my current humble abode

affectionately known as "the box"

back in january i'd just done a thorough cleaning of our apartment and decided it was a good time to document life in stanford family housing.  it was only a few months ago but my oh my has our apartment filled up since then!  books, binders, toys, a highchair, mobile baby, etc.  no wonder i'm in a constant state of claustrophobia.  anyways, i'm glad i took the time to take a few pictures of my home because it's something i wish i had from my childhood.  just to see the light blue duck wallpaper in my bedroom and the dark blue floral walls of the kids bathroom.  i wish i could take a tour of my childhood house the way it looked in 1989 because even though my parents still live there, i can't think of anything that really looks the same.  and i wonder how accurate my memory would be.

like i do with everything else, i hope i can continue to take pictures of where i live on an ongoing basis.  i blogged about the highlights from the last place we lived (our one bedroom apartment in EV stanford couples housing) and a few apartments ago when we lived on a golf course in pennsylvania for a summer.  i know i have complete pictures of those places and maybe even the colorado apartment in between but i guess they just never got posted.  not surprising since i really didn't blog back in the day.

anyways, i have a post lined up with pictures of our new home but first things first, let's take a look at our current little box.  our humble home since last july when our precious little baby joined our family.  as excited as i am for more storage and square footage, i'm really going to miss this place.  so, without further adieu (is anyone really even reading this babble?!?!) let's take a stroll down memory lane...

the view when you walk in the door

down the mini hallway to the living room area

living room area

looking into the eating area

i actually really love the all white kitchen.  especially during the day with all of the natural light pouring in.

it's such a happy place to do laundry.  

but i will not in the tiniest bit miss those tile counters.  they are the bane of my existence.

the people before us planted all sorts of bulb plants so we've had green lushness and beautiful  flowers the whole time we've been here!

on to the second floor!  

it's funny how HUGE this apartment first seemed when we moved into it two weeks before baby was due.  because our previous one bedroom apartment was soooo tiny and all on one floor you were never farther than 15 feet from whatever you needed.  pregnant and need to go to the bathroom?  ten feet.  thirsty and need a drink?  12 feet.  want to see your studying honey?  15 feet.  so the fact that i had to go all the way downstairs and then through our mini hallway and pass by our living area and eating area just to get to the fridge... well, it might as well have been on the other side of the country.  it felt like a mansion.  so it's incredible to me that this same apartment with a tiny baby and all of her gear is now making me feel as if the walls are caving in on me and i can't turn around without bumping in to something.  maybe that's why i like these pictures so much.  because it was before our baby needed gear.

upstairs landing.  this area now holds a pack n play about 95% of the time.  we have to roll it around the corner anytime we need access to that closet.

i have never loved this bathroom.  for some reason it always makes me feel like i'm camping.  it's probably the exposed plumbing.

i do love baby's room though and i've really loved having a bed in there too.  

i love having that picture of christ above her crib.  for so many reasons.

the right side of that closet is for honey.  the left side for baby.

i don't like to run out of diapers.

and our super grand master bedroom

don't hate on the furniture.  i know you're hating.

probably the most uncomfortable bed ever.  i'm sitting on it at this very moment and my body is aching from it.

this closet is all mine.  this is the third place we've lived where i've taken the master closet and chris has used a hall closet or one in a different bedroom.  he's a good sport.

favorite pictures on top.  toys and books, blankets and sippy on bottom.  since baby was around six months old we practically lived in bed because our floors were so hard and scratchy and she was practicing sitting all the time.

and there you have it.  i should go around and take the same pictures now.  with our current baby clutter and mess.  complete with packing boxes stashed against the wall behind our kitchen table.  because that's real life.  oh, and now might be a good time to mention that our apartment came furnished.  all of that dorm room looking oak furniture... not ours.  purple sofa, not ours.  other ugly sofa, free from craigslist.  baby's crib, changing table, and glider are ours.  and that's all.  ;-)

hope you enjoyed the tour!  stay tuned for pictures of our new giant mansion!

grapefruit video

i was looking through last months pictures on picasa and found these videos i'd totally forgotten about.  they made me laugh and i've watched them at least ten times since.  enjoy!  

this child amazes me.  every time.

teeth!

