Our Family

Pasta Fun

2009-08-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

A picture to share.

-- Post From My iPhone

iPhone blog ressurection

2009-07-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Our poor neglected blog is going to be resurrected. Since we got our iPhones I've been busy taking lots of pictures and videos, and I finally found an app that should let me make blog posts directly from my phone. Hooray!

We have been doing a lot of camping this summer, we spent a weekend at Oxbow just outside Portland, a weekend at Green Canyon near Mt. Hood with friends, and a week at a cabin in Central Oregon. We'll be camping the next 3 weekends, too. Good times! We've been trying our hand at Geocaching, which is a lit of fun. Max loves this "treasure hunting" hobby. I'll make another blog about it soon, as well as post more details on our camping trips and Max's first summercamp experience.

For now, here are some pictures from our summer so far!

-- Posted From My iPhone

Happy Birthday!

2009-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at Max's birthday party! Our friends Mckay and Sean are photographers and they took some great pictures. I'll share more stories and get caught up on our lives in a post soon, I promise!

Storytelling in the car

2009-03-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

New addition to our family...

2009-02-22T16:28:00.001-08:00

Fish! 3 fish and a frog, actually. Their names are Zoom, Teeny, Pi the Fish and Pi the Frog. Pi is Max's favorite word.

New Videos

2008-12-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

Snow Day!

2008-12-14T13:25:00.001-08:00

It's snowing outside!

Recent happenings...

2008-12-08T08:39:00.001-08:00

We went to find our Christmas Tree with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Sue on Saturday- it was lots of fun!This has become a tradition for us. We've been to a different tree farm each of the last 3 years, and it's been fun to venture out to a different area and see what each one is like. This one had a tractor ride around the tree farm, then you pick and cut your own tree. They also had hot cocoa and sweets.

Max, "Spotting the cut"

We had a big fort in the living room that became a hat shop. Max and grandma Mimi took pictures of a few animals modeling the hats.

Max found these sunglasses and told me, "I look cool. " doesn't he?

He also found my make-up bag in the bathroom one day. Dropped a lot of it on the floor, breaking it, but it could have been worse. It was one of those "take a deep breath, and go get the camera!" moments. I should have known better than to leave it on the back of the toilet seat!

He still loves to play with our camera. Here are a few he took recently of his favorite things.

And here's a picture of our favorite thing...

Creative Handmade Gifts

2008-11-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

This is a cross-post from my Panjo Kids blog. Thought you might enjoy reading it, too!

We are taking the Handmade Pledge again this year. This means that we are making many of our gifts by hand, and are shopping for handmade, preferably local, gifts for the rest of our gifts. You might be thinking, "Lame. There are only so many knit scarves and macrame plant holders a person can take." but I encourage you all to think outside the box! Etsy is an amazing place to shop for creative, unique gifts. Here's what shopping for the holidays looks like for me.

"Hmmm, what are we going to get for Dave? He's really into bicycling. Let me do a search on Etsy and see what I find." I do a general search throughout all of Etsy and it yields 2332 items. I add the word "mens" and it narrows it down to 305 items. I can handle that. I also try it with "bicycle unique" and "bicycle man" to see what that gives me. Then I sort by price. Here are some of the cool things I find that I could get for Dave that are handmade:

These pins are $1.50 by lolabot. They also have a lot of other bicycle related items.

Shirt by Vital, $24

Recycled Bicycle Gear Bottle Opener by Foundry Wear $25

Matted and Framed 8x10 print, "The Bike Mechanic" $75 by Mary Williams Photography

Custom Bicycle Headbadge for $120.

Two Bicycle Pint Glasses by Bread and Badger, $28. They have loads of other cool etched glass pieces, and they are located here in Portland.

So you see- cool stuff! You just have to look for it. In the next few days I'll be posting a few of my favorite unique items from Etsy. Check back in for ideas for kids, teenagers, baseball lovers, and crafters!

Story Time

2008-11-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

Play Kitchens and Play Food

2008-11-13T16:55:00.000-08:00

Max loves pretending. Just today alone he was a spy, a circus clown, a robot, a pirate, and a dentist. We've been eying play kitchens for awhile, and I've recently been tempted by the retro one at Costco which is on sale for less than $100. Then I thought, why not look on Etsy? Turns out there are some great ones on Etsy! I should've known. Really, what CAN'T you buy on Etsy?!? These are heirlooms that would be nice passed down to grandchildren.

Palumba has a great assortment of handmade toys including this simple play kitchen hearth for $349.99 (that includes shipping). The craftsmanship is gorgous, it even has a cutting board that slides out!

This one is by Willowtoys for $225 (shipping included!)

This one by Imagine that Woodshop is only $143.50 plus shipping.

And now on to play food! There are many types that you can buy, I'm partial to felt or knit playfood myself. And it's so easy to make! Using felt you can hand stitch or use a machine. Here is a site with lots of patterns for inspiration and some patterns, too. I just knit up a little strawberry the other day and it's so cute! Here's a website that links to knitting patterns for everything from a banana to a cinnamon roll. Apparently you can even buy scented batting to stuff your playfood so the piece of cake really smells like cake. Yum.

Here are a few of my favorite items by Etsy sellers for inspiration:

These cupcakes by CrazyDaisy60are adorable! 3 for $24.95, or you can buy the pattern for $5.50

Clementines by Eternal Sunshine, $9

Pancakes by Harvest Moon... yum! $30

Bug Bites Play Food has so many cute items, it's hard to choose one! This Farmers Market produce Basket is $35.
For the discerning appetite- Felted Sushi by Mango Avocado. This is a custom order and not for sale, but she does take custom orders!

Camping set pattern by BuggaBugs $6

Go forth and play!

Sweet Potato Fries

2008-11-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

I love sweet potato fries. Here's a yummy recipe to make them at home. If you're rushed, Trader Joes has some really good ones in their frozen food section, and if you happen to live in Oregon then you already know it's sweet potato fry season at Burgerville. YUM.

4 sweet potatoes, cut into French fries
1 tablespoons canola oil or melted butter
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
dash of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
Spread the fries out in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Combine butter, salt, and nutmeg. Brush onto potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown on one side. Turn the fries over using a spatula, and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside. Thinner fries may not take as long.

You can also put everything in a ziplock baggie and shake it up to coat the fries. YUM.

Teaching Through Love Instead of Fear

2008-11-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

Taken from www.connectionparenting.com- a great parenting resource.

Teaching Through Love Instead of Fear by Pam Leo

"However we treat the child, the child will treat the world."- Pam Leo

Can you imagine threatening your partner or good friend by counting "One... two... three..." if he or she did not do what you wanted?

One of the big issues in schools today is "bullying." Parents and teachers struggle daily with how to stop this behavior. Without realizing it, adults teach bullying behavior to children by modeling it when they use the threat of their physical size or power to make children do things. When I hear a parent counting "One... two" at a young child, I always wonder what the child has been told will happen if the parent gets to three. Is it the threat of a spanking, being yelled at, time out, abandonment (I'm going without you) or the withdrawal of love and approval? Whatever the threat may be, I rarely hear "three." As intended, the threat of what will happen if the parent gets to three usually compels the child to do whatever it is the parent is telling the child to do. Parents use threats to get children to cooperate because that was what adults so often modeled when we were growing up. Most of us are familiar with the phrase "or else." We did what we were told out of fear even if we didn't know what the "or else" would be.

While counting may appear to be a magic form of discipline, there is no magic in threats. Children know that adults are bigger and more powerful than they are. They comply in self-defense. If the only way we can get children to do what we ask is by intimidating them with our greater physical size and power, how will we get them to do as we ask when we are no longer bigger and stronger? " Ask the parents of any teenager if counting still works. Not only do threats no longer work, they've learned to use the same means to make others do what they want.

Many parents see a child's uncooperative behavior as a challenge to their authority. Once we understand that uncooperative behavior is usually caused by a child's unmet need or an adult's unrealistic expectation, we don't have to take the behavior so personally. Parents and children often have different needs. Sometimes our needs or schedules conflict with our children's needs. Children who are deeply absorbed in play will not want to interrupt their play to go with us to the bank or the store before it closes. When a parent needs to do one thing and a child needs to do something else there is a conflict of needs. This conflict of needs turns into a power struggle when parents use the power of fear instead of the power of love. The bond or connection parents have with their children is their most powerful parenting "tool." A strong bond is created over time when parents lovingly and consistently meet a child's early needs. Threats communicate, "What you think, feel, want or need is not important." Threats undermine the parent-child bond. When we learn to resolve our "conflicts of needs" in ways that show children that their needs and feelings matter, we strengthen the bond and avoid many power struggles.

The most common reason for conflict of needs between parents and children is lack of resources. If parents had more resources we wouldn't have to bring the child to the bank or the store because there would be someone else to stay with the child. As long as there is lack of resources there will be conflicts of needs. Until we figure out how to bring more resources into our lives we have to find other ways to resolve our conflicts if we are to stop teaching children to be bullies. If we want to teach children to love instead of hate, we must learn to use conflict resolution skills in our daily interactions with children. Just as children learn bullying from what adults model, they can learn conflict resolution and problem solving skills from what we model. When children learn the skills from how we treat them at home they will bring those skills to their relationships at school.

Very young children can learn conflict resolution if we model it. An older sibling can be taught to find another toy to exchange with their younger sibling instead of just snatching their toy back. When two children want the same toy at the same time we can help them "problem solve" a solution. When there is a conflict of needs because the parent wants to do an errand and the child just wants to stay home and play we can say "let's problem solve to see if we can find a way for us both to get what we need." Maybe the child could take the toy in the car or perhaps the errand could wait until tomorrow. When the parent is ready to leave the playground and the child wants to stay longer we can suggest a compromise of five more minutes and doing something fun when we get home. Often it's not that the child doesn't want to leave as much as it is that she doesn't want the fun to end. When we teach children that everyone's needs are important by honoring their needs they learn to honor the needs of others.

There will be times that we won't have the time or the resources to meet a child's need. There will be times that even after honoring the child's need, the child is still unable to cooperate. At those times it is important to communicate that parents have needs too and even though it makes the child unhappy we do have to go now and then allow the child to have his feeling about having to leave. It is never OK to tell a young child that you will leave without them. Threatening a child with abandonment terrifies a child. When a child has a tantrum about leaving it may not be about leaving the playground at all. Leaving may just be the last straw that unleashes the day's accumulation of little frustrations. The child may just need to cry to empty out the stresses of the day. A child will be able to move forward much more readily when we can say "I know you're sad and it's OK to cry" than if we say "Stop that crying or I'll give you something to cry about!" When the crying is done the child will usually feel better and be more able to cooperate.

When children's needs are met and nothing is hurting them they are usually delightful to be with. Whenever a child responds negatively to a reasonable request we need to look for the conflicting need. Once we know how our needs are in conflict we can try to problem solve. I have learned to say, "When you behave that way I know something is wrong, because we love each other and people who love each other don't treat each other this way. Can you tell me what you need or what's hurting you?" If I can remember to stop and ask that one simple question it changes the whole context of the conflict. That question communicates, " I love you and what you feel and need matters to me."

Sometimes there isn't a way for both people to get what they need. But not getting what we need is much easier to bear if we are treated in a way that allows us to keep our dignity. Counting at a child communicates, "I am bigger and more powerful than you and you'd better do as I say or I'm going to (in some way) hurt you." When a big kid says to a smaller one, "Do what I say or I'm going to hurt you," we call it bullying. When an adult communicates the same thing to a child by counting, we call it discipline. When we treat children in ways that take away their dignity we teach them how to take away other's dignity. If we want kids to stop bullying, we have to stop bullying kids. The power of fear is easy and quick but short-lived. The power of love requires more work and takes longer but children never outgrow its influence.

Max's Camera

2008-11-09T10:48:00.001-08:00

Max loves to take pictures. He uses our digital camera (which is a bit too heavy for him) and is pretty good at framing what he wants to photograph- usually his mommy or daddy. Here's the view from Max's camera (and an honest look at our messy house...)

View from our kitchen window

2008-11-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

I love fall. The colors changing in Oregon are just spectacular! The tree outside our kitchen window has been a bright red- almost neon- for the past few weeks. I love looking out and seeing the little birds perched on the bird feeder.

Halloween

2008-11-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

For halloween Max wanted to be a "Really realy scary blue monster with horns" so I got started making his costume a few weeks before the big day. Of course come time to try it on he hated the furry blue top and refused to even try it. I kept it on hand just in case. A few days before Halloween we went to a costume party and once again he didn't want to wear the blue costume, but said that he'd like to be a superhero. It's a good thing I have a trove of capes hanging around here! I quickly made a matching shirt for him and off we went to the party. He had a great time. It was at a local kids hair salon and they had different color hair spray, food, toys, and trick or treating in the shopping center. I was surprised at the amout of other kids dressed up as superheroes- at least 10 other preschoolers dressed up as mostly spiderman and batman. Max's was the only homemade costume out of all the kids. Come the real Halloween he didn't want to wear the superhero costume, either. Fortunately we still had the chicken costume from last year. He was happy clucking around in that for the night, and loved trick or treating. I didn't get very many pictures, but here are the ones I did remember to take.

Just because it's hilarious...

2008-11-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

Kids and food

2008-11-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. These days, Max's diet consists of about 5 granola bars a day, peanut butter sandwiches, fish sticks or chicken strips, and fruit. ANY and all fruit. OK, throw in a Burgerville cheeseburger and sweet potato fries on occation and he's good to go. While he's started showing an interest in a wider variety of foods lately, it's usually just to sample. We do what we can to make even these selections healthier (have you tried Mrs. May's Trio Bars? We got them at Costco and it's a nice alternative to regular granola bars...) I still feel guilty about what he eats- not to mention the frequency! He is often too busy to eat. We can offer him food all day, and he'll show little interest. Then get in the car and he's starving. I always have a pretty big snack in my bag because I know that when he's strapped in the car seat with nothing else to do, he realizes he's hungry.

The point to all this (other than to get it off my chest) is to point you to a great article written by one of my favorite Bloggers, Savannah Mayfield. She wrote the other day about Mindfully Mothering about learning to trust our kids' bodies. It's a good reminder not to put too much emphasis on food- harping on it all the time can lead to food issues that none of us want for our kids. Go check it out.

VOTE!

2008-11-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

Max jumps for Obama.

And just because it's fun- here's his robot dance. He loves those musical greeting cards.

NaBloPoMo

2008-11-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

NaBloPoMo stands for National Blog Posting Month. If you take the challenge you are supposed to blog every day for a month. I'm going to try. Some days it might just be a link to something I like on the web, or a few catch up photos. If I don't post here, check out my other blog over at Panjo.blogspot.com and see if I posted something there. Is that allowed? I'll just say it is.

So it's been a long time since I've posted about Max! I'll throw in a few summer pictures just to get caught up. It seems the last few months have been full of so much change! Max is a little chatterbox. He says the funniest things! Yesterday he wanted Ron to stop going upstairs and he says, "Stop, daddy! Stop! I COMMAND you! Stop!" then later he was helping Ron with a project and taking things to the garbage for him and Max stops and says, "Isn't this wonderful?" *sigh*.

He's very affectionate and full of hugs and cuddles. He LOVES to dance, and has some mad dance moves that might even rival his cousin Arlo. I think a dance-off might be in order next time they are together. He's been playing more creatively lately, pretending to be a chef and cook us various items from the kitchen. He also loves to pretend to be a firefighter, a puppy, a baby, or a robot. He really wanted to be a "really really really scary furry blue monster with horns" for halloween, but after I made his costume he didn't want to wear it. So, he wore his chicken costume from last year.

