Party Time

Last night we went to celebrate with our friend Jon who turned 30. Dad lead his flippy cup team to victory while Hilding watched baby V. Hilding is in town for the week - the last time we'll see him before he ships out to Iraq for the second time;(

Tutu

I picked this up in Seattle at a little shop near Pike's market. So sweet. I let Veda play with this while I took a shower. When I came out the tag on the tutu was half gone - she had eaten it - ha ha - I guess we are at THAT stage now;)

Weekend update

Todd put up the posts yesterday so now it's my turn to recap the weekend. I went out with the girls in Pasadena on Saturday night. Sunday night Todd and I went to the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and had dinner at Fabio's resturant Cafe Firenze. The movie was bad bad bad - I kept leaning over during the film to apologize for making him go with me. The resturant was much bigger and busier than we had expected. The food was great - traditional Italian - we didn't see Fabio unfortunately. Andrea - I grabbed you a menu. Thank you to my beautiful neighbors for watching Veda while we had our big date.

Today Veda went to her first Birthday party. She even wore her Thomas the Train party hat;) Tomorrow morning I take off for Seattle for work. Veda will have her first night alone with Dad and our neighbor is watching her during the day (her name is also Kathy). Todd asked me tonight if Kathy has a key to the house. I said she would get it when she came over tomorrow. He suggested that I give it to her now - just in case he forgot about Veda and just got up and went to work in the morning. I'm sure he was joking;) Right?!

Piggy back rides from Dad

Shoulder rides are fun, but pulling Dad's hair is way more fun. By the way, dad has a really big head....

Too Tired to Eat

Freezing Ice Balls...

Freezing ice balls falling from the sky today...they call it hail back in Iowa, but not sure they have a name out here, so freezing ice balls it is. Not too often that you get palm trees and freezing ice balls.

Fashion Show

So dad was at Fashion Week in NY last week, so Veda had to put on a little show of her own. Note that the last picture of Veda with her "hat" is actually her pants on her head. Quite the fashionable accessory.

Cupid's photo shoot

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE! XO - SWEET VEDA

Chunky Monkey

Valentines Date

Todd and I are huge fans of Top Chef. Fabio - our favorite contestant, has made it to the top four! His resturant also happens to be near where we live. I've made reservations for the two of us for Sunday night - Todd doesn't know this yet and I'm guessing he won't read the blog before then so it will still be a surprise;)

Fashion Week

Todd left for NYC this morning to attend Fashion Week. Sebastian is sponsoring four of the shows including Charlotte Ronson (pic above with LLo who is sure to be in attandance). People ask me if I'm jealous and the answer is yes - of course I am. Just as I was jealous when Sebastian sponsored the movie Hairspray and Todd got to walk the red carpet at the premier. Although I can not think of anything more horrifying than trying to find something to wear to the Mecca of fashion. We slept through his alarm and he woke at 5 and still made a 6:30am flight out of LAX - amazing - I laid awake for an hour worrying about him getting there alive - I know how fast he had to have driven to make the flight!

Be a rockstar...

A little shout out for my friend Janice... everyone has heard of Bagolitas... anyone want to sell them.? They are looking for consultants. Do you recognize me in the ad;)? If you don't want to sell them you should at least have one... www.bagolitas.com!

Bad Habit

I'm not sure if this was a good idea but we last weekend we went to the cable office and got a second DVR for the bedroom. We never spend anytime upstairs and we thought having one up there might lead us to spend more time cleaning our closets, filing papers, and all the other random things you do that you can't do when you're glued to your tv in your living room. I find it a bit depressing that we watch so much tv. It has me thinking about how I will handle this with Veda when she's older. How will I tell her she can't watch tv when her dad does? Will this be the first "because I said so"? To top it off - I called to add a phone line to our cable package today and the lady gave us a bunch of new free channels. The last thing we need!

Here's Veda in her new bumbo with green beans on her face - gift from her cousin Savannah who grew out of it (the bumbo not the beans).

Ventura County Wine and Cheese Festival

I've recently been invited to volunteer for the Ventura County Wine and Cheese Festival (http://www.cpwineandcheesefestival.com/) that will be held just miles from our home at the Cal State Channel Islands campus. I'm so excited. This is exactly what I've been missing from my life in California - community, volunteer work, and networking. The festival procedes benefit Casa Pacifica (http://www.casapacifica.org/) - a home for abused and neglected children (also located a few miles from our home). I've passed this shelter many times on the way to the beach and often thought that it might be a bed and breakfast or some type of retreat. I'm warmed to know that good deeds are being done so close to our home and that children in serious need are getting the love they deserve.

