Sweet Mother of Science!!!!

This morning Jack opened wide for a bite of my cereal and this is what I saw! HOLY COW! Is this really how swollen molars are supposed to be?!? I couldn't help but gasp out loud when I saw this bloody little mound of swollen gums. Funny thing is that Jack NEVER complains. The kid is like bionic man, or something. Course...I am the mom and slightly biased.



Double click on the picture if you want a more graphic view.

Random Snippets...

1. Had my first doctor's visit today. I am 13.5 weeks along - one week further than I thought, which is always a welcome surprise. We got to see the babe and hear the heartbeat. Troy was really hoping that if our future baby was well-endowed with large genitalia that the doc would be able to tell us, "It's another boy!" But...no such luck. Too soon to tell. I did get some drugs to ease the barfing that has been a daily event. However, they are 15 bucks a pill. Ouch!

2. I have never had Troy with me for my pelvic/breast exams. It was strangely awkward having a doctor grope your breasts with your husband sitting next to you. I almost felt like I had to look over at Troy to get "clearance" for such violation. Troy wonders: Do doctors really ever NOT enjoy breast exams?

3. I just want to write this one down for the record. When Jack takes a drink lately, he gulps, then finishes off with a hearty, refreshed "Ahhhh".

4. Lots of home improvement going on over here. Crown moulding has proven to be a pain the butt, but as always, Troy has figured it out. After about 26 quarts of sample paint, we finally chose a color for the family room. Now for the rest of the house. We are repainting with an eggshell finish...much more kid-friendly!

A Little Ditty about Jack.... (but not diane)

This kid loves to climb into things...dryers, baskets, drawers, tubs...you name it, he tries it. What baffles me is how he can get in, but not out. He just wimpers until I come rescue him from his predicament. Here he is in his toy box thinkin he's all that!



Lately, Jack will pick something up that he's interested in and bring it to me as a hint to play. He loves Lambchop the puppet and his Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star book. It's amazing that after I have read it six times in a row, he still looks at me like, "again mom!" Oh and did I mention, he worships Troy?

Fat man in a little coat....

Meet my brother Garrett. I am so proud of him for completing his first couple years of Podiatry School in Chicago. He just had a rite of passage ceremony to celebrate his journey from academic study to clinical study. Here he is modeling his new white jacket. I guess they didn't come specially sized for your average 6' 9" man. Looks a little short. Way to go Garrett!

Not a saleslady...

Though I love the products of most home sales parties such as Pampered Chef, Arbonne, Tastefully Simple, Shade, and Close to my Heart...I have always known that I don't have the personality suited to host such events. Nonetheless, I have been coerced by a friend to host a CLOCK party.

Here's the scoop. It is a new company out of Utah that comes to your home and teaches you and a group of friends how to make a 2 foot clock to adorn your walls. You can choose from 4 different colors, and you can add your family name and establishment date for a little extra moolah! The cost for the clock is $57 and if you want to add your name and date, the cost is $65.

Here is a picture of the clocks. They also have kids clocks available (and they're cheaper). You can also go to www.ticktockcollection.com for more pictures and information.



Let me know if you are interested. My party will be held on September 22nd from 6-9 pm. These could make a great Christmas present for somebody!

Evening Walk

Last night we took a little walk around the lake. Seems to be a ritual that gets us through the last 30 minutes before Jack's bedtime. I love getting outside with Jack. He is so interested in the sights and sounds. He actually pays attention to the ducks and waves at the birds. It is such a fun age. So many milestones in so little time! He has started to get much stronger on his feet and more coordinated with walking. It's so fun to watch him.



We live near an air force base, so often times we see huge jets flying over head. Jack was really interested in the plane last night.

The apple does not fall far from the tree.....

Most of you know that Jack has a love affair with food. He adores it! He gets excited for meal times and rarely turns his nose up at something. He can also eat amazing portions. I wonder where he gets it?

Well, the other day he had me concerned when he did this....

Yes folks, he's licking the plate.


Wouldn't want to miss a crumb!


This has happened once before at Olive Garden. He was licking the alfredo off the plate. But really, who can blame him?

Move over sheena and kasey...

I'm the favorite aunt now! and troy...the favorite uncle, of course!

We hosted a Southwell Sleepover last night. As soon as Ryan walked out the door leaving the 3 children behind, Troy came running in with a tie around his head yelling, "Party time" and whipping his head around in circular motions. The kids lost it...and so did I. We immediately busted into the root beer floats, followed by popcorn and a movie. It was a fun night and the kids even went to sleep when they were supposed to. Although, around 2 a.m. we heard what sounded like a quacking duck coming out of Jaydon, who was sound asleep.

