Quote Wednesday -- De Angelis

The journey in between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place. -- Barbara De Angelis

Top Ten Tuesday -- Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Spring TBR:

Sherlock Holmes story
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Locke and Key #6: Alpha and Omega
Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk
The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon

Winter TBR Recap: 8/10 red ain't bad! I think it's my best showing yet.

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest
Sandition by Jane Austen
Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein
In the Company of Secrets by Judith Miller
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Arthur: 5 Months (22 Weeks)

It's already been 5 months... Time has flown! We've had a ton of new developments this past week, but the biggest has been forward mobility. Yep, he's almost crawling! We are in so much trouble.

Likes: Our baby friends, the giant sock monkey, food of any kind, walks

Dislikes: Naps, playing by himself, waiting to eat

Sleeping: We've settled into a decent routine. He goes down at 7:30pm, sleeps until 4am, eats, then sleeps for another 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I can deal with this.

Eating: We're branching out with our variety of foods. We've cycled through prunes, pears, green beans, and sweet potatoes this week. He even tried a bit of scrambled egg and some baked oatmeal last night. He loved it! I'm hoping to transition him to more and more regular food and less purees within the month.

Playing: He finally figured out how to go forward. This has opened up his playing possibilities. He loves scooting around the blanket finding "new" toys. He especially loved the other babies' toys at our playdate yesterday. So much fun!

Medical Milestones:

Babies usually range from 23.5 inches long and 12.25 pounds (10th percentile) to 26.5 inches long and 17 pounds (90th percentile) -- Check! In fact, Arthur is over this range. I have a big baby!
Investigating sounds -- Check! Up until now, he hasn't cared about the train going by every few minutes. Now, if we're in the living room, he stops and looks out the window. He can't see the train from the living room, but he definitely knows it's there. He was super excited to see the trains going by when were at the cafe the other day.
Raking the floor to get at objects -- Check! He's moved beyond this and actually grabbing things.
Loving the mirror -- Check! One of his favorite toys.
Developing object permanence -- Check! He loves playing peek a boo.

Schedule:We're down to 2-3 naps a day. Usually the first one is around 9:00am. The second can be anywhere from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. It all depends on the day. Thankfully bedtime and wake-up time is fairly set.

Out and About:

Shoreline walks -- We're doing this twice a week now. The weather is so gorgeous. It's great to get out into the fresh air and get some exercise.
Lynn's house for co-op board meeting -- We got a ton of business done and the babies had fun playing with each other.
Corner bakery -- I met a few moms to plan out the upcoming Easter Party. We got through our business and even had a nice lunch (moms and babies).
Playdate at Mariposa Park -- We had a lovely playdate at the park. The moms put down picnic blankets and let the babies crawl around and explore. It was a great success! We can't wait until the next one we can attend.

Music Monday -- iPod Shuffle March

Two songs that work together and a complete odd ball for this week's shuffle. But I really do love all these songs.

OneRepublic "Burning Bridges" -- You can never go wrong with OneRepublic. This is just a fun fun.

Mumford and Sons "Lovers' Eyes" -- Love all from Mumford and Sons. This song is no exception.

Timbaland and Katy Perry "If We Ever Meet Again" -- Such a fun pop song.

Sunday Sunset #7

Caution: Photo heavy post ahead.

Book finished: The Iron Traitor; The Baker's Daughter; Time Enough for Love

Reading: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen; Tales of the Brothers Grimm

On the Nightstand: The Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim; The Zombie Whisperer by Jesse Petersen

Making Lists: Packing lists for traveling to Indiana, Book of Lists lists, crafting projects lists, blog posts to finish lists... lots and lots of lists to make

From the kitchen: A few new recipes this week... For the next week and a half I've got some great sounding ones ready to try (hello bleu cheese bacon mac and cheese!).

Balsamic Glaze Pork Roast -- This was absolutely amazing! I need need need to make this again. And it was so easy!
Fried Cabbage with Bacon and Onions -- Love this as either a side dish or a main course. This may become a go-to recipe.
Brown Sugar Dijon Steak -- So-so... The flavors were just a bit off. I imagine would would taste better with a thicker steak and cooked on grill. Maybe we'll try it again sometime.

Crafting:

PL Swaps (easter eggs, scraps, rainbow) -- I love the use of washi tape on the rainbow cards. For the scraps swap, I decided to make pocket cards with washi tape. And the easter egg cards made use of my SU Birds of Feather DSP.

