Notes from the Northwest

Lunch Discussion

2011-07-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Mike: What are you going to be when you grow up?

Noah: I'm going to be a different kind of doctor like you.

Mike: Oh. What are you going to do as a doctor?

Noah: Teach students.

Mike: What are you going to teach them?

Noah: How to be fast.

Mud Run

2011-07-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, one more post for the day, then I'm going to bed. Mike and I joined a team this year to raise money for MS by participating in the first annual Portland MS Mud Run. It was a 6.2 mile military-style obstacle course though mud. To add

to the excitement, it rained that day, making the non-muddy parts muddy. So, we sloshed through mud. End of story. :) It was fun and I could definitely see us doing it again.

Here is our clean team.

Here is Mike and me pre-run and looking fierce.

That's me laying in the mud. Believe it or not, this obstacle was "nothing" compared to the enormous wall we climbed up and over, the muddy river we waded through, the muddy hills we had to climb on all fours, and (my favorite) the big mud hill we climbed up to slide down the other side.

Here is our team post-run and ready for a shower.

Celebration

2011-07-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted much, so I wanted to get caught up with some big events as of late. In April, I graduated with my Master's Degree. YAY! I'm not finished yet. Three more years until I graduate with my doctorate, but this was certainly a milestone to enjoy. Since then, I've made significant progress on my dissertation, including passing my prelim and ethics committee so I am ready to start the program in the fall at the start of school. I also took two summer classes, which finished yesterday. Yay for summer break!

Happy Birthday Titus

2011-07-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right, Titus turned one last Wednesday. We celebrated with chicken on the grill and corn-on-the-cob...as well as chocolate cake, which he loved. He was especially excited by the candle, though, and was upset that I wouldn't let him touch it.

Working Man

2010-08-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

I'm on a role! 2 days in a row...

Some of you have seen this already, but for those of you who didn't...

DS (2 1/2) helped out at the garage yesterday afternoon while our car was getting some routine maintenance. Specifically, the guy let him help grind some break pads for another vehicle that was in for repair. They paid him $2.00, which he wanted to spend on ice cream. So, we went out last evening for ice cream. On the way, he informed us that he was paying for his ice cream and we would be paying for our own. His ice cream was $1.55 and he proudly handed over the $2.00. He got the $.45 in change back to take home and put in his piggy bank. He was very pleased with himself.

Where is Jesus' house?

2010-08-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, DS (2 1/2 years old now) asked me the same question that he has asked several times in the past few weeks, "Does Jesus have a bed?"

My response was, "Well, I don't think Jesus has a bed because he doesn't need to sleep."

Today, he pressed further, "Does Jesus have a bedroom?"

Me: "No, I don't think Jesus has a bedroom."

DS: "Does Jesus have a living room?"

Me: "You know what? Jesus has a really big, awesome house!"

DS: "Jesus has a really big, awesome house? Where is his house? Is it up in the sky?"

Me: "It is in Heaven, honey."

DS: "Where is Heaven?"

Me: "Man, these questions are getting harder..."

DS also loves to help out. This morning, he and I got a lot done together, folding laundry, pulling out clothes from the attic for baby brother, more laundry, pulling out all of my maternity clothes from my closet that I don't need anymore!, etc. Here is a picture from our trip back east of him helping Daddy and Grandpa trim the tree. Yesterday, he was helping me by entertaining baby brother, who was sitting in his little bouncy seat. DS was talking to him in "motherese" (p.s. That is an official term, I didn't make it up!) and baby brother was cooing and smiling back.

Currently, DS is with DH. They took the car to the shop for routine maintenance. Boy, was he excited to go. DH was pulling out some money to take along to pay for the work. DS disappeared down the hall and came back with a little pudgy handful of coins from his piggy bank. He was ready to pay for the work, too! Unfortunately, I don't think his $.73 would be enough. We convinced him that Daddy would give him the money to pay the worker man and that he could keep his "moneys" for another day. :)

Swimming

2010-07-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a great sequence captured by DH. It was from a few weeks ago...

Breakfast Conversation and Baby Brother

2010-07-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

This morning at breakfast, DS said to me, "God made me, Mommy. God made me special."

I replied, "Yes, honey, God made you special. You're my special boy."

He said, "Then he poked me."

I said, "Oh. Why did he poke you?"

He said, "He didn't poke me. He's nice."

Made me smile.

It's been 10 days since DS #2 was born. June 22, 2010, 8 lbs., 3 oz., 21 1/2 inches. Everything went very smoothly, which I am thankful for.

My parents came to visit on the due date, which was June 18. Unfortunately, he decided to take an extra few days and my water broke about 3 hours after my dad left to head home. Go figure. My mom was still here for another couple days. It was so nice to know that DS #1 was in good hands when we rushed out the door in the middle of the night for the 45 minute drive to the hospital. My mom and big brother came to the hospital a few hours after baby brother's birth. Big brother was very excited to meet his baby brother and has already taken on a protective role. When the nurse came in to check on everything, Big Brother scolded her, "That's my baby brother. You don't hurt him!" She seemed a little startled. When it was time for them to go, he had a hard time understanding that we would be coming home the next day. "I want to come back!"

We explained to him that we were going to come home and baby brother was going to come with us..." Remember, we got a bed for baby brother to sleep in? He will come with us and sleep in his bed at home." Then he willingly went home with grandma in anticipation of our arrival the next day.

Now, aside from the normal amount of sleep deprivation, I am feeling great and ready for our next adventure. In about a week and a half, we board a plane to head east for a visit.

Kids and Bread

2010-04-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we babysat. I really should say DS babysat. He loved having a little buddy and teaching him how to play ball and how, "we don't eat balls" (DS's words). He is looking forward to being a big brother.

Today DS asked me if he could sit on Beau's lap. Yes, Beau, as in, one of our 22 lb. Boston Terriers. Not only does Beau not have a lap, but DS also has a good 15 lbs. on him. As amusing as it could have been...

Today I made bread, which I do often.

This time, however, the dough looked awfully gooey and I forgot to set the timer to let it rise. An hour later, I remembered to put it in the oven to bake. This is how it came out:

Milk

2010-04-03T11:27:00.001-07:00

This morning we were having breakfast and I took a drink of milk. DS looked at me curiously and asked, "Are you putting milk on the baby's head?"

Spring Break

2010-03-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while again...
This week is spring break and we had some nice weather to go with it. So nice, in fact, that I decided it was time to show DS the sand box. We had opened it once or twice two summers ago, but he was too young to enjoy it and would just eat the sand. He was so excited when I opened the cover and he spend several hours digging in the sand!

Freud

2010-02-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

I was particularly amused by this statement by Dr. Sigmund Freud, 1941, in Psychology of Everyday Life, pg. 184...I just had to share:

"I am not particularly dexterous, but by virtue of the anatomic integrity of my nervous and muscular apparatus there are apparently no grounds in me for such awkward movements with undesirable results."

Is it Christmas already?!?

2009-12-20T22:07:00.000-08:00

DS has had quite a bit of exposure to babies lately. First of all, congratulations to DH's sister and family for their newest addition to their family, born 12/18/09! Also, almost 2 months ago, we told DS that, "Mommy's having a baby." We then called our parents and allowed him to tell them the news. I wasn't sure how much he understood, but about a month later, he said, seemingly out of the blue, "Mommy's having a baby," and he seemed a little confused, so I explained to him,"Yes, mommy's having a baby. The baby is hiding in mommy's belly and the baby has to grow first." He seemed satisfied as he went on with is activities. About two weeks after that, he said, "Mommy's having a baby. Baby's hiding in mommy's belly. Baby has to grow first." I was impressed! I didn't think he would remember all of that. Last week, DS was talking about the baby again. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Baby! Come out!!" I think he's excited to be a big brother. So the other morning he said to me, "I'm having a baby." I thought I'd test the water and see where it would go and I explained to him, "Well, only mommies have babies." Then he clarified for me, "I'm just having a little baby." Ohhhh...well, in that case... :)

It's been a while since I've written anything. We've had a busy couple months here. I have been enjoying my first semester of full time grad school. Last Friday was my last class for the semester and I am glad for a break and few weeks of rest and Christmas cheer before getting back into the grind.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last few months for you to enjoy. :)

After my last post in May, we headed back east to spend a week with family. We spent a few days with my family in Ocean City, NJ, while my sister and her family were home to the US from their Africa home for a few months. We had a nice time catching up and DS enjoyed getting to know his cousins and spending time with his aunts and uncles and grandparents.

What better place to do that than the beach?!?

And, of course, Grandpa was itching to give his two grandsons a motorcycle ride, so in the few minutes available, he whisked them away for a magical more-than-just-a-few-minutes moment.

We made a quick stop to visit Great-Grandma...

then spent a few days with DH's family. Again, the cousins had a great time getting to know each other better. Our adventures together included the Hands-on-House

and Lake Tobias Wildlife Reserve.

We did some camping this summer. During the hottest week of the summer we found ourselves tenting in the Mount Hood wilderness.

It was a beautiful spot complete with a lake perfect for cooling off.

DH and I took two days, left DS with a friend and headed with a group to Mount Saint Helens. It was the first time we had left DS with someone overnight, which always causes a mother some nervousness, but he did just fine most of the time... DH and I had a great hike. It took us about 4 1/2 hours to get to the top where we spent about an hour or so resting and enjoying the views.

I had never looked down inside of a volcano before and I was determined to cherish the moment. On the way down, though, DH turned his ankle on a boulder. The rest of the way down was slow-going and it took us an extra 3 hours to reach the bottom, but with some help from our friends, we made it safely.

At 2 years old, DS has quite a bit of spunk...

and he has begun to learn to use the potty... (p.s. in case you are wondering, the black marks on his legs in this picture were from his permanent marker artwork from a few days before that resulted in some re-painting of some of our walls.)

and finally, here is a beautiful sunset from the Mount Hood Wilderness! Have I mentioned how beautiful Oregon is?!?

Washington Wondering

2009-05-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

DH finished up his second year of teaching. It was another challenging year, but better than the first. I imagine each year will get a little easier as he continues to settle in.

We welcomed the beginning of summer break by taking off to explore the great Northwest. We headed for a week up to Manson, WA, which is located on the shore of a beautiful lake called Lake Chellan. We had beautiful weather and a nice relaxing time. DS particularly enjoyed the pool. Everyday, he would ask, "Simming?? Simming??"

Here is a video of our fun pool time. If you are recieving this as an email, you will need to go to the actual blog post at http://notesfromthenorthwest.blogspot.com/ to play the video.

