Adventures of a Colorado Couple

Pictures

2012-02-12T07:25:00.008-07:00

At a pumpkin patch and corn maze Oct. '11

Family photo Oct. '11

Archie playing in corn Oct. '11

At Rocky Mountain Ntl. Park in October '11

RMNP Oct. '11

Archie painting on his new easel Feb. '12

Fletcher playing too early in the morning Feb. '11

Warrior Archie Feb. '11

sleep

2012-01-05T09:42:00.002-07:00

(a post I started over 1 month ago)

The biggest obstacle in getting your little one to sleep is yourself. You are scared that by trying something new the nap will go from bad to worse or waking 3 times at night will turn into 5. We recently traveled to both NJ and MI over the holidays. Arriving in NJ late at night I realized I had forgotten Fletcher's swaddle. CRAP! I thought we were in for it, however, he slept fairly normally. We went out the next day and bought a sleep sack instead a swaddle. He wakes up the same amount at night except now I don't worry about him rolling over in his swaddle.

The real improvement in Fletcher's sleep came at nap time. Sleeping without a swaddle helped make it easier to set him down for nap time. Now I am not tied down 4-5 hours/day holding him duirng nap time. Archer also made some strides at bed time while on our holiday vacation. He is too big for a pack and play so he slept on a fold out couch at both Granparents' houses.

What's new

2011-10-02T09:52:00.004-06:00

(a post I started about 5 months ago)

Today is post heavy as I have been absent from blogging for the past month. A lot of changes are going on around here these days. Our biggest news is Dave's new job in Denver. He started 2 weeks ago and loves it! This new job, however, means that we are embarking on the new adventure of selling our current house and relocating to the Denver area. People who say that moving is one of the most stressful times in your life are not kidding. Add 2 kids into that mix and you are in stress overload for sure. Hopefully we will get the house on the market by the end of this month.

The month of September marked mine and Dave's 3 year wedding anniversary and my 30th birthday. On our actual anniversary Dave brought home flowers and dinner from Whole Foods. That following weekend we got a baby sitter and went out to dinner at our favorite brewpub.

Archer is 2

2011-10-02T08:11:00.007-06:00

So my first born is now a toddler is 2 years old. We had a very low key birthday celebration at home and I think it was the perfect day. I wrapped all of his presents in Thomas the Train paper and put them on the mantel. He was awake all of 30 seconds before he noticed them. We let him open one present and saved the rest until after cake.

Grandma R. sent him birthday balloons which he loved! He carried them around, ran through them and tangled up in them multiple times. Definitely a big hit! I ordered him a Disney'sCarscake from Coldstone Creamery. He loved the cars toys on top more than the cake. My kid would rather eat grapes than birthday cake. I suppose that is a good thing.

We got to Skype with both sets of Grandparents which is always nice. I thought I would be more sad not having a party with family and friends, but all we really need is our little family to make it a great day. I'm not saying that I never want extended family around for celebrations though.

Archer is an amazing kid. He talks all of the time, picks up on words and their meanings after only hearing at seeing them once, and I often find him in a corner looking through one of his many books. He knows what he wants and when he wants it so we have a lot of defiance showing through. As his parent, however, it is my job to teach him that he cannot always have what he wants so he sheds many tears when I say "not right now". Gummy vitamins, for example, are only allowed once/day. Whoever created those are an evil genius. They made them good enough so kids would eat them and too good so they would want them more than once. Many a temper tantrum have been thrown over wanting those vitamins.

Archie sleeps fantastically since Fletcher was born (thanks again Grandma R.!). He sleeps for almost 10 hours every night but he likes those early mornings. We haven't slept past 6 am in a very long time and our Keuring coffee maker has been working overtime.

Cars has become one of Archie's favorite movies. We watch it about 3 times a week which I suppose isn't overly excessive but still more than I would prefer. Archie knows how to open the Blu Ray player and put in the disc. He also knows which remote we need to make it play. This kid is no dummy.

Anyway, here are some pictures from Archie's birthday. I cannot believe how fast he is growing.

A draft I started about 1 month ago

2011-09-03T14:26:00.003-06:00

I have now been a mother to two boys for a little over 4 months. Before Fletcher was born I was so stressed over how I would handle feedings and naps with the both of them. Now I realize I am too busy to worry about things like time management. If you ask me what a typical day is like I probably couldn't tell you. They are both too long and too short but my kids are happy and healthy and my house isn't in complete shambles. Plus we are all sleeping okay but my definition of good sleep has drastically changed since have kids.

Some days I am able to read a few chapters of a book or catch up on a few episodes of television shows I watch. I may or may not have dinner started by the time Dave gets home from work. I get laundry done, but finding time to fold it is a little more difficult. Not a day goes by though that I do not stare at my children in wonder. Not a day goes by that I do not think what the heck am I doing? Being a stay at home is the hardest job I have ever had. Some days I wish I had a job that I had to change out of my pajamas to do. The grass is always greener....

Weight post

2011-08-07T08:04:00.002-06:00

One month ago I started calorie tracking and eating better. I did not do so well on my vacation, but quickly got back into the swing of things when we got home.

7/5/11 - 174 lbs.

8/7/11 - 166.2 lbs.

I lost almost 8 lbs. this past month. I have 11 more to go until I get back to my pre pregnancy weight and 21 more to go until I get to my goal weight.

First plane and car trip with the boys

2011-08-03T08:49:00.010-06:00

Last week we took the plunge and endeavored upon our first plane trip and first car trip with both boys. Having flown a lot with Archer we weren't terribly nervous about the trip but we were wondering how we were going to carry all of our stuff and keep Archie from running off. He does not like to be contained making shopping trips especially enjoyable (note sarcasm). Anyway, we got a GoGo Babyz Tavelmate off of Craigslist for Archie's car seat and it was a lifesaver! Archie loved riding in his car seat through the airport and we didn't have to remove it to install his car seat on the plane. I highly recommend this product if you plan on flying with a convertible car seat.

So the plane trip was fairly uneventful. We had a layover in Milwaukee and Archie got to run around and play for a few hours and slept most of the trip to NJ. Fletcher slept most of the time as well. At the end of our long day of travel was Grandma and Grandpa R.! I love when we visit our parents b/c nobody loves our kids as much as we do except them.

Our two main reasons for traveling to NJ were to spend time with family and to attend the wedding of Elizabeth and Kevin K. Kevin is a friend from U of M so we got to see a lot of our college friends and their lovely children. Seeing everyone really made me miss the camaraderie and closeness of everyone. I cannot wait until we move back east one day and are closer to friends and family.

After the wedding we headed up to Vermont for a mini vacation within a vacation. Dave and I love VT, NH and ME and Burlington is only about 6 hours from the grandparents house. We all loaded into the minivan and headed to the land of Green Mountain Coffee, Lake Champlain Chocolates, King Arthur Flour, Ben & Jerry's, maple syrup and my cousins Lori, Erik, Corie and Zak. We ate at some great restaurants recommend by Lori, went to the aquarium, Lake Champlain Chocolates, walked around town, and went out to dinner with aforementioned cousins. The only downfall of our trip was our last night there when Archie came down with his first stomach bug. Thank goodness for Grandma R. who jumped in to save the day. Dave and I would've been a panicked mess without her.

While we were in NJ we went to visit the Whippany Railway Museum and Archie had a blast! It was a hot day and then it started to rain while we were there. Archie walked out into the downpour with the wild abandonment that only a toddler can truly pull off. Luckily I had my camera ready and took dozens of pictures. Fletcher was content to sit on Grandma's lap and watch. I don't think he's ready for the rain just yet.

The day before we left I was struck with the same stomach bug that Archie had. It made for an uncomfortably long day of travel, but it was nice to get home and sleep in my own bed. All in all, we had great time on our vacation and Dave didn't get sick until after we arrived home. There is always a silver lining!

Trip to the zoo

2011-07-10T13:47:00.005-06:00

Archie was more interested than the last time we went to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, however, some things still frightened him. At the zoo, you can feed lettuce to the giraffes. Seeing them so close made him nervous. He also absolutely hated the merry-go-round. Dave had a death grip on him to keep him from jumping off the platform. Is it bad that I laughed?

Anyway lets get to the important stuff-pictures!

Archie likes the water

2011-07-06T09:14:00.003-06:00

It's that time again...the next 30 lbs.

2011-07-05T09:00:00.004-06:00

So I started off my most recent pregnancy at 155 lbs. I gained 47 lbs. with Fletcher. Seeing the scale top 200 was a little unnerving but I am now at 174 lbs. post pregnancy. My goal weight is actually 145 lbs. which puts me in the healthy range according to the BMI . That is 30 lbs. that I am looking to lose before my next pregnancy, which will not be in the next year at least.

I am starting with the same program I did after I had Archer. I am using the iPhone app Loseit! and have it set to the lowest weight loss goal of 1/2 lb. per week since I am still breastfeeding and do not want to deprive Fletcher or myself of essential nutrients. Basically it helps me choose me healthier foods b/c I have to decide it I really want to blow my daily caloric budget on crap. Dave and I are also rejoining the YMCA since both kids are now eligible for the child watch program. We are going to try for 1-2 weekdays after work and at least 1 weekend day. Dave and Archer are also starting swimming classes next week. I want to lead by example for our kids so they will grow up healthy and strong.

Today after work we are going to bust out the double stroller and walk to the post office which is two miles round trip. We have also been better about grocery shopping so we have a lot more fresh fruits and veggies laying around. Last night I made a nice stir fry using only fresh vegetables. For us that is huge!

So here I go again.

4th of July weekend

2011-07-04T08:56:00.006-06:00

Last year over the extended weekend we took Archie up to a State Park near Denver. We decided to continue the tradition and we headed to Cheyenne Mountain State Park yesterday. The temperature was in the 90s so we tried to get there early, eat lunch and take a short hike before we melted in the sunshine and heat. Not many people were out as they were probably hiding out in their air conditioned trailers and mobile homes. The campground was full so were slightly surprised by the lack of people taking advantage of the miles of trails in the park. Oh well.

Anyway, I saw a deer about 20 feet from our picnic table and there were plenty of birds and bugs for our viewing pleasure. We didn't make it too far in our hike b/c Archer decided he wanted to be carried. We definitely want to go back when the temps get a little cooler b/c the trails are not as steep so Archie should be able to walk further. Also, I've got Fletcher in the Ergo and we were sweltering with each others body heat.

Below are some pictures from our little adventure. Happy 4th of July!

Love my Ergo. Love my Moby.

2011-06-23T07:57:00.003-06:00

When we had Archer we were first time parents. We bought a lot of stuff. Too much stuff really. I really wanted to be a baby wearer but we skimped on the carriers that we purchased. I had 4 different carriers and none of them were very comfortable. I carried Archer in my arms more often than not.

This time around I splurged and got the two carriers I really wanted in the first place. I got my Ergo on a deal a day website for 50% less than if I bought it retail. I found my Moby for about $30 shipped. I use both of them daily and my back and shoulders love me. Chasing after Archer with a baby in my arms just isn't a possibility so Fletcher is almost always in a carrier. They are also very useful for when he is cranky tired. I can get him to fall asleep in less than a minute once he is in a carrier. In fact he is asleep in the Ergo as I type.

Basically, if you are on the fence between getting the carrier you really want and a less expensive one, get the one you really want! I wish I would've had these with Archer.

The past 2 months

2011-06-22T06:56:00.011-06:00

We finally have our Internet back after over a week of dealing with Quest and being sent two different modems in the mail. I have gotten so used to typing on my little iPhone keyboard that I feel like having an entire full sized keyboard is a luxury. Anyway, so much has happened in the last 2 months. They are aren't huge life changing events but everyday with my boys is a new adventure, trial, mishap, discovery and joy. My 8 week old Fletcher started smiling this week. I forgot how in the middle of the most challenging day a little smile can bring me to tears. Granted, I still have those post partum hormones raging through me so crying is a daily occurrence but those little baby smiles are heart melting.

We had lots of visitors surrounding the birth of Baby R #2. All of my sisters were here in the 2 weeks prior to his birth. It was great to have them here help out, listen to my fears of having 2 kids, getting a little reprieve from the daily grind and for Archie to have his Aunts around. My Mom flew in the day Fletcher was born which was such a huge relief for Dave and myself. One of my biggest stressors in the month prior to Fletcher's birth was who would watch Archer while I was laboring and in the hospital. My Mom got tickets the second she found out I was in labor and was here 12 hours later. Words cannot express how much that meant to me. With Archer we had nobody visit us in the hospital b/c everyone was 1000+ miles away. It always made me a little sad especially since we are from such large families. Having my Mom here was just great!

My Dad flew in about a week and half later for a few days. Archer got to show Grandpa S. his mad alphabet skills and my Dad got a reminder as to what it was like having a 20 month old crawl into bed with you in the middle of the night. Good times were had by all! About a week after my parents left, Dave's parents came for 2 weeks. I will be eternally grateful for Grandma R. who spent the entire 2 weeks working on getting Archie to fall asleep in his crib and stay there all night. For the last year we have been bringing Archie into our bed every night around 2-3 a.m. He just couldn't put himself back to sleep and we had spent countless hours sitting his room rocking him just to have him wake up the second we set him down. Now he sleeps all night in crib and if he does wake up all we have to do is walk into his room, say "Archie lay down and go to sleep" and he does!! It's a miracle really.

A few days after they left Archer got a cold and then Fletcher developed a cough. We took him to an urgent care facility on a Saturday and the Dr. said it "was most likely a cold. We took him to our pediatrician on Monday and she sent us to the hospital for an overnight stay b/c his oxygen levels were low. The poor guy got two chest x-rays and was put on oxygen. It turned out that he had a respiratory virus called RSV. In an older child it presents itself as a cold, but babies have a harder time with it and Fletcher was on oxygen for about 10 days. He is all better now and we are hoping that between spending time in a billibed, staying overnight in the pediatric ward and being on oxygen for 10 days that he has all his illnesses out of the way for the year.

Archer is a bundle of fun these days. He is talking a lot more now and we can actually recognize many of the words he says. He is also stringing words together like "Night, night Momma" and "Alphabet please Momma". He is advocating for himself and letting us know what he wants. When his favorite shows are on you can hear him trying to sing the songs. This also means that Dave and I need to really start watching what we say and what television programs we are watching when he is around. He has been really good around his baby brother too. Sometimes he is a little rough but for the most part he softly pats Fletcher on the head, tries to give him his pacifier and points to him saying "baby".

Life as a family of four is great. I still am not brave enough to take both kids out by myself though so we spend our days at home. Weekends are now filled with getting all of our errands out of the way. We still want more kids, but are going to space them a little more apart. Having two kids 19 months apart is hard! Well Dave needs to leave for work soon so I have to relinquish my free time. Hopefully I will post more than every two months.

