Poop and Cheerios

New this week...

2010-10-04T17:32:00.001-07:00

Okay, well actually it was last week-My Baby is getting a tooth! Two now, actually *sniffle*......Kyan didn't get his first tooth till 10-10.5 months...I thought I still had time, but Gage turns 8 months old tomorrow-ACK! All-in-all, in really hasn't been too bad....he's a little fussy, but still sleeping through the night for the most part.

We went apple picking at an organic apple orchard in Ashfield, MA. It is SO beautiful up there. We had a great time-we brought along our friends Amelia and Sean and their brood, as well as my friend Kelly and her daughter Chloe (her husband, also names Sean, was working). we all headed back to the house after apple picking, made an apple pie, and had a huge meal with BBQ pulled pork, Green Beans sauteed with Bacon, and a green salad. It was a really great day.

In my previous post, I talked about trying to find the fun in parenting. I have noticed it is SO much easier to be a nice parent when you have backup. Generally speaking, when Jon is around, I am much calmer and handle things much better, maybe because I know I am not outnumbered? I have someone on my side? Not sure. With that in mind, I need to be extra on top of myself this week with keeping my cool because Jon is on a business trip from now till Thursday evening after the kids are in bed. The kids will already be missing Jon since he is gone-I don't want them to fell punished by me because I am losing my cool. So the mission is on to be cool, calm, collected, and fun. We shall see how it goes. I leave you with a couple pics from our apple picking excursion.

On finding the fun in parenting

2010-09-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

I do not remember feeling this frustrated as a parent when Kyan was younger. But man, 3 is my least favorite age yet. CONSTANT "No No No No" from me gets constant "NONONONONONO" from him. He fights me on everything and I SWEAR he is going for World's Most Annoying Toddler. I LOVE Kyan to pieces, but he is making it really hard to like him a lot of days lately.

I have been seeking the parenting advice of a good friend of mine of late, and one of the things she wrote me in an email is that this stage is all about pushing boundaries because that is how they learn. Small children are not purposely trying to get on our nerves or needle us, this is just how they learn. And I am trying to desperately to remember that when Kyan has just licked Gage's face for the TENTH time or is running around screeching despite all my attempts at calm redirection to read or play with another toy or have a snack. Most days at the end of the day, I feel as if I have fought a war and lost. And I find myself asking "Where is the fun in this?"

Now, I know parenting is not all about fun and good times 24/7. Believe me....I am definitely of the mindset you must be a parent (which = disciplinarian, voice of reason, bearer of bad news, etc) before you are a friend to your kids. BUT, I see parents who seem to enjoy raising their offspring 95% of the time and don't constantly want to ram a sharp pencil into their ear or remove their eyes with a spoon because these activities sound more appealing then dealing with their "spirited" children.

So I am making it my mission to find the fun in parenting. I started out on this parenting journey with a lot of joy and hopefulness and, let's face it-expectations. Just because parenthood is not what I thought it would be at the moment doesn't mean it's awful. I just feel like a horrible Mother. SO my mission is to find the joy in this again before my kids start to recall that Mommy just screamed all the time and seemed really angry.

We did pretty well the second half of the summer. I cut way back on playdates and we stayed home a lot more when I realized that trying to get us out of the house and doing lots of activities made me stressed, which made me yell more, which made Kyan act up more. Now with preschool 2 mornings a week, I usually head up to see a friend on a third day, and before I know it, our weeks are crammed full. And Kyan act up more and more.

SO I need to find the fun for both Kyan's and my sakes. He needs my patience, especially when I least have it or want to give it, and I want him to remember childhood fondly, not just a span of several years where he was always in time out. Any suggestions? Yes, I do crafts, etc and try to give Ky individual Mommy time. I am just looking for techniques, if anyone has any ideas or tried and true methods.

Here are a couple recent pics-For Jon's birthday, I made him flannel pajama pants with a monkey print on them, and then made matching pairs for Kyan and Gage because I knew Jon would appreciate that. So here are the guys in their matching pants:

2010

2010-09-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

After quite a long hiatus, I'm back!

In the all the time I have NOT been posting, I had my second son, Gage. He is now 7 months old and very happy and bouncy. The first couple months were rough-he was colicky, didn't sleep great. I have cut out dairy and eggs (Gage tested very SLIGHTLY positive to an egg allergy) which seems to help. Adjusting to being a Mother of two has been HARD. It is definitely a game changer.

I have no idea how often I will be back on here-I am just trying this back on for size, so to speak, to see how it goes. If you read this (hi, Mom, you are my only reader!), then I am forever grateful. My hope is to post recipes on here that I am trying out, new eco-friendly cleaning recipes and tricks, etc, as well as blog posts of the "what's new on the homestead" variety.

I have a lot going on right now. I am President of my local Mom's Club, Kyan is in preschool, Gage is sitting up, and I have a table stacked with books that I want to be reading:
"The Omnivore's Dilemna" by Michael Pollan
"Holy Cows and Hog Heaven" by Joel Salatin
"Simplicity Parenting" by Kim John Payne
"Buddhism for Mothers" by Sarah Napthali
"Natural family Living" by Peggy O'Mara

I leave you with a pic of the men in my life-aren't they handsome?

In Conclusion...

2009-11-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

All this to say-I love my son dearly, I am just having a hard time with the current non-napping situation, an I am starting to get cranky as the third trimester closes in on me...I am tired and achey and getting punched/kicked in the cervix or ribs on a regular basis. But Motherhood is wonderful, and I would not have it any other way....unless three hour naps could be included in there somehow.

Oh Yeah...

2009-11-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

And in other news, yes, Baby #2 is a boy, and my Hospital DID get in a birthing tub, so if everything goes to plan, I will be pushing Baby Boy #2 out in the water :-)

Here are two recent pics-Me at 27 weeks and 2 days pregnant, and one of Kyan and Jon waking up together (pre-binky weaning):

This Bud's for You (Mom)

2009-11-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

Mom, since you are the only one checking my blog anymore......Here is life in a nutshell.

I dislike the Two's. I find this age to be distinctly unfun. I hate the constant "no's" (me), the constant tantrums (me AND Kyan), the truly disgusting poopy diapers (Kyan), the time outs (Kyan)......and now we are dealing with naps. We weaned Kyan off the binky completely three weeks ago. Suddenly, for the last week, he has totally not been napping. Since he developed Seperation Anxiety in September, he won't nap anywhere but out bed. Now he won't even fall asleep there. So I tried switching it back to his room, tried letting him sleep on the couch, letting him sleep on the big papasan chair in the kitchen......the only thing I refuse to try is letting him fall asleep while watching TV. It may work for some kids, but Kyan will never fall asleep in front of the TV, ESPECIALLY because I am trying to limit how much he watches these days...TV is like crack to this kid. Today, as I type, Kyan is actually sleeping, though it took me a full hour and a half to get to go to sleep. But I don't have high hopes of this lasting long, as he has developed a nasty cold, and I can hear him hacking up a lung up there.....

I always knew I was in for it with Kyan......He was SUCH a calm and easy going baby, easy to get to sleep, not fussy, generally just happy and played wwell on his own......Now, as a mobile toddler, he is into everything. He is pretty tall for his age, so there is pretty much nothing out of his reach, and he definitely has a lot to say. He's still a lot more calmer than some other toddlers I know, and tantrums in public are infrequent, but when they do happen, watch out! I am continueing the time honored tradition started by my Mother where, if I am able, I just walk away. If it's in a place where it causes a big disruption to others, then we leave. I am hoping this works in the long run, since I feel tantrums are an attention getting tactic, and I do NOT want Kyan thinking he can get attention in this manner. So Kyan is not really a bad kid, just into everything, which sometimes gets.....destructive. I am starting to have a minimalist decor out of necessity, because wants to play and touch everything, and sometimes breaks things. We need to replace out DVD/VHS player because in the span of a week, Kyan managed to break the mechanisms in both sides by trying to shove stuff into the openings. So we can't watch any movies right now...

However, the brighter sie of this is that Kyan is an extremely sweet and loving little boy (as long as you don't want to change his diaper...potty training is WAY off for this kid). He loves to give hugs, still loves to be held, loves to give kisses, sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", Count to Ten, Sing the Alphabet. He is also likes watching me cook...okay, so he likes to try and get me to do something else when I need to cook, so I have tried to turn this into a positive by giving him little jobs when I make dinner....If I cut the carrots, I bring a little stool over to the counter and let him put all the carrots into a bowl. Then I give him a spoon and let him just mix them around for a while...this kept him entertained for a full half hour one night last week. He also likes to hold hands with pretty much anyone....Some of his toddler buddies go with the flow on this, some do not.

Given that Kyan has such a propensity for getting into everything, and given that he has a baby brother on the way who may also be into everything, I have tried to get rid of any and all toxic chemicals in my house. although my kitchen cabinets are baby-proofed, cleaning products are accessible in both my bathrooms, which have very little storage. but I have switched to homemade, eco-friendly anti-bacterial sprays in the kitchen, and baking soda...

And Kyan is up...20 minutes was all......I must leave it here, it seems....

LOOKING FOR SUPPORT!!!

2009-08-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get my local hospital (Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, MA) to put in a waterbirth tub and adopt a waterbirth policy. Despite the fact that funding is available for this, there is strong resistance from some hospital executives, as well as some of the local area OB's. I want this option not only for myself, but for all local women who choose to birth at CDH-it has been shown to reduce the need for drugs and episiotomies by a significant percentage, and enables women to feel more empowered by their birth by giving them choices.

Even if CDH is not your hospital of choice, please sign this petition if you believe in giving women more choices in how they birth!

My goal is 1,000 signatures over the next few weeks-Signing is easy-just click on the link, fill in your info, click submit, and make sure to opt out of the 2 newletters you will otherwise be sent.

I appreciate any and all support on this issue!!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/include-birthing-tubs-at-cooley-dickinson-hospitals-childbirth-center

Whoops...

2009-08-16T18:38:00.001-07:00

And I am a naughty monkey for not updating after my appt....Appointment went fine, they pulled out the doppler, and couldn't find a heartbeat. My midwife admitted she wouldn't try very hard, cause she know I have been a bit anxious of late, and if they couldn't "find" the heartbeat, I would score another ultrasound and get to see the baby again (and possibly gender??), otherwise, my next ultrasound is the anatomy ultrasound at 20 weeks (it seems so so far away right now..)

So I was promptly booked for an ultrasound early in the afternoon, and was fairly unworried since Jon had found the heartbeat just 2 days before with our rented doppler. So the ultrasound went fine-Baby's heartrate was 167 (Kyan's was usually in the 140's, If I remember correctly), and I got to marvel at the miracle that is pregnancy and growing a life inside you....Even having had a successful pregnancy before, it still amazes me at the changes that take place over a span of weeks....I had an ultrasound at 8.5 weeks, and everything looked SO different....you couldn't see a spine and really defined arms and legs...the baby looked kind of like a gummy bear then.....Baby would not show off the goods in it's nether regions-it wasn't in the right position, the ultrasound tech said, but none-the-less, I was so happy to see my little baby moving and squirming and it's little heart beating away...how incredible to think: The tech said the heart is like the size of a green pea right now....How crazy is that??

Anyway, all remains well....I am still waiting for first trimester exhaustion to go away, but I am sure that will happen in the next couple weeks.....But I am just happy to be in the 2nd trimester now (14 weeks, 2 days!)

If I can ever sit at the computer without Kyan attacking me or falling asleep first, I will try and get the latest ultrasound pics up!

Update Tomorrow

2009-08-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

I will have an update tomorrow-I have my regularly scheduled, non-freak out anxiety Midwifery appointment tomorrow....Hopefully they will at least make the APPOINTMENT for my ananotomy ultrasound.....Cause I am DYING to know whether this kid has a hamburger or a hot dog, and at least if I know when the DATE is, I'll have a date to look forward to and focus on...

So, more to come....

Anxiety

2009-08-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I am have been feeling really anxious lately about this pregnancy...why? I don't know. My pregnancy with Kyan seemed much more unstable at first-I spotted thru my whole first trimester. But this time around, everything is going fine. But I am SO ANXIOUS.

