Baby in a Pumpkin

In honor of "my baby" turning 2 years old (What!?) last month, and the fact that in less than 3 weeks, she will no longer be the "baby," below are some pictures from her newborn photo shoot, courtesy of Arpasi Photography.  

We love you munchkin!  You are going to be the best Big Sister when we welcome home your little sister in a few weeks!

Animals on Parade

At the moment, if my life had a theme song, it would be "All About That Free," set to the tone of "All About That Bass." 

I'm not saying I'm necessarily frugal because we still spend money on what we want to spend money on, but I love getting free stuff, or practically free, and I love taking advantage of all the free stuff Baltimore has to offer. 

One amazingly free thing that we could go to everyday...is...wait for it...the library!  

I know I have written other posts about all the library has to offer, such as Storyville, but there are just so many great things about the public library.

(Now as The Hubby likes to mention, the library isn't technically free because we all pay taxes, BUT you know what I mean!  If my taxes are going to keeping up the library, I might as well take advantage of it even more then!).  

At the end of each month, I log onto the library's website and check out all the events scheduled to take place the following month, and write them into my calendar.  These include weekly Storytimes, but also include special events, almost all free.  

A recent event I added to my calendar was called "Animals on Parade."  The description was stated as "an exploration or animal movements, colors, and sounds, including live animals such as a rabbit, duck or goose, box turtle, and perhaps a toad or snake."

A free animal show?! It went on the calendar.  

I had no idea what to expect but fortunately the library is within walking distance of our house, and it didn't interfere with Little Lady's nap time, so I had nothing to lose.  

We arrived that morning and shockingly, there were only about 3 other kids there!! I had invited a couple mama friends who arrived shortly after, but it was a very small group.  The animal guide proceeded to open up her little cages of animals and talk about each animal, as well as walk around so each child could touch the animals.  It was great!  Little Lady got to touch a huge rabbit, hedgehog, box turtle, toad, bearded iguana, corn snake, and another larger snake.  She was so brave and loved it!

Animals on Parade at one library is good, but Animals on Parade at 2 libraries is even better!! A couple weeks later, a different library in the county was offering the same free demonstration, so we went!  Similar animals, but this time, Little Lady got to hold a snake - and by hold, I mean the snake was wrapped around her and she was holding him up all by herself!  She once again was very brave and adventurous! 

If you have kids, or watch kids at all as part of your daily routine, I would highly recommend all the free programs and activities that the public library has to offer.  We have not been disappointed! - says the village idiot 

Flying with a toddler, aka. FWT

A few weeks ago, we celebrated The Hubby's Golden Birthday - the birthday where you turn the same age as your birthdate.  For this special occasion, he had one request, to go to Dallas, Texas and see our favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys, play in their stadium.  From the moment he mentioned it, I worked to make it happen.  

Fortunately, we have family that live in Dallas, so once I sent an email asking if we could visit (and stay with them), I worked on finding out what game The Hubby most wanted to see.  Once settled, I worked on getting the tickets.  

Fortunately, our family that lives in Dallas, also has connections to getting tickets to Cowboys' games (you are right if you are thinking they are great relatives to have :) 

Once everything was decided, we booked our flights and prepared for an adventure...flying with a toddler, or FWT, as I will fondly refer.  

Now Little Lady has flown before, several times actually.  Her first being the heroic trip that I conquered BY MYSELF to go visit The Hubby in California.  We have also since then flown as a family to Florida for vacation and Little Lady has done great on all flights.  

FWT is a whole different ballgame.  With a baby under 2, you can sit them on your lap/wear them, and they probably still take frequent naps that you can plan your flight conveniently around sleepytimes.  Or at least that's how we functioned previously on a plane.  FWT requires a little more finesse.  Not only do they require their own seat - WHAT?! We paid the same for me to fly to Texas as my 20 pound 2 year old child.  We also had to bring our convertible car seat and figure out how to situate it into the seat.

And yes, we do still rear-face - on a plane, and on the ground in the car.  

It's just safer that way people!  

For our flight TO Texas, we decided to book a mid-evening time, which allowed Little Lady to take her one and only afternoon nap at home, in her bed, and then board the plane for 3 hours of wide awake time!  We realized our error the moment we got seated and she wanted "out."  Thankfully I was armed with half the Trader's Joe's snack aisle many treats.  But seriously, the girl ate snacks and "special" treats for an hour.  It was great.  Then the stewardess came around and we were set with entertainment food for another 30 minutes.  

