The crazy, mixed up files of Dr. J.

What's in a name?

2011-12-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

We did it. I apologize in advance to our sweet baby girl. For the rest of her life, she will have to deal with her name being mispronounced. In waiting rooms everywhere there will be a pause, and then a tentative calling of "Ay-lee Valenti?"
Not that I don't like the name Ay-lee; in fact I was thinking of it as a serious contender, but was worried that people would think the first letter of her name (like a B or H or K) was left off.

For the record, our daughter's name is Ailey Marie Valenti (and no, it doesn't bother me at all that all three of her names end in an "ee" sound). Ailey is a name of Scottish/Irish origin and means "light" and "pleasant." You pronounce her first name as eye-lee, but we didn't want to spell it that way because it is a bit too...too...functional and puts the first thought into someone's head of an eyeball.

Phonetically speaking, our nephew Sam informed us that her name does not "play fair," because "when two vowels go walking the first one says its name," hence it should be "Ay-lee." Maybe we did misspell it according to the rules of the English language, but when did this language ever really play fair?

Welcome to the world!

Cameron videos

2011-10-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Caretaker of the Rocks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfHNS0SA18o

No swimsuit, no problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtjHI0g6T9E

Fun with Kelp:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KP3Dcacwk0

Trains & Togas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4oT2sMxtOQ

Soaked at the Splash Park:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ2dIv5vynY

Playground Fun

2011-10-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

Cameron loves to play at playgrounds. Here are some photos and videos of him exploring and playing at one of our neighborhood parks.

Park Swing Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S4W_r5ba1Q

Sliding and Climbing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvbmjBT4zZs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVxfNHxXJnE

Triumphant and Tragic Tomato

2011-10-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

I used to think that I had a little bit of a green thumb...after all, my high school science fair project was successful, and it even involved cross pollinating plants (by the way...hot gluing dried bee abdomens onto toothpicks to use for cross pollination purposes can be frustrating, but if you ever need any tips, I'm your girl).

I also had some kind of dendron (rhododendron? philodrendon? I'm not quite sure) dubbed "Frederick Eugene Cornelius" I procured in college, which has been flourishing for 13 years.

Sadly, these previous examples are the anomaly in my plant growing resume. Especially here in California, where plants are purported to have a growing season of 12 months, I thought I might have a chance of adding some additional success in my agricultural career. Nope.

I have discovered that the plants I have tried to grow in my pots in our courtyard (by the way, although it would be handy to call this little garden my "pot garden" since everything is growing in pots, that term can be misunderstood, so it is hereafter referred to as the courtyard garden) don't thrive. I have planted peppers, tomatoes, and lots of wildflowers. I had visions of bringing my friends colorful floral bouquets and feasting from the pepper and tomato bounty that would emerge from the pots in the courtyard. Those ambitious dreams are in the past, however, as I have tried fruitlessly (pun intended) to produce something, anything, from the modest green sprouts that are in the pots.

A few weeks ago, a miracle happened! One of the hanging tomato plants actually grew, and PRODUCED A TOMATO! I was ecstatic, and was imagining the different ways we could celebrate and eat the tiny cherry tomato once it was grown. Cut it three ways? Eat it all at once? Suck out the juice and harvest the seeds for future generations? The possibilities were exciting.

Then, as I was filling the pitcher with water for the tomato plant, my favorite little helper launched himself out of his sandbox and went to investigate the tomato. Things after that happened in a blur of slow motion. He pointed, said "tomato," and then delicately plucked it from the plant before I could reach him. Sad.

To his credit, however, he didn't discard the tomato, but played with it for the next 35 minutes, taking a bite (hence the expression in one of the photos) and then rolling it around like a ball, taking it on a journey in the sandbox, etc.

Although I doubt there will be a next time, if there is, I won't get so attached to the items from the garden.

Cameron's latest hijinks

2011-08-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

It goes without saying that most of Cameron's tricks and skills are undocumented. Sometimes I think he believes part of his soul will be taken away if he is captured on film.

Here are a few tidbits of what he has been up to:

He does take time to smell the flowers (and pick them, and otherwise examine them) and also passionately loves transporting rocks. This photo was taken at Sea World.

Containers are a favorite. He loves putting stuff in any container that can hold stuff. Luckily the rubber duckies in the shoes in the basket are fairly benign...we won't get into a discussion here about what he has put in and taken out of various containers such as toilets and trash cans.

We were able to go to the San Diego fair with some friends. Cameron LOVED riding in this boat with his friend Colin and was quite upset when he had to get out. I was just relieved that he didn't stand up and jump in the little canal or otherwise rock the boat.

Do I drug my child? Look at this photo and you decide. At any rate, this was around the 4th of July and he was the most adorable little cowboy with his boots, hat, and patriotic romper.

This photo was taken at the good old Greeley Independence Stampede carnival. We went while we were in CO this summer, mainly to purchase kettle corn, look at cows, and count how many mullets we saw. I, of course, decided that Cameron needed to ride some of the attractions, and after taking out a line of credit to purchase ride tickets, we took him on the miniature train (which he LOVED), the carousel (which he hated) and this flying elephant ride. Don't be deceived by his smile here....it was before the ride started. Once we began flying at a brisk 4 mph, he freaked out and tried to climb into my shirt with me. Oh well. I need to traumatize him early so he has something to talk about to a therapist one day.

An interesting note about me riding on the elephant ride. There was a sign posted that prevented pregnant women from riding any ride (including the carousel and train and flying elephants). After observing the rides I came to the conclusion that the 4.5 month old babe wouldn't be harmed, and took Cam. Although I looked visibly pregnant by then (I guess you "pop out" or "show" sooner with subsequent children), the employees running the rides let me on without so much as a raised eyebrow. I think they just thought I was fat.

This photo was taken at the home of my parents (hereafter referred to as "Jackrabbit Flats). Cam is surveying the scene to decide what he wants to do first. I believe he went hunting for toads immediately after this picture. He showed the toads how to hop.

Also at Jackrabbit Flats; part of Cameron's dirt relocation program. Favorite dirt refugee camps include his head, the hammock, the steps, and on my lap. Be sure to note his beloved cowboy boots (still almost two months later, he wants to put on his boots instead of his sandals).

I also have a photo of him driving my dad's boat while he is naked, but figured I would save that one to pull out for his first date or wedding slide show.

We have this nice little courtyard in our house, where Cameron's sandbox, swing, and tricycle is located (we don't have a yard). The courtyard is also the location for my few struggling potted plants (although I have decided to quit calling it my little "pot garden" due to the potential for misunderstanding), the grill, and my seashell collection/empire. Inevitably Cam alternates between immersing himself in a bucket of water and playing in the sandbox, so he ends up in nothing but a diaper.

Towards the latter end of a courtyard play session...he usually doesn't RIDE his tricycle, but he is a big fan of pushing it around.

This doesn't look comfortable at all! Right before he falls asleep in the car he tries furiously to unbuckle himself (he hasn't succeeded yet).

This boy knows how to relax...but only if there is another kid doing exactly the same thing in the next chair over.

Did you get the memo?

2011-08-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

I guess I should officially mention and make a note about something important, just in case you don't know.

I am pregnant. Great with child. In the family way. Have a bun in the oven. Knocked up. Preggars. You get the idea.

At any rate, I am having a little girl and am due on November 25 (although she will probably make an earlier appearance, just like her brother). She and Cameron will be almost exactly two years apart.

Since I had several blog posts detailing the gestation o' Cameron, and I am not even mentioning the arrival of this one until almost the end of the second trimester, I am sure I am already planting the seeds of second/middle child syndrome. To my credit, however, I am still planning on taking lots of photos of her and even washing off her pacifier if it falls in the sand.

I did find a fabulous diabetes and pregnancy doctor here, and health wise things are fine so far. This gestation is very similar to Cameron's up to this point, with the exception being that I am chasing after an active toddler instead of teaching several classes at various campuses.

Best quotes of the pregnancy so far include:

"How old is your first?...Oh....is this one an accident?" (said to us by one of the OBs in the practice, and no, it wasn't an accident)

"You're pregnant!!{said with a somewhat suggestive "I know what you've been doing!" leer} ....I'd like to feel your belly....When are you due?....Oh....Your baby is going to come out with a baby!" (said to me by a somewhat elderly lady after she palpated my girth and discovered my due date wasn't until November, and no, I wasn't offended because she is very sweet and well meaning and is lonely and if she thinks it is a thrill to pat my tummy, well....I do what I can to bring sunshine to the world)

I guess I can post some preggo belly shots eventually, but it isn't on the top of my to do list. Perhaps I can get video footage of Cameron patting/pounding my belly saying "baby, baby." Or pulling on the neckline of my T-shirt, looking down my shirt, and trying to find where I am hiding the baby.

2011 Family Photo Shoot

2011-08-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

We figured we should finally do some family photos that include all three members of our current family. We have the classic option that always looks good on a mantle of our mustachioed bowling trip, but Cameron wasn't there sporting any facial hair, so we had to try again.

One day in April we headed to the beach with our good friends the Leons to get some good shots of the three of us (note to self and others....finding a parking spot in the beach parking lot on a Saturday afternoon is NOT an enjoyable endeavor. We had to troll around for an HOUR before we finally lucked out and found one). The Leons were great photographers/entertainers/Cameron wranglers and managed to snap a few photos which will be appearing on Valenti and Larsen walls and mantles soon.

Enjoy some of our favorite shots, especially the ones which illustrate the difficult process of capturing a year and a half year old looking and smiling at the camera with all his clothes intact.

Un-lucky Charms

2011-04-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

When I start jonesing for something sweet, one of my first lines of defense is raiding the cereal cabinet. A handful of Honeycombs or Corn Pops (which is the extent of our sugary cereals) usually does the trick and I am not above picking out the sugared raisins from Raisin Bran (which, really, is the entire point of Raisin Bran anyway), but occasionally I have to bring out the big guns and pull out the emergency Lucky Charms.

I have been known to "mine" the marshmallows from Lucky Charms (actually, they are usually "Marshmallow Mateys" "Hidden Treasures" or some other generic brand). Although I hate regular marshmallow, I like the crunchy, sugary cardboard bits in Lucky Charms (on a side note....putting miniature marshmallows in the food dehydrator does not create the same crunchy, sugary cardboard bits). Typically when a craving hits, I pour out a bowl of the cereal and pick out the majority of the marshmallows, putting the "mined" portion back in the box, shaking the box to evenly distribute the mine trailings, and put away the box for another day.

Marty has occasionally expressed puzzlement about the lack of marshmallows nowadays in Lucky Charms. When I pulled this stunt at my parrents' house, my sister's kids noticed immediately (but I think they have forgiven me by now).

The other day Lucky Charms were on sale, so I got a box and decided to have a bowl of un-mined cereal with milk....just like a normal person would eat it.

It was disgusting. I found myself trying to navigate my spoon around the marshmallows because there were so many. The milk tuned some shade of chartreuse puce. I had to dispose of the contents of the bowl.

I am mildly concerned I took another step on the road to Geriatria, because I would much prefer a bowl of Grapenuts. Unsweetened. But I won't worry until I add prune juice to the menu.

Bananas and balloons

2011-04-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Cameron is usually a great shopping companion when I do my weekly routine at Wal-Mart, The Dollar Tree, and Vons (Safeway). This trifecta of favorite stores is located within the same strip mall, which makes for a convenient but long-ish excursion.

Typically, at our first stop at Wal-Mart, he is content to simply observe the wackiness that is the atmosphere of a Southern California discount store, but by time the greeter says "Thanks for shopping at Wal-mart," he needs some extra help. After dropping the Wal-Mart purchases in the car and grabbing some secret weapons (in the form of fruit leather and animal crackers), we head to the $ store.

The $ store is a magical place filled with items such as flower festooned fly swatters, brightly colored cleaning supplies, and tacky garden decorations. We usually find ourselves playing with various items during the trip (the flyswatters are a favorite), alternating with the occasional cracker. Typically, when checking out at the $ store, Cameron is at the point when he quite vocally lodges his complaint when said flyswatter or other item is removed from his grasp, and is only moderately mollified by the fruit leather. Whilst dropping off the $ store purchases in the car, I put some nuclear secret weapons in my pockets (think of a spinning light up twirly toy and miniature trucks).

When the time comes to knock out our shopping at Vons, Cam is running on boredom and pent up adventure seeking. He usually gets through the fruit leather and animal crackers by the time we get through the produce section( read: throws any crackers and the remnants of the fruit leather out of the cart), and is done (read: throwing them out of the cart) with the toys. I get fancy and creative with pushing the cart by the side without the handles, letting him ride in amongst the groceries, etc. We usually make it out of the store without any incredible melt downs.

Today, however, was the Chernobyl of shopping trips. We didn't even have to go to Wal-Mart, and Cam was done with his snacks by the time we got down the 3rd aisle of the $ store. He was placated by a bright blue star shaped balloon while we were in the store, and he was so happy with it that I just broke down and bought it so he could have it in the grocery store. By the time we got to Vons, I had a sad and somewhat high maintenance boy on my hands, even though we even took a short detour into PetSmart (handily located between the $ store and Vons) to see some ferrets, fish, cats, and dogs to soothe his temperament.

Luckily, however, he still had the magic blue balloon and was okay chewing on the string and bopping the balloon against his head. We were picking out our produce and singing the bananas song (to the tune of "Tomorrow," from "Annie"...Bananas, Bananas, we love our bananas, they're full of po-tass-i-um.") when, in a moment of happening too fast yet taking place in the clarity of slow motion, in a painful and heartbreaking moment, the balloon separated from the string and floated up to the ceiling. Cam looked at me. He looked at the balloon. He looked back at me. He looked back up at the balloon. He pointed. And his forlorn, tragic expression tempted me to stack 8 shopping carts on top of one another so I could climb to the ceiling to rescue his balloon. I didn't, and I ended up opening a package or Crunch/N/Munch (before purchasing) to get us through the rest of the trip.

Parenthood lesson #34876: next time I will duct tape the balloon to the string. I will tie and duct tape ANOTHER string to the balloon. And I will have emergency chocolate in my purse.

Time travel to the Dark Ages....

2011-03-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have been incredibly spoiled in my diabetes care. Right after my diagnosis at age 14, our PCP sent me to the Barbara Davis Clinic (BDC) because he recognized that my care there would be much more complete than what he could give. Thank you Dr. Chesley--it was the best referral you ever made.

The BDC is an amazing center for the research and treatment of insulin dependent diabetes. I have participated in several research studies there, and the treatment options are cutting edge technology. The blood test that measures average glucose levels (an A1C) is taken via a finger prick and the result is available within 4 minutes. The staff really understands TYPE I diabetes and do everything in their power to help you control blood glucose levels. There are dietitians, nurses, and diabetes educator on hand IF YOU NEED THEM. My doctor is superb and knows that what works in theory doesn't always work in a type I body. I never feel censured when, after trying my best, my numbers are not perfect. Quite frankly, I find myself running out of superlatives to describe my experience at the BDC.

I love the BDC so much that I have been flying back to Colorado every 3 months to attend my appointments. I have been searching for a good diabetes doctor here in San Diego, but
1. Most have waiting lists of 4-5 months
2. Most are not accepting new patients
3. Most have no clue about the fine details of Type I.
A quick delineation between the different kinds of diabetes. Most diabetics in the world have Type II, also called adult onset, which means that the body either 1. Doesn't produce ENOUGH insulin, 2. Doesn't USE the insulin the body produces efficiently, or 3. Both 1 and 2. Gestational diabetes is basically Type II while a woman in pregnant. Due to the hormonal roller coaster or pregnancy, 1-3 can occur. The treatment of Type II diabetes focuses on helping your body "remember" how it is supposed to work: a healthy diet, exercise, etc. Occasionally oral medications are used to help the body use insulin more effectively, and in the end some patients will end up using insulin.

Type I (juvenile diabetes) is an autoimmune disease, which basically means that the body's immune system destroys some part of the body, in this case the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. IMMEDIATELY upon diagnosis, someone with Type I MUST begin taking insulin. Without insulin, the body doesn't work...sugar from food, and naturally produced glucose from the body, clog up the kidneys, eyes, circulatory system, and the body doesn't have any fuel, since the glucose stays in the blood. AT this point, if I didn't take any insulin, I would be dead within a few days. Not to be melodramatic or anything. Only about 8% of all diabetics have Type I.

There are tons of treatment for type I, and I use an insulin pump combined with a continuous blood glucose monitoring system. I have two needles in me...one is attached to my pump via a tube and gives me insulin. The other senses my blood glucose level and sends a message to my pump so I can see what my blood glucose levels are.

So much for my "quick" explanation. At any rate, hopefully you can see that the differences between the kinds of diabetes.

AT the beginning of January I tried to get my foot in the door with an endocrinologist here in San Diego. Yesterday I finally had my appointment.

The doctor I went to knows about insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems, but is clearly used to dealing with the other 92% of people that have diabetes. He really wanted to focus on making diet and exercise changes so "I don't use so much insulin." Really? I exercise about 6 hours every week, and eat a fairly stringent diet. I have been dealing with my diabetic body and how it works (or actually, doesn't work!) for 18 years.

The doctor was pleasantly surprised that I "know exactly what I am talking about" in terms of what is happening with my body, and that my eye exam and kidney tests were current. He was a little shocked that I had just been in to see my endocrinologist in Denver in January, and was amazed that I go there every 3 months (which is the absolute recommendation for check-ups for Type I).

After spending 15 minutes with me, he said "Well, our time is up so next time we will cover some more issues at your next appointment."The kicker is that this doctor is so busy that his next opening for an appointment is at the END OF JULY. In the meantime, he will have a bevy of people calling me: the diabetes educator who "knows" about pumps, the dietitian, and a different diabetes educator. AT this point, I feel like I am a diabetes educator myself (quiz me on a carb value...any carb!) and DON'T NEED the calls. I need a knowledgeable doctor who can help me tweak some insulin rates and uncover hidden pitfalls.

He sent me down to get a blood draw for my A1C value, where the line to GET said blood draw was over 45 minutes (keep in mind that Cameron was at a babysitter's house). I went straight to my car, gently wept while driving to pick up the babe, and then got mad.

I feel like I was enjoying living in a sparkling house complete with remote controlled appliances and a bidet, and now I am thrust into a broken-down shack with an outhouse. I guess the commute will continue.

MmmmMMMMmmm...New Neoprene!

2011-03-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY found a wetsuit in size 1, for children starting at 30 pounds (I am optimistic...he will be 30 pounds in about two years). Don't ask me where I found it because I can't recall the exact clicks that took me to the magic site. It was an exhaustive search, but I emerge victorious.

On Saturday we took Cameron to the beach, suited him up (hopefully this is the beginning of a lifelong love affair with neoprene), and let him go. Here are some videos of the hilarity. The boy does love the water! He still got cold though, since the water is about 55 degrees and the wetsuit is a little big. We only let him stay in for about 5 minutes, but when it gets hot in the summer the wetsuit will allow him to stay in for at least 10 minutes, and stay warm in between jaunts to the water.

Recent Life & Times of Jeanette Marie Valenti

2011-03-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

-I've been reading these two books OVER and OVER (Cam picks out the books himself). I LOVE the "Somewhere in the Ocean" book and have it memorized, but there is no love lost over "Go Dog Go." If Cameron didn't love it so much, it might have to go for a long drive in the country.

-I've been cleaning up after DE-STRUC-TOR, also known as Cameron. Here is a before and after picture. Note that the "after" photo was taken about 8 minutes after the before picture.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

-I've been baking. This note is from the postlady:

-I've been having family coming and going. I love playing tour guide!

-I've been gathering the stuff to make Cameron's first photo/scrapbook. At 16 months after his birth, at least it is all together!

-I've been writing an article for a diabetes website, and also started a new blog about diabetes.

-I've been helping out a friend who just had surgery. She has 4 kiddos that I have been chauffeuring and helping get them ready for school. I realized that my hairstylist skills for 3 year old girls really need improvement!