Fletcher Elliott: A Birth Story

2011-05-02T07:47:00.010-06:00

I woke up at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26th with what I thought were gas pains. I took some gas-x and laid down but the pain wasn't going away. It took me about 30 minutes to start realizing that maybe these were contractions. I had to be induced with Archer so I never really experienced normal contractions before. Dave called L&D and I spoke with a nurse who confirmed that I was most likely having contractions and they were 2-3 minutes apart. I got off the phone, finished packing our bags and headed to the hospital. On the way there my contractions started hurting really bad especially in my lower back.

Once at the hospital they checked and I was almost 6 cm's dilated so I was admitted and I immediately asked for the epidural. The anesthesiologist arrived at 5:15 a.m. and as I sat up to get the epidural my water broke. I had gotten the epidural with my first labor so I knew what to expect this time around. It started to numb half my torso so I had to turn and let gravity help numb the other side too. I was able to move my legs this time around which I actually appreciated and it did not affect the epidurals effectiveness.

I tested positive for group B strep so they have to hook me up the antibiotics, but I am allergic to penicillin so I got a bag of a different antibiotic. Also, because my labor was quick they only were able to administer one bag so we had to stay 48 hours in the hospital instead of just 24. Anyway, back to my birth story. By about 7:40 a.m. I was fully dilated to 10 cm's but I did not start pushing until 9:05 a.m. because Fletcher's head was not as low in my birth canal as the nurse would've liked so I sat up and let gravity try to force his head lower. He was also sunny side up so the nurse had me do some practice pushes to see if he would try to turn on his own. He didn't until the very end though.

I ended up pushing for 1 hour and 45 minutes. With Archer I pushed for 2 1/2 hours so this was a slight improvement. My labor nurse was awesome! She had be try pushing in a few different positions to see what worked best for me and the baby. With my last delivery I just sort of laid there the whole time. My last 3-4 contractions were probably when I felt the most "pain". Fletcher's head was crowned and I had to wait until the next contraction to push again. Dave, my Dr. and nurse were just standing there having a normal conversation as I was laying down with a head half way out of my vagina. The pressure was intense, way more than I felt when delivering Archer. It made me love the epidural even more.

At 10:50 a.m., just 8 hours after feeling my first contraction, Fletcher Elliott was born. He was 8 lbs., 10 oz and 21 1/2" long. I had a second degree tear that needed stitches but considering he was a full 2 lbs. heavier than Archer I think that was pretty good. My recovery this time around is going so much better as well. I am just taking over the counter Motrin for my cramping and tearing pains and even then I only need to about once/day. Fletcher was born very red because he had an excess amount of red blood cells. He also spent 2 days in a billibed to treat his jaundice.

We have been home over a week now and things are going well. He breastfeeds like a champ and sleeps in between nightly feedings. Archer is starting to show some interest in him, but is still pretty ambivalent. All in all, I am very pleased with this labor and am loving being the mother to 2 boys.

No baby yet

2011-04-20T07:30:00.011-06:00

I am 37 weeks, 6 days pregnant today with an 8 lb. baby apparently. Since Archie was born at 37 weeks, 1 day this is officially the longest I have ever been pregnant. I had an ultrasound last week b/c Fletcher has been measuring big. The ultrasound tech estimated that he was about 7 lbs. 13 oz. and my Dr. agrees with her assessment. I have been having mixed feelings about wanting him to be born soon, but I think I am less nervous than I was a week ago. I still have more anxiety this time around than I did with Archie. I think having 2 kids under the age of 2 is a little daunting.

My sisters have been here helping out. Mary and Marlene left earlier in the week and Amy is here until Sunday. I was hoping Fletcher would be born while they were here but that doesn't appear to be the case. We have a neighbor lined up to watch Archie for when I do go into labor but I really wanted family here. I always see pictures of people visiting the new baby in the hospital and it makes me a little sad that we will have no visitors yet again. Maybe when we have baby #3.

Archer still continues to amaze me everyday. He is such a smart little guy and I am constantly surprised with his innate desire and ability to learn. He is still a little boy though and makes me laugh with all his quirky antics and mannerisms. Some of the faces he makes are hilarious!

We have the coolest friends!!

2011-04-11T13:04:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago our good friend Natalie let me know to expect a package in mail from a particular Etsy shop. Funny thing was, I had been looking at that exact shop the previous day. As it turns out, she had picked out the exact gift for Archer and Fletcher that I had been looking at. She is a scary good gift giver! Anyway, they arrived in the mail the other day and they are so awesome. They are matching Big Brother/Little Brother shirts with their names on them. The quality of the material is nice and durable and I cannot wait to put them on my boys and take pictures galore!

THANK YOU NATALIE!!!!!!

Not very exciting post. Sorry.

2011-04-08T10:32:00.005-06:00

I feel like I need to post something b/c everyday I get closer to being a mother of two. I am not sure how much time I will have to keep my 3 readers posted after Fletcher arrives! We have been working on my list and I have crossed a few more items off. Today I ordered our double stroller which is going to be a beast, but I am a suburban Mom so I really won't be needing it unless we go to Target, the mall, the park down the street or the zoo. We decided on the Graco Quattro Tour Duo for the price, reviews, ability to fit our infant car seat and the amount of storage underneath. Carrying a diaper bag for two is going to be fun.

Archer had his 18 month check up the other day. He is between the 70th and 90th percentile for weight, height and head circumference. Our pediatrician said that he developing right on track. He did like being at the Dr.'s office though. This was the first time he really screamed while we there. However, we were told that between 15-18 months is when they see this behaviour the most. They are just starting to realize that they have some control over their environment so when that control is taken away they tend to respond very emotionally.

Last night we had our first real Archie vomit experience. Apparently toddlers tend to throw up a lot and we have no clue as to why he did last night. He was fine before and after and fortunately Dave was holding him while it happened. As parents though it is always nerve-racking when your LO isn't 100%. They cannot tell you what is wrong so it is a big guessing game. We ended up letting him sleep with us all night more for our peace of mind than anything. Surprisingly, it was the best night of sleep all 3 of us have had on months. Go figure.

Next week my sisters are coming to hang out and help out in my last week/s of pregnancy. I will be 37 weeks (full term!) one week from tomorrow. That is when I had Archer so I really could have a baby very soon. It is really much more stressful this time around b/c I am worried about Archer. I have never spent the night away from him. The longest I have ever been away from him was about 8 hours and he was with Dave that whole time. Hopefully Fletcher makes his appearance while my sisters and/or Mom are here so at least I will be comfortable knowing he is in good hands.

Well I am going to try and enjoy the rest of Archer's nap by playing Bejeweled on my phone. Happy Friday!

I know my alphabet!

2011-04-02T09:42:00.003-06:00

Archie has been very interested in the alphabet lately. He loves alphabet books, Super Why! on PBS, he likes us to write a letter and he tells us what it is. Today he was watching Leap Frog Amazing Alphabet on Netflix and I caught him on video reciting the alphabet along with the program.

Busy times around here

2011-03-29T08:37:00.009-06:00

As our due date approaches I find myself getting very anxious. In some respects the 2nd time around is easier, but in others it is even more daunting. I feel like I don't have the time to really prepare for Fletcher's arrival with chasing after Archie, the increased annoyances of pregnancy, the constant fatigue and desire to catch up on sleep and the worries that are constantly flowing through my head about having two boys 18 months apart.

That said, I am still me and we are knocking out my to-do list a little every day. This past weekend Dave finished the walls of Archie's new room, set up the co-sleeper, set up the pack 'n play/changing table in the front room and moved Archie's car seat behind the driver's seat. I got the Moses basket ready to go, hung up Fletcher's clothing, got the swaddlers ready, worked on birth announcements and did some more on-line shopping for baby stuff. Amazon Prime is awesome!!

Tonight we have our preadmission appointment at our hospital. Basically that means when it is go time we can skip all the paperwork and just be admitted and have a baby. We also have a babysitter for Archie so Dave & I can go out to dinner after our appt.!!! We don't get to eat kid free very often so we are pretty excited.

Archer is growing and changing so much everyday now. All the information he has been absorbing for the past 18 months is finally breaking through. He can recognize and recite most of the letters of the alphabet, count to 10, say words back to us and remember what they are, he is drawing lines with crayons instead of making dots and trying to eat them and doing dozens of other things that we think are simple amazing. He also is learning the art of the tantrum, which is not so amazing but sometimes amusing. We just ride it out and he usually gets over it in a minute or two. I know that they are going to get more impressive as time goes on though.

4-7 weeks left!

2011-03-21T08:21:00.006-06:00

When I was pregnant with Archer I basically just breezed through it all. Yes I had the occasional heartburn and my belly certainly got in the way, but I was by no means miserable or in pain. Pregnancy the 2nd time around is no walk in the park for me. I hurt in places that shouldn't hurt, I get heartburn just thinking about food, I have shooting nerve pains down my back and walking is not possible some evenings. That said, I still want to do it again so we can have a 3rd and maybe even a 4th kid down the road. The end result is worth all the discomfort.

I am now in my 33rd week of pregnancy. Archer was born at 37 weeks, 1 day. If this baby follows suit then I could have another little boy in less than 4 weeks! That is soon. Statistically more women go into labor during a full moon or during a snow storm. April 17th is the next full moon and coincidentally I am also going to be 37 weeks, 1 day pregnant on that particular day. Only time will tell!

During this past week I feel like Fletcher has dropped a bit. Does my belly look lower in the 2nd picture or is it just me?

(32 weeks, 1 day)

(33 weeks, 1 day)

I just need to survive the next 4-7 weeks. I can do it especially now that Archer is walking a whole lot more and is very independent. He likes to do things by himself and only asks for help if he needs/wants it. He likes to pick out his own books for us to read and if he is still hungry will hand us his bowl. The only real drawback is that he likes to walk when we are out running errands and that adds a lot of time to our outings. It's very hard to shop when Archie is pushing the cart at a nonstop pace. Oh well!

Pretty soon I will be posting pictures of Archer's newly painted room! Dave finished painting yesterday and we just need to put up the wallpaper border. I am so excited to start moving stuff into his new room and getting the baby stuff back into the nursery. I started unpacking the newborn clothing and it is all so tiny and cute. I cannot wait to dress Fletcher up in them! Soon enough.

Look who's walking!

2011-03-14T11:49:00.004-06:00

The Life of Madison

2011-03-14T08:24:00.010-06:00

Madison ~ 2/22/03 - 3/02/11

It has been almost two weeks and I finally feel like I can write this blog post without being maudlin and depressing. On March 2nd we had to put down our sweet cat Madison after a year of battling kidney failure. She had just turned 8 in February, but was not destined for this world for much longer after that. Fortunately this 2nd onset of her kidney failure came on fast and she did not suffer very long.

I got Madison shortly after graduating college in April 2003. I wasn't supposed to have cats in the co-op but everyone on the 3rd floor of Mich House fell in love with her and I got to keep her until moving out about 2 months later. She was super sweet from the get go, not one of those cats that you fear will claw out your eyes in your sleep. She adapted well to change, loved people, and even tolerated dogs to a certain extent. She took Archie's abuse with aplomb and would bend over backwards just to get a pat on the head. She is sorely missed, but also we are lucky just to have had her for those 8 awesome years.

Her sister Ivy seems to be taking everything in stride. She definitely wants, and gets, more attention these days. She is adjusting better than I thought, but I think she gets lonely sometimes. We are definitely not going to be getting another kitten though. Ivy and Madison tolerated each other pretty well, but I think Ivy would destroy a kitten.

To honor Madison we got a beautiful wall tile of a cat and the vet's office also made clay plaque with her paw print. She was a loved part of this family and is missed.

Name Plaques

2011-03-11T14:03:00.004-07:00

I just finished making name plaques for Archer and his brother-to-be Fletcher. I went to Hobby Lobby and got the unfinished wood plaques and letters. After sandpapering them and painting them with acrylic paint I got to start the decoupaging! I used two different papers for each plaque and a whole lot of Mod Podge. Then I painted the letters, sealed them and attached them to the boards. I still to spray them with acrylic sealer, but this is essentially the finished product. I think they are so much fun!

10 weeks to go, or less.

2011-02-28T19:57:00.005-07:00

In a little over 2 months we will be a 2 child household. I am still feeling pretty good relatively speaking. I have the usually heartburn, difficultly getting up, putting on shoes and socks is a chore and carrying Archie upstairs makes me feel like I've run a marathon. However, I feel like I have fairly easy pregnancies compared to what I hear from other people. I am getting very excited to meet Baby F though and cannot wait to fall in love all over again when I first lay eyes on him!

(Almost 30 weeks. Ignore the fake smile.)

Archie will be 17 months old tomorrow and I cannot believe how much he has grown and changed in his short life. Every new thing he discovers and learns is such a treat as a parent to watch. Just over the last 2 days he has started walking a lot more. He will go 10 or more feet without faltering. He also chooses to walk about 1/3 of the time compared to just once or twice per day as he had been doing for a few weeks.

Another of Archie's newer developments is to point to things he wants you to see. Before he would point to things that he wanted, but now he points out things that he thinks are interesting and wants to share with you. At the airport the other day he wanted to show me how cool the luggage carousel by pointing and smiling. I love that he wants to share his world with me!

(Sleepy boy)

We spent the last week in NJ at Grandma and Grandpa R's house. It was actually quite a relaxing trip as G & G provided 2 extra sets of very helping hands. Archie did not display any sort of anxiety towards them and Dave & I were able to spend some adult time together without worrying about him crying the whole time. In fact, we were told that he didn't cry at all after we left. We got to hang out with some of Dave's friends, eat some good food, sleep in and veg out. Thank you so much Bob and Joan for giving us the gift of date night and the letting us relax while you watched Archie!

(Family picture)

(Archie with Grandma & Grandpa)

Super excited...Finally got the carrier I wanted!

2011-02-16T10:19:00.004-07:00

The advantage of having a second child is that you already have almost everything you need/want from the first child. You have a swing, pack n' play, high chair, car seat, crib, towels, bedding, clothing, bottles, changing table, cloth diapers, toys (lots and lots of toys), hats, socks, breast pump, Boppy, rocking chair, a decorated nursery and whatever else it is a that a baby needs. However, that doesn't mean there aren't things you would like to upgrade or never got in the first place.

Here are the things I have on Baby F's wish list.

Graco Quattro Tour Duo
Sony Nursery Monitor (ours is a 10 year old hand me down with LOTS of interference)
My Baby Nest Carrier (size M also shown as M/L)
Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium
KidCo feeding system OR Beaba Babycook
First Years bottle warmer
Fisher Price Rainforest mobile

This morning I was able to take one of the higher ticket items off of my wish list though! Babysteals.com is 2 deal a day website offering all different kinds of goodies for moms, babies and pregnant women. Today they had the Ergo Sport for 45% off. Ergo baby carriers are typically $105-135 and rarely go on sale. I have wanted one of these since before Archie was born but could never justify the cost. Now I have one on the way! I cannot wait to start carrying around Archie and Baby F in this carrier. Happy day for me!

