Ode to Pippy

I must take a minute to say just how much we love our dog. This blog focuses on our first born child (and future children, when the time comes), but I have to be honest. Even though I deny it now and laugh at myself, Pippy was truly my first baby.

Nelson and I had been married about 2 months when I started really wanting a dog. There were a few reasons. I had lost my childhood dog the year before and had taken it really hard. Nelson was also traveling for work, sometimes for a week at a time, and I didn't like being home alone. Then, one day I watched a show on Animal Planet about shelter dogs and how many perfectly good dogs are put down every day, just because no one adopts them. (PLEASE ONLY ADOPT SHELTER AND RESCUE DOGS!!! No breeders and NEVER FROM A PET STORE!! Puppy mills are horrible, horrible places. California is trying to make it illegal to sell dogs at pet stores right now, which I think is phenomenal!!) Anyway, poor Nelson got this call in Seattle with me sobbing so hard I could barely speak, thinking something horrible had happened, but I managed to tell him about the show and told him that I NEEDED a dog.

We started going to different Humane Societies around Portland and Salem. We met with a couple of different labs and one pit bull that we really liked. Minor detail I need to mention here; we were living in an apartment that did not take pets. We didn't have any kind of yard for a big dog and the dog couldn't be a barker. We also knew we were going to have children some day and that we needed a gentle dog that was good with kids. But, we didn't qualify for a lot of the rescue agencies, because they require you to have a yard and they insist on a background check with your landlords to make sure you won't be bringing the dog right back. I kept telling Nelson that when we found our dog, we would just know. God would tell us.

So, we talked to my parents. My birthday was coming up and all I wanted was a dog. We are definitely a dachshund family and I knew in my heart that that was what I really wanted. My parents dachshund was from a rescue society, so my dad started looking on their website to see what they had available in our area. This was a Friday evening. He found a small post, with no picture, for a young black dachshund named Pippy. He immediately called the Willamette Humane Society and left a message saying that we would be there when they opened to meet with Pippy.

The next day, we went straight there, but arrived about 10 minutes after they opened. We went right to her kennel and were devastated to see a note on it that read she was meeting with a potential family. Daddy went to the front desk to complain and the woman immediately appologized and said, yes, we had first priority, we had left the message the night before. When the other family found out, they were MAD. The woman started freaking out and yelling at the front desk person. But, we were told to go to the meeting room to meet Pippy.

Pippy came into the room, walked right up to me, climbed up onto my lap and put her head on my shoulder and looked at me with her big brown eyes and I knew we'd found our dog. She was so cute and sweet with a shorter nose than most doxies, so she looked like a permanent puppy. After some nasty remarks from the other family, my dad adopted Pippy for us.

We had no idea just how great of a dog we were getting. She is the sweetest, friendliest, most laid back dog EVER. Everyone loves her. She is cuddly and so easy to manage. Since she was approximately 1 1/2 when we got her, she was pretty much housebroken and didn't do much chewing. She tolerated me dressing her up. (I really needed a baby sooner...) She loved/s walks and never growls, bites or anything like that. Just lots of licks and kisses!

She transitioned to having a baby in the house without any problems what so ever. We were worried, because she was definitely the center of attention, even sleeping in our bed. But, she wasn't phased by any aspect of having a new person in the house who got more attention. She was gentle and sweet and did a really good job of amusing herself when we couldn't play with her.

Now that Kalaya is older, they are best buds! Kalaya's first sign was dog and one of her first words as well. She throws the ball for Pippy and plays with her. She will get Pippy's leash and sign for a walk. And, Pippy is getting lots of rewards of dropped food and snacks from the high chair! (how do toddler parents without a dog keep up with clean up??) And they love to sing and play the harmonica together!

We are so thankful for such a sweet, lovable dog and we hope for may more years together as a family! We love you Pippy!

Pippy and Kalaya's first meeting

Pumpkin Patch

Man, time sure does fly by....

