Picture Update

oy

Worst. Day. Ever.

sigh

:)

OMG, I got tulips in the mail! Thanks Candice, you're too sweet. Oh, and thanks to you too Mark.

LOL

They are beautiful, i will take pictures

HELP

OK computer addicts and geeks... how would one accidentally turn the arrow down button into the page down button? Say if you were an infant and you were banging around on keys... how would one turn that option OFF? I believe it's an option because it only does it when I am logged in, not Cory.

Sigh. It's a real pain to read blogs these days.

Google Mania

Use one of the first 3 answers that appear in the search engine...

1: Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search:
Stephanie needs some help. Look at those pants! (I should point out that this was on a post called drunk girls but it WAS NOT THE REAL ME, I swear it!)

2: Type in "[your name] does" in Google search:
Stephanie does blog header. (This one sucked)

3: Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search:
Stephanie looks like she belongs on the cover of a magazine. (oooh yeah)

4: Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search:
Stephanie hates Jericho. (I never got into it, but I wouldn't say I hated it) :)

5: Type in "[your name] goes" or "..has gone" in Google search:
Stephanie goes commando. Yeah baby.

6: Type in "[your name] loves" in Google search:
Stephanie loves trampolines.

7: Type in "[your name] eats" in Google search:
Stephanie eats her own diarrhea. (Awesome. Sort of negates the cover of magazine, doesn't it)

8: Type in "[your name] has" in Google search:
Stephanie has crush on pop star Mika. (I looked him up, and I don't think so, google)

9: Type in "[your name] died" in Google Search:
Stephanie died of injuries sustained when she was tortured for hours by a power drill. (Seriously?)

10: Type in "[your name] will" in Google search:
Stephanie will be speaking and signing books as part of the Greater Dandenong Library Lovers program.

Please folks, try this and post what you get. :)

that was fast

Well folks, the days of laziness and multiple posts are coming to a close. I start the new job on Wednesday. Can you believe how fast that went by? I'm amazed. Kaia will go back to her old daycare but in a different room. Snif. She's officially in the "toddler" room now.

I'm excited about the job but nervous. I hate starting new jobs and I haven't really done it in over 5 years. The "settling in" part is rough. I hope my office space doesn't suck as bad as I suspect it might. We're on the 12th floor of the State Health Department building and it's awful. I think it even has paneling. BUT as long as I get a decent computer I'll be ok. If I get some crusty yellowed desktop well, I'll just have to quit.

I've been giddy looking at houses in Edmond (online) but I have to admit, that part is scarier to me than the job. You guys'll still come visit us, right? I mean, I know it's not like we moved out of state or something but... I dunno. It's just weird. Almost all of our "family" friends are in Tulsa. Snif.

Anyway, lots of emotions right now. I'll try to post some new pics this week of her teeth. :)

Teefs

Finally, 392 days after exiting muh vajayjay, our daughter has teeth. They finally poked through her gums. She has two of the cutest little crooked front teeth the world has ever seen. Of course, I only know this because I turn her upside down periodically to peer into her mouth, and today I spied white! They are barely through, but dammit, they are teeth.

Anyone want to guess how long it will be before she bites me?!?

In other news, she is now walking only holding one of our hands instead of two and will take a few steps before lurching into us. It's so cute. She's also eating only table food now. Mommy is not happy about this because it is much less stressful for her to drink her nutrients but... we'll figure it out. Tonight, she had some of Daddy's special chicken (burritos with queso from El Tap, mmmm) and some blueberries, maybe one bite of carrots and a container of yogurt. It was cute to watch her eat chicken. :)

On a totally different topic, why the hell do I get swollen taste buds so often? Anyone else have this problem? They suck. It takes all the joy out of eating.

Follow me... I'm trying to keep my blogging current and add some gadgets. I haven't had the heart to kill cyclefreaks yet but I just might. As for me - edited... I'm not editing myself but I am keeping that blog free of work things, or random bitching about nothing... that's what I have this site for. :) LOL

The Two of Us

What are your middle names?
My middle name is Renee, his is Stephen.

How long have you been together?
We've been married OMG almost eight years and together for ten.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
A couple months

Who asked whom out?
Hmmm... Good question. I'm not really sure.

How old are each of you?
I'm 37 going on 27. He's 36 going on cranky old man. LOL

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Used to be his without a doubt but now my sister lives here so HA! Mine!

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Hmmm... this might be better answered in person than on this but oh well... my nagging and his never remembering to do what i ask.