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-15T08:17:00.003-07:00

Valentine's Day around here always means chocolates and flowers and for me and something sweet, but not entirely necessary for Dave. He never buys those sort of things for himself so I make it a point to do so at least on this Hallmark holiday. This year, Dave did the pregnancy sized chocolates and got me two different chocolate collections from Costco! I got him a 3 cup french press with Illy coffee, biscotti and a sampler of his favorite chocolates.

Since my idea of cooking these days is anything that takes less than 10 minutes, I decided to let Whole Foods make our dinner. I did, however, make chocolate chunk bread pudding! It was surprisingly easy and there was Kahlua in the recipe so I was all over that recipe. It was from Cooking Light too so not terribly over the top in calories. RECIPE.

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! I am now off to enjoy my fully caffeinated cup of coffee for the week.

Bread Pudding before toppings.

Bread Pudding after toppings!

Hello 3rd trimester

2011-02-10T10:49:00.005-07:00

Every website I check has a different date in which my 3rd trimester officially starts. Today I am 27 weeks, 5 days pregnant and I declaring myself in the 3rd trimester. Archie was born 3 weeks early and chances are likely Baby F will be too so here I am! To celebrate I made oatmeal pancakes with fresh strawberries on top for breakfast. Dave said they may have been the best pancakes I have ever made. I just followed the Oatmeal Pancake recipe and made a few minor adjustments. I ground up 2/3s of the dry mixture in my food processor and let the batter sit for about 5 minutes before cooking. Next time I will replace the white flour with whole wheat. Otherwise, a super delicious recipe.

In other news, I had my 3 hour glucose test on Tuesday morning. When I left the house Dave and Archie were still sleeping. It was super cold and snowy and I really just wanted to crawl back into bed. Anyway, I got there and they drew my blood then gave me 5 minutes to drink 10 oz. of fruit punch glucose drink. They drew my blood again at 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours. For the first 2 hours I worked on my scarf and then I started rereading Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich. It wasn't the most pleasant experience of my life, but it went by pretty quickly. I got a call yesterday saying that I passed the test and do not have gestational diabetes! I really hope that I do not have to do that again during my next pregnancy.

Yesterday Archie was playing near our bed. He likes to drop things in between the mattress and bed frame. Well he somehow slipped and smacked his eye against the frame. He only cried for a few minutes so I knew it must not be too serious, but he is sporting quite the bruise. Once we have 2 boys running around I am going to have daily panic attacks and a Costco supply of band-aids.

(tough guy with his black eye)

In the developmental front, he has been practicing walking a lot more over the last 2 days. He walked almost 5 feet when Dave was watching him and he's walked about 3-5 feet every time he has attempted it since then. To him it is like no big deal, but Dave and I are ecstatic. He also has been showing a increased interest in books. Before he would just pull them off the shelves and open and close them. Now there are about 3-4 books that he consistently brings over to me or Dave and wants us to read and reread them a dozen times. He will point to the page numbers or pictures and wait for us to tell him what it is. He also points to letters and numbers all over the place. This is such a fun age!

(in between eating crayons he will color a little)

Lab Corp Fail (Rant)

2011-02-05T13:29:00.003-07:00

Last week I received a call from my OB's office telling me that I had abnormal results on my 1 hour glucose test. This meant that I would have to take the 3 hour glucose test. My office does not do them so they would send my orders for the test a Lab Corp facility in the Springs. I asked if any of the offices offer weekend hours so Dave would have to take off of work. She said that one office does and she would fax the orders there.

Lab Corp does not accept appointments over the phone. It is all done on-line. You choose your office, fill in what test you are taking (glucose testing is the exact wording on the website) and then you pick an appointment time and fill in your pertinent information. I did all of this selecting a Saturday appointment at 8:30 a.m. I got a confirmation e-mail and number.

For the the 3 hour glucose test you should fast for 12-14 hours before the test which I did. I set my alarm this morning, took a shower, got my knitting and reading materials ready and drove 25 minutes to south Colorado Springs. I get there, wait in line, and when I approach the desk I tell them that I am there for my 3 hour glucose test. The guy looks at me and says we don't do glucose testing on Saturdays. I let him know that I was able to schedule an appointment for glucose testing on a Saturday through their website. I even showed him my confirmation. He says that the system shouldn't have let me and then he goes to talk with him manager. His manager says no to the testing as well.

I am starting to tear up a bit here b/c I am tired, hungry, 6 months pregnant and I want to frickin' know if I have gestational diabetes or not. Nobody apologizes for the mix up, nobody offers to reschedule my appointment and I was very upset. I left the office and immediately called Lab Corp customer service to file a complaint.

I have rescheduled my appointment at a different Lab Corp office for a weekday. Dave is taking the day off of work. I wish I could've taken care of this last week and I would have been able to if the online Lab Corp appointment scheduling actually worked. I am just angry at the way their employees treated me, I am angry at their crappy appointment scheduling website and I am angry that I have no real recourse.

What has happened to customer service? I worked in customer service for many, many years and it really isn't that difficult. Yes, some people can be trying but good customer service boils down to basic common decency and courtesy. It makes me sad that people cannot even deliver on that score. Shame on them.

Too much belly...26 weeks

2011-02-04T17:05:00.005-07:00

If you will excuse my just woken up look you will see one of the few times that I will ever expose my midriff for the public.

That is 26 weeks and 6 days of gestation in all its glory. If Baby F follows his brothers footsteps then he could be here in 10 short weeks. That is not a lot of time to get everything done that we want to get done. We may have a few weekends where we take Archie to the babysitters so we can do around the house stuff. Maybe this time around I will actually kick into nesting mode.....

Strawberry Bread

2011-02-03T08:53:00.002-07:00

I had some strawberries that were on their way out so I needed to to something with them. I still have some of my tangerine and banana jams in the fridge so I didn't want to make another jam. I went in search of a whole wheat strawberry bread recipe and stumbled across one on an amazing blog.

The amazing blog is eat! craft! live! and the amazing recipe can be found HERE.

It is an easy recipe to follow and if you don't drop your entire cup of freshly cut strawberries on a floor laden with dog and cat hair, then it should take you no longer than 10 minutes to get this bad boy in the oven.

Here is my picture of the finished product sans two slices of bread.

Archer at 15/16 months old

2011-02-03T08:31:00.003-07:00

When all else fails, give the boy a straw!

Archie discovers dirt. I see a life long friendship forming.

At the playground near our house. Again, he is more interested in the sand than the toys.

He loves playing with balls and he loves climbing the stairs. It gives me a good work out too!

Sleep little one...Please!

2011-02-01T14:07:00.006-07:00

Sometimes I wish we could swaddle Archie until he leaves for college. Somehow I don't think that is feasible though. The past few months have been long ones come 2 a.m. Our dear son has no problems falling asleep. He is usually down for the count in less than 5 minutes. However, come those wee hours in the morning, he always wakes up between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. We usually change his diaper first thing and then rock him back to sleep. After about 15 minutes of rocking he is totally out, but the second we lay him back down he wakes up again. I have stood there rubbing his back for 30 minutes and he just lays there awake. If we walk away then he starts to cry and fuss. Repeat cycle. Same outcome. We bring him into to bed with us and he is asleep in 5 minutes and sleeps until 7:00 a.m.

We tried cry it out at two different ages. Each time he cries until he throws up. Clearly this is not a viable solution. I have tried sitting next to his crib, but he cries and cries because he wants to be picked up. We have white noise going, a humidifier, a fan, we've tried music, we've tried singing. I know that sleep problems are nothing new for parents, but we are seriously getting concerned b/c we are going to be adding a newborn to the mix in about 3 months. I won't be able to always rock Archie back to sleep in middle of his nap plus we are going to be functioning on very limited sleep b/c of Baby F.

The only time Dave and I fight is at 3:00 a.m. b/c we are frustrated and don't know what to do. It is amazing that something as awesome and precious as sleep would be so hard to teach a kid to do. Is there a sleep fairy that I can send my wished to?

Bipedal child

2011-01-24T09:52:00.010-07:00

It took 15 1/2 months but that day has come...sort of. Last week was huge for Archie. He stood up by himself for the first time, he took 2 wobbly steps and then he took 4 very confident steps all within in 5 days. He loves to stand on his own because Dave and I start throwing our hands in the air, clapping and cheering him on. What kid wouldn't love Mom & Dad acting riotously happy over something he thinks is fun anyway? Since Friday though he hasn't really shown any interest in walking. The same thing happened with crawling. He tried it, but he vastly preferred the butt scoot. Perhaps he vastly prefers crawling now to walking. He will soon learn what doors walking can open though, both literally and figuratively.

In other news, I am seriously trying to get Dave serious about some home improvement projects. We are holding out for another month or two until we hone in on the deck, fence and kitchen. In the interim I want to start on the study/guest room and Archie's new room. Dave moved the queen bed from one room to the other yesterday. We also got rid of three large items from the basement and moved the dresser and futon over to our future basement tv area. It's a pretty good start.

I am on week 2 of knitting and am getting a little more confident in my ability to manipulate my mistakes. Last week I just lost all confidence and would get really frustrated. This week I am trying my calm approach and it works surprisingly well go figure. I have learned how to both knit and purl and have worked in the Garter stitch, the Stockinette and the Reverse Stockinette stitch. Next week we are learning the Cable stitch, which I think will be really cool but has the potential to be very frustrating. After I finish the scarf I really want to learn how to make cute little hats for my 2 boys, but that requires using one of those fishing line looking circular needles. Those scare me!

My sisters are thinking about coming to visit in April which would be totally awesome if it pans out. They would be coming out right around when I hit my 37th week, which was when Archie was born. My Mom would be coming out shortly after they left so hopefully someone will be be here when I go into labor so Dave & I don't need to stress about who will watch Archer. Besides who better to take my mind off of the last few weeks of the 3rd trimester than my sisters?

Goals for the year.

2011-01-19T09:23:00.003-07:00

I just recently started thinking of my goals for this year. I am very anti-New Year's resolutions b/c I think by making them you are just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Great way to start off the new year. Goals, however, seem more attainable to me. It's probably just all semantics, but whatever.

In no particular order, here I go.

- I want to be the best mother to my children that I can possibly be.

- I am currently learning to knit and I want to stick with it through this frustrating first part.

- I want to make my Baby F's baby food. I did not do this with Archer b/c I was intimidated.

- I want to make our kitchen as waste-less as possible. No more paper towels or paper napkins, compost more, recycle more, etc...

- I want to turn our basement into a family friendly play area. It is not too bad right now, but it could use a little brightening up, some decluttering and a lot of rug remnants.

- I want to keep up with Archer's baby book, Baby F's Belly Book and eventually Baby F's baby book. I have been really good about this and I want to keep it up.

- I want to continue playing around with my bread machine and make as much bread as I can at home.

- After Baby F is born I would like to start my weight loss/healthier eating habits earlier than when I had Archer. I used iPhone app called Lose It that really helped me get back to my prepregnancy weight.

- I want Dave and I to take a family vacation. Not one the involves weddings, visiting friends/family or prior obligations. Just a trip that we can plan and cater to our children and our lifestyle. Right now we are tossing around the idea of the Adirondacks and Vermont in July.

That's all I've got for now. I think these are all things that I can do and 12 months is a long time really. However, I say that now. The next thing I know it will be 2012.

Happy V-Day!

2011-01-16T09:16:00.007-07:00

As in I've hit 24 weeks which means that according the hospital I have a viable baby in womb. I could have told them that though. Baby probably F is a kicker at all times of day and night! I still get so excited when I think about being a Mom to two boys. I know a lot of people who have 2 boys pretty close together in age and they all get along so well in their adult lives. Archer and Baby F will hopefully continue this trend and be best friends.

(exactly 24 weeks)

It is Sunday morning here at the R. household and Dave has Rancid playing on Pandora, Archie is talking to Dewey who is trying hard to ignore him, I've got Oatmeal Bread in the bread machine and a cup of Green Mountain Dark Magic decaf near at hand. Happy Sunday!

Yesterday I took my first of 3 Beginner's Knitting classes. There are three other women in the class and we had a great time chatting and being frustrated together. I have to go back today though because I have 2 mistakes in one of my rows and I have no clue how to fix them. The curse of not messing up during class is that I do not know how to fix my mistakes when they happen. I guess that is also the curse of being a Virgo/perfectionist. Fortunately, I only know one stitch and I caught my mistakes before I got too far.

This past week we finally went out and got Archie a real haircut. I have cut his hair twice and we went to Super Cuts once where the guy cutting his hair clearly did not feel like dealing with a child and did a terrible job. A place that specializes in cutting kids hair, Kiddie Kutters, just opened up near our house so we checked it out. Archie sat in a little Ford Mustang chair and the lady was totally awesome even as Archie was screaming and turning tomato red. Plus, the price for the cut was only $10.95. We gave her a big tip!

(sporting his new 'do)

I am starting to really get into decorating Archie's big boy room. We are going with a traditional transportation theme with lots of reds and blues. This is mostly because there is such a variety of transportation themed items for toddlers rooms that it will be easy and I can decorate it pretty inexpensively. On Amazon.com I found these wooden storage bins in blue for only $59. At Land of Nod they retail for $150. I ordered a 2 bin and 3 bin for his room. I cannot wait to get them! Did I mention that I got free shipping? Amazon rocks! The bedding that I think we are going to get is from Target. It is the Circo transportation collection, but I want the quilt not the blanket. I like the look of quilts on children's beds. Hopefully today we can get the guest bed moved into the study/new guest room and I can really start to visualize the space.

(playing at Gymboree)

Well, we should be getting on with our Sunday. There are actually things that I want to get done today. We'll see how well that goes.

Belly Book for Baby Boy #2

2011-01-11T10:16:00.006-07:00

With Archie I filled out a pregnancy journal called the Belly Book. I decided that I would do the same with each subsequent child. It doesn't hurt that I am a scrapbooker and this is the sort of thing I love doing. I have actually been really good about filling out Archie's baby book and Baby F/S's Belly Book. About every other week I sit down and update them. I just finished their most recent updates and am shocked that next week is the last week of the 2nd trimester in the Belly Book. Where has this pregnancy gone??

(23 weeks pregnant)

Technically my 3rd trimester doesn't begin until the first week of February, but that is still right around the corner. My due date is May 7th, but I am anticipating an April baby. Archie was 3 weeks early and typically 2nd babies are earlier than the first. Also, high altitude babies tend to be born early if their mothers are not from high altitudes. Of course babies will come when they are good and ready.

This pregnancy has been a little harder than the first b/c I didn't have a toddler that I was chasing after before. On the flip side, it has been flying by because I haven't had time to sit around and dwell on being pregnant. I have been trying to indicate to Archie that his little brother is in my belly. Archie will kind of look at my belly and then just start crawling over me. Maybe he understands more than I give him credit for!!

