I have grown up eating at restaurants. Everytime I visited my grandparents, had a relative in town, or went to visit my Dad at work, there was always a restaurant involved. It is no surprise that I married a man that loves the restaurant industry--food, wine, exceptional service as much as I do. It is also no surprise that our son is better behaved at a 4-star restaurant table than at ours.
My grandparents always share stories of my baby moments eating out. The steak I ate, the olives on my fingers, and number of coffee creamers I drank. Yes, I used to be addicted to coffee creamers.
Today, that addiction has transferred to Kannon. We were stuck in traffic as the Ballard bridge was up and Kannon screaming in the back found a coffee creamer. Silence. Giggles. More silence. I looked behind me and he was powering through each coffee creamer like it was liquid gold. He spilled it everywhere and Emma cleaned him up. He squeezed the creamers as hard as possible and creamer squirted all over the back of my car like a big zit. Kannon demanded more.
The coffee creamer addiction has started. I am hiding them from his little reach and hoping that Seattle restaurants will do the same. The last thing this baby needs is cream.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
mama moved!
I am currently surrounded by boxes, sitting at my kitchen table stealing free wireless, and gazing out at the rainy Seattle day. Life has never felt more perfect.
As much as I hated Seattle 2 years ago when we decided to move to Montana, I am reminded of how much I actually love it here. I always thought Montana was home and perhaps it was to a younger me but I have outgrown that notion. When Dale and I first caught a glimpse of downtown Seattle crossing 1-90, we both were overwhelmed with this "welcome back" feeling--a feeling of home.
Yes, the traffic sucks, the rain sometimes dreary, and our rent stills makes me choke. But Seattle is home. We were greeted by friends---overjoyed by our return. I have slept better (actually, we have all slept better) since arriving. Even though there is still a lot of work to be done, boxes to unpack, clothes to organize, we are all relieved.
Moving was exhausting. Not only did we move our stuff but Jarred's as well. But it was worth it. We are all settled in, Jarred downstairs, us upstairs, and our dog somewhere in between. Our bed doesn't fit up the stairwell. Our couch came in through the 2nd floor balcony and barely fit even with the doors off. The rest of our stuff is waiting to be hauled up to the 3rd floor so I can unpack. It will be a whirlwind but things are coming together nicely.
A month ago, I had images of sleeping on someone's floor or worse having a baby 400 miles away from Dale. I thought we were doomed. But new jobs came, houses appeared, the seas parted for us. We are now back in Seattle---for good!!! For all those that made this possible, we thank you.
As much as I hated Seattle 2 years ago when we decided to move to Montana, I am reminded of how much I actually love it here. I always thought Montana was home and perhaps it was to a younger me but I have outgrown that notion. When Dale and I first caught a glimpse of downtown Seattle crossing 1-90, we both were overwhelmed with this "welcome back" feeling--a feeling of home.
Yes, the traffic sucks, the rain sometimes dreary, and our rent stills makes me choke. But Seattle is home. We were greeted by friends---overjoyed by our return. I have slept better (actually, we have all slept better) since arriving. Even though there is still a lot of work to be done, boxes to unpack, clothes to organize, we are all relieved.
Moving was exhausting. Not only did we move our stuff but Jarred's as well. But it was worth it. We are all settled in, Jarred downstairs, us upstairs, and our dog somewhere in between. Our bed doesn't fit up the stairwell. Our couch came in through the 2nd floor balcony and barely fit even with the doors off. The rest of our stuff is waiting to be hauled up to the 3rd floor so I can unpack. It will be a whirlwind but things are coming together nicely.
A month ago, I had images of sleeping on someone's floor or worse having a baby 400 miles away from Dale. I thought we were doomed. But new jobs came, houses appeared, the seas parted for us. We are now back in Seattle---for good!!! For all those that made this possible, we thank you.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
photo therapy:: finally a small photo update
sorry for the delays, things as usual have been chaotic. here are some smiles to cheer up your day!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
mommy moments:: always use a diaper!
Kannon has a habit of waking up with a wet diaper that smells like a locker room. Dale sometimes gags during diaper changes because the sweaty acidic urine smell is too much at 7 am. Kannon ate zuchinni and turkey sausage last night and apparently that combination created a fowl aroma that none of us could tolerate.
