ya, I'm a delinquent~

Daddy reading G-Man, Monster and Cat (crawling into the stuffed animal box) a bed time story.

The week before Christmas G-Man had his first (and hopefully last!) ear infection. We found out during the course of antibiotics that he is allergic to ammoxicillin. Ugh, poor punkin was a trooper though.

Helping Daddy install the baby gate at the top of one set of stairs. "Ohhhhh, power tools!"

We had a WONDERFUL 1st Christmas with G-Man! He met Santa at my mom's house, took in huge noisy crowds all in stride, played with toys that Santa left at our home on Christmas Eve, played again on Christmas day all day...it was the best! K is sick and has been for a week now, sick enough that he hasn't gone into work at all this week.

G-Man is helping Santa with jingle bells at my mom's house the week before Christmas!

I have not started a single page of G-Man's baby album (scrapbook) and I was hoping to be at least thru 6 months by the time his first birthday rolled around. I am not thinking that can happen in 24 days...

Meeting Santa with Mommy & Daddy!

G is also not a great sleeper, never has been so 11 months of sleep deprivation are taking it's toll. I am tired! And no, I REFUSE to let him cry himself to sleep. I believe that is cruel and bad parenting. Again, I stick to my attachment parenting philosophy...so I checked out a book by the Drs. Searses called The Baby Sleep Book. I LOVE IT and I have only read 1 chapter. (By not a great sleeper, I mean if we have less than 8 wake ups in a 12 hour period it's a great nite of sleep!)

So, enjoy the pics, know that none are edited! Hope you and yours have a safe, blessed, happy 2010!Christmas Eve at our home, here with my Mom.

Christmas Morning at our home and presents from Santa

Playin with Grandpa's slot car race track Christmas Day.

It was beyond awesome~

Above, the OR, just getting started and ready for two new babies...

I was honored to be a doula for my friends Kris & Erik and the birth of their twins this week. I was so consumed by so many emotions, thoughts, preconceptions as the due date crept closer and closer. I didn't have time to resolve any of them though because the babies were born in an unscheduled (almost, but not quite emergency) Cesarean section on Wednesday, 12/09.

Kris is a wild-fire type of woman, there is nothing that she can't do if she sets her mind to it. And, once she makes up her mind there is NO changing it! She did ask me several times throughout her pregnancy for advise, what to do about this or that, what to eat to reduce the size of a fibroid tumor, how much water to drink, what prenatals to take...I was frustrated with the fact the she would ask, start those conversations and then not do the "right" things. She constantly talked about a c-section as if being pregnant with twins relegated her to it. That frustrated me to no end because I knew she was filling her head and her body with the message that she could not do a natural birth. I knew that once she believed that that it would become her reality. I was frustrated with the fact that she'd be in surgery and I am sure that many of my frustrations were directly tied to my opinion that a c-section was as bad as death for me. My biggest fear, one that I refused to acknowledge (except for the one time my midwife talked to me about it) was the possibility that an emergency would happen and I would need a c-section. I do understand that sometimes they are medically necessary. But not nearly as often as they are performed in the US. Soooo...all of my baggage leads me to Wednesday...when Kris called me and said that she was having a c-section (c/s) at 3:30 and could I be at the hospital by 2:30?


"Yes! I will be! How are you? Nervous? Hang in there honey! It will be ok! I'll see you in a few hours!"

And I was. I was her doula. I don't know if I did what she expected of me, we still have to talk about that, and I know that Kris will be honest with me. I think I did ok for my first birth, especially for a birth that was the stuff of MY greatest fears and was appalled by. I rubbed Kris' feet, back, shoulders and hands for a few hours, (they delayed her c/s for an hour)braided her hair and chatted with her and Erik. I rolled up a washcloth for her to bite and squeeze when they did her spinal block. I was so scared for her, she was wheeled down to the OR all alone. Nurses and Dr's don't count...she was alone, (without someone who cared for her) for the spinal block part, the part she was petrified about. Then, after her hubby, other friend and I were all gowned up, and Kris was prepped, the anesthesiologist opened the OR doors and waved us down.


Erik sat by her and held her hand so tight and rubbed her arm. It was so touching to see him so obviously scared for her, worried and knowing he was helpless. He was a gem comforting her and trying to take it all in. I stood over Kris' head and talked to her, made sure that she was not feeling any pain. Her oxygen mask was driving her crazy so I held it above her face and put my other perpetually cold hand on her hot forehead. I told her as her babies were being born, told her to listen to that beautiful little cry....it was incredible watching...the busy OR, full of 2 neonatalogist teams, 2 OBs, surgical nurses, anesthesiologist, 2 nurses for anesthesia and friends and hubby. I rubbed her shoulder as it started to hurt; they had to go "digging" for baby girl and that stress on the uterus really does translate up to the shoulders. Then, quick as a flash, babies were out and stable. I followed them and Daddy to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). I was told by Kris and Erik that my job was to be the advocate for one of the babies. They didn't want either baby to have the vitamin K shot unless it was preservative free. They didn't want any vaccines until the following days when mom and dad were both present. My job was to be sure that happened.

