Baby Einstein, for real.

Our child has become a bink addict. There is no way around it. We have binks strategically placed around the house, in the cars, etc. It is ridiculous. Well, I have decided that I've had enough of the stress of le bink. Always making sure one is handy, looking under furniture, finding them in the laundry, you name it, bink has been there.
Our plan was to phase him out of daytime bink use, and reserve it only for nap and bedtime. Day 1 was no good and I caved.
Today was day 2. Very interesting development. I explain to Mason after his nap that the bink is to stay in the crib. Out of the crib, no bink. I was happy with myself, and thought "hey, this may not be so bad!" Riiiigggghhhht. Awhile later, Mason goes to the normal bink spot and starts whining. I explain to him again that the bink is to stay in the crib. So, what does my little genius do?? He walks over to the crib and simply says "up". Yes, he wanted in the crib so that he could have his bink, even though he's just woke from a 3 HOUR NAP. So, I put him in the crib, not expecting it to last long. 30 minutes go by and he STILL does not want out of that crib! Oh hell, this is not working the way I'd expected. So, 4 hours later, and 3 trips to the crib, we did stick to our guns about no bink outside of the crib. I am still not considering this a victory, but we will see what happens tomorrow. Our children are much smarter than we know... and it scares me.

Mr. Social Butterfly himself

I had begun to worry that my sweet, happy go lucky boy had disappeared. It seemed as though I kept blaming his mood on something... molars, cold, etc. He just wasn't himself. I had started to accept that my child just wasn't going to be social! He wasn't having any part of Thanksgiving (well, not until the very end!), was being somewhat aggressive at story time, and becoming more and more impatient by the day (I am not sure who he would get that from!?!).
Then, all of a sudden *poof* my child came back. Sweet, smiley, huggey, kissey Mason. Also appearing was his bottom right molar. Those things must hurt more than I can imagine. Regardless of the reason, I am glad that he is back, and will remember for the next time this happens.... there is always a reason, and this too, shall pass. Welcome Back!

The Skinny

Sooooo, I joined Weight Watchers with my friend Lizzy back in September. You might be asking yourself why I haven't blogged about this until now. Simple: Fear of failure! I have been up and down with my weight since my late 20's... when happy hour caught up to my arse, in a big, big way. I never had to worry about this in high school, or in my early 20's, so it caught me by surprise. What do you mean I can't have beer and spinach dip every night after work and not stay thin?? I was never very athletic, as that takes discipline and coordination. I belonged to a gym, and I still didn't understand why going once, every other week, simply was not enough?
Well, when I met Mike in 2004, I had managed to get myself to a reasonable weight of 130. I had these Gap jeans... ooh, my favorite Gap jeans, that I wore on our 2nd date. Well, after one summer of dating, consisting of numerous beer and pizza dinners, pancake breakfasts, and several lattes.... Those jeans hadn't seen the light of day in quite some time.
When I got pregnant with Mason I was, very unhappily, at 148 lbs. Yeah, 148 at 5'1. And, I put on 35 pounds while pregnant. I seriously ate whatever I wanted, as I assumed that I would lose it all, and then some, while breastfeeding. I did lose what I gained, but chose to use those extra calories burned on things such as ice cream and thai food.
Long story short... I have really been wanting to feel good again, and not feel winded every time I chase after my little sweetpea.
So, I joined WW at 140 lbs (after losing 8 by going Gluten free). I am happy to report that I am now 129, and can fit back into my infamous Gap jeans, and numerous other articles of clothing that I simply couldn't bear to part with over the years! So, Gap jeans were my first goal... now for the 2nd: to weigh what my Driver's License says I do! Thanks to Lizzy for convincing me to join. Lizzy is a new Momma and is looking H-O-T!
I am also posting my New Year's Resolution now: Running in 5k's again, running a 10k and doing another sprint triathalon. I have done these all before... time to get into ass kicking shape.

No Fair! Hmmppffff!

