And here's one I found from a few months back of her playing peek-a-boo. (On a related note, I REALLY need to catch up on my archiving!!)
And here's what little miss sunshine is like first thing in the AM.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
We have the Sweetest Girl
I don't know how we got so lucky. She is kind, polite, fun, happy....everything ;) here's a little pre-bedtime video from a few nights ago. One of her new interest is playing with balls.
And here's one I found from a few months back of her playing peek-a-boo. (On a related note, I REALLY need to catch up on my archiving!!)
And here's what little miss sunshine is like first thing in the AM.
And here's one I found from a few months back of her playing peek-a-boo. (On a related note, I REALLY need to catch up on my archiving!!)
And here's what little miss sunshine is like first thing in the AM.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
"I'm Sorry"
It's been a couple months since I've contributed anything to this blog. With everything going on in the world and in my personal life I didn't know where to start. The Sandy Hook tragedy is on everyone's mind, but my thoughts on gun control and mental health care will have to wait. As will how we celebrated the holidays and what's new in my professional life. Unfortunately, an unimaginable tragedy struck much closer to home yesterday.
One of my husbands closest friends lost his two year old daughter Friday night. The most likely culprit is the flu, but we won't know for sure for a few weeks. "I'm sorry for your loss" seems incredibly insignificant. But what can be said? What came be done? My heart breaks for them. All they want is their beautiful daughter back. My thoughts are with them and I hope they find a way to get through this. While I don't think anyone can ever fully recover from such a loss, I do hope they are able to heal and find a way to honor their daughters' memory.
I don't understand how so many people, especially kids, get the flu, but why is it only fatal for some? How do we as parents know when to seek medical care? And how can we be sure our children are getting the care they require? I hear so many stories about parents bringing their kids to the doctor only to be sent home with orders to rest and drink plenty of fluids. I'm sure this is all that needs to be done 99% off the time, but when I think of that 1%, that answer is not good enough.
Until we have a better answer, I'm going to hold my daughter extra close and probably be entirely too overprotective of her and her safety. I can live with being viewed as an annoying paranoid mother if it means keeping Ezri healthy and happy.
-b
One of my husbands closest friends lost his two year old daughter Friday night. The most likely culprit is the flu, but we won't know for sure for a few weeks. "I'm sorry for your loss" seems incredibly insignificant. But what can be said? What came be done? My heart breaks for them. All they want is their beautiful daughter back. My thoughts are with them and I hope they find a way to get through this. While I don't think anyone can ever fully recover from such a loss, I do hope they are able to heal and find a way to honor their daughters' memory.
I don't understand how so many people, especially kids, get the flu, but why is it only fatal for some? How do we as parents know when to seek medical care? And how can we be sure our children are getting the care they require? I hear so many stories about parents bringing their kids to the doctor only to be sent home with orders to rest and drink plenty of fluids. I'm sure this is all that needs to be done 99% off the time, but when I think of that 1%, that answer is not good enough.
Until we have a better answer, I'm going to hold my daughter extra close and probably be entirely too overprotective of her and her safety. I can live with being viewed as an annoying paranoid mother if it means keeping Ezri healthy and happy.
-b
Sunday, November 25, 2012
{giving} THANKS
We had a busy holiday weekend the past few days!
After work Wednesday we made the trip to my sister's in Alexandria. Ezri
had a great time hanging out with her cousin Shaylea all weekend! I
actually did most of my Black Friday shopping early last week...but I
did get a few more things online on Thursday and Friday. Shaylea also
decided to spend the night at our house on Friday, and my mom had a
"Grandkids Sleepover" on Saturday. So we are ready to return to a little
normalcy around here! Ezri's was so exhausted all day, even with a 4+
hour (!) nap.
I, however, could use another Sunday. I spent the last few days finishing up photo projects for gifts so I need a day of rest. Like, REAL rest.
Here's what I'm most thankful for this year:
Yep, she started walking! Just a few steps here and there, but it won't be long now.
