Who needs air conditioning?

When you can have a 1400 sq ft sauna instead? Ugh, the fan motor went out for our AC, so no cool air for us the past 2 days. Loren's going to look for a replacement tomorrow. Hopefully we get it fixed soon! We're hiding out in the bedroom where it's semi bearable with a fan and the windows open. Don't be thinking about an unexpected drop in because you'll find us all in our underwear!

Catching Up

I think about things to blog about everyday but rarely find the time to do it. So I'm attempting some catch up.

Last Monday we took Addie to the doctor for her 1-year check-up and shots. Apparently her ear infection had not cleared up, so we had to go on another round of antibiotics. But he still gave her the shots -- 2 in each leg, poor thing! Also, she was 17 pounds -- 4th percentile, 27.5 inches (this seems low to me, I should double-check) -- 9th percentile, and her head was the 77th percentile! So I have a short, scrawny baby with a big head! We're trying to put some weight on her, but she's just not a big eater -- a big nurser lately, but is pretty limited on what she wants to eat. Oh well. I still think she looks perfect. Oh, and then Thursday Loren called me asking about chickenpox -- she now has little red spots all over her -- face, chest, back, arms, and little on the legs. The doctor's office said it could be a mild reaction. Doesn't seem to bother her. We have an appointment Monday to check on the ear infection again -- boy, that was a fun task. Her last round of antibiotics she drank no problem -- this round we literally had to force her. And forcing a 1 year old to drink something is not easy. Hopefully she got enough to get rid of that darn infection. But I think we've traumatized her from drinking anything off a spoon for a while!

Here are just a few new pics.

I love this shirt. :)

One of her new favorite toys -- the dog bowl.

First time in her swimsuit!

Looking at daddy out the window -- you can kind of see her spots here.

Friday we ventured out to Caldwell to get a little toy car for Addie from my friend Becca ($5 -- a steal!), a turkey fryer that Loren found on Craig's List (part of his beer brewing supplies), and to visit Leisa and Kyndell at the park. Leisa brought Addie's belated birthday gift, which was a gorgeous quilt, an adorable onesie, and some supercute shoes. And the quilt was made by Leisa -- who I didn't even know could sew! Apparently babies bring out the domestic goddesses in all of us. :)

The picture really doesn't do it justice -- it's not quite so blue. It's blue and brown, and the brown actually stands out more than you see here.

Saturday we had pictures taken in the morning. My ValleyBums group had a gal come up from Twin to shoot about a dozen families. We were the first ones, simply because it was the only spot left, but it actually worked perfect. We went to the Train Depot, which I must shamefully admit I had never been to before! And it's gorgeous. Lucinda (the photographer) was great. She personally edits all photos, so we haven't seen them yet (darn!) but should be getting them on a CD in the mail soon. I can't wait! After photos we attempted a bit of yard saling, but didn't find much -- a good thing because I only had $6 on me. That afternoon we ventured to Nampa out to my MIL's. We had a family BBQ out there. Before we ate, my MIL, Cassie (Ryan's -- my BIL -- girlfriend), Addie, and I ventured over to Puffy Mondaes -- a local craft store that we all fell in love with. So much gorgeous yarn! I was looking for swim diapers for Addie, but they only had teeny tiny ones. I need to call and see when they're getting their next shipment. BBQ was delicious, and us girls hung out in the living room watching Sex and the City (the movie) while the boys played poker out back. A nice evening with fam.

This is what she wore for pics.

Clapping at daddy.

Monday, which we both had off, we ventured back out to Nampa -- this time for garden plantin'! I did blog about that. It was hot, but we got most of it done before stopping for lunch -- and by that time it was really too hot to plant anymore, so Robin finished it that evening. It's so nice to have a garden. I can't wait for the deliciousness to arrive!

Tuesday Addie and I ventured out to Montour -- we were jetsetters last weekend! :) I think I was so sick of being couped up in the house when we didn't feel well that I wanted to GET OUT! We headed up to Pappy's house (my dad's) and then over to the Triangle -- the local restaurant -- for some lunch. That and Pappy show-and-tell -- he LOVES showing off Addie. I think every person in Montour, Sweet, and Emmett have seen a picture of her! After lunch we headed back, hung out a bit and had some ice cream, visited Grandma, Uncle Jim, and Uncle Tom, and then ventured down to visit the chickens and calves. By then it was time to be heading home so Addie and took off. That evening we went over to my friend Amy's for a Tupperware party. When we got home Loren showed me our new friend in the backyard -- a little bird. We were going to bring it inside, but it proved rather hard to catch, so we left and gave it some food and water, hoping it would be fine through the night. The next morning I checked on it and it was fine, but by the time I left for work it had disappeared. I'm hoping the story ends well.


