3 Weeks Today:)

My Little Girl Ain't So Little No More

she is almost 7! reading books without pictures and telling me what's up....
oh my baby girl, where did you go? i will cry when you don't draw pictures of me in chalk anymore.

Monday Morning Anthropologie, 100th Post!

this morning at queenie's i had porter peach pancakes with real whipped cream. i think it took me 30 seconds to gobble it down. i need to go buy me some peaches.

i also need a hard hat, that way i could maybe sneak in and take photos and no one would yell at me. they have sheet rock up, mudded and sanded on walls and ceilings, canister lights installed, hanging canister lights, metal banister installed. things are putting along..."putting" along, do people say that?

i wish you could see what i see, my phone camera isn't the best.

Modern Goddess

uncle zach came over and suprised the sparkles out of us when this eames rocker popped into the living room for popi's nursery. we had been wanting one very badly and now here it is! what a lucky little girl our little kalliope is.

we love you uncle zachy! thank you!

2 Weeks Old

my baby popi got weighed in this week at a whopping 6lbs. we have an ounce left till we reach birth weight. so, we have to go back next week and hope we have reached 6lbs 5oz. she is eating like a champ, as long as i keep cabbage and garlic from my diet. she's not doing much right now, just eating, sleeping, and pooping. when she does open her eyes she looks and looks around, never focusing on anything. i can't wait till she is older and her little personality shines through. but at the same time i can wait, she will never be this small and quiet ever again.

boy, she sure does look like juni and bee and her popa bear. it is so funny how she looks like both her sisters.

also this week we hit a milestone, popa bear gave her her first bottle. i want to make sure she will bottle feed so i can go on dates with my Greek. i am always scared introducing the bottle, but things went swimmingly and she went right back to the breast. i wonder what week 3 has in store for us?

Monday Morning Anthropologie on Tuesday

yesterday queenie's was closed so we went today, sorry for the late post.

all that repurposed wood we saw is now being used to line the walls of the display windows. super cute.

bad picture... probably couldn't see well anyways.

here they are lining the window display backdrop. super fun. my good friend got a job there! i am so excited for her. i wish i could but with a newborn there is no way i am going anywhere. they are suppose to open september 24th! can't wait to see the fall clothing in the windows!

SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Kalliope's Birth Story

my internet was down...we drove the airstream into the cable running through the back yard. oops. but i'm here! so let me tell you a little about bringing my Greek goddess into the world, don't worry, i won't be graphic.

i was scheduled to be induced at 5am, monday, august 9,2010, at st. john's hospital. my previous 2 births i went into labor naturally. i knew being induced would be harder and more painful, but i figured i could do it. i was planning on having my mom, my Greek, and my girlfriend kristen there to help me through the pain. i could barely sleep sunday night and woke up about 4am monday. the girls were at their daddy's that weekend so i didn't have to worry about them. i took a shower, ate a banana with milk, and got everything ready to go to the hospital. we left home around 5:15 and got to the hospital soon after. we got our room and got settled in, i got my i.v. and monitors attached and sat in bed to watch the television. around 7am my mom in law showed up, then my mommy, and then kristen armed with her camera. my Greek took a nap while his brother, my dad, and my best friend's mom, nancy, showed up to visit. i guess when they started my i.v. they started the pitocin drip along with my antibiotic for group b strep. at 8:30 my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart, and by 9am they were 2-3 min apart. i was dilated to a 2 when we started, by 10am i was at a 4 and the contractions were 1-3 min apart, i was moving slow. by then i had told my dad to go to work, told my mom in law to go eat, kristen to go put the twins down for a nap, and nancy and my bro in law had left too. i didn't think the goddess was going to make it before 3pm at the rate i was going. so, with my Greek asleep on the recliner, and my mom reading the paper we waited. i had my trusty tens unit on my back to help me make it through each contraction, i'd turn it up with each painful wave and back down after it was over. around 10:50 i'd waken the Greek up with a pillow slamming into his body. the pain had gotten pretty intense and fast, i would have a contraction then it would come down partially and have another contraction piggy backed right on top of it. when you hear that being induced is more painful than your body going into labor by itself, it's true. the difference is crazy! i almost thought i couldn't make it through all the pain. it was so fast, i went from a 4 to a 6 in an hour. at 11am i stopped counting my contractions because there was so much pain. i could not lay down, so i sat on the edge of the bed rocking myself with my mom doing counter pressure on my lower back and my Greek in front of me letting me hold onto him through the pain. i would not have been to make it through without my mom telling me to breathe, and the Greek there to hold. everything went so fast and before i knew it i was yelling for the nurse to check me, i knew i was progressing fast. most of this is a blur from this point, i know i did not want to sit back on the bed and lay down, i wanted to push, really i had no choice but to push. my body was on auto pilot. somehow my doctor appeared and i pushed 3 times and the goddess was out. i remember looking at my husband next to me grinning from head to toe when her head was visible. they put her on my tummy and we talked a little bit, i felt very lucky they did not whisk her away right away. they took her to her plastic boat to be checked out and gave her back to me while my family came in the room to visit. i am very lucky everything went the way i planned, some people don't get to have the birth they want, and i have really had 3 perfect birth experiences. i am a very lucky girl.