-I've been filling up my new little etsy shop with some of my crafty projects.

-I've been trying to organize our new piece of IKEA furniture. Our old piece of furniture there was at the height where Cam could reach up and pull everything off. This new shelving system is about a foot taller, so it is unreachable for the next few months (hopefully). It is also a little easier to find all of his assundry toys.

-I've been walking on the beach, with Cameron in the snuggli. It is my favorite form of exercise! Here is my view while walking:

-I've been building my shell empire!

-I've been working on a training course and filling out HR paperwork for BYU-Idaho. I get to teach a few online courses for them, starting in April.

Cameron 15 month portraits

2011-02-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

A boy on the beach

2011-02-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

I've created a monster. Usually when I walk on the beach Cameron is in the snuggli, but occasionally I put him in the beach stroller. He doesn't really like the beach stroller, so I usually don't use it. It IS nice to have when I let Cam play on the beach though, because I can put in a few towels and some dry clothes.

A few days ago I let Cameron out of the stroller to wander on the beach and play. His first order of business was to stand and survey the scene, checking out what would be the most fun. He decided that running away from me would be a good start, and a chase ensued. He headed away from the ocean, into deep sand, which he thought was incredible. I guess I need to get him a sandbox!

The next activity was pushing the stroller. He grabbed the front wheel and pushed the stroller backwards, which made him incredibly triumphant and proud of himself. Then he found the water, and it was all over. He LOVES splashing, and I was holding his hands so he wouldn't go any deeper, but the waves could still wash over his toes and ankles. He vehemently expressed his displeasure at my restraining him in such shallow water, so I removed his pants and took him in so the waves could wash over his knees. It wasn't enough, and he really struggled and let me know he wanted to walk right into the thick of the action. I am such a mean mommy...I wouldn't let him.

By the end of our little frolic in the waves (no more than 5 minutes, otherwise he would FREEZE! The water is about 53 degrees), I picked him up and wrapped him in a towel. You would think I was trying to feed him to the seagulls for the fuss he made. As soon as he was dressed again, I let him down to walk beside me on the sand. He made a break for the water, hell bent on catching a wave. He was NOT pleased when I held him all the way back to the car.

Today I walked with him in the snuggli. When I bent down to pick up a shell, Cameron reached for one too, and then put it in the shell collecting bag with great delight. Once again, though, it was not enough, and he thrashed around and waved his arms because he wanted to get down and play. So, I let him down to cavort in the sand, but once again he headed straight for the water. Sigh. We were both soaking in the first 5 minutes of our walk. I really need to find a wetsuit with a leash.

Cameron Update

2011-02-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Cameron is 15 months old. Stats:
*He weighs about 19 pounds now, but I don't know how tall he is since it is nigh to impossible to measure a moving target.

*He has 16 teeth, and I think he is working on more, but once again it is hard to check since it would require him to open his mouth and let me peer in to count. It is hard enough to get in with a toothbrush (by the way...I never imagined that dental hygiene would be of such importance for a little 15 month old! Seriously?)

*He liked peanut butter for a week, which was awesome, but he has moved on to mild cheddar cheese. I expect he will move on from that in about a day, but his favorite constant is bread.

*He still loves to read and choose his own books. I have tried to catch him on video as he "reads" books to himself, complete with inflections in his babble, but no luck there either.

*Cell phones, remotes, and the contents of any drawer (except the ones that he is allowed to play in) are his favorite toys.

*If he is fussy, I usually strip him down to his diaper, and he cheers up immediately. The boy loves to be naked. When he is tired, he starts to try and disrobe, pulling at his clothes.

Swim, minnow, swim!

2011-02-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Cameron loves the water. In Colorado, there is a swimming pool (actually a therapy pool) that is about 98 degrees. It is the perfect pool for swimming with small kids, especially if they are 15 months but still wearing shorts for 3-6 months (aka no insulating blubber).

Mustache Bowling!

2011-02-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

I really stink at bowling. At one point in my life, I was on the road to a perfect bowling score. After three frames, however, it came to a crashing (or non crashing, I guess I should say) halt. I have Cameron to thank for those three magic strikes, because I was pregnant with him and my balance was somehow changed. Then I got cocky in my success and actually started to think too much, thus causing a final score of 58.

Since I have no inherent love or skill for the game, the best bowling games, to me, require some sort of silly wager or challenge. Once, while bowling with Marty and my dad, I proposed that the loser of the game, not including me, had to wear a fake sparkly fairy tattoo, purchased from the vending machine at the rear of the alley. It was close, but my dad ended up plastering the fairy on his ankle. It looked alarming, a fairy with all that hair.

While in CO a few weeks ago, we went bowling with the Valenti sisters (sounds like a singing group...hmmm....they are all really good at Rock Band...). To make things a little more interesting, fake mustaches were purchased from the toy vending machine at the rear of the alley. Whoever kept the fake mustache on the longest got to add a certain number of points to the final score. The loser of the game had to post a mustache wearing photo of herself (I guess it could be him, but Marty was the only boy and he has a knack for winning games like bowling, putt putt, badminton, pin the tail on the donkey, etc.) facebook status.

The competition was fierce. Mustaches began to painfully itch. Slowly, they came off, one by one. Two were even torn off by a sibling. I don't even remember who lost...but Marty (of course) won. Here are some photos of the hilarity:

Floppy disks and microwaves

2011-01-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

On this, my 32nd birthday week, I am engaging in some good old fashioned “remember whens.” Over the last few years, it has become patently clear that I am no longer considered a youth. There have been lots of scary signs of my age, but one of them is when I interact with other adults, I usually peg them as older or younger than me. (You know you do it too…not necessarily on the forefront of your mind, but when meeting new people, you have a schema in your head, part of which is their age). I have been shocked when those I consider my same age or a little older are actually younger.

Maybe I feel so young because (as Marty frequently reminds me) I robbed the cradle and married someone 2 ½ years younger than me. Maybe it is because I am the youngest child. Maybe it is because I have a youthful spirit. Who knows? At any rate, I am now in the dichotomy of feeling young and old at the same time. Luckily, I am not at the point where I like fruitcake or have to wear a sweater when it is 70 degrees out, but I have been around the proverbial block.

So here are some of my “wow, I feel old because I remember when” moments:

I remember when:

-Floppy disks were actually floppy

- I was little (maybe around 5 or 6) and my mom got her first microwave for Christmas. It was a really big deal and we were all very excited. Did life really exist prior to microwaves? Apparently so, and I can remember it.

-In 6th grade, we had a unit in DOS computer programming. It took me about 4 months to enter enough commands to have the black screen appear to have a blue line at the bottom.

-I was riding in a friend’s car (in high school) and I was sooooooooo impressed that her car had BOTH a tape deck and a CD player.

-Movie nights at home were big and a novelty…not only would we rent a video, we would also rent a VCR. The VCR came in a huge padded box, similar looking to a pizza carrier.

-“I like big butts and I cannot lie” was THE most scandalous song ever, compared only to “I’m too sexy.”

-Our Apple IIGS computer was totally trendy. Bank Street writer was the word processing program, and The Print Shop was cutting edge in card and banner making technology. I made many a craft from the perforated edges torn from the computer paper.

-"TGIF" meant that you got to watch 2 hours of awesome (in retrospect, horribly cheesy) TV shows.

-Our first “cell phone” was a black box, roughly shoe box size. It plugged into the cigarette lighter in the car, and had 6 inch antennae that flipped up to get reception. The actual phone unit was the size of a home telephone, complete with spirally cord. Once I was lost with my mom in Denver, and we had to find a gas station so we could call and ask for directions. Later, about 10 miles past the gas station, we both realized that the very purpose of the big black box in the backseat was to prevent us from having to look for a pay phone at a gas station.

-My brother played an Atari, so the advent of “Duck Hunt” and “Super Mario Brothers” were amazingly advanced gaming programs.

Did I miss anything?

The great napping dilemma

2011-01-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

I should probably rename my blog to something of the effect of "life and times of Cameron," since 88% of my posts are about him. But then again, 88% of MY life is about him, so I guess things even out.

Anyway, every day I take a gamble about naptimes for Cameron. He usually takes one short nap (20 minutes) and then a long nap (1.5 hours). On days when I am feeling nap-ish, I have to gamble...is it going to be a short nap or a long nap? Inevitably, if I decide to lay down at the same time, just as I am getting into some wonderfully relaxing dreams, Cam is up and ready to go. Sad. Today I am exhausted (thanks, cold medicine) but didn't try and relax because I knew Cam would be up in 20 minutes. He has been sleeping for an hour. Who needs Vegas, when you can take a gamble here?

Disco ball fun

2011-01-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

Our house can be described as a charming bungalow. It has several features which are fabulously retro (one day I will actually take photos and post them of the entire house, complete with goldfish cracker carpeting). One of them is the green wall papering in a few cupboards, and the other is a disco ball-esque light fixture in the stairwell.

Cameron loves the disco ball, and I now swing it back and forth every time we go downstairs because he loves watching the light. It has come to the point where I even reach up to swing it when I am not with Cameron. Here is a video that captures just a hint of his delight with the disco ball. Can you tell I have a camera that finally takes videos I can post? :)

The great belly button hunt

2011-01-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Cameron is starting to learn about body parts. When we ask him where his nose is, he inevitably grabs one of our noses and expects us to say "HOOOOOOONK." Although he loves probing (read: picking our noses and giving accidental wet willies) our facial features, he is still not 100% accurate about his own facial features since he can't SEE them. We'll be working on this, but in the meantime he has discovered his belly button. When we ask "where is your belly button?" he looks down and points to it. Of course it is more complicated when he is clothed....he pats his tummy and gives us a quizzical look...where on earth did my belly button go?

We tried to get a video of him, but of course he clams up when we actually want him to do something. You can get the idea though.

Jeanette WHO?

2010-12-21T16:31:00.001-08:00

I absolutely adore listening and singing along to Christmas carols, especially the classic versions (not so much the versions put out by, say, Justin Bieber or Snoop Dog)Last year I paid homage to one of my favorite Christmas carols of all time. "Upon the Mountain." I still love the song, and I have the greatest husband who made a CD with it repeated 26 times (strangely, when I played this CD during a family gathering last year, some family members seemed to tire of it by track 7. Odd).

This year I wanted to tell a bit about another favorite carol. For most of my life I was under the impression that everyone knew this song, because it was on all of the Larsen Christmas tapes/CDs (Manheim Steamroller, Carols in Brass, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, etc.). In fact, when trying to help people remember my name, I would sometimes say: "Jeanette, you know, like the Christmas song." Most responded with a quizzical look or simply smiled and nodded, and I finally realized that most of the world (especially my university students) had no idea to which song I was referring, which was "Bring a torch, Jeanette Isabella."

The tune of the carol is fine, and I like how it is varied according to performers to be fast and lively or slow and nostalgic (Manheim Steamroller's version is my favorite...I remember listening to the song whilst gazing at my favorite tree ornament, which was a little ceramic fawn...and no, Brian, I was NOT peeking at the presents during that time of magical reflection, that "My Little Pony, Baby Surprise" toy you got me that year genuinely had had the wrapping paper pop across the plastic, so I was able to see what it was when I was moving other presents. This is, not to say, however, that I never cheated. I did, and frequently, just not in this occasion).

Click HERE to hear the song as a background to a great little video about the birth of the Savior. Below you will find the words, which are simple yet profound. Have an amazing Christmas, and I hope you will feel the love Jesus has for each of us and be able to share that love with others.

Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella
Bring a torch, come swiftly and run
Christ is born,
tell the folk of the village
Jesus is sleeping in His cradle
Ah, ah, beautiful is the Mother
Ah, ah, beautiful is her Son

Hasten now, good folk of the village
Hasten now, the Christ Child to see
You will find Him asleep in the manger
Quietly come and whisper softly
Hush, hush, peacefully now He slumbers
Hush, hush, peacefully now He sleeps

Jeanette's Cosmic Wish List

2010-12-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

Wishing for peace and goodwill across the planet would be great. In the meantime, I have my own selfish agenda of impractical wishes:

-Have the cost of living in San Diego drop by at least 20%

-Have all the drivers in the US use their turn signals

-Be able to do the splits (a silly thing I have wanted to do since I was in gymnastics as a little girl, although I was never that flexible as a five year old, so I am pretty sure the ship has sailed already on this wish)

-Have every fruit fly and fruit fly egg in Southern California die. Really, what vital role do fruit flies play in the food web?

-Have the ability to transmogrify sea shells into diapers

-Have our poor neurotic, OCD neighbor be able to relax enough to not stress about dust-busting her rocks and washing the curbs at 3 AM

-Find a shark’s tooth on the beach (but this could actually be a bad thing, since if I found a shark’s tooth it would mean that there are an awful lot of sharks in the nearby ocean, to mean one of their teeth would actually make it onto the beach).

-Have my refrigerator magically refill itself with Diet Rootbeer and Diet Coke

-Have the thieves who stole our jeep LaFawnduh get their car stolen while they are at a deserted rest stop in Wyoming at 2 AM and the temperature is -13 with a wind chill of -56, so they are forced to wait in the warmth of the bathrooms (did I mention that the plumbing at this rest stop has been backed up for three days?)

-Have the ocean temperature in Mission Beach area rise from 61 degrees to 85 degrees (I know this would really affect the ecosystem and everything, but it would be much more pleasant to frolic in the water, especially since Cameron LOVES playing in the ocean but his lips turn blue after 7 seconds and he shivers …and we wouldn’t have to try to find him a wetsuit…do you know how hard it is to find a wetsuit for an 18 pound toddler?)

-Have Cameron:
*Sleep in until 9:30 and take a solid 2 hour nap every afternoon
*STOP wanting to play in the trash can
*Let me cut his fingernails and toenails while he is awake
*Stop spitting out every 5th bite of food

Flipper & Friends!

2010-12-17T18:43:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we had the chance to go on a 3 ½ hour whale watching cruise. AWESOME! We didn’t see any big whales, but we saw an AMAZING mega-pod of dolphins—over 1500! (dolphins are actually a kind of whale, so we technically did see “whales,” but none of the gray whales that are migrating there during this time of year). Cam loved the ocean, seemed to like watching the dophins. We ended up getting cruise passes, so we will have many adventures to come!

A diabetic mormon's adventures in Vegas...

2010-12-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

You may have heard the phrase "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." I guess in my case that could be true, but the only thing that would "stay" in Vegas on my account is the fact that I spent $1 in a "Lord of the Rings" penny slot machine and ate some junk food.

Las Vegas is known as "sin city." Due to my religious beliefs and general personality, I really don't like to be in that type of environment (you know, where seeing nudity is normal and ads for "free love for a price" are common). I also have diabetes, which means I try and have a fairly healthful lifestyle, sans junk food. Vegas has legendary buffets and savory snacks.

You may wonder how I ended up there in the first place. Well, I have never been to Vegas and Marty thought I would appreciate seeing the sights and love watching the eclectic mix of people (he was right---crazies everywhere! Incredibly amusing). So my parents were down in CA for a visit and watched Cam for two days while we made the road trip to LV.

We had a blast! We walked the strip (I felt like a hayseed, looking at all the lights and blushing from some of the suggestive billboards), went to an incredible Cirque de Solei show, and slept in and read books (heavenly, without having Cam helping us turn the pages...oh, and they weren't board books with ducks in them either, they were real grown-up books that didn't rhyme!). We saw the light and fire shows some of the hotels have outside at night, and played a few arcade games (I am never very lucky at those, but I did get enough tickets to win a miniature wizard statue and some rainbow fingernail decals--Christmas is coming for a few of my friends and family!).

I was sorely tempted to take photos of all the crazy folks wandering around, but I didn't want to be thrashed about the head and neck with any of their red pleather bustiers or rhinestone headresses.

Fun little vacation, even if it was somewhat tame by Vegas standards.

Dirty House? Don't clean it up!

2010-12-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

I am frequently amazed at the amount of grime, goo, and general crumb-iness a 13 month old baby produces. Sometimes I have to admit that I just let the mess stay on the rug, couch, kitchen floor, Cameron's face, etc. After reading the following article, however, I am rejoicing in the fact that I don't always whip out the Clorox wipes immediately. I am not being a slob, I am preventing Cameron from having diabetes!

Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, August 2010
No one knows what triggers type 1 diabetes, but research suggests that environmental factors may be behind the disease's increasing prevalence. An analysis of hospital records revealed that children with more siblings or from disadvantaged families were less likely to develop the disease than those from smaller, wealthier families. The authors say the finding supports the theory that extremely clean environments foster a misfiring immune system that attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, as happens in type 1 diabetes.

Cameron and the Cuttlefish

2010-12-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

This is the last installment of our adventures in Colorado back in October.

In previous posts, I mentioned the appearance of the stomach flu during our trip. I hate to mention it again, but it did add another layer of excitement to our plans.

Prior to our Casa Bonita trip, we went to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to see an IMAX show about the ocean. About 1/3 of the way through the show, right when the cuttlefish were mating, I heard a little gurgle and felt warm stickiness flooding my arm and leg. Cam had thrown up on me (I guess he wasn’t ready to see marine life procreating). Luckily it wasn’t projectile, so the people in front of us didn’t mind too much. I rifled through my purse and swabbed myself with wet wipes and tried to enjoy the rest of the IMAX.

After the show I headed to the bathroom to finish cleaning up. 25 seconds after entering the bathroom, my sister came in holding Cameron at arm’s length. To say he was covered in goo would be an understatement. He WAS goo. He had just thrown up, Vesuvius style, all over Marty and the floor of the museum.

Luckily I had another outfit for Cam in the car, but he needed serious detox before we could even think about changing him. SO, with the help of my mom and sister, we stripped down a dripping, gooey, upset Cameron. He was a little happier once he was completely naked (the boy does love to be in the buff), but started to SCREAM and SOB once I had to stand him in the sink to de-goo-ify. Sadly, the faucet in the museum bathroom was one of the automatic kind, so you had to stick your hand just in the right spot to get any water to come out. Once the water did trickle out, it was cold. Very cold.

Poor Cameron had to put up with me cupping my hand under the cold water to get some to sponge him off (did I mention the water was cold?). The process took quite some time, as Cam was incredibly smelly (did I mention gooey?). I also had to transfer his sink location every minute because the automatic faucet quit dispensing cold water after about 3 cupped hand full of water. My baby vehemently expressed his displeasure at this development.

At this point, some museum patrons came in to use the facilities. I imagine they were startled to see a naked screaming baby getting a sponge bath in the sink, but having just seen cuttlefish mating, they didn’t seem to think it too odd.

I did have a clean diaper in my mini purse/diaper bag, but we still had to parade a somewhat naked Cameron all the way through the museum and parking lot. He was pleased with this part of the experience.

Once we reached our vehicle, we got Cam dressed, and then both of us had to change clothes (since we were traveling, we had a change of clothes with us in our overnight bag). It is interesting for two grown adults to try to modestly change clothes in a car in a museum parking lot. We watched the news the next day, but no one reported seeing any streakers in the vicinity, so I guess we were safe.

Moral of the story? Nothing good comes from watching cuttlefish mate.

Viva Casa Bonita!

2010-11-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

As promised (threatened?) I am trying to catch up and report on most of our Colorado adventures.

One of the things on out CO docket was to take Cameron on first Casa Bonita trip. As a preview, for those who have no clue what Casa Bonita is, click here. We went two days after Cam was sick, a day and a half after Marty was sick, and a day after I was sick. For those who have been to Casa Bonita, or anyone who has eaten at a somewhat inauthentic Mexican restaurant, you can understand the timing of that outing was not the best. Luckily, however, no one really goes to CB for the food (including us, although the sopapillas are delicious and free), only for the atmosphere.

The atmosphere that night was awesome and enjoyable for small children everywhere. I think Cam appreciated it. He gave the “what the hell” look to the wandering mariachi band (they were sorely missing their regular trumpet player, who seemed to be replaced by someone auditioning for an air horn impersonation gig). Cameron didn’t go into “Black Bart’s cave,” mainly because it is loud and dark and rowdy kids are running amok, but also because I am terrified of it.