Wednesday was the first day back to work after my long weekend, and I arrived to a very sad voicemail -- one of my ex-student's daughter had passed away. This ex-student, Ron, I had in my very first class I taught, and subsequently had him in at least one class every year for the last four years (this year was the first time I didn't teach him because he graduated last year). Loren even had a class with him. Our professional relationship had grown into a friendship, and I speak to him regularly for a number of reasons, most recently including an informal study group (but the group ended up just being us) we had formed to study for the GRE. Not in the mood to study much of the time, we've gotten to share some stories of personal life over the last few months. I actually knew he had a daughter during that first class he was in, because he did a presentation about Trisomy 18, the chromosomal abnormality she had. He always knew her life wouldn't last as long as most, but he always had a positive attitude. So this death was expected in that way, but I had just talked to him on Thursday, and we talk about our daughters all the time, and I didn't suspect anything was wrong. So I think the death on Saturday must have been sudden (not that an expected death makes it any easier). I just find Ron to be such an amazing person. He's the type of man that could be angry with the world, and be completely justified (after all of the things he's been through) -- but he is the most positive, compassionate, considerate person I think I've ever met. He's always been incredibly appreciative and never takes anything for granted. Whenever I'd mention Khaile (his daughter) he would completely light up -- she was his whole world. I'm just so devastated for him. Loren, Addie, and I are attending her funeral today, to show our support. I have such a hard time with things like this because I so badly want to help, want to take the pain away somehow, and I feel entirely helpless.


On Thursday a couple gals from work and I participated in a walking rally -- we had a list of clues for locations on campus and had to go to each location, take a picture, and be the first ones back. It was fun and definitely great exercise, but we didn't win. :(

Here's one of our beautiful pics. ;)

I finally got some sewing done last night. I have a bunch of wool sweaters I've felted that I want to recycle into soakers, shorties, and longies, for Addie, but I have yet to perfect the pattern.

Here was my first go. Too tall in front, too short in back, and waist too big. And I couldn't get Addie to hold still for a pic!

Second go. I have yet to try them on Addie, but they look much better. I still think the waist may be a bit big. Maybe I can squeeze some elastic in there.

I think that's everything I wanted to say. Please keep Ron in your thoughts.

Garden Time!

I'm totally slacking on my blog, but I just had to mention that we went out to my MIL's today to plant the garden! I'm so excited. We'll see what comes up. It's just so hard to wait! :)

Save My Sanity

Addie is currently in her crib screaming her head off. She woke up from a nap cranky (odd for her), then ate, and then nothing would console her. She woke up screaming last night too, and Loren said this morning. I just don't know what's wrong. She has the ear infection, but she's been on antibiotics for 3 days, and doesn't seem to have a fever. I tried teething tablets and ibuprofen to no avail. I'm not sure I can handle this scream much longer . . . ugh.

Happy Birthday Baby!

I'm totally slacking on blogging that I have a ONE year old! Addie's birthday was last week, but as you know, we were both sick so we had to shift a few things around. Her party was originally planned for Saturday, May 9th, but that obviously wasn't going to happen. So Wednesday rolls around, the day before her actual birthday, and I realize that we have absolutely nothing to celebrate with. So we went to Toys R Us and got her a little paint easel thing and some cute clothes, so she at least had something to open on her birthday. Thursday she slept right through me getting ready for work, so I didn't even get to say happy birthday until I got home that afternoon. We really didn't do much that day, just let her open the gifts we got her.

Here she is on mama's lap looking at her clothes.

Oooh, what's this big one?

Hey, this looks like fun!

Yep, I can play with this.

So the actual birth-day was pretty low-key, but then it was time to get ready for her party on Sunday -- the rescheduled party. I had to attend graduation Saturday morning, which, yay for me, ended up being one of the biggest graduations yet -- I was at school from 8am until almost 1:30pm! Loren was waiting for me to get home so he could start cleaning our disastrous house. On my way home I decided to swing by KFC because I hadn't eaten lunch. I ordered and pulled up to the window to discover that I had left my wallet sitting on my desk at work. Great. But the guy gave me my food and said "I trust you" to come back and pay him! I couldn't believe it, but I was pretty happy because I was starving. Once home I ate, and then got Addie ready to come to a graduation party with me. We heard a knock on the door, and Katrina, Tony, and the boys were there -- apologizing for being late for the party, when they were actually a day early! :) So they hung out for a while, and then Addie and I swung by KFC to pay for my delicious food, then all the way down to BSU to get my stinkin' wallet, and then headed over to Cynthia's house -- she's an adjunct faculty member who graduated and invited us over for a little party. We chatted for a bit and enjoyed all the fun animals -- she has 4 dogs, including 2 adorable min-pins, lots of chickens, and a pony. On my way home I called Loren and he said "That was fast!" -- apparently I hadn't quite given him enough time to finish cleaning. But the house looked great and we were able to get most of it tidied up by that night.

