It takes a real man...

...to pull off this look.

BTW Gideon DID NOT want to get out of his bath tonight. We put him in the sink tonight and he was just really enjoying himself.

Sleeping through the Memorial Day Kidney Stones

So normally Memorial Day is the first of our relaxing summer weekends at the cabin. We sit by the fire, read books, play cards, take hikes and in general enjoy the time away from civilization. But when the forecast earlier in the week started calling for Thunderstorms, sleet and freezing rain, we decided that perhaps this wasn't the best year to go to the cabin.

So we went computer shopping with Nana and Papa. They got a new laptop. By the way, Gideon loves this sling and I'm so glad I have it because it makes shopping with him so much easier. But I totally have to stroke my vanity for a minute here. I was trying to explain to the sales guy (who looked barely out of his teens) that my in-laws haven't had a new computer in 16 years and I said something about being in high school in the early 90's and he didn't believe me. He said there was no way I was that old, I didn't look over 25. I know, I know, you probably all think he was just trying to sell me something and therefore flattering me, but it still made me feel good that this little boy was so shocked an amazed to find out that I'm actually 30. Kind of like the time 3 years ago when Derek's high school buddies all thought I was a college student he was hitting on. I know I don't look that young, but sometimes it's nice to know that you can still fool some people.

We did go up to the cabin for an afternoon, but only to unlock it, sweep it out and unload water and firewood. It was sunny for about an hour while we were there and then it got nasty again. Still Gideon made his first trip to the cabin. We can't wait to take him back when we can stay and enjoy it.

We went out to eat for Nana's birthday.

Guess who picked out this outfit?

The weekend wasn't without drama, however. Travis started complaining on Thursday or Friday that he was in a lot of pain. Saturday night he developed other symptoms (I don't want to gross anyone out, so I won't go into detail.) Anyway, Sunday instead of going to church I basically kidnapped him and forced him to go to the urgent care clinic. (Naturally he was trying to be a martyr and wouldn't go. I was just afraid he'd develop an infection or something.) And guess what? That's right. Kidney Stones. The doctor said the best thing to do is to try and pass them, but if he hadn't passed them in two days then to come back and they'd send him to the hospital for laser treatment. Needless to say Trav was in a lot of pain for most of the weekend making him quite cranky no matter what we did. The doc prescribed an antibiotic to help prevent an infection, but didn't give him any pain meds. So it was a long night last night with Travis up every couple of hours. Answering nature's call was especially painful for him. Long story short, he must have finally passed the stone(s) at some point last night because he woke up at 7:00 this morning already feeling better. He was even back to teasing his wife mercilessly as usual by this afternoon.

Still our holiday weekend wasn't without it's little victories. We went to see the new Indiana Jones movie at one point. And the munchkin has begun sleeping through the night. Actually that started almost a week ago, but I was afraid it was a fluke so I hadn't posted it yet. Anyway he's been sleeping from about 9:30 until 4:30am (which is when Travis gets up to go to work.) So we're pretty excited about that. I just keep crossing my fingers that perhaps he'll start sleeping a little bit later. I know Travis gets up at 4:30, but I generally don't, so if he could stretch it to 6:30 or so, I'd be thrilled. But I won't complain. I figure that's pretty good considering he's only 2 months old right?

Happy Birthday Nana

Today is Nana's (aka Daniece) birthday. I'm sure she wouldn't like me to tell how old she is, so I won't. But her only grandchild loves her and is glad he has a Nana like her so close by. (So is his mother. At least until Grandma Cindy gets back from Morocco next week.)

Anyway, we love you and happy birthday!

Things I'm Loving....

My new shoes. Cool Retro 80's design and surprisingly comfortable. Thanks Mimi! You're the best!

The bath towel Aunt Clary made for us over a year ago. (She wanted to make sure we had it just in case.) Anyway, I love that it hangs around my neck because not only does it protect me from a very squirmy (and therefore "splashy") munchkin in the bath, it's also great for scooping said squirmy, splashy munchkin strait out of the bath resulting in minimal mom soakage and bathroom flooding.

