An Afternoon At The Park

This afternoon Logan & I went to the park and we had a blast. Just down the street from my Mom & Dad's house is a park. This park is so cool - they have an infant area. There is no sand in this area of the park and everything is made for an infant. Logan is still a little young to get to play on everything but he still had a good time. We tried going down the slide but he wasn't quite ready for it yet.

We played peek-a-boo through some of the toys.

He even enjoyed the swing today. He giggled and watched his shadow as he went back and forth.

What A Great Time!

The party was an absolute success! We had such a great time. I think there were close to 150 people who stopped by to congratulate Taylor - it's amazing how many people he knows. All of the food turned out great and everyone ate way too much.
We served fried chicken, BBQ meatballs, potato salad, Italian pasta salad, ranch pasta salad, a vegetable tray, watermelon, cantalouple, honeydew, and cookie salad. Then for dessert we had some assorted bars, brownies, and truffles, my chocolate chip caramel bars, a cream cheese chocolate chip ball with graham cracker sticks, and of course cake.
I got to visit with a lot of family on Saturday which was so nice. Logan & Erin even hung out together for awhile. They were so cute together. Kacey brought some toys for Erin to play with but as soon as Erin had her hands on them Logan would snatch them away. I guess he doesn't have that sharing thing down yet. It's amazing how close in size they are, although Erin is a little taller and Logan a little heavier. I think they had a fun time hanging out and we'll get to see them again next weekend at Kacey's shower.
Last night was Taylor's graduation. He graduated with 414 other students. The graduation ceremony was really nice. Taylor surprised some of our family too when he was one of 6 speakers during the ceremony. AND he was featured in the Bismarck Tribune this morning!! You can read the article here.

Getting Ready for the Party

We've begun the party preparations here for Saturday. Taylor's open house is that day and then his graduation is Sunday evening. We will be going grocery shopping tomorrow and probably begin getting some of the food ready. I'm so glad I was able to come back early to help my Mom - hopefully her stress level doesn't get too high.
Tonight we ran over to the mall. Mom had to find something to wear for the graduation and I wanted to pick up some new pants and a shirt. I found my clothes in about 10 minutes, Mom on the other hand took about 30. She tried on quite a few outfits and then ended up going with one of her first choices. It looked really good on her though. She bought a pair of black cropped pants and a bright colored top. While we were there we ran into Kacey - they'll be coming over to the house on Saturday so it will be fun to have Erin & Logan meet. I hope they get along. I'll make sure to take tons of pictures!

Logan's New Thing

For the past couple of days Logan has been acting like a total goof ball! Last night while I was giving him a bath he started laughing out of the blue. He was standing at the side of the tub and started walking (while holding onto the side) to the back of the tub where it slopes a little bit. He got to the back and tried to take a step onto the sloped part and slipped. He slid down into the water on his back. Usually when this happens he will cry or panic and try to get up as fast as possible. Not last night though. He laid there and giggled. Then when I pulled him back up he instantly stood up by the side of the tub and repeated it. Other times he would be sitting in the tub and just flop back into the water. I have no idea what go into him. I was laughing so hard at him. At one point Taylor came in because it sounded like he had fallen out of the tub - it was so loud!
Then today while we were at the house Logan began crawling over me and if I would go to touch him he would fall onto his butt and crawl away. I began "chasing" him around the living room and he loved it. He would crawl away and then sit up to see where I was. If I was crawling towards him he would giggle and then lunge forward. He was trying to crawl so fast sometimes that most of the time he was not going anywhere. One time I grabbed his foot and he screamed and then began laughing again. It was so cute! Another couple of times I would say "Logan" in a deep voice and he got the biggest kick out of it. He would just sit and laugh - to the point where his shoulders were moving up and down because his whole body was shaking. This is by far one of those great moments of being a parent. And it has almost completely made up for the van ride from hell!

