MY new website: www.linzefloyd.org

It’s mine! I own it! It’s all mine!

www.linzefloyd.org

I’ve moved: linzefloyd.blogspot.com

Dear wordpress,
I tried to make it work. Really, I did. But you wouldn’t put it any effort. I asked for help, and you just confused me more. I have needs. I wanted to add cool features, but you wouldn’t let me. I need to be in a relationship that brings out the best in me…and when I’m with you, I find myself swearing, yelling, and being angry. I don’t want to be that kind of person. So I’m moving onto greener pastures. I have grown out of this relationship, and you just sat there, doing nothing. I want a great blog. I want to have a blog that I can look forward to coming home to at night. I want to wake up in the morning excited that I have a blog. But you make me dread it. You make me angry. You limit my possibilities and hinder my dreams. So I’m leaving you.

Goodbye, wordpress.

p.s., We can still be friends. Come by and say hello any time. You can find me at linzefloyd.blogspot.com.

Welcome to the world, Harper Thalman.

Last night, Coral and I went down to the UC with my mom to await the arrival of my newest cousin. We went to my grandpa John’s home, where we chatted, waited, and glanced at the clock repeatedly. Finally, at 8:00, we got the call that baby Harper would be delivered via c-section. Upon arriving at the hospital, we were greeted by several other anxious family members, including Shawna and Cade, Ashley’s husband, who were in head-to-toe, white hospital scrubs. Within minutes, Shawna and Cade were called into the operating room. Surprisingly, the two wide windows looking into the operating room were not covered, so I watched Harper’s birth with my nose practically pressed up against the glass, all the while holding my own baby.

Usually, I am squeamish when it comes to blood, surgery, needles, and the like. But I was so fascinated by watching a c-section (the only thing I couldn’t see was Ashley’s face!), and so excited that Harper was finally being born, that I somehow managed to not be grossed out. Now pause for a second…I was actually totally grossed out, but my desire to watch her birth outweighed anything else. It was really incredible watching the process. So often, babies are idolized as these fragile little creatures, but in reality, it takes a lot of hard work and strength (both emotionally and physically) for a baby to be born, whether vaginally or via c-section.

Once Harper was born, the blinds were drawn and, only minutes later, Harper was presented to us. She was swaddled and bundled in her little temporary cradle as she made her grand entrance through the wide double doors into the hallway. We all cried, oohed, and smiled as we watched the nurse transport our newest family member to the nursery.

Again through a window, I watched little Harper get her shots, eye ointment, and her first check-up as Cade, who was completely stunned as he marvelled at his daughter, watched over her. After what seemed like an eternity, Ashley was wheeled into her room, where roses, overnight bags, coats, and family members were draped, squished, and waiting.

Harper was given to Ashley, who, just as I was when Coral was born, was completely, blissfully happy. Harper laid on Ashley’s bare chest and the once-couple-now-family radiated such joy that most of us in the room (sans the men) were crying along with them. After so much waiting, anticipating, planning, and a long, hard labor, Harper was finally born and Ashley was totally, completely, amazingly happy.

Welcome to the world, Harper Thalman.

Born at 8:40pm, at 7 pounds, 15 ounces and 20 1/2″.

Coral and Iris sitting in a tree.

Okay, they didn’t sit in a tree; rather, they sat in front of one. After our photo shoot with my mom’s family, Shawna agreed to take pictures of Coral and Iris. Brittney bought them matching outfits and, as you can recall, I have a fetish for matching babies. Again, these photos speak for themselves.

A beautiful day with my beautiful family.

We spent Sunday afternoon in front of my aunt Shawna’s talent and camera lense. You might remember her awesome shutter bug skills from my maternity pictures back before Coral was born, or you might remember the amazing pictures that she took at our wedding. She is a very gifted photographer, so we were all too happy to have the opportunity for her to snap some shots for the holidays. These pictures totally speak for themselves.