We also took a short hike. DS enjoyed seeing the birds and the snake and the flowers and the rocks. He even brought back a few rocks for souvenirs.

At the end of the week, we traveled to Port Townsend, north of Seattle, to visit DH's Aunt Jane. We spent a few days visiting and exploring the town. We even went out to run in a 5 3/4 mile race on a beautiful nearby island. This was the first time I ran in an official race. I came in 27th overall, which was pretty good

considering I was pushing DS in a little bumpy umbrella stroller for half the run...the half that happened to bemostly uphill. I am still quite sore, to say the least, but it was a great workout!

And they had food and visiting time after the race is over. I will have to check out races around the Portland area.

I'm sure they have them periodically and it would be added incentive for my training. DS enjoyed sitting in the fire truck and hummer and playing with the officials who were there accompanying the race. And the horses were quite a hit.

Sunday morning, we went for a walk on the beach during low tide. What a great time it was to see all of the beautiful sea creatures that God has made. Most of the stuff we saw were things I had never seen before. If they taught biology class out in the ocean in that particular setting,

I think maybe I would have done better in that class in school. Who wants to learn about these things by reading boring text books,anyway?!?

This is the bald eagle we saw on our walk. The picture is compliments of DH. Talk about a graceful bird...especially compared to the annoying whiny sea gulls that kept trying to chase him away for fear he would take all of their food.

Family photo of feet in the Pacific Ocean. In a few days, we will get one of all of our feet in the Atlantic Ocean. The traveling in between will not be quite as much fun.

We were reluctant to realize that our vacation was coming to a close yesterday morning as we packed up and headed home. All good things must come to an end. Besides, we have another trip to look forward to. We will be traveling again soon. More details to follow... :)

PS. These are only a few of the pictures from our trip. If you would like to see the rest of them, we have posted them on a web album. Click here to see the album.

A little bit bored.

2009-05-06T20:38:00.001-07:00

Here's a post I wrote but never got around to adding pictures to post. We just got home from vacation, so you will soon get another post with pics from that...enjoy!! :)

I took a graduate class this semester. It was a Statistics class, and surprisingly, it was really fun. I started the class in January thinking that the material wouldn't be all that exciting, but the class is in preperation to later read and understand research articles and write my own dissertation. As the term was ending last week, I found myself wishing it wasn't over yet. I had really enjoyed it. Five years from now, I will probably laugh at that as I finish my doctorate and will most likely be ready to be finished with school again. One day at a time...one chapter at a time...carpe diem...seize the day...

In the meantime, DS keeps me entertained. He repeats most of what I say and I have to watch what I say. He follows directions pretty well and loves to help out whenever possible. I find that if I let him help me, I often finish my task much quicker than if I try to distract him and do the task myself. And, he's so proud of himself when he can help. I'm looking forward to the day I can give him chores that I don't need to supervise. Perhaps he will continue to help with the same excitement...but I won't keep my hopes up.

On a more serious note, DS has no fear. While visiting a friend of ours who lives in a second floor appartment, I turned around just as DS was beginning to tumble down the steps...the whole flight of steps. "Oww, oww, oww..." he said every time he bounced before hitting his head on the door at the bottom. He cried for a couple minutes, but then was ready to go play again. That was several weeks ago. Now he is displaying a healthy fear of steps. So, I suppose I should be thankful it wasn't worse and he has learned from the experience; although, I still cringe at the thought of him bouncing down the steps and I can still hear his painful cry as I was running down the steps after him, but he was just out of reach..."oww, oww, oww..."

He has started climbing up on his changing table. I've walked in his room a couple times and found him sitting on top playing with whatever is sitting on the top of the dressor next to him. For fear that the whole table will topple over, it has been moved out of his room. I've not yet seen any signs of him trying to climb out of his crib...I imagine that won't be too far off yet. He has, however, started climbing onto the couch and taking a flying leap off unto the floor. He thinks its hysterical. When I tell him to stop, he laughs even harder and climbs back up as though it's a game with mommy now. Is there any such thing as a toddler strait jacket?

Yup, he's an active, healthy, normal toddler that you can't leave out of your sight for more than a couple seconds. He's exploring and learning as he should. What more could I ask for? It's a beautiful thing.

Two Eventflul Weeks

2009-03-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

We've had two very eventful weeks. It all started when I took DS to the doctor for his 18 month check-up on Monday, March 16.

Growth Chart measures are as follows:
Length: 35 in, 95th percentile
Weight: 29 lbs 7 oz., 85th percentile
Head Circumference: 18 1/2 in, 40th percentile

He got a few shots, then threw up that night. Naturally, I assumed the shots were what did it and we went about our merry business. Two nights later, I changed my mind when all three of us were up sick most of the night. It wasn't pretty. A few days later, we started getting our appetites back and were looking forward to our Spring Break trip to Vancouver, BC.

Last Saturday, we took a break and headed over to DH's work where fans were rallying in support of the women's basketball team who was playing in the National Championship. The game was about 2000 miles away, but it was just as exciting to watch it on TV with a room full of fans. It was a good game and they won!! They flew home the next day and we went out to the main street as they rode in limousines and were escorted by the fire department and police department into town. Now DS claps every time he sees a police car or fire truck with lights flashing and sirens on.

On Monday, March 23, we headed up to Vancouver with some friends who have a son about 1 month older than DS. It was about a 6 hour drive, not counting stops to eat, get gas, and wait in line to cross the border into Canada. DS didn't sleep much, so he was pretty restless when we got there. Hoping to not spend too much on our little trip, we had made reservations to stay at a hostel. Hostels are different from hotels. They are much less expensive and they encourage interaction amongst the guests. This, in itself, would have been fine. However, there was a pub downstairs and we called them when we made reservations to see if the noise would be a problem for our children trying to sleep. They instructed us to email them and request a top floor room so we would be the furthest away from the noise and it wouldn't be a problem. When we got there, our assigned room, despite the no smoking policy, stank of smoke. DH seems to be extra sensitive to that as he has been known to end up sick in such circumstances. So, after requesting another room and being informed that the hostel was completely booked for that night but they could get us a different room for the second night, our dear friends suggested that we switch rooms. We also came to find that this room also shared the same wall as the pub downstairs, so despite being on the fourth floor, our friends could hear the music from the pub loud and clear until 3:00 am. They had barely slept. So, Tuesday morning we headed out to the park for some fresh air. It was cold and wet, though, and it didn't last long. After some lunch and some really great naps, we were all feeling a little better and ready for an adventure. We met up with a friend of our friends, who lives in Vancouver and he showed us around a little. We went for a ride on a small ferry boat, which DS and his buddy enjoyed. Then, we explored some of the local markets and finished the evening with dinner at a really good Indian Restaurant. Our second night was a little better as our friends had been able to move into a room that was further from the music and we all got a decent night of sleep. Wednesday morning was sunny so we went back to the park for some photo ops before heading south. On the way home, our friends' son decided to get sick and he emptied his stomach a few times, which meant we had to make a few "clean-up" stops. It was a bit of an exhausting trip and we were glad to be home, but I have to say that I would do it all over again. I suppose what makes adventures real adventures is both the good and the bad.

We spent a couple days to recover and awoke this morning, Sunday morning, ready to head to church. Today, DS is 19 months old! And to celebrate, DS decided to stick a soy nut up his nose during breakfast. I turned around and he had his finger up his nose. Shining a flashlight where I shouldn't have to shine it revealed that he indeed had been exploring with small objects in small places. Off to Urgent Care we went where the doctor did wonders with a pair of forceps. Naturally, DS was not amused. I held his head and his arms while DH held his feet. Note to self: Don't take my eyes off of my son while he is eating soy nuts.... Then the doctor was nice and gave him a pop-sickle, which made things all better.

PS. Most of these pics are from our Vancouver Trip. I figured you didn't want to see pictures of our doctor visit this morning....

God Answers Prayer

2009-03-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

I had an important interview a couple weeks ago. It was for graduate school--for a Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) program to start this fall. The interview lasted all day and I had the opportunity to meet other PsyD candidates. We toured the campus and the health clinic, sat in on some classes, had breakfast and lunch, had a coffee hour with current students, and had individual interviews--not in that order. I was pretty nervous and when I get nervous, I talk fast and don't feel like I think straight. So, there were definitely questions in my individual interview that I didn't think I answered very well. The rest of the day was fun, though. At the end of the day, one of the professors led a short devotional and his ultimate message was this, "Pray for the admissions committee. We are praying for you and trusting that God will bring together the right group of students for next year's group. You are all qualified to come. If it is God's will that you are here, you will be here." At that moment, all of my worries of not performing well enough in my interview faded.

The next day, I left to go to the coast for a weekend retreat with a friend's church. It was well-timed for me, not that they had specifically planned it that way. It was the perfect time to get away from my busy life. On Sunday morning, I walked out to the beach since I had only seen it in the dark up to that point in the weekend...we had some sessions scheduled at different times, but we had been able to take walks on the beach after dark--the beach is quite mysterious after dark! Anyway, on Sunday morning, it was raining a little, but it wasn't far and I love the ocean. When I got there, God gave me a rainbow. It was the brightest rainbow I had ever seen and I do believe it is only the second time I have ever seen a complete one--where both ends stretch to the ground. I had my camera so I took pictures, but they just don't do it justice.

DS stayed home with DH for the weekend. It was the longest I have been away since he was born. It was a little hard. But, when I called home on Saturday morning, DH put me on speakerphone and this is what I heard:

"Noah, who's on the phone?"
"Daddy!"
"No, I'm Daddy. Who's on the phone?"
"Daddy!"
"No, I'm Daddy! Who's on the phone?
"Mommy! Hi!"
"That's right. That's Mommy."
"Bye!"

Apparently, they were doing just fine without me. :)

The next couple weeks I waited...for the ultimate phone call, the one that would offer me a spot in the program for the fall. I prayed a lot. And, I would be lying if I didn't say that with each day that passed and I didn't receive the call I got a little more discouraged. "Maybe it isn't God's will for me this year after all," I began to wonder. About three days ago, I had a heart-to-heart chat with God, once again, asking for an answer and I heard, "YES!" then silence. "Um, God, was that you?" I questioned. Thankfully, he is so patient and puts up with my incessant ridiculousness. First I ask for an answer, then I get an answer, then I question the answer....

