Martha and Paul

First Day of 2 Year Old Preschool

2012-01-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, smile.
This is what Em does when you tell her to 'smile'. Her WHOLE face gets involved.
The lean-in whole face smile. Kills me every time.

So, Emmie went to her first day of preschool this week. I KNOW! Agggg. She is a very social toddler and has no fear of new people or places, so I was not really worried about her liking it. I was worried about ME liking leaving her at school. But she is at a wonderful preschool with two great teachers that make the most nervous incoming parent feel like they've just had a vodka juice box two minutes after entering the room. They speak so softly and slowly and just make me feel so calm? I need them in my yoga class...

Anyways, Emmie is at the same preschool her Aunt Savannah attended. Many of Savannah's old teachers are still at the preschool and I absolutely love that. Savannah was the 'good', 'sweet' sister, so I get to coast off her wake yet again. Also, Emmie's good toddler bud Katelin is there (but in an older class) and that was a huge plus for Em. She was so excited to see Katelin after skoole. I was so excited to see Katelin's mom, Alison, after skoole too. I needed that hug- and another vodka juice box wouldn't have hurt.

At first Emmie was a bit nervous to leave my side and kept saying 'Mama, I wanna hold you!" Which means: I want you to hold me. DUH. As I was holding her, a little girl came up to us and said Hi and then Emmie let go of me and walked off. Just like that. The only tears she shed were when I came to pick her up at the end. Thank God I had bought a giant 'oh shit she hated preschool what have I done it was too early for this and now she will hate school forever' emergency lollipop for the car ride home. I gave it to her in the parking lot while I explained over and over that we would come back next week too and many sleeps after that. We have to go home, but we will come back. I know, you love Miss Parry, I know. We will see her soon.

Big Bed

2012-01-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

Old Crib.

New "Crib".

Last weekend we made a very big purchase...a big girl bed. Em and Two-fer will be sharing a room and we wanted to transition her out of the crib well before the arrival of her little brother. We decided to keep the crib in the room partly because we felt like taking it away and then bringing it back with a new baby inside would be hard for her and partly because that thing is a real pain to put together with our limited handy skills.

As a baby Emmie was a determined co-sleeper. She preferred to sleep on me or next to me for a great deal of her babyhood/toddlerhood. She had transitioned to the crib, but it was a hard sell. Even though she is wonderful with transitions in general, I braced for the worst with the big girl bed. Given her early sleep issues and her need to share REM tidal volume with us I imagined months of toddler anguish over the big girl bed.

The afternoon Paul and Uncle Jason put together her big girl bed, she asked to be put in her crib and sat there for nearly an hour while I reorganized her room. She even started talking to her crib. "Crip. I juss love you crip."

But obviously the toddler Gods were looking down on us that night because Em and I climbed into her new bed, laid against her new pillow ("Wif Emmie on it!!") and happily read stories in her new bed. I took a deep breath and got out of bed and turned to walk out and with absolutely no parenting skills or reading about how to do such a transition on our part, she laid down and fell asleep. No crying, no discussion, no problems at all. She loves showing people her bed and sleeps in it every night with no issues. Score for no-skill parenting!

Fun Times with Old Friends

2011-11-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went on our first family "camping" trip to the Ellijay River Vineyard. We were there visiting Weather and Chris. The vineyard belongs to Chris's Uncle and it is just beautiful. It was colder than we expected and we are kinda cold weather wimps, so we ended up sleeping in the barn. We had a great time making a big beautiful breakfast, well, Weather made breakfast- and playing outside in the wonderful fall weather. The leaves were turning and there was a nice breeze in the air. Being around Weather is like a warm s'more on a chilly afternoon- and we actually made those- so I can say with confidence that she is even better than THAT. I love her so much. We were able to catch up and she even let me wear one of her signature vests and hats. Emmie loved (LOVED!) playing with Unnle Ris and Aunt Wudda. She also formed a very fast friendship with their two sweetie pie doggies, Hammy and Beano. Hammy is generally shy around kids, but he warmed up to Emmie very quickly. They spent hours throwing and fetching the ball. It was a perfect trip with great friends.

THANK YOU Thompsons!

Chris and Amy's iheartadoption Page

2011-08-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

Man, I just love this picture... and the people in it. I have written about Weather (Amy) and Chris before (see previous post). But if you don't know their story, I copied a paragraph from another post below explaining their adoption journey. The reason for this post is to update their networking information. They have a page on iheartadoption.org

This is the address: http://www.iheartadoption.org/users/chrisandamy

Every time someone likes their page their web traffic goes off the charts. Increasing the number of people that see their information can help them find a match with a mother. Adoptions occur in unpredictable ways and often through word of mouth, so viewing and then liking their page really helps. ♥

Earlier Post:

I want to tell you about a wonderful person I know and love so much named Amy Weatherhead Thompson (Weather). I met Weather in Bozeman over ten years ago. We were roommates along with four other tremendous gals. I have been lucky enough to stay close with her and the other girlies over the years and she makes me smile on a weekly basis. She is kind, generous, HILARIOUS, sincere, down to earth, and the best story teller I have ever met. She is married to an equally wonderful man named Chris. They are a beautiful couple inside and out and they have recently announced their decision to adopt. I am so excited to share their information on my lil blog. The reason for doing this is that adoptions often take place through unexpected connections. If you work with expectant mothers in any capacity, please pass their information along. They are going to be fantastic parents and I can't wait to meet their little baby!

Thank you Weather!

2011-08-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago Weather and Chris sent Emmie the best T-Shirt EVER*! It has everything you want in a great T-shirt. It's soft. It's grey so it hides marker and dip dip (ketchup) stains. It's from Aunt Wuth. It teaches an important life lesson about giving your real number to strange men in bars. It has a picture of Steve on it.

