Easter. Better Late Than Never

May 10, 2013Leave a comment

While I was downloading pictures, I realized I never got any from this past Easter up. Auggie’s sweater was a great idea in theory, but Mother Nature decided to make it 85 degrees so it didn’t last long. At least I got a few pics first!

Those loafers on those chubby feet kill me!

“Smile! No SMILE!!! Ok, look at me. Thank you for trying to make your brother smile by tickling him….”

“Ok, seriously. How are both looking in different directions!! Look here!! Smile!!”

Ok. They aren’t looking, but they are both smiling and looking really cute…

Boys of Summer

March 20, 2013March 20, 2013Leave a comment

We are a baseball family. We played baseball, watch baseball and hope that our kiddos like it as much as PW and I do. Peter stocked up on spring training tickets the first day they were available. We’ve been to I think 4 games already and have two more on the calendar. It is a lovely way to play hookie, get a tan and enjoy cold beer.

We decided to take just Baylor to a Rockies v Dodgers game and sit in the grass. We knew we wouldn’t see much of the game, but we wanted to have some big girl time with Bay. We got to Salt River Fields (my second favorite stadium) early, laid out a quilt and proceeded to eat until we were full. She got to get lemon aid from the vendor, hot dogs from the concession stands and Italian Ice in a baseball helmet. She and Peter scoured the stadium looking for Dinger, the Rockie’s mascot, and she had her glove ready to snag any foul ball that came our way. The weather was perfect. She was happy. It was a sun soaked memory in the making.

Dinger. She is in love.

The crowd in the grass

Italian Ice in a batting helmet

Sick of Being Sick

January 24, 2013Leave a comment

Last Thursday everyone started feeling crummy…lots of sneezing, sore throats, stuffy noses all around. And of course, Baylor’s mystery cough was still present. Auggie’s tear ducts seemed to be infected (again) so we did a family trip to the doctor. An ear infection, a possible sinus infection, low oxygen levels and an eye infection were the diagnosis (and that was just the kids!). Four prescriptions later, we were out the door and on a first name basis with the lovely pharmacist at CVS.

Medicating the team is literally a full time gig. Antibiotics can’t be taken with reflux medicine. Probiotics needed to keep the antibiotics from killing off even the good bacteria…it’s a process to say the least. Also, see the white thing in the top of the big bottle? This is the greatest invention ever – it has a tiny hole that the measuring thing fits into so you can get every last drop of medicine without spilling!

Auggie has been sleeping in his car seat in our room for a week – it’s the only way he can sleep because if he is laying down, he gets stuffed up and wakes up. Last night I found him like this:

Which I took to mean he was ready to get back to his crib. I elevated the mattress and he slept the entire night in there – although he didn’t sleep the entire night. I don’t know if he’s having a growth spurt or catching up from not eating much last week – man that kid can really pack it away. He’s had two long naps today so fingers crossed, if it’s a growth spurt, we’ve entered the sleepy phase. 5 hour sleep stretches please come back!!

I broke down on Tuesday and called in reinforcements so I could go to the doctor. I took whichever doctor was available and got the guy who was going to solve all my problems. After 5 minutes of scrolling through my history he deduced that I go to the doctor approximately 4 times a year with a sinus infection. It took all my strength not to say “yeah. I know because I’M THE ONE WITH THE SINUS INFECTION”. He decided (after looking at what kind of health insurance I have – i.e. the kind that would pay for a lot of crap) that I needed an x-ray of my head. I did explain that I would do pretty much whatever he wanted as long as he promised me right now that I could have antibiotics and whatever else would make my teeth stop feeling like they were going to pop out of my mouth. 4 x-rays later he proclaimed “see that little, tiny, sliver of black right there? That’s your nasal airway. You really cannot breathe!!”. If I had had slept in increments longer than 90 minutes the night before, I very well might have punched him. He made good on his promise and loaded me up with the good stuff and 48 hours later, I’m feeling much improved. I still can’t smell, but I can breathe so I’ve got that going for me. And around here, sometimes it’s not a bad thing not to be able to smell anything…I go back in 2 weeks to have my head re x-rayed to look for an underlying cause of reoccurring sinus infections. I know Peter is dying to let out all the “you need your head examend jokes he can think of.

