tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90014474391202601162024-03-19T05:17:08.474-07:00Running with PerseveranceA blog about a college professor and new mom trying to live healthy, active life. Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.comBlogger318125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-86508288673575438742016-01-24T14:09:00.001-08:002016-01-24T14:13:11.962-08:00Family Scripture Reading from the Pulpit!Today our family gave a communion meditation together and then prayed for the bread and the cup together. I am so thankful that Caroline will grow up participating in the life of the church and knowing that she is an equal member in the body of Christ! <div><br></div><div>We left our last church and moved to this one precisely for this reason. I was especially moved by the woman who told my daughter that she looked at home behind the pulpit and maybe she would be a preacher some day. Leaving a church full of people that we loved was so incredibly difficult but I know it was the right choice for us.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh30_gl5pdACekh1QzInhwSDOPVUPCK4KU_OhW2fY66_HzcRYy3WNFNTfdZi3Kg4o5bWuQ3zhbZ_J_2vgDOCO92kNr4QpbCBC8XUwqyfpu1w7cq_HPeXd_mSEJFDc-TVma_0JWP53fXgO/s640/blogger-image-1211111391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh30_gl5pdACekh1QzInhwSDOPVUPCK4KU_OhW2fY66_HzcRYy3WNFNTfdZi3Kg4o5bWuQ3zhbZ_J_2vgDOCO92kNr4QpbCBC8XUwqyfpu1w7cq_HPeXd_mSEJFDc-TVma_0JWP53fXgO/s640/blogger-image-1211111391.jpg"></a></div>Caroline teaches the class a little about gender roles in Dallas.</div><div><br></div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-3889397326535327302015-11-01T18:50:00.001-08:002015-11-01T18:50:40.125-08:00Take Your Daughter to a Work Day - Conference Edition!Last week my daughter attended her third meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Social Problems. My daughter is 28 months old. Her first conference was at 4 months. She's been to other conferences as well, 5 more to be exact. So, how do I do it? What's my secret? Friends and colleagues who are willing to take her for a walk around the hotel while I give my presentation. Yep, it's that simple. One year my in laws met us at the conference and watched her so that I could conference. One year my husband came. Often it's a student who watches her and on this last trip she sat in the front row and watched Daniel Tiger on the iPad while I presented.<div><br></div><div>Being a working Mom isn't easy but I like to think that as she sees me working and doing my job that it will encourage her and help her to aspire to be anything! </div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-11477490230013870012015-06-19T12:56:00.000-07:002015-07-11T17:57:53.624-07:00Potty Training - Not for the Faint of HeartFor the past 6 months or so we have sporadically put Caroline on the toilet in the morning and right before bath and usually she would go. Well, school finished up and she seemed more interested in using the potty so we decided to just go for it. I pinned a lot of ideas and tips on Pinterest and then set out to potty train. The pin I kept seeing the most was a variation on "potty train your toddler in 3 days" theme. So, the basic idea is to give your kid lots of juice and salty snacks and let them run around naked and put them on the potty every 30 minutes. Give lots of rewards/praise when they make it to the potty. Okay, other than the juice and candy rewards I can handle that. We put her in underwear and asked every 30 minutes. In the first half of the day we went through 10 pair of underwear. I was exhausted and she was cranky and we all just wanted to get out of the house! I could see that the intense method was not working for us. We also couldn't stay housebound for 3 solid days.<br>
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So, we decided to try our own, go at her own pace method. I broke down and bought some disposable training pants (I thought about using cloth but I didn't want to make the investment). We put her in the training pants and ask every hour if she needs to go, when she says no we leave it at that and don't push.<div><br></div><div>After about 3 weeks we started to see her stay consistently dry so we tried underwear again with much better success. We are now working on her recognizing the need to go and telling us. </div><div><br></div><div>We are still using training pants during sleep but I'd guess that she'll be nap trained by the time she goes back to school in 6 weeks!</div><div><br></div><div>The most valuable lesson I learned from this experience is that each child is unique and you can't force a child to potty!<br><div><br></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXd1ojEEvjgzx07PX8XzCdFPFytjAdwf7TOXkbSBOE7CdwAsEIv7CebdNK7Txiw2FeXatvmibCE-GqlLJx8FBSzbt0aqr9NBzt78U3hXNq34ZJXioCG5DxnXD4Z2uJ8V_b267hN1F3FmO/s640/blogger-image-1774161409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXd1ojEEvjgzx07PX8XzCdFPFytjAdwf7TOXkbSBOE7CdwAsEIv7CebdNK7Txiw2FeXatvmibCE-GqlLJx8FBSzbt0aqr9NBzt78U3hXNq34ZJXioCG5DxnXD4Z2uJ8V_b267hN1F3FmO/s640/blogger-image-1774161409.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-35593493890002487122015-06-19T12:42:00.002-07:002015-06-19T12:42:58.365-07:00How I Travel with a Baby<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Rhu4xZpAhviJynlNmDvfcMXkeN9aDzxFfM0BvWo_DADAyXWRzPABmVec2y3FJERWcBb7cI8Y-htgDDSVaJR6WQJOqVWhm7-V4TkPOnjoz1iauwPUOkgemhYoP_YIbq3Itc8W0J0nan-g/s1600/IMG_5965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Rhu4xZpAhviJynlNmDvfcMXkeN9aDzxFfM0BvWo_DADAyXWRzPABmVec2y3FJERWcBb7cI8Y-htgDDSVaJR6WQJOqVWhm7-V4TkPOnjoz1iauwPUOkgemhYoP_YIbq3Itc8W0J0nan-g/s320/IMG_5965.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping in the taxi on the drive from the Denver airport to our downtown hotel.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Traveling with babies and toddlers can seem daunting. The first time I tried to travel with kids was back when I was a grad student and I took my two nephews from Kansas to California to visit my parents. My sister was being treated for breast cancer so I took her 3 year old and 8 month old out to California on my own! It was trying but I just powered through and did it. I think that experience gave me a lot of confidence when it came time to take my own baby on a flight. One of the problems that I had with my nephews was that they missed their mom, well, I wouldn't have that problem with my own child!</div>
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Anyway, the other day a friend asked me some questions on Facebook about traveling with her baby and so I thought I'd share my advice here for future reference. So, let's get to the advice!</div>
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First, do you need to buy a plane ticket for your baby? No, if they are under 2 years old then they don't need there own seat. However, a carseat is the safest place for a baby to ride and it will give you a place to put the child so that you can have both of your hands free. If you decide to have the baby sit on your lap you will need to have him/her added to your ticket so that it says "plus infant" on it. You can do that at check in/bag check. When flying try to nurse or give a bottle on takeoff and landing or use a pacifier, the sucking helps the ear pressure adjust.</div>
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Second, do I need to bring a carseat on the plane? Yes, if you purchased a ticket for the baby, no if they are going to sit in your lap. The airline allows you to check a car seat and stroller for free. I prefer to check these and not lug them through security. I have a bag for both my car seat and my stroller to protect them from rough baggage handlers. </div>
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Since I check my stroller I use a baby carrier (Ergo brand) to carry the baby through the airport. I still use it now that she's nearly 2 years old although now she walks some as long as we aren't in too big of a hurry. You can actually leave the baby strapped to you when you go through security, they will just test your hands after you go through the metal detector.</div>
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What about taxis, busses, and subways? In all of my checking and researching I have found that taxis do not require a carseat although that totally freaks me out! If you know that you'll be in a car a lot then bring the carseat. If your baby is little enough to be in a bucket/infant carseat than just bring your stroller that the carseat clips into and it will save you time. Practice installing your carseat using the seatbelt. I use a city mini stroller and have an attachment that allows virtually all carseat brands to be used with it. I love my stroller! On public transit you can have the baby on your lap or leave them in the stroller. Again, having them strapped in a carseat is always safest even without being belted in. </div>
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What about renting a car? Yes, you can rent a car seat. When you book the car online you choose additional features and it's usually $8-10 per day. They should have it for you at the rental place ready when you get there. However, it will be a toddler seat and probably a lower end one. If your child is particular then they may not want to sleep in the rented car seat. You also never know the history of the carseat and generally they don't come installed so you have to install it. I just prefer to bring my own since checking it is free and then I know how to install it and I know the baby won't hate it!</div>
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Do I need a stroller? I like to have a stroller. A lightweight, easy to fold stroller is ideal. If you do a lot of walking it will be great. It's also nice to just have somewhere to put the baby while shopping or eating. I do a combo of baby carrier and stroller to make stairs easier. I also like being able to put all of the stuff in the bottom of the stroller, quite handy for shopping. When navigating busses and subways I put the baby in the carrier before heading down into the subway or while I'm at the bus stop and that way I can just jump on.</div>
