New BLOG!

Hello, my lovely readers! I am moving shop! I started Pam's Little Pigs while pregnant with Zoe and boy, oh boy has a lot changed in a year!

As many of you know, I've really taken a liking to sewing, crafting, renovating, design, etc. My creative spirit was reborn with the birth of Zoe I feel. Don't roll your eyes at me!! Anyhoo. My new blog is:

www.lovemetwicetoday.blogspot.com

Love Me Twice Today will be the name of my new etsy shop. Oh, boy there it is. I just wrote it. And now I have to live up to it. Etsy is a place for buying and selling all things handmade/vintage and supplies. The name for the shop came from the fact that most of the items I make are either of vintage fabric or reversible. Also, that Doors song is quite catchy!

I hope to sell some dresses and other baby items. Who knows maybe I'll sell some of the cool things I happen upon in my thrifting jaunts!? I really appreciate any support in this endeavor and hope that you'll check out my new blog and shop, once its up and running!

GONE FISHING

Oh, right....I was supposed to write that, hmmm, about 3 months ago!!! So... if you've been wondering just where exactly we've been lately, I'll tell you: VACATION! Yes, both Mike and I have off all summer and we spend it sipping margaritas, getting massages, and traveling the world! Ok, not quite. But it's nice to not have to wake up at 5:30am everyday or get talked back to by teenagers or have to rush rush rush to get everything done.

Believe me, we've been busy busy. Let's see, the kitchen was redone (almost completely), Zoe had her first real trip to the beach, she got to go to the zoo and see all the wild animals she loves! and we took lots of day trips here and there to pass the days. We cleaned house, we ate breakfast late, we finger-painted, planted flowers, got rid of a VW bus (tear, sniff), ate strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, drank lots of coffee (well, Mike and I that is), played with friends, went crabbing, fishing, bike riding, you name it!

Also, in the midst of all this summertime-goodtime I became an Aunt! Zoe a cousin and Mike an Uncle. My brother and sister-in-law had their baby girl in July and she is just the most precious little, teeny-tiny, peanut I've ever seen!! I just love her so much and was the first relative at the hospital to get to hold her! Yay, me.

Anyway, it's back to work for me.... which means less time with my little wunderkind. Sad face. But I've got lots of new ideas and have been really creative this summer. I hope it all pays off soon! Check out my creativity here.

This is why I love him...

.....everything good about him shows through her.....

Happy Father's Day to you.

What a difference a year makes!

My oh, my.... what a difference indeed! This past Saturday Zoe turned 1. It truly was a bittersweet day. The weather was perfect and it was as if Zoe knew that the family gathering we had was in her honor. She was so happy and playful. Running around, babbling away, waving at her bouquet of balloons, schmoozing with the grandparents!

I know everyone says it, but a year truly flew by. Zoe grew and changed so fast it was hard to keep up with all of the milestones. And speaking of milestones.... One of the reasons I waited until after her birthday to post was because I knew we would be going to her 12month check-up today. She weighed in at a lean 20lbs 14oz and is 31" long. She also has a nice proportionate head, which is a plus I guess. Her stats are great and she is healthy as can be, minus the little virus that crept in over the weekend, too much partying I guess!

*A ZOE cup!? How did you know I wanted one of these?*

*Having a Ball!*

But the milestones! As the doctor rattled off a list of "should-be-doing-soon"s I nodded at each one. He asked if she was pulling up and I mentioned that she had been walking since 9 months. If she was talking, and as if on cue Zoe perked up looked directly at Mike and said "DADA". Now I realize most babies are saying DADA by 12 months and she does call many things DADA but when she looks at Mike and says it, it's with a purpose for sure. She also picks up shoes and says "sheww" or a stuffed banana and says "na-na". When I said these things to the Dr. again, Zoe perked up and started babbling away.

*ONE!*

*Sliding on her own... almost.*

He then told us a few things she should be able to do at her 18 month check-up, since she's already doing the things most 15 month olds are doing. Like, stepping up on a step, which she does on her own. Taking out the trash, folding laundry, doing dishes, etc.... oh, wait. He didn't say that, damn.

