Another Year

Wow. Another year has come and almost gone. So many things I have NOT kept caught up on...so I will attempt to give a short version.

Its Soph's first Christmas. Her very first one! And I feel like it was just ok. Why?? Partly b/c I barley took any pictures. The poor kid isnt going to have a memory of it except what her parents caught on film, er...digital file, and we barley have any.

She's getting too damn big. She will be 9 months in 2 days. What a big girl! Im trying to savor every moment we get to cuddle...which is ONLY when she is nursing. Its slipping away way too fast! Its hard too b/c she only nurses before naps and at bedtime, which can be pretty crazy. Sometimes I'm just hoping she will hurry it up b/c I have to get back out to Jack, or we are right in the middle of something, and the other times its in the middle of the night (YES, STILL), which Im tired and really dont want to get up for anyways. But I do. Iv'e only got 3 more months of this bonding experience with her....I wish I had more time to focus on it, and less distractions. Maybe tomorrow....and the next day, and the next....and so it goes.

Many of you dont know, but we were trying to get a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) for Jack. Its a super small device (about the size of a 9v battery) that is poked into his belly and can be there for 7 days. It would mean we could see much sooner if he was trending high, we could catch the lows before they got too low, AND it would mean less finger pokes. WAY LESS. We sent a claim to our insurance co. in October....they denied it. So we appealed it and Merry Christmas! We found out they are going to approve it! The device should be here on the 28th!! We are stoked about this.

What else?? I dont know...Life.

Stay tuned....I'm trying to update more frequently than the last couple months!

The Wait...

Wow. Nothing since August?? I must have fallen off the face of the earth! Or decided to sell our house, pack everything up, put an offer on a "short sale house" (HAHAHA if anyone is familiar with the term "short" sale), move into my in-laws house while we house hunt/wait for our dream house, have no idea where any of my stuff is b/c its in boxes somewhere at the storage unit. Yep...it was the latter.

So yes. We did decide to put our cute lil house out there on the market. We were worried about getting any offers. Well, that was just silly. One would think in the current real estate market that houses would sit for a while. Well, not ours. Nope. That was not the case.

We sporadically decided at the end of September that we would put our house on the market in a month (end of October). We were super busy with life and needed that time. I think part of it was to mentally prepare for a move. What prompted this sudden decision?? A house we saw. It is our dream house. It is a house that has a yard for the kids. It has 4 bedrooms (you know, just in case we decide to have one more). It has a cute neighborhood. It has space - 3000 sq ft of space!! It has 2 garages. It is perfect. We put our offer in at the same time we put ours on the market, in October. Alas, the problem. It is a "short sale."

Once we got our house ready to invite complete strangers to come over, walk through our house looking at our personal effects and allowing them to analyze our life from the furnishings and decorations of our taste, we had a quick ride. I was out of town with the 2 kids for a wedding and the house just exploded! Exploded with interest! I was getting call after call while I was in Chicago. To our amazement, we had a full price offer before I even left Chicago! I was having documents faxed to me and faxing them back. It was crazy.

I get back to PDX and suddenly we have to start packing. But WAIT!! It was only on the market for a few days. It wasnt suppose to go that quickly! We ended up being out of the house just before Thanksgiving. Where to?? Well...this family of four is shackin up with the in-laws! For how long?? Well, either until we get a YES from the bank (not our bank) or find a different house.

Ok...so about short sales. For those who dont know, the bank has to eat a portion of money on the loan. Basically its one step above having a foreclosed house. Once an offer is made, it sits on some pencil-pusher desk in a stack that obviously has no importance. Eventually, they go through the stack and decide if they can take that much of a loss...basically, they decide if they could get more for forclosing the house and having it go to auction.

Our recent hurdle? We were in a bidding war over this house. Why?? Because it is worth it. The good news?? The other people just recently pulled out. The bad news?? We could have sat at our original offer.

So, we are still waiting. Patiently waiting. Waiting....

See Attle

Well, last week we took a trip up to Seattle for the day. It was a ton of fun, just wish we were there longer; but it was sandwiched in between work days for me.

We told Jack about going to Seattle the night before and he got all excited about going to "Seattle." He kept saying, "Were going to Seattle tomorrow??!!" So cute because he was so excited about it. Well, the next morning, the kid does NOT forget anything. "Were going to Seattle?!" Wow. Impressive. Like I said, he doesnt forget a thing. So we are driving and he continues to chant that phrase, and suddenly we realize that he does not think we are going to Seattle....he thinks we are going to SEE Attle! So we start telling him that were going to the city of Seattle...too late. The damage was already done. He was insistent that we see "Attle." I was meeting a friend there so we totally had to tell Jack that she was "Attle" and that was who we were going to see.

It was so cute. We tried and tried, but those new station hey everything.

The Original Budda Day

We were SUPER excited! For our honey moon we backpacked through SE Asia. We did the loop: Thialand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia. But we started in Bangkock. A whirl of new faces, new scents, new visions. Everything was so new. And we were...tourists. We hit the main strip on KoSan Road where we found a cheap place to stay. I kid you not, it was like the room Leonardo DeCaprio stayed in on the movie The Beach. Dingy, dirty, noisy, stains on the wall, no sheets on the bed and stains on the bed. We didnt sleep well that night, but it was late when we got in and I think this was the only place we could find a room.

The next day was our first real day there and we were so thrilled! We only had about a total of 3 hours sleep in the past two days with travel time and a NEW time zone chane...but we were ready to explore this forign land. Some nice local saw us walking and informed us it was a special government holiday, Budda Day, and the TukTuks were cheaper on this day, but only the green ones, b/c the green ones were government owned. He asked if we had seen much so far and was telling us a couple places we had to check out. "WOW, the people here are so nice!" we were thinking. So what did we do?? Flag down the next green TukTuk we saw! We were off on our adventure to see temples. It was amazing...everywhere our driver took us, it was like the people knew we were coming. They would make a comment about the holiday and told us it was good luck to donate to the temple we were in on Budda Day. At the time we had no idea...but we were taken to a few really cool, known temples, and a lot of little ones. It was only at the little ones, where most of the tourists WERNT that they knew we were coming....and they all told us one more new place we needed to check out, like a special store, b/c it was Budda Day and there were "special price"...so we did. First we wound up at some secluded gem shop where they really wanted us to buy something. When we said we were waiting till the end of our trip, when we were back in Bangkock, they told us we could have "Sale price only today, on Budda Day." Then it was off to another temple where they too referred us to a shop with "special prices for the holiday" then to a market with a travel agent, trying to get us to buy a package for while we were there...we didnt do this either b/c we just wanted to be uncommitted and be able to go from one place to the next...lucky us that this is what we WANTED to do...how we wanted to experience this trip. Then off to a few more temples, then to a suite shop. Now, Craig DID want a tailor-made suite, but again, the plan was to do this when we got back to Bangkock before we left back to The States...but they had us, "Special price today only for Budda Day." They had Craig standing on a platform measuring length, height, shoulder width, wiast, etc. He was getting spun around and whirled from one side to the other while they took all his measurements. It was exciting, and fun to be cauht up in this tailor made suite thing. We walked out with a recipt for a suite that would be ready to pick up when we got back. Now off to another temple...and this time, we started to realize things were a little strange...the people at the next temple knew things about us they shouldnt....we just bought a suite, it was our first day in Bangkock, we just got married...things like that. Wierd...then we were off to another place and we heard the TukTuk driver talking to someone, we decided it was a heads up to the next place. By now, we were tired, hungry and done with this. We just wanted to go back to Khaosan Road, get a bite to eat, a drink to sip and enjoy the day/eve. Our TukTuk driver wouldnt take us back. He insisted we had to make one more stop to another store. We eneded up going to the last place, a jewrly store, but quickly decided we were done. They kept saying, "Oh, Look, so pretty!" UGH! We were HAD! Damn Budda Day! So from then on, we referred to Craigs suit as his Budda Day Suit. It is a nice suit, and still fits...