He likes to play on the computer, and surprised us with how well he can use the mouse. There are some great websites with preschool type games that he can totally play all on his own. Lego.com, pbskids.org, and nickjr.com are a few of our favorites.

And (drumroll please) he decided to potty train. Really, there was no training about it, he did it all on his own. Literally one day I was saying to a friend that he was nowhere near being ready to potty train since he had absolutely no interest, then a few days later Max was completely out of diapers. Like, even on outings and nap times. Wow. A few days of naked time, a few potties around the house, and he just started telling us that he had to pee. I think it might also have been because he spends 2 days a week with his friend Josie who has been out of diapers for a long time and he's seen her use the potty a lot more lately. Sooo, without working on it at all we have a fully potty "learned" little boy. Wow, that was easy! We're lucky.

Here are a few pictures from summer:

Digging a hole for the placenta tree. Yep, you read correctly.

Oregon State Fair- Max's first rides! He and his friend Indigo had a great time riding every single one.

Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington. A beautiful zoo!!!

Riding the lawn mower with dad at grandma and grandpas house.

Jamming at the Experience Music Project in Seattle.

Ditch the Disposables Challenge

2008-09-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

I'm cross posting this with my Panjo Blog.

One blog that I really like, Crunchy Domestic Goddess, has issued a challenge for September and October- Ditch the Disposables!!! From her blog:

" We live in a society of convenience, where throw-away products are the norm rather than the exception. But all of the disposable products take resources and energy to produce and then, of course, get thrown away, filling up our landfills. All of this is bad news for the environment."

There are many easy ways you can make a change. Below is a list of suggestions, many of which we already do in our home. I've made little notes next to some of them sharing my thoughts.

So what am I swearing to give up? Disposable coffee cups from Starbucks. Seriously, I work right upstairs from one, and often grab a drink on my lunch break. I have a reuseable mug in the office, but I never think to bring it down with me. Same goes with weekends when we stop by Dutch Brothers for an afternoon treat. We all have travel mugs (even Max) but I never bring them with me when I go to a coffee shop. Until now! I mean really- Ron has one of these and they stay hot for something like 5 hours!

Here are some ideas from Domestic Goddess to get you started. You can make the switch from:

Paper napkins to cloth napkins (There are lots available on Etsy, or at thrift stores. I'm sewing some right now...)

Paper towels to cloth towels (we could be better at this)

Tissues to handkerchiefs (sometimes I grab one of the cloth wipes for Max if he's got a cold, but never think of it for myself. I should make some)

Paper, plastic or Styrofoam plates to your kitchen plates

Inexpensive plastic “Take & Toss” sippy cups to Sigg or Camelbak bottles or the Kleen Kanteen ***We LOVE our Sigg and Kleen Kanteen cups! Max has one of each. I prefer the Kleen Lanteen for him because the spout is easier to use and doesn't leak if it's on it's side. Great way to avoid the BPB's in plastic, anyhow! Especially if I've left water in it for a day or two- no plastic taste with the KK or Sigg bottles. ***

Disposable water bottles to (again) reusable bottles like Sigg or Camelbak **Again, we love these. For adults I like the Sigg better- perect size opening to drink from.

Swiffers (or similar products) to a broom and dustpan or mop (or use reusable cloths like cloth diapers/terry inserts in your Swiffer

Disposable dust rags to cloth rags

Disposable diapers to cloth diapers **I could go on about this forever- we love our cloth diapers! I do admit to having disposables around for travel and for when I get behind on laundry, but the cloth ones are much nicer. We love Fuzzi Bunz, but there are many options out there to choose from.

Disposable wipes to cloth wipes (inexpensive plain washcloths work really well). This is the best part of using cloth diapers, using cloth wipes! It's nice to have an extra thick barrier when you're cleaning poop. I make mine with one layer of soft flannel and one layer of terrycloth, then surge them together.

Disposable feminine products (tampons, pads) to reusables like DivaCup, MoonCup, Glad Rags, Luna Pads, Pretty Pads, or New Moon Pads, among others **I made this change about 6 months ago and wish I'd done it sooner. I love love love the DivaCup. So easy and convenient. And for those of you who have tried those messy "Instead" things- it's nothing like those. And think of the money you'll save- $25 for a Diva Cup that lasts years.

Grocery store bags to reusable bags I'm terrible at this. Oh, I have plenty of reuseable bags, I just forget to bring them with me. Working on it! I think I might get one that scrunches up really small like this and carry it in my bag.

Paper lunch bags for Cloth Lunch Bags, Insulated lunch bags, Bento Boxes, or metal stacking tins. We have the metal stacking tins and LOVE them. And Max loves to take them apart and put them back together again. If you really want to go all out, I've heard these Mr. Bento Box's are awesome. Supposedly they keep your food piping hot (or cold) for hours.

Plastic sandwich bags to Wrap-n-Mat. Again- we seriously love our Wrap-n-mats. I have a few, and the cool thing is that when you open them you have a built in placemat.

Plastic disposable utensils for bamboo or metal ones. These bamboo sets are great. If you eat out a lot, or get takeout on the run,. why not carry a set of these in your bag? Has a napkin and everything.

So there it is. Challenge yourself to make a change for 2 months, then see if you even want to go back! Or simply pick another item from the list in 2 months and take another challenge. Head over to Crunchy Domestic Goddess and tell her what you are ditching- she'll add you to the list of people and blogs who are taking on the challenge.

Big Truck Day 2008

2008-08-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Big Truck Day is possibly the second coolest event of the summer (next to the Oregon Country Fair, of course) for Max. It's a free event that takes place at a community center in Beaverton. They have every truck you can imagine, and the kids can climb into them, "drive", and honk the horns. There is everything from semi-trucks to street sweepers and school busses. Unfortunately it was 100 degrees this year, but we went early and max had a great time nonetheless.

Our first stop was the snow plow.
Max was unsure of the horn (they were loud!) but once he did pull the chain he got a great big grin on his face.
On the back of the snowplow was a sand distributor. Ron explained to Max how it works, and Max was just enthralled. The bulldozer was big! Ron and Max are making their Incredible Hulk fists.
The back of the ambulance

This tractor was one of Max's favorites. He loved the big tires.

Didn't I say they had EVERY truck?
We're looking forward to next year, and hopefully it won't be as hot!

Summer Fun

2008-08-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of great photos I've been meaning to post, so here's a catch up of some of our summer.

Good times at the Oregon Country Fair. It's unlike any fair you've been to, it's truly a magical place! This was our 3rd year, but the first one where Max could enjoy the shows. He also had a great time camping and sharing his wagon with his buddies.

Fourth of July neighborhood parade.
Fun at the Wilsonville water park.
A visit from the cousins.

We had a great visit with Amy and Hal and their son Indigo. They have a nice backyard where the boys could run around and play.
Bath time kisses
We have found some great garage sale finds, including a new tricycle and his now coveted rollerskates. He even uses them at the same time.

The Value of a Good Tantrum

2008-08-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

This was written by Juli Idleman, it came across on an Unconditional Parenting group that I am a part of. I like it so much, thought I would share!

The Value of a Good Tantrum

Last weekend, somewhere between the collards and the spinach, the peaceful plodding of putting in our Fall garden went wrong and I got really grumpy with my husband, Tom. One minute we were chatting over seedlings and the next I was feeling wronged and misunderstood. After some less than helpful squabbling, Tom, brilliant man that he is, took a deep breath, looked right at me, and said, "OK, tell me all of it."

"I hate it when you judge me!" I ranted and raved. I went on recounted inconveniences that were building steam in the back of my mind as resentments. Before I knew it, I was talking about the hard look in my mother's eyes when she deemed one of my childhood accomplishments beneath her notice. He was sitting right beside me handing me a Kleenex. And I was already starting to feel better.

When I stepped into the garden half an hour before, I had had no idea all of that was brewing inside of me. If my husband hadn't stopped to pay attention and listen, I might not know it now. That gift of caring attention helped me release the feelings that were interfering with my ability to relate to Tom and feel connected and understood. I also learned some important things about myself while building a stronger sense of closeness in my marriage.

And this is exactly what children need when they have their tantrums. Whether you are four or forty, being human means having to deal with a lot of feelings, feelings that don't come with a time stamp. They can sneak up on you, just like Tom triggering memories of how small and insignificant I felt as a child under my mother's judgmental gaze. And we all, big and small, deserve the opportunity to share how we feel in a caring, thoughtful and non-judgmental space.

It saddens me when I hear parents proudly say they don't put up with tantrums and send their kids off to the solitary confinement of their rooms until they can behave "properly." I know they love their children, but what a lost opportunity to nurture and support them! That would be like my husband telling me, "I have no intention of loving all of you. I only want to see the parts that work for me."

We are social animals. We all need connection with others. And sometimes, when we are overwhelmed with feelings, relating "properly" gets hard to do. But opening your heart and your arms to the feelings that are overwhelming your child clears her mind, allows her to think and learn unhindered by emotional baggage and builds an essential level of trust and closeness in the relationship between you.

So, the next time your two year-old starts to fall apart in the grocery store, just imagine I am there with you, with one arm around your shoulders saying, "Wow! You're a lucky parent. What a great chance for you guys to get closer." Maybe that will help you take a deep breath, bend down, and say, "Tell me all of it."

--Juli Idleman

Muffin Tin Monday- Party!

2008-08-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

This week there was a party theme for Muffin Tin Monday over at Sycamore Stirrings. I went with a build-a-car theme.
Bread cut into the shape of cars and trucks, peanut butter mixed with honey and flaxseed, and various foodstuff to decorate with. From top right to bottom- sesame sticks, sunflower seeds, dried green peas, strawberries (sliced in circles to use as wheels), smiley face cereal, circle crackers, more strawberries, and pretzel sticks.

I have to go to work, so I won't get to see him enjoy it. I will make sure my mom takes pictures and will upload them later!

Muffin Tin Monday

2008-07-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited to start Muffin Tin Monday. It's a brilliant idea by one of my cyber-friends, Katy. I met Katy when we did a swap on Etsy- she got a cape for her son, and I got a couple of awesome shirts that she made. Since then she has closed her Etsy shop, but she now has time to make this wonderful blog- Sycamore Stirrings. She has some very inspiring ideas, one of which is Muffin Tin Monday. What a great way to remind myself to think out of the box (and into the tin...) and also to sneak in some new things for Max to try in a fun way. I even went out and bought a super cool heart shaped muffin tin. Then when I got it all put together then I couldn't find my camera! I had to use my cell phone and the color is terrible- it looks pretty unappetizing. But really it's good, promise! And Max loved it.

carrots, grapes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hot dogs, and a blueberry banana muffin

I'm going to try to do this every week. Posting it on my blog(s) will hopefully keep me thinking of more creative things to put in the tins each week. Sorry for the cross-post on both my Panjo blog and my family blog, I'm having a hard time deciding what to post where! Crafty stuff on my Panjo blog, family stuff on my family blog... but then I want to share the crafty stuff with the family. Ah well, I'll figure it out!

Funny things...

2008-07-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Max is talking up a storm these days. He says the cutest things. I keep saying that I need to start writing these things down, but I never grab a notebook and just do it. So here it is, while they are fresh in my mind.

Today we were driving home and he noticed an "ouchie" on his knee. He was fiddling with the teeny tiny scab, when all the sudden he says, "Look! Mommy, look, look! Has catchup in there! I make a mess..." I look back and he's picked the scab and sure enough there is blood on his fingers and smeared on his knee. "Catchup" LOL! I suppose we should be grateful that he's gone this long and has no idea what blood is!

A few weeks ago he was snuggling up to me and he puts his hands on my cheeks and says, "Love your cheeky's mommy." I say, "Aw, my cheeky's love you!" Then he says, "Love your beeps." ... beeps? I say, "You love my beeps?" "Yes, I love your beeps. [pokes one of my moles] beep! beep!" I think "beeps" is a much better name for them than "mole", wouldn't you agree?

Recent happenings

2008-06-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Planting strawberries! This has been a lot of fun. Everyday we go check the plants and see the flowers blooming and the little buds grow into berries. No fruit yet!

Making cookies- max was sooooo tempted to eat them before they went in the oven. Just look at his hand and the glance up at mommy...
Cousin Sophia came to visit from Colorado, they had a blast playing Jack (and Jane) in the Box.

And standing in the windowsill...and jumping down!

Max dragged his little chair onto the trampoline and now likes to bounce on it while sitting.
Like father like son. Whenever Ron is laying down like this, Max climbs into the chair and copies him. So cute.

I have gotten hooked on Freezer Paper Stenciling. I made 4 shirts yesterday. I have a rough tutorial on my Panjo blog it is SO easy! You've gotta try it. Spiff up those old boring plain shirts you have lying around.

Blogging...

2008-05-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

So we're going to mix things up around here. I want to blog more frequently. I have felt like I HAVE to post pictures all the time, and have great stories about Max to match... I just can't always do that! So, like the title says, this blog will be more about the FAMILY. We're even going to open it up for grandparents to post. Maybe they'll be better at the photo thing than I have been!

I also want to post about cool things that Ron and I are doing. Books we're reading, places we're going. And hopefully I will be able to keep up with the blog more regularly.

That said, I do have some recent pics!

Ice cream with Gracie at the Zoo. A yummy treat!
Big prize if you know who the dude on Max's shirt is...

Some pictures from Easter... a parade, of course!

Many of the eggs were stuffed with temporary tatoos. Max helped the whole family get "inked". Even Great has some tats! Think Max has found his calling?

Taking a ride on the rocking horse that Ron made for him. Seriously- I love this picture!

Happy Birthday little man!

2008-03-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Maximus!

You turned 2 on Monday! Time flies so quickly. You are so much fun. Everyday you do or say something that brightens up our day. You love to be silly, read, dance, jump, climb, play "Hide Seek", be chased, and anything having to do with vehicles- especially airplanes and firetrucks! You also love babies and Care Bears. Oh and chocolate milk. You wake up from your naps and say, "Deedee doooo-ing?" and we have to go see what Daddy is doing. You LOVE your family and friends and often ask for "Mama Sue", "Pa Bob", "Mama Cidi", "Pa Sam", and "Mimi". Uncle Larry and his girlfriend Yvette came up to share birthdays and it didn't take long before you were greeting them just as enthusiastically. If we tell you we are going to the park, you say "Friends!" because you know we'll probably be meeting up with some of your friends. You call all kids your age "friend" even if you have never met them before which is very cute! It's like anyone your size is a potential playmate. Oh, and you are so BIG! You've grown about 6 inches in the last 9 months. You are now 37 inches tall and weigh just over 35 pounds. You are very sensitive and don't like to see other people sad- if another child is crying you run up to us with a distressed look on your face and bury your face in my chest saying, "sad!" "No sad!". It has been incredible watching you grow up and become a little person. Every week we wish we could freeze time and keep you at the age you are now- you are so entertaining and full of love and cuddles and kisses.
Welcome to the "TERRIFIC Two's"!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Photo Catch-up

2007-12-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

Chicken Max Hangin' out with my buddy Kaden

And tackling his brother Kiran

First Driving Lessons!

First Haircut!

2007-10-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

Max had his first haircut at 19 months. I was so nervous... I love his cute little curls! However his bangs were in his eyes and bugging him. We wanted a trim... but didn't want a mullet! We took him to a great kids haircut place where they have a huge play area and little cars to ride in. Max had a great time and barely noticed that he was getting his hair cut. It looks perfect, too! You wouldn't know he even had a haircut if you hadn't seen him recently. His curls stayed, they're just shorter. Uncle Larry visited with his girlfriend Yvette. We had a nice visit and it was so hard to have them leave. Here's a sneak peek for Halloween!

