A Bug's Life

I love this Guy!

2010-12-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Our friends did a photoshoot in the frigid cold. More to come!

We had our first snow fall!

2010-10-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Serious

2010-09-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Seriously, who falls asleep like this? An open water bottle, two apples in his lap, and (oh, ya) a chocolate chip cookie resting ever so gently on his knee!? He woke up after awhile, whined, took a bite of his cookie, and then went back to sleep. No lie!

Great Plains Zoo

2010-09-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with Papa Mark, Nana Kelly, and Auntie Kayla at the Great Plains Zoo. And by great time, I mean great for being 1 hour overdue for a nap.

Gonnnnnng!

Looking like he could crash...
Hangin' out with his buddies...
And he did crash once we got back to the van. He was out before we even left the parking lot! What a cheap date- free pass to the zoo and didn't even have to buy him ice cream on the way home!

Papa Arlyn

2010-09-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

We went to visit "Papa Arlyn" while he was recovering in the hospital. Bug was quite entertaining. He was busy eating Papa's cheetos, reading him books, and eating his supper! Papa Arlyn is home now...the TLC from Bug must have helped a little bit!! Bug is hoping to get to ride the tractor soon.

More Vacation

2010-09-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

So, ask any of my friends, I am weird. One of the things that makes me weird is that I am a "Dave Ramsey follower." He's a financial guru. His take on money: Debt is dumb. Cash is king. And the paid off home mortgage has taken place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice!
Just a random musing from me today.

Anyway, more photos from our vacation.Kay-Kay got her ears pierced! Look at that proud smile!!The boys riding the Barbie Jeep!

Lunch at my favorite Chinese Bistro: PF Chang!
Carousel pre-teacup spinning.
Boys excited about the carousel ride (some more serious than others).
Kay-Kay was spinning our teacup out of control! Try being 14 weeks pregnant and spinning out of control...I'm nauseated just thinking about it.
The newest baby in the family...Kaeden Kalber. What a cutie pa-tutie.
Got in a fight with the cement. The cement won. Going down to the caves...the ONLY reason we wore sweatshirts in Alabama in August.

Vacation, Vacation!

2010-09-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

Had a great time visiting family on vacation!!!
The best part of vacation is that you get to eat whatever you want! Bug was a huge supporter of cheetos and fruit snacks!

LOVED the airplane. He cried when we landed. The people in the airport looked on the passengers with such pity as we de-boarded. I wanted to say, "No, he was great on the flight. He threw a temper tantrum because he had to get off the plane!"

Riding cousin Kole's bike with Daddy. He would say, "Go fast, Daddy."

Getting all cleaned up!

2010-08-18T11:41:00.001-07:00

Steps to washing your hair:

And then go to a park and get dirty all over again...

Guess Who's Potty Trained?

2010-08-04T12:12:00.001-07:00

Bug has been doing such a great job with potty training! He is in underwear at night too! For the past 2 weeks he has woke up dry in the morning. Still have occasional accidents, but so proud of him...and happy to have him out of diapers!!
He usually takes his nap in just underwear and a shirt. So my plan today was to get a photo, and of course he wanted to sleep in his shorts. I think it's so cute that he tells us which underwear he wants to wear when getting ready for the day. "I want Buzz Lightyear." "I want Cars." "I want Thomas and Percy."

Oh, the things the mother of a 2-year-old gets completely excited about! Go Bug, Go!!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Father's Day! Met my family half way and spent the day at the park. These photos are compliments of Nana Kelly! Enjoy!

Mommy photo-shoot take 4

2010-06-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

And that's a wrap, folks! Thank you for dealing with my obsession with the red building and red caboose!!

Mommy photo-shoot take 3

2010-06-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

I love the caboose!

Mommy photo-shoot take 2

2010-06-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

Getting a little more creative...

Mommy photo-shoot take 1

2010-06-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

We went to Cowboy Church at the old Historic Town. Mommy did a photo-shoot! 1st time Bug was on a horse, pony, and a "Papa Arlyn tractor ride!!"

I feel good....na-na-na-na-na-na-na

2010-06-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a cute little video clip Mr. Fixit did for some people who are interested in Lucky.
Thought it was cute enough to share!

I hope you feel good!

2010-05-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

Had a nice evening with our friends, The Peske's. Don't worry, she hasn't updated her blog since November 2009! But this is my encouragement to her to do so!!

Ben: Stick with me, Miles, I'll take you places!

One quick pose for the camera- workin' the cuteness factor...
Ben: "And I don't need a backseat driver!"
Then the two proceeded to drive their ATV right into a parked car! (In the garage).

2010-05-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile I like to go back and look at photos of Bug from 1 year ago. I can't believe how much has changed in 1 year! Take a look...

Bug in '09:
Bug in '10:
Oh, gosh...look at my baby 2 years ago!! Unbelievable. Time flies when you are having fun!!

Bug in '08

2010-05-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

We've been busy with our little puppies. They just had their vet check up and all are healthy! We finally saw the sun today, so the puppies are out enjoying it. Here are a few photos from the past couple of weeks. Enjoy! And I will be off to nap now!!

"Picture, mommy." -He wanted a picture right then and there!
"Picture back, mommy!"

This 'n' That

2010-04-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

I saw this little robin yesterday- she was building a little nest in one of our front yard trees. It was very interesting to watch!

The puppies are growing! We are having so much fun playing outside with them. Bug is definitely going to miss them in a few weeks when they go to their new homes!

Kady reminds me of a rabbit here...
Lucky...
Sully...and let us not forget, Bubba!
They bring so much joy to the neighborhood kids! We always have someone over playing with the puppies. It's starting to feel like we are a family of 9 (2 adults, 1 toddler, and 6 dogs)!

Oh, M. G.!!

2010-04-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

"M, Stay out of Macy's water dish. That is hers!"
"No, mommy. Mine water!"
"M, get down from the dirt pile. You are not allowed up there. That's the rules."
"Otay, mommy." (as he jumps around like a crazy man. I know it must have been confusing for him since I was trying to tell him he was doing something wrong- all the while taking a photo of it!) P.S. As he came walking by me he says "Cheeeeeese" with the cheesiest smile on his face! Wish I could have caught that photo!

"M, what are you doing with the yoga mat strap."
"Pittties, mommy. Miles' pittties."
"Your father is going to kill me."
"No, Mommy. Daddy work."How sweet it is to chase after this 2-year old all the day long!!

Easter

2010-04-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter at home with my family. I love Easter! If you ever receive a trivia question asking "Which holiday is Aleycia's favorite," now you will know that Easter is mine! It's not about an Easter bunny showing up with delicious Lindt Truffles (although, I enjoyed this very much in my basket this year!). It's about a promise keeper! It's about my God keeping His promise with his people. He died a horrible death because of my sin, not His. He said the He was going to conquer death- and that He did!! I can only imagine what it was like to be Mary Magdalene at the tomb...she was morning the death of her Lord and upset that someone had taken his dead body, and then Jesus tapped her on the shoulder-- Suprise, Mary! I'm back! And I conquered death! If you ever want to read an awesome story- I recommend reading the crucifixion story in any of the Gospels. It gives me goose bumps every time I read it.

