5 year Anniversary

Wow how time flies. We have been married for 5 years! We were feeling rather sick on the actual Anniversary day but this weekend Mom and Dad came over to watch Nathaniel so we could go out for dinner. We had a nice time. It was amazing to me what we have accomplished in the last five years when we started to reminisce.

2004


2009

Nathaniel had a great time with Oma and Papa Jim and was not fussy at all.... although he did require undivided attention from them which was a little hard with such an exciting Blazer game last night. Nathaniel also got to meet a visitor from Nebraska (Flat Stanely) who is a good friend of my cousin Rachel.

2 Month picture

Last week I took Nathaniel in for his 2 month pictures. I want to take them each month and they are only $3.99 if you can resist the sales pitch! Anyway, he was much happier this time and actually laughed for the photographer. They took quite a few shots and then asked if we could do a few diaper shots. So I started taking off his cute outfit only to find there had been a blast I was unaware of. We put him in a fresh diaper before going any further with the photo shoot. The photographer assured me this wasn't the first blow out he'd seen.

Woodburn Tulip Fields

We did not let our runny noses stop us from visiting the Tulip Fields this week and meeting up with my dear friend Stephanie. She had not seen Nathaniel yet. He gave her a few smiles in between naps. I love tulips. They are my favorite flower. I love the varieties they have in Woodburn. We walked up and down the rows and then enjoyed a fabulous picnic lunch.

Weathering a cold

The weather has been so nice the last few days.... but we have been inside. I started feeling sick (head cold) this weekend. We haven't had a good nights sleep since Saturday. We are back to waking up every hour and a half or so. Nathaniel started showing symptoms Monday night. His eye had a lot of drainage and he started sneezing/coughing. It's so sad to see him not feeling well. I called the advice nurse and she said that as long as he is still smiling/talking and doesn't have a high fever he will be okay. They said the best way to take his temperature is through the rectum. Eewwww! Nobody said anything about that when I applied for mommyhood. We have been using our forehead scanner thermometer for now. He sounds so congested. We've been trying to keep his nose clean with that little bulb nose cleaner.... a bit of a challenge with a wiggly baby. Last night I held him all night long so he could sleep upright. I'm so tired today. Ken says he's not feeling well today. Our little guy seems to be doing much better though. Guess we have started the family cold sharing cycle that I've heard comes with kids.

My smiley boy

We used to just talk in the morning but over the last few days he has had more to say. I'm not sure what he is saying but we definitely reciprocate with a similar sound to the one he gives us.

Never wake a sleeping baby

Especially when they are this cute... take a picture first! We let Nathaniel crawl into bed with mommy and daddy in the morning when he wakes up. He usually snoozes (and we snuggle him) while we take turns getting ready for the day.

Not everyone can be a morning person

Actually Nathaniel is happiest in the morning... but this was a funny picture. I love his hair!

Blowout

Daddy had to take care of his first big blowout diaper today. He usually crosses his fingers and says "please only be a wet one" when he has to change a diaper, but today there was no question this one was messy. He was holding Nathaniel and said, "maybe Mamma should change this one..." I looked over and said Wow did any of that get on you? Thankfully not very much did. Daddy took him into his room and started saying "maybe Mamma should come help with this one, it's really messy and Daddy is about to gag". Good Grief! I did come to the rescue but only after waiting a few minutes so that Daddy could experience the joy of changing diapers. Just 10 weeks ago I was scared to do it too, but we are quickly becoming experts (well almost).

What a stinker!

Nathaniel needs a nap. Yesterday he didn't get a very long nap and was soooo grumpy when we tried to put him to sleep. So I am determined to make sure he has adequate naps today. Since he didn't seem to be falling asleep with the normal tactics we decided to put him in the stroller and go for a walk (this always works!). We walked up to the grocery store in our neighborhood to get something for breakfast. He had his eyes closed on the way there, but as soon as we reached the store he opened them... ahhh. He was laying there fairly still so I thought for sure on the way home he would be out. Nope. When we got home he started giving me these big smiles. So cute... but not what we are trying to do right now. Go to sleep silly boy!

Also in honor of April 15th tomorrow I have Nathaniel in his cute little outfit.

Moms Group

I've been going to a Moms group on Mondays sponsored by Providence Hospital. I totally love it. It's fun and I look forward to Mondays. There are about 20 Moms that come to the group and we talk about new mom topics... how to get more sleep, the best way to bottle feed your baby, ways to exercise, etc. Mostly its really nice just to have a group of gals that are going through the same baby stages with you. Anyway, on Monday one gal invited us over for a late lunch. 9 Moms showed up with their babies (all boys, one girl). It was quite a group... surprisingly quiet with all those babies. We took a few pictures... Nathaniel is third from the right side.

Brothers

We had an enjoyable Easter at my parents house yesterday. It was nice to be with family. My mom is an excellent cook!!! My older brother and family were not able to be with us... but we got a picture of me and the two younger brothers. I love my family.