*Zoe and Maddie*

*Getting ready to dive into her first cupcake... not too thrilled considering she just listened to a bunch of monotoned adults sing Happy Birthday!*

*MOM! DAD! How embarassing!*

The doc was certainly impressed, as was I, at how much she had changed and progressed in a year. Just imagine if we continued learning and growing at that rate our whole lives! GIGANTIC GENIUSES we'd all be!

*She can have her cake AND eat it too!*

We love you Zoe!

Update!

So, here's a little glimpse of the nest.... well, one room anyway! Of course because I was so ecstatic I forgot to take a before picture. So you only get the AFTER!

*No, I'm not OCD, I just like my books organized by color...what?*

*Creating mini vingettes..."

*that white cabinet holds the future of my Empire!*

*Sweet little reading corner*


*Pick a color...any color.... well not any... one for the curtains please!*

I think I'm going for the one on the left...

Nesting: The Sequel

Yes. I am nesting again. And NO, for all of you wondering if that means that I'm pregnant again! You see, when we moved into our new house it was last March and I was 8 months pregnant... I was seriously not up for any kind of moving, painting, planning, etc. Yes, I was scatterbrained and yes, I was furiously washing and folding millions of baby items, but at the time it felt as though the house was just fine the way it was.... I was also anti-nursery/nesting... if you'll remember.

*looking for sticks for our nest*

Well those days are faaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrr behind me it seems. I'm not sure what's come over me, but I know I am desperate to simplify, design, create, and make my environment a home. And I love doing it. I love going through the hardware store and finding the little gadgets that I need. Buying paint. Looking for fabrics to make curtains for the downstairs. It's all become so fun and I am obsessed with design blogs lately. Forget people talking about kids and relationships!! I want to read all about how you before and after'd your new favorite room or heck maybe even a whole house!

*mom, can we move back in the house yet?*

All this design searching has made me wonder if my ancestors weren't Swedish or possibly Danish. I LOVE everything Scandanavian! The sweet style of their blogs, the amazing ability to make a room look so simple yet contain so much detail! Seriously I'm totally in love.... if you are interested in seeing some of the things I've been browsing you can check them out here, here and here....

I'll keep you posted with pictures of the house.... that is if anything gets finished!! In the mean time, I've stopped washing clothes because I'm too busy fidgeting with things around the house... luckily it's getting warmer....

EXHIBIT A:


EXHIBIT B:

*I made this bag with leftover canvas I had lying around....anyone know what it says?*

Oh, and I totally ripped the idea from this talented woman

Flying 101

Zoe and I recently took a trip to Colorado to support a friend of mine and her family for an amazing event in honor of her brother Cody St. John. Check out their website http://www.whatwouldcodydo.net/ for more information and what you can do to support the non-profit foundation in his name. Overall the trip was hella worth it and I'm glad I took a chance and did it. I learned A LOT from the experience and overcame a huge fear: flying with baby. Dun Dun Duuuuunnnn...

I flip-flopped with whether or not I should take her on the trip with me. Would people be upset that there was a baby in the house? Would she freak out on the flight and scream and cry??? Would I have a car seat? How would I snowboard with a baby in tow? What about a crib? How would I feed her? What are the policies on taking babies on planes? I had so many questions and I'm sure if you're reading this, and happen to have a baby that you have not yet traveled with, you do too!

*Taking in the sights*

So I have compiled a list of dos and don'ts as well as a summary of our trip below. Again, I'm no professional, but I play one in a High School! Also, every baby is different, so needs may vary. But a healthy dose of common sense goes a looooong way...


DO

• Pack as many diapers as you can into a carry on, you never know when a flight might be canceled for *mechanical* problems....
• If formula feeding, use drop-in bottles. I know they seem wasteful, but trust me you do NOT want to be washing a bottle in an airplane! If you're breastfeeding, don't be shy and well, you know what else you need to do.
• Take a few books, toys are useless. Books (in Zoe's case) are a relaxing thing. She usually sits back and takes them in, which was great during take off and mid flight.
• If you are a babywearing type I highly recomend using a sling to get through the airport. No need to wait for elevators, check strollers and the baby is close to you at all times. *Bonus, your arms are free to drink a smoothie!
• Pack Snacks. Crackers, Cheerios, left over Annie's Pasta (try it if you haven't!). Dry snacks are best for obvious mess reasons.
• Pacifiers are your friend. Baby's have sensitive ears and the pressure in the cabin can be alleviated by encouraging them to chill out and suck on a paci. If you don't use one, well... good luck.
• Walk your baby around (if they are walking) as much as you can. Squirminess is inevitable. If your baby is walking and the seat belt sign is off, by all means strut your stuff up and down that aisle until the baby falls asleep!

