CAT!

Cat is River's favorite word. I would estimate that she says it at least 40 times a day. It took me a while to realize (and I'm a little embarrassed to say so) that "cat" has different meaning.  Now, every time she says "cat," I no longer follow with the default, "that's not a cat, silly!"They're hard to explain without demonstration, but I'll do my best.

1. cat - This use of cat is for things River knows are living breathing entities, but she's not quite sure what they are.  cat usually refers to children, birds, large dogs, and other things that roam close to the ground.  I say large dogs, because River knows the word dog, but I guess because she is only ever around small dogs, the larger more aloof kind is clearly a different animal.

2. caaaat (with a soft t) - I refrain from putting a question mark on this because she barely puts that upwards pitch on the end.  caaaat means "what is that?" Sometimes, she'll actually say "dat," but it usually comes out the first way.  This word is accompanied by a point of the finger.

3.CAT! - Lastly, is the proper use of the word.  This is pronounced with crystal clear confidence and a big ass smile that'll melt your heart.  We have two cats, both grey.  River has just started showing interest in chasing them around.  They don't quite hide, but they lurk in the shadows trying to maneuver from one room to the next without being spotted by that demon thing that just won't leave.  When they venture into the middle of the room, River, being the polite little girl she is, talks to the cats (she even bends down to get closer to their faces) and shares her toys with her.  Obviously, the cats don't appreciate her generosity, so they scurry away.


Other words:

• Mama (which she only says with the sign for "eat" cause that's all I am to her; a meal ticket)
• Hi! (second favorite word
• Dada
• Gig-gig (this is my mom's dog Fizzgig)
• Bu-bub (bubble bath)
• Yeah
• Dog
• Hot

don't pretend you don't know all the words.

I know you do.

Labor Day Weekend in Kentucky

River and I took a road trip up to Crestwood, Kentucky to visit my best friend, Staci.  Staci is moving to San Fransisco this month, so this was my last chance to see her for quite some time!  We left on Thursday with plenty of snacks and River's portable DVD played rigged up with tie line.  (I haven't bought a mount for it yet).    We only needed two stops for the drive which I thought was pretty remarkable for my tiny toddler.  We got to Crestwood that evening and and had yummy pancakes. :)

Most of the trip was spent window shopping (on my part) and watching TV.  Staci's mom was kind enough to watch River so we could shop, and twice at that! Woo!  We watched Season 1 of The Big Bang Theory, which I hadn't seen and Staci had, and Season 1 of New Girl, which Staci hadn't seen and I had.  I can't believe I haven't watch Big Bang Theory before.  It's very fun!  And New Girl is so well written that I could watch it again and again.

Staci's parents are vegan, so there were lots of yummy things for me to eat.  They made buckwheat pancakes and they exceeded my expectations.  My expectations were that it would be disgusting, and it was pretty good.  It would have been delicious with some sliced peaches on top.  Yummmm.

That's the trip in a nutshell. We spent a lot of time on the porch swing because River loves swinging on the porch.  It was quite relaxing.  The trip was relaxing until I locked myself out of the house and River and my phone in it.  WHAT?  Yes, I did that.  Tuesday morning, everyone had already left for work, so we had the house to ourselves.  Staci left me a garage door opener so I could just leave through there.  I put River in her high chair and gave her some banana, kiwi and strawberries to eat while I packed up the car.  Apparently, I locked the door thinking I was unlocking it, so when I came back for my second trip, I couldn't get in.  I was surprisingly calm.  I ran up the back porch steps to check on River; happy as a clam eating her fruit.  I looked under every rock, pot and welcome mat for a key...no luck.  I ran around to neighbors' houses until I found someone home.  I ended up having to call 911 since no one had the Sisk's phone numbers and I didn't have them memorized.  I ran back up the porch steps and tried to play peek-a-boo with my toddler, who at this point has eaten all her banana and most of the strawberry, and can't be bothered with a silly game at a time like this!  If only I cut up five bananas for her to eat!  Once I had nothing else I could do, the panic started setting in, and I teared up a little.  It took 20 minutes for the fire department to show up, and they took the hinges off the door.  Once I picked up River, she calmed down, but only wanted to be held for the next 30 minutes.  All things considered- it could have been a lot worse.  River could have been running around with the baby gate open and fallen down the stairs.  Oy.  I really lucked out on that one. 