If you ask Little Lady to this day what her favorite part of our trip to Texas to was, she will answer "the lollipop she got to eat on the plane."  

To specify, our order of entertainment for Little Lady was as follows: 
1. Food
2. Toys
3. iPad

Thankfully both food and toys monopolized the entire flight and we never had to resort to turning on the iPad.  

She happily ate and played and read and colored and anything else I could cram into her little backpack to play with.  

She, surprisingly to me, wasn't very interested in the actual taking off and landing of the plane like I thought she'd be.  

On our flight home, we felt we could handle anything since we had just entertained a toddler on a plane, awake, for 3 hours and though the circumstances were slightly different - we were flying DURING her naptime, the routine was pretty similar.  She ate, played, and then napped for the duration of the flight.  

If I had to plan it again, I would actually probably try and steer clear of naptimes since it was so hard for her to get comfortable in her car seat on the plane.  I know some people might say I'm crazy, but she entertained herself pretty well, and we didn't even have to break out the big guns, aka. the iPad - says the village idiot

34 Weeks

34 Weeks!

There is a big ole' baby in there!

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain: I didn't even bother to take my shoes off when they weighed me at the doctor's this week.  Does that give you a hint at how much I want to ignore this stat... 

Stretch Marks: None.  

Maternity Clothes: Every item 

Sleep: I probably get up on average 47 5 times a night to pee, so while my sleep when I'm sleeping is great, I would like longer stretches of it 

Best moment this week:  Lots of great moments this week! - Taking Little Lady to the zoo twice with our new zoo membership! Going out to dinner with good friends! Lots of fun events lately as I prepare for our Baby Girl's arrival    

Miss Anything? A glass of wine or really any fun cocktail  

Movement: Yes, that I can feel, and anyone that looks at my belly can see  

Food cravings: Icecream - it's dairy right?!?! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? I have a few bouts of that "3rd trimester nausea" some moms have mentioned...

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: Lots of Braxton Hicks, nothing too crazy though 

Symptoms: Oh dear.  There isn't enough room.  Heartburn, back pain, just a couple other annoying things to remind me I am very close to delivering another tiny human  

Belly button in or out? I just don't know 

Weddings rings on or off? Still on!  I have no swelling **KNOCK ON WOOD** in my hands, legs, or feet and I hope to keep it that way!

Happy or moody most of the time? Productively happy 

Looking forward to: Girl's night this Saturday with good friends!  Sans the glass the wine I have been missing :(  

Showing? That show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" is just outrageous 

Her Man

When Little Lady was born I was obsessed interested in finding her a "lovey" - a special toy that she could call her own, carry everywhere, be machine-washable, and possible replicable.  This became especially important when I recall The Great Penguin Debacle of 2014.  Little Lady has become slightly attached to various items in her time on earth of 2 years - a penguin, a purse, a doll, a blankie, nothing super original or crazy. UNTIL...Her Man. 

Last Christmas, my sister-in-law generously gave Little Lady a big box of hand-me-down toys from her 3 boys.  It included quite an array of toys such as action figures and other toys.   Little Lady, and her friends love searching through the toys for treasures.  One day several months ago while doing laundry in the basement, Little Lady pulled the box off the toy shelf in search of a treasure.  She stumbled upon an unlikely hero...Her Man. 

A 2-inch stretchy white skeleton man.   

Now, The Hubby and I named it "Man" because we didn't want to describe it as a "skeleton", and we honestly didn't think he would make it past the evening for entertainment.  Well that was a mistake!  (Do you know how awkward it is to be in a public place and have to lean down and ask your 2-year old where "Her Man" is?  No, I didn't think so).  

MONTHS later, "Man" was still sleeping with Little Lady, and traveling with us most places.  Blame it on Maybe it is his stretchy body, or easy to hold arms and legs, or a million other reasons, but she latched on to him and wouldn't let go.  

This brings us to several weeks ago.  Little Lady had her 2 year doctor's appointment in which I knew she would receive several shots.  I gathered all the artillery I had to combat the sadness - her paci, special books, her doll, and yes, Her Man.  After the doctor's appointment, she was doing great, so I decided to squeeze in our weekly grocery store run to Weis.  Now normally, toys and loveys STAY IN THE CAR, but this particular day called for some give and take, and Her Man went into Weis with us.  