DON'T

• BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP! Especially if you are alone with the baby (like I was). People are generally willing and by people I don't mean airport staff (they sucked a big one especially in the security dept).
• Wear shoes that are hard to get on and off (I made this mistake)
• Pack tons of toys
• Expect for things to go exactly as planned (5 flight changes later...)
• Forget to remove your baby's shoes too when going through security! (I mean seriously?? Yes.)
• Expect people to be helpful just because you have a baby, especially flight attendants. I had one extremely helpful one on the last flight, but the others could care less that I had a baby in tow.
• Forget to pack your sanity!! Good times ahead!

So, you may be wondering how the trip went. Well, it was GREAT! Even with all the snafus. Sanfu, you say? Yes, we arrived in Dallas right on time and having stopped here many-a-times on my travels to Latin America, it was like seeing an old friend so I knew exactly where to go. I nonchalantly strolled to the terminal where my next flight to Steamboat Springs would be and when I arrived at the gate a small Lepruchan like man was waiting. This little man proceeded to tell me with NO emotion what so ever that my flight was cancelled and oh, by the way, it's the ONLY ONE to Steamboat today. I literally laughed outloud and said, "you're kidding right?". "NO" was all he said and then walked away!! Panic was starting to set in and I thought.... no way is this happening. I mean NO WAY!

I looked at Zoe who was happily perched in her sling and thought, no big deal. I'll figure it out. I mean, we're not going to be stuck here forever.... right? So, I went to ticketing and they booked me on a flight to Denver then Steamboat and I was scheduled to arrive around 730pm their time. Meaning, 1030pm our time. Whatever, no big deal, at least we're on a flight and going to get there tonight, right? Wrong. After waiting for two hours for our flight to Denver, which was spent eating and playing in the Dallas airport's awesome kid area, we made our way to the gate. As I was walking to the gate and happy to be getting on our way finally, a Texas twang came over the PA. Flight 484884303(whatever) to Denver has been... wait for it... CANCELLED! Are you Fing kidding me I thought. NO WAY! Yes way. And they then proceeded to get everyone on the flight in a single file line with ONE ticket agent to rebook everyone.

Then there is an anouncement that we can go back to ticketing for "faster" service. Well, I've had a ten month old, in serious need of a nap, slung around my neck and she was starting to get restless so I ran to the ticketing line, not even thinking I'd have to go BACK through security (3rd time).

*I told her not to over pack!*

*Smarter than a fifth grader*

The 'kind' gentelmen at the ticketing counter seemed concerned and helpful, but in actuality he was a dick. Ooops, did I just say that, sorry Grandma! Yes and this dick proceeded to tell me and my now napping (thank GOD!) 10 month old, that the only way we were going to get to Denver is if we went to TULSA first!! So our new flight was: Tulsa>Denver>Steamboat. See what I mean about the diapers... you just NEVER know. So we get to the counter for Tulsa, where I was officially frustrated and I see the sign: FLIGHT DELAYED 2 HOURS; TORNADOES. And OMG I almost fell over and died. I went to the gate agent and with the *nicest* tone told her that I needed to be in Denver within the next hour or else! And wouldn't you know it... there was a flight to Denver with room for Zoe and I. Amazing, how that works out, eh?

Wheeewwwwwww. So in the end we made it to Steamboat. Zoe cried only once and slept a little each flight. She was perfect. American Airlines on the other hand, well they can kiss it, if you know what I mean! The moral of the story is: Don't be afraid to travel with your baby. Be patient and flexible and all will work out. Oh, and when I finally arrived in Steamboat (a tiny little airport) a nice man who happened to have an "extra" carseat, gave it to me to use for Zoe! For free! Karma... ahhh.