Well, today I got the call!! Mike had come home for lunch and was sitting at the table when my phone rang. Not a minute before, I had been thinking, "Will today be the day?" And when the phone rang, I thought, "Well, it can't be Mike calling me this time because he is sitting at the table eating lunch." Sure enough, it was the admissions office. First, she asked me about my phone number that she had in the system. Apparently, my Pennsylvania number that I haven't had for over a year was still listed as my preferred number. She did a great job at making me think that was the only reason she was calling. I think she was enjoying keeping me in suspense. Then, she said, "Well, I also was calling to let you know that the admissions committee has reviewed your application and they would like to offer you a position in the program to begin this fall..." And the sun is shining brightly today...what a beautiful day this is!!!

Now, all I have to do is send them a letter to accept the offer and pay a $500 deposit to confirm my acceptance. I suppose that will be one of my easier assignments that I will have in the next five years... :)

How kids learn

2009-02-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

Noah was helping me to unload the dishwasher today. This is an activity he likes to help with OFTEN, and he does very well with the silverware. Today, as we were finishing up, he started getting a little rough with the racks, so I scolded him by saying, "Noah, be gentle!"...to which he responded by giving the dishwasher lots of kisses. He usually has lots of kisses to give, but they are most often offered to pets, stuffed animals, dolls, babies, and mom and dad.

I am attaching a bunch of pics...especially since it has been WAY TOO LONG since I last posted!! Please accept my apologies for my neglect! The first is an example of Noah's kisses--he loves his pet puppy from his great grandma from Christmas! The rest are all from our family vacation to Canada over New Years. We have taken more recent pictures, but they are all still in the camera!

Festivities

2008-12-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. DS's friend Finn's family adopted us for the day. We had a great day of turkey, talking, and tummy-stuffing. Then, on Friday, we spent the evening with our neighbors who have a tradition of doing gingerbread houses on that day. I have to say that this was the most elaborate gingerbread house I have ever made. DS enjoyed eating the candy.

We also had haircuts that weekend. DH was first, then it was DS's turn. This would be DS's 4th haircut. DH was excited about the difference in their hair color, but I'm sure DS's hair will get darker as it is already darker than it once was. In any case, it was worthy of documentation.

Now look closely at the next picture. Does anyone recognize that book? That's right! It's Richard Scarry's classic, "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go." My grandparents had a copy of this book when I was little and my favorite task was to find Goldbug...he's hidden on each page, you know. DS has began noticing trucks. He rides along in the car or on the bike, announcing every truck we pass, "guck!" Of course, it still sounds a lot like "duck" and "quack"...I'm only assuming he's not point out ducks along the way.

Speaking of DS's new words, one of our favorites is, "cookie". This one didn't take long to learn. One Saturday afternnon, DH announced that he was going to make some cookies. DS whirled around and repeated, "cah-kie, cah-kie!" Then it was nap time, so he took a nap, and when he got up, DH was finished making them. DS ran into the kitchen announcing, "cah-kie, cah-kie!" Apparently that particular nap time was full of sweet dreams of anticipation!

DS is becoming quite the climber. He seems proud of anything that makes him even slightly taller. They already grow too fast...let's not rush it.

Last weekend we headed out to DH's place of work for their annual Christmas Celebration. Some of you may remember the pics from last year's event. This year DS was old enough to enjoy it. First, we stopped by the live nativity. The most exciting part for DS was the goats and the rooster. Then, we stood in line for quite a while for the exciting horse-drawn carriage. DS naturally was pretty intrigued by the horses dressed with sleigh bells. Then we headed over to visit Santa, who, not surprisingly, was cause for some alarm. DS was not about to sit on his lap, but he did let Mama hold him next to Santa for a quick pic. How did parents ever torture their kids before Santa was invented?

And, our last stop was to make some antlers, which DS refused to wear. DH convinced him the next afternoon to keep them on long enough for a picture...before he pulled them off and ripped them in two.

We also put our tree up last weekend so we are now feeling festive!

And one more picture worthy of mention: DS has grown fond of DH's slippers. I think this is a phase that all children go through...

Merry Christmas to all!!

Bathtime Fun

2008-12-11T16:01:00.000-08:00

I do believe DS will be a pitcher one day, but perhaps he will need to work on his aim and technique...

On a more solemn note, we said goodbye to Herman, our faithful beta fish, this afternoon. He has now passed through the porcelain passageway into fishy heaven where he is free from pain and suffering. He had quite a life for a fishy. Highlights included three weeks without food (NOT the most recent three weeks!) and a brush with death by dogs as he shared a back seat in the car for a week as we journeyed west to our "promised land." He was blessed to have entered and experienced the land flowing with milk and honey...Farewell, dear Herman. (Can you tell I've been reading about Moses lately?)

Long Overdue

2008-11-11T20:51:00.001-08:00

Well, I wrote the following almost a month ago and didn't get around to adding pics and posting until now. So, keep that in mind as you read. I know, I've been slacking in my updating efforts...

I realized it has been over a month since I wrote. I suppose an update is long overdue. I have been studying...and loving it. Even if I'm not accepted into the Doctor of Clinical Psychology program, I have learned quite a bit. My perspectives have been challenged and I am only a better person for it. It is funny how being out of school for six years gives you time to fall into certain thinking patterns that aren't so beneficial. I have sat in class many times now feeling a little offended by the subject matter, only to realize that the reason I am offended is because these cognitive shortcuts and assumptions that people make have indeed become habitual for me, as well. These types of cognitive shortcuts are the basis of stereotypes and prejudices that cause serious hurt amongst the human race. The popular and yet despised psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud is quite famous for a lot of things, much of which I do not find worthy to be mentioned here. However, one aspect I appreciate is his emphasis on balance. Something that triggers a forceful emotional response may actually suggest an area where one struggles unconsciously, thus eliciting the response. Why do I get so offended or angered over certain ideas and topics? Maybe because I've got problems, too. ;)

About 3/4 of the way through the term, I welcomed a break! DH's parents were here to visit for a few days. What a wonderful time of relaxing and spending time together it was! And, we finally got to the portrait studio to get DS's one year pictures taken! I meant to do that when he actually turned one--2 1/2 months ago. I realized that if you don't do it when it is time, you miss your chance!! Of course, Grandma and Grandpa were excited to give DS one Christmas gift a little early so they would be able to enjoy watching him have fun with it. DS loves his new tunnel to crawl through. Of course, I am proud to say that I was actually the first one through the tunnel. (I even took it to Friend Finn's house today and they had a blast playing with it together!) Then, the weekend came to an end and they headed back east again. I love having family and friends come visit. I hate when they leave. I suppose you can't have one without the other. We are looking forward to our next break for Thanksgiving. Which is in about two weeks, believe it or not!

DS is living large and loving life! He is communicating, not necessarily speaking clearly, but communicating nonetheless. He loves to point to something so I can tell him what it is. A few of his favorites: ball, clock, light, dog, fish, Mamma's nose, blanket. And he still loves books. When he gets a little upset, I can tell him to go get a book and he will usually go sort through the shelf, pick out a book, bring it to me, crawl up on my lap, and listen intently as I read to him...and he usually wants to turn the pages himself. He has started trying to feed himself lately with a spoon. He tries so hard and does pretty well. I am thankful for my LARGE bib with a pocket at the bottom to catch everything that misses his mouth. Let's just say it saves me a LOT of work!

It poured all day today. It is supposed to be worse tomorrow. DH said we are getting the affects of a tropical storm. Who knew?!? I suppose when you don't get any TV channels and don't read the newspaper, or even check the news online, you miss a lot--but I suspect that if there is something important enough for me to know, people will talk and I will hear it from someone. Perhaps it is not always a most accurate version, but how is that any different from the actual media?

Busy

2008-10-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

I guess you could say we've been staying busy. It all started a couple weeks ago when I was looking to make applesauce to can. We happened upon a lovely little ranch with a really sweet man named "Farmer Stan". He had several apple trees loaded with apples. He said, in essence, "Please come pick my apples because my horses are getting fat on them." So, my friend and I headed over one morning to do some apple picking and about three hours later, we had about 200 pounds of apples...each. Farmer Stan was so nice! He had a tractor with a big bucket that he let us climb into, then he would raise it up so we were in the tree. Sure beats trying to use a ladder!

So, I spent two full days making and canning applesauce and another full day making and canning apple butter. This was the first time I did all of that myself, so I was quite proud of myself by the end. Only problem is that I now have about 60 quarts of applesauce and I'm not sure that I want to see anything that has to do with apples for a while. I'm sure I will be glad for it during the winter.

At the end of the applesauce week, I headed into Portland to take the GRE--that big standardized test to get into grad school--kinda like the SAT's, only much harder. There are three sections. I did pretty well on some of it. Let's just say that I will be taking them again and in the meantime I am studying lots of vocabulary words. Vocab has never been a strong point of mine, so I am seizing this opportunity to learn and grow. Of course, sometimes it takes a painful reality check to motivate certain learning and growing. Did I mention I'm going to be taking them again? :)

We had a branch on the tree that looked a bit gnarled. That and it was kinda laying on the wires. So DH took it upon himself to cut it down. He borrowed a ladder and pole saw and had great success. It looks nice now. I would like to draw your attention to his "safety helmet" in the picture...that is indeed a bike helmet. Better safe than sorry, I guess! :)

DH is back in full swing for his second year of teaching. It is going much more smoothly than last year. That was to be expected. He has a whole new batch of students and a lot of gained wisdom from last year's growing pains. He's even finding time to play volleyball a couple times per week!

And of course, everyone wants to know about DS! What would my blog posts be without DS pics!?! He's doing quite well, now running around the house. It is hard to keep up with him. I'm glad I don't have a bigger house! He's had a few cranky days lately. I suspect there are more teeth on the way to add to the 8 that he has now. He LOVES the phone. It is not typically an approved toy since he has called people in the past. But, every time he catches a glimpse of it, we have quite a meltdown. He loves to chase the dogs. Beau usually now runs from him and hides. Ollie, on the other hand, likes to give him kisses, which DS usually thinks is hysterical.

We have a new clock. Well, it's a bit of an old new clock. DH finished his HS wood shop project! It is quite impressive sitting in our little living room with it's elegant chimes and bongs. It's been admired by everyone that comes to visit...and their even more impressed when we tell them it is home-made--from scratch.

Classes are back into session for me, as well. I have two new classes this term: Personality Theory and Abnormal Psychology. The first is interesting as it focuses on why people do what they do. The second is fascinating as it focuses on the various mental illnesses. Last evening we had a guest speaker that came to talk about schizophrenia. She, at age 30 and after a long history of psychotic issues, was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Now, being on a series of medications and with intensive cognitive therapy, she is able to have a relatively normal life and deal somewhat rationally with the irrational behaviors and experiences that come along with the condition. Talk about captivating! As I left class, I knew my world view had changed a bit and I will never be the same because of it. I suspect I will have many such experiences with this type of subject matter.