His attention was captured by the cliff diving shows (not really the pirate one, but the gorilla/ape one and the juggling fire one). He especially appeared to be amused watching his three cousins experience the joys of CB.

The plot of one of the shows involves one of the main characters being thrown off the side of the cliff into the water below, where he disappears. After MIRACULOUSLY reappearing at the end of the show, Emily, 8 remarked “Man, I thought that guy was a goner!” Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and cliff divers at Casa Bonita do live forever.

The cake that jjj made

2010-11-26T08:46:00.001-08:00

I consider myself to be a fairly creative person. I love doing projects that involve some sort of supply from Hobby Lobby, and I am fairly confident that I can make most projects on which I embark turn out okay. I have, however, come to the conclusion that cake decorating is NOT in my skill set, and I don't have the patience to actually make it part of my skill set..

Let me back up and tell you a little more about the way this conclusion was drawn. When we were home in Colorado last month, I decided to have an early birthday party for Cameron, so the entire family could see him destroy his cake, LIVE, with no commercial interruptions.

The theme of this party was nautical, with the guest of honor known as "Captain Cameron." Enter lots of phrases bandied about such as "Ahoy maties," "Argh" and "Mermaid off the port bow!" As part of the sailing adventure, I decided I wanted to make a cake in the shape of a ship. At first it was simply the outline of a sailing ship, and somehow that attainable goal transmogrified into the HMS Surprise.

Clearly, I have watched too many shows such as "Ace of Cakes." I was humbled as the cake making process ensued...it turns out making a seaworthy ship (or even a ship that theoretically looks seaworthy!) is somewhat difficult. I started out on the right track--I made several cakes in loaf pans in advance and froze them, so I could cut them and stack them with ease, but once it came time to stack and cut them into a ship form I floundered (pun intended). Thanks goodness I have a husband and a father who happen to know quite a bit about ship modeling. Marty made a small cutter (a kind of ship), and I then pirated (again, pun intended and appreciated) his ideas and used them as an inspiration for Cameron's ship.

The next problem was the frosting...it wasn't the smooth as fondant final product I was imagining. Luckily, though, it was thick enough to hide almost anything.

After the cake process was complete, we had the large "USS Cameron" (to feed the party guests), "Shipwreck Island (for Cam to destroy), the "Blackjack" (thus named because all of the letters in Cameron Charles Valenti add up to 21), and the "Sharkbite." Approximately 34 frosted graham crackers also resulted from the large amount of frosting produced, even after all cakes had at least 3.4 inches of frosting.

The good news--people seemed to actually LIKE the way the cake tasted, and seemed impressed with the workmanship of it (thanks you toothpicks, twine, and sails---another great disguise). The bad news--Cameron had the stomach flu on the day of his party and didn't enjoy the cake. He tried, and destroyed his island, and even ate a few morsels (which sadly, ended up on me about 30 minutes later).

Next year's theme? Hmmm....maybe shapes. I can make a mean rectangle cake!

Cringe-worthy

2010-11-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

I am not much for ghost or horror stories, but these following moments are horrifying enough to talk about around a campfire in the dark of night.

*The other day I went to the public library at 12:15 PM. I was somewhat disgruntled to find, upon reaching the front doors, that the library didn't open until 12:30 PM. Ugh. But Cam was sleeping in his car seat and the library entrance was cool and shady, so I decided to sit by the library wall in the shade and just wait. So I sat. Then I felt something sharp and pokey on my hands. When I looked down at my hands to brush off the sharp gravel, I almost barfed because it wasn't gravel, it was dirty TOENAIL CLIPPINGS stuck to my palms!

I know that the library is a popular congregating spot for people without permanent housing, and I can only imagine that someone was sheltering by the library and decided to do some hygienic rituals there.

Needless to say I didn't wait 15 minutes for the library to open. I pumiced my hands on the brick library wall, went to my car, and baby-wiped then sanitized. At least Cam wasn't out of his seat...imagine if he was sitting next to me..he might have found the clippings and put them in his mouth!

*I was going through my old teaching folders and Marty pointed out that one of my folders read "Early Pubic Speaking Assignments" rather than "Early Public Speaking Assignments." Sometimes my brain goes faster than my hands and I omit letters in my unconscious haste to move on to the next letter/word. Sadly, this is one of those instances. I wonder how many students noticed....I guess it is lucky that the unfortunate folder was for the sleepy and largely unobservant early class.

*I watched an amazingly entertaining documentary this week called "Babies." It follows the first years of 4 babies...one from Namibia, Mongolia, San Francisco, and Tokyo. It is fascinating to see the different customs and behaviors for the respective places, and realize that all of these babies are happy and healthy.

There were several times during the movie when I gaped out loud, and squirmed and grimaced. If you watch this documentary, look for the naked baby crawling around with a herd of cattle, a baby splashing in the entrails of a freshly killed goat, a rooster walking on a bed alongside a swaddled baby, and a baby crawling through a desert without any protective clothing (aka naked).

If you do choose to laugh and cringe your way through "Babies," be aware that no "Hooter Hiders" or "Udder Covers" were used in this documentary, so be forewarned. Click HERE to see the trailer for the documentary.

Happy Birthday Cameron!

2010-11-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the world's cutest and smartest and sweetest boy (I know those who read this may know other babies, and you probably feel as though the baby you know is the cutest and smartest and sweetest, but it is in my purvey as a mother that I can say this and truly believe it). I feel incredibly cliche when I say this year has FLOWN by, but I have learned that in this thing called parenthood it is nearly impossible to avoid cliches. Probably nothing I talk about in refrence to Cameron and his amazing feats is new in babyland (with the exception of the instance when he took off his pants using his teeth), but bear with me as I expereince all of these things and subsequently relate them.

In one short year, Cameron has:
-gained an impressive 9 pounds
-grown 9.5 inches
-cut 8.5 teeth
-learned to crawl at the rate of 2 body lengths per second, climb stairs at one stair per second, and crawl/climb (an interesting hybrid movement) over anything in his path
-taken 6 plane rides
-logged in over 35 miles of beach walking
-deposited approximately 4 pounds of crumbs in his car seat

His hobbies include:
-pulling toilet paper off the roll (at the rate of 68 squares per second)
-opening and closing doors
-splashing as much water as possible out of the bathtub
-climbing into the dishwasher
-figuring out how to make mommy make that strangled shriek
-experimenting with dentition (aka putting everything into his mouth and also biting things, like toes)
-carrying objects in his mouth (that adorable puppy look)
-smiling coyly at strangers and then outrageously flirting with them (he draws in even the most grizzled and stoic store patrons)
-reading
-dancing and bopping to music

He doesn't like:
-grass
-staying still (diaper changing has become rather problematic)
-yellow cheese
-sleeping (but has started resigning himself to it, which is nice)
-when mean mommy takes away the cell phone, camera, remote control, pen, etc.

A poignant Halloween 2010

2010-10-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

This time last year I was getting ready to be checked into the hospital so the 8 pound lump o' baby that was "residing in my tummy" could be monitored more frequently. Of course that baby ended up making his debut instead of simply being monitored, so these few days around Halloween are especially memorable.

This time this year that 8 pound lump o' baby is a 17 pound energetic bundle of crawling and climbing mischief, although I still didn't let him have any candy to fuel his exploits. He seemed to enjoy dressing up like a lion, although his paw booties were a little too big.

Home?

2010-10-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today it is a rainy and relatively cool day (60 degrees) in San Diego. I mentioned to Marty that with this type of weather, if we were still in Colorado, we would probably be expecting snow in the wee morning hours. Something tells me that we won't be expecting snow tonight (although if we did I would drive straight to the beach for some historically significant and epic photos...snow and sand!), and the thought made me a little wistful.

We are back in San Diego after an incredibly eventful and fun trip home to Colorado. Yes, did you catch that I said "home" when mentioning Colorado? I don't know quite how to describe my home these days. When describing my home, I feel betwixt and between, in a liminal state. On the plane ride out to Colorado, my row mate asked if we were from San Diego. I replied that we were FROM Colorado, but were LIVING in San Diego...an important distinction.

I love living in San Diego. I love walking on the ocean. I love going to Sea World. I love ocean kayaking. I love staying home with Cameron. I love getting to know new people. I love not having bad allergies.

But I miss family...really miss family. I miss friends...really miss friends. I miss camping in the autumn. Hobby Lobby. Sonic (yaaaay Route 44 and Happy Hour). Bright blue skies. Frost. Not driving around too much looking for parking spaces. Having lots of babysitters. Home!

I am looking forward to reflecting and blogging about our "home-cation" Colorado trip soon...Cameron's early first birthday party sadly juxtapositioned with our bout with the stomach flu. My facepainting endeavor at my niece's birthday party...Casa Bonita...The mountains and fall foliage. But for now I have to adjust back to pedestrian life at home HERE. I need to help Cam learn to climb DOWN stairs. I need to unpack. I need to clean out the potential antibiotic cultures in our refrigerator. I need to go grocery shopping. I need to work on my book chapter. I need to I need to grade stuff for my online class. I need to prepare for my presentation at a conference in November. I need to print out the tide chart for this week and go walking on the beach!

He came, he crawled, he ate.

2010-09-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Cameron is an antsy boy these days. He hates to be confined, so the other day after he had begrudgingly resigned himself to the jogging stroller during one of our epic beach walks, I let him out of the stroller and set him on the beach.

He perched himself on the sand, then got up the courage to tap, then pat, then grasp, and then dig his fingers in the grainy stuff. He dug around for a bit, then began to squirm, then began to crawl, and then began to speed crawl. He LOVED the huge canvas of crawl space that the beach offers. There were so many things to see (and of course, eat) that he was quite disgruntled when it was time to go. It was quite daunting to try and wrestle his wet and sandy outfit off, and once it was off I had to fight the temptation to take more photos (for the health of our camera I refrained). A baby in the buff on the beach is indecently adorable.

Oh, lest anyone be concerned at the generous sprinkling of sand on his face and around his mouth, don't be! I have done extensive research on the consequences of babies eating sand, and the consensus is promising. Babies seem to like the feel of sand on their gums (especially when teething), and the salt taste also seems to be a bonus. A few sandy diapers--and the discomfort of the parents-- are the only drawbacks.

Dolphins!

2010-09-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

One time I was in the Larsen family Ford truck getting a Christmas tree...I think I was in my late teens/early twenties. As my dad was backing up the truck across a steep boulder littered field, I reached into my coat pocket and excitedly gasped and exclaimed "I found my chapstick!" Upon hearing my gasp, my dad slammed on the brakes and about had a heart attack. He thought we were about to go off a cliff, hit a rock, or otherwise be marked by the mountain. He didn't seem to understand my exuberance at finding my favorite chapstick, which had been lost to me since my last ski trip.

When we moved to California, I promised Marty that if (hopefully when) we saw dolphins in the wild, if we were in the car, I wouldn't give him a "I found my chapstick!" myocardial infarction moment. Luckily, we were on the beach when we saw native dolphins. It was a chapstick moment.

I squealed. I gasped. I may or may not have whacked Marty's arm. I couldn't wipe the dopey grin off my face.

Since out initial sightings, we have been gifted with several dolphin viewing experiences. Sadly, the dolphins we frequently see offshore are incredibly difficult to photograph. Imagine trying to catch an image of the toast popping out of the toaster. Here is the best I have...

The evolution of expression

2010-09-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning out my photo folders and found some cute photos of Cameron. He has always been very expressive, especially with his eyebrows, but he has one face that I have irreverently dubbed his "what the hell?!" face. Enjoy.

"I saw the sign...and it opened up my eyes...I saw the sign."

2010-09-19T20:56:00.001-07:00

A quick nod to the group "Ace of Base" and their breakout hit "I saw the sign." Here's looking at you mom, bopping along to that song in our blue Ford Aerostar. It is hard to imagine what my teenage years would have been like if I wasn't able to drive-dance in our little white Suzuki Swift to this song.

Now that I have this song running through your head, I want to post photos of some of my favorite random, ironic, or otherwise humorous signage I have noticed in my travels. Take note of the red banner at the bottom of the drive-thru menu (I just had a really hard time writing "thru" and not "through").

Cookie Mystery...solved! (maybe)

2010-08-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Call me Encyclopedia Brown...I think I have the great cookie mystery solved (see earlier post if you don't know what I'm talking about).

Before I tell you about the possible solution, I need to "introduce" you to our condo community and one of our neighbors.

We live in a condo community that used to be a senior living community. Most of the homes are owned, and although it is not officially senior living, at least half of the residents are seniors. The buildings are only one or two stories, with attached garages. The townhomes/condos (is there really a difference between condos and townhomes? I am using the terms interchangeably). There are 3-4 townhomes attached in each block. The front doors in our block are all facing the same way as the front doors in the next block over, and our back doors and garages are facing the back doors and garages of our other neighboring block. In the front there is a sidewalk, and in the back there is just the parking lot and street within the complex.

The landscaping around the blocks of buildings is professionally maintained, with grounds crew coming at least once a week. With that said, let me describe one of our neighbors.

She daily polishes her wind chimes and garden art. She sweeps the street outside the garage areas. She VACUUMS her landscaping stones to remove the stray leaves and petals. She prunes the shrubbery around the entire building. She waters all the greenery around the entire building. She does all of these things at about 3 AM (she ostensibly says that she does it at this time because it is cooler, but I theorize that she does it at this time so the other neighbors don't turn her in for overusing water or prevent her from messing around in their yard area).

I went, with Cam on my hip, to give her the cookies we had made to introduce ourselves. Upon reaching the sidewalk leading to her house, I caught a wiff of industrial strength cleaning materials. Right outside her door she had a little shelf loaded with cleaning supplies. When she opened the door, I was almost knocked over by the fumes of orange glo, tilex, bleach, lysol, etc. Cameron sneezed. My eyes watered. Our sinuses were cleared.

I quickly introduced ourselves and offered the cookies before she chased us away with mace, or Formula 409. Although the neighbor seemed friendly enough, she kept the storm door (which was a fairly dense screen, so I could only make out her outline) shut for most of our 15 minute conversation (she filled me in on her health, her perception of the state of decay and apathy of the neighborhood, her illegal-according to the community's rules-ownership of 3 cats--one of which she "took in"...aka stole... from one of the neighbors because she felt as though the neighbor didn't take care of it, and the neanderthal nature of the previous owners of our townhome--apparently they tracked mud all over the street and into their own garage frequently). As our conversation drew to a close, our neighbor (I will call her Gloria) finally cracked the screen and accepted our paper plate of cookies.

Just as we were leaving, Gloria opened the door and called "Oh, and I don't know how, but some of my landscaping stones are by your front door. I don't know how they got there, but I took them back." Oh. I had noticed that the stones I collected from the beach and placed in our front garden area were gone, but I figured it was the grounds crew that took them away, owing to some community rule about rocks in the gardens. Who knows.

At any rate, I responded that the stones were ones that i had collected from the beach. Gloria then replied "Oh, I noticed they didn't quite match mine! I'll return them." She had "reclaimed" the stones and placed them in her landscaping area. I told her not to worry about it, that I collect tons of stuff from the beach and could just get more.

The next day I noticed that my unmatching rocks were placed again by my front door.

Last week I left our neighbor a wire flower garden ornament with a thank you note acknowledging all her hard work in the neighborhood (it does look nice and I know she cares about it, even though we would all be okay if our street was not swept and every stray leaf removed). She stopped by later to thank me (I must admit I was paralyzed when she came into our front foyer area...it is clear that a baby lives here and i could already imagine us making it onto her pigsty list).

Yesterday I noticed that she had placed the wire flower IN OUR YARD SPACE in the back. There is no equivocation, no gray area, no blurry line. It is in our space, put there sometime in the wee hours.

So she returned the flower, and I am betting that she also returned the cookies. Anything we gift her with returns to us like a boomerang. Why? I have no idea.

Cam Stats

2010-08-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Cameron is a little over 9.5 months old. Since birth, he has gained a whopping 8 pounds, weighing in at 16 pounds. He has grown 8.5 inches,for a total of 28.5 inches tall, so overall he is tiny guy.

He is a ninja crawler, and is pulling himself up on everything, usually biting as he goes (he loves to crawl up my leg when I am working in the kitchen, and my leg is covered with wet spots where he has gnawed). As the above photos show, he rarely is still, whether it be naptime, diaper changing time, bath time, or meal time.

His favorite toys include cans of soda, remote controls, keys, cell phones, baby gates, balloons, fans, and electronic cords (generally anything he is NOT supposed to have).

He eats just about everything these days, especially things that are not supposed to be eaten (sand, paper, shoes). in one of the photos above you can see a piece of bread scattered on the floor around him. He loves bread but hates bananas.

The great cookie mystery.

2010-08-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Background Information:
A few days after we had moved into our CA dreamin' townhouse, I met our postal delivery worker, Barb. She knocked on our door, introduced herself, and handed us several days worth of mail that she had been saving for us until she was sure we were officially moved in. Barb was friendly, I was friendly, and Cam wanted to eat the handful of letters in her postbag.

About two weeks after we moved into our little bungalow in San Diego, I baked chocolate chip cookies for the two other neighbors that are attached to us (in condo type buildings). Both neighbors were friendly, accepted the cookies, and welcomed us to the neighborhood (one neighbor is mildly crazy and thought I had stolen some of her landscaping rocks, but that is another story).

Current Mystery:
Last week Barb ran into me while I was unloading groceries, and thanked me profusely for the plate of chocolate chip cookies I had left in our mail slot. After consuming said cookies, Barb told me she had a moment of panic and wondered if, in fact, the cookies were meant for her since there was no note. Huh. Well, we had not left any cookies in our mail slot for Barb (I would have, but I thought postal workers were not allowed to accept such gifts), but I reassured her that it was totally fine that she enjoyed the cookies.

Barb, of course, felt bad (did I mention that she wears a real pith helmet everyday while delivering mail?), but did tell me that she had no ill effects after eating the cookies, so whoever did leave the cookies meant us no harm. Good to know. I told Barb I would let her know if I had any updates about the anonymous cookie giver, and once again told her not to worry about eating the cookies. After all, it is a federal offense to tamper with mail and mailboxes, and any sane postal worker (hahahahahha...a nice play on words) would draw the conclusion that cookies shoved in the mail slot would be meant for them.

With Barb's guilt assuaged, I am now plagued with the mystery of the anonymous cookie givers. I was thinking it was someone from church, or even one of the neighbors, but there was no note. So now who gave us the cookies? Why was there no note? Maybe one of the neighbors I gave the cookies to was somehow offended and returned the cookies I had delivered (I don't know when Barb actually ate the cookies, and she wasn't sure either, she just said it was "a while back")

We may never know the answer to this riddle, but at least now I can leave little goodies for Barb, clearly labeled.

Colorado Culture

2010-08-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have done a fair bit of traveling in my day, and always come home to Colorado. I love my state and will always say I am from Colorado, even if residency there was 4 states and moves ago. There are some unique CO quirks and ways of life, and I love getting this email forward that details them. I picked a few of my favorites to share here, since I have really been missing CO.

• You call it “ELitches” and not “Six Flags”

• When people out east say they have mountains, you laugh

• You go anywhere else on the planet and you notice that the air feels sticky and the sky is not longer blue.

• You think it is normal to have a snow storm in the month of May

• Your sense of direction is “towards the mountains” and “away from the mountains”

• You have no accent at all, but can hear other people’s.

• Humidity is anything over 25%

• You grew up planning your Halloween costumes around your coat

• You went to Casa Bonita as a kid, and as an adult

• You don’t care if some company renamed it, it is still “Mile High” stadium

• You have gone off roading in a vehicle that was never intended to go off roading

"When Kids Attack"

2010-07-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

I was reading this article and actually laughed out loud, which is pretty rare for me when reading something.

This is the funny article link..click here

Instead of playing Farmville, an embarrassing favor...