Welcome Fall!

2007-10-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Happiest baby in the world! Can I still call him a baby??? He's soooo big! I did a trade with a couple of Etsy moms last month. These shirts he's wearing in all these pictures are from N is for Nate and Sycamore Baby. We love them!!!

Grandma Ammi came for a visit. He put his boots on all by himself.

We went on a few trips to the pumpkin patch. Good times! Max LOVED the hayride. He kept signing "more" and saying, "coooool." He's hangin' with his homeys, Madden, Jake, and Ruby.

Another day, another P-patch. there are a million funny caption possabilities for this picture! Post one in the comments. :-) P-patch with a boat. Max wasn't too sure about the boat part.

Next time... First haircut!

Crackers in Bed

2007-10-08T08:22:00.001-07:00

Last night Max woke in the middle of the night and wouldn't be consoled with water or a binkie. I'm working hard to night-wean, so I was trying to think of other alternatives to nursing at 2am. Usually when I tell him "Mamas milk is sleeping." He gives a quick whine, takes a drink of water, and is back to sleep right away. Not last night.

Then I remembered our lactation consultants advice- Maybe he really is hungry. Try a high protein snack... maybe a hunk of cheese in the middle of the night will help him sleep. Hmmm... no cheese, but we have peanut butter cracker sandwiches that he loves. So, at 2am...Max is sobbing... signing "milk"

Mommy: I know you want milk, mamas milk is sleeping. You want some water? Or a binkie?
Max: nooooo no no no ... milk
Mommy: Are you hungry? You want a snack?
Max (still sobbing) : Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh.
Mommy: You want some peanut butter crackers?
Max (sniff sniff): yeah. yeah... (sniffing subsides)

Dutiful Daddy goes downstairs to get crackers, meanwhile Max is pointing at the door asking for crackers. When daddy comes back and puts a cracker in his hand, Max stops sniffling altogether and lays back down to cuddle with mommy. Binkie in one hand, cracker in the other. He ate 4 peanut butter crackers, and drank a bunch of water. It was so cute to hear him chomping away at the crackers, half asleep. At one point he stopped eating and said, "Mommy!" I said, "Yep, mommy's here!" then he points at himself, "YOU!!!" I say, "Yep, you're here, too!" then he lifts his head and looks at Ron, "Daddy!" "Yep, that's daddy!" Max finally says, "Yeah..." and puts his head back down to finish his cracker. He signed "more" when he was done with one and wanted another. I thought he would fall asleep with a bite in his mouth, but sure enough he finished up, put his binkie in his mouth, and fell right to sleep. He slept for a good chunk of time, I think the snack definitely helped.

We have a bed full of crumbs, and we'll probably go out and get some cheese tonight, or other high protein snack... but last nights midnight half-asleep cracker crunching is something I want to remember!

Summertime Catch-Up

2007-08-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've been so bad at blogging this summer. We've had a terrible time with our computer, and I haven't had much access to it. So here is a summary of our summer.

Max has a patch of exzema that will not go away. He is sensitive to a lot of foods, so we have been trying to determine which one is the cause of the eczema. The testing we did gave us a long list: dairy, wheat, sugar (any cane sugar), tomatoes, melon, apples, red pepper, and perfume. We eliminated all that for 6 weeks, then gradually added things back in. It's now narrowed down to dairy or wheat. Sooooo, we were planning a camping trip and wanted to bring a treat that Max could share. We made brownies- wheat free, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free... and actually they were really good! I didn't make them from scratch... they were a bag mix from Whole Foods-The brand is The Cravings Place and they also have really good pancake mix. Max had his first "lick the bowl" experience. You can tell he liked it!

Then we went up to Mt.St.Helens to meet Dave, Chaos, and Fiona. Dave was biking in a race up there on Saturday. We had a great campground, Eco Park Resort. When we got there, it looked like rain, so we opted to stay in a yurt. It was perfect! Space for the kids to run around, a wood burning stove to keep us warm, and a propane lamp built in. We decided to pitch the tent anyhow so the kids could have a place to play. Fiona and Max helped.

Matching mama-knit ponchos. Soooo cute!

We spent a lot of time this summer at the Wilsonville Memorial Park-

We went to the Oregon Country Fair again. It was fun! Grandma Ammi flew up and came with us. We had planned on camping for 3 nights, and going to the fair 2 days. As it happened, Max got sick just a few days before we'd planned on going. We missed the first few days, and ended up driving down Saturday to camp, and only went to the fair Sunday. We camped with the Breana and Rich and the "K Crew", and Naked Jen and Dave. They had some friends drive up and join us, too. It was fun, but too quick! We didn't get to visit as much as we had wanted. Next year we'll try again for the full camping/multi day fair thing.

Heading off to the fair!

A nap in the midst of all the revelry...

Tree dude...One of my favorite pictures ever...
Crow Guy...
Then there was the LaLecheLeague Family Disco Dance Party. It took awhile for Max to warm up, he danced in my arms for awhile...then he joined right in and boogied! I knew I should've brought the video camera!

Grandma and Grandpa Brooks babysit a couple days a week while I work. Max loves it. They have started taking him out more often. They think of all kinds of fun adventures! They take him to the little airport nearby to watch the planes take off and land, they take him to the water park, last week they took him to a go-kart racing place and a farm. He also loves visiting with Great-Grandma. What a lucky boy! We are very lucky parents, too. They babysit on weekends so Ron and I can have a night out once in awhile. We went and saw our first movie in a looooong time- Harry Potter in 3D on IMAX screen. Fun!
Max has been going to swimming classes once a week at this tiny private pool called Children of the Sea. He LOVES it! He goes under water, has learned to kick, and loves to go down the slide.

Last weekend we went to Big Truck Day which is put on by a local Parks and Rec. It was AWESOME! Every truck you can imagine was there. From street sweepers, to cranes, to ambulances and school busses. The kids could climb inside the trucks, honk the horns, etc. Max was a little unnerved by the height of the big rig he went in, but he loved the school bus and the old fire truck. What a great idea this is! I can only imagine how much more he'll love it next year.

Lest you think we are gender stereotyping with all these big trucks and all, Max has a baby that he loves. I gave it to him in the store and he wouldn't let it go. He hugs it and says "Baby!" so of course we had to buy it.

And he's had his first painting experience. He was more interested in putting the brushes in the paint than the actual painting, but that's ok. Speaking of painting, he LOVES the artwork we have in our home. Max's Great-Grandpa, Fred E.Brooks was an artist and we have many of his paintings in our house. Max will stand by one, point at it and say "Tete" which means "painting" and gesture for you to pick him up. Then he just stares and points at the paintings. Then you put him sown and he goes around the house pointing at all of Great-Grandpas paintings wanting you to pick him up so he can get a close look. Pretty cool.
Whew! We're caught up! Next time I'll have some videos. And more about what he's doing, like talking and stuff. He's a pretty cool kid!

Riverdance, here he comes!

2007-06-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Move over Fred Astaire! Max has learned a new dance move. I was cooking breakfast on Father's Day and it was just one of those times when I needed a moment without a wee one hanging on my leg. So I popped in the Sesame Street 25th Anniversary video and let Max watch it. It's a fun video with all the classic songs I remember from my childhood. "Doin' the Pidgeon" and "It's Not Easy Being Green" to name a few. Apparently Elmo is now a Sesame Street classic, he's got a song on the video called "Happy Dancing". It's a snappy little tune about happy feet and tapping toes. Elmo tap dances down a flight of stairs on the video.

SO, Max was watching the video and saw the close up of Elmos feet and looked down at his own and started to tap dance. It was so cute! After I stopped giggling, I grabbed the video camera and rewound the DVD. Sure enough, Max didn't let me down and continued to happy dance away with Elmo. Video is below!

If you remember the old video of him bopping along to the music you can tell his moves have come a long way!

Recent Fun!

2007-06-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

How cute is he?!? This is what Max looks like just before he reaches down to pull the plug out (for the 5th time in 2 minutes!). Sneaky, no?
Max listens intently while his dad shows him the new tools he recently bought and explains the variety of planes and their different uses.

It was HOT here a few weeks ago! Grandpa and I took Max to a local fountain park and it wasn't too long before he made his way through the fountains.

We had a much needed vacation to the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful! Each morning oneof us would get up with Max(6:30 if we were lucky) and take him for a walk on the beach while the other slept in. Then later we'd all hit the sand.Max had a great time. The last day we were there it was gorgous sunny weather and he got to take off his shoes and tiptoe in the water.

We had champagne and balloons waiting for us at the hotel to celebrate or 6 year anniversary. Max went crazy for the balloons (And we went crazy for the bubbly!)

Note the appropriate Oregon Coast outfit... no shorts and tank tops for Max!

We hiked around at a local fort, too.

Books, Books, Books

2007-04-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

If he was talking, he'd say "Read to me, mommy and daddy, please!!!" But since he can't speak (or sign) yet, here's what that looks like:

Max LOVES books. It's borderline obsessive! I remember telling my cousin Kathie when Max was about 6 months old that he chewed up all his books- it looked like we had mice. She told me that it's still good, still a way that he's showing an interest in books early on. I guess it's true cause now he just can't get enough. After he hands you a book, he turns around and backs up and plops down into your lap. If you're not able to read to him, he squats down and reads to himself. Yesterday Ron said to me, "I'll give him the bath tonight and you do the bedtime story...I don't think I can take reading him those books again!" So off to the library we went and got a bazillion books- and some CD's too, cause he loves music almost as much as books. And his top 10 favorite CD's are gettin' OLD! I love the library, but I have a HUGE problem with returning things...ever. Inevitably I owe at least $15 each trip from overdue or lost fines. In fact Ron questions whether I should even use the library anymore. But unless we are going to read the same 15 books to Max over and over and over again... we need the library. The receipt is on the fridge, and due dates set up on my calendar. We'll see how it goes! Here he is sitting in the bin we got for library books...

We got him this cute kids chair, but weren't sure he'd use it. Sure enough as soon as we brought it home he climbed into it with a book!

And finally, just some cute "on the go" pictures we took this morning. I can't believe he fits into his Ramonster coveralls! When we got them they seemed soooooo big. sigh. What a big boy we have!

Max's First Birthday!

2007-04-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

Laughing

2007-03-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Recent video of Max laughing hysterically while Ron tosses a cloth at him.

Super Capes for Super Kids!

2007-02-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

Warning- shameless self-promotion ahead!

So I am officially selling my super capes online! I got a store on http://www.etsy.com/. This site, for those of you not familiar with it, is a place to buy and sell handmade things. It's HUGE, with artisans of every medium from wood to fabric, to recycled things. It's a great place to look for unique gifts.

Here's a link to my store there: http://www.panjo.etsy.com/. Panjo- Super Capes for Super Kids. I set it up about a week ago and have made one sale, to a lady I know from MDC who makes awesome Mei Tais. The thing with Etsy is that it's so huge, you really have to do a lot of promotion. People won't find my capes unless they are looking for capes. It won't come up in searches for "unique children's gift" unless I continue to add a new item everyday. I'm working on that! I'm also working on buying the domain for PanjoKids so I can at least have a regular website that links to the Etsy one.

Anyhow, this morning I woke up to a nice email from another Etsy user, GwynnsGifts. She got what's called a Treasury, meaning she was chosen to put together a page of her favorite items and it gets featured for 2 days on a main link. She picked one of my capes as a favorite spring item! You can view the treasury here. She has some pretty cute items picked.

So, pass on the link to my Etsy page if you know someone who might be looking for a fun gift for their kid. I mean, St. Patricks Day is right around the corner, or perhaps a belated Presidents Day gift?

On the home front, we've been going for walks to the park lately, after Ron gets done with work. It's been a nice break in the day, time to enjoy the nice weather we've had lately. Here are some pictures of Max at the park.

And last week at an MDC playgroup, Max in a sea of toys, and trying to hang with the older cool kids.
Ron had to go out of town for work for a few days, we miss him! Max has started to get really sad when people leave, or when we leave someplace fun. He cried when we left playgroup last week, and lunch with friends on Tuesday. Tuesday night he was so happy to hear from Ron on the phone, he was all smiles until we started saying "bye bye"... then he started to cry. Last night I had to work, so my parents came over and babysat. Here's what I came home to at 10:30...

We are so lucky!

Goodbye to another friend...too soon.

2007-02-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

I know it's been awhile since we've posted. There has been a lot going on, but I haven't wanted to post anything until I posted about our good friend who passed away recently... and I haven't really known how to do that. But it was an important week for Max so here it is. It was only a few months ago that Paul passed away unexpectedly, and now another good friend, another awesome dad, another role model, another warm and funny and smart man died unexpectedly. Our friend Geoff had a heart attack a couple of weeks ago and died. He was 51. Ron, Max, and I had been to Seattle a couple of times in the last year, since moving to Portland. We had talked about getting together with Geoff and Vicki, but each time the visit was too short so we didn't. That is my one regret, that I didn't get to see him one last time, and that Max never got to meet him.

Geoff Mathay started out as my teacher. It was ASL 1 class in 1996 and he quickly became my favorite teacher. His classes were fun and challenging. I took 2 years' of classes with him, and he later became a friend. We used to get together with friends and play music- a lot of Indigo Girls' songs and old folk songs. I met his family, his wife Vicki and I became friends and would get together and stamp. His daughter Emily at that time was little- 5 or 6 years old. She's 13 now. For our ITP graduation gift Geoff got the group of us studio time. We went in and made a CD of all our favorite music. Geoff on guitar, except the one time he sang a John Prine song. Emily sat in on a few songs, and Vicki took pictures. We called ourselves Geoff and the Terpettes. And the Shaker Mamas. It was such a fun day, one I'll never forget!

When we learned about Geoffs passing, Max and I went up to Seattle for the week. Because of my sadness about not seeing him one last time, I made an effort to see a lot of people that we had put off seeing for whatever reason. I didn't want to have that regret again with other people.

There was a private memorial on Tuesday and a public one on Saturday. Ron couldn't join us. I was asked to sing with Sara and Kelly for the memorials, just like old times, except without Geoff on guitar. Max and I spent Monday and Tuesday night at Kelly's house, as did Sara and Jamie. Kelly and Chris have an adorable daughter, Gracy Mae, who is 3. She was the best hostess and Max loved playing with her. It was really nice to re-connect with these friends. While Ive seen Sara and Jamie occasionally over the last few years, it's been about 5 years since seeing Kelly and Chris. We hadn't sang together in at least that long, so we spent a couple of hours Monday night learning a new song for the memorial and singing singing singing. Geoff would have loved the fact that we were all together singing again.

Tuesdays service was incredibly moving. It was at a funeral hall, and there was an empty room in the back where the reception wold be, and Max and I hung out there listening to the service over the speakers. All of the people who spoke had such amazing things to say, it was very touching. I was especially moved by the speech that his son Ryan made. Ryan was Geoff's step-son, but his speech was all about what a great dad he was, how Geoff taught him so much, and how he will strive to be as good a father as Geoff to his own son. Max was really a trooper throughout the whole trip- his naps were all off schedule, if he even got them at all. While we sang, Chris and Max hung out in the back room, and I could see them dancing to the music as we sang (Say Goodbye by the Girlymen).

Wednesday we walked to a great consignment store in Everett, then Max and I went down to Grandma and Grandpa Blaker's house for the rest of the trip. It was great to have some time with them! We went out to dinner, and went shopping at Ikea. We also went by and visited Max's new baby cousin, Sophia. She is adorable! Her mom (Ron's cousin) is lucky enough to be able to bring her to work with her, so she has a little nursery behind her office and great-grandma Blaker comes over to help. It was great seeing this part of the family.

