pretty charmed

oh henry.

2011-08-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

i had a meltdown of sorts yesterday. one that should never have happened, and i'm glad nobody was around to witness (except steven...poor steven. he had to talk to me on the phone mid meltdown. sorry steven). henry was screaming in the car on the way home from the aquarium. i'm talking blood curdling scream...like someone was cutting off his left arm. the 'i cannot handle this for another second' scream. and then i realized that i was lost, and i didn't know where to turn or how to get home or even if i was headed toward my house or away. even if i hadn't gotten lost, i was a good 20 min from my house, and he wasn't about to let up any time soon. i can't look at the map on my phone in new orleans traffic...too dangerous, and too hard. so...long story short, i kinda lost it. not kinda, i really did. and this was all because BEFORE we went to the aquarium, henry refused to sleep.

so...i need some serious help with my henry. s.e.r.i.o.u.s help. the kid is the worst sleeper on the planet. i spend about 50% of my day trying to get him to sleep, and about 40 % trying to keep thomas quiet enough that he won't wake him up. we've done the cry it out thing a billion times. we use white noise (really loud white noise, mind you). we sing to him and bathe him and do all we can to calm him before he goes down. i try not to let him get over tired. i'm telling you, nothing helps. he will usually go down great...no crying. but after about 15-30 min, he will start screaming. if i let him go...he will go for hours and hours and hours. it's bad. if we do let him cry, i have to leave the house. either that, or i have a big fat meltdown...and it's not a pretty sight. i'm not opposed to the cry it out method, but i'm just a big weenie and i can't take it. so...what do i do? he's nearly 13 months old. he neeeeeds sleep. he is always tired, and always rubbing his eyes like an hour after he wakes up in the morning. sometimes even before that. he clearly needs two naps. actually, i swear he still needs three...but that's probably because he's such a bad sleeper that he's always exhausted. i've read two sleeping books cover to cover...and i swear they are talking about every child EXCEPT MINE. honestly, if henry was my first baby, i would probably be more okay with the whole ordeal. but since i also have thomas running around and being lonely while i spend SO much time trying to help henry sleep, it's really a problem. and this is not a new problem, it's a problem that's been going since henry was about 3 days old. no joke. months ago (when henry was still pretty young, and thomas was just barely three) thomas said something about someone being lonely. i asked him if he knew what lonely meant...and he said 'yeah, it's when you have to play by yourself because they are putting the babies to sleep.' i started crying. the whole sleep issue really makes my life hard. i stress about it every single day. i hate thomas being lonely because i spend so much time fussing over henry's sleeping habits, and i hate that henry is always tired because he can't seem to get it right. and i really hate that no matter how hard i try, i can't seem to help him figure it out.

if you were a fly on my wall, you would see that i go without showering because i'm afraid henry might wake up and scream when i'm in the shower, and then i would fee so awful. i never dry my hair when he's sleeping because it will likely wake him up. you would see that i text steven and ask him what i should do because henry is screaming and i've already spent an hour trying to get him calmed down enough for a nap. you would see me googling why on earth my one year old can't burp on his own, and wakes up screaming in pain because of it. you would see my poor almost-4-year old watching superman because i've reminded him to be quiet so many times that it's the only solution i can come up with.

do any of my brilliant momma friends have any answers for me? does anyone else's older baby have problems burping? does he have refux or something? or is he just really defiant? it seems like if he was just being a stinker who doesn't want to sleep, he would cry when i first put him in his crib...which he usually doesn't do. and if he does, it only lasts until i close the door. should i just let him cry and cry and cry? my momma heart breaks when he cries, but i will do ANYTHING that will help him sleep in the long run.

p.s. he has been crying on and off the whole time i write this. and he went down for his nap without a hitch about 30 min ago. oh henry.

baby ruby

2011-07-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

the story of this sweet baby, ruby jane, just breaks my heart. i seriously cannot imagine what this would be like. steven knows ani, ruby's momma, from college and i have been following ruby's journey via facebook and their blog. ruby's family has asked for fasting and prayer on ruby's behalf this sunday, specifically for comfort for ruby and for a liver to become available so ruby can have a liver transplant. we will be joining in the fast, and i hope you will too.

even if i don't know this sweet baby or her parents, i know what it's like to be a mother. i know that if i had a sick child, i would want the whole population to be fasting and praying for her to get better.

get better, cute baby ruby.

2011-06-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

we are here, we are happy. i just never seem to get around to posting it! so...here are some of my recent thoughts:

henry is 11 months old and i hate that.

i said i would only nurse until he turned one, but now i don't know if i can stick to that. it's just so sweet!

but...i want baby #3 to come sooner rather than later...so nursing may have to stop soon,

and i'm really bummed about it.

thomas is so old! he still flies/drives anything he can find. he still launches 'rockets'

several times a day. he is also into 'mighty heros,' namely the original superman cartoon.

he wears a cap and super hero mask around a lot, and it kills me. i want to eat him up.

we just went to disney world, and holy cow, that place is nuts!

thomas had so much fun! he rode big kid rides, and wasn't even scared on

splash mountain. actually, after we went down the big drop off at the end,

he turned to me and said 'where's the really big one?' my little guy is so big!

steven's summer schedule has turned out to be amazing. i was dreading the fact that he has

mph classes when all other med students have the summer off.