I've been addicted to Jaqua and Victoria's Secret bath products for so long that I can't even remember the last time I bought a drugstore brand beauty item. But this one intrigued me because it talked about being infused with oil. I live in a very dry place and therefore, suffer from very dry skin, so anything with oil actually is great for me. And so I took a chance. It was inexpensive, but left my skin very, very soft. And I love the "Moroccan" scent. I don't know if that's actually what Morocco smells like, but this stuff smells great. Not overpowering, but definitely unique and different from the garden variety fruit and flower scents in most products. I doubt I'll ever give up my Jaqua and V.S. products completely, but this one is a nice variation to throw into my usual line up.

My new ceiling fan.

Oh wait, that's right. Somehow we had the wrong parts, or the hookup was wrong. Or something. Anyway after two trips to the hardware store Travis and his dad gave up on it. (For now.) They said they'd get it in before the weekend was over. Oh well, at least it's cold and rainy here this weekend so we don't really need it yet anyway.

C'est La Vie!

Bath Time

So I realized I've never posted pictures of Gideon at bath time. (He's really fun actually.) Anyway tonight he had his bath at Nana's and he was being especially cute, so we took some photos.

Come on. No way you look this good when you're ready for bed.

This was earlier today. I love that he's such a happy guy!

And this was yesterday. I know that must have been uncomfortable, but it cracked us up that he fell asleep in his swing.

How Well Do You Know Me?

Thanks for the tag Erica

Here's How it works:
Highlight and copy the questions then post them in the comment box and answer them ABOUT ME! Even if you don't think you know me very well, I still want you to do it! (I'm interested in people's impressions of me.)

Take a stab at my middle name?
Do I smoke?
Color of my eyes?
Do I have any siblings?
How many?
What's one of my favorite things to do?
What is my least favorite thing to do?
What's my favorite type of music?
Am I shy or outgoing?
Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules?
Any special talents?
How many children do I have?
If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is one thing that I would bring?

Oh yeah pick one person to "tag" and then that person is supposed to copy the questions onto their blog and start it over again...It's pretty simple.

I tag ... Cami Re

PS - You can't read the label of the previous post very well, but it says my power should be "Super Speed." How many of you who know me think that's appropriate?

My Super Power is......

Your Superpower Should Be Super Speed

You're quick witted and fast to act. You're mind works at warp speed. From your perspective, everyone else is living in slow motion. You get so much done, people have accused you of not sleeping. Definitely not a couch potato, you feel a bit crazy if you're not busy doing something. Why you would be a good superhero: You're be the first on the scene... and likely to finish the job before anyone else shows up Your biggest problem as a superhero: Being bored by everyone else. Including other superheroes!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatshouldyoursuperpowerbequiz/

Back to Normal

Thank goodness the munchkin is back to his old happy very talkative self. You should have heard the conversation he was having with the cat this morning.

Fussy Baby = Tired Mommy

Ah, the day after shots. That lovely time when the munchkin is sore and cranky. He doesn't really want to eat much. Won't sleep more than a few moments at a time. Bursts out in crying fits every few moments for no apparent reason and in short, is only remotely calm when he's had some baby tylenol and is either being laid or held on his tummy while you rub his back.

It makes getting anything done impossible. And since daddy had to work late and didn't get home until after 8:00 tonight, it meant that mom couldn't even start to get anything done until late tonight. So now that it's after midnight, a very exhausted mommy (who only just barely got her shower) is going to go to bed with wet hair and all.

Perhaps tomorrow will be back to our normal schedule.

Birth Announcement

The birth announcements finally came in and I think most of them have been mailed by now. Most of you should have already recieved yours. Anyway they just turned out so perfect that I had to post them. (Don't worry, we're buying the copyright from the photographer, so I don't feel guilty about posting these.) I do have a few left, so anyone who didn't get one, feel free to email me your mailing address and I'll be happy to send one.

