blog update time!

It has been a terribly long time since i have blogged. I feel that an update is in order. It has been a wild month, and we have busily arrived at Christmas Eve eve! I am sitting by the light of my huge 8ft tree, and listening to the ghost of Christmas past talking to Ebenezer Scrooge on the TV. My in-laws and sis in law are visiting, and I am headed out to pick up my mom at the airport in a few minutes. I have been thinking of some random things lately that I have been meaning to blog.

1. I feel like i now think in terms of facebook status updates. Like at the NEX "Dear Nex, your clothes are ugly, I hate them. Love, Allison" or in the car "why are WA drivers afraid of snow" . My stream of consciousness has turned into little blurbs . Little 100+ character blurbs that are the nitty gritty. I feel like this is bad as far as my writing goes. I need to write in flowery words and flourishing sentences and facebook is trying to wean me from this.

Furthermore, blogger keeps underlining facebook as a misspelled word. Seriously, haven't they ever read Urban Dictionary?

Lastly

I feel as though I have a beef with Starbucks. I don't know about you but I like to order a Small Carmel Brulee Latte. Not a TALL, but a small. This is America. We serve Small, Medium, and Large, Not Tall, Venti, Benti and extra Super larggio! So every time I go I order a small tea, or a small cocoa, and the hippie ultra green barista repeats back to me 'a tall hot cocoa" and then I glare at her snide comment and confirm, YES, a SMALL cocoa. At this point they give up on my apparent "lameness" or "un coolness" I guess I would make a terrible Barista. I don't know why they need to make it so difficult. What is this trend of elitist companies, Abercrombie, you have to look like them, starbucks you have to talk like them.

They bore me. They couldn't keep up with me if they tried

Is it Kate Goesselin, or Blake B. ? You tell me!

My sweet baby is rockin the Kate Gosselin hair-do! Watch out Kate, you have some stylin competition!

Crazy woman martha stewart here!

Who Who WHo in their right mind decides to host 13 people for Thanksgiving Dinner and dessert when they have no prior experience? Yours truly of course! Yes, somehow I have always had it in my head that I would love to have a tv style holiday table full of eclectic people that don't know each other and have gathered around my table for a good meal, and good conversation. Well, that is exactly what I got. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I gained a whole new respect for any woman that has ever hosted a holiday. HOLY SMOKES it is a lot of work. Thank God my husband cleaned the house, or we would have been peeing in moldy toilets after eating our turkey. (joking!. heh. sort of). Anyways, I wrestled the 20 lb turkey into the sink (thats roughly 1/5 of my weight. Oh OK 1/6 , but whose counting pounds?) I bravely unwrapped it all the while praying i wouldn't find a feather. I swear to you if i found one single feather i would have been out! Yep check me out, done, no Thanksgiving for anyone . Thankfully there were none. I really ought to write to Foster Farms and thank them. Because i would have been scarred for life. I attempted to remove the giblets and instead found the neck. Hmm.. why don't they just toss the whole head in there? Beak and all.. i mean really.. Gross! I started freaking out and called steve for moral support. He held the cavity open while reached my plastic bag covered hand in there and pulled it out. He told me to just pretend i was picking up dog poop. uhhh...thanks honey. (lol surprisingly that is less gross to me!) I also then found the giblet bag and dumped it in a pot to make the gravy. I know thats gross and against everything i believe in. But I really wanted my gravy to be a success, i was desperate. It turned out really excellent . (Thank you wondra flour!). So I wrestled the turkey around (i refuse to call it 'the bird'. Thats disgusting, when i eat a burger i don't call it 'the cow'. ) and rinsed the thing in and out, i filled it with celery and carrots and onions. I wanted fresh herbs but not bad enough to go to the store and get trampled by every other overwhelmed housewife who forgot the butter, eggs, pumpkin, mini marshmallows, etc. Then I massaged melted butter into the skin, that was akward! I felt like I was trying to get the thing to relax. Off to the oven it went. I ran around doing the sweet potatoes. Then the chocolate ganache cake (not as great as it sounds, i only give it a 2 out of five probably) (maybe a 3). I took a shower in the mean time, and cut apples for pie. Steve was my excellent helper and arranged the crust and rolled it out. My apple pie was pretty darn good. It came off the NYS Apple website. I love NY. ANyhow, I am all ready, minus the hair. My hair was a big lion-y mane puffy mess. I looked like i stuck my finger in a socket. Blake was decked in his corduroys and waffle shirt. So was Steve. They matched pretty well and both looked great. The house looked perfect and smelled wonderful, and I looked like Cruella Devil! I was putting the touches on the pie, when i heard the doorbell ring. NOOOOooo. I was so not ready. Really i was wanting to paint my toes .. do my hair, maybe even get wild with my eyeshadow. I ran back to the bathroom, threw on lipgloss, threw my hair in a ponytail. And had to spend my first Thanksgiving as a hostess looking like something off a Sesame Street Monster Special. This morning I lamented in the shower "Lord when, WHEN will I have time to have a beautiful house, and a beautiful table, AND a beautiful me!"? I realized, it will be when my little man is bigger. Big enough to watch tv, or to play outside alone, or to be locked up in his room thinking im so lame. And I though to myself, I will take a million years of lion mane hair and just be grateful that the reason i can never catch up is a 20lb chubby man with a smile that melts me to pieces! How easy it is to lose perspective, but what a wonderful day it was! Despite the frizz... oh! and did i mention my roots? I need to call the hairdresser......

Welcome Home Fighting Marlins!

Today I got to be part of a spectacular event. Our squadron guys are coming home and I got to be there to witness families reunited, men meeting their babies for the first time, and wives whose faces showed such joy, and such relief at the safe return of their sailors. I am so proud to be an American, and so proud to be a navy wife. Watching the plane land, and the guys stream off in the cami's with little kids waving flags for them, was a beautiful sight. I got some good pictures (I hope), most taken on a friends camera. But here are a couple!

More hubbies are coming home, and I am gearing up for more pictures!

Happy Veterans Day!