but his classes are only 3 days a week for a few hours, so it's very much

like we are on vacation. plus, he still gets financial aid, and we get to stay here

for the summer. we have done a lot of working out and swimming in the evenings.

i want to train for a half marathon, but it sounds daunting. training day one starts tomorrow. when i consider that it's 13 miles, it sounds doable. but the thought of a half marathon just seem

so much harder. i'm going to do it though.

i don't know if we are going to be able to go to oregon this summer, which is so sad. thomas

asks to go to oregon multiple times a week. it's also a bummer that henry

will have his first birthday and nobody will be here but us. and thomas will

have his fourth birthday here,too. but, such is life.

henry is a horrible sleeper. i try and try and try...and he still wins most of the time.

now that we are back from florida it seems to have gotten a bit better, but man he

has given me a run for my money. he's so dang cute though, it's hard to be mad at him.

i think heavenly father does that on purpose.

our 5th anniversary is in 3 days. i seriously can't believe it's already been 5 years.

it has been the best 5 years of my life....cliche as that may be. i may complain about silly

things, or get frustrated about the never-ending cycle of laundry, but i really

have all i could want. i have it pretty great. i sometimes text steven

in the middle of the day to tell him that i

am spoiled because i'm playing in a pool with two cute boys on a tuesday

afternoon. not such a bad life, eh?

here are just a few pictures from disney world...we were too busy to take a ton.

2010-11-29T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when Steven plays the violin. Henry baby is too sensitive for such dramatic music! Actually, all babies do this.

My no-so-little-anymore Henry baby.

2010-11-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

...more to come. My computer isn't letting me upload any more pictures. I promise to keep working at it.

2010-11-05T23:10:00.001-07:00

Nie nie is doing it too..click here for info.

2010-11-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

Win this? Yes please!

2010-11-05T23:01:00.001-07:00

How awesome is this?

2010-11-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

I would LOVE to win this!

i. want. one.

2010-10-18T20:07:00.001-07:00

9 months later...

2010-07-28T00:34:00.000-07:00

Baby Henry is here! He was born July 9th, weighing in at 7 lbs, .5oz, and he was 20.5 inches long. He is the sweetest! He looks SO MUCH like Thomas, it's almost scary sometimes. He sleeps great, eats great, and has gained a ton of weight already. I promise to be better about updating with pictures and such...PROMISE. If I actually type it, does that mean I'll do it? I would like to think it does.

Steven has already left for New Orleans...wait, did I mention we are moving to New Orleans? If not...we are moving to New Orleans. Steven will be going to Tulane for medical school. He left last week, and I'm staying with the boys until my sisters wedding at the end of August. Plus, we don't have a place to live yet, so I'm going to wait until Steven finds us a place. We are in Oregon for the meantime, where we have been since early June. Change is coming, and we are so excited! The idea that we will be in the same place for FOUR years is pretty exciting. In case you haven't noticed, we move a lot...four years will seem like a lifetime!

Pictures to come!

2010-03-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

LOVE these bags...and I of course, think that I need one. I think anyone out there with a bulky camera and an eye for cute bags would agree.

love. this. giveaway.

2010-02-24T23:35:00.000-08:00

This is a lovely giveaway that I hope to win. I need/want/have to have more fabric...of course, right?

p.s. We are still alive...and I promise to actually blog about something very soon. Promise.

2009-12-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

our halloween

2009-11-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

for the ward halloween party, the cute wizard got all dressed up, about 5 minutes before we left, steven and i decided to be bacon and eggs...steven's idea. somehow, it was a huge hit. i even met a lady who worked for the national egg board (yes, apparently it's a real job) who was more than thrilled with my costume.

on halloween night, we went to a fun little neighborhood party in the park for the kids, and then went trick-or-treating with our upstairs neighbors and some of their friends. thomas was SO thrilled to be trick-or-treating with the kids. he cared more about being with the kids than he did about the candy. while thomas was trick or treating, i learned something: when your boy is dressed up and trick or treating...you only care about making sure that you get some pictures of him in action, and care less about how whether or not they look fantastic. i was having so much fun that i wasn't focusing much on the camera. luckily, thomas is so cute that it doesn't matter. he love, love, LOVED being a "weezard" and still wears his hat and beard around...and carries his wand around. he also still loves his owl bag, which was intended just as a trick or treat bag, but has become a beloved possession.

my poor pumpkin is on the left...steven's science pumpkin is on the right. i don't remember what steven carved, but is something science/medical related. i know, he's my cute nerd. i love my nerdy science man.
he painted that pumpkin, so he really wanted it in the picture. the plan was for mom to paint some black stripes or something on it, but we dropped it at the end of the photoshoot, and kinda ruined it. oh well, painting it white was fun. maybe we can try again for thanksgiving decorations.

the orange shirt wasn't planned, but not bad eh?

my cute "weezard."

he was pretty excited when he saw the bouncy houses...but was TERRIFIED of the one with the octopus on top. if you took him near it, he freaked. it was so sad.
i had to include this one, just because it's so classically thomas. didn't like the feeling of the hay on his feet. plus, his aunt rose gave him this cute halloween shirt, which was hers when she was little. i love that it will fit him for a few years, and he will be able to say that he is wearing his aunt rose's shirt. i'm sure she will love that too.