My Personal Budda Day

Well, we are quickly approaching record breaking days. The kind of days you would expect in Arizona or Texas. The kind of days you NEED relief from the heat. The kind of days you could literally crack an egg on the pavement and watch it cook. I think its going on one week of Hattie's hot.

So, every year we toy with getting a window A/C unit...and every year decide we can tough out those few days and camp out in the basement. Yesterday, I went to get Jack from his nap and he was SOAKED. I mean, if you didnt know he was sleeping, youd think the kid just returned from running in the sprinklers! And night...UGH. The fans just blow warm air around.

Today was the day. We decided yesterday that I would go down to the hardware store and pick up an A/C unit. So did everyone else in a 50 mile radius of Portland....and they ALL went to the same place! (According to the owner of the store, everyone else was out and was referring them to his store). My expectation was to run in, grab my A/C unit, run out, get home, get it set up before Jacks nap and WALA...COOL BEDROOMS! This was SO NOT THE CASE.

Luckily, "Ammy" wanted to see Jack so I dropped him off with the diaper bag...I mean, Soph and I were going to be 45 min tops. I park in a "30 min only parking" space right in front of the store. I walk inside and BAM....there are people in one big line zig-zagging through the store. Its a typical hardware store...small isles, old store, poor A/C and a fan blowing. As I entered, some lady tells me "good luck." Im like...luck?? What?? She tells me she was in line for 2 hours.

Sure enough, we waited a good 2.5 hours. 2.5 hours with loads of people. Sweaty people. People who, like me were in dire need of an A/C unit. Men, women, children; we were all sandwiched in this hardware store with no where to go but forward. Mind you, I left the entire diaper bag with Jack at ammys house, and Ive got Sophia with me. The good part about breastfeeding is that the supply is always with you. I had the supply, but I left my Hooter Hider in the diaper bag. I mean, like I said, this was only going to be 45 minutes tops! Luckily I had a FLANNEL burp cloth in the truck. I made this work....I had to. Im standing up, sweating myself, trying to cover myself with this burp cloth, holding Sophia while she eats. All I hear is the sucking sound, with a little choke here and there from too much milk all at once. Im wondering what the other people are thinking, and VERY thankful that Portland is so liberal minded with nursing in public.

After about an hour of waiting, the store owner loudly announces he just sold the last 2 units. BUT, if you wish, you can stay in line and pre-order one for tomorrows shipment in order to guarantee you will get one. So, I do this. Soph has to eat again, the nice woman in front of me helps move the car seat each time we move up in line. Did I mention how hot it was in the store?? Even though there was a fan & an A/C on...do you know how much heat people generate just standing??

Well, I finally got to the front of the line and....SHIT! I have NO IDEA WHAT I NEED. My plan was the cheapest window unit (b/c I dont like the thought of spending money on this, even though it will make things pleasant at home.) He asks what Im needing to cool, and I tell him 2 bedrooms. I was then made to believe I needed a 10,000 btu window unit to cool a space that large. Then, somehow I was convinced I needed to buy the "portable floor model A/C" b/c it was only $100 more than the window unit I was already talked into upgrading to. OK..sold. What the hell happened?? I planned on spending a small penny... Now, as Craig says...I had a BUDDA DAY! And also as he said...it better make it cold enough so he can wear his budda suite (another blog) comfortably.

After this...I was exhausted and informed him we were "dining out" (as Jack likes to say) for the sole reason that I NEEDED to sit in the A/C for a few hours.

Car Wash

OMG. Last weekend we were driving around and the car needed a wash. It was all four of us in the white Corolla which now had a gray sheen to it. Knowing this, we delibertaly drove past our house to one of those drive through car washes....it would be who knows how long till we could wash the car, and we thought Jack would get a kick out of it!! Weve got Jack all pumped up and excited about going through the car wash. Im thinking, sweet...entertainment and a clean car...Ill have to do this again!

Well, as soon as Jack saw the first things that beat on the car, he was a little unsure of what to think. Then as they swished on his window, he wasnt totally digging it. He was leaning in towards the middle. Then when the next round of scrubbers came, he LOST it. It was hilarious, but so sad! Here he is, strapped in his car seat screaming, a sheer look of terror on his face, and hes reaching toward us crying. The softy that I am, I had no other option but to laugh a little (it was pretty funny), and jump into the small space between the two car seats and try to hold him. Ive got one leg stuck in the front seat still, Jack is holding on to what ever part of me he can grab on to! Poor kid. I guess there wont be any clean cars in my future...at least not with the quick drive through kind!

Jack's first race

He did it!! Jack has now competed in his first running race, a 60 meter dash. At 28 months of age, we have a new star athlete!!

It was too cute. Jack's endocrinologist actually told me about this event put on by Foot Traffic and basically you register anyone (even adults - they have a bunch of different events), they get a tag for their age group and they line up the kids in (his age group) 0-3. The girls went first, then the boys. I thought he missed his spot b/c I didnt notice it was all girls. I only noticed they were all small and in the next group, Jacks group, he looked like the smallest. Never mind that he is only in the 7th percentile for height!

Craig ran behind him/with him and said the whole time Jack was running and screaming, "Ahhhhh...The people are coming!!" (There were older kids lined up behind him). The look on his face, oh, he was having a blast. It didnt matter that he was one of the last to cross the finish line, he still got a cool purple ribbon.

Only bummer is....its almost over, its a 5 week deal. We will defiantly be back next Tuesday and we will keep it in our minds for next summer. It is so fun watching him "run" He moves his arms faster and says, "Im going super fast!" After his "race" we were watching other races and events, he just kept wanting to run some more. It was TOO CUTE! Just we knew about it sooner, but thanks to his doctor, we know about it now!

Fourth of July

This fourth of July...we had a pretty good time. It's funny how when you have kids of your own, you no longer long for everything to revolve around you...you wish you could...but nope, those days are gone. Its now about revolving around your kids.

It was Sophia's first encounter with fireworks, and she was a trooper. She was tired, would get a little startled, but then things were better when mama decided to give her some milk. (Man, so many things to carry with us...but I will not go anywhere without my Hooter Hider!)