Anyway- here's our little Easter Bug! We celebrated his 2nd Birthday with family on Easter!

PS Thanks Heidi for taking some of these great Photos! I appreciate you...and your camera!!

Bug loves Puppies

2010-04-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

All these naked photos, you are going to think I never put clothes on the kid! I promise to post some photos with clothing on soon!

Spring has Sprung!!

2010-04-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

We have puppies! 4 Little Frenchies were born on March 17th (St. Patties day). Introducing Sully, Lucky, Bubba, and Kady!And the proud mama, Macy!

Finger Painting Fun!

2010-03-23T13:07:00.001-07:00

Edible Finger Painting! This was one of our craft projects a couple of Wednesdays ago! It's just cool whip mixed with a couple drops of food coloring. We painted on freezer paper. It dries nicely and you can paint either on the shiny or flat side.

Exhibit A: The neat Painter
Exhibit B: The Painter who discovered that the paint was edible after about 2 seconds

Ahh...now that is what Bug calls a craft project!

Chip'n'dale Rockstar!

2010-03-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

Coming to a play-land near you!!

He is going to kill me when he's older, isn't he?

Choo-Choo!

2010-03-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

Bug sporting his Thomas the Train undies!! Potty training is coming along nicely. He's setting a nice pace. He's still in diapers, but every once in awhile we pull out the big boy panties! (oh, i mean briefs, underwear, or whatever man name you want to give them!)

Curls Rock!

2010-03-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

A little piece of heaven

2010-02-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

One of my coworkers turns 21 today. As a celebration, a bunch of us are all bringing 21 cupcakes for her. She's too skinny, so I decided to make Life by Chocolate for her. Delicious. Sinful. If you are Catholic, you will need to go to confession after this one! Thank you, PW for the fattening recipe!

6 more weeks of winter...I'm smiling!

2010-02-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

Well, looks like we will have 6 more weeks of winter. Hmmph...that puts us at March 16th. While the rest of North America is saddened, I am ecstatic! If winter was over in March...we people in the great north would be so excited. We have experienced snow up through May before. I guess we'll wait patiently for spring to come...

An overwhelming response...

2010-01-25T18:20:00.000-08:00

After an overwhelming response via phone calls (thank you for sparing me at 3:30am, April!) and emails, I need to make a clarification:

We are not moving...it was but a silly joke! The last post of "the new place" was a collection of cool photos I found on travel websites! I was just having imagination time- dreaming of living in tropical paradise...we will continue to live in the frigid north!!
Hard to believe, but the snow bank is as tall as the car (not pictured here)!

PS Huge disappointment with yesterday's game. Bug was even wearing his gear. Typical Vikings game."Bug, shirt over pants!"

The Place

2010-01-22T13:09:00.000-08:00

Check out my humble abode! The views are spectacular. Don't you want to come visit? Yes, my husband says I live in a dream world!!

Actually, this is more like it...

And the beat goes on...

2010-01-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

Well, there you have it...my girls shopping weekend! Hazardous travel. Responsibility. Bye-Bye shopping trip. Hello play dough.

Guess what, we're moving! I'll fill you in on the details soon! Pictures to come of the new place. We will have lots of room, so we'll be expecting lots of visitors!

Playoffs!

2010-01-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

And this was the the Cowboys attitude after losing to the Vikings...

He loves his new sweatshirt from his Papa! In fact, he wore it Saturday and Sunday! Go Vikes!

Take the Activia Challenge!

2010-01-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

14 days...Or your money back!!

and...

it...

works

!!!

P.S. He's not totally trained, in case you are wondering :) But, we are getting closer and closer. This morning he's wearing his big boy briefs--and, oh, does he love those! Was dry yesterday all morning, and asked to go potty during that time. Only went through 2 diapers yesterday (not counting the overnight)!

Vacation, Vacation!

2010-01-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in the Keys with family! We were in a "cold front" the first few days we were there. Meaning, 60 degree weather. I tried to get a few sympathy points from friends and family in the tundra, but had no such luck! Thankfully it warmed up for awhile for us! Glad we are missing the 30 degree nights down there now. Although, it's 0 degrees here!
My Top 10 List of Christmas in the Keys 2009:
10. No work...all play!!
9. Watching Bug with grandma, aunties, uncles, and cousins.8. Yummy Christmas cookies...all the time! (Now I have even more flubber to get rid of!)
7. My Christmas presents! And Mr. Fixit's Christmas presents! And Bug's Christmas presents!
6. Playing on the boat and canal with the fam.
5. Jet skiing on the ocean!!4. Christmas Caroling on the Conch Train in Key West.
3. Games...Games...Games! I especially loved Pit and Killer Bunnies!
2. Spectacular Lobster/Seafood Dinner on Christmas Eve.
1. Being away from the frigid north pole for almost 2 weeks! What a bonus having in-laws in the Florida Keys!!

Doing Well!

2009-12-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

After 1 1/2 hours in surgery, he was finally out! We were getting very concerned because we were told that he would be about 30 minutes. Well, once they decided to take out the adenoids, they had to start an IV and intubate him. They had much trouble getting an IV in. It took at least 15 pokes, and they finally got one in his foot. He's got 10 little poke marks on his hands alone! Thank goodness he was asleep and I wasn't there! Then during the case the endotracheal tube became obstructed. Apparently they noticed this because his heart rate dropped significantly and oxygenation began to drop also. So, they had to place a new tube.

And the findings:

1. He still had "Glue Ear" pretty severely.
2. The first set of tubes were in REAL good and took a lot of work to get out.
3. The new set of tubes are in REAL good and supposedly are not going anywhere.
4. After all the work on IVs and intubation, they got his adenoids out without any troubles.
5. God gave me strength not to go APE on the nurse anesthetist and anesthesiologist after I saw all the little holes in my baby's hands, wrists, arms, and feet.
6. I was very appreciative that things are getting taken care of.
7. I think that our son is trying to end up in a medical journal. I told him that he might as well give up on that melarky, because it's not going to happen.
8. We're still going south! We leave tonight or tomorrow for the big city and fly out Thursday!

In Surgery

2009-12-14T06:34:00.000-08:00

Bug is in surgery as we speak. They decided to take out adenoids. They just finished his tubes and now are taking out the adenoids. He's been in the OR for an hour now...feels like forever. Hopefully we'll have him in our arms soon! Thanks for your prayers. Got some cute photos in his hospital jammies...will post later.

Updates

2009-12-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

We went to see our ENT doctor yesterday. Bug's ears are still having bloody drainage and look infected. Since we have tried topical and oral antibiotics and it hasn't seemed to fix these issues, we are going back to surgery...Monday...7:15am.