notice how sweaty my boy is? it was a pretty humid night...plus he was wearing a double-thick felt hat. now add 10 steps to get up to every front door...and you get a sweaty kid. but for thomas, that's nothing new.

recent happenings

2009-10-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

i don't know why i always feel like i need to have either a) pictures or b) something terribly exciting in order to post something on my blog. so, here is a less exciting post, minus pictures.

we are finally moved into our cute little apartment...yay! i don't know how big it is for sure, but it can't be more than 700 square feet. maybe 750. something about living in a little place is humbling, and i like it. i like that we have to get rid of stuff that we don't absolutely need and/or love. i like that we are in close quarters, and are basically all in the same room. i like having to work at making it all come together. what i don't love...is that we still have stuff in storage. we make trips to the storage unit often. so often, in fact, that when i asked thomas what his baby's name was the other day...he said "storage." it sounded very much like george though, so his baby is now named george...which is somehow a fitting name for his beloved naked "beebee." i still have yet to find the pedal for my sewing machine, so we still don't have halloween costumes. i am no great seamstress, but somehow buying costumes just doesn't work for me. they have to be made by us, in some way. even if that means drawing a mustache and stuffing your shirt with batting...it can't be a full fledged store bought costume. i know, i'm weird. i blame my mom, for always making fantastic halloween costumes. i have some big shoes to fill.

thomas has been sleeping on his mattress on the floor for the past week, because we hadn't gotten around to putting his crib together. i have known for some time that he would be perfectly find in a toddler bed, but i just couldn't bring myself to make the switch, since he is, after all, my baby. i want him to be a baby, not a big kid. i feel like people now a days try to make their kids grow up too fast (which is an entirely different post all together).

so tonight we put his crib together, and only put one of the sides on. so he is officially in a real bed, and for some reason it just kills me. i no longer have a little guy who sleeps in a crib. something about that just tugs at my mama heart. however, at the same time, i love, love, LOVE this age. whoever said the twos were terrible is crazy. yes, he is crabby sometimes, and yes he wants his way. but...he is also very loving, and very excited about everything, yet he can still do many things on his own. he's also talking nonstop, and learns something new about every 5 minutes. i love my little guy.

steven has already had three interviews. he interviewed at the medical college of wisconsin and wayne state in detroit about two weeks ago, and has been placed on the waiting list at both schools. frustrating. we drove to scranton, pa for an interview on friday, and he should hear from them in the next week or two. and, he is flying to portland for an interview at ohsu next week (which we are very excited about). ohsu would be fantastic! our families would be four hours away, and it's a really good school. pray for him!

tibit of information: our new ward has 500 members that attend each week. 900 members in the ward all together. it's crazy. the chapel is L-shaped, and we couldn't even see the speaker today. there are two relief societies, and two elders quorums. it's like going to stake conference each week. weird, huh?

an apple a day....plus a few pumpkins

2009-10-13T23:25:00.000-07:00

thomas and i went apple picking last week, and (minus inhaling a few hundred fruit flies) had so much fun. we had actually planned on going with our ward, but i didn't realize it was going to take an hour to get there. i decided than an hour away or not, we wanted to pick apples. so we went anyway, just mama and t. it was perfect. thomas loved every second of it, and so did i.

ok, thomas clearly didn't understand the excitment of these pictures, but his expressions are so cute that i had to post them.

excitment about goats....
goat practically jumps through fence at thomas...

thomas sprints away...but still very excited about the whole situation.

notice a trend? he thought he had to taste every apple. poor guy could hardly wait to pay for them. and...he has been eating them nonstop ever since. he didn't used to do well with apples, and therefore didn't get to eat them much unless they were chopped up into teeny, tiny pieces. we have had a few trial runs, and he hasn't had a single problem. yay!

and this...is priceless. i'm not sure what the confusion was, but i want to look at this picture all day.

home sweet....HOUSE

2009-09-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

we finally found a place to live. we are sooooo excited. instead of paying a billion dollars a month for a tiny apartment, we will be paying LESS to rent an entire house. oh my gosh, the power of prayer is overwhelming. it has two bedrooms on the main floor, and then the upstairs is a huge loft...huge. i'm thinking playroom/mama's sewing/craft room....you know, for all of the things that i want to do, but never get around to doing. now when our families come to visit, they will have the whole upstairs to themselves. we will also be property managers for the rest of the property. the basement will be rented out as a one bedroom apartment, as well as another studio and another house. it's all that we have wanted. we couldn't be happier, and can't wait to move in. we are so grateful for the promptings to wait until we found something better...and we did.

super hero thursday

2009-09-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

so, last thursday was super hero day. what? you didn't hear? well, we did. it started with a white pillow case, which i told thomas was a cape. then i showed him how cool it was to run with a cape on, like a super hero. then we added some red lipstick (i knew there was a reason i bought red lipstick!) to his forehead. a red T, for thomas. the T was later changed to a star, which he loved even more, and wanted to look at in the mirror about 20 times. we added some lightning bolts to his cheeks, which were smeered by tiny hands in about 5 seconds. the T got smeered too, but was still cute, so we left it. we decided he needed a wand...so we transformed the paper towl rod with some stars and streamers. he had a great time runing around outside, and it was so cute that i had to take some pictures. i love my little super hero. i especially loved that he insisted on wearing his moccasins. those cute little moccasins cost me about 50 cents at a garage sale a few weeks back, and were worth every penny....thomas loves them! so here is my super hero, in all his super hero glory. his bike became his super hero transportation, with moccasins of course. it started raining, which we both secretly loved. but, going back in for a star-shaped super hero lunch kept my little hero happy. p.s. he ate about 3 tomatoes with his lunch. who wants pb&j when you can eat tomatoes? he is definitely my son. we both think tomatoes are the fruit of the earth. he did enjoy the star shaped sharp cheddar...also one of my favorites. stars are sub par, due to the fact that i cut them freehand with a dull steak knife...but super heros aren't about perfection. at least mine isn't. i wish he could be two forever. at least for now i do.