Then we drove home, which took way too long.  And I stepped in gum.

Shoe Stores, and how they hate big feet.

Lets talk about how frustrating it is to have big feet.  I wear size 11.  I've worn size 11 since the 5th grade, and no, I wasn't this tall back then.  Finding ANY size 11 shoe is difficult enough, much less finding a cute shoe.  Today I was reminded how difficult it actually is.
I went to Off Broadway today with no intention of actually buying any shoes.  I wanted out of the house, River was a little stir crazy, and I've been obsessing over shoes online. So I thought, why not?!  I went out with the mission of finding a pair of mid-calf black combat boots, and a pair of oxfords with a heel. Or without.  Whatever.  I chose Off Broadway because my past experience with them was always good.  They used to have a wide selection of size 11.  Not anymore, my friends!  I tried on a 10 in some boots, just to see how tight it was.  It was tight. Way tight.  I used to be able to fit into a very few pairs of 10, but since having a baby, that doesn't happen anymore.  I found one pair of shoes that fit.  These were a nice color gray with a cute black tie.  Believe it or not, they were a little big on me.  They also weren't what I was looking for at all, so back in the box they went.


 
After my unsucessful shoe excursion, I came home to do more internet searching.  Behold! These are the cutest pair of saddle shoes EVER! And I want them.  They would look so cute with tights and a dress.  Especially the Pretty Polly dashing bow tights. So freaking cute!  I guess I'm looking so diligently for these things because I'm in the process of looking for a full time job.  I applied for one last night, but more on that if it becomes promising.

:)

We love you, Conrad!

This picture above will explain my absence from the blog world.  For the past three weeks, I've been stage managing the senior summer camp show.  This year, we're doing Bye Bye, Birdie. It's been a lot of fun and very hectic.  Maged was in Morocco for most of it, which meant River was with a sitter.  I got food poisoning why he was gone.  THAT was a blast.  Anyhoo, on top of stage managing, I'm also on the technical staff which means I've also been doing tons of painting.  I just realized none of my painting is in this picture.  Of well.  Just believe me.  This pic was taken during our first and only music rehearsal on Thursday.  Musicians practice the music and the rest of us scurry to finish the set.  This was the first out of two 13 hour days.  We close the show today, so....more blogging later!

And now, to shower.





Does anyone even read this?

WHY IS IT SO HOT?

What a busy week we've had!  My brother came into town at the end of June from Dallas.  This was his first time meeting River, and he is so smitten with her!  I've really enjoyed having him here. 

Last weekend, our AC was out, so we spend a lot of time being cranky and leaving the apartment whenever we could.
On the 3rd, my nephew, Easton, and best friend, Staci, both came into town.  We all stayed at my mom's house, and it was a bit hectic.  We didn't even do much, just having all those personalities in one house was crazy.  We had a low key cookout on the fourth.  I think fireworks would have scared the pants off of River, so we'll have to wait until next year to take her.

Maged left for Morocco on Thursday, the 5th.  Morocco, you say? YES!  Maged was lucky (and talented) enough to be cast in The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party, by Jean Cocteau, at the university.  They are competing in the International Theatre Festival in Casablanca, and they'll be there for two weeks.  We downloaded this app called Tango to use to video chat.  The wifi connection isn't too great, but it's still nice to see his face, and I love watching River and him smile at each other.  Heart melt. 

On Friday, my mom, Bob, Stephen, Easton, Staci, River and I all went to the outlets.  It was hot.  Really hot.  The weatherman lied to me and said it was going to be cloudy, windy and possible rainy.  It was none of those things.  I wore jeans instead of my pretty dress.  I was mad.  The End.

Saturday I had to work.  It was casting for the senior camp show, Bye Bye, Birdie.  It went well, but it was a long day.  I stayed in that night to work on my stage managing book....and catch up on some Supernatural.

