Thursday, July 30, 2015

VIOLET'S FIRST FLIGHT + OUR NEW ENGLAND ADVENTURE

Last week, Jon's boss told him he had to go on a business trip to Connecticut.  Within a matter of hours, we decided Violet and I should travel along and make a little mini vacay of it.  I immediately began scouring Pinterest for tips and tricks on how to keep Violet occupied during our four hour flight.  Per the advice of the Pinterest gods, I had a new distraction activity planned for every 15 minutes.  I had post-its, Band-aids, Wonder Markers, pipe cleaners, an etch-a-sketch, a calculator, a DVD player (along with some annoying 90's sing-a-longs), tape, mini pom poms, a pill box (for opening and closing a million times), lots of snacks, a cereal necklace, Play-Doh, and hundreds and hundreds of stickers.

I had all this crap organized.  I was ready.  Then reality hit me in the face like a purse full of bricks.

So as we're going through security, Jon's bag tests positive for explosives.  Naturally they want to look inside and stuff inside tests positive for explosives.  (Obviously it just didn't occur to us to wipe down our stuff after playing with explosives.  We'll know better next time.  Un-bunch those panties TSA---this is just a joke.)  So then they sent for someone "official."  They used words like "interrogation" and told me not to have any physical contact with Jon.  Finally, it's determined Jon is in fact NOT a terrorist and we're free to go.

We make it to our departure gate with a few minutes to spare.  Just as it's time to board, they announce the flight is delayed for 30 minutes.  Then another 30 minutes, and another, and another, and another.  Turns out our plane's primary and secondary systems (not sure what they are, but they sound important) failed inspection and we were getting a new plane.

After about two and a half hours waiting to board, we are finally allowed onto the plane.  All the passengers are quick to buckle up so we can get this show on the road.  Then they tell us our second plane's smoke alarms aren't working and need to be fixed, but it'll only take 30-45 minutes.  (30-45 minutes really meant an hour and a half.)

So the smoke alarms are finally working and we're good to go.  Then they decide to change the flight crew.

We finally arrive at our destination four hours late.

For the next three and a half days we spent time with family.  It was nice to just relax and enjoy being outside in not-one-hundred-degree weather.  





On the day of our departure, we were nervous, but optimistic that things couldn't possibly be worse than our flight there.  But this is real life and poop happens.  Our first flight home was delayed, causing us to miss our connecting flight---despite our attempts to run to the gate with a backpack, a purse, a diaper bag, a carry on, a car seat, and Violet.  I'm not kidding, we missed it by 5 minutes.  FIVE MINUTES.  So, after an hour in a customer service line, we spent the night five hours in some Chicago hotel.

We finally made it home.  A day late and nine dollars short, because that's how much room service yogurt costs.

So, the moral of this story is, don't fly United.  And pack thousands of stickers, not hundreds.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

20 WEEK BUMP


How far along: 20 weeks---We're halfway there!  (Holy crap.)
Due: Thanksgiving 2015
Gender: Don't know, won't know.  
Weight gain: about 12 lbs 
Belly button in or out: In
Sleep: We're all finally recovered from sinus infections/colds, which means Violet is sleeping through the night again, which means I'm sleeping more than 4 consecutive hours at a time!  Wahoo!  
Movement: I can feel the baby moving around daily.  
Cravings: I am having a serious sweet tooth---specifically pumpkin flavored foods.  This week alone I've purchased pumpkin waffles and a pumpkin pie.  I would have also gotten some pumpkin snaps that appealed to my pregnant heart, but I already purchased a pie that day...and some cookies...and some chocolate peanut butter cups.
Food aversion: None.  Pretty much all food is appealing.  
Feeling: I think this is the part where I get to eat my words, and then throw them up.  Earlier in the week I was having some morning sickness again.  What the eff.  Thankfully it only lasted a few days.  Girl, bye.
Fun fact: Baby Polk is the size of a banana and is producing meconium!  If you don't know what meconium is, consider yourself lucky.  
Other news: We met with our new midwife this week.  Our home is less than 5 minutes from the closest hospital, so, assuming my pregnancy continues to be a healthy one, the plan is to have a home birth.  I'll share more as the pregnancy progresses.  

Thursday, July 9, 2015

TWENTY THINGS ABOUT MY 20 MONTH OLD


This kid.

At 20 months old, Violet definitely has a personality all her own.  She is wild and sweet and funny.