note: thomas' cute bike was only $15 plus shipping (which i believe was $8). it is hardwood and steel. on the company website they sell for about $60 plus shipping. but, there is a sweet man that buys them in bulk, and sells them on ebay for $15. it's amazing. the bike is so fantastic! it comes new in a box, and you put it together...which takes all of 10 min. i even wrote my first ever thank you letter to an ebay seller after we received the bike in the mail. i was just so happy, and so thankful that we could buy thomas such a cute bike for his birthday. what a nice man, right? if you want one, let me know, and i will let you know where we got it. definitely worth $15. actually, in all honesty, it's worth $60.

washington monument

2009-09-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

so before we could go to actually see the monument, we had to hang around for a few minutes until it was 5:00, so we could park without getting a ticket. which meant thomas could run around, and i could take pictures of my cute boy. which is exactly what i did. i think he's the cutest boy ever.

as is characteristic for thomas, he love, love, loved the water...or "aber," as he would say.

however, then we saw this sign....

and thomas was less than impressed. i realize these are sad pictures, but it's still cute. he wanted to play in the water so bad. poor guy.

he also loved the birds though, so all was not lost.

some crazy helicopter kept circling the monument, and getting really close. weird, but kinda neat. next time we will really need to get there sooner to get tickets to actually go inside the monument. we are horrible tourists. we have no idea what we are doing. luckily, we are long term tourists, and will have time to go back.

as requested by papa

2009-09-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

here are some pictures from about a week or so ago, when we
took a trip to the national zoo. it was really crowded, seeing
how it was the saturday of labor day weekend, at about noon.
but, aside from our poor planning, it was a fun trip.
we didn't get a chance to see everything, so we will definitely be
going back before the weather turns on us.

note: the really over exposed picture of thomas and i in the 'zoo' sign
was steven's doing. but, it would have been such a cute picture,
so i tried to save it. the sad thing is that steven took
quite a few cute pictures of thomas and i in the sign...
but unfortunately they are all VERY over exposed. oops.

HELP

2009-09-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Please, please, PLEASE go to this link and vote for Adam...third picture down. Adam is Steven's cousin, and he has entered in a photo contest. There are only a few hours left, and he is down by quite a few votes...and needs your help! Please go vote for him. He totally deserves to win...as you can see by the picture. It's amazing. Thanks so much!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=129140659493&h=JyHH4&u=rFmqY&ref=mf

so far

2009-09-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

so far i'm loving the following things about our new corner of the world

spending all day with my cute thomas
running in the morning before it gets too hot
fireflies! thomas and i saw our first one last night...and caught him in a jar. it was magical
the perfect weather
the national air and space museum (plus the many others we have yet to visit)
reading in the hammock while thomas naps
napping while thomas naps
uninterrupted evenings with my cute husband
getting lost driving down cobblestone streets in adorable neighborhoods
washington harbour (pictures to come)
sending postcards to my nieces (oh how i miss them!)

side note: steven already has two interviews...yay! one at the medical college of wisconsin, and one in scranton, pennsylvania. my husband is so smart and hard working, not to mention smokin' hott! i love him like crazy. did i mention how cute he is?

i need this

2009-09-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

i have decided that thomas and i need one of these to cruise around our new city. how amazing would it be to own one of these fabulous bikes?

too bad it will be a good ten years before we can afford one. but...i can dream.

new facination, new information

2009-08-09T02:26:00.000-07:00

i've been up too late, and packing too long. but i know for sure this is awesome. you should all take a peek. i'm fascinated. ps, did i mention we are moving to washington, dc? actually we are already partially moved. steven is already there, staying with a friend of a friend, or to be more accurate, the friend of a friend's roomate, who happens to be a very friendly middle eastern guy from africa. seriously. thomas and i are headed to utah bright and ealry tuesday morning for a family reunion, and then headed to dc from there. it's exciting, and crazy, and chaotic. we will miss all of our friends in eugene, and we will miss our families terribly. but, we can't wait for the new change. i think we're ready for it.