We awoke to a pancake breakfast and a lot of good play time. When the children misbehaved I just locked them out of the house. (Perhaps losing a few of my favorite aunt points) Not really, I had to mop the floor in peace while they cleaned all my preschool toys outside. Oh dear...the truth comes out...I was really running a sweat shop.

Thanks kids for being so good. Can Troy and I have a sleepover at your house?




Here they are begging to come back in the house. Only 5 more minutes, children!

We're Jammin'

We've had an extravaganza like this before...only that time it was baby food we were preparing. This time it was jam. Peach jam, and lots of it!

Amy, Heather and I got together to convert 50 pounds of peaches, 50 pounds of sugar, and 22 packages of pectin into jars of freezer jam. After 4 1/2 hours of sweat, labor, and fussy children the project was completed and the amounts of jam we were left with was astronomical. Refer to picture (that is only one person's portion...multiply by 4)

It was good to have the resident expert (Heather) on hand to direct us. We decided that doing it all in one sha-bang with a group of friends was the only way to sanely make jam. Can't wait to eat my morning toast....or maybe ice cream with peach topping?!?!

Finale Flop

As you know, Troy and I are avid watchers of "So You Think You Can Dance". Well, last night was the season finale and guess what....our Direct TV decided to be on the fritz. Oh, but not all the channels...just FOX. You can imagine our frustration. Troy ended up being on the phone for 2 hours trying to get the problem resolved. The only thing that could cure my disappointment was a little blogging and an early bedtime. So Sheena, that is why I was blog commenting during the show. I heard Sabra won which is AWESOME. If any of you have it TVoed, I'm comin' over!

1 year old + poopy diaper = disaster

Lately diaper changing has turned into an olympic sport...one that I am NOT properly trained for! I am convinced that Jack has a poop radar that tells him to squirm, twist, flail his extremeties, run away and scream as soon as I lay him down for a diaper change. Of course, for wet diapers he is an angel.

Yesterday, we opened up a pebbly surprise. I layed him down. Seeing the extent of the operation, I immediately grabbed a toy to occupy him. The toy was instantly thrown across the room. Then came toy #2...rejected again. Well, I better just move fast. So I grabbed a handful of wipes and started cleaning. In lightning speed time, Jack grabbed the corner of the diaper and flung it above his head. Pebbles were flying onto the floor and carpet. Oh, and I guess there was a little smooshy in with the pebbly because smooshy was all over his hand. So I act fast. While cleaning the screaming baby's hand and quickly gathering up pebbles, he continues his routine of squirm, wiggle, thrash and now there is poo rubbed into the carpet and my blood is BOILING! Finally we get him all cleaned up with new diaper on and he crawls away with a grin. I wipe the sweat off my face, clean the carpet, and await my olympic medal.

Next time I think I will just dispose of the whole package...at least until dad gets home!



And while we're on the topic of diapers, I think I am going to buy myself a set of these. After 4 bathroom trips during SYTYCD, and 5 during my night's "rest" I am ready for some RELIEF!

PINKBERRY.......Tasty or Trendy?

As featured in US weekly and numerous other publications, PINKBERRY is becoming a Hollywood favorite amongst all of our favorite stars. Is it really all it's cracked up to be?

Our friends, Fawn and Damian, from Carlsbad came up this weekend to visit. We enjoyed lunch at the always hearty Chipotle, then decided to top it off with a trip to Pinkberry. This stylish frozen yogurt shop boasts "guilt free" yogurt in two flavors: original and green tea. My friend Fawn loves the green tea with blueberries. Not for me. I ordered the original with strawberries. Was it yummy? Why yes....yes it was. So yummy, in fact, that I wanted to order another one as I was walking out the door.

You should check it out if you are in Temecula. It sits right by Trader Joes. Is this shop for everyone? I think you should try it out for yourself. It is definitely not your run-of-the-mill frozen yogurt shop. It will be something different to tantalize your tastebuds. Let me know what you think.

eyeballs and tentacles...

Last night Kelly brought THESE over for dinner....


Her neighbor had given her two boxes of whole shrimp straight from Mexico. And let me tell you, if I encountered a shrimp in the ocean I would swim the other way because these suckers are not attractive. Huge tentacles, protruding eyeballs, and nasty feet and tails! Anyhoo. Troy, being the shrimp lover that he is, told Kelly that he would help clean them if she cooked them. So, it was a deal and the cleaning began. The process goes like this: chop off the head, strip the outer shell, cut down the middle and remove the poop tube. mmmmm.