And so begins my favorite time of year! Our decorations are up, Christmas cards addressed, presents wrapped, and I updated my holiday music on iTunes today. Pretty successful holiday weekend in my book!
Happy Thanksgiving All!
I, however, could use another Sunday. I spent the last few days finishing up photo projects for gifts so I need a day of rest. Like, REAL rest.
Here's what I'm most thankful for this year:
Yep, she started walking! Just a few steps here and there, but it won't be long now.
And so begins my favorite time of year! Our decorations are up, Christmas cards addressed, presents wrapped, and I updated my holiday music on iTunes today. Pretty successful holiday weekend in my book!
Happy Thanksgiving All!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Proud Minnesotan
The day after election day. You're either really happy, or extremely disappointed. Not only I am very pleased, I'm also exceptionally proud.
Minnesota denied the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. And three other states won similar ballots affording the right for gays to marry. I cannot put my excitement into words. I really believed with all my heart that it would fall, regardless of how bad I wished the opposite was true.
On top of that, most of the candidates I voted for won, included Obama! Now, we live in an extremely conservative area, so of course my facebook page lit up with people threatening to move to Canada. Or give up on the whole democratic system. Or simply stating their disappointment with the outcome. Oh well, that's their right. But I have a hard time believing that anyone voting for Romney/Ryan was actually informed on the issues. And no, "I heard it on Fox News" doesn't count. I really wish people would educate themselves before they through a tantrum like a two year old. Please. Have some respect!
My friend posted this, and it speaks true to almost every reason why I supported Obama:
"When President Obama says he is looking out for the middle-class, I believe him. When he says he is pro-education, I believe him. When he says he wants to push innovation and invest in energy of the future, I think that’s two of the best things we can be doing right now. I believe President Obama helped prevent us from falling into a second Great Depression. And I believe the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) will prove to be one of the best programs ever enacted for citizens of the United States.
Though Fox News and the hard-right propaganda machine routinely suggests otherwise, President Obama saw through a load of successes in his first term. Some of the biggest: He ended the Iraq war. He established an Afghanistan exit plan. He rescued the auto industry. He passed healthcare reform. He passed Wall Street reform. He ended “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act for women. He passed the credit card bill of rights. He shifted focus and funds back to infrastructure. He handled the BP Gulf spill exceptionally. He handled the East Coast Hurricane Sandy situation exceptionally. He helped overthrown Muammar Gaddafi. HE GOT OSAMA BIN LADEN. All this despite obstructionist Republican leaders who refused to work with the President and deemed it their “Number One Priority to deny President Obama a second term.” The gridlock in Washington is not President Obama’s doing; it is the result of a non-compromising, stubborn Republican party.
The winner of this presidential election will likely appoint one or two Supreme Court justices. I don’t want to see another hard-right justice appointed like those who ruled that “corporations are people” or who would vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
The Great Recession was almost The Great Depression II. We hit rock bottom in 2008--the final year of George W. Bush’s presidency. Those were the conditions when Barack Obama took office. In no way do I believe the same brand of policy that got us into that mess--“trickle-down” economics (tax cuts for the wealthy)--is what will get us out of it. The Great Recession ended in mid-2009, and the economy has been growing--albeit slowly--since. How can anyone believe we were supposed to make a full recovery from that in just three years? It took 11 years from the start of The Great Depression for the economy to truly recover, and companies weren’t shipping jobs overseas in droves back then.
President Obama has not been perfect. I feel he walked into the presidency with a false sense of non-partisan unity, and Washington slapped him in the face for it. He naively predicted an economic recovery during his first term. But I’ve seen a man who has learned from his mistakes and exercised a healthy balance of caution and aggressiveness when it comes to highly tenuous situations. His successes far outweigh his failures, and I believe he deserves a second term to see through our economic recovery and push forward progressive policies that benefit not only the present but the future of our country."
And there you have it.