Stupid CBS!

First they come out with a lineup of shows that I can actually get into and watch. For a person that pretty much didn't have TV growing up, I've never had more than maybe one or two shows on TV at a time that I even care enough to follow. But this past year, there are actually five shows on television that I watch regularly. (Not religiously. Just regularly. I do still have a life. The only one I record if I'm going to miss it is Moonlight. For the rest, I just enjoy them when I have the opportunity.) And then they have a week of cliffhanging Season Finales which of course leave you with a million questions. (CSI, CSI Miami, NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, Moonlight.) (HOLY CRAP WHAT HAPPENED ON CSI MIAMI! I'M STILL BURNING OVER THAT ONE!)

But now they've committed the cardinal sin. Rumor has it that they've canned Moonlight! Seriously CBS. You're just going to leave us hanging and never answer our questions. And that was the best show anyway. Wow. First you get me hooked on TV, now you try and take some of it away. Bad network! Bad, Bad network!

It's a tough life to be 2 months old

Yep, that's right, our Gideon is already 2 months old! Can you believe how time is flying? I can't.

He woke up pretty happy today. Which, I must be honest is typical for him.

But then we went to the Dr. for a checkup and he had to get shots. In both legs.

After that not quite so happy.

But then Nana took us to Fred Meyer because all their baby clothes were on sale 50% off. She bought a LOT of cute stuff for the munchkin. Including some bigger outfits for the winter. And a swimsuit and matching sun hat and the darling little sandals he's wearing below.

And after that he was pretty cranky the rest of the day. He just cried and cried and wanted to be held. But baby Tylenol did seem to take the edge off his hurting becuase he wasn't quite as fussy after that. Still, I felt bad that he had to get shots on his birthday. And I'm just hoping he's able to sleep pretty well tonight.

The good news is we had cupcakes. (Okay Gideon didn't actually get to indulge in one of his birthday cupcakes, but I had to have an excuse to make them.) As for his two month stats, the Dr. is very impressed with how strong and alert he is. He says he's ahead of schedule with the smiling and pushing up and rolling over. The munchkin weighs a whopping 11 lbs. 13 oz now, so he's truly a chunk. And he's 22 1/2 inches long. I don't remember the other stuff they told me. They wrote it all down for me though.

What on earth did we talk about?

Well daddy you were right. Travis and I have reached a point where we've begun to ask, "What did we ever talk about before Gideon?" Because he is truly the centerpiece of our lives. I don't know what we talked about for the last six years. I'm even having a hard time remembering what we did when our days didn't revolve around the munchkin. What did we talk about? How did we ever go to sleep without seeing his smile and covering him in kisses? Did we really used to sleep more than five or six hours uninterrupted? (Okay well that's a loaded question, I've never slept that long without waking up unless I'm on medication. But that's the beauty of being an insomniac.) How did we wake up without hearing his squeaks and coohs and cries? Did we really only used to do three loads of laundry a week? Was there really a time when we ate out four or five times a week, and ran the dishwasher only once a week? When we went to visit family did our conversations really revolve around something other than the eating and sleeping patterns of a 2 month old? He is our sun, our moon, our stars.

And we wouldn't have it any other way.

The Crazy One

It may seem presumptuous that in a family with as many quirky characters as mine has, that just one person should be dubbed, "The Crazy One." But when we're talking about Cameron Marie, it's meant as a compliment. Cami Re (As she's known to us) has elevated "Crazy" to an art. And the thing is, it's effortless for her. She just goes out and has fun. And somehow at the end of the day, you always end up with a great story to tell.

As a teenager (and even into adulthood) there was no one who could get on my nerves or provoke me like Cami. Seriously we would go from "0" to screaming match in under 10 seconds. And yet somehow, we both survived.

I won't go into Cami's most famous craziness, because they've already been mentioned in previous posts. But the print that was on the back window of Travis's truck spoke for itself. (And it wasn't a hand or foot print.)