I Am Truly Blessed

i have a roof over my head, a car with air conditioning, food in my refrigerator, clean running water, parents and family and friends who love me and care for me, a husband who adores me and i him, and three healthy, beautiful, smart, loving little girls who are my world.

many thank yous to one of my best girlfriends lauren, for the cutest bamboo polka dot romper ever! all baby outfits should be that soft and have a snap tushy for easy diaper access.

Who Are the People In Your Neighborhood

sitting on my breezy front porch swing with a baby attached to my midsection i watch my girly 4 year old run around the front yard with nothing but a loose pair of jeans on. her short brown hair flying around her face as she gathers sticks and rubs them with pink chalk. this 4 year old is so different than my dress-up, jewelery wearing, purse carrying 4 year old i normally deal with. upon closer observation i see a pink chalk flower on her belly, there is the girly girl i know. my eldest wild child can be heard only, screams and giggles i hear coming from the house behind me where she daily runs to go play with the little girls that live there. i hear the front door open and close on the house next door, they must have let the dog out. my neighbor's car pulls into his driveway across the street and i get up off the swing to go show off my new offspring. he apologizes for not knowing i had had the baby, i tell him he's silly to apologize for not knowing i had the baby. from next door emerges my neighbor who is pregnant along with her 2 year old who immediately runs after beila. we learn she is going to have another boy, so the probability of her having a 3rd child is good. from across the street another neighbor comes over to chat. he and his wife just got back from a holiday to cape cod. we hear of his beach adventures and lobster dinners as my Greek's white landcruiser pulls up. it is nice to have him home. my pregnant neighbor's husband pulls up soon after as well and walks over to join our gathering in the driveway. the kids are all running around somewhere as we chat about babies, holidays, weather, moving, tulsa, and kids growing up. with all of this friendship surrounding me and my house, it is hard for me to understand how some people don't know their neighbors.

Hello, I'm a Week Old

our pediatrician told us to lay out. so we did. popi slept and i read my new taschen catalog that came in the mail.
popi weighs 5lbs12oz. one ounce gained in a week, we must reach 6lbs1oz by next week. we can do it. she also grew 1/4in in length this past week. the big sisters are having a hard time sharing mommy, it is hard to balance all of this at once. please tell me it will get easier. i want to spend time with each of them, go finish off some of our summer to-do list. i can do it, my mom will have to expect some phone calls soon for baby holding duty!

Monday Morning Anthropologie

sorry to miss a week, but i was kinda busy. i took popi to queenie's for her first time. i split the blueberry walnut pancakes with marvin, yummy.
to make up for the missed week i did take pictures august 3rd, below. i was going to post them but i didn't get a round tuit. sorry.

august 3rd, i could see the stairs that were built that go up the dressing room area.

same view, august 16th. this is a large anthro right now, we'll see if a lot of this space gets filled in with storage or showroom.

side view from rear.

dressing room stairs. from what i can tell is this anthro will be bigger than berkeley's anthro and portland's. i think.....we can hope:)

Going Home Today

popi and her proud Greek poppa bear
i love them so much

my mom needed to see her hold her chi, or what i call make a fist.

the only thing we had to fit her tiny body was this hand appliqued onsie by bianca at urban creatures:) she is so small. the smallest of my 3 darling chilluns just happens to have weighed the smallest too. she'll get big soon enough.

