24 February 2009

ice chips and ear drums...


so, my ear drum ruptured yesterday.  and yes, it is as painful as it sounds!  i think, from what i remember, it was as bad as labor!  except, labor produces this wonderful child... and the ear drum just hurts!!  i was sitting on the couch, sobbing, and nora and sadie just stared at me.  nora was so sweet, snuggling and hugging me.  we were laying on the couch watching a "bean show" and she just laid next to me.  what a sweet baby. 

david and i had our tour of the birth center and hospital last night.  instead, we spent 4 hours having my ear looked at....  not near as much fun.  or nearly as informative.  i saw three ent's (ear, nose and throat doctors), and several other nurses and midwives!  however, the plus side is that i got to have ICE CHIPS!!!  there is something about the hospital ice chips that is like heaven.  it was SOOO good.  i might have to find a reason to go back, just to get more ice chips!  
all that to say, i am feeling SO MUCH better now.  they say the pain should be gone, now that my ear drum is ruptured.  

okay, picture of sadie... i don't usually put them on here, but she looked so funny with her tongue hanging out!  

20 February 2009

i take it all back!!!

so, nora was kind enough to share her cold with me.  i understand the 45 minute tantrum.  i told david last night that was how i felt!  it just HURTS... EVERYWHERE...  and i CAN'T SLEEP!!  and there is no one to rock me.  that's my whining.  but i understand where nora was coming from now!  (although i do think i was pretty sympathetic!!)

however, we have watched SO MUCH tv this week i do feel guilty!  she was so good this morning when i laid on the couch, half asleep.  i was concerned at one point that my keys might make it into the trash, but i was able to rescue them!  i am just glad that she is feeling better! 

i also feel bad for david.  i haven't seen him before 8:30 pm this week (dinner with friends, Bible study after work, class after work), and he walks in to a messy house, dishes in the sink and a miserable wife!  not the way i WANTED to greet him each night his first week at a new job!  i am not a fan!!  thankfully, i am married to the MOST understanding husband who doesn't complain about the state of affairs in the house, and seems to understand how i feel!  i just want to give nora her mom back, and david his wife back!!

the end of my whining... off to the doctor!  and thankfully, i have fabulous friends who will watch nora!  and several have offered to come bring or do stuff...  i love them!!  

18 February 2009

reading the Bible...








you can see in the purple jammies why nora now has bangs cut.  i felt bad, cause she couldn't see through all her hair!  she had three purses and a cloth noah's ark that she carried around all day saturday.  she wanted all of them at the same time!  a woman after my own heart!  a girl can't have too many purses!  

she has a newfound fascination with pictures, especially sticking them in places where mommy and daddy laugh!  

we met some friends, the hassons, et al, at seaport village the other day.  the hassons are the ones who introduced david and me.  (THANKS, by the way!!!)  they were in town visiting.  on the way there, i realized i had forgotten a pacifier.  but, since nora only gets them at bedtime, i figured we would be okay.  and we so weren't!  but mr. hasson and new dad-to-be ran to the grocery store down the street and saved the day!!! (i should mention that she had it in her mouth as we were getting ready to go.... and lost it on the way out the door!) we got to ride the carousel, but again nora wasn't too pleased to go on it with me!  growing up, i was pretty sure those things went WAY TOO SLOW!  now, i am pretty sure they go WAY TOO FAST!!  or maybe it's just california carousels.  or my motion sickness setting in... or me getting old!!!  oh well...

then, we had dinner at a favorite restaurant!  and here's a picture, so you all know i am NOT the size of a whale, contrary to the remarks i have posted recently!  

nora found a bag of trader joe's chips on the floor.  somehow, sadie managed to get them off the kitchen table, from inside of a bowl, but not eat them!!  so, nora found them and decided that she needed a snack!!!  at least it's healthier (flaxseed and veggie tortilla chips- super good if you haven't had them!!!)

and she read the Bible yesterday!  she has a toddler Bible, and just flipped through it all day!  can't say i can complain about her choice in books!

a cute pic

17 February 2009

if you want me to...

