Small Style 4/7

The weather in the Northwest has stayed pretty chilly. We've finally gotten some sun for a few days, but we definitely aren't in spring clothes yet. There was one slightly not cold day and I put Kalaya in a short sleeved shirt; she spent all day trying to roll the sleeves back down! (aka, like we do after we finish eating or washing our hands)

Sweater vest: Handmade by a woman at our church
Jeans: Target
White turtleneck: Fred Meyer
Shoes: Thrifted (Pedipeds)

Fleece outfit: K Mart ($2.99 on clearance!)
Grandpa's Size 13 wooden shoes: Holland
(she tried SO hard to walk in them, had to carry them all over the house instead. And, no, I did not pose her with them. She chose them herself : )

Jimi Hendrix T, leggings: Target
Turtleneck onesie: Fred Meyer
(we've been layering a lot!)
Bunny: Auntie Patti

I am linking with That Kind of Mom and Mama Loves Papa

23 Months

I wonder how I will keep up with posting about milestones after the 2nd birthday? I haven't decided yet. Maybe I'll just keep going as I am. Or maybe add 2 years, ___ months. Or, I've thought about having "Toddler Tuesday" or "Family Friday" posts to keep up with Kalaya's newest events. (gotta keep those great-aunt readers happy!)

I can't believe it's been 2 years since this:

(man, I miss being pregnant!! I loved having that baby belly!!)

I have been saying ever since she was born that Kalaya is a baby until she turns 2. But I didn't know it would get here so quickly!!!

She really isn't a baby any more. I know that. She is a go, go, go toddler! And, she's such a joy and a delight. She is so interested in so many things, so curious and so full of words to describe and talk about everything around her! I don't know what the average amount of words is for a 2 year old and frankly, I don't need to know. Her vocabulary ASTOUNDS me. This child points out octagons that she sees in public. She strings 3-4 word sentences together from out of the blue about things she hasn't seen in weeks. She remembers things from books when she sees them out of context and identifies them. It is crazy to me and so amazing.

Those 2 year old molars have started showing up! It's hard to know how many, even though we brush, and now floss, her teeth twice a day. She's not crazy about letting me look in the back of her mouth. But, last night I felt the first 2 year old molar and wrote it in the baby book. This led to almost tears, because I realized the 2 year molars are the last set recorded in the baby book!! I had suspected the teeth were coming soon, because she started gnawing on her fingers a lot about 3-4 weeks ago, which is what she has done prior to all other teeth. This is IT though until the 6 year old molars, thank goodness!! This child has been teething since she was 3 months, poor thing!

Speaking of teeth, she had her first dental visit this month. We had been told wait until they are 3, but then at her 18 month check up, her pediatrician mentioned that our insurance had pediatric dental coverage, so why not? Kalaya did really well, only fussing during the counting of her teeth and mainly because she was flat on her back with her mouth held open. (even though she was laying in my lap) The dentist was wonderful, very gentle, quiet and we could tell she has tons of experience with little ones. Maybe things will be better in another 6 months!

I am so proud to be Kalaya's mommy. She is SO well behaved in public, when we go any where. She is sweet and friendly, though cautious. She waves and gives friendly 'hi!'s, fist bumps and high fives to anyone, once she gets the go from us. She listens very well when redirected (though there are exceptions near nap/bedtime or in times of hunger) and is very obedient. We get compliments on her behavior, her vocabulary and how cute she is EVERYwhere we go.

At home, we (especially me, since I'm at home with her) are starting to see some 'terrible two' behavior, but it's really not too bad. We have to have occasional time outs and do a lot of practicing of 'yes mommy or daddy' instead of saying no. She says no just to say it, usually when she doesn't even mean it. It's usually pretty easy to ignore and redirect.

Eating and sleeping are going really well most days. She does not have a huge number of foods that she loves, but she has plenty of choices and all of them are pretty healthy. And fairly boring, but that's okay. She's not a big meat eater or whole pieces of fruits or veggies. However, if I puree things and mix them with pasta, rice, oatmeal, yogurt or spread them on bread or crackers, I can get her to eat most things. She is also a big dairy lover, especially cheese. She loves crackers as well, but I haven't found any kinds of juice she likes. Just milk and water.

