I love reservations for Hotel Tomlinson

We got the best phone calls tonight. It looks like Rob, Kelli, and Alex are going to come visit during Alex's spring break. They asked her where she wanted to go for her break, and she chose Colorado. Hooray! The girl knows the perfect vacation destination. She's the bestest cousin. The other good news is one of my best friends Sierra is looking to come visit the first week of March for 5 days. That's awesome! Plus, our friends Mike & Nina are hoping to come out the last week of March/beginning of April. This makes me so happy. I love visitors, especially right now since I miss everyone sooo much. Plus, I can't wait for everyone to see Inara and how much she has grown since they've all seen her. We have plenty of other open weekends, so if anyone else wants to reserve a guest room or two, please let me know and I'll mark you down on the reservation calendar. My week just got a 1000 times better.

Why moms can't get sick

I think I wrote about Inara getting sick on New Years Day. I thought she was fully recovered, so we ventured out a couple days this last week. The most fun was our tumbling class on Wed night. I enrolled her in this new class even though we do My Gym once a week to give her another outlet for getting all her energy out. Sometimes, moms just need this. Anyways, Thursday night she started acting cranky and was refusing food again. Friday, she was full on sick again. Even threw up once and had some bad diapers. She seemed better Saturday morning, but then I ended up getting a really bad headache and didn't feel good. By that evening I had diarrhea and vomiting, which lasted until 7am Sunday morning. I HATE BEING SICK!!! And as a mom, I can't get sick. I have a little one to tend to and a house to run, so no sickness allowed. It wore me out though. Hugging the toilet 7 times will do that to a person. Thank goodness Shawn was here to take care of Inara. I sooo couldn't have survived without him. And the poor guy had a horrible night's sleep on Saturday with me getting up every 30 minutes running to the bathroom. I suggested he sleep in the guest room, but he said no, he wanted to be upstairs in case I needed him. He was almost ready to drive my butt to the ER, but I refused to start the year off with a trip to the ER and a nice medical bill to boot. I was finally able to keep some liquids down after Kristi graciously went to the store and got me some Immodium. Thank you soooo much, Kristi! Shawn was worried if I would be able to run after Inara today, so he called out sick for work and thank the lord he did. I wasn't feeling 100% yet, and Inara had some horrible diarrhea explosions today. Lets just say her sheets and about 4 pairs of jammies are freshly cleaned now. Why can't my mom live closer to help in times of need? Lets just hope we are on the mend and that Shawn's great immune system prevents him from coming down with this horrible bug. And to top it all off, Jason comes into town in a couple days, so I really hope our house isn't contaminated come Thu so we can spend some time with Uncle Jason.

Good news for the Tomlinson clan

Since Kristi posted it on Facebook, I figured it was OK for me to share the good news: Thane & Kristi are officially under contract to buy a house!!! They got a killer price on a 5 bedroom/4 bath house. The one bad thing about this place, in my opinion, is it's not in Highlands Ranch. It's in a neighboring city called Castle Pines North. Honestly, it's super close to us; only about a 4 minute drive. But since it's not in HR, our kids will never go to the same school. Not that that's a bad thing, but Shawn & I always thought it would be fun if the kids all went to school together. The other drawback for us (because it's all about me, right?) is since they aren't residents of HR, if they want to use the rec centers, they will have to pay an extra fee, and eventually, an ordinance may be passed that prohibits non-residents from using the centers. Again, these are minor things. But to end on a positive note, the house is very nice looking, newer so fewer maintenance to be done up front, and there is plenty of space for their growing family and Kristi's parents to come visit. Great choice guys. We're so happy for you! Let the fun and scary parts of homeownership begin. Ha ha!

Update on new law

From my mom's group message board:

Looks like some of those letters are helping! The CPSC issued a press relase a few minutes ago saying sellers of used children's products are not required to certify that their products meet the new lead/phthalate testing standards. However, if a reseller does happen to sell a product that doesn't comply with the new standards, they "could face civil and/or criminal penalties." http://www.cpsc.gov/c...Which basically means if you're selling a used children's product, you won't be required to spend the many thousands of dollars that sellers of new products will have to spend to test for lead..... but you could be in deep doo if the old baby crib you sell ends up having an unacceptable level of lead in it.Looks like a step in the right direction, although a lot of owners of consignment stores may not think it's worth risking "civil and/or criminal penalties" in order to continue selling used children's products.

Computers...Grrrr!