Book of lists notebook -- Tons are people are participating in the 30 Days of Lists this March, but I just don't have the time or energy to commit to that. Instead, I thought I would create a notebook, decorate it, and then have various lists. The idea is to do a list a week (or so). I love putting my own spin on the project. I ran across this perfect little binder on clearance at Target the other day. I set about cutting cardstock and patterned paper down to the sizes I would need. When it comes time to make a list, I'll select a topic, pick a stamp set to decorate (and any embellishments), and cut a piece of white cardstock for the actual list. I love that it's ready to be used. I don't have to start from scratch every time!

PL W9-10 -- I finished these weeks yesterday. Check out my blog post here.
Punch Guide -- I also made a handy guide to all my punches using some random blank playing cards (from old teaching supplies). I got the idea from Pinterest and immediately put it on my to make board. This will definitely come in handy when I need to figure out the best punch to use or the relative sizes. No more digging through the drawer!
Stamp Guide -- Making my punch guide led me to want to create on for all my stamps. I have so many now (both loose and SU boxes) that I often forget what I have. I spend way too much time digging through all of them to get ideas. So, I decided to stamp all my stamps onto white cardstock to act as a handy guide. There are separate pages for Christmas, Holidays, Sentiments, Occasions, and Misc. I'm only partially done, but this is going to be great when I'm finished.

Watching: The usual currently airing shows. I finally caught up on The Daily Show after being three weeks behind constantly. Plus we've started some other new shows (Suits, Cosmos, The Voice).

Wondering: When will my new luggage be delivered? I'll need that soon seeing as my old suitcase (high school grad gift) ripped open sometime during the Christmas flight. Thankfully the tear wasn't bad enough to lose anything... it just means I can't use it again. I ordered a new 4-piece set from Amazon, but it's shipping from a weird place. No 2-day shipping for me.

Shopping Scores:

Steals.com box -- During steals.com's big archive sale, I ordered a mystery box. This is what came. I'd say that 70% of the box will be used by me. The paper stack is great. I love the alphabet stickers and small tags. The chipboards will get a lot of use. The jewels will probably get use, but I need to find the best adhesive for them. The ribbon isn't my style at all and I'm still trying to figure out the best way to use the watercolor products. Overall, a really good buy.

Kohl's -- I finally went shopping for some new clothes this past week. I was in desperate need of pants that fit but were comfortable. After nearly two hours of shopping and trying things on, I found a pair of pants and a pair of capris that work. They are lightweight and super comfortable. I also found two cute tops that I can wear now. Plus, I picked up two outfits for Arthur (couldn't resist). It was a good trip.
Target randomness -- I grabbed the 3x4 and 4x6 Dreamy sets by WRMK. I also found two containers that are the perfect size for holding greeting cards. The zebra print wasn't my first choice, but they work. And I found some great little stickers and embellishment pieces in the One Stop bins.

Peachy Cheap -- Another daily deal site I found a few weeks ago. This time I grabbed an entire set of enamel dots from Basic Grey. I couldn't wait to use them, hence the missing dots.

Birthday gifts -- This week I received the last of my birthday gifts from J's parents. I love the paper stacks and am super excited to use the PL theme packs. The Americana pack is even cuter in person.

PL Swap and Sale FB Group -- I've been a part this group for a few weeks now, but most of the items don't appeal to me. I had been marginally searching for the PL Kiwi set. Ever time it came up for sale, someone snatched it up right away. I finally caught a listing at the right time. I received my 1/3 of the kit yesterday. Love love love the cards I received! I also received my scrap swap back. I'd say that over half of these cards will be used. There's only a few that don't fit my style (looking at you cowboy card).

Stampin' Up order -- I ordered my March order early as I will not be in town for the monthly stamp club. We are doing a huge DSP share so I bought three packs to share. Plus one other member and I are buying two of the larger color collection DSPs to share so I bought the Regals. Lastly, I grabbed the 2012-2014 In color DSP as it was one sale. For my Saleabration item I grabbed the Petals stamp set. I've seen some great examples to copy.

Michaels -- Last week I grabbed the Baby Boy Mini Kit on clearance, some purple washi tape (how did I not have any purple?), and a cute little stamp set on sale. Today they were starting a huge paper crafting sale and bonus extra sale this afternoon. I had to take advantage of both sales. I was also looking to pick up some items for the mom's group Easter party next month. I managed to get most of the party items and some basics for me (white and black cardstock, trimmer blades).

