new nephew

I just realized I haven't even posted anything about my new nephew, Gabe. Good thing he can't read yet! Gabe is almost two weeks old, and my sister Becca and her husband Chris are doing really well. Gabe decided to come early and fast, which was a bit disappointing as he made his debut the one weekend we were away in Florida. Definitely good for Becca though, as the whole production only took about 6 hours. Everyone's fine and this is one cute baby. My mom is here to help out, so we are enjoying that too. Details and cute pictures here. Welcome to the world, baby boy!

ornament debacle - my side

THREE years ago (and she's still not over it-see post below), while shopping several weeks before Christmas, Jess and I decided to step into Barneys, just to ogle at the expensive, extremely overpriced merchandise. While there, we checked out their Christmas section. The designer ornaments were ridiculously expensive, ranging from $40-$500 or so. They were, however, very cool, as they were chandelier themed. Very glam, Jessica loves glam. I jokingly said to her, because they were very expensive, "would you like these ornaments for Christmas?", and she, knowing I was joking, said no. End of story, part 1.

Two days before Christmas, I'm shopping alone. Barneys has Christmas merchandise dramatically marked down. I had already bought everything and reached my budget, but knowing these were greatly reduced, I thought she would like them for future use. Fast forward to Christmas morning: she is very upset and overreacts. Granted, I had not considered the fact that we did not have a Christmas tree for the fifth year in a row. But, we are never in town for Christmas and it seems like a waste of money. My big mistake was having them wrapped and give as a gift! If I had just come home and put them on the counter and said "got cool ornaments for cheap" we would not be reliving this agument today. Here is a sample of the ornaments in question.

If loving her is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Happy Holidays--Stephen

our tannenbaum

After only seven years of marriage, we got our first Christmas tree.

We bribed our friend Truck, I mean Wes, with dinner and Stella time. What a good sport.

Here they are setting up the tree. Yes, there was a wrench involved.

We got a real tree, it even came with a real slug living on a branch and real needles that are oh-so-festively decorating the floor. I love it. It smells like Christmas in our house. While a real tree may be a bit more of a hassle, it's not like this is a way of life - it's once a year. Stella seems to have figured out that needles are not so tasty, and the ornaments are out of her reach, for now anyway. I'm sure that by the time Christmas gets here, she will be three feet tall.

She's fascinated by the lights:the finished scene:
So at long last, I get to use the truly fabulous chandelier ornaments Stephen bought me a few years ago. This puts the cherry on top of a many-layered argument. On the one hand, they are fabulous and I love them. On the other hand, I HATE giving and receiving ornaments as gifts. (No offense to anyone who may have previously given me any ornaments. Ha.) It's just that you get them on Christmas, and then you can't use them for a whole freaking year. Plus if you are a design snob like me, you really like to pick this kind of thing out yourself. Plus, when he first found the chandelier ornaments and asked me if I liked them, I said no. He asked if I wanted them, and I said no. Then he gave them to me, after vetoing a Christmas tree for oh, the fifth year in a row (we've always gone out of town for the holiday). The cruelty was completely lost on him, and he did not understand why I was upset. I have since explained to him why I was upset, using graphs and charts where necessary.

Let's just say they look pretty on the tree and we can all be happy now. :) It's a festivus miracle!

Stella in the sunshine state

Last weekend we flew to Florida so that Stella could meet some of the Italian side of her family. She met her great-aunt Mary Jane, her great-grandma Crazy Jean (as we like to call her) and her great-uncle John.

Kiddo was funny on the plane, blowing raspberries as everyone exited.

We dipped her toes in the ocean - she loved all the new sensations and watching the birds. Water was cold and surprising for her.

We were spoiled rotten this trip - early Christmas and my birthday.

Mary Jane's house was done up so beautifully for the holiday - we all got into the spirit.

I love this picture because it shows just how crazy about each other these two were. Stella loves necklaces and Crazy Jean had lots for her to play with. I need to figure out how to turn off the flash but still keep the shutter speed up. I hate using the flash when there is such warm lighting.

We were treated to Uncle John's absolutely delicious food, it was all so yummy. And Aunt Mary Jane is the most gracious hostess - we were so comfortable during our stay. We came home with all kinds of treasures - and practically a new wardrobe for baby girl. It was a GREAT trip.

Next we will hopefully see a few Floridians in Dallas - we can't wait!

smoke-free dallas

Yesterday I attended a Dallas City Council meeting to help support a proposed city-wide smoking ban - expanding it to include bars. The place I work (American Heart Association) has worked hard for this ordinance and many like it across the country. It was a fascinating experience. Those of us in support wore red t-shirts and packed the chambers. The opposing side wore yellow and seemed to be primarily made up of people who own or work in bars. Their concern was that they would lose business to the suburbs. It's an argument that was made when Dallas banned smoking in restaurants, and it didn't hold up then, and it doesn't now. I know many feel this is a personal freedom issue, but this is one instance where public health should prevail. No one is telling smokers they can't smoke, they just have to go outside. There were several people there concerned about losing their bar jobs, stating that this was the only job they could get. Bottom line: no one should have to choose between their health and their paycheck.

At one point the mayor asked that any citizen who wanted to go on the record was welcome to come forward and give their name and a short statement. I jumped up, remembering all the studies showing that when you ban public smoking, the incidence of heart attacks drops in the community. I implored the council to do the right thing - today they had an opportunity not many of us get, to make a real difference and save real lives in Dallas.

