Wordless Wednesday

Tagging

I was tagged today by my friend Kelly.

What I was doing 10 years ago: I was in my senior year at Metro State, and I know I had a heavy load of math classes that thoroughly kicked my butt. I was working at the same place I am now, but the jobs were quite different. We also were about four blocks west of our current address. I was living in a little condo with my roommate Michelle. Probably partying like a rock star every chance I got!

5 things on my to-do list today…

• Clean the humidifiers at home.
• Pack my lunch for work.
• Take care of my ill hubby and Big B.
• Pay a parking ticket.
• Get a chair massage.

5 snacks I enjoy…

• Zingers.
• Pumpkin seeds.
• Nuts and berries (trail mix).
• Ice cream.
• Cheese and crackers.

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire

• Pay off my mortgage and my families' mortgages.
• Save lots and lots of money for B.
• Do something fun and extravagant like renting an island in Fiji (I have a resort picked out!) to take my family for a long vacation.
• Since I hate parting with money, I'd probably save, save, save!
• I also always joke that I'm going to buy the parking lot next to my work so I could give my favorite colleagues free parking, sort of thumbing my nose at having to pay 100 bucks a month to park at work.

5 bad habits…

• 
  Too much time on the computer.
• I eat lots of sweets and quite a bit of them.
• I got out of my yoga routine, which I love.
• Staying in my PJs when I stay home. I love PJ days at home though.
• Driving too fast.

5 places I’ve lived…

• Pueblo, Colo.
• Denver, Colo.
• Westminster, Colo.
• Arvada, Colo.
• Lakewood, Colo. (Yes, I get around, not!)

5 jobs I’ve had…

• Restaurant manager
• Dance teacher
• Fireworks store cashier
• Mortgage broker's gopher
• Sportswriter
  

TAG! Now YOU are it…

• Stephanie
• Amy

P-town

B.'s getting his first real trip to Pueblo tomorrow.

We did stop and feed him in the parking lot at Carl's Jr. on the way to New Mexico, but this is a real get-to-know-you kind of trip.

It's also the first time I've really visited in about 2 years. Seems like forever ago that I lived there. One thing I miss tremendously is the loft. Here's a list I thought I'd never make.

Things I miss about P-town:

• Our 1 bedroom, 1 bath loft. Hardwood floors. Granite countertops. Mexican tile in the kitchen. Absolutely no storage space, insulation, efficiency or privacy, but oh, so cozy.
• My yoga school. My yoga teacher. My yoga peeps. Doing newsletters and desktop-publishing-type things in trade for lessons. I used to be so flexible. I can't even do the splits any more.
  
• The newspaper and its free parking lot.
• The bowling alleys.
• Poker Sundays. A group of us would rotate houses each Sunday and get together for a night of dealer-calls-it games. Nickel, dime and quarter antes. Three-raise maximum. Pizza and beer. Good times.
• The riverwalk. The historic district where we lived. All the cute shops and restaurants nearby.
• The library.
  
• The heat!
• Cheap beer at Smitty's Green Light. Red's Alibi (where I met C.). Prime Time. Great sushi and tempura at Suehiro. Pizza at Rosario's and Do Drop Inn. Italian sausage sandwiches at Pass Key. Schooners at Gus' and Eilers. Roasted green chile in the fall. A big, messy slopper (Mexican hamburger).
  
• The Colorado State Fair and the free parking passes and press credentials everyone at the newspaper received.
• The proximity to Taos, N.M. and my family there. It was a 2-hour, 45-minute drive. Heck, it was 4 hours to Albuquerque.
• My phone number. 544-7888. Easy.
• Last but not least, my friends and former colleagues.
  

That's all I can think of on my list for now, but I'm sure I could at least double it if I wanted.

Fingers crossed

After staying late at work for the second extra-innings Rockies game in eight days, I'm beat.

I just got home and promptly set the coffee maker to greet me with a hot cuppa in the morning. I just hope I can enjoy it after 8 a.m.