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My last tip is to keep in mind that you'll need to go slower and may not get to see as much and that's okay. Sightseeing with a baby has to be a little more relaxed. Take lots of snacks and drinks for baby and just try to enjoy yourself! Also, remember that in a pinch you can always buy something that you may have forgotten! </div>
Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-91952908642384941572015-05-29T07:58:00.000-07:002015-05-29T07:58:12.979-07:00Adventures in Teaching!This past school year I have worked to make my teaching better. I've been increasingly frustrated by a lack of rigor and an increasing number of students who do not know how to take ownership of their learning. As a new teacher 10 years ago I was thankful to have students who just listened passively and didn't ask questions. Now I want and need them to think and be engaged. I'm no longer satisfied with students "earning" a passing grade. I want students to learn, I want them to retain knowledge and even change the way that they think about the world. It's a tall order but I don't think that it's a pipe dream. So, what am I doing to make this happen?<br />
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First, I did some experiments with a flipped class. In a flipped class students do lecture/content delivery online and then actually engage the material during class. I first flipped my statistics class. I found and created a bunch of tutorial videos and some online readings an then when students come to class we work on practice problems, work on analyzing data using the computer programs, do fun activities. Overall it went well and I enjoyed the flipped structure. I'm looking forward to doing it again this fall now that I have all of the content created.</div>
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The second thing that I've been working on is something called Specs Grading. Specifications grading or Specs is a way of grading that is intended to increase rigor and decrease work load. I read through a book by Dr. Linda Nilson and listened to this podcast where she describes the system: <a href="http://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/specifications-grading/">Linda Nilson - Specs Grading</a>. After I read through her book and listened to her speak and then got a copy of a sociology syllabus that uses specs grading from a Facebook group I knew that I was ready. I'm going to be jumping in beginning Monday in my intro to sociology course.<br />
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Here is the description that I give in my syllabus:<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">"Evaluation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Adult-learning theory will be used to evaluate your performance in this
class. Adult-learning theory tells us that adults learn better in a safe,
flexible, and challenging environment. In order to provide an optimal
environment for learning you will have a choice about which grade you will
pursue in this course depending on your personal learning objectives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Each grade is associated with a set of required assignments that you
must complete in order to earn that grade. All assignments except quizzes will
be graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. I will provide clear assignment
specifications with examples of satisfactory work. Only assignments completed
by the deadline will count toward your final grade. Research has shown that
this kind of grading system provides a safe, flexible, and more rigorous
learning environment than traditional points based systems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Grade Criteria<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Following are lists of assignments and criteria required to earn a
specific grade in this class. You can find the specifications for each
assignment posted on Canvas. Please note that failure to satisfactorily
complete any of the requirements for a particular assignment will result in a
grade of “unsatisfactory” on that assignment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">A grade of A indicates complete mastery of the four learning
objectives. In order to obtain complete mastery on these objectives and earn an
A you will need to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Have no more than 1 unexcused absence during
the 3 week summer session.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Earn an average of 80% on all online quizzes
(open book, open note, timed quizzes). You may drop 1 quiz score from the
average if needed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete 8 out of 10 of the sociology in the
news assignments. You may complete additional assignments should you make an
unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete 8 out of 10 journal entries. You may
complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or
2 of them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete the movie reflection</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete a mini literature review on a
sociological topic that uses 3 academic, peer-reviewed, journal articles.</span></li>
</ol>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">A grade of B indicates above average mastery of the four learning
objectives. In order to obtain above average mastery on these objectives and
earn a B you will need to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Have no more than 1 unexcused absence during
the 3 week summer session.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Earn an average of 80% on all online quizzes
(open book, open note, timed quizzes). You may drop 1 quiz score from the
average if needed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete 7 out of 10 of the sociology in the
news assignments. You may complete additional assignments should you make an
unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete 7 out of 10 journal entries. You may
complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or
2 of them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete the movie reflection</span></li>
</ol>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">A grade of C indicates average mastery of the four learning objectives.
In order to obtain average mastery on these objectives and earn a C you will
need to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Have no more than 2 unexcused absences during
the 3 week summer session.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Earn an average of 70% on all online quizzes
(open book, open note, timed quizzes). You may drop 1 quiz score from the
average if needed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete 5 out of 10 of the sociology in the
news assignments. You may complete additional assignments should you make an
unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete 5 out of 10 journal entries. You may
complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or
2 of them.</span></li>
</ol>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">A grade of D indicates below average mastery of the four learning
objectives. In order to obtain below average mastery on these objectives and
earn a D you will need to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Have no more than 3 unexcused absences during
the 3 week summer session.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Earn an average of 70% on all online quizzes
(open book, open note, timed quizzes). You may drop 1 quiz score from the
average if needed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete 2 out of 10 of the sociology in the
news assignments. You may complete additional assignments should you make an
unsatisfactory grade on 1 or 2 of them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Complete 2 out of 10 journal entries. You may
complete additional assignments should you make an unsatisfactory grade on 1 or
2 of them.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">A grade of F indicates that you did not meet any of the learning
objectives for the course. Failure to meet the requirements for a D will earn
an F in the course."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">I'll update on the progress of the course once the three weeks are over. </span></div>
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Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-24272298488114740372014-12-25T13:11:00.001-08:002015-01-04T08:47:36.904-08:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7eemQbu7_c_Pibr2T-wDE_eAgFo2shBq-GQaVz27U7Mb7NliEZxfS7bwUHM34H-w8RKK6nxZjbiKSyZBL_ORu6bMzoqkpnmWQmaNTDm_t_u2aPXVlfix_JnE15i0Y_T5QtbbkP_OMlbn/s640/blogger-image-1523755487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7eemQbu7_c_Pibr2T-wDE_eAgFo2shBq-GQaVz27U7Mb7NliEZxfS7bwUHM34H-w8RKK6nxZjbiKSyZBL_ORu6bMzoqkpnmWQmaNTDm_t_u2aPXVlfix_JnE15i0Y_T5QtbbkP_OMlbn/s640/blogger-image-1523755487.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It was a wonderful holiday season spent with family and friends. We are renewed and ready for a new year! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We are so thankful for the birth of Christ and the salvation that his life, death, and resurrection has brought us. May we continue to grow in faith and love in the coming new year.</div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-38600272146511110282014-11-28T04:50:00.001-08:002015-01-02T13:29:46.812-08:00Thankful!We spent Thanksgiving in Kansas which meant a long drive. It's been awhile since we've driven that far and I am proud to say that all three of us did really well. We enjoyed our time visiting my aunt and uncle while my husband worked. Here are some things I'm thankful for:<div><br></div><div>A loving husband!</div><div><br></div><div>A beautiful little girl who is healthy, happy, and full of feisty spirit!</div><div><br></div><div>Family all over the country who always make us feel at home when we visit.</div><div><br></div><div>A church family where we feel loved and are able to grow in our faith.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-82897668067308150612014-10-16T19:32:00.001-07:002014-10-16T19:32:32.129-07:00A Cloth Diaper Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBFKQcQoAZoY9mqb6rSnxuCM4I7Q0hFX4LIKw5pfk362kyooFDAJPhBMiJ2uyAKvvcoN3YFRX4HHMT8LQYUOgDA1n7VxHIn2f4F2nIRulZ0VCohRXtTo5taGuganS9dQAsOI8t5bmk4ef/s1600/IMG_5013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBFKQcQoAZoY9mqb6rSnxuCM4I7Q0hFX4LIKw5pfk362kyooFDAJPhBMiJ2uyAKvvcoN3YFRX4HHMT8LQYUOgDA1n7VxHIn2f4F2nIRulZ0VCohRXtTo5taGuganS9dQAsOI8t5bmk4ef/s1600/IMG_5013.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