We Made It Back In One Piece

We arrived back to Bismarck tonight around 10 pm. I am so glad to be back at my Mom & Dad's and out of the van. Logan was absolutely horrible on the way back. He fussed, screamed, and whined for at least 2 of the 3 1/2 hours that we were on the road. I don't think we'll be going anywhere tomorrow.
Everything else went great though. It was so nice to see my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins. The graduation was really nice. Thirty kids graduated and the entire ceremony lasted less than an hour. Logan did really well at it. We sat in the bleachers so he was able to crawl/walk around. The open house for my cousin went really well also. Here's some really good news: Logan is finally getting used to everyone! This weekend he warmed up to pretty much everyone. He didn't mind other people holding him - even when I was within eyesight! Now when my Mom or Dad hold their arms out to hold Logan he leans towards them. I am so glad that it didn't take too long for it to happen.
Saturday marked my very first go-cart ride! It was a blast!! Oh, and my 4-year-old cousin was doing the driving. I controlled the gas and brake but he controlled where we were going. At some points it was a little scary - especially when he was not watching the road. If we fishtailed or went on our side he thought it was the funniest thing.
New pictures have been added to the ND file.

Road Trip

Tomorrow morning Taylor has a saxophone recital and after that we'll be heading to Hillsboro for my cousin Shane's high school graduation. Hopefully the road trip will go well since this will be the first one with Logan since Christmas. There will be six of us total in the car including Logan. We're riding down with my Grandparents but Taylor is staying here. He does alot better in the car now but it is going to be about a 2 1/2 hour drive.
Tonight all of my Grandparents came over for some games of cards. We played "golf" and I ended up winning $5!! I guess Logan was my lucky charm.
Logan is starting to get used to be around all of the family. Even though he saw them all at Christmas I'm sure it was hard to remember everyone. Tonight my Dad took him on a little walk and even gave him a bath. As long as he doesn't see me in the room he does great, but the moment he hears/sees me, he instantly wants me to hold him.
I hope you all have a great weekend and hopefully I'll update on Monday with some new pictures.

When Will He Adjust?

No, I'm not talking about sleeping. I'm talking about warming up to the family and stop hanging on me. I know we've only been in ND for 2 days now but I'm not the most patient person. And I'm getting very tired of Logan screaming the SECOND I leave the room. Tonight he was a little bit better. As long as he couldn't see or hear me he was fine. I hope it gets better very soon since this weekend we'll be traveling to eastern ND for my cousin's graduation.
OK onto better things. Logan has really enjoyed getting to see everyone again - as long as they keep their distance. Tonight he even used my Dad as a climbing gym. It was so funny because every once in awhile he would get stuck while trying to climb over his legs.
He's also crawling alot faster now too. The first day we were here his poor little knees were so red. By the end of the night he wouldn't crawl on his knees - he would only move around on his hands and feet. He looked like a little monkey. I guess it was because he was wearing shorts and had been crawling on the carpet and hardwood floors. My Mom saw his knees and remembered that when Taylor (my one & only sibling) was starting to crawl he had little kneepads that he would wear. She went down to the basement and not a minute later came upstairs with those kneepads! She's kept them for 18 years and I'm so happy she did. Thursday morning I put them on him and he again began crawling on his knees.
He's already gotten to see alot of people that he probably doesn't remember from Christmas. On Wednesday my Aunt Shelia came over, then Mike's Mom stopped by, followed by my Grandpa and his girlfriend Jean. Then on Thursday my other Grandpa & Grandma came by and then that afternoon we went and visited Mike's Mom again.
There is a new photo album up that has some pictures from our trip so far.

Why I Hate Airport Security

OK - here it is, my rant on airport security. Logan & I arrived at the security check-points and I began to put all of our stuff on the x-ray machine belt. So just picture this: Mom with child and hauling along a diaper bag, a duffel bag containing a laptop computer, and a stroller. So I begin by putting the bags up on the belt and begin to get the laptop out of the duffel bag. Meanwhile a security guy on the other side of the metal detector begins saying something to me and I can't hear him. He says something again and I still can't hear him. I ask him a third time and he says, "You're going to need to remove those Nikes". I tell him I will as soon as I get a chance since I'm still getting other stuff unloaded. He just gives me a look like I'm taking too long. So I finally get all the stuff on the belt and begin to walk through the metal detector. The guy stops me because I was pushing the stroller through the metal detector. He tells me I'll need to collapse the stroller and put it up on the belt. So I collapse the stroller and realize there is no way I can lift the stroller onto the belt by myself since I'm holding Logan. So I ask another security person to help me. She says she can't reach over the belt. I look around and there is noone behind me to help. So I stand there and wait. All of the security people are staring at me. Finally a gentleman comes up behind me and I ask him if he can lift the stroller onto the belt. He generously does. I go through security and the lady who couldn't help me before is unloading and opening the stroller for me and has put the laptop in my bag. After thinking about it I can see why she couldn't reach over to grab the stroller but there was no reason for the other one to remind me I need to remove my shoes. I mean I wasn't even close to going through the metal detector when he felt the need to let me know that. And it's not the first time I went through security in Seattle.
Every single time I/we go through security there there is something that is either done wrong or they are just plain rude. We went through security at LaGuardia Airport less than a year after 9/11 and their security was fast and efficient and they were nice!! In New York City! But yet in Seattle, which is known as such a friendly big city, the security is some of the worst that I have ever seen.
You would think with all the people that go through security at the airport they would have a special line for people who need help.