I called my Midwife's office today to see if they would move up my appointment (it was for a week from now) because I was feeling nervous. They happily ageed to fit me in today, which I was SO grateful for.

So I got to the office and promptly burst into tears. The Midwife I saw today (Pam) was really nice and attentive to my neurotic anxiety. So she got out the doppler to find the baby's heartbeat to reassure me. So she kept trying....and trying for about 12 minutes. The words "we need to schedule an ultrasound to check on everything then" had just left her mouth when she tried one more time....and this time she was able to find it! Thank God, cause I was having a heart attack, thinking my worst fears were coming true. Apparently, she says this little baby must be very active, and as my uterus is still low (and tilted), this baby has the perfect place to hide from the doppler.

So glad I heard the heartbeat again though...it did help ease my mind some.....I think I mentioned before that I rented a doppler, and it came yesterday, and I was not finding a heartbeat for love or money.

So that is the news for now.....baby is okay!

Ahem....

2009-08-04T19:03:00.001-07:00

Haha-Tricked you! Look below...

The Update

2009-08-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a busy few months around here.....I needed to regroup and really focus on being gratful for all the good things that were already in my life, namely Kyan and Jon.

But time marches on, and we are happy to announce I am a Host Organism!! I am supporting a new life! YES, PREGNANT!!! We are officially 12 weeks along, with a due date around Feb. 12 (my birthday).....I have rented a doppler...it took 20 minutes to find the heartbeat today and a lot of patience, but we finally found the little bugger hiding under my pubic bone! :-) Because of my history of miscarriage, I have had 2 ultrasounds already, and everything has checked out thus far. We are SO EXCITED!!!

Kyan is growing and thriving: He had his 2 year well child appointment today. He is 37 1/2 inches tall and 31 lbs and 9 ounces and his head is 50cm. His language skills have really picked up-and everyhting is "Mine". He can point to and name almost all of his body parts. He says "I Love You" now (sounds like I LUB WU) and has become a pretty affectionate little man.

Kyan turned 2 on July 24 and really enjoyed his birthday. He really got into the presents concept this time-In fact, now everytime he sees a present, he thinks it is his to open! He got some clothes, some trucks, a tractor, some puzzles, a fire truck and Thomas the Tank Engine toys, which are now a total obesession....Everything is "Thomas this" and "Thomas that" and "SODOR!" (as in The Island of Sodor).

Anyway, I will conclude with some pictures of Kyan's birthday and my pregnant belly (as well as that of my best friend, Amelia, who is pregnant too-8 weeks ahead of me and expecting TWINS!!!)

Kyan and his cake:

Kyan with Grampie:

Amelia at 16.5 weeks, and me at 9 weeks:

Amelia at 18 weeks, and me at 11 weeks:

I look forwarding to jumping back into blogging and keeping you updated on out little corner of Massachusetts!

TIme Out

2009-04-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

I am:
drained
exhausted
achey
sad

I've probably bored anyone who read this blog to death with my whining anyway, so I will be taking a break. I don't know for how long (let's face it, my posting frequency of late has been pretty lame)--I have too much going on and not going on, and since the only things I can think of to write are the words to songs from The Cure or strings of expletives, if you can't say anything positive, don't say anything at all, right?

Moving forward

2009-04-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a rough couple weeks.......I don't have the ability to sit and mourn, the way I did when I lost my first pregnancy, because a certain very busy 20 month old requires my attention. But it's been very easy to just sit down at times and dissolve into tears, at which point Kyan come over to me and gives me a hug (with a big sloppy kiss, if I ask nicely).

I wish this weren't so hard......Having been through this once already, I wish I was used to it, or could have become desensetized to it.....It has just been a roller coaster.....My HCG levels have gone down, then up...more spotting, no spotting, more spotting.....It's gonna take 2-3 months for my body to get back to normal before we can even try again.....

And yes, I am sure we will try again, although I honestly feel nothing but dread at the prospect....the last couple months before I got pregnant this time were really hard, and I don;t want to deal with that again, and then if I DO get another positive, I will just be waiting for somethign to go wrong...I felt that way when I was pregnant with Kyan, and obviously he turned out okay, but I didn't have anyone else to look after then.....being consumed and paralyzed with fear that the little bean you already love might cease to exist is exhausting, and quite frankly, my shitty parenting of Kyan over the last couple weeks is bad enough......He deserves to have me PRESENT, not freaking out about a future for his sibling I have no control over.

To top it all off, we bought a Honda Odyssey minivan the week I miscarried......I have been wanting one really bad-We were bringing home Kyan fro the hospital after he was born when the Matrix had started to feel cramped. Where I felt we could justify a minivan when we had our second child on the way, now I am just the asshole who drives a huge car with crappy gas mileage and ONE kid in the back. Don't get me wrong-I love the car, love the space, and think it is a great car-now we ca carry around an extra car seat for Kyan's friends and their Mom's (my friends). But I feel a little sad eery time I am getting into that car.....I just want it to be filled with kids. I ran into an old co-worker of Jon's today at Storytime at the Library.......She had her 2nd baby a couple months after I had Kyan, and is now halfway through her pregnancy with #3, and is still driving around is her old sedan. Now I just feel guilty....That is clearly a woman who needs a minivan more than I do.....

And so, life must go on whether I really feel like it or not, which is good, I guess, in some ways. I have some cute pics and video of Kyan I ver much need to upload, but am currently lacking the energy to do.

Empty

2009-03-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the abscence of posts......I was afraid to post because I knew I wouldn't be able to keep the news to myself-"I'm pregnant!". Today I would have been 7 weeks and 2 days pregnant, due November 7.

But no more. Once again I had spotting (only this time on a Friday night so I could spend the whole weekend worrying) and got an ultrasound today that revealed no baby.

I now have a 33% success rate with pregnancy...pregnancies which are not particularly easy for me to acheive in the first place.

Where do I go from here? Well, at this moment, drinking myself to sleep is not working but not for any lack of trying. Jon and my doctor are all set to go and try again......but I just don't know.

Part of me feels like maybe I just need to concentrate on being a better Mother to Kyan.....that maybe God is punishing me because I haven't been a good enough Mom. I mean, I had everyone at church praying for me that it would be okay, and clearly it didn't do any good.

Time marches on, and eventually I will have to put away the wine bottle, wipe away my tears and get out of bed again, but right now the only thing I am capable of is holding Kyan tight and telling hime I love him, hoping it'l be okay if I am not able to give him any siblings, and wondering why my body keeps choosing to betray me.

My apologies in advance, as I don;t think I will be up to posting for a while.

You may hang me up by my toenails.....

2009-03-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

I know it's been for like, ever, since I posted.....We moved the computer ut of the kitchen and upstairs, and now I have to actually have to sit at the damn thing when Kyan is napping, instead of watchig him play out of one eye while typing, as a I used to. My message board friends will attest to the fact I am definitely not a constant presence on the computer anymore. And that napping thing? Yeah, that's kind of a crap shoot these days.....Kyan might nap, or he may morph into DEVIL SPAWN and scream until he is released from his room.

We've had lots going on...I try and get him into play groups and set up play dates, because I feel like interaction with other kids is really good for him and might improve his language skills. We'll be starting to go for a weekly Open Swim at the Westfield YMCA on Tuesday mornings, and I think he'll really enjoy that, since he enjoys baths so much.....

On March 10, Jon and I will be meting my sister and her boyfriend in NYC to watch a taping of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. On Wednesday and Thursday, Jon will be in Atlanta for work. In two weeks, he'll be in NYC for a couple days for work. The week after that, we'll all be down in Philadephia for Jon's work and using the opportunity to visit my parents. The last week in April we are going to be vacationing with out friends Sean and Amelia and their daughter Lily in Cape Cod......so the next couple months will be busy. And with so many big things coming up, I will try and post more, and do pictures.......Cause all I have head for weeks and weeks is: "I thought you were going to post more now that your not working" and "we want updates".................

So yes, I will TRY and be better about this......finding the time is a lot harder than I expected....

and now, here are some pics.....most of them are from the beginning of January, but the camera is downstairs, and I am too tired to go down and get it and upload new pics and all that crap....next time........

Pics of Kyan enjoying snacks....

Kyan enjoying a bath with his buddy, Lily:

Kyan and I asleep on my parent's couch:

Kyan laughing:

Kyan on a play date in February.....Can you believe how long his hair is? I love it...I think it's so cute :-)

Anyhow-Will try and post something new in....let's be realistic...the next 10 days?? If I know people are actually reading I will make the effort.....

A full time job

2009-01-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

Well, my first week as a full time Mom is coming to a close....

And I must say, I LOVE it! Spending all this time with Kyan has been so awesome.....I love watching him play and watching the wheels turning in his head as he tries to figure things out....

Kyan is inot EVERYTHING...the kid has go-go gadget arms....I think I've put stuff up on surfaces out of his reach, and he still manages to get them......He can reach the countertops now, so I have t make sure anything I put down is at least 6" away from the edge, or he can grab it......Things he's been able to grab:
-A apackage of sliced mushrooms I was about to put in the fridge
-2 very long matches (used for fireplaces)
-My glass of wine (he had already tried to drink some before I turned around, but luckily only succeeded in spilling it on himself)
If he CAN'T reach something, he might take his long wooden spoon and try to bat the object off the edge to get it...he's getting clever....

He also is quite the daredevil......he likes to climb on chairs and stand up-sometime to try and get to a higher surface, sometimes he TRIES to tip himself over while standing)......he's opened his dresser drawers and tried to climb up them...

So it's safe to say he's keeping me busy.

When he goes down for naps, I now have time to clean....it will be my goal to clean SOMETHING ever time he naps....So far this week, I have:
-Cleaned out the office
-Cleaned and mopped the kitchen floor, then rearranged it
-Cleaned out the guest bedroom
-Cleaned the baby's room
-Cleaned our bedroom
-Gone thru my purse collection and donated a large portion of them to The Salvation Army
-Cleaned my bathrooms

And I made Pumpkin bread!

I am hoping that my mopping my kitchen floor and cleaing the bathrooms will now be something I achieve weekly (should I even admit publicly I was not doing this on a weekly basis already?)
Jon has been impressed-The house hasn't been this clean since we moved in :-)

However, my other goal, in order that I don't become some sort of empty Donna Reed caricature, will be to educate myself more on current events-To know more about what is going on in the world.

So, there is the update.....Sorry no pictures-I need to get better about remembering to take the camera out more!

On Blogging

2009-01-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Why, hello, dear readers! (are you still there? anyone...anyone?? Hellooooooo....)

Ahem, I realize my posts have been few and infrequent these past few months....the joyless time suck known as my job, the fun time suck known as parenthood.....What can I say? The day gets away from me. And then I eat choclate and drink a glass of red wine and fall asleep. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Anyway, all this to say.....I will be back in full force, posting much more frequently-with pictures! Why, you ask? What will have changed that will make my ability to entertain you/put you to sleep so much more frequent? Well............That joyless time suck known as my job is going to be a thing of the past, come Thursday, January 15!! I can now be a full time, non working Mother, because my husband is awesome and has worked hard to pay off bills and crunch numbers to make it happen.

As most of you know, I hate my job, and it has been an almost constant source of frustration and misery for me since I started it in 2005. So YAY for me!!

If you are only here for news of Kyan.......He is a big ball of constant energy, always running around......He likes to help me empty the dishwasher, his favorite words are "NOOOO", "Uppy", and "Cookie", and I spend all my free time eating his cheeks.

Anyway-Just thought I'd give you all the update......Prepare to be amazed by my frequent posting!

Baby, it's COLD out.......

2008-12-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

Holy Crap, it was 21 degrees out today........

I've been considering sticking my head in the oven all day, not because I am suicidal, but because my cheeks are ice cold........I love all the season, including winter....I just don;t love it when it falls under the 30 degree mark and we can't afford to turn up the thermostat past 61........

Anyway, things are (as always) busy and hectic here, with the occasional dash of insanity.....

Presents for Christmas are largley dealth with, now I just have to wrap them.....and keep Kyan from UNwrapping them before Christmas......