The weather has cooled and the rains have started. The first few weeks are more sporadic with some hot days and some rainy days. In a few weeks, the sunny days will be considered rare and the soggy ground will be the norm. I have to say that I am ready for the cooler, rainy weather, and by spring, I will be ready for sun again. I love the changing seasons.

One Year

2008-09-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

It has been a year. Hard to believe, but it's true. DS is a walking, babbling toddler of 12 months. My parents came for the weekend to celebrate. We had a lot of fun relaxing and celebrating. On the 29th, his actual birthday, we went out for dinner at the Mexican restaurant in town. Then, on Saturday, we went out to the park and ate lunch and played on the swings. DS loves to swing. When it was time to get out of the swing, he crossed his legs so we couldn't pull him out and he had a fit.

Then, we walked over to the pet store in town...more like a petting zoo. DS had a lot of fun chasing the two dogs and the tortus' that were all running around. They also had a cute little lop-eared bunny that DS snuggled. He (and I) got to hold a snake. I do believe that is the first snake I have ever held. And there are lots of fish and birds to look at, which he found exciting. That evening we had cake. DS loved his cake. He went to bed with a happy belly full of cake that night. On Sunday afternoon, we went to a birthday party for DS's friend Finn. He turned one on the 27th. And, on Monday, we took my parents back to the airport. We were sad to see them go. DS still recognizes and points to their picture that sits on the bookshelf.

On Thursday, we went to the doctor for his one year checkup. She was quite pleased with all of his walking and babbling. The not-so-fun part of the visit was, of course, the shots. But, he got over that quickly.

Growth chart numbers are as follows:
Weight: 24 lbs. 2 oz., 65th percentile. Little surprised he is still under 25 pounds, but he is growing just fine...he feels heavier every time I pick him up.
Height: 31 3/4 in., 95th percentile. Still super tall for his age.
Head Circumference: 18 in., 35th percentile. Growing normally.

He's starting babble in ways that sound more and more like actual words. He also babbles in sentences. I think one day he will surprise me and all of a sudden start rattling off real sentences. He is definitely modeling behaviors. He sees me yelling and the dogs, so he goes out on the deck when they are running around the yard and yells out to them a sentence that only he knows the meaning. He will grab a phone and hold it up to his ear and start talking. Then, he'll start walking around the house with the phone still at his ear, still talking. He's my little shadow. He will follow me around the house as I work...my little buddy.

Happy 5 Years

2008-09-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

On August 23, DH and I celebrated our fifth year anniversary. DH had a fun day planned with just the two of us. DS stayed with some friends for the day. First, we headed to the racetrack and did some go-cart racing. I am ashamed to say that DH beat me by just a split second. Only complaint I had, though, was that we had to wear helmets. I've never been to a go-cart place where they make you wear helmets...it smushed my new do. Anyway, from there, we caught the MAX and rode into Portland where we walked around downtown. This was the first time I actually walked around in downtown Portland. It is a beautiful city...definitely some weird people here, but a beautiful city nonetheless. We ate at a cute Italian restaurant before heading to the Beaver's game, which is the Portland minor leauge baseball team. It was super fun, but we lost. Not exactly a close game.

We left the game a little early to try to catch the MAX ahead of the rush since the stop was just outside the stadium. That was a big day in Portland, though, and we had to let about 4 over packed trains pass before squishing on one. One of them broke down right in front of us because the doors jammed up because it had too much weight on it. They started clearing the train out one door as people, not realizing what was happening, started cramming in another door. What a mess! Anyway, super fun day.

Happy Anniversary, DH!

The New Me

2008-09-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

I cut my hair off again. About two years ago, I cut off about 10 inches to donate to Locks of Love. It is a company that makes wigs for people who have cancer. So, I let it grow and chopped off another 10 inches. I still have the braids laying on the counter because I haven't sent them in yet, much to DH's amusement. My friend Mary is a licensed hair stylist, so she gave me my new "do".

This is my Pocahontas picture. Don't I look lovely?

And the final product (front and side shots). Too bad I can't make it look just like that when I style it. Mary just has the right touch.

Quality Time

2008-08-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, DH is off to his faculty retreat at the coast. He just left and is riding out with a few others in a camper that one guy is staying in for the few days. He will be returning on Tuesday, so DS and I have a couple days together just the two of us...a great time to get used to not having DH around during the day since the school year is just about to start.

Lately, I've been having a lot of flashbacks of last summer as this is the time I was very uncomfortable and very ready to have the baby! It's hard to believe DS is almost 1. A few of his new tricks: I believe he has mastered the word, "dog." It's hard to tell as it also sounds an awful lot like "duck". Also, he is now starting to climb up and down the steps on our deck...it is just one step up at two different places, so I don't need to worry about him falling down a fight of steps. It is a good spot for him to learn how to do steps. One more thing he is learning is that if he wants to hold his sippy cup to drink out of it, he needs to hold it up. For a while, he has been letting me hold the cup so he can drink out of it. Then, he decided he wanted to hold it, but nothing came out...because he wasn't tipping it back. So, now I can give him the cup and he can do it all on his own. He seems to be understanding a lot of what we say. I will tell him certain things and he responds accordingly, which is a lot of fun to see. I really think babies are a lot more fun when they are about to turn 1.

So, here is another video for your enjoyment. I know I've mentioned before that DS likes books. Now you can see him in action. Enjoy!

Toddler Man

2008-07-29T20:46:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay, I know I have bombarded you with posts in the past 2 weeks. But, here is a video clip DH caught Sunday evening. He then informed me, "If you would think it is blog-worthy, I would be honored." Yes, DH, I have classified it as "blog-worthy", so here it is!

Again, for those of you who receive my blog posts via email, you can go to the website to get the full video: notesfromthenorthwest.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-07-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

Apparently, DS is now walking. Tuesday was my birthday, and one exiting thing that happened that day was that DS took his first unassisted steps. He has since been standing for longer periods of time and taking more and more steps. He stands and gets his balance, then looks at something, which he decides to go after. Then, off he goes. He has taken up to about 13 steps or so before plopping and crawling the rest of the way. He is quite a determined little man.

We've established that DS is not allowed to play in the dogs' water dish, so his determination to touch that water himself has started to fade. However, now the new fascinating activity is putting things in the water dish. We have recently had to wring out several of his toys. Ah yes, the world of a curious toddler!!

As an aside, last evening I was the closest I had ever been to going to the emergency room. Then, at about 3:30 am Saturday morning, I did. After a few hours of testing procedures and such, I was sent home with some antibiotics and a list of instructions that included "get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids". Let's just say, I was in a lot of pain, but now I am feeling much better. Today, I praise God for doctors!

The Crawl

2008-07-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

And by popular demand...I was diligent in my videography-ing and have finally captured "The Crawl" on video. In this video, DS does have socks on, which seems to hinder his abilities slightly. With the warm weather, he usually goes barefoot. Again, for those of you who receive blog updates via email, you may go to the website to get the full video: notesfromthenorthwest.blogspot.com

Also, with the nice weather we have had recently, we have ventured out to the sandbox. DS seems to enjoy getting dirty. I suppose that means he is a normal kid.

Concentration

2008-07-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here is another video attempt. Again, for those of you who get blog posts via email, you will need to go to the web-site to view the video: notesfromthenorthwest.blogspot.com. My apologies for the fact that this video is sideways. I forgot that you can't do vertical video...only vertical still-shots. You will have to tilt your head...I guess I won't get any awards for best motion picture on this one.

Boy's Gone Camping

2008-07-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

We decided to be brave and took DS camping for two nights. We went with a group from the university where DH works. It was a group of families that we have met throughout the year. We had a lot of fun. It reminded me of various camping trips I had gone on with my family when I was growing up. Only this time, I was one of the adults...having to help with meal planning, etc. But, I didn't let that added responsibility ruin my trip! :)

DS slept fairly well in the tent. I had been a little concerned that he might keep everyone awake, being that we were all sleeping in tents well in ear-shot range. But, he made me proud. He wasn't any louder than any of the other little ones in the group--at least from my perspective. And, I did get some much-needed sleep as well, so I can't complain.

DS loves to play in the dirt, we discovered. Having no bath tubs to use, his evening "wash-up" session included a wet-wipe wipe-down. I have come to be quite appreciative of wet wipes. Whoever invented those was a genious in my book.

Speaking of geniouses, DS is quite the little smarty pants. He has a toy with shape cutouts in the lid that you put the matching shape pieces through. I don't mean to brag (well, maybe I do) :), but he, at 10 months, has started putting shapes through the correct holes. He also has developed a passion for animals and balls...and the dog water dish. He loves to point at anything. That is his indication that I should take him there to examine it. And when I don't, he uses what has become labled as the "bear-crawl" or "monkey-crawl" where he is on all fours, but not hands and knees...he doesn't like using his knees, so he uses his feet instead with his little bum straight up in the air. Apparently, he thinks it is faster. Although, it is clear that he would much prefer to be walking. One day, little one, one day. You're not far off. He also likes to torture the poor puppies. He chases them and pounces. It is almost as if you can see them roll their eyes while thinking, "not again." They usually get up and walk away, which further encourages DS's game to again chase and pounce. He'll grow out of that game one day, boys, I promise.

9 Month Visit at 10 Months

2008-07-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

I took DS to the doctor for his 9 month visit...which was actually a few weeks late, making it more like 10 months...
Growth Chart numbers are as follows:
Length: 30 1/2 in., 90th percentile
Weight: 22 lbs. 8 oz, 65th percentile
Head Circumference: 17 3/4 in, 35th percentile
Conclusion: Still tall, but weight and head circumference are evening out a bit...

Above I attempted to upload a video...this is my first video attempt, so let's hope it works for everyone...

DS was invited to play in his friend's kiddie pool. They had a grand time splashing. Now comes the challenge: Teaching him where it is appropriate to splash... In a kiddie pool on the padio: Fine! In the bathtub: Not fine!

Tahoe

2008-06-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Once again, it's high time I get some of these pics out before they get too backed up...

We had a wonderful week in California at Lake Tahoe. It was about a 10 hour drive, so we decided to split it up between 2 days. 10 hours is a lot of time to spend in a car, especially when you are traveling with a little one. DS actually did quite well...he slept a lot of the way, and when he was awake he was generally okay if he had biscuits or crackers to munch on...

We did quite a bit of hiking. Tahoe is a beautiful area with ski resorts all around. Naturally, it was much too warm to ski.

