Where'd the week go?

No weekend ramblings this week. I've been sick, Danny's now sick, and Han is being a punk-ass baby. How dare he have growth spurts and regressions?!

                   

I friggin' LOVE Mindy Kaling. She's my spirit animal. Well along with a unicorn of course. But I digress. Needless to say, blogging wasn't my top priority. Well as this week winds down, I think it's high-time I post SOMETHING. How about a Han Bon milestones update? This kid is just shy of a year old! Dang, am I right? Let's just say this has been a trying, but wonderful year. I mean, look at that lil' beasty. I just realized I forgot to post his 10 month milestone photo, so these two will be combined. It all sort of blurs into each other any way.

• He has 4 teeth that are fully out, but 2 more on top that slowly but surely crawling on out.
• His hair is out of control and I love it! Although, he still could use some more.
• Walking all over the place per usual. 
• He was eating squeezy packs, but when those other 2 teeth started cutting through he wanted nothing to do with them and we still can't get him to eat one. Ugh.
• His eating habits aren't habits because he mainly suck on his bottle with bits from our dinner here and there - but he still doesn't properly swallow the bits.
• As of late, he's super cranky. I think he's going through a growth spurt or teething or BOTH. 
• He still sleeps well, but this last week has been tough.
• He loves getting into stuff. He now knows how to open drawers and cabinets. So yeah, we had to add those baby-proofing things to stop him.
• He gets a real kick at of not listening to us. I sure can't wait till he can listen to us. And by that I mean when we say "no," "bring it to mommy," "go play with your toys," etc.
• He talks up a storm. I mean, it's jibberish but he sure is trying.
• He knows how to turn off the light switch when we bring him to it. 
• He climbs up his favorite blue chair with no probs. Well, he does use his mini-Darth Vadar chair as a stepping stool. 
• One of my faves: he HUGS!!! It is such an amazing feeling to have him wrap his arms around me and squeeze! *insides burst into a spray of confetti*
• He waves hi and bye. He loves waving to the cats. In fact, he loves his furry siblings. It's so cute.
• He has favorite commercials: Kaiser, Mountain Dew Kickstart, and Toyota (I can't find the video, but it's in the snowy mountains and there's a guy singing acapella). Whenever they come on he perks up and runs to the TV. Sometimes he dances. So cute.

I'm probably missing some stuff, but I'm pretty sure I hit all the big, funny, and nonsensical milestones. Basically, it's crazy seeing this kid grow and he's so super cute. We love him so much even though he tests our patience on the daily. Lil' punk. But Danny and I are total suckers for that beasty. ♥

Happy Friday image

Donut social for our babe, Han Bon.

In less than a month our baby boy will turn a year old (yes, 11-month milestone photo to come). So, to celebrate Danny and I are throwing him a petite and cozy birthday party. We are getting married the same week of his b-day, so we didn't want to throw some huge extravaganza. Also because he's turning 1. And although that's a feat for us, the parents, he won't know the diff. We also decided to keep this party donut social a family affair, so we only invited parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles.

Since we didn't want to go all out and put down a lot of cash (again we're getting married later that week), we sent out evites. I knew Danny would love this evite design and how cute that Han's up to level 1?! We're having it early (in-between his naps) and thought donuts were a great, inexpensive treat to serve to our guests. And no, Han will not be eating a donut. He's eating a much more healthier treat.

With any luck, his smash cake will look like this. I'm using the recipe Heather from Fit Mama Real Food made for her son's 1st b-day. It's a no sugar banana cake and, from the sound of it, super yummy. There are only 8 ingredients and 3 for the frosting and I feel pretty confident I can successfully make this for Han. Since we are trying to raise Han vegan, I'll substitute the cream cheese that's for the frosting with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. Hopefully it'll whip up as nicely as the cream cheese. 

Man, I sure can't wait to celebrate my baby boy's 1st birthday. This year flew by even though the first 3 months felt like an eternity in hell. That being said, being this kid's mom was so worth the pain, anxiety, and tears. 

So yeah, I'm pretty effin' excited to celebrate my lil' man's first year of existence. That face though. ♥♥♥♥♥

Donut image | Cake image

Better just check Facebook and Instagram one more time before bed, said every phone addict EVER.

My friend (who is also a mom) and I started talking about iPhone use. Specifically, how her 19 month old can already navigate YouTube and find the videos he wants - say what?! It's true, I saw him. Granted because they were what he last watched it's pretty easy for him to keep clicking on similar videos. Still, that's pretty impressive for a kid who pronounces "movie" as "moo-moo." I also brought up how Han now knows that moving his fingers around on the phone makes things happen. Although he does still put it in his mouth, but it's definitely a lot less than usual.