Naptime and bedtime go pretty smoothly and quickly most days. We're thinking about transitioning her to her own room (if she's ready) if we get this new house. She sleeps well from about 8pm-6am and then will cuddle nap until 7:30 or later, so it should work out fine. We're going to transition slooooowly, so as not to overwhelm her with too many changes after the move. Naps are usually around 1 1/2 hours or so, mid-afternoon. I love that we're not on a rigid schedule of times, because it means that our days are very flexible and she adjusts pretty easily.

I've been putting off planning the 2nd birthday party, because we're hoping to do it in our NEW house if we get it. (still waiting for the bank to approve the repairs we requested be included in the price) It will likely be house warming/Memorial Day/Nelson and Kalaya's birthday get together, just advertised as house warming, so that people won't feel obligated to bring gifts. It will be very low key, as far as the actual birthday part, since she's 2 and won't remember it any way.

Next post like this will be for a TWO YEAR OLD!!

My First What I Wore Wednesday

I have several mom blogs that I read who participate in "What I Wore Wednesday". The idea (I think) started with a mom who wanted to stop being so 'mommy' about fashion (i.e. sweats, pjs, the first thing you find that's not filthy in the morning) and start focusing on embracing the mommy body and styling it it fun and cute.

Having a baby changed how I felt about my body. I've never been a person who thought she was all that attractive, but I realized I had a lot more confidence pre-baby than I realized. Not that I think I'm fat, ugly, etc. It's just that your body changes and becomes something so different while being pregnant and after becoming a mom. The last thing I felt was sexy, pretty, or as though people want to look at me. (Plus, really, everyone looks at my kid now anyway!) Plus, in our family situation, I rarely leave the house during the week. Nelson takes the (only) car to work and we don't go many places. Why dress up to sit around the house, cleaning up messes, doing chores, cooking, etc? But, the truth is, I feel better when I wear more than just sweats. (though not always as comfortable.)

This past November, for my birthday, I decided I wanted to update my wardrobe a little bit. I went on a shopping spree and actually tried on clothes that weren't: sweats, 2 sizes too big, maternity, and some were actually form fitting, including my first pair of skinny jeans. I ended up feeling great and was surprised to find out that I could still feel attractive and enjoy wearing clothes. I decided to embrace my new body, rather than hide it. I had the same mind set a couple of weeks ago when I went to buy clothes for spring. I even bought a pair of jeggings, which I still can't believe and I love them!

Some of my other friends who participate in this post have several outfits each week. I don't know if I'm at that point yet. Maybe when we start going out and about more. Maybe when I'm back in school or something similar. For now, it's going to be when I have the car or on weekends. I'll probably only post 1-2 outfits per week. But, it's something!!! I'm kicking myself, because I wore lots of cute (spring!) outfits on my trip and only took one picture that shows my outfit. And, now it's too cold in Oregon to wear those clothes. However, here's my first official What I Wore Wednesday:

Shirt & jeggings: Target
Flats: Payless Shoe Source
Necklace: Forever 21 accessory store

I am linking with That Kind of Mom and Mama Loves Papa

Spring Break Trip 2011

Even though I'm no longer teaching, I still think about Spring Break every year, mainly because my mom is off for the week and I get to see my teaching friends! This year my mom decided she wanted to 'get away' and go some where, so she decided to go to Alabama to visit her parents and family. I decided to take Kalaya and go too! My grandparents are getting up there and I like to take advantage and see them whenever I can.

My mom left a day earlier than us, because it was almost half the price for us to fly out a day later! Her dates weren't flexible, since she had to be back to teach, but it didn't matter when we went! We left on Tuesday the 22nd. Honestly, Kalaya did about the best she could have done riding on my lap, but I really think the airlines should change their rules about lap kids. Yes, it's great that I didn't have to pay for her ticket, but she really was too big to sit on my lap the whole time. I can't even imagine if she was a child who was in a higher size percentage or if she wasn't as wonderfully behaved as she was. We had a layover in Dallas and she did well during both flights. I had packed lots of snacks, books and little toys. I had packed my mom's portable DVD player with some Elmo DVDs (from the library) to use as a last resort. She napped on the first flight and read her books and played with toys on the first flight and did really well. The layover was short enough that we only had time to get to our next flight, grab a snack and get on the plane. Luckily, she had her own seat on the second flight, because the plane was only about half full. I should have known it was too good to be true. We sat at the gate for TWO AND A HALF HOURS waiting for them to fix something or other and after all that they took us off the plane and put us on another one. She was ready for a nap when we first got on the plane, which would have been perfect for the hour and a half flight, but on the ground waiting? Nope, no sleep. AND, the DVD player refused to work, OF COURSE. I let her (with me right behind) walk up and down the aisle and she was very well behaved and everyone loved her. We survived.

