Censorship

We just came back from a trip and I plan to blog about it. I will get to that eventually, but I just saw this and chuckled. I thought I would post it and then at the least the stink ramblings will be gone.

I was looking at a website for ideas for my lesson on Sunday for the primary kids. I saw this post and had to read it 3 times to figure out what was being "censored." I would definitely call that a censoring fail.

Each cl[censored] is going to be [censored]igned a person on their roster that is inactive and they are making cards for them. I will then either drop it in the mail to the inactive children or deliver them. It will depend on the situation.

Here is a picture of Charlotte until I feel motivated to post again.

Stink paranoia...AKA sleepless ramblings

My friend Sarah and I both struggle with the wavy frizzy hair issue and she has posted some on her blog about it. I think it is a must read for anybody with wavy/curly/frizzy hair. Recently she posted some tips for taming the frizz and it began with a post calling into question the need for frequent shampooing and recommended just using conditioner with only occasional shampooing. The thought of this was too much for me, because I like to exercise and get very sweaty when I do AND I have a history of a serious stink paranoia. This post is about my stink paranoia

Most of these are so strange that I am laughing and i realize i should be embarrassed to share them (should be, but I'm not) Examples:

1) In elementary school I was always worried about bad breath. I got in trouble on a regular basis for chewing gum and if I didn't have any gum I felt the need to "test" my breath. I would lick the back of my hand and sniff it. If it smelled bad I would ask to get a drink of water hoping it would flush away the stink.

2) In Jr high I worried about my hair stinking. I would sit in class and rub my scalp and then smell my fingers to make sure my scalp didn't smell bad and most of the time it had a sort of oily smell (as I now acknowledge that any healthy mid-day scalp does). I was so annoyed by the oil smell I would wash my hair multiple times a day and even bought a shampoo called "Frequent Use" shampoo that was more gentle.

3) In Jr high my mom made me buy my own shampoo because I always wanted to buy more expensive brands for the smell.

4)In high school I needed extra credit for Spanish class and one of the options was to make salsa and bring it to class. It sounded like a great non academic way to get extra credit. I think it must have been the end of the semester and I had tons of things due, because I remember that I didn't start making it until really late at night. I didn't finish until after way after midnight. I was so tired that I skipped my shower the next morning, but unfortunately the smell garlic and onions I had been handling the night before was lingering on my hands. I still remember furiously scrubbing my hands in the bathroom and being really upset that I couldn't get the smell out of my hands. That experience still haunts me.

5) In College I started a habit (that may still linger even today) of taking a big whiff of my shoes when I take them off at the end of the day. My roommates asked why I did this and I told them it was to "assess the damage".

6) In graduate school we moved into a place that smelled like smoke (so much so that somebody at church said when they first met us they thought we had a smoking problem). I tried every conceivable spray, air filter, or room freshener. Eventually, I couldn't handle it anymore and we had to move.

7) After graduate school I was so happy that I could finally afford Tide and fabric softener because I knew my clothes would finally smell good. Initially, the fabric softener made me itch, but I kept using it because it made my clothes smell good. Luckily, I got used to the fabric softener and I don't itch any more.

8) Recently Rich and I have had arguments over going out to eat at an Indian place for dinner. I have really wanted to try it and Rich has REALLY REALLY wanted to try it, but on at least two occasions we have pulled up to the restaurant and I can smell the food coming out of the place. Sadly, I make Rich take me somewhere else because I don't want to stink through the movie.

9) My poor husband has been asked on multiple occasions to sniff my breath, armpits, hair, clothes or more recently chest (that sour milk smell is nasty) just to make sure I don't stink. Seriously, why does he put up with me!

Now, as if there ever was any doubt, you all know I am crazy.

Once again, I apologize for the ramblings...maybe I will try to put her in bed again and see if I can get more than one minute of sleep. At least she is cute!

5 am

Charlotte woke up at 2:30 to eat and instead of nicely falling asleep afterwards, like she usually does, she was awake, grunting and fussing. I was so tempted just to put her in bed with us, but then I freaked myself out with thoughts of rolling on top of her. I took her downstairs and tried relaxing/napping on the couch with her. She continued to fuss until I sat up and checked facebook at which point she conked out. I headed upstairs and put her in bed and slid under the covers excited to go to sleep. Not 1 minute later she starts grunting and fussing and is on the brink of screaming. So I am back downstairs entertaining myself on the computer and sadly nobody has updated facebook, google reader, pintrest, or gmail since I checked them at 3AM. Now you get to read my ramblings typed one handed....and yes she is sleeping soundly. First things first...cute pics of baby girl (all taken by my incredibly talented friend Alicia at http://www.aliciahphotography.com/):