08/09/10

kalliope "popi" alexander grace
born at 12:27pm
6lbs 1oz
19 inches
curly hair
button nose
her pop's lips
5 hours labor
1 hour of linda blair attitude from me

The Best Cooking Show Ever

what do you get when you cross pee wee herman, cooking, and an Asian chick?
that's right folks! Food Party!!!!

38 Weeks

well, this is it folks. my last day. tomorrow they induce so's they can make sure she is growing properly. i have always gone into labor naturally, doesn't mean they haven't used pitosin on me before, but now we are starting labor from scratch. oh the pain! but i'm ready with my calming mood music, andreas vollenweider and brian eno. it's new age and dorky, i know, i was brought into the world with brian eno so i was born to love all that stuff, don't tell anyone, k?

room is all done, almost. i need to hang pictures, cuckoo clock, and peg coat hangers. also, my mom in law bought the Greek goddess a chandelier that we need to put up as well.

i worried so much about getting this done when in reality, she won't be in her room for months. i have driven the Greek crazy with it. paint, paint, paint! i told him in the beginning i'd be slightly crazy. he forgives me.

my precious bug and bot went to their daddy's last night so the Greek and i went to chick-filet for dinner (yum!) and a movie. we chose to see inception. it was so good, a real nail biter. so, i guess no monday morning anthro tomorrow, i took pictures the other day, i might be able to use those. next time you hear from me, i should have a bouncing bundle of joy to sap all my energy from me. wish me luck:)

Route 66, Round 2

i just ended my completely stressful, suppose to be bonding day with the girls, with my favorite summertime soup, gazpacho from my garden and homemade limeade. now i am laying in my comfy bed with some wonderful, sticky electrodes attached to my back and a nice current of electrical nerve numbingness going through my back. i am so tired and stressed. this is the last night i have the girls before they go to their dad's for the weekend and the Greek and i welcome a baby into our family. i tried to take the girls on a nice bonding day, but it turned out pooey. we started the day off with trying to go to frankoma pottery on route 66, west of tulsa. we got there and it was closed, their website said they were open, but we got there and it looked abandoned along with broken glass everywhere. no mugs for us this trip. driving back home we did come across some fun mailboxes.

cuteness, huh? well, we took advantage of the Oklahoma tax free weekend after that and bought some clothes and shoes for the girls. then we went to the nail salon and got mani/pedis. sounds like a good morning, well it was, then we got frozen custard. after that things went slightly downhill. we had to go to the shop, which wasn't bad, but the girls ended up watching over an hour of television, which makes them crazy. i think that's where things went wrong. we went and rented a carpet cleaner and went home so we could clean. they were suppose to clean their room so i could clean their carpet while i cleaned a chair in the baby room. juni of course did what she was told right away, then there was bee. did i mention she is headstrong? don't know where she get's that from......:)
long story short, she ended in bed and i put a trash bag of her favorite toys on the front porch. my threats are not idle, but fulfilling them sure hurt me. who wants to upset their child? if she doesn't clean, i take things away. then i cry. i stress over her waking up and asking where her crayons are. i stress over being mad, yelling, not being a good mommy. then i stress over the baby in my belly dealing with the stress i am exuding. i am a mess. i did apologize for yelling. she patted my arm and told me that it was okay, it was alright. my last night with the loves of my life and i go and blow up. i am embarrassed.
my daddy brought me new electrodes, and now being hooked up and lounging in bed i hope that tomorrow can be better. i hope that we can be happy together on our last day as a threesome. 'cause come monday, our worlds will be rocked.

