To blog or not to blog...that is the question!

I have been trying to decide again whether this blog is more trouble than it's worth. It stresses me out when I don't post for awhile, and it detracts from my other hobbies...like scrapbooking and facebook. So, I decided I was going to change the tone and continue. Rather than using this as an online scrapbook, pressuring myself to record everything, I will use it as an online journal of sorts...chronicling my thoughts (sometimes boring, sometimes borderline psychotic) about being a working mother and wife. Lord knows, I could use an outlet.

There's nothing in particular going on right now. I'm just trying to enjoy every minute I can with Courtney as her remaining "toddler" years slowly fade off into the sunset. It's been making me very sad. But strangely, each age just keeps becoming more and more enjoyable. I genuinely enjoy her company. She's a full fledged little person. I am in awe of her silly little personality, intelligence and raw generosity of spirit. Every day, she says something that sends me on into hysterics, but I can't show her that I'm laughing. That makes her very mad!

We've definitely decided that one little one at home is enough for us. I get constantly harrassed about it, but I really don't care. We have so many more reasons why NOT to have another child. I can't believe that some people actually think that having a second child to be a playmate for the first is a valid reason to further procreate. Ummmm....no! We just have this feeling that our family is complete. I asked Courtney if she wanted a little brother or sister and she said yes. Then I told her that she would have to share her room and her toys and she very quickly changed her mind! Plus, there's no guarantee that siblings will remain close as they get older. My brother and I aren't especially close. Sure, we played together as kids, but he got on my nerves more than anything. He still does, as a matter of fact...

So, I will try to record my random thoughts and the cute, funny things that Court does on a daily basis and see where it takes us!

Update on my little girl!

I realized I hadn't updated her favorites in quite a long time and they have changed a lot! so here goes...

Favorite Color: Pink...she is in a seriously "girly" phase
Favorite show/character: Hannah Montana, Phineas and Ferb, Little Einsteins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, My Friends Tigger and Pooh
Favorite movie: Underdog, Sleeping Beauty
Favorite animal: cat...she continues to carry around a little kitty everywhere she goes. We have to buy them in bulk because she goes through them so fast!
Favorite drink : Cranberry Juice
Favorite meal: macaroni and cheese
Favorite snack: "cheesy" popcorn, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, yogurt
Favorite pasttimes: putting her MANY dolls to bed with blankets on her bedroom floor, singing and dancing, going out to dinner, going shopping
Favorite song: Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, Anything by Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers or the High School Musical cast
Favorite toy: any of her dolls, her princess dressup stuff, that darn kitty cat!
Favorite phrases: "actually..." all her sentences start with that word right now. "That's what I said!" or "That's what I was going to say" She's going through a know it all stage at the moment
What makes her happiest: both of her parents being home. Laying on the couch with me and watching one of her programs...
What makes her mad: anything when she first wakes up...she is not a morning person! Tickling her when she hasn't specifically asked you to, or copying her in any way. She hates that!

She's my little bundle of personality and I adore her!

Court's first trip to Disneyland!

Wow, I am getting really bad at this. Trying to keep up with Facebook, photo albums, an actual paper scrapbook and blogging is getting to be a bit much. I feel like every moment of my child's life is documented. Good thing I'm only having one, or else I'd be burnt out by the time my second child came around!

But there has been some exciting stuff going on, specifically our first family trip to Disneyland! I always said I would wait until she was 5 years old, so she could get the most out of it, but I used it as a "bargaining" tool during potty training and we had to keep our end of the bargain.

Needless to say, we were all looking forward to it for months. We booked the hotel and airfare forever ago. We built up Court's anticipation and couldn't wait to see Disneyland again through our precious child's eyes. Which, of course, means it didn't exactly go according to plan...things never do with a 4 year old.

We were scheduled to leave on a Wednesday. Court got really sick the Friday night...4 days before....the trip. She came down with a bad cold and a fever. Sunday it turned into pink eye. A trip to the pediatrician followed on Monday. I took another day off to stay home with her on Tuesday. She just wasn't getting better. Since the trip was already all paid for, we said a little prayer and went along with the original plan.