Jack. Well, we were so excited for him. We really felt like this year he was truly going to appreciate and enjoy fireworks. We talked about it all day. We kept telling him, "We have to wait for it to get dark." He would repeat this all day, and even came up with, "When the sun goes night-night." Eventually he started saying, "I need it to be dark." Well, the moment finally came. Instead of fighting the crowds at the waterfront in Portland, we just hung around our neighborhood. Jack is still a little young for sitting in a crowd...well, maybe its that we dont want to sit in a crowd with a 2 yr old and a 3 mo old!! Anyway, we are sitting around getting ready to watch some local fireworks. Jack is totally excited about it sitting in the Burley. BAM, POW, CRACK!!! And poor Jack was terrified!! Craig picked him up, held him close, and Jack said, "I need to go home! I need to go home!" So we started walking home and Jack said, "I need to see the fireworks! I need to see the fireworks!" We went through this charade for a short time and then we were finally able to watch them. We had a blast. The was was we needed to be a "safe" distance from the explosions. Jack dug all the different colors of the fireworks, and the sounds. When we got home, he crashed the minute his head hit the pillow. And as for Soph, she was asleep before we got home (thanks to good ol mamas milk)!

Discovery

I discovered something yesterday that I have known for a while, but it is always continuously happening right under me that I am able to somewhat ignore it.

Fathers Day: We come home from the cabin and I, knowing that it will end up being ME who cleans the house at some point, decides I would like to do it NOW instead of when Im home with the kiddos all week. Now this is not saying it wont happen again anyways, I guess I just wasnt feeling like doing it all today (Monday).

Craig takes Jack with him for his run. I end up having to put miss Sophia in the Bjorn, but thats OK. Its us girls rocking out to the new Black Eyed Peas Album and cleaning. And I mean cleaning. I swept, mopped, got all the dishes done, wiped the counters with Clorox, vacuumed, put our clothes upstairs from our weekend trip, picked up Jacks toys. Now the house was in good order, I felt like wow, I had finally accomplished somethiing, (I think since Jack wasnt under foot creating a mess two steps behind me). Yes!! They get home, and I do the whole dinner thing, then its my turn to go out for a run. Ahh, a nice evening run. The weather was perfact, I knew I would be comming home to a clean house, priceless.

I walk in the door and shriek: "What happened to my clean house?!!"

* Notice I said MY clean house

There is some kind of green flaky stuff all over the computer room floor, the fouton in the computer room...

Before I even have a chance to ask/say anything more, my husband, who is sitting in the chair at the computer looks at me and says "Ill get it...Jack had a spice jar (not just any spice jar...you know the large size spice container). Well, it had the paper seal on it, so I let him play with it not thinking he would get it open. Well, he did, and Ive got the downstairs blocked off...you'll see why. But I'll get it"

I just cant stand looking at my once. 30 minutes ago, pristine floors with this dried parsley all over. I proceed to go further into the house....ther is more, on the stairs going up, but he must have decided not to go up the stairs b/c there were only 2 steps with parsley. I then follow the trail....into the kitchen and see the downstairs blocked with a baby gate we no longer use. There is the moterload. And I thought it looked like a lot of parsley on the floor/fouton before. These steps were COVERED with the bottle of dried parsley on the landing to go down. It could have been worse. It could have been a Costco size container.

My discovery is that it is Jack. It has always been Jack, but now, I can truely say, Im gone for 30 minutes and you would never even know I had spent all that time cleaning. So, what do I do?? Grab the broom and vacuum. I know he said he would get it...but I wanted it taken care of right then, not in 15 minutes...so I did it.

My back hurts...

My back hurts, my bra's too tight, I swing my hips to the left, to the left, to the left and to the right!!

Anyone remember this from when you were a kid?? I vaguely do, but man, I'm feeling it!! My damn back is KILLIN me from toting around these kiddos! Sophia I get...I mean, shes only 11 weeks old and she needs to be carried around most of the day. Jack however, well, he just needs it. "I need up mama. I need up mama!" And me?? I'm going to be in TROUBLE when they get older if I don't learn how to say no soon. I'm such a softie....especially when it comes to Jack. I don't want him feeling like hes lost any attention since Sophia came around....so I pretty much do what ever he wants. Like I said. Ive got to change so I wont be a doormat later! And Sophie, well, I'll probably be a softie with her too, its just she doesn't need much at the moment. I change her when shes poopy, I feed her when shes hungry, and I carry her around a fair share of the time. Oh, and don't forget all the bending over I do to help the boy out....with toys, trying to ride his bike, picking him up, etc. But now, DAMN!! My back is EFFIN killing me!! So maybe this is why this childhood rhyme is coming back to me!

My back hurts, my bra's too tight, I swing my hips to the left, to the left, to the left and to the right!!

Accident Prone

Am I a bad mom, or is my tot just prone to tumbles and bruises?? I swear my two year old gets him self into more injuries. Today we were on our way to the park and I'm walking right behind him. Hes going down the stairs and I see it in slow motion. I swear it looked like he had both feet in one step. And then he was in a somersault position, and he literally somersaulted down the stairs of our deck! He would have scored a 9.0 if he was competing. His form was perfect. Knees tucked toward chest, chin in, arms out and (I think) around his legs. It happened so fast I couldn't see his face. Here I am, Ive got Sophia in the Bjorn and I (we) race to Jack. Hes bitten his tongue, tears streaming down his face, and letting out that shrill cry which is preceded by that silent cry. Poor kiddo. I immediately picked him up (Sophia was kind enough to scoot over a little and share my chest/arm space). I thought he got away with just a small cut on his tongue and a few abrasions to his hairline. But tonight as I was hosing him off in the tub, hes developed these small welts on both cheeks. I swear, I hate this. I feel like hes always getting banged up somehow. I don't care if he is a boy, his mama doesn't like it.

A Peaceful Moment

Do you ever have a moment just to your self?? Well, I thought I was having one right now. I had fed lil Sophia and she fell asleep in my arms. I ever so carefully laid her on the couch and cozied her up. And WOW she stayed asleep! I then wrangled my 2 yr old and stopped his stalling tactics from going up for a nap....managed to put him down without too much of a fight. YEA! And I came to catch up on my email, FB, blog. (Transitioning!) And I was able to make some french pressed coffee! Now you know that whole dilemma...wow, Ive got two free arms and loads of stuff to do....but hesitant not wanting to wake two sleeping babes. Then it starts. The neighbors. School is out and the damn kids are always playing outside. Cant they stay inside and eat and play video games?? No, they have to be healthy active kids. Did I mention loud?? They are playing baseball with a metal bat, "TING," practically in my backyard and yelling at each other. Either someone ran too far "you missed the ball!", "no I'm not out you didn't get me..you didn't get me!!', or celebration that there is now "2 outs yaAA!" It wouldn't be bad except that I have two sleeping babies!! Make that only one....since I put (transitioning) above. I wanted to kill them, but its only Sophia who is now awake...she just needs to nurse more. But if they wake up Jack...I will be so pissed!! I'll want to make them wish they were playing video games. But you know what?? I cant even say anything, or do anything about it. They are outside on a nice day having fun, the kids that they are. I'm just the crotchety old bitch. KEEP IT DOWN!! And just like that, my two free arms and moment of silence is gone.

2, 3, 4

Ask Jack how many of something...anything, and he usually responds with 2, 3, 4...or 2, 3, 4, 5. He usually has the end number correct (maybe its just chance), but without fail....he ALWAYS skips the 1. I think he doesnt think the number 1 exists.

