards and seems much more pre-occupied with standing than sitting.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNnT7HOQNEI/AAAAAAAADqc/Fiay5n9GOe8/s1600/DSC_0666.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNnT7HOQNEI/AAAAAAAADqc/Fiay5n9GOe8/s320/DSC_0666.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537690229333308482" border="0" /></a><br />And just in case anybody worried that Lily got a knitted blanket but Hayden did not, never fear. It may have taken me many, many months to complete it but here is pictoral proof that this blanket does exist.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNrX2Jul0qI/AAAAAAAADq0/UMCyxI-0j-4/s1600/DSC_0747.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNrX2Jul0qI/AAAAAAAADq0/UMCyxI-0j-4/s320/DSC_0747.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537976017129689762" border="0" /></a>She loves Sophie the Giraffe given to her by Aunt Jaime<br /></div><br />Then there was Halloween. Jillian was a Monkey (very appropriate) and Hayden a Lady Bug, and hot damn if they weren't the cutest Trick-or-treaters ever. Well at least Jillian was with her "tank yous" and "bye byes". Hayden was passed out in the stroller. The best part was that...finally...after a two decade hiatus...Jeramy and I got to go begging door to door for candy once again. Only this time we had an adorable set of girls as bait. Our house is in a rural area, so we drove a couple miles down the road to a fancy neighbor hood with houses several times the price of ours where many of the homes were all decked out in Halloween decor. These folks handed out the good candy (no tootsie rolls and crap as Jeramy said) and some even had full sized candy. And maybe...just maybe...we had a <span style="font-style: italic;">few</span> items from Jillian's take that evening. We wouldn't want her too jacked up on sugar after all. Man oh man, are we responsible parents with our priorities entirely in order.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNnRNrM2hEI/AAAAAAAADqM/nnCtAJNZPbA/s1600/DSC_0731.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNnRNrM2hEI/AAAAAAAADqM/nnCtAJNZPbA/s320/DSC_0731.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537687249693869122" border="0" /></a><br />Don't they look bored?<br /><br />After fattening them up with candy (well Jillian at least as I've heard that giving babies Reeses and Milky Ways if frowned upon) we took them both in for their 2 year and 6 month check-ups. Both were pronounced healthy specimens of children and both screamed mightily upon receiving their shots. As suspected, Hayden is gaining on Jillian in terms of weight and I'm a little nervous that she may overtake her at some point defeating the entire purpose of hand-me-downs. Here are the official stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jillian</span><br />Height: 34.25" (50th)<br />Weight: 27 lbs 4 oz (65th)<br />Head: 20.5" (100th)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hayden</span><br />Height: 27" (80th)<br />Weight: 19 lbs 3 oz (95th)<br />Head: 18" (100th)<br /><br />My doctor is feeling a little reassured by the fact that both of my children appear to have enormous heads (thanks to their Daddy). As for the weight Hayden is a fatty, but I find it a little hard to believe that Jillian's weight is in the 65th percentile. She seems a little on the small side to me in comparison with other kids her age.<br /><br />In Jillian related news, she has recently taken to hiding from us. She isn't very good at it, I'm afraid as she always chooses the same spot behind the ottoman. And some body part is always sticking out for us to see. I try to play along though and say "where's Jillian???".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNnX7T_cbNI/AAAAAAAADqk/G2hX1rQqFtw/s1600/DSC_0758.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNnX7T_cbNI/AAAAAAAADqk/G2hX1rQqFtw/s320/DSC_0758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537694630807366866" border="0" /></a><br />She has taken a little more notice of her little sister lately, and often times tries to physically insert herself between me and the baby when she sits on my lap. Hayden certain notices Jillian and finds her very interesting even if she does steal all the toys and call everything "mine". I'm looking forward to the day the girls can play happily together. Okay, okay...I would just settle for play together.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNrUjuB9g-I/AAAAAAAADqs/UYESSO0bYR0/s1600/DSC_0767.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TNrUjuB9g-I/AAAAAAAADqs/UYESSO0bYR0/s320/DSC_0767.