Chicagoans visit, teeth, food, sprouting and beach cleanup... whew!

So Dad and Jamies visit was fun.  It was actually Dad, Jamie and Zoe... that was a total surprise! :D  I don't think I've ever actually been that surprised before... it was GREAT! Logan really loved everyone, especially Jamie and Lelah really loved dad.  They both liked Zoe a lot, Logan was a nice boy during her visit this time.  That was a bit of a change since the last visit. ;)  They weren't here for long, but we did make it to Long Beach and that was a blast.  Jamie had never been to the Pacific Ocean before, and it was a BEAUTIFUL day.  We couldn't have asked for better weather.  Well, okay, so it could have been warmer, but it was really a pretty day. Not a cloud in the sky.  The ocean was kinda mucky, but it wasn't too bad. I had a really great time.  

Lelah got her second tooth sometime between the last post and now.  She's had it for at least two weeks.  It's so cute.  Just two little teeth half way grown out.  :)  So cute!  Lelah is eating really good.  So far, the only thing she didn't really love that I've given her is the noodles from last night.  She's eaten so much already... homemade taco mac she couldn't get enough of, green beans, applesauce, prunes, cheerios, rice, rice cereal, celery, cucumber, kidney beans, chili, bean soup, ham, hamburger, chicken, bread, yogurt, orange, lemon, oatmeal, oatmeal cookies, no bake cookies, and the list could go on for awhile.  She really loves to eat.  I'm trying to make sure I nurse her before she eats anything because I think she would totally fill herself up on solids if I let her.  But from what I'm reading, that's not really a good idea for the first year... their main nutrition source should still be breast milk.  

Logan has started a new attitude, and it's pretty aggravating.  He's started telling us, "I want to kick you in the face!" when he's mad at us... we know right where he's gotten that from.  It sucks because when Josh and I say that we're totally joking, but Logan really doesn't get that. :(  We really need to start watching what we say because he repeats like EVERYTHING!  I think this is him becoming a 4 year old.  :( That is so sad.  I can't believe he's going to be FOUR YEARS OLD in just three months.  Really it's only two... it's the end of March now.  Ugh.  My baby isn't a baby anymore.  And he'll tell me just that.  "No mama, I a kid!"  LOL

So about a week ago I started on a new adventure.  Not sure how long this will last, but I'm really into making stuff.  First thing I started was sprouting wheat berries.  That is a ton of fun, and so interesting to watch them grow.  They grow SO FAST!  It's so cool!  Currently I'm sprouting my second batch of wheat berries and some "Zesty Sprout Mix"... the wheat berries are for bread and the sprout mix is for sandwiches.  Or maybe bagels and cream cheese because Laura told me that is really yummy.  I put the leftover wheat berries from my first batch in my pink planter by the sink, and it's so interesting to watch them grow.  I swear they grew 1/4 inch just in the 6 hours I slept last night. It's so crazy!  I really am enjoying this!!!  I also made a lot of different breads last week and this week.  I made (my favorite out of all of them) bread from the wheat berry sprouts, our own sandwich bread in moms breadmaker, and something called "Peasant Bread" that took me three days to make.  Oh, and this WONDERFUL "No knead bread" that is definitely a close second to the sprout bread.  The peasant bread started out with boiled potato water.  Weird, right?  It was yummy... very wheaty.  Mom toasted it when I was over at her house, and then put butter on it... that was really good!  Oh, and I made my own deoderant, that is working FANTASTICLY!  I'm so excited about the deoderant!  I think I'm going to make some laundry detergent and maybe even some hand soap.  It would be greener, and you know, part of our New Years Resolution was to be greener... it was "To become leaner and greener."  And hey, I'm not working on the leaner thing, but truthfully that's a pretty selfish thing... being greener is better for EVERYONE. :)  

Alright, so today we have quite a busy day.  We're going to Cannon Beach with some of Joshs partners to clean that up with SOLV like we do every year.  Stupid Starbucks isn't involved this year which really irks me, but whatever.  I just have to say... what the hell?? Their new mission statement talks about community service... but this is the first year that they aren't being involved?  They really are going to hell in a handbasket.  I think they only added the community thing to look good. I think they are so busy trying to make money for the stockholders that now they won't even do community events. :( It really bums me out.  I used to be so proud of the company that my husband works for.  Anyway, after the beach cleanup we're running home and I'm whipping some stuff together for dinner tonight with Jerry and Amy.  It should be fun. Logan really enjoys playing with Shelby and I'm really enjoying their company.  I've had a lot of fun both evenings we've spent with them.  So, I must be going now to get ready for our busy day. :)

A little tooth...

