Catching Up

I cannot believe that summer is coming to an end. Where did it go? In July my little brother came for a visit. It was a short visit but so nice having him here...and for once I got to celebrate his birthday with him!

In early August we hit the Shuswap Lake with Jeff's mom, step dad, and his sister and her family. It was fun and so nice to get away.

Sophia turned 15 months on August 13. With that came longer sleep at nights (8 pm to 7:30 am!), longer naps (sometimes 3 hours long!), and a bunch of new words. Her new words this month are Papa, cat, Eddie (the cat), book and many others that I can't remember at the moment.


It's been fun watching her grow these past few weeks because she's just suddenly blossomed. She loves trying to keep up with her big cousin Gavin (he's 3.5) and when we go to the Play Palace she can jump in the jumpy castle, throw the ball into the hoop, go up and down the big kids slide and even stand her own ground against the bullies that tell her no! When she needs quiet time she'll sit in her chair next to her book shelf and read her books and play with her sticker book. She is truly our little angel and makes life so much more fun!

The sad monkey slippers

Not much new to write about. I'm swamped with school and just everyday mom stuff. While it all keeps me on my toes, it's kind of boring to write about!

I do have a cute Sophia story though!

The other night Sophia was exploring my bedroom and found my Nick and Nora sock monkey slippers that I bought when I was pregnant with her.

We took them upstairs and she spent the entire day carrying them around and studying the eyes and the nose. It was pretty cute.

Later that evening, when daddy had come home, Sophia discovered she could put the slippers on her feet and walk around the living room in them! FUN! She did this and they would fall off and she would just bawl. Not like a tantrum cry but a full on crocodile tears kind of cry. She did this on and off for almost an hour and every time she started I couldn't help but laugh because the whole thing was just hilarious. Of course every time I tried to help her put them back on she'd pitch a fit because we're going through an "I'm independent" phase.

I got some great photo's of the silliness but have yet to upload them from my camera.

These are what my days are made of and although it can be trying at times, I'm loving every moment.

Advertising gone too far?

I rarely ever watch "The View" but today I turned it on while I was doing some chores.

This ad was a topic of controversy: Calvin Klein Ad

Elizabeth argued that it was inappropriate. How does she explain that billboard to her 4 year old daughter? Joy said it could be used as a learning situation..your opportunity to explain to your child that what is being portrayed in this photo isn't appropriate.

I agree with Elizabeth. When you're at home you can control what your child see's and hears but when you're out in public you have little control over that. At the same time I understand Joy's position on the photo..however, what if you aren't prepared to explain such a thing to your child? What if they aren't of the age where you can really explain it in a way for them to understand?

What's your opinion on the topic?

I'm on a roll!

I started my course last Thursday and have already managed to get through 3/21 lessons! I've also taken 3 of my exams and two of them I made a 100..the other an 80. Am I patting myself on the back. Oh yes, pat, pat, pat! I hope I can finish this certification under 6 months so I can start working and our other plans (which cannot be disclosed just yet!) can come to fruition.

Manic Monday

Where oh where to begin?

I have signed up for an online certification course in Medical Transcription. I actually signed up last Thursday and have already taken my first exam (100!). Right now it's easy but I imagine it will get more difficult once I get into all those medical terms.

Last night I fell asleep and heard the phone ring, my husband came running downstairs and told me something was wrong. My mom was on the phone and informed me that my dad had been rushed to the ER because he had passed out while he was working a case. He was complaining of dizziness and couldn't stand. Thankfully the test have ruled out heart attack but it seems he may be suffering from Vertigo, heat stroke, and low potassium levels. Of course the news took my by surprise and I was in complete shock. I'm 4,000 miles away from my family and feel absolutely helpless. I'm just thankful it's nothing more serious. I hope this is the kick my Dad needs to know it's time to retire and rest. I love my daddy so much. If you are a person that believes in prayer, please say one for him...Thanks.

Picture Game

Jenny over at Our Gifts from God tagged me to play the picture game!

I thought this would be a good way to start my June blogging since I haven't been in much of a mood to post!

Here are the rules of the game: Open up your picture folder, find the 10th picture and then tell the story behind it. Simple!

My picture:



From l to r: my dad, me, my little brother, and my mom. This was taken mid May 2006. We were at the courthouse voting in the local election. My dad is sheriff of Hempstead county so we all went as a family and voted together. My dad won!


I tag April, Jen, Abbie, and Jen!