Diabetes, what a scare

Update for fam & friends.

First, Jack. Jack has been sick since last Thursday. It started as what I thought was strep (since I had strep), then that evening, I knew it was something else....YUCK. Jacks first encounter with vomit. Not just vomit....the kind that comes out your nose. Now I dont know about you, but I HATE throwing up more than anything....and if it came out my nose....oh, I'd want to die! Luckily for him it was just the one time. Then came the diarrhea. Lots of diarrhea. Every morning it was a race to get him out of his bed and hosed off in the shower, and get his bedding (not such the big deal) and bunny (the big deal) cleaned in time for for his nap. The kid will NOT sleep with out his bunny....and since it looked like it too had diarrhea, it was imperative that the bunny "take a bath." With all this crap going on, Jacks sugars have been SO out of whack! Monday was a BAD day. I could NOT get his blood sugar up. After breakfast he said he needed juice, so I check him...55. Ok, no prob, weve been here before...give the kid some juice. Well, 4 or 5 juices later his blood sugar was finally barely over 100 (YEA!) and the kid was SICK of juice....this also made his diarrhea worse! Again, after lunch as I was putting him down for a nap he tells me he needs juice....I check and sure enough, he was low again. And again it was the same charade. I could NOT get it up. He ended up having no nap b/c we spent 2.5 hours trying to get his blood sugar up. Dinner time he was ok, and before we went to bed, we checked him again....now this one about knocked us over. 36. 36!! 36 is the LOWEST blood sugar we have ever had. Now we not only had to get the kid to drink juice, and lots of it, but we also had to wake him up. He was so cranky and just didnt want to drink. Craig had bought Hershey bar...he wouldnt eat it.....he also bought some sugary gel by Hubba Bubba. He finally took some of it, and liked the fact that it was sour. Oh, and we tried soda...but he said it was, get this, "spicy" must have been the carbonation. We didnt know what to do. Craig was wishing we had IV supplies at home so I could just start an IV on the kid and infuse dextrose in his veins. After 36 and a long slow recovery, we called his doctor. Its been kinda great. Yesterday and today he has only had 1 shot of insulin at meal time (he usually has a shot at every meal) but since hes been dropping so much, the doc had us only give him a tiny amount if he was over 250. I dont know what this GI bug has done to him....we were thinking it would be great if a virus reversed this disease...not a chance, but boy, wouldnt that be nice. Anyways, today he was high...and I have never been so relieved to see a high blood sugar. Whew. And also, Im so proud of Jack. This is what he said this morning as we were watching toons, "I need a juice. I feel funny." Unprompted. This is the first time he has ever put the words I feel funny with how he was feeling. Sure enough, he was a little low...but nothing like the other day. SCARY! But, hes getting over this GI bug and his sugars have been high all day, looks like we will be back to injections tomorrow.

Sophia: she is growing. Not really doing much on her own, you know, eat, sleep, poop, cry demanding milk. But she is starting to really coo. Its so cute. Her most active time is in the evenings. We just cant wait to see what her personality is like.

All in all, we are doing good here.

I dont want a piece of you, I want the whole damn thing!

A couple nights ago I was putting my toddler (27 mo.) to bed....or trying to. From below, this is what my hubby heard.

Jack: Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!!

Me: Jackson, come here!

Jack: Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!!

Me: Hey, get over here mister!

Me: Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!!

Jack: YOU WANNA PIECE OF ME?! with his hands up for a play fight.

Me: Laughter. (As I pick him up and concede.)

How did this start?? Well, thanks to his "amppy" (grandpa). He gets him going in a play fight and they put their fists up to eachother yelling "you wanna piece of me!" Its entertaining, but not near as entertaining when Jack did this unprompted. Kids these days, where do they learn such things!!

Oh, right...where have I been...

If you hadn't figured it out...Ive been adjusting to parenthood of two. Things are good....Jack is sick, Sophia is not. She is growing, still sleeping in the bed with us, trying to figure out how to transition her to the bassinet, Jack is being a great big bro. We cant wait to see what kind of personality we have created in lil Soph....we think we did pretty damn good with Jack. The poor dog is neglected...we forgot to feed him for an entire day!! Oh, sorry Roscoe. So, Ill try to be better, and Ill try to get some pics up.
See YA.

Where have you been??

Holy SHIT! Has it seriously been this long since Ive been on this site?? What the....where has time gone?? And I want to know why all you mammas out there have time for this? I can even get the damn laundry done. Really, I cant. I end up letting it pile up until we are about out of underwear (good thing Jack is still in diapers, he'd be wearing some sort of rigged undies made from socks left over from the sock monster in the dryer)! I mean seriously. How do you do it?? I barley have time to check my email. Good thing I can access face book on my phone! I swear, I spend all day cleaning, and you'd NEVER know it. Which brings me to a memory....I remember going to peoples houses who had kids and thinking to my self "What the hell...don't these people know how to clean their house?? Haven't they ever heard of picking up after themselves??" And then, today, I had an epiphaony. Yes, I did, I had an epiphany. This came after I was trying to justify (jessify, as my husband calls it) my shamble of a house to my mother in law. Seriously. Did I really need to be giving an explanation to her?? Well, now I know....HOUSES CANNOT STAY PICKED UP WITH AN INFANT WHO IS ON THE BOOB MOST OF THE DAY AND A TODDLER PULLING EVERYTHING OUT INTO THE OPEN!! Its like its against the laws of physics....its scientifically proven, this theory of mine, right?? Y'all let me know how you do it and still manage to post shit. Lucky.

Sophia update

OK so Ive been home too long to not have given any updates. we have been so busy just running errands and such, but Craig went back to work this week and Ive got to say, no ones dead yet!! Those ED skills come in pretty handy! (but its only been 2 days). It seems like exponential work at times, but Im enjoying it. I just need to get my routine down (I think now I might willingly develop OCD just so I can get a routine down pat!) It always seems that Sophia is hungry just as its time to feed Jack...and I cant just slap a piece of PB toast in front of Jack and say, 'kid, eat' its more like crap...gotta check Jacks sugar, make him hold off on eating if hes low & get juice instead, figure out how many grams of carbs are in his food, draw up the RIGHT amt of insulin; all with a hungry crying baby in the background. Then quick...get her on the boob without her snapping it off b/c shes so hungry!! Then repeat at lunch time. What I need to do is feed her BEFORE its time for Jack to eat...but thats too easy! I like to do things with a small amt of challenge involved!

Oh, heres one more. we were out on Burnside (ya, Ive got to work the corners & turn tricks now with true part time wages...i find kids are more of a turn on for those sickos, work it baby!) and the rule for jack is hold hands or be carried. Well, he always wants to walk now and always chooses holing hands...but today, Im carrying Sophie in her car seat and holding jacks hand..he starts to let go and I tell him his options, theyve always been his options...and he chooses to be carried!! what?? dang it, my fault, I need to come up with a new choice for him!! so then Im carrying the car seat in one arm and Jack in the other. I think Ive had my outings for the week!! Oh wait...I have to go to the airport on Friday, my parents are coming for 2 weeks. That should be interesting...maybe Ill have them take a cab...no, theyll want to see the kiddos. Another outing to look forward to. At least I wont have to get anyone out of the car seats...maybe. I dont know if they can wait till we get home.