so, there are a lot of words i didn't mention!!  sorry about that...  grammie and grandpa are two that top that list!!!  i thought i had all the family members in there.  she also learned a new one yesterday...  orange!  she was sick and miserable yesterday.  she threw a 45 minute temper tantrum.  you may wonder what kind of parent lets their child throw a tantrum that long, but i could tell it wasn't anger.  she was hurting and couldn't tell me what was wrong.  (i woke up with a sore throat, and realized that if she felt like i did, or worse, that could be the cause...)  i did give her some motrin, and i think that's what finally ended the tantrum.  you could tell when it kicked in!!  poor girl...  it's no fun to watch your baby be sick.  and, she ONLY wanted mommy.  she pushed daddy away and gave him dirty looks.  his normal charms had no effect on her!  (and she usually LOVES her daddy...)  i felt bad for him.  but, he did let me go get coffee with a friend...  
 
the only thing she would eat yesterday was clementines.  (hence the orange)  she went to town on them!!  i figured the vitamin c was a good thing!

okay, so an aside.  in my Bible study, i was reminded of a song i loved in college.  it's called "If You Want Me To" by Ginny Owens.  it fit where i have been in my life recently.  i know that as a Christian, i am not guaranteed a life of health, wealth and prosperity.  but, God is going to work all things for HIS good...  and that might not look like good to me at the time.  i continue to learn that i like His plans so much better than mine.  they do work out better.  so, here are the lyrics.  maybe you'll enjoy them like i have!!

the pathway is broken
the signs are unclear
and i don't know the reasons why you brought me here
but just because you love me the way that you do
i'm gonna walk through the valley if you want me to

cause i'm not who i was when i took my first step
and i'm clinging to the promise you're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
i'm gonna walk through the fire if you want me to

it may not be the way i would have chosen
when you lead me through a world that's not my home
but you never said it would be easy
you only said i'd never go alone

so when the world turns against me and i'm all by myself
and i can't hear you answer my cries for help
i'll remember the suffering your love put me through
and i will go through the valley if you want me to 

there are so many things in life i wouldn't have chosen, but in those moments, i get so much closer to God.  i have seen and felt my faith grow so much in the small trials we have had recently.  and i have seen Him do miracles and really grow me.  and He gets the glory...  i am just trying to remember that this should be my first response... not worry and anxiety for a long time, before turning to God in desperation. 

there's my sermon for the day!  thankfully, we are all feeling better today!!

15 February 2009

a haircut

so, i finally broke down and cut nora's bangs yesterday.  they are straight when they lay one way... and slanted if her hair falls another way.  not sure what to do, without giving her those too short bangs cause i keep trying to make them even!!!  (or take her somewhere professionally to get them done!!)


her little bangs were just constantly in her eyes, and i felt bad.  but, i don't want an all over haircut, because it's getting long and cute!!  but, eventually, i will have to stop putting her hair up in that cute ponytail and she will have to look like a toddler.  so, she has bangs!  

i also justify that if i cut david and nora's hair, then i can spend money to get mine done!  

yesterday, we had a lazy day.  just hung out.  but, in the afternoon, david took a nap.  i had really been wanting a pedicure, but since it requires a LOT to reach my toes for an extended period of time (and they were getting bad), i decided to treat myself to one.  so, nora and i walked up to our little plaza and she was SUCH a good girl while i got my toes done!  she was fascinated by the "bath" my feet took.  she even sat on my lap for part of it.  everyone else was so impressed by how good she was!!!  

then, we baby-sat for our friends' 4 week old.  he is so cute!!  and nora does pretty well having him around (except for being a little more clingy than usual!)  