The doctor thinks that he is reacting to the material that the tubes are made of. So she plans on putting new ones made of different material in. Also, there is a high probability that he will have his adenoids taken out as well. If she decides during surgery that the adenoids need to come out, they will intubate him and put an IV in. He will then be under anesthesia for about 30 minutes.

We are doing okay. Of course, a little anxious because we're going back to surgery. We know that God is in control though and have comfort in that! We would love your prayers if you think of it. In addition to praying for Bug, please pray for his doctor, nurse, anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, and surgical tech who will be in the operating room. I know that this surgery is fairly common and routine, but as parents, we are still a tad nervous. I hope our little Bug gets things fixed this time around!

December Snow!!

2009-12-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

December has come...and so has the snow!! We went outside for a whopping 5 minutes. Baby it's cold outside!!! During those 5 minutes, we had a rip-roaring-snot-blowing-good-ole-time.

Glue Ears?

2009-11-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

Here's an update on the Bug's ears...

*3 1/2 weeks ago he had tubes placed.

*2 1/2 weeks ago was his post-op check up. Failed his tympanogram. Both tubes were blocked. Right ear infection. Treated with drops for 7 days. Had lots of GROSS ear drainage that first looked like rubber cement and then morphed into a sero-sanguinous drainage.

*Today we had another checkup. Failed his tympanogram. Tubes no longer blocked though. Left ear infection. Drops for another 3 days. Oral antibiotic for 10 days. What's next? Another check up in 2 weeks. If things aren't cleared up, then we'll do an X-ray of his adenoids to see if the tissue is enlarged. If so, we'll go ahead with another surgery to remove those. If possible, they like to wait with adenoids until he's older because he has to be intubated in surgery and the risk of damage is greater since he is small. I went into the appointment feeling discouraged that these tubes weren't working. After some reassurance, I'm now a little more hopeful that things are going to clear up without the surgery. The NP said that he had "Glue Ears," which means that the fluid in his ears was glue-like consistency. Kids who have that bad of fluid on their ears often have a couple of ear infections while the fluid is being cleared out. The reason antibiotics never worked for him before the tubes was that the fluid was so thick that the antibiotics could not penetrate past the surface...hence they were never clear...hence Glue Ears...hence our current situation.

I felt bad for him...so...I bought him a stuffed Elmo...
and he is obsessed with it. He can't stop hugging and kissing him. I wanted to take a picture, but my dang batteries are dead. Stupid Batteries. They are charging. I hope he still loves Elmo after his nap!

Check out this cute blog!

2009-11-17T08:14:00.001-08:00

This lady is cute and crafty. Check out her blog @ V and Co.
She reminds me of Martha Stewart, but cooler!

Frozen Tundra?

2009-11-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day in the Frozen Tundra (as some of my friends like to call it). I say, "That's the nice way of putting it." I love being a mom...have you ever heard me say that? We had a play-date with a couple of our MOPS friends at a local play-land. Bug really enjoys playing on the cars and going down the slide. Mr. Fixit had the day off. His morning started with a little bit of bird hunting. We went on a family hike this afternoon in a beautiful park. I love Fall with all of the colorful leaves- it is my second favorite season, next to summer. But, what I love almost equally is when I get a chance to sneak in a few last days of fall before Jack Frost makes his way here. Today was one of those days...we hardly ever have 60 degree days in November! Stay away, Jack, we don't want you yet!!
Mr. Fixit took this photo of Bug and I on our hike.
I did say that I love being a mom, right? Each day we are learning new things- Bug's vocabulary is growing. He's able to communicate with us more and more. It's so nice that he can tell us what he wants sometimes! What a blessing he is to us.

Work all day...

2009-11-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

There is no rest for toddlers! Here's his early used Christmas present. I've been fretting the cold subzero temperatures that are to come and was trying to brainstorm activities we could do this winter to keep from getting cabin fever. I'm a huge fan of the local activities (i.e. library, indoor park thinggy, etc., etc.), but I don't think that I'll be a fan taking him out too much when we are at peak sick season. Our little play set will hopefully come in handy. Then it's playdough, books, youtube (yes, we are a fan of sesame street on youtube), and whatever other fun exciting crafts and projects mommy can think of. I liked the idea of a kitchen set for him to play with...but...achem...apparently that is not acceptable! ha-ha! No hard feelings Dad...I mean, anonymous person who thinks a kitchen set is a bad idea!

But for now...we are enjoying each day of beautiful fall weather that we can. I think tomorrow mommy will bring out the lawn chair and watch Bug play outside all day while she catches up on her reading!

Bug and Little Mister. Check out those curls he's getting!

Playing in the window-well.

What a cutie!

Tradition...Tradition!

2009-11-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we can now call it Tradition. Each Halloween, we get Bug dressed up and bring him over to family and friends' houses. Each time we get to Will and Rita's, he is fast asleep!
Last Year...

and this year!

We did have a good time over at the Peskes. Bug decided to wake up and play with his buddy Ben.

Baby got some NEW ears!

2009-10-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the BIG surgery day! Bug got tubes put in. We went to the hospital at 6:00am. Had surgery at 7:30am and were leaving the hospital by 9:30am. He was a little fussy for the first part of the morning, but by 11:00, he was back to himself! Amazing how quick it went. Hopefully we are IN with tubes and OUT with ear infections!!

H1N1 is pretty bad in our town. The hospitals have restricted visitors. School attendance is down like 30%. It's all anyone talks about!

Do you find that H1N1 is all you talk about? Well, here is a happy baby you can look at and talk about to get your mind off all the bad things happening in the world!! My healthy, ear infection free, growing boy, who loves puppies, balls, and dadda!

Beautiful Fall Day

2009-10-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Weekend

2009-10-19T11:14:00.001-07:00

We had a great weekend with my family. Mom, Dad, and Kayla made it up. Bug was busy playing with everyone. He's starting to say "Nana" and "Papa." I think I have to let him say Papa instead of Boppa because when he wants to play with a ball he says "Ball-Ball". Well, those two just sound a little too much alike...but we'll see what happens! This morning he was asking for "Papa" and went to his little photo album and pointed to Papa. So cute!
Our Cozette is back. She made a quick trip to Petsmart for grooming. It's so sad looking at my beautiful Cavalier with no hair on her ears! Hopefully her hair will grow quickly. I think Macy is driving her crazy. But, the Bug has taken quite an interest in tackling Macy- so surely Cozette enjoys that show!
The men worked on plumbing this weekend! Here are their prized cast iron cut-outs! Mr. Fixit has his 3 inch pipe, and Dad has his 4 inch pipe. Us girls made them take a picture of their pipes before the weekend was over!
And there you have it...the Bug...the men...and their pipes! Ferocious! Mr. Fixit did want to point out that he made a cut on that big pipe too...and that the picture is a little bit misleading! I'm so happy that our new bathroom is almost plumbed! Can't wait to get the bathroom furniture in there! (Is that what you call the shower, vanity, and toilet?)