So can we be friends again? Am I safe to un-block you from my news feeds? As I've learned, probably not. I cannot separate one's political beliefs from their personalities. Well, that's not really the issue. I should say I cannot separate one's ignorance or unwillingless to research the issues from their personalities. And I don't want to be your friend and have to see your rants every four (or two, depending on how the mid-term elections are going) years. I don't want to be friends with people that think woman should not have a right to choose what to do with their own bodies, or that they are not entitled to fair pay. Or that we should deny certain people basic civil rights like marriage. Or that the rich shouldn't have to pay taxes while the poor are starving to death. Or that companies like Chesapeeke Energy can pollute our groundwater without any ramifications. That is not okay. No one should be okay with any of that. We need to take care of each other, not go after each other's throats.
but that's just me.
sorry, not sorry!
-b.
Minnesota denied the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. And three other states won similar ballots affording the right for gays to marry. I cannot put my excitement into words. I really believed with all my heart that it would fall, regardless of how bad I wished the opposite was true.
On top of that, most of the candidates I voted for won, included Obama! Now, we live in an extremely conservative area, so of course my facebook page lit up with people threatening to move to Canada. Or give up on the whole democratic system. Or simply stating their disappointment with the outcome. Oh well, that's their right. But I have a hard time believing that anyone voting for Romney/Ryan was actually informed on the issues. And no, "I heard it on Fox News" doesn't count. I really wish people would educate themselves before they through a tantrum like a two year old. Please. Have some respect!
My friend posted this, and it speaks true to almost every reason why I supported Obama:
"When President Obama says he is looking out for the middle-class, I believe him. When he says he is pro-education, I believe him. When he says he wants to push innovation and invest in energy of the future, I think that’s two of the best things we can be doing right now. I believe President Obama helped prevent us from falling into a second Great Depression. And I believe the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) will prove to be one of the best programs ever enacted for citizens of the United States.
Though Fox News and the hard-right propaganda machine routinely suggests otherwise, President Obama saw through a load of successes in his first term. Some of the biggest: He ended the Iraq war. He established an Afghanistan exit plan. He rescued the auto industry. He passed healthcare reform. He passed Wall Street reform. He ended “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act for women. He passed the credit card bill of rights. He shifted focus and funds back to infrastructure. He handled the BP Gulf spill exceptionally. He handled the East Coast Hurricane Sandy situation exceptionally. He helped overthrown Muammar Gaddafi. HE GOT OSAMA BIN LADEN. All this despite obstructionist Republican leaders who refused to work with the President and deemed it their “Number One Priority to deny President Obama a second term.” The gridlock in Washington is not President Obama’s doing; it is the result of a non-compromising, stubborn Republican party.
The winner of this presidential election will likely appoint one or two Supreme Court justices. I don’t want to see another hard-right justice appointed like those who ruled that “corporations are people” or who would vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
The Great Recession was almost The Great Depression II. We hit rock bottom in 2008--the final year of George W. Bush’s presidency. Those were the conditions when Barack Obama took office. In no way do I believe the same brand of policy that got us into that mess--“trickle-down” economics (tax cuts for the wealthy)--is what will get us out of it. The Great Recession ended in mid-2009, and the economy has been growing--albeit slowly--since. How can anyone believe we were supposed to make a full recovery from that in just three years? It took 11 years from the start of The Great Depression for the economy to truly recover, and companies weren’t shipping jobs overseas in droves back then.
President Obama has not been perfect. I feel he walked into the presidency with a false sense of non-partisan unity, and Washington slapped him in the face for it. He naively predicted an economic recovery during his first term. But I’ve seen a man who has learned from his mistakes and exercised a healthy balance of caution and aggressiveness when it comes to highly tenuous situations. His successes far outweigh his failures, and I believe he deserves a second term to see through our economic recovery and push forward progressive policies that benefit not only the present but the future of our country."
And there you have it.