Well, last weekend, on Sunday, February 22nd Lelah got her first tooth.  It was pretty amazing because we didn't even know that it was about to pop through... it totally surprised us. :D  A very nice thing to be surprised at.  Teething was really a pain just a week before, so the fact that it popped through without us even noticing really was amazing. :D

Friday, the 20th Josh and I had been together for 11 years.  Crazy... I think I said earlier that it feels like it's been so much longer, yet not even half of that time.  My mom watched the kids while Josh and I went to Costco, Camas (to pick up something for Logan) and to Clackamas to eat at Macaroni Grill.  It was fun but kinda anti climactic.  I missed Lelah a lot, but she seemed to have had a good time, so I think it's good for both of us to be away from eachother for an extended amount of time every now and then.  We picked up a Pluto, Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck and Goofy in Camas that I found on Craigslist for Logie.  He was so excited when we brought them in!  See, "Santa" brought him a big Mickey Mouse for Christmas (because he really wanted one) and since then Logan has been asking us why he didn't bring him a Pluto to go with him.  (In his Christmas movies, Pluto is a big part of the Mickey parts, so I can understand why he was confused. )  Pluto licks us a lot, and Logan is having a fun time playing with all of them.  It's amazing how happy it makes me when he enjoys such simple things... it's no wonder that he's so spoiled, some of the reason I buy him stuff is for selfish reasons. ;)

Saturday we kinda just hung out at home and Josh and I just played the Wii.  We went to Galateas party at Vernies and then went straight up to Lauries house.  I made hot artichoke spinach dip and carbonaro... it was for Nathan, which is why I made the carbonaro.  It was fun.  Everyone got totally wasted, but that was even enjoyable. ;)  

Sunday we were supposed to go to Jovonnies 3rd birthday party but Sherres family was sick so we didn't go there.  It was re scheduled for this weekend.  Instead we went to the beach.  It was fun.  We took Max though, and shouldn't have had him come on the bike ride with us because we just about killed him. :(  We rode our bikes on the paved trail from Seaview all the way to that campground by Waikiki beach.  It was an amazing ride, very pretty... and very full of surprises.  Josh and I didn't even know that the trail went that way.  And then we ended up somewhere we totally weren't expecting.  It was really cool.  We think Logan might be ready to not be in the car anymore though.  :(  He was pretty bored through the whole thing, so I think we're going to look into getting him one of those attachements that you attach to an adult bike so it's sorta like a tandem.  I think he could handle that, and that would be way more interesting for him than the cart.  Lelah seemed to like the cart okay... she didn't like her helmet, but she did okay. :)

I didn't have the boys all week this week.  Which was nice but I didn't get a damn thing done all week, which was totally ridiculous.  You'd think I'd get more done when they aren't here, but the truth of the matter is I get way more done when they are here.  I'm supposed to have them Monday and Tuesday and then Mateo and Jovonnie on Wednesday, so I should get stuff done.  I've got to because Dad and Jamie are coming to visit.  They fly in late on Thursday night. :)  I'm pretty excited.  I always wonder what the heck we're going to do though because they aren't big on planning things, and Josh and I really like to be more prepared then that.  Oh well, we'll have fun even if we just sit at our house the entire weekend. :D  

Alright, it's taken me 12 hours to post this, so I'm off. :)

Clapping for Obama...

So last night I was on Katie Petits facebook and saw a youtube video that said something about Obama... I clicked on it and it was a music video.  So, Josh, Logan and I were all clapping and dancing around singing along with it.  Lelah was sitting on the floor getting excited, smiling away and rocking back and forth having such a good time, and all the sudden she started clapping with us!  It was the cutest dang thing!  I wish I could have gotten it on video or something... she was so stinking cute!

Lelah still is pretty sick.  Josh has been taking Zicam every four hours because he's pretty sure that he's getting sick too, and this afternoon when I was on the phone with Joni I started feeling like I was stuffed up, and then my throat started to hurt a little.  I think we're all getting sick. :(  I'm totally bummed... this will be the third month in a row that I've gotten sick.  That's ridiculous! I think a lot of it because I haven't been getting real good sleep, and my immune system just can't keep up.  It's terrible.

