I inherited chronic back pain from both of my parents. What? You didn't know that you could inherit that? Just ask them! They both suffer from it just as I do. My dad gets weekly massages to combat his pain. If only I could do that.
I mention this because the pain has been pretty significant for me for the last 6 weeks or so. On Friday, I went to the chiropractor and on Saturday, the massage therapist. Yesterday, I woke up in pain, but nothing debilitating. That is, until I took a shower. After my shower, my muscles started spasming and seizing up from the bottom of my shoulder blades up through my neck. I couldn't even change Malcolm's diaper without screaming and crying in pain. And folks, let me tell you, it's got to be pretty painful to get that kind of reaction out of me. When you deal with chronic pain, you tend to build up your pain tolerance. I was pretty f*cked yesterday so I called Tony and he came home to take care of Mal. I could barely move. It scared Malcolm quite a bit. It broke my heart to see him crying and I couldn't do anything to comfort him. Once Tony got home, I laid in bed and took the serious pain killers that were prescribed to me after labor.
I'm still in quite a bit of pain today but at least I can change Malcolm's diaper and carry him down the stairs.
This most recent bought has proven that I really need to start taking care of myself. The only thing that has prevented the serious pain is regular weight-bearing exercise. I walk all the time, but that's just not cutting it. Now I'm on the hunt for a gym that provides daycare and isn't too far from home.
Sherry's arriving tomorrow and I can't clean the house. Lame. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I feel well enough to at least vacuum tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Constant Mess
I spend a lot of my day picking up after Malcolm. Above is just a sample of the mess on the floor after a typical meal. It's a good thing that I don't mind cleaning so much. If I were working outside of the home, I'd likely hire someone to come in and clean every couple of weeks. It's seriously a full-time job taking care of the kid and the house and the house is rarely in the condition I would like it to be.
Friday, September 12, 2008
How I Have Missed Thee!
The issue with renewing my Flickr Pro account: trying to do it with Safari browser. Stupid incompatibility. Anyhoo, I finally did it using Firefox and I am very happy to see that all of the pictures I have uploaded over the past 3 years are still there. Sweet!
Family Times = Good Times
Make that great times! Our trip to Utah was fun as always. Malcolm loved playing with his cousins. Brenda came over every day and brought Jordan and Collin. When Hannah and Casey were over, Hannah did such a good job of watching/playing with Malcolm and made sure he didn't get into any trouble.
Utah gets pretty hot in the summer. Here's a little video of Jordan and Malcolm playing outside. To keep the porch cool, Jordan was spraying it with water while doing his best not to get Malcolm wet. Mal had other ideas.
Malcolm was constantly amused by Jordan. Here he is laughing his little butt off at Jordan playing with markers:
Here's a picture of half of the cousins (there are 12 total). Tony's step siblings' kids aren't in the picture.
Check out my Flickr page to see the rest of the pictures from our trip.
A week and a half after our return, Jenn, Piet and Cameron came up to Seattle for a long weekend. The boys had a lot of fun playing together (of course!) and we enjoyed hanging out with Jenn & Piet. Their trip was too short as always. I haven't put up the pictures to Flickr because I ran out of room :( I tried signing up for a paid account but it just wouldn't work for me. I'll give it a try again soon. Promise!
Utah gets pretty hot in the summer. Here's a little video of Jordan and Malcolm playing outside. To keep the porch cool, Jordan was spraying it with water while doing his best not to get Malcolm wet. Mal had other ideas.
Malcolm was constantly amused by Jordan. Here he is laughing his little butt off at Jordan playing with markers:
Here's a picture of half of the cousins (there are 12 total). Tony's step siblings' kids aren't in the picture.
Check out my Flickr page to see the rest of the pictures from our trip.
A week and a half after our return, Jenn, Piet and Cameron came up to Seattle for a long weekend. The boys had a lot of fun playing together (of course!) and we enjoyed hanging out with Jenn & Piet. Their trip was too short as always. I haven't put up the pictures to Flickr because I ran out of room :( I tried signing up for a paid account but it just wouldn't work for me. I'll give it a try again soon. Promise!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
As Local As It Gets
I am seriously enjoying our little urban garden. We were a little late in planting things so pretty much the only things we've harvested are peas, lettuce, chard and collards. Our tomatoes have started to turn red which is so exciting to us. I had to thin out the chard and kale because it was too crowded. We also lost our pea plants for some reason.
