Say it, don't spray it!

Shake it off

2009-11-24T21:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks, guys and gals, for all your lovely comments on my last post! It was definitely out of the norm for me, but it was cathartic just to get all that bitchin' out in the open.

I also didn't mean to make it sound like I was fishing for comments, but it was nice to see some of you come out of the woodwork! Admittedly, I haven't been nearly as good with comments lately on all the blogs I read. But I'm working on it!

All in all, I woke up in a much better mood this morning. Time in a funk is time away from getting down to the funk. And we can't have that.

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." - Herm Albright

Not in the mood

2009-11-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

It may please some of you to know that even the eternally optimistic get the blues every once in a while.

I don't have an exact reason to pinpoint as the source of my mood. Brent is great. Em is awesome. Despite all that, I'm in a weird funk tonight.

I've been thinking a lot about my late father. I miss him so much, and it hurts to think that he'll never have an opportunity to play with Em.

I can't seem to get on top of my housework and other chores. With three of us home all the time -- and of us who insists on removing every item from every container and then taking it across the condo, leaving it somewhere totally random -- there's a lot to stay on top of.

I've encountered some attitudes, in real life and online, that need adjusting. If only everyone could think before they speak...

I was going to forget my worries in a Netflix copy of Confessions of a Shopaholic, but I can't find where I put the damn DVD.

And I don't understand how more blogging = less comments. Meh.

It's a good thing that Brent is at the UCLA game tonight. I'm sure I'll be in a better place, mentally, by the time he returns.

I have a lot to be thankful for, obviously, but that doesn't mean I can't get hit by a funk every now and then.

"I am an optimist, unrepentant and militant. After all, in order not to be a fool an optimist must know how sad a place the world can be. It is only the pessimist who finds this out anew every day." - Peter Ustinov

About a boy

2009-11-22T20:24:00.000-08:00

Operation Squishy Newborn Nephew was a success!

Taylor was squishy and fragile and smelled like sweet baby goodness. Also, he has GIANT hands and loooong fingers! I've never seen such a thing!

He slept the majority of the time, as expected. I about died when I caught one of his baby yawns.

I just watched as he dreamt his sweet baby dreams.

We took turns cuddling him, and he got a little annoyed with my constant pics.

My mom had a cold when Taylor was born, so today was the first time she held him. She was enamored, as all good grandmas should be.

Last but not least, here he is with his Auntie Vampire. (I had no idea I was so pale!)

"I don't need to be friends with Pam. I have plenty of female friends. My mom, Pam's mom, my aunt... although she just blocked me on IM, what's her face from Quiznos, I see her four times a week." - Michael, The Office

Baby love

2009-11-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I'm heading up to Visalia to see my new nephew, or as I've frequently called him, The Squishy Newborn. Since his arrival, I've been reminiscing about Em's first days. While I don't miss the thick, new mom fog that clogged my brain those first weeks, I fondly remember her sweet baby coos. I recall her little cries, which sounded more like kitten meows before her lungs grew large enough to fill our condo with her protests.

I think about how teeny tiny she was, and how easily we enveloped her in our arms.

As all newborns do, she slept so much of the day.

Brent and I talked about how excited we were for her to become more interactive. In the meantime, we enjoyed her sleepy smiles.

And the smiles we got when she was awake were even more exciting.

While I wax-poetic about Em's newborn days , I'm happy that it's my brother's family who'll get to endure them instead of me. We're having plenty of non-newborn fun now.

Squishy Newborn Nephew, here comes Auntie Nanette! She can't wait to soak up your new-baby goodness!

"The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it." - Richard Bach

Ray of sunshine

2009-11-20T17:31:00.000-08:00

I'm about to leave to see one of my favorite musicians, Ray LaMontagne, thanks to a last-minute ticket deal I got from a friend.

I've been a fan of Ray's for a couple years now, and while he's growing in popularity, he's still somewhat obscure. He's also very introverted, despite his desire to share his music with the world.