Ollie and Beau came along for the ride. They had a great time hiking, too. They were pretty mellow by the end of the week...It takes an awful lot of activity for them to get that way.

Here we are hiking on Mount Rose, the highest peak around the lake, overlooking Lake Tahoe. We were quite thankful for sunblock...

Still hiking on Mount Rose...it was quite a bit cooler than we had anticipated...cold enough for the snow to still be lingering...

Lunch break...

After long days of hiking, we enjoyed floating in the pool. DS is becoming quite the independent little man. He loved standing on the step by himself and splashing. If I got too close, he would push my hands away as if to say, "You're spoiling my fun, Mom!" However, occasionally, he would venture off the step that was shallow enough for him to stand. Then, he was quite glad I was close by! Silly boy.

Our resort had bikes we could borrow for a few hours...for free! Not being ones to ever pass up a free offer, we couldn't resist. :) We rode about 17 miles or so on a bike path that followed a creek...It was a pretty ride, but DS doesn't remember much of it since he slept most of the way.

We took a day off from hiking and went on a boat cruise around the lake. With the water being crystal clear and 98% clean, many people who live around the lake actually pump lake water into their homes to drink. I know that is a pretty good percentage, but I have to wonder about the other 2%.

DS is usually easily entertained, especially when daddy is wearing his funny hat! :)

Yet another hike up to a really beautiful place to sit and have lunch.

And DS took some time exploring one rock...

All in all, it was a really great trip, but we are happy to be home again. We have only lived in our house about 3 weeks in the past 7, so it has been nice to get settled back in and start to think about a normal routine again. And, tomorrow my classes start...Woo hoo!!!

On a more serious note, my dear grandpa passed away while we were exploring Tahoe. He was not well and was very much looking forward to "going home." Naturally, it was always hard to loose a dear family member, but we celebrate that he is no longer in misery and has reached his eternal home. We look forward to one day seeing him again!

Blueberries and Books

2008-06-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

I try to make a conscious effort not to discuss poopie diapers on a regular basis. Although they are a large part of my life right now, I understand that most people I come into contact with would rather not hear about it. This one, however, is note-worthy. I introduced DS to blueberries last evening. I took some blueberries out of the freezer, thawed them, and pureed them up as I do with most of his food. He loved them and ate the whole bowl-full. Then, today for lunch, I was racking my brain for some fruit to give him when I remembered the positive experience we had with blueberries last evening. So, once again, I pulled some out of the freezer, thawed them, and pureed them up. Once again, he loved them and ate the whole bowl-full. This afternoon, I saw the first blue poop I have ever seen. It was a beautiful deep blue...like a midnight blue. Okay, okay, enough said...

Here is a picture of DS reading his books. He first will cruise around the furniture (yes, he is now walking along furniture...still crawling very slowly in the style of an inch-worm, but walking rather quickly along furniture) and end up in the corner where we keep a stack of his books. Did I mention he loves books!?!

Speaking of books, I suppose this is a good time to mention that I am also going to be hitting the books. I have decided to go back to school. This summer, fall, and spring I will be taking some basic psychology courses as well as applying to the Doctor of Psychology program at the university where DH teaches. I am quite excited about the venture and am ready for the challenge. I have even borrowed some Intro to Psychology text books that I am now reading for fun! Imagine that, me reading text books for fun. That is definitely a first for me...but it is so interesting, I can't help myself!

Milestones and Such

2008-06-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

DH is allergic to milk. And since there could possibly (nobody, including the medical field, knows for sure) be a genetic link, I was a little apprehensive about giving DS any dairy products. This morning I decided to face my fears. I gave him a cup of yogurt. It is now almost 3 hours later and so far so good! No emergency rushes to the hospital, no breaking out in hives, no severe diarrhea...I am hopeful!

Yesterday morning I was beside myself. At 9 months, DS hadn't figured out how to crawl. All he wanted to do was to stand or walk. The problem comes in when he doesn't know how to stand up himself, and he can't walk without taking my fingers with him, which starts to hurt after a while. These things he needs to learn! Instead of trying to figure it out, he throws an enormous fit...already showing signs of having a very strong will...hmmmm, I wonder where he gets that from?? So, last evening, I finally had a "light bulb moment". I built a tower of toys, something I have done for him many, many times...he loves knocking over towers. Boy, did he start squirming, trying desperately to reach the tower. He was so proud of himself when he knocked it over. So I built another tower about a foot away...and he started squirming again until he reached the tower. And again, and again, and again. I was so excited! DS, on the other hand, was working very hard and was starting to get pretty worn out. After all, bed time was approaching as well. So, we headed to bed. He must have been quite worn out because this morning he slept in a whole hour. I don't remember the last time I was able to sleep in to 8:30! So now for the next stage: making sure he doesn't get into everything! Ah, the joys of parenting.

DS now has 4 teeth...but not the 4 that you would assume he would have. He got the bottom front two teeth first, which is relatively normal. Then, he got 2 top teeth at the same time, but not the front two. The top left front tooth and the next one toward the back of the mouth are the two of choice. We have yet to see traces of the top right front tooth.

Beau has seen fit to hide. Not sure what the reason is, but we will occasionally see him peeking out at us from his various hiding places as if to say, "You can't see me!"

Traveling Fun

2008-05-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it's high time I send out some pics. We had a nice 3-week visit to Pennsylvania. These are just a few of many highlights...for more pics from the trip, click on the link to the right of my blog page that says "DS's Photo Gallery". The 3 weeks flew by and before we knew it we were back to Oregon. We missed some people we had hoped to hook up with, but I am learning that is just life when you live so far away. Too many people, not enough time. We did, however, have a wonderful time with the family and friend visits we were able to work into the schedule. This first picture is my dear brother and his new bride...and party. It was a beautiful wedding and they had a nice trip to St. Thomas are now getting settled in their Virginia home...I wish them the best!!! (P.S. I can't wait to see the pics from the trip!)

We spent lots of time with my dear sister and her family, who came in from Africa to attend the wedding. This was such cherished time as naturally, we are by no means next-door neighbors! In fact, our time difference is 7 hours, which makes it challenging to even schedule phone calls when we are both awake. DS and his dear cousin Thomas enjoyed each other's company as they got acquainted.

DS loves books...especially when Grandma reads them! They had some special moments sitting and reading together.

We had a nice trip to NY to see DH's grandparents. This was their first time meeting DS, which was also very special!

Here are just some fun play pics...more special times.

Cows. We had cows. Long story...enough said! :)

And this would be DS crashed out...He was quite worn out and ready to sleep in his own bed again when we got home...as were we. It was a wonderful trip, but it is always nice to come home again!

Hiking in the Buff

2008-04-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

We headed out for a family-day field trip before heading back to PA for a family wedding and other family and friend visits. After rushing home from church and packing up some food, water, and anything else we just might need in the next 8 hours (We might need to buy a bigger car...never know what kind of storms may suddenly hit this time of year...), we took a nice leisurely drive to a place called Silver Falls State Park. When we got there, we made sure everyone's bellies were full and bladders were empty and off we went! We embarked on an approx. 8 mile loop that led us to 10 different spectacular waterfalls...not quite 7-wonders-of-the-world material like Niagra Falls, but spectacular none-the-less. Actually, there were more than 10, but the others were little bitty trickles compared to the 10 main ones.

DS enjoyed the day. He just rode along most of the time, enjoying the scenery. He started to get pretty warm at one point, so we stripped him down...hence "the buff." He was able to catch some cat naps as we went, but he seemed to wake up every time the trail led us right behind the waterfall where we caught a lot of mist and wind! My engineer husband was pretty excited about how the wind was caused by the water falling and pushing the air out of the way...he mentioned modeling it somehow...perhaps in a lab for one of his classes. I was fascinated, but slightly less enthusiastic. :)

We returned happy and exhausted, as all good family field days should end.

Pearlie Whites

2008-04-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

After seemingly months of unexplainable fussiness and downright miserableness, we finally have something to show for it! DS has his first tooth peeping through. I can only assume that there are more to come...

High Maintenance Pup

2008-04-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

We went for a bike ride today and decided to take the pups along. Beau did great. Ollie, however, decided about half way around the loop that he had had enough. He rode the rest of the way... It is a good thing I decided to invest in a bike basket! :)

Tulips, Trails, and Tractors

2008-04-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon was a perfect day for a family field trip. We headed to the tulip farm nearby. The yellow and red tulips were in full bloom. The rows with the multi-colored tulips were budded, but not yet completely open. DS thoroughly enjoyed the sights...and the shoes.

It was a nice day for the trip. It was sunny when we got there, then it rained for about 20 minutes or so, then the sun came out and it got really warm, then it poured down rain just after we left--typical Oregon spring day! DS enjoyed helping Mommy hold the umbrella. :)

We took a walk down history lane with the steam tractors that were parked for show...I do believe they are still fully functional!

And, what would a family field trip be without a family picture!

Special Ceremony

2008-04-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a special day! At the beginning of the service, we had the opportunity to dedicate Noah to the Lord--a wonderful celebration of the amazing little boy that God has blessed us with!! Near the end of the service was another special ceremony--this one of baptism...another celebration of the amazing life that God gives us. We left church that day with an incredible feeling of hope and of God's love being poured out all over us. Talk about warm fuzzies!!

Firsts

2008-04-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

With a baby comes all sorts of new firsts, some of which are milestones that fall into the "Exciting" category, and some "Not So Thrilling." Today while DS was taking his bath, we had the first little bathtime floating poopie. That one I would consider "Not So Thrilling". I imagine this will not be the last, but we can certainly hope for the best.

The other day I got out my guitar and tuned it up. That was a first for me in many months. Sitting next to me, DS started rocking back and forth and singing back. He's a natural!

We had beautiful weather this week, but this morning, it is pouring down rain again. Yeah, Oregon!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Good Friday first by taking a trip to the pool. We met DS's friend Lucy there, who is about 2 weeks away from her first birthday. They had fun splashing away together!

Then, in the evening, we headed off to church for a really awesome Good Friday service. It was a great time of praise and worship and reflecting on the awesome freedom we have because of the amazing thing Jesus did! On Sunday, we were invited by one family to another family's home for an afternoon dinner. :) As it turns out, the host family's father works at the university with DH. It was a nice time of visiting and some more celebrating!

Feeding Time at the Zoo

2008-03-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

This week was Spring Break for DH. We dog sat for the week. We had 2 extra dogs running around the house...That's right, this week we lived in a dog house, not a people house! Everyone got along well. We took walks with the pack daily and thoroughly enjoyed some down time before the home stretch...just 4 more weeks until classes are dismissed for the summer. Yeah, Education!!

