We have had a REALLY busy last couple of weeks, but they have been really fun and special. My brother is in the middle of his second deployment to Afghanistan and was able to come to Oregon for his mid-tour leave. His 3 year old daughter (Allie) was with him, as well has his girlfriend (Holly) and her 2 year old son (Archer, for part of the trip).
Kalaya ADORES Allie. We Skype with her when we can, so they are familiar with each other. They got along really, really well, playing with toys and running around. The age difference didn't seem to matter too much and they both did a great job of sharing!
We did some fun things while they all were here, including going to the zoo, the Pendelton Round Up, the beach, an Oregon State game (my brother is a HUGE fan and Holly got us great seats, front row, right on the 50 yard line, crazy!), went out to dinner a lot and just spent lots of time together as a family.
It's hard having a brother over there. Duh, that's obvious. But, it's hard because I often feel guilty about it. Guilty, because I deal with it in a pretty selfish way. I am proud of him. VERY proud. And, I love staying in contact with him and hearing that he's safe. I really, really need to send him more care packages. I feel guilty, because I don't want to know anything that he's doing over there. Ever. It terrifies me. (duh) But really, it's embarrassing how little I know about what he actually does, where he is, etc. But, really, if I knew, I don't think I could handle it. So, that part of my mind is kind of just blocked off. I don't let my imagination go there. Because, I'd never sleep without nightmares and would be freaked out all the time. I know he's done some brave, very heroic, very scary things. I'm grateful to him and so proud of him. I hope he knows that my lack of knowledge of his 'job' has nothing to do with my support of him. It's best for me to just know that he's 'safe' and that he'll come home soon!! (hopefully by the beginning of January and then I hope NEVER AGAIN)
I'm glad he got to come home and it was great to see him and my niece and get to meet his girlfriend and her family. Until January, STAY SAFE COLIN.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
It's the little things...
You know what I have REALLY taken for granted since my 3rd year of college?? Having a washer and dryer in my apartment/house. You know what I've missed since I bought a house? Having a washing machine in my house that WORKS.
Yes, in the grand scheme of life, with starvation, war, etc, I know that this is a petty thing to complain about. But OH MY WORD, it is so inconvenient to be without!
I will say this again: WHAT WERE THE PEOPLE THINKING WHO LIVED HERE BEFORE US?? I'm seriously trying not to judge. They had their house listed short sale, which means they lost a lot of money on the sale. They probably had something happen to their financial situation that was pretty devastating. But, COME ON. Their house was so filthy, the yard a disaster and now we have found out that most of their draining pipes were fairly clogged and needed replacing (which we have done) and there's NO WAY they had been able to do laundry in any way, possibly for a LONG time. Now, of course, even with doing all of the repairs and things necessary to the house, it's STILL a steal at the price we got it. But, it's been a hassle.
So, FOUR VISITS FROM THE PLUMBER LATER, it appears to be fixed. Of course, now I have a gigantic hole in my wall behind my washer and have a drywall guy coming out in a few days to take care of that, another expense. But, I've already done about 4 loads of wash today and it is GREAT.
Thank you to my mom for letting me use her washer for the last couple of weeks.
Yes, in the grand scheme of life, with starvation, war, etc, I know that this is a petty thing to complain about. But OH MY WORD, it is so inconvenient to be without!
I will say this again: WHAT WERE THE PEOPLE THINKING WHO LIVED HERE BEFORE US?? I'm seriously trying not to judge. They had their house listed short sale, which means they lost a lot of money on the sale. They probably had something happen to their financial situation that was pretty devastating. But, COME ON. Their house was so filthy, the yard a disaster and now we have found out that most of their draining pipes were fairly clogged and needed replacing (which we have done) and there's NO WAY they had been able to do laundry in any way, possibly for a LONG time. Now, of course, even with doing all of the repairs and things necessary to the house, it's STILL a steal at the price we got it. But, it's been a hassle.
So, FOUR VISITS FROM THE PLUMBER LATER, it appears to be fixed. Of course, now I have a gigantic hole in my wall behind my washer and have a drywall guy coming out in a few days to take care of that, another expense. But, I've already done about 4 loads of wash today and it is GREAT.
Thank you to my mom for letting me use her washer for the last couple of weeks.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
What I (We) Wore Wednesday 9/21
So, this last weekend marked a family tradition; The Pendleton Round Up! Basically, it's a big rodeo in a town near where my dad grew up. Many generations of my (dad's) family and friends have been going to it over the years. (this was the 101st year of it) Actually, past family members used to BE in the rodeo itself.
Nelson and I have gone several times. One trip was actually when we got engaged, though not at the rodeo itself. We went last year for the 100th and this year we went because my brother and niece were in town. After this, we are taking a several year break. It's not the best/easiest place to have a toddler, and with 2 coming along, we'll probably start going again when our kids are in elementary school.
It's funny. We are SO not rodeo people, but we have a good time. I look past the sexism (sorry, but there aren't too many girl events), the potential cruelty animals (I don't actually think this is the case, but....) and the lack of diversity and such (referring to 'Indians' and there are a LOT of white people in one place that day....) and just enjoy the experience.
Of course, a rodeo requires certain clothing. My Wranglers just wouldn't work with the belly (I actually got them on AND buttoned, but wouldn't have been able to sit, drink or eat anything that day....), so I adapted a little bit. Everyone else is in gear too, I especially love all the kids outfits!!
My outfit:
Hat, Belt: Hamley's (western store in Pendleton)
Shirt and Boots: D&B Supply (same)
Nelson and I have gone several times. One trip was actually when we got engaged, though not at the rodeo itself. We went last year for the 100th and this year we went because my brother and niece were in town. After this, we are taking a several year break. It's not the best/easiest place to have a toddler, and with 2 coming along, we'll probably start going again when our kids are in elementary school.
It's funny. We are SO not rodeo people, but we have a good time. I look past the sexism (sorry, but there aren't too many girl events), the potential cruelty animals (I don't actually think this is the case, but....) and the lack of diversity and such (referring to 'Indians' and there are a LOT of white people in one place that day....) and just enjoy the experience.
Of course, a rodeo requires certain clothing. My Wranglers just wouldn't work with the belly (I actually got them on AND buttoned, but wouldn't have been able to sit, drink or eat anything that day....), so I adapted a little bit. Everyone else is in gear too, I especially love all the kids outfits!!
My outfit:Hat, Belt: Hamley's (western store in Pendleton)
Shirt and Boots: D&B Supply (same)
Tank: Forever 21
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Labor Day Camping Trip
For Labor Day weekend this year, we decided to go on our first camping trip since having Kalaya. Of course, we started planning this and made the reservations back in May, having no idea that this would happen days after closing on the house!! We decided to go anyway, partly because we weren't going to get the money back, but mainly because we knew we wanted time away from the chaos, just the three of us.
We headed out on Saturday and planned to stay 3 nights, as Nelson had taken of Tuesday. We camped at Beverly Beach, near Newport and planned to visit the aquarium during on of the days we were there. The drive went really well until about 10 miles before the campsite and then it took almost an hour! Kalaya did great though. We got to the site, set up, had dinner and just hung out until bedtime. She slept surprisingly well in the tent, I think co-sleeping was a big factor there!
Sunday she got up EARLY, because of all the light and noise in the campground, which we expected. I forgot how cold it is ALL THE TIME when camping in Oregon. I packed plenty of extra blankets, clothes, etc, but still. I wonder how much of a camping person I actually am....it may be the idea of camping that appeals to me more. A big factor was probably the fact that I was pregnant while camping....though our air mattress was actually pretty comfortable and I packed lots of extra pillows, etc.
We headed out the aquarium after breakfast, which was crowded (again, expected, because it was Labor Day weekend), but not too bad. She had a lot of fun looking at all the fish, sharks, sea lions, otters, etc, but especially talked about the octopus, which was weird kinda, because it hid in the corner of the tank the whole time and didn't move, but she liked it! We went down to the pier in Newport for lunch and walked around a little bit, especially to see the sea lions.
We headed back to the campsite, during which she took a short nap in the car. I made dinner when we got back and after that, things started going down hill. Nelson took Kalaya with him to get the firewood (which had gone just fine on Sat). She was pretty cranky at this point, due to getting up so early, big day and short nap. We planned to put her to bed after they got back. While walking back to the site, she was holding Nelson's hand and then decided to run toward the street, trying to let go. When he held on to keep her out of the street, he heard a loud pop and she started SCREAMING. He got her back to the site and she was inconsolable. (he, of course, felt absolutely terrible) She was so exhausted, she fell asleep almost immediately. We felt all over her arm, wrist, shoulder, etc, but didn't feel or see anything out of the ordinary. When we lifted it, same thing. However, if we twisted it in anyway, she screamed. So, I called our nurse advice line (by this time it was after dark), while she slept on Nelson. The nurse was very friendly and helpful and said it didn't sound broken, dislocated, etc, since there was no swelling or anything else. He said we could take her to urgent care if we wanted to, but since she was sleeping, that was a sign that she wasn't in TOO much pain.
We decided to just go to bed. The problem was that if she shifted in her sleep and moved it, she started screaming and it took a LONG time to calm her down. (God bless nursing, it was the only thing that worked) Around 11:30pm we decided it was too much and got in the car and drove to Newport to spend the night in a hotel. We got REALLY lucky, considering the date, and found a nice hotel on the 2nd try and for not too bad of a price. It was nice to be in a warm room that was quiet and she slept through the night after that.
We got up Monday, had breakfast at the hotel, showered and drove back to the site to pack up. She refused to use her arm, but as long as she didn't move it, she was acting pretty normal. We decided to head back home and stop at urgent care on the way. She did fine on the drive back.
At urgent care, as soon as the doctor on call heard her symptoms, she immediately knew what it was. Apparently, it's really common and called 'nursemaid's elbow'. Here is a link to more details. Basically, she dislocated a ligament in her elbow. OUCH! But, it's is apparently VERY, VERY common and it took the doctor literally 2 seconds to put it back in to place and Kalaya was using it normally in less than 10 minutes. It was crazy!!
So, our first camping trip was....a success? In that, she adapted well to being away from home, it just had to end a little earlier than planned. : / For obvious reasons, we only got a few pictures. And, we didn't even make it to the beach!!
Digging at the site, it's COLD in the morning!!
Exploring and learning at the aquarium
We headed out on Saturday and planned to stay 3 nights, as Nelson had taken of Tuesday. We camped at Beverly Beach, near Newport and planned to visit the aquarium during on of the days we were there. The drive went really well until about 10 miles before the campsite and then it took almost an hour! Kalaya did great though. We got to the site, set up, had dinner and just hung out until bedtime. She slept surprisingly well in the tent, I think co-sleeping was a big factor there!
Sunday she got up EARLY, because of all the light and noise in the campground, which we expected. I forgot how cold it is ALL THE TIME when camping in Oregon. I packed plenty of extra blankets, clothes, etc, but still. I wonder how much of a camping person I actually am....it may be the idea of camping that appeals to me more. A big factor was probably the fact that I was pregnant while camping....though our air mattress was actually pretty comfortable and I packed lots of extra pillows, etc.
We headed out the aquarium after breakfast, which was crowded (again, expected, because it was Labor Day weekend), but not too bad. She had a lot of fun looking at all the fish, sharks, sea lions, otters, etc, but especially talked about the octopus, which was weird kinda, because it hid in the corner of the tank the whole time and didn't move, but she liked it! We went down to the pier in Newport for lunch and walked around a little bit, especially to see the sea lions.
We headed back to the campsite, during which she took a short nap in the car. I made dinner when we got back and after that, things started going down hill. Nelson took Kalaya with him to get the firewood (which had gone just fine on Sat). She was pretty cranky at this point, due to getting up so early, big day and short nap. We planned to put her to bed after they got back. While walking back to the site, she was holding Nelson's hand and then decided to run toward the street, trying to let go. When he held on to keep her out of the street, he heard a loud pop and she started SCREAMING. He got her back to the site and she was inconsolable. (he, of course, felt absolutely terrible) She was so exhausted, she fell asleep almost immediately. We felt all over her arm, wrist, shoulder, etc, but didn't feel or see anything out of the ordinary. When we lifted it, same thing. However, if we twisted it in anyway, she screamed. So, I called our nurse advice line (by this time it was after dark), while she slept on Nelson. The nurse was very friendly and helpful and said it didn't sound broken, dislocated, etc, since there was no swelling or anything else. He said we could take her to urgent care if we wanted to, but since she was sleeping, that was a sign that she wasn't in TOO much pain.
We decided to just go to bed. The problem was that if she shifted in her sleep and moved it, she started screaming and it took a LONG time to calm her down. (God bless nursing, it was the only thing that worked) Around 11:30pm we decided it was too much and got in the car and drove to Newport to spend the night in a hotel. We got REALLY lucky, considering the date, and found a nice hotel on the 2nd try and for not too bad of a price. It was nice to be in a warm room that was quiet and she slept through the night after that.
We got up Monday, had breakfast at the hotel, showered and drove back to the site to pack up. She refused to use her arm, but as long as she didn't move it, she was acting pretty normal. We decided to head back home and stop at urgent care on the way. She did fine on the drive back.
At urgent care, as soon as the doctor on call heard her symptoms, she immediately knew what it was. Apparently, it's really common and called 'nursemaid's elbow'. Here is a link to more details. Basically, she dislocated a ligament in her elbow. OUCH! But, it's is apparently VERY, VERY common and it took the doctor literally 2 seconds to put it back in to place and Kalaya was using it normally in less than 10 minutes. It was crazy!!
So, our first camping trip was....a success? In that, she adapted well to being away from home, it just had to end a little earlier than planned. : / For obvious reasons, we only got a few pictures. And, we didn't even make it to the beach!!
Digging at the site, it's COLD in the morning!!
Exploring and learning at the aquarium
Friday, September 16, 2011
Ketchup
Wow oh WOW, has a lot been going on in our house! I don't even know where to begin! Let's see what I can remember:
*We are IN OUR NEW HOUSE!! It's messy and there are many, many projects still to be completed, but we're HERE! I'm trying to focus on the positive, we have a house and we're IN IT! Unfortunately, I tend to look at the boxes, messes, etc and focus on the stress of that instead. I'm trying to pace myself and only unpack a little at a time, because otherwise this pregnant mama gets tired! Our schedules are so off right now... It's okay. There's (obviously) no day that we HAVE to be completely moved in or packed by. (Okay, maybe by my due date...) But, I know that once the boxes are gone, I'll feel just a bit better.
*We were SO blessed by members of our church a couple of weeks back: A family (who happens to have 2 kids in our youth group) surprised us the night that we got the keys and told us she had arranged 2 afternoon work parties for our new house!!!! AMAZING!! God is so awesome. They got a TON accomplished and saved us a lot of time and money. The front yard is starting to look less like a jungle. The walls, ceilings and trim got painted. The hole in the living room got repaired. Plumbing stuff got done. It was GREAT!
*Labor Day weekend, we took a trip to the coast for a camping trip, just with the 3 of us. It started out fine, but ended up being a little more than we planned for. I need to do a whole blog about that, plus pictures. It was fun though!
*My brother has arrived home from Afghanistan for his mid-tour leave!! We are so grateful for all of the prayers these last 9 months and we're SO glad he's here safely. His daughter (Allie) is here to be with him, as well as my brother's girlfriend and her son. We're enjoying spending time all together, though I feel guilty, because I get torn between being with them and attempting to get this house in order. We've already had several get-togethers though and are going out of town together these next 2 weekends.
*Incase you didn't see my previous post, we're having a BOY!! I'm halfway through my pregnancy and feeling good! Read it, if you're more interested. : )
*It's been a crazy busy last couple of weeks, but it has been full of crazy busy blessings and fun!! It probably won't ever slow down again once this little guy arrives....but you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way!!
*We are IN OUR NEW HOUSE!! It's messy and there are many, many projects still to be completed, but we're HERE! I'm trying to focus on the positive, we have a house and we're IN IT! Unfortunately, I tend to look at the boxes, messes, etc and focus on the stress of that instead. I'm trying to pace myself and only unpack a little at a time, because otherwise this pregnant mama gets tired! Our schedules are so off right now... It's okay. There's (obviously) no day that we HAVE to be completely moved in or packed by. (Okay, maybe by my due date...) But, I know that once the boxes are gone, I'll feel just a bit better.
*We were SO blessed by members of our church a couple of weeks back: A family (who happens to have 2 kids in our youth group) surprised us the night that we got the keys and told us she had arranged 2 afternoon work parties for our new house!!!! AMAZING!! God is so awesome. They got a TON accomplished and saved us a lot of time and money. The front yard is starting to look less like a jungle. The walls, ceilings and trim got painted. The hole in the living room got repaired. Plumbing stuff got done. It was GREAT!
*Labor Day weekend, we took a trip to the coast for a camping trip, just with the 3 of us. It started out fine, but ended up being a little more than we planned for. I need to do a whole blog about that, plus pictures. It was fun though!
*My brother has arrived home from Afghanistan for his mid-tour leave!! We are so grateful for all of the prayers these last 9 months and we're SO glad he's here safely. His daughter (Allie) is here to be with him, as well as my brother's girlfriend and her son. We're enjoying spending time all together, though I feel guilty, because I get torn between being with them and attempting to get this house in order. We've already had several get-togethers though and are going out of town together these next 2 weekends.
*Incase you didn't see my previous post, we're having a BOY!! I'm halfway through my pregnancy and feeling good! Read it, if you're more interested. : )
*It's been a crazy busy last couple of weeks, but it has been full of crazy busy blessings and fun!! It probably won't ever slow down again once this little guy arrives....but you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way!!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
20 Weeks
This pregnancy is just FLYING by! I can't believe I'm already halfway through!! With the new house and everything else going on, I haven't had time to do anything extra, including blogging. But, that doesn't mean that this pregnancy isn't totally exciting and special!!
We found out yesterday that we're having a BOY!! We're thrilled! Though, we would have been 100% as equally thrilled with a girl. Two comments I'm already sick of: 1) "Oh, now you're done!" Excuse me, but that will be determined by when we feel our family is 'done', not what gender combination we have! 2) Gosh, Nelson must be sooo excited! Excuse me again, Nelson was just as excited for a girl as he is for a boy. Sheesh.
No names picked out yet, but we're definitely thinking. We don't plan to keep his name a secret, as we did with Kalaya, because we want Kalaya to get used to his name as much as possible. She was very interested in the ultrasound yesterday and keeps telling people how she 'watched baby brudder on the TV'. The ultrasound went great, he's very active (as I knew!) and all the parts were there! I have an appointment on Thursday with our midwife to follow up on the measurements, etc.
I am feeling great these days! I have to be careful, because I want so badly to get the house unpacked, but between keeping track of Kalaya, cleaning and arranging, I get tired really quickly. I make myself take breaks often, but I'm still pretty tired by the end of each day. My appetite has completely returned to normal and things are tasting the way they're supposed to, which is REALLY nice. My belly definitely is popping out, to the point that people in public are confident enough to comment on it. I'll post a pic soon! I just have to find the box with my camera in it first....
We found out yesterday that we're having a BOY!! We're thrilled! Though, we would have been 100% as equally thrilled with a girl. Two comments I'm already sick of: 1) "Oh, now you're done!" Excuse me, but that will be determined by when we feel our family is 'done', not what gender combination we have! 2) Gosh, Nelson must be sooo excited! Excuse me again, Nelson was just as excited for a girl as he is for a boy. Sheesh.
No names picked out yet, but we're definitely thinking. We don't plan to keep his name a secret, as we did with Kalaya, because we want Kalaya to get used to his name as much as possible. She was very interested in the ultrasound yesterday and keeps telling people how she 'watched baby brudder on the TV'. The ultrasound went great, he's very active (as I knew!) and all the parts were there! I have an appointment on Thursday with our midwife to follow up on the measurements, etc.
I am feeling great these days! I have to be careful, because I want so badly to get the house unpacked, but between keeping track of Kalaya, cleaning and arranging, I get tired really quickly. I make myself take breaks often, but I'm still pretty tired by the end of each day. My appetite has completely returned to normal and things are tasting the way they're supposed to, which is REALLY nice. My belly definitely is popping out, to the point that people in public are confident enough to comment on it. I'll post a pic soon! I just have to find the box with my camera in it first....
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