photo therapy:: 'fall'ing in love

Everyday I fall in love.  I fall in love over and over again with my family, my life, and my son.  I am nervous about adding a second child to the mix but am reminded how wonderful motherhood is every time I see Kannon smile, laugh, or cry.  Kannon has taught me how to be a mother and the new baby will teach me how to be a better mother--how to open my heart once again to a new life.  Everyday, I fall in love and I can't wait to fall in love with another. 

But today was "us-time".  It was my day to fall in love with Kannon, over and over again.  He has been sick the last few days and today, a beautiful fall day, presented us with a break in his illness and a chance to spend some quality time together. 

We went to Seattle University--my former college ground.  I wanted to go some place that we could wander, relax, and stare at the beautiful changing leaves.  I could think of no other place that would support a baby-toting 40 week pregnant lady better....all those benches, open grass, and bathrooms all confined to a 4 block radius.  So off we went...

We tried a lollipop.....

And then played with leaves on our sticky fingers....

We crawled, walked, and people watched....

And then we celebrated 11 months of knowing each other with cupcakes and coffee (water for Kannon of course!)...

All in all it was a beautiful day.  If bean#2 decides to arrive tomorrow, I will be okay knowing I got one precious day all to myself with the second love of my life (Dale of course is the first!).

mama vents:: the countdown

I am only a few hours away from striking my due date.  It is daunting.  No longer can I pretend that baby#2 is still months away from arriving, no longer can I deny that our family of 3 is about to become 4.  Crappola.  If baby#2 doesn't arrive by Tuesday we are set to schedule an induction October 8, when I will be 41 weeks.  Holy crappola. 

My easy, well oiled routine is about to get all kinds of crazy. 

You know you are 40 weeks pregnant when:

Your shoes don't fit
Your maternity clothes are too small
You hate your husband, dog, cat, and everyone in between
You have given up on doing laundry for the 3 articles of clothing that still fit
You kind of smell like pee everytime you hit a pothole or drive on a bumpy road
You try to paint your toenails but end up painting your knees
Your bed is overwhelmed by 9 pillows, all for you
Your husband is shivering besides you because its a million degrees and all the windows are open
You are tired of the phone calls and people asking if you are still pregnant

Needless to say, I am still glad I am pregnant and despite the fact that I am 100% annoyed I would rather be pregnant than trying to figure out how to nurse a newborn and make Kannon dinner at the same time.  I am savoring every last pregnant day possible and if I have one more person tell me I am insane, you try wearing my shoes.  

photo therapy:: one lucky mom

Lately every day has been filled with love, laughter, and happiness.  I wake up see my little guy smiling back at me and I can't help but feel like I am the luckiest person alive.  Kannon has grown so much over the past few weeks.  I just want to box up every moment and keep them forever.  Awwww.....

We started off our week with a trip to Pike Place Market.  It was rainy but we had fun buying blueberries and pluots and enjoying some coffee nearby.

We went shopping at Target.  I meant to buy Kannon socks (because his feet have grown overnight!!!) and I got sidetracked with adorable matching outfits....and of course, I forgot socks.

Kannon got a haircut.  I swaddled him, put him in the sink with a few toys and turned on Baby Einstein.  He was squirmy but we managed to chop 3 inches off!!!!  No worries, all ears, nose, and fingers are in tact....and he is one adorable boy!

We got all dressed up and rode the bus for the first time.  Kannon loved the adventure and even squeeled when the bus started moving. Of course, this was a new experience for him, one that was especially exciting because he strapped to my back instead of his carseat.

We met some new friends at Gymboree.  Kannon climbed the slide, stairs, visited the bear cave, and took 5 steps all by himself before he crash landed in the mat.