As I was putting the cloth diapers in the wash tonight I realized that it has been nearly 14 months since Caroline began wearing her cloth diapers. I remember how nervous I was when we made the decision to use cloth and how scary the whole washing process seemed to be. I was so confused about everything! Now, I hardly even notice the extra laundry or effort and laugh at my pregnant self and the concerns that I had that now seem so silly. Here are some of the concerns that I had and how we have handled them along with some of the hacks that we have used to make cloth more manageable.<br />
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First, I was so overwhelmed by all of the options! There are prefolds, and pockets and fitted, one size, and all in one, organic, hemp, cotton, microfiber, wool. The choices are dizzying. I'd like to be able to say that I really did my homework and was really well informed about diapers but really I just picked the ons that seemed to be the most like disposable, were reasonably priced, and made in the US. We went with the Bumgenius Freetime all-in-one diapers. These diapers are a single piece with nothing to stuff and are ready to go straight out of the drier. They are also one size which means you use the same set for the life of your diapering. They do take a long time to dry but my husband has never had a problem with them and it is way less intimidating for childcare workers. Even my college age babysitter is a fan. These are on the pricey side but they were totally worth it! I'm pretty glad that I stuck with one brand and style, simple is good. We also picked snaps over velcro for longevity. We had a few velcro and they were sort of a bust :(.<br />
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Because we picked an easy to use diaper that is one size we are able to get by on just 18 diapers which means they don't take up much space and they really weren't that expensive.<br />
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With just 18 diapers we do laundry at least every other day but mostly we just throw them in at night after we put her down but before we go to bed. With that said, she does wear a disposable at night. I just didn't want to deal with the possibility of leaks. I'm okay with buying 30 diapers each month. I was freaked out by the washing process. Each washing machine is different and so I wasn't sure what I would need to do in my machine. Well, it's not that complicated. I probably over wash my diapers but better over than under! We do a full cold cycle on gentle with an extra rinse and then I add a scoop of the Bumgenius soap (I have also tried Rock 'n' Green and it was fine) switch the water to hot and do another full cycle on gentle with an extra rinse. When it's sunny outside I hang them to dry and the sun bleaches them out. When it's not nice we throw them in the drier on low heat for two full cycles, they take awhile to dry because they are all in one. When I start to see stains I can bleach them but I don't do that too often, maybe every 4 months or so.<br />
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What about the poo? Well, it's not as terrible as I thought. When she was tiny it was easy, no rinse was even required since she was breastfed. After that we got a diaper sprayer to attach to our toilet and really she usually poops first thing in the morning while she is still wearing the disposable. The only gross part is when she poops at daycare and it sits for a few hours before getting rinsed but that's not very often.<br />
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What about leaks? Yes, on occasion we will get some wetness. Usually this is my fault for not being more diligent in changing her. The diapers don't get the squishy wet feel that disposables do so I go by the clock and change her every 2-3 hours. If I go past 3 hours I'm sure to get a little over saturation but it's not too bad, just a little damp between the legs and I always have an extra outfit with me anyway.<br />
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Would I do cloth again? Absolutely! I love never running out of diapers. We did use disposable at daycare for the first few months because our laundry exploded and I was trying to get back to work full time. I had also bought some not so great diapers that didn't work for overnights so we had to use them up. We do use disposable for overnight trips or if I know I'm going to be somewhere with little access to a changing table and I know it's going to be more than 3 hours I'll put her in a disposable just to be safe.<br />
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One interesting problem that we encountered was the "fluffy butt"! Caroline can't wear little jeans or non-stretchy pants because of the size of her rear in her cloth diapers. She does have an outfit or two that we wear a disposable with because it's just so cute and would never fit over the cloth. Onesie extenders were also a lifesaver in the early days, it's easier now that she mostly wears shirts and pants.<br />
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I guess that about sums up our cloth diapering journey!Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-30387553680443100102014-10-09T20:07:00.002-07:002014-10-09T20:07:34.730-07:00What My Kid is EatingNow that Caroline is back in school we are back to packing school lunches. So, what do you pack for a 15 month old to eat when the traditional crackers, cookies, bread, and peanut butter are off the table? Well, my paleo baby has a quite varied diet but all of her lunches have a few things in common. I always pack a protein, a veggie, a fruit, and a snack item. Here are some examples of her favorite foods:<br />
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Sliced black olives, she can nearly eat an entire can of these! I buy the ones with no additives.<br />
Grapes, quartered<br />
Raisins<br />
Green beans, she likes the mushy canned variety<br />
Frozen peas, put in her lunch frozen and they thaw by the time lunch comes around<br />
Broccoli<br />
Chicken<br />
Ground beef<br />
Hard boiled eggs<br />
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A lot of times she'll have whatever protein we had for dinner the night before and then a mix of the other items. Whatever she has leftover when I pick her up she snacks on during the walk home from school.<br />
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<br />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-34386458101360153412014-09-06T13:53:00.001-07:002014-10-13T16:27:26.361-07:00Going BarefootI've always been a fan of flip flops and sandals but when I started running I began to wear really clunky and cushioned running shoes which led to wearing super supportive work shoes and feet that would ache at the end of the day. After spending much of April, May and June wearing flip flops and sandals again I decided to keep up the nearly barefoot life and ordered some Merrell shoes and I am loving them! Earlier this month I went all in and got my first pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes!<div><br></div><div>I am loving it so far although my legs definitely get tired quicker. My students do comment on my Five Fingers but mostly in a "hey, those are cool" way. I like it so much that I donated many of my old shoes. I did keep a newer pair of sneakers and my higher quality dress shoes. I'm on the hunt for some cold weather dress shoes that are minimalist for winter but I'm not in much of a hurry!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCFSU5wOZmTqyTdZ0g5WCK7_9SpDQoI_U1TkevJTTNp2UPOl70x5kJpVOThUgLnh0z7R1QxpxJXCvCaliJiuQQ2wgNvH_cl1elM6RmThhfM5EXhbXKRmhb1C_6V6MSbw4jXVuEjXJEucs/s640/blogger-image-1191088139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCFSU5wOZmTqyTdZ0g5WCK7_9SpDQoI_U1TkevJTTNp2UPOl70x5kJpVOThUgLnh0z7R1QxpxJXCvCaliJiuQQ2wgNvH_cl1elM6RmThhfM5EXhbXKRmhb1C_6V6MSbw4jXVuEjXJEucs/s640/blogger-image-1191088139.jpg"></a></div>These are my soft star shoes, Caroline has a pair of their moccasins.</div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-47366702054325036732014-08-14T07:37:00.001-07:002014-08-15T07:59:18.775-07:00A Whole New Year<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VJ1UHHrq-_Ay1Hfr2PjTp4-q1lwSw7Eti23sMf_ZotPNK4GoghbSZQ3yLynBeVm8r6VQBZy4oCga-EOCWIhxR6ew0YSp88dCw0ccDmHMo4DCGW_l88WwRlG2uGCvAqjA6fNyQ74Tl-xL/s640/blogger-image--2112267145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VJ1UHHrq-_Ay1Hfr2PjTp4-q1lwSw7Eti23sMf_ZotPNK4GoghbSZQ3yLynBeVm8r6VQBZy4oCga-EOCWIhxR6ew0YSp88dCw0ccDmHMo4DCGW_l88WwRlG2uGCvAqjA6fNyQ74Tl-xL/s640/blogger-image--2112267145.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>One of the great things about being an academic is the opportunity to begin anew each semester and particularly each new school year. August brings with it stress over the changes of the curriculum and uncertainties about the students but there is also a sense of excitement that fills a college campus. After four sleepy months the buildings and grounds come alive again with eager faces. I'm looking forward to a fresh start, a routine, and mostly just seeing some of my favorite young people back on campus.