eelassirak

2019-02-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

100 Days of Yoga. Starting tomorrow.

Facebook Page for Crafting Projects

2016-08-17T13:07:00.003-07:00

I have a new Facebook Page for all your crafting needs!

Cherish the Years You Have With Your Kids

2016-06-16T14:35:00.001-07:00

I made this in Photoshop when my older daughter was 1, and I was pregnant with the second daughter. It just struck me looking back on the days I'd had with her - they whizzed by, even when I felt like I "cherished every moment".

Don't ever feel like you did it wrong. You did your best. Every moment is new and exciting, and there's no use living in the past. But be aware of how you spend your short days and try to make the most of them.

"Newborn for a month
Infant for a year
Toddler for two years
Preschooler for two years
Child for five years
Preteen for three years
Teenager for five years
Adult.
And then they're off. Take care what you do with those years. They are few, though they may seem like many."

Curvy Petite Fashion Struggles

2016-06-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Being 5'4" makes me right between "petite" and "misses" sizing, but I tend to like the style of the "juniors" section better. So my style often is a mix of all three. And since I'm a size 12 roughly, I'm right inbetween regular and plus sizing. Plus doesn't hardly ever fit, and regular is usually too small for my boobs. I've learned this is called being an "Inbetweenie". And since I know how to sew, I very often buy things big and hem/taper them.

I'm 5'4" and about 170lbs. I'm a size 12 in pants, a M-L-XL in tops depending on so many factors (namely, imaginary Female Sizing Charts), and a 34DDD/34F in bras.

My measurements around are 38"/32"/42" so my butt is 4" larger than my bust, and 10" larger than my waist. Work it.

Proportionally speaking, I have a short torso and long legs for my frame. There's only 8" between the bottom of my bra and my belly button. I have a 30" inseam.

Most frequently, I shop at Value Village. I can't be spending $50 retail on a shirt I'm going to have to alter anyway - and there are literally thousands of tons of perfectly wearable clothes put in landfills every day, and cheap new ones fabricated in sweat shops. Doin my part.

Here's a few of my WAYWT (what are you wearing today) shots, and some bonus Petite Curvy models who have helped me figure out how to fit myself.

Here I am. Take it aaaallll in.

Walking around San Francisco. Those flats are charcoal and sparkley! Those sleeves are too long. Gotta hem them.

click to continue this post

I need to clean my shoes. But those shorts I hemmed and that shirt I widened the collar (can't stand crew-necks, they choke me and I'd be tugging at it all day like a nervous man with a tie).


I did this to show that larger people can put on the exact same outfit as a thin person and still not be immediately perceived as chic, simply because it's so much harder to look "put together" when you're larger. I still look bangin though.

apologies for my nasty ass mirror. Gross.

Yoga pants!!

Obviously I'm a big fan of the nerd-shirt-under-blazer-with-jeans look.

Trying out my Power Look. Fierce.


CHEERS!!

Bonus- some Petite Curvy role models:

Mimi G. I need to make this shirt.

Hilary Duff looking thick and fabulous!! Love that she flaunts those thighs.

She is so great. I just love her style.

See? Even Kelly Clarkson likes the nerd-shirt-under-blazer business. It's offically the best.

2016-02-25T13:38:00.001-08:00

Can I just live in Happy Humans Town from the movie Home? Sidewalks instead of roads, everyone in tiny eco-friendly houses, spending most of their time outside together with their neighbors... Although they need some more trees like... stat... or everyone's gonna asphyxiate pretty quickly.

I don't have much to say today I just wanted to throw that out there.

Also, these are screenshots from the movie. I couldn't find any results from Google.

7 Things I learned in my First Year of Marriage

2014-07-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

We got married at age 21 in January 2009 (so 5.5yrs ago at the time that I wrote this). We are officially smack dab in the middle of the first divorce hump (3-7 years), and still going strong.

We were such babies!

Here are a few helpful pointers I learned in our first year of marital bliss.

1. You will gain weight.
All that cuddling and cooking and cuddling and cooking is not countered by the amount of sex you're having. You can't really count it as exercise.

2. Your spouse will get tired of your favorite spices or foods.
You will try new recipes and some of them will suck, and the ones that are amazing you'll never be able to properly recreate.

3. It's a lot more boring than you imagined.
The lull after the honeymoon... The "What now?" as you look around your tiny, mismatched home. It's no longer a romantic comedy/wedding movie, you actually have to plan fun things to do or you'll just sit there watching TV and gaining weight. Go do some "exercise".

4. Some expectations will be shattered.
He doesn't like Christmas decorating. She's not as okay with the video games as you thought. She doesn't salt the pork roast enough. He doesn't put his dirty socks in the hamper, but rather next to it on the floor. Which brings me nicely to my next point...

5. You will fight about stupid things.
Our first big yelling fight was over packing tape. He spent too much and I wasn't specific enough when I sent him to the store. It was so crazy; like, yelling, blaming, namecalling, walking out.. Absurd. But from that fight we laid out ground rules for fighting that we still use today.

6. You don't have normal things.
You got used to your parents house where you had fancy things like a plunger and a ratchet set. It took them 20 years to build up their home supplies, and suddenly not having that is a frustrating reality check.

7. Its so much better.
You feel so free to love the person! I know it's sappy but its true. The love grows every day as you figure out how to talk to each other, how to please each other, and how to be the best spouse you can. Our mantra is "Divorce is NOT an option." No matter what. So we're stuck with each other, regardless of how crazy we may get.

Sweetheart Dress Tutorial

2014-03-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

Little Girl Toddler Heart Cutout A-Line Bow Shoulder Dress

TUTORIAL/pictorial

follow the jump to read all about it!

I found this photo on Pinterest while searching for a dress for my daughter to wear as the flower girl at my sister's wedding in a couple months:

Adorable, right? Well I did a reverse google image search to try and find a pattern, and it brought me here, to buy it. Well the $10 being asked to order the pattern was more than I spent on the material. So I decided to make it up.

Here's how it went...

I made up my pattern using newsprint I had laying around in a pile of packing materials. I measured my Maya and found that she's 21" around and 8 1/2" from shoulder to shoulder, and 10" from shoulder to waist.