On Saturday, I went to Blessignway for my friend Melody, who is currently very pregnant with her 4th child. We said Blessings for her and the baby and the upcoming birth, Our friend Molli gave her a footbath and massage, and we did Henna on her belly-which looked great when the Henna mud itself was on there, but did not really leave much in the way of design when it came off......

Molli putting on some finishing touches:

The finished design:

Yesterday, Jon, Kyan, Sean, Amelia, Lily, and myself took the kids to Storrowtown Village because it was FREE and they had cute little displays up and Santa (dressed in purple??)......so we put the kids in their Holiday outfits and headed out:

Kyan with Santa:

Kyan enjoying the snow:

Lily Was getting cold feet!

If you'd like to see better pics from the excursion, please visit my friend Amelia's sight, as she is a fa better photographer than me....You mayve to scroll down a bit...
http://lilyburke.blogspot.com/

And here are a few random Kyan pics....

Kyan with Daddy:

Kyan jumping on a chair:

Video of Daddy making Kyan laugh (best sound in the world!):

Tis' the Season....

2008-11-17T10:56:00.001-08:00

To be really, really freakin' busy......

Sorry I have not been on more.....Life is hectic in the Jacobsen household....what with work and house stuff to tend to..

Jon and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary this weekend by going away for a night...the grandparents were nice enough to babysit Kyan overnight...so Jon and I stayed at a place called Emerson Inn by the Sea, in Rockport, MA, and it was beautiful...old rooms, very charming, a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, and spectacular views of the Atlantic right outside our window......and we unwittingly tried Escargot at dinner! Jon couldn't eat them after he knew what they were, though....he kept making jokes about how they just went scavenging for them under the deck when they needed more....

Anyway, here is some video of my busy little man, talking up a storm...

Suddenly THIS

seems like an awfully long time ago.....

Update

2008-10-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...lame, lame, lame.....What can I say, work has been unbelievably busy...But, hey look, Pictures and video!!

Family pic from Califronia in September

Kyan asleep in our hotel room one monring

Me and my message board friends and babies on the Santa Monica Pier

Kyan is a Cubs fan

Kyan at his friend Ella's First Birthday Party in September

Kyan with Uncle Jeremy when he was up for a visit last weekend

Kyan and Lily at the Pumpkin Patch

Rnadom Pic of Kyan

Video of Kyan saying "Ta-Da"

Video of Kyan in a box

Video of Kyan eating with a spoon

Kyan had his 15 month Doctor's appointment last week:
34 inches (off the charts for growth)
27 lbs, 5 oz--75-90% for weight

He looks to be right on target with everything!

And lastly...(Mom, look away).......New Hair color (it was time for a change):

And I was tagged

2008-10-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

10 years ago I was:
1. A young, naive freshman in college
2. Dating my first very serious boyfriend, Micheal
3. Spending weekends in NYC going to museums
4. Refining my non-existent sewing skills
5. Spending ALL my hours in the Costume Shop

5 things on today’s to do list:
1. Take Jon lunch (done)
2. Work (oh, how I hate it)
3. Return books at library when I take Kyan to Story Time
4. Clean (something. Anything)
5. Wash a load of diapers (you ALL wish you were me right now, don't you??)

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Chocolate
2. Red Wine
3-5. Anything including the above

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Buy a "green" house with a nice bathroom and kitchen
2. Pay off all debts
3. Pay off my family's debts
4. Travel with friends and family
5. Save, save, save for kids education and retirement

5 places I have lived:
1. Hatboro, PA
2. New Brunswick, NJ
3. London, England
4. Bloomfield, NJ
5. West Springfield, MA

5 jobs I have had:
1. Wardrobe Mistress-Shakespeare Theatre of NJ
2. Nanny
3. Secretary for FedEx Home Delivery
4. Sales person at Kay Jewelers
5. Executive Assistant to the CEO

Um.....who to tag.....Jessica, Melody, Alana and Heather--Have any of you been tagged??

and.......I'm back.

2008-10-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Okay.....so it's been a while since posted...I have been:

Working
Kyan got a cold
Working
We went to California
Working
I got drunk during the VP debate so as not to shoot myself
We went to Pennsylvania
Kyan learned to walk
Working
Kyan is getting another tooth
Working

So yeah, it's been busy.

I will post pics from sunny California, where I finally got to meet up with my message board buddies, Michelle, Julie and Alana-and had a GREAT time, just as soon as I have the time to upload them.

Fallen off the wagon with my diet, though still trying to be good walking, and I fully intend to get back on the horse with that......

The real question is:
Should I ask Jon for Doc Marten's for Christmas? I wear nothing but flats any more, so buying fancy, cute shoes no longer makes sense....and I am trying to downsize the shoe collection, which once numbered close to 50 pairs because I don;t have the room and I never wear most of them.....and I used to LIVE in a pair of bronze Doc Martens......But seeing as they are 12 years old, and no longer bronze from wear and tear, perhaps it is time for a new pair? and this is certianly more practical than say, jewelry......
VOTE PLEASE:
Leopard-always fun and funky:

I Like:

1460 W - 8 Eye Boot
by Dr. Martens

Cherry Red-Red being my favorite color and a nice way to liven up all the black (it's slimming! really!) that I wear:

I Like:

Classics 1460 W-8 Eye Boot
by Dr. Martens

Because embroidered shoes are always fun:

I Like:

Embroidery Vonda-14 Eye Boot
by Dr. Martens

Metallic Blue-Um, these are bright metallic blue-WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?

I Like:

Blue Broken Promises
by Dr. Martens

These make me think of funky wing tips...They'd probably get dirty really quickly, but aren't they cool??

I Like:

Adina 14 Eye Boot 1B99
by Dr. Martens

Okay, well that's all for now.....Please let me know what you think of the boots.....it may be THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION YOU MAKE THIS YEAR-(Screw the election).

I ate my way thru New England....

2008-09-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the Big E (also known as "The New England States Exposition")......an Annual event in which you pay $15 per person to get in, then pay way too much money for deeply fried foods.....it is wonderful.

I have been backsliding the last few weeks with my weight loss, so I have renewed my commitment with Weight Watchers and counting my points and am writing everything down....

It's been busy here, but fun-I have lots of new pictures and video to share!

But first, I have to post this clip from Saturday's Season opener of SNL-I thought it was SO dead on....I have probably watched this clip 20 times, and it is STILL hysterical:

Here is what happens when Mommy plays with hair gel:

And here is some video of Kyan dancing.....I apologize if you don't like Celtic music....I was listening to it a lot last week:

Here is Amelia and I at the Big E with the babies:

And here is Jon with Kyan:

And Sean and Amelia with Lily:

A picture of Kyan and Lily climbing the stairs:

And some video of it:

Pics of Lily doing her doggie impression:

And some video of them playing "together":

And lastly, some video of what Jon has seemed to be "the cutest thing he has ever seen":

Lastly, Kyan took about three steps on his own today!!!

Happy Birthday!

2008-09-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

To my Honey, Pooh bear, and generally Awesome! husband, Jon.

Happy 30th Birthday, honey!

You are the best Dad and Husband any woman could ask for, and I am a lucky lady indeed. I look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you!

I love you!

My new Haircut

2008-09-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

Why I loved the 90's

2008-09-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Because Tammy Wynette was in a KLF video....which included lyrics like:
"They're justified and they're ancient and they drive an ice cream van"...

And whatever happened to Salt N Pepa and En Vogue?? I can so clearly remember rapping to this song about my crushes when I was 14......I'm so white.....

Kyan pics

2008-09-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Kyan showing Ella a little love...

Cruising..

Variations on "Blue Steel"

Kyan trying to take steps....(please ignore my fat rolls...you know I am already working on that)

Weigh In

2008-09-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

Down to 168.6 lbs today....YAY!!

Pictures of Kyan to follow-Just need to download from the camera....

ANOTHER Montage

2008-08-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

This one is for Kyan and Lily-And because I am so glad that I have a friend like Amelia :-)

Weigh In

2008-08-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late post, and the lack of posting....it's been pretty busy around here. About 1.5 weeks ago, Kyan started cruising everywhere.....he'll take steps while holding on to my pinky finger, so walking is not far off.....HOLY CRAP!

Weigh In was 171 lbs this week...earlier inthe week, I was down to 169 lbs, but not now, apparently. I am still walking every day-it helps to have a walking buddy!

I promise to write a more in depth post soon, but right now Kyan has left me a present in his diaper.....

Weigh In

2008-08-19T04:29:00.000-07:00

172.4 this week.......so .4 lbs lost :-(
Gotta work harder this week....

Music

2008-08-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

I thought this song was pretty cool...

Weigh In

2008-08-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

The scale this morning read 172.8....so 12.2 lbs lost so far. I continue to walk every weekday, but with all the rain, there have been days when I am not able to....Jon has also decided to do Weigh Watchers with me, and has lost 14 lbs already (of course).

Anyway, that is the news...

On to the pics:

Kyan enjoying a chocolate chip cookie:

My friend Melody and her family at Kyan's party-WOuld you believe this is the ONLY pic I got from his party?

Kyan playing with his Bubble lawnmower from Me-Mom and Pop-Pop:

Letting Kyan try and eat with a spoon..

"I'll just use my hand-that seems easier"

Kyan and his buddy, Ella, taking a Cheerio's break:

Kyan in a cute hat (that stayed on for TEN whole minutes!)

Vocabulary Quiz

2008-08-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

I am in a funk that I cannot seem to pull out of right now.

All I have felt is stress this summer, as Jon works 16 hour days, and I work AND try to keep Kyan happy. Which means at the end of the day, We are both tired and stressed, and just....UGH.

Kyan is so interactive now...he loves face time with anyone. His naps are wittled down to maybe an hour in the mornings and an hour int he afternoons, which means he has roughly 3 hours where he has to play alone while I am working. Maybe it's just me, but that seems like WAY too much "alone" play time, and an awful lot to expect of someone eho is ONE YEAR OLD. SO I let him play in his room, cause my office is one door down the hall-his room is baby proofed, and so I leave his door open and put up a baby gate in his doorway so he can't get out of his room and into the hall, where our telephone wire runs along the baseboard and is Kyan's favorite thing to play with. Well, every time Kyan sees that baby gate now, he starts to cry, because he knows it means I have to stop playing with him and disappear down the hall. He'll cry intermittenly throughout playtime, because he knows that means I will run down the hall to check on him (provided the Bosshole is not reaming me out for something or dictating an insufferably long letter). And then he'll cry when I have to walk down the hall again.

He's not even getting my full attention on lunch break. If I were a full time non-working Mom, I could get chores and stuff done while he slept. But since I don't have that option, things get squeezed into lunch hour, and the time I have to spend with him.

So basically, I am in Hell. There is no forseeable way out of this situation. We can't make it on Jon's income alone, we can't afford daycare, and try as I might, I am not having any luck finding a job with better hours.

I would love to blame someone else here, namely Jon, but I know he is busting his rump and working these long crazy days so that hopefully one day I won't have to work. But I need a solution now, and there is not one.

When Kyan was younger, I was only looking for something at night time because I didn;t want to leave him. I still don't want to leave him, but it's clear he needs interaction and constant attention/monitoring (he IS a one year old), and if I could find a job that paid enough, I would put him in daycare so he at least got to play with other kids. If I didn't have to work, I could set up playdates and he'd have so much more interaction with me AND the outside world. But I can't even find a better paying day job. So here I am. Feeling awful and guilty and knowing Kyan is getting not only the short end of the stick, but the short end of the stick covered in shit.

I always wanted my kids to be independent, but I wanted them to know they could count on me for anything. What if Kyan is already realizing I am not meeting all his needs? He cried in his sleep last night, and I so desperately wanted to prove to my son I can be there when he needs me that I slept on the floor of his room in case he cried again. Except it didn't prove anything and I still don't feel any better, and now my back just hurts from sleeping on the floor all night.

I don't know what to do anymore. I complain and complain, and I rant and rave and I cry, but nothing changes. And I can't keep doing this to Kyan. He deserves so much better.