<div><br></div><div>For our family this will be my first full year working and being a mom as I was blessed to get to work part time last fall. We have our childcare arrangements in place but I'm still a little anxious about the nap schedule and just daycare in general. I'm anxious about some new teaching strategies that I'll be using and how that's going to work out. </div><div><br></div><div>More than anything though I am ready for this new adventure!</div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-37940933633092119572014-07-20T17:55:00.001-07:002014-08-14T07:28:20.621-07:00Baby + Hotel = No Sleep<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_XCduEbmIBv2_jtK7p7p-pVZDG8wd5-hAyXr8z0lSgd7ksz209jZ9_u6E-n4t2wBZT7XzWGHLtohDCVvC9nmDvirVQfIpz_Xrgzs3SJ0UnfWRD3pTDbngSuXGrnZ3ncK1tekgQO5RGFQ/s640/blogger-image--116312213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_XCduEbmIBv2_jtK7p7p-pVZDG8wd5-hAyXr8z0lSgd7ksz209jZ9_u6E-n4t2wBZT7XzWGHLtohDCVvC9nmDvirVQfIpz_Xrgzs3SJ0UnfWRD3pTDbngSuXGrnZ3ncK1tekgQO5RGFQ/s640/blogger-image--116312213.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I love to travel and explore new places. Over the past year travel has included a few extra pieces of luggage and an adorable companion. As much as I love having my travel buddy with me and I've figured out the logistics of packing and checking luggage there is one aspect of travel with a baby that I still haven't gotten used to. Hotel rooms are not built for a baby's schedule! Taking a baby to a hotel poses tons of challenges. First there is the crib issue. If we are driving I'll bring our own portable crib along but when we fly I rely on the hotel crib. Hotel cribs are hit and miss, most hotels do have them but you never know what condition it's going to be in or if you'll even get a sheet for the bed. My baby does not do well with this and ends up crying more and sleeping less when we are on the road.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Second, say that I don't want to go to bed at 7 pm when I put the baby down, where do I go in a hotel room? Invariably I end up sitting in the bathroom for a few hours reading until I'm tired. I've gotten better and gathering up what I'll need before bedtime and making sure I have food and drink on hand but just the same I'm spending a portion of my vacation hanging out in the bathroom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Third, how are you supposed to handle crying? At home we only go to get the baby if she cries for more than a few minutes but in a hotel, as a courtesy to other guests, I try to respond to crying much quicker. This sets up a bad system where she just wants to be held and cries more often and finally I give up and she sleeps in my bed while I try to rest. Related to this is the fact that she knows we are in the same room as her so she wants to be as close to us as possible. This isn't a problem at home, just a hotel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So, what do we do? Book a suite? I wish we had that much diosable income! I don't have any grand answers but I sure hope that things get a little better as she grows because hyper is a lot of the world left for us to discover!</div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-28076506744757294262014-07-11T18:14:00.001-07:002014-08-19T18:33:34.709-07:00Tales from My Garmin Vivofit<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">For my birthday this year my wonderful husband bought me a Garmin Vivofit. I had been using an old school pedometer for a few weeks until I lost it. I set a goal of 8000 steps per day as a realistic goal. I've been using it for about 2 months now and I'm learning some interesting things about myself, my sleep, and my activity levels. Here are some of the charts that summarize my progress:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMtVHjmJ9nWKzpwXtjkK7NyP-BDii0G4AwAew3DcHb5Ubr-G_dm-zdvDXADjML0Ke9bsxihB-_wv2mg1jjikBffJklSmCuaD0sKKD2SnoJ6Wup8l4VVKE6jlssqubWgKTy_uqL6ifMwh8/s640/blogger-image-1241772979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMtVHjmJ9nWKzpwXtjkK7NyP-BDii0G4AwAew3DcHb5Ubr-G_dm-zdvDXADjML0Ke9bsxihB-_wv2mg1jjikBffJklSmCuaD0sKKD2SnoJ6Wup8l4VVKE6jlssqubWgKTy_uqL6ifMwh8/s640/blogger-image-1241772979.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">For the month of July I was doing pretty good until we went on vacation! A lot of those big days were teaching days where I walked around the class a lot. In July we also regularly took Caroline on walks for her naps.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW63unTGjeKMq1s5XhopTtjA7J0cTPRR5f_UKkYAAEhgEGQ2_eTFH0QV8XBGMfL_ciykVDcHqxP8zVVql4_3lrlLHESsQq-fOUf4FZNFDng4lrKiFqWp1DsEqFyRL87ZVWisX09YEkozKq/s640/blogger-image-470282229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW63unTGjeKMq1s5XhopTtjA7J0cTPRR5f_UKkYAAEhgEGQ2_eTFH0QV8XBGMfL_ciykVDcHqxP8zVVql4_3lrlLHESsQq-fOUf4FZNFDng4lrKiFqWp1DsEqFyRL87ZVWisX09YEkozKq/s640/blogger-image-470282229.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In August we were still on vacation and then we had transitioned Caroline to napping in her crib so we weren't going on nearly as many walks. It's also been so hot out that going for walks hasn't been much fun. It's good to know my habits, I'm working hard to increase that number and move my goal to 10,000 steps per day by mid September.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecLusqn3-FtTyF3LljteyqJUsoPLxxqnWsxRo4lzP_tWujqmxMWmVc3pYLGClu9B7ayZzliAUL5kyJxZprnBOY48E1U8fuRtgqwIs3_N_GTdjpEkzvTr6dJAHUprb3YGBRTbGxOXqywC3/s640/blogger-image-1271979818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecLusqn3-FtTyF3LljteyqJUsoPLxxqnWsxRo4lzP_tWujqmxMWmVc3pYLGClu9B7ayZzliAUL5kyJxZprnBOY48E1U8fuRtgqwIs3_N_GTdjpEkzvTr6dJAHUprb3YGBRTbGxOXqywC3/s640/blogger-image-1271979818.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My new toy also tracks my movement as I sleep. The spikes are usually when I hear Caroline on the baby monitor and check on her. Sometimes I forget to wake it up in the morning so I get a big peak at the end. I'm shooting for 8 hours asleep and we're doing pretty good. This particular day wasn't great, Caroline was getting a tooth and has just been getting up way to early!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6iL7MO9UTOkE99dRYRA-V8W4r-8gkPa7jy9SQHwBn-VRUq6bX_QsI2_QiA_MOVoGIYWN7EDXVCtCNhcgpclQ6pSmtb_sqy5pM7IDc4Ep5P2BTOlu7R8AiX882HvIc4woFXvdIaq__7bl/s640/blogger-image-1890662314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6iL7MO9UTOkE99dRYRA-V8W4r-8gkPa7jy9SQHwBn-VRUq6bX_QsI2_QiA_MOVoGIYWN7EDXVCtCNhcgpclQ6pSmtb_sqy5pM7IDc4Ep5P2BTOlu7R8AiX882HvIc4woFXvdIaq__7bl/s640/blogger-image-1890662314.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This night I went to bed late but slept pretty soundly! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Overall I'm really happy with my gadget, it also functions as a watch so that's been helpful and also makes me more likely to wear it.</div><br></div><br></div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-26927780154773434192014-07-06T11:38:00.001-07:002014-07-06T11:38:58.322-07:00A Travel Inspired First Birthday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
About 7 months ago I was snuggling my tiny baby, and as she lay sleeping in my arm I was perusing Pinterest and started thinking about that baby's first birthday when it hit me. Her birthday should be travel themed, especially considering all of the travel that she has done in her first year! Our little lady has been to 10 states in the first year and I am looking forward to the day when I get to take her in to get a passport and take her abroad. </div>
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I pinned all sorts of ideas on Pinterest and then remembered that my brother-in-law collects maps so I sent an e-mail to the family asking for old maps and atlases. At Christmas we collected them and brought them home. All of the decorations, except for the globe beach balls are up cycled! I feel like such a hipster ;)</div>
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Anyway, here are some pictures and explanations of everything.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2_hjgi6kuEcSzsqHRawQ9Xt0r8KAQjpEkWJfc3tHmk-vn2vweLkcCQD149dIBXD6uy3lyJXla2fQLZhi-3lxN0n5wuPg_AxGSm0B62SNMRkshuigjWemgY1lJBMCsOYWtqlKE4cqUy4G/s640/blogger-image--1895135414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2_hjgi6kuEcSzsqHRawQ9Xt0r8KAQjpEkWJfc3tHmk-vn2vweLkcCQD149dIBXD6uy3lyJXla2fQLZhi-3lxN0n5wuPg_AxGSm0B62SNMRkshuigjWemgY1lJBMCsOYWtqlKE4cqUy4G/s640/blogger-image--1895135414.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is our dining area which was the main decorated area of the house. I made bunting with the maps, hung some of the beach balls from the curtain rod and used more maps to make the garland hanging from the chandelier. The table cloth is a bunch of maps taped together. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks8VlPSWYdI-5JffWQnGY_32wGoHNmi5rdiLScfHKk_G4MkSzEpeE0GAUh_k2YGIvYeEb-kkJbrOeIUiZMEvJ0-IU83N4usTKcdFFqmy7FU7Jo5gJ-rE4jdsfUWHMuvKqSVrDQMghT4RJ/s640/blogger-image--224941394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks8VlPSWYdI-5JffWQnGY_32wGoHNmi5rdiLScfHKk_G4MkSzEpeE0GAUh_k2YGIvYeEb-kkJbrOeIUiZMEvJ0-IU83N4usTKcdFFqmy7FU7Jo5gJ-rE4jdsfUWHMuvKqSVrDQMghT4RJ/s640/blogger-image--224941394.jpg" /></a></div>
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On the walls I have hung her monthly pictures matted on more maps.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBhujxd_vN7NErIxof-6ashIgHxznMRRt6u43akagd1ycKnBpkShEM0CxGlhm7PrToispG11Wpq8sb3cVT8fHPTpYvnwDltL0xLDjo9kYSkIotEdKEqCBvNCz2Pn4OULApuZfi5rREfiA/s640/blogger-image-610094162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBhujxd_vN7NErIxof-6ashIgHxznMRRt6u43akagd1ycKnBpkShEM0CxGlhm7PrToispG11Wpq8sb3cVT8fHPTpYvnwDltL0xLDjo9kYSkIotEdKEqCBvNCz2Pn4OULApuZfi5rREfiA/s640/blogger-image-610094162.jpg" /></a></div>