A Quick Note

Just a real quick entry to let you all know that we made it to Bismarck last night. The plane rides went fine - Logan did really well the whole way. He was a little fussy but he just wanted to get down and crawl around. Trying to put him to bed last night was another matter. He refused to go to sleep. I think he finally fell asleep around 1 am, on my chest. I tried to move him to the pack n' play but he wanted no part of that so he ended up sleeping in the bed with me. He woke up again at 3:30 and downed a bottle. I think he finally fell asleep sometime after 4. He did sleep in the pack n' play that time and he managed to sleep until a little after 10 am. Thank goodness because I needed the rest too.
We don't really have anything planned today so we'll be able to just relax and let Logan get used to the new surroundings.
Oh, do I have a story about the security at SeaTac Airport. Anyone who has ever had to deal with them knows that they are horrible! Remind me to write about that one of these days.

We're Almost Ready to Leave

The last loads of laundry are in. Logan's suitcase is completely packed and all of my clothes are covering my bed, ready to go in the suitcase. My lists are almost completely checked off and I've got all my last minute errands done. Logan & I are ready to leave!
I checked in for the flight tomorrow and so far it looks as though neither flight is completely full. I hope it stays that way. I was able to reserve seats on both flights which was nice since the seat next to me is empty. Like I said I hope it stays that way so that Logan will have a little bit of extra room to move about.
The weather is supposed to be nice so hopefully the flights will be on time. I've usually had good luck with United so I hope it continues.
I'm not sure how often I will update - I'll try to get around to see everyone as often as I can.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday
Friday was a horrible day! I could not sleep on Thursday night, I tossed & turned until around 3:30 when I finally decided to get out of bed. I came downstairs to lay on the couch. I ended up getting sick at about 4:30 and then slept like a baby until around 6:30. I went upstairs and got back into bed. Mike woke me up at around 7:30 to tell me he was leaving for work. The second I opened my eyes I started to feel dizzy and my whole body ached. I asked him if he could please stay home and he did. Thank goodness he was here because there was no way I could have watched Logan. I got dizzy everytime I stood up and I wasn't able to keep anything down until around 9:30 Friday night. I finally started feeling better then. I spent all day watching the Gilmore Girls Season One. I woke up Saturday morning feeling just fine.
Friday morning we also got a call from our vet saying that the lump on Pooh Bear that they had taken a sample from turns out to be a tumor. He will have to get it removed and they'll be sending it to Everett to have tests run to see if there could be more or if it is cancerous. They told us to begin giving him Benadryl 3 times a day to help with the swelling of the tumor. I'm in shock right now from it but I'm sure the surgery will go fine. Pooh Bear hasn't been acting strange or anything so it doesn't seem to be affecting him.
Saturday
Like I said, I felt much better Saturday morning. We didn't do anything today - Mike had class like usual and Logan & I just hung out at the house. I've begun making my lists for the trip so that I won't forget anything and yes Mom I know I can buy (or you can buy) whatever I don't remember but I really don't want to have to buy yet another tube of diaper cream, ya know?
Mike & I continued watching the Gilmore Girls - I love that show!! Oh, and it's now 1 o'clock in the morning and do you think I'm even close to being tired?? Nope, I'm not!
Sunday
Happy Mother's Day to all my Mom readers! I hope you all got a wonderful day of sleeping in, a nice brunch, and a thoughtful gift. I on the other hand had a baby who did not want to sleep. Logan woke up at 2:30 am, up until 3:30 am, slept until around 4:30, and I'm not quite sure what time he went back to bed (Mike was up with him the last time).
We had a nice & relaxing day around here. We went out to a very good restaurant - Shanghai Garden in Issaquah. It is THE best place around here to get Chinese food.
I have started to pack. I almost have all of Logan's things packed up and tomorrow will be doing the last of the laundry and then begin packing my clothes. We will be flying out around 2 pm (PST) and arriving in Bismarck around 9 pm (CST), so we'll be in the air and in the airports for about 5 hours. I have packed Logan's little "drug" bag and packed up a little of every snack he has ever eaten. Pray that we have a safe flight and that Mommy doesn't pull all of her hair out.