Did you go to the same school?
Yes but at different times. Both of us are OSU grads.

Are you from the same home town?
Nope, Cory is from Sand Springs and I am from Morris.

Who is smarter?
We are both smarter than the other in certain areas but he is by far the smartest overall. He can figure things out, recall information he once read forever ago and doesn't get lost.

Who is the most sensitive?
That would be Cory.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Sadly, El Tap.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Key West

Who has the craziest exes?
I think I'm the only one with a stalker in my past so I guess me.

Who has the worst temper?
Unless I'm pregnant, he does.

Who does the cooking?
Definitely Cory. I hate cooking. I used to be in charge of breakfast but he got better at that than me too. About the only thing I claim as greatness are my onions-fried-in cheeseburgers.

Who is the neat-freak?
Hopefully Kaia?

Who is more stubborn?
OMG, how can you tell who wins this one? And as Dooce put it, and together we gave birth to a monster.

Who hogs the bed?
Kaia hogs the bed currently but I am definitely the sheet stealer!

Who wakes up earlier?
Me but we both hate it. Mornings suck.

Where was your first date?
In Tulsa at the St. John's Street Party

Who is more jealous?
We both have a green streak but luckily we trust each other.

How long did it take to get serious?
Since Day 1.

Who eats more?
Me. Unless I'm pregnant, then DEFINITELY ME. I love to eat. Mmmm...

Who does the laundry?
Where's that question about the source of stress in our lives?!?

Who's better with the computer?
Cory. Dammit.

Who drives when you are together?
Cory because he is a control freak who cannot be a passenger. Lucky for me, I hate driving.

No Brats Please

We are really trying to work on our discipline lately. And please note "discipline" does not mean punishment. We have to wean Kaia off the bottle, get her to sleep in her own bed and make her start eating table food.

:( snif

This is not going to be an enjoyable process. We kind of started last night: no more nighttime feedings, no matter how much she cries or we hear her tummy growl. No matter how weak Mommy and Daddy are feeling or how tired we get we must not cave in. So Step One: no milk during the night. Step Two: No more bringing baby to bed with us. Step Three: No more bottles. Period. This one will be the hardest and I am willing to take my time here.

At the doc office this morning, someone I hadn't seen before commented on how cute Kaia is. "Thank you" I respond, to which she says, "she knows it too, doesn't she?"

She didn't say it with any ill-intent, but it scares me. Kaia gets SO much attention when we go out, and she absolutely LOVES it. She gets giddy watching people and smiling at them. That in itself is not a bad thing, but gawd. I don't want to have a bratty kid. She's going to be spoiled, no doubt about it. The only girl on one side of the family, the only grandchild on the other, the only child at home... if anyone has suggestions on this, I will happily listen. Esp. from Jay & Elizabeth if you guys read me anymore, please advise away!

My Mom said, "You can be spoiled without being a brat" so I am hoping we can figure that one out. She's such a good baby right now, but she is SO strong-willed/stubborn/independent that I see many wars coming our way in the next couple years.

She weighs 16 1/2 pounds now and is 27 inches long. Still not even at the 5th percentile but the doc seemed pleased with her growth and development. She is pretty behind in the eating department so I've really got to focus on trying to get her to try different textures of foods. Right now, she still only likes the runny stuff that she can slurp off of her spoon. Or bread or cheese that she can suck on.

Anyway, mucho work to do. We fought with the crib thing last night for 2 hours before I caved in and took her to bed so we could get some sleep. Cory & I are both having allergy/sinus issues so the timing here really sucks. We'll get there but it sure is exhausting...

Oh, I start work on the 25th of Feb. Don't remember if I mentioned that or not.

This Here is Hiking Weather

Friday afternoon on the cross-country track and today at Lake McMurtry...

Giddy Giddy Giddy!

I got the official job offer today - wahoo! The pay isn't quite as much as I had hoped but get this: I don't have to pay a dime for insurance and I will be covering all 3 of us. Also, if the cost of said insurance doesn't come up to what the benefit allowance is, the leftover is added to my paycheck. I get 10 paid holidays, 15 days of vacation and 15 sick days annually. I get a fitness center discount, free lab work and a free health mentor (not that I need one) and can earn cash for improving my health (weight loss, lowered cholesterol, etc).

I will probably start the 26th or 27th. Which means I got almost a whole month off with Kaia.

I RULE!