THE PATTERN:

BODICE (BACK):

Use a pencil to trace so you can avoid pinning! I hate pinning!

DON'T FORGET SEAM ALLOWANCES!! Always always always (no matter what you're sewing) leave at least 1/4" around the pattern for mess-up room.

*In this photo, ignore the part I have pinned. it was a mistake and I ended up having to pick it out. Just sew it like a half-heart and straight lines all the way to the selvedge edges.

Leave the waist, ribs, and shoulders open (not armpits, sew those.)

Making sure you've got right sides facing, so you'll be sewing it inside out, stitch fairly small and straight as close to the edge of the heart as you can.

Once you've sewn it inside out, flip it right-side out! This is the magical bit...

Flipped!

Flatten it out as much as you can. It's gonna look all wonky. So get out your iron.

Pull and tug out the seams as taut as you can, and get the seams all un-material-ey. Iron the crap out of it until it's nice and flat!

Flat.

Repeat for the other back side:

If you notice, one side of the heart will be a little odd-looking, that is on purpose. You need that extra bit at the ends for overlap space when we add the buttons later.

BODICE (FRONT):

Trace and cut 1/4" inch around the front part of the bodice.

Snip the middle of the sweetheart (the pointy bit) a tiny bit

Remember to keep the waist, ribs, and shoulders open. So all you're sewing is the neckline and armpits.

Sew it right-sides facing so you're stitching on the inside

Pro tip! On pointy bits, leave the needle in its place, lift the foot, rotate the material, then put the foot back down. The swivel makes a perfect point when you need to change directions.

Flip right-side out, pull the seams as far tight as you can in preparation for ironing.

Iron!

So flat and nice!

BODICE (TOGETHER):

Here they are sitting next to each other!

Now you're going to join the bodice pieces together. Right-sides facing, pin the shoulders and the ribs.

Shoulders stitched.

Ribs stitched.

Turn right-side-out and iron!

BOWS:

Cut out four bow-shaped pieces. Layer two pieces right-sides facing. Stitch those pieces together inside-out like you're making a tiny pillow. Leave a gap so you can flip it right-side-out.

Stitch as tiny as you can to close the gap once you've turned it right-side-out

Lumpy, but correct

Iron.

Nice.

Take a small rectangle, fold it inside out and line up the edges.

Stitch those edges together.

Flip right side out (this photo is mid-flip)

Pinch your bow neatly

Shove the bow into the little ring you just made

Gorgeous bows!

SKIRT

Use your measuring tape and a pencil as a compass. I hate math. So I tried to keep it as simple as possible, but it does involve using pi to calculate your circles:

Maya is 21" around. I want the skirt to be 11" long.

So 21 divided by pi *plus* two inches for gathering = 8.7" the width of the waist circle, then 11" out from that is the edge of the skirt.

Hemming. My arch nemesis. I don't pin (as I stated before, I hate it.) beforehand. I turn and pinch as I go along. It's tedious but beats the hell out of pinning and ironing then finally sewing the dumb thing.

All hemmed! Took forever, but here's it all floppy and twisty before I iron it.

Now turn it inside out again and shove the bodice (which is right-side-out) up into the hole. Notice I pinned the back together. Buttons will go there later, but for now pinning will suffice. Also notice the tiny hand reaching for the pin. Always finding new ways to hurt themselves, aren't they?

Pinch and gather every few inches, and pin the skirt to the bodice.

Using a MEDIUM sized zig-zag stitch with a little extra tension, plow right over your pins, getting all edges nice and cozy together.

Look! It's stitched!

Flip right-side-out and HOLY CRAP LOOGGIDDAT I MADE A DRESS!

FINISHES:

Decide where you want the bows. I put them slightly forward as opposed to right on the seam.

Hand-stitch onto the shoulder strap.

Nice.

Buttonholes and buttons:

Now for the buttonholes! Set your machine to 1.5 width and 0.5 length.

Draw a small rectangle for how big your buttonhole should be. Use the button as a guide - make the rectangle slightly smaller than the button.

Stitch a rectangle, using the zig zag stitch and the pivot trick I taught you earlier. Practice on scrap material first.

Snip a rectangle!

Stick the button in there, and grab the post from the other side

Put the needle through the lump!

Loop the thread around a few times to secure your button.

See that flap? I could attach another button. But I don't want to. So I'm going to use sticky velcro dots.

Completely optional bit: tack the bows down to the bodice so they don't flap around.

Belt: I could do belt loops, but I hate them even more than pinning, hemming, and math. Tiny, precise hand-sewing that has to be invisible and straight. Not good for me.

So I used my machine like a civilized person to sew a ribbon around the waist, creasing it on the seam and thus hiding my un-matching thread.

...Sue me, I'm lazy and didn't want to go back to the craft store for a solitary spool of red thread.

My gorgeous girl in her new Sweetheart dress!

Here's the dress in yellow too:

New House - New Projects!

2014-01-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

We have set out on a new endeavor: living with roommates in a big house.

Our roomies are another married couple around our age, with two little girls same ages as ours. We'll be splitting rent and household duties. The whole "it takes a village" idea. I think it'll be great.

Also great: my to-do list of little (and big!) projects will keep me occupied for a looonnng time.

Here's our progress so far during the 15 days we've been here. Total cost so far $250 for paint and supplies (not including new furniture, in that case $3,550)

Dining room before after. Amazing what some paint and a new light can do! Capiz shell chandelier and turquoise paint. White trim also, creates a beachy vibe. We still need a proper table and to paint the floor trim. But I like where it's at so far.

Again, amazing what paint can do. We're pretty much under the belief that natural wood trim should be painted white. I also spray painted the ugly brass on the fireplace to make it a nice matte black with Rustoleum for hot surfaces.

Our bedroom. White walls and ugly brown windowsill. A little paint, a nice new bed and a pretty antique map make for a very nice relaxing green and earth toned bedroom.

Playroom! We think it was meant to be the formal dining room, but we're using it as the communal playroom. The paint we chose is a really nice bright (but not lime) green which we've lovingly named Guacamole. Makes me hungry.