They did the right thing and it passed. Come April (when it goes into effect), this non-smoker will gladly organize a celebratory happy hour and not come home smelling like an ashtray.

so nine people and a dog walk into a bar...

We spent Thanksgiving with Stephen's family. His sister hosted, she is such a good sport, and we did it co-op style. Everyone brought something and everything was delicious. I made rolls and pies.

We did have some misadventures on the drive down - Colin & Megan's van broke down as they tried to leave Dallas at noon on Tuesday. And no rental cars available on account of the holiday. It truly was one thing after another - if National Lampoon ever makes a Thanksgiving Adventure, they should give us a call. Really. Anything that could possibly go wrong did. It's normally a 3 hour drive. It took us 2 hours just to leave Dallas. We piled in our two cars with four adults, three infants, two children and a dog. Plus gear. We had to go the opposite direction in rush hour traffic to pick up Colin at the car dealership. There was an accident, and I almost called him to tell him to just start walking south - it was that bad. We didn't get there until midnight. Lesson learned: don't try to cheer anybody up by pointing out that things can't really be that bad since no one has thrown up. It only makes the universe want someone to throw up.

I am proud to say that I found a good crew to do the Turkey Trot 5k with. Stephen, Stella, and our nephews Max, Zach, Aidan & Jack, and our niece Isabelle all got up early to do what I hope can be a tradition on that side of the family. My goal was to run the whole thing, and Max agreed to do it with me. When we started running, all the other boys ran with us too. It was fun, weaving through the crowd of walkers. But it left Stephen with the stroller and Isabelle, who is pretty little for the distance. So I sent some of the boys back to check on them, and sure enough, Isabelle was getting tired. So after about two miles or so, I circled back to walk with them. Isabelle did great, we stopped to rest and I gave her a brief shoulder ride, but she did it. They had a pancake breakfast after, which all the kids enjoyed. One of them said they had never eaten breakfast outside before. It was fun, and their parents enjoyed a few hours of kid-free holiday preparation. I think we wore them out!

Here's our crew:

Stella's still smiling at the end:

Stephen, Max, Jack and Isabelle at the finish. Max ran the whole thing. This is what I got when I told them to smile. I would say they are in serious need of some pancakes here.
Stella LOVED playing with her cousins all weekend.



We had a great time visiting family. Black Friday just isn't the same without my mom around - she is serious about it. We slept in instead. Stella is unofficially crawling. More of a scoot, but she is definitely mobile.

I WON!!!

I can't believe it, as of last week I was pretty sure I was not going to make it, the gap between the leader and I moved from .11% to .4%. But then I did some algebra and figured I might as well take the shot. In the end I was at 7.92% lost, and second place was something like 7.86%. So it was very close. I did not actually sabotage anyone. Ok, I did do the secret-admirer-has-sent-you-your-favorite-candy-bar thing, and walk through the office with a plate of hot cookies. But that was all in good fun. And the cookies were way more tempting for me, I had to live with them. Seems like I've been baking cookies all week - that has been hard to resist. So anyway, over the weekend I thought I should at least play this thing out down to the wire. So no salt for me on Monday, worked out Tuesday morning and got in the sauna, started thinking crazy thoughts like "would I weigh less if I got a haircut?" and actually (literally) weighed my clothing options Tuesday morning. High noon was the finale.

I've actually lost more than 7.92% of my body weight, since I started before the competition. I shall not post my actual percentage for fear that someone might do the algebra and figure out either my present or starting weight. :) But I am down 35 pounds total. And now, up $700. YEAH!

liquid diet

Despite the constant drooling, chewing motions, age (7 months) and size, this kid is just not interested in food. At all. We've tried bananas, apples, applesauce, even a lemon just to see what she would do. Reaction was the same as the avocado. Oh well. We'll just give it some time. Maybe she needs some teeth first. No rush.

bigger and smaller

I am sorry to report that we have fallen completely off the pushup wagon. It was fun while it lasted. I did notice that carrying Stella got a lot easier. We'll have to restart sometime. I really like the program, we just had to repeat that second week and never did, so we just need to start from the beginning.

Stella is coming on like gangbusters - I think she's going to crawl any day now. She sits up by herself, and is getting really good at the whole reaching for things. We are going to have to rethink some things in our house... She loves her books and hates her car seat. She is way too big for her infant car seat, we need to order the big one now that will take her through the toddler years. She's too heavy to carry around in it anyway. Oh! And I was thrilled to discover that she can now ride in a shopping cart without her car seat. It's crazy funny. She reaches for something in the store, and does the full body lunge, but then doesn't yet know how to get herself upright again. She just looks up at you, sideways.

I am down 31 pounds total and am in second place for the competition at work. There is $750 at stake, and there is 0.11% between first place and me. Needless to say, that person's "secret admirer" is going to bring them a candy bar today... there is just a week to go.

it must be boy season

Last week we got a special election day bonus - two new nephews! Stephen's cousin Colin and his wife Megan welcomed Patrick and Liam to the world. Megan gets the bragging rights of having voted while in labor. That's dedication. They came in at a very respectable size - each was over 6 lbs. They are so cute and very sweet. I think Stella wants one for herself. She looks like an amazon next to them.

Next month we will get another one - my sister is due with a boy Christmas Eve. And then we have another cousin having a boy in April. And my uncle and aunt welcomed a boy a few weeks ago, my 53rd first cousin. Holy smokes.

Proud to be an American

Although I didn't vote for President-elect Obama, I am as proud today to be an American as I was when President Bush was elected. It's simple to me, the man in the oval office does not make this country great, it is the people that embrace the simple, but often uncommon princles of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Niether party has a monopoly on the truth of these principles, simply different paths.

