Belated greetings

Life has become quite hectic and has sped by this year. I cannot believe it is already April. I haven't posted since 2009! Why? Taking three classes this semester may have had a bit to do with it. Work becoming overly busy the past few months may have not helped. Here's my first quarter, 2010, recap:

• Tristan was kicked out of daycare - it was a home daycare. Our provider told us she couldn't handle him and that he was showing signs of severe ADD.
• We put the kids in Tristan's old daycare, a commercial one, for a premium (over $300 a week)
• We take Tristan to the doctor's to get evaluated.
• Doctor says he's an active four year old that we don't have to worry too much about until he is closer to school age. In the meantime, praise him when he is quiet and following directions and offer him a fairly structured day.
• We're not sure, but we think it really wasn't our son that was the problem. We are still a bit upset about the ordeal.
• Scott now is a stay at home dad with the children. I work full time and go to school about 3/4 time (3 classes a semester is my goal).
• I'm happy that my children get to be at home with their father. Not many children have that privilege and I hope one day they will appreciate that.
• I'm jealous that it isn't me staying at home with them. Unfortunately, the job market is still pretty horrible and he wouldn't be able to make enough to let me stay at home.
• Tristan is now playing on a soccer team through the city's Park and Recreation program.
• Tristan isn't so enthusiastic about playing. He's more enthusiastic about watching his shadow.
• Melayna is more enthusiastic about soccer than her big brother is. Maybe we'll save the cleats and shin guards for her.
• I'm turning 27 this month. Not any major milestone or anything. Just another year that I can be thankful to be alive.

Honestly not much exciting stuff has been happening lately. A few personal things going on, but otherwise pretty darn good. I can be very thankful that we were able to manage living on one income without to many adjustments. I'd have to say the hardest would be the groceries. I've tried so hard to cut down on our spending, but I just can't seem to stay within budget. Perhaps my budget is unreasonable.

Anyway, I'll leave you with some of the few pictures (and I mean few - poor cameras have been neglected) I've taken over the past quarter.

Melayna sporting a pretty cool sweater from her Uncle Robert. It is a little big for her, but she'll grow into it.

Melayna testing out the balance beam at the YMCA downtown. They had a free Easter celebration and I went along with some good friends.

Tristan playing at the YMCA for Easter.

Melayna going through a crawling tube. She was having a blast!

Tristan having fun.

Project Completed

I can't believe how busy I've been lately. I also can't believe that December is here and the year is drawing to a close.

Well, I've been busy, busy, busy with school work, house work, work work, and everything else in between. I don't have much time to just sit and reflect. I don't have much time to just collect my thoughts.

Scott and I have been busy almost every Sunday completing a project. We built a loft bed for Tristan. It has been a long process. It certainly is not perfect. However, it is something we created that will last us a good long time.

I wasn't involved during the first few Sundays. I mostly watched the kiddos while Scott and our friends, Brad and Dani, worked on the bed.

Scott designed the bed using images we found on the internet as a guide. He opted to create a box that holds the mattress that was to be bolted to the frame. Here Scott is drilling the holes for the carriage bolts while Brad holds up the other side.
Once it was all put together, we worked hard at sanding it. Don't be fooled, though. I did a majority of the sanding.
After sanding it, we conditioned the wood with pre-treatment and stained it "gun barrel" On Thanksgiving, we put the polyurethane coat to finish off the bed. Scott took it apart, his mother transported everything in her pick-up, and it was set up in the kids' room.
Here is the final product. It is just tall enough for Tristan to walk underneath without having to duck. At first Tristan freaked out and was too scared to be up in his bed. Less than ten minutes later and he was going up and down with no problems. We've since put up blankets and sheets to turn the bottom area into a "house" or "fort" The kids had a blast. I'll post pictures of the children enjoying the bed at a later time.

For now, I must retire to bed. I worked overtime today so I'm a bit tired.

A new beginning

So, life has been crazy hectic lately. School, work, family and other obligations have me just absolutely busy. To make matters worse my computer crashed. But there is an interesting story that goes with that, so let me rewind a bit.

