Bliss

This morning was pure bliss.  We had not anticipated that Ben would have the day off - so it was a pleasant surprise to find out that morning conference was cancelled and he would be home.  For the non-resident folks out there . . . they guys have x-ray rounds and morning conference of some sort every morning - typically around 6:30 - so Ben is usually out of the house before I even wake up most mornings.  Today was one of the few weekdays all year that he was totally free of resident responsibilities, and since I have been feeling under the weather, he let me sleep in and took Lola-duty.  It was literally the first time in almost 10 months that I've been able to truly sleep in (since in the past, I would have to wake briefly to nurse Lola).  Did I mention bliss?  Pure. Unadulterated.  Bliss. 

Food for Thought

Interestingly, Lola refused to eat the pasta that I made her on Friday.  However when she found a remnant of the exact same pasta four days later, dry and crusty on the floor, she was all-too-eager to put it in her mouth. 

Speed Vacuuming

What the what? I took this picture of the tag attached to a small Dyson hand-held vacuum in the condo we were staying in last week. First of all, for a vacuum company that claims to be state-of-the-art . . .it certainly seems that they could figure out a way to get a little more bang for their buck when it comes to charging batteries. 3 HOURS? For 6 MINUTES?

And what in the world can you vacuum in 6 minutes? It's takes me 6 minutes just to unravel the cord on my vacuum. cleaner. Very bizarre.

Ft. Lauderdale

We just returned from a trip to Ft. Lauderdale with my parents. We all had a blast (especially Lola)!

She did some major PR work for Uncle Adam's store (get some Dave's swag of your own - http://www.davesnewyork.com/)



We enjoyed some quality family-time.



Lola did a little boating . . .


We took a beach walk.

She got lots of love (and a birds-eye-view) from her Big Poppy.

We had the most delicious brunch (with noodle-pudding - my favorite!) at Great-Grammy and Big Poppy's place.

Each day left her totally tuckered out . . . We had such a blast and are so very grateful to have the opportunity to make this trip!

9 Months!

These pictures are getting harder and harder to take. Lola no longer has any interest in sitting still with the number. The only way we could finagle the shot was to use her new favorite toy. Que sera. She had her 9-month well check this morning - she weighs just a hair over 20 lb. (74th percentile), is 28 inches long (62nd percentile) and is in the 90th percentile for head size. She was an angel at the doctors office (even though the appt. was smack in the middle of nap time).

Hannukah gift - update

She loves it!!

Thank you Great-Grammy and Big Poppy!

Girls Day Out

I took Lola to the Christmas celebration at my school today. She was enthralled with watching the students and she loved all the music. She was a big hit with the kids and it was a nice chance to get out of the house in this cold weather. My friend Lillian snapped this picture as we watched the students file into the dining hall. Lola's latest facial expressions are a bit heavy on the tongue - and this pictures seems to be capturing it in action.

When we got home, I made latkes. I know that Hannukah ended this week, but I had purchased all the ingredients and had promised Ben I would make them, so better late than never. Incredibly time intensive (and unbelievably messy) to prepare, they actually turned out pretty well. I suppose I was subconsciously trying to counterbalance our Christmas adventure from earlier the day.

Happy Hannukah, Lola!

From your Grammy and Big Poppy.

Sing ON (Season 2)

The Sing Off is back!
Last year I didn't think to blog about it until the last episode . . . so this year I'm trying to give you more notice. The judges are the same - and it appears that the whichever costume designer had the scarf-fetish from last season has been replaced.

Seriously, watch it.

Season's Greetings

Well the holiday season has official begun.
Yesterday my child had a piece of tinsel in her poop.
Puzzling.

Publix Mishegas - Part III

For my Greenville friends . . .
Mishegas - Yiddish, for craziness
Matzah - the cardboardish food that we eat in place of leavened bread during Passover
Latkes - fried potato pancakes
Shabbat - Friday night and Saturday, our sabbath
Yahrzeit candle - a memorial candle lit annually to commemorate the anniversary of a loved one's death
Oy vey - Yiddish, statement of exasperation or dismay

Publix Mishegas - Part II

An Open Letter to the Manager of Publix - Mauldin Location

Dear Manager,
First off, I want to commend the you for having a section of Jewish goods at all. Considering the fact that I believe myself, my husband, and my child to be the only three Jewish people living in the city of Mauldin, I am grateful for the cultural sensitivity that you show by dedicating even a few shelves to Manischewitz and matzah balls.