In other news, Archer has had a big week. He is starting to stand unaided by me, Dave or any other object that can hold him up. He can only stand for about 30 seconds before sitting down again, but it is a good step towards walking. His balance is really good too. He doesn't sway and he can bend his knees a little then push himself back up to a stand. I also taught him how to "Give me 5" yesterday and he already a pro. He will crawl all the way across the room just to give you 5. Why can't my dogs learn that quickly and be that obedient?

I signed up for beginner's knitting class starting this weekend. I went to the store and bought my yarn for the scarf that I am going to make. The hat was totally uncool so opted for the scarf. A wise decision on my part. I am sincerely hoping that this is a hobby I can get into because I am desperate for an activity that is mobile and not terribly mind consuming. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Bread Machine Tangerine Jam

2011-01-10T14:09:00.002-07:00

I invented a recipe! I bought a bunch of sunburst tangerines at Whole Foods yesterday with the intention of making jam. After I got home I searched and searched on-line and through my cookbooks to no avail. I found one recipe for bread machine orange marmalade that was super labor intensive and took 2 days. No thank you! So I created my own recipe as follows.

Ingredients

2 cups of tangerine segments (pre-chopped)
1 tangerine rind slivered and boiled for 5 minutes
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup of lemon juice
1-2 tsps of almond extract (to taste)
1/2 package of pectin (traditional packet size is 1.75 oz.)

Instructions

Using a potato masher or pastry blender, roughly mash the tangerine segments. If you still have larger segments take some kitchen scissors and cut them up although larger chunks are okay.
Add all the above ingredients to the bread bowl of your bread machine in the order listed.
Place bowl in bread machine, close the lid and set the jam cycle.
When cycle is complete, transfer to jars and let cool for about 30 minutes to an hour before refrigerating. Jam will thicken overnight.

Makes about 2 cups

This jam is not overly sweet and quite delicious on toast with a little bit of fresh cinnamon. Enjoy!

"The Business of Being Born"

2011-01-10T13:44:00.003-07:00

So I finally got around to watching "The Business of Being Born" and I knew it would bring out these emotions in me, but I did it anyway. It really makes me angry. I think midwives are great. I think people choosing home births are amazing. I think women having choices and feeling comfortable with those choices during labor is so important. However, I hate the us vs. them attitude that this documentary portrays. Why can women not support each other and their choices as opposed to creating a hostile environment around one of the most important events that a women can experience?

I totally agree that I c-sections are overused in this country. I believe that many women feel pressured into birthing choices b/c of society, medical professionals, family, history, etc... I also believe that women should be advocating for themselves more when it comes to the childbirth process. However, I do not think that a woman who chooses to give birth in a hospital is automatically in for a bad childbirth experience. One midwife in the documentary says that women who birth at home are more in tune with their labor and have a better experience. Unless she has been inside of the minds of every woman who ever gave birth then how could she possible know that?

My other big problem with this documentary is how it portrays hospital births as the big, bad in this country but gives absolutely no factual reasons as to why. They do not take into account the horrendous health care system we have set up in this country, the amount of people without insurance, the prenatal care that infants receive before birth, and the percentage of people who have hospital births that they are completely satisfied with their experience.

I guess I usually dislike documentaries in the first place b/c they are usually from one POV and they have an agenda. I probably shouldn't have watched this during the angry stage of my hormonal pregnancy either. Oh well. I was happy with my childbirth experience. My medical staff respected me and my decisions. I am prepared to do it all over again with my next son, at the same hospital and I happy about this decision.

Bread Machine

2011-01-09T16:01:00.004-07:00

I finally got a bread machine yesterday! The one I really want is a Zojirushi BB-CEC20, but with a hefty price tag I decided to get one that was a little less expensive...for the time being. Another reason we chose to get a different one is that I have read that baking bread in bread machines at high altitude involve a lot of trial and error. When we move to a lower elevation I will get the bread machine of my dreams that I won't have to worry about adjusting yeast, sugar, water, or salt levels.

Anyway, we ended up getting a Cuisinart BMKR-200PC from Costco. After doing some research of the machine and how to use it at high altitude, I jumped in and made my first loaf. I started with a 1 lb. Sun Dried Tomato and Mozzarella loaf. I added an extra 1/8 tsp. of salt, an extra 1 tsp. of water after the first mixing and 2 tsps. of vital wheat gluten to the bread flour. The loaf smelled delicious and came out looking great. It did deflate a little after sitting on the counter for about 20 minutes though. I read that either be caused my too much yeast or too much flour. In this case I think it was the yeast b/c of the altitude. Fortunately, it tasted absolutely wonderful!

My next loaf is going to be an Oatmeal Bread. Before I make that, however, I am going to use the jam function and make some marmalade like jam. How cool is it that my bread maker will make jam for me? The one big pain about jam making is constantly having to stir and watch the temperature. Not anymore! I will let you know how my Sunburst Tangerine Jam turns out.

Until then I will continue with my adventures in bread and jam making. I also got a laminating machine, but that's a whole different craft altogether.

Archie goes to the aquarium

2011-01-06T08:27:00.006-07:00

This past Monday Dave had off of work for the New Year. Instead of sitting at home thinking we should be cleaning, we decided to head up to Denver for the day. I found a nice place to eat near the Capitol building so I plugged the address in our GPS and we were off. We found it easily (duh), but they were closed Monday only! So we pulled out our various electronic devices and looked for another place. I found one called Mona's near the Denver Aquarium so we chose the convenience of the location. Am I glad we did. The food was amazing and it was kid friendly. What more could I ask for? Orange Brioche French Toast perhaps? Done! It didn't even need the maple syrup it was so delicious.

After lunch it was off to the aquarium, a whole 1/2 mile away. The parking lot was nearly empty and we were so excited. The last time we went to the aquarium it was so crowded that we had to wait in line to see all the different exhibits. We also brought in the stroller and I hate bringing a stroller into a crowded area. At first Archie was a little nervous at the different sights and sounds, but he soon was trying to stick his hand in the water and was scooting from exhibit to exhibit. I love that he is old enough now to start enjoying places like children's museums, aquariums, parks, etc...

We only stayed about an hour and a half because a 15 month olds attention span doesn't really last that long. It was a nice way to spend the day though and I am looking forward to more family outings in the future.

IT"S A BOY...Again!

2010-12-31T10:34:00.008-07:00

We had our ultrasound yesterday at almost 22 weeks into the pregnancy. Dave and I were convinced this one was a girl so we were a bit shocked to see boy parts, very clearly might I add. I say shocked, but that in no way implies that we are disappointed. In fact, Dave is quite pleased that the males will be outnumbering the females in our household. We count dogs and cats in that equation. If not, then I am the sole female in this family. However, I still think that I will be able to rule the roost quite effectively. They won't be taller than me until they are 12 or 13...I hope. I am going to have to learn how to cook for an army by the time these boys are teenagers. Costco is going to love us!

When we left the Dr.'s office it had started snowing and there was already about an inch on the ground. Thank goodness for AWD. I am usually a little apprehensive when it comes to driving in the snow so when I say that I was the fastest car on the road at 30 mph you can guess how Coloradans drive in inclement weather. The nice thing about the weather is that Dave couldn't get back to work so he had a impromptu 1/2 day and we got some more Daddy time! Dave took Archie and the dogs outside to play in the snow. Archie didn't want to get his hands wet, but he cried when we brought him back inside. Dave just might have his little skier after all!

I cannot remember when I last posted, but we have done a lot in the last month and a half. We spent Thanksgiving week in Ft. Myers Beach, FL to celebrate my sister Mary's wedding John. It was a small and intimate ceremony that suited the couple perfectly. We stayed in a beach house one house back from the Gulf. Although Dave and I are not beach people, I am glad that we were able to introduce Archie to the experience. He loved playing in the sand much more than he actually loved being in the water. That will most definitely change the older he gets though.

In December my sister Amy had a surprise wedding to her now husband Chris. Mary officiated and said that the ceremony was very "Amy". I am presuming that means exactly the way she wanted it to happen! Now all my siblings have found and married their perfect partners. I wonder when Archie is going to get more cousins?

For the holidays we traveled to my parents house in MI. Dave and I each caught some sort of 24 hour bug one day apart from each so the actual traveling was not exactly pleasurable. Add that to me dumping an entire glass of ice water on my lap at the airport and we had a really fun day. Fortunately our visit was much more enjoyable. We saw friends, family, Ann Arbor, I got a prenatal massage from Melissa (website: http://www.meltannarbor.com/), and had an overall relaxing trip despite it being so close to Christmas.

Now it is New Year's Eve, Dave is at work and I'm still in my pajamas at 1 pm. We have no plans for the night and I will most likely be in bed before 10. I am planning on using our Cuisinart griddle though to make balsamic portobello mushrooms, roasted red pepper and goat cheese grilled sandwiches for dinner. I may bust out the new cookbook my cousin Lori got me for Christmas to make some yummy baked dessert too. We like living on the wild side here in our little abode.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope that 2011 is better than 2010 for everyone! Drink some champagne for me.

What does your car say about you?

2010-12-16T07:45:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I was stopped behind a vehicle that had quite a few bumper stickers. Most were pretty typical of Colorado Springs. 2 Jesus fish, a McCain/Palin slogan, a Denver Broncos decal and then a nice one (note the sarcasm) that said "91101 Terrorist Hunting Permit". To me that last one seems to be a little oxymoronic considering the 2 Jesus fish. Then, after we had made our left turn, we both were turning right into the shopping center which clearly has the lines of a pedestrian crosswalk painted on the road with a high schooler getting ready to enter said crosswalk. Did the Jesus vehicle stop for the kid? Nope.

I guess I it just baffles me when people display their love for Jesus when clearly they are not following his message of love.

Just a little bit hippie

2010-11-19T11:00:00.003-07:00

Apparently you can take the girl out of the co-op but a little bit of the co-op will always stay with the girl. I think working at Whole Foods for 5 years can also have a bit of an effect. There are things that I do in my daily life that are second nature to help nature. Recycling is a given. We do not have a compost pile, but all my food scraps do go outside for the soil and animals. We choose to cloth diaper our son. We have reusable shopping bags that actually get used. We replace our appliances with energy efficient ones. We switched all our light bulbs to CFLs, once LEDs come down in price and the CFLs start going we will use those.

Lately I have been starting to wonder what else can we do to become more green. There are some things that just aren't feasible for us at the moment like only having one car, air travel, and walking to my most frequented store but there are lots of small changes we could make that could be very effective. I have been researching going paperless in the kitchen. There are quite a few sellers on Etsy that have reusable paper towels. I am not sure how on board Dave will get with this, but I'm willing to try. I have some cloth wipes that we never used that could easily become reusable napkins. We already have tons of cloth dish towels. I don't think we will ever become a reusable toilet paper house but we do buy recycled toilet paper.

What else can we do as a family to become more green? I think this is more important to me know because I am responsible for raising the next generation...well, at least a small portion of the next generation. My children could end up having a huge impact on the world though. Who knows? I don't what them to feel entitled, I want them to feel empowered. I have to lead by example though. These are just some of the thoughts running through my head these days.

Completely off topic, but Betty Crocker German Chocolate cake mix and coconut pecan frosting are such a great combo. Totally yummy! This probably is very hippie of me though.

The crafting bug

2010-11-05T11:20:00.005-06:00

When I was pregnant with Archie I never really got the whole nesting thing. It was fun decorating his nursery and all, but my baseboards are still dirty, my cabinets never got a scrub down and I am not even going to talk about our bathroom grout. Yuck! What I did have the strong urge to do, however, was crafting. Making invitations, cards, scrapbooks, photo mats, photo books, etc... I think I am getting that urge again.

Today I made address labels. I got some nice chartreuse labels from Archiver's and then stamped little designs on them after I printed them up. I also want to make a calendar. I looked at some templates online, but didn't really find anything I liked so I am going to do this by hand. I have this great 11x17 ivory paper that I can really do some neat things with I think. I bought little hooks and hole punch reinforcers at Office Max yesterday and now I just want to dive in. Archie has other plans though. He is totally content when I am paying 100% attention to him, but as soon I try to do anything for me the sh*t hits the fan. Smart kid.

The last few weeks I have spent reorganizing our digital media on my desktop. We had folders all over the place with crazy headings and no order whatsoever. It had been driving me nuts for years! Now all of our pictures are organized by year>month>date on our external hard drive. Dave is also looking having them all stored on a server somewhere too. I reinstalled Picasa and now my pictures are in organizational heaven. Yeah!

I have been also been doing a belly book for our new little one. I used this journal for my pregnancy with Archie and it was a lot of fun. I decided to continue the tradition because each pregnancy should be cherished, not just my first one. I keep it right next to Archie's baby book so I can update them at the same time.

Well that concludes my crafting desires list. that's not actually true because I still want to create a year 1 Archie scrapbook, a dog scrapbook and a cat scrapbook. Maybe when all the kids are out of the house and we're retired!

I'm portable!

2010-11-02T09:27:00.007-06:00

Having a desktop PC and a 1 year old really aren't compatible. He is not content to play in just one space for any length of time. All that changed yesterday though when Dave's new laptop was delivered to our front door. Archie wants to hang out in the front room? Great! Archie wants to go back into the family room? No problem! Archie wants to practice climbing stairs? Maybe I should actually set the laptop down for this one.

Anyway. I don't think I will be able to do a full recap of the last 4 months because too much has happened. Vacations, babies, pregnancies, birthdays, weddings. In a word, life happened. The biggest news for our family is the addition that is growing bigger and better over the next 6 months. We are expecting baby #2 in May! Sometimes I wonder how are we going to manage two under 2, but we will cross that bridge next year.

Archie turned the big 1 year old last month. We had a few neighbors over for a get together and had a great day! I think that was also the start of U of M's losing streak though so it was an almost perfect day. The obligatory give-the-baby-a-cake-so-he-makes-a-gigantic-mess was a success. Four colors of frosting all over his face, clothes, high chair and eventually in his eyes made some great photo ops. At his 12 month check-up he was also in the 97th percentile for height and his weight percentile went up into the 70th percentiles. He is definitely Dave's son!

Unfortunately I do not have any any photos on this laptop so this will be a word heavy post. We are going to get me a laptop sometime over the next 2 months though. Once that happens I will really be able to blog it up for real until the new baby comes. Well I've got a little boy who is showing signs of being ready for his morning nap. Maybe I will be able to add some photos from my desktop during his nap. We'll see!

How to stop breastfeeding?

2010-07-09T17:30:00.004-06:00

WARNING! The word breast appears at least a dozen times in this post. Sorry.

I am seriously annoyed right now with the lack of information about how to stop breastfeeding. Every article I read is about making sure it is the right time and how to persevere and breastfeed longer. If I woman wants to stop breastfeeding she has to go through a major guilt trip first apparently.