10 month post

i had wanted to do a formal 10 month post for baby but it's been a few days and i'm not any closer getting that together.  so instead, i'll just make a few notes of what comes to mind at the moment in terms of big happenings over the past month.

baby made the transition from parent spoon fed to self finger fed.  it's not that she dislikes the texture or taste of all of the scrumptious pureed concoctions i whipped up, it's just that she does not want a spoon anywhere near her mouth.  it is a major struggle.  even with oatmeal, which she loves.  her very favorite foods  have been grapes and sweet potatoes.  those are a sure bet every single time.

she loves walking with her walker.  i am totally dying that our apartment is so tiny because it takes her half a second go to from one end to the other and then she looks over her shoulder and waits for me to turn her around to do it again.  times 80 million.  it's nice when chris is home because we can just sit across the room from one another and send her back and forth between us without needing to follow her around step for step.

she got two new teeth without us even realizing it!  whoops.  i didn't realize it until a few days ago but i think it happened at least a week or two ago because one of them is really out.  a few nights ago, chris and i were trying to figure out how she was making a grinding noise in her mouth.  i said "it sounds like she's grinding her teeth but i'm sure that's not it because she has no top teeth."  i tried to put my fingers in her mouth and she was not having it (at this point i realize that she hasn't wanted my fingers in her mouth for quite some time... she always uses her own thumb to chew on) so i took her to our brightly lit bathroom and raised her up and down to make her smile and laugh and sure enough, TWO teeth!  the one on the left (her right) is much bigger but ohhh those gums are huge.  maybe this has attributed (in addition to her multiple sicknesses) to her poor appetite of late.  i felt kind of guilty for not being observant about this but i'm over it.  i'm not exactly sure why but the phrase "middle child" keeps coming to mind.

she laughs when we laugh.  even if i'm on the phone with someone and i laugh.  she'll think it's funny.  not a gutsy tickle laugh but y'know... the other laugh.

went through a stage of not liking diaper changes.  more specifically, she didn't like to be put down on her back and made to lay still.  i wish i could get a video of her insane squirms on the changing table but that would require one more hand and i always seem to be short four already.

she pants all. the. time.  excitedly crawling, walking, whatever.  if she's on the move, she's panting.  loudly.

this isn't new but i'm pretty sure i never mentioned it before.  when she gets excited about something or thinks it's funny, she breathes really fast and intensely out of her nose like she's hyperventilating and her whole face scrunches up while she does it.  it is absolutely hilarious.

when i read her books she's getting better about not trying to eat the pages but i still have to hold it far away because for some reason she always grabs it and tries to shut it so she can examine the front and back of the outer cover.  true of every book.  i can't figure it out.

i feel like she's always crying these days.  i know she probably still cries less than the average baby but oh my goodness she is always getting hurt!  never anything big but if she gets any scratch or bump she's a real drama queen about it.  i know it's just because she's learning and gaining awareness of things so it really doesn't bother me but poor baby girl, life must seem so hard for her.

she is officially bored with all of her toys.  nothing can hold her attention anymore.  she is constantly moving around the apartment.  thank goodness for that because exploring new areas seems to be the only thing (aside from scouring the carpet for inedibles to eat) entertaining to her.  it's also a plus that this makes her so self sufficient.

baby's sleep has also improved significantly.  more than ever before (except when she was on her newborn schedule of 1 hour awake, 3 asleep and little baby schedule of 2 hours awake, 2 asleep) she's on a schedule! typical day is wake up around 7 30.  nap from 10 to noon.  nap from 2 to 4.  bedtime around 7 45.  and she may wake up once during the night.  she went through a phase in there where she cried sometimes when she went down to sleep but luckily those never more than a week or so.