So the first time I saw the following ad, I wondered aloud if Ray even knew his song was featured in the ad. He just strikes me as the kind of guy who doesn't own a TV. I jokingly imagine that his agent/manager gave their approval for the rights, knowing that Ray would never see it 'cuz he's too busy collecting maple syrup from the forest in his backyard or hand-rolling cigars.

"Everybody on a shoestring. Everybody in a hole. Everybody crossing their fingers and toes." - How Come, Ray LaMontagne

Nom nom!

2009-11-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

Don't know if this is a trend anywhere outside of LA and NYC, but food trucks are all the rage here! There's the food truck that seems to have started it all. There's a GRILLED CHEESE TRUCK that I'm very excited to try! There's an ice cream sandwich truck, which we liked. Heck, you can just see all the local options here.

We drove past this food truck earlier in the week and were intrigued. We didn't even know what it was selling, but Brent likes the idea of gourmet food trucks while the cute name and logo sung to me.

We didn't stop, but Brent googled it later and discovered it was a banh mi truck. Banh mi are Vietnamese sandwiches. We've had banh mi, but have never been impressed. We saw that the truck would be nearby today, so we took Em out for a lunch excursion.

We came back with delicious goodies!

We both decided on the Nom Nom Combo special, which includes your choice of two tacos, a banh mi and drink.

Tofu and grilled pork tacos

Lemongrass chicken and bbq pork tacos

I was so excited to eat my sandwich that I didn't remember to snap a pic until I was halfway done. Oops!

The tacos were amazing! Very flavorful, perfect proportions of filling to tortillas -- Brent and I both loved 'em.

You have the option to have jalapenos added to your sandwich (I declined), as well as pate (I accepted). Other banh mi we've had has been dry with stale bread. These sandwiches were not dry at all, and the bread was fresh yet crusty.

We'll make lots of return trips to the Nom Nom Truck! We'll be ~~stalking~~ watching them carefully on Twitter!

"I want confirmation that there is food in that truck." - Skipper, The Penguins of Madagascar

I haz a new nephew!

2009-11-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

Meet Taylor!

Born today at 8 lbs., 5 ozs., and 19 inches!

Congrats to my brother, his wife, and my other nephew, Jayden! Looks like I'll be making a return trip to my hometown very soon!

"Be gentle with the young." - Juvenal

Happiness is...

2009-11-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

...a last-minute request for a sushi dinner, where the hottie hubby wholeheartedly agrees.

... Em, all snug in her stroller footmuff, which we put back on while we were in Visalia. I wish there was room for Mommy in there! (No comment from the 13-yr-old boy peanut gallery on that product name, dirty kids.)

...winning a free MicroZone facial via Tara's blog!

...a fun faux-coffee cup mug -- with a pink "sleeve" in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness! $7.99 from Bed, Bath and Beyond. (And look at me, using my aperture settings!)

"Guys, I'm scared. I'm really scared. I think I'm growing into a giant. Because look at this normal sized coffee cup. Looks so tiny in my giant hand now. Anybody want to go to lunch with me later on?" - Michael Scott, The Office

Hometown harvest

2009-11-16T22:45:00.000-08:00

This weekend's trip was a bit of a whirlwind, topped off with a stupid flat tire, but we had a great time.

Em got to play with her 4-year-old cousin Jayden a bit on Friday.

She had a lot of fun with Grandma, who hadn't seen Em since she started walking. It was also the first time Grandma saw her pigtails.

Saturday evening we attended Megan and Jim's wedding. I surprised Shelby that afternoon when I dropped by the salon where she and her sister Megan were getting their hair done, but as our babies were both at their respective grandmas' napping, we hadn't met each others' little ones yet. So when we arrived at the wedding, we both squealed in delight as we ran over to finally see our little ones.

Her son, Rex, was chilling in his stroller, and Em cheered along with us.

It was a really well-done harvest-themed wedding. (The invites happened to be creations of my pal, Jenny, who also did Shelby's wedding invites a few years ago.)

Loved the pumpkins lining the aisle, and the hay and corn stalks at the altar!

We took a quick family self-portrait before the ceremony.

And Em people-watched.

Then it was time for Megan's big entrance! She wore a lovely short lace dress and a gorgeous bird cage veil.