Today she had the grossest poop....it was all yellow mucus running down both legs to her socks and up her back. Needless to say, she had a bath today too!!

Ok...so besides finding my routine, we are doing great. I am loving our new lil bundle, and our old lil bundle. Jack is awesome with her. He lights up always asks to kiss her. He hasnt tried hitting her either.

Sophia is growing, that homegrown farm fresh mamas milk is tanking her up. shes gained 23 oz in the last 2 weeks and is officially up to 8#15oz. Shes filling out nicely and is looking cuter and cuter. She is an unbelievable good sleeper. At night she only wakes up about every 3-4 hours and eats and goes right back to sleep. its probably b/c of the fact that she is suffocating during those other hours. We have the bassinet set up right next to me...you know how useful it is?? Very. The extra pillows have a great place to rest. Yes, thats right. She is sleeping in the bed with us, without one of those 'cosleeper'things. We did it with jack and I know people around the world do it. You know, she just wont sleep in the bassinet, but next to me, she sleeps so soundly...maybe she is waking more often and just helping herself without my knowing it...no, I think Id notice THAT! Shes got a strange cry...it starts out wimpy and short, but gets stronger....its loud, but not window shattering loud. I think her eyes are changing to blue. they should be either blue or green, so were still waiting for that. All in all, shes a keeper. We keep waiting for things to change...Jack was/is such a mellow kiddo. Could we possibly have 2 like him?? I think the stars were aligned correctly or something. She is awesome, and will be even awesomer once she starts interacting, well, you know, other than staring at you. But ill take that for now. The hardest part is putting her down so i can do stuff with jack too. Im really trying to give him adequate attention too.

Its so different with a second. I took tons of pics with jack...my sis was on my case for not sending any, I said...well, I havent really taken any. She doesnt really do anything. My sis replied "well, neither did Jack, but that didnt keep you from flooding my inbox" see she was a 2nd child and she knows all too well the lack of photos the 2nd baby gets. I assured her Id start snapping away.

The best morning ever!

This morning Im laying in bed getting ready to feed our new baby girl. I hear Jack rousing in the room next door, and Craig knew he was going to have to go get him.

Then I hear, "Mama?"
I reply, "Jackson??"

Then I hear the best thing, "I YOVE YOU MAMA!"
I reply, "I love you too Jackson!"

I look over at my husband and say, I HAVE to go get him, he agrees with me, and I go greet my guy and immediately get a great big kiss and hug from him.

What a way to start the day!! :) :)

Who in thier right mind does THIS??

My husband (hes on paternity leave for 2 weeks) had to go into work to drop off some lesson plans for his sub; but before he did, he put Jack, our 2 yr old down for his nap. Now I have no idea WHO does this....puts down a toddler for a nap with out pants on....a toddler that is perfectly capable of taking off his OWN diaper. I have never done this and would never think to do it, because of course, I am well aware that he can take off his own diaper. Im downstairs listening to the monitor, feeding the new baby, and Jack is hollering "Daddy, daddy, daddy." Mind you, he had been in his crib for over an hour now. No crying, just chanting. Im thinking to myself....come on kid, go to sleep! So I text my hubby, sort of wondering when hes coming home and to let him know his son is chanting for his return. I go up to check on Jack, my sweet innocent tot and as I walk in the room I am hit in the face with a blast of some horrid smell...poop. As my eyes adjust to the darkness and I look closer into the crib, I see my son standing in his crib pulling the curtains and peeking out the window. Crap, the crib might be too close to the window!! Well, thats not the half of it. As my eyes gaze down into the crib further, I see that I have a bare bottom baby, er, toddler. And then, I see it. I see his diaper with poop smears, I see the poop in his crib, I see the poop on his hands. I quickly get him out, change him, scrub his hands and face, have to go down 2 flights of stairs to get clean sheets (thank goodness we even had a clean sheet to put on!!) and back up. I quickly get him back into his crib, and had to take away all his stuffed animals, the essentials for nap time, because they smelled of poop too! Whew. I texted my husband and it went something like this:
me: You are dead meat when you get home. Why? Putting our son to bed with no pants on...and yes, there was poop involved.
no response in form of text.
The phone rings and it is he...chuckling so hard to him self that I hear it in his voice. I tell him that he better be praying to something or not to come home and he owes me BIG for this doosey.
He eventually comes home with a "care package."
A Starbucks to make me happy now,
Two cookies to make me happy later,
And a bottle of wine for in the evening if Im still mad; or for him so that he wouldnt care if I was still mad.
The Starbucks was much appreciated.
And then, as Im getting ready to put Jack to bed for the night (I pleeded to do this because since the new baby, I havent been able to put him to bed...I miss it). I notice the stench is still there!!! I look closer....there is poop smeared on the crib railing, how did I miss this earlier?? There is a dropping of poop on the outside of the crib, AND a poop pile on the carpet I managed to step in!!! ARRG!! I immediately went to cleaning it up with Murphys Wood Soap and rinsing with water....I just wanted it clean. I should have had Craig clean it. What was I thinking?? He got out poop cleaning twice in one day!!
I think Im going to request a daily Starbucks for the rest of his paternity leave.

Welcome baby Sophia

March 27, 2009 we welcomed a healthy baby girl. She came in at 7 lb 10 oz, 19 in long. Shes been a great sleeper so far. Im not holding my breath, in fact Im anticipating when she start waking more often. I had a successful VBAC which almost didnt happen. They were close to having us do another c-section, but we did it. We came home on the 29th and are functioning as a family of four....wow. We are enjoying our time with her. Jack has been so cute. At first he wasnt too sure what to think, but he has warmed up nicely to her and insists on showering her with kisses. Its so cute!! Im having a hard time finding computer time, Ive got a million things to post but just cant find the time!! Hopefully soon, until then....

Jack turns 2

Jack turned the ripe 'ol age of 2 this past Thursday. We had a great time at 'Out of This World Pizza' that was also a play land. Jack and Corra (his cousin) loved it. There were bounce houses, push carts they rode on and a huge climbing gym with slides. And the cupcake...it is NOT a special sugar free cupcake. We just counted the carbs for it and let him enjoy.

For Jacks birthday, we had an unexpected pirate theme. His aunt Denise and us, the parents, managed to both get Jack pirate items. Lately hes been so into the "Arrr" of a pirate. He ended up getting a couple pirate patches, a hook hand, and a bloody sword, which dad says we will have to put away for a while. I thought that idea was stupid (the putting it away, I'm the one who bought the damn thing) until tonight when I received a jab in the eye!! It really hurt! It even made me see a bright light!! I wonder what that means...anyways, so now I might be on board with it going away for a bit.

He got a chair from "Ammy & Ampy" so now he can kick back with daddy and watch the game....or as I'm sure Jack would prefer....Nemo. The kid is obsessed with Nemo these days. We did get him a few other videos, so we will have to see if he digs them as much as Nemo.

The best part was how much fun he had. It was a great birthday and I know we all had a lot of fun, most importantly, the birthday boy. He even ended up staying up an hour past his bedtime b/c we just had to let him keep playing until the place closed (which was his bedtime). Ahhh.