On Friday night Dave, Chaos, and Fiona came over for dinner. Max had not had a nap and was exhausted! He still managed to have some time dancing with Fiona. Grandpa Sam has a thing for those annoying- I mean silly- battery operated animals that sing and dance. I think it all started with Big Mouth Billy Bass, and now he's got everything from the Caddyshack gopher singing and dancing, to Matzo Marty and Latke Larry (or something like that). I took a video clip with my cell phone of the two of them dancing. They were pretty cute!

On Saturday we were up early to have coffee with my Aunts Doris and Marybeth. It was a nice, but too short, visit. Then we were off to breakfast with Kelly, Chris, Sara and Jamie, and over to the college for the public memorial.

Max fell asleep in the mei tai carrier just before we were supposed to sing. I knew it would wake him up to move him, so I let him sleep, and we sang while he slept on my chest. It made it even more special to sing for Geoff with my baby there asleep. This time I had been asked to speak on behalf of his former students. What a big responsibility! Geoff was a much loved and respected teacher, it was easy to get up there and talk about what he meant to his students, but hard being up there and looking out at the sea of people, seeing Emily and Vicki there in the front row, without him.

Geoff loved the outdoors. He loved hiking, camping, and kayaking. He loved linguistics, geology, music, friends, and above all, his family.

I think the hardest thing about all this is the suddenness of it all. Both with Paul and Geoff. I mean, there are not many people outside of family that I look up to in the way I did those two men. Wonderful parents, funny, kind, smart, loving. I am a better person for having known them- they have influenced the way Ron and I parent Max, and in that way Max will have known a little bit of them.

Cruisin'

2007-01-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

So Max is full on cruising around the house. A mere 3 days after his first steps he was walking down the hall, and a few days after that he'd turn corners and was walking more than crawling. Below is a video I took this morning of him cruising around the house.

This morning Max and I were hanging out downstairs. He was happily playing in the living room and I went into the kitchen to check my email really quickly. There is nothing in the living room that he isn't supposed to touch or play with, so I knew he was safe. And we have a very open floorplan, so I could see him much of the time. Anyhow, I check my email, nothing new, and go back to the living room. I can't find Max! I can't hear him... nothing. I'm frantic at this point, the doors are all locked, so he couldn't have left. He has never shown any interest in the stairs, but I still run up the landing and look up them... no Max. Back downstairs I call out his name, and look behind chairs. Nothing. Then back upstairs and into our bedroom... there he is! He had gone all the way upstairs and into our room in a matter of a minute. Thank goodness he didn't fall, or go into the office or sewing room where it isn't babyproofed. So now we know- Max can climb stairs. Fast.

What's up?

2007-01-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

It snowed here last week! We got a few inches, and it stuck around for a couple of days. The neighborhood kids were out making snow people, so Max and I ventured out to see what was going on. He was more interested in the neighbors dog than the snow! Ron caught this picture from up in his office. It's hard to tell, but Max was pretty excited to see his dad up in the window!
Ron and I have both started new hobbies. I have been sewing and knitting, and he's been doing more woodworking. He's taking a class once a week up in Portland, and our garage is getting an overhaul to fit his tools and make a new work area. We get to reap the benefits of both our hobbies, as you can see from the pictures Max loves the ride on toy that Ron made for Christmas, and he;s got some new clothes from me. Below is a great picture of the toy Ron made. And the banana pants are my creation.
Grandpa and Grandma Brooks have been coming over to play and babysit more often. It's great, and Max loves having them so close! Here's grandpa taking him out for a ride in a mini wagon. That's the poncho that I started knitting months ago... finally done!
And lastly, as some of you have been the recipients of these gifts, you might already know. I have been sewing kids capes, and they are pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself! I have been selling them, so far mostly to MDC mamas up here, but I am considering selling them online soon. Of course I have to use Max as a model.

Putting on his best superhero face...

And for the girls...

More pictures here on a page I quickly put together to let people pick fabrics.

Rons parents came up this weekend to celebrate Rons birthday. We went to OMSI, and had a great time! Max just loves his grandparents so much, as soon as he saw grandma Cindy his arms went out to her. And half the time he just wants her to pick him up so she'll take him to see grandpa Sam!

Max is totally walking now. His first steps were on Monday, and by Wednesday he'd walk across the room. Now he trucks around all over the place! We'll post another video soon.

Dancing Boy

2007-01-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of Max dancing. He loves to dance lately! He'll hear the music in the background of a commercial, or on a cell phone, and just start bopping away. He prefers electronic music, like in some of his toys, so we turned on some techno music and let him go.

First Steps!

2007-01-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true! Max took his first steps tonight. He's been happily cruising around with his push toys foe awhile now, but tonight he let go of our hands and took several steps on his own. We ran and got the video camera, so here's a clip! He'll be 10 months old on Wednesday. It's crazy to think that he could be trucking around the house by his first birthday!

Chasing Max

2007-01-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

Max loves to be chased. If someone is walking behind us he'll turn and start to laugh because he thinks they will chase him. Even the people helping us out to the car with the groceries! He isn't really into the catching him part, just the chase.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the past few weeks. Video to come soon!

Max and I getting ready for our houseguests- Grandma and Grandpa Blaker and GrandmAmmi would be arriving soon to stay with us for a few days. Notice that despite the pack-n-play and excersaucer in the background Max is hanging out in his prefered spot- on my back. Can I have my AP card back now???
On Christmas Eve we went to Grandma and Grandpa Brooks' house for a delicious dinner of Great-Grandmas spaghetti (we just call her Great for short!). We had missed the Hannukah celebration in Seattle a couple of weeks prior, so Max opened his Hannukah gifts. He got some really nice toys, and a beautiful fabric doll that his Great Grandma Blaker brought home for him from Israel!

We had christmas dinner at our house. Here's everyone except Ron, who is taking the picture. Grandma and Grandpa Blaker, Uncle Larry, GrandmAmmi, Great, Grandpa and Grandma Brooks, and Max and I.

Max, in his cool new outfit from Auntie Barbara (The shirt says, "Oh come let us adore me") riding on the vehicle that his dad made him. That's right, Ron made this cool wooden ride on toy. It is beautiful, and much to our surprise, Max stands up and walks around with it already!

And riding on the Grandpa-Sam-Mobile!

No comment necessary for this next pucture!

Playing with Uncle Larry

And GrandmAmmi
Sleepy Max at the end of the day.

On New Years Eve we had Rich, Breana, and Kaden (and we missed Kylin) over along with Nadine, Mahlon, and Josie (we missed Naia) to ring in the new year. It was fun seeing the babies play together! Max pushed Kaden around in his wagon that GrandmAmmi got him for Christmas. He loves that thing!
Poor Josie... Max tried to steal her toys.

Kaden and Max conked out at the end of the night.

New video!

2006-12-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

9 months old!

2006-12-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Max had his 9 month check up this week- he's 22 lbs. 30.6 inches... he is soooo close to walking unassisted. We put storage bins up to block the fireplace andhe walks from each one to the next, to the couch, to the ottoman, all while just touching a bit for security. I still think he'll have his first step by Christmas! He's got 7 teeth, and puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. He's had a really bad cold the past week or so, but we seem to be on the tail end of it. He babbles more and more, like he's having a conversation in another language. Very cute! His favorite "word" is "doot!".

Here are some pics from the past few weeks.

Eating Gorrilla cereal (like Kix) this morning. He is so cute feeding himself- he pinches the piece of cereal and nibbles on it between his front teeth. He eats that tiny piece in 3 bites!

We had some serious baking to do for the neighbors. He spent a couple days on my back while we made cookies and homemade Irish Cream. Yum! Don't let the PJ's decieve you, this was about 3:00 in the afternoon. .. We went to a nearby christmas tree farm with grandma and grandpa Brooks to get our tree this year. It was a very cold morning! It was fun to pick our tree and watch them bang the loose needles and wrap it up with their string machine.
Trying to get some cute pictures for a holiday card...

I know it's blurry, but it's just so cute! He gets really excited sometimes and the energy just rushes out of him...
We went to an MDC cake party last week and met TONS of local mamas that I have only known online. Max loved crawling all around and stealing other kids' toys. Here he and Kaden were battling it out for the block...

Photo

2006-11-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

This is the picture that was in the LA Times and Chicago Tribune. Photographer Craig Mitchelldyer was nice enough to send me a high resolution image so we could get a good print of it. Photos of the Portland nurse-in also appeared in newspapers in China, Africa, and Hong Kong!

We had a great Thanksgiving up in Seattle with both Rons and my families.

With Auntie Pam and Uncle Gardner With Grandpa Sam and Auntie DebbieMax has a bit of a cold, so we missed Fionas first birthday. Happy Birthday, Fiona!

Little Lactivist Strikes Again!

2006-11-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

Winning International Symbol for Breastfeeding:

You may have heard about the woman who was kicked off a Delta airplane for breastfeeding her baby. Basically she was nursing her child in the second to last row, in a window seat, next to her husband. They were the only ones in that row. The flight attendant offered her a blanket to cover up more, she declined, and the flight attendand stated that she was offended, and had them removed from the plane. Yikes! I can't imagine how much noisier flights would be if babies were not allowed to breastfeed. And Max for one is not able to nurse under a blanket, nor should he have to. Yes, the mother could have taken the blanket just to keep the peace, but how will change ever happen if all we do is placate ignorant people and cater to them being "offended" by something as simple as feeding a baby? This woman was made to feel ashamed and embarassed, as if she was doing something wrong. Ugh. Not only that, but if this attitude of breastfeeding as something gross, shameful, dirty, etc. continues, we will see young people, new moms, soon-to-be-moms making a choice not to breastfeed their baby because they are embarassed, or they think it is inconvenient, when clearly it is the healthiest thing for babies. That would be sad.

So today there was a nurse in across the country at Delta ticket counters everywhere. Not only to say "Shame on Delta!" but to call for congress to pass the Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection Act which would allow all women to nurse in public regardless of which state they live in (currently different states have different laws). At PDX (Portland Airport) there were 40 mamas with their babys! Of course Max and I were there, too. There were many reporters, photographers, and journalists. We made it on all the local news stations today, and apparently there were a few people from the Associated Press, so we could even have made it national- like USA Today, which has been covering the story closely.

Edited to add: here are some links to news reports. You can see us in some of them!

KOIN

KATU

The photographers loved Max, with his "Got Breastmilk?" t-shirt on. Of course there was too much going on for him to nurse, but when we got home he quickly ate, and fell asleep. Ron took this sweet picture of him, resting his hand on my hand. No blanket covering...is this offensive???

First Word!

2006-11-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

Max is 8 months old today... man, time flies!

This week is pretty momentous- he signed his first word! We have been signing several words with him over the last few months, but when he is eating in his high chair facing us he's a captive audience, so it's no surprise that "more" was his first sign! Now, his production is a bit off (haha) but the same thing happens with baby speech, right? They don't always pronounce words correctly at first (isn't that what makes it so cute?) but the important thing is that we know what they mean. So he's been signing "more" when he eats for about a week now. Then this morning I was playing with him turning him upside down and he spontaneously signed "more"without any prompting at all. It's pretty cool that he could figure out how to use it in a different context! Here's a video of our breakfast last week. He signs it several times, it is when he brings his hands together and grabs his thumb. It's fairly long (3 min, I think)

He also babbles a TON! Here are 2 cute videos of his babbling. It sounds like "blah blah blah"... No spoken words yet, although he babbles "mamamama" as much as I'd like to think he's saying Mama, I know he's not. I'm betting that "Dada" will be his first word cause he is just so in love with his dad!

In other news, We're all getting ready for Thanksgiving up in Bonney Lake (near Seattle) with Rons family. My parents and grandma are coming along, too. Should be fun! Grandma came over on Tuesday and I taught her about email. This is an 80+ year old lady who didn't even know hoe to use a mouse... and she did great! It will be fun for her to get family photos, etc when she checks her email at our house.

Max wants to walk really badly. He pulls himself up on everything, and will stand unassisted for a few seconds- it gets longer and longer everyday. He has 4 teeth, 2 top, 2 bottom and it looks like the next two on top are on their way. He chews on EVERYTHING these days.

My parents have been great at babysitting while I work once or twice a week. Usually just a few hours while Ron is upstairs working, or once in awhile while Ron and I get a date night. It is so great having them close, and Max loves them so much.

Hey, if you read our blog regularly, post a comment once in awhile! It's really nice knowing people are reading- it makes it worth the time it takes writing them! Also, you can subscribe to receive notification when we post a new message. Just enter your email address up where it says "Blogarythm- Keep it Fresh!" on the left hand side.

Photos

2006-11-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

Jack-Jack
Max-O-Lantern

Max's Laugh

2006-11-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

We bought a Storypeople print that says: "The first time his laughter unfurled its wings in the wind, we knew that the world would never be the same." and it's so true! When you realize that you have such an effect on someone- to make them so happy- it truly changes the way you think about life and parenting! He's pretty fun, and he smiles and laughs so freely.

Here's a video that we took today of Max and Ron playing. His laugh is totally infectious!

October

2006-10-31T09:25:00.000-08:00

We've been busy, but hope to post some videos soon! Today is Halloween- Max is going to wear a Jack-Jack costume (from The Incredibles) cause he looks just like him with his little spike of hair. Breana and family are coming over tonight, so I'm sure we'll have a great time with lots of pictures to share.

I have been sewing like a champ ever since we returned from California. While there, my Aunt Barbara gave me some lessons and I made him a cute sushi outfit. Since then I have borrowed my moms serger and taken a class on sewing my own diapers. I've made some pretty good ones! Now that we are washing our own I get to play with some fun designs instead of the boring (and tedious) diaper service prefolds. I have made several of them into fitted diapers so I don't have to fold anything. I've also made some pocket diapers that are like fuzzi bunz, and some fleece pants, which repel water and work like a cover. Mom and Dad (Cindy and Sam) also got us two FABULOUS snap-ez all-in-ones . These are nice- no covers, just the one diaper (hence the name... all-in-one) so you just pop them on as easily as a disposable. They are great to have in the diaper bag and not have to struggle with snapping, stuffing, wrapping, etc. a regular cloth diaper. Anyhow, enough about diapers!

Ron has been working with the shopsmith that his parents recently passed on to him. He made a beautiful planter box to cover the frame for the window AC when we remove it for the winter. Pictures of both out recent projects coming soon!

Here are some recent pictures of Max

Sushi pants and shirt I made for Max

On our trip to the pumpkin patch

Eating bananas

Naked time!

Playing with Kaden and Kylin

We've sure been having a lot of fun with him! He is very mobile and loves to explore. He's really easy going, loves people, and laughs easily.

Happy Halloween!

Breastfeeding Icon

2006-10-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Mothering Magazine had a call out to design an international symbol for breastfeeding. This would be similar to the wheelchair symbol for accessability, or the women and men seen on a bathroom door. It would be for places where they have a mothers lounge, like an airport. You often see a picture of a bottle on these places, but since breastfeeding is the normal and healthiest way to feed our babies, shouldn't the symbol on these lounges reflect that? It feels like bottles are overwhelmingly present in our American society- at baby showers, on wrapping paper, with dolls...many kids think that this is the only way to feed a baby! But I digress...

