DejaVu

Sometimes I see a picture of Karis and it is like looking at a rewind version of reality, takes me right back to Maddy's wee tiny days.... Maddy is the top and bottom, Karis in the middle here.... both about 9-10 weeks... Karis just has a few more chins and darker hair...

Visiting Dampa and Damma

Maddy calls my parents Dampa and Damma, we think it is funny because it sounds a lot like she is cursing... imagine such words coming from this sweet little blonde headed cherub.....we are visiting this weekend for my Mom's 58th birthday .... the best part of the weekend I don't have pictures for: tonight we went to a luau dinner at a friend's church. Maddy was absolutely enamored with the group of little girls that were the hula entertainment, she followed them around all night to the point of getting right up onto the stage alongside them. The MC was a little flabbergasted and stammered politely for the "cute little blondie's mom to please come get her". A few good sports called out to let Maddy stay and perform, but the stick in the mud wouldn't have it, so I retrieved my little "interruption" amidst lots of laughter from the crowd. I think it would have been lovely to see what she would have done up there, I'm sure it would have been spectacular and very creative.

Sisters!

I think it is so funny that anytime I lay Karis on the floor to try to get some pictures, Maddy comes over like white on rice and snuggles in next to her. She just dotes on her little sister and is super affectionate, sometimes just a little *too* loving, but can you blame her? If I had a sister this irresistible I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off her either.

Karis has really started to track Maddy's activity as she runs around and plays. I can already tell I will do less entertaining with Karis than I did with Maddy because she will never get bored with her big sister around.

Karis photos week 7 & 8(ish)

asleep on my daddy

hanging out with deb, thinking, "hey I know you!" Deb was holding me in the water when Karis was born.
gossipping with Jen at cafe sip n play
laughing at mom (so is Maddy)
crashed out in my carseat

Slinging

I think Maddy has fond memories of being in the moby wrap because she begs to get in it everyday. One day I decided to let her wear her own baby in it for awhile and she was on cloud nine. Oh so proud! And I especially love that not only does she have her baby, but also a plastic banana in one hand, hot dog in the other and is wearing her favorite pair of mermaid panties.

Maddy's Adventures Lately

We've been trying out some of the classes offered at Portland Parks & Rec and have enjoyed them so far. I saw one online that was focused on balls and I thought Maddy would like playing with all the different basketballs, baseballs, hockey (is that a ball?) and other sports stuff that we don't have at home. We arrived for the class and quickly realized that not only was Maddy the only girl but that is was ironic that she had dressed herself in the frilliest pinkest girliest dress she could find in her closet that morning. But not only did she keep up with the big boys in their nike gear, she showed them how it is really done! I love that my little girl, even dressed all in ridiculous pink, can get right in there and mix it up.

My Favorite Game

We have a new game in our house, it's called "what's that smell?"

We have a weird smell in our living room/kitchen area. It is not the fridge. It is not under the fridge. It is not the garbage can. It is not the chair closest to the stink zone. It must be the carpet. Spilled something nasty? Missed a peepee accident? It smells like a mix of maple syrup and rotten potato. Sigh.

I just don't relish the idea of getting down on my hands and knees to sniff around and find the exact origin of the offending smell. Maybe we'll just shampoo the carpets and write it off as a mystery better left unsolved.

8 weeks old

oh the smiling and eye contact and cooing and gurgling...... these are the best days ever!!!


and here is a picture of Karis' big sister Maddy at about the same age..... do you think they are related???

Keep Waterbirth Afloat!

What will you do to help????