Upstairs living room before after. Light & dark grey paints, and a whole new living room setup from Ikea. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the window side of the living room before I excitedly started painting.

Moral of the story: paint is amazing.

Cheap remodel paint project before after

Nerd Christmas Gifts - Logo Etched Beer Steins

2013-12-10T08:54:00.002-08:00

My husband and his friends are geeks. Comic books and Doctor Who are their favorites. So for Christmas, I'm making them some personalized beer steins with their favorite symbol of geekdom.

I'll be posting a pictorial (picture tutorial) of how I made the Batman one for my husband, since the guys sometimes see my blog and I don't want to reveal theirs.

Materials needed:


Beer Stein ($1 at the Dollar Store!! Made in US even!) Clear packaging tape Paper stencil (printed on normal paper) Armour Etch paste Xacto knife Qtips

Remove sticker
Place tape on glass

Make sure you fold both ends on itself, so it's easier to remove at the end.
Tape on printed stencil
Carve/trace design with Xacto knife

Start from the inside out, that way you don't have to re-tape the stencil on once you've cut it out accidentally. Not that I did that or anything...
Remove paper stencil and its tape

Leaving the image traced into the tape below
Peel off the "black" part of the taped area

This is a really tedious part. But be meticulous about points and mistakes because it will etch exactly where the edge of the tape is. Re-tape and re-trace bits if you mess up and cut too much.
Sludge on the Armour Etch paste

Oooh yeah, smear it on there nice and thick-like.
Wait 30 min (instructions say 5-10 but I like to wait longer just to make sure it's developed as much as possible)
Rinse off using cold water and a crummy cloth
Take the tape off if you're happy wth the etching coverage. If not, do another coat of A.E.
Admire your handiwork.
Fill with beer.

Obesity - the 70s and 80s were the perfect storm

2013-12-04T09:45:00.003-08:00

I recently started the ketogenic diet (also known as the caveman diet), so a lot of my mental energy is being used researching fat loss and low carb options.

*If you don't know - keto is a diet plan (lifestyle change) that involves only ~25g carbs per day. 70% of your daily calories should come from fat, and 25% from protein. So no grains, corn, potatoes, and very little fruit. As much meat and butter and leafy greens as you can eat! It forces your body to switch from using the easy-burn glucose (sugar from carbs) as energy to instead use your stored lipids (fats) - a process called ketosis.

Also, my mother in law is a diabetes educator at a prominent kids' hospital in the area, so we chat about diet and sugar often. I've come to the conclusion that the obesity epidemic is the result of a few different things, all stemming from the 70s and 80s:

1. The food pyramid

2. The 'low-fat' movement

3. Invention of video games and readily accessible TV

3a. Social media

See the differences in the waistlines of the general populace?

Sugar is mostly the culprit, but it's been shoved into our timeline in pretty sneaky ways...

source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service.

let me explain...

1. The Food Pyramid

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) first published a dietary recommendations pamphlet in 1894. Then in 1916 they divided the recommendations into five groups; milk and meat, cereal, fruits and vegetables, all fatty foods, and sugars. In 1941, under the prompting of President Franklin Roosevelt, the USDA put the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) into effect. Eventually, the dietary guide was split into four basic food groups (milk, meats, fruits and vegetables, and grains) and printed as a list. The graphic of the food pyramid was first introduced in 1988 (source):

Interestingly, 1988 is the year obesity really got a foothold in the US. Before that, there is very little data mentioning obesity and weight-related problems. There were even ads promoting products to help women gain weight (using bread yeast by the way)!

The biggest problem with this food pyramid is the amount of grains it recommends. Maybe back in the 70s when our foods weren't processed the way they were starting in the 80s, grains would be better for us. But it was the 80s that started the boxed food craze! Exorbitant amounts of sugar and preservatives were added to everything from bread to boxed rice, which got us on the track to being hopelessly addicted to all these sneakily sweet treats.

Of course the food pyramid isn't the only issue to blame in an epidemic this size...

2. The Low-Fat Movement

In the late 1970s, a committee led by Senator George McGovern issued a report advising Americans to lower their risk of heart disease by eating less fat. This recommendation was based on evidence that linked diet to heart disease. Unfortunately, the report wrongly singled out saturated fat as the wicked element in our diet responsible for all our problems. This was the beginning of the low-fat movement.

This low-fat food manufacturing craze led to the invention of "food-like" products like margarine and high-fructose corn syrup as ways to get around the fact that food without fat is flavorless. They put chemicals and sugar back in to make up for the lack of palate-ability.

At the same time that all of this was happening, American started eating more of everything. This, too, is no coincidence. Here's why: If I give you a carton of plain sugar and tell you to eat till your heart's content, you won't consume very much. Same thing with butter. But if I put them together, something magical happens. Combine sugar and fat and every one of your evolutionary buttons are pushed. Manufacturers know this. Cravings get activated, brain chemistry starts firing, you can literally eat this stuff 'till you bust. And as I've learned in researching keto, when your body has access to both, it uses the sugar because it's easier and stores the fat. Presto - super fat people who cannot stop eating.

3. Easily accessible video games, computers, and TVs

I don't really think I need to go into why these products led to inactivity, but since I'm already here, I will.

A Boston Children's Hospital study (on the corrolation between TV and childhood obesity) done this past year showed that 14-year-old males who reported to paying the most attention to the television show weighed 14.2 pounds more than boys who did not pay as much attention. For females, the difference between the two factors was 13.5 pounds.

Same could be said of any sedentary activity (like computer time or video games). And cable TV network was distributed en mass in 1972 (with the dissolution of previously strict government regulations.) Cable subscriptions grew to 58% of homes by 2006. As did the number of channels! More channels = more viewing time.

3a. Social media

This is related to screen time, but I felt it needed its own sub-category.. Myspace and AOL instant messanger were huge when I was in high school in the early 2000s. It was a fun way to chat with friends, post my thoughts, feelings, and photos on a public page all my own. But it also meant I felt like I was socializing, without leaving the house. This point is purely anecdotal, but as I sit in my computer chair typing on my laptop right now, I'm not socializing. I'm not out in my city walking around being active. I'm sitting. Sedentary and lonely. Sites like Facebook now make it feel like you're a part of peoples' lives without leaving your home. Smells like a recipe for getting fat to me (unless of course you exercise at home - then only your social calendar would be affected).