We spent Wednesday and Thursday at my grandparents' house in Alabama. Their house is anything but baby proof, but Kalaya did a great job. My cousin had loaned us (thank you Victoria!!) some of her daughters' toys, so we had lots to play with. We went shopping at an outlet mall one day and just had time visiting and being together.

Friday we drove out to the Atlanta (Georgia, duh!) area to visit my mom's brother, his wife, 4 kids and granddaughter. We had a great time and we stayed at my cousin's beautiful house with her 2 year old Emma. Kalaya and Emma were instant buddies and had a great time running around the house and playing with Emma's toys. Saturday was spent at my uncles house with a big family lunch to celebrate my cousin Greg's 12th birthday. We played board games and visited, having a great time.

Sunday started off fine with a visit to their family church, though Kalaya and I did not like the nursery situation, so she napped on me in church instead. (not a problem at all) Then, Pa Pa (my grandpa) took all of us out to breakfast at IHOP. Kalaya hadn't eaten much breakfast, which is REALLY weird for her and had been extra fussy all morning. Once we were seated and she started eating, she threw up ALL over herself. It was AWFUL! I am not a person who can handle puke in any way, that's what Nelson does. She's never had a stomach bug and I was worried. I went into Mommy-mode though and my only concern was not upsetting her. I cleaned her up in the bathroom (thank goodness I ALWAYS carry a change of clothes and extra wipes!!) and then she seemed totally fine. Then, about 3 hours later (on our drive back to Alabama) she threw up every where again and we still had a 2 hour car ride to go. Luckily, I had anticipated the problem and brought a really big, old towel and managed to catch almost all of it. I threw the towel away, changed her again and she slept the rest of the way home. She threw up again at the house and wasn't keeping anything down, even breast milk, which was a concern, so I called our nurse advice line. I was advised to continue to nurse her and that if she didn't keep it down through the night to take her in to urgent care the next day. Luckily, she didn't have another episode and even ate a couple of saltines. The next day she wasn't totally herself, but managed to eat some small meals and seemed to be feeling better, which was good, because we flew home on Tuesday!

She did really well on the return flights. The biggest challenge was the 3 hour layover in Dallas, but we found ways to kill time by having a leisurely lunch, riding the tram around and around and playing in the children's play area, that was, luckily, right next to our gate. I had a killer migraine, so I'm thrilled that she was as well behaved as she was. The pivotal moment of the entire trip was her reunion with Nelson. I don't think she realized how long she'd been away from him until that very moment and both of them had tears in their eyes and she held onto him as though she would never let go. So sweet!!

Spending time with Pa Pa (great grandpa)

Spending time with Ma Ma (great grandma)

"Riding" Ma Ma and Pa Pa's horse

4 generations!

Cousin matching outfits! (it's tradition!!)

Cousin bathtime!

Cheese and cracker Saturday lunch, another family tradition!

Meal Planning Monday

I used to post my meals for the upcoming 2 weeks, but got out of the habit. I want to start again! I grocery shop once a week for produce, milk and the staples, if needed, but plan for 2 weeks worth of meals and do a larger trip every 2 weeks. Here's what's coming up in our house:

M: Split Pea Soup, but it's not vegan at our house, since I use homemade chicken stock instead of the water and we sprinkle cheese on top. Served with whole wheat rolls
T: Chicken Divan (Mom's recipe, it's similar to this except I make the sauce from scratch, not from a can and parmesan instead of cheddar)
W: Bean Burritos w/ Mexican rice and corn (all from scratch) (Wed are my quicky meals, because I have bell choir practice at church, right after dinner)
Th: Spinach Artichoke Tortellini with whole wheat sour dough bread
F: (out)
Sa: Lasagna Soup
Su: Peanut Noodle Bowls with Broccoli and Carrots (found in a magazine one time, never have found it online)

M: Turkey Chili
T: Breakfast for Dinner: Whole wheat blue berry pancakes, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs with spinach
W: Turkey burgers, mashed potatoes and peas
Th: Macaroni and Cheese (I use whole wheat pasta) with spinach salad
F: (out)
Sa: Ravioli Lasagna
Su: Trader Joe's Orange Chicken over brown rice with stir fry veggies

Now, off to Trader Joe's to buy everything I need!