Project: Somehow I agreed to help organize an Easter Party for our mom's group. The group is starting a babysitting co-op and we plan on having a quarterly social. The Easter Party will be our first big event. The original idea was just to get together and have an egg hunt, but babies aren't so great at the hunting. Instead, we are putting together baskets filled with baby-appropriate toys, shaker eggs to play with, and a few arts and crafts. Parents pay us back a set amount. We are also using the leftover money to make baskets for charity.I picked up a ton of the arts and crafts supplies today at Michaels. We are waiting a week to gauge our RSVP amount before we commit to buying the toys (we have to buy in dozen units). I hope everyone decides to come as we have some great plans! Overachiever that I am, I've already started on some of the items.

Exercising: The past two weeks I've walked Shoreline twice a week and kept up with my 200 squat challenge. Doing great! Now if only this weight would actually start to come off.

Picture: I had to put this one back on... I love his mischievous look.

Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein

Title: Time Enough for Love

Author: Robert Heinlein

Publisher: 1973

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 589

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Well-rounded Reader - Science Fiction; ebook; Lucky No. 14 - Chunkster; Chunkster Challenge

Lazarus Long is so in love with life that he simply refuses to die. Born in the early 1900s, he lives through multiple centuries. Time Enough for Love is his lovingly detailed account of his journey through a vast and magnificent timescape of centuries and worlds. Using the voice of Lazarus, Heinlein expounds his own philosophies, including his radical (for 1946) ideas on sexual freedom. His use of slang, technical jargon, sharp wit, and clever understatement lend this story a texture and authority that seems the very tone of things to come.

Recommended by J as it is one of his favorite books. I had previously read Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Have Spacesuit-Will Travel, and Starship Troopers. And while Heinlein isn't my favorite author, I have enjoyed most of his writings. J has been bugging me to read this one for almost two years.

And I can't say that I loved it. I think part of my problem was the conversational yet not conversational tone. I didn't always feel like Lazarus was speaking to me. The switching back and forth pulled me out of the stories. As to the characters, I really liked Lazarus. A very fun and interesting guy. The rest of the characters in the present day I could take or leave. There were more filler than true characters. The stories were interesting, but sometimes a little hard to follow with the deletions and edits. This is definitely a tome of Heinelin's personal philosophy more than a true novel. It was interesting, but not my favorite.

The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

Title: The Baker's Daughter

Author: Sarah McCoy

Publisher: Broadway Books 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 306

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Books -- W11; Women Authors; Library; Well Rounded Reader -- Historical Fiction

In 1945, Elsie Schmidt is a naive teenager, as eager for her first sip of champagne as she is for her first kiss. She and her family have been protected from the worst of the terror and desperation overtaking her country by a high-ranking Nazi who wishes to marry her. So when an escaped Jewish boy arrives on Elsie’s doorstep in the dead of night on Christmas Eve, Elsie understands that opening the door would put all she loves in danger.
Sixty years later, in El Paso, Texas, Reba Adams is trying to file a feel-good Christmas piece for the local magazine. Reba is perpetually on the run from memories of a turbulent childhood, but she’s been in El Paso long enough to get a full-time job and a fiancé, Riki Chavez. Riki, an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, finds comfort in strict rules and regulations, whereas Reba feels that lines are often blurred.
Reba’s latest assignment has brought her to the shop of an elderly baker across town. The interview should take a few hours at most, but the owner of Elsie’s German Bakery is no easy subject. Reba finds herself returning to the bakery again and again, anxious to find the heart of the story. For Elsie, Reba’s questions are a stinging reminder of darker times: her life in Germany during that last bleak year of WWII. And as Elsie, Reba, and Riki’s lives become more intertwined, all are forced to confront the uncomfortable truths of the past and seek out the courage to forgive.

This was March's book club selection. Apparently we have a thing for books (fiction or nonfiction) set in WWII. As far as I know, our pattern is completely unintentional... Weird!

As for the books, I liked it overall. When I go a bit deeper, I found that i really enjoyed the story set in the 1940s and the parts of the 2007-2008 story that involved Elsie. So I guess I really liked Elsie. Reba just didn't speak to me as a character. I kept thinking that her and Riki were wrong for each other and yet they still ended up together (pretty obvious from the set-up). I glad Reba decided to eventually just be herself, but all of her waffling and fakeness just got to me after awhile. On the flip side, Elsie was a great character. She had layers. She had great qualities, but also a few faults. I loved getting insider her mind as she dealt with the realities of Germany during WWII. I loved her relationship with her parents and especially her relationship with Tobias. I loved watching her grow throughout the years to eventually become the woman that Reba meets. A solid historical fiction story focusing on two (three if you count Jane) women growing.