Weigh In

2008-08-05T08:54:00.001-07:00

Finally!! Some downward movement! AT weigh in this morning (yes, a day late). I weighed 174.8....AND I went on a 1.5 hour walk today, which has now made me a bit smelly.....

I am still waiting on some pics from Kyan's birthday party to do a complete picture post of said party, but as soon as I have them in my hot little hands, you, dear Internet, will be the first to see them.

This weekend was okay....Kyan has not been quite himself....He was running a fever over the weekend, but still quite fussy and apt to cry for no reason, which is SO not like him, and not really eating. I took him to the doc, who said it was probably just a virus of some kind...he wasn't puking, after all. Today he is somewhat better, but still seems kind of fussy....It could be one of his top teeth coming in too...so we shall see.

A quickie

2008-07-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Quick Post:

Party was great!! Lots of people showed up! Lots of Yummy food was had! I have no pictures, though-the only ones I can show you are a hew my friend Amelia has sent me so far:
The Birthday Boy

The CAKE:

Lily modeling the party favors:

Kyan and Lily:

On the weight front:
I was at 177 on Monday......Due to getting my period and party planning/having my parents up for a visit, this has clearly not been my most productive week for weight loss, but at least I am wlaking again, and I fully intend to be back on track for next week. I WAS weighinh 174.8 earlier in the week, so maybe I could just blame it all in water retention??

365 days

2008-07-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Kyan-
Today, you are 1 year old.

On this day last year, You came into this world after 6.5 hours of labor, weighing 9 lbs, 2 oz., and 21 inches long, and looked me straight in the eye. It was the happiest day of my life then. Since you were born, EVERY day has been the happiest day of my life.

At your Doctors appointment this morning, you were 25 lbs and 31 1/2 inches long.....nearly 16 lbs and 10 1/2 inches bigger than this time last year.

I have watched your little personality emerge-You are inquisitve, funny, and always looking to get into trouble.

You are my little buddy-game for pretty much anything and everything, prepared to take it all in.

Kyan, there really aren't words for what I am feeling.....I am just so grateful to be your Mother. You have taught me so much, this past year. There are so many books that talk about how to help your baby learn and what they should be taught, but I think they have it all wrong. I've learned more from you than you could possibly ever learn from me. I love being a Mother so much-You've even made me appreciate my own Mother more.

I know from you what it means to truly appreicate the small things...That suprise crumb in your high chair, a twist tie on the floor, watching the dog run around the yard...All of these things are exciting and awesome to you, and you have in turn, made them awesome for me again too.

You have changed to much......from a small baby with crazy hair to a little boy who just got his first REALLY Big Boy hair cut. Like other babies your age, you are starting to test your limits-and I am trying hard to let you explore while setting enough limits to keep you safe.

I intended for this to be a much longer post, filled with stories from yor first year, but the best thing I can think to say is: Happy Birthday, Kyan. I love you more than anything in the world. You are my sweet baby boy, and although sometimes I wish I could stop time from marching on and freeze frame you exactly the way you are now, I know the future holds even better things for you. I am just lucky that I will get to watch it happen.

Every day, I think it's impossible that I could love you any more, but every day, my heart grows ten times bigger just from being around you. You have changed me in so many ways......Both your Dad and I think we are the luckiest parents in the world.

Love,
Mama

A Picture post

2008-07-22T08:16:00.001-07:00

This is for you Mom.....

Okay, I was feeling creative last night, so I made another sling-This is a double sided ring sling made from silk dupioni in Saffron and Sherry-I think it turned out pretty well.....I test drive it this morning with Kyan (he just wanted to be crawling), and the fabric slips far less then slings I have made in the past, and I have to say I love the sheen and feel of the fabric. I think I will wear it out a few times and see if I get any feedback, and then see from there if making them to sell would be a worthwhile venture....

Front shots:

Back Shot:

Shoulder/Rings:

And here are some pics of Kyan (and Jon and Scooter):
Ky with Grandpa:

Ky with Grammie:

Ky in the swings (He loves the swings!):

Ky with Daddy:

Crazy Upside Down Kid:

Petting Scooter:

Video of Kyan crawling:

Video of Kyan with Scooter:

And lastly, a couple pics that Amelia took of Kyan:

Weekly Weigh In-July 21

2008-07-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

AT today's weigh in, I was 177.2, so I lost just over 2 lbs this week (last week I was at 179.6). It is EXTREMELY gratifying to see the scale going down, even in these small increments.

I continue to walk every weekday, and usually walk on weekends too, since we end up doing something where we just walk around.

Since I met my first goal of 5 lbs, my friends Amelia and Sean got me an Itunes Gift Card. I used it to buy "An Inconvenient Truth" on Itunes :-)

I have some cute pics to post of a trip to the park with Kyan from this past week, so as I soon as I get a chance to upload them, they will be on here.

Jon is currently in Alabama for a business trip, but will be home late tonight.....

Jon has a conference in Pasadena, Ca in September, and it looks like I will get to go with him!! SO Excited--I have never been to the West Coast! I am already working on scheduling a meet-up with a few of the girls from my message board who live in Southern California...

I also made a table skirt for my kitchen table. I ALSO got some silk dupioni to make myself a sling.....You may recall a post from last fall where I made myself a puch sling using Chiense silk. I saw these fabulous silk slings on www.sakurabloom.com ....but they are SUPER expensive......and I thought..hey, I could do that.....SO I have saffron and sherry colored dupioni silk to make a double sided ring sling.......Please visit the website and take a look at their slik slings, and tell me if they are appealing to you as an individual, and how much you think a reasonable price would be for one......because I know I could do it more cheaply, but the fabric itself is still expensive, but perhaps it would be a business avenue worth exploring? Please let me know your thoughts....

Weekly Weigh In

2008-07-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

At Weigh In this morning, I was: 179.6 lbs. YAY! I made it to my first sponsored goal of 180! Wahoo! Unfortunately, I could not go walking this morning because it is raining out....BUT, I plan to keep plugging along.

I have another sponsor:
For every 10 lbs I lose, my friend Ryan will put a $50 savings bond into Kyan's Cillege Education Fund. That's a total of $250 if I lose all 50 lbs!

150 lbs: My friends Marcie and Chad (the very same ones I married a couple weeks ago!) will buy me a new shirt or something pretty when I get to 150 lbs.

The weekend was good and fairly relaxing...Now it's back to the grind.....

The pure AWESOMENESS of Youtube

2008-07-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

A week of firsts...

2008-07-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

This is the first week I have stuck to a diet for more than a week :-)

I have continued to walk every day-The humidity FINALLY seems to have dissipated, so my walks yesterday and today have actually been quite pleasant.....I am hoping to be down at 180 lbs at next weigh in...we shall see....

This week, Kyan also pulled himself up to standing twicw while we stopped by for a quick visit to Jon's office on lunch break.

Kyan's second bottom tooth is FINALLY breaking through this week.

Kyan also said his first word this week! "BABY"....sometimes, he will say "uh-oh" too, but that is touch and go.......

Here is some video of his first word:

And here is a pic of Kyan trying to give me a piece of his carrot:

And here is a pic of Kyan playing is his Baby pool:

The Weekend Update and Weigh In Day-2 lb loss

2008-07-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, it is Monday, July 7, and I have officially been dieting for a week.
I weighed in this morning, and it LOOKS like I have lost 2 lbs. Hard to tell though, because our scale sucks.

We had a fun weekend-we had our friends Sean and Amelia over on Friday for the 4th, so we mostly just ate and relaxed all day.

The Tomato and Mozzarella Salad I made...I just thought it looked so pretty...

On Saturday we saw Sean and Amelia and Lily again to go see Old Newgate Prison in Granby, Connecticut....and as soon as we got there, it started to downpour....Here I am in the copper mines where the prisoners worked:

And here is Amelia and Lily:

On Sunday, Amelia and Sean and Lily and Jon and Kyan and I all met up to go into Boston...one of the other girls from our message board was going to be in Boston all week, so we wanted to meet her and her two girls. We had SO much fun! Jill was a riot, and her nearly 4 yr old, Madeliene, was hysterical, while Juliana, who is around the same age as Lily and Kyan, was the most chilled out and laid back baby I have ever seen. I brought a picnic lunch for everyone, so we met in the Boston Botanical Gardens to eat, then walked around:

Juliana and Kyan:

Jon and I:

Me and Jill's daughter Maddy:

Kyan having fun in the kids wading pool at the Gardens"

Kyan petting Lily-"Nice Lily....":

All the kids-Kyan and Juliana are trying to snag Lily's bottle:

And here are a few extra of Kyan:
Eating from a bowl:

DUUUUUDEEEEE.......

Happy, Smiley Man:

Goofy Boy:

Skinny Pic motivation

2008-07-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have had a lot of people tell me I need to find a pic of myself at a weight where I was really happy with the way I looked...SO then I started going through old photos.....took a little trip down memory lane.....So here are a couple photos to give you all an idea of what I would like to END UP looking like, and also just a couple that jogged important memories....

Also, another sponsor:

165 lbs: When I get to this goal, JOn has said he will give up cheese for year. If you know Jon and the love affair he has with cheese, this is a BIG DEAL.

THE SKINNY PICS:
This is me in high school, circa 1997, I believe. I am probably 130-135 here...not really sure. In high school, I would never have typically worn a dress like this, but I was performing a scene from "No Exit", in which my very vain character finds she is in Hell, and her Hell has no mirrors. But look-tummy is flat! And my boobs-they don't touch my knees! I am kind of thinking this may not be the most realistic goal (I am also pretty sure I remember sucking in my stomach ALL DSAY LONG that day).

This is right before I left for a semester in London my senior year of college, 2001. I lost 20 lbs that summer on the Atkins Diet, and I think I am between 140-145 lbs, though probably closer to 145. I am a bit hippier, but I think this is an acheivable goal, and one I would be perfectly happy with.

Okay, really, I just like how thin my face is in this one.....LOOK! I have a chin! Just one! Not multiple chins!

Nostalgic pics:
September 11, 2001
I am standing on the stage of Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London. This was the first day of my internship (You also can't tell by the ugly outfit, but I am about as skinny as in the pic above this one). My friend took this picture, I got off the stage to walk over to the office where I would be doing my work, and the program organizer came in with a very grave look on her face, and I thought for sure she would tell us one one of us had broken something already and we were all on thin ice. But no......they said they Twin Towers had been hit by planes in NYC, and we should go straight back to our flats and wait for news. And be sure NOT to draw attention to ourselves as Americans.

1997
This one is for Melody......I love this pic...I hated high school, but I AM glad I made such good friends. Few friendships are perfect, and ours most certainly is not, but I could not ask for a better friend over the years. And YES, I was known to be one of THOSE Renaissance Faire dorks:

Chad and Marcie's Wedding, Part Deux

2008-07-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, one of the guests finally posted pics on Myspace of the wedding:

All the bridesmaids and the groom (I am on the left of the groom);

Jon and I walking down the aisle together:

All the bridemaids with the Bride-I am the one next to the bride (Hint-I am not the tall, blonde one):

Today is tougher

2008-07-03T07:32:00.001-07:00

I am exhausted today......it's really hard to feel motivated today......I went out for a walk this morning (Thank Goodness the humidity seems to have abated some), but it was shorter than the walks I took the last couple of days, and all I could think about was goign back home and goign to sleep (Not that I have time for a nap, mind you).

So that is where I am at today.......

Tomorrow will be easier, I think....I plan on walking, and I won't be counting points tomorrow because we are having friends over and I am making a butt load of food.....Granted, it's healthy:
Quinoa Southwestern salad
Wheatberry and Olive tapenade
Tomato and mozzerella salad
Grilled polenta
Black bean salad-has tomoato, corn, onion, black beans, and avocado
Plus
chicken sausage and fish
watermelon
S'mores for dessert

So it could be worse, really, I am just not going to worry tomorrow-it's a holiday, I've made all the food, and I want to relax......so I will keep up my exercise tomorrow, and otherwise be back on track on Saturday and Sunday...I already have one of my meals for Sunday planned and how many points I will need for it-I am meeting friends in Boston for a picnic lunch.