Date Night

Saturday night was the first time in 9 weeks that Ken and I have been able to sit down and have dinner together! We called my parents and asked if they were free to babysit... they weren't... but re-arranged their schedule so that they could be. I love that Nathaniel can spend time with them and that they are eager to have him! Mom asked if he could spend the night! I think 30 years has erased her memory of what it's like getting up in the middle of the night with a crying little one. Bless her heart though :-) That day will come! So we dropped our little guy off (bottle and all) and headed downtown. We had a gift card to Morton's Steakhouse. We had a great time talking... mostly about Nathaniel... wondering what he will be like when he grows up. After dinner we called to see how he was doing and if we had time to go for a walk on the riverfront or if we should head home. Mom said they were doing fine so we joined the riverfront with 60 highschoolers who were out for Prom or some sort of formal. Oh did we feel old! We eventually headed back to my parents house and our little guy looked quite exhausted and puffy eyed. Apparently he had been crying for the last 30 minutes or so. I had only planned to be gone for about an hour and half but it ended up being over 3 hours! My parents had given him his bottle early on so he was hungry. The bottle I left was only 2.5 ounces of milk... which is what he usually has at a feeding but it seemed like not enough to my parents. I checked with the experts though and they agree that is a good amount for a 9 week old. All in all, we had a wonderful evening and mom and dad said they would be willing to do it again sometime.

Too Slow

Nathaniel was being a little fussy and looked like he was ready for a nap so I thought I would take him on a walk up to the club. He always falls asleep when we walk around the track. I went to the bathroom and then out to the car to get the stroller ready... when I came back in he was asleep! Guess I'm too slow... or he was really really tired. I decided to leave him in the pack n play and get a few things done around the house instead... Maybe a nap too. Sleep when the baby sleeps is what everyone says. Easier said then done.

Bradley Kids

We had a reunion with our birthing class last weekend.(There were just three couples and we met in the instructors home. We chose the Bradley method, which highly encourages the husbands involvement and natural birthing, instead of LaMaz or a Providence class. The class ran one 2 hour session for 12 weeks and gave us a good understanding of what to expect. We missed the first 5 because we were still in Israel. Anyway, I highly recommend the Bradley classes- especially if your husband isn't available to read all the books ahead of time). Anyway, it was fun to hear their birth stories. We shared ours with them back in February two weeks after Nathaniel was born. One gal had her baby girl (Left) just a few days after we saw them last...3weeks early! The other gal was a week late with their little boy (Middle). After hearing their stories and the complications they ran into, Ken and I were very thankful for the way our birth went... even though it was so long and hard.

2 month shots

Today was a pretty good day... up until our 2pm Dr. Appointment. Nathaniel started crying immediately when the Dr. came in. It was almost like he remembered her from the last visit when they poked him in the foot. He screamed the whole time she checked him out... she tried to ask me questions and I would have to ask her to repeat them because Nathaniel was so loud. So the Dr. visit was very short. I had just got him calmed down in my arms when the nurse came in with the shots to give him (one in each leg). The first one went okay, the second one caused more crying. I consoled him and he fell asleep in the car on the way home. Once we arrived at home he started crying and has been at it ever since... pausing breifly to close his eyes and rest before howling again. I finally gave him some infant tylenol. The directions do not tell you how much to give an infant under 2 so it took some time tracking that info down. He is now cuddling with Daddy. I think it might be a rough night. I wonder how long they are fussy after their shots?

First Laugh

Nathaniel laughed at my dad this weekend. It was really cute. My dad was just sitting there looking at his grandson and Nathaniel laughed for almost a full minute! These giggles/laughs make the long days worth it. What a sweetie!

Volleyball

I love volleyball. It's been FOREVER since I've played and can't wait to get back into it. Last night I attempted to play for the first time. Wow am I slow and my arms are sore (I think the ball was a little too hard). Technically I don't have the Dr. approval for running around so I tried to take it easy. Ken took Nathaniel to the club for a walk while I played. Nathaniel is always so easy for him... just drifts off to sleep. Hopefully I can get in the habit of playing volleyball every Thursday night. Gotta get ready for our sand team in June!

Sleep at last

Nathaniel slept from 10pm till 4:15am!!!!! We finally got a good night's rest! HOORAY! Think we can do that nights in a row?

2 months old

I can hardly believe it! Time is flying by. We have finally recieved the pictures we took when he turned 1 month. I'm used to the digital age when we can upload pictures immediately... those professionals should get on the ball! He cried the entire sitting so it made it really easy not to buy the big picture package. Some of the shots were so sad with his lips quivering and puffy red eyes. This was the best shot.

My little boy is growing so fast

He has officially grown out of the Newborn size. How sad! I actually tried to keep putting him in my favorite baseball outfit and my mom pointed out that he couldn't extend his legs. But he is just so cute in that outfit! I guess I have to put it along with these other favorite outfits away.

Snail Mail from Israel !!!!

Yesterday I recieved a letter from my aquatic friends in Israel! It was so fun to hear from them. I had sent them a birth announcement but wasn't sure if I would hear back from them. I was wondering if they would write to me in Hebrew and I would have to find a translator or if they would have someone write on their behalf. Sure enough they found someone to write in English on their behalf. It was fun to hear that they are doing well, but miss me :-) I miss our morning aerobics it was more enjoyable than the water aerobics here in Portland. I had no idea what the instructor was saying so I would mimic those around me. I definitely knew when he wanted us to go faster based on tone of voice :-) We have some great memories from our time in Israel!