Project Life 2014 -- Weeks 9 and 10

Week 9

Family Album:

This week I decided to change up my color scheme. I put away the Seafoam and Sunshine kits in favor of the Seasons Mini Kit. I took a look at all the cards for spring and choose the pink and yellow ones. I then added some great stickers from the My Mind's Eye giant embellishment pack for some flair. Lastly I rediscovered these cute gold rimmed tags. Love the inclusion!

As for the weekly events, Arthur started solids so I had to include a ton of pics and some journaling. I love the middle eating picture. He looks so proud of himself after eating the entire bowl of rice cereal. The right hand page is all about the Arthur's first official playdate. Lots of pictures from that event plus some nice journaling to remember the day. Lastly, I added "the weather today" insert to highlight our unusual (rainy and chilly) weather on playdate day.

Supplies:

PL Seasons Mini Kit
My Mind's Eye die cut and sticker pack
Random embellishments from Studio Calico kit

Arthur's Album:

Supplies:

PL Baby Neutral Kit

Week 10

Family Album:

I again turned to the Seasons Mini Kit for inserts. This time I used a variety of colors, designs, and sizes. I love the way the layout turned out! I added more of those gold tags, some alphabet stickers, a birthday sticker (for my birthday!), enamel dots, and a cute word bubble. This week's layout is busier than usual, but I'm loving it! I imagine that I will end up using the rest of the spring cards within the month.

This week was about a ton of candid shots of our family. I love the little moments I caught of Arthur being extra cute. I can't believe that this is my first naked baby butt shot! It was too cute to not include. I had to add a card for my 32nd birthday... Per usual, there was no party, but I did got out to eat twice this week (once with Pam and once with J).

Supplies:

PL Seasons Mini Kit
Enamel dots
Birthday stickers
Random Embellishments from Studio Calico Kit
Random Alphabet stickers

Arthur's Album:

I used one card from the Baby Boy mini kit I found on clearance at Michaels. Hoping to add more color in the coming weeks.

Supplies:

PL Baby Neutral Kit
PL Baby Boy Mini Kit

FF #9: Library Time

I have this fantasy of dressing like an artsy naughty librarian. This outfit plays that style just right. Not so naughty, but definitely artsy. I love the tassels on the shoes and the functional yet classic bag. Plus, that bag is a perfect size to haul some great books home! If only I had the body type to wear this cut of a dress (spoiler alert: curvy hips and straight dresses do not mix).

$51 - debenhams.com

modcloth.com

madewell.com

$12 - forevernew.com.au

Video Fun Time (Super-Sized Edition)

There were too many fun videos these past few weeks. I couldn't narrow it down to just 5... Plus, it's a Jimmy Fallon heavy video round-up. Enjoy!

Evolution of Hip-hop Dancing. Bonus points for including "The Carleton"

Ignition (Remix) -- hell yeah!

History of Rap 5

More Hashtags!

Love me some Paul Rudd!

Celebrity Photobomb

Who's watching this with me?

Loving learning about the universe lately -- "What is the universe made of?" Dennis Wildfogel

Quote Wednesday -- Adams

There are high spots in all of our lives, and most of them come about through encouragement from someone else. -- George Adams

Arthur: 21 Weeks

It's been a week of new discoveries (mobility) and trying times (sleep). Almost 5 months old and growing like a weed. He's already wearing 9-12 month clothing. And he's ahead on some of the developmental milestones. I just want him to stay a cuddly little baby a little while longer.

Likes: Classical music (especially Vivaldi and Bach), anything to chew on, mom, sweet potatoes

Dislikes: Dad (or as Arthur thinks of him as "Not the momma"), bedtime, not being able to chew paper

Sleeping: Well, we've been all over the place this week. Most nights he's easy to get to sleep. But then there are nights like Sunday when he proceeded to fuss and cry for three hours before finally falling asleep at 10 (bedtime is 7:30). Naps tend to be very hit or miss. I feel like he sleeps when he needs to (except for Sunday obviously), but I would really love a more consistent nap schedule.

Eating: This past week we branched out to sweet potatoes (which he loves!) and pears. I also introduced real mashed sweet potatoes along with the pureed stuff. I didn't know how he'd react to the texture, but he gobbled it right up. Pears were also a big hit. And he ate one of his vanilla puffs (like Cheerios). We will be attempting green beans and then apples next. My plan is to introduce the pureed either before or with the real mashed food. He still has some gagging issues with the thicker mashed textures of regular veggies, so I don't want to overwhelm him. But the sweet potatoes were a hit. I have high hopes for others. Lastly, I offered him some water in a sippy cup. He played with it for about 10 minutes intermittently attempting to drink it. We'll try again this week.

