Independence Day

We celebrated our nation's 236th birthday the best way we know how... on a boat. And I might say we did it awesomely. We found a little private beach and set up for the day with an awning and all other supplies, and then we hit the water. I will let the pictures tell the story. 

Our camp for the day.

 Chris for Christmas gave the dogs life jackets. They rock.

 

She is a natural.

Some wakeboarding. Chris had to teach me (again). Now, that I figured the getting up part I need to figure out the form.  (PS The reason my legs are so much more pasty than the rest of body is because I am doing laser hair removal on my legs and it doesn't work if you have any sort of tan)

This is how she would watch us.

Chris could board forever. It was insane.

Finished the day with the all-American burgers.

Due to the neurotic antics of our dogs, fireworks are not a usual part of our tradition. We occasionally will go see them if that's what is in the plans, but we usually stay in during the evening for our dogs. They hate fireworks.

My Lil' American Doll

Our baby girl has morphed into a toddler, and it has been an absolute joy.

(And, yes, that is a wee- little ponytail in her hair. The neighbor girls put it in her hair and I thought it was cute)

Some things about our girl. 

• Her latest stats are: Length: 28.9" and Weight: 20.8 pounds 
• She wears 18 month clothes.
• She has 8 teeth (she didn't get her teeth until 11 months, and her two tops and two bottoms came in at once).
• She waddles around. She started walking at 13 months.
• She loves blueberries, bananas, grapes, cheese, breads, milk, juice and pb&j sandwiches. 
• She tolerates carrots, sweet potatoes, and apples. 
• She hates peas and broccoli. 
• She loves to play music and shake her booty. My aunt bought her a disney musical book that you press a button and music plays, she goes over to it and presses the button when she is in the mood to dance. 
• She loves Elmo. Sesame Street captivates her. 
• She likes Barney, but only when they are singing and she can dance.
• She loves dogs, she walks right up to dogs no fear (we will need to work on the asking of permission to pet these strange dogs).
• She loves horses, cows and goats but only at a distance.
• Her vocabulary changes by the day, and what I mean is she will say a certain word for a while and then she just stops saying it. For example, she would point to her sippy cup and say "duce duce" which to me sounded like "juice", well, now she doesn't say that. Another word she has done this with: "nigh nigh" - when I would get her ready for bed or whenever she was tired. 
• Words she consistently says, "Mama" "Dada" and her newest ones "hi" and "dough" (when she points to a dog).
• If you ask her to clap she claps. If you ask her where her tongue is she will show you her tongue. If you ask her to blow a kiss, sometimes she will blow a kiss. If the dogs are being too noisy she will put her finger to her mouth and say "ssssss" she can't quite say "shhhhh", so she sounds like a snake. 
• She loves to drink out of my water bottle. 
• She is a very social child. She will walk right up to kids (no matter the size) and will "play" with them. 
• She loves the water, we are working on getting her face wet. 
• She still naps twice a day for about 2 hours each, and she sleeps from 7:30 pm (with summer it is a little different with bedtime because we are out later) to 7:30 am.
• (Please do not feel you have to read this next one -or any for that matter -, it is more for me and my posterity).  A typical day in our household looks like this: She wakes up at 7:30 we head down to eat breakfast. Around 8:15 we get ready and head out for our jog/walk. When we get back we have a half an hour of play time, with no technology, just me and my girl doing good ol' fashion play (I am embarrassed I have to admit this, but I am very dependent attached to my phone and I realized I was spending way too much time on it. I would be sitting there reading a book and simultaneously checking my email [not something I am proud of]. So I have periods throughout the day that I unplug and give her my full attention.  These unplug times have become my favorite part of the day - so much so that I now have days that I unplug [ok, not entirely this only during her waking hours, I don't know if I am that good, but I should try it some time). She takes her morning nap. She wakes up and we have lunch. After lunch we do errands, outside time, garden time, play time, or whatever we feel like. Then she takes an afternoon nap. She wakes up for dinner. Then we have family time and whatever we feel like doing in the evening. And by 8:00 o'clock she is in bed.
• When she receives compliments it is usually regarding her eyes or how happy/smiley she is. 
• She already has many friends, thanks to an awesome neighborhood full of little girls who love babies. I will never be short a babysitter.
• She had her first real (by real I mean paid) babysitter this week. It was our neighbor Mckenzie. It was only for 30 minutes, but still. 
• We love her to pieces.