Smiles in the Mail

I have the best friend in the whole world, I just got home-baked chocolate chip cookies in the mail for Valentine's Day.

You rock, D!

I Did It

I entered Kaia in the Regis & Kelly Beautiful Baby Contest. Mark your calendars to record March 9th to see if she is one of the 10 semi-finalists. Heck, if nothing else, we could get a free trip to NYC. But of course, we all know she really is the most beautiful baby so I'm thinking we've got her college fund covered.

LOL

In case you didn't notice...

I'm playing with templates so bear with me. No telling what might happen around here. :)

Aging

I know I'm getting older - not because of the time it now takes me to jog a mile though that pounds the message home quite well - but because I've found myself saying two things at two different times today: "boys' hair these days, it looks awful" and "what is this world coming to."

The hair: It's no big deal, but have you guys SEEN the style they are sportin' these days? It's crap! Long, shaggy crap with a part that makes it look like they're aiming for a combover without the male baldness. Gross.

The world: Aside from the economy and global warming, every time I click on my news site of choice, I read the headlines of another wackjob killing their kid or leaving a newborn alone with a dog or the latest, letting a toddler play with an 18 ft. python. Just today, some crackhead threw her newborn, umbilical cord still attached, into Lake Ponchartrain. Then, we have the unemployed, unwed mother of octoplets. When and where did ethics go? Doesn't anyone care about anything anymore?

What about kids who are killed after DHS returns them to their "biological" parents, knowing the risk is there that it will happen again?

I heard this morning on the radio about a reality show about a 28-year-old who is entering rehab because she is addicted to plastic surgery. She's had something like 13 boob jobs. How does a person get that messed up and not get any real help?

I just can't stand it.

Sleepy Ballerina

A few of Kaia's favorite things to do:

• Scoot around the living room with a diaper in hand.
• Cruise around from pacifier to pacifier (she has several, but only one favorite), swapping them out at each stop.
• Eat whatever we are eating, if feasible. She especially likes to ball up bread until it's gross and gooey from her sucking on it.
• Cruise around and around and around the ottoman.
• Look out the front window.
• Pull everything out of her toy basket. Or the diaper bag. Or Mom's purse. Or whatever.
• Give Fletcher her teething biscuits. I found his hidden pile in a corner-- apparently he doesn't think they taste good either.
• Still loves to smack the keyboard while we are trying to type/surf/work.
• "Read" books. She loves storytime.
• Watch the Wonderpets.
• Walk and walk and walk and walk until Mommy and Daddy are hunchbacks.
• A new one from today: move the money jar we have in the nursery as a doorstop, then close the door.
  

I love my music table almost as much as my tutu



Staying home with Mom makes me sleepy. Yes, that's our bed she's napping in. I broke my own crib rule today. But hey, she had a little fever and didn't feel good. That's a justifiable excuse, right?


Oh yeah, and she loves to look up at me and smile like this. It makes my day.

Parenting

Cory & I went to a parenting seminar last Thursday in Edmond. OK, I roped him into going but there were a LOT of men there, I was impressed. Anyway, it was with Betsy Geddes who teaches about the Love & Logic "approach" to parenting. We liked her a lot! She basically talked about how to raise responsible kids. I'm glad we went. I felt validated in our feeding approach and we learned a few things I hope we can remember down the line.

Kaia's teefies are popping through finally! We can see just a little bit of white now, so they are en route! She had a pretty bad night last night, we are thinking this is why.

I'm hoping to get some new pictures this week, so stay tuned.

Alright Already. 25 Things.

I've been tagged so many times, I guess it's time to suck up and think.