SO that is where I am at...not terribly motivated, exercise wise right now, but sticking to my points....I am having a hamburger tonight, so I know my lunch options are limited....probably another salad.....

More sponsors:

2008-07-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

160 lbs: Josephine will knit me either a scarf or some pot holders :-)

175 lbs: Carrie will send me a care package of health related goodies

135 lbs: Because Carries is such an awesome sister, she wanted to sponsor me TWICE. When I reach my final goal of 135, she will buy me a new outfit!

160 lbs: Andrea will send me a picture of her from her goth days (She's really cute and wear trendy stuff now, so I REALLY can't picture this)-and I'll post it here :-)

Day 3 of THE DIET

2008-07-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I will be weighing myself once a week, just in case you are curious.

I have gone a walk every day since Monday, and went on TWO walks yesterday. I am doing Weight Watcher, so I can hold myself accountable for what I eat.
Yeserday:
1 blueberry yogurt
1 small bunch of organic grapes
1.5 cups pasts with .5 cup pasta sauce
6 oz poached salmon with 1 tsp mustard butter, wilted Kale and Lettuce with peas sauteed in Olive Oil, and roasted chickpeas
1.5 cups fresh, organic local strawberries for dessert

So I feel pretty good so far....Jon ate all the oreos left in the house so I would not have the temptation.....so this is what I am going through at the moment:

(Thank you, dooce)

More Sponsors

2008-07-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

Okay:

My sister is not sure what she is pledgin yet, but she is pledging something....

155 lbs: my friend Jules has pledged me a pedicure

Also, my friend Jess has offered to go on a hike with me next week, so that will be nice to have a change of scenery.

Sponsors so far

2008-06-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

I know, you are AMAZED at the plethora of posts today....

Okay-I weighed myself at lunch (which was a salad, by the way, with fresh picked lettuce from the garden)-My Start weight is: 185

Because I have awesome friends, here are the sponsors I have so far:

180 lbs: Amelia , my super scrap booking friend, will lose the first 5 lbs with me, then buy me 5 new songs on ITunes to keep me motivated. I will be taking her on a roller coaster at Six Flags :-)

167 lbs-Kelly , hysterical blogger and PhotoShop enthusiast, has offered to frame a picture of Kyan, as long as I send her the pic.

165 lbs: Asha , The tutu maker extraordinaire, will give me a $25 gift card to Victoria's Secret.

145 lbs: Melody, who is a FABULOUS sewer, has offered to make me a dress of my choosing.....I want something fun and twirly! :-)

There are a few more people who want to sponsor, they just need to pick the weight goal they want to sponsor.

Asking for Help

2008-06-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Since I have seen the wedding video myself, I am appalled at how big I have gotten. To top it all off, my thighs were raw from rubbing together all day, and my knees were killing me. So this morning, I got out of the house before work and took a 30 minute walk with the baby, sweating my butt off the whole time. But since I have said before that I want to lose weight, I am wondering if you all would be able to help me:

I saw this idea on Rachael Ray, and thought it was a good one.
I would like you guys to SPONSOR my weight loss. This is not about money. When I say Sponsor, I mean, pledger to do something that helps keep me motivated. As an example, "fill in the blank" will shave their head when I have lost 15 pounds, and "Fill in the blank #2" will come with me to Six Flags when I have lost 20 pounds. And if someone REALLY DID offer to shave their head or something at a certain weight loss mark, and other people really wanted to see that, then you would sponsor the pounds that came before that to really motivate me to get to that goal. Does this make sense?
More than anything, I want to be healthy-For my family and my friends-and I want to set a good example to Kyan. But I need help, because I have tried to lose weight in the past, and I am just NOT motivated-I GENERALLY eat healthfully, but I have huge issues with portion control and ice cream. And I hate to exercise. BUT, I can make all the excuses that I want...but they are just excuses.
If anyone is willing to help me, I will happily post updates on my blog, as well anyone who offers to sponsor me at a certain weight loss point and what they pledged, etc.
I estimate myself to be about 185 pounds at the moment (which is under my pre-pregnancy weight with Kyan, if you can believe that), and would like to lose approximately 50 pounds, though I am not so concerned with the total weight loss as I am with being healthy and getting down to a Size 8. I am currently a Size 14.
And here is an unflattering pic of me to give you an idea:

So if you'd like pledge something/anything (be creative!), please do so in the comments section.
Thanks!

The Wedding of Chad and Marcie

2008-06-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

I am in video upload HELL right now......There is a bottle of bourbon shoved in my mouth right now to muffle the frustrated screams that have escaped from my mouth......Fear not, I will figure it out.....Until them, some pictures of the bride will have to suffice (none of me, as I was obviously taking the photos).

The wedding went well-It was UNGODLY hot and humid, which is why I am so glad I got my hair done in an updo......It would be kind of off putting if the wedding officiant had limp, wet hair at the ceremony ("Who's that greasy, sweaty person standing next to the bride and groom?"). It started to rain a bit when were were on our way to the ceremony, but it stopped, and the rain held off long enough to perform the ceremony, which was just over 10 minutes long.

After the ceremony, the bridal party waited around outside for over an HOUR while the photogrpaher took pictures of the both the bride and groom's sides of the family. Luckily, we were all comped a drink during this time, so that eased the pain a BIT.

Eventually, dinner was served (food was actually decent), and the dancing commenced. Since Jon was shelling out $12 at a shot if we BOTH wanted a drink, it's needless to say I was not blitzed enough to make a total ass out of myself on the dance floor. I did make a partial ass out of myself because, hey, that's what I do, but that's pretty typical, so no surprises there.

Jon and I departed a bit after 11pm-that's pretty late for us these days, and after arriving home, Jon realized that he still had the bride's suitcase for the honeymoon in the back seat....so he drove all the way back down to Enfield to deliver before Chad and Marcie left.

As the officiant, all that was left for me to do was to fill out a section of the marriage license and put it in the mail to the Town Clerk's office, which I did this morning, via certified mail.

On to the pics:

Excited and ready to go!

In the limo:

Cutting the cake:

First a few of Kyan

2008-06-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

From our the Pirate themed party our friends Seth and Julie and their daughter JoJo had:

Happy Baby pics:

Trying on other people's shoes:

This is what happens when I get nostalgic......

2008-06-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Bridesmaid dress for next week's wedding

2008-06-20T13:22:00.001-07:00

I actually like this dress:

Sniffles

2008-06-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, pretty people-

I have either been too sick or busy to post...Which one is it? BOTH.

The cold that refuses to die has come back to haunt me again. I called out of work yesterday because I was feeling too crappy.

Father's Day was nice. I got up, made JOn breakfast, and we laid around. We went to go a see a matinee movie ("Don't mess with the Zohan"), which was both funny and stupid.....many ongoing gags involving Hummus. I love walking in with a baby and having other movie goers inwardly groan, only to have Kyan not make a peep the entire movie! We've seen three movies with him this way---He usually just falls asleep. And no, we don't see anything raunchy or violent if he is with us.....Then we went out to dinner with Jon's parents to a nice restaurant in Sunderland called "The Blue Heron", which was also quite nice. I got Jon a t-shirt that says "Jacobsen 1.0", and a romper for Kyan that says "Jacobsen 2.0".

I gave Kyan a haircut yesterday (all on my own!)...It's very hard to cut the hair of a moving target. It's not perfect, but Kyan's hair grows so fast, I can't be spending $10-$15 every time he needs a haircut (which is often-Wolfman, here we come!)

We also just got a new bed delivered today....We purchased the Budget version of a Tempur-Pedic...it's The BOBo-pedic! Can't wait to try it out tonight!

And since I know your just here for the pics of Mr. Uber-Adorable, here ya go:

Thoughtful Kyan:

Happy Kyan:

Kyan wishes you Namaste:

I have TOYS!

What are you looking at?

No photographs, please-This is a restricted area:

Kyan in profile:

Kyan's Hair after the haircut:

Pics of the TOOTH-You can just see it coming up now, even though I have been able to feel it for over a week:

Pour me another....

2008-06-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of posting...work has been busy, and I am tired.

Not much goign on.....Jon has been workign tireless inthe garden, watering daily and clearing away weeds while I watch.

Kyan FINALLLY FINALLY had his tooth break through...all those times in the past where I thought I felt the tooth break through..I was wrong. There is a sharp little razor ridge in his bottom gum now, and I have NO doubt that it's the real thing. And I think his right bottom tooth is not far behind.

Kyan new favorite activities: Pulling ALL the books off of his bookshelf......he'll look at me, clap, and smile, and then commence with destruction of the bookshelf. His other favorite activity is closing and opening doors......Except, once he closes a door all the way, he can't open it again (being 2 1/2 feet tall, he can't reach the doorknob). Then he cries, but it's hard for ME to open the door since he's parked himself right in front of it.

Jon finally got a phone through work on Tuesday. It's a fancy one that you can check Internet and email on and all that fun stuff. Then last night, he accidentally dropped it in the dog's water bowl. The man is a walking accident. Fortuneatly for him, the Bindery has hazard insurance for all the phones......They will get their money's worth just with Jon.

PIC OF THE DAY

2008-06-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the breeze..

And some other pics from vacation:

Someone has been eating sand....

That someone hates me in this picture:

Kyan in his fortress:

Baby SMASH!

This time he hates JOn:

"The Chataeu Kyan"

Kyan and Aunt Carrie:

My Little Pervert:

The BLISS that comes along with Children

2008-06-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Poop is ALWAYS funny.
The POOP!! Post

Chopsticks, anyone?

2008-06-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

I have sold Scooter to the Chinese Food restaurant down the street.

Okay, so I haven't sold him YET, but I fully intend to. That damn dog had my up THREE times last night to go to the bathroom.....My ten month old wasn't up ONCE. Apparently I'll have to start diapering the dog.

So this morning, after DRAGGING myself out of bed when I heard the baby stirring, I took Scooter donwstairs and threw him outside, mostly for his own protection. Cause if I had looked at him for one more second he'd currently be a dog skin rug in my hallway.

I gave the baby his bottle and prepared to get in the shower (Jon comes home today from Germany, and although nothing says "I love you and welcome home" like the scent of baby pee and masticated Cheerios stuck in your hair, I needed the hot water to wake me up). The entire time Scooter was barking his head off. I silently vowed to buy a muzzle. The phone rang while I was in the shower...ah, pandemonium.

Once I was showered and had the baby downstairs, I checked the message. It was one of my neighbors alerting me to the fact that there was a mother raccoon and SIX baby raccoons in the tree on the edge of my property and that they could be rabid....AWESOME....and I thought today would be boring.

I ushered Scooter inside and looked at the tree in the corner of the yard.......14 beady little eyes were staring back at me. Now, reader, please don't get me wrong-I love animals-Just not potentially rabid ones.

Eventually, the racoons climbed out of my tree and made their way across the street. Three of the older ladies who live on my street are stalking the raccoons to see where they go next. Apparently, these raccoons live under the shed of another house down the street, along with 2 skunks and like, 8 feral cats. The homeowners are FEEDING them because they are "cute".

So I called West Springfield Health Services, who told me I should only let Scooter out when I can keep a close eye on him........Yeah..not so helpful.......I got a fenced in yard for a reason.

So, I am sicking my mother-in-law on their asses. She will call them and yell at them and write letters to our local newspaper. The way she sees it, Kyan might as well already have rabies because of those roaming raccoons, and she WILL NOT STAND FOR IT.

So take THAT, Health Department.

And.....We're back!

2008-06-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Vacation Post, Part 1:

It's okay...don't cry...I'm back......Flattered that you missed me so much, though :-)

Vacation was wonderful...blissful...time with my family...timae away from work......if only every day could be like that....Now, it is back to the grind....Jon is Germany on a business trip, and I am at home, working, taking care of Kyan and Scooter, and holding down the fort...all alone.....Please pity me and send me red wine.

With the exception of the rotten cold I came down with the day before we left that is STILL lingering, I cannot really complain.

I was SO excited for Kyan to experience the ocean....he was somewhat less enthused...He LOVES wster and baths, but the ocean was just too cold for him, I think.....We would set the hot tub on the lowest setting and play with him in there, and he had a BALL.

