Tuesdays Ten...

1. I had a new favorite restruant: Bahama Breeze!! We went last night for my best friend Angelas birthday

2. We are going to Maui in 6 months!

3. I am so excited to start purchasing fabric for the nursing wraps coming soon! (And thank you everyone for all your support and interest, I will be starting them in the next few days!)

4. I am learning how to cook...and enjoying it!

5. I won my fantasy football game last week by .5 (that's a half point) phew!

6. I am going to meet 2 girls from my message board this Sunday (who I have never met before) and another that I havent seen in years, Im really excited to reconnect!

7. This Friday and Saturday is the women's retreat at church!! They are always so much fun and it will be a nice break!

8. Praise God, Steven still has a job...and things are picking up. He does, however, have an interview for the union on the 30th of Oct. Pray for guidance on his decision (Thank you!)

9. My dad is participating in a "medical study" for (3) 10 night stays which began last week. Poor mom :( ...he's also going to be missing Jacobs 2nd birthday. Im bummed.

10. We lost our kitty (Teekie) for 7 days and just found her 2 nights ago under our neighbors house!!! We were so happy!!

Coming Soon::Nursing Covers!!

Ok, so if you dont know, my mom has an amazing talent of sewing. Growing up, I was constantly wearing dresses and outfits she had made for me. I remember our days at the fabric store picking out patterns for new clothes and letting me pick the styles I wanted to wear. To this day she can just look at a pattern and make it. She enjoys making crib sheets for expecting moms as well as blankets, curtains and pajamas for Jacob :) I took for granted all the time and effort it took making all of that stuff and now I wish I would have taken her up on the multiple offers of learning how to sew. I have decided to start making nursing covers (aka "hooter hiders") my good friend Danielle made one for me and I use it so much!! I love it, its especially handy at the mall or at church. It allows me to still see what I'm doing without overheating Norah!! I will start out with help from my mom (keep in mind, I have never touched a sewing machine...ever!) but I consider myself a fast learner and with the coaching from my mom, I believe it can be done! She even has an extra sewing machine for me to use!! I am so excited to start making these trendy covers, but I need your help. I've always gone to JoAnns for fabric and they dont always have the cutest of designs. If you live in western Washington and know of fabric stores (besides JoAnns) would you please pass them on..or even online fabric stores..I would greatly appreciate it!! I would love to have some hip, modern styles to choose from!!! Stay tuned for updates on my "sewing expeditions!" Eeekkk Im SO excited!!

*In case you dont know what Im talking about heres a sample that I found online:

Holy Baby Clothes Batman.....

SAVE THE DATES FOR THE EMOMS (Eastside Mothers of Multiples)
TOYS AND TOGS SALE!!
OCTOBER 11, 2008
TIME: 10:00 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M.
EVERYTHING FOR THE WELL-EQUIPPED BABY AND CHILD MOSTLY GENTLY USED AND SOME NEW MERCHANDISE BELLEVUE COMMUNITY COLLEGE GYM
3000 LANDERHOLM CIRCLE SE, BELLEVUE
MORE INFO: WWW.EMOMS.ORG (FAQ, MAP OF GYM, HOLDING FORMS) OR EMAIL TOYSANDTOGS@EMOMS.ORG


....THIS SHOULD BE FUN!!

The Jacob Chronicals...

That sums up my day today... I don't mean this is a bad way either.... but I couldnt help but notice how much of a "boy" Jacob is...

Take this for example:
#7. When it rained last night, water collected in his sandbox toys and Jacob thought it would make a refreshing beverage to drink the water right out of them...yuk
#6. He shared a snack of dog food with Buddy..and I think he enjoyed it more than the dog...yuk
#5. He tooted...and laughed hysterically
#4. He ran outside in just a diaper in order to get the last few minutes of daylight in...brrrr...
#3. Hes constantly holding onto/pushing/or playing with a car.
#2. He loves to give Daddy...(and Robert) a "pound" instead of a high five
and finally...
#1. When we ask him to give Norah a kiss goodnight, 99% of the time he says..."No! ewww...yuk" proving that, even at the age of 2, girls have cooties :)

(Jacob checking out his little sister awhile back...I still laugh when I see this!)