Steve is something of a living legend in Bozeman. This is mostly because he has a big personality and like most of us, his personality gets louder and stranger when he drinks. But Steve is also bit off and very, very persistent. It was not surprising that Steve asked Dana for her number many times, I mean, who wouldn't with an ass like that? What was surprising was that Dana actually gave him our real home number. For about a year and a half after that 2 minute exchange, Steve would call about twice every week and usually multiple times in single day asking for Dana. At first it was annoying and kinda stalkery-strange. It was like phone Russian Roulette. You took a gamble with 10 minutes of your life every time you answered the home phone. With in the first few words of "Hello, is Dana there?", you knew bullet had left the chamber. Steve liked to talk. It was impossible to politely get off the phone with him even after 10 minutes. But then like so many things (salsa on carpeted kitchen floor, beef broth on sidewalks, neighbor's dog always shitting in the yard), it became hilarious. It was hilarious AFTER we all moved out of the house that is. I'm not sure Michelle finds it funny yet. She really hated when Steve called.

Almost every time Paul calls me on my work line he says "Hello, is Dana there?" I say NO Steve! STOP calling here! It always gets a good laugh even when we are both stressed. It also keeps my officemates constantly guessing. I like a little mystery in the office.

Thank you Aunt Weather! We love you!!

The Great Flood

2011-07-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

So two days ago Paul locked me out of the house while I was on the treadmill in the garage in my underwear (again!). This is the second time this has happened in one week. After doing the sprint of shame into our backyard (again!) and banging on the backdoor, Paul let me inside. I guess the prowlers that are always coming into the house through the garage at night are too mesmerized by my Ani and GNR singing to harm me. I'm just so glad he takes home security seriously. Anytoots. So I'm in the middle of hurling a few choice words when Baby says, "Hey, What's this water on the carpet?" Thus begins the saga of the Great Flood.

As I write this on Saturday at 11pm (from the arc), we still have no answers as to exactly what pipe is leaking. We have a wonderful handyman/plumber who came over at 8am today as soon as he got my frantic email. He has made a lot of headway on fixing a few of the secondary causes but we need a specialist to find the final leak. We know from tearing out the tub fixtures in the hall bathroom that it's not that pipe. We know from putting a hole in the wall in the master bathroom that it's not that one either. We know Em thinks the water vac is 'tow lowd daddy!'. We know from turning on and off the water valve outside 80 times a day that righty is in fact tighty. The plan is to call in a plumber 'specialist' on Monday and hopefully get some final answers then.

Da damage so far: Our room is soaked. One wall will need work to remove the wet drywall. This means new paint in our bedroom. (ALL paint color suggestions are welcome- I hate picking out paint color). The carpet has mostly been removed, but we will have to replace the carpet. I kinda like the idea of keeping all our furniture in one corner of the room though. It's a Twister like game to get to my cell phone charger in the desk drawer. I like a daily physical challenge. Place left foot on the bed. Place right foot on the chair. Place left hand on the dresser. Run around the house in your sports bra. Climb into window. Bang on door. Swim to bed.

There is a hole in our bathroom wall. Peekaboo!

Guest bathtub is a mess. Will need new fixtures, washers, and caulking.

Em's room had minor damage, but the carpet will have to go.

The hall tile may need to be replaced. They kinda float at the end of the hall when the water rises. So that's a most likely replacement.

Fun Fun Fun. I have a new respect for brave souls who remodel while living in their homes. I will never willingly do this. Ever. I guess it's a bit more relaxing when you don't have water coming out of the walls, but still, I lack the 'roll with it' skills necessary to make it through that kinda project.

Hopefully this will be resolved on Monday. If not, I've always wanted a water feature in the bedroom. The sound of running water is so zen.

Em LOVES birthdays

2011-07-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Emmie loves birthday parties. She loves singing Happy Birthday and pretty much all things party related... balloons, noise makers, open flame on pastry, ripping paper products, cameras flashing...who doesn't love a birthday party right? But I'm fairly sure she likes them so much because she thinks every birthday song being sung to another child is in fact being sung for her. She claps wildly and beams with self satisfaction during any birthday rendition. Just like her mama, she throws her face into frame and gives her broadest smile whenever the cameras come out. She also often hops down off my lap and does her 'Dora- You did it!' dance. (This is the dance done by Dora the Explorer were she crouches down and swings her arms side to side while nodding her head.) Em does this dance after any moment of triumph. Slide climbing, potty going, puzzle finishing, daddy tickling are also danceable moments. This little ditty always gets attention at parties. I learn so much from her. Here is a party favor from her Uncle Jimmy, I mean, Emmie's birthday party last weekend. She was very underwhelmed with the final result when she got it to inflate.

Cali Dudes and Dudettes

2011-07-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Our good friends from our California days came for a visit over July 4th. Paul was officemates with Attila in grad school. Attila (seen walking with Paul next to the red car) married Michelle and we had so much (too much) fun at their wedding in 2006. We spent many a night drinking 2 buck chuck in our tiny Palo Alto studio apartment with Attila and Matt and Matt's wife Madonna. We have seen each other get (real) jobs, marry, and now have kids. We all had our first kids in 2009. Michelle and Attila's daughter is 5 months older than Emmie and her name is Sophia. She speaks English, French (Michelle is French), and Hebrew. She asked for 'a little bon challah' at breakfast and just melted my heart. Imagine a tiny sweet voice with braided pigtails and curls with her parent's incredible intellect (both Physics PhDs). She is as sweet and she looks. So presh and so smart! We spent one day at the lake and the girls swam in da poowl. Then we spent a day at the museum. It was great to catch up and remember those crayyyzee days in Cali:-).

The girls may have been put on a list of banned museum patrons...they took some liberties modifying the velvet ropes.

Also- that last picture with all the junk, is not my house. We were in a museum playhouse called 'Grandma's ole attic'. I swear.

Thank you Aunt Stacy! We miss you!

2011-06-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

We love Aunt Stacy! Stacy and Nick moved to Chicago and we miss them so much. Thank you for my birthday gift! I love it!

Yeah, I built that. No biggie.

2011-04-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

Our backyard has turned into a wild bird hatchery this spring. One of the many nests in our yard was built by these finches on Paul's grill (aptly called 'The Big Green Egg'). So I had to relocate the nest today to a higher and less scorching location. This is a bird box I made using only my two hands for ripping and then shoving it into a tree. Pretty impressive huh! The finches took awhile to find it but once they did they took to it immediately. I'm pretty much like saving the Earth on Earth Day. Done and done.