Notice how close the poop tubes are to Jack's sippy cup.


















After they cleaned them and Ryan and I occupied our time with other worthwhile tasks, it was time to skewer, marinate, and throw them on the barbie. I must say that the end product was rather attractive and quite tasty. It sure is nice to have such a culinary friend and neighbor. Thanks for the dinner. Next time I will try to contribute more than a sorry can of peaches with cake mix on top.

Looking for a house in Oregon?

Our friends, Chad and Amy, are moving again! They have a quaint home in Beaverton, OR nestled among the pine trees and rolling hills. If you know anyone who wants to move to Oregon and needs a home...send them their way! OR, if you just want to see pictures of a nice home go to this blogsite. www.9380jasperdr.blogspot.com

9 dollars well spent...

This is a story about me and my favorite toy...


I love trying to stack the wooden circles on the pole.


It takes a lot of concentration.


If I am successful, I clap for myself and get a big grin.

If I'm not successful, then I throw the toy across the room and pout.

Off the mountain...

He's back! They made it home safe and sound. (You can stop praying, Roberta!) They arrived home Friday evening (much earlier than I had suspected) after hiking 15 miles out and driving 5 hours home. The trip was exhausting, they all agreed, but still a great opportunity.

This would be much better if Troy were recounting his experience, but I will give it a try.

Basically, they camped one night by their car and the next day hiked 7 miles up to a base camp where people stay the night to get acclamated for the ascent. That afternoon it started to storm with intense rain and even hail. So they spent most of the time hiding out in their own tents until a break in the storm. Most people were already experiencing some symptoms from the high altitude. Troy said when he would lay down his heart felt like there was a lot of pressure on it. Scary. Two people in their group opted out of the next day's hike because of their pain. After a night of no sleep, they arose at 2am to finish the final 4 miles in hopes of catching the sunrise. With the light of the moon and a headlamp, the four guys started up the 97 switchbacks. Three of the guys were hiking faster than Troy, so they eventually got separated. There came a point where Troy did not feel safe about going on in the dark. With sheer cliffs on both sides, rugged terrain, and limited light, he made the decision to stop about a mile from the top. Hard for me to believe coming from the man who was called "stupido" by the locals when he dove off the cliff in Mazatlan where the native divers perform for the tourists. But for whatever reason, I am glad that he did not do something he didn't feel safe about. I guess with a family at home now, some of those dare devil stunts are given a second thought.

All in all, he enjoyed the experience. Loved watching the sunrise from that vantage point, and was glad to be back home with his family. He would love the opportunity to do it again. Maybe next summer with my brothers?!

Here are some pictures that our friend Ryan took.


Troy in front of Mt. Whitney (some 14,000 feet tall)


Base camp 7 miles up. Looks like the moon to me.


After the storm


Some of the cliffs they were hiking along!

Jack is ONE!

I remember when Jack was born and Troy and I kept saying, "I can't wait til he can......" Now it seems like we enjoy all his little tricks so much that we just want to bottle them up to store forever.

Jack has started saying "momma" which gives me the giggles every time I hear it. He recently started walking behind his "walker toy" that grandma and grandpa got him. Watching his akward steps is so cute. He just beams with pride, then crumbles in frustration when it dead ends into a wall. He has started making some pretty goofy faces. Troy and I look at him through the rear view mirror and just laugh. I can picture him in Kindergarten with that goofy "I-don't-know-how-to-smile-normal" smile that we all did as kids. He still eats. A LOT. He has started throwing mini-tantrums which is also quite comical. He loves naps, and so does mom. He crawls to the door when he hears the key rattling at 6:30 p.m. That means daddy's home!

He basically lights up our every day! I am so happy he joined our life one year ago!


Did I mention he is IMPOSSIBLE to photograph these days?

Pray for him...

Troy left this morning for a 3-day trip to Mt. Whitney. He and some buddies from work will be hiking the mountain on Thursday. I am a little nervous for him. It is very common for people to get altitude sickness on this hike. I really hope they make it.

Plus, I am not feeling very confident about how I sent my husband off. Last night in my barfy sickness, I bought him a bag of Totino's Pizza Rolls as "fuel" for his hike?!?! I don't think that was the best pre-hike meal a wife could provide. So jack and I will be praying for him...that life flight doesn't call us with a rescue....