Today, I thought to myself, "I need to eat some veggies for lunch" (we have minimal produce since I missed the Farmer's Market last week). So, I went out and cut enough collard greens for my meal. I didn't have to figure out what to do with a whole bunch; I could just get what I needed. Love it!
Today, I thought to myself, "I need to eat some veggies for lunch" (we have minimal produce since I missed the Farmer's Market last week). So, I went out and cut enough collard greens for my meal. I didn't have to figure out what to do with a whole bunch; I could just get what I needed. Love it!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Utah Trip
We're off to Utah today to visit Tony's family. Believe it or not, I can pack all of the clothes including toiletries for the 3 of us in one suitcase (at least for summer weather).
I'm most nervous about keeping Mal entertained on the flight. Fortunately, there will be two of us for this trip. It should make traveling much easier.
I'm most nervous about keeping Mal entertained on the flight. Fortunately, there will be two of us for this trip. It should make traveling much easier.
Monday, August 18, 2008
A Favorite
Malcolm cracks us up a lot. He's a big goofball. Here's a picture of Tony & Mal taken at the beginning of August. I love it!
Malcolm's First Birthday Party
We threw Malcolm a birthday party on the 9th (what? yes I'm behind on posting this. at least I'm making the effort now!) Since he's one and we knew he wasn't going to remember it, we left it very casual. Our close friends came over as did his little playdate friends. Here's a shot of a good portion of the guests:
We cooked burgers on the bbq and hung out for a bit while the kids played. Here's a cute one of Rowan collecting balloons:
I made carrot cupcakes w/o refined sugar & eggs so all of the kids could eat them:
It wasn't until after the party that I put Malcolm in his booster seat and let him eat one unassisted. He enjoyed it muchly:
Everyone seemed to have a good time. First birthday party = success!
We cooked burgers on the bbq and hung out for a bit while the kids played. Here's a cute one of Rowan collecting balloons:
I made carrot cupcakes w/o refined sugar & eggs so all of the kids could eat them:
It wasn't until after the party that I put Malcolm in his booster seat and let him eat one unassisted. He enjoyed it muchly:
Everyone seemed to have a good time. First birthday party = success!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Stand up! Sit down.
Mal's already figured out how to stand up from a sitting position unassisted already. I posted pictures from his birthday party to Flickr. Gotta make this quick cause I need to get lunch on the table!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
12-month letter
Hey Little Man!
You turned a year old lasts Thursday. The whole day I kept thinking back to the day you were born. This year has been amazing for both me and your dad and it's hard for us to remember what life was like before you came along.
This past month, you figured out how to walk without holding on to something to keep you upright. Now you are walking around while drinking out of your sippy cup. The other night, you had your worst walking accident. While carrying a balloon that was leftover from your birthday party, you fell and landed on your face which resulted in a bloody, swollen lip. Ow! I'm just relieved that you didn't also chip a tooth.
You love food and you love to eat. I am thankful for this but await the day when you start to protest food. I would have to say that your favorite food right now is cheese and whatever your daddy is eating (still). You are a sweet, gregarious, happy baby and every day me and your dad talk about how lucky we are to have you in our lives. We love witnessing you discover who you are and take joy in being a part of your life and are excited to see who you become. Having you has made us realize what is really important in our lives and brought us a serene happiness that we couldn't have understood without you.
I love you,
Mommy
You turned a year old lasts Thursday. The whole day I kept thinking back to the day you were born. This year has been amazing for both me and your dad and it's hard for us to remember what life was like before you came along.
This past month, you figured out how to walk without holding on to something to keep you upright. Now you are walking around while drinking out of your sippy cup. The other night, you had your worst walking accident. While carrying a balloon that was leftover from your birthday party, you fell and landed on your face which resulted in a bloody, swollen lip. Ow! I'm just relieved that you didn't also chip a tooth.