Obesity in the US

It seems to me that the 70s and 80s were a perfect storm of crappy diet education, fake food, and increased inactivity- leading to the obesity epidemic of today. According to the Center for Disease Control, as of last year, more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese (source: CDC).

*data from CDC

Obesity rates are increasing…really, really quickly. At this rate, it is reported that an expected 45% — almost half! — of Americans will be obese by 2020. Can you imagine? Seriously, take a minute and just imagine the country in 2020 with almost half of its citizens being at major risk for:

heart disease
high blood pressure
arthritis
sleep apnea
stroke
type 2 diabetes

I know you might feel like you can't do anything about it, but it's really simple to change your own life... not easy but simple...

Stop eating processed food.

Get outside and be active.

Limit your screen time.

Yes this way of life takes time, effort, and money, but if you're not putting those things into your health, then nothing else really matters because your life will be cut short. You don't see many obese old people. Some, but not many.

I'm gonna go for a walk now.

Obesity rates are increasing…really, really quickly. At this rate, it is reported that an expected 45% — almost half! — of Americans will be obese by 2020. Can you imagine? Seriously, take a minute and just imagine the country in 2020 with almost half of its citizens being at major risk for:

heart disease
high blood pressure
arthritis
sleep apnea
stroke
type 2 diabetes

- See more at: http://tomatotalk.earthfare.com/2010/01/06/just-how-bad-is-obesity-in-america/#sthash.KlfwwkYU.dpuf

Halloween! We Scare Because We Care.

2013-11-01T10:14:00.001-07:00

We're Monsters, Incorporated!

Our costumes -
Sully - Husband
Celia - me (wife)
Boo - 2 1/2 yr old Maya
Mike Wazowski - 8mo old Amelia

The Sully costume and Celia's purple bodysuit ordered from Amazon
I sewed the girls' costumes and my (Celia) green dress. I also cut and velcro'ed the Mike Wazowski costume to fit around the baby carrier!

Mike Wazowski costume made with lime green felt, cut into a circle with gaps in the stitching for arms, head, and legs. Face sewn on with felt as well. Matching hat! Horns made of felt, stuffed, and sewn into slits on the top. Lime green tights and longsleeve shirt to complete it!

Boo Costume made with shiny satin and a blanket inside for batting/warmth. The hood has boning in the edge to keep it stiff, ropes made with mop rope from craft store. Eyes styrofoam balls on pipe cleaners. Elastic bands with velcro to keep hood on. Sparkley grey tights and shoes complete it!

DIY Halloween Monsters Inc costumes - Sully, Mike, Boo, and Celia.

Cinderella dress!

2013-09-17T09:56:00.001-07:00

I made my 2-year-old a Cinderella skirt. I'm going to attach a light blue tank top to it so it's a dress. She won't take it off and has set up a picture frame as a mirror in the living room, in front of which she's twirling so much she's getting dizzy.

Here it is so far!

Loose Tank Top for Big Boobs - Tent into Fit!

2013-08-24T09:52:00.006-07:00

I have large boobies. I have a comparatively small waist. Those flowy racerback tank tops are super cute on the A-cup size 0 mannequin but when put on my busty bosoms the tank looks more like a tent. I have a sewing machine. I'm not great at it, but

I'll share with you what I did to turn this:

Baggy, oddly-shaped hips, rides up in the front

Into this:

Fitted but comfy, flattering, professional-looking!

And you can obviously make it looser/tighter according to your preference. So here goes...

The shirt. I don't know any woman who wants to be shaped like this...

Plan our your cut lines. Pin on the lines - widest point is the bust. leave the armpit seams alone. Take it in at the ribs, and back out for the hips. Make sure you go straight down as opposed to flare out at the bottom.

-OR YOU CAN DO THIS:

Put it on inside out and pin where you want the seams to be:

EITHER WAY you'll end up with this:

TARDIS pincushion I made :-D

Choose your stitch setting. This is where I always mess up, so I keep scraps around me to try out new settings. So For the straight stich I'm going to use, I put my machine on #3, 0 width, 3 length, and 2.5 tension.

Sew about 1/2 inch from your pins (on the outside closest to what you're gonna cut off), for mess-up space.

First set of stitching. Do this on both sides, then try on! If it's too loose, just stitch again a little further in.

Me testing out my stitch settings for the hemming part... I settled on #15 (reference picture above)

You'll now cut off the excess, and hem it so it doesn't snag or separate!

Not pretty, but it's gonna look fine from the outside!

See? Looks good huh?!

This is what it looks like when you stretch it.

Side hem when turned right-side-out!

And again, the finished product!

The Suckling Parasite Who Loved Me

2013-06-27T20:43:00.001-07:00

I'm a huge advocate for breastfeeding. I understand sometimes it doesn't work out and I promise I won't judge. But my own experience is that while wonderful and astronomically beneficial, breastfeeding has its ups and downs. Literally.

This is my data for my 2nd child (the graph ends there because that's how old she is right now). I used a nursing app at the beginning, then I kept leaving my phone everywhere that I wasn't, so I just wrote it down when I remembered. That's also why some weeks don't have 7 days recorded. Baby brain. Speaking of... where the heck is my phone...

As you can see, there are very obvious spikes and valleys. The valleys were the times when I felt like I had caught up and I could leave the Husband with the kids for a few hours without soaking through two sets of cotton breast pads. They were happy times.
The weeks we spiked, my nipples were sensitive (and not in the happy way like in pregnancy), scabbed and bleeding, and my boobs alternated between tumescent, soggy drippy sandbags and deflated balloon carcasses.

"I am not a pacifier! Suck on someone else! You can't possibly still be hungry!" I can't tell you how many times I've felt like this. Every 45 minutes, really?? But this time around, I knew better than to wonder:

"Am I making enough milk??"