Here are twenty things about this child that makes us love her more than we ever thought we could.

  1. Maybe you noticed from the picture above, my daughter is wearing a swim diaper on her head. This is her new thing.  She has a fascination with hats and all things you can put on your head and pretend is a hat, including, but not limited to hand towels, a potty training seat, underwear, and pants.
  2. She doesn't like food on her face, but doesn't mind at all if it's in her hair.  All in her hair.
  3. She hides behind chairs and under tables to poop.  I can confirm it by asking her...and then she runs.
  4. I've mentioned before how my daughter is a monkey.  I mean it.  She uses the handles to climb up the cabinets.  Next month, she'll be scaling skyscrapers. 
  5. Violet likes to look in the mirror and make faces, which then immediately cracks her up laughing. 
  6. There are two foods she dances for.  Bananas and milk.  
  7. I don't want to jinx myself, but Violet has been a champion at brushing her teeth these past THREE days.  Before that, it was easier brushing my cats teeth than hers.
  8. Violet is an independent woman.  She likes to help put away the dishes, sit in a real chair to eat, drink out of a real cup, and eat using real utensils.  None of that baby crap.
  9. She says "thank you" when she gets something, and also when she gives something.  
  10. She hates cartoons, but loves the most God-awful, early 90's sing-alongs. 
  11. Violet learned how to jump.  So now she jumps all over the place, including her crib when it's supposed to be bedtime.
  12. I brought Violet to a gymnastics class for the first time last week and she freakin' loved it.
  13.  She's finally been sleeping through the night on a regular basis.  So I guess this means I have a couple months of good sleep before it starts all over again. 
  14. She is a heathen in Lowes.  Jesus take the wheel.  We don't know why.
  15. I think we're within the realm of the "terrible twos" because yesterday she flipped the eff out because I pulled the wrapper all the way off the cheese stick.  
  16. Whenever Violet falls down or hurts herself, she says, "Wuh happen???"
  17. And anytime she drops somethings or can't do something by herself, she says, in a very dramatic tone, "OH NOOOOOOO!!!!!"
  18. She likes to crumple into a ball fold clothes with me.
  19. Her favorite part about our weekly trip to the grocery store is the free cookie she gets from the bakery.  She called them ookie.
  20. First thing in the morning is my favorite time with her.  She's super cuddly.  She'll rest her head on me and gently put her hands on my face.  She's pretty much the sweetest little girl alive. 


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

OUR MOVE TO TEXAS & 19 WEEK BUMP

Well, we moved to Texas two and a half weeks ago.  It has been a seriously hectic month.  We're finally getting settled (sorta----boxes are still everywhere).  Nothing is toddler proofed so we have giant boxes barricading the fireplace and stairs.  And it's literally taken two weeks to get internet set up.  (I just want to take this brief moment to say Comcast SUUUUCCCKKKKSSSS.  Okay, done.)



Here's what I've learned so far about the land of Texas:
  1. Stars are to Texas what fleur de lis are to Louisiana.
  2. I need GPS.  I've gotten lost practically every time I've gone anywhere.
  3. Food's cheaper.  Prrretttyyy exciting, especially since I'm eating for two.
  4. The cowboy boots and hat thing are a total stereotype.
There's a lot we have to do around the house to make this place a home.  We've got a lot of painting to do---we have to un-brown the house.  Practically every room is painted brown.  We want to update the fixtures and hang some photos and artwork.  Simple enough, right?  (Right????)

19 WEEKS BUMP

ASOS Maternity Leopard Top 
How far along: 19 weeks
Due: Thanksgiving 2015
Gender: Don't know, won't know.   
Weight gain: about 10 lbs 
Belly button in or out: In
Sleep: Meh.  I can no longer sleep on my stomach and can't seem to get comfortable at night.  I used a Snoogle pillow when pregnant with Violet, but it's just not getting the job done this time around.  
Movement: Big kicks!  Even Jon's been able to feel the baby moving around. 
Cravings: Whole milk (We're up to 3 gallons a week between Violet and me.)
Food aversion: Not really an aversion, but I've noticed tomato-y foods are giving me acid reflux. 
Feeling: Honestly, besides weeks 6 through 11 where I wanted to curl up in the shower and die, this pregnancy has been a breeze compared to the my apocalyptic pregnancy with Violet.
Fun fact: Baby Polk is the size of an heirloom tomato.  Baby can hear our voices and is growing hair!