Sunday was a day for more shopping.  River was not so happy to cooperate this time, but we got it done.  My brother took her into Spencer's to look for Batman things.  She say Broby from Yo Gabba Gabba, smiled SO big, pulled him off the shelf and snuggled him.  How could Steve say no to that?  Uncle Stephen bought Broby for her, and they have been inseparable ever since. Above, you can see Broby and River telling each other jokes in the backseat.

River has been at my mom's (without me) since Sunday, and I miss her terribly. I pick her up Wednesday morning, and it cannot come soon enough. 

I'm going to write everything that's been going through my head today.

Topic One: Tattoos.
I love tattoos.  I already have five of them and I plan to get more.  I've been wanting something on my mid-upper thigh for quite some time.  I'm ready for something big, and that's where I want my first big one. River turned ONE YEAR OLD on Monday (more on that later) and I want to get something for her Her birth flower is a rose, so I think I would like to get that. In my quest for the perfect genre for my rose tattoo, I googled "Americana roses" and "watercolor roses" (very different, I know, but I was that torn).  Then I saw some work by Peter Aurisch and fell in love.  Love.

 To me, it's a great blend of the two styles I was looking at. The problem is, Peter Aurisch is in Berlin and I am not.  So I'll have to find an artist in the Atlanta area that can do work like this.  I already have a few in mind.  It'll be a few months before I can afford to do this, but hopefully when the time comes, I'll have an artist in mind.  I'm so excited about it already.




Topic Two: Dresses, and clothes in general.
I've never been very good at putting together super cute outfits.  But when I do, I feel absolutely amazing and just want to frolic!  This is mostly due to the fact that I'm always broke.  I also tend to get over whelmed when I go shopping and take much longer than needed.  Having a baby makes shopping even harder because my attention is always being drawn elsewhere....like to my cute baby.  I did manage to put together a cute outfit for River's first birthday party.  I'll have to take a picture without a baby attached to me so you can get a good look.  I wore a hot pink sleeveless blouse from H&M, trouser shorts from Target and blue strappy sandals from Target.
I've also been spending a lot of time drooling over everything on modcloth.com.  I've only owned one thing from the website, and it's long gone.  My most recent desire is the Kiss and Tell Dress in Neon Yellow.  It looks so fun and like it would be flattering for my body shape.  The only problem I see is the bra issue.  How am I supposed to wear a bra with this beautiful back? PS- Braless is not an option for me. Ever. 


Topic Three: River!

River has been a complete joy to have in my life.  I cannot believe she is already one year old.  This picture was taken on Monday (her birthday).  She was so happy to not be sick anymore!  Sunday was her birthday party and she was running a fever of 101.5 all day. This was her first fever, and let me tell you, she was absolutely miserable.  When her Tylenol would wear off, she would do this pitiful cry like when she gets her shots. It broke my heart.  She seemed to feel a little better before her party, so we didn't cancel, but she was so hot and tired and cranky.  You could tell she wanted to play with her friends, but just didn't feel up to it.  She wouldn't even touch her cake, but that didn't surprise me because she didn't want anything to do with cake for her photo shoot either.  I can't really complain about that.  She's walking (like a drunk Irish man) and drinking from sippy cups, and soon, she'ss be driving a car and hating my guts.... Until then, I'm going to cherish every single snuggle and wiggly diaper change and everything in between.

That's enough for now.  Good night.

hello again

It's been a while.

I've decided I want to start blogging again, but about everything in my life, not just a baby.  Although, I'm sure that'll still be the major topic of discussion. I'm hoping to blog at least once a week!

So stay tuned for a post with substance.  For now, I'm off to work.

River's Birth Story

It dawned on me today that I never shared my birth story on WTE or documented it anywhere.  So, here goes.