So can we be friends again? Am I safe to un-block you from my news feeds? As I've learned, probably not. I cannot separate one's political beliefs from their personalities. Well, that's not really the issue. I should say I cannot separate one's ignorance or unwillingless to research the issues from their personalities. And I don't want to be your friend and have to see your rants every four (or two, depending on how the mid-term elections are going) years. I don't want to be friends with people that think woman should not have a right to choose what to do with their own bodies, or that they are not entitled to fair pay. Or that we should deny certain people basic civil rights like marriage. Or that the rich shouldn't have to pay taxes while the poor are starving to death. Or that companies like Chesapeeke Energy can pollute our groundwater without any ramifications. That is not okay. No one should be okay with any of that. We need to take care of each other, not go after each other's throats.
but that's just me.
sorry, not sorry!
-b.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Birthdays
Anyone that knows me knows I L-O-V-E birthdays. I enjoy making a big deal about them, finding the perfect gift, card, place to celebrate, etc. Granted, these last few years I've been less than excited to turn a year older (and I have now officially reached my maximum age of 29) but I still manage to have a good time.
Kurt turned 31 last week. It was pretty low key. Ezri & I made him an ice cream cake complete with oreos and strawberries (his favorite mix-ins at the drive-in!) and that was pretty much it. Partly because his birthday has never been a big deal for him, but mostly because we were busy planning Ezri's first birthday party the following Sunday.
Which brings me to....
How is it possible that I have an 1-year-old daughter? I look back on this past year and I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute of it. I know everyone thinks that's a lie. How can you possibly enjoy midnight wakings, changing diapers, teething, and just the basic need to recover from birth? Okay fine. The recovery part wasn't fun. But it went so fast and smoothly I really don't have anything to complain about. I know how lucky I am. Trust me.
And the midnight wakings? Well, Ez was a decent sleeper from the start. Plus we co-slept, which means it was rare if I was sleep-deprived. And diapers? With breastfeeding, those weren't so bad either! And the teething we didn't even notice until we saw a tooth come through!
I've said it before. We have the most amazing, perfect daughter there ever was. Or will be, for that matter.
So what would I do differently? I would have bought a better camera before I gave birth. We were low on cash, and I decided to make due with what I had. I still regret that decision!
I wouldn't have freaked out about "advice" others told me. No one seems concerned that since Ezri wears diapers now, I'll never be able to get her out of them later. The same principle applies to our sleeping arrangement. Babies have different needs, and if I could go back I'd savor every second I had holding her while she slept, rather than worry about when she'll sleep on her own.
And third, I would trust my instincts more. I was so unsure of everything that I second-guessed myself A LOT. My first instincts were usually right on. So my advice to others is to trust yourself.
I'm holding back tears as I post this, because I love verso much and a part of me doesn't want her to ever grow up...
Happy First Birthday Baby Girl. I love you with everything I am.
-mommy.
Kurt turned 31 last week. It was pretty low key. Ezri & I made him an ice cream cake complete with oreos and strawberries (his favorite mix-ins at the drive-in!) and that was pretty much it. Partly because his birthday has never been a big deal for him, but mostly because we were busy planning Ezri's first birthday party the following Sunday.
Which brings me to....
How is it possible that I have an 1-year-old daughter? I look back on this past year and I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute of it. I know everyone thinks that's a lie. How can you possibly enjoy midnight wakings, changing diapers, teething, and just the basic need to recover from birth? Okay fine. The recovery part wasn't fun. But it went so fast and smoothly I really don't have anything to complain about. I know how lucky I am. Trust me.
And the midnight wakings? Well, Ez was a decent sleeper from the start. Plus we co-slept, which means it was rare if I was sleep-deprived. And diapers? With breastfeeding, those weren't so bad either! And the teething we didn't even notice until we saw a tooth come through!
I've said it before. We have the most amazing, perfect daughter there ever was. Or will be, for that matter.
So what would I do differently? I would have bought a better camera before I gave birth. We were low on cash, and I decided to make due with what I had. I still regret that decision!
I wouldn't have freaked out about "advice" others told me. No one seems concerned that since Ezri wears diapers now, I'll never be able to get her out of them later. The same principle applies to our sleeping arrangement. Babies have different needs, and if I could go back I'd savor every second I had holding her while she slept, rather than worry about when she'll sleep on her own.