My Mentor Judy

When I was fresh college grad I got my first "real job" with my current company. It was a very exciting time in my life. When I received the call that I got the job, I celebrated the special occasion with a new pair of high heels and a purse briefcase. I wanted to look polished and professional on my first day. After all, the office was in a high rise building, and I would even ride the train in to the city to get there. I felt so grown up. On my first day I was going from office to office meeting everyone in my department. Everyone was so kind and friendly; I felt right at home. And then I went into her office, the nurse manager Judy. I went in and introduce myself. I was cut off with the following, "Shelley [the woman I was replacing] couldn't do all of her responsibilities so I am doing them because I was tried of the mistakes. I will give you one chance to do it right and if you can't then I will do it again." There was no smile. I even believe I gulped. I told her I would do my best and said something like I won't disappoint her and she said "I hope not". I walked out stunned thinking she was the meanest woman I've ever met, never imaging that she would become my greatest mentor and greatest advocate in the professional world.  Fast forward 5 years and I realize Judy was neither mean nor unhappy, but she took her job seriously and was a no nonsense woman. That was the first and last time Judy was ever stern with me, we had a wonderful working relationship and friendship. We often worked on projects together, and she would leave little tokens of appreciation for me. One was a beautiful knitted scarf she made, beautiful necklaces, stationary and so many more that I have forgotten. After I had my baby and chose to not go back to work, it was Judy who created my part time, stay at home job to work under her. I was honored that she thought of me but more importantly that she trusted me.

Judy is the one in the center just above my right shoulder in the bold pink. This was our last Christmas picture of our nurse team. (Obviously, I am not a nurse but I do the paperwork for the nurses now. AND yes, that is my mother-in-law to my right, yes, we work together and it is NOT a nightmare).

 She was a fascinating woman, who at 70 years had more energy than I did at age 20. She touched many lives. She was a woman of service and warmth. She made my baby a beautiful quilt before she was born. Well, technically two quilts. She had sewn a quilt and the night before she would give it to me she called my mother-in-law and asked what colors we would like. My mother-in-law said Brad mentioned we have so much pink (imagine that?) Well, the quilt she made was pink. So at 9:00 o'clock that same evening she started a whole new quilt, for me to open the next day. It was perfect, it wasn't all pink but still feminine.

Our quilt

 Eight weeks ago she was diagnosed with an aggressive cancerous brain tumor. I visited her in the hospital, and she was spunky and very optimistic about the results of radiation and chemo therapy. She was even talking about coming back to work. And guess what? I believed she would beat it. She was a fighter after all. However, her health declined quickly and 6 weeks after diagnoses she passed away.

Today, was her funeral. It was beautiful. Happy memories were cherished, and a wonderful woman was honored. As we often talk fondly of those that have gone on, which is good and I believe is the right thing to do, it makes me feel a little hypocritical. I would be lying if I didn't say there were more than one or two occasions I walked out of her office rolling my eyes because I thought she may be a little crazy. (She was a dreamer after all, and most dreamers are kind of crazy). Or the occasional frustration that would arise. But in the end they were few and far between the good times I had with her. I will miss her dearly. Her vivaciousness, her bold clothes, her spunky hair, her advice, and her heart of gold.

The last picture taken as a department, our 2010 department retreat. Judy was on the stairs in the middle. Little trivia, I was 12 weeks pregnant in this picture and this is where I announced my pregnancy to my department. Judy and Lane were already aware, as they were in meetings where I would abruptly run out due to morning sickness.

Browne Lake 2012

We had the annual camping trip. Our little Apple loved to get dirty. Unfortunately, the little one was a little under the weather with allergies, which made it a tad bit difficult. AND the fact that she puts EVERYTHING in her mouth.

 A rough morning for her here.

 Playing with her cousin. They are so cute together and play so well together.

