Sick...sick...sick

Things have been pretty crappy around my house and I mean that literally. Today is the first day that we are all feeling good. Last Friday morning around 2:30 am, I awoke to my child puking all over the place. From that moment on things just continued to get worse. Zander had the stomach flu and lovingly passed it along to all of us. I was sicker than a dog on Saturday and Tyler came down with it on Sunday. Zander still has a touch of the runs today and is still rejecting most solid foods but I totally understand what he is going through.

Meanwhile we are planning for his first birthday bash. Tyler and I bought him his presents this weekend. I'm so excited.

Here is one of my favorite pictures of him.

99 Things

Stolen From Sniffer's Blog (AKA Sarah Cook)



I stole this from Sniffer, it looked like fun. You're suppose to bold the things you've done.



1. Started a blog.

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band. (Does Rock Band count...Pennywheelie Forever!)

4. Visited Hawaii.

5. Watched a meteor shower.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland.

8. Climbed a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo (3rd grade talent show, Whitney Houston, The Greatest Love of All)

11. Bungee Jumped.

12. Visited paris

13. Watched a lightening storm.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisening.

17. Walked to the top of the statue of liberty.

18. Grown your own vegetables.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.

20. Slept on an overnight train.

21. Hitchhiked.

22. Had a pillow fight.

23. Taken a sick day when you weren't really sick.

24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a marathon.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice. Just in Vegas at the Venetian.

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunset or a sunrise.

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagara falls in person.

34. Seen the birthplace of your ancestors.

35. Been to amish country.

36. Taught yourself a new language.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.

38. Seen the leaning tower of pisa in person.

39. Gone rock climbing.

40. Seen Michelango's David

41. Sung Karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful Geyser erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.

44. visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach at midnight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.

50. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.

51. kissed in the rain

52. Played in the mud.

53. Gone to a drive in theatre.

54. Been in a movie. (College, Jon Flesher, and home videos!)

55. been to the top of the Eifel Tower.

56. visited the great wall of china.

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. visisted Russia.

60. Served in a soup kitchen.

61. Sold girl scout cookies.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Got flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.

65. Gone ski diving.

66. Visited a nazi concentration camp.

67. Bounced a check.

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a favorited childhood toy.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten cavier

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square.

74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the changing of the guards in london.

77. Broken a bone. Pinky toe kicking JJ and Geoff.

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon.

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the paper.

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on new years eve. (Mazatlan 2004)

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. (Does fishing count)

88. Had chicken pox.

89. Saved someone's life.

90. Sat on jury duty.

91. Met someone famous.

92. Joined a book club

93. Got a tatoo

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Swam in the great salt lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee.

Waterboy

On Saturday Tyler and Zander went to Baby swim class. Zander had a blast! He loves water, whenever it's bath time, he kicks his feet like crazy as he is getting into the tub. He did the same as they were getting into the pool. In water babies class they sing songs, play with toys, blow bubbles, and practice jumping into the pool. It is awesome.
After class, Zander was so quiet, Tyler and I were worried something was wrong with him. Then on the way home he fell asleep. Tyler pulled him out of his carseat and he stayed asleep (which has never happened), handed him to me and I put him in his crib, all the while staying asleep. He continued to sleep for the next 2 hours. Tyler enjoyed quiet time so much that he asked me how often during the week we can take him to swim class.
Here are some pictures from the class.

8 Month Photos

Yesterday Tyler and I took Zander in for some photos. He is just 8 months old and he has changed so much so we thought it was time to go again. Typically, he's a ham but this time he was not in the mood. I felt so bad for the ladies trying to make him laugh because he just kept crying and screaming. I wanted to do some nude shots but he for sure was not having that. The pictures turned out cute anyway.
I love the spikey hair ones. He has so much and such long hair that Tyler and I go back and forth on cutting it. I really want to hold out until after his first birthday. For now I'm going to give him the spike and the fo hawk when I can.
Enjoy!

This Thanksgiving, I'm Thankful for Jennie

My favorite person, Jennie, Zander's daycare provider is more brave than I. Yesterday when I got home I was reviewing the notebook where Jennie logs their day together and at 9am it said "Painted" 9:30 am "Bath". I thought hmmm, that is wierd. I asked Tyler and we both were so confused, really, she painted. That is something I would never have attempted with a six month old. We both went about our evening, however still perplexed with the idea that at some point during their day together they painted. I went to bed and wanted to call her to ask her about it but I thought, I will see her in the morning so I'll just wait.

I got up this morning, got ready and went to eat breakfast when I found it. The most beautiful picture that I've ever seen in my life, hanging right smack in the middle of my fridge. OH MY GOD, I yelled, and then I started crying. My boy painted his first picture. Then I felt like a complete shmuck since I missed it hanging their all evening long. I called Tyler and told him and he said "Man we are jerks!"

Jennie arrived as I was feeding my boy his favorite new breakfast (Pureed bananas) and I thanked her for the picture. I told her how I started to cry and she said "Well don't open your birthday present then." She had taken his hand and foot prints and pictures of him painting and framed them for me. Of course I cried, it was so amazing and thoughtful. I love her and feel so blessed that my son spends his day with someone so giving. She is providing him the learning opportunities that I love when I can't.

I still can't believe she braved fingerpainting with him. When I asked her how it went she said it was so easy. She explained that she taped the paper to his high chair and let him go to town. Again, she is more brave than me.

Homemade Baby Food

This weekend I spent most of Sunday making homemade baby food for my little Zander Bear. I made squash, sweet potatoe, and carrot. Currently, sweet potatoe is his favorite but he will eat the others. I loved doing it, it was so easy and it made me feel very Martha Stewart like. I steamed the carrot and sweet potatoe and cooked the squash and then I just pureed each in my blender. Voila...fabulous baby food. This weekend I'm going to do some more and I can't wait. Here is a picture of my little bear getting ready to go out in his first snow!

H1N1 and my little boy

On Monday was Zander's 6 month well child exam. I knew he would be getting his usual round of vaccines, which he typical has no problem with. I was curious about the H1N1 vaccine because he is in daycare at my work and he is exposed to so much crap. The doctor told me it was totally safe (being that it is thermerasol free) and that he would definitely recommend it for Zander given his above situation 3 days a week. We decided to do it while we were there even though I felt a little apprehensive.

We went home and he was acting like his typical self, slept more but other than that did not seem bothered. We spent our day like usually, eat, sleep, play, and poop. I put him to bed around 7:30 and thought we were in the clear. Then around 8pm he woke up screaming, his little cheeks were bright red and his entire body was so hot. I checked his temperature and it was 101.6. I called the consulting nurse and she told me to give him Tylenol. I went to bed with him because I just wanted to cuddle and hold my little baby. I was so worried about him. I kept thinking "OH my gosh, this is all my fault." Around midnight I felt his fever break, I was so happy. The next morning he woke up with a slight fever around which steadily climb to 101.6 again, I gave him another dose, broke his fever and he has been happy ever since.

It scared me so bad. I was worried that my decision to have him vaccinated hurt him more than helped him.

This morning he is happy and fever free. Thank goodness!