I did my job...then I got kicked out.

First let me tell you that the NICU nurses and pediatrician teams were great! They were quiet, calm, gentle and spoke kindly to the babies. Both babies were in separate rooms, hence my presence with one baby. I heard the nurse say something about vitamin K and get a syringe. At that point I spoke up and asked if it was preservative free. I got a quizzical look and the answer "no." I explained that I was there because it was important to the parents that baby not get the shot unless it was preservative free. They didn't give the shot, but looked for a supervisor. The nursing supervisor found me, was quite rude in asking who I was and what I was doing there. I explained it all to him (I later found out that Kris and Erik had met with him about 5 hours earlier and told him that I was going to be with one of the babies and why!) and he kicked me out. At that point I was ok with being kicked out even though I was hopping mad, because I had done my job. I advocated for baby and her parents.

I am saddened by the hospital procedures, not allowing a patient advocate appointed by the parent to be with a baby in parents absence and in not having an informed consent or permission to administer non-emergency medication (shots, like vitamin K). That just outrages me! They were about to give a non-medically necessary, not legally required medication WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT! HELLO!?!?!?! Does anyone else see a problem here?!?!?!?! It just fuels my fear, distrust and apathy for hospitals. Now, let me explain that I do know what the vitamin K shot is for, we had it given to G-Man, preservative free when he was a day or 2 old. It can also be administered orally.

So, my day was full of facing my own fears, dealing with a system that I think has big faults, meeting incredibly nice nurses and doctors, holding a friends' hand and being overwhelmed. I am still having a hard time sorting it all out.

I am so happy for my friends and their new babies! I am so happy that everyone is healthy and doing well! I am honored that I got to witness the entrance of two new lives into this world. It was a gift that I will never be able to repay, a trust placed with me that means the world to me. Kris taught me alot, and I never asked her to. Now I need to listen...Thank you Kris and Erik. I love you guys!

A few happy tears have been shed

I no longer can say that I have an infant, a baby...he's an undeniable, fearless, fast-moving, inquisitive, attentive TODDLER! Check out this action:

He pulls himself up using everything he can! He loves to turn over toys, try to figure out where the sound comes from, turn screws, and just general exploration. While I was at work Friday, he was playing in the living room with daddy, then just crawled away, crawled to the stairs, went right up them (with daddy behind him) and he bee lined for the bathroom and tried to get into the tub to play with his tub toys! All without skipping a beat! I miss my baby, but so love each day with my new toddler. He is giving me a new appreciation for life and the discovery and wonder of learning!

I *was* missing my girlz scrapping weekend, until tonite.

This picture was taken one year ago this weekend by Tina!

So, there is this group of women that I have scrapbooked with every December and many spring weekends for years. This is the weekend of the December crop. A year ago this was happening there, and this, and this too! Typically, Susan and I tease each other, Mary helps me tease Susan, Crystal and I moan about the endless Christmas music sometime on Saturday and we eat fabulous food from Tina. There is a TON of idea and layout sharing, talking about families, what we've been up to the past year and of course, scrapbooking, both digital and traditional. Tina hs been my "dealer" for years! I have now converted to digital and still buy my electronic doodads from Tina, you can check out her web site here.

So, I was missing this stuff after seeing some Facebook posts from Tina and Crystal. Until tonite...I worked 11.5 hours today, was away from my baby and hubby for just over 13 hours and I could not get home fast enough!!! Tonite I held my little G-Man in my arms in the dark living room. The soft white lights on the Christmas tree casting perfect shadows across his ear and nose and he fell asleep nursing. I could hear the Christmas carols playing softly in the other room and I just knew that nothing in the world could top this feeling of complete peace and quiet bliss. So, sorry ladies, even though my baby is not really a baby anymore (see tomorrow's blog for those details!) I am sooooooooo not ready to be away from him for a weekend. I know he'd be safe and have fun with daddy, but my heart could not handle the separation yet.

p.s. Tina, I HOPE that you are documenting funny quotes again this year! I can't wait to live vicariously thru them and your stories!

Obscure Ingredients

So, I have posted several recipies, here and here. Some of the ingredients are not very main stream so here are some places to find what you'll need:

• Citric acid for the dishwasher soap can be found at places that sell canning ingredients. It's commonly used as a canning preservative. Or you can find it at a brewery store, where you would get home beer making or wine making kits.
• Borax can be had at Walmart. If it's not on the shelves of your local Walmart in the detergent aisle, you can order it from Walmart online and shipping to your local Walmart store is FREE! I purchased mine at the local grocery store. It was on the bottom shelf in the laundry detergent section.
• Arm & Hammer Washing Soda can also be had at some of your local stores. Once again, I got mine at the local grocery store in the laundry section, again on the bottom shelf. If you can't find it, you can always get it online from Amazon.com.