I was listening to NPR this morning and a leader in Africa was offering his congratulations to the American people for the peaceful election of Obama. I actually chuckled with joy upon hearing this. In this country people do not die in the streets because their guy didn't win. People may sob a bit, they may be a bit frightened of the change, some may even wear black in protest, but we still live free.

So good luck to President elect Obama, and thank God the Dems don't have a super majority!

I like to think it was my car sticker that put him over the top

Even though Stephen cancelled out my vote (as usual, at least this year he didn't actively try to steal it), I am thrilled beyond measure that Obama won. I may look back on this one day with embarassment at my overt jubilation, but for today, I want to document this. A new day is dawning. I am proud of our country today.
It is the exact opposite of four years ago - when I just lay on our bed and sobbed. I was so heartbroken, but today my faith is restored. I think good things are coming.
There may be some policy points on which the candidate and I disagreed, but I trust this man to be a thoughtful, intellectual, open-minded and reasonable president. Someone cool in a crisis, who listens to all sides and seeks out opposing points of view. I don't want to elect someone to have a beer with. I want a leader, and I think we got the right guy.
My cousin Linsey was in Grant Park last night in Chicago. It must have felt like the center of the world. I am so jealous - Stephen and I both would have loved to have been there. What an amazing moment in time. I feel like celebrating!

introducing Stella Miranda!

Her first Halloween. I'm sure she'll hate me for this one day. But she was a good sport, and her Carmen Miranda costume turned out reasonably well. The fruit was surprisingly hard to balance.

heathen no more!

Last weekend we had a christening for Stella Rose, and a party at our place afterward. It was so much fun, and we are extraordinarily lucky to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family.

We carried on an italian tradition of sausage making to mark special occasions. It was our first time leading such an endeavor. Luckily Joe and Rose were on hand to lend their grinder and advice. So Friday night a small group of us gathered to turn 35 pounds of pork shoulder into yummy italian sausage that we served at the party the next day. My dad also led a family tradition of marking special occasions with homemade ice cream - we had Stellaberry (aka strawberry) and cookies & cream. yum. I broke my no sugar rule and it was SO worth it.

I think about 60 people were there in all, and luckily our former jungle of a backyard is now a lovely courtyard perfectly suited for this kind of thing. Lucky for us the weather cooperated - it was beautiful blue skies and cool breezes.

My brother in law Chris came through with a cornhole set. Cornhole rules. Mostly because it sounds vaguely dirty, but is really a combination of horseshoes and bean bag toss. Only with corn. And holes. We played it in the front yard and converted many to the cornhole cause. Here's a few of our nephews and neice playing - one of the few times the kids actually got to play.



Here's a few shots of the patio:
Stephen's Uncle Billy adds his special magic to any photo he can.


Yes, the giant Buddha head in the courtyard did lead to a few questions... what can I say, we love the Buddha in our house.


A shot of the courtyard through the back french doors. Muchas gracias to Jenny who took it upon herself to dress up the fence with a coat of stain - she can come visit anytime! Also many thanks to my mom, who, let's just say, made this photo possible.

Here's a shot of the front yard. Stephen did a great job. His pointing finger is really tired! (kidding, hon...)

Stella's godparents are my brother Paul and his wife Amanda. We were so happy to have them in Texas for a visit. Stella learned a lot from her cousin (and our godchild) Kaia over the weekend. Does that make them godcousins? Godsisters?

Sunday morning we took Stella and Kaia to the Dallas Arboretum for a photo shoot with Lindsay Baronoskie. She did an amazing job. See more on our Flickr site.

I just wish we had taken pictures during the party and baptism. We forgot to bring the camera to the church, and afterward we got caught up talking to everyone. A few people got shots at the church - If you have some, please send them to me! Stella wore the sweetest family gown - hand made by her Nana using lace made by HER Nana back in Ireland. We were afraid to let her stay in it for the party, so my mom bought her the sweetest party dress:

maybe not avocados...

Stella got her first taste of real food. She was truly horrified.

we've got a dancer on our hands

Stella in her jumper is a new source of entertainment for us. It so funny to watch her go. I don't know quite why it is so funny but it really is.

So here's a quick clip. Of course I am so proud, notice how she really gets going right when the music picks up... she may not look like me yet, but I think she might have my rhythm...

comments

FYI, we changed the settings, so you no longer have to sign in to leave a comment. Woo hoo!

baby loves polka

We went to dinner the other night at the Bavarian Grill, one of our favorite spots for German food. They always have live music, Stella Rose was absolutely fascinated. The new thing for her now is her jumper. She loves it and I swear she dances if you put music on. I put on a Czech polka for her, she loved it. Here's a bit of video - she gets a little distracted by the camera in the beginning.
Bernice, this one's for you...

seven and ten years

Today is our dual anniversary. After we were married, we realized that we had (completely unintentionally) gotten married exactly three years after our first date. Since there was no first date ceremony (no starting gun was fired, no one yelled "go!") and we had been friends before dating, we had to retrospectively decide which was our first date. We agreed it had been the night Stephen had ordered in seafood. The occasion was made memorable by the fact that he had bounced a check to pay for it, so it stood out in his mind.

So one day in the first year of our marriage, we came across an old checkbook of his. We were laughing at the fact that he used to pay like $100 in rent (having six roommates), and we came across that check that had bounced. The date was October 13, the same day we picked for our wedding.