Check out her fabulous red shoes! (I was afraid of messing up the pro photog's shots, so I didn't lean out into the aisle as much as I would have liked. Forgive the random shoulders.)

She and Jim had a nice, short but very sweet ceremony. The groom told the story of how they met, and his brother was their officiant.

Look how great Shelby looked as the matron of honor!

The ceremony ended...

Then it was time for the reception!

Check out the pumpkin cupcakes! Too bad we left before it was time to cut the cake. Em was getting cranky and tired, so we took her home and put her to bed.

We invited another of my oldest friends, Stacie, who's temporarily back in Visalia, to come hang out with us that evening. She and Brent both sported the faux-Snuggies my mom had. I was perfectly fine in a regular blanket, thankyouverymuch.

The next morning we showed Em off at the restaurant my mom manages. She won over the early-morning blue-haired diners by toddling between each table, stopping, waving and saying, "Hi!" happily. (Brent's not convinced that it's her first official word, but I say it is as she says it unprompted now.)

After Em's morning nap, we got some one-on-one time with Shelby and her family. Em and Rex compared phones, and she only went for the sweet boy's hair once.

(He's so freakin' adorable!)

I'm delighted to have finally met Rex, and I'm hoping it won't be so long before our next visit!

"In my friend, I find a second self." - Isabel Norton

Such a tease

2009-11-15T22:39:00.000-08:00

I had grand plans for a weekend recap, having returned from a pleasant trip to my hometown.

However, shortly after leaving town today, this bad boy ended up in my tire:

Lovely, huh? Brent wants to put it in Em's baby book.

So our 3-hour trip turned into a 6-hour trip. I'm exhausted, so the recap will have to wait.

I will say that Shelby's adorable son and Em hit it off as well as toddlers can.

They liked each other so much that they had to update their Facebook statuses during the playdate.

"Energy is eternal delight." - William Blake

blogging in the stone age

2009-11-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

Still no access to a real computer, but gotta make my nablopomo quota.

Enjoying my time in visalia with my friends and family. My mom loves watching em walk and hearing her say hi.

More tales to come!

moblow phone

2009-11-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

Trying to mobile post some pics but it's not working.

Meh.

More exciting posts ahead!

Besties forever

2009-11-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we're heading up to my hometown for the wedding of my best friend's sister, whom I've known since before she was born. As excited as I am for the bride and groom, I think I'm more excited for myself as this is the first time I'll have seen my best friend, Shelby, since Feb. 2008 - nearly TWO YEARS AGO!

Here's a photo from our last in-person visit.

Shelby was just entering her second trimester of her pregnancy, and I was just a week or two pregnant myself but didn't know it yet.

She, her husband and their baby boy live in Iowa. Brent, Em and I were planning to visit them last August, but I became funemployed in July, so we put the trip on hold.

So this is the first time that we get to meet their 17-month-old, and the first time they'll meet Em.

AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY'LL GET TO PLAY TOGETHER!

I don't know if I'm illustrating my excitement sufficiently here.

My best friend, whom I've known since we were six, who helped me get my first two jobs in high school, who has made me laugh countless times to the point of TEARS, will meet my daughter for the first time. I will meet her son for the first time.

Oh my goodness - I'm getting teary like a big ol' goofball just thinking about it.

They may be too young to interact. Heck, they might not even notice each other. (Although there's a high probability that Em will try to pull his hair as that's what she does when she sees other toddlers...and small dogs.)

Regardless, this will be the weekend that we'll tell them about at future gatherings, even if they just roll their eyes at us while their moms reminisce.

You can't see me, but I'm doing the happy dance of all happy dances.

"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

I remember...

2009-11-11T00:05:00.000-08:00

I remember when Heather found my blog, pointing out that we were both unknowingly at our mutual friend Cat's baby shower.

I remember falling in love with her storytelling and knowing that we'd hit it off.

I remember when we met Heather, her husband Mike and their gorgeous daughter Maddie for the first time for dinner. Brent later noted that he recognized Maddie's striking looks long before he saw Heather and Mike waiting for us.