You love food and you love to eat. I am thankful for this but await the day when you start to protest food. I would have to say that your favorite food right now is cheese and whatever your daddy is eating (still). You are a sweet, gregarious, happy baby and every day me and your dad talk about how lucky we are to have you in our lives. We love witnessing you discover who you are and take joy in being a part of your life and are excited to see who you become. Having you has made us realize what is really important in our lives and brought us a serene happiness that we couldn't have understood without you.
I love you,
Mommy
Monday, July 28, 2008
Forgot to Note
One month ago (June 28th) was my 5-year blogiversary. I started this blog the day before I left Los Angeles. It's so hard for me to believe that I moved away 5 years ago.
Tomorrow is Cameron's birthday. He's going to be 4!
Malcolm's birthday is in a week. Next week is also the 5-year anniversary of when Tony & I met. Next week is also my dad's birthday.
I also moved to Seattle for the first time 10 years ago sometime in August I think. i don't remember the exact date.
Sorry for the lack of substance in the blog. I come up with beefy blog posts in my head, but they never seem to make it out. I need to figure out how to resolve this issue.
Tomorrow is Cameron's birthday. He's going to be 4!
Malcolm's birthday is in a week. Next week is also the 5-year anniversary of when Tony & I met. Next week is also my dad's birthday.
I also moved to Seattle for the first time 10 years ago sometime in August I think. i don't remember the exact date.
Sorry for the lack of substance in the blog. I come up with beefy blog posts in my head, but they never seem to make it out. I need to figure out how to resolve this issue.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Everyone's Vacationing
I just put Malcolm down for a nap. When I came downstairs, I thought to myself, "I should call my mom/dad/sister" and then I remembered that they are all on vacation. Jenn & Mom are on a cruise together and Dad & Carolyn are in Pennsylvania at the annual family reunion. It made me a little sad.
Speaking of sleep, I started working on teaching Malcolm to fall asleep on his own a couple of weeks ago. When he learned how to crawl, our evening routine changed a bit. He started to cry when I would put him to sleep. I thought that maybe it was a phase, but 2 months later it was still happening. I figure if he's already crying while in my arms, I might as well see if he can fall asleep in his crib. The first night, there was lots of crying, but he fell asleep in his crib and only woke up once during the night. I thought that after 2 weeks, we'd be in a routine and he'd be accustomed to me putting him down in his crib to go to sleep. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Every night is different. Some nights, I put him down in his crib and he plays for 30 minutes and falls asleep. Other nights, I put him down and he fusses for an hour and a half. I stay with him in his room until he falls asleep, so the 1.5 hour nights pretty much use up my evening hours. Anyhoo, since we started doing this, he sleeps through the night. Sometimes he'll wake up after 8.5 hours of sleep but I can usually get him back to sleep for a couple more hours. Most nights he wakes up after 10.5/11 hours of sleep. I would have no complaints if this was the only change, but it's not. His naps are really wonky now and rarely does he take 2 naps a day. I never know what to expect. This would be no big deal except that it makes planning things difficult (like a little party for him for his birthday).
Malcolm turns 1 in 3 weeks. Craziness!
Speaking of sleep, I started working on teaching Malcolm to fall asleep on his own a couple of weeks ago. When he learned how to crawl, our evening routine changed a bit. He started to cry when I would put him to sleep. I thought that maybe it was a phase, but 2 months later it was still happening. I figure if he's already crying while in my arms, I might as well see if he can fall asleep in his crib. The first night, there was lots of crying, but he fell asleep in his crib and only woke up once during the night. I thought that after 2 weeks, we'd be in a routine and he'd be accustomed to me putting him down in his crib to go to sleep. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Every night is different. Some nights, I put him down in his crib and he plays for 30 minutes and falls asleep. Other nights, I put him down and he fusses for an hour and a half. I stay with him in his room until he falls asleep, so the 1.5 hour nights pretty much use up my evening hours. Anyhoo, since we started doing this, he sleeps through the night. Sometimes he'll wake up after 8.5 hours of sleep but I can usually get him back to sleep for a couple more hours. Most nights he wakes up after 10.5/11 hours of sleep. I would have no complaints if this was the only change, but it's not. His naps are really wonky now and rarely does he take 2 naps a day. I never know what to expect. This would be no big deal except that it makes planning things difficult (like a little party for him for his birthday).
