Mother Heartbreaker

Mothers' Day has a lot of different meanings for people. It is only my second, and even in the middle of family gatherings, I found myself reflecting on how the day has changed for me. I found myself thinking about the changes I experienced in becoming a mother.

When I was younger I never thought of myself as a mothering type. In fact I thought I was cold, reserved, and awkward around children. I was convinced I would be horrible. Actually terrible.

I learned how to be around kids by being around kids. I started tutoring elementary and junior high students. During that time, I learned a lot about children and realized that while children are at a different place in development, they are people. They are jniust people.

Yes, they have specific needs. Yes they have smaller vocabularies and may struggle to understand some abstract concepts BUT for the most part, they just need love, support, and security.

And I did not understand that once you become a mother, all the training you took in subconsciously from your own mother kicked in. I did not understand that at some point in pregnancy your brain changed in such a way that marks you. Childless women and men do not understand this transformation. It is a biological change that occurs. There is nothing else like it. And I did not know its depth.

I cannot watch children being hurt. The idea of a child going without breaks my heart. Going without food, or shelter, or clothes, or education, or parents, or love. It all hurts my heart. It constricts my chest.

And I cannot breathe when I hear of a parent losing a child. That pain is unnatural. Wrong. But I did not understand how it would be so before I became a parent. I did not understand how gut wrenching even the idea could be.

I know it bothers Christian more now that he is a father, but I wonder about the way it impacts a mother, one whose brain changes during pregnancy...who bonds through breastfeeding.

So when I look at my son, I find myself a stranger. I turned into a super lovey mom. I have to kiss his cheeks. I have to hug and cuddle him. I have to tell him I love him several times a day. I have to pick him up when he is sad and put words to his intense feelings. The sweetest sound is his laugh, or maybe him singing, or just telling a gibberish toddler story. And I know he has more power over me than any other human in this world. Because more than anyone, he can break my heart.

Our Second Easter Marathon

We survived Kiddo's second Easter! Phew!

I am amazed. Truly. I say survived because the past weekend was JAM-PACKED! We stayed at my in-laws' house on Friday night. This in itself was a little trying because whenever his routine changes, Kiddo has a hard time with sleep etc. But the following morning, we had the Easter Egg Hunt at our church.

I thought because Kiddo is introverted he would hide in a corner with all the people around. I thought he wouldn't get any eggs - none. I thought, maybe this is a total waste.

I was wrong. Really very wrong - thankfully!

Not only did he get eggs, when we ran - Kiddo's one speed - into the nursery school where the young kids would hunt, he ran for the first egg he saw.

"Put it in the basket." So he did. Then he went for another, and another. He didn't pay attention to anything except the eggs, strewn around, perfect for picking up and placing in his wicker basket.

In the end, he had quite a collection, despite his slower pace (he was on the younger end of the little kids). He got to sample chocolate for the first time, as promised. He selected a Mr. Goodbar, and enjoyed it, before returning to cantaloupe and Cheerios.

Then Easter was just as busy. We had church, followed by a present Easter basket opening party, after which, we enjoyed a mid-day meal with friends. Kiddo got to play on a tricycle, which by the end, without a nap, became quite the challenge. By 4 PM, he was done. He reached his maximum. With little struggle, we buckled him into the carseat and he was asleep for the ride home in less than a minute.

It was a lot. Everyone slept solidly that night. And despite it being a lot, Kiddo had relatively few meltdowns, and we enjoyed ourselves. That said, I'm glad it was raining today (YES!!) because we could stay in and have a relaxed day. Everyone needs those, and we all earned it.

Toddlers and Valentines

In order to focus on a day of love, I thought I would share some of our preparations.

I grew up with valentine boxes. You decorate a box with a cut a slit big enough for cards in the top, and then everyone in the family puts their valentines in the box. Mailed valentines also go in the box to be opened as a family on Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately, Kiddo was more interested in ripping the box than decorating it, so I ended up decorating the box, which compared to my childhood designs was positively simple (and much too symmetrical).