And let's not forget she invented "Happy Halloweening." (Cami is the one sporting the Flower Crown.)

And she's the biggest advocate of our continuing family tradition of "dressing" for Christmas dinner. (Something I've tried hard to stamp out over the years.) But as you can see by the cowboy and the Hula girl here, it's still going strong. Luckily she found someone as crazy as she is. They've been married 6 1/2 years already. But the icing on the cake is the little souvenir Cami found out she brought back from Hawaii. Perhaps it wasn't intentional, but what a great story to be able to tell their first born that he or she is a souvenir from vacation.

Yes, at nine months pregnant she's still looking good and having fun. I miss my Cami Re (now that we don't fight so much anymore. Even though I know you still know which buttons to push. I'm just glad you don't push them so much anymore.) So I just want to say, HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY! I love you!

Gideon's Day

So mom had to get dressed and I was being a stinker and wouldn't take a real nap. So she put a bib on me and propped the bottle up against some pillows. Hey, I got fed, I was happy.

We bought me these sweet new sandals today. Sure they're still a little big, but hey it was nice to have weather that didn't require winter clothing for once.

I've been rolling over more frequently lately. It's because I'm so strong and intelligent.

Look, I can even hold my own bottle sometimes.

But now I should be sleeping, instead of making cute faces at mom. Good night.

Pathetically Domestic

And for some strange reason, we love it!

Bedtime has become the one time of day when we're just all three together. We're so busy that we don't get many meals together. But at bedtime, you'll find us talking, staring at our son (and in Gideon's case eating.) It's these moments when we almost seem like a real family.

So news and notes from this week: Gideon rolled over again and this time I actually saw him do it. I laid him on his stomach and was talking to Jesse when PLOP! He was on his back. (And smiling too.) He really smiles a lot now. Usually at my voice and Travis's, but sometimes even at other things. He's even laughed a time or two.

Today we had our first of the three Supervisory Visits. Naturally the obsessive compulsive neat freak in me took over so the house was spotless. She didn't even look at the house. We stayed in the front room the entire time. Most of the questions had to do with his growth and development and how we were adjusting to parenthood. Anyway I think it went well. I guess if they had any concerns about us they'd let us know.

I saw B's caseworker today at a training meeting (yes I'm still volunteering.) She said B seems to be doing very well. She's getting ready to graduate in a couple of weeks so she's been very busy with school. But she still comes to group now and then and always brings her photo album and shows off the pictures. The caseworker is hoping that B will be willing to speak at a birth parent panel for the adoption prep class in June. I'm interested to hear how that goes if she does. One of my birth moms that I work with in Rexburg actually got to meet B over the weekend and the Birth Mother Appreciation Dinner they held Saturday night. She said it was fun seeing me each week in group and watching the situation unfold and then getting to meet the birth mom and hearing the story from her perspective.

And that's about it from here for today. It's late and I should try and get a little sleep. I generally put the boys to bed between 9 & 10. (Trav gets up at 4:30 so he has to go to bed early. And it works out well because that's when Gideon usually goes down. Me, I can't sleep that early. My body just does not get tired until around midnight normally.) Talk to you all later.

Guess who likes chocolate?

While I was getting ready this morning, Aunt Hillary let Gideon have a little taste of her chocolate. Looks like he liked it. I'd be upset, but last night I caught Travis dipping his pacifier in the lemon meriengue pie. My poor child!

My Mother's Day Flowers. Aren't they lovely?

Mommy Tag

I got this from Juli and was thrilled because I can actually participate. (Even if some of my answers are lame because my son is so young yet.) It just seemed appropriate since I finally got to celebrate Mother's Day as a mom yesterday. Anyway I'm interested in hearing what all other "mommies" in the blogging world have to say. So consider yourself tagged. (I'm including moms of all ages in this by the way, so yes Cindy Sue, that means you and Cathy too.)