Tomorrow Josh and I have been "together" for 11 years.  Eleven years!  It's unbelievable.  It sounds like such a long time, but it sure hasn't felt that long.  Something funny- when I told my mom how long it's been, she said to me, "That's it, eleven years???"  Eleven years ago I was 13. Yeah that's it, that's a LONG TIME for a 24 year old!  I think we're going to go to Portland for dinner.  I'm going to give Josh a card for us to go to a Yoga 101 class at "Yoga Union".  It's a free class, but I figure while we're there we can pay for both of us to take the beginners hot yoga.  Joni was telling me about that today and that sounds like it might be fun.  I just wonder if they have showers there or something.  Anyway, I think Josh would totally dig that. :D

We've got a super busy weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow, we are going to Portland, and then Saturday we have Galateas party at Vernies at 5 o'clock and then Nathans thing has been moved to Lauries house at 6 o'clock because Grandma Largent died yesterday.  Poor Doreen, she sounded really sad today when I talked to her.  I always feel bad that I don't know what to say, but I just really don't feel like anything can make your heart hurt less when you lose someone.  Even if it was their time to go, it's still so hard.  Anyway, I'd like to get her some flowers... and write a little note in her card to explain why I hadn't called.  I just am a very personal private greiving person, so I guess I just assume that is what everyone needs, you know?  Poor Doreen, I can't even imagine how hard it is to lose a loved one that you've taken care of for so long.  

Then on Sunday at 1 o'clock we have Jovonnies 3rd birthday party to go to.  I told myself that I needed to get the house picked up and ready for the weekend and the fact that I'll totally be neglecting it, but I haven't done a damn thing.  Maybe I can talk Josh into helping me get some stuff done tomorrow... because I'm sure that if I'm getting sick, I'm not going to want to play catch up next week when I'm feeling even worse.  This is ridiculous... just when I'm getting over one thing, another thing starts, and I never seem to have the house in order so we don't live in a pig sty the whole time that I'm sick. :(  Sometimes it's tough to be the person in charge.

Alright, I'm so ready for bed.  My eyes feel like they are going to burn out of my skull, and Lelah is asleep, so all I have to do is go to bed.  How nice. :)  Since Josh is closing, I think I'll just tell Logan he can get in bed with me, then I won't even have to do any tucking in.  

Lelah has RSV

Well, I think it's a good thing that when you are a mother of two you have first had the experience of being a mother of one.  Sounds weird, yes, but wow, it's sometimes a lot harder.  Lelah is sick yet again, and I just can't believe that she's been so sick two times already.  I don't remember Logan being sick until he was over a year old. :(  I was kinda feeling bad about it, but then I started thinking and it really does make sense.  I mean, not only because Logan is here, but because we go out a lot more with Lelah than we ever did with Logan.  I thought that we went out a lot with him, but we mostly just went to peoples houses, you know?  We went to Grandmas and moms, and yeah, we went to the store and out to eat, but I think we do more now.  Anyway, so Lelah has RSV.  When Dr. Ayoub told me I had a moment of panic because of the scary ads I've seen in magazines and at her office.  I think Lelah must have a mild case of it.  I was reading some stuff about RSV today and it could be so much worse.  Thank goodness.  

Two weeks ago I wrote a message to Amy Skeie from high school asking if we could bury the hatchet.  I mean I didn't really say that, but that's pretty much what I meant.  I couldn't even remember why I didn't like her in high school, and I thought it was so silly because we really do have a lot in common.  She is a mom of two kids, and is married, has a house and all the responsibilities that come with all of that.  So, last Friday (2/13) we had dinner with her and her husband, Jerry and their two girls, Shelby and Lexi.  It was really fun and I enjoyed myself a lot!  I made calzones and we had brownie sundaes for desert. It was really fun!  We played games and the kids played well together. Logan really loved Shelby.  He wanted me to keep telling everyone what her name was and how she came over to our house.  It was pretty cute!

On Valentines Day Josh and I and the kids went to Portland and spent a ton of money. It was fun. We bought a laptop (which I'm using right now, and it's sooooo nice!), a wireless router for our modem, a Wii and a Wii Fit.  I must say that I like to spend money, I just wish we had more to spend. LOL Of course, the reason we never have any to spend is because we spend it so fast. LOL  Oh! And the most exciting thing!!! We bought our tickets to Delaware on Valentines Day too!  Woo Hoo!!!  We're going from September 2nd until the 9th.  That will be from 41 1/2 weeks until 42 1/2 weeks.  So, hopefully she'll have the baby either before we get there (which would be really great for her) or while we're there (which would be so awesome!!!).  No matter what, I really want to meet this baby. I'm so excited for her that she's having a baby and that we're going to be mommy's together.  