2009-07-27T00:52:00.000-07:00

still chugging away on this masters project. i feel like it will never end. i feel like steven and i will never again go to bed at the same time. however, i only have two and a half weeks left of this...and then i'm done.

forever.

i almost can't believe it when i say it out loud. part of me will miss it, but most of me will not. i live and breathe for the freedom that awaits me in just a few short weeks. it's like the anticipation of christmas that i had as a little girl...
only better.

random thoughts

2009-07-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

steven has left me to go to scout camp with his
little brother,and i miss him like crazy.
but at the same time,
i'm so glad to be married to someone sweet enough
to dedicate three days to camping
with his little bro, who
wouldn't be able to go otherwise.

my eyes hurt like crazy, and always do.
pregnancy ruined my eyes,
and i've come to the sad realization that
they can't be fixed.
glasses don't work. and i hate them.
what is a girl to do when her eyes go out on her
at the ripe age of 24? ugh.

i want to move so badly! i hate our apartment,
and long forhardwood floors, and
huge windows that fill our living room with
natural light. i'm going to look at one tomorrow,
sans husband,
and will be late to class because of it.
but i don't care, because this may be "the one."

i wish i was done with school. oh how i wish i was done.
this masters project is looming over my head,
and i can't wait to see thefinal product.
but, once i'm done, i will long to have the
steady input of new information,
and will want to go back. it's a love hate relationship.

i love my new camera, and wish i knew how to use it.
now all i need is a teeny little laptop to call my own, and
dedicate to all things creative.

on the topic of wanting....which seems to be a horrible trend
in my thoughts as of late...i want to someday have a room
that can be dedicated to craftiness and creativity
i envision a long table, and lots of shelves
packed with all things creative.

lastly...i need to tidy up before i go to sleep.

new addition...to the blog that is.

2009-07-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

the lovely and talented lindsay moore created a lovely header for me, and i love it! don't i look so much more put together now? i think so! now i need your input...should i leave the cartoon version of myself, add a cartoon steven and thomas, or just have the T? any suggestions?

still weaning...

2009-06-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

i envisioned this process being much more....relaxed. so far it is not. thomas hasn't nursed for over a week, and i'm still uncomfortable and sore. naturally, i have been...

taking descongestants

and using...

cabbage leaves

(yes, i said cabbage leaves). people swear by them, and actually, i did too when i first started nursing. however, nothing seems to help. tonight i even drank sage tea, which actually isn't as bad as i thought it would be. add a bit of lemon and it's actually quite good. any other suggestions? how long is this supposed to take?

p.s. my heavenly baby who sleeps until 9:00 is long gone. he now wakes up when he used to get up to nurse, only instead of nursing and going back to sleep, he now just stays awake and begs for a "nana" (banana) or waffaf (waffle). he's now an early riser, and i don't like it one bit. i would much rather get up at 9:00 than 5:30. i hope this is a phase he will grow out of, but part of me knows he won't. at least i now have a motivation to get out of bed early...and a cute one at that.

happy 3 years to us!

2009-06-25T12:22:00.001-07:00

did i mention it was our anniversary? of course not...i'm so horrible.

i have been married to the greatest guy for THREE whole years. yep, three. it's been everything i could have imagined. although i honestly never really thought about what marriage would be like, i know steven has exceeded anything i could have dreamed up. he is so wonderful to me, even when i don't deserve it. he works hard at everything he does (which is why he has been at the library all week studying to take the mcat AGAIN, and filling out secondary applications). plus, he's pretty stinkin' cute....don't you think?

i think so. oh, how i love him.

leisurely afternoon

2009-06-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

now that i'm not completely overwhelmed with school, i finally have a bit of time to read. this is what i have been reading...
...and so far, i really like it.

i forget how much i love to just sit and read for hours. i cannot wait to be done with school. i'm also glad thomas still takes long naps, to allow for such indulgences.

Weaning

2009-06-22T23:57:00.001-07:00

So...here it is. Thomas is (was) still nursing. I know, he's almost two. But...as crazy as it is, we both love it. Or loved it, rather. I have said I would stop for a while, but then Thomas kept getting sick, or having esophagus problems so he could eat anything for a week, and couldn't even drink milk without throwing it back up. But...he could nurse, so we kept it up. Plus, he is my baby, and it's just so sweet. We have begun the weening process, and it has been so hard for me to let it go. But, I know that I must. Thomas is not doing this willingly...not in the slightest. When I was doing my student teaching, he would do the sign for milk (his sign for nursing) as soon as I got home, and he nursed at least three times a day. Since I am done with my student teaching and Thomas gets uninterrupted mommy time, he has been able to only nurse in the morning. Last night I decided that my yearning for baby #2 is getting stronger, so I really need to stop nursing. So, last night I made sure there was a sippy cup full of milk in the fridge, so when Thomas woke up at 6:00 and wanted to climb in bed with mama and nurse, he would have some milk ready. It was not a good substitute, and he cried (and so did I). It kills me to see him so sad. He went back to sleep after I rocked him a bit, and tonight he again went to bed without nursing. It's want I wanted, but I'm still so sad about it. What if I never have another baby? What if I never get a chance to nurse again? What if I never have this special bond with my baby? Aww, motherhood, so sweet, and so difficult. And so goes the weaning process. I think we are almost there, where I told my self I want to be...but I want to "cheat" so badly. Would it really be so bad to go wake him up and let him nurse just for a second, one last time? He's just too precious. But...I won't, in hopes that Thomas will soon have a sibling. What I wouldn't do for my sweet, sweet boy.

camera confusion.

2009-06-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

dear photography buffs of the world,
i want to join your club. i am nearly done with school (so close!), and have decided that i need something to fill that time slot. what better hobby than documenting the life of my cute boy. i have done my research and think i want a canon rebel xsi. it is lovely, and so are the pictures it takes. i have been to a few different camera shops, and a billion websites, and this seems like it's the right choice for my price range. any comments? help me please!

*note: if i had more readers, this might be a more useful post. but alas, i do not. hopefully someone out there will take pity on me.

garage...snail.

