Stella was up a lot last night. Not only was it about 87 in the house most of the day (ugh, why did we finally get summer here?) and about 83 in her room before bed, but she is STILL TEETHING without getting anymore teeth. Seriously - I think she has had her six teeth since her 1st birthday and since then, I keep thinking that each bout of gum grabbing, ear grabbing, screaming in the middle of the night, gnawing on anything she can get her hands on is FINALLY the next round of teeth, but nope. Nothing yet. But I digress.
She was up at 6am, thus the whole household was up at 6am after a less than stellar night sleep. Finally this morning, after an unsuccessful nap coercion at 9:15, I lay on the floor of the living room at 10:30 and said, "Wow Stella, aren't you sleepy? Mommy is sleepy. Mommy wants to take a nap. Don't YOU want to take a nap?" Stella looks at me and heads into her room. I think, awesome, she might get it. She returns to the living room with her puppy. She hands me her puppy. Then turns on her heels and back to her room. She returns again with her fleecy monkey blanket that she also tends to sleep with. Hands that to me.
She then looks at me and goes off to play with her trucks.
I stopped for a minute and burst out laughing. You want to take a nap, Mommy? She was basically saying.... here you go. Here's the puppy, here's the nap blanket, have at it.
Oh, our independent, spirited daughter.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Stella & Scupper = 2 ; Mommy = 0
You know it's one of those days when everything that you think could happen to you before 8:15am happens... and then it happens again at 12:15pm.
Case in point.
Out taking Scup and Stella for a morning walk before I babysit Stella's friend Anouk for the morning. (Woohoo! So glad Anouk and Julie are back from Montreal... they have missed each other so! Anouk talks up a storm (although all in French) and screams 'Stella!!!' when she sees her... it's pretty great.)
The walk was lovely. Still cloudy, not hot yet, I was gracious and let Scupper sniff at everything he wanted. We are TWO HOUSES FROM HOME and he spies the neighbor's nasty cat that likes to poop in our front yard. The cat holds its ground. Scupper charges. Aimee orders "leave it!" and the worn loop, that has been holding the D-ring on Scup's collar which attaches to the leash (which I have been meaning to get a new one for weeks) finally gives up the ghost.
Mayhem ensues. Scupper chases the cat into the neighbor's yard - the neighbor, who doesn't like us, it sitting on her stoop with her little yap dog and just glares. Scupper and the cat run into the pile of crap and broken chairs, outdoor canopies, and other yard detris where i can't see them. I'm yelling for him to come, she goes inside with her dog yapping, and I hear the cat continue to wail and hiss.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER after calling Scupper, squirting Scupper with the water bottle, squirting the cat with the water bottle (no reaction from both), telling Stella to hold on, running in the house to get the tin of dog food to shake to make that "food in can" sound that gets pets running, screaming for Scup to get in the yard NOW, I finally get him in the yard.
At that very moment, Julie shows up with Anouk in tow, I get Stella and stroller in house and just as I open the front door to let them in, Scup races away again and starts to take off next door and then realizes the cat is now gone and takes off ACROSS THE STREET towards this very weird/wacky lady (who i believe is mentally unstable) who walks IN THE STREET down to the bus stop most mornings. GET YOUR DOG AWAY FROM ME! She screams. SCUPPER COME! Ma'am he won't hurt you - his collar broke. THAT'S NO EXCUSE! I'M SCARED TO DEATH OF THOSE DOGS! YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE! GET HIM!
Um, hold on a minute? What? Scup comes right up to me and looks at me and probably is thinking the same thing I am. No excuse for a broken collar? "Those" dogs? Um. last time I looked, Scup looked NOTHING like any stereotypical menacing dog I know. But whatever.
Scup is in the house again, witch hazel to the CAT SCRATCHES on his nose and we're all ok.
CUT TO: EXTERIOR, 12:15pm, FOUR FOOT BLUE PLASTIC POOL
I think it's a good idea to let the girls splash around in the pool outside after their nap. After suiting both of them (what i thought was a Herculean task), we make our way outside. I remember vaguely that Stella didn't poop like she usually did at the end of her nap. Hmmm. I hope she didn't decide to do that now. Anouk grabs my hand and she climbs over the side into the pool. Scupper comes up to Stella and starts licking the back of her legs. Oh no. What does he smell?
