Happy Birthday Shad!

     Shad woke up to every four year old boys dream- a snow day!  Not only did we get about eight inches of snow, but dad cooked him pancakes for breakfast and ended up being home quite a bit today because campus was closed.  He was surprised to also find the kitchen table all decorated for his special day.  After spending some time at my visiting teacher's house while I went to an appt.  Shad and I came home and finished decorating his "worms and dirt" cake together.  He got a kick out of the worms, and who can't resist oreo cookie dirt?  I originally planned this because I have a very hard time with cakes and figured this would cover my hideous decorating.  Ironically this was the one time my frosting turned out great and could have gone uncovered.  At least I am making progress.  He and Dan then took Solo hiking and sledding.  Shad was excited to tell me about the big jump he went on and it sounds like they all had a great time while Bailey got a much needed nap.  Shad then spent some time jumping on the couch to music and "dancing" while I got dinner ready.  We made home made garlic cheese pizza with green olives.  Fortunately, green olives aren't dangerous for babies because when I turned my back to get something out of the fridge Shad snatched a few to eat and then generously shared with his little sister.  She was very happy about it.  Dan came home to start off the party and we had a fun accidentally green dinner and then opened gifts.  Shad was spoiled by many many generous friends and family and was very excited.  While Bailey got a bath Shad enjoyed his cake and then played for a while before being compelled to take a bath and go to bed himself.  Based on the dark circles and the chaos the house was in I think he had a perfect day!

Fun facts about Shad:

1.  He is starting to learn letters and show interest in wanting to write.  Seeing as he won't start preschool until next year I feel good about this.

2.  Shad LOVES anything mechanical or with engines.  He is all boy in every sense and loves to wrestle, ride bikes, hike, play with trucks, trains, planes etc.  He is also interested in almost any sport he sees.  He goes and goes and goes, and then crashes hard, even if it is only six thirty at night.

3.  He still struggles with a few pronunciations but I can't get myself to try to correct him, they are just too funny.  My favorites include Biaper (diaper), mopen (open), shish (fish), and scape (still don't know but apparently the whales at Sea World do it according to Shad).

4.  Shad would definitely say his best friend is Dad.  They have a sweet relationship and get each other's nuances, jokes etc.  Shad is always happiest playing with Dad.

5.  He still considers meals a necessary evil but is learning to eat better now that we are being tougher on him about not getting snacks before bed if he doesn't eat dinner.

6.  His favorite ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip- maybe he has one single part of my genetics after all!

7.  His fiery temper and strong emotions actually prove he got more of my personality than is often realized.   He is also very sensitive.  When he threw a football and accidentally broke a figurine angel a few weeks ago he came up and said, "I'm sad, because I broke mom's angel."  Hard to be mad when it is obvious he feels so bad.  He is also good at reminding me when I need to give him a little more credit.  He innocently told me the other day "I did a great job!" He had, and I was glad we could talk about it even if I hadn't initiated the conversation.

8.  He is really good about playing at the gym, being baby-sat (he has a crush on his baby-sitter which helps) and going to primary.  I am glad he is independent even if he is shy when around other adults and me.

9.  Shad loves primary.  He is learning to really like the songs and even gave his first talk a few weeks ago.  He wanted his teacher to help instead of me, but he did the entire thing.  You may not have been able to hear a single word, but seeing as it was only his third week in primary I was amazed he stood up there for the whole thing and opened his mouth at all.

10.  Shad is a very good big brother and often if Bailey wakes up he will come tell me or I will suddenly hear him in talking and playing with her over the monitor before I have had a chance to go get her.  He still plays a little rough for her, but has a great capacity to be excited for her accomplishments, and shows a lot of love and tenderness through kisses and concern.  One of my favorite things is when he gets excited about her doing something and says "good job Bailey, good boy!"  We are still working on that one.