Oh. And Auggie’s eye infection? Totally pink eye. And we all got it (except Peter, damn him). Talk about insult to injury. The smell of Vick’s Vapo Rub and bleach is almost visible around our house.

Wade In The Water

January 17, 2013Leave a comment

Sunday we had our lovely little Augustus baptized. Organizing a ceremony with the Catholic church is always a challenge – just getting someone to return your call let alone GASP put you on the calendar!

I always find stuff like this stressful – who to invite? party after? what to serve? gifts for the baby. gifts for the Godparents. Explaining to Baylor that baptizing ALL of her animals in the sink is not a good idea. where is the baptism gown? will it fit The Tank? which priest will we get? Cripes I’m tired even writing it. But all the work that went into Sunday paid off. We had a simple and beautiful ceremony with Auggie wearing my baptism gown (which Baylor also wore) and there were no tears, only cute smiles all around. We are incredibly blessed with great friends who willingly get out of bed on a Sunday morning to attend mass, a ceremony and a party – not to mention our family members who did the same. It was so special!

Having your sin washed away is exhausting.

The proud Godparents Beth and Grant (and baby Grace coming March 2013!)

It’s so funny to think if we only knew how good life would be when Beth and I were cruising around in her VW Cabriolet with the top down.

As Beth and I were changing Augg before the ceremony, a little Mexican grandma stopped, pinched Auggie’s cheeks and said “oh gordita!!”. My first response was “he’s a boy” and then I realized that I was more offended that she called him a girl than fat…then I was annoyed that she thought the two gringas wouldn’t know she was insulting my sweet boy. I was later assured by another Nana that gordita (or more correctly, gordito) is a just a nice way of saying he’s adorably chubby. No insults involved. Which made me feel better. And thankful I paid some attention in high school spanish.

Counting My Blessings

January 15, 20132 Comments

You hear about things that are happening to others and it makes you stop and realize how very lucky you are. Today is one of those days where the worst things I’ve got going on are a kiddo who is slightly under the weather, 6 pounds of baby weight that won’t budge and a to do list the length of my arm and only one hand to tackle it with …and in the midst of feeling a little overloaded, I feel like I’m big time winning.

I’m thankful for my health and a body that is still a little chubby but can carry two kids and squat down to get dropped keys, my families’ health, a wonderful husband, crazy kids, health insurance, a warm house, clean sheets, a refrigerator full of food, the ability to ignore the refrigerator full of food and order in, PW’s busy job, a nice sister, a step family that I genuinely like, more friends than fingers, faith in God, a lettuce table that didn’t freeze, a baby who likes to sleep 5ish hours at night and being able to enjoy a glass of wine while to kiddos sleep soundly in their beds.

My mom always says to be thankful for the boring times. Today, I am incredibly thankful for the (relativity) quiet!

Christmas Rerun

January 4, 2013January 4, 2013Leave a comment

Everyone was in the mood to have their picture taken (well the little girls were for awhile…) on Christmas Eve so we got some great family shots that were so festive. Although it was yet another reminder that I need to use my gift certificate and learn to use my camera in low light…

Don’t laugh – but when I saw this picture I said to Peter “We have TWO kids! We are a family of FOUR!”. I don’t know why but seeing all of us in a picture made it seem more real than 3am feedings. Did I mention I don’t sleep?

Cousin Zoe, Titi and Uncle Mike

The BIG cousins (this is the point where the little girls and babies were not having it)

PW pointed out that each cousin tortures the next oldest – can you tell who precedes Baylor? Thankfully Quincy doesn’t seem to mind.

It’s too bad we don’t look anything alike…

Three generations. Again, too bad they don’t look alike.

Auntie Ali, Uncle Gary and Mason

After the Christmas Eve festivities, it was time to put out Santa’s snacks – reindeer food on the lawn and carrots on the plate, homemade cookies with milk and a carrot “squeezer” for Mrs. Clause.