Now I have been using these "Reusable" nylon pants that basically "trap" in poo should it happen in a pool and not the throw-away swim diapers. However, Stella's little legs are so skinny and she has no butt so the 6-12month size that she wears is even a little big around the openings.
I check. Yep. Poo. I pick her up, try to "dump" what I can into the outside trashcan (oh, yes, I did that) and put her down, running inside ever briefly to grab another swimsuit bottom and some wipes.... just as i come outside to see Anouk oh so nicely helping Stella over the side of the pool and into the water.
Stella! Don't sit!
She sits.
I take Anouk out of the pool and realize that there are small floaties. Oh yes. I figure the water's ruined by now, so I dump the rest of the icky diaper into the water, wash Stella off on a towel and put on a new bottom. Now comes the tricky part. Finding a spot to dump the water and not let Stella and Anouk back into the pool before I can do that.
I grab whatever is at hand = Stella's sand pail and shovel. I scoop out what I can and try to dump the rest of the water into a 5 gallon bucket Steve has by the hose. Um. Word to the wise: $10 plastic pools really don't have much stability when you want to try to dump them. #2: Water is heavy. What does this mean? I end up dumping the water practically right where the pool is. Great.
What's left to do but put the pool over the spot where the water (and I assume, feces particles) are now soaking into the dead lawn and fill that pool up and let the girls play. And play they do. So much splashing of water, in fact, that I get practically soaked sitting next to them.
And that my friends is a full day. Thank goodness everyone is napping now... I think Momma is going to do the same.
Case in point.
Out taking Scup and Stella for a morning walk before I babysit Stella's friend Anouk for the morning. (Woohoo! So glad Anouk and Julie are back from Montreal... they have missed each other so! Anouk talks up a storm (although all in French) and screams 'Stella!!!' when she sees her... it's pretty great.)
The walk was lovely. Still cloudy, not hot yet, I was gracious and let Scupper sniff at everything he wanted. We are TWO HOUSES FROM HOME and he spies the neighbor's nasty cat that likes to poop in our front yard. The cat holds its ground. Scupper charges. Aimee orders "leave it!" and the worn loop, that has been holding the D-ring on Scup's collar which attaches to the leash (which I have been meaning to get a new one for weeks) finally gives up the ghost.
Mayhem ensues. Scupper chases the cat into the neighbor's yard - the neighbor, who doesn't like us, it sitting on her stoop with her little yap dog and just glares. Scupper and the cat run into the pile of crap and broken chairs, outdoor canopies, and other yard detris where i can't see them. I'm yelling for him to come, she goes inside with her dog yapping, and I hear the cat continue to wail and hiss.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER after calling Scupper, squirting Scupper with the water bottle, squirting the cat with the water bottle (no reaction from both), telling Stella to hold on, running in the house to get the tin of dog food to shake to make that "food in can" sound that gets pets running, screaming for Scup to get in the yard NOW, I finally get him in the yard.
At that very moment, Julie shows up with Anouk in tow, I get Stella and stroller in house and just as I open the front door to let them in, Scup races away again and starts to take off next door and then realizes the cat is now gone and takes off ACROSS THE STREET towards this very weird/wacky lady (who i believe is mentally unstable) who walks IN THE STREET down to the bus stop most mornings. GET YOUR DOG AWAY FROM ME! She screams. SCUPPER COME! Ma'am he won't hurt you - his collar broke. THAT'S NO EXCUSE! I'M SCARED TO DEATH OF THOSE DOGS! YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE! GET HIM!
Um, hold on a minute? What? Scup comes right up to me and looks at me and probably is thinking the same thing I am. No excuse for a broken collar? "Those" dogs? Um. last time I looked, Scup looked NOTHING like any stereotypical menacing dog I know. But whatever.
Scup is in the house again, witch hazel to the CAT SCRATCHES on his nose and we're all ok.
CUT TO: EXTERIOR, 12:15pm, FOUR FOOT BLUE PLASTIC POOL
I think it's a good idea to let the girls splash around in the pool outside after their nap. After suiting both of them (what i thought was a Herculean task), we make our way outside. I remember vaguely that Stella didn't poop like she usually did at the end of her nap. Hmmm. I hope she didn't decide to do that now. Anouk grabs my hand and she climbs over the side into the pool. Scupper comes up to Stella and starts licking the back of her legs. Oh no. What does he smell?