I kept trying to post the video of Inara saying names here on my blog, but it wasn't working. Maybe the file is too big? Anyways, Shawn said he posted it on our Phanfare site, which you can access through www.shawnandmarisa.com. Click on Photo Gallery up top. Hope you enjoy all the new pics and videos of the cutest kid in the world. Yes, I might be biased, but oh well.

Add this to the list of why I hate politicians

This message was posted on my mom's group message board. I had no idea about this law being passed, so I'm helping others get informed. I can't believe how ridiculous this law is and how it couldn't come at a worse time as many of us buy used goods to save money during this economic headache. Ugh! I urge you all to write to your Congressman. The ones listed in the below message are for CO obviously. Sorry to send such bad news. Grrr!!!



I received this email today from my cousin who lives here in Denver. When I read the email I didnt believe it so I called Once Upon a Child here in Littleton and sure enough, this is true! The woman on the phone said that the government still doesnt really have a process in place on how to sell used kid stuff but it looks like they will have to send everything they receive to a facility that scans (clothes included!) for lead. If they come out clean, each peice of clothing and each toy will be labeled. I'm not sure how they are going to prevent people from selling things on Craigslist.
I dont know about you but just about everything I buy is used! I think their intentions were good but this law just doesnt seem realistic.
Here is the info:
Congress recently passed the CPSIA law, which is set to go into effect on Feb 10 of this year. This law will, in effect, shut down all second-hand sales of children's clothing, toys, or gear. This includes second hand stores (like Once Upon a Child, Childish Things, Salvation Army, etc) and sales on craigslist or ebay. This law will also prevent individuals from selling any handmade baby goods (toys, clothes, etc) without first going through lead testing, impacting many small businesses throughout the nation.
This law was passed quickly by Congress last year in response to all of the lead based, made-in-China toy recalls. Many stores/organizations are confused as to what the law actually means. The LA Times wrote a good article on this: http://www.latimes.co... Some secondhand stores are sending out information hoping that their patrons will write to their congressmen to call for the wording of the law to be changed before it goes into effect on Feb 10.
If you are concerned (as I am), and would like to contact you congressman, for convenience, I've included the text of the letter I'm sending. Copy/change at will!!
Dear
I am writing about the CPSIA Law. In theory this new law is a good idea, but it does not take into consideration the consequences it will have on all of us in these already financially trying times. I am new mom and have relied on secondhand goods from Ebay, Craigslist and local second hand stores to alleviate the financial burden of a new baby. Additionally, I was also planning to donate gently used baby goods to help other mothers in need. By restricting the sale of used baby goods, this law forces those of us who would donate to simply throw items away, an environmentally and socially unsound move. This law must be amended by NOT making the new lead requirement retroactive. I am also concerned that the new law will prevent individuals from selling handmade clothes and toys. I love shopping on sites like etsy.com, where you can find local, handmade clothing and toys for kids that are well made and unique! This law is putting these individuals at a huge disadvantage! We should have a choice in what our children wear and play with -- I do not believe that the American spirit is best achieved when all are forced to shop at large chain stores. Not to mention the impact this will have on the environment. I believe that the current CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys and other handmade items that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys, clothes, and other children's items will no longer be legal in the US. Please work to amend the CPSIA law.
Thank you,
(Your name)
Here is a list of people to contact:Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Electronic CorrespondenceSenator Ken Salazar (D- CO) 202-224-5852 202-228-5036 http://salazar.senate...Senator Mark Udall (D- CO) 202-224-5941 202-224-6471 Senator_Mark_Udall@markudall.senate.govRepresentative Diana DeGette (D - 01) 202-225-4431 202-225-5657 http://www.house.gov/...Representative Jared Polis (D - 02) 202-225-2161 202-226-7840 https://forms.house.g...Representative John Salazar (D - 03) 202-225-4761 202-226-9669 http://www.house.gov/...Representative Betsy Markey (D - 04) 202-225-4676 202-225-5870 https://forms.house.g...Representative Doug Lamborn (R - 05) 202-225-4422 202-226-2638 http://lamborn.house....Representative Mike Coffman (R - 06) 202-225-7882 202-226-4623 https://forms.house.g...Representative Ed Perlmutter (D - 07) 202-225-2645 202-225-5278 http://perlmutter.hou...

Here's some more info I found online. All I have to say is SERIOUSLY???

The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in children's products, mandates third party testing and certification, and requires manufacturers of all goods for children under the age of 12, to permanently label each item with a date and batch number.All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational companies to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each item have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and updating their systems to include batch labels. Small businesses however, will likely be driven out of business by the costs of mandatory testing, to the tune of as much as $4,000 or more per item. And the few larger manufacturers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007.