Crazy toddler talk

Tonight my hubby and I were staying SO on top of things and ahead of the game shopping for Jacks birthday gifts. (Did I mention his birthday is tomorrow?? I think my procrastination is rubbing off on the fam!) The stroller was at home while we were at the mall; and dont you know we are too cheep to spend $5.00 to "rent" a stroller that looks like a little car!! Jack would have loved to drive around in a car! But no, we had to carry him all over the mall (we were in a hurry so we couldnt let him walk...the kid moves at a toddlers pace...but then again, hes a toddler.)

Craig was carrying him and I swear, the kid gets smarter every day! He says, in his broken English, "I sorry. I sorry. Daddy tired. Too big. Heavy. Mama carryary you (meaning him)" I mean, did he really put those thoughts together?? Does he really understand that he gets heavy?? Hes not even 2!! I can still claim that until tomorrow. Craig wasnt even complaining...I think he was just shifting Jacks weight around. Wow...he amazes me. He is SUCH a cutie! I cant imagine my life without him. And he will NEVER be too heavy. I love having him in my arms!

And also today, he got to be a big helper. He always helps the midwife turn on the doppler and he helps find the babys heartbeat. Before we start, he says, "Listen Sophies heart" and when he has the doppler on my belly (with a little help from the midwife) his face lights up and he says, "Sophies heart. Sophies heart." He is getting so vocal, and so clear with his words. The midwife today asked how old he was and stated his speech was very clear for his again. I think I mentioned in a previous blog that hes advanced....I think it was the potty training post. Ahh, what a proud mama to have a son so advanced...I did mention he is starting first grade didnt I??

A New Exhibitionist

I was very alarmed to find we have an exhibitionist on our street. I found him in my back yard on the porch and was stunned. He hadnt yet fully unclothed, but he was working on it when I caught him. I debated calling the police, but instead I did manage to snap a photo of the perpetrator so I could post for all to see. Its a scary world out there! (Not to mention it was COLD out!)

Is there something between your legs??

WARNING.....IF YOU ARE NOT INTO HEARING/READING ABOUT A PREGNANT WOMANS BODY, DONT READ ANY FURTHER....YOU MIGHT BE TRAUMATIZED!!

That was your warning. You may proceed at your own risk.

Today I had my last 2 week appt with my midwife...now its once a week until baby arrives. It scared me in more ways than one....youll see.
I had my cervix checked today just because of all the "braxton-hicks" contractions Ive been having and she says to me while she has her hand shoved up my..... "WHOA. Do you feel like your walking with something hanging out between your legs?? Your baby is right here! Shes at station zero." (what ever that means, Ill have to google it later. Its been too long since I had my maternity classes in nursing school...but I knew it meant something). After talking with her, Ive been instructed to PAY ATTENTION to my body. Ok, ok....so another sign that this girl is NOT acting like our little boy. He didnt even stop to ask for directions (mandatory c-sect)!! BOYS!! She not only has made sure to get directions for the way out, but I think she is NOT taking after me....Im late for everything, shes already ready and will likely be early....damn her father for insisting on being at least 10 minutes early to things!! That was only the first part of the scare. Ok, we really better get things in order...and pick out a middle name. Maybe we will get to that after this weekend.

The second scare. Am I absolutely crazy?? Seriously. I began to question the decision I have/had made. Just her checking the cervix...OUCH. Do I seriously WANT to have a VBAC?? I mean being flayed open by professionals wasnt so bad, was it?? Do I want MORE pain/discomfort (I think discomfort may not be the right word....go back to pain) than that?? She says as your body gets more ready things "loosen up on their own," really?? do they really?? So now Im questioning the decision to have a VBAC. I guess I still have time to change my mind if I want to. HUMMM....

Early Bird NOT welcome

As of recently, I feel our little girl is trying to breach her presence into this world a little too quickly. About a week ago I was having some contractions more intense than the normal braxton-hicks. Then the last couple days, I have been feeling somewhat painful contractions. Not too bad, like that time of the month, you know. Well last night I was awakened at 1:30 by this painful tightness in my back and belly. For an hour this was going on and I debated....should I call my midwife?? Its 2AM, I dont really want to wake anyone up if this is a false alarm. I contemplated driving myself to the hospital to be "checked out" and make sure this was not premature labor, but I decided I would wait and see how long this endured.

By this Friday, we are "out of the NICU" if the baby came early. And though that is refreshing, I would like her to stay put for at least 2 1/2 more weeks. We are not even ready for her! Ive been thinking for the last week...maybe we should get things ready....but it has remained only this...a thought. I seriously thought last noc/this AM that I SHOULD get a bag packed....I SHOULD find the car seat and wash it, and I SHOULD get the bassinet out and wash it. All things that I SHOULD do...but today I napped instead.

So, until I have any more, I wont worry about it. I will tell my midwife when I see her on Thursday, but in the meantime, I think Ill just monitor it on my own. Oh yes, and drink LOTS of water. Ive drank 2 liters so far today and still guzzling!

So BABY GIRL, we are not ready for you yet. STAY PUT!

new shift

UGGG!!! I finally cut back to 8 hour shifts at work, which is nice, but at the same time sucks. I still need to work my 24 hrs a week in order to not LOOSE any of my time off that I plan on using for maternity leave. So now I am working 3 days a week 11-7. One nice part is that from here on out, until July I will not have to wake up to an alarm, which also means that my new alarm is Jack, but thats ok b/c its still sleeping in. Its an 8am wake up instead of a 5:30am wake up. LOVELY...sleeping in!! AND, I now get to see Jack (and if its my weekend to work, my hubby) in the mornings before going to work, AND in the evening. I actually like the hours, it will be strange to go back to getting up and being going ALL day again. But today, 8 hours or not, we were BUSY. On top of being busy, Im getting Jacks cold and feel run down and ragged.

6 more weeks to go before baby girl gets here!!

Potty training

Jack is just years ahead of his time!! Right?? Boys dont usually begin potty training until they are at LEAST FOUR, right?? Well, my super star son is getting this thing down...and hes NOT EVEN TWO!! Hes been peeing on the "potty" since Friday just when ever we sit him on it. But last night, at dinner, the kid is finished eating and says, "Jackson go potty." Craig and I just look at eachother and say, "You need to go potty?" He says (in his cute lil voice), "Yahhh." So we both get up and run him to the potty. Sure enough, the lil tot pees!! Wow. Is he ahead of the game or what?!

On the other hand...am I really ready to start the world of potty training and pull-ups?? I guess it could be worse.

(Ok, so I DO know that boys are potty trained at any time, and I know its sooner than 4, just let me believe in my fantasy life that he is....super advanced. Ya, thats my boy. Hes going to kindergarden in the fall. He already knows his ABC's and hes already reading.)