Since starting school, I've been having laptop fever. I will be doing some weekend intensive courses in the future that will be in a city a couple hours away. This means that I'll be away from home with no computer access (except on campus before and after class). Well, on Halloween, we went to the Apple store here in town. I've never owned an Apple computer before. I have always been intrigued. Sadly, we left without a Mac in hand.

Later that evening we go home to get ready for Trick-or-Treating. I go to turn on my computer and what happens? It doesn't come on. It doesn't boot up. Some root file is corrupt or missing. What? Really? Why now? At least a thousand pictures, gone. Nearly a hundred videos, gone. Paint Shop Pro projects, gone. Tax files, gone. Devastated cannot begin to describe how I feel.

There is hope. I might have a solution. But the computer itself is pretty much done for. So, what do I do in light of my situation? I buy a Mac. Not just any Mac, a Macbook Pro. Excited? Yes. Happy? Yes. I finally took the plunge and went to the other side.

So far I am liking this bad boy. I'm in bed, typing up this post. I'm hooked up via our wireless router so I can check Facebook from anywhere in the home. We went to Panera Bread today for dinner. Tristan was having some hissy fit. So, I bust out the laptop, connect to their free wireless network and start up Harold and the Purple Crayon for him on Hulu. He was quiet and happy.

So, as I attempt to retrieve my pictures and files, I will bask in my new laptop. I am super excited to figure out all it can do.

A blizzard they say...

So, we had forecasts of a snow storm to come. What I didn't expect though was white-out conditions, wind blowing sideways, and icy conditions in less than an hour of it starting. One cool thing about a blizzard and working for a company with a headquarters based out of Texas is: complete shutdown and closure at 1:30 in the afternoon. Yay! But what I didn't like about it was the over half hour commute home when it normally takes me less than ten minutes and seeing over fifteen cars slipping and sliding and pretty much stuck. Yikes!

So, home I went and I just hung out with my mother-in-law (who watches the kids on Thursdays) until Scott came home. After dinner though, I thought it a neat idea to take Tristan outside. We had enough accumulation to take him out on his sled.

Not the greatest shots but you get the idea...

See, his cheeks weren't rosy yet. He and the snow were just starting to get acquainted.

Sled...check. Ratchet strap...check. Happy kid...check.

First attempt at a snow angel (or snow man according to him)

And nothing like a busted lip to finish off our fun in the snow...he cared for a second or two. But the thought of going inside was enough to stave off the pain and chase mommy around.

Another local mom took her son out for some fun, too. Check out this adorable picture here at Chubbas 'n Boop. While you're there check out their shop. Lisa's husband does amazing work with toys made of wood. Firetrucks, horse stables, play kitchens, and baby teethers are just a few of the many things he can make. He'll even do custom work, too. And Lisa has her own site about cloth diapering. I've learned quite a bit from her and am really, really thankful for that.

Baby laughter

While she hasn't done the full on chuckle yet, this was close enough. While I was at work, Daddy got her to laugh a bit and recorded it for me. Oh, I hate missing the good moments. However, I was able to get her going pretty good last night.

I know I have some updating to do, but all I can spare for time right now is just uploading videos and pictures. I've been so busy with everything. I get up, get the kiddo ready for preschool, get ready for work. Work itself has been extremely busy. I come home for lunch (10 minute drive one-way, but I have an hour lunch), feed the baby, eat lunch, and rush back to busy work. After work, I pick up the kiddo, come home, get the baby from our neighbors, start on dinner (while trying to keep te baby happy), and do our evening routine (dinner, bath, storytime, and bedtime). It seems that I'm always on the go. The only time I can relax a bit is after Tristan goes down for bed (the baby may or may not be sleeping, though). Blogging has been the last thing I've wanted to do when I get to unwind for the evening. Sometimes I don't get to unwind, because after Tristan and Melayna go down for the night, it is my only chance to get some cleaning done (dishes, laundry, straigtening up, etc). So, that's how my days have pretty much been. The weekends aren't near as hectic, but I've been in a vegging mood wanting to do nothing when I can. Weekends are our opportunities to do grocery shopping, major cleanings (cleaning the bathroom, finishing laundry, etc), and just hang out together. I hope that I'll have a chance later this week to post about our holiday. I've had a great time reading about other's holidays, from homemade holidays to coming home from China with a new little daughter to a trip to Disneyland. The one thing that I enjoy most about the holidays, which everyone seems to also enjoy, is being with family. Enjoying time spent with my family is the best part. Its only going to get better as the kids start to understand the fun of Christmas morning when Mommy makes a gigantic breakfast for the whole family and they get to open their gifts from everyone.