Because this is my 2nd baby. Such was not the case with my 1st. The night we brought her home, she cried and cried and I just knew she was starving to death [on the three drops of colostrom I could squeeze out] and it was all my fault. So my mom - bless her heart- drove me to Walgreens at 3am to buy premixed formula (side note - this left Husband alone with the crying baby, and his only solution was to sing to her. Therefore, I'm proud to know that the first song my baby heard in this world was the Star Wars theme song). The girl took two sips and fell asleep. Oh. Okay. So you weren't starving. You were just crying. Because babies do that. From then on, I nursed her for 11 months, pumped a good stash for grandparent overnight stays, and the occasional formula. She couldn't have cared less what was put in her mouth as long as her tummy was full. The current child - quite the opposite...

This baby nurses all. the. time. As you can see from the chart. In fact, she is nursing right now, as I'm typing this with one hand (for the 11th time in the last 13hrs!). There were periods where I was begging Husband to take one for the team and pop his in her mouth because mine were going to fall off. But blaming a combination of excess lipase making my frozen milk taste soapy, and that she acts like she's being waterboarded if we try a bottle, I just suck it up now and nurse whenever she wants. She's in the 85th% for height and the 90th% for weight.

My point here is this: Your baby sucks. And they know best when they need to. They suck when they need nourishment, comfort, and to signal your boobs to crank up production. Sometimes (like, all the freaking time) it's exhausting. Sometimes it's fear-inducing and pumping can be very misleading... But unless he/she is underweight, just keep that chaffed and bloody nipple parked in their cute little mouth. It's just what they need right now.

My view for 48% of my day today. My 2yr old feeding her doll "Boobie milk, mama!"

Save-the-Date I made for my little sister's upcoming comic-book themed wedding!

2013-05-30T10:13:00.003-07:00

cartoon wedding invitation, comic book wedding, 1940s themed comic book style, hand drawn caricatures

Pretty picture of a silly Dalek

2013-05-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

DOCTORAAAAATE!!

I drew this with my bamboo tablet in Photoshop. Silly Dalek wishes he could be like the Doctor.

30 Things My Spouse and Kids Should Know About Me

2013-05-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

I got this list from another mom blog, and thought the questions were wonderful! To do your own, scroll past my answers and copy the questions from below.

My Answers:

1. List 10 random facts about yourself.

I enjoy documentaries more than TV shows
I have a really hard time hearing song lyrics correctly - much to my family's amusement.
A small part of me feels allergies are made up and people are just wimps. Not you of course, I know it's real for you.
I would choose turkey over ham any day, but ham's okay I guess.
I'm terrified of bees and wasps. Except bumblebees.
My eyes water when I talk about really cute puppies or really tasty food.
I used to write "Trip to Australia" on every birthday and Christmas list as a kid. (I still want that by the way.)
Poop, vomit, and drool don't phase me at all. Snot, however, can make me dry heave.
I had imaginary friends as a kid- George, Megan, and Amy. George and Amy didn't talk to me much, and one day left my house to go to a [real] friend's house and never came back.
I like showers more than baths.

2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears

Bees - my dad's afraid of them too and I guess I just caught onto that growing up.
Getting really fat - it's unhealthy and means I've been lazy for a long time.
Never doing anything noteworthy - everyone wants to be remembered.

3. Describe your relationship with your spouse.
Open, honest, no games. Funny and real.
4. List some things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

If he makes you feel bad about yourself, he's not the one for you, and he won't change.
Running is not that bad, and you won't die if you do it. In fact, if you do it more regularly, you'll learn to love it.
Keep finding ways to compliment people, that's a really rare quality.

5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

My daughters are both napping at the same time.
Laundry is running (which means I was productive today!)
My husband will be home in two hours.
The sun is shining! Which is a lot here in Seattle
I ate a healthy lunch.

6. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?

A tropical vacation
For my baby to take a bottle or pacifier instead of my boob occasionally.
A backyard and house.

7. What is your dream job, and why?

Professional Puppy Petter. Because... puppies.

8. What are 5 passions you have?

Arts and crafts! Very important for stress relief
Breastfeeding is one of the subjects I get worked up about lately.
Travelling and learning about different cultures, languages, accents, and foods.
Eating and cooking healthy and organic
Eating in general.

9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
I'm actually at a loss on this one. I'm not easily embarrassed, and even when I am, it doesn't affect me long term because I forget things so quickly... I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. I'm going with good.

11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.

Someone using affect and effect improperly.
Improper grammar in general (of course I have grace for non-native English learners)
Tapping, clicking, squeaking, rattling, chirping in a car that I can't fix by hitting something.
Saying "expresso" instead of "espresso"
Going to sleep at XX:59.. I *have* to watch the clock change to the next hour if I notice.
Tweeting a full conversation.
Hair, eyelash, fuzz, or food etc. on someone's face or clothes. I cannot focus and must remove it. I don't care if you're the President - I will interrupt you to pick it off of you.
Someone who purposefully says a 'w' sound instead of an 'r' to try and sound cute. Like "I'm sowwy..." UGH.
Saying "7am in the morning." ... You mean... as opposed to 7am in the evening?
Really fat people. I mean like super ultra fat. That really bothers me. Is that okay to say? Whatever, it's my blog I can say what I want.

12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
For the first time in my entire life, I actually have a "typical day" because kids require predictability (when will that end??). So... I get up at 7:30, feed and change baby, then put her in the swing while I start breakfast. I make 3 eggs (2 for me, one for toddler), toast, and coffee, then my toddler waddles out to the living room, we cuddle and watch her cartoons for a while. I put in a load of laundry and pick up the toys in the living room. By then the baby is awake and ready for a feed/change. Then we all get dressed and go outside (if it's nice). Then lunchtime, nap for the toddler, baby naps, I fiddle around on the computer, switch the laundry, look at the clock longingly for 4pm (when hubs gets home), start thinking about dinner, kids wake up, we pick up the toys again, I do the dishes. Then Neil gets home and I start cooking while the baby starts her evening grumpies. The toddler invents new ways to make messes around the apartment, I get annoyed and have to pause making dinner to clean up/feed/change baby. Dinner, clean up, movie or our TV shows, go for a walk together, come back home and for the third time clean up the toys in the living room, fold laundry and go to bed.

