Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Will she ever stop growing?
Lauren's 12-month checkup was today. The latest stats: 28lbs. 11oz. and 32 3/4" tall. So let's see, in her first year of life she's gained 20.5 lbs. and has grown 12 3/4". If she continues at this pace, she'll weigh over 90 lbs. and be almost 6 feet tall when goes into kindergarten. Doesn't sound very attractive to me, although the average runway model is 5'9" and 110 lbs. Ick.
Anyways, Lauren is now the height of an average 21-month-old and the weight of an average 33-month-old (yes, that's almost 3 years old). No wonder we have problems finding pants to fit her. Her belly and badonka donk need a size 2T, but she only needs a size 18 month for length.
In other big news, we can now switch her off formula and on to whole cow's milk. Thank god.
How do I hate formula, let me count the ways:
1. $$$$$. Sure, she breastfed until she was about 3 months old, but then it was on to the regular Similac which ran about $24-26. At about 10 months we switched to the Similac Go & Grow, which was only $20. Yay. Figure that one can lasted less than a week, and you can see how it adds up.
2. The smell. I don't even know how to describe the hideous smell of baby formula. Let's just say that if I had to smell that every time I ate, I'd probably weigh about 50 lbs. less.
3. The powder. This powder sticks to everything.
4. The clumps. It never actually dissolves like it's supposed to, which means you end up with really gross clumps in the tip of the nipple.
5. The bubbles. The Go & Grow especially foamed up so much. And it's a weird foam that doesn't really move. Who knows what the crap is actually made from.
Sorry, Similac, time to find someone else to make money on!
Her next appointment isn't for another 4 months, so you'll have to wait until then for the next official update.
Anyways, Lauren is now the height of an average 21-month-old and the weight of an average 33-month-old (yes, that's almost 3 years old). No wonder we have problems finding pants to fit her. Her belly and badonka donk need a size 2T, but she only needs a size 18 month for length.
In other big news, we can now switch her off formula and on to whole cow's milk. Thank god.
How do I hate formula, let me count the ways:
1. $$$$$. Sure, she breastfed until she was about 3 months old, but then it was on to the regular Similac which ran about $24-26. At about 10 months we switched to the Similac Go & Grow, which was only $20. Yay. Figure that one can lasted less than a week, and you can see how it adds up.
2. The smell. I don't even know how to describe the hideous smell of baby formula. Let's just say that if I had to smell that every time I ate, I'd probably weigh about 50 lbs. less.
3. The powder. This powder sticks to everything.
4. The clumps. It never actually dissolves like it's supposed to, which means you end up with really gross clumps in the tip of the nipple.
5. The bubbles. The Go & Grow especially foamed up so much. And it's a weird foam that doesn't really move. Who knows what the crap is actually made from.
Sorry, Similac, time to find someone else to make money on!
Her next appointment isn't for another 4 months, so you'll have to wait until then for the next official update.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Maybe I'm the travel idiot?
So, I'm going through security at the Houston airport and put my computer bag through. It gets a second inspection. They ran it through the x-ray a second time in Columbus, too, so I was wondering what the deal was. The TSA guy says, "Do you have a bottle of water in here?" I say, "No, not that I know of." Then he pulls out this:
He's holding it like a gun, and his eyes get all big and he says, "What is this?!?!?!" After I recover from thinking the TSA guy is robbing me, I calmly explain that it's an extra battery for my laptop, despite it's gun-like appearance. Here's the good part. Then, still holding it like a gun and waving it overhead, he yells over to the other TSA lady sitting about 45 feet away, "Hey, look at this!" She about falls out of her chair, and he got a good laugh out of that. I said, "Just remember, you're the one joking about it and not me." I was having visions of dying in handcuffs at the Houston airport, all because some idiot TSA guy thought my laptop battery was a gun.
Note to self: don't take that extra battery on the next flight. The nice thing is that I managed to inadvertently sneak a bottle of hand lotion, courtesy of the Hampton Inn, in my computer bag. He was too preoccupied with my "gun" to notice :)
Oh, and I did sit next to bare feet guy on the way back to Columbus. I don't know what it is with men and not wearing footwear on airplanes...
He's holding it like a gun, and his eyes get all big and he says, "What is this?!?!?!" After I recover from thinking the TSA guy is robbing me, I calmly explain that it's an extra battery for my laptop, despite it's gun-like appearance. Here's the good part. Then, still holding it like a gun and waving it overhead, he yells over to the other TSA lady sitting about 45 feet away, "Hey, look at this!" She about falls out of her chair, and he got a good laugh out of that. I said, "Just remember, you're the one joking about it and not me." I was having visions of dying in handcuffs at the Houston airport, all because some idiot TSA guy thought my laptop battery was a gun.
Note to self: don't take that extra battery on the next flight. The nice thing is that I managed to inadvertently sneak a bottle of hand lotion, courtesy of the Hampton Inn, in my computer bag. He was too preoccupied with my "gun" to notice :)
Oh, and I did sit next to bare feet guy on the way back to Columbus. I don't know what it is with men and not wearing footwear on airplanes...