Steve had off of work today, so we got to spend some family time together and it was awesome. First of all *snaps* for Blake (if you don't know what this means you better go watch Legally Blonde 2 again!). He slept from 8:30 pm-5 am!!! It was wonderful! Unfortunately he was up at six thirty, then up for his day at 7:55. He seems to have trouble getting back to sleep in the mornings. But I just bring him to bed with me, he likes to cuddle. I mean I don't . No siree, no cuddling here. If there is one think I like, its kickboxing. Or maybe Karate. I am not a snuggler ;) We got up and let Daddy sleep in since he always lets me sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays! We got all ready to go to story time. Steve could not WAIT to sing "The Grand Ol Duke of York" (ok I am exaggerating). I put Blake in his cute little gap onesie, and his socks even matched each other AND his outfit ( I know I am seriously supermom). I am telling you its like the mom olympics. It is such a challenge to put myself and him together. And mornings when I have on makeup, a cute outfit, and my hair done. You better believe Blake's socks don't match. He is wearing a onesie for the wrong holiday, and his hair is sticking up. No, its not that bad. But mornings when we both look put together..phew let me tell you I feel like i have just achieved ultimate mother-ness. So the three of us went out the door in our Wednesday finest.. to the library. We pull in to a completely empty parking lot. Not one car. DUH! Veterans Day! I wish someone would have told Miss Teresa that she is a librarian, not a Veteran. And furthermore If I have to live 3,000 darned miles from home that library better be giving me my story time once a week, for a full hour and not one minute less. I was slightly bummed, but we decided to head to La Conner. We walked around the stores, and drooled over antique furniture that costs more than my first car did. Steve even encouraged me to look in the knitting store :) ! Blake was such a trooper. He was in his baby B'jorn and smiled at everyone who looked at him, and even some people who didn't! He giggled at old ladies, and smiled sweetly at old men. We found La Conner Brewing company and went in for lunch. Best lunch I have had in SUCH a long time. I asked what kind of clam chowder they had? After all, I am a connoisseur - I worked at Bob's Clam Stand for like three summers! "New England or Manhattan....." I proposed. The waitress looked at me and barked "the white!". Ugh, west coasters, where is the class. I didn't ask what color it was! So I got 'the white' , it was so good, it had fresh dill minced over the top. I LOVE dill. Almost as much as I like Kickboxing. hhahaha. And I got a chicken, pesto, artichoke panini. MMM! Blake got chicken and rice, made a la Gerber. And a side of green beans. He was so well behaved and quiet, we had a great lunch. After that I had to change him. Would you think they could put a changing station in a Brewpub? Nooooooo. He was falling into the sink as I wrestled with him to get his diaper off. All while singing cheerily "who is a pee pee pants??" in hopes of getting his attention. I could not keep his attention however as he was truly fascinated by the faucet. Thank the Lord I am more coordinated than he is, probably not for long though.

We headed off to Burlington to exchange Blake's dinosaur pajamas for the 9 month ones, and then back home. What a fun filled day!

Sunday Funday!

What a very relaxing Sunday here at the Boldt household! Blake and Daddy got up early, (7:30) and let me sleep in until 10! it was wonderful! After we got up, and goofed around the house, Daddy went to take a shower and Blake and I fell asleep on the couch. Steve came back quiet as a mouse, and played his video game. The three of us snuggled on the couch for two hours or so, and Blake and I slept like babies! :) We headed off to church to attend The Six. Thats the edgy cool name for the evening service. Can you guess what time it's at? If you said 6 o'clock your so right! Clever, I know. Blake went to the nursery to play with his pals, once again he was the hit of the evening. He was exhausted when I went to get him, and then we had to whisk him off to walmart to buy wipes and a toilet brush! Leave it to me to screw up buying a toilet brush. I reasoned that we really didn't need the six dollar one, because it comes in a complicated plastic case that will get all dusty and then i will have to clean the dust off of the toilet watery plastic case. I figure, just get the brush that sits in a cup, THEN when i clean the toilet, the brush gets cleaned. uh-huh, i'm a thinker. Not just a pretty face right here! So I get one in sage green to match the bathroom, because we're classy like that. I start scrubbing away at (eeekk 4 months) worth of gross. (In my defense I am a busy woman and when we moved we tossed the old ones. Our new toilets have been cleaned with bleach just not scrubbed really well). Anyhow, I felt like the valiant mold warrior as i swiftly scrubbed...until ...the brush head fell off. There I stood, defeated by the mold. I held a plastic stick in my hand, and had to call my reinforcements in. AKA, my dear husband who came to my rescue and retrieved the moldy scrub brush head with the plastic wand and reattached it. And this folks, is what marriage is all about. When you lose the moldy toilet brush into the depths... a truly good husband will come running to help you out.

Busy day in the neighborhood

Living on Whidbey Island really gets more interesting everyday. I am starting to see why people retire here. Well sort of. I recently started seeing pheasants all over the base.(haha spell check just tried to turn that into peasants.) I have been seeing peasants all over the base! LOL Anyhow, I hate birds. I still really do. But it was like 5% cool to see it. Then tonight I saw two deer on my way home from Safeway. They were right next to the road. I also saw to drunk staggering down the street today, and yelling at my car as I drove past. They were brown baggin it. Oh Oak Harbor, you're so classy.

Today Blake and I had MOPS. He did great in the nursery, and I made the most spectacular cardboard and paper photo album you ever did see! Really, you can just call me Martha. Ok ok, I had a lot of help, and detailed instructions. But still, it was super fun, and as Meredith, my table leader told me. I WAS a crafting apprentice, but NOW I am a craft MASTER!! Yes!

Blake and Daddy had fun tonight while I went to starbucks to meet with a friend. We had some good fellowship and then I headed off to Safeway. It was very luxurious (albeit lonely) to shop alone. I too my time fondling the pomegranates. Hmm...no thats not right. I mean choosing a pomegranate. I was intrigued by the 'buy one get one free', but later disgusted by the fact that they cost four dollars a piece. What a scam. I can go to the commissary and get one half as fresh for a quarter of the price! yum! The privileges of being a military wife!

So in Safeway, I cruised the baby food, leisurely choosing the best flavors and cuisine for Blake. Ham and gravy.. mmmm...green beans...mmm. and the piece de resistance - ground chicken, and corn starch and water! Aka "chicken dinner". Alas, I missed my boys too much and headed home. Haha, i just had a type-o and accidentally typed "headed homo". No, I am very much straight. No worries.

Tomorrow Blake and I are off to explore Anacortes with our friend Brandi. Let's see what other adventures this state holds!

Blake is not too happy....

I just took the most hilarious video of Blake. I was feeding him and kept trying to get the spoon to chew on it. (He is teething like a little angry bear). I took it back and he got quite fed up with me! It is too funny, take a look!

Warnings

Warnings based on my experience

Warning:Do not gargle wildly with mouthwash in the shower in an attempt to save time. You will only splash mouthwash in your eyeball

Warning:Do not remove baby food label, and microwave baby food jar. Upon removal your hand will be covered in sticky glue.

Warning: ....eh thats all I got for today.

My skin hurts, my muscles hurt. Thanks to my hubby for a back massage because it felt like I had done two hours of hard labor. My back was ridiculously sore.

Now here I sit at the computer, and all I can smell is ranch dressing from the bowl next to me that has leftover ranch from my salad. It smells gross.

My throat hurts.

On the bright side, I love my life and I have the CUTEST baby boy on the planet, who I love with all my heart. I honestly don't know if a person's life could be complete with out seeing a little toothless grin covered in green beans giggling at a mommy who is making the buzzzing bee noises with a spoon!

Rainbows from God!

I have been making an effort to work on my prayer life lately, and I feel like God is listening. This rainbow graced our backyard last night. A completely full arch!

My Love

“If I have a monument in this world, it is my son.” — Maya Angelou

Have you Ever....

Have you ever woken up to someone whispering at you..pssss...sssssspppp..pssshhhh?

no?

Then you must not be a mama.

Has anyone besides a dentist ever stuck their fingers in your mouth to explore your teeth?

no?

Then you must not be a mama.

Has anyone ever pooped YOUR pants?

no?

Then you must not be a mama.