As Christmas approaches...

Tomorrow is my last day of maternity leave. My twelve weeks will be up. My first day back will be Christmas Eve day. Fortunately, it is a short day. Fortunately, I will still be able to go with my dad to the Christmas Eve service. Unfortunately, it'll be the first long stretch of time away from my children besides my work's Christmas party a few weekends back. I am dreading it. As much as I enjoy my work and being there, I want so much to be with my children. Tristan is growing up so fast. Melayna is getting so big and doing so much. Did I mention that she does mini crunches? She's lifting her head while lying on her back. It doesn't last long, but she's trying. She just wants to see the everything, especially her family.

Well, I probably won't have too much time to blog once I go back. But that's okay. I'll be busy spending the time I do have with the kiddos.

For Christmas, we started what looks like will be a new tradition last year. There isn't much family left. My dad, my mother-in-law, my brother, and us. Now, I have two uncles in town and Scott has one in California, but there are "situations" there that I'd rather not get too much into. Let's say that my uncles haven't always been the greatest and Scott's uncle was only recently found by his mother. So, our little family gets together at our place, albeit very small place (we only live in a two bedroom apartment), and I cook up a storm for a Christmas day brunch. We enjoy brunch and open gifts and just have a good time in general.

So, that is what the plan is. Instead of doing an all out dinner (since Thanksgiving was plenty), we do breakfast (or brunch or whatever you want to call it).

Here's what the menu will be (unless I change my mind):

• Holiday French Toast - I modified my usual French Toast recipe to include a few extra "holiday spices". The dipping batter is made up of eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. I also picked up a pretty neat trick from a friend: after you've cooked both sides on the skillet, put the slices (I use Texas Toast) on a baking sheet and put in the oven for about five minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
• Blueberry Muffins - made from scratch of course. I was going to do my Cinnamon Surprise Muffins but blueberries are on sale! They are very delicious when made with fresh blueberries.
• Easy Oven Skillet Frittata. I found the recipe in a Kraft Foods magazine. It can be found here. I did this last year and it was a hit with the family.
• Bacon, sausage, and fruit on the side (I'm thinking raspberries and pineapples for fruit)
• Pumpkin pie (I just love pumpkin pie, so I couldn't resist)
  
• And I'm thinking of making these Cinnamon Rolls from The Pioneer Woman's site. They look oh so scrumptious. Only thing is the recipe makes like seven pans (its meant for gift giving). I guess I'll have to do some giving, huh?
  

My family learned well last year. They know that they should come hungry....very hungry. I guess that is one thing I took after my mother. The ability to over cook any occasion. My friends loved sleeping over at our house because my mother never let them go home hungry....never. We'd wake up to the sweet aroma of pancakes or french toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, or whatever. I guess that is why breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!

Sunday Funnies

Wow, I went a whole week without updating my blog (with the exception of Grosgrain's fabulous giveaways)! I'm slacking. I've had so much on my mind lately and so much to do, that I've been too distracted and busy to update my blog. For instance, last night was my work's holiday party. So, our friend watch the kiddos for the evening while Scott and I got to dress up and mingle with my fellow coworkers. A perk of working for the big guys: sitting at their table where the drink tickets are obsolete and we could have whatever we wanted and how much we wanted. I was going to drink but deciding against it because a night and day of pumping just didn't sound like fun. But Scott got to enjoy a few Tequila Sunrises, while I sipped on Sprite.

I've also been busy with my Craigslist postings. I've been trying to sell a bunch of Tristan's outgrown clothes, now Melayna's outgrown newborn clothes, and other odds and ends that we don't need or use. Scott let me go through our video game collection and drastically downsize it. So, I've got over forty games I'm trying to sell.