However, we were able to decorate some valentines together. I did my own, which I will not post here because several recipients do read this blog. I will however, highlight my envelopes.

Because I am an upcycle kind of person, I decided to take some old index cards and ripped out Ducati brochure pages to wrap my valentines. I didn't want people to pull out valentines and have to read the insides in order to hand them out. It just was better to have them in envelopes. Thus...here is Christian's for your inspection...

The front of my upcycled envelope

The back featuring a sexy Ducati motorcycle

Kiddo did pretty well with his own valentine decorating.  Through a mixture of crayons (which he chewed on repeatedly), toddler markers, and colored pencils he made a few scribbles here and there, which I augmented through some choice stamping and drawing. Mostly he just explored the media and played with the stamp blocks.

I tried to do handprints and I tried to do finger prints, but Kiddo is independent. I can't place his hands somewhere. I can't convince him to do one thing or the other. He does what he wants. He has ideas and that is what he implements. I don't know how all those pictures of toddler valentines got on the internet. My only guess is either the kids were asleep or heavily sedated. I can't imagine Kiddo doing anything so guided. Better to let his spirit come through in his cards...so scribbles it is.

Happy Valentine scribbles....from Kiddo.

What success have you had making cards with toddlers or preschoolers? Any tips or tricks? Leave a comment below!

New Year's Resolutions

I recently read that parents should have resolutions for their kids...or that kids should have their own resolutions. I''ve also read that resolutions don't work, that you should instead have something that you can really follow and implement consistently.

With all these things in mind, I am resolved to the following for 2015:

Kiddo can play with any safe toy he wants. Pink. Turquoise. Bedazzled. Glitter coated. If he loves it and it is age appropriate, it's good.

I will continue to honor his preferences - however they may change or develop.

I will continue to cloth diaper...intermittently as his body's needs and our water shortage shift and change (this way I don't feel too guilty for using so much water on laundry or throwing away disposables).

I will try to expose him to a variety of good foods and hold off on junk as long as humanly possible (despite the mockery of various people in my life as I refuse to let him have chocolate etc).

Kiddo can have as many bananas as he wants.

We will have dance parties once a day to music like Pentatonix.

Kiddo can nurse as often as he likes.

I will continue to help him develop various skills by playing games, singing, talking, and reading with him.

Kiddo will continue to have routines, boundaries, and rules appropriate for his age.

I will make sure I get my needs met so I can be the best mom I can be.

We will snuggle at least twice a day.

Here's to a fantastic new year of reasonably raising an alien!

The First Real Christmas

Fall babies don't really have a first Christmas worth mentioning. They are still in the larval stage and barely able to sit up, and some can't even roll over at that point. Pretty much, the first Christmas is a wash.

The second, however, is lots more fun.

I tried to honor my son's preferences and got him things that might seem strange to other people. I also made him some items (mentioned in earlier posts).

It was so worth it. Kiddo had this moment almost every gift where his brows would raise as he took in the sight of the new toy and then his face would glow with the sweetest smile. It was priceless.

The biggest winners for this were the three Christmas rubber duckies, a stuffed penguin, hand puppets, and yes, Mommy's baby doll.

In fact the baby doll was such a hit Kiddo actually cuddled it off and on the whole time it was in sight. He cuddled it right up to bed.

Folks, we may finally have a bedtime lovey!

He got a lot of really wonderful items besides the above. Blocks, books, puzzles, bath toys, music toys, and of course, plenty of really great clothes for both now and the next size up. It was so much more than we expected, we were overwhelmed, Kiddo included (He wasn't sure what to play with!).

It was a big day full of family time and fun exploring new, different things. The high point for me after the doll cuddle was when he leaned down in his daddy's arms to give great grandma a kiss goodnight. What a sweet boy! I couldn't imagine being blessed with a more wonderful son or more generous and gracious family. Thankfully we have days like Christmas to showcase such things.

Alien Shot Disaster or 15 Month Well Baby

Kiddo had his 15 month well baby this past Friday. I knew going in he was getting shots, so I enlisted the assistance of Grandad to ensure maximum success.