The way kids pick up on technology with a quickness definitely leaves me in awe, but then the parent in me begins to wonder if moderation should start being enforced now rather than later. And really the only way to "enforce" moderation is for Danny and I to set our phones aside.

My friend suggested this article, Five Simple Steps For Choosing Your Kid Over Your Phone. After reading it, I felt like these 5 steps could easily be accomplished:

1. Make a commitment to put the phone down and make it public.
2. Turn off notifications.
3. Quit thinking that you'll just "check email really quick."
4. Set up custom ringtones and text tones.
5. Put the phone away somewhere out of sight.

Bahahaha. Yeah, right. I tried and although it worked for a few days, by day 4 there I was sitting on the couch after work scrolling through Instagram while Han scrambled around babbling and playing. I mean, sure he looked like he was having fun, but I only get a couple hours with him before he goes to bed. Also, my phone addiction makes him want to play with my phone even more. So multiple times he came up to me whining as he tried grabbing it. 

Our phone addiction is sort of setting a bad precedent to our son. Damn, I have to think about shit like this because when he's 8 and I'm asking him questions, I'd rather have a face-to-face conversation not one laced with "uh huh" "dunno" "sure" and other monosyllabic, non-participatory grunts while he's glued to some device (something I get from his Dad now - grrr).

I just saw a hilarious Booking.com commercial where the dad locks up the kids' phones and they're forced to do things with their hands other than scrolling, tapping, and texting on a digital screen. Hats off to their marketing department because HELL YEAH. I don't want Han to miss out on tangible experiences like playing outside, reading a physical book, and using his imagination.

So, like all things parenting, it's time to make a concerted effort to minimize our phone time in order to maximize our together time. Let's step up our role-modeling game. Really the only number of the 5 that pertains to us is #5. We need to start putting our phones on silent and leaving them in our bedroom for at least a couple hours throughout the day. I think that it benefits Han, but also Danny and I as a couple. I can't stand his obsession with phone games and he can't stand mine with YouTube videos. We are inadvertently alienating our partner, which leads to annoyance, resentment, and contention. No more. It's time to hang as a fam and have real conversations with...dare I say it...eye contact.

Ashley G print image

Weekend ramblings: March edition.

I worked Saturday and Sunday. All proceeds to go to my wedding on April 18th. It was a long exhausting weekend. I did get to attend Authors on the Move at the Hyatt. A $225 affair that was $0 for me. I was lucky enough to have an in with one of the author's - woot woot! It was fun and the food was super yummy.

Ate grits (re: fancy grits) for the first time and I'b be happy to eat them again. Dessert and the hooch were festive and delicious. It was a great night for such a good cause. Daniel Handler was the keynote speaker and he was as delightful and askew as his novels. 

I got to see what Beth Ruyak, host of Capital Public Radio's Insight looks like. I actually never thought to look on the site, but it was fun to finally put a face the voice in person. Also, who doesn't love a Hook reference?! Classic film from my childhood. I always get a stirring of emotions while watching it. Anyhoots, I felt like such a grown-up attending said event. 3 different California authors sat at our table to discuss their books: Todd Borg, Joanna Rowland, and Anne Leonard. 

I think my Nana would highly enjoy Todd Borg's detective series, Joanna Rowland's kid's book was very sweet, and I really want to read Moth and Spark. I mean, dragons, meet-cute in a library, and the supernatural, SIGN ME UP! Not sure if I'll ever attend another one of these events (they happen annually), but I loved attending this one. Now I need to read the the book by the author who invited me! 

While I worked, Danny and Han visited the Grandparents. Mainly so Danny could help his Dad clean up for our soon-to-be nuptials. Han just hung out working that adorable face.

Damn, he's cute. Well, that's it for this installment. To close, here's an OOTD. This is a new dress from Target that I love, but looking at these photos, I'm not so in love with the wrinkle factor. I'm also thinking it needs a statement necklace. Something with color. Oh well. Yeah, Danny and I were having fun with this dorky photo op. Yes that's a cat in the bottom right-hand corner. He's clearly in awe of my awesomeness...or he simply wants me to let him out of this charade (said in uppity British voice). Cats, so judgey.  

The quirks and perks of a post-baby bod: perks edition.

PERKS
"My cup runneth over...ok, not really, but sorta."

As my belly grew so too did my breasts. But I figured they'd go down to my regular 34B size once I finished breastfeeding. I mean whenever I gained weight the boobs always stayed the same. Thanks Obama. Well, I guess pregnancy is the trick because these bad boys are now 36C and don't appear to be going anywhere. Of course if I lose weight they may shrink too. No biggie, I was happy to be a 34B.

"Good thing I run hot now and never need to wear a sweater because I want to show off this hella cute shirt."