So in honor of our anniversary, here are seven things, big and small, that I love about Stephen:

1. His cooking. He makes the best Italian food you ever had. I had to marry him before he would let me in on his spaghetti sauce recipe.

2. His sense of humor. He can crack me up like no one else. And luckily, he is not afraid to laugh at himself too, or let me laugh at him (vs. with him) on occasion.

"We won't be able to get online in Prague, everything will be in Czech!"

And he's always a nice about it when he laughs at (vs. with) me.

Me: "The batteries on my car clicker must have gone out because it wouldn't work. I didn't know what to do - I left my list in the store. Luckily I had my cell phone, so I called the store and explained that I was outside but unable to leave my car since I can't leave it unlocked, so could they please bring my list outside to me?"

Stephen: "?!"

3. His smooth moves. He is so good at surprises that you would never expect. On one of our earliest dates, he pretended not to know where to go, making me sweat over what place to pick for my birthday dinner. He pretended to drive to a random restaurant, but when we entered it was "Hello Mr. Mandala, let me show you to your table..." In college we called him Sneak Attack Steve because he would come out of nowhere and kiss me, regardless of who I was dating at the time. He really knows how to make a person feel like the center of the world. He is so good at surprises and romantic gestures, that there is one unintended downside. Whenever there is a change of plans, there is a small part of me that thinks "ooh! maybe this is a surprise!" But then again, how many people get to feel that in their day?

4. He is so generous. Seriously, this is a man who loves to give gifts. I sometimes have to talk him out of giving extravagant gifts to people. If we could, he would take everyone in our family to Italy or Hawaii. Or both. He really thinks about the gifts he gives. He commissioned a painting for me on the one year anniversary of our first date. Had the restaurant hang it on the wall and everything. He pays attention all year long, gathering ideas, then spoils me rotten at Christmas. When Stella was born, he surprised me in the recovery room with a pink sapphire and diamond ring. For Stella, he said, when she's grown up. You wear it for her until then. Kiddo can have it when she gets her PhD. But he's not only generous with gifts, he also has a generosity of spirit that is truly uncommon. He knows what it is and what it takes to have relationships with people, even when it is difficult. He is welcoming to our guests and always willing to help people.

5. He is an amazing father. Have you seen our baby? She adores him. Laughs out loud when he comes in the room. I love him more every time I see our daughter look at him with such joy.

6. He's got his own style. In Italy last fall, we came across a store that was full of orange sweaters. It was like he had found the mothership. I love that he is not afraid of color. When we first got together he had probably 45 blue plaid shirts. He's come a long way...

7. He makes me so very happy. He indulges my crazy ideas, even when they are half-baked and half-finished. He's a good sport. He's incredibly insightful about people. He built an incredible business and I know there will be much more ahead. He has good instincts, good ideas and good intentions. I am so proud to be his wife.

please insert your own caption

It's their trick.
He's very proud of it.
No, he's never dropped her.

fall again

So the weather is cooling off nicely, it is actually lovely to be outside. The patio is coming along really well, the next step is to finalize the fountain. So far so good and the timing couldn't be better.

We fell off the wagon, push-up wise, last week, so we are going to have to repeat week 2. Time is completely different these days. Luckily the bambina goes to sleep around 8 or 8:30, so in theory, we have the rest of the evening to ourselves. Too bad we are so exhausted!

We went to our first kid birthday party as parents Saturday. Our godchild welcomed her third birthday, monkey style. We had fun. My friend Rose actually made a cake in the three-dimensional shape of a monkey head - I am in awe.

Sunday we went to the Cottonwood Arts Festival, it is one of our favorites. I like it because it is juried, so you don't have booths selling water filtration devices and stuff like that. It's in a park, lots of shade and they have the best kids activities. I always want to do them myself. I mean they had pottery wheels and everything!

Lucky for us Stella really digs her ride, she enjoys looking at the people, trees, dogs and kids.

I'm becoming such a cliche... of course I make it down about one aisle of the festival and I'm already thinking about how I really should enter this festival next year... I'd have to find the time, which might not be too hard since I paint very quickly, but I would probably have to switch mediums. Oil paints are highly toxic and I wouldn't feel very good about getting them out with a baby in the house. Maybe acrylics? I've never used them before, I just love oils, love the smell and feel and translucency of them, but may be worth exploring. If I could only set a deadline for myself I might actually do something this year... I'm encouraged by the fact that my work (when I do any) does tend to sell well. So nothing but my own self holding me back... and that whole time management thing. As much as I would enjoy doing something like that, I have been really struggling with this new sensation of always having too much to do. This shouldn't be a surprise, I have almost always done too much. When I was a teenager my stepmom gave me a book called "Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much" - I guess I started early. I think of all these projects to start, then all the things I would like to do with and for my daughter, then more and more and more until I find myself in the store with Stella sleeping in the carseat at 9 pm and I'm like, seriously, how important is it really that I finish making this mirror for the nursery? So important that I should drag my daughter all around town when she clearly needs to be in bed? And then I take a step back, but slowly things pop up again. I need the energy of new ideas. It's what keeps me going. Just have to figure out a way to not let it wear me down.

My current projects are that mirror (and I think I finally found the right thing to do to finish it), a duvet cover and bedskirt that I am making, and Stella's Halloween costume (which I am so excited for, not telling yet). Trying to do just one at a time. Duvet is halfway done so I will wrap that up before I start on her costume... we may all three of us dress up as the same thing this year - how would that be for the xmas card?