I work every other Sunday, and Mason stays home with Dad. Not only does Mason sleep in on the days that I have to work... yesterday he took a FOUR AND A HALF HOUR NAP!

Today..... he napped for 40 minutes before pooping his pants and has yet to go back down. Why does my child hate me?

Working out.

In an attempt to get into a more regular workout routine, I am meeting my friend Ali at the MAC tonight. I am committing to meet her every Wednesday. Wish me luck!

Don't Judge!

I do realize, for the record, that Thanksgiving has yet to hit... but I know that if I change my layout to something for Thanksgiving, I'll never get around to a Christmas one. So... Christmas layout it is!

Who knew?

As I had previously published, I am on this elimination diet. Egg whites and yolks showed up and have honestly been my biggest struggle. I had bought an egg replacer at Bob's, only to discover that it contains soy and gluten! Gluten is very hard on my system, resulting in almost immediate migraine.
Anywhoo, I had another Dr. appt yesterday (LOVE my naturopath), she is always experimenting with recipes to pass on to her clients. She opened my eyes to SO MANY egg alternatives! 1/4 cup applesauce, half of a banana, and flaxseed meal mixed with water! I would have NEVER discovered this on my own. I am not what you'd call a "research expert". I find google finding quite overwhelming.
Anyhow, depending on what you are baking, these have opened up so many doors for me. Things are looking up....
As a plus, I did drop 3 pounds in 1 week from being on this diet. Mainly because I had no idea what to eat!

The Zoo!

We have been blessed with some beautiful Fall weather, so Mason and I decided to take full advantage of it and go to the Zoo this morning. There is a definite chill in the air, but beautiful, nonetheless.
I didn't bring our camera, because honestly, between the stroller, diaper bag and letting Mason walk around a bit, I didn't think there'd be too many photo ops!
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a mountain goat! He was out in all of his glory. Next we saw the sea lions who put on quite a show. I was so excited to see Mason signing fish when he saw them! But, the funniest part of it all was having him moo and baa at most of the animals. Moo is still Boo, and I simply adore it.
For fun, here's a picture of my little moo.

Our silly kiddo

Just some fun photos of Mr. Mason. For the life of me, I can't get the underline to go away, and am simply too tired to investigate further. Deal with it :) Hope you are all enjoying this fun, Fall weather!

A LOT of whining...

First off, I apologize for not blogging in such a long time... and 2nd, I apologize for this first blog back.. which is going to consist only of my complaining. Don't say that I didn't warn you.

I've complained of my extremely annoying headaches before. Last update was probably about trying medication from a neurologist. Well, that worked for about a month... every time we increased the dosage (Topomax is what I'm referring to), I seemed to acclimate to it and ended up right back where I was before.... on average, 5 headaches per week. Sucky. I have never been opposed to naturopathic care per se, but insurance usually doesn't cover nearly as much as the ol' Western Medicine Doctor. Well, our new insurance plan happens to be a bit better, so I decided to try this again. Yes, I've tried before, but ended up pregnant with Mason (nothing to do with the doctor!), and had no headaches, so obviously I stopped treatment.
Anyhow, to bring you current, here is what I've had done. Electro-acupuncture testing. This "tool" is to test for allergies... and 70% accurate. I have to admit, I put this off for a good month after seeing my new naturopath. Why, you ask? Keep reading and you will understand my fear.

So, what is Karri allergic to? More like what am I NOT allergic to... here is a small taste:
Peanut oil (buh-bye, peanut butter!)
Wheat
Gluten
Eggs (seriously?? WTF)
white potatoes (sweet potatoes are fine... thank God)
Tuna (don't much care)
Any dairy made from a COW. Yes, anything.
Corn
White sugar
Spelt
Barley
Oats
Soy
Rye
*Sigh* I have been pretty much gluten, as much as possible for a few months. But, being that my Gluten free peanut butter contains peanut oil, it wasn't doing me any favors.