Birdcoons and Great Moments in Family History

2011-04-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

My parents had a raccoon enter their attic in the middle of the night last week. The next day my mom was talking about this with a another teacher when a student interjected some words of wisdom about how my mom should definite-lay get her out because they can lay eggs up in there and cause a real mess. From this moment forward the raccoon was known as a birdcoon in our family. Well sure enough, the bircoon 'layed some eggs' two nights later. Three sleepless nights after that, the birdcoon and her chickacoon babies were relocated. This led my parents (really, my mom) to decide to clean out the attic.

My grandmother Middlebrooks was a genealogist and my mom came across an old book in the attic that my grandmother had found and given to my dad. Note: the Middlebrooks married the Birdsongs many, ahem, many times. I was told it was to keep the land in the family. :-/ Great.

The most incredible* contribution to Georgia society was the breeding of the famous July foxhound by Colonel George Lowrey Forsyth Birdsong in 1847 in Thomaston. He was related to the Birdsongs who always married the Middlebrooks. Here is a quote from the article about this from 1930:

“They [July hounds] are the supreme royalty of dogdom, having the longest and most complete pedigree records of any species of hounds. In my opinion, the Julys represent the very cream of royalty.” Unfortunately, old July’s (the original dog) mate met a disastrous end. “She was tethered in the upper story of the smokehouse and then jumped out the window and hung herself.” There is much more flowery prose lamenting her untimely death extolling the greatness of the hounds.

So, who the hell ties a dog up on the second floor of a smoke house?! Methinks your parents being cousins is to blame for this lack or foresight.

And here is a bit about Edwin Franklin Birdsong’s wife. Edwin married a woman named Harriet Elizabeth Clark in 1818, and here is her story:

“There is quite an interesting story concerning this lady. It seems that her mother died when she was very young and her step mother, being so unkind to her, one of the slaves stole her and carried her on his back for miles to her brother Richard’s home, who with his family, was leaving Va for Ga in a covered wagon. The uncle brought her to Hancock County and reared her as his own. Later on she met and married Edwin Birdsong, who afterward went back to Va. The grandson of one of the slaves, Stonewall Jackson, is still living with a descendant of her in Hancock county.”

Amy and Chris

2011-03-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many followers I have on this blog, but if you aren't Weather, Michelle, Brie, Dana, Kirstin, or Sarah (mofo), then please keep reading. I want to tell you about a wonderful person I know and love so much named Amy Weatherhead Thompson (Weather). I met Weather in Bozeman over ten years ago. We were roommates along with most of the afore mentioned people above. I have been lucky enough to stay close with her over the years and she makes me smile on a weekly basis. She is kind, generous, HILARIOUS, sincere, down to earth, and the best story teller I have ever met. She is married to an equally wonderful man named Chris. They are a beautiful couple inside and out and they have recently announced their decision to adopt. I am so excited to share their information on my lil blog. The reason for doing this is that adoptions often take place through unexpected connections. If you work with expectant mothers in any capacity, please pass their information along. They are going to be fantastic parents and I can't wait to meet their little baby!

Here are the websites with their information. Thank you!

http://www.chrisandamythompson.webs.com

http://www.iheartadoption.org/users/chrisandamy

Their email: chrisandamythompson@gmail.com

Outside

2011-03-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

Lazy Blogger 101: Combine random pictures into a single blog.

'Tractor Pull'

Libby loves to 'help' Em with her yard work on her tractor.

'Fat Lip'

Giving me 'lip' about being told not to pull on the gate. Em finds it's always best to say to 'No!' with a pout and both lips pushed way out.

'That First Step is a Doozie'

What do flights of stairs, ladders on play grounds, and the dock at the lake house all have in common? Emmie Lou Bean has tried to step off each multiple times and usually with a running start. Now, the hazardous 3 inch step into our backyard, well, this is an entirely different matter. This requires great caution and careful negotiation.

My New Dew

2011-03-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

It only took about 4 months to make and then keep a hair appointment. My new darker hair color has emboldened me to wear a padded "bust enhancing" bra today. I know what my blog readers are thinking, "But Martha, isn't that bra normally reserved for your church dresses (the Lord loves cleavage) and date nights with Paul (Paul and the Lord love cleavage)?"

Yes Blog readers. You sure know me and my busty habits. But I'm feelin super cute today. So you can just sit this one out today sports bra #7 because today is all about lookin foxy!

You just won the Superbowl!! What are you going to do next?

2011-02-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

So, you see, it was completely out of our hands. We knew that Green Bay would win...and we knew they would want us in Disney World.

It's totally commercial and completely not cool, but dammit, I love Disney World. There, I said it. It makes me all giggly and smiley when I walk through those gates and look up and see that big stupid castle and hear the fake bush sing and have some underpaid college graduate dressed in a prairie outfit ask me if I want to rustle up some balloons. I just really wanted to see Emmie enjoy it. So, to all my blog readers...(I am standing as I type this)... My name is Martha and I have loved Disney World for 26 years 3 months and 4 days. Whew.

We had a great time, but don't tell anyone, okay?

Our parents and Aunt Jessie and Uncle Jimmy came too:-). It was a great time...but don't tell anyone.

I have posted the various highlights below.

Animal Bums

2011-02-07T21:57:00.001-08:00

We went to the Animal Kingdom on Sunday. This is where I greeted MANY awesome Green Bay Packer fans with warm smiles and Go Packs! GO Packs GO! (love you Wuth).

Animal Kingdom is part park and part zoo, and honestly, ALL awesome. I loved this park.

We had some pretty great animal encounters and I took some awesome shots of animal butts. If National Geographic and Proctology Today ever merge, then I know I will be at the top of their 'Must Have Photographers' list.

The White Rabbit

2011-02-07T21:51:00.000-08:00

Em loved this Rabbit. She sleeps and naps with a white bunny we call 'Ebee Bunny'. I'm fairly certain the Alice in Wonderland White Rabbit was confused for Ebee Bunny. She kissed and hugged the bunny like it was an old friend. I think she was a bit relieved not to have to take a nap after though.