Now I have been using these "Reusable" nylon pants that basically "trap" in poo should it happen in a pool and not the throw-away swim diapers. However, Stella's little legs are so skinny and she has no butt so the 6-12month size that she wears is even a little big around the openings.
I check. Yep. Poo. I pick her up, try to "dump" what I can into the outside trashcan (oh, yes, I did that) and put her down, running inside ever briefly to grab another swimsuit bottom and some wipes.... just as i come outside to see Anouk oh so nicely helping Stella over the side of the pool and into the water.
Stella! Don't sit!
She sits.
I take Anouk out of the pool and realize that there are small floaties. Oh yes. I figure the water's ruined by now, so I dump the rest of the icky diaper into the water, wash Stella off on a towel and put on a new bottom. Now comes the tricky part. Finding a spot to dump the water and not let Stella and Anouk back into the pool before I can do that.
I grab whatever is at hand = Stella's sand pail and shovel. I scoop out what I can and try to dump the rest of the water into a 5 gallon bucket Steve has by the hose. Um. Word to the wise: $10 plastic pools really don't have much stability when you want to try to dump them. #2: Water is heavy. What does this mean? I end up dumping the water practically right where the pool is. Great.
What's left to do but put the pool over the spot where the water (and I assume, feces particles) are now soaking into the dead lawn and fill that pool up and let the girls play. And play they do. So much splashing of water, in fact, that I get practically soaked sitting next to them.
And that my friends is a full day. Thank goodness everyone is napping now... I think Momma is going to do the same.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Foodie?
Okay- so Stella has amazed me lately with what she will eat. Tonight, she ate this:
Hortopita. Basically spanakopita with swiss chard and feta instead of spinach and feta. And it was pretty tasty... but i thought, Swiss Chard? My 15 month old? Nah.
But low and behold. Inhaled. All of it. And a nectarine. And snap pea crisps.
Um, what?? I just hope this little pixie doesn't stop her enjoyment of tasty food.
'Cause it's going to kill me if I have to cook dino-nuggets.
Yes. Dino-nuggets.
I mean, i'd do it.... and I don't fault anyone if that's all their kid will eat for a year. Because Stella likes her pile of Cheerios as much as the next kid. But please, no dino-nuggets.I, however, won't mention that Stella also likes these:
Don't ask me how I know. Just don't, okay? ;)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Our Pixieweight
Since the hand-written journal was abandoned around month six, this blog seems to serve as good a baby book as Stella is going to get at this point. So I figure I should at least document a few stats...
At her 15 month appt, she was
20 lbs 5 oz (only 1lb more than her 12 month) and in the 14% percentile... Our pediatrician asked if she was eating well. "For example, what did she have for breakfast?" I replied, "A whole one-egg tomato and cheese omelette, blueberries and a piece of toast." "Well," she said. "I guess that's pretty good."
Her height (around 30 or so inches?) is pretty average (53%) but sadly, her big ol' noggin is still in the 99% which means that some of the hand-me-down shirts that I love aren't going over her head unless they have snaps or buttons somewhere else.
Stella also is amazing me with the types of food she seems to like. Besides inhaling about any type of fruit you put in front of her (and i mean ANYTHING - from berries to melons to stone fruits to traditional) she loves broccoli, beans, and baked tofu like it's going out of style. Her new favorite snack, besides rice cakes and freeze-dried banana slices, are these sesame, seaweed rice puffs from Trader Joes. Go figure. Plain pasta? Blah. Mom's pesto/sundried tomato/red onion/mushroom salad = absolutely! Soba noodles with peanut sauce? Give me more! Tabbouleh with fresh tomatoes and mint from our garden? Sure thing. And Sundays, when we go on our walk across the neighborhood to pick up our weekly box of organic veggies from a local CSA (seriously folks, totally worth it!) she has to eat at least a donut peach or strawberry or plum on the way home. This week she tried to eat a raw patty-pan squash. I also wonder sometimes whether all this variety is going to back fire on us. But for now, I'm happy that she's willing to try it all. I just hope that when she's 10, she doesn't go searching through an entire plate of lasagna and surgically pick out all the mushrooms and larger bits of tomato. (who did that? are you pointing a finger at me? no way... really... um, let's move on.)
So that's all about Stella for tonight. We won't even get into how enthralled she is with water (ANY kind! Dog water! Hose water! Bath water! Shower water! Ocean water! Puddles! Her own pee!) and running, yes running, for the door to the backyard any chance she can get.
