I say Celebrate

Yesterday marked the end of an era. After a four year long relationship, my mustang no longer calls our garage home. A four door mid-sized sedan now sits in its place. I guess this is what it means to be automotively domesticated. 

~

Halloween came and went. If you don't believe me, I've included proof -

The Chicken Suit was resurrected for this holiday - Lovely was not amused. We quickly transitioned in a festive onesie that was much more well received.

{I don't think they like each other one bit.}

Lovely also got a new high chair which is not groundbreaking or overtly interesting to most.......but Lovely would like your attention for a moment as she begs to differ. 

{She obviously appears to be quite pleased with herself.}

About two weeks ago I left my home base unit in the hospital and traveled up to the land of the itty-bitties. The Intensive Care Nursery. The ICN. I punched in my twelve hours watching over three littles. 

Seven a.m. rolled around and so did one of the little's families. Now this particular little was brand spankin' new and not too sick, but his condition at the time warranted a couple nights stay in the lovely Casa de ICN. Unbeknown to the family, their little had been cleared to go home later that day and I was the lucky duck that got to tell this to them. 

The father picked up and held his little high in the air. He then literally (no, Literally), did a happy dance that included some very charming lyrics. Charming, especially at seven en la manana - I enjoyed this very much, but others near us may have shushed him for the sake of the five other sleeping littles. 

I say celebrate.

Two kinds.

At my work there are two kinds of kiddos. Those who come and go, and I joyfully accept the fact that I will never see them again in a professional setting. And those who decide that the ICU is simply a much more lively place when they decide to occupy it. The catch? They stay away until I think about them and absentmindedly  verbalize to a fellow comrade "ya know, so-and-so hasn't been here in a while, I wonder how they are?" Bam. They show up and let me know loud and clear how they are. 

~

We took a Trek to the land of the grandparents.

Let me explain.

I wake up at 9 AM with Lovely. We hang out. We lounge. We are lazy all day. Then I transform into my real life alter ego of a motorcycle riding, leather-wearing, high adrenaline pediatric ICU night shift nurse. 7PM-7AM.

In all truth, that night I may not have ridden the motorcycle due to my aversion to riding in cold weather. And it may have been a slower paced night where the adrenaline may not have been pumpin' quite so high. No matter.

Head home and get myself and my baby's cute butt in the car and out of town. Two and a half hours out of town. As much as you may not believe in zombies, I promise you, there was one out on the US highways last Friday between the hours of 10AM and 1PM. Yikes.

But at least we got these cute pictures.  

 That's just how we roll.

Imma Bee

For whatever reason, my child has decided that she would like to hang out in the 90th percentile for height and weight. It's not like all the cool kids are doing it - I always thought it was much more avant garde to spend my oh-so-valuable time as an infant chillin' in the 10th - so I don't know where she got the mindset to be huge. Doesn't matter. What matters is that she isn't really going to fit into her hand-me-down Halloween costumes when that holiday rolls around so we had to do some premature glam shots last month.

{Imma Bee, Imma Bee, Imma be rockin' like this.}

 {Showin' off those teeth like its something to do}

 

Also - 
I've started running again. I love it.
I highly recommend it. 

~

Work, work, work. It has been especially rough lately. There are just certain things a person cannot un-see or un-experience. I spend 36 nocturnal hours a week as a nurse in a pediatric ICU where anything and everything can and does happen. I have the privilege of working with families during their blackest of nights. I feel one iota of the pain that these families endure - this small amount of anguish is difficult to swallow and I cannot imagine taking their place and having to bear the entire brunt of this pain.

Thank you. Thank you for my healthy baby. Thank you for my happy family. Thank you a million times over.

We gone an done it - all growed up.

So.

You all are on pins and needles, no?

Well after a brief hiatus - I'm back, fools. We've just been a little busy.

Moving with a munchkin in tow plus workin' it on the night shift is a force to be reckoned with. Luckily we have a hot crew of friends and family that oh-so-conveniently own, what turned into, a fleet of trucks. My job requires a certain number of weekend hours punched in - which coincided beautifully with the timing of our move. The skinny of the situation? Hubbs brought the bed over the the new casa as a first order of business (sans sheets and blankets and pillows - opps). Fall asleep for the day (i.e. my night) in an empty house and wake up to a box-and-furniture filled home. Without lifting a finger.

 {Brought to us by friends...and honestly, we needed a picture break.}

A side note of great importance - if any of you are living in an apartment and your man really wants to buy and furnish a thirty gallon saltwater reef tank and there is even a teeny tiny speck of a chance you will move in the next 30 years, just say no. With your I'm-really-serious-the-answer-is-no voice. I am proud to report, however, that all the little sea critters seem to have survived the trek. Seriously?

Little Lovely is getting big and is such a ham. Case in point -

Oh my. Which reminds me of an awesome story. I was at the grocery store when a middle aged African American woman comes up to me and joyfully starts exclaiming "What a sexy baby!" followed by initiating a conversation with Lovely including such dialogue as "Who's a sexy baby? You're a sexy baby! Who's a sexy baby!?!" In lieu of actually being able to speak back,  Love simply hams it up, which exponentially escalated the situation. 

Good to know she's all that and a bag of chips.

Starting off August Right!

{In Love with Little Lovely}

Hope

Lights of my life.

Husband + bebe + pups. There are others of course, but today these are the few that are on my mind.