The trip was wonderful. Court seemed to get a little of her energy back. She's an excellent, seasoned traveller. She told me all the rules on the airplane about the seatbelt and no smoking sign (just in case I wanted to take up the habit, I guess). She was in good spirits, but wouldn't nap on the plane or in the car on the way to the hotel, and her appetite had not yet returned. We had planned to not go to the park on Wednesday to give her an extra day of rest, but she wasn't having it! We figured it was cruel to go all the way to Anaheim a block away from the happiest place on earth and make her wait an extra day, so we forged ahead, hoping the excitement of being there and Casey's dad and stepmom meeting us there, would be enough to carry her through. Alas, it was not to be!

Talk about disappointment! She just wasn't feeling well and was being soooo onery. She is not the most pleasant person to be around when she hasn't eaten, and we just couldn't get her to eat anything. We took her on a few rides and she did well when she was actually on them (well, except for Peter Pan, which for some reason scared the crap out of her), but the minute we got off the rides, she would start whining and throwing tantrums again. She wouldn't let me take her picture. It was unbearably hot and we were all cranky from being around a cranky child! We were at freakin Disneyland and NO ONE was having a good time.

Below are some pics of that disastrous first day:



At least mommy and daddy were happy to be there!



Happy for the moment



Get away from me Minnie! I'm in a bad mood!

We gave up around 4pm and went back to the hotel. By that time, Casey was getting sick his own self and we were all beginning to wonder if this was all just a bad dream.

The second day wasn't a whole lot better, unfortunately. She woke up Wednesday night with a lot of congestion and threw up a little bit. It was still hot and she still wouldn't eat very much. We went to California Adventure to see the Playhouse Disney show, which she absolutely loved!



We then headed over to our lunch we scheduled (and might I add, paid a small fortune for) with Ariel and the other princess at Ariel's Grotto. She just wasn't having it. She wanted us to walk all the way back over to Disneyland to go on the Dumbo ride. There was just no reasoning with her at this point. I was so disappointed, I wanted to cry, but we tried to make the most of it.



We paid a lot of money for this lunch, SOMEBODY was getting their pic taken with Ariel :)



Fine, Daddy will wear the princess crown!



She started to turn the corner when we bought her some stuff and promised to take her over to the Dumbo ride! She was pretty good the rest of the afternoon. We went back to the hotel to take a nap and she actually ate some dinner. Unfortunately, just as she was starting to feel better, Casey took a turn for the worse and had to go to the ER for a sinus infection and ear infection! But he promised to suck it up for the rest of the trip.

Good thing he did, because the next two days were AMAZING! My little girl was back. It was much cooler on Friday and she was eating and sleeping well again. That third day was exactly what I had been imagining in my head all these months when I thought about this trip. She LOVED Disneyland that day and took it all in with a much brighter attitude. She especially loved the Pooh characters, Pooh ride, Dumbo, Finding Nemo, the carousel and Alice in Wonderland (which I think we went on like 10 times, I swear!)

Here are some better pics from that wonderful day:



Meeting Pooh!



With all her babies..She's finally letting me take her picture!



Waving to the characters in the parade!

She loved, loved, loved the parade! Then we went back to the hotel for a nap. I think Daddy needed one the most! We went back to the park for the fireworks show, a few more rides and some sugary snacks! That day made everything worth it.

The next day we just hung out by the pool, went to lunch a did a little shopping. It was our unwinding day before the trip home. It was also a great day.

I'd say, overall, the trip was a success. I can't wait to go back again next year!

My Baby is now officially a little girl!

It's been a long and VERY busy 2 months since my last post. I feel like such a loser for not updating more often, but something else always seems to take precedence. There are just not enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do, much less everything I want to do.

The most important thing that happened is that my little girl turned 4 at the end of August. I still can't believe it. It honestly feels like I just had her. The time is flying by. She's growing by leaps and bounds (it seems as if her legs are finally catching up with her long torso...), and she's maturing before my very eyes. I'm constantly asking her to stop growing and she seriously tells me that it's just not possible. Every year is more fun and exciting than the previous. As sad as I am to see the baby years fade away, I'm enjoying spending time with her as a little girl. She's like my little friend and we go everywhere together. She tells me that she loves me constantly, asks a TON of questions, and seems genuinely interested in everything that I do. She's kindhearted, polite, dynamic, hilarious, extremely intelligent and verbal, and curious. I don't think I could have wished for a more wonderful little girl and I can't believe I've had anything to do with raising such a beautiful little person.