P.S. I did get spoiled with a nap today (err, Friday). I had showered and was about 90 percent ready for work when the boys left to pick up Nanny Hans from the hospital, where he had scheduled wrist surgery. I ran up to the bathroom to fetch something and decided to lie on the bed for 15 minutes. When that 15 minutes passed, I awoke in a daze, wondering where the baby was, why wasn't the monitor on, why was I in my clothes. I drifted off, and the sound of the door closing stirred me again. It was 82 minutes after I first closed my eyes. Thinking back, it was the first time I'd had some alone time in the house -- without anyone else here -- since Mr. Cheeks was born. Wow.

Edit: After a 5 a.m. feed, B. and I got up at 9:30, he ate and I'm now headed downstairs to pour that first cuppa joe. It's almost 10 a.m.! A triumph!

My new thing

B. now finds great joy in sticking out his tongue at us!

What's up, Doc?

Somebody loves carrots. I mean, really, really loves the carrots!



Surprisingly, we weren't too messy.


Then again, little guy does love the taste of his own tootsies.

Firsts

A few of B.'s firsts this week:

First ...

• visit to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
• ride in a golf cart with Dad.
  
• bites of rice cereal. Not sure if he likes it.
• time sitting all on his own. Still a bit Weeble-Wobbly, but independent nonetheless.
  
• time in the book store -- Barnes & Noble -- to pick out some reading materials.
• time meeting Z., a boy across town who is just a month younger.
• mouthful of his own toes. He figured out how to gnaw on his feet.
  

Reinforcement

I am convinced we are doing the right thing.

After making the decision to cloth diaper our little guy, I sometimes wonder if disposables wouldn't be easier. I'm sure they would be, and they are when we're on vacation, but I feel better about our cloth.

Sometimes it's a challenge to stick with it, especially when you look at the basket of diapers and there are only a few clean ones, meanwhile a mound of dirties are staring you down from the laundry room.

But yesterday, I saw a report that showed just how much an average baby (and that's being conservative -- this report averaged only four diapers a day ... FOUR DIAPERS?!) uses in resources. The disposable-diapered baby uses crude oil, trees and landfill space. Don't ask for specifics because as a new mom, my brain sometimes turns to mush.

Some people say using cloth uses other resources like energy and water for washing, but with our high-efficiency and Energy Star rated appliances, I don't worry about that. And water is renewable.

So I feel better about our decision. Remind me of that when I'm complaining about yet another load of diapers to wash.

P.S. The fact that Big B. is rockin' the cloth diapers and looks so darling in them helps!

First time

Check out my new skill. I just started last night, and I'm getting better all the time.

Happenings

Here's what I've been up to since Mommy got our new camera.

I played, got hugs from Mom, found out how small my hands really are,

fell asleep on Daddy's shoulder (he's still talking about this!),

played with my feet, inspected my toe jam, reached for Mommy after a nap,

had giggles with Nanny Hans (AKA Uncle D.) and Daddy,

found out how small my feet really are, got a new pair of shoes and sunglasses,

jumped, selected what I wanted for dinner, goofed off in the tub,

told the paparazzi (Mom) I was spent, and finally, I slept really hard.

Just seen: A formation of F-16s flying over Coors Field. Baseball has arrived in the Mile High City.

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Free tickets

So people always ask if I can get free tickets to sporting events because of my job, and the answer is yes.

But these are the kinds of free tickets I actually get.

The NBA Development League's Colorado 14ers.

The National Lacrosse League's Colorado Mammoth.

The Arena Football League's Colorado Crush.

No Rockies. No Nuggets. Definitely not Broncos or Avalanche.

So there I'll be next week, sitting at the Broomfield Event Center taking in an NBA D-League game against the Austin Toros with my family. For free. Eat your hearts out.

Wordless Wednesday

I know this is supposed to be wordless, but that just looks fun, Mom!

Thievery

Someone stole my 7-Up from the refrigerator at work. It happened in the span of 3 hours. Grow up, people!?!!