Has anyone ever thrown up squash on your very expensive mattress?

no?

Then you must not be a mama.

Has anyone ever sneezed green beans all over your best black pants?

no?

Then you must not be a mama.

Has anyone ever wet you, AND Your bed?

no?

Then you must not be a mama.

Has anyone ever taken your heart, and carried it around in their tiny soul?

Yes?

Then you must be a mama.

Dedicated to my precious Blake Rowan, my sidekick, my comic relief, my greatest blessing.

To my mom who tried to explain to me how motherhood felt. NOW, I get it.

I have to be honest.....

....So I have to be honest, I have been a slacker blogger. Partially because of time constraints, but mostly because of vanity. Yes, you see, people keep telling me that they enjoy my blog, and it's funny. I appreciate that so much, it means so much to me. Butttttttt....what happens when it isn't funny. What if you click open my blog to read it and there is no funny. You don't even crack a smile through the whole post. Then what? Then you have wasted your time and think I am lame to boot. That is a LOT of pressure people. Ack.

Where do I start. Blake's new friend Josie came to play on Friday so that Josie's Mom could get some shopping done. I always thought I was a relatively good multitakser..I learned that is a blatant lie. Probably from the devil. Thats where all lies come from. So I learned that I really suck at it. I had just grocery shopped, and Josie had just arrived. I figured I would put away groceries while she and Blake started to play, and then I would join them. This was workin until the dog got all up in her grill. No Roxy, not everyone wants to go to second base with you, thanks anyways. So i shoo-ed the dog outside. Then Steve came home for lunch, he knew better than to ask me for a sandwich, and started putting away all of the groceries. Thank goodness! In the mean time, Blake spots Josies potty seat and starts high tailing it across the room away from his land of clean and sterile toys.. to the potty seat. His mouth is open as if he has just spotted the most succulent fruit. Is this sort of how Eve and the apple went down? Thankfully I swooped in and got him before he started taste testing. Poor Josie wasn't too impressed with our toy collection. Luckily her mama is smart and packed her a bunch of toys. She started to put together princess puzzle squares, and Blake thought he would help by sucking and chewing on princess Jasmine. Josie looked throughly disgusted as she wiped it off. Poor kid, I don't think she will ever want to come back after what happened next. We got all ready to go to the park, and walked over. I steered Josie toward the little kiddie playground, but some kind of law states that kids want danger, so she wanted to go on the towering big kid playground. I followed her around and she hopped up the steps, and through the tunnels and I couldn't believe how coordinated a two year old is! I probably would have fallen off and broke my head open. We skipped home and Josie laughed as if watching a 23 year old lady skip was about the funniest ever. When we arrived home I entered the living room first and saw two empty snack containers. Lids off. Lids chewed. No snacks. I sunk to the floor , threw my hands up and said "WHY GOD?". Haha. Just kidding, I ran over and started shooing the dog out and trying to figure out a way to say "Well, Josie the dog ate your chocolate chip cookies and goldfish".. and make it sound like christmas morning. She followed me in and I said "Oh Josie, the dog was very naughty, I am sorry she ate your snacks. We will get you new snacks". She looked heartbroken ..she reached down her little hand and picked up the empty plastic cup and looked at me with wide eyes and said "Cookie?" She looked so perplexed. I finally convinced her that the dog ate them, when she changed the subject to pee pee. OH! I had forgotten to take her to the bathroom. Blake was asleep by this point and I Had to put him in his crib. Ok! Come with me, I told her. I put him down gently as she said "pee pee", I looked at her, ready to respond when I realized what she meant was "hey dimwit, you didn't take me to the bathroom when I asked the first time." Yep, too late. What I learned: When a two year old tells you "pee pee" what they mean is "PEE PEE NOW, IF YOU DON'T TAKE ME NOW--My TINY BLADDER WILL EXPLODE. LITERALLY!"

She was a good sport though, she didn't get mad. We changed her clothes, minus pants, because apparently kids hate pants. And thankfully the rest was calm. Poor kid, lost her cookies, and got all soggy. Blake had fun though, Josie is his first real friend, he smiles at her and follows her around. And she calls him buddy. I love it! His first nickname from a friend!

bebe

baby carrots

Breast Fest '09

Oh Lordy! Where do I even begin. Well... today I decided to take Blake to story time at the library. We ran into a new MOPS friend, and I was delighted. One Mom said "I really come more for the social interaction for myself than my daughter....". A woman after my own heart. Don't tell anyone that my main motivation is not the awesome songs and the three second story. The mere exchange of words other than "ahhhh..blaaaaa...mmmm..." is enough to just keep my mind going all day. So, we started out and Blake got a little fussy, then he started pulling angrily on my shirt...uh oh..plan b. I pull out the pacifier, and he promptly falls asleep. Great so here I sit in a circle of moms and babies, all AWAKE and I am stuck singing "When cow's get up in the morning, they always say good day. Mooo mooo mooo moo that is what they say, they say". I don't even have a baby to sing to. He is out! cold. Soooo.. around 10:30 he decides to wake up. I figure we might as well stay for 10:30 storytime and thus increase our odds of making new friends. (oh and stimulate Blake's brain as well). Round two went somewhat better. We were busy singing the grand ol' duke of York, when I suddenly saw a breast. Yes, a breast. A lady was breastfeeding with no cover. Phew, I looked away. I can do this . "i can so do this" i told myself. I am a hip and progressive mama. (oh who am i kidding, i was horrified, im more straight laced than Billy Graham) (well, usually..) Anyways, I looked again to make sure i wasn't going nuts and there she is, singing along with her breast out. Totally weird. So we keep singing, Blake liked to add his own sad and angry opera.. he wanted to go play. I look around again to see if my baby is the only one that hates these songs, and now lady #2 has pulled her shirt up and her year old is nursing. Let me mention these kids were OVER a year old, not like it was some milk emergency. I mean, what happened to bringing goldfish on your outings? Now its like "baby.. check. diapers...check...braless...check..boobs..check. " Ok lets go! Umm,.. get some cheerios please!! So then I turn to the lady next to me to say goodbye..her son was 9 months, the closest baby to Blake's age. And what is she doing??? NURSING! with a blanket? No, of course not. This is breastfest 2009, and I didn't even realize I was invited. So we left in a hurry, and I made a point of saying ..."WANT TO GO HOME FOR LUNCH???" very loudly to Blake. Although I am sure no one could hear me over the sound of all the babies slurping.

Can't wait til next week.

Mama and Blake hit the library

I love this guy. What better way to spend an afternoon!

The Ugly Baby Contest

Today we went to an event called the "Beautiful Baby Contest", but I refuse to call it that and will henceforth be referring to it as the "Ugly Baby Contest". I know that isn't nice. I know. But nobody said becoming a mother makes you nice. It makes you protective, and patient, and your heart grows a million times bigger... but nobody promised nice. I entered Blake in the contest held at the NEX. (The navy exchange for you civilians!) There was also a crawling derby. I wasn't going to put my eggs in that basket. (haha my eggs already have a basket..haha... ok never mind). We were preparing to leave the house, daddy had dressed Blake in his button down shirt and corduroys. He looked so handsome. He had a bath and his hair brushed and was patiently waiting in his jumper toy. As I loaded the diaper bag, he began to cry. Then he grunted. Then his face got red, and he cried more. Uh oh..you know where this is going. Down the toilet. I scooped him, changed him in record time, and off to the contest we went. Crisis averted.