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537972401922212834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There is more to share as we head into the holidays. I've been learning to knit two socks at one time saving me from "second sock syndrome". And I've been learning how to cut our grocery budget in half as part of Operation Learn How to Live on one Income. So look forward some posts on knitting and savings!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-90076871332286999042010-10-14T15:18:00.000-07:002010-10-14T15:38:08.598-07:00The other weekend we went to a local park to meet up with our photographer <a href="http://www.kerenfenton.com/">Keren</a> Fenton who always does a fabulous job taking pictures of our family. Yesterday my CD of pictures arrived in the mail. I was a little nervous to take a look at the results from our session, because Jillian was quite the pill. In fact, this picture highlights her attitude for the better part of the hour:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeCfnG0q-I/AAAAAAAADoM/Zej3w_upYdA/s1600/006.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeCfnG0q-I/AAAAAAAADoM/Zej3w_upYdA/s320/006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528030547205729250" border="0" /></a>Please note I'm wearing my "grin and bear it" expression.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I love that Keren included that photo for me. She my know of my love for pictures of my eldest daughter crying.<br /><br />However her talent never ceases to amaze me, and she captured some downright beautiful shots. I love the girls bright hand knit sweaters and big blue eyes in combination with the warm fall colors. And even if Jillian can't be caught with a smile on her face, her sister wins photogenic baby of the year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeDvB2IeLI/AAAAAAAADok/WESvHhcgBxI/s1600/004.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeDvB2IeLI/AAAAAAAADok/WESvHhcgBxI/s320/004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528031911593146546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeDu6G5paI/AAAAAAAADoc/2ojVp2q83kU/s1600/002.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeDu6G5paI/AAAAAAAADoc/2ojVp2q83kU/s320/002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528031909515994530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeDuX507gI/AAAAAAAADoU/SlilBnY1jWI/s1600/001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeDuX507gI/AAAAAAAADoU/SlilBnY1jWI/s320/001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528031900334353922" border="0" /></a></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeESD_PHCI/AAAAAAAADo8/FrKPMXKyL7w/s1600/013.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeESD_PHCI/AAAAAAAADo8/FrKPMXKyL7w/s320/013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528032513463622690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeERx1rVeI/AAAAAAAADo0/5Jq8qq5dNYE/s1600/010.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeERx1rVeI/AAAAAAAADo0/5Jq8qq5dNYE/s320/010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528032508591691234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeERmRrw_I/AAAAAAAADos/JWiBcQXFWTU/s1600/009.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeERmRrw_I/AAAAAAAADos/JWiBcQXFWTU/s320/009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528032505487934450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeEhWUlQSI/AAAAAAAADpU/jBtgSxZC9Uc/s1600/017.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeEhWUlQSI/AAAAAAAADpU/jBtgSxZC9Uc/s320/017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528032776083030306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeEhDixdWI/AAAAAAAADpM/b1Ob6870qVI/s1600/016.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeEhDixdWI/AAAAAAAADpM/b1Ob6870qVI/s320/016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528032771042276706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeEg_BN9qI/AAAAAAAADpE/iciSemfRsxA/s1600/015.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLeEg_BN9qI/AAAAAAAADpE/iciSemfRsxA/s320/015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528032769827796642" border="0" /></a><br />And yes, I knit the sweaters myself! I made them last winter/spring. I posted about Jillian's <a href="http://jenandjay78.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html">here</a> but never wrote about Hayden's sweater. They are the Helena pattern from Knitty and they were such fun to knit up. I used Duets yarn, dyed by my friend Angi. I made one for each girl with hopes that they would fit in the fall, and luckily it worked out! I was worried that Hayden's would be too big, but then she turned out to be a big girl! You can find them <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/jennifercarol/helena-2">here</a> and <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/jennifercarol/helena">here</a> on Ravelry.