6-Month Visit

2008-03-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

We headed off to the doctor's this morning for DS's 6-month visit. First of all, I was looking forward to what she had to say about the flat spot on his head after having been to PT and doing all the stretches, etc. for the past 2 months. She also seemed happy with his progress. She confirmed that we should continue the things we have been doing and it will be completely resolved in time. Yay for success!!

He got his 6-month round of immunizations. Still doesn't like to be stuck by needles...but who does?? He actually did pretty well this time.

Growth factors are as follows:
Weight: 19 lbs., 12 oz., 85th percentile
Length: 28 in, 80th percentile
Head Circumference: 17 1/4 in, 30th percentile
Conclusion: Slowed down growing a bit (which is normal at 6 months), but still huge.

He loves his squishy soccer ball--I believe he might have soccer in his future--I'd be okay with that. :) Problem is that Ollie and Beau like to steal it from him. He will have to work on his footwork a bit... For now, he's the guy that throws the ball in from the sidelines when it goes out of bounds...since that involves using your hands.

Swimmer Dude

2008-03-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

Friday afternoon, we took our first trip to the local pool with some of DS's friends. DS loves to swim. He just kicked away as we "swam" back and forth along the pool. He tried a variety of kicks--the flutter kick, and the butterfly kick particularly. He hasn't quite mastered them yet, but I am hopeful. The butterfly kick made his little bottom bounce up and down and was quite funny to watch. He was dunked once...when I taught a Water Babies class in PA, this was highly encouraged, simply to start getting them comfortable with going under water. He looked a little startled, but his smile came back almost immediately. Babies inherently know to hold their breath under water, so a split second dunk never hurts. I forgot my camera that day, but DS's friend Finn had his grandpa there with a camera taking pictures, so when I get those, I will pass them along. This one will have to do for now: A great pic of the swim trunks, roly-poly arms and legs, and "Buddha-belly"...the only thing that is missing is the water. :) (For the record, I was having a bit of a spelling issue, so I looked in the dictionary..."roly-poly" is actually there! 50 cool points for Webster!!)

DS is learning to knit. Well, actually, he just tries on his mama's projects...PS. He tried this one on himself--his mama did not make him do it! :)

Vegetable Eater

2008-02-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

DS is now a vegetable eater. We started with carrots on Thursday, mixing it in with his cereal, which is pretty much just rice mixed with milk. Sounds good, right? Rice and carrots...and milk to wash it down. Well, we did the "4-day rule" before introducing sweet potatoes yesterday. The sweet potatoes definitely seem to go down easier then the carrots. (Like mama, like son, I suppose!!)

I invested in a really great book about making your own baby food called "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. It talks about making everything from your own cereals ("Super Porridge") and almost every fruit and vegetable out there and how to make them for babies. I have started doing a little bit of cooking and freezing little bits in ice cube trays for quick meals. I am looking forward to trying all the various forms of vegitation with DS. The greatest part is that it also gives me ideas of different things to try for "us big people" that I would never have thought of. For example, today was the first time I have ever cut open an avocado. I was pretty amazed at the size of the "seed", or "pit" or whatever the "proper" name for it is. Supposedly, it is pretty easy to grow an avocado plant, so I think I might give that a try. Guacamole, here we come! I was a little overwhelmed at first by all of the information, but DH reminded me to make one little change at a time and before we know it we will be a true Oregonian, living off the land!...or something. I thought I was a pretty healthy eater for the most part, but I am realizing there are a lot of ways I can make our diets healthier and more diverse (but still yummy!) and cheaper!

Biker Babe

2008-02-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

We have had some awesome weather lately, and we just needed to try out our baby bike seat that was "handed down" to us from some friends here. So, last Sunday afternoon, we strapped on the seat and DS's bike helmet. (All children on a bike under the age of 16 are required to wear helmets here...I didn't know they made helmets this small. Fortunately, it is adjustable so he won't grow out of it right away.) We had a nice ride around the block and down to the river. He seemed to enjoy the ride so much that it put him right to sleep.
Since our first bike-outing, we have had several others including a few trips to pop in and visit some friends around town. I have contemplated riding out to the store to do some grocery shopping, but unfortunately, bikes don't come with trunks to bring the groceries home. I did invest in a pretty nice wire basket for the front of my bike, but that just isn't big enough for a cart-load of food.

The most challenging part when commuting by bike, I have found, is holding the bike up while strapping the baby in. With lots of practice, I'm sure it will get easier.

Rounding Out

2008-02-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

I took DS to the Physical Therapist for his follow-up visit on Friday, a week and a half ago. I apologize for the tardiness of this report. The purpose of this visit was to check his progress with the neck stretches we had been assigned to do...in order to stretch out his tight neck muscles...so he can look to the left easier...to help work out the flat spot on the right side of his head...indirectly. We did the stretches faithfully (most days) and she was pleased with the progress. His muscles were much more even this time and the flat spot on his head is even starting to round out a little. She instructed us to continue keeping the weight on the left side of his head by lying him down on his left side to continue helping it to get better, not worse. And, she discharged him from PT and does not need to see him again!! Our next visit to the doctor for his 6-month checkup is on Monday, so we are looking forward to that.

I took some time off to go skiing. I left Noah with some competent babysitters and headed out for a "Mom Date" the other evening. (This is my friend Leslie, striking an adtion pose, who's daughter Lucy is just a few months older than Noah.) We went skiing (well, I skied and she snowboarded) for a few hours at a place on Mount Hood that has discounted tickets on Tuesday nights for "Ladies Night." That's right, only the ladies get discounted tickets!! It was fun to get out to get some fresh air!!

New Tricks

2008-02-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

Trick Number 1: Eating with a spoon!!
DS began eating rice cereal last Saturday. Our original plan was to start at 6 months, as 4-6 months is typically recommended. However, as his 5 month mark was upon us, he was showing all the signs of being ready! I'm not sure if any of it was actually swallowed, or if all of it landed on his bib. In any case, he seemed to enjoy it and now is eating like a pro...almost.

Trick Number 2: Sitting!!
DS has begun sitting up. Over the past week or so, his balance was beginning to improve so he could sit for 30 seconds or so, but today when I let go, he stayed up!! Today was the first day he was able to sit up on his own for a 10 minute stretch before losing it and rolling backward. His new favorite activity seems to be sitting up and reaching out to the dogs so they can lick his hands. Every now and then, when they run by, he loses track and starts to teeter, but so far, so good!

Trick Number 3: Being cute.
Actually, this is not at all a new trick, but he has definitely been hamming it up these days. During his play time, he will look up to see if we are watching, then, with a big smile, bury his face in his blanket. He LOVES getting his clothes and/or diaper changed. The changing table is apparently his "happy place". And, of course, there is peek-a-boo. He just laughs when I poke my head around the door and say, "Peek-a-boo!" Then he waits for me to do it again....and when I don't, he definitely lets me know that our game was NOT over! Not to mention, his new amusement with sticking his fingers in my mouth...

Meet Finn. Finn is one of DS's buddies who happens to be just 2 days older...and every bit as big. They have started socializing in their native baby tongue.

We had a blizzard...well, maybe not a blizzard exactly... We had so much snow that it shut down our little town for a couple hours. Apparently this is about as much snow as we will ever get here...but the mountains are about 1 1/2-2 hours away, and they get PLENTY of snow. The children around enjoyed having the schools delayed and made snowmen...or should I say mud-men.

Baby's Getting Around

2008-01-21T13:19:00.001-08:00

DS rolled over today!! He had done it once before, probably about a month ago or so, but he had been lying on the bed, which was not completely flat because I was sitting next to him, squishing the mattress down. Today it was legit. He was lying on his belly on the floor and over he went!!

DS had a visit with the Physical Therapist on Friday morning, as was recommended by the pediatrician to evaluate his head and neck. Indeed, he has a little muscle imbalance in his neck that probably started from the way he was lying in utero. His flat spot on his head is most likely linked to the muscle imbalance in his neck, as was suspected. So, we are doing some stretching with him to help loosen up the tight muscles. The PT didn't seem to think it was that severe, but the sooner we "fix" it, the better. I have already noticed a bit of an improvement after just a couple days, so we will keep plugging away.

Ollie and Beau have been enjoying the sun we are having (which is rare for this time of year here)...and fighting over our one sunny spot on the floor. They keep sliding over as the sun spot moves across the floor. It is really quite amusing to watch.

Growing by the Minute

2008-01-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

We had our 4-month trip to the pediatrician the other day. Report is as follows:
Weight: 17 lbs., 7 1/2 oz, 90th percentile
Length: 26 3/4 in., 95th percentile
Head Circumference: 41 1/2 cm, 25th percentile
Conclusion: Still small head, but bigger than last time. Still growing quite (almost ridiculously) fast. Wearing 9 month clothes at 4 months...what kind of babies do they base these sizes on!?!

He got his shots. As expected, he did not appreciate being stuck. But, one day, he will appreciate being immunized and protected from various horrible diseases. Therefore, we press on. It didn't take him long to settle down and fall asleep in his stroller, indicating that he wasn't too incredibly traumatized.

Doctor was still a little concerned by the flat spot on his head. He still favors looking to the right and, as I had noticed one day in December, seems to have a slightly limited range of motion looking to the left. Doctor felt his neck muscles and confirmed that indeed, his muscles on the left side of his neck were less developed on the left and tighter on the right. She suggested we talk with the Physical Therapist to discuss exercises to help develop, strengthen and stretch the muscles. In the meantime, we keep him looking to the left as much as possible as he continues to favor the right. I have even started trying to get him to sleep on his left side some. Doctor suggested that we really want this to correct itself in the next 2 months or we may need to consider a "helmet" to help his head round out. Naturally, the earlier this problem is corrected, the better.

Happy New Year

2008-01-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a busy couple of weeks and it is high time I record some of it. We headed back to PA for the holidays on December 17. It was a very long day. We stopped in Detroit before heading on to Philly. DS did very well for a majority of the day, but he did have trouble settling down and getting the rest he needed because of all the sound, people, etc. By the second flight, he was getting pretty cranky...and loud. I felt bad for the people around us that were trying to rest. We were THOSE people with the crying baby that everyone secretly (or not so secretly) despises. I suppose they all have gotten over it by now.

We had a very nice time visiting with lots of family and friends. We didn't get to see nearly everyone that we would have liked to meet up with, but I suppose that is to be expected for a 3 week whirlwind trip. The holidays actually helped, though, because of all the Christmas dinners and a New Years Eve party we went to...which were all great fun!...we got to hit larger groups of people all at one time.