That’s my mom, Steve, and Coral with my brother, Ben.

If you happen to know any intelligent, witty college-aged women, let me know. My twenty-year-old brother is awesome!:

Four generations: Nana, my mom, Ben and I, and Coral:

Could she be any cuter?

Is this really necessary?

When it comes to fashion, I’m definitely not at the top of my game. I do what I can to look somewhat put-together each day, but my wardrobe is a bit limited by my nursing tops (making it much easier to pop a boob out in public without exposing my stretch-mark laden belly or a nipple to the world) and my plentiful collection of Hawaii-based skirts (no, there are no aloha prints or muumuu-inspired bottoms; it’s more just that I bought most of my wardrobe while living in a warm climate). So I can’t exactly call myself a “fashion guru”. But I feel completely confident in saying that there is something very, very wrong about this:

A trip to the zoo.

I always have mixed feelings when I go to the zoo. I love seeing animals and marvelling at evolution. But then it’s terribly depressing to see a big, majestic cat cooped up in a cage the size of my bedroom. They were not meant to be confined; hell, animals are not meant to be confined at all. So, despite all of my conflicting emotions throughout the excursion, I enjoyed it. I love watching Coral at the zoo; she soaks it all and observes every animal with curiosity. I enjoyed watching Zoe and Coral interact. It was especially easy because both my cousin, Madison, and my brother, Ben, absolutely adore Coral. They even playfully fought over who would push the stroller or get to hold her.

A lot has changed about Hogle Zoo since I worked there (yes, I worked at Cat Walk Cafe, making snow cones and cotton candy, and as a birthday host). There is this really cool, giant, metal elephant that makes noise (I mistakenly thought that my brother was blowing some kind of horn to make the tunes, so I expectedly looked to the elephant’s asshole to look for Ben blowing, but he was far, far away from that region of the pacaderm). Naturally, Coral had to sit on the trunk:

The monkeys were a lot friendlier than I remember. It seemed as if every monkey wanted to be up close to the glass, watching visitors. I know that this picture is blurry, but I didn’t want to scare this cute orangutan with a flash…but you get the idea:

Do all zoos have a prarie dog pens with human holes (what else are they called?) in them? Come to think of it, I don’t think that the Honolulu Zoo has them. But here they are again, just like the ones at the Houston Zoo:

gDiapers: no landfill required.

When I was pregnant, I began the search for the perfect diaper (for us, at least). I knew that disposable diapers were automatically out, as it takes hundreds of years for them to decompose, cause a higher incidence of diaper rash, and can lead to a longer time for a baby to be in diapers (as they absorb so well, the baby doesn’t ‘feel’ wet, so it takes them longer to learn how to use a potty). I initially thought that I would go for cloth diapers, because I thought that they were the only alternative to disposables. The problem with cloth diapers is that it takes an enormous amount of energy to clean them (both with hot water [using both water and energy to create the heat] and with energy [i.e., fossil fuels to generate the energy needed to wash and dry them]), and they totally reek, whether one chooses to use a wet (a big container full of water) or dry (a big container filled with chemicals) pail to store the soiled diapers. All in all, I was totally disappointed with the options.

Then, I found gDiapers: “100% fashionable, 100% functional, earth-friendly, green diapers.”

From their website: “gDiapers, which stands for green diapers, consist of a washable, cotton outer little ‘g’ pant and a plastic-free flushable diaper refill. They are made of breathable material just like sports clothing.  So, babies stay dry and happy and are far less likely to get diaper rash.”

gDiapers are flushable, compostable, or totally tossable. They decompose in about 100 days, making them a much more eco-friendly option than a disposable diapers, which takes about 500 years to decompose. For me, the idea of a diaper decomposing in some landfill hundreds of years after Coral was gone from this world just seemed crazy. I can definitely deal with 100 days, but not 500 years.