That being said, I also feel it my duty to explain a few seasonal concepts. This month, we celebrate Hannukah. Imagine Christmas, but with fewer elves and more guilt. During this holiday, you should have Hannukah candles and potato latke mix available. Go ahead and stock up now, if the stuff doesn't sell, just store it in the back until next year. Neither product goes bad. Ever.

It is not, however, necessary to have matzah available. It's not a year-round sort of product. We only need the matzah for Passover, which is typically in March/April. Think Easter, but with fewer bunnies and more minced fish. We need the matzah then, and only then. You can store any surplus boxes in the back after April, it doesn't go bad either. Ever.

Once again I am so appreciate that you devote any shelf space at all to our bizarre culinary needs.

Shalom.

Publix Mishegas - Part I

I called Publix (in advance) to ask if they carried Hannukah candles. (Since it is cold, and I had Lola in the car, and I'd rather not unload her and bundle her up only to get there and discover they don't have the only item I am looking for.)

The woman put me on hold to go check. (This is a good sign . . . she is going to verify that they are in stock.) She tells me "Yes ma'am, we have two kinds." No red flags went up for me because I figured she meant a box of blue and a box of variety colors. Who knows? Greenville is growing more progressive by the day.

When I got to Publix (and got Lola out of the carseat, and wriggled her into her jacket, and hauled her into the store) I discovered that the "two kinds" of candles were Shabbat candles and Yahrzeit candles. Both of which, may I say, I'm impressed that they carry. But neither of which were going to fit in any menorah!

Mission unaccomplished. Chunky birthday candles will have to work until mom and dad can get here from Atlanta.

SnugTub

This is one of the greatest inventions of all time.
Ok. Perhaps that's saying too much. But it's a pretty simple idea and has made my life much easier. You blow it up and it fits inside your bathtub, providing a much smaller and safer area for an older infant to play in the bath. Lola loves it!

She loves her bath toys!

Crawling . . . Sort of.

I'm not sure if "crawling" is really the best word. It's more of a body drag. She stretches her arms out in front of her and then drags her little belly across the floor, while kicking her legs to give herself some forward motion. I think it's technically called an "army crawl" and she is most motivated to do it when she is after one of her favorite toys: my cell phone, the laptop cord, or the remote control. Or her favorite food: paper. Ok - so this picture isn't really representative of the action . . but it was just so darn cute.

Thankful

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Barden family. Riv, Doug, Dana, and Mark (and Tony) all came down to celebrate and shower Lola with kisses. I am so grateful that I married into such a wonderful family!

Singing for Supper

We really begin to harmonize at around 0:35. I think there is real Naomi/Wynonna potential here.

Theory of Relativity

Don't worry about why I was actually reading the fine print for a half-priced offer on a South Carolina Concealed Weapons Certification Course. . . . instead, you should find this deeply disturbing:

The fine print reads in part . . .
". . . All courses conducted by instructors certified by South Carolina, Utah, and and NRA. A RELATIVELY CLEAN CRIMINAL HISTORY IS NEEDED. State and federal laws regulate who is allowed to to carry a concealed weapon . . . "

Relatively clean? Who exactly determines this qualification?
And "relative" to whom?
John Wayne Gacy?
Charles Manson?

I am very uncomfortable with this.

Dollhouse

My Papa found this dollhouse in his attic (it used to belong to cousins in the past - but there is debate about which ones . . . . ) My dad spent hours scrubbing it clean and set it up in their basement for Lola to play. She was instantly in love - putting the little people in her mouth and banging them against the roof to hear the noise. Thank you to Papa for passing this along, to my dad for getting it ready, and to Julie and Craig - for giving Lola playmates to enjoy it with.

What else is new?

Lola has cut an incisor on the upper right side (still doesn't have her front teeth up top - I think she is paying homage to the current vampire trend.) She waves - not really on cue or on demand - but she definitely does it. She is babbling all sorts of syllables - ba, da, ma, ga, etc. She loves fruit, oatmeal, YoBaby yogurt, Puffs, and Cherrios. She still eats paper. She LOVES keys . . . but not toy keys. Real keys. (And she's no sucker so don't try to fool her.) She enjoys bathtime, typically DIVES into bed at the end of the night, and loves Skyping with her grandparents, and her Great-Grammy and Big-Poppy. She is such a joy right now and we are having the time of our lives.