When we arrived at the store, a table of late teens/young twenty something girls was at a table for the judges. They seemed nice, and didn't look particularly dumb. Looks can be deceiving. I signed in Blake and we decided to let him have his chance at the crawling derby. He is a champion scooter, and very motivated by the dog food and water dish. He races to them, at least 56 times a day. I started to eye up the competition. These kids all had weird names. That was the first thing I noticed. I observed a Kapri, Quinn,Tyrek(?),Raya, some other kid whose name was so jumbled I don't even remember. We will call her Rosalie because it was some form of rosa-something. I could see right away that Blake was CLEARLY the cutest. And if any of you know him one bit, he is also the most charismatic guy around. He loves the ladies, and the judges were all ladies. So where could we go wrong? Right?

Wrong. First off, the "emcee" (read large loud mouth lady) had us go first. I got to the judges and said "this is Blake, he loves girls.."THANKYOU BLAKE" came the booming voice. I quickly added "and crawling to the dog dishes". I tried to get him to smile, but he was very serious. He had his game face on, and was not to be distracted by tickling or plastic keys. We waited for the other babies, who all got way more time to get their smiles out.. (do you sense my bitterness?).

We eagerly awaited the results. I heard talk of a tie.. they started with the fourth runner up. No Blake.. Third runner up No Blake. etc. etc. Grand prize.. I was pumped, I was all smiles. I was beaming with pride.... "KAPRI". Um excuse me? Like the pants...? Like can someone come to the pants department with ? I was shocked. I got myself together though, because it was time for the crawling derby. We still had a chance to shine. I put Blake down, Daddy had his back, and I sat at the finish line. Daddy crawled behind him, I coaxed him on with plastic keys. First he laid on his belly and looked around. Then he started to scoot. Then stupid baby Quinn fell over and started to cry, which distracted him. He looked very concerned for her/him (gender neutral baby). On the end was baby Rosa-whatever. She had to be at least one. She was a cutie with black pigtails. And she howled. Oh did she ever... She cried for her Mama...who sat at the finish line and would not budge to pick her up! I could not believe it. She coaxed her with snacks and a bottle. The little girl rocked on her knees and cried. Meanwhile Blake was scooting away. After being ignored by her parents .. poor little Rosa-whatever crawled to them, crying her eyes out the whole time. Sick, people. Seriously? You are going to torture your kid to win a gift basket full of avent bottles? ridiculous. Anyhow, I wanted Blake to crawl as far as he wanted to Steve and I cheered him on. He pushed his little legs and threw out his arm and slapped the red finish line in a wonderful victory. He didn't win the avent bottles, but he won our hearts as he does every single day. I knew what it felt to be a proud mama.. I could tell Steve was proud too... to see our little guy do his best, and enjoy himself doing it. Heck he even won a consolation prize of squirty plastic bath toys!

What a blessing he is. The other night as I got up for the umpteenth time to soothe him back to sleep I thought, "My life is ruled by a man who has been on this planet 1/46th the time that I have. " I wouldn't have it any other way.

Fowl Language!

So we have a new resident on Larch Drive. His name is... well I can't tell you what his name is. It's too dirty. There is a bird that is insistent on living atop our porch light. Anyone who is anyone knows how i feel about birds. I hate birds. I ABHOR birds. They make me cringe and want to cry all at the same time. The worst punishment I could have is going on the birdwalk at the zoo. So I though that if we named the bird, it would be less alarming and intimidating. Hence, the name. Unfortunately the name is far too inappropriate to write here. If you really want to know, ask me. In person, or via text. So, one night we came home to find... the bird. His alias will be Archie. Archie was on the porch light, pooping all over, and I told steve he better get em! So my valiant husband grabbed the first thing he saw --the toilet brush (remember we are moving, everything is in chaos). He swung at Archie, and tried to scare him. No luck, this is no ordinary bird. Finally-he almost had to smack him before he flew away. We had a few more of these incidents. Thankfully Steve was always home, otherwise I would have had to be housebound. The other night, Archie came back with his girlfriend. Bringin her home to meet the folks I guess...
So I sent Steve out.. armed with the toilet brush of course. He chased them around the carport and they finally landed on a beam, refusing to leave. I held Blake close to me, and ran for my life as fast as I could into the house. All the while saying "BLAKEY I wont let that bird get you!!!!!".
The next time, Archie was mad about the toilet brush. He is very edgy, and when Steve came a-chasin, he fought back. He started divebombing him, and nearly flew into his head, before exiting scene. If anyone knows a bird cowboy. Please call me at 1-800-Archieneedstogo!

Time for an update

I have been the worst blogger ever lately. I cannot even remember the last time I blogged. Oh well, lots of catch up. We moved into a new house. Totally awesome right? Yes, moving with a five month old is a blast. I recommend everyone do it. If possible, make sure you only attempt packing while he is teething hardcore. Provides motivational music! This mama has signed up for yoga in an attempt to stay flexible. (ok get flexible) and stay calm. I am thinking there is something to this "take care of yourself..." stuff. Not that I am not calm.. oh no.. moving a household, being a first time mom, and living 3,000 miles from home all makes for one calm girl. Hah! Ohhh, I have really become a domestic diva. I cannot tell you the joy I am deriving from my new frigidaire washer and dryer. They are front loading, digital screen, eight million settings, and best of all... they make my clothes smell w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l- I am seriously like a laundry junkie now. I wash as many loads a day as I can, depending on how much dirty stuff I can rustle up. Then when the timer beeps at the end of the dryer cycle I race to the laundry room and throw open the dryer door and smell the amazing fresh scent. You people with top loaders have no idea what you are missing. Also in household news, I got a swiffer mop and a swiffer sweeper. If you are aspiring to be a domestic diva like me, you HAVE to get these. I enjoy dirt on my floors. I chase it around with my swiffer, capturing each rouge little dog hair. Then I swiffer wet mop it away with the lovely grape-ish scented liquid. Which I am sure is composed of 58 chemicals that have been suspected of causing cancer in the state of california. se la vie. In mommy news, Blake has been introduced to solids!! Well introduced to mush would be a more accurate description. We had been gearing up for introducing baby food for a few weeks when we decided to wander down the baby aisle at the commissary one evening. Steve got excited about all the bananas, and we decided to give Blake his first bites. As Steve pa-roused the flavors, I got a little choked up thinking of my baby getting big. Then I thought "hmm.. he doesn't need me as much now". Well that did it, the floodgates opened, and lets just say, Steve shuffled me outta there before I drowned the other mothers in the tears of a first time mama. My darling husband said "can i feed him? " "Sure"... then he went on.. "but you can give him his first bite". How sweet is that!! He knew what a big deal it was to me. Anyways, i decided to be camera woman, and daddy did the banana honors. Blake was quite perplexed but took to the spoon right away. He is such a perfectly good boy. He did great. Next up was squash. He was not too keen on that, which is a tragedy, because I ate butternut squash for lunch the other day (yes ..just squash). He was a trooper though, and kept on. Along with introducing solids came.. well..lets just say it was time to introduce prunes. He LOVES prunes. Definitely his favorite! What did I learn from all this.....a diaper of three days worth of prunes for dinner is NOT for the faint of heart! So onto the next intro..Peaches! Yum!
Coming up, we have school starting for Steve and I. Blake and I are going to Mops on Thursdays, and doing bible study mondays. Its a busy fall... and Steve and I are trying to fit in ballroom dance lessons too!! Stay tuned for photos. Dancing with the stars here I come. You can call me Ginger. Its my catholic name. Hahahahaha....