October 2009

October 2010

When did that happen????

17 Months

I know that Kalaya has a lot more going on and is learning lots of new things, but it seems like I just listed them all, but that was already a month ago!

17 months and talking up a storm! Kalaya has been a babbler since she was 3 months, so that's nothing new. But, her sounds are actually making sense and turning into words, it's very exciting! Here are all the words I can think of that she says: Mamma, Dada, dog, fish, shoes, what's that?, yeah, neh (nurse), bye bye, ball, bath, hi, wow, night night, car, thank you (some times), bird, Bapa (for grandpa), Gamma (grandma), uncle, horse, and she signs; dog, cat, bird, fish, horse, please, more, shoes, nose, help, all done, walk, eat, drink/water, book, flower, music (when she wants us to put it on) and I'm sure there's more of both, but I can't think of them right at this second. It's pretty amazing to watch!

I finally feel like I have an eater! Well, most days, she is still a toddler after all. I continue to make almost everything she eats. Some days that means more like baby food (though it's more like those Gerber Toddler meals. I'm still freezing upgraded, home made food), but she also eats almost everything we have. Most nights at dinner, she eats what we eat, more or less. Lunch is more catered to her, whether it's ready made from the freezer or something typical lunch. We are still struggling to get her to eat fruit. She will eat apple sauce, some dried fruit and I hide purees in things. She'll eat oatmeal with apple or banana and we have discovered that she'll eat fresh blueberries in whole wheat pancakes. I need to see if she'll eat other fruits like that too. Every once in a while she'll pig out on strawberries or melon, but it's short lived. Other than that, she eats most things we give her.

I am pretty sure she's grown. All of a sudden, she can reach the tops of furniture she couldn't before and drawers. More baby proofing! She has a cupboard and 2 drawers in the kitchen and she LOVES emptying them multiple times a day. She loves her musical instruments I found for her (at a garage sale!) and plays them all the time. She loves to play her harmonica and Pippy loves to howl along with her, too funny! She still loves books more than almost anything else and loves to sit and read several times a day.

I can't believe I'm already thinking about it, but I'm starting to plan for Christmas! I'm starting early, because I am looking for her big gift on Craig's list. We're looking for a good quality used play kitchen. Let's face it, those things last forever and stay in great shape. It's cheaper and so much greener. Plus, she won't know the difference! We recently got her a little tykes climber, also on Craig's list, but she's not quite ready for it yet. Our friends just moved out of state : ( but were nice enough to give us some things their 3 year old has out grown; a Cozy Coupe, a Radio Flier wagon and a Little Tykes picnic table. We are set, thanks Heather!!

Here is the famous duo of Pippy and Kalaya:


And here's Kalaya reading her favorite book, which we do about 10 times a day : )

Frustrated

I've been really disgusted with someone I've never met the last couple of days. Let's see, where to begin...

For the first time, our family lives in a house, which is great! It has a fenced in yard for Pippy and we are getting it at a really reasonable rent. It backs up to a wetland with a creek and a large field next to it, which is a much nicer view than a road or just a fence.

However, we've learned that with that comes many, many creatures. It is always an adventure when Nelson mows the lawn, as there are usually 2 or more garter snakes to find. We have LOTS of slugs (which Nelson is terrified of. No other fears from this man, just slugs!), spiders EVERYWHERE, squirrels and mice. Yes, mice. Never in our house, thank God, but we have had to set traps in our garage. And they've always worked. (fortunately and unfortunately) I strive to be a green person, but the thought of mice getting into my house is too much. So, yeah, such is life. (or not)

On Monday, a new animal joined our backyard. A cat. Actually, we're pretty sure she's a kitten. (I don't know its gender, but I'm going with girl for now) She is really, really pretty and it's obvious she has been taken care of. She has long fur that isn't matted at all and there isn't much tangled in it, so we don't think she's been out for long. We are pretty sure someone owned her and decided they didn't want her any more and just dumped her off in the field behind our house. It breaks my heart. It's obvious that she was used to being taken care of, loved and accustomed to living indoors. Who just abandons a pet?? I know that circumstances arise, such as moving, allergies, etc, but take the time to find a home for it!!