Playing: Lots of new toy discoveries this week. He's really latched onto the giant sock monkey and his wire ball (loves to fling it around the room). He's also discovered the fun of crinkling and then attempting to eat paper. Thank goodness it was just a completed grocery list. I've got to hide the regular books now.

Medical Milestones:

Consciously choosing toys -- Check! He definitely has his favorites and seek them out.
Imitating sounds -- Check! He loves making weird noises repeatedly. And he does love to imitate my noises.
Mimicking facial expressions -- Sorta check! He smiles when I smile, but that's about it.
Entertaining himself for short periods of time -- Check! He can do about 15 minutes before I have to get down and play with him. But it's a start!

Schedule:Once again, we are flying without a real schedule. He naps or he doesn't. He plays or he doesn't.

Out and About:

Shoreline -- We walked on Monday and Thursday this past week.
Dinner out with Auntie Pam -- She took me to a Korean food court for my birthday dinner. Arthur tagged along. He enjoyed watching all the other people and trying some shaved ice (just the plain ice part, not our crazy flavored dessert).
Dinner out with mom and dad -- J took me to get sushi for my birthday weekend. Arthur charmed all the waitresses while hindering my ability to eat sushi without dropping pieces all over my plate. Still, it was yummy and Arthur lasted through the entire dinner without imploding. I call that a success!
Target -- Random stop for some food items and house essentials

Music Monday -- The Fray "Love Don't Die"

I like The Fray. There's something about their music that makes me happy. This song is just infectious.

Lyrics:

If I know one thing, that's true It ain't what you say, it's what you do And you don't say much, yeah, that's true But I listen when you do

A thousand years go by But love don't die

If I know one thing, that's true It's that I'm never leaving you And you don't say much, yeah, that's true But I lose it when you do

Don't let them tell no lie Love don't die

No matter where we go Or even if we don't And even if they try They'll never take my body from your side Love don't die

If there is one thing, that's true It's not what I say, it's what I do And I say too much, yeah, that's true So just listen to what I do

A thousand years go by But love don't die

No matter where we go Or even if we don't And even if they try They'll never take my body from your side Love don't die

She can break it up She can burn it down You can box it in Bury it in the ground You can close it off And turn it away Try to keep it down, Six feet in the ground

But love don't die

No matter where we go Or even if we don't And even if they try They'll never take my body from your side Love don't die

No matter where we go Or even if we don't I’d like to watch them try They'll never take my body from your side Love don't die

FF #8: Birthday Fun

If I had a couple hundred dollars and about 30 less pounds, I would rock the shit out of this outfit. Oh yeah, and I should probably have somewhere to actually go. Hanging at home with a 4 1/2 month old doesn't scream party outfit. Of course I had to have a combination of black and purple (my favorite combo). And those shoes have just enough interest make them pop. The bag's not completely my style, but it looks nice with the outfit.

Ilary cotton shirt

yoox.com

VILA sequin blazer

$77 - vila.com

Blue skirt

bodycentral.com

Jerome C. Rousseau closed toe high heel shoes

shoescribe.com

Chanel purse

fashionphile.com

Head wrap headband

modcloth.com

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen 2013

Genre: YA Paranormal (Fey)

Pages: 342

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Seriously Series; 52 Books -- W10; Well-Rounded Reader -- YA/NA

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.
After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for—his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.
But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

Much better than the first one in this series. We actually get more of the underlying storyline and more characterization. I loved seeing how Ethan and Keirran evolved throughout the novel. I loved the appearances by Puck and Ash. I loved the concept of the almost final action sequence. I loved the set-up for the third books. I loved the journey Kagawa takes the reader on. The only thing I'm not crazy about: the cliffhanger ending. I figured that was how it was going to end, but reading the actual last page just threw me. I want more! I want to read how this all ends. I want to see where the characters go and how they resolve many of the conflicts. I want to see more of Keirran and Ethan and Kenzie and the Lady and Puck and Ash and even Razor (he really grew on me!).

The Iron Fey

One Year Ago

Sometimes Sweet started a journal day for every Thursday. I love the idea and find it easier to follow a prompt rather than think up my own. So, here we go:

Prompt #3: They say hindsight is 20/20, and with good reason- looking back at something always gives us a better view. We're often able to really see how our choices and decisions then shaped our today, and examine what we would have done differently given the chance. When looking back though, we often look way back, but for this exercise stay a little closer to present time and look back just 12 months. If you could go back just one year, what would you tell yourself? What advice would you offer about everything you've experienced?

