Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Blank




Blank. That is what happened to my mind during these shots. There is a time in your life when you will throw your underwear on stage for your favorite rock star - later you throw your babies at your favorite rock star. I wish I could say we shared a great conversation where I told him how much I enjoyed his music and my attachment to "Bartender Hook Me Up" but I can't. I was totally star-struck, mind was blank. I'm lucky the shots are in focus. The only thing I can remember is he smelled her head and said "mmmm smells good". You fans out there will recognize that statement from his live concert where he's said the same thing. Only difference is this was baby smell - not rock concert smell. For you non-fans out there...this is not a homeless man (as it may appear). ITS DAVE MATHEWS!!!! Turns out he likes the same coffee shop Olivia and I do. As the crowd started to thin out I heard this strange, but rather familiar grumbling low voice. I turned my head a bit and only got a slightly better earful of the grumbling low tones. I mouthed across the table to a friend "is that Dave?". My heart started racing as I read her lips say "yes". He was sitting right behind me. I have no shame - so when Dave (as I like to call him) got up from the table to get a coffee, I asked his table mate (his wife) if it would be okay to ask for a photo with the baby. I mean - who is going to say no to a baby?! She said he would be honored. When he returned, his wife helped introduce my request, I turned around and said "will you hold my baby" he said - "Why? Where are you going?" and I started taking pictures. It was such a chance encounter. I knew he lived here at least part time with his family and always hoped to 'bump' into him . What a great surprise that I would do it today! I just wish JR could have been there - he's the serious fan.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Sun God

Sun this time of year is wonderful - everyone celebrates. I found CAT lounging on the patio soaking up a few rays. She was eyes closed for a while, very relaxed.



We are slowly introducing contact between KID and CAT. Nothing too exciting yet. Olivia seems to be analyzing the situation nothing more. Here she seems to be concerned about something - perhaps the cause and effect relationshp between eating solid foods and size?

Sunday, March 29, 2009

New Barista In Town

My coffee odyssey started with Gloria Jean's, then Krups Machine (remember the pretty gold spoons), next I sipped and studied at Espresso Royale, eventually Starbucks made me feel 'cool', finally 'prosuming' with Jon at the Pasquini. Now, Olivia Jean is learning the ropes.
Jon has eagerly awaited the day the Baby Bjorn would be acceptable to Miss Olivia. Today was the day. We decided she didn't like it set on the 23" infant...she prefers a 26" setting which provides much more clearance for her legs and probably doesn't make her hips spread so far apart. Whatever, works is my motto. Now the two of them are dancing around the house making breakfast, coffees....I'm going to see about slipping a vacuum and and mop into this one before it is over.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Picture Day!

I got out the fancy camera today, our fancy clothes and the backdrop. I wanted to see if I could take some ultra cute pictures without paying a photographer to do it. I didn't do so well - of the 100 or so (thank god for digital) I only have a few to show for the hour. These are basically cute but nothing like the professionals. I did some reading on flikr for advice setting poses and stuff. Almost all said to have an assistant - my main mistake. So I think we will reschedule the photo shoot for this weekend when I have an assistant during Olivia's smiling hour.


She's zero to cute faster than the camera can snap the photo.


















Sunday, March 22, 2009

Ding Dong the Witch is...

You can decide who the witch is in this story - the point is she sleeps. Great day yesterday. I was itching for a nice long drivvvvvvvvve (vroom vroom). So we headed over the mountains to Cafe Christa (my favorite German spot). We were both a bit worried how things would go for a long ride in the car seat of death but things were perfect. We had some beer, some brats, rhinesrouladen and spaetzle, then out for the count. She slept on the way over so JR and I could play with all the new toys. The two of us are a couple of button pushers I tell ya. The car will play streaming music from our phones through the mobridge bluetooth in the car radio (why would you want/need this?). Whoa, but we couldn't figure it out. The instructions of course say, do this, then that, and voila rock out. But we never got to rock out. All we did was scream at each other when one thought the other was going to hit something as we careened over the mountain pass hands on the wheel, eyes on the PCM computer screen. The car will do everything but drive itself.We have also adopted the use of the swaddle technique. Olivia has not yet lost her involuntary spastic movements of arms and legs at oh say bedtime-thirty. The swaddle seems to be helping her stay asleep for longer periods...in her own space. We had a 8 - 6, 11 - 5 and 10 - 6. I guess she can be trained.