If there is anything else you need, just let me know! Happy mixing!

By popular request another video!

I posted a video three weeks ago of the little G-Man crawling, er scooting. Here is now (taken last week) really moving. Even the step up to the kitchen/dining room doesn't slow him down.

Ya, he's just too amazing!

Keep track of all recalled products!

Many of you have heard that there is a HUGE crib recall in the USA and Canada. For more info on this recall and all product recalls in the USA visit the Consumer Produce Safety Commission website. It's one that I have bookmarked and check periodically.

Each day a new adventure

This picture freaked me out, it shows a LITTLE BOY, not a baby, but a growing LITTLE BOY! Yikes, this ten months has gone waaaayyyyyyy too fast!

I should be used to it I suppose. I should expect the unexpected. I don't. I love the newness of looking at the world thru my son's eyes. I love seeing wonder, awe and exploration just unfold in his eyes and hands. Each day is such a gift! Today's new thing was little G realizing that he could (gasp!) STAND UP in his crib!!! And not just stand up, mind you, but stand up AND JUMP!!! Yes, we have a monkey jumping on the bed! See, I just started putting G-Man to sleep in his crib last month. I nurse him and rock him at bed time, say prayers and then when he is asleep or very nearly, I set him in his crib. I usually bring him back to bed with me at the 4am wakeup. It helps me get that last 1.5 hours of sleep in the morning and he crashes well too. Plus, I get my baby snuggles! So, because of those reasons, G-Man doesn't get much awake time in his crib.

Tonite, I set G in his crib to play for a few minutes while I was going to re-pack his bag for daycare tomorrow. I got across the room, turned around and there he was,

standing up, giggling with such delight and bouncing! And bouncing. And bouncing. And squealing with more delight! What a joy my son is! (even with his only sleeping in 3-4 hour stretches all nite long)

This week G-Man is big on pulling himself up to stand. He uses laundry baskets, toy baskets, furniture, mommy and daddy's legs, you name it! It is AWESOME!!! Oh, and he loves to read too!

A little late, but still cute as a button!

I was copying a bunch of pictures from memory cards to my backup drive and came across these that I forgot to post earlier! These are from mid-October, when it was colder than it is now! Silly seasons are all messed up here in Minnesota.

Poor baby started to cry, don't worry, it's not Loch Ness Pup behind you! I promise!

What do You Dream of?

Ya, I know, I ended the sentence with a preposition. Deal with it (it's ok to do that if you live in Minnesota, really).

My daydreams (in mostly no particular order):

1. Winning enough $$ in the lottery to pay the entire mortgage so I can be a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom)
2. Build a "green" house that is off the grid. Off the grid means totally self sufficient, no public utilities needed. We'd have solar and wind power generators, heat and cool with geothermal and wood burning stove, use a well for water and recycle and collect rain water. Have at least one self composting toilet (they don't stink!). Garden and harvest, can and freeze tons of our own food.
3. Buy my in laws farm when they are ready to sell it. It's the coolest place in the world for raising a family! (and we could do a lot of #2 there too!)
4. Go back to school and become a midwife.
5. Go back to school and get a degree in religious studies.
6. Have another baby.
7. Home school my child(ren).
8. Own a few horses.
9. Go back to New Zealand with my hubby and child.
10. Take more Tai Chi classes and master the 24 Form.

Ya, that's about it. How 'bout you?

More Homemade $$ Saving Recipes

Do you remember my homemade laundry soap blog? We are still using that batch that I made way back then. It cost about $6 to make 5 gallons. And it works~! It's all we've been using on our laundry - daily wear, delicates, DIRTY DIAPERS, K's greasy garage and workshop clothes. It has been a great recipe. I was tired of spending so much on dishwasher detergent so I googled a recipe for that recently. I made up the first batch this afternoon and after 2 loads thru the dishwasher I am pretty sure we have another homemade winner! It's super simple, and costs about 3 cents (yes, you read that right!) per load! Cascade by comparison costs about 12 cents per ounce . To make this powder recipe you'll need an empty 40 ounce container (I used the old one that I had just emptied of commercial dishwasher powder).

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup food grade citric acid

Mix it all together, stir or shake well. Done. Yup, that's it! Add 1tablespoon per dishwasher load. Oh, and as for the expensive JetDry and other no spot products, just use plain white vinegar instead. Super duper cheap and spotless! This dishwasher powder will tend to clump, but that doesn't affect performance. Also, it's phosphate free, another bonus for your glasswear and crystal.

The next recipe I am going to try is for REAL vanilla extract. You do realize that you are paying a ton for a tiny bottle that is mostly alcohol and water when you buy vanilla, right? So, why not make your own? The recipe is easy and you can use either rum or vodka for the alcohol part.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

• 3 medium vanilla beans, or 1 1/2 fat ones
• 1 cup rum or vodka
• Have ready a 1-cup glass jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid; I used an empty (and clean, obviously) jar of jam. Pour boiling water into it, let rest for 10 minutes to sterilize, and pour out the water.

