Ms. Amanda’s blog

Ella at the Barnyard

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Sat, 30 May 2009 09:27:57 -0700

We took Ella to the barnyard zoo last week, and she had a blast. Well...except for the fact that she learned she doesn't like horses. That wasn't fun for anyone.

Ella learned how to walk about two weeks ago, and has since taken to running and climbing as well. I'm never going to sit down again.

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Frankenstein!

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:20:37 -0700

Or sometimes we just say "BRAAAAIIIINNNS" when she walks around with her arms out like that. We had such a great Mother's Day at the beach! More pictures to come soon.

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Overhead

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:27:06 -0700

Chad: So you're paying $4.99 to fast forward through parts of a movie?

Me: Well, the bad parts are only about 30 seconds long.

Chad: But I though you didn't like that movie at all.

Me: I didn't, but now I discovered that it's okay if I fast forward through some of it.

Chad: So the part where she figures out he's a vampire is sorta like the scene in Jurassic Park 2 where the little girl does a back-flip and kicks the velociraptor in the face?

Me: Exactly.

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QotD: You Might Be Surprised to Hear...

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:00:04 -0700

What story of personal greatness, achievement or success would your co-workers or friends be surprised to learn about you?
Sponsored by Nature Made.

Ok, it's a few days later than the QotD was supposed to be, but I think everyone needs to write up a post explaining why he or she is great. Here's my list:

1) I once made the word "questions" on a Scrabble board, landing on triple word score and using up all of my tiles.
2) I can open a screw top beer with my forearm.
3) I think I am the only make-up artist around who could tell you your age, gender, and ethnic background from looking at your bones. (Of course, they would have to be separated from you, but that's just a small inconvenience, really! And if there are any other aspiring forensic anthropologists/part time make-up artists out there, drop me a line!)
4) The other day it was raining, and I pulled over my car to give an old rain coat I had to a homeless girl who was only wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top.
5) I make some pretty kick ass lemon bars.

So, family members and friends out there in Voxland, I want to know why you're great!

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Ella, Meet the Animals!

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:56:10 -0800

On Valentine's Day Chad and I decided to have a family day and we took Ella to her very first zoo trip! The LA Zoo is small, inexpensive, and perfect for a nice day. It's a great place for kids because you can do the whole zoo in about three hours, and not have to really worry about missing nap time or ending up with crankiness. We've been having tons of rain lately, so we were so excited to find out that the weather was perfect for being outdoors-that kind of weather where you're totally comfortable in the sun, but you need a hoodie in the shade. All in all, we had a blast. We've got some video, too, but it's mainly just Chad and I laughing at Ella getting all excited over getting some poofs. (BTW, Chad and I call those things "baby Pounce", because if Ella is across the room and we shake the can, she'll crawl like a little lightening bolt to get them)

Having a little snack before the zoo!

Baby prairie dog

MORE POOFS!!!!!

Either she loves the sleeping orangutan, or she loves her reflection.

Mommy and Ella.

Daddy and Ella.

Showing off the apes!

Yeah, I see you.

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2008

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:32:08 -0800

Total hospital visits: 4
Total hospital bills: $7000
Total hospital bills before insurance: $300,000
Total surgeries: 3
Total babies had: 1
Total visits to baby in hospital: 63
Total nights without much sleep: 252
Total times I've had to use my breast pump: 1,512
Total Zoloft taken: 238
Total times I went to open a bottle of water and the little ring thingy came off with the cap: 3
Total times I accidentally caught the Sparkletts bottle on the belt loop of my denim skirt, walked away, and got water everywhere: 2
Total books read:51
Total times I secretly and embarassingly wished I was Bella Swan: 3
Total withdrawals taken from school: 4
Total projects started and never finished: 2
Total projects actually finished: 0
Total baking disasters: 1 (apple pie gone bad)
Total weddings had: 1
Total brothers I got in a fight with and am no longer speaking to: 1
Total times I've regretted my decision to have a baby: 0
Total times I've completely and totally fallen in love with my daughter: uncountable

Here's 2007.

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And Now, a Very Happy Baby

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:01:03 -0800

Count them, peeps! Three smiling pictures from one day! Sorry this Christmas post is late, but we've been super busy with me working full time (only one more week to go and then I'm back to stay at home mommy/weekend make-up artist!) this month, plus all of the holiday shopping, parties, etc...that we've had to get through.

My kid seems to have had yet another great leap forward. A month ago she was just rolling, and now she's crawling and standing! All she wants to do is stand and pull herself up on everything she can find. Today we went to a late Christmas party and she got to hang out with a baby who was born in June, around the time that Ella should have been born. I had assumed that Ella would have been dwarfed by the other baby; she just looked a little bit smaller. Developmentally, she's right on track for her adjusted age, and she can even do some of the things a baby her actual age should be doing! It's getting a lot easier to stop thinking of her as a preemie. Now, if I could just get her to put on a little bit more weight and get out from below the 5th percentile!