I remember introducing Heather to Em at a Monday Mommy Movie, where we swapped babies to gush over each others' beautiful girls. Maddie was months older than Em, but she was still such a wee thing. I couldn't help but smile as Maddie looked up at me with her big eyes.

I remember getting together with our mutual pal, Cat and her daughter, Clara. All three little gals were at different stages of their teeny tiny lives, but we had fun watching them interact.
I remember Em and I sitting next to Heather, Mike and Maddie at Clara's first birthday. I watched Heather watch Maddie, and thought, "THAT'S the definition of an adoring parent."

I remember reading Heather's tweets just a few days later, detailing the sudden turn in little Maddie's health.

I remember learning that Maddie was gone.

I remember crying and crying and crying at the news, feeling helpless that I couldn't take away the Spohr's pain.

I remember sitting amongst the crowd at Maddie's services, overcome with grief but knowing that it wasn't even a sliver of what Maddie's family was facing.

On this day, the day that sweet Maddie would have turned 2, I remember all of the above, and more. Her life and the impact it's had is not something anyone can forget.

Maddie Moo, we miss you.

"Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waver." - Sophocles

The lazy (wo)man's restaurant review

2009-11-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my wonderful mother-in-law's birthday. As we try to do with so many of our birthdays, we celebrated with a fun meal out!

I knew I wanted to blog about the meal, but didn't remember to bring our fancy schmancy camera. I captured a few photos with my camera phone, and then took a shot at some un-artist's renditions for the rest.

We had reservations at La Cachette Bistro, a new and nearby restaurant that's the reincarnation of a previous establishment called La Cachette. This version is supposed to be a little more casual.

If you decide to try it for yourself, be on the lookout for this:
...or something like that.

Here we are, celebrating.

Here's my appetizer, which was DELICIOUS!

This large dark mass was a giant pork shank I had for my entree. I think I'm all set for my protein requirements for the next week for two. It was delicious and very tender -- it was just A LOT OF MEAT.

Despite the giant entree, I had room for dessert -- always!

We all enjoyed our meal and are looking forward to going back to try their 3-course $15 prix fixe lunch special!

"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." - Douglas Adams

Prancing in pigtails

2009-11-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

Em is walking with so much more ease these days. It's strange to think that she took her first unassisted steps just over a month ago, and now...

There has also been a big milestone in our household - Em finally has enough hair for me to create teeny tiny pigtails, as sported in the above video. Took me a while to find ponytail holders that were the right size/texture, and it's not easy to get Em to sit still enough for me to do them often, but I managed to do it today. If you know me, you know that there's nothing I love more than pigtails on little girls. *squeal!*

"That's the best thing about walking, the journey itself. It doesn't matter much whether you get where you're going or not. You'll get there anyway. Every good hike brings you eventually back home." - Edward Abbey

Tea time

2009-11-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

After unsuccessfully trying to schedule an outing with Jodi, and then my bailing on Winnie, Wan and Lilcee after learning that there was an hour+ line to get in, I finally made it to the popular Hello Kitty exhibit at Royal T Cafe.

Not only did I make it there with some of my favorite pals, but I also got to meet some of my favorite blog pals for the first time. JustJENN invited the Food Librarian, Darlene and her husband Paul, and me to meet up for brunch, along with our longtime pal, Jodi.

A few of us ordered the oh-so-cute Hello Kitty high tea.

The food was super cute, and not bad at all, but I prefer Jin Patisserie's tea.

After brunch, we wandered the art exhibit. I didn't take a ton of photos as all three of the memory cards I brought were FULL (I'm so bad about removing photos). However, I couldn't resist this collection of mini canvases by Plasticgod. And his Tweet sign cracked me up.

We had fun identifying the characters, and luckily there was a nearby curator to confirm our guesses on some of the more obscure ones. Click here to biggify and guess for yourselves.

If they weren't $50 each, I might have picked up one or two. Love them so much, and I think they'd be so cute in Em's room!

The line to get into the Hello Kitty-filled store was at least an hour long, so we didn't head in, but we had a great time regardless.

I also learned something new during the following...