Happy Mother's Day

The Top 10 Things Mom Really
Wants for Mother's Day.
1. A mellow day with the kids...
2. ...followed by a nice quiet evening.
3. Clothes that clean themselves.
4. A four-hour soak.
5. A full-time chauffeur.
6. A man with a pan.
7. Trading in the minivan.
8. Kids with rare, unique talents.
9. Remote control overdrive.
10. A carpet that you don't have to clean.

No Longer an Explosion - More of a Mild Firecracker

Last night and today was much better. Logan woke up at 11 pm - had a bottle and slept until 7:30 this morning. I think he's finishing up with the teething and the fever. We only had one little "accident" tonight and it was minor compared to the past couple of days. Thank you all for the advice and sympathy. I hope this never happens again!
Today I was finally able to get back outside into the flower beds. It's amazing how many things begin blooming within a week. All of the shrubs were taller, the roses all have buds on, and the fuschia's are at least 2" taller. I gave them all a nice meal of fertizler, water, and sprinkled some more slug & snail bait around those to prone to those nasty little creatures. I just hope everything is still alive when I get back home in June.
Only 5 more days and Logan & I will be boarding a plane for North Dakota. I'm so excited to see everyone!

Thank God Mike Was Home This Time!!

IT HAPPENED AGAIN!!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!
The butt has exploded again but first let me tell you something that isn't disgusting.

Logan had his 9 month check-up today and it went very well. Logan now weighs 22 lbs. 6 oz. (85%), 28" tall (50%) and his head is 18 1/4" (75%). The doctor said he is very healthy and everything looks to be right on track. He wrote me a prescription for his diaper rash so that if it hasn't cleared up in the next couple of days I can get it filled and hopefully it will be healed before we leave next Tuesday. I also asked him about what kind of medicine I could give him while on the plane and he said Benedryl would be the best since it would help make him drowsy. He suggested that I use it if he's fussy but I think Logan might be getting a little dose before the flight no matter what. Better safe than sorry right? I had hoped Logan wouldn't be getting any shots this time but he had to get a Hep-B shot. Poor little guy was not happy. We got him calmed down and he was starting to smile and babble when the doctor told us they needed to draw some blood to check his iron level. He said they only had to prick the finger so it shouldn't be too bad. Well, the nurse came back in and she had the needle that is attached to the big vile. Mike mentioned to her that the doctor said it would only be a finger prick but she said the nurse who is really good at that had left for the day and she was more comfortable getting blood this way. So we had to lay Logan down on the exam table with me holding his legs down, Mike holding one arm and his chest, another nurse holding his one arm out, and the other nurse trying to draw the blood. Unfortunately it looks like Logan has been blessed with my rolling veins so they were not able to get the blood and there was no way we were going to let them try again. Logan was SCREAMING, his poor little face was beat red and he was just looking at us like we were the worst parents ever! Thankfully we were able to calm him down pretty easily.
On our way home I needed to stop by the library (Season One/Gilmore Girls was in) and Mike had to try to find a movie at the video store that he needed to watch for class tomorrow. We stopped at Blockbuster but they didn't have it so we went to the other video store in town. While Mike was in the store Logan, um, let one rip. I looked back at him and his face was completely red. Mike came out and we left for home. I knew Logan had messed his pants I just didn't realize how bad. Mike got him out of his carseat and took him upstairs. I was down in the kitchen when all of a sudden I hear Mike yell for me to get upstairs! I go up into Logan's room and this is what I see: Logan is laying on his changing table and Mike is standing there............in shock. He turns towards me and he has poop ALL over his shirt!! I walk over to Logan and it is leaking out the front of his diaper. Mike gets his shirt off and comes back in to help me get Logan naked so that we can throw him in the bath. We get his shirt off, take him to the bathroom, and get his diaper off. I look down at my shirt and guess what's on it? Oh, yeah, Poop!! So I run and take my shirt off.
Can I just say it's one thing to clean poop up from your child and their crib but an entirely different thing when it gets on you!! Now that this has happened two days in a row can it please stop??? BTW - Logan woke up 3 times last night and each time he had a messy diaper. What is going on??