Using a sharp knife, slice the beans open lengthwise to expose the seeds. Tuck the beans in the jar and fill with liquor. Close the jar, shake it a few times, and place it in a cool, dark cabinet; you may have to whisper a few words of reassurance if the jar is, understandably, a little frightened.
Let the jar rest in there for 8 weeks, shaking it again once or twice a week, or whenever you remember to. The mixture will get darker and darker over time.

You can start using your extract by the end of the eighth week. Use however much you need, and when you notice that you're running a little low -- that you've used, say, 20% of the extract -- top it off with more liquor (preferably of the same type) and shake again. And every once in a while, when you're using a fresh bean in a recipe, you can add the empty pod (rinsed off and dried if it's been steeped in milk or cream) to the jar. If you continue to "feed" it this way, the extract will keep forever; just remove some of the older beans if the jar becomes too crowded.

It's nice to be back in the saddle

I have my road bike (bicycle, not Harley - sold that a long time ago!) up on a trainer stand in the family room. I missed doing triathlons the past two years and want to 1) get back in shape and 2) get back to participating in triathlons. Let's get one thing straight, I participate, I do not compete! Very different levels of athletic ability there, very different! So tonite, with the kick in the pants that Toni gave me, I got my shoes on and got pedaling. Then I did 50 crunches. My feet hurt. I have a pretty nice tri bike for a weekend warrior and the shoes are a totally rigid sole that has hardware on the bottom and they clip into receivers instead of having pedals. They allow you to pedal the full circle, pushing down and pulling up so that you have 360 degrees of power at all times going to the bike. It's way more efficient and powerful than the simple piston motion of regular pedaling. Since the soles are completely rigid though it takes about 2 weeks of every day riding to get my feet used to not flexing at all. That and the pelvis bones are a little tender. The racing seat is pretty small and not all that cushioned. I do have aero bars on the front too. I love them!!!! You rest your forearms on the lower cushions and your hands go up in front. It's very relaxing posture and once I hit my rhythm and find my gear that's where I go. So, tonite I did a few miles, tomorrow a few more. I want to work up to 15 miles a day 6 days a week before the new year. Why? Because this is waiting for me!!!!

Below, me (facing shore) getting used to the lake temp pre-race.

Me on the run.

(That's me after the race and our neighbor. I talked him into doing this tri just 6 weeks earlier, yep, he manned up and trained for his first tri for only 6 weeks and did it!)

Of course, I have to add in the dreaded running too. Ugh...So, feel free to send me electronic kicks in the butt, hold me accountable. I want to be a hot momma who models a healthy active lifestyle for her family.

I am so glad that Monster Dog is a good dog!

The time spent training Monster Dog and working with him as a therapy dog has been rewarding. The hours and hours we spent volunteering at the women's shelter with children of abused women, the hours spent cvolunteering at the VA Hospital in the polytrauma unit were some of the most rewarding moments of pet ownership ever...until this morning. See what I mean:

G-Man and I went upstairs later this afternoon to change a diaper; when we came back down, ChewToy had decided to hang out in on of the toy boxes. So, G-Man played with her! He got several fistfulls of fur before kitty took off. We are so fortunate to have 2 good tempered pets. Chewy even has all of her claws still and she is great with G-Man. He loves his animals!

(again, forgive the lack of quality here, it was taken with my phone)

G-Man's Crazy 2 weeks.

It's absolutely crazy how much G-Man has grown the past 2 weeks. Not only is he a total crawler, but he is a FAST crawler! He can also crawl up one step into our kitchen (from the living room). Two or three times he has pulled himself up on furniture to stand! He signed his first word: "Milk" or "Nurse" and he uses it at daycare too! He can stretch out while sitting and reach toys without falling or tipping and he rolls all over and sits up on his own. It is amazing watching him develop and grow! He has also started sleeping in his room, in his crib, across the hall from us.

ya, everyone gets all excited about that one and says, "Oh that's great!" or "Well, good, it's certainly time." Really, why? Why is 9 months of co-sleeping wrong or weird? Why is it not right for me to not want to sleep next to my still nursing baby? I don't like that he is across the hall from us. I don't like hearing that it's great, it's not. I am only doing this because he doesn't get much sleep at daycare the 2 days a week he is there. That lack of sleep is so hard on him! I want him to be able to sleep there, so we are doing this arrangement here. I don't like it. It doesn't feel right to me.