Trying to comprehend

My parents left this morning to head back to AR. They were here for a week and our visit was so nice..for the most part. Sophia's birthday party was fabulous. She loved every minute of it. My parents were a great help in getting everything prepared for her big day.

Once the party was over we spent our days going for walks and just visiting. It was so nice having them here. On Tuesday my dad turned 60 and we had a little birthday celebration for him. It's the first time in 9 years that I've got to be with him on his birthday so it was really special for me. I adore my parents. I believe they hung the moon.

On Wednesday morning at 5 am we got the news that my nephew had committed suicide. The last two days of their visit we just sat in disbelief trying to comprehend what happened and why he didn't reach out to them like he had during all previous troubled times in his life.

I hurt so much this morning when we took them to the airport. Knowing what they have to go through when they get home and the fact that they have to bury their 21 year old grandson. No words can begin to express. I hate that I cannot be there to help them through the next few days. Yet at the same time I'm so thankful they were here with us when we were given the news. I want so badly to protect them during this time and I know I can't. I just pray that God gives them peace and strength and helps them begin to heal from this.

My nephew, from the day he was born, lived in constant turmoil. He could never find his purpose in life. He was lost and I am so sad that I failed him. I became his aunt when I was 9 years old. I had no idea how to take on that role at that age and now I regret so much that I wasn't there for him. The only peace I can find in this situation is knowing that he's finally at peace. I loved him so much and I don't think he knew.

In his memory, Jeff, Sophia and I will be planting a tree at my parents church. I want him to be remembered for his beautiful smile, his warm embrace and his desire to try and do the best he could.

Once again, a life taken way too young. From this I will make amends with ones I've lost touch with and I will live my life to the fullest in his memory.

It will take years, maybe even a lifetime to begin to comprehend what has happened.

I love you so much, Jonathan. You were a light in our family when we were going through the darkest time of losing your daddy. Rest in peace my sweet angel.

In the gutter

A few weeks ago I wrote about how things were getting tough for Jeff at his company (he owns it with his business partner). They had to lay all of their employees off. I know this felt like such a huge failure for the guys. They've worked so hard since 2003 to make this company what it is and now it's like going back to square 1. Jeff has been quiet lately and I know that the weight of the world is on his shoulders. Sales are not happening and things are not looking good. I don't know what this means for us. To say I am scared is quite the understatement. Jeff has an amazing way with business and I know that whatever happens we will come out on top again but for now I'm so afraid. I feel helpless in helping my own family.

Tonight my parents arrive and will be visiting for a week. I wish I could feel excited about that but for now I'm so worried about my husband and what he's going through. I know that there are people out there in much worse positions than we are. I am thankful that for now we can still put food on our table and clothes on our back. I'll just keep praying that we can weather this storm.

In 2001 just a few short months after we got married, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. I thought it was the end. However, he fought it and he won. In 2002, we nearly had to declare bankruptcy. We battled through it. We pulled out the whiteboard and wrote down the expenses we could cut out and the accounts we could get rid of to lower our debt. We got through it together.

We were told we could most likely never have children because of the cancer, but we got through that too and we now have a beautiful daughter. We proved the doctors wrong (with God's help, of course!). 2009 we are weathering the storms of this recession and somehow, someway we are going to get through this together. I just have to keep reminding myself of this.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Sophia!

You have brought so much joy to our lives. You are the sweetest and most precious little girl and I feel so blessed to be your Mama. You have changed our lives for the better and I can't remember now what life was like before you arrived.

I hope you have a wonderful day my sweet girl!

How could I forget?!

Good gracious I can't believe I forgot to mention this in previous posts! Sophia took her first steps nearly 2 weeks ago! She didn't have a clue that she was doing something spectacular, she just did it then fell smack on her bum. Everyday since then she only takes a few steps..no serious walking yet but that's ok. Sophia is quite a ham these days..she'll do a bunch of babbling and then start laughing hysterically. It is SO cute! I'm loving being at home with her..I hope it doesn't have to end anytime soon.

Finally!

My little Sophia isn't much of a girly girl. Instead, she's like me when I was little..a monkey! She loves to climb on everything and destroy stacks of blocks and chew her books. She really hates when I try to put a bow or barrette in her hair..it usually only stays there for about 2 minutes and then it's been pulled out. So imagine how excited I was when I realized I could finally give my girl pigtails! Of course it didn't last very long and I wasn't able to get a photo of both pigtails but you can see one in this photo.