Alright, we're off to spend more money.  (We got our tax return on Friday- $3368) One of Joshs employees gave Logan a V tec game so we are going to go buy the cord that he needs so he can play it.  And then we have to buy some dog food and some toilet paper.  

Christmas, New Year and a new baby on the way!!!

Wow, it's been over a month.  A lot can happen in a months time.  

Christmas was nice.  It was our first white Christmas ever!  While it was pretty neat to have it be white, it also was kinda a pain in the butt.  Laurie and Chris got stuck in their driveway and were late for Christmas breakfast (but hey, at least they made it!) and Chris' family Christmas thing was moved to our house last minute.  Kinda a bummer, but it all worked out fine.  Logan was a total Joy to watch opening presents... he was excited about the smallest things.  Lelah was adorable as always, and thought everyone and everything was so interesting. :D  She looked beautiful in her Christmas dresses. Yes, dresses.  She wore Ellas dress from last year on Christmas Eve and then a pretty red dress that Grandma Laurie bought her for Christmas day.  Christmas Eve we went to Bob and Pattys house and spent the evening there with Aunt Char and Uncle Bill and my parents.  It was really nice.  Christmas day both sets of parents came over for Christmas breakfast, which was so great.  I love this new tradition.  Joni said that when she moves home she'd love to do the same thing, which will work out fine because Jasons family won't live here, so we'll take turns spending the night at eachothers houses.  I asked Joni if my mom could still come the years it was at her house and she said of course! :D  That will REALLY be great!  Anyway, after Christmas breakfast and opening presents here, mom, Tim, Logan, Lelah and I went up to Grandma Carolyns house and visited with them.  Josh stayed home so he could pick up the house before Chris' family came.  When we got back to town (which was quite an endeavor considering how icy the roads were) we went straight to Debbies and visited there for about an hour before we came back home for Chris' family thing.  It was moved to our house because it was originally supposed to be at Theolas house, but they canceled VERY LAST MINUTE and Chris and Teena were pretty bummed about it.  Anyway, Theolas family didn't even show up (totally rude if you ask me) and so it was just our family, Chris and Laurie and Teenas family.  It was nice, and dinner was okay.  After they all left we went over to Tricia and Joes house and played a game or two.  It was a good Christmas, and I think Lelah really enjoyed it and I KNOW that Logan did. :D

Jen and Jeremy came over on New Years.  We had yummy food and pink champagne and sparkling cider.  It was fun.  The boys banged spoons on pots and pans at midnight, and it was so much fun!  I can't believe that it's 2009!!!  Lelah and Joel were pretty tired by the time midnight rolled around, but they made it. :D

Did I mention in the last post that Joni is pregnant?  Yup, she is, and I'm gonna be an aunt!  I'm pretty excited about it.  She's due on August 24th.  Josh and I are thinking that with our income tax return we can go there.  We're all hoping that we'll be there when she has the baby, but we all know how unpredictable the little buggers can be.  We'll see. :)  She's feeling a lot of morning sickness, but other than that everything seems to be going well.  She has an ultrasound to make sure she is really due at the end of August on Wednesday... I'm so excited for her and Jason to see their baby! 

Lelah started sitting up this month, and started sitting up without anyone needing to be by her last week.  She is now an old pro at it. I can put her on the floor without having to really worry about her.  Every once in awile the boys get a little too rambunctious, and she gets knocked down, but she's getting better and better and keeping her balance every day. :D

I think that's it for me.  Oh wait.  Josh and I started dieting on Jan. 1st.  Josh has lost 16 pounds, and I've lost 7.  This has been the hardest it's ever been for me to lose weight.  I'm not sure what it's all about.  I'm thinking that it has something to do with nursing, but I'm not really sure.  I might just be giving myself too many points?  I don't know though because I'm following the program well.  Anyway, it's coming off, just not half as fast as it usually does. :(  

Okay, that's really it.

