Girls just wanna have FUN!

Lucia was able to visit with her cousins Lauren and Lindsey again today. They were wonderful with her and Lucia had lots of smiles to share with them. I was able to take the girls on a walk at Hickory Hill Park (one of my favorite Iowa City things to do) and have nice long chats about life. Grandma and Grandpa Olson were able to watch Lucia and Daddy gave her a bottle and Lucia happily accepted it.

This makes me feel better about going back to work tomorrow. In the same breath, it will be nice to get some more structure to my day. I do well with structure in my routine. I can eat better, exercise more and appreciate things better when I'm not feeling cooped up.

I remember when Duane and Elaine came the day Lucia turned 1 month as well! It was THAT night when I decided that there was a shift in Lucia's behavior. She was "discovering" crying. Things got progressively more difficult from them until now. I made it my mission to untangle the causes of her discontent or, better yet, better understand those reasons.

Here is what I came up with:

1. She's hungry
2. She's Gassy/has bubbles
3. She's overstimulated
4. She's Hungry but has bubbles to work out first
5. She's overstimulated because she's gassy and is getting things, people shoved in her face.
6. She's hungry but has been so too long and got overstimulated so she can't focus to eat.
7. She's Hungry gassy and overstimulated (FREAK OUT).
8. She can't poop... Wait that opens a whole new realm of possibilities.
9. Mommy is sick and she is not getting what she needs from her.

Yes, I think some of my milk may have dried up when I had my fever. I'm working steadily to get it back up there. In the meantime, I think Lucia gets frustrated that she has to work harder to get what she needs. Funny, I was so overly confident about my milk production.

I also read today that if your baby has a food allergy to something you ate they will break out into a rash, will wheeze more and will have mucus green stools. Lucia had all of the above symptoms on the plane rides home Seattle. So I'm trying to work that one out.

Seattle introduced us to the joys of the stroller. We have gone on more walks when weather permitted.

Well, Lucia calls so I must go...

Lucia is Two Months today!

Here she is in an outfit given to her by Uncle Bernie. Isn't she cute?

In-laws are visiting and just arrived so I will have to write more later.

"If you like Pina Coladas!..."

I bought a pineapple slicer while I was in Seattle and tried it out. It really rocks my world. I love fresh pineapple. When you're done extracting the pineapple it really does leave the outside part in the form of a cup as shown top right of picture. My brother already had one. Then Mom wanted one. So I bought her one as a Mother's day gift and bought one for myself.

More moments from Seattle trip

Lucia and I arrived in Iowa City feeling quite abused by travel. Mommy was feeling crampy in her stomach and achy in the joints. Before the night was over my temp hit 102 degrees and was unable to walk on my right knee. So, in lieu of the original plan to return to work today, I am restricted until next Monday from work. It feels risky to be off longer and I'm nervous about returning. I will see the doc again before I return.

Our Seattle trip was... well... wonderful. The weather really cooperated and Lucia was a very good traveling companion. Here is a list of some of our adventures:

• Woodland Park Zoo
• Dog Park/view of the sound garden
• Out to eat (ALOT)... Favorite meal was either the Dungeness Crab cake eggs Benedict or the King Alaskan Salmon.
• Pike's Park Market
• Underground Tour (just Chris and I here).
• Old Pioneer Square (Guinness with Chris)
• Dinner with Trish and Chris' family and friends
• afternoon out in Kirkland (?) east side art community upscale living part of Seattle. Trish's old haunts were found here.

Plans for future trips include more exploration of the islands and whale watching.

I FINALLY got to meet our Madeleine. She is SUCH a character. She's very much like Chris. However, there is a shyer and more thoughtful Trish side to her too. She's a nice balance. All in all, she's a beautiful and fun-loving girl and we are ecstatic to have gotten the opportunity to get to know her and for her to know us. She was very sweet with her cousin Lucia and even learned to say her name. She was on "Binky Patrol" all weekend long. Every time she found a "Lucia Binky" she would immediately find Lucia and try to shove the Binky in her mouth. One time I was nursing Lucia and hidden from her and she reportedly unrelentlessly looked for us until Grandma helped her find us to give us the binky. Binkies were a big deal.

If, indeed, Lucia turns out to be like her father with his loves the company of trouble- I can see these two stirring up a whole lot in the future.

Sorry... more baby talk.

(do I need to be apologizing for that?)

The other day I was listening to NPR. It was doing a show on "advice" to the younger generation. One listener called in and part of his "code of Hammurabi" (I like to call it because it was a list) was "Have children when you are sick of being selfish. If you don't want to stop being selfish with your life, and that's Okay- just don't have kids."

The listener so perfectly described what I was feeling. Many people w/out kids actually feel having children IS a selfish and egotistical act- wanting another you and all of that. However, to me it's about sharing your life. I have done all my selfish things (travel, out partying like a drunkard, etc.) and, for now, I am content focusing all my attention to another or to the "collective" Olson family. I don't mind coming home and having her to look after and quite like the company in the meantime. I imagine there are a few Iowa City friends and maybe others out there who are rolling their eyes and saying, "Just you wait." But I'll enjoy and welcome this feeling of non-selfishness as long as I can.