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The food was inspired by the places that make Caroline who she is. Here is what we had and it's significance:</div>
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<li>California fresh fruit and veggies (where Mom is from)</li>
<li>Pennsylvania pretzels (where Dad was born & went to college)</li>
<li>Oregon Tillamook cheese (where Mom went to college)</li>
<li>Indiana popcorn (where Mom & Dad met)</li>
<li>Ohio Skyline chili dip (where Dad is from)</li>
<li>Texas sweet tea (where baby was born)</li>
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And of course, there were cupcakes with map wrappers and toppers! The wrappers were the only part that I didn't feel was worth the effort, which is why the front plate doesn't have them.</div>
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We hung more globes in the living room. Our walls just happen to match the green on the globes!<br />
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The wreath on the front door was made of map circles. There was also a sign in the yard made of two maps with the same saying. Sadly Dad threw it away before I could take a picture.<br />
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Our bar was decorated with more globes sitting on vases.<br />
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We had bunting hanging over these two openings with pictures of baby on the ledge. You can also see a bit of the world map in the kitchen which is where we did the big cake smash! It was tons of fun and not very expensive considering that all of the decorations were made of things on hand. The only expenses were the beach balls ($20 for all 12 and they were the party favors) and food which we bought way too much of!<br />
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<br />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-88409019557024766872014-07-06T11:26:00.001-07:002014-07-08T12:22:07.496-07:00Thoughts on a Year of MotherhoodIt is difficult to explain just how fast and yet slow this past year has gone. There were days that felt so long, nights that seemed to never end, and yet somehow a year after becoming a mother I find myself wondering where my chubby little baby went? She's now a toddling little girl and if it weren't for her lack of hair she would barely look like a baby anymore.<br>
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This year has been the best year of my life. It has been one of the most challenging years, one of the most satisfying years and by far the year where I grew the most and learned more about love than I ever thought possible.<br>
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I am so thankful for the blessing of this little life and look forward to watching her continue to grow and learn.<br>
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<br>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-59811687885271858542014-06-21T04:41:00.001-07:002014-06-21T05:43:02.018-07:00Adventures in Paleo Baking<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPag8IAJQ11GS97qEV2Ku50jPv1fc1vPzPCS6NjMrmjMXs1n8cNkjWLca5zTxe3UShV6VfIEWfhr5O2DpekMnukdx-XNOtqIjvT_VeyMsLMZoyZSU5FKLUFWMVJjMS2P3nARuxDM3G-h_k/s640/blogger-image--1189438689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPag8IAJQ11GS97qEV2Ku50jPv1fc1vPzPCS6NjMrmjMXs1n8cNkjWLca5zTxe3UShV6VfIEWfhr5O2DpekMnukdx-XNOtqIjvT_VeyMsLMZoyZSU5FKLUFWMVJjMS2P3nARuxDM3G-h_k/s640/blogger-image--1189438689.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>My baby is turning 1 in just a few weeks and so I wanted to try to make her a paleo birthday cake. I've had good success with banana and blueberry <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">muffins so I decided to try a strawberry muffin with coconut cream frosting. </span><div><div><br></div><div>I started with this recipe for blueberry muffins and substituted chunks of fresh strawberry for the blueberries:</div><div>http://livinghealthywithchocolate.com/desserts/paleo-blueberry-muffin-grain-free-gluten-free-low-carb-997/</div></div><div><br></div><div>For the frosting I mixed the solid cream from the top of the can of coconut milk with some honey and vanilla.</div><div><br></div><div>Overall they were pretty tasty but there are a few things that I will change for my next attempt, first use almond flour instead of meal to give a better texture, these had the texture of a corn muffin. Second, I'd like to try a cinnamon apple flavor as the strawberry flavor just didn't come through. Third, I would put less vanilla (perhaps none) in the frosting.</div><div><br></div><div>Caroline had fun smashing it but wasn't so into eating it. She's not used to super sweet foods or baked goods. It was pretty fun to watch her explore though.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-73725873476997999922014-06-03T07:05:00.002-07:002014-06-03T07:05:49.321-07:00Why I'm not RunningOn our recent trip to California I had a moment while driving in our old neighborhood where I realized that I wanted to run. I wanted to run in my old neighborhood, up and down the hills, on safe sidewalks, on trails just out my front door. I don't want to run the same boring 2 mile loop around my college campus in Texas. I think I've lost my desire to run not because I don't want to run but because I haven't been inspired to run. Running in Texas (at least my part of Texas) is a chore.<br />
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Running where we lived in California was an adventure, yes, sometimes it became monotonous but I had a running group and it was a social activity that I did on Saturdays. On Mondays I had a set route but I ran it with a good friend. In California running was a hobby. In Texas running is for exercise, not nearly as much fun!<br />
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I'm not sure what this means for my future running endeavors or if there will be any. I do know that I don't want to train and run a race in Texas. For now I'll walk and do my best to be healthy overall and maybe I'll be able to run/walk a race in a more scenic location next year!<br />
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<br />Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-13115698414310234722014-06-03T06:48:00.001-07:002014-06-03T06:48:48.460-07:0010,000 Steps a Day is Hard!I've been slacking in the walking department lately. Since the baby no longer naps in her stroller and instead wants to be held while she naps it's meant more time sitting around and less time walking. Well, one of the fitness bloggers that I read gave a challenge to reach 100 thousand steps in 7 days.<br />
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I found a pedometer laying around our house and decided to give it a shot. The first day I managed a whopping 3884 and that was with making an effort to walk around my classroom during the final exam period.<br />
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In a seven day time span I only managed to get 10,000 steps on one day and that was a day when we took a 3 mile walk with the baby!<br />
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On the day that we were in California Adventure I walked about 12,000 steps which still isn't enough to get to 100,000 in a week.<br />
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I'm glad that I attempted the challenge and dug out the old pedometer as it gave me more motivation to get moving. I hope to get to a point where getting 10,000 steps per day and possibly even 100,000 steps per week is normal!Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-65687769109099006812014-06-03T06:08:00.000-07:002014-06-03T06:08:30.738-07:00Taking A Baby to Disneyland<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I got back last week from Southern California and while I was there I took my 10 month old to Disneyland and California Adventure. My Mom, sister and 4-year-old nephew were with us and we had a blast. I wanted to share some tips and helpful hints for hitting the parks with a baby and toddler!</div>
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First, set your expectations really low. You probably won't go on many rides, you won't see a whole lot or stay the entire day but that doesn't mean you won't have fun! My only goal was to be there and maybe go on the Dumbo ride. That's it, no agenda, no expectations. </div>
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Second, try to score a deal on tickets to avoid the sense that you have to so everything to get your money's worth. My sister lives in SoCal and found tickets at the local grocery store that were basically 2 days for the price of one. It helped me feel like we weren't wasting money and I didn't feel pressured to go on as many rides or do as much stuff.</div>
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Third, take advantage of the baby care centers in each park! It was so nice to have a place to go and nurse and relax and unwind when you are hot and kids are getting cranky. They have any baby item you could possibly need along with all of the facilities and conveniences of home. The cast members in there were also pretty darn awesome.</div>
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Fourth, take a stroller and a carrier if you have a small one that doesn't walk or stand. The stroller is great but you can't take it in line with you and some of the lines can be a little long to do while just holding your kid. I liked having my Ergo and being able to stand in line without killing my back. It was also nice to have to go inside restaurants and stores where a stroller is a bit cumbersome. Also, take a wallet that can easily be pulled out of the diaper bag/stroller so that you can take it with you on the ride and don't accidentally leave it on the stroller for someone to walk away with.</div>