When Archer was 6 months old, I cut out 2 breastfeeds a day and replaced them with formula. Archer was losing interest in the breast and had no problem switching to formula in a bottle. About a month and a half later, we cut out another breastfeeding session. He was being breastfed at morning and at night. For the past 2-3 weeks the night feeding has been going horrendously. He clearly was either not getting enough milk or not getting it fast enough. We were both not enjoying it.

Three days ago I decided we were done. I do not feel sad about the decision, but I am feeling annoyed by all the stupid articles out in Internet land designed to make a woman feel like crap for making the very personal decision to stop breastfeeding. All I want to know is how to help alleviate the pain of engorged breasts and how long to expect it to last. Is that really asking too much??

Vent over.

In the summer swing

2010-06-29T10:12:00.009-06:00

Summer seems to arrive a little late in CO, but it is totally worth the wait. I'll take late summers that extend into October and give me little to no humidity. Granted, if I forget the sunscreen, 10 minutes outside can leave me a little pink. I guess that's what happens when you are 6000+ feet above sea level. The funny thing is, however, I would give it all up in a heartbeat to live closer to family. That is another blog post though.

The last 2 weeks have been full of firsts for our little man. On Father's Day we went to theCheyenne Mountain Zoo here in the Springs. Archer only seemed interested in a few animals, including the giraffes, gorillas and birds. He did fantastic though for most of the trip, only getting cranky while on the lift to the top. Have you ever tried holding a squirmy, crying 9 month old while on the equivalent of a ski lift? Dave was thankful that I had to deal with it.

Later in the week we finally gave Archie his first haircut. I loved his little tufts, but he was starting to resemble a flying nun or a creepy clown - depended on the day. I broke the first rule of haircutting by cutting horizontally instead of vertically. Now he has perfectly straight lines of hair on both sides of his head. Oops! He does look more like a toddler than a baby though. I cannot believe how fast he grows!

This past weekend we travelled back to the 16th century at the CO Renaissance Festival. There is nothing like a beer and Celtic music at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Who needs church? Don't answer that question please. Anyway, we had a great time and I got to indulge in a "fryed" pickle! Sooo good! We saw the Ded Bob Show, Hey Nunnie Nunnie, listened to the Carillon Bells, went to a petting farm, saw Celtic Legacy play and walked around looking at a bunch of stuff Archer will want us to buy him in 3 years. Good times.

What do we have planned in the upcoming weeks? Not much. We kind of take it one day at a time around here. I think we want to try and make it over to Durango, CO for a long weekend plus we are headed the Portland way in July. Until then, I am going to finish enjoying my free time until Archie wakes up.

Look who can feed himself!

2010-06-14T14:18:00.004-06:00

DAVE!!!!

but so can his son.

I think Dave and I have not given Archer enough credit. We talk about how he hasn't been hitting his so called milestones when the other kids in Gymboree have, but then we do everything for him. We knew that would be our biggest challenge before we had him though. He has to make his own efforts and mistakes and we have to let him. That is how he'll learn.

Anyway, the other day we decided to try and let Archer give himself his bottle. I put about 2 oz. of white grape juice in a bottle, let him taste it and then set the bottle down next to him. Essentially that is all it took. It also works with formula. What a smart kid!

What doesn't he understand yet? Finger food. He will pick it up, look at it and then drop it on the ground where Piper and Dewey snatch it up. At least the dogs have gotten the finger food concept.

iPhone to Blogger in one easy text

2010-06-13T15:12:00.002-06:00

Trying to see if my text to Blogger actually works.

This is a picture of Archer feeding himself while barely awake!

The Weight Post

2010-06-13T14:03:00.002-06:00

This post is more for me than you. It is about my weight over the last year and I want to put in out there to help keep me motivated. I have no real support system here in CO, sans my wonderful husband who thinks I am beautiful no matter what, to help keep me on track.

When I got pregnant with Archer I weighed 155 lbs. That was the most I ever weighed in my life, but still I was content. Over the course of my pregnancy I gained 40 lbs. and lost about 15-20 shortly after his birth. Being a new Mom I did not really concern myself with what I was putting into my body. I ate whatever when I was hungry. About 6 weeks ago I weighed 170 lbs. and decided that I needed to change a few things.

I started with an iPhone app called "Lose It" which helps me track my daily caloric intake. The hardest part in the beginning was being honest about what I was eating. It is hard to see that those 2 bowls of tortilla chips add up to a lot of calories. I set a goal of losing 1/2 lb. per week. which is a realistic limit. This allowed me about 1900 calories a day and would force me to really think about what I wanted to use them up on.

I got some new cookbooks to help me come up with healthy, low calorie meal and snack ideas. If we were planning on going out to eat I would look up the nutritional info of the place we were going to. I have spent more time in the last 6 weeks thinking about what goes into my body than I ever have in my life. I am not the most active person and no matter how many times I start going to the gym I always quit. Changing my eating habits has been the most practical avenue for me to help get healthy.

Yesterday I tried on my favorite pair of pre-pregnancy jeans and they fit great. I stepped on the scale and I weighed 156 lbs. I cannot believe that changing my diet had such a huge effect in a short amount of time. I must have been eating like crap. Another good thing about this is that we are planning on expanding our family in the not to distant future and I would like this pregnancy to be healthier.

I really want this to be a life change and not just a post pregnancy trend. That is why I am putting this out there in the Internet world. I really want some culpability if I start to lose my motivation.

I have to go make sure my child eats now!

90 degrees and in a Sudafed fog.

2010-06-05T09:22:00.009-06:00

Summer has descended upon Colorado Springs. Archie can finally wear his summer wardrobe before he outgrows them, Dave's allergies are acting up and I've got a cold. I think that our little man has inherited his father's allergies too. The poor thing keeps sneezing, but it doesn't really seem to bother him.

Our garden is looking fantastic this year. We've discovered that some of the plants from last year that didn't do so hot are now thriving. I also decided to make my own hanging baskets instead of paying $25/basket. I put some begonias and a red leafy annual that I cannot remember the name of right now. The nice thing is that I can reuse the pretty baskets so the cost will be even lower next year. Dave started some vegetable from seeds and we will hopefully get them in the ground this weekend. He is really the outdoors guy in the family, I just blog about it!

We had bought some ceiling fans over a year ago and didn't have them installed until after Archer was born. Now that the weather has turned hot, we are wondering why we waited so long. We do not have air conditioning so they are truly a lifesaver. Next up my amazing husband will be replacing our fence. He cemented his first post last weekend and survived. Now there are only about 25 or so 8 foot segments to complete.

Archer is still a wonder and delight. He now sits pretty confidently and has started to kick his legs while on his tummy. He really prefers bouncing though and will go to town while in his exersaucer. We walked to our neighborhood park last week and Archie went swinging for the first time. He just kind of laid back and took it all in stride. He only got excited if I made a fool out of myself cheering him along. My favorite though is when he just starts squealing for no apparentreason. This is not much fun while at the library, but all other times are good!

Other than that we are looking forward to the rest of the summer. In July the sisters, Archie and myself are making our way to WA to stay with Marlene and go to the Portland Brewer's Fest. Fortunately, Mary and Amy's plane has a layover in Denver and I got on the same flight as them. It will be nice to have some helping hands. I have flown solo with him once and we did okay, but it is still stressful. We are still planning on taking some weekend camping trips around CO and hopefully in September we will have a meeting of the college friends in Ann Arbor.

That's the digs for now. Archie is napping and I'm going to go get ready for the day. Enjoy the video of Archer's first swing time!

(Please ignore the Mommy voice)

I'm back....until I'm not again

2010-05-13T08:34:00.009-06:00

Our laptop has been out of commission for a few months now. My desktop is upstairs in my study, which I do not get to retreat to very often. Needless to say this blog has been sorely neglected due to my lack of free computer time. Right now Archie is sleeping in his swing and I am ignoring the messy house and updating all of you instead.

Archer is 7 1/2 months old now and he changes every day. He can now sit up on his own although he would rather be standing. Every time I try to get him to sit he stretches out his legs and arches his back. I think he will be walking before he ever crawls, which he shows desire in doing. He loves to laugh and squeal. In our Gymboree class right now we are working on communication and he is the most vocal kid there. Dave and I still think he is the coolest and love every second we spend with him. Not that every second is easy, but most aren't too bad!

Since I have last posted we have taken two trips, one to Michigan and one camping in Colorado. In late March we all flew back to MI, but Dave only stayed the long weekend. Archie and I spent an additional week. We went to a Piston's game because my Dad had one a box in an auction. It was so much fun! Becky's baby shower was also that week and she made out like a bandit! Her little girl (BORN YESTERDAY!!!!!!) has enough clothes for the entire first year I think. I flew back to CO with Archer. It was my first time flying solo with him and I think we did great! He cried at the very beginning, but then slept for the rest of the trip. We encountered the worst turbulence I had ever experienced on that flight. I was holding onto Archie for dear life, but thankfully he slept right through it. I was definitely ready for a break once we got back to CO though.

This past weekend we went camping at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. We stayed in a cabin with a propane heater, which was a blessing since it got below freezing at night and we had Archie and the dogs! It was a lot of fun to get away for a bit and be in a forest. We don't have clusters of trees in Colorado Springs so I need my fix every now and again. Archer did fine on this trip and the dogs loved sleeping on the bed with their Daddy. This summer we are planning on taking lots of long weekend trips around the state of CO. We have lived here almost 3 years and haven't really explored our own backyard.

This really isn't a comprehensive update, but it's all I have time for right now. I will leave you with some pictures and hopefully try to update this blog at least 3-4 times a month for the time being. We'll see.

My new favorite photo

2010-02-23T08:32:00.002-07:00

Solid Foods A-Go-Go

2010-02-10T08:49:00.006-07:00

Archer had his 4 month check-up last week. Where does the time go? Sometimes it seems like he was just born, but then I remember what it felt like that first month. Definitely a huge improvement at 4 months! Anyhow, he now weighs almost 15 lbs, is 25.5" long and his head seems to be catching up b/c now it is in the 20th percentile as opposed to the 10th.

At the appointment our Dr. discussed teething and eating solid foods with us. Is he really already at these huge milestones? Apparently so, because that night we were all geared up for his foray into solid foods. I had read many different things about how and when to feed baby his first foods. Some sources said that he will give you cues, some said that most babies hate it at first, but to be persistent and some said don't even try until he is 6 months. As with everything else with this kid, feeding was super easy. Is there anything he doesn't make easy? He smiled, laughed and managed to keep some of his rice cereal in his mouth. He opens his mouth up wide when he sees the spoon and even tries to feed himself.

He has been on rice cereal for a week now. Today I am going to introduce oatmeal cereal and then next week we might try sweet potatoes or prunes. This is so much fun! Other than eating, Archie is showing so much interest in the world around him. He goes to Gymboree twice a week, I can put on his play mat for 20-30 minutes and he keeps himself entertained, and when in his carrier he just soaks it all up. We took a walk with the dogs the other day and Archie was enthralled. Fortunately our winters have plenty of 40+ degree, sunny days so we can take more walks. I do wish I had an extra $140 laying around for the Beco Butterfly II carrier (fabric: Grace) though. Our current carrier is nice, but it hurts my back after awhile. Oh well!

Later this month Grandma and Grandpa R. are coming for a visit and we are very excited! In less than 2 months we are traveling to MI and I cannot wait for my family to meet Archie! So far only my Mom and sister Marlene have seen him. It'll be weird not having Dave around for a week though. Let's hope Archie is good for Mommy that week!

Here is a video of Archer eating. Enjoy!

Visitors

2010-01-23T09:09:00.005-07:00

Last week we were fortunate enough to have 3 of our very good friends come visit. Jen came via Montana after moving Heather into her new place. A day later Natalie and Andy came via D.C. for a long weekend. It was nice to get out, see the sights and have normal adult conversation!

Jen, Archie and I went to the Air Force Academy before heading to the airport. Despite having done a training camp there in high school, Jen had never seen the chapel on the premises. We also looked out over the quad and I got a lesson in airplanes! At the airport we managed to squeeze 4 adults, 1 infant, 2 suitcases and skis into the Jeep. Who says you can't have fuel efficiency and space?

The next day Jen left and the rest of us drove to Cheyenne Park and Gold Camp Road. On Saturday Natalie and I headed to Boulder with the kid while Dave and Andy went skiing. We visited the Celestial Seasons headquarters and sampled a bunch of tea. The Sugar Cookie tea was surprisingly good and now I am wishing I had bought more than the one box. Afterwards we wanted to eat at Natalie's favorite restaurant in Boulder, but Kansas State alum had taken over the place. Oh well! On our way home we stopped at Crate and Barrel so I could get the other baking pan that I had registered for our wedding.

On Sunday we lounged around the house and Natalie made dinner and dessert! It was the best meal we had eaten probably since my mother-in-law was here. Now, however, it is back to the daily grind and meals that take less than 20 minutes to make.

Later today we are taking Archie to his first class at Gymboree. They are offering free classes this month and if we like it then we will sign up for weekly classes. It will be nice to meet other parents with children Archie's age.

Sorry I have been lax in my blog upkeep. Our laptop is on its way out and I rarely have time to sit at my desktop. There is also the matter of the almost 4 month old kid....

Tummy Time

2010-01-14T11:20:00.003-07:00

In the past week Archer has gotten to be a tummy time pro. Here is a minute long video of him rockin' his neck muscles. One of these days I will have time to write more than a few sentences. In the meantime enjoy!

Video for the Grandmas

2010-01-11T11:58:00.003-07:00

Below is a rather uneventful, but absolutely adorable video of Archie. He starts off grumpy, but then gets super cute and happy. Please forgive the camera women's lack of skill!

10 1/2 weeks!

2009-12-15T10:14:00.004-07:00

Right now Archie is cooing and keeping himself entertained in his crib. The sounds that come out of his mouth are hilarious. The faces that go along with them are pretty entertaining too. He is perfecting the art of the sad lower lip. I don't know how Dave will resist that as Archie gets older.

We have been taking him out quite a bit this past week. He has been to 3 holiday parties and dinner out with neighbors. I barely got to hold him during these events and he did really well with being handed from person to person. I cannot wait until all his relatives get to see him at Christmas! I am not so much looking forward to packing or flying with him though. Hopefully he will be one of those babies that sleeps the entire flight (fingers crossed).

Other than being new parents, life has been fairly uneventful lately. We stay in most nights catching up on our television programs, having tummy time marathons and giving baths. During the day if he is being fussy I will go out and run errands because he always sleeps during car rides. Sometimes he will will fuss when I have to stop at a light, but as soon as we get going again he is fine.

He is a great sleeper at night. He goes anywhere from 5 1/2 to 8 hours in a row. His naps during the day aren't nearly as long though. Sometimes he only needs 15 minutes and then will be up for 3 hours. Oh well!