    Shad is a lot of fun and we are excited to see what new things will come with being four.  Hard to believe that it has already been four years since he came crashing into the world.  Pictures next!

TGIF

     So those of you born in the eighties may remember a time when the best TV was friday nights, part of the TGIF shows.  Classics like "Perfect Strangers", "Full House" and other eighties favorites.  That isn't what this post is about.  This stands for Thank Goodness its February.  January was a rough month at our house.  It all started when we got back from vacation and our top of the line less than six months old fridge starting showing ER 1F.  This is obviously an error code of some sort and not a good sign.  Classic me, I went to Google.  Turns out it is a faulty part in the ice maker and so I called to have it fixed since it was still under warranty.  They ordered the part and scheduled a time a week and a half later to fix it.  In the meantime, the code disappeared.  The parts came and the repair appointment came and I mentioned it was working fine but the technician assured me two parts were recalled and it needed to be fixed.  I put my precious frozen breast milk in a cooler and he took care of it.  Problem solved.  Until the next morning when I went down and noticed water pooling on top of the freezer door when I opened the fridge.  When I opened the ice maker compartment water flooded out.  I opened my freezer and discovered to my horror that everything in it was thawing.  Ice cream was melting at this point.  I was flipping out and called customer service immediately at seven in the morning.  The told me the soonest they could get someone there was the next morning, even after I explained I had two whole weeks worth of breast milk in there.  So much for customer service.  When the tech came the next day he informed me the new circuit breaker they had put in was bad and he promptly drove over and got the one they had removed the previous day and put it back in.  At this point all my food was in coolers on my front porch and my freezer was reading seventy degrees inside. I then headed off to the gym for spin class.  While dropping the kids off I heard a crash and looked down to see Bailey's bottle had fallen out of my bag.  I wasn't too worried since it had a screw cap on not a nipple but then I noticed milk spilled on the floor.  The twist part of the cap was still on but the actual top had cracked right off and her whole bottle was on the floor.  With nothing to eat I couldn't leave her so I told Shad we needed to leave.  He promptly started throwing a fit about not wanting to go and I bribed him with a promise of chicken nuggets, dragged him to the car and promptly started bawling.  When they said it was no use crying over spilled milk they clearly were not talking about expressed breast milk.  The same week our vacuum died and then my phone completely crashed.  I figured I was safe since things are suppose to happen in threes.  I couldn't get myself to throw my questionable breast milk out without trying it so I figured I would give Bailey one bottle and see how she did.  She did completely fine but I did notice it smelled funny.  Not sour, but like fish.  The next day I tried another and same thing, it smelled horrible.  Once again I got on google and read several things suggesting it was high lipase.  Maybe, but I figured I better call the pediatrician.  They said dump it.  I couldn't just dump it all so I thawed and opened every single bag.  They all smelled like fish except the two that were from after the freezer thaw.  I poured over 230 ounces of breast milk down the drain, and yes I cried my eyes out.  In the meantime, our internet quit working.  I really thought I was going to lose it.  Finally, they got a new new part for the fridge and the internet guy came and I thought we were set for a while.  Then I went in to the ENT to have a hearing issue checked and find out why I haven't been able to sing since moving here.  The singing is probably just dehydration and nursing related but it turns out my hearing is another story.  I was diagnosed with otosclerosis, a genetic condition that is exacerbated by pregnancy.  I can't hear voices in my right ear at all.  Turns out I have a 50 decibel loss.  There are options, and I may eventually have surgery.  But recovery isn't really an option with two young kids (technically you shouldn't lift anything heavier than your own shoes for six weeks.)  Since it is going to get worse not better I have decided I might as well do something about it now.  I go in to get fitted for a hearing aid this Thursday.  I always joke because of my knitting and refusal to dye my hair etc that I am 29 going on 200.  Sadly, now I will have the hearing aid to fit the part.  Fortunately we live in a modern world and I won't have to just deal with slowly slipping into silence and learning sign language.  (This was a very legitimate concern of mine.)  I am lucky that my nerves etc are still great and technology should be able to keep me hearing the rest of my life.  I am just glad January is over.