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Fifth, don't expect your child to love the characters! They can be a bit scary for a small child. Test out how your baby/toddler will do from a distance and if the line is short try to get a picture with a character but definitely don't wait in the 4 hour long line to see Elsa and Anna from Frozen!</div>
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Sixth, on super hot days bring swimsuits or a change of clothes and head over to Bug's Land and the little splash pad there. There are also things like the Aladdin Show and the Turtle Talk with Crush at California Adventure. Also, anywhere that sells soda in a cup (fountain drinks) will give you free cups of ice water so save your $ and stop buying bottled. If you bring a water bottle you can refill it with filtered water in the baby care area.</div>
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I'm sure that I'm forgetting lots of things but mostly, don't be afraid to take your baby to Disneyland! Relax, have fun and just go with the flow.</div>
Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-35091046320762604092014-05-09T18:42:00.002-07:002014-05-09T18:42:56.268-07:00Best Baby Gear<div>
Back when I was pregnant I used to devour blogposts about baby gear, especially those top 10 type lists. So, I thought I'd record my top baby gear items. These are things that I would definitely use again and have recommended to others. I have not even come close to trying all of the gadgets out there and often times see new products that have come out in the last year and get a little envious that it wasn't available when I was pregnant. However, I still stand by these picks and think that these are all reasonably priced items that have made our life easier. So without further ado...</div>
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1. Ergo baby carrier (and infant insert) </div>
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I've used this since week 1 and am so thankful to have it! It is great to use when grocery shopping before baby can sit in the basket since you should never prop your car seat up on the top of the cart. I use it at the airport to be hands free through security (you get to leave baby in it). I used to wear her in it while I was cleaning or standing at my computer working while she napped. </div>
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I also have a ring sling that's okay but the Ergo is far easier to use and I feel much more secure using it.</div>
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2. City Mini stroller (with car seat attachment)</div>
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We started out with a big jogging stroller (that I still love) and a free Graco travel system stroller. The Graco was great because I could use it with the car seat and it had lots of storage space but it was huge and hard to push one handed. I was thinking about getting a smaller travel stroller like a Chicco or Maclaren style. As luck would have it My local baby store was closing out their City Minis and someone offered to get it for us as a gift. I LOVE it! </div>
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We also got the car seat adapter so it has functioned as a travel system. It folds one handed, pushes like a dream with amazing steering. The seat reclines nearly flat and the canopy is huge which make it perfect for naps. </div>
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If I had a do-over I would get the GT model with rubber tires and skip the jogging stroller since we really just walk anyway.</div>
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3. Bumgenius All-in-One diapers</div>
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We have some pocket diapers as well but these are my favorite. Snaps are superior to hook and loop, FYI. I am still happy with our decision to primarily cloth diaper and I think these have helped. The husband really likes them too. As an added bonus I match the diaper to her church dress instead of putting bloomers on her :)</div>
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4. Sillybillyz bibs</div>
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This is fairly new but I love them, best bibs ever! They are terry cloth but also have a waterproof lining so water doesn't soak through. They have a pocket to catch the crumbs and the neckline prevents any food from sneaking under it. They are plastic snap closure so baby can't pull them off and they don't get tangled up with other clothes in the was like hook and loop do. Totally worth the money.</div>
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5. Bebe Pod (like a Bumbo but better)<br />
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I was iffy on the whole Bumbo thing, I thought it was silly and wouldn't be used for that long. When I found the Bebe Pod version I put it on my registry and thought, why not? We got if and use it still at 10 months!</div>
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Ours has straps to attach it to a chair to make it a booster seat which we used so that she could sit at the table with us before she started eating. However what we mostly use it for is totally against the warning sticker. We have it on our bathroom counter and she sits in it and talks to me while I get ready in the morning. Please rest assured that I stand right behind her the whole time, I would NEVER leave her up there alone! Anyway, she loves it and so do I, it has made our morning routine go so much more smoothly!</div>
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6. California Baby bath/body products</div>
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I'm from California, I like to use natural products, I'm a bit of a hippie and that is why I love these! I've tried Burt's Bees and BabyGanics but I like California baby the best. We use the baby wash, nighttime lotion and sunscreen mostly and I've been really happy with the smell and cleanliness they offer. I also love that there are no crazy chemicals. It's not cheap but it's worth it.</div>
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7. Medela Pump in Style (with hands free bra)</div>
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My health insurance covered the Medela Swing or a portion of this pump but it was totally worth it to pay the extra for the double. It's a great reliable pump and I love that it's so easy to get replacement parts at Target or WalNart. I have extra flanges and horns so that I can rotate and am not washing all the time. I also have the hands free bra, totally worth it! I treat a pump break as a time to get on FaceBook or catch up on my blogs and the bra lets me do that. I also find that I can pump more when I'm relaxed and not watching the milk. This is a must have if you plan to breastfeed!</div>
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8. Baby swing</div>
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Life changing! That's what the swing was. In the first 6 months Caroline needed motion to fall asleep (she actually still does!) for naps. We borrowed a swing and it saved my sanity! I'm not sure is get the same model again as it was huge and took up a lot of space. If we ever have a second I might splurge on a 4Moms MommaRoo!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDZSnOqqrc-BVd0-lK00uhm57seUvLDs0mZ9g7ykPYhb5Qlb7sHqfhJK6DCildtEt7Qmka3QAR03lQl_OukBrNqwJfSz8ICYoP7MzC8zMbsB-zI5O0In8sY1bbGOPEHhyphenhyphen4K7dR8Nz4CFW/s1600/IMG_2407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDZSnOqqrc-BVd0-lK00uhm57seUvLDs0mZ9g7ykPYhb5Qlb7sHqfhJK6DCildtEt7Qmka3QAR03lQl_OukBrNqwJfSz8ICYoP7MzC8zMbsB-zI5O0In8sY1bbGOPEHhyphenhyphen4K7dR8Nz4CFW/s1600/IMG_2407.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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9. Rock n Play sleeper </div>
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I debated about including this one. I absolutely loved it but it was so hard to transition from this to the crib that I'm hesitant. For babies with reflux it truly is awesome and I loved that it fit in my suitcase but outgrowing it was rough!</div>
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10. Car seat and stroller bags </div>
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I don't know that I've seen these on any other top lists bus as someone who has taken her infant to 7 states and will complete 8 round trip flights by the time that infant turns one they deserve some love on my list.<br />
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11. Summer Infant Video Baby Monitor<br />
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We have a split floor plan in our house, that means that the master bedroom is on the opposite side of the house from the other rooms. The video monitor has been a lifesaver. It allows us to hear Caroline but it also allows us to see if she really needs us or if she's just making noise. I'm so glad that we have it!<br />
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Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-4812702953368874412014-03-12T20:16:00.002-07:002014-03-12T20:16:10.797-07:00How Did I not Know This?Kombucha has caffeine! Did you know that? I just found out last night!<br />
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My sister is big on brewing her own kombucha and Kefir and drinking raw milk and over Christmas she convinced me to give kombucha a try. I started slowly with just a few ounces, drinking about 16 ounces over a 4 day span. I liked the taste and the natural carbonation and it did make me feel better. I had good energy even though my 6 month old was having trouble transitioning to her crib.<br />