Paul: Why is this exhibit called "Three Apples"? Isn't that how tall a Smurf is?
Me: Yeah, they ARE three apples high!
The Food Librarian: That's how much Hello Kitty weighs.
Paul, Darlene, Jodi and I: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh......

Total tangent, but when I first thought about how tall a Smurf really is, I decided they're probably more creepy than cute in person. Smurfs would be cuter as one apple high. Doesn't three seem more like a giant squirrel or something more menacing?

Just sayin.'

"I don't pay attention. It's kinda like Hello Kitty ate the Disney Channel and threw it up onto that side of the room." - Glenda, Life

Meal ticket

2009-11-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

I'm tired.

Can't think of much to blog, other than a request for some info from the parents who read this.

Now that Em is pretty much off all purees, I'm in a rut trying to figure out what to feed her. She's just now learning to bite pieces off. Mini pancakes are her biting training wheels, and it's ADORABLE, especially when she smiles real big 'cuz she knows how excited it makes me.

What are your little ones' favorite meals?

"My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions." - Peter Drucker

Video round-up

2009-11-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

When Em is having a breakdown or we just need a second to collect our thoughts, we turn to a few YouTube clips that have become tried and true favorites.

The first is the REM/Sesame Street video, which you heard in that video I posted a while back with Em rockin' out. She really likes the big intro.

I wish I had video of her reaction to this clip. She bounces up and down in a flurry of excitement, as if to say IT'S FEIST! IT'S FEIST! OMG, IT'S FEEEEIIIIIST!

We've started to watch more Sesame Street with Em. While she didn't understand how HILARIOUS this sketch was, Brent and I were in stitches. We loooove 30 Rock.

We saw this one today for the first time. Apparently it's the real singer from Plain White T'. Gotta love it.

"To be a person is to have a story to tell." - Isak Dinesen

The Milky Way

2009-11-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

When I found out that my mom wasn't able to breastfeed me, I half-joked that that was the reason why my hay fever and asthma were so bad. I always knew that when I became a mom, I wanted to do all I could to make it work for baby and me. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with formula, nor do I judge any parent who goes that route.

Breastfeeding was just my personal goal.

Brent and I took a breastfeeding class, which he tried to get out of, but I wouldn't let him skip it. Not only was every dad in attendance, but he also retained a lot of the information and reminded me during those first few weeks when things were a little rough.

Before Em's arrival, I read "So That's What They're For." I highly recommend it for any new nursing mother.

The night Em arrived, I somehow remembered that I had wanted to try to get her to nurse within the hour of her birth. Although I can't recall the exact reasoning, I think it had something to do with her and I bonding, as well as our potential for nursing success. Whatever it was, I remember how strange it felt asking our labor nurse if I could try to nurse Em when Brent brought her back from her first bath. She gave Em to me, and despite everything I had read and prepared for, a large part of me just assumed that Em would latch on with ease.

Totally not the case.

The nurse helped me get her on properly, but I think it was quite a few weeks before latching on came naturally to Em. I had to request assistance from nurses or the lactation consultant our entire hospital stay.

Shortly after we brought Em home, I discovered the local resource called The Pump Station. It's a boutique run by two lactation consultants, offering consultations and groups for new moms -- both of which I found so invaluable. The new mom groups led by lactation consultants and offered throughout the week, were sooo reassuring. I even went sometimes not because I was having any nursing issues but just because I was stir-crazy at home with a newborn and wanted a place to go.

Em and I eventually overcame our latching issues, but I had a few other hiccups along the way. First I had an oversupply (who knew you could have TOO MUCH milk?), then a big dip in supply. Luckily I had built up two-weeks' worth of a stash in the freezer, which helped us overcome that.

Despite all of that, living my life in 3-hour increments (the amount of time in between feedings), and the many, many, many, MANY mid-night feedings, I enjoyed the time spent nursing Em. She often nodded off while nursing, leaving me an opportunity to soak her up.

I was so proud to see her grow and thrive -- all because of ME! Yes, that ~~chubby~~ FAT baby was largely due to my dedication...and BOOBS.