This life is fickle and fleeting. My work is a three day a week reminder of this sobering fact. I need to aim more love and happiness at the above mentioned people (and animals).

And apparently.....

Little Lovely takes being a quarter Mexican pretty seriously. She insisted on wearing her Mexican Fiesta Dress to her first ever family reunion.

{She was obviously pleased with her apparent Mexicanity}

However, a short thirty minutes later she became overly aware of the inherent itchiness of her par-tay attire and let everyone at the park know that she would much prefer the comfort of her onzie and snuggle blanket.

  {I love that she smiles with her eyes}

Another item of interest. Everyone, Esperanza. Esperanza, everyone.

Also known as Hope, for those of us in the family who are a little rusty with our Spanish.

{Life is Good}

Following in Momma's Footsteps.

Okay, so no political correctness should be applied to the following reminiscence. When I was younger, much younger, I thought that women had hips (compared to the lack of male curves) so that she could have a child resting on them. This makes me laugh now that I use my hip for that very purpose.

I had no idea that I would end up a nurse.
But here are my Little Lovely's footsteps. 

Also, I was trying so hard to get Lovely to laugh -half the time she did NOT think I was funny.

{I'm so lucky I get to practice my novice photography skills on this little pumpkin, even if she doesn't always think I'm funny}

Beat the heat

It's a whopping 73 degrees outside. Yowza. I need an Ice Cold Coke. Capitalized because it is that important.

Before passing judgment, know that this is coming from a girl who is used to her year round 60 degree weather. (Pause for a moment and soak in how incredibly wonderful this really is). I think I may have broken a sweat. A very lady like sweat, of course. 

I haven't always been such a wimp - to my credit I grew up with 100+ degree summers, living poolside for a solid three months each year. But I've thankfully acclimated to this wonderful coastal weather and have thus wussified myself when it comes to heat.

Dramatic Ducks! (Sidenote - go Oregon! You can't mention ducks without this exclamation. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to bone up)

When Little Lovely has her own bathroom these pictures will be the inspiration for decoration.

{Mr. E. Duck. 

Get it?}

Now that Love is getting a little bigger and a lot more expressive (actually, to be correct I should say 'a lot bigger and A LOT more expressive) it's crazy to see my hubby and myself come out in her.

Top picture is totally his smile. Completely. And I'm pretty sure the bottom picture is going to be her 'I'm into mischief....but I'm cute so it's okay' face. Can't put a pin in who she got this from. But my gut is to blame her dad. And the dog. But that's only because the dog is my main go-to for blame in this household. No logical path from the origins of Lovely's mischief face and the Beagle. Off the hook for this one.

Again, all her dad. I'm starting to think people are going to peg me as the nanny instead of the mom.

She's got that covered

Daddy's a drummer and mommy's a pianist. Little Lovely ~ drum roll please ~ oh, wait, she's got that covered.  

And, for whatever reason, I love love love this picture. 

Postcard - Updated with Winners!

Are you kidding? This picture is just a postcard waiting to be brought to life.


Okay folks.  Here's the skinny: 


Contest going on with this picture on facebook and on my blog. Please caption this photo so I can make postcards! All those who contribute and supply me with a mailing address (bethanyeleanor@yahoo.com or via facebook message) will get a hand addressed postcard with the winning caption! I know....minimal glamor here, but fun, none-the-less! 

UPDATE WITH WINNERS!

{First Place: Chris, one of the Uncles}

{Second Place: Chase, the other Uncle}

Go Figure.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Did I have a baby just so I could photograph her? Maybe. Maybe not.

Sometimes I feel that my growing obsession with snapping fotos de mi hija (pictures of my daughter, for those monolinguists out there) is getting at little out of hand. But really, when I'm 80 years old....

......sitting on my yacht, am I going to be thinking about much money I have? No. I'm going to be thinking about, how many friends I have. And my children. And my comedy albums. I mean, I have a yacht so I obviously did pretty well money wise. (Thank you Michael Scott).

Out of the Office and back to reality......I don't think I'm going to look back and say 'man, I really wish I had taken less pictures of my baby girl.' I may sport these feelings when it comes to pictures of my pooches...but they rank a couple notches lower on the totem pole.

I just discovered that my camera can take B&W photos. I have always just black-and-white-atized photos after the fact. Just thought you'll should be privy to the behind-the-scenes of these next photos.

 {I know it's crazy, but Little Lovely just keeps growing. So crazy in fact, I feel compulsively obligated to document that she really was once this itty-bitty}

{Take some time soaking in this piece. Notice how the artist is trying to convey the childlike fun and wonder she is experiencing with her photography hobby.}

{Just my sense of humor, I guess}

{And lastly, our house is full of love this week. The rundown -
Myself, husband, 

Uncle, aka UC (pictured above), 

Little Lovely,
Peanut the Beagle, Whiskey the Schnoodle, 

Tazzie the GrumpCat, 

and a tank full of sea critters. 

Oh man.}

Okay, back to the movie. Green Hornet. In 3D. Check it - sound track extraordinaire:

Been spending most our lives living in the Gangsta's Paradise
Been spending most our lives living in the Gangsta's Paradise
Keep spending most our lives living in the Gangsta's Paradise
Keep spending most our lives living in the Gangsta's Paradise

Thanks Coolio, for taking me back.