No Tricks, Lots of Treats

We got lots of great candy on Halloween thanks to Emily and her kitty costume. We took her to the Libertyville library to show her off to my mom's co-workers, then went trick-or-treating at a few nearby homes. Emily had no interest in the candy. She only wanted to walk into people's houses when they opened the door.

 

Good Old Rocky Top

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - We road-tripped it to Knoxville last weekend to visit my brother Johnny and his girlfriend Natalie. My parents also made the trip, and we all had a great time. It was especially fun to see Emily and her Uncle Johnny get to know each other, since they'd only met once before.

We tailgated all afternoon Saturday and went to the Tennessee-Alabama game, but the Vols lost -- again. That's three Tennessee games for Kelley and I, and we have yet to see the Vols win. 

We had fun tailgating nonetheless, alongside many Tennessee and 'Bama fans - a huge, historic rivalry. It was Emily's first tailgate and she seemed to enjoy it - nothing like starting 'em early - although we can't wait to take her to Iowa when she's a little older for some real tailgating. 

The group

Emily and her Grandpa

 

Emily and Natalie

One of the tailgaters we were with happened to be from Atlanta, and asked us if tailgating is much different in the Big Ten than the SEC.  I have to say it's similar although everything we've experienced at Tennessee just seems larger and more intense than what we've seen at Iowa. The stadium, for one, is gigantic - like Kinnick Stadium with another level on top of it. It makes for a pretty awesome football experience.  This was the view from our seats:

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The woman who parked our car before the tailgate promised she would give us a spot where we could get out before kickoff, so my mom and Emily could go back to the hotel while we went to the game. Unfortunately, the parking woman lied and boxed in our car, then disappeared. It created a chaotic scenario that ended with Johnny borrowing his friend's truck so my mom and Emily could go back to the hotel. Johnny took his out frustration by throwing one of Emily's dirty diapers at a second-floor window of the house on the lot.  Nice.

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There's really no way to go to a game in Knoxville and not memorize every note and word of "Rocky Top." You'll know all the silly lyrics and have it running through your head constantly by the time you leave campus.  You can even buy a CD with various versions of the song (hip-hop, original bluegrass, extended mix, etc). Kelley and I were trying to keep track of how many times we heard it on Saturday. Hearing it over the Walgreen's PA system, blasting from the back of some guy's truck, on the radio and several times during the game, our count reached 14 before we lost track.  If you've never heard the "club mix" of the song, you're in for a treat.  Here's a sample. 

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There was a lot to like about the return drive, the Smoky Mountains, the changing leaves, a toddler who looked like this for most of the 9-hour ride home...

And this...

It's sad when cheap gas is so exciting that it moved Kelley enough to take a photo. 

 

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What made the drive back slightly disturbing and hilarious was listening to all the Sunday religious radio in Kentucky. For about an hour we just flipped from one fiery preacher to the next. 

One guy was making sure everyone knew that when they stepped into the voting booth, God would be there too, so make sure to not disappoint Him by voting for someone who supports abortion. He then spent the next 15 minutes talking about how the country has gone downhill since women have been given more equal opportunities, and that this is not in line with the Bible's teachings about the proper role for women (his words, not mine). 

It was appalling, although in the end we weren't sure whether he wanted us to vote for Obama even though he supports abortion rights, or McCain even though he has a woman on the ticket. I guess we big city folk are just too slow to understand his backwoods Kentucky logic.

Coming soon: Highlights of Emily's first trick-or-treating experience

Fall and Family

This past weekend, my brother Sean and his wife Amy were in town, which was lots of fun.  They live in Los Angeles so we don't get to see them more than about 2-3 times a year, so it was nice to be with them, if only for a few days. We spent some time at my parents' lake house in Wisconsin, and the summer-like weather made it possible to go on one final boat ride for the season.  I didn't love the warmer weather (I'm ready for those 60-degree fall temps!) but it was great to be up at the lake again.