Sunday was hectic. Starting at 8am it was busy-busy with grocery shopping, getting food ready, putting up decorations, getting myself and Addie ready, etc. Thankfully Robin came by early and helped a bunch with the food. We had a tasty spread of sushi (thanks to Robin), chips and dip, potato salad (thanks to Rick), fruit, a veggie tray and pasta salad (thanks to my mom), a green salad, shish-kabobs, cupcakes, and pineapple upside-down cake (thanks to my dad). Guests started showing up at 1pm, and eventually included Grandma Robin, Uncle Ryan, Cassie, Grandpa Rick, Uncle Phil, Pappy (my dad), Denise, Grandma Judy and Grandpa Dominic, Uncle Ben and Aunt Kristy, and Great Grandma Dean. Since we were barbecuing we had planned on sitting out on the patio, but it was so hot!! We moved into the living room/dining room area.



After we stuffed our faces, including Addie (she was walking around picking off peoples' plates), it was time for presents. And this girl made a haul!

She got toys . . .

. . . LOTS of clothes . . .

. . . some sweet shades . . .

. . . books . . .

. . . more books . . .
. . . a doggie . . .

. . . a pretty plate . . .

. . . more clothes . . .

. . . shoes (that she decided to eat) . . .

. . . a sweet car . . .

. . . and a soccer ball!

She did really well and stuck through opening all those gifts! She was having a good time.

Since I knew she was wearing down, we proceeded to the "cake" -- actually a cupcake (a baby-friendly carrot cake, although it was regular cream cheese frosting because my "baby" frosting didn't set up right).

She was pretty mad that she couldn't play with the flame on the candle.

But then she decided it was okay.

Hmm, this is pretty yummy.

Hey, I like cupcakes!

Yep, I'll eat it.

She actually mainly licked the frosting off, and then threw about half of the cupcake on the floor. Oh well. :) By then it was 4pm, which was an hour past what we had planned -- no biggie, but I knew she had to be exhausted. Since this day, the 17th, was also our anniversary, Grandma Judy took the birthday girl home with her, so Loren and I could have some time together. Once we finally cleared the house, we relaxed for a bit and then headed out to see a movie -- Angels and Demons. It was the first movie we'd gone to it quite a while! It was good -- jampacked with action/suspense and twists. It was nice to have an evening to ourselves. We picked up Addie on our way home, along with the dogs (who were at Rick's) and all of us crashed after the busy day!

Some Confessions

Although not very juicy.

1. I went to the doctor yesterday. This is a confession because I never go to the doctor for being sick with a cold, or maybe even the flu. I think it's pointless because you'll get over it eventually. But I just haven't been able to kick this one, and had severe symptoms over the weekend. Of course, by the time I went yesterday I was "getting better" and he sent me on my way. Oh well.

2. While at the doctor they weighed me and I'm back to what I weighed in high school. I'm actually not sure how I feel about this. I'm happy to be back to pre-pregnancy weight, but I really never longed to lose more than that. I think it means I need to get back to the gym and do some strength training. Here soon I'm just going to end up with one bulky arm -- the one that carries Addie around all day!

3. I think it's time to start looking at my diet. I am a huge sweets fan. Yesterday, while I was home with Addie, I found myself hiding a candy bar behind my back so I could eat small pieces without her seeing -- I'm trying not to get her sweet tooth too out of control yet. When you start hiding candy, I think it's time to check your diet. It's not that I gorge myself on sweets, but I definitely like them. I think I just need to find some healthier alternatives -- if I don't want Addie to eat it then I probably shouldn't either.

4. I feel like my home crumbles without me. Since I've been sick, I've been neglecting most everything. The house is a disaster -- Loren has kept up a bit, but not quite enough. We've eaten out almost every meal for the last week -- that or have eaten cereal or Cup o' Noodle. The dogs haven't had a walk in a week. Loren tries, but I just feel like everything's crumbled in the last week . . .

Me and My Girl

I wanted to put a slideshow on my Myspace page of me and Addie. I thought it turned out pretty cute. :)

How Being a Mom Has Changed Me

I am way more emotional. I cry at tv shows, movies, documentaries, even commercials (I'm even crying as I write this). I am much more self aware. I want to be a better person because I want Addie to think the world of me (which will probably happen until she hits the teen or even pre-teen age). I'm trying to eat healthier, to be a good model for her. I want to make the world better for her to live in -- I'm slowly making small changes like recycling, reducing my consumerism, being more environmentally aware . . . I continue to care less and less about material things. I've never wanted to protect someone/something so much from every pain/disappointment/struggle. I have realized my level of patience. I empathize with others much more. I appreciate my own mother more. My love for Loren has grown even more. A night at home with my family is so much more appealing than drinks and dancing with friends. I love my body, even my small boobs (I think the superpower of breastfeeding has made me finally appreciate them). I have made a lot of incredible friends that I would have never met otherwise. I knit and am back into sewing. I enjoy cooking. I don't stress as much about work, and rarely bring it home with me. I enjoy talking about diapers, breastfeeding, babies, etc. I blog. :)

This is an image I found on my computer titled "kadie" -- I think I ran across it at some point and it reminded me of my friend Kadie. But I don't know if I ever shared it with her. I found it appropriate for a mom's day blog.

