I reject your reality and substitute my own

I can't believe I just typed 18 months... how did that happen??

So at 18 months I have this amazing, smart, beautiful little girl. She can say and sign almost any word you can think of. I didn't know the signing would catch on the way it did. Her favorite show is "Signing Time" and she asks to watch it a million times a day. Any food she wants she says and signs. Cereal, apple, grapes, crackers, orange... you name it, she knows it.

She knows where her nose, eyes, ears, mouth, hair , head, shoulders, knees, toes, face are. She has started saying 2 word sentences. She will say "my papa" or "eat apple" and my personal favorite... "hold you". I love that.

She recently stopped doing the open mouth, slobber kisses and has learned to pucker. This makes me sad because I loved her open mouth, tongue, slobber kisses. They were the best.

She has developed into a really good sleeper. We had many issues when she was younger, including waking every 2-3 hours to nurse until she was well over 8 months. But now, we brush her teeth, read a couple books, give her some milk and put her in bed. She puts herself to sleep after that. Bedtime is 8, she wakes around 7-8 and takes a 1-3 hour nap. It's like heaven after experiencing the first 8 months of her life.

Recently she's started her first "chores". She can throw things in the garbage and pick up her toys. She sings the "clean up clean up" song... which translates to "weee-a weee-a". The other cute Lorelai translation is "beat box" which is better known as pizza. I love it.

She still loves to dance, but not the way she once did. After she turned 9 months, she danced her way all the way until 17 months. We couldn't even take a walk without pausing to break it down. Now I have to bring it up and dance with her. I think she gets embarrassed easily because around 16 months she would start to cry if we noticed her dancing. I hope she gets her groove back someday.

Christmas is coming and she's been ok with the Christmas tree. It's a lot easier when it's lit up because we tell her it's hot and she won't go near it. Not as much luck when the lights aren't on... but only the top half of the tree has ornaments this year. hehehe

She has lots of friends and has lots of playdates, but she's not really nice to her friends. She hits and pushes and the famous Lorelai move... she flaps her arms up and down and screams "no no no no no". Doesn't exactly encourage friendships, but I'm hoping it's a stage she grows out of... before all her friends hate her.

She loves to be outside, which doesn't really happen with the fabulous Northwest rainy weather, but I try to look for breaks and take her for a walk around the block once a day. Even tho we go the same route, she always finds something new. I love our walks. 1 block takes at least 45 minutes.

I think that's about all right now. Of course as I'm typing about what a wonderful sleeper she is, I hear her crying right now. Not sure she ever made it to sleep tonight... she loves to prove me wrong.

We went to my sister in laws house for Thanksgiving. Her house is not babyproofed to any degree. So it was 4 hours of chasing her around hoping she doesn't break anything. So it was completely exhausting. I know you look at that cute little face and wonder how she could possibly cause trouble... it's part of her mystique.





I didn't bring any different foods for Lo and I was a little worried how she would do because she tends to not like meat, potato or bread... which is pretty much thanksgiving. But she tried everything... loved the cranberries. The one thing I thought she would for sure eat was the sweet potatoes I made... but she about yakked when she put them in her mouth. Hence picture below:
We played some Rock Band on Kevin's PS3. It rocked. The drums are totally hard to figure out, but with Lorelai's help... haha. j/k She was ZERO help. Kevin, Tom and I totally sucked at drums, but Ty and Kate were actually pretty good and could get through a whole song without getting boo'd off stage. I didn't make it 20 seconds withouth getting boo'd off stage.







On Friday, I went Black Friday shopping with friends and Ty took Lo out to his parentes rental house in Port Townsend to help them look at houses. At one of the houses, the neighbors had 11, 8 week old puppies. I wish I could have been there to see it because Ty tells me she LOVED them! And they loved her. Ty said one was licked her, one was dangling from her sleeve (which was torn when she got home), and one was knocking her over. Hahaha... dang. Wish I could have been there.


Today we got out all our Christmas decorations, put our tree up and got all the lights up outside. The bottom 4 feet of the tree have no decorations on it because Lo can't keep her hands off it. We might have solved it tho because we told her it was hot and now she doesn't want to go near it. We'll see. Oh, and tonight we were watching tv and I see something in her mouth. She had taken a bite of glass ornament. I think I got it all out... I hope I got it all out. I remember reading about it in Parents magazine last year, but I don't remember what they said to do. I better read up on that again.