I need to interject here that I do not normally shop at Weis, but we received some coupons in the mail for the month with crazy discounts on larger orders.  Being that we are about to have another human enter our household in December, I have taken advantage of these coupons to stock up on food items we use frequently.  With that being said, I do not know my way around Weis as accurately as other grocery stores so sometimes it takes me awhile to find what I need.  This also sometimes includes backtracking up and down aisles, or the entire store.  

After making my third trip around the store, I look down and my heart stops.  "Where is Your Man?" I ask Little Lady.  

Her response - "I dropped him".  YouWHAThim??? Where?  What aisle?  Oh right, you are 2, you don't know aisles.  What food were we looking at when you dropped him??? 

I proceeded to make one more loop around the store, already anticipating how to break the news to Little Lady.  I went so far as to alert a friend that we ran into that if she sees a little stretchy white skeleton in the aisles to PLEASE PICK HIM UP AND TAKE HIM HOME.  

On the way home, I had to break it to Little Lady that Her Man is now sleeping at Weis.  Forever.  

It has been almost 3 weeks since we lost Man, and whenever he is brought up, Little Lady replies with the same statement, acknowledging he is sleeping at Weis.  She doesn't seem that bothered by his absence, shocking, I know.  We even took a trip back to Weis for our weekly grocery trip and no breakdowns!  I don't know if that is success or if I should be worried how quickly she gets over losing priceless loveys in her life...

If your child secures a lovey, please be mindful of the name you give said lovey.  Also be mindful what toys enter the store with you, as to not leave them sleeping there, forever - says the village idiot

29 Weeks

29 Weeks! And counting! 

Little Lady then decided she wanted to be in the picture.  

She ran in, grabbed my legs, and smiled! 

She then decided she wanted to show off her belly.  

Below is the progression of Little Lady's "belly shots" 

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain: 18 pounds and counting 

Stretch Marks: Nada

Maternity Clothes: It is that awkward fall weather that starts cold in the morning and I end up sweating by lunchtime.  I know that doesn't answer the question, but right now I just wear whatever I am coolest/most comfortable in 

Sleep: Sleeping well!  Lots of weird dreams but no other sleeping ailments 

Best moment this week:  My second-to-last swim lesson with Little Lady.  I will be sad to see it end!   

Miss Anything? NOT having heartburn in the evening! 

Movement: Constantly 

Food cravings: Mint chocolate icecream!! Get in my belly!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: Nothing yet 

Symptoms: So much heartburn 

Belly button in or out? She moves so much right behind my belly button that I think it is taking on a new shape! 

Weddings rings on or off? I only ever wear my band but it's still on!  Hoping it will make the trip to the hospital with me. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Mostly happy

Looking forward to: Celebrating Little Lady's birthday this Saturday at a local farm! 

Showing? Yes. Just yes.

10ish more weeks to go! - says the village idiot  

Dental Emergency - Part 2

A few days I recalled the beginning of my dental emergency.  

To recap, my fixed bottom retainer that had been in my mouth for years, broke off on one side, and The Hubby had to help remove part of the wire.  He did this semi-successfully, but left a sharp piece remaining. 

The next day I called my dentist first thing in the morning, and thankfully they were able to squeeze me in that same morning. I rushed to my emergency dental appointment later that morning directly after the no-towel incident at the YMCA.  Little Lady sat in her stroller while my dentist filed down the remaining sharp piece of wire, and tried to get off the glue that remained behind.  Since I had already traumatized Little Lady enough for one morning, I didn't push my dentist to work too hard to remove the glue because I assumed I would be there later that week to put in a brand-spanking-new fixed bottom retainer.  It was only after I made a joke about "this costing $6000" that my dentist laughed along with me and said "oh not $6000 but probably about $600".  Excuse me.  $600.  I was kidding about it being that much! My dentist was not kidding.

I left the office in a haze and somehow managed to make a follow-up for the next week, ignoring the potential hit on my wallet and our bank account.  I also left with glue still in my mouth and visions of my bottom teeth immediately shifting and become a mangled mess.  