Where's the year going?

How on this earth is it May already? Where is the year going? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Spring and Summer...LOVE them but with time going by so fast Winter is going to be here before I know it and that means my baby girl is going to be that much closer to 2. Look at that, she's not even 1 yet and I'm already talking about her being 2...Oh dear!

Not much new to report. We're going through a bit of sleep regression...instead of 11 glorious hours of nighttime sleep, we now only get 10 which means Soph is up around 5 or 5:30. Believe me I've tried moving bedtime later but if she's been up for over 5 hours already by the time 7 pm rolls around, it's best to get her down quickly before she turns into something that resembles an Ogre.

Jeff had to lay off all of his employees. He hung on as long as possible with this economy but it was time...it was tough but I have faith that the company will recover down the road.

Oops, there's a sweet girl waking from her nap! Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Saying goodbye to an old friend

Early last week I received the news that an old high school friend of mine had suddenly passed away. He was only 31. He had been sick for a few days and didn't go to the doctor. On the 4th day he was rushed to the hospital and passed away 30 minutes later from internal bleeding.

Omar was a great guy. Always smiling, always stirring up some trouble, always having your back. He was a wonderful human being and the world lost an amazing man much too young.

RIP Omar. You are so loved and so missed by so many.

50 weeks

Today Sophia is 50 weeks old. I can't believe that in 2 weeks she'll be 1 year. I'm sad that the baby stage is quickly coming to an end. Before having Sophia I remember our friends with kids telling us the baby phase goes by so fast..I never believed them until we became parents ourselves. Isn't that the way it always goes though?

This morning Sophia showed us her newest trick...crawling down the flight of stairs backwards. I couldn't believe it! Where on earth did she learn this from?!

Jeff came home yesterday with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Some possibly rough times are coming our way and I am fearing for our future. I'm just praying that God guides him and takes care of us no matter what situation we end up in. The positive of this possibly difficult situation is that we could end up in the US sooner rather than later just not where we had hoped.

CIO

Our sweet little girl has learned to play us. I was wondering when it would happen. I really thought it would be a little while longer..but no, it's happened.

I've been torn for a very long time between letting Sophia cio to go to sleep or rock her to sleep. I didn't have the heart for a very long time for cio so I always rocked her. Well in the past week she figured out that crying at bedtime makes mommy and/or daddy come running!

On Monday night we did her usual bedtime routine..bath, Goodnight Moon with daddy, kisses, bottle, rock with mommy, go to sleep, mommy puts baby in crib and we sleep til morning. HA! She got through the routine except the part where we go in the crib and sleep til morning. As soon as her head hit the mattress she sat up and started crying. Of course my instinct is to pick her up and console her...so I did...this went on forever and ever. I thought I was going to be rocking and consoling all night long. BUT that day my allergies were crazy and I was miserable and I had little patience for any sort of shenanigans. So I told her I loved her and gently lay her in her crib and walked out. She cried for nearly 2 hours and it took every bit of willpower that I have to not go running in to rock her..but finally she fell asleep and slept til morning.

Of course she's continued this new phase of testing mommy and daddy. However she seems to learn very quick. The past few nap times she's started to cry and then within 2 minutes she's out. That first night was so rough though.

Anyway, I can't believe I've finally had to do this method. I never thought I'd see the day. Never say never, right?!

A bunch of sickies

Since returning from our trip to Arkansas two weeks ago my allergies have been going crazy. Constant watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose. It's pretty miserable.

Now it looks like Soph has a cold..which means the all night sleep can go right out the window for the next week. GAH!

Last night she woke up at midnight. I went in to check on her and cuddle her and she fell asleep so I went to place her in her crib and immediately she woke up and started crying...this was after I'd held her for nearly an hour. I didn't know what else to do so I let her cry....something I don't normally do. Of course as soon as she started crying and saying "mama, mama, mama" I couldn't stay away. So I went in to rock her some more and she pulled the same thing. I had to eventually let her cry herself to sleep..it was heartbreaking but I felt like I had no other choice.

This parenting job is so tiring and so hard sometimes. Times like these make me wish I were closer to my mama so I could get a break for just a bit. I just need to count my blessings. I'm thankful for such a precious healthy girl that fills our lives with such joy. She is truly our greatest blessing!

Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming

We got back from Arkansas last Tuesday night. It was a LONG day of travel but Soph was a champ. Sweet girl makes friends wherever she goes so the plane ride was pretty easy!