13 February 2009

18 months.. ish

so, i forgot that nora was supposed to get an 18 month check-up.  i finally remember last week (really not too late), and we had her appointment yesterday.  she is still in the 50% for everything, weighing in at 23 lbs, 14 oz.  she's about 31 1/2 inches.  i don't may much attention to what she's "supposed" to be doing...  i just know that she does what her friends do, and seems to be growing and doing more all the time.  but, it's still fun to hear what they say and compare.  like, they asked me how many words she knows.  i was like, "umm...".  i think the doctor got concerned.  she asked, "more than 10?".  oh my goodness, definitely. 

dog
chair
airplane
choo-choo (train)
hat
banana
oatmeal
juice
mama
dada
byssa
david
mom-mom
pop-pop
coco
sarah
toast
elmo
ball
balloon
more
please
shoes
walk
hold you
i love you
TONS of animal sounds
house
jeffrey
away
hurt
baby
pluggy (pacifier)
car
hop
good
girl
purse
bye-bye
hi
pooh (as in winnie the)
mickey
snack
zoom
no
up
down

okay, so that's off the top of my head.  and, the doctor gave nora a book!  she was quite excited.  today, her friend jeffrey is over again, and she couldn't be happier.  she just loves playing with him.  she kind of follows him around and just watches him...  then, she'll play with him, doing whatever he's doing.  (currently, they are putting the letter magnets on and off the fridge.  jeffrey doesn't have a fridge that can do magnets, so he loves to play with them here!!)  

she also puts sentences together... about two weeks ago, she asked me, "where dada go?".  now, she'll also tell me, "cock-a-doodle jeff-jeff house" (meaning we saw roosters on the way to jeffrey's house).  she was very fascinated by that.  alright.... more later!!!

09 February 2009

yoga... and rain

one more girls weekend pic... just cause i like it!  

david and nora had to run away from the cold waves.  nora would only go down so far...  and run if the waves came anywhere near her






i let sadie out to go to the bathroom the other day, and this was how i found her when i got back... just lounging on my chair!  (as an aside... she doesn't like to be outside when it's cold/wet/rainy... good thing we live in san diego!).  nora decided to get daddy's backpack and go play...  we finally got a raincoat (thanks mom-mom), and had a reason to wear it!  

nora looked cute in her bunnies-by-the-bay jacket!  and today, we tried to make a costume out of a paper bag... it lasted long enough to take the picture.  then, jeffrey came over to play while his mom ran errands (they played SO well!!  and i BEGGED to have him, because we needed distraction!!)

lastly, the video is nora playing... i just loved the sounds she was making.  as an aside, she has used sentences a few times... about a week ago, she asked "where dada go?", when he walked out of the room.   david said she asked the same thing about me yesterday.  

last night, we had friends over with a new baby.  i have held him around nora before, but last night, it started waterworks.  she just kept looking at me, saying "hold you?"  it was so sad!!!  pray for us!!!

so, it's been raining.  like crazy.  so much so that the roof to joann fabrics around the corner caved in and caused major flooding (at least it wasn't my grocery store...)  i have been struggling with what you do when it rains for more than one day, and you and the baby have cabin fever (especially since i was stuck inside for a few days with the flu last week).  and, all the malls are indoors.  and, i am trying NOT to spend money.  and, all our friends have the flu.  not fun.  but, i do have to say, i appreciate the weather!  i love that it's 50* and i am always the perfect temp!  we did manage to make it to dog beach over the weekend and enjoyed it till the rain came back.  

i quit doing jazzercize in the fall.  i have a commitment for Bible study two mornings a week, and it just didn't make sense.  but, i had heard great things about the wii fit, so i decided i wanted to get that.  it's been sold out since then (and we have a dog, do a lot of walking, etc...).  the other day, i was in target, and there were several on the shelf!  so, we got one.  i think david has actually used it more than me!  and, he does yoga!!  

so, when you turn it on, they do a body test (weight, bmi, balance).  the first night, i was 9 wii fit years younger than david!!!  i was quite proud of myself... especially because there was nowhere to put that i was pregnant when it measured my weight!  but, when you step on the balance board (where it weighs you and you do everything else), the computer goes "ohh...".  it's not a fun feeling.  

anyway...  it's great!  you should try it.  tonight, david turned it on, and a trainer came on and said "i am filling in for your normal trainer".  tell me, seriously, where does a computer trainer go?  why would the computer person not be available?  i mean, really, it's a video game!  how could she be sick/on vacation/day off?  i had to laugh!  