I had a meltdown yesterday. Complete and total meltdown. I want bread. I really want bread. I am trying to remind myself of the positive side, and hopefully I will find relief from this headache hell that I've been in for way too long. I can still have coffee, wine and cheeses made from sheep and goats. Awesome.

Whoa- it's been 18 freakin' months already??

Mike and I always say that time is truly not measured until you have a child. I cannot believe that we've had our little munchkin for that long. He has changed so very much, his little face, his hair, but I will tell you one thing: Mason's personality has been the same since the day he was born. Sassy McSasster. I love watching it come out more and more every day. I love that I can ask him to do something, and he actually does it. He gives me these crazy, face smashing kisses that kind of hurt, but I'm not about to stop him :) He is quite nice to our dogs, but tortures Sumi whenever the opportunity presents itself.
*Sigh* I love my little puddin'.

Fall is in the air......

I am simply not a huge fan of hot, sweltering summer. I heart fall. The crispness in the air, bundling up in my robe and slippers to enjoy hot coffee in the morning, snuggling to keep warm when you first get into bed, hot cocoa (Boyd's Mexican Hot Cocoa, of course!)

Next on the agenda: my adorable dark brown riding-inspired boots! Love them!

Mondays with Mason....

Here's a recap of a "conversation" that we had with Mason yesterday.

Me: "Mason, what does a cow say?"
Mason: "Mbmooo"
Us: "Did we hear a "B" in that moo?"
Me: "Mason, what does a cow say, again?"
Mason? "Mbmooo"
Us: "Alrighty, then!"

Funniest thing I've heard in quite some time....

Last night we enjoyed dinner with the family at Widmere Gasthaus. Jill was in town, and it was a rare opportunity for all of us to get together! David, Brenda, Christopher, Jody, Katy and her kids, Michael, Mason any myself all made it!
After dinner, brew, and cupcakes (thanks, Brenda!), Jill was involved in a conversation with Jacob, our 7 year old nephew, when out of the blue he says "I have to poop", and promptly walks away!

Needless to say, conversation over, and lots of laughing.......... still makes me laugh this morning!

I think I just barfed in my mouth

It all started a few months ago. A few harmless moths. How were we to know? Yes, they are annoying, but we didn't think too much further than that. Last night, Mike was digging in our pantry and found moth larvae. Gross. He disposed of all old canned food effected by said larvae, and cleaned the top 2 shelves of the pantry. Problem solved. Oh, how wrong we were to think it would be that easy.

Today, I decide to make the family a yummy little dinner (if good, I will post the recipe)! I decided that a nice side of rice would compliment our dinner. We store some of our 5 bag of rice in a tupperware container. I open it. I find a dead moth right there, on top of the tightly sealed container of rice. I feel like vomiting at this point. I go into crazy mode, digging through every bag of pasta, rice... and finally, my quinoa :( Dirty bastards! They got into everything.... disgusting, slimy, white moth larvae. Mike asks "What about the rest of the 5 lb bag"? Gonner. Complete loss.

I hope this post doesn't leave you thinking that I am a terrible housekeeper. That, I am not. I don't know if this is one of the many joys of living in an old house, or is it just a crazy moth year? Needless to say, our pantry is now more disinfected than it probably needs to be.....

Deceptively Delicious Cookie Recipe!

I found this book while I was pregnant: www.deceptivelydelicious.com
I tried the spaghetti recipe, but Mike wasn't too impressed, so I've yet to try anything else (mainly because I had forgotten about the book!)
Well, we are having an increasingly hard time getting our little Mason to eat vegetables. He wants nothing to do with them, which stresses me out on a daily basis. So, I dug out the book and tried this recipe today. Absolutely yummy!! I think I'll try it with raisins next time.
Chocolate Chip Cookies (with chickpeas... also known as garbonzo, which took me 15 minutes in the bean aisle to figure out)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup softened butter
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups (12 oz) chocolate chips ( I used gluten free, not too shabby!)
2 cups all purpose flour (again, I used gluten free, and they turned out nummy!)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats (this is getting old, but I used Bob's Red Mill gluten free oats: www.bobsredmill.com
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