FuegoMundo

I won't be able to do this story justice . . .but I shall try.
One of Grandma Susie's favorite restaurants was FuegoMundo (located at the Prado off Roswell Rd. She would insist that you try it!) Grandma loved the food, she loved the owners (Masha and Udi), and she loved recommending it to others. The only catch was that Masha and Udi didn't have tostones on their menu (smashed and fried plantains, one of Grandma's favorite Cuban dishes). But when Grandma went to FuegoMundo, they made sure that the cook fried up a special order just for her.

Such was the impact that Grandma had on everyone that she met . . . Masha and Udi came to her funeral. And to ensure that everyone would continue to enjoy the tostones, even if Grandma couldn't be there to special order them, they put them right there on the menu. She would have gotten such a kick out of this:

Eight Months!

Three words: Baby. Track. Suit.

Lola in a Box

Dear Starbucks

To Whom it May Concern at Starbucks,
There is NOTHING less appetizing than those plastic breakfast sandwiches that you have displayed in the snack window. I would be about a thousand times more likely to purchase one of these sandwiches if I hadn't had a preview of the processed egg and bacon-related substance right there in front of me. There are no frying pans in your store. No toasters. No eggs. So the fact that you can whip up a bacon-egg-and-cheese-on-an-English-muffin is simultaneously miraculous and disturbing.

Very sincerely.

Halloween Preview

7 months

I am intrigued by people who can take these pictures with the number right-side-up and forward. We took 22 pictures this day and this was the only one where the "7" was not in her mouth. By the by - she'll be 8 months in a week - sorry for the delay.

7 month photos

They won't be up for long . . . but here's the link to the photos that Jen Rogers took.
http://www.jenrogersphotography.com/order/loweb

Hello precious.

First Time at the Swings

I think she likes it.

An open letter to this dude

Dear Sir,
This is just a shot in the dark, but "Up 2 Us Furniture" probably hired you to hold this sign up on the side of the road. I'm guessing that you lounging in a lawn chair and the sign propped up with bricks wasn't exactly what they had in mind. That being said, there are about 9 people that read this blog that would have never otherwise seen this advertisement - so, point goes to the lazy dude.

Very sincerely.

Update to Food List

Alternate title: Things my child has in common with a goat.

I forgot to mention Lola's favorite food of all.
Paper.

Food List - Revised

Lola's update feelings on food.

Fruit - amazing, give me more, much much more.
Oatmeal and Rice Cereal - fabulous, love 'em, mix 'em with my fruit
Anything orange, including squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes - will suffice if fruit is not an option.
Anything green - outright refusal. Pursed lips, head turned.

And don't even THINK about trying to fool her by alternating something green with a fruit or cereal - she is WAY too smart for that.

A Pox on our House

We got the pox.
"Pox" as in Chicken.
"We" as in Lola.

Apparently things have changed from when I was little and everyone got the chicken pox . . . now, between maternal immunization and the vaccination that you can get at one year - no one gets the chicken pox. The doctor actually had to look up the dosage of the medication because she said she rarely sees full fledged cases anymore. Sigh. Our little over-achiever.

Reunited

You can thank my husband for the opening credits. Peaches and Herb have nothing on these two!

Our Little Malingerer

Did you ever fake-sick in order to get picked up from school early (or so you didn't have to go to dance class . . . mom?) Lola seems to have caught on early.

Two days in a row this week we got the call from daycare that Lola was unusually fussy and throwing up several times. Both days we picked up a perfectly happy baby that showed no signs of illness or even mild-discomfort for the rest of the day.

For the next two days we kept her at home with us during the day to see if we could pinpoint the problem. Nothing. Lola was her usual pleasant and open-mouthed self for the entire day. Maybe the other girls are making fun of her thighs.

Work Update

They asked me to come back full-time. I told them (respectfully, of course) that I would rather eat dirt. No way I'm going back full-time now having realized how truly wonderful and amazing the few days that I with Lola are. They explained that they really want someone full-time in my position - which I totally understand - so they are posting the job, doing a national search, and hope to have someone full-time by January. Can't lie - I'm disappointed. (Which, I know, is ironic since I was the one who tried to quit in the first place). But the part time option has worked out SO well for me (good balance between mom-time and salary). I'll probably end up tutoring SAT/ACT prep and other various subjects - we'll see. Just wanted to provide a quick update so we were all on the same page.

