Fashion Shot
Who's this in a cute hand-knit sweater? Why, it's Katie, resident supermodel. She's modeling the latest in baby knits here at PrairieTide

This is a pullover sweater with buttons on top of the shoulders. It's knit in Plymouth Encore yarn, and I think I have enough to knit a pair of leggings (or longies as they are known in the knitting world). If I'm lucky, there may be enough yarn for a matching hat.




The sweater mostly fits. It's a little wide, but maybe that means the sweater can be worn next year. I think I could lengthen they body and the sleeves for another year's use. Maybe I'll use a contrasting color, like they used to do in the "old country" to make a sweater stretch.

Wearing the sweater out today, Katie got lots of complements. Of course, most folks thought she was a darling little boy. I just smile and say "thanks!



- posted by Laurie @ 1:27 PM |

 
More text and a cute baby picture
Aren't you dying to learn about my favorites?

Favorite/most helpful parenting book: sleep/naps, toddlers, babies, discipline, whatever.

I just started reading Smart Signing for Babies and Toddlers. It's a book about teaching a baby to use sign language. I'm going to give this a try with the Great Kate.

Best place to get toddler shoes that are affordable but sturdy.

Do baby shoes count? I've wanted to buy Katie some of those adorable Robeez shoes, but they cost over $30 for one little pair! My inner scrouge just cannot justify spending this much for a pair of shoes, no matter how cute the princess design is. So I found a pair of fake Robeez boots at the Big W. They are suade and have a little pink heart on them. Not quite as cute as the original, but good for a penny pincher.

Favorite shoes you wear (besides tennis shoes).

I love Clarks. They have a nerdy stylishness about them, and they are comfy, a smashing combination in my mind. I've bought several pairs of Clarks over the years. For a couple of years there, Clarks didn't make much other than clogs. Now, thank heavens, Clarks has gone back to making actual shoes again. Last fall, I bought two pairs of Clarks with cute buckles across the top. Then I got pregnant, and almost immediately the shoes became too tight to wear. I was worried that after my pregnancy, my feet would stay big and I'd never be able to wear these cute shoes. Hurrah! My feet did not stay two-sizes too big, and I'm loving these shoes today.

Favorite book you've read lately.

Goodness. I can't seem to handle fiction right now. I've been trying to finish up Mansfield Park for like six months. Sheesh. I did finish Protecting the Gift by Galvin de Becker. It's about keeping your kids safe, and it has haunted my dreams the last week or so. Scary but important.

Favorite dinner recipe.

Cooking? Last night we had one of the frozen dinners from Super Supers. It was a tasty stew, and I think I could make it on my own. It was a basic veggie stew with crushed tomato chunks, shredded chicken, and sausage slices. The secret ingredient? A cup of barbeque sauce. This gave the soup some zip. Maybe I'll whip it up on my own some time...

Favorite movie you've seen lately.

We just watched Curious George, and I thought it was delightful. Little George reminded me of Katie.

Favorite LOST character.

Never seen LOST. Though I will say that my favorite Battlestar Galactica character is Kara "Starbuck" Trace. I think it is genius that they cast a woman to play the swaggering, hot-shot pilot from the original series.

Katie wants to help finish my blog post:

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- posted by Laurie @ 10:00 AM |

 
Wierdness
When to blog? My baby rarely naps, and there's no guarantee I'll get her down to sleep at night, either. Thus, the neglected blog. So here is my much-delayed list of wierdness.

1. Unlike some of my talented sisters, I cannot suck my upper lip up into my nose. This must be a genetic defect.
2. I have the acne of a 14 year old. One of the things I loved about being pregnant is that it was the first time in my life that I had clear skin. Unfortunately, I fell into the trap of thinking the clear skin might just last after my pregnancy, but alas, no. I'm back in zitsville.
3. I've vowed to stop cussing, now that I have a wee babe to care for. But there is one place where this seems to be impossible--the car. I'm simply incapable of cutting someone off in traffice without swearing a blue streak.
   
4. I've never watched Lost or 24 or The Office or The Sopranos or Desperate Housewives. I've been too busy watching Battlestar Galactica. Anyone else watch this great show? Seriously, it is great.
   
5. I still mourn for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now that was an amazing TV series. Why do all the good shows have to die?
6. I'm bummed that Randy and I have never gone to a Star Trek convention.
   
7. I look forward to the local Renissance Festival (though I've never dressed up in one of those dresses that lace up your boobs).
   
8. Like a certain sister, I too talk to myself all day long. It's like my inner dialogue leaks outside sometimes. I suspect my coworkers consider this just another sign of my geekiness.
9. I'm chronically forgetful. I can't say how many Saturdays I've had to go back to work because I forgot my wallet. Yesterday, we had to drive back to work to pick up my breastpump. Yes, I just wrote the word "breastpump" on my blog.
10. I never thought I would say this, but I look forward to nursing. It's become the best part of my day. When Katie first was born, I thought nursing was a cruel joke from God. Then after a couple of weeks, I decided I didn't hate nursing after all. Then, once Katie was about four months old, I realized I missed the all-day nursing fests of yore. However, I resolve not to nurse Katie through Kindergarden.

- posted by Laurie @ 11:38 AM |

 
Moo!
I mean "Boo!"

Katie wore her cute cow costume to a halloween party at our playgroup. She also spent an entire day in her costume at daycare. Seeing all the babies roll around in their little outfits was fun. There was a monkey, a superman, and a pumpkin in Katie's class. But who was the cutest? Katie, of course!

The costume was a shower gift from way back when I was pregnant. When I was given the gift, I thought it would be tooooo big for Katie. I couldn't imagine my little baby being big enough to wear this costume. Then, last week when I actually went to put it on her, it barely fit! This girl is growing!

Our Halloween was pretty laid back, otherwise. We get a few neighborhood kids at our door each year. But not nearly enough kids to go through the four bags of candy Randy bought. So I've been doing my duty and eating chocolate like crazy the last few days. I keep this up, and I'll be the one saying "moo!"

- posted by Laurie @ 7:39 PM |