How I found Jesus in a failed Lemon Meringue Pie

I am telling the truth when I say that God speaks to me in very mysterious ways. For instance... I have been thinking about the church pie contest for weeks. I have been brainstorming the perfect pie. I finally decided on Lemon Meringue. Everyone says how hard it is to get the meringue to set right and ya da ya da ya da... I decided that I am an intelligent woman and if I can birth a baby I can make a darned pie. So I used the recipe on the cornstarch box and also googled
"lemon meringue pie tips" and "foolproof meringue" I called my aunt for tried and true advice as well. I was armed with beaters and enough lemons to beat the band. I made my crust, and filled it with the filling. I zested lemons so hard that I grated my hand. (Very gross). My lovely assistant Steve watched Blake all afternoon so that I could make this pie. Now for the glorious meringue, I whipped those egg whites in the cleanest bowl you ever saw! They made beautifully stiff peaks and I spread it over the hot topping, sealing the pie as I had been so carefully instructed by my aunt the pie guru! I put the beautiful pie in the oven, the meringue was not really high but good enough I thought. I took it out, and it was beautiful. I let the pie cool and when I returned to it, it had pulled away from the crust and filling. Now don't get me started on the filling, it looked like someone had just peed under my meringue, that is how watery it was. The meringue also had little brownish droplets on it. "Weeping" according to the internet. I was so sure this pie was the path to my success, but alas, I would need another test one.
I decided that I was just too lame to make this pie. I gave up
I traded it in for Chocolate Coconut Pecan and to increase my chances of winning, I also made a Creamsicle pie. (After losing the woman's christmas dinner and chilli contest by a thin margin, i decided i needed to step it up!)
The day started off hectic because Blake and I fell asleep at noon and didn't wake up until 2!! I ran to the store and raided the baking aisle and ran home as fast as I could. Blake was happily playing as I began to melt the butter and choclate for my pie. I read the next step "add eggs...."
WHOA WHOA WHOA ..HOLD the phone! I don't have eggs. I thought "ok I will just ask the neighbors". Well, if you have read any previous posts, you know that is quite a risk. I might interrupt a romantic afternoon, or worse yet, get roped into helping someone spank their kid. I decided that was out of the question. SO I loaded Blake back up in the carseat... (at this point 2 1/2 hours til showtime!) .. I ran to safeway, getting stuck behind every slow person. I passed a case of chicken, showcasing "$5 chicken friday!!! Cold chicken tenders for $5" . Yea, because everyone wants to pay $5 freakin dollars for cold chicken! I plowed on, through my disgust, got my eggs and the sugar that I was also out of and ran through the check out. The cashier admired Blake and said "boy isn't it hard going out with them.. loading up the baby and all their gear"....Hah, you have no idea lady. I regaled her with the story about how I just CAME from the store. As I went back to my car, I loaded the groceries in, while Blake stayed in the cart on the sidewalk (I got a great parking spot thankyou Jesus!) (Because NOTHING irritates me more than giant SUVS parking in the compact spots ). So I went back to get Blake and nearly tripped over this ugly creepy little black bird. So then we had a standoff. Anybody who is anybody in my world knows that i abhor birds. Quite frankly, they gross me out. So I just kept walking toward it, and it would not move, it just kept hopping. So i ran past it, grabbed my baby, and got the heck outta there. Long story short (ok shorter!) I took my pie to church. Pies that is. Set them next to a BEAUTIFUL Lemon meringue. The tallest fluffiest you ever saw. I listened to all the old guys talk about how that was the best one, and their favorite. I pretty much gave up the ghost of winning, and then.....tada... 3rd place! Out of 18! I was so excited ... and guess what ? The lemon didn't even win. God knew that I really wanted to do well, but I just followed my own heart and will. When my path swerved, I gave up on succeeding. I listenned to the "world" (the old men who love the lemon meringue) and I lost confidence in what I had done. Ok I know this sounds INCREDIBLEY CHEESY! But can you see the parallel? So often we take our own paths to success in life . Or take paths to what we think will get us the gold. Instead we end up disappointed. If we seek out God first, it is there we find success. Moral of the story:
Ask God to show his plans to you
and for goodness sake check your darn grocery list before you leave the store!

Jer 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

All Quiet on the Western Front. (Hahaha Got ya!)

It is never ever quiet on this western front. What were you thinking?? The latest adventure in our wild lives is... We are moving. We are all beyond excited. Blake can't even sleep at night because of the sheer thought. Roxy has no idea what we have in store for her. We are moving into base housing away from the bizarre neighbors, the skateboard gang that lives in our complex, and best of all the birds that poop all over my car and live in my eaves. Really what are eaves anyways?

Moving on, we are moving into a three bedroom ranch house with a fenced in back yard and two full bathrooms. We also have a dishwasher.. and that is not even the best part... wait for it... here it comes... We have a laundry room! Wooooo! I am beyond excited. I am just dreaming in visions of Clorox and Tide. I will have stain removal pens in all colors, I will have shelves upon shelves of various fabric softeners, and the best part is I will not have a single quarter anywhere in my house. Why? you ask? Because, my machines are not coin operated!! Now, if only I can convince my husband that the fabric softener does not make his clothes "too soft". That is a direct quote.

Escaping the neighbors will be an added bonus. We really are surrounded by nice people..but things get strange. Like the day Steve woke me up to tell me that the neighbor wanted to borrow my car. Um.....? I have spoken to said neighbor MAYBE three times. Possibly a few more "hellos". "Yea", he continued, "I told her I would send you over". I thought he must be mistaken, but when I showed up on her doorstep...cautiously as her ferocious dog wagged his tail warily and looked ready to pounce... She exclaimed " I think your husband misunderstood" " I wanted to borrow your car, because my daughter is asleep and I need dog food." Hm. Really? Your daughter is 3, is she just going to stay here? I hesitated, my car is very new, but besides that, I love my pretty shiny red car and I had terribly visions of it being totaled. "I have a license, I can show you...." she continued. I told her that I was sorry that my insurance only covered my hubby and I. She seemed disappointed. Huh, I guess I would be too if a random person didn't want to GIVE me their car. We went out later, where she continued to tell me how much her three year old daughter "pissed her off" and how she got three bare-bottom spankings, and time out for hiding her mom's glasses under the couch. This of course was after she had to clean her room. This is the same little girl who climbs up on toys, opens her second story window and looks at me while I clean up dog poo. She never says much, throws occasional toys out at me, sticks her tounge out at me...etc. One day I heard a little voice "The doggie is going poo poo again". Thank you. I love nothing more than cleaning up poop with an interactive audience.
Then there is the couple with the purple mustang. They are very nice and all, but I was walking down the back stretch of yard the other day, chasing the pooping dog with a bag and shovel in hand. I was decked out in my best pj's with a topknot on my head, and I see a smiling face waving at me thru the glass. As fast as it appeared it disappeared. But not before I realized, and he realized that he was in nothing but a bathrobe and his whitey tighties!
Ahhhhh, new neighbors...how i cannot wait to meet you.