13. What’s the hardest part of growing up?

Learning your weaknesses and overcoming them
Dealing with heartache maturely and eloquently (avoidance often = substance abuse)

14. Describe 5 and weaknesses strengths you have.
Weaknesses:

Pushy
Blunt
Lazy
Know-it-all
Impulsive

Strengths:

Bold leader
Straightforward
Loyal friend
Love of education/information
Creative

15. Describe when you knew your spouse was the one.
We were driving down James hill in Kent, on our way to scare my sister Jessica in her apartment. She lived on the ground floor and so we were going to go stand at her back sliding door and just stare until she noticed. He was so giddy in the car on the way there, I don't know why but at that moment I realized I was in love and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. That was May 20th, 2006.

16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?

My 2 kids (pushing them out without drugs, not to mention how I've kept them alive since birth!)
Graduating high school (11th grade biology screwed me up.)
Learning Spanish
Building the sidecar bed and bookshelves from pictures on the internet.
In a year, I'll say "losing 70 pounds post-baby". I'm down 30 since delivery 2.5 mo ago!

17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
Self-motivation.

18. What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
My butt. Oh, serious answers? Umm... my smartypants responses.

19. How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
Sore.

20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.

Taking bubble baths with my older sister, and styling our hair with the shampoo
Playing 'school' and 'house' with my sisters
Daddy-daughter date, seeing a movie and eating MREs for dinner.

21. Describe your relationship with your parents.
       I have two sets of parents; mom & stepdad, and dad & stepmom. My relationships with them is excellent. I grew up no more than 15 minutes from either set, and they taught me well how to express myself verbally and emotionally.

22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
       I hope to have a house and a backyard. I don't care if I'm owning or renting. I hope to have taken my kids on some kick-ass vacations. I hope to have kept the weight off I've been working so hard on lately. And i hope to have no more kids (I think).

23. What’s your favorite holiday and why?
      I love Halloween actually. It's a chance to be super creative and funny and party with friends and eat candy! I also love Christmas. The atmosphere and family visits.

24. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
       Most favorite: Cuddles and providing outlets for joy and creativity!
       Least favorite: Tantrums and discipline.

25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
       Adam & Eve. I would like to know what it was like to eat food/experience life as it was originally created to be eaten/enjoyed.

26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
       "Do what makes you happy." I would change that to "Do what makes you healthy." The pursuit of happiness seems to lead to selfishness, which I've concluded is the root of all bad things in the world (apart from natural disasters).

27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
       My whole face. It's a nice face.

28. What’s your favorite quality in your spouse?
       His ability to keep it real. He doesn't play emotional games or allow loved ones to either. Keeps me grounded and less stressed.

29. What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
       I feel like this is the same question as #22...

30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

My generosity
My raising of well-mannered, strong (physically and emotionally), intelligent, ambitious, and fun kids
My interior decorating skills
My cooking skills
My hospitality for guests in my home
My sense of helpfulness
My singing voice
My pretty-ness (I try hard, why not throw that in there)
My artistic/creative abilities
My love of fun

Want to play along? I’d love to read your lists! Link to your blog in the comments!

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears
3. Describe your relationship with your spouse.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. What’s the hardest part of growing up?
14. Describe 5 and weaknesses strengths you have.
15. Describe when you knew your spouse was the one or how I fell in love.
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
19. How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. Describe your relationship with your parents.
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. What’s your favorite holiday and why?
24. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What’s your favorite quality in your spouse?
29. What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

Second Time Mom: How It's Different This Time

2013-03-22T14:02:00.001-07:00

The pregnancy flew by.

I didn't sit on the computer reading and researching every scrap of information about babies and pregnancy.

I did wear a lot more ponytails.
The birth was 100x more painful.
I was afraid I couldn't possibly love another child as much as my first...

...And I didn't.

Well, not quite in the same way.

We brought her home in a cute little outfit I'd set aside weeks earlier. Her bed was ready. The closet split in half for the two girls. Our stash of new cloth diapers was sitting eagerly in a basket by the changing table... I was super huge and having contractions that took my breath away for weeks.

By all accounts, we were ready.

Fortunately, my husband was able to take 2 weeks off when Amelia was born, so I had the best kind of help for those crucial first days. I didn't feel as tired as after the first delivery, but I'm not sure I allowed myself to feel tired...Tired meant I was slowing down. I felt... rushed. Like all aspects of life under our roof was dependent on me - dishes, cooking, tidying, entertaining Maya (toddler), arranging social calls and well-wishers, nursing (obviously), changing diapers, refreshing our knowledge of newborn baby care... Not that hubs didn't help - he was really great! I just felt like it wouldn't get done if I didn't make it happen.

And here's where the biggest difference was:

With kid #1, I remember several times laying cuddled on the couch with my newborn in my arms, stroking her head and tearing up - thinking how unbelievably beautiful and perfect she was.

With kid #2, I didn't have time for that. Yeah, yeah she's cute and wonderful and all that, but I've got stuff to do, and I'm not pulling my weight if I don't do it!

I had to force myself to be okay with slowing down - in order to experience that same head-stroking bonding time with my new baby.

I had to force myself to have alone time with the baby. I felt like, 'She's just a newborn she won't even remember this time.' But my busy brain forgot that she's developing all sorts of connections and associations in her precious little mind, that will stick with her for the rest of her life. I had to remind myself that she needs alone time with me, just as my toddler does to feel special and loved and safe.

After baby #2, yes my life is more
chaotic (nursing while helplessly watching the toddler across the room pouring cereal on the kitchen floor...) and

stressful (4ft of projectile poop spread over the couch and laptop) and

exhausting (they just don't sleep at the same times!),

but that's such a tiny [insignificant] part of it.

Watching Maya learn and grow these past two years makes all that stuff just fade away. She's bold, smart, and joyful, it makes me so eager to see who she's going to become. That potential is what's so wonderful about babies in the first place.

It took a couple weeks, but I finally allowed myself to pause and imagine our life with Amelia and remind myself that she's not just a newborn baby - she's my new daughter! I finally felt love for my new baby just as much as my first, and I know it only gets better from here.