If you live in So Cal you should plan to come to the festival and support a great cause (or fly in from wherever you roam and spend the weekend with us)! If you want to help me out you can donate something for the silent auction! Anything helps - we will be bundling baskets of goodies together if we need to. We are also looking for baskets and containers.

Mold, Mildew, and Grime oh my!

So ever since Todd and I moved in together out here in California I have noticed that our towels smell like mildew. I figured it was because Todd soaks the towels when he dries off getting out of the shower. So I've been complaining to him about how to hang his towels so that they will dry more completely. Yesterday I approached the Internet in hopes of finding a remedy for our smelly towel problem. Turns out -it's our washer.

Google returned so many links for frontload washers and mildew that it had me immediately freaked out. Apparently mildew and mold form in and under the rubber seal in the washers. Towels are dense so they tend to absorb the mildew and don't often completely dry when put in a regular dry cycle so the mildew grows!

So I went to take a look at our washer and was disgusted by what I found! It took me two hours to clean it! This is a pic of the finished product - I wish I had though to take a photo of it beforehand. A lesson to all of you with frontload washers. I washed all of our towels in a cycle of venegar followed by OxyClean and they are as good as new now. Now I have to rewash everything else in the house!

Stuffed Capybara?

So Veda got a stuffed Capybara for Xmas from her Uncle Ryan (small ears, tiny feet, huge nose). Apparently they are all the rage in Japan.

You're probably wondering what a Capybara is (as we were)...its actually the world's largest rodent and probably one of the ugliest living animals I have ever seen...but, it's super soft and Veda loves chewing on him...

p.s. they also come in a life size "huggable" version if anyone is interested : )

Baby Cabana

We took advantage of the VERY nice weather the other day. I sat outside while studying for my insurance license exam and V played happily in her play yard (a gift from my aunt Di;). It's a rainy day today - we don't get many of those!

Recession

So many times during the day I feel heartbroken for all the people that are struggling right now to get on. I don't take it for granted that I have a home, a great job, and don't have to worry about how I'm going to feed my kids. I'm trying to follow all the details related to the bailout plan but it is all just a bit confusing to me. They just approved a $15k tax break for homebuyers in order to stimulate home purchases. If the people who are losing their jobs are the ones that need help paying for their homes - how does this help them - other than giving an extra incentive to the home buyers (clearly those that have jobs) who are purchasing homes that are in foreclosure? Anyway - I sure hope these politicians know what they're doing. I found out today that a family member has been let go due to cut-offs as a result of the recession. It has hit home and I am sad.

On a lighter note, Veda's "system" is back in order after a second day yesterday of dealing with the side effects of prunes;)

Prunes

Yes prunes. I want to talk about prunes. Little Veda has been a bit "stuffed up" lately due to the increase in formula intake and the introduction of solid foods. So I fed her an entire serving of prunes for breaskfast yeasterday. Let's just say this is the seventh outfit she wore yesterday and there were a few that followed. It was coming out both ends but she didn't seem to mind - I think she liked all the attention and watching me run around trying to clean up after her. Bottom line - prunes work;)

For the 4th morning in a row Veda has gotten up at 5 am! Ughhhhhh. She falls back to sleep in spurts but for the most part one of us has been up at 5 am. She's been such a miracle sleeper and now I really appreciate it. She also has been waking up at random times throughout the night - crying for about 15 seconds and then just falling back to sleep - wierd.

Touchdown

Veda was an unofficial Steelers fan for the day. Steve let her borrow his Terrible Towel and he also made sure we had our 3D glasses for the Monsters vs. Aliens commercial. I could hardly handle three minutes of 3D let alone 2 hours - made me dizzy. Veda liked it though.

Superbowl Sunday Funday

Veda has reverted back to being a super cuddler. She went through a phase where she didn't want to be held. I think she realized how warm and cozy it can be while sleeping on my chest on the airplane. We are loving every second of it. She woke up at 5 this morning - still on Iowa time - Ughhh! But went right back to sleep on Dad's chest until 7:30. Of course she did go to bed at 7:30 last night too. We couldn't keep her up any later no matter how hard we tried.