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Air travel tips for idiots (or everyone I seem to get stuck with on an airplane)
My recent flight to Houston reminded me of how frustrating traveling can be. Here are some of my most basic, common-sense recommendations for anyone getting on a flight:
1. Do not wear strong-smelling lotions, perfumes or colognes. Examples: patchouli, rose-scented lotion, any cologne or perfume that you can smell on yourself. (This is true: if you can smell your own cologne or perfume after you put it on, you're wearing too much). Not everyone is as much of a fan of Windsong as you are.
2. Keep your shoes on, unless specifically requested to remove them by a member of the Transportation Safety Administration or other law enforcement official. No one wants to smell that "perfume" either.
3. Don't bring strong-smelling meals on a plane unless you plan to share with the rest of us. Items such as Indian food, sauerkraut, etc. are not recommended.
*I apologize for the emphasis on smells. On the way down, I had all three of these at once (well, it wasn't bare feet but two German women sitting next to me, but it's pretty much the same idea).
4. If your "carry-on" luggage won't fit in the overhead compartment, give it to a flight attendant to gate check. Do not:
a) empty the entire bin of everyone else's appropriate sized carry-ons
b) repeatedly slam the door to the bin trying to make it fit
c) ask for help in cramming it into a space where it was never designed to fit.
Chances are it's not actually carry-on luggage, and you're just too lazy to go to baggage claim.
5. If you are traveling with many carry-on items and will take awhile to recover all of them, wait for the rest of the passengers to deplane. Do not hold up everyone from rows 6-25 so you can get all of your bags.
6. Go to the restroom before boarding the plane. For a normal adult, there is no reason to use the "restroom" on an airplane during a 1 hour flight.
7. Respect your fellow travelers' privacy. If they respond to your conversation starting attempts with nothing more than a smile and nod, or one-word answers with no eye contact, do not continue trying to start a conversation. They don't want to talk to you.
I thought about adding some tips regarding children, but that's a whole different ball of wax. Maybe some other time...
1. Do not wear strong-smelling lotions, perfumes or colognes. Examples: patchouli, rose-scented lotion, any cologne or perfume that you can smell on yourself. (This is true: if you can smell your own cologne or perfume after you put it on, you're wearing too much). Not everyone is as much of a fan of Windsong as you are.
2. Keep your shoes on, unless specifically requested to remove them by a member of the Transportation Safety Administration or other law enforcement official. No one wants to smell that "perfume" either.
3. Don't bring strong-smelling meals on a plane unless you plan to share with the rest of us. Items such as Indian food, sauerkraut, etc. are not recommended.
*I apologize for the emphasis on smells. On the way down, I had all three of these at once (well, it wasn't bare feet but two German women sitting next to me, but it's pretty much the same idea).
4. If your "carry-on" luggage won't fit in the overhead compartment, give it to a flight attendant to gate check. Do not:
a) empty the entire bin of everyone else's appropriate sized carry-ons
b) repeatedly slam the door to the bin trying to make it fit
c) ask for help in cramming it into a space where it was never designed to fit.
Chances are it's not actually carry-on luggage, and you're just too lazy to go to baggage claim.
5. If you are traveling with many carry-on items and will take awhile to recover all of them, wait for the rest of the passengers to deplane. Do not hold up everyone from rows 6-25 so you can get all of your bags.
6. Go to the restroom before boarding the plane. For a normal adult, there is no reason to use the "restroom" on an airplane during a 1 hour flight.
7. Respect your fellow travelers' privacy. If they respond to your conversation starting attempts with nothing more than a smile and nod, or one-word answers with no eye contact, do not continue trying to start a conversation. They don't want to talk to you.
I thought about adding some tips regarding children, but that's a whole different ball of wax. Maybe some other time...
Monday, October 1, 2007
Is three days of birthday enough?
From a parent's perspective, yes. From a child's, of course not! The birthday festivities are over, the Bileks are en route back to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and Chris and I are sleepily dragging ourselves to work. Something about a birthday party just wears you out. Here's the day by day rundown of the Bilek family visit/birthday party/golf outing.
Day 1: The Actual Birthday, Thursday, September 27
Let's actually start at Day 0. As luck would have it, I had to travel to Cincinnati for work on Tuesday and Wednesday. Great timing. Nothing like being out town before guests arrive and when you have a party to plan. It does make for a good excuse to take time off work, though. I took the afternoon off to put a couple of finishing touches on the house and be there when the Bileks arrived around 3pm. We hadn't eaten yet, so we went to Red Robin for some linner (lunch and dinner, come on people).
Lauren wasn't so excited about the food, but did have fun with my bracelet and jump drive. Really, actual toys are overrated.
Lauren gave me a little present in the car seat on the way home, resulting in an early bath. Lauren opened a few presents from the Bileks and the Turnipseeds, and then she was off to bed. After a few drinks with the Bileks, we were all pretty much done. Kind of anti-climactic for the actual birthday.