The idea of having an icon is great. Many of the designs are perfect. You can click the link below to view the 12 finalists and vote for your favorite. The rejects are also posted and many are beautiful or funny... worth a look! I liked number 7 the best (above) because it is more clear that the baby is nursing as opposed to just being held, but it might be too stylized for an airport, etc. 8 is my second pick. What do you think?

http://www.mothering.com/sections/action_alerts/icon-contest.html

We're Back!

2006-10-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

We're back from our trip to California. It was great to see so many friends and family members. Brittanys wedding was beautiful, and the celebration of Pauls life was incredibly moving. Below are a few pictures to hold you over until we have time for a proper post!

Dinner at Chez Reid

The cousins kiddos all together (except missing baby Wells)

Grandma Ammi and Max hangin out at Grantie Barbaras house

Uncle Larry and Max at the wedding

Father and Son

Cousin Christopher

Cousin picture! Beautiful Bride Brittany, Larry, Mandie, me, Kathie, Debbie

the gorgous Auntie Lauren and Max

Quick Post

2006-09-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

So our computer is broken. again. It has been sent back to be repaired, but this means no pictures or long posts for awhile. Max and I are at the library now, typing one handed with him in the sling,and he's starting to squeal (his new thing) so this is quick! We have much to catch up on. Max now is doing a funny hop/crawl thing- he looks like a frog. But it means he can now get from point A to point B on his own! We have video that we will post when we get the computer back.

Next week we head down to California for my cousin Brittany's wedding and to see friends and family. We are looking forward to it.

I hate to post such sad news, but Paul passed away on Tuesday. Even though I knew it was a strong possability, the forever optimist in me really believed that he would pull through. It is a sad time, and I don't think it has really sunk in that he won't be there greeting me with "Ellie Belly!!!" next time we visit. It really makes me think about how important it is to let our loved ones know how much we care. I know the Porter family is one that is a good example of that- they always know how much they are loved and valued, and I know Paul knew that as well.

My Second Family

2006-08-25T07:27:00.001-07:00

You often hear people talk about their second family... the Porters are my second family.

When I was a senior in high school I started working at a before and after school program in Carmel Valley. I worked there for almost 5 years. The Porters were one of the families there, with Lauren in 2nd Grade, Reed in Kindergarten, and Robert just a little one when I first met them. At some point, I think I was around 20 years old I was looking for a place to stay, an apartment or room for rent. I mentioned this to Nettie, the mom, who said that they had an extra room, and that I could stay there in exchange for occational babysitting. It was perfect. It wasn't really a nanny job, it was more like I infiltrated their family and became one of them. :-) I lived with the Porters for almost a year, we had a blast. Tickle fights, dressing the kids up like scarecrows and singing "If I only had a Brain" for their parents after a weeknd away, sitting and talking with Paul and Nettie in the evenings with a glass of wine (ok, maybe I was 21!) and the kids doing voice warm ups with me while I got ready to audition for a community theatre show. Paul, Nettie, and the kids really did feel like a second family to me... but even better they became good friends.

Over the last 14 years we have always stayed close. Ron and I always visit when we are down in California, Lauren came and spent a week with us in Seattle, and I was so proud to attend Reeds graduation last year. Paul and Nettie have been more than friends- they have been an example to me of what a good marriage and family is like. Growing up as children of divorce, both Ron and I have said over and over again how hard it is to even see a sucessful marriage these days, and how great the Porters are. When we grow up we want to be the kind of parents/partners that they are. Robert is now a senior in High School and a great athelete. Reed is a sophomore at Sonoma State, and Lauren is getting ready to finish her last semester of college as an art history major in Rome. They have all grown into such great people. All are caring, intelligent, fun, and friendly. Paul and Nettie did a great job!

So what's this all about? Well, last week Paul had a brain aneurysm that burst. He is currently at UCSF Hospital where he is getting the best possible care available. They have stopped the bleeding from the aneurysm, and he is breathing mostly on his own- but things are still very serious as the swelling of the brain still continues to fluctuate and he is in a drug induced coma because of that. There have been additional challenges- small strokes, vasospasms, and pheumonia. They are just trying to keep him stable, and every day they do so his chances get better. But Paul is a very very sick man.

On Saturday Max and I flew down to San Francisco for the weeend. I wanted to visit Paul, as well and just to be there for the family. I was unsure about it because it meant bringing Max along- but really I had no choice and in the end I was so glad that we went. Nettie and the kids (as well as other family members) all said that Max was the best medicine they could've had during such a rough time. His laugh made everyone smile and take a break from the sorrow and anxiety that everyone was feeling. It was Max's first time meeting the Porters, and he loved spending time with his Aunties Nettie and Lauren, and especially being "flown" around by Uncle Wobert. I wish Reed had been around to meet him, but he had to leave to get ready for the first day of classes. And, of course, I know how much Paul would've loved to meet him and watch Robert and Lauren play with him. We hope that he will get to do so soon.

In the midst of hanging around the hospital cafeteria, my mom and brother came up to visit Max. It was just too close to not see him! We took a nice walk to Golden Gate Park. Also, Max and I stayed at my old friend Kimmy's house and got to meet her daughter Penelope, who is just adorable. It was rough travelling with Max on my own at times, but he was a trooper and did great on the plane. I managed to snap a few pictures with my cell phone throughout the weekend and have posted them below.

Paul is such a loved person. He is not only a great dad to his kids, but is also a good friend to so many people. He has always made me feel valuable, like he is genuinely interested in my life- I know he is. He has so much to see and do still... please keep him and the whole Porter family in your thoughts and prayers, send energy, whatever you do... it can only help.

Nettie and Max

Uncle Robert and MaxAuntie Lauren, Uncle Robert, and Max

Uncle Larry andMax, walking in the park

Max's First Teeth!

2006-08-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

But seriously, his two bottom teeth are popping through! We'll post some pictures when we can get a good shot of them.

Max has been rolling onto his belly and lifting his upper body way off the ground. He wants to crawl so badly! He also has found his feet and loves to stick them in his mouth. He'll grab for things, and wil even reach out and grab his binkie and put it back in his mouth the right way! And this morning he reached out for my spoon while I was eating breafast and was very upset when I wouldn't feed him. Not long before he starts trying some solids! Guess we'd better get a high chair and food mill. Here are some cute pictures we took recently. The "Hee Haw" overalls were Rons when he was a tot!

What's Up?

2006-08-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy last few weeks... but then again, when isn't it busy???

We had a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa Blaker a few weekends ago. They spoiled us rotten! Max has already ougrown his infant car seat so a trip to the baby store was in order. A car seat, excersaucer, and baby tent later, Max was one happy baby. Now keep in mind that Ron and I really didn't want a lot of toys for Max. No need for overstimulation with every plastic gizmo on the block, might cause him ADD! Maybe just a swing or bouncer to give us 10 minutes to cook dinner or something. Well, Max really hasn't liked any of the things we have bought, but we keep trying- looking for that elusive "time relief toy". We've now got a bouncer, swing, boppy gym, floor gym, and excersaucer. Ugh! We have all but one thing put away at a time, and he seems to like the toy that he hasn't seen in awhile best. He does really like the excersaucer although he has become obsessed with one toy on it and tries to teeth on it but can't get it into his mouth so he cries and cries. Then when we take him out of it, he still glances back at that blasted toy and will start to cry again. Poor little guy. I'll have to post a video clip of him playing in it.

Last weekend Max and I went to the Babywearing Conference to check out the gorgous slings and carriers at the exhibit hall and to take a workshop on breastfeeding while babywearing. There were some fabulous carriers for sale, it was so hard to restrain myself from buying another one. I know, I have 4 different carriers now, but I use them all differently! Slings are like shoes. I mean, you wouldn't wear the same pair of shoes to the beach, or a wedding, or hiking, right? Yeah, Ron didn't buy it either. The two biggest temptations for me were a Nori Babywearing Jacket and a Mei Tai Asian style carrier. These you wear on both shoulders, and can nurse in,too. Like my Ergo, but more stylish. They have some GORGOUS ones! But they are fairly expensive. When I got home later that evening I got a call that I won a raffle from Along for the Ride and won a beautiful velveteen Hotsling! Well, as thrilled as I was, I also knew that the other carrier that Along for the Ride specializes in are BabyHawk Mei Tais... just the ones I was looking at! So I asked Kristen, the owner, if it was possible to swap and get a Mei Tai instead. She said sure! They would even make one with custom fabric if I want! YIPPEE!!! So Ron and I each picked a fabric- one for each side of a reversable mei tai. I'll have to post some pictures when it arrives.

The breastfeeding while babywearing workshop was very helpful, too. One of the women leading it was Darien from ZoloWear. They are the ones who make the gorgous black silk brokade sling that I have. She is also a friend of my cousin Kathie, so it was fun to say "Hi" to her. She said her son was even wearing a Ramonster shirt that day! I got some tips on nursing Max upright in a sling, and also saw how to nurse in the Mei Tai. I tell ya, it makes life so much easier to be able to nurse while wearing your baby! And with a sling like the Zolowear one that has a tail, you can easily cover up if you want to.

I saw Breana,Rich and the kids there (DID YOU KNOW THEY ARE PREGNANT AGAIN??? YIPPEE AND CONGRATULATIONS!) -they were all going to be in the fashion show on Saturday night. I also met a few people from Mothering.com that I hadn't met in real life before. I wish I had really looked into some of the workshops they offered on Thursday and Friday because there were some pretty cool ones like how to make your own sling or mei tai where you actually made one there and left with a finished product. Or how best to carry a refluxy baby. That one would've been good!

We were pretty concerned about Max having bad reflux, but the most recent homeopathic remedy that his doctor gave us has really helped. His whole demeanor is much better! I also cut out even more foods from my diet- that has helped, too. So now I am not eating: dairy, eggs, wheat, nuts, tomato, soy, garlic, caffiene, carbonation... I think that's it. I will start adding things back in one at a time, but I am pretty sure that Dairy, Caffiene, Wheat, and Tomato will still be out for awhile. I'm getting used to eating rice and corn products!

But all is well here with us all. It is great having Ron working from home, althought I am sure he wishes he had other adults to interact with throughout the day. It is really nice to have him hang out for lunch, pop in to grab coffee, etc. and Max is so lucky to get to see both parents throughout the day. I have still been interpreting a few nights a week, and will hopefully start teaching parents how to sign with their babies pretty soon. More on that later! This month is busy with picnics and home projects. Next month we will be in California for a week or so... a week in Sacramento while Ron works out of Rocklin, and a weekend in Carmel for my cousin Brittany's wedding. We are looking forward to seeing friends and family then!

Breastfeeding Awareness Week

2006-08-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

In honor of BreastfeedingAwareness Week, here is a poem inspired by Dr. Seuss. I wish I knew who wrote it so I could give credit!

Would you nurse him in the park?
Would you nurse him in the dark?
Would you nurse him with a Boppy?
And when your boobs are feeling floppy?

I would nurse him in the park,
I would nurse him in the dark.
I’d nurse with or without a Boppy.
Floppy boobs will never stop me.

Can you nurse with your seat belt on?
Can you nurse from dusk till dawn?
Though she may pinch me, bite me, pull,
I will nurse him `till she’s full!

Can you nurse and make some soup?
Can you nurse and feed the group?
It makes him healthy strong and smart,
Mommy’s milk is the best start!

Would you nurse him at the game?
Would you nurse him in the rain?
In front of those who dare complain?
I would nurse him at the game.

I would nurse him in the rain.

As for those who protest lactation,
I have the perfect explanation.
Mommy’s milk is tailor made
It’s the perfect food, you need no aid.

Some may scoff and some may wriggle,
Avert their eyes or even giggle.
To those who can be cruel and rude,
Remind them breast’s the perfect food!

I would never scoff or giggle,
Roll my eyes or even wiggle!
I would not be so crass or crude,
I KNOW that this milk’s the perfect food!

We make the amount we need
The perfect temp for every feed.
There’s no compare to milk from breast-
The perfect food, above the rest.

Those sweet nursing smiles are oh so sweet,
Mommy’s milk is such a treat.
Human milk just can’t be beat.

I will nurse, in any case,
On the street or in your face.
I will not let my baby cry,
I’ll meet his needs, I’ll always try.

It’s not about what’s good for you,
It’s best for babies, through and through.

I will nurse him in my home,
I will nurse him when I roam.
Leave me be lads and ma’am.
I will nurse him, Mom I am.

Beach Weekend

2006-07-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

We planned on going camping up north last weekend with Dave, Chaos, and Fiona, but with the weather expected to be 105 - 110, we made a change of plans. On Friday my parents were amazingly willing to drive Max and I to the coast to try and get a camping spot on the beach instead. The no-reservation sites are really competitive, people get there very early in the morning to try and catch a camper leaving so we wanted to get there as early as possible. After he was done with work around noon, Ron drove over to meet us (we were pretty optimistic about getting a spot). By that time we knew that we didn't have any chance of getting a spot, so we finally gave up and drove back home. It was a lot of driving, but Max did remarkably well and slept almos tthe whole drive there and back. The traffic wasnt bad, and it was a beautiful drive.

Chaos, Dave, Fiona, and their dog Jezabel all drove down from Seattle to our place and stayed here for the weekend. Since it was supposed to be in the hundreds here and we dont have AC, on Saturday morning we slathered the babes with sunscreen (and neglected to cover ourselves, resulting in some bad sunburns all around) and went back out to the coast and hung out for the day at Cannon Beach. We had a great time!

Fiona (8 months old and full of smiles) and Max hanging out in the morning... they are almost the same size!

At the beach...

And just for fun, this was taken last week after crazily brushing Max's hair to get rid of the last of the cradle cap. What a cutie!

4 Months Old

2006-07-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Max turned 4 months old on Monday! He had his 4 month check up on Tuesday... he's huge! 17.5 lbs... 28 inches. That's in the 90% for weight, and off the charts in length. She had to measure him twice cause she didn't believe that it was right. How did we get such a tall baby??? Well, my grandpa Brooks was very tall, and apparently so are several of Rons uncles... so Max may be towering over us all before we know it. Or not, his growth could slow. But it's pretty funny that we have such a long baby since Ron andI are both under 5'8"

We have had to retire all our 3-6 month clothes, he's now in 9 month stuff. We had been waiting for him to fit into his Ramonster coveralls only to find that they are already too small. It's been so hot that he wasn't able to wear them much, but we did get a really cute picture in them. Ramonster is a line of clothes that Max's Auntie Kathie makes. The cute Bug Hat and Sun Hat that he often wears are old Ramonster stuff, we get compliments about them whenever he wears them. He sure has a talented Auntie!

Lately Max hasn't wanted to nurse on his side (in the usual cradle hold) unless he's really sleepy. We think it's because he's swallowing air and is pretty gassy, so it hurts his stomach to lay down. We are working on that, but in the meantime, the Ergo Baby Carrier has saved us. Its better for baby and mama than the Baby Bjorn, we knew that, but we discovered last week that if we loosen the straps he can nurse in it- upright! So the last few days I've been nursing him and getting him to sleep in the Ergo, while standing up. Last night was a spectacle at 11:30 at night when he was suddenly wide awake and wanted to eat, but not on his side. There I was in just my underwear and the Ergo and Max bopping around nursing! Things we do for love...and sleep!

We are hoping to head to the coast this weekend to go camping- another adventure! I'll post pictures when we get back.

Oregon Country Fair

2006-07-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Oregon Country Fair. This is like no other fair you have seen! Some people described it as a "Hippee Fest", and there was definately more tie dye than I've seen all in one place, but it seemed more like a place for ANYONE to go and have fun. There were people in all kinds of fun and fanciful costumes, many in regular street clothes, and a few in only body paint and a skirt (men and women). There were several music stages, a circus stage, puppetry, spoken word, and a ton of kids' stuff. We had a great time, and look forward to going back next year!

