Fashionista File: Far East Flair

I love this little outfit. It was a gift from Uncle Charlie & Aunt Kylelyn.

Far East Flair
Fashionista Files

A gift from Uncle Roger

Something tells me Robert did not appreciate the gift from his brother:

I'm *not* a Little Hokie.

10 Years Ago Today: El Fuego

Ten years ago, I was living and working in Atlanta. I was at the office on a Friday afternoon, and I got a call from a friend who said a building in the complex where I lived was on fire. She had seen it on the news.

I called the apartment office and found out it was MY apartment building. It was the end of the day, and I had to endure Friday rush hour traffic before I could get there. All I could really think about was my two kitties, Marianne and Sophie.

When I got to the apartment, it was a bit worse than the worst case. I lost everything I owned. The most devastating part, by far, was the loss of my cats.

I often think about them: Sophie, beautiful and fluffy, who rolled over to have her fat belly rubbed and always want to be in the room with me...at a slight distance. She would occasionally sit in my lap, but if I moved too much -she would be gone. Marianne demanded attention. She would travel under the covers to my feet and curl up there. She was not a particularly pretty cat (with a tail as skinny as a pencil), but she thought she was a show cat.

The loss of the "stuff" wasn't as hard. (Photos and artwork were the only things I truly missed.) It helped that I had renter's insurance. If memory serves, I may have been the only person in the building who did. It was overwhelming to start re-assembling a household. I can remember walking into a mall and thinking, "Where do I start? I need EVERYTHING." For once in my life, I did not enjoy shopping.

What sticks out in my mind was how kind and giving people were to me after the fire. My then boyfriend, his family, my family, my friends, co-workers, my employer, neighbors, strangers, the Red Cross... There was an incredible outpouring of generosity and support, and on this anniversary, I most remember that kindness.

Did I mention Julia loves her feet?

A Wonderful Day

On a Saturday with better than average February weather, Oma, Opa, R, and I headed to the park with Julia and Jake. It was a simple outing, but it was such fun.


The athlete in action.


Hurling the ball for Jake.


The happy spectators.


Jake will fetch until he drops.


The end.

First Solid Food

Little Miss tried her first rice cereal today. She didn't dislike it; she was mostly just a bit confused by it. I don't know how much actually ended up going down the pipes, because she had most of it on her chin.

I was going to wait until she was 6 months old, but she's got some of the signs that it is time to start solids - she's seemed interested in our food and she seems very hungry lately.

We'll start out slowly, as recommended by the doctor. One tablespoon of rice cereal today and two tablespoons tomorrow. On Friday, we'll try for three tablespoons. If all goes well, then we can introduce some other grains.

Fashionista File: Funky Pants

I bought these pants for Julia for the warm weather of the Spring. I had no idea she'd wear them in February.



She likes the pattern:

Hold on tight to your feet.

Just when Julia thought her feet couldn't be more fun, she found out she could put them in her mouth. Over the weekend, Robert exclaimed that she had all five toes in her mouth at once. Lately, if she needs something with which to play, I'll just take off her socks. What fun!

She will often fall asleep holding a toy. Today, that toy happened to be a foot:

Babybook: Rolling Over

Little Miss is on the move now. She has officially rolled over (from back to tummy.) I didn't see it, but two nights in the last week, I put her to sleep on her back and found her on her tummy in the morning. It's fun to go in every morning and see where in the crib I'll find the baby. We're definitely moving out of the "stays where we put her" stage.

For the last few weeks, she has been extremely "kicky" in the crib. We didn't put bumpers in her crib, based on recommendations regarding SIDS. I have found her with her feet tangled in the slats of the crib enough times to think about reconsidering that decision.

Julia enjoys kicking the slats of the crib and mattress. She doesn't seem to be angry or upset when she's kicking; she seems to find it fun. Her latest move is to kick the mattress with both feet in unison. It is especially amusing when she is wearing a sleep sack, as the whole bottom half of her little body pounds the mattress. It reminds me of a WWF wrestling move.

I'm amused and delighted, as usual.

Julia helps Dad with work.

He's so much more productive with Julia's help!