Amanda Talks To The Camera

What a little chatterbox!

Playing with Mocha

The girls playing with Grandma's pet silky.

1/31/08 - Nitpicking

When we first got married 6 ½ years ago, there were two pieces of advice I really tried to take to heart: choose your battles, and don’t sweat the small stuff.  Every day there were little things that bugged me, but I chose to bite my lip, knowing I did stuff that annoyed him too.  Then came kids.  Oh, boy!  Babies are naturally disposed to spit up, drool, and create other natural messes that require a change of outfits at least once a day, and toddlers come behind you like a tornado, making messes as quickly as you clean them up.  Now the little things your spouse does, that didn’t seem to matter before, suddenly become huge infractions because it’s JUST MORE WORK!  Ack! 

 

Do I really need to remind him to turn the light off in the back room, to close the bag of cookies so they don’t go stale, to replace the toilet paper roll when it’s empty, to pick up potentially dangerous objects (like the nail clippers our 2-year-old found on the floor)?  Honestly, no.  He’s not a helpless infant, after all, though I may try to treat him like one.  Sometimes I get so imbedded into that “motherhood” role I forget to make the switch when he comes in the door.  Sure, he forgets stuff, but so does every other adult on the planet, and would I appreciate it if he reminded me of every little slip up of my own?  I know he hates it when I spend too much time on the computer, when I leave his clothes in the dryer so they end up wrinkled, when I let dishes pile up in the sink or papers on the desk.  But he doesn’t remind me of my faults every time I do it.  Can’t I extend him the same courtesy?  Lord, I’m trying!

Extra Cash

That finance class has motivated me to look for ways to trim our budget, learn to live within our means, and perhaps bring in a little extra spending cash.  I recently went through our bookshelves and listed a bunch of books to sell on Amazon.  So far I’ve sold 5 and made $35 after shipping costs.  Not bad!  We still have lots of books stored away in boxes, so I’ll have to go through those too when I get the chance.  Moving is always a good time to get rid of excess junk.  We didn’t really have time to sort through stuff when we moved up here from San Diego.  We had a 7-week-old baby and only three weeks to get here, so we just packed up everything and moved.  This time we’ll be moving our stuff bit by bit over to the new house, so we’ll have more time to decide what to keep and what to sell or donate. 

 

We’re doing other things to trim the fat, too.  Dave’s company had an empty dumpster that was already paid for, and the city was going to pick it up today.  So last night he went over to the new house, cut out the old carpet and padding and hauled it to the dumpster in his truck.  One less thing to pay someone to do.  Since most of the rooms are small enough to only require one gallon of paint, we have two options: we can get “oops” paint at half the cost from Home Depot, or we can get darker shades at $9 a gallon from the local paint recycling company and add white to lighten them up to our liking.  I personally prefer option 1, because then I know immediately what color I’m going to have, and don’t have to guess. 

1/30/28 - Scooter

At six months old, Amanda can now push herself up onto her hands and knees and rock back and forth, or scoot herself backward on the carpet.  Dave says she’s crawling, but she’s not able to put one knee in front of the other to move forward yet, so I'm not sure it qualifies.  Eva didn’t crawl until about 8 months, so I’m not expecting anything too soon.  Then again, Eva didn’t have an older sibling she was trying to keep up with, so you never know.  Amanda might just surprise me!  Dave made up a little song for Eva when she was little, so Amanda has one now, too.  It goes to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”, except his lyrics are: “I’m a little Amanda, short and sweet, here is my little hand, here are my feet.”  She loves it, and beams a gummy grin at him whenever he sings it.

 

Amanda is teething pretty badly right now, too.  I can feel those cruel swollen bumps in her lower gums, but they still haven’t cut through.  She’s cranky and clingy, desperate to chew on anything within reach, and not sleeping well.  If I give her Tylenol she’s less restless and wakes less often, but I don’t always remember to give it to her before she falls asleep.  Without a crib, the only way I can give her a decent nap is to nurse her to sleep in our bed with the blinds drawn and the air purifier running (white noise).  I slip away once she falls asleep, piling pillows around her to keep her from rolling off.  If I try to put her down in the bassinet or pack-n-play, she’s up again within minutes.  Once we move we’ll set up her crib in the girl’s room, so she has a comfortable, quiet place to rest. 