My "Mom Moment"

I had yet (until today) to experience, what I like to call the "Mom Moment". The moment that whatever chore you are doing needs to stop immediately and you need to focus on your child. I've heard it so many times before, "You will have plenty of years to have a clean fridge, but very few years with young children." I've heard this so much, I told myself I would always put my child first (mainly because I love any excuse to get out of cleaning). However, I learned today that you may not realize it is one of those "moments". With the Little so young, most of my attention is already on her, so I've never had to stop doing something to read to her or play with her. Until now.
She knows how to climb stairs (she has been doing it since she could crawl) however, she hasn't quite figured out how to go down them (mostly because I haven't let her). I was folding laundry with her near me when she kept going to the stairs time and time again and trying to go down. And there I was being the fun buster. I kept saying, "No, no, no no". Yet, she persisted. Finally, the light bulb went off! "I think this maybe one of those moments those 'Mom Moments'."  I stopped. We worked together as I taught her how to go down the stairs. Oh, yeah my laundry still isn't folded. Plenty of time for laundry, right?

Dreamer

There was a particular dream I've had throughout my life. A dream I associated with motherhood.  It was a dream I often look forward to, the perfect summer day. You know how you reminisce about your childhood summer days? Well, I did. I have never had as much fun in the summer than when I was a child, and it was something I longed for. I assumed the closest thing I would have to my childhood summer days would be when I had children of my own.  And I was right, today was that perfect summer day.

The sun was sunny, the heat was hot, there was sprinkling running, bubbles blowing, little girls giggling, Popsicle eating, and lemonade drinking. My yard had children playing it.

 It was so perfect I needed to capture it and hold it in my heart forever. To remember on the day that I must say good-bye to her and send her off into the world. I will cherish this day. Her giggle, her little waddle, her playing with "the girls" (our neighbor's have three girls who adore B), her curiosity which turned into love with the sprinkler, her first Popsicle and the amazing mess she made, and the darling way she would look over her shoulder every minute or two and holler, "MA! MA!"

 

I was having so much fun, I took one measly picture. 

And I managed to take a picture of my new planters.

 

I wish it could be summer every day.

80's Rockstar

The pants, that hair, her groupie.

So Cal Part III... Disneyland

 

We ended our trip at Disneyland. Chris came out half way through and met us. He, of course, was fun to have around, and this allowed for no one to ride alone. She was allowed on most rides, but 7 of them. In which, you get a child swap pass, so you only have to wait in line once. 

 

With her Minnie ears, which she was not a fan of.

 

We saw the new show, "World of Color",  amazing. 

 

Many have asked what was the babe's favorite ride. In all honesty, she didn't get as excited about the rides like I thought she would. She just took it all in, very seriously. However, there were two rides that got her going, the Nemo Ride which is in a submarine and It's a Small World. 

 Taking a break from the stroller.

Meeting Pluto, she liked the characters far away, but not close.

 While we would ride, whoever was on baby duty would do a tame ride. Chris took her on this. Unfortunately, it didn't helped him in the girl department.

We never rode the Little Mermaid ride before, we did this time and it was a great ride.

 On the ferris wheel. There are carts that are stationary or carts that rock. We (unintentionally) ended up on one that rocked (I would like to add there were barf bags in the cart, I really thought Chris was going to have to use one).

Getting ready for the day. Can I add, I have a very difficult time brushing the Apple's teeth. She clenches her mouth shut so I can't get in. It is quite the dramatic ordeal that occurs twice a day, any ideas?

Wiped out.

Dear Daughter No. 1

Dear Daughter, is advice [of all sorts] I would like to pass on to my daughter, well all my children eventually.

Dear Daughter No. 1,

Pay attention to the mile post markers.  This was advice my dad gave me to me when I started to drive.
My dad's words, "There are three things you need to know when you are driving 1. The name of the road you are on, 2. The direction you headed, and 3. The mile post number. This way if you are in trouble and you need help when you call 9-1-1 you give this information and they will know exactly where you are." To this day, I still pay attention to the mile post marker. I have never had to use it, but I want to be prepared if I ever do.

SoCal Part II

 Touring the USS Midway

The Old Point Loma Lighthouse. 

I could live in this cute little house with the perfect San Diego weather.

The Cabrillo National Monument

The beautiful Red Cliffs

We visited the Island of Catalina one Sunday. You have to take a 75 minute ferry ride out to the island.

Some of the best fish and chips here.

There are not many cars on the island (in fact, if you live on the island you have to be on a waiting list to get car and it is years long). So you rent golf carts.

Hanging on the beach.