2009-06-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

my sister thought we should have a joint garage sale. sounded simple enough. i spent days getting all of our "merchandise" ready, and we even made posters to promote the big event. the garage sale...okay, more like back patio sale...was scheduled to take place today and saturday from 9am to 4pm. thomas and i got up at 6 to drive down and set up shop. after many long, sad hours, we only had three customers (aside from my sister who bought stuff from me at her own garage sale) and one generous soul who actually bought something. very depressing.

what's the secret to a successful garage sale?

Grosgrain: Blueberry Pie Refashion Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-06-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Grosgrain: Blueberry Pie Refashion Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Love it, so cute!

School's Out....

2009-06-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

i may have gotten a bit excited about my first day off from school. maybe it was the perfect weather. either way, thomas seems to have been overwhelmed by my excitement. one whole week of this may be too much for him.

note: photos were taken with my iphone, since thomas drenched my poor camera in diet coke. i am now looking for a fancy new camera. any suggestions?

Trip to the tropics

2009-04-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a peek into our fabulous trip to Hawaii. It's sad that it took me THREE WEEKS to get them posted. However, it was such a fun trip, and I am still wondering why we live in Eugene instead of Hawaii. I mean come on, we are both students, and we could be students in Hawaii just as easily as we can be students in Oregon, right? It will be in the back of my mind until we have a reason NOT to be in Hawaii.

Note to self: It's much harder to get a tan when you have a toddler than it is when you're on your honeymoon. Who would have thought such a thing?

Here I sit...but why?

2009-02-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

Here I am, at my computer, working away on my teacher work sample for the term. I am stressed, worn out, and flustered nearly every second of the day. Today was sunny and perfect, yet the only time I got to really enjoy it was when I was riding my bike to class. About, oh ......30 times a day at least, I question why on earth I thought it was a good idea to go back to school. I sit in class and daydream about going to the park and watching Thomas proudly go down the slide by himself. I love that Steven and I are able to manage our hectic schedules in a way that allows us to take care of Thomas ourselves, without having to involve any sort of daycare. I love that Thomas is always with his loving parents. But...I hate that I always feel distracted with homework and the stress of my program. What was I thinking? I am not necessarily fishing for words of sympathy, but maybe just a better outlook. All I can think is that, in the end, my children will know that I wanted to do something, and I worked hard in order to achieve my goals. They will know that their mommy wanted to be absolutely confident in her ability to show her children that education is important, and that hard work is good for the soul. I want my babies to know that whatever might happen, I will be able to provide for them. Is this why I was supposed to do this? Any thoughts?

Holy Hiatus!

2009-01-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's been two months...is that really too long to go without posting something? I could blame it on being busy...but we all know I just had a MONTH without classes. I will post something great very soon....but until then, I will provide you with some random facts about our lives these past two months.

Thomas can climb...everything. No more containing him with the ottomons. He climbs on chairs, couches, and anything else he can possibly reach. It's cute...but stressful!!
I am working in a Primary (kindergarten through 2nd grade) Life Skills Classroom. It is a whole new world for me, but so far I really love it. The kiddos are adorable to say the least, and I'm learning a ton. I'm preparing my Work Sample for the term....and can't wrap my head around how much work it will be, and how busy we will be until mid-March. Laughing through tears...
Steven is amazing and gave me the best birthday ever. He set up a treasure hunt of sorts for me to navigate when I got home from class Wednesday evening, which eventually lead me to my brother's garage down the block, where I found Steven and Thomas patiently waiting (and shivering!) to show me my new bike. I was thrilled....and can't wait to ride it more when it isn't so stinkin' cold out! Where is my summer??? Please come soon!

Medical School applications are still underway, and we are anxious to see what will happen. Pray for us. Steven is the hardest working student I know, and he somehow manages to still be a terrific husband, and amazing father (Thomas will tell you himself, as he says dada about a billion times a day...precious).

Well, that's all I have for now. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and we are grateful to have you all in our lives. Cheerio!

Two thumbs up

2008-11-21T16:32:00.000-08:00

Last night Steven and I watched this...
and I cried...a lot. It's such a sweet story about a little boy whose brain simply isn't wired like everyone elses (he thinks he is from Mars)...which is perfectly ok with his new adoptive father. Working with the kiddos I work with, stories like this always get to me. One quote (which I will paraphrase) that I loved was when the father said something about how he wasn't sure he wanted to bring a child into this world, but who can argue with loving one that is already here. That's a sweet statement, especially for someone in the process of adopting a troubled 8 year old. I recommend Martian Child, but be prepared to tear up.

Love at first bite

2008-11-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

Steven and I have discovered a new favorite snack: pomegranates.
They are delicious! I remember eating them as a kid with my friend, Lily, and I loved them way back then. Steven recently bought one (because I love pomegranate flavored things, such as Jamba Juice) and thus started our new obsession. Just cut them into quarters, pick out and eat the seeds, and enjoy. Seriously, you should try one. They aren't exactly the budget-minded shopper's best friend, but lately they have been on sale for 2/$5.00. Not bad for a deliciously tart and juicy after-dinner indulgence that is 100% natural and healthy.

Note: Pomegranates stains are IMPOSSIBLE to get out, so don't wear your favorite white shirt when you eat your yummy pomegranate. Or, wear an oh-so-chic apron, as I did last night.