Fall Comfort Foods

2009-10-15T21:01:00.001-07:00

What types of recipes do you love once the weather starts getting colder?? We grill all summer...and once fall comes, it seems that all of our recipes are soups and casseroles. Can't forget the cookies. Bug helped make cookies for his "Nana" and "Papa" who are coming this weekend! Mr. Fixit and "Papa" are going to be plumbing the basement.

pumpkin patch!

2009-09-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today. Beautiful day, but windy! Good thing the patch has lots of trees to block the wind. Bug enjoyed the outing. He's been indoors the past two days sick. Still have lots of snuffles, but hopefully it's getting better :)

Into it all!

2009-09-29T12:27:00.001-07:00

Did you say something??? Hold on, I can't hear you. Let me clean out my ears...

Oh, you think I'm into EVERYTHING??
Hey, give me a break...I'm 17 months old!!

2009-09-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

The year of the yard...

2009-09-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

As we speak, the yard is being watered. If we spoke earlier today, it was while the yard was being watered. If we speak this afternoon or evening, please note that it will be while the yard is being watered. Why this craziness? We overseeded on Sunday with hopes to get really nice grass. You know, the kind you want to roll around in? So, this is my yard before, and here it is at present...

I know, it looks like we need to bail it!

Bug is cuter than ever...so is his buddy Ben! They had a great time at the carnival playing on the blow up slide with the big kids! Bug wanted to get into the dunk tank too. Oh, and look who's walking in my shoes!

Wednesday and Wired

2009-08-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Well, Bug had a horrible last couple of nights. He was up for the majority of both nights. 1st Night was with dad, and last night was with me. Good thing I was on a night schedule (worked the last 3 nights). He woke up at 1:00 and I put him back to bed at 1:30. Then he was up from 4:00 on. We went to MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) registration today. That should be fun :)

Mr. Fixit is working like mad to get the basement done. Saturday he and a buddy rented a cement saw and jackhammer and cut the drains for the bathroom. Of course, there had to be a little problem that they ran into...there was a sewer line/pipe that popped out of nowhere while they were cutting, and the jackhammer went right into the lid of the pipe. So, they were taking on a bit of gas! Eww...

The landscaping is complete! E and I (hee-hee sounds funny) finished laying the mulch on Saturday. Everything looks great. Photos to come. And we are enjoying green peppers and tomatoes from the garden. BLTs today for lunch!

And now...I'm off to nap...Bug is pretty much comatose...I think I'll join.

Water Boy!

2009-08-21T11:36:00.001-07:00

We've been spending lots of time in the water! Bug is loving it. He loves being sprayed with the garden hose (very therapeutic for mommy!). We made it to the little wade pool. And Grandma gave him coffee. Between Grandma Kelly giving him Diet Mt. Dew and Grandma Bug giving him coffee, rest assured that he's getting his caffeine intake! Also had fun picking raspberries at P & A's. By the way, just ran a spell check on raspberries---why is there a "p" in the word? Does anyone pronounce it that way? Maybe the Aussies do! Got lots done on the home-front the past couple of weeks. More boards are going up downstairs, kitchen was painted (color: banana pudding), towel bar fixed in the bathroom, screens fixed on the doors, and I can't remember what else. Oh, and we bought a van!! It's a 2007 Honda Odyssey...very nice!

Grandma Fixit is working us!

2009-08-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying Mr. Fixit's mom here. I'll call her Grandma Fixit...she's been encouraging Mr. Fixit with all of his projects. She's been here for 2 days, and so far we've painted the kitchen, dug out some sprinklers, framed more basement, researched toilets, showers, and sinks for the new bathroom, cleaned up the utility room, and fixed the washer! I'm thinking that with her being here for 10 days, I'm going to have a second story built onto my house by the time she goes home!

Bug, Garden, and Flowers

2009-08-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

If anyone speaks Milanese, could you contact me? He's so unhappy this morning. I think it's teeth, but could be anything- tummy, ears, not enough sleep, bad dream, hungry, etc etc etc? Wish the little Bug could just tell me or show me. I decided on a nap as nothing made him happy. Not even reading a book or playing with a ball!

Very excited that Grandma Bug is coming to visit! She flies in on Friday! Bug is looking forward to time with her. I'm looking forward to learning a few things from her- she's a bread maker, so I plan on having her teach me the ins and outs of bread making.
I'm so thankful for many reasons, but here's one: Bug learned to fold his hands. If I say "Should we pray?" He folds his hands. We have a large prayer list so we pray so many times together during the day for our friends and family. (They may be short and to the point...but I don't think that God minds). His favorite books are the faith, bible, and prayer books from Great Aunt Sue!
I hope that he grows up knowing and having a heart for the Lord.

The garden is coming along nicely. I hope that the tomatoes turn red. They are pretty green right now. Also, Ellen is almost finished with the beds in the back!! She planted last weekend. We have an assortment of perennials and bushes including potentilla, russian sage, coneflowers (one of my favorites!), stonecrop, balloon flower, day lily, and black-eyed susan.

I've been Busy!

2009-08-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

I know you thought it would never happen, but I finished a video of Bug. Click on "Miles 1 year old" on the youtube bar at the bottom of my page. 'Nuff said! Good-night....

Week events

2009-07-27T08:30:00.001-07:00

We made a short visit to Grandma Kelly & Grandpa Mark's house. Bug enjoyed seeing the puppies and petting the horses. I don't think he was as scared this time. We had a play date on Thursday with Ian and Kaiden. Then on Friday he went to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa's house. He got to play on the new tractor and go for a lawn mower ride too!

My favorite things about being a mommy!

2009-07-16T06:19:00.001-07:00

As much as I don't care to work weekends, I love being home with my bug during the week! Today he's especially cute, I don't know why, he just is. I love him more and more each day. What a blessing he is to me! We've read plenty of books this morning already. Played, bathed, and snuggled.

Some of my favorite things about being a mommy are:
-unsolicited snuggles and kisses
-watching Bug grow and learn
-reading him books
-playing
-nap time
-introducing new foods!
-seeing his personality come out
-being the person he looks to when he's happy, sad, or hurt.

What a big boy eating on the counter top!

Lovin' the Buckwheat pancakes!

2009-07-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

My daddy made me pancakes for breakfast this morning! They were very yummy! Ingredients: Buckwheat, baking powder, honey granules, egg, milk!

Buckwheat! What a Little Rascal!

A couple of Cuties...

2009-07-13T20:55:00.001-07:00

Another day in the life...

2009-07-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

The morning started off just fine...Mr. Fixit and Bug picked me up from my 12 hour night shift. I was able to see their bright shining faces...