This is the flip side of now running hot (post-Han) instead of cold (pre-Han). If I forget my jacket or sweater, no biggie, I won't freeze and will happily enjoy my meal at a fine temperature. Also, some shirts and dresses I own, have cute sleeves or lacy bits on the back and I never got to show them off pre-Han because I was always cold! Well, I get to saunter around with them on display now. Word.

"And we're back to regularly scheduled periods."

It is nice that my cycle is just as regulated as it was pre-Han. Even though I used to be able to tell when I was actually going to start bleeding, it's nice to know that Flow still visits the same time every month. Also a bonus in case we decide to have another in a few years.

"Damn, look at all this cute shit! Must buy it ALL!"

All clothes from either ASOS, Forever 21, or Target in their Curve/Plus Size sections

Now that I'm curvier, I do a lot of online shopping in that section and dude! SO MUCH CUTE STUFF! I was worried I'd never find cute things that would fit me anymore. Yeah, wrong. There's so much now I have to steer clear of online shopping sites. Also, I find myself gravitating toward dresses a lot more now than I did pre-Han. I used to be so self-conscious about showing my "fat" "gross" legs. Now I don't give a F to a U to a C to a K! If the dress is cute and in my size - GET ON MY BAAAH-DEE!" I seriously never felt so stylish as I do now, and I gotta say, I'm feelin' it. Don't get me wrong, I want the muffin top to go but not the curves.

And there it is, folks. I'm sure stuff is missing, but so far these are the things that have stuck out the most for me.

Any other mamas out there have post-baby body quirks and perks?

Cat calendar image

The quirks and perks of a post-baby bod: quirks edition.

QUIRKS
"Oh, hello waist spillage affectionately called: muffin top and/or lower pooch sag."



So yeah, I gained weight while pregnant and sort of never lost it. I did a little post-Han Bon, but started taking anti-depressants for postpartum depression and weight gain is a side effect. However, I recently stopped taking them; so hopefully with a healthy diet and semi-regular exercise (fingers crossed) I can say goodbye to the sag. I was never Jennifer Aniston skinny and in fact never want to be. I just want my clothes to fit comfortably and smoothly.

"I'm now not the only one losing sleep due to my partner's snoring because I too am now keeping him awake with my cacophonous intake of air during slumber."

I suppose this could be a perk since it's kind of like payback - ha! But really, I'm not too fond of the elbowing Danny administers during my sleep because I'm keeping him up. I'm hoping if I loose weight that post-pregnancy quirk will diminish.

"Well now, ain't you the cutest lil' baby hairs I ever did see. Now what the hell do I do with you?!"

Is that why they're called baby hairs because you get them post-baby? Granted, I lost them post-baby too. I suppose I should just be happy my sparse patches of hair are now thickening up.

"Dude, it's cussin' boiling up in this joint! What is it like, 65 degrees in here?!"



"Surprise! I'm bleeding."

I used to be able to tell when ol' Auntie Flow would come on into town, but post-baby - nah uh. I don't get so much as a slight abdominal twinge before I'm off buying new undies. TMI? Probably, but that's sort of how it goes post-baby. Look, it's pretty effin' weird when your whole life your body has let you know when things are happening below deck so you can get your affairs in order and now it's like your body's all "eff this shiz, you're on your own, lady." Say, what?!

"Wait. Are those...are those more GREY HAIRS!?"

Yes, I had 1 maybe 2 silver slivers, but now I'm finding more and more. Although to be fair that may not be the kid's fault (none of these are, really), but more to do with my old ass. But hey, if I go grey and look like that beaut (Sarah Harris) above then sign me up! Truth be told, I'm fine embracing the grey, I just want more of it not a few sprigs here and there. Consistency, folks!

"Ew this flakage is worse than the folks in a Head and Shoulders commercial."

I've always had dandruff, but never to this extent. I tried EVERYTHING to get rid of it, but the only thing that worked was going with the no poo method. I now wash my hair with a couple tablespoons of baking soda/water/few drops of lemon essential oil. After I let it sit on my scalp for a few minutes I rinse and then wash with Morrocco Method's Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo. I save money, time, and my scalp is irritation/flakage free! My hair can be a bit dry and tangly, but while it's drying or before I blow-dry it, I use a little coconut oil and thankfully that works really well.

"Apparently my face is now reptilian as I seem to be shedding skin on the daily."

Oh man, I was gonna include an image of shed snakeskin but I almost barfed. Suffice it to say, my chin and around my nostrils are now dry and flakey. I was more on the oily side post-Han, but now I'm on the more dry side. Funny what hormones do to you. Age is always a factor too.

"Don't mind my hobbling, I had a baby like a year ago."