Oh, and my sewing machine is working! I have a few handmade gifts that I've been wanting to try. I'm not sure if I'll be any good, but it is worth a try. Hopefully, tomorrow, I'll have a chance to go to the fabric store and pick out some cute fabrics. I want to make some baby soft-sole shoes (2 pairs, one for a friend who is due in January and one for Melayna), a crayon-keeper (it stores your crayons and rolls up for easy transport and storage), and a drawstring backpack.

Alright, so I go back to work in two and a half weeks. I'm very saddened by this. I don't want to leave home and leave my babies. But I have to make the most of it. So, what has made me laughed so hard this week that it made my cheeks hurt?


My son, of course! We can get him to scream with joy and laugh just by opening our eyes wider and pursing our lips. It is hilarious to get him going with this. Well, tonight, as I was putting him to bed, I got him going with the funny looks on my face. Then, all of a sudden, he said, "Mommy, look at me!" He was doing the same thing! I was full of laughter when he would give me the "look". It was so funny! So, I asked him if he wouldn't mind me taking his picture and he happily agreed to it. I'm not to stoked about the self portrait with Tristan just below. My hair is a mess and I'm all gums from such a large smile. But, I don't have many pictures of me and Tristan together. And this one, he and I, both, were having tons of fun! Enjoy the silliness of the young and the young at heart!

My cheeks were hurting from laughing so much! Oh, no! Not the "look"!He's got to have that elephant nearby. The boy is obsessed with elephants.

Snow!

Today wasn't the first snowfall of the season. But, it is the first snowfall that is worth playing in!


Here are some of my favorite pics of Tristan playing in the snow today. The last one is him just after coming inside to warm up. His cheeks were so pink! He was still all hyped up from having so much fun.

Photo Contest at Thingamababy!

If you haven't checked out Thingamababy yet, I really suggest this site - especially if you have children. The author reviews children's products (toys, clothes, baby gear, books, music, etc), has giveaways, and witty articles on all things parent related.

So, right now, he's got a contest going on. Submit a photo of your child/children of the given theme: Sleep or Bedtime. Go here for details. If you have a good picture of your kiddo(s) being sleepyheads, submit it for a chance to win a 4 DVD set of Scholastic Storybook Classics. I'll be submitting the following picture of Tristan:


Tristan is usually really good about taking his naps and sleeping during regular hours. However, since his sister was born, he's been fighting naps. So, one day I gave in, thinking maybe he's outgrowing them. I was busy at my computer when I realized that things were quiet. A little too quiet. I turned around to see he had fallen a sleep standing up and leaned over the couch. This picture below puts it in better perspective:


I would have like to submit this photo, but you can't tell if he is actually sleeping or not.

Since Tristan either gets (a) very cranky with little to no nap or (b) falls asleep such as in the above photos, we have continued to put him down for naps (even if he fights it).

Sunday Funnies

One thing you get used to becoming a parent is the amount of gross and disgusting things you can tolerate. Boogies, poopy diapers, and a child's constant curiosity can make most people gag and cringe. But as a parent, you sort of become immune to it.

Earlier this week, Scott had a very bad day of stomach sickness. I knew what would follow. Me and the children, sick to our stomachs, puking and fevers, doctor's visits for the kiddos, or at least I was sure of it. I felt sick the following day, but nothing serious. Tristan, perfectly fine. Melayna, on the other hand, was fussy and irritable. She felt warm and clammy. She perspired a lot, too. So, before we decided to take her in to the doctor's I checked her temperature. Now, call me old fashion, but I don't trust those ear thermometers, the fever strips, or under the arm. The best method of taking a baby's temperature is through the rear end. I've had friends look at me funny for doing it that way, but I want to be sure I'm getting an accurate reading.

So, I'm on the floor, checking her temperature, when all of a sudden she just farts and sprays me with poop. It was all over, even on my face. All I could really be thankful for...my mouth wasn't open at the time. Scott was there to witness this horrific act. A brief pause was followed by our laughter. As disgusting as it was, I found it quite hilarious.