Small Style

Shirt and Jeans: Target
Shoes: Pedipeds

This is easily the most requested outfit at our house. She says, 'Elmo shirt! Elmo shirt!' every morning and once in a while, I allow it : )

I am linking with Mama Loves Papa and That Kind of Mom.

House Update

Well, buying a house is definitely an emotional roller coaster. And this one has (luckily) been a rather quick process so far. Still, the waiting game is never fun, and we've done that a few times in the last month.

So, we put our offer in for the house and went back and forth with the seller for a couple of days. Since it's bank owned, we didn't feel guilty what-so-ever about offering much lower than the asking price and sticking to our offer. The reality is that we can't go much higher than what we offered anyway, unless we want me to take on a second job. That is certainly a possibility, since I am considering nannying again once we're settled, but we don't have anything locked down and don't want to depend on an income before we have it.

So, we made the offer, the bank came back with a joke (barely lowered at all), we came back with a slightly higher (but not by much) offer and said if it wasn't accepted, we'd walk. They came back with another joke of an offer and we said no thank you. 24 hours later, they agreed to our offer, with a slight change in what they're paying in closing costs, so we took it!

The next (and hopefully last) major hurdle was the inspection. We had it Monday and it had some not so good news. The house is in alright condition, but needs lots of little repairs (which we expected, since it was built in '72) and 3 MAJOR repairs. The roof needs to be completely replaced ASAP, all of the siding is showing signs of dry rot and needs to be replaced and the furnace doesn't work (though that could be a minor repair, it may be just because the house has been vacant for so long). So, it could be 15-20 thousand dollars worth of repairs, which we do NOT have. So, we wrote up a proposal for them to take care of those 3 things and we'll do the small stuff. The other issue is that the people who lived there tried to do a lot of upgrading and home repair themselves and, apparently, didn't have a clue what they were doing. So, we'll be doing some tearing down and (down the road) replacing those things. They're nothing necessary, just things that would have been nice. (example, the covered patio and the laundry room added into the garage)

So, now we're waiting. The bank did get back to us really quickly and say that it's possible, and to get an estimate, which our realtor said is a good sign, so we're working on that now. Hopefully they will replace it all or we'll have to walk away. But, I haven't given up hope yet!!!

22 Months

In such a short period of time, we'll reach that 2 year mark. Do I have to stop measuring her age in months after that?? Or do I have to say '2 years, __ months'. Sigh.....the little heart breaks of being a mother....

For the most part, 22 months is a fantastic age at our house. It means non stop chatter and the discovery of multiple new words every day. I have BEYOND lost track of all the words my daughter can say. Maybe if I was a better mother, I would carry a pad of paper at all times to write them down, but I'm not and I don't mind it one bit.

Let's see....Kalaya can repeat back the entire alphabet (and requests 'ABCs!!!!' about 50 times a day) and count with someone to 10. I've caught her saying around 10 letters in a row on her own. She can identify M and N out of context and sometimes O. She knows square, circle, triangle, rectangle, diamond, oval, heart, and star out of context. Yesterday this child even said octagon, which literally left me speechless. She repeats back almost everything you say to her or around her. (We are being VERY careful with our language these days) She is saying 3-4 word sentences about absolutely everything!

She has the funniest interests. She is still SO into Elmo and everything associated with Sesame Street, which I don't think is going to change any time soon. It is crazy how Elmo attracts this age. She's had some books with Elmo and other characters for a long time. She learned the word Elmo from these books awhile back and it totally stuck with her. Then, my GENIUS husband decided one day to show her this video and she was forever hooked. What is it about him?? I mean, I like Elmo as much as the next gal, but it is amazing how toddlers are drawn to this little red monster with the cute little voice. She started demanding Elmo at the computer at all times, which quickly had to end. We compromised by downloading the song on iTunes, which still lead to a demand for Elmo at the computer. If you look at the amount of times that most songs are listened to on our computer, it's around 30 or so for the most listened to (mainly Glee songs). Elmo's Song has been played 2083 times. I am not making this number up. We just put it on repeat and ignore it.