It was, in short, a disaster.

He remembered.

When the nurse took his measurements (31.3 in, 24 lbs 4 oz, and 19 head circumference) he gave her the stink eye. She had to prove the pen she was holding was just a pen. He struggled as she took his temp using his forehead.

Then, when we saw the doctor, he cried as soon as the man brought out his light to check Kiddo's eyes. He barely allowed the doctor to look at his eyes, so forget ears and throat. Then he did not want a stethoscope on him at all.

The doctor managed a few seconds of listening to his chest before Kiddo wriggled away.

Then of course, came the real show. When he went into the vaccine/test room, he was calm at first. We warned the nurses he remembered getting shots, so they were extra nice. The pointed to the holiday decorations and he was calm. He thought he had avoided shots. Of course that was when we had to pull down his pants to expose his chubby thighs for vaccines and take off a sock and shoe to grab hold of his toe for a blood count.

He struggled so much it was painful to hold him. He wailed so hard his face went purple. It broke my heart but I would rather a few moments of distress than sterility, paralysis, or death.

When it was over, the nurses rummaged through their cabinet to give him a rather large frog squeak toy. At first he didn't take it, but as soon as we left the room, he grabbed it, enjoying the big eyes and chewable texture.

It was a difficult visit, but now Kiddo is up to date with his vaccines and he is still pronounced perfect according to the medical profession. He has hit or surpassed the development bar in all aspects. I am so grateful not only that we had insurance to cover the visit, and kindness of the staff, but especially for the continued health and excited joy of my beloved little boy.

At Christmas more than ever, the blessing of my family is on my mind. How wonderful it is to have them with me, happy, healthy, and whole!

Thanks Obama. ;-)

DIY Upcycle: Baby Doll

I have a few videos that need editing before they can be posted. With that in mind...I figured it was a good time to post another homemade present!

I can do that for a few more years...

I read that all children - boys and girls - need a baby doll. Looking at most purchase options, I was less than thrilled. Determined that Kiddo should have a doll, I decided I would sew one myself.

This was the most ambitious sewing craft I have EVER done, especially considering it is handsewn. Originally I had white denim, thinking it would hold up to abuse better than cotton knit. In the end, I decided to use a pale knit for the limbs. As an impatient person, I did not measure or trace. I eyeballed the limbs. I traced the body shape from another stuffed animal of Kiddo's. I designed a face and embroidered this first. I added a belly button.

Then I cut pieces of green knit to be a cloth diaper on the baby (permanent). I pinned these to the base of the body. I stuffed the sewn limbs with some empty fabric at the end to allow them to attach easily (and for limb movement). I stitched these on leaving a space on the side of the body so I could turn it back out. Knowing what I know now, I would have ironed the edges in and stitched the doll on the outside. C'est le guerre.

Turning out was hard because of the denim body, but I was successful. Once done, I stuffed the doll and stitched it closed. Finally I took three embroidery floss braids (three strands each) and folded them. I wove a needle through them and stitched them to the doll's head to make hair.

Voila! Baby doll! Is it perfect? No. I could have done a few different things to make it more professional looking... BUT I am not a seamstress. I'm a mom. This was my biggest sewing craft ever and I didn't follow anyone's instructions. Considering that, I think I did really well and I'm certain Kiddo will love it come Christmas morning. :-)

DIY Upcycle: T-shirt Pillow

I'm making a lot of Christmas presents this year. Part of it is because baby presents are relatively easy. Part is I like upcycling. Part of it is resource availablity.

That said, Kiddo is getting a few keepsake items made from things lying around and a little dollar store ingenuity.

I got some embroidery floss from the dollar store along with needles for a puppet project a while back (never got to it). I do have a sewing machine, but it is MIA so I have to do everything by hand. Fortunately now I have a little time and a lot of fabric scraps. Unfortunately some of my best sewing time is when Kiddo is entertaining himself. This meant he saw one of the presents intended for Christmas...and it became an advent gift.