Now, did you think I learned my lesson? Oh, no. She wasn't running a temperature then, but a few hours later, I thought I'd check her since she was still warm and clammy. Let's just say, I got pooped on twice in one day.


Well, if that doesn't make you smile (or laugh), this might. This isn't to take a stab at bloggers, because I'd be taking a stab at myself. I found this website, www.despair.com, with all sorts of demotivational posters, despair-wear, and DIY posters. You should also view their videos, I found them pretty entertaining. Anyway, I saw this poster and laughed at it. I have to say that for some this is so true (maybe even for me - my audience is quite small).

Very busy Friday

So, I really, really wanted to go see Twilight today. We planned for the 2:00pm showing. My mother-in-law was going to watch the kids.

Let's rewind to yesterday.

8:52am - My OB/GYN's office called to remind me about my 10:00am appointment for Friday morning. All is good to go - I had this on my calendar on my phone.

9:04am - My kid's pediatrician's office called to remind me about my daughter's two month well baby visit for 9:30am for Friday. Panic mode - did I forget to put this on my calender?! Ack!

9:08am - Call back pediatrician's office to reschedule for 2:10pm

Fast forward to today.

Mother-in-law comes early to watch Tristan, while Scott and I go to my postpartum check-up. We bring baby girl to show her off to the office staff, who demanded that I bring her after she was born. My doctor was running behind, so we didn't get home until 11:00am.

11:00am to 12:00pm - get Tristan fed, keep baby girl calm, dress up the kiddos in their Christmas outfits, get them in the car and go to Kiddie Kandids for their 12:30 appointment. Mother-in-law comes with to help with kid control.

12:30 - 1:40pm - Tristan, a very uncooperative, unsmiling child. Melayna, unhappy, hungry, and tired baby. Frustration, bribes, and a few, somewhat smiles later and we are done. Near the end of going through pictures and picking out our package, I realized what time it was. Scott stays behind to wait for photos to be printed. Kate (Mother-in-law) and I go home. I drop her and Tristan off (she puts him down for a much needed nap), and I take off for the pediatrician's office.

2:03pm - Arrive at pediatrician's. Melayna remains calm until having to be undressed. I calm her with a bottle. She weighs a whopping 12lbs 2oz (90th percentile)! Doctor says she looks healthy, tells me to "keep up the good work", and then the nurse comes in with a bunch of vaccinations. She screams until her whole face turns red. I calm her with the rest of her bottle and off we go.

Since today is opening day for Twilight, there is no way I was going to try any showing past the 2:00pm showing. Shucks, I was really looking forward to it, too. I'm currently reading the third book in the four book installment. It is an easy read, but very entertaining.

Well, it was a rather busy day today, but the pictures turned out nice. Not the best, but given the mood Tristan and Melayna were in, they actually turned out decent. So, here are a bunch of shots

Muffin Tin Monday

So, this is my first go at Muffin Tin Monday. It's an idea I stumbled across a while back at a blog I follow, but I never tried until recently. I did it for Tristan's lunch last week and he's actually been eating most of his lunch because of it! Normally, we struggle to get him to eat anything then he snacks all day. I liked this so much, that I did two more muffin tin meals later in the week (including last night's dinner)! (Sorry the photo is a little blurry/hazy - Tristan got a hold of the camera and got his fingers on the lens).

If you'd like to participate in Muffin Tin Monday (or learn more about it) go to Her Cup Overfloweth (I have a link in the sidebar as well).

Starting upper left, going clockwise: strawberry yogurt, beef frank sliced, clementine slices, strawberries, strips of mozzarella and cheddar cheese, and cut up bread.


Next week's challenge is family heritage/traditions which is great because I made a whole bunch of my grandmother's chicken and dumpling soup. I'm thinking I can warm some of that up and pair it with some of my mom's recipes, too (fried rice, lumpia, or something like that). When we went to my grandmother's house to grab some of her stuff (I grabbed a whole bunch of her crochet work), I got her handwritten recipes. Maybe I can try one of those out, too. If I go the heritage route (instead of recipes passed down), some of my mom's will work since they are from the Philippines. My dad's family is German (but I don't know many German recipes). Scott's family is Scottish (go figure) and German. So, we'll see what I can come up with.