she's very cautious and likes for things to be sure.  she gets spooked if she loses her balance, even if she doesn't fall.  she pretty much refuses to walk around if you're only holding one of her hands.  when she pulls up on my legs she's very careful to grab my legs or if she's only holding on to my pants, she will make sure that it's secure before trusting it with her weight.  i'm trying to get her to be more daring but it's not working yet.

i think that's all of the main things that i can think of right now.  she's doing really well and is super happy and social.  she loves being around other kids and is more aggressive and assertive and much less shy than she used to be.  she likes to climb over and under things.  she understands "no" even if she isn't 100% on exactly what it's referring to.  she occasionally signs "all done" and understands the sign for "jump" even without verbally saying the word.  she prefers chili beans over black beans and makes a bee line for the bathroom anytime i put her down when we're upstairs.

oh, and she has the cutest pinchers ever.

EVER!

what i do when i'm MIA

saturday- spent the morning carrying out the event for our courtyard party planting potted mothers day flowers. that night, we left our baby at home and went out to eat at macaroni grill for our anniversary/mothers day.  it was so much fun and i'm going to miss having the kingstons monitor sit for us.

sunday- my first mothers day!  breakfast in bed, pyramid of sweets and a "happy mother's day love chris and abigail" sign, "coupons" for dinner out, laundry, dishes, backrub, etc.  nothing says you're a real mom like homemade coupons.  slept in because chris got up with baby girl and fed her and i got to nap an extra 45 mins after church because honey got up with baby again and kept her occupied til she needed to eat.  he also made us lunch/dinner and did other nice things that weren't totally out of the ordinary.

monday- i went running for the first time in over 18 months.  i ran for 45 minutes straight and it actually felt really good.  went all around up on campus.  i could have even kept going but i knew i would probably regret it.

tuesday- sore.  sore sore sore.  painful to go down stairs or sit down.  i like being sore but this was just a little debilitating.  that night i went out to eat at jeffrey's for katt's birthday dinner.  i got a grilled pineapple teriyaki burger which was phenomenal.  it's what i got last time too.  delish.  of course katt got the award for the most inappropriate comment (may have had something to do with comfort nursing) and the company was top of the line.  i need more girls nights in my life.

wednesday- still really sore.  and achy.  with the chills.  and my sore throat from the past three days was terribly painful and only getting worse.  i only got one short nap from baby because we went to biz kids music class in the morning and in the afternoon instead of taking one really long nap, she only slept for 1h 30.  pleeease let my christopher get home SOON.  i never want him home to take over childcare responsibilities but today i did.  he texted me and told me he'd be home at 7:45 and take care of baby 100% for me.  well, he got home just in time to kiss her goodnight.  i can't believe i spent 11 waking hours with that child today.  she's got soooo much energy and my whole body just hurts.

sooo active.  see those gross knees and toes?

thursday- carrie kingston (her twins are exactly one week younger than baby girl) came over and stole baby while i was making dinner.  she had eden in the bjorn and took my kid in her arms and left to go back to her house, telling me to take my time and get stuff done while she watched the girls.  i guess when you have twins, having one baby seems too easy and you have to steal your neighbor's.  i made this recipe for a chicken enchilada rice bake which was delicious and easy.  i skipped the olives and used fresh tomatoes instead of canned.  i also ate it with extra cheese on top and a hefty spoonful of sour cream each time i got it out for leftovers so that probably helped.  i can't get enough of the extras.  they make everything taste better.

friday- i signed up for a bimonthly play and learn parent child class series sponsored by stanford.  that was at 10 and i walked there with one neighbor and walked home with another.  huge coincidence that 3 of us of the 8 or so in the class are from the same courtyard.  came home, put baby down for a nap, and took my pack n play over to carrie's apartment so she could borrow it for her weekend trip.  and then i stayed for the whole two hours while baby napped.  whoops.  heard baby wake up so i came home, played with baby, put her down for her second nap and woke her up to meet honey at LPF.  then we walked over to international building for food and entertainment.  mariachi band and belly dancers along with apple juice, hot chocolate, strawberries, brownies and macaroons?  yes please.  walk home.  redbox (knock out).