Popcorn Ceiling

Dave and I want to get rid of that popcorn ceiling in the new house before we start anything else.  Being the inquisitor that I am, I started researching the project online and scared myself with everything I read about the hazards of asbestos removal in acoustic ceilings from the 70’s (the house was built in 1971, but we haven’t tested the ceiling yet).  Dave brushed it off, saying they all have to make it sound so scary and “worst case scenario” to cover their legal backsides.  Of course I instantly wanted a HAZMAT professional to do it, but that would cost thousands, and we don’t even know if there’s anything to be concerned about.  Dave insists he’ll be fine - he’ll just take extra precautions, seal off all the vents (turning off the heater is going to make it FREEZING to work in there, btw), wear his respirator mask, and make sure he wets it down thoroughly before scraping it off.  He did it in our San Diego condo, but I seem to recall hearing from our neighbors (who were all built at the same time in the same complex) that their tests came back negative for asbestos, so there was nothing to worry about.  This is what I get for trying to be thoroughly informed! 

OPERATION FAMILY FUND: Giving Help & Hope to Families of our Fallen and Injured Heroes

http://www.operationfamilyfund.org/
Assisting the injured and families of the those who have been injured or killed as a part of the Global War on Terrorism, whether domestic or abroad, military or civilian, with financial grants for transitioning to their new circumstances and achieving financial self-sufficiency.

1/28/08 - Our New House

The previous owners needed three days to move out, so we finally got the keys last night at 5pm.  The house is ours!  It’s only 1100 square feet, but it looks a lot bigger with all their overstuffed furniture gone.  This was quite a roller coaster ride, but our realtors, Louise & Kimberly, did a fantastic job.  Kim met us at the house to turn over the keys, and took our first picture as a family out on the front lawn.  She gave us a “welcome home” book with info about the neighborhood, local businesses and utilities, and where to find everything.  Our friends Scott and Terra from small group live only one street over, so Scott came over to help David unload a washer and dryer we got from CraigsList.  It’s nice to have neighbors we know already.

 

I find it amazing that you can get a detached house with a yard here for only $200K.  That’s the difference between Oregon and San Diego.  Dave bought our condo there over 10 years ago, so the payments were reasonable.  But we couldn’t afford to buy it from ourselves now at the current price, even with a downturn in the market.  How do middle class families do it?  Even here in Oregon, if it weren’t for my parents’ generosity in sharing part of their inheritance to help us put down on a house, we would be stuck in an apartment indefinitely. 

Ice and Snow

Since we won’t be moving in for another month, Kim advised us to leave the lower cabinets open and set the thermostat to at least 50 degrees to keep the pipes from freezing – another novel idea for these native Californians!  We’ve woken up to snow the past two days, even though it melts later in the afternoon.  By the evening it freezes back to ice again, which makes for dangerous driving conditions.  On Sunday they salted the sidewalks outside the church, so there was slush on top of ice, and it was still pretty slippery.  I’m avoiding unnecessary driving because of icy roads, so there are very few outings right now, and then only if it’s nearby.

 

Since Amanda’s outgrown the infant carrier and it’s fleece-lined slipcover, we’ve had to find another way to bundle her up when she’s outside or in the new car seat.  Enter: what we call the “snow beast” outfit.  Reminds me of the poor kid in “The Christmas Story” who was so bundled up he couldn’t put his arms down. 

Bath Time

Amanda is finally big enough to sit up in the tub, so she and Eva can have bath time together.  They have a blast!  I still have to be ready to catch Amanda if she tips over, but so far it’s worked really well.  Amanda likes to slap the water with her hands and make it splash, and Eva will splash right back.  She likes to pour water over Amanda’s head with a cup and say, “uh oh, Amanda wet!”  Amanda will sputter and get a surprised look on her face, but doesn’t cry, which means I can turn to Eva and say, “See?  Sister doesn’t cry when her hair gets wet.”  Usually Eva screams when we try to wash her hair, but now that she sees it doesn’t bother baby sister, she just grimaces and tries to say “No water. All done!”