Christmas morning came early – even for the kid who gets to nap at will and was the reason no one else slept…cousin Blaise was so awesome with Auggie – and it showed since Auggie was so happy to sit with him. No seriously, that’s a yawn.

I love these:

Noni and the man.

Waiting for everyone to arrive to open presents got a little long…which apparently in three year old world means you convince your cousin to let you ride him like a horse. Also? Those are only about half the presents #firstworldproblems.

Mason was ready to get his rip and tear on.

Isn’t this cute? Nancy puts all their Christmas cards on the cabinets – adorable!

Holiday Hangover

January 3, 2013January 3, 20131 Comment

Is anyone else exhausted? We had an amazingly fun and full holiday season that was all accomplished on 90 minute sips of sleep each night. Which I think is what has lead to me just needing a breath. And a nap. And an empty social calendar….and yet the social calendar is filled for January already!

~Bought a Christmas tree permit for Payson for the second year in a row and then went and bought one at a tree lot instead~

~Auggie turned two months old~

~Didn’t loose two three year olds or a 2 month old at the Train Park for Christmas lights with the DeHavens~

~Survived the preschool Christmas party that Peter described at the 7th ring of hell~

~Enjoyed Zoo Lights as a family of four~

~Saw all of my cousins at the Schumann annual get together~

~Threw a holiday brunch for work friends~

~Watched Baylor sing “If it’s Christmas and You Know It, Ring Your Bells!” in the Christmas program at school~

~Watched Charlie Brown Christmas soooo many times~

Jingle Bells – Baylor Style

December 20, 20121 Comment

Dear Santa

December 14, 2012December 14, 2012Leave a comment

Baylor’s list this year includes a baby Bjorn for her doll Shirley and a real camera. Grandma’s got the Bjorn and we got her a really cool, kid’s digital camera – in pink of course. The thing that bums me out is that Santa is going to get the credit for the amazing present idea!

She’s also so much smarter than me – I started to write out an envelope and she informed me that she’s going to hand deliver it to Santa at the mall this weekend. I’d like to think I just don’t get enough sleep and not that the 3 year old is brighter than I am…

Light It Up

December 12, 2012December 12, 20122 Comments

This week marked our second time to Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo – it also officially made it a tradition for us . PW and I couldn’t believe how much better it was than last year and we loved it last year! There were even more lights, more displays and a new light show that was fantastic. And thankfully Jengo, the talking giraffe was back… among millions of lights, the animatronic giraffe is Baylor’s favorite.

I’ve yet to master the night time shot with my good camera – not to mention I was loaded up like a pack mule with Auggie in the baby Bjorn and a bag with all the family’s, ahem, crap (sweatshirts, hats, bottles, diapers, snacks, gas drops…). However the Iphone camera didn’t disappoint. I was a little jealous of the photogs with their tripods and obvious knowledge of adjusting the exposure on their cameras…

There must be 50+ trees like this all lit up in different colors. The one at the entrance must be 200 feet tall and electric blue – it’s amazing. This one was our favorite. It looked like it was wrapped in candy.

PW and his girl

The pack mule and the kids

Jengo! There is a guy hiding behind the screen and he answers questions and talks to the kids – watching them freak out over the giraffe talking to them is priceless. Baylor is still singing “Jengo bells! Jengo bells!”.

The lake has a huge sphere in the middle that changes color, spells out words, turns to flames, etc. Then the trees and some pillars in the lake all change color and “dance” to the rhythm of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was pretty amazing.

If you go, buy your tickets ON LINE AND PRINT THEM OUT. There is always a massive line of people waiting to buy and we always stroll right by. At least we think that’s what they are doing. There’s a possibility we’ve jumped the line every year…There were also carriage rides that took you to a roped off section of the zoo – it was too much time for us, but if you try it and it’s worth it, let me know so we can factor it in for next year!

The Goon Room

A little of everything and nothing, all in one blog

Tag: family