Fabulous Wine

New Age - my family introduced me to this great wine over the holidays and I got back to Utah and couldn't find it. I visited the State Wine Store and they agreed to order it in for me....but I had to buy a case. No problem, I plan to give some away as gifts.....but I better hurry, Joe and I are on bottle number 2 already! Give this bubbly wine from Argentina a try. It is good served in a white wine glass or over ice with a twist of lime.

Benefits to working at a Children's Hospital

Slushies....yummy! Perfect for my sore throat! My floor got a slushy machine for the patients last fall and I sneak one occasionally and today I definitely needed one.

Lie to Me

Good show - check it out. Fox, Wednesdays.

Jessica, you look great!

I have sympathy for Jessica Simpson. The Today Show said it best this morning, "we can choose the best of hundreds of photos to post on our own blogs and these celebrities have the single worst photo broadcasted everywhere". Jessica, you look fine and hang in there! Maybe get some low rise jeans and the media will leave you alone!

Iowa Trip

Watch Law and Order Tonight!

Ella and I are back in Utah. We had a great trip -- I'll post pics soon.

Joe's company will be featured on Law and Order tonight. Someone will be wearing their ankle bracelet!

Routine?

Ella's routine is going to have to be flexibility! Joe booked a flight to Brazil departing tomorrow at 5PM tonight. Ella and I leave for Iowa on Saturday morning. We will be in Charles City, DesMoines and we fly through Minneapolis. My work schedule changes every 3 weeks and that will change her schedule! Is it possible for a type-A mom to raise a flexible child?

Welcome President Obama!

I am not a political person and I don't feel I ever have enough knowledge to fully discuss my opinions. My morning began with a feeling of disappointment while listening to my coworkers complain about how they would be paying higher taxes and just general anger with President Obama. Then I joined by team to discuss patients and the attending physician was just full of joy and excitement for the history we made today! I was able to find a TV and watch the oath and President Obama's speech. It hit me hard - we did make history as a country and I am very excited for the strides we have made. I am excited for "change" and I just want the country to come together and support America and put aside political views and religion and just support our President - We are fortunate to have the privilege to choose him and he is who we as a country chose. Let's support him and be proud Americans!

Watching President Obama and his family today got me thinking. I know today is full of extravagant events.....but what a feeling it would be to lie in bed tonight knowing you are PRESIDENT!!! What would it be like to have the Oval Office be YOUR office?? I look at his daughters and wonder if they realize how different their lives will be. It's exciting!

I'm proud to be an American!

True Story...

I have bad luck, but never this bad. Skier suffers exposure. Man left dangling upside down, pantsless after Vail lift mishap. Click here for full story! He was stuck for 15 minutes! Can you imagine?

Great dinner!

I highly recommend the Monterey Pasta Company Butternut Squash Ravioli. We made it a few weeks ago with an alfredo sauce and tonight Joe made it with the sage butter sauce recipe on the package. Amazing!!! It's one of my favorite things to order at Italian restauants and this make at home version is almost as good and so easy!!! I bought it at Costco and will be going back for more! Yeah for leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Porcelain Doll

She looks like a doll in this handmade outfit!

All Cashed Out

Yes, my sweet daughter is sleeping on the living room floor under her toys and we are just going to leave her there --- she is sleeping!!! It's been a rough weekend. She didn't really nap yesterday and wouldn't eat very much either. She would cry with a bottle in her mouth. I felt so bad for her, but I just don't know what else to do. I wonder if she could possibly be teething - I know it's early, but she has begun drooling and wants to put everything in her mouth. I can't feel anything....but who knows? We took her for a car ride and we finally got her asleep at about 6PM. So far today is a better day and even though I hate that she is sleeping on the floor - I will just let her be!

Ella and I are flying to Iowa on Saturday and all day yesterday Joe kept saying, "I feel bad for you taking her on a plane like this". Hopefully next Saturday will be better than yesterday. If not, I can handle the dirty looks - I've flown many times with the sound of a crying baby. What do you do?

Well, that lasted 15 minutes, little munchkin is up!

Valentine Weakness

I love these!! I was at the store to pick up my assigned food for the potluck at work tomorrow and I just couldn't resist! I chose the cherry jube jel hearts and resisted the sour cherry balls (one of our family valentine traditions).

Happy 3 Months Ella!

Ella is doing well!! She can sit in her Bebe Pod (thanks Kaisers) and hold her rattle. She is cooing and is looking around and very curious. She has flipped from her stomach to her back once, but I don't anticipate her repeating that again -I think it was a one-time random act! She is doing well in daycare and they just love her. She (and Mom) made it through her first cold and so far this week she is feeling great.

Congrats!!

Congratulations to my cousin Elliot who was commissioned into the Marines last night. We are proud of you and appreciate all your do for our country! We wish we could have been there!

Pretty in Pink

Ella is stylin' today!

We made it!