2010-07-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned before that I am a doting parent. I usually am pretty impressed with the way I show restraint in my enthusiasm for my child, and only minimally flash my cell phone photos around to strangers and friends (family members have their own photos to flash of him, and they do...some even have a sort of shrine set up, but I won't name names). Funny thing though...people all around me mention how adorable my baby is, so I don't feel like a total love-is-blind type of parent.

Regarding the winning features of Cameron, a trend began to develop here in the sunshine state (or maybe it is the golden state...) At the grocery store, at the dollar store, at the library, at Home Depot (he was a big hit there), at the nursing home, at church, at the gas station, at the beach, people would ask if he was a "star baby." I usually answered something rather flippant like "of course he is a star baby!" Then I heard about the star baby contest...a radio station here in SD has people submit photos of their baby and then people vote to see who the cutest baby is, who is then officially dubbed "star baby."

I never in a BILLION years thought I would EVER enter any of my offspring into a contest, especially after watching shows like "Toddlers & Tiaras," but I don't know what got into me. I entered him to be a star baby.

I am more than aware and even expecting some gentle mocking for this choice, mainly because I am so weirded out that I decided to do it. I mean, I obsessed about which photo would show his dimples and impish intelligence. Humiliating.

At any rate, I do think that most of these contests are popularity centered, as in how many friends, family members, and brothers' cousins' roommates' veterinarian's can you get to vote for your child. So, if you could help ease my tender sensibilities by voting for Cam, feel free.

Don't worry...this isn't the start of something ugly, and it won't lead to me trying to sell you Tupperware, knives, candles, etc. Just think of it as your good deed for the day to help poor Dr. J who is teaching at Cameron University to feel warm and fuzzy.

So, if you have a minute and want to feed into this quirky experiment, click here to vote for Cameron...you can vote once a day. Please do, because it will make me feel better for being such a sell out. But hey...if he wins, what an awesome scrapbook page that could be!

The end of the world as we know it.

2010-07-26T14:12:00.001-07:00

We knew this day was coming, and we were even excited about it. Although we were well aware of the huge life changes it would entail, we knew it would be a fun novelty and would eventually be good for everyone involved. Well, the time has come. Cameron is crawling.

He has been psuedo-crawling for quite some time--pivoting on his bum, rolling, getting on all fours and rocking back and forth. He was pretty mobile in an unconventional way, but we wanted him to reach the big milestone since he was so stinkin' close. We would encourage Cameron to get a toy just out of his reach, we would give his little bum a a nudge, to no avail. THEN...one day I heard a loud thump........thump. It was Cam, crawling in a very deliberate and slow fashion so his hands would make a loud thump on the carpet. I cheered and gave him positive feedback, to which he smiled back. That was the extent of his crawling for a few days...just a few thump thumps, but no real mileage.

Then he discovered that this thumping phenomenon of crawling could translate into more fun. The first distance trip was due to a garden hose. He saw it, a pretty white and green striped thing coiled in our courtyard, and he knew he had to chew on it. The next thing we knew he was thumping as fast as he could to the patio door to get at it. Luckily his thumping crawl was still manageable, since the courtyard is concrete and there is a little step to get to it, and if he would have made it the fun would have been over. We caught him, but now the word is out. Crawling is the passport to new adventure.

We will have to move a lot of things around, like the metal screen with flower photos in one of the photos above. Cam has now (he is more athletic than his mother) discovered he can "high step" crawl and get up the step to reach the flower screen, which is a hypnotically interesting toy. The screen would hurt him if it fell on him, so it will soon be making an appearance in a guest room near you.

He plays on the kitchen runner rugs while I am in the kitchen, and likes to lunge into the refrigerator (and dishwasher) as soon as it is open. I can't say I blame him...the appeal of Diet Dr. Pepper is strong.

My brave new step will be allowing him to crawl on the beach. Although he has accessed the floor and played with our shoes enough to have his digestive system tolerate sand, I am the one who can't stand the thought of him sucking on a sandy hand. I think I need to get over it, because worse things could happen, and I do need to prepare him for the many faceplants he will do in the sand when he is practicing walking. Oh boy...give me another few weeks at least!

Don't feed the tourists

2010-07-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

I still feel a little like a tourist here in San Diego, due to my excitement of all the fun things to do here. I am chagrined about the huge amounts of OTHER tourists here though...the beaches are crammed and I haven't even tried Sea World or the zoo.

All the strangers around here have spurred my mischievous side. The following is a devious list I have come up with (just from my ruminations today...I am sure the list will grow) to "play" with the tourists.

1. Take a large quantity of pistachio shells. Dye them purple, pink, or blue (with Kool-Aid, nothing too high tech or the fun would be lost). Scatter them on the beach to excite and then disappoint avid shell collectors (this is just because I myself have mistaken several things for shells, including Styrofoam fragments and drops of bird poop). A potential benefit to this plan if that someone might actually never realize that their beautiful sea shells are actually pistachio shells.

2. Take a position on the beach, facing the water. Shade your eyes and look out to the water excitedly. If you have someone with you, exclaim to one another how cool and playful the dolphins are. There are, of course, no dolphins, but you will attract quite a crowd if you pretend that you see them. An "Emperor's New Clothes" type of situation.

3. Park yourself in a popular area (such as a beach or the zoo parking lot). Act like you are going to leave, with opening and shutting doors, putting things in your trunk, etc. Wait until you have a lurker holding up traffic behind you, camped out for your space. After putting things away, stroll away from your car. Repeat as many times as you like...most people will never catch on.

Cameron vignettes

2010-07-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Cameron is 8 1/2 months old! It is incredibly easy to chart his age since his birthday is November 1st.

Right now Cam loves to listen to my crazy singing, wriggle around on the floor with an occasional crawl thrown in, play with toys that aren't meant for babies, eat avocados (supplementing with carrots, peas, squash, banana, applesauce, and sweet potatoes), and put anything he can get into his mouth. Writing all of this sounds so ordinary and pedestrian, he is like any other baby. BUT--he is OUR baby and we have so much fun with him. We are, without a doubt, doting parents.

A funny thing that I noticed the other day is the meaning of his name in the baby name book. Cameron: crooked nose, mischievous. Luckily, all accidents so far have avoided giving him a crooked nose, but he is lining up to be mischievous for sure! You can tell in some of the photos that he has a somewhat impish smile.

I have a blog?

2010-07-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Yes....I do have a blog and I love to chat about life here. Sadly, sometimes life gets in the way of chatting about life in the great wide blogosphere.

In the last month and a half I have made a round trip DRIVE to CO from CA (Cameron was a CHAMP in the car...we discovered he loves the "100 bottles of pop on the wall" song. And yeah...that is the version I knew growing up. It was not until a field trip in 8th grade, riding on a bus, that I discovered some people sing the song inserting "beer" in the place of "pop."), taught a whirlwind 4 week class at CSU, made lots of visits to my friends and family in CO, and watched little Cameron come out with a total of 7 teeth, discover solid food, and learn to crawl (he was stuck in reverse for quite some time, and would frequently get stuck under beds and couches. I think an 18 hour trip in the car, however, made him so stir crazy he actually had energy to propel himself forward).

I had a great trip to CO, but many of my pseudo planned/imagined activities (camping, taking photos in the mountains, having Cam experience Casa Bonita, hang out with friends and family for extended amounts of time)never happened. I seemed to forget that I would, in fact, be teaching a class, with all the attendant responsibilities. You mean I actually have to grade papers and prepare lectures? I will have to plan to fit everything in for my trip in October.

Upon returning to our home in CA, I have discovered that San Diego is in the full throes of tourist season. Our epic beach walks will be somewhat curtailed with the hordes of bikini and shouldn't-be-wearing-bikini beach goers. The same principle applies to visits to the zoo and Sea World...I don't feel like battling aggressive youngsters with souvenir sippy cups to catch a glimpse of a panda or dolphin.

So, for the next few weeks, I will put the finishing touches on nesting in the house, catch up on blogging, baby-proof/learn everything, start Cameron's scrapbook, plant a garden-ish area in our courtyard, walk around our neighborhood, send out some fun packages, and prepare for an online class I will teach in the fall. I hope Cam will actually begin taking naps longer than 12 minutes!

San Diego sun spots

2010-06-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Call me a fool. The first time I went walking on the beach with Cameron (covered up in the beach stroller, so he was fine) I thought "I don't need sunscreen...we are at a lower altitude!" This line of thinking was incorrect. It turns out that although SD is at a very low altitude, there is "less ozone," which lets more damaging rays through.

I was out on the beach for about an hour and 15 minutes, and my scalp, arms, and shins got fried (good thing my face moisturizer has sunscreen in it and I was in shorts and a t-shirt!).

Yesterday I went walking on the beach and I put on SPF 50. My face still got a little pink (I was only outside on the beach for about 2 hours), but it is patently clear where I missed with sunblock. My right hand is bright red, my left elbow has two patches of red, my feet are striped red, and I have a little swath of red on my neck. I look like a tigered tourist...not a new species, but one that is disgusting once the peeling starts.

Will I have to resort to going for our epic adventure shell collecting walks with a long sleeved flowing shirt and a huge hat?.

Strollers and Sea World

2010-05-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would be criticizing Sea World. It has always been a sort of mecca for wanna-be marine biologists and ocean enthusiasts (like myself), where one can wander around an informative and interactive zoo devoted completely to marine life. Well. My expectation of a marine biology bliss bubble was shattered on Saturday. We went to Sea World with our newly purchased silver membership--buy one year get one year free passes (with purchase of said pass, parking is free, although we might consider upgrading parking to the platinum level, so we don't have to walk 2 miles just to get entry into the park...would mortgaging our future children be worth a shorter walk? The debate is still on...).

Maybe it is because we went to Sea World on the Saturday of a holiday weekend on the same day a brand new show (a very advertised new show) opened. It was insanely crowded (much like Casa Bonita on the day after Christmas), which made it difficult to see anything in the exhibits, much less attend any of the shows. I am not into navigating crowds and getting assertive to finagle for more space, especially when kids with armfuls of souvenirs are involved (neither is Marty, especially pushing a large stroller).

We did catch a glimpse of the polar bears and beluga whales before we were displaced by some incredibly enthusiastic camera wielding tourists from the Eastern hemisphere. We also saw some dolphins whipping around in their tank (I got giddily excited, it is true...the dolphins had a lot of personality and I was dying to get closer, especially to check out the chubby dolphin who was swimming upside down).

Crowds aside, I was disappointed that there were so many roller coasters/rides and unnecessary "extras" that really took away from the focus of "Sea" World. I mean really, is it necessary to have a 2 acre stadium where pets can play, or a Sesame street play bay, or the shipwreck roller coaster? I guess all of these things bring in more money, which can help with conservation efforts, but especially with the crowds I was feeling more like we were at Elitches than Sea World. The coup de gras was that the sea turtle exhibit was cut down (according to my memory, at any rate) to make room for a roller coaster. As if! (now, you have to picture me saying "as if" like I were on the classic iconic movie "Clueless," with just the right blend of disdain and enthusiasm) Think conservation efforts....think conservation efforts...

At any rate, Cameron loved the trip..he was happy and talking away in the stroller, chewing on his shoelace (4 teeth on the bottom, none on the top). He is a people watcher and loves to see all the craziness.

Was Sea World different than my idealistic dreams? Yep. Am I excited to go back? Of course! Next time, I will go with Cam in the middle of the day in the middle of the week. After all, we have to make friends with all the creatures, name them, and make up stories about them to tell Marty when we go as a family on a Saturday in February.

GPS and mariache

2010-05-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

"Joy in the journey" has become my default theme while I am exploring new places. I don't know why I seem to have the gift of "taking the long way," but I have become accustomed to the tendency and try to just roll with it...stock the car with snacks, have good music, and think of who would enjoy the story most as I recount my latest tale of wandering.

I knew I would probably get lost to some extent while figuring out my new city, and especially while trying to determine the tangled ball of yarn that is the freeway system in California. Marty has a global positioning system that he taught me how to use so I could have some assistance while learning everything, so I was confident yesterday when I forayed out (with Cameron) into the world to find some lunch.

I was able to find some food, and then things got complicated. On my way to the store I passed California's first mission. It has been on my to do list to learn more about the history of San Diego, so I decided to go back to the mission after I had lunch. I had pleasant visions of putting Cam in the snuggli while we wandered around a picturesque building, filling ourselves with knowledge that might one day win a game of trivial pursuit.

Well....I tried turning around and finding the mission after lunch, but a one way road put an end to that idea. I was soon hopelessly lost, but not panicked since I had the GPS. Cam fell asleep, and I turned on the Spanish channel on the radio to add ambiance to the experience. Well, after 45 minutes of driving around (the city is very hilly and everything looks the same!) I decided that I had had enough joy in the journey and was ready to find my way back. SO I turned on the GPS.

You can imagine my chagrin when the GPS did not turn on, and then turned on for 4 seconds and turned off again. For some reason the GPS charger did not get along with the rental car, so it was completely dead. I was left directionless, and the Diet Coke I had consumed for lunch was making itself known in my bladder.

To make a long story short, a very long 2 hours after the trip began it ended back at the hotel. But I survived and now know which radio stations are my favorites. Donde esta la playa?

There's no place like Gnome...

2010-05-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

So we are officially living in San Diego. Granted, "living" here right now means staying in a hotel for a few days, then staying in our new townhouse on an air mattress for a few days while we wait for our belongings to arrive, but we have changed our mail to start coming to CA instead of CO so I will call it official.

One of the first orders of business at our new place will be for me to find, purchase(although finding one on the beach or discarded by the side of the road would be even better), and place a garden gnome somewhere by the front step garden or courtyard area. I am usually not terribly into garden decor like gnomes, but there is a fabulous story associated with my new tradition.

My friend Heather is deathly afraid of clowns (and I have been so good at not capitalizing on that, even though it seems like now I see clown things everywhere I go and my mischievous and pesty side thinks of many ways to scare her to death, but it would be too mean), but recently garden gnome statues were added to her list of fears. The pictured garden gnome one day just appeared in her yard, and was reported to have changed positions and locations in her yard several times (without human help). To help her, I took the offending gnome out of her yard and placed it in my parents' yard (without telling them, of course).

The gnome seems to be happy at my folks' place and hasn't moved or anything, so he needs to stay where he is, but I feel the need to honor Heather by placing a random little gnome of my own somewhere here (perhaps with some strategically placed Keebler products, although I guess elves make the Keebler cookies, but I bet garden gnomes help).

Wherever you roam, there is no place like home, and I think a garden gnome might help me feel less homesick. I will let you know...although if the gnome wanders away from his/her original spot of placement, he/she might find a new home in Kersey.

Damn Murphy!

2010-04-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

It is Murphy's Law. Maybe it is because I hung up all of our decorations at our current apartment. Maybe it is because we have a baby and it is painful to think of moving away from our family and friends. Maybe it is because I applied successfully for a tenure track position at Metro State here in Denver, or have a great set up teaching at CSU. Whatever it is, all I have to say is "Damn that Murphy!"

On Monday, March 1st life began to get a bit exciting and complicated. Marty was at work while Cameron and I ran errands. When I got home between errands I noticed a pile of hair in the bathtub. Huh. I surmised that Marty must have been home for something...maybe he noticed his haircut was uneven, had a meeting or something, and rushed home to trim it. I didn't think much of it until I received a voicemail message from Marty later that afternoon, something to the effect of "Call me when you get a chance." Weird. I knew something was up, so I called him back.

Apparently, Marty arrived at work that morning and his boss told him that the district person (exact title unknown, by me at least) from San Diego was here to interview Marty for the Operations Manager position, which is a promotion. So Marty rushed home, trimmed his beard, and went to the interview. It went well, and all signs pointed to him getting the job, which sent our brains spinning.

To make a long story short, Marty flew to San Diego on Thursday, March 4th, interviewed further, was offered the job, accepted the job, flew home on Friday, and moved to San Diego on Wednesday, March 8th. It is great because it is a nice promotion and an important step in his career. He is working hard right now, and it is really all for the best that he doesn't have to worry about his wife and son feeling abandoned and lonely in a new city while he works such long hours. It is also good that Cam and I can have a little more time to adjust and say goodbyes.

Marty visits us for a week in April, and Cam and I will get to go to San Diego during a weekend in April. Our moving day is around the 15th of May, and we will be in San Diego for about a month, and then Cam and I will return to CO for about a month in July so I can teach one More class at CSU. Then it is back to San Diego for good!

We are excited to live in such a beautiful spot and are already booking reservations at the Casa Valenti. The scuba diving around San Diego looks great and I think potty training Cam on the beach could really be fun (although keeping him from eating sand might get complicated). We are, of course, realizing that we will acutely miss our huge support system of family and friends in Colorado. I am also feeling a bit apprehensive about not having a job (the cost of living is much more expensive in SD!) but will really enjoy being with Cam full time without worrying about grading papers or preparing lectures. I am also nervous about my "joy in the journey" approach to finding my way around such a crazy urban jungle...it is a good thing Cam usually likes the car!

I am excited about this new adventure, but definitely ask for all of your thoughts and prayers as we embark on this huge change.

Shark Bite

2010-04-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

Cam is officially five months old and has accrued several nicknames. Eyebrows (due to his fabulously expressive brows), dimples (obviously explained by looking at any photo), shark bite (he chews on everything he can get into his mouth...his hands, including his thumb, much to Marty's chagrin, his burp rags, his toys, the hands/arms/shoulders of anyone holding him, which oftentimes is like a hairy Popsicle), kicker-kicker (he is consistently moving his very strong legs), and small fry (he is tiny, not even on the charts for weight..although he is 26 inches long he is still only 13 pounds).

He has grown so much and it is crazy to see his little wheels turning all the time. He is able to sit up with support in his little chair or on my lap, and is discovering his feet (I am betting within the next two weeks they find their way into his mouth). He is able to grab toys and is interested in everything around him...especially at the grocery store. Who knew the cereal aisle could be so amazing?

Cam is such a trooper putting up with me and my craziness...I think he has already learned to tune me out as I incessantly babble to him about everything and ask him a million questions("Do you hear the prairie dogs? They are squeaking just for you! But don't worry, if they come towards us I will protect you." "What would you like to wear today? You look so good in blue! I agree, I think your happy hippo onesie would be perfect.")

Cameron update from a doting mother

2010-03-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

Cameron is 4 months old! He is 24 inches long and weighs in at 12.5 pounds, which is only about 4 pounds more than he weighed when he was born, but he is doing fine. He holds up his head like a little champion and not so much like a bobble head (even my physical therapist sister is impressed). He already rolls over onto his side and when he is laying on his back he lifts up his neck and chest like he is doing tummy crunches (I think he is trying to set a good example that he wants me to follow with doing sit-ups, but for now I am content with watching him feel the burn).

He is such a little character. He smiles all the time and wins the hearts of strangers wherever we go (of course the standard comment is "look at that hair!"). He is always moving and kicking his legs and waving his little hands (I can only imagine how many calories he burns even when laying down!). He is sleeping in his crib in his own room and usually only gets up once a night to eat like a starving man in the desert (although I sometimes consider his early morning feeding at around 6 to be a nighttime feeding when I want to sleep in).

I really love being a parent and find myself talking and singing to Cameron all the time. He really is a good sounding board and has helped me make such important decisions as to which books to get at the library and what I should make for dinner.

A sappy geek

2010-02-20T21:13:00.000-08:00

The other day while teaching my interpersonal communication class I found myself close (uncomfortably so) to tears. The reason? I showed a youtube clip of the animated story "The Ugly Duckling." (The reason I showed it in class was because it relates to communication and the development of self, which was the subject of the day)

Maybe it was because the little duck has similar expressions to Cameron (the really wide smile and delighted expression) and then he gets so sad...whatever it is, my heartstrings are significantly manipulated every time I watch it.

If you want to see it, here is the link (I am technologically stunted and I don't know how to save the file and upload it here, so just click on this sentence).

There has to be a story...