The sickness is finally over

Well, that was just about terrible!  I said in the last post that Logan came down with croup during the first week of December.  Then Lelah got sick- really sick, and then I got sick... with a sinus infection.  I'd never had one of those before, and boy is it terrible!  I felt like the side of my face had been hit by a small truck or something.  Dr. Ayoub showed me how truly wonderful she really is... I called desperate to be seen on Saturday and it turned out they were closed but Dr. Ayoub just happened to be there.  She listened to my symptoms and prescribed me some Amoxicillan.  She's so wonderful!  Through the week that Lelah was really sick she called every day to check on her.  She's so amazing!!!  

Joshs birthday was yesterday.  He wanted a white birthday so badly, and he got it!  I'm so happy because I feel like I totally let him down when it came to gifts this year so at least Mother Nature was a good gift giver. :)  It literally snowed all day.  We went up to my moms to play in the snow and tried getting up the hill three times in Joshs car.  After the third time we finally gave up and my mom drove down and picked us up.  We played there and visited for a few hours until we were ready to go home.  Some guy stopped us half way down and told us that it wasn't safe to drive down... so we strapped Lelahs carseat to the sled and her and Logan rode down the hill on that with Josh pulling on the front and me pulling on the back (for brakes.)  It all started to melt last night around 8-ish but only for about an hour so not much left.  Then it got cold enough to snow off and on throughout the night.  We woke up to snow again and it snowed off and on all day today.  The roads are a complete sheet of ice.  There is a chance that we might have a white Christmas, which I think would be SOOOO wonderful!  I've never had one of those and neither has Josh.  We'll see though, all the weather stations are saying different things... only time will tell. :D

We're through with Christmas shopping.  Which is good because we're more than out of money.  I think we over-did Logan again this year, but it's a lot of small stuff, so that's okay I think.  My parents got him a tractor with a trailer that he can drive around with Tim and bring wood to the basement.  I think he's going to LOVE it.  :)  I'm quite excited for him to see it.  Yesterday while we were at my moms she showed Josh and I and boy is it ever cute!  It's a John Deere and the trailer is so cute!!!  

So our plans for Christmas are as follows... of course, the weather will dictate whether we do all of this or not.  Christmas Eve we're spending at Bob and Pattys house with my parents and Aunt Char and Uncle Bill.  It's an appetizer party. I'm bringing the artichoke spinach dip that we love so much and I think also bacon-wrapped water chestnuts.  (I got that recipe off of my hippi site. :D)  I personally don't think they sound so yummy, because I don't like water chestnuts, but both my mom and Josh think they sound wonderful, so I think I'll do that.  I'm sure I'll end up bringing something else too... I love appetizer-type foods!  Then Christmas morning, we're having Joshs mom and Chris over and my parents for Christmas breakfast.  We were originally thinking that we could have breakfast burritos (because I could make them in advance and pop them in the oven) but Chris told us the other night that he'll need the egg substitute, so I don't know if we're going to do that or not.  Then we are going up to Grandma Carolyns house (this is where the "I don't know because of weather conditions" comes in) and then to Debbies for a Christmas thing there.  Then I think we're going to go to Theolas for Chris' familys thing.  I just realized though that Debbies is at 2 o'clock and that Theolas is at like 3 o'clock.  Hmm... well, we'll see what happens there.  

Well, I think that is it for me.  

Lelah is sick...

Wow it's been a month since I last updated... I'm terrible!  

First things first, I'm going to go backwards.  Logan came down with croup last week and ever-so-kindly shared whatever bug it was that made him sick with his baby sister. :(  Poor little things.  Logan was so sick... and he kept telling me that, "I'm so sick mama..."  I felt so sorry for him.  Then on Saturday Lelah came down with it and so I went from snuggling Logan and comforting him to snuggling Lelah and trying to get her to calm down enough to breathe.  Logan never got sick when he was such a little baby, so I feel like a new mom all over again. :(  I took her to the doctors yesterday and they thought she had whooping cough but the test came back negative, so thank goodness for that!

Thanksgiving day Lelah found out who's been making all the noise around here. (The noise that wasn't big brother.)  :)  It was adorable! While I was making the rolls she was sitting in her swing yelling and screaming and laughing outloud at herself.  She was so impressed.  Thanksgiving weekend she also started blowing raspberries and I'm not sure when but is also now grabbing at toys.  Oh, and Thanksgiving evening she rolled over at Aunt Char and Uncle Bills house.  I've seen her do it before, but she did it with purpose this time.  Since then she's become a pretty good pro at it. :)  

That's it for now... I'm going to get current on MySpace before she wakes up again. :)