Awww...bright shining faces! Lately we've been down to one car. So, the boys usually drop me off at work and pick me up in the morning. Then I drop my dear husband off at work. Then Bug off at the babysitters. Then I go home and sleep the day away. It sounds a little inconvenient, but that's our reality right now. My friend says the Lord is teaching me patience. I say, the Lord wants me in a mental health institution. Anyways...this is all beside the point. On my way to the house this morning, I encountered a bit of inclement weather. It was raining. No big deal is what you are thinking? Well, here is what I've been dealing with since June...
...and this is what I was dealing with today...
I can honestly say I've never fish-tailed in the mud before today. I was nearly stuck in the mud at 8am. So, you can imagine what things looked like after another inch of rain?

Needless to say, Mr. Fixit and I (the mighty team we are) managed to get the car out of the driveway and onto pavement that is 2 blocks away. It wasn't without difficulty! I can guarantee we were the neighborhood's evening entertainment. I'm sure they loved the car swerving, mud flying hilarity! But in the end, the Maxima made it out alive!

Notice I said "lately we've been down to one car?" Well, as of tonight, I'm convinced that the Lord does NOT want me to be committed to the mental health institution...because (drum roll, please) vehicle #2 is in working order! You heard it...vehicle #2 works! Hallelujah! Mr. Fixit has done it again! And the crowd goes wild...

Boot Camp

2009-07-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

I'm in boot camp.

You heard it right, I'm in boot camp. Aunt Kris is doing a 6 week boot camp challenge toward a healthier lifestyle. So, I joined. My first task over the next week is to make a list of why I joined this scary and unpredictable challenge. Secondly, no sugar for 1 WHOLE day! And thirdly, 3 aerobic workouts this week! I think I can....I think I can...I think I can...I think I know I can....I think I know I can...I...I...I....

Well, my family is taking mini-steps toward a healthier lifestyle. We've begun milling our own wheat and making our bread. We are in beginning stages. Yesterday I made 1 loaf, 2 mini loaves, and a dozen dinner rolls from one batch of "Slightly Sweet but very easy Whole Wheat Bread."

Here's my wheat. We have hard red, hard white, and kamut in this recipe.

The milling process...which I think might count towards 20 minutes of aerobic activity, thank you very much!
And the ingredients.
Does honey count as sugar? I'm going with no, but somebody let me know if I'm wrong.

Top 10 from Boundary Waters Trip

2009-07-08T09:29:00.001-07:00

I love hanging out with high school kids! Especially in the middle of nowhere. Especially in a pristine wilderness. Especially without cell phones. Especially without texting.

We put our canoes in at Isabella Lake. From there we started our 5 day journey down the Kawishiwi River and traveled through Quadga Lake, Bald Eagle Lake, and Gabbro Lake. We survived portages (our longest portage being about 1/2 mile), rapids, mosquitoes, and sand flies. From what I understand, sand flies are similar to "No see 'ums." They itch terribly- worse than mosquito bites.

Well, here you have it folks...

Aleycia's Top 10...achem...11...achem...12...List from BW

12. Nearly falling asleep in the girls' tent and hearing "TIMBER!!!" by the boys who were out chopping down a tree for firewood (after midnight sometime).

11. Mocha-Joes...a staple on the Boundary Waters.

10. Our "scenic" route that brought us to northern MN at midnight. Gotta love setting up tents in the dark!

9. Latrines. Definition: a toilet or something used as a toilet, as a trench in the earth in a camp, or bivouac area. Our latrines happened to have no walls...the only coverage we had were the trees and brush. The fancy ones were up on a 3-4 step stone "pedestal." Nothing like a princess having her pedestal!

8. The rapids! It was great seeing the kids get down the rapids. If a canoe would get stuck, a whole handful of kids would pitch in an help out, making sure everyone made it through.

7. Swamping the canoes after going through the rapids.

6. Cliffs. I overcame my fear and jumped off a cliff. The one I jumped was probably 15 feet only. A few days into our trip, others jumped off 20-30 foot cliffs.

5. First night in our hotel...having a shower after 5 days!

4. First night in our tent. Our sleep was rudely interrupted by a crazy dream that one of the kids was having! Let's just say I thought we were being attacked by a bear!

3. Daily Devotional and Quiet time with the Lord. There was nothing that compared to having quiet time with God in the quiet. No noise. No interruptions. I feel like my fire was re-lit!

2. "Canoe-knees" Can we say Red-Hot knees on almost everyone after the first day?

1. Getting to know the Charity high school youth better. What an awesome bunch of kids!

It's been awhile...

2009-07-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it has been awhile since my last entry. So, I have plenty to blog about! We've been around the midwest- hit the north for a canoeing trip with the high school church youth group, then picked the bug up at grandma and grandpa's house, and ended our vacation out west for a good friend's wedding.

I don't have much time to write, so I'll leave you with a few photo highlights.

What a mess...

2009-06-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

I love nap time! I know, I sound like a broken record.

Anyway, the home-front is completely torn up. We're getting new roads in the development, and they are redoing the waterlines (or something like that). It wouldn't be so bad, except last night we got a nice rain shower. Which meant very muddy roads this morning. Bug and I took Mr. Fixit to work, and I nearly got stuck on the way out of the driveway. The roads feel like quicksand! On our way back, we decided to park in a church parking lot about 2 blocks from our house and walk home...in the rain...in our jammies...Bug weighing more than usual with a heavy diaper...me with fuzzy hair and no makeup...neighbors all on their way to work...lovely!

*I just went to the door to take a photo of the mess, and the poor neighbor boy got stuck on his bike right outside of my house. He's cursing his bike and the ground below him. I just don't have the heart to take a photo of this!*

We're gearing up for vacation (sort of). Mr. Fixit and I are chaparoning a high school adventure trip. Bug gets to spend some good quality time with family! Then we'll be headed out west for my dear friend Robin's wedding. Just making the annual tour of the midwest, I guess!

Bike Trailer

2009-06-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's official, we've busted the bike trailer out of the box! Saturday went on a nice ride down by the river, and back home. Bug was loving the ride! He was awake the whole ride, and not a word from him. He was connected to my bike- since I'm home with him mostly, it will be nice for us to go on bike rides during the day! We had a great weekend with friends. Took a couple of walks that conveniently ended at Dairy Queen...yippee!

Napping is always good after an afternoon of lots of play. I think this photo looks similar to the pictures in the pregnancy books. Isn't it usually titled, "Your growing fetus"?

I'm looking for a title for this one!
Can't believe my little bug is 14 months old! He's starting to speak his own language. I have no idea what he's saying, but he seems to know exactly what he means! He did copy me the other day when I said "Choo-Choo". Oh, the things a mother gets excited about!

The front landscaping is coming right along also. E pulled up the rest of the flower bed and planted the other day. My plant vocabulary is quickly growing daily! She's planted globe flowers, tickseed, yarrow, anemone (I thought this was only in the ocean), and bell flowers! Just need a few finishing touches before we start the next project! Beds along the fence! Here's a taste of the front...