2010-02-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

I love random happenings. Especially fun are the weird things you see or hear and know there has to be a reason why that rule was made or a story behind that situation. Over the last few days I have enjoyed a few of these "I wonder what is behind that" instances.

The first funny thing was the message that was playing while I was on hold with my hand surgeon. Instead of nice, relaxing, instrumental music, a recorded voice was giving me instructions on snowblower safety. I thought it a tad ironic and funny that the hand surgeon's office thought it necessary to tell patients not to touch the inside of a snowblower while it was going. Isn't that like locking the barn door after the horse is out? If someone needs a hand surgeon because they got hurt on a snowblower, reminding them of snowblower safety tips while they are on hold doesn't seem effective (and also a little bit like rubbing salt in a paper cut...oops! So THAT is what I did wrong..if only I had heard this message before!). The message also made me think of the sheer number of snowblower incidents that the hand surgeon must see to rationalize putting the message on the system. I wonder if the message will change to lawnmower safety in summer...

Another amusing incident happened yesterday morning. As I was walking to my car to leave for the day, I noticed there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers perched on the edge of the dumpster. There was still water in the vase and the flowers were alive, leaving me to wonder why the flowers were designated for the dumpster. More than that, though, was the fact that although the flowers were obviously MEANT for the dumpster, they were not IN the dumpster. I draw the conclusion that the person placing the flowers (the thrower) wanted someone else to see that the flowers were being thrown away. A subtle hint that the relationship was over?

Little People and Cake

2010-01-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

I really should be working on my school stuff-grading online papers, preparing lectures, etc. Blogging has also been on my to do list, however, so I am going to procrastinate one project for another.

Since I have been up a lot at night with my sweet baby (having a new baby really doesn't feel that different to me than grad school, actually, when thinking of terms of sleep) I have been watching lots of TV. I have noticed that the Animal Planet is one of the only channels that has programming all night long, and I have found myself actually looking forward to watching certain shows. One of these shows is called "Pet Star," and features Mario Lopez (of "Saved By The Bell" fame) hosting a talent show for pets. I don't think I would normally devote TV time to this program in normal life, but when it is on mute and I am somewhat sleep deprived it is fabulous.

My least favorite pet talents feature pets eating out of the mouths of their owners--which has happened at least twice so far, once with a bird and once with a rat. My favorite talent so far involved a dog fetching a beer from a refrigerator and then taking the empty can to a recycling container. I think you had to see it to appreciate it...

I have also noticed that there is in inordinate amount of reality television devoted to following the lives of little people (also called dwarfs by the less politically correct) and cake decorators (I love the cake shows and hence find myself craving cake all the time!!). There is even a show following little people who are cake decorators.

I should make a DVD with all the shows I watched while I was nursing and one day Cam and I can watch it together and cringe.

A simple stroll to the mailbox...

2010-01-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

Today I had to go to the mailbox (which is maybe 1/6 of a mile from our apartment, near the opening of our apartment complex)to send out some important things that actually should have been mailed out on Saturday. So this afternoon I was planning on bundling up Cameron, putting him in the stroller, and strolling to the mailbox (and maybe a little longer stroll around the complex so I can actually fit into some normal clothes again and shrink the "I have a dream" section in my closet).

When the time came that both of us were ready to have a little adventure (meaning that Cameron was clean, well fed, and happy and I actually put on presentable sweats), I got out the stroller. Here is where things started to get interesting. We have not had the chance to use the stroller yet since it is winter time and usually too cold or snowy or icy, so it has been folded up in our closet. After wrangling the stroller out of the closet (which was actually a little tricky, given the state of my gimpy hands) I realized that the stroller was locked in the folded position and was going to stay locked unless there was divine intervention.

Usually I can figure out how to unlock something like that after a few minutes because it is just a matter of finding the right button or lever, but today all I was able to accomplish was removing the stroller tray and putting on the parking brake. After fruitlessly battling the stroller for about 5 minutes I started a search for the stroller instructions, which was another useless endeavor, after which I was so frustrated I wanted to swear (I didn't, although I am sure Cameron would have laughed and understood). I had one last go manipulating the stroller, to no avail(total stroller fight time, 20 minutes), and was thinking about other options for travel when I remembered the Snugglie.

The SNugglie is another device we have not yet used, and proved to be even more difficult than the stroller to figure out. The straps and buckles defeated me at first, but I finally got the thing on me securely. At this point I realized that it was impossible to get Cameron into the Snugglie by myself because some of the buckles and snaps required to keep him in safely were out of my reach. Total Snugglie struggle time: 7 minutes.

I guess I could have put the baby in his car seat and we could have driven to the mailbox, but something in my soul rebels at the idea of driving to the mailbox, and part of the point was for me to get some exercise and for Cam to see the world. So I wrapped Cam in a blanket, put on his hat, and we set out.

I felt a bit like a pioneer as I held my squirming baby and tried to be sure his hands and face were protected from the breeze. About halfway to the mailbox Cam's little hat popped off and was impossible to get back on, so I had to readjust everything so only his little nose was peeking out.

The worst part of this story is that I forgot the mail I needed to send out--I got all the way to the mailbox and realized I had left the envelopes on the changing table. So the whole journey was repeated.

Total time for the mailbox adventure? About 45 minutes. Trust me, I'm a doctor...

A match made in heaven!

2010-01-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

The other day I had confirmation that Marty is indeed my soul mate. We were grocery shopping and took a detour down the office supply aisle because we both needed pens. 20 minutes later we finally made our respective decisions (I decided to give the Sharpie pens a try--love them so far!) Some spouses might get a bit impatient after 20 minutes of pen perusal, but both of us are particular about our writing utensils so it was a beneficial and enjoyable detour.

Baking Pseudo-Extravaganza

2009-12-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

I hate to cook but like to bake, but find that I don't really have a lot of luck with recipes. A few years ago I developed a treat (chocolate mint dipped cookies) that is addicting and delicious, and of course I don't use a recipe, I simply eyeball amounts and call it good.

I make this treat every year now, and it was fun this year to have a companion in the kitchen. Cam liked (well, he didn't cry so I like to imagine he liked it) listening to "Carols in Brass" and watching me make my kitchen magic. The only problem is that making the mint cookies is messy, and in the future I need to be more careful when comforting my son--several times I ended up smearing him with chocolate (you can see a little bit of chocolate on his forehead in the photo). The super scary part of this story is that when I saw I had accidentally smeared chocolate on him, I liked my thumb and rubbed it off! I guess my mothering instincts really are kicking in.

Another fun part of making the mint cookies is the unexpected adventures. The other photos features the white minty explosion that happens when warm chocolate seeks the quickest escape from a cheap Ziploc bag acting like a pastry bag.

Cute Cameron photos

2009-12-29T19:49:00.000-08:00

Cameron is growing, and getting cuter and cuter. His facial expressions are wonderfully amusing and he is usually incredibly laid back. I have the best baby ever!

A worthy plug

2009-12-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

I am always on the lookout for great stuff. A few months ago I noticed one of my best friends, Haley, and also her mother, sporting unique and fun pairs of sterling silver spiral earrings (say that 5 times fast!). I forgot to ask them at the time where they had procured the earrings, and every time I thought of it again it was in the middle of the night or some other time when I was unable to call or email them.

Last week I began a search for some similar earrings without a lot of luck. Fortunately, however, I was able to see Haley and her mom, Mary a few days ago. I finally asked about the earrings and discovered that Haley actually MAKES them. She is talented and artistic!

I totally love my earrings-they are light and comfortable and cute and go with just about everything. If you want to snag a pair of earrings, ($15) let me know or shoot Haley an email: hayrollins@hotmail.com

A Christmas Story

2009-12-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I finally watched a movie called "A Christmas Story." I know, I know...I grew up in a cave, but at least I eventually saw it and now it is part of my required canon of holiday movies. At any rate, one of my favorite parts of the movie is where Ralphie has to wear a pink bunny suit he received from a well meaning relative. Ralphie, of course hates it (and who can blame him?) but his parents make him wear it anyway.

This year we are somewhat recreating the bunny suit vignette. A family friend gave us this cute and fuzzy outfit, and we can't help but put Cameron in it whenever it gets cold, especially now at Christmas. I don't think putting Cam in this outfit will scar him for life though, since he is only 7 weeks old and it is not pink...right?

Doing my civic duty?

2009-12-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

So I finally returned all of my incredibly overdue library books (I told a little of this story on a previous blog post, but as a thumbnail sketch reminder: At the end of October I was told I was going to be in the hospital for a while for extra monitoring for my baby, so the night before I went in I went to the library and checked out a bunch of books, most of which were new releases and therefore were nonrenewable and could only be checked out for a week. Since the baby ended up coming on the same day I went into the hospital, I didn't have time to read the books within a week and then didn't feel like driving to the library to return them. Then I actually had to read them before I returned them, and only had time to read them when I took a bath once a day, hence the lateness of the books.).

One reason it was such a pain to return the books is because the library is by our old apartment, about 15-20 minutes away.

An interesting note in the story is that I used Marty's library card to check out the books, so Marty kept getting recorded calls from the library strongly advising him to return the overdue items. I am lucky enough to be married to the sweetest man ever, who just forwarded me the messages instead of getting upset.

When I went in to bite the bullet and pay the fine, the librarian was impressed with the amount of the fine...$26.80

I guess I could have ignored the fines since I actually used Marty's library card, but since our credit is linked I figured I should just pony up the cash. Thanks to my "donation" to the city of Westminster, the library can buy one new hardback book or several paperbacks.

I should really find the library that is close to our new apartment.

brain freeze...

2009-12-18T16:01:00.000-08:00

When I go about my daily activities, I often think "oh, that would be a fun event to put on the blog!" Sadly, I usually forget about it by the time I have a minute to sit down and post, or I wait to take a picture or upload a picture before posting, which means I never get around to posting anything.

Today I had a fabulous thing I was going to blog about, and I actually have a few minutes to write about it, and I remember that whatever it was I was going to write about didn't require a photo, and guess what...the idea is buried in the inner recesses of my brain. Gone, completely gone. Is this what it feels like to lose your marbles?

Introducing...Cameron!

2009-11-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

CAMERON CHARLES VALENTI
Stats:
*Born on November 1st, 2009 at 3:18 PM
*8 pounds, 2 ounces 20.5 inches long.

It has been a long time since I have updated anyone about my life, but it is for good reason...I have been busy! I had the baby, and here is the long story behind his arrival (warning, you may hear pregnancy related words such as placenta and epidural, but I definitely won’t give too much information).

Cameron’s official due date was on November 29th, but babies of diabetic moms tend to get a little bigger, faster (even if glucose control is good) so we were scheduled to have him come on November 16th. My last day at CSU was on October 23rd, and my last day of Metro was supposed to be on the 30th (until the stupid snowstorm hit and things had to get rescheduled, but that is another part of the story). The beauty of this plan was that I would still get a few weeks to nest my heart out, rest, etc. before the baby came. Well, the best laid plans…

Apparently the baby had other ideas for how things should work. For the entire month of October my blood glucose levels had been dropping, and I needed less insulin. Towards the end of pregnancy my insulin needs and blood glucose levels should have plateaued, not decreased. This phenomenon was alarming to the OB because when insulin resistance decreases, it typically means that the efficacy of the placenta is decreasing, which is bad for the baby.

We had an ultrasound and OB appointment on Friday, the 30th of October For the entire month I had already had appointments twice a week to get monitored to be sure everything was okay, but at this appointment the OB decided that I should get checked into the hospital and get monitored twice a day to be safe, given the recent developments. I also had an amniocentesis so we could see how mature the baby was, just in case.

We went home and I packed my bags full of projects (thank you notes to be written, last papers to be graded, library books to be enjoyed, etc.). Part of the preparation involved getting someone to cover my Metro classes for a day and drop off the material for that since CO had an epic October snowstorm and my last day of class was cancelled and I was supposed to go one more day to tie up some loose ends, give a test, etc.

Checking into the hospital on Saturday morning (Halloween), I felt good! I got things done and was actually looking forward to a little R and R and vegging at the hospital. I was monitored once and then we were sent down for another ultrasound and tests. We found out that the amnio showed the baby was mature, even though he was still 4 weeks early. The OB decided that since the baby was mature and he was also already about 8 pounds, and my insulin needs were still decreasing, we should just induce that night. Wow! Marty claimed I had a deer in the headlights look for quite some time that afternoon.

So we were discharged from the hospital until later that Halloween night, and got a few hours of free time (at which point I really should have returned the library books!) we enjoyed some Chipotle while we finished watching our video entitled “Laugh and Learn about Childbirth.” Was it helpful? Not really, but at least we could say we took a class, since this whole pregnancy we were anticipating a C-section. Given the OB’s comments, it was a surprise that I was getting induced first, although if things were not going well the C-section would happen. Huh. Unexpected!

I won’t dwell on the whole labor and delivery process, except to say that he was delivered naturally on Sunday afternoon(which was not planned, it was a result of the epidural NOT WORKING!) and things happened pretty fast. He really was excited and couldn’t wait to come and meet everyone!

After he was born he was in the NICU for a few days to check his heart, monitor his blood glucose levels, etc. He was really jaundiced so he had to be under the lights for two days, but we all went home on November 5th.

We love our baby, and of course he is super smart and cute. And we are all living happily and sleeplessly ever after. The library has been calling a lot to tell me about those overdue books though…

Sisterhood of the traveling [maternity] pants

2009-10-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have learned that I am part of a new sisterhood...the sisterhood of maternity. Whenever a woman experiences pregnancy, she collects a variety of books, clothes, and advice. After the pregnancy is over, the woman (if she feels as though she is not going to have more kids) is eager and excited to pass on any and all of her maternity gear to the pregnant friend, sister, neighbor, friend, casual acquaintance, person in the grocery store, etc. (especially if the pregnant woman is pregnant with her first). The sisterhood of maternity also extends to passing along baby supplies (i.e., clothes, bouncers, books, and advice).

Although I enjoy the sisterhood of maternity with my family and friends already, I recently experienced the epitome of the spirit of the sisterhood with my neighbor (who apparently had seen me waddling around, although I had never actually seen her!), who randomly knocked on my door and gifted me with a box of maternity clothes, four boxes of boy baby clothes, and a little bouncy chair type thing. After going through everything, I am now excited to "pay it forward" and pass on those clothes that do not fit me and my swimmer's shoulders to my cousin who is also pregnant with her first, and some of the clothes that we don't need to another friend who is expecting (I feel like my new job is that of a baby supply broker).

The only potential problem with the sisterhood is that the supplies are usually generously and enthusiastically given by women who are not expecting to have any more children. My theory is that when someone gives away all their maternity and baby supplies, they are tempting fate and will then experience an unexpected pregnancy. Even if that does happen, however, they can be reassured that the sisterhood will pull through and replace all the supplies they had already given away.

The community service blanket

2009-09-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

I love items that have a good story attached. Usually these items are inherited (from roommates, siblings, friends, etc.) or purchased at an odd store in weird circumstances. One of my favorite examples of this is my "waders." About ten years ago I was in a thrift store with one of my best friends. I found a pair of old man-ish type men's plaid pajama pants that I had to have, but then I discovered something that made them even better...I found a name written on the inside waistband with a permanent marker.

The name in the waistband was "Wade Norman," which made me begin to ponder the origin of the pants. First, why was there a name written on the waistband? Usually names are only written on clothing items when they have the chance to be lost (such as items children take with them to summer camp). In this case, why would pajama pants with a distinctive old man style have a name written on them? They could only have come from a nursing home or assisted living facility, where laundry might have the chance to get mixed up.

The next question about the pants involved how and why the pants ended up in the thrift store. They pants were in great shape, so my only conclusion was that Wade Norman didn't need to wear them anymore...and if he truly was an elderly man living in a nursing home, chances are that he passed away. So my "waders" are inherited, in a sense, from a dead stranger. Great story! I loved the pants and wore them until they were literally only threads.

I am excited to find items with special stories and significance for our baby. My sister Erin on my brother's side (aka my sister-in-law) has made the first historical contribution. She recently told me that she had purchased a baby blanket for our little guy. What makes the story awesome though, is that she purchased the blanket at the Ft. Collins courthouse (she is a court reporter and gets to see and hear lots of crazy things!)through the police department's "Toys for Tots" fundraiser.

Apparently, the fundraiser is comprised of handmade items such as toys and blankets, and the proceeds go to buying toys for needy kids at Christmas, then police officers deliver the toys. Not only am I glad that Erin supported this great cause, but it makes for an even better history. The reason? The handmade items at the fundraiser are constructed by people who have made their way through the court system and need to do community service. If they successfully complete the items (blanket, toy, etc.) they receive credit for community service hours.

SO our baby gets an indirect gift from a criminal! Probably not a felon, but maybe someone with a misdemeanor? I guess we'll never know. Erin reassured me, however, that she would wash the blanket several times before letting the baby near it. :)

Baby Update

2009-09-07T19:11:00.001-07:00

We had another ultrasound last week, and although it is difficult because the baby moves around so much, we got a few photos. This one features his squished little face with his arms sandwiching his head.

His favorite position is hiding his face with his arms and hands or holding his hand by his face in a pensive pose. The ultrasound technician labeled one of the photos “he’s thinking.” Well duh…of course he is thinking! He is helping to teach 18 college credits this semester!

For the scuba divers who may be reading…during the ultrasound (for a minute or two) it looked like the baby was trying to point out a splendid toadfish, since his little hand was under his chin with the fingers wiggling (if you are not a scuba diver, don’t concern yourself about this reference). Don’t worry little guy…we will get you certified ASAP!

Other statistics…his feet are about 5 cm long (almost 2 inches!) and he is almost 3 pounds (2 lbs 12 oz as of Thursday morning). His head is in the 98th percentile for size, and the rest of him averages out to the 54% percentile.

He is moving around a ton, and it is fun because Marty can feel him now too. The other day he was particularly active while we were switching back and forth between watching the CU/CSU football game and “The Sound of Music.” I am consistently impressed with his combination of ballet/linebacker moves.

Health is still good for the most part, but I have pregnancy induced carpal tunnel in both my hands/wrists, which is incredibly painful. Starting at the beginning of October I will have to go in to the OB twice a week for about two hours each time so I can have some sort of fetal monitoring test, just to be sure he is okay.

The "better late than never" blog from Camp Hope 2009

2009-08-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have had insulin dependent diabetes since I was 14 years old. Although I have never felt that I have been totally traumatized by having diabetes (it is more of a pain in the neck than anything else), I do know that attending diabetes camp has helped me a little bit, and I know that it is an influential and positive experience for a lot of kiddos that need extra support. It is nice to be in an environment for one full week where people aren't alarmed that you have tubing and needles as part of your person, or don't think it is weird that you have the nutritional information memorized for every breakfast cereal available to mankind. It is fun to compare notes and stories (this one time I got so low.....), and overall the good things (support, fun, etc.) outweigh the bad (primitive living conditions, somewhat icky food, lots of spiders, little to no sleep, etc.)

I started out as a camper, then a junior counselor, then a counselor, than a member of the board/support staff, and for the last few years I have been one of the assistant directors. I have to admit that camp isn't quite as fun when I am in charge, but I still do my best to find adventure and amusement in little things. This year was no exception, and although I definitely could have done without some "adventures," my everyday accidental antics provided a stress relieving outlet of amusement for the rest of the overworked staff.

One of the most frustrating things happened on the first official day of camp. The mess hall roof had just been torn off and repaired, and of course I was the first one who found one of the old screw/nails with my foot (see the photo at the top of the page--that was what was stuck in my foot). Since my foot was punctured and the skin broken, I had to get a tetanus shot. Sadly, the first urgent care I visited refused to treat pregnant women, regardless of the complaint. What was even more disgruntling was that this policy was not revealed to me until after I had filled out a billion pages of paperwork and had been sitting in the waiting room for about half an hour. I eventually found the department of public health and was able to get set up with a tetanus shot (it wasn't as bad as everyone said it would be) and I had an amazing Batman band-aid given to me by one of the campers to make it better. It worked!