And third, I would trust my instincts more. I was so unsure of everything that I second-guessed myself A LOT. My first instincts were usually right on. So my advice to others is to trust yourself.
I'm holding back tears as I post this, because I love verso much and a part of me doesn't want her to ever grow up...
Happy First Birthday Baby Girl. I love you with everything I am.
-mommy.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Fall(in)
Fall Fun!
Last Sunday, I took Ezri to Pumpkinfest near New Ulm with my sister and her boys. I know she's still too young to really enjoy this stuff, but I love taking her places and starting new traditions with her. My nephews (ages 5 & 3) had a blast. They went on a train ride and loved picking out the perfect pumpkins! It was crazy busy, but the weather was great and (bonus!) Culver's had their frozen custard desert bar there! Yum. You all know how crazy I am for ice cream :) Here's a couple pictures from the day...
Kurt carved one of our pumpkins a few nights ago, but unfortunately, it's already collapsing in on itself. We'll wait until it gets closer to Halloween to carve the others.
We also got some (more, I know) family pictures taken last week. The leaves were in perfect color, and our amazing photographer friend (www.lmbphotog.com) got some great shots. We've only seen a sneak peak so far, but I know I'm going to have a tough time deciding what to order.
I'm preparing for my first trip away from Ezri without Kurt. We left her with my parents for the weekend back in June, but Kurt was with me and I was distracted by an amazing wedding and visiting old friends, so it went pretty quick. This time, I'm going alone for a work conference. I'm terrified that I'll be a blubbering mess the whole way to the airport. And I'll probably cry myself to sleep too! I really didn't think I'd be this kind of mom before I had kids. But here I am, having a panic attack about leaving my almost-1-year-old daughter with her dad for two nights. I know she'll be fine, although Kurt seems nervous about being her sole caregiver for three days. Maybe it would be easier if I was going somewhere more desirable. Don't get me wrong, I love Chicago. But this is my fourth time going and my good friend Gina (who lives there) will be out of the country while I'm there. So nothing for me to look forward to really. Then factor in the whole lugging a breast pump through airport security (I've read horror stories involving TSA agents) and I'm really dreading it. Here's hoping I can get through it with a smile....wish me luck!!
.b.
Last Sunday, I took Ezri to Pumpkinfest near New Ulm with my sister and her boys. I know she's still too young to really enjoy this stuff, but I love taking her places and starting new traditions with her. My nephews (ages 5 & 3) had a blast. They went on a train ride and loved picking out the perfect pumpkins! It was crazy busy, but the weather was great and (bonus!) Culver's had their frozen custard desert bar there! Yum. You all know how crazy I am for ice cream :) Here's a couple pictures from the day...
Kurt carved one of our pumpkins a few nights ago, but unfortunately, it's already collapsing in on itself. We'll wait until it gets closer to Halloween to carve the others.
We also got some (more, I know) family pictures taken last week. The leaves were in perfect color, and our amazing photographer friend (www.lmbphotog.com) got some great shots. We've only seen a sneak peak so far, but I know I'm going to have a tough time deciding what to order.
I'm preparing for my first trip away from Ezri without Kurt. We left her with my parents for the weekend back in June, but Kurt was with me and I was distracted by an amazing wedding and visiting old friends, so it went pretty quick. This time, I'm going alone for a work conference. I'm terrified that I'll be a blubbering mess the whole way to the airport. And I'll probably cry myself to sleep too! I really didn't think I'd be this kind of mom before I had kids. But here I am, having a panic attack about leaving my almost-1-year-old daughter with her dad for two nights. I know she'll be fine, although Kurt seems nervous about being her sole caregiver for three days. Maybe it would be easier if I was going somewhere more desirable. Don't get me wrong, I love Chicago. But this is my fourth time going and my good friend Gina (who lives there) will be out of the country while I'm there. So nothing for me to look forward to really. Then factor in the whole lugging a breast pump through airport security (I've read horror stories involving TSA agents) and I'm really dreading it. Here's hoping I can get through it with a smile....wish me luck!!
.b.
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