Financial Peace University

Our church is offering a class on managing finances, based on Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover Plan.  It’s every Sunday night for the next 14 weeks.  It falls on the same night as our small group, and we didn’t want to miss seeing our friends, but we found out they don’t offer it at any other time during the week, so we went ahead and signed up.  The first class was last night, right after we got the keys to our new house (ironic, right?), and it was pretty good.  First we watch the seminar session on DVD, then break into small groups with a Financial Advisor (no, we don’t show everyone our numbers), and then we get homework for the week.  It’s hard-hitting straight talk with a sense of humor – just my style.  I was wondering if we could have gotten this class back in San Diego (if we hadn’t moved), so I went to the website and typed in our old zip code, and four upcoming classes popped up.  Why hadn’t I heard of this before? 

 

I’ve been using Mvelopes to manage our money online and have been pretty pleased with their service, but they don’t teach you how to eliminate (and stay out of) debt and build wealth.  That’s what this class is for.  Of course, my Dad has been using these methods and trying to teach me this stuff for years, but going to a neutral third party who isn’t a parental figure is a good option at this point in our lives, I think (and he agrees).  

1/26/08 - Solid Food

Today Amanda had her first official taste of solid food.  It was just some rice cereal mixed with mommy’s milk, but she seemed to enjoy it.  At first she screwed up her little face at the strange texture, then looked somewhat quizzical, and finally smiled and waved her arms as we offered her more.  I’ve been meaning to do it for weeks, but I didn’t want Dave to miss it, so I waited until a weekend when we could get pictures and video like we did with Eva.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for at least 6 months before introducing solids.  Eva started eating solids at 5 months because she hit a growth spurt that made her so hungry, but with Amanda, it just worked out better to wait. 

Growing Up

I can’t believe my littlest baby is growing up so fast!  I finally went out and bought her a new car seat, because she’s just too big to carry in that infant carrier anymore.  At least she waited until she could sit up to outgrow it (I used to prop Eva up with rolled beach towels so she wouldn’t tip over in grocery cart seats).  Amanda has so much personality now, and has started babbling in her own little baby language.  It’s really cute, especially when she’s upset, wrinkles her nose at me and starts telling me off: “da, da, da, da!”   She’s blowing spit bubbles now (not a favorite stage for me), and has found her feet, grabbing them every chance she gets.  She watches Eva with wonder as if she were a large animated cartoon, beams at her whenever big sister gives her attention, and grabs at whatever she can reach.  It’s not uncommon for me to find handfuls of Eva’s hair clenched in her tiny fists. 

Are We Done Yet?

As we get ready to move to our new house, I look at all the baby stuff we’ve acquired, and wonder if I should just let it go.  Right now we’re only storing it, and we could sell it for extra cash or just donate it.  Still, I hesitate.  I want to keep it all “just in case”.  I always wanted four kids, but after getting so horribly sick with Amanda, I think 3 is pushing it.  I worry that I’d end up retching uncontrollably while trying to care for two small children.  Not fun!  If I could have another baby without having to go through the pregnancy part, I’d do it in a heartbeat!  Babies are wonderful.    Unfortunately, adoption is so expensive (averaging $20K), and foster care isn’t a good idea when you already have young children in the house. 

 

Life would be so much easier if I could just say we’re happy with two kids, and we’re done.  Dave doesn’t seem to have a preference either way.  He’d like to have a son, though he wouldn’t mind if another girl came along, and he’d be content if we stopped now, too.  As for myself, I just can’t bring myself to say “I’m done”.  I wish I could.  I’m afraid I’ll look back years from now and wish I’d had another when I had the chance.  Pregnancy only gets more difficult, the older you get.  Of course, I won’t even consider getting pregnant again until Amanda is at least 2.  But for now, I still need to keep that option open, and find a place to store all that baby stuff. 

1/24/08 - It's Official!

We signed all the paperwork and made our down payment yesterday afternoon, and as of noon today, the house is officially ours! (Yikes!)  It’s an exciting but scary feeling.  I’m sooo looking forward to moving out of this apartment, and having our own place again.  No more street light glaring through our bedroom window at night, no more noisy neighbors out in the parking lot or tramping like elephants upstairs, or leaving trash outside our front door.  It will be so nice to be in our own corner of a quiet neighborhood with our own yard.  I’m even thinking of planting a vegetable garden since we have the space, and produce can get pretty pricey up here (I admit it….I’m Mrs. Brown Thumb, who somehow manages to kill all but silk plants, but I can try! LOL).

Home Improvement

Which color do you like best for the girl's room?

