I am not Martha Stewart, but getting closer

After talking with my friend Jill about how I almost NEVER complete my craft projects, I decided to prove myself wrong and finish an almost year long project. Well, I bought the fabric a year ago and haven't done a thing with it. . .until yesterday. I made six chair cushion covers! And they were surprisingly simple to make. I am by no means a perfectionist, so they aren't perfect, but I love them, imperfections and all.I started making straps out of the fabric, but it was too hard, so I just sewed on some jute.

I'm not very good at tutorials, but Martha is. I already had the seat cushions (-2 that I had to cut out of foam), so sewing a cover was all I did, but she shows how to make the actual cushion too. Love you M!

High on a hill was a lonely goatherd. . .

Ley-ee, Oh de ley-ee, Oh de ley-hee-ho!
Oh how I love my little fraulein Phoebe.

Sicky Sick

Hi blog,

I had the urge this morning to write down a few updates on Phoebe's health. Two weeks ago she had a very high fever (highest was 104) and several days of vomiting with it. We were concerned and called our fantastic nurse practitioner Colleen Bacon with TLC. She told us there has been a stomach virus floating around that week and gave us zofran for the vomiting, and tylenol for the fever. Well, over the weekend her fever and her vomiting continued. I also had Lasik surgery done and was recovering. As seen below. (Side note, Lasik is a modern-day miracle). So on Monday we got an appt to take her in to see Dr. Conti. Backing up, Dave gave her a sweet blessing that she would return to health soon the night before. Ok, Dr. Conti is big on rectal temperatures and he also needed a urine sample so they had to insert a catheter. Phoebe didn't even flinch. She was so calm during both of those procedures. And yet when he wanted to listen to her breathing and heart she went into hysterics. Go figure. . .

Urine sample comes back and lo and behold she has a full blown urinary tract infection (UTI). Got an antibiotic shot in the rear and now has to take the antibiotic Keflex 3 times a day for 10 days. Well luckily it worked! She started feeling better about day 3. But Dr. Carruth wanted to see her again. He informs us that she needs to do two tests a UCVG and a Renal Ultrasound. Off to Mission Hospital we go. She did really well during the tests with some help with Yo Gabba Gabba. Even during the uncomfortable VCUG where they insert a catheter and shoot up dye in the bladder. But unfortunately they found vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) on the left kidney. This means her urine instead of going down out of the bladder, some splashes back up into the kidney and can cause an infection if the urine is infected (like a UTI). An infection in the kidney can be real bad causing renal failure and shutting it down if left untreated. Off to the specialist we go. All I have to say is thank GOODNESS for insurance. The only pediatric urologist in the OC, Dr. Khoury. Looks like I know what field of medicine to go into. He sees up to 50 patients a day and has a wait time of 1-3 hours and is booked 3 months in advance. Luckily Phoebe isn't urgent, but she has to take a low-grade antibiotic until she sees him :( I am not a fan of antibiotics since they eventually make you immune to their effectiveness if you take too many of them. But thankfully little Phoebs is feeling better now and back to her normal happy self. . .especially at the happiest place on earth. Here's to health!

Last Friday. . .

we ventured out to The Orange County Great Park! It is the geographical center of the OC and features this giant orange tethered helium balloon! First of it's kind in the US, environmentally safe, non-polluting and virtually silent!....or so the website says.
400 feet in the air. P is a little unsure, but putting on her big girl face.And the best part is its FREE!. . .and has this cute carousel which Phoebs LOVED and had an outrageous melt down when we had to get off after 3 times.Thought I'd throw this one in for good measure. Features the nice bruise on her cheek she acquired when she and the kitchen drawer battled the other day.

Baja 500

We went to Baja California between Christmas and New Years and had so much fun! Mexico is one of my favorite places to go for a few reasons, 1) Not crowded thanks to all the drug lords/acid bath/YOU'RE GONNA DIE IF YOU GO TO MEXICO media hype (but I do have a husband who's been a gazillion times) 2) It's flippin' beautiful 3) the surfing is real good most of the time (and even if it's not, can you really complain about having an entire rt point break to yourself?) 4) it makes my husband oh so happy 5) Phoebs really gets a kick out of the federales 6) it's cheap as dirt and 7) the tacos!

See this guy below, LOVES Mexico with a passion. He told me once that if I hadn't come along when I did he was going to order a mail order bride from Russia and move to Mexico. Luckily it didn't have to get to that point.
We started off heading south of the border and had to stop at a PEMEX every couple hours or so to get our wiggles out. A little stretch along the way to keep everyone in tip top driving shape. You'll be seeing a lot of the nugget. Can't get enough of it. Phoebs was obsessed with all the baja doggies or "doe-doe" as she calls them. Another stop along the way. Phoebs didn't want to leave. There's nothing that Dave likes more than setting up camp.Love these two. Dave found this lovely crustacean utensil holder on the beach for me. Time for a surf! Loved these mellow, glassy olas. And Phoebs loved testing out all the flavors. I would not like to encounter what used to be this thing in the agua. Christmas pic 2011?These cactus only grow in Baja and Egypt. Eat your heart out Jeopardy. Apparently, thousands of whales breed in this cove. . .just not now. Feb and Mar are the months to go, in case you want to make the 12 hour drive to see it. We obviously didn't get the memo until we got there. Dave let me drive for once and I almost got us stuck in a sandy pit on a dirt road in the middle of no where. Go me!Leslie, ripping as usual. Our travel buddies, Leslie and Orion. You never fail Mex. Keep up the good work.

Extreme Parenting

Santa was good to us this year.

The best gifts according to Dave: Wet suit, back scrubberPhoebe: Disney princess kitchen, Everywhere chair, and. . .Purse!Steph: Perfect vision in T-one month thanks to LASIK! (dave made me an eyeball coupon that said "good for 20/20 vision!")

Now its time for Meh-hee-co!!! Which means, waves. . . tacos...and dead fish!
Adios amigos!