We finally had the opportunity to check out real estate in Hot Springs. It was the first time we've left Soph with anyone and thankfully she did really well with my mom and my brother.

As soon as we returned home, Sophia started sleeping through the night (Just like you said Jen!)...she's been teething so we've had the odd night where she's waken but that's to be expected. It's so nice to be getting a full night of sleep again. I thought I'd never see the day! I can't believe she's sleeping 11 1/2 hours a night..bliss! And she wakes up so happy. It's wonderful.

So now we are back to our usual routine. I am slowly working on planning her birthday party..I can't believe she's turning one in a little over a month. It's exciting to watch her grow, but can't it just slow down a little?

In other news, I've been doing lots of spring cleaning. It feels good to let go of stuff that never gets used or worn. I had to go through all of my shoes and get rid of a ton of them (SAD!) because my feet grew a half size from my pregnancy with Sophia. I guess I'll be doing more shoe shopping!

Back to the land of Ya'll!

We are flying south today! I haven't been to AR in 7 months..I've been itching to get back to my roots:)

Hopefully it won't be too bad flying with a mobile 10 month old child! I've only packed her about two bags of toys and a dozen books to keep her entertained..hoping it does the trick!

Belated Happy St. Paddy's Day and have a good weekend!

Nap Napper

This week Soph is cutting THREE teeth. There is little sleep happening in the Schafer house. I'm exhausted, she's exhausted, Daddy is exhausted...even the poor cats are exhausted. During all this teething she has decided she no longer needs 2 naps a day. Oh no, Mama..I only need 1! I want that 2nd nap back, darn it!

Next Wednesday we are traveling to Arkansas for 5 days to visit with my parents. I'm already worrying about how the sleep is going to go. Last time we were there she was 3 months old so the sleep wasn't really an issue. I'm praying it goes smoothly though but not getting my hopes up.

That's really all I've got energy for..Haven't had much interest in the old blog lately...too much going on in real life.

Hope all of you have a lovely weekend :)

Made in China

This afternoon while attempting to entertain Sophia (she's been super whiny today), I started taking a good look at all of her toys. Just for fun I thought I'd make a pile of toys made in China and toys made in North America and other places. Well as you can guess the "Made in China" pile was huge and the other one not so much. This made me so disgusted with myself. Lately I've found that the more I find products that say "Made in China" in my home I just want to grab a Hefty bag and start trashing all of them. Sophia would have no toys, and we'd all probably be running around naked. So what to do? Obviously I have to be a smarter shopper. I'm tired of supporting companies that don't make their products locally and by locally I mean anywhere in North America. I'm at the point that if I see "Made in China" I'm leaving it at the store. This doesn't just apply to toys. I've discovered at the grocery store that sometimes I'm buying oranges "Grown in China"...why? California isn't that far away from us..wouldn't it be cheaper to buy oranges from there than to ship them over on a boat? It's so frustrating.

Does this bother any of you? If so, what changes have you made in your life to remedy this?

On another note, it looks like we've finally come to the end of this stomach flu. Boy was that a hellish week. Soph and I had it something horrible. Finally on Thursday/Friday/Saturday we both stayed on a clear liquid diet. Today is the first day she's had milk and solids and so far they are staying down (I'm praying this is the case as the day goes on).

Ick!

Sophia and I are recovering from an awful case of food poisoning. We have both been miserable since Monday afternoon. There's nothing scarier in the world than to see your baby so sick and so miserable. What's even worse, experts now say don't give ANYTHING to a sick child under the age of 2 years..well, except for Tylenol if there's a fever. Thankfully she seems to be feeling much better. Now if we could get rid of the cold she's got!

Regret

So all you moms have heard of the "Moro Reflex", right? If not let me tell you what it is..in short it's that falling sensation you get sometimes when you're on your back. If you'd like a more detailed explanation then go here.

When I had just had Sophia and we were in the hospital the nurses were helping me learn how to breastfeed. Soph, like most babies, kept falling asleep on the boob so I asked the nurses what I could do to keep her awake. All of them told me to either undress her so she wasn't too warm and/or to raise her up in the air because it would startle her. Well, being a new mom I didn't think it was bad..how was I supposed to know? So I did what the educated people told me to do and it worked!