Legend of the canning ring

Legend has it that long, long, long, long ago, when my parents were in their youth (Just kidding mom and dad--only one long in the long ago series), a joke was made about canned goods and a wedding ring. My father grew up in a home where his mother and sisters would lovingly can fruits and vegetables every year around harvest time. This made for a wonderful winter of fantastic canned peaches, pears, tomatoes, beans, etc. My dad felt that store bought canned produce couldn't hold a candle to the home canned goods. I think that anybody who has had home canned peaches vs. store bought cans would ABSOLUTELY agree. Anyway, my mom grew up in California just outside of LA and did not grow up canning, so when they were dating he mentioned that he would want to marry someone who could can food. She told him she would have to get pretty massive ring to make a canning requirement in the marriage worth it. Luckily for her, she got a beautiful engagement ring despite not learning to can. As years went on she finally did learn to can peaches, pears and tomatoes. She did it yearly as we were growing up. Legend has it that one day my dad came home from work and found my mom outside with my sisters and myself canning peaches. That Christmas my mom received a strangely shaped package. She opened it and it was a can of her canned peaches with a little jewelry box on top. It was some bling...and if I must say it was a very beautiful ring with much shininess. She got her big ol' ring and we called it her canning ring. My sisters and I are trying to figure out what we need to do to get that in the will ;)

This summer Rich decided he wanted to learn how to can and asked his grandma, Mammie, to teach him how. Two weeks ago we went to Harrisonburg and he learned how. He canned 8 bottles of green beans and 6 bottles of tomatoes. Mammie said they are "blue ribbon bottles". I think he deserves a canning ring. Maybe the one below is adequate.

As promised here are some pictures of Charlotte (she is a cute little smiley baby, but she also knows how to scream). On her first full day of church Rich noticed that we were all wearing navy blue. We thought this deserved a family pic.

Job Update

Rich has started working temporarily (with a more long term possibility for the future) with a friend of ours from church. He started last week and did two half days. If you ask me (and essentially, by reading this post...you did), I think that is a great way to EASE into it. They will both be finding out if it is a good fit and if there is enough of a patient load to keep both of them busy. Our friend has been really kind and told Rich he can keep looking for other options too, but we are hoping this will work out.

I told Rich he had to do the first day of work pictures. He rolled his eyes and then agreed.

Things I am learning

I have learned that even if she has spit up 2 times already she may still have some projectile vomit reserved for my face. The other morning I brought her into bed with Rich and I so we could stare at her...because that is what we do now. I put in this picture to give you a gauge of distance (Rich said she was even 3 or 4 inches further from my face). She was just looking around and being very content then out of nowhere she yaks all over my face, my pony tail, my pillow and the sheets. AWESOME!

I learned that baby poop can shoot with amazing velocity. This face should be a big warning to me. Red faced little grunt= take cover. The other night I was changing her diaper and I made sure I put her clean diaper under the dirty diaper, so I thought I was safe. Not so my friends. She managed to shoot a lovely mustard yellow substance all over her changing pad, part of the dresser and onto my makeup bag that was sitting on the dresser.

Speaking of poop...I have learned that blowouts can happen in the front. The shear physics of this are still a mystery to me.

I have learned she is already refining her daddy's girl tricks. I am sure she will use this face on her dad in the future to get her way. I am already picturing this, "please daddy....I will be so sad if you don't buy me these $500 jeans." Insert sad face here.I have learned that it doesn't matter how prepared I am, if she is screaming that will trump all my preparation. AND don't rush a feeding.

Last Sunday I thought I was on top of it. Rich bathed her and dressed her and she spent time being adorable for her grandparents who came over when they were driving through Richmond. Then I made a dozen chicken salad sandwiches and peanut butter bars for the linger longer that was after church and woke her up to feed her. She kept falling asleep while feeding so I figured she was done and changed her diaper. I thought fortune was on my side because she pooped during the changing and I didn't get ANY of it on her or her white dress or white booties. I went to put her in the carseat and I was so excited because I was going to make it on time to our first solo outing. Well, as you can see she started shrieking. Apparently, she really was hungry despite falling asleep.

She was SO very angry.

I have learned that I absolutely love this little lady.

Baby Blessing

While my parents were in town we wanted to do Charlottes's baby blessing at church. She was only two weeks old, but slept like an angel the entire time. Rich gave her the blessing and it was beautiful. I have always loved baby blessings because I love hearing the father's bless their children with the life they hope for them. I always picture the baby's as the grow up and they begin to have the qualities and live the life their parents and Heavenly Father want for them. It was surreal to hear this blessing and know that she is our daughter. We will get to see her become this person and have the responsibility to help her and teach her along the way.

She wore the same dress I did (and both of my sisters) for my baby blessing.
This is the baby blanket that my Grandma Jo knitted for me as a baby and a pair of booties that she knitted for Charlotte.

She wore a little gold necklace that I wore for my blessing and I pinned this bunny pendant on her dress. It has been a special thing in Rich's family. He has been told since childhood that the first grandchild would get the bunny pendant, so I thought it would be a great time to have her wear it. As you can see we were a little sentimental about the things she wore--I can't help it!

My old roommate Mary and her husband Scott came down from Maryland.
My parents and brothers were able to be here.
Rich's parents and grandmother came over from Harrisonburg. Also (we didn't get a picture) Rich's "big sister he never had" and her family came to the blessing.
We didn't get a picture of just Charlotte, but she looked so precious and as a friend reported to me, Rich just watched her adoringly all the way through church.

It was a wonderful day.