In retrospect

All of those random knitting projects I did when Husband was in medical school . . . . totally worthwhile :)

Score!

Mark your calendars Greenville friends and neighbors . . .
Friday, October 22
Our Trader Joe's is opening!

It's just awkward

I have a digital frame on my desk at work that displays a slide-show of pictures of Lola. I had to delete the picture of my dad and Lola in the pool because today, FOR THE THIRD TIME, a parent in my office commented on how attractive my husband was. Flattering, I suppose. In a sort of weird genetic way.

Bittersweet

Lola was so excited to see me when I picked her up from daycare today. Arms flailing, legs kicking, big smile, lots of noises.
So excited, in fact, that she threw up.

A disconcerting list

Things that my child has in common with a Golden Retriever
1. Sleeps with both arms and both legs splayed to one side
2. Puts all interesting objects in mouth
3. Craves attention
4. Little-to-no verbal skills, but yet incredibly communicative
5. Multiple pictures posted to Aunt Dayshay's blog
6. Chews socks

Six Months!

At six months, Lola is now so curious about EVERYTHING! (We couldn't even get a great picture because she was so interested in the number for the first time). She is currently 17 lb. 10 oz (79th percentile) and 26.5 inches (74th percentile). When you look at those thighs it is hard to imagine that 21% of babies are bigger than she is!

My Weekend in Pictures

By Lola Barden.

Mom forgot my bouncy seat in G'ville so I spent a lot of time on the floor. No biggie.

Ms. Pat gave me some new dollys, which I loved, and I tried to teach my new friends all my best tricks.

Got some quality pool-time in with Poppy and Mommy.

Gigi gave me a bath (in the sink!)

Family Resemblance

It's striking. Really.

Falling Behind

Sorry for the lack of updates. I uploaded some recent pictures last night and will post them soon. Working part time has been amazing - but leads to "breakneck speed" as the default on my daily pace. On work days, things are nonstop between getting Lola to daycare, getting 5 days of work done within 3 days, and then evenings spent prepping everything for the next day (including the endless shuffle of breastmilk from pump to freezer to bottles in appropriately measured quantities). Then on the days when I'm home with Lola - things still seem to go nonstop. Although I've recouped a full 2 days of my life - I can't seem to figure out where the time goes. We enjoyed a beautiful Labor Day weekend at Reynolds Plantation with Uncle Steven and Debra, and Lola and I are heading to Atlanta this weekend for Yom Kippur.

Lola is doing amazing. Her 2 bottom teeth continue to come in with little-to-no fanfare. She is sitting up (you have to be RIGHT there to catch the topple) and "talking" to us in her signature baby babble. When Ben or I walk in the room she gets the biggest smile on her face, opens her mouth superwide, and starts to coo - which we would like to think is because she loves us so much - but the reality is she gave the checkout girl at Publix the same reception this week.

She eats like a champ and we've added prunes, bananas, apples, carrots, and oatmeal to our menu. The best is that she makes little "mmmm" sounds when she eats - like she is really enjoying herself.

Pictures soon. I promise.

I wanna hold your hand

Lola and her sweet friend Charlotte on a buggy ride at daycare.

Teeth

Two of them.
Coming in on the bottom.

Whatchu Talkin Bout, Willis?

I mentioned previously that Lola will only eat Sweet Potatoes if we can fool her into thinking it's squash. I think she might be on to us.

Food list

Foods that Lola has tried so far:
Rice cereal - the best
Peas - love 'em!
Green beans - delicious
Squash - acceptable if no other options
Sweet Potatoes - only if we can fool her into thinking it's squash
Pears - under no circumstances

Part Time!

So much to say. Lola continues to grow like a weed. She rolls from back to belly and belly to back, and no longer seems surprised with herself after doing it. She can pick up her pacifier and put it in her mouth (although sometimes not in the right direction) and she is ALMOST sitting in a tripod (with her hands out in front). (She does it, but you have to be right there to catch the inevitable topple.)

Last week was her first full week of daycare. And I'm not sure who was running the poll, but whoever had "2" for the number of days I would make it before quitting is the big winner. At least I tried to quit. Somewhat unsuccessfully.

To make a very long story short, I am now working three days a week, and I will have Mondays, Fridays (yeah playgroup!), and Thursday mornings home with Lola. I am so excited I can't stand it. Working out her day care was a bit of a hassle as well - but we finally were able to finagle our way to a part-time arrangement - at least until another full-paying baby comes along. So I suck at quitting, but I think I ended up with the best of all worlds.