I met my goal, and then some. Em's never had an ounce of formula, and that's what I was striving for.

Can ya tell I'm proud?

I always said that I would stop when she turned 1. Shortly before her birthday I slowly began the weaning process, dropping a session every couple days. It eventually got down to just morning and bedtime sessions. We dropped the bedtime session, and I had thought I'd continue for a few more weeks -- keeping the cold/flu season in mind. But Em's gotten more and more distracted during that session, stopping to see the leaf she thought she heard fall from the tree ACROSS THE STREET. Plus, I don't know that I'm actually giving her much of anything during that session anyway.

The last couple of days she was the definition of bored, and I finally succumbed to the realization that that kind of time together is over.

That's not to say that we're done bonding. No, no, no. Far from it.

I may not be her source of nourishment anymore, but I'm still helping her grow.

"There's no secret about success. Did you ever know a successful man who didn't tell you about it?" - Kin Hubbard

I am Mom, hear me.....bore?

2009-11-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the chance to catch up with my dear friend, Andrea, who lives on the east coast. We were chatting about my blog, and she asked if I'd noticed a decline in readership since becoming a mom.

I explained that my hits have gone down, but that's probably because I don't post as often as I used to. During previous blogging breaks, I've seen a definite relationship between post frequency and my readership.

But she got me thinking about the evolution of this blog and the people who read it.

I started posting about my every-day life and observations, my adventures with Brent. It transitioned to include our adventures becoming homeowners, and then to wedding planning. Then it focused on our pregnancy journey, and with Em's arrival, all about parenthood.

Sprinkled throughout the above were our fine-dining experiences and our travels -- among other things that non-parental types do with ease.

These days fine-dining is Em trying and liking a new food. And a travel adventure means a trip to Grandma's.

But ya know what? That's totally fine with me. This is the next stage of our life, and I'm embracing it with open arms. Sometimes I think the Duggars are onto something -- when I get a smile or hug from Em, I can TOTALLY understand the appeal of a clown-car full of kids.

So to all my readers who've decided they don't enjoy that my blog has turned into Em's virtual baby book-- and probably aren't reading this anyway, heh -- no worries. I get my applause elsewhere.

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde

Ad-oration

2009-11-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

A big part of my job as online marketing manager for Ju-Ju-Be thus far has been launching our new ad program. It's an affiliate program, which means that the company is allowing bloggers and other sites to earn a portion of every sale of the company's bags directed from ads on those sites.

Does that make sense?

Lemme break it down.

See that ad in my blog's left column? Every time someone clicks on that ad, visits my company's online store and makes a purchase, I get 10% of that sale.

I'm not just here to gloat about that, though. I'm here to invite all of YOU to join in the fun! You don't have to have a readership of moms-to-be or new moms, either. The company offers wallets, lunch bags, luggage tags, and other bags that don't require children in order for someone to own them. So there's plenty of opportunity for you to make some moolah, some cash-ola, some money for a rainy day. The added bonus, of course, is that I get to look like a marketing rockstar for recruiting you rockstar bloggers. (All the cool kids are doing it. You know you want to. It'll make you feel good.)

Go here, sign up for the program (it's free, and super easy), and let the fun begin!

P.S. You can also help my marketing mojo by following Ju-Ju-Be on Twitter and becoming a fan on Facebook. I'm the gal behind those accounts, too! Just sayin'.

"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." - Jean Giraudoux

A glimpse

2009-11-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

If Em's career were determined based on traits she has now, she has quite a few options.

Fashion designer - She's obsessed with buttons and zippers.

Dermatologist - She's convinced that she can pull off the mole on my shoulder and the freckle on Brent's neck.

Dentist - If she's anywhere close to your mouth, there's a strong possibility that she's shoving her fingers in it.

Food critic - She has no qualms about spitting stuff out that she finds offensive. And she'll gladly show you how much she enjoys her meal, as illustrated by her "nom, nom, nom"-ing.

Contestant on So You Think You Can Dance - The girl hears rhythm, and she just has to dance.

Whatever she's destined to become, she's certainly great at soaking up the world around her now.