Many of my parenting philosophies have changed (and I am sure will continue to over the months and years) but for now, I find that many of the things I believe in are rooted in Attachment Parenting. (You can learn more about it here.) I belive that my emotions and experiece of labor and birth affect my child. I am not surprised that I loved being pregnant, being in labor or birthing my son. I knew I would. I am saddened by people who talk about them as if they are a burden, or scary or fearful. They are not! It's a beautiful gift! I think that babies should be nursed, and nursed on demand never on a schedule! I think that skin to skin is essential for babies and for mommies too. I am heartbroken when I see babies carried in those car seats. They must just hunger for touch! I wear my son. He has a sling he just snuggles down into and off we go! He has never sat in the seat of a grocery cart, never been carried around in the car seat from place to place. I think that closeness is essential. I have slept next to or with my baby for the past nine months, following all safety precautions and guidelines. I can smell if my baby is too hot, I can sense him at night just before he wakes to nurse. At least, I could. Now he is across the hall. In a crib. It stinks. I don't like it. Don't bother telling me it's for his own good. At this age, it's not.

Did YOU see the chariot races this weekend?

Above is Hubby and his team's chariot. Yes, those are little unicorns on the front of the chariot, definite style points, don't you think?

Hubby is an engineer . He works with engineers. They get bored easily. They create challenges for themselves. They write their own rules. Mostly they have to write their own rules because they do things no one else has done.

Above, all three chariots.

This weekend was the 2nd JunkYard Wars vehicle build. The challenge was to build a chariot and race it. The chariot had to be powered by pedal bikes, (2 of them) and the chariot had to hold 2 people. Construction could only be between 10am and 3pm the day of the race, there was a dollar limit to what they could spend on materials, and using Nerf and water was allowed to distract or derail opponents. Oh and the chariot could only be steered and braked by the chariot driver, not by the bikes. I know there were lots more rules, but you get the idea. Needless to say, the event was hilarious! About 20 relatives and friends of the chariot designers showed up to cheer (and laugh) them on. There were 3 teams and the team that won was the only team whose wheels didn't totally collapse. I love that my hubby is creative like this, that he loves to create and invent and build. I hope that G-Man takes after daddy...what a lucky little boy he will be as he grows up and they make stuff in the workshop together

This is the team that ended up winning.

This team broke first, as soon as guy #2 jumped on here it overstressed the wheels on the cart.

Hubby's team racing their *heavy* chariot. The thing is a lot of steel! They did plenty of welding.

The race!!

Hubby with the broken chariot!

I think it's hilarious how they trust their designs and the design of their competitors. Did you notice the variety of protective gear they had on? Everything from hockey breezers and helmets to motorcycle helmets to motocross chest protectors and Rollerblade gear. I do think that hubby's team had the best water delivery system. You can see a silver tank hanging from a backpack on the chariot. That's an old fire extinguisher; the kind you fill with water then pressurize with air. They nearly knocked their opponents off their bikes with it!

Random Cuteness!

These were all taken by my mom and I love them!

Above G (Eeyore) with his only real Auntie.

Some are from early/mid October, some from Halloween. Most of them are while G-Man is at Gramma's house. It's nice to see what they've been up to! Thanks Mom! I love them all!

He is sitting in what was my highchair!

Mmmm, naptime with Mommy at Gramma's. I just love snuggling up with my baby! This is my heaven on Earth!

Family Fun with a value lesson!

www.veggietales.com

I am starting to learn about a whole new world of media, the kid-centered media. Most of it, in my opinion, is garbage. I have discovered Veggie Tales though and love it! It's Christian based music, videos and games for young children. Another thing I love is that on their web site they have a section for parents and it lists many games that are sorted into 2 catagories, 1 parent & 1 kid games or group games. The best part is these are not computer games, they are real interact together games! I just took a quick look at a couple...here is one I really liked. Not only is there a game, but is provides a talking point and a lesson that is easy to teach too. Great resource that I want to remember! They also have lesson guides for their show episodes too, and if you have questions, they have FREE customer suport!! How great is that?!!!

The growing/exploring/learning/playing continues~

Our friend and G-Man's 'Auntie Melis' gave the little boy some puzzles for Halloween. We love them! We started out playing Tuesday morning (at 6:40!) with them and they were a favorite all day long!

(Mommy/photog disclaimer: photos taken with my cell phone and they are unedited. I was too tired!)

Martha Stewart's got nothin' on me!

I found a recipe on http://www.epicurious.com/ tonite and had most everything on hand. I did make a few modifications to it though...just because I felt like it!

Wild Rice and Squash Pilaf (original recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot

• 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger

• 1 tablespoon curry powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash

• 1 cup wild rice

• 1 cup long-grain brown rice

• 1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, diced

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 3 3/4 cups water

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method: Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Add ginger, curry powder, cumin, and garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in squash and next 4 ingredients. Add 3 3/4 cups water and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries. Cover; let stand until cranberries soften, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap; rewarm in microwave.)