We would love to keep her, we really would. We've talked and talked and talked about it, but we just can't. We've never had a cat, we already have Pippy, we have a toddler (I don't want to keep her away from a litter box), we really can't afford more vet bills, and we take our pet to my parents' house a lot and my mom is really allergic to cats. Even so, we keep talking about it.

Our plan is to take her to the local humane society and hope someone adopts her. I think she will, she's so sweet. She is cuddly and friendly, pretty and, I think, very young. We are going to request that they keep us posted on her status, so that we can sponsor her, if necessary.

For now, we have a kennel with blankets on the back porch for her. (sorry, I'm not letting a cat stay in my house that hasn't been check for fleas and shots, especially with my daughter and dog) We're feeding her and giving her water. I'm going out to spend some time with her and give her affection throughout the day too. Luckily, the weather has been clear. If it rains, we'll put her in the kennel, in the garage I guess.

It just makes me so mad every time I look at her. She seems so confused and lost and just wants love and affection. Hopefully, there's a family out there for her!

September Pictures

Loving the sand on a gorgeous day at the coast.

First ride on a carousel!

Taking a picture of herself.

Wearing a dress that was mine as a baby.

First Round Up, LET 'ER BUCK!!

Getting ready to leave for the rodeo, check out the boots!

Spending time with BFF Elena.

(I haven't uploaded any of the pics of her new cousin, but I will soon!)

Ketchup

Okay, how did it get to be October so fast?? I know, it's because we've been busy almost every weekend! Here's a recap of the last few weeks:

1st weekend of September: Nelson was gone to a conference, so Kalaya and I spent the weekend at my parent's house. Nothing very exciting happened, but it was a weekend away from the house, which makes my schedule busy and gives me less time to get things done.

2nd weekend: 100th Anniversary of the Pendleton Round Up!! LET 'ER BUCK!! For those of you who have no idea, this is a BIG rodeo in Eastern Oregon, near where my dad grew up. We have been going on and off for years and it is a pretty big deal. I have had family attend or participate in every Round Up since the beginning, so we had to make a trip for the 100th. Kalaya did really well and was super cute in her cow girl outfits. We went to 2 days of rodeo and we had really nice weather. She liked seeing the horses and everything else, even though every horse was called or signed as 'dog'. (we have since then learned the sign for horse instead!!) We stayed in a nice bed and breakfast and had fun seeing family and friends and spending time with Oma and Grandpa.

3rd weekend: Beach retreat with the youth group. This was a milestone for me, as I stayed the first night overnight away from Kalaya. I left with the youth from our church on Friday night and Nelson brought Kalaya to stay on Saturday. We had GORGEOUS weather at the beach and got all of our planning for youth ministry for the year. I don't think I'll stay over night away from my babies again any time soon. Everything went absolutely fine, but I didn't like it. Nelson did great, Kalaya did great. It wasn't even that I was sad or miserable. I read one time that if you practice attachment parenting, you'll know it because you feel like a part of you is missing when they're not there. It was too weird not being there to nurse her last thing before bed and first thing in the morning. Call me obsessive, call us too dependent, but that's what it is and it works for our family! It just makes more sense to be with my baby than to not be with her. Kalaya had a great time at the beach and playing with our youth group kids who just LOVE her. They all love playing with her. She loved playing in the sand and walking along the beach.

Middle of last week: Our new niece arrived!! Amara Sigrah was born on Wednesday, September 29th, VERY early in the morning. She is healthy and beautiful and they are home and happy. We're so excited for Theo and Yvette and we can't wait to spend lots of time together with our two families! Now if only my other niece lived closer.... I was amazed at how sweet Kalaya was around the baby. We spent a LOT of time around her and Kalaya was just enchanted. She was so gentle and quiet. She didn't get jealous when Nelson or I were holding Amara. She will be such a good big sister some day. Obviously I know it won't be quite that simple with one that keeps mom away from home and one that comes into the house permanently, but it's definitely a start. It makes me soooooo ready to start thinking about baby #2.....

So, we've been very busy and my house is a wreck, but I'm getting there. Lots of laundry to do and things to clean. It's definitely fall! There could be big changes for Nelson's job soon, but I'm not getting my hopes up too high yet...more to come as I know what happens. I'll post another quick blog with recent pictures.

For parents who have more money than they know what to do with...

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid87105907001?bctid=260848256001

I would never pay this much for a stroller, but if I ever hit the lottery, I may consider it. This is amazing!!!

16 Months

Dear Kalaya,

Slow down!! You're changing and growing so much every day, it's getting hard to keep up! You are amazing. I am stunned by the things you do every day. We try so hard not to call you "smart", since we don't want that to be based on accomplishments. (we think it's much more important that you try your hardest and do your best!) But it's hard not to tell you, because it's hard to find another word!!! I'll just say that your mind must be on warp speed as you learn and try so many new things!



You are such an easy-going toddler. You do such a good job of entertaining yourself and playing. You are learning so much through your play times. You also are able to amuse yourself with almost anything. It makes Daddy and I laugh at the end of every day to see all the things you've tracked all over the house from spoons to your shoes, books to Mommy's (clean!) underwear from the laundry basket. You are so curious and interested in the world around you. You love to ask, "What's that?!" and point at new and interesting things.



You are doing so well learning how to play with others. You're learning to share and how to let others have a turn. Some times this frustrates you, but you're trying! It's so fun to have play dates with your friends and to go to our Mommy group activities, because I know that you make good choices and behave with other kids.

You are such a sweet heart and so full of affection!! You love to give everyone special to you hugs and kisses. You wave at everyone in stores and blow kisses all the time. You even kiss our phones if someone who loves you wants to talk to you. You are friendly, easy going and kind to others.

It's so neat to see you walking every where and to hear you talking! You now say: bye bye, night night, da da, mama, dog, bath, what's that?, car and neh neh (for nurse). You are still signing so much; we almost always know how to meet your needs. You love getting a chance to walk around any where we go, although you are so curious, we are practicing not touching everything without permission : ) You are also learning how to handle frustrations, by taking time outs and quiet times when you need to. You learn quickly and respond so well, which always has positive results for you!



I love being your Mommy more than anything in the world. I love watching you grow into a toddler and toward being a little girl. I'm so glad you still love to nurse so that I still get some good cuddle time with you and so that you still feel like a baby some times. I LOVE YOU!!!

As the New School Year Approaches....

One of the most common questions I get once people hear that I am a stay at home mom is, "Do you miss teaching?" It's a question that gets me thinking.

I always feel like I have to give some kind of answer that lets people think, yes, I do miss it. But, the truth is, I am so happy being home with my daughter, I really don't even think about teaching much any more. If I start thinking about being back in the classroom, I think a little bit about the cute kids, the excited learners, the projects, reading, writing, classrooms, all the fun parts of being an early elementary teacher. And I start to think, yeah, maybe I do miss it.

Then I remember the reality of being a teacher.

I remember the lack of early intervention, the long, unrewarded hours, the expectation that teachers will go way above and beyond with out any compensation, report cards, conferences, lack of parent involvement, too MUCH parent involvement, out of control, disrespectful kids, too many kids in one classroom, no assistants, feeling BEYOND exhaustion, other teachers who shouldn't be teaching, challenging administrators, not enough planning time, and oh so many other aspects of teaching.

And then, come home and be a mom, cook, clean, and try to do all this with a partner who has also worked a full day???? And only get a couple of hours per day with my child where they're not in child care or sleeping???

Thanks, I'll stick with having my dream job for now.

I am totally amazed by the mothers and fathers out there who work full time. I don't know how you do it. A few weeks ago, the lady that we nanny for needed us 5 days a week, for 2 weeks. (usually we only have him 3 mornings a week. She recently realized that she too can't work full time every day away from her baby. Now we only have him one morning per week) As the days went by, I realized Nelson and I were arguing more and more. We hardly ever fight or argue, especially since Kalaya was born. I realized I was tired and cranky from working all day and so was he. As soon as I went back to part time, things calmed down. The house was cleaner, we were eating better, I wasn't as tired and everything went smoother.

Sometimes I feel an obligation to go back to a teaching position. I feel that it isn't fair to Nelson to have to work full time to make the bulk of our income. But I would really only be doing it for the money. And that isn't a good enough reason.

Oh sure, we wouldn't have to pinch pennies as much. I could think about things like owning a second car, putting more money is savings, making more than just barely over breaking even every month, start thinking more about buying a house, pay more on Nelson's student loans every month....

But you know what? I don't think I'll EVER look back at this time in our lives and think, "Life would have been so much better those years when our kids were young, if we'd had more money." I do know that I'd look back at these years and think, "I wish I could get that time back that I missed with my babies."

Plus, so much of the extra income would go right back to paying for childcare. And, especially when more kids come along, that's REALLY not worth it.

So, no. I guess I don't miss teaching. Even though I did like it.

And to answer the next question I always get: I may go back after our youngest is in elementary school. But even then, half time at the most. I probably won't be interested in full time teaching again until all my babies have left the nest. There's too much to do before that!

Homemade Baby Food

When I was about to introduce solids to our daughter, I said that I would make my own. I had books on how to do it and I had friends (including moms with full-time jobs, love you Jenn!) who made it work. It seemed pretty easy. I didn't say my child would ONLY have homemade, because I knew I'd have to use jars occasionally when traveling.

Fast forward to 15 months later and I'm trying to get back in the swing. I had a baby who preferred nursing to solid foods and would often eat less than half a food cube (ice cube shaped portion of food, more about that later) in one sitting. Food was sitting in our fridge and freezer spoiling, because Kalaya wouldn't eat enough. Plus, she'd eat the jarred stuff much better. It almost hurt my feelings that she preferred the jars, I was making her food with so much love! : ) But, I knew that the jars had healthy things that were organic. I decided I'd rather have a child eating than not. It really didn't matter though; she really has only started eating regularly in the last couple of months. I could have easily gotten away with nursing her only the first year, with no solids. (and, the advice so many people are willing to give about sleeping long/through the night after introducing solids?? Not with this kid.)

My wonderful friend (since we were 7!) Laura recently blogged about making her own baby food. She is a stay-at-home-mom as well, but she has a toddler and an infant. (though it sounds like her six month old eats more than my 15 month old!!) And she's making her own. I felt like I had no excuse. I decided to start up again.

I have book Blender Baby Food which is just perfect, I love it!! I've also read Baby Super Food and The Nutrition Book, which are both great also. I've made several batches of recipes from Blender and put froze them in ice cube or muffin trays. Then I put the frozen cubes in tupperware or baggies in the freezer. I modify them a bit, so that they're thicker and chunkier, since Kalaya is a big older than what the recipes are designed for. It's like having go-to ready meals!! Here are the recipes I made this week (all organic ingredients) Add water or stock to thin out. Or breast milk or formula:

Summer Savory (6 months and up, according to the book)

1 tbsp veg oil, 1/2 cup of leeks (white and light green parts), 1 cup diced peeled potatoes, 1/2 cup frozen corn (I used diced carrots instead, didn't have corn), 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (I used canned organic, had some leftover), 1/2 cup low-sodium veg stock (Trader Joe's), 1 tbsp parsley

Saute leeks in oil about 5 min until tender, add potatoes, tomatoes & carrots (corn) and saute until potatoes are golden, about 5 min. Add stock, reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer about 15 min until potatoes are tender. Stir in parsley. Let Cool. Blend until desired consistency.