A last photo for my friend Summer - who exclaimed at my baby shower when I opened this gift from my mom, "OH MY GOSH THAT IS THE CUTEST ROMPER EVER. UH-MAZING."
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Mama's Boy
So I realize that this blog, although followed by many because of the amusing stories of Stella has become But today, this blog post is about Scupper, our first “baby.” So I’m training for a triathlon. (Yes, I can’t believe it either, considering how much I have hated running in the past). It’s in September, so I’m half way there with my training, and my brother is also flying out to do it with me (and since it’s a “sibling” thing, my parents are coming too to cheer us on so now it’s a “Family” thing and sure, no pressure… No, seriously, I’m actually very excited about it all, but excitement only gets you so far, and so thus, the training.)
On Friday after work, Steve suggested that we all go down to Dog Beach and let Scupper chase the ball and Stella splash and run head first wade in the water while I do my swim for the day. (Friday was a swim day. See, with a triathlon, you unfortunately have to run, bike and swim and thus, training 5-6 days a week in each of the mediums). So I put on my wetsuit at the water’s edge, watch Steve chuck a ball to Scupper, and see Stella eat sand. All is good. I secure my goggles and head into the causeway that goes out into the Pacific that runs along the edge of Dog Beach. A perfect natural lap lane, if you will. Easy tides for Stella to play in, for Scuppy to splash in, for Mommy to swim in. I begin, and even though the occasional kelp gets in my line of vision, it’s actually ok. I lift my head out of the water briefly to sight ahead, to make sure I’m going in a relatively straight line. BARK BARK BARK. Wow. Who’s dog is that? I keep swimming. 6-8 strokes later, I lift my head again to sight. BARK BARK BARK. I look over.
Oh yes. That’s MY dog. Scupper is following me along the edge of the shoreline (because, although he has webbed feet, refuses to go deeper than his chest and does NOT swim). “Scupper, go back to Daddy. Go!” I duck under again and keep swimming. BARK BARK BARK. I hear Steve’s piercing whistle below the water calling Scup back. He’ll go, I think.
I keep swimming. I lift up to sight. BARK BARK BARK.
My dog follows me the WHOLE LENGTH OF THE BEACH until I finally give up and get out of the water to walk back to Steve and Stella, who at this point, has a diaper full of sand.
Workout, FAIL! is all I can think. Oh well, nice to think that Scup cared so much about my safety (or whatever it was) to keep the “pack” together.
But that’s not all…
On Saturday, we all head to a little land mass that juts into Mission Bay – Fiesta Island – where there is a nice 4.5 mile loop without much traffic so I can ride my bike and do a run. (a double workout. Ugh). There (conveniently) is also a dog park here too. So Steve goes, I’ll take Stella in the backpack and Scupper to the dog park and you ride your bike and run. Ok. So they go into the fenced-in portion of the island and I get on my bike. Scupper sees me take off and runs along the fence-line between the dog park and the road, BARK BARK BARK. He keeps following. I keep riding. I’m going about 15 mph and Scupper is keeping up. Steve whistles. I assume Scupper will stop. Um. No.
WORKOUT FAIL! I have to catch scupper at the edge of the bay (where the fence line stops) and drag him by his collar back into the park, my bike shoes and cleats crunching the whole way. Steve then leashes him until I can ride out of sight.
Oh well. I guess I should be flattered.
But I also think I’ll try a workout WITHOUT him next time. ;)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The "Lovey"
So back long ago... eons maybe... or just about 20 months... I put a little stuffed toy on my modest registry that was a "not necessary but darn it's cute" listing. My friend Dana promptly spoiled Miss Stella and purchased it. I had read in a few sleep books about the suggestion of a "lovey" (which, frankly, is a name I have never liked for some reason...) - basically a stuffed toy or blankie that you could encourage your child to attach to instead of say, your boob or your arms or your shoulder or any other body part that you end up peeling them off of to go to sleep. Get them attached to the "lovey" and then they should start sleeping better.
Thus, exhibit A: the puppy.
Let's just say it's a darn good thing that Amazon still has these guys for sale. Stella has become SO attached to the puppy that when she is in a particularly needy moment (teething, tired, unsettled) the puppy must go EVERYWHERE with us, instead of "sleeping" in her crib most of the day, waiting for her to take a nap or sleep at night.