Christian has a bunch of old shirts that shrank with various graphics etc. One happened to have an R1200 GS motorcycle on it. Another had stylized "BMW Motorrad" on it. I cut out the motorcycle and then traced that shape on the BMW shirt. I split the embroidery floss to sew with 3 strands as opposed to 6. I chose to embrace the handsewn look and have the stitching outside, as one might find with some Indian pieced accessories. I rolled extra/uneven edges making it a little more interesting and crossed the stitching, if casually. Once the pillow was mostly stitched, I stuffed it with some filling I got at a craft store (20 oz for $5!). I sewed the last little bit, at which point Kiddo wanted it (and Grandma suggested handing it to him not knowing my intention...sigh). Considering his extensive present list, it's alright to let him have one thing early, even if he refused to have his picture taken with it.

Happy Thanksgiving

Holidays are my favorite. I love the rituals of them, the time with friends and family, seasonal decorations, and of course food.

This year I am particularly thankful for:
1. Being able to cook several major dishes for T Day with Christian and my in-laws.
2. Christian's grandma joining our festivities.
3. My parents joining festivities.
4. Kiddo's sweetness and enjoyment in being at Grandma's house.
5. The opportunities we've been given for the next year. They are truly amazing and I am so excited about our possibilities as individuals and a family.
6. My husband, who works so hard and loves us so much.
7. My baby boy who always puts a smile on my face.
8. Technology that allows us to document the whole thing...

Have a wonderful holiday! May it be filled with blessings, good food, wonderful people, and beauty. This is my heart's deepest wish for everyone celebrating today.

Video: Toddler Veterans Day Salute

This was just so amazing...I wish I could have gotten it up that day but Kiddo is molar teething which means everything is a battle. So, with that in mind, here's a toddler saluting.

Happy Birthday Baby! A First Year Retrospective

It's been a year. I've been a mom for a year. It seems crazy. I mean, I feel like yesterday I gave birth (Okay, well maybe not yesterday. You know, I can sit down comfortably and I'm not using a sitz bath...thank GOD!) and now Kiddo is threatening to walk!

My smooshy newborn love

It's pretty wild that a year go, Kiddo was a red, smoosh-faced sleepy, poopy, floppy newborn. This is especially wild considering that now he has some words, plays jokes, chases, laughs, sings, and dances (with help). It's crazy that he can climb up and down stairs, pets Java the Cat when he's sleepy, and cuddles his stuffed animals that he makes babble. It's crazy that he poses for pictures.

It's been a crazy year. Our family has suffered a lot during Kiddo's first year of life. We've experienced tremendous financial hardship (and we're still working to remove that burden). We sacrificed independence and pride and moved in with my parents. I underwent a lot of personal exploration and development, which also forced a lot of issues within my marriage which had been quietly festering. These things forced Christian to confront his choice of profession (and the resulting difficulties), as well as his role as husband and father.

My active charming 1 year wonder

Meanwhile, Kiddo was largely unaware of these things. He, despite everything, grew and even thrived. Everywhere we go, people comment on his charming nature. They adore his sweet smiles, waves, singing, and even his more spectacular antics (more about those in subsequent posts).

While this year has been difficult, it was also full of joy, wonder, and laughter. Kiddo is an amazing and unusual kid who prefers vegetables to fruit, syncopated rhythms, and entertaining anyone who is wiling to watch him for longer than 2 seconds. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Happy Birthday Baby! We love you so much.

Ode to My Husband: Happy Anniversary

so expressive...

Okay, I know I already posted about money today (something on my mind as I start shelling out the big bucks to apply to grad school) but...

It is an important day. It's our 6th anniversary. So I thought I would share some things I learned/like/love about Christian, for ... giggles. :-)

Hipsters 4 LYFE!