My modifications:

• replace curry powder with red curry paste (because it’s what I had on hand)

• leave out cumin (I was out)

• replace 1 cup wild rice with 1 cup red quinoa

• used 1 cup already cooked (leftover) brown rice

• reduce water to 3 cups

• use dried cinnamon (again, it’s what I had on hand)

• left out cranberries (hubby doesn’t care for them)

I still think it was a little sweet, the next time I make it I will reduce the cinnamon drastically and probably the onion by half. I will be sure to add the cumin, I think that will make a difference. By substituting quinoa for wild rice you actually get 18 additional grams of protein! You can find quinoa in the health foods or organic section at most grocery stores. (quinoa pronounced keen-wa) All in all though, it was good, vegan and gluten free! (bonus!)

G-Man's First Halloween!

We had a fun day! It started out with a visit to G-Man's great grandma then off to see Kyle's folks. Then we trekked down to see my sister and her family and my mom met us there. G-man helped me carve a pumpkin; I hadn't done that for at least 10 years! G loved his Eeyore costume and wore it well! He was in bed by 7:30 and missed out on all the trick or treaters coming to our door.

A very tired Eeyore in Auntie B's arms.

Our friend, Melis - she is "auntie" to G-Man too!

Red Head!!

So, G-man is obviously a red head. Earlier this week I was chatting with a family friend who is a doctor and she mentioned that little G may be more sensitive to pain due to his red head gene. We chatted some more and then, instead of getting sleep, I stayed awake until 1am researching this gene. Turns out she was only telling me part of the story! Only 2% of the world population has natural red hair (I am one of the unnatural ones, so I don’t count!) Red hair appears in people with two copies of a recessive gene on chromosome 16 which causes a change in the MC1R protein. It is associated with fair skin color, freckles, and sensitivity to ultraviolet light, as the mutated MC1R protein is found in the skin and eyes instead of the darker melanin. MC1R is short of melanocortin-1 receptor. At least 80% of red heads have this genetic mutation. It makes them more susceptible to pain, and less receptive to anesthesias! Yes, they are more prone to wake up during surgical procedures. Yikes! I am glad that we are aware of this. It’s one of those “file that info away” things. If you are a red head, how would you rate your pain tolerance? Have you had surgery, and how did the whole anesthesia –thing turn out?

Soooo close to crawling!

The little G-man is so close to crawling! He is inch-worming and getting places! It's so much fun to see him go and to watch him develop and grow. This is the most amazing journey! The difference from this to the video below is amazing! Only 11 days between the two!



Also, we had G-man's 9 month well baby check up today. Yup, he's a well baby! Dr. S walked in said, "Hey there happy boy! You're on patient who will like me, no shots today!" (because we are not vaccinating yet) G is 28 3/4" tall which puts him in the 75% (his head circumference is in the 75% too) and he weighs 19# 5 oz which is in the 25%. Dr. S is not concerned about that, he's just tall and he did say that boys are very inefficient at using calories. I think he'll just be tall and healthy and buff like Daddy!

I'm always just one prayer away from an anxiety meltdown.

Nine months, three days ago I was a secure, certain-minded, assertive professional woman who could assess a situation, research if necessary, and make a decision. And stand by said decision. And be happy with said decision. I was fearless too. I rode my Harley without a helmet for years. I climbed Devil’s Tower in Wyoming (and other tall rocks too). I did triathlons. I enter burned out homes for work. And I never worried.

That all changed 9 months and 2 days ago…forever!

Is his car seat fastened into my car tight enough? Did we get the safest car seat? Is he warm enough? Is he too warm? Is he hungry? Am I producing enough milk for him? Did I buy him the right educational toy for his age? Am I singing and playing the right songs to him? Am I missing something and not helping him develop the right skills for his age level? He’s asleep, but I can’t hear him breathing...is he breathing??? Am I going to be able to teach him to stay away from strangers and to tell me if someone hurts or touches him? What if kids tease him and bully him because of his red hair? Are the roads too wet, is my hubby going to be safe getting to and from work? Are drunk or distracted drivers going to go out of control on the interstate and kill one of on the way to work today? Are we in jeopardy of losing our jobs? What if the water heater explodes? The chimney for the fireplace runs outside baby’s bedroom wall; are we sure it doesn’t have any cracks and won’t start a fire? What if we hit a deer? Will we roll the vehicle? Are all the outlets covered? Will his allergies to the dog suddenly get worse and make him stop breathing? Is he crying because something hurts? Am I living as a good example of Christ’s love? Am I being the wife and mother I should be to these 2 men in my life? Have I denied Jesus like Judas did? Am I brave enough to tell those I love, and strangers alike about Jesus and His love for them? What if the Rapture happens today? What will happen to those I love who have not welcomed Jesus into their hearts?

Here are links about the Rapture:
http://www.bible-truth.org/myst-3.htm
http://www.bible-knowledge.com/The-Rapture.htm
http://www.rapturechrist.com/rapture2.htm

And this is all in my head before I get out of the shower in the morning. There is so much more that continues to play on a continuous loop in my head, softly running in the background, darkening each moment, threatening to overtake the joy in my heart as I hold, play with, snuggle my baby and touch, smile and kiss my husband. It’s a scary darkness and there are times when I seriously wonder if I could just stay home all day, every day, and play and teach my son there.