So off with the diaper. We decided to give the man some fresh air.
20 minutes had passed and Dale and I both forgot that Kannon was crawling around diaperless on our friends floor. Then, we heard it. The grunting, the red face, the stillness. Kannon was pooping. Before Dale and I had time to realize what was going on and slap a diaper on, Kannon pooped on the floor.
Sorry Hanna and Ian. We cleaned it up and you would never know, but today, Kannon pooped on your floor. Oops.
So off with the diaper. We decided to give the man some fresh air.
20 minutes had passed and Dale and I both forgot that Kannon was crawling around diaperless on our friends floor. Then, we heard it. The grunting, the red face, the stillness. Kannon was pooping. Before Dale and I had time to realize what was going on and slap a diaper on, Kannon pooped on the floor.
Sorry Hanna and Ian. We cleaned it up and you would never know, but today, Kannon pooped on your floor. Oops.
Friday, August 20, 2010
mama vents:: the second child
Kannon was 100% planned and we were prepared for his arrival MONTHS in advance. We took every class possible, read every book, painted, decorated, and had his laundry clean and folded before he was even here to wear them. We had a baby shower. Our family begged for updates and name ideas. We were so anxious for his arrival I started walking miles, drinking red raspberry leaf tea, and doing everything short of castor oil to ensure a speedy arrival.
Things are a little different this time around. I love being pregnant and while I am uncomfortable, hot, and swollen---I am wishing I had an elephant's gestation period.
Don't get me wrong, I love that we will soon be welcoming a second child into our family. We wanted them close together. I am scared though. I am going to be a mom to two boys. Everywhere I go, people tell me the second child will be a hair raiser---crazier, demanding, and full of sleepless nights. Things aren't exciting this time around. Nobody has asked to know our baby's name. Nobody calls for updates. We don't have a nursery ready---in fact we don't even know where we are going to be living.
I feel guilty because I haven't been able to focus on this pregnancy as much. I live off 6 hours of sleep, drink 2 cups of coffee a day, and sometimes don't remember when the last time I ate was. I am less than 6 weeks away from my due date. I worry that people are going to resent this baby. I worry that I won't have time to be a good mom to both. I worry that Kannon is going to hate me. I fear the chaos. I am anxious, stressed, and feeling overwhelmed.
Alas, my due date is 6 weeks away and that means we will be welcoming him into the world soon. Our family will become a family of 4. I am excited to smell that newborn smells and to cradle 2 sleeping babies in my arms. There is no time to dwell, just time to enjoy my last few weeks with Kannon and Dale.
Things are a little different this time around. I love being pregnant and while I am uncomfortable, hot, and swollen---I am wishing I had an elephant's gestation period.
Don't get me wrong, I love that we will soon be welcoming a second child into our family. We wanted them close together. I am scared though. I am going to be a mom to two boys. Everywhere I go, people tell me the second child will be a hair raiser---crazier, demanding, and full of sleepless nights. Things aren't exciting this time around. Nobody has asked to know our baby's name. Nobody calls for updates. We don't have a nursery ready---in fact we don't even know where we are going to be living.
I feel guilty because I haven't been able to focus on this pregnancy as much. I live off 6 hours of sleep, drink 2 cups of coffee a day, and sometimes don't remember when the last time I ate was. I am less than 6 weeks away from my due date. I worry that people are going to resent this baby. I worry that I won't have time to be a good mom to both. I worry that Kannon is going to hate me. I fear the chaos. I am anxious, stressed, and feeling overwhelmed.
Alas, my due date is 6 weeks away and that means we will be welcoming him into the world soon. Our family will become a family of 4. I am excited to smell that newborn smells and to cradle 2 sleeping babies in my arms. There is no time to dwell, just time to enjoy my last few weeks with Kannon and Dale.
mama confesses:: hope
Dale and I are very excited to announce that we will be moving back to Seattle.....NEXT WEEK!