Fun in Camarillo

     We got back to my sister's house late Saturday night and pretty much crashed.  They were kind enough to host us for a few more days.  Sunday we got up and went to church early and then spent the rest of the day relaxing, letting the kids play and everyone's favorite sunday activity, eating.  We were sad Brandi's oldest was in Utah visiting his other cousins but know he was having a great time.  Ashton and Melise were so great with Shad and he loved running around, wrestling, playing cars and making chaos with them.  Despite being several years older then him they were both great about playing on his level.  Chase is a total sweetheart and it is amazing to see how healthy he is considering he was hanging on to life by a thread just a couple months ago.  Modern medicine is amazing!  However, I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of him!!!
     Also on sunday my dear friend Becca drove three hours just to come see me.  She is one of those people that won't hesitate a second to do anything and everything for you.  This girl truly has a heart of gold.  It was so fun to spend the afternoon and evening with her and I am grateful she once again made the sacrifice to come to me.  When I called her (apparently I called her I don't remember much about it) to tell her about my parents accident her response was, "when do you want me there?"  There was never a second thought about her job, her life, the money.  I am so lucky to have a friend like her.  It was hard saying goodbye when we never know if it will be six months or three years before we see each other again.  It is also nice she adores kids and they adore her as well.  They seem to be able to sense her sincerity.  She happens to be an excellent "spinner".

Beca is everyone's favorite!

      Monday we went for a hike near the coast.   It was gorgeous and we were lucky to see several coyotes while we were out enjoying the scenery.  My sister lives in an incredible area with beautiful green mountains, nurseries and the beach only fifteen minutes away.  Not to mention the weather.  I may have had a few pangs of envy over how green it is there.  The kids were troopers and we all had a nice time although we had to cut it a little short when Chase got hungry.    We then headed home for some New Years Celebrations.  Unfortunately, we were kind of party poopers, but we did manage to stay up until Midnight and have some Martinellis.  I am pretty sure Ben was embarrassed for us for what lame partiers we are.  It was nice of them to put up with us.

Cute family minus one.

A rare picture of the four of us.

     Tuesday Ben and Dan spent quite a while working on some bikes and then did a bike ride over by the coast.  They both seemed to have a really good time.  The boys accidentally took Shad and Bailey's car seats with them so Brandi and I decided to walk to the park with the kids.  Fortunately, they didn't notice it was freezing.  However, the walk was a little longer than we anticipated and Shad got a little tired.  Luckily Ben and Dan got home and came and picked the kids up.

Shad quickly discovered aunt Brandi has way better snacks. . . even if they are out of Ashton's emergency stash.

The beautiful "I Spy" quilt is from my mom's sister, such a special gift.

Just in case I had forgotten what it was like to be pregnant. . . My sister was a little nervous about this one.  I assured her I could handle it, but it certainly wasn't fun or easy.

  We decided to take it easy for dinner that night and went out.  It was nice to not worry about getting dinner going and cleaned up, especially since I don't worry about it as much as I should.  My sister is really great about feeding people.  She gets it from my mom.  They both would labor for hours on fancy meals while I sat and chatted their ear off not noticing what needed to be done.  Despite always feeling guilty about it, I enjoy socializing so much I never can get myself to be a better worker.  So, it was nice my sister didn't slave away again and I wasn't a slug.  We went to Red Robin and the kids pretty much had the place to themselves which was nice.
   Wednesday it was time to say goodbye.  I didn't use to get super emotional about saying goodbye, but realizing how infrequently we see each other, and since my parent's deaths it has been a lot harder.  I always think of that last time I said goodbye to my Mom and just realize how you never know when that moment will be with the people you love. Luckily, we had a ten hour drive with two kids to distract me from leaving.  Unluckily, there was an accident and we hit traffic.  Even Shad was sad and cried and said he didn't want to leave and was sad.  He kept wanting to call aunt Brandi on the phone for about a week after too.   It was so fun to go and visit them and they were so gracious to feed us and and let us stay.  Brandi kept extending invitations for the summer, but come warm weather she may regret it!