Circus Contraption

Rich and Kylin

Nadine, Josie, and Naia (peeking around her mom) came down from Portland. Jen (aka Naked Jen) came up from Santa Cruz for the 18th year in a row! It was really great to get to see her again!

Kylin and Rich Hanging out having lunch

The Purvis Family at the fair... oh, and Kylin peeking out! Us again... and who is that smiling in the background?

Our Little Lactivist

2006-07-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday there was a "Nurse-In" at Victoria's Secret stores all across the US. A few weeks back VS told two separate women in two entirely different states that they could not nurse in their changing rooms or the store. They were told it was unsanitary, and told to use the mall bathroom. They compared it to changing a diaper on the store floor. Here is an article that was written in the Oregonian about the location Max and I went to.

It may sound like a petty complaint, however all too often women are made to feel uncomfortable when feeding their babies. I mean, yes, breasts are sensual, but aren't they also practical? It should be no big deal to see a woman feeding her child anywhere! New moms often have enough challenges with breastfeeding- they don't need to be made to feel uncomfortable on top of things. Some moms even choose not to breastfeed because they are worried about feeding their baby in public! Given the fact that feeding a baby artificial milk can result in more allergies, colds... even lower IQ and higher risk of breast cancer in mom, we should be doing everything possible to make breastfeeding easy for new moms. Hopefully with more educating the public, and more and more mammas happily nursing their babies when and wherever necessary, it will become just a normal sight. I mean, really. You see more cleavage on teenagers walking around the mall than you do on those of us nursing there!

Outdoor Dads Hike

2006-06-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went on a hike with Outdoor Dads it was a beautiful day, and we had a great time meeting some other parents. Our friend Sara happened to bein town for the day so she joined us, and we met up with Breana, Rich, Kylin, and Kaden. You can see more pictures on their blog.

Tummy Time Pays Off

2006-06-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today Max rolled over for the first time! From his tummy to his back. He's only just started lifting his head up high when on his belly, so I wasn't expecting the roll anytime soon. So we were having some tummy time, and he did it! The first time I thought it was a fluke, so I put him back on his stomach and he did it a second time. Then I called Ron and he did it a third time. Finally, I realized, "D'oh! These are the things we bought the cam corder for!" So we got it on tape. Click here to see a video of Max rolling over, followed by his latest thing- blowing raspberries through his lips. He does it when he's upset or tired... sure beats the screaming he was doing last week! And it's pretty cute so we kept the camera rolling.

Yesterday it was so beautiful out that we set up a blanket out front and I planted some flowers in the yard while Max hung out.

Then my mom and dad dropped by for a visit.

Max was pretty pooped when we got back from our outings today!

So was I.

Here's the link again to see the video of Max! http://media.putfile.com/Max-Rolls-Over

Our little card shark

2006-06-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last week we played Gripe (aka Hand and Foot) over at my parents, and Max helped me cheat- I mean play!

Then last night Breana, Rich, Kylin and Kaden came over and we taught them how to play. We had a great time! Here are some fun pictures of us and our babes.

And this is from last week, father and son watching the Mariners game.

Recent Happenings

2006-06-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks have been busy! Just when I think things are settling down, they pick right back up again.

I hesitate to post about this because it seems TMI, but since I have had several people tell me that they appreciate the honesty in my posts about the birth, breastfeeding challenges, etc. I have decided to be candid about this as well. Last week we decided to start jogging. I bought a jogging stroller and set out with Max around the neighborhood. I really only jogged for about 2 minutes and just walked the rest. When I got home I took a shower and while washing I noticed that something wasn't quite right. OK, to be honest, something was bulging out of me where it shouldn't have been. I was pretty panicked and came down to tell Ron, and he did some investigating online. It turns out I have uterine prolapse. This means that my pelvic wall is weak, and my uterus and bladder have fallen down from their regular places and are pushing against the vaginal wall, causing a bulge at the vaginal opening. It is fairly common and often happens during pregnancy and childbirth. Many women don't know it has happened, cause it doesn't hurt, you only notice it if you feel it. It is made worse by things like jumping up and down, or in my case... jogging. I went into the doctor, she gave me some herbs and refered me to a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist. So, I start PT for my pelvis next week! Actually, it will only be a few visits, they will do things like teach me ways of strengthening the pelvic floor to get the muscles to tighten again. Mine so far is pretty minor. If it was worse, there is an outpatient surgery they can to to "tape" the organs back where they belong, allowing the muscles to strengthen faster. I think this is something that I will always have to be aware of- no jogging for me! But it apparently isn't as bad as it sounds. It won't impact future pregnancies or births. Apparently some people completely ignore it and it can get better. I'm looking forward to meeting with the PT and learning more about it.

It's all fine now, and know that I know it's not a catastrophic thing, I feel ok. But I have to admit that when it happened, I was pretty bummed out. I have JUST started feeling like I have my body back! The hematoma is virtually gone, we just got over the last bout of thrush, and breastfeeding is going great. I was all excited to excercise, specifically to jog because it would give me a good cardio workout, and it is something that I could do with both Ron and Max. I was feeling ready to workout and try to shed some more pounds, and hopefully feel better about my body and wham, here's a setback- a crazy wierd thing that made me feel like my body isn't my own. I told Ron that I was just starting to feel like being a woman again, not only a mom, then wham... crazy stuff happens. I feel better now after realizing that my organs aren't falling out of me, it just means going back to the drawing board!

On a more positive note, recently Max and I went over to Breanas house and hung out with her, Kaden, and Kylin. Below are some fun pictures.

We spent all this weekend painting our living room, we are finally making this house our home, and getting to add a bit of our style to it. Then last night we went over to my parents house for a BBQ, we had a great time. Tomorrow night we are going to a vaccination seminar, Thursday night Breana, Rich, Kylin and Kaden are coming over to play a game or two, Friday night Ron and I are venturing out for a quick Happy Hour down the street while my parents babysit Max- it will be our first time away from him! I'm sure he'll be fine, and grandma and grandpa will love it, but wish us luck! Then this weekend Rons parents are coming in for Fathers' Day weekend. So it will be a very busy week for us!

This just in! Gramaw came to play today!

How's he doing?

2006-06-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

Click here to see a video of Max smiling while I sing to him! (I fixed the link!)

So, the pictures are great and all, but how's Max doing???

He's great! He was 11 weeks on Friday, and on Thursday he had a doctors appointment. It was just a regular appointment, and everything is fine. He weighs in at 15 lbs, 2oz. and is 26 inches long! That's in the 90 and 95th percentile for his age. He's a big boy!!! People often think he's months older than he really is.

The question that we get asked most is: "Is he sleeping through the night?" My answer is yes...as much as I would expect him to! The definition of sleeping through the night for an infant is 5 hours. The definition that I prefer is sleeping through the night only waking to nurse. That's us. He goes to bed around 8:00, and is up for the day around 6:30. He nurses about 3 times a night, and barely wakes to nurse. Actually, it's getting so that we BOTH barely wake to nurse! The sidelying nursing has got better, so most of the time I am able to just roll over and feed him. Thank goodness for co-sleeping, I can't imagine having to get out of bed to feed him! Plus, he doesn't cry to tell me when he's hungry, we both just happen to stir at the same time. It's very cool. From 3 am or so he doesn't sleep as soundly and is bothered by gas, so Ron or I will snuggle up with him more and he then usually falls right back to sleep. The gas used to really keep him up and make him very uncomfortable, but thanks to eliminating just about everything from my diet, it is MUCH better.

The question that we get second most is: "Is he a good baby?" ??????????? What, is there such a thing as a bad baby? If he was crabby, would I say, "No, actually he's bad." ? At any rate, I am always a bit miffed by this question even though I do find myself telling Max, "You're such a good baby!" :-) But the truth is, he's really easy going most of the time. Today we had the first rough night of intermittent crying and screaming, inconsolable by rocking, nursing, burping, binkie, massage... everything! Except a bath, we didn't try that. He did finally go to sleep at 8:00 and hopefully will be fine overnight. We think he might have a tummy ache, he hasn't had his usual 2 poops today. But aside from tonight, he's a pretty happy baby! He seems to be very social, he really likes being out and about where there are people and things for him to see. He loves being outside, and he likes to lie on a blanket under the tree and look up at the leaves.

Breastfeeding has been better. We had another bout with thrush last week, but have done the full regiment of Gentian Violet, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Probiotics, and All Purpose Nipple Ointment and it's pretty much gone. To help with Max's gas, I have cut out all wheat, dairy, soda, beans, and broccoli. To help with the pain from nipple vasospasm, I cut out caffeine. To help with his rash, I cut out tomatoes. It sucks! Oh, and now to prevent the thrush from coming back I am supposed to be cutting out sugar. Ugh. Luckily apparently 4 months is supposed to be a magical moment when their stomachs become stronger and I should be able to add a lot of things back into my diet.

I have been working one or 2 nights a week, Ron and Max hang out together on those nights. It's working out really well. They get some guy time, and I have found that while I do miss them, I am happy to be around other adults and have some non-baby time once in awhile. During the day Max and I go out a lot, to various play groups or meetings, or just to run errands. Today we went to an API-Portland meeting, which was great! There were probably 15 moms and their kids, and the topic was how to avoid "mommy burn-out". It was really good to hear what many of them do, and I got to meet other like-minded mamas in the area. Max slept in the sling through most of the meeting, but when he was awake he liked watching the kids run around and play.

Great-Gramaw still comes over to hang out with us, or to join us on our errands and be on "Binkie Patrol" in the car. Grandpa comes over to help out, too. It's great having the family so close.

All in all, we are really enjoying being parents. He's always entertaining, and every day it seems like he is doing something new!

Click here to see a video of Max smiling while I sing to him!

Memorial Day Weekend

2006-05-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend... but it didn't feel long enough!

Saturday we just hung out and got some things done around the house. We are lucky enough to have lots of wall space, so we hung several of my grandpas paintings.

Max is trying to suck his thumb... but he hasn't wuite managed to separate it from the rest of his hand! He gets his entire hand in his mouth... it's crazy!

Sunday we had some friends over for games. We had a great time! Nadine and Mahlon came over with their two kids, Naia (3 years old) and Josephine (1 month old), Bauer came over with Adam (10 years old... I think) and Chaos and Dave came down from Seattle with Fiona (6 months old) and their dog Jezabel to stay the night. It was a fun group! Games go a lot slower with all the breaks to change diapers, help toddlers, etc!

Monday morning Fiona and Max hung out on the floor for awhile, Fiona just might grow up to be a massage therapist from the way she was patting down Max!

It was really fun to see what lies ahead for Max in only a few months, Fiona is sitting up, smiling ALL the time, rolling over, etc. But then again, she clearly is an overachiever, so maybe Max won't be doing any of those things! Well, he already smiles quite a bit, so we're working on that one!

And here's a picture of Ron and Max out in the backyard. Have I mentioned that Ron is already obsessed with lawn care? Gotta keep up with the Joneses, I guess! So Ron was checking out the seeds that he put down last week, and shoing Max the importance of fertilization

Recent Photos

2006-05-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the last week or so- Max sure is lucky to have such a great family- his grandparents love him so much!

Sleepy mornings with Grandmammi.

Thank goodness for great-grandmas help with laundry! Can you spot Max in the midst of this mess???
Bath time!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2006-05-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

Today is our five year wedding anniversary. What an amazing 5 years it's been! It seems like it's gone by so quickly, but then again, we have done so much in the 5 years that it also feels longer.

Our wedding day was so beautiful- and fun! At that time we were living in Seattle, and thewedding was ina beautiful little town called Fall City, about 30 minutes from Seattle. Ron and I had been together for 7 years before getting married. We have never been really affectionate in public, we'd been fairly private with our feelings until that day. It was really great to be surrounded by our family and friends and publicly share our vows- which we wrote ourselves. I don't think either of us had ever been happier than we were on our wedding day!

Our honeymoon was 8 weeks of backpacking through Europe. What an incredible experience! We went to Belgium, England, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Wales, and France. We definately caught the travel bug and have been wanting to go back ever since!

When we got back, Ron applied to grad school. When he was accepted to UCDavis Graduate School of Management, we moved down to California. We made some great friends through the GSM.

I quickly got involved in the Sacramento Valley chapter of RID, and served on the board for 3 of the 4 years we were there. I was so fortunate to not only be involved in the interpreting community, but also to make such wonderful friends!

During these 5 years Ron and I took trips to Texas to visit the cousins and their kids...

to Colorado for me to take the RID certification tests and visit with family and my friend Lauren...

and spent a week in Martha's Vineyard for Dave and Chaos' wedding.

Ron graduated after 2 years, and got a job with HP (where he had interned the year before). Before he started full time work, we decided to take another trip and spent 5 weeks in SE Asia. A few days in Hong Kong, a quick jaunt to Cambodia, and most of our time in Thailand. We went to 2 Schools for the Deaf, one in Cambodia, the other in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We had several lazy days on the beach, adventures in moped riding, and crazy tuk tuk rides. We came back with a new outlook on life- seeing true poverty in a foreigh country- especially Cambodia where the prior development that the country had was destroyed by the Pol Pot regime. It was like being in a third world country- and the people were so nice, we really learned a lot.

When we came back we moved to Rocklin to be closer to HP. A year later we decided to try to start a family. We got pregnant right away, and started thinking seriously about where we wanted to raise a child. At that time, my parents were ready to move as well. They wanted to be closer to us, now that a grandchild was on the way! Ron and I missed the Northwest, and my dad has always wanted to move back to Oregon (where he went to school) so we decided to head on up here and relocate the family. It didn't hurt that the housing costs up here were so much lower than in California! Also, we wanted to becloser to Rons parents so they could watch Max grow up. We got Gramaw (spelled that way on purpose- that's how my brother and I thought it was spelled growing up- it stuck!) to move up here, too. It felt like a caravan- the Brooks/Purvis family migration!

When we arrived we set out to buy our first home. 10 days after moving in, Max was born! Many people buy homes and start a family much younger than us (we're both 32) but we decided to take our time and travel a bit before settling down. We are so glad we did, what great adventures we've had! That's not to say we aren't going to travel now with kids, but the mortgage payment hinders things a bit! We are already thinking about when our kid(s?) will be old enough for us to head abroad again.

So here we are, five years later and in our own house with a cool little baby, and as mushy as it sounds, each adventure, from travel to baby, makes us learn new things about each other, and find new things to love about each other. Happy Anniversary to us!

Two Months Old!

2006-05-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Max is 2 months old today... man, time flies!

Two minutes old-

Two hours old-

Two days old-

Two weeks old-

Today! Two months old-

Happy Mothers' Day!

2006-05-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

What an honor it is to be joining all the fabulous moms out there and celebrating my first Mothers' Day! I didn't realize how excited I would be for today. I think it's because the last 8 weeks have been all about being a mom- so much responsability, overwhelming love, pride, and joy. Cheers to all you moms out there!

Yesterday we drove up to Seattle for lunch with Grandma and Gradpa Blaker (Rons parents).
This morning I got breakfast in bed- pancakes with strawberries and eggs. Ron brought me some Claritea in a cool photo mug with a collage of Max photos on it. Something for me to bring with me on the evenings I am working. It's perfect! Then the 3 of us lazed in bed making each other laugh. Max is so smily in the mornings! It is fun to make him smile his big ol' grin. His facial expressions crack us up. He's better than TV.

Grandma and Grandpa Brooks came over for a quick visit, and Max and I brough over some flowers and photos to Great Grandma Brooks ("Just call me Great" she says!)