06 February 2009

a purse...


so, nora got this purse from a friend for Christmas.  everytime she puts it on, she says "bye-bye".  like, that's what you do when you get a purse.  did i mention that yesterday?  well, here she is with her purse.  it's quite cute.  

she woke up today at 5am.  so, we took naps from 7-10 am!  i totally expected her to go down for another nap, but to no avail...  and it was a LONG day for me!  david came home, and i convinced him to take us out for dinner, but realized that it was almost 6pm, and nora could be cranky.  oh well, i was hungry!  (and, for mexican, no less!!)  so, in getting ready to go, i dropped one of my "good" earrings down the drain.  oops...  it was a real one.  so, david had to take apart the whole sink... but he got it back.

nora hasn't been eating very well, but, out to dinner, she ate 3/4 of a cheese quesadilla.  it was AWESOME!!  and kept begging for fries.  who knew that fried food was all it would take?  we got home, and realized that sadie had eaten the WHOLE tub of trader joe's dark chocolate and almond cookies...  seriously, that might be the worst thing she has destroyed or eaten!!!  so sad...  thankfully, they haven't reappeared yet!

05 February 2009

friends.... it might be a long post!!!,and

yes, that is our tree, blooming with flowers!!!  i took it just to make those in the - degrees jealous!!  it's getting cold here, again!!  it should be in the mid-60's all week!!!  so, nora also got a cardboard house for Christmas, and i just set it up.  she had so much fun in it today!!!  

although, sadie and i became hostages in it...  she kept telling us "no, no" when we tried to leave.  for awhile, i was able to sit on our patio furniture and do some reading.  she would walk in and out, or peer out of the windows and say hi.  then, she got her purse (every time she gets her purse, she has to say "bye"), and walk in and out!!!)  thanks mom-mom!!  and auntie stef, for making the drive to the store!!!  in rush hour traffic!!!






this video was taken over Christmas.  nora has learned to say her friend's names.  here, she saw a picture of jeffrey and called him by name.  jeffrey's mom was one of the girls i went away with this weekend.  we get back, and chelsey and i brought our stuff back to the house, waiting for her husband to get here.  the porch door was open, so i said hi to nora, and she walked outside.  i walked around to the front door, so she could come see me, give me a hug, profess how much she missed me for 48+ hours.  nope.  she stood at the screen door, waving to chelsey and saying hi.  then, when chelsey started walking to the front door, nora walked RIGHT PAST ME, and tried to give chelsey a hug!  

when jeffrey and his daddy got here, we walked chelsey to the car.  i told nora, "we are going to see jeffrey".  she said "my jeff-jeff"?  it was so cute.  it's how she refers to him now... my jeff-jeff.  we chatted about her weekend, and i asked if she saw her friends on saturday night (all the dads and kids hung out).  when i started naming them, she got giddy and clapped so hard!  so glad she likes her friends!!!

so, i wondered yesterday, who takes care of the mom when she's sick?  or the kid when mom is sick?  thankfully, my husband.  i wasn't sure i wanted to live yesterday morning...  i had the nasty 24-hour flu.  i seem to be doing much better today, but only toast and applesauce so far!!  we'll see how the day progresses!  i kept meaning to blog, but it's been a busy week, and getting sick doesn't help.  plus, i've picked up a little work, so i was diligently trying to get that done.

on monday, we did our usual walk around the lake, then the kids got out and played.  nora had so much fun throwing rocks into the lake!!  my weekend was fabulous, and i even managed to buy my double stroller for $200 less, thanks to craigslist, and being near LA already (that's where the stroller was), to go pick it up.  but that's okay, because we went shopping, so i think i came out even...  

i also have to confess... someone else made belly comments, and i didn't respond in a harsh, well you look fat, too, kind of way.  i was much more loving and Christ-like!  although, i am not exceptionally tall, and i have a short torso... so my kids stick out!  i am not going to pop any day!  i will be okay...  my body can handle this...  and i just had the flu, so i think i lost five pounds!!!!

alright... i'll let you go now!  enjoy...

eating oatmeal


alright...  i can't figure out how to get the videos from my phone to go on one post, so here are a few videos...  nora is feeding herself everything now...