I can't believe it's Christmas time again... feels like not that long ago. I was thinking of the stage Lo was at last year and getting out the Santa pictures. Man, time flies when you have kids. Last year she only had 4 teeth (this year 387 at last count. hehe). last year she had no hair (this year her hair is past her shoulders if you pull it straight). Last year she wasn't even crawling yet (this year, walking, running, jumping... and a lot of falling). She changes so fast... can't stand it.

Anyway- there's an update of our weekend! How was yours?

There's a poem about being thankful where it turns all the bads into goods... so instead of writing about the obvious things I am so greatful for I can't even express it into words (i.e. my family, friends), I'm going to do my own spin on that poem because Lord knows I need to get a better attitude and quit my whining.

I am thankful for my endless mounds of dirty laundry because it means my family is clothed.

I am thankful for the dirty dishes because it means my family ate a meal together.

I am thankful to pay $45 to fill up my gas tank today because it means I have a car to get me where I want to be.

I am thankful to get out of bed 15x a night when my baby is sick because it means I get to spend a few more minutes a day with her.

I am thankful to wake up early every morning because it means God has given me another day on this earth.

There are so many things I gripe about that, in reality, means I have the life I do and I wouldn't give that up for anything. I have a friend that I call a couple times a week and when I start to gripe she flips it around on me and shows me the good in everything. After I get off the phone with her I always feel ridiculous for complaining the way I do and I am SO thankful I have her in my life. That definitely wasn't a mistake!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am so happy I have Ty's family to be with tomorrow, but I will really miss my family. Holidays are always the hardest, but regardless of how far away they are... every one of my thoughts are with them.

1. I am a nomad. Born in Cali, but moved every 1-3 years my entire life. Different states, different cities, different houses, different schools. My parents even moved us right before my senior year started. Clearly it didn't bother me because it hasn't changed even with buying houses. I hope we can manage to stick around a while in this house.

2. I've had really random jobs. I have been a photographer for a newspaper, shooting mostly sporting events. I worked in sales and marketing for Holiday Inn. Now I am a Certified Radiology Coder. Just to name a few.

3. If I could, I would have a HUGE family. I grew up as one of 5 kids and I love the dynamic our family has and how chaotic and crazy we are... I really don't think a smaller family would be as fun. This still amazes my parents since I grew up saying I would never have kids.

4. I have a very odd sleeping habits. I can't have anything touching my neck, nothing touching my stomach, can't be facing Ty, has to be cold, I twirl my hair exactly 20 times and I have to be covered.

5. My sister and my mom are really my best friends. I talk to them daily and would never make a decision without consulting them and I can't stand being away from them.

6. I am deathly afraid of spiders. I constantly get made fun of, but the amount of anxiety and fear I feel when I see even the smallest spider is unimaginable. I was bit a few years ago and got a golf ball sized mass on my chin and since then I can not even look at a spider without feeling like my life is going to end if I don't get it away from me.

I'm not tagging anyone because I'm a party pooper, that's why you invited me... party pooper.

As I am leaving Fred Meyer today I see the usual homeless clan near the exit. I'm at the stop sign waiting to turn left and I see one of the men fall over and the lady is kneeling next to him panicked. I turn off the road and ask if they need an ambulance and the lady says yes. The man is seizing and making an awful noise. I call 911 and the operator is asking me questions, but I am so horrified at the image of this man I can't answer promptly. I finally tell her where we are. The lady is trying to tell me something, but she's not making much sense. I finally get she's trying to tell me his name, so I tell the 911 operator. She says "so he's not unconscious" I said "yes, he is and he's seizing." She snaps at me "well then how did he tell you his name?" I said "the lady told me, not him. He is unconscious." She asks if he is drunk... I don't know how she would think I would know that. I said "I haven't been hanging out with them, I have no idea."

But I digress because her rudeness isn't my point. I just can't get the image of this man out of my head. When I was leaving the ambulance was pulling up, so I know he got help. I just wonder if he's ok, what was wrong with him, etc.

The whole time I was in such a dilemma because the 3rd man was standing right by my car and my baby is in the back... there's a man on the ground in the bushes, a 911 operator being a jerk and a lady smacking this unconscious man across the face over and over...

Wonder how I will sleep tonight?