Then Ron, Max and I went for a drive throught the countryside, through orchards and farms and ended up at a park where we had a short walk and a little mini-picnic.

Then back to the house to laze around for the rest of the afternoon. What a perfect day!

Sunny Days

2006-05-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

The weather here is just beautiful! It definately makes for nice outside time.

And Happy Birthday Grandpa! Cinco de Mayo was my dads birthday, he came over and visited with Max for a bit.

And in honor of the San Jose Sharks doing so well in the playoffs, here's a picture I took of Max watching a hockey game a few weeks ago. Now, I don't normally prop him up in front of the TV like this (although he is fascinated by it!) but his Uncle Larry is in a band with one of the Sharks (Mark Smith) so the family has been on a sort of hockey kick... even my Gramaw is watching hockey! The band (Talking Trees) is fairly new, and has even been mentioned on ESPN during the game. All very exciting for them. Anyhow, Uncle Larry was coming for a visit so I clicked this pic of Max watching the Sharks game.

Smile for the Camera... Day 2

2006-05-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Max was quite smily. I brought the camera with me all morning in hopes to catch a shot of his grin. Here is how the morning progressed.

Waiting for me to get him into the bath with me. I don't think he liked the bug on the mobile!

Just after he got a massage and got dressed. I don't think he's happy about nap time!
Getting ready for a nap with mama... it took him awhile to settle down! He was practicing his breakdancing moves (the same ones I think he was doing in my belly during the last 2 months of pregnancy)!

No paparazzi, please!Settling down...Is that a grin?No doubt about it! How could you not just fall in love with that face!

No Longer Newborn

2006-05-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

I have been informed that Max is no longer a newborn, he's officially an infant. Of course all it takes is one look at his chubby cheeks to see that he's growing so quickly- this doesn't surprise me!

He has been smiling so much more lately, it's really fun to see him smile in response to something- he even smiled when I called home and Ron put the phone to his ear while I was talking! Last week he had his first smile in responce to someone- Uncle Larry was saying goodbye and Max smiled at him. He's been taking off smiling since then! This morning he smiled when Ron came down on a break, and he often smiles at us when he wakes up from a nap or in the morning. It's really fun to be able to do something to coax a smile out of him instead of the newborn time when they mostly smile randomly in their sleep.

So, I tried to capture his smile on film this morning to share with all of you. He was having none of it. Below is a series of pictures of me trying to get him to smile, to no avail.

In other news, I took a few hours of work at the video relay call center. I was really nervous about pumping and having Ron bottle feed Max- often when introducing a bottle the baby will not want to take the breast again. I was overly anxious all weekend just waiting to see what happened. On a trial run on Saturday night, he did fine. I should've known that with all he's been through so far- breastfeeding, finger feeding, pacifier, etc. that he would drink from just about anything! Ron was home having father son time during the 5 hours I was gone, and it went just fine. This was when I called home and Max smiled when he heard my voice. That made the shift a lot better! They were really great about allowing me time to pump during my break, there was a nice quiet room and I was able to use our new double electric breast pump just fine. It was quite a sight, though! I knew that I would also need to eat on my break, so I rigged my sports bra with two holes to hold the pumps. So basically I could hands-free pump... but it was a strange feeling being hooked up to a machine pumping my breasts while I ate a sandwich.. I will only be working one or two nights a week, just for 5 hours. Ron will be home with Max. It will be a good opportunity for Max to get used to Daddy putting him to sleep once in awhile, and all in all I think it's a good thing for all of us.

One of my favorite things (and I'm making a list- to be posted here later) is taking naps with Max. I try to nap with him at least once a day. Here's a picture that Ron caught of us napping on the couch last week.

Another thing I love is waking up in the morning to my husband and son lying in bed. I feel so lucky! We have Max's crib attached to our bed with one side removed (like a sidecar) and he starts off in the crib part at night, but he usually ends up between Ron and I by morning. We laze in bed a few minutes just playing with him. It is a great way to start off the day. This was taken this morning.

Recent Visits

2006-04-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Max has been meeting a lot of new people lately! I thought I'd post some pictures of his new family and friends.

First, a few weeks ago my brother Larry came up to meet him. He's coming back today to spend the week with us while Ron is away on a business trip. We are excited about Uncle Larry coming, but will miss Ron a lot!

Max enjoying a few rays of sun... I can't remember why we had the burp cloth over his head... but it made a funny picture!

Great Gramaw has come over a few times to hang out with Max while I get some stuff done around the house. It is pretty wonderful listening to her sing to him ("My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean") and see him stare up at her face. I never thought we'd all live so close to each other to be able to share these "ordinary" everyday experiences. Max is truly lucky!

Then Aunt Cindy and Uncle David came by for a quick visit. They brought Max some nice gifts from the family, including a bag of hand me downs from the Houlihan cousins. Guess that is one nice thing about having another boy in the family! They also got Max a swing, which he really likes and allows me to unload the dishwasher- something I have a hard time doing with Max in the sling! I took some cute pictures of him in the sling, and one with Max and Aunt Cindy... but I lost them! Drat.

Then last weekend we went up to Seattle. First we visited with the Harkins family, good friends of mine (I used to nanny for Christine) and then went to Dave and Chaos' house to play a game and meet Fiona. Max nursed and fell asleep, then I just slung him around while we played the game. It was great to have a "normal" afternoon just hanging out with other adults and actually getting to play a game. We had to take photos of Fiona and Max- Max was hungry, and not too thrilled with "hanging out" posing for photos.Click here to see a video clip of their photo shoot!

THen it was off to Passover with the Blaker family. They were all so thrilled to meet Max, who is the first baby in... 14 years? Something like that- it's been awhile! He was on his best behavior and loved being held by all his new Aunties and Great-Grandma Blaker.

Sunday the Hunter side of the family came over for Easter Brunch. It was nice for Max to meet this side of the family. Before they came Max was getting a bit overly tired, but there was so much going on he didn't want to sleep. This results in a cranky baby. So I popped him in my fabulous Kangaroo Korner sling and helped vaccume the house. Before long Max was sound asleep and quite content! I love my slings.

Grandma Cindy insisted on taking an Easter picture, so much to Rons chagrin we propped him up and snapped a few photos. Clearly he's not a fan of posing for pictures! I didn't get any with my camera, but maybe someone else will pass one on for me to post.

Adventures in Breastfeeding

2006-04-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Breastfeeding is tough. I knew that other people have struggles with it, but after having the perfect pregnancy and perfect birth (and of course, a perfect baby!), certainly breastfeeding would go smoothly, too... right? Uh...nope.

In retrospect, I wish I had read more about breastfeeding before Max arrived. I guess I figured that I would get help if I needed it, not realy thinking that I could PREVENT problems if only I had learned about achieving the proper latch, etc. Luckily we didn't have any problems with Max wanting to nurse, or with milk production, etc. but our problem was initially with the latch.

I guess I just assumed that it was normal for it to hurt to breastfeed at first. I mean, you would think that having that kind of suction on your breast (and let me tell ya, this boy can SUCK!) for any amount of time would take some getting used to. So I was wincing in pain each time he would latch.

It became unbearable to nurse, my toes would curl, I would grit my teeth...I was in tears. When Ellie came over for a regular check up, she exclaimed, "It's not supposed to hurt!" She watched me nurse, wincing in pain with each suck. By this time my nipples were already cracked and bleeding. She brought over a pump, and said that if we needed to heal up my nipples, it would be ok to pump and then feed max with a tiny tube on my finger. We then called in Amy for some cranial sacral work with Max, since he didn't seem to be opening his mouth very wide. We also called Beyond Birth lactation consulting and scheduled a visit for the next day.

This time was amazingly rough. We were supposed to be bonding, on our babymoon, right? But every afternoon I would get really sad, crying, anticipating the pain of all the nighttime feedings. Because I also had the hematoma, it hurt to sit up, but I had not yet mastered the sidelying baestfeeding position, so every 2 hours I had to get up, turn on the light, sit up (pain number one) and nurse (pain number two). I felt like I was letting Max down by dreading the next time I would have to feed him. It really made me think about how easy it is for people to just give up. I mean, no wonder so many people decide to just use formula after only trying to nurse for a few days... especially if they leave the hospital with samples from formula companies.I feel very lucky (and Max is so fortunate) that we know how imperative breastmilk is to his health -and mine- and his development that we didn't give up. Luckily Max and I had Rons support- we'd had several conversations before Max arrived about breastfeeding, and we both knew that it was the most important thing we could do for Max, and that we wouldn't give up, even if we had problems. Our families knew how strongly we felt, so they never made any comments about "Why not just give him formula?" which would have really been frustrating. We knew that any artificial milk just wouldn't provide all the benefits of breastmilk. But it was really discouraging to feel like this was a cycle that might go on forever... I mean, how do you heal your nipples if you continue to use them in the same way? I was hesitant to pump and finger feed, cause I didn't want anything to cause possible nipple confusion down the road, making it harder to get him back onthe breast.

So, it is great that we have so many resources at our disposal for breastfeeding support. The lactation consultant from Beyond Birth (Lyla) came out to the house, it was great! She weighed Max (he was already over his birth weight!) then checked out my nipples, and asked if I would mind latching him on so she could see what was going on. She showed us what we should be doing, how to get a better latch so that Max was getting a big mouthful, and wasn't breaking suction with each suck. I still was having a hard time, but then she said, "mind if I try?" and she helped to position my breast and insert the nipple into Maxs mouth. Miraculously, there was no pain, even with my nipples still being injured! I fed Max, pain free, and then she weighed him again. He was an ounce heavier, meaning he was getting plenty of milk. It was nice to know that the only problem was with the latch, which we could work on. Combined with his good weight gain, we felt much better knowing that even if I was in pain, Max clearly was doing really well. Lyla assured me that pumping and finger feeding was ok- that many moms do it for a long time for various reasons, and they are able to transition back to the breast eventually. She made me feel better about taking care of myself and letting my nipples heal. I decided that I would still try to feed from my breast a few times a day, just to practice the latch. She also emphasized (as have several other people) that it is not ok to continue nursing with a bad latch. If it hurts, I need to unattach him, and try again. This is hard in the middle of the night when you just want to get back to sleep!

Over the next few days I pumped and Ron and I finger fed Max. It was hard at night, because taking 30 minutes to feed, then 30 more minutes to pump made there less time to sleep. But with Ron being able to help feed Max, we made things work. The one good thing that came from this time was Ron being able to feed Max. It took some weight off my shoulders at a time when I was already feeling bad about not being able to nurse Max. Also, when he first stuck his finger in Maxs mouth he exclaimed, "Man, he's a sucking machine!" he was amazed at the strength with which Max was sucking. He understood how much pain I must be in to continue to breastfeed even after my nipples were cracked and bleeding. It was good for me to have his understanding and reassurance that it is ok to heal myself, and that we will be ok going back to regular breastfeeding in a few days. I swear, I would rather give birth to Max all over again than to relive those first weeks of nipple pain!

My nipples healed well, and the latch got better. I noticed that he was fussing at the breast a bit, and that I had a new pain, more in the main breast tissue. Ellie thought it might be thrush, and after reading the symptoms, it seemed an accurate diagnosis. I started treating it with Gentian Violet, Grapefruit Seed Extract, and rinsing with vinegar. The Gentian Violet is bright purple, you paint it on moms nipples and areola, then let the baby nurse. It turns the mouth of the baby bright purple for a few days. We later switched from Gentian Violet to Tincture of Myrrh, and added garlic tablets and probiotic (acidophalis) for Max. The thrush got better, but then Max had an allergic reaction to something we had added, and he got a painful rash on his bottom. We thought it was from either the Myrrh or the garlic, so we discontinued those two things, and his rash has gotten better. There was also a bloocked milk duct in there somewhere, but compared to the other pains, this was nothing! I used warm compresses and nursed Max in the area of the blocked duct, and it got better. Luckily it didn't get infected, as can often happen.

The thrush is now gone, and we are back on track now. The latch is still hit and miss. It always hurts right when he latches, but then the pain subsides after about 5 seconds. About 30% of the time we get a good latch right away, but most of the time I have to re-latch him a few times to get it right. We are progressing, though! It doesn't hurt nearly as much to re-latch him now that my breasts are healed.

I am also learning about engorgement, and how hard it can be to get him to latch properly when I am swollen and engorged... plus it hurts to be engorged! I have learned to just bite the bullet and wake him up if I am feeling engorged- although it's hard to do at 2:00 am when I really want to just let him sleep another hour! I know I'll pay for it if I don't nurse.

I went to a La Leche League meeting on Monday, it was really nice to meet other breastfeeding moms and hear about their experiences. I think I will continue to go. I wish I'd gone before Max was born, maybe I wouldn't have had so many problems!

I also highly recommend The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, it has been invaluable to me over the last 4 weeks! Another great book is The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers. I know that this is a personal issue to be writing about publicly, but perhaps if more people did talk about it, more women would be aware of the challenges involved and more educated about the importance of getting off to a good start. I wish I had payed more attention to this issue before birth- I thought it would just come naturally, but it isn't always that easy!

Cabbage Leaves can help with the pain of engorgement...It really works!

Ron feeding Max

Purple mouth Max. And this was after it had cleared up for a day or two! How many fun nicknames do you think we came up with? Grape Ape, Little Boy Blue...

Random photos from the last 2 weeks

2006-04-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Breana, Rich, and Princess Kylin brough baby Kaden over to meet Max. His first buddy!

Max taking in some sun.

Grandma Ammi and Max

A little grin.

Future Ramonster model? We'll keep workingon it...

Max giving me the finger...

Max's Birth Story

2006-04-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

I know it's late, but I finally have a chance to sit down and write Max's birth story. He's currently sleeping in my sling... very cozy and all cuddled up.

I suppose it started on Wednesday, March 15 at our prenatal exam with Ellie. I thought that my amniotic fluid might have been leaking (it wasn't) and she decided to do an exam just to see how everything was going. She was amazed to find that the baby was really low! -1 station, and I was 80% effaced and 1 cm dialated. I'd had no contractions, just a few menstrual-like cramps which were probably from my uterus thinning out. Anyhow, Ellie laughed and said, "Maybe this baby won't be as late as I thought!" While I knew that labor still could be days away, I was happy to know that things were progressing. The next day I had more of the light cramping, but still went about my business, saw Amy at Whole Mama, Whole Child for an adjustment, and went for a few walks with my mom. I also did squats everytime I could to help the baby move down and get ready for labor.

On Friday morning I woke up and lay in bed for a minute, feeling a strange, stronger tightening in my abdomen. I wasn't sure if it was a contraction or not, so I just breathed through it and went about getting ready for the day. About 20 minutes later, another stronger "tightening". I told my mom that I think I had a contraction. 20 minutes later it was stronger, and I was certain! I called Ron, who had to work from the house in Vancouver that day since our DSL wasn't hooked up yet. We both knew that contractions this far apart could last for days, so I just told him that I would keep him posted. Then the next one came at 12 minutes, and then 10. They were picking up fast! I called Ellie just to let her know that things were starting, and that I would call her when the contractions were 4 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute long, and had been that way for an hour. That's when she and Betsy would arrive.
It was about 12:00 by now, and the only thing that really seemed to help the contractions was to sway my hips side to side, and to moan. I tried various positions, using the yoga ball, etc. but nothing else seemed right. My mom was making some miso soup, bringing me water, and getting things cleaned up and ready for the birth. I called Ron and let him know that the contractions were now at about 8 minutes apart, and that he should come home. He wrapped things up and was on his way. By the time he got home, they were about 5 minutes apart, and then 4 minutes apart. He called Ellie, and she said that she and Betsy were on their way.