Another part of the fun adventure at camp was handling my "morning" sickness. A few counselors actually made a tally of how many times I would throw up every day (easy to do, since the bathrooms are not soundproof!). Everyone gently mocked my tendency to nurse a mug of chicken noodle soup in the morning (breakfast of champions!), afternoon, and evening, but the kitchen staff made it their personal goal to make something I would like and keep down. They made some sort of magical meal that involved chicken and cornflakes, corn and mashed potatoes, and I even got the recipe for it (which is amazing, since I almost never follow a recipe for anything...although I have yet to actually use the recipe). I was also impressed with some sort of low carb peanut butter cookie creation, so much so that the kitchen staff made me my own batch to take home(it was actually a little embarrassing since they noticed how much I liked them based on their observation of me eating about 13 in 5 minutes).

Another little "adventure" involved the shower in my cabin and the plumbing for the entire camp. To say the plumbing is sensitive would be an understatement...for example, to flush the toilets you need to hold down the handle for at least 10 seconds. Usually things with the drains are high maintenance but okay, but for some reason, I had the cosmic luck to be able to cause the shower drain to flood whenever I was in it. I had photos of how disgusting this entire experience was, but my photos from camp were all lost due to my memory card getting corrupted, so you will just have to use your imagination. Or, to get an idea of what the facilities at camp look like, here is the camp website. http://www.wyoba.org/facilities.html#

Anyway, I would be in the shower for about 1 minute when the water would start to back up and wouldn't go down the drain. This situation quickly became drastic because the excess water immediately leaked out onto the cement floor and into every spare corner of the rest of the cabin. The worst part, however, was that it was not just my shower water that flooded the cabin. Apparently the plumbing pipes are all connected, so everything in all the pipes (use your imagination) also came up through the drain. To make this painful story short, the pipes had to professionally pumped out and the west entire side of camp couldn't use the showers, faucets, toilets, etc. for a night and day. It was, of course, just a nasty coincidence that the whole flooding thing happened when I was in the shower, but it does go with my camp lucky streak.

Those are all the stories I can remember or share for now. Since I am a little too lazy to give you a history of camp, you can visit the Camp Hope website: http://www.camphopewy.com/. And some counselors put together an awesome little video that shows almost everyone at camp, so to look at the little video (please, when you see me remember that I am pregnant and sick and tired) follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXxtTjFbN8o

It looks good for the future athlete...

2009-08-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Usually bowling is a generally painful experience for me if I concentrate on scores, so I simply enjoy the environment. Several weeks ago, however, I realized how fun bowling can be if your are actually good. The first five frames found me bowling either a strike or spare, which is remarkable because I typically go an entire game without either. I tasted the exhilaration of winning. On the sixth frame, however, my natural skills took over and I was lucky if I got 3-4 pins knocked down. I chalked the whole experience up to some sort of magnetic field at the bowling alley.

Last week I had another odd experience that made me rethink my magnetic field theory. We went miniature golfing with my parents and I WON! See the score card photo above for proof. Since my bowling and putt putt skills are similar (aka nonexistent), everyone (including me) was shocked. We have come up with a new theory that might explain both the bowling and putt putt success.

Several weeks ago the baby had just enough energy to get me through five fabulous frames. Last week the baby (who is growing exponentially) had enough presence to get me through all 18 holes sucessfully. There IS hope that he won't inherit my coordination! ALthough I will miss his lucky presence next summer when I go golfing....

A busy day!

2009-08-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

For those who know me best, you are familiar with my hatred of early mornings. With that in mind, you may wonder why on earth we left our house on a Saturday morning at 4:25 AM. The answer...the "Vail garage sale."

My sister is a big fan of this event. It actually takes place in a mountain town called Minturn (right outside of Vail) and involves a large building divided into several rooms full of treasures that have been donated and collected over the past year. For the past several years my sister has come back with a van full of books, toys, clothes, sporting equipment, etc. She seriously stocks up for the entire year and gets gifts for Christmas, birthdays, etc. This sale is a bargain hunter's dream, so this year Marty and I joined in on the fun, since we will need some baby supplies and such during the course of the year.

Sadly, when we hit the big sale I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff and also the amount of fellow bargain hunters(and believe me, it is hard to navigate through an insane crowd with an armful of loot and a protruding belly). When I went into the room designated for baby stuff, my mind kind of went...well, blank. Although I have lots of experience with children, when it comes to their general husbandry and supplies I am a bit at a loss. For example, since the little guy will come in November, I wondered if he would need a coat. Luckily my sister was able to answer a few questions (it turns out that my initial instinct was right--since the baby won't really ever be outside for long, he won't need a coat because he will be swaddled in cute fleecy outfits and blankets in his baby seat), but on the whole we only got a few sleepers and a little bouncy chair in the baby room (although it was tempting to get a bunch of stuff in advance...like Halloween costumes...but we had to consider space in our apartment and in the vehicle on the ride home).

Our biggest triumph in bargain hunting, though, occurred in the book room. We found about 40 books for children that will be a great start to our little guy's love of great literature. Sadly, Marty had to be the one to carry all of our treasures down to the car and I think he was ready to invest in an online library instead. :)

Other good finds...Marty got some great new golf clubs. I am not really in the market for anything sporty this year, and I didn't even fit into any ski jackets. I guess I will just have to look forward to next year's sale!

Although the garage sale process was exhausting, poor Marty had to go to a work function tonight (complete with ironed clothes). Luckily I got to stay home in my sweats and T-shirt and watch amazingly cheesy Hallmark and Lifetime movies whilst I worked for several bum numbing hours on my class preparation. Metro starts on Monday and CSU starts the week after that, so I have been crazy busy with trying to prepare for the new semester and my 6 classes, attend orientations and meetings, have a social life, try to help and serve others, try to make a dent in the extra stuff in the baby's room, etc. It seems a little sad that I actually look forward to changing loads of laundry in between writing syllabi, and rewarding myself by scrubbing toilets (with non toxic cleaning materials, of course) after I have completed writing a new assignment sheet.

Tomorrow's adventures include sending out several belated packages and letters and hopefully catching up with my belated blog posts and friends on facebook.

Lest you express concern, however, I am taking good care of myself everything is still looking good with me and the baby. Marty is great too.

Fear, conservation, and chumsicles

2009-08-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

The first time I was exposed to the "Jaws" movies, I was truly afraid to go back into the water...any water! Hillside swimming pool, Horsetooth reservoir, etc. I think the good folks at the Discovery channel know the common fear that most people have of sharks, and they have developed this fear into a brilliant marketing ploy to get people watching Discovery--introduce Shark week! We happen to look forward to this week of shows every year. If you are not familiar with the phenomenon that is Shark Week, let me attempt to describe it.

The Discovery channel puts together a lineup of programs all about sharks. Popular network personalities (such as the guys from Dirty Jobs and Mythbusters) center their weekly show on something shark related. Researchers who would usually only get airtime if they posted their work on YouTube get to describe their experiments with sharks. The whole point of shark week is to lessen the public fear of sharks and instead focus on their beauty, mystique, and vital place in the food chain.

The result of shark week, however, usually has the opposite effect on me. When I hear a researcher say (in the middle of the night, in the middle of a black ocean) "great...there are lots of big sharks gathering beneath the boat, so it is time to jump in!" my response is "are they CRAZY!?!?" Every time I see a Great White launch out of the water and attack a seal, I wonder how and why I ever can go into the water again. It doesn't help that the latest shark week episodes have titles like "Blood in the water" and vivid recreations of attacks.

Yesterday my reasons for swimming and scuba diving in the same oceans where sharks live all came flooding back to me. I opened my dad's scuba diving closet and was enveloped in the smell of neoprene (wetsuits). This smell brought back powerful memories of great times and high adventure. This is the first summer in several years when we have not enjoyed a scuba diving trip and I MISS IT! But I love our little sea monkey (pun intended) so I won't go scuba diving until the little guy comes.

It is funny that when I am underwater in the ocean, I am never afraid of sharks. Maybe it is because the water is so clear and there is not the threat of the unknown--what could be hiding in the dark abyss? I do freak out a little during night dives and my imagination runs wild. In the daytime, however, I can see everything and enjoy the scenery. The photos posted are some of my favorite reasons for going in the ocean.

Although I will never join my husband and brother as they go into a shark cage off the coast of South Africa to taunt the Great Whites, I definitely plan on going in the water again!

Ink blot test...

2009-08-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

What do you see when you look at these photos? I know it is a little hard to figure out, but they are actually 3-D ultrasound photos of the baby! Usually I let someone buy me dinner before I show them photos of my insides, but pregnancy plays by different rules, so here are some photos of my guts (and stuff)and the little guy who is living next to them.

Both photos are of his face. The top one is basically the head, and he has his finger curled up right under his lips...pensive already, and I haven't even been playing classical music for him (lots of mystery/suspense books on CD in the car on the way to class everyday though....will he be a detective?)

The bottom photo is of the baby's face..you can see the closed and puffy eyelids and the nose squished together like he is looking through a window.

Where in the world has Jeanette Marie Valenti been?

2009-08-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

Wow...So it has been officially over a month since I have posted anything, and I feel a little bit bad about that. I have a running list in my head about about things which might be interesting fodder for the blog, but I haven't had time to write much. Suffice it to say that teaching three summer classes has been intense, especially since one of them requires a daily two hour commute. I will be back to blogging soon, and hopefully even have some photos to share.

Man Cub

2009-07-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Jeanette's pregnancy is discussed in the following blog post, so if you are sick of hearing about it, go and google "supercalifragilisticespcialodocious."

Yesterday we had the "systems ultrasound" for the baby. This is where the ultrasound technician scrolls over various shades of black, white, and gray and pretends that each section represents a different part of your baby. For example "That speckled oval is one of the kidneys" and "That black dot is the baby's stomach." Really, I think they could say just about anything and no one would be the wiser.

What was super exciting about this ultrasound, however, was that it was the first time anyone could tell if our baby is a boy or girl. We, of course, were dying to find out and the ultrasound nurse was indulgent and zeroed in on that particular anatomy zone straight away.

We were both totally thinking it was a girl, based on all the urban legends of pregnancy, but we were completely shocked when the nurse/technician told us it was definitely a boy. No equivocation, our little exhibitionist showed the world he is a boy (although he seems to be shy about showing his face--his hands are always shielding his head)

I am sincerely hoping (and your extra prayers could help here) that our little man cub inherits Marty's coordination instead of mine....

Office Dares

2009-07-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

My sister Erin on my husband's side (aka my sister-in-law) sent this to me about six months ago. It is truly hilarious, and I have been keeping it in my email and reading it every so often when I need a good laugh. I figured I get so much enjoyment from it it is time to share...I will send you a prize if you reply and tell me how you amassed 15 points in one day!

ONE-POINT DARES

1) Run one lap around the office at top speed.

2) Ignore the first five people who say 'good morning' to you.

3) Phone someone in the office you barely know, leave your name and
say, "Just called to say I can't talk right now. Bye."

4) To signal the end of a conversation, clamp your hands over your
ears and grimace.

5) Leave your zipper open for one hour. If anyone points it out, say,
"Sorry, I really prefer it this way."

6) Walk sideways to the photocopier.

7) While riding in an elevator, gasp dramatically every time the doors
open.

TWO POINT DARES

1) Say to your boss, "I like your style" and shoot him with
double-barreled fingers.

2) Babble incoherently at a fellow employee then ask, "Did you get all
that, I don't want to have to repeat it."

3) Page yourself over the intercom (do not disguise your voice).

4) Kneel in front of the water cooler and drink directly from the
nozzle(there must be a 'non-player' within sight).

5) Shout random numbers while someone is counting.

FIVE POINT DARES

1) At the end of a meeting, suggest that, for once, it would be nice
to conclude with the singing of the national anthem (5 extra points if
you actually launch into it yourself).

2) Walk into a very busy person's office and while they watch you with
growing irritation, turn the light switch on/off 10 times.

3) For an hour, refer to everyone you speak to as "Bob."

4) Announce to everyone in a meeting that you "really have to go do a
number two."

5) After every sentence, say 'Mon' in a really bad Jamaican accent. As
in "The report's on your desk, Mon." Keep this up for 1 hour.

6) While an office mate is out, move their chair into the elevator.

7) In a meeting or crowded situation, slap your forehead repeatedly
and mutter, "Shut up, all of you just shut up!"

8) At lunchtime, get down on your knees and announce, "As God as my
witness, I'll never go hungry again."

9) In a colleague's DAY PLANNER, write in the 10am slot: "See how I
look in tights."(5 Extra points if it is a male, 5 more if he is your
boss)

10) Carry your keyboard over to your colleague and ask, "You wanna
trade?"

11) Repeat the following conversation 10 times to the same person: "Do
you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, it's gone now."

12) Come to work in army fatigues and when asked why, say, "I can't
talk about it."

13) Posing as a maitre d', call a colleague and tell him he's won a
lunch for four at a local restaurant. Let him go.

14) Speak with an accent (French, German, Porky Pig, etc) during a
very important conference call.

15) Find the vacuum and start vacuuming around your desk.

16) Hang a 2' long piece of toilet roll from the back of your pants
and act genuinely surprised when someone points it out.

17) Present meeting attendees with a cup of coffee and biscuits,
smashing each biscuit with your fist.

18) During the course of a meeting, slowly edge your chair towards the
door.

19) Arrange toy figures on the table to represent each meeting
attendee, move them according to the movements of their real-life
counterparts.

Tiny ironies

2009-06-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today I noticed two delightful little instances of irony. If I was actually recording ironic circumstances I would have an amazing collection, but that would take far too much time and effort. SO for now, I can remember the two things that happened today and giggle.

The first is the label on my new antibiotic. I caught some kind of creeping crud that has settled in my chest and sinuses and won't go away, so I finally went to the doctor to get something. Especially since I can't take much to alleviate symptoms, I was feeling particularly miserable all week. After waiting TWO HOURS (yes, I even had an appointment) the doctor saw me for two minutes, then stepped out to research exactly which antibiotic would be most effective and pregnancy friendly. She came back and gave me a somewhat new drug prescription which has been touted as powerful and gentle (kind of sounds like a paper towel) and one of the best antibiotics for pregnant women.Upon filling my prescription, the only label on the bottle said "warning: this medication may make your birth control less effective." So which came first...the prescription or the pregnancy? :)

The second ironic circumstance is much more simple. There was a guy on the street corner holding a sign advertising "haircuts, 6.95 up." Not AND up, just up. Anyhow, the best part of this sign wielder is the fact that he had a beautifully untamed mullet (and no, although the 80s fashions are coming back to some extent, mullets will never again be cool, and one wonders if they ever actually were!)

Painful paperwork!

2009-06-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

So I have been busy sorting through files and paperwork in preparation to move. Me being me, I can't just put stuff in a box when I know that I can probably get rid of some of it or organize it more efficiently. Especially since we haven't moved for 2 years (a record!), I know that our files can be cleaned out, my craft materials can be organized, and my piles of school records can be obliterated.

In the process of this paring down process, I have come across several little treasures and also some humiliating mementos. For treasures, I have found special warm and fuzzy letters from friends and family. For the most part I had forgotten that these letters existed or that I had kept them, so I really have enjoyed reading them (and yes....of course I did get a little teary when reading them again, but I firmly maintain that I would have cried even if I was not pregnant!!). I have also found lots of old photos that I have not gotten around to doing anything with, and it is amazing to see:
1. How blond my hair was around the time of my Master's program and wedding...those highlights really took over!
2. The nieces and nephews when they were really, really little. Some still have some of the same expressions and it is patently clear that their personalities were going strong even as babies. It is funny to put captions to these photos now that we know the expressions and habits of the kiddos.

As for the humiliating mementos...let's just say that I found a list I had written sometime during my Freshman year of college and it made me want to rewind time and do a personal intervention. The list was to the effect of "things I want to do in life." Included on the list:

1. Do the splits (kiss that one goodbye forever...if I couldn't do it in gymnastics when I was 8, there is no chance I can do it now)
2. Write a play, book, novel, etc. (does a dissertation count?)
3. Have an A1C of 6.5 or less (DONE!!)
4. Get married, have a family, etc. (Marty asked me what I meant by "etc." and I have no idea...but it is a recurring theme throughout the list)
5. Go to Broadway and see all the shows! (exclamation point included, although now I know that I probably don't want to see all the shows on Broadway)
6. Learn how to dance and then get to dance in a really cool dress in a castle, like in Beauty and the Beast (cringe....verbatim wording included, of course, and I suppose this list item reflects the culture of romance that was present in my first school).

The above is not inclusive of everything that is on the actual list, and part of the painfulness of the list is my childish handwriting, even though I was at least 18 years old.In retrospect, I think I was a later bloomer. It wasn't until I was about 21 that I think I really grew into myself and got comfortable in my own personality and didn't have to constantly make lists evaluating my life. I'm just glad that everything I had done (lists, journals, etc.) during middle school and high school is buried in an unknown box somewhere!

Pregnancy FAQs, final volume

2009-06-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

How does pregnancy work with type I diabetes?

This is one of the most common concerns that people have expressed to me. Almost everyone knows that I have Type I diabetes (for 16 years...I have now been diabetic for more than half of my life!) and they are worried about how pregnancy could work with diabetes (especially if they have seen the movie “Steel Magnolias”). The good news is that in 2009, there are plenty of medical opportunities and advancements to ensure that diabetes and pregnancy can work.

DIABETES REVIEW

A quick diabetes lesson…most people (85-90%) with diabetes have type II (sometimes called adult onset diabetes), which is characterized by the body either not producing enough insulin or not effectively using the insulin it does produce. Type II diabetes is usually treated by an combination of exercise, diet, and sometimes pills. Gestational diabetes is basically type II diabetes that just occurs when a woman is pregnant (due to hormone effects on the endocrine system…sometimes pregnancy hormones make the body more resistant to insulin, so the person has to take pills or change their diet or exercise habits to get their body to use the insulin better). Usually type II diabetics only test their blood once or twice a day or a few times a week, which is sufficient to make sure everything is doing well.

Type I diabetes (what I have) is when one’s body destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas so the body produces no insulin at all (this kind is also called juvenile or childhood diabetes because it is typically diagnosed during childhood or adolescence). This type has to be treated with artificial insulin, through injections or an insulin pump. Type I diabetics test their blood a lot more frequently because glucose levels can change suddenly and problems need to be corrected ASAP. It is important for type I diabetics to know how much carbohydrate they are eating so they can give a corresponding amount of insulin to cover the food.

As long as glucose levels are in a normal range, all diabetics can avoid problems (like kidney disease, blindness, amputation, etc.) and be as normal as someone whose pancreas actually works. It just takes a lot of planning to make diabetes treatment second nature (for example, today at lunch I was automatically counting the amount of carbohydrates that were in Marty’s meal, because anytime I see food I am programmed to calculate how many carbohydrate grams it has so I can figure out the insulin dose I would need).

PREGNANCY AND DIABETES

It is possible to have a healthy pregnancy with type I diabetes. With pregnancy, however, diabetes control needs to be normal, with extraordinarily stable glucose levels. If glucose levels are out of control, the baby is at a higher risk for birth defects, and the mother also has a higher risk of developing diabetes complications (like blindness, kidney problems, etc.). As long as glucose levels are in control, everything should be okay. What I have found is that it just takes a TON of concentration and monitoring to make things work, and I can't be afraid to have my blood sugars level be low (I have been drinking a lot of juice!)

In order to help things even more, I have a continuous glucose monitoring system (please note that the person in the photo is obviously not me since the stomach is flat and somewhat toned) that measures the amount of glucose in my tissues. The sensor then sends a message to my insulin pump and I can see what my glucose level is and where it has been (it even gives a little graph showing the levels in the last 3 hours and last 24 hours). This CGMS has revolutionized diabetes care and helped make pregnancy possible for me. I have always struggled with having my glucose levels stay in a narrow range, and the CGMS has helped me see what my sugars are doing and how quickly they are rising or falling. This way I can adjust my insulin doses quickly and even more accurately.