Even though Dale is working 6 nights a week, he still spoils me.  Twice this week, I got to sleep in and wake up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee....and to top it all off, he brought me home cupcakes from Cupcake Royal.  On Wednesday we welcomed fall and Seattle was sunny, beautiful, and crisp with changing leaves. Seriously, I am the luckiest mom alive. 

mama confesses:: too fast

It is all happening too fast.  Somedays I turn around and my sweet little baby who once fit perfectly in the crook of my arm is playing by himself in his room.  He doesn't need me.  In between the chaos of packing and moving Kannon grew up.  Somehow, I missed it.

Of course, he is still my baby and he has tons of growing up to do still.  It just seems like overnight that he grew this little personality and became his own little man.  Silly.  Serious.  Smiley.  Serene. 

While I wasn't looking, Kannon took four real steps from his toy box to his chair.  He stood there, smiling, proud, and tried to turnaround but stopped, distracted by a book.  He read his books and before I could give him a kiss and a hug he was off with a flash toward our bedroom in search of something else.  He knows what he wants and he goes for it---a trait just like his mommy. 

So in between our move, Kannon grew up.  Here is what you missed:

1.) He has 4 teeth.
2.) He eats all table foods.  He feeds himself everything from blueberries, pancakes, and chicken...whatever we are eating.
3.) He can hold his own cup AND drink from a straw.
4.) He knows to hold his arms up when we take his shirt off....so smart!
5.) Every morning he crawls into our room and pops the Baby Einstein video into the VCR for his morning entertainment.
6.) He is saying Emma (which sounds like "nenna") Nana, Mama, Dada, baba, and various syllables in between.
7.) He follows me everywhere and in the kitchen he likes to hold my leg while I cook.  Until I give him a whisk to help, then he loses interest.
8.) He climbs up everything!!! Stairs, toy boxes, slides, he even tried climbing up our couch! 
9.) He took his first "class".  We went to Gymboree where he played with other kids, toys, and impressed the teachers with his charm and intrigue....we will be going back!
10.) He can read!  No, of course not, but he does like books.  He drags them over to me when we wants to read and it is seriously adorable. 

Kannon is the light of our lives.  He brings smiles and laughter into our world.  Even on the most difficult days, he has a way of warming our heart.  But it all happens too fast, I just want to freeze time forever. Soon, he will be a big brother and our life will be even double the trouble...and double the love.

mama confesses:: baby games!

It is that time of year again!  Last year I was anxious, antsy, and hoping that Kannon would arrive early.  I tried walking, spicy foods, bumpy roads....and everything short of castor oil to get this guy out.  Now, I have sworn myself to keep the second bean in until October.  I will tape my legs shut if needed....because I am not ready for life with 2 boys!!!! 

Of course, knowing my luck, bean#2 will arrive Saturday during Dale's first opening shift of the Local Vine.  Or perhaps, he will arrive on one of the many shared birthdays we have coming up. 

Hanna: September 17
Mark: September 21
Dale's Mom: September 25
Aunt Diana: September?
Cousin Sarah: September?
Jay: October 1
Jay&Miriam's Wedding: September 25
Aunt Karly: October 5
Nana: October 9
Jarred: October 10

Am I forgetting anyone???

Anyways, make your guess!  I will buy the winner a diablo (Seattle-folks only!)

mama needs:: the dirties on diapering

 oops....i poo'ed. 

Early on in my pregnancy with Kannon, Dale and I decided to cloth diaper.  We did the research, compared costs, and scooped out the brands we liked.  Most people we shared our decision with were sceptical about our success with cloth.  Most of their responses included "see how you feel when the baby gets here" or "have fun with solids".  We stuck with our guns and have been full time cloth diapering since Kannon was born.  Guess what, everybody poops...its not so bad. 

 Kannon's 1st Cloth Diaper....we never turned back.

gDiaper w/prefold

Kannon in BG 3.0

Our second child is due to arrive in less than 3 weeks and I am even more confident about our decision using cloth.  Yes, two in diapers will be tough.  Yes, I will be doing laundry every day.  But I am saving tons of money and creating a healthier lifestyle for both my children and the Earth.

just so much cuter in cloth...

yeah, i got cloth.  what you got?