Malcolm turns 1 in 3 weeks. Craziness!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
Oh yeah!
And that news that I was referring to in a post at the end of May? My wonderful sister is now engaged to be married to Piet! He makes her very happy and treats her really well. I am very excited for both of them.
11-month letter
My darling Malcolm,
I sometimes think your Daddy and I procreated so we could have an excuse to laugh and play all the time. You love to laugh and play and explore and it's reminded us how much joy those things can bring into our lives. Sometimes grown-ups forget to laugh every day. It's really hard not to laugh with you around!
We had a very busy month of visiting with family and friends. You and I flew all the way across the country to Florida to visit your JoJo and PopPop. You also got to meet a lot of other family and friends. We first spent the weekend hanging out with friends in Tampa where you got to swim in a pool for the first time. You loved it! Here is your auntie Betsy eating your face:
We then drove down to Naples where we spent a week with JoJo and PopPop:
You went to the beach for the very first time, too:
On the day that we left, your Aunt Rachel brought over your cousins Aiden and Ally so you guys could play together:
The day before we flew home, we hung out with family in St. Pete:
Although our trip was a lot of fun, it was waay too long to be away from your Daddy. We both missed him a lot.
Shortly after our return, your Granpa and Nana arrived for a visit. We spent the days hanging out and taking care of house stuff. Before we knew it, it was time for them to head back home. They got you a cute outfit from their trip to Switzerland:
I missed writing you a letter last month because I got so busy getting ready for our trip. Now we're back home and we're getting settled into our routine again. You've sprouted a total of 4 teeth and enjoy grinding them. It makes my skin crawl to hear that noise. With a bit of prompting and guidance, you can now take a couple of steps on your own. I don't count it as walking yet, but I know that day will be coming soon. Your most recent word is 'row' which is something you say when we read the book, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or you say it when you want us to read the book to you. You actually say, 'row, row, row' and it's just the cutest thing. It also kinda sounds like you've started saying, 'mama', but that just might be wishful thinking.
Love,
Mommy
I sometimes think your Daddy and I procreated so we could have an excuse to laugh and play all the time. You love to laugh and play and explore and it's reminded us how much joy those things can bring into our lives. Sometimes grown-ups forget to laugh every day. It's really hard not to laugh with you around!
We had a very busy month of visiting with family and friends. You and I flew all the way across the country to Florida to visit your JoJo and PopPop. You also got to meet a lot of other family and friends. We first spent the weekend hanging out with friends in Tampa where you got to swim in a pool for the first time. You loved it! Here is your auntie Betsy eating your face:
We then drove down to Naples where we spent a week with JoJo and PopPop:
You went to the beach for the very first time, too:
On the day that we left, your Aunt Rachel brought over your cousins Aiden and Ally so you guys could play together:
The day before we flew home, we hung out with family in St. Pete:
Although our trip was a lot of fun, it was waay too long to be away from your Daddy. We both missed him a lot.
Shortly after our return, your Granpa and Nana arrived for a visit. We spent the days hanging out and taking care of house stuff. Before we knew it, it was time for them to head back home. They got you a cute outfit from their trip to Switzerland:
I missed writing you a letter last month because I got so busy getting ready for our trip. Now we're back home and we're getting settled into our routine again. You've sprouted a total of 4 teeth and enjoy grinding them. It makes my skin crawl to hear that noise. With a bit of prompting and guidance, you can now take a couple of steps on your own. I don't count it as walking yet, but I know that day will be coming soon. Your most recent word is 'row' which is something you say when we read the book, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or you say it when you want us to read the book to you. You actually say, 'row, row, row' and it's just the cutest thing. It also kinda sounds like you've started saying, 'mama', but that just might be wishful thinking.