Before I could even think about getting pregnant, we had to get clearance from the diabetes doctor that my glucose levels were acceptable (it took a long time and a ton of hard work since my body is diabetic and seems to eschew any kind of normal and narrow glucose pattern!). Now that I am pregnant, I have to be even more vigilant in watching my glucose levels because pregnancy hormones really affect how my body uses and needs insulin.

When I first got pregnant my sugars spiked and I had to double my insulin requirements, but during this time of pregnancy suddenly my glucose levels drop suddenly and without warning and we have had to make even more adjustments. Apparently between 9-15 weeks my pregnant diabetic body occasionally freaks out and absorbs every spare bit of sugar. Luckily the diabetes doctor warned me that this might happen, so I am well stocked with juice, sugar packets and sweet tarts (sadly, however, I am pretty sure I have a few cavities growing since I have to do this so frequently in the middle of the night and I don't brush my teeth afterwards).

I think one of the hardest things is the eating aspect. For the last 16 years I have had about 50-100 grams of carbohydrate a day (to give you an idea of what that means, a regular strawberry poptart is 37 grams of carb). Now I am supposed to have at least 180-200 grams, but I am not supposed to have more than 45 grams at a time. So not only do I have to change my entire paradigm of thinking about food, I also have to eat ALL THE TIME (which stinks since I am never hungry!).

I go to either the diabetes doctor or OB every week and so far everything is going well, although I will probably be induced about 2-3 weeks early just because of the kidney problems that can develop (in me, not the baby) at the very end.
So far everything is working quite well. I am healthy and so is the baby! Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers...don't worry, I am taking good care of myself and the little sea monkey!

Pregnancy FAQs Volume 2

2009-05-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

What is the baby's due date?

Officially I am due at the end of November, but type I diabetics are typically induced 2-3 weeks early in an effort to prevent some complications that can happen in the very last stages (i.e. an overly large baby, kidney problems for me, etc.) . I will probably end up having the baby toward the beginning of the month.

Have I been emotional?

I may be the wrong person to ask…you know, not being able to see the forest for the trees and all that. I think I have been okay, but there was a moment a few weeks ago when I heard a military brass band play the national anthem at the beginning of a NASCAR race and got a little teary (much to Marty’s amusement).

Truth be told, I also had a teary moment the other day when I was watching the news. Metro state’s graduation was over the weekend and the news was reporting about a woman who graduated with a surprise…her son had been deployed in Iraq and she had not seen him for at least a year. Her son surprised her (in his uniform no less) by giving her diploma. The combination of the uniform, mortarboard, and son saluting the mother did me in.

To be fair, however, I do have the tendency to get a bit emotional when it comes to the national anthem, regardless of my state of gestation. When I was at an Avalanche hockey game while my brother was in Iraq a few years ago, I had the sniffles in addition to tears.

At least I have not cried or been emotional about things that are unusual for me, like seeing any diaper or long distance commercials...or should I expect that to happen later on?

Any weird food cravings?

Anyone who knows me knows I have weird eating habits to begin with. I go through food phases (i.e., BP salad, canned green beans, vegetable beef soup, peas and onions, pork and beans, dry oatmeal packets, etc.) where one type of food sounds good. Marty always theorized that when I did get pregnant, I would actually eat normally. Nope!

For the first few weeks, popcorn chicken with honey mustard sauce was fabulous, then strawberries, and now it is all I can do to even WANT to eat something. When the mood does strike, crunchy bacon (I feel a bit like Homer Simpson with my affinity for bacon), grapefruit, and plain cheddar cheese sticks sound good (not necessarily at the same time). In an interesting “circle of life” type of twist, plain Taco Bell bean burritos without cheese, sauce or onion are also appetizing (and yes, whenever I order this, the voice from the drive-through loudspeaker incredulously repeats “so….just beans?”). When we first began dating, this was a favorite food of mine (and Marty decided to marry me anyway! What a great guy…I am so lucky!) so I guess things have come full circle!

I am told that I should be entering the “bottomless pit” or “garbage disposal” phase of pregnancy soon. I am actually looking forward to this stage indulging (in moderation, of course) so I won’t have to sorry anymore about whether or not I am eating enough.

My sister has a great theory about eating and pregnancy. The other day I was eating a plain tomato and my sister pointed out that during pregnancy, bodies naturally want to convert everything into fat (aka maternal energy reserves). In order to help my body work more efficiently, she suggested that I eat food with higher caloric and fat content so my body wouldn't have to work so hard to convert it into fat. I like the idea. Oh, and if you disagree with this theory, I don’t want to hear about it…ignorance is bliss and even though I really know better, I am excited to have French fries for the first time in 15 years!

Thinking about names?

Yes…but it is funny how all the names that sound good “in theory” seem wrong once you imagine putting that name to a sweet and real baby. We are considering how names can be shortened to great nicknames or also how they can be tweaked or rhymed by bullies to make life miserable. How can a name be butchered, misspelled, or mispronounced by teachers?

I have discovered that names are also a big area where people offer their harsh and blunt judgements. I myself am guilty of giggling over the horrible names people have given their children, and wonder how parents can be so cruel as to saddle their child with a name like ___________ (you can fill in the blank here). We definitely like basic but unique names, where the name is not unheard of but there won’t be five other children in the class with the same name. It turns out that coming up with these names is a lot harder then expected, especially when both of us have to agree!

Baby name books really don’t help much either. Most of the names in the books are more exotic than we prefer. Is it horrible that we don’t want our child named after a Hindu deity or an African tribe?

We probably won’t make any name announcements until the baby is actually born, and then I expect everyone to pretend to at least like the name.

Pregnancy FAQs, volume 1

2009-05-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

So the word is out...I am pregnant. I have made a solemn oath that I will not be one of those women that talks ad naseaum about her pregnancy, but people have been curious and asked some questions. So, here are my answers to all those questions, but if you are not interested in them, I won't be offended. :) More blog postings will appear later on that have nothing to do with the baby.

FAQ 1: Have I been sick?
Yes. I cursed myself because for the first few weeks I was blissfully normal, aside from a powerful desire to take naps in my car in between classes. Because of my overconfidence, I was stricken with “progesterone poisoning,” which is the pseudo -“scientific” term for “morning sickness.”

Several things bother me about this phenomenon dubbed “morning sickness,” because for me it is never in the morning, but in the afternoon and evening. I also could find no physiological reason for why increased pregnancy hormones (such as progesterone, which is why some people call it progesterone poisoning) would cause nausea and vomiting. I know the physiological reason about the increased fatigue (due to your body preparing the placenta and all that stuff…don’t worry, I won’t go into further details...it is the equivalent of your body running a marathon every day). I don’t like things I don’t understand, especially when they cause me distress. If I knew the progression of WHY I get sick, I might be able to be a little less frustrated with the whole phenomenon. But then again, this is probably another one of those life lessons where I just have to go with it, even though I don’t understand it. I mean, what other option do I have? :)

Another frustrating thing is that I usually get nauseous when my blood sugar level drops, which is a new development that doesn’t make any sense at all. When glucose levels plummet is when eating/food is most important. Shouldn’t my body know better?

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however, because I have had more good days then bad days lately (my doctor also prescribed some anti-nausea medication which is helpful). The word on the street is that morning sickness typically passes by end of the first three months (trimester). Since I just passed the end of my first trimester, I am hoping that one day food will again hold some sort of appeal and stay where it belongs once I have eaten. I have to count my blessing though…It could be a lot worse. My sister was sick with her first child until the moment of delivery, and with her other two she was sick for at least 6 months. I am a spoiled pansy compared to her!

FAQ 2: Do I have a “baby bump?”

Nope…not yet. I am just fat. All the pregnancy books (you know, the ones written for neurotic pregnant women like me that tell you what your baby looks like from week to week, when nostrils develop, what not to eat, etc.) say that you won’t show much until the second trimester, but the first trimester is when you may start to notice that your waist begins to “thicken,” a quaint term meaning that you are getting fat.

I have a special kind of thickening though, that actually started in November when I began to have to keep my blood sugars in super human range. Due to the slower metabolism that comes with chronically low blood sugar and also due to the massive amount of sugar consumed to treat low blood sugar, I put on about 25-30 pounds from November to January. So when the OB asked me what my pre-pregnancy weight was, I gave my October weight. To me, that is officially pre-pregnancy. :) Ever the optimist.

Speaking of baby bulges… a fervent plea is issued from my soul to please, please, don’t touch my tummy. I am incredibly sensitive and self-conscious about my fat being touched. I know that there is in fact a little cherubic baby growing inside there, but he or she is covered by an impressive layer of fat. Especially now, when he or she is only the size of a large lime (direct quote from “Your pregnancy, week to week”…complete citation available upon request) there is no way to feel anything. When the baby actually gets to the size of…let’s see…a cantaloupe, and is jumping around, if you are interested, let me know and I can let you feel the baby. I promise you, though, that I will also not be the crazy pregnant lady that grabs your hand and puts it on my abdomen. CREEPY!

FAQ3: Are we finding out the sex of the baby?

Of course! The sooner the better! Is this a surprise to anyone who actually knows me? From the girl who has a color coded planner and buys some gifts months in advance? Reducing uncertainty is one of the primary goals of my life.

Coming Soon....

2009-05-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about lots of things about which to blog, and I have lots of ideas (a post it note list, actually) of both interesting and mundane items o' recent life. Sadly, the semester is winding down (finals week this week) and I have been grading like mad. The to-do list is astronomically growing, of both immediate and long term projects.

Later this week I am excited to catch up on cleaning, packing, email, etc. Heck, I hope to even have time now to cut my fingernails! So in the next few days (after scrubbing the toilet and submitting final grades) I will have some fun new posts for your interest and enjoyment. For those of you who actually read my blog, sorry for the sabbatical.

Dissappointment in Billy Mays

2009-04-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows Billy Mays. The infomercial guy from Oxy-clean, Orange Glow, Hercules Hook, Mighty Putty, etc., who doesn't have any kind of sense of vocal modulation. I use a lot of Billy Mays clips in my public speaking class, especially when talking about persuasion and vocal variety. One of my students suggested I watch the show on Discovery channel called "Pitchmen," which features the two infomercial heavyweights Billy Mays and Sully something-or-other.

So Marty and I have watched the show a few times and it is entertaining. The premise of "Pitchmen" is the two "as seen on TV" gurus testing out different products and then shooting the commercials. I do like how Billy and Sully don't do a commercial or endorse a product unless they actually believe in it after testing the product, but watching the show also causes me some extent of cognitive dissonance.

The problem for me comes when watching Billy Mays interact with others. He seems to be rather arrogant, and a downright jerk. Can you believe that the friendly infomercial man has a mean streak? I will let you come to your own conclusions, but let me give you the case in point example of what put my opinion over the edge.

On tonight's episode, Sully was in shark infested water testing out a product that is supposed to repel sharks by sending out killer whale sounds. It was the first time testing the product (don't let the researcher part of me get on a tangent about their flawed product testing technique!) and as Sully jumped in the water with the product, Billy Mays began CHUMMING THE WATER (which was ALREADY densely populated with species such as Hammerhead and Bull sharks!). As if testing the product wasn't dangerous enough, Billy didn't see a problem with chumming. There was even a warning that flashed on the screen as this scene was taking place saying how dangerous this practice was.

When Sully later discussed his displeasure with Billy, Mr. Mays responded by claiming it wasn't a big deal, that he was sorry but it should have been part of the test. I wonder if he would have felt the same way if HE was the one in the water.

Official appreciation for "Lord of the Rings"

2009-04-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Please ignore any phonetically spelled words, since I really don’t feel like googling anything to determine the correct spellings!

Every time TNT shows the “Lord of the Rings” (LOR) movie trilogy, we have to watch it (just like we do when the Harry Potter movies are on, Band of Brothers, or Star Wars). Marty really enjoys the movies and is quite knowledgeable about the plot, characters, and background because he is familiar with the actual literature behind the movies. I have to admit that it has taken me several Saturday LOR movie marathons to get even a modicum of interest.

Believe it or not, I really used to dislike watching any and all of LOR. Everything blends together, there are tons of complicated details, the premise is a little depressing, and I generally don’t enjoy a lot of violence and action in movies. I have to really understand everything that is going on, and with the militia of tiny interlocking elements in the movies, I was always a little lost. All of this is slowly changing.

Last Saturday LOR was playing again, and of course it was turned on. I found myself watching it, at first just because I did not want to get out of bed and was a captive audience. But by now the movies are more familiar and I knew enough to start asking questions. Approximately every five seconds, I would pepper Marty with another question, like:

“So Orks are half human and half goblin? So that means the Urikai are ¼ human, ¼ goblin, and ½ elf?”

“So who is the guy without the face, and why is he important?”

“So does Golum have a schizophrenic personality? Why is everything he says in the form of ‘we’?”

“How can Legolas stay on that elephant thing when it is running? You mean there are tree elves?”

“ Why do dwarfs and elves hate each other?”

“What IS that creature?”

“So does that guy KNOW he is the heir to the throne, and do other people know who he is? Why isn’t he being king?”

Marty gives really good answers, which increases my understanding, which in turn leads to more questions. Sadly, I think that the movie watching experience is losing a degree of enjoyability for Marty since he is not actually watching the movie but answering my questions.

I was totally interested by the end of the trilogy because I understood everything a little more. I even shed a few tears at the end of the third movie (humiliating, but true). Although I would never dress up like an elf or hobbit or buy any LOR beach towels, jewelry, or bumper stickers, I can say that I have officially gained an appreciation for the movies. Which means that next time…we rent the extended version?

Eating oatmeal like a grown-up

2009-04-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I saw a facebook post from a friend to the effect of "Why can't people write something of substance on their blogs?!" I think she was talking about me, or if she wasn't, she clearly has not read my blog. I don't care to write anything terribly thought provoking or substantive on my blog because it would take too much research, time, and thought. After spending my whole life in school doing nothing BUT substantive work and writing, it is nice to wax on about silly topics and not worry too much about claims, ground, and warrant, and correct APA style. So here is another silly post!

Last night Marty was making his strawberry oatmeal (from SCRATCH---cutting up strawberries, heating them with milk on the stove in an actual pot, etc.) when he called out in a puzzled voice "Did you open the big tub of oatmeal?" I answered affirmatively, and then, more quizzically, he asked "Did you cook it?"

I can understand his confusion. Marty knows my weird food quirks, and he has also heard my family tell stories of my childhood when I would eat little baggies of plain flour, oatmeal, or wheat (I was pretending to be a pioneer when I played Oregon Trail or read "Little House on the Prairie," and I also just enjoyed the taste).

I explained to him that I had been making my own strawberry oatmeal, although my method was mixing a strawberry flavored oatmeal packet with some plain oatmeal (does anyone who actually knows me believe that in the morning I would take the time to cut up strawberries, heat them up in a pot, etc. ?!) I guess this is another sign I am growing up though...I cook my oatmeal before eating it! (Only the plain oatmeal though....the flavored packets are still delicious dry)

The bottom of the barrel blog

2009-04-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

This morning I was reflecting on what I could possibly blog about. Life is good, and also incredibly routine, which means that I don't feel like I have anything blog-worthy as of late.

Some friends have evocative and thoughtful posts about politics and the economy. Others have posts about their adorable kids and what brilliant things they are doing. A lot of posts talk about things that happen on the job, and some of my favorites are random events or exciting prospects.

For the past 10 days I don't feel like anything super funny or even random has happened. But, for the sake of a fresh blog post, I will try to emulate the blogs of others.

1. The economy and politics....huh.

2. Kid news... I have lots of adorable kids in my life, but none of them could really be labeled as "mine." The other day Allyria (a 3 year old friend) was sitting on my lap. She knows I usually keep my insulin pump clipped to my bra and is fond of pulling up my shirt and reaching for it so she can "help me with my medicine." I guess I can understand the attraction of the green light-up beeping device. Anyway, that day I had my pump clipped to my pants so my bra was sans pump. She was so surprised when it wasn't under my shirt that she patted my bra and tummy to see where it was hiding. Then she remarked that I was really white. Nice commentary. The child does speak the truth!

Another fun kid thing happened with my sister's three little musketeers. My mom and dad had come to play the kids and brought one of the best grandchild toys ever--a miniature jeep that runs on batteries that kids can drive. All the kids love to drive it, but the funniest thing is seeing Emily (6) or Sam (4) driving down the sidewalk with Ben (1) sitting on the hood. My mom had to hold his hand, of course, but little Benny was happy as could be just riding up and down the sidewalk. Over and over and over and over....all day long! I wish I had a picture.

3. Job news...I am SO EXCITED for this crazy semester to be over! Every spare minute is filled with grading or class preparation so I haven't had very much time to work out or write letters or do crafty things. This summer will be great because I will only be teaching one face to face class at Metro (only a 20 minute drive), one online class at Metro (no driving!) and a short session class at CSU (about an hour drive, but it is only for one month).

In addition to teaching, I am busy working on trying to get some articles ready for publication and conferences. I did get one paper accepted to the National Communication Association Convention in Chicago in November, which is great since it has become fairly competitive for paper submissions in the last few years.

4. Random events or exciting prospects...Oh! I have something! We are moving to a bigger apartment in June. It is only about 15 minutes away, but we figured since we don't know how long Marty will be in this position in Denver we should move to a better apartment. We are excited to have more space (we have been in a 1 bed 1 bath for the last 2 years, and it is feeling like living in a storage unit with all our camping stuff, paintball stuff, scuba stuff, craft stuff, etc.), have a washer and dryer that works (currently, our dryer mangles our clothes and merely distributes lint, and also does not automatically shut off), and be free of a psycho HOA that micromanages every aspect of life.

Other exciting news...we went grocery shopping and I am stoked to have fresh strawberries, almond green beans, and pork'n'beans (minus the pork). It is the little things that count!

Snow Day!

2009-03-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't be an official Spring Break in Colorado if we didn't have the biggest storm of the season. True to form, today is a beautiful and snowy day. By beautiful I must specify that it is beautiful from the warmth and protection of the great indoors...outside it is brutally snowy, cold, and windy.

We do need the moisture, and since it is during the break and I don't have to worry about going anywhere (the other appointments I had today were cancelled) I am excited for the storm! Let it snow because I can continue working cozily at my laptop and light a fire (hmmm...which way do I turn the flue lever to have it be open? Probably good to figure out first). I might even burrow under the covers, read a book, and take a nap.

For lunch I honored the blizzard by having a grilled cheese sandwich, bowl of vegetable beef soup (yes, I even warmed it up and ate it in a bowl!) , snow peas, and some frozen yogurt (anyone who knows my weird food habits---are you actually surprised? At least the main part of the meal was what most people would consider to be cold weather appropriate).

A lot of people I know that are NOT on break are giddy with the excitement due to the snow day. Cheers to a break from real life.

Marty is Adorable!

2009-03-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Today I am working on the computer at my parent's house on my husband's side. On this computer, there happen to be some fun photos of the family as they were growing up. Some of these photos I would love to post because they are so darn cute, but I know that my life would be in danger if I did. So, here are a few benign photos just of my cute husband when he was a lad.

Sometime I am going to go through my old family albums and scan in my old photos so they are digital, but until then...here is Marty!

My computer has diabetes!

2009-03-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night, right before teaching two classes when I NEEDED my computer, my computer's guts melted. My theory is that, like me, my computer has an autoimmune disease. It just destroyed itself.

Although disaster was averted in teaching class because two students had their own laptops to use, I am acutely feeling the loss of my little Toshiba.