I am starting my own home based business

I am thinking that whoever started the catch phrase "home based business" really had a great idea. Someone sits in an airconditioned office overlooking the beach in Miami while a bunch of housewives across the midwest sell candles, cookwear and clothing to fund the lifestyles of some guru that needed to get away from corperate america. I have been stalked by home based business consultants, caught up in the glamour and convinced myself I NEEDED ten color coded tupperware vegetable bowls that collapse, freeze, and wash themselves. Now, there are many great consultants out there, and to them I am truly grateful, it is the "others " that make a bad name.
So based on some recent experiences I am going to create my own. Here is how it goes.
Lets say we are going to sell rocks.
Ok, now you know that you need to sell rocks. These are not pebbles, these are classy, beautiful home decor items. You could not find rocks like this on the beach. No. These rocks are imported from..hmmm.. lets say.. Lithuania. That sounds good.
So in order to sell these Lithuanian rocks, you need to buy a start up kit. That has all the essentials. There are five decorative rocks. A paperweight. (It has felt glued on the bottom--uh you SO can not find THIS on any beach)..not just any felt.. felt made from gentle fibers of organically fed alpacas. It also includes a ultra super duper rock polishing cloth, rock luster spray, and of course a sleek, sturdy carrying bag.
In order to get your starter kit, you only need to put $200 down. This is a steal, because it is a $500 value.
Amazing.
Wow, so now you need to have a party, but that is overdone, So lets call it something catchier. How about a retreat. A rock retreat, where you and your best gal pals can come and get Zen and Karma and unwind. After all, rocks have magic nature powers. (Aha, see , you are becoming intrigued!)
All you have to do is hold them, all shined up with their luster spray, and they will change your life. You can feel the tranquility pulsing through your veins.
If you have a party totaling sales of $1,000 or more, you earn 25% comission
A party totaling sales of $10,000, you make 50% commission. OF COURSE, the average party is $10,000.
The product sells itself. Really.
Any takers?


**Disclaimer, I know some great girls who run home based businesses. This is for the Jehovah Witness style sellers who drive me crazy. As a matter of fact I know a great candle consultant that gave me a tea light that just burned for FOUR HOURS!

****Disclaimer 2,
I have nothing against Jehovah's witnesses other than the fact that they are not going to heaven. I am however very nice to them, and do not endorse the wearing of the "Jehovah's Witness Protection" T shirt that my husband owns. I wish they would stop giving me abortion pamphlets though, I OBVIOUSLY didn't have one!

Cat scratch rage... and I need a highly profitable job.

I have recently decided that I need a highly profitable job, that is low on the work intensive scale. Last night Joy and I went to a Cabi party. If you have never heard of Cabi clothing...well.. don't look it up. Because if you do, you will realize how frumpy and possibly dumpy you truly are and therefore feel compelled to spend your husbands savings account on a new wardrobe. If you want to come to terms with your frumpy self, then by all means google "Cabi Clothing" and prepare to be transformed. When i first saw the clothes, I thought they were mediocre at best, and would NO WAY spend the money on them that they require. Then the consultant called me up to try on a little white furry bolero style jacket..I was sold. All of the sudden I looked like this classicly beautiful 1920's movie star, instead of a saggy, stretch marked, sleep deprived Mama. (haha, ok I didn't look THAT bad when I showed up.. but I needed that sentence for dramatic effect).
Anyways, then came the fun... With all the doors and windows closed (Sorry Peeping Tom), we turned the living room and dining room into a huge dressing room and had a five year old style dress up marathon! We tried on, and discarded and traded, and EVERY piece of clothing looked flattering and beautiful on every woman, whether she was a size 2 (ahem JOY!) or a size 12. I know I sound like a commercial, but I would totally recommend anyone having a party, also because it is SO darn fun! We mixed and matched and I fell in love with a ruffly beethoven blouse. (Google it!), I went from Equine classic country beauty, to edgy rocker chic in less than ten minutes. Blake fell asleep on the couch, and three hours after I arrived, I left a changed woman! I came home starry eyed to my sleepy eyed husband who met my excitement with a 'mmhhmm'. He clearly didn't understand how life changing these clothes were going to be for us. If only we spent our extra money every month on a few pieces, I would have the whole collection in no time!! I shoved the catalog in his face. I took the laptop from him and brought up the website and he listed to my speel, smiling all the while and acting as if these clothes were insanely interesting, as any wonderful husband would do. As he saw me drooling over the grab and go jacket..he realized this was serious! I assured him I am going to have a party so that I can get a half priced item or two. Little does he know that about six dressing and undressing women are about to take over the house, which means he will have to find somewhere else to spend the evening!
I fell into bed with visions of grandeur as far as my wardrobe, only to be awoken ..not by my beautiful boy, but by a howling cat. This is the THIRD night in a row. If I was really gutsy I would leave a note on the door that says
Dear Lovely neighbor whom I overheard talking with your boyfriend,
I am sorry that he has cheated on you and with someone who "doesn't mean anything to him". He is clearly "paying attention to YOU, now. Baby". I am saddened to say that you recent afternoon "activites" were overheard by the whole neighborhood. I am surprised that you would be so quick to forgive him. However the promise of his "$18 an hour for unemployment checks" is pretty enticing. This brings me to my other point. Apparently your home is enticing to your cats at 4 in the morning. You fail to let them in every night and I have to listen to them squall their faces off trying to get your attention. There is no way you could be sleeping through this. Some nights they fight with each other which is alarming to wake up to, and other nights they work together to break in. They are like very loud ninjas. I witnessed them scaling your house, and climbing up the window screens in order to try and find you. They would crawl about fifteen feet up the side of your house and then fall back down. Over and over they went. I listened to each failed howl of despair. Much like my own despair at losing sleep. At least I could think about the Beethoven blouse. If you could be so kind as to let them in at night, I would be much obliged.
Sincerely,
The sleep deprived soon to be stylin mama!

NY, NY ...

Well, the Boldt family just returned from an amazing trip to NY! It was so much fun, I think we packed an activity into every second of every day without an ounce of downtime. Blake was such a good boy, he slept on the plane rides, adjusted to the time change without incident, shared smiles and giggles amongst a slew of relatives, and he was even perfect during his baptism. Here are a few photo highlights.