Top Chef

I know I know. It's been almost a week since I've blogged. Veda and I returned from Iowa yesterday and well, I've just been too busy - and tired. We were up early this morning as Veda is still on Iowa time and thinks that 6 is the new 8. We ended up turning on cartoons and putting her on the floor at the end of our bed while we went back to sleep. I almost let lazy Saturday get by without another entry but Todd provided me with some content. We went to the farmer's market in Calabasas this morning to pick up some fresh produce to make Veda baby food. We picked up butternut squash, carrots, pears, avacados, and some other goodies for mom and dad. Here's Todd trying out our new handmixer. The homemade cooked carrots taste ten times better then the packaged Gerber baby food and the bonus is that we're saving $$ too;)

Merry Xmas again...

I'm travelling which means I'm having difficulty keeping up with my blogging responsibilities! I'm in KC and Veda is with Todd's parents in Clear Lake. Great Grandma U sent me a note this morning and said she talked to Veda on the phone - she was cooing and laughing and having a great time. I was just happy to hear she slept through the night and Gary and Diane weren't up all night;) Here's a pic of Veda with her new favorite stuffed animal - a penguin she got for xmas from her cousins Garrit and Rachel;) She likes to hold on to it's wings (is that what they're called)?

We had a hectic weekend in Iowa City getting all packed up to go our separate ways. My parents took turns with her on Sat night while they each took turns attending a neighborhood get together. All so I could go to a holiday party of my own. A group of my friends have been getting together for the last eight years to celebrate the holidays together. I haven't been able to attend the last two years because of geography. So I suprised the group on Sat and had a very good time reconnecting with old friends! Here's a pic of the group at dinner.

Last night after a dinner at my hotel I jumped in the car and drove 30 minutes to see our friends Joe and Heather in Olathe, KS. They have a 15 month old that we hadn't met so I was very happy to meet little Ryan. He's super cute and boy - seeing him made me miss sweet Veda!!!

Brrrr....

Veda and I are headed to the Midwest tomorrow. She is going to spend some time with her grandparents on both sides while I am in Kansas City at a conference and travelling in Iowa to meet with clients. I'm checking the weather and I've forgotten what it feels like to have temps less than freezing. What to pack? Hopefully Veda doesn't get cabin fever. She enjoys our daily walks outside around the neighborhood.

Right now she is laying on the floor watching cartoons. Yes - she is watching cartoons. Her eyes are glued to the TV and she is laughing. I knew I'd be watching Dora the Explorer some day but definately not this soon. (EC this is your fault I got her started on this;).

I don't have any fresh pics to share today so here's another one from our Arizona weekend... watching football.

Veda's report card...

This is Veda having a grand time at Dr. Kundell's office before her shots;) Hey - everyone wants to play with me - she kept grabbing for the stethoscope and cooing. I was armed with a bottle of breastmilk that I stuck in her mouth as soon as the shots were over - worked like a charm.

I asked the Dr. to check her right ear because she's been pulling on it. He said her ears look great and that she probably just figured out it was there and it amuses her. He said little boys play with their wee wees and little girls play with their ears - ah ha;)

She weighed in at 16.09 lbs. The nurse said that her tiara should be 17 inches in diameter - I thought that was cute. She is 90% height (26.25 inches), 80% head, and 70% weight.

Veda meets Lucas

While in Arizona this weekend we got together with my college roommate, her husband and 10 month old. We hadn't met Lucas yet - he is a super cutie. He was more interested in Veda than she was in him - but she also didn't notice the dogs sniffing her either. All she cared about was Lucas' exersaucer.

Sausage Fest

Sausage anyone? Todd and I gave Kel and Chris a Kitchen Aide Mixer for their wedding last year. Chris is from Wisconsin. Chris likes sausage - a lot. For Xmas we bought him the meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachements for the mixer. Todd and Chris spent all morning researching sausage recipies. They drove all over town to get the ingrediants for Garlic and Cheese, Sundried Tomato, and Spicy Jalapeno sausage. Most important, they had to get the casings from a specialty store - have you ever seen pig intestines? Doesn't really make me eager to eat one of these babies. The boys are pumped because the Cardinals won so let the fest begin.

Go Mom - Run Fast

Auntie Kel made Veda this cute little shirt as a suprise for me when I finished the Phoenix - rock 'n roll - half marathon this morning. It says - Go Mom - and Run Fast on the back. So cute. I'm exhausted with a capital E. I ran it in 2 hours and 14 minutes! Hooray! Now recovery time.

Road trip

We are riding along on our way to Arizona. I'm in the back seat computing, Todd is driving and Veda is napping. Friday afternoon + LA Highways = massive traffic. There are seven lanes on the particular stretch of the 210 that we are currently driving on and every lane is packed. We knew it would be bad but we figured it would be better to get to AZ tonight rather than waste half our day driving tomorrow. It's interesting how claustrophobic I feel driving on the Interstate when I'm back home in Iowa - two lanes just seems so restrictive.