One year ago I was pregnant with Arthur, but I hadn't really told people. This takes a bit of explanation. In summer 2012, I found out I was pregnant and promptly told everyone. I was so excited. And then in August, I had a miscarriage. It destroyed me for a few months. By Christmas 2012, I was ready both mentally and physically to try again. But I was still extremely scared and anxious what would happen. In January, I became pregnant and tentatively started to hope. As March began, I was still in a "wait and see" mode. I didn't want to get everyone's hopes up just to lose another baby. I wasn't even allowing myself to imagine what my future would look like and be like. I didn't want to become attached. And so I spent most of February and March pretending everything was okay when I was a wreck inside.

Obviously that pregnancy went smoothly and I now have a beautiful healthy baby boy. If I could tell myself one thing it would be to not worry so much. Things will work out. You don't always have to expect the worst. Sometimes things really do turn out great. It's hard for me to be optimistic. If I could, my life might be a little bit easier.

Thank Yous

Another round of thank yous for another round of time...

My new mom's group -- I found a group that I really click with. And I've found some great new friends. I hope we can create some long-lasting friendships.
My daily planner from Thyme is Honey -- I have finally found something that keeps my day organized and I can keep up with it. So easy!
Arthur -- Being his mom is such a joy. Most days he's easy. I am grateful for a relatively easy child.
Our Keurig -- Best Christmas present ever. I am grateful for my morning tea or coffee. Getting up at 6am daily is tough for a non-morning person like me.
The rain -- We desperately need rain here in California. It won't be enough to end the drought, but every little bit does help. Plus, I love falling asleep to the sound of rain.

Quote Wednesday -- Gandhi

To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer. -- Gandhi

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday. I am now 32 years old. And I have to say that my 30s is turning out to be a pretty great decade. Here's to another year full of adventures, trials, and celebrations.

Arthur: 20 Weeks

Last week was a week full of new experiences and exploration.

Likes: Cuddles with mom, playdates with other babies, exploring

Dislikes: Pureed peas, not being able to see mom, naps

Sleeping: We have experienced a sleep regression. He hasn't sleep 8 hours straight this entire past week. Instead, we are getting 2-3 wake ups from 7:30pm to 6:00am. Not so fun. And he's fighting naps some days. But when he does calm himself down for afternoon naps, he sleeps 1-3 hours.

Eating: Big developments on the eating front! Arthur starting eating solids this week. We began with a few days of rice cereal (documented below). He wasn't a fun right away, but quickly warmed up to it. Then we added in pureed peas, which he did not like. We tried those for three days, but it was struggle. We then switched to bananas for week's end and he liked those much better. He still makes a horrible face when eating, but after swallowing, he opens for more. Today we are going to try a different vegetable, probably carrots, and hope for a better outcome than the peas. Or I might introduce him to avocado instead.

Playing: We went to our first true playdate this week at the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo. We were supposed to have a playdate at a park, but it got rained out. So we moved to the baby area of the museum. About seven babies aged 4 1/2 to 14 months arrived and proceeded to crawl around (not Arthur yet, but the others). Arthur contented himself by sitting (with a bit of help) and watching the other babies. I suspect that next time, Arthur will be crawling around with the others.

Medical Milestones:

Grabbing everything -- Check! He latches onto everything that comes near his hands. This includes my glasses and especially my hair. Ouch!
Displaying some personality -- Check! He recognizes and gets excited when he sees people and toys he knows. The rest he gives the grumpy cat face.
Possibly starting solids -- Check! We started this week, but it'll be slow going and small amounts for awhile.
Becoming mobile -- Check! He scoots on his stomach backwards and in circles. He rolls from back to stomach. He gets up on his elbows and knees, but goes nowhere. I'd say he's making some progress.

Schedule: Well... we don't really have a schedule anymore. Arthur tends to take 2 or 3 naps a day but they are of varying lengths and at varying times. On one hand, it would be nice to predict his naps. But on the other, we can still get away with going out to places at almost any time of the day.

Out and About:

Shoreline walk on Monday -- 4 miles down on a super sunny day
Doctor office well visit -- See last week's post for the details
Lots of errands on Wednesday -- Target, grocery, Walgreens, library
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo -- For a fun playdate with the mom's group
IHOP for brunch on Sunday