Glorious sleep

I had 90 minutes of uninterrupted, glorious sleep from 7 to 8:30 this morning. For good measure, B. didn't wake up until 10, so I feel like a new woman.

(P.S. I was up until 3 and then again from 6 to 7 feeding the little guy!)

Doppleganger

Doesn't this kid look like B.? I was poking around for stuff to knit (not that I'll find the time) when I came across it.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Easter

Or like my family says, "Happy keester!"

We're off to see the wizard!

Today I've been watching The Wizard of Oz with my new family.

C. hasn't seen it in about 30 years and it was B.'s first experience -- watching his mom sing all the songs and dance around with the characters on the screen.

I just hope it becomes a favorite of his someday.

Yes, ladies...

...this kind of thing does happen.

Proof

I'm in trouble

B. started doing this new thing yesterday. He just babbles "Mamamamamamama!" A couple of times, he's shortened it to "Mama," and while I'd love for that to count as really calling me Mama, it's just babble right now.

But he's starting to figure out when he does that, I sure come a-runnin'!

"Mamamamamamamamama!"

Just melts my heart!

Burp!

I found Charlie and Grandpa Joe! This was at the second-story level of the mural at Snooze.

3D glasses not required

B. has learned to roll over, and he's using his new skill to avoid tummy time. Here's the big man showing off his talents.

Hard-hat area

Just seen on a sign advertising Concrete Express at a job site across the street from Coors Field:

"Pouring it on since 1986."

That's one way to put it!

Better news

*Whew!* The alternator in my car is tip-top. No major repairs were called for, just a tune up. So my ride is golden.

Now, as promised, I'll tell the camera story.

When C. and I went skiing in Copper Mountain, I stashed some dried fruit and nuts inside my Camelbak and a banana into my pocket for the lift ride. Since I had my camera, I figured it'd be great to snap some quick looks of our second snow outing together in two years.

After mayhem before our first run -- my binding promptly snapped off when I went to latch in, so not only were my bindings a loss, I had to rent skis for the first time in 11 years -- we were enjoying the mountain despite the 17-degree temperature and blowing snow. Really, it was a good time ... C. on his snowboard, me on my rental sticks.

So I decided to take some photos on the lift, and discovered two things that should never mingle. Delicate camera parts and a smashed banana. I had falled hard on the previous run, catching a ski edge on a patch of ice and (somehow) doing a belly flop onto the snow. I had the wind knocked out of me, but then I found the strength to giggle uncontrollably. Little did I know, my camera was on its last leg.

So I took these photos ... in chronological order of the final pictures my trusty Nikon point-and-shoot ever will take.

Chris on the lift.

You can see the frozen banana sludge.

It really was that snowy and cold.

Thank goodness for my neck gaiter. Brr!

Squint. You'll see trees. I promise.

The haze in the center of the lens is not snow, it's banana!

Not only is the camera happy to be alive at this point, but this was the last picture it captured, and boy am I happy it was this grown up little man, fresh off his first day of charming the day care ladies! All that flirting is tiresome. I'm surprised at how clean the lens looks here.


So now after all that camera drama, I have drug out my manual 35mm Pentax. I have to adjust f-stop, shutter speed and manually focus on the subject, which not-surprisingly has been Big B. It's actually fun, but not so great for those "Get the camera!" moments. I guess I just have to get faster. I'll keep you all posted once I get my roll back from Snapfish. So far, the picture dial reads 7, so once I hit 24 and manually rewind the film (yes, I have to do that, too), I'll pop it in the mail.

Good news, bad news

I found the camera*.

My alternator in the Nissan might have crapped out tonight.

*Story TK.

I can't make this up

Just seen:

In the lotion and soap basket in the bathroom at work, there's a bottle of lotion called Pecan Passion.

It's slogan?

A love so irresistible, it will drive you nuts.

The stuff made me smell like Dillards.

4 months old

Four short months ago, I didn't know I could be so in love.

As expected

For all my pontificating about our household sleep patterns in this post, I've been subjected to late-night torture since last Sunday night.