I personally had an amazing time, and I can tell that Steve really benefited from a vacation too! I know this because he was raring to go for work at 6am on our first day back. (Heh...might have something to do with the time change!). Speaking of which, he just got another promotion! I am looking toward the white house with all of these promotions ...you can start calling me "The First Lady".. anytime!

Roxy really loved her vacation as well. Our dear friends Joy and Jon watched her, but also gave her a real dog-cation! They provided playmates (Zeus and Thor the Great Dane puppies), took her for walks on the beach, re-taught her how to walk on a leash, and even gave her a bath!

Rollin, Rollin Rollin, keep that baby rollin!

Blake is SO close to rolling over it's crazy. I mean he rolls all the way to his side + some! I am sure that he will be doing it by tomorrow or the next day. He gets mad after awhile though and starts to yell! It pretty much infuriates him to not be able to get where he wants to go. What a trooper though, he sure tries hard! He has also started to laugh, it is the most adorable thing that I have ever heard. He tries so hard .. it comes out as a little "hehh" "hehh" but yesterday, he got out quite a big giggle! It was so awesome. On a more dire note, we have been battling cradle cap. I almost typed cradle crap. Which is what it should be called. Really, poop, spit up and boogers don't gross me out, but do not get me started on cradle cap! eeeek!

We are headed home to NY in two weeks, and as luck would have it, the lake is being treated with weedkiller right when we get there. Oh well, I am so happy to be going home, they could fill the lake with boogers and I would glady wade into them. (see I told you I am a HARDCORE mama now!).

Roxy has taken a renewed interest in Blake and if she isn't watched, I will find her spontaneously stopping by to lick up his whole face! Blake used to be alarmed by this. Now he opens his mouth wide (as if she has some tasty beverage to offer besides his usual milk), and today he giggled at her. But the sweetest thing was before she launched her lick attack, she looked at him, and he reached his little pudgy hands up to her face and cradled her face in his hands, I wish I would have had the camera!

Thats all for now folks! ***In the above pictures, I placed him on the floor on his back.
***he requested that shot of himself in the basket, I dont know why he looks so mad! :) heehee

The Farmer's Market

I really do enjoy the simple things in life. A warm sunny day, my baby's smile, a funny joke.. and the farmer's market!! Every Thursday I eagerly wait for Steve to roll in the door from work so we can go. I mean sure, I rarely buy anything because the vendors never change. But hey if I need a crocheted dishcloth or avacado honey, I know where to go! You never fail to see crazy things there either, today a man holding his baby (smaller than Blake!) up over his head with ONE hand! The baby was laying across his palm as they walked through the gravel parking lot. Call me an overprotective mother, but flying across a parking lot is not neccessary. I mean across a street sure.. hah. Just kidding, some people are so dumb, its too bad their reproductive systems are so well working. Blake and I ran errands for the rest of the day. We went to the commissary where he helped me pick out dinner, and then cruised the exchange where I cooed to him "Blakey wanna shop with mama? You love shopping!" To which he would smile and wiggle around. I am trying to brainwash..errr.. indoctrinate him young. I love this little guy so much, I cannot believe how fast my baby is growing. It seems like I was just looking at a digital test that said "PREGNANT". Well, I didn't look at it, Steve did, and then started laughing and hyperventilating... so I knew what it said. It was a pretty funny sight actually. But he regained his composure rather quickly, and assured me that all would be ok. And it is! It is better than ok! Blake is doing so good with tummy time, his neck is super strong. He is almost rolling over too! He can't wait to come home to NY. I am going to teach him how to wiggle his toes in Lime Lake, and have a bonfire (smoke blowing AWAY of course), and meet a jillion relatives including Great Grandpa Roy, cowboy extraordinare. He has already dubbed Blake "a fine little cowboy". Yep, thats his mama's boy! ;)
God fearin, animal lovin, hard workin little sweetheart.
Well, he will be, right now,..
Mama lovin, daddy grinnin, roxy befuddled, burpy, hairy little pumpkin!

No prayer is too small ...

This blog will be about a few different things, I will start with the cute stuff! I was reading in Parent's magazine the different reasons your child likes peek a boo, depending on age (and perception). It said not to bother playing before six months, because your child wouldn't get it. Well that is a lie, .. I take that back. It is probably true, but Blake is pretty advanced ;) I was playing peek a boo with him the other day and he was so cute he giggled everytime i uncovered my eyes and yelled (way too over cheerfully and in a super high pitched voice) "PEEK A BOO". The more he giggled, the louder and more obnoxious I got..haha I can't wait to get out in public and do that. So i am going to continue playing with my peek a boo prodigy on a daily basis, because no hand game is too challenging for him!
The next point has a lot to do with my title. Today I went to school to sell back textbooks. Two were small soft cover ones, and one was an old art book, and I had it for two quarters, so I was pretty sure it was out of date. Well, I put Blake in his baby b'jorn and we walked through the sunshine on the campus that is nested right in a small bay. It was beautiful, with roses blooming and goldfish swimming around a small pond. As I walked I said "Dear Lord, please bless this book buyback". I don't know why I thought to pray that, but the bible says "you have not because you ask not". I went to the room, and met a cheerful lady who scanned the first two books.. ten dollars for the first. Thirty three for the second (WOOHOO) and then, she said "I don't think we are taking this art book back". I was disappointed but glad for my forty-ish bucks. Then. she hesitated and scanned it. "Oh I guess we are!" she exclaimed. I can give you $98.00 total. I nearly jumped up and down! These books were just sitting on a shelf in my living room collecting dust! On the way back to the car, I thanked God for blessing me through my old garbage, and I felt so happy, so cheerful, so hopeful. I just wanted to skip. I probably would have, or even pranced, but with Blake in his carrier, I didn't want to give him shaken baby syndrome. Well I am off to catch a few zzzzz's, while Blake is asleep. A shoutout to my mom who is probably the only one who reads this blog. I love you mom!!

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~Honoré de Balzac

My mother is a poem
I'll never be able to write,
though everything I write
is a poem to my mother.
~Sharon Doubiago

I guess just becoming a mother has given me a whole new appreciation for my own mother. She went to college to get her master's degree with a baby, and made straight A's! Securing a life for herself and I, teaching me about my heavenly I father, and always having a heart full of love! If you ask her, she would say I really didn't have bad diapers. I really didn't fuss much, I slept through the night right away. I only cried when I was teething, because poor me.. I was being tortured with pain. She would tell you that I never got on her nerves, or never made her tired. She would say that I am the most beautiful girl in the world, and the smartest to boot. A mother always knows what to say, how to give confidence, and how to be approachable. I hope that I can be all this for Blake!

My Life is Poopy, but I Wouldn't have it any other way!