Waterbirth International may close doors. Here is a note from Barbara Harper of Waterbirth InternationalBarbara Harper wrote:.I cannot yet imagine a world without the voice and work of WaterbirthInternational - we get calls and emails every day from women who need helpconvincing one hospital or another to let them labor or birth in water. Ifwe die - a big part of the movement dies. Waterbirth has shown us all thatwomen know how to give birth and babies know how to be born. Waterbirthgave us "hands-off", sit back and let the baby out. I see waterbirthmentioned on Blogs every single day, not to mention Baby Story on the TV. Itook Waterbirth International to ACOG two years in a row - and was the ONLYbooth showing birth films to obstetricians and especially to studentphysicians. There were tears, laughter and outrage - just the thing to stirup those young crop of doctors. I am finally realizing a life's dream.But now I am faced with letting this dream go. Perhaps I have done enough.Perhaps it is time to quit.About 18 years ago, maybe it was longer, when Mothering Magazine was facingbankruptcy Peggy did a heartfelt plea asking their readers to considerordering a Life-time subscription. I think the subscriptions were $1000 or$1200, I can't remember now. I do remember that I couldn't imagine notreading my Mothering. So, I bought two and gave one to my obstetrician'soffice.How can you help us stay open to take the next phone call? - to convince thenext obstetrician to incorporate waterbirth into his/her practice - to workwith the nurse midwives to install pools in their facilities? To educate anentire hospital on the benefits of allowing women freedom of movement in thewater. How much is it worth to see waterbirth become the norm in the US,like it is in the UK? I think we only need a few more years to make thathappen. Do women really wan t waterbirth to be an available choice in everyhospital? I think so.Can you help us by getting the word out on blogs and lists? I had to let goof all of the staff except one person to process orders. Miraculously, wemade payroll today, but we can't hang on much longer. We need a miracle.If I need to call every single waterbirth parent personally, I will. Idon't want 25 years of work to end over a measly $200,000.The work that we have done the last few years has been phenomenal. How Godarranged for me to teach in hospitals and medical schools around the planet- Taiwan, Venezuela, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Holland, Portugal, China,Trinidad, Croatia - I'll never figure that out. I laugh out loud sometimeswhen I get up in front of an audience of physicians in a medical schooloverseas - who all want to hear about waterbirth and the incorporation ofGentle Birth practices and principles into their routines.Think about w hat you can do and call me if you want to chat or if you havesome great ideas on how we can quickly move into the black and keepwaterbirth alive and thriving.We need your help. Barbara Harper needs your help. The waterbirth/gentlebirth movement needs your help.Blessings,BarbaraBarbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCEFounder/DirectorWaterbirth Internationalwww.waterbirth. org503-673-0026 -office (out of US or in Portland)800-641-2229 - toll free503-710-7975 - cell phoneWe LOVE helping women get into Hot Water!!And have been doing it for 24 years!!

Karis takes first place!

Here is our little supermodel who won the best photo contest for 2007 www.iambarefoot.typepad.com now we get a free print of this shot, hooray!!!!!!!!

Kimberly's website is www.photosbykimberly.com if anyone in Portland needs pictures, she is the way to go!

Panties update

So I am a little thrilled and surprised how many of you emailed me to see how Maddy's adventures with big girl panties is going.... so the update is good news! She has woken up from her nap dry (biggest shocker ever! I couldn't believe it!!!) for two days now (believe me, there was a big ole waterproof pad and two fleece blankets under her just in case) and only one pee pee accident while we were cooking dinner (yay for easy clean up linoleum!!) in two whole days. I still have her in a diaper at night and don't see that ending anytime soon, but I can handle seven diapers a week! We are so impressed and thankful for just that much less laundry to do now.... hopefully it will continue to be a smooth transition and in a few more months we'll be totally diaper free!

sisters sleeping

All snuggled up together. This turns my heart into whipped cream. I know it is kind of hard to see because I turned off the flash, but Karis' little hand is between them and you can see her baby bling on her wrist if you look carefully. My cousin sent me and Maddy matching bracelets when she was still tiny and Karis inherited it. I love it, it brings back such wonderful memories for me....

Getting Caught Up

zoolights

meeting the tiger at zoolights, we were so surprised this guy didn't freak her out, she loved it!

a little light housework

Maddy decided to have a little salad for dinner the other night

Karis all hidden in the scarves Christmas morning (see below of Maddy covering her up)

Let her rip!!!

doing a little organizing

at Jason's parents with Maddy's cousins Abigail and Suzanne (it is pretty cute, they are all about a year apart, so ages 3, 2, 1 & brand new)

feeding the puzzle addiction!

Christmas morning, look at my fancy new socks!

hey I know you!

snuggled in the moby wrap (Maddy still asks to get in here, I think she remembers loving it so much when she was wee tiny too)

napping in the crib on New Year's Day

sisters Christmas morning

decorating Christmas cookies (which ended up not getting eaten much because of the sneeze factor)

Maddy hiding Karis Christmas morning

So here are a bunch of random pictures from Christmas and life the past couple of weeks......sorry about the order being all screwy, it just seems to upload them in whatever order it feels like after I select them from our computer files and I am too tired to try to reorganize them here)

New Panties for a New Year

We have been working on learning to use the potty for two or three months now and today is the first day of wearing big girl panties!!! Maddy has been successfully using her little potty or the seat on our big potty at home for about 3 weeks almost all the time so we thought it would be a good time to transition to the next step....She picked out four packages of panties at Target yesterday and is SO excited to wear her big girl panties just like mama. When we are folding laundry she separates mama's panties from daddy's panties which sends daddy into hysterical fits pointing out that his are called underwear NOT panties. The panties she loves the most are the Little Mermaid and I think it is odd that she would be so attached to them since she doesn't watch TV and has never seen that movie or any merchandise or toys that would have introduced her. Maybe Disney characters are hardwired into toddler's bodies and it is like a drug or something. Or maybe it is because for a while now when she puts on her pants she has to put both legs into the same hole and proclaim "Mermaid!!" so she has that as her reference. Wish us luck in this next step of our potty learning adventures! (Camera still not uploading, but I have SOOOO many cute pictures to share, darnit!)