Goodnight!!
....runs off to watch "Survivor!"
...then "ER"
...then "Greys Anatomy"
*We're going to try watching it for the 1st time

(Yes, I need a hobby!)

Wordless Wednesday (Late)

Norah in her "2 Month" onesie....



Check out just some of the natural/organic food
our neighbor brought over for us!!


...and yes, I actually did take a picture and set
this up...I need a hobby :)

2 Months Old...

Today, Norah had her 2 month appointment, I was nervous because I thought she was going to have to get 4 shots. I knew it had to be done but as her mom, it is so hard to watch them in pain. We we got there, they measured and weighed her. Shes definatley keeping up with her big brother, he was a big baby too. She is in the 95th percentile in both height and weight and tipped the scale at a whopping 13lbs 5oz and was 24" long!! Unfortunatley, I dont get my babies for too long as they tend to grow like weeds on me. When it came time for the shots the Dr informed me that as of 2 weeks ago, 3 of the vaccines have now been condensed into 1!! Therefore making it only 2 shots she would need today!! I was so relieved! She also told me that they got a new oral vaccine for Rotavirus (its a nasty bug that causes severe diarrhea and vomitting, which can easily lead to a hospital stay as a result of dehydration) I dont want to ever experience that with Norah, and being that cold and flu season is already here, we took her up on that one as well!! Norah loved it! I somehow rocked Norah to sleep after her oral vaccine and it was time for the shots, so I gently laid her on the table and when the nurse poked her, she slept right through it (I guess fat rolls have their advantages after all!) Jacob was pretty interested as well (I think he was just thankful he wasnt the one on the table!) When she got poked he said "Oh no...baby ouch" and kissed her on the head. It was so sweet. Thankfully, what I thought was going to be a stressful day, turned out to be quite pleasant!!

Today kicked off the start of MOPS here in Orting!! It was an open house for all new, returning and potential moms. We have a new location which happens to be just seconds from our house!! It was so nice to see all my friends that I've missed all summer and I cant wait to get back into the swing of things again!! They had a popcorn maker and drinks for everyone, Jacob ate a whole bag by himself!! Thank you girls for making me feel so welcome today! I could really feel the love from you all...and so could Norah :) ...she definaltey loved being held by all of you!! I cant wait for the first "official" meeting next month!! This is going to be a fun year, I can tell already!!

Stay tuned for tomorrows post where I will be sharing pictures from Renees shower we are having for her at our house!! I cant wait!! Drinks, diapers and dinner here we come!! Its ladies night!

Slacker...

I have been very bad at blogging lately... but thats not the only thing I've been bad at...I havent been nearly as good of friend as I should be... I feel really guilty about it too. I have been slacking around the house and not motivating myself to get up earlier and getting the kids dressed. By the time we're ready to head out, it's practically lunch time! So I ask my friends to forgive me for my anti-social "ness" lately. Jacob is doing a lot better and is making going out in public a lot more enjoyable! I would love to get back into "play-date" mode again!! There is so much I want to write about but it would be a novel so I'll try and keep it short and sweet (ha!) I forgot to mention last week that my neighbor who demos organic food at Whole Foods, had a ton of leftovers after a recent show and offered it to Steven and I!! There was so much I had to take a picture (cheese, pickles, chips, salsa, drinks, bread, calzones and much, much, more!!! We were so excited to try out the variety of foods she gave us!! Thank you Mandie!!