Then I take a deep breath, pray to God on high that we will be protected, safe and that my family will return home together each nite. I pray for peace and calm so that I can enjoy the moments we have. And I remember this:

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Philippians 4:4-8 NIV “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”

Psalms 119:49-50 NKJV “Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.”

Psalms 103:10-14 NKJV “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows how we are formed; He remembers that we are dust.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

God does love YOU! Good deeds aren’t enough to get into heaven. Let’s face it, none of us are good enough. The best part is God doesn’t care! (Ok, He does. He does want us to try) But He knows we’ll fail. We’re human, we do that. What we have to do is turn our hearts to God and ask Him to forgive us. Ask him to come into our hearts. He wants us to love Him. He loves us. He loves you, more than you can imagine. And yes, it IS that simple! I love you all and am praying that you will decide to turn to Jesus today.
-Mellissa

this is a Friday smile!

Silent Monks sing! You really need to watch this, trust me on this one, ok?

This post is all over the place!

** post edited and links added 10-23-09 8:30am **

Hey there bloggy friends! It seems like it's been a crazy busy week and it's only Thursday!

We had a fabulously fun play date with my high school friend Jen and her son, E who is only 2 months older than G-Man. It was awesome fun! It's hard not to compare babies though and I have to admit, I am intimidated by Jen's parenting and her smart-as-a-whip baby! At 11 months he is signing 2-3 words APPROPRIATELY! He holds up his hands to say "so big" and can low crawl so fast!!! I feel like I have let G-Man down by not teaching him enough. but hey, my kid has more teeth, ya, that's right, more teeth! :-) It was fun anyway and I am trying not to get too down on myself and tell myself that all babies develop and grow at the rate they are supposed to grow at.

I made more baby food tonite, beets and pears. G-Man is on his 2nd day of carrots and is going for his second nite (conicidentally?) of terrible sleep. I think we'll skip carrots tomorrow and see how that nite sleep goes. We are introducing all new foods one at a time and for 3 days so we know if each food causes food sensitivities, allergies, rashes or just doesn't agree with him. It's a slow process and we are using a guide from our ND (naturopath dr.) that lists what foods are ok to introduce during what months starting with the most hypoallergenic foods. I like that we are doing this and it makes a lot of sense to us.

We hit a HUGE indoor baby and kid consignment sale today. It was a big score! I am done with garage sales and will just be doing these from now on. Yes, it was that amazing! Super-duper organized, well laid out, they screen all items as consigners bring them in to be sure they are in good, clean working condition. Each consigner sets their own prices and each item is clearly tagged. It was nice when we found a Fisher-Price toy we wanted, we saw 3 or 4 of the same one, tested each one and walked away with the cheapest one! I recommend you click here to see if this chain hosts one of these sales near you. It really was incredible!

My girlfriends' dad died this week. He was a gentle, caring, giving man and will be so missed! It's not right that we are old enough to lose our parents yet. It's a very scary thought and reality staring at me. I don't like it.

I used the broiler on my oven for the first time, actually, I broiled for the first time in any oven tonite! And....(drumroll please) it was delish! Yes, I am becoming domesticated, scares the hell outta me even as I type it! I made some creamy parmesan crusted tilapia using a Whole Foods recipe. I will be making this one again too! Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm!

Our washing machine died tonite; Hubby thinks it's drain and motor assembly. I have already looked up and have the phone numbers for 4 parts places and will be calling at 8:01 when they open. (sigh...that's a pain with cloth diapers!)

I'd best wrap up. It's gonna be a L---O-----N------G nite, poor G-baby has been up just crying and crying like his heart is breaking every 20 minutes.

too busy playin' to post!

(taken today)

Bye! I'm "it" so I have to get chasin'!

Lotsa motion, but no moving.

Little G-Man is trying soooo hard to crawl! He does inch-worm occassionally now, so I'd better get that on video too. This was taken last week:

I feel so bad for him when he gets frustrated and just wants to go! We keep encouraging him and working with him. I know all too soon he'll be crawling all over the house (and dog, and cat and...)!

I am such a dork!

I know, you've heard me say that before. But this time it's true again. I was talking to the hubby the other day, it went like this, "So, when we take G-Man to see Santa this fall, I think we should go on Tuesday or Thursday when I am off work. We can go during the day and you can maybe meet us at the mall. I just want to do some talking to folks to see where a really good Santa is."

There was a long silence so I looked up to see Hubby looking at me with the "oh, aren't you just so cute and weird" smirk on his face.

me - "What?!"

hubby - "Ya, because G-Man will totally know he is visiting Santa and will remember it. Admit it, you are just doing this for you, not him."

me - "No, I *am* doing this for him. He won't remember it, but there will be pictures of it, he will see that he got to do this! It's the start of a tradition!"

hubby - "Mmmmhmmm, you just want to scrapbook it."

me - "No...not 'just scrapbook' it! Besides, I picked up a totally cute onesie at a garage sale that is cream colored with candy cane striped sleeves and it's embroidered with 'Dear Santa, I was really good!'"

hubby - "Ok honey, whatever you say."