Archie meets Santa

2009-11-28T10:14:00.001-07:00

We went to Boulder yesterday just to get out of the house and test our parenting skills! We manged to have a meal in a restaurant, I breastfed successfully in public, we walked around a bookstore and we got to see Santa. It was a productive day and Archer handled himself well. Below are the first of many Santa pictures over his lifetime. Enjoy!

The last month or so

2009-11-23T11:14:00.007-07:00

Archer is almost 8 weeks old and he has been keeping me not necessarily busy but tied up. During the day he won't sleep for more than 10-15 minutes unless I am holding him. In fact I am typing this one handed b/c I have a sleeping boy in my left arm. I love him more everyday though so he can pretty much get away with anything. He really enjoys tummy time on his play mat and he can lift his head for about 15 seconds at a time. He is also starting to smile.

For Halloween we dressed him up as a chili pepper and took him around to meet the neighbors. He slept the whole time, but Dave certainly enjoyed eating all of his candy! I've gotten more comfortable taking him on outings. He sleeps for the most part while we are out which makes it easier. Aunt Becky M. came to visit 2 weekends ago. She got a little cuddle time with Archie and now she wants her little one to get here soon. I bet she can wait until May though!

About 2 weeks ago Archie started fitting into his 0-3 month clothing and his cloth diapers. I will admit I was a little apprehensive at first about using them, however, now I think they are great. He hasn't gotten a diaper rash since we began and I only have to wash them every 3-4 days. The laundering process is really simple too. They are a bit bulky, but that is the only downfall so far.

He gets his first round of shots tomorrow so that should be interesting. Lets hope they make him sleepy and not cranky. For Thanksgiving Dave and I ordered a dinner from Whole Foods. I don't have time to shower let alone cook an entire meal. Then we are going to attempt a family trip to Boulder. All in all, we are starting to get into the swing of things. Archie let us sleep 5 hours last night which was a first! Let's hope this is a rising trend.

Tummy Time!

2009-10-29T08:40:00.003-06:00

We had a 4 week check up yesterday for Archer. He now weighs 7 lbs 9 oz and has grown an inch in length since his birth. Our pediatrician also said that he very alert and focuses better than a lot of newborns his age. She also said that we should start tummy time with him, about 2-3 times per day for about 2-3 minutes at a time. This morning we did our first ever tummy time and Archie did a great job. He tried to lift his head a few times and let Mommy take some adorable pictures!

We have also been reading, singing and talking with him during his awake periods, which last for about 1-2 hours at a time. We listen to XM radio on our television and really enjoy trying out the different stations. Archie likes the First Wave radio station which coincidentally is also my favorite! We have a book called "Baby Plays Pat-Pat" that has a lot of great black and white pictures. He focuses really well on it.

Here are some pictures of his first tummy time and some of him just being plain cute.

Flying Solo

2009-10-26T12:59:00.009-06:00

Dave and I have been very lucky over the past 3 1/2 weeks. Both Grandmas have been here to help as well as Aunt Marlene. They helped with laundry, groceries, sleep, household chores, dinners and sanity. Yesterday Grandma R. left and Dave and I were officially on our own as parents. Since it was Sunday we both switched on and off holding, burping and keeping Archie entertained. He has periods of wakefulness that can last 1-2 hours. He has also recently been eating every 2 hours during the day.

Today, however, Dave is at work so it is just me, Archie and the animals. As far as babies go, ours is pretty content. He cries only when he needs to be burped, is hungry or is trying to push something out. As soon as his needs are met, he relaxes again. We have only had a few really long, annoying nights. For the most part we get 2 1/2 to 3 hours of sleep in between feedings. I still have tons to learn about being a parent though. It is a little nerve wracking to be the person solely responsible for keeping a little human being alive. When Dave gets home from work I will give a little sigh of relief. I honestly don't know how single parents do it. Kudos to them!

There are also the daily joys of being a parent. Yesterday, Dave held Archie for about 2 hours while he slept. When he gave him to me I started to cry because in that 2 hours I forgot how perfect our son was. Sometimes when Archie is crying and I come up to him and hold his hands he just looks at me and immediately calms down. He is becoming a lot more aware of his surroundings and when he looks into my eyes I just melt. I love him more and more every day and I cannot believe that Dave and I created this perfect little man.

Anyway, here are some more recent pictures of our beautiful baby boy.

Archer has arrived! (a birth story)

2009-10-08T08:29:00.008-06:00

On October 1st our little one decided he had incubated long enough and made his arrival 3 weeks early. I was so convinced that I was going to have a late, big baby that when my water broke at 1:30 a.m. I had somewhat of a panic attack. Being the Virgo that I am, a list of all the things that I wanted to get done before he got here started forming in my mind. Then I just had to breathe, tell myself that there was nothing I could do now and let Dave know we would be parents within 24 hours. His panic attack started shortly thereafter!

(This is the start of a more detailed birth story. You have been forewarned.)

We got to the hospital around 2:15 a.m. and they admitted me about an hour later. We had a huge laboring room that unfortunately looked out over a Wal-Mart. Oh well. Anyway, my contractions weren't starting naturally so they put me on a Pitocin drip at 5:00 a.m. and about an hour later I could feel them building. I was able to lay down and nap during the first 2 hours, but at around 8:30 I had to sit up and start that wonderful Lamaze breathing. Little did I know that sitting at the edge of the bed would be the only laboring position I could tolerate. I tried a rocking chair, balance ball, walking, standing, laying down, etc... Nope, I spent the next 5 hours sitting on the edge of that stupid bed hanging on to the side rail for dear life.

I had not ruled out getting an epidural, but I wanted to dilate to around 4-5 centimeters before I did so. My contractions started to get pretty intense around 11:30 a.m. and my Dr. was going to come check me at 1 p.m. to see where I was at. That was the longest time of my life, but when he came back at 1 I was dilated to over 4 centimeters and I asked for that epidural. It was heaven! I was able to lay down, talk, joke around and in the next 2 hours I dilated from 4 centimeters to 10 and was ready to start pushing at 3:50 p.m.

Pushing is tiring, but it didn't really hurt. Around 6:00 p.m. my Dr. was called in because we were getting close and at 6:16 our little baby boy was born. It is a very weird experience this whole birthing thing. You spend all this time growing a little one inside of you, then you spend hours, sometimes days, trying to get them out of you and then they are just there. I understand now how a woman can still smile after all of that because it all seems so insignificant compared to the little person you get to hold when all is said and done.

Here are the stats and then I will bombard you with pictures of our precious little one!

Archer James R.
born at 6:16 p.m. on October 1, 2009 (3 weeks early)
weight: 6 lbs. 13 oz.
length: 19.5"
head circumference: 14"

(about 2 minutes old)

(one of his more lucid first moments)

(making the Boppy look huge)

(sleeping in his car seat)

(hanging out with Daddy)

(another car seat shot)

(sleeping, well, like a baby)

Nesting or just being me?

2009-09-23T08:42:00.003-06:00

So I really haven't been hit with the urge to clean and get things ready for baby and visitors. I have, however, been trying to get some organizational things done that I know I will not have time for once Baby R. gets here. That seems typical of me and not of some mythical pregnancy symptom.

Last week I uploaded about 500 photos to Snapfish from the past year. My photo albums were updated through my rehearsal dinner, but that meant the wedding, honeymoon and the past year were still MIA. I received those prints the other day and spent last night putting them in order and then into my albums. Now they are updated through 2 weekends ago!

My next order of business was/is my hospital bag. I am 36 weeks pregnant today and according to my Dr. the little one weighs about 6 lbs. 8 oz. That is a full term sized baby and I still have 4 weeks until my due date. A hospital bag seems like a good thing to have prepared just in case. I have all my toiletries, the baby's coming home outfit and an outfit for me. I still need to get together all my labor comfort items and some snacks, etc... At least it is started.

I spent all day Monday washing cloth diapers. Unbleached prefolds need to be laundered at least 5 times to prep them for baby. Plus I hadn't washed any of the covers, fitteds and pocket diapers that I had purchased over the last few months. It is recommended that you hang dry any diapers that have elastic in them so I had diapers hanging all over my laundry room. Now they are all sitting is a laundry basket waiting for me to put them away.

Not related to organizing, I have also been doing a little bit of scrapbooking/card making in the past week. I really love making cards even though some of the ones I made last week aren't my favorites. Oh well. Science Matters started back up for the school year. I am acting as a teacher's aide/mentor for this first club b/c I could go into labor at any time. It is nice to get out of the house with a purpose. I will definitely be starting back up with them in January as well.

Other than that life has been pretty ho-hum. We are experiencing a cold front here in the Springs. It snowed on Monday and today and the highs have been in the 40s. Too bad my pregnant self isn't really enjoying it. It doesn't matter if it is 90 degrees or 30, I still sweat.

Happy 28th to me!

2009-09-17T13:45:00.006-06:00

I clearly remember my last 2 birthdays. Last year we spent the day packing and flying to NJ b/c we were leaving for our honeymoon the following day. We were in the very last non-reclining row by the bathrooms. The year before I had a little pity party b/c it was my first birthday in CO away from family and friends.

This year, however, I am in a completely different frame of mind. I am thoroughly enjoying the solace of sitting at home doing whatever I please. I am looking forward to the phone calls from my family and friends. I am doing laundry, washing dishes, playing around on-line and just enjoying being me. With motherhood right around the corner, I am not going to get many more days like this.

It's funny how the anatomy of your birthday changes as you get older. Instead of fanfare and hoopla, now I just want to have a nice conversation and relaxing day. I am not saying that presents and cake are a thing of the past. Really, can one ever tire of presents and cake?
Instead those are nice additions to a day not the focal point.

So I say Happy 28th Birthday to me!!

(birthday lilies from Dave)

Raspberry & Apple pickin'

2009-09-12T13:45:00.007-06:00

Yesterday I noticed that the Saturday forecast was supposed to be 60 and overcast. Is there a better time to go to an apple orchard? I think not. The last two years we have gone to the orchard it has been hot, even in October! So this morning we put on our jeans and sweatshirts and drove south.

When we got there we took the tractor ride down to the pick-it-yourself area. We started with the raspberries and had pretty good luck. I discovered that the most ripened ones were way on the bottom, practically dragging on the ground. Everybody else was looking near the top of the bushes. Suckers! Dave and I filled our pint pretty quickly and then went to pick some apples. Not so lucky there. The only apples we saw we sad, small and had been ravaged my the squirrels. So we walked back to the store and picked some Jonathons out a bin.

When we got back to our car we noticed that the Red Delicious apples on the tree right in front of our car were awesome! Dave picked about 6-7 and walked back to the store to pay for them. I am probably going to make some sort of cobbler with the Jonathons and we will just eat the Red Delicious. Then we left so Dave could make it home in time for the Michigan vs. Notre Dame game.

Maybe I will go back and get pumpkins when my sister Marlene comes to visit. I love apple orchards even when the pickin's are slim and there is not a donut in sight.

Happy Anniversary

2009-09-08T12:22:00.004-06:00

This past weekend Dave & I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary. I cannot believe it has been a year since that beautiful September day we got married. However, 1 year also seems like such a small amount of time. I feel like it kind of diminishes all those experiences we've had for the past 10 years. Our life together didn't start 1 year ago, it started when we first met over a decade ago.

Anyway, we spent our anniversary weekend in Breckenridge. It was kind of coincidental since we got an extremely discounted rate on a hotel if we sat through a 2 hour presentation of a new vacation property. They basically tried really hard to make us spend $20,000 so we can vacation in condo style for the rest of our lives. We are more the camping and Days Inn kind of people though. So after telling 3 different salesmen "no" in as many ways possible, we got to start enjoying our weekend.

(a beautiful day in Breckenridge)

The weather was in the 60s and kind of overcast, aka perfect pregnant lady weather!! We walked around town, did some shopping, ate some good food, watched the U of M football game and ended the weekend at the Denver Aquarium. The best was our anniversary dinner though. We ate at a little bistro in an over sized u-shaped booth. There was a live band and the food was delicious. Most momentous though was the necklace Dave got me. He has never picked out a piece of jewelry for me that I haven't given him any input, but he did good! He got me a gorgeous sapphire necklace with diamonds. I have always wanted a sapphire piece of jewelry since it is my birthstone. I love it!!

(The necklace Dave got me!)

Now we are back into our regularly scheduled lives. I had a Dr's appt. today and he told me I should probably get together my hospital bag. Not that he thinks I will be going into labor anytime soon, but he does want me to be prepared for anything. Yesterday Dave and I were talking about how weird it is that one day is just the two of us and then very next everything will be different. I have a feeling we are going to be getting out pretty often these next couple of weeks.

Almost 33 weeks

2009-09-02T11:47:00.002-06:00

Not much to report here. Our childbirth classes start tonight right after our pre-admit appointment at the hospital. Crazy to think our child is going to be born next month! You will have to forgive how awful I look in this picture. It was the end of a long, hot day and my body has started rebelling against me with achy everything. Oh well!

Baby Book

2009-08-27T09:43:00.002-06:00

Most of the baby books on the market are totally cheesy in my opinion. I looked at a few with my Mom and even she wasn't too impressed. I've looked on Amazon and read other peoples reviews on them. Blah. Boring. Bland.

Well, after searching for months I have found two that I really like. They are both sold on Etsy.com and both are around $60. That seems like a lot of money for a baby book, but I cannot find any others that even come close.

RubyLovesDesigns

All her books are customizable. I love the Green Tea Floral Cover with the gender neutral pages. In the future you can order more pages like "first outings" and "2nd year". Once the little one is born she can also personalize a name plate for the front window of the book.

EdnaMae

Very similar in style, the other book I like is also customizable. I like the chocolate or sage cover with the whimsy nature design. She too offers additional page packs and a personalized name plate.

Basically I have decided that I will order one of these two books. I just need to decide which one. They are both adorable and unique! Fortunately I am the type who will actually fill out my child's baby book so I do not feel that guilty spending $60 on it. I have spent more making my own scrapbooks.

Gender specific dream

2009-08-27T09:30:00.003-06:00

I haven't had too many baby related dreams so far. The ones I have had the baby has always been androgynous. Well not anymore. Last night I had my first gender specific dream and, ladies and gentlemen, it was a GIRL! I woke up feeling a little off balanced because we have been so sure that I am carrying a boy. Within the last week though I have been having doubts.

I was looking in the mirror the other day and my Mom, who thinks I am carrying high, insists that means a boy. My Grandma Stock predicted the gender of my older siblings correctly based on that theory. I don't think I am carrying high or low. To me, it looks like this kids is pretty well centered in there. While I was staring at my belly that day, the thought crossed my mind that it was a girl. Since then I haven't been able to shake it. We had an ultrasound last week in which the lab tech said she. I don't place too much stock in that though since we have had ultrasound techs call the baby "he", "she" and even "they". It is just another thing to plant the seed of doubt in my mind.