Dale has had several interviews, offered countless jobs, and actually had to decide which job to accept. In a floundering economy, people still seem to be eating and drinking and needing excellent servers. Dale has gone back to working a few nights a week at Tango Restaurant....our former romping ground. He also accepted a job working at the Local Vine, a snazzy wine bar formally of Belltown but relocating to Capitol Hill. The decision was tough and every job offered something different...it was like deciding between a Mercedes and a BMW. We are very proud of him!
I have very much enjoyed being back. We were so eager to leave Seattle almost 2 years ago but it has been very apparent to us that we belong here. Our friends are here. Our family not far away and easy to fly to. Our love of food and culture is strongly supported by the plethora of restaurants, museums, and parks. We are surrounded by our people. Those that recycle, babywear, cloth diaper, watch Top Chef, and take their dogs everywhere with them. Sure there are things I don't miss like the endless struggle with parking and traffic...but walking around the corner for my favorite cup of joe and feeing misty rain on my face make up for the shortcomings. Seattle showed me the world and I can't wait to share it with our children.
So now that Dale has started working, it has been crunch time trying to find a house and time to move. I found a new doctor here, registered at the hospital (Swedish Ballard), and now it's just a matter of loading a UHaul and moving....oops, first we need an address!!
We will keep you posted.
mama travels:: Planes, Delays, and Automobiles
Kannon and I headed to California last week for my grandfather's 80th b-day. We have been looking forward to this vacation all year as it promised a chance to relax and show off both Kannon and the new bump. With all the chaos going on in our life, I was hoping it would go smooth.
I couldn't be more wrong.
Our flight was delayed. We missed our connection. I found myself standing at the ticket counter demanding a flight to any airport in the LA area that night. I had a sleepy, cranky, teething baby strapped on my back and had to hike all the away across the SLC airport 33 weeks pregnant. We got our flight and luckily we made it into Long Beach that night.
Kannon enjoyed the flight. He had more fun trying to play peek-a-boo with the seat behind us then looking out the window. He pulled some poor guys hair trying to stand up and he thought the air vent was the funniest thing ever. Then, he finally passed out strapped into the empty seat next to me and slept. Finally, I could enjoy a cup of coffee and admire my peaceful boy.
The rest of our visit was great. Kannon charmed all of our family. He was introduced to a variety of new foods and was spoiled to death. I will be 're-programming' him shortly as he has now decided that french fries are appropriate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that stairs are more fun than Baby Einstein.
We missed Dale. I realized how thankful I am to have him in our life. Even though I had plenty of hands to help I missed the understanding that Dale and I share. The wordless communication--knowing he is ready with a wet rag before I can even mention Kannon spit up. I missed the partnership--laughing at the end of the day and cuddling in our bed. Mostly, I just missed hearing Kannon's giggles that only come from 'daddy-time' with Dale.
The week flew by and before I knew it, I found myself pacing to get on an airplane and get to Dale as fast as possible. I had hoped that my delays on the way down meant smooth flying for the return trip.
....again, I couldn't have been further from the truth.
My flight was delayed. We boarded the plane. Then the generator failed. 20 minutes later they fixed it...only to announce a few minutes later that we would be de-boarding and getting on a new plane. Easier said than done. The stewardess was nasty and refused to help me with my bag even though my hands are full with Kannon and I am now 34 weeks pregnant. So, I pulled the bag down, strapped Kannon on my back and headed to our new plane with a diaper bag and suitcase in tow.
We made it. Kannon screamed the whole way because the plane was crowded and hot but nobody hated me...rather they just hated Delta for all the inconveniences.
Unfortunately, while I traveling by air was done, we still had to drive to Seattle the next day. More about that later. I promise I will post pics soon!
I couldn't be more wrong.
Our flight was delayed. We missed our connection. I found myself standing at the ticket counter demanding a flight to any airport in the LA area that night. I had a sleepy, cranky, teething baby strapped on my back and had to hike all the away across the SLC airport 33 weeks pregnant. We got our flight and luckily we made it into Long Beach that night.
Kannon enjoyed the flight. He had more fun trying to play peek-a-boo with the seat behind us then looking out the window. He pulled some poor guys hair trying to stand up and he thought the air vent was the funniest thing ever. Then, he finally passed out strapped into the empty seat next to me and slept. Finally, I could enjoy a cup of coffee and admire my peaceful boy.