• Preheat oven to 350

• Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray

• In large mixing bowl (Kitchenaid mixer works awesome), beat sugar and butter on medium until smooth
• Beat in the egg whites and vanilla. Then add chickpeas.
• Add flour, oats, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms. Add chocolate chips, or raisins, whichever you'd like
• Drop tablespoon of dough onto baking sheet, and flatten with a fork. Bake until cookies are golden brown and just set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer to rack for cooling!

Mason gobbled them up! And, there is somewhat of a healthy aspect to them.
The only beef that I have with this book is that she apparently blatantly stole this idea from another author, but due to her connections (being married to Jerry Seinfeld), she was able to publish and market it at a whole different level. I didn't learn this until after I'd purchased it. I guess it pays to be married to Jerry!

Ode to Peaches......

We had to make an awful, difficult decision this morning to let our sweet kitty go..... She was truly Mike's cat, but she was willing to give me some love, too :) Emilee (my sister) originally adopted this shy cat who hid under the bed for the longest time. In 2004 I took her in, and she and Sumi bonded..... granted, Sumi drove her crazy a good portion of the time, but they truly did love each other. Peaches was such a mysterious little cat, for months back in 2008 she wouldn't come inside (due to our new addition, Maisy), and Mike would feed her over the fence (pictured above). We finally caught her and moved her with us into our new home, where she stayed indoors for a full year. But, Peaches was a true hunter by nature, and soon found herself outdoors again. She brought us so much happiness, and a bird one time. We love you Peaches, and will miss you so terribly much.
Much love,
your humans

The Bite of Oregon....mmmmm!

Mike and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on the 5th of August. 3 years! Has gone by so incredibly fast. Since our anniversary fell on a Wednesday, and we both had to work the next day, we decided to save the celebrating for tonight. We usually go out and have a nice dinner, at a restaurant we've been wanting to try, but this year we are doing something different. We have only been to The Bite one other time, and that was after we did the Portland Bridge Pedal..... we were pretty much over the crowds by the time we got there. I am so excited to enjoy it fully this year. Mike's sister Katie and family are watching our little munchkin, so it is an official date!
Eat, drink, and we will be quite merry tonight!

Mason update!

Just some fun things that Mason is doing right now, at 16 months:

• Throwing items into the garbage when asked
• Signing bird, dog, all done, and sometimes he'll even throw in a ball sign
  
• Kissing, kissing, kissing when asked (my personal favorite!)
• Points to ear when asked
  
• Gives hugs when Mommy gives him the "snuggle" sign
• Always trying to match up lids with their container, and can unscrew most lids
• Absolutely loves anything to do with water. Dumping water, splashing, even putting his face into the water!
  
• Waves good bye (the best is at the grocery store, waves bye bye to the checker!)
• Gives an item to you when asked
• Obeys (most of the time!) when we say "Not for Mason"~ some things are just too good to give up!
• Brings a book to you and sits down, waiting for a story (granted, he doesn't always make it through the whole book!)
• He is obsessed with airplanes, and signs "bird" whenever he hears one overhead!
  

We are having such a blast with our little munchkin this summer. I adore the look of determination that he gets while trying to figure out why one of the tupperware lids simply won't fit. I love that we are able to communicate and somewhat understand each other. What a sweet little punkin we've got!

HOT, HOT, HOT!

I figured I may as well jump on the "complain about this heat" bandwagon, as I find it insanely miserable! We do have a portable A/C unit that we are using in our living room (which is where we've been sleeping for the past 2 nights!), which is the only thing making our house somewhat comfortable. Mason has been a little trooper, being cooped inside to enjoy said a/c. We did venture out today to the MAC to enjoy their industrial a/c and some pool time. Mason got his whole head dunked for the 1st time today! He did great, although he wasn't sure what had just occurred!