It began in Copper Mountain, where B.'s second night there was one to forget. We couldn't tear outta town fast enough because we knew once in the car, he'd pass out. (And he did.) But just last night, he got up at least four times, prompting me to wake C. for back up. We're definitely not of the bleary-eyed persuasion we once were during the first couple of weeks, but nobody's sleeping like a baby in this house. Not even the baby.

I hope all is well and his little gurgly tummy and tiny toots are to blame (lest you worry, I'm not going to be talking about baby poop and spit up all the time). Another reason could be that it was the "milestone ghost." Rumor has it when babies get near a milestone, their tiny brains work so hard round the clock trying to master their new skill, they can't turn it off. And B. now has some mad rolling skills to show for it.

As I write while my two favorite guys are napping, please help me in wishing Mr. Sandman wears out his welcome here very soon!

A glimpse

Picture this: Me in my bathrobe. C. holding the wee one and rocking back and forth. We're hanging out on a Saturday morning. Chillaxing, if you will. Just then, a familiar song fills the room.

Aww, yeah.

We cranked up the volume and started dancing around like fools. I was singing and tapping a wire whisk on the side of a bowl, C. was bobbing up and down and swaying and B. just looked at the two of us like we were the dorkiest parents on earth.

When the Beastie Boys' She's Crafty comes on, you just have to drop everything and dance.

Throwback Thursday

Sassy. Need I say more?



On second thought, I love how light my hair was (and thin!) and the upholstery on the outdoor bench. So '70s.

Wordless Wednesday

Baby's first

...day at day care. Nalik cared for B. while we spent the afternoon skiing and snowboarding at Copper Mountain. I think I had the worst time with it, crying while I walked out the door. I called halfway through the day and asked how he was, where the report was that he was fantastic, he had a rest, had been playing and was not upset at all. He also ate like a champ. Thanks, Nalik!

Hi from Copper

B. sure has a beautiful "back yard."

Terrified

I'm suddenly scared that B.'s inching so close to turning 4 months old (only nine days now).

I am also shaking in fear over this little phrase: 4-month sleep regression.

I found this link through a friend's Web site, and my issue is clear.

B. is sleeping through the night. Well. He has about one or two nights a week -- max -- where he'll wake up. Once. It's usually a quick fix and either C. or I am back in bed in 20 minutes. We're never awake more than an hour. On average, he's going to bed between 10 and 11 at night and waking up about 7 or 8.

We don't have bags under our eyes and are nowhere near the sleep-deprivation state we were in just after birth. This is real.

I'm hoping the so-called regression is not.

P.S. I realized I just jinxed myself for patting B., C. and myself on the back for all the Zs being had in our household and I'll be subjected to inconsolable late-night fits for the next century. Shame on me.

Throwback Thursday

So where do you think B. gets his cheeks? This is me at 6 months. Loving the old jar of Avon skin cream on the shelf.

Popcorn, please

If you ignore the hideous singing by yours truly, you can hear the blissful sound of my son laughing heartily.

Only in the city

I know I complain a lot about having to walk part of the way to work, but on the nice days, it really is a treat.

Not only can I admire the tall buildings, I get overloaded with people watching.

I see cars whipping by, people on cell phones at the wheel, not really seeing that I, the pedestrian, am there.

I see parents walking with their children, hands wrapped tightly together.

I see businessmen, businesswomen, citizens appearing for business at the Denver City and County Building, I see people enjoying a sunny winter day at Civic Center Park.

Nearby, a woman with her little girl in pajamas with skid-proof soles and a parka sit on the grass, eating bite-size foods out of a small plastic bag. Cheerios?

Cyclists. Panhandlers. Wanderers. Lawyers. Policemen. Students. Everyone is there.

And I even get to enjoy the views late at night on my drive home. Sometimes I drive by the Denver Coliseum on my way to I-70, sometimes straight past Coors Field. That's the route I chose last night when I spied this mural on the side of Snooze restaurant.

Yep, only in the city can you find oompa loompas, Augustus Gloop and Charlie himself.

Happy ...