Anyway, here's a pic of Melayna holding her head up. Sorry it isn't a clear shot, but I just had to take a pic of her holding her head up like that. She's getting really good at it, too.I didn't want to leave Tristan out, so here's his latest venture. He's been getting a hold of my camera and taking pictures. Mostly of his finger, but he's starting to get the hang of things. Anyway, I found a group of pictures of just him - all blurry to some degree and off center. Grandma noticed that he loves taking pictures, so she's getting him a child-proof camera for Christmas. We'll see if he likes having his own. :)

Yay! A banner!

So, I haven't posted in a few days because I've been working on my banner. I've been almost obsessing over it. I got new "Photoshop"-like software that I had to learn how to use. I've never used Photoshop, nor any other program like it. The closest I've come to using photo-editing software (besides Paint) is Microsoft Publisher. However, Publisher has nothing compared to these programs.

Anyway, I've been spending what time I have to myself (and while feeding the baby), learning about this program. Layers, Vectors, and all sorts of tools. At first, it was difficult to figure out what everything did, how to manipulate different layers, and get everything the way I wanted it to be. Once I got the hang of things, it was smooth sailing (except for when my pc locked and I had to restart the whole thing).

Well, now that I have a banner that goes with my new title, I can now go back to blogging. :P
Not like much has been going on. Melayna takes up most of my time with feeding. Tristan is being a pain in the butt - his behavior has gotten much, much worse (Terrible two's anyone?). Tomorrow is clean up and catch up day for me and Scott. He's got Friday's and Saturday's off, but this Saturday he's going to be at a friends house most of the day. So, tomorrow - no games, no WoW (that's World of Warcraft for you non-gamers), no goofing off (except with Tristan), and so on. Just clean-up, laundry, organizing, and sorting what we don't need. Maybe we'll break out the rug cleaner. As much as it is drag to have to clean, I'm looking forward to it. I feel like I'm living in a pig pen (just kidding - it isn't that bad in here - just disorganized and in need of some tidying).

Well, I hope you like my banner. I put lots and lots of work into it. Least to say, I'm very proud of my work. My friend, who is my website expert (she rocks at HTML) helped me with figuring out the photo editing program and making the site look a bit more organized (my new banner messed things up a bit). So, Dani, thanks a bunch! I couldn't have done this without you! She keeps joking with me that I should start my own craft store. Apparently she thinks I have talent with making cards and other little crafty goods. I just always had fun with it. It may be an idea to ponder. In the meantime, I'll just keep having fun with whatever I do. :)

One week postpartum

Yesterday was exactly one week since Melayna was born. It already seems like forever ago. Or perhaps it seems that way due to the late night feedings and having to care for two children now? Either way, my little girl is doing well. Feeding is still a struggle with her, but I'm still trying my best.

Now, I seem to think that I'm cursed. Let me explain...

When my son was born, I was living with my mother, who was also pregnant. Five weeks after Tristan was born, my beautiful sister came into this world. Unfortunately, a few weeks after she gave birth, my mother passed away. Partially due to the pregnancy and a pre-existing condition she had. That was a tough time to face in my life. All of us had a really difficult time understanding why it had happened.

Alright, so why am I cursed? Well, just a few days after giving birth to my daughter, my grandmother was taken to the hospital. Her health issues are too numerous to mention. Basically, she's lived long enough that her body is slowly shutting down. We already had known that this day was coming soon. A little over a month ago, my dad and I were getting papers notarized (POA and such) to prepare for the inevitable. So, this situation is a little different than what happened to my mother. But either way, I'm afraid to have another kid. I'm running out of relatives to lose. But in some way, this is one of those plans that God has for us (I'm not very religious, but I have some inkling that God has some part in all this). We bring in a new life into this world (with my mother's case it was two lives - my son and my sister). But new life needs tending to and looking after - a guardian angel, I guess. My mother watches over my son and my sister - at least I like to think so. When my grandmother walks the valley, she will look after Melayna. In fact, I think she was waiting to see her - that way she knows who to look after. Is it weird to think that? I know that we were crazy to do so, but we took the kids to visit her in the hospital. For half an hour, Melayna slept in my grandmother's arms. My grandmother just adored her. She wanted to lay there forever just holding her great-granddaughter. My dad told me that it was all she could talk about when he visited her later that day. He told me that he believed she was waiting for that and now that she is happy, she can leave in peace. I confirmed with him that I thought the same thing. The hospital has done all that they could for her. She'll be discharged in the next day or so. After which, she will be in a nursing home. We only hope that she goes peacefully in her sleep - no pain or suffering. While I will be saddened to lose my grandmother - my last grandparent, I know that it is her time and that she is ready.


