2.14.2010

44/365 -- 02.13.10

The day before Valentine's Day,
Eric surprised me with chocolate-covered strawberries.
Yum!

2.13.2010

43/365 | 02.12.10

02.12.10
Frustrated about some thing.
Since taking this photo, so many things have frustrated her,
so I can't recall what particular event caused this specific incident.
I lose track.

Thank You, Webster

I've decided that if I had to do a word count on my most recent blog entries, the most-used word would be squeal. Each time I type it, I forget, "Does it include a 'w' or not?" So I google the word's correct spelling, and I cannot decide if I am more saddened that I can't retain something so simple, or if I I'm more saddened that I'm actually tempted to bookmark it for future reference.

42/365 | 02.11.10

Have I mentioned that Greta is in ful mode of
TODDLERHOOD?
When she puts her mind to something, she is not to be messed with.
In addition to insisting on dressing herself,
she also insists on putting her baby doll in her high chair.
I don't know why she persists with this activity.
Without fail, she gets ticked off EACH and EVERY time.
Because the doll does't sit right,
and she can't get the belt on her correctly.
I'm only guessing those are the reasons.
The fits and tantrums that surely ensue
have led us to hide the doll on several occasions.

41/365 | 02.10.10

02.10.10
When Greta was a little baby,
I'd sing her lots of silly songs.
One of those was Fats Waller's Your Feet's Too Big.
Why I thought this song was appropriate for a tiny baby
whose feet were like three inches long? I have no idea.

One of Greta's latest fetishes is trying on our shoes.
And this photo of her in her daddy's work shoes
reminded me when I'd sing to her,
I still love you but your feet's too big.
And, yes, I know the correct lyrics are
but what kind of mommy sings something so mean to their sweet bumpkin, right?


40/365 - 02.09.10



What I'm currently reading...

39/365

02.08.10
My sick baby girl.
We went in for her 18-month check-up,
and the pediatrician diagnosed her with strep throat.

38/365

02.07.10 -- Superbowl Sunday
That's not a boy.
That's Greta in her football attire. :-)
One of our friends brought along a mini-cooler,
and Greta enjoyed dragging it around the house.
And as if she didn't already look like a little boy,
we threw a beer bottle in the photo as a prop.

37/365

02.06.10

Here's Greta, trying to dress herself in her piggy pjs
even though she is already dressed in pjs.
That's her thing these days: dressing herself. In mama's undies. In Daddy's boxers.
Shirts as skirts. And SHOES! Anyone's shoes are HERS.
You try to help her get dressed, and she gets PISSED OFF.
How dare you.

In efforts to curb and manage these frequent situations,
we've been reading lots of articles and info on toddlerhood.
I remember as a new parent, I'd hear jokes of,
"Oh, don't you wish babies came with a manual?" And at the time, I did.
But we sailed those seas way quicker than I'd ever imagined possible,
and here we are in unchartered territory.
The time for a manual is NOW.

Toddlerhood with Greta is like this:
One moment you're laying on the beach, soaking in the sun,
enjoying a tasty pina colada and listening to the waves crash.
Everything is perfect.
The next moment, the pina colada IS NOT THE DRINK TO HAVE,
and the SUN IS STUPID, MAKE IT STOP SHINING NOW,
and the water, which is 20 feet away IS IN THE WAY. NOW. MAKE IT GO AWAY.
You can offer a new drink, seek shelter from the sun beneath an umbrella.
You can try to move further from the water.
None of it works.
And you have no idea WHAT would work.
Because you don't speak the language of toddler.

36/365

02.05.10
Chaos.
It's driving me nuts.
This is my master bathroom.
Foot cream, hair products, Windex, Oxyclean.
And, oh, yeah. Nothing makes you prettier than Old English furniture polish.
During the first trimester of pregnancy,
I've had NO ENERGY.
No energy to put the Oxyclean in the master closet,
which is ADJACENT to the master bath.
And no energy to open the cabinet below to put away the Windex.

I took this photo because I felt it really represented my January/early February of 2010.
And later, at the end of the year, when this Project 356 is over,
I will look back at photos like this
and think,
I thought THAT was bad!?!
I will then have two babies,
and I will redefine chaos.

2.11.2010

35/365

Greta absolutely loves the phone.
She loves to pretend she is talking on it.
Even when there isn't anyone on the other line.
And if you take it from her,
or don't give it to her when she wants it,
she gets quite aggravated.
The thing is, when I do give her the phone,
to talk to her daddy or Mimi, she doesn't say anything.
She just listens intently.
And sometimes breathes really heavily like a prank caller would do.
Here she is, with a big grin on her face.
Daddy was on the other line, and she loved hearing his voice.

34/365 - 02.03.2010


02.03.2010
How to make her happy:
REMOTE CONTROL.

2.09.2010

32/365

02.01.2010
This photo of my baby girl
reminds me of my oldest sister, Sondra.
I think they look alike.
Sondra's an awesome big sister.
Greta's going to be, too.

31/365

01.31.2010
I love this photo.
And I've decided that if I'm ever in a bad/sad mood,
I am soooo looking back on this photo.
It's a photo of Greta hugging her little friend, Maddie.
Maddie's mom says, "Hugs and cuddles,"
and this is what you get.
If this doesn't melt your heart,
I'd hate to be you.

16/365

01.16.2010

2.05.2010

30/365

01.30
Self-photo of me and my one-and-only.
Date night @ The Cheesecake Factory.

When we first became parents,
several friends told us to remember to make time for US.
And to be honest, I really didn't get it.
I mean, of course we would make time for ourselves.
It's true though. We focus so much on Greta
and on work and on life and on everything else.
It's so easy to let things ride on cruise control.
Every time we do make time for "us,"
I'm reminded that we need to do it more often,
and I'm reminded why I love spending time with him.

29/365

01.29
Greta:
currently working on problem-solving.
When something aggravates her,
she emits this annoying, deagening, high-pitched squeal
that brings all the neighborhood dogs running.
(Including our own.)

28/365

01.28
Greta.
For all the serious looks she gives
(and they are plentiful!),
she makes up for it
with her occasional CRACKMEUP faces.
Silly girl.

27/365

01.27
My sweet Greta girl!

26/365

01.26
Let's be honest:
for the first few years of their lives
children are HARD WORK.
Sometimes, as a mom, you feel like all you do is
GIVE GIVE GIVE.
(Can you tell I am writing this on a particularly trying day?!)

This photo of Greta was taken after
we arrived home from shopping at Walmart.
Greta loves to help unpack bags of groceries.
She's so careful with each item
and so proud of herself for helping out.
She's actually quite helpful.
She hands me the items;
I get it all organized and put away.
At last, she's finally earning her keep. ;-)