Anyway, I had always said my kids wouldn't watch TV before 2 and I still think that's a good rule. However, she LOVES him so much we decided she can watch the "Elmo's World" section of Sesame Street once or twice on Sat mornings and not back to back. (it's about 15-20 min long) We figured, at least it's educational, right? (see, this is why you NEVER decide things about parenting before you have kids!!!) Anyway, the obsession has only increased and now includes Abby, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, etc. She can seriously spot Elmo in stores from 50 yards away, it is incredible. He has been a saving grace for distraction and motivation though: when we or she have been sick, watching Elmo has saved the day. We have him on her toothbrush and a stuffed Elmo for bed time, both of which have made those activities much easier. She has Elmo big girl underwear waiting for the right time. For our trip on the plane next week, I raided the dollar bins at Target and got TONS of distractions featuring Sesame Street. I also reserved several DVDs at the library to watch on the portable DVD player on the plane. And, thanks to family members, she now has plenty of clothes and toys that have to do with Elmo.

It is so neat to see her become her own little person with her own interests. Currently, bunnies are at the top of the list. Her favorite books all involve bunnies. She is especially a fan of Goodnight Moon and I Am a Bunny. She loves all things bunnies that we see, which is really fun right now with all of the Easter stuff in stores. I'm especially looking forward to her Easter basket and maybe a trip to meet the Easter bunny. She also really likes lights. That sounds so strange, but she's so interested in lights turning on and off and gets SO excited and squeals when either one happens! We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner last night and all she did was point out all the different types of lights and fixtures. (they have a LOT of different styles and colors) She loves to color and I'm excited to start doing more crafts with her. She loves balloons and gets so excited if she sees one. The lines at the grocery store are almost too much some times. : )

She is so independent these days, I can't believe it some times. It's usually pretty easy to redirect, just ignoring a no or practicing saying 'yes' instead. She does get stubborn and 'no' is definitely the way she proves her independence. It's often when I know she doesn't mean it, so it's fairly easy to ignore. And it's usually only when she's getting tired or hungry. And, it's usually only around the house. She is SO well behaved when we go out and about, whether to play dates, out to eat, or to a store. We get compliments every where on how sweet and friendly she is, how cute she is, how well behaved and amazement at all the words she says.

Bed time has become SO much better. Daylight savings may have helped, but it was getting better for a couple of weeks before that. We really try to stick to our routine and now she's going down around 8:15 within about 20 minutes and more often on her own than with one of us. She sleeps well through the night and still will sleep in most mornings. (please, please, don't let me just have jinxed myself) She takes about 6 friends to bed with her, plus a very specific blanket and pillow. Our bed is now crowded with 2 bears, 2 babies, Elmo, a 'quack quack' (penguin), and a snowman.

Favorite toys these days still include books, hats, cars and Little People, all stuffed animals, babies, her tool kit, play food, her kitchen, anything Elmo, and mirrors. She will talk to herself in the mirror endlessly, it's hilarious!

Small Style

There are 2 other blogs I read who have a post every week called Small Style. I thought I'd participate this week:

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Overalls: Vintage from when I was her age (my mom saved EVERYTHING)
White onesie turtleneck: Fred Meyer
Green Ribbons: Target
Good luck bear: from Grandma

Flannel shirt, leggings, cowboy boots: Target
Barrettes: Dollar Tree

Candy Turtleneck: Gift from Grandma
Denim jumper: Thrifted
Tights: Marshalls
Crocs: Fred Meyer (she picked those herself, we did not leave the house since it is COLD!)

She picked this outfit herself!
Cookie Monster Shirt: H&M
Tu Tu: Old Navy
Gray leggings: Fred Meyer
Socks: Gift

March Madness

Well, the title can have many meetings. The first that come to mind is the NCAA Tournament, which is a pretty big part of our house every year. We're not obsessive, but we always do brackets for fun and Nelson usually enters a (small) office pool. Last year we let Kalaya choose a bracket and we're doing it again this year. Last year she was given identical blocks to choose from to represent her choices. This year she can actually give answers, so it's pretty cute!