Halloween started off so fun. Our friends had a little party and Lo ate some candy, had some macaroni and cheese and hot dogs and played with her friends.

After that party, we came home. It was madness at the house already. From 6:00 on we basically had to stand right by the front door passing out candy. So I throw Lo's costume on and send her with Daddy, Aunt Toadie and Kevin for a little trick or treating.

They went to our neighbors house and she marched right up there and got her candy, only a few seconds after returning to the sidewalk... this is what happened...

She threw a FIT! She never had really had candy, so the sugar was probably a huge shock to her system. She kept begging for more candy with her glassy eyes. When we didn't give it to her she would instantly throw herself down and kick and scream.





I could not believe my little baby was acting like that. So no more trick or treating happened.







So we went to Sophia's house and they ran around and played until Lorelai saw that they were giving out Halloween candy. She reached for the bucket and I said no and she hit me and threw herself to the floor all over again. Which is completely humilating because Sophia is such a mild tempered kid and is pretty much happy all the time. I don't think she's ever thrown a fit like that.

So I decided to cash in what little chips I had left and take her home.




So it was bath time and her little naked baby booty took a bath and went to bed.

Next year will hopefully be a lot better, but knowing Lorelai... the rest of my life will be pretty drama filled.

Lo's newest favorite word is no. It's so funny to listen to her answer every question with a no. "Lorelai- do you want milk?" "NO!" So I put it away and she screams for milk. Happens with everything.

Her words are the best, they make me laugh every time I hear her say something. It's just so crazy that this life that was a baby blob is now starting to speak. I love it when she says "Nook" for milk, signing it too of course. "Ju" for juice. "Mooooooo" for cow. "Neigh" for horse, emu, sheep and every other farm animal. And then there's my favorite, which is when she picks up my cell phone and says "He-woe". Ugghhhhh- I love it!!

I'm hosting a small kiddie Halloween party- can't wait to see all these little people in their costumes.

Lorelai fell asleep on the way home from Grandma's house and if that happens and I wake her up taking her to bed... it's all over. No more nap, just grumpy Lo. So here I sit.

Lo and I are having so much fun here with all the family. Lorelai has learned so many new things from her cousins. Grant pretty much hates her and will push her over every time he walks by her, but Landon adores her and tries to love her a little too much. He gives her big bear hugs and tries to pull her where ever he is going. Sweet, but a little too much contact for Lo. So the funniest thing she has started doing is whenever either Landon or Grant come near her she starts screaming "NOOGA NOOGA NOOGA NOOGA" It started out as "NO NO NO" but everything with Lo is about rhythm and flow... NOOGA makes more sense apparently.

Most recently tho, Amy and I have caught her sucking her thumb. I'm hoping it's more imitation from seeing Grant do it... but I guess we'll find out!

All in all it's been a very fun trip and I think the best is yet to come. This weekend James and Dad will be down and we will be going to the pumpkin patch, celebrating dad's birthday and enjoying Mom's home cooking.

My 4 year old nephew Landon is all boy. Last night we were ordering dinner at Cafe Rio and I was holding him. My sweater was a little low cut and I was holding him with both hands creating a bit of cleavage. He reached down my shirt and grabbed my boobs yelling "I got your boobies". I said "Landon- no! Don't do that". He kept doing it until I put him down, at which point he slapped my butt and ran away.


This will be my favorite story to tell him when he is a teenager and hanging out with his buddies.

Lorelai has been having a problem with not listening to me and purposely disobeying me. One particular problem has been her going behind the t.v. One afternoon I spent an hour pulling her out and giving her time outs. Over and over... she does not give up easily.

Today she got behind and I said stop and she looked at me and snuck into it even further. I did the usual. Time out, she screamed. After a minute I let her off and she went right back to the t.v. I told her to stop and she actually did. She got out and put her soccer goal in front of it (where I have been storing it in a weak attempt to keep her out) and then signed thank you and came running at me all proud of herself.

I was completely naive to think she finally got it because about an hour later, there she was... pulling the soccer goal out and creeping back.

Wish I could figure out how to discipline a one year old.

I walked into Lo's room after her nap and immediately smelled a nasty diaper. Lo looked up at me and signed potty for the first time not having to do with the dog. I looked at her and said "yes, honey. you did go potty".

My goal is to be like that lady whose blog is so popular she supports her entire family on her blog alone. Yes, I am totally that interesting.