 

For those of you who don't know, my brother is a media arts teacher in the Los Angeles public schools, in one of probably the worst areas in the city, riddled with gangs and crime. Several years back, he decided he wanted to do something with the sport he loved and played in high school and college, so he decided to start a lacrosse team at the school where he teaches, Manual Arts High School.   Now for those who don't know, finding a lacrosse team at high schools in this part of L.A. is hard to do.  And at a school with no budget, and kids with absolutely no knowledge of the sport, it has been an uphill battle for Sean - but he's done really well in spite of the challenges.  In fact, coaching lacrosse and helping the kids at Manual Arts inspired him to start a foundation called LAX in L.A. (LAX is short for lacrosse) several years ago, to teach lacrosse to underprivileged high school kids throughout L.A., to give them some structure when many of them don't have it at home, and to make a needed difference in some of these kid's lives.  The program has expanded to neighboring schools, and has garnered lots of attention in the area.  Two great articles about his organization are here and here.

Sean's wife Amy is a photographer, with her own business, Amy Brassette Photography.   She takes gorgeous photos, and was able to take several of Emily during the weekend:

We're a little biased but we think the photos are pretty great.   If you live in L.A. or know people there who might need a photographer, give Amy a call.  She also took this photo of our family, capturing one of the rare times when we're all together:

...and Iowa won their game last weekend, so all was good.  Hooray, fall.

Emily updates

We've successfully broken Emily of the bad habit of screaming herself to sleep. It was our own fault because we taught her pretty early on that if she fussed for a while, we would go check on her. We cut ourselves off of this bad habit, and now Emily is putting herself to sleep with minimal fuss.

Emily loves to grab any cord plugged into an outlet because she knows doing so gets our attention. We tell her no, and she smiles, thinking it's a game. She grabs, we say no, she smiles. Grab, no, smile. Grab, no, smile. Over and over and over. This would go on forever, or maybe even until the Cubs win the World Series, if we didn't eventually distract her with something else. 

Kelley gave Emily some broccoli and cauliflower for the first time today. She liked it. By she, I mean Emily. Kelley still won't touch the stuff.

Night Time Changes

Once upon a time Emily would go to sleep without a problem, without barely a peep.  We'd go through our bedtime routine, and she'd be out, sleeping like - as they say - a baby.  Then she turned 1 and, we've realized, all bets are off.

Some time in the past week she went from peacefully falling asleep to reacting to us putting her in her crib like we're putting her in a medieval torture device, and we're slowly - and anxiously - trying to figure out how to deal with it.   

Tonight, for the third night in a row, she cried - more like, wailed - for 25 straight minutes after we put her in her crib for the evening.  We've been assured that she's fine, that she's only crying because of separation anxiety, and that she'll eventually learn that crying doesn't get her anywhere so she'll stop.  And we know if we went in to get her she'd just continue the cycle and end up overtired and crabby.  So, we've chosen to let her cry.  I'd say it's easier said than done, but it's neither.  So, as we did the past couple nights, we shut the door, we paced nervously, we stopped each other numerous times from going into her room to console her, and finally we both had a glass of wine to try to ease our minds and to drown out the noise.  And then it stopped.

I just hope this gets better soon.  It's only been three nights but it feels like three months.  Three LONG months. 

Get the facts

When doing some online research about the presidential candidates the other day, I found a great Web site called FactCheck.org.  According to the site, run by the non-profit Annenberg Political Policy Center, the goal is to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics by monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said.

Once I delved into the site and saw how many articles were posted debunking attack ads, politically-charged emails and statements, it opened my eyes.  To see how many lies are being told from either side is maddening, but at least this site is a place to go to get through it all. 

Check it out today.

New BPA study...even more reasons to avoid it

Yet another study came out today which found that the chemical BPA, found in many plastics and all sorts of food containers, may lead to serious health problems:  this time, it's linked to heart disease and diabetes.  Very scary.  And the FDA still says it's safe, despite all kinds of studies to the contrary.  Kind of like how the government said lead paint was safe many years ago while kids played with lead-painted toys and people lived in lead-painted homes, I guess.  Click here and here to read more.  I'm not so sure how much longer the FDA can turn a blind eye without seeming totally irresponsible. 

Baby's got a new pair of shoes

Today was a big day for Emily, as we took her to get her first pair of shoes.  She's been working on walking for the past month, and now has it pretty well down, so it was time.  