Alright, alright...enough gushing. It's not like I'm biased or anything :) As for the birthday, we had a smaller party than normal at the local park and I'd say it was a hit! She had a blast, but it was exhausting for all. The theme was of course, princesses, because that's what she is!



The calm before the storm



Daddy manning the BBQ...per usual




Best friends...Court and Victor



Anxiously awaiting the pinata



Make a wish!



Yummy cake!



What a tiring day for both Court AND mommy!

Ahhh...those summer days!

I love summer. Watching Courtney enjoy all the summer activities I used to do as a kid just makes me so happy. She's a big scaredy-cat like I was at that age, though. She's currently frightened of the water and will only go in the sprinkler or wade in a kiddie pool. Casey took her to Lake Don Pedro and she wouldn't step foot in the lake, but she sure loved the boatrides



We went to the Alameda County Fair a couple of weeks ago and she ate her way through the whole place: cotton candy, pickle, snowcone, french fries, popcorn. I'm surprised she didn't get sick. I don't normally let her have any of that stuff, so she just went hogwild



The 4th of July was great! We went to my father in law's house where fireworks are still legal. Don't know how long they will stay that way, so I wanted my baby girl to have a chance to play with the sparklers the way I did. She absolutely LOVED it. She kept saying "mom, this is soooo cool!"





I've taken some days off work and spent them at the local park with her. They have a petting zoo and carousel and train ride. She likes it there, though she's suddenly afraid of climbing on the jungle gym now. Oh lord, this child! Below is a pic of my little "turkey" at the park



It's just been lazy weekends like that...enjoying the weather, playing in the water, eating summer treats! But the rest of the summer is going to be quite busy! She's going to Canada with Casey and his father for a three days next month. I can't get away from work at that time, so I won't be going with them. It's going to be the longest we've ever been away from each other, so it will be hard for me, but I have to admit I am looking a little forward to the alone time....sleeping in, catching up on my scrapbooking, going to some yoga and spin classes, maybe a girl's night out one night. Below is my baby's pic for her little passport.



I can't believe she's three and has a passport! I want her to travel a lot. It's one of the reasons we're only having one. We want to see the world and it's easier to do so with just one!

She's turning 4 next month, so I'm beginning to plan her little party with all her school friends. I can't believe my baby is turning 4! She's such a little girl now and not a baby anymore! She'll always be MY baby, though...

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth

I know it's been a long time since I've updated. THings have been crazy in the Houtz household. I am working a lot and our weekends have been packed with activities since the weather warmed up.

I debated whether or not to keep up with this blog. It started out as a way to document Court as a baby and all of her firsts, but sadly, she is not much of a baby anymore. I can't believe she is almost four. I look at her, really look at her sometimes, and am blown away by what Casey and I created. She's such a beautiful, kind, funny and extremely smart little girl. I just enjoy hanging out with her. She cracks me up! She's just grown into her own little person and every day I sit and watch and wonder what new and exciting things she's going to do and say that day.

She definitely has some of her parents' traits, though. She is shy, cautious, creative, and indoor person like myself. She looks like me in her shape of face and her eyes, and unfortunately, she has my flat feet and my knock knees. She most looks like me when she is scowling. She is stubborn, curious, and LOVES animals like her father. She has is gorgeous lips, dark blond hair, long eyelashes and big blue eyes. She most looks like him when she is looking at something with curious wonderment. I feel in a lot of ways, she got the best of both of us.

So, I have decided to continue with the blog and document the exciting adventures of this amazing creature as she approaches four. The stresses of toddlerhood (potty training, temper tantrums, sleep training) seem to almost bed behind us. I know that a whole different set of stresses awaits us, but I have to honestly say, I'm looking forward to it!

Our "evolved" family

I called my husband on my way home from work yesterday to let himn know I was on my way and he sounded irritated by something Court had said or done.

"do you know what your daughter just said to me. My mommy should be home soon...you better have her dinner ready"

I proceeded to howl with laughter. Dead silence on the other end.

"It's not funny...why doesn't she say that stuff to you?"

I'm so proud!