Anyone who produces or sells any of the following new or used items will be required to comply with the law: toys, books, clothing, art, educational supplies, materials for the learning disabled, bicycles, and more. Any uncertified item intended for children under the age of 12 will be considered contraband after February 10, 2009. It will be illegal to sell or give these items away to charities, and the government will require their destruction or permanent disposal, resulting in millions of tons of unnecessary waste, and placing an enormous strain on our landfills.

Photos from Christmas time

I love this picture of Inara and my mom. This was just after Inara was throwing a fit in the mall. Hence, the pacifier to quiet her down.

Is it just me or does Inara look like an elf in this picture?

This is the tent/tunnel/teepee set Shawn got Inara for Christmas. You can see her little head peaking through the top of the tent.

Christmas Morning

Here are two of Inara's new favorite toys: her stroller and her Curious George doll.

My daughter loves monkeys!

Hopefully I can type fast so Inara doesn't come and start slamming on the keyboard. It's official: Inara loves monkeys! She got a small monkey doll from Uncle Jason way back, and she's always had to sleep with this little one. There's a bedtime ritual involving mommy and daddy giving monkey hugs and then offering up one of Inara's pacifiers to monkey. It's so cute. The other night Shawn and I went in to say goodnight, and she was on all fours butt up in the air with what looked like a monkey coming out her butt. It was hilarious, but the point is she's always got monkey close to her in the crib. For Christmas, Kristi's parents, Tom & Sandy, got Inara a large Curious George doll. She now carries this doll all around. She has even had to start bringing him to nap with her. Yesterday, she had a bit of a fall. (I was cleaning the downstairs shower, and she came charging into the bathroom. I think she thought the glass door was still closed because she leaned forward and fell into the shower. It all happened so fast that I couldn't stop her. She has two bruises on her shin now from where she fell on the metal railing at the base of the shower. Jacked!) Anyways, after the spill, she was, of course, screaming crying. I picked her up and walked into the living room where I saw George. She instantly grabbed for him and hugged onto him. I think George has become her comfort toy. During naps, after naps, everywhere she goes practically, George is in town. It's too funny.

The other big news is Inara is starting to say more words. Last night she said milk at dinner when I asked her if she wanted water or milk. I was so shocked! It was milk, clear as day. I cheered, and then she kept saying it. After dinner, she and I sat down and started chatting away. I've been practicing names with her, and she's getting good at them. She says baby Jack very well and has started saying (her versions of) Spanky, Erin, Max, Avery (which is a hearty A) and, more importantly, Pop. I got a video of her going through the names so everyone can hear her. I'm so proud of my little girl. Hopefully, someday Shawn will get all the pictures and videos from December transferred for everyone to see. We have a ton, so I'm urging him to get them up by this weekend.

I'll write more about Inara's adventures later today hopefully if she takes a solid nap. Gotta go since she's pulled out all her jammies from her dresser drawer and is now walking around with an old pair of Shawn's reading glasses. If it's within her reach, the kid will play with it. I do love watching her try to put glasses on, although I'm worried about her poking her eye out. Oopsy!

Welcome 2009

Just a quick entry to wish everyone a happy new year. Unfortunately, it hasn't started off quite like I had hoped. I could tell the past two days that Inara wasn't 100%. First, she wasn't eating as much as usual, and we all know how much the kid loves to eat. I knew it could just be her teeth bothering her, but I wanted to rule out all possibilities of sickness, so I took her to see the doc yesterday. He said she didn't have an ear infection, wasn't running a fever, did have a slight red throat, so he ran a strep throat test just to be sure, and that came back negative. At least I felt better knowing she wasn't sick. Last night she went to bed regular time 7:30. But this morning was a different story. She didn't wake up until 11:15 when Shawn and I went in there to check on her. She seemed a bit lethargic, which I just chalked up to her teething. Then the storm began. She wasn't hungry and ended up sitting on my lap and cuddling with me, very unusual behavior for her. Then suddenly she sat up and puked all down her jammies, on my pants, and on the carpet. The poor thing. My heart broke immediately. This is the first time she's ever thrown up besides baby spit up, so this was a bit scary for me I've gotta admit. Then about an hour later, we were walking up the stairs and she ended up puking again. She seems better now and is napping after she got down some crackers and Gatorade. Let's hope it's only a 24 hour bug and she'll be back to her usual self by tomorrow. Great start to '09. I hate seeing my baby girl sick and not her usual perky self. It just reminds me how truly blessed I am with an amazing daughter. I love you sweet pea! Get better soon!