Taking after Grandma Riv

Lola made some art at daycare today. I'm not sure the scanned image does it justice . . . her little hand prints make the heart.

Go ahead. Eat this up.

A long wait

Now that I'm back at work, I'm having to pump breast milk twice during the work day for Lola's bottles. The maintenance guys installed blinds on my giant glass-paned door and I am comfortable as long as I lock the door, prop a chair under the doorknob, and turn out the lights.

Today someone knocked. And out of habit I shouted "just a minute." But it wasn't going to be just a minute. It was going to be 19 minutes, to be exact. Apparently, sometime in the minute that they were waiting they remembered WHY I had the blinds installed on the door and they left. But I don't know who it was - and so I am forced to feel awkward and embarrassed in front of everyone. Great.

On Second Thought

Went back to work for the first day today since Lola was born.
I'm thinking home-school might not be such a bad thing.

Not a Ginger

I know. It LOOKS like she has red hair. She doesn't. I promise.

5 Months!

Vogue.

My First Meal

First attempt at rice cereal. She was much more interested in the spoon than the meal.

Chick-fil-Awkward

Lola and I went to Chick-fil-A for lunch today. The drive-thru was literally wrapped around the building, so we parked and ate-in. (I like the Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich; she likes to watch me eat it.) As I wandered around the completely packed restaurant (tray and stroller in tow) looking for a table, a woman who was sitting at a four-top with her 2 children offered me the seat next to her. At her table. It was a little strange - sitting down with a complete stranger, and her family, no less . . . but there were no other tables. And I was really hungry. So I sat.

But then the awkwardness began. Did this woman want to engage in conversation with me? Or was I just supposed to eat quietly in my corner of the table. She ended up asking me a few questions, and some polite banter occurred. But it was hard to tell where the lines of our newfound relationship really were. Did I offer to get her a refill when I went back for my own? Did I give her a ketchup packet when she needed an extra? I would, of course, do these things for anyone that I was actually at lunch with (on purpose, I mean). But wouldn't necessarily do them for the folks at the table next to me.

In the end, she got me a refill and I kept an eye on her kids. Next time I'll just wait out the drive-thru line.

Race for Hope

This weekend, Husband, Lola, and I (as well as a several folks from the orthopaedic program - residents, wives, attendings, nurses, and office staff) participated in a 5K race to raise money for sarcoma research. It was particularly meaningful for us because we lost a close family friend to sarcoma this summer. It was about 100 degrees outside, but Lola still managed to sleep for about 2 miles.

A timely matter

The power went out the other night, which means the clocks had to be reset the next morning. I'm not sure why, but I have this weird compulsion that all the clocks in a particular room have to be set to exactly the same time. I don't so much care from room to room, but when I'm sitting in one place, all the clocks in my sight need to be set the same. It weirds me out if it is 3:12 on the microwave and 3:13 on the oven. Who is right? Who is running behind? Or ahead?

Who, Me?

Enough is enough

I've told enough poop stories on this blog for now - so I will not regale you with the absolute disaster that occurred somewhere along the South Carolina/Georgia border and necessitated a stop at Dad's Pit Stop, a rinse in the bathroom sink, and a complete change of clothes.

Perusing the aisles of Dad's Pit Stop, I had to find something that could cover the poop-soaked carseat so that I could continue our journey to Commerce, GA (we were meeting my parents and siblings for lunch). As you can imagine, the selection was limited. In my haste, I grabbed the only thing in this poor-excuse-for-a-retail-establishment that would suit our needs - a t-shirt. I borrowed a pair of scissors and cut out holes for the car seat straps and made (in my opinion) one kick-ass last-minute version of the piddle pad (yes, I know, I'll buy it this week).

All that to tell you this: It was only when I got home and was pulling the affected wash out of the dryer (which, by the way, included the t-shirt, the carseat, her clothes, her lovey, her toy, my shirt, the nursing cover, and 2 burp-cloths) that I realized the only t-shirt they sold at Dad's Pit Stop read "I'm a lil' redneck", with the word "redneck" colored by the confederate flag design. Bestill my liberal heart.

Double Trouble

No longer satified by the pacifier or her fingers alone, Lola has decided that she prefers BOTH. At the same time.