Jon and I even managed dinner out one night, since everyone else would stay at the house and watch the baby......then we went to see the new "Indiana Jones"....Um, not impressed......

Anyway, here are some pics from the vacation:

Kyan on the rocking horse at my parents house:

Testing out the water on the beach:

Kyan and Jon chillaxin':

Me and Kyan chillaxin':

Early morning walk on the beach (which Kyan loved until he fell asleep):

A washed up jellyfish on our walk:

My Mom and Dad with Kyan on their "Anniversary" night-Celebrating being married 30 years!:

Me, Jon, and Kyan:

Kyan with my Mom, cousin Sarah, and her boyfriend Scott:

Mom and Me at the Elizabethan Gardens:

Mom and Aunt Mary Jane at the Elizabethan Gardens:

Carrie and My Dad with Kyan (this kid should be a mascot!):

Jon and Kyan (One of two photos in existence that shows Jon ACTUALLY relaxed):

Kyan and me at the Elizabethan Gardens:

Carrie and Steve with Kyan:

There are more photos to come......

And I have an explanaiton as to why I look so fat in these photos......It's because, well, I am AM fat. So I will be working on that this summer...You heard it here, folks!

Vacation

2008-05-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, today begins my vacation...despite the fact that both Kyan and I are suffering from nasty, boogery, festering head colds.....I will be updating from the sunny Outer Banks of North Carolina, though, as long as I can find some Wi-Fi somethere...

Guilty Pleasures

2008-05-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

I have never REALLY thought about what my guilty pleasures are......I hope they aren't ALL food and alcohol...

10. Alton Brown/Good Eats episodes on YouTube-When Jon and I are too lazy to do anything else (as in 95% of the time), we lay in bed and watch Good Eats episodes. Alton Brown's unique sense of humor always cracks us up...Jon loves the science part, and I like pretending there is a chance I might actually prepare the dishes on the show. My favorite character is the Dungeon Master. :-)

9. Glass of Reisling wine-Does this REALLY need explanation?

8. Sleeping Late-This rarely happens now that I am a parent. And by rarely, I mean once since Kyan was born-I slet till 8:30am on Mother's Day and it was BLISS.

7. Pedicures-While I can't really afford these anymore (the last one I had was when Kyan was 8 weeks old), there is nothing more rejuvenating that a hot, bubbly bath for your feet and some pretty polish. And someone ELSE having to do the work.

6. Dark Chocolate-Perhaps I should not feel that about this....Dark chocolate DOES have antioxidants. So really, it's health food.

5. Ice Cream-Got me through my pregnancy. Gets me through a crappy work week. It's the number one reason I will never be skinny.

4. People Magazine-I'd like to think if I ever saw a star on the street, I'd be all cool and not bother them-and I DO think I would be unobtrusive. But the lure of celebrity wedding pics or has the latest mugshot are too strong for me. I am powerless against headlines like "New Racy Pics of Wholesome Teen Star Hit the Internet!" and "Former Boy Bander comes out of the closet!"

3. Daydreaming about what I would do with lottery winnings, even if I don't buy a ticket-The ability to imagine myself that carefree (monetarily) for even just a couple of minutes is totaly worth the price of a lottery ticket.

2. Other peoples blogs-If work is slow, I am CONSTANTLY rechecking other people's blogs, waiting for new entries.

1. Fantasizing about quitting my job-Someday, oh, someday.....

Just one of those days....

2008-05-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

The little man is NOT happy today. Apparently teething is kicking his ass. He was running a fever last night, so I brought him into bed with me, where I spent most of the night getting hit by my (nearly!) ten month old, or being wakened by grunting and air humps because he was trying to poop in his sleep. This is why we do not co-sleep. So I am exhausted today. But I feel pretty bad complaining.....Kyan is always so happy and has never really been sick...he got a stomach virus when we did back in January, but aside from non-stop pooping and barfing, he was happy as a clam.

At any rate, the fever is gone today, but he's pretty much inconsolable. Silly faces, songs, letting him play with his wang for infinite periods of time during diaper changes.....nothing can make him happy right now. BUT, I do thing his tooth is popping through as we speak. Little consolation for Kyan, I suppose. If he were an adult, I'd tell him to go relax while I fixed him a nice, stiff drink. Sorry, little guy......Mommy wishes she could make you feel better.

What I Spend Money On

2008-05-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance that there are no pics this week, which is the reason most of you check this blog...The weather has been a bit grey, so the lighting has not been optimal for outside photo shoots with Kyan.

I have been thinking a lot lately about where all of our money goes. I am not talking about our mortgage, car payments, my school loans, etc.....those are all pretty obvious. What do we spend money on otherwise? and I think it's interesting to compare it to what I USED to spend money on.

Four Years Ago:

1. Shoes-I LOVE shoes. Shoes will never make you look fat. In factm if they are high heels, they help you look skinner. A good pair of shoes will go with many outfits, and paired with the right outfit, will inspire someone to buy your drinks at Happy Hour. My favorites were Nine West and BCBG.....Not that I wouldn't have loves some Manolo's or Jimmy Choo's, but I have NEVER had $400-600 to spend on shoes ever in my life. AT last count, I had some 45 pairs of shoes.....In order to clear some space in the bedroom closet (which only has about half of my shoes), I am donating about 20 pairs to the Salvation Army Thrift Store.

2. Clothes-I was always in search of that perfect outfit that would magically fit my chest and make me 20 lbs skinnier. Alas, I never did find said outfit, but I sure helped the economy by trying.

3. Purses-Like shoes, a good bag will never make you look fat, will hold all your stuff in an organized fashion, and has zippered pockets to conceal embarrassing items such as tampons, pantyliners, and that Enrique Iglesias CD you bought on impulse. I still occasionally wish I could own a Coach bag. I have at least 25 purses. My favorites are still the two I bought in Italy...a green leather one I am currently using, and a black leather one I bought in Florence that looks kind of like a Birkin bag. I am thinking I need to downsize my purse collection-Contact me if you'd like to rustle through my collection. (Same applies for shoes if you are an 8 or 8.5)

4. Going Out-Back in Jon's an my pre-homeowning, pre-kid days, we ate out quite a bit, went out quite a bit.....Work night?? No problem! We won't be home till 3am? No problem! We probably ate out an average of 2-3 times week. While we weren't generally eating anyplace fancy, that's still a lot of cash down the drain.

Sadly, that's mostly what I can remember. I don't regret those self indulgent times....I enjoyed shopping and having nice things. But they certainly don;t matter nearly as much now. And while I may still covet a Coach bag, it doesn't matter in quite the way it used to.

Today:

1. Stuff for Kyan: I try to avoid buying him lots of toys. My in-laws bring him toys EVERY time they come over to visit, so he is not lacking. Although I have noticed lately he could do with some more age appropriate toys...A lot of his toys were geared towards when he was much smaller. Right now I really want to get him an activity table, cause I think that will help him with pulling himself up. But, it will probably wait till his birthday, because I cannot justify the $40 otherwise. Aisde from touys, there is baby clothes......If there is a cute outfit for him within a 50 mile radius, I will find it. Although I try and curb myself with that, because really, how many clothes does one kid need?

2. Food: While also a necessity, I enjoy cooking. I like knowing I am eating healthy, and I like knowing Kyan is eating healthy. The biggest barrier to eatinghealthy is often Jon. If I say I am tired, and he doesn't feel like cooking, he'll decide to get take out from somewhere, which is pretty much never healthy. Not only is it a waste of money, it's not good for us, so I am trying to get better at telling him NO. I am VERY conscious of the fact that as Kyan is getting older, he will pick up on our habits, so I don;t want him to see us eating crap. So I am trying to buy more organic food. Jon and I decided we would make the move to only eating organic animal proteins. This means we are eating far less of it because it is so expensive, and we are eating more fish (we just try to avoid farm raised when it comes to fish). But, I feel this is a good move all around. Orgainc farming practices are better for the environment, as well as for us, and eating less animal protein is good too. Considering the Global food crisis going on, it seems terribel to eat a 200 lb. animal, who consumes 800 lbs worth of grain. We have our own little vegetable garden, and are also have our own raspberry and blueberry bushes. it is my hope that one of the unintended effects of the global food crisis will be that more and more people start their own gardens to defray the costs of food.

When it is all said and done, there isn't really much extra these days anyway. I work part time, so I make less than I did before, and our expenses are certainly greater then they were before, so not much is left. This is not to cpmplain, simply to draw a comparison from then to now. I would not trade Kyan for all the purses, shoes, and late nights out in the world. And honestly, I don't miss it much. I don't mean to some off as preachy, but aisde from projects I would like to complete in the house and eventually getting a new bedroom set (I can dream!), there is not much else we need materially. "The more things you own, the more they own you" comes to my mind often, whenever I see some little knick knack or something that I like.

So while how I spend money is much different than it was 4 years ago, I am ten times happier with 99% of my life than I was 4 years ago. The only time not having money bugs me is when Jon or I ask each other what we'd like to do for the night. We don't have money to spend, but what doesn't cost money to do these days? It will get easier at it gets warmer out...we go to the park or on walks. But EVERYTHING costs money: Mini-golf, bowling, getting ice cream, going to the bookstore (we go to the library now instead). And all this penny pinching would seem more worthwhile if I didn't have to work. But instead, I do work (and work HARD) and we still have no money. Yay for adulthood.

Army Crawl

2008-05-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Couldn't remember if I had provided actual footage and proof that Kyan is no longer staying where I put him......If not, prepare to me amazed by the incredible MOVING baby:

Will require vast amounts of alcohol and enough tranquilizers to kill a horse

2008-05-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Packing for vacation is never a fun thing. Without fail, everytime I have gone anywhere for overnight or longer, I have forgotten SOMETHING.....Once, it was pajamas, once a toothbrush, once my contacts, once underwear...I'll let you get a nice visual of me in 4 day old underwear......is it now burned into your mind forever? Unable to be removed even if you flossed your brain?? Awesome.

This year, it promises to be remarkably harder, because not only am I packing for me, I am packing for Kyan....Because not only has the kid not pushed through his tooth yet or learned to pull up; he still hasn't learned how to fold a onesie correctly and is therefore useless in the task at hand.

What's that you say? I don't leave for vacation for another week and a half?? True, true...In that time, though, I must make sure every scrap of laundry is done, and spend time ruminating over items I have left off the list.......Having a kid makes this list SO much longer.....Not only do I pack my shampoo and conditioner, I also need his baby soap, no tears organic shampoo and mousturizer for his eczema. We are bringing 2 (yes as in TWO) laptops on our VACATION because my laptop has ITunes and therefore all our music on it, as well as a CD burner which my parents wish to have use of on said vacation, and Jon has to bring his because the man cannot be without his laptop for more than 5 minutes. Really, he's married to his laptop and I am his mistress and Kyan is our love child. Seriously, he takes his laptop into the bathroom with him. Nevermind that our beachouse does not have Wi-Fi and we do not have an air card......Jon will make sweet love to his laptop at the local Starbucks.

I have to bring as many sets of Queen sized bed sheets as I can locate, because the shore house does not provide them. Ditto for towels. Not to mention a stroller.....and a Pack N' Play for the baby to sleep in, because there is no crib there. And a high chair. And baby toys. And digital camera. And camcorder. Has your brain exploded yet? And that's just a FEW items from the list as it stands right now.....I have a whole week and a half to obsess over what else I could be forgetting. Never mind how we will fit this into our Toyota Matrix. I'd been hoping a minivan would drop from the sky into our driveway...Damn-SCREWED AGAIN.

The Baby Industry = Blood Sucking Leeches

2008-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I look, there is more baby crap I don't need, with ever higher prices......

Take baby shoes for example......At Kyan's age, the best shpes are flexible, suede soled shoes, so that when Baby starts walking, their foot can flex in a natural way.......I have not found a soft soled sandal by either of the leading companies (Robeez or Pediped) for under $34.....that's just obscene! I can't remeber the last time I bought myself a pair of shoes.......and the next time I do, they will VERY likely be less than $34....(Payless, here I come!).....But I was thrilled to find THESE sandlas for Kyan fron Land's End for $19.50.....With $4.95 for shipping, I still saved nearly $10......