Dumbo Dump

2011-02-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

So we were waiting in line for the Dumbo ride and we noticed quite a bit of squatting by Em as the line progressed. She was 'focusing' on some important..umm... 'tasks'. So I pick her up at the end of the waiting to put her in Dumbo and only then do I notice the extent of her 'concentration'. We're talking down into the shoes concentrating. But it's the end of the line and we've been waiting a good 30 minutes so...onto Dumbo we go. I felt so sorry for the Dumbo behind ours and the people who Dumboed after us. :-/ Sorry!

Following this Poop-tastrophe, I had to toss her clothes in the Pinocchio's Place bathroom. I walked out of the bathroom sans my shirt (don't worry, I had a very thin tissue tee on under my now tossed poop satined shirt) carrying my naked toddler in nothing but a diaper. What are you fools looking at? Keep eating your Mickey Burgers! Shut Up!

I sent Paul on a T-shirt and toddler clothes mission and he came back with a tiny, tiny, Mickey Mouse-ahhh T-shirt for me. I smuggled Tic-Tacs the rest of the day, but at least he thinks I'm supermodel thin and 15! Em wore a tied-dyed princess ensemble. (The worst of both worlds of girl fashion in my mind). You can see Em's awesome post-poo outfit in the pictures.

Does this cat make me look fat?

2011-01-21T18:35:00.000-08:00

This is me. I'm gonna guess 11ish. I always hated everything about this picture. My frizzy hair, fatness, horizontal stripe muscle shirt (Thanks Mom?!), the side swipe in my bangs, my fatness... I did love that cat though. That cat next to me is Tiger. He has on a bonnet and he is minutes away from scratching my face. Kewl fact: Tiger had a 90 degree angle in his tail. He was born with it. People would walk by our house and recoil when they saw him. I'm guessing it was from the tail and also because he couldn't close his mouth all the way because his teeth all stuck out slightly to the left in his old age (it can happen to the best of us). Don't let his vacant stare fool you, he loved having long conversations about Kirk Cameron. He was the product of two litter mates 'hugging' a lot. We were the best of buds.

Super Friends Unite!

2010-12-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

I leaned over during a near sprint to Ann Taylor in midst of all the pre-holiday shoppers and shouted to Weather, “I hate all these fucking loud people. Why are they so fucking loud?” Weather shot me a quick understanding and very worried look but said nothing. Her expression conveyed perfectly the determination and concern we had over finding this outfit for Michelle. We were on a deadline and we were there under the worst circumstances possible. My former roommates and I had flown to Portland to be with one of us, Michelle. Brie and Kirstin couldn’t be at the mall that day, but were there later that night. I remember just hours before shouting that angry question at Weather, we were sitting in a booth in a chaotic mall restaurant and I was so absorbed in conversation with these girls that I felt like the mall was completely empty.

I can’t remember the last time my roommates and I were in a mall together. I’m not sure I would describe any one of them as big mall fans. We lived together 10 plus years ago, and now we live all across the country. Whenever we get together it's like we just pick up where we left off in that little house in Bozeman with Dana upstairs, Brie in Dana's closet, me in the hall, Michelle across the hall, and Kirstin and then Weather in the unheated basement. It’s tough to describe them in a way that captures the depth of our friendship. All of these women are tremendous people and if I only knew them as separate individuals, I would consider myself very lucky. But I am extremely blessed to know them within a group. As group we are stronger, funnier, braver, bolder, and most importantly, better wedding dancers. It’s a tangible difference between the individual versus this group of women…like when a superhero throws his everyman glasses aside and dawns the cape. I literally feel love and invincibility just standing near them. Super Friends Unite!

Dana was playing good cop. She was with Michelle the entire day gently helping her in every dressing room and for a very long time in a detour yoga wear dressing room. This was before Michelle was ready to step into the deeper, darker waters held in that mall. But we were now running out of time. This is why Weather and I were on a mission to scout out potential stores for Michelle. There were many things about the next day we could not fix, we could not control, we could not make better, we could not even imagine happening at all at that very moment on this day in the mall. But we could, we would, find this dress. This is the determination I saw in Weather’s look as we sprinted into the disgustingly festive Ann Taylor store.

We skidded to a stop on the shiny marble floor. Weather said she would take the left side. “I’ll take the back and right side”, I shouted over my shoulder already halfway past the jewelry display. A very nice but obsequious sales clerk approached me and asked to take the five black and grey dresses to ‘start a dressing room’ for me. I know I looked at her like she was insane and I politely said, “No thank you. Thank you though. I’m waiting for my friend to get here.”

I make my way up the right side of the store occasionally glancing up to see various sales clerks asking Weather the same thing. I saw her motion them away one by one.

Weather and I finally met up with our selections for Michelle. We are in the middle of a conversation frantically considering the following in about the following order: ‘skirts versus pant suites, calling Dana to get Michelle to Ann Taylor, jewelry for Michelle, shoes for Michelle, and Eric’s pants, does he have shoes? yes- oh, just needs polish? Do you know how to polish?’ We were talking in one circular but completely lucid stream of conversation when the third sales clerk approached and said ‘Can I start a dress…’ She is unable to finish as I cut her off with the curtest ‘No!’ I have ever said to sales woman. In a pleading, frustrating tone I say, “We don’t want a dressing room! Thank. You. Though!”

Literally at that moment, Michelle and Dana walk into Ann Taylor. Weather looks up and shouts at the same young sales lady, ‘WE NEED A DRESSING ROOM! RIGHT NOW!’

I’m guessing we appeared to be frantic bridesmaids for the most somber wedding ever planned. No cleavage! No sequins. No pink. No sparkle. No glitter. Grey. Black. Brown. NO BROWN. These were some of the directional phrases thrown at the unlucky young sales clerk who had happened to be the last of the 50 sale clerks to ask if Weather and I wanted a dressing a room.