Seriously - His Butt Exploded!!

**Disclaimer**
If you get queasy easily, don't have kids yet, or are thinking of having kids at some point (Sierra & Kim) you might want to stop reading now!

I think today is by far the grossest thing I've encountered since becoming a parent. Wait, no, I take that back - it's the grossest thing I've EVER seen! Last night we went through the normal routine - give Logan a bath, apply a TON of butt cream, attempt to feed him a bottle, lay him down, and listen to him scream for about 10 minutes. After that he was out. Of course he woke up at 2 am and ate a full bottle at that time. I changed his diaper and laid him back down and he instantly went back to sleep.

This morning I woke up at around 9 - I should have gotten out of bed and showered since Logan wasn't awake yet but I just wanted to doze for awhile. Logan woke up at 9:45 - screaming his head off. Usually when he starts stirring he'll just babble for awhile. Not this morning though. I went in there to get him and could not believe my eyes. There was poop everywhere! All over Logan, all over his clothes, and all over the crib. I seriously think his butt exploded! I immediately got his clothes off of him and while taking his shirt off it ended up getting in his hair. I ripped the diaper off and threw him in the tub. (One thing I'm thankful for-it didn't stink. Thank goodness!!) I turned the bath on and just let the water run - I didn't put the stopper in since there was "stuff" that still needed to be washed off of him. I finally got him scrubbed up and cleaned and let Logan play in the tub for about 20 minutes. I got his clothes for the day and a diaper, took Logan out of the tub, and began to dry him off. He was laying on the counter and he turned his head towards me and he had poop............................ IN..............HIS...............EAR!! I really thought I was going to lose it. I got a q-tip and got it all out then got a washcloth and washed his ear some more just to be sure. I guess I can be thankful though that he didn't play with it and instead let me know he wanted out of that crib immediately.

I'm a little scared for him to go to bed tonight - I'm not sure what I will wake up to tomorrow!

Even When They're Cranky - They Still Do The Cutest Things

By Sunday night Mike & I were close to meeting our breaking point. Nothing we did calmed Logan down for very long. We tried feeding him, changing him, playing with him, taking him in the hot tub, and giving him a bath. He did enjoy the hot tub and the bath but that was about it. While making dinner I figured Logan would be ready to eat so I made him some of his favorite rice. He always gobbles it up - but tonight he decided not to. He pretty much refused to eat anything that Mike or I offered him. He would take an occasional drink out of his sippy cup but that was about it. Logan began getting louder and louder while we were trying to finish up as fast as we could. On TV one of Logan's favorite commercial's came on. It was the Welch's grape juice commercial with the little girl in pigtail's. Logan loves that commercial so much. Once he realized the commercial was on he stopped crying and sat mesmorized by her voice. Just as she was about to stop talking Logan looks at the TV and says "Yes" but it sounded like yyyyyessssss. And he had a little Elvis smile going on at the same time. It was as though he was saying "How you doin'?" in his best Joey Tribbiani impersonation. Mike & I had to stop what we were doing because we were laughing so hard. I had tears running down my face. We needed that laugh so much at that moment, it was great.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Once again I'm sorry to report that nothing exciting has happened here.
Friday
I finally finished the picture slide show for Taylor (my bro's) graduation. I hope everyone likes how it turned out. I put all the pictures into a powerpoint presentation so that we'll be able to have it playing on the TV during his graduation party. I have it broken up into 5 different sections: baby Taylor, grade school, Tanya & Taylor, the plays (all of his acting), and high school. I decided not to set it to any music since we wouldn't have the volume on anyway. Now that I've done this for Taylor I think I might do this with some of Logan's pictures - it would be a great video scrapbook and since all the pics. of him are digital anyway I wouldn't have the hassle of scanning any in.
Saturday
Mike had school ALL day - he didn't get home until 5:30. I hate it when his professors feel the need to lecture all day just for the sake of lecturing. I'm so happy that in February he'll be done for good! Mike has begun teaching Logan how to blow kisses. Below are pictures from the first lesson. Logan just giggled when Mike would do it. As you can see Pooh Bear got a little jealous.
Sunday
Sunday was a rough day all around. Logan woke up at 1 am and then again at 8. When I went in to get him I notice that he had gotten sick in his bed. Who knows when it happened. And he's got the worst diaper-rash that I have ever seen. It is flaming red and there a couple of spots where his skin is torn. Everytime we change his diaper he just screams - poor little guy. He seemed to be the most content while in the tub so he took like a 45 mintue bath tonight. When we got him out of the tub we decided to hang out in his room for awhile with him - and Logan was naked. We hope that this will help with the diaper-rash. And to top it all off he's still teething and this morning woke up with a fever. We've been giving him Motrin and it seems to help. I really hope he feels better tomorrow since Mike won't be here to give me a break.

