Gift Wrapped

 On Sunday we dressed Caitlin in one of her new outfits from Grandma. I am LOVING the new clothes.  (Thank you, Mom!) In  typical fashion I added a bow to her hair.

At Mass there was another mother with a baby about the same age as Caitlin. She asked how I got the bow to stay in. Super glue?

That afternoon we snuck in a quick Costco trip. Caitlin stops traffic in that store! My favorite comment of the day was the woman who said, "Isn't that cute! She is gift wrapped and all with the little bow!"

 

As for the bows?

I get this question a lot, so I'll share my little secret...

 Those who know me well know I am super cheap thrifty. All the bows, headbands, and hats we've bought are from Target and Walmart. I didn't think she would actually wear them at first so I didn't want to spend a lot. We started putting bows and headbands on her from an early age and thankfully she doesn't mind. I am sure our days are numbered, but I'll enjoy it while I can! For now I've found no one else cares that the bow in the picture was part of a 6 pack for $2.50. It works for me!

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Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

The Irishman is a true carnivore. He LOVES his meat and has been looking forward to introducing Caitlin to his favorite food group for a while now.



Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Daddy always says, "Meat comes FIRST!"

The meal was a hit!



Not too sure about the hair though...

Mommy & Me

Last Monday was ER Day. To celebrate our 8 years together, the Irishman bought me sunglasses from Brighton. I have never in my life owned sunglasses that cost more than $10 or $15. This is new to me. I am terrified that I am going to lose or break them. I'm getting past that though...I love them!

I figured with the Mommy and Me promoting safe-sun protection theme this week, it was the perfect time to show off my new frames. (From our spot in the shade...Florida girls don't take chances!) While my wonderful husband cleaned the grill, I attempted to take a self portrait with the baby. Without someone dancing behind the camera Caitlin had little interest. I gave up and took a picture of our feet instead!



After her splash in the pool she tried out the new duckie robe Grandma sent her.



Caitlin and I are spoiled with our new goodies,

but we don't mind!

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Tickle Me Caitlin

I discovered this morning that I had NO new pictures to post! With the flu, the leaky AC unit, and work it was the kind of week you survive! The weekend is here though and we are all healthy and happy! We were thrilled to come home last night to find a surprise package for Caitlin. Grandma Laura ordered a summer wardrobe for the little one. Expect pictures soon!

I may not have any new photos for you, but here are some videos I shot last night of Caitlin and the Irishman. I'm not sure who enjoyed themselves more!





(These are videos, so to those who get this via e-mail, you will have to look at the blog online to see them!)

There is Always Time for Tea!

Another novelty is the tea-party,

an extraordinary meal in that,

being offered to persons that have already dined well,

it supposes neither appetite nor thirst,

and has no object but distraction,

no basis but delicate enjoyment.

~Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste

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Hosted by Cecily

Cherry Bottoms

My Uncle Ken went to a giant outlet store last summer and bought us many, many fantastic outfits for Caitlin. When he came back and went through the pile of goodies, he stopped at this one. When he brought it to us it seemed so big, but now it is just right!



These are the "Cherry Bottoms." My uncle was doing some people-watching and noticed two ladies with this outfit. It went in and out of the cart and they tried to decide whether or not to purchase. When they put it down, my uncle swooped in and added it to his own cart. The ladies went back later but couldn't find the "Cherry Bottoms."



I had to laugh because it reminds me of stories I've heard about my Great Grandfather. My mom says that none of the throws Great Grandma knitted were ever the same color because Great Grandpa did the shopping. He always looked for a crowd of women buying yarn. He figured that a crowd meant it was a good deal and used that to determine his purchases. As a result she had a little bit of everything to use. It seems that my uncle picked up a thing or two from his grandfather when it comes to picking the popular!



The Irishman bought Caitlin her first cell phone a couple of weeks back. It has become one of her favorite little toys. Thankfully she doesn't quite have the phone thing down yet (I love the picture in the bottom right), but she does enjoy pushing the buttons.


(I love this picture!)

I had a great time yesterday snapping these pictures as Caitlin played. The nursery is so bright and sunny in the morning that it makes the day seem full of promise.

By the end of the day yesterday the Cherry Bottoms had become Poopy Bottoms. The worst diaper failure we've ever had happened in the high chair at about the same time the Irishman had an IrishMAN flu relapse. I sent my mom a picture, but I'll spare you the gory details.