I regret to say that this post is literally about poop. Yes, I never thought I would be so crude as to discuss it, but when it accompanies a Blake story..its a must tell. Today I was doing beach body abs in my living room. I am determined to have a Pam Anderson body for when I get back to NY. Ok ok, not Pam Anderson.. maybe Heidi Klum. Yes. Heidi Klum. I mean I already have a super beach bod. "Body By Baby-the Beach version". Ok I am lying a little bit. I mean I try super hard. I run about once a week, do situps maybe two days a week. I eat ice cream every night before bed, and I ate two brownies tonight. So when i come home i do not want to hear one comment like "oh you look great for just having had a baby" or..."oh no stretch marks, thats great! now all you have to do is tone!". No folks, I produced a CHILD, i get a little slack. Try getting five hours of sleep a night, and then tell me that Billy Blanks is calling YOUR name with his Tae Bo. Anyhow, back to my workout- I barricaded the dog away from me with the coffee table, in an attempt to protect myself from her tongue. (She thinks work out time, is wrestle time). Blake was cooing away on the floor next to me, and I was burning the ab's with Marco or Stavros, or some other greek god wannabe. Whoever Marco Stavros is.. he has big arms. I mean I never saw his abs, for all i know they were flab city, and the whole 13 minutes was a wasted of my time. Anyways, I was crunching and twisting and planking for a whole 13 minutes when I realized that I should be playing with my son. So I scooped him up and he smiled away as I told him how much mommy loves him and did anything I could to make him laugh. (he didn't) . So, I heard the dreaded ..ahem..noises that signal a diaper change. I was changing him when I felt something wet on the top of my leg. Now when I say leg, i mean UPPER leg. I was wearing super super short pj shorts to do my workout, and for all intents and purposes, my legs were totally exposed. I felt down and got something slimey on my hand... i looked down in horror to find.. yes.. Blake had pooped on me. Now remember, these are SHORT shorts.. and I won't bore you with the gory details.. but lets just say it was too close for comfort. But, Blake was smiling away in his animal onesie with his little naked butt all clean, and me wearing the fruits of his labor. It just made me laugh. A year ago, I was worried about chipped nailpolish. Now, I am just glad for poop free days!
On a very adorable note, I was at my friend Jen's for Bible Study tonight. She has the most well behaved adorable children ever and they are extra adorable. One of the middle boys was smiling at Blake when we left. He is about 8, he looked up at Steve and I, smiled a semi-toothed grin and said "you made a beautiful baby". That MELTED my heart! What wisdom from the mouth of babes! As poopy, burpy and tearful as any day can be...it is still so joyous because of our beautiful little boy. Thank you Lord for the little joys in each day!

Beach Fun with Roxy

Today we decided to head out to the beach on base and see if Roxy could be trusted off leash, and figure out if she knows how to swim. So first we headed out the door. Then we forgot a pacifer, back in I went. Then we forgot a baby hat and extra onesie...you get the idea! Many minutes later, we arrived at the base and it was a beautiful sunny day. Blake was content in his baby Bjorn, and we walked the trail, spotting a plethora of baby bunnies and wild roses growing all over. It was beautiful, and smelled so summery! We headed down to the beach -which was sparsely populated. And Roxy got crazy, she pulled and jumped all over the driftwood... we were getting less sure of our decision to unleash her..but we figured that at least we could see her for miles if she took off. So I took Blake, and Steve let her go. She ran in little circles first, plowing through the sand. Then he started throwing a stick for her, and she LOVED it! She galloped through the water and went out as far as she needed to to retrieve her beloved stick. When she came back to shore,she did a few victory laps in the sand before giving it back to Steve. It was so cute! Blake had a good time too, and fell asleep on the trail back to the car. The only downside to our new hobby, is our dog smells. :)
Oh and we met another boxer on the beach named Roxy!

Sleep? What is that?

As I write this, I reflect on all of my blessings. My guys are both sleeping peacefully, as is Roxy the loyal boxer. Blake is in his diaper with his arms straight out to the sides and his legs in a strange plie ...(ballet) position. He sleeps best swaddled, but it has been way too hot to swaddle him lately, even with a thin blanket. So unfortunately he flails around waking himself up most of the time. As for me, I guess I am adjusted fully to a major sleep defecit, and therefore I don't need to go to bed for awhile yet. We just learned that we will be able to visit family this summer back home in NY and while we don't have dates or details, I am SO thankful to be able to see everyone and finally have Blake meet his family. Thus far he has only met my Mom and Steves parents. I have been praying that we could make it home for a visit for awhile now, and God is faithful! It will be six months since we have been home, and the longest either of us has been away. At the end of my pregnancy I was not allowed to fly after 36 weeks, and we could not fly with a newborn either. So it took time, but finally we will be home. I cannot wait for Family, Friends, Lime Lake!!! and Buffalo food! I am going to eat a zillion Sahlens hotdogs, with Webers mustard, and Loganberry. I am going to Duffs for chicken wings and Teds.. and Andersons... I can't wait! When I was pregnant I was desperate... I tell you desperate for Buffalo food. I kid you not, Steve came home from work one day to find me on the brink of tears because I wanted a Broadway Market Polish Sausage SO badly. So, I did what any girl would do.. I turned to the internet where I found Buffalo Foods.com. I put sausage, and sahlens in my virtual cart.. and some bison french onion dip for good measure... I put in my credit card info.. and came SO close to clicking purchase...now mind you this was an overnight delivery of cold food, so it was going to cost about $70.00. Yes for one lb of hotdogs, one lb of sausage and a tub of onion dip. To me, it was worth it. Good thing he walked through that door when he did.. I got distracted and forgot about my purchases. When i revisted the computer, I decided it was a foolish expenditure, and cancelled the order. Alas, my cravings did not subside, and next trip home, I had a huge pack of frozen Sahlen's HOtdogs in my checked baggage! As well as a tub of French Onion Dip on ice in my carry on! (thanks mom!)
Wow, I was crazy when I was pregnant. Steve often reminds me of the night I sent him to the store for Baby carrots, watermelon, bubble bath, and and Michelina's frozen pepper steak and rice. Well he couldn't get the pepper steak and rice, so he bought EVERY other kind of Michelina's frozen meal (about 12 ) ... What a guy...Well it is 11 o'clock, Time to turn in. Good night to all!

Shots are the pits, but the park is fun!

I am very new to the world of blogging. Yet with family scattered all over the United States, it seems like a good way to relay news and photos in a timely fashion. I will try to update daily.. (hah!), at least every few days. I will keep everyone posted on Blake, Steve, Roxy and I. As well as WA happenings, future homecomings, and all kinds of exciting info. For starters, I have to remind everyone that Blake just turned three months old! I cannot believe how fast the time has flown. He has already outgrown so many outfits and looks so big already! He has beautiful blue eyes, and despite what the pediatrician said, he has not lost one lock of his beautiful hair. Daddy finallyconvinced me to cut it, but you better believe i saved every clipping! :)
The other day Blake and I took our first trip to the park..photos were just added! I took about 25, but for the sake of space I won't post them all!
Yesterday Blake had to go to the doctor for a check up because of a little cold. Call me an overprotective mama, but after the ear infection at seven weeks along with the bronchitis, I am always going for better safe than sorry. After being diagnosed with a little cold/maybe allergies, he had to finish up his two month shots. We spaced out/delayed his vaccinations. This has become a hugely controversial issue lately and is not something that I take lightly. Now, we are free and clear until four months. He was not happy after all that, the poor baby screamed like I have never heard him cry all evening long. Thankfully after a good night sleep he is *almost* back to our super happy boy!