Shameless plug

Posted on December 4, 2006 by carrievoris

Okay, I entered Addie into the Most Memorable Moments Baby Contest for LandsEnd. The prize is $$ for their clothing. (Not as great as the one for the BabyGap – a year’s worth of clothes, free! – but cash is cash and I’m sure we could find some clothing to spend it on!) Plus I figured I have a pretty cute baby on my hands here, what can it hurt? The catch is that it is based on public voting. It is basically a little popularity contest for babies. I know, it is all so very sad. But again, she is really cute and it didn’t really take any effort on my part. So if you all have a spare moment or two…go vote, pleeeease!

http://babycontest.landsend.com/

If you go to rate photos and click on the search button at the top and just enter Addison -it will bring up the three photos for this month. Yes, it is monthly, so I’m sure I’ll try to get you to do it again next month, too!

Our Christmas Tradition

Posted on December 3, 2006 by carrievoris

Today we took our second annual trip to see The Nutcracker ballet. Last year Em and I started this as “our” Christmas tradition and I hope to be able to share with her, and eventually Addie, too, for many years to come. This year my friend Michelle and her daughter Emma (Little Emma or Emma Louise, as we call her) came with us. We went to a Cuban cafe right near the theater and had a little dinner beforehand, and then went to see the ballet. It was so fun and I think Emma actually enjoyed our “date” as much as I did.

My favorite part of the evening is just sitting and watching the ballet through her eyes. She gets so lost in the whole production and looks so grown-up sitting in her velvet Christmas dress all lady-like. (Yes, it has been a common thread this week, my baby is growing up and I am forever nostalgic about it all.) This year was even more special since she just had her recital (see the last post!) and she actually told me the names of some of the positions and jumps that they were doing. She will be so intent and focused and then she’ll sort of lean over to me and say something about the dancers without ever taking her eyes off of the stage. Like she doesn’t want to miss a moment of it.

I kinda know the feeling. I don’t ever want to miss a moment, either.

Bella Ballerina

Posted on December 2, 2006 by carrievoris

She was perfect…of course. I was in tears…of course. The video is below (thanks to Daddy!) and the gorgeous pictures are to the right at our Flickr account (thanks to Uncle Jeff!). She was by far the most beautiful ballerina I have ever seen, if I do say so myself.

I am disappointed that the web quality of the video isn’t the best, and you can’t really hear the song (the ballerinas are Dorothys, dancing to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”) but I’ll continue to work on it and see if I can improve it. If nothing else I’ll burn DVDs for anyone who is interested in seeing the good quality version.

Enjoy!

P.S. NEVER again will I say a peep about your teary eyes, Nena. I completely understand the feeling now. 🙂

Favorite Photos of the Week

Posted on December 1, 2006 by carrievoris

Okay, so this week’s favorite photos were easy, due to the plague on our house, the pickings were kind of slim in the photo department. But I love these 2 photos, and yes it is chilly enough in Southern Cal this week to wear cutie little hats! Happy December! Only 24 more days…

Recovery Mode

Posted on November 30, 2006 by carrievoris

We are slowly digging ourselves out of the sickness hole we have been in this week. I feel fine, J. was fine as of 8am this morning, and both of the girls seem to be finally getting some color and easing up on all of the sick “outputs”. So, knock on wood, I think we are recovering.

Just in time, too. Em’s first dance recital is tomorrow evening. I missed the “dress rehearsal” on Tuesday but J. taped most of it so I could see it (and as insurance in case we all missed the real thing tomorrow!) and as I was watching her in her little costume looking all girly and sweet and doing the little routine, I got all teary-eyed.

What the *$#& ?!

I cannot blame it on hormones any longer – I’m way past being pg, post-partum, even nursing. I guess it was just seeing her in a different light. She has been the “big girl” for over a year now, but I still think of her as my baby. I mean, she’ll always be my “first baby” and that makes her a little special, right?

But as she was standing there, I saw not a baby, not a toddler, but just a sweet little girl. It made me proud – she looked adorable – but it also made me very sad at the same time. Just one more step towards the day she isn’t my little girl anymore. God help me the day she goes to preschool. You’ll all have to pick me up out of a puddle of my own tears.

One crappy day…

Posted on November 30, 2006 by carrievoris

10 icky diapers, 12 puke clean-ups, 20 loads of “sick” laundry, a stupid cat that eats until she pukes (make that 13 puke clean-ups!), and a near-fatal turtle accident.

Can you top that?

Little Did I Know…

Posted on November 29, 2006 by carrievoris

Addie’s diaper-changing antics and her crashing out while I’m carrying her were both the start to the lovely stomach flu. Why do kids always get sick at night?? We were up all Sunday night with icky diapers and very, very bad diaper rash because of them. (If anyone knows a good rememdy for clearing up poor, raw baby bottoms, please let me know!!) She seemed okay yesterday and ate, not a ton, but she did eat. A few more icky diapers, but she seemed fine. And then last night I got the “Worst Mother of the Year” award.

A. went to bed just fine and Emma actually woke up crying at 4am, so I went in to see what was going on and noticed a funny smell…but dead-to-the-world me, with no sleep the night before, figured that she had an icky diaper and after debating whether to wake her up or not, decided against waking her up for sweet, sweet sleep. A half an hour later Addie was up crying. The smell was partly diaper, partly vomit…ALL OVER the crib. And I think she had probably gotten sick earlier in the night. And being the great Mommy that I am, I let her lie in it. For who knows how long. Ugh. Quite possibly the worst parenting moment ever in my history.

But, I guess I got what was coming to me…I’ve been sick all day. I definitely would never be able to be pregnant again. I could not do 13 weeks of throwing up and trying to mind two young girls. Yeah, it is a very good thing we are done on the baby front. I hope the flu is done around here, too….

Dr. Jekyll and Miss Hyde

Posted on November 26, 2006 by carrievoris

A. has been driving all of us crazy. Her “screech” is maddening and she can turn on a dime. Trying to hold her down and change her pants has become an olympic feat and it sounds like I’m killing her – I’m honestly only trying to change the stupid diaper!

But then she has this amazing sweetness. Today she fell asleep while I was carrying her through the craft store. Man, there is nothing in this world sweeter than a sleeping baby. I just don’t get to hold her while she sleeps any more. Not that when she is sleeping is the only time she is sweet, but it was a really nice treat. That fifteen minutes of peaceful angel almost made up for her last week full of tantrums. Almost.

Welcome to our chaos…