Oh Crafty Girlfriends

i seriously have some of the most talented friends in the world. and with the Greek goddess coming soon i get to see more of their handy work up close. goodies for me! errr, i mean the baby:)

by now you know i have talked about my friend valerie numerous times. she is very into quilting right now, and of course is very good at it. knowing my love for chickens she made the little one a quilt with fabulous french chicken fabric. the girls running around on the fabric are reminiscent of henny penny. wonderful! i can't wait to put her down on it.

this is the other side of the quilt, dontcha just love the funky chicken?

i woke up one morning with a yellow package on my doorstep. upon opening i found this flannelicious baby blanket with a hand appliqued real fuzzy rabbit. it is so yummy and soft. it will be great this winter to wrap the goddess in. my awesome quilting friend miranda made it.

kristen is an artist. a for reals gallery artist. but besides paints, she uses all sorts of mixed mediums. her work is beautiful. no fair. for years she has been waiting to do a belly cast of "our baby." i think she enjoyed herself with this. it was so odd feeling. when it hardened and i would move or laugh it would pull away from my skin and make me laugh more. it turned out great and it wouldn't have been done if she hadn't come over and done it.

i have the best friends in the world. they are all so different and talented. all of them are. how did i manage to surround myself with such caring, like minded, and crafty people? it's crazy how we can attract what we need.

Monday Morning Anthropologie on Tuesday, OOPs:)

had an ultrasound yesterday morning to tell me the estimated weight of the little Greek goddess in my belly, so i didn't go to utica square. good news is she gained weight! she's over 6 pounds now:) so we went to queenie's this morning and had grits, sausage, poached eggs, and fruit. then the girls and i sauntered over to my favorite construction sight. looks like duct work is in and sheet rock is going up to make walls and window spaces. take a looksie.

I Cannot Wait To Try This ON.

i bought it at urban outfitters this summer, but i was unable to try it on. it is soooo cute.

i will wear it with these!
i cannot wait, soon, soon, soon!

Gummi 101

i like to think of myself as a gummi connoisseur. from a young age i have loved the gummi. but i am picky. only the best gummi for moi. so i have three favorite brands, all other people hawking gummi can go elsewhere.

haribo is the best gummi brand in the whole world, they are also the largest gummi manufacturer in the world. they were founded around 1920 in Germany, and today they are made in other haribo factories around europe. i think there is a total of 18 factories, you can look on the back of your package and see where your gummi was made. i remember when i was in germany all the little gummi stores and the gummi i could not get here in the states. amazing! spain was the other country who had a lot of gummi, there is a haribo factory there. i don't remember gummi in other countries as i do spain and germany. what makes gummi great is the consistency, which comes from gelatin. haribo uses beef and pork. with out the gelatin, gummi is not gummi.

my next favorite brand is trolli. it is another german company, they were started in 1948. where haribo is a gummi making machine, trolli does a lot of other things as well. they began as a pasta company. but it wasn't till 1975 they came up with the trolli logo and candies became a front runner. in my opinion they do a good job, not as good as haribo, but better than everything else out there.

don't let the name deceive you. the black forest gummi is not from the great land of gummi, germany, but from chicago, il. that's right folks, the united states can make some gummi. black forest is made by ferrara pan company. it was founded in 1908 by an italian immigrant i do believe. what they have going for them is the gelatin they use. if your gummi is not al dente, then it ain't gummi.

so there is a little lesson on my favorite candy....next lesson will be in peeps!

37 Weeks

i misplaced my electrodes for my little tens unit. i want the sweet pain numbing sensation from it right now. my back hurts. poo.
37 weeks now. obviously i did not give birth this past weekend, thank goodness. but they gave us an inducement date of august 9th, 5am. tomorrow we have one of our bi-weekly ultrasounds where the "dawctas" will measure my Greek goddess and tell me if we are going to wait till that monday or go ahead this week. i'm to the point of realizing i am not going to go into natural labor with her, before i had a small hope of going into labor by myself, but now i realize there are other plans for me...maybe i can eat my words later?
well let's see what the iphone app has to say about her this week...she is swiss chard this week, and according to my app 6.3 lbs. tomorrow we'll see the weight difference between the app and reality. it says i should be tired and be experiencing pelvic pressure...uh-huh. about her nothing really, just she is full term and her organs should be ready. she's still moving around lots with hiccups galore. fun.
on another note, are you watching Shark Week? it sure does keep your interest peaked. can't stop watching it. one thing for sure, you will never find me in shark infested waters for science!