DS enjoyed his first Christmas. He napped during some of the present opening...as was expected. However, he will certainly enjoy all of the toys and books he received.

Amidst our travels, DH and I both somehow found time to catch a stomach virus that was going around, which put us out of commission for a day or so, forcing us to cancel our plans in the interest of not spreading the horrible bug on to the next unsuspecting victim.

I also did a bit of business while in town...allowing at least some of my traveling expenses to become tax deductible. That is always a plus!

DH spent some time working on his lectures to prepare for the upcoming semester. He is looking forward to another challenging semester with a whole new batch of classes.

We also found the time to visit my former place of work to see some of the people I worked with and to allow them to meet Noah. He was a big hit! And, it was so refreshing to walk through the halls of the community again after being away nearly 6 months. All was the same...except the carpet that miraculously changed from blue to red at some point during my absence.

We also had various breakfast and lunch dates. How wonderful it is to catch up with old friends.

We traveled back home to our corner of the country Friday, January 4. I had a friend that informed me of the existence of a beautiful thing called Herbal Teething Tablets made by Hyland's. Now, Noah really is starting to do some teething, so it wasn't completely unwarranted, but our main reason for using them was to just help Noah relax on the plane in order to get us all (and the rest of the travelers on the plane) back sanely. The tablets have some chamomile and some other herbal stuff in them that just help babies to relax. Noah did very well for the first leg of our journey without any extra help, but again he had trouble relaxing enough to get the rest he really needed. So, as we headed out form Minneapolis to Portland, he began getting extra fussy again...that was when we decided to break out the teething tablets. He did indeed relax and sleep some. When he was awake, he just sat on our laps and chilled out most of the time...aside from a short time at the beginning of our descent when the pressure was quite obviously bothering his ears. After we had landed, we had several of the surrounding people comment on how great of a traveler he is. We just smiled and thanked them while being silently oh, so grateful for our beautiful herbal teething tablets!

Also, during our flight, as we headed into Portland, we grew a little concerned that we wouldn't be able to land due to the storm that was creating severely heavy crosswinds. But, our pilot pulled up and swung around to attempt a landing on a different runway and amidst heavy turbulence, was able to land the plane smoothly. He got an applause from a plane-full of relieved travelers once we were safe and sound on the ground as we taxied back to the terminal.

Now, here we are, back in Oregon with lots of stuff piled around waiting to be put away. And I am once again out of commission with another bug that I have come to find out is Strep. That explains the horrible sore throat I'd been experiencing. What a way to start a brand new year.

Noah is getting caught up on Pacific Time again and is back to his 10 hour nights and 7:30 wake-up time and his happy and content self during the day. Hooray for being well-rested!!

We are looking forward to our next trip to PA in May for my brother's wedding...not so much looking forward to the actual traveling, but definitely looking forward to the family, friends, festivities, and fun!!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2007-12-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

Well, we got our tree out...yes, it is a fake tree, but it looks quite pretty with all of our special ornaments. One of our traditions is to buy an ornament when we go on vacation, so when we decorate the tree each year we can remember all the places we've been and all the fun we had. After debating with myself about weather or not to put up the tree this year since we will be away visiting family and friends in PA for most of the holiday season, I decided there was no point in even having a tree if we didn't put it up once per year, so here it is in all its glory!

And to celebrate the season that is now upon us, DH's university held a Campus Candlelight Ceremony the other evening with wagon rides, refreshments, and caroling fun. One particular station had reindeer antlers to decorate. DS didn't know what hit him; although, he was quite a hit all bundled up with his antlers on. He also had his first experience sitting on Santa's lap. I decided that all the fun this year is more for us as parents since Noah won't remember these days...but boy, is it fun to get pictures for him to look back at when he is older. I can just hear him now, "Oh, Mom...what were you thinking? That's so embarrassing." :)

Thanksgiving Weekend Photo Gallary

2007-11-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

First is a matter of business: If anyone would like to automatically receive each new blog entry by email, please let me know (by leaving me a comment...click where it says "0 comments" at the end of this entry...and let me know what email address you would like me to use...FYI, it will not be posted on the blog for everyone to see for your security). DH keeps teaching me new things that these programs can do...It adds wrinkles to my brain. (PS. Wrinkles in your brain is a good thing...the more wrinkles you have in your brain, the smarter you are...DH has many, many wrinkles...and he just takes the time to putz around with it to figure it all out. ;)

Second order of business: Happy Thanksgiving!!
We spent the evening with some friends of ours that moved here this summer from Idaho. Since we were both family-less for the holiday, we got together for our own big turkey dinner. We had a lot of fun hanging out and playing some games. They have two children ages 1 and 3. DH and I kept thinking, "Pretty soon, Noah will be running around and making us laugh like this." It was quite fun. Noah got to wear his precious Thanksgiving outfit sent from his dear Aunt Susan.

Every person needs a happy-little-naked-baby picture of themselves in the bath tub to look back on...This one is "family-friendly". DS thoroughly enjoyed kicking and splashing in the bath tub this morning.

Amidst their jealously of our constant attention being saved for DS, poor Ollie and Beau have begun to console each other--when they aren't fighting over their bone, that is. They are not particularly enjoying the cold rain, but that is just something they will have to get used to.

I have been working hard at compiling all of our contact information for everyone that we know. Instead of having some information listed in one place, other info in another place, and many other peoples' contact info on pieces of scrap paper lying here and there, we decided to organize our lives a bit better using Google. (I really am liking the way Google has provided all kinds of tools to organize my life...and it is all free.) It has been a tedious process. At times, I felt like pulling my hair out...But, I think we are almost done. We may be asking some of you for some of your contact info. Just because we ask doesn't mean we don't already have it. It just means we can't find it right now. :)

And a couple smiley Noah pics for fun...

With Pleasure, I Introduce To You: Dr. DH

2007-11-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

The day has (finally) arrived. This week, DH's thesis was submitted to the library, which was the final step for his PhD. After celebrating the almost completion by taking part in the commencement ceremony, he still had some work to do. On August 1, he defended the thesis by presenting to a defense committee of professors who were experts in his field. Then, there were some finishing touches to work through. And finally, the printing, binding, and submission of the final draft.

Today, we celebrate!

Yea, Rah, Hockey!

2007-11-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

There was a cheer we used to do on my high school hockey team that ended with "Yea, Rah, Hockey!" but I forget the rest of it... Some of you may remember that I was a cheerleader in 5th grade--we cheered for the midget football teams...not something I announce very often. That was before I found a REAL sport where you actually have to run and stuff!

Anyway, I left DS with DH Saturday morning and ventured into Portland to make some new friends. I arrived at the designated artificial turf field, which was covered with little football players. Apparently, they had a final game on Sunday and were getting in one last practice. So, we found a grass soccer field close by that would do for the day. (P.S. Grass fields in Portland--not a good idea...especially during the rainy season.) We were slipping and sliding all over the muddy field. Friday night when I went to bed it had been pouring down rain, but I awoke Saturday morning to a beautiful sunny day and we were determined to make the most of it.

I might have mentioned before that this team that I found is made up of a bunch of people who moved here from the east coast and places outside of the US since people of Oregon don't seem to know that there is a sport called Field Hockey. "What's That??" Also, P.S., in other countries, Field Hockey is also a men's sport. The US is the only country where it is really considered to be a women's sport. So, I got to play with a couple guys from Bangladesh, a girl who played in the UK, a couple that I think was from Puerto Rico, some others guys and girls that I'm not sure where they are from, and a girl from Cortland. (That would be SUNY Cortand, the team we faced in the 2001 NCAA Field Hockey National Championship. For those of you who don't know, we lost the game 1-0, coming in 2nd in the nation for NCAA Division 3 Field Hockey. I still crinkle my nose and growl when I think of Cortland...Grrr.) But, she was very nice and I am not bitter. She graduated 2 years before I did, so I never actually played against her.

Anyway, it was an exciting time of hockey. I still hurt 3 days later...the pain should be all gone just in time to do it all again this Saturday!!! Yea, Rah, Hockey!!!

Exhilerating Excursions

2007-11-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

My mother came to town for a few days. I like to believe she came to visit me, but let's face it, Noah was the real reason she made the journey out here. :) It was an eventful few days. DH and I were able to get out for a hiking date...something we haven't been able to do since we got here. Grandma was happy for the chance to babysit. On Monday, we spent all day cleaning my house and making some food for the company we were expecting in the evening. For those of you who don't know, I am getting started with a home based business as an Arbonne Consultant. It is a really great company with really awesome Swiss-formulated pure skin care products. Seriously, it is the best stuff I have ever tried...and I've tried a lot of stuff. So, we had a fun Arbonne party that night. On Tuesday, we headed to the coast...and what a day we had!

First of all, Oregon is just beautiful everywhere! We started out heading toward a town called Tillamook on a winding mountainous road through the Coastal Range. We made one stop along the way so DS could eat, pulling off at one of the few random spots that had enough space for a car off the road. (Much of the road had no guard rail with a severe cliff-drop-off directly beside my car...Don't get too close!) When I got out of the car to be able to walk around to encourage Noah to burp...and boy, did he have a big one!...we realized there was a trail leading back into the woods to the origin of the refreshing sound of a creek flowing through the wooded mountains. After just a few minutes of exploring, we got back in the car and headed on our way. It was a long drive over the mountains due to the seemingly endless winding road that didn't even get enough traffic to blow the leaves to the side. What a pretty drive it was. When we got to Tillamook, we stopped for a quick lunch before heading to my mom's new friend's house--who she met on the airplane on the way here from Pennsylvania. This lady has a daughter who had a baby 2 weeks ago and she was coming out to visit her and help with the baby. This daughter of hers is my age, so she invited us over to meet her. After that quick stop, we headed down the road referred to as Three Capes Drive. This is a road that runs along the coast from a town called Pacific City (one of the most beautiful Oregon beaches) north past three different capes. We stopped for multiple photo-ops to attempt to catch the experience on camera. Pictures just don't do it justice. After watching the sun set over the Pacific at our last stop, we dropped my mom's friend off back at her house and headed home. On the way home, we took a faster, straighter route back so we could avoid the windy mountain road in the pitch black night. As we drove along, chatting away, suddenly there was a deer directly in front of my car. With a quick swerve, I avoided hitting it head-on, but it bounced off the side of my car with a loud thud. I was so sure I would have a big old dent to show DH when I got home. After pulling off and catching my breath, we decided to continue down the road and find a place that wasn't completely dark to inspect the damages. When we found light, there was no dent in sight--not even a scratch. Miracles do happen...there is no way I could have hit that deer like I did without leaving a mark--on the car, that is. I'm pretty sure that if I had inspected the deer like I inspected the car, we would not have found similar results. I never realized deer hunting could be so easy! We finally returned home exhausted and still in disbelief.