Ron was a huge support, he was really the only person I wanted around. In between contractions, he and mom put together the birth tub, and got the sheets all set up on both the upstairs bed, and the downstairs futon. At some point I took a bath, but I couldn't get in a comfortable position during the contractions, so I got out fairly quickly. I remember being annoyed with noise- really sound in general. My mom had got a phone call at one point, and her chatting really distracted me in a bad way. I told my mom that if she needed to make a phone call please go in another room. It turns out she had been in another room- upstairs and with the door shut... I was just really sensitive to sound at that point and only wanted quiet.

I tried leaning on the ball, getting on my hands and knees, but still the only thing that helped was swaying my hips and moaning. I did this alone, or with my arms wrapped around Rons shoulders. In between contractions my lower back really hurt, so Ron did some lower back stretches that we had learned in the prenatal massage/yoga workshop we took. I also remember thinking that I was annoyed that none of the other positions that we had learned in that class were helping... isn't that what we took the classes for? However the focused breathing, and massage techniques had really helped.

Ellie and Betsy called around 2:30, they had been stuck in traffic and were getting close. By this time the contractions were 2 minutes apart! Ron and mom were now filling up the birth tub, which we had put in the family room in front of the fireplace. When Ellie and Betsy showed up, they brought in all their equipment, and Ellie checked me out. My amniotic sac had broken at some point, and I was 6 cm dialated. Whoopee! I got in the tub around 3:00 and labored in the tub the rest of the time. Ron got cold washcloths and put them on my neck. He brought me water and reminded me to drink. I had thrown up a few times earlier, and it is no fun vomiting while having a contraction, so I was nervous about drinking too much water and only took tiny sips.

For the next 3 hours I labored in the tub. Ron and Betsy would refill the hot water as needed. At one point, I only wanted cold water running on my feet during contractions, and they made sure that happened. Most of the time, it was completely silent, except for my moaning. The long, low tones really felt like they were helping me ease through each contraction. At one point I said, "I don't want to do this anymore!" with a smile. Ellie said, "You're doing great, this is the hardest part..." then I perked up, "Is this transition?!?" she said that it seemed that way due to the intensity and closeness of the contractions. At this point they were coming every 2 minutes, and lasting for 90 seconds... that means only 30 seconds of "down time" inbetween contractions. I was EXHAUSTED, and wished that there was a break- just 15 minutes or so- to take a nap. As it was, I did sleep a few times during those 30 seconds in between contractions.

The whole day seemed to go by quickly. I remember at one point laboring in the tub and looking up to see Ellie napping on the couch. I remember thinking, "Shouldn't everyone be DOING something? Coaching me, or cheering me on or SOMETHING?!?" But in reality had they tried I probably would have told them to shut up... I really felt a strong need for silence. During this time, I remember with each contraction thinking to myself "You can get through just this one contraction! It might be the last one before you can start pushing! Just get through this one and you will be that much closer to the birth of our baby." It really helped to look at it that way and just get through one at a time.

At what I think was probably around 5:00 or so I felt a different kind of pressure, down much lower, sort of a stretching feeling. Ellie said just to follow my instincts, that my body would tell me when to push. A while later she asked me to tell her when I felt like the baby might be crowning. I told her that I kinda did feel like that. She checked me, and once again was amazed that the baby was so low, really ready to come out. She told me that when I felt the urge to push, to go ahead and push. Sure enough, around 6:00 I got the strong urge to push, thank goodness! It was such a relief to be done with transition (which lasted a few hours) and to have something to focus on. Even the sensation of stretching open and pushing the baby out wasn't as bad as the discomfort of transition. I was happy it was over, and that soon I would hold our baby!

During the entire labor, Betsy and Ellie were checking the babys heart rate. They had an underwater doppler, so we could hear it beating strong throughout the birth. Even during the pushing part, when the baby was in the birth canal (a time when often the babys heartrate drops) the heartrate was going strong. Ellie kept commenting on what a healthy strong baby we were having... that made me feel good.

At some point during the pushing phase Ron asked my mom to switch the position of two buddha statues that we have. She did, taking one from up on the cabinet and putting it on the ground, and moving the one from the ground and placing it on the cabinet, right overlooking the birth tub. I looked at him, puzzled. Someone asked him why he wanted them switched. He replied, "If our baby is going to be born under a buddha, I want it to be under the authentic one we got in Cambodia, not the $10 one we bought last month at Cost Plus!" What a guy!

So I pushed and pushed, changed positions a few times, and then Ellie said, "Reach down, you can feel your babys head!" So I did... there was a soft little bump of hair! I pushed through a few more contractions, and he stayed in that position for awhile. Turns out his head was a bit sideways, and that soft little bump is still a soft little bump... getting smaller everyday, though. Feeling the head made me ready to push more, and he must've readjusted his head, cause soon after out it came. Just after the head came out, I felt a strong sharp pain down there and thought that Ellie was stretching me or something. I winced and said, "Ouch!" Ellie said, "That wasn't me, sweetie, I didn't touch you... the baby has it's hand out next to it's head, and it's wiggling it's fingers!" With the next contraction I knew it was time to push the baby out. I pushed and pushed, even after the contraction ended because I just wanted to get the baby out! Sure enough out came the rest of the baby at 6:36 pm... only 30 minutes or so of pushing!

Ron reached into the water and took the baby, placing it on my chest. He announced, "It's a boy!" and sure enough it was clear that it was! My mom asked what the name was, and we told her, "Maximus Brooks Purvis". He was blue and not breathing yet. I wasn't concerned because I knew he was still getting oxygen from the umbilical cord. We rubbed his back and feet, and smiled and cried in amazement at this floppy little baby that we made. Ellie got the suction tube, and suctioned him out. She was just getting ready to give him some oxygen when he started breathing and moving around. We put a blanket around him, and cuddled in the water until the cord stopped pulsing, meaning that he had received all the oxygen and nutrients from it. At this point, Ron cut the cord, and took Max out of the water, wrapping him in a warm dry blanket. I stayed in the water until I delivered the placenta, and then I got out to join Ron and Max on the couch. Ellie examined me... no tears, no stitches needed. I was pleasantly surprized- after such a short time with pushing I know that tears often happen. I did however have a hematoma (like a blood blister) the size of a golf ball from when Maxs hand and arm pushed out. Otherwise, everything looked good!

Ellie examined Max, weighed him and measured him, checked his reflexes, etc. Everything was great. 8 lbs. 14 oz. and 22 inches long. Then we put him on my breast, and he started nursing right away. Ellie and Betsy cleaned up and spoke with us about the basics of caring for my hematoma, and taking care of Max. They would return again the next day for a 24 hour visit, then again at 48 hours, 1 week, and 2 weeks. After that we go to their office.

We called our parents, and told them all to come over and meet their new grandson! My parents picked up my grandma, and they arrived just about the same time as Rons parents did. We introduced Max to them all, and explained his name. First, we really just liked the name Max. Maximus means the greatest. Brooks is my maiden name, and of course, Purvis is Rons last name. Since he's the first grandchild on both sides, he truly is the greatest of the Brooks' and Purvis' families! Plus its a bit fun to have such a tiny little guy be Maximus.

The family stayed briefly, I ate, and then we headed upstairs and all curled up in our bed. What an amazing thing, to wake up next to a sweet little being that you made with love, and have felt inside you for 9 months. We have been falling in love with him everyday since then!

I've been thinking a lot about the homebirth. It was perfect. It wasn't anything spectacular or romantic, it was just perfectly normal, the way birth should be. There wasn't a single streessful time. I was relaxed, "at home"... literally. I know had I been in a hospital I would have been nervous, stressed, and labor would have been longer and more painful- not to mention the increased risk of unnecissary interventions, and me worrying about that all the time. Of course, the hospital is necessary for high risk moms, and in the event that something does go wrong. If we had needed a surgeon or a specialist we would have gone. But I am healthy, I had a very healthy pregnancy, and home was the safest, best place for me. We had a specialist there- a midwife! Ellie and Betsy were great. I look back on Max's birth with such awe and amazement... it was so NORMAL and healthy and perfect! Having everyone come to us, being able to walk and eat and moan and have the quiet that I craved. Being able to just walk upstairs and sleep in our own bed after Max was born. It was just perfect. I can't imagine doing it any other way.

Max's First Week- Part 2

2006-03-25T21:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Max had his first bath, he loved it! It was really cool to see him just floating around, only being supported by my hand under his head.

In the afternoon his great-Aunt Vickie and Great Grandma Kendrick came down from Seattle for a visit.

Then this morning his Great Gramaw came over to hang out. It is so nice having her right up the street!

You can see what a busy week it's been! Also, he had a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Brooks, and has enjoyed getting to know Grandma Ammi, who has been a great help around here. More photos coming as soon as we can find the cord to connect our camera to the computer- these are all courtesey of Grandma Ammi. It's wonderful that we were in our new home in time for the birth... but there is still lots of unpacking to do!

One Week Old! Part 1

2006-03-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

It's been an amazing week! We are absolutely in love with Max, and everyday find something new to laugh about. He has some of the funniest facial expressions! I will post a full birth story when I get a chance, but for now here is a summary of Max's first week. Born Friday, March 17 (St.Patricks Day!) after a perfect pregnancy and birth.

His grandparents and great grandma came right over to meet him.

When Max was born he had his hand right up at his cheek- and was moving it even before his shoulders were out! Possibly a future interpreter? He also started to come out a bit sideways, and has a bruise on his noggin that will go away within a few weeks. I have had a challenging week with breastfeeding (more on that later) and we thought he might be holding extra tension in his jaw due to the way he came out, which could effect his latch. We had Cranial Sacral Therapist Amy Watson make a house call, and Max got his first treatment... to release some of the tension from how he came out. He really relaxed and it did help.

Max loves to have his hands near his face. He's likes to try and suck his two middle fingers, just like his Uncle Larry did when he was little!

On Thursday we went on our first outing... to Target to look for swaddling cloths and a rocker. Max did great in the car and in the sling while we walked around the store.

Maximus Brooks Purvis

2006-03-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

Maximus Brooks Purvis was born at home on Friday, March 17 at 6:36 PM. He weighs 8 lbs, 14.5 oz. and is 22 inches long.

It was a perfect birth, everything seemed to go so quickly! He was born in the water after only 40 minutes or so of pushing. Ron "caught" him, and brought him up and onto Ellies chest right away, and later cut the cord. Max was nursing within the hour. More photos and details to come, but here's a first glimpse of him just a few hours old.

Got a house, but no baby yet!

2006-03-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note- we are in our home! It is perfect. So open and bright, and the neighborhood is full of kids. Thanks to the help of all our parents, we are just about fully unpacked. We are settling in, and ready and waiting for baby to make it's arrival.

We are getting so excited to meet this baby! I keep thinking it will happen this week, and while I do feel baby settling in down there a bit more, I haven't had any other signs of impending birth. We'll just keep hanging out waiting... there is plenty to do around here to keep us busy! I am now officially HUGE... but still loving it. I will have some photos taken today and try to post them soon. Aside from really sore feet all day, I'm feeling fine. Jenny and Claude got me a massage gift certificate... I have an appointment for tomorrow, wow, what perfect timing! They are the BEST. I miss them.

Unfortunately we won't have DSL set up for possibly another week or so. This means that Ron can't work from home and has to drive up to the Vancouver house for work each day... no fun when you have 5:00 am meetings! It also means that I have been neglect in posting here, and in returning emails. We did get dial up access yesterday, it's super slow... but better than nothing! Rest assured we will find a way to notify everyone as soon as baby is born.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2006-03-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

So, we finally have a move-in date for our new house! Tuesday, March 7. We have movers all set to go, all utulities scheduled to be installed, etc. It will be a busy time, but we are so happy to be moving into our first new home. It is in a great neighborhood, right around the corner from a little community park, and down the street from an elementary school. And best of all, it is in Wilsonville, where my parents and grandma live- we'll be only 5 minutes away from both of them!

Our fingers are crossed that Baby Purvis will wait until we are settled into the new home for at least a couple of days before making it's arrival... but we are prepared regardless of where we are living at the time. Plus we have such a great support system up here. My mom-Ammi comes in today, she will be staying with us for the month to help with the birth, etc. Dad and mom-Sue are all set help us with the move and to cook up some great dinners that will be so handy in the first few days of being a new family. Gramaw Ann is already working on cooking up some of her famous spaghetti for us to have on hand, too. And, with Rons parents being only 3 hours away, they are coming down to help with the move as well. It is great being close to everyone! It makes what could be a stressfull time just feel... exciting. We have to remind ourselves that life is busy... but with all GOOD things. We know that if we need anything, whether it's help with unpacking...or to be left alone... we can just ask.

We have got just about everything we need in order for the baby's arrival. We picked up the birth tub from our midwife last night, and are all set with everything we need on hand for the homebirth. They will be doing another home visit to our new house next week, just to make sure they know the way, etc. My friends from Sacto threw me a surprise baby shower before we moved up here back in November. It was such fun! We got all kinds of great baby items, including 4 months of diaper service... what a huge help that will be! Our first shipment of cloth diapers arrives on Monday. We have some really cute diaper covers that Breana made for us, and a few others that we've picked up here and there.

Here's a link to some belly pics, from early pregnancy through the belly cast picture we took last night. The belly cast feels a bit revealing to post here, but it's a pretty cool picture so I've left it in the photo album for those of you that don't care!

Life is Good.

2006-02-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

Storypeople by Brian Andres

I have been thinking a lot lately about how happy and content I feel with life lately. We are living in a great new city, just bought a new home, Ron got a promotion and new job (still within HP), and we are expecting a new baby SOON! Our relationship is wonderful and strong. What more could I want? We have so much to look forward to in our lives.

The move up to Portland has been such a good thing. We were able to find a fabulous midwife, I have a great prenatal chiropractor, and have been going to a prenatal yoga class that I love. There are just so many resources here for parents! There are playgroups all the time, cloth diaper circles, babywearing lessons... even a baby/dad hiking group. I am looking forward to all the support when the baby arrives, and it will be a great way for us to meet other parents.

The pregnancy has been great, I'm feeling bigger every day. I'm not ready for baby to come yet because I am still enjoying feeling him/her inside my belly. We are constantly entertained watching my belly contort as the baby stretches. I'm looking forward to meeting it, but still not quite ready to end this pregnancy bit. I'm sure I'll feel differently in a few weeks when I hit maximum capacity! We had our homevisit last night with Ellie (the midwife) and Betsy (her aprentice) and all went well. I am 36 weeks along now... in the clear for our homebirth! Apparently I am healthy, have excellent pee, and baby is about 5 lbs. now with 3-4 weeks to go. He/she is in the perfect position and all looks good! This weekend we are all set to purchase any odds and ends for the baby/birth, and on Sunday we are taking a couples pre-natal workshop.

We're still unsure of when we will be able to move into our new home... more on that later!

Hello!

2006-02-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

Here we are! We're trying to get a page set up before baby Purvis arrives so all our friends and family can keep up with photos and stories. We decided to start the blog early since we've had so many changes happening lately that we would like to share.

Today Rons mom, and two aunts threw a baby shower for us up in Seattle. It was wonderful to have friends and family all there to celebrate! I didn't take as many pictures as I would've liked, hopefully I'll get more from otehr people and can add them soon.

Kirste, Me, and Fiona

Breana and I

Gramaw, Breana and Sara

Rons Grandpa Dick, my Mom (Sue), and Mom-in-Law (Cindy)

Fiona, Kirste and I

Sara and I