The rest of our visit was great. Kannon charmed all of our family. He was introduced to a variety of new foods and was spoiled to death. I will be 're-programming' him shortly as he has now decided that french fries are appropriate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that stairs are more fun than Baby Einstein.
We missed Dale. I realized how thankful I am to have him in our life. Even though I had plenty of hands to help I missed the understanding that Dale and I share. The wordless communication--knowing he is ready with a wet rag before I can even mention Kannon spit up. I missed the partnership--laughing at the end of the day and cuddling in our bed. Mostly, I just missed hearing Kannon's giggles that only come from 'daddy-time' with Dale.
The week flew by and before I knew it, I found myself pacing to get on an airplane and get to Dale as fast as possible. I had hoped that my delays on the way down meant smooth flying for the return trip.
....again, I couldn't have been further from the truth.
My flight was delayed. We boarded the plane. Then the generator failed. 20 minutes later they fixed it...only to announce a few minutes later that we would be de-boarding and getting on a new plane. Easier said than done. The stewardess was nasty and refused to help me with my bag even though my hands are full with Kannon and I am now 34 weeks pregnant. So, I pulled the bag down, strapped Kannon on my back and headed to our new plane with a diaper bag and suitcase in tow.
We made it. Kannon screamed the whole way because the plane was crowded and hot but nobody hated me...rather they just hated Delta for all the inconveniences.
Unfortunately, while I traveling by air was done, we still had to drive to Seattle the next day. More about that later. I promise I will post pics soon!
Friday, August 6, 2010
silver linings
Dale and I still don't know the status of his job or where we are going end up moving but amidst all the chaos there are some silver linings that get me through each day.
1.) Kannon has more teeth coming in!!!! His top teeth are growing in a bit more each day....which make him a little bit fussy but also so much more of a Mama's boy (hehe!)
2.) Kannon has also started saying "mama, baba, and dada". He calls everything "dada" Books, toys, the dog, everything. He only says "Mama" when he is screaming, upset that something was taken away...or god forbid we change his diaper.
3.) Kannon and our dog have developed this interesting relationship at dinner time. Kannon grabs a piece of food, looks over the edge of his high chair to see if Emma is there....and drops the food. He laughs, giggles, and goes for another piece. Yes, I should chastise both of them....but it is too dang cute!!!!
4.) Fluffy diapers. We got a bunch of cloth diapers with some mysterious paypal money. I usually go for broke and buy the BumGenius or SmartiPants but this time we got some Kawaii Baby diapers from Sweetbottoms Baby for half the price. Totally adorable and loving the black tuxedo diaper that makes Kannon looks ready for a ball.
5.) New friends. Finally, after almost a year of having no female companionship that understands what it is to be pregnant, have a kid, and survive on 2 hours of sleep, I finally found a friend. Coffee, library and splash pad dates are just so much more fun when you are not just talking to a 9 month old.
6.) It is hot, humid, and I would rather not be pregnant right now. But my due date is 6 weeks away and I am wishing that it was much further away....for the first time, the gestation period of an elephant is sounding good merely because I am not ready to be a mother of 2 boys!
7.) I paid off a student loan. It had a whopping balance of $62.
8.) Mostly, we have just been having fun as a family. Story time and bath time our now family affairs. Kannon actually likes to sit and read and the heat has lead all of us to the wading pool for a chance to cool off. Kannon is so very loved!!!
9.) We decided on a name for baby#2. But its a secret!!! You will just have to wait to find out!
10.) Did I mention that Kannon feeds himself 100% now. He eats EVERYTHING from strawberries to asparagus and eggs. What a cutie!
I apologize for the last blog that was a little more than depressing. I find it funny that its okay to talk about baby poop and vomit but talking about our problems is a little more than taboo. I broke the rule but I am glad that everyone is at least on the same page.
1.) Kannon has more teeth coming in!!!! His top teeth are growing in a bit more each day....which make him a little bit fussy but also so much more of a Mama's boy (hehe!)
2.) Kannon has also started saying "mama, baba, and dada". He calls everything "dada" Books, toys, the dog, everything. He only says "Mama" when he is screaming, upset that something was taken away...or god forbid we change his diaper.