All this speculating about the gender could easily be solved if we just found out at our next ultrasound. However, I am very glad that we are not choosing to do that. Even though the gender changes weekly for me, I really have no desire to spoil the surprise. I keep thinking how cool it will be for Dave to be the first one to see of we have boy and girl. I've had plenty of special moments with Baby R. already. I want Dave to be the first to know the gender and the first to hold him/her.

So for the next 8 weeks I will just keep flip flopping and calling the baby him one day and her the next.

The 92% completed nursery

2009-08-23T10:21:00.011-06:00

We are basically done with the nursery with the exception of a few items. My Mom is making a new cover for Dave's IKEA Poang chair that will go in between the closet and crib. We are getting a ceiling fan installed. The humidifier is on its way and we will order the baby monitor probably in October. Other than that the room is ready for a baby and two tired parents! This is a picture heavy post so enjoy!

View from the door
Angled view from the door
Crib close-up
Future home of the Poang chair
View of the door side of the room
Changing table between door and rocker
Close-up of rocker
Right side of closet
Left side of closet
Closet dividers in action
Super adorable Land's End diaper bag
Changing table basket
Cloth diaper covers, fitteds and all-in-ones
Our cloth diaper prefold stash
Bunny curtain holders

Thoughts about pregnancy

2009-08-19T18:30:00.000-06:00

You will have to forgive me in advance, but I am bored and have had a lot of time to reflect on this.

About 3 weeks ago I started feeling fetal movement much more frequently and consistently. I just thought Baby R. was having a crazy day, but as it turns out the little one has crazy days every day. At first it was amusing and just a little irritating. I had to learn to sit differently to get my ribs as far away from kicking feet as possible. However, now I think it has made me bond with the baby more than anything else. That is our baby in there. How crazy is that?

There are many things in this life that I love. Somehow I found the perfect person in this world for me and married him. I have 5 siblings that I wouldn't trade for anything and 2 parents that are just the greatest people in the world. Now I am in love with a little person that I have never even met.

I will admit that pregnancy had been kind of a novelty to me until recently. I knew there was a baby in there and I knew eventually it would be born and I would all of a sudden be a Mom. That all seemed so far away and surreal though so I really didn't focus on it. Lately I have been so protective though and worried and anxious and impatient. I want a healthy, full-term baby - THIS healthy, full-term baby. I have 9 more weeks and everyday I love him/her more and more.

I know our lives will forever be changed once Baby R. gets here, but that must be why pregnancy is 10 months. 10 months is a long time to get used to the idea, start loving your child, and then just being ready for him/her to arrive. How could I not want to take care of this being that I feel everyday inside of me, changing me, changing my life?

Anyway, thanks for bearing with me. Call it pregnancy hormones, a new realization, too much time to think, whatever. This is what was on my mind.

Mocha Fudge Cookie Recipe

2009-08-18T15:12:00.005-06:00

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Makes: About 24

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp coffee liqueur, optional (I used Kahlua)
1/2 cup superfine sugar (can take regular granulated sugar and grind it up in a coffee grinder)
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown since it's all I had)
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 egg
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans (I probably added about 3/4 cup b/c I like nuts!)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 baking sheets or line with nonstick parchment. I used my Silpat mats.
In a medium sized bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl dissolve the coffee granules in coffee liqueur or 1 tsp of hot water if not using liqueur and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the sugars. Add the butter and mix thoroughly until light. Add the egg and coffee mixture and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture, chocolate chips and pecans and mix gently with a spoon until well combined.
Place rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes until set. Transfer to cooling rack and then store in an airtight container once they have reached room temperature.

The last few weeks

2009-08-18T11:55:00.007-06:00

What have we been up to lately? Dave have been working diligently in the yard fixing the sprinkler system, cleaning up the backyard, growing some chard, lettuce and mesclun (which are growing really fast) and mowing with our manual push mower that he hates, but tolerates for me! I have been cooking and baking a lot more, reading too many scary birthing books and putting little touches in the nursery here and there.

We also have a ton of appointments, classes and things to do in the next two months before Baby R. gets here. Today I start my breastfeeding classes, tomorrow I have my last ultrasound (hopefully), and in two weeks we start childbirth classes and preregister at our hospital. That gives me 2 weeks to come up with a birth plan hence all the scary birthing books.

Yesterday I finished amassing our newborn cloth diaper collection. We are set with diapering until our baby reaches about 15-16 lbs. and then we will move up to the next size. I also got the curtains I ordered for the nursery. I am just waiting for Dave to install the curtain rods and then the room will look more put together I think. I am so excited to post pictures of the finished nursery! My Mom is making new chair covers for Dave's IKEA Poang chair that we put in the nursery as well. I cannot wait to see what fabric she picks out!

This past week Dave & I flew to Nova Scotia for Cailin and Steve's wedding. Cailin is a high school friend of Dave's and our sister-in-law Marissa's sister. We had a fantastic time! Marissa's family is super nice and they make you feel like you've been part of their family forever. We also got to spend time with Bob & Joan and the twins. They are so adorable! It is amazing how fast they grow. We last saw Peter and Addie at Thanksgiving and they are like totally different kids now.

It was nice to get away one last time before we become parents. We spent a lot time just walking around and relaxing. One day we drove to Peggy's Cove with Dave's parents and then took the scenic drive back. Our little B&B was one block from the water and right in the heart of Chester, Nova Scotia. We went to a lobster and karaoke party one night, the rehearsal party the next and then the wedding the night after that. Here's a big kudos to Cailin and Steve for the food at their wedding! It is not often that a vegetarian gets so many delicious options at a wedding.

That about sums up our lives of late. I'm sure we will be keeping busy for the next, oh, 18+ years now! Bring it on!

Bob, Dave and the twins
Sunset from the wedding venue!
Me, Bob and Joan at Peggy's Cove Lighthouse
Me and my 30 week belly at Peggy's Cove
Me and Dave at the wedding

Baby Carrier Poll

2009-08-11T09:35:00.007-06:00

I am trying to decide which baby carrier to get. They are both a style called mei tai and are approximately the same price. It basically boils down to which one looks better.

The first one is the TogetherBe Freehand Baby Carrier.

The second is the Dittany Baby Organic Unity Mei Tai.

Tangled up in dogs

2009-08-07T13:11:00.004-06:00

Dave and I have been trying to take the dogs for more walks lately. One the little one arrives things will be crazy for awhile and we are trying to get in as much quality time with the pooches as possible. Plus, it is good for me to get out walking everyday.

Last weekend we took them to Garden of the Gods. Can I just say how impressed I am with our dogs? At least 4 young kids asked if they could pet our dogs and they both did fantastic. Piper did not try to jump and Dewey, who doesn't like being pet over his head, didn't show any apprehension. They still have a lot of puppy tendencies, but they are getting so good! They are shaping up to be quite the family dogs.

I got a few cute pictures of Dave with the dogs. He took one of me and Dewey, but it is in the shade and you cannot see us very well. Anyway, here are my handsome husband and adorable dogs at the park.

Nursery layout

2009-08-06T13:25:00.003-06:00

I had a lot of fun this morning putting our nursery into a virtual layout. There are a ton of different websites that will let you put in the dimensions and organize your floor plan.

Baby R's Nursery Layout

Everything on there is actually in our nursery expect for the rugs. They are more of a wishful thinking item than a reality. Rugs can be expensive and are not necessary since we have carpet in there anyway. I can dream I suppose.

Cloth Diapering

2009-08-04T15:44:00.003-06:00

Today Dave and I attended a cloth diapering class at Baby Cotton Bottoms here in Colorado Springs. We had already made the decision to cloth diaper months ago, but the more I read about it the more confused I got. Back when our parents diapered us they had flat diapers with pins and scary looking plastic covers. Today they have flat folds, prefolds, fitteds, pocket, all in ones, liners, doublers, and lets not forget the accessories. Where does a person begin?

For my baby shower, my sister Marlene got me a cloth diaper cake. It was the best gift that I never thought to ask for. I got 24 infant sized prefolds, which is the perfect amount to start off with. All we really need is about 4-6 diaper covers and we are set for a at least 2-3 months. At the class today we learned all about the different kinds of diapers and the various fabrics. It really is not as frightening as I was anticipating. Cloth diapering actually seems kind of fun!

I am sure there will a lot of trial and error as we go, but I am confident in our decision to cloth diaper. There are a lot of skeptics out there, but I think if they did a little research they too would be a little less intimidated by the whole prospect. Yes, the upfront cost is a lot more than buying a case if disposables and wipes. However, the long term savings add up to thousands of dollars especially with each subsequent child. I also learned today that more water is used to produce disposable diapers then we will use washing our cloth diapers.

I need to have this kid already so I can stop getting so excited about diapers.

How to find a pediatrician??

2009-08-03T11:36:00.003-06:00

Today I set up appointments to interview 2 different pediatricians. The first appt. is on August 10 and the second is on September 28. First off, I don't know if 3 weeks before my due date is too late to choose a pediatrician, but that is when the receptionist scheduled me after finding out I was due Oct. 21st. Oh well.

Now that I have these appointments though, I have no clue what to say/ask the Dr. when we see her. Am I a bad mother already for not knowing what I am looking for in my child's doctor? I have looked on-line for questions to ask and a lot of them you can find out by reading the Dr.'s website. How long have you been practicing? Do you have any sub-specialties? What are your hours? Is this a solo or group practice?

I know there are important questions too. What if my baby is sick and the office is closed? Do you offer same day appointments? When will your initial meeting with my child be? What are you views on breastfeeding, immunizations, etc...? I just feel kind of weird interviewing someone who is so knowledgeable in a field that I know nothing about.

I guess this is the just the first string of things that I am going to worry about. Next week I will have something new to stress about. Impending parenthood is scary.

Welcome to the 3rd Trimester

2009-07-29T08:26:00.003-06:00

Today marks the beginning of the 3rd trimester. I have made it to 28 weeks! The picture below was taken a few days ago though. The decaf isn't working too well this morning so I really cannot think of anything else to say.

27 weeks, 4 days

Closet Dividers

2009-07-28T17:06:00.003-06:00

In searching for a way to help organize the closet in the nursery, I decided to make some closet dividers. I printed up labels on my sticker paper from Newborn through 2T and then went downstairs to my crafting lair and got to work. The pictures I have are from before they were laminated. I then punched 2 holes near the top, strung some green ribbon through them and tied them to the closet rod. They turned out quite well if I do say so myself!

(Front view)

(Back view)

I am trying to refrain from putting up too many pictures until the nursery looks closer to being finished. The completed dividers in the closet will be in those sets of pictures. I must be getting back to finishing dinner now.

First nursery pics

2009-07-25T16:34:00.005-06:00

I really started working on the nursery yesterday. Unpacking, doing laundry, organizing the closet, buying shelves, etc... As you know Dave has been working on the nursery for over a week. Painting, measuring and cutting chair railing, setting up the crib, etc... Today our work coincided and we both did a lot to really get the ball rolling. Granted it doesn't look like much right now, but we have made some serious headway. The mattress is on the way so we can get the crib all ready soon and we also found a dresser/changing table that is also on the way.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our new shelves, chair railing, glider rocker from Jen and the newly organized closet.

Dave installing the chair railing.

Green shelves w/ lots of books already!

Glider Rocker with quilt and new ottoman covering.

Right side of closet.

Left side of closet and new hamper.

Baby overload

2009-07-23T14:58:00.006-06:00

It has been awhile since I've had a chance to sit down and blog. I was in MI in mid-June for Becky's bridal shower, came back to CO, a week later my parents and sister Amy came in for the week, we drove back to MI for a week and a half, had our baby shower, Becky & Ben got married then Dave and I drove back to CO....in a nutshell. Needless to say things have calmed down a bit here and will remain that way until Baby R. arrives. After that our lives will never be the same again!

My wonderful husband painted the nursery while I was at my parents house and now he is working on getting the chair railing cut, painted and put on the walls. After that we can start arranging and decorating the nursery. We had to rent a trailer to get back all of the stuff we received for the little one from my sister-in-laws, Jen and Sharon, and from all our friends and family at the baby shower. I will have to write separate blogs about the shower and Becky's wedding b/c those both deserve their own attention.

The main reason for this blog is to post pictures of our new Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper, which is our baby gift from my parents. This particular co-sleeper acts a play yard, bassinet and co-sleeper all in one. We liked it better than the Pack n' Plays because the weight limits are higher and they also attach to your bed to make it more secure. It arrived today in perfect condition and I set it up in our room to get the animals used to it. It will probably get pretty annoying until the baby comes, but it is better to get your pets used to all the baby stuff in advanced.

Anyway, below are some pictures and stay tuned for our nursery progress.

Set up as a play yard

Set up as a co-sleeper

How it will be attached (we've ordered leg extenders so it will actually be bed height).

24 weeks

2009-07-04T07:19:00.002-06:00

This will be quick since my parents and Amy are both visiting this week and I don't want to be on the computer all day.

I have not heard back from my Dr.'s office about my glucose test and according to them no news is good news. Yeah! The little one likes to kick mostly at night and since I get up 2-3 times that gives me plenty of time to enjoy these acrobatics. I skipped the whole "flutters" stage and went straight to the good stuff with this kid.

Anyway, below is my 24 week belly. Only 16 more weeks!

23 week pregnancy update

2009-06-29T09:35:00.008-06:00

(22 week belly)

I am currently in my 23rd week of pregnancy. In two days I will be 6 months along. Where does the time go? So far the 2nd trimester has been good to me. I am eating normally, sleeping a lot, and can still get around and do things with relative ease. However, getting up from the floor is proving more difficult as is shaving my legs. Afterwards I feel like I have run a marathon...well maybe not a marathon but I am pretty tired.

I have a pregnancy journal called The Belly Book. It is really kind of a fun way to document this whole journey and since I love to write it works out well. Well the 2nd trimester portion of the book has about 3 pages dedicated to baby kicks and hiccups. Plus the 2nd trimester portion only goes through week 24. So here I am in in week 23 wondering when in the world am I going to start feeling this little one move? Almost everyone I talked to would look at me a little weird when I said I still hadn't felt him/her even back in week 19. The only people who told me not to worry were my Mom and Dave's Mom. I trust them over everyone else since b/w the two of them they had 10 kids!

This past Friday I was sitting at our kitchen table on the computer when I had this weird muscle spasm to the left of my belly button. I didn't think to much of it until the same muscle spasm occurred 2 minutes later and then 2 minutes after that. So now I am staring at my belly willing the spasm to return. Then I see 2 little spasms in a row and realize that my little one is finally letting me know that he/she is in there! Daddy also felt the kicks later that night. I am kind excited that we both got to feel the first kicks on the same day. I always thought it was kind of unfair that the Moms get to experience this little joy long before the Dads.