San Diego Zoo

 Saturday was another big day.  Fortunately, both kids slept well and woke up happy.  We had breakfast and then hit the road for the zoo.  Shad was especially excited to see the tigers and the gorillas.

Getting ready to go in.

      We got there and started walking.  It only took about five minutes to realize the place was massive and we had no idea where to start.  We decided to do the bus tour first to orient ourselves and help choose what we would want to spend more time at after.  It was nearly an hour wait and Shad ended up having to go potty while we were in line and then Bailey lost it starving.  Trying to nurse covered up standing in a line with a bunch of strangers is so much harder than it sounds.  Fortunately we got her fed and Shad to the bathroom just in time for our tour.  It turned out pretty ideal because we actually ended up at the very front on the top.  We were amazed that pretty much ALL the animals were out and active.  The tiger was up pacing, the polar bear was playing in his pool, the bears were out.  Everything.   This turned out to be an enormous blessing, because not long after our tour it started to rain.  It ended up raining quite a bit and all the animals headed for cover.  We weren't going to let a little rain stop us though.  Luckily, the gorillas were out and right by the windows.  They were all congregated like they were having a meeting.  He loved watching them, especially since there was a smaller one.  We walked all over that zoo. . . . a little more than we meant to in some instances.  It is an absolutely beautiful place.  Fortunately, Shad wasn't too bothered by the rain or the fact it got pretty cold.  Bailey was a trooper, but it was getting clear she was done with this little trip.  It was another really long day and we hit the road headed back to my sisters three hours away to spend a few more days with them.  Thank heavens for DVD players, breast pumps and a car big enough I fit between the car seats in the back!!  It was a great trip and we are so grateful we got to go spend some time with our little family.

The Hippos were fun to watch from the under water viewing later.  Turns out they can't swim.  They "moon bounce" along the bottom.

In the next life I want to play with the big cats.

What arctic animal doesn't like a plastic ball to play with?

Happy baby, tired mommy.

Having some lunch.

 

Couple of the big boys.

Not sure if he was actually paying attention to his elders or just teasing the people behind him.

That silly monkey is wearing a red jacket!

Really?  More time in the stroller?

Who needs exotic animals when you have tractor parts?  Typical boy Shad loves machines.  (as long as they aren't noisy.)

Sea World!

     Shad was very excited to get to Sea World and see the whales.  As I mentioned before he had seen several youtube videos and had some idea what it would be like.  Unfortunately, he is very sensitive to suspenseful music and the Orca show actually made him pretty nervous.  He still thought it was pretty cool, but was a little anxious.

Beautiful morning, it actually got hot watching this show.

Next we headed off to see the Otter show.  He LOVED that.  The Christmas themes made it especially fun and he loved that the otters and sea lions were silly.

Waiting for the show to start.  Maybe Bailey will go into Dentistry. . .

      He also really liked the dolphin show and watching the divers.  I didn't remember it being quite so  umm. . .theatrical, but it was right up Shad's alley.  After that we wandered around to the arctic exhibits, aquarium, and the pet show.  He really loved the pet show too of course.  We grabbed some dinner and stopped to see the Sea Lions.  I love that Dan doesn't hesitate to give our kids experiences.  I remember going to Sea World as a kid and my parents refusing to pay the few dollars to let us feed the dolphins ( you use to be able to do that) and being so disappointed.  One minute we were standing there and the next minute my husband was holding a container of fish and enthusiastically sharing a moment with Shad.  I am not sure which one thought it was more fun.

Feeding the Sea Lions

Shad loved how noisy they were.