We were so lucky to have my cousin (MacKenzie) for the weekend! Shes pretty much my only cousin and since she's only 3 years older than me, we have a great relationship and are great friends!! We are just bummed she lives in San Fransisco...but she did mention shes not opposed to transfering to Seattle!! (She works for the Hyatt) Saturday, we took her to the Puyallup Fair which she loved! It was a great time had by all and my parents took Jacob for the day which made it a lot easier!! That night we met back up with them at The Ram and had a great dinner and had a good time catching up!! After dinner Chris and Angela invited us all over to watch Baby Mama, it was really good and we all had a blast hanging out!! Sunday after church, we came home to cheer on the Seahawks to victory (finally!) That night, her friends who moved up here from San Fransisco a year ago invited us all up for dinner at their place in Kirkland. She is a chef for the Hyatt in Bellevue and her husband is in charge of housekeeping at the same hotel! We were quite spoiled; their back porch was within feet of Lake Washington, they had a stunning view of the water as well as the million dollar houses across the way! We already invited ourselves over for Seafair and the 4th of July next year!! The best part of the night was finding out that the Seahawks stay in their hotel the night before each home game!! I got to hear story after story about some of the players and the weekly rituals....it made for a very entertaining evening and I was on cloud nine. Unfortunatley, they werent big sports fans so it wasnt nearly as big of deal to them as it was for Steven and I. He actually said " I was cleaning out their rooms this morning!!" Im not obsessed, I swear He got our info and is going to send us a few Seahawks souveiners for me to put in Jacobs room!! Once again, my parents took Jacob for the night which worked well because we didnt get home until almost midnight!! We had some amazing bbq'd chicken, marinated and stuffed with garlic and rosemary, and for the first time we ate risotto (sp?) we always heard about it on Hell's Kitchen and wondered what it was...and it was amazing!! We had a great time getting to know MacKenzies friends and thank Marco and Adriene for having us over!! Today was Mackenzies last day (unfortunatley) the weekend went by so fast and we were sad to see her go. We did manage lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and a brisk walk at the new Southcenter Mall!! The kids did great and we all took a long nap this afternoon!!

We took Jacob to the new Bradley Lake playground this evening and he was in Heaven!! He ran all over the place making sure he played with everything!! He loved that Steven was watching him and he wanted to be like the "big" kids. We had a wonderful evening and I will post a few of my favorite pictures!! Wish me luck...tomorrow Norah has her 2 month appt. she will need quite a few shots which could potentially mean one long afternoon!! I cant wait to see how much she weighs...shes getting rolls all over the place!! Oh and you probably noticed Norahs new headband.. Thank you Ricci for making it for us!! Norah seems to prefer yours much more than her red one. Ricci also makes hair clips for little girls as well, check out her etsy site here!! You're so darn talented, Love you!!

Hopefully I didnt ramble too much, and I will try and be a better blogger this week!!
-Keren

An interactive blog post....

(Thanks Michelle!!)

Type your name in my blog comments.
Once you do that, this is what I'll do for you...
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you which song or movie you remind me of.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.
8. If you play, you MUST post this on your blog.

Dear Mother...

Dear Mother

Did you ever think, dear Mother,
As the seeds of me you sowed,
As you breathed new life inside of me
And slowly watched me grow,
In all your dreams about me
When you planned me out so well,
When you couldn't wait to have me there
Inside your heart to dwell,

Did you ever think that maybe,
I was planning for you, too,
And choosing for my very own
A mother just like you?
A mother who smelled sweet and who
had hands so creamy white,
A tender, loving creature
Who would soothe me in the night?

Did you ever think in all those days
While you were coming due,
That as you planned a life for me
I sought a life with you?
And now as I lay in your arms,
I wonder if you knew
While you were busy making me,
I was choosing you!

Public Service Announcement....

The saying "Mother knows best" has proven itself true once again. I had a filling fall out a couple of weeks ago and I knew I had to get it taken care of and thanks to the persistant reminder from my mom and dad I got it fixed rather quickly. From that appt I scheduled a: New patient exam, updated x-rays as well as a much needed cleaning. It had been almost 3 years since I've visited the Dentist :( ...my mom and dad kept "reminding" me that they didnt invest thousands of dollars into my teeth growing up for me to ignore them the rest of my life. I agreed and since I had already met my deductible for the year I figured I might as well get the whole meal deal. So this morning I went (mind you, this is a new Dentist here in Orting...I love him...he's super nice, outgoing and gentle!!) Dr. Carl Youngquist if you're interested! So after my x-rays were done he took a look "under the hood". He kept repeating the word, "watches" which he told me were "pre-cavities" and that by flossing daily as well as using a perscription he was going to give me, I had a 70% chance of them going away. Phew.. but unfortunatley, I still had 2 cavities :( the hygenist said that wasnt too bad for not going in almost 3 years but still..I hate getting numb. Next was the cleaning, I got my gums looked at and they checked out great. She did notice a few parts in the back that could be flossed better, which I will definatley be doing now. Basically, the point of this post is to encourage all of you to visit your dentist. As soon as I walked in the door my mom was amazed at how good my teeth looked. I had to agree. I shouldnt have waited so long and in some ways was irresponsible on my part. Life gets in the way, especially with 2 young kids and often times, I forget about my own health. Everything that was brought up today at my appt stemed from not flossing. My Dr. made a good point when he said that "brushing your teeth is only halfway cleaning them" the other half of your teeth need to be cleaned by flossing...makes sense!! And if you're wondering about cost, it only cost me 58.00 out of pocket for all 3 services. To me thats not bad at all..considering what could happen to your teeth and pricetag that comes with having to fix a mouthfull of cavities, a root canal, an absess...$$$$$ Ok thats my PSA for the week!! Give your Dentist a call!!!
Thanks mom and dad for reminding me how important my teeth are!
:)

Top 10 Most Worthless Baby Items...

This is according to babycheapskate.com

Top 10 Most Worthless Baby Items
#10 Diaper Pail (Genie and Champ)
#9 Shopping Cart Cover
#8 Boppy Nursing Pillow
#7 Infant Shoes
#6 Hanging Diaper Stacker
#5 Bumbo Baby Seat
#4 Baby Robe
#3 Crib Bedding Set with Bumpers and Quilts
#2 Wipe Warmer

And the most useless thing of all........
#1 Bottle Warmer

*I have to disagree with the boppy!! Norah will sleep in it after she's done nursing and its great for pictures (I cover it with a favorite blanket and it keeps her propped up!!)

**I also disagree with the bedding and the shoes...because...well...its about fashion and decorating...what more is there to say!! :)

Big Bucks...

If you had a million bucks and you had to allocate it immediately - how would you spend it?? I came across this question on my friend Heathers Blog and it got me thinking...what would I do?? Here's my list and I challenge you to do the same thing on your blog!!

$1,000,000.00-

$200,000 - Church (tithe)
$100,000- Distriubted among animal shelters/charities
$100,000- To Mine and Stevens Parents
$50,000- Jacobs College Fund
$50,000- Norahs College Fund
$200,000-Pay off the house
$20,000- Tour Europe/Travel
$10,000- To go back to nursing school
$40,000-Buy Steven a big truck!
$200,000- Invest
$20,000- Finish remodeling the house
$10,000- Trade in my current SUV and buy a Tahoe!

Bye Bye Curls....

Both Steven and I were sad to see his little curls go away but thankfully, hair does grow back. Now my baby boy looks like he's 4!! Im not sure I like that :) Thank you Grandma for taking us to the salon...and for the new pairs of shoes for Jacob...and the diapers...and lunch...and covering dentist bills...thank you, thank you, thank you. We'd be lost without you!

Baby Model!!

I had the pleasure of meeting Stacy early last week thanks to my good friend Christia! She mentioned to me her friend was looking to photograph babies 2 months of age and younger!! I was thrilled to be able to take advantage of this amazing deal!! I absolutely love how the pictures turned out and am anxiously looking forward to our 3-4 month shoot as well!! Here are just a few of my favorite images! To view more of Staceys amazing work check out her blog here. If that's not enough here is her website as well. Thank you Stacy for making my little girl look beautiful! And thank you Christia for introducing us!