And another potty story for today. He did it again, this time it was....in the bath tub (which I was in with him - YUCK). He stands up and says, "Potty," and squats a little and here comes a stream of yellow urine. Now I know urine is sterile, but seriously, I was in the bath with the kid. I should have showered again....but I was lazy and just made myself forget about it...no, I told myself that it would help cleanse my skin. And what do you do....yell NO?? Talk about mixed messages. And again, after the bath, he went in his potty again. YEA...and then as he was naked walking towards the stairs he says "Potty" and squats down, and pisses on the floor! Ok, so just once...I can clean that up. Easy, it was on the linolium. But then, going up the stairs to get clothes...he pees on 3 of the steps! Another easy one as they are hardwoods. So my question is...is this how it goes?? Man, Im going to have to keep a supply of diapers in the bathroom!! Again, I ask....am I really ready for this??

Condoms for resale??

I heard the funniest thing on my way home from work on the radio. So, imagine as Im driving home from a LONG day at work...I hear a commercial for Trojan Condoms and this is what I hear: "Be responsible and use a Trojan every time. With their high resale value and...." WHAT!! I thought to myself....now condoms even HAVE resale value??!! GROSS!!

Then as I listened a little longer, I was cracking up. I mean I almost had to pull over!! I realized it was the radio host reading two commercials back to back. Boy, was I relieved to figure out that he went right into a car commercial. But it was like he didnt even break his stride. I wonder if he figured out how it sounded eventually. Apparently even the advertisement community is trying to save money and allows the disc jockey to say their ads for them.

The Golden Child

At this time in my life, as a tote around a toddler and he rests comfortably on the shelf that his sister has created for him (being my big 'ol prego belly), Ive had multiple people ask the question, "So are you done now??" To be honest, I dont think so. Jack is the mellowest kid. If his sister turns out anything like him, we could keep going. So my response to everyone is simply, we have to wait and see how this next one is.

But Jack. I tell you, what kid, er toddler eats what you put on his plate?? We had taliapia, califlower and something else and the kid dug it. No complaints, and even my husband commented that the fish was a bit fishy! At bedtime one of us says, "Jack, are you ready to go night-night?? Go upstairs??" And Jacks response is, drop what ever is in his hand and say, "Upstairs??, Upstairs??" And his little feet pitter-patter to the stairs. If we are not close behind, he comes back and says, "Mama comming, daddy comming, Roscoe (the dog) comming?" And he starts heading up the stairs on his own. He knows the routine; its toons in mom & dads bed while we put on jammies and check his sugar and give him insulin, then read a book and off to bed where his animals are taking over the crib, but he cant go without any of them!! Next is putting him down; he asks for the blanket, his monkey, bunny, elephant, and lately also the racoon and beaver, then says, "Tuck," so we tuck tuck tuck him and his animals into bed. He smiles, says night-night and we leave. He chats for a bit with his animals, then hes out. No fighting, no crying, no climbing out of the crib. I swear, hes like this with most things. Sure he can be demanding at times, but what 2yr old cant be?? So if Sophia is anything like Jack, we just might be adding another. If she doesnt sleep, cries all the time and we are just exhausted from a day with the two of them, well, we might be done. Only time will tell. As of right now, Jack is our Golden child. We ARE hoping for another.

Broccoli

This actually happened about a month ago, but I forgot about it until today, when we were at the grocery store again. We were shopping and at the check out lane. Jack was throwing a FIT! At first I didnt know what he was saying, then I realized it. "Broccoli, Broccoli, Broccoli!!" But it sounded more like "Bac-y, Bac-y, Bac-y." My lil guy wanted the broccoli. I quick asked the cashier if she could please ring up the broccoli first. Jack was given a huge hunk of raw broccoli and just started maowing on it!! The cashier was stunned, I was stunned, and the people behind us were stunned. He just kept eating the broccoli and was in heaven. So, do kids really like raw broccoli?? Apparently mine does. I should have got a pic of it!

Today we didnt buy any broccoli, but he saw it and was immediatly asking for it. Luckily he was also distracted by the tangerines I was buying.

Things I find annoying today

As I sit here catching up on Grays Anatomy and half-assly doing laundry I think about all the stupid things that annoy me. The things that annoy me today, right now. So, I decided I'd create a little list about them. Its another way of procrastination....I guess. So here goes:

*Laundry: it piles up EVERY DAY and sits and waits for me (or occasionally my husband). Now, a day like today its all piled up, there are 3 baskets of clean clothes and 3 loads of dirty clothes.

*Lack of time: I would love to have enough time in my day to accomplish everything I want to, including catching up on my evening shows, reading the book that Ive been trying to finish for the last 2 weeks, surfing the Internet, catching up on my facebook (i know, important things), go to the grocery store, keep the house cleaned, and still have time for a NAP.

*Having, or shall I say keeping a house clean longer than 30 minutes. I swear, I sweep and mop, and vacuum, and no sooner than 30 minutes (at times less), you cant even tell it was even picked up or mopped. If its not Jacks toys, then its the shedding dog hair, or better yet, a diaper that the dog got a hold of and shreds to pieces.

*Thats another thing. The dog thinking that any diaper is fair game. He took the one that I took off of Jack prior to his bath which was still in the bathroom. He takes it and tears it apart. All those tiny liquid absorbing beads are all over the floor....and he does it on the rug, so its back to cleaning.

*Dinner: Do I really have time to plan dinner when Im doing this?? No. I suck at planning dinner anyway.

Now that Jack is awake, thats all the time I have for this post. Ill now go upstairs and rescue my adorable boy from his napping post and we will come downstairs, Ill throw on some toons for him so I can try to figure out what to make for dinner...we'll quickly head to the grocery store and get the necessities for tonight, come home and before you know it bedtime will have arrived. What did I accomplish?? I got 3 loads in the washer, not one item folded (including the three baskets that were already waiting for me), I did watch Greys Anatomy, and posted a short blog. The End.

Now I will

Airplane travel...ALONE WITH A TODDLER

Recently I went to Chicago to help my sister try and find a wedding dress (no decisions at this time). However, seeing as how Craig has to work, and my parents were driving to Chicago, I decided it would be a good idea to bring Jack. Hell, Jack is a freebie! Until he turns 2 he can ride along as a lap child! AWESOME!! Do you think I thought ahead when I booked my trip as to how big (or small I should say) my lap would be during travel?? Well, I did...but only AFTER I purchased my plane tix for me and a lap child. And then, I stressed about it a little, then decided we would both suffer b/c I was not forking over full price for a plane ride.

The flights were FULL...I mean FULL. I'm sure the passengers on the Boeing 757 were cringing as I lugged a 22 month old in my arms, my purse and a duffel bag (the child's necessities for flying, you know, snacks, books, crayons). I cautiously slid by each occupied isle seat trying not to hit the people with my loaded arms. Every once in a while I would have to apologize for either Jacks leg brushing some strangers head or my bag hitting someone. You should have seen the look on the faces of the people I had to interrupt from their peaceful pre-flight nap, "Excuse me, we have the seat over there (nodding to the window). They looked horrified. Little did they know, I felt horrified!! Thinking to myself 'oh god, what have I done!! I'm on a plane in the window seat for HOURS and I don't even have much of a lap for my "lap child" sorry everyone!'