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At the same time that I started drinking kombucha we had just gotten home from vacation and we had just transitioned the baby to her crib and she was teething. The baby wasn't sleeping well but I just assumed it was all of the changes that were going on that were keeping her awake. My father in law came to visit for a few weeks in January and the baby's sleep continued to get worse. Everything I read about baby sleep indicated that it was my fault for nursing her to sleep and not teaching her to self soothe so after my father in law left and we were sure she was done teething for a bit and she was healthy we commenced sleep training and it was terrible. It didn't work, she would cry and fall asleep for 30-60 minutes and then wake up screaming again. We tried lots of different things but all she really wanted was to be held. I found myself bringing her into my bed early in the morning just to get a few hours of sleep.<br />
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As her sleep was deteriorating I was increasing my kombucha consumption and enjoying it so much that I thought I might brew my own so I started searching for recipes and places to buy a starter. That's when I made my discovery that now seems so obvious! kombucha is made with black tea. Black tea has caffeine. The brewing process does not remove the caffeine. Thus, kombucha has caffeine! I had been caffeine free for nearly 2 years and we had discovered when the baby was 2 months old that even the small amount of caffeine in decaf coffee was too much for her. So, I did an experiment, I cut out kombucha. Within a day she was sleeping so much better! We went from 5-6 wake ups at night to 1-2.<br />
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It looks like I'll be waiting until someone is weaned to try making my own kombucha!Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-31078027129167027152014-02-02T19:22:00.003-08:002014-02-04T13:15:20.416-08:00Projects Around the house<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
My father in-law has been visiting for the last three weeks and during that time we've managed to knock off a whole bunch of home improvement to-do's. Last year we tackled some serious home improvements and this year I thought our list was shorter but turns out there was a lot to do. Here's a peak at what we've been up to in January:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2QSw_mCBlC5Y-FcIrzMqapgu0Gi_H6l4rI3wuGOitu8UdH_-Uk5iJAIy8e4dhGrnFxzReGlbsRTc4JyjcoLAzWFu7s6al9ptlVP64fEm64cdMRgl2RanDPN5dtY5yZZ6eLKa9BrZW-Up/s640/blogger-image--1797408927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2QSw_mCBlC5Y-FcIrzMqapgu0Gi_H6l4rI3wuGOitu8UdH_-Uk5iJAIy8e4dhGrnFxzReGlbsRTc4JyjcoLAzWFu7s6al9ptlVP64fEm64cdMRgl2RanDPN5dtY5yZZ6eLKa9BrZW-Up/s640/blogger-image--1797408927.jpg"></a></td></tr>
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I finally got a Pinterest project completed that had been on my to-do
list since before Caroline was born. It's a piece of wood with vinyl
markings bought off of Etsy and then my FIL hung it in the hallway to
mark Caroline's height.</div>
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The big project this year was to turn our dead patch of "grass" between the garage and our walkway into a patio. I love the way the flagstone and pea gravel turned out. We have some rocking chairs on the way so that we can sit out and watch the neighborhood and hopefully get to know our neighbors a little better!</div>
<div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGf-1AbJN1hwWwUlt-L-6XPmdkMafwC0ZRBQDh3244tO3KxWx2jynKcOngFrcl6ZDgDWS9iZE4NRqLp3ODbNkvA1qXaN9-F_HpYSI0sW2uglgu6XYLvNbwyrAau4xYNHWbw7Fba4dasSk7/s640/blogger-image--58626208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGf-1AbJN1hwWwUlt-L-6XPmdkMafwC0ZRBQDh3244tO3KxWx2jynKcOngFrcl6ZDgDWS9iZE4NRqLp3ODbNkvA1qXaN9-F_HpYSI0sW2uglgu6XYLvNbwyrAau4xYNHWbw7Fba4dasSk7/s640/blogger-image--58626208.jpg"></a></div><br>
It's not grand but it needed to be done, we got the diaper sprayer attached to the toilet in Caroline's bathroom. I tried installing it myself but the water shut off valve for her toilet wasn't working so we had to wait for the FIL to fix the valve. I'm thankful to have that taken care of now that Caroline is eating solids!<br>
<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqJCAZZBEwvJbRlCNCcz8svudCaEgv_li9wGNf6B1ePPDhROmt57WqcrAYvJS3nZbQtJqtds72ZMH-yCMVxM2A4MnYblP77r2QOdtvnE_cwLOXRY3OrYbwj53UhRJO20-_LWGXtaTuOcV/s640/blogger-image-1694533786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqJCAZZBEwvJbRlCNCcz8svudCaEgv_li9wGNf6B1ePPDhROmt57WqcrAYvJS3nZbQtJqtds72ZMH-yCMVxM2A4MnYblP77r2QOdtvnE_cwLOXRY3OrYbwj53UhRJO20-_LWGXtaTuOcV/s640/blogger-image-1694533786.jpg"></a></div><br>
Another project that turned out even better than I had imagined was our garage shelving. I wanted a unified look that maximized the space in our garage and I could not be happier. We did wall mounted shelves that are just tall enough to fit a standard Rubbermaid tote. We now have more than enough shelving and lots more room for our bikes and stroller. I wish I'd take a before picture to show you how much cleaner the garage looks!<br>
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Another not-so-glamorous project was the re-caulking of all the windows on the exterior of the house and repainting the trim around the garage door and the back porch pillars.<br>
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We also got our garage door fixed, it was super loud because a part was on the verge of breaking, we got a new part and now have a super quiet garage door!<br>
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Things were moving along so quickly that I was able to add another Pinterest project to the mix, this time we mounted double curtain rods to make fabric book slings. I still need to make the fabric part, I need to make a trip to the fabric store and borrow a sewing machine so for now the rods are acting as blanket hangers which are actually a nice way to display all of Caroline's handmade blankets.<br>
<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-gimL55R17gKQXG7L7aX5CLSnqFIueBkBLlL26pmCg-rD-WTDj0ZjIYv534mTkuK_5Us4CfWLvm0Amo5jGeWBkjJ98r6gEHkOpb0ST8y5rsxEN5DC2rxlvv2gHeJra51FmJa8-zNAxg7/s640/blogger-image--2013044088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-gimL55R17gKQXG7L7aX5CLSnqFIueBkBLlL26pmCg-rD-WTDj0ZjIYv534mTkuK_5Us4CfWLvm0Amo5jGeWBkjJ98r6gEHkOpb0ST8y5rsxEN5DC2rxlvv2gHeJra51FmJa8-zNAxg7/s640/blogger-image--2013044088.jpg"></a></div><br>
Lastly, I have this thing about seeing bare light bulbs. I absolutely hate it! I even had our bathroom fixtures installed upside down so that I wouldn't have to see the bulbs. Well, the ceiling fans in our bedrooms all had standard three light fixtures where the bulbs showed and I felt blinded every time I turned them on. Apparently they make light kits for ceiling fans, who knew? My FIL was able to install the new light fixtures without us needing to replace the entire fan. They look so much better and nicer!<br><br>
Overall I'd say it's been a productive trip! I'm already thinking about a list for next year!Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-8680698305721739872014-02-02T18:58:00.001-08:002014-02-03T13:40:16.860-08:00Making Baby Food!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4EnwPwiW7zWgcBEMGtes-Du18qKGQY_BfPQQRu_8t_-R8XrvUjmh6yzlrdY-9QnJ5_kCWAkTGlYvYsSSYaxhnxONKGAoK-i8LDXhW9Mdl8w0teHZjtDjNpQNKRL3Hdy3PFoI9O8VckMn/s640/blogger-image--285192026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4EnwPwiW7zWgcBEMGtes-Du18qKGQY_BfPQQRu_8t_-R8XrvUjmh6yzlrdY-9QnJ5_kCWAkTGlYvYsSSYaxhnxONKGAoK-i8LDXhW9Mdl8w0teHZjtDjNpQNKRL3Hdy3PFoI9O8VckMn/s640/blogger-image--285192026.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>I decided before I had a baby that I would make all of my own baby food. I had visions of steaming veggies and then pureeing them in my Magic Bullet, freezing them in little containers and having a baby that opened wide and ate all of those purees. Well, I did steam veggies and put them in cute little containers but my baby never really took to eating them. At best she would eat about half an ounce of avocado, she never took to sweet potato, butternut squash, banana, peach, or sweet peas. So sad! We have all of these baby spoons but our baby wants nothing to do with them.<br>
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So, what are you to do when your baby has no teeth but doesn't want mushy food? You start looking for real food that you can give her that doesn't scare the bejeebus out of your husband who worries that she is going to choke on everything! We started with banana which seemed a natural choice. I was eating one for breakfast and held it up to her and she gnawed on it a bit so I broke off a large chunk and she chewed it until it turned into a slimy mess. Next we tried hard boiled egg yolk, she put a little in her mouth but mostly just smooshed it in her hands. At a restaurant we got a baked sweet potato and I scooped some out and put it on the table in front of her and she put fist fulls into her mouth. We've given her green beans and she gnaws on them a bit. Our most successful attempt has been with freeze dried fruit. She doesn't really eat them but she does sort of suck on them until they are completely mushy and then pushes them out of her mouth.<br>
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At this point she isn't actually eating more than one or two bites at a feeding but she's getting lots of practice at feeding herself. We will keep trying and hopefully in the next few months she'll get the hang of swallowing her food and not just spitting it out :)Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-91359737725220303102014-01-31T14:54:00.001-08:002014-02-06T18:46:26.005-08:00When the Rock Company Makes a Miscalculation<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One of our projects while my Father-in-Law was here was to replace our dead "lawn" in the front with a patio. When we were looking to buy a house a front porch was high on our list of things we wanted in a new house but then we found our house and decided that it was too good of an opportunity to pass up since it was in the perfect location and in our price range so we went for it and we have not been disappointed! However it was time to make our home closer to our dream home by adding a patio on the front where we can put out our rocking chairs and watch the neighborhood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">To get the project started we checked out some rock from a local rock place and then took some measurements and went to place the order. I had calculated the amount I thought we needed but somehow the rock company's calculations were about double my calculations! When the truck arrived we knew we needed to find more projects for all of the rock! Here's what we did, and when I say "we" I mean my father-in-law with help from the husband.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVC9UOoJNrLES9i19b-muSpvT0A4WRJ0I-eRZqira3Hs2DMsBixzIbQBKv3YeV0_eB8dv-701T-8iOsz_mM1-FdSK5OhvSrsj3DrTbIjEhKnHMk4PKFXx_n-LNZVHa456dQXK5niK-XuAy/s640/blogger-image-415389121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVC9UOoJNrLES9i19b-muSpvT0A4WRJ0I-eRZqira3Hs2DMsBixzIbQBKv3YeV0_eB8dv-701T-8iOsz_mM1-FdSK5OhvSrsj3DrTbIjEhKnHMk4PKFXx_n-LNZVHa456dQXK5niK-XuAy/s640/blogger-image-415389121.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Rock delivery on a cold Monday. Lots of oea gravel and over a ton of flagstone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFS_bKFjkxDItv19y8PUTIlU2hwDv0ahns_UKZwFzgC3xBey7rutVGUOW4ZayV4cjG7nPAhscii9z95FsoVToNeDKfkYXINBEhrGMblCgQj-9lMKZItY-7XTWRLRauXIa81M0-eHyydLP/s640/blogger-image--2065282422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFS_bKFjkxDItv19y8PUTIlU2hwDv0ahns_UKZwFzgC3xBey7rutVGUOW4ZayV4cjG7nPAhscii9z95FsoVToNeDKfkYXINBEhrGMblCgQj-9lMKZItY-7XTWRLRauXIa81M0-eHyydLP/s640/blogger-image--2065282422.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Pea gravel along the side of the house or "drip line", we don't have gutters so this is where a trench was forming and grass wasn't growing well.</div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIuDWn0la5JnK6dL27UKn9REsBEDZAX1zCsEfa5_OkgWgwQRU0hJEqh3AXq8wmmIfyGSJ2Kf3omYG4U8kHgRnIK-jlAaMV876t2y7EhhdZ7nqeZjyCM_7WAzBEEkYUjVVRrw-45kIiTsE/s640/blogger-image-1815635741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIuDWn0la5JnK6dL27UKn9REsBEDZAX1zCsEfa5_OkgWgwQRU0hJEqh3AXq8wmmIfyGSJ2Kf3omYG4U8kHgRnIK-jlAaMV876t2y7EhhdZ7nqeZjyCM_7WAzBEEkYUjVVRrw-45kIiTsE/s640/blogger-image-1815635741.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The other side. I originally wanted to put river rock here but now we don't have to! It's really deep over here, we have lots of rock!</div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vxMqdyRLX_jrs1ihGfBopyg9JKEQwzrc0fm-mUNUrWd2Hl_XNcX0GEG_5YaEbewe0PXzummhmpsZaRWRxew5F9VLns23i7yhEQeQ2oc_4JjdSeelMZ2gSVUBKzkS4FQZUVLQRTI5WXIV/s640/blogger-image-1589305998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vxMqdyRLX_jrs1ihGfBopyg9JKEQwzrc0fm-mUNUrWd2Hl_XNcX0GEG_5YaEbewe0PXzummhmpsZaRWRxew5F9VLns23i7yhEQeQ2oc_4JjdSeelMZ2gSVUBKzkS4FQZUVLQRTI5WXIV/s640/blogger-image-1589305998.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Flagstones put in to hold back the gravel</div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxJmhou16_QFv2kdFoOWC0eBeMRp0Tmoq20lS4MjzHkuiIWdEt2f54DvkuscQYBwGL6PeMxB4Wx3v6XHnEW9z-S1oIUX4WAV37NyaWgDemoArRAkPGs0WNdeeFkTs76pZ6yLOf_8GoXfo/s640/blogger-image--1395345541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxJmhou16_QFv2kdFoOWC0eBeMRp0Tmoq20lS4MjzHkuiIWdEt2f54DvkuscQYBwGL6PeMxB4Wx3v6XHnEW9z-S1oIUX4WAV37NyaWgDemoArRAkPGs0WNdeeFkTs76pZ6yLOf_8GoXfo/s640/blogger-image--1395345541.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Flagstone around a bed to hold the mulch in</div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqgGmdYacPBJVKp0DOoWGFkEawDJdOLETEq5aYtMeG3j2sGhsII3hagdSljiGdlAtleCvmPs44s7ZrjJeFQVqSdSkS2FnZRx5l5ZDaR49lWlHU761OOFx3ADQzlXOuBovRDwqybgS3xUo/s640/blogger-image--2040548139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqgGmdYacPBJVKp0DOoWGFkEawDJdOLETEq5aYtMeG3j2sGhsII3hagdSljiGdlAtleCvmPs44s7ZrjJeFQVqSdSkS2FnZRx5l5ZDaR49lWlHU761OOFx3ADQzlXOuBovRDwqybgS3xUo/s640/blogger-image--2040548139.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Finished side with a double layer of flagstone </div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6_AV1_U9lRfAwONBIc0g4ev0WsMXvBUMppVy6EEQ5RAgXJUTrTX3pVuT5VKZ8dgDfXO_4XOqqqrOZVCAPqta4HEpyZD_l5DpJIIfscskZW0Oz19x2wsHuew4MKnf09BYl7Ajb6JfBqmM/s640/blogger-image-1030286781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6_AV1_U9lRfAwONBIc0g4ev0WsMXvBUMppVy6EEQ5RAgXJUTrTX3pVuT5VKZ8dgDfXO_4XOqqqrOZVCAPqta4HEpyZD_l5DpJIIfscskZW0Oz19x2wsHuew4MKnf09BYl7Ajb6JfBqmM/s640/blogger-image-1030286781.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There is more gravel and flagstone on the other side of this fence. Eventually we plan to phase out the grass in the front yard since it's mostly crab grass or dirt where the big tree shades the yard. We are working on a plan that we can hopefully execute next year. We also have plans for a new fence at least along the front of the house!</div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_ekLFqe9WNsxh0zTkHLzcfjPY_ma0l9lKIUgaM1Vt_1D2FU7tPOPbwYPxHECYKDrSWl86KwDaK21cki2TEM8R3sUNRGCftacag61IzKOzz3_kMLOVpuCoTvauP2s1ugTgNXcCl6j79kw/s640/blogger-image-1888958472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_ekLFqe9WNsxh0zTkHLzcfjPY_ma0l9lKIUgaM1Vt_1D2FU7tPOPbwYPxHECYKDrSWl86KwDaK21cki2TEM8R3sUNRGCftacag61IzKOzz3_kMLOVpuCoTvauP2s1ugTgNXcCl6j79kw/s640/blogger-image-1888958472.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The patio that we set out to achieve. I love it! We just got our rocking chairs in the mail yesterday and we have a little outdoor table to go out there as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001447439120260116.post-42678439595230314312013-12-31T07:38:00.001-08:002014-01-03T08:43:28.774-08:00What I Thought I KnewI've been around babies a lot, I have younger cousins and second cousins that my mom used to help care for during the day and I did my fair share of babysitting throughout middle school, high school, college and even in graduate school. I spent a summer as a nanny and I even have four nephews. I'm also an information junkie so long before we were planning to start a family I was subscribed to baby and pregnancy blogs. All of this is to say that I really thought that I knew what I was getting into. I knew that it was going to be hard and that there would be little sleep. <div><br></div><div>As it turns out, the things that I thought would be the most challenging really aren't and the things I thought would be easy have actually been incredibly difficult! Here are some of the things that have been different from what I expected:</div><div><br></div><div>Sleep - I thought it would nearly kill me not to get a solid 9 hours of sleep every night. In college the curfew never bothered me because I was always in bed by then anyway. Turns out, I'm doing pretty well with the sleep thing! Sure, I'd love to sleep in but my husband helps out in the morning and it's gotten much easier to fall back to sleep.</div><div><br></div><div>Breastfeeding - I was prepared for the worst here and hoping for the best! Fortunately after a slow start my milk came in with a vengeance and Caroline latched on like a champ. We are at 6 months and she continues to thrive on my milk. It's pretty cool and quite amazing!</div><div><br></div><div>Bottle/pacifier - I thought getting a baby to take these would be easy, and at first it was. Then Caroline started to scream anytime someone tried to give her a bottle or put a pacifier in her mouth. We keep trying but so far she just chews on the bottle. Daycare should be an adventure.</div><div><br></div><div>Travel - I thought the flying part of travel would be the challenge but it turns out babies don't recognize time zones! Babies also love routine which makes travel a challenge. When planning travel I think about how long we will be gone and the time of day we travel much more but other than that we are still keeping a pretty active travel schedule!</div><div><br></div><div>Naps - I didn't realize how strong my desire to hold my sleeping baby would be! Even still as we are working hard to get her sleeping in her crib I still want to rock her and hold her. I just love snuggling her! I thought I would crave that hour to myself and set her down and walk away but the truth is that I miss her when she's not right there with me, crazy but true!</div><div><br></div><div>Work - I love me career and I spent a long time and a lot of money to get where I am. As much as I'm a fan of knowledge for knowledge sake I love using my education and sharing it with my students. That's why I figured that I would be eager to go back to work and never really considered staying home and not working. I still love my job and enjoy going to class but I equally love being at home. The day I got to bring Caroline to class with me was the best, I got to be with her and my students at the same time which was awesome!</div><div><br></div><div>Daycare - I wasn't thrilled about daycare but knew that it would have to be a part of our plan. What I didn't know was how difficult it would be to get in and how much I would be willing to pay to have someone come to my house instead!</div><div><br></div><div>I'm sure there are more things that I was a know-it-all about before having a baby and I'm sure my thoughts will continue to evolve as my baby grows and changes.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvh8NTFEjLdMjCU_hgiMvVqu2rHU0A6ffwpXNxZYmNAOlVspKUUWJ7L1BAQObFuXX4dFU0wnSKZWVcv4NtRrAugx9mAb9fjyIgjLOB89__vBag6R98cWMt6dJv-JYnDPYHxexCr0xFILW9/s640/blogger-image-1538672857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvh8NTFEjLdMjCU_hgiMvVqu2rHU0A6ffwpXNxZYmNAOlVspKUUWJ7L1BAQObFuXX4dFU0wnSKZWVcv4NtRrAugx9mAb9fjyIgjLOB89__vBag6R98cWMt6dJv-JYnDPYHxexCr0xFILW9/s640/blogger-image-1538672857.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568535013856840790noreply@blogger.com0