Project Reveal

Ta-Da!  This is what I've been working on over the last 9 months.  

We had a short list of names to choose from:

1. Charlotte
2. Sara
3. Anna
4. Olivia
5. Audrey

I really love the name Olivia but we already know at least 3 little girls with the same name.  My next choice was Charlotte but my husband seemed ambivalent.  When the day came and the nurse asked what her name was, my husband quickly replied, "Charlotte."  It just felt right for her.

Charlotte arrived 12 days earlier than estimated and weighed in at 6lbs 12 oz.  I considered a VBAC but called it 6 hours into labor.  I wasn't making any progress and it seemed like it would have ended up being a repeat of my first pregnancy and I refuse to do that again.  I must not have sent enough "open like a flower" vibes to my cervix.

I can't wait until I'm all healed up and ready to run again.  We are registered for a Super Bowl Sunday  10K and I really really want to be able to run in it.  

Halloween

This was the first year that B was interested in Halloween.  Most of the interest was fueled by her growing ability to pay attention to the world around.  First we started getting mail with catalogues of costumes.  Shortly afterwards her friends started gushing about their costume choices.  B started making elaborate plans about her own costume.  This is an unfortunate trait I think she got from me.  Her choices alternated everyday between;

1. Pumpkin

2. Snow White

3. Tiger

4. Alice from Alice in Wonderland

When this continued until there was only 2 weeks left until Halloween, I started to feel the pressure of having to get her to make a decision.  What finally helped seal the deal was sitting her down and having her flip through the catalogue until she settled on something she loved.  This took all of 5 minutes.  I don't know why I didn't try this before.

I cut out the picture of Alice that she decided on and used it as inspiration as I headed to Joann's for the fabric.  I didn't have a pattern for the dress so I just based it on other patterns I've made for her.  After 3 long days of sewing, I finally finished the dress.   As I proudly held it up for her she decided that she didn't want it anymore.  In case you were curious, her reaction made me feel fantastic.  I gave her a theatrical sigh and told her that I would just have to give the dress to someone else since she didn't want it.

You would give my dress away?!?

My response seemed to do the trick and she decided that she had to have the dress and insisted that I put it on her right away.  If only toddler logic was so easy all the time.  I just know one of these days this is going to backfire on me and I really will have to give something away.

It's my job to keep you on your toes.

We actually hosted a Halloween party the weekend before Halloween so I felt done with the day even before the trick or treating.  But B had found out about the candy and about jack o' lanterns and since I was unwilling to dampen her enthusiasm, I had to muster up some of my own.  She picked out a pumpkin of her own at the store and drew the face which my husband carved it out.  She enjoyed scooping out the seeds but refused to touch it with her fingers.

ewwwww, pumpkin guts.

Finally, the night arrived for trick or treating.  B had a blast and quickly got into the swing of asking neighbors for candy.  At one house a friendly neighbor asked her what her favorite candy was and she gave him a blank look.  I explained that she has not yet had candy before and the blank look was returned to me by the neighbor.

Unfortunately this is the best photo I have of us going to houses.

I wish I could say that I was walking around with wine in my cup, but unfortunately it was just tea.  Chamomile tea, in fact.  I party like wild woman!  Next up is B's birthday and she has requested a Snow White theme.  I'm going to try my hand at making a cake with fondant.  Wish me luck!

Hanami Top

Some time in July, An the talented blogger at Straight Grain asked for testers for her new pattern tutorial Hanami.  Although I haven't sewn anything in months, I jumped at the opportunity because An has such adorable and unique designs.  Plus her tutorials are full of details and helpful photos.  I didn't think much of it after I applied because I don't usually get chosen for things like this because;

1.  I'm an infrequent blogger
2.  I don't sew often
3.  I'm just not that lucky

But An did choose me!  I'm so glad she did because it got me to dust off my sewing machine and get my butt in motion. 

The Hanami has four different options.
A.  Top or Dress
B.  Collar or No Collar (collar cannot be combined with crossed back)
C.  Tulip or Flutter Sleeves
D.  Crossed Back or Hidden Zipper

If my math is correct, there are 12 different variations of this pattern!  Even with all the options, the tutorial was incredibly clear on which direction to go with.  An goes above and beyond with her instructions as she photo documents everything.  An even includes the cutting diagrams for different fabric widths.  She also has tables for both metric and inches.   

An also includes where you could add ribbon for additional flare.  I'm going to say that I decided not to put a ribbon on.  The truth is, I just forgot.  I had it on my sewing table but I just forgot.  I blame the pregnant mommy brain.  This is also the reason you will find cereal boxes and cans of beans shoved in the fridge.  This morning I tried to put the milk in the cabinet again.  Fortunately it doesn't fit, so I realized my mistake.  But the realization came after I got annoyed that it didn't fit.

For B I decided to go with the top, no collar, tulip sleeves, and crossed back.  I really love the results.  The tulip sleeves are so adorable on my little model.  The fabric isn't anything special, I got it from the local JoAnn's. 

Am I in trouble?  Why did you ask me to stand by this tree?

View of the Crossed Back.