Love,
Mommy
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Back Home
Hi All! Malcolm and I made it back to Seattle from our trip to Florida. We got in late last night and now I'm trying to get the house ready for Dad & Carolyn's visit. I hope to write a much-delayed update soon, but my plate's pretty full for the next week. The PEPS group that I'm leading meets for the first time next Tuesday and there is much I need to do to prepare for that. Gotta run!
Friday, June 06, 2008
And then I said 'Ouch'
A couple of days ago, I was walking. I do that. And then, for some reason, I decided to kick a hard thing. It wasn't on purpose. We all do it. It hurt. It still does. It is quite likely that I broke my toe. See?
This picture does not do justice to the actual color of my toe. I noticed today that the bruising has extended to the top of my foot.
Wednesdays is Farmer's Market day. There was no way I was going to miss it this week since I didn't go last week. I taped my toes together and walked to the market. This was at the point where I thought I probably just stubbed my toe. It actually didn't start feeling worse until Wednesday night. I'm sure all of the walking didn't help. But, I scored some great stuff at the market, consignment store and used book store!
Mal's been sleeping much better the past couple of nights. His bottom left tooth has broken through the gums and he's drooling up a storm. We had a rough day yesterday because he refused to take his morning nap and then fought me a long time when I went to put him down for his afternoon nap. Fortunately, he has not repeated this behavior today.
One week until our trip to Florida! There is much we want to get done around the house this weekend since Dad & Carolyn will be arriving a couple of days after our return from our trip. We need to convert the office into the guest bedroom since Mal is sleeping in his room now and we'd have to take apart the crib in order to move it into our bedroom.
This picture does not do justice to the actual color of my toe. I noticed today that the bruising has extended to the top of my foot.
Wednesdays is Farmer's Market day. There was no way I was going to miss it this week since I didn't go last week. I taped my toes together and walked to the market. This was at the point where I thought I probably just stubbed my toe. It actually didn't start feeling worse until Wednesday night. I'm sure all of the walking didn't help. But, I scored some great stuff at the market, consignment store and used book store!
Mal's been sleeping much better the past couple of nights. His bottom left tooth has broken through the gums and he's drooling up a storm. We had a rough day yesterday because he refused to take his morning nap and then fought me a long time when I went to put him down for his afternoon nap. Fortunately, he has not repeated this behavior today.
One week until our trip to Florida! There is much we want to get done around the house this weekend since Dad & Carolyn will be arriving a couple of days after our return from our trip. We need to convert the office into the guest bedroom since Mal is sleeping in his room now and we'd have to take apart the crib in order to move it into our bedroom.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Another Step in Becoming a Domestic Goddess
In an effort to eat locally for longer than the growing season, I've decided to take up canning. On a whim, I bought a few extra pounds of asparagus at the Farmer's Market with the intentions of pickling it. It would have been wise of me to actually read up on how to can before I bought the asparagus. I knew I needed mason jars and lids, but a special rack to put in the pot? Huh? So anyways, I decided to work with what I had in my cupboards which meant putting the jars on their sides during the hot water bath because my largest pot was not tall enough. For those of you that have canned before, you probably know what happened. Out of the 4 jars, only one didn't leak brine. I'm thinking it's no big deal. However...
When I cook, I often eye measurements of dried ingredients. I read today that it's a big no-no when it comes to canning. You need to have the proper ratio of sugar/acid/etc to avoid botulism. Oops. It looks like we're going to be eating a lot of pickled asparagus in the next week.
Now I'm on the lookout for the proper equipment to do hot bath canning. I'm hoping to pick it up second-hand. I'm also going to pick up a book on food preservation because I also want to learn how to properly freeze greens & fruits so they last a long time. I'll freeze soup and occasionally fruit right now in a food storage container, but the fruit gets consumed pretty quickly. I'm looking to keep fruit in the freezer so I can enjoy plums in the middle of winter without feeling guilty that they've been transported from a far-away place.