My laptop is like a familiar friend. It was on this machine that my dissertation was written and all my best photos are saved (like the one of my little niece Erin sitting on the toilet with her dress over her head, pretending to be Darth Vader, little Ben's first birthday party where he destroyed a cake, and some new nature shots). I know and have perfected the intricacies of the keyboard and touch pad so that using another laptop feels awkward and unproductive. Think of the comfort you have with driving your stick shift...if you drive another stick shift car, the clutch feels different and you really have to adjust to it. I am not as productive on other laptops (specifically Marty's laptop, which I will have to use) because it feels different (to say nothing of the saved documents that were lost). Using regular computers are okay, but that means I will have to drive to school (which isn't a bad thing since the school will be empty over break, and maybe that means I will actually be more productive, but it spoils my plan of watching "The Price is Right" and other such shows while I catch up on some mindless computer work).

I KNOW that I should back things up and save them to more than one source. Most of the time I do. But I had an experience where a disk malfunctioned and lost everything, and also when a flashdrive disappeared, sending me back to square zero right before final papers were due (my first year in my PhD program, nonetheless). So ever since I have saved my working documents (the articles I am working on, book outlines, etc.) on my computer, so it won't get lost and I can still work on it even if I forget my flashdrive. It seemed like such a good idea at the time.

We (well, actually Marty, since he is smart about computers) have tried wiping the computer clean, loading everything back on, calling Toshiba, etc. Nothing has worked. So my little buddy is going in for surgery, not to be back for at least 7-10 business days.

I am trying to be positive and think of the loss of the computer as a type of cleansing. Now I can start fresh and only put on favorite photos, and maybe when Toshiba sends back the computer it will be better than ever, complete with a replaced left click mouse button (the old one was so worn it looked like a cobblestone in Ye Old England).

Until then, since I am stealing time on the computers of others, I may not be frequently blogging.....so instead of reading my blog, go and back up your files!

Trapped in the bathroom...

2009-03-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am not one of those girls that likes to visit the bathroom in groups...I like to do my business alone or with the pleasant anonymity of strangers.

This week I had an unpleasant encounter in the public bathroom. I had just finished teaching and was waiting for the next classes to start so I wouldn't have to run into any of my students in the bathroom (it is a really small campus). It had been a really long class (probably because I had indulged of 32 ounces of Diet Coke bliss before class) and I was excited to go to the restroom. So I finally went in, shut the door to the stall, and was about to....well, you know, when I heard the bathroom door open and a voice say "Teacher? I mean Ms. Valenti? [both of which, by the way, are pet peeves...they should call me Jeanette or Doctor Valenti] I had a question about my speech..." The funny thing is that the student followed me to the bathroom...it is not like she wanted to chat because we conveniently ran into each other in there (because my stall was already closed and she wouldn't have known it was me unless she had been studying my shoes, which would have been just as creepy).

The student then wanted to talk about a question she had about the way I graded her speech. She was just talking and talking and I finally had to say something to the effect of "I'll meet you in my office in a minute...bring your speech so I can look at what I wrote and we can discuss it." I hoped the student would get the hint and leave, but she didn't....she waited right outside my stall until I went (and the bathroom was silent, so she knew exactly how much I had had to drink, although I guess it could have been much worse), washed my hands two times, and then went to my office.

At least the student was a girl.

Fiendish delight!

2009-03-18T09:14:00.001-07:00

Just when I think am being good, something comes along that reminds me that I am actually evil. I know that one should never be pleased with the misfortune of others, but sometimes it happens.

Case in point: Last night I was driving home and a van was tailgating me. I was going the requisite "fudge five" over the speed limit, and was in one of the right lanes. The van had no business tailing me, and it FINALLY got over to the left lane (which had been open) and TOOK OFF. Seriously, I would estimate that the vehicle was going at least 85 (in a 55 zone).

I was delighted when a few minutes later I saw flashing lights and the van was pulled over. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Call me a cynic...

2009-03-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

It never fails....when students must come to class and deliver a speech, chaos reigns on the earth. I have to warn all family members of college students that when your relative enrolls in school, the chances of your death increase exponentially. In my classes, just this WEEK, I have had two grandparents, one uncle, and one boyfriend pass away. Two other family members have been diagnosed with some terrible malady which distracts the student to the point of being unable to give a speech. Wow. All deaths and/or diagnoses happened to occur the night before, or the morning of, the student's assigned day to give his or her speech. The coincidental power is huge.

I know I sound cynical, but I have had SOOO many experiences where I am good ol' trusting Jeanette and let students have a lot more flexibility. Sadly, some students abuse my trusting nature (believe it or not!) and have lied to get extensions on assignments or make up tests or speeches. Infamous excuses that helped build this cynicism include:

1. Someone claimed she couldn't come to class that morning to give her speech because she had a horrible migraine all weekend. Later that day, I saw her in the school hall (she did not see me) and heard her (on accident, I wasn't eavesdropping!) discussing the weeklong fraternity party that they had enjoyed. She remarked that she was still hung over. She might have had a headache, but not an excusable one!

2. Someone told me she had just been diagnosed with cancer and needed to get an extension on her speech. It turns out she was lying. End of that story!

I understand as well as the next person that tragedies do occur and life happens. I do have policies where students can make up a speech or test and am quite flexible when students are responsible and talk to me in advance if they feel they cannot give a speech. Nonetheless, excuses come (dare I say it...boldfaced LIES!) and I deal with them in a consistent way, although the peanut gallery in my head is going nuts (pun intended).

There are also the students who suddenly vanish from the face of the earth and don't come to class (which is funny, because I have a recurring nightmare that I have enrolled in a class and forget to go, and I don't realize it until the night before the final project is due and then it is too late!), never to be seen again until finals week. They truly believe that because they made he effort to come to class, they should be rewarded. I do reward them. I give them the exact amount of points they earn on the final. It isn't enough to make up 3/4 of a semester's work (don't get me started on the prevailing notion of entitlement among the majority of today's college students...just because you tried, doesn't mean you get an A!) .

Speaking specifically of speeches, the students who do come and give their speeches usually do a good job, but I do get several topics each semester that drive me to distraction. My favorite repeating topic is one that I sit through rather passive aggressively (and no, the mild animosity towards topic does not reflect on their grade...the student who spoke about this on Tuesday got an A).

Unfailingly, at least one student PER CLASS gives a speech on why artificial sweeteners are going to bring Armageddon and cause my face to melt off. I patiently listen to the speeches whilst I sip a Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Lemonade, or Diet Coke. I have to admit it is sometimes too easy to cite their inaccurate research (no, Wikipedia is not a valid source, and that particular source you are citing was done in 1965 and has since been refuted!) since I have looked at the data before (thanks to the first 400 speeches about it).

Another common topic is stress (what it is, types, causes, etc.) and how to relieve it. Usually I chuckle inwardly (not outwardly, that would be cruel to a nervous student!) at the suggestions to "take a bath, meditate, relax by reading your favorite book or watching a movie" because someone who is actually stressed would not have time to do that! Sometimes the best way to eliminate stress is to get rid of the stressor (i.e., DO your assignment instead of watching a movie). Moderation in all things, of course, but it still makes me laugh. Perhaps my way of relieving stress is different than others and I am cynical in thinking that sometimes it just doesn't work to relieve stress, or it isn't as easy as the suggestions offered in a 1 minute paragraph. After class tonight I will finish my grading (get rid of the stressor), take a warm shower to relax my body, and hop into bed to fall asleep while watching some really shallow TV show (along the lines of 'Dog the Bounty Hunter'). And is it really twisted that I am EXCITED to clean the house tomorrow? The best stress reliever ever!

The Great Water Bottle debate

2009-03-10T13:19:00.001-07:00

I usually don't pay too much attention to what is in the news, especially if it seems silly. One of the things that seemed especially silly to me was the idea that drinking from plastic water bottles was harmful.

In a typically bandwagon, paranoid fashion, preliminary reports that a certain kind of plastic in a certain kind of water bottle might slowly leak harmful elements into the water suddenly villanized all plastic water bottles. People went into a panic when someone pulled out a Nalgene.

For me, I think it is more important to actually drink water than worry about possible and somewhat dubious research. I mean, if you are going to worry so much, shouldn't you start worrying about more important and immediate things, like a meteor crashing into earth or all the birds on the planet turning on us?

OF COURSE people should be careful about their beverage containers. Personally, I check the number on the bottom of the bottle to be sure it is "good plastic," ensure that the container has not held hazardous materials like plutonium, disinfect my water bottles once a week, and if it is a disposable bottle I only use if for a few fill ups (like an Aquafina bottle that I got at a free luncheon that I can't stand to throw away--oooops, I mean recycle---after only one use).

I have to admit though, that I got tired of my pariah like status whenever I pulled out said plastic water bottles (the academic community has the tendency to jump on bandwagons about ecology and health, except when it comes to really practical tips, like having a regular exercise program, getting enough sleep, and avoiding too much caffeine). So I decided that purchasing a metal water bottle might be a good idea because I could fit back into the "cool crowd" and also wash the bottle less.

Last month I found a great deal on some metal water bottles at Wal-Greens, two for five bucks! They are even blue and have an attached outdoorsy climbing clip. I have diligently tried to use the water bottles. But drinking from these water bottles is misery! The water tastes like it is being filtered through a brass instrument and gives me unpleasant flashbacks of marching band.

So I am embracing my plastic water bottles again and have noticed a huge difference. During yesterday's classes I had over 86 ounces of water...fresh, clean, and unbrass-like water (don't worry, it was spread out over 12 hours so I didn't run into any other problems...). I am taking my stand...long live my plastic water bottles! (and please, don't tell me that the plastic water bottles will live on in landfills for the next few millenia...I don't want to hear it! It IS an inconvenient truth!)

Career change?

2009-03-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite spring activities is burning the field at my parent's house. They live on about 5 acres, most of which is meadow-like grasses and sagebrush. Every year we burn off the old to let the new growth come through. By now we have an amazing firefighting system consisting of at least 3 firefighters (me, my dad, and Marty this year), two 55 gallon drums of water equipped with a pump and hose system (towed behind the truck or tractor), and a propane type of blow torch (which is much more effective than a lighter).

The first few years of burning did not end well (for example, the end result was the volunteer Kersey fire department stuck in a muddy mess after extinguishing an out of control blaze). The most memorable year of burning was when me and my dad tried to burn the field ourselves. We were doing fairly well with keeping the blaze under control with a garden hose, but a sudden gust of wind spread the fire out of control and almost burned through the hose. The next thing we knew the fire was raging across fence lines, into several neighbors' acreages and into the nature preserve behind the house. The owners of the nature area thanked us and gave us permission to burn anytime, but the neighbors were not exactly thrilled. Quote: "I saw a wall of flame rushing toward our house!" (which, by the way, was a blatant exaggeration and categorically untrue, since the house was protected by a line of dirt and a lush green lawn....and anyway, they should be grateful, since the natural fire hazard of an unruly field was gone and the beautiful green meadow appeared after the burn). We had to once again call the Kersey fire department, much to my own firefighter father's chagrin.

Happily, we are now practically professional at the burning business. Aside from a few rusty, dirty rakes and hoes, there were no burn causalities this year. It is so much fun that it is easy to forget it is actually work! Now, however, I am having a difficult time getting into writing tests and grading papers this morning. Viva la burn!

Just when I thought it was safe...

2009-03-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

Once, when I was little (maybe 8 or so) my brother wanted to protect his supply of Wheaties (his favorite cereal). So he FARTED in the Wheaties box, thinking that that would make me and Elisa stay away from eating Wheaties. He was right. I have actually never touched Wheaties since, although I KNOW that original tainted box is 20 years in the past.

This weekend we were enjoying time at my parent's house when I found a reminder of this interesting page from my childhood. My brother's family had been visiting over Christmas and left in the beginning of January. Just in case I was ever contemplating eating Wheaties again, my brother left the above message for me. I will probably never eat Wheaties in my lifetime, even if I get a new box directly from the factory. Wheaties will never be appetizing to me since they will always be associated with farts. Well played, brother....well played!

Lifetime=Pornography

2009-02-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

From some of my previous blogs, you may be familiar with my guilty pleasure of watching some really dumb TV shows (i.e., "Dog the Bounty Hunter, "My Super Sweet Sixteen"). I have recently discovered some silly and lighthearted programs that are perfect to have on for background noise while I am multitasking. These programs happen to be on the Lifetime channel. Today while I was watching said programs, Marty came in and joined me, also multitasking but laughing at the TV program.

Then things got interesting...As Marty was channel surfing during a commercial, he realized that the show we were both kind of watching was on Lifetime. He pretended to be horrified, and informed me that the Lifetime channel is really pornography for women. He explained how the unrealistic expectations and portrayals of men on the Lifetime network are just as bad as the unrealistic portrayal of women in pornography. Both pornography and Lifetime are demeaning to women and men, respectively.

So I visited the Lifetime TV website (because that is really how I should be spending my time) to see if they had some sort of catch phrase or theme revolving around the expectations of women for men. They didn't, but they did have a section where you could sign up to be part of a "dynamic community of over 2 million members" (myLifetime.com) and receive email newsletters and reminders about what is going on Lifetime . Hmmmm....I think I have my next practical joke idea.

A tribute to all the foods we have to leave behind

2009-02-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the stomach flu (which I know is not any kind of influenza, but anytime anyone says "I had the stomach flu" everyone knows what that entails, so you don't have to go into gross details about the 24 hours of feverish, aching, vomiting hell you just experienced), my new favorite food phase is RUINED! I recently discovered a favorite meal (really by process of elimination since it was what we had on hand) which I have creatively dubbed "triscuits'n'cheese." You take a few low fat triscuits, sprinkle some cheese on top, and bake for about 5 minutes. The perfect blend of protein, carb, and fat. Sadly, they were the last supper I had before the sickness set in....and even five days later, the thought of having triscuits'n'cheese makes me feel nauseous (This is particularly sad because a few days before the bug hit we had purchased a two week supply of triscuits-actually "woven wheats," the generic triscuits- and cheese).

So here is to the food I must love from afar because it was consumed prior to the bug...Little Debbie Nutty Bars (it happened in fifth grade and I still can't stand them!), Chili's Southwestern chicken salad, and Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies (an especially heinous experience...they were the special treat I brought in to the movie theater while watching the second "Lord of the Rings" movie with Kirk and Bryson in Utah a few years ago [oh wow...6 years ago!?] and I got sick in the middle of the movie and was in the horrible movie theater bathroom for a good portion of the show, and then later I had the weird dreams you get when you are sick and they all revolved around being an Ork in the mud and rain...not pleasant at all!).

25 things about me

2009-02-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

Unless you live in a cave (which I have, when it comes to current events and news items) you probably have heard about the "25 things about me" list. Well, I finally did it. And since it took me FOREVER to do it, I decided to get double mileage out of the thing and post it on my blog as well!

1. I have been tagged about a billion times with this 25 things list, so I have been brainstorming little items to put on the list. I have three green post its, one scrap piece of paper, and one steno sheet with little blurbs about me. I have written things while I was stuck at a stoplight, while my class was taking a quiz, and while I should have been doing a bunch of other things. Although I am actually starting to type this list on February 13th, I am sure it will not be posted for several days (at least).

2. I have absolutely NO desire to ever play guitar hero (on ANY system).

3. I have a new favorite perfume….Burberry “Touch.” I still love Clinique “Happy Heart,” but Touch is my new favorite. I keep smelling myself and thinking “wow…I smell so good!”

4. To me, Sudoku and crossword puzzles are a punishment and not a pleasure. I hate math but love words, but still loath crosswords.

5. I absolutely hate unloading the dishwasher.

6. I have a few “guilty” food habits. I love, love, love crunchy bacon, white/yellow cake with buttercream frosting, chocolate caramel apples, and sugar cookies.

7. I am an extraordinarily picky eater. I hate foods that a lot of people love, like cashews, chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream, and generally all Italian food.

8. I love dancing, although I have no ability at all (if possible, I have NEGATIVE ability). I joke that I have the soul of a dancer but the coordination of a rhino.
9. I HATE being bored! I think it comes from being so busy for most of my life that any spare minutes I would prefer to have it be filled with a good book or something amusing. I find no joy in sitting and waiting, standing in line, etc….unless I have a piece of paper, a magazine, etc. Then I love those empty moments. I always listen to books on CD in my car to maximize the relaxation feeling so I am not bored in the car.

10. My new favorite show is “Psych.” The sense of humor is priceless and right up my alley.

11. One of my favorite smells is the fire station (the ones in Greeley, anyway).

12. I hate American Idol! I have watched a few of the audition shows but other than that I think watching it is incredibly irritating and painful.

13. I am really friendly or can get really mean when I travel. For example, I love to help people (i.e., a busy family going through security) and always try to be nice, but if someone does something asinine, I tend to…how should I put it…get attitude. Case in point: A few years ago our flight was late and we were trapped in the Bonaire airport for 3 hours and it was 63 degrees and freezing from the air conditioning. I was carrying a small box (totally less than carry on size) that contained a fragile sea turtle sculpture (carefully wrapped). We had already gone through security 4 hours earlier, so when a guard questioned me on the way out to the plane, I snapped and snarled “security ALREADY checked it!!!!”

14. I don’t like having my fingernails painted (clear is okay), but I love fun colors on my toes.

15. I have had diabetes since I was 14 years old, which means I have had it for 16 years, which means that I have now had diabetes longer than I have not.

16. I fear and loath birds. Aside from that nasty beak and the claws (or huge talons), birds have a tendency to poop on me.

17. I am writing this list out of order….number 17 is actually only the 4th thing on the list.

18. I had my first kiss 10 days before I turned 24. In contrast, I got married 3 months after the first date with Marty.

19. I love to travel on my own (within the United States anyway) and have the ability to enjoy wandering around a city taking photos, going shopping, etc. This has lead to many adventures (getting lost on the way to Penn State is a favorite story, when I was meandering through Amish country, taking an accidental detour in New Jersey, but somehow emerging alive…a miracle, really).

20. I hate making decisions when other people are involved. A real vacation for me is when I don’t have to make dumb decisions that I don’t really care about. If I really want to do something or eat something (or don’t want to), I will let you know. Otherwise, please let me not me in charge!

21. I would love to travel and take pictures of the world, but since I don’t have ANY language skills, I am really intimidated to do so.

22. My mouth (especially teeth) is super sensitive…anything spicy, hot, or cold is painful. And yes, it has ALWAYS been that way and sensodyne doesn’t help. I wanted the orthodontist to completely put me under when my braces were taken off (it didn’t happen).

23. I think a good name for a strip club would be the Brass Flamingo (an example of some of the random thoughts that come into my head).

24. I hate cooking but I love baking. I am really creative in the kitchen and rarely follow recipes exactly (if at all…).

25. Sometimes I think I want to go back to school (I know, I haven’t even been out of school for a year) to become a diabetes educator. If I could do anything in the world, I would be an author and photographer (not necessarily together).

Got gas?

2009-02-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy week, hence my blog-less-ness. I wish I had some amusing stories to share about this busy week, but it was remarkably boring. Here is an idea...get up, eat peanut butter with triscuits (I guess salmonella poisoning could have been interesting, but it didn't happen), work on writing boring academic articles, work out, teach class, write, eat cheesey triscuits, write, etc. The only variation is that on Tuesdays and Thursdays I teach class all day and don't write, and today we are out of cheese (so only PB triscuits).

Luckily I found something this morning that really made me chuckle. If I had a bunch of extra money, I would buy this product for everyone! The greatest gag (and somewhat practical) gift ever. Here is a direct quote (see citation below) from a tidbit in one of my diabetes magazines:

"It is estimated that 20 percent of the US population, or 60 million people, suffer from one or more medical disorders that cause excessive flatulence......Now there's a new product from Flat-D innovations (www.flat-d.com) that claims to solve this dilemma for sufferers around the globe...The Flatulence Deodorizer Pad is an activated charcoal cloth pad that is worn taped inside your underwear. The manufacturer says it's comfortable and is 'perfect for use on car rides, airplane trips, or for long days at the office.' They also claim that users can 'celebrate their freedom from malodorous gas with this extremely inconspicuous pad.' "

There you have it! Another one of those inventions where you think "why didn't I think of that?"

Lund, K. (2009). Diabetes Health, February-March.