Jack did GREAT! I couldn't believe it. At least we had a window seat so he was occupied with the other planes and trucks outside...and the sky and the clouds. I was so glad. At the end of the last flight back to Portland a woman behind us commented "Your baby (toddler lady!) did so well, I cant believe it. What a cutie!" I was the proudest mama at that moment. YES!!, I thought to myself. I couldn't believe it either...Jack was up for 10 hours b/c he wouldn't nap on the plane - do you blame him?? The poor kid was sandwiched in between a window, his moms growing belly and the seat in front of him. Thank you Jack for making the plane ride not a nightmare. I don't even want to imagine how it could have been. Well all you people out there who shun us solo flyers with lap children...you ll be glad to know this was Jacks LAST flight as a lap child. Mama and Daddy better start saving up!!

Money, Money, MONEY

Money is a great thing, dont ya think?? All the wonderful things you can get with it, like designer bags, clothes, treated like a first class superstar depending on where you shop?? Just when they think you have money to spend, how it changes they way you are treated. Reminds me of Pretty Woman. Its so true.

Ive been working a ton lately and know where all my glamorous money is going?? Towards student loans. Did they tell us when we signed up for an education that in addition to GETTING an education that we would be paying for it for an eternity?? I dont remember seeing that in the fine print....but then again, I never looked at the fine print. I was just eager to get the extra money that the government gave me that went over my loans. MONEY to spend!! That is what it was at the time. Now its a ball and chain. A teather on my leg. When is the day going to come?? I already have a list of things I want...and no, they arent designer clothes, bags, etc. It would be nice, but on my list is: a new car and a new house, neither of them being "new" but an upgrade, if you will. Oh, and a dream vacation to France, Greece, Germany, Ireland, South America, the Tropics. One day....when those student loans are gone. One day. And then Im sure there will be something else that takes the place of those things....there always is.

One Month Post Diabetes

Some of you have been wanting an update on the new challenge of having a toddler with diabetes. I have to say, Jack is doing wonderful. He gets (at least I think) that he has to be poked before each meal. He at times willingly gives up a finger or a toe. He still fights it at times, but nothing like the first 2 weeks. He also is doing great with the shots. He gets at least 5 sugar check pokes a day and 4 insulin shots a day. He has even "helped" with the shot on ONE occasion, by pulling a flap of skin away from his belly....only ONCE has he done this, but I was still impressed. Lately he has NOT been into the shots. But then last night while he was in the bath, his poor lil chubby arms have bruises all over the backs of them!! Cant blame him. Ok, so that sounds worse than it is....maybe Im just getting used to it...its like 3 bruises on each arm...and bruises on his legs. Ok, so its not over exagerating. His poor skin has all these bruises. Life must go on, and go on it will...just with lots of small bruises.
We were thinking that we were going to be able to do away with the 2:00 AM check b/c his sugars were looking good....but then 3 nights in a row he was low and we had to wake him up and give him juice/snack. After that, we knew we would still be setting the alarm for 2AM for a bit longer. We had a week where his sugars were perfact...but then they are all over the map again, highs and lows, but not as high as they originally were. He had his lowest hes had the other day...and the thing that just gets me is that he is NOT symptomatic!! That part is frusturating.
We are still learning how to do food. For a while, it seems that Jack, and us, were/are eating very UNhealthy. Ironic that foods low in carbs are high in fat. Weve got to find some other low fat low carb options, its just taking a while. Its a challenge when we go out to dinner or even when we are not at our house for dinner. He gets so distracted and wont eat...but he HAS to b/c weve already given him his shot! We have a NEW "juice" which is the crystal light on the go type powders. The only bummer is that if he were to ever ask anyone else for juice, thats what he would get....juice. The only bummer with these drinks is that they stain with the artificial coloring, but hey, at least he has something flavorful to drink. Its hard for me though b/c Ive been anti-artificial sweetners, and now, thats what I key in for at the grocery store. Sugar free jello, low sugar oatmeal, etc.
So, things are still pretty new with this whole thing, but we are getting the hang of it. I havent been to the gym since then b/c I was afraid to leave him in the gym daycare...do they really know what to do?? And at my gym, at times there are so many kids....woud they be able to watch him?? So, the gym is waiting for me for now.
So there you have it...an update on the diabetes scenario....I think its going pretty good...even though I still dont want him to have it.

Burning down the house

Today Im at work and I get a call from the house husband...thats what hes been the last 2.5 weeks during Christmas break. He thanks me so kindly for a gift I left. The conversation goes somethinig like this:
Craig: Hey, I wanted to thank you for lighting the candle for me before you went to work...laughing (the candle that we JUST had the conversation the night before about how it makes his allergies/asthma trigger)
Me: (laughing) Oh, your welcome. Actually, I noticed it this morning when I went to get my coat. It was on all night!
C: I figured it was left burning all night. Why didnt you blow it out this morning?
Me: I was grabbing my coat from the closet and was running late and didnt have time.
C: You mean, you didnt have time to stop and "poof" blow out the candle?? So our house could have burned down because you didnt have time to blow it out? (laugh)
Me: Well, I figured the house hadnt burned down all night (laugh)
C: I think I need to take that book away from you, youve been reading it too long (Small Sacrifices - about a woman who attempted to kill her kids to be with a man. True story that happened in Oregon)

So, when I got home, my book was still waiting for me by the bed. Actually, Craig probably now wishes the house had burned down....its snowing again. Tomorrow was/is going to be his first day back after a long 2.5 weeks off....he is SO ready to go back to work...I was joking the first day back might be a snow day!!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it STOP

Normally I LOVE snow. Hell, I miss the snow, miss the crunch, crunch under your feet, the scarfs to add as an accessory for those winter days, the sight of the whiteness outside and the warmth of the inside with hot coco or other cocktails to keep warm. NOW, let me just say that the Pacific NW is NOT equip for these conditions. We had an "Artic Blast" and had TONS (for Portland) of snow. It was awsome....for the first day, two days...but this city shuts down!! No one can drive in it, even with their studded tires and chains. Its hilly, but besides that, I think these PNWerners just dont know how to navigate in these conditions. As I said, this CITY cant deal. Eventually the main roads were in OK condition...but the side streets, you were lucky if you could GET to the main roads!! No plows, NONE. This meant no cars could go through the streets.....this meant no mail..for 5 days! The trash/recycling trucks didnt even come and pick up...so now we have 2 weeks of garbage piling up!! And it also meant no UPS/FedEx for Christmas. We just had a package arrive and another that still hasnt arrived. Think of all the kids...were they wondering what they had done to be a "naughty" kid since Santa didnt deliver?? How do the parents explain that one?? (Ok, so I know thats not what Christmas is about, but it happened). Stores were closed. Even if you could make it to the mall, some of the stores were closed b/c the workers couldnt get there. I even ran into a bus, a big public transist bus that was stalled out and sat all night in the middle of a road (not a side road, but not a main road) all night b/c it was stuck.

All the snow melted and I never thought I'd be happy to see the rain of the NW, but I was. Then, today I got up to go to work, and what is this?? More snow on the ground?? Could it really be?? I would still love it, if the city could plow the streets and make it usable, but since they cant, I now realize that snow is...maybe not such a good thing in this city. Luckly for us, it already melted by the time I was off work. Oh, I do miss the snow, but I guess we will just have to venture up to the mountain to play in it, b/c they do own snow plows for the roads there.

What a new perspective.