New baby pics

Took these in the nursery... more on our Flickr site. Kiddo is officially rolling over and scooting around like crazy. Also starting to love dancing. We dance with her and she goes crazy. Also loves it when we repeat whatever sound she just made, it makes her giggle.

sugar free me, week 6

I'm down 9 pounds and am really starting to see a difference. Hit a bit of a plateau, I think due to my strength training. I've been through this before where the numbers go up or stay the same temporarily as I get stronger, then really start to go down. But still... I like to see downward trends! But my clothes are loose and I can see a difference in my face, and I feel fantastic. The sugar stuff is not really a temptation anymore. I think my taste buds have recalibrated or something, because my afternoon yogurt tastes insanely sweet to me now.

Anyway, I am excited to report that I have started running again, which I love. Two friends from work invited me on their Wednesday and Saturday runs, and it's the perfect motivation to get out there. Weather is lovely for it. Ran 30 minutes Saturday, getting stronger in all the right places.

We've also been keeping up with the hundred pushups training. It's actually pretty easy to do, and takes surprisingly little time. I'm now up to where I can do 20 consecutive pushups. Girl style, of course. I'm not going to report Stephen's progress, he can do that himself if he likes, but needless to say, he is rocking and rolling - does old-school pushups and beats me every time.

Felicia, this one's for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5LJxSHNArM

stuff i like: movie edition

Burn After Reading. I have loved those Coen brothers ever since my dad took me to see Barton Fink at Trolley Square... long ago. I liked this, thought Brad Pitt was sort of brilliant. Actually his hairstyle was especially brilliant. Skunky and perfectly, if misguidedly, coiffed, that hair (along with Silvio's from the Sopranos) deserves a Best Supporting Actor nod.

I love movies that can surprise you. There is a certain scene that I definitely did not see coming, I won't say which one, but if you have seen the movie you know what I am talking about. How do you classify a movie like this??? I don't think you can, which earns some points in my book. Also I have to mention that I found myself questioning the George Clooney/Frances MacDormand romance - somehow I have bought into all the programming from other movies that tells me that a guy like George should be paired with some young hottie. And actually, those two are probably around the same age, and in real life you wouldn't question the match at all. Interesting...

jungle no more

We have a small back yard that has, despite the best efforts of my parents, run wild. Like weeds growing up and through the furniture wild. Our living room has french doors that open out to it, and it is fenced in and the garage is on the other side of it. So it's not exactly in our way - we have been able to let nature run free back there without paying too much attention.

Up until now. We have started to transform it into a patio, with a few flowerbeds and a bench. The patio part is in now, just being finished. I'll post some pictures soon. We'll add plants in containers and maybe a palm tree when it's done. We're very excited about the whole thing.

And perhaps you thought I was being dramatic in my earlier post about how you wouldn't dare sit on the grass here in Texas for fear of creatures... when they deforested our back yard, they found and killed NINE snakes. NINE snakes, people.

Ike and Ayn

So the hurricane came and went. Stephen's family was without power for a full week. Eleven of them came up to Dallas, and the upside (for us) was that we got to spend some time with them. Stella got lots of Nana time, which she loved. Of course for them, the upside was that their houses were still standing and pretty much undamaged. They had no power or water after the storm, and communications were very spotty, so we were extremely relieved to see their faces.

Stella is changing so quickly - she is now able to reach and grab things, and consequently objects are now fascinating. We have hit the toy time, people. And as much as I would like to emulate the Ayn Rand School for Tots, she really enjoys them. Shreiks with delight and everything, it is quite a sight.

Did my first training set of the hundred pushups thing, my max was 11. On we go.

pushups

Did my initial assessment, I can do a whole 9 girl-style pushups. I was actually surprised as I sort of expected to only be able to do one or so. I'm starting the training program tomorrow. Yay Felicia for joining in the fun - I'm sure she will put me to shame. Sort of like her boyfriend and Trivial Pursuit. Hee.

sugar free me, week 4 - gonna win all the money

I'm down almost 8 pounds. The pool at work is up to around $800. I really want to win!

I saw an interesting site the other day, it's a training program that promises to leave you capable of doing 100 push-ups. Check it out: http://hundredpushups.com/

Stephen has agreed to do it with me - I am stunned. I think I had him at "it takes no money or equipment and very little time". He's got to be a bit cautious, as I am the woman who convinced him to run a half marathon with me a few years ago. (Still can't believe we did that!)

So, in the spirit of me recruiting people to do stuff like this, who's in? (Do I even have to say that I will be doing girl-style push-ups?)

If you're up for it, let me know. I will be posting my progress here. The training plan is simple and takes very little time. Think of the toned arms you could have! Also a motivator for me is that my little bambina is 15.5 pounds and growing... my upper body strength really needs to catch up.

(PS - I love that my brother wasn't quite sure if there was sarcasm in my last post.)

new business idea

We were at NorthPark today, and saw that a new location of Noka is opening there soon. This is a place that sells chocolate at ridiculous prices (2 tiny pieces for $17.50!). Their hook is exclusivity and high quality, that sort of thing. Also there is in Dallas a location of Sprinkles, which sells gourmet cupcakes for like $4 each.
So in this grand tradition, I think we should open up a shop that sells luxury lollipops. Artisan, hand crafted, organic, exotic flavored lollipops. High-end modernist packaging. Flavors like balsamic vinegar strawberry, mint basil, tequila lime jicama, and something to do with white or green tea. I'm thinking we can sell them for like $8 each. And I have the perfect name: Suckers.

heartwalk & ike

Yesterday we participated in HeartWalk, a fundraising and fitness event benefiting the American Heart Association. It's an annual event for us and Stella's first time out. She did great. We thought she would just sleep in her stroller, but she was fascinated by all the people, and especially seemed interested in dogs. Luckily we had just the right outfit for her - her Nana bought her this pink velour tracksuit before she was even born.