1.Typically, what time do you wake up? Gideon generally eats between 4:30 & 5:30, so we feed him and then try and take a little nap. (Sometimes it works.) But he's usually up for the day between 7 & 8 sometime.

2. On a good night, what time are your kids in bed? Generally he eats and goes down for the night between 9 & 10.

3. How long have you been a mommy? 43 days, if you're counting from when we actually got to bring him home.

4. How old were you when you became a mom? 30 years and 6 months exactly

5. What is your favorite kids T.V show? During the day I generally leave the TV on for background noise, so right now the only TV he's exposed to is the Travel Channel and the History Channel.

6. What is your least favorite kids T.V. show? I don't even know any kids TV shows. Is that bad?

7. What is your favorite chore? Seriously? What kind of question is this? Are there any chores that are favorite chores? I don't have any.

8. What is your favorite meal to cook? I hate cooking, so this is pretty much along the same lines as the favorite chore question. I don't have a favorite thing, I only cook because people keep telling me it's necessary to eat and more importantly to feed my husband.

9. What meal do you cook most often? Spaghetti is easy. So I do that fairly regularly. So is a Stouffer's lasagna. Chicken breasts with rice and veggies. Tuna casserole. Hamburger helper. Chicken Puffs. Mac & Cheese with hot dogs (Trav's favorite meal. Good thing he's easy to please.)

10. What is your kids favorite meal? Similac

11. What is your favorite thing your husband does with your kids? Currently, taking him for rides in the pick up so that he can show off his son to all of his friends. But Travis seriously can't wait for the day when he can take him fishing.

12. What are 5 things that make you smile when you’re being a mom?
A. Feeling Gideon snuggle in close to me right after he's eaten and burped.
B. Watching his eyes study me in quiet moments.
C. Seeing him get bigger and stronger every day.
D. The fleeting smiles that may or may not be intentional. (They're still cute.)
E. Finally feeling like I belong in that sisterhood of women distingushed by the title of "mom."

13. If you could take your kids anywhere, where would it be? Scotland. I have a huge list of places that I want to visit before I die, and now that we have Gideon, I can't imagine going to any of them without him. Scotland is the top of the list today, but it changes regularly.

14. When was the last time you went out without your kids? Saturday. I went on highway cleanup with the Youth from church. Travis was out buying a new pick up, so Gideon had bonding time with Nana for a few hours.

15. What is your favorite pastime/activity to do with your kids? I love holding him and singing to him and reading books and watching his eyes following objects. I just love being near him and getting to snuggle with him.

16. Name one thing you said you would never say as a mother? "I'm going to count to 3..."

17. Name something you do, that your own mom did? Sing to my baby

18. What is your favorite quality your mom has? Her sense of fun. She is crazy (in a good way) and usually manages to be the the life of any party. People are drawn to that. Especially all the teenagers and young adults who practically (and sometimes literally) lived at our house through the years.

19. What is your favorite kids book? Beatrix Potter anything. Just yesterday Gideon and I read the Tailor of Gloucester and The Flopsy Bunnies.

20. What is your favorite advice for new moms? Listen to what others have to say, but then make decisions based on what is right for you and your babies. Take it with a grain of salt. Oh and if you have a boy, keep him covered when you're changing him. Otherwise, you'll have to change and you may end up having to redecorate. (Seriously he keeps hitting the walls!)

21. What is your most heartbreaking moment as a mom? Hearing Gideon scream from across the hall when they pricked his heel for his follow up PKU screening. It made me cry.

22. What is your most joyful moment being a mom? Just getting to be a mom and experience everything that I've heard about for so many years. It's such a miracle!

23. When was the last time you told one of your kids, “I Love You”? I don't know. A few minutes ago when he was falling asleep in my arms. I whisper it to him constantly.

24. When was the last time you were told, “I love you” by one of your kids? He doesn't talk yet, but I love the way he reaches for me and how when he hears my voice his head will turn and his eyes will search for me. That to me says "I Love You" better than anything.