So..... go away heat!

Ewwwwww!

Today, as we were leaving the house for a picnic with the Boyd clan, I looked down to see what Mason was putting into his mouth.
It was the dog's kong! Filled with frozen peanut butter, an attempt to keep our darling Maisy out of trouble while we're out......... apparently Mason had other plans for it.

I guess there are worse things that he could put into his mouth??

Cousins!

My brother Jamie, his wife Felicia and their chunky monkey son, Andrew stopped by for a visit a little over a week ago. One would think we'd see each other more often considering we only live an hour apart. Unfortunately, with work schedules, etc., we don't :( But, we sure do have fun when we do! Andrew is just over 4 months old, and is the cutest, pudgiest baby! We are trying to teach Mason the concept of "soft" and "gentle" right now, and it definitely applied while Andrew was visiting. I believe he tried to even gnaw on him a bit during the visit. Oy.

On another note, our garden has gone WILD with this influx of hot weather! Our strawberries peaked, and I think Mason ate every.single.one. We will be adding more for next year, as I think Michael felt a little put out for having to share so many. The raspberries are yummy, and I think that next year we should have enough to make jam, especially after we add the marionberry shoots that my Grandma is giving us this fall. I've never made jam, so it shall be interesting. For that matter, I've never wanted to make jam, but suddenly I do! Anyhow, the cilantro went crazy, so I made enough salsa to feed a small village! We have had quite a few quesadillas lately......
Anyhow, I have never gardened in my life, so I am happy that Michael has opened my eyes to it!

Fabulous Summer Quinoa Salad!

This is one of the only tried and true Gluten free recipes that I've found. I've made it over and over, and over again. I didn't find it in a fancy cookbook, or out of that retard Elizabeth Hassleback's book... I found it on some obscure website that I can't even locate now. Anyhow~ try it, trust me, you'll love it. Even those who don't want to try quinoa love it. Report back when you love it.
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked red quinoa (color is irrelevant!)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, diced
1 cup artichoke hearts (I leave these out because I hate them)
1/4 fresh, chopped basil (the more, the better!)
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (jury is still out on these~they are very expensive, and I'm not sure they are worth it!)
2 tbsp capers (I've never used them, but if you like them, use 'em!)
1 red onion (calls to be thinly sliced. I put it in the food processor and emulsify it because I hate the texture of onions~do what you please!)
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh Lemon Juice
2-3 garlic cloves (or more!)
Directions:
Bring 2 cups water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until water is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes. Strain and rinse well under cold water. Set aside, perhaps in the refrigerator.
In small skillet, use 1 tbsp olive oil to saute the red onion until transparent. Also set this aside.
Vinaigrette Dressing:
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or lime juice, but I've never used it and can't vouch!)
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil (I've rarely used the whole 1/3 cup, usually about 1/4 works, but it's up to you!)
salt & pepper to taste
whisk together
Now, mix all ingredients together, and I find that it tastes best when served cold.
We eat this with ground chicken burgers a lot!
Enjoy!!

Howdy the Bouncy Cow

This little guy is Mason's newest friend. He is approximately 2 feet tall, is sturdy enough for him to sit on, and bounces. Basically, he is AWESOME. Our friends Mike & Monica bought a similar one for their daughter Bella (it isn't a cow, and isn't even the same brand, but it is similarly cute!). The last time we visited, Mason couldn't get enough of it, so of course I had to get him one. I really try not to do that, because I think everything is cool, and I would spend non stop, which isn't really in our budget. Plus, who wants a spoiled little stinker, anyway?? Especially when he is as equally entertained by an empty egg carton! Anywhoo, I think this little guy is cute, and I always justify things by saying that I think we'll eventually try for another one someday! Welcome to the family, moo cow!
Specs: Made by Trumpette, you know, the company who makes those adorable ballerina socks?

Updated pictures of the family....