 Next Dan and Shad went back to the Sea Lion show while Bailey ate and had some down time.  She was an ANGEL the entire day.  Considering she was either packed around in the Bjorn or the stroller for a solid eight hours I was amazed.

Enjoying a Rice Husk. . .  Thank you Santa!

     Next we went and saw the rays.  It was fun to see Shad get excited about them and we actually got to pet them quite a bit.  The last thing we really wanted to see was the Shamu Christmas show.  Since the whale shows had gotten busier throughout the day we really didn't want to miss it or get stuck in the very back.  We decided one of us would wait in line with Bailey and the other would wander with Shad.  Dan took the first turn with Bailey while Shad and I took off.
     We headed over to the under water viewing area of the Orcas.  It was perfect timing.  Everyone else was either in line, getting dinner, or watching the dolphin show.  There was literally about three other people down there and the whales were coming right up to the window.  It reminded me of the commercial with the whale coming right up to a little girl's face.  Shad loved it.  It was pretty awesome.  Sadly, I had left the camera with all of our other gear so I didn't get the incredible pictures I could have.  We just hung out watching for about twenty minutes though.  We then switched and Bailey and I hung out while Dan and Shad went and watched some more.
     Finally, it was time for the Shamu Christmas show.  I am so glad we stayed for this because the Christmas music was obviously not as intense or dramatic and Shad was in heaven!  It was so perfect for him and made me so glad we went when we did.  It was probably his second favorite part of the day after the sea lions.  Headed back to the car Shad was still super happy and excited.  I was so glad both kids did so well the whole day and we were able to have such a great time.

We had such a fun day!

Southern California

     The day after Christmas we loaded up the car and headed off to sunny southern California.  I was excited to see three of my four siblings and meet my nephew Chase for the first time.  My sister was kind enough to host all of us and sleep with three of her four kids in her room.  We got in somewhat late on the 26th and just hung out and got settled in.
     Thursday we headed out to the harbor in Ventura.  It was chilly but Shad had a great time playing in the sand on the playground on the beach.  It was nice to be near the ocean and made me miss the Oregon coast.  We wandered around for a while and saw several star fish clinging to the pier.  While we were standing there a fisherman accidentally caught one on his line.  He let the kids touch it before having my nephew throw it back in.  They all thought that was pretty cool.
      We then rented pedal carts.   That turned out to be hilarious.  My siblings and I thought it would be fun to all go in one, so it was Brandi and Chase, Dustin, Aubrey, myself and Bailey.  We knew we were off to a rough start when we were laughing too hard to pedal from the get go.  Aubrey was steering. . . not sure how that happened.  While I can admit it is better than me, it isn't by much.  It took a while for me to realize my steering wheel moved with hers but I didn't actually  have any control.  Trying to hold a baby, pedal and hold onto a steering wheel that moves is a little tricky.  We finally got going and were doing pretty well when one of my pedals fell off.  Yeah, that's right.  Apparently spin class is doing some good, I broke that pedal clean off.  Dustin jimmy-rigged it back on and we tried to catch up to Ben, Dan, Landon, Ashton, Melise and Shad.  We raced around for a while and it was a circus.  My pedal would not stay on.  We finally went and traded our cart in for a different one.
      When we finally caught back up with the guys I was horrified to see shad balancing on the chain guard as they were racing down the side walk.  Good thing that kid has amazing balance.  His dad could not figure out what I was stressing about.  We had a really good time and laughed a lot.  My siblings and I haven't done enough of that together.  We really missed Ryan though.  Although we did admit trying to haul his muscles around might have killed us.  We then headed back and had pizza for dinner.  Since Dustin's birthday was coming up we did a little celebration for him.  Dan and I decided to head down to San Diego that night to beat traffic and have the whole next day at Sea World.  It turned out to be a really late night after our hotel couldn't acommodate our reservation and sent us to a different location.  It went smoothly but we didn't get to bed until midnight.  Coming up, Sea World!