Well, I can't end things on a low note, so here's what Tristan has been up to. Big brothers have it tough with a newborn around. I try my best to squeeze in "Mommy" time, but most of the day I have Melayna to tend to - feeding her, changing her diapers, and rocking her to sleep. So, his time with me is very limited. He's been acting up lately and not listening to what we say. Fortunately, it hasn't been in the form of aggression towards his sister. He's going stir crazy I think - so, we try to get him outside for at least 30 minutes a day. Today, I took him out to blow bubbles. Even though he's been acting up a bit more than before Melayna came along, he still amazes me with his talent.

Here are his latest magnadoodle creations. Below each one, I've labelled them with what he told us he was drawing.

Alligator

Cat

Elephant

Elephant

Turtle

His drawings are becoming more and more recognizable. He's learned, I think, by watching us draw. He is constantly asking us to draw elephants, turtles, giraffes, and every other animal imaginable. He loves animals and he loves art. I often wonder what he'll grow up to be. If he sticks with what he likes now...a veterinarian or animal caretaker (hopefully not like Steve Irwin though - that is a little too extreme for a mother's worrisome heart).

Well, I gotta go and make cookies with Tristan (more "Mommy" time).

She's so irresistable

Not much to say other than that my baby girl is absolutely adorable. Nursing isn't going well (she's refusing to nurse), so we've had to supplement. Right now, the outlook is that she'll be a bottle baby. While saddened by this, I'm trying to look at the bright side of things (like being able to sleep through a night feeding or two).

Anyway, on to the good stuff. I just wanted to post more pics of my beautiful baby. You can never have too many pictures. :P

A cute "summer" outfit that I received as a gift. I had to enjoy it at least once before fall's cool weather really kicks in.

Tristan was helping his sister by giving her a binky. Then he happen to notice those cute little feet.
Grandma and Tristan enjoy a moment with Melayna. Tristan adores her so much - maybe a little too much

Again, just having fun with the camera and taking as many pictures of my precious baby.

Still no baby...

I know, it is still early. I'm officially 38 weeks pregnant as of Sunday. So, she could come anytime from this point forward. I found out that I am 1 cm dilated as of Friday. My doctor told me that she doesn't want me going past my due date. In other words, she'd like to schedule inducement sometime during my 39th week. We'll see what happens at this Friday's appointment. I've been getting contractions still. Some intense, but nothing too painful or long. Nor are they close enough for me to be considered in labor.

Alright, so what did I do if I didn't have the baby yet. Saturday, I had a prenatal massage. That was very relaxing and an interesting experience for me (it was my first massage ever). We did some shopping for last minute baby and hospital essentials. I washed all of Melayna's clothes and packed her diaper bag for the hospital. Next goal: pack my bag for the hospital and pack Tristan's bag for Grandpa's.

In the meantime, we got some interesting snapshots of Tristan.

Scott must have worn him out on Friday. He fell asleep partially standing up.

A close-up...
We got this magnadoodle thing at Wal-mart this weekend. We figure it would be a great thing for Tristan to have...use less paper, make less mess, it's all good.

I asked him what he was drawing as I took the pictures. Here are two of the many he drew.
This one is a "girl"Here is a "parrot" (although at one point it was a giraffe, too)

Okay this was just too funny. I was trying to make his hair stand up with the suds in it. When I asked him to smile for the camera, he gave me this big, cheesy grin! LOL
Alrighty, well I must be going. I'm tired and worn out. Just think how I'll be in a week or two with a newborn and Bubbies to look after. It'll be tough.