Annual Weekend

2009-06-11T01:31:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend with friends on our "annual" mini vacation. We enjoyed the zoo, aquarium, and little amusement park. Bug loved the zoo. He had his pointers out! Got to see zebras, lions, giraffes, fish, etc. He enjoyed the aquarium- sharks, sting rays, puffer fish, etc. He didn't enjoy the carousel ride so much...screamed and cried through the whole thing. I think that the worker cut the ride a little short because he was crying. Those poor kids who didn't get their money's worth!

I was able to do some retail therapy on the trip! The dogs were happy to see us when we got home. I think they had a nice time with our godson while we were out of town though!

Smile, Miles!
Liked this zebra

Fabulous ride...
I said smile, kid!
I give up...I know, you'll smile when you want to!

More Buggin' Blogs to Come!

2009-06-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

We had a great mini-vacation with our friends! I have to sort through the photos. More to come.
Here's Bug...not happy until he has his daily toast with butter!!Am I the only person who forgets about the potato sack? Mr. Fixit found this in the back of the cupboard...he was not impressed...

...then he tried to waive it in front of my face...I was not impressed.

Planting

2009-06-03T19:50:00.001-07:00

The flower beds are coming along nicely (in my opinion, that is)! Still have to tie up loose ends on this one.

Here are the pots out front!

Zoo

2009-06-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo Friday. As you can see, Bug wasn't too excited to get into his stroller at first. But then he spent the next 1 1/2 hours pointing at all the animals! He loves to point at everything (and when he knows he's in trouble, he points at me and shakes his head). So, it was a "double pointer" day. Pointing on both sides at all the different animals. I think we will have to add the zoo to our frequented places. (Target, zoo, DQ, etc). He did strike a couple senior picture poses for me too! We visited the Tiger. When we walked over there, the Tiger was acting all sleepy and uninterested in us. Then I let Bug out and started walking away from him...and the tiger ran over and started pacing in front of him. Sounds almost like a "mommy of the year" award...don't worry, there was a glass wall and fence in between them!

After working the night shift all weekend, I missed him so much. Wish he would have just cuddled with me for awhile...but he's too busy for that mushy stuff!! And such a Daddy's boy...so when Dad is around, Mom is invisible!

The vegetables are still alive. And, my sweet corn is up! Woo-hoo!!

Summer Lovin'

2009-05-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Summer lovin' had me a blast...We built a raised vegetable bed! Hooray! I bought some good stuff to mix with the dirt so I can hopefully grow some yummy vegetables this year. The Bug loved helping. Actually, I think he'd love a little sandbox someday. It was so easy to build the bed! Although, Mr. Fixit is quite handy with his power tools...I think he'd make a good carpenter! Check out www.thepioneerwoman.com for tips on how to build a raised bed.

And what could beat having Bath time after a long day outside?

hmm...sleep time!

It's Back!

2009-05-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

I am so thrilled that spring has sprung! My perennials are coming back from last year. This may not sound blog worthy, but it is to me! Many plants have gone before me- prematurely, long before they were due to expire. I've spent 3 years trying to get plants to grow in front of the house, but the house faces north. To make matters worse, the roof extends over the rock garden. Our good friends gave it a shot last year and planted some salvia and a few bushes. They all seem to be doing well! Look, they live on...another year! I was about to pull out the landscaping and make a front porch if the plants didn't survive. Oh, by the way, the middle plant was my indoor plant that I just had to experiment with!

Our landscaper, E, has been hard at work pulling up another flower bed. She said it went faster than she thought, so we may get more work done this summer than we originally planned! I know Mr. Fixit has a growing list for this weekend, but I'm going to see if he might love me enough to help me build my raised bed for the vegetable garden. Should be pretty simple to do.

We enjoyed company with our friends tonight. The boys went to the park, and the girls made supper.

Memorial Day 2009

2009-05-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

I was reading a little bit about Memorial Day and happened upon these photos from www.usmemorialday.org. Photos were taken by Daniel J. Wood. In the pain and dreariness of these photos, there is much beauty. I'll never forget somberness I felt when visiting Arlington Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Vietnam Memorial, etc. I am so thankful and have a deep respect to the Americans who have gone before us to fight for and preserve our freedom. Thank you for your sacrifices. It reminded me of a beautiful song by Casting Crowns, and I have listed the lyrics below.

Praise You in This Storm
words by Mark Hall
music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms

I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining.
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you."
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm.
And I will lift my hands.
For You are who You are,
no matter where I am.
And every tear I've cried,
You hold in your hand.
You never left my side.
And though my heart is torn,
I will praise You in this storm.

I remember when I stumbled in the wind.
You heard my cry to You,
and raised me up again.
My strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You?
And as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you."
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

Delicious!

2009-05-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

I think I may have just had the best cup of coffee ever! And the best part? I didn't even go to Starbucks...I made it in the comfort of my own home. I made some nice strong organic caribou coffee (no, I don't HAVE to have organic coffee), then I added White Chocolate Coconut creamer. It is divine! Can you smell it? I might just drink coffee all day today and neglect the caffeine tremors and calories.

Want to know what else is delicious? Bug napping! I love it! Now, I just need a good book to read while I enjoy my 3rd cup of coffee. I must confess, I've read the Twilight series, and I don't think I'll ever enjoy a book as much as I enjoyed those. Weird, huh? I think my husband is a little worried about me. I never thought that I would so much enjoy a high-school-girl, vampire-love, werewolf-protecting book so much. Well, in my defense, I was not really into the werewolf story line. Any good books out there that you've read lately?

MOD walk

2009-05-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday we walked in the March of Dimes March for Babies walk. It was a beautiful morning, just a little chilly to start off with. My sister and friend joined us!

The mission for March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. It's a wonderful cause. We were very proud to have our Bug with us this year for the walk. We are so very grateful to the wonderful care he received by his Angels at the Birth Center/NICU last year when he was born 6 weeks premature. MOD has done so much for babies born prematurely- development of NICUs, PKU screenings, and surfactant therapy are just a few to mention. Here was the Birthcenter One/NICU team this year.

We're Still Alive! (Barely)

2009-05-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've blogged. Mr. Fixit's eye surgery went great. He's 20/20 now. He was pretty out of it for the whole day after his surgery. My sister just spent the better part of last week with us. We had a great time. Lot's of butter (yes, we did make 12 hour monkey bread), laughing, shopping, and fun. I'm hoping that she lands an internship in our town so she can come stay with us again for a longer period of time! And the Bug...oh, the Bug. He's had a rough couple of days. Teething seems to have got the better of him. He's been drooling like a maniac. Today was full of many interesting events. He was supposed to be in a photoshot at church this morning. Wouldn't you know, on the way to church, he coughed a little too hard and puked all over his cute little jacket. So, no big deal. THEN, he went to the nursery, and I'm not quite sure what happened, but when Mr. Fixit went to pick him up, he was wearing ONLY his sweater vest! No onesie. No pants. Just his little argyle sweater vest and a nappy. I thought maybe he had a blowout, but he was in the same nappy...so I'm thinking either he puked again, or there was more than I thought after the first round. Anyway, thanks to his buddy Ben, he landed himself a pair of shorts. I'm saddened to say, my camera was not with me during this time. Mr. Fixit's words are ringing in my ears "You are the mother of a 1 year old...you need to have your camera with you at all times." We worked on outside in the yard on this beautiful Sunday. The bug and I started out by watering the plants. He made a tumble on the sidewalk and ended up with this nice shiner. Ouch!
Then, while I was mowing the backyard, the following events took place. (Yes, the Bug's father was in charge!!)