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one week, we woke up on Wednesday and decided to finally go through and organize the rest of the boxes and stuff piled in the garage that we really hadn't touched much since the big move. Now, I can back into the garage without worrying as much about hitting stuff. I seem to have trouble backing straight.

Thursday morning, we headed to the airport so my mom could meet the plane. Today, I crashed...on the couch, that is...

Breakthrough!

2007-10-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this day for about 8 weeks now. DS slept 7 3/4 hours through the night on Thursday night, waking up at 7:15 am Friday morning. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much because Thursday was his 2 month doctor visit where he got a few shots and I gave him some Tylenol to help with the pain and feverishness that usually follows. Needless to say, he was out like a light. But, I am hopeful because Friday night, he again slept for almost 8 hours. I woke up this morning thinking, "Can it be so?!?" I haven't felt this rested for a long time! So, if tonight works out the same, I will consider it the new trend. Oh, sweet slumber.

The visit to the pediatrician went well...aside from the instant DS got his shots and his face turned bright red for a second before the wail came. Growth Chart figures are as follows:
Weight: 13 lbs., 3 1/2 oz., 90th percentile
Length: 24 in., 90th percentile
Head Circumference: 38 cm, 15th percentile
Conclusion: Small head.

Doctor said everything looks well. He does have an ever so slight flat-ish spot on his head...apparently he favors looking to the right when he is lying on his back. Instructions were to try to get him to look the other way so it doesn't get worse. Don't want a flat head, now, do we? On the way out, I got my flu shot...Just a day of shots all around!

Tonight is game 3 of the World Series. Hasn't been much of a nail-biter series so far, but you never know how the rest will go. DH is enjoying taking a quick break from his class lecture-writing to watch the game.

Week Seven Challenge: Smiles Caught on Camara

2007-10-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

I found a club field hockey league here in Portland, which apparently is made up of a bunch of people who moved here from the east coast and international players...other than this league, hockey is pretty much non-existent here. So, I am grateful for the league and it gives me something to work toward with getting back into good shape.

I had a conversation the other day about the beautiful Oregon coastline. Apparently, it seems to have a mind of its own. When I see a large body of water like that, I automatically think, "Let's go swimming!!" Well, it seems that, aside from being ice-cold, it is a bit of a monster with very strong undercurrents and random floating trees that together can cause quite a fatal situation. I was told of several stories where people were sitting by the water for some serenity when a huge wave all of a sudden came up, whacking the unsuspecting victims on the head with a log and dragging them out to sea. The word of caution followed, "Never turn your back on the Oregon ocean." Perhaps a wise word of advice.

DS is becoming quite smiley these days...most days, that is. And he likes to talk a lot...of course, most of the time it comes out as, "Ahhhhh, guuhhh, uhhh..." It's a start! Some of you may recognize the blue jacket in the third picture...That's right, it is one that DH wore when he was that size!!

Tid Bits

2007-10-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

After careful assessment of DS's excessive fussiness, extreme gassiness, and sudden outbreak of severe diaper rash (great visual, huh?), we have decided that poor Noah was reacting to the dairy in my diet. Therefore, we eliminated the dairy, got back on schedule and he is as happy as can be!! What a difference it has made...yea for solving gassy problems!!

I have been reading a book called Extraordinary Faith by Sheila Walsh. She is one of the Women of Faith speakers... I attended one of the conventions a couple years ago where I picked up this book. It is too bad that it took a move across the country and the birth of a child to get to the point where a little voice told me, "Gee, maybe you should actually read it!" ...which I fully intended to do way back when I brought it home...after all, isn't that the reason for buying a book--to read it?? (Just had to state the obvious...) Anyway, I am amazed at her insight. Of course, some of it just may have come from attending seminary... In this book, Sheila takes you through some of the events that occurred throughout the generations leading to the birth of Christ and the evidence of God's faithfulness amongst it all. It is really quite inspiring...Yea for spiritual insight!!

I was invited to a dinner the other night at the house of the University president hosted by the First Lady. It was a dinner for all of the women of the University where DH works. I headed out and left DH and DS home for a guys' night in. This was my first evening out without DS. I kept thinking I was forgetting something. But, it was nice to get out and meet some other people...yea for free food and lots of people to meet!!

Parenting 101

2007-10-06T11:11:00.001-07:00

I have read that the sixth week of a baby's life tends to be the fussiest. DS has proven that to be true. I have searched many options in attempts to figure out what could be the problem. Is he getting enough sleep? Is he hungry? Do I need to add an additional feeding time? Perhaps he is reacting to something I am eating...

There are about a million different books out there with all kinds of different theories on how to respond and how to approach the whole parenting thing. The mission is to better equip new parents to respond in the healthiest way for the child to better promote brain development, blah, blah, blah. I have come full circle to the same conclusion I had before I was a parent: Babies eat, sleep, poop, and cry and that pretty much sums it up!

Seriously, different methods work for different people and in the end, they all turn out okay--eventually, by God's grace! For my sanity (after all, what would become of poor Noah if I was locked up in the loony bin!) I have adopted a "flexible routine" as is described in a book called On Becoming Babywise that is written by a man named Gary Ezzo. It is backed by a lot of research and experience and the goal is to promote healthy eating and sleeping habits. In the book, he talks about discerning a baby's cry and taking the appropriate action. EASIER SAID THAN DONE! He also talks about how sometimes it is necessary to let your baby cry. That has been a rough piece of advice this week during his "fussy week". But, his sixth week of life is almost over and after that it should start to get better...Of course, this is coming from a first-time-mom (of 5 1/2 weeks) who sometimes wonders what the heck she is doing and who has dreams that in her tired state she lays the baby down in bed and actually wakes up wondering where the baby is when all along, he has been sleeping safely and soundly in his crib! Suddenly, that loony bin seems like it isn't so far away...

The purple seat in the picture is called a Bumbo Seat...cutest thing ever!! He still needs to get a little more head control before he sits in the seat for long periods of time, but I just had to try it out...and he seemed to like it...until he got tired and started fussing again. :)

Raindrops on Roses

2007-10-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

The Oregon rains have started. I have heard that when they start they don't really stop until Spring. I suppose this is something I will become quite accustomed to. So, to celebrate, we ventured out on a field trip to the International Rose Test Garden. For those of you who don't know, Portland is nicknamed "The City of Roses." The International Rose Test Garden is the famous rose garden of Portland where there are rows and rows and rows of hundreds of different kinds and colors of roses. With such intricate detail, each bush was specially cultivated with uniqueness...kinda like us!! Each one has it's own characteristics and beauty and no two are alike. Makes you feel kinda special, huh?

And, of course this was our first field trip with DS (By the way, that stands for Dear Son, for those of you who are new to the blog scene...and DH is Dear Husband, for future reference.) Now 4 1/2 weeks old, he is growing like a bamboo shoot! With a rough weighing (where I weigh myself and then weigh me holding him, then subtract the difference), we are estimating almost 12 pounds...up from his 7 lb. 12 oz. birth weight. He stays awake longer now and takes it all in. He has started to enjoy his "Jungle Gym" with colored lights and toys to look at, as well as his snuggly swing--which tends to be a good option for evening fussy-ish time.

This morning, we got out for our first post-birth jog. What a handy contraption these jogging strollers are!! Noah just rode along contently...most of the time. Although, he did take a longer nap this afternoon...as did I. I think the fresh air was probably good for us both. I just may need to figure out a way to attach an umbrella.

Welcome

2007-09-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

How do I start my first Blog entry EVER? I originally thought this was a bit of a silly idea, as I tend to be resistant to new technology and ideas. What's wrong with the way we have always done it? I can't tell you how long it took me to actually consider getting a digital camera. Or, how many years it took me to get an email address. But, now I have finally agreed to attempt to keep up with the times and the age of information. Of course, as soon as I finally embrace a change, it changes again...as is Life, I suppose....change is inevitable.

Speaking of change, 2007 has been known as "The Year of Transition" in the Foster household. We started the year with the announcement of our first baby on the way...and the excitement grew as DH embarked on a quest for employment with his upcoming completion of his PhD work. When he landed a job just outside of Portland, Oregon, we knew we were in for quite a year. Packing began and our stack of boxes grew while my belly did the same. As we prepared to leave from our Pennsylvania home, it struck me how much I was leaving behind. I suppose it isn't possible to go on a journey and stay behind at the same time. So, the time came and we packed up our trusty Penske truck and said our farewells. Family, friends, jobs--everything I was familiar with and so grew to love was changing--for good. With the journey ahead, it was easy to look forward and not back.

Our week-long trek across the country was an experience of a lifetime--probably not something I would do again soon, but a fun trip nonetheless. I never realized how big, flat, and dry our country is--of course, what I saw of our country was a view from Interstates 80 and 84 and a short detour in search of a place to have lunch on a lonely road leading to Elk Horn, Iowa...where we found no lunch. To sum up the trip: Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois are not a whole lot different from Pennsylvania, except for the gradual increase in flatness. (Yes, that is now a word.) There is nothing in Iowa; and Nebraska is flat where you can see for miles, while you drive for many, many, many more miles. Finally, Wyoming greeted us with mountains, which was highly more entertaining as we faithfully followed Penske...and followed, and followed, and followed. Into Utah we went for a short jaunt, with more entertaining mountains. Back to the flatlands we went as we headed through Idaho and into Oregon. Ironically, with the fame of the northwest rains and its association with the state of Oregon, one would assume the state would be green. Much to our amusement, the east 2/3 of the state can be characterized as "desert". It wasn't until we were heading down the Columbia River Gorge that we actually saw trees. I almost forgot what they looked like.

A few hours later, we pulled into our new driveway, where the sun was shining; the air was fresh; and the grass, trees, and flowers were lush and green. This was the smell of "new."

After about 5 weeks or so of unpacking and organizing...and realizing how few people I knew, our son, Noah, was born on August 29. What a joy it is to become a mother!! I am amazed every day by this incredible blessing that is this little man. It crossed my mind during one 2:00 am feeding that having a baby is a little like having a new pet--a very high maintenance pet. Okay, okay, not the best of analogies, but what do you expect from a sleep-deprived mother at 2:00 am?

Welp, I suppose that is enough for the first entry. I imagine they will not all be this long. DS needs a bath and soon a bed, so farewell for now.