Something missing

2008-11-20T00:14:00.000-08:00

What could it be? Oh yeah, a foot of my hair! I did it...I cut it off. I wanted long hair, I really, really did, but my hair just doesn't look good long unless I spend a lot of time on it. Believe it or not, as a mama, a full time student, and a wife I simply didn't have that kind of time to devote to my hair. Shocking, I know.
So, I took the plunge, and I love it. It's super easy, and still looks okay if I only have 4 minutes in the morning to get ready. Plus, I had enough to donate..so some child out there will soon don a straight, brown wig and possibly look like my offspring.
So, goodbye long hair. I worked so hard to grow you out, and now you are gone forever. Thank you short hair for being so easy. A part of me was hoping my new hair might make me look a bit like Katie Holmes, and I'm sad to report that it does not. Maybe next time.

It's the small things

2008-11-20T00:02:00.000-08:00

Today my thoughtful husband sent me a text right before class was over to tell me him and Thomas were going to pick me up, so I didn't have to ride the bus...I was thrilled! But, then I got in the car and he gave me this delicious treat...

from this yummy pizza place.
Needless to say, I was elated! It was complete with my favorite toppings (tomato and spinach) with a few extras (olives, mushrooms and red peppers). I was STARVING after 4 straight hours of class. He was so thoughtful to bring me dinner, and although I didn't know that I wanted pizza, it was the perfect dinner....Which I shared with this cute little person (also a lover of veggie pizza). I was so happy Steven thought of me. It really is all about the small things in life.

Happy Birthday, my love!

2008-11-19T23:27:00.000-08:00

I devote this post to my perfect husband who turned 24 yesterday. Happy Birthday, Steven! It was probably the busiest Tuesday I have had so far this term, and Steven had class until 6:00, but we made the most of his special day. He got steak for dinner, made by his charming wife, and chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting for dessert, with a side of dove dark chocolate. Did I mention Steven likes chocolate?
Attempt at a family photo...it's harder than you might think!
Thomas loved the balloons!! He kept throwing them over the coffee table, and then screaming when he couldn't reach them anymore. Then he would grunt as he tried to stuff them under that red chair in the background. Too funny!

He is usually great at kisses...must be camera shy.

I had no idea this golf game would be such a hit when I picked it up at the grocery store last night. It was a last minute purchase, but well worth it! The little golfer is spring loaded and chips the magnetic golf ball onto the metal green...and it sticks so well! It's actually possible to get a hole in one too...if you go to Safeway I recommend picking up this gem of a gift for a bargain price of $7.99.

Thomas loved the apple cider so much that he actually drank it out of a sippy cup...which is unheard of. He is strictly a regular cup drinker...and is surprisingly good at it for being 15 months old.

I love this picture for so many reasons. He looks so cute...but also old, which makes me tear up.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!! We love you!

At the park

2008-11-19T22:27:00.000-08:00

We have so much fun with our little man! Every single day is precious.

Belated Halloween

2008-11-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our fabulous Halloween. I misplaced the camera cord there for a while, but my wonderful husband found it for me...yay!
Muscle Man's mustache might be my favorite part of the costume. Thomas wears it well.

The strong silent type.
A cookie that was once shaped like a pumpkin with delicious orange frosting...smeared on everything within a 5 foot radius.

Clockwise from top: Baby pumpkin, Baby, Mama pumpkin.

Both are good, but which one to choose...

I think he's made his choice. Let it be known that he actually preferred a dirt-caked gourd that I found on the ground. He licked the gourd clean (gross, I know) and carried it around for days. If that isn't an environmentally friendly toy, I don't know what is.

New York

2008-11-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

Steven got his first interview a few days ago, and he is so excited! It's in Albany, NY, and although that is far away from our families, it would be a fun adventure. He was able to schedule the interview for the last week of the term so I won't have to leave my favorite toddler much, although I'm sure waiting until next month will only increase the level of anxiety. My husband is the hardest working student ever, and I know he would do anything for his family. Thomas and I are so lucky to have him. Congratulations, Steven!

Tag

2008-11-07T00:03:00.000-08:00

My friend, Kristin, tagged me. I have to answer with one word answers.

1. Where is your cell phone? Thomas?
2. Where is your significant other? Home
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? Nana
5. Your father? Papa
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? short
8. Your dream/goal? bliss
9. The room you're in? quiet
10. Your hobby? running
11. Your fear? lonliness
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Residency
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? Rested
15. Something on your wish list? Furniture
16. Where you grew up? Oregon
17. The last thing you did? Talk
18. What are you wearing? Jeans
19. Your TV? Off
20. Your pet? Thomas?
21. Your computer? SLOW
22. Your mood? Calm
23. Missing someone? Sister
24. Your car? Fit
25. Something you're not wearing? Makeup
26. Favorite store? Anthropologie
27. Your summer? Over
28. Love someone? Terribly
29. Your favorite color? Orange?
30. When is the last time you laughed? Daily
31. Last time you cried? Unsure

I tag Clara, Lindsay and Charami

Dear Thief,

2008-10-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry you were so hungry for McDonalds and in need of gasoline that you had to break into our cute Blackberry Honda Fit to steal Steven's debit card. I'm sorry you were so in need of music that you were forced to steal the few decent cds that I had left from when your friend broke into my car in college and stole the majority of my cd collection. I hope my two warm winter coats fit you well, and will keep you cozy through the Oregon winter months. If you need a third winter coat, ask your friend who stole mine approximately 3 years ago. He/she will also be able to provide you with a great laptop computer, complete with thousands of pictures of my family, friends and myself. Next time, please just knock on our door and ask for these things, and save us the trouble of having to drive to Sunriver without a window, while our very bundled baby sits in the backseat.