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-33917502387975063402010-10-10T20:27:00.000-07:002010-10-14T10:36:00.195-07:00Dream Catcher Blanket<span style="font-style: italic;">This is also posted over at <a href="http://terribleknittersofkent.wordpress.com/">The Terrible Knitters of Kent</a>, which is a new knitting blog started by gals in my knitting group.</span><br /><br />When my sister told me that she had gotten a positive pregnancy test my first thought was "Woohoo, I'm gonna be an aunt!!!" My second thought was "What am I going to knit?"<br /><br />Once she found out the baby was a girl, I set out to find the perfect project for sweet Lily. I was determined to be realistic about the amount of time I had available for a project...I did have two girls under two to attend to. But then I saw the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.spudandchloe.com/blog/2010/04/dream-catcher-baby-blanket-free-pattern/">Dream Catcher</a> </span>blanket pattern by Susan Anderson on Ravelry and my ideals of simple were tossed aside for time consuming yet adorable.<br /><br />Well if I couldn't achieve realistic, I figured that I could at least make the project affordable. So I ordered some Knit Picks Swish (worsted superwash merino wool) in darker jeweled tones. When the box arrived, I opened it full of anticipation...but then disappointment consumed me. The colors were darker and more muted than I expected. Too make matters worse, I had just seen a picture of the <a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/room/rom/romnur/romnurbrk/">Pottery Barn Brooke</a> bedding Jaime had chosen. Comparing such beautiful spring colors to the dreary tones in the box just depressed me. I decided right then to screw affordable; so I loaded Hayden up in the car and headed to the <a href="http://renaissanceyarns.com/">local yarn shop</a>.<br /><br />At the yarn store I found exactly the yarn called for in the pattern, Spud and Chloe Sweater (superwash wool/cotton blend) and fell in love. Seeking to match Jaime's bedding choice, I picked the watermelon, splash, grass, pollen and firefly colorways...two skeins as the one skein called for in the pattern seemed completely inadequate (which turned out to be correct as about 1.5 skeins of each color was required).<br /><br />Infatuated with my yarn selection, I headed home where I discovered that my choices exactly matched what was called for in the pattern. Hmmmm...that isn't exactly creative. So I decided to spice my pattern up by coming up with an arrangement that incorporated all seven different squares in all of the different colors rather than just making each pattern in one color. Plus I decide to stretch myself with a crochet border. Oh yeah. I really know how to live life on the edge.<br /><br />I found that the one advantage of the project is that squares are portable. I worked on them during a couple road trips we had for weddings. I worked on them during a break in the middle of a motorcycle trip. I even managed to get a little done in my vanpool as the van tends to be emptier during the summer time (other riders don't want my elbows in their sides). Don't get me wrong...25 squares do seem to take forever. And I wasn't very happy when, four squares in, I lost my outline of how all these squares were supposed to come together and had to figure it out again from scratch. I also wasn't too thrilled to have to re-do my first blackberry square (the most difficult but prettiest pattern) when I realized that casting on the 32 stitches called for made it too big because of all the increases involved (28 worked for me). But somehow by the end of August, I managed to achieve this:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21246544@N06/4931948655/" title="DSC_0123 by jcyahne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4931948655_11ba58c82d.jpg" alt="DSC_0123" width="500" height="332" /></a><br /><br />After washing and blocking, the fun part began: seaming. Oh God, I thought it was never going to end. Each night after girls were in bed I'd sit down at the dining room table and stitched squares together. It was tedious and not at all conducive to any sort of fun activity like T.V. watching due to how the table and television are positioned.