They are more expensive than disposable diapers, but I am more than happy with taking on a higher cost to myself if it means a lower cost to the planet. Part of being an environmentalist and a responsible member of our global society is taking on a cost when it could be shoved into someone else’s lap. That’s always the problem with environmentalism: the upfront cost. People are always hesitant to buy solar panels because of the upfront cost, despite the fact that they’d never have to buy coal or gas electricity again. People bitch and moan about the high cost of compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, even though it translates into a lower electricity bill in the future. You know what? Doing the right thing sometimes costs more. But what’s right isn’t always popular, and what’s popular isn’t always right. I am doing my part, and I’m proud to pay the higher cost for the awesome results that I get.

One of the greatest things about gDiapers is that they come in so many colors, so her diapers are cute and I can use her diapers as a catharsis for my OCD. I love that her diapers can match her outfits, and I love, love, love that Coral looks super cute just in a diaper. And I absolutely love that they are guilt-free and environmentally-savvy.

So cheers to gDiapers, a product that I totally, completely stand behind.

A very Coral Christmas.

Last night, we went with my dad, step-mom, and my siblings, Ben and Iris (it’s so cool to say that I have a brother and a sister!) to get a Christmas tree for their home. Naturally, we began the evening with rum-infuzed egg nog (my dad remarked that the fat-free egg nog was ‘pretty good’; I suggested that it was the rum that made it ‘pretty good’).

My dad bought Coral and Iris little, pink Santa hats that say “Baby’s 1st Christmas” and as adorable as they were, I think that they were meant for itsy-bitsy newborns, because there was no way that it was going to fit on Coral’s dome, and, in order for it to fit Iris, my dad had to use a sort of shoving manuever, yielding a very snug fit. So we ditched the cute pink hats. Instead, Coral wore Ernest’s (their pug) Santa hat (he doesn’t really get the whole “let’s put this on you because it’s cute” thing) for some pictures.

It seems as though every day lately I’ve been noticing how big Coral is getting. Her bottom teeth, which broke through a month or so ago, are now pretty obvious (with more coming in). Perhaps the most noticeable thing is her improved mobility. She reaches, throws her weight one way or another, and, most impressive, pulls herself up on everything. She can even stand unassisted for three or four seconds. Her mobility is definitely making pictures much more fun.

This is my favorite photo. Did Santa just spank her? And did she like it?:

Without a doubt, Coral understands the concept of posing for the camera. If you look closely, you can even see her two little budding teeth:

Brittney surprised us with an adorable Christmas tree outfit for Coral, which perfectly matched Iris’ red Santa suit. When I saw a huge stack of trees, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to get the girls acquainted with the beautiful, fragrant pines. I love this picture because, although Coral is eight-months old and Iris is nearing three-months old, they are posed so that Iris looks much bigger than she really is:

Steve was, as always, delightfully jolly:

Here’s Brittney and Iris. It’s so cool seeing Brittney as a mom. I mean, she’s been a great step-mom, but it’s been really wonderful watching her as a mom to little baby Iris. She loves that little girl so much, and, for how long Britt has wanted to be a mom (again she’s a great step-mom, but you know what I mean), it’s amazing to finally watch her in action:

And then, finally, here’s the whole fan-damily:

The dancin’ baby.

Remember that God-awful dancing baby from the late nineties that cruised around the internet for waaaaay too long? I hated that dancing baby. I contemplated adding a clip of that dancing baby to my blog, but I don’t want that kind of shit on MY blog. So if you have forgotten about the dancing baby (lucky you), or if you somehow lived in a vortex in the late nineties and don’t have that disgusting, awful image seared into your brain, you can go find it elsewhere…but you won’t find it here.

But today, when my mom was over baking cookies to send to her friends down in Honduras, Coral was the cutest dancing baby I have ever seen. Okay, I helped a bit. But the Christmas tunes (a drunken rendition of “Jingle Bells”) got us both in the mood and she was a dancing fool. Accessorized with an adorable cranberry beret and festive spatula, she was as cute as could be: