the perfect rain

last night's evening stroll was extra special in that it was raining! not just any old rain...but the perfect rain..in that there was no wind, it was a light shower, no lightening & it was warm. i put the little fellow in his ergo back pack, grabbed my rainbow colored extra large umbrella..and off we wandered. i decided to cross evans road and deviate from our traditional loop in hopes of visiting with our friends good ole doc stevens, his dear wife betty & their miracle dogs (one was completely paralyzed last year this time and after extensive back surgeries, tlc & a lot of divine intervention (or luck you decide) he is fine now! the other is seriously old, blind and disoriented but still has a good quality of life).

we approached laughlin street in complete relaxation...the rain was therapeutic. even in our rain rhythm daze, i could immediately tell that we were in an older part of town because the trees are tremendous and drape a canopy of green overhead. it was quiet out except for the rain. docs house and grounds are special to me. the whole place just rings of lives well lived. they have been there for 50 years! the white picket fence is overgrown with vines and the little path leading to their open door flows under an arbor of the same. i was excited to see that their daughter lisa was visiting (could tell by the pro victis sticker - her son's band). we climbed the bold red steps and found the front door open. such a welcoming home.

i had hoped to share grant with them...but he had fallen asleep already! that rain lulled him to dreamland, so i just stood up the entirety of our visit so as not to disturb him. it was a lovely visit though! it was great to visit with lisa...i dont see her much now that she works out of town instead of across the street at the newspaper. Lisa is one of those people that just uplifts your spirit with her smile and amazing view on life. I also met her friend who was in visiting from california. Turns out they have been friends since they were 2 years old! WOW. and then of course their was doc stevens who is nearly 80 years old and still practising in town here. he greeted us warmly and then excused himself to the kitchen where he was listening to a radio show (in his cowboy hat of course...to protect his eyes from the light). Dear mother Betty was laying on the couch...she was recovering from a wrist surgery from the day before! She is such an empowered woman and i always enjoy talking with her...so much to learn.

I left with a full heart. Simple exchanges like this truly improve the quality of my life. Grant and i are very social beings. Yes, quiet time at home is delicious too...but an energy exchange with others can really boost morale. In the words of my art therapist, Audrey Klopper: "In these times of exponentially fast paced technology, we suffer from extreme isolation, neglecting and causing harm to ourselves and nature in the process." So reaching out, and visiting with good people, is truly rejuvenating! What a lovely way to cap off a day in the life of a 21st century mama.

btw..if you click on the X in the box with no pic..it shoudl take you to a video of grant swinging.

a grant list

today was a decent to above decent day in the life of a wannabe sahm (stay at home mom), professional (at least in part), wife, daughter, neighbor& friend. thats awesome considering how shitty most of the world has it. like i used to say...if there isnt war on my street...things are good.

grant is amazing. he is a high maintenance kinda kid i will admit...but so worth it. his Independence testing is in overdrive...seems like overnight...and boundaries are especially important...before he becomes the chief. here is a list of grant attributes:

• walking - more than crawling


• can stand up anywhere without help, squat to pick up toy, up again and walking with toy


• peek a boo with his hands over his own eyes (instead of behind something etc)


• refuses to eat pureed foods (dont blame him...we were spoiled for too long...its sooo convenient!) and actually refuses to eat all kinds of foods now. i think he is just enjoying the control of pursed lips....and sadi is very happy to have his over boards


• bites!!!!!! i cant believe this is my kid. he bites out of frustration and to say i love you...hasnt bit anyone but me thank goodness...and im working hard at nipping this in the bud...but its HARD. ugh


• has 4 teeth....2 up and 2 down


• has been teething constantly it seems since he was 2 months old


• is back on singulair bc the control study went sour as his allergies were kicking in and we didnt want to be back on nebulizer treatments anytime soon


• potties on the toilet a minimum of once per day


• loves swimming, playing ball, cleaning the house with the swiffer or broom & electrical outlets! ugh


• is obsessed with the lawn mower - and neal (day care grandma) said he spent about 20 minutes watching pa pa mowing the lawn through the window today!


• loves etch a sketch


• puts his play phone on his shoulder and has conversations


• dances sooooo soooo cute! he really has a shimmy...its a drop knee swivel hehe


• recognizes his home...and shows his excitement upon pulling in the driveway. today he even exclaimed "DAD" - anticipating their reunion


• hates being bathed - loves bath time play


• doesnt appreciate being diapered and voices his objection

thats whats on my mind right now. overall he is a very curious, intelligent, charming, social & silly almost 1 year old. he challenges me in ways i never knew existed and i am a better person for knowing him.

had a wonderful visit with my mother this past weekend...we stayed at home for the most part which made for relaxation. also threw in a t-bones baseball game which grant loved, just a bit of shopping and sushi...which my mom detested.

onederful plans

thank you grant for being excited to go to day care everyday this week! mama has such better days when she knows you are having fun. daddy and i sing the "this is the way we go to school" song and by verse 2 he is thrashing about in joy and leaning in for dad to whisk him away. many times he even squeals with delight. ahhhh...that makes it SOO much easier. life is much sweeter and more simple when i dont obsess about changing things...especially my working situation. being a stay at home mom is on my to do list...but how many on that list never get done? many actually. so yes i will keep in mind and work towards that goal...but not obsessing over it and burdening myself with guilt will improve my quality of life which by osmosis (or something similar) improves grant's. first thing on the agenda: find dave a fabulous job :) (oh and as a disclaimer...i know on a previous post i stated that i could never be a sahm bc i need my own money....well somethings are worth sacrificing...and children & sacrifice go hand in hand...plus i will indeed continue to bring in money from other ventures...just not nearly as much most likely).

AND after many months of deliberating...I finally made birthday party plans...and in typical form it was done impulsively. POOL PARTY commence! Dave and I reserved the fabulous hehe tonganoxie city pool on July 6 (not available july 7) from 7 - 9PM! Found out wednesday that his godparents are coming too...so thats a nice bit of family (including grandmas) coming in..and i know they love to swim...and grant is a little fish himself...so it just made since. I promised dave i wouldnt spend on decorations (much)..just a cake and the pool (and maybe some games). Im really quite excited. would have been better on saturday...but what can you do? and since i was in that pool exactly a year ago on 7/6 for 2 hours...it really is perfect! im telling you...having your baby turn 1 is just surreal...and sad....and lovely...and scary...and delightful...and inevitable. Of course all grant fans and friends are invited to come too. See you there :)

Grant is still going on the big pot first thing in the morning. In fact it truly is the big pot....I no longer offer the itty bitty potty...just cant get used to cleaning it...it gags me for some stupid reason. I thought at first he might be intimidated or confused with the man size toilet...but no! with little donut inserted for his tiny behind...he is happy as a clam...and just potties away! this has been going on for over 2 weeks now! 2 weeks of morning toilet pottying! he really knows what he doing too...bc he tries. however...he isnt so willing at other times... and im still shopping around for training pants..will be nice to have those for at home time...so he can feel the immediate consequence of going off the pot.

my mother is on her way to see us! she just couldnt wait till his birthday in 2 weeks. we are so excited to see her. last time she saw grant was in Florida...and that was 21 days ago...whoa. 3 weeks is about as long as we like to go without visiting. on the agenda....dave and i trying to finish up the house with painting windows, cleaning all windows in side and out including storm windows, putting the storm windows back up and shutters and touch ups then ITS DONE. talk about a huge project!!!! we also need to buy outdoor light fixtures...so glad to get rid of the $1.99 ones that the house came with . those just irritated me they were so ugly.

take care of yourself and best wishes for a fantastic weekend!

(pics are: grant playing with the swiffer for about 30 minutes in complete joy..and really thinking he was cleaning like mommie..too cute! and grant standing independently in training pants (one pair borrowed from friend) in his playroom

busy busy

Saturday we busted our butts....between cleaning the house, grocery shopping & dave working 3 shifts of 3 hours each..it was a full day. Sunday we celebrated good ole daddy with a big late breakfast, a professional foot massage, swimming at the lawrence pool, a fabulous lunch at zen zero and an impromptu shoe shopping event for the main man. daddy then umped the first ever coed kickball league here in tongie. it was a fun yet busy weekend...all too soon over with. most.

grant is still going in the potty first thing in the morning..other than that interest is limited. we are still celebrating though! grant talked for 10 mintues yes 10 minutes to his grandma bb on the phone yesterday..it was hilarious. he usually talks a bit...but he was really on a role im telling you what! we had to hang up before he was done. unfortunately he is really into holding the phone himself now...first time mommy mistake..but oh well....he loves it!

gotta keep this short cause im a working...but wanted to post the pics!

being at peace

its nice to take some time to breathe and be thankful for all the blessings we have in our lives.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh thats nice.

Circumcision - worth the risk?

I know its common practice in the good ole US of A...but its definitely still an elective surgery, and one that for many many reasons should be taken seriously. "Normal" doesnt mean right...or right for your child. The following article discloses the fact that circumcision can kill. Circs gone wrong are generally not in the media spotlight. Please read it and if you feel compelled...look into the case against circumcision. Did God create the penis flawed? I dont think so.

http://healthblog.ctv.ca/blog/_archives/2007/5/22/2967860.html

and also the following is one of many informative websites on the case against circumcision:

http://www.nocirc.org/

and if you are for circumcision...you owe it to yourself to watch the procedure

http://http://www.circumcisionquotes.com/video.html

(if you cannot view that file...there are plenty to choose from if you scroll down some more)


Physician Opinions

Dr. Benjamin Spock MD
Dr. Spock now believes that circumcision of males is traumatic, painful, and of questionable value."My own preference, if I had the good fortune to have another son, would be to leave his little penis alone".Redbook, April 1989

Dr. William Sears MD
There are many misconceptions and out-of-date information that parents may read.

Dr. Dean Odell
I have had a long and vociferous opposition to the practice of routine male circumcision."If men knew what they were missing they would storm the hospitals and stop this practice".

Dr. Gifford Jones
I'm convinced that most families make a decision on circumcision without knowing much about this procedure.

Dr. Cat Saunders, Ph.D
Having had only circumcised lovers is like growing up with a black-and-white TV and then finding out there's color. If all you've ever known is black-and-white television, that's pretty wonderful in itself. But if you had a choice, wouldn't you rather have the full spectrum?


much love!

Pregnant in America

Pregnant in America - coming out in 2007 - check out the trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3WWNKurKjA

poop machine!

My little poop machine is a natural on the potty..or so it seems. We had much success this weekend. I definitely understand that its still just the beginning and although he did kinda take to it like a duck to water (a bit of an over exaggeration so what)... i will never force him or make it into a negative experience no matter how much i am into it !

soooooooooo...if your really interested in my son's potty details...and i know you are hehehe...first thing Saturday morning i plopped him on the potty...and VIOLA...he pooped! seriously...dave moved faster than ever before for so early in the am! it was hysterical. i was immediately hooked. he continued to poop on the potty 3 times total and one pee on Saturday. the really hysterical part came when i was distracted with helping dave flush his eye (something flew into it while he was mowing the lawn) so i left quickly...leaving the potty lid up...only to come back to OOPS...a clean toilet...my dogs obviously had an unmentionable treat...man - dogs are disgusting!!!!!. so note to self....ALWAYS i repeat ALWAYS put the lid down..it only takes a sec. Sunday we didn't have as much luck...but this morning once again...wake up and on the potty...and WOO HOOO a number one and a number 2! he even seemed content sitting there. of course i do stand by for support (literally and figuratively) and entertainment when needed..but all in all he was just hanging out on the john. we celebrated accordingly and mom is very excited about where all this will lead. one thing is for sure. he likes to poop on the potty...now getting him to go to it will be a whole nother ball game. presently i am just looking for clues and taking him there on a regular basis. when he fights it we just forget about it. he wont go then anyhoo.

Im working on a potty pic...he sure does look adorable sitting there...must be mommy brain once again. NO DOUBT!!!!

Have a great day and thanks for getting this far...you must either a) be a mommy &/or b) be really bored &/or c) love us just that much :).

the plane pic was taken at the tampa airport. great kid play area...a life saver!!!

mama dork

so im getting all excited about going home and unwrapping our thrift shop yet brand new potty!!! so that officially makes me a mama dork. i was patient and waited till the thrift shop was open ( a mere 15 hours a week)..and i was rewarded greatly. they had a variety to choose from and i picked the one that is still in the box and converts to a toilet topper, a stand alone itty bitty potty & a staircase (for using the sink or even getting up to the big toilet). its pretty cool i must say hehe...and all that for a whopping $4! im thrilled. of course i also ended up leaving with a bike of some sort (with long handle for adult maneauvering) and a xylophone! you should have seen me walking down main street here with a baby in a stroller, a gigantic yellow trash bag (with potty & xylophone) & pulling behind me the bike! it was a sight to behold i am sure.

last night we let grant go bare bumm quite a bit...and he did notice when he peed (just once) so i rushed him to the toilet (which is GIGANTIC compared to the little guy) he thought it was funny of course. bc he has been in disposables for so long - getting him to understand what peeing is will be our first step...bc in disposables they dont really feel it. should be a fun and interesting weekend!

happy tidings!