1. Christian is very silly. While he can't express his deep emotions very well, he has an incredibly expressive face that shows every little thought that flicks through his mind. The result is a nightly laugh fest at dinner time.
2. He has child-like excitement about the world. When something strikes his fancy, he learns everything he possibly can, and then can't wait to share it all with you - even if you have no interest whatsoever. He has enough interest for the both of you.
3. Christian has an amazing autopilot. He sets up routines in his mind so strongly sometimes he forgets he is on auto pilot. He ends up doing the auto pilot anyway, even if he wanted to do something else (example: getting off the 101 at Patterson Ave exit when he wanted to get off at Fairview).
4. I have NEVER met someone with a stronger protective/crisis instinct (except maybe his mom). If there is blood, bruising, crying, or possible destruction, Christian's reflexes take over. This is what made him kill baby rattle snakes at the age of 11 when they threatened his baby nephew. It is what kept Kiddo from being hurt when they tumbled down the stairs and Christian twisted mid fall to allow Kiddo to safely land on top of him. This instinct is something to behold.
5. Christian does game theory problems in his head before going to sleep at night...for fun.  Seriously.
6. At least once a day, he sketches out some potential invention or schematic either to explain a concept to someone else, or to get an idea into the world and out of his head.
7. No one has made me as dizzy through layered conversation as Christian. When other people have no idea what I'm referencing (which happens all the time), Christian does most of the time, and then he gives me something just as obscure and fun back.
8. Christian and I are about the same level of genre nerd - just slightly different types. Where he dove deep into hard sci-fi, I was waltzing around fantasy. As a result, we meet in the middle for fun discussions of themes, problems, and social commentary.

   

   Dahntahn

9. We share the same central progressive Christian beliefs, which makes raising a kid in the Church a lot easier (thank GOD!).
10. Christian is able to negotiate my kind of crazy extremely well, which is something I wasn't sure I would ever find. It goes a long way to making me feel validated even when my hormones turn me into Ms. Hyde.
11. Christian is willing to try things, especially if he can see where they might work better. This means we're never stuck doing the same old same old unless we want to be.
12. Christian makes me feel physically safe. I have never felt in danger with him ever. He knows how to handle himself in any location, with any group of people. This is something important to me, someone who grew up in a city where language and appearance could result in disaster if you stuck out.
13. He tries really hard to be a good dad. He changes diapers, gives baths, and sings songs off pitch. He wrestles and tickles and carries Kiddo. And Kiddo loves him so much, he asks for him every day while Christian is at work.
14. Christian compliments me and says "I love you" every day, at least once, but usually many times.
15. Even after being married for 6 years, it still feels good just to hold his hand.
    
    Happy Anniversary Christian! Life wouldn't be nearly as much of an adventure without you.
    

Happy Mother's Day!

My second week on the job.

First and foremost, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Secondly, I just published two new books for new moms, so be sure to check them out here or click on their cover images to your left.

Thirdly, it's my first Mother's Day, and so I thought it would be worth reflecting on the lessons I've learned over the past year.

Being a parent is actually the hardest job in the world. You spend a ridiculous amount of time, energy, and resources into someone without knowing if you'll get any return on your investment. There is little thanks, no guarantee they'll turn out "okay," and it's impossible to get a full night's sleep ever again. It's a 24/7, 110% effort required kind of gig. If this job was pitched to you, you'd turn it down. Really.

Being a mother is weird. If you're a good one, you can't help but think about your baby. Even if you're consciously trying to think about other stuff, baby is always in the back of your mind. Always.

Becoming a mother completely changes your perspective on the world. Suddenly everything is weighed on this scale: helpful or hurtful to baby. You're more responsible. Things are more urgent. People screwing up their lives make you want to nag them (maybe they need more mothering!). Also, you empathize with good TV and movie moms - always.

When you're away from baby (even for an hour), and return, you feel guilty for ever having left. Maybe you missed something important! Baby needs you!

Whatever you do impacts your child. Even your food choices, exercise regime, clothing, passion, aspirations, and hobbies affect them. How you choose to talk to them impacts what baggage they'll have as adults. Your relationships shape how theirs will be (Codependent? Abusive flaming mess? Pleasantville functional? You kind of decide.).