Today is a new day though. I am keeping a positive outlook. If nothing else we are one day closer to the weekend!

Happy Thursday!

IrishMAN Flu

I. AM. EXHAUSTED.

I was up all night with a sick....
HUSBAND!

The Irishman sent me a text yesterday saying that he felt lightheaded and cold. He asked if I could leave work early and pick up the baby from day care.



Disclaimer: The photos in the post have nothing to do with the text. The Irishman took them at the end of May and I just found them in the May folder. I know the photos are what the family comes to look at...I am only secondary! I decided against taking pictures of the flu. You can thank me later...

My co-workers and I joked that he just wanted to stay home Wednesday to watch the US World Cup Soccer game. He foolishly stayed at work until 5:00 and discovered when he got home that he had a fever of 102.8 degrees F. By the time I got home with the baby it was over 103.

He said he was proud of himself for having a fever so high. He changed his mind later! Morgan napped while I fed Caitlin and did the bath and bedtime routines.


(Again, random baby pictures for you)

After the baby went to bed I fixed dinner. (Confession: I reheated left over food from dinner at my grandparents' house on Sunday...not exactly cooking, but I did make garlic bread on zucchini bread from the bread machine. That counts for something, huh?)

Morgan dozed on the couch so I went to the store. I replaced our old yucky kitchen trash can and then stopped at the grocery store to get ginger ale and more "buy one get of free" Earth's Best baby food. We now have enough baby food to last us for the summer. My cabinet looks like we are preparing for the end of the world! Anyway...

It was just after 10pm when I got home from the store. I knew things were bad when I presented the Irishman with a new trashcan, a coconut candle, and Greek yogurt and got no reply. He asked for a trashcan for Father's Day. He hated the old one. Coconut candles and Greek style yogurt would always get a response. Something wasn't right.

At this point his fever was 103.8 and he had only taken one Tylenol at 5pm. He dragged himself back upstairs and I got him medicated and hydrated. Soon after his stomach started to bug him.

I am one of those people who does not handle vomit well. Yes, I know no one likes it, but I am in the group of people who will suffer in misery for hours to avoid throwing up. Even talking about it now is too much for me. While he was losing his dinner I set up a folding table next to the bed with his ipod, an ice pack, and a glass of ginger ale.

I tried to talk him into taking a shower. He said he was too weak so I put a chair in the shower. At about midnight he was showered, changed, and in bed with an ice pack on his head.

Then I got to clean up downstairs. I ran the dishwasher and washed a load of the baby's clothes. I changed the pillowcases and slept on the couch. Thankfully Caitlin slept through the night...we went cold turkey on skipping the dreamfeed and she has slept through the night without it for three nights now.

My alarm went off at 6am this morning and I found a rested Irishman. He was no longer running a fever. I am not sure if he has ever REALLY had the flu before...though he is always saying he feels "flu-y." (Not sure how one would spell that...flooie is the phonetic spelling, but nothing looks right!) He ranks this experience up there with the time he was hit by a car and the time he had his wisdom teeth out without being knocked out. Yep, it was THAT bad.

I am off to work and he is indeed watching soccer. I have a date with a bottle of Lysol before I go. I am all for sharing, but I do NOT want these germs!

Let's Pretend I am...

A charging bull?

Ferdinand the Bull?

Lion door knocker?

Caitlin played with the ring in her mouth like this for a while the other day. It made me laugh....and grab the camera!

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Sick? We went to the doctor yesterday. Dr. B said Caitlin is perfectly healthy! I am revisiting the theory that she has learned to get sick only on school nights...

Father's Day Recap

We had a lovely Father's Day. After the "Caitlin, I am Your Father" breakfast and Mass we went to my grandparents' house.



After a fabulous meal, the Irishman and Caitlin spent some time with a few of his favorite things: soccer and Coca Cola.



Ironically, I have no pictures of any other family members that were there yesterday. Oops. After Mother's Day when I did not have a single picture taken with Caitlin I was determined to make up for it on Father's Day. In hindsight a picture with my grandparents would have been nice. Oh, well! My cousin Amy was nice enough to take some family pictures for us though.

We had a hard time getting Caitlin to smile. This was the best of about 20 photos. She was however intrigued by GB's fountain!