I just hate feeling like I am being hosed by the baby industry........$50 for a baby outfit? REALLY? Would you put your 12 month old in cashmere....The same 12 month old who can't yet control their bowels and gets just as much food on their front as in their mouth? I guess there must be people out there willing to spend the money on that, but it just seems ludicrous to me......

As for Mother's Day, it was a very nice day......Jon let me sleep in till 8:30am (Kyan usually has us up at 6:30am), then woke me up with Kyan and a flower and card from the baby. Then he made me breakfast, and we relaxed for a bit. Then we went out to lunch with Pam and Bruce, came back to the house, and relaxed......and I was able to just enjoying lounging around with him and Kyan...all in all, a great Mother's Day!

In other news, we joined a CSA with our friends Lori and Chris-so we will be getting fresh, organic veggies this summer-That Jon doesn't have to grow! We will still grow a few things, but nothing like last summer, where we had so much produce, we couldn't GIVE it away. AND, we're on the waiting list for the CSA we really want to belong to for next summer. :-)

There's a bottle of Seagram's Lime Gin with my name on it.....

2008-05-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

I hate my job......

But, I was out again at lunch today (since the weather has been so nice) taking pics of Sir Stinky Pants again.....Here are the better ones.

Yes, I know I need a life...

One of his few smiles-He was tired...

VERY serious face (even though our neighbor was trying to make him laugh)

Airplane!

It's 5pm-I off to drink ;-)

Perhaps enjoying my new camera a bit TOO much...

2008-05-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Since I have taken no less than 49,785,111 pictures.....Here are a few more from this morning's photo shoot:

And one random one from the other day that I forgot to post:

Okay, here are more pics...

2008-05-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

The world's best smile:

Enjoying some frozen banana yumminess:

Me and Kyan (Don't you LOVE the hat???)

Showing off the gummy grin:

Dude, I really need to hit the gym....

Guess I'll start with some push ups:

Random pic of me that doesn't suck:

Kyan wants what Lily's got:

"The Ring of Love"

Look what I caught!!

I love you THIS much!

Kyan and Daddy-My Main Men :-)

Picture Overload

2008-05-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

WEll, I was playing with my camera ALL weekend...and 300+ pictures later, here are some of the better ones...

SOme of these pics include an outing with our friends Amelia and Sean and their daughter Lily-We went bowling and had a great time...Obviously, the ones of Jon and I were NOT taken by me, and the ones of me were not taken by me.....

On to the pictures!

Sean and Amelia (aren't they cute??)

Amelia and Lily (Lily is such a kick ass girl-She won't take crap from any boys-I love it!)

Sean and Lily (That's Lily's tough face, there)

Me and Jon...

Okay-More pictures to follow-working is kicking my ass today, but I will have them up before the end of the day.

From here on out.....

2008-05-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

The pics will be of much better quality...JOn just got me a new digital camera as a Mother's Day present.....And it's red-How perfect! He kept asking me waht features I wanted, and I told I wanted a camera that was a pretty color.....Much like when we have car shopped and I could care less about the inside.....I just know I want MIDNIGHT BLUE PEARL....

AT any rate, here are some pics of Kyan...he's acheived an army crawl of sorts over the last couple days, so full fledged crawling is not far off!

Things I learned this week:
-Making egg salad makes your kitchen smell like a FART
-You know the prices at a store are bad when it's employees cannot believe the price of their items

FISH FACE

An ode to CHUCK on the Dooce.com site:

"I believe I can fly....I believe I can touch the sky..."

Happy Baby Face

"Excellent, Smithers, excellent.."

The stats

2008-04-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Kyan's 9 month Doctor's appointment was yesterday:

He was 21 lbs, 6 oz.....a 4lb, 1 oz gain from his 6 month appt.
He was 30" tall, a 3" gain from his 6 month appt.
He is in the 90th percentile for height, and 50-75 percentile for weight.

His head was approx. 18.5" (I don't remember exactly), and in something like the 50-60th percentile (so well within average range).... It just LOOKS big, Mom....

Hot Democrat on Democrat Action

2008-04-29T04:22:00.000-07:00

This actually is not very recent, but OH SO FUNNY, and CLEARLY why Barack and Hilary should run on the same ticket

Friday Photos

2008-04-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Just enough Kyan to get you through the weekend...

Have a great weekend!

Food for Thought

2008-04-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have been reading quite a lot lately about the various roles of motherhood, and how we are now viewed as parents. I've also read quite a lot on the advent of parent bloggers, which made me think some...(yup, that's why ther is smoke coming out my ears).

I ALWAYS wanted kids. And as many of you may know, it was a nearly 2 year road with pit stops for fertility meds that finally got us to the destination of pregnancy/my nine month bitch-fest. Nevertheless, I find myself struggling on an almost constant basis with what the role of motherhood MEANS.

I still have to work, so on one hand I must be professional and organized and courteous, even if I am still in my slippers and smell like spit up. I am also Kyan's Mama, trying to help him navigate this new world he is experiencing...Letting him explore while keeping him safe. I am also a wife......and I don't know about others, but it seems to me that I soon as I became a Mother, I took on a more traditional "wifely" role.....I clean more, fret abuot what to make dinner, try to makes Jon's life easier when he comes home and not pester him TOO much; because hey, he goes OUT to work every day and brings home the bigger paycheck. He would never ask me to do this, but I find it's the role I have taken on, anyway. WHY??

Although this revelation is nothing new to other Mother's I am sure, I am always surprised at the different roles I am expected to play, and how willingly I conform to this. I should NOT be surprised then (though I often am), at how little time this leaves for me. We live in a narcissistic world, and I hate to resort to a rant of "I need ME time!"....but at the same time.......Between work, wife, Mom.......where did I go? I used to feel very creative, always pallning projects to work on, and I just don't have the time anymore. Which is perhaps why I turned to blogging, which I use to LOATHE, and swore I'd never have one. Why? Because Myspace (have that too), blogging, etc, just seemed so self involved. A person who has their own blog?? They obviously spend more time writing about themself than actually going out and living. I started this blog with the intention that my side of the family, who is not close by, would be able to check in here for regular updates on Captain Poopypants, aka Kyan. and that if perhaps I wanted to blog on other topics, be it politics or fashion or the environment or the train wreck that is Britney Spears too, then this would of course be an excellent forum for that.

But my brain seems to cloud if I try and write about anything other then Kyan or Jon. Which makes me fear I am starting to lose some of the obnoxious views and qualities and talents that make me ME.

If you are reading, please feel free to comment: As a mother or parent out there, have you been able to maintain your "youness" , without being narcissistic? How do you do it?

9 Months Old

2008-04-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Kyan:

Today, you are nine months old and I can hardly believe it. Time has flown by. It seems like every day, you are growing by leaps and bounds.

You sit up all on your own, and LOVE to play.....You have musical instruments, toy cars, a talking birdbath that teaches you the letters of the alphabet (no, I don't get that one either), wooden blocks, and many stuffed animals. Yet, for the last few days, your favorite toy has been an empty file folder and small pile of junk mail sitting on the floor of my office........You will play happily with the aforementioned pile of mail for at least an hour with no complaints. Once your teeth come in, I plan on using you as a replacement for the paper shredder.

You are still not crawling, and although I am tryin to work with you on this, I am beginning to think "Why ruin a good thing?" You basically stay where I put you right now...you might move a couple feet in any direction, but that's about it......So I don;t yet have to worry about you getting into the liquor cabinet and drinking all of Mommy's Kahlua.

Though I have thought you were teething since you were two months old, it FINALLY seems to be happening now.....There is a very definite bump on your lower gums (left side) that you HATE for me to touch. I am have been plying you with many a frozen banana over the last week or two so that you might have some temporary relief.

You speak very seriously in single sylablles these days......Duh, duh, buh-buh, Mama (only when you are pissed), and Iiiiieeehhhhh! I am trying to be better about walking around and naming objects as we go.

The best part about all this has been watching you grow and progress. It is SO Much fun watching you start to interact with the world. Every day I feel so lucky that you are my son.......I knew having a baby would be special, but I could not have predicted it would be so FUN.

Kyan-You make every day a joy-from the moment I wake up, I look forward to seeing your smiling face. I love you so much.....and although in nostalgic moments I wish you would stop growing, I am very much looking forward to the future and everything that is in store for us.

Love,

Mama

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hello, my friends-

Happy Earth Day! In honor of Earth Day, please visit www.idealbite.com , which is a website that gives great little tips to help us live in a greener world. I myself just signed up online to reduce the amount of junkmail I get, including credit card offers....Yay!

Now that we are finally in full SPRING mode, I am also drying my laundry on the clothes line outside (which Jon just moved this weekend to an unused part of our deck to make it easier for me to get to). Kyan diapers are drying on the line while simultaneously having poop stains naturally bleached out of them by the sun...Score!

In other news, Jon is apprently bucking for the Husband of the Year Award, because for the last few weeks, he has gotten up at 5am, gone to the gym, come back, gotten a bottle ready for the baby, changed the baby's diaper when he wakes up, feeds him, and on the mornings that Kyan needs it, also bathed him....while I am still sleeping-It has been VERY much appreciated.

Kyan was officially weaned as of Sunday.......My boobs are free! I feel good that we made it to just about 9 months......If work and having to have such a strict schedule hadn't made it so tough, I am fairly certain we could have gotten to a year with no problem.....but, weaning seems to be fine with Kyan-He has been such a distracted nurser the last few months that getting him TO nurse for more than a few seconds at a time was a real challenge.

Kyan is doing great with finger foods...LOVES Cheerios.....whenever he sees that yellow box, his arms flap and he lets out a high pitched shriek-we've been trying to capture the reaciton on video, but Kyan NEVER does it when we try to film it....figures.......He had raisins for the first time yesterday (soaked in water for a bit to soften them up), and LOVES frozen banana.....I think that helps his gums....Still no tooth yet, but the bump on his gums is more pronounced every day.

He goes for his 9 month check up on Monday, so I will be sure to list the stats.....Based on my unscientific method of weighing him by stepping on the scale and then stepping on the scale with Kyan, he is around 22.5 lbs right now......no wonder my arms hurt!

Anyway-Can't remember if I posted this or not, but here is video of Kyan on the swings for the first time last Friday:

Oh, oh, oh...I cannot WAIT!!!!

2008-04-18T08:47:00.001-07:00

What gets me throught the day?

2008-04-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

As several of my blogging friends have already done this entry from www.crazyhipblogmamas.com , I though I might do it as well......They asked: "What is your saving grace? What get's you throught the day?"

Well, my day starts when Kyan wakes up-And tired as I am (hey, I like my sleep), seeing his smiling face in the morning is better than any cup of coffee. My mornings are spent with him-feeding, dressing, playing, reading.....He goes down for a nap, and then I log in for work by 10am. From 10-12, I am working and praying the baby stays asleep. From 12-2, I am on "lunch break", eating lunch, feeding the baby, playing with him. At 2pm, he goes down for afternoon nap, and I start work again...he naps for maybe an hour, then is up and I try to keep him entertained in his crib with toys while I work until 5pm. Not the ideal situation, but I have yet to find an alternative.
So my day is mostly a series of small leaps-making it from one break to the next so I can play with Kyan. By the time 5pm rolls around, I am ready for Jon to get home, so I can have an adult conversation with someone who doesn;t scream at me for doing exactly what I was asked to do. I value our time together as a family, and nothing makes me happier than seeing Kyan and Jon play together.
SO that is the day to day.....As far as how I keep going.....What gets me through each week is the weekend...2 blissful days of not being glued to my computer..time with the baby...time to get out of the house....time with Jon (although he is usually glued to HIS laptop).
And what keeps me going in general? The knowledge that this won't last forever....Hopefully, in a few years, I won't have to work. I won't feel as frustrated and constantly under the gun, trying to keep my boss happy while keeping a baby happy. I'll be able to have some time to work on something creative...painting, sewing, writing.....and I will be able to cook better and have better meals made for my family. All the stuff I cannot find time for now....SO until the day comes when I DON'T have to work, it's just TRYING to be in the moment with my family-That is what I live for :-)

Lady Killa

2008-04-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided to let Kyan have at it with the Cheerios box, since very time he sees me pull out the box, he SHRIEKS! and tries to take it from me anyway...so, the video is in 2 parts (my phone only takes 1 minute of video at a time) But as you can hear, I was laughing at how determined he was:
Part Une

Part Deux

We went for a walk on Saturday cause it was GORGEOUS out, so here is one of my new favorite pictures from the outing:

TGIF

2008-04-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Thank God it is Friday-This week has SUCKED, work wise......But, the little guy reminds me there are better things to concentrate on, so I have just been stealing extra hugs from him this week.