"You do your best work if you do a job that makes you happy." - Bob Ross

I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee

2009-11-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

Last year we were Halloween Scrooges and didn't dress Em up nor apparently take any pics of her in the few Halloween-themed items we had. Oops. Let us note that last year we were still very much making our way through the New Parents Fog as Em wasn't even a month old yet. But we made up for it this year!

Saturday morning the Santa Monica Pier hosted a special Halloween celebration for kids ages 1-5. We got our little bumble bee all dressed up and headed out.

To go along with her bee outfit, I threw on a flower headband that I had purchased for Em for Easter.

We arrived right as the event started, and Em immediately rocked out to the live band.

Then the Pier filled up with a ton o' kids, and the sun started beating down (only in So. Cal can you risk getting a sunburn on Halloween, sheesh), so we headed home.

Before we headed to my in-laws' that evening, we did some reverse trick-or-treating and brought some candy to our condo neighbors.

Em's sporting some baby leg warmers she's had for a while, along with some shoes she had that happened to match.

From the back, and on her way out the door.

"Halloween! Yay!"

We set her outside the door of our two neighbors and knocked on their doors at the same time. They came out to find this little bee.

And they were all so excited to see each other!

Em had her first up-close encounter with a dog, which was just her size. She was very sweet with the dog, and likewise, and couldn't get enough of its nose.

Happy Halloween, sweet girl!

By the way, this kicks off my participation in NaBloPoMo -- National Blog Posting Month! Check back every day for a new post from me. I didn't participate last year, but had a blast the previous two years! And this is just what I need to get back into blogging more regularly!

"I'm guessing Angela's the one in the neighborhood who gives the trick-or-treaters some toothbrushes. Pennies. Walnuts." - Pam, The Office

Walking in LA

2009-10-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

The other night I awoke at 3:30, got up, used the bathroom and stumbled back into bed. As I pulled the covers up, I heard the woman in the duplex next to our condo complex, whose bedroom is directly below ours, scream out, "HELP! HELP! WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE? PLEASE GET OUT!!!"

Brent was jarred from his sleep, not knowing that I was already awake and asked me, "What the hell was that?!?! Did you hear that?!?" I told him I did, and he jumped out of bed to peer out the window. The woman's bedroom light was on, but he couldn't see anything.

Brent called 911, telling them what he'd heard. He told them where we were and how to locate the woman's place.

Now, a little background -- She lives alone with her pets, and is probably in her 40s/50s. Brent has heard this same woman in a drunken stupor before. So we were hoping that was the case here, but better for us to be safe than sorry, right? I couldn't help but imagine what might be going on if that WASN'T the case. There were no other sounds, like a gun or her screams, beyond the exclamations above. But those were more than enough to scare the bejeezus out of me and paint a horrific picture in my head.

We heard the police arrive, but from what we could see, they were scoping out the wrong building in the next door duplex. We're not sure if they ever actually talked to the woman we heard screaming. However, as we were running on adrenaline at that point, we couldn't just drift off back to sleep. We peered out from our balcony and saw the woman we heard screaming talking outside to whom I thought was the tenant from the wrong duplex building the cops had visited.

I know the family that lives in that building, so I emailed the mom the next day to make sure everything was alright. Brent thought he had heard the drunk woman accuse the mom of breaking into her unit. The mom replied to me and said she was out of town, but would give the neighbor a call to find out what happened. So I'm assuming that was the family's housesitter talking to the drunk woman, since she knew their dog. Ya still with me?

I'm awaiting the report back from the mom I know. We know that the drunk lady is ok, but we still want the scoop. It's the least we deserve at this point.

Beyond scares in the middle of the night, I've been crazy busy with work stuff. Brent's been great, taking care of Em when he's not job-hunting. Even though he's very eager to get back into the workplace, we're all enjoying the extra quality time we've had together as a family. We've watched Em go from a few tenative steps to this:

Seemingly overnight she's walking across our living room with ease. We're sooo excited... and a little scared.

"Help is not help until it is given, so turn your intentions to help into acts of help. We judge ourselves by our intentions, but others judge us by our actions." - Lee J. Colan