Pink

 

 2

Purple

 

 2

Yellow

 

 1

Off-White

 

 0

Just let them finger-paint and see what you get! ;)

 

 3

My birthday is coming up in a couple weeks, and Dave said he’d let me pick out the paint colors as my present. LOL!  We have to repaint anyway, so I told him just to give me a Home Depot gift card and I can pick out something fun like a new light fixture for our bedroom.  I don’t really need anything personally, and I’m in a home decorating frenzy right now.  My mind has been going in circles, trying to imagine how we’re going to arrange the furniture in each room, what colors to paint, how I can darken the girl’s bedroom window during naps without dark-colored drapes, what we should move over in what order.  Since the lease on our apartment isn’t up until March 31^st, that gives us two months to move in if we need it, and we just might. 

 

Dave wants to get started scraping the popcorn of the ceilings and retexturing them, before anything else.  Then we need to paint the rooms and replace the carpet.  Before summer we’ll need to fence off the backyard on either side of the house, to keep Eva from wandering into the street.  But it’s so cold right now, that it doesn’t have to be done right away.  Eventually we’ll want to replace the kitchen cabinets and put in a sun porch.  And the old owners had to take out the wood-burning stove because it was a fire hazard (they’d built the surround out of dry wall and cooked the tiles off).  When we have the cash, we want to rebuild the surround to code (with concrete backboards and slate) and put in a new cast-iron stove.  My mom suggested some strategically placed skylights, too, since it’s so cloudy and dark over half the year (I haven’t worn sunglasses in months, and have to turn on my headlights when I drive no matter what time of day).  It doesn’t have to be done overnight, but each little improvement will build more value into the home, and it’s nice to be able to dream and create our own place again. 

Grandpa Gives Horsey Ride

Grandpa Ernie gives Eva a "horsey back" ride

Amanda pets Rebel

Baby Amanda is fascinated by our cat, Rebel

1/21/08 - Sticky Fingers

Eva’s a bit too smart for her britches sometimes.  Today she asked me for apple juice, but when she noticed me drinking chocolate soymilk and decided she wanted that instead, her clever little mind came up with a game plan.  She waited until I walked away, drank all my soymilk, poured her juice into my cup, and then offered it to me as if she was doing me a favor: “Here go, Mommy, juice!” 

 

When we visited an educational supply store at the mall with Aunt Ayrian and Grandma Glynna, Eva grabbed a guitar-shaped toy and stuck it in the stroller.  I didn’t notice it until we were almost outside the mall, and had to run back and return it.   Last night she kept putting flower-shaped paint sponges in our cart at Home Depot because they had Disney princesses on them.  I’ve gotta keep a better eye on her when we go shopping! 

It's Freezing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve had a record week of clear skies, sunny days and freezing temperatures.  Apparently it’s the cloud cover that blankets the area with warmer temperatures (and I use that term loosely) in the 40’s.  But right now it’s 23 degrees at night and about 35 during the day.  Puddles in the shade stay frozen all day, the icy wind blowing from Mt. Hood cuts like a knife, and the local news is telling residents to keep pets indoors and offering tips to prevent frozen pipes.  It’s ironic because we’d rather be outside when it’s sunny and dry, but the cold winds quickly drive us back indoors.  More and more, I’m thinking that the addition of a sun porch to the new house would be a great asset in weather like this. 

Amanda Sits Up

Amanda sits propped up, while Eva plays "Mommy"

Eva, Jirah and Pet Rat

Eva and Cousin Jirah play with pet rat Sally

1/20/08 - Down To The Wire

Escrow closes on Thursday (only 4 more days)!  So far we've got new siding, repaired plumbing and electrical, and a new roof.  They even called us for approval of their color choice of black roof tiles.  They still have to finish wood rot repairs, and then we'll send in our inspector again.  The next few days will be a flurry of e-mails, phone calls, paperwork, and signatures.  I can hardly believe we're this close to a new house! 

 

We don't take possession until the 27th, but we don't mind.  Our apartment lease isn't up until the end of March, anyway, so we have plenty of time to make a few improvements before moving in.  Dave wants to scrape the popcorn off the ceilings and re-texture them.  I want to paint the rooms before we replace the carpet.  We'll be able to move in gradually and make sure everything is where we want it.  There's our room full of boxes that were never unpacked when we moved here, and stuff in storage back at my parents' house, too.  This has been such a roller coaster ride, I don’t want to get too excited yet.  It’s not over ‘til it’s over! 