We made it through the first week back to work, Ella in daycare and Joe putting in long hours! Miss Ella has her first cold....I knew it was inevitable and I predicted she'd have a cold by the end of the week...but I so hoped it wouldn't happen. She was pretty sad and scared Thursday night and wanted some comfort every hour all night long, but has turned the corner and will make it through and build her little immune system. No fever and I am so thankful we've kept her so healthy! She's the magic 90 days old on Monday and we have kept her out of the hospital and fever free. Now she can depend on her own immune system and build it up with these daycare colds! Joe and I both got some much needed sleep last night and feel like human beings today! It's so nice to be home together as a family today -- I enjoy her more every day.

It is so hard to watch her struggle with her stuffy nose. Joe holds a kleenex to her nose and tells her to blow jokingly. He's way better with the bulb suction than me. It's always an adventure!

Life of sleepy parents....

Today I got home from work with Ella and after she ate and fell asleep I got online to IM Joe. The conversation went like this:
L: hey
J: hey, how is ella?
L: tired and hungry when I picked her up and now sleeping
J: how are you?
L: tired and hungry, how are you?
J: tired and hungry

Guess our life is pretty exciting....

I hope I can make it up to watch the national championship tonight....only if it's close, if not, I'll be sleeping! One more day until the weekend!

Back to work....

Ella had her first day of daycare today and I went back to work. I was a little teary-eyed at home, but by the time we got to daycare and I gave them all my instructions, I was fine. She is in good hands and will be entertained and learn so much from the other kiddos. I was very happy to go pick her up after work and relieved to hear she did so well! My co-workers are fabulous and brought me breakfast and sent me home early. I just cuddled with her when we got home. She's really tired and I think it's going to be a transition week because I'm exhausted and I have 3 more days to go! The weekend will be filled with naps! Better get organized for tomorrow...

Results aren't given, they're earned!

I was doing my 20 minute workout today as soon as I got Ella down for a nap. I had 13:31 to go and the iFit just stopped.....but the treadmill kept going. The only way I could stop it was to pull the "in case you fall off button". I got off the treadmill, turned it off and back on, crossed my fingers Miss Ella would stay asleep and restarted my workout from the beginning! This is the new Laurie - Jillian is having quite an effect on me!!!

Great Date Night

Thanks to Grandma Dorothy for watching Ella while we went to Carver's for dinner and then to Wise Guys where we saw Dante from Last Comic Standing! It was a perfect adult evening and a great treat before I head back to work!

Thanks, Sweetie!

I have a fabulous husband and he deserves a post dedicated to him! He's always great with Ella, but the last few days he has done almost everything for her while I have run errands and just worked on getting organized before heading back to work. He made me blackberry pancakes yesterday and tonight he arranged date night for us!! Sweetie, you are a great husband and daddy! I love you!

Laundry Must Have

Before Ella was born, Joe told everyone he was going to throw away any clothes that had poop on them. Well, with our little pooper shooter, I found a solution! I just soak her clothes in Baby Oxi clean for 45 min before I wash them and they come out of the washer sparkling clean. I am very impressed! I'm not sure there is anything specifically special about the baby version and I think I'll give the regular a try, but it has been a life saver and I'm sure her laundry doozies will get worse before they get better! I'll have to give it a go on our clothes as well.

Jillian is kicking my butt!!!!

Joe bought me a treadmill for my birthday and my having a baby prize and I was using it, but not very effectively! He got a random email from Nordic Track about this iFit thing and we thought we'd give it a go. It's awesome!!!! I am a fan of The Biggest Loser and I am honestly scared of Jillian and would never choose her as a trainer. The iFit plugs into my treadmill and it is her voice and she controls the speed and incline. I yell back at her when she says, "are you hating me yet?"!!! As the incline increases, I want to hold on to the treadmill so bad, but I honestly fear she will know and yell at me, so I resist! I have completed week 1 and I am very pleased. I am up to max of 3.5 mph and 9% incline. She starts out with only 20 minutes, but I feel that 20 minutes with her is as effective as 60 minutes on my own. She changes either the speed or incline every minute and it is so effective. I LOVE IT and it is going to help me make my post-baby weightloss goals. We bought Level 1,2, and 3 of Lose Weight, so at the end of 24 weeks, I'll be walking 8.5 mph at 10% incline for 60 minutes and I sure hope I weigh less and feel better.

Go Utah!

We are Utah fans after watching them beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last night! It's fun to cheer for the local team and we'll have to make it to a game next fall. Way to go Utah with your undefeated season!

Happy Birthday!

Mom, have a fabulous day! Enjoy your special lunch and happy hour after work! Don't work too hard.

Happy New Year!

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2009! I am most thankful for our little Ella and I can't wait to watch her learn and grow this year. Our New Year's Eve was uneventful as Joe is still getting over an ear infection and cold and I brought in the new year at 4AM with Miss Ella! Today we are going to cheer on the hawks and Grandma Dorothy will be over this afternoon. Enjoy your holiday!

**Thanks Uncle Dale and Aunt DeNeitt for the awesome team gear!

Happy Birthday!

Barb, I hope you have a fabulous day and I hope you are able to relax! Happy Birthday. We should skype after the Iowa game.