3.) Kannon and our dog have developed this interesting relationship at dinner time. Kannon grabs a piece of food, looks over the edge of his high chair to see if Emma is there....and drops the food. He laughs, giggles, and goes for another piece. Yes, I should chastise both of them....but it is too dang cute!!!!
4.) Fluffy diapers. We got a bunch of cloth diapers with some mysterious paypal money. I usually go for broke and buy the BumGenius or SmartiPants but this time we got some Kawaii Baby diapers from Sweetbottoms Baby for half the price. Totally adorable and loving the black tuxedo diaper that makes Kannon looks ready for a ball.
5.) New friends. Finally, after almost a year of having no female companionship that understands what it is to be pregnant, have a kid, and survive on 2 hours of sleep, I finally found a friend. Coffee, library and splash pad dates are just so much more fun when you are not just talking to a 9 month old.
6.) It is hot, humid, and I would rather not be pregnant right now. But my due date is 6 weeks away and I am wishing that it was much further away....for the first time, the gestation period of an elephant is sounding good merely because I am not ready to be a mother of 2 boys!
7.) I paid off a student loan. It had a whopping balance of $62.
8.) Mostly, we have just been having fun as a family. Story time and bath time our now family affairs. Kannon actually likes to sit and read and the heat has lead all of us to the wading pool for a chance to cool off. Kannon is so very loved!!!
9.) We decided on a name for baby#2. But its a secret!!! You will just have to wait to find out!
10.) Did I mention that Kannon feeds himself 100% now. He eats EVERYTHING from strawberries to asparagus and eggs. What a cutie!
I apologize for the last blog that was a little more than depressing. I find it funny that its okay to talk about baby poop and vomit but talking about our problems is a little more than taboo. I broke the rule but I am glad that everyone is at least on the same page.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
mama vents:: bad about blogging
I used to be so much better about blogging. When I had time, an office job, and something to write about I had no problem scribbling (er...typing) out my personal feelings and updates.
Then, along came baby, baby #2, moving, and the feeling that there is nothing special to share. Yes, Kannon is growing like a weed, taking small steps, and saying "dada, mama, and baba". Yes, baby#2 is kicking away ( we finally have a name but we are not sharing!!!). Yes, our lives are completely crazy, chaotic, and out of any sort meaningful order. But we love it.
I haven't been blogging because I haven't really had anything positive to say. Despite all the wonderful things going on in our life, it is hard to be happy when we are constantly worried about how to pay the bills. We took this job, moved to Idaho, and put everything we had at risk. We crunched the numbers, checked up on the company, did the math, and moved. Here is the vent: We were mislead, screwed over, and struck with badluck and have somehow miraculously managed to survive on $700 month. Ouch.
It has been hard to blog, when those numbers and stress have been eating at every piece of my body for the last 90 days. I am hoping that things will get under control soon but it might mean another possible move.
In any case, Dale and I are still learning how to be parents, raising a family and hoping that you make the best decisions for everyone. In the meantime, I try not to stress too hard about the future and focus on the present hoping that this dark cloud will someday lift.
Then, along came baby, baby #2, moving, and the feeling that there is nothing special to share. Yes, Kannon is growing like a weed, taking small steps, and saying "dada, mama, and baba". Yes, baby#2 is kicking away ( we finally have a name but we are not sharing!!!). Yes, our lives are completely crazy, chaotic, and out of any sort meaningful order. But we love it.
I haven't been blogging because I haven't really had anything positive to say. Despite all the wonderful things going on in our life, it is hard to be happy when we are constantly worried about how to pay the bills. We took this job, moved to Idaho, and put everything we had at risk. We crunched the numbers, checked up on the company, did the math, and moved. Here is the vent: We were mislead, screwed over, and struck with badluck and have somehow miraculously managed to survive on $700 month. Ouch.
It has been hard to blog, when those numbers and stress have been eating at every piece of my body for the last 90 days. I am hoping that things will get under control soon but it might mean another possible move.
In any case, Dale and I are still learning how to be parents, raising a family and hoping that you make the best decisions for everyone. In the meantime, I try not to stress too hard about the future and focus on the present hoping that this dark cloud will someday lift.
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