I'm not sure if there is anyone on here that isn't also on Facebook, but just in case.... here are some updated photos. I just love the one of Mason, she just happen to catch him, he was crawling away and he turned around and smiled, as to say "you aren't taking my picture!" And we got him! So cute!

Pilates- class 2

When Michael and I got married I joined the MAC club with him. He has been a member since birth, practically. I wasn't completely wild about the idea at first, because I pretty much fight anything and everything that forces me into a "box". The MAC is all about being "inside the box". They have rules, rules, and more rules. No flip flops in the lobby. No cell phones in the lobby. No athletic attire in certain elevators. It is what you would refer to as an "old boys club". This used to infuriate me. Mainly because I always, always found myself in the wrong damn elevator in, you guessed it, athletic attire- getting dirty looks from one of the 'ol boys.

But, I've decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. After I got over the sticker shock of paying to take Mason to their daycare, I went to my 2nd pilates class today. After having my gall bladder removed, and a c-section, my abs are pretty much WORTHLESS. So, time to get them into a less flabby form. Wow.... the instructor doesn't sit by and watch you fumble around and make an arse of yourself, she trots right over and makes you do it until you get it right. Ensuring that you will be sore for days.......... I am determined to catch up to the 65 old woman who has tighter abs than I've ever had in my life......

Why does my child hate everything right now?

Eating~ hates it. Sitting in his high chair~ hates it. Getting his fingernails clipped~ hates it. Getting his diaper changed~ hates it. Where, oh where, has my sweet, darling Mason gone? He still appears, giving me hugs, kisses, smiles, enough to keep me from losing my mind, apparently. Is this a phase? A sign of worse things to come? I do not know. He once used to calmly sit in his high chair and clear his plate. Now, he looks at every item in disgust and throws it on the floor. I'll admit, I found this humorous at first...... *Sigh*

Unemployed no more!

That's right, I can take myself out of the long unemployment line. Well, it doesn't really work that way anymore, it is all done online, but you catch my drift. I finished my classes on Monday, the 2nd round of CNA (certified nursing assistant) courses through PCC. This round was for Acute care, which is required to work in hospitals in Oregon. The first round would have enabled me to work in long term care aka nursing homes.... no thank you. So, getting back to my point, as I was getting closer to finishing my class, I got all antsy in my pantsy and started applying for jobs. Most hospitals probably rolled their eyes, as I have no experience whatsoever in the medical field. Well, then Legacy Health Systems called. I had applied for a part time position at Good Samaritan (on NW 23rd, no less!), on their surgical unit. The low down is, nobody really wants part time right now, but I do, I do! So, I went in for an interview, and it was AWESOME. I haven't interviewed for a job in, oh, 10 years. Seriously, the mortgage industry is so incestuous, you get a job because of who you know, not your interviewing skills! Needless to say, I was freaking out. Luckily, my friend Steph is a few steps ahead of me and had just gotten hired at OHSU and gave me a few pointers. Not to gloat, but I freaking NAILED it. So, I got the job, all is well, and I am oh so thankful that I don't have to search high and low for a job now!!! Yay!! I have orientation on the 15th.. stay tuned. Many misadventures to follow. Now for varying, part time childcare.........

A plug for Becca and her photography

I haven't felt like blogging lately, but feel like I need to write something. So, thought I'd share my friend Becca's website with my Momma friends. http://lifestylephoto.blogspot.com As you can see, the girl has got skills. She and her family live just across the river in a rural part of Vancouver, and she has been known to travel to take family photos. She has a way of capturing the little ones, which is no easy task! So... the next time you are needing family photos.... call Becca! She rocks!

A much needed girls night.....