Think about this, long and hard...

Dont' do it. It's not worth it...

It's Friday!!

2009-05-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Ooooh, I'm so excited it's Friday. You would think that I didn't have much to be excited about- I'm working 12 hour nights all weekend. BUT, it is Friday. The bug is at the babysitter's. My house is getting cleaned. I'm gearing up for a yard sale, so all my junk is getting moved outside!

Mr. Fixit is having Lasik eye surgery on Monday. We are going to stay with my dear friend Rachelle! I'm so happy for both of these activities. I'm glad Mr. Fixit will not have to worry about contacts and glasses and dry eyes and...whatever else goes along with having not perfect vision. And it's the perfect reason to visit with my best friend, see her little guy, and see how big her tummy is getting (she's having a baby in August!).

Are you longing for a summer treat, but don't want to take in a lot of calories? I just discovered a yummy snack. Tastes kind of like a Skinny Cow. Just take a graham cracker and break it in half (so you have 2 squares together). Put a little fat free cool whip (or light, whichever you choose) in the middle to make a sandwich. Freeze. Eat. Enjoy all 85 calories of it!!

Before you know it, your legs could look like this...

2009-05-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

I love nap time. Mine still takes 2 naps a day (most days). I'm currently reading a book about sleep called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, MD. It's quite interesting. A friend of mine used to work with a pediatrician who recommended it for her patients. I like the book because it affirms that what I am doing is okay- putting the bug to bed while he's awake, giving him two naps a day, and teaching him to fall asleep on his own. Meanwhile I'm learning some good tips as well.

Anyways, about loving nap time. I think I'll let my bug take his 2 naps as long as he wants. I'm required by law to have two 15 minute breaks and one 30 minute break during my work day, right? I'll use this time to play!!

I messed up...

2009-05-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried to make the page look a little bit cooler...and look where that got me. The whole blog is messy right now, I apologize. Hoping to have this little mess fixed soon. Stay tuned.

Friday's Hilarity

2009-05-06T17:43:00.001-07:00

So, here's the end to our Friday last week:

Remember how the bug and I were having such a great time? We were doing some major shopping damage- Menard's, Kohl's, Hobby Lobby, etc etc. Meanwhile, car #2 continued to make these embarrassing noises. I called Mr. Fixit and asked him if we should make a stop at the car dealership and test drive some new vehicles. He declined.
Well, it was 5:00, so we picked him up from work. We were at one of the busiest intersections in town (Friday....5:00pm) and wouldn't you know car #2 broke down!! I mean broke down. Like shut-off-I-don't-even-want-try-to-start-up-again kind of broke down. So here we are. A family. 5:00pm Friday. Stalled. Busy intersection. Left turn lane. 20 cars behind us. Mr. Fixit talking to AAA on the cell. Tow truck will take 40 minutes. Can't put the baby in the tow truck. Calling a friend for a ride. Signaling the 20 cars behind us to go around. Bug sleeping. And I didn't have my camera!
I got the giggles and couldn't stop while the bug and I waited on the sidewalk for our friend, and Mr. Fixit sat in the car, in the left turn lane, at 5:00, on Friday. (Am I being redundant?) I did snap a shot on the cell phone, but I'm not smart enough to upload it to the computer.
You will have to use your imagination.

We made it home. No working vehicles. Ordered Pizza. Mr. Fixit went to work on car #1 until about 11:00pm. Thank goodness he fixed car #1 over the weekend!

Bug spent the weekend working hard on teeth.

Bathroom updates

2009-05-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm dying to show you my newly decorated (or should I say, finally decorated) bathroom. It's not totally finished yet. I still need to find my window treatments. What do you think?
Before......and after...

Weekend update

2009-05-03T07:51:00.001-07:00

We have been busy at work this weekend! Mr. Fixit is doing quite well with his list. He finished cleaning up the yard and got car #1 in working order. I'll have the juicy details on car #2 later this week...you don't want to miss this! A big thanks to our friends who helped us out with the yard, the car, painting, and watching the bug!

The landscaper came to look at our yard on Saturday. I'm very excited to get started on that project this summer. She's got some great ideas to transform our yard...I can't wait! Flower beds and vegetable gardens and vines...oh my!

Hopefully the bathroom will be done this week and I'll post before and after photos :)

I think that I might just become a home-body this summer with all of these projects.

Have a great Sunday!

Stickin' Cute

2009-05-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

Oh, the bug was so cute today. We were up at 6:30 a.m. getting ready for the day. That part wasn't so cute. But, daddy had some appointments that we had to take him to and pick him up. So, the bug and I saw it as an opportunity to go shopping. I'm redoing the bathroom, so we went to Menards to pick out paint chips. Well, did you know that there is like the coolest play yard at Menards? I didn't know this until we went to check out the garden section. We came upon this huge playset. Mind you, the bug has never been in a real swing. In fact, come to think of it, he's never even been in an infant swing- I failed to set it up. I have failed as a mother! Anyway, well, there may be some saving grace to my title...all of the anticipation built up to this moment: The bug's first swing ride. It was the cutest moment. I strapped him in. 1...2...3... Swing! Oh, he just giggled and giggled and giggled. The look of pure joy on his face was priceless. We must have swang (swung, swinged??? they all sound pretty funny) for 5 minutes, which is a long time for my little guy! It was such a fun moment.

Maybe we all just need to go swing on the play set at Menards and forget about all of life's troubles for 5 minutes.

Well, I did fail as a mother. I didn't have my camera! (That's why there's a random tub photo up). Jim said "You are the mother of a 1 year old. You need to have a camera with you at all times!" Oh, by the way, I think he will be "Mr. Fixit" from now on. He's got quite the line up for the weekend: Yard, vehicle #1 (won't start), vehicle #2 (making embarrassing noises), towel bar in the bathroom, and, and, and...

Cloth Diapers

2009-04-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

We contemplated using cloth diapers for a long time while I was pregnant. It was unknown territory for us. We were quite nervous to start for a few reasons:
1. Neither of us had any experience with cloth diapers.

2. It would be a lot of "up front" costs...and what if we changed our minds about doing it?
3. Our washer and dryer was old, and I usually had to turn the dryer back 3 times before the clothes were dry.
4. My mom told me not to. I think she had tried with me, and it was a disaster.
5. Would it be a huge inconvenience in comparison to disposables?

(By the way, we are talking here about diapering my son...not Jim!)