Fast forward about two weeks after bringing Sophia home from the hospital. None of us are getting any sleep. She wakes nearly every 30 minutes because of this moro reflex kicking in. So my mom comes to visit and tells me that Sophia isn't getting good rest. Leave it to mom to know. She puts Sophia to sleep on her tummy and we all sleep peacefully.

Fast forward again to today. She's 9 months old. Every Friday we have gymnastics from 12:15 to 1:00. It's just across the bridge from where we live. Today just happens to be sunny and gorgeous..not too cold..perfect day to walk to and from Soph's class. So I pack her up with some bottles and diapers and extra change of clothes and off we go. On the way she's bopping around with her little hat with the pom poms and wearing her blue shades. Happy as can be. Coming home was a totally different story. She was exhausted. It was going on 2 pm and she'd been awake since 10:20. She cried and screamed all the way across the bridge and I was walking as fast as I could to get her home for a nap. I stop at the light and look at her and poor baby girl is leaning forward in her stroller with her head dropping down banging on the front bar. I tried to get her to lean back but that moro reflex must have kicked in because she would have none of it.

I wish I could find those nurses again and tell them they are horrible for telling new parents to do what they told me. I wonder how many other new moms are paying the price now? And I wonder if Sophia will ever be able to sleep on her back?!

Another great giveaway!

Jen at A Daily Dose of Davis is hosting a great giveaway. If you like paper, go over and check it out!

Finally!

I am SO EXCITED! Finally, Sephora is coming to downtown Vancouver...ACK! I wanted to scream with joy this morning when I got the e-mail. I've been waiting YEARS for this moment..and finally, in July, my dream will come true!

Scam

Last Friday afternoon a woman appeared at my front door asking to rent our townhouse. I told her it wasn't for rent. She then pulled out some papers that she printed off the internet and showed me that it said our address was available for rent for $700 p/month. I was completely shocked. She mentioned that the man posting the ad (on Craigslist) had requested she send him the first and last months rent in order to view the place. When she said that I knew it was a scam.

Yesterday a man came to our door for the same reason. Again I had to tell him, it's not for rent and there's no way you could rent anything in this neighborhood for that amount anyway! He acted a little disgusted with me but whatever.

I contacted Craiglist and told them someone is running a scam on their website and it involves my address and I want them to deal with it. Unfortunately I searched for a bit and couldn't find the posting so it is likely someone else figured it out and got the posting removed.

This morning Jeff called me on his way to work and said there was a notice on the board on the way into the parking garage. Two townhouses in our courtyard were broken into on Tuesday. I don't know if that's related to the shady characters wanting to rent my home but it seems kind of odd. What's crazy is this neighborhood has always been safe, but now I'm not feeling so safe. I just won't be answering my door during the daytime and I'll have to remember to use the deadbolt at all times.

My little teether

Miss Sophia's bottom gums are swollen the size of Texas right now. No wonder the sweet girl hasn't been sleeping well.

On Saturday we celebrated Christmas with the Schafer/Leone/Black clan. The weather was bad at Christmas so we had to delay the celebration. It was nice to see everyone and it was tons of fun watching Soph try to copy her big cousin Gavin!

I can't believe we are nearly halfway through February. Where's the month going? On Friday Soph will be 9 months old! I can't believe it.

Last Friday, Soph graduated from her gymnastics class. She got to stand on a podium while her instructor presented her with her "report card". It was the most adorable thing. She was quite proud of herself and raised her arms in the air excitedly. I'll have to get the photos from my other camera..it was way too cute!

Here she is the day she graduated:

Regression

I am exhausted. Sophia has been waking up every night for about an hour. Last night I just couldn't do it, and I asked Jeff to take her. She always wants a bottle. This has made me think she's not eating enough during the day, so I've increased the amount of solids she's been eating but that didn't seem to make a difference. I miss a good nights sleep and I have no idea why this is happening. I've been reading Wonder Weeks. It says that her glucose metabolism is now kicking in but what that means..I've no idea (must research!). Have any of you other moms gone through this? At 3.5 months Sophia was sleeping through the night..seriously. She was sleeping about 12 - 14 hours p/night! And then teething started and that ended (mourning!).
I know this won't last forever - I'm praying it doesn't, anyway. It's just hard to keep that in mind when you're living through it at the moment!

According to Nina

Nina Knows Best is now According to Nina! Check out her new super cute blog. She's got lots of cute giveaways this week and she always has great advice on just about everything!