Another photographer mama is working towards creating a cloth diaper coffee table book.  The Dirties on Diapering is a Kickstarter project raising funds for a photojournalist style book to raise awareness about disposable vs cloth diapering.  She needs $8000 to complete the project and is 30% of the way there.  If you make a pledge, you will receive a chance to win 12 cloth diapers, a copy of the book, and a chance to enter your baby as a cloth diaper model for the book.  Not only are you supporting a good cause, but supporting one with perks.  Don't delay, pledge today!

who you callin' stinky pants?

Dale and I were proud to make our pledge.  I wish more parents made the decision to cloth diaper.  Poop happens, we shouldn't just ball it up in plastic and throw it away.  There are other options, even using one cloth diaper a day helps!  For more information on the project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1953749419/the-dirties-on-diapering

Here are some quick facts on using disposable diapers:

•  No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone. 
•  Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

daddy logic:: baby gate nightmare

Our house has 4 sets of stairs.  We had to get 4 baby gates which Dale and I both agreed were not going to be new.  I just cant justify spending $40/gate for a simple piece of wood and latches.  Alas, the hunt began and I started scavenging Craigslist and used baby stores for these gates.

Last week we found 2.  One was too short for our stairwell, the other fit just right....of course, while I love my husband and how hard he works, Dale failed to think about the project logically, and we ended up with 3 sets of screw holes in our wall. 

Saturday I found a matching gate....this time it was too tall and our banister got in the way.  We still found a home for it at the top of our stairs but that left us with an opening in the kitchen.  So we sucked it up, went to Fred Meyer and bought a new gate for $34. 

It fits.  But our the screws keep coming out of the wall....Dale couldn't find a stud, so we will be adding a few more screw holes to our wall.

Long story short, baby proofing has been more than a nightmare.  Always measure, take notes, and take your time installing gates and latches.  Unless of course you want 9 holes in your wall.  But, the gates are up and Kannon isn't going anywhere near those stairs.

Video Uploads---Watch Kannon!

I uploaded some more videos of Kannon!  Check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/katdizale

photo therapy:: this little piggy

Kannon likes to crawl out on to our balcony and smash his face against the window.  It is hysterical.  What a silly little boy!

mama updates:: our new adventure

Finally, we are unpacked and ready for baby #2!!!  Life feels balanced, wholesome, and I am more relaxed than I have been in 2 years.  We love our house, can walk everywhere (even Trader Joe's!!!), and I am finally back to being a mom (as opposed to being a job/house hunter, packer, unpacker, and stressed out!).

So here are the long awaited photos of our new digs.  We live in a 3-story house in Ballard.

Our good friend Jarred (Kannon's godfather) is living in the first floor with a nice bedroom and bath and using the garage as a converted man-cave.  Jarred used to live below us in our old apartment in Seattle, so it is only right to have back below our feets keeping us safe and equally entertained.

The second floor, is the kitchen, bathroom, dining room, living room, and laundry room.  It is spacious and perfect for Kannon who loves the extra crawl space.

The third floor, is the master bedroom with a full bath, and the boy's room with a bathroom.

All in all we have 4 balconies, 4 bathrooms, 3 stairwells, a patio/yard, and garage.  Oddly enough, it is pretty easy to clean despite all these stairs and toilets.

We live 2 blocks from Fred Meyer, Safeway, Trader Joe's, and Ballard Market is just up the street.  There are 2 breweries and a wine cellar within walking distance.  We can smell salt water from nearby Puget Sound.  Tug boats toot in the bay.  We have the tiniest view of the Space Needle. Dale has had the car most days but there has been no shortage of fun.  No longer are Kannon and I cooped in the house as we can walk everywhere and bring Emma along.

The updates will continue, so stay posted for more pictures and videos of Kannon!