Although I'm sick today and didn't get to enjoy the day as I normally would, I felt the appreciation from Loren, who has insisted on sole diaper duty today and made me breakfast and lunch. And for a bit of a turn-around from my usual Mother's Day, my MIL and mom both stopped by with gifts for me (and to my embarrassment I had neither of their's ready yet because I hadn't anticipated seeing them until next Sunday). It's nice to be loved. :)

A Sick Mother's Day

My first Mother's Day and I'm still sick. This has really been one of the worst sick spells I've had. I actually hadn't been sick for about 2 years, other than a very minor cold I had when I was about 6 months pregnant. And this has hit me like a ton of bricks. I think I had gotten overly confident that I just can't get sick anymore. When Addie first got sick I even told Loren I'd like to get it so that I can produce antibodies for her in my breastmilk, but I naively thought I'd get a milder case. I've had horrible body aches, the worst sore throat I've ever had, and now I'm super stuffy (it's even going in my ears) with a nasty cough that makes my throat to my lungs hurt. I think I've watched everything there is to see on TV, and just keep thinking about how behind I am at work, and how I doubt I'll be feeling much better by tomorrow. Each day there just seems to be a new ailment. I feel okay in the mornings, but by early-late evening I'm curled up on the couch or chair. Ugh. Addie seemed to be doing much better yesterday after starting her antibiotics, but today she is super cranky and I'm not sure why. We're a sorry sight. I'm just ready to be over this!

A Very Long Day

Ugh, yesterday was not a fun day. I was freezing all day, everything on my body hurt, and my throat was on fire. Pair that with a sick infant -- Addie has an ear infection, infections in both eyes, and a runny nose. Neither of us are a pretty sight. Poor Loren has been having to take care of us. But of course Addie only wants me, so I feel like she's been attached at the hip for the last 3 days. We're both feeling a little better today. Addie looks a lot better -- her nose isn't as runny and her eyes looks way better. I still have a bit of a sore throat, but the body aches are gone. We ended up having to reschedule her birthday party for next weekend. I don't think anybody would want to be hanging out with us right now -- and that probably includes Loren!

First Fever

Looks like Addie has her first illness -- we almost made it to a year! She was super clingy and whiny yesterday and was driving me crazy -- she'd only sleep on me, which is nice snuggles, but I got nothing done. It didn't even occur to me that she didn't feel good -- shows how in-tune of a mother I am. Loren thought she looked weird when he got home, but I still didn't think anything of it. She tossed and turned most of the night, and when Loren picked her up to soothe at about 4:30pm he said she was really hot. I, still, didn't think anything was wrong. But I decided to get the thermometer anyways, and lo and behold, she had a temp of 102.2. Man, did I feel terrible. Here I am complaining about her driving me crazy all day and night, and the poor thing is sick. :( I gave her some children's Motrin to get the fever down, and she slept a couple more hours. Around 7:30am we checked her temp again and it was down. Now she just has a runny nose and is cranky because she's having a hard time sleeping. She's very clingy to me, so I decided to stay home from school (nice excuse, huh), but right now Loren's trying to put her down for a nap. Overall she doesn't seem too worse for the wear (is that the right phrase?) as she's been up playing all morning. Now I'm just concerned for a few plans this week -- tomorrow we're having an end-of-the-year party at school and I had planned on taking her, but I don't want to be the one that shows up with a sick kid. And then Saturday is her birthday -- I'm sure she'll be fine, but I don't want her to get everyone else sick. Guess we'll just have to wait and see . . .

Baby's 1st Birthdays

Shortly after Addie was born we started attending the Breastfeeding Bunch and New Mom Group meetings at St. Luke's. It was a nice, comfortable way to get out of the house with a new babe. After a few months, we decided that we had "graduated" from the New Mom Group and formed the Not-So-New-Mom (NSNM) Group. We get together now and then for playdates and other occasions. On Saturday we celebrated the baby's 1st birthdays, since most were born between early April and late May. Here are some pics:

Feeling Old

Addie and I (looking terrible with no make-up and 2 day-old hair) went to Albertson's tonight to get a few things and the cute young "bagboy" called me 'maam', not once but twice. Hmph.