Day 2: The Prep Day
Now the work really started. I did all the grocery shopping, made the food, and began my journey to create a hand-decorated monkey cake for Lauren. Remember, the kid really likes monkeys. Chris and his dad worked on filling in our patio. After we were all ready for a break, we went for a nice family dinner at Buca. Again, Lauren was nice enough to give me another present at the restaurant. Let's just say there's nothing like changing a yucky diaper in a restroom with 15 ten-year-old girls running around playing hide and seek/peek-a-boo in the restroom stalls. Joy. We came back home, made more food and crashed.
Day 3: The Party
There were really 4 important parts of the day.
The Cake
Thank god for the internet! I found a picture of a monkey cake online, complete with suggestions for how to make it. And I didn't completely mess it up. I guess all those years of helping my mom decorate cakes actually sunk in. Now, I didn't actually eat any of the cake. The gallon of buttercream icing that I ingested while decorating it pretty much filled me up.
The Birthday Girl
Apparently she feels pretty in a dress and a flower headband. I thought for sure that headband would be trashed before anyone actually arrived. Lauren did sample it, but I think she liked wearing it better than eating it.
The Birthday Girl and the Cake
Enough said. Except for one minor detail. We narrowly averted some serious burns due to Lauren's fascination with fire. Her fingers did go in the flame, but we managed to rescue them without too many tears. It's a wonder what cake can do to dry up tears.
The Presents
Everyone was way too generous. Our house looked like Christmas morning with all the toys and wrapping paper around.
We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with her new toys, and then watched the Buckeyes beat Minnesota. Sorry, Bileks!
Day 4: The Golf Outing
A visit with the Bileks wouldn't be complete without a round of golf for the men to finish out the weekend. Luckily I got to hang around the house with Mom Bilek for a more relaxing day, which was much needed after all the festivities. I hear the golfing was a little scary, but the weather was beautiful.
So, we're back to our normal lives. Although I'm writing this while I'm sitting in the airport waiting to fly to Houston. So, I guess it's not so normal after all. It was great to see all our family and friends there to share in Lauren's special day(s). Only 3 months until we go to Minnesota for Christmas!
UPDATE: More pictures in the Kodak Gallery!
Day 1: The Actual Birthday, Thursday, September 27
Let's actually start at Day 0. As luck would have it, I had to travel to Cincinnati for work on Tuesday and Wednesday. Great timing. Nothing like being out town before guests arrive and when you have a party to plan. It does make for a good excuse to take time off work, though. I took the afternoon off to put a couple of finishing touches on the house and be there when the Bileks arrived around 3pm. We hadn't eaten yet, so we went to Red Robin for some linner (lunch and dinner, come on people).
Lauren wasn't so excited about the food, but did have fun with my bracelet and jump drive. Really, actual toys are overrated.
Lauren gave me a little present in the car seat on the way home, resulting in an early bath. Lauren opened a few presents from the Bileks and the Turnipseeds, and then she was off to bed. After a few drinks with the Bileks, we were all pretty much done. Kind of anti-climactic for the actual birthday.
Day 2: The Prep Day
Now the work really started. I did all the grocery shopping, made the food, and began my journey to create a hand-decorated monkey cake for Lauren. Remember, the kid really likes monkeys. Chris and his dad worked on filling in our patio. After we were all ready for a break, we went for a nice family dinner at Buca. Again, Lauren was nice enough to give me another present at the restaurant. Let's just say there's nothing like changing a yucky diaper in a restroom with 15 ten-year-old girls running around playing hide and seek/peek-a-boo in the restroom stalls. Joy. We came back home, made more food and crashed.
Day 3: The Party
There were really 4 important parts of the day.
The Cake
Thank god for the internet! I found a picture of a monkey cake online, complete with suggestions for how to make it. And I didn't completely mess it up. I guess all those years of helping my mom decorate cakes actually sunk in. Now, I didn't actually eat any of the cake. The gallon of buttercream icing that I ingested while decorating it pretty much filled me up.
The Birthday Girl
Apparently she feels pretty in a dress and a flower headband. I thought for sure that headband would be trashed before anyone actually arrived. Lauren did sample it, but I think she liked wearing it better than eating it.
The Birthday Girl and the Cake
Enough said. Except for one minor detail. We narrowly averted some serious burns due to Lauren's fascination with fire. Her fingers did go in the flame, but we managed to rescue them without too many tears. It's a wonder what cake can do to dry up tears.
The Presents
Everyone was way too generous. Our house looked like Christmas morning with all the toys and wrapping paper around.
We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with her new toys, and then watched the Buckeyes beat Minnesota. Sorry, Bileks!
Day 4: The Golf Outing
A visit with the Bileks wouldn't be complete without a round of golf for the men to finish out the weekend. Luckily I got to hang around the house with Mom Bilek for a more relaxing day, which was much needed after all the festivities. I hear the golfing was a little scary, but the weather was beautiful.
So, we're back to our normal lives. Although I'm writing this while I'm sitting in the airport waiting to fly to Houston. So, I guess it's not so normal after all. It was great to see all our family and friends there to share in Lauren's special day(s). Only 3 months until we go to Minnesota for Christmas!
UPDATE: More pictures in the Kodak Gallery!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