We thought the event might be cancelled with the hurricane weather, but we went down anyway. It was on, and we enjoyed the 3 mile walk. Here's how humid it was - started to drizzle just a bit:

We were lucky to not really be affected by Ike, and so far our friends & family in the Houston area are safe. Many are without power and water though, looks like it will be quite a while until things get back to normal down there. Think good thoughts for them.

slc baby tour 2008

We took a long weekend to visit my family in Salt Lake. Stella was considerably more animated on this flight, she was squealing with delight and I think we made people nervous that they would be stuck next to us on the plane. Luckily we got our own row, and no crying... yeah!!!

We had an ice cream social Friday night, which is a family tradition on my dad's side. One that I need to keep going here, if only I could meet some people who like to make ice cream. The concept is simple: everyone brings a different flavor of homemade ice cream. There was peach, mint oreo, pina colada, super dark chocolate, and vanilla. Yum, it was definitely worth the sugar indulgence. Now that I think about it, maybe I should help educate some of my friends on the joys of making ice cream...

Stella got to meet her Great-Grandma Bernice, along with many of my aunts, uncles and cousins. My cousin Emma even got her to giggle again. So cute! So fleeting!

Stella Rose with Great-Grandma Bernice:
Four generation shot (that's my dad in the middle):

September in SLC is absolutely amazing. The weather is perfect - sunny and blue skies, temps in about the 80s with a cool breeze everywhere, gets a bit chilly at night. Lawns are green and lush, softer than carpet and cool and refreshing on your bare feet (in TX you would not dare for fear of creatures). If the whole year could be like that we would have to move. Everything is green and blooming, gardens full of good things.

Here's Grandma Jenny introducing Stella to her first home-grown tomato:

Saturday we went with Paul, Amanda, Kaia, Chris, my dad and Jenny for a hike. Paul suggested we head toward Snowbird as Oktoberfest was going on. So hiking turned into bier, bratwurst, polka music and a stroll in the mountains. Here's bambina with Grandma Jenny on the bus:

Kaia and Stella get in the Oktoberfest spirit. I'm not naming names, but just maybe someone knocked Stella's noggin...

Stephen and the bambina on a stroll:

My brother and niece, who conked out in her carrier:

Stella also succumbed to the hypnotic rhythm of our stroll. The flap is up so she doesn't get sun in her face as the altitude is high there. This picture cracks me up.

Sunday we had a baby shower for my sister Becca at my mom's house. We didn't take enough pictures, but we had a ball. (How can it not be a ball when a game of cornhole is involved?) The shower was fun, we had a contest where couples had to dance with an egg balanced between their foreheads. Stella got to meet her Great-Grandma Holtshouser, more aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, along with some much needed time with Grandma Sugar.
Here is Stella with Great-Grandma H:
She has one more great-grandmother still to meet. We are so lucky to have such a big family. More pictures are on our Flickr site.

stuff I like: dvd edition

How have I missed this show for so long? Just watched season 1 on dvd. Much as I am not into most reality shows, this show rocks. At least the first season anyway. Usually these kinds of shows just go straight to the histrionics, which to me is so boring. Reality tv: you had me at Survivor I (although I kept wanting to see some actual survival skills), you lost me at Road Rules, the Real World #672, and Road Rules vs Real World, etc.

But along comes Project Runway, and I absolutely love it. There is of course the personal drama element that seems to be a requisite of the genre, but what I really like about it is seeing the creative process. Yes, it is abbreviated, but I love watching them get the challenges, then imagining what I would do with it, and how it all turns out. So interesting to see the different interpretations. Am I just an art student craving an assignment or what?

I'm totally inspired to try sewing something, even though my training is limited to 7th grade home economics and the stuffed kayak I made for my neice.

Thoughts from a Househusband 3

Top 5 things that make staying home the best
1. Time with my daughter
2. Time without my daughter (nap time)
3. When we go out, women are very interested in me again (Stella’s a chick magnet)
4. Seeing Stella grow and change everyday
5. Diaper changes. They are not stinky yet and it makes her very happy—smiles and giggles throughout.

5 not-so-great things about being a stay at home dad
1. High-pitched baby talk –I would really like to read the newspaper to her in a normal tone.
2. I miss adult speak.
3. People generally frown on bringing babies into bars
4. Bottle feeding every two hours—you could set your freaking watch by her
5. Convincing mall security that I am actually there for the play date

DiddleDee

We've finally convinced Stephen's mother to offer some of her fantastic handmade baby things for sale. She makes the sweetest things - we have been lucky to have some of her darling headbands. Seems like every time we see her, she looks at Stella's outfit, disappears for a while, and emerges with the cutest accessories to match her ensemble. Lord knows this baby has to be coordinated!!

She also makes THE BEST baby blankets - big enough to swaddle a little one (so they stay swaddled, and you know how fanatic I am about that), and in different weights for different seasons. We would not have gotten through summer without her sweet lightweight blankets - Stella loves to play with (and on) them, they block the sun and are easy to wash.

If you need a baby gift, check out her shop at www.diddledee.etsy.com. (It's named after this sweet little Irish song she sings to her grandchildren.) She takes custom orders and has much more than is listed currently (bibs, burp cloths, buntings, etc.).