As for me, I can't wait for this job to be finished. I should never have agreed to work full time during the holidays, but we really needed the money. I hate it because I have to lug around my breast pump and hide up in the bathroom three times a day, and I know it bothers some of the non-moms I'm working with because they have to cover my counter while I'm gone. I work with three other women who've had babies this year, and of the four of us I'm the only one who is still breastfeeding, but I committed myself to one year, and that means only four months to go!

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My Kid's Taking a Nap, and I've Been Thinking.

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:31:51 -0800

So, I finished reading Jane Eyre again. (9 times now, I think!) Every year I like to search it to see if I can find a new theme, but I'm embarassed to admit that this year I kinda rushed right through it without really picking up on something new. I'm even more embarassed to admit the reason why- my friend Sarah brought over her copies of Twilight and New Moon. (Caution: I haven't read Eclipse or Breaking Dawn yet, so if any of you out there spoil it for me, I'm going to be slightly pissed off.) I couldn't help it, because I'm poor and out of school right now, so my mind was aching for something new to ~~devour~~ read and I really haven't felt like walking up to the library in the last week or so.

Being out of school and not always concentrating on bones or boring ol' anthropological theory has actually allowed the literary cogs in my brain to start working again, although they work rather slowly because I'm usually too busy keeping tabs on a certain 7 1/2 month old who wants to eat EVERYTHING in her sight. But there are those glorious few hours at night when she sleeps that I can just relax in bed and escape into whichever book I'm reading. I can't help it, but I started trying to draw some parallels between Jane Eyre and Twilight. Please don't hurt me for saying this, but when broken down, both books are essentially romance stories. They're so similar in some ways:

-Both of them are about a plain, boring teenage girl, although we tend to forget that Jane Eyre is only 18 in the story.
-Both girls are in love with an older guy named Edward, who is kind of a domineering jerk.
-Both men have a terrible secret.

And yet, they are so different in so many ways. Although they both became a sort of slave to this older man, Jane is independent enough to defy his wishes and set out on her own path because it is the right thing to do. Bella Swan couldn't find her own path if it was marked with a flourescent sign. Bella is quick to submit to Edward's every whim, but Jane at least holds onto herself for most of the book. Jane knows her own self worth, but Bella spends the whole story complaining about how she's not worthy, blah, blah, blah.

While both stories have happy endings, it is only Jane's Edward who (quite literally) walks through the fire in penance. All Bella's Edward does is kill another vampire and suck out a little poison. Jane and her Edward spend life in a happy mix of servitude and equality, but all Bella does is continue to swoon and submit. And here is the reason I would never let my teenage daughter read Twilight: Jane Eyre is a story about independence and the folly of deceit, but Twilight is a story of submission, bordering abuse.

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What You Been Up To, Ella?

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:13:34 -0800

Well, since my Mommy has Vista and it sucks, she had to wait for Daddy to resize pictures for her on his computer so that she could upload them to Vox. I've been super busy lately, and I haven't posted anything since Halloween!

Just in case you wanted to know, I was a skeleton for Halloween.

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And I was in charge of the candy.

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I finally got too big for my Co-Sleeper.*

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Now I have a crib, but I look like a little bean in it!*

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I've got a new high chair, too! Now I don't have to sit in my Bumbo to eat anymore! I only sometimes do what my Daddy calls "shooting hate rays from my eyes" when I'm in it.

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Oh, and I can feed myself now. I've got the mechanics down, but I still can't figure out this spoon thing.

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I'm learning how to crawl! I can pull myself across the floor and I can get up on my hands and knees.

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I play as many video games and I can, especially with Daddy.

And finally, I just wanted you all out there to know that I am the happiest little clam in the world, and if you look really close, you may just see the world's tiniest faux-hawk.

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Love you all,

Ella, with some help.

*Yes, my child sleeps on her stomach. After two weeks of flipping her over and being seriously sleep deprived, I gave up and let her sleep however she wants.

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I Was Just Wondering

nobody@vox.com(Amanda) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:09:17 -0700

Chad has the stomach flu and refuses to try to eat anything. His doctor said that's okay, as long as he's drinking lots of fluids so he doesn't get dehydrated. He's had tons of Gatorade today (woo-hoo medicine!), and he said he was starting to get a little hungry. I went to the store to get myself something for dinner, since I had planned on making meatloaf tonight, and apparently that plan has fallen through. After looking all aroun the store for something he'd be able to keep down and would eat, it struck me: Jell-O. It will keep him hydrated and full. And it tastes yummy.

So, I get home, and decide that I'm having one of Chad's Jell-O cups. I remember after my c-section, when they wouldn't even let me have water, all I wanted was some red Jell-O and a big cup of ice water. Of course they made me wait until morning for the Jell-O, but it was so good it felt worth the wait. Now I'm eating a Jell-O cup and wondering-why does Jell-O taste better in the hospital? Is it made differenly? Certainly this is not the sproingy red goo I loved when I was sick.

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