We headed out to the shoe store with camera in-hand wondering how she'd react, as she's never had more than socks on her feet.  I imagined walking in and telling the clerk at the fun, kids-themed shoe store that we were there to buy Emily's first official pair of shoes, and the clerk would share our excitement, even giving Emily a sticker or balloon to celebrate.  Well, it wasn't quite like that, but that was okay.  We got her shoes, a very stylin' pair of pink Stride Rite gym shoes with velcro (thanks to Pat for pointing out that laces would have been a real pain), and I did get a photo, but the clerk was all business and we were in and out of the store in 15 minutes flat with very little fanfare.   

It was cute to see how Emily reacted to the shoes.  Once they put them on her feet, you could tell she was really confused.  Normally we can't stop her from walking, but when we tried to get her to walk this time she refused and just sat on the floor, nervously chewing on a toy:

I figure the shoes probably feel like we just put rocks on her feet, so I can understand why she'd be a little wierded out by them.  We were reassured that she will eventually get used to them, and since neither Pat nor I knew anyone in grade school who still refused to wear shoes, I guess we'll be ok.  Thinking it might help, I also told Emily that although she might not like shoes now, there's a good chance she'll really love them one day and want to buy many, many pairs when she's older...but she didn't seem to make the connection. :)

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Many of you know that Pat works Sunday through Thursday, so Fridays are technically the weekend for us.  Because I work from home, my schedule is flexible so I try to keep my Fridays open so I can enjoy the "weekend" with Pat - although lately, more times than not, I've had to work or attend meetings on Fridays while Pat watches Emily.  I was free and clear today, so we were able to meet up with Pat's mom for a very nice lunch. 

We went to a great restaurant near Grandma Regan's house, with fantastic sweet potato fries - my newest favorite menu item.  I love that even though they're fried, I can still convince myself that they're healthy.  The perfect food!

 

Random thoughts

- Emily does not like the elevator in our condo building. The second the elevator door closes, she starts crying. When it opens, she stops and looks relieved. She did this every time we took the elevator yesterday and today. This has never happened before, but it’s been at least a couple months since she was on an elevator. She does the same thing when she is near the loud motor on the McKeons’ boat. Maybe the sound of the elevator scares her, or maybe she’s claustrophobic?

- I had a tuna sandwhich yesterday for the first time in at least a year. It was good. Need to order that more often.

- Prediction: Iowa 30, Iowa State 13

Da Bears

The Bears played their first game of the season tonight, upsetting the Colts 29-13. Pat believes it’s a clear sign that the Bears are a lock for the Super Bowl. He quickly changed into this outfit following the game and loudly declared, “Da Super Bowl is ourss, my friendss,” as he smacked his gum, then scarfed down a polish sausage.



Part of me kind of hopes the Bears aren't good this year because I can't stand the thought of spending the next six months listening to Pat talk like he's one of these guys:

I should add that although I don't really want my husband to talk like a Superfan on a daily basis, this IS one of my all-time favorite skits ever on SNL.   Classic.

To BPA? NOT to BPA, thank you...

Having a child has opened my eyes to many things, for good (true selflessness and unconditional love) and for bad (chemicals in plastics that I never knew were there, nor cared much about before having a child). About a month after Emily was born, I read a news article talking about a chemical called BPA, used for years in much of the plastic products on the market today, and at the time, used in nearly all baby bottles. The article outlined the dangers of the chemical, citing several studies linking it to reproductive problems in lab animals, and a variety of other possible health issues, especially when the plastic is heated. I had never heard of this chemical, nor any issues with baby bottles, but quickly found out that Emily’s Playtex bottles – which I heated up nearly every day - contained BPA.  All it took was a quick Google search on BPA to tell me all I needed to know to get rid of those baby bottles: how most baby bottles and many baby toys contain it and how manufacturers insist the products are safe even in the face of hundreds of independent research studies dispelling its safety.  I went out that day and bought Emily some bottles specifically labeled BPA-free, which were difficult to find then, and are still relatively hard to locate.