That popped rib muscle I had pre-Han, still haunts me figuratively and literally. I also get this bizarre muscle soreness on the tops of my feet. I had it when I was pregnant and was told that's due to the softening of ligaments. Yeah, never quite went a way. I don't have the pain all the time, just bouts of it here and there - like now. I also have pelvic soreness while lying on my side, but we just got a new memory foam bed and what do you know - no more pelvic soreness!

Well that's the end of the quirks edition of this post. I hope to have the perks post up tomorrow. Maybe not so surprisingly it's shorter.

Someecard image | Sarah Harris image | Breakfast Club gif | Sorry no image image | Old lady image

Weekend ramblings: March edition.

I have once again lagged on posting. But life, man. It does things to a person and, well, next thing you know, blogging is put on hold. Last week I was dealt a heavy blow and this weekend I attended a funeral. It has been a whirlwind of emotions to say the least.

Because I want this place to maintain some sort of semblance of consistency, I'm going to be diligent and post at least this one time for the week...but probably more. I do have something waiting in the wings that I started last week. Ok, without further ado here is a light smattering of my ramblings...

 

There were a lot of feels happening this weekend. Han also had a fever and was a major crank-butt the whole weekend. He did have moments of respite seen above. Actually, we both are - let me be fair, I was a major crank-butt too, although for different reasons. 

Han's Auntie Cray-Cray had a birthday, so we made sure to show her we cared via Facebook. This was photo was taking after we attempted to lift our spirits by breathing the fresh air and feeling the sun dapple our cheeks. Well, all was well and good until nature decided to bitch-slap me and I've been sneezing and blowing my nose ever since. I swear I've never had allergies until I got older.

And finally, here's an OOTD that sums up the end of our weekend pretty perfectly.

Weekend ramblings: March edition.

Saturday Danny, Han, and I traveled to Modesto to meet up with my mom, sister, and nephew. We hung out there for a few hours and had some fun. Han and Nae-Nae (real name Nathan) had a grand ol' time playing and exploring. It's so cute seeing them hang together.

My sister, Valerie practiced a hairstyle on me for my upcoming nuptials. She used a clampless curling iron and gave me this sideswept boho chic look. I loved it and knew immediately it was the hairstyle for me. I of course forgot to take a good photo of the hairstyle, but there's always my wedding day for that. It was nice to hang out with them. I sort of wish we could have stayed longer, but Danny had a show in Oakland and my mom and sister can get super loud and say super catty shit to each other. Hashtag: I'm out!

This what Han and I do while his Daddy is away. He was a bit of a cranky boy since we forwent his naps in order to hang in Modesto. We tried (unsuccessfully) to put him down in his cousin's room. Next time we need to come armed with his pack n' play, blankies, and sound machine. Hopefully with familiar sounds and scents he'll go down. It works at Danny's parents' house anyway.

And then this is what I had post-hell-of-a-time-putting-Han-down. He was not a happy camper. Again, bad decision on skipping those effing NAPS! Never. Again. My friend and her son (who is 18 months) came over to hang with us. All was going well, but then Han started being a drama queen due to over-tiredness, so I tried putting him down at his normal time and the beast wasn't having it! Ugh.

I had to ask my friend to go, which I felt bad about, but the stress of it all was starting to rattle me. After she left I relaxed, changed his diaper, gave him some baby Motrin (he felt very warm and he has a tooth cutting in), a watered down bottle, cradled him and just chillaxed with him in his room. He drank maybe an ounce and after five minutes of touching my face, he started to snuggle up close and I knew he'd actually go down and stay down this time. He did. Phew.

The whole ordeal only took an hour, but when you're in it, it feels like the friggin' Hundred Years War! My friend left me cookies which I devoured. That's unsweetened vanilla almond milk from Trader Joe's. It's so yummy! Am I the only one that thinks it tastes like the milk left in your bowl after eating Coco Puffs - but like a better, cleaner, colder version, obvs.

After last weekend's Austen lecture I attended, I've been reading this bio and plan on re-reading her novels once I finish. I find myself only reading teeny bits right before bed. I tend to get too distracted with my phone and the TV. Once we put Han down, I have 2 hours of free time. I really need to start dedicating a full hour to reading every night. Plus, I get to have regency-filled dreams - at least during this month's reading selection. My goal is to read 1 book per month. Golly that can't be that hard, right?! Netflix, I shake my fist out you! 

I took an On-Call Librarian shift at the Public Library on Sunday and couldn't wait to end this weekend. There was a lot going on. Some good, some not so good. Ok, well time to wrap this post of weekend ramblings up. To end, here's the OOTD segment - enjoy!

OOTD brought to you by Han Bonurrito! He likes to go shoe-less when he's home. This is my new favorite shirt on him. Damn, I love that kid.