After a bunch of research, Jim and I decided to take the plunge! I had a few requirements. I wanted a new washer and dryer, I didn't want to have to dunk Miles' diapers in the toilet with my hands, and I didn't want to have a stinky diaper pail.

So, we bought a new front loading washer and dryer. I love these!! I can go a week without doing laundry, and then do all of our laundry in like 3 loads!

We bought a "mini shower" (pictured below). This put an end to the "swishing a soiled diaper in the toilet" days. It works great. We just hooked it to the toilet, and wah-la!

As far as not wanting a stinky diaper pail, I think we found a pretty great one. It's basically an industrial strength, biohazard bucket...air tight and child resistant. It was super cheap, less than $6.00 + shipping.

I consider myself to be a "fair weathered" cloth diapering mom. If it was going to be too much of a hassle, too gross, too inconvenient, I was not going to do it. You might have noticed one of my favorite websites is www.jilliansdrawers.com. We happened upon this store and found it to be very helpful. They offer a 21 day cloth diaper trial for $10. An assortment of diapers were sent to my doorstep. I was able to sample 7 different diapers. We found that the pocket diapers suited our needs best. I was amazed how well the diapers cleaned up. They have held up quite well to this day (12 months later). I would say there are very light stains now on his diapers, but we didn't have stains until he started eating solids. And they are so light.

Another great article to read if you are interested in cloth diapering your baby is: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/09/09jun15f.cfm. (updated June 15, 2009).

I wash them with an auto soak, super hot normal cycle, and extra rinse. It takes a little over an hour when I wash. We wouldn't need the extra rinse, but Miles has sensitive skin and some eczema, so I find the extra rinse to help him. Also, about once a month (or so) I do a white vinegar wash to clear any odors.

We don't have any more problems than the usual with diaper rash. If he's teething or has had a bunch of citrus fruits, we'll see a little rash start. We use Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment on his bum as needed. I really like Vitamin D Ointment, but the company cautions against using products with petroleum in them, as they can inhibit with absorption.

In the beginning, we had quite a few leaks, but I learned that I needed to change him about every 3 hours to avoid this. We don't have many leaks or blowouts anymore.

One thing I've always meant to do was use cloth wipes. It just seemed to make sense. When I change his diaper, I put the diaper in the pail, and have disposable wipes to throw away separately. Call me lazy, but I've bought the cloth wipes, but have never put them to use with diapering. (I did, however, find them useful as washcloths!)

Needless to say, we are happy with our "nappies" and glad we made the investment. And here is my little guy in his nappy a few months ago when the Aussies paid us a visit. Thanks for taking the photos, Kris!

P.S. I read Mothering magazine, and found a couple of articles from the March-April 2008 issue very helpful. (Photo at the top is from Mothering).

25 Things About Me

2009-04-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well, this has been going around with some of my friends for awhile, so I thought I'd take this opportunity for you to get to know me a little better! We'll see if I can get to 25! P.S. my Aunt Kris took this photo of Miles and I last summer.

25 Things About Me

1. I have lived in 5 states: MN, SD, IA, OK, ND.

2. I was definitely a strong-willed child. Ask my mom any day. Then she had the nerve to pray that I would have a child like me! I hope God wasn't listening to her that day...

3. Speaking of God, I grew up in the church, but did not ask Jesus to become part of my life until I was 17.

4. I was a camp counselor for 2 years in southwest Minnesota.

5. I met my husband at that summer camp!

6. I am a very proud mama to the cutest, sweetest, charming, little guy on the planet (no biases!).

7. Jim took me on my dream vacation- a 3 week backpacking trip through Europe. We traveled through Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Czech Republic. I can't wait to go back and see more someday!

8. My sister and I became awesome friends after she turned 18. There is 5 years difference between us.

9. I am very interested in healthy natural organic living. But I will forever love Dr. Pepper, chocolate, and 409.

10. I am an labor and delivery nurse.

11. I am a certified lactation counselor (aka I help mothers and their babies with breastfeeding)

12. I threaten my dogs almost every day that they are going to go to camp (read previous posts).

13. I do love my dogs.

14. I have read the Twilight series...I know...I get a lot of guff for it too.

15. I love painting with oils. But have not done it for years.

16. I'm addicted to Target. I frequent there at least every other day.

17. I don't have cable TV in my home.

18. I love hymns.

19. I have been to quite a few concerts. My favorite was going to Bon Jovi with my old high school friends!

20. We plan to adopt some of our children.

21. My best friend Rachelle and I live 3 hours apart. We usually average an hour phone conversation daily during Sesame Street or nap time.

22. I'm mostly Norwegian and Swedish.

23. I once made my sister eat dog food- I told her it was really good, and she believed me!

24. My cousin Carin and I have mooned a cow. (Actually, we made my sister do it too!)

25. I'm feeling like this was a huge waste of time to write 25 things about me...like you really care, right!?

Saturday Bliss

2009-04-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

What a great day it was today! Jim and Miles got up early, and let mommy sleep in till 8:30am! And this is how happy Miles was to be having breakfast with his daddy!
...he looks like he's about to get into trouble...
Well, I am enjoying our family time this weekend...next week I'll have to think of something to blog about!

Outdoor edited

2009-04-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sunny Days

2009-04-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

Miles is getting close to walking. He's definitely a chicken though! He doesn't like to take steps on his own when I encourage him to. But, he will take a step without holding on from the coffee table to the sofa. When he does, he thinks he is such a little stud! He makes this big grunting "man sound" as to say "I'm so proud of myself. Look what I can do, move one step without holding on!"

The snow has FINALLY melted in our town! I thought it would be here until June at the rate it had been falling. Today was beautiful out. We enjoyed playing in the yard.

We are having a blast with all the birthday presents! I, myself, am enjoying the drum set with tambourine and maracas. And to the fabulous uncle and cousins who got the John Deere radio- do you know there is no volume control on it? It's indefinitely set to volume 10! Wouldn't be so bad, but if I forget to turn it off, I'll hear a random "Moo", "Oink", or "Baa" in the middle of the night! You can imagine what that does to me...

That's all for now! Another day has come and gone, and the dogs have managed to avoid being sent off to camp!

Lucky little girls!

The dogs...deep breath

2009-04-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Seems like each day I threaten Macy, our frenchie, that she's going to go to "camp" at Grandmas. For those who don't know, Grandma Kelly raises dogs and has an outdoor kennel. We call that "Camp" and the indoor dogs usually don't care much to go to camp when they are used to leather furniture and table scraps! J is becoming a bit of a dog whisperer and doing well with training Macy. However, today, she is ruining my back door. I'm a little irritated. Her and Cozette, our cavalier king charles spaniel, are going to get a quick jog/walk in this morning so they can hibernate the rest of the day!

This is what I'm dealing with at present.

This is what I'm hoping for in about 30 minutes!

A year in the life...

2009-04-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Celebrating 1 year of life, Miles! Look how far you've come in 1 year. From feeding tubes to heart monitors to crawling and cruising...you are truly amazing to watch!