saturday- baby's runny nose turned into all out sickness.  sneezing every four seconds and major drainage out of her nose and eyes.  and her cough.  soooo cute.  sounds like a little baby barking seal.  RS activity at the cantor art museum from 10:30 to 1:00, honey gone to golf all afternoon, 6:00 babysit connor and elliot til 11.  babysitting is the best because you get a whole bunch of money for just feeding the kids some dinner, putting them in bed, and hanging out while they sleep.  nora (the mom) gave baby girl some precious hanna anderson pj's.  i've been wanting to get some because they have a zipper, which is kinda a must these days) AND they have no feet so baby will be able to wear it forever instead of just a few months.  and no feet also eliminates a lot of slipping and sliding.

sunday- i had two little sickies so i went to church alone since the bigger sickie stayed home with the baby one.  i ate 3 banana muffins on the way there, and one on the home.  it was nurse amanda's recipe but i put double the bananas, half the sugar, and used applesauce instead of butter.  they were fantastic.  it was a real lazy day.  honey took a nap, baby took a nap, and then i overlapped with my nap which lasted til 5.   we went on a walk to the basketball court for a quick game of pig.  honey did the dishes twice and before baby went to bed i took a million pictures of her while we played the standing baby game where we stand her up and see how long it takes for her to fall.  baby was cracking up the whole time.  it was a FABULOUS night.  so much that i couldn't fall asleep til after 2am because i wasn't tired and i couldn't get my brain to turn off and i kept hearing baby's barking seal cough every ten minutes.  it's sooo cute.  at least she doesn't seem bothered by it at all.

today-  woke up at 8 to a goodbye kiss from my honey and somehow (probably because she's sick) baby slept til 9 15 so i actually got a shower in before she woke up!  and all day it's been cold and windy and overcast so we've been camped out in our tiny little box.

anyways, that was all very scattered with a million different tenses and grammatical errors but you should just feel free to ignore that and instead focus on what a cute baby i have.  she's adorable, don't you think?

and i own it all

we closed on our house today!!!

we're homeowners again!!!

i have a big giant mansion waiting for me in parker colorado!!!

when we were house hunting in colorado during spring break towards the end of march i fell in love with a house.  you're totally not supposed to do that if you want to get a good deal on a house.  but once i fell in love i didn't want a good deal on a house.  i just wanted THAT HOUSE.  i haaaaadddd to have it.  and i would have been heartbroken if my life had to go on without it.  so i only mentioned it to family and a few close friends.

well now that we own it, let me declare to the world, we have a house and i'm in love with it and in exactly one month, i get to live in it!!!

and it's about five times bigger than our current box apartment so i will be referring to our new house as my castle.  on my estate.

i feel like i just won the lottery and bought pemberley.  good thing i already have my mr. darcy.

*** lest you think i mean to brag relentlessly, i will assure you that is not my purpose at all.  i mean only to share my excitement and loudly proclaim my appreciation and gratitude for just one of my very abundant blessings. *** 


PARKER COLORADO, see you soon!

stanford baseball tonight

tonight we went to a stanford baseball game. here's a picture our friend ian tweeted. made my night since i didn't take any pictures my own and we all know how much i looooove pictures!

let there be light

we should be sleeping right now.

many months ago when our refrigerator light went out i thought to myself how incredibly annoying that was and how was i to possible endure such a thing for one more second. i resolved to put in a fix it request and kept forgetting. sometime back in february/march i renewed my resolve. well, may came around and i decided it was just time to get it done. i took five minutes and submitted it online.

today, i put my baby down for her morning nap at 10. she wasn't too tired so she didn't fall asleep til 10:20. i may have fallen asleep at 10:30. at 11:15 there is someone frantically trying to bang the door down possibly to announce the british are coming or that the second coming is there. something major must be coming with that kind of knock.