Anyway - I don't have any good pics to post so here are some pictures I took of our living room the other day. Every time I walk accross the room I have to zig zag to avoid baby obstacles - they are everywhere. And now that our home is off the market I don't fell the need or desire to put everything away every day.

Does is come with batteries?

Another detail they don't outline in the parent handbook. You will need a never ending supply of batteries. Crib Mobile, monitor, play mat attachments, exersauser, toy drum, sing-a-long worm, carseat mirror, breastpump travel attachment, twilight ladybug, door jumper, bouncy seat... I'm sure I forgot a few. I can't believe how much I've spent on batteries! Good news is that my friend who works for Nestle hooked me up with half-priced Good Start formula - woo hoo!

Buddy's Dinner...

Pass the sun tanning oil...

It's 75 degrees in Camarillo right now - with an expected high of 79. If you haven't booked tickets to come visit us then I don't know what's wrong with you! I think Iowa was hit with a snow storm today - so sad. I have to tell you that I get it now - I get why people spend a ridiculous amount of money to live in California. It is 100% the weather.

I'm running a 1/2 marathon in Arizona next weekend. Ok - it's done - I said it. I didn't want to share this until I was sure I was going to go through with it. I've been traning hard and I'm ready to run and I'm excited! I wouldn't have been able to get in shape if it weren't for the great weather that allows me run with Veda in her jogging stroller.

I'm waiting for the pool water to warm up a bit and then I'll take Veda for her first swim - it's really more about showing off her cute swimsuits though - ha ha!

Here's a pic of Veda in her latest sleeping position. She loves her stomach!

Roosters in LA?

Yesterday we spent the day with our friends Christina & Jon (and their two new little twins - Alex and Jacob). Kathy and Christina spent the afternoon at the spa while Jon and I watched football, drank beer and ate wings...at least that was the plan. The boys + Veda had different plans for us. Needless to say, there was lots of crying and very little beer drinking. By the time Christina & Kathy got home, they were all smiles (because we had just fed them), so they assumed we had a very easy 3 hrs...After eating dinner, it had been a long day already, so we ended up crashing at their place for the night and trying to watch a movie (which most of us fell asleep about 5 min. into it).

This morning at about 5:00am we were awaken by a rooster. You heard it right. Our friends live in Los Angeles and their neighbors have a rooster in their back yard. They don't live on a farm, they don't live in the country, they live IN LA. Next time I'm bringing my BB gun...

Slippery little sucker...

Every time I take Veda out of her baby bath I'm reminded that Aunt Kelly once described a Dophin as feeling like a wet hot dog. I think Veda feels like a watermelon rolled in Oil. I'm terrified that she's going to slip out of my hands one of these days - especially as she gets heavier!

By the way - some of you were wondering about our formula dilemma. We solved it. I switched to Good Start and started her on two ounces at a time - followed by 4 ounces of breastmilk. She took it just fine so after a few days of that I switched to whole bottles. So now I just throw a bottle of formula in the mix when I'm not producing enough breastmilk to keep her satisfied;) My Aunt Diane sent me this great baby food cookbook and we will start making up our own carrots, apples, and avacados in just a couple of weeks - she's growing up so fast!

She's starting to sit up on her own too! Only for a little bit before she falls on her face;)

The tickets are booked!

Cross you fingers that the dollar grows stronger against the yen. We are headed to Japan in a couple months to see my brother and we would like to be able to buy you all gifts;) My parents are flying out to stay with Veda for the week as our Christmas present.

Glammer Girl...

See that white spot on her head? Well it's actually a very small piece of glitter - it just looks bigger in the photo. It has been stuck on her head for at least two weeks now. No matter how hard we scrub her head at bath time we can not get it off. Todd even scraped away part of her skin trying to remove it. I guess it's just meant to be - she's our shining star;) I know - I'm a dork.

Tastes like peaches and cream - yum.

Now that I've figured out how to load video - here's another funny one. I promise I won't overdo it though - I know you all don't have high speed;)

Football Sunday...

Veda was propped up in the corner of the couch this morning watching football with Dad...clearly the Dolphins vs. Ravens was not exciting enough for her (me neither...)

Dad leaves in 10 min for Scottsdale to go to the Fiesta Bowl on Monday...so mom and Veda are flying solo.