I Love the Internet!

When I went to Estonia for the summer in 1996, most people I knew didn’t have internet or an e-mail address.  The few people who did, had a dial up, 14kps connection, and most were still using Windows 5.1.   The best way to stay in touch with people back home were cheap air mailers from the post office, and one 20-minute international phone call (during the whole 3 months)! 

 

Barely a decade later, we send pictures, video and e-mails instantly, from almost anywhere.  I can blog, chat and use message boards to meet new people and stay in touch with old friends.  My brother can make local phone calls from China using Skype, and see family face-to-face with a web cam.  My husband thinks I spend way too much time on the computer, and I think he spends way too much time watching football, so I guess we’re even.  But hey, unless I wasted so much time online, nobody would get news and pictures about their favorite nieces and granddaughters.  LOL!  

1/17/08 - Grandbabies

Grandpa Ernie and Grandma Glynna are reveling in having all the grandkids nearby at once, for the first time in years.  Asaph is 7 now, loves science and wrestling with Uncle Caleb (that just about goes for all the kids).  Jirah is 5 and a little mother-in-training.  She loves to come alongside the younger kids, take them by the hand and show them how it’s done.  Haddie is Eva’s age (2 ½), and Mommy’s little shadow.  Eva goes back and forth between enjoying the fun of so many playmates, and being a little intimidated by the normal jockeying in the ranks.  The same goes for my parents’ dog, a little silky named Mocha.  One minute she’s calling him, wanting to play, and the next she’s shrieking and running away because he got excited and started jumping on her.  Amanda recently graduated to size 4 diapers, and is passing on all her size 3 diapers to cousin Haddie (I know, can you believe it?).  She’s still learning to sit up, and can do it for quite awhile now before toppling over.  She loves playing with Grandma’s classic tin measuring spoons, swinging them wildly and listening to them chime.  I got a ton of great pictures!  

 

1/15/08 - We're Back On!

 I got an unexpected call from our realtors today, saying that the sellers changed their minds and decided to borrow the money to cover all the repairs costs.  They never signed the Termination Agreement, so escrow never officially ended.  We still have to approve a final inspection (at their expense) after the repairs are done, which assures us that the work is done properly by a licensed contractor.  If it’s not done to our satisfaction, we can still walk away. 

Family Portrait

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been years since we got professional pictures of the whole family all together (last time most of our kids weren’t even born yet), so we all decided to meet halfway at the JC Penney Portrait Studio in Eugene for a big family portrait.  Having grandparents, grown children and grandchildren all together in one place at the same time is a very rare opportunity, since everybody lives so far away (especially my brother, who moves back to China at the end of the month).  We got some great poses, and Tim and I each got updated pictures of our own growing families (Amanda’s first professional picture, yay!).   

 

Travels

Dave had to go to Wisconsin this week for a work seminar, so I decided to take the opportunity to go down and visit my family.  My brother is still in town, so it has given Eva some more time to play with her cousins.  Eva loves to walk to the school playground, especially the swings, and tries to let go with her hands, like the little daredevil that she is!  Amanda has been extremely clingy of me so far, not letting anybody hold her for more than a nanosecond without having a screaming fit.  Poor Grandma and Grandpa!  Last night it was so extreme that Grandma had to hold Amanda where she could see me while I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed.  If she lost sight of me for even an instant, she’d burst into tears.  I guess she’s a lot more vulnerable to change than Eva was, and the fact that she’s teething makes her even more sensitive.  She’s been biting me a lot, trying to soothe her gums while nursing, and her sleep right now is fitful at best.  It gets kind of draining, especially since she’s so heavy.  I just wish she’d let other people hold her and give my arms a break!   

1/11/08 - Fallen Soldier

The new year has barely begun, and yet so much has happened.  I recently found out that a wonderful family I worked with at YWAM Los Angeles lost their oldest son, David, in Iraq.  It’s so hard to believe.  He couldn’t have been more than 23 years old, and had been married about 2 years to a young lady named Nicole.  I only knew him as a boy when I was on King’s Kids staff with his parents.  He was about 12 or 13 at the time.  I have pictures of him and his brother and sister doing dramas and dance routines to share God’s love with hurting people.  I lost touch with his family over the years, but heard through mutual friends that David had joined the army and gotten married.  As a boy, he whole-heartedly served God.  As a man, he served his country.  As a child, he did battle spiritually.  As an adult, he did it physically.  He did more to impact the world in his short years than most of us will in an entire lifetime.