Face to face with his hero....

When Steven and I heard that Tyrone and Pablo from "The Backyardigans" were going to be at the Puyallup Fair, we decided we had to take Jacob to meet his hero. He asks to watch "Ducky" daily as it is his favorite show. Although our previous encounters with The Easter Bunny and the Fireman's Dog didnt fair too well, we were optimistic that this meeting would go better. I dont know who was more excited, Jacob or myself, but as soon as he saw him, he got a smile on his face that would melt any mothers heart; so much so that I actually got a little teary-eyed. He was in a complete state of shock, in a good way!! It was worth every penny we paid to see his reaction. Although that was, by far, the biggest highlight of the day, we also took a ride on the train, ate an amazing Earthquake burger and fries, saw the animals and ran into many friends. It was a great time had by all!!Here are just a few images of our day....

The Jacob Chronicles...

Jacob has taken up yet another new hobby, Escape Artist. Ugh. We had our first encounter Sunday night/morning. I heard him open his door and the pitter patter of his little feet tip toeing down the hall to get to our room. He was so happy to see us and kept saying "Mommy!! Daddy!!" as much as I wanted to smile and play with him, I had to "pretend" I was asleep. Sometimes he will crawl in bed with us and fall asleep, I was hoping this was going to be the case but I was wrong, instead he wanted to watch tv. Oh, I forgot to tell you, this was at 3:30 am!! Yes, Jacob managed to find the "on" button on the tv and began to surf the channels for the "ducky" aka Pablo from the Backyardigans. When he realized they were not on at 3:30 in the morning he decided it was time to go outside and play. Don't worry we were both awake and aware of what he was doing. I was very curious to what he was going to do when he got downstairs and thats why I waited a second before getting him. We were both shocked to find the back door open. We were actually quite scared of what could of happened. What if he would have managed to sneak out the front door and heaven forbid we didnt hear him. How scary!! I asked my mom if I ever did anything like this and she said "no". Yet another thing I can blame on Stevens genetics :)

::Jacob now has a lock on his door and we are responsible for letting him out in the morning....at a DECENT time!:::)

Ahhh, the fun never stops around here!

Let the countdown begin!!

I want my skinny jeans back...

I got the all clear from my Dr. last Thursday to resume working out. As unmotivated as I am, I want a swimsuit worthy body by the time we go to Hawaii in April. I figure that gives me 7 months which is plenty of time to get back in shape (lets hope) :) I was pleased to hear Im at my pre-pregnancy weight but at the same time, I wasnt where I wanted to be when I got pregnant with Norah. At least it gives me a starting point to work from. Heres to 7 months of hard work and sweat :) stay tuned for progess reports!! If anyone wants to walk let me know!! Its always nice to have someone to chat with!

There was a murder....

...mystery dinner that is!! Chris and Angela opened their home to us and 2 other couples last Sunday for an evening of fun!! I havent laughed that hard in a long time!! It was so nice to be able to hang out with friends without the interruption of little voices yelling "Mommy!! Daddy!!" We had some great conversations and I cant wait to host the next one very soon!! The theme this time was set in Hawaii...the costumes are always a hit and everyone seemed to fit their roll perfectly!! Here are just a few pictures of the "suspects!" Thanks guys, for an evening I wont forget anytime soon!!

*Cris and Jessica*

*Heather and Ben*

*Me and Steven*

*Angela and Chris*

$3.25 a gallon???

Yup, thats right!! It couldnt have come at a better time either!! As I was buying our fruit tray for our murder mystery dinner on Sunday the cashier at Safeway told me we were eligible we (5) 10 cent fuel discounts!! Since we live in Orting, gas tends to be a lot more expensive than anywhere else. I thought well...since we're here and we need gas, lets fill 'er up!! Do the math.. $3.75/gallon -.50= a killer deal!!

Thank you Lord for blessing us with an amazing discount!!

(Man, I never thought I'd say $3.25 is a steal)
..tis the economy :(