Seventeen of Fifty-Two

{on her birthday}

{rolling around with his blankie}

The Weekend

Drinks.  Friends.  Cards Against Humanity.

To a Wedding

I attempted a mod look with the liner... came out more Egyptian slash cheetah LOL

Six

This day six years ago, I became a mom.  Happiest of birthdays to our darling daughter!

Photo credits: Christy Shaterian

Sixteen of Fifty-Two

The Weekend

Stay classy, San Diego!

What I Wore

I decided on an outfit that didn't scream spring for our family portraits.  Not that I didn't try; all my attempts were either too matchy with the kids, or just not working for me.  Hopefully the bright sandal and floral still did the job!

Happenstance

I little while ago, I discovered this gem of a tumblr.  Genius.  Because the eloquence of toddler-hood is best captured by horrible cry-faces.
Bauer, as I mentioned, hulks-out.  Something doesn't go his way (like those damn pepperonis that don't realize they render the entire slice inedible if they don't stay put), and it's like he just discovered his credit is so bad he needs a cosigner for a car note and his wife's been creeping with his best friend and his son's in jail.  But he's also got dementia so he gets to come to these devastating realizations multiple times a day.
It's not funny.  It makes for some really long days.  I'm frequently this close to throwing a ear-piercing screaming, slamming things to the ground, leg-spastic kicking tantrum myself.  But I figure this is what he's here to teach me.  I am an adult and I have a stronger will for patience and monk-like calmness in the face of the storm.  That like every developmental stage, this too shall pass and soon enough, I will look back on these days and keel over with laughter, and wish that his problems were still so simple.
But this post isn't about how I seriously deal with the issue (maybe later?), but about how nice it would be if it were funny now.  I thought, what if I did a similar feature on my blog, showcasing what a delight it is to have a mini person who's tiny world is so seemingly tumultuous.  It'd help me find humor in the most trying of days.
And then I discovered it.
Maybe the most powerful tool in my anti-tantrum arsenal.
This boy does NOT want photographic evidence of his meltdowns.  See 15/52 for what happened when I tried to take a picture of him refusing to stand up and screaming about candy near the checkout.  Immediate calmness.  See below when he was so angry that dinner had the nerve to need to be cooked (!) that he felt the garbage can needed to be punished.  I pulled out the camera and it was like he snapped back from an out of body experience.

Fifteen of Fifty-Two

{ <3 minnie mouse and pink hairbows}

{tantrum shocked out of him}

The Weekend

This weekend we were treated to family portraits out by Lake Las Vegas with a sweet girlfriend wanting practice with her new camera.  It was fun!

Fourteen of Fifty-Two

{hairbow}

{too cool for the pool}

The Weekend

{don't you love Bauer's golf attire?!}

{family dinner out}

{siblings}

{first weekend the pool was open}

Thirteen of Fifty-Two

{red}

{new favorite hat}

So Grown

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend!
It's here.  That time I got my body back to myself.  I've been pregnant and/or breastfeeding since August 2006.  I blogged before about how breastfeeding the 2nd time around was different and I predicted that Bauer would have weaned long before now because he was just so easy-going about it and Emberly needed nudging every step of the way.  He was only nursing a couple mornings a week at most when we went to Costa Rica, so I thought the trip apart might wean him.  Nope, he climbed into bed and asked the first morning we were back.  I decided that as soon as he went seven days without asking, we would consider ourselves weaned.  Well wouldn't you know that he had a 6th sense about it and nursed once every 5-7 days for the next several months!?  One does not maintain much of a supply with such little nursing so most sessions were composed of him going back and forth and proclaiming them empty until he was sure they were very empty.
Then, last weekend he latched on for half a second before an over-due nap.  And that was the last time he nursed.  I'm sure something devastating (to a 2.5yo) will happen that will make him think of nursing and make a request, but I'll get him his blankie and snuggle him close and remind him what a big boy he is now...

...And remind myself that I still nourish and comfort him, even if not from my own body.  Bittersweet!