For one week, I went back and forth about getting a new fixed retainer.  I rationalized that my teeth probably wouldn't move, or at least not that much.  I rationalized how much I really didn't love having a fixed retainer and how badly it irritated me to floss around it and the sharp sensations I felt after the dental hygienist rudely removed all the plaque that made it smooth in my mouth.  BUT I couldn't shake the feeling that many years ago my parents made the financial sacrifice to give me straight teeth, and I loved having straight teeth!  For only $600 I could continue to live my straight-teethed dream!  

This was turning into a nightmare.

The week of my appointment, The Hubby convinced me to "shop around" for dentists who could put in a fixed retained for a less offensive price.  I laughed at him and told him that was impossible.  There was no way someone could do it for cheaper.  

The first dentist I called could do it for $450.  Hm.  That was cheaper. 

By the 5th call, I was down to $150.  

Now I should clarify, most dentists I spoke to don't actually "put back" fixed retainers.  This type of retainer (so I learned) was never truly designed to be in someone's mouth forever after having braces.  Mine just lasted an exceptionally long time.  So my new option was to get a super cool removable retainer.  So be it.  Anything to keep my teeth straight.

I made an appointment for 2 days later and was excited my teeth would no longer have the opportunity to shift out of place!

I arrived at my new orthodontist and was a bit perplexed by a sign on the door that said Pediatric Orthodontist.  Hm. That didn't seem right.  I opened the door to find cartoons on the waiting room TV, and a small kids activity table available with toys.  Hm.  That didn't seem right.  

It was then I realized that I was in fact at an orthodontist for children.  I am sure they were wondering why this knocked up teenager cares so much about her teeth, and were wondering how the heck I had braces 11 years ago.  The orthodontist saw me with no issue and even made a comment asking if I was having a girl or a boy. I was fitted for my retainer while sitting between children on my left and right.  

Word(s) to the wise - If your bottom fixed retainer pops out, avoid using pliers to finish it off.  When making a dentist appointment, take the time to shop around for someone who can do the procedure for a good price, but don't hesitate to ask if their normal cliental has gone through puberty yet - says the village idiot 

Dental Emergency - Part 1

Several weeks ago I had what you might call a dental emergency.  This also happened to coincide with Little Lady's YMCA swim lessons.  

Some background - back in high school like 5 years ago I, like every other high-schooler, had braces.  I fortunately only had them on for about a year, in which time my teeth were straightened, and the gap in my front teeth closed.  Ever since I have been *focused* on keeping my teeth straight.  ENTER my removable top retainer - you know the one.  Someone in middle or high school was always going through the trash for this type of retainer, thrown away mistakenly when taken out to eat.  I wore this retainer every night for years.  YEARS.  The Hubby loves it.  You don't even have to ask.  

So in addition to a sexy top removable retainer, I have a fixed bottom retainer.  I don't have any personal pictures of this beauty, but below is a google image of "fixed retainer."  

It basically is a bar that stretches from one tooth to the other, behind, like hidden braces.  Lots of people have them and they helped keep my teeth straight for 11 years...until I went to floss one night a couple weeks ago and the bar broke off on one side.  I was stupefied as to what just happened and as to what I should do about this floating piece of metal in my mouth, attached only on one side on my teeth.  I decided the logical thing to do was ask The Hubby to take his pliers and cut off the remaining bar. Genius right??? 

I should mention - 

1. I trust my husband with my life.  

2. This is not the first time pliers have come near my face. 

In college, while studying abroad in Spain, I decided to get my nose pierced.  Genius right?? It was cute, I liked it, but before I got married about a year later, I decided I did not want a tiny stud nose ring in life-long pictures, so my dear mother-in-law got out her handy pliers and took it out for me!  

Back to a couple weeks ago.  The Hubby got his pliers and CUT the remaining wire.  I didn't stop to think that his pliers are not the smallest instrument, and that what he left behind would slice my mouth apart.  After wielding the pliers, I was left with a VERY sharp tiny leftover piece slicing my mouth apart.  

The next morning I made an emergency call to my dentist to have them remove the remaining retainer and put in a new one.  

It would be fine and dandy if the story ended there but it would not be my life if it did.  Stayed tuned for part 2 that would one week later find me sitting between a child on my left and a child on my right, getting fitted for a new retainer...says the village idiot  

Pool! Swim! Towel!

Pool! Swim! Towel! These are a few of my favorite things!...or so Little Lady would say.  Now this is a complete 180 from the summer.  This summer she wanted nothing to do with the pool or water, other than the bath.  We went to the beach many times and she did not want to get in the pool - with us, or in the baby pool.  She loved the sand at the beach but did not want to get into the water.  