A lot can happen when you go get 5 bottles of water at a mall taco stand. Two Ann Taylor dressing rooms and lots of tears later, Michelle found the best worst dress she will ever wear.

I love you guys so much. Mean it.

Santa Anta Fo Fanta

2010-12-18T17:43:00.001-08:00

Me and Em in the backyard.

PK and Em in line.

She bolted once and is plotting her 2nd escape from PK.

This is right before she tripped on the rug and fell on her face:-(.

She never cried but wanted to get down and run. Santa loves holding squirming kids (as you can see). So we cut the photo session short and let Lil' Wille run free. She found two odd looking men with beards and dressed in hunting camouflage sitting a bench. She ran to them and wanted to be held. I guess Santa needs to pack more ammo and have an odd cohort next time to get her attention.

The best shot after 2.5 seconds on Santa's lap.

Punkins and Weird Mice

2010-10-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Emmie and I went to the Pumpkin Patch today to pick out out Halloween pumpkins. We saw an old Jiu Jitsu friend (David) and had a great time. The highlight of the experience was rolling over a rotten pumpkin. Who knew liquid pumpkin only smells good at Starbucks? We also had fun beating the crap out of a weird Mickey Mouse prop. Em had a great time carefully touching the stems on each baby pumpkin. She picked out her favorite little pumpkin and held it all the way home and a lot of the afternoon until a decoy stuffed animal was deployed.

My parents are hilarious.

2010-10-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about lemurs today and this memory popped into my head. Growing up we had these neighbors who liked to sit on their porch at night in the dark and my parents called them The Lemurs. Another set of neighbors had an old plymouth in their yard and my parents called the old car Christine and our neighbors The Clampetts. My sister and I were always confused why we were NEVER to call Mrs. Lemur and Mrs. Clampett by their names? Also, whenever 'Christine' was moved, my Dad would warn us to be careful? Hilarious.

Piglet tails!

2010-10-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

Recently while I was picking oatmeal out of Emmie's hair, I discovered it was long enough to sorta pull back into pig tails. So I bought some itty, bitty, tiny, hair bands and put her hair up in her first pig tails. :-) They are super short and adorable, so maybe we should call them piglet tails?

Chipmunk wants more

2010-09-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Feeding Em has become an exercise in fear management. As we move steadily away from all safe baby purees and into finger foods, the choking, gagging, eye bulging portions of our meals have increased dramatically. They keep a steady supply of adrenaline pumping through my body. Heart attack with your salad? Yes Please! Recently we discovered how a baby gags and chokes on tiny pieces of banana, carefully sliced chicken, and peas...storage of said food in her cheeks. She chews and chews then signs 'more' and you stupidly think, Okay- I will slice some more banana on her tray...seconds later...gag, spit up...3 peas come tumbling out from earlier in the meal. I know friends who have babies who do this. I believe our good friend Seamus has been known to hold onto macaroni for hours and hours (just in case). As normal as this method of nutrient consumption is, I don't believe my heart can take much more! On the up side, I do believe my portion control issues have been taken care of. Who wants seconds of spaghetti after 3 terror inducing events before your second bite? Any and all advice for this is much appreciated. I've already considered hiring a Paramedic to feed her.

Dog Tag

2010-09-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

My parent's pekingese cocker-poo hamster dog stayed with us last night and spent this morning playing a fun game of 'tag' with Emmie.

I was impressed with their civility. Every time Em saw the dog off base (the laundry room) she would crawl after the dog, but once the hamster poodle cocker made it into the laundry room, Emmie would stop on a dime. This went on for a good two entire cups of coffee this morning. This poodle cocker pekingese gerbil is welcome back anytime!

(In full disclosure, we actually love Holly dog very much :-)

Nuthin like a cup of coffee and....

2010-09-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

This morning's screensaver brought it's A game.

I have my laptop screensaver set to slideshow. This means that all the pictures in iPhoto will randomly pop up on my computer when it's 'sleeping'. There are many early mornings that I stumble past the soft glow of my laptop and barely notice the changing pictures. But man, this morning's screensaver was determined to get a giggle. At 5 am I was swaying a morning two step with Lou Lou Bean and the photo montage you see above quietly progressed across the screen and left me stifling giggles. (I'm pretty sure I got the general gist of the order right).

Note: My favorite one is of "Amish Paul" appearing to make out with his new bag, Jason will back me up on this. Also the one of Savannah elbowing me in the head right before my mom took our picture- it's a classic. Screensaver puts together a wicked awesome morning slideshow.

My Friends in Portland

2010-08-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

My friends Michelle and Eric DuBarry.

Things I've Taken Out of Emmie's Mouth This Week

2010-08-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

1. Feathers (we own birds)

2. Grass

3. Giant tufts of white dog hair

4. Books (bindings and pop-up figures)

5. Paper Towel

6. My flip flop

This is just a random picture from this week. Call me a terrible blogger, but I'm always too busy frantically sweeping the stuff out of her mouth to capture the moment on camera. I know, I know, I'm terrible.

Paul's Sister is Gettin' Hitched

2010-08-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Paul's sister Stacia (Stacy to those in the know) is getting married in October to a wonderful guy named Nick Groll. Nick will be the third physicist in Paul's family (the Kutter's like their science and math). Nick and Stacy are extremely fabulous people and I'm so excited for them both. I have known Stacy since she was 12, so she is very much like a second sister to me and Savannah. This weekend we threw a wedding shower for Stacy. I included some pictures from the shower and of Stacy and Nick and one from way back when with Stacy singing :-).

New Floors and New Teeth

2010-07-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well it only took 2 years and a mobile baby to get us to finally replace the broken linoleum tile floor in our dining and living room. Now that the new floor is in I just want to stare at it all day. To celebrate Em decided to cut her top teeth (as seen in last nights bath photo) and wake up at 4 am all week in anticipation for the 8 am floor work to begin.

The Creepiest (but best) Doll Ever

2010-07-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

When I was little I had this doll named Rolly. I loved this doll. She never wore clothes and loved to swim (just like me). I liked to swim with her at the beach in front of our old house (with no swimsuit) and I named her Rolly because of the way she would roll back to shore. Fast forward 29 years. Emmie was at my parent's house last Sunday and into everything (potted plants, my Dad's papers, pulling tufts of fur from the cats...). My Mom went hunting for something to distract her and pulls out this doll from my old room, and shouts "Oh! I found Rolly!" My Mom brings her out and we both start to laugh. Rolly has taken on a really creepy old doll look. It must have been the salt water? Her eyes are those old fashioned kind that roll back and have eyelashes but now are blood red (from the rust). Her lips are pale and faded and her limbs are stiff like a zombie.

As soon as Em was in striking distance, she grabbed for her and gently stroked her head. At that point it was all over. She loves this doll, rusted out eyes and all. She snuggles her and kisses her (head-butts her with her mouth open), and tripod crawls so she can hold her with one hand. Rolly, the creepy best doll ever, is now a member of our household.

Paul is a good sport about the doll but he makes me laugh with his constant horror movie plots that are centered around Rolly. For example, he will say (in a high pitched scratchy voice) "Those sure are some niiiiice eyes you have there. T'would be a shame if you lost them while sleeeeeping."

I think Aunt Weather would LOVE a likeness of this doll. A portrait for your bedroom is on it's way Wuth!

The 4th

2010-07-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

Great weekend! Dana popped out her baby, Quinn and Jason came into town and we watched some UFC's, and it was the 4th!

We celebrated the 4th last night (I know, a novel idea, celebrating the 4th on the 4th) at Paul's parent's house. Paul's sister, Dr. Stacy, was the pyrotechnical mistress in charge of the evenings fireworks. As tradition dictates, the lawn was set on fire and many squirrels hit the deck as explosives spun out around branches and rickashayed off of tree trunks. But who cares when there's a doctor, an endodontist, an orthodontist, and an actuary on hand? I was worried Emmie Lou would freak out over celebrating America's birthday with loud explosives, seeing as the vacuum and many Disney music books freak her the heck out, but she clapped and actually liked them.

Finally! My automatic vacuum works!

2010-06-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

I've had this little vacuum cleaner for months that does an excellent job picking up debris on the floor and eating it, but the roaming feature was not operational....until today:-)! Emmie crawled her first real "across the floor" crawl for the first time today!! My friend Erin was over and witnessed this highly anticipated event. Emmie was at the ottoman playing with her bear and spotted Erin's shoes at the door. Erin wears the best vintage/vintage inspired shoes and accessories. She is one of those people that makes you look cooler just for standing next to her, I digress...The shoes were an aquamarine patent material and we watched as she made a crawling bee-line for them. Apparently my old running shoes and chlorine faded summer flip flops are not adequate crawling inspiration. Now to get new floors installed to replace the giant choking hazard of broken tiles in our living room...

First Family Trip

2010-06-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

We took our first family trip last weekend. We flew up to Detroit to see Paul's cousins. The plane trip went pretty well and even though she fussed a bit, I did not have to flee the plane and dart into a Brookstone to hide from an angry pitch fork toting mob of passengers like I imagined I would have to after the flight landed.

We went to the Detroit Zoo and Emmie had a great time with cousin Emmett (11 months) and cousin Conrad (3 years old). Paul and I really enjoyed catching up with Andrea and Andy and spending time in their massive backyard; swimming, bouncing, swinging, gardening (well, Paul watched Andy garden) and roasting marshmallows. Great people, great trip!

Shell Point June 9 2010

2010-06-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not one for serious posts and I rarely get sentimental on the interweb, but this one's gonna be a doozie.

My Emma is named for a wonderful person who I spent a great deal of time with when I was little, Emma Gilbert. I grew up at Shell Point in the house my grandfather built. Emma Gilbert lived next door to us at Shell Point.

When the oil hit Pensacola and a dead bird was reported at Shell Point, I felt like if I wanted my Emma to see the Shell Point that I knew, it needed to be soon. My mom and I drove down today.

Emmie LOVED the beach. I was really surprised how excited she got when she saw it.

These are some pictures of this bitter sweet day. We took some pictures of Em going in the water for the first time. The light green house was our house. I am holding her in front of Emma's tree.

Roam Free

2010-06-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

Paul finished the Turtle pen last night just before sundown. He is the most methodical carpenter. Imagine an particle physicist, formerly in charge of preventing a mile long excelerator from blowing up, building a wooden turtle pen. Measure 40 billion times and cut once. He did it all outside in 90 plus humid heat and with a wife giving him 'sass' throughout the day on his progress. It was a race to the finish line (darkness) but slow and steady won the race. Nice work PK! Now our turtles can roam in safety in outside! Roam Free....

Thar's teeth in them thar gums!

2010-06-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago Emmie stopped sleeping through the night. She would wake up screaming. I was constantly jumping out of bed and sprinting to save her from what I imagined must be hurting her. Even Libby was on high alert sleeping in her doorway. By the third night I had improved my sprint time by 2 seconds and even added a white lab hurdle to the event. Many nights of "bad parenting" co sleeping followed with no apparent cause for the night time screaming fits.

One week ago we discovered the culprits. Seemingly over night two bottom teeth appeared! I had initially suspected teething as the cause, but because I never could see or feel any teeth, I assumed she was just going through a needy spell or fighting off something. Her toofers are in and nights seem to have gone back to normal this week.

Chillax

2010-06-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

"Why stand when you can sit. Why sit when you can lay down." Grandpa Ed.

Emmie has been doing this for months to the great delight of the general public. "Look at that baby with it's feet up?!" "Now that baby sure knows how to relax." "She sure is a relaxed baby!"

Every time Emmie sits in the stroller she reclines to the side, chews on her side strap and props one foot up on the drink holder of her stroller. EVERY time. I'm pretty sure it's a genetic trait from her Grandpa Ed.

It's Marf's Birthday and She'll Do What She Wants To

2010-05-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is the song Paul sings all day on May 21st to the tune of (It's my party and I'll cry if I want to). He sings it to me in the early morning while I'm half asleep trying to rock Em back to sleep, he sings it while he holds a now wide awake Emmie Lou while I brush my teeth, he sings it when I answer my cell phone (although quietly because he is walking to a meeting and quiet singing of a made up song is far more dignified), and he sings it when I eat my awesome birthday chocolate cup cakes right before bed (I like to carb load at night).