I successfully birthed a second human!

2013-02-23T21:53:00.002-08:00

Pictures!

Hubs' mom took my older daughter Maya for the night while I was in labor, so this was her reaction upon coming home the next morning! She was very happy and seemed to understand pretty well where Mama's tummy baby went.

Baby Sidecar Co-Sleeper Bed

2013-02-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

I finished this project in 2 days. First day was five hours, next day was two.

We registered on Amazon for a bassinet or a co-sleeper bed that could be pulled up next to ours, instead of having the new baby (still not out yet by the way) sleep in bed with us. Doing our part to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Here's my little tutorial for the co-sleeper sidecar bed I made in two days! I got the idea from this blogger, his was the only one I found online, so I pretty much just copied it outright.

You will need:

Plywood
About three feet of a 1x5 or 2x4 plank
Wood screws for support beams and legs
Nails for plywood (or screws if plywood is thick enough)
Sawhorse or table
Hammer
Drill (with a drilling bit and a screw head)
Jigsaw
Sander
Paint
3 or 4" thick foam (not too squishy) for the mattress
Material enough to cover foam. 1.25 yards was plenty for me (I even had a little extra with which I made a cute little t-shirt dress for Maya!)

BEGIN!

Sorry, I was so excited to start that I forgot to take pics of the piles of wood and box/tools assembly.

Basically:

Find or buy pieces big enough to make bottom, back, and sides. Mine ended up being 28"wide x14"deep x 12" high.
Sand and clean the crap out of them! I like to round off all exposed edges as much as possible. I really enjoy sanding actually.
Nail or screw them together at right angles. I used nails because the plywood my MIL had on had was too thin for screws.
Then I traced a circle on the corners using a paint can and jigsawed those end pieces' corners off.

Here you can see how I (sloppily) zig-zagged the screws for the
between-the-mattress support beams, so there was no wiggling allowed.

Painted it light purple (leftover from painting Maya's room a couple years ago)

The bumps you see are spackle putty covering screws I had to hacksaw off.

That stupid corner caused me so much trouble because the wood was slightly warped and very thin on that edge, so I couldn't get any nails to stay in! I had to screw a hinge on there and then hacksaw the sharp edges, then spackle putty over the whole mess. Ugh.

Finish painting. Allow to dry and attach the legs!

Legs:

Measure the distance from your floor to the top of your bedframe/boxspring (the bottom of your mattress)
Cut 1x5 or 2x4 boards to the correct length. Mine were 10" - we have a king-sized mattress.
Paint boards (if you desire)
Bore a hole in the box and the leg separately (IF YOU DON'T DO THIS YOU COULD SPLIT BOTH PIECES OF WOOD when screwing in the screws). Stick the (unattached) drill bit through the box's hole to find and line up your leg's hole.
At this point, I turned the leg to a slight angle, because that seemed more sturdy to me.
Hold the leg there.
Screw a wood screw into the hole you made and lined up. Bore and screw one more spot into that leg so it can't wobble.
Repeat for the other leg.

Slide the support beams between the boxspring and mattress and VOILA!!

Sturdy enough for my [nearly] 2 year old!

Then I went to the fabric store and bought some 3" foam and some cheap cotton material (material not in the picture yet). This was the only part of the project I spent any money on because luckily, my MIL happened to have everything in her scrap pile!

The cotton material, I sewed into a pillowcase-like thing to go over the foam so it would be removable, soft, breathable, and washable. I washed and dried it before cutting and sewing to let it shrink as much as it wanted. I'm thinking I need to put a waterproof layer underneath also, but we'll see.

I also laid a recieving blanket over the top of my pillowcase thing, just to make spit-up cleanup even easier. Nothing puffy or too soft for her to suffocate in.

Block Party! Baby's 1st Birthday Party

2013-02-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Maya and her cousin are a month apart, so for their first birthday, my sister and I threw a joint party! It was alphabet-block themed, so we called it a block party! It was back in May 2012, but I just found the pictures I took! They were hiding on my videocamera.


Block-shaped foods and cakes

I printed out cute alphabet-block lables for the food (with allergy info when needed)

Papier mache block pinata I made out of cereal boxes!

Apparently no one told my husband the pinata was for the kids...

Blocks hung from the ceiling (and balloons of course... I coudn't find any block-shaped balloons, but it's just not a party without them!)

Toss foam blocks through square holes in a sheet for a cheap but fun game!

Alphabet block pads for the play area on the floor (borrowed from a preschool)

"FOR MEEEEE??"

The baker did a great job on the smash cakes

Success! Cake-covered, happy babies at the end of the day.

And here's my invitations:

Mini Kitchen from re-purposed entertainment center

2013-01-30T14:27:00.001-08:00

Fabulous Mini Kitchen: Part I

I am going to make this:

I found a mini-kitchen someone else did, and colored it in Photoshop to match my vision.

And I will post pictures as I go! I'm going to start it very soon (within the next month) so it's done by the time baby gets here.

I'm going to need:

Entertainment center
Pink and black paint
4 CD's (for the stove burners)
Knobs/handles: 4 for stove, one for oven, one for cabinet, two for fridge/freezer
Play microwave
Stainless steel bowl
Faucet
Oven racks/tracks
Stainless steel contact paper for fridge
Plexiglass (or equivalent) for oven door
Plexiglass for stovetop
"Window" picture
Curtain for window
Utensil rack to hang on wall
Hinges: I'll have to look at it again to see how many I'll need. At least 2 for the oven, as I know that cabinet door doesn't open the right way.

My MIL already has the entertainment center! She was so excited when I sent her a link with more kitchens like this; she's been trying to figure out a way to get rid of that thing forever. She also has all the tools in her magnificent garage!

I'm planning on hitting up hardware stores for their "damaged/mismatched" bins to see what all I can get for free!! I'm guessing knobs, handles, and perhaps a faucet.

Check back soon for the next chapters! Help keep me on track!

The Five Stages of Mommy Hygiene

2013-01-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that parents run short on time when kids are involved. Well, I was taking a shower this evening (after three days without one), and I came up with a list I think other moms (or dads) could relate to.