We had a crazy weekend the last weekend in February. Nelson and I both came down with the worst stomach flu we have ever had. It was AWFUL!! I've never felt that sick, except when I had mono in high school. And at least I could eat then. We had problems at both ends and could barely move without getting sick. By the grace of God, it was a snow day for my mom that day and she was able to watch Kalaya and keep her away from us. Some how Kalaya didn't catch it, THANK YOU JESUS. All I can figure out is the nursing antibodies from me. My mom wasn't so fortunate and caught it. Luckily, we had our meds to give her and they worked! Nelson and I were so dehydrated we ended up in Urgent Care. He needed a full liter IV and I had to have 2! It helped a great deal and we ended up sick for only about 48 hours, but that was long enough. I hope no one else caught it!!!

We have some exciting things going on! Whew, this house hunting thing is going by sooo much faster than we thought it would! We spent the last month working back and forth with our mortgage banker (who my parents have worked with since 1988, so we totally trust him), finalizing our application to get pre-qualified for an FHA loan. Turns out we have amazing credit, who knew??? So, we then started talking with and meeting with a realtor (Tammie). We really like our realtor, who was recommended to us by our mortgage guy. She has been so helpful and going out of her way to help us begin to understand this process. It is very overwhelming, but very exciting too!!

Everyone has been telling us what a great time this is to buy. And, it is. However, not quite as much in our price range. With (basically) a one-income household, we are in a limited market. And, since we live in one of the highest priced states in the country and are looking in one of the most expensive parts of that state, we are fairly limited. We know we want a detached home as well (no condos or townhomes), which narrows it even more. We've also discovered that in our price range, investors with CASH IN HAND (that blows me away in this economy) snatch up these properties very quickly and rent them out. We've learned that most of the 'houses' in our range are the type where all the houses around it look exactly the same, with a teeny or no yard, basically condos that aren't attached so they can call them houses. We aren't apposed to these houses, but we really want something that feels more like a home.

We started seriously looking at houses online and with our realtor 2 weeks ago. Such a short time, but we quickly discovered if there's something you're serious about, you have to move FAST. I'm not exaggerating. Example; I sent 10 links to properties we were interested in to our realtor on a Monday. Tuesday she set up viewings for us for the upcoming Saturday. By FRIDAY AFTERNOON, all but TWO of the properties had 1-2 offers. And, since most of the houses in our price range are short sale (I had to google what that meant), it could take 4 or more months to hear back from those offers.

Needless to say, we were getting nervous.

Tammie managed to find 6 houses for us to view on Saturday. (as in 2 days ago) Several of them were ones that I had seen with no interest or weren't in areas we wanted. We were frustrated to say the least. 2 of them were awful and 2 were cookie cutter cheapies. One was alright, but it was really, really out of the way and not nice enough to justify living that far away.

HOWEVER, we found one we LOVE. Here it is. The pictures do NOT do it justice. That horrible fence around the front yard makes it look condemned, it's going to be the first thing to go if we get it. (we are starting with an offer of FAR less than asking) The pictures of the inside do not show how nice it is either. If you look here, our realtor found the previous listing and it looks much nicer. I don't like the current colors, including the exterior, so we may change that. I wish the bank hadn't changed the colors, I like the old ones so much more!!!! Oh well.

Things we love: 4 bedrooms (almost unheard of in our range), 2 bath, the rooms are HUGE, the yard is nice and big with big trees, plenty of room for a garden, lots and lots of storage, GORGEOUS newly remodeled kitchen, covered patio (VERY necessary with young kids in Oregon) which is not attractive but we could redo someday, large garage, cul-de-sac, corner lot, good schools, quiet neighborhood, close to MAX for Nelson to commute, near everything we need!! I am really trying to get my heart set on it, but I think it's too late.....

We made an offer yesterday. I can't believe this is happening so fast. It was too good to pass up! We're keeping our eyes out for anything new or better. If we get an acceptance, we would close the last week of APRIL!! It can possibly happen so fast, I can't even begin to comprehend it. One thing at a time, right??? God is so awesome, I know this is totally in His hands and I know His plan is best and it awesome!!! We'll know by Wed evening if they accept our offer. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!