nope, i tiptoe downstairs as the repair guy has let himself in. "oh, sorry" he tells me, probably realizing there is a sleeping baby upstairs. as i turn around (knowing the inevitable) baby starts to cry. of course. that's why i'm already on my way to her room. i had barely gotten her out of her crib when i heard the front door slam again. dude, if you're gonna be that fast repairing a fridge light, just get in and out. don't bother knocking.

this is not a current picture.  i'm sure it's about as old as my baby.  but don't let that bother you.  my fridge looks like this pretty much all the time if i can help it.  we don't run low.

so there you go. we have light. and i am ready for my day of rest.

late night skype

(i know it's not the most flattering picture ever but we did that on purpose so you wouldn't get jealous with the overload of beautiful maycock genes.)

today i managed to skype with my mom and all three of my siblings. i consider that a very successful day.

just a few of 172

if my husband read our blog...

i would tell him that i love him and that i think he's great and thanks for doing the dishes tonight and

happy anniversary dearest! it's been a great four years so far!

and something along the lines of "thanks for the ring."

whoops... just a little add

y'know that book if you give a mouse a cookie?  and if you give a moose a muffin?  and if you give a pig a pancake?  i always loved those books.  LOVED them.  now i think about them all of the time because it's honestly the story of my life.  

i used to take adderall for this sort of add-ness but stopped that a few years ago when we started trying to get pregnant.  it really hasn't been too big of a deal since i don't have school anymore.  i just made lifestyle changes and now i completely THRIVE on routine.  i lock the door every single time i pass it so there's no laying in bed at night wondering if i remembered to bolt it or not.  my keys, purse, phone, etc... they all have a very specific place that i put them so they never get lost.  maybe this is why i'm so OCD about organization and cleanliness.  i have to be or else i can't function.  anyone that knew me for the first 20 years of my life can attest that i was not an organized individual.  my idea of cleaning my room when i was younger was piling everything on the floor in a corner and covering it with a blanket.  not kidding.  it would stay like that for months and months too.  just keep stuffing everything under there.

ANYWAYS, the good side of me being like that little mouse, moose, pig is that if i'm in a lazy mood i just need to put forth a little effort to get the ball rolling and then i'm good to go.  like last night.  i put baby to bed and i was so in the mood to just lay down, read blogs, and get lost on the internet.  knowing this would lead to several hours of nothingness, i told myself i could do that "right after i fold this laundry."  well, three hours later i was still going strong.  there was so much cleaning and organizing to get done and i was doing it all!  it was great!  

it made me so happy this morning to see my sparkly white kitchen, all freshly cloroxed with bleach.  to my horror though, my bathtub turned YELLOW overnight!  (i'll warn you now to sheild your eyes if your stomach can't handle my beautiful student housing bathtub.)  whoops!  in my cleaning frenzy, i had doused the tub with bleach, left it to soak, and completely forgot about it!  ten hours later and it's a beautiful golden color.

my first thought was "well, there goes our security deposit."  my second thought was "crap, with if i do this to our new bathtubs when we move?"  third thought was "i should google this."  a few online forums suggested hydrogen peroxide.  something about it being the right chemical to undo the bleach stain damage.  well, i took baby shopping this afternoon and we got a nice big bottle of hydrogen peroxide, among other things, and after i put baby down for her nap, i squirted the stains away... it was MAGIC.

before.  told you it was gross looking.  although i did somewhat enhance the picture.

and here too.  it was actually all around the sides, you just can't see it as well.

look at those squirt bottle marks!  it was wonderful!

and then i went to town on the rest of the tub and in between the tiles too.  spray, listen for the sizzle, scrub away.  ;-)

whew!  crisis averted.

finding treasures

here i was just sitting on our super ugly semi uncomfortable sofa (as opposed to the super uncomfortable semi ugly sofa i normally sit on) where my sweet christopher spends 99% of his time at home. i was just enjoying my time blogging when my foot discovered something a little unusual. what's that?

oh, just a fork. stuffed in the depths of his sofa.

i texted my dear honey this picture and asked him how long it's been there. his response? "no clue."

faaaabulous.