Here are some pics:

Grammie Pammie made this "hat" for me....

Hamming it up for the camera:

BIG smiles!

Being a goofball...

Kyan just being....himself :-)

Standing using the crib rail:

Kyan is doing really well with eating, ans continues to perfect his "pincer grasp"....I switched him from Gerber Puffs to Cheerio's, which are at least slightly more nutritious, and he seems to be loving them......Of course, I changed his diaper at a friends house, and had a bowl of cereal from all the cheerios that fell from him as I removed clothing. My kitchen is like a box of Cheerios EXPLODED in it....Thankfully, Scooter seems to like Cheerios as well.

And for something completely unrelated:
The below is "The Last Lecture" by Carnegie Mellon U. Professor Randy Pausch, who is dying of pancreatic cancer. This video has made the rounds on the internet, and this guy has been on Oprah and been interviewed by 20/20, and a book was just published based on his "Last Lecture". This lecture is not the least bit morose, but it IS amazing. While I would like to believe that if I were dying (in the near future), I would live every day to the fullest and have the biggest impact that I could, but the reality might be that the thought of never seeing my beautiful son grow up would haunt me to the end. Be that as it may, I think this lecture is amazing, and I am so impressed and amazed by this smart, funny, charismatic, and courageous man. If you would like find out more about hi, you can visit his CMU web page, where he gives updates: http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/news/index.html

The Sweetest Sound in the World

2008-04-09T12:56:00.001-07:00

Kyan has the worlds best laugh...and I feel blessed to have such a happy baby:

I made some roasted cauliflower yesterday, and took the leftovers and proceesed it down so Kyan could eat it.....and he liked it! He's getting to taste lots of different food lately-and I am trying to make at least 1/2 his food....He LOVES apples with cinnamon. I made him a whole bunch of carrots and chicken, and my fallback food is peas and carrots, which he loves. He's even tried Veggie Booty, which he seems to like.

I am thinking teething may be soon (but then, I thought that since he was 2 months old, so what do I know?), so I got him an Amber Teething necklace. I saw one on my friend Melody's site (come to think of it, Mel, the one I ordered Kyan looks awfully similar to Galen's!), and decided to look into it. Amber teething neclaces are not meant to be chewed on. They are meant to be worn next to the skin, and heat from your skin releases trace amounts of oils (which are believed to have analgesic and healing properties) from the amber, which your skin absorbs. I figure it is worth a try-Best case scenario, it does help him through teething, and worse case scenario, it doesn't but still looks super cute on him. In fact, I ordered one for Jon as well (not that he is teething), since he always is complaining that something or another aches, and this should theoretically work on adults as well. You can see the necklace I ordered for Kyan Here, and the one I ordered for Jon here. The website is www.forfinn.com, though there are many online vendors who sell them. The ones made for babies are meant to be long enough to fit comfortably around the neck, without being long enough to be chewed on.
Anyway, here is a pic of Kyan in his necklace:

In other news, my friend Marcie is getting married in June. And guess who is performing the ceremony?? That's right, yours truly is now an ordained Minister of Universal Ministries! The Church of Becky also accepts donations....... :-) Anyway, I am excited to not only be a bridesmaid in the wedding (Jon is a groomsmen), but to have the honor of being the one who will pronounce Marcie and Chad as man and wife.

That is all the news for now!

He can't crawl, but he CAN clap!

2008-04-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

My baby can clap!! Yes, I know...it's sad the things ai get excited about......He's not curing cancer or anything....but it's a big deal to me....

And here are some pics from yesterday:

"I wear my sunglasses at night..."

Kyan and Lily had a dance off....

Lily was just blown away by the funny joke Kyan was telling her:

On all Fours!

2008-04-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

We're making progress, here.....Yes, it was me who put him on his knees, but when I did that before, his legs shot right back out-Now, he'll actually stay that way for up to 90 seconds....AND, he'll rock back and forth like he IS thinking about it...

Trying to chew his way out of his crib/jail

New Videos

2008-04-03T05:08:00.000-07:00

This one is of Ky riding his friend Jojo's toy car.

This is Kyan's latest attempt at crawling:

Kyan is now learning to pick food up to eat it....he been munching on Gerber Graduate Banana Puffs all week-a nutritionally empty food if I ever saw one, but it IS helping him develop his motor skills.

And here is a clip from my newest favorite comedy show: That Mitchell and Webb Look
Behold..."The Green Clarinet of Embarrassing Truths"

And lastly.....My family will again be participating in the Annual "Walk to DeFeat ALS"......As many of you know, my Uncle Bob suffers from this debilitating and terminal disease, for which there is no cure, so this is a cause very close to my heart. While I cannot make it down to PA for the walk myself, I still wanted to post a link so that if anyone has a mind to, they can donate to my family's team, Wolfie's Warriors.
http://www.alsphiladelphia.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=403&srcid=404&frsid=534

And now for the kid....

2008-03-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Kyan is quite the talker...MAMAMAMAMAMA, DADADADADADADADADADA........PPPHHHHTTTT!!

Still no teeth, and still no crawling, but, if he is anything like me, it'll be a while still.....I may have been a late bloomer, but here I am, all grown up, AND able to tie my own shoes. Kyan's already ahead of me cause I was still bald at his age. I was a bald, toothless, mute blob......

Anyway, On with the pictures!

Kyan in motion

He's a supermodel......(Blue Steel!)

House Beautiful?

2008-03-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY took pictures of my painted Living Room, Front Hallway, and Kitchen.....it's only taken me months....

We'll start with most recent and work our way back:

Here is our red kitchen (complete with a new stove, courtesy of Jon's parents) Wall Color is AUTUMN MAPLE:

Eating Area:

Back doors that lead out onto the deck (sorry so dark-Guess I'm not very good at this)

Living Room (Wall color is BAKED SCONE)

All those toys are mine, by the way

Hallway Leading into Kitchen (Wall Color is DESERT SMOKE-I think)

Hallway leading into Living Room

So, as you can see, we've been quite busy......Next on the list.....Our powder room, or perhaps our bedroom...The bedroom will probably be a pale blue, to go with the comforter we just bought. We're also hoping to eventually (in the next 2 years?)get new bedroom furniture...Probably this set from Bob's Discount Furntiure (whose commercials I HATE), but who have decent deals on furniture:

We are also getting Chain link fencing in our backyard in the next few weeks. We were going to get white vinyl fencing, but that stuff is CRAZY expensive.....Chain link fencing is about one quarter of what white vinyl fencing would be, and I can get some pretty plant to grow up it......So at least now the dog can run freely, and Kyan won;t be able to run into the street. YAY!

Splish Splash

2008-03-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

Is there anything cuter than pictures of a chubby little baby in the bathtub?? I think not.....

Kyan has many rubber duckies, Thanks to Grammie Pammie.....This is Christmas Duck (note the Santa cap)..he also has Mexican duck (with sombrero), Bad Ass duck (tattooed and with an earring), Thanksgiving Duck (in a pilgrim hat)...and on and on...

Kyan doing his best Virgin Mary impression

Kyan has ALWAYS loved it when I type onthe keyboard-he always wants to type too. Fortunately, I had an old wireless keyboard lying around that does not work anymore...it's his new favorite toy-he will happily bang away on it for an hour......Maybe I have a future computer geek on my hands?

Happy St. Patricks Day...

2008-03-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

From my Lucky Charm! :-)

Kyan wishes you a Happy and inebriated St. Patrick's Day!

7 Things

2008-03-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by my friend Jenni to write 7 little known facts about myself...Here goes:

1. Most of my freinds will not watch costume drama movies with me.....Because I spend the entire time critiquing costumes.."See that color? ALL wrong.....There was no way to get that shade of pink in the 1200's"....I won't usually watch ANY movies with MY Mom because she spends the wole movie going "Why did they do that?"....Um, just seeing it for the first time...I DON'T KNOW.

2. My mad costuming skills got mentioned in the New York Times once (okay, so it was in the New Jersey section, but still...)...They called the elephant head I built for "A Perfect Ganesha" an anatomical wonder.

3. My first car was a Mazda 626 from 1988....The stereo/tape deck did not work, the A/C did not work, the trunk leaked, and it smelled like cat piss because when my sister picked up her newly acquired kitten from the vet after having him declawed and neutered, he pissed all over the front seat as a Thank you. EVERYONE wanted to ride in my car.

4. I had bunions on my feet as a teenager...That's right...bunions...what the old ladies get. They were so bad I surgeries during the summer when I was 15 and 16...I started 2 years of high school on crutches.

5. I had sketches of my work hanging up in an exhibition at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London for almost 2 years.

6. I used to pose for art classes in college. I was skinnier then, and the pay was better than any other crappy job I could have gotten at the time.

7. I have taken many lessons in my life.....FLute, saxaphone, and guitar...Tap, Jazz, and Ballet.......Sketching classes, Watercolor classes......Sewing classes...I THINK that's it.....I took ballet on and off for years, but otherwise have never stuck with anything...I'm so flighty.

Asha and Christina........You've been TAGGED.

Playing Peek-A-Boo

2008-03-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Food, Glorious Food

2008-03-06T07:28:00.001-08:00

I know, I know-It's been a long week, and I've been busy...so here is one giant super post for you

While I do aim to make Kyan a gourmande ar some point, right now he mostly gets jarred baby food.....and he is yet to come across a food he does not like....except avocado-He's still on the fence about that one......SO here are a few videos from the past week, documenting his love affair with food:

When Grammie Pammie fed him on Tuesday:

When I experiemnted with him yesterday with some carrots I mashed with a fork:

Learning to feed himself with a spoon:

And here are some pics from the last week:
He was being super custe this morning:

This was from his friend JoJo's first birthday party:

And here is one final video-
Uncle Jeremy gave Kyan a talking piggy bank when he came to visit....Kyan LOVES it...I think I have a future banker on my hands:

His Royal Cuteness

2008-02-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

Okay....Kyan has been shaking his head "NO" for a couple weeks now (though I suspect Kyan just uses it as a device to keep himself awake when tired, NOT to say "No"), but I was unable to catch it on video...until now.....

And here is some video of the best sound in the world.....Kyan's laugh.....we were zerberting his chest and it REALLY got him going :-)

I just gotta be me...

2008-02-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

Everyone I know seems to have a baby who is moving very quickly towards their next developmental milestone....Saying "Mama" (even if they don't know what it means), crawling, standing........Kyan is resolutely committed to doing nothing.......To honor my son's total lack of ambition (he got it from me), here is video of him NOT crawling......

as well as video that proves nothing about him except that he has genetic links with an actual idiot (moi)

And here is a picture of how I plan to discipline him once he is old enough to understand words.....he will be strapped to a chair using the below device, while episodes of "the 700 Club" play on loop...

Teething Biscuits

2008-02-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

Today, just for shits and giggles, I gave Kyan a teething biscuit...He LOVED it....I let him play with it/chew on it for about half an hour......and MAN, was he pissed whern I took it away! Although I feel he is probably still a little too young for finger foods (babies are supposed to be crawling and have developed a pincer grasp), it was a fun experiement nonetheless....

In other news, we painted the kitchen last week, and it looks FABULOUS!! I will post pics next week, after we get our new stove delievered (Thank You to Jon's parents!) I will also post pics of the hallway and living room, which I have said I would do for....months....SO I am a little behind.....

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2008-02-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

I happen to hate this holiday, but at least I have a cute kid.