 

As with every war that has ever been fought, this one is not without its controversy.  The collective intelligence of 30 nations was flawed, and those at the top have made mistakes.  But our brave soldiers went in with honorable intentions, and continue to fight for honorable reasons.  Because of the sacrifice of David and his brothers-in-arms, millions are now free of the brutal tyrant who raped, tortured and murdered their sons and daughters.  And because of our solidarity with a people struggling to stay free, they refuse to abandon them. 

 

As a mother now myself, I can’t imagine what his parents must be going through.  No parent should have to bury their child!  But as long as evil lurks in this world, brave men and women will lay down their lives to fight it.  I consider myself forever indebted to David for the freedoms I enjoy, and will never again take it for granted.  And as much as his family is grieving right now, I know that they look forward to the day when they will see him again, in a place where there is no more war, suffering, pain or tears.  In the meantime, we offer our prayers and tears to David’s family, and thank them for their sacrifice. 

1/10/08 - Crazy Weather

I was watching the news and heard that a tornado just touched down in Vancouver, WA (only 20 minutes away).  I looked out my window and suddenly saw huge hailstones, some the size of lemon drops, pounding the sidewalk and our car outside.  Yikes!  I’m glad we weren’t outside.  A similar storm system just passed over us, but no funnel clouds, thank God!  It looks like the worst has passed us by, and now we’re just getting the usual downpour, with a severe thunderstorm warning.

Fell Through

  After several negotiations back and forth, we've decided to let the new house go.  It requires over $14,000 worth of work on the roof, plumbing, electrical and dry rot repair (lender required issues), and they're only willing to offer us a $5000 credit on the house to cover it.  Bummer!  Oh, well, we know God's got that perfect house out there for us somewhere.  We just have to be patient and keep looking.  I am definitely looking forward to getting out of this apartment with the noisy neighbors upstairs, but all in good time.

1/9/08 - Daddy's Girl

Eva has been Daddy's girl ever since she was weaned.  Originally, Dave took over the morning and evening routines when I got so sick, and the pressure on my pregnant belly made it too uncomfortable to bend over the bathtub.  Eva protested at first, but when I tried to come back on duty after Amanda was born, she cried for Daddy instead.  Now breakfast, bath time and bedtime are Daddy's domain.  It works great for everyone, since that's often the best quality time he gets with the kids during the week.  Eva is all into cycling and football, and everything Daddy is passionate about, though she still enjoys girly stuff like dolls when she’s with me.  It’s funny, because I’ve always been kind of a “Daddy’s girl” tomboy myself, and never really cared for dolls. I guess that's just the imitation factor at work.    

Mommy's Girl

If Eva is a Daddy's girl, Amanda is a definite Momma's girl.  It not only that she wants to be held constantly, it's that more and more, only Mommy will do.  Even if she's quiet and content in Dave's or someone else's arms, she'll start fussing for me the minute she catches a glimpse of me or hears my voice.  So the key is, if I need a break, get out of sight.  :)  Sometimes I leave the girls with Dave while going grocery shopping, and she's fine.  But the minute she sees me come through the door, it's all over!  She flashes me her adorable grin of expectation, and if I don't respond quickly, it soon turns into a meltdown.

 

I don't know if this clinginess is just part of her personality, or the natural response to all the major life changes and stress swirling around her since she was born.  I used to sit on the couch and hold Eva for a couple hours watching a movie, but rarely does Amanda get that much uninterrupted attention.  Some people suggest wearing her in a sling during the day, but it's hard to sit down or bend over with those things, and she's so heavy (like being pregnant with a toddler). 

Claws

Amanda has this nasty habit of immediately clutching my neck, face or hair the minute I pick her up, and it's incredibly painful!  You'd think I'd know how to avoid it by now, but for some reason she still gets me every time, and seems to enjoy watching me yelp.  I've cut her nails as closely as I dare, but I'm a little overly cautious since I accidentally trimmed them too far and made her bleed the first time I tried it.  I managed to trim Eva's nails for over two years without cutting her even once, but somehow slipped up with the second one.  Go figure!