1. The Pit Stop
This is when you have absolutely zero time but you don't feel right about releasing your stench on society. So you hit the absolute bare minimums: armpits and greasy hair. Baby wipes, pat dry, then deodorant for the pits, and baby powder for the hair. Quick, effective, odor-suppressing. At least now you don't look the way you feel. Hopefully...

2. The Sink Shower
The kids need to be bathed/brushed/dressed, the laundry needs to be flipped to the dryer, and the sink is full. You realize you have an appointment in a couple hours and you need to go to the grocery store. Yeah that's enough time. So you stick your head under the sink faucet, pour some shampoo in your hand and try to get most of it on your head instead of the counter. Maybe your hair will airdry if you open your car window on the drive over.

3. The Standard
   Lather. Rinse. Exit. About the time you're putting in conditioner, there's a child knocking on the bathroom door or peeking their head in the shower curtain, pointing out all your anatomicals and getting soap splashed in their eye. You have exactly enough time to fully wash your hair and body before one kid figures out the child-proof locks and stuffs the other into whatever the locks were "protecting".

4. The Deluxe
   Much like the Standard, except the spouse or Grandma is there monitoring the household, so you get to shave. Shaving is enough for me to give this type of shower its own category.

5. The Super Deluxe:
      Think candles and low lights. Think Celtic flutes and the sound of the ocean on your playlist. This is for those rare and beautiful moments when you have a large amount of time to yourself... when no little fists are knocking on the door, no panicked spouse is calling for assistance with a poop explosion. Usually the kids need to be scheduled out-of-the-house for this kind of bathing. It's this quiet time when you once again realize how relaxing full submersion in hot water feels, how fun bubbles can be, and someday I am definitely installing a jacuzzi tub because this thing is entirely too small.

You know you're a parent when. . .

2013-01-05T09:31:00.001-08:00

Look at the love there. You can practically touch it.

There are sooooo many perks to being a parent. The love and connection you feel when you hug or kiss your child is the most pleasant, warmey, gooey feeling in the world. The pride you feel when your child accomplishes something you taught them is irreplaceable. And the honorable sense of duty you feel when you realize this moldable mind is in your care, makes other jobs feel negligible.

But there are definitely some moments where you look at your life and go, "Oh lord... This is ridiculous."

Please enjoy (and add more in the comments if you see fit!) some of mine and other parents' less-than-sophisticated parent-moments.

8:30 is sleeping in.
Your child injures you and even though you're in so much pain you're more worried about consoling them
You find puzzle pieces, cheese, pacifiers, and baby socks in your bed and don't think anything of it.
Finding a chicken nugget in your purse/pocket/diaper bag is not surprising
Walking into a bathroom to a tiny butt pointed at you, awaiting a good wiping doesn't phase you
Going to the grocery store alone is like a mini vacation.
Silence is no longer golden. Now it's just suspicious.
You've been wearing your sweater inside out for hours and you just noticed but haven't bothered to flip it around yet.
You have a cold but you don't blow your nose for fear of distracting the sleeping baby.
Catching your little one's vomit in your hand so it don't get on the couch.
The idea of picking a booger out of another human's nose doesn't phase you anymore.
"It's only poop" is something you say. Poop, the most treacherous substance before you had a baby.
You find yourself examining the economic and environmental impact of Clifford the big red dog on Birdwell island
Twelve seconds is the record for the house staying clean and tidy.
You've lost track of the last time you shaved.
Running to the store in sweatpants is no big deal
You forgot that food and coffee are supposed to be ingested while warm.
You've mastered doing everything one handed.
You find a piece of cheese in your coat pocket, and that's pretty normal
Sleeping through the night is met with trumpets and possibly a party.
When you find cheerios and goldfish crackers at the bottom of your purse.
When taking a shower without interruption is glorious alone time.
When you start thinking about how the Island of Sodor has a pretty crappy safety record with the train accidents and all.. They also have a lot of trains for one little island, it would be so polluted.
No tissue? Isn't that what the hem of your shirt is for?
You set departure times 20 minutes before you have to be out the door because there's always that one last poopy diaper or meltdown.
You actually get tears of gratitude when someone watches the baby so you can close the door to potty… and then for some reason, it takes a longer time than usual … ;-)
When you have throw up in your hair and instead of washing it, you comb it through, dust on a little baby powder, and go out in public anyway.
You thought he was being affectionate while you sat on the couch because he kept running over to kiss you. In reality he was shoving toys and leftover food in between the cushions.
When you ignore his calls for 'mommy,' he switches to your first name. And in your fatigue you answer.
There are more action figures in your purse than actual money.
Your Netflix queue is filled with Spongebob, Shaun the Sheep, and Curious George
You've tasted your own breastmilk.
You can say things like "Don't lick the cat's butt" without flinching.
A successful Friday night out now consists of Chuck-E-Cheese's and Dairy Queen...and bed by nine.
If you want to cook, you must first go on a treasure hunt in the toybox for your spatulas.
Every flat surface in the house has at least one sticker or crayon mark on it.
Your child thinks it's appropriate to point out your anatomical structures (ex: "Boobs, mama!") in an elevator to show everyone how smart she is.
You get to work and your child has replaced your badge with the empty gift cards you let her play with.
Animals are no longer referred to by name, but instead by the sound they make. And when in doubt, roar.
You have never been so frustrated and so in love with anyone in your life.

Notice the "toys" she's chosen. Mixing bowl... spatula... #35 caught on film!

Thanks to the awesome mommies on reddit.com/r/mommit for the input!

Here's the original thread

Christmas 2012 - A Toddler Turning Point

2012-12-24T23:05:00.001-08:00

My parents got my 20-month-old a twin-sized bed for Christmas today. It's adorable how tiny she looks in that big-girl bed! But tiny she is not...

She's almost two now. That seems so surreal to me. She's making full use of her imagination, and definitely picking up more words every day. Today she answered correctly when I asked her what color her shirt was; "Puh-poo" she said.

She's a tall, healthy genius with personality to spare.

I'm one seriously lucky mama.