Children grow up fast. In a heartbeat they're making their own decisions. Even if you do everything right, they're their own people. They will decide to mess up some times, and other times they'll decide to be even more amazing than you ever imagined.

Everyone has advice about parenting to share. It's actually good to hear them out (especially friends and family). They have experience. It's worth listening to them. Sometimes their advice will be really helpful and other times just smile nod and do what you need to do. Still, listen to them. It's worth hearing how their parenting stories played out. It will help yours.

No one is perfect. Moms make mistakes. The thing is, we're biologically programmed to focus on our babies. Even when we make mistakes, we'll make up for them when we're good moms. Everything we do is for our babies. Really. Even drinking the occasional glass of wine or watching a shoot em up movie (a girl needs to escape every now and then!) is for our babies.

So, if you are a mom, let someone else take care of you today. If you're the partner of one, or have one - do something special for her today. She totally deserves it.

P.S. Because there are surprises in store for people today, I won't be blogging about them until AFTER the fact (myself included! Woot woot!). I'll give you a head's up on those tomorrow...or whenever Kiddo let's me blog again.

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to share a few awesome moments from Kiddo's first Easter.

Have a wonderful holiday and I wish it full of the kind of joy Elmo wrapping paper brought to ours (paper is better than toys apparently).

Happy New Year!

I thought I'd share with you a few New Year's resolutions. I intend this year to be big for me, but also for my family in the best way possible. 2013 was difficult and momentous. We became parents for the first time and of course Christian lost his job. We also moved from Oakland to Buellton. In many ways I feel like we've been stripped down completely. It's kind of like having a blank slate. So now is our chance to build everything back up to exactly what we want our lives to be. Hopefully this new year, combined with my intentions, will bring us a very different and positive situation.

With that in mind, here they are in no particular order:

1. I will reach my goal weight by December 31, 2014 which means I will log my balanced healthy meals and exercise on a daily basis.
2. I will be the best mom I can possibly be (that goes without saying, right?).
3. I will achieve my writing goals.
4. I will diversify my income streams.
5. I will do 5 things daily that will bring me closer to my goals.

In line with achieved goals and fresh starts, I'll raise my glass to 2014 - another big year, in a completely new and wonderful way!

Kiddo's First Christmas Bear

"Hug Me Hugo" by Gund

My grandmother gave kiddo a BUNCH of gifts, and they were all very sweet (those that weren't wrapped that I've seen so far, though I'm sure the wrapped ones are great too.). That said, there was one present that kiddo absolutely ADORES! He loves his first Christmas Bear,
Gund Hug Me Hugo Animated 15" Plush.

Now I'll be honest. I promised myself NO music playing or talking toys...BUT I can't deny that kiddo absolutely loves this toy.

Because kiddo is so incredibly verbal even at 3 1/2 months, the fact that Hugo speaks (and his mouth moves when he does) wins over kiddo. Not only does he smile when Hugo is speaking, but he gets very concerned when Hugo is visible but out of reach. He ALSO tries to talk to Hugo when the bear talks. He's gotten so used to Hugo speaking, kiddo now speaks to his other stuffed creatures.

And luckily the phrases this bear says (and the voice) don't bother me nearly as much as I thought they might.

The moral of this story is, don't judge a toy by it's recorded sounds. It might be one of the best Christmas presents of the year! 

Hope for the Hopeless

I survived my Thanksgiving adventure. I even liked the camper situation, though I could, as I expected, have left the desert and biking business out of the equation.

However, my adventure ended and now I'm on this side of Thanksgiving, and it has me freaked. Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent - the lead up to Christmas. Christmas means presents. Presents are tied up in expectation, and of course require money - something we don't have.

The dinky job Christian got when we arrived here has basically dried up. They told him they don't have any work for him, so don't bother coming in. Add to the fact that we have a required gift giving exchange with family, a need to contribute to cover Cobra this month, our 2 lone bills (and then gas), and our loan forbearances are ending, well I'm more than a little stressed.