Pretty awesome guy that PK.

We had a lil family pool party. The water was great and even though we were in the jungle, it felt like we were still in our back yard? I made a summer squash casserole with jarlsberg and wild rice. Paul made mojitos with fresh lime juice and mint (my absolute favorite drink). Mmmm mmm!

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

2010-05-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

I have been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for about 2 years (minus the baby gestation/recovery time (11 months) of just coming to class and watching). I've had my blue belt a little over a year now. My awesome instructor is Billy Baisch (aptly pronounced 'Bash':-). Billy has a brown belt. He has an incredibly technical approach to teaching but a natural intuition and deep respect for the sport that gives his style an effortless grace but tight appearance when you watch him roll. (He is in the picture with Erin above). BJJ is a grappling sport that really requires close contact and trust in your partner's abilities. I nearly quit the sport before a friend (Alan seen in top picture with Erin) introduced me to Billy and his class. I would not be doing BJJ without Billy's class and the top notch people he allows to train with him. Last week the black belt we train under, Adriano Lucio, came to Tallahassee to host a seminar and to test people in our class for belts/stripes. Adriano Lucio is a 3rd degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt. He lives in Rio and received his black belt from Jose 'Ze' Marcelo. I had a private lesson with him and he fixed a few problems I've been having and I learned some new fun tricks. Billy's brother Brian did the lesson with me and pretty much let me ask the questions while I did the techniques on him (I give him a lot of crap- but he is a pretty rad dudical dude). Also, Erin and Ray received blue belts- woot!

Emma Weatherhead the Redhead?

2010-04-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks Emmie may be checking the "Red Hair" box on her drivers license in 15 years. I'm a little embarrassed how excited I am about this. I don't want her to think looks are so important- but she's gonna be SUCH a cute red head. Paul still thinks its blonde with some red tint. I think it's still mostly a strawberry blonde, but it is definitely getting redder the last few months and her eyebrows are red. So fingers crossed. Mostly I'm excited because she will look like her Aunt Wudder. I also really* hope she learns to scream that I'm RUINING EVERYTHING after she slams her door just like her red headed compatriot.

These are some pictures taken from 2 different cameras that illustrate my point. The top picture is from a month ago and the others are within the last two weeks.

The 'Sleep' Situation

2010-04-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

"You can hate on me all you want to, but what can you possibly say to somebody that looks like Rambo, pretty much, with his shirt off." Mike 'The Situation'- Jersey Shore.

Ebee went for her 6 month check up Tuesday. She is 18 pounds 9 ounces- my big girl! Everything was going so well until I walked face first into the sleep smack down. I had been warned by a friend to lie but the Dr. came at me with a hard hook and I didn't have time to duck the sleep beat down.

Dr. Smack Down: So, how is she sleeping at night?

Me: (beaming) So well right now! She goes down at 10-11pm and sleeps till 7am, eats, then sometimes sleeps again till 8-9am!

Dr. Smack Down: That's not so great. She should be sleeping 1o hours straight- she does not need to eat at 7am.

Me: (slightly concerned and deflated) oh? but she seems hungry?

Dr. Smack Down: Why do you feel you need to feed her at 7am? Does she wake up crying? She should be able to self soothe at this age.

Me: (stupidly walking into this trap) No- she doesn't really cry exactly. I hear her turning over and she starts to whine... and its not like she is really awake, its a quick feeding...(interrupted)

Dr. Smack Down: Wait- she is still in your room?! Is she in your bed!? Does she have a crib?! (Thus begins the 'Importance of Self Soothing' and 'Good Sleep Habits Start Now You Stupid Hippy Mom' lecture)

Whateves. I'm gonna just keep on keepin' on. Sure, she may be curled up in the pack n play in our room till she's 30, but that's totally normal right?

Pink Velvet Cupcakes

2010-04-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Savannah came over today to make red velvet cupcakes for Easter. We decided to make them pink because blood red cupcakes felt a tad severe for the occasion. They actually turned out pretty fantastic. This year we did not explode two ziplocks of icing everywhere (Libby was visibly disappointed), but I will be finding green shreds of coconut in the dining room for many days to come.

It was super fun and made me think about starting our own bakery in Thomasville. Past sisterly adventures in baked goods include:

1993(ish): Its a Brick (duh duh dun dun) Hoooowse

A twist on a classic. Take a chocolate chip cookie recipe and make it without baking soda or powder (just a dash more flour to compensate for the missing baking soda). That brick-like texture will melt in your shattered, tooth filled mouth.

1994(ish): Soot Cake

Have you ever bitten into a cake and wondered, 'Why are my teeth still white?!'. Well, this cake will fix that right up. Its a cake batter with so much purple food coloring in it that it comes out blackish-grey. Maybe you were arguing about who got to add the food coloring and decided to put the whole thing in so you each had a turn mixing? Easter portraits with white teeth are so boring!

1996(ish): Salt Lick Cookies

Sugar cookies accidentally made with salt. Dan't forgot to go through hours of icing them before you actually tasted them. Warning: May cause eye watering and gag reflex on the surprising* first bite.

If you want in on this venture, just mail me a check. With recipes like these, its sure to take off.

Mother Nature and Stupid Cats

2010-03-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

Spring has sprung here in the 'Armpit' of America (to borrow a phrase from one of my avid blog readers), so today I cleaned out the front flower bed and planted new flowers. I made sure that most of the flowers I planted are native to this area and require little to no upkeep or care, which is how I like my flowers. The front flower bed required no compost or fertilizer because the multitudes of stupid ass grey cats from across the street use it for a litter box on a regular basis. I attached a picture of one of these grey cats sitting on OJ Simpson's SUV next door. I have dreams of OJ jumping in that vehicle and screeching off at break neck speeds flinging grey cats left and right. Sigh. (no cats were harmed in the making of this dream).