Seriously, I know I am dork for having his visiting Santa outfit picked out in October. But the visiting Santa part, I am excited about! In fact (here comes another dork part) as I was thinking about it today I got a few tears. So many firsts are happening this year. it makes my head spin. I don't want to forget any of them. I want to freeze it all in time so I can soak it all in. I'd better get my tail in gear and get scrapbookin' and journalin'!

A Sneak Peek!

Tina has posted some sneak peek shots! It was a FREEZING cold day (literally, it was below 32) and windy so my poor little G-man was less than thrilled about the whole event. Still, Tina managed to get some great shots! I cannot wait to see the rest! Check them out here.

The sound Daddy HATES!

G-man discovered that he can make a funny sound when he sucks in air. It's a lot like the sound of someone who cannot breathe. I think it's hilarious and the Hubby hates it! It kinda freaks him out. I'm not "allowed" to make this sound to encourage G-Man, but I can giggle at him when he does it!

It's Winter

I think we had 2 weeks of fall. I woke up to snow on the ground and on my car. By 10:00am it had not melted off my car! I had to use the snowbrush to clean over 1" of snow off my car. It was a fun day with playing and napping, then this afternoon we all braved the 29 degree windy outdoors for a family photo session with Tina. It was a blast! We had a great time at the best location EVER! (One that we have pretty much unlimited access to, one where the food is beyond incredible too!) G-Man was not real fond of the cold, despite the layers he was bundled up in. On the way there and on the way home G-Man had settled into his car seat, wiggled a little and his hat slid down on his face...and he was completely zonked out!

I'm sure we've all been there...

G was really sinking his teeth into the apple! You could hear them scraping. He covered it in drool in short order!

I can't be the only one who has been pretty peeved at the driver behind me who is doing some serious tailgating. I know that I got upset enough on more than one occassion so I "taught" them a lesson...I slowed waaaaay down. There, that'll teach them to drive so close behind me. Of course that only proved to tick them off and make the situation worse.

Today, however, I was the tailgater. It started like this:

I was at the apple orchard with G-Man and my parents, my sister and her hubby and 2 of her kids. We had gone on a hayride, picked some apples, looked at pumpkins, fed some furry animals (llamas and sheep) and we were just making some purchases and winding down our fun little adventure. The Hubby missed our fun because he was at his folks' farm cutting wood for our stove and taking care of some trees that had gotten a little out of control. He was using a chainsaw and he is the most mindful, careful person with power tools. He really respects them and uses them properly down to the ear and eye protection ALL THE TIME!

So, as I said, we were winding down at the orchard when I get a phone call from Hubby. "Where are you?" he asks kinda sounding weird. "Um, at the orchard still, why?" "Oh, (long pause) um, ok" Alright, now I know something is up! It takes 4 or 5 times of me asking why and what's up before I finally say, "Did you get cut by the chainsaw?" long pause, "Yes, but only a little."

Ok folks, a little cut is from paper, is there such a thing as a little chainsaw cut? At this point I start making goodbye motions and tell my mom that K got hurt (she knew he was cutting wood) and I start hightailing for the car, of course remaining calm (really, I was calm). So I ask Hubby, "would a normal person be considering going to the hospital right now for stitches?" He instantly answers in the affirmative. I love him, but he's so not normal when it comes to this kind of thing. So ya, I was tailgating to get home to him. I was trying to go 70 in a 65 and someone took it upon themself to "teach me a lesson". It upset me, I backed off, then when it was safe I passed them on the left and kicked it back up to 70. I won't go faster than that with my little G-Man in the car. Anyway, I got to my inlaws, and played nurse. He should have gotten stitches, the cut is on the outside of his knee. It's about 1.5" long, as deep as a chainsaw chain and ugly! We have it butterflied shut and clean. In a day or 2 we may use the medical super glue to hold it closed, but for now, I'd like to leave it more open to keep an eye on it.

Yes, lumberjack chaps are SOOOOO on his Christmas list, at least they are on the list I am making for him! I am so grateful that he was not hurt worse, thankfully, it was just a chainsaw kiss. This could have been really bad. Oh, and I'll never try to "teach someone a lesson" if they are tailgating me. I'll just move outta their way and pray that their loved ones are ok.

My Nephew Rocks!

My nephew is a rock star, well almost. His band played at a Battle of the Bands tonite and they were so great! It was so much fun to watch him perform and listen to him play and sing. I am so proud of him! He is the musician in the family, he also plays keyboard and is learning the violin. He was in the spring musical at school last year too. You rock C! I love you bunches & tons!

photographer's note: I really need to get a good low-light lens...sigh...