Last pic of the day. One of the few of us as a three-some. I laugh at this photo because it was taken by a drunk woman in the beergarden. She was harmless and very sweet (and the pic is steady and centered). I just find it hilarious because - you know the myriad of questions - whats her name, how old is she, and if they talk to you long enough you get - how much did she weigh at birth. For some reason this woman felt necessary to congratulate me on 'pushing' that one out. Strange choice of words I thought, but then she wasn't thinking all that clearly I guess.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

One-Two-Three


One


Two



Three (with a pillow for help).

We still need to work on this skill. But it sure is fun to take pictures of TIMBER....I'm quite certain she'll get even someday. Look at that face, right now she's totally under my control (well sorta). Not so long from now things will be entirely different I can see it - she's storing energy up in those cheeks!

Life Changing

Everyone tells you a baby will change your life forever. That is true around here for more reason than one. The latest reason is I pushed the work laptop aside (no more VPN'ing for "just a sec") and replaced it with the sewing machine. Poor Olivia will very soon be forced to wear Mom's homemade concoction. YIKES. At the moments I'm making baby gifts for friends. My latest invention is pretty burp cloths. A Walmart (or Target) cloth diaper with a pretty back to it. I don't go anywhere without one of these and now they have some style - you know frogs, penguins and busy bees - babystyle.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Everyone's Doing It

Cost cutting that is. I have to admit it - I enjoy BigLots, the Dollar Store even Goodwill on occasion. I'm not buying my underwear but just looking for something exciting. Its a sickness but I just love to know I paid $ and someone else paid $$ for the same thing. I love it even more when I know the ingredients to one things are EXACTLY the same as something else but the 'name brand' is the difference. Makes me feel so smart. So on this excursion I found a mobile for $8 bucka-roos. I didn't need the mobile (or all that nasty plastic attachment stuff) but I needed something to make the camels go long enough to take a shower. I found it and now we have a new obsession - camels spinning with noise. Just shaking the camels doesn't do it anymore.

I recently heard kids in A-town are leaving the tags on their clothes and wearing them to school. If I were in school today, mine would have all these extra prices and prices in red pen - and theirs would have the Original BIG price. Frugality is back in vogue - maybe kids will start to compete for who got what cheaper. Just think you could compete - you paid $$$ and I only paid $ for the same thing - then you could spout about the power of compounding interest. Now that would be cool.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Mini-Vans Not Allowed


I meant to get this done before the end of the year to take advantage of end of the year arm twisting but SOMEONE made her arrival early. Instead I had to scour the United States via Autotrader. The local dealer is on drugs with his prices so I had to go out of state. I still correspond via email with him telling him he's overpriced and he's still telling me how he will find me the right car at the right price. Lets just say he's still looking but I'm not. I found one in TX, had a friend all set to check it out and it sold. Bummer. That was awful because it made me much more eager on the next negotiation. I finally found another in Chi-town and one in Denver. I played the game with both dealers and won (who I am kidding...I got screwed). She was delivered on Wednesday and man does she purrrrrrr. I am very very happy with my first car purchase. I'm 34 and never bought a car - my parents kept hooking me up with their old rides...thank god they drive cool cars! Since it took me 34 years to get my first one this just might be my last, so I was sure to make it a good one.


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Big One


First flight, big dress, first time in church, big party, first bath in a salad bowl, second flight, second big snow storm driving in the car, first time she slept 7 hours in her own bed! It was a wild weekend. Olivia kept us busy on the flight home - and then she puked on landing. I think I was right about her NOT being a future pilot, oh well. As we drove home in another Seattle snow storm she screamed - Jon said take her out of that thing. I didn't...but I did crawl into the back (where there was no seat due to luggage) and hold my hand at an angle that even crown molding wouldn't call for. Then we got fed up with traffic due to how icy and dicey the roads were - so we turned around to go the back way. Ya, the back way. A few dead ends later (thank you google maps) and we were finally back on the way we recognized to home. 30 min later (hand still in awful angle but me now in the front seat with seat belt) we arrived at home. My favorite quote from the car ride when Olivia finally sucked herself to sleep...Stephani - "she should sleep until about 2" Jon - "I hope she sleeps until 2-morrow". I later asked Jon if he was ready for baby number 2....the response was VERY different than usual. Jon is not happy she cried on the airplane!!


Oh ya...and that stuff about the 7 hours of sleep. That's right we listened....we bathed her, fed her and rocked her to sleep in her own bed at 8pm last night. She needed some reassurance at about 10pm but then was lights out until 3:30am. I fed her again and then crashed with her and she is still sleeping as I write this at 7:30am. She's a sleeper no matter who's bed she's in!