Stella is definitely benefitting from her talented Nana.

sugar-free me, week one

I'm down 3 pounds since last week. Still sane and everything.
There is a weight loss pool going on at work, I think I will join it and harness the power of my competitive side. Everyone puts $50 in and winner takes the cash. Hopefully breastfeeding mothers aren't disqualified. On the one hand, it burns extra calories, but on the other, you aren't allowed to diet and have a hard time finding time to work out. Maybe that all evens out?

Thoughts from a Househusband 2

Something occurred to me the other day; being a stay at home parent is not like a job at all. I thought that staying at home would be like a simple transfer to a new position or small career change. I thought my hours would be better, I thought I would enjoy being my own boss. I thought that the work would be less stressful. Boy was I wrong!

The hours suck, and there is no such thing as a weekend off. I really thought that being a househusband would be just another work day – different deadlines, different boss, but work all the same. The problem with my logic was that the weekend comes and I am still a dad with a very demanding boss. And the stakes are much higher – quarterly sales goals are nothing compared to helping my daughter form the personality that will take her through her whole life.

I've got the best job in the world. Hats off to all those stay at home moms and dads.

still growing

Stella had a check up with her doctor today. 15 lbs, 4.5 oz!!!
Kiddo is in the 95th percentile for head size, and 90th for height and weight. Meaning her head is bigger than 95% of all the other babies her age, etc. At least she is in proportion...

She also had to have a couple of shots, not fun, but we did ok.

not into the bar scene

Some good friends of ours moved out of town last weekend, and had a last hurrah at one of our pre-baby hangouts. It's an Irish pub with a big open patio in the back. We thought we would stop in and wish them well, and bring the bambina since we would not be there long. We've been many times where people have brought their kids, since the patio is outside and all. But as soon as I crossed the threshold, I knew I had made a huge mistake. Stella started crying instantly, unprepared for such loud Johnny Cash. And of course I can't make it more than 10 yards without running into someone I work with. I'm all "Oh yeah, hi, I'm the woman who brings her baby to a bar..."

It felt awful, we hightailed it out of there. It's weird how much things change with a little one. It was just all wrong.

sugar-free me

Today is day three of my cut-out-the-sweets initiative. In the last part of my pregnancy, I cut out all sugar in hopes of having a non-ginormous baby. Didn't have gestational diabetes or anything, but her head measurements were so big that the ultrasound machine literally could not compute her size. They were thinking she was going to be 11 pounds or so! My doctor suggested cutting back on sugar to see if that would help.

And... yikes, was that hard on me. Especially during pregnancy where you get tired so easily, a sugar rush could really help my day along. Anyway, I did it then, and I am going to try it now.

After a while, I really did crave it less. Certain things (hello, mint chocolate chip ice cream!) were always hard to pass up. But I put a goal in to eat at least three pieces of fruit every day, and while it did increase my danger of becoming one of those jerks who think fruit is a dessert, it worked.

I gave myself one cheat a week, and by doing so felt more like I was savoring, and less like I was depriving. The pressure was on to make sure it was truly delicious and worth the indulgence. Sometimes I even skipped the indulgence if nothing worthwhile came along. It's easy to pass up nasty store-bought cake if you know a homemade brownie sundae is on the horizon...

This is not a low-carb endeavor, so certain things that others might consider sugary are still in on my list. More like I am cutting out those foods you would normally consume for dessert. I know that I eat healthy foods already, in acceptable portions, but my sweet tooth is completely insane.
Out: cookies, chocolate, ice cream, etc. (4:00 gelati hour, I think I'll miss you the most...)
Still in: yogurt (not the frozen kind), fruit with whipped cream, chocolate milk, grown up breakfast cereals, PB&J

If I drank sodas or juices, I would cut those out, but I really only drink water, wine, and the occasional margarita.

Wish me luck!

one tough crowd

I am so glad we captured Stella's exuberant baby giggles a few weeks ago. We haven't really heard them since. Apparently, we are just not that funny to her anymore.

We are working our tails off trying to hear that giggle again, but no dice. The most we can get is this mannish little chuckle, it sounds sort of like a lawnmower starting ("heh-heh-heh-heh-heh").

She acts delighted, sort of doing the silent laugh like my friend Tammy used to do, where the face is laughing, but no sound comes out. And so we keep doing whatever it is, tickling, singing, waving our hands in the air like we just don't care, you name it. She seems to quickly tire of us. My sister thinks she is just like me, on the not-so-easily-impressed side. Like, "ok, that was funny, now what?" She enjoys it all, but no baby hysteria.

Stephen does this great thing where he is like a wild pig rooting for truffles on her tummy. She goes insane, but of course no giggles. It's the closest thing though. All he has to do is snort at her and she lights right up.

She's a very happy baby, but we are just dying to hear that giggle again...

everything is bigger in texas

including this headband Stephen's mom made her:


we took some more pictures yesterday, you can see them on our flickr site.

baby fauxhawk

kiddo came home with a whole new hairstyle:

reunited, and it feels so good...

Sorry for the long lapse between posts. Last week Stephen and Stella went to visit Stephen's family, about a three hour drive away. They left in the middle of the week, then I went down for the weekend, and they stayed until the middle of this week. I know Stella enjoyed getting some grandparent time and seeing her cousins.
I didn't want to write about it while they were gone. I was lonely and at the same time ridiculously productive. My plan was to go to bed early, but the first night they were gone I got so much done, I couldn't seem to stop. I was so happy to see them on the weekend; it was really hard to drive back home without them. But I'm glad they did it, glad Stephen can do stuff like that with his flexible schedule. I missed them both like crazy. This house is too big without them here.