June 24, 2011, a Friday.  My husband had the day off of work and no class, so he was sleeping in.  I decided to go grocery shopping, so I got dressed and headed out.  Around 12:30, I noticed I was getting lower back pains that would come and go.  They felt like period pains.  I decided to time them while I was shopping, and they were coming every 4 to 6 minutes. When I got home, I told my husband about the pains and decided to go to the pool to take the pressure off my back. (First I had to wait for the creepy guy to leave).  I walked around in the pool for about 45 minutes and came back inside because I didn't want to burn.  I took a shower, and the hubby and I ran a few errands.  My back pains were still 4 to 6 minutes apart, but a little more intense.  Around 4:15, I called my OB's office and they told me to go on into the hospital.  We took our time leaving the apartment and got to the hospital around 5:00 pm. This part is boring so I'll skip it.  They ended up sending me home because my contractions weren't strong enough.  We got back home around 9:00, and went to a friends house for her birthday.  My husband was trying to talk me out of it, but I wanted to go.  I thought it would help take my mind off of things.  It did.  For about 2 hours. We left and went back home.  I took 2 Tyneol PM and tried to get some sleep.

I slept for about an hour.  The pain in my back was so intense.  I never had contractions in the front, only my back.  I wanted to give my husband some time to sleep, and I didn't want to be sent home from the hospital again, so I sat on the couch and watched Tosh.0 and King of the Hill and other cartoons I don't remember all night. At 5:00am, I couldn't take it anymore and decided it was time to go to the hospital.  I woke up Maged, let him take a shower and got dressed to leave.  We got to the hospital around 7:15am and got admitted into triage.  The nurse made me walk up and down the hall for an hour to try and regulate the contractions and make them stronger. Contractions were around 4 minutes apart and excruciating.  I would have to stop walking and lean against the wall during them.  I went to the bathroom in the middle of my walk and finally had my bloody show.  I was getting so dizzy and overheated about 45 minutes into the walk that I had to stop.  I have a nervous system disorder called P.O.T.S. so I'm extra cautious about dizzy spells.  Anyway, the nurse checked me, and I was between a 3 and a 4.  I was wondering why it was taking so long to get me into a room!  I told myself I didn't want to get an epidural until I was at 6 cm dilated, but I was ready at 3! I also didn't want to have any narcotic drugs for pain relief, but that quickly changed when I was stuck in triage for what felt like an eternity.  They gave me something that let me sleep for another hour.  Lots of pain and time passed and they FINALLY moved me up to labor and delivery at 3:00pm.

As soon as we got upstairs, the anesthesiologist arrived to give me the epidural.  Gods bless him!  After that, my midwife check me (4cm) broke my water and started Pitocin. My mom lives an hour away and told me to call her when I was at a 6.  Well, I went straight from 4 to 7! So she left work and drove straight to the hospital.  My best friend, Stephanie, and her mom arrived before my mom did.  We visited for a while.  When my mom got there, they left the room so we could have some family time. 20 minutes later, I decided to put on some makeup.  I felt so blah and figured it was gonna be a while and would have more visitors.  In the middle of putting on my makeup, the midwife checks me and says, "well, it's time to push." I asked, "...can I finish putting on my makeup?'  I had one eye done!  I would have looked foolish if I stopped.  The dumb nurse gave me a weird look when I asked her to stop putting my legs in stirrups so I could finish. Ha!  My mom left because my husband and I wanted to be alone for this.  She didn't help make the baby after all! I started pushing and it was easy peasy.  The epidural worked wonders.  I was so relaxed and calm during the whole thing. When she was crowning, the dumb nurse kept commenting on how much hair my daughter had and said, "I can't stop twirling it, it's so long!" I kept thinking, can't you wait until she's OUT?

After an hour-ish of pushing, River Lynne was born at 5:13 pm on June 25, 2011.  When she came out, it was like time stood still.  I have never felt anything like it.

 She is the best baby.  We are so in love with her and couldn't be happier. 

A Beginning in Blogging

I've decided to start a blog.  Mostly because I know not everyone on facebook cares about what I do with my daughter everyday. So anyway this is River! River is one month old today, and I can't believe how fast this past month has gone. I'm still learning what all her cries mean.  I know when she's hungry and I know when she's bored.  There's still a few more I need to decipher. 

Today, we are going to attempt grocery shopping and dress shopping.  My childhood friend is getting married on August 6th, and only 5% of my clothes fit.  And those 5% are only t-shirts.  We don't have a stroller yet, so hopefully Kohls has buggys for me to use.

Wish me luck!