In other news, after some research on the Internet I have found some new techniques for making baby-O happier. Its all about the gas. So, I'm using this technique where I pump her legs like she's riding a bicycle into her abdomen and she starts tooting away! Now, another piece of common sense advice that I did not observe: Don't lie down below her on the bed when you do it as you will get a nose full of farts. I also read up on "baby massage". I started doing this last night after a scream fest and she was SO infinitely happier and remains that way still. In the meantime, she is turning into an Olympic bicyclist.

p.s. I read conflicting information: One source says that it really doesn't matter if you eats cabbage, onions, broccoli and the "Gassy" foods as long as you avoid lactose and caffeine. They say babies are gassy anyway. The other says that it's all bad and to avoid them all. I happen to love them all and have been trying to stifle my love affair with coffee by trying to drink more decaf. What do you think?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAE, GRANDMA ELAINE, JOE B., CARRIE and HAPPY ST. JOESPH'S day and HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY... Whew (did I miss anyone?). OH Yeah! and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CHRIS AND TRISH!

Lucia, Kent and I all got up at 5 am this morning. She was happy and content and then soon after was asleep (while I wasn't). So.... I started a St. Joesph's day feast instead of a St. Patrick's day feast. I invited Grandma Olson for her birthday which was today (HAPPY 29th birthday... x's what again?)!

Here is the menu:

1. Corned Beef and Cabbage with Guinness
2. Irish Soda Bread
3. Irish Cream Bundt cake

I know my mom was real curious about it so I thought I would just share via my blog. We used some of the place settings my mother made for us this Christmas. Grandma Ole brought strawberry pie and daffodils for the centerpiece.

Lucia was NOT feeling super today- lots of gas, poops, and crying. So I felt bad that the grandparents had to endure so much of that. I used the infant Gas-x for the first time today. I hope that helps for the rest of the night.

Photo Shoot!

Lucia is bored w/me b/c Grandma Obert really kept her stimulated the last few days. So to cheer us up we had a photo shoot. I love those eyes- so curious and contemplative.

Fish oil to Flax seed...

I recently finished all my fish oil capsules to my relief and delight. At last! no more fishy burp days! My plan was to switch to Flax seed oil to prevent this unfortunate side effect. However, after a little research on WebMD I have found that not all Omega 3s were created equal. Apparently Fish oil is a DHA Omega 3... the really good kind that will make Lucia and I smart and capable of extraordinary sight! Flax seed is an AHA Omega 3 and, frankly, they didn't have much to say of it at all. So now I need to take back my new bottle of Flaxseed oil and return it for one of the special DHA breastfeeding supplements. I have been sampling some that was available at the doctor's office as a free gift from LIPIL that does not make me burp like a sailor. So I guess their advertising methods are about to PAY OFF!

Lucia and I had our six week checkup today. Lucia really charmed the pants off of them but could only take so much before she was fed up and started howling.

He is growing too fast! She's really long now: 23"! That puts her in the 100th percentile for height. She is also 10.3 lbs. I can tell because my back feels it from trying to pick her up out of the co-sleeper to feed her without sitting up. Its not as easy as it was! Where has all that time gone?!?!? She was so little. My doctor says its because, "I"m a really good cow."... Nice...

Anyway, I put a sad and a happy picture for Lucia today because that has been her day... She really wanted to be happy but the discomfort of her first shots made her sad... I hate approving and signing off on all those vaccines. I'm afraid she's going to develop Autism or have super adverse effects. Even though I know the vaccine theory is a little far fetched I can't help being scared of shooting my "drug free" baby full of chemicals. I mean, I didn't endure an entirely natural birth to shoot my baby full of pain killers and chemicals, did I? I didn't approve the one that prevents diarrhea because I figure:

a. she's not going into a daycare

b. if her stomach needs to expel something... don't you think we should let it?

c. Do we really need to vaccinate against EVERYTHING?

I hate it because I just feel really uniformed because anyone you talk to at a clinic or a hospital or in a book tells you to do all of them because they don't want to get sued... Well, TELL ME EVERYTHING!

Anyone else have anything to share on vaccinations?

Here is a Picture of our lovely team "Get Hot Get Steamy!"
The theme was tropical... We were the top fundraisers of our shift! Thanks to everyone who contributed...

Here is my attempt at a nice picture of the coffee cake I made... Its pretty crumby! Haa ha ha ha. I'm hilarious.

This feels like heaven.

So when I'm not basking in the warm cuddeliness of my daughter I have been finding ways to use some of those ingredients in my cupboards that I haven't been able to incorporate into our weekly menus.

Here is what I came up with:

I had a pork loin roast but not onions for a more "Pot Roast" approach to the meat. Sooooo... I slow cooked it with sauerkraut, spices, and a bottle of Guinness... It was AWESOME! I so recommend it.

I also had ALOT of left over walnuts from a few holiday recipes. So I made a delicious coffee cake.

I feel pretty damned accomplished. Now I have to decide if I need to grocery shop today or can we make it another few days? I have very little time to decide as I'm visiting friends for 5:30 pm dinner.

I should do it. Wat wat waaaaaaaa.