Thus the puppy got lost at Target last week. My fault. Shouldn't have come with us in the first place or i should have tied a string around it or something. Oh well. Glad we had puppy #2. Then I had to go on Amazon and buy another puppy just in case... in case she loses new puppy #1, in case they stop making them (AH!), in case Scupper eats it (a definite possibility still), in case... in case... those of you who have gone through this should be shaking your heads now going, oh yes, I understand.
The puppy tried to go swimming in the outdoor pool today, but i made him go back to bed... he also tried to eat dinner with Stella last night, but I made him wait. He almost found his way into the toilet, but I confirmed with Stella that the puppy doesn't need to poop in the toilet. Oh my. Talk about attachment issues. ;)
Thus, exhibit A: the puppy.
Let's just say it's a darn good thing that Amazon still has these guys for sale. Stella has become SO attached to the puppy that when she is in a particularly needy moment (teething, tired, unsettled) the puppy must go EVERYWHERE with us, instead of "sleeping" in her crib most of the day, waiting for her to take a nap or sleep at night.Thus the puppy got lost at Target last week. My fault. Shouldn't have come with us in the first place or i should have tied a string around it or something. Oh well. Glad we had puppy #2. Then I had to go on Amazon and buy another puppy just in case... in case she loses new puppy #1, in case they stop making them (AH!), in case Scupper eats it (a definite possibility still), in case... in case... those of you who have gone through this should be shaking your heads now going, oh yes, I understand.
The puppy tried to go swimming in the outdoor pool today, but i made him go back to bed... he also tried to eat dinner with Stella last night, but I made him wait. He almost found his way into the toilet, but I confirmed with Stella that the puppy doesn't need to poop in the toilet. Oh my. Talk about attachment issues. ;)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
May gray... June gloom... July, oh my?
San Diego has this "tradition" if you will of being gray and overcast most of May and June... and (as much as I hate to admit it to you East Coasters who are sweltering in 90+ heat...) I'm wearing a sweater and slippers right now. It's still overcast, spitting rain ever so slightly - and I'm in heaven. I am more than happy if we don't have too many warm days this summer... although that does mean Stella can't wear any of her cute summer dresses, but oh well.
What that also means is that our Fourth of July was not spent at the beach, in the water, or sitting under an umbrella to avoid the sun. Nope. We were wearing long sleeve shirts. However, because I am conditioned to believe that July 4th should involve some sort of pool/beachside celebrating, we did this:
Why yes, that IS Stella in her baby pool with jeans and a sweatshirt.
Ignore our white trash yard of buckets and rags... but the bubbles are fun.
Scup had fun eating them...
And Stella seemed vaguely nonplussed.
And we did need to eat some BBQ and traditional sides... like
like Baby Back Ribs with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce (adapted from this recipe - i didn't use the beef ribs - don't like them)
Or Cilantro-Lime Slaw (UH-mazing)
or Root Beer Baked Beans (pretty darn good - next time add more rootbeer!)
or potato salad and corn on the cob that do not need recipe links. ;)
and for desert? Chocolate Raspberry Paninis! Can you tell I was making up for the last few weeks of not cooking anything exciting?
And then we ended the weekend by sitting in baking pans. Why? Because her butt fits. and i am jealous. ;)
What that also means is that our Fourth of July was not spent at the beach, in the water, or sitting under an umbrella to avoid the sun. Nope. We were wearing long sleeve shirts. However, because I am conditioned to believe that July 4th should involve some sort of pool/beachside celebrating, we did this:
Why yes, that IS Stella in her baby pool with jeans and a sweatshirt.
Ignore our white trash yard of buckets and rags... but the bubbles are fun. 
Scup had fun eating them...
And Stella seemed vaguely nonplussed.
And we did need to eat some BBQ and traditional sides... likelike Baby Back Ribs with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce (adapted from this recipe - i didn't use the beef ribs - don't like them)
Or Cilantro-Lime Slaw (UH-mazing)
or Root Beer Baked Beans (pretty darn good - next time add more rootbeer!)
or potato salad and corn on the cob that do not need recipe links. ;)
and for desert? Chocolate Raspberry Paninis! Can you tell I was making up for the last few weeks of not cooking anything exciting?
And then we ended the weekend by sitting in baking pans. Why? Because her butt fits. and i am jealous. ;)
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