I'm freaked out. I'm upset. I'm tired and I feel nearly hopeless.

It's ironic, because this season is supposed to be about hope. It's supposed to be about new beginnings, giving, love, joy, and hope. And for me, those things are in short supply. I have these moments when kiddo is smiling, and I forget my situation for five seconds. Then, when I'm tired or he's crying, or really anything comes up that's remotely related to finances or housing or clothing or food, I go back to freaking out. My shoulders tense up. My eyes begin to water. My throat tightens. My head aches.

I could take an Ibuprofen and move on with my day, doing whatever to forget, and ignoring my bank balance (something I do quite often) or I could wallow or I could try to change my situation. And I've done all these things. And the last one is the best choice, but it also takes the longest and it might not work in time. That's probably why I'm so freaked out - because I don't know how my situation can get better. I can't see the exact way out and so I'm freaked out, and I feel badly about little stupid things, like not being able to afford presents for people close to me.

I probably won't be able to fix my situation in time to buy presents for people this Christmas. I might not be in a better spot in six months, but hopefully by this time next year my life will be quite different. That's the big hope. That's what I want for kiddo - something different, something better, something safe and secure. I'll cling to that.

So maybe I have a little hope. Just a little.

The First Thanksgiving: An Adventure

Tomorrow will be kiddo's first Thanksgiving. Of course he can't appreciate the spread involved, and because of that, along with my husband's preferences, we're booking it to the Mojave.

*cough*

Yes we're taking our 3 month old son to go desert dirt biking with his grandparents for his first T-day.

Well there are a few things you should know about this adventure of ours.

First, I have never ridden a dirt bike. I may have married a biker, but I'm not one.

Secondly, I have gone camping a total of 2 times - both in a tent with my husband. While I enjoyed both escapades, the first one involved a large glittering lake (actually glittering with specks of pyrite) and the second involved ginormous redwood trees. These are things I absolutely love - water and trees.

Water and trees are the opposite of the desert.

To be fair, I like the desert in winter. It's the right temperature for me and often it's wet enough to boast beautiful flowers. I look forward to these things.

I'm unsure about the dirt biking with a baby thing. I'm not sure if there will be enough interesting walking trails for me to continue my workout regime (getting that baby weight off is a priority - plus the marriage weight I've been accumulating for 5+ years).

I'm also concerned about kiddo's eye. His right tearduct is underdeveloped (normal for a baby under 6 months). This means it doesn't drain properly, which means it's continuously goopy. I massage it and wipe away the gunk, but the situation is ripe for ocular irritation, particularly conjunctivitis.

If the sand isn't wet enough, dust will fly everywhere. Kiddo is so small, even if he begrudgingly wears his sunglasses, I'm afraid his eye will get worse. It had gotten a lot better in the last month but a really windy/dusty outing caused it to get nearly as bad as it was his first weeks of life. I don't want the problem exacerbated because Daddy wanted to ride bikes. :-/

Whatever happens, the time is sure to be an adventure. I have several plans in place should it be too windy/dusty for kiddo. I just hope he doesn't get bored being in the camper for 3 days if the weather doesn't cooperate. He is only a baby, but he's also already over Peek-a-boo (he knows how the game works and is no longer entertained by it). This kid is too smart for his own good. And he's teething. It may be a tough trip.

I'm crossing my fingers as I pray.

Ever had a tough trip with a little one? Give us some tips and pointers below!

Happy Halloween!

Because we've been going through a bit of a wonder week with kiddo, I've really only had time to work on my next novel (sorry the blog has been lacking). I do however have a few posts floating around my mind.

Since his five week wonder week, kiddo began social smiling (at six weeks, on October 15 he gave me the biggest smile ever for the very first time). After his seven week wonder week, he began cooing (starting on October 25) and then this past Monday (October 28) he gave a little giggle for the first time.

It's been a big leap forward for kiddo.

As such, I thought you'd appreciate a few cute pics of the adorable little alien with his doting parents.

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and chocolate filled Halloween!