When I cook, I often eye measurements of dried ingredients. I read today that it's a big no-no when it comes to canning. You need to have the proper ratio of sugar/acid/etc to avoid botulism. Oops. It looks like we're going to be eating a lot of pickled asparagus in the next week.
Now I'm on the lookout for the proper equipment to do hot bath canning. I'm hoping to pick it up second-hand. I'm also going to pick up a book on food preservation because I also want to learn how to properly freeze greens & fruits so they last a long time. I'll freeze soup and occasionally fruit right now in a food storage container, but the fruit gets consumed pretty quickly. I'm looking to keep fruit in the freezer so I can enjoy plums in the middle of winter without feeling guilty that they've been transported from a far-away place.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Drainbrainnotfunction
I love my son. I do. But two nights of waking up ever 1.5 hours (and then some) is KILLING ME. The joys of teething. I gave him teething tablets all last night and they did nuffin. Baby Tylenol = nuffin. I know this will pass soon so I just need to whine about it for right now.
I asked Tony to get up with Malcolm at 7 this morning so I could get a little bit of sleep. Tony likes to give Mal a bottle of watered-down juice in the mornings. Since we were all out of juice, Tony gave him SODA. Granted, it was caffeine free, no HFCS stuff, but still! I really wanted to put off giving the kid junk food for several more years.
I asked Tony to get up with Malcolm at 7 this morning so I could get a little bit of sleep. Tony likes to give Mal a bottle of watered-down juice in the mornings. Since we were all out of juice, Tony gave him SODA. Granted, it was caffeine free, no HFCS stuff, but still! I really wanted to put off giving the kid junk food for several more years.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Happy June!
Wait? Is it really June already? Where did May go? Seriously!
Tony got a new job about a month ago and it's going well so far. He's working for a small publishing company doing web development and random IT stuff. He's in L.A. today for a business meeting - it was so odd not having him here last night.
Several months ago, I planned a trip to Florida and made it a long trip because it takes a day to fly there and a day to fly back. The plan was to have Tony come out for part of the time. It has become apparent that he won't be able to come out at all because (1) the cost of the plane ticket has doubled (that's conservative) since I bought my ticket, and (2) his boss is going to be out of town the whole time so he can't take any time off. Now I feel bad for taking such a long trip (11 days) because I hate to think of Tony and Malcolm being apart for so long :( What can you do?
Sleep is a precious, rare thing around here lately. Malcolm has another tooth coming in - his top right one. Isn't that odd? I thought his bottom left one would be next. We're going to have a little snaggled-tooth boy running around here! His teeth are slow to come in and wouldn't be obvious in photos yet. Once they are, I'll be sure to post some.
We think he's really close to walking. He's able to stand up w/o support for quite a long time and he can walk around with the support of just one hand. I've been meaning to take a little video but keep forgetting.
Speaking of videos, here's a couple of Malcolm & Screech "playing":
Screech is an incredibly tolerant kitty to say the least.
Tony got a new job about a month ago and it's going well so far. He's working for a small publishing company doing web development and random IT stuff. He's in L.A. today for a business meeting - it was so odd not having him here last night.
Several months ago, I planned a trip to Florida and made it a long trip because it takes a day to fly there and a day to fly back. The plan was to have Tony come out for part of the time. It has become apparent that he won't be able to come out at all because (1) the cost of the plane ticket has doubled (that's conservative) since I bought my ticket, and (2) his boss is going to be out of town the whole time so he can't take any time off. Now I feel bad for taking such a long trip (11 days) because I hate to think of Tony and Malcolm being apart for so long :( What can you do?
Sleep is a precious, rare thing around here lately. Malcolm has another tooth coming in - his top right one. Isn't that odd? I thought his bottom left one would be next. We're going to have a little snaggled-tooth boy running around here! His teeth are slow to come in and wouldn't be obvious in photos yet. Once they are, I'll be sure to post some.
We think he's really close to walking. He's able to stand up w/o support for quite a long time and he can walk around with the support of just one hand. I've been meaning to take a little video but keep forgetting.
Speaking of videos, here's a couple of Malcolm & Screech "playing":
Screech is an incredibly tolerant kitty to say the least.
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