<br /><br />The only thing I could find to break up the monotony was contemplating all of the border possibilities. I had bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Around-Corner-Crochet-Borders-Instructions/dp/1603425381/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286771606&sr=8-1">this</a> book of crocheted borders, and although it looks like something straight from 1985 it is really quite good and very comprehensive. Each border includes a schematic sketch, which I found incredibly helpful as I am primarily a knitter. Crochet stitches aren't complicated, but I find interpreting the patterns to be completely frustrating.<br /><br />And finally the blanket was stitched together. And a weekend later the border was done. And by the day before the baby shower it was done blocking. Ahhh...sweet success.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLKWbeC3oAI/AAAAAAAADn8/5TunCDpD0G0/s1600/DSC_0527.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLKWbeC3oAI/AAAAAAAADn8/5TunCDpD0G0/s320/DSC_0527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526645091402752002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLKWayoFMgI/AAAAAAAADn0/QCKC4ZMozdE/s1600/DSC_0526.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLKWayoFMgI/AAAAAAAADn0/QCKC4ZMozdE/s320/DSC_0526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526645079747670530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLKWadsVXrI/AAAAAAAADns/gX2ec0OTXuI/s1600/DSC_0525.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLKWadsVXrI/AAAAAAAADns/gX2ec0OTXuI/s320/DSC_0525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526645074128363186" border="0" /></a><br />Probably the best part of all was the smile on my sister's face when she opened her present. I can't wait for Lily to arrive (soon, I hope!) and try her new blanket out.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLKXiDnR3lI/AAAAAAAADoE/FnZ212OjuqY/s1600/DSC_0595.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TLKXiDnR3lI/AAAAAAAADoE/FnZ212OjuqY/s320/DSC_0595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526646304078421586" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-51857534148260897992010-10-08T09:45:00.001-07:002010-10-08T09:57:01.548-07:00*Sigh*...She's TwoMy Jillian turned two yesterday. I'm admittedly a little sad but excited all at once. It seemed like just yesterday she was this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TK9LR-strxI/AAAAAAAADnM/wboMCKnoM3o/s1600/img001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TK9LR-strxI/AAAAAAAADnM/wboMCKnoM3o/s320/img001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525718040067288850" border="0" /></a><br />And now she is this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TK9Lp3s_EiI/AAAAAAAADnk/PbYvm9m_aX8/s1600/DSC_0719.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TK9Lp3s_EiI/AAAAAAAADnk/PbYvm9m_aX8/s320/DSC_0719.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525718450506240546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TK9LpvtTsZI/AAAAAAAADnc/uzUeumva2hM/s1600/DSC_0690.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TK9LpvtTsZI/AAAAAAAADnc/uzUeumva2hM/s320/DSC_0690.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525718448360108434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TK9LpUoH8qI/AAAAAAAADnU/q3KnUk7qCu8/s1600/DSC_0706.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TK9LpUoH8qI/AAAAAAAADnU/q3KnUk7qCu8/s320/DSC_0706.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525718441090609826" border="0" /></a>It is hard to get a picture of her face these days as she is always on the move. Running and jumping. Saying no. Giving hugs and kisses. Greeting me in the evenings with "Hi Mama!" Biting her tongue when she concentrates like I do. Entertaining her little sister. Saying "Tank you". Putting her socks in her shoes after she takes them off. Stripping all her clothes off and jumping on the trampoline outside. Drinking out of a cup without a lid. Not eating your own food but then insisting on having a "bite" of whatever daddy or I eat. Insisting on filling Cujo's bowl with food whether he needs it or not. Reading books. Watching Elmo. Cuddling.<br /><br />Life is such an adventure with you Jillian. I am privileged to be called your mom for the past two years.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487379593353038723.post-75593736286859385422010-09-29T11:46:00.001-07:002010-09-29T11:47:39.280-07:00Wordless Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TKOJs-ql0vI/AAAAAAAADnE/vSJ2iF-0kzY/s1600/102_1578.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_40rn-ivDKXA/TKOJs-ql0vI/AAAAAAAADnE/vSJ2iF-0kzY/s320/102_1578.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522408973915247346" border="0" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00985331491572039777noreply@blogger.com8