... birthday to me. :D

As promised ...

...photos from Chinese New Year.

A performer.
















C. with a creature peering over his shoulder.
















B. peeks out to watch the action.

---

In other discovery news, while B.'s been sucking on his fists for weeks, he finally really saw them for the first time. There he sat in my lap, right hand outstretched in front of his face, fingers extended and eyes wide and curious.

He slowly rotated his chubby wrist, carefully taking stock of every knuckle, fingernail and dimple in his hand. This lasted for at least a full minute!

Downtown

I snapped this photo from the car on my way to work (at a stop light on Broadway).

Baby's first...

...Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, celebration.

And it all was by accident.

The family and I went over to Grandma's house, then we joined her boyfriend for some dinner at Heaven Dragon in Arvada. (Its sister store in Thornton is the one President Bush orders from anytime Air Force One stops in the area. He's even honored with his own special on the menu. Lest you worry, it's not what C. and I ordered.)

We weren't expecting festivities bringing in the Year of the Rat, but while we munched on kung pao chicken, lemon chicken, a Happy Family combo, rice and egg rolls, a loud crackling of fireworks outside the front door caught our attention. Teen-age boys in dragon and lion costumes began snaking through the tables. Drum beats echoed through the dining room. Then a pair of young boys came through in their costume, stopping long enough at my side to pose for a photo. The boy in front was busy maneuvering the mouth, ears and eyes on his bright costume.

I heard crying, but knew it wasn't B. I looked over at him in his carseat, and he was sleeping soundly. The noise came from the table next to ours. A little blond-haired girl was crouched underneath by her mom's legs, plugging her ears. The tears left tiny wet tracks down her cheeks.

The fireworks didn't wake or startle B., but later some of the other commotion did. Either that or he just had to see what was going on.

I promise pictures later.

Handwriting

I saw my dad's handwriting yesterday, which surprised me since it was in my checkbook ledger.

Two entries. Four letters. Four numbers. NMSU. 41.97.

Just as he would write it. Written by me.

It reminded me of a tribute book for my grandmother's 80th birthday that all the family members wrote in. On the first page, I saw my brother's handwriting. But he hadn't been there and couldn't have written it in person. The reason? Dad wrote it. A cousin said it was our late grandfather's way of making sure everyone was spoken for. I'll say.

So I guess I write like my dad. Sometimes I write like my mom. Sometimes I do things that remind me of both parents. I'm organized like Dad while being slightly chaotic like Mom. I sneeze like Mom. I yawn like Mom. I work crosswords like Dad. Sometimes, I can't finish a sentence or a train of thought, like Dad.

Trying to digest all this, I thought of the things B. will do that remind C. and I of one of us. Already, I watch C. sleep and look at B. They pucker their lips the same way when they snooze. I've seen B. smile and C.'s dimple emerges on B.'s left cheek.

What traits will he pick up from me? Only time will tell. But it sure will be fun watching it all unfold.

Grab some Milk Duds

This just in: B. is finding his voice!

Wordless Wednesday

Across the miles

It's been a week since I've seen Grandpa, Uncle M. (or Uncle "Mick" as Grandpa has tagged him), Aunt M. and cousins
M. & E. in Minnesota (my first plane trip, by the way, and it wasn't bad at all! I didn't cry, which made Mom, Dad and our fellow travelers quite happy).



I wish we didn't live so far apart from each other, and I just wanted to say I love and miss you very much! Can't wait to see you again.

Love, B.

Sights and sounds

Walking to work yesterday, I was crossing the City and County Building steps when a very irate man stomped by, yelling into his cell phone in a very intimidating, booming voice:

I don't want to see him in that f**king house. You want to see him, go somewhere else.

A woman about a dozen paces behind him was walking the opposite direction of me. When our eyes met, we both giggled, wondering who was in trouble on the other end of the line.




Also seen and heard yesterday during work, snow flurries accompanied by thunder? Lightning? Yes, folks, it was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in all my years living in Denver, where our motto is, "Don't like the weather? Wait 5 minutes."