With that, I am off for a huge coffee. Sweet, sweet Sophia decided last night wasn't a night for sleep. She's got the energy and mama is holding her eyes open with toothpicks.

My first tag!

Abbie, at A Glimpse of the Girl Next Door, tagged me! FUN!

Here are the rules:

Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
Step 2: tag—eight other un-tagged people

Make a list of things you can see without getting up: tv, phone, keyboard, Sophia's toys, Diet Coke, cat

What are you wearing now? tank top, lululemon pants

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? Wonder Weeks

Do you nap a lot? I should nap when Soph naps, but I rarely do

Who was the last person you hugged? Jeff

What’s your current obsession/addiction? reading blogs - I have to agree with Abbie on this one. I've discovered some amazing women!

What was the last thing you said aloud? "I love you"

What websites do you always visit when you go online? Gmail and Facebook

What was the last thing you bought? Blackout shades

What are you listening to right now? the tv

If you could have any super power, what would it be? To fly. I know, it's so silly, but we are flying to AR in March and I dread the 6 hour flight with a 10 month old child

What is your favorite weather, and why? Hot..and, dare I say, humid. I miss those kinds of summers.

What time do you usually get up? Well, Sophia seems to enjoy waking up at 5:30 am..so that's when I get up

What is your most challenging goal right now? Saving money to purchase a second home in Hot Springs, AR..and to survive this recession

Say something to the person who tagged you:
Abbie - I've loved reading about your wedding planning! I can't wait to see pictures of your big day..also, I'm so jealous you just got to go back to AR!

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? By the beach, any beach, as long as it's warm almost year round

Favorite vacation spot? beach

What is your favorite item of clothing? I'm a mom..I aim for comfort - lululemon pants, baby

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: diet coke..but it is caffeine free!

Favorite pair of shoes you keep going back to over and over, even though your closet is overflowing with a zillion others: I'm a flip flops girl.

Name one thing you cannot live without: a good bra!

*My added question*
What is your favorite childhood memory? My older brother surprised me and picked me up at school. He then took me for ice cream. It was the first time he wasn't picking on me!


I tag:


Hexkitten
G.R.I.T.S.
Ross Family
Waiting for Chloe Grace
Addie and Mommie's Blog
According to Nina
Our Gifts from God

Light as a feather...

Ok, that might be pushing it a little but I am lighter! I joined WW in mid-December. When I was pregnant with Sophia I sort of got out of hand with the ice cream and the chocolate and pretty much gave in to any craving I had at the time. Jeff, of course, was fully supportive of this! Now I am no longer pregnant but you wouldn't know that when I step on the scale. I remember at all my weekly OB appointments I would get in trouble because of my weight. She kept telling me "it's going to be difficult to lose this weight after the baby". Of course, I sort of laughed her off at the time but boy was she right!

Anyway, WW has been successful for me so far. I'm nearly at -10lbs! Once I reach that goal I then have to decide what my desired weight is and aim for that. For my height I should be ranging between 120 - 140. I'm going to go for 130 lowest/135 highest. I've seen myself at 120 and I look like a skeleton.

So it's pretty exciting to know that this is working..what I'm doing is making a difference although I haven't had to change much. I've just become more mindful of what's going in my mouth and making some healthier choices. Thankfully I haven't had to give up my chocolate!

YUM!

Sophia is a picky eater. I know..8 1/2 months old and already picky. I have had a time getting her to eat any sort of meat or green vegetables. I did successfully get her to eat an avocado with banana over the weekend. However, isn't avocado a fruit? When trying to get her to eat something I put it to my mouth like I'm going to eat it and then say "YUM!". Sometimes this works with her but most times not. I have a smarty pants on my hands.

On Sunday afternoon I was sitting on the floor eating a cracker and I had her Gerber Puffs in hand so she could have a little snack. I handed her a puff and watched as she tried to figure out her pincher grip to get it into her mouth. When she was finally successful she looked at me and said "YUM!"!

Yay, it's Friday Ya'll!

I am so glad it's Friday! Soph has been teething this week and crawling all over the place. I love our time together but I also love when her daddy is home to give me a hand!

This morning I woke up to this in my inboxHow adorable is that? It's a kids rain hat! I LOVE it..perfect for rainy days in Vancouver, that's for sure!