That was September 2007, and things are slowly changing for the better.  Earlier this year, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services admitted that BPA might alter an infant's development, just last week announcing there was some concern the chemical could disrupt development of the prostate gland and brain, and cause behavioral problems for infants and children (although the FDA still claims that it's totally harmless?!), and in April, Canada banned the use of BPA in baby bottles sold there.  BPA has been all over the news lately - the Chicago Tribune did a series of stories recently on the prevalence of the chemical in all kinds of baby products in the face of research studies dispelling its safety – and many retailers, no doubt prompted by the heightened awareness among consumers, have vowed to stop selling the product by 2009.  Target, Wal-Mart and Babies R’Us are some of those stores, yet even now it’s hard to find any products that are BPA-free at the stores, and the only one of those stores that sells the bottles I use (and that I think are pretty popular among BPA-free bottles), Born Free, is Babies R’Us. The only problem is that Babies R’Us isn’t that prevalent –  there are only a handful of stores in the Chicagoland area.

But today, I was so excited to see that Target - with 1,500 stores+ in the U.S. to Babies R' Us' 250 - is now selling my favorite Born Free bottles. Even though Emily is about to graduate from the bottle, I applaud Target for raising awareness and giving even more moms and dads access to truly safe products for their babies. Hopefully more mass market retailers (ahem, Wal-Mart?) will do the same. 

For anyone looking for more information on BPA and an easy-to-use list of safe products, check out one of my favorite blogs, ZRecommends at zrecs.blogspot.com.   It's been a huge help in helping me figure out which products are safe for Emily.

Who's Your Daddy?

We're trying to teach Emily to say "mama" and "dada" and show her that's who we are. She hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet. The other day Pat was repeating over and over to her, "Where's Mama? Where's Mama?" Emily's response was to point at Pat, walk over to him and sit on his lap. Pat was not amused.

So here we go!

It's the first official online day of blogging with the Regans, and I think I'm up for the task.  I may not update it daily as I had hoped, but I hope to update it on a semi-regular basis. 

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For those of you who I haven't caught up with lately, Emily is now walking, albeit cautiously!  It was only a few weeks ago that she stood up by herself and took three steps, and now she's walking all over the place with only a few spills in between.  Very exciting for us, and I think for her - she seems so proud of herself when she walks, with a big smile on her face every time. 

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She's 1!

We celebrated Emily's 1st birthday party up at my parents house in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on August 23, her actual birthday.   It was a small family party, the weather was perfect and we all had a good time.  To go along with the cupcake theme, I made my first official birthday cake, a yellow cake with vanilla and strawberry frosting, shaped like a giant cupcake.

 

And Pat, not to be outdone, made some killer kabobs. They looked so professional I had to take a photo:

Being her first birthday and all, Emily had to try some cake, and Pat and I were dying to see what she'd do with it, thinking (hoping?) she'd do something dramatic like smashing it in her face.  Instead, she wasn't quite sure about it.   She picked it up very daintily and smushed the frosting in her fingers for what seemed like an eternity before putting any in her mouth.  If you can't picture it, we've provided the visual.  Here's Emily right after tasting her first piece of birthday cake:

Not being the frosting lover myself, I can relate to this face - it's probably the same one I make when I accidentally bite into a piece of icing.  

It wasn't the exact Kodak moment we were looking for, but it was adorable nonetheless.    Pat and I both can't believe the year went by so quickly, when just a year ago she looked like this:

Here are some additional photos from the day:

Slowly but surely

I'm working on jumping into this blog thing, and I think I've at least got the formatting figured out.   To prove it, here's a photo underneath some text, with some text underneath.  I wasn't able to do this before today.

Voila!

Jumping In!

Well, after reading numerous friends' blogs, and realizing we really didn't have a way to share photos of our daughter with everyone on a timely basis - and not wanting to clog everyone's already full mailboxes - we've entered the world of blogging!   I guess it's not fair to say I just jumped in, as I had put up another blog about a year ago that I more or less forgot about.   But I'm committed this time and am hoping to update this on a daily basis.  

Jumping into this has made me realize just how un-savvy I am with computers these days.  I used to be pretty handy with a computer...and although I never thought of myself as a computer geek, I may have even approached geek status with some of the things I could tell someone if they asked.  But alas, that was back in 1996, in college, and I guess I've had just a little more to do since then and less time to tinker with a computer.  Thus, blogging is really new to me, but I'm excited to learn and be able to share all kind of fun updates with all of you.  

Now, if I could just figure out how to make it look as cool as Max and Becky's, Dave and Sam's and Kelly's blogs...