Memoir from Grandma #2

June 25, 2012

So, my sweet little girl... today is your five-month birthday! How'd that happen? You are such a little stinkastew! We love you so much!



Your mommy bought you a really cute little swim cap the other day -- a really little one, actually, and when she put it on your little head (not really so little), you looked like you'd been smooshed! You had been! She took it back, after posting you all over facebook in it, that is. She needed to exchange the 6-12 mos size for an 18-24 mos size, or so she thought. She ended up purchasing a 3T-4T size and IT WORKS! You look so cute in it! I'm not sure if you'd prefer to wear it or eat it... the jury's still out.

I told Mommy today that you have definitely discovered your tongue! (like she didn't already know that!) and... you're right on schedule! 

Love, Grandma

Letters to Liza (8 months)

Dear Eliza, (written around 9/25/12)

Just this week I've had several people comment to me that you are "almost 1" Um, I beg to differ. There are still 4 more months before your 1st birthday and we will not be celebrating 1 day sooner. In fact, your birthday celebration may have to wait til the day after your birthday since you were born at 10:42pm... and I just can't bear to make you grow up any faster than you already are.

This last month I have watched you change and grow in ways I originally thought would just break my heart. But with each new thing you do, I reazlize that I love you more than the day before and would never wish you to go back in time even for a second. You are growing, learning, loving and stealing your Daddy's heart and mine more and more each day.

All month long I was sure another one of your teeth would be coming through as it seemed there was a large portion of the month you were in a rather cranky mood. Though, cranky for you is still pretty happy :) Your favorite new thing to play is "empty the basket" in which I have 4 baskets of toys that I switch out for you and you promptly empty the whole thing to decide just which toy you would like to play with the most ;)

Your reach has gotten better, meaning you like to lean waaaaaaay over to get things not quite within reach and often fall over and end up on your tummy in the process. Once on your tummy, let the rolling begin. In fact, just the other day you rolled over to your new favorite tissue box and began pulling lots and lots of tissues out until Daddy discovered this and stopped you ;)



You're learning and growing more and more each day! I love you baby girl :)

Love,

Mama

sugar free

Sugar is my worst nightmare... as well as my best friend. Well, I guess "best" isn't the right adjective, since our relationship is so love/hate.

I am a Class A Sugar Addict. I swear. I am not kidding you.

Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am a sugarholic.

I have faced this problem many times in my life. Like, seriously faced it. Head on. With a take-the-bull-by-the-horns and you-will-own-me-no-longer type of attitude! And at times it's worked out well. I really have a lot of self-control... I just have to choose to use it. I think most of us are like that really.

At any rate, I have come to face the ugly truth again. It was 1 week ago today that I went to visit my brother's girlfriend. Whereupon I wolfed down half a large pizza as well as the most delicious dark chocolate peppermint bar ever. I was full less than half way through this quest, yet I kept eating. Mainly because that delicious sugaryness just kept calling my name. Haunting me almost!

I recall a time when I was leaving work and had planned to go to the gym. There were however, 2 cookies left at my house that I desperately wanted. Instead of doing the rational, reasonable thing which would be go work out and then go eat cookies, I went to eat the cookies plus nothing. I felt like a drug addict! It was a force so strong that I just would NOT say no!

So here I am, facing the ugly truth. This is unfortunately not a situation that can be remedied immediately by moderation. Not for me at least. I had to go cold turkey. I gave up sugar completely 1 week ago and for the first 2 days had a headache, heartburn and extreme tiredness. Oh ya, and an insatiable desire for SUGAR! But hallelujah I have made it to the other side of that. Now it's a little easier to say no, and complete avoidance is a whole lot easier than trying to rationally decide what is ok and what is not. I have 1 more week of abstinence from the white goodness... whereupon I have to make a solid plan of where to go from there.

I initially planned to ONLY eat things that were unrefined. So raw sugar, raw honey etc. However, I know myself all too well and if I don't plan for *some* things that are just plain wrong I will slide down the slippery slope greased with all things chocolate and delicious quickly. I have to see if I can come up with a logical approach to this that has very clear boundaries... because for right now, I just can't be trusted!!!