I assure you she isn't as shy as the photos make her appear.  I think she really thought she was in trouble because I was trying to get her to stay still.  Shortly after these photos she was log rolling down the grass hill.  The pattern gets the toddler stamp of approval because it's comfortable enough to roll around and nap in.  Mommy brain also approves of the tutorial because the only slip up I had was with the omission of the ribbon.
 
Thanks for choosing me to be a tester An!  B loves the top too.  This morning my husband asked her where she got it from.  B said, "From sewing!  Mama made it for me!"  It might be the pregnancy hormones, but I melted just a little.

Engage Panic Button!

New Projects and a Race Question

I am saddened and horrified at the events in Boston.  The thought of what this has done to the unsuspecting families and victims makes me so sick.  Sending love to those in Boston.

My mom called me shortly after with the warning, "Stay away from large crowds!"  To which I replied, "I live in LA.  Where can I go that doesn't have large crowds?"  In truth, I'm more worried when nobody is around.  Alarm bells start blaring in my head and I head for the nearest cluster of people.  The alarm is similar to the time I was driving in South Dakota and I could not see ANY cars on the flat endless highway.  In a panicked high pitched voice, I shouted to my husband, "WHAT DO I DO?!?"  He looked blankly at the highway extending to the horizon and said, "uh, drive?"

That being said, we are heading to a LA Dodgers game tonight and I must admit that I'm just a little nervous.

Changing gears entirely, here are a few photos of projects I haven't blogged about yet. 

1. A dress of my own design

2.  An Easter dress of the Citronelle Violette pattern

The cow (Mr. Cow) is her ever present buddy

3.  Crayon piggies

4.  The short lived photo frames on the fridge, which fell off and shattered a couple of hours later.  Turns out temporary tape is exactly that, temporary.

Fail mom, just FAIL.

In running news, my husband registered us for a half marathon race in August.  He is taking this very seriously this time and wants to PR with a sub 2:00 time.  Reasons why this sucks for me include:

1. Having to negotiate morning workout days
2. The likely possibility that he will have a faster time than me
3. Not having someone to run with

This leads me to my question: When you sign up for a race with someone, do you expect to run WITH them?  Or is the expectation simply to show up and leave together?

The New Job

I'm going to be a stay at home mom!  My husband and I both wanted one of us to be home with our children, we just thought it would be after we had 2 of them.  The timeline moved up drastically when the B's babysitter told us she had to leave to take care of her sister.  At first I was in shock when she told us she leaving.

This is what I was thinking in my head.

Instead of expressing my first reaction, I told her that I completely understood the decision she was making.  The next day, I took a tour of a local preschool that is really highly rated.  The place was a kid factory complete with bored and exhausted "teachers".  To make matters worse, the wait list was months long.  That night we crunched our numbers and figured out that we could afford (barely) to live on one income.  I gave my job my 2 week notice after that.  I'm sure you're wondering what the B's reaction to having mom stay home with her. 

Uh oh.  Hide me!

At work there has been mixed reactions.  Most people had been really supportive, telling me that it's the most important job in the world etc.  Another group is freaking out about who will support them when I leave.  There is also a small group of people that I'll call the stick-your-foot-back-in-you-mouthers.

I have had comments like, "Can you afford to not work?!?"  To which I reply, "Yes."  But I am really wishing I could say, "No, I just think living in debt and on welfare is a good idea." 

Another gem was, "I can't understand why you would quit.  Girls that go to college don't usually give up that easily."  I'll let you guess what my internal response to that one was. 

Say Wha?!

As for me, I'm terrified at the idea of having only one income.  Especially with things as uncertain as they are.  On the other hand, I am very excited to be able to spend my day looking at this face.

This is going to be so much FUN!  (at least until the next time out)

The Injustice!

We are finally moving out of the pushing phase.  After many time-outs, saying sorry, and hugs to friends, B finally understands that pushing is not nice.  "Push no nice.  Hug nice," as she now says.  With that new found understanding, she expects apologies and hugs from pushers and gets really mad when that doesn't happen. 

At the MyGym on Monday, she was pushed in the back off a platform by another little girl.  Luckily I was standing right there or she would have fallen 3 feet onto her face because she really wasn't ready for it.  The father of the pusher half-heartily said, "don't push."  I stood there holding my shaking child who was glaring at the little girl expectantly.  Since I also don't believe it's acceptable to push others without an apology, I stood there waiting as well.  As the dad picked up his girl and started to walk away, I told him that B was expecting an apology because we make her say sorry when she pushes.  B glared at the girl and I glared at the father as he said, "oh, say sorry."  The little girl looked at him with an expression that said, "what's sorry?  Never heard it before."  She didn't say it, he didn't press and he walked away.  Shortly afterwards, B insisted on going home.  I think she was still pissed.



The Nerve!  I'm so offended.

In those situations, I sometimes wonder how much of a fuss I should have made.  I think if I didn't catch the B, I probably have yelled at the dad.  He was standing right there and he didn't stop her!  B looked like she was ready to do some pushing of her own.

You're not worth a time-out. 