We finally turned a corner at our family vacation in Hilton Head, South Carolina at the VERY end of the summer.  She actually GOT IN and enjoyed it!  

This leads me to our current weekly adventure at the YMCA - swim lessons.  I was hesitant all summer to enroll her because she seemed to hate the water, but I capitalized on her fond memories of family vacation and signed up the day we got home.  I have not regretted it!  

Now I should mention, not only did Little Lady learn to love the pool, and love swimming, she fell in love with her towel - an ADORABLE personalized towel from Pottery Barn that I received as a gift right after she was born.  Did I mention it's adorable??

We don't use it for the bath so it is her special pool-only towel.  Is this coming across? She loves the towel.  

Enter our first swim lesson at the YMCA 3 weeks ago.  I had taken a general tour the day I signed up so I knew where to go, where to change, etc.   I dressed us both in our bathing suits that morning and we showed up at the pool in our bathing suits, with all the necessities like swim diaper, wipes, change of clothes, EXCEPT - you guessed it - towels. None, not her special pool-only towel, and no towel for mama.  Whoops. BIG whoops.  

I decided not to let this deter us from the blast we were set to have.  Swim lessons started off great.  She loved the water.  Temperature was good.  Instructor was funny and great with kids.  It all went downhill about 25 minutes into the 30 minute group lesson.  Around minute 23 Little Lady started asking for her towel...Around minute 27 ****someone**** pooped in the pool.  I am not accepting blame for Little Lady, though I did change a very poopy diaper moments later...I digress...

We exit the pool and the tears start.  Fast forward 20 minutes and I have successfully changed an extremely poopy diaper, and dried my screamingbloodymurder child with bathroom paper towels and my bathing suit cover-up, and gotten us both dressed.  If there were medals for mamas, I should have received one in the mail that afternoon.  

We have since gone back for 2 more lessons and Little Lady didn't seem scarred from the Towel Event.  Though when The Hubby asked Little Lady how she liked her first lesson, the only words she could get out were "towel, towel, towel."  Yes, mommy gets it, I forgot your towel and will not do it again.  Or at least I haven't forgotten again yet! - says the village idiot 

My Return

I know, I know.  I have not written a blog post in 3572039571038702935 days.  That is a rough estimate.  

Between getting pregnant, being super nauseous for 3203984232093843 days, and all the while caring for a toddler, I did not blog.  I am sorry.  

I also have not completed any Pinterest crafts.  I probably never will again.  Just kidding.  Kind of.  

Here we go again, with 2 months left in my pregnancy before life changes again with another little girl making her debut.  

Baby Girl Kok #2 is scheduled to arrive December 24th.  Sorry Little One, we have doomed you to a life of forever receiving the joint birthday/Christmas gift.  Hopefully you find fulfillment in the many other joys of life. 

For the sake of not even knowing how to recap the last 4 months, below is a cool thing I saw on a blog when I was pregnant with Little Lady and vowed I would fill it out religiously the next time I was pregnant!  So here is my first pregnany Q & A:

How far along? 27 weeks

Total weight gain: Eh. about 15 pounds

Stretch Marks: None! Hallelujah 

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much everything I wear 

Sleep: Ain't nobody got time for that!  Just Kidding.  I sleep pretty well.  Thankfully Little Lady likes to sleep a good 12 hours which means mama sleeps a good 10 hours

Best moment this week:  Going to Totswap with my mama and great-grandmama and scoring some awesome things for Little Lady and Little Sister  

Miss Anything? Wine, sushi, being able to look down and see my waist...

Movement: All.The.Time.  This kid is probably going to be a kickboxing dancer

Food cravings: Italian dressing, preferably over a bed of iceburg lettuce, the reject of all lettuce

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not Particularly

Gender: Girlie girl!

Labor Signs: Nothing definitive, except some very strong Braxton Hicks contractions!

Symptoms: I would not call myself a complainer in ordinary life, but this pregnancy has brought about some rather strong symptoms...backache (I am sitting with a heating pad as we speak), heartburn, overall achiness, and reminders of being 2 years older this time around

Belly button in or out? Kind of in, kind of out.  I can't explain it

Weddings rings on or off? On! 