When we got home we discovered that the baby was running a fever. (No wonder she wasn't smiling...) It seems she has learned early that weekends are for fun and school nights are for getting sick! Caitlin has been completely fine since the rash and vomiting incident on Thursday night...until last night's low fever and vomiting. Thankfully she slept through the night. (And I skipped the dream feed as well...maybe phasing that out will be easier than I thought!) We will be visiting the doctor's office today. Poor little thing!

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So, it may be mostly Daddy and his Darling this week, but there is a Mommy and Me picture worked in there, too!

May the Force be With You On This Father's Day

PJ Day and A Summer Bucket List

Thursday night we made our first after hours call to the pediatrician's office. Caitlin hadn't had much of an appetite, but we coaxed her into eating. In hindsight that wasn't a good move.

An hour later she had broken out in a rash. There were red bumps all over her head and chest. She had no fever, but as I finished nursing her she lost her dinner...yuck! It may be a while before I have peach yogurt again.

Ironically I had been listening to a book on tape in which the main character's child had a stomach bug and thought to myself, "It is all ahead of me." I just hadn't expected it so soon...

We never figured out what it was that caused her to get sick. It was her 6th yogurt. She had 3 pear and it was the 3rd peach. (They come in a six pack with three of each flavor...I cannot claim to be that organized otherwise!) She had bananas and green beans at day care. Nothing new.

Anyway...the rash cleared up within an hour or so and she wasn't sick again. I stayed home with her yesterday anyway to comply with the 24 hours -vomit-free-before-returning-to-daycare-rule.

Caitlin and I had a Pajama Day.

Does it still count as a PJ Day if you have to change the PJs three times due to spit up?

And how can it be that I had to change more than she did....hmmmm.....

 

Caitlin's newest trick is sticking out her tongue.

She does it a lot.

It makes me laugh.

I love that girl!

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I took advantage of four hours of nap time yesterday to begin working on my summer "bucket" list. I made the list last week after reading this one. I figure posting it here will give some accountability. So, in no particular order, here goes:

1. Make a pillowcase dress for Caitlin

2. Make a pillowcase dress to donate

3. Make a tutu

4. Make hair bows

5. Make Greek-style yogurt in my yogurt maker

6. Find the perfect bread machine recipe for whole grain bread

7. Take a class in cake decorating

8. Replace blog header

9. Take a walk along the beach before Mass on Sunday

10. Phase out the dreamfeed

11. Line up a local babysitter

12. Take the Irishman to an Astro's game

13. Go to the zoo

14. Plan Christmas gifts

15-22. Fix up our patio:

     -Replace the swing

     - Replace the grill cover

     - Weed and replace the rocks in the beds

     - Add mulch

     - Trash the old bike

     -  Plant and keep alive plants in the railing flower boxes

     - Plant herbs in the square foot garden

     - Pressure wash the patio

23. Research baby sign language

24. Sort out online computer back up

25. Get Caitlin a passport

26. Eat at Pappasitos at least twice while in Houston

27. Redo the closet under the stairs like we did the one in the baby's room

28. Have regular date nights with my husband (See #11)

29. Take the Irishman to Space Center Houston after years of him bugging me about it

30. Relax and enjoy each and every moment!

I started working on 6,7,and 14 yesterday. Odd choices, yes, but oh well! What is on your summer bucket list?

Too Much World Cup Action...

...may lead to a wild soccer player hair do!

Daddy calls this her David Beckham  "Becks" look.

She can thank him for these pictures when she gets older.

*Random note: For the record, the Irishman is not a big Becks fan. In fact he would be on his list of LEAST favorite players right up there with the French player whose hand ball kept Ireland from the World Cup this year! On that note I will point out that it is his "Anyone But France" shirt is he wearing as he holds his little wild-haired girl.

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Hosted by Cecilyand Lisa

Yet Another Pool Picture

We went to the pool on Sunday and only took a few pictures before the camera batteries died.



Smiling baby? Check.
Baby sun protection? Check.
Baby visible under all that sun protection? Check.
Mommy looking at the camera? Check.
No inappropriate cleavage? Check.
Goofy smile on Mommy? Check - oh, well!
 All parties centered in the photo? Check.
Happy baby looking at the camera? Double Check.

I think I've found my new favorite pool picture...

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Sweet Summer Sundress

Sunday morning we were running late for Mass...again. Caitlin's morning routine doesn't fit in well with Mass times, so it is always a stretch. When we missed our usual time, we had a little bit of time to spare. What better than pictures when you are all dressed up with no where to go (yet)?

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