Top 5 at 5

2010-03-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Emmie turned 5 months old last week! Newest things on her 'Top 5 To Do' list:

1. Drooling (lots)

2. Sticking out tongue/blowing adorably angry raspberries when displeased with her entertainment options at the time

3. Going stiff and flailing arms when placed in car seat. This is also a time for blowing angry raspberries. (so we just strap 'er into the backseat with duct tape)

4. Eating her own feet (mmm- save some for Weather!)

5. Pulling out massive chunks of my hair when eating. (This is best done with wet hands). (see previous 'drooling' activity above)

Mmmmmm Rice Cereal and Political Satire

2010-02-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

This week the great Em tried rice cereal for the first time. She seems to like it. We still don't have a highchair, so we put Stewart or Colbert on while she eats to get her to look up. She is tired out afterwards and needs to chill on the couch while I clean up rice mush in a five foot radius of the Bumpo chair. She still refuses to take a bottle (going on a month and a half now), so the rice cereal acceptance has been a big deal in the Kutter household. I may even get to work four hours in a row this week without driving home at breakneck speeds to feed a hungry baby. Score!

Save the Rainforest

2010-02-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

Save the Rainforest Bouncer. We really need to pull together and protect this valuable resource. Without the Rainforest Bouncer I would not be able to make dinner, brush my teeth, or use the bathroom. I never really appreciated the magnitude of its grandeur until I had my sister over for dinner and actually was able to eat with two hands. While it only spans less than .00000000000000001% of the Earth's surface, its diversity of overstimulating plastic exotic animals and stretchy cords brings such harmony to our planet.

(Also, Libby wanted to get in the picture and kept sticking her head in front of the camera. Where does she get that from?)

Working on the Design

2010-02-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have been working on the blog. I love trees. I've always wanted to put a tree on my blog and I told Weather that this one time.

My Girls

2010-02-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

Tonee, Keri, and Val came over for another cooking lesson on Friday. Is there something in my teeth? I taught them how to make lasagna. I can't shake this feeling that some lasagna is caught in my teeth. They were once again excellent students and made a delicious meal. Really- do you see anything?

That's how we roll

2010-02-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

Yippeee!

I've been wringing my hands in over protective parent worry all month because Emmie was not, had not, WOULD not roll over. I tried all the toy tricks and read too many developmental blogs to count. Well today, Feb 6th, on her 4 month birthday, she rolled over! The picture above in the pink outfit is taken right after the monumental event. She still hates tummy time. I hate tummy time. You take this happy, babbling, playing baby and flip her over and now she is a crying, pissed off, unhappy baby doing face plants. Fuck tummy time for today- my baby rolled over!

Workin' 9 to 5

2010-01-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

Emmie took some time out of her busy schedule to help her Dad with a rate analysis. She listened carefully to his ideas (as seen in one of the photos), but in the end insisted on using another algorithm. She's a little ball buster that way.

The Godfather:Part 4

2010-01-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Emmie was baptized on Sunday. She slept through most of the service and woke up with a start with the third cup of water poured over her head. After a little whimpering she shook it off and then dazzled the congregation with a big gummy smile. She was baptized by Brant, the same minister who baptized Paul, and her grandmother was on the session and was able to sign her documents of baptism. My Aunt and cousins drove down and it was just a really perfect experience with a few close friends and family.

Tree Hugger

2009-12-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

We went to get the old Christmas tree last weekend. My favorite part was when the boy scout helping us shoved the $50 dollar tree into the trunk so half the branches broke. That's like $5 a branch! I don't see a 'trunk loading' badge in this kid's future.

2 Months

2009-12-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

Emmie was 2 months old almost a month ago. (I am behind on my blogging as my two readers have informed me). This is her photo op from Dec 6th.

My best friends

2009-12-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

These are two very awesome people. Michelle is awesome because she has an eclectic personality. Weather is awesome because she has an electric personality. Together they have an eclectic electricity.

Mighty

ICHy

Exciting

Lovely

Lucky

Entity

Wonderful

EATing

Hilatious

Exciting

Righteous person

1 Month

2009-11-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

Emma turned one month old on Nov 6th. She can smile and lift her head and turn it from side to side laying on her belly- such a big girl now! She is also losing all the hair on the top of her head... some kind of baby male pattern baldness??? Paul says she looks like Alton Brown (that guy on the Food Network who hosts 'Good Eats'. We are thinking about wigs and getting lots of good suggestions on facebook.

Emmie's Close Up

2009-10-18T13:12:00.001-07:00

Nick came over last week and took some really great photos of Emmie. She was a bit squirmy and did NOT like the ribbon but overall she was so patient. Here are some of my favorites. Thank you Nick!

7 days Old and a Sponge Bath

2009-10-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Emma turned 7 days old. It seems like only yesterday she was cluster feeding around the clock and we were only sleeping 2 hours a night... Now of course she has her own apartment and is pursuing a career in the fast paced world of partical physics. Actually she has yet to sign the lease on the apartment and hasn't really articulated a love of physics, but she did take her very first sponge bath! She did very well and obviously has an aptitude for geohydrology.

Emma Bailey Kutter

2009-10-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

She's here! My water broke Monday Oct 5th at 6:30 in morning. I was heading out to my car to get my cell phone and it happened. We headed to the hospital and I walked in circles for 4 hours before my 'good' contractions began. A "short" 24 hours later she was born! She made her debut on Tuesday Oct 6th just after noon at 12:13. She weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces and was 20 1/4 inch long.

Birds and Dogs and Bear Baby

2009-10-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

We read we should 'teach' the birds about the new baby by carrying around a wrapped up 'pretend' baby. Mostly Gill barks (yes barks) at the thing. Libby wants to eat it. But in her defense, I did spill some strawberry yogurt on the bear head this morning while I was eating breakfast- so it probably smells yummy.

Gettin er done

2009-10-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Welp we finished the nursery. "We" finished it. The theme is woodland creatures and its pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. Now all we need is a baby and the ambiance will be complete.

Libby makes a blog.

2009-08-26T15:52:00.001-07:00

Thank God it wasn't on the carpet.