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the evening with a wonderful group of gals that I met through my husband Michael. They are the wives of his fraternity brothers from U of O. Ali hosted at her house, which was awesome, because I had not met Leo yet. Leo is Ali & Joe's humongous great Dane. He is just shy of a year old, and over 100 pounds! He is darling and very well behaved. Anyhow, Ali, Beth, Lizzy (who is 8 months pregnant!), Eliza and I all gathered to watch Marley & Me. I cannot tell you the last time that I was out of my house past 8 o'clock, so needless to say I was quite excited to sit, eat some popcorn, have a glass of wine, and not have to listen for Mason! My darling husband took that duty for that night, I guess an early Mother's Day present! All of us watching the movie have at least one dog, so it was a great movie selection (thanks, Beth!). Eliza fell asleep, but that is well deserved as she is sleep deprived due to having a 9 month old, and she had already seen the movie. The rest of us? We made it through the movie... and a whole box of tissue. Wow. Great movie, but there is just something about dogs..... when I got home I made sure to give both of my dogs a big doggie hug and kiss. It was a good reminder of how much love they constantly give without asking for much in return (I am almost tearing up as I write this!)

I am so thankful for this awesome group of girls that I've met, and look forward for our next get together. What a great start to Mothers Day......

House Pictures.....

Back of house sans back porches~ and before the demolition!

Our new trees!

As of now we are having some structural work in the basement finished up, and then they will move onto the back porch! It will start at the single door, and go just about to the french doors, and best of all~ it will be covered! In case you are wondering, the french doors aren't staying, they will be replaced by some regular windows, but we will be putting french doors in place of the single door, that is the entry into our kitchen! That might happen in this lifetime. One step at a time, right?

Sweet Marlee

I don't usually do stuff like this, but this is an unusual circumstance, so here it goes. I am asking all of you to keep Marlee and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Marlee is the 6 month old baby girl of some friends of mine from elementary school. They took her to 6 month appt yesterday, and the doctor noticed a large lump in her belly and sent her for a CT scan where they discovered that she probably has Neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer of the adrenal glands. It wasn't there 2 months ago, and now it is the size of a tennis ball. They will be here in Portland today doing some more tests and will most likely be doing surgery by tomorrow to remove it, and will be following up with either radiation and/or a bone marrow transplant.
I have known Marlee's Mom & Dad since the 4th grade. I love them dearly. Please send them all the good wishes that you can muster up.
Blessings to you all......

Spring has arrived!!!

Mason finally got outside to play! He loved every minute of it, and threw little tantrums every time he had to come inside.... you know, for dumb things like eating, bathing and sleeping.
His love for our yard just makes me feel better and better about this house, especially as we start working on it! As you can see, we actually almost have a new front porch! Pretty exciting stuff!
Stay tuned, and Happy Spring!

Gluten Free- Day 6

I didn't post anything sooner as I wasn't sure if I would make it this far. I had been headache free for a couple of weeks when all of a sudden.... 5 day headache hit. Turns out the problem was simply my switching to a generic form of one of my preventive meds for my headaches... problem solved.
What it did make me realize is that I can't rely on medication alone... I truly need to make some changes. I had visited a naturopathic doctor before Mason was even a glint in our eye :) After a series of blood panels he had recommended a diet for me that is basically gluten free. Of course, I thought he was nuts at the time. What I wanted to hear is that he had an easy answer and that I could carry on as is and be cured.... and, 3 years later I am in the same situation, but now I have 13 month old darling that I can barely keep up with on one of my bad days.
So, I started on Sunday... my stomach has had its ups and downs, but it really hasn't been all that bad. Just a few adjustments in the menu. I live by the Waller blog, as Christen has been through this all before and is a great wealth of knowledge. I steal her recipes on a daily basis.
And, just to make life interesting... Mason is getting another tooth this week! We are having a great time together!

Mason's 1 year check up!