I really do love Eugene...minus the rampant theft problem.

Happy news

2008-10-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

The only thing more exciting than being pregnant with a baby girl....is for my sister to be pregnant with a baby girl. Yay! This cute little thing is her adorable daughter, and they are soon going to have precious girl #2. I couldn't be happier. Thank you Aryn for giving me a cute baby to cuddle...I can't wait to meet her!!

We got to have Kaileigh stay with us for a WHOLE week this summer, it was so fun! She played dress up with aunt Kayla's sun hat...which I must say, looks much better on her!

She loved her braids, and wanted to take a lot of pictures of her new 'do. Sadly, they weren't as cute in the morning after sleeping on them all night. It's ok though...she loved it. We love you Kaileigh Tayler!

Vote NO on measure 58

2008-10-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

For all of you who are in Oregon, vote no on measure 58! If it passes, there will be a limit of two years for students in the English Language Learners programs in Oregon public schools. In the national "report card" Oregon is currently in the LOWEST THREE states for quality of education provided for ELL students. Now is not the time to limit these students to just two years in the ELL program. Students who are at risk must receive all the help they can get in order to keep them actively engaged and supported in the classroom. We want to give children every opportunity possible to have positive experiences in school, and measure 58 threatens to severely limit these experiences for many of our students. Please, vote no on measure 58!

A bathtub first

2008-10-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

Warning: TMI...but it must be documented. It's a first we all must experience.

So, I've heard everyone talk about how horrible it is, but we had yet to experience the dreaded bath, until tonight. Thomas was taking his bath like usual, and life was grand. Soon his face turned bright red, he started grunting...and yes, he pooped in the tub. It was glorious. I was horrified. Luckily, we already washed him up pre-poop and he was ready to get out. I'm glad I can now join the "my child pooped in the tub" club. I love being a mama.

Summer in Pictures

2008-10-15T23:40:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post some summer pictures for......well, since the beginning of our blog life. Since it's now October, that means we have a lot of pictures that haven't made it to the blog. So, here are some random favorites. Enjoy!

Go ducks!

2008-10-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

So far we have been to only two football games, but both have been a lot of fun. Thomas LOVES it! He yells when everyone else yells, hits the rude guy standing next to us (he really did that...repeatedly), and even likes the $9 sodas...or at least the straws. He is a duck fan from the start, despite his dad's wishes. Sorry Steven...Go Ducks!

The first game we went to got really cold, so we covered Thomas up with the free towels they were handing out rather than buy an ugly adult-sized beenie for $30. He was a trooper. I would like to brag for a moment and say that I carried that 21 pound cutie in a front pack (despite the recommended weight limit) throughout the entire game as we STOOD in the bleachers (students refuse to sit in the student section). My feet were tired, my back was stiff, but it was a fun night. I love my little duck fan.
When Thomas fell asleep (which didn't last long) we used his "hat" as earmuffs. I'm glad we got pictures of this, I'm not sure anyone would believe that he was sleeping in the student section if we didn't have proof.
Pre-game enthusiasm at Uncle Tyler's. The mohawk was dawned for the special occasion. We all got a kick out of it.
How could I possibly as for more? I love him every single minute. Football games have never been so fun, thanks Thomas.

An apology from bad bloggers

2008-10-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else noticed that so far we horrible bloggers? I am going to blame it on our busy school schedules, but I'm sure if I really tried I could be better. For now, I'm using it as the 'get out of jail free' card. I will try harder from now on. I promise.

Fun outing

2008-09-18T00:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took a little trip to a great fruit farm and had tons of fun!! Thomas fell asleep in the car, so we let him sleep while we pushed him around while we eyed all of the yummy fruits and veggies that we were going to buy before heading home. We also figured we couldn't pass up the opportunity to take some pictures on a tractor. Steven wasn't as into it as I was.

And after he woke up, we walked over to this neat little place...the goat walk. Who would have thought? They have this neat little set-up where the goat walk on these little bridges overhead and you can send food up to them on this neat little pulley. We didn't have any quarters to feed them, but loved the idea. And loved the goats. Check out that smile!!

They also had a fun little playground, and Thomas LOVE, LOVE, LOVED the slide. Can you tell? He got a little "slide burn" on his back, but wasn't phased a bit. He's a daredevil in the making.
Afterward we had to buy some produce, of course. It looked too good not to. We got a HUGE zucchini, a few different varieties of apples (one of which Thomas couldn't get enough of in the car on the way home), some nectarines, plums, tomatoes, an onion, bell peppers (including purple, which looked neat but tasted gross) and a juicy peach for me to eat in the car. It turned out to be a fun and healthy day. Lone Pine Farm gets two thumbs up!

Here we are!

2008-09-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

We finally decided to start our little blog, or rather, decided to actually add something to it. Now all we need is readers...which might take more effort. Thank you Charami, for being such an inspiration for me to start my blogging life. Anyway, here we are. It remains to be seen how long this will last.