She laughs!

This morning Stephen did something Stella must have found funny, we heard a kind of chuckle. We looked at each other like, did she just laugh?
She did. Stephen's mom was there and the three of us were so excited to hear her laugh we scared her.

Grabbed the camera and got this:

date night

Oh, we have to get better at this date night thing! Stephen's mom was in town and offered to watch Stella so we could have a night out. Oh how lovely this sounded! We talked about going to Nick & Sam's, Stephen's absolute favorite restaurant (steak to die for), then to see Mamma Mia (yes, my pick).
Well of course we got moving later than planned, so we were forced to re-evaluate the plan. As it was already 7:45, we had to choose between dinner and a movie. Since Stella is actually pretty good about restaurants (won't last forever, I know), we picked the movie. We were so unorganized, we just went to the theater without checking times. Got there and next showing of Mamma Mia was not until 10, which was way too late to do to Stephen's mom.
So what started out as:
Dress up night out, fabulous dinner, escapist singing and greek isles travel lust
ended up as:
batman

Which, by the way, was a good movie. Definitely not for kids though, quite dark and bleak. Also may have been too much for my tired brain. Me, in the car, after: "But why was his hair green? I just don't understand!" Stephen: "sigh..."

role reversals

In a stunning turn of events, we find ourselves in the unlikely position of having switched personalities, just a little bit.
Used to be I wanted nothing more than to be going, going, going, all the time. Friday night was wasted unless I was out seeing people, doing stuff, etc. Stephen always needed downtime to recharge. I would be climbing the walls.
Now, it's him that needs the interaction, and I just want to rest... who knew?

grandparent visit

My parents came to visit last weekend, they got some good bonding time in. It was fun to see them, they haven't seen Stella in person since she was just a week or two old. She obliged them with some new milestones - putting both her hands together and putting her foot in her mouth. She has been sucking on her hands a lot lately, it's kind of funny because she starts to gag if she gets her fingers in there too far but doesn't quite know what to do about it. In the past two weeks or so she has started curling her legs and feet up in to the air, to the point where she can now grab one foot in each hand. Looks like a little monkey.
Here's Grandpa Mike and Grandma Jenny trying to figure out her stroller - Stella got to go on lots of walks while they were here:

And here's the sweet little ladybug dress that Grandma Jenny bought her. (Overheard Grandpa Mike: "Are we going to have to start a new Quicken category for this kind of thing?")

We hit the farmers market and gorged ourselves on strawberries. Becca and Chris came over for dinner and we got to try out our new round dining room table (an estate sale find).
Jenny got in the tub with Stella for her bath, baby was so overtired but she enjoyed it until I messed it up. Here's a memo in case anyone wants to learn this one the easy way: Never, never, never pour water on a severely overtired and cranky baby's face. They REALLY don't like that.

reunion

If there is anything cuter than matching mother/baby leopard print swimsuits, I don't know what it is...

This was taken at our family reunion in Lake Tahoe.

We had a great time seeing everyone. My mom is one of 14 kids, so we have a massive extended family. I would guess that I have close to 100 first cousins. It was so good to see everyone. Stella did great and just slept on the plane rides there and back.
For me, highlights of the trip were:
Trivial Pursuit Smackdown. My cousin Felicia is in law school and dating a classmate (Genaro) who recently qualified to be on Jeopardy. Trivial Pursuit in our family gets a little, well, intense, and the trash talking began early this year. I started hearing about it well before the reunion that there would be a challenge to my dominance of the game. ha. My favorite moment might have to be my gross overestimation of my sister-in-law Amanda's game face:

Q: What US city is across the border from Nuevo Laredo?
Me: "hmmm...."
Amanda: "I request the right to answer if she gets this wrong."
Me: "Jeez, I don't know, could it be Laredo..."
Amanda: "I withdraw my request!"
Me, thinking there's no way that is right, she is trying to psych me out: "Alamagordo?"

Yes, I lost, and lived to regret not letting Stephen (or anyone) be on my team. I admit that I wanted the chance to one day watch Jeopardy and say, "I beat that guy at Trivial Pursuit." Is that so terrible? Genaro and Felicia were a lot of fun and we really enjoyed spending time with them.

Also loved the scavenger hunt. I realized way too late that if you make up the list, you can't play, so I was on the judging end this year. I had a ball making up the list with things like:
-a cop, bonus points if he is three days from retirement
-get on tv
-a dharma initiative boat
-recreation of the tatoo scene from "dude where's my car"
-spirit fingers
-a moustache
-turn your team into a band, bonus points if you are on an actual stage with real audience
moustache
spirit fingers
I warned Genaro, who was a team captain, that the judging would be tougher than anything he's seen in law school. He came in to defend his team, and I explained that they had to be penalized because he did not appear in every picture, as per the rules. They had misunderstood and had one team member taking pictures, as opposed to the other teams that had to solicit help from strangers. I explained that this gave them a bit of a time advantage over the other teams. I waited for him to give a counter argument, but he folded quickly:

Genaro: "If you have to give us a zero, I understand. It's not that big a deal."
Me: "Maybe you'd better get someone else in here..."
My brother Paul, entering the room: "That's bogus! You can't expect him to hand his camera over to some stranger on the street! We should get full points!..."

Paul made a stirring defense, including the contention that this fulfills the requirement of both being a band and being on stage with an audience.
I gave him points for a band, but really I think you will agree that this is more "standing next to a band". Would have given it to them if we had seen some air guitar or Mick Jagger-style posturing.