Quick and Easy Quinoa (this is great for mixing in with veggie and other food cubes)
7 months and up

1 cup quinoa, 2 cups veg stock, 1/4 cup grated parmesan.

Toast dry quinoa in skillet over med heat until golden, about 3 min. Add stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 12-15 min, until liquid is absorbed. Let cool, add cheese and blend.

Lemon Chickpeas with Carrots and Celery (8 months and up)

1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), 2 cups water, 1 tsp veg oil, 1/4 cup diced onion (I used leeks, since I had some leftover), 1/4 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced peeled carrot, 1 cup veg stock, 1 bay leaf, 1 lbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 tbsp parsley.

Soak chickpeas in water overnight. Heat oil in saucepan, saute onion, celery, carrot until tender about 5 min. Add stock, chickpeas and bay leaf; bring to boil. Cover, reduce hear and simmer until chickpeas are tender, about 45 min. Let cool. Blend with lemon juice and parsley.

Spinach, Salmon and Rice (8 months and up)

2 tsp EVOO, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup rice (I used brown) 1 cup water, 1 cup chopped fresh spinach or other green, such as blanched kale or chard. (I used baby spinach) 4 oz skinless salmon fillet, double check for bones!!!, 1 tsp lemon juice

Saute onion in oil over med heat about 3 min. Add rice, stir until coated with oil. Stir in water and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until water is mostly absorbed and rice is slightly tender. This will vary, based on type of rice. Takes much longer with brown than white. Place spinach and salmon on top of rice; cover and cook until spinach is wilted and salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 10 min. Let sit, covered for 10 min. Add lemon juice and blend. WARNING: store this separately from other foods, unless you want a fishy smell on other foods.

Chicken with Celery (can sub other veggie) (8 months and up)

6 oz boneless skinless breast diced (fresh only, don't thaw and re-freeze meat), 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup low sodium chicken stock

Combine all in saucepan, bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer until veg is tender and chicken is no longer pink, about 15 min. Let cool and blend.

Chicken Stew (8 months)

1 tbsp veg oil, 6 oz chick (see above) diced, 1/2 cup diced peeled carrot, 1/4 cup onion (leek), 1/4 cup diced celery, 1 small potato cubed, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 tbsp parsley

Brown chicken in oil over med high heat. Add carrot, onion, celery, saute another 5 min. Stir in potato and stock, bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender about 20 min. Stir in parsley. Let cool. Blend.

Spinach Surprise (9 months)

1 tbsp EVOO, 1/4 cup minced onion, 1 package (10 oz) fresh spinach, stems removed, 1/2 cup half & half, 1/4 cup parmesan

Saute onion in oil about 5 min. Add spinach and cream. Cover and cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 min. Remove heat and let cool slightly. Add cheese and blend.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin (9 months)

1 cup broccoli florets, 1 cup cauliflower florets, 1 cup veg stock, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Combine veggies and stock in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, simmer for about 15 min. Let cool. Add cheese and blend.

Tomato, Cauliflower and Cheese (9 months)

2 tsp EVOO, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 cup cauliflower florets, 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes in juice, 1/4 cup shredder cheddar cheese

Saute onion in skillet with oil, about 5 min. Add cauliflower and tomatoes with juice. Cover, reduce heat, simmer about 10 min. Let cool. Add cheese and blend.

No name, I just made it up! (don't know what age....sorry!)

2 sliced zucchini, 2 tsp EVOO, 1/4 cup parmesan

Saute zucchini in oil over med heat until tender 5-10 min. Drain on paper towel. Let cool. Add cheese and blend.

*******

I'm going to make more with fruit soon. I add ready made baby cereal (oatmeal or mixed grains) if I want it to be thicker. Laura directed me to this site too, that I'll try soon!