(pic is from when grant was like 6 months)

Bubble bubble bubble

happy hump day.

grant cried when he left this morning....ugh....it hurts. he cried again when dave left him....that was a first. grandma neal says he is just getting to that age...which doesnt make it any easier. times like this just intensify my urges to be a sahm.

we think he is saying bubble now! sure does sound like it. dave sings the bubble song to him all the time...complete with lip flipping.."Bubble, bubble, bubble....B is for bubble in bubble gum...and B is my brother who brought me some..and me & my brother love bubble gum...Bubble bubble bubble " so that must be the inspiration...he doesnt even know what a bubble is yet...but i have 3 jars waiting to be blown so thats on my agenda this fine evening.

grant was much more mello last night thank goodness! another night of crazy baby might just do me in. we had fun and he was his cute adorable charming self again........ahhhhhhhhh.

we are going to introduce grant to the proper use of a toilet tonight ( no its not for playing in!!!!) im so excited. my motherly instincts were telling me that he wanted to learn...that he yearned for the freedom and independence...then after doing just a bit of research...i found that its not too early at all to start. in fact lots of parents are starting even before 6 months old...which i think is a bit much...but to each their own! so fingers crossed...he will be at a bare minimum pooping in the big boy pot very very soon. i know people whose kids are trained by 18 months. i do find it strange and bewildering to have so many 3 year olds still in diapers! of course...ive never had a 3 year old so i shouldnt judge...but im just saying.

this weekend we are going to start painting the white trim on the house.......ho hum....will this ever be over? the white will certainly make the blue look all that much brighter and truly pop. i dont care if peeps make fun of my blue house (example my boss, his wife & other coworkers). its a gorgeous slightly dramatic shade that I saw on beach homes while in florida.. and it looked great down there! maybe it will grow on my old fashioned peers. luckily my neighbors claim to love it...at least the ones i care about.

i promise that i am trying to get back in the work groove...but its coming back very very slowly! i need to study for a test too...should get it done this month before my july deadline starts punching me in the face. my sister in law called last night with a job lead down where she lives...near the lake of the ozarks. although i would love to live by her and our other family members in mid missouri...its hard to think about moving when i have such a great job here. never hurts to dream though.

and remember....take risks...but be accountable. ( i love that!...and remind grant repeatedly)

half full

well we just got back from our big florida vacation last night around 9pm.......ahh it does feel good to be home...even if that means lots of dog hair, pounds of mail, umpteem loads of laundry & a stack of receipts that need to be accounted for...oh that sounds scary. anyhoo......the point is.. home is very comforting. grant was suprised to see the dogs again..and had to wake up fully to enjoy them even though he was beyond exhausted. i think he completely forgot about "home" until he saw it again..and then he was like..."oh ya....i like this place".

grant had a ton of firsts on the big penisula...including carousel ride, oceanic experience which includes playing in the sand (and eating some of course), first airplane ride, first man on stilts & amusement park, first walk on dad in the baby carrier and uh....first ambulance ride. ho hum.

so thats where the half full title comes in...bc if i wanted to be a downer and a pity me kinda person i could go on and on about the trials of this week...which were highlighted by a trip to not one but 2 yes 2 hospitals! long story short...grant got his hands on my mom's vicoden (she was cleaning out her pockets from our day at Busch gardens) and i rushed him to the hospital where they found him to be very very close to toxic levels of the Tylenol in the pill...so they insisted on transferring us to the pediatric hospital in st petersburg where we spent another 20 hours with our child on "hold" a.k.a. house arrest while they inspected our ability to parent. omg it was absolutely frightening from beginning to end. after we got over the fear of the pill....we became fearful of having our child taken away from us..and just overall feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place. fortunately by the end of it they agreed it was just a mistake and we really werent trying to silence our son with drugs.......ack.........but dave and i feel violated from the experience even though we know they are just trying to protect children. even our nurse agreed that it did take WAY longer than it should have...we were just sitting in the hospital feeling claustrophobic from 2am to 5 pm...it was nuts. the blessing is grant is fine with no long term complications. our little birdy swallowed a few ounces of disgusting charcoal juice with no problem...he is quite the patient!

besides that and one family session of the jerry springer show...it was really a great vacation. we had lots of fun in the son..and managed to not get seriously burnt. just having a week off work together with my 2 guys was a magical experience. i didnt pump once!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
oh and grant learned to sit up from a laying down position which has changed his life dramatically! now he feels the need to sit up during the night and crawl all over me...so dave and i took our bed off the springs & frame today..we are down on the floor so he isnt in danger...kinda makes me feel young again.

happy june!!!!!