1. I was a writer/editor for the TV Guide Channel and credit that job to my eventual "growing up" of sorts. I started working out, quit smoking and decided to go to college while I worked there.
2. I used to drop classes that required oral presentations. Now I live to do them.
3. I would love to be one of those cycling instructors who goes around all the conferences and workshops teaching people how to be a good instructor. I plan to look into this in my very near future...
4. I have a lot of acquaintances that I adore but very few confidantes. I guess that's the way it should be though.
5. I hate talking on the phone. Yes, most of you know this about me already but it deserves being put on this list.
6. I am embarrassed to admit this but I STILL cannot figure out how to watch a goddamn movie the way Cory has our stuff set up. So complicated. Playstation? Xbox? Fuck all, give me a DVD player and the remote.
7. I used to write poetry, pretty good too I think, but have not been depressed enough to do it lately. This is both a good and bad thing.
8. I plan to go to OU to get a master's degree in public health. I looked into it several years ago but did not want to commute. Once we move, I'll start classes.
9. I hope to learn three things before I'm too old to enjoy them: photography, pottery and a foreign language.
10. I could totally binge on cereal. It's like candy to me. Even the healthy variety.
11. If I had three wishes, one would be for me and all my friends and family (you guys!) to live up to our potential.
12. I really, really wish I believed in god and religion.
13. If anyone hurt Kaia (not the broke her heart variety but really hurt her) I am pretty sure I would be able to summon enough anger to kill him/her with my bare hands, consequences be damned.
14. I really think our mistakes and failures help make us who we are.
15. I hope to goodness we don't pass along our body images issues to Kaia.
16. I could sit on the couch with sports on all day and not know a single score. I just like the sound of it. I think that's weird.
17. I think at some point, I will get my teaching certificate.
18. When I was pregnant, I was so scared I wouldn"t love my child when she was born
19. I love her so much, I can't even describe it. I think you all know this.
20. This has taken me several days to complete. Thanks to everyone who made me do it. 8\
21. I wish I would have taken high school more seriously.
22. I did have a lot of damn fun though. :)
23. I love my mom a lot, she is a lot of fun to be around, but I've never been able to talk to her about anything serious. Since having Kaia though, I can sometimes ask her questions and sometimes, she'll surprise me.
24. I want a new car so damn bad I can't stand it. But I will keep driving the green civic until it craps out because I SO DESPERATELY WANT OUT OF DEBT. And we are so close!
25. I got the health department job!!!

Day One with Mommy

She wore me out!

Day 1: the unemployment files

Well Friday was my last day at work. I was so excited about getting to stay home with Kaia today. Last night, I wrote out her schedule for the day along with a couple things I needed to get done so I wouldn't lose track and just hang out in PJs all day. It's been wondrous! Right now, she is napping in her crib. Right on schedule. :)

Funny thing about the crib. She is a year old and has maybe napped in it three times. I told her for her first birthday she was getting a new room! And her very own bed! We love having her in the room or in the bed with us but we are both tired...our restless little sleeper keeps us awake way too much so it's time to move on.

So, goal for week 1 of the unemployment files: all naps must take place in the crib. Not in mommy's lap or in the pack & play or with Mommy in bed.

We'll see how it goes...

Ah yes... the hillbilly heritage

I remembered one of them... I hope you enjoy this, because I can't believe I'm actually going to write it down.

My sister and I took my Mom and Kaia to my aunts house in Bixby. Mom will make the drive from there to home, so it saves us some time and it gave Mom's family (two sisters and a brother) a chance to see us and meet Kaia for the first time.

I know everyone says their family is dysfunctional, or they don't know how they made it out alive, but honestly, sometimes I think we have you all beat. On the one side, we have the recovered alcoholic who is also a manic-depressive paranoid schizophrenic who moved us from house to house, trying to find one with the "right number." His family is as embarrassed of him as we always were, so we were treated by them as though we were pariahs when we were all just little kids who wanted to fit in but didn't.

Mom's side was always my favorite. "Down to earth" and "fun" is how I always thought of them. They were always laughing and eating and fishing and working in the garden... I grew up playing in creeks and digging for worms and my brother and sister built forts in the hillside. We had outdoor dogs and inside cats and lived right next to the school where my mom taught third grade. Christmas Eve meant chili night and junk food and playing cards til the wee hours of the night.

All grown up, these people are very, very different than I remember them. Maybe this is why kids don't spend a lot of time with extended family when they grow up. It's much better to remember the happy times of our youth.

In reality, even though they are all college educated (three teachers and an engineer), they are bible-thumping Baptist hillbillies. Seriously. To say I wonder how I turned out this way is the understatement of the year. Or decade. If you don't believe me ask Cory. (though he probably doesn't remember because I usually say something like, "you don't have to come if you don't want to" so he doesn't). Better yet, witness this conversation heard Saturday today while having all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet:

Aunt 1: I lost my glasses, so I called my doctor and made an appointment to get new ones. Then one day I was cleaning and I found them under the bed.

Uncle: Did you find Joyce's teeth? Because she lost hers.

Aunt: Under my bed?? No, I didn't find her teeth.

Uncle: Do you have an extra set?

Aunt 2: I have extra teeth. They don't fit me anymore. Maybe they'll fit her.

I think they were kidding. My sister does not. We don't really want to know the truth.