Since then I have been able to feel him/her move a lot because I now know what I am feeling for. We went to a show last night and during one of the louder songs I was getting multiple kicks/pushes all over the place. This one is a future member of the 2029-2030 Red Wings Grind Line!

Tomorrow I have another ultrasound and my Glucose Tolerance Test. More updates to come!

My super awesome husband!!

2009-06-27T19:19:00.004-06:00

Before the baby comes there was one more room in our house that we hated and wanted to do something about. That would be our (formerly) ugly front hall bathroom. It was peach with white tile and a vanity made the year I was born. Yuck!

So last week while I was in Michigan my Dave decided to redo the bathroom for me! We had already picked out the tile, wall color before I left though. He ripped out the old ugliness and got to work making a throne room to be proud about.

He is so cool!

The old ugly bathroom

Ewww.

New tile!

New Vanity

New low flow toilet

Wall art

New mirror and towel holder

Beautiful Rainbow

2009-06-14T21:59:00.005-06:00

Here is a picture of the most beautiful rainbow I have seen in awhile. Maybe it was our reward for a weekend of thunderstorms and overcast days. Enjoy!

Baby Registry

2009-06-12T09:54:00.002-06:00

It is so much harder putting together a registry for a baby then it was to register for our wedding. I spent hours yesterday researching car seats, strollers, breast pumps, bottles, bedding, clothing, etc... You want to make sure that your child has the safest, most efficient, best items available. So if anyone cares to look at the fruits of my labor, look no further!!

Little Baby R's Babies "R" Us registry

Maine/Massachusetts Trip

2009-06-12T09:18:00.009-06:00

Last week we took our first trip of a very busy summer. We flew into Boston, rented a car and drove up to Portland, ME for our good friend Alex's wedding. I discovered that flying gives my pregnant self a mean case of heartburn. I cannot wait for my flight on Monday!

Anyway, our rental car was a Toyota Corolla, which is actually a really nice car. We used only 1 tank of gas the entire 5 days and we drove a lot. I love fuel efficient cars! That first day we ate dinner at a restaurant right on the harbour then we saw a gorgeous sunset from a park just about a mile away from downtown. The next day we went to Portland Head Lighthouse on a perfect June day. We met up with our friends for lunch and then napped until the rehearsal and dinner that night.

The wedding was on Friday, but we had all morning and afternoon to wander. We ate breakfast at a little dive diner where literally everyone knew everybody else. It was pretty neat. We walked around downtown with Natalie and Andy and then headed back to get ready for the wedding. All the college men were in the wedding so us ladies (Natalie, Christy, Elizabeth and myself) were left to our own devices. It was really nice to spend time with the girls. Since moving to Colorado I have sorely lacked in the female friendship department so girl time is always appreciated!

Alex & Mary had their ceremony at a beautiful cathedral and Mary had the most gorgeous dress. My favorite though was really watching Alex's face throughout the ceremony. He looked like a little kid in a candy shop! He has always been a happy guy, but marrying Mary has upped the ante and now is downright jovial. The reception was held back at the hotel, which is great for tired, old lady like myself. I stuck it our pretty long though. Long enough at least to get a great picture of Dave dancing. I am so showing this one to our kids!

The next morning we went for a walk/hike at Bradbury Mountain State Park with Natalie and Andy. It was really just a walk, but these days walking in like a hike for me! The view from the top was magnificent. Forests of deciduous trees all the way to the ocean. You don't realize how much you miss trees until you live in a mountain desert terrain. Later that day, Dave & I went to Kennebunkport, ME and then off to Cape Ann in Massachusetts. We visited Halibut Point State Park, which had like 200 degree views of the Atlantic. Then it was off to stay at Mark & El's in Boston for 2 nights.

On Sunday we walked around Boston with Mark for a few hours. We visited the Boston Commons, walked on the freedom trail for a bit and had cannoli's from Mike's Pastries in the North End. I love cannoli's! Then it was back home on Monday morning. Vacations are great, but it is always so nice to sleep in your own bed with your own cats smothering you!

Sunset in Portland, ME

Portland Head Lighthouse

Most of the gang at the rehearsal dinner

They are married!!

Dave tearing up the dance floor

Bradbury Mountain

Halibut Point

Mark admiring a tree in the Boston Commons

Best commercial ever!

2009-05-30T18:59:00.001-06:00

If our child were to be in a nursery after his/her birth, this would have to be me!!

So annoyed

2009-05-29T07:46:00.003-06:00

On Monday, after weeks of searching, I finally found an affordable and nice dress to wear to a wedding that I am going to a week from today. Most maternity clothes are found on-line only and are either way too expensive or of poor quality. Anyway, I ordered the dress and they said they would send me an e-mail when it shipped. Today is Friday and I still hadn't received an e-mail even though I paid for express shipping. I give the company a call and they tell me that my order was cancelled because the dress wasn't in stock. This is information that would have been useful on MONDAY. I am leaving for this wedding on Wednesday morning so I have no time to find another dress on-line, order it and wait for it to be shipped.

Needless to say, today will be spent going to every store in Colorado Springs and trying on dresses to find one that looks nice and fits. I've tried on every dress that I own and my belly has just gotten too big to fit into any of them. I am super excited for this wedding, but I wish that there was a better selection of nice, affordable dresses for pregnant women.

Bummer.

19 week ultrasound

2009-05-28T16:41:00.008-06:00

Today was the ultrasound that everyone refers to as the "big one". Usually people find out if they are having a boy or a girl during this "big" event. From the get go, Dave & I have been ambivalent about the gender. As of right now he is saying girl and I am saying boy. Not that we really care either way.

Aside from gender this ultrasound really was exciting! First of all, it had been 4 weeks since we last saw our little one. For most people this is normal, but because of my blood clot I have gotten used to having weekly/fortnightly ultrasounds. 4 weeks seemed like an eternity. Our lab tech measured the length of the bones, the heart, the head, the waist, etc... We got to see the stomach, kidneys, all 4 chambers of the heart, the brain and the multiple kicks. With as many times as he/she kicked during the ultrasound you would think that I would feel them by now.

True to our word, we are still clueless to the gender of little Baby R. and that is exactly the way we want it! Stay tuned until mid to late October and then we can all find out together.

P.S. If you are trying to dissect these pictures to see if you can tell the gender, the umbilical cord was between the legs so even the lab tech couldn't see. Better luck next time.....Becky.

17 week belly

2009-05-13T15:51:00.002-06:00

We planted a garden!

2009-05-13T15:23:00.005-06:00

If you know me, then you know how I feel about planting, plants, dirt, bugs, etc... I would much rather be baking a cake than getting dirt under my finger nails. It just seems so tedious and boring. This is all very much to my mother's dismay.

Well, I have bucked tradition. This past weekend Dave & I planted our first garden. He tilled and prepped the soil, I picked out the plants, he installed the drip irrigation system, I put the plants in the ground, and then he planted a mini vegetable garden. We put some organic mulch on top to complete the look. Can you believe they sell mulch that is dyed and has disclaimers on it saying it can be poisonous to some animals?

I still cannot say that I have a deep love or even a new found respect for the horticultural life, but it was kind of satisfying to see this to fruition. Anyway, here are some picture of the new garden.

Dave putting in the drip irrigation

Me putting is some annuals for color

The finished product

The mini vegetable garden

Here is a list of some of the plants that are in our garden.

Salvia
Hosta
Columbine
Phlox
Vinca Vine
Ivy Garland
Corydalis
Trollius
Marigold
Pansy
Dianthus
Labelia
2 varieties of tomatoes
basil
sweet banana peppers

I can cook in peace once again

2009-05-13T15:04:00.005-06:00

Today we had a special delivery. Our brand new stove! It is black with a flat, glass cook-top and a large oven window. I cannot wait for Dave to come home and cook dinner on it!

You might wonder what prompts a person to spend money on a new stove when they had a working, albeit, stinky old stove. I blame it on pregnancy. I had some very strong smell aversions during my first trimester. One of them is that smoky, meaty scent that most fast food restaurants seem to have surrounding them. Another was my stove. There was about a 1 month period in our house that if it couldn't be cooked in the microwave then we didn't eat it.

Our old stove was a coil top that I believe the old owners had for many years before we ever moved it. The white had given way to a murky yellowish tint. The oven had baked on nastiness that even a self-clean cycle wouldn't remove. The coils were all so warped that a lighter pan would tilt towards the weight of the handle. All in all, it was a stove you would expect an apartment to have, not the house that you pay a mortgage on every month.

Anyway, here are the before and after pictures.

Before

After

"Free At Last"

2009-05-11T12:20:00.008-06:00

While I am in no way comparing my current situation with the one that the Great Dr. King was talking about with those infamous and dramatic words, I still feel very liberated...from crappy Comcast cable!

Ever since I have been living on my own/with my awesome past roomies/with my hubster, I have always had Comcast cable. I felt no particular affinity towards them, but the company is everywhere and usually offering some great sign-up promo. Ever since we got our HD box almost a year and half ago, our service has steadily declined as our bill simultaneously increased. Our cable would freeze usually right around the climax of the show we were watching. This has been an everyday occurrence too.

Well yesterday was the straw that broke the camel's back. Back in September we ordered the NHL Center Ice package so I could watch all the Red Wings games. This is no cheapy thing either. It costs about $180 for the season. As we all know, playoff hockey is the best sort of hockey there is. No true fan misses a playoff game. So I was searching for which station the game would be on yesterday. and searching. and still searching. Where is my hockey game??? Finally I see that it is only playing on NHL tv. Do I get NHL tv? NO. Grrr.

I decide to call Comcast to see what is up. The lady I am talking to double checks to make sure that the game isn't playing on any other station. It isn't. I ask her why it isn't playing on the Center Ice channels. Apparently this particular game was not authorized to play on them, only NHL tv had the rights. Okay. So I am getting a little frustrated and I ask her why I paid so much money to watch my hockey team when I cannot even watch them? I also ask if as a courtesy to a paying and loyal customer if they could unblock the NHL channel for like a day so I can watch the game. She says no and I ask to speak to a manager.

Here comes the manager. I fill him in and he treats me as a nuisance. I let him know that I have been a customer for over 5 years, we paid almost $200 for the NHL package and we also pay over $100 a month for cable that is less than stellar. The least they could do was try to keep their loyal customers satisfied. He is still not being very nice to me so I must admit that I started to yell and cry. The yelling was all me, the crying was all pregnancy hormones. After about 1-2 minutes of this, I tell him that we are done with Comcast and I want to cancel our cable. He says that I cannot do that over the phone and I must bring in my cable box. I yelled fine and hung up the phone.

I am usually very nice to customer service representatives, because I have been one before and I know how crappy it can be. However, I do not feel bad about this incident. Nobody comes between a pregnant Red Wings fan and her Game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. I mean NO ONE! So my dear, loving and loyal husband promptly gets on the phone with Direct TV and they are currently at my house installing our new dish and cable boxes. We are getting a DVR with each box AND the NHL channel comes standard with our package. We will soon also be switching our Internet provider and I will wash my hands of Comcast.

Comcast does not care about their customers. Whenever you call their customer service department you get the run around. Once Dave was given 5, yes FIVE, different phone numbers to call and none of them were able to answer our questions. They charge their "loyal" customers an arm and a leg for their services and their HD cable really isn't that great. I will not be recommending Comcast to anyone and I will in fact be encouraging people to seek out better companies in which to do their business with.

Down with Comcast!

Zoom Zoom!

2009-05-06T16:43:00.007-06:00

(not my car, but an exact replica)

A little over 5 years ago, I went to a Mazda dealership and drove off the lot with my first brand new car. The first car I ever had to pay for every month. The first car that required I carry full coverage insurance until it was paid off. The first car I was solely responsible for. And I have been in love with that car ever since.

I give it car washes, clean the interior with dash protecting wipes, vacuum, wash the windows, remove the clutter, rotate the tires, get regular oil changes, and fix things as needed. When I see other Mazda 3 5-doors on the road I still stare at them even though I currently am driving mine. I think my car is beautiful and would buy it again and again. The only two drawbacks that I ever found on my car are the stock tires that it came with and the fact that it isn't available in AWD/4WD. I have two sets of tires though to help with those issues.

I guess I am writing this ode to my car because yesterday I got the FINAL PAYMENT bill! I will own my car officially and am so super excited! I researched the heck out of this vehicle before I bought it, I did my legwork on loans and got a great fixed APR and I did it all by myself. I haven't missed a payment or had to refinance. I switched my insurance companies as needed and soon it will be all mine!

I guess I never thought I would have love affair with a car, but my Mazda has actually made me a car person and given me the experience of having true joy over a big hunk of machinery. In our family, I get to choose the vehicles. Our Jeep was harder for me because it is primarily Dave's car. I had to find a car that he could love and I could tolerate. Let me tell you though, when it comes time to replace my car (way down the road) I will get to find a whole new love affair.

Cars I could love!

BMW 1-series (five-door). Not available in the U.S., but if it were....

Lexus IS 250. Drool.

Infiniti FX35 AWD

Volvo C30. I am really digging this little car!

I like food again!

2009-05-01T13:14:00.005-06:00

We have had an interesting spring so far. We've had sunny days, warm days, cold days, rainy days, snowy days and all those days in between. It is great! On the sunny days I want mocktails, caprese salad, and fresh fruit. On the rainy days I lean more towards soup and bread rolls. Hot chocolate is a must on snowy days. The best part though is that fact that WANT food. I do believe that the worst of morning sickness is behind me. Woohoo!

I have also been a little more productive lately. Last weekend Dave and I went to Lowe's and Home Depot to stock up on manure, mulch, plants and various around-the-house items. We are actually going to till up our garden and redo it. I am going to put plants into the ground. Crazy! This weekend we are planning on getting a new stove. Our is old with those crappy electric coils that I cannot stand and it stinks up the house every time we use it. There is an appliance outlet in town and we are going to look for the flat top stoves like my Mom has.

So basically spring has sprung and so have I.

Some of the plants for our new garden

Caprese Salad I made for Dave

Mock Mimosa. Not as good as the real thing though.

Dave working from home under our new umbrella.

I popped

2009-04-28T17:56:00.002-06:00

All the message boards I have been reading lead me to believe two things. First, I probably wouldn't get my pregnancy belly until about 16-18 weeks. Second, that my belly will literally pop overnight and I will wake not looking fat, but pregnant. The first was untrue, but the second sure did happen. Here are my first official photos of my pregnancy belly. They are the the shotty, done in the bathroom kind of pictures, but you can deal.

Alas, I present myself and little baby R.

14 weeks, 6 days along

Love is...

2009-04-27T21:17:00.003-06:00

A co-worker of mine is getting married this weekend. The mothers have gotten together and are making a scrapbook to give her. All of the kids, the other teacher and myself were to decorate a scrapbook page about what love means to us. True to form it was due last Friday and I just finished it tonight. Oh well!

Anyway, here is my page. Not my best scrapbooking work, but it is a very accurate representation of what love means to me.