On a non-weekend note I have begun going to the library again. I haven't done this since before Logan was born. I used to check out cookbooks from there all the time. It was a great & cheap way to find new recipes. So far I have 3 books checked out and another 4 on order. I have also ordered the complete first season of the Gilmore Girls - it should be available for pick-up either Monday or Tuesday. I love the fact that libraries are now online and I can search for books & movies from the convenience of my home and then pick them up when they are ready. Gotta love technology!

At A Loss For Words

The past couple of days my mind has been at a blank. I have no idea what to write about. It's been pretty boring around these parts lately. Here's what's been happening in our little corner of the world:
Logan is getting around more and more. And I'm freaking out more and more. The other day he decided to start pulling stuff off the coffee table - ended up plopping down on his but and proceeded to pull a book on top of himself. He was NOT happy about that!
He also discovered the fireplace area the other day. Now I'm looking at buying a fireplace-type gate that wraps around it. Oh, and it only costs about $200! Maybe since we're on the way to being rednecks anyway Mike can fashion some sort of gate.
We hit a garage sale this morning and I found 20 books for Logan. Would you like to guess how much they set me back??.............................2 BUCKS!! What a deal huh? Now if only I could find a baby gate at one of these sales.
Thanks for all the advice for traveling with a 9 month old. I will be askind our doctor about what type of medicine I can give him.
It looks like I might get to sleep through the night again. The past two nights Logan has slept until around 6:30 am, then we get up, he drinks a bottle, and goes back to sleep until around 9. It's really helped me feel better.
Logan has started doing the cutest thing. When we're playing with him or just sitting with him he'll look at one of us and tilt his head to the side. If you do the same thing back to him he gets the biggest grin on his face. It is adorable! Sometimes he'll do this 4 or 5 times in a row. I love it!!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and maybe on Monday I'll have something a little more exciting to blog about!

Only Two More Weeks

I can't believe that in two weeks Logan & I will be in ND. I'm can't wait to see everyone but I am dreading one thing.............the plane ride. I am so worried about how Logan will be. The last time he flew he was only 3 months old so I only had to give him a bottle, hold him and he was fine. This time though should be much more interesting, especially if he's still teething! I was lucky and got a pretty decent flight with only a little over an hour layover in Denver. We'll leave here around 10 am and get into Bismarck at 7 pm - our time. It's going to be a long day for both Logan and me. I just hope he's able to nap somehow. I know the flight from here to Denver will be packed but hopefully the one to Bismarck won't be - that way if Logan & I have a row to ourselves he'll be able to sit/lay on the seat next to me. If anyone has any advice on flying with a 9 month old it would be greatly appreciated! I'm not above slipping him some rum - just kidding!
Logan has his 9 month check-up next week so hopefully I'll get some pointers from our doctor on how to fly with him and keep him entertained. I've already started making a list of stuff we need to take. My Mom has a carseat, pack n' play, and baby gate there so that's taken care of. I've never gone on a "vacation" for almost a month so I have no idea how many clothes to pack and how many toys to take for Logan. And I need to remember diapers, bottles, formula, wipes..................................