This is a tad behind, as we took him on April 3rd, but better late than never, right? Mason weighed in at 22.5 pounds (48th percentile), 30 inches (59th percentile), and his head circumference is 19 inches, which is in the 92nd percentile, which still cracks us up, as it has been on the higher side since he was about 6 months old! We were happy to have Dr. Josh tell us that Mason is right on track. We had taken him to a physical therapist upon the recommendation of his previous doctor at his 9 month appointment because of the fact that he wasn't going from tummy to sitting yet, and that is a milestone that he should have hit by that time. The PT showed us a couple of exercises, and by the end of that first day, Mason was already doing it. After the 2nd appointment, we knew that we didn't need to bring him back, but wanted to confirm it with our physician.
I honestly didn't think that Mason would be a crawler, but he has ended up crawling... it just proves that kids work on their own time frame, and you just can't predict what they'll do next! Just to prove that point... Mason surprised us by crawling up our stairs a few days ago... he crawled right up there like he'd known how to do it all along! He is the funniest little guy :)

Anthropologie has been out done!

Today while Michael and I were walking around in the Pearl, we wandered into a darling little shop called Cielo Home and found..... $70 candles! They must be made partially of gold??

Rambling.....

Mason and I needed to get out of the house today... so we headed down to the Pearl to enjoy all of the lovely shops. Lucy, Lulumon Athletica, Anthropologie..... I heart Anthropologie. Or I should say I did. I guess I used to love them when I could actually afford to buy anything in the store! It is the most adorable store on the planet. Very shabby chic, romantic clothing...ruffley skirts, aprons, anything you could ever want! Today I went looking for a candle. I found one! Sweet Pea Vanilla. Beautiful candle in a jar, it smelled fabulous, I turned it over to double check the price, assuming it would be around $15-$20 (an acceptable range in my mind). I was SHOCKED to find $36. Seriously? It is WAX! Wax that you will MELT into nothing! What in the sam hell is happening in this world that a candle can cost this much money??? Or, have I simply been on unemployment too long?

Happy Birthday, Mason!

Our baby turned 1 on the 17th of March. We had a party for him at our home with family and friends. In true Mason fashion, he first made quite the face, but soon dug in! We have had quite the busy month of birthdays. Mason's cousin Kaden turned 1 on the 25th, as did his friend Isabella Johnston, and then twins Nico and Emilee Ashby-Eskew on the 27th!
Another milestone for Mason is that he finally started crawling. We didn't think that he was going to even bother with it, as he just kept pulling up on objects and walking around! The next thing I knew, he was on the other side of the room, on all fours! You just never know......

Happy Birthday, Mason!!!

First Haircut!

Michael had been bugging me to let Mason get a haircut.... I finally caved. I saw no need. Then, I kept seeing Mason messing with the hair around his ears... clearly, it was beginning to bother him. We got a recommendation from our friends Bob & Minda (their son, Will, was born with a truckload of hair, and at 6 months had received 2 hair cuts!). We took him to Little Clippers in Clackamas ( I am not snazzy enough to figure out how to post the actual link, I will ask my husband for help next time!) It is by far the coolest place invented for children that we have discovered thus far. First off, he sat in a car to have his hair cut, he got to pick out a movie to watch (Finding Nemo), and he got his hair cut by the sweetest woman. In the end, it was a great experience, and we will definitely go back. He looks so handsome after his haircut!

Andrew Sullivan Rodman is here!

My brother Jamie and his wife Felicia welcomed Andrew Sullivan Rodman on Monday, February 16th (President's Day!) at 5:25 pm! Felicia was induced and was a trooper all the way through the birth! Congrats!!!! Another cousin, Finnegan Cole was born on the same day. Finn's Grandma Jackie is cousin's with Andrew's maternal Grandma Karen!

Closing in on a year........

Our sweet Muffin is officially 11 months old.... for some reason the 1 year mark didn't seem quite so close until I actually said that! He is still just the happiest baby, and as of this last weekend has a tooth poking through on the bottom! He is doing a lot of schooching around, but not crawling. We are happy that he doesn't seem to be in any hurry, as we aren't either. I just can't believe that in less than a month I will be making his birthday cake...... this last year has been monumental... Grad school for Michael, new house, I am in school, and this wonderful baby. I hope that all of our friends and family continue to be as blessed as we have been.