Happy or moody most of the time? Mostly happy, though if you ask The Hubby, he would probably say moody task-masker.  So much to do! So little time!

Looking forward to: Little Lady's 2nd birthday party.  So much to celebrate this past year

Showing?  I should say so  

So that's that.  Stay tuned for more funny stories coming up - says the village idiot 

Buy One Get One

The Hubby and I started a business with Amway almost 5 years ago.  It has been a great way to meet new people, buy great products, sell products, and make extra on the side by helping other people do the same.  

In honor of Mother's Day coming up soon, I am running an Artistry Light-Up Lip Gloss promotion - buy one get one 50% off OR buy 2 get 1 free!  They come in 5 delicious colors so choose your favorites to give or keep! 

These make great gifts for any ladies in your life!  Just send me a message for details and I will send them to you immediately! - says the village idiot 

Bucket List

Today I crossed something off my bucket list that has been a year in the making.  

I exclusively breast-fed Little Lady until she was 6 months and then continued to nurse her several hours a day until she was a year old.  I had a lot of time on my hands.  I checked Facebook a bazillion times, wrote emails, played endless games of Solitaire, 4 Pics 1 Word, Words with Friends, and many other things.  It wasn't until a friend started a "read the Bible in 3 months" challenge that I realized there was something much more productive I could be doing with my time.  So on May 6th of 2013 I started reading the Bible as part of a read-through-the-year app on my phone.  

I started reading thematically, meaning I have not read it straight through Genesis to Revelation, but have jumped around based on different passages and books that cross-reference each other.  It has been quite a year!  I started this endeavor not quite knowing if I would stick with it as I have attempted reading the entire Bible through in a year before and quit before the end.  

Today, I am exited to be able to say I completed my mission!  

I have learned so much.  By taking the time to read a small section each day, I felt I have really been able to absorb so much of what I have read.  Several months into the year, I switched over to reading the actual Study Bible instead of the Bible app on my phone and that made all the difference.  I was able to read the notes alongside each passage and really learn so much more about the context and meaning of the verses.  Thankfully Little Lady still takes 2 naps and even after I stopped nursing her back in November, I set aside the hour of her morning nap for my time with Lord to read the Bible and start my day right.  

As I read the last passage this morning, I was overcome with emotion (sappy I know), as I realized that each day for 365 DAYS I have met the Lord to read His word and learn more about Him.  To see it come to an end is quite emotional!  

Now I know what you are thinking - it doesn't have to end!  Start again! And I have contemplated that.  But for now, I think I am going to focus on reading different commentaries and studies on specific books of the Bible.  I read King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus Christ by Timothy Keller that looks at the life of Christ as told in the gospel of Mark.  I read this book while simultaneously reading the gospel of Mark in the Bible and it profoundly enhanced what I learned.  I would love to read more books like this, while going back to the Bible and re-reading books.  Does anyone have any studies or commentaries you would recommend for my next year?

Read the Bible in a year - Check! - says the village idiot 

Lab Rat

This past week I signed Little Lady up for a study...a research study.  

I'll clarify - a couple months ago while at a local farmers market, I was approached by the Johns Hopkins University Laboratory for Child Development to sign Little Lady up for a research study.  Since then, I have taken Little Lady to participate in about 5 age-appropriate studies.  

Now, you might wonder what would make me sign up for this.  It isn't paid.  Little Lady does get to choose a small prize at the end (a book, stuffed animal, onesie, etc), but other than that, the incentive for me was just something different to do!  Johns Hopkins University is not far from where we live, and I simply aim to schedule our appointment for a time that works well with nap time and lunch.  

Little Lady has done great for each study, and by "do great", I mean she sits there and participates as best can be expected for a baby/toddler and we have thus far made it out each time without crying or a break down - success in my book!  Each study that we have participated in lasts about 4-8 minutes and we are in and out with a free parking voucher and small prize!  

This particular study was titled "Short-term memory limits in infancy." Sometimes I cannot fathom that there is funding for this type of study.  This study involved Little Lady sitting in a high chair and participating with the researcher in the form of a simple hide-and-seek game.  

Little Lady passed with flying colors - or so I was told.  

After the study, Little Lady I chose this new book for her collection! 

If anyone is looking for something different to do, don't hesitate to give the Lab a call! They appreciate the volunteers and I always learn a little something about child development! - says the village idiot