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2006/1/19

Fun at Four

Four A.M., that is. 
 
Now you're probably thinking that this is a rant from a new mom about how frequently she has to get up each night to feed the baby.  Wrong-o.  It's a rant from a new mom about the LOUD activities my cats participate in during the wee hours of the morning. 
 
Now my cats are regularly slugs.  (In fact, I poke the big one every once in awhile to make sure he's still alive.)  They are usually sleeping in the furry divots they have created on the furniture.  Except at 4:00 a.m.  I'm not kidding--it's like clockwork. 
 
Some of the fun 4:00 a.m. activities for kitties:
  1. Try to get the drain thingy out of the sink in the bathroom.
  2. Knock the inflatable baby tub from its suction cups off of the shower wall and proceed to puncture the tub with claws.
  3. Find a cap to a baby bottle and bat it around the laminate flooring of the kitchen and dining room.
  4. Grab your favorite stuffed toy and meow really loudly.
  5. Scratch at the door of the closet and/or try to pull things out of the closet from underneath the door.
  6. Find plastic bags, eat them, and then throw up repeatedly (on the carpet, of course).
  7. Fight with the other cat(s) and chase each other on the human beds.
  8. Sniff at the faces of the "sleeping" humans, because after all that racket and they're not up, they must certainly be dead.

As I write this, my cats are cuddled up, as innocent as can be.  But I know that they are just saving up their energy to torment me in the night.  Furry little bastards. 

2005/12/8

Hey, Roxanne!

Here's a shout out to my sister, who's pissed that I haven't updated my Web site "in a really long time."
 
 
HI, ROXANNE!
2005/10/25

Does this swimsuit make me look fat?

I hate trying on swimsuits.  Hate it.  So I went to LandsEnd.com and made a virtual model to try on possible swimsuits.  So, you are now my shopping buddy.  Does this suit make my butt look big?
2005/10/20

Food Poisoning 101

It took 31 years, but I finally got it!  Food poisoning.
 
If you're sitting there, wondering if you have food poisoning, here are some symptoms:
  1. Profuse vomiting.
  2. Profuse vomiting.
  3. Diarrhea.  (Yes, I spelled it correctly.)
  4. You have never felt so sick in your life.  You are praying for death.
  5. Profuse vomiting.
  6. Chills.  Chills.  And more chills. 
  7. Decreased heart rate.  (This symptom freaked me out.  I literally thought I was going to die.)
  8. Profuse vomiting.
  9. Dehydration, from all the vomiting and diarrhea

This public service announcement brought to you by Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

2005/9/27

SIX MONTHS!

My daughter turned six months old today! 
 
I got a chance to reflect on how much she's changed when I took her to Sears for her six-month portraits.  I remember at three months, she didn't want to be put down--even for a minute--which made taking pictures difficult.  And, back then, she was so floppy that getting her to pose was a challenge.  Today was a different story.  That little ham sat up and smiled at the camera.  There was some eating of props, though.  A wicker chair and some fake daisies will never be the same. 
 
The change she's made in a mere three months is astounding.  And six months ago she was a black-haired, yellow-faced, purple-footed blob that wouldn't open her eyes for more than a few seconds.  Now I can't get her to shut them.  (I thought the two-nap-per-day scenario would last forever.  Silly me.)  Today she's a curious baby who scoots, tries to eat houseplants (and anything else in her reach), and she giggles like crazy when I sing "Werewolves of London."  I hate to sound like every other parent on the planet, but I have to say... they change so fast!   
 
 
 
Lily, honey, thanks for the best six months of my life!  What a fun, scary, exciting, sleepless, wonderful time it's been!  Love you, my little pumpkin schnitzel.
2005/9/13

What kind of blogger am I, you ask?

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.
 
2005/9/12

The wedding cake

Last week my sister finally cleaned out her freezer, and what did she find?  Left-over wedding cake from our wedding two-and-a-half years ago!  Apparently, we had asked her to store it for us to eat on our one-year anniversary.  A tradition that makes absolutely no sense to me.  But cake is always good.  It's a shame to let cake go to waste.
 
My husband and I got home from visiting the family on Sunday.  We needed to go grocery shopping--there was no food in the house.  Except the wedding cake.  Let me tell you, in it's prime, this cake was delicious.  White cake with a cheesecake layer, a hint of lemon and thick, but delicate-tasting buttercream frosting.  Two-and-a-half years later, maybe not so good.  Yes, we ate it.  And once the diarrhea stopped, we had time to reflect on our stupidity for eating really old cake. 
 