When the B is not busy being a tough girl, she's getting ready for dance class!  Her first ballet class is on Saturday and I'm really excited.  I think she's pretty excited too.  The class is only half an hour, but I think that is as long as her attention span is anyway.

What do you mean?  I could do this all day.

It's amazing how quickly she's growing up.  Her favorite activity at the park is the big kid swing.  I'm terrified she'll let go, so I don't push her too high.   



Higher Mama, Higher!



What do you do if your child gets pushed?

AllState 1/2 Marathon Recap

After much deliberation and ignoring sage advice from people who know better, I decided to run the race in spite of the following factors:

1. Lack of training (only ran 10 times since my last HM in October, longest distance of 8 miles)
2. Recovering from a flu
3. Jason dropping out of the race because of his cough

Running turned out to be a great decision.  Although I did not race it, I didn't get a Personal Worst.  My chip time was 2:15 and change.  I'm calling it a win.

The race course was ideal, mostly flat with mostly beautiful ocean views.  I say mostly because we ran by a sewage treatment plant and I found myself holding my breath.  Let me tell you, holding your breath while trying to run is not a clever idea.  Also an ocean view is great except that it's super cold by the beach in the morning.  It took me 5 miles to feel my elbows again.  I don't think I ever did get feeling in my face.

At mile 2 I found someone who was running a pace that I liked and tagged along.  After about a mile, he seemed to notice I was following him.  By that, I mean he started turning back and looking at me every quarter mile.  I figured the time was right to introduce myself.  Have you ever tried shaking hands while running?  I'm surprised I didn't trip. 

Jeremy turned out to be a really nice guy and motivated me after mile 10 to keep going.  We chatted the whole time about our jobs, our families, and our life goals.  Funny all the things that you can cover with a stranger in 2 hours.  Around mile 11, I was beyond needing to pee.  Jeremy volunteered to wait for me at the next portojohn station and I up to the next available grouping.  All the doors were locked (I guess they were full, ewwwww).  In the distance I could see a truck was coming with new ones.  I didn't want to wait, so I kept running and for the first time ever, I peed my pants while running.  Let's all say it together, "ewwwwwwww!"  Fortunately it wasn't a lot, and it was dried by the time we got to the finish.  Or at least mingled with the sweat.  I'm just glad it wasn't poop.

I really wished I trained better because it was the perfect race to get a PR.  It wasn't too crowded, the cold numbed any pain, and the course was really familiar to me.

After we got home, we took our now tradition photo with the B wearing my finisher's medal.  I'll get it from Jason and post it later.

In B news, I'm proud to say that we are 99% potty trained.  She has an accident now and then but it's becoming more rare.  The key was to get her to think it was her idea.  I think that may be the key to her behavior in general.  Here is a snippet of our once daily conversation.

B: Bonnie push (gesturing a pushing motion with her hands)
Me: Who did you push?
B: Bonnie push Cameron
Me: Bonnie, that's not nice.  We don't push our friends.  Did you say you were sorry?
B: Bonnie push Cameron.  Lucy says, sorry Cameron, time out
Me: Did you say sorry?
B: Bonnie time out, Bonnie sorry.  Bonnie hug.
Me: You know that pushing is not nice.  Please don't push anymore.
B:  Push no nice.  HUGs nice.  (hugs mom)

Trying to keep a stern face during this conversation is always hard.  Especially since she is so excited to tell on herself when I get home.  Also, how can I frown when I'm getting a hug.

Do you ever find it hard to maintain a stern face while parenting?

P.S.  I'm quite aware that you're probably laughing at me because I think that 41 degrees is freezing.  Here's a funny clip from Kimmel on LA weather.  Kimmel on weather

January is the Monday of the Year

Like most people, I detest Monday. 

 
For me Monday means:
1. A new list of things to do while still having to finish the things you failed to do last week only with more urgency
2. A new set of expectations of what you want to get done
3. The sinking realization that what you want to get done will always be less than what you actually get done

The start of a new year feels exactly the same to me, only worse because instead of 7 days to fail, you get 365.  Yay!  I think my husband was on to something when he joked, "I'm tired of breaking resolutions.  This year I plan to start smoking and gain 5 lbs."

In the spirit of defeat, instead of setting up resolutions that are well-meaning/character-building-in-the-long-run, this year I plan to do things that will make me unequivocally happy.

1. Craft more
2. Eat dessert everyday
3. Decorate the house with things that I love NOW even if they are on trend and I'll probably hate it in a month.
4. Run whenever I feel like it, even if it's only 1 mile
5. Drink more wine
6. Learn apathy

 Since this won't fly (dammit).  Here's the real list I will measure myself against.

1. Stick to a budget
2. Decide once and for all on the 2 kid situation
3. Decide on, or waitlist the B for preschool/pre-K
4. Eat more fiber, get the B to eat more fiber
5. Run a half-marathon in under 2 hours
6. Appreciate happy moments more

On the topic of happy moments, the B randomly ran up to me, hugged me and said, "I love Mama".  I'm not sure if it was because she actually loves me, or if she loved that I let her have ice cream, but I'm taking it anyway.  Take that #6!