The other day Nina wrote a post on St. Tropez Sunless Tanning Lotion - I love getting reviews from other women like myself! It made me think about what my favorite products in my bathroom are. So here you go:

1. This first one is a tie..my makeup - I love Bare Minerals makeup and use it when I've got a bit more time to dip, tap and brush it on. But there are days when I only have a minute to put makeup on and for those days I use Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup (specifically the compact..it's so good!). It's a bit on the pricey side, but well worth it. It actually last all day and it never looks flakey.


2. Alba Shaving Cream. It's not tested on animals and the tube last a good 3 to 4 months. The coconut lime scent makes me feel like I'm on the beach!

3. Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Shampoo and Conditioner. This stuff smells so amazing I'm almost tempted to eat my hair after washing with it! It leaves my hair so soft and shiny and smelling yum.



4. This post isn't all about beauty products. Oh no! It also includes bathroom cleaning products! I adore all things Method (ok, that's not true. I hated their shaving cream and their bath soap). I have yet to use their bodywash..so I can't say if it's good or not. I do love their bathroom cleaning products. Pretty much all of them..see below!

These things are fabulous. Just wipe down your bathroom and flush. They smell great and they're biodegradable!



Just spray your shower and walk away. Gets rid of the green scum in no time!



This is a newer Method product and it does a very good job of getting your toilet and sink clean. Plus it comes with it's own little sponge for cleaning!



I actually use all the Method cleaning products in my home. I love that they are all natural and I don't have to worry about my family and my pets breathing a bunch of chemicals everyday.

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have a super weekend!

Addiction

Since joining Weight Watchers in early December, I've had to give up my Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I still enjoy it about once a week in its nonfat version, but it's not the same! However, my daily coffee fix has now been made even yummier with this:

My favorite flavor is Southern Butter Pecan. It's so delicious!

Black Bean Soup

Now that I'm on Weight Watchers, I'm always on the lookout for healthy and easy recipes that my family will love. I came across this recipe at Annie's Eats and have to say it is absolutely delicious and SO easy!

Here it is for you to enjoy:

Black Bean Soup

2 cans black bean soup - drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa (I use mild or medium)
1 teaspoon cumin

Throw all the ingredients into a food chopper and puree until smooth. Empty contents into saucepan and heat..about 20 minutes. Top with shredded cheese or sour cream and green onions.

Enjoy!

What happened to sleep?

This week has been tough! On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday Sophia decided the second nap of the day only needed to be for 30 minutes. She would then be awake for nearly 5 hours until she went to bed. Yesterday she only took one nap. When it was time to go down for her second nap, she wouldn't have it. She fought and fought. I tried everything. I tried rocking her (which is what I ALWAYS do) and then I tried putting her down in her crib and then going in at 5 min. then 10 min., then 20 min., and so on...that went on forever until I just couldn't stand seeing her cry..just for the record, I personally am completely against letting her cry it out. Yesterday she was up for over 7 hours straight and when bedtime came and she finished her bottle she was out like a light and didn't wake up until after 6 this morning. Today has been a bit better..she's having her afternoon nap, but she's only about 10 minutes in so at this point anything could happen!

I'm wondering if she's trying to drop a nap or if this change in sleep patterns is due to the teething and/or the new skill of crawling and/or trying to stand up and/or separation anxiety. Days like yesterday make me wish children came with a manual. Why the sudden change? How could she go from needing two naps to suddenly NOT needing both of them? When I need sleep, I need the full 8 hours and then some. Of course this has not happened since having a baby which would explain why I'm always in a daze :)

On another note, today she had her gymnastics class and I found out that in 3 weeks (when she has her last class for this period) she gets a report card! HA! I can't imagine what on earth it will say but I think that's the cutest thing ever. Today she had to get her photo taken which will go on her report card. She was all smiles. It was the cutest thing. I'm anxious to see what her instructor has to say!

8 Months!

Sophia turned 8 months old yesterday! I can't believe that 8 months have gone by so fast. Where is the time going?

She's been trying to crawl for awhile now and though she hasn't mastered the official crawl she still manages to get herself all over the house by lifting up her body onto her hands and one knee and then swinging her butt around until she's sitting. It's the funniest thing I've seen.

The past two days have been pretty sketchy with the napping. I have no idea why all of a sudden she's decided that napping just isn't for her. I would think that with her being so active she would need more sleep now more than ever. I hope this is just a phase.

Along with the crawling she's cutting her other top tooth. This may be contributing to the no sleep situation that has just started.

As I type this I can hear the sweet girl snoring through her baby monitor. Poor thing just wore herself right out!