Since then I keep picturing that Seinfeld episode ("The Frogger") where Elaine eats and dances with Peterman's slice of wedding cake from King Edward VIII's 1937 wedding and was caught on surveillance tape.  Peterman shows Elaine the tape and indicates the age of the cake and its effect on her digestive system is punishment enough.
 
Indeed.
2005/9/9

Blogger 101

OK, folks.  Here's my "101" list.  Enjoy.
  1. My name is Laura Christine.
  2. I have blonde hair and hazel eyes. 
  3. I'm 5'5.5" tall, and I'm not telling you what I weigh.
  4. I've got the cutest baby girl in the whole wide world.
  5. I married Mr. Right--Mr. Always  Right.  He's cute though, so I'll keep him around for a bit longer.
  6. I have a peapod collection.
  7. I'm a cat person.
  8. I love sushi.  (The cooked stuff--raw sushi has a weird texture.)
  9. Lexapro keeps me a contributing member of society.
  10. I'm the most liberal person you'll ever meet.  Yes, I'm a Democrat--bleeding heart and all. 
  11. I say the stuff other people are thinking but don't say aloud.
  12. I don't keep friends long.  I usually say something stupid and screw it up.
  13. The color green is my favorite.  Followed closely by pink.
  14. I get crabby when it's hot. 
  15. I sweat a lot.
  16. I'm an Internet junkie.  I could surf for hours if I had the time.
  17. I dropped out of college after four years because I couldn't pick a major or pass a foreign language.
  18. I'm a loud mouth.
  19. I was an accomplished flute and piccolo player; however, I sold my instruments a decade ago to pay rent.
  20. I still have dreams that I'm sitting first chair in orchestra, but the conductor makes me move to last chair because I don't have a flute.
  21. Sometimes I have the ability to foresee things.  It freaks me out.
  22. I have an eerie ability to summarize a person just by looking at a photograph.  That freaks other people out.
  23. Otherwise, I'm a very normal, down-to-earth sort of gal.
  24. I have a tattoo of an ivy around my right ankle.  I need to have it re-inked, but the pain prevents me from doing so.
  25. My nickname in high school was "Zorba the Perv."  I came up with it myself; yes, I was a nerd.
  26. I like to gossip.  It's bad, I know. 
  27. I was a legal secretary before I became a stay-at-home mom.  I hated taking orders from people.
  28. I like being a stay-at-home mom.  I'm the boss around here.
  29. I love sunny days, but I hate being in the direct sunlight.
  30. I'm agnostic.  Although, when I buy pickles, I always buy kosher.  If there is a god, I don't want to piss him/her off.
  31. I am the black sheep of my family.
  32. But I'm the whitest person you've ever seen.
  33. I'm not a good listener; I'm more of a talker.
  34. I could listen to a song a million times and still not pick up on the lyrics.
  35. I am very organized.  (Or I used to be--before having a baby.)
  36. I'm a perfectionist.
  37. Decision making is not my forte.
  38. I'm not a girly-girl.  I don't wear makeup or jewelry (except my wedding ring and new nose ring), and I don't own a pair of dress shoes.
  39. I have a need to touch everything I see.
  40. I love well-worn, soft clothes.
  41. Large groups of people frighten me.
  42. I've watched the movie Bettlejuice probably a thousand times.  Same thing with Raiders of the Lost Ark and Grease.
  43. Shopping with my mom is one of my favorite things to do.
  44. I hate exercising, but yoga isn't so bad.
  45. I've injured both knees, pulled a groin, had nerve problems in my right arm from practicing Ashtanga yoga.  But I lost 50 pounds, so it was almost worth it.
  46. I've been super thin, then fat, then thin, then pregnant, and now fat again.
  47. I'm 31, but I still long to be a rock star.
  48. I can eat the exact same thing everyday and it never bothers me.
  49. I have a sweet tooth.  Bring on the sugar!
  50. I'm uncomfortable in enclosed spaces.  Or when people violate my "personal space."
  51. I have a fondness for things that are tiny.  I collect these small things, put them into jars and call them my "Jars O' Junk." 
  52. I want to be an artist.  I just can't think of anything to create.
  53. I love to tell people what I think.  Please ask for my opinion--I'd be happy to give it to you.
  54. Overly happy people annoy me.  They're hiding something.  I just know it.
  55. I like to dance in private.
  56. I listen to Hip-Hop really loud when I'm alone in my car.  I love the song "Big Pimpin'." 
  57. I generally become the unofficial union leader at the workplace.  I like to shoot off my mouth.  Power to the people!
  58. People either really like me or really hate me.
  59. I hope you like me.
  60. I love being in the woods.  Minus the mosquitoes.  And bees.
  61. I have one sister, whom I adore.  She's two years younger--and the smart, successful one.  We're identical and really different at the same time.
  62. We joke that one day I'll live in a camper van in her backyard.
  63. My mind is generally a jumble of daydreams, music and anger.
  64. I've been told that I hum a lot.  I never notice.
  65. I have a mom who is very smart and compassionate.  She is also very opinionated.  Maybe a bit stubborn.  Always upfront.  Sometimes crabby if she doesn't eat, or if it's hot.
  66. I could talk on the phone with my mom for hours. 
  67. Long car rides drive me nuts.  Are we there yet?
  68. Driving makes me tense.  Probably because I drive way too fast.
  69. I may have glanced at Internet porn once or twice.
  70. I could sleep 24 hours a day.
  71. I don't kill bugs.  Bad karma.
  72. I was vegetarian for four years.  But then I got droopy.  So I started eating meat again.
  73. I tend to see the negative, rather than the positive side of things.
  74. I'm not good at keeping a secret, so please don't tell me any.
  75. I should keep some secrets of my own--I generally just tell you everything, even if I've just met you.
  76. Hot-headedness runs in my family.  I am no exception.
  77. I have a very short memory.  I need to write things down.
  78. I have very little self control. 
  79. I have low self esteem.
  80. I love mice and other small rodents.  They are so tiny and cute!
  81. I like trees.
  82. Hiking is one of my favorite activities.
  83. I draw fingerprint-looking spiral doodles.
  84. I love museums!
  85. If I had the money, my whole wardrobe would be from J. Jill.
  86. I'm usually quite anxious.  My forehead is usually crinkled, and my jaw locked.
  87. I am secretly addicted to America's Next Top Model.  It is the only show I watch that isn't on PBS.
  88. Autumn is my favorite season.  Followed by spring, then winter and finally summer.
  89. I love campfires.  S'mores, too!
  90. Multi-colored stripe, or polka dot garments are my favorites.  I call them my "happy clothes."
  91. I have a large collection of paisley-patterned clothing.  I love paisley! 
  92. I graduated high school in '92!
  93. I'm afraid someone will sign me up for that show on TLC, What Not to Wear.
  94. I become easily frustrated.
  95. I am honest and trustworthy (except with secrets).
  96. I get my right and left confused, and I have no sense of direction.  Try giving me directions if you don't believe me.
  97. I practice attachment-style parenting:  babywearing, cosleeping, etc.
  98. If everyone else is doing one thing, I intentionally do the exact opposite.
  99. I feel like I was born to be a mother.  Having a child was the best thing that's ever happened to me.
  100. I've read this list over several times, because I'm afraid I've forgotten something.
  101. "See youuuu."
2005/9/8

Laura's quick fix for WinFixer

As I mentioned yesterday, WinFixer is causing havoc on my computer.  After downloading six different spyware removers and anti-virus programs, and still experiencing extra windows opening while surfing the Internet, I have come up with a quick fix that has apparently worked:
  1. Use a Web browser other than Internet Explorer.
  2. Presto!  WinFixer is kept at bay!

Now, I'm no computer expert and I'm sure that spyware is still lurking in the background, but so far this is working.  The carefree Internet days are back!

2005/9/7

Confessions of an Internet junkie

My husband has accused me of being an Internet junkie.  Unfortunately, he is absolutely correct.  (For once.)  I didn't realize how far gone I was until I got the stinkin' "winfixer" adware, malware, or whatever the hell you want to call it.  I can no longer surf the Internet without extra windows popping up, being redirected to the "WinFixer" site, all while moving at a slower-than-slow pace.  I keep trying to rid myself of this adware attack, but just when I think I have deleted it for good--whammo!--another window pops up telling me I have spyware and I need to install WinFixer 2005!  Shit!
 
I have spent hours downloading reputable spyware-removal software, updating and running virus software.  I'm at my wits end.  I need my Internet back!  My personal favorite is when I visit CNN, another window pops up with a painting of two young girls, which then performs a search for "Fox News."  It's an attack on liberals no less!   
 
I remember the good times.  Surfing carefree.  Ordering from eBay.  Basking in the glow from the monitor while the whole house is in darkness.  Ah, those were the days.
2005/9/1

Hurricane Katrina: Blog for Relief Day

I'm embarrassed to say, but I didn't find out about Hurricane Katrina until late Tuesday evening.  (Seriously, I don't get much free time to watch TV or read the newspaper.)  Anyway, I am joining thousands of bloggers today in posting a link to a charity organization in hopes that the readers will find it in their hearts to donate some much-needed cash to help in the relief effort. 
 
Please join me in donating to the American Red Cross and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  If you would like more information about Blog for Relief Day and/or to log your contribution, please see The Truth Laid Bear Web site for details.
 
Thank you!
2005/8/31

My midlife crisis

Yawn... stretch...  For those of you wondering if I've dropped off the face of the earth:  I've been, like, napping for the past two months. 
 
And I'm having a midlife crisis at the ripe old age of 31.  Last week I got four four inches of hair cut off (which reminds me, I need to shave my legs) and got my nose pierced.  Yes, you read that right.  I've now got a little sparkly in my nose!  I hauled my five-month-old daughter to Steve's Tattoo here in Madison last Wednesday and had it done during the day.  I wish I had a photograph of the shocked look on my husband's face when he got home from work that evening.  Here in our house, where things are fairly sedate, a nose piercing is a big thing.
 
Other than that, I've been trying to get out of the house every day.  Baby and I have been attending a parent-baby discussion group every Tuesday and now we're on the Moms in Madison list.  (I just found that Web site two days ago.)  Hopefully, we'll be doing the playgroup thing in the near future.  My daughter and I have a ton of classes lined up for fall:  cardio strolling, baby and mom strength training, music classes for children, and swimming lessons (the "shrimp" class).  I figure if I register for stuff, we'll actually go.  (Sleeping in these days is oh so tempting.)
 
Other noteworthy things that have happened these past few weeks:  Got a computer virus, baby started drooling profusely, I bought some crap on eBay (when the hell are those miniature raccoon figurines for my sister going to get here?), and my daughter is now able to play with a toy for more than five minutes before screaming at it.
 
And I'm going to try to update my blog more often!
 
 
Here's a blurry picture of me with my new nose ring.  (Hey, it's hard taking a picture of yourself!)
2005/8/24

And the winner is...

You voted.  I listened.  And the winner of the Halloween costume contest is:

2005/8/17

Beware of postcards!

The postal carrier is in front of my house reading postcards!!
2005/8/15

But, doctor, it was HUGE!

My husband and I are not ones to overreact, but on Saturday we freaked out when our baby girl had a huge, red, hot welt on her forehead.  We were at the zoo and 20 minutes after we got there, we noticed that she had a large insect bite on her head.  Ten minutes later, a two-inch circle of puffy redness surrounded the site.  That's when I decided:  it's time to call my mother for advice. 
 
Of course, my mother, always erring on the side of safety, said to take her to the doctor.  (This is the last time I call my mom for advice.)  Anyway, we leave the zoo and head across town to the urgent care center.  
 
First, we had a really snotty nurse.  She was literally picking on us, saying crap like, "You guys must be first-time parents," and my personal favorite, "Well, sweetie [directed to my daughter], you did fine, but your parents are a wreck."  She also said that our daughter was dressed like "Nanoock of the North."  She left us in the exam room, chuckling to herself about the couple of parent rookies that brought their child in with an insect bite. 
 
But this is the embarrassing part:  By the time the doctor came in to see our daughter, the welt was gone, leaving nothing but a teeny, tiny red dot.  We assured him that it was HUGE, and that we weren't parents prone to overreaction.  After examining our baby, and declaring her A-OK, he asked us if we had any other questions.  (I suppose he figured that we must have other parenting questions, if we bring a baby in with a tiny bug bite.)  We hung our heads low and said that we didn't have any other questions, but reiterated that the swelling had been significant and that's the why we came in. 
 
It was HUGE, dammit.  She could have been brain damaged or something.  Geez.
 
 
Below is a picture of my daughter and husband at the doctor's office.  (She looks fine here, but seriously, her head was really swollen!)
2005/8/12

**Vote for your favorite Halloween costume**

Baby will be too young to go trick-or-treating this year, but I'm still going to dress her up for Halloween.  (Babies are just so damn cute in costumes!)  But I can't decide which costume to go with.  That's where you come in.  Please leave a comment and let me know which costume you think is the cutest.
2005/8/11

I'm too sexy...

Picture this:  My husband, my daughter and I are out for a walk this lovely evening.  The moon is shining.  A gentle breeze is blowing.  I feel happy and free. 
 
And I'm wearing my new yoga pants.  Let me tell you, once you've worn yoga clothing, you'll never want to wear anything else.  The stretchy material lets you move in all directions; the fabric feels nice on the skin.  It's like wearing heaven.  So I tell my husband, "These are my new yoga pants.  I feel sexy in these pants."
 
He just laughs.
 
[sigh] 
 
Now I realize that I am a good 45 pounds heavier than the day we were married.  But that's only because I carried his gigantic baby for nine months.  He should have replied, "You are sexy, honey"--even if he's just lying.  It doesn't matter; he still needed to say it!   
 
Regardless of what my husband thinks, I am a sexy mama.  And by God, I will wear my sexy yoga pants all over town!
2005/8/9

I can hear you.

Yes, you.  That is, if you are the family in my neighborhood with the new baby.  By the way, thanks for buying the same baby monitor; we can hear you loud and clear.  "Channel 2" has become our favorite entertainment lately.
 
*  *  *  *  *
 
So, this Saturday, my husband was "on call" for childcare duties while I was "on break."  Baby was napping peacefully in her crib.  My husband, fixing the family truckster  in the garage, had a baby monitor receiver with him to hear when she woke up.  Then, the garage door to the house opened, my husband quickly came up the stairs, got the baby and went back into the garage.  He's done stranger things, so I really didn't pay much attention.  Then he came back into the house, carrying our baby, with a confused look on his face and asked if Monty the cat was making a lot of noise.  I said "no."  Then he said, "Come here and listen to this."  We proceeded to the garage, and sure as shit, there was a baby crying on the monitor.  Not our baby, of course, but a baby somewhere in our neighborhood. 
 
We had a little chuckle, and then continued to listen to the monitor for the next several minutes.  I felt like a spy. 
 
Then we both realized that if we can hear them, they can hear us.  Now we're worried about what we said, did, fought about--all while having the monitor on.  Please, God, tell me we didn't have the monitor on when we were fighting about how much formula to feed our child.  That could have been one full hour of laughs for someone listening in.  In our defense, we were both very tired.  And baby formula is a very hot topic in our household.      
2005/8/8

My M&M's addiction

Last night my husband and I each got a bag of M&M's in the checkout lane at the store.  They were still in the pantry this morning.  I ate my bag of M&M's for breakfast.  I ate my husband's M&M's for lunch.  Then I went to Walgreen's to get a prescription filled, bought another bag of M&M's for my husband to replace the one that I ate.  But then I ate that bag of M&M's too.  (Sorry, honey.)
2005/8/7

Dead beetles and clean refrigerators

I'm a person that believes in keeping my house clean, tidy and well organized.  However, while my fridge is usually tidy, I'm not so good about keeping things wiped down and clean.  I figure that the food doesn't actually touch the refrigerator, so there's no need to keep a spotless fridge. 
 
That is until I found a dead beetle lying belly up in the back of the fridge.  Poor thing.  The expired tartar sauce probably did him in. 
 
So I cleaned the fridge.  Took me two hours; probably would have taken me only an hour, but I was watching baby and she needed to be entertained.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to entertain a four-month-old baby while you try to do something as boring as clean your fridge?
"Look honey, Mommy's cleaning the produce drawer.  Can you say 'produce drawer'?  Is Mommy putting the produce drawer on her head?  Silly Mommy!  Should we sing about wilted lettuce?  What about expired tartar sauce and dead beetles?  Where's my cute little baby-waby?  Peek-a-boo!" 
But now my refrigerator is clean and shiny!  No more beetles!  No more expired condiments and limp veggies! 
 
Well, I have to go.  Baby needs entertaining again.