Is my kitchen floor supposed to look like that?

The renovations continue, six months since we broke ground and still going strong. If someone had told me early summer that the house wouldn't be finished by Thanksgiving week, I never would have believed them. We are getting so close though. I will be so happy when I can wake up and know I can relax; that my house won't be full of people hammering, nailing, and sawing; that I won't have to get the kids out for damage control. Things are really shaping up- the master bathroom was finished this evening, and it is gorgeous if I may say so. It looks even more amazing than I ever envisioned that it would.
Our kitchen will be transformed this week- new cabinets, new countertops. Another wall came down this week, and Mike and his dad removed everything down to the sub floor in preparation for tile to be installed. I can't wait to post pictures when it is all done. (really though, I just can't wait for it to be ALL DONE....)

napster.

donkey balls (inspired by beth and Dov C.)

What in the hell is this bull? Please don't tell me you people are loving this. Mineral washed jeans from American Apparel?!? It looks like what was popular when I was in the sixth grade, and subsequently what I wore. I was in love with my high wasted, tapered leg jeans, slouchy suede boots and denim jacket. I kept pins on the 'lapel' of my jacket. I insisted on sleeping in it. Cassie and I loved to make our moms take us to Foxmore's at the mall so they could buy us super fancy "brooches." We wore some really hideous crap back then. Painting wooden crap while wearing acid washed bubble skirts and whatnot (we liked to craft some ugly "country craft"-y poo. remember, this was 20 years ago. Hearts, sheep, ducks. cringe. The crafting was usually followed by Cassie correographing some intricate MC hammer dance for us to "perform" in her mauve bedroom. I'll tell you some other time about the 'booger wall'. Anyhow- I digress). But this just blows my mind, these acid washed jeans in '08. Do you guys remember how there used to be actual grit in the pockets of acid washed clothes, from the mineral wash process. I wonder if the American Apparel jeans come with the grit. Are you people buying this? Are 'hipster' nerds in nyc and at cobrasnake parties wearing this?

little owl.

annie, wearing henry's old owl hat. those chubby cheeks. those eyelashes. those lips. sighhh. (forgive me for gushing)

cabbie

Colic update-
I'm probably jinxing myself here, but- Annie hasn't cried uncontrollably late at night for the past three nights. Knock on wood it will continue this way. (post note- I must have jinxed myself. I started writing this yesterday afternoon and didn't finish it. And she did cry her head off last night....). There is a slight catch though- I have to hold her in my lap and basically keep her at my boobs from 8pm until 9am the next morning. And really, that is becoming a 24 hour thing. I sleep in the chair holding her, and then when I wake up I carry her around in the sling (I'll post at a later time about the New Native Carrier- so indispensable!). Some people might say it is my fault, because I am spoiling her, and setting a precedent... but whatever. She is just one of those "high needs babies." I also really don't believe you can spoil an infant. I think they should be held and loved as much as is humanly possible. I think she is having a growth spurt, which would explain her wanting to eat every hour. I've heard this referred to as "frequency days." It is wearing me out, but I feel like it is so worth it, that I wouldn't give it up for anything (the breastfeeding that is). So human pacifier I am momentarily...

Mike says that he thinks she looks like a grumpy old cab driver. When he gets home from work he asks her if she had any good fares that day. Not very nice.

lovely and amazing

I have struggled to update here lately- my fatigue has limited my brain's ability to... to... um, what was I saying? Chasing after a two year old and taking care of an infant has left little time to do much else except for those two things. Not to mention the construction that continues on our house. As I am typing there are people knocking down drywall, electricians drilling holes, and our tile guys cutting tile with a wet saw. Throw two kids in and a barking chihuahua. It is loud and raucous. Hopefully it will all be wrapped up by christmas. Perhaps then we can all breathe again. Mike keeps saying that we will laugh about all of this one day. hmmmm.

Annie is lovely and amazing. Despite the "colic" she seems to have developed. The first couple of weeks she was so sweet and docile, and never cried. By the third week she began what we referred to as her "witching hour" during which she would cry off and on inconsolably. This witching hour has extended to lasting three hours a night, at the least, and the crying has turned into shrill screaming. Henry was not always the easiest baby, but he never cried like this. Nobody can quite explain what 'colic' is, and everyone seems to have their own theory; but whatever it is, Annie fits the description to a 't'. Mike and I just sort of hand her back and forth, trying all combinations of swaddling, noise machine, rocking, loud shooshing, bouncing, swinging. Does anyone have experience dealing with this? The worst part of it is is that it happens between 9ishpm through 12:30 am. And then I still have to feed her every two and one half hours through the night. We are both so sleepy we walk around like zombies during the day. If any one has any colic tips we would so appreciate it. I told Mike- "don't worry, love. we'll laugh about this one day."